by
Greek Giant
With the news that Will Smith is having elbow problems bringing a nauseating feeling to my night out at a Cardinals-Astros Spring Training game, I am here to report that all is not lost for the Giants in 2017. The team has other options and they just may turn out fine, assuming the Fresh Prince is out for an extended period of time.
Today the Giants take on the San Diego Tony Gwynns at 1:05 Pacific Time.
Last night Surf Maui enjoyed our front row seats chatting with Cardinals and Mets fans, indulging in ballpark food and witnessing an exciting inside the park homer in the process.
I never knew Surf Maui could be so lethal in his banter:
Usher (to fan sitting next to us): Sir, your party was here earlier but they left without notice
Man: That’s funny. I’m used to women leaving me.
Surf Maui: Well maybe if you took a shower once in a while…
Jose Altuve was impressive, as was Jose Hernandez of the Cardinals. The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches was pleasant enough, despite its architectural conservatism that verged on the banal, just like its name.
Barry Bonds was just hired as some official representative in some front office role for the Giants. Whatever the position, it is great to have Barry back home.
Michael Morse injury may (unfortunately) make roster decision easier. Hopefully they can sign him to a minor league deal to allow him to heal, avoid taking a spot on the 40 man roster and give him some reps in left field in Sacramento when his hamstring improves. I want his bat off the bench, unless Barry Bonds decides to make a comeback on the field now that he is back on the Giants payroll. BTW it’s time to oficially retire his number.
Things are suddenly opening up for Justin Ruggiano or Hwang or Hill.
and isn’t Morse already on a minor league deal?
Yes he is, but the injury means they dont (unfortunately in my opinion) have to make a roster move to begin the season and he can rehab and get some left field time in the minors, since it is unlikely that anyone would sign him while injiured– though you never know
Shower wouldnt have helped that guy
Henry Schulman @hankschulman 27 seconds ago
Also just confirmed what others have said. Morse hurt his hamstring badly enough yesterday that he has no shot to make team. #SFGiants
Did Mac get hurt as well? Lefty’s post on previous thread said “bad news for Mac”. ??
I think he had a quad tightening issue. Nothing major or season ending.
Not serious, but probably enough to end the competition between him and Parker for the starting LF job. Bad timing.
Very sad.
But just possibly a silver lining? Instead of not making the opening day roster, and retiring, maybe an injury will open something up for him 6 weeks from now. Not that I want an injury, mind you, but this could put off a tough decision (for both sides) just long enough.
It could happen. Depends if he’s willing to spend time in AZ rehabbing and then time in Sac getting back up to speed rather than going home. We shall see.
Haak, you can go ahead and rip up my roster picks from yesterday.
Premature rosterbation?
Pav’s tweeted this:
‘Morse (hamstring) said to be out “a while.” Brutal break for him, he was on track to be on opening day roster.’
“break” is misleading. Would it be appropriate to say brutal tweak, pull, or tear?
Yeah. Is there a pill for that?
Sandpaper gloves
This reminds of a poor attempt at humor I thought to convey to you recently, but refrained.
The moment feels right:
Last week, I got a haircut. I had my barber dig up the latest SI, swimsuit/nipple shot issue. I perused through those glossy pages while Angel did his work. Angel likes to have Hannity on the radio in the middle of the day…
…boner killer.
At least little ones die quickly.
Who is to blame? The magazine or the Screaming Banshee?
Before you and Ryan made up, you were a lot funnier.
Be quiet, Franken
Al or Stein?
Al IS Stein
Since you didn’t say that in a reply to his comment, he’ll miss it and you’ll be stuck with your own Nostradamusoid picks.
I am waiting for your NEW roster picks.
This could be happening day-to-day all week for all of us.
Letting him off the hook? You make the rest of us reply to you. What? RD is teacher’s pet?
Shhhhh… I’m trying to polish this apple.
I know what you’re really trying to polish.
Thx for not letting me down.
Thing is… it CAN be done; I saw them do it on Mythbusters.
I’m NOT going to look for this on YouTube. I’m NOT going to look for this on YouTube. I’m NOT going to look for this on YouTube.
no need
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiJ9fy1qSFI&ab_channel=CoolBannanas13579
I hate you.
Arrrrggghhhhh!!! I’ll never get that 4 minutes and 38 secs back.
I’m sitting at a gate at the airport waiting for my delayed flight to board, and you two are keeping me entertained.
We’re just distracting you while TSA goes through your purse.
Hopefully NO PAT DOWNS
One the one occasion I was selected for a patdown, I told the officers, “can you hurry it up? I’m old, on a diuretic and I REALLY gotta pee. My underwear pad won’t hold all the pee I gotta get rid of.” They said they’d hurry. They did. I didn’t really have to pee, but I WAS wearing the pad. Hey I’m old, I take a diuretic and I’m old. Live with it. I certainly have to.
That’s always the goal.
Their attempt was bogus – It still cannot be polished
Truth denier.
Thanks for being my Enforcer because you are right except I took a look at my lunch break.
Smith pick must change (95% of us)
Morse pick must change (four of us)
I hope you’re giving us a countdown to submission. I plan to take every allowable second for my picks. I have Pick’s after all.
Haak, my 3/25 roster: I’ll go with the seven regulars (no LF) and four starters, plus Hundley and Gillaspie on the bench, as you set it up.
5th starter: Blach
LF: Parker
Bullpen: Melancon, Strickland, Law, Kontos, Gearrin, Osich, Okert.
Last three bench spots: Hill, Tomlinson, Ruggiano.
DL: Cain, Smith
Go to Sacto and rake, we’ll see you soon: Hwang and Arroyo.
Okay … got you down; changes are okay until March 25 is over. I just saw that Mac’s injury is “several weeks”. Changes.
Attababe, Bum.
I can’t be sure that I haven’t posted this item before, but I find this product both the most clever and the most ridiculously nerdy product line I’ve ever come across.
#InstantNerdWear
https://www.scottevest.com/index_first_visit.shtml
Is it still nerdy if you use all those pockets for weapons? I’m thinking nunchucks and ninja stars.
Off topic here.
For those of you who had children around the house in the 90’s, you probably watched Beauty and the Beast a few dozen times. The latest movie version is worth the overpriced ticket.
My daughter loved the animated version, but thinks the new one is even better.
I watched a Disney Jr. version the other day because my niece was a pepper shaker. It was so painful and then the songs were in my head for a few days. I will not be taking my kids to that movie, they will have to find some other sucker.
Cool. A lot of reviewers (mainly millenials and adults my age who were young to remember when the animated film came out) keep comparing it to the animated, despite contradicting themselves.
When I go into a remake of a movie, I try to keep an open mind and expect there will be differences to the original.
Hundley…boom…gone!
FedEx No More
Released or re-assigned?
Most likely he will be given his choice
Fed Ex is listed at Height 5′ 10″, Weight 215 lbs
LOL @ 215 – more like 275
Ok, Blach in for Bum after only 2 innings.
Should I be worried???
NO. that was the plan, Baggs tweeted .
No. Alex said this was planned (just two innings).
GRACIAS.
He didn’t get to hit?
Must be livid.
Counterpoint: Yes. That’s what we do (just two innings😳)
PANIC! (Not Joe.)
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e75faeed828fcdaf3d397da9d867d7b9e90eb9dea74671f274c86268c50663fc.jpg
8 pitches for Blach to get through inning. Nice.
Is this guy (Rizzo) in the Giants’ org?
SJ, voice of
I much prefer Joe to Doug Greenwald! Will he call the internet ST games from now on?
Commish Manfred…White Courtesy Telephone please….
You dumped the 4 pitch walk to save time @ LOL and now the ….World Baseball Classic sets a new Replay Review record for most video reviews over a two-inning span in just its first game of having full replay at its disposal, while tying an expanded Replay Review record for most reviews in a single contest.
http://www.closecallsports.com/2017/03/wbc-sets-new-review-record-in-1st-game.html
Barry and Jarrett http://www.knbr.com/2017/03/21/frandsen-bonds-arrival-will-benefit-jarrett-parker-the-most/
Vogey is not a Twinkie – granted his release
High School Football Coach Suspended After He Allegedly Put His D**k In A Hot Dog Bun And Showed Players
Where are the Myth Busters now?
*Matthew and the Chef will have some quips about this one. https://tinyurl.com/Dicky-in-a-Bun
I got nuthin
you mean like George on Seinfeld?
Rollins just slipped below .5 Mendozas.
Span has his average higher than Pence. Maybe I shouldn’t have thrown Span under the tractor in my 25man entry?
Damn….sometimes you gotta know when to call it a career.
It was still a nice story of hometown guy returning to play.
I really wanted him to join los Gigantes 2 years ago – but he went to the DOGERS! Now he’s 38 and obviously OTH. Time to hang ’em up, Jimmy.
A bit of good news to share. I heard back from The Sincere. All is well, he’s been taking a break from the blog to work on a few things, but will rejoin us shortly after the season begins. Good news for sure!
We are family… I got all my Sinceres and me.
Thanks TF. That guy can shred and has quite a closet full of axes and pedals and stuff.
All this machinery making modern music…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tq-UsaRchI
Atta babe. Practicing his 1-4-5 and pentatonics…wait…he’s a aolean, myxilodian guy
But are you practicing your modes?
Or digging into your tones?
True story…since my ladder fall (November), I’m only good for about 10 minutes a day on the Strat…neck issues ( age issues)… been put thru Insurance Hell…awaiting next set of MRI’s next month. So, I’m just holding on my minor pentatonics to backing tracks for now. Ughh
That sounds brutal. I’m sorry to hear that.
Yay, my buddy to dish old-school Astros with! 🙂
Yeah I was glad to hear from him a couple days ago and let him know he is missed. 🙂
NBA players who can draw the charge with uncanny frequency.
https://i.imgur.com/tMsyRJB.png
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-nba-player-whos-so-good-at-taking-charges-we-created-a-stat-for-him/
Hundley…BOOM…3 RUN SHOT! 4-2 Giants.
Roster locking hitting from him, right?
At least Brown can get that everyday playing time to more fully develop his game.
Meanwhile, Rollins can’t buy a hit.
Pay Crawford for one
Seems Hundley the only one hitting in the box score. As a somewhat wise guy on this blog has said:
suede goats
A career of solid mediocrity, with the bat, and behind the plate. Hard to believe he can sustain this.
as long has his peripherals are going the right direction it is a good bet he will atleast perform to his projections http://www.economist.com/blogs/gametheory/2015/03/baseball-statistics
I hope he exceeds projections, at least a little bit.
Did you already dissect that piece?
Sorry but it won’t display on my browser for some reason. I think it’s telling me I don’t have a subscription.
hmmm.. works fine on Chrome for me. Bummer. Google spring training and economist
Still flips me off when I google. But the search did turn up this one on the utility of ST. Turns out a few folks think to helps clarify pre season projections.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/spring-training-matters/
ill check that out. Try http://sabr.org/latest/rosenheck-spring-training-stats-matter-yes-they-do
OK. I agree. ST can be extremely useful. That “538” piece calculates as much as an 11 point TEAM OPS increase during the season can be revealed with a good ST. That’s, give or take, about 2 games to the win column.
that is very similar to the economist article.
I agree…. now that I read the sabr piece, if it maps on to the Economist article. I was interested to hear Jamie Moyer say, he thought ST could be longer on that Rangers/Giants broadcast last week.
Moyer said that? Huh. That i so contrary. There must be some context were missing to better explain that opinion.
His experience was another week or two would have improved his year when win/loss records make a difference. He did say ‘he was an outlier’.
Don’t backup catchers, by definition, have mediocre career numbers?
No, not for a whole career. Maybe at the end. This isn’t a vote of confidence in Trevor Brown for sure. Letting Hundley kick you to the curb isn’t a resume item.
I’m pretty happy we have him as our backup this year.
Let’s hope your right.
He is solid for a back-up catcher — I would argue most back-up catchers are below average and Hundley seems to be average.
OK.
Two words: fungible. Fungo. Something.
He always killed the Giants , a few years ago of his career HRs a 3rd were vs the Giants, he had a very good year with the Rockies in 2015, was injured most of 2016, you just do not like him , because he actually pulls the ball .
I was very happy they signed him. Glad they got Fed-Ex, too. Depth is good.
Look at his career numbers, he’s Joe average. BTW, if he’s on the roster, he won’t be playing the Giants, there you go, even more downward pressure on his numbers.
So… in other words, you don’t like him because he actually pulls the ball.
