by
Greek Giant
As if Fan Fest 2017 weren’t already exciting enough. Barry Lamar, the builder of the Giants Temple on 3rd and King decided to make an appearance on his bicycle.
Just a little SF Giants fan fest signing before my bike ride. pic.twitter.com/2WaCiJUlMh
— Barry L Bonds (@BarryBonds) February 11, 2017
Giants fans got the chance to see Buster Posey, Matt Moore and Jeff Smarge among other players as they mingled on the hallowed grounds of Willie Mays Field.
More than 32,000 fans attended the event featuring players signing autographs for fans, tours of the Giants Clubhouse, and the Giants’ three World Series Championship trophies. There were World Series rings and kinds playing catch with their dads.
It was a spectacular day filled with the requisite joy, optimism, and fun only baseball fans with big dreams can provide. It looked like a cool party. I wish I was there.
Pitchers and catchers report in 1 day. They’re rounding third and headed for home! Well, Scottsdale in this case. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/226d77f17ba75d240d3c9e4f153cd3d065c1ec4d490fefd62d74d3524dbd2055.jpg
unfortunately angel wont be rounding third base with us!
Even with all his difficulties, Pagan had the 2nd highest WPA on the Giants last year. That’s an assessment of how your play directly contributes to a win.
Apologies from yesterday. I was having some issues with Disqus not being able to upload pictures of FanFest. I think one uploaded, but the others would not. I got a red banner that said something to the fact that said “Unfortunately your image upload has failed. Please verify your imge is under 5MB.” Well, how in the hell am I suppose to verify? I took the pics with my phone.
I’ve had the same problem. Usually have to wait to upload photos until I’m home and can tweak them on my computer or iPad.
Even being home didn’t help. It kept telling me I had to sign-in after I signed in. That’s the reason I sent you the photo yesterday.
Venice Carnival 2017 Grand Opening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA_Q8P73lpU
Were these things lighted with just the lights on their forehead?
Dunno, I’m in my mountain house in the Dolomites.
Today an idol of my youth, IMO the most dominant and successful player in the basketball history, celebrates 83 years. Happy birthday to Bill Russell.
Barry Bonds, the amazing shrinking man!
This blog is filled with bitter old men just like you, they all have the same attitude as you ,hate Bonds , even know, he saved the Giants, and filled the Park every night pre AT&T and the Giants won with him, the Games were exciting he was clutch, but all the holy then though fans , think they are to good for Bonds !
“Bitter old man”? Peter, I’m one of the very few here
who can stand you, so try to be civil. As to BB, he has shrunk a bit. He actually looks like a regular person now. That’s good.
I am not here to make friends, I have enough friends, Bonds was great pre steroids, and even better, post steroids, I am not perfect , so I will not judge him either way, the records are still in the books so they count, MLB is not giving money back for those games, so they count !
I don’t judge him and I think that he was one of best players ever. My thoughts on PED use are not on moral grounds- they present long term health hazards for users.
Very prudent of you to keep friends to a minimum. People often make the mistake of spreading themselves to thin.
At least you have the same motto as Westbrook.
Nope this blog is filled with men who prefer 1900 baseball, dead ball era, that’s why they like, bunting , defense, and pitching, that long ball stuff is not for them, Ruth , Williams, no thanks, father have, Ozzie Smith, and Omar vizquel type players .
This blog is filled with men and women of differing opinions, that’s what blogs are meant to be.
This blog is slanted a certain way, I am an outlier, I enjoy baseball a different way then most on this blog .
You don’t present yourself as a person who enjoys the game at all, Peter.
Judging People you do not know again ?
I am only going by your comments.You don’t express any enjoyment of a good game or a great play, You spend almost of your time bitching about what others think. You DO know something about the game, maybe you could try expressing it without trashing those who do not share your opinions.
Mike Morse, I liked the signing in 2014, you hated it, you bitch just as much as me if not more, all your friends do as well !!
“you bitch just as much as me if not more, all your friends do as well”
That’s one of the few funny comments that you ever made. Now show me even one comment where you show any enjoyment for the game. Even when one of our guys go deep, you don’t express any joy about it – you just spew your usual crap about how the rest us dig those pussy “slap hitters”. I’m done with this now. Have a slap happy day.
So what ? Enjoy it your way, and let us enjoy it OUR way. E no stà a scassar i maroni, pupo.
I try to avoid responding directly to imbeciles and illiterates and when they’re packaged together with mean-spirited comments and attitudes, even more so. Thanks for the opportunity to do so indirectly.
