Christmas
My favorite part of Christmas is waking up early and having the house to myself, alone, for a couple of hours. I know that sounds weird. But I like to drink my coffee and reflect on the year. This has been a hard year personally and I won’t go details. But as it relates to our teams here in the Bay Area, yes, it was a hard year for them, too.
The Giants were not very good. They gave us one fun month, 5 lame ones. I’m still not over trading Smith and Bum. We are now wandering in the wilderness, one of the best metaphors there is for having a crummy team with very little impending hope.
The Warriors dynasty ended. Just like the Giants they got their 3 in 5. Can’t help but think it could have been 5 in 5 if it wasn’t for LeBron getting Draymond taken off the floor for a game. And last year we just couldn’t overcome the injuries. Around here they’re just calling it “Dynasty Interrupted” and I think that’s a good name for it. Dubs will be back soon.
The Niners? That’s obviously pending. I’m excited about the success of the team this season but they have a long way to go and I could easily see a big let down coming.
Whatever. None of this is a big deal. I hear some stirring right now in the back of the house. She’s 17 now but still gets excited about this morning. That’s good enough for me. Merry Christmas Flappers, wherever you are and whoever you’re with make it a good one. “These are the days” but they’re dwindling so don’t take them for granted…..
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
You’re a very wise man, Flavor. Merry Christmas to you, Katy and everyone else here. For those of you/us who had a hard year, let’s hope for better somehow.
Completely agree with Wille’s post at the end of the last thread.
Some guy on the radio said the Yanks woulda been better off signing Bum & Ryu instead of Cole.
I think I agree with that as well…
btw, I agree with others that KC has a legit shot this year. You should start gearing up, it might happen, Loo
It’s encouraging to see the D stepping it up. Reminds me so much of the year Manning’s Colts won it all. They were considered an offensive machine with a garbage defense that suddenly got good late in the year and in the playoffs. At least that’s how I remember it…
Great post, BF, but I disagree that the Giants are “wandering” in the wilderness. The Giants are definitely going to struggle through the wilderness for a while, but there is plenty of hope, IMO. They know the direction through the wilderness.
It took Sabean about 6 years to get the Giants to a World Series, and about 14 years to win one.
I know we live in a different society now. Fans are less patient. Ticket prices are high, and all that.
But there’s a lot to be said for patience.
Patience is one thing, tanking quite another. Zero problem letting guys go IF there is a plan to replace them. On a power starved team (as Z admitted) with minus 95 run differential, SF has allowed HR leader, SP, closer and set up guys and a top bench bat to walk away. Replaced by Gascan and Cozart. Nothing done to address corner OF power, LH bench bat (2 things Z said he wanted) or pen.
I watch non big money guys that could have helped Giants improve off 77Ws be signed by other teams trying to get better. Instead we are stuck with “a crummy team with very little hope.”
i agree with both of you. We have some pieces in the minor leagues. But they are still nothing till proven. And Willie is right to notice the good we let go without any replacement plan whatsoever. Even the Tigers got better when they added Schoop and Cron, 2 RH hitters who would have been nice additions to our team
80 wins in 2020 would do nothing to make the team better. Craw, Belt, and Posey will likely not be on the Giants the next time they make the playoffs.
If the Giants had started the tear-down rebuild two seasons ago, the team would be better off; but I totally get why that didn’t happen. The Giants’ window still seemed to be open a little.
There will be a new window.
disagree Zum. I love you guys but winning 80 or couple more gets SF closer to being viable and eminently more watchable; losing more only gets them farther away and drives fans to giving away tickets on stubhub. As I feared, other teams on outside of playoffs like Mets Phils Pads and Reds have added guys to help them, which only makes it even harder to get past them by say 2021/22.
Yes Bart Ramos Luciano (sabes guys btw he drafted while ago to replace core) hopefully take rightful spots and Belt is gone. Keeping Pillar to trade him at deadline and adding a power bat to OF until Davis develops alongside Yaz and Dick would have given SF plenty of power from both sides and some speed.
Pitching will be harder to fix, since they likely dump smardz at deadline and will limit innings of Webb etc. But adding a Miley type guy or two for couple years as bridge guys is what I would have liked to seen done. All this could have be done on cheap without going after big FAs. Instead…
Merry Christmas Boys 🎅🏻and a Happy New Year to all!🥳
Tanking with an overpriced, overaged team is the right thing to do.Zman is always working the wavier wire/ low end trade to find his next Yaz to help improve the team, but in the meantime he’s stuck with huge contracts not easy to dump with no interested teams he can sucker!
Might take something fluky to dump the Brandons, etc.
Example: Let’s say a team under pressure to go all the way like the Yanks is sailing along when suddenly they lose their star SS to a season ending injury. Think a LH slick glove like Crawford would appeal to them? I do…
He’d have to agree to a shave and haircut.
