The Beginning of The End
It doesn’t get much more American than some dude named Beer hitting a walk off bomb on National Beer Day. And yet that’s what happened last night in Arizona. You know what else is American? Baseball. The Masters. The Derby. Lots of other stuff…
As I’ve gotten older I find myself not as emotionally tied in to how my favorite teams do. We’ve won so much in the last 12 years or so, hell, the last 40….I just can’t get too bummed if we suck or don’t win it all. I’ve gotten way more in to the global level of the sports I’m interested in. With social media and video re-tweets and daily fantasy sports, it’s just too easy to know who all the players are and how they are doing in real time. And what I’ve realized is that I just love watching exciting things happen in sports.
The stupid pandemic also changed my perspective on a lot of stuff. As it relates to entertainment, I’m just thankful to have it back. I never realized how much I need that *distraction* in my life before until we started coming out of the pandemic.
Anyway, it’s opening day! And I have mediocre hopes for the team this season, at best. And I hope I’m wrong. But if not, that’s ok too. I will appreciate the moments as they come and go. I will appreciate this being the final season of The Flap.
I hope you guys do, too….
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
Regarding your message Paul from yesterday. I am flabbergasted at how many pitchers are on MLB rosters. Fifteen is ridiculous, especially when you consider that MLB rosters from the 1960s carried only 9. Sheesh, wasn’t it last year, the number was 13???
Coupled with the aforementioned, almost all of these guys throw high 90 heat or 100 MPH in many instances. Consequently, is anyone surprised that an at bat ends up usually in a strikeout or homerun? We need less pitchers and more position players on rosters. I have no idea how this grows the fan base, much less the younger fan base.
28 players is only for a month, then it goes back to 26 with 13 pitchers max just like it was last season…which didn’t work out too badly for Giants. There are still professional hitters around–watched Michael Brantley whack one of Ohtani’s 97 mph pitches that missed location off wall in RF
Meanwhile Larry Baer strikes again–giveaway tomorrow to first 20K in yard is Captain’s Hat I saw on Slush twitter. White on top with small black circle around orange SF, ropes around bill yada yada.
Oh man, I’d like to have one of dem. Are you going out tomorrow, Willie?
They’ll prolly keep 28 for the season and leave it. Like the 5 inning win was supposed to be temporary.
Seems like it’s taken forever to get here. Play ball.
Slush has lineup:
Yaz RF
Belt 1b
Ruf DH
Joc LF
Craw SS
Flores 3b
Thairo 2b
GD CF
Bart C
Webb P
Yaz homered off Alcantara last time Giants saw him, April 23 at the O. Giants also saw him week earlier in Miami. He shut them out through 6, then Belt homered, Longo doubled and scored on single by Craw, he hit Posey and left game. Replacement gave up 3 run bomb to Slater, so 4 runs charged to Alcantara.
Both of those games in April the Marlins lit up McGee. In first one, he gave up 4 hits a walk and 2 runs as Marlins rallied to tie game 5-5 bottom 9th, and then won it 10th with 2 off Garcia (walk and gwrbi double)…might have been the infamous Casali blowing up at Garcia on mound game I was listening to as Flemms described meltdown on radio.
Game week later in SF McGee came in to game in 9th with 5-1 lead, then gave up 2 run HR after error by Flores before closing it out for 5-3 W.
Aaron Judge rejects 7 year 213 million dollar contract!
If not wanting to be the highest ( per season) paid player in Yankee history,sure doesn’t sound like he wants to be a Yankee for life..
Alright Giants.
Estrada picks up Flores and Dugger.
Man Giants turning weak contact into stuff that usually only happens to Rogers.
Thanks for the book dedication, Pawlie! That’s very nice!
Belt, bunted double.
“I will appreciate this being the final season of The Flap.
I hope you guys do, too….”
Actually, BF, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who is appreciating this being the final season of the Flap. Everyone else wants it to continue onward.
Marlins return favor.
Some slop ball going today.
Ground attack wreaking havoc
I watched the “Donnie Baseball” documentary on the MLB channel, and for some reason was not expecting to like it much, and maybe that’s just because “Donnie Baseball” may be the worst nickname in baseball history; but I gotta say, the documentary drew me in. There was quite a dramatic arc to his playing career. I forgot that he finally made the playoffs in his last season as a player, in ’95. And he performed very well in that series, despite having some back issues the last several years of his career. Then after he retired, as we know, the Yanks started a championship dynasty in ’96.
