Stix!
I got a couple of emails from our good friend Stix:
| Carstie Clausen | Wed, May 8, 9:16 AM (20 hours ago) |  | |
| to me | |||
Craig: Hope you are doing well and greetings to all Flappers with whom you may still be in touch. Miss the camaraderie a bunch…even if this early spring has been a frustrating start to the season. Team needs desperately a spark plug. Thought that Yaz would have made his usual jump into carrying the team after his dinger in Baahstin, but didn’t happen. Slater seems to have lost his mojo…ditto, Wilmer. Over in SacTown, Schmitty has turned into an RBI machine with plenty of doubles. If he can carry that energy into the show, a #6 or seven batter might be his prime spot. Luciano has focused on batting rather than slugging and has a B.A. in the 280’s. He is pressing Ahmed to produce in the #9 hole. Ramos is also maintaining a high BA, along with some dingers. He too may be in the cards to essentially replace Slater. Soler is an enigma…low BA and single-shots on long-balls. Chapman: WTF. Tuned into gameday yesterday evening and the Korean “martial artist” was absolutely tormenting the Rockies starter by fouling off pitch after pitch.Ideal leadoff man. Best of last year’s team was this ability to wear down opposing starters. Late-Night Wade is having him a growth-spurt and is well positioned in the three-hole
Turning to the mound, there will be a massive logjam of quality starters (barring major injuries) by the second half. Eight of them. Expect interesting Tradewinds by the Deadline. One or more of the starters may join (surprise, surprise) Hjelle as longmen. Current outlook is that the team is gradually jelling…just needs one or two sparkplugs to energize the lineup. Obviously, the team was not yet ready for Bahhstin and definitely Harper powering the Philthies. Perhaps the return engagements in SF will balance things out a bit. At this point, maintenance of something around a .500 record is the best outlook. Can you imagine a team with FIVE aces?…it could be in the cards. Patience, my friend.
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| Carstie Clausen | Wed, May 8, 6:53 PM (10 hours ago) | | |
| to me | |||
Craig: Thanks for the response. Still living in an apartment 6 miles from the homestead. Was out there today for hours, getting the potato patch prepped and other fun stuff, like water from the little hand-pump along with fresh mint just coming up and a bunch of perpetual onions, dating back to ancient Egypt…well not those particular ones. 70 degrees this afternoon after a very nice winter and a schizo spring. Considering transforming the place into a spiritual sanctuary and a school of country living, most likely for younger folks looking for survival skills and a peaceful lifestyle.
So how you been? Still in touch with some of the original Flappers.? You did quite the service keeping it up and even when not getting on the Flap I sure liked rubbernecking to get the feel of where the Giants are at. Hoping you’re in good health and successfully coping with life in the faster lane. Any time you have any insights into Los Gigantes, drop me an e.m.
Enjoy the coming summer. -stix
A Place To Talk About Giants Baseball 
apparently he just found out the Flap is back up
Carstie Clausen
6:16 AM
Jeeze Flav: Thought you had parked the Flap for good/bad. Been missing it a bunch. Glad it’s still happening. Will check it out when time allows. Super busy season out at the homestead now, as garden planting…and more rebuilding after so many years has taken a long time. Couple times I put in 8 hour days on my feet all the while without a break. Now that temps are rising, breaks will be more frequent, but the longer evenings here up in the Northwoods will draw those energies out till near dark…as they did a number of times this Spring. The gentler winter allowed me to do a lot of cleaning the wooded areas and now spring has focused on landscaping and contending with burdock, thistles and such near the pond…an area where time was not enough to get at those needs. On a Giants note, I am a bit concerned about Doval and his increasingly long counts…control and command seems to have backslided.
Greetings to all the Flappers. Go Giants! -stix
Gad, landscaping at Stix’s age, in Minnesota wilds. Hats off to him, and be safe.
