by
Greek Giant
Daryl Spencer was not a great Giant simply because he hit the first home run in San Francisco Giants history at Seals Stadium on April 15, 1958 or because he was a fine infielder. He was a great Giant because he played the game “the right away”, which usually translates as: tough, hard, all-out, and with a strong sense of right/wrong with regards to the codes and protocols of the game. These include honoring your opponent and never showboating.
Spencer was a product of his time (the 1920s) and place (Kansas) more than most. The lovely column by Bob Lutz at kansas.com illustrates these traits more fully.
Spencer was that Midwesterner with a classic, American pastoral background that combined a strong mouth with a strong will. The Lutz column includes some excellent anecdotes and quotes from Spencer’s daughter, Kari Sue Vosburgh:
Dad was a Giant at heart. When he was traded to the Dodgers, he told us that he sat outside that locker room for 15 minutes before he could go inside. But then he met Sandy Koufax and the other players and it was fine.
He did hate (Dodgers manager) Walter Alston, though. He thought he was an idiot. Try as she might, Vosburgh rarely could get her dad to bite his tongue. He said what he thought and what he thought wasn’t always complimentary.
He sounds like exactly the kind of guy I would have loved to play with. He sounds like the old-school, 1940s version of say, Matt Duffy! Spencer missed two years due to service during the war and by all accounts, was a fine teammate and a productive player.
Breckeroni and “Spence” used to turn the old double play.
D-Spence also played for the Hankyu Braves
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/01/03/baseball/japanese-baseball/ex-hankyu-braves-star-spencer-dies-88/#.WG6tpPkwi70
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/747ca4e15257f2c23c1289b4f33866f840631d9b141d187e3895d91b327a7ac4.jpg
Good Luck Kate … heading to the Pac 12 Network (where they don’t pay as well as KNBR)
https://twitter.com/katetscott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Hey, Baggs is back writing columns. I think dgg was worried that he was off the Giants beat for good.
You and I predicted this action
http://www.athleticsnation.com/2017/1/4/14173654/mlb-trade-rumors-oakland-as-mark-trumbo-free-agent
or to the Rockies. But maybe A’s will try to put butts in seats via the long ball.
The only way they will put butts in the seats is when they allow smoking blunts in the stands
Fake News will run with this …. 🙂
I already thought they did in Oakland. I was pretty rampant at the “Stick……
One of my great college years memories include “the tunnel” at The Coliseum at Dubs games. We had our own community down there and the security guys were entirely cool about it
(Sorry PJ)
I thought the smoking Blunt was on the last thread.
Billy Beane is a commodities trader. Any signings will be to gather talent and trade them for pieces at the trade deadline. Only benefit to players is they get a contract closer to what they wanted and they know they’ll be traded to a contender at some point.
I find it humorous some GErs/WTG think Baggs works for them, lol
Baggarly is no longer the Giants reporter for Baseball America. We shall see what happens with the Merc’s Giants coverage this season.
Great true spy story that has nothing to do with baseball. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.711115
Bryan Murphy probably isn’t everyone’s favorite, but here’s some preacher to the choir material:
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2017/1/5/14174754/new-years-resolutions-for-the-san-francisco-giants-its-not-all-about-the-bullpen
I’ve always liked his writing style much more than his speaking gig on KNBR. This was a good read
Diffferent Murphy
i know…he’s schitzo…
Oh, for REAL. My bad
I did the same thing.
There are a LOT of Brian Murphy’s
http://briantmurphy.blogspot.com/
…..
Wrong Murphy
Diana Ross
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcylDkRw7dg&index=4&list=PLEF19652B31D5B8FE
DR could BELT out a song!!
Defense wins championships (+ Pitching) http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/san-francisco-giants-best-defensive-plays-of-2016-010517?cmpid=feed:-sports-CQ-RSS-Feed
* Drive for Show and Putt for Dough*
Isn’t pitching the ultimate example of defensive baseball?
You win the prize. Baseball is the ONLY game where the ball starts in the “Defense’s” hands.
Cricket does as well, I think. 😉
If this doesn’t make you cringe, you’re dead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbP_3WAt4Sc
what in God’s mercy is the fielder doing squatting right there?!?!
Look at the video. That’s how they are normally positioned, apparently.
I think it fairly rare that anyone is placed at silly point. For, shall we say, fairly obvious reasons?
The captain knows his bowlers (spin versus pace bowler, ie curve baller versus power pitcher), knows the other side’s batters (dead pull, or not), and knows the pitching strategy for the current over (over = “inning” consisting of 6 bowls). So he moves the fielders where he thinks the ball is most likely to be hit (and it can change on every bowl, at least somewhat). The batter is out if a batted ball is caught in the air before bouncing, or if the bowler manages to hit the three stumps beside the wicket keeper – those are fairly obvious to a baseball fan (fly out and strike out). There are other ways to make an out (cricket-speak: lose your wicket) but those are two very common ways.
Cricket is a wonderful sport, and a good way to fill in the dead time of our baseball season. Lots of it going on right now.
I’m only distantly acquainted with what a wicket is. lol
Cricket has a learning curve, including a lot of strange words. I now use their jargon exclusively:
The most important meaning for wicket is the batsman making an out, 10 wickets form an inning (ie our “inning” is more closely related to cricket’s “over” which is 6 bowls). Another meaning is the wicket is the three stumps and two bails (tiny pieces of wood balanced on the stumps), as hitting that wicket with a bowl is one way to get the batsman out. Very rarely, the wicket is the grassy stripe at the center of the oval, usually this is the ‘pitch’. If wet, or dewy, one might call it a “sticky wicket”. Oddly, Americans are perhaps most familiar with a term that is almost never said, although there is a huge discussion of the condition of the pitch, as a bowl must bounce at least once off the pitch before reaching the batsman.
Take care, gotta run… (ask Brownie any questions!)
Catching the ball if you’re playing silly point would seem to require incredibly fast reflexes. It doesn’t matter if you just knock it down because the batter (or whatever it’s called) won’t run. And no gloves.
I found one, this doesn’t look easy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ct-THSLjrY
Wow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRr7T7rhpoI
Cricket fielders move around dynamically. Only the wicket keeper, directly behind the batter, is allowed to have a glove. The positions make our names, like “short stop” seem very plain. The guy in CC’s video was playing at “silly point”, a fairly obvious name (refresh for image to see all the positions). I would certainly want to have a conversation later with the captain, who sets the fielding positions before every bowl, about being placed there! (one has 9 fielders, in addition to the bowler, so not all these positions are manned on any one bowl).
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/d3dee39833f6f9da6aa011421b81c9aee6892cdc95c59f3487039fed32b6b7f2.gif
I would hope he had a few pints of ale before positioning at the silly point.
That’s the Aussie side, they have been known to bring out Victoria Bitter at “drinks”, which is a periodic stop for hydration in a day’s play of cricket.
I am familiar with VB! Also XXXX, Castelemaine. Played some baseball in Australia when I was 18, which was drinking age.
Narrative as a weapon. http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2017/01/weaponized-narrative-new-battlespace/134284/?oref=d-skybox
I will be at Spring Training with my sons for the first time; March 23-26. I like to go late to see some starters stretched out and the final phase of the “25-Man Duel”. If you are going then too … Write me at: My SF Giant Guy at Gee Mel dOtt com to exchange phone numbers and set a plan.
love the Mel Ott version
Perfect Hook Slide for (?) Ty
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1a01ad80869eb7a98782140a4a562d4b5eaff3ab2c86fd39c0570b1217e28e08.jpg
Wish you could meet us at ST. I met a few of you this year and it was great.
:-/ Some day!
Apparently the hangup with the Twins and Dodgers is that the Twins want not just Jose deLeon, their top pitching prospect, but they also want Cody Bellinger the Dodger’s #1 prospect, period. I hope they make the trade for Dozier, losing deLeon and Bellinger cripples them.
I don’t see the Dodgers being dumb enough to do that. Losing a talent like DeLeon is bad enough, but Bellinger looks like their 1B of the future or even now.
I’d agree, but there is Bellinger hysteria in LA fandom. I guess Kazmir wasn’t enough.
I also don’t, but on the other hand I’ve learned that one can never underestimate how dumb the Dodgers are.
Not only was 2016 a year for notable deaths – YOUR very own Allen aka (avwh), passed on the 20th day of December/2015 and joined all of us UP here for eternity. Allen is in charge of so much up here it is remarkable. In the last three days since the arrival of Father Mulcahy aka William Christopher RIP – Allen has taken several so called team photos of many but not all. Ali and Arnold Palmer – Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds – David Bowie – Prince and Leonard Cohen. Included in Allen’s perfectly symmetrical team photo was Janet Reno, Edward Albee, Fidel Castro, Florence Henderson, Nancy Reagan, Bill Cunningham, John Glenn, Elie Wiesel – Paul Kantner Keith Emerson and Greg Lake – Glenn Frey, Maurice White of Earth, Leon Russell, Merle Haggard, Scotty Moore, Gordie Howe, Ralph Branca, Pat Summitt, Clyde Lovelette, Nate Thurmond, Monte Irvin and lastly Antonin Scalia who almost did not get into the photo shoot but of course Allen smoothed everything over. Allen assures me that his long lens got everyone and this particular group photo has 2018 Nobel Prize written all over it – and he was grinning from ear to ear when he said it.
While the photo shoot was taking place Allen had us play this tune.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnIJrbwjlZA
Well done Wally. We need several copies of that photo!
Save a place for Umberto Eco.
Oh, crap.
There are a couple of names on that list that I was unaware of.
I’ve always wondered what the name ‘Wally Pipp” has to do with some guy who’s supposed to be providing an update on dead people in Heaven.
Wally gives me the heebie jeebies.
I see it took the gang just moments to politicize, TO. Should we respond?
Of course not. Having an opposing viewpoint is hurtful and insensitive.
Let’s skin some knees out there 😉
Antonin Scalia. Wrong photo.
p.s. What about Pat Summerall?
He’s probably in purgatorio.
Not a chance, Foots. The other place.
I figured the judges in purgatory could fuck with him before sending him down 🙂
hope this figure of speech doesn’t ruffle any feathers
So innocent, aren’t you?
He’s my “Utley”.
You have lots of those
Not the way it works – obviously you haven’t been brain-washed. Purgatory is the waiting room for the elevator upstairs, AFTER you’ve done some time for your ‘sins.’ However, if your sins were particularly heinous, you take the elevatory straight to the basement. It’s a one-way trip. No bueno.
So your saying it’s the express. I would expect no less. Thankfully it’s not my call.
I’m interested in what Scalia did to go to hell? It must’ve been pretty evil. Is everyone with whom you disagree going there as well?
Bush v Gore. There were hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians killed because Scalia gave Bush the presidency by judicial fiat.
Oh, please. It was a 5-4 vote, so I guess there are going to be four more in hell with him? And I’m sure no Iraqi civilians would’ve died had Hussein remained in power. That’s another example of how Trump got elected. One of the participants in a politically related court decision wasn’t just wrong; he actually deserves to go to hell for his view of the situation.
He wasn’t really interested.
It was 5 SCJ’s that voted for that on supposed solid information our wonderful intelligence departments provided. You are very aware it wasn’t as simple as you put it. (Do the other 4 go to hell, too? How about a President that approved drone strikes that killed civilians?)
