Drew Robinson
Have any of you been following this story? I have, only casually. I heard this guy tried to kill himself last year and failed but I had no idea that his comeback involved the Giants. He’s playing for Sacramento?
Last night was his first game back and he struck out four times. With one eye.
Forgetting the K’s since they aren’t part of this story, it’s really incredible that a guy could blast himself in the face, somehow live from it, and then make it all the way back to baseball? But one step away from the major leagues?
I’m not sure how you play ball with 1 eye at any level. Close an eye right now and imagine trying to pick up the spin on a ball coming at you at 95.
And yet here he is, nearly all the way back from what should have been death.
Robin Williams said “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
If only everyone lived their lives that way.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I had read about this guy but I also didn’t realize he was in the Giants system. With Robin Williams in mind, I’ll avoid the obvious jokes, but I bet the opposing team benches won’t.
Chiefs had a TE named Fred Arbanas who I think was blind in one eye.
And of course Jets’ great, Wesley Walker.
And a few race horses, too…
Arbanas passed less than month ago.
Had not heard about this guy, so obviously was not aware he was in our system. Hallelujah on the Robin Williams quote and agree on if everyone lived their lives that way.
I know we are only about a fifth of the way into the season, but this series is a big one. The seven against the bums at the end of the month will be huge, too.
From what I have been reading anyone who can make some SJ Giants games should check out Matos and Harrison
“The Giants drafted Harrison in the third round of last year’s draft but signed him away from a commitment to UCLA with a signing bonus equivalent to the cost of a late first-round pick. After working primarily in the low-90s as an amateur, the De La Salle High School alum almost immediately began showing premium velocity. According to Norris, those gains have carried over to this season, “The lefthander’s fastball has sat in the mid 90s this spring and bumped as high as 98 mph with riding life through the strike zone.” He added that Harrison flashed a plus slider as well, quickly showing scouts a strong two-pitch mix.
Matos has been turning heads for some time with an exceptional combination of athleticism and bat speed. In his first official spring training stateside, the Venezuelan impressed several pro evaluators. Norris noted that “There are some rough edges to polish,” but added that he’s already made some improvements, showing “more adjustability in his whippy, explosive swing this spring.”
Thairo Estrada went 4-5 with bomb 4 rbis for Sac, and Bart homered.
At Richmond, Ramos 3-4 double and homer.
Not so good for SP Hjelle, who gave up 3 bombs in 3 2/3
Wilson Bishop and Bailey 3-14 for Eugene. SP Corry got bombed in his 2 innings 5 hits 5 walks 2 earned
No one at SJ did much hitting and Luciano didn’t play
Get Thairo here now!
A fellow Giants fan who sometimes posts here, who lives in my state, texted me about Drew Robinson when ESPN did a VERY long piece on him a while back. Dennis was like, You gotta read this amazing, inspiring story. Fair enough. I read it. Most of it. As I said, it was long. It left me unsettled more than inspired. Then I shared the story with my youngest daughter, 23 at the time. She was pissed. Sort of at me, more at ESPN. She was like, I can’t explain it, pissed that such a private matter was being exploited, that the story was not over, that it glossed over some things, etc. I can’t articulate it, but she made me see why I was unsettled, not seeing it so much as a triumph as an opportunity to discuss mental health. No, that’s the wrong wording. I don’t know. Something opportunistic about it, Hallmark TV special, when in fact it is extremely private and delicate. There were weird things, too, like he saved the gun and memorialized, fetishized, something else (floorboard?), allegedly to motivate him. Don’t get me wrong. I am not rooting against the guy. Of course not. But there’s something unseemly about the publicity. And I’m not even a member of the British royal family.
This must be the story:
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30800732/san-francisco-giants-outfielder-drew-robinson-remarkable-second-act
Peanut butter on a cinnamon raisin bagel???
Santa Anita resumes racing on Friday today and fans supposed to be allowed in.
Last Sunday Prat and Rispoli returned after Derby. Prat won first race Rispoli the last, and in between Prat won 4th 5th and 6th before Abel Cedillo won 7th–4 winners first day back.
