by
Greek Giant
Tonight’s Game: Marlins (38-46) Vs Giants (34-53) at Willie Mays Field, 7:10 PM
Dan Strailly (6-4, 3.51) Vs Matt Moore (3-8, 5.78)
So I did not get to the recap for yesterday’s game because I was busy attending the Robert Rauschenberg Show at MOMA in New York and visiting a friend who is in a life and death struggle with cancer. Tonight Surf Maui and I attended the Brewers-Yankees game. The Brewers had already committed 5 errors when the rains came in the top of the 5th.
Aaron Judge is a beast.
When the waiter at NYY Steak asked me if I wanted the bone on my $500 bone-in ribeye inscribed I said put “Go Giants” on it.
Efrain, if you are around, Surf and I will be at Finnerty’s to watch the Giants trounce the Marlins tonight. Come on down and I will buy you a cerveza.
Five Questions
- Is Matt Moore expendable after this season?
- Why did the Giants call up Miguel Gomez?
- Which team has been more disappointing this season: The Giants or the Cubs?
- Who should be the starting pitcher for the NL in the All Star Game?
- Does Matt Cain have a future as a Coach for the Giants?
#4: Kershaw’s not eligible to pitch in the ASG because he’s starting for the Dodgers Sunday. So Scherzer.
Mr L and I are at the Cathedral. Tried the new organic chicken sandwich stand for dinner. Meh. Gorgeous night here. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c11c2e1354a40a0932237f4264d0df89b933b917af9d07f24481c00728cc2705.jpg
Have fun and bring us a win Lefty! Thanks for the photo.
I bet the temp is <100 there!
It’s beautiful. Maybe 68-70 right now. Was 107 in Davis today. I quit.
It sure was nice to get out of the Merced heat for last Wednesday’s game! Then I got a nice comeback win and the first Giants HRs I ever saw in person! 🙂
The more I think about moving to Roseville when I retire, the more I think about the heat.
I’ll be at the ballpark in like half an hour whoops!
We eshewed the $15 Heineken at Yankee Stadium even though it was only 300 calories. My phone cut off the bottom (and key part) of the above photo so here it is just in case. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/6ecdcd540944c97bb80aa611e4ac1bdb75802dbedf755329f5d3602129f49166.jpg
Godspeed to your friend, Greek! 🙂 Merced doesn’t have a steak that grand, so I’ll have to settle for Applebee’s sirloin for $14.50 tomorrow before I walk across the parking lot at 105 degrees for a Walmart run!
Sorry to hear about your friend, Greek.
I’m excited for Miquel Gomez and anxious to see him in action.
Bochy:
“I just like the way he attacks the ball from both sides,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “He reminds you a little of Pablo Sandoval but he’s got a little better discipline and not quite the pop. He’s a confident kid and he uses the whole field.”
Gotta up his caloric intake a lot to remind anyone of Pablo
Greek Giant and Surf Maui have you guys tried the Angus Club Steakhouse in NYC yet? My daughter in laws brother is 1 of the managers/owners . Supposed to be pretty good.
http://angusclubsteakhouse.com/
Best wishes to your friend GG!
Another transaction: Gillaspie activated, Jones placed on 10-day DL. Apparently Jones is still suffering the effects of being HBP in Pittsburgh.
1. Depends on his performance in the second half.
2. I have no idea but in a lost season I’m all for eyeballing the young ‘uns.
3. The Giants because I don’t care one iota about the Cubs.
4. There are no reasonable choices that aren’t either Scherzer or Kershaw.
5. I don’t see Cain as a coaching type.
1. Yes. Needs to pick it up and fast.
2. They want to see if he’s legit in case offers for Panik are really tempting.
3. The G’s. It’s tough to repeat.
4. Mad Max
5. Not
Ugh, Phil Cuzzi at 3B. We were here in 2010 when he stole a game from the Giants. 😡
I remember thinking “Bream to the plate!” watching Ishi trying to make it ahead of the throw to HP! Bream did, Ishi didn’t!