Scalia had one very solid habit: the Constitution. I understand that many on the left sees the document as malleable by justices and …lately, presidents. Scalia didn’t.
I think this guy is a real ass-clown too. You got a problem with that?
http://rootsaction.org/storage/clarence-thomas.jpg
If you had a detailed list of decisions and opinions that show exactly why, that would be just fine with me. We each are entitled to our beliefs. So, of course, i have no issue…however, calling a man who rose through a decidedly difficult upbringing, made it through Yale Law school, through judgeship, through a circus of partisan maneuvering to finally get confirmed to the highest court in the land can be disagreed with… “ass clown” is a tad bit sophomoric.
Good word. Is that a pubic hair on my soda can?
Good to see you enjoyed the paid puppet show
LOL – but yeah, Citizen’s United is enough to get my goat, anything against women’s choice does it too. Are the Koch Bros. your guys by any chance?
No, I think they are ass clowns on a Soros level
The overwhelming majority of Iraqis think that the invasion of Iraq was a good thing even with the violence afterward. Essentially all the Shias (60% of the population) and Kurds (20% of the population) think this way, because it removed Saddam Hussein (a Sunni) from power; he represented the Sunnis (20% of the population) and to keep them in power, Hussein murdered hundreds of thousands of each of them. The only ones who think the invasion was bad is the Sunni minority. I know many many Iraqis (my girlfriends family is from there, for example) and I can put you in touch with them to explain their position. Of course this doesn’t mean that I like Scalia and clearly Bush’s reason for invading Iraq was not to remove the Sunnis from power, but before saying that the invasion of Iraq was a bad thing, it would be good to talk to actual Iraqis about this.
thank you for that selection, real nice.
BaldHeadSlik1 is where?
Vacation?
waiting for me to drop some Tribe Called Quest
I think Slik is more of a Barry White kind of guy.
He was here yesterday, Clutch…I think he’s rockin’ and rollin’
Brandon Phillips is the king of blocking trades. He blocked one to Washington a couple years back. Dude loves himself some Cincy.
http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/brandon-phillips-blocked-trade-cincinnati-atlanta-sources-say-010517
Lonzo Ball is going to face a rude awakening in the NBA.
Steve Alford loves his freshman
For your enjoyment, RIP Larry Hosford – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGObxbker5A
Home Run Willie, performed in 2003
Apparently, Shane Loux found out on Twitter!
Shane Loux @shaneloux 59m59 minutes ago
Shane Loux Retweeted moose_tography
Wait, how do you know this?Shane Loux added,
moose_tography @moose_tography
@shaneloux congrats on joining Mike Benjamin in Missoula w/ @ospreybaseball! See you around the fields at SRF. @ClubhouseCorner @2GGapparel
1 reply 0 retweets 1 like
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Maybe deeg can go say hi to a couple of ex-Giants!
My grandson belongs to the Ollie Osprey Kids Club.
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/missoulian.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/fb/cfbda5b8-7ff4-11df-99de-001cc4c002e0/4c23ff4aa0d86.image.jpg
Wow! Looks like Ollie can wing it!!
I hope the Warriors do make a name change when they move to San Francisco. “Golden State” is the dumbest geographic designation in sports.
It beats the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
It’s worse.
“The City”
Almost as bad.
California Republic Warriors?
Was perusing the Giants schedule and noticed they’ll play a 2-game series against the Royals in K.C. in the 3rd week of the season, Tues./Weds., April 18/19. A 2014 World Series rematch! And with MadBum as the #1 SP, he’ll pitch the second game!
Something dumb in the schedule: they open the season on Sun. April 2 against the D-backs in Phoenix, are off Mon., then finish the series with 3 more there.
The Giants home opener is Mon. April 10 vs. the D-backs, 1:35 start. That’s the 8th game of the season so the #3 SP will start, presumably Marj? Or Moore?
What’s coming for the California Republic. You probably have to hit the “animate” button.
You gonna be okay, Haak? Living in a rainforest, you might be close to a foot of rain the next week!! I suppose we could get half a foot.
https://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/post-goes
Yep, the local weathercasters are quite excited about the incoming “river of something”, figures, I heard it five times yesterday and can’t remember what they were calling it. The weather ladies are wearing ever uglier dresses in honor of the storms. Our concern is all the eucalyptus debris clogging up the storm drainage systems, might he out there in my boots tonight to make sure we are all clear.
other concerns are sodden tree limbs breaking and falling or the sodden ground unable to hold the tree upright. Mind the trees people, mind where your cars are parked. I’ll be out in my boots and rubber rain gear checking drainage pipes too.
It is a bit like dealing with the deer (they love to eat roses and hollyhocks) and the mountain lions (got my neighbor’s geese one night) … they were here first and we are the Immigrants. The redwoods need the water and we just need to watch ourselves. It was 29 degrees here last night too so I am going up on the roof to clean rain gutters later when I won’t be slipping and sliding. If you don’t hear from from tonight contact the Loma Prieta Volunteer Fire and Rescue for me.
from K. Rosenthal article:
“Fangraphs projects Parker and Williamson to combine for 0.8 WAR — the same as the Nationals’ Jayson Werth. That certainly would not be All-Star production, but then, the Giants’ last All-Star in left was Barry Bonds.
Parker, 27, is out of minor-league options. Williamson, 26, was batting .245 with an .804 OPS in 113 plate appearances before straining his left shoulder on July 31 and missing more than a month. Both players have power, and if they continue to strike out at a high rate, so be it; the rest of the Giants’ lineup is proficient at making contact.”
There you have, Parker is out of options and won’t be visiting Sacramento unless by injury.
If a platoon exists, the proportion of righty starters to lefties is about 7:3.
In 205 MLB PAs, Parker has a .267/.371/.494 line with 11 HRs, and 31.7 K% with wRC+ 139
In 161 PAs, Williamson has a .222/.298/.382 line with 6 HRs and 26.7 K% with wRC+ 88
Melky was an All-Star in 2012, no? (Technically, he started the ASG in CF)
No VB for Rosenthal!
“VB”? … fact checking?
Victoria Bitter, the official beer of Melbourne. It turned out last night that Scout says he played ball in Australia when 18, and he knew its official name Down Under, where they always use the initials. VB is good stuff, but I don’t know how to get any in the States.
What a Full Service blog we have!
It can be the OfficialTWGBeer™ at our next field trip … wishful thinking all around.
He definitely was. He was voted in as a starter!
All Star game MVP !
Yes. With Bud Selig handing him the trophy and car keys through gritted teeth, knowing he’d already failed a drug test. Of course, we didn’t know that at the time, so it was still fun. Can fun be retroactively taken away?
I don’t think that bothered Selig one bit.
Williamson had bad luck on BABIP, he would have hit about 25 points higher with normal BABIP luck.
Williamson hit righties better than lefties so platooning doesn’t seem to make sense.
To support your take …
DRS: Parker is -5; Mac is +4
And the Giants need RH power more than LH … correcto?
sss
Agreed but in fielding that seems more valid … a glove and an arm never vary much even given more games right?
I don’t know about that. Crawford sure didn’t look like the same fielder in the second half of the season that he did in the first.
sure it would. it depends on the the frequency and the type of ball hit to players and their respective positioning when ball put in play.
But how different can that be at AAA vs. MLB?
Okay, different for sure, but bat, ball and wind are physical constants their eyes should be accustomed to.
Given all you guys keep scouting on this it should be an interesting competition and I hope Bochy/Evans/Sabes let it play out. I file my report on March 27 along with my My25-ManGuy™ submission … eight man Bull Pen is trending to be 67% sure this year.
Yes but that’s all se have to go on for either of them.
Correcto but–Williamson is much better vs. righties (BA .254 vs. .198, line-drive 31% vs. 9%, hard-hit 44% vs. 33%. Same problem as 3b, the RHB hits RHPs better so he doesn’t solve the need for a RH bat.
quite the quandary!
Same problem as with Nunez and Gillaspie.
Maybe the Option problem itself will tip it to Parker if they both play well in ST.
See you at ST March 23-26? You need some high dessert studies in Ag right? Cactus are people too.
I’m sorry we’ll miss you at ST. We’ll be there a couple weeks earlier. My strategy is the opposite of yours–I like to go a bit earlier so that we can see the top prospects before they get sent down to minor league camp (usually a couple of weeks into the Cactus League season). Last year we were there the second weekend of March and saw Christian Arroyo come off the bench in three games in a row and get hits all three times. It made quite an impression. Mac was raking, too.
I figure we’ll see Buster, Craw, etc. when the season starts!
Honestly the timing of my trip is driven more by a seminar my wife is going to in VA. She loves the warm weather in AZ but my sons enjoy the baseball part … so off we go.
Let’s combine our ST Reports and we will have all angles covered. I am hoping Slater is still in the L/U fighting for a spot in late March too. I want to see Duggar in CF but I think that will be your department as he is not going to make the 25-Man and be moved out by the time I get there.
Agreed on Slater and Duggar (both my FormerGuys™–haven’t decided yet if either is my FutureGuy™). This reminds me, sometime in January they announce who the non-roster invitees to spring training will be. With camps opening earlier this year (P & C for the Giants report Feb. 13), maybe that announcement will be soon. I’m assuming Slater and Duggar both make the list along with Arroyo, Shaw, Hinojosa, and Ryder Jones. Dylan Davis, maybe? For pitchers, obviously Beede and probably Coonrod and Andrew Suarez. Would enjoy seeing reliever prospects like Tyler Cyr and Rodolfo Martinez. (Reyes Moronta, who may be the best of the bunch, is already on the 40-man so gets an automatic invite.)
I just wish I could believe in Parker more. I saw him play a lot in Sacramento in 2015. Saw some good games, saw some where it looked like his head wasn’t in it. Didn’t quite know what to make of him and was frankly surprised when he got called up in September and hit everything into orbit. He runs the bases decently well, but I continue to think he’s not a good defensive outfielder. Of course, when it’s the Giants, there’s a very low bar for “defensive outfielder” (buh-bye, Angel), so maybe he’d actually be an upgrade. 🙂
Just found another amazing cricket catch by the same guy Ricky Ponting. A pulled line drive from barely 10 feet away (no glove of course). This guy is incredible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ANBewmvhA
Ricky Ponting was the captain of his side for a long time, so placing himself at silly point is a good example of leading from the front. Ponting was a very good batsman: 27,843 “international runs” scored.
Pete Rose ain’t got nuthin on him
Never heard of the guy until today but this is just unbelievable. Even with a glove you’d have to be out of your mind to stand there.
No kidding. Remember when Mark McGwire batted? The 3rd base coach would stand down the left field line.
Ken Rosenthal starts out his brief section/update on the Giants with this statement:
“— The Giants remain committed to an inexpensive Jarrett Parker-Mac Williamson platoon in left field, reasoning that they have sizable investments at most other positions on the field and also on their pitching staff.”
This isn’t an update. This is what Bobby Evans said all along. So where did the rumors about Dozier and Hwang come from? I didn’t believe the rumors about the Giants supposed interest in Dozier, and I don’t understand the rumors about the Giants needing “infield help” and looking into Hwang.
Well, Dozier’s an infielder, so that rumor doesn’t really pertain to the LF situation. The Dozier “rumor” may simply be the Giants trying to drive the price up for the Dodgers. Or it could be that they’d plan to put Dozier at 3B and use Nunez as a utility guy.
