by
Greek Giant
In 2017 I resolve:
- To watch every Giants game
- To lose 15 lbs of extra verbiage in all my posts
- To learn more about the Giants Minor League prospects
- To write a few quips as funny as Matthew’s
- To hire Dr. Lefty as Managing Editor of TWG
- To get Buster Posey to autograph my jersey
- To interview Timmy
- To get Giants press credentials and interview Joe Panik
- To watch the Giants play in Chicago, Washington, Atlanta, New York and Miami
- To learn how to Surf with Surf Maui
- To find Clutch Up’s Guest Post I lost in Email
- To not alllow any advertising on TWG
- To hire an artist for our graphics department
- To organize a TWG annual convention at Willie Mays Field
- To shake Bruce Bochy’s hand
- To acquire an autographed Willie Mays baseball
- To attend the Giants World Series Parade
- To be nice to all of you even when you are not nice to me (You know who you are!)
- To assume that Bochy, Sabean and Evans know more about the Giants players than I do
- To meet Amy G.
- To petition MLB to introduce handshakes between teams at the conclusion of each series
- To give The Oracle a hug.
- To meet Efrain in New York when I go to a Giants-Mets game.
- To make this a fun and interesting blog.
#14 would be awesome!
And it’s not even 2017 yet, and you’ve already done #24. Thanks for everything, GG!
P.S. 24 resolutions is the perfect number.
I think #44 would be better, but I was always a sucker for a waterfront view.
Rumor Central could cover the annual event.
I already have tickets for June 28 (a Wednesday day game against the Rox at 12:45) in my usual Club LF location. If you choose that date for the convention, I’d love to meet some of my fellow TWGers! 🙂
I’m thinking we pool resources and get a suite. Considering food prices at the park, if you consider the catering it isn’t completely obnoxious…
Just need a group large enough.
Oh, that would be lovely! 🙂
I’m going to look into that for our Raley Field gathering, too. One of the benefits of our partial season ticket package is that we can swap in some tickets (say for games we can’t use) towards the price of a suite. If I can find a date that works for many and nab a suite, it could be an easy way to watch the game and visit.
Im in….
I think you may equate honest criticism with not being nice.
I think YOU may equate being breathtakingly ungrateful with honest criticism.
Perhaps, but I’m not ungrateful even though some may be read criticism that way. It isn’t an emotional situation for me.
It’s okay. I was left on the naughty list too. *sniff* We can throw a party for us miserables later.
A-L: Just don’t pull a Jean Valjean and steal a loaf of bread — signed Victor Hugo
Zut Alors! Le pain il y a ici!!! Merde!
Something I didn’t understand this past year Bapah were two seemingly opposite reactions on your part. I had been gone for a time when everyone had moved, and you sent me an email with the link to TWG and said “George did a great job for us.” Then sometime later, I logged on to read your comments doubting the interview with Tyler Beede really happened, and throwing around the word “vanity.”
Again, i didn’t think it was out of bounds for Bapah to ask for George’s credentials. There is a lot the space of catfish swimming in the internet, and he wanted to know the water conditions before going skinny dipping with the rest of us. Fair enough. It doesn’t mean he wasn’t grateful for the space. Just that, like me, he didn’t know GG the way many of our regulars did before jumping ship.
I don’t view those two reactions as contradictory, and I fail to understand why someone would view that as mutually exclusive.
As always…
~YMMV
When you were a kiddo,
did you sign your love letters with
~YMMV ?
Nope. Different initials then.
XOXOXO,
But I wouldn’t want to give GG any ideas. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…..
“gimme all your loving, all your hugs and kisses too”
Good riff. Hard to argue with Billy Gibbons this early in the AM. Might be time to set down the cellphone and bug the missus for a little “Tush”….
Well, I had thought the word “seemingly” conveyed the appearance of two opposite reactions, not necessarily the substance.
Sorry I didn’t get right back to this. I had to run out and buy the last bottle of Red Breast* in town. As I’m babysitting for my son tonight and he’s an Irish whiskey fan, I thought I’d take him something really good.
Yes, I was wrong in questioning the veracity of the Tyler Beede interview. I had no idea that players like Beede were as approachable as he turned out to be by “ordinary citizens”. It was a very nice early coup for a newly published blog. I had “followed” TB for 2 years at Vandy and should have known he was as accommodating as he turned out to be.
Regarding your “vanity” question, it is a very common and well-established term for self-publishing. Vanity presses, or self-publishing houses, are very common in the publishing industry. Most self-published books and articles are questionable and as a trained scientist, I am a trained (as well as a born) skeptic I will continue to question them. Self-published pieces can often be “over the top” veracity-wise. I also read George’s Wikipedia page.
I think George has done a remarkable job with this blog and I’m constantly surprised with the consistent quality postings he’s made available to us all. I love that he’s proven to be so much more reliable than Baggs was. He’s also “one of us” which makes this place so much more enjoyable since the early times of AP.
Yes, I’m often critical, but I’m NOT ungrateful.
So, Deeg, I still think “George did a great job for us.” And, George, I apologize for implying that you didn’t do exactly that.
*I’m sure Matthew already knew what Red Breast was.
Did you get the 12 or the 15? I love both for different reasons.
Have you tried the Yellow Spot Irish Whiskey?
As good as the 15 YO is, I prefer the 12. It turns out their 12YO is very often aged much longer than 12 years. It turns out to be the minimum time spent in-barrel.
Re: Yellow Spot, no haven’t done so. I don’t drink nearly as much anymore.
Ahh good to know thanks. Yes the 12 is a terrific deal for the quality.
The Yellow spot is gorgeous, but almost too mellow. Still, worth a taste if you get the opportunity. They make a Green Spot but it’s about $350.
No, you’re ungrateful. Being critical of a gift is an excellent example of being ungrateful.
We received some tamales that were good, but poorly made; like different sizes and messy with the masa and the husk wrapping. Anyway, we were simultaneously grateful and critical.
Did you express your criticism to the person that gave them to you?
Jokingly, and it was understood. He was embarrassed but we had a laugh.
TWG is pretty far removed from a sloppy tamale, and Bapah’s criticism wasn’t made jokingly to a friend.
I have to agree. Bapah being Bapah.
Wow, a morality cop too. I’m sorry, I just didn’t classify it as a gift.
He’s in the middle of a crisis today. It’s like a Pushkin poem.
Many people, including you, were complaining loudly about the changes that had been made to Giants Extra. In response, and at his own effort and expense, GG created an entire site for the benefit of a small number of fellow Giants fans, few of whom he’d ever met in person. I don’t know how you could classify it as anything other than a gift.
As the famous philosopher once said. “It’s good to be the King.”
I’ve been out and about today running errands before the next snowstorm hits tonight. This is pretty much what I thought all along, Bapah, knowing you. I’m relieved you weren’t upset by my question and understood that I asked the question to give you the chance to explain. We haven’t exchanged emails in a while. Good thing mental telepathy actually works. A most Happy New Year to you and your family!
I can help with #20 but not #22
Tee Hee
If there’s a TWG Convention I’ll need a 9 1/2 hour advance notice (time from CDG to SFO). I’ll smuggle in a bottle of St. Estephe if someone provides les pommes frites garlique. Bonne Annee mes amis.
C’est magnifique!
I will help with #3 by doing MyGuy™ again and by keep going into The Matrix looking for Vegas.
I would definitely come out to San Francisco for a TWG Convention! I hope in 2017 I can meet some folks who might come out here for Spring Training.
We’re coming! Mar. 10-13
#5 sounds like a solid plan. #7 is a winner. I hope you find #11. In regards #22 and #23, it’s ironic because I blocked one a week ago, and the other yesterday. I finally took TF62’s advice on #23.
Should #7 transpire, perhaps “Timmy” should be exchanged for “Mr. Lincecum” or just “Tim”.
I’m 20 years his elder. He’ll always be the skinny kid with the long hair to me.
I thought you were mid-40’s. Ahhh man, well, you look younger than your age.
16.. 17.. 20…
Who’s counting. I’m old enough to be his father and God knows I was trying…
GG could ask which he prefers. I’m not sure Tim has a preference. Perhaps not “Mr. Lincecum.”
I think Timmy’s kids will likely call him Timmy.
How very true. This made me laugh out loud!
It’s about time!
That’s truly heart-breaking news for whoever lost the great privilege having you read what they write, and then generously offer instructions about what they should or shouldn’t say. I know it’ll be hard, but I hope that somehow that person can pick up the pieces of their life and move forward. I’d never block you, because how else would I know what temperature it was in Montana?
Your audience has shrunk, it seems. Take it personally, LOL.
Whoa, just checked the forecast, then nasa map. Looks like a pineapple express is en route next week…
https://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/post-goes
Not sure what kind of pineapples you grow but we are getting snow down to 1,000 foot level here Monday.
How is your mom?
We just had a friend cancel with us for tonight: 1) cannot be around any sickness 2) family showed up at her place and she can only handle one event per day.
Good prognosis though but The Process is bad.
6 days of rain forecast from wed-mon, but you’re right about the temps. Could be a ton of snow in mtns.
and you’re right, I need to call my mom. Good to hear about the prognosis. It’s warfare on the body, resting up to get ready for the next round is the way to go.
Two feet plus is the guess.
Lefty’s right, #24 is already in the bag. Might we change #24 to read “No one from TWG goes to Wally Pipp’s Tavern during 2017”?
Happy Holidays to one and all!
Greek – Absolutely a meeting in NYC. Sadly I got to Finnerty’s as Lefty’s bus pulled away (but I did wave!).
Haven’t looked at the schedule but any game at Citifield is a must. A little Shake Shack, A Fuku chicken sandwich, a craft beer, all good to me.
My new years resolution is too not be so salty on the blog (well maybe sometimes). 😉
Damn you just made me very hungry and thirsty.
Next time! Or you get yourself out here soon! (I appreciated the effort.)
A Happy New Year to everyone on this Galaxy bleeding Orange & Black, waiting for the 4th Victory Parade.
I could have sworn GG said, to make fun of Efrain in NY when I meet him. Sorry, my mistake.
Rating the Resolutions by Greek Giant.
Grading (courtesy of MLBSF – lowest of happening – a 1 and most likely to happen a 5.
In 2017 I resolve:
1. To watch every Giants game. *4.5
2. To lose 15 lbs of extra verbiage in all my posts. *2 Good authors do not restrict themselves.
3. To learn more about the Giants Minor League prospects *5
4. To write a few quips as funny as Matthew’s. *4 (key word “a few”)
5. To hire Dr. Lefty as Managing Editor of TWG. *5
6. To get Buster Posey to autograph my jersey. *5
7. To interview Timmy. *2.5 (recluse)
8. To get Giants press credentials and interview Joe Panik. *3
9. To watch the Giants play in Chicago, Washington, Atlanta, New York and Miami. *5
10. To learn how to Surf with Surf Maui. 2.5
11. To find Clutch Up’s Guest Post I lost in Email. 4.5
12. To not alllow any advertising on TWG. *5
13. To hire an artist for our graphics department. *3, but Allen said he’d do it for free, even at long distance.
14. To organize a TWG annual convention at Willie Mays Field. *5
15. To shake Bruce Bochy’s hand. *5
16. To acquire an autographed Willie Mays baseball. *4
17. To attend the Giants World Series Parade. *4.5
18. To be nice to all of you even when you are not nice to me (You know who you are!). 4.5
19. To assume that Bochy, Sabean and Evans know more about the Giants players than I do. *5
20. To meet Amy G. *5, slam-dunk
21. To petition MLB to introduce handshakes between teams at the conclusion of each series. *1
22. To give The Oracle a hug. *1.5
23. To meet Efrain in New York when I go to a Giants-Mets game. *4.5
24. To make this a fun and interesting blog. *5.0++++
But there are no F’s, can’t channel MLBSF without a healthy dose of F’s.
This is MLBSF “lite”
And to think, there were only three wishes in the Jinn’s lamp..
Dedicated to JStreet and his Lady Diane (notice/listen for dog in background)
https://twitter.com/KWShepherd/status/815229988915924993
Ha, Thanks for this. I’m going to play a wild Jimi type version of this on the Ricky penguin slide guitar. Tonight at midnight. On my porch in Westside Paso. I’m playing it Really Loud on a through a Fender Mustang III. SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR IT QUITEA A WAYS OFF. Oops, didn’t mean to shout.
Happy New Years, Clutch. Diane says “hey, Coach!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uic2V2GbYXI&feature=youtu.be
…to get out and throw the ball around, as in get after it and throw long toss and maybe sneak in a bully. Ligaments are feeling good, I don’t have a 1/4 mile fencing project ahead of me, there are usually ballplayers at HS diamonds, like PerSpeier, in spring training mode for MABL.
…to try to be nicer, more compassionate, harder working, smarter working, more organized, more musical…
And to unveil a new prospect rating/consideration device, something that encompasses potential and uncertainty, something that gets away from letter grades but is consistent with same philosophy and also with 20-80 future value scale. A visual, and this one goes out to channelclemente…
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e09571270f29521ae0d3b7a2152cda6ba6cc3e6814ad83fdcbd31010d6d96e21.jpg
Dedicated to all the Foothills Farm Hands esp Reymundo
https://app.box.com/s/ret0p6ikjdvnz4148gtes1cvzqg39x0o/1/5716563845/46391894821/1
Kenny Wayne!
!!!!!
If you can tie it into MyGuy™ then I am listening. But it would have to measure Actual Improvement during a season not just potential.
sorry, charlie.
Look at the graph function on a player’s Fangraph page, and follow on a per game, or day basis. It’s close.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_wnD6jxREU
i’m on a data limit here!
u can borr ow mine
Ok great scene not a dry eye in the house when you watch it. I know a guy who sniffed the majors as a big catcher in Cleveland for a week. He has to watch this alone in the dark so his family does not see he wipe his eyes.
My only complaint “Have a catch”? really who says that.
No one I’ve ever met.
I think it predates you me and Bapah….
Or an east coast thing?
English http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/299388/what-does-have-a-catch-mean
In the end it does not diminish the impact of the scene but I always found it odd based on personal experience.
Agree, all we ever said was simple. Wanna Play Catch?
maybe it is an east coast thing. that’s what me and my friends would always say. never did have one with my father. big regret..
