East Coast Swing
Weird start to the season. Why do we have to go all the way east this early in the season? At least we had a day off. Our synergy of shitiness continues as we drop ever so slightly to 26th and 26th in bombs/SBs.
The Masters got off to a fantastic start yesterday (excluding my boy Clark who stumbled to a +1). It’s so fun to see Tiger have a decent round (he still has to finish it and that means 23 holes for him today). I can’t imagine he can cobble those old and fused bones together enough to play 4 straight quality rounds in a row. But it’s fun to dream. It’s truly amazing what he’s doing off the tee. He’s driving the ball further than many of the other young bucks out there and he’s doing it with a fused ankle. He get no lower body push that’s all upper core that’s driving the ball. It’s astounding, really.
Would love to see the douchy Bryson stumble to like a 78 today. Or maybe save that for Sunday. Hate the guy.
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
I have $20 on Wyndham as well and was playing great till 15. How many people have made that mistake trying to play that perfect shot and back spin it on the green and rolls all the way into the water. Next thing you know double and off the pace….could be good time to catch the Florida teams. Miami 2-11 and Tampa playing .500. So maybe we can surprise and go 4-2…
I know it’s a little long but I now believe that Ohtani didn’t know what’s was going on. Still hard to believe though.
If this isn’t exoneration for Shohei Ohtani, it’s as good as it gets, barring some other bombshell. Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, is presumed innocent, but the federal government’s 37-page criminal complaint against him is damning. One of the text messages obtained by the government from Mizuhara to his bookmaker regarding Ohtani — “Technically, I did steal from him” — would appear to be the evidentiary equivalent of a mic drop.
People will believe what they want to believe. In this age of social media and politicized network television, conspiracy theories abound. But Thursday’s developments weren’t the result of a Major League Baseball investigation, which might prompt more skepticism, considering Ohtani’s value to the sport. Nor can they simply be dismissed as Mizuhara “taking the fall” for Ohtani in exchange for a massive payoff, not when what he’s charged with, bank fraud, comes with a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
No, this investigation was the work of the United States Department of Justice, in concert with the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Homeland Security.At a news conference Thursday, U.S. attorney Martin Estrada clearly and emphatically labeled Ohtani a victim, while describing Mizuhara as the player’s “de facto manager” and yes, the perpetrator of massive theft. The complaint against Mizuhara accuses him of stealing more than $16 million from Ohtani to finance what Estrada called the interpreter’s “insatiable appetite” for illegal sports gambling.
According to the complaint, Mizuhara had access to the bank account Ohtani set up for his baseball salary. He refused to provide the same access to Ohtani’s professional advisors, including the player’s agent, Nez Balelo of CAA, saying Ohtani wanted to keep the account private. Mizuhara impersonated Ohtani in conversations with bank officials so he could make wire transfers to his illegal bookmaker. And in 19,000 wagers between Dec. 2021 and Jan. 2024, he won about $142 million gambling and lost about $183 million for a net loss of nearly $41 million. The investigation found no evidence he bet on baseball.
Ohtani, in his one news conference on the matter, said he was unaware of Mizuhara’s gambling. The complaint supports that claim. The government, in reviewing text message conversations between Ohtani and Mizuhara, found no discussion of gambling and no authorization of the wire transfers from Ohtani’s account to the bookmaker. If Ohtani is guilty of anything, based on the complaint, it’s of putting too much trust in a man he considered his friend. Of paying too little attention to his finances. Of being naive.
None of that is a crime. None of it warrants a suspension from Major League Baseball. Ohtani would not be the first sports legend to be duped out of millions or lose money because of carelessness or mismanagement. John Elway, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bobby Orr are but three examples.
Was Estrada wearing a Dodger cap at the news conference?
Don’t know, missed it.
my old firm represented more than a few retired athletes suing former managers. Used to be a common problem. Things tightened up. None of our cases were this huge, of course. $16+ million. I’m stunned both by that number and by the repeated assertion that Ohtani, after playing in the US for some seven years, still speaks no English. Bizarre case.