No, I neither like or dislike him. He’s a zero WAR stand in, his job I suppose…show up. I didn’t look at his spray diagram, so, to tell the truth, I didn’t realize he was a pull hitter. After looking at how many years he’s had a sub 100 RC+, maybe that explains it.
Sorry. I was playing Peter’s Advocate. I’ll stop.
LOL. Sort of the Peter Principle in action.
It’s hard to not throw gasoline on his fire.
i can never be sure where you stand on the topic of pulling the ball..
High school track stars are always tough to decipher.
Right handers hitting balls to Right Center Field ,does not play well at AT&T Park .
You guys all give PJ a hard time, but he is correct that RH pull hitters like Kent, Alou, Burks and others have had success at AT&T.
He IS correct. LF pull hitters have the easiest time hitting balls out at AT & T. I can say PJ is right even though he wants me to be exported to Russia.
When was THAT vote? The exported part.
I don’t think anyone wants a guy to not hit because he uses LF. It’s that contact and all fields hitting yields I higher OPS, by considerable.
Just landed in Seattle and saw that. LOL, Buster Who?
Pete J? Is that you?
Olney
Marrero hits a big boy blast. 5-3 Giants.
He’s certainly making a case.
Depends on what pitch he hit, and who he hit it off of, don’t you think.
And whether he pulled it!!
His teeth? How did you like my TO routine this afternoon?
I missed that. Should I be thankful?
LOL. It seems I failed.
Grrrrr… Now i feel like i have to scroll down and check it out.
He did, box score says HR to Left Field .
Whew!!!
With Morse hurt , he is the favorite
I’d say Hwang is ahead of him. But I’d rather have seen Marrero in left yesterday over Hill.
He has more Outfield experience, and has hit with more power, Baggs just tweeted the Giants want a right handed masher .
I think that I heard that Hwang can opt out if doesn’t make the team. If that’s true, he would be ahead of Marrero.
He was one of my original 25 — I based it off one AB.
Wow.
I’m an amazing scout! I knew he was a stud after reading about a walk-off homer in his first Spring game. Imagine how much the Giants could save if they let me make roster decisions from my computer.
You legend, you! 😉
I’d pay them. Do they take postdated checks?
I’m afraid Marrero is going to be another guy who can hit minor league pitching but can’t make it as an MLB hitter. He’s bounced around from team to team in his baseball career, but good luck to the guy. Here’s to proving me wrong.
I’m hoping Marrero is Morse with some upside, since he’s 28 as opposed to 35. But as you say he hasn’t proven himself at the MLB level, striving to shed the AAAA label!
How do you know, how many MLB at bats does he have, you need the opportunity to face MLB pitching before you can hit it !!!
I don’t know and that’s my point.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2osPEa0zCM
* If you want an answer, ask Heloise, ask me, you can even ask Jimmy the Cat, but don’t ask Neil Gorsuch. Not if you want an answer.
*Ty didn’t hurt himself. These days, that’s a win.
* Hundley is one of the reasons that I hope that we only keep 4 outfielders. Buster could play 1st more often and Belt plays LF.
I’m not opposed to this, I just don’t see them sticking Belt in left.
Well, I don’t want Belt sitting when Buster plays first. And what I want is the important thing.
That is the Chef we know and love-LOL
And I love my supporting cast.
Do you want Kelby playing any OF?
Emergency only. He might end up as the only reserve who can play the middle infield spots.
*”It’s not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing. It’s a matter of it being the law”.
Sounds like an answer. Sounds like what a judge is supposed to say. It’s not what politicians would want a judge to say.
I get you are the pinned-to-your-side ideologue. I get that you have a right to opinions. I get that people feel for you and give you rope for your many-times-a-day pinned-to-your-side opinions on a baseball blog, one which the host has asked nicely for us to avoid politics.
But your continued misrepresentations are tiring bullshit. I don’t agree with Bapah or CC or Lefty, but they show respect and continue to act adult. We can discuss. You can’t
Have a nice night…and listen to the Honorable Judge Gorsuch. You could learn a bit about adult communication skills.
FWIW, I thought Judge Gorsuch was fine. I have larger issues about that appointment being stolen from President Obama, and I also have issues about whether an administration under criminal investigation by the FBI ought to have a Supreme Court appointment acted on at all. But that’s separate from Gorsuch himself.
He’s obviously qualified and worthy–as was Merrick Garland, a guy the GOP would have been happy to support if they’d played things honorably. I actually would have more respect for Gorsuch if he said he wouldn’t consider a nomination until there was an up-or-down vote on Garland. Vote him down if you must, but Garland deserved better treatment than he got.
Which is a fine and defensible opinion…it was politics then ( and Garland deserved the chance) and politics now. This isn’t Gorsuch’s fault or problem.
I see nothing yet that disqualifies Gorsuch, unless his mother counts in the evaluation. Garland is water under the bridge, sunk cost, no matter how shabbily he was treated. Let’s see what happens with Gorsuch before you claim a=b.
Agreed–and whatever side was on either end of it would have screamed blue murder, and rightfully so.
He shouldn’t be confirmed in the last year of the current Presidency.
Well played, sir.
Judges are not supposed to comment on how they would expect to rule in cases that might come before them.
That was not the issue, He evaded almost all the tough questions about his past rulings and those of previous rulings by the court. . Did you hear any of the questions? Obviously not.He was all warm and fuzzy and puppy dogs,no substance
When we’re talking about who’s in and who’s out, it should be added “as of now”. This is still a very fluid situation. I’ll have to cite Heidi again- ” one day you’re in, the next day you’re out”
Make it work?
Peter Green from Mayal’s band.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5QUtdB2Kd8
Fleetwood Mac
The Great Gatsby.
Arrived at the Sheraton Seattle. It’s the conference hotel, across from the Convention Center, but I’m now a SPG Gold member, having status-matched from Marriott after the merger last fall.
Arrived to discover: 1) I got the “fast” check-in line 2) free wifi 3) checkout on Saturday extended to 4 p.m., 4) free drink at the bar 5) Upgraded king room with club lounge access!–free appetizers, breakfast, etc.! I’m now happily ensconced in the lounge, drinking an Oregon pinot noir* and eating munchies, and watching MLB Network, waiting for the game to start. (Oh, yeah, the opening plenary for the conference is right now, but you know–I started going to this conference as a grad student in 1988. I don’t do plenaries anymore.)
*from my previous trips to Seattle, I remember that you never, ever, ever see a California wine on a wine list here. Oregon, yes. California, never.
Anyway, all those goodies are billed at the conference rate, and I’m very happy with being a new SPG Gold member!
Check for cameras and microphones.
My25ManGuys™ 2017
Pick who will be on the 25-Man roster at season’s open.
Here are the obvious “Core 17”: … Updated now that Will Smith is out
Starters: Posey, Belt, Panik, Crawford, Nunez, Pence, Span
Bench: Hundley, Conor
Starting Pitchers: Bum, Cueto, Moore, Samardzija
Bullpen: Melancon, Kontos, Law, Strickland
Post the eight others you think will make it here in response to any HaakAway post.
No need to list all 25 unless you think one of these 17 will not make the 25-Man.
March 25 is the deadline for your final picks
*Questions? Write me at: My SF Giant Guy at g Mel d Ott com
Just for kicks, I’ll go with
Parker Marerro
Hwang KT
Cain Blach Okert Osich
Welcome aboard. I like it.
I’m resigning to the realization Matt Cain is most likely going to get the #5 spot in spite of my anxiety over that concern. Wait. He is going to be the #5. My only hope is he doesn’t dig such an early hole so as to avoid any let down and low energy that would result in a sure thing loss.
Whats a number 5, guy with a 5+ ERA and a FIP of 6. So far, that’s Cain (or his upside)
Buck up. Worst case,the season is lost by May. Best case, it’s over by May.
Also, in spite of ability.
In Duffman news, he still hasn’t played. Apparently can’t even run yet. Tampa Bay cursed him.
Is this still the Achilles, or something new?
Yep, same issue. He may be flying to consult the surgeon who did the surgery.
I was just going to post this..
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/rays-seeking-answers-on-matt-duffys-slow-rehab/2317338
Atta babe Buster!
buster pointed out that he was off the bag. he misses nothing.
this is good stuff, this baseball.
The Team USA uniform pants look like pajamas. They make every player look schlumpy and dumpy.
It’s the grungy sweat pant gray that brings the frump.
Visible panty lines, too. Ughhhh
That is some high def screen you are watching.
The multiple application of “VPL”!
Name that iconic movie!
Hey, I heard somebody said I liked you. What’s that all about?
Nevermind. Typically, I got that wrong, too.
If I were playing, I’d go retro and wear my uniform tight, like they used to, and with the high stirrups. But I’ve never been on the cutting edge of fashion.
And where the heck is Paul Goldschmidt?
Goldschmidt career WAR: 26.3
Hosmer career WAR: 5.4
2016 (a down year for Goldie):
Goldie: 4.8
Hosmer: 1.0
Hosebag.
Plus – he’s too smug. (Remember the “Dynasty” crap?)
I’d rather have Hosmer than Belt, better run producer
It would be a great story if he succeeds, and I’d love to see it, but everything Marrero has done up until this point suggests he’s not going to be able to be successful big league hitter.
If you compare Marrero’s 2016 AAA stats to those of Parker and Williamson, he has just as good of a case. His power numbers are very similar to Parker’s in 2015, but Marrero strikes out about half as much.
None of them really have a big enough sample size in the majors to predict how they’ll do, and they might all three be AAAA guys, when it comes down to it. I’m just saying it’s as logical to believe in Marrero as it is to believe in Parker or Williamson. It’s just that the latter two are homegrown and we’re more used to talking about them.
I agree with that. If the Giants could find even one real player out of those three, they will have done well.
They better find at least one, or they’re ewed-scray.
Ususally that works in the favor of the guy we don’t know as much about.
I think that I had read that Hwang can opt out if he doesn’t make the team. Do you know if that is true? If it is, he has to stay up or he’s gone. BTW, Marrero has over 100 Major League ABs without a HR.He last played in the bigs in 2013 but that’s still not a good sign. And he’s had only over 20 HRs 2 times in the minors, last year and in 2007. Looks to be a career minor league player, IMO.
Yes. He has several opt-outs in his contract if he doesn’t make the team. Here’s one article about it from the beginning of camp.
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/379718a867844e97ab2b090f8e63f3e7/hwang-hopes-impress-giants-crack-major-league-roster
He said at the time he’d consider going to AAA, but he doesn’t have to, and he might feel he’s had a good enough spring to shop his talents elsewhere.
Even if he tanks the rest of the way, he has shown enough that he’d look elsewhere if he goes down. Again that’s IMO.
I think so, too, and IMO, they shouldn’t risk losing him. He seems like he could give them a spark, and they sure seem like they may need one. They scored five runs today, all driven in by guys who will be on the bench and/or maybe not on the team. Yesterday, same thing–game-winning HR by Ryder Jones, up from minor league camp. The Giants’ regular line-up looks lackluster, and that’s being polite.
They REALLY need a spark. This team may tank without one.
Duvall was AAAA. Total bust.
Atta cutch….
Posey just missed that one (on the popup 3rd out).
THERE’s GOLDY!
Ughhhh, I don’t like seeing the guys playing in the rain, with the dirt sanded down and slippery…
nice mlb audition for the starter from Japan, whenever he’s eligible to come over, and if he wants to.
I was just telling someone he was going to be a good get for somebody’s staff.
He sure seems to have Arenado’s number. The Giants should offer him $37 million a year.
And I love that you can look up his stats on BR…
http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=sugano001tom
Great job packing the house, Dodger fans. Not. SMH
Strange. Wonder how much tickets cost?
Well, it IS raining. They’re not used to that.
Yup…they all went into their underground bunkers with freeze dried foods
Petco wasn’t very good either on the first night.
All around good baseball.
2 Japan misplays, two runs. And a home run for them.
Wow, how could I have been so wrong? You’re right, this is a shitty game.
Not a matter of being wrong. Pressure on those plays. Japan is so dependent on execution.
One out and tied, I might have sent him
Crawford looks fat and slow. But maybe it’s just the pants.
He didn’t look slow in the replays, but he does look a little tubby. Maybe the pants.
Never a good thing, for someone approaching 30.
Even worse, approaching 67. More difficult to shed.
As long as he can hit, field, and throw, it’s all good.
True that….
Whippersnappers
He’s running in mud….
The rain adds 10 lbs.
Our closer is gettin’ ready.
Seems like the K zone is a little bit inside this WBC.
They showed that inside pitch from the top and it ticked the inside corner. Aoki always try to camp on the plate.
