It’s Raining W’s in SF
One reason I am excited about this year: The starting pitching, which I was comically wrong about, should be able to propel us through the Summer. And as long as we keep banking wins like we did last night we’re going to be in the race easily up until the trade deadline. And THAT is where Farhan will weave his web. Unencumbered by the contraints of future salaries he can just decide what we need and go get it. He’ll put whatever Russ and Curry are cooking to shame. It’s going to be like watching a modern day Rembrandt with his paints….
In addition to the legitimacy of the starting pitching it has now become impossible to ignore this *approach* the hitters take to every at bat. I don’t pretend to understand it but it has to do with either jumping on the first pitch they see in their zone OR grinding the bejezus out of the at bat. Whatever it is, Brandon Crawford likes doing it. Kap and his staff deserve huge props for this mindset they brought to our aged, bedraggled hitters.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Yeah, the revival of the careers of the Bore Core is one of the amazing stories.
Good move by Brenley to voluntarily step away for a week.
If an opposing broadcaster mocked Cueto’s head-covering that he wears under his cap, we Giants fans would have an issue with that.
Some of the Black players like to wear something on their head underneath their caps. It was a big lapse of judgment on Brenley’s part to crack a “joke” about that. From what Brenley’s said, he sounds genuinely sorry he did it.
Sweet win against another first place team who was 9-1 over their last 10 and had just swept the friars.
Crawford with the bomb to put us ahead, and another magical one-handed grab with the accurate throw to gun out a runner continues to amaze.
Is Crawford the current leader for the Willie Mac Award? Posey? Grave Duggar?
Oh my. I think all 3 are worthy candidates!
Agree, Flav.
Don’t forget Gauzepad…
Good call, Loo. Will be interesting.
As for SPs…Sanchez and Webb already out, and Cueto has been too. Pen guys like Baragar one of few solids there, have been hurt too. Not just for Giants but it seems like injuries across board will be biggest story going forward.
Who pitches today–Kazmir +?.
But Z’s ability to stockpile guys for depth to deal with the injuries has overall, worked so far. He should be commended for building in the depth to the team.
Definitely, but it’s troubling so many guys going down already with 4 months of baseball still to be played. Dislike “pen games” a lot.
Z has done great job of getting pitching to where it is, but deadline deals will be harder this year just because so many contenders (even in NL West) need help and there are only so many sellers.
Can’t say I remember a time when both Bay Area AND both Chicago teams were all in 1st place at the same time. If the Yanks had held up their end, it coulda been all 6.
Fed-Ex should be visiting today, Chuck…
No way! Just in time.
Leaving for Hawaii tonight. Aloha!!!
Winning ballgames has been a lot of fun. Total team effort so far.
So great seeing the Fakers and Hasbron get tossed from the playoffs last night. Suns will have a pretty good match up with the Nuggets but should be able to grind out a series win and home court should help.
Who here of the Dubs fans would move Dray to Portland, Wiggins to Clippers with a number of draft picks (couple #1s) and probably Norman Powell and Dubs get Kawhi??? Love Dray and would lose is his leadership and game mgmt but Kawhi is still arguably a top 5 player still when challenged. Reality is that getting rid of Dray and Wiggins contracts is probably a necessity and if you can add Kawhi at roughly Wiggins salary for next year would allow them extending Curry further with less financial heartburn (would hope he takes less long-term to give them more financial flexibility) and maybe then allows the ability to keep Oubre. Can they play Kawhi-Steph-Klay-Oubre-Wiseman as a starting 5? Also allows Paschall to step into a bigger role and then add some vet big bodies.
Dray ain’t going anywhere. Oubre’s good as gone. Frankly, I liked him, but not enough to give him what he’ll get on the market. Wiggins will be a valuable 3rd option with Klay back. That is, if Klay comes back to form. KD has done pretty well coming back from his Achilles, so there’s hope. This team needs inside presence more than anything. They continually get killed on the boards.
Doesnt Kawhi give you some of that inside toughness? Then I would add a vet 4 for some presence. There are plenty of them in the game that should be easy to get…
No. We need an Embiid/Ibaka/Drummond-type guy. Eya, they aren’t falling off the trees, but somehow they need to impose their presence inside. Looney is big enough but just can’t figure out how to box out or score so he’s fairly worthless in that role. Sure, he’s defending all over the floor, but still he should be able to use his body better underneath. His offense is abysmal as well.