The Dozier rumors never made sense just as the Hwang rumors don’t make sense. Why would the Giants be looking for more infielders?
I believe Nunez is in his final arbitration year in 2017, so the Giants have to be thinking about 3B long term. Will Arroyo be ready (knowing he’d be really cheap)? Will Nunez be willing to sign for 2018 and beyond, and maybe be willing to be in the OF? Dozier doesn’t make much sense at all (except to work over the Dodgers) but Hwang might. That’s just money, and Footy thinks he’d be willing to go to Sacramento for a while.
Just bring up Christian Arroyo already. Which I hope happens this season.
Here is where I let out my secret plan: I’m kind of hoping Arroyo is assigned back to the Flying Squirrels, where he’ll be my AA level MyGuy, so that I get two promotion bonuses by season’s end.
Hold on there, 610nm. You’re planning and plotting Arroyo’s career trajectory to benefit your standings in MyGuy in 2017!
You say that like it’s a bad thing. 🙂
He did not help himself, with his 2016 season in AA, you seem to think just because he was a #1 pick and hyped a lot by a few people on this blog and a few talk show hosts on bay area radio, that he is the next Buster Posey, he hit .274, hit 3 HRs, 1 triple, .316 OB%,.373 SLG%, .689 OPS, and his fielding % at 3rd base was .926, he is not ready .
Peter, we’re only a few days into 2017. It seems a little early this year for you to be assuming what I think about Christian Arroyo. I’m looking forward to watching him play in Spring Training games.
Bring him up already, to me that seems to think , bring him up to San Francisco .
It was meant humorously, Peter.
You’re right, Peter, that he’s not ready. But I hope he will be sometime this season.
Maybe he was working on things as directed by the organization. Maybe minor league numbers aren’t the end all be all of a career.
Brisbee had an article a few days ago about the possibility of Nunez in the outfield with some clips. It was pretty ugly.
I loved that article! “I watched Eduardo Nuñez play in the outfield so you don’t have to.” Something like that. The clips were so bad they were funny!
They were funny but it made you realize that the Giants’ possibilities are limited.
Nuñez is pretty good at third base. Parker and Tomlinson are pretty good outfielders.
The Hwang rumors make more sense because it’s much more likely that the Giants will trade Nunez than that they’ll trade Panik.
What would Eduardo Nuñez bring in trade?
Dunno. Together with Tomlinson maybe a better LF?
There would be an uproar if the Giants traded Mac without giving him the chance to play regularly. You will personally hear the roar all the way from Montana!
Depends who they got in left. I’m just trying to figure out what they’re thinking of with Hwang. Remember when they got Nunez and we were mystifled (or at least I was) until they traded Duffy for Moore.
John, you sound surer about the Hwang rumors than I am.
Adalberto Mejia?
Maybe rumors make sense for the issuer only. He has to have something to sell to get money for buying his bread and butter.
I think you can never forgo an opportunity to improve.
I don’t see how Jae Gyun Hwang (unproven MLB player) is an improvement over Eduardo Nuñez.
Obviously we don’t know but it may be that he hits lefties better than Nunez and would platoon with Gillaspie at 3rd. They may have a trade with Nunez set up.
I think a platoon at third base, or any infield base, is risky.
I don’t think the team has ever bet set on January 5th or 6th. As soon as you stop looking at new players, you can’t get any better.
In Dozier’s case, they might be looking for better infielders.
If the Giants sign Hwang, they will have 3 29-year-old 3rd basemen with likely very similar hitting profiles. Clearly this can’t be the plan for the 25-man roster. Something has to be in the works.
If you believe the rumors, then something could be in the works, I guess.
Hwang is supposed to be working on his outfield skill set over the winter…
Hwang would not have to be on 25 man roster. He should/would be like a 29 y.o. prospect with options (can got to AA/AAA)…
If he might play the OF that would change things.
Certain folks apparently think a 29-year-old infielder can be magically transformed into an unfamiliar position and perform at a major league level just because
Magical thinking!
It’s Magic Inside !
If OF is on his Start-o-Matic card then it will work.
We do not deal with the real world here; we are all Fake GM’s remember.
I read that too. Hwang is reportedly “taking reps in the outfield this winter.” I would that in the “unproven” column, right under “unproven MLB infielder.”
But it does look like he can play 3b.
The Giants already have a third baseman and another one waiting offstage.
I say dump’em all (but one, maybe) by mid-season and bring up Arroyo.
My only caveat is he resembles a Trisomy 21 a bit.
I have to look that up but it sounds excellent.
Had my two cups of Caturra/Honduran from 4100 feet this AM … I am rolling.
LOL
They’ve gone to a “5” now.
Let me guess … Canseco made that necessary? One flyball off the noggin and you are immortal.
I’m not sure how long ago they started that.
I really just got into the Old TImers teams they began to offer. I can still give you the L/U and BA of the ’27 Yankees. [maybe]
The game was my introduction to the numbers of baseball. I don’t play it much, but I still buy the cards.
Must of been the 60’s … I started in 1966 and soon after that got an offer for the first set that included the ’27 Yankees [Maybe it ranged from the ’22 Giants to the ’57 Braves or something like that.] It was a great help for my baseball history knowledge. Good memories; even tried to make our own cards once we got the Baseball Encyclopedia that came out in ’69. When we saw a guy amed Hugh Duffy hit .432 one year we had to have him, so we made his card ourselves; probably way inaccurate.
We gotta get a Strat-O-Matic tourney organized. C’mon.
I still have my cards from 1965 stored away. Never made the move to computer based … sure would have made stats easier to figure.
My first set of cards were following the 1969 season: McCovey hit .320; Mays had fallen off some but still had a great card; Marichal and Perry both pitched 300 innings; and Frank Linzy was 14-9 out of the bullpen. So much fun!
Did you ever get into the Old Timers? That us how I learned lots of my baseball history.
Just some of the free samples they sent me. Pretty fun though
Trea Turner did pretty swell for Nationals.
And then there’s Ian Desmond who also made a fine adjustment to CF.
And Ben Zobrist in LF.
Eduardo Nunez and Kelby Tomlinson apparently have fared less well, so…
… YMMV.
Trea is an unfair comparison to a 29 year old that no one has seen in HD….
I’ll bet my Clarence bobblehead that this guy also won’t come anywhere close to the area code of Ian Desmond for MLB comparison legitimacy
I’m gonna find a way to get some pubes on your soda can…
But if they sign him for big bucks, and I’m sure he’s looking for his big payday, it won’t be to play for the Grizzlies.
He’s not getting any big bucks. The KBO posted him last year and no one signed him. Probably a couple million, tops. More than major league minimum, but nothing constraining.
It’s the River Cats, not the Grizzlies, now. 🙂
Yeah, big bucks to me paltry by baseball standards.
Yes, to me, too! I could probably even struggle along on major league minimum!
Not the Firebirds either?
like 3/15 absolute tops. But something like 2/7 probably in order (like Hyun Soo Kim)
that’s my team, the Fresno Grizzlies – Astros. A bevy of top prospects.
I cannot find who recommended it this week so I can give you credit but the documentary on the Portland Maverick’s is full of great stuff … especially if you are a Joe Garigiola, Kurt Russell or Jim Bouton fan. Netflix streams it; search for “Bastards of Baseball” … where that B-word is used correctly even.
One will end up being a Bing Russell fan. I love that he took on the MLB establishment and did something no one thought would work, did it his way, had fun with it (ball dogs) and was hugely successful.
Was it you who recommended it this week? If so. excellent find.
Other Fan Circles it serves: “Bonanza”, short-shorts, Leisure suits, Big Eyewear, The 70’s, …
Yep. thanks glad you enjoyed.
Here comes, here comes the Befana
She comes from the mountains in the deep of the night
Look how tired she is! All wrapped up
In snow and frost and the north wind!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/10c745e403c97769b785cce388b00371cf37e77b0ce8aa809a6012b61ca0e851.jpg Here comes, here comes the Befana!
(And maybe she brings an outfielder to the good old Giants fans).
Not much to do over in Italy apparently …
Yep, overtime due in America, from next January 20th onwards.
Matthew says I can’t enough of the stuff,
I’m addicted to trades…
BOOM!!
https://twitter.com/MarinersPR/status/817433149638488064
BTW, Matty, your dump on the “Coke” Brothers was awesome!! Eff those clowns!
… this also pushes Chris Heston further down the ladder 🙁
as long as you put away your Hwang, I’m good
Wasn’t he the cook on Bonanza?
Actor Victor Sen Yung played Hop Sing on Bonanza https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/dc509ae30ffb67e68ff6ecdad25d4a94fa2ce0e917bfce79719abd0bd0758787.jpg
The only “coke” brothers I like are Darryl and Dwight
Hawesome! I gather Dwight is doing okay these days, or better…
Wow I would’ve never thought Seth Smith was worth that much.
The Braves may be in on Dozier.
http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2017/1/6/14192534/braves-twins-dodgers-rumors-trade-dozier
They’ve had some notable issues at 2b as I recall, over the years. 2010 comes to mind.
To be fair, Brooks Conrad was an injury replacement, but the Braves did already try to trade for Brandon Phillips.
If Prado had not gone down the Braves would’ve won that series, imho.
So the President-Elect is trash-talking Arnold Schwarzenegger on Twitter for bad ratings on The Apprentice. You couldn’t make this stuff up.
I would have thought those two Gropers-in-Chief would be best buds.
https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/817348644647108609
What’s hilarious is that AS rating were very similar to Trump’s rating when he exited the show.
I never watched the show, but that’s pretty funny.
This (fill in the blank) needs to get off Twitter and start acting like a President.
I wonder if there’s on over/under in Las Vegas for when impeachment proceedings start in the next 4 years. He will blow this somehow…count on it.
Definitely. He needs to start doing stuff like appeasing Iran.
Good one
I know that’s a dig at the outgoing administration. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything Obama did either; although I would have beers with him without hesitation. Seems like a nice guy and I never voted for him.
This said, the President-Elect should stop acting like a spoiled brat with a Twitter account. Grow up already, stop looking for attention, and represent all the people.
I agree about Twitter, but ultimately substance is much more important than form.
Would you say as a whole, law enforcement is glad to have Trump coming in?
Too much of a generalization? You personally?
I would say as a whole, law enforcement is glad to see the very anti-police Obama leaving. I’m glad to be rid of him as well. As I’ve said, I didn’t vote for Trump or Clinton. I’m sure Trump is going to do some things I’ll be in favor of. Overall, I’ll wait and see. I’m pretty sure the world will survive.
As always, I appreciate your candor.
It’s going to take a very large meteor or a solar supernova for the world to be extinguished, but as a whole our present way of being is very much in trouble.
Have a nice day?
What parts of our “present way of being” do you believe are in trouble?
There is very little sustainable in the way we are living. We drive our 150-200 lbs. bodies in 3000 lbs. vehicles powered by petroleum which is far more costly than 3.00/gal at the pump. Small families live in big houses which require incredible energy to manufacture, heat cool. The atmosphere is heating up, the climate is radically shifting, there is incredible instability across broad sectors of the globe, crazy people have an abundance of guns….
We live in a bubble, Oracle.
Oh. I thought you were referring to Trump.
