Take A Train, Take a Plane, Take a Car
The Del Mar Summer meet opens today. Beautiful, glorious wondrous Del Mar. Top 3 places in the world for me.
No fans in the stands, but that’s ok. Man, me and The Boney One have had ourselves some opening days down at the old Del Mar though, let me tell you…..
Back to baseball! What baseball…..
Take it away Bing
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Though a decent enough rider, I know absolutely nothing about track horse-racing and could care less about gambling. So it’s back to baseball. Thirteen days now till the night game at the LAtrine, with Cueto facing off against Opie. Kershaw has slipped a notch or two and may or may not recover his mojo. If Cueto doesn’t go overboard and makes em hit to the pitch rather than trying to overpower that lineup, we could just maybe pull off a stunner.
Love your optimism, Stix. Right now, Giants are in first place. LMAO…
I notice you’ve opted for the “could care less” as opposed to the factually correct “couldn’t care less”.
How do these things happen?
Nothing drives me crazier than the “self interview” as I call it.
It mostly happens on TV or radio but some morons do it in person.
A nice direct statement:
I don’t think the Giants are very good, but if a few of the vets can turn back the clock they might surprise us.
The same nice direct statement turned into a verbal assault:
Do I think the Giants are very good?
No.
Can a few of the vets turn back the clock?
Maybe.
If they do, can the Giants surprise us?
It’s possible.
dj: depends on whose grammar is sleeping with which gramper. Generally, I choose not to employ double negatives such as “couldn’t care less.” Somehow, to my inner ear, put “could care less” on the stage and the potential emotional impact is more pronounced. Now there are double negatives which have a whimsically folksy chime. No I dunno if that’s not something I wouldn’t say in certain company–or even at the battalion level, but who’s on first?
ha when I was playing lot of softball late 70s to early 80s guy who played RF alongside me was big devotee of Del Mar; think that must have been homeland and he had moved into Peninsula He was much taller with a great arm good hitter with power to all fields. He was also first guy i knew into not only reggae but world music like King Sunny Ade. That was fun group of people.
We (dozen plus softball guys gals) of us went camping up in area Hwy 49 near where that Danville guy got shot, few miles south of Downieville. My family had relatives there and we used to visit them in summer for vacation. Haven’t been back in 30 yrs but beautiful country along Yuba R up to Gold Lake Sierra City Graeagle yada yada.
Yeah Willied that area is a slice of God’s country!
I use to go a lot up to Packer Lake with my family for vacations along with Salmon Lake, it’s a great place with individual cabins and aluminum boat were included with your cabin! Beautiful lodge with killer mountain meals and a full bar adds to the experience.Its also situated in a perfect spot,maybe a 20 min drive over to Grayeagle for golf and antique shopping(wife)are you go down the other direction and check out Downieville for Dinner are rafting.Still shocked that Danville Doctor was killed, and his son terrified hiding in the woods for 30 hrs? Crazy stuff! I’m glad they caught this psycho, who also shot someone else but they managed to drive themselves to a hospital…
From MLB: As of yesterday Billy Hamilton and LHP Jarlin Garcia got placed on the injured list. No details given. Speculate all you want.
If I live long enough and a few things fall into place, I could see spending a couple of weeks at Del Mar.
Bukowski once attended an entire meet and bet every race.
How’s the nightlife around there?
I loved Saratoga (sorta Del Mar east) the only time I went, but the nights were a little disappointing.
I was in kind of a no-man’s land between the wealthy and the young/college crowd…
I don’t follow the ponies, but cool video, Flav.
13 days…Play Ball…
Posey.
Press conference 9 am…
Opt-out: 9:01 AM
I’m hearing it might be more than that…
What a wonderful thing to do, couple of lucky girls. Now we will see Bart if they can pull this off.
Bring on down Joey Bart.. got nothing to lose…Buster adopting twin preemies is a strong reason…
OK so Posey is out, that’s cool. Belt’s in a walking boot. Seems like a great opportunity to evaluate some younger talent, no?