Your the Bitterest of them ALL !!
I’m Bitter Campari addict.
Relax, Bonds is entering the Micky Rourke phase of PED deconstruction. Maybe what is coming for him will be a lesson you young kids who think they’ll never have to pay the piper.
I assume that your doctor hasn’t prescribed you to attend this blog, and then please feel free to go elsewhere to look for younger and long balls lovers bloggers. But I will miss you, dear friend Peter.
Your oldie slappy friend Alvise
Peter was here before you were, and he actually knows baseball.
Yeah, he just hides it well.
Peter is the numero uno name caller here. He has actually said that Cain grabs the balls of other men and I must like to do that as well.Because I like Matt. If that wasn’t so ridiculous, I would take more offense at that despicable comment. He has made personal insults towards nearly everyone who doesn’t agree with him.And he’s at it again. It doesn’t matter how long he’s been here. He should clean up his act or go away.
Questo si chiama parlar chiaro.
PJ, you’re in mid-season form. Who needs spring training?
I’m old but not bitter and besides, number me in the Bonds fan club– best pure hitter ever
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/2219fdc03ff251518ae7fb85d971c5fc7b14e1a59695ab2153ba4e6ff017923f.jpg
Here’s what I think about how the OKC fans have reacted to Kevin Durant:
1) I don’t care, not at all, about his past, present, or future relationship with Russell Westbrook. The only way it would be relevant is if they were still on the same team and their lack of chemistry was hurting it. That’s no longer the case, so if/how/when they talk is nobody’s business except theirs.
2) I completely get how crushed the fans are about KD leaving. I’d feel the same if Steph Curry left the Warriors.
3) I do not, however, get any of their logic about why he was “soft/a cupcake/a coward” for leaving. I keep reading comments like “He went to a team that his team just lost to after being up 3-1.” Some even imply or state that KD threw those last couple games because he’d already decided to go to Golden State.
Being objective: Durant’s free agency came up when it came up. The Warriors had salary cap space due to the CBA. The timing was right. Durant wanted to go to the Warriors because he thought their style of play was a better fit and he liked the guys on the team. He’s supposed to turn down his dream job, probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, because his old team happened to play them a few weeks earlier and barely lose an intense seven-game series?
What in the world is wrong with taking a job that’s a better fit for your skill set and has people you’d like to work with? For that matter, even if KD is “chasing a ring,” what’s wrong with that? Desirable free agents in ALL sports often choose the opportunity that will give them the best chance to win. Do elite players like being on lesser teams? Would Mike Trout or Giancarlo Stanton like to be able to make the choice KD made?
OK, rant over, and it’s not just because KD is on “my” team now. I truly don’t get either the vitriol or the logic.
LOL. Who really cares. It’s a circus.
It’s there for a reason and I get it. He was everything to that team and city before even Westbrook arrived. An MVP, an NBA first teamer and all around good guy to the community. It’s easy to see why they freaked out, maybe not “get” it.
Durant left for one main reason and that is to win a title, he’s been driven by that one thought for years. Does not want to end up like Miller, Barkeley, iverson, Nba greats that had no ring.
Tough position because the Dubs HAVE to win the title after this move. Already last year was one of the biggest failures in sports history.
MJ is right, 73 wins ain’t shit without the ring. If the Dubs go to finals this year and not win they will be the NBAs laughing stock because they will be seen as all show and no heart. To have the most wins in three seasons and to have only one ring is an epic failure.
I’m sure he wants a ring. Who wouldn’t? And there’s nothing wrong with that.
At the same time, no one knows better than KD that it takes more than just talent to win an NBA title. The Thunder went to the Finals, and then Harden was traded. One year Westbrook was injured and knocked out of the playoffs. In 2015, KD himself was out. You can play all year and then have an injury to the wrong guy at the wrong time, and wham–you’re knocked out.
So there are no guarantees. I think Durant chose the situation–style of play, teammates, city–he thought would make him happiest at this point in his life. It’s certainly not about the money; he has more than he’ll ever spend. If there are titles, too, that’s great. And for what it’s worth, Durant is playing great and he does seem very happy. Even his mom says he is and that he made the right choice.
Agreed. The problem i have with the “chasing a title” theory is that if he had stayed in OKC, I really think, with the Oladipo add, Adams’ improvement, they’d be better than the Dubs. What would we have done? Re-signed Barnes? OKC with Durant could’ve easily won a title this year, so spare me the chasing the ring crap.