Holy Sports Book Winder!
What a thorough & excellent post. Thank You.
I recall, a few years back (during my silent phase), a Flapper (can’t remember who) posted that of all the Sports, Baseball players were the dumbest, hands down … smoking gun?
most of my old firm’s defrauded athlete clients were mlb players
That was Twinfan. He hung around a lot of the Pirates players when he was a kid.
6 games in lifeless poorly attended dome stadiums, yuck. Winn Webb Snell vs. Rays, hopefully pitching holds down fort til hitters get rolling. Ahmed has almost same OPS (.676) as Soler, 5th best on team.
NBA West playoff seedings 6-10 up for grabs in last few days of regular season. Feel bad for injury riddled Kings, just not same team. Zion and NO blew through them last night, and Pels have blasted Warriors couple times too.
@Willedav, the Bill Harrison book arrived yesterday … whatta freakin page turner!!!
I was up all night, finally fell asleep around 4am, lights on, book in hand.
So many aspects of his tales are uncannily familiar … so much so that it’s a bit eerie.
Infinite thanks for your suggestion.
oh you’re welcome. As non musician it was fascinating to me.
Btw, I heard cut off Max Roach double quartet recording from 1986 Bright Moments, featuring strings (2 violins viola and cello) plus trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater Tyron Brown on electric bass and Odean Pope, someone you had mentioned to me in past whose playing I quite enjoy. Song I heard is great version of Hi Fly.
Hi Fly, the great Randy Weston’s masterpiece!
Oh man!
I can count on one hand the people (lost so many in recent years) on this planet I can banter/riff about Jazz with.
Willedav… Quite Possibly, I’m being overly presumptuous — I apologize, if so — if you ever have a burning desire to indulge, here is my personal email:
ellislisle@hotmail.com
I very rarely interact on social media but can easily be found on FB where you can direct message me.
And that goes for All of Flap Nation, on whatever subject. I may be slower to respond there .
Regarding OJ’s death, I noticed the TV news media in general struggled to find a right tone.
The White House press secretary was put on the spot and asked to say something about OJ’s death, and she offered sympathy to his family. Big deal.
It was a fuckin’ embarrassing disgrace. As usual you can’t resist spouting your stupid ass politics on a baseball blog…
Well, I’m not the one posting from the NY Post Outrage Machine. The same organization who roasted Obama for wearing a tan-colored suit.
The quote from the WHPS is available anywhere, Zum. What does it matter where I copied and pasted it from? If the same reaction had come from the prior administration, you would have had a fuckin aneurysm…
I….have doubts. But I literally love you and the other Flappers, so I am conceding the point to you.
Well that was very nice, Zum. Sorry if I overreacted. Certain things just get me nutty…
Deep DEEP respect to both of you.
Love Is All We Need
Can anybody make the whiskey Sweet Caroline commercial go away? It’s been playing for about 9 months now. It’s a kind of mental torture.
Huh, first cursory look at Rays, they’ve hit 1 more HR (11) than Giants, average about quarter run more per game, and team ERA is almost 5.
Yet they are 7-6 despite minus 11 run differential that per pythagoras should leave them 5-8. or exactly where Giants currently sit.
Man, golf. I have to admit I don’t get that.
Kapler’s buddy Zack Littell is one of their SPs. Pitched Wed so we won’t see him but has ERA of 1.17 in 3 starts, 15 innings/2 runs allowed. Last year started 14 games for them w ERA of 3.93 after being picked up off waivers in May from Red Sox, for whom he only pitched 3 innings.
The other day I was flipping channels and came across the “sport” of ax-throwing. They stand only about 6 feet or so from the target. It was strange, but a little bit more interesting than corn hole, I guess, which is truly the dregs of sports TV, on ESPN 9 or something.
West-coasters need to remember the odd start time today for the Giants game, 3:30 Pacific Time. That would be an easy one to forget.
Thanks for the heads-up Z! Arizona doesn’t observe daylight savings. This time of year CA & AZ are in same time zone … oddly, Utah (directly north) is an hour later.