No problem here with Posey opting out under any circumstances, so certainly understandable under these. Now we can move on to just let Bart see what he can do, if this season even launches. Let him play — these games can be his minor league season. He’s had enough minor league time to attempt the jump up in class. Buster moved up fast, let this kid try it…
Congrats to Buster and family on the adoption. What a very cool thing to do, and what a couple of lucky young ladies. I absolutely support his decision, and would have, even sans the adoption.
Yes…Joey Bart…come on down!
I have said all along, that more than anything else this season, I hope to see the young guns to see they can bring to the dance.
IFthe season does start, and IF the Giants complete, then I am sure they will put the team on the field with the best chance to win. And, IF my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.
From this Z quote, doesn’t sound like we’ll see much of Bart: “This is a tough environment to evaluate young position players when you went in thinking they needed more competitive reps at AA or AAA.”
IMO the only reason, especially now with Posey gone, for Giants to keep Bart out, is that it apparently will start his FA clock…
Can the FA clock be adjusted or pro-rated like the season has?
IDK. Players playing will earn service time, so I’m assuming that means the FA clock starts for somebody like Bart…
And on the reverse side of that, if I’m Bart the only reason I wouldn’t opt out would be so the FA clock does get started. He signed for $7+ mil. in 2018 so he has cash, why would he play to only make a prorated league minimum this year for risking his health and not be able to have the money clock kick started?
Sounds to me like Z is overthinking it…
Or, blowing smoke. The Zman has been known for bringing people up quickly. He should do it in this case. The guy played a ton of games in college, called his own games, and has had 500 minor league ABs. The guy is huge, has power. Let him play. I don’t think his psyche will collapse if he strikes out occasionally, and he can learn more about catching on the job. It’s not like people steal bases right and left these days…
Smart move by Buster, family comes 1st,and especially with premature newborn twins and a wife that will need all the help she can get. Wow pretty amazing to have 2 sets of twins in the Posey stables, he and his wife are truly into family rearing!!
Though I think it would be a great opportunity for Bart to get valuable experience, I’m not sure that Zman and Kapler will hand him the gig with no experience handling a pitching staff.My gut says Heieman (sp) Brantley get a bulk of the playing time.
Maybe, but this “season” is essentially a long spring training with loads of crazy crap going on. So, let Bart fail now and then, while learning how to deal with MLB competition. I say F it, and do all sorts of unconventional S in an unconventional time. The ONLY reason I can think of to not play Bart is that it starts his FA clock, and worst case scenario he plays a game, and next day the season is canceled…
spot on Kat. Plus, this is July he hasn’t played any competitive ball at all since end of August in AA, except for few weeks of ST.
Does minor league ball even exist anymore? Are they gonna start over next year?
I think the organizations have pared down something like 30-40 minor league teams at the lower levels. Example, Salem-Kaiser apparently will be gone, maybe Augusta? There will be minors next season, but I think it’s up in the air how many, and how organized. To me, it’s just a ridiculous move. All this crying about keeping the game going, and getting young fans involved so they become adult fans — so you blow up places like Salem-Kaiser in the hinterlands? MLB might as well be run by Drumpf…
Right on! Snarkk. Baseball should be expanding, not contracting, like the Mays-McCovey Baseball Academy somewhere in their home state of Alabama.
Good question Chuck.
How can organizations continue to evaluate players and they’re skill sets if they can’t coach them anymore?
From Rookie leagues to A,AA,AAA these players are just being held hostages for now with no clear future..
Seems the Z and Kapler plan for Bart was NOT for him to come up at all this year except maybe in Sept. He’s played couple months above A ball at San Jose level. Obviously, the Z/H guys in charge of operations do NOT think he is ready to compete at ML level, yet, either with bat or more importantly handling pitchers.