Was that a pitch count thing, or a diss of Melancon?
I sure hope it was a pitch count thing for a RP with a brand new team who just signed a record contact. Otherwise it’s a pretty big slap in the face.
Maybe don’t walk the winning run? Although it seemed almost intentional
Kra – I say, ‘who is care’? This game means nothing.
I agree, I’d prefer he threw few pitches. Just surprised he got yanked for Pat Neshek. I have a hunch that won’t happen when he’s wearing the orange and black (not the Dutch variety).
Leyland claimed in an interview after the game that he felt Melancon “didn’t have it,” thus the quick hook.
Neshek? They don’t have someone better to go to in this spot against a power LH?
Don’t laugh, Gregerson.
All in all, that’s a terrible staff.
Vasgersian got completely fooled. It wasn’t close.
He fooled me before the camera called him out.
he’s awful..
He got me too but you need to look at the outfielder. McCutchen didn’t have to move.
and the swing and where the ball met barrel – didn’t look like anything close. his reaction was pretty special.
Because of MV, I first thought “oh no, he just got Morsed again,” but the heavy wetness knocked it down!
it’s kind of his M.O., right?
I know most people don’t like him but I don’t mind him. He knows his stuff, and while obnoxious at times, can be funny with a dry sense of humor occasionally. But he does get fooled on fly balls more often than he should.
Another Vasgersian standard that he way overuses: “on both sides of the scorecard”.
Vasgersian is confused on most pitches.
Santa Maria
lol I almost forgot about the “Santa Maria!” calls. He was the Padres play by play guy for a period while I was living in SD. I heard that phrase more than I cared to.
How did he use the phrase?
He most often used it when somebody hit a big HR late in a game, especially a walk off. I remember he used it for a couple of different Ramon Hernandez (former Pads catcher) HRs, one of them was a GS.
That sounds bush-league. Thanks.
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z44Zz1UU_FQ
2014 NLDS, Game 4 vs. Washington. Pence slams into the RF fence to catch a shot off Jayson Werth. I think Matt V. pulled a groin muscle with that “Santa Maria!!”
Brisbee, re Will Smith:
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2017/3/21/15006994/will-smith-giants-mri-gulp
I know the Gints coughed up a lot for him. And he was supposed to be Affeldt 2.0. But all that was conjecture, and he did nothing last season to prove out that theory.
Affeldts don’t grow on trees. Los Gigantes should adjust to this injury and move on. Perhaps they have RH relievers who can get outs against LH hitters? Zounds.
Smith was absolutely awesome the last 6 weeks of the season. He gave up like nothing. Weren’t you following baseball then?
Small sample size. How many innings are your talking about. Bochy didn’t use him when it mattered, irrc.
From August 23 until the end of the season, Smith pitched in 17 games, 12.2 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits (all singles), 19 strikeouts. He was fantastic. Bochy’s failure to use him in important situations when things were completely falling apart was perhaps his most obvious mistake with the bullpen last year.
Will Smith is a quality relief pitcher. He would have been the Brewers closer in 2016 if not for a freak injury. When he joined us last year, he stumbled a bit at first, and Bochy typecast him as a LOOGY and showed little if any confidence in him. He IS Affeldt 2.0, a younger and better version IMHO. Now we probably have to wait more than an entire season to reap the benefits of his pitching.
I agree that he’s a real quality pitcher (although it’s pretty disconcerting to see him injured again after what happened last year with the Brewers), and like Affeldt he has no lefty-righty split, but I think he should be used differently from Affeldt. Affeldt was the ultimate GUOOTMY (get-us-out-of-this-mess), the guy you bring in in the 6th or 7th inning when your starter has loaded the bases with nobody out and a one-run lead. He had balls of steel, he was just an incredible pitcher when one slight false step would change the game, he didn’t give hitters anything to hit (though he didn’t strike out many), and he was a double-play machine. Smith is just as good but in a different way, he gets a huge number of strikeouts but he sometimes takes a little while to find his control, he’s better off starting innings as a set-up man or closer.
Good night folks. Don’t worry, be happy. But not too much. Have to have some in reserve if things don’t go well
Eric Hosmer in his 6 seasons & 3722 PAs: .277/.335/.428/.763 with 175 2Bs, 15 3Bs, 102 HRS & 472 RBI;
Brandon Belt in his 6 seasons & 2698 PAs: .272/.359/.460/.818 with 154 2Bs, 24 3Bs, 80 HRs & 318 RBI.
I just told Lefty I’d rather have Hosmer any day. Sure as hell will produce more runs.
Belt has out performed him in most areas. Hosmer has a taken a much higher percentage of his career ABs in the heart of the order than Belt, where there are going to be more opportunities to drive in runs.
Hosmer with RISP: .284/.360/.432/.792
Belt with RISP: .266/.365/.443/.808
Not a big difference.
TRUE….
I’d rather have Hosmer, I hate Belt.
Why?
It was a bit much I agree, it was in jest.
With the demonstrated quality of your thought process, that’s actually a vote in Belt’s favor.
And there you have it. You “hate” an All-Star first baseman, a two-time World Series champion, on your supposed OWN TEAM. That just doesn’t make sense. I have my favorites on the Giants, but good grief, I don’t “hate” any of them. What an odd thing to say.
Yeah that was too strong I agree, I was laughing as I typed it for the dramatic effect.
Let’s just say he’s not my fave.
Remember his generalizations about ‘people from north carolina’. Efrain loves to hate.
89% of Hosmer’s PAs have come in spots 2-5 in the lineup. Only 53% of Belt’s PAs have come in those spots.
You’d rather have Shea Hillenbrand than Belt. It has nothing to do with talent.
Shea Hillenbrand–wow!! good one
I don’t care for RHed first basemen.
Perhaps Leyland doesn’t either. You two are two peas in a pod.
How kind. Leyland is a great baseball mind and a wonderful human being. I can see you also have a wonderful eye for character and knowledge.
I also think of you as a pirate, peg leg and all.
I have a parrot, named George.
He sometimes makes comments for me here without my knowledge.
Hosmer has tremendously improved the last two years and I believe is younger. Belt is a tremendous player, but I think Hosmer is better. If the point is that the perception is Hosmer is a superstar and Belt is just a guy then I agree with you that they should be looked at as very similar players.
Superstars don’t hit .277. Too early for that, altho I’m sure he’s on board.
I don’t think Hosmer is a superstar. I think maybe TO was implying Hosmer is perceived that way and Belt is just a guy. I think they’re very even players but I think Hosmer is slightly better. Belt is awesome too though, Giants are very fortunate he’s their 1B.
Actually Hosmer had a very good 2015 and a very mediocre 2016. Belt’s 2016 was much better than Hosmer’s. So I’d say he improved and then regressed.
Hosmer’s wRC+ for 2016 was 101, or barely league average. Belt’s was 134. Hosmer’s Fangraphs WAR was -0.2. Belt’s was 3.9.
Tremendous? Nice player but tremendous?
More than 1000 more PAs…Belt being yo-yoed in 2011 and injured in 2014.
Always an excuse for Belt
Ummm…I believe it’s “math”, not “excuse”.
😉
Belt is an all-around better player, and it’s not especially close. Your bias makes you lose credibility. His defense is better by any metric. His OBP, SLG, and OPS are a lot better than Hosmer’s, and their BAs are practically the same. With the same # of PAs, he’d have more HRs than Hosmer, even playing in worst park for lefty power hitters in the majors.
Hate him if you like, even if he’s on YOUR team(!), but don’t pretend it’s based on anything rational.
Credibility? When did he ever have credibility?
I’m throwing his words back at him. He’s always sneering that we have no credibility because we’re “biased” towards Giants players, and we should put on our cheerleader outfits and grab our pom-poms. I’m just saying it cuts both ways. He’s so full of blind hatred towards Belt he can’t acknowledge that Belt is a fine baseball player. It’s pretty hypocritical when he’s always accusing the rest of us of doing the same thing.
Kinda like accusing all of us as being racist, while being a racist himself.
↑↑↑
I’m not convinced it’s actually his team.
Me either.
Hosmer is an incredible clutch hitter. He seems to be one of those very rare hitters who really do perform better when the game is on the line. I might take Hosmer over Belt but not because I hate Belt.
…unless you consider racism rational.
1000 less ABs……..and almost 50 more strike outs.
I laugh what “great eye” Belt has at the plate. Surely for seeing the ball called third strike without a swing 😂😂😂
His career OBP is 30 points higher, though. A strikeout’s just an out, so what?
A strikeout is in many situations–especially important situations with men on base–worse than other outs because it can’t move a runner along. On the other hand, Belt makes up for the strikeouts to a large extent because he hits into so few double plays (wGDP of 10.9 since 2012, #1 in the majors).
He has an incredibly good eye with regard swinging at pitches which are in the strike zone (Z-swing%) and not swinging at pitches which are out of the strike zone (O-swing%)–(78.9%-25.5%=53.4%–that’s the biggest difference in the majors by far). His rate of swinging at pitches in the strike zone was the 6th highest out of 203 players with 400+ PAs last year, so it is completely wrong to say that he takes too many pitches which are in the strike zone. His problem is that he misses the ball too often when he swings.
Unfortunately a better eye than the home plate umpire
Bob would have many more walks with a Robo-ump.
nice!!!!!
lol folks dont wanna add that comparison but you just did !!!
Right!!!!?? that’s always their excuse. By that logic, Chris Carter has the best eye in the game! lol
Lmao if Carter was our guy theyd push him and his wonderful eye out of town! Belts decent and thats about it !
Awesome!!!
Nice….fun game
I tried to say that earlier and I got schooled. Be careful.
Thanks for the warning. “Careful” isn’t a foundational attribute of mine
USA came to play. This matters. They may be feeding on the energy and enthusiasm of the other teams. The top two teams of this tourney going head to head will be pretty cool to watch.
It’s good stuff.
One thing good to have emerged form this whole WBC thing is the world has gotten to see and admire #35’s skills on the field under a much more detailed lens. Leland and his staff seem justifiably impressed. There are others that have impressed me, as well. It isn’t all as much a waste as I first thought.
Potential MVP if they win it all.
RE: Belt vs. Hosmer, you guys can have it both ways.
Who do you want generating more WAR production over the course of a season? Belt.
Who do you want batting in the middle of the lineup in the postseason or WBC tournament? Hosmer
everyone’s happy
Who hit the game-winning HR in the 18th inning that turned the 2014 postseason?–Belt. He had a very fine 2014 postseason–and a better World Series than Hosmer did when their teams were playing each other. So that dog doesn’t hunt, either.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beltbr01.shtml#all_batting_postseason
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hosmeer01.shtml#all_batting_postseason
if Belt were to attain consistency from month to month and AB to AB, he’d be a superstar on the level of Joey Votto. Still plenty good though. You never know, he could just make the connection and then one of those magical, statistical seasons happens.
Smug dog also slid head-first into 1B in the 7th game (3rd inning?), and made Joe Panik a household name. Way to go, meat.
Smug Dog–I love it!
I just put in my new Slap Shot blu-ray, which I snagged out of the Walmart discount bin. Definitely in my top 5 all time sports movies.
My Top 5
1. Bad News Bears (70’s)
2. Hoosiers
3. The Natural
4. Breaking Away
5. Miracle
I’ll go:
1. Hoosiers
2. Breaking Away
3. The Natural
4. Rocky
5. Vision Quest
6. Slap Shot
I guess it wasn’t in my top 5.
NO–Field of Dreams is the greatest movie ever made– though its not really a sports movie
I’m with you on that one!
I’m so glad that there is finally someone here not prone to hyperbole.
never
Strange Brew
1. Rocky
2. Hoosiers
3. Bull Durham
4. Brians Song
5. The Natural
Heck Remember The Titans, The Blind Side, Field of Dreams, He Got Game, Coach Carter…. All before Slapshot
The Hansen brothers. The best.
Melinda Dillon. The better.
Wonderful scene with Coach.
[clears throat]
Finally we agree on something.
Congratulations on being right. I’m very happy for you.
It’s a great honor.
Belt vs hosmer is very hard to evaluate because both players are hard to evaluate. Hosmer is one of those very rare players who really do hit much better in the clutch–just check out his high-leverage career stats–and his fielding stats vary wildly depending on the criteria used. Belt is, in the words of a recent fangraph article, the weirdest offensive player in baseball.
Belt is better than Hosmer. And I’m very hard on Belt. I think he’s very underrated and will have a break our year soon. I don’t think Melon head has ever liked him so that might way on him.