Ishi DID. Cuzzi botched the call!
Wonder if he’ll sue MLB for Anti-Italian racism
Yep, replay back then would have given us the win!
And against the Mets as well.
I’m not as conversant with our farm system as are Lefty, Ryan, or Matthew but Gomez is getting quite a promotion from AA. I wonder why they’re skipping him over AAA and right to MLB?
TWGers seemed to be reading various murky scenarios into it this afternoon, due to the approaching trade season. I’m always a gullible sort, so I can accept the face value proposition that Stratton can’t be used again before the AGS, so why not give Gomez a look-see? It will be encouraging to a young prospect. I suppose they could be thinking of using Gomez in place of KT as reserve IF?
We should note that Matt Duffy did jump from Richmond, and did pretty OK.
I forgot all about the Duff Man’s jump from Richmond. However, to me the promotion of Gomez reeks of an FO acknowledgement that the season is gone so we might as well eyeball our bright prospects wherever they’re playing. That’s a good sober realization even if a bit late.
Hey, I wish I could claim knowing the farms… I leave that to Dr., Farmer, Haak, and a few others
I am a dumbass about our sub-AAA farm squads so you look like a genius to me, Matthew.
Just want a looksee. They could have called Calixte back but they’ve already had a looksee.
There have been several good Giants in recent years that spent little or no time at AAA, Duffy most recent but also Panik.
Dee Gordon is a bloody pest.
Matt Moore is a bloody mess
A real Flash.
1. How about now?
This is kind of spooky, they are even both named Matt.
Before tonight’s game:
Matt Cain: 17 G, 90 innings, 3-8, ERA=5.58, WHIP=1.68, 14 homers allowed
Matt Moore: 17 G, 95 innings, 3-8, ERA=5.78, WHIP=1.62, 14 homers allowed
It is perhaps not so obvious that Bumgarner takes Cain’s job on his return?
Good call. Everybody is worrying about Blach losing his spot, but I could see Moore getting thrown into long relief. Cain gets his “veteran dignity” tour, Blach keeps his earned spot.
1. Who’s going to take him and eat the money he’s owed? He’s arguably the worst starter in the ML.
Considering the resources they gave up to acquire him and his hefty contract, Giants are stuck with him like they are with Cain.
There’s a 1m buyout.
No way they’re going to buy him out after just 2 seasons considering the number of players they gave up from their farm system to acquire Moore. It also wouldn’t make sense to do that when Cueto is most likely going to get traded
Tell that to Aaron Rowand
They buy out Moore, and lose Cueto via trade or free agency. That probably leaves them with a rotation of MadBum, Shark, Cain, Blach, and ….. Stratton. What other options do they have?
Give him 2 just to make sure he never comes back
How come the Esurance MLB All Star Game doesn’t play into WS home field advantage anymore?
People thought it was stupid, but really it never made any kind of difference in the outcome. I get why the idea was dumped on the entire time it existed, but it never actually meant anything.
The first game of Matt Moore’s 2017 second half is not looking auspicious. On the other hand, Stanton is a total monster. He’s on pace for 47 HR.
Stanton is one player I’d love to have despite the $300M owed. AT&T has never been a problem for him!
He is a beast! I don’t think any yard can hold him.
How about the 4 hits
Don’t you mean 6? He’s a freaking batting tee … again.
I posted too early
No problem. For you it was too early, for Moore it’s quickly becoming too late.
1, Matt Moore does not seem to be working out as a Giant. Trade him for prospects.
2, Gomez is listed on the Giants ESPN roster as a catcher. Good time to get Gomez some MLB experience as a catcher, 2B, and hitter.
3. Giants. I am happy for the Cubs!.
4. Kershaw
5. No.
1. After what just happened, I’d trade him for beads.
Anal….