His brother-in-law did…
Mac,They all bow down to the Yanks stupid clean cut policy.Giambi, Damon, now Cole.They figure a huge contract is worth the 4-5 months they can still have a beard in the offseason..
You’re right, Kat!
I’m not sure when it became their policy.
Even under George Steinbrenner they had some major staches – and Munson was scruffy as it gets,,,
https://tht.fangraphs.com/tht-live/20th-anniversary-of-don-mattinglys-hair-related-benching/
whoa. Gonna prolly have to read this one a few times
https://thelaughorist.blogspot.com/2019/12/missing.html?spref=tw
Great post Flav. Merry Christmas to you and Katy, and I hope you, Katy, and family have a healthy, happy and prosperous 2020.
I am not tripping on the Giants. Z has excelled at every level of professional baseball, and I trust he will turn this team around. They are in a full blown house-cleaning mode, and obviously we are not at the stage of the rebuild to add pieces, or worry about losing a closer, starter, or whatever. I am taking the patience mode and we’ll see how things look in a couple of years.
Warriors will probably get the one pick. Klay will be healthy next year, and I suspect the Dubs will be back.
The Niners are looking good. I think it is absolutely paramount they win this week. They need the week to rest and get healthy. I am optimistic, although cautiously optimistic.
To all you Flappers scattered across The Flap Universe, I wish you and yours a joyous solstice season, and a healthy and happy 2020. Blessings to you all. One of the things for which I am grateful are the friendships I have made here. Thanks for all the years of entertainment and friendship.
I am cooking a prime rib roast for the celebration today.
First one we have had in decades. Mrs. snarkk wanted one, not sure why. She apparently took out a second mortgage to get this 6 pounder. I will watch and coddle it as it traverses its oven journey.
Apparently some in this country now feel the greeting I am about to give is somehow an un-American one. I think it to be very American; we are of many faiths, many backgrounds.
To all the Flap, wherever you are, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !!! …
Merry Christmas Snarkk &Mrs Snarkk& the Snarkettes!
Oh btw save a sliver of that juicy prime rib cause theirs a rumor Cousin Eddie and his Dog Snots are dropping by in the RV,cause his shitter is full 💩and he needs to funnel the toxic waste down your sewer..😂😩
Alleykat69 would be a big attraction in Coney Island…
I’m still dying over the *drunka_chuck* call…..
That’s a troll.
Willie and Bozo, I totally get where you’re coming from regarding the Giants. I just see it kind of differently. The Flap would be a boring place if we all agreed on everything. 🙂
“Michael Mosley, the man accused of the Dec. 21 double murder of Clayton Beathard and Paul Trapeni III, has been arrested outside of Nashville, the Metro Nashville Police Department announced Wednesday.”
Clayton, 22, was the younger brother of 49ers quarterback C.J. Beathard.
I remember him pretty well…
Career completion percentage: 44.9!
Even back then, that was awful…
Congrats to the Warriors on defeating the Rockets! Very cool!
Kind of amazing that of all places for the original San Diego Rockets to move they landed in Houston…
ABA team? I don’t think I ever saw a single ABA game. I do remember the red, white, and blue ball.
Oakland had a team. I think Rick Barry played for them awhile.
I looked it up. The San Diego Rockets were an NBA expansion team. I have no memory of them.
There was so little NBA on TV in those days. There was a Sunday game of the week that usually featured the Knicks, Celtics, or Lakers, or combination of two of the three.
Good job, Zum…
Yesterday I wished everyone in Flap Universe a merry Christmas (my Christmas morning and your Christmas Eve) but that’s one of the interesting things about living on the other side of the world: technically, holidays, birthdays, etc., last 2 days, because while it’s now the 26th here, you’ve still got Christmas, so…. Merry everything and happy always, love you guys. And yeah, Craig, Pawlie’s piece was eerie, like a dream or a Twilight Zone episode. Maybe it’s just good fiction, but I kinda like the thought that it really happened…. As for the Giants, relax, it’s not even January yet. Or maybe, relax, it’s not even 2020 yet….
Rick Barry played for The Oakland Oaks of the ABA in 1968.He averaged 34 points a night.Played 3 more seasons in ABA before going back to the Warriors, where he started his career but found himself in a contract dispute and split for more money 💰 starting up the new league.Yeah the red,white&blue basketball was the trademark of that league, always thought it was pretty cool spinning off a great shooter with the rotation it created! Another stud player in the ABA was Connie Hawkins another guy stolen away from the NBA early on..
Hawkins was banned from the NBA in a bogus point shaving rap.
Roger Brown, too I think…
The ABA showed the NBA it needed to expand its number of teams.
There’s an excellent book about the ABA called “Loose Balls” by Cleveland sports writer Terry Pluto, even though it came out nearly 30 years ago I highly recommend it.
Merry Christmas Flappers!!
Redick just made an insane twisting half-court shot.
Alonzo Ball is on the Pelicans. Who knew?
Lonzo Ball, I mean.
Part of the Anthony Davis trade.