by
Greek Giant
Baseball is both a profession and a game. The game part is easy to forget. We all get wrapped up in heroics, blown saves, championships and bitter defeat. All-too-often we forget that we are yelling at/for and screaming with people, men with families and vulnerabilities just like us. The news that Andres Torres’s wife Soannie Torres succumbed to cancer at the very young age of 37 brings with it a reminder of the fragility of life.
A VERY SAD day,šš½šmy friend Andres lost his wife SOANNIE and now she Rest In Peace with GOD by her side!šTHANK YOU EVERYONE for prayers!āļøš pic.twitter.com/MfJLMBQNUk
ā Bengie Molina (@BengieMolina1) December 8, 2016
Andres Torres was a great Giant not just because he helped bring the first ring to our beloved city. He was a great Giant because he was beloved by his teammates and he played the beautiful game of baseball with a flair, passion and sense of pride that we don’t see enough among today’s players. A member of the Giants from 2009 to 2011 and again in 2013, Torres made a huge mark in the San Francisco Giants community. The well-wishers and praise for his family and his departed wife are touching indeed.
In times like these I think it very important to remember, as the old cliche goes, that there is more to life than baseball. Let’s all take a moment in our busy lives and wish Andres Torres and his family the very best in this sad time of loss. I will forever be grateful to Torres for his spark and drive, his leadership and his will to win that were a major part of the 2010 championship team.
There is no fairness in life. There are no guarantees. Enjoy those who are most important to you every day you have them, and feel lucky for every day you’ve already had them.
Well stated TO.
Can we get a featured comment here?
Breckeroni wishes prayers for the Sager family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sih1A0PD3u8
Ritchie”Blackmore of Deep Purple speaks about THAT one special RIFF @ 55 seconds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzJJgSls5-U
Santa should’ve kept his mouth shut, but somebody should be shaming the parents who allow their kids to start down the road toward obesity.
http://abc11.com/society/nc-boy-says-he-was-fat-shamed-by-santa/1643492/
Sometimes it is just genetics , as a cop I would think you would understand that, some people just are going to be over weight, no matter how much they eat, would you rather they die like 49ers vice President’s Paraag Marthe’s sister did of Anorexia at 50 lbs at age 31, read that sad story earlier in week .
Genetics haven’t changed. It’s too much bad food and not enough exercise that’s changed.
Numbers that are verifiable. Not meant to be inflammatory at all, just they are the first ever collected scientifically.. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-government-finally-has-a-realistic-estimate-of-killings-by-police/
And Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the Ohio State student who wounded 11 people by running them over with his car and stabbing them, was added to a list of people of color unjustly killed by the police. Of course, you will never see this on CNN.
http://www.thecollegefix.com/post/30293/
Look, the issue is their are numbers to try and study the issue. That’s in all our benefits. Anecdotal examples don’t serve any purpose but to inflame an issue. It always ends up in a tit for tat shouting match that resolves nothing. This has nothing to do with color, IMO, unless we make it so.
There’s no issue that’s going to be resolved. Most shootings will be legally justified. A few won’t. A small percentage of the population will always hate the police, no matter what they do. Because shootings are typically the result of split-second decisions, there’s a limit to how much the decision making can be improved. Increased and often unfair scrutiny will continue to cause more cops to refrain from proactivity, which will continue to result in more crime and violence. Compiling an accurate count is almost irrelevant.
What you just said, in code perhaps, is that training can have an impact. Engage with the issue, and let’s see where the chips fall.
I’ve been wanting to ask you what you thought about the Bakersfield shooting earlier this week and hoping to not ask it in a way that sounds like I’m being unfair or picking a fight.
A 73-year-old grandpa, with mild age-related dementia, was wandering around outside his house at night. A couple of neighbors saw him, noticed he had something in his pocket that they were afraid might be a weapon, and called 911. Police responded, noticed he had his hand in his jacket pocket, and one officer shot him 7 times from about 15-20 foot range, killing him at the scene. The object in his pocket turned out to be a wooden crucifix.