I was lucky my dad and I always played catch. He only came to a few games but afterwork it was playing catch.
my favorite movie of all time. My father played baseball with me once that I can recall when I was little. Never again, and never understood why until I was much older and realized that he had Parkinson’s
I cry everytime I see it. I actually met Gabby Hoffman (who played the little girl) one time at my office when she came there with her Mom
Ryan you could throw a “bully” first time out? Wow, you must have a rubber arm. I’m still battling tendonitis in my throwing elbow and it has never lasted so long in to the off season.
I was blessed with a rubber harm. I have probably max velo’d at different points at close to 85. I could probably get to 75 in short order nowadays. It’s all about the whip in the arm and the timing of the mechanics. You get it right and the stress is light and the ball comes out.
I’d love to bat against you. My brother sent me and my sons personalized bats for Xmas, you could break it in for me (or probably just break it). I threw too many sidearm pitches this year, I’m sure that’s why my elbow is still hot.
Sometimes those bats break easily. I have a guy who makes bats if you ever need one.
I only break about one a year but if you recommend it I’ll try it out. I use a 33″ and don’t really have a preference with regard to the wood. I had a Brett Bros bat that was awesome, I used it for six seasons till it finally broke.
His Bullies on Farm Ryan are not the traditional 35 ….first time
Speaking of Tyler Beede, the one on the right is his fiancee. Life is good for Tyler Beede.
https://twitter.com/AllieDeBerry/status/815258388754038784
He’s obviously closer material
“He can really score the ball”
The benefits of being a major leaguer (to be)
Especially a first-rounder who got a nice signing bonus
Didn’t seem to work for me–except for the major leaguer (to be or not to be) the the first round pick, the signing bonus, or the age thing.
Invite them over to see your Giants museum. You wouldn’t want to date someone who’s not a Giants fan anyway.
Correct— though I could make exceptions as long as they weren’t Dodger fans.
Scratches Beede off MyGuy list…
Is that her mom on the left? Life is not fair ….where is Brent Musburger?
Over the last few years I have changed my life goals to me more of a participant in life and less of an observer. In order to do that I have deactivated both business and personal Twitter accounts, pared down my FB to just close friends, dropped all fantasy leagues except the 30 year old one ( I was going to piss everyone off if I left that one), and limited my TV consumption to about 2 hours a week.
The only internet interaction I have not shut off is this site. I find it a kind of coffee klatch to listen and learn from. Yea people including myself are not wired for consistency and can be jerks sometimes. But I think most of you enjoy being here and would miss the others who leave, I know I would. I would enjoy attending #14 if it happens. If fits in with one of my goals this year to reunite with old friends. And I will be picking a MyGuy team to give you all a chance to come closer this year. But my personal goals are to add another group to play with, 2 groups and playing in from of almost a million people this year is like a drug, I want more. I also will be participating in OC races this year. My wife increased the insurance on me, hmmmmm wonder why?
Any way I wish all of you peace and prosperity in the New Year and may you keep the resolutions you make.
some *** liners:
“coffee klatch”
“… are not wired for consistency and can be jerks sometimes”
“My wife increased the insurance on me”, hmmmmm wonder why?
This could be a NEW club we can join! Battle Cry?
The line came from a friend of mine who said it before he went on a Thanksgiving day run for Cancer Awareness. He wondered why his wife increased the insurance and then committed him to the run. All in good fun mind you.
My NY Year’s resolution is to not let the media make me believe that winning (championships) is all that matters. Time to learn to enjoy players and teams no matter what the end result. First they’re human. Second there’s a lot of luck. And third, it’s not as if I have any control in the matter.
I’ll be honest that the Dubs lost championship last year followed by the Giants blowing it really got me upset. But I can’t the end result take away the joy I’ve felt over the last 5+ years to be a fan of both teams and their players.
POD material, right there.
Titans of Mavericks – Size estimate anyone?
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c66a8cc8f8dc7dcb70ce085f6a81d51630f016da6765ff002e8e4d2785a25acb.jpg
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/74125df33e2986c9652a966595c8a13a5d7ae4250d4fc45e5ac70265c321e388.jpg
30 feet?
hard to tell without a surfer in the picture but I say bigger
70-80.
I very much doubt 70-80. But trust me waves look a whole lot bigger from eye level when trying to paddle out through them.
I saw a film that pic was taken during. They hit 90 that week, if it was December 2015. It looked like buildings attacking the coast. They used to have a webcam on the beach at Mavericks. I think, once you register you get access to historical photos and dates.
https://www.surfline.com/create-account?redirectUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.surfline.com%2Fsurf-report%2Fmavericks-northern-california_4152%2F
Uh, “extra Large?”
I can help with numbers 9 and 10
Wow, the Washington QB, Jake Browning, just kicked a 50-yard punt. Best punt U-Dub has had all day.
i remember when i was a kid, on new years eve, the older people, parents, their friends, etc would always say that your health was the most important thing. sure, a happy, or wealthy new year is nice, but health is the big one. the thing is, when you’re young, the last thing you worry about is health. when you are young, and strong, and pop out of bed in the morning, without an ache or a pain, why be concerned with your health?
well, a few folks on this list have discovered the hard way, just how true our parents words were. to their credit, they don’t complain, and unless you get to know who these people are, you would never know who wasn’t feeling so well.
so, with this in mind, i would like to wish you all a very happy, but more importantly, a very healthy new year. my wish goes out not only to you, but to all your family, and friends, as well. and to those of you who are infirmed, or just not feeling too well, i hope 2017 brings a big improve health wise.
this is a terrific group we have here. thanks to the greek for his hard work, and generosity. let’s treat one another with respect, and let’s get er done this year.
Well said.
thank you 🙂
Featured Post Material Bro!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/2004_WorldSeries_Trophy.jpg/170px-2004_WorldSeries_Trophy.jpg
i can only dream. feel good c/u
This is why you are “Captain Steve”. What a guy. To your health in 2017.
thanks pal. your mom was foremost in my thoughts when i mentioned family’s health, and 2017 bringing improvement. good luck bud..you’re a good egg…
Just to be indulgent….
I went 56 years and 11 months in perfect health…right up to that time I was lifting weights, running 3 miles a day, playing indoor soccer weekly, after retiring from hardball some years earlier (bad wing)…
Then…life changed. 3 trips to this strange place called a “hospital” where I stayed for 4 to 5 days, twice undergoing surgeries lasting 4+ hours, one using a robotic surgery tool while I hung like a cow from a meat hook…..
Needless to say, my view of life and health have undergone an awakening. I don’t think I ever took it for granted, but I did expect my great fortune to continue… Luckily, “healthy in, healthy out” seemed to work. But, it will never ever be the same….
And yet, I have it SO GREAT compared to some of our TWG friends who are paralyzed, incapacitated, still undergoing chemo or radiation…and those we have sadly lost.
Life is fragile. Be grateful. Be happy. Be humble.
I love my Beauty every moment. I love my children in ways I cannot describe. I love the Giants with proper perspective…. I hope folks aren’t upset when I’m OK that they don’t win it all every year, because just watching them play is a blessing. I now have a community of friends from this blog…how cool is that?!
May everyone have a happy and healthy 2017. May we all understand that this game of baseball is fun, enjoyable, frustrating, maddening, exhilarating, nerve wracking entertainment.
I hope you have a much healthier ’17 !!!
The bar is set low…I got this
Together We’ve Set A Low Bar to Clear for 2017 !
Yes yes yes.
Yo quiero, Mateo.
I know what you’re talking about. Thank you. I’m looking forward to a substantially better year pain-wise in 2017. And wishing the Best to all.
You da man, stevie. :o) paulito
a happy and healthy to you and yours, amigo mio, and to those beautiful kitties, as well
OFF TOPIC
Questions over Chip Kelly’s willingness to adjust 49ers’ offense
By Eric Branch Beat Writer
On the 49ers’ first offensive possession of the fast-paced, no-huddle Chip Kelly era, they had an incomplete pass, a 1-yard run and another in-completion in the preseason opener against the Texans.
Result: punt.
Time of possession: 50 seconds.
Call it foreshadowing.
As many predicted, Kelly’s hurry-up attack was ill-suited for a team with subpar offensive personnel who couldn’t stay on the field. Kelly eventually adapted and slowed the pace in the midst of a 2-13 regular season, but his tardy response was telling.
He didn’t make major changes to a shotgun-only offense that doesn’t use a fullback and employs three wide receivers on the majority of its snaps. The problem with his status-quo approach: He began the season with an offense suited for smash-mouth ball after general manager Trent Baalke hadn’t used a first-, second- or third-round pick on a quarterback or wide receiver in the past four drafts.
Consider the 49ers’ offensive strengths: a talented running back (Carlos Hyde), two above-average blocking tight ends (Vance McDonald and Garrett Celek) and an offensive line better at run-blocking than pass protection. Their weaknesses: questionable quarterbacks (Colin Kaepernick and Blaine Gabbert) and a paucity of proven wide receivers: Torrey Smith was their only wideout with more than 36 career catches during training camp.
Still, Kelly has used at least three wideouts on 78 percent of the 49ers’ snaps this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Jeremy Kerley, their top receiver, ranks 50th in the NFL in receptions (58) and 69th in yards (606).
Now, perhaps the offensive system didn’t matter this season because Kelly was doomed, given the 49ers’ lack of talent.
However, his willingness to adapt could be a discussion topic if he meets with CEO Jed York at some point after Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Seahawks to discuss his job status. And he could also have a similar chat with a new general manager, if, as expected, the 49ers fire Baalke.
Will Kelly adapt if asked? He hasn’t publicly sounded inclined to change.
On Dec. 12, a day after an overtime loss to the Jets, he was asked if his recent record had made him question his overall philosophy. At the time, it was noted he’d lost 21 of his 28 games dating to a 6-9 season in Philadelphia last year.
In what amounted to a nonanswer, he began by saying he didn’t compare seasons because he was with a different team. He added that the 49ers, who were then a 1-12 team with eight double-digit losses, weren’t getting blown out.
“I think we always look at everything on a weekly basis trying to see how we can improve,” Kelly said. “You look at the game yesterday: It’s about making one more play than the other team. It’s not like we’re getting taken to the woodshed and don’t have an opportunity to compete and play.”
The way Kelly’s teams have played since he arrived in the NFL in 2012 has followed a pattern: They’ve ranked last in the league in time of possession and have ranked in the bottom half of the NFL in points allowed (17th, 22nd, 28th and 32nd this season).
The fatiguing effect of his no-huddle offense on his defense is a tired topic, but it isn’t going away.
On Monday, Kelly claimed the 49ers haven’t used a fast tempo all season, but that’s not accurate. After a 1-6 start, which was followed by their bye week, they ranked first in time of possession per play at 24.4 seconds, about four seconds faster than the league average of 28.3, according to ESPN Stats and Information.
They’ve since slowed the pace and routinely snapped the ball with less than 10 seconds on the play clock.
Offensive coordinator Curtis Modkins was willing to acknowledge that the tempo has changed since the start of the season. He suggested injuries and personnel prompted a switch.
“We’ve had some guys in and out,” Modkins said. “Based on how our team is built, our decision was that that was the best way for us to try to win games.”
It was clear how the 49ers were built in August, which should inspire a question as the franchise looks ahead:
Why didn’t Kelly adapt earlier?
Because he was forced to try to make an edible meal out of Baalke Road Kill Roster
you just basically pasted the article.
why not post the link and actually add something to the topic?
Use your inside voice, Efrain.
Nope! I post something someone does not like, I take the heat, comes with the territory.
Dang….Nick Satan won again….
Tough go for the FSU horse yesterday http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4078270/Florida-State-s-mascot-horse-Renegade-takes-tumble-school-tradition-Orange-Bowl.html
Even worse go for Harbaugh the day before regarding Bikini Gate http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/college/jim-harbaugh-no-idea-reporter-bikinis-article-1.2927946
I have no connection to Bama, but the level of excellence Saban has instilled in that program is historic.
There was a funny segment on ESPN this week on overbearing fan bases of schools that act like they constantly win without actually winning much in the last 2 decades, of note were Michigan and Notre Dame fans. So true.
You are a guy who (rightly) rails against things like racism and taking advantage of the less fortunate…..take a long and hard look at Saban The Manipulator. He uses young men up, and discards them with no regard.
You’ve described the NCAA.
Boom.
Can’t make such a comment without facts to back up your disdain for Saban. All you just explained is EVERY major college football program and coach.
You don’t like him fine, but you can’t make a blank statement without substantiating information. You think all major college coaches don’t do what they can to recruit kids, have kids transfer due to playing time, etc? Ridiculous and somewhat misled if you don’t. It goes the same for guys like Sweeney, Stoops, Harbaugh, any of them.
I actually do have specific history from a colleagues whose son was discarded like dead meat by Saban. Yes, NCAA football is a cesspool. Saban is head Douchebag. And?
Oh ok, So one personal example and that makes Saban worse than everyone else? Silly.
News flash, same crap happens at Cal, St.Marys, fill in the blank…..
Why do you think major football programs have 85 scholarships? It’s a game of attrition, not all kids become stars, c’mon this needs no explanation.
Sabean fan club. http://firenicksaban.com/category/nick-saban-has-no-class/
So, help me understand why I’m misguided by my feelings specifically about Saban? Because “everyone does it”? I’ll repeat: NCAA football us a cesspool, Saban is head Douchebag.
Matthew would never do this to his older sis. Book it Dano!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88XQcpU5Vuk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gCz7XfvHaM&t=0s
Pittsburgh Pirates prospects – the top of this list would have a different look if Cutch was swapped.
But in the meantime, they have two borderline ***** prospects, and at least four 4* prospects with Josh Bell ready to join the MLB club. A lot of variance with pitchers Glasnow and Keller, but Meadows and Bell should be reliable MLB producers.