The beads wouldnt do it
Yeah my optimistic answer to 1. was after the 1st 2 runs and before the last 4 hits and 2 more runs. Ugly first inning.
A rosary.
Wishful thinking is that some team is desperate enough to give Moore a try in 2017.
Lucius Fox now posting a 106 wRC+ for single A Bowling Green, with 25 steals. My god that sounds so much better than Moore.
Rainbow Krukow is BACK!!!!
Moore is the worst– just get rid of him. Rather have Belt pitching
Jon Jay pitched the ninth for the Cubs the other day.
I think the Giants have actually gone longer than any team in baseball in regards to position players pitching. I don’t think they’ve had a position player throw since the 80s. Which means they hate joy.
If they did do it, Bochy would bring in Belt to face a left-handed hitter, then go to Crawford for the right hander.
In honor of Bapah, I award you 5 up-arrows for that laugh: ↑↑↑↑↑
I would worry that Belt especially but any position player would hurt their arm pitching.
That’s sure is a tasty looking steak (and now too normal start for Moore).
This guy is the weakest competitor on this team
He competed pretty well in the last game of last season, before the genius took over. He’s not pitching well, but he stood up in that game, which involved just a little more pressure than a July game between the second worst team in baseball and another non-contender.
He has had some AWFUL starts this year. The stuff might be there, but we can’t trust him to keep us in the game anymore.
So, you defend this albatross but constantly criticize a guy like Posey. Glad he had a good game. And, awesome excuse making from a guy that says there are no excuses for well paid professionals.
You’re whiffing on this guy. Worst in MLB . Fact
I don’t constantly criticize Posey. You’re just hyper-sensitive to anything you view as remotely negative about your beloved. Posey has been their best player this season. Moore has been bad, but I don’t think it’s fair to blame it on a lack of heart.
He’s strictly an instigator.
…
I agree just look at his vajay jay demeanor no fight in him at all i mean look at him really good during interviews looks like someone that would let his wife and kids get bullied by another man.
Weird comment, bro.
Not to me it mks complete sense
By the way you lead the league and weird comments
Fans booing already
Wow.
There is zero bite on Moores pitches.
I can certainly think of bigger ones, but Matt Moore is a disaster.
Giants really have to stop sabotaging their pitchers with that bullpen mound that is so different from the real one
That’s no excuse… it’s the same for every park, every team. The other pitchers have been fine for years
sarcasm, Matty
I hope so. I’ve got too much Moore anger, I guess
It’s not my excuse … its the one the Giants use on the road. Sorry the sarcasm wasnt cheese. The excuse is ludicrous. They just half-ass their preparation too often. It’s really hard to be that bad that often.
I’ve always considered a poor first inning performance was a lack of pre game preparation, to some degree. Don’t be surprised if Moore settles in and pitches 5-6 inning. Maybe. But I’m tired of these guys using the first inning to finish their pre game warm ups.
Why did I know this was coming!? Honest to goodness, I looked at the Marlins lineup tonight and thought to myself “Wouldn’t be surprised if they score five in the first.” Damn it Moore. WTF??
Atta babe Panik.
Joe Don’tTradeMe Panik.
He is going no place.
Not quite…The Oracle’s trading him and defending Moore. We have it all wrong
Unless it is in the World Series I just can not bring myself to watch another Matt Moore start.
Who is willing to bet that Moore is diagnosed with an “injury” after this game and that it is a long time before we see him pitch again
So, instead we have put up with Cain’s starts?
Cain’s last start ended up a 3-3 tie after 6 and a half innings, so he gave us a shot at a win. Down 4-0 after half an inning seems rather worse to me.
I thought he gave up 5 ER? It is worse but I’d rather see Moore than Cain. Both suck
Bochy sent Cain out to start the B7, he put two runnings on, that Kontos/Gearrin let score. I’m holding Bochy responsible for Cain’s loss.
He did.
Indeed. When Bum is ready it’s Moore who should sit. Meaning on the DL sit.