Maybe he was tired to breathe the Oklahoma dust?
That’s a great point. I’m still not quite sure how the Dubs got past the Thunder in the WCF. They got thoroughly outplayed for the most part.
Klay. He drives me nuts sometimes but we lose Game Six if not for him. By a lot.
I love Klay. I don’t think he gets nearly enough credit for what great defense he plays. He is really, REALLY good.
I hear ya. But too often he finishes with zero assists or 3 rebounds or less. He said a couple years ago his dad got on him about rebounding and he was gonna focus on it. Steph consistently grabs more boards than him which is kinda ridiculous. Again, not trying to bash him cuz yes, he plays great D. Just would like him to fill out the stat sheet a little more.
That was the second night of a back to back and they blew them out at home. There are basically 2 teams that might get in the way of a crown, San Antonio and The Egomaniacs
Those fans who did react in a vitriolic way last night are in the vast minority of OKC fans . I think that should be acknowledged, not thinking of them as representative of the overwhelming majority of fans.. We have fans who bring discredit to the rest of us, just as those vitriolic fans last night discredited the “true” fans.
Just my opinion, but I don’t see it as being refutable
I don’t really know, either. But on TV last night it was clear that the vast majority of the crowd was directing vitriol at Durant. If there were people cheering him (other than Warriors fans), they never showed them. I also have read articles and comment boards this week, and I’d say it runs 20:1 “Durant’s a bad guy and deserves to be hated” vs. “Durant’s a good guy and I appreciate all he meant to us.”
Whether TV and social media reflects the larger fanbase, I’d have no way of knowing.
Well, I guess we saw it differently. And comment boards are not indictive of
I keep entering my comments before I mean to.
I’ll leave it at that we we don’t agree on this.
I don’t disagree with you. Just saying what I’ve seen.
I see that you have heeded my request 😉
Yes, Chef.
That’s how I saw it as well, and I’m in a position to know (Thunder fan).
Thank you for saying it better than me.
Why the hell aren’t new blog posts pointed out anymore? If I read a tweet it is on my twitter feed. I don’t get it.
Al Jarreau passed yesterday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApxjmDthMKQ
So many contemporaries are dropping like flies.
It must be the water.
Brandon Phillips from the Reds to the Braves.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2017/02/12/sources-reds-receive-two-pitchers-deal-phillips/97820292/
I’m not like the rest of you who are into sappy heartwarming “feel good” TV shows, Give me blood, gore, impalement, head shots… give me a good HOCKEY GAME!
If you want all that you asked for, I suggest you to attend Il Palio di Siena.
Looks like one sport where being behind is a good thing.
I never thought of it as a sport. IT IS A WAR.
Have I got the movie for you, 1989’s, Blood of Heroes. Like football, but played with a dogs skull.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094764/
Donald- getting ready for a “restrained” response?
Or a “duh” moment?
http://media.washtimes.com.s3.amazonaws.com/media/image/2017/02/11/Trump_US_Japan_99397.jpg-16fef.jpg
Tweet formulation time??
He looks like he’s really enjoying this job. I give him a year tops.
I’ve thought the same. Even many of his supporters in the House and Senate are down to defending him because he’s just “learning on job” That’s so reassuring, isn’t it?
From the respected Public Policy Polling site:
“Just three weeks into his administration, voters are already evenly divided on the issue of impeaching Trump with 46% in favor and 46% opposed. Support for impeaching Trump has crept up from 35% 2 weeks ago, to 40% last week, to its 46% standing this week.”
That’s an astounding figure.
http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/main/2017/02/americans-now-evenly-divided-on-impeaching-trump.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nEfuE8Pw4U&index=98&list=LLNVarrLgL2_keBqlPNts7Eg
Hans Rosling died this last week. Most folks go, who, unless they’ve seen him on Utube or PBS and his almost magical statistical representations of the metrics of human life on Earth and their interactions. He’s worth viewing, if for no other reason, than his really informative, colorful presentations. He began the Gapminder Foundation.
https://www.gapminder.org/
The end of an era. So long to the last link and a great 49er, Tom Rathman.
Looks like Shanny tried his best after meeting with TR for two hours on Thursday trying to find a coaching slot for TR. Now TR may sit out a year since many 17 staffs are spoken for.
“Westy” has mad skills but he forgot it is not 1977 anymore when they had the Superstar Contest on NBC
https://www.facebook.com/bleacherreport/photos/a.10150274478951006.330140.7331091005/10154801635641006/?type=3&permPage=1
You may not like Westbrook and that’s fine, but no one in he league, even Harden, does more with less.