Watched some of college softball WS yesterday, great stuff.
Story in NYT today confirms wide disparity in facilities etc. with men’s version. Guys get guaranteed days off vs. none for women who might have to play twice in one day. Guys also get larger yards with bigger crowds, showers (none for women) and a planned outing for all on off day.
Links to Oklahoma coaches pretty interesting and reference what happened at b-ball tourney with weight room etc. Stuff is BS
I just don’t get why media, writers etc keep thinking the Giants are probably a fluke cause they haven’t played anyone with a winning record? Last time I looked there’s only the Mets,Brewers,Cards,Cubs besides are top 3 dominating teams in the West are the only ones with a winning record?
Why continue to get dissed if the the rest of the National League sucks?
They are 9-8 against winning teams right now, better then LA&SD I believe,so it’s damm about time that should be higher in the power rankings then 4 as well..
Rankings, schmankings. The standings are what matters. Let everyone overlook us. It served us well in 2010.
Chuck:
Sent you the tracking number in an e-mail last week. I don’t know if it’s of any use, but if you leave before it gets there maybe you can have a neighbor scoop it up? Have a great trip!
Interesting notes about MadBum on mlbtr. After five tremendous starts, he developed shoulder problems but of course continued to pitch through four terrible outings. Now he’s on the IL.
Thanks again, DJ! Should be awesome. Tracking says it is in a truck as we speak. It left Hayward at 3:52 am. We have friends watching the house and dogs so they’ll get it if it doesn’t get here before we leave.
There’s an article in today’s USA Today about the onslaught of injuries in MLB, and the rise of oblique injuries. It’s definitely a huge concern in the sport.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2021/06/03/mlb-injuries-2021-baseball-season-increase/7510128002/
Cool. We have Taco Bell Dog pitching for us tonight.
Yo quiero uno Shutout…
11 years ago today>>>
Good times.
I was certainly way wrong about Crawford, not just at bat but in field too.
Like Posey he has made some adjustment in stance and swing, no small credit to coaching staff but also himself for being open to it.
Notice he is much more open and has moved hands away from body. Posey has also moved hands so bat is more straight up than previous when he held back over shoulder like Goldschmidt.
As for swinging on 3-0, Crawford said if pitch had been more outside he probably would have let it go but got something he could drive instead and didn’t miss it. Props to Kap again for letting him and Duggar swing away, and both hitters for taking advantage.
Yes your right Willied, both Crawford&Posey have made adjustments with both their hands& and the timing of their lead leg in their swing, and they both seem more upright then in the past, and a lot less leg lift I believe helps your timing .Also Posey has eliminated that bat waggle he used forever and that seems to help him get thru the hitting zone faster, that and a year off, which only helped making his hip stronger as the results are obvious that he can turn on balls that before he just made weak contact on..
Pretty cool to say the least, James Madison upsets #1 seed Oklahoma 4-3 in extra innings with a Kate Gordon blast to Left Center in the Women’s college W/S.. Yes chicks dig the long ball as much as men..
The Alameda Rifle!!!!!
Thanks, DJ!!!
RE: Posey’s video in 2010 above.
His two hits up the middle — maybe these days those wouldn’t be hits. I haven’t paid attention to how teams defend him now, but I’m guessing they shift their infielders towards center and right since he likes to hit in those directions.
If I were commissioner for a day and had authority with a pen stroke to do it, I’d limit the defensive shifts. They’re part of the reason MLB is having horrific offensive numbers. No more than 2 of 4 infielders on either side of the 2nd base bag. Within those zones, the 2 can shift how they want to their heart’s content.
And, all infielders must have both feet on the infield skin at all times before the pitch is thrown. Special circumstances allow up to 5 infielders or 4 outfielders — like 9th inning or extra innings where game is in the balance, rules on that TBD, but simple to apply.
I used to think the batters should just adapt to shifts, but they won’t, don’t or can’t. These shifts take away too much offense. I don’t really care to see Donovan Solano throw out a guy who hit a rifle shot (used to be a hit with what used to be “normal” positioning) grounder to him standing 60 feet into the right field grass…
Totally 100% agree with all of this
1. LaMonte Wade Jr (L) 1B
2. Alex Dickerson (L) LF
3. Buster Posey (R) C
4. Brandon Crawford (L) SS
5. Evan Longoria (R) 3B
6. Steven Duggar (L) CF
7. Donovan Solano (R) 2B
8. Mike Tauchman (L) RF
9. Scott Kazmir (L) P
Buster definitely does not drop the bat back behind his right shoulder now. When he first arrived, he never got rung up on a failed check swing. That changed substantially over the years. I think his newly adjusted approach has resurrected both that early control and his power.
