On A Roll!
We are really playing some good baseball lately. And, while still closer to last place than first place we had to start somewhere to dig ourselves out of that hole. Might as well start with playing some good baseball.
Congrats to LOO for nailing the Derby winner! I did not have Mage. I couldn’t get past his lack of experience, an angle that works far more often than not when it comes to finding the Derby winner. But Mage is making me re-think that rule.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
vida blue died.
Oh shoot. I just read about him not feeling well in Shea column in Chron a minute ago. He had returned for reunion of A’s Champ team of 70s, who were truly awesome. Relentless homer announcer Monte Moore used to call his fastball “the blue blazer.”
“Blue is battling health issues but was in good spirits” while visiting last month for reunion of 1973 team. Shea May 7 in Chron. Dang.
I saw the ceremony on TV cause it was vs Mets who they beat 50 years ago in the WS and he was obviously in rough shape…
i have zero recollection of Vida coming back to pitch for the Giants a second time
I don’t remember him leaving. I just remember he was on the surprising ’86 team that had sucked hard the year before. Jimmy Davenport’s 100 loss team that led to Roger Craig, Will, and Robby.
I am a little shocked after these first two games that the Brewers were 18-13 coming into the series. They seem as very mediocre as the Cards were. Mets Braves Flodgers Padres seem to be the four dominant NL teams and we’ll see how the good the Flodgers really are.
Vida was a big part of that 78 staff that threw 42 CGs, nine of them Vida’s. 258 IP total and 18-10 overall when that meant something. Exciting team. I heard all the early games on radio as I sailed with a friend from Santa Cruz to Vancouver. Took a month (weather). I returned to Calif ready to return to baseball. Attended my first sold out Giants/Dodgers game that August when both teams were battling for first place. (Pavarotti sang the anthem; damndest spectacle I’d seen in a while.) 89 wins at the end of a thrilling season and Vida Blue was one of the heroes. Indelible.
Jealous of this entire story…
Such sad news Vida was such fun to watch with his blazing fastball and his personality.Got to see him pitch several times with the A’s and Giants always a good day of baseball.Maybe the A’s can honor Vida by firing Glen Kuiper! RIP Vida Blue
78 team I was 12. Loved watching him pitch, and saw my 1st game in person that year. I was a fan already but being at the games clearly made me a fan for life. I met Vida at ST a few years ago in Scottsdale at a game. Got a signed ball for my brother, a huge A’s fan. He was very gracious and listened to me tell him about how much I liked him in the orange when I was a kid. RIP
1. LaMonte Wade Jr. (L) 1B
2. Thairo Estrada (R) SS
3. Mitch Haniger (R) LF
4. Joc Pederson (L) DH
5. Wilmer Flores (R) 3B
6. Michael Conforto (L) RF
7. Blake Sabol (L) C
8. Austin Slater (R) CF
9. Brett Wisely (L) 2B
P: Ross Stripling (R)
Oh the great Chris Strachwitz also died this weekend. Down Home Music, still on San Pablo in El Cerrito, just north of Berkeley, is one of the best record/cd shops in the world. Strachwitz was responsible for recording and promoting some of the greats who otherwise would’ve gone unheard. Lightnin Hopkins occasionally sang about the friendly hippie womens he met when Strachwitz brought him to the Bay Area to perform.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/chris-strachwitz-arhoolie-records-founder-dead-obituary-1234730941/
“unheard” outside their own towns, I mean
Still have my copy of the first Clifton Chenier album, proudly purchased freshman year. There were so many of those Arhoolie titles available cheaply at the time, I never bothered to snap them up.
Oh Arhoolie was amazing label.
That’s CS.
Shit. Haniger cost them a run there not getting to 2nd on the relay to 3rd. Joc wouldn’t have been doubled up.
Met Blue in a gas station near Gold Run or Soda Springs late at night some time after he retired. I was tired and he looked a bit pissed so i just gave him a thumbs-up.
At what point do we give up on Strichnyne?
Have to say a lot going on with the Brewers uni’s but I think they’re damm sharp good look!
Hey nice 2 out knock by Wisely to drive in a run and now Wade to tie it up to help out useless Strip-less 2-2 now..
Brewers colors, like the a’s, have a football uni look to me, but imo the bMball logo is a work of genius.
Loved this logo as a kid, but never knew what it meant. I called them the Elbows . . .
I’m always delighted when one of my cynical takes about anything turns out to be flat wrong, but stripling’s still not looking good.
Stripling is an HR giving machine.
8 now in something like 25 innings…
Man I just can’t stand batting practice pitcher Stripless , he’s trash 🗑️.Every ball hit off of him are over 100 miles in bat speed!
Sorry to hear about Vida. Pretty sure he pitched at either the first or second game I ever attended at Candlestick, on a trip to SF midseason ’86. Yeah, great pickup in ’78, made for a fun season.
I loved Vida Blue so sad to hear he’s gone.
Vida Blue’s passing just reminds me how much I hate the HOF, as the ONLY reason he isn’t already in – is because he’s being penalized for his drug issues near the end of his career.
BBHOF is nearly as ludicrous as the RNRHOF.
Also loved this logo …
Yeah Blade it’s pathetic how the HOF penalizes some players like Vida,Jeff Kent,Clark,Dale Murphy should be in imo, and other lowlifes are not comparable numbers get in???
Charlie “Cheapwad” Finley I believe had such a negative on Vida it had to make him seething under his skin.
Then when I heard that story about Finley wouldn’t give him a raise but instead a free gas card wtf?? But Vida got the last laugh after filling up his car he passed the gas card around for everyone else to use…⛽️⛽️⛽️⛽️🤣🤣🤣🤣
one menu at a place adjacent to the Miami F1 race this week offers $275 beef nachos. Most reasonable thing on the list.