Pads half game back in loss column to Giants. SF 10-3 at home (aided by 5-1 vs. Rox) SD 9-4 on road.
Run differential Giants +25 at home. They’ve only allowed 34 runs in 13 games.
SD lost 10 games in a row for us near or at the end of the 2010 regular season. Without that help, I think we’d have been watching reruns of Dynasty in October. (Actually, never saw it; no nudity). So …….do we want the Padres to lose 10 in a row now or at the end of the season?
Yes.
Yes to now? I agree. Go for the kill. I believe “moneyshot” is the technical term in the adult entertainment industry.
Yes to both . . .
Totally off topic, but I know this blog features folks who know lots and lots and lots about music (and food; Twinfan, R.I.P.). Anybody ever hear of or see Rhiannon Giddens? I got introduced to her yesterday. Jayzus! (She was with the Carolina Chocolate Drops.)
oh my blues photographer buddy absolutely loves her. He’s sent me vids featuring her own stuff and performing with others.
sublime
I have seen her live (solo with her own band…post Carolina Chocolate Drops). Love her.
Thanks for sharing Rhiannon Giddens. Somehow I missed her in my music wanderings. I won’t miss her again. Thanks again for the find.
I’ve seen her live twice. The second time was really, really good. The first time was flat out amazing, an incredible live performance.
She’s the real deal IMO.
Yes she is. Incredible show when I saw her live.
anyone at this show? Feels like something Unca Chuck would have been at
Day on the greens were a lot of fun. Had a ticket for this one but scored some really good acid in the parking lot the night before and decided to go up to Tahoe instead. They finally stopped letting people spend the night in the parking lot after awhile.
Correction: it was the Eagles show that I went to Tahoe on. Don’t know why I thought it was the Zep show.
Didn’t see that one.
Some years ago I did see him and the Shapshifters(?) down in New Orleans.
Sadly I missed the Zep show. It was one of their last US concerts as they slowed their touring down, Bonzo Bonham died a couple years later. I saw the Frampton/Skynyrd concert a couple weeks before this. It was near the end of their run as the plane went down later that year iirc.
I was at this concert Led Zepplin rocked as always! Days on the Green were awesome!
Jimmy Page amazing god on his double neck guitar along with Robert Plant booming vocals.I was ok early on then the gallon of rum& punch in a milk carton along with endless amounts of joints kicked in and when all my friends wanted to build a human pyramid and I was on the bottom the end was near as I collapsed during Stair Way to Heaven, appropriate song with they way I felt..
Did see them at Kezar Stadium in 71 as well that was my 1st concert and it was a great show even better then the 77 show they seemed to have more energy I think they were wrapping up a long tour in 77. Opening Act in 71 was The Tubes who nobody ever heard of? They were actually pretty good and comical at the same time. When they played White punks on Dope, they were tossing white powder, I assume flour? along with pills who knows what those were to the audience it was hilarious..
I saw the Tubes in ’74 at a small theater at Stanford right when their 1st album came out. Mom took 8 of us 7th and 8th graders in her Ford Granada. Naked chicks dancing on motorcycles, Quay Lewd and his 5′ high platform shoes, white punks on dope, it was fucking nuts. I was hooked from then on. Incredible band. Prairie Prince is one of the best drummers out there.
I loved the Tubes and completely agree about Prairie Prince.
Crazy shows like this that I was at are out in the interwebs.
I saw the Tubes a couple of times. First time was in Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento in ’79. Saw them a year or so later in a very small club in Sac. Both shows were great. Then saw them oh ten years or so ago. Fay Weibel was drunk off his ass and could hardly stand. Awful show.
He became the parody of what he portrayed. Funny but sad.
I always love to hear talk to ya later a classic well written bitchin song!
I believe the guy from Toto lays down some serious guitar riffs in that song!
Toto is underrated
Yaz back supposed to be available off bench tonight. dickerson to IL with bone bruise, Jarlin Garcia returns.