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2016/12/31/14136268/pittsburgh-pirates-top-20-prospects-for-2017
Happy New Years to all those here and some who have left us. Special shout out to Vegas Giant Fan and Mavo aka Chris Mavo (who I know is still ‘out there’) Be safe everybody. Safe San Jose Police shifts to The Oracle. Thanks to The “God-da*n Greek” for keeping our very own Island afloat even when Putin tries to hack into it for his naked pleasures. Special shout out to the original homies of mine. Bapah-Foots-TotalFan62-Lefty and Anti-Lasorda, JStreet, Matthew. Extra hugs and kisses to Chef Mike and Merna. Thanks to Steve K for his recent post and to dgg for not ignoring the check engine light. I would have done a John Candy and ignored it.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/28fc9632bbf63222e689c9e9f30566629de8e0b12c3eea21dea8c728b041672c.jpg
A very Happy New Year to you, ClutchUp! (I’ve learned the hard way that you ignore a Check Engine light on a Volvo in winter in Montana at your own peril.)
Not just emissions related, eh?
Nope. We’ve had the same trustworthy mechanic for years. The first Check Engine light this month coincided with the engine suddenly running rough. Turns out it was a bad ignition coil on cylinder 1. The diagnostics assessment for the second Check Engine light this week identified cylinder 6 is misfiring. Cause unknown. Could be minor: a loose wire, or major: fuel injector. We’ll find out more when we take it in Wednesday. The car could go from running fine to suddenly not operable. Going on a trip on icy roads over MacDonald Pass on the Continental Divide would not have been wise.
Back at ya, Clutch! You are the original man on Extra Baggs/Giants Extra/Together We’re Giants.
Happy New Year, everyone!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/17ef00b93dc01f5dcd54228b016f19775ecd30f5235c46af06313214d8c0605f.jpg
Happy New Year to everyone, Say Hey!
Resident free-form, mixed-media artist!
Thanks! Free-form sounds better than formless 😉
One more I found while cleaning my computer folders. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c62cdea7a6d668445fa5ac5832fdf5f527465b700f0b7a57b38f6fe30d3a4379.jpg
B Weirdy!
Happy New Year, you all. So did I hear that the Beast will be in camp? And Blanks ? That’s 550 pounds of MEAT.And we’re not talking Baby Backs.
This is for the Oracle- the dude was NOT offside.
I’m taking reservations for a suite in our bomb shelter. When it’s all over, there will be lots of acreage for all of us. And cockroaches are pretty tasty. Or so I’ve heard.
Our menu for tomorrow : My Mom always had sauerkraut with pork. So I have always gone with tradition. I will use polish sausage and new potatoes with the kraut. I’m making a caramel-cornbread pudding for dessert.
This is all I’ve got for this week. Maybe next week, Like it or not. A question- who is GG? For real. Clutch should know. Maybe he’ll send a link. And one thing for Lefty- is there a way to slap that smirk off of Chris Noth’s face? Maybe he gets offed by season 3? Please.
Ready,set, uh-oh- no place to hide. Unless you made that reservation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj9M34DzAKo
Good to hear from you, Mike.
Always a pleasure to see you. I try my best to stay on the good side of the women. Especially women with scalpels 😉
CHEFFFFFF!!!!!
you would be proud…Beauty and I made cioppino tonight ( almost ready). Thought of you and Merna as we worked on it.
Have a fantastic 2017.
Lazy Man’s cioppino ?
Next year? I’ll take above average.
Didn’t feel too lazy! Took all day….now I’m bursting
Lazy Man’s cioppino is the term for a cioppino without the shellfish in the shell. Alas, I’m relegated to that now- if I tried to crack a crab claw, I’d end up with the leg up my nose.
Hope that you are on the mend. Gnite.
Hey dude man, you need to checkout that series Traveler on NetFlix. It’ll fill in the bomb shelter riff.
For tonight I did prime rib with a horseradish sauce, roasted potatoes with rosemary and Parmesan, and oven-roasted asparagus with a nice Napa zin. Pretty classic menu, but this time I tried a different roasting technique for the prime rib: 5 min per 5 lb on 500 degrees (so my 5.9 lb roast took 30 min.), turn the oven off and let it sit for two hours, NO PEEKING. Turned out perfect. Prime rib should be a little bit pinker than medium-rare.
For tomorrow–prime rib sammies with leftover horseradish sauce!
Chris Noth’s character, like the others, becomes more interesting over time. Trust me. The character development is hands-down the best thing about this show.
Happy New Year, Chef !
It’s being reported that Baalke and Chip are “out-ta here!”
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18385313/coach-chip-kelly-gm-trent-baalke-dismissed-san-francisco-49ers
Paraag needs to be fired also. I would keep Kelly…but the new GM may think differently
The only combinations available to this owner will be Paarag and his coach (no idea “who”) or a Shanahan package deal (Dad + son). My $ is on Shanahan package deal. Jeb doesn’t make this move (you would think!) without a solution in place…unless there’s another Tomsula embedded somewhere.
4949 says so also
Happy New Year, everyone! Stay safe, especially for those who have to be out there working tonight.
*Off-Topic*
Basketball thoughts…
1) Am I the only one that thinks Russell Westbrook’s MVP candidacy is a joke? He has a 7.6 TO/48 Minutes rate (Harden is at 7.4) and they’re currently a 7th seed. Yes…he’s got all those triple-doubles, but it’s almost like someone hitting .300 without many RBIs (or moving people over)…and stealing a massive amount of bases while being picked off/thrown out a bunch of times…for a team that sucks.
2) Could this be the end of Doc Rivers? The Clippers are sinking…
I had a testy interchange with our nephew on Christmas about this (while he was openly sneering at the Warriors during the game–Hater). I said that padding your stats on a team that’s barely in the playoff picture isn’t all that impressive.
Durant has been much more valuable for the Warriors–who last I checked still have the best record–when you consider his all-around game.
By the way I did a little research on Steph Curry’s stats, looked at all of his career Game logs , December 2016 was his worst shooting full month of his Career, he shoot .429 %, since his 1st full month in the NBA, November 2009, when he shoot only .417 % . December 2016 was also his 3rd worse career full month in 3pt FG% .378 %, only full months he shoot worse were, December 2014, .352 %, and in February 2010, .347 %.
Happy New Year, Pete! Great to hear from you.
Harry new year to you and your wife and family, glad she is doing well .
A Happy New Year my dear friend Peter, to you and to everyone you love.
Happy new year to you and your family .
Gotta disagree. As a diehard OKC Thunder fan I can assure you that Westbrook’s value to our team goes far beyond stats and triple doubles. He is the emotional leader, the follow me, glue guy that raises the level of every other player on his team.
Ok…so he’s the OKC MVP; not the NBA MVP.
Earlier this evening while driving down San Bruno Avenue to grab a bite at Artichoke Joe’s, I caught a glimpse of what I think is one of the most beautiful sights in the Bay Area. When looking out across the Bay, the brief but brilliant light show of the reflection of the setting sun’s rays playing upon all the windows of all the buildings and houses that clad the East Bay hills–looking for all the world like a vast chain of erupting and twinkling fires in the distance. It always brings to my mind the line in the Battle Hymn of seeing Him in the watch-fires of a thousand circling camps. You can see it on clear summer evenings from the third deck of Willie Mays Field at AT&T Park. Indeed, other than the appearance of FDR’s yacht pulling into the Cove, it is a subject Jon Miller most ecstatically poetically waxes upon between at bats. It is spectacular, it is beautiful and then it is gone. Like so many of all the other day in day out little glories and mercies of which we can take note or not day in day out.
Happy New Year!
To the odd year victory…
LET’S GO GIANTS!!!
(clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)
San Bruno Avenue is my old stompin’ grounds. I haven’t been there in over 50 years. Most of my friends stayed there. I was one of the few that left. Is the Avenue Theatre still there?
Sorry Walter, San Bruno Ave, SAN BRUNO, not the one in the Excelsior.
I googled the Avenue Theatre, it still stands…as a church.
Wow! I probably wouldn’t recognize the place.
Bravo. Allen would be proud. Thanks!
Happy New Year to you and to your family, CU.
Also to you and yours Alvise
The highlight of the night:
http://cfbsection.com/clemson-lineman-grabs-ohio-state-player-balls/
A metaphor for how that entire game went for Ohio State…
Urban looked ill.
Yep. Heh, heh, heh.
The scenario I foretold last year is apparently about to come to pass. It was stupid to fire Tomsula and keep Baalke, when everyone knew that Baalke would be on the chopping block after another bad season, and another bad season was a certainty. Any new GM, particularly a candidate who has options, would obviously want to hire his own coach, so if you decided to fire Baalke, Kelly would have to go as well. So Jed’s stupidity cost him another few million. Unfortunately, they’re making so much money on the stadium that it won’t affect him.
The danger, of course, is that he could hire competent replacements and the 49ers could become successful. I guess I’ll just have to put my faith in Jed screwing it up. I like my chances.
MyGuyJTom
#freepressconferencefarts
On this, we agree 1000%
Happy New Year, everyone! Last night the extended family got together for the annual gift exchange and finally someone took the hint and got me both of Baggarly’s books! I’m up to page 94 of “A Band of Misfits” and enjoying it thoroughly!
I saved his second book until winter rolled around, to help shorten Baseball Winter. AB is a good writer, so Misfits was also a very short read for me.
I’ve read both of them multiple times. You can read any chapter of either book at any time and enjoy that read.
Happy New Year to you and your family, Moose!
Happy New Year to you and to your family, from Alvise with esteem.
Happy New Year to you and your family too, Alvise!
I hear that Baggarly is one heck of a writer. Miss that guy’s work. A pro’s prose, if you will.
Great author, but blog writer…not so much. Alex Pavlovic was by far the better of the two, IMHO.
Kidding r u?
Agreed. Pavlovic is a reporter but Baggs is a writer.
Glad you’re enjoying it, but why not get it 6 seasons ago? Waited for someone to gift it to you 😉
Life has come at me pretty fast!
While Kelly wasn’t responsible for that minor league roster Baalke put together (has anyone acted as smart and done less?), he showed absolutely no ingenuity as a coach. The offense was as vanilla as Tomsula and there was enough talent between Kap and Torrey and Hyde to at least show some fireworks this year, even in a losing cause. He deserves to be gone.
I’ve barely watched any of the 49ers this season (good for me) but I have heard Kelly a few times on KNBR. He has sounded completely beaten, nothing to offer, no solutions and really no clue. If he didn’t have all that guaranteed money coming he’d quit in a heartbeat, he knows he has no chance to be successful in this job.
In fairness to Kelly: how was he supposed to do anything BUT vanilla?? This wasn’t just a “not so good” roster…it was horrendous. Cast offs all over the place- Receivers that were literally cut and out of football, but started here, middle linebackers that aren’t even close to NFL material, and the list can go on for days…
You’re asking a coach to make apple sauce out of horse apples.
Amenx13
Just as John Podesta is the poster boy for Cybersecurity, Chip Kelly is the poster boy for Choose Your Employer Carefully.
Kelly was put in a loosing situation. While he may not have been the right fit, I think many coaches would have had similar results with was about 2/3 of a real NFL talent.
Too bad we didn’t get Gase, he’s looking like a good coach.
I wonder if the San Francisco Demons could beat the Niners.
If #10 happens, GG, we want photos.
#12 is another winner, which you’ve accomplished and held to, and is very much appreciated.
You could put #16 on your Birthday Wishlist.
#8 would be terrific!
#7 would be a great get, and might go National, Timmy rarely does interviews .
#7 was my first winner. A very Happy New Year to you and your family, Peter! What do you think Timmy is going to do this year?
Thanks, and a Happy New Year to you and your Family , I think Timmy is going to have to prove himself in Spring training with a team, on a Minor league deal, this might be his last chance, so hopefully he can put it all together, and prove the doubters wrong .
The time time is now for Jed York to show some maturity and hopefully some humility AND for some of the Ex 49er great to put up or shut up. In other words, there have been plenty of the ex great 49ers who have wished to have an impute on the teams future and organizational makeup.
No time like the present, an opportunity to start fresh. It would be amazing to get people like Steve Young more involved in the process.
He’s not showing maturity by having these moves leaked prior to them happening.
He’s simply a spoiled child who knows no different. The only hope is that he gets lucky with his choice.
Most of these guys are perfectly happy with whatever happens as long as they can avoid the blame for it.
well he got lucky once with Harbaugh, and he has a lot of the all mighty green, so it could happen again.
True
But not all players can coach.
Coaching? I mentioned it would be nice of they consulted in the hiring of the next GM and coach, that is all.
They hired a consulting firm to grade out younger/newer GM’s and coaches from other teams. So that is a start.
very true, and in an interview with SJMN, Jed mentioned reaching out to several 49er greats, like Montana, Young, Jones, etc, for ideas, advice.
Agreed. Look at great players like Wayne Gretzky: couldn’t coach the Arizona Coyotes when he was behind the bench.
no one said anything about coaching yeah yeah
Bill Russell Seattle Supersonics
Larry Bird
Isaiah Thomas
Magic seven game coaching career with LAL
Frank Robinson did maybe the best job of all so called Super Stars who decided to coach.
Hope The Oracle and everyone had a safe night. The gunfire seemed pretty tame this year around these parts.
And according to the LA Times, if you’re nursing a hangover, there is no cure! No menudo, no magic potion, nada. Just drink water and take Tylenol for headache, then enjoy the football as best you can.
I’m teaching myself how to quilt and practicing the piano and snow shoveling today.
You should call my mother. She could save you years of quilt learning, and she’s a solid Giants fan.
Is she hanging in there with the A’s. A couple more years and they may be quite good.
The A’s were a convenience and fiscal issue for a few years. She is Go Giants all the way.
They still have Footy and Beane rooting their little hearts away….
And without a hangover I presume. I don’t have one either, our friends don’t drink, so we had nice dinner and played games, while their kids ran or crawled around.
What are you practicing on the piano? My honey gave me a minor wood project which I think I’ll attend to, then off to her parents for rib roast that we raised, but is prepared in wife’s mom’s kitchen – and black eyed peas for good luck.
No, no hangover. No beer or wine for me lately. The Thursday before last, I slipped and fell on an icy patch in the parking lot at the vehicle shop. I fell backwards and with the momentum, the back of my head hit the ice. By Thursday evening, I recognized the symptoms and knew I was going to have to get checked out by the ER doc the next day. Follow-up eval this week went well. Okay to resume normal activities.