I personally am not so sanguine about smith’s injury. This sucks. Law has his own health issues, gearrin has been lousy, and i have learned not to depend on strickland.
That’s not helpful. What have you learned, kimo-sabe?
What have i learned from last year? Need you ask?
From you. Nothing.
Where did that come from??
What’s wrong with Law? Occasional elbow flare up?
All of a sudden, Steven Okert has a lot of weight on his shoulders. Maybe the Giants should have pursued that additional Craig Breslow type lefty. Something to be said for depth.
Law went on the DL in late August, right as Casilla imploded for good. As well as Law had been pitching, he could have been a legitimate option then. Plus he’s had TJ surgery, so you always worry a little bit.
Strickland with TJ Hx as well, among others. As long as Law throwing well right now, no worries, other than the prerequisite concern for all pitchers.
Yes, but longer in the past for Strickland, and he hasn’t had injuries since, at least not that we know of. I believe Osich also had TJS in college, and Kontos did while he was in the minors. Gearrin, too. But Law’s is the most recent.
I sort of agree with Footy, but I’ll be more concerned about DLaw if he starts racking up a lot of early season innings.
Law’s prone to injury when he waves a rally rag too hard.
Just kidding. 😉 it was delightful seeing how excited he was last year.
He’s definitely one of my favorites.
Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln…
I don’t think any of us are sanguine. It’s a huge loss.
These, aside from the Smith injury, are reasons why I didn’t like Bobby E. just standing pat when it came to shoring up the bullpen with a veteran reliever. Great move with getting Melancon, yes, but that doesn’t change that you still have the same people there minus 3 relievers from last season.
I confess to not seeing this coming. I thought things were going to be great there this year.
Evans likes the young relievers in the Giants system, just did not like how Bochy used them, if he signed more veteran relievers Bochy would never give the young relievers a chance to develop .
Perhaps Bochy leaning on his vets is due to the thinking of a winning now mentality.
Stroman gets the start for Team USA. Seth Lugo for PR.
Goldschmidt isn’t the only one getting short shrift on ABs. Daniel Murphy only has 6 ABs.
Posey and Crawford lead Team USA in OPS, followed by Hosmer and Yelich, all >.900.
Three inches of rain here in the last 24-hours. #MeAndMyRainForest
Osich will get a few more IP to be sure he is ready and I think he can do it.
0.3 inches yesterday. Enough to give the grass a little drink and water my newly planted asparagus. More showers possible today and Friday, but not much. Need to stroll out into wet grass and check last expecting cow, Lily…
It seems to have petered out as it got down my way. I’ve always liked Hawaii’s weather just a tad more. [That was sort of a useless statement, wasn’t it?]
Agreed. Not all Rain Forests are created equal.
Cold brewing a Guatemalan from 4500 feet … that Lulu Carpenter brand; “Cultivars: Bourbon, Caturra, Orange Blossom, Canteloupe, Honey”. It was the freshest roasted they had. I am ignorant but is this one of those blends you have mentioned?
Taking it on my Road Trip to ST tomorrow.
Is it a blend? Or is it a specialty roast? I’m not as fond of blends for brewed coffee, but espresso is ofttimes aided by blending beans with different characteristics.
The freshest roasted are often markedly better than roasts of several day’s age. It’s the reason I only buy half-pound quantities and keep them in sealed glass jars.
Had a miserable morning trying to clean my grinder. I feel shame for how clogged I found the workings as I broke it down.
[May have to reload to see edits.]
If I understand “cultivar” right then this bean is a hybrid. It is called “Finca Joya Grande”.
Yes, but it is a single bean. Genetic “blends” (or hybrids) can be applied to nearly every modern bean from around the world.
One of my nephews has a small business of raising and selling Renaissance Bulldogs that go back to the non-hybrids. Trying to go back to our Origins; uglier dogs are hard to find though.
They were all wolves once.
Good thing they hibernated on the Ark or Noah’s rabbits never would’ve made it.
They started with two rabbits and ended with so much rabbit stew, no one could stomach any more.
Do they sit Posey tonight?
Probably, but he could DH; just not sure he’s the better choice. I think it’s “all-in” for Jim tonight.
it was mentioned last night that lucroy would get the start.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that detail. It’s Lucroy’s turn behind the dish. Sticking with the plan.
I wonder if they have a deal with the Giants that Buster doesn’t catch back-to-back games. Otherwise, it’s odd that you wouldn’t play one of your two top hitters in the final game.
Could he get to AZ by 1 pm to catch Cain? I’m sure Matt would appreciate it.
Don’t tell Peter but USA losing now is the best of all worlds:
Crawford and Posey got to be visible as the stars they are.
The Giants get their full team back for this final week of camp when the “Moving Pieces” are multiplying daily. Enuff!
One more day, Haak. I felt that way earlier. Now, I’d just like to see them kick PR’s ass. Blond punks.
Although, no matter who wins, it will be an American victory.
Oops … now I see it; last game win or lose.
Go USA!
My timing is good for seeing ST Thursday, Friday, Saturday then.
Did Angel Pagan die his hair? My money is on “no”, but had to ask.
I think it’s more bleaching than dye. But, yes, he bleached his hair.
Thanks!
Por nada.
why is he tired?
rumor has it the DBack asked for Goldy’s playing time be handled gingerly. They are relying on him too much to risk any injuries before the season starts.
Great quote by Pavs.
“It’s weird watching Crawford go through a handshake line without trying to turkey tap Belt.”
Yesterday while working in Sacramento i drove past a high school baseball game so i stopped and watched for 5 minutes or so in the rain might i add and i was pleasantly surprised to see how many young black boys were playing and it warmed my heart so much!! Hopefully this is the start of a new trend because back in the day baseball was played by blacks on a regular basis, really nice to see.
I do believe that the potential #1 overall pick in this year’s draft is a So. Central Los Angeles prep pitcher who so happens to be A.A.
Name?
Hunter Greene
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2017/3/1/14766552/2017-mlb-draft-profile-hunter-greene-rhp-sherman-oaks-california
A black player named Hunter?
Better keep this to myself.
To someone who grew up cheering for Mays, McCovey, Hart, and B. Bonds, Sr., it really is demoralizing.
Speaking of loogies,
would Javier Lopez consider coming out retirement?
I’d like to see him coach some young lefties, especially on how to strut.
I had the same thought. He’s only been retired for what, a few weeks?
You know he’s in shape.
Nah he’s retired at a good time. Let him ride off into the sunset.
Plus, I can’t bear hearing Miller using that dumb nickname, “Night Train.” Still have to hear the other dumb nickname, “Professor” for Crawford.
Marty Lurie calls Ron Wotus “the Professor”–he interviews him every weekend. It gets confusing. Makes more sense with Wotus, though–professor of the Infield 101 class.
The Giants will bring someone in as soon as they can make a trade. Remember they were kicking the tires of a bunch of RP up until the start of ST. They’ll bring in a RP and a LF/CF during the season and have some SP to deal. Given how many teams have a dearth of quality starters, the Giants can be in a position to trade from strength instead of desperation.
The Neural Hierarchy
“Your nervous system utilizes three systems to orient you in your environment.”
In order of importance.
1- Visual
2- Vestibular
3- Proprioceptive
For baseball these are all even more important.
For those not familiar with, or that may have missed previous lectures…proprioception is knowing (without looking) where all your limbs are and the position of all your joints. This is incredibly important to developing (and maintaining) baseball skills. Vestibular is balance. This is the one that is haunting me. BCraw’s is spectacular.
Vestibular … troubles
MrsHaakAway from auto accident 30 years ago.
Friend recently and it is traced to Meniere’s
Sorry to hear this.
Sorry to hear of her troubles. It is a demoralizing development for someone that has always had pretty good balance. Mine’s just age-related. The clumsiness, I’m told, has always been a problem of mine.
Ballistic movements are one of those “supremely necessary” for playing baseball. It is also one of those things that mark the end of a career when they go. Some call them “rapidly executed motor programs” It’s a real pain in the ass when you can’t count on them anymore. You hear that JRoll?
I’m sorry to preach about yoga – but you know practicing standing balance poses will bring back some of your loss of balance. Maybe not all, but it’s awesome damage control for aging. Plus, it’s fun. Just my 2 pesos.
I might need an instructoress, but I’m willing.
That would be a bonus!
More like a prerequisite.
There’s no shortage of them. Find a class and sign up for a month, go as often as possible. Then see what you think.
thank you for the new term. never heard propioceptive before.
Makes sense as “propio” in Spanish implies self or ownership.
Proprioception is one of those critically essential “senses” that are little known and universally ignored, except by neurobiologists and athletic trainers and coaches.
my bad – proprio, which is latin or Italian for “own”
Not bad in any sense.
I will. You’ve convinced me that doing something is better than doing nothing. I’m already good at the latter.
Bap – it’s becoming known in the yoga world – and important in the real world for ‘catching your balance’ and body control. I like to think of it as moving like a cat – if you trip good proprioception allows you to snap back, or at worst fall gracefully – then get up and, like a cat, act like you meant to do that all along.
Balance and proprioception are two different things. My proprioception is very good, my high-wire abilities are lacking.
I can fall gracefully, but tipping over is a bit of an embarrassment.
I know. Stand with your feet lined up, heel-to-toe, and close your eyes for 5 breaths. Then slide the other foot in front, like you’re on a balance beam, keeping your eyes closed. Do it 2X, and see where your feet are when you open your eyes. Great practice!
How about if I just get a pint of beer, and practice drinking while standing on one foot?
That sounds like an appropriate modification. But you gotta do both sides, so drink slowly.
You don’t do that already? I’ve been working on Beer-associated workouts for years.
This is not to say one player is better than the other, but rather just for the purpose of reinforcing John Myhill’s statement about clutch performance – which as a fan you think of as big hits at critical junctures, but in fangraphs-speak, is the ratio of performance in high leverage vs. all other situations. In other words, if a guy always gets hits, regardless of situation, his “clutch” metric won’t tell you much about his performance in big situations.
In high leverage situations (from fangraphs, viewable on player page under splits):
Brandon Belt – 332 PA .274/.369/.394, 12.3 BB%, 25.9 K%, 115 wRC+ (pretty good)
Eric Hosmer – 373 PA .315/.394/.495, 12.3 BB%, 13.7 K%, 136 wRC+
(very good)
BTW, Belt is very good in medium leverage situations, 139 wRC+.
What’s medium leverage ?
Somewhere between high and low. Maybe first inning AB. Maybe a 5th inning AB with the Giants leading 4-2.
“What’s a medium leverage situation ?”
“Somewhere between high and low.”
Awesome exchange.
Leverage refers to how much the results of an at bat contributes to the likelihood that a team is going to win the game, depending on the score, inning, outs, and baserunners. For example, when Mike Morse came to the plate in the 8th inning of game 5 vs. St. Louis, the Giants were behind by 1 run with no one on base and no outs in the 8th inning, they had a 28.57% chance of winning the game and the leverage index was 2.14. After the home run they had a 63.17% chance of winning the game. When Ishikawa came to the plate the next inning with the score tied and men on 1st and 2nd with 1 out, they had a 74.36% chance of winning the game and the leverage index was even higher, 4.13. You can check it out here: https://gregstoll.dyndns.org/~gregstoll/baseball/stats.html#H.0.9.1.4
Just to be a bit of a gadfly here, can you run something like that for Bumgarner versus Kershaw? I suspect it is harder to compare “high leverage” for pitching than hitting, but I will never forget Madison’s 7th game relief job.
Kershaw has great regular season numbers in all situations , it’s the Post season where he has had problems mostly in late innings ,7th inning are later, mostly vs the Cards .
Yeah, we really oughta hire somebody out of STL to figure out what they do against Kershaw.
Of course, Barry Bonds faltered in his first few post seasons, so I’m being a bit unfair to Kershaw (which doesn’t bother me in the least!).
And the Cubs last year. He lost their elimination game in the NLCS.
And Opie’s various post-season flameouts.
Interesting how we view it.
If Kershaw keeps this up he is a HoF lock;
If Bum keeps up his level, he will be borderline HoF. [Unless he gets another WS MVP and then being freshly retired he would have the factor of those performances on his side. But those will fade with time and Kershaw’s stats will stand taller with time.
Funny thing about bias works.
There are pitchers in the HOf that have very little post season stats, if any. Kershaw’s season stats speak for themselves, post season issues or not.
Just as there are pitchers with marginal stats that have dominated the post season. Does Livian Hernandez deserve to be in the HOF? No right?
the easiest way is just to examine postseason for those two. case closed.
the above does not take into account postseason, which I linked for the two batters below.
but will do, for you, 610.
