No Sweep
I’ve got no opinion about Caitlin Clark getting left off the all star game because I’ve never watched a WNBA game. But it does seem that both sides make a good argument for their case.
Hoping the pitching staff is tinkering with Winn. It’s in there, they just have to push the right buttons. And honestly it’s not like he’s blocking anyone. We need him right now.
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Bailey had nothing but good things to say about him. Winn admitted to being rattled after first pitch and didn’t have slider working. Fastball at top velo and split are awesome. Only had 3 innings of rehab vs. ACL complex guys.
Didn’t notice till now Fitz got sent back to Sac. Guess Schmitt will get longer look.
Clark has zero experience in the international game. And she wouldn’t be starting. Right?
I think the team knows what they are doing. They haven’t lost a game in 32 years or some shit.
Yes and it would be awkward for her to be there and sit on bench most of the time. Plus media would be asking starting vet players, “what’s it like to have Clark on team and at practice?”. I mean do NBA reporters ask Steph Curry what it’s like to have Lester Quinones around?
While she might be fan fav, her 3-9 team tonight plays 9-1 best team in league that has already blasted them. Clark will be 3-4th best player on floor. I watched former Stanford player DiJonai Carrington take ball away from at midcourt and score, and generally harassed her all game they won by 20. Tiring narrative she’s one of best players in league.
“Approximately 400,000 fans attended WNBA games since the tip of the season through the end of May, the most through the first month of the season in 26 years. More than half of all WNBA games were sellouts, which is a 156% increase from last year.”
Gosh, I wonder what made the difference compared to the past. It’s such a mystery. They found something that makes a lot more people care about their sport. I wonder what it is.
And a massive increase in WNBA TV ratings. We’re going to need Sherlock Holmes to solve this mystery.
increasing viewership shouldn’t be one of the qualifications for a player to make the Olympic team. According to several of you she isn’t a top player right now.
One sportswriter Zumie cited called her “a decent rookie.”
CC needs to pay her dues. She ain’t qualified. Yet. When they put Laettner on that Olympic team back in the day it was pretty funny.
FWIW, all-star teams frequently aren’t composed solely of the “best” players by the stats/talent. Just for fun:
https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/team-usa-mens-basketball-2024-olympics-roster-snubs/3834909/
Zum…you have played the game at higher level than any of us here. At every level beyond rec leagues w guaranteed PT minutes for everyone, only the best players make selected teams in first place and play the most during games.
Clark is so not one of the best players in WNBA, yet. She’s not even best all around player on her own team I’d submit. Goal of Olympic team, height of competition for women players in this country, is to win Gold Medal for America, and to do that they are taking the 12 best players. The end.
That’s not necessarily an unalloyedly good thing. But, whatever.
There’s no one who’s arguing that Clark should go based on the usual criteria. If she were included, the awkwardness of Clark’s presence would also include the pressure to play her ahead of players who are better than she is right now. She’s not Lester Quinones, she’s an unprecedented, nationally recognized star, which cuts both ways.
Is 42 year old Taurasi one of the 12 best players? Her current stats indicate no. And she was picked to be on the team as a rookie many years ago. I’m sure it’ll be riveting TV to see her get her 6th gold medal.
If a team wins a gold medal and hardly anyone is watching, is it that big a deal? Seriously. Who cares? If you had a way to get more people to care, shouldn’t you utilize that?
Do you think viewership would skyrocket to see CC Rider on the bench?
It is to the players, but I’m done arguing. Fan interest/social media or what networks want (and they aren’t sharing profits with players) cannot be part of selection process. No 8 year olds in fav gear are telling Steve Kerr who to take on men’s team nor telling track team who is best sprinter for 4 x 100 relay team.
Hopefully those that do choose to watch Olympics (or even regular season games) get an idea of who the best players are and their skill set.
I don’t think maximizing profits in the USA is part of the Olympic Creed.
No, but it probably is for the advertisers that are buying minutes.
Good point Winder. So is this an actual case where money took a back seat to what appears to be doing the correct thing? Hard to believe on this planet…
Yeah, it looks that way.
We’d all agree that people are going to watch what they want to watch. A lot of viewership has to happen naturally and organically. But it has to have a draw. Something unique that catches the interest. Clark just walking around Paris signing autographs for Parisians wearing #22 jerseys would have been a fun story. Even if Clark just played a couple of minutes a game, that would have been fine. Her fans would have accepted that way better than her being left off the team entirely, and would have brought more interest to the inexorable march of the women to the gold medal. And Clark wearing a gold medal would have been advertising gold for the WNBA.
And the golden rule is he who has the gold rules. So simple.
Weren’t you guys basically bored by that NBA game last night? Lots of one on one drives that go nowhere. Endless bricking of 3 point shots. It’s not great basketball.