One article on the impact of infield shifts:
https://baseballcloud.blog/2020/10/02/examining-shift-effectiveness-with-batted-ball-data-part-1/
As expected, the shift has been compensated for in part by the general move towards getting more batted balls airborne.
League wide OPS and scoring is about where it was in the early 80s. The game has evolved with smarter strategies and better players. One could make a case that a kind of equilibrium has been maintained.
More HRs and less singles getting hit hasn’t been good for the game, IMO. More singles means more baserunning and more action.
But there are also more walks being drawn, if base runner deprivation is the issue. As soon as the DH is universal, there will be more singles and overall OBP will draw closer to “normal.”
I’d rather watch the Giants hit home runs than singles. It’s been good for the game in that respect.
We disagree. 🙂
Sorry, but watching 8 guys walk to first in a game as contrasted with 8 guys getting to first on all manner of base hits is no contest re: which is of more interest for me. It’s not OBP, its the action, the athletic moves. Let the fuckin’ hitters hit, get rid of these shifts. If I want to watch guys walk, I can go to a bowling alley. The pizza and beer is a lot cheaper than at Oracle, just as good, and they have strikes there, too…
Not really. I don’t believe you’d rather watch the Giants hit singles than HRs. 😄
If you read the article, Snarkk, you’ll see that the shift isn’t even coming close to suppressing offense per your caricature. There are other factors that have changed the game in a pretty inevitable way. The fact is the Giants’ success this year is built on a perfect model of “boring” offense.
James, I’ll read your article.
But, I know what I see. This game is nothing like it used to be.
It’s bullshit, masquerading as baseball…
In 6th at Santa Anita, Abel Cedillo rode Baffert horse Illumination to victory as odds on favorite.
Read LA times opinion piece that doubt Cal racing board would do anything to him though they might take into account what happens in Kentucky, where that state’s racing board hasn’t made any decision yet. Surprised to see how many other tracks though are associated with Churchill Downs, where Baffert is suspended.
No word of course yet on what will happen at Del Mar, set to open within month iirc.
I already told you why they’re not going to bail on baffert. Their industry is reeling they can’t afford to bail on him. Although they should he is a crook and a cheater and I love that he is getting expelled from the sport
I think there’s a pretty decent chance the Derby result stands…
I would be surprised by that but I don’t really care about that I want baffert to serve time that is the only thing that is going to impact the sport or how he operates going forward
I wonder how much Bode knows.
He ain’t such a little kid anymore…
Are there any restrictions on how much fielders are allowed to move around once the pitcher is on the rubber or in his wind-up? Can a team do all kinds of defensive shifting whenever they want? It could really distract a hitter.
I never thought about it till now…
Don’t think mlb will allow that much musical chairs before a pitch Loo, though it would be funny as hell to see.
One scenario I don’t see why a manager doesn’t try, say the team your facing has the baseloaded with no outs in extra innings to win the game, why not just bring all 3 of your outfielders in to play infield making a total of 7 guys spread out between 1st base thru 3rd base to have a better chance to get the force at home? Because the odds of throwing out a runner from the outfield is slim at best on a medium fly ball.Then if that alignment works for the first out, you can go to a more traditional setup and go for the double play are force still at home..
So the yo yo fringe players strike again.Tropeano just recalled like Vosler goes back to Sacramento as welcome to my Kazmir returns for the famous bullpen game start.Do these guys even need to pack a suitcase? A double bagged grocery bag should be sufficient enough for an overnighter..
“It was a surprise when the Giants did not add Nick Tropeano to their roster at the end of camp, and it came as a surprise that he was an early victim of a roster crunch after they did call him up.
The Giants designated the righty for assignment on Friday to clear 40-man roster space for Scott Kazmir, who was activated from the restricted list and will start against the Cubs.
Gabe Kapler explained the move pretty simply, saying the Giants “have others ahead of Trop right now” in the pecking order.”
I used to be against rules limiting shifts, but not anymore. The suckiest thing in the game right now, IMO, is left-handed hitters grounding out to some guy in short right field.