Kershaw, high-lev: 528 total batters faced, opponents batted .189/.260/.306 against him.
Bumgarner: 394 TBF, .207/.252/.357
As expected, both extremely tough in tight spots.
Closer than I might have thought, actually. To Bapah and Haak, too, it seems to me that HOF requires a long and productive career, and then some flash. WS rings are in Bumgarner’s possession. A number of one hitters, but so far, no no-hitter. Fewer wins, but Bumgarner seems gracious not to hit out at his relievers when they blow a game. Both pitchers are great, but right now, Kershaw’s got less of the ‘bling’ – do I remember two no-hitters?
Bum is only 27 with six full seasons.
Barring injury, he has six more descent seasons, ends up with 200 wins, under a 3.00 ERA and close to 3,000 K’s. In these days those stats would get the HoF I think. Then you add in the post-season and he has even a better chance.
i’m pretty sure that opie only has one no-no, ST
Oh, and thank you for looking it up!
That seems to be a common thread for those that have had the luxury of grad students and post-docs.
Fangraphs’ Clutch isn’t a reliable statistic for starting pitchers, and the same is true of anything based on WPA/leverage–it depends too much on manager’s decisions when to pull a starter and who else the team has to relieve him. A starting pitcher who pitches 8 brilliant innings but then loses a 1-run lead in the 9th because he’s tired but the manager either doesn’t notice it or doesn’t trust his bullpen is going to get a lousy WPA score (things like this happened to Bumgarner a few times last year). Postseason data give too small a sample size to be statistically significant.
The Clutch metric is not exactly the same thing as hitting better in the clutch. It is based on WPA and this means that hitters with a small number of walks and strikeouts will do better at Clutch that hitters with a lot of these independent of their batting average in high/medium/low leverage situations. The Giants’ Clutch strength in their championship years was more the product of free swinging than traditional ‘clutch’ hitting.
You will notice Belt and Hosmer have the same BB%, but Belt has almost Double the K% as Hosmer .
What are you talking about?
Belt Hosmer
Career BB% 11.3% 7.9%
2016 BB% 15.9% 8.5%
Career K% 24.0% 16.4%
2016 K% 22.6% 19.8%
C’mon, at least check before you make claims like this.
that’s right, Clutch is function of WPA and leverage index.
But as a fan or coach we know what a clutch baseball player looks like. No stats needed
True. You know who you want up in a big spot – which is usually the guy that is going to put the bat on the ball and hit it hard somewhere – as would your best or #3 hitter.
You know everything ,the rest of us are just clueless .
That wasn’t, at all, necessary.
Yeah it was, us Coaches crap gets old .
READ what was written.
Stats prove things, Coaches opinion is only an opinion .
I give up. “as a fan or coach” You just keep compounding the impression many have of you.
What happened ? Too much time indoors. You say stuff that you say I said that I never said.
During ONE game – when there are 25 players in each dugout and both coaching staffs in both dugouts and 40K people in the stands the EYE test will tell “you” who is the clutch player in the majority of situations.
Given that hitters lose 7 out of 10 battles with any pitcher.
It isn’t true. I look at basically every game but sometimes I’m surprised when I look at clutch data.
Hitters lose 7 out of 10 battles with any pitcher.
In any other sport say a QB who could only hit his wide receiver 30% of the time would be out of the game.
The soccer player that could only score on 30% of his free kicks = bye bye
In the NBA if you climb a ladder two mens basketballs – if you take down the net – will fit through horizontally together – thus 30% would be garbage.
MLB is the only sport that takes the 30% and converts it to .300
that’s always been my issue with Belt, I understand he has good skills, but he is a metrics monster that never actually materializes? Why? Is it the Park? Sure Belt is the best sample an agent could show a Free agent LH hitter WHY NOT to sign with SF.
Is it approach? On the blog people love to say he has a better eye than the umps. Maybe so but that is a lame excuse in the end. The name of the game is to produce runs. Is it his approach. I criticize Belt because I see way too many periods of lack of production and lack of aggressiveness. Add to this, that where he hits in the lineup (usually) calls for run production. On a great hitting team he would be great as a 6/7 hitter, but on the Giants they need him in the 2-4 slots. Not going to produce runs with the bat on his shoulder looking at a called 3rd strike.
Just keep in the spot where he has the best chance to succeed and does the most for the team’s offense. In my opinion, which is supported by batting order optimization calculations, Belt is a great fit for the #2 spot.
Let him get on base at a 38% rate, hit doubles, and do his part to get the line moving. Ideally the guys hitting behind him drive in the runs. Giants may very well be in need of a legit #3 or 4 hitter. Someone like JD Martinez could fit the bill at the trade deadline. Although Lorenzo Cain would be my first choice.
good observation, the Giants do lack a true cleanup hitter. That’s why so many constantly criticize and don’t appreciate the full value of Posey, who is not a #4 but HAS TO BE on this team. Specially now that Pence’s best days are well past him.
The only thing about batting Belt #2 is that Panik does so well there. Opens up a whole other discussion.
If Span struggles, bat Panik leadoff. Hard to place Panik if Span 1 and Belt 2.
3? 6? 7?
8? 9 when Bum pitches, maybe even Smarge. loz
I agree with you to you up to a point. I don’t like the effect Belt has on the team because of his lack of aggressiveness. It’s difficult to find a good place for him in the lineup. He isn’t good at the top of the order because he isn’t a very good baserunner. He isn’t good farther back in the order because of his lack of aggressiveness–I don’t think the problem is so much striking out with men on base but rather walking (especially with two outs) and passing the buck to someone else. He’s very good at what he does but he isn’t flexible. On the other hand, he’s clearly a pretty good hitter and capable of being great for extended periods, and I don’t think it would help to tell him to be more aggressive.
He isn’t a very good baserunner? Where the hell have you been?
Belt is probably best at 2nd position because of OBP.
Belt at 2nd position with a strong base stealer at lead off would be good because Belt takes pitches to guard the plate. The base stealer gets more pitches to work his skill and Belt gets better pitches because of the threat of the base stealer.
Working walks high in the batting order is better than lower in the batting order because 3rd and 4th are stronger hitters while 6th, 7th. 8th position hitters are progressively weaker.
That said I prefer a Panik at his best at 2nd potion and Belt at 3rd with my annual hope for Belt tot have a career year that establishes a new level of play through Belt’s prime years.
There are clutch “performances”, the “clutch hitter” notion is a myth. Even if you buy the myth, 300 or 400 PA is an absurdly SSS to make any judgement.
It’s a larger SS than 100 PAs, that much I know. It’s also “getting there” if you catch my drift.
Guy you want at the plate is the guy seeing the ball well and hitting it hard. But if he’s seeing it and hitting it too well, he’ll just get walked. The perfect guy was Marco Scutaro. He was on fire but nobody was going to walk him. Anyhow, I never read Edith Hamilton’s chapter on the myth of clutch hitters.
“Guy you want at the plate is the guy seeing the ball well and hitting it hard. ” Sure, but clutch ability isn’t consistent, nor is it predictable. You seem to be pretty knowledgeable about the game, so surely you know that.
That’s the other thing. Sometimes guys get hot in the playoffs. Cody Ross. Scutaro. Ishikawa. Gillaspie. Hosmer himself had a great 2015 postseason and a meh 2016 season. What does it all mean, and is there any reason to think the same guy will ALWAYS be hot in October, given new opportunities?
” is there any reason to think the same guy will ALWAYS be hot in October, given new opportunities”? asks lefty…unless his name is bumgarner, then no doc, there is not.
I think pitching is different. You don’t see Joe Schmoe turn into Christy Mathewson in the postseason like you do with non-All-Star hitters having memorable 2-3 week hot streaks in October.
What’s kind of funny is that Hosmer’s “meh” season yielded career highs in HRs and RBIs.
but we do know the tale of Chris Carter and the power of OBP to determine offensive production.
What is your basis for concluding it’s a myth? We’re talking about human beings, and some handle pressure better than others. Why do you think this human quality wouldn’t apply to baseball?
From about 11,000 studies on the subject. Do some extensive investigation and get back to me.
But you are right- we are talking about human beings- and human beings are not consistent beings.
So baseball is the one area of human existence where everyone is equal under pressure? Makes sense to me.
I’m not in the mood for argument- but I’m consistently inconsistent, catch me later.
Take a statistics class before saying that. See my above post.
Given the nature of year over year behavior that has been observed, it seems hard to understand why a player can exhibit ‘clutch’ performance one year and not the next. So perhaps one shouldn’t be as sanguine about clutch performance. Personally, I think a player can be ‘clutch’ for an interval during a season, but to say that it’s a talent they can call on at will is quite another.
I’ll go with the 10,999 other studies. Thanks for your input.
There is a little evidence hitting can be ‘contagious’, but not a lot for ‘clutch hitters’.
http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0051367
If you do a chi-square test for Hosmer’s career slugging % in high vs. low-leverage situations (.495 in 300 ABs vs. .389 in 1683 ABs), the result is 11.34 (1 degree of freedom, p<.001, meaning there's less that 1 in 1000 chance that this result would happen by accident, that is, is Hosmer wasn't hitting differently in high-leverage situation). That'll get you published in any scientific journal you want.
you meant: Hosmer was hitting differently. Significantly so.
That’s awesome that you just ran a chi-square test. I will have to find something to run a test on. Could be “fun”.
Something happens for certain players when the stakes are higher. Their approach changes, the focus is more dialed. Hosmer’s low K rate in crunch time is impressive, but his slugging is remarkable given what appears a more contact driven approach.
Please, a link to the scientific journals that have published your “findings”
One of the assumptions of Chi squared, I think, is that the variance of the two groups of data being compared are similar. With those two sample sizes differing by a factor of 5, they almost certainly aren’t.
what variance? one hitter, his SLG and his ABs.
The AB’s. Look at the two group sample sizes.
Brandon Belt had, arguably, the biggest hit of the 2014 season: his 18th inning bomb in Washington D.C. to defeat the hated Walgreens and give the Giants a huge series lead they would not relinquish in a World Series-winning postseason.
Ishikawa’s was pretty important too, and was rewarded with 6 plate appearances in 2015 before he was released .
Greek Giant I continue to disagree on this but Morse’s home run in the 8th was a bigger hit than Ishikawa. Without Morse there is no Ishikawa
Agreed.
Morse’s hit in the 5th inning of game 7 vs, KC was bigger than his home run in game 5 vs. StL. They were already up 3-1 vs. StL whereas game 7 vs. KC was in a tied elimination game in a against KC’s dreaded relief staff.
Look at the WPAs for each. Consider them the tie breaker.
Belt’s was the biggest by WPA.
Lest we forget a game is 9 innings long.
This was already stated by Lefty below and is one incredible instance in his MLB career. The statistics above describe hundreds of instances during regular season action.
That’s also a good bit of information if you compare a pull hitter to an all fields, middle of the field hitter, just in case you run into PJ.
KT gets start at SS
about time.
As noted below, we already have the EOTD.
Peter-“What’s a medium leverage situation ?”
Valley- “Somewhere between high and low.”
SO- can I presume that we are hoping that Matt has a terrible outing today?
I am more worried about Pence’s at bats, he needs to pick it up, Season starts in 11 days .
Thanks, I thought that it was between 10 and 12 days.
Every reply are post you make has to be a smart ass remark ?
Isn’t smart-ass-ery exactly what we do here?
Not me, I am about the game, I take it very seriously .
Weigh 2.
Peter, it’s possible to have a sense of humor about it, as well.
Most of your Humor is talking down to people, a lot like Fitz on the radio, your way are the highway .
Peter, I’ve never seen anyone lash out at people as much as you, saying things like “dumbest post ever” and then criticize others for poking fun. You’re neither diplomatic nor congenial. Which is fine. But you can’t have it both ways. As you yourself said, if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.
I can take the heat , but I have no problem giving the heat back, I usually do not start things , and people that joke around like you, and want to small talk on the blog , because your lonely are something, this blog to me is about talking baseball and the Giants, I might Bs at times but it is rare .
I’m very lonely.
That strikes me as odd for someone who seems to need a hug as much as you.
Why oh why do you put up with this psycho.
Matthew!!!! SERIOUS ALERT!!!!
Don’t call Peter Shirley
Remember Ruben Rivera and his mad dash to nowhere? Did you laugh, cry, or get angry?
All 3?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spx9ZeSYVTU
Angry until Jon Miller made me laugh.