What does anti-police mean?
It was exemplified by his reaction to the Michael Brown shooting. The administration immediately bought into the lies that were being spread about what happened and sent a representative to the funeral, thereby fanning the flames of protest. When the investigation was completed, and the popular version turned out to be completely false, he said nothing. There have been numerous similar examples.
So in your words any questionable police actions against people, specially those of color or disenfranchised be damned right?!
As long as someone is perceived as pro cop they are AOK in your book right? Typical, cops can’t think for themselves.
Not far off from Hitler youth in Nazi Germany.
No, those are your words, although they are somewhat unintelligible. What I would appreciate is honesty and fairness with regard to law enforcement, something neither you nor Obama seem capable of (although I wouldn’t put Obama at your level). You’ve clearly established your own irrational bias.
Dude. That’s absurd.
Exemplified – I had to check Websters 🙂
To clarify, i’m curious about what policies he put in place that are ‘anti-police’? Like, when i think of Republicans being ‘anti-public school teachers’ I think about eroding union protections, diverting tax dollars out of public schools, etc..
Obama, through his words and actions, and as I pointed out earlier with regard to Michael Brown, used his power to encourage the false narrative of racist law enforcement. In doing so, he helped to bring about what’s happening in places like Chicago and Baltimore. When police believe that their actions in potentially risky and stressful situations won’t be fairly judged, then they become less willing to take those actions.
The problem is narcissists cannot stop looking for attention. It’s all about him.
His need for attention is frightening. Like a 6th-grader with ADD.
Like in Yemen. lol.
Impeachment seems inevitable with his behavior, idiocy, and lack of experience. I shudder, however at the option in Mike Pence as President.
I do not think Pence will launch missiles against China or North Korea or France! So we will survive long enough under him to get to the next president, when things can be fixed.
Trump is a terrifying concept – everyone, of every political stripe, should disavow this racist sexist cheating pig.
This.
Do you have similar feelings about all of the other presidents who cheated on their wives?
Pence is the lesser of two evils, but he’d still be an unpleasant president.
Pence is a known evil. The other guy is unstable.
The problem being, a reboid congress won’t do that.
My guess is that either impeachment or a health problem will prevent the Tweeting Teenager from completing a 4-year term.
Or a “lone gunman”. Of course that might qualify as a “health problem”
Could get a real bad case of those ‘sniffles.’
Plus DJT is still credited as “Executive Producer” on the show… LOL!
Executive Doucher
Hey, Arnie is going to the next prez-o-dent!
Born in Austria? No problem.
Obama born in Kenya and Trump in CCCP 😉
Although they are completely perplexed by what the Giants are up to in LF, FG bets on a Parker/Willamson platoon in LF and scratches their head about how to figure out Giants baseball.
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-san-francisco-left-field-question-or-something/
Who cares about what fangraphs thinks, if you like them , they must like slap hitters with no power .
I care about what FG thinks, I don’t care what you think…assuming you are.
You can not think for yourself, so you read a geek sight like fangraphs and think they are the experts on baseball, me I have watched Baseball for 40 years and can spot a good player when I see one .
Apparently not. Case in point: Brett Pill.
How do you know , Pill was never given a honest chance by the guy that you are probably servicing right now !!
It’s not just me. I think if he was a good player, he’d be in MLB right now. With your great eye for talent, you should be able to see that almost 4,000 minor league plate appearances was enough to evaluate. He did nothing during his MLB stints with the Giants to warrant more of a chance than what he got. Maybe those baseball eyes of yours need cataract surgery.
I would not call hitting 300 and 3 home runs with 13 RBIs showing nothing in his for the first 30 games he appeared in. That was in 84 PA.
Something happened after that because he went into a Dodger series and was never the same. My guess is someone figured out that you could get him out on sliders away and curves away instead of the challenging him with fast balls.
Is that a way of saying he’s a mistake hitter?
Nope a fastball hitter.
Everybody is a fastball hitter. That’s not talent, all it gets you is a union card, not a roster spot.
Yeah, he’s a AAAA player. Unsustainable stats. You reinforced my point.
WoW, a vulgarity thrown out
“probably servicing right now”
LOL. I’ve watched baseball for 60 odd years, and I have to admit, in most cases, what ultimately makes a good player in the minors, let’s say, become a good MLB player is still something of a mystery to me. So I use Fangraphs (and a lot of other resources) as an aid to try and understand what that might be. I guess you just outclass me in wild haired speculation, you dog you. You have a real feel for the game.
IRRC, George Brett was a bust in the Minors, and judged not-as-good a hitter as his brother the pitcher (Ken?).
The people who write for Fangraphs are professionals which means that they have a lot of knowledge of baseball (whether they know what’s important is another matter) and much more time to think and write about it that I do, so I have to respect that. That said, it’s clear that many of them simply aren’t particularly intelligent or insightful–in fact I would say that that’s true for pretty much all the beat writers (Cameron, Sullivan, etc.), who are almost entirely focused on using whatever advanced statistics they can find to corroborate opinions which a certain type of ‘average fan’ (someone who loves the Red Sox, Cubs, and Blue Jays, despises the Giants and Royals, thought Bruce Harper was as good as Mike Trout in 2015 but became more skeptical in 2016, etc.) believes on the basis of more ‘primitive’ statistics. The one’s who I really do respect (e.g. Podhorzer) write for Rotographs–I have no interest in fantasy baseball myself but the writers are at least objective and know how to do statistical analysis. Most of the people who follow people like Cameron and Sullivan are indeed inferior versions of Cameron and Sullivan (my favorite example of this inanity was in an exchange in which I pointed out that by all xBABIP estimates Xander Bogaerts was getting incredibly lucky and I expressed the belief that Red Sox fans apparently believed that they could keep his BABIP at .370 by simply reciting enough Ave Marias and one of these Red Sox fans, exasperated by his inability to find any statistical evidence to support his claims, stated that Red Sox fans are very passionate and knowledgeable and one day there would be statistics to demonstrate what they they already know).
This said, there are useful things in Fangraphs, even for someone like me who watched more or less every Giants game last year and doesn’t seriously care about any team other than the Giants. A few days after Matt Moore started throwing the cutter (the near no-hit game vs. the Dodgers), which K&K literally didn’t even comment on a single time during the game–I only noted to myself during the game that I hadn’t noticed Moore’s fastball breaking that way before, but assumed that I must have missed something–a article appeared in Fangraphs talking about the history of Moore experimenting with the cutter. It was very nice. The same thing happened with the return of Samardzija’s curve (obviously I’d noticed it but it was nice to have an article focusing on that). There was a good article a few weeks ago on why Cueto is so effective even though he doesn’t strike out so many batters (the conclusion–that he doesn’t give in to hitters when he falls behind in the count–was one which I had independently reached myself, but it was nice to see a discussion of it, aside from which I had only been able to reach this conclusion because of data which I’d seen on the Fangraphs site. There are very few Fangraphs articles on the Giants (the writers generally hate the Giants and openly root against them), so there aren’t many articles like that, but they do have a lot of helpful statistics, for example WPA, which don’t appear in places like ESPN. The data on line drive% and hard-it% is very helpful to understanding why for example Casilla, Lopez, and Affeldt were so effective. When the Giants got Melancon I immediately went to Fangraphs to look at the heatmaps to see where he throws the cutter and slider and when batters swing at them–of course I also looked at youtube clips but these show only individuals pitches. When Belt and Duffy’s hitting patterns changed completely in the first few months of this year, the spray charts in Fangraphs gave a nice summary so you could see what was going on.
To a real baseball fan, Fangraphs gives you more to think about. It’s no substitute for looking at actual games, but for someone who looks at pretty much every game in any case, it helps you understand more about what’s going on.
The fangraphs folks have some intelligent things to say, but they hate the giants so much that it clouds what they say about the giants.
You don’t ‘believe’ them, they become, many times, a cogent point of departure for investigating something in more detail. They’re a catalyst with credibility, not an Oracle.
Well put
Giants seem to have won three rings using slap hitters with no power.
LOL. Russian hacker caught in the act.
http://cdn0.dailydot.com/cache/88/2d/882d97c2633d4aeca3c39ffeb61796d3.jpg
That’s pretty funny, except I don’t think the guy in the blue hood actually has keyboarding skills.
He’s writing a note to Santa.
This Mets blogger wants Romo or Casilla:
https://www.sny.tv/mets/news/mets-need-to-sign-romo-or-casilla/212998694
“According to my friend with the Giants, they blame Casilla’s late-season results partially on their coaching staff, since he was asked to warm up and throw a lot during late-summer games that he never entered. It produced a workload he had not been used to and may have resulted in fatigue.
“It seemed like he was up and down a hundred times a night in August,” I was told.”
Maybe he should get his prostate checked.
More like Sphincter
Get it done!
At least with Familia and Reed he won’t have any pressure on him, I think he has a little left in the tank.
Yes, tell them to take Casilla, I’d maybe like to see Sergio one more year here. Tell them Casilla is really a pillar of mental fortitude and not a proselytizing, chest beating evangelist. Oh, and he’s really smart too.
It would be sad to see sergio go but i can’t see who to leave out to make a space. Melancon obviously no. Law and smith are young and very promising. Strickland is less young but also promising. Gearrin is like a much faster version of romo. I personally think kontos is enormously underrated, his cutter and slider are both great, if he’d just ditch the fastball. That’s 6 solid relievers right there.
How does that explain his HRs allowed to Jake Lamb in April and May? Retroactive fatigue? A “Back to the Future” thingy?
The master of the hanging slider. How many times last year did K&K, on video replay, say that was the pitch he got shelled on?
I actually recall more hanging curves. Although the curve was excellent at times
It’s true! Let the Mets give him an honest shot!!
Casilla did have a lot of bad babip luck last year, there’s no denying it. In terms of being asked to warm up too often he was actually less abused than some other relievers.
Casilla has always had an issue with taking a batter or so to settle down, especially in terms of control. That’s why he’s always skated close to the edge so that a small change in ability or luck could have a big effect. Last year a decline in some combination of ability and luck did him in.
Also he was put into an incredibly large number of close games. His gmli (average leverage index when entering the game) was one of the highest in history. This jacked up his blown saves.
A great off season money maker for the 49ers stadium ownership. The rocket knife.
http://www.dailydot.com/parsec/backyard-scientist-rocket-powered-knife/
How many days until pitchers and catchers report?
Too many!
I’m bored to tears with no baseball. This is the deadest off season I can remember. I actually had a brief chat with Efrain last evening, and enjoyed it. How weird is that?
POTD
POTOS
In past years it was guys like MLBSF
I’m quite charming and incisive when you get past the surliness….
Actual, if you don’t call people names, you can be.
Totally.
Ask Craws – he’s got the calendar.
Feb 13, so…38 days?
Here they are, read em and cast ju-ju hexes on them, the Dodgers farm system:
(yes, Bellinger looks like the next Seager/Pederson, probably somewhere in the middle as he won’t have Seager’s high AVG, but will have Joc’s power)
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2017/1/6/14193446/los-angeles-dodgers-top-20-prospects-for-2017
In case everyone doesn’t know, there has just been a mass shooting event at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport in baggage claim. Multiple fatalities.
It felt like there were a few days of peace recently – as far as the world that is reported in the media.
Not sure why this was brought up…unless there were some rumors out there.