Christmas songs this time of year. When we were kids growing up, we always played board games until midnight, then went outside in the snow and rang in the New Year with noisemakers and banging pots and pans.
we always played monopoly on NYE. it was the only night of the year we could stay up late enough to finish the game!! we banged pots and pans as well, as soon as the ball dropped. good times. simpler times. better times.
Produce ONE little Footskie. You won’t regret it.
One of my best friends worked as a research scientist at UCD. She punched out at 55 and has become an amazing quilter, winning lots of ribbons at county and state fairs. She made me this work of art for my 50th birthday, but on the actual day I only got a picture of the quilt because it was entered into the Marin County Fair! I took possession a couple weeks later–it’s a blue ribbon winner!
Deeg
You could YouTube us lessons!
You made me laugh, Clutch. It’s the other way around. I’m just a beginner. I’m actually looking up tutorials on YouTube.
I have to believe that shoveling snow is pretty straightforward.
Oh! Is that what Clutch meant? Believe it or not, we have three different kinds of snow shovels and two different brooms.
Guest post
Please. Montana baseball fandom is worth a story or three.
That’s very nice of you to say, Bleacher Bob. Which is a great screen name!
Ok
But we could laugh with you doing yours ….
No Dog Hair?
#24. Check. Really pulling for those credentials. Thank you for everything George.
Is there a tip jar around here?
http://www.sarahwerner.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Tip_Jar_Alamo_Beer_2015-03-26_18.48.31_by_Nan_Palmer-1024×683.jpg
Chance of snow in Sac. midweek.
They signed Chris Washburn?
Well, the major is leaving.
Aw, darn. We’re flying to SoCal first thing tomorrow morning for a few days at the beach. Won’t be summer weather there, either, but it won’t be snowing.
32* in SEA.
Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) has passed.
http://cdn.thedailybeast.com/content/dailybeast/cheats/2017/01/01/m-a-s-h-actor-william-christopher-dies-at-84/jcr:content/image.img.707.jpg/49442971.cached.jpg
I loved his character. I always thought he was like that in real life.
Alan Alda today:
His pals from #MASH miss Bill powerfully. His kind strength, his grace and gentle humor weren’t acted. They were Bill. ❤️
Enjoyed watching his portrayal on MASH during the rain delays on KTVU.
Well, that bites too.
2016 – sorry – was just one big kick in the nuts.
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2016/12/30/14127412/2016-giants-bullpen-sadness-conor-gillaspie
…and it hasn’t even really started yet.
African American kids in baseball told through the eyes of Omar Minaya, an ex baseball GM, and father of a 17 year old, 6’6″ forward.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/26/sports/baseball/omar-minaya-baseball-scout.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fbaseball&action=click&contentCollection=baseball®ion=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront
thanks for the post, good read.
Makes two great points that to me limit the number of African American kids playing baseball high school and beyond. First, the fact that AAU ball gives the kids so much exposure and notoriety, much more than any baseball travel team organizations. Second, the point that kids are specializing much earlier in one sport and can play year around. When I was young the best athletes in school would letter in 2-3 sports all the time, go from Football in the Fall, to Basketball, to baseball in in the spring.
Add to all this the fact major brands like Nike, Adidas and UA make its enticing for kids to play AAU Basketball over baseball. I’ve said it before on the blog, if Nike and UA and MLB worked on youth programs aimed at the inner city / African American kids, they would find more kids open to the idea. Just need to make it enticing.
100prcent gone Baalke
99.999prcent gone Chip Kelly
98prcent gone
Kaepernick
01/01/17
Who cares, really. It’s become a favored stop for the World Tractor Pull league.
http://www.ntpapull.com/
Too bad it’s not 100% Jed gone too.
he’s the owner, it’s like complaining the sky is blue.
I thought Mumsy and Daddums were the owners, and this is Jed’s first job.
You’re correct. His parents own the team and Jed was appointed CEO. His mother took over the team after legal problems prevented her brother Eddie DeBartolo from maintaining ownership.
Denise York is the owner
Jed is the CEO.
Tomato Tomatoe…..why the need to split hairs with some of you guys?
Mommy has given him the keys to the car, so he’s driving it. No amount of fanbase unrest is going to change that. People need to get over it.
Stop being a dick.
Actually she made a logical reply to your comment. It is indeed not at all like complaining the sky is blue. Owners can be replaced and he’s not even the owner.
Whatever dude, go fight another battle Lancelot.
Tell me genius how the owner will be replaced? This should be good.
Ahole
It’s not splitting hairs in the least. He’s not the owner. He’s the CEO, an appointed position. It’s almost comical (if it were not so off-putting) to watch you try to drum up big fights about something that is easily looked up in 5 seconds.
You know who is picking the next 9ers GM/ Coach? Yep, it’s the son /CEO you are trying to make some stupid point about, that’s who.
So far 2017 is starting out well.
The boys are playing for Chip….
Better than playing for Trent even though he hired/drafted them. He put them and the team in the situation they’re in.
Life is good
Watching for the 100th time the WS 2014 game 5. Madison silencing the detested Royals. Juanito Perez making waves in the outback and at the plate. A good way to start a new year.
Your taste is superb, Amico.
Thx Paulito.
Duffy & Williamson ringing in the new year:
https://instagram.com/p/BOvIqOsj5a_/
Also it’s Parker’s bday today.
So for NYE I fixed a nice meal and then we watched a weird old Coen Brothers movie on Netflix. Then I discovered that MLB Network was having a marathon of World Series movies. Watched the (wild) end of the 2011 World Series and then, right around midnight here in CA, the Giants were about to wrap up the 2012 World Series.
It was a nice way to finish the year.
Wow. Right about midnight here I was watching the 2012 WS DVD. Furthermore, I was thinking about you because you’ve always said the 2012 team was your favorite of the three. True story.
Those memories help get us through the long winter, don’t they? Good news is it’s January now, and next month is February–and that’s when camp opens!
Things have been looking up since the solstice!
Mine too! Rallying after losing Melky to win the division going away, then when the games didn’t mean anything to us knocking the Dodgers out of the postseason altogether, after they made the splashy trades! Then all the amazing postseason comebacks and sweeping the WS, leaving the national pundits speechless! I’ll never forget 2012! 🙂
Gore, another one of those guys I wish had finished his career in a Niners uniform:
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18388826/indianapolis-colts-frank-gore-becomes-oldest-rb-rush-1000-yards-32-years
“He has passed Jim Brown, Thurman Thomas, Franco Harris, Marcus Allen, Edgerrin James, Marshall Faulk and Tony Dorsett — six of the seven are in the Hall of Fame — to move to eighth on the NFL’s all-time rushing list this season.”
That is impressive. On the 49ers pregame show on KNBR today, one of the hosts said Gore will be a FA after this season and may come back to the Niners. I don’t know if the host was just wishing or was serious.
Gore was quoted as saying “I’m hoping to end my career in football purgatory”
He is part tractor.
Duffman, Law & Beede at Law’s wedding:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOvCLINABya/?taken-by=tylerbeede15
Duffy misses us as much as we miss him*
(*- Void where Oracle)
Jed and Paraag have ruined the Niners….they kept that disaster, Baalke, way too long. They leaked stories on purpose to the press ( who lapped it up). Now, fans are supposed to trust these two franchise-destroyers are going to make the right choice?
This is Sacramento Kings, only worse….since this team was in the Super Bowl 4 years ago
Wonder which team has more years of salaries to pay to fired coaches? New standard of incompetence.
They might also run into the problem of it being more difficult to attract a good coaching candidate.
The Kings still have Seattle, lol.
https://twitter.com/WillBrinson/status/815752211397480448?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Yup….pretty much sums it up
why the crying about “leaked stories”? I’m pretty sure if you do the research of most major sports franchises and this is a similar theme around the country. I suggest finding another complaint to hang your hat on.
but yes, Jed and Paraag are to blame for this. But again, Jed is the de facto owner, so all the bitching is not going to get anyone anywhere. Paraag is another story.
Still those two stooges got Harbaugh, so they can luck out again.
Those two stooges fired Harbaugh and kept Baalke. Those two stooges purposely leaked false stories that ruined the locker room and admin building. Quit acting like you know better. I can complain as I wish, Captain Complainer.
Does it make it right that other franchises do it?
No, but it’s one of those things that’s dumb to point out over and over, since not the first time and not the last.
Time for a family intervention! The York’s family gardener could do a better job than Jed, and I apologize in advance to gardeners everywhere for comparing them to Jed.
Are Giants really looking into a 36-year-old OF? Isn’t Pagan younger and cheaper?
Scout just collected his WAR crayons and headed home….
Who are you referring to?
Jose Bautista?
Thanks
Feliz 2017 TWGs!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1edfa28feb9fa2a736d3dd23317ddbb62aabdf1b6a4a088d97d7f4bd8b45208c.jpg
Lucita and Myrtle.
A Very Happy New Year to you and your family, paul!
Tu tambien, dgg. Stay warm!
Over/under on number of times Boy wonder Jed says ‘championship culture’ in presser today? 5? 10?
6.5, but he heard Eddie use it a lot.
Btw Eddie made same mistakes. Pete McCauley
Ken Meyer
Fred OConner
Joe Thomas
What’s this guy Paraag’s role in the 49ers failure? I thought he was more or less the bean counter and not responsible for the lack of talent.
That is a very good question. Several years ago he apparently was in charge of deciding whether to challenge plays on game day. He is known to help with contracts, and seems to do a decent job there, but was also *demoted* last year to the soccer team, yet was seen in the booth a couple weeks ago. As long as he and Jed are making football decisions, outlook not good. Who knows what goes on behind the scenes, but it is hard to imagine ‘real’ football people wanting to hear a lot from he or Jed about how to coach and manage a team.
this is some fine mouth organ, or harp (harmonica) blowing, for those that enjoy such
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip0EZe3giPk
We were talking below about the 2012 World Series champion Giants.
It’s worth remembering that at this time in 2012, there wasn’t much reason to be optimistic. There was a strong rotation, yes (Lincecum, Vogelsong, Cain, and Bumgarner finished in the top 11 in NL ERA the year before), but Zito had a dreadful 2011, Sanchez had been shipped to KC for Melky Cabrera, and Brian Wilson missed the last six weeks of the 2011 season with a sore arm.
And that was the good news.
The bad news was that the offense in 2011 was historically inept, and Brian Sabean’s answer to that was…not Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder or Jose Reyes or even Carlos Beltran, the marquee free agents that year. It was…trades for Melky Cabrera (a journeyman coming off a good year in KC) and Angel Pagan, who was basically a fourth outfielder who’d had a nice 2010 but needed a change of scene after a bad 2011. That was it.
Then there was Buster, coming off a career-threatening injury, and no one knew what to expect from him going forward. And Freddy Sanchez, who…never came back. And Aubrey Huff, coming off a brutal 2011. And Crawford, installed for his glove but never expected to hit, and Belt, who’d spent the year riding the Fresno bus back and forth.
We know how it all turned out.
Why bring that up now? Because on paper, the 2017 Giants don’t look all that impressive. In fact, being generous, I’d say they’re at most the fourth-best team in the NL.
But maybe they’ll surprise us, like that 2012 team. (Also, who knew Scutaro and Pence were on the way and what they’d both mean to that team?)
Good take, but I don’t see how you can justify labeling Melky a “journeyman”, check his career stats. He came up very young as a Yankee, and while he feel out of favor there, his numbers have been pretty solid. When you compare them to the Giants LF situation for the past decade, they have been pretty solid.
He’d washed out pretty badly with Atlanta before going to KC, though–they released him right after the 2010 playoffs. Let’s just say he was no sure thing going into 2012, and none of us were that happy with those two trades, especially after Sabean had traded the Giants’ best pitching prospect for Beltran.
My main memory of Melky was him being a pudgy nondescript outfielder for the Braves when we played him in 2010. As for Pagan, I barely knew who he was (granted, the Mets weren’t worth following that closely in those years, and I don’t live there like you do).
They both had great years for the Giants, is my point–sometimes you just don’t know.
True,
Melky was always seen as a good fielding / solid hitting prospect, but the Yankees and the fans expected more power – not who he is. But he did turn out to be the type of hitter that makes contact consistently and drives in a good amount of runs for not being a power type corner outfielder.
With Pagan, it was always about the athletic ability. He always appeared to go full throttle which led to injuries, pretty much the same thing we got to see for a few years. When he is ON he can be pretty good, however just not able to keep that going 162 games a year.
Best LF since Bonds.
I’m optimistic! The Giants success in the 2010s has started with the starters: that’s solid. The young bullpen feels like it will gel, now that the old crew is cleared away, with a solid pro to hold up the back end firmly. It is reasonably easy to imagine Nunez keeping a great infield intact (all 4 bases and SS) and doing well as the lead off hitter. I’ve already decided that Pence will be the NL comeback player in 2017 (it is winter, I can do that!) so it’s just a matter of finding some steady outfield play, before plowing the Dodgers under.
They are definitely in better shape than they were starting 2012. Quick, who played 2B on Opening Day that year? Who played 3B when Pablo was out for six weeks with his hamate surgery?
LF is really the only question mark at this point, and there are a couple of options. Maybe not sure things, but…
Answers: 2B on Opening Day: Ryan Theriot
3B when Pablo was out: Gillaspie, then Arias
Arias was a good backup, and I think Ehire Adrianza or Kelby Tomlinson can take that job. But yes, Joe Panik’s arrival has given me great hope. Theriot and DeRosa and Sanchez and (because of Holliday) Scutaro didn’t quite fill the black hole at 2B. No more concussions for Joe!
Rollins makes the 17 team
Please no….
I know you would be personally bummed but this would be the first time in his career that he’d have come to grips with the fact that he is no longer starter material. Switch hitter coming off the bench who knows the staffs of both leagues Hard to say know if Kelby or EH don’t rip the spot from him.
Yay Conor! I knew I’d heard of him before!
Kobe was a real pro. Blanco’s Perfect Game catch was miraculous, but Kobe’s flat-footed laser from behind 3B for the lst out took some true grit.
I hope you’re right about Pence, 610nm. The Core Four sure were good together as long as they lasted.