Now obviously this was a terrible mistake and tragedy, and I’m not saying anyone should land in jail for it. But…7 shots? A confused 73-year-old man? What does that say about police training and decision-making, at least in that instance?
Again, this is not–NOT–a back-door attempt to criticize you or pick a fight. I legitimately want to know what you, as a professional, think can be learned from this set of circumstances.
First of all, I’m never confident that I know all the relevant facts from reading a news story. But from what I’ve read, it appears that someone called the police to report that this man was acting bizarrely and, they believed, was armed with a gun. When the officers arrived, the caller pointed the man out. As you describe, he began walking toward the officers, with his hand in his pockets, and ignored commands to stop and show his hands. When he came within about 20 feet, one newer officer fired.
That situation is a bad one for the officer. Although it’s not common, elderly people have killed cops before. The officer has been told the guy has a gun. He hasn’t actually seen a gun, but the man’s hand is in his pocket. From the officer’s perspective, the man is acting bizarrely, because most people don’t ignore commands given by a cop who’s pointing a gun at them. Should he automatically assume that the information about the gun is false, just because this is a man in his 70s? I don’t think so.
So what are his choices? The closer he allows the man to come, the better the chances become that he cop is going to die if the man really does have a gun and decides to use it. If he shoots the man, and he isn’t actually armed, the cop is facing the awful result that actually occurred. That’s a pretty tough decision. Another option might have been for the cop to keep his gun in one hand and draw his taser with the other, and try to use the taser if he can’t confirm the presence of a gun. But tasers are only potentially effective from within 21 feet, which is very close, and too close to be to someone with a gun.
If it had been me in that situation, I tend to think that I wouldn’t have fired without seeing the gun, but that kind of thinking could also result in me being killed in different circumstances. I’d much prefer not to have to make that choice. This young officer didn’t have that option. He had to choose. As far as the number of shots that were fired, once the decision is made, it only takes about a second to get off that many rounds.
We all see what happens when a cop makes a decision that turns out badly. What most people have rarely seen, and have no way of knowing, is how many cops are dead because they hesitated too long. They’re usually not around to explain. If you’re up to seeing an example…
https://m.youtube.com/watch?debug_prerolls=false&ipadtype=3&sts=17147&utcoffset=-480&v=k8-ycSkoYfc&oref=https%3A%2F%2Fm.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dk8-ycSkoYfc%26itct%3DCBcQpDAYACITCPKW37nq99ACFQ74fgodYx8KcFIPa3lsZSBkaW5raGVsbGVy&has_verified=1&layout=tablet&client=mv-google
Thank you for taking the time to respond. Much better to hear from someone who really knows what he’s talking about than to just draw conclusions from a newspaper article.
How significant is the effect of being in a bad department with bad management and training? Bakersfield and Kern Co. are reported as being the among the worst law enforcement in the nation, fatality by officer per capita right at the top.
I think it would be significant, but I’m not sure those statistics mean anything. All California police officers attend fairly standardized academies, regulated by a state agency. They receive the same basic training. All are similarly required to attend standardized continuing trading.
My Princess (daughter) went to Fresno State, and one of her very good friends (now mine) is a young man who is a cop in Bakersfield. His stories are incredible. But, you know what’s best? His attitude and humanity. The homeless dudes he has both befriended AND helped in tangible ways.
His name is Phil. He received a call last year regarding a policeman being shot. He raced to the scene. he held his best friend fellow officer in his arms…and his friend died. In his arms. His friend was shot without provocation.
I don’t think Phil’s friend was factored in the stats
I’m personally very tired of the media covering one side.
There’s another factor that could be considered. Are officer that have known other officers shot in the line of duty more likely to open fire?
There is so much human psychology at play. One side has the power, the other doesn’t. Respect for authority isn’t what it used to be. Symptoms of society in turmoil.
So your presumption is that callers about details are right and one should presume everybody is armed and therefore shootings no matter what are justifiable. That is pure BS as most people in public are not armed.
Brilliant. Most people in public don’t have others call the police about them.
