This Guy!
Kevin Gausman, goddamn, what else can be said about this guy? He has faced the vaunted Padre line up 3 times already this season and has allowed but a single run all 3 times. I still can’t believe the Braves just flat out released this guy. He’s a little like Jason Schmidt, right? Schmidt was a little more accomplished than Gausman when we got him but he really took off in the Orange and Black. GasMan has done the same thing.
The Giants are lengthening their lead in the NL West. Threatening to run away and hide? Oh my.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
well, agree Pads lineup on paper, but overall they suck and their fans are exploding on them on twtter. they have second lowest team OPS in entire NL-only pirates are worse. Giants and SD have exact same team BA–but Pads have hit 9 fewer doubles and 14 fewer HRs. I think they are 12th for runs scored a game, while Giants are middle of pack.
Maybe it’s all those games facing Giants pitching, which allows fewest runs per game in NL.
Give him credit–GD had 2 opposite field hits yesterday, upped BA to.280 and OPS to .797.
Longoria had 2 run single to RF off Snell night before and according to B/R, is hitting as well as he did in Tampa days in lot of categories. Interesting that he is using the whole field, pulling the ball less than ever and going to CF and RF most often in his entire career. whether it’s coaching or his own approach, working great so far. He is also hitting far fewer ground balls, especially good thing vs. shift…evidence it can be beat if you go about it right, imo.
do we have a Grave Duggar convert?
hardly, but he had nice game when he wasn’t striking out. Might have bought himself some more time on roster even with Yaz back, though Yaz and Tauchman clearly better LH options and probably are everyday guys. Let’s see if he can keep this up. Also glad Kapler has abandoned CF for Dubon and shoved him back to middle IF, where he is better suited and more comfortable.
WillieD, a few quick lines:
1. There’s a difference between hitting the ball hard to all fields and what’s usually defined as “beating the shift,” which is to consciously try to use an AB to hit a ball through a vacated infield spot.
2. Evan Longoria is RH, and the shift he’s seeing now is probably not much different from what he’s always encountered. As you mention, he’s hitting fewer GBs, so what shift is he “beating?”
3. Left handed hitters are the true “victims” of the shift, with the IFers in short RF. Belt, the usual target of the “if only he’d” criticism, is in the middle of a stretch of nearly 300 PAs going back to last year that is the best of his career. Why would he change what he’s doing to poke some singles into LF? The opposition would be pleased.
4. Like all the other hand wringing about the game, I think this isn’t really much of an issue at all.
James, by hitting fewer ground balls and pulling the ball less often into the shift, I think that is part of what is productive for Longoria, vs. hitting into it, which isn’t. I’m not advocating abandoning trying to hit ball hard, only that when a pitch is thrown outside, away from defense, that’s an opportunity for hitter to use more of the field that is open to him. Longoria has power that way, and so does Belt–both are capable of driving ball for doubles or homers to opposite field.
A guy like Duggar is different–
Belt had great power season last year at home, and I hope he can continue to do so, especially when he isn’t at Coors.
btw very interesting column on fangraphs with research done on effect deadening ball has had on homeruns (down) doubles (up) and field outs (also up) when hitter has good exit velocity and launch angle. Stats compare 2019 to 2021.
Fun day to watch racing at Santa Anita yesterday too, highlighted by Britney Eurton sitting down to do commentary with Todd guy on camera. 3 winners for Juan Hernandez, and others rode longshots to victory. Abel Cedillo won twice including 4th with longest shot in field of 5 that paid $40, and apprentice Emily Ellingwood won 6th with $28 winner. Prat and Rispoli (on turf in 9th) each won too.
Can you see up her dress?
that’s the dream.
nah, shoes either when doing interviews standing up with trainers or owners. yesterday they filmed her sitting down, bright print matching top/pants.
TVG will be at Pimlico all next week iirc. I think Gabby Gaudet, blonde, will be there. Think she is tall too, haven’t seen her much.
She’s short. Acacia is pretty tall.
Gabby is a Maryland girl through and through.
She tried NY a couple years ago but it didn’t work out – too thin skinned
to deal with an admitted creep like Andy Serling.
I think she married a trainer not long ago.
They all do…
Pimlico is essentially a condemned building.
Makes Aqueduct look like the Taj Mahal…
Can you see up her dress?
Lol I always think of John Candy as a little boy in Splash at the Coney Island pier tossing some coins on the ground and then getting a peek up women’s skirts..
@Bozo–read an obit today in Chron on Sonny Simmons, who died April 6 after lapsing into coma and fighting off covid and pneumonia. Nice long column, and notes him playing on street in Financial District, as you mentioned seeing him (and donating ) before. Also Craig Morton who produced Ancient Ritual and other records by Mr. Simons, said he had recorded an LP that has him playing English horn in 1999 at a South of Market studio and hopes to release it someday, something to keep eye out for.
Sorry to hear that, he had to be up there in age (I kinda thought he had died many years ago). He had such a great tone and it was such a surprise to hear it echoing off the buildings. RIP.