If he really opens that spiritual sanctuary, I am all in…
Reading interesting bio of Henry Aaron by Howard Bryant “The Last Hero”. Turns out Aaron misrepresented his early years as he dropped out of high school in Mobile. Spent lot of time playing sandlot ball vs. likes of locals like Billy Williams and Willie Mac, with younger guy like Tommie Agee looking on.
Brief run with Negro team before 2 years in Braves minor leagues before going north w team to Milwaukee 1954 after ST in segregated Bradenton Florida. Starting 1955 had run of 5 straight seasons over .300 and in 1957 at age 23 hit 44 HRs leading Braves to NL pennant and WS victory over Yankees, batting .393 w 3 HRs.
Also noted that Mays invited him on 30 game (undefeated) Barnstorming tour in 1955 off season to augment salary, and how Mays star power showed through as star attraction.
Like everything else that I’ve said here 3 dozen times, I’ve always wondered if Mays was close with any players (especially McCovey). I know about Durocher and Herman Franks, but I’m talking about real friendships with other teammates and players. Never read anything much about that…
Could be, Loo. Aaron does say that he was with Mays at clothing store in Birmingham and while Mays was eyeing some suits he pulled out a big bankroll in front of the clerk who ran for telephone before Mays announced he was “the Willie Mays.” Aaron said, “It was okay to be black in the South, but only if you happened to be Willie Mays.”
I thought I remembered reading (Shea bio maybe) that when other NL teams came to SF, Mays and black players did socialize and hang out together off the field.
The tour was windfall for Aaron who’d only made $6K for entire rookie season year earlier yet made $3-4K in just month’s worth of games barnstorming (including hometown game in Mobile) that ended w 2 games in LA at Wrigley Field in front of 12K fans. It also convinced Aaron he could hang w best hitters including Mays. His goal was to hit .300 like man he admired most, Stan Musial.
Others playing with him were mostly NL players (except P Connie Johnson from White Sox who had been star in Negro Leagues) as few AL franchises were integrated. Banks Don Newcombe Gene Baker and couple of Aaron’s teammates from Braves George Crowe and Charlie White plus couple Cardinal pitchers Joe Black and Brooks Lawrence
Good stuff. Thanks, Willedav…
Ramos last night in his first AB, generated an RBI, one more than Slater has …
True, but it was bloop to RF that fell in as he got jammed. As they say, line drive in scorebook. Giants had few flukey hits yesterday. Ahmed bunt rbi was scored a sacrifice
Slater hasn’t even been blooping…
Ramos not in LU today. RHP going. He’s been hitting both LHPs and RHPs at Sac. White flag getaway day lineup, which I don’t understand against a dogmeat team like the Rockies that are ripe to get swept…
Glad to see Stix is still at it. It seems to me the Giants always go into the dumpster when Stix can’t post here. Hopefully he gets that figured out this year.
Slater in CF today, Wilmer at 3B, Reetz C, and Sabol DH. Sabol’s numbers weren’t great at Sac, even with the robo ump. He did hit yesterday.
Wonderful to have news of Stix, Thanks for posting that Flav.
That guy has been through quite the ordeal these past years. So good to see that he is still thriving.
slater slater slater…no one is defending him after awful start and injury plagued ineffective 2023. But he’s had 34 ABs in 38 games so far out of 1250 by Giants overall. Whether he gets going or not and giants waive him is meaningless in big picture.
It’s guys around him that play every day that will make a difference. It’s cool to see Ramos but I don’t have big expectations and he’s unlikely to supplant Conforto or Yaz this year or take over DH duties for Soler, and can’t back up CF for Lee like Fitz has. Hopefully he makes best use of ops he has and displays some much needed pop to lineup when he’s in there.
I concur Willedav. I’m not seeing much from our guys in hitter friendly Sac that shows a particular player will produce better than what we already have.
Then play Fitz in CF. Or just chalk up the loss I guess. These kinds of games piss me off. I guess they get props for dropping (S)Later to the 6 hole. Got to keep the streak of winning no moe than 2 games in a row intact I guess.
Do the Giants absolutely not believe in a Sweep against a shitshow team like the Rockies when every winnable game should be there top priority?