Gausman off Covid IL and supposed to be activated to start tomorrow afternoon, so another roster move imminent.
slusser says Posey is OK and in lineup, Crawford OK but is not. dubon at SS, Ruf Slater Tauchman in OF vs. Snell LHP tonight. Belt at 1b Flores 2b Longoria 3b. Bone bruise for Dickerson is to his shoulder. ? how did that happen?
Diving for a catch in LF Willied in the Padres series that most players would not need to be, but hey it’s Dickerson old and slow..
Slater in 11 fewer ABs vs. all of last season…OB is down from .400 to .290. Last season he had 16 BBs/22 Ks.
this season he has 10 BBs and 33 Ks. Last season 5 bombs, so far only 2. Like to see him get going, soon.
Slater has the intensity of a night light.
He’s become nothing more than an experienced hologram…
Blake Snell is what Jonathan Sanchez would have been with a 97 mph fastball.
Long games, cheap HRS, too many walks … what I can’t stand is watching umpires calling balls and strikes. It fucking drives me crazy.
All over place tonight. This guy will have everybody mad soon.
Check swings should all be strikes, keep the game moving. Either full swing are no swing.
It seems like the Giants would be winning the game right now if they’d simply not swung at any of Snell’s pitches.
Oppo-Posey!
Buster busting #8!!!
Snell gets what he deserves for slowing the game to a crawl holding Slater on..
Isn’t there some reason that Mays never wears the SF cap?
Always the one with the ‘g’ on it?
I think I remember something about that…
Probably it’s his statement about how he was first treated by the city of SF when the team moved there. He wasn’t wholeheartedly embraced which seems weird in retrospect.
And he couldn’t buy a house in certain neighborhoods because of racism of the era.
Someone threw a rock through the front window of the house he eventually bought.
At least he doesn’t hold a grudge for long…
Maybe at some point it turned into superstition. He’s made it to 90 years old wearing that cap.
One less letter? G for greatest?
I think Buster is leading the NL in BA by plenty, but doesn’t have enough PA to officially qualify…
He’s not even close despite hitting .394 now–71 ABs coming into tonight after 31 games. Rule used to be 3.1 per game to qualify, right?
PA not AB…
ah thanks!
I saw that about a week ago that he wasn’t among the qualifiers, and pretty sure I saw a player with less ABs in there.
Could you imagine the numbers Posey would have put up if he was moved to 1B five years ago? I say that tongue in cheek as I was one who didn’t think moving him away from the catcher position would make a difference offensively. It’s obvious now that a year removed from the “squat” has proved me wrong.
Teams are combined 2-31 tonight. giants at least have 5 walks, and one by Slater paid off ahead of Posey HR.
DeSclafani got the walk, Slater hit into forceout. He does have walks in his other two PAs.
right, Snell walked the pitcher. Btw Posey had 78 PAs coming into tonight.
Just a clutch going with the down and away pitch by Longoria for a sweet 2 rbi hit!
I can understand taking a 3-0 pitch if it’s not what you’re looking for, but unless you’re a pitcher, taking “all the way” on 3-0 is completely stupid…
Only took the first reliever to blow the lead.
It wasn’t a good pitch, but the Padres have been impressive this inning. Too bad Longoria couldn’t finish that play.
Shit. Looked at 4-0.Come back, 4-4. What happened?
At least Posey has the kid throwing gas. Not sure what happpened the other day.
About time!!!! Slater off the schneid.
Slater oppo tater!
Slater obviously read my 5:15 comment…
wow now can Giants hold onto lead?
Krukow Yeah a good looking pen just before Slater says :here’s what I think of your pen with a bomb!
Willie McCovey pop up there.
Bunt down the 3rd base line.
Want to get away Hosmer?
hmnn thought Rogers might get 9th. Now?
Using Rogers against the better hitters is the rational move. Barager?
Nice to see the Halos stick it to the Bums.
Oh poor Duggar with the DP ball..
had whole left side of field open…
this better work
Oh boy, here we go.
Fuck it’s not Barager as Kotter still won’t give in to McGee not being his boy!
McGee sure didn’t make it easy but a win is a win
He did it! (with some help at the end). Victory!
Thanks ump! A wins a win even with help!
Wow. Payback for Wilmet’s imaginary K the other day.