Based on prior evidence, the offense is fine, even with the OF as-is. This team has always been built on pitching and the starting rotation is arguably as deep as ever.
I like the Cueto staff
Why don’t you think they don’t look impressive? Is it the uncertainty of LF? Starters are set and the #5 looks better if Blach wins it, the pen is fine by me with Melancon at the back end. We have a very solid IF (Nunez showed me a lot), Scout promises Span is going to be better….
The Giants have always been the “non paper” team, which is why we all bark about how this team has a character that paper always gets wrong….
Great recall on the 2012 preseason. Let’s see, 4th best in the NL?
That’s still pretty good, and playoff bound.
So Cubs are the undisputed juggernaut of the NL.
Then I imagine the Dodgers and Nats are the 2/3 positions and the Giants are tussling with the likes of the Mets and Cards.
With the strong pitching, and should the Dodgers not consummate a big improvement while the Nats are bereft at the back end of the pen, then the Giants can just as easily slot in behind the Cubs as the 2nd favorite in the NL.
It’s all gonna hinge on health and getting enough run production from the lineup. Who is going to step up and have career years? Is Buster going to make last year look like a blip? Will left field produce above league average?
Stay tuned…
I don’t see too much point in #1 #2 etc. rankings, the real issue is how much chance do they have to go all the way, and I think the Giants have a pretty go chance in 2017. Two great starters, two good starters, a great closer, plenty of solid relievers, great team defense, and pretty decent hitting.
I thinks they’re good to go. Other stuff will happen.
In October We Trust.
Is Tom Cable really Jed York’s answer? Wow.
Josh McDaniels
Joan in Accounting
The Rams also have an opening. They actually have a QB under contract, a defense, and high draft picks. Oh yeh…they are in LA and have a brand new stadium coming.
Apples to apples…he would be crazy to join JebWorld.
You can take it for what it’s worth, but Peter King says Josh won’t go anywhere this year. He will only leave the Pats for a great job and there isn’t one with an opening right now.
No one good is coming to the 49ers. It will be the same old, rinse, lather, repeat. A bunch of names rumored like McDaniels, then only the second tier interviewing, then hiring of someone who had no other good offers. I’m guessing a guy like Cable is more likely than McDaniels.
Not so, on ESPN this AM one of the segments on the NFL one of the analyst actually said the 49ers may be a more desirable destination for a coach looking to make a mark. The fact Baalke is gone and the organization has money and high draft pics, makes it more desirable for a clean start for a coach with a new GM.
I like the Scott Pioli / McDaniels meet up a Boston media outlet put out there. They both worked together under Billecheck and Pioli is known as an astute draft guru.
Young coaches get two chances at being a HC. The next is number two and he won’t be going to Denver who fired him. Maybe Bill Belichick retires after a potential another super bowl and JM slides into that seat.
Jeb likes hiring coaches, firing them, then paying significant severance…
fake news/joke
I find it hilarious that Jed says there was a disconnect between the GM and coaches. Uhhh…. I wonder why. Reminds of the old drug commercials: “I learned it by watching you!”. Jed is one of those leaders who thinks that everyone else is to blame but him and doesn’t understand one bit of how to be a leader.
Championship culture? What a moron. Cultures are built by leaders, from the top down. If you don’t do the little things, like act like a leader and CREATE a culture, nothing will happen by accident.
There was also some funny quotes when he was saying “we hired” as a reference to Bill Walsh many years ago.
There are numerous items out there in webland about the 49ers having league-wide reputation as a dysfunctional (and “backstabbing”) front office. You add that to Tomsula’s story (during/after Jim H)…then Chip being fired after 1 season…and you’re looking at Tom “I need a HC gig” Cable kind of guy. That said, Cable works for the Seahawks and Pete Carroll is not a Jeb York fan.
Happy belated New Year TWG. Pitchers and catchers report 6 weeks from today!
When do the WBC players report ?
I don’t really care Scout. I know the tournament is from 9-22 March.
Crawford and Posey will be engaging in early activities to be more game ready by Mar. 9th.
, dunno, but WWWTF reports Jan 20.
GRRRRRRR….
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0805/6249/products/California-republic-mousepad_191c3c9c-2760-4c11-a9a5-bdd41839d032_large.png?v=1458575347
OK…now this is getting crazy.
Baalke gets fired and “anonymous sources in the building” are reporting that Chip Kelly wanted to draft Zak Prescott, but Baalke said “no”. What’s the reason for even leaking this n-o-w, unless it’s an attempt to deflect from Jeb?
It’s all about protecting Jed. Wonder how often he will make reference to Eddie D in his press conference?
Since both are gone it really doesn’t matter right?
Baalke sealed his fate by failing to recognize talent while having the most pics in the draft in the past 5+ years in the NFL. It led to some of the issues with Harbaugh.
Nothing wrong with a mention Kelly like what he saw in Prescott.
It matters because the owner’s new marketing BS is “to re-establish a championship culture”; yet the previous behavior of leaking crap to the press (in an effort to focus blame on others) continues.
I don’t disagree with firing Baalke, but the “hold me accountable” guy is still there and still displaying the type of behavior that makes this franchise the joke of the NFL.
But the “hold me accountable guy” is not going anywhere, so really futile to keep complaining about.
Every team in the NFL talks about establishing “championship culture”, it’s typical PR BS ALL teams utilize to get fans excited about the future. It’s just rhetoric, no need to focus on it.
April 2nd opener at Arizona, likely vs. Greinke…
Span
Belt
Posey
Pence
Panik
Nunez
Crawford
Parker
Bumgarner
v
Owings
Pollock
Goldschmidt
Tomas
Lamb
Drury
Marte
Mathis
Greinke
I think Mac beats out Parker but that is a good L/U. Could flip-flop Belt and Panik but I think you are going on how they batted late last year in those batting order spots right?
L/R platoon thing. Conor could be in a platoon with Nunez as well.
Belt makes a lot of sense to me 2nd. OBP, wOBA. Run production by setting up the meat of the order.
In 2016 …
Belt hit .370 in the two-hole.
Panik hit .343 in the eight-hole … SSS but something to explore.
42 degrees and raining … snow to “dust the hills” is predicted. I have business at 3200 feet so I am checking the conditions with a friend.
about 42 degrees here also. Fire in the fireplace. One more day off then the fun is over.
Belt is vastly improved by having a big hitter behind him so that he can take pitches.
Buster Olney’s column today is his current top 10 of starting pitchers. He has Bumgarner at #3 behind Kershaw and Scherzer. He has Cueto at #10. The others on the list (I may not get the order exactly right): Sale, Kluber, Syndergaard, Verlander, Arrieta, Lester. So the Cubs are the only team besides the Giants with two on the list.
Honorable mentions to Price, Porcello, and Strasburg.
Good list and I pretty much agree with it. Verlander sure has resurrected his career, hasn’t he?
I wonder if Price will? Tough year in a new park last season, and the ongoing Kershawitis in October….
Price’s troubles in October make Kershaw look like Bumgarner.
Weird not to see King Felix or Greinke on that list. Sad not to see Jose Fernandez.
Thanks for sharing. I was wondering where Bum was listed, since he wasn’t included in the picture for the story title.
You hear Kiffin is out as OC for the Tide and Sarkisian will be the OC against Clemson? The “story” is he is focussing on his new job, but there were many critics out there about his play calling against Ohio State.
I just heard that about Kiffin but not the part about Sark. Weird history repeating itself. But who fires their OC before the national title game when he’s leaving anyway? There’s a story there.
I’m honestly horrified that anyone would hire Sarkisian for anything. I wish him well as a human being, but that guy is a disaster around young student athletes.
Kiffin actually got a bad rap for his coaching at USC. Under the circumstances, he did pretty well. It was time for him to go when he did, but I thought the part about firing him on the tarmac at LAX was cold.
I agree there’s a story there, too.
I thought Kiffin showed a lot of growth in his support for Sark and the OC job at Alabama. He even said it would be “a better fit”.
Let’s hope Saben has some mandatory counselling in Sark’s contract, so he can avoid any of the concerns you (and I’m sure many others) have about him.
I watched the Alabama-Washington game and was actually underwhelmed with Alabama’s offense. That game was way too close until they got a pick-6 right before halftime. And with the way Clemson stomped on Ohio State (heh heh heh), Saban may have decided drastic steps were in order.
…and/or he thought Kiffin was focussing on his new gig a bit too much 🙂
Can’t help but wonder if Kiffin will reach out to someone on the Clemson staff, and “share tendencies” and other stuff. Given his track record, nothing would surprise me.
So, pretty much jives with Bill James’ Game Score tally…
1 NR Clayton Kershaw 586.8
2 NR Max Scherzer 573.1
3 NR Corey Kluber 561.0
4 NR Jon Lester 556.3
5 NR Madison Bumgarner 556.0
6 NR Justin Verlander 542.6
7 NR Jake Arrieta 537.3
8 NR Chris Sale 536.2
9 NR Johnny Cueto 530.3
10 NR David Price 524.6
11 NR Kyle Hendricks 519.0
12 NR Rick Porcello 510.7
13 NR Marco Estrada 504.2
14 NR Cole Hamels 504.1
15 NR Zack Greinke 503.6
….Syndergaard sure seems notably absent here!
Not enough game score accumulation, I assume.
I think Syndergaard is starting to worry experts. He’s had a progressive problem developing with his control.
https://i.imgur.com/f5BnL7u.png
You know I love this shit!
When you commented on Bill James, he’s got some pretty deep insights, and strong opinions of strikeout pitchers. I think Syndergarrd’s FB isn’t god like anymore.
When healthy, I like DeGrom a little bit more.
I like DeGrom more as well. Over the years I’ve come to believe as sexy as missing bats is, it’s controlling quality of contact that’s the measure of greatness in a pitcher. That’s the reason I was so personally happy about Melancon.
and why Kyle Hendricks was a very strong candidate for the CY as the ERA champion.
Rick Porcello the CY for AL
i agree. degrom is their best pitcher, when healthy. what happened to harvey? he needs to pull a verlander. maybe he needs to find a SI bikini babe..
Harvey did a Wheeler, didn’t he?
he dropped like a rock
Nothing but pond ripples left?
he was the next seaver, for about ten minutes.
Yeah, it’s amazing how many speed merchants flash through the sky like meteors and burn up. I think the next big media phenom is going to be that kid at San Diego (?) with the hop in his delivery. Some guy calculated that with the hop, his 98 MPH FB shows up like a 103-104 to the batter because of his release point. He’s got this frisbie slider to go with it. It’s clearly a balk, but baseball wants to manufacture a new mound ‘hero’ it seems.
you hit the nail on the head right below. it’s all about control, and keeping the ball off the barrel. give me a maddux hour and 45 minute game, where the hitters get their comfortable oh for 4’s any day. that’s pitching, as opposed to throwing.
Ditto to that, my friend.
and i’ll bet credits to navy beans that they looked long and hard at that guy that does the triple jump before he pitches, and will be calling balks on him.
What he does is so wrong.
If they say Carter Capps isn’t cheating, anything is possible.
Yep. That’s a balk in my book. That poor schmuck on 1B thinks so too I bet.
Yeah, the top 10 is the same except Price instead of Thor (and a different order). Maybe Syndergaard doesn’t show up on James’s list because he missed starts with injuries?
16 NR John Lackey 500.6
17 NR Jose Quintana 495.0
18 NR Chris Archer 493.0
19 NR J.A. Happ 493.0
20 NR Noah Syndergaard 489.7
21 NR Masahiro Tanaka 488.1
22 NR Julio Teheran 487.8
23 NR Stephen Strasburg 487.7
24 NR Ian Kennedy 479.6
25 NR Jacob Degrom 475.9
26 NR Dallas Keuchel 475.8
27 NR Carlos Carrasco 471.4
28 NR Carlos Martinez 470.3
29 NR Jake Odorizzi 468.1
30 NR Felix Hernandez 467.4
31 NR Jeff Samardzija 466.7
32 NR Collin McHugh 459.3
33 NR Ervin Santana 457.6
34 NR Jose Fernandez 457.4
35 NR Chris Tillman 457.2
36 NR Francisco Liriano 455.3
37 NR Tanner Roark 454.5
38 NR R.A. Dickey 452.4
39 NR Aaron Sanchez 452.1
40 NR Hisashi Iwakuma 452.0
Hey, look at Ian Kennedy up there in the top 25.
must have been doing something right – chiefly eating inning but also has ERA+ of 118.
‘SC guy.
WTH is NR?
Not ranked I imagine. Since that is supposed to represent previous rank, and since it’s the new year…
Well, that makes sense….NOT.
does anything really make sense?
Not when every pitcher is NR.
Why have it?
I’m sure it makes sense to someone here. Then again….
Oh, one more thing. If it’s rankings, what’s the number to the left of it?
No song?
I was listening to a radio broadcast over the weekend and the subject of the Cubs came up, and their championship last year. The conversation got around to ‘dynasties’ and the Cubs, and the consensus was that the Giants were the only team who in the post season who seem to shake the Cubs confidence in establishing a long run of challenging for the WS. Maybe that Bumgarner, Cueto duo is the root of that, and to a man, they seemed to feel Melancon was the cream of the preseason acquisitions. I guess that’s in part predicated on the experience the organization had against him in Pittsburgh. It’s, to me, always interesting to here other players/teams/media take on the Giants as a sanity check on opinions we have here.
Chicago radio station?
It was some 3-4 minute segment on public radio. I’m not even sure who was talking. Media types, as I recall, regurgitating big stories of 2016, I think.
That is good … national news actually having people that think the Giants are legit. It should not matter but I remember as a kid relishing the few times the Giants would be on national TV and taking pride in one of MyGuys™ being talked about as a good player.
The truth is that if the Giants had Melancon in 2016, the Cubs might have been looking ahead to Year 109 without a championship.
I agree 100%.
If, in an alternate universe, Huston Street came in and got those tough outs…
Is Huston Street one of those roads around Wrigley? 😉
runs parallel with Waveland.
Huston Street?!?!?!?
The Oughts called. They want their Thunderstix back
Just seeing if you’re awake and giving you a canvas to model your clever quips for GG 🙂
Has Matthew guest posted? It’s about time.