And I bet he doesn’t except for last few weeks. I also saw note in one of Hank’s columns they want him to work out at 1b. My guess Giants keep 2 of their scrubini Cs and dump whichever one is worse and Bart gets handful of games in with Big Club. The quote Mac laid out actually makes a ton of sense imo.
This way they go into 2021 with Posey in last year of contract and see where Bart is and how much more seasoning he needs. And he’d have Posey to help mentor him along.
All of minor league baseball has been canceled for 2020 it is ludicrous to let Bart just sit around and do nothing for a year. Total waste if they don’t play him.
Most teams, and I’m sure Giants are doing the same, are stashing ton of pitchers on the taxi squad that will need to be worked out in case of need at big level Bailey will be there too. Giants will have chance to schedule exhibition games vs. other teams taxi squads–Angels Dodgers Pads and A’s make 4 teams at least that could be potential in state opponents.
Mr. Bart will be plenty busy I imagine..
you think that’s going to qualify for any kind of development whatsoever? Playing a few random exhibition games?
Just give a Panda the catching gig now.He knows the staff better then the scrubs they will keep.And a good way to get his fat ass back in shape quicker!
You guys realize Panda had no incentive to stay in shape after Bochy retired, he wasn’t going to be harped on by Zman are Kapler as he was under Sabean/Bochy, só no reason in his mind not to miss extra meals,cervezas over the winter/spring..
Panda has at least $95 million reasons not to stay in shape…
It’s not so much Panda’s ass that’s the problem, but his spare-tire. All that squatting with the ups and downs should equal doing a major-league bunch of squats. That should be good for both butt and gut.
If you want a comp for Bart take a look on B/R for what Dodgers did with Wil Smith, whom Z drafted in 2016.
Bottom line he spent 3 and a half years in minors, over 1200 ABs.
Bart currently has 313 above rook ball, 79 at AA.
Strange times call for strange measures…
Strange days have found us
Strange days have tracked us down
They’re going to destroy
Our casual joys
We shall go on playing
Or find a new town
Seems like another worthy POTD churned out by the Flap league leader in that category.
Jim Morrison lives.
I don’t know who this guy is but fuck him twice. Negative? Are you fucking kidding me? He’s adopting 2 little girls and choosing not to risk his family’s health to play a joke of a season. WTF is this negative legacy stuff????
I think he writes for the Merc, and he’s been a fill-in on KNBR once in a while. He’s trying to make a name for himself. On KNBR, he constantly rags on people who don’t like the DH, he knows that stirs the pot…
Anyone named Dieter is not qualified to comment on the great game of baseball imo.
IDK, Dirt.
Dieter sounds familiar.
It might be the name of Pawlie’s friend that runs/owns(?) Finnerty’s…
Beyond stupid.
The only negative thing he ever did was wear down.
Unless you think he was wrong to stay out of the Strickland-Harper thing…
Yeah, those 6 AS appearances, 4 SS awards, 3 WS rings, a batting title, named NL ROY, NL MVP and being a GG winner really doesn’t count for much these days
Yep, writes for the SJ Merc. Fuck him. We’ll leave the horse that he rode in on, alone.
Today’s header with Der Bingle was kinda nice.
Went to Gonzaga, long before the basketball program. He was Sinatra, before Sinatra.
One of his best things was to start the Pebble Beach pro am in the late 40s.
Apparently a minority owner for a while of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
One of only a handful of people to ace the famous 16th hole at Cypress, one of the toughest par 3s in the world.
Also, an abuser of his kids (per kids from first marriage) and serial philanderer, but I digress.
Amazing that the guy has been dead since 1977.
Keeled over from an MI coming off the 18th hole at a golf course in Spain — what a way to go…
The par 3 7th hole is a bear. Friend of mine lived in Monterey and we used to sneak on to pebble all the time. We’d walk down Carmel beach with our clubs at sunset and wait for the last group to go through, picking up balls on the way, and play the water holes from 6 on. One time after putting 4 in the water in the 7th hole, I got on the green with my putter. A shot that I couldn’t repeat in 1,000 years.