I’m finding the women’s game more interesting these days. It has more passing and more fastbreaks. It reminds me of what I Iike most about basketball. Magic and Bird were great passers, and they grew the sport exponentially. Curry and Co. in their prime were a lot of fun to watch. The NBA needs an infusion of fun these days.
The dearth of imagination in the NBA game isn’t going to drive WNBA viewership up in any noticeable way. College? Sure. Not even a ton there, but that’s just how it is.
I’m like a lot of viewers. If the Warriors were playing, I’d be watching intently. As it is, I’m kinda watching. The Warriors did bring a fresh new look to the game with all the passing, but teams mainly glommed on to the chuck and duck philosophy and iso ball. Drive and kick drives me batshit, but that’s the way to hit the threes.
Agreed. I hate 4 out/5 out offense, or the 3 x 3 on top w high screen while 1 guy stands in each corner. Guys that drive and leave their feet only to have to turn around in the air to throw a pass to someone further away from the basket, makes zero sense.
Other than Jaelyn Brown I don’t like anyone else playing so I’m not watching Finals. Boston is best offensive team in the league; I just have historic anathema to them.
Yep. Don’t want Boston to win, but they lucked out when Denver went down.
I don’t see the Mavs winning more than one game. Unless Boston goes ice-cold from the arc. Which is always possible, but not for 4 games.
A star attraction like Pistol Pete Maravich couldn’t make the roster cut for the 1968 Olympic Team along with Calvin Murray.Its basketball, the spotlight and bad practices got the best of them.Hell even some guy named Lee Alcindor decided not to tryout it happens even to the greats of the game.
Though I will say the Absolute great story find of that 68 team was a kid named Spencer Haywood that sparked that team with extra energy and wasn’t even a pro yet.So could Catlin Clark be the Haywood of this generation? Maybe? But unless a player selected pulls out ( highly unlikely) isn’t she one of 3 alternates, so that’s not a sure thing either.Either way I see both sides of this never ending story which could cause a major distraction right to the end..
Meanwhile, how is Chapman?
Ha, Hurley says no to Jeannie and the Lake show. Smart move all along.
Not to beat a dead horse, but just for the heck of it, I looked up the US Olympic basketball mission statement. (They have a mission statement; who knew?)
“As the governing body for basketball in the United States, USA Basketball is a worldwide leader in the sport through competitive excellence in international competition and by promoting, growing and elevating the game at all levels while ensuring that athletes and other participants compete and develop in a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.”
“promoting, growing, and elevating the game at all levels” Have the 12 women Olympians done a great job of that over the years? They can ponder that as they fly to WNBA games in private jets for the first time ever because the WNBA has more attention and money this season for some mysterious reason.
“competitive excellence”–just decent rookies may not make the cut.
So, 2 weeks into CC Rider’s career, all the teams can suddenly afford private jets?
Incredible!
I’m sure it had nothing to do with the huge rise in advance ticket sales.
Surely you must be joking.
Clark’s stats compare very well to the rookie stats of the other rookies who have made the women’s team over the years.
One Olympian weighed in very intelligently the other day.
https://www.si.com/olympics/rebecca-lobo-explains-why-caitlin-clark-didn-t-make-olympics-roster
So she missed key training camps that were held while she was leading her college team out of obscurity to the Final Four two years in a row. That’s the kind of sharp planning we’re used to from the leaders of women’s basketball. Only MLB has promoted its sport worse over the years.
How can you come out of obscurity two years in a row?
lqtm!
Does anyone think the Giants hired the wrong manager in Melvin over Vogt?
Yeah the whole Melvin managerial track record speaks volume, but he couldn’t get the Padres to play squat.It’s always the easy call for organizations to go with stability and Z is on the hot seat so I’m sure he went for the comfort zone guy.
Vogt had no experience except being a BP coach and the ridiculous quality control coach for Seattle ( nobody really knows what it is? Maybe some advance scouting?)but he’s a lot younger then Melvin and only recently retired but has All the respect of players throughout the league, unlike Kapler ever had.Melvin’s better then Kapler obviously, but he doesn’t overwhelm me with his postgames BS either and wondering if players are losing his respect as well..
First time Manager now with the Guardians and has them in 1st place at 42-22 (and certainly a MOY candidate)while the Giants flounder under .500 with Melvin who recently tried to light a fire under their asses by calling and rightfully so during they’re recent 6 game skid as Awful baseball.Guardians took the jump the Giants should have but it was more about Z saving face for his job..
Cleveland has more power than we do and they are significantly faster and more athletic. Vogt has been great but I’m not sure what he would be doing with this collection of weak slugs than Melvin isn’t doing. They also have a better pitching staff.
Weren’t you the one getting mad when I called him fence post? He did great with the A’s but little to nothing with the Pads. I reserved any judgement till I saw the weird things and the same-old same-old on the field.