I agree, he must have a sore something. He really needs some time off to restore his confidence. This has gotten painful.
Giants should probably use the 10 day DL to rotate some breaks for their pitchers.
You’ll watch.
Gorkys Hernandez is a better major leaguer than Matt Moore!
uff da!
Greek Giant let up less hits tonight than Moore
Its like watching a train wreck
I know why The Oracle defends Moore! It’s the Tank Plan!!!
Hey that’s MY plan!!
He’s had quite a bit of help. I don’t defend Moore’s performance this season, but I do disagree with the idea that’s is the result of a lack of heart.
OK… let’s recap:
Posey – soft
Moore – William Wallace.
Got it
Nope. Moore is done.
moore is like a nuclear waste dump
Tuned in to be quickly reminded why I stopped watching Matt Moore games a couple months ago.
Moore is a singles machine tonight. I can sit back and enjoy my vodka tonic. Not going to be competitive tonight
He has more singles than Tinder
If you get the list of ERAs in the NL, there are 40 pitchers qualifying to be listed. The bottom two are Cain and Moore. Both had their pitching arms cut by surgeons. This is the normal state of affairs (i.e., fading to oblivion) but the media only writes about the fabulous recoveries. They’re rare.
Trade Moore to a team seeking the No. 1 Draft pick
We may have stolen Sam Dyson but I think Tampa Bay saw something they didn’t like in Matt Moore in his year there. What goes around, comes around.
His 200 pitch limit should get him thru 5
I want a word with the guy who did surgery on Moore’s arm. He deserves a refund
Adam Duvall 2 for 2, with his 26th double, .285 , with a .570 SLG% .
We care about that because?
He is real 4th place hitter, something the Giants do not have, 48 Extra base hits, Giants 4th place hitter 27 Extra base hits, 61 RBI, the Giants 4th place hitter 35 .
Why not give us Stanton and Harper’s stats too. The are equally relevant to our situation. And besides, are you giving up on Slater. You hate all younv players
Arizona 2, Cincinnati 0. Bottom 4th.
He is the only one hitting for the Reds, what happened to Scooter, and Joey .
Brandon Drury 2 for 2, 2 2Bs (23) – .287 avg
What’s his SLG%, how many RBI ?
Make him pitch all 9 innings
I don’t think Bochy would ever do that, but there are probably a few managers in the past that would have. Then pink slipped him after the final out.
Didn’t Torey Lovullo do that to Fernando Rodney in the 9th last night?
Yep.
I wonder if there is something the pitching coach would like Moore to work on during the rest of this game?
YANK HIM FER GAWD’S SAKE!!!
Gearrin’s already warmed up twice. His arm’s going to fall off by the fifth inning.
With Moore and Cain at the bottom of the NL, I predict Kontos and Gearrin will get 95 innings this year followed by matching surgical procedures.
What difference does it make? Save the pen and make him go 9
If we have to suffer so does Moore. Why should he get off easy.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MK6TXMsvgQg
WHOOOOOSE GOT IT BETTER THAN US?!?!?!?!?
uhhhh… err’body
Not the Phillies, but there’s plenty of baseball left to play.
We should go with a 2 man rotation! Matt and Matt
Matt ‘more is less’ Moore and Matt ‘pray for rain’ Cain.
That’s a shame.
LOL at Kuip. A hard 2-25. SMH
Sorry Kruk
Rainbow took last week off… he’s been saving up
So far, this sounds like another listless, morose performance. I think the whole team is suffering from depression, the blues, that down-in-the dumps feeling. Call in the psychiatrists with their Zantax and Lithium. Call in the therapists with their soothing voices (“no, you are not worthless”). Call in the mother-figures (Come on, let me give you a hug”) and the father figures (“C’mon, Get your head out of your ass and act like a man”). Call in the priests, shamans, medicine men, wizards and witches.
For right now, the Giants are just dismal.
So doc, after they won 7 out of 8, they got thoroughly depressed after losing yesterday?