Bob Baffert is such a piece of shit.Medina Spirit failed a post derby drug test
Don’t worry, he’ll skate as always.
Jill looked pretty juiced to me.
Bode seems like a depressed kid…
So even if Medina Spirits is disqualified as the derby winner, the 2nd place finisher Mandolun (sp) declared the winner u still can’t cash out a winning ticket on him I believe, that sucks..
Ask people who had Dancer’s Image in 1968…
I was wondering how you guys were going to critique GD after his 2 hits, does not appear anyone impressed.
I love Graver Duggar
For all the hoopla surrounding Tatis jr “quote superstar “ he’s only batting .230 with a lead high inexcusable 11 errors!! That’s a crazy total of screwups in 33 games.. Oh btw Brandon Crawford higher BA and ZERO errors!
Gold Glove caliber ball players never play like that, this guy can win a brick glove award easily though..
The kid does have potential off the charts though. I also think the money’s gonna go to his head. Good for SD.
supposedly Kentucky has already banned him from running there. Praying it’s a lifetime ban. FUCK HIM. I called this last week, btw
Cueto-Posey battery today. Giants are undefeated in day/home games. Cueto was pitching lights out when he went on the DL. Can he pick-up where he left off?
I think all the chatter on GD is funny. But it is hard to ignore his recent run. Is it enough to lock-up a 4th/5th OF spot? Hard to say, but he’s doing his best to make it a tough decision.
GD getting yet another start. Sweep these fuckers. Go Giants!
1. Mike Tauchman (L) LF
2. Mike Yastrzemski (L) RF
3. Buster Posey (R) C
4. Brandon Belt (L) 1B
5. Evan Longoria (R) 3B
6. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
7. Wilmer Flores (R) 2B
8. Steven Duggar (L) CF
9. Johnny Cueto (R) P
Lefty hitters really like the low-inside pitch. It’s a quirk of hitting lefty.
Cuanto Cueto?
I recall 2014. Giants were flying high on Mother’s Day and then suddenly tanking when I attended the game on Father’s Day. Very different team, of course. Can Gausman approximate MadBum? Rogers won’t get close to being Romo-esque. But going toe to toe with the Padres thus far is pretty impressive, even if they don’t sweep today.
Nice grab by the Grave Duggar.
If they somehow come back it’ll be huge…
seriously. Saved 2 runs.
And they would do it without him as Kapler double switched him out the game for Slater.
You know it’s a bad start when Wisler comes in and it’s an improvement.
Lulz
Duggar has the same problem as Panik. The problem is baseball as it is today. Teams shift to the right side against them. Why aren’t those two, of all people, hitting to all fields? Because they have higher-ups telling them they need to be hitting a certain amount of HRs, so they pull the ball.
Kuiper hit one whole HR his whole career, but batted .270 lifetime, and had a long MLB career as a starter.
If Kevin McHale was in the NBA nowadays, he’d be expected to attempt a certain amount of three-pointers. It’s just a crazy evolution of these sports.
K&K played during a time when average players didn’t get big contracts. I’m guessing their broadcasting salaries dwarf their player salaries.
I wonder if the percentage of solo homers has gone up because of that?
Did you know the % of solo HRs had gone up? Apparently, it has, somewhat. And, apparently since the days of Ruth, the % has always been more than 50. Makes sense, I guess: batter with power is more likely to see a challenge FB with the bases empty, etc. After the first few paragraphs, this article gets into it.
https://tht.fangraphs.com/franmil-reyes-and-the-rise-of-the-solo-shot/
I always thought that was the biggest issue with Duffy. His biggest hits were to right, teams started shifting on him like a lefty and he didn’t adjust. I always wondered if hitting opposite field was Bam Bam’s whole philosophy.
Where the fuck is he going?
Fucking Dubon is clueless
Yeah, how does a kid get to the majors and be so utterly an ignoramus on the base paths. Also, where is Wotus yelling at him to run — maybe he was and Dubon was scared to move now, after having been a dumbass on the paths previously. Also, Alvarrez continues Gitants pitchers as often idiots on fielding. Does the catcher Posey yell at guys what to do in the situation at hand before they pitch to a batter?…
And another oppo gonzo.
Have any of you guys ever actually gotten a SpeeDee oil change?
I haven’t. I go to a different place.
Maybe 30 years ago. These days the computer in the car alerts the dealership when service is necessary and I get a call. Effing internet of things.
Giants lost this game when they didn’t push Cueto to get a rehab start in the minors. The minors are up and running now. He wasn’t ready to pitch today…
They figured they got the series already and it was a wash.
glad I wasn’t at that game.
The Dodgers losing today was some good baseball news today.
Odd two-game series with the Rangers coming up. I’ll read about the Rangers in one of the baseball magazines to know something about them. At the moment I can’t think of a single thing about their team.
Rangers are currently at .500, but 7-3 in their last 10 games.