James, I like Giants hitting HRs, too; but I also have an overall concern for the well-being of the game. The percentage of ABs that end in an HR, walk, or strike out is going up every year. MLB will have to do something eventually or the amount of action in MLB games will be microscopic.
Right with you, zum.
I like HRs, especially Giants HRs.
But, not JUST home runs. Doubles, triples, singles, flares, duck snorts, frozen ropes, dribblers, bunt hits, what ever. Three and a quarter hours of walks, screaming ground hits or liners turned into shift outs, and tons of Ks, is just not good baseball. It just isn’t. No amount of OPS or OBP equivalent bullshit will convince me to like where this game is headed. If it doesn’t change somehow, Farhan is bright enough to really take advantage of it and build a winner organization that is tuned into that style, no doubt about it. But, it will be a game that has lost its way…
Limiting the shift won’t change anything. Pitchers will still throw mid 90s fastballs. Hitters will continue to try to maximize OPS.
And as column you linked to noted, line drives still work. Before he got picked off, Dickerson lined a single into CF perfectly.
I just worry that any new rule by MLB like positioning IF will only continue to F things up. Juicing up the ball. 3 batter minimum. Deadening the ball this season, which hasn’t put more balls in play, it’s turned bombs into outs (not doubles) given same exit velo and launch angle. All egregious F ups
Taking away a mgr. decision for how best to employ his D seems like taking strategy out of their hands, in a way that has never been done ever.
I would go with a rule that limited shifts for the first 7 innings, and no limits after that.
In modern day shift-ball, Muncy plays second base sometimes. Talk about Friday night softball. The sport is not better with a Muncy playing second base.
And I say that knowing the Giants hide Solano at second base.
The sport is not better with 60 year old farts weeping about the good old days.
Well, we’ll see. MLB is very concerned about the state of the sport. Meaning the team owners are very concerned, and ultimately it’s their game.
The sport is not better the way it is being played, compared to before. 60 year old farts observing it don’t cause the change of the game for the worse. It’s real. This is not the Heisenberg principle at work.
The bullshit logic that walks are as good as hits will not convince me the game is as good as before. Yes, they both result in the batter getting on base. Batters on base can score. Duh.
But, the way they get on base is key to the aesthetic of the game. It’s critical. When you watch a game, you watch it for the players to showcase their skills and entertain you as a fan. They do athletic shit you can’t do. That’s why it’s entertaining, that’s what generates excitement and memories. That’s why a hit is better than a walk. The league batting averages are historically down. That means fewer hits, less action.
Fans don’t watch baseball so they can jack off to a spreadsheet or a Bill James article.
At least this fan doesn’t…
the shift is ruining hitting. It’s impossible to not see this unless you just want to be oppositional for no reason.
Well, maybe we should be rooting against the Giants?
I think it’s pitchers with higher velocity and Spin rates that are ruining hitting. Unless you’re facing guys like whisler or Kazmir who can’t locate.
The pitching’s increased velo and less reliance on starters that lose stuff the 2nd and 3rd times through is causing the big increase in Ks, another snooze-causing problem that must be addressed…
And so why is Kazmir considered higher on the pecking pole then Tropeano?
2 emergency starts 2 early Bombs.Guess his next start will be in Sac as Tropeano returns on the yo yo train..
Kazmir sure ain’t built like any pitcher I can think of…
I think you would have to be a hot dog wrapper to understand that wind speed animation they just showed…
It’s rather telling that all the ballparks now have an area for people who want to be at the game, but who don’t want to watch the game. For the Giants, it’s that garden/bar in centerfield.
At Yankee Stadium, it’s right behind home plate…
lulz
Giants have a private club with a bowling alley behind the bricks in RCF.
Zum, Loo wasn’t kidding about Yankee Stadium.
I think players can move around the field at will while a batter’s in the box. Middle IFs run behind runners on 2B all the time for a pickoff play or for a pickoff deke before they move back to where they were. Managers often change their shifts during ABs.
The shift is a pure product of computerized data compilation and analysis. The world has changed. Why shouldn’t baseball? I mean, there are those 19th century vintage baseball leagues. Maybe there’ll be some 20th, too.
A good old fashioned run…
Hurrah!! Good show!!
Rizzo chatting away at first base. It’s all fake. Some of the baserunners just ignore him.
What an AB by the amazing Grave Duggar!!!
The ball is flying tonight. A good night for the hitters.