The smallest thing — a bitter word from an angry wife, a sneer from a sportswriter, a glare from Bochy — can send these guys into a downward spiral.
A Moore throwing a baseball…
I’d say it’s just another shitty start from the dude who shipped out the 2015 Willie Mac recipient
So much for the momentum built thru those last 8, huh?
That’s what is so damn odd about this season. Momentum is a fleeting thing. Like lightning fast quickness fleeting.
When you have two 6 ERA starters and your “star” starter is at 4.26 with a dangerous ear infection you have zero potential to maintain winning ball. I’m just hoping that Bum and Shark provide some entertainment in the second half.
Hey, Friday fish fry!!!
Captains plate right there.
Finally remembered to take a pic! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/383bb47b7700693dcc552e6b4d3b1397b4d91438876c2e5a1ff5c1f25bc8e2e6.jpg
Who gives a flying F? Sorry, i’m channeling my inner Matty. No offense intended
Let’s talk about flying Fs
I sincerely hope something positive, like a J.-G. Hwang homer, happens later so you get something back for your ticket price!
Nice seats. Do you have a good view of the lovely Giancarlo?
Somewhat 🙁
your Moore streak continues
I know right? What a surprise 🙄
Bringing Moore out for the third effectively means “My bullpen is fried so you’re IT, dude”.
Which is a ludicrous situation worth a 20 man staff
I haven’t seen a solid 30-hitter pitching performance in awhile… but tonight might be special
Wow. Atta babe Craw.
It was the pitcher but still a very good play
Enjoying some wine and music at a local winery. Just checked the game…
FRIKKING MOORE SUCKS AGAIN?!?!?
OK.. Back to the vino
Order a bottle of Thunderbird, the way Moore is pitching. 😵
Damn, it’s only summer ball but Ball was absolutely horrid tonight and then Lavar with his moronic predictions as usual.
This poor kid. He had no choice but to go one and done, he faces a huge adjustment to the NBA, and his self-promoting blowhard father heaps more pressure on him. Nice work, “dad”.
His dad should absolutely be barred from all games. He has undeniable talent but he’s just not ready. Might not be at all
As expected.
We get a 4th inning from The Little Unit!!! Sweet
Thought that Donald Trump was the Little Unit?
Wow. That was quick.
Absolutely disgusting effort at home in front of a sellout crowd.
Are the sellouts still intact?
Looks like it.
INCOMING!!!!!!!
More like very little Pablo
Giants BP pitcher better watch out– Moore angling to replace him. At leadt we’d get our moneys worth
How’d the first base ump miss that one?
Check out this photo of the “knothole gang” spots in RF. There are usually 4-5 rows of people, but right now so few are watching that from our seats you can see through to the water in McCovey Cove. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f98f7194f0c2c752e69017d6c57e710be34ba3be6d17ed92baee07dda58ab616.jpg
Would the blog approve a Matt Moore for Afam DuVall trade?
The Giants would have to throw in Bum, and Shaw, and than maybe !
not joking. Would the Rays swap Matt Duffy (who hasn’t been able to be on the field for them at all) back to us for Matt Moore back to them?
I don’t think they would. 10 mil is a lot for Tampa, rarely go over that much $$. If the Giants absorbed his entire salary I bet they would.
Cain for Duvall and they eat all of Cain’s contract
Atta babe Cory.
Strickland thinks Boston is a state….
Ha…everyone knows Boston is just a shitty rock band.
He must have missed that part of fifth grade.
Who said he made it thru 5th grade? I thought he signed at 18??
Between innings, they had a contestant see if she could name more U.S. states in 30 seconds than Hunter Strickland could. She got 21. He got 16, and they didn’t count “Boston” for one of his.
He was probably reaching his limit, even if they gave home more time.
He was. The last 5 seconds or so, he stalled out.
The previous inning, they had a contestant guess what George Kontos’s first car was (multiple choice).