Seems to me the more annoying the ad, the better. The T-Mobile ads with Jason Momoa make me wish I could turn up my tinnitus. Same with the burger king droning guy.
The two standouts for me : Cars for Kids & JT Wentworth.
the ads with bad music are annoying, but I get real riled by audacious theft–Jack Kerouac used in a Volvo ad, Alan Watts, Buick suv ad.
Excellent point Xoot. I’ve not come across those yet.
natl tv I think for the Watts farce now. I saw it, heard it, during the basketball tournament.
Can’t remember product but ad I’ve seen recently has brief rendition of Screamin Jay Hawkins version of “I Put a Spell on You” in it, just the first 5-6 notes of band on the theme and that’s it.
I heard that. Looked up at the tv. Seemed inane. I can’t remember the brand or product either. KPFA Sunday dj played Constipation Blues in its entirety on a recent show. I paid attention to that.
Pulling for local guy Morkiawa. No idea how he shot yesterday and I can’t find any coverage on TV.
Morikama is currently in 10 th Chuck -1 so he’s hanging in there.Cut line is projected at +4 as the winds have picked up making it real tough today.Still have my guy Scheffler taking another green jacket he’s just like a golf’s version of a Madden video game he’s so dialed in.Like Flavor said with his broken down body on a hilly course playing even golf right now and will break the record with his 24th consecutive cut made breaking a tie with Gary Player&Fred Couples, such an amazing accomplishment.
I believe Snell will be Pumped up facing his former team Tampa in a revenge game against his former manager Kevin Cash who inexplicably( just a dumbshit move and even the Dodgers were grateful and surprised)pulled him against the Dodgers in the W/S in GM 6 after he was dominating them with 5 1/3 innings with 9K’s and 2 hits on only 73 pitches! Even Snell said I wanna be in there and u can tell he was pissed off getting pulled ..
thanks. BSPN is showing it now.
As far as Snell goes, he’s got 3 more weeks to settle in. Hopefully he gets on the beam quick.
Gigantes @ Rays, is Free Game of the Day on GameDay, in case anyone missed it.
I’ve a question for y’all:
The other night, after the Giants 5-3 bottom 9th, basses loaded, none out, loss (sorry Xoot if I am re-traumatizing you) I was so bent out of shape, I was compelled to tune into KNBR post game show. The host, whose name I only caught as Derek (?) Something-or-other, was quite impressive to me. What is his full name and whaddya guys think of him?
His name is Derek Smalls. Ex-bass player for Spinal Tap. Right up your alley.
Actually I don’t know. When they blow games like that I usually don’t listen to post-game stuff.
“… and now we’d like to do a piece ‘written’ by our bass player called Jazz Odyssey.”
that’s an all time favorite line of mine.
Unca, I mostly lean the other way after such brutal, incomprehensible loses; I dial in seeking solace, answers … dunno, I find it helpful, but that’s just me.
The KNBR dude seemed smart, empathetic, knowledgeable and most surprisingly — unlike his predecessors – displayed a respectful but fearless attitude toward NOT towing the party line. It was refreshing.
With a name like Winn he’d better get one at some point this season.
I was trying to think of the guy (without looking it up) had a one off 24 W season for Giants…Ron Bryant?
The first Giants game I ever attended was one of his 12 losses that year.
while we’re on the side topic of ads, any one notice the new Wendy’s ad with the low key hot girl Kathryn Feeney finally showing off her tits a bit? Feeney’s at least 35-36 years old, accomplished actor and , iirc, a grad of Loyola LA law school. Actually very talented. The way they’ve been building up over the years to the new ad is not accidental. But then again, many millions of people voted for what’s his name. Oh. Game time.
??? Next, you’ll go one about the Toyota girl.
that’s vaguely similar but much less manipulative. But do you have a thing for her? Maybe I’ve overlooked something.
Helluva interesting lineup Rays have.