I’ve played Pebble 3X in my life. First time it cost $40. That’s a long time ago.
Always ended up with a score low to mid 90s.
Best I did was second time, shot a 41 on the front, legit. I one putted 5 greens.
Best memory that time was on #8. Pounded a 3 iron into the fairway for position, about 220 from the mid tees. (In those days, I could actually play, and hitting low irons was something I could do, with my Wilson 1200 sticks). The next shot, over the water, was a 4 iron into that small green. Just dotted it, and the ball was 12 feet from the cup. Lipped the putt, tap in par. Great memory.
I’m not gonna discuss that day’s back nine…
The 8th hole is so awesome when you crush it over the bay. Course, I left a bunch on the beach below . . .
41 on the front 9 is pretty damn good, Tom. Shot my only sub 100 round at Poppy Hills about 12 years. A 98. My problem is was and will be chipping. I can drive OK and putt well, but my short/mid-range game is absolute garbage. Never taken lessons, and I prolly should but I never play enough to really get serious about it.
Good on Posey and his wife for their decision. I hope this elevates Bart because I think he can play in The Show now. Good thing the minor league season cancelled so he won’t have to chance facing a bunch of scrub pitchers and break another bone in one of his hands.
Since this joke of a season is basically a novelty act, I am on board with kat – put Panda behind the dish. I don’t care what Kapler says publicly, it has got to burn him on some level that Sandoval can roll out of bed, pound a mountain of ice-cream and still be a better hitter than he ever hoped to be.
Hah! Love it. Pablo may be vilified in Boston, and a running joke to the rest of the league, but he’s forever a stud in SF for his playoff deeds and solid play from 2010 to 2014.
Feel the same way.
Flavor, in answer to your 11:41, yes I do. He’ll be in same spot as Ramos and all the rest of the young position players, getting daily ABs vs. live pitching and working with pitchers not on big roster. All the other teams will be in same boat, and I bet those games that do get scheduled are wildly competitive.
What I read was original plan for 2020 was 2 Cs only, Posey being Kap’s main guy and not playing 1b.
and I do think Bart gets at least couple weeks up this go round with big club, splitting C duties.
Of course, it’s not what I think is best—it’s Z, who has already said his piece about where he sees Bart’s level.
I fail to see how he develops fiddling around with a few practice games. I don’t subscribe to the theory that you can ruin a guy by bringing him up to early. These guys aren’t pussies and if they are, fuck em. This is a perfect scenario to bring him up to play regularly against the best. If he’s not ready, who cares? Just send him back down for the real minor league season in 2021.
Dieter, when it’s time to dance on the Sprockets show:
Touch my monkey!
Can Posey forward Belt the name and number of that adoption agency?
lol, very nice.
Have the Charity Golf tournament on from Edgewood GG South Lake Tahoe for all the pro athletes In they’re trade.Played this course and stayed at the hotel a few different times.Great course winding thru the pines and of course Lake Tahoe! Just doesn’t get any better!
Steph Curry getting schooled by pops today as Del just dropped an 8 iron to 3 ft on #17 a 176 yard hole along the shores of Tahoe..
Chuck, more on golf and your 1:31 post.
When I was in my 20s, and actually played fairly often, I was pretty good. Had lessons as teenager, but not too many. I played to an 8-10 handicap back then. Best I ever shot was a 76, legit, at Tilden Park, above Berkeley, many moons ago. That’s not an ez course. Was unconscious that day with the mid irons. I used to be able to crank my 7 iron about 170 when I was really swinging it, drives about 275 with persimmon driver. I finally got metal woods about 15 years ago. Last course I played, 8 years ago, was The Prince over on Kauai. Designed by RT Jones, Jr. I heard it’s been closed for 4+ years due to ownership issues. Too bad, that thing was a bear, but absolutely beautiful. Tougher than Pebble, for sure. About as tough as Spyglass. Sucker kicked my ass. Haven’t played since…
Tilden’s crazy. There’s a course in Lake of the Pines near Auburn that is even weirder. There’s a hole that the tee is about 100 yards above the fairway and it doglegs left another 200 yards.