And why should no one land in jail? That is the wrong statement to start. An officer shoots an unamred person 7 times regardless of circumstance should first and formost be a consideration of jail time for murder. Then you work it down from there depending on scenarios
Welcome to the police state. Shoot a bunch… Ask later…… or don’t even ask
Can you please detail all the oppressive things that have happened to you as a resident of a police state?
So you think the more cops that use discretion instead of firing 27 bullets into a fellow human will lead to more crime??
Somehow criminals will pick up on the fact that the ridiculous shooting rates are down and therefore will take the lower chance of being shot and exploit it? You have some strange leaps of logic
It has nothing to do with “ridiculous shooting rates.” Hardly anyone, statistically, gets shot by the police. But when the police back off from proactively stopping people, criminals are emboldened. If they know there’s little chance they’re going to be stopped, they’re more likely to leave the house armed and looking for trouble. If no one gets stopped and arrested before committing a violent act, more violent acts are committed. Chicago and Baltimore are the best current examples.
I wrote something up top for you, essentially asking what the effect of not wanting to eff up and have your partner or anyone else shot in the event that perp is actually armed – a proactive strike to ensure your fellow officers do not come into harms way.
sometimes it is socio economics as the cheapest costing foods are generally the worst nutritional. The pastas, the rice, the sugars. The most expensive the fruits and vegetables these days.
“Mayse was sitting on Santa’s lap asking for an iPod Touch and a drone…”
Santa was probably feeling the pressure and he just had a momentary lapse of reason.
Time to hit the treadmill if Santa says you are overweight ……jk
Bengie Molina sure sent a heartfelt tweet.
#bigmoney
This is for dgg, and anyone else who enjoyed or was moved by the link she posted the other day.
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/patti-smith-on-singing-at-bob-dylans-nobel-prize-ceremony
Thank you so much, earlytimes. It’s really thoughtful of you to find and post this. I’ve been shoveling snow for hours today, coming in for brief periods to take a break and drink hot Chai tea and work on the quilt I’m making. Then back out in the cold and snowy day. I would surely have missed this but for you. Patti Smith’s story about the day of her performance is just as moving as her performance. I didn’t know she was chosen to sing at the Nobel Prize ceremony to honor the laureate for literature before Bob Dylan was chosen. I loved hearing how she came by her first Dylan album:
“I thought of my mother, who bought me my first Dylan album when I was barely sixteen. She found it in the bargain bin at the five-and-dime and bought it with her tip money. āHe looked like someone youād like,ā she told me. I played the record over and over, my favorite being āA Hard Rainās A-Gonna Fall.ā
You’re welcome. I just stumbled upon it. I also was surprised to hear that she was already chosen to sing.
That song includes one of his best lines: “And I’ll know my song well, before I start singing.” I’ve never been very far from that sentiment.
It’s a soft rain coming down now,
but indeed, a harder rain is gonna fall
I couldn’t help but to click the link and read the article on Tillerson, Exxon, and the climate by one of my favorite writers at the NYer, Elizabeth Kolbert.
I really like Elizabeth Kolbert, too–what a smart, engaging, and accessible writer. I used a piece of hers for a program I was directing a few years ago as the basis for a big research assignment.
That’s gotta be a tough angle to write from, as the material is Debby Downer and can get heady. She has such a crystal voice on the matters she writes about and has a way of making you feel immersed in the subject matter.
Brisbee on how lucky we are:
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2016/12/15/13974310/buster-posey-madison-bumgarner-contracts-sf-giants-free-agency
That was Brisbee at his best, IMO. Excellent perspective.
BS. They should have won 7 straight World Series and would have if not for their stumbling, bumbling manager and front office!
20!!
I’ve had a long day at the end of a long week..it took me 4 hours to get home from SF thru brutal rain and traffic. Oh, poor me. My neck still hurts…….
And I come home, sit down, and read this.
As life often does to me when I most need it, I am humbled. Thank you, GG. Thank you for, in your gentle, loquacious, understanding way, slapping me across the wimpering face to remind me that I am a very lucky man.