He has little to no imagination. He’s pretty much doing what Mr. Kotter did. Platoon ball. Odd pitching moves. He was supposed to be the fundamentals guy. The defense hasn’t improved. We still don’t run. We still don’t have much power. Granted, a lot of this is on Farhan but guys coming up seem fairly clueless as to how to play the game right.
Again, this isn’t all on Melvin, but the shit happening on the field is.
Unc that was me . I still disagree though–who was Melvin supposed to play at SS after Ahmed got hurt? Notice Schmitt got benched for errors, so did Luciano, and Fitz didn’t play for a week after getting picked off. The stuff happening on the field is on the players that are making the errors. He let them have it the other day and they won 2 in a row. Funny re reading Baggs 2010 Bochy did lot of the same things, playing vets over kids, trusting unproven Torres in CF and sticking with Wilson at closer. If only Melvin had Bochy’s pitching…
btw, Melvin is one who put Ramos in CF, absolutely brilliant move no one had done before that pushed Matos and Slater to corners. I think he has solid 7-9 inning pen set up when they have lead and coaching staff has made winner out of Hicks as SP.
Wisely. Yeah, and we got pissed at Bochy for doing it. He DID over-rely on the vets.
Is it just me or does anyone else think that Zaidi has this framed and posted on his office wall?
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison
“How can you come out of obscurity two years in a row?”
I was counting the two years as a single block of time. I thought that was pretty obvious.
making the final four one year pretty much dispels the dark shadows for a while. And I found your slightly ambiguous syntax mildly amusing. But whatever.
Thoughts?
https://x.com/dpshow/status/1800231295085138301?t=QOSABBvDr8BZFuXP7iCALA&s=19
Ms. Arike is one of best pure scorers in league, of volume shooter variety. Averaged 21 a game last year (40 minute games remember) and 26.1 so far this season. Last 2 games 10-28 and 9-27 from floor and FG % .361 for season.
But in famous words of Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, “you get yours and brother you know I’ll get mine.”
The US women’s team could let Roseanne Barr play a couple of minutes each game and they would still easily win the gold medal. It’s not about needing the 12 best players (which Taurasi is not anymore, anyway.) It was an opportunity to get a lot more people to care about the women’s team. And that opportunity was blown, unless Clark replaces someone who gets injured.)
That still doesn’t mean they throw CC RIder on the team just for appearances’ sake.
The Indy Fever are years away from being a championship contender. They still need a few drafts to get to elite status. Clark will be paying some serious dues the next few years. Giving Clark a spot on the Olympic team this year as the 12th player would have been a nice “thank you” to her for the huge amount she’s done to help grow women’s basketball.
ive read all your comments about CC and without watching a single wnba game in my life here’s my take: she”d be a distraction. Players already don’t like her as evidenced by the multiple cheap shots she’s taken this year. To put an undeserving player on the team would just further that dislike of her. And the women’s game is already growing it’s not like it stops just cause she’s not an Olympic player her first season. And truth be told, if you asked her and she was honest, she’d probably appreciate the rest. She went straight from college to pros with no break. Lots of years left for her to be an Olympian
Funny thing is, her own teammates were smirking at her as the other team was fucking with her. In the NBA, that doesn’t happen.
About halfway through the movie, Caitlin starts to earn the respect of the suspicious, insular, hardbitten team she’s been foisted on by enduring an endless stream of physical and emotional abuse, and then rescuing the kid brother of her harshest WNBA tormentor from a hail of gunfire.
Schmitt ar 3b, Wisely at SS, Brooks at 1b. Otherwise usual suspects behind Harrison. Stros can hit, pitching more suspect.
Would love to see a really good outing from Harrison. I’ve been skeptical, but he’s throwing strikes. Talk all you want about fundamentals, lack of power, platoons etc, this team won’t be shitting itself, if the team ERA is below 4 by the end of the year.
The shift ban working to perfection again.
once they dump Luke Jackson the pitching era will improve James..
Once Melvin got it thru his thick head to move Ramos to top 2 in LU the team significantly got better.And looking at the A/S NL outfielders which includes 2 automatic starters and 6 others Ramos should get in imo with his WAR numbers but we all know how this BS goes down..
The ump adding to the artistry of the game there after Conforto swings at two pitches out of the zone. The emphatic strike 3 on a pitch that wasn’t all that far off or that close to being over the plate.
A quirk in the schedule that the Giants were in Texas over the weekend, then had to fly back to SF to play the other Texas team.
Krukow said Altuve has had a Hall of Fame career. I don’t think that’s a guarantee since his great ’17 season was found to be a fraud. How could he be let in, but the steroid guys not?