Laughed until I peed my pants
I think I went through as many emotions while it was happening as Rivera went directions!
Yes. Voices tell me to.
I’m more concerned about Span. He was awful for the most part last year (despite his solid postseason) and looks like he’s done in ST. He’s a CF coming off injuries entering his age 33 season. I think he’s the weakest spot in the every day lineup. Giants can’t have him become an out machine again this year.
Pence is a middle of the order guy, I have lower expectations for Span and Cain, but Pence has 2 years left on his deal, and if he hits this season like he is hitting this Spring the Giants are in big trouble .
I agree, if hits .118 , we’re in a load of doo-doo.
He hit .286 in the second half last year.
even with an 0 for 30 something. had he snuck in a couple or several hits during that stretch he would have hit .290 or even .300 in the 2nd half.
as with all things, wheel sea.
Not me. I’d like to see if he can pull it together.
One or the other. I’d love to see five scoreless innings but if not, then yes, I’d rather see him get knocked around than give up 4 runs in five with 10 hits and make management think, “he’s right on the cusp, gosh darnit.” It’d be friggin’ wonderful for him to somehow figure it out but I sure as hell don’t want him to make the rotation and sludge his way to a 1-5 start with 5.86 ERA to start the season.
How about the first inning?
Jesus… well, like I said. I’d rather this happen and force the front office to realize you simply can’t start the season with him out there.
Although I was hoping for a resurrection, I would prefer to see a clear and present failure before X-ing his position as a 5 starter.
Perhaps, this is a You Are There Moment.
I think it’s more like assuming.
Of course you do.
Hope isn’t part of TO’s moral repertoire.
“Lack of hope may give place to despair or cynicism.”
– Pope Benedict XVI – Encyclica “Spe salvi” (About Hope).
To Bapah, for inflicting on us the ‘polish a turd’ video link yesterday:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/world/asia/tibet-derge-parkhang-buddhist-texts-ancient-printing-press.html
Maybe your woodworking experience can give a rational explanation to step one?
Make me hunt for the reference, Dr. Peckerhead. I suppose they use the technique first to avoid the western practice of it turning into shit later.
Truthfully, I have no idea, at present, but knowing my proclivities, I’ll make something up later that will seem logical and insightful.
We type on I Pads…
I’ve looked in many places and searched several woodworking databases. I even dug out an old book of Formulas, Methods and Secret Processes from early last century and found no reference to preparing birchwood with feces. I found everything from homemade Adhesives to nickel plating on Zinc.
The only thing I can surmise is that it protects the surface of the wood for the primitive Intaglio method of printing it will subsequently used for. Hoo Nose.
hard to believe that a rock n’ roll/blues legend like myself (in my own mind, of course) is posting an abba song, but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine, and the title is apropos for tonight’s game. so…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyIOl-s7JTU
Hey! A Swedish Tammy Wynette!!
Somebody posted a Katzenjammer cut the other day and I watched a number of their cuts. These ladies are all quite versatile and play multiple instruments. Although it wasn’t current, I was impressed.
https://youtu.be/_bwE4pjcISU
i know nothing about them, but i liked what i heard. a lot.
Norwegian band. English spoken and sung. Check out some of their other videos, they’re interesting. They all play everything, instrument-wise and all do vocal leads.
will do..thx bap
Testing… testing… testing…
Whew! The others are still in the well with Timmy. We couldn’t find Lassie.
Can i take this lead suit off?
Whoa, I’m confused. The calendar says March, but the Belt Bashing says June.
That’s a 12- month calendar, and every month says “Belt”
365 days, 24/7
Belt is the Giants’ very best wOBA-machine. At least he was last year. Among the league’s best walk-rates and among leaders for extra base hits. Also a perennial gold-glove candidate.
Career best HRs = 18
best RBI total = 82
runs scored = 77
WS rings = 2
All-Star appearances = 1
what else can be said?
“All E. needs is love”.
Cain lasted three batters before giving up his first run this start.
Ouch.
I want Cain to succeed but do not believe it possible and look forward to a good young starter(s).
Any of Blach, Stratton, or Blackburn are likely immediately better than Cain and this is probably true of Beede who has the best upside.
mmmm, not good for Cain. Wow. Maybe in twist of fortunes he retires and saves the Giants some serious coin.
His Wife would kill him .
I do hope you don’t really think so.
No, but close to 28 million is not money to sneeze at .
He got plenty of bucks already, enough for a couple of lives.
She was a cocktail waitress in Scottsdale pre-Matty. She won’t have a single complaint about this fantastic, wonderful, rewarding ride…and I’m sure they invested well
She would have a good defense lawyer like the Menendez brothers …
You’ve got it backwards, Cain has a contract negotiated in good faith. If the Giants want to sit him and pay it out, that’s their prerogative. If he’s sunk costs, admit the error in Giants Central Command and move on.
I was think about Gil Meche. And I think Brandon McCarthy commented that if he couldn’t pitch he’d retire with money on the table.
But enough about fantasy land. How goes it?
Each to his own. If the Giants have to eat the last year, maybe they’ll stop negotiating such contracts, and look to aging curves of 30+ year old pitchers.
You know as well as I do that those monies are for previous performance.
Yeah, of course. Just cut him a bonus check and write a 3 year contract reflecting his real value. Now it’s like buying a team of horses, one of which is dead before you reach your destination.
3 runs and balls flying all over the park — they need to go with Blach or Beede. Games in April count too.
Mateo 1IP , 4H, 3R, 3ER, 1SO, 9.56 ERA.
I never had that pitching line!
Double digit ERA?
Hey now….
Kidding. I’m sure you were painting corners and breaking bats.
LOOK AT MY AVATAR!!!!! LOOOOOOK!
I am Juanito
Dude, this is serious.
You used lower case…it can’t be that serious
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekQ_Ja02gTY
I thought that after I posted. Hahahaha
I thought that was you complaining about post election gas.
[Clears throat]
Matthew, if you can lift your leg that high without the use of some external device, I’ll do almost anything you request to humble myself before this forum and your complete family and your friends.
You are NOT Juanito, and will not be, in this, or any other, lifetime.
Now Giants trailing by 1. 2-3 T3.
Found in AT BAT, official MLB app.
http://m.mlb.com/gameday/giants-vs-brewers/2017/03/22/509778?#game=509778,game_state=live,game_tab=
This team just plain looks flat, and sure the Cain thing not helping.
But to those using the excuse that Craw and Posey are not here, that is a tired excuse.
Flat because …….. Spring training is too long. Former ML players used to hunt and eat all winter and come to camp looking like Rick Reuschel or Dmitri Young and they would need ALL of ST to get in shape. The players are BORED and it has nothing to do with Posey or Crawford.
ST games are glorified scrimmages like in SF’s AAA George Washington HS vs Lowell HS ?
That dog just don’t hunt. I don’t think you can make a case that Cain or Samardzija are bored. I’d rather have them, and others, screw the pooch in a ‘scrimmage’ than when it counts.
Bored + their particular secondary pitches do not do well in ARZ in March.
That dog does hunt. Ask RIP Darryl Kile who used to get lit up in ARZ and then Denver every year and he was an ace with St Louis @ 20-9 and 16-11
CU, an anecdote to prove a generality isn’t terribly useful. If you don’t like pitch movement in AZ, move ST. Player should, IMO, quit whining and get about their business.
it’s under article 9.56 in the Players Union Cain addendum
I’m not going to argue your points. They are valid ‘cept players cannot just up and move. The Kile item was handled by his agent.
Maybe Cains agent will get him a tryout in Japan
Bottom line is tell me the last time anything mattered in spring training except health?
Depends if you think wins in April count as much as wins in August.
I do not thing that April wins count as much as wins in August…
You are right — games in August this year will be worth 1.5 wins. The commissioner wants August to matter more right before people get fired up for football.
OK
Cain’s secondary pitches have not worked for several seasons now — it is time to move on. Whether it is 60 day DL or something else, they cannot just concede games every fifth day b/c it is “only” April. The Shark I am less worried about as he still has very good stuff and while he will frustrate at times he will be fine as a fourth starter.
That may be true if you and I were running the team but there are about 5 investors who rule the roost and thus if he doesn’t go on the DL – he will break camp on the 25.
Sigh ~ ~
Cain trying to justify 5th spot bored? Whatcha smoking son!
Agree
Giants need to give Cain his gold watch, a pat on the butt and say thanks. Time for New Kid on the Blach.
and someday soon, another Beede on the string ? (i’m trying here, I’m no where near as clever as cats like Rob Deere and Matthew Funderberg).
I know you’re infatuated with tractors but drop the e. But not too much or you’ll find yourself at a rave.
Stratton?
Blackburn?
Eric Stratton, damn glad to meet you.
Nice
Or Beede
Well, I did just draft him with my last pick in my fantasy draft. I’ll be happy with 22 wins.
Span coming around?
Like I posted earlier, I am more worried about Pence .
You said you were worried about Pence?
Yes
I adore you.
Two timing bitch
Shhhhhh…. I’m trying to build a bridge.
There are no bridges to Windsor
I should tie a knot?
That’s knot funny, looser
But it was taylor maid for me.
he does have a way about him
Hey, did waffle arm go deep? I see he has 2 ribbies
Ayup!
I see somebody got kaned in the first inning.
Matt Cain needs a “shot” of the good feeling that Annie Savoy was in Bull Durham but lets make it “All the Way May”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ez-weq3e6tM
Now THAT might upset Chelsea…
Chelsea Handler just upset the Donald
http://rare.us/rare-news/across-the-u-s-a/donald-trump-jr-praises-jimmy-fallon-and-explains-why-he-thinks-his-comedy-gets-things-right/
And Pavs says it was crushed.
It seems ST wasn’t too long for Span.
Ann Span Can.
Prayers for what happened earlier in the day http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4339724/How-London-terror-unfolded.html
Hank just tweeted: Aaron Hill just started the prettiest DP of the spring. Diving stop on Perez shot, around the horn.
Saw that
So did Cain settle down or does he still look rancid?
His WHIP is 2.0 for the start — right in line with his last start that he almost seemed giddy about as he was leaving the mound.
I think you should go with “Valley Florian”
5 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 8.10 – pretty putrid.
But he lowered his ERA! And the ball was leaving his hand real purty.
Gopher ball by Cain
For all you that think the Giants can win with out power , the last 3 games this spring, losing 2-0 to White Sox late 3run HR by Ryder Jones win 3-2, yesterday score 5 runs on 2 HRs by Hundley and a solo HR by Marrero, today 1 hit through 5 innings a 2 run HR by Span, Giants have only scored by HRs .
Dearest Peter,
There are nuances in life, and baseball. No one wants the Giants to win “with out power”. There will be power.
The game involves pitching, defense, hitting, power hitting, base stealing, fundamentals, composure, and so many things. The Giants have won more than any other franchise thus decade with varying levels of all of those attributes. This team will likely show more power than last season.
Timely hitting
Very rarely, unless you are facing Matt Cain, does a Pitcher give up 3 or 4 hits in an inning, with power , HR or doubles , only need 1 or 2 hits to score runs .
Talk to the hand.
There are MAJOR records of the AL and NL teams that led the league each year with HR’s and went nowhere.
* Winning games is about:
Pitching – the opposing runner should be “on first base or in the dugout in 4 pitches”
Defense – three outs only
Timely hitting
Productive outs
“Get them On Get them Over Get them In”
Runner at third less than two outs and Infield back – Hit a middle ground ball
Runner at third less than two outs with infield in – have to hit deep fly ball
Most good teams are a given to go 60-60
Win a high % of the next 42
“Get To Postseason”
Hill Doubles deep to left, pence Doubles to right, end the HR only way to score treat, but extra bases needed. Wonder Is Pence back are was he late on a fastball and surprised the Brewers .
Belt ruined the rally by his normal can of corn fly ball to left field, needed a clutch hit Belt, where is Hosmer when we need him, Ha, Ha , Ha .
You’re in a strange mood
Joke from the Post below, the high leverage hitting of Hosmer and Belt .
That’s the spirit!!
With Pence, as noted, it’s either are
MM38’s next big decision http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/03/21/giants-hope-to-persuade-injured-michael-morse-to-continue-his-career/
* Catcher Trevor Brown will miss a few more games and is wearing a walking boot after spraining his ankle away from the field on last Thursday’s off day.
* Right-hander Bryan Morris will be sidelined for several weeks after he fractured his foot when struck by a line drive while throwing live batting practice.
* Nick Hundley hit his first home run of the spring, and five innings later, he connected for his second one. The backup catcher got off a slow start but has played well in recent days, and is also making better throws to bases.