Something about Kazmir reminds me of Brantley…
Grave Duggar now leading team at .329
18 years in the big league and u can’t get a bunt down??
That was….grim.
Should I start filling out GraveDuggar A/S write in votes Loo?
Let it pour!
I have to assume Casali when he unfortunately gets back will be a pair of Snake Eyes 🎲🎲
Dick is an X factor for the Giants if he gets hot. That would be a huge boost.
That was a gamble leaving in Kazmir just to bunt. The HRs bailed out Kap’s move on that.
HR, singular, I meant.
If I recall, lots of previous talk about how much effect moving in the R-CF wall would have on balls hit in the air in that direction, but haven’t seen much evidence. Crawford’s HR last night — would that have stayed in the yard in the previous alignment? Asking for a friend.
I think Craw’s would have been out in previous years.
I think it was only moved in 8 feet, Paul.
Then there’s the whole deal about the closed arches.
I don’t think baseball was meant to be so over-analyzed.
In Ball Four (50 years ago) Bouton said the game was being “choked by statistics”…
Rizzo and Bryant ABs a study in contrasts. Rizzo refuses to risk taking a walk. Bryant laying off excellent sliders because he was willing to take a first strike. That’s as interesting to me as an “athletic” play.
Yeah, I love paying $100 to watching power guys taking strikes to get a walk.
Exciting …
i’ve spent very little time telling you non Grave Duggar Flappers to go Fuck Yourselves but….yeah….Me, Diggity and Loo were the only believers
More power to him. His BABIP is way above league average, though, so we’ll see if he can maintain.
I was looking for an old post I made a couple of years ago, but can’t find it. That’s when there were a shitload of potential outfielders in the mix of a rebuild, including Shaw, etc., I don’t even remember most of them, but there seemed to be a lot of Austins and Tylers, etc. In that post, I remember saying something like I had hopes for 2 of them: Slater, and Duggar. I know, not exactly super-fandom on my part, but…. a couple years later, I still have hope! Haha.
Leone is not awesome.
No.
Not too smart walking leadoff batter Wisdom.
Kale killer!
Zzzzzzzzzzzzz
Back-to-back bombs!
Nothin but fucking HRs. Well, it’s early.
Vosler dead center HR!!
Sweet add on!
And now Wade jr for this 27 Yankee crew number 4 tonight!!
Vosler has some serious pop. That pitch was crushed. And Wade making a case for himself. Nice job getting the runs back!
Wade quietly has hung onto the job. A huge relief for the Giants brass.
His defensive versatility is a nice asset as well. I’ve been impressed with his play at first. He looks comfortable there.
Vosler’s probably benefitted from the fence being brought in.
Just another above .500 team that the Giants are Bitch slapping around.
Cubs are not showing me squat in this series..
It’s amazing how many dingers the Giants are hitting this year, and last for that matter. I just did not see this team as having that kind of power, but they do. It’s legit. Whatever their coaching is doing, please keep it up. I hope it’s an organizational thing.
Zaidi knows how to win at today’s baseball. He’s got a plan.
More impressed with what he’s doing every week. Makes for an exciting future with the youngsters coming up before too much longer.
Yeah, there’s some intriguing players in the minors. Ramos and Luciano, especially.
CB Buckner is one of the most erratic balls-and-strikes ump in baseball. Always has been.
Glad to see Longo come back so quickly. Those intercostal-oblique things can be tricky.
Will eight be enough for the bullpen?
Last night Littell was pounding the zone. Tonight another leadoff walk. That’s the pens biggest weakness imo.
Littell throws ball 5 to second base.
Alert play by the Grave Duggar backing up that errant throw to keep the runner at second.
Not all CFs would’ve done the same…
I’m pretty sure the runner went to third.
Sometimes the bases confuse me, Zum.
They all look alike…
Well the last few years with Bochy and his pathetic over the hill 2 headed pitching coaches of Powell&Schu was hard to watch and the players felt that way too and basically tuned out.These new coaches actually have an idea on how to either work counts are smack that first good fastball you see so u don’t get to a quick 0-2 count..
Littel Ks Baez again! Huge.
Littell did well to get out of that, but too many of these guys make me nervous. It’s not that they don’t have good stuff, they just don’t throw enough strikes. That could’ve been ugly after that boneheaded error.
Both ZZ Top brothers pitching tonight.
Whichever Flapper named them that nailed it.
Kat, I think…