His numbers except HRs are comparable to Jeff Kent’s. His fielding & SB must be better. He’s definitely no HOF lock, and many of the sanctimonious writers will probably just deduct his MVP 2017 season. Maybe 2016 as well, just to be vindictive. That’ll sink him.
Of course a pitcher with a 5.70 ERA in Alrightetti Spaghetti is matching Harrison chucking up Zeros..
Well Jorge Soler Yellow Shoes trying something new and got a hit, so that’s progress , keep the Mello Yellow going for now..
You’re such an underrated genius around here, Kat. It makes me sad…
Harrison is looking pretty solid.
whoa CF camera doesn’t have box in it, very cool
now it’s back.
Yaz off the wall for a triple, Soler scores.
Yaz 3-bagger!
Great hit by Yaz in honor of the UA Local 38 Plumbers and Pipefitters that are given recognition on the backstop.
About time they got their due…
“I don’t pay no union dues”
-Roger Miller
the broadcast is now projecting Chas Johnson’s big Templeton Franklin ads above the sad little Union ad Makes sense.
I’d trust Stratton Oakmont over them…
Dubon got the new utility player gold glove, the participation trophy of gold gloves.
Yaz picked up the ball casually like it was a double. Double clutched when he saw the guy sprinting for 3rd. You could see how frustrated he was after. Next hit might have scored him from 2nd but likely not:(
Only 77 pitches, too bad Alvarez’s pathetic hobble to third wasn’t rewarded with the put out it deserved.
bas timing for no Chapman. he spears that ball and gets the tag. Tough plat for sure, but he likely makes it… Go Giants. Tough break for Harrison
Proud of me, James?
Next step, AI engineer.
Hell of a grab by Yaz.
oh what RFielder!
Nice job by Hjelle to get out of that jam.Harrison great job as well overall.Little unlucky on that triple when Schmitt didn’t hang on to the throw that could of been an out that Chapman probably makes..
Yaz doing Yaz plays in RF again great catch..
Loo I was typing too fast! Yaz makes up for it!
Doval does make it interesting.
If Doval had failed to get that washed up grandpa Abreu, I would have … I would have …
I wonder what Lou Seal does on off days…
The fact that Lou Seal is male kind of confuses me.
Slater said: “Fudge!” after that AB.
Each failed AB against a lefty ratchets up the pressure on him.
Extras.
Yaz hit a Grandslam against Hader in the cove when he was a Padre, guess that wasn’t good enough for Melvin to PH Slater.
Favorite banner at Municipal Stadium in KC pre-Arrowhead:
BE A RAIDER HADER
I was surprised Miller chose to spin around on that play.
Fudge
They gotta get rid of this stupid fuckin ghost runner garbage. There is nothing good about it…
Agreed.
If they’re gonna keep Covid rules, then bring back the cardboard fans…
Bailey ties it up.
Tie game!
whoa Ramos get back?
Get the ball in the air! Caramba no grounders
wtf is Soler swinging at?
Yeah baseball needs to go back to normal baseball Loo, ghost runner is BS!
Stros played it right though, 2 bunts were huge, Caratini huge battle then sac fly was impressive 3-0 to Bregman u knew they would cut him loose..
Hey but here comes the Giants,Wisely knocks in Schmitt, and Stros are choking defensely and now Bailtties it back up! Let’s end this shit!!!
Slater for the win, walkoff single.
Slater says DFA this
Slater wins it!
Hits against righties don’t count.
Luis who?
Thank god Slater comes through almost a Grandslam! Damm What a great comeback!
Kuiper total brain freeze,Ball hit to left, long long pause it’s off the wall, the players were all on the field celebrating 🥳 lol 😂
That was a wacky inning.
He’s been missed.
It’s not at all a big deal, but since no one else will say it, budding superstar Ramos was a complete, utter fucking moron on the base paths in the 10th.
Well he could of thought Soler was going to drill him again and just tripped out.He would of still been out at the plate regardless but yeah he told Melvin that’s on me.
I only mentioned it because an inning like that usually elicits the usual commentary about bad fundamentals. With his 932 OPS, I don’t give a shit about Heliot’s bad base running. I’m way more upset that he hasn’t drawn a walk in his last 4 games.
Wisely and his .731 OPS over Schmitt at SS?
Tonight Wisely looked like someone who isn’t going to screw up the routine plays. He’s another Farhan special, a no name guy who’s always had a good OBP, but gets dismissed by fans when he doesn’t perform immediately. It’s odd that he’s been so aggressive, because his bread and butter has been low K, high walk totals to go with a good BA. I’m glad he’s getting a shot. Sticking with players like him can pay off. See Wade, Tauchman, Connor Joe.
I give MLB network credit for not giving a shit about their blatant objectification of women. Nobody’s forcing them to parade around in those outfits…
Them’s some skimpy outfits.