A California golf course named after Samuel Tilden?
no it’s a run of the mill park in the Berkeley hills named for a local lawyer. It’s close to Wildcat Canyon.
Used to love crossing the bridge on weekends to go hiking in those east bay hills and regional parks… Wildcat Canyon, Briones too. In summer, golden fields everywhere, and then green in winters. Nice.
I still find it ridiculous that the team continues to talk as if this *season* matters, as far as trying to win anything. The only thing they should be trying to *win* is seeing what’s up for the future. Honestly, I won’t even be watching these games if Belt, Craw, Longo, Pence, B-Ham, etc. are getting the playing time. Would watch every game if it was chock full of the younger-uns and unknowns. The team is blowing a huge opportunity by acting like it’s a real season. It’s not, and the Giants don’t have a chance of winning anything anyway. That complete tear-down and rebuild that everyone wanted a couple years ago should begin right now. Any other approach just seems stoopid to me….
35 wins to make the playoffs is enticing to all the GMs, though.
If the Giants win 35, I’m gonna guess there will be a bunch of teams winning more than that. Giants are just not competitive enough, so might as well just play the futures game. Could see a handful of teams dominating this season* and most others just sucking and tanking, Giants included. And then where are they for next year? Right where they are now. Waste of opportunity.
C’mon Paul – we can at least go into the season thinking we can steal it.
Plenty of time to play the kids after we start out 5-17…
Haha, is that your bet for how it all begins? Could well be. Here’s hoping Kap doesn’t “ride the vets” the way Bochy probably would’ve. Nothing against Bochy, he’s a Giants god.
the season is going to sort itself out in like 10 games. And if you look at who the Giants are playing then it’s a grim road. That’s fine who cares, even with variance in a short season they have no chance. I just want to see some ball.
I hear ya, me too. I just want it to be some form of new ball, young ball, whatever, anything but a replay of the past few boring old ball years….
I just want an outfield of Ramos in LF, Yaz in CF cause he deserves it with his overall game,and besides you need alittle experience out there,and Jaylin Davis in RF !Actually Davis and Yaz are interchangeable in Centerfield imo..
Any other outfielders out there is a WASTE of time in the development stages, including the Dick,who’s not good with the glove and is slow,and will surely breakdown again anyway
Take a few to appreciate July 10 – Dirty Day
Good times.
Our Wilmer’s gonna dominate…
This is my brother Daryl… and this is my other brother Daryl…
Probably at least 1/3 of the lineup will be platooned, and maybe more than that.
Pebble was amazing. maybe in 2021 we need a Flapper golf tourney followed by a game at Oracle!
I’m sure there will be plenty of L/R platooney ball. also sure it’s not gonna involve younguns, except for Dubon.
IF: Belt or Ruf Flores Dubon solano Crawford Longo Sandoval maybe Y Sanchez
OF: Yaz Davis Dick BHam (passes tests) Pence backed up by Slater Duggar
C: ? that may indeed include Bart but otherwise Heineman Brantly and fill in the Kratz
Ramos Toribio Luciano? Let alone Bishop Bailey or Wilson? no. Not how Z is gonna roll, imo.
Ah thx Dirt nice shout out to J Sanchez. Don’t forget that it was his arm and his bat (!) that secured Giants playoff spot in final game (at home) 2010 after messrs. Zito and Cain were unable to do so.
Zaidi: “We’re going to be re-evaluating options internally and externally over the next few days and figure this (Catchers) out.”
Time for Zman to give Eli Whiteside a call..
That one brought out the chuckles…not quite lmao, but did make the scoreboard.