That is why the MVP is between both those payers, no one else is close nor should be.
I am casting my ballot on the Guard with the Celtics 🙂
Yeah he’s great! But still not Harden or Westbrook. Good thing you really don’t have a ballot lolz
You ……. never know….
Effie: first of all – I do like Westbrook. Followed him 2006/08 at UCLA. I think he has tremendous raw talent. I think the NBA MVP is, like many, skewed. I think a Most Valuable Player should exist and then I think a Player of the Year should exist.
I would vote for Westbrook for POY
I hear you but that argument can be said for any league. MVP is what it is. More awards just open more discussion and more upset fans.
The NBA MVP will be Westbrook or Harden, depending on who has the better 2nd half.
Thomas is great but he is a far 3rd and won’t win it, you can take that to the bank.
So while Durant is the cupcake, Westbrook is the turnover.
That was a great play on words.
Talk about a bad day at center court, after a tie with the German team at a tennis tournament in Hawaii, the American band serenaded the German team with the German anthem…except it wasn’t. They sang a few bars of Deutschland Uber Alles, the anthem of ‘Nazi’ Germany. It was an event to forget.
http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/1.771256
cares basically not one person on this blog.
Thank you for the comment. Were you lurking for an opportunity to be poignant.
How do you feel about Oroville being evacuated because of both spillways failing.
Very sad and hope all well.
You have thundersnow in your future I’ve read.
hope not! I’m over NY winters by now.
Deutschland Uber Alles is still the German national anthem. It has been since 1922. They sing the third verse instead of the first verse now but the music is the same.
Any takes on the 6 New England Patriots players who are skipping the White House visit?
They have every right and I’m actually surprised it’s only 6, I think the number will grow.
If it was an NBA team I would be it would be closer to to half the team.
On another note, it should tell people something about the Patriots organization, where the owner, coach and main player are Trump friends and the team is allowing the players to exercise their rights with no internal issues. Very open minded of them and speaks volumes to why the players swear by Billichick.
“the team is allowing the players to exercise their rights” Ownership has no choice on that. It’s hardly a case of being open-minded.
That’s fine you can disagree chef, you have every right.
I for one think there are teams / owners out there that may attempt to coerce all players to follow suit.
In the NFL the contracts are not as they are in MLB, most not guaranteed and players still have to think about their livelihood.
I support the players taking a stand. And it will not stop here. As the year goes on, and say the Dubs, Cavs, Spurs win the title it will get bigger, believe you me.
I’m totally behind the players. But you are fooling yourself if you think any team’s ownership could get away with forbidding players to exercise their rights. It’s kinda against the law to do so. And even the Commish would not let ownership get with it.
Efrain, something puzzles me; why are black Americans completely opposed to Trump? I’m opposed to him too, makes me sick that he’s the president. What I’m thinking though is that his main deal is curbing immigration and I’ve never perceived that the very high levels of immigration that we’ve had the past few decades, legal or illegal, is beneficial to very many black Americans. Wondering your thoughts on that.
Black Americans are against Trump for the same reason that they were against Sanders: They wanted a president whose husband plays the saxophone.
Holy crap. I read that comment three times and still can’t believe you wrote that, let alone posted it.
Does it surprise you? You’d think this blog was for an Oklahoma or Mississippi team, not Bay Area.
Don’t you think that was tongue-in-cheek? He is not serious,
I hope so because that’s one of the most racist comments I’ve ever seen here.
I’ve seen plenty of black people say it, that’s why i wrote it. I didn’t think of it myself. 3/4 of my facebook friends (more than 2000) are black and this is what i see. You can check my facebook wall yourself if you don’t believe me. If you’re more interested in white people’s explanations of how black people think, ask efrain.
Now that the pitchers and catchers are on the field, it is time to let me know your best shot.
Mac leads the LF Parade; Parker only getting love from Walter and Scout [RIP]
My25ManGuys™ 2017
Pick who will be on the 25-Man roster at season’s open.
Here are the obvious “Core 18”:
Starters: Posey, Belt, Panik, Crawford, Nunez, Pence, Span
Bench: Hundley, Conor
Starting Pitchers: Bum, Cueto, Moore, Samardzija
Bullpen: Melancon, Kontos, Smith, Law, Strickland
Post the seven others you think will make it here in response to any HaakAway post. To save time do not list all 25 unless you think one of these 18 will not make the 25-Man.