6 thru 10 today..Slater,Sabol,Reetz,Ahmed seriously White Flag LU..
Slater getting a start against a RHP ? Well he’s only 0-3 with a walk&HBP so maybe that looks good to them compared to 3-34 against lefties. No Ramos is a joke, why bother bringing him up if he can’t get consistent AB’s with Soler out?
Kapler did the same thing to Ramos last year. There’s gotta be a back story.
Kapler was crucified for making these moves. Mellllvin does this same shit. And it is stupid. Slater should be jettisoned. He’s a nothingburger. The back-story is lefty-righty.
Live and die by the matchup. The almighty matchup. I mean Bochy did it as well, but not at EVERY opportunity.
in the old days after bad starts Bochy would’ve told the press about pitchers struggling with the crud. Now we hear about it almost a week after the fact.
6″ wide.
WTAF?? Nice to take the bat out of Yaz’s hands there.
Stupid ball.
Giants are still in middle of long stretch without day off. Tomorrow they host Reds for 3 followed by Dogs coming in to town. No problem giving guys a day off before homestand, especially Chapman. Bailey eligible to return Saturday I believe, so unlikely to see much more of Reetz.
Elly’s on a tear, aiming for 80, 90 SBs or more. Sabol and Reetz should give him a boost.
If he can keep OB up. Reds have lost 7 in a row coming into today and aren’t hitting much iirc. .209 team BA, dead last NL.
Dinged up I hear. Elly can’t steal three every inning.
One of things about pitch clock I just thought about–as Wade Jr. stepped in there as leadoff, he couldn’t stall around any more to give Winn a rest after Giants had already made 2 outs on 5 pitches.
Dats one, let’s get some more.
They are smoking Winn’s pitches.
They just hit for a team cycle this inning and 6 straight hits that were smoked.
Now an out!
Stop the bleeding.
Slater with a great back up play and throw. Wilmer should’ve handled it for an out.
Ballgame! Unbelievable inning the previous 2 innings 14 pitches cruising, then 6 hits on 10 pitches? All smoked?Winn had to be tipping his pitches.. And that’s it for Winn,dammit that was bad ..Yeah White flag Day
hypothesis: Reetz’s clumsy upturned use of the pitchcom sleeve tips what’s coming to the hitters. He looks like an old man with his first cellphone back there.
Looks like Reetz has either turned the sleeve around or removed it. Coincidence?
Good call.
Conforto has had some terrible reads/routes in LF.
Conforto is a pretty bad defensive OFer.
Plus, his arm is linguini like…
Winn was serving up “Tits on a Reetz” as every Rockies hitter certainly knew what was being called so yeah something was going on with those crackers..
Is our lineup today nick named Murdered Row?
I rewinded back to the disastrous inning and I noticed Reetz had his right hand on top of his catching glove before every pitch and now he has his hand behind his back.So yeah I believe the Rockies knew what was coming..
He was searching for the correct button to push. Oh, look at that. Hey, coach. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that ….
Reetz ain’t no Deitz.
RIP Jimmy johnson. One of the best cornerbacks in NFL history. Unlike Deion, he could hit and tackle.
RIP, JJ.
HOFer…
Oh that’s too bad. Great cover guy in his day. Most teams threw ball to other side of field.
Saw the score after being on a flight, yeeesh. This team is averse to winning 3 straight — or just winning.
Good game to miss, Mac.
The Giants have a lot to talk about on the flight home.
…
I still want to know why we were trying to steal 3rd with 2 outs in the 2nd inning.
Melvin just answered that Q. Maybe he should’ve had the red light on there but …. So, Thairo ….
I had the same question. Isn’t a cardinal rule never run into the 3rd out at 3rd? Lots of dumbasz baserunning so far this season.
Volpe just hit one of the cheapest homers you’ll ever see at Yankee Stadium. A 315 foot pop up to RF. Announcers said it would have been out in SF, SD and Fenway…
missed the game. Is it true that Xoot Snuffed out these tipped pitches? I haven’t read or heard about that anywhere else and I listened to KNBR for 20 min driving just now. If so, Xoot that is fantastic that you spotted that!