Yep. There are archive links by month. I think he did one back in October or something.
4 per year maybe. You too Ryan.
BOOM! Exactly the reason they need to go for it this year and fill in any holes (LF, middle relief, maybe bench) BEFORE and during this season.
What good is it is they are very very close but not yet complete by the end of the season.
butts in the seats, lines at the cha-cha bowl stand…
The truth is that if Bochy had left Moore in to pitch the 9th, the Cubs also might have been looking ahead to year 109 without a championship.
Let’s not re-litigate that, please.
Okay
shoulda woulda coulda that comments is about as sane as close is only good for handgrenades horse shoes and atom bombs.
And drive-in movies. Dating myself here.
The Giants won one game against the Cubs. The Indians were up 3-1. I don’t think it was the Giants who most worried the Cubs.
‘You don’t think’… It was an interesting conversation that abuts similar comments here. An opinion, yours, is a good thing to have. Cherish it.
Butt, you know the old saw about opinions.
Especially free ones. I only mentioned it at all because it seemed a chatty little conversation that reflected some of the comments here.
With the Giants bullpen, no one should be worried unless you’re a Giants fan.
Good one. The other teams knew they were never out of it.
Don’t forget they were down 5-2 in the top of the ninth, looking at Cueto in an elimination game back in Chicago. There was much concern, I am sure.
I’m sure there was some concern, but not as much as being down 3-1 in the World Series.
If they meant being worried BEFORE each series started, for sure the Giants worried them the most. The whole Giants’ mystique, they were scared of Cueto who has a generally great record against them, and they were basically conceding that Bumgarner would win his game and maybe come back to relieve in the 5th game. If the Giants had held on in game 4, the Cubs would have been freaked out in game 5 from all the Giants postseason comebacks. And before the World Series started, they were very confident against the Indians, who were missing their #2 and #3 starters. But they were never nearly as down against the Giants as they were when they were behind 3-1 to the Indians.
I only heard a fragment of the conversation, but even so, it seemed to me the flavor of the conversation was as you suggest. I tried to find the link on NPR but couldn’t. Scott Simon, on Saturdays, is a BIG Cub fan, so I’d speculate it was somewhere in his programming, but it could have been anyone.
Let me know if you find it, I’d like to hear it.
After the nlds quite a few Cubs’ writers and fans were acting like they could die happy from having beaten the Giants, not that they hated the Giants but you could see that behind all their bravado about being ‘the best team in baseball’, a lot of them had a huge fear in the back of their minds that (a) they’d be disappointed at some point, and (b) if anyone was to do it to them, it was the Giants.
LOL, it out Googled me. I’ve had that issue with NPR before. Sometimes some personal issue with a guest or commentator takes over for a bit. That, and it’s the worst indexed site I’ve ever ‘attacked’ for data. I try to pull a lot of new, interesting music off there, and when you miss the song title and it’s not a program’s explicit topic, you’re usually SOL. Sometimes I’m left wondering if I hallucinated an entire song.
I said it for most of the season, the Giants rotation was the one that I feared most as a Cub fan. That was proven out.
Now if only Samardzija had used his curve…
I hope Johnny comes in pissed with a chip on his shoulder after reading it….though he doesn’t need to cause we know what he can do.
Cueto just does not get the respect he deserves. 2012-2016 500+ IP, who’s got the second lowest ERA in the majors, mostly pitching in a bandbox?
Off topic:
Any poetry fans out there? I know John Victory Faust loves the construction of a good poem. Anybody know this guy? He spoke some serious lines in the day…
Dream Song 1
John Berryman, 1914 – 1972
Huffy Henry hid the day,
unappeasable Henry sulked.
I see his point,—a trying to put things over.
It was the thought that they thought
they could do it made Henry wicked & away.
But he should have come out and talked.
All the world like a woolen lover
once did seem on Henry’s side.
Then came a departure.
Thereafter nothing fell out as it might or ought.
I don’t see how Henry, pried
open for all the world to see, survived.
What he has now to say is a long
wonder the world can bear & be.
Once in a sycamore I was glad
all at the top, and I sang.
Hard on the land wears the strong sea
and empty grows every bed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM8Tw2kFU5I
“All the world like a woolen lover” is winter bedtime perfection.
Indeed. So much in that phrase.
Sean McVay
Grandson of John McVay
#Niners
Hmmm…
Is there a Horacio Walsh? I’d prefer that
Looks like Kyle Shanahan is going to Broncos
Mr. and Mrs. York, Eddie D.–SOMEBODY please make Jed hire the best available NFL mind available, regardless of what it costs. Jed and Parang: manage the business and leave ALL the football decisions to that new hire. Even if all that happens we’re at least two years from .500, three (or more) from contending.
Baalke: “we did some awfully good things here.” One too many words, Trent. The awful part: spot on.
I know you are stuck on this but the following facts are stuck in my head. Eddie took over the team in 77 at the age of 31. He went to a 7-5 Monte Clark and said I will double your salary if you give up personnel moves to my new GM Joe Thomas. Smartly Clark said no thanks and Eddie fired him. Eddie hired Joe Thomas and HC Ken Meyer. Fired Meyer after one year and hired Pete McCulley in 1978, Fired Pete McCauley after one year and hired Fred O’Connor. Eddie fired O’Connor after one year and hired Walsh in 1979. Walsh went 2-14, 6-10 and then Superbowl.
The Debartolo’s and Yorks have a bad gene that they do not shed for about 5-7 years.
The single comment that got Schilling on the HOF committee’s chit list.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18326987/controversy-surrounding-curt-schilling-clouds-cooperstown-case-hall-fame-voters
Yes to Schilling. Who cares if he’s a jerk?
I’d agree, he’s skunk bait as a human, but he was quite a ballplayer.
His postseason stats are off the charts. I’d take that really really seriously.
Me too. He played his best when it counted most.
So, because he’s inarticulate and conservative? I thought it was about baseball.
My point wasn’t his conservatism, rather of all the goofy stuff he says, it was his comment about the media that set him back. You need to shed the chip, matthew, the comic is going to be a 1600 for a while, and you really can’t expect people not to laugh. For christ sake he threw David Koch off his golf course over the weekend because he disliked a member of the foursome he was playing with.
THEIR point is.
It’s why I rant constantly about “journalists” , who in general ( not all) are pompous elitists who think they are smarter and better than others, and are shocked that anyone can have a “wrong” opinion.
Oh come on, it’s your party in DC, enjoy it. You rant, like most of us, when you don’t hear the guy on TV/radio agreeing with you. Most of them are just working stiffs. Compared to the average voter, most of them, are smarter, certainly better informed. If your kids get a decent education, learn to think critically, and have moderately successful lives, they’ll be ‘elitist’ too. Our society is designed a a meritocracy, not a mediocrity.
Two strong forces in media are the manufacture of consent and the commodification of dissent. I wonder if Matthew has seen the Manufacturing Consent video on Chomsky.
I’d like to ask our friend Matthew if he ever read Marcuse’s “One-Dimensional Man”.
I’m too one dimensional to appreciate it, one would guess
How about Flatland then?
Marcuse’s POV is that WE ALL are one-dimensional men.
Our society is quickly becoming an idiocracy, a movie worth watching.
A frightening film.
When ignorance is a virtue….
You’re skipping over the assumption of a well informed populace.
It’s not being ignorant that bugs me, we all are. It’s being willfully so, and at times bragging about it. Like last night, I MADE myself listen an interview on NPR with Richard Spencer. I got through ~ 15-20 minutes before he started to repeat himself. He is a leader of white supremacist, alt righters. I don’t want to live in that world, but now I’ve heard it from the horses mouth, and it’s the same drivel I grew up with in SE Texas.
I rant? I’ve been muted throughout and rant about the media.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c194314809109c936445527171abbfd69fdff6dcb2cf14d31dc9fa1c6e16c3e5.gif
Yup….
It should include how many control politics as well….BOTH parties
The plutocrats leave as little to chance as possible.
I think the issue is even more subtle myself. Lower profitability has caused a lot of the condensation in ownership, but the decline in useful news and viewpoint is a direct consequence of having to contract for news externally, and fill up cable news with a steady stream of pundits and talking heads to fill the hours. It’s like baseball expansion, the talent pool is severely limited.
Manufacture of Consent
Koyaanisqatsi
It was a figure of speech. I was commenting on ranting you’ve done elsewhere, and copped to here, LOL.
I never use “moron” either…
It’s like we’re brothers
I didn’t say you have.
Oh, I know…it was a little joke
Humor on the internet, or the lack of its easy recognition, is a problem. Let’s Rant ought to have been a Bowie song. So what did your grandparents do for a living, mine were sharecroppers in central Texas.
My maternal grandparents were divorced and shipped my mother off to live with a crazy aunt in Sonora who ran a boarding house…paternal gramps worked at PG&E for 46 years in Tuolumne County…his dad took vegetables to miners via horse and carriage in the Sierra Nevada range. Our history was so interesting to me, and they were humble folks.
My great grandmother on Mom’s side was an early silent movie star (Helen Holmes) but Mom saw none of that lifestyle….
No kidding, a movie star. My Mom earned a college scholarship (~ $1000) in 1944, but my grandfather thought it uppity for a girl to go to school beyond high school and forbade her to take it. She got even with him and married my Dad, LOL. That grandfather was an Army Air Force mechanic near San Antonio in WW2 and was shot and killed in a duel in the 1960s. When he was a teenager, as 1 of 14 kids, he took off and hobo’ed with likes of guys like Jimmy Rodgers. from Texas out to CA, Washington.
Sorry, but that’s absurd. I’m educated enough to choose to be an “elitist”, but understand the blessings that I’ve been awarded through no merit….so choose to not be. What I don’t do as well, is I don’t decide what’s best for the common man like so many do. “My party” is not in DC…my lesser evil is.
I like your posts…but you absolutely know you troll from “your party” side, whether you ever decide to acknowledge it or not.
I, like you, “force” ( your word) myself to listen to different points of view. My hard labor environment in which I grew up has me grounded in ways that I see foreign to many “elite” urbanites and many self aggrieved. I can live with that. I failed at my last corporate job because I wouldn’t ignore the perspective of those who labored to produce our product while my fellow suits were angered and impatient with that stance. I can live with that, too.
I’m not trolling, I have opinions, and at times I share them. Spencer is a matter force, he is genuinely loathsome. Matt, I read almost everything, for a lot of different reasons. My point about what you term ‘elite’ is that many of the those folks, maybe the majority, came from as humble of a background as I did, a perhaps you too. If they are ‘elite’ it’s not because they set out to corrupt the world, just understand or master it. They’re wrong, if they’re zealots about somethings, IMO, but I don’t find them mean spirited. LOL, you should the see chit I catch at Atlantic when I make an argument of the inevitability of faith as a part of the human condition. Elite just turns out, IMO, to be another of those terms people appropriate to have a reductionist label for other people they don’t want to either understand or god forbid, empathize with, about some issue. It’s like ‘hippy’ became in the 1960s and 70s.
That’s why C.C agrees with them, he thinks he is better then people as well .
from what I can tell, cc is better informed than most of us.
Bs, he fakes it, he thinks his way of judging players is the best way , and thinks Fangraphs is the bible of Baseball, for example thinks RBI are luck, but the guys that get the most RBI are usually the best in the game .
PJ, of all the things in the world you should prognosticate about, what I think is the least of them.
Example, smart alec attitude !
He’s smart. OK. Lucky for us to learn from his rants.
If not for CC, I’d be completely unaware of Bochy’s masterstrokes.
Sure you would.
That’s why I’m grateful.
You are…..The Oracle.
PJ, I just can bring myself to use the word moron as much as you and Efrain do. Want to talk about RBI’s. I don’t think i actually ever have, but the reigning POV is as you suggest, it’s an epi phenomenon at worst and an unpredictable outcome at best. As to whether that’s actually true enough to be a useful insight, I’ve never actually thought about it.
I defend you and you go pompous.
LOL, I’m goin, and flowin. I get tired of arguing with those knotheads.
Did you even understand what he said?
He’s a smart poster. You’re lucky to be able to engage him.
Nope, I dislike his attitude, I have engaged with him about some players he did not even know who they played with , Like Brian Dozier, until he looked him up, I follow all teams know almost every player in MLB , he reads Fangraph for his information .
An item on RBIs. It’s an interesting subject, but I agree with Fangraphs. There is more detail, but it’s more or less what I thought it would be. As far as Dozier is concerned. IMO, your information wasn’t useful, the data compiled at FG was. As I recall your input, it was sort of take my opinion as gospel, or you’re wrong. One would have though you would have checked the accuracy and usefulness of what you contributed before you sprang into action. I don’t remember that being the case.
http://www.fangraphs.com/library/stats-to-avoid-runs-batted-in-rbi/
Actually Chef Mike, years ago, convinced me Fangraphs and what’s in it was a sort of well spring. IMO, I was smart to take his advice. Mike has probably forgotten more about baseball than I know. It’s been a hard decade for Mike, lots of water under the bridge, but you looking for a baseball bible, he’s it.
Fangraphs is generally the best thing going but they do have some significant problems. In terms of stats my biggest peeve is they don’t give much in the way of leverage splits so that for example there’s no way to tell if hitters who perform badly in clutch situations are doing this because of random deviation or because their pitch selections sucks in clutch situations (this relates for example to evaluating the importance of RBI statistics, e.g. was Bryce Harper’s shockingly low total of 99 RBIs in 2015 just a fluke?)–this is presumably related to their general assumption that clutch hitting is a myth, which they conveniently don’t provide the statistics to determine. In the same vein, they pretty much assume that who wins playoff series is almost random, so they don’t do the kind of statistical testing of large numbers of playoff games to see if that’s really the case. And their whole methodology is implicitly oriented to make the teams they like look good–for example when the Giants (who they detest) relied heavily on pitchers with low BABIPs (more or less the entire bullpen with the except of Romo), Fangraphs dismissed pitchers’ BABIP as a matter of luck, but this last year when the Cubs (who they love) produced low pitching BABIP on a historic level, Fangraphs suddenly decided that actually it isn’t luck at all.
Most of FG’s detailed stuff is in Hardball Times. They seem connected in some fashion. Although it perhaps just a consequence of their sharing so many writers in common.