”25-25Deadline™
By request here from some: You get two shots…
February 25 is the deadline for your first picks … Spring Training is wide open then.
March 25 is the deadline for your final picks … Spring Training is about to end then.
*Questions? Write me at: My SF Giant Guy at g Mel d Ott com
What happened to Scout?
He is fine health wise and others can give their take but last I saw he felt so passionate about political issues that he opted out of our discussions. I think he is addicted like most of us and will return here under a new name before ST is over. At least I hope so; I am afraid some of my comments pushed him to “retire”.
Ah, well I hope he returns. No sense for any of us to get indigestion from a word salad. He’s valued here, I’m told.
He already did one day a few days ago.
He was here recently spouting the FoothillsRyan-Uncertainty Principle.
OK, since today is pitchers and catchers reporting, I’ll venture my initial picks:
Starters: Williamson
Bullpen: Okert, Gearrin
Starting pitcher: Blach
Bench: Parker, Ruggiano, Tomlinson
Thanks … you can modify this up until Feb. 25 and use my secret email if you spot someone during your scouting trip to AZ.
OK–not heading to AZ until March 10, but I suppose if something changes (e.g., injury or acquisition), I could modify the Feb. 25 list, too.
No Cain … you are the third to have that take on things. [Walter and Chef join you.]
I see three starts for Cain in the season. Then, unless he has been dealing, when the dodgers come into town for four games, Irish Heritage night [do they really need a gimmick for a dodger game?], Cain will develop a “strain” somewhere and Ty O’Blach will appear like a dodger nightmare.
My guess, sitting here on Feb. 13, is that Cain will not be good in ST. He will develop an “injury” at the end of camp that allows him to rehab by pitching in Sacramento for awhile. Then we see how it goes. If Cain is pitching great in Sac or Blach falters, up he comes.
The wild card, of course, is the other guys (Blackburn, Stratton, Beede, Albert Suarez). What if Cain isn’t good AND Blach isn’t good, but one of the other guys is lights-out in AZ? But that’s for the Mar. 25 roster picks.
I like your scenario better.
You have the system figured out already … March 25 is the more informed prediction.
We’ll know a lot by March 25, I think.
Even so, only one of us got it right last year, our dearly departed, the man formerly know as FoothillsRyan.
610 … you have to pick one more reliever by my record.
You sent me: Add Tomlinson, Hwang, Gorkys Hernandez, Ruggiano (Parker released), Okert, Cain …
Starters: Williamson
Starting Pitcher: Cain (won’t last)
Bench: Tomlinson, Rollins, Parker
Bullpen: Blach, Okert
Thanks … I almost went with Black as Long Man too.
I expect Blach to move into the rotation when the Cain situation becomes (with sadness) a continuing failure.
Rollins is my stretch.
Gearrin and Suarez last cuts for bullpen.
Took Robbins over Gorky Hernandez for bench (team is weak in centerfield bench).
Bench catcher is much stronger with Hundley. I like his addition.
I’d like to see Beede and/or Blackburn get the chance should there be rotation injuries.
The bench should be stronger with more experience and an extra body.
Also expect more power in 2017.
Starters: Wiliamson he was ready and then his shoulder thing happened. If he stays healthy its his to loose.
Bench: Rollins, Ruggiano, Parker you need a SS and a CF. I’m not sold on Gorkys bat.
#5: Cain – until he breaks, and I’m seeing a bounce back, finally….. (fingers crossed)
Bullpen: Gearrin, Suarez out of the Spring. Bochy will want to save pitchers to preserve inventory. Look at those with options being sent to Sac with Bus tickets in thier pocket. This means you Steven Okert, Ty Blach, Chris Stratton, Clayton Blackburn. All of which we’ll see in 2017.
Osich, Morse to start on DL.
Not talked about interesting competition this spring. Conor vs Beckham…. Don’t assume its a slam dunk.
So … Williamson, Cain, Rugg, Rollins, Parker, Gearrin, Suarez?
CG/Beckham is your only INF back-up?
You have until Feb. 25 to twerk it.
Glad you are in.
Goid because i forgot about the kid they signed from the Phils today. Melacon had tipped him during his presser and I have a funny feeling…
We have reached the end of the tunnel. Pitchers and catchers report today! Is zero a number? You bet. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f28ce7423c74f25882eaaa455008c1b60c76cc62937943e4041362e50e3acb54.jpg
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/2017-giants-offseason-news/giants-spring-training-2017-five-questions-to-explore/