The story of Soanie Torres reminds me of my dear friend from grad school, who died in 1994 of ovarian cancer the day before her 37th birthday, leaving behind her husband, a 10-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. She was a wonderful person, scholar, teacher, friend, wife, and mother. USC awarded her doctorate posthumously (she was well underway with her dissertation), and one of our classmates wrote up some of her dissertation data for publication, in her name and in her honor.
The outpouring of support and affection from the Giants’ family shows not only how beloved Andres is but how special Soanie herself obviously was. Blessings on all of them and on Craig Sager’s family, too. This is tough anytime, but especially right before Christmas.
Thanks for the tribute, GG.
I imagine Andre will channel his emotions through what he loves. I imagine he’s the kind of guy that can help build and strengthen communities and that beisbol is part of that.
Steve Kerr led the Oracle Arena crowd in a “moment of joy” (applause) instead of a moment of silence in honor of the exuberant, joyous Craig Sager. It was perfect. Steve Kerr is a class act and a man of both intelligence and sensitivity.
Great tone to his voice and the reverence that the Knick players gave to him speaking said it all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlc6xCPx60U&index=24&list=LLNVarrLgL2_keBqlPNts7Eg&spfreload=1
My first exposure to them was in 1976. They were opening for the Outlaws in up state New Jersey. I loved teh way they brought the power into the guitar lead at the end. To this day it is probably one of my 2 favorite songs for an emotional perspective. Simple Man by Skynyrd is the other.
how can a guy that has such excellent taste in music, have such poor taste in baseball teams? just kidding pal..enjoy your day, and keep warm..
brrrrr. We got over 3 inches of rain yesterday and through the night and it was a relatively warm storm. Might get down to 31 tonight and 29 on Saturday. I bet you think that is warm.
the weather will be all over the place this w/e. wind chill today in the single digits. then 1-3 inches of snow tonight. will turn to rain, with temps pushing 60 by sunday. that’s a whole lot of rain you got. it was badly needed though, wasn’t it?
big time, boss. Southern Cal has been getting the shaft, the drought has been relentless there, but they finally got a dose of it yesterday. We’ve had moderate relief in Central Cal the past two seasons, but still way in debt. Northern Cal has been very wet this year and last year as well.
Thanks for the Marshall Tucker post, steve k! I’ve always liked that band, and this is my favorite song from their catalog. That flute solo is simultaneously comforting and haunting.
We were told this would be the most plentiful rain of entire year. It better change because up to now it has been good, but not great.
The big issue slipping under the radar in Northern CA is that although it’s raining, it’s not snowing enough. It’s the snowpack, and not so much simple precip that is the issue in CA.
World Champions baby World Champions.
enjoy it bub…they’re one and done
Toy Caldwell was a pretty special musician.
people only talk about him using his thumb to strum the git, but he could sing, write, and played a very nice guitar…yeah, he was special indeed, cc
Ain’t this Bum’s song?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4a40FjB_sM&index=2&list=RDdlc6xCPx60U
Indeed.
‘We park our cars in the same garage,’ stevie. :o)
Before the hat. I’d forgotten.
Andres was like those unheralded musicians featured on MTV’s one hit wonders. He did not start as the center fielder in 2010 but earned that spot from his performance. Taking over from a struggling Rowand.
He became the spark plug and an energizer bunny that year that also had some POP in his bat. He did use one of the biggest bats in the league.
Sadly after the 2010 season t his contributions fell off. He was a great story about an elder player who finally made it to the bigs and contributed. He should be a reminder when people discuss age of players and the fact they are 28 , 29 or 30 and never really been to the big leagues for any stretch or given a chance to contribute regularly
Andres was a very nice surprise that season, and no one can ever take away his Willie Mac award. A fan favorite for his story as well as his contributions on the field, and here we are, talking about Andres much more often than Burrell or Huff. And I suspect we’ll still be thinking of Andres and Vogey and Scoots for many years to come. I’m personally fond of this kind of player who makes good with less talent than a Posey or a Lincecum (not that we don’t love those guys too). Finally, I do not mean to pile on Sandoval here, but it does really irk me when someone way underperforms their innate abilities.
One more thing about Andres. Maybe my memory is a bit faulty, but it seems to me that he was the first decent leadoff hitter the Giants had had for many years, and that the leadoff batter hasn’t been too bad since then.