Jon Morosi @jonmorosi 7m7 minutes ago
#SFGiants *not* in active talks with #Brewers on Ryan Braun, sources say; #Dodgers could be fit for Braun but focused on Dozier now. @MLB
Because the pundits think the Giants need an outfielder.
So do I, but I’m not out there sending out random tweets :-))
Ditto. 🙂
“wrong”
Wrong about LF? or random tweets?
random tweets – I used my Trump voice, from the debates.
Very good 🙂
Busy Mariners. Obtained OF Jarrod Dyson from KC for RHP Nathan Karns.
They’re just trolling Scout Finch
Darn, we really could use Dyson. We all our AAAA pitchers not going anywhere except staying in AAA once again, you would think we could have sent them a package of guys to help fill their roster.
Yep. 😟
Can’t steel first base
Not too shabby. He’s the guy some of use were lobbying Evans to get last year (before span) – you know, go with a vacuum in center.
That very clever, Footy. Some folks might think you’re clever all the time. Most, maybe, not so much.
Is there a return policy like the other one?
I remember he was interviewed after 2014 Game 5 and said something like, ‘Well, at least we ain’t gotta face that guy again…’ :o)
He’s a flyer
That’s a crazy deal for KC. They’re trading a 5+ WAR outfielder (per 600 PAs) for a 1 WAR pitcher. (For doubters, Dyson has a .325 lifetime OBP [.349 when leading off games} add in the steals and he’s an offensive weapon).
Maybe the owner has insinuated himself back into baseball operation. His input is what caused them to trade Greinke to the Brewers.
Dyson’s a free agent after this year, and Karns has five more years of team control. Makes sense to try to get something for Dyson now.
Giants Fanfest – February 11th. Good luck 🙂
Well, we’ll never get everyone to sign on to “Together We’re Against Trump”,
but perhaps we can sign on to more general positions of solidarity…
-Together we’re for the Giants winning the NL West
-Together we’re against discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, creed.
-Together we’re for environmental protections that ensure there’s a tomorrow to enjoy.
-Together we’re against greed, surveillance, militarized policing, and war at the behest of petroleum industries.
-Together we’re for reason and the scientific method
-Together we’re against consolidation of wealth and influence by oligarchs
-Together we’re for merit based compensation that adds value to the society
-Together we’re for fair taxation
-Together we’re for affordable health care and education for all
-Together we’re for lifting our brothers and sisters up
… I’m sure a missed a few points.
Good. Trump and the administration actually agrees with many of your points! Not sure your preferred outlets acknowledge that. Most. If not all. So, you should end up pretty happy if you give it a chance.
I suppose it’s ridiculous to ask you to stop your partisan trolling?
LOL – you’re a funny guy. Funny in a disappointing way as well.
I’m beginning to honestly dislike you.
To be honest Matthew, I haven’t seen any indication the Trump Administration would be for ANY of those things. If you can show me (or us) where they plan on doing one thing on that list, I’ll be surprised. And I promise not to respond either way, no need to turn this into a debate.
I have, but I’m taking a break for a bit. I’ve seen, heard many clear comments and reports of these things, but…I’m tired of what’s up on here. I get opinions. It’s fine. But this world coming to an end stuff is too over the top and much of it seems butt hurt motivated
No worries. Just so you know, I’ve asked (respectfully) on Facebook over 20 times on different threads for Trump supporters to say something positive about their man over the last year or so. Nada, zip, zilch. I’ve gotten several “He’s not Hillary” responses, but while that is a good thing, it’s not a positive.
Because you deserve my answer, and aren’t being as snarky as that other dude:
1) reduction of corporate tax rate from 35% to 15% which allows places like mine to reinvest in labor
2) the overhaul of NAFTA, which has demolished jobs in the US
2b) overall aggressive approach to trade deficits, which are at their worst level ever
3) the fact that he wants to keep key parts of ACA such as pre-existing but wants to open it to intra-state to drive down costs
4) the support of charter schools
5) the support of law enforcement
6) a better approach in support of allies after years of disastrous foreign relations (Clinton and Kerry, IMO, were the worst Secretaries of my lifetime…this may not be popular but I am firm in my belief that our approach in the last 8 years was horrible)
7) the generic belief of drastically reducing regulatory bloat
8) the willingness to acknowledge the Constitution, as is, is the foundation for the Supreme Court to use as the key guideline
9) empowering states to supersede Federal government in many laws and regulations (see above re ACA, but also many other oversteps by the current admin)
I could go on, and will. I don’t expect many on here to agree with me, but I am a fiscal conservative, and believe that he will jump start a horribly hamstrung economy and business environment ( including manufacturing). I have seen a huge jump in regulations and government bloat and overreach…from both parties. I have no idea if he can pull off positives, but I know the status quo wasn’t the answer…in either party.
I know some folks hate his hyperbole, and I think he is ill equipped to be President . So was she. So is everyone who steps into that job. He, to me, as in eloquent as he is, sees things as many folks do. Maybe not many on here. His personality is bizarre and many habits and history are unacceptable, to be sure. Well, Bill was as big a pig…that doesn’t excuse him, but does point to ideological double standards. I am hoping his business approach is an improvement.
This is a mess. I get that. But part of that mess is the absurd freak out and unwillingness to even allow for him to try. He won. By the rules. He knows how to win. As with every President before him, he deserves the chance based on winning. He’s foolish, often immature. He wasn’t my choice (Carson was, but his stance in gays was a deal breaker). And, yes, to me, he was a clearly better choice than Hillary.
So, many folks…most folks on here….likely see me as a blind fool. I’m not. I’m a realistic, well reasoned, experienced human being who isn’t 100% confident that he will succeed. But I love this country, and I’m rooting for him, and us.
#3 will not work.
ACA doesn’t work now…we’ll see.
ACA does work.
In some ways. It needs fixes. Even you must admit that.
ACA is something I happen to know a lot about. Sure it could be improved. But it fundamentally works and provides good preventive care and quality comprehensive care for 20-plus million people. It is absolutely irresponsible for Republicans to repeal the ACA without a replacement that is as good as, or better, than the ACA.
Just this week, the AMA wrote a letter to the GOP:
“The AMA, which represents about a quarter-million doctors and more than 190 state and national specialty societies, is the latest doctor group to weigh in before Congress moves to repeal the ACA. Most doctor groups aren’t opposed to altering the law, but don’t want more than 20 million Americans who gained coverage to lose it.”
We’re talking about people’s lives, Matthew, and their health. If you want to talk fiscally, Health Care represents about a sixth of our economy. Health insurance companies cannot tolerate risk and uncertainty. Insurance companies need to know what the replacement will be. The markets need to know.
I agree with everything you said…if they pull it without a replacement one day zero, they are total absolute corrupt fools.
Well Matthew, you get my vote! The majority of these things I would be all for, but I don’t believe the incoming administration is as enthusiastic about them as you are! There are a couple I disagree with, but my only real quibble is that none of this addresses the “Together we’re for (or against)…” that started this conversation.
I agree both candidates are (were) ill equipped to be President and I wouldn’t have voted for either one in a million years. We used to talk about the lesser of two evils. In my mind, they were both evil.
I’m pretty certain we are going to be seeing by far the most corrupt administration in the history of this country. Every decision Trump has ever made has been to enrich himself and mostly at the expense of others. Using bankruptcy as a business tactic is not “good business.” And that tactic is off the table with the government. He can’t tell China, “We’re not going to pay you.”
You’re not blind.
We’re not butt hurt. That’s a cop out. We’re upset because people endorsed a man who behaves in ways that are so unacceptable, if he was in your family you’d send him packing.
Mocking the disabled guy, then lying.
Stirring up race baiting at the rallies, then blaming any trouble on the very ones he taunted.
Saying a woman who had abortion should get punished.
Bragging how easy it is to grab pussy when you’re famous.
Insulting everyone he’s in contact with, in the most childish ways imaginable.
Advocating for nuclear proliferation, in the face of years of disarmament.
Ripping off countless contractors as a way of doing business.
Ripping off retirees and “students” with a fake university.
Hiring the head of the Briebart hate farm.
Hiring Ted Nugent, a proud racist.
Not taking the responsibilities of representing America seriously – getting in a pissing match with Schartzneggar over who’s more popular. And he’s almost ready to preside.
Not butt hurt, Matthew. We are dismayed that so many, you included could fall for this phony, egotistical blowhard. He fooled you. Trying to cover for DT is like using duct tape to stop a sewer leak. It’s no wonder that, in your words, “I’m tired of what’s up on here.”
What part of “lesser evil” did you miss about my point? He didn’t fool me at all. Now, I also think the media clearly over-covered his idiocy and under-reporter hers ( those emails from media heads showing corruption are REAL). I’m in no way fooled. He won. He’s crazy. Had she won, I believe the economy and foreign relations would be much worse. All the other noise is noise. The question is “what do we do now?”. This country is bigger and better than any one person, and the freak out is over the top.
To be sure, none of us know what comes of this. Those on the liberal side see it as Armagaeddon. I can understand their dismay. But I truly, truly believe the cherry picking by the media, that hate him, is stirring up unrealistic beliefs in the masses.
You have your strong beliefs is fine. To point out his public infidelities and statements are fine. We have a history of pig headed Presidents -Bill, JFK, LBJ. There is no excuse for ANY of them. We had a flawed choice. You may not believe the stories about the Clinton’s and their deceit, their crimes, their clumsy Underwood style way of cheating and killing to the top. I do.
Trump may well be a disaster. But, you don’t know. Your educated analysis is partly based based off a horribly partisan untrustworthy, manipulative media that buries her transgressions and trumpets his. She is more discreet. But no less horrible.
My point was what it was, and the Shyfall masses in here are tiring me as I wade through the snark of Scout and the fatalistic supporters. I want to read baseball and hope for good things for this country.mim tired, and have a right to be. Beware reverse McCarthyism. Beware
How together do we feel about global warming?
This previous year marks the third consecutive year that was the hottest of any on record. Er, uh…
I wish that term global warming had never been invented. It’s a really misleading description of what is happening. It’s like BA, what does it really tell you.
What does The A Team have to do with it?
Toasty. Wet. Cold. Dry. It depends, but overall, warmer.
I just want to note for the record that my earlier comment had nothing to do with politics. 😇
I just thought others might get a chuckle out of two sleazy B-List celebrities having a little tiff on Twitter. After all, neither currently holds public office. 😇😇😇
Don’t you think the halos are just a little too much?
No. 😇😇😇😇😇😇
When in doubt, add more halos.
I honestly appreciate your posts, even when we disagree. You are intelligent in crafting your points and responses.
There are certain others who try to play the innocent jokester that are honestly becoming disgusting trolls. I’m over it.
But, I appreciate the ability to discuss in mature manner with you and so many others.
The idea of this eejit spending time twittering about Arnold is, just nuts.
I probably fanned the flames. I’m just so tired of this guy using Twitter to gain attention, when he should be focussing on taking the reigns and representing all Americans in a Presidential way. Pissing contests with the Governator over a TV Show is so childish.
-Together we’re for affordable health care for all. At least I am. This is something that means more to me than I can say.
One thing the UK sorta got right.
Of course I’m ex-military so I’m OK. Other folks, not so much.