I think the Giants may be overestimating how interesting we fans think the middle relievers are.
Well, maybe if they hadn’t picked your two faves!!!
Right?! But seriously, I don’t remember the between-innings entertainment being quite this inane.
It sounds like a San Jose Giants game.
I was wondering about Peachy’s post. Thanks for the explanation
I have assumed (fondly) that Peachy’s post could have an air of mystery and were not subject to explanation.
Speaking of Boston, if anyone else here appreciates their hard-luck history before 2004, MLBN looks back at where Red Sox Nation really started, the 1967 “Impossible Dream” season, in a new documentary premiering on Sunday. The ’90s Indians also are featured in their own MLBN documentary later in the week. I’m a sucker for baseball history, so I’ll be watching!
He didn’t even mention California, I don’t think.
You guys done bitching about Moore, the Giants offense needs your attention, are the lack of it .
Yeah guys, Peter knows a thing or two about not beating a dead horse
🙁
4-0 before they came to bat….damn hitters
It’s 4-0 , so after Panik’s double in the 1st Pence and Posey did not try to drive him in , they were already beaten, that sounds about right, wow .
I know. Moore sucks. We have no power. It’s ugly. I’m with ya
Maybe next inning they’ll have a contestant guess Cory Gearrin’s favorite shampoo!
“What is Chad Gaudin’s favorite piece of chicken?”
( inside joke, right????)
😜😬🦅
Maybe he woild cone back?
His hands are full
Good lord, another Cy Young candidate we are facing tonight!!
And another “Cy Young candidate” starts for the Marlins tomorrow night, ie a guy who the Giants haven’t faced before: 27-year-old Chris O’Grady, a lefty, will make his MLB debut.
A sad, lonely backwards K in right field. 😥 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/ed4c6e0e5e42b4563545a7b5be4040f3f28b91e691fff25e79180b0d85092ae7.jpg
I turned the game off and watched a couple Big Bang reruns. Ironic as it might sound, Miami’s clutch hitting tonight hasn’t been good at all. With 2 HR and 11 other hits their run total should be at least 8 or 10. Pitching Moore into the 4th is just a demo of give-up baseball before paying customers. Disgusting.
Dude, krukow, please? He just missed it? What the F?
Maybe Barry Zito could replace Moore in the rotation. Wonder if Vogelsong had kept his arm in shape
Need to score to win , so what does it matter who Pitches !
Well, TWG’ers, I’m turning the game off for the evening. This is just one of those “throw-away” games. Horrible pitching accompanied by anemic hitting. Still only counts for one loss. We’ll get ’em tomorrow but I’d rather watch bad TV for the remainder of tonight.
Youll miss the big comeback
Things are pretty bad when an overused pitcher like Gearrin is called upon to get eight outs.
Orange Friday nights used to be so much fun! 🙁
What’s the point of intentionally walking someone in a totally meaningless spot like that?
2 hits, smh😒
And one of those was an out before the play ended!
Hella pop-ups
Sorry. I’m not watching the T Mobile Home Run Derby.
As a Giants fan you would be confused, your team does not know what Homeruns are .
Why would anyone?
You are waiting for the exciting bunt contest !
No but I’d go for a triples contest. Something besides hours of batting practice with juiced balls. …. Oh wait, that’s actually what MLB wants to become
What a leisurely stroll through a game for the Marlins.
Slater with groin injury?
Hammy maybe. Looked bad
Doesn’t surprise me one bit that someone would get injured today.
Snake bitten we are.
Melancon’s return just got pushed back further. MadBum going to throw more duds in rehab starts. I’m calling it
Jarrett Parker just got his job back.
Avoided the DFA that I think was coming.
Now we know the answer to the question “what next?”
😥😨😡
This game sucks but it’s still more fun watching at the ballpark than at t home
That could be the beer talking though
I had to edit this comment three times
Say hi to Ichiro for me when he comes out for the handshakes.