Brett Butler set the bar pretty high.
It is always good to fact check, isn’t it? Since I have no memory at all, I have let Google tell me that Brett Butler’s last season in SF was 1990. He was pretty darned awesome with the bunt base hit.
As an approximation to who led off in the next two decades, one can find the opening day lineups, and just note the first game of the season. After 1990, the names include Willie McGee and D-Lew and Darryl Hamilton and Marvin Benard. At 2002 we have Shinjo-san, then Ray Durham, Randy Winn, and Dave Roberts. The opening day hitter in 2010 was Aaron Rowand, but Andres had that job in 2011.
The opening day line up for the very first “Defending World Series Champions San Francisco Giants” was Torres, Freddie Sanchez, Huff, Posey, Burrell, Miggy Tejada, Belt, Sandoval and the Freak. You know, that makes me feel better about 2017.
until he bolted for LAD. Bad move.
…and followed his “I always wanted to be a Giant” speech when he got here with with a “I always wanted to be a Dodger” after signing his FA contract.
I do not think of him as a good Giant. Talented ballplayer, yes. Not a good Giant, though, for what that’s worth.
“Bled Dodger blue” I believe was his quote when he signed with them. Judas.
Remember when Orel Hershiser signed with the Giants for a year? I think fans on both sides were gagging …
At least he had class. Butler was just a caffein addict.
Yes. Unforgivable.
GG,
I’m not sure if organic or natural is the best way to describe this site but if feels like it. I believe because your not promoting or selling ad space the posts can be about subjects others commercial sites might not touch. Thank you for the above story. As mentioned below it brings a sense of reality to sports.
Also I read a tread that started with Santa fat shaming and ending with a discussion on Police shootings. What was good was the respectful manner which the tread deserved and received from all the participants. I’m not sure I would find that too many other places.
that was quite an organic transition from a big boy on Santa’s lap to a police shooting of an elder man with dementia.
I will take this space here to insert a comment that I think may be very relevant to these instances (and I hope TO can remark):
When an officer fires, perhaps the instinct to protect his fellow officers outweighs the exercise of restraint where aggressive and erratic behavior is elicited by the suspect. The last thing anyone wants is for their partner, fellow officer, brother, sister to be shot as a result of restraint or inaction. That’s my take from reading and hearing recent stories, especially with regards to one officer who was dismissed for not taking action and putting his fellow officers at risk. That said, there still seems an obvious lack of restraint in many instances and double standards for individuals of color.
I’m not trying to start a race war, but where is the empirical data about your last sentence? Or is it anecdotal from what is covered by the media?
“there still seems…” was meant to convey the uncertainty about the empirical evidence because I do not have it in hand and am also influenced by media reporting which does reflect victim bias.
Thanks , Brother…see below for Phil’s Bakersfield story.
LOL. Sadly, NRA lobbying of Congress has stopped the CDC from acquiring the information for years.
Doesn’t sound like a laughing matter. But as a man of statistics you can certainly grasp the complexity of the issues – what’s the frequency warranted or unwarraned stops, the # of cop/A.A. encounter vs. cop/caucasian incident? What’s the probability of escalation? and ultimately freq. of guns drawn?
How many law abiding citizens who haven’t committed any crimes been shot by police officers? I would imagine it’s a very small number …
Chris Rock sums it up nicely (Warning: NSFW but very funny):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj0mtxXEGE8
At what point does law abiding become non abiding and a shootable offense? It seems from an outsiders point of view that many of these are ordinary stops or should not even be a stop are escalated quickly to shootings.
How many have been pulled over? Depends on where you live.
I’ve seen the details. Johns Hopkins statistics group and others analysis of data available clearly show that there is preferential application of policing. But TO has a point in that could be a consequence of the need for more policing. So a chicken or egg argument ensues. The more granular studies with specific locals, regions, and departments contrasted with differing training and social patterns just haven’t been identified. IMO, that’s in a large part due to the impact of firearm sales on the data. The NRA has a singular interest now, as opposed when I belonged to it, maximized gun sales.