Duh.
Then? C’mon Pete, you’re smarter THAN that. When you figure that out THEN you’ll be able to write correctly.
It’s not being picky about grammar – they are different words. Ok?
Did Trump once refer to Bochy’s use of Adrianza as a “masterstroke?” Talk about goofy…
You came up as a wellspring of muted insight, it’s rumored.
It is about baseball. He was 17 full seasons in baseball had a mid 3’s era, never won a Cy Young or an MVP and had an era below 3 just 4 times and one was a 2.99 and anther 2.98. He never has thrown a no hitter. He won 20 games only 3 times and for most of his career won 15 or less.. He is tied for 82nd in career wins. He had a long career but was not that dominate.
Heck Matt Cain in 11 full seasons has almost the same ERA even with being injured and sucking the past 3 years and has 3 sub 3 ERA seasons in that time. Oh yes and Cain has a perfect game under his belt.
Hardly. Ask Bonds.
Okay, apropo nothing, without looking, who has the second most career infield hits in the majors since 2006 behind Ichiro?
Hunter Pence?
ding ding ding!
I was lurking for verification, LOL.
It’s rumored this is the guitarist from Thin Lizzy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sl8JH2jq0g
Snowy White is grrrreat!!
Thin Lizzy, who knew.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUYrRmzpQck
Load Thin Lizzy on Pandora. Some good stuffcomes up as ‘genetically’ related.
I hear you. The Boys Are Back in Town and Jailbreak have some great riffs, man.
Dedication too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfxpEMlqSOU
damn, I’m being strict with my data.
Skeeter’s cheating on Duffy with Mac-
https://instagram.com/p/BOyB0YAAFW3/
Giants are like GQ instagrammers and stuff, aren’t they?
Still hard to believe Duffy is elsewhere…
How do we get him back? Looks like Arroyo will end up at 3rd if we don’t get Duff back. That’s not a bad thing, I just liked the Dirtbag there.
Get Duffy back? Time to be realistic.
I’ll be realistic. Somewhere down the road, the Rays release Duff Man. The Giants pick him up.
Trade for Longoria, there’s your Dirtbag!
Or perhaps Utley is “dirtbag” enough.
Holy shite….that was an incredible run
http://aroundthefoghorn.com/2017/01/02/san-francisco-giants-top-10-prospects-2017/
Today’s trivia question: What pitcher holds the record for throwing the most consecutive strikes?
Hint: It is a current player
Scherzer? Didn’t look it up, but I think I remember something like that
wrong BTW record is either 38 or 39 I forgot which
Is he 40+ and a round mound of pound (the zone)?
my guess too!
Bartolo Colon?
Very good– correct
Steroids, Selig and the Hall
http://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/sports/baseball/hall-of-fame-steroids-baseball.html
Susan Slusser: “There is nothing good about the whole era. And I just decided that if you honor the central figures of the era — the execs and managers and players and media people are all going in — then it’s putting the entire wrongs of that era on two guys.”
Era = Steroid Era
Two guys = Clemens and Bonds
An awful lot of the “era” is on Selig.
As well as the writers, who sat there ignoring the obvious.
Might as well throw in the managers and fans and front offices, too. But Selig was in charge of the whole show, and I’m really disgusted he is going to be in the Hall.
I don’t care that anyone used steroids. The 1951 Giants stole signs. Gaylord Perry threw the spitter. Bats were corked. Amphetamines were popped. Whether we like it or not, “cheating” to gain an edge is part of the fabric of baseball. And if the pre-steroid greats had played in the steroid era, I think most of them would’ve used as well. I thinks it’s an arbitrary time to start moralizing.
Thank goodness you don’t have to right all those wrongs.
Malum prohibidum vs. malum in se.
Out flanked my high school Latin.
I don’t know any Latin. It’s just one of the few things I remember from Law School.
Something like evil in the eyes of the law, versus evil in and of itself. TO has given us something to think about this evening. I have never seen the phrase before. Maybe a lawyer thing?
You got it.
It would probably be a bigger adjustment for them.
They would have had all the nutritional and fitness advantages as well. Plus all the modern reconstructive surgery. When we compare today’s ballplayers with yesterdays, we are almost comparing apples to oranges. Stick the best from the 50’s on today’s fields via a time warp, and they’d get barn burned.
I’m not so sure about that, especially since baseball is so much a game of technique and hand-eye coordination, as opposed to simply strength and speed. There are more hard throwers now, but “Fastball” thought it proved that Feller and Ryan threw harder than Aroldis Chapman. I think if you threw guys like Aaron and Mays into today’s game, they’d still be the greats of today.
In the same way, I think if you gave 29 year-old Jack Nicklaus a month to practice with modern clubs and balls, he’d be just as big a threat to win the 2017 Masters as he was in the 60s and 70s.
i wonder how the reverse would work out, today’s players with Nicklaus equipment?
I was privileged enough to see Ryan play in his prime, and I agree. Seeing he and Mays or Ted Williams match up would have been an incredible thing to see.
Thanks to Baseball-Reference, I know that on August 20th, 1974, my Aunt forced my older cousin to take me to the Big A to watch the Angels play the Tigers. The Angels lost 1-0 in 11 innings, but Ryan pitched a complete game and struck out 19. It was the third time that season he struck out that many in a game. Without question, he had the most amazing arm that ever picked up a baseball.
I saw him in the 80-81 with the Astros. I don’t recall who they played, I just remember someone in the group I was with saying, they need to issue tennis rackets, because they’re not gonna have any luck with bats today. As I recall, it was a 1 or 2 hitter. I’d agree with your conclusion, entirely. I heard someone ask a sports writer how Ryan got to be so good, the writer chuckled and replied ‘leave the Mets and before they destroyed his arm’. Nothing’s changed with the Met.
one guy famously went to bat with a chair leg, citing that he might as well, as he wasn’t going to hit him with a regular bat anyway.
Awesome legs too. Tremendous drive with his lower half, mitigating the stress on the arm.
http://www.thenationalpastimemuseum.com/sites/default/files/Ryan%20Angels.jpg
Something felt amiss with respect to their comparative computations for Feller and Ryan vs. Chapman. It was like Ryan was throwing 107 in the 7th inning. Did not compute.
Those hall of famers would surely adapt but they’d have quite a surprise in store for them when the starter handed it over to the pen in the 7th.
5,386 innings over 27 seasons, with 5,714 strikeouts and 2,795 walks, doesn’t compute either, but it happened.
Will Clark did some computations on Ryan’s fastball…
But hey, you don’t need to tell me how great Ryan was, he was My Guy, big time.
If the guns were on him today, he would probably be cruising mid to upper 90’s, and on good days, popping 100-101, like perhaps Noah Syndergaard, or Justin Verlander, a few years ago.
The thing was that his arm was bionic. Just get going and going until it finally snapped when he was right around 46 and still throwing 90-95. Also, Ryan had a tremendous snapper and added a nice changeup later.
I had a VHS tape on Ryan, it think it was called Texas Heat or something, but had some Glenn Frey Heat is On tracking music. But it also went into the army capturing is max velocity on their radar at about 101 mph.
If the guns were on him today, I think prime Ryan would be throwing harder than anyone. You’re scientist. How were the methods used in “Fastball” incorrect?
there was a discrepancy between the distance between the plate and mound where the reading was taken – they recalcuated Ryan’s radar readings using a point closer to the release point than the army calculation and saying 107 ! Or something like that. I don’t know, I wasn’t privy to the calculations, should have been straightforward and not subject to error, but my common sense says that the limits of the human body to throw a fastball aren’t much above 100. I believe Chapman at 103 because he’s so long and has so much sling. I believe when Kimbrel is gassing up to about 100, max effort, and therefore it makes sense that Ryan was probably crusing 120 pitches in at upper 90’s.
Radar is radar, BUT it’s what part of the path of the ball is being measured. Going back to Feller, they used other methods, none of which were all that precise. Ryan’s a different story.
Ummm yeah, they had a motorcycle race past as he threw the ball through a hoop in a shirt and tie !
You’ll like this site. efastball.com
http://www.efastball.com/baseball/stats/fastest-pitch-speed-in-major-leagues/
According to the documentary, today’s guns measure speed at a point about 50 feet from home plate. Ryan’s reading came from 10 feet in front of the plate. Feller’s 98 was measured as the ball croosed the plate.
The fastest pitches ever thrown. Both Ryan and Feller have had pitches faster than Chapman.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/671695-aroldis-chapman-and-the-15-fastest-pitches-ever-recorded/page/16
But could they shoot?
http://www.efastball.com/baseball/stats/fastest-pitch-speed-in-major-leagues/
http://www.efastball.com/baseball/stats/fastest-pitch-speed-in-major-leagues/ .
http://www.tradingcarddb.com/Images/Cards/Baseball/82516/82516-5866755Fr.jpg
Of course, cream goes to the top.
Love this clip of Gillaspie’s triple to put the Giants’ ahead in the 8th inning of game 3 of the NLDS. Right after he crushes it the scoreboard in the lower right puts up ‘102 mph’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj1huo14zcg
Another example of why thus blog is great…we never agree with everyone, we never disagree with everyone.
This was a TGO post
Sometimes people agree with me, and other times they’re wrong.
Some do, mostly. But yeah, not 100%.
Ruth was a drunk, don’t forget.
He’s a dud.
Yes. Which is why I called him Sleazy Selig in a previous comment.
Ick, it’s the dreaded NYT !!!
This whole controversy and Selig just waltzing in the backdoor just makes me not care who does or doesn’t get into the hall anymore. Just shut the door, lock it, and build some other mausoleum of reverence for the modern game.
NYT is a very fine newspaper, esp. on any topic not involving the Clintons. The Hall is bigger than Selig, but its selection rules are odd. Selig didn’t even have to wait the 5 years out, somehow.
It is indeed. I think it’s everything you’d expect from the newspaper of record in the USA. It’s not perfect, but it certainly has dedicated professional journalists working for it.
Right, Lon.
The NYT’s coverage of the Middle East is horrible.
Al Jazeera?
But seriously, I recently read a great article on the Mosul Dam in Iraq. Having recently read Cadillac Desert, the catastrophic things that can go wrong with dams was fresh in my mind, but the piece had a great sense of history and the culmination that is now.
Regarding coverage of the middle east there is not much difference between the ny times and aljazeera.
My school got online subscriptions for everyone, and I’ve been enjoying some of the arts, food and wine coverage there. I still smile remembering Gore Vidal derisively refer to them as ‘a company paper.’
Art, food, and wine??? Elitism!! 😉
I try to keep my special blend of highbrow and lowbrow calibrated properly.
Just for the record neither Bonds nor Clemens failed a drug test and neither of them was convicted of any steroid related perjury. Yes there is evidence of use–as is the case for many others–perhaps even more evidence, or even overwhelming evidence in their case. However what kind of due process standard is there when you are deemed guilty and kept out of the HOF because of speculation–even well founded speculation.
Tito and the Tribe are a great example of lineup by SABR and not giving a @#$% about what a leadoff hitter should look like. I mean, Carlos Santana…
In response to keeping Panik in the two and the disdain from certain quarters for Denard Span:
Belt
Panik
Posey
Pence
Crawford
Nunez
Parker
Hernandez
Pitcher
The success of the offense would hinge on Brandon Crawford having a big year at the plate. Did you know that Crawford leads the Giants in WAR the past two season? He is second to Posey in RBIs over that span as well. But perhaps Nunez and Parker both have surprisingly good years.
The season can’t get here soon enough!
Amen to the last thought. Play Ball!
I hope Span has a good season, but having some reservations, I go
Nunez, Panik, Belt, Posey, Pence, Crawford, Williamson, P, Span.
reserves: G. Hernandez, Ruggiano or Blanco (Parker back to AAA), Adrianza, Tomlinson, Brown. Don’t ask me to name a bullpen, as my crystal ball shattered last week.
I’m feeling like Span has a solid bounce back season. He was just too good to suck now. He showed me plenty over different stretches to feel like a .280/.340/.400 season is still in his genes.
Coming on pretty good at the end of the year! If not, the org is pretty thin in CF.
There it is.
You’re not benching Span. Before it even starts. Hah.
Throw em a bone to gnaw on, keep their teeth sharp.
“People got knives and forks. They gotta cut something.”
Attributed to Pretty Boy (not Sleepy) Floyd. By Dylan, I think.
Span has consistently been must better in the 2nd half of the season than the 1st half. How about assuming this from the start and planning accordingly?
Nunez looks way too low to me. Maybe switch him with Panik? Panik seemed out of it at the end of the year and maybe taking some pressure off would help.
Something fans forget about Nunez, perhaps because of his “blinding” speed, is that his career OBP is just .314 and career run production below normal. Last year was his career best year and his OBP was .325, and wRC+ just a hair above league average at 102.
Someone try to peel Dr. Lefty off the ceiling….
THAT was incredible
🏈🌹👍🏻🏈🌹👍🏻🏈🌹👍🏻
How about our Sam, the QB? Isn’t he something?!
I wish he was in next years draft…..and slipped past Cleveland right into our lap
Does he excel in tractor pulls/ 😉
What happened, UC Davis won their bowl game?
The Rio Vista Snail Darter Classic!
So proud to be a Trojan…Fight On!
Congrats! Best Rose Bowl in recent memory
I didn’t see it, but I did watch Michigan beat PSU 49-10 this season.
Your boys peaked early….
They played to the limit of their talent, and lost three games by a total of five points. With decent QB play, they probably would’ve won every game. Now, Harbaugh is supposedly on the verge of stealing the #1 recruit from Alabama, but I’ll believe that when I see it.
Yup….he certainly needs a QB and would be in the championship game if he had a better one
Running back and QB injuries didn’t make it any easier.
Neither their running backs nor QB were especially talented. They didn’t have any big play guys on offense.
My Michigan editor says she has “QB Envy” after watching the Rose Bowl. The PSU guy was pretty good, too, despite the picks.
Hopefully, Michigan will soon be moving on to Harbaugh-recruited QBs. Christian McCaffrey’s brother is part of the incoming class.
The PSU/USC game and the Michigan/FSU game were WAY better than either of the “playoff” games on NYE. Considering that ‘SC beat Washington and PSU beat Ohio State, it really does make you wonder.