Wait til you get a voucher from Paul Ryan that only pays half – then, not so much…
They even cover treatment from outside doctors when the specialty or procedure isn’t done in-house. When I had a neck issue, I was sent to one of the top guys in SD. The guy that repaired my shredded Achilles was a pissy, stubborn Navy guy, but he did a fantastic job. I asked if I could stay awake and watch the repair. He laughed and then said, “sure.”
I know! My brother the doger fan gets VA (Capt. in Nam). Great care.
With all the improvements they’re making in the VA system, I’ve been really impressed.
The VA does provide good, solid care for Veterans. And most Veterans prefer to get their care at the VA. Which is something else in a long list that DJT doesn’t get.
The ACA is a good solid start in my opinion. It could be improved. It absolutely should not be repealed without a replacement. And the replacement needs to be as good as, or better. I’m hoping that several Republicans will join with Democrats in looking out for the 20-million plus people covered by ACA.
Amen.
I was SO down on it because of its complexity, and lack of single-payor – but it has worked for millions of peeps, esp. in Medicaid states (the ones without reboid governors who turned down FREE care for their citizens) – and its pre-existing care provision was huge. Should it be repealed there will be havoc in the industry (as YOU well understand), will screw a lot of people out of their healthcare, and will hurt the economy. Trumpcare – if you get sick, die soon.
A few days ago, the AMA wrote a letter to Congress about the ACA. Health Care should not be political.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucejapsen/2017/01/03/ama-to-gop-lay-out-obamacare-replacement-details-to-americans/#621a6d5e3186
Really interesting how far the AMA has come – if I’m not mistaken, they opposed Medicare as well and Truman’s and Clinton’s versions of the ACA.
Ryan and his pals can’t disclose what ‘replace’ means because it’s a fraud. “Block grants” to the states and “vouchers” for the suckers, and let them deal with the mess, just as Nixon and Clinton did with welfare and other safety-net programs. Most of the states are incapable and/or unwilling to run their own programs – and of course, with smaller insurance pools, will get hosed by insurers and pharma. Trumpcare.
Most states cannot afford to run their own programs. We cannot go back to the days of treating uninsured in ERs.
In an interesting book I read. “Medici effect” it talks about bring ideas from many disciplines together to create something new. The chances of getting it right the first time is not good. But you keep changing, fixing the problems and over time you get it right. This is what they did with the ACA, bringing together, doctors, hospitals, insurance, market specialists, care providers, internet enterprise and I am sure I missed a few. It was not a bad attempted but had many problems. Instead of scrapping they need to look at the problems and find solutions. Otherwise we will be right back at this same position after then next new health care system.
Exactly how Social Security got off the ground.
In my mind SS was expanded beyond it’s original intention to some sort of base line safety net. But for me the real problem was spending money on operating budgets intended to be invested for future needs. When you do that over a large number of years, you end up paying out of your general revenues to cover the payments that should have been made by those investments. Those running the government spent for today while promising something tomorrow. You can’t have it both ways without a cost.
Noce – SSA is NOT funded from yearly operating budgets. That is a zombie lie used to reiterate that it’s ‘bankrupt.’ I’m not going to do the research for you, but it’s true.
So I did do the research this morning. I kept reading headlines SSA drain on federal budget. I am guilty of what I say others do by not looking into the details. Your correct the SSA does not get money from operating budgets. There is some ambiguity on weather the SSA deficit borrowing from the treasury consists of defacto funding, but the clearest understanding I read was these bonds used by the treasury for the SSA were already in the accounting of their assets. One clear point that was not disputed was net outflows are greater then inflows and the fund will be bankrupt by 2033. Now I am watching how congress will deal with this issue.
In reality, the Treasury “borrows” from SSA by taking SS tax revenues in return for treasury bonds – the govt. co-mingles the accounting, since it’s all govt. paper anyway. But it’s complex and easily politicized by those who want to privatize or abolish SS. It’s always depended on revenues from the working generation funding retirees, which drives some people nuts, since they don’t trust the govt., but it’s worked for almost 90 years.
Similarly, “bankruptcy” is a goblin that’s been used for decades for the same purpose – the 2033 date is debatable, and keeps fluctuating as the economy improves. The negative revenue flow’s due to the preponderance of baby boomers retiring, and lower birth rates. The important thing is that it requires minimal tweaks to resolve that problem – a slight increase in FICA tax, or lifting the annual income ceiling of $110,00 on FICA, or means-testing millionaires out of the benes. But since the last tweak (under Reagan), the political will to fix it has disappeared. The Big Boys want to take the receipts and give it to Wall St. under privatization. And we can all see how well those IRAs and 401k’s have fared recently – I think the average retiree has something like $10,000 in their accounts. Without SS they’ll all be in the streets.
Spending the trust funds is how I read their reports. Which at some point would be done in a normal retirement fund by an individual anyway. I have IRAs and such that are working well but I know many others my age who don’t have $20,000 in their savings. One problem I have in this country is the lack of financial education. Most do not understand the concept of saving or investing. Hence the need for the SSA. My own son just yesterday asked how to put together a plan to save for his future. I think you nailed it with the lack of will to do something about the problem of outflows. Like I said I will watch it now as I understand the problem.
That’s exactly what I meant by “could be improved.” Social Security and Medicare had to be reworked and improved. They weren’t thrown overboard.
Yes. The National Health Service was established in Britain in 1946, right after WWII.
So you’re against capitalism?
You really, if you haven’t, ought read this. it may take a few positions at variance with your understanding of capitalism. Even Adam Smith had doubts and limits on its utility.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/3300/3300-h/3300-h.htm
I would say it’s served it’s purpose and we understand its merits and flaws.
Women’s reproductive rights
Who’s going to be on the committee to determine each person’s “value to society” and corresponding level of compensation?
Reasonable gun regulations
Scout, aka Pericles 2017. Hooray !
As I dimly recall from my “classics” courses, Pericles paid the citizenry to vote and created democratic inclusiveness by expanding the government payroll. As an ex-government employee, I find nothing wrong with that.
Pericles was much other than that. IMO he and Socrates are the greatest men ever.
I wasn’t putting him down; I was pointing out that apparently loathsome acts (given the accepted mores of the period) have historically favorable outcomes.
Agree 100%
Good Night Allen – SOON that day will arrive.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/7ac682e66307b0baecad5d076ecc725a26be25bb41bf9d412a0d009780eefbb8.jpg
Don’t get me wrong….TWG is excellent…but if Allen is sitting around somewhere reading blogs, the idea of Heaven has been oversold.
Since you and I have not made to the great up top Ball Yard in the sky – I doubt we can speak on what Allen deems to share his time doing …. But you should check in with Wally Pipp to see how reservations are around 2056.
Luke
People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
Interesting analysis on the state of the Royals’ organization, wondering if the scouting director needs to be replaced.
http://www.royalsreview.com/2017/1/4/14147636/the-royals-should-have-had-a-longer-window-of-contention
Hmmmm… A job opening for SFB?
Not just a river in Africa…
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Nile.jpg
Vegas has the Giants and Dodgers tied for the third-best odds of winning the 2017 World Series, after the Cubs and Red Sox and slightly ahead of the Indians and Nationals.
I think Vegas is selling Cleveland short and that the AL pennant is theirs to lose until proven otherwise.
It also made me think about how long it’s been since any team repeated as World Series champs–late 90s Yankees, right? Shoulda, coulda been the 2011 Giants…thanks, Cousins, Huff, Beltran, etc.
https://twitter.com/ericfishersbj/status/817538834023841792
Wouldn’t it be nice if Kluber was a Giant. That fella really got my attention in the WS.
He was almost–almost!–their Bumgarner. Just ran out of gas (or new ideas) finally in Game 7. He was very, very impressive. And they still have Andrew Miller and young Lindor (I was SO impressed by him, too) and are getting Michael Brantley back and signed Edwin Encarnacion. Oh, and getting their #2-3 starters back from injury.
Oh, and have arguably the best manager in the game today (or at least one of the top three).
Boston doesn’t get a vote.
He brought them TWO parades after nearly 100 years of waiting. They should build Francona a freakin’ statue outside Fenway.
it ought to be Francona not Fenway Park.
He is a whale of a manager, for sure.
There’s a chance Brantley still won’t be back.
Vegas Baby! You’re in Vegas?
Totally agree on Cleveland. Just as much a juggernaut as Boston and Chicago.
No, saw the odds board on Twitter. I was in Newport Beach all week, but home now (just in time for the storm–it was very tempting not to get on the plane today).
The indians need more than Kluber to get er done.
Matt, maybe you’re right after all and it’s all a ruse.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/cbe3161a6c3fdfbd3dc7384cb8fdf8b53f341e8b16f5898089ae4f718a1e996b.jpg
I know you’ll be disappointed, but that quote was entirely fabricated:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/10/politics/trump-quote-facebook-trnd/
Actually it was shown recently that the article you posted was fake news. We all know there was no fake news in 1998.
http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2015/12/10/fact-check-did-trump-say-98-republicans-dumb/77099822/
http://www.snopes.com/1998-trump-people-quote/
It’s true apparently, CNN tripped and fell in it.
Apparently? How is that apparent?
Just out of curiosity, can you construct a sentence without a question mark? I have faith in you. BTW, how is this comment odd, it’s analogous to his shooting someone on the streets of NY and not getting convicted of anything by his supporters.
Just admit you’re wrong. Once. I promise to admit it if I’m ever wrong again.
I remember hearing him say that on the Opra show. I didn’t read it anywhere, and truthfully didn’t recall it until that pic was posted here. I remember at the time being surprised and laughing, because I’d always thought he was a Democrat.
Sure you do. Here’s a guy that you and Bapah have a lot in common with:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TPMS6tGOACo
My, you seem to have lost your question mark. I think Trump even said he was registered as a Democrat back then, but I don’t recall for sure. You might check that out. You don’t need ?? on the Google.
Donald Trump, at a rally in Sioux Center, Iowa, January 2016: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters.”
He was right.
I suppose he just ‘retweeted’ the same sentiment about his voters passion for him.
http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/11/the-fake-donald-trump-quote-that-just-wont-die.html
How about from a liberal website?
https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/trump-fake-quote-people-magazine?utm_term=.msQMG15n7#.meK0AqJVm
Or another very liberal site?
http://gawker.com/no-donald-trump-never-called-republicans-the-dumbest-g-1737103793
I see that you’ve fallen for the same ruse. People mag even removed it from their archives to avoid retribution by the White House. I’d have wiped the archives myself. Wanna buy a bridge?
Haha…so it’s a conspiracy? Wow. I always thought of you as a smart guy? But I guess smart people can end up way out there as well. What other conspiracies can you alert us to? This could be very interesting. I can’t wait.
In the current youtube video of that 1988 Opra interview I just searched on Google, you can here where the sloppy edit was placed…just after inclined. After all the other preposterous stuff he’s said why is that interview such an important one. Who cares what he thought of the GOP then. Whatever they were, they weren’t stupid. No political operation with James Baker in it was stupid, but then again this was in the year of Iran Contra, money for arms transaction with Iran.
I have to admit, I can’t find any credible source that supports that quote as being either accurate or factual. I did find that the tape has been edited, but there is no proof that those changes contained removal of this quote. However, there seem to be a huge number of people, including me it, that recall him saying that or something similar on Oprah. So until there is evidence to the contrary. I’d assume a mass hallucination at least.