Exxon has singular interests as well.
But Exxon’s economics are so much more complicated. PG&E’s move to massive auto electrification is the oil companies Achilles heal. PG&E doesn’t care where their power comes from. That move in say CA and NY could make Exxon into a capon.
I think TO’s response below was thoughtful. It should be read.
this would be something, but certainly doesn’t make them a contending team. I imagine he would want to play for a team with real playoff aspirations. Texas? Cleveland? NYY??
http://www.fanragsports.com/mlb/heyman-athletics-latest-team-consider-run-edwin-encarnacion/
Interesting segment on ESPN this morning, Brian Wyndhorst discussing the elite player bump in the new NBA CBA. The very elite players can be paid up to 35% of the cap. That’s Curry and Durant for the Dubs, and Wyndhorst called it “the Durant rule” (had this been in place, KD might not have left OKC).
Bottom line, it will be tough to pay Curry, Durant, Thompson and Green, let alone fill out a balanced roster. Luxury tax issues may soon arise.
Draymond was outspoken on this issue, and i totally agree with his analysis…the stars get too rich, while the foundational players aren’t rewarded at the same pace
The NBA salary structure got stupid very quickly with the latest injection of ESPN/ABC money. Role players–like #6/#7 guys–are being paid $15-20MM annually. Doesn’t make much sense to me.
I have a feeling the luxury tax was factored in to their new arena. The suites, PSLs, etc. will make the Warriors a very cash rich team.
I wonder if this isn’t the harbinger of the coming tussle for the NBA to claim audience share the NFL is shedding.
Interesting that Chapman thinks Maddon mis-used him in the World Series. I guess there was no way he was ever resigning with them.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18292641/new-york-yankees-closer-aroldis-chapman-says-chicago-cubs-manager-joe-maddon-misused-playoffs
I read that this morning. Primadonna, or a victim of Maddon’s inept handling of pitching? Maybe both.
Let’s go with both! Maddon nearly ralphed the Series.
LOL. Yeah it’s like folks are afraid to say it. On more decent pitcher in their rotation, the Indians take it. Just not enough arms, too many outings on insufficient rest.
I’ve always admired and agreed with Maddon’s approach to coaching. He was good in LA and above good in FLA. I get it that he’s the enemy and gets lots of press, but I think he gets good play from his guys.
I suspect he’ll be even better, now that the monkey has been removed from their backs. His guys do seem to like him.
I think he’s just average at handling pitchers, and below average with bullpens. I don’t feel he’s an ‘enemy’, he’s just like every manager, he has strengths and weaknesses. Pitching isn’t a strength, IMO. I’d say his approach to lineups and stacking/ordering them to most effect is 2nd to none. It helps to have very good, predictable talent, but he gets the most from them, regardless.
I’d say (until this last year) Boch was good at handling a staff, but he’s not good at line-ups and BOs. One can’t argue with his success, but many of us, this year, had our doubts. Maddon handles his players as good, or better, than most other mgrs. Personally, I’m hoping Woty gets his chance soon or his window might just close, prematurely.
‘Woty’ doesn’t have a window. If he did, he’d be managing somewhere now, I suspect. Bochy didn’t have a staff last year, so much as a gaggle. I’d agree though about maximizing output from a lineup, not his strong point.
I remember “use” and “probably not going to re-sign” being discussed during the playoffs. My takeaways were Chapman wasn’t totally fitting in to the Cubs culture and it wouldn’t be the first time a team has road a soon-to-be-FA to the ground; knowing he wasn’t going to play for them the next year. Yankees might get burned here, but we’ll see.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/sport-baseball-baseballers-baseballs-baseball_players-baseball_teams-smb050309_low.jpg
Rod Carew is pretty seriously ill. http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/12/15/hall-of-famer-rod-carew-to-have-heart-kidney-transplant/95478182/
Both transplants will be delicate. #Prayers
You’ve got rhythm you didn’t know you had. https://www.quantamagazine.org/20161213-teeth-may-reveal-a-multi-day-biological-clock/
Very interesting indeed, thank you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIwQLscOXlM
Playing a violin must be one of the most unnatural acts to accomplish in music. These women look like they’re being tortured.