Beat writers didn’t make the trip I think, so they may not have the info. May remain a mere hypothesis.
Is it a rule that on getaway day in a road series the Giants figure they’ll just give away the game? Or, do they all have hooker appointments the night of getting back home and want to make sure they get back to SF in plenty of time?…
A really good team like Atlanta or LA or Philly would likely stomp all over a cellar dweller like the Rocks in a sweep game on getaway day. Not SF, no sirree…
Would they candy-ass their lineups?
They might pull one or two of their stars, since they have lots more talent than SF. But, I doubt they would candy-ass the majority of the LU. It just makes no sense to me — Giants had one of if not the worst team in MLB ready to get swept, yet they dumb down their own challenged lineup to the level of the oppo as if to give the oppo some incentive to get jacked up to win. And, they don’t start Ramos though he’s been hitting/raking against lefties AND righties…
Sabol behind the plate and Ramos DH alone might’ve won the game.
Pence and Fleming did say something about tipping of pitches during the meltdown. Quotes in story on SF gate.
Well everyone wondered. The pitches might not have been great but the hitters were looking for them. As Aurelia said post game, FBs, splitters, didn’t matter. And watch the replay of the game. Reetz fiddled constantly with the shiny pitchcom keyboard through that inning, then afterward the keyboard was gone from his wrist. Something was going on.
Yeah, nailed it.
If that’s true Xoot, who is teaching these guys? I mean this is little league stuff.
Talking about Thairo getting pegged at 3rd for the 3rd out. Not about tipping pitches.
Then again, that too. These guys are so busy beating themselves that they can hardly win for trying.
Melvin was supposed to be the fundamentals guy.
And, serious shout out to Stix. May we all be healthy and hale enough at 76 to rebuild our homestead in the wilds of Minnehoosis.
They make ’em different up there in the hinterlands. I raise my beer in his general direction. There has to be either a flapalooza at Stix’s nature preserve/retreat/detox center, or a meetup at a Twins game.
“I drink to the general joy of the whole table”
-Shakespeare
Only regulars that sat today were Chapman for Flores, who Melvin is still trying to get going, and Slater for Lee. Lee has played in all 9 games without a day off so far on road trip w 6 more on homestand and coming off 1-5 night before. Slater got a hit and as xoot said made nice play backing up Yaz on ball that hit off the wall. Sabol’s bat was still in there as DH, his best quality. No one was going to do anything w rockets Rox were hitting.
The ? I have is if/when giants brain trust could see from 3b dugout what Reetz was doing there in 4th inning when Rox were hammering ball all over the yard, and out of it. The lineup, as John Cleese said to M Palin in Dead Parrot scene, “…don’t enter into it.”
The Giants must’ve been as stunned as everyone else when the Rockies started raking early in every AB. Somebody changed the pitchcom sleeve after that. Hell, I’m about to switch to the std cable repeat. They compress things and omit things for time and ads but it may help.
Saddened by the passing of CB Jimmy Johnson #37 along with the previous year passing of teammate LB Dave Wilcox #64 2 HOF players playing on the left side that no teams attacked cause passing and running wasn’t an option against those 2!! Watching them in the late 60’s thru mid 70’s the field was cut in half to the right side only.RIP Jimmy Johnson&Dave Wilcox legends in their days!!
Probably getting a lukewarm greeting from Roman Gabriel…
Hah!
I cancel my hypothesis. Reetz wore no pitchcom keyboard on his wrist. He fiddled with the top of his mitt constantly, through most of that bizarre fourth inning and in earlier innings. Maybe thats where he had the pitchcom buttons. But I don’t see now how the hitters could read that. Maybe. But I think I missed my shot.
I’m gonna check out the condensed game now, see if I can spot anything untoward.
Fitzgerald is pretty much Dr. Strangeglove out there. Christ.