Bapah, I’ve looked everywhere and I cannot find any source for this alleged quotation by Donald Trump. What I did find was many reputable sources that this is a hoax.
Of course, but it was fun watching the reaction and having watched trump for awhile, it was pretty believable.
“I love the poorly educated…” He DID say that, and it’s practically the same thing.
Well, he certainly took advantage of them for votes, so the love is to be expected.
Wish Vegas was here to consult on those odds.
Put a c-note each on Cleveland and Tampa.
Wait for your odds to improve on the Giants, that might move towards 15:1. Go big, then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT21jl9Afbc
That is an aptly chosen song from an Aptly titled album for a Giants blog. 2017 will be a “Bridge of Sighs” just like last year from the year before so shall 2017 bring just one bigh, sigh of disappointment as the Cubs roll on.
I had this cassette.
8 track
Atlanta gets their annual mini-snowstorm tonight, so it’s everyone home early. Nice dinner, short winters nap, a bit of the herb and a couple cold brewskis–I’m up for second half of Warriors game. Sure do miss watching KD in OKC colors…sigh.
He’s amazing and a real pleasure to watch. He seems very, very happy. Don’t know if that makes you feel better or worse.
Better. Without a doubt.
You know how to party!
I’ve been immersed in the Giants 2012 postseason. I watched the WS disc, and in the process of watching NLCS Game Seven. The third inning–the Giants scored five runs, highlighted by the Pence trifecta–was a thing of beauty. Memories.
My… that was fun last night. I hadn’t realized that Trump people were so excitable. As an old-timer, I don’t have much of a horse in this race, but being able to incite such fervor is rather fun in this dull off-season. I’m concerned for my children’s future, but not much for my own, so I’m mostly an interested and curious observer of the current political situation. It’s much like being a retired scatologist and hearing of a new species to study. (I was going to say “follow”, but the visual was too disturbing.)
I’m rather disappointed in our law-enforcement representative that he can be riled so easily by political discussion and reacts with such vehemence to that type of interchange. I would think (and hope) someone in his position would be much more even-tempered. So, for everyone whose blood pressure rose last night, take a break and try to get your sense of humor back before spring training starts.
Someday I’ll repeat the story behind the old “Wanna buy a bridge?” con.
There’s some wisdom in being an owl scatologist, I reckon. It can be like reading tea leaves. What does the future hold? I’m not so sure Oracle’s pulse quickens one bit. He enjoys the game once given an invite. Matthew, on the other, does get legitimately riled up, so got to say bless his heart, that’ I’m sorry, and that you are still loved, Matthew…
I had to think before weighing in on this, Ryan. The list you posted yesterday was not “partisan trolling” in my opinion. But this comment is condescending to Matthew. Again, that’s my opinion.
I agree–Ryan’s list yesterday was thoughtful and good. No apologies necessary.
it’s the “bless his heart” line, isn’t it?
Considering Trump takes the oath in 2 weeks, I think we are feeling riled up. It’s a hard reality to accept, so bless our hearts as well as we go forth.
Here’s a new book that might prove useful.
The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck
By Sarah Knight
Is the stress of everyday life wearing you down? This “hilarious” (Booklist), practical guide will help you clear your mind of things that don’t matter! “The self-help equivalent of a Weird Al parody song. (That’s a compliment)” (The New York Times Book Review).
I read this quote by author Sparrow Jones, and it sums up how I feel about Trump supporters, especially those I used to like and respect:
“I am not mad at you that Clinton lost. I am unconcerned that we have different politics. And I don’t think less of you because you vote one way and I vote another. No… I think less of you because you watched an adult mock a disabled person in front of a crowd and still supported him. I think less of you because you saw a man spouting clear racism and backed him. I think less of you because you listened to him advocate for war crimes, and still thought he should run this country. I think less of you because you watched him equate a woman’s worth to her appearance and got on board. It isn’t your politics that I find repulsive. It is your personal willingness to support racism, sexism, and cruelty. You sided with a bully when it mattered and that is something I will never forget. So, no… you and I won’t be “coming together” to move forward or whatever. Trump disgusts me, but it is the fact that he doesn’t disgust you that will stick with me long after this election.”
In the past hour, Trump fired off three tweets talking about what a wonderful relationship the USA will have with Russia when he becomes President. Which means he didn’t listen yesterday. He simply cannot tolerate that Senators Lindsey Graham and John McCain and the entire intelligence community know more and understand more than he does.
We’re still interested to see how he’s going to support Israel while simultaneously being best buds with Russia, who is now best buds with Iran. “One of these things is not like the other…”
Wonder if they think through it that far.
What is this “think it through” of which you speak? 🙂
He simply doesn’t give a d**n, poor ignorant bum.
The declassified report is an easy read, but I don’t remember candor like this from our spy agencies before.
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2017/01/read-us-intelligence-report-russian-hacking-2016-campaign
Not sense the Pentagon Papers. An accident, but a candid one.
Thanks for the link, Bob. This presentation makes the report easy to read. The report is quite extraordinary. Everyone who actually reads the report can easily see Trump’s folly in disparaging US intelligence.
Truly a must read for every American. I’m concerned about fellow citizens who will argue about it without actually reading it.
We know Trump’s not a reader. Which is another thing that makes him dangerous.
“Pathological liar” is Sanders’ term. Incapable of reasonable thought. He doesn’t have normal human responses. We’re handing over the government to a sociopath.
I used to work for the Democratic National Committee. I headed up the No. Calif. Speakers Bureau in a presidential election and made and wrote many speeches. Later I contributed spec speeches to the Democratic cause. Larry O’Brian, then DNC Chairman, used a phrase I wrote when he said in a speech, “Richard Nixon is a man without principle.” He may or may not have got that phrase from me, but the timing was exactly right, and I think that may have triggered the Watergate incident where Nixon operatives burgled O’Brien’s offices shortly after.
I became disillusioned with the Democratic Party when I found out how hate-filled many of those people were. They wanted to financially ruin people who donated to the opposition and tried to do so. I couldn’t take that hate-filled environment so I left.
I voted for neither candidate in the recent election. One is a criminal and should have been and still should be indicted, the other is a childish poser who spouts off uncontrollably. But to hate millions of people who voted for either is just as childish.
I don’t “hate” anybody. But as for people I know who supported Trump?–Yes, my opinion of them is permanently changed for the worse. I don’t care if they didn’t vote for Hillary. I don’t care if they’re Republicans. But to actually support that horrible man? I can’t get past that, and I don’t think I ever will. I won’t be hateful to them, but I’ll never trust or respect them again.
Trump is worse than “a childish poser.” He’s a sexual predator, and his election has made the world a darker and more dangerous place for me and especially for my young adult daughters. And that’s what I can’t and won’t get past or forget. That’s just one of the many things I object to about Trump, but it’s the one that hits home the closest.
(And please, don’t come at me with ancient Bill Clinton history. He’s a pig dog too, but he’s been out of office for 16 years now. Trump is just getting started.)
Did you vote for Clinton, the pig,…twice? I’d guess yes seeing you seem to be in lockstep with all things leftish. Of course you voted for horrible Hillary. Did you see anything wrong with her?
To answer your second question, I would have voted for anyone who wasn’t Trump.
To answer your first question, yes, I voted for Bill, but (a) the Monica Lewinsky stuff happened during his second term and (b) if I knew then what I know now about his history, I wouldn’t have voted for him. I probably would have sat it out or voted third party.
I am a moderate Democrat, always have been. I’m queasy about unions, not pro-choice, against the death penalty but otherwise very pro-law and order. I’m in favor of equal rights for LGBT folks and for reasonable gun legislation. I’d be too moderate for the tastes of some of my friends and colleagues.
Probably more moderate than me, but gotta love your style. Keep scribbling!
More moderate than my daughters. I should expand on the “not pro-choice” statement. I believe abortion ends the life of another human being, and I don’t agree that a pregnant woman should have an unlimited and unilateral choice to do so. However, I absolutely believe in “compassionate exceptions”–maternal life and health, rape or incest, or fatal fetal defect. I think late-term abortion laws that force a woman to carry a fetus to term (usually in a much-wanted pregnancy) that has either already died or is doomed at birth are just breathtakingly vicious and cruel.
It’s also a fact that abortions drop during Democratic administrations because access to contraception and to decent health care actually leads to fewer unwanted pregnancies and better options for women who want to carry their babies to term. That’s why I don’t see a contradiction between being anti-abortion and voting Democrat–I think Democratic policies do a better job of making other options more viable and attaining the larger goal of reducing abortions.
The current Republican Congress wants to limit access to contraception, forbid abortions for any reason, kick people off their health care (so no prenatal care for women who couldn’t prevent or terminate their pregnancies), and then cut things like food stamps to poor women so that they can’t feed their kids. Basically, they leave women no options, other than joining a convent, I guess.
More thing things through, getting to be a trend. Hopefully it catches on.
How has Trump’s election made the world a more dangerous place for you and your daughters? That statement is just a bit dramatic.
So you triggered the Watergate investigation. How about that.
Yep.
Yep…X2
Trump can be legitimately mocked for a lot of things, but the mocking of the reporter for his disability is another of the often repeated, media-created falsehoods.
I can’t remember
LOL!
I saw it.
I may have to cut-and-paste that quote.
You two have to get along, or I will add a verse to my song, where we’re out fishing and they “took their eyes off the ball and the PerfectGame was lost, they swamped the boat, we made it in but Lord at what a cost.”
Or something like that.
Although I must say, it appeared he was grasping at straws when he started bailing. He played so much defense, he got offended.
Here’s the thing. This is a baseball blog focused on a team from Northern California. Just demographically, the odds are that the vast majority of us are going to be anti-Trump. It’s unrealistic for anyone to think comments from this particular group of people are going to be even-handed or non-partisan, just as it would be silly for me to go on a Braves blog or an Ole Miss blog and think there wouldn’t be cracks about President Obama/”libtards,” etc. (Yes, people bring politics into sports comment boards all the time, all over the country.)
All of us have two choices: either hang out with people who are more like-minded or ignore cracks we don’t like.
You’re firing on all eight this morning Dr.
Those are dynamics worth considering. By all of us.
Trump, to me , is loathsome. That being said, my concern is less with him now, and more with what comes next for us as a nation. I hope his choices, or someones, for members of this government cherish this country as much as I feel most of us do. If so, we’ll survive what I feel is a national embarrassment and find a future that serves people and protects them as opposed to exploiting them.
Well, I certainly hope for the best, too–what choice do we have now? But I’m still going to mock and criticize Trump every time I feel like it because, to use your term, he’s “loathsome.” And if Trump supporters want to whine about that, I’ll just remind them how their tribe treated President Obama for eight years. It’s hypocritical to whine about being “united” or “giving Trump a chance” when they never did that for Obama, not for one single second.
And if that hurts Trump people’s feelings, well, so what? They got what they wanted. They don’t get to have our approval, too. That’s asking too much.