My Friday sense of humor for Alvise! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNjEj4o3Mrw
In the category of OMG Santa. Kid orders toy plane, gets assault rifle. Way to go UPS. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/ups-assault-rifle-instead-christmas-gift
No wonder Slikk bailed
https://s3.amazonaws.com/lowres.cartoonstock.com/animals-american_football-american_footballer-personal_foul-referee-refereeing-dto130822_low.jpg
I shook Andres Torres hand once. I am a retail clerk at a grocery store in San Bruno that is close to SFO. Because of the proximity of the airport, I believe the Giants own or lease condos at a nearby condo complex. I base this belief on the fact that over the years I’ve seen some Giants shopping at my store and as it’s the direct opposite of what one would call upscale I assume these guys are in the store simply because of its proximity to the condos. To a man these Giants have been from our overseas born Spanish speaking contingent: Hector Sanchez, Jean Machi, Jose Mijares, Roberto Kelly. I once carded Yorvitt Torrealba. Another time I mentioned to a customer I was checking out that the customer at Checkstand #4 sure looked like Kobe Bryant, which the customer took upon himself to find out if the other customer was indeed Kobe Bryant, to which Joaquin Arias, laughing and getting a big kick, assured him that he wasn’t. Anyways, a few years back San Mateo Co. inaugurated its Stupid Grocery Bag Ordinance of 2013 and all morning long I had to explain that there were no more plastic bags and that if customers did not bring their own bags the store had to charge a ten cent fee per bag used, so all morning long customers were giving me a ration of ess about it as if it was my effing idea when the next customer was an athletic immaculately dressed and groomed young man whom I instantly recognized as Andres Torres. When I rung up his stuff I wasn’t about to give him the same spiel and said something to the affect that World Champions don’t got to pay for no Goddam bags as I bagged up his groceries. At that he flashed a big grin and shook my hand.
I love this blog, for awesome stories like this that just show up.
Great share. Kruke and Kuip use to remind us that Andres could walk back and forth among them and also his teammates and each time he would say hello/hi as if it was the first time he met them.
#OneOfAKind
You are also a poet!
And you know it!
Loved the ‘Kobe’ part, SeƱor Victory.
thanks for that post, JVF. anyone that doesn’t like andres is off my christmas card list..
Great dory JVF. So, do you remember what kind of food those big boys such as Sanchez and Machi would buy? Lots of donuts and chips?
If this is indeed true, then the Dodgers are probably on the two yard line with 4 plays to punch it in, and they’ll have some serious sock coming from 2nd base. Given their weakness against LHP last year and the Giants possessing 2-3 LHP starters, it’s the type of move that would definitely improve their chances.
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/809836954317713408
The Twins would be stupid to not do this deal…
They should also do their best to bust the Dodgers’ balls.
DeLeon and Verdugo. Get it done.
I’m not completely sold on DeLeon just yet. If it’s both DeLeon and Verdugo then it will be a done deal.
All these prospect names confuse me and give me Verdugo
http://shine365.marshfieldclinic.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Vertigo-I-450×395.png
Great post about Andres GG and SUPER feature comment by JVF with his hands on experience with Andres the Forever. So with that I will add a song (okay two) to dedicate to the Torres Family in this time of need. When people (us/me) go through gut wrenching family losses after fighting the big C – there is respite in having each other like we do here on TWG and to a lesser degree in the past on Extra Baggs and Giants Extra. Good people have been through H and back. Mike and Merna lost their property and pets only to be still with us. Allen left us unexpectedly. Vegas Fan lost his Root Beer Float loving dad. Others have lost their moms. SSF_Jim lost a beloved pet as did Paul in PV. The Oracle reminded us to remember how wonderful it is to have had our loved ones the amount of days that we had.
In O Holy Night the song will eventually feature Austin Brown from the A Capella group “Home Free”.
I thought it was Ronnie ‘Sunshine’ Bass at first from Remember the Titans but – NOT.
For Andres https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CO6OZIY-lYw
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4qNaAlZ1xc
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