* Shortstop Jimmy Rollins made two nice defensive plays, including a long run to snag a basket catch in shallow left field. But he also was 0 for 3, he’s batting .094 and he might be holding onto a locker only until Brandon Crawford returns from the World Baseball Classic.
* Right-hander Cory Gearrin pitched for the first time since March 8 because of a cracked middle fingernail on his right hand. He allowed a run on two hits in one inning.
* Right-hander Derek Law continued his impressive spring while recording the save.
* The Minnesota Twins have granted Ryan Vogelsong his release so he can pursue other opportunities.
* Maybe Denard Span heard those whispers from a national reporter that he has lost a step. He hit a double, then challenged Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe by tagging up on a medium fly ball. Why did he go? “I mean, I had nothing else to do …” Span said, smiling. The throw would have beaten him, but it was too high. Span said third base coach Phil Nevin told him that he was lucky, because Renfroe had the best right field arm he’d ever seen. “He called it an 8.5 on the 2 to 8 scale,” Span said.
-ab-
Hwang goes yard again! The players that are not bored are those battling for that last bench spot — Morse (until he got hurt), Marrero, and Hwang have all hit.
I don’t think Cain is bored either — he just doesn’t have any bullets left.
Schulman just tweeted that Cain is trying to get stretched out to 100 pitches for his April 7th start against the Padres — Great. He will probably only give up 4 runs against the PAAAdres which will buy him another 5-6 starts.
Well, at least that means he’ll only pitch 3 innings
Beware the low hanging fruit, Juanito.
Ether are, pal
Ether is bad for you.
Big deal. Every team is going to lose atleast 60 games, so why not show some loyalty and give a guy a chance before you gracefully slide him off the 40 man? This is the SFG with Baer, Sabean and Bochy running the show. The did it with Timmy and Zito and they will do it with the next guy with a long history with the club.They certainly act like it is part of the magic that builds a strong club house.
!40 Million is loyalty enough , and Timmy was still affective 19-13 his last 2 years, Zito won 15 games in 2012, Cain has not been effective since 2013 . Loyalty and respect crap is BS .
Dear Mr. Johnson, it is a question of different points of view. Loyalty, respect for the dignity of a person and gratitude for what he has done previously, is what I admire most. Matt Cain deserves it. A true Giants fan will never forget what Cain did.
Big deal — he has been bad for three seasons now. The time for a graceful exit has passed. If they miss the playoffs by one game, I hope they feel good about giving him another chance while leaving better options off the roster.
We all kid in here, but we also know you are right (I’ve written sappy diatribes saying the same). BUT, the fact is that Cain has been stumbling along for 3 seasons with no indications that there is anything there. Timmy had much better results. And…believe it or not, Zito showed signs all along.
Cain is showing no signs again. The hope has been that he’s getting over his injuries. It isn’t showing. It isn’t.
I heard he was gonna spend some time with Andrea the Astrologer….then meet with Ralph Barbieri, have a beer with A. J. Pierzynski, chat with Ruben Rivera, Miggy, Pat the Bat and Grandma Cain and make a decision.
Very strong post of the day candidate.
BOOM
Drop the Mic
Giant Fan 22SweetSwing has spoken!
Division titles can be lost in April. I would agree with you if there weren’t any better options. But there is at least one measurably better option in Ty Blach and potentially a better option in Beeded. And, as mentioned below, Cain has been bad for more than 3 years. He is forever a Giants hero, IMO his continued lack of success, which hurts the team, *is* a big deal.
Well, I got my four runs allowed in five innings by Cain prediction right, I just should’ve guessed 8 hits instead of ten.
Check that. Seven hits. The glass is half full.
RBI Double by FedX and 2 run HR by Hwang, all 6 runs driven in by extra base hits, hmm.
Timely extra base hits = **part** of the recipe.
Hwang needs to make this team.
Weren’t we supposed to get more news concerning Smith today?
I’m thinking when “Rob Deer” was a ‘youngin’ in Hs he played some CF?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc
Nah. Mostly on the bump, and played an erratic SS when in the field.
Baggs tweeted yesterday a link to article that said he had a sprain UCL ligament and a strained Muscle or tendon .
So, no TJS required?
Not decided yet, waiting for Greshner to comeback from WBC, he was helping Bam Bam and the Dutch team.
They said Smith was flying back to SF to see Dr. Azi– Dr. Aki… I’m not sure how to spell it. The team orthopedist.
You’re always so conscientious. Just make up a spelling, no one will know and more importantly nobody cares.
“Hey Evelyn, you gotta moment….which team do you play for”…. “Why don’t you leave her alone Jimmy,….or zip it Doris….”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPqYnC-SW5w
I cried on November 1, 2010.
That’s ok Matty Ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWbzlWkm1rk
That’s awesome. I remember everyone was so stunned that they beat the Phils. Especially the Phils. The Giants were so happy that night: “We going to the ‘ship!”
Note for Peter: how many people here don’t appreciate HRs? Or don’t like the Giants scoring
a lot of runs? Can you count to zero? Well there’s your answer.
In the I row – I-26 – Bingo – Full card coverage – Pot pays $12.11
Question for The Chef:
what are your thoughts on flat iron steaks?
Then perhaps tell me some thoughts on baseball. Should there be concern for Parker recent skid? How’s Tommy trending? Who’s looking good in the pen that could sneak in?
Thanks in advance.
” Should there be concern for Parker recent skid?”
He’ll always be streaky, most power hitters are. He must go slappy.
If KT is “Tommy”,I’d say that he needs to get off of slappy,and go big.
I’m looking to Roberto Gomez to sneak in- that’s the only way he’ll get there
Flat Iron Steaks-I slap ’em on the grill after I slap ’em around.
Seriously, is there a more hard headed sob than Peter? If he wants more HRs he should go watch AL games. The Giants are not going to hit enough HRs for him, ever.
They already did, the Giants are known for HRs , they have a theme song all about it, know your history, Giants baseball did not start in 2010, some of you that jumped on Band Wagon think that, but it did not !
God, I friggin’ love this.
I loved the Bonds era, lots of posters on this blog do not , they think they are too pure to enjoy that era .
How do you know what I’m thinking?
Cause your just like a lot of modern fans , think it is all about the rings , a lot of time that is luck .
It’s mostly about rings, Peter
Nope it is about, seeing the greatest players , do great things , never seen before .
Like the rings in 2010, 2012 and 2014!
That is the losers’ excuse.
Go tell Willie McCovey, and Juan Marichual they had use less careers .
And NOT A SINGLE RING….
Hey, don’t say bad things about Juan
I could bet a ton of bucks that Juan would have traded all his achievements and personal awards for a single ring …
Probably would… he’s still a Giant and got rings provided by our boys. My Forever Guy
Yep !
Hall of Fame , and statues, you should have Larry Baer, tear the statues down, ok .
Winning is not the most important thing, dude. It is the only thing that matters.
You want to win , but , the Brookes Conrads of the world help .
It’s not all about the rings? Well, damn. Now I have to re-think everything.
Peter, most of us loved the Bonds era. ALL of us really love this championship era
I enjoyed both, the 2002 team was just as good if not better then all 3 WS teams .
Until they weren’t,
I didn’t.
Your a sadist
We need to start a PJPOTD. He demands his own category.
Power Company Post Of The Day, brought to you by you’re friend and mine!
Wait! New name:
Euro Joke
It’s like arguing with Rainman’s understudy.
Now that’s just mean. Funny, but mean.
What the Giants won after moving to the west coast and up to 2010?
N O T H I N G.
Your a joke, Ted Williams must of sucked he never won a ring, Willie McCovey too .
Maybe I’m a joke. But at least I do not write “your” instead of “you are”. It’s a consolation.
The old Grammar , when can not debate .
Peter, there is no debate, no one disagrees with you. WE ALL LOVE HRs!
Give us something else. Or is this it?
I hate HR’s. Every time we hit one, I think, well that kills our rally.
Way more then that, the modern fan that thinks a player value is all about rings , pisses me off, teams need to have great luck to win rings, and 1 player has no control over that .
Obviously a guy can be a great player even if he doesn’t have a ring. But it’s unclear- what you do like about baseball?
Watching great players do great things, like Timmy, Bum, Barry, Buster, get over your self .
It was just a question, Peter. Settle down. You are a coronary waiting to happen.
You say that like it’s a bad thing…
Listen, Old Man. I’m the Old Man around these parts and don’t you ever forget it.
Now what was I saying? Give me a sec. I’ll ask someone.
Get off my lawn, kid.
Into the bin with you. You’re too stupid to continue reading.
The new grammar, for those who cannot read or write.
You da Man!
It isn’t that I don’t appreciate HRs. It’s that the Giants have won 3 World Series while being at the bottom of the league in HRs. HRs aren’t the key to winning championships.
Wrong, in 2010 , they were in the top 10 in MLB in HRs, in 2014 they were middle of the pack in HRs , even in 2012 they hit lots of Post Season HRs .
So they also didn’t pitch themselves to those 3 championships? Yes 2014 pitching wasn’t as strong as the other 2, but I’d love to see the stats of homers they had in those post seasons.
2010 Giants hit HRs in all 5 world series Games, something that was not done in years, your not a fan , by hurt I know them all, Uribe in Game 1, Renteria in Game 2, Torres and Ross in game 3, Huff and Posey in game 4, Renteria in game 5 .
Because I didn’t know that the Giants hit homers in all 5 games, then I’m not a fan? Who put you as the designator of who is a fan and who isn’t? Get yourself off your paltry soap box.
Mike, Scott .
Barney, I’m told.
I haven’t been able to see a lot of live games, but how does Hwang look? From all the press, it seems like he’s been a great clubhouse guy and so far there hasn’t really been any negatives except for just … a lack of history.
I’m in your boat. Haven’t seen him outside of KBO youtube highlights. Sounds like he’s giving the Giants every reason to roster him. Can he play a little bit of LF? Better than Morse I imagine. This could be a guy that could pop 20+ HRs for SF and have a respectable OBP and run the bases pretty well. He could be even better than Adam Duvall. Here’s hoping.
A cop stirs in the South Bay…,
I’m already thinking of the Tito’s with ginger ale and lime I’ll be stirring up for the WBC finale. Stuff is so clean and good. You must know this, but the neck of the bottle comes with a collar that tells you the Wine Spectator rating is 95, easily greater than Ketel One and Absolut or whatever.
You guys are stirring up too much trouble with Peter.
Raise your glass to Tito Beveridge!
I saw him in action several times when we were in Scottsdale nearly two weeks ago, and he made a good impression. Good pop, good energy, good hustle. We only saw him play 3B, and he has a strong arm and seems to know what he’s doing out there.
Oh boy. Nunez is having shoulder problems again.
Hwang is definitely going on my Mar. 25 roster.
Really? The Nunez part, not the Hwang.
Yep. Took a cortisone shot, out at least a few days.
I’m over this injury bullshit. My goodness
Again? Wasn’t he having hammy issues last year?
Took him out of the playoffs, that’s fosho.
Well, silver lining is Hwang should make the roster and get some starts. How’s his D at 3B? If he’s anything like Kang (aside from, you know, the horrible character flaws) that would be a huge boon for the Giants.
He looked good at 3B to me. I saw one play that was not so great and another that was very slick. Rob Deer saw him look good at 3B, too.
I’m happy that there is depth at third base this season.
Can you guess who I am? See, I told you Arroyo was going to make the big club this year.
With Nunez, Gillaspie, and maybe Hwang ahead of him, he should be looking to LF. And wear a helmet- it’s dangerous out there
I think that you are overlooking Beckham. Granted, he was hitless today, but from looking at the box score, I’d have to conclude that he was a tad unlucky. All Spring.
Yes. I’m overlooking him. 🙂
Like getting picked off by not paying attention?
Are you drinking anti-freeze again? It was a joke.
I don’t care. I was saving the line for anyone that said Beckham in any context. I don’t even know what you said other than Beckham.
I said that he was a good bongo drum.
ATTENTION: Due to a petition started by a long standing member of the TWG community, it has been decided that Home Runs (Homers, Bombs, Round Trippers) are approved for public acceptance when hit by any member of the San Francisco Giants Baseball Club.
The petition has been put into the official record as the Peter Appendage
Not that spring ERAs’ mean a whole lot, but isn’t Cain’s “better than” Shark’s?
Yes. But Shark had a good 2016 and is signed for the next four years. They’re not in the same boat.