2 players each from Cuba and the Dominican Rep
1 each from Mexico Colombia and Panama
1 from Brooklyn (Palacios) and a Wisco (Rortvedt the C)
SP is Texan who played college ball at Ole Miss
I don’t think kuip’s right. Chapman didn’t double clutch and then decide not to go to first. He was watching the speedy runner and decided not to go to first before he regripped and spun and went to second. Thairo was alert. Better be with a 3B like that.
40 pitches in 1-2/3.
Lee’s been taking lessons! Great jump. And man is he fast.
He trotted in from third tho. Tie game.
Hey, Lee with a steal! Shoulda scored on the slow roller. They are playing in in the top of the 3rd?
there’s no way he could’ve scored on that bouncer. The IF was playing way in. It was cleanly fielded.
Mays woulda scored. I just can’t believe they are playing in in the 3rd. Still got the run but . . .
Mays would’ve hit ten HRs by now and the Giants would be at 1.000. .
Well, yeah.
Or that . . .
The stupification of baseball continues . . . How do you throw a runner out at a base without standing near the bag to take the throw? Hard to tag someone out from behind the bag.
Blocking the bag a foot away while making a play on the throw? Man. That can be a tough rule to comply with on the IF.
BS call. Back foot was back at bag, and didn’t look like runner was impeded in path to bag.
the teacher on that promo was girls basketball coach at Saratoga HS, Mike Davey. Dad Dick Davey coached men’s basketball at Santa Clara and ran great summer clinics
And I thought football was getting all candy-ass with the new and improved hip-drop tackle penalty.
No idea how Chapman is supposed to make that play given the new rules.
He can’t plant his left foot in front of the base like he did and block the base.
his foot was a foot away
and was it his left foot? That’d be odd as he was reaching for the throw with his left glove hand. You’d think the right foot would be trailing.
A foot away in the path of the runner.
Plant his foot? So if he hovers above the bag, he’s got a right to be there?
This Winn guy is getting on my nerves.
don’t defend a bad rule. Live with it, while it exists, try to change it, if you’re so moved, but don’t defend it just because it’s a rule. Smart guy offered me that advice.
I don’t consider it a bad rule. I rather like the rule.
I’m tempted to say that I love you zumie ….
They might as well get rid of sliding into bags or tagging runners.
This is nothing like guys steamrolling the catcher.
don’t often see catchers interference where the C totally grabs the ball before the bat hits his mitt. Bailey gets his revenge tho. Nice throw.
Hah! The look on Bailey’s face after they blew the call was pretty funny.
He’s like “WTF do I have to do here?”
yes!
My favorite commercial right now is the buffalo with wings who’s ranting about how basketball players don’t know how to box-out anymore, and he starts randomly boxing out surprised customers, knocking people into walls and furniture. Pretty funny, and actually fundamentally sound.
the psyche of that buffalo as they portray it in the series of his ads is not unamusing. Based on Caliban, I bet.
Can SOMEONE on this team hit a home run? Come on, Soler.
Shit, all we need is another passed ball and we might tie.
LOL!!
Early working title for Giants 2024 video: Caught Looking.
Fuuuuuuck. I was 30 seconds behind you.
‘Great minds’, and all that.
Winn actually making an outing of this.
Winn showed legit good stuff today. Very promising outing.
Zzzzzzzzzzz………………. Heard Melvin say earlier that he wasn’t worried about the slow start of the hitters.
Oh joy.
Maybe by June, we’ll see Ramos. He’s ony hitting .318 with 4 HRs and 11 RBI. Or even Luciano and his .349 and 7 RBI. See Ya(z) (s)later need to be DFO’d.
Designated the fuck out.
Caught. Looking. Again. Again. Again.
And BoMel goes to the ‘house.
There it is . . .
Here’s the ATT girl, Xoot.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/unca_chuck/53650447145/in/dateposted-public/
well, yeah. I know about her. My Ukrainian friends told me about her long ago. But the ads have kept her temp pretty constant over the years. It’s the manipulative themes developing over time that seem most insidious. And most amusing.
tho if the att ad people cut those rounders loose under a blouse to tout some sort of flexible entertainment plan, it might work.