I wondered at your depth of dislike for Trump, and I had simply forgotten you have two daughters in his ‘target’ age group. Now I understand, and quite frankly agree. As to the give him a chance plea, I’m of a belief to oppose him at every turn. But it’s a fine balance adopting a position that affords viable political opposition, and yet doesn’t poison one’s own ethical standards. From my perspective, the opposition to him is building, quietly but inevitably because of him just being him. Above all, IMO, no matter how strongly one feels about Trump, it’s a mistake to abandon our fellow citizens who I believe made a horrible mistake. Clinton, for instance was a better alternative, not a perfect one. In any case, the issue now isn’t an election, it’s what to do now that the die is cast. One thing for sure, if a young person asks the question ‘why should I vote’, grab them by their metaphorical shirt collar and tell them.
Opposing him at every turn seems called for, since it’s difficult to think of one “policy” of his (ok – one tweet) that’s reasonable or supportable.
We’re dealing with an unstable child here. The challenge will be maintaining our own sanity.
Sorry for picking at the scab but I have to say the thing that irks me most at how the conservative plays the game is their constant oblivious hypocrisy. Imagine for just one second the hue and alarm and manufactured butt-hurt outrage and outcry if it proved that it were the Dems who were aided and abetted by the Neo Soviets. It would make the Benghazi tragedy into the unfortunate molehill it actually was.
Funny you should mention swamp!
If you take a position on any subject here is the range of reactions you will get:
I disagree with you because its you I don’t like.
I disagree with you because you appear to be like someone I don’t like.
I disagree with your data and provide this data instead.
I disagree with part of what you say
I agree with all of what you say
I agree with you but I would add this data to tweek the position
I agree with part of what you say
I agree with you because you appear to be like someone I like
I agree with you because I like you
I try to stay somewhere in the middle of this possibilities. For me the best to look what observations were used to form their opinion. Sometimes I just have to agree to disagree.
I can’t tell what in my comment you are disagreeing with. As I said, “I’m mostly an interested and curious observer of the current political situation” and have to wait and see what happens. I think, perhaps, you’re reading some personal bias into my statement.
I wasn’t disagreeing with anything. just a view on how I read peoples comments.
Not to get too political, but this guide written by congressional staffers looks worth passing around.
https://www.indivisibleguide.com/
That’s funny. I’ve never been “riled” by anything on this blog, but I was entertained by you being fooled by the internet.
That pretty much makes you a troll.
He puts up a false quote. I point out that it’s false. That makes me a troll? Interesting analysis.
Checking in on HaakAway…
You make it down from the roof okay? All prepped?
I’ve been wanting to install a french drain outside the garage as I am getting worse and worse seepage with every storm, but I haven’t gotten to it yet. So I need to get outside and improvise with some tarps and plastic sheet to draw water away. #DrawAway
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f4172749e2f4779ce50d0f575b7fa0438259eab1629c4699278439fc22c81ae3.jpg My view of light ice on a clogged gutter 20 feet in the air.
Like a “slappy hitter” [good AM PJ!] I stayed deliberate and made contact and lived to tell about it. Ready for the Foot[hill] of Rain, Ryan.
Thanks dgg … Being in touch with Winter even more than us you get props for “retiring” where there is still plenty of work just live through this. I bet the beauty of it’s best moments is worth it?
Yes, I would say so. Of course this morning I have to go out and shovel snow.
Ice – I thought the air was relatively warm moving in, like a pineapple express. You live in a unique zone! I cleared some leaves in the gutter. I think snow level in this part of the sierra is above 8000 ft.
Yes… 47 now but it was 29 the night before and the redwoods block our sun most of the winter so the ice stayed.
Also the 2-in-12 pitch on that roof helped me be safe. Thnx for sending out the dogs.
Hope you weather the storm as well as possible. I imagine there will plenty of mudslides in fire damage areas. I hope dgg isn’t looking at blizzard-like conditions or anything crazy like multiple feet of snow.
Not today. Tomorrow likely.
A Dallas-NE super bowl would leave me rooting for Dallas to win. I hope that Dallas loses the NFC championship game in a heart breaking fashion. Who ever defeats Dallas in that game I hope goes on to smash NE in the SB. IF NE loses in the AFC championship game and Dallas gets into the SB then I’ll root for the AFC rep joyfully.
Oak 24-20 over Houston.
Sea 27-17 over Detroit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vqpj17GmVMc
This Dubs team is much less fun to root for than the previous incarnations.
This year’s team has a great record and fantastic stats, but it’s all smoke and mirrors until they can beat a truly good team. They’re 0-5 vs. San Antonio, Cleveland, Houston, and Memphis, and three of those five losses came after blowing large leads in the fourth quarter, and two of those three were at home. There’s a problem either with the game plan or the character of the team; I’m not sure which yet. But right now I can’t consider the Warriors the favorite to come out of the West, let alone win a championship.
They are still fun to watch. Can’t believe Thompson and Durant missed four free throws in a row in the fourth quarter. Hats off to Memphis, just lost to both LA teams, could have easily rolled over but really picked it up on defense. Sacramento next, have you been to this new arena folks have been raving about?
Not yet. We have tix in February when the Dubs come again. Looking forward to seeing it!
Yeah, those free throws were the difference. In fact, KD missed the first of his next two, so five in a row missed by KT & KD. The only guy making his FTs was…Zaza Pachulia.
From an outsider’s viewpoint: Steph was very careless with his ballhandling and took some very questionable shots late in the game. Felt like “hero ball” big time. Saw a lot of that with KD and Westbrook on OKC, and it’s rarely a good thing.
wow, tough crowd
I was rooting for the Warriors, but watching as a knowledgeable fan. Steph took some bad shots and made some poor ball handling decisions. He made some good shots too, and not every pass was bad, but I think he hurt his team late.
Yeah, a great game evolved into ultimately a bad game.
It’s funny–I had the opposite reaction. I thought KD’s play in the fourth quarter really hurt the team. He had at least three unforced turnovers, missed open shots, and missed three critical free throws. For the game, he was only 13/18 on free throws and went 0-5 on threes (four turnovers, same as Steph). On the second-to-last possession in regulation, he called for the ball from Steph and took a bad shot (more hero ball). Draymond actually was seen barking at him in the timeout afterwards. On the next possession, Steph did the hero ball thing, too, but overall, he scored 40 points, made 5 threes, and hit all his free throws.
I think they (KD and Steph) have an adjustment issue where they need to decide who’s in charge in crunch time.
I also blame Kerr, who inexplicably let Zaza play deep into the fourth quarter, which is where the real damage was done (16-0 run on Zaza’s watch). Kerr got rigid with his usual rotations (the “death lineup” comes in usually with 4-6 minutes to go) and didn’t respond in real time to what was happening. Also Iguodala has not been the same guy this season, and that’s hurting the “death lineup” look, too.
Yup. Curry looked visibly peeved during one the last possessions of the 4th quarter, when Durant was calling for the ball.
And Curry was having a terrific game. I thought he should have been in charge from the second he re-entered the game. He was the only guy making any field goals in the quarter, too.
Steve Nash needs to give the team a lesson in FT shooting. Good morning by the way.
The funny thing is that the Dubs are much better at FT shooting this year. Steph’s at 93%, Klay’s at 89%, KD’s in the high 80s, and even Zaza is at 82%. It’s a breath of fresh air to actually have a center who can shoot his free throws.
Good morning to you, as well!
I haven’t been following, but wow. Thought it was going to be easy street, but maybe that’s the problem – perhaps the players do too?
I think it’s more likely that it’s a “gel” issue. They turned over nearly half their roster this year, and the double whammy of adding Durant (who’s a great player, but he’s larger than life, and his presence has definitely affected Curry) and losing two excellent rim protectors in Bogut and Ezeli means that they really have to come up with different approaches to get some things done.
Overall, they’ve actually played better so far than I thought they would, but they still have a ways to go before they can hang with good teams in playoff series.
To quote the Giants faithful, It is all about the D. They really miss the intimidator Bogut
The Dubs’ overall D ratings are very good, but I hadn’t realized how excellent the tandem of Bogut and Ezeli was at rim protection. There are other ways to get it done, but against a team like Memphis, they really do miss Bogut. At this point, I can’t see how the Dubs would make it past Memphis in a seven-game series.
I just watched the game. They got smoked in the 4th quarter. They lost ball movement and settled for outside shots that no longer dropped. They had no inside game because they stopped ball movement. Add to the 3 early turnovers from Livingston and the missed Free throws by good free throw players makes for a quick turn in the scoring.
They have been interesting to watch. When Durant came on board I really thought he would sort of take a back seat to the leadership of Green and Currry, but the opposite seems to have happened. This *feels* like Durant’s team, which is kind of odd.
I just get this feeling that Draymond is the only one with the “eye of the tiger” on this team. Iggy used to, but something seems to be missing,
It’s funny. I used to watch the Warriors a lot more when they were struggling and even the first Kerr year. Now I might watch a few minutes, but I find myself getting well, bored. I did enjoy the Christmas game but when they got up 12-13 pts, I took the dog and went for a hike.
Come playoff time, I’m sure I’ll be fully engaged. Last yr, I was nearly hoarse after being in a bar watching game 6 against OKC. Watched every game of the finals.
Now I just feel strangely indifferent. I still want them to win but I just can’t get excited about watching. Not like baseball, where I’m usually all in for 162 plus.
My partner in crime on the other hand, watches every minute. I poke my head in and smile. She used to hate when I watched the W’s. She’s become a huge fan. She’ll even tape the games she can’t see live and watch from beginning to end.
I think its easier to root for the scrappy, “nobody believes in us” underdog. Its been so easy to root for and get behind these Giants teams because theres a sense that they are always overlooked and never considered one of the best teams in the league. I think it motivates the players, and motivates the fans as well.
The Warriors? Well, they are the elite of the elite. Everybody expects them to win, every single game. They are not the scrappy underdog but the massive juggernaut. Its a different vibe.
Must be it. I know they are going to be a 1-2 seed and so the Reg season feels like a warmup or exhibition.
Droll piece on “the undisputed king of good riddance.”
http://www.sfchronicle.com/college/jenkins/article/He-s-still-the-Lane-Kiffin-we-remember-10838468.php
Kiffin’s “track record” speaks for itself, but the fact that Saban’s next go-to guy is Sarkisian speaks of continued poor judgment. It’s been barely a year since Sark was such an out-of-control drunk that he had to be fired days before the Notre Dame game. I believe that it’s possible to get one’s life in order, but I don’t know that I believe it can be done that quickly. I wish him well as a person (especially for the sake of his children and the student-athletes relying on him), but I’m not going to be surprised if there’s another crash-and-burn before too much more time goes by.
Surprising to see him hire either of these guys. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
It’s amazing to me how Kiffin STILL keeps getting jobs.
The fact that any school in the country would give him a head coaching job at this point is just another sign that ‘developing’ student athletes is the last priority of college football.
Yes, but if I recall right he was able to induce Al Dave to use an overhead projector to explain why he fired him. A piece of strange Raider History.
For those who might be interested USA Today is starting a team by team analysis position, by position of MLB. It’ll start at the bottom of their ladder of team rankings and move to the top in installments. The Brewers begin it.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2017/01/05/team-report-brewers-rebuilding/96225518/
Lots of this going around
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/9c5a09d3d0430a7ab2ba53033d1a3fb5293e1dacaec33ddfb8464764b2aacb09.gif
Some wickedly funny political cartoons.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/opinion/editorial-cartoons/article124572719.html
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/2017-giants-offseason-news/surf-maui-guest-post-how-i-met-kruk-and-kuip-and-fck-the-dodgers/
Bless your Greek heart.