Alex’s postgame points out the evidence that Cain is the fifth starter despite how horrible he’s been this spring–most notably, that they’ve stretched him out and haven’t given Blach the chance to do that.
I am brutally disappointed in the team over this. It really is only about money and Cain’s ego. Very disheartening.
Agreed. Winning a spot is not based on performance but $$$. Cain should have just stayed home the whole ST, and just reported straight to Phoenix for Opening Day.
The most frustrating part is everybody knows what the best baseball decision is, yet we all knew this was going to be the result. Watching Cain get smashed around for the first month or two is going to be agonizing.
For him to make even one start this season is absolute malpractice, and everybody knows it. They are choosing to lose games on purpose. I don’t respect that. Fans deserve a team that at least gives its best effort to win.
I’ll probably get grilled for saying this, but as much as I hate the Dodgers there is no way they’d let this happen. This is a cheap, small market move by a big market team. And it’s going to cost them wins.
I hate to admit it, too, but the Dodgers are going about their business with a lot more smarts than the Giants are right now.
There are Dodgers fans that would disagree. They call their GM FAZ. And aren’t impressed with the track record of signing guys like Kazmir, McCarthy, and Anderson.
If it’s as brutal as you surmise, Cain will be boo’ed in the House he threw a Perfecto in. That would be sad indeed.
Oh, I can’t believe that would ever happen. Lincecum was never booed. Ever.
Cain isn’t ‘Timmy’.
Well ,so far Matt does have a job.
Yep. On we stagger to our destiny.
What is Timmy doing these days? Driving a cab?
Apartment renovation it’s rumored.
I’ve heard that he went through all his money, scammed his Mom on his way down and…wait, that was Rumeal Robinson. I always get them confused.
Doesn’t Trump have an unattached daughter.
wow – that’s a name from NCAA past.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/7649638/ncb-rumeal-robinson-journey-michigan-star-incarceration-espn-magazine
A decision hasn’t been made yet,
New question: will and when is Cain going to be Aaron Rowand’d in the regular season? Before or after the ASG?
B4
That’s still about 15 games they’d be flushing down the crapper. 🙁
I’m still betting a Jumbo ( i.e.- small) bag of popcorn that he is not on the 25-man on opening day.
‘Alex postgame’ is hardly an unassailable POV.
Exactly… What do those stupid beat writers who are with the team every day know?
They think they’re so smart with their player access and locker room interviews.
A pox on the lot of them!!
Gosh, imagine my surprise.
Baggs has newer detail about Will Smith:
Smith will see Dr. Neal ElAttrache at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles as he gathers information before making a decision about how to treat his sprained elbow ligament.
While a UCL sprain used to mean an automatic Tommy John surgery, doctors at the Kerlan-Jobe Clinic have been at the forefront of a procedure that involves taking bone marrow from the hip and injecting stem cells directly into the ligament. Angels pitcher Garrett Richards avoided Tommy John surgery when he was shut down in May of last season, and reportedly is throwing 98 mph this spring.
However Smith and the Giants choose to proceed, the club expects to be without the left-hander for several months at the least.
Stem cell treatment is pure BS.
Hold on there, Sonny Boy. I’m afraid you haven’t been keeping up.
For ligament damage. Go read a bit about deoxypyridinoline cross links formation and strength of collagen. Stem cell treatment may be useful some places, but this sport injury stuff is unproven, IMO.
Actually, ACl accelerated repair has been done for some time. I’ll try to craft an intelligent response, but it may take a bit. I’m doing some other things, right now.
The antifreeze?
Anterior Cruciate Freeze
Is “doing some other things” a euphemism for sniffing at the turpentine again?
Turps is banned in CA except for specialized purposes. I use it for all my varnish finishes. I have a connection. We run it in from Arizona.
Do you refinish furniture.
Used to in my spare time. I’m too old to have any of that anymore. At my age there is no time that’s spare.
Long live Formby’s Tung Oil.
An unexpected response. Probably most volatile organic compounds are taboo there. It never crossed my mind, living here.
Hey! This is a baseball blog, not a deodatoxenedrinefallopiantube blog.
Take a moment and elaborate on just how you and Pete are related?
I’m not sure he can decode my combo above…he’s never listened to music.
I think we need a graph.
Here you go.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Deoxypyridinoline.svg/556px-Deoxypyridinoline.svg.png
You know what’s cool? You only need one graph.You can use the same one for everything.
I actually posted the wrong crosslinking element, sorry. The right one.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Pyridinoline.png
One more OH for our mysterious visitor from Seattle or other points northwest.
Mistral. Blowing FROM 315°.
The structure is, more or less, from Simon Robins in Aberdeen, as I recall.
Wow, how many beautiful hydroxyl groups.
One?
It can be a stinky procedure.
Exactly! What do those stupid doctors with their fancy “medical techniques” know?
They think they’re so smart with their degrees and cutting edge science.
A pox on all of them!
At times you should read the literature as opposed to jumping into a complex issue with sarcasm. Enjoy.
I do it all the time.
I wasn’t referring to you, now was I.
No. I just volunteered a confession.
No cracker for you today. Maybe wine later?
You have spied on busty naked women? You must show me the pictures, my son.
You should probably forward your research material to the Giants team doctors. It could save them a big mistake down the road apparently…
It’s not a mistake, it’s a very low probability shot in the dark. I suspect, were he allowed, he’d tell you there is maybe a 1/10 chance it works. But given the option and circumstances, it isn’t hard to understand the move. Just don’t get your hopes up. It is almost a certainty the team doctor doesn’t know anything about collagen biochemistry, much less what molecular modification of collagen that impart its strength and flexibility. Let’s hope the Doc who runs the stem cell program does.
I just got off the phone with my Giants medical sources. They were told about your comments and were excitedly getting ready to look into the points you raised when one of the doctors said to the other “hey, isn’t that the guy who said Duvall just had a lucky month and it was all over for him?” The other one replied “oh, yeah…that’s right,” at which point they went back to what they’d been doing.
He should be ready by Christmas.
HE CAN PLAY IN THE SUPER BOWL!!! Oh, wait…
” You don’t know me….”
It’s probably Footy
i’m either in the hills or the valley, nothing in between, nothing else.
Man on the silver mountain?
not that evolved yet
Nor do I want to.
Put your teeth back in and we’ll talk.You lost them? Have some strained peas.
Javy Lopez, come on down!
Josh Osich, stay right here!
Has he shown enough to make it? Are his mechanics in order? Commanding zee ball?
Better than a retired 39 year old that hasn’t thrown a baseball in 6 months…and, dare I say, better than our $22 million #5. Osich has incredible, untamed stuff
I wonder if Matt Reynolds is better than Javy? And if Javy is throwing some pens in camp as his analytical mind assesses the situation?
yelich is a baseball player. period.
I thought he also moonlighted as a body double in Robbie Benson movies…?
the next RB movie i see will be my first.. there is an abba song i like though
There was one where he played a young priest hearing the confession of Burt Reynolds….epic.
he must be a better actor than i thought if he was convincing as a priest with that baby face..
The End…google the confession scene after the WBC
I’m just glad his Mom signed the permission slip to join the team. I could have sworn he’s going for his baseball merit badge,
got those long strides – nice swing for tall guy. he’s the real deal
You sound pretty sure of that.
Umps are blind
All these blond Puerto Ricans are tripping me out…
Posey woulda had that
Just started watching. Did they explain why the “home” team is stuck wearing the ugly gray uniforms? Did PR conveniently lose theirs? Was Chris Sales involved?
Puerto Rico is the home team. Even tho they’re away and the US is home. Better seed got the bottom half of the inning.
Gracias.
US is away … not sure what dictates that
See Crawfish Joe below. I trust this forum to come up with answers.
Mixed in with drollery like your Chris Sales reference.
I was gonna make a demographics joke, but that might have upset someone….so, let’s go with a crawfish platter
Seeding in this case. But WBC has a lot of tie breakers for seeding too, just in case. As with any level of baseball tournament play, seeding is big.
When Stroman’s got it going on, he’s ultra tough. Superior bullpen too. Advantage USA.
And for a ground ball pitcher, stellar infield.
Don’t let Carlos Correa beat you. Scary right now.
Love the way he mixes up his timing on his deliveries.
wonder where he learned that from?
He’s turning Japanese, he’s turning Japanese.
Somebody asked about Anhell’s hair. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/92e2e9d0e1c1dbfed8863a0d0cc197eb320bd6b449b8ead578c70b8cb9ff952b.jpg
I’m more interested in what Lindor has going on.
Es muy hermoso.
He’d look good in a Ronald Mc Donald wig.
Special sauce, lettuce and -obviously – cheese
Looks like a stringy swim cap
Yeah!!!
Kaboom
Santa Maria!
Goleta!
AzUSA!
That’s how the city was named.
Posey woulda had that, too
I sure hope Giants’ pitchers are going to school on the way they’re pitching to Arenado.
I haven’t seen all the ABs; how are they getting Arenado out?
Strike three.
I don’t know which pitches they’ve thrown him overall in this tournament but that last pitch sequence was:
77 mph curve (swinging strike)
90 mph 4-seam FB (swinging strike)
80 mph curve (ball)
87 mph slider (swinging strike 3)
It’s more location than type of pitch for Nolan. Outside-movement
Thanks for the insight! I wonder too, since he hasn’t played in many meaningful games for the Rox, if Arenado has been overwhelmed and simply trying too hard to hit 5-run homers with no one on base!
He’s a very good player that just isn’t seeing the ball very well. I wish he was on our team.
We have his little brother in the minors and Nolan tweeted BC directly to come play on the US team. “It’ll be fun.”
The kitchen sink.
Maybe he’s hit his career peak and it’s all downhill from here.
catch him when his timing is off. I think that’s the lesson.
I didn’t know Eminem was from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 , much less pitched.
Given the hair bit, I think they should be called:
The Puerto Rico Lochte’s
I hope they go red in the next WBC.. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5919f8ece416949ace2aad6f075bfb9910db8c21bb441ffc6433e7c28a7bab97.jpg
Mike LaCoss!!!!
Buffy!
Giants may be better off that the Dodgers didn’t somehow acquire Kinsler rather than Forsythe or that Twins’ 2B.
Guy is a player. One of the very top 2Bs.
I don’t know much about Forsythe except that he was a nonentity for the Padres and then had a couple nice years with the Rays. Kinsler’s been a stud for years and years. Yeah, I’m glad he’s not a Dodger. Don’t know yet if I’m un-glad the Forsythe is.
When the Blue Jays came to AT&T last season, didn’t Stroman pitch a great game?
There’s a guy up in the Puerto Rico bullpen in the 4th…there were 2 guys up in the 3rd…
Vasgersian ” their bullpen has been quiet for the most part”
Santa Quatareyoutalkingabout?
I appreciate Morosi’s work.
He’s a good dude.
But….
The tourney has apparently outlasted his material. He’s told the same story on Gregerson 3 times, and Strohman’s Duke graduation at least twice.
Maybe I shouldn’t watch every game.
Makes appreciate K&K’s schtick a lot more.
You follow closely and don’t miss a thing. I approve of his offseason work more so. More so Morosi!
Dallas Green obit:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/22/sports/baseball/dallas-green-dead-manager-phillies-mets-yankees.html
Yup……Posey….woulda had that
Something I thought I’d never see: Arenado bunting!
Lindor. Wow
He’s no Crawford. (Tito’s and flat iron tacos and WBC over here, “Brocuz”)
Cutch is clutch
Com’on Craw.
USA came to win. Not on our turf. Something like that.
Cliche on rye!
Among other caveats, Orwell inveighed against cliches in “Politics and the English Language”. I wonder if Lefty has read this. You?
Nope. But I’m taking it one book at a time.
Why are they the road team constantly? Didn’t spring for the white jerseys? I assume it’s based on record?
Crawfish!!
I ❤ Crawford
what did you think of Vaz’ comparison of Crawford to Klay Thompson?
I liked it
See, he’s not all bad 😉
Even a blind Vaz catches a Miller
I’m watching out of town in a hotel room in Seattle so all I get is ESPN2 which is broadcasting in Spanish. All I heard was blah blah blah blah blah blah blah Crawford!!!! blah blah blah
My Princess called and was watching up there on the deuce, but found MLB. Not available in the Marriott, eh?
Marriott? I wish…
Aahh. My neck of the woods. Well, more rain than woods. But plenty of woods about 90 minutes north.
You’re in the wrong hotel. The Sheraton gets MLB Network!
Crawdaddy. Atta babe.
I miss seeing BCraw do that.
Baerga : “Don’t hit it to shortstop!!! Santa Maria!”