Hank Steinbrenner gives Don a lot of credit for those championships. In the documentary he says it was Donnie who convinced the Steinbrenners to stop trading away quality prospects for a “win now” approach. They ended up hanging onto Jeter and other top prospects, who became the foundation of that dynasty.
Like the rest of y’all, I’m curious about what Estrada will do this season. Hopefully he continues to build on last season. Unfortunately he got caught in a roster crunch a few times last season, like being left off the playoff roster, if I remember correctly.
Man, Showalter is managing again, and he was Donnie’s manager in that ’95 season. With an older manager like him or LaRussa, I wonder if the players on those teams privately refer to the manager as “the old man.”
“Hey, the old man is going to start platooning the leftfielders” or whatever.
We are all very appreciate of you, BF, and the Flap. Thank you so much for this wonderful gathering of folks over the years.
But, yeah, we’d like you to continue it past this season. 🙂
Bart got all of that one.
Bart bomb!
Kuiper made it sound like Bart crushed that one…how was it on camera?
He crushed it. About 12 rows deep. No doubter.
Kuiper thought it went over the bleachers. Does not sound like it.
Damn. Nice start, Joey!
Maybe go to once a week, Craig?
I vote once a week.
Wow. Fairly easy call there and they miss it.
Pretty dumb to run on a 3-1 count tho.
All of my Masters pools picks are sucking some penis. Schauffele JT and Spieth especially.
I guess Thomas making a little comeback…should have just gone with Scheffler.
Pavs said last Giant to hit first HR of his career on Opening Day was Will Clark 1986
Pressure is off of Joey Bart now that he caught Duane Kuiper with his 1st career HR!
Oh boy. Here comes the pen.
Spaghetti Leone getting the crab eye look from Webb after giving up the bomb to cut it to 1 run..
Oh Captain, my captain . . .
Belt hits it out.
Insurance runs always good.
Captain Belt on his 3 hour tour around the park..
That’s 3 errors on the play.
One on the 3rd basemen , one on the umpire and one on the replay for taking so freaking long on and obvious safe play at 1st…
Jesus. No breaks this inning.
and there you go.
Sorry, Logan.
Doval needs to trust his #1 pitch.
He threw almost all sliders. why?
Oh fuck.
As easy as McGee and Rodgers were it wasn’t for Doval.
Opening day Melonhead flashback…
Doval was too slider happy last year as well. Shit fire the 100 mph heat and trust it godammit..
Estrada!
Redemption strikes quick.
Posey got cute with Doval and his shitty slider as well. It annoyed the shit out of me.
Man after error you know he feels good about HR. Good for Estrada.
THAIIR-O yeah!
Estrada is a big leaguer. Stick him at third.
Estrada like I mentioned is the break through player. and A/S , great timing on that tying bomb!!
Bart has got to give Doval the high hitter sign over and over
Brebbia?
Ghost runner BS. Charles Mingus had a great tune called “West Coast Ghost” on LP East Coasting 1957.
Fucking ghost runner. They should let the 10th and 11th go normal and then bring in the ghost runner.
Doval will have to chip away at his 27 ERA now.
Oh my we’re going Brebbia aisle?
Better then Beede in your eye 👁 I guess..
He impressed in ST, fwiw…
The ghost runner takes away some of the advantage the home team has in extra innings. The team batting in the top of the inning can score a cheap run and put immediate pressure on the home team in the bottom of the inning. That’s bogus.
Not your worst post ever…
lol!!
A little Twin opening day tribute.
Zumiee knows it…
I don’t think Twin would be much impressed by 3 outcomes dominance of today’s game either.
It’s really bogus having the freaking ghost runner when mostly all teams are carrying 15 pitchers right now..
Mid-season form regarding torture.
Yeah, this seems familiar.
Brebbia looked good there.
Exactly, Zumie. Who voted that back in? The players association? The players?
They really need to play it straight for at least 2 innings before bringing in the ghost runner.
If Im the home team I walk the lead off guy just about every time. Or at least pitch around him.
The pressure is on the visiting team to score twice or more. That’s why no one bunts any more to just get the one run in. Now Giants have same opp and if they score it’s over. rule (dumb as it is) works both ways for fairness
Brain dead fuck…
There’s your first DFA.
BDFA
Nice to see Dubon is just as dumb this year as last.
No shit Dubon is a fucking retard..
Unfuckingbelievable
Mm
Plenty of room for Ramos who’s tearing it up already for Dubon’s release.
Wow.
good Stanford men always come through in the end.