As one of the TBS Braves announcers used to say, we could use a WP right now.
Zzzzzzzzz…………………………………………
One game a week they hit.
The rest they weakly hit.
aw fuck it.
Might as well send the runner and hope for a blocking the plate call. 0-9 risp. 0 home runs.
Not a problem tonight with the SF pitching.
So far this season, the hitting of this squad is pretty infuriating …
Well atleast they tease us with a few SB’s now before they shutdown the anemic offensive offense.Can’t count on 2 wild pitches( they got 1)to tie the game up..
That was Melvin’s 1st Giants ejection 60 overall and u can bet many more if keeps watching and being frustrated with probably the most RISP left on in baseball..
John Wooden said “Failure isn’t fatal but failure to change might be.” It’s time for Giants to change.
Boring, listless, losing baseball is prescription for unmitigated failure. Reruns of Ozzie & Harriet are more entertaining.
That about sums it up. But with Zaidi in command, it’s hard to imagine much change is forthcoming. That dude has the opposite of the Midas touch.
Agreed. Zaidi has support of benign ownership group content to fill Oracle Park while losses mount.
Well, *they* said at the start of the off-season that they were going to get younger, faster, and more athletic. I’d say adding Lee and having Matos, Fitz, Luciano, et al pretty much ready to go would start taking the team in that direction. For some reason, they’re asking for a bit more patience until Matos Ramos Fitz and Marco are… ready? Not sure. I’m guessing it won’t be long before some action is taken on some current OFers to open things up for the youngsters, and only then will we see what we’ve got….
Hopefully Sacramento saviors make it to Bay Area before Giants mathematically eliminated by Memorial Day.
The box-out commercial:
the cruise ship buffalo singer ad is infinitely funnier. But they’re both middlebrow dim.
Never actually saw someone use the word “middlebrow” before. Maybe Frasier Crane.
lol. Tv sitcom discourse? Ads during sports broadcasts are insistent, maybe inevitable. So we address them. But the rest of tv tripe isn’t. So we don’t. Go back and google Caliban. Do yourself a favor.
Those younger players should’ve been there from the get go, if only to “see what we’ve got.” Continuing to go to turds like Slater and Yastrzemski and expecting them to play above their career levels is crazy. I suspect you’re right, we won’t have to wait too much longer, but you have to ask what the hell they’re waiting for. I’d rather lose with the prospects than with washed up veterans.
Agree. Maybe they’re trying to work some deals. I’ve always liked Yazz, he’ll always have a soft spot in my heart after I watched his grandpop at Fenway, and he still plays a great RF, but he’s probably nearly done in SF. But there’s absolutely no good reason (that we know of) for Slater to still be on the roster instead of Matos. Front Office also seems nervous about handing SS to Luciano, but they need to get off of that soon.
Share your admiration for Yastrzemski clan. Was freshman in college when I went to my first Fenway Park game in (gulp) 1978. Yaz still fixture in lineup. Grandson Mike deserves credit for toiling in minors before finally breaching major league threshold. Comes off as good teammate. But can’t carry .200 – .220 hitter as everyday RF. Time for change.
Cool. Which university? Liked Yaz as a kid, moved to Boston in ’81, saw Yaz many times in his final 2 years. Big event on Yaz day in 10/83. Had a signed poster and ticket stub for years.
I like Yaz too, Paul, I just don’t think he’s a very good baseball player. Whatever magic he showed when he first came to the Giants is long gone.
Really, what does Zaidi have to be afraid of in promoting Matos, Luciano, et al? Ahmed is another guy who just doesn’t do very much, in the field or at the plate. I just don’t get all this waiting around, like a few more months of seasoning in the minors is going to make all that much difference. Bring ’em up and let’s see what they can do.
Paul… Williams College. Likely as far from Boston and still be in Massachusetts as possible. Northwest corner of state bordering Vermont to north and New York to west. Mere 3hr drive east on Route 2.
April 1978 game vs Indians/Guardians. Sat in right field bleachers not far from Peaky Pole. Had always admired Fenway Park but became true fan that day.