So lacking in pride, or any other positive or negative emotion, or any feeling whatsoever, about being an SFSU Gator.
The spirit of Vic Rowan lives!
That guy was there when I was there. I was entertained by the fact that he would call himself the finest football coach in the country while going 2-9 every season.
Ever heard of SI Hiakawa? He was in charge when I attended. Not real popular. You’d a liked him.
I’m sure you protested against him in you tie-dyed shirt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEqoRDHa_bM
Well don’t be so sure. Once I said hello to him in the hallway, he was pretty uptight. ‘Course you could see why. Times were Very Uptight. Even more than now I think.
Why I did do at State, was take a class called “History of Black Music in America” taught by jazz saxophone great John Handy. My friend and I were the only two white guys in the room. We learned a lot, both about music and about people. And I started writing songs, trusting my voice. Handy was a very gentle, yet powerful mentor.
You can’t always be sure of your assumptions.
I came along after you, but I thought it was an interesting place and enjoyed my time there. I remember a guy shaved his balls in the student union as some kind of class project. He got an A. That summed up SFSU for me.
You should Ben taken Handy’s class. Straight up education, and some of the best jazz and jazz musicians ever. Got me off to a great start.
I mainly remember Hayakawa as a Senator, but he was a linguist by training. I’ve used an old quote from him in my classes for years–something like “abortion is a matter between a person and his doctor”–to illustrate how, back in the day, the masculine pronoun was the default even when the semantics/logic of the sentence dictated otherwise.
Good one. I was a tansfer student from Cabrillo (Junior) College when I got to SF State. Dr Hayakawa was achieving notoriety on campus for theatricly taking a hard line on Vietnam protests and the like. Mind you, we had just witnessed assasinations of Bobby and MLK – very uneasy, tumultuous times. I saw him in the hall once, he had a very hard edge.
Not a surprise that the quote you cite defaults to the masculine, though as a linguist and professor one could hope for mor mature leadership. I recall him to be rather a joke as Senator.
If you haven’t seen this, check it out on netflix. Terrific.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3445270/
Never heard of this. Sounds cool. Thanks for rec.
Kurt Russell!
Kurt Russell rocks.
Players’ average age is 16.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__LU8E6dUsI
thank you. that was magnificent
Even though I’m skeptical that Nolan Ryan and Bob Feller recorded fastballs a full 2-3 mph faster than anybody in the modern era, anybody in short relief, and anybody with the physical attributes a guy like Chapman has, I suppose it really did happen. There’s a huge difference from 90 to 95. And then another gulf between 95 and 100. Then what happens from 100 to 105 ???
Here’s a guy throwing as hard as he can with a running start and gets to 108 out of his hand:
http://m.mlb.com/images/3/8/0/167542380/031516_cle_weathers_pitch_low_tum_y65axgz1.gif
What happens?
Conor Gillaspie!
The head coach is the most important person on the NFL team – arguably even more important than the players. You have to hire a HC first, then everything else. So if you want a GM and HC to be compatible, you let the HC help choose the GM.
You do it the other way around, you let the GM be in charge and that will invariably lead to the HC being fired when he’s used as a scapegoat for a team not doing well.
This article is worth bookmarking for the 2017 MyGuy™ competition: it’s the annual “all-MiLB” team of the best players at every position (regardless of level) for the Giants organization in 2016. Great scouting/development quotes about all of them from Shane Turner, too.
There’s love for some of my favorites (Slater and Dugger), for Scout’s guy (Hinojosa), and for some sluggers for PJ (Davis and Shaw). Beede gets huge props and an honorable mention for Sam Coonrod. No Christian Arroyo anywhere, though.
http://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20161207&content_id=210488406&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb
Sorry, Shaw has always belonged to this PJ. ;o)
This link says it’s down for some reason, but…
If Christian can’t pull off playing 3rd at a high level, then it’s time to trade for a player that is really needed. Besides, I’m ready to see some of these young OFers (and Arroyo) getting a good look this spring. Some of these young guys are really good.
While speaking with Kruk on KNBR just now, one of the morning idiots broke that Jon Paul Moroni just tweeted that WBC Team USA officials have contacted Bum’s people as to his availability for the Big Dog and Pony Show. I hope the idea is nixed quick.
Surely he wouldn’t want to leave his ranch during calving season.
Does he calve his corrientes in early spring? I’m sure his ranch manager will be busy as usual with the Bumgarner herd. Seems like the real ranchers and cattlemen around us calve in the fall – even though we do it in the spring (Feb-Mar), which makes more sense to me, because there will always be more nutrition available for the nursing cows and that the risk of very cold nights is lower than in fall.
I believe spring calving season starts earlier in California and North Carolina than in Montana.
It’s “Springtime” up in Alberta, according to Ian Tyson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s42lZeUG1mo
I haven’t heard “the Eastern Slope” mentioned in many years. The whole song had me revisiting memories long missed.
Ugggggh, no. We need those bullets saved for October! I’m a Giants fan first and an American second. 🙂
https://twitter.com/jonmorosi/status/816318390214258688
who??? from dgg’s guy, Jeff Passan’s, top FA tracker:
25. Jae-gyun Hwang, UT: The 29-year-old Hwang is
positioning himself as a poor-man’s Ben Zobrist, with power, speed,
contact skills and flexibility. While he’s most comfortable at third
base, he has played shortstop and second and is taking reps this winter
in the outfield. After a .335/.394/.570 season with 27 home runs and 25
stolen bases in Korea, he’s likely to choose from a number of three-year
deals.
You had me at “poor-man’s Ben Zobrist”. GET IT DONE, EVS.
Tell me. Is there a bandwagon you WON’T jump on as it passes by?
The Donald’s one, I could swear up & down.
Ouch.
I’m going to hold onto “taking reps this winter in the outfield” as the reason for the Giants interest.
The Giants need another infielder because why?
The House Republicans, in a secret vote, just committed an unforced error as their first act in 2017. I’m quite entertained and amused.
Even Trump called them out! LOL
That’s our Donald! Man of the peoples. All colors, creeds, persuasions…
Mark Melancon introduces himself to Giants fans in the Players Tribune.
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/mark-melancon-san-francisco-giants/
The Giants have many ballplayers who are good writers. Melancon joins the club.
“You’re gonna love playing at our place!!!”
I loved the part about the kids being hyper-excited over meeting Lou Seal!
…and wanting to make sure there will be bubble gum in the clubhouse.
Wow, he’s going to be a great Giant.
I suppose I wasn’t the only one, but after reading what our new closer had to say, I went to Bum’s, then BCraw’s pieces. I hesitated before re-reading The New Kid… but I did…it brought moist eyes and great memories. Good stuff.
I was thinking about Duffy’s piece, too. I love Matt Moore but it still rips my heart out that Duffy’s gone.
Yup, I read an interview with Duffy in like September and he was just as great as ever, articulate, unpretentious, just like a regular guy like us who happens to be a major league player. I got sad about losing him all over again. But Matt Moore is also a great guy to have on the team.
I miss his whole family in general. They’re so down-to-earth and supportive. The relationship between him and his dad, and how his dad got to go on the field and take pictures too of his son for the Willie Mac Award. Just gives me the warm fuzzies.
Made me a little teary eyed. Also I’m jealous of that little boy.
I feel it might have been a little literary license and that the kid was really Ryan.
Dave Barry is the greatest, and he hits us all with a sledgehammer of humor…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/dave-barrys-year-in-review-trump-and-the-hideous-monstrosity-that-was-2016/2016/12/29/17c84a14-b7d6-11e6-b8df-600bd9d38a02_story.html?utm_term=.74fe5ec308c4&wpisrc=nl_headlines&wpmm=1
Dave is a treasure. I read his column religiously for decades (it came out on Sundays, get it?), have read most of his books including his novels, and have seen him speak/perform in person twice. He still hasn’t lost a thing.
I didn’t see the part about the Dubs finding 20 ways to lose the championship.
Jed “I own this football team, you don’t dismiss owners” York sure stumbled through the press conference yesterday.
Difficult time to be a 9er fan, but perhaps they can tun this thing around. Of course on the year we need to draft QB, it looks like one of the worst drafts in some years.
it’s all about luck, in my opinion…either Jed gets lucky with his choices, or he doesn’t…he doesn’t possess any discernible skills
Seeing that he got lucky already with Harbaugh, I think his luck has been used.
He was skilled enough to be born in to an ultra wealthy family, gotta give him credit for that.
He has a secret love of demolition derby’s.
Mark Melancon says hello to SF fans. Sounds like he’s really jazzed about being here 🙂
http://www.theplayerstribune.com/mark-melancon-san-francisco-giants/
http://www.slcjazzfestival.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/78370.jpg
Whoops – didn’t see Dr. L beat me to the punch below 🙂
It’s an awesome piece and worth sharing twice!
And if there was any doubt in my mind about it, that letter a little boy sent to GM Bobby Evans telling him that “Melancon really really needs to come to the Giants,” and asking Bobby to “please go out and get him now!” sealed the deal.
That wasn’t a little boy…. that was Scout!
All these years I’ve gone to AT & T, and I’ve never sat down by the visitors’ bullpen. I had no idea the fans did that orchestrated thing to annoy the visiting relief pitchers. That’s awesome.
You hear it a lot at college and CWS games. I’ve never heard it at ATT. Then again, I’ve not sat on that side of the field either.
That was news to me too.
That’s my favorite part about sitting on that side. Well, that and watching Hunter Pence up close. He’s so adorable with the kids. Also good area for catching foul balls – I was with my bro-in-law who caught a Belt ball – later watched it at home (I had taped the game, as I do every game) and Kruk & Kuip said he had a good barehanded catch when they showed him on TV. Unfortunately my nephew got to keep the ball even though it was my birthday 😉
It’s good to hear it does annoy the visiting bullpen though! Haha. Cracks me up every time.
I FIRST heard it during the A’s glory years of 72-73-74
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mAkkw0sioo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBQu-mcNdTs
That is a goose bumps, hair on the back of the neck standing sort of an article. It sounds like Melancon is all in, deal the cards. I think Giants fans are going to love this guy.
I’m really excited about Melancon. He was just made for the Giants, total white bread, absolutely no flash, just gets the job done, a rock in the clutch. He and the team both know that this is where he should be.
Is Evans kicking these tires, should he be kicking these tires, how hard should he be kicking?
http://www.fanragsports.com/mlb/brett-gardners-days-numbered-yankees/
Too, to, two, OLD.
At least to lose a youngin’ for.
Let’s get ANOTHER old declining outfielder!!! Yippee!!!!
He’s left-handed, 34 years old (35 in August), not cheap, and the definition of “league average” (99 OPS+ for his career). So I’m guessing no.
This would be the appropriate and intelligent response.
Eno Sarris on the best pitches of 2016 (and who threw them). You may be surprised to see two Giants relievers on this list. You may be even more surprised to see who they are.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2016s-best-pitches-by-results/
I’m surprised by the pitch for Romo more than that he’s on the list.
That’s the pitch the Cubs put in orbit.
You mean the one Zobrist hit? I thought that was his slider that hung.
It hung, but it was that 2 seam he tries to throw up and in to drive the count. His Cabrera pitch. It was heavy on the up, and not so much on the in. He got his rooster toasted.
The 2-seam they show in the video was once his killer pitch and the slider was his “let’s make this hitter look stupid” pitch. The sinker they show was reminiscent of the old days. Generally, it doesn’t look that good anymore. Why batters still bite on his slider has proved to be his salvation. I suspect he’l be back on a minimal contract if he doesn’t get some decent offers from other teams.
I was watching MLB Network the other night, and they had the ticker on the bottom listing every team’s free agents. It struck me that every single one from the Giants is still unsigned–the six long-timers (Pagan, Blanco, Romo, Lopez, Casilla, Peavy) and also Nathan and Beckham. The only one I’ve heard the slightest rumor about is Peavy to the Padres.
I think there will be a flurry of deals happening just before ST starts. It seems to be a pattern this year that teams are trying to out wait players and agents and their high asking prices. There seems to be a feeling that players are just asking too much to continue their borderline OTH careers.
I was just thinking about that as well….i guess our wonderful Giants continue to be “under the radar”. The guy i think that has a little left that needs a new home more than anyone is Casilla. But, that’s just me, i think
Seems like there was a recent rumor about Romo going to an East-coast AL team – Orioles or Bosox?
i always liked osich, and thought he could get out right handed hitters, as well as well as lefties. with him it’s all about command. he could be our 7th, or even 8th inning bridge to melancon. as for romo, he could be be a specialist for rh hitters only. even that is only maybe, and a luxury the giants may not have the room, or want to spend the money for. i think he’s pitched his last game for us, and will go down as a great giant. no one will ever forget the way he froze cabrera with that fastball right down broadway.
Osich has many alarming statisics. O-swing 24.5%–lowest of any pitcher on the team–and Z-swing 74.0%–highest of any pitcher on the team. He doesn’t fool anyone. BB 12%, disastrous. And not a single infield fly all year, K/9 of 6.19, and HR/9 of 1.73. The only thing which is positive is his contact data–only 11.8% line drives and only 26.6% hard-hit. I am skeptical that he is ever going to amount to anything and I am concerned that Bochy is going to try to use him as an anti-lefty specialist.
that’s why I’ve referred to Osich as a poor man’s Zach Britton.
you never know
The criteria which Sarris uses–whiff % and grounder %–are to put it mildly arbitrary. Nothing about control. Nothing about how hard the ball is hit. Nothing about infield fly %. This is just silly.
The Bourbon Vortex. Where a baseball fan rediscovered the endless ‘fractal’ joy of baseball after a marriage dissolved and chaos ensued.
http://www.hardballtimes.com/a-season-to-get-better/
Allen will love this photo
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/fccdc38b64f3050424e5f88a6e77a0e2a47ee2c92762af7b711aab02c4e19722.jpg Favorite Photo of 2016. Courtesy National Parks
what?!? ocelot!!
YEP
I see bobcats on the ranch and in the hills from time to time, but no “escaped from the zoo” ocelots. There’s a cat haven up the mountain that does have ocelots and snow leopards and such.
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