Melvin Upton just breathed life
He got hurt again, to bad for you.
Maybe Adam DuVall is available for Moore. That would nake both of us happy
Pedro is no Feliz… It would take more than that
Not Ruggiano, Marrero or Hill?
Giants have had– I believe 12 diffrrent left fielders this year– coild be lookking at 13
13 after Ryder Jones played in LF .
I think it’s 13 now, with perhaps another on deck. I kept a list somewhere…
Stubbs.
Parker
Damn shame about Slater. Don’t care if he’s in a mini slump. He needs to be out there everyday. Hope he’s not going on the 60. Damn shame.
Its Bochy’s fault for playing him late behind 6 runs
After a nice 8 game stretch at least we are back to “Giants Baseball–2017 style”
Do we lead the league in blown hammie’s and groins? How does Fat Carl keep his job?
A strength and conditioning coach loses credibility when he has a boiler.
That’s why Bonds never ran hard on a ground out .
Bonds had Balco reasons.. these guys on this team are having this happen way too often. Their stretching and conditioning is horrendous
False hustle, leads to hammy injuries .
Oh, stop it. That’s plain ignorant. You’re a better fan than that
Almost non existent throughout baseball. Most players unprepared for normal baseball activity. Should be an embarrassment
That kid is out for a long time.
Atta babe Kyle Crick.
He’s fun to watch.
Yep. Looks more ready with each appearance.
Ah, I retuned back to the game just in time to see Crick do what closers do. This half-inning is the only worthy baseball viewing experience of the night. Now back to “Everybody Loves Raymond”.
You certainly got your money’s worth, if you are a fan of the Marlins.
Another pitcher recording his best game of the year against the Hat Tippers
Gomez! That’s my guy!
Oops, that was over fast.
Solid contact was worth the look.
Didnt strike out– you guys wanted youngsters. You are getting them
Yeah, but I don’t get it. The vets are doing so well.
And I’m happy about it. Much rather watch them than Hill or Ruggiano.
Man. That was a quick Gomez flash.
All started with a Span HR– that ball was absolutely crushed
Wasn’t that a big boy HR?
Tying run the the hole.
Strike three called. That’s the subtitle of the Giants 2017 highlight film
Kinda looked like a strike to me, BB… gotta protect with 2 outs in the 9th, because you know carapazza likes to ring guys up. Know your blue
True. Had an escort waiting at the hotel for him. He didn’t want to pay extra
Hah.
That K kinda made me over BB9. That ain’t no way to end a game.
Especially such an important game.
I think him protecting his zone regardless does more good than bad. A couple years ago he was second in baseball in “balls called as strikes”. Now that word has gotten around about his eye it doesn’t happen nearly as much.
It was a ball and it was not hittable.
https://twitter.com/giant_potential/status/883550561215238144
That graphic is flat out wrong. I saw that last out (I only saw three batters in the game, Posey weak grounder to second, Crawford weak whiff, and the last one), the pitch as not shoulder high. Above the belt yes, a rule book strike but not one umps call very often. And it was hittable, we’re so accustomed to seeing that pitch called a ball but it was a pretty good location to get the barrel of the bat on for a guy who is quick to the ball. Sorry you ended up with such a crappie game this time.
Looked way better in real time…and it certainly wasn’t hittable for Belt’s swing…my point is Carrapazza loves to call strike 3’s, and Belt needs to know that…try to foul it off…I guess it was a lose-lose for him.
Can’t lose 6-1 because of the umps
1 run for San Francisco, 1 run for San Jose, 1 run for Sacramento, at least the Giants are consistent .
But 14 runs for the AZL Giants! Leading the AZL Rangers 14-5 after 7 innings. Ramos 1-4 plus 2 BB, now batting .429. Jacob Gonzalez 1-4, DH’ing, BA down to .593.
I hope that this game is made meaningful by sending Moore to the pen. Bring up Joe Bob Whoever from the minors. What’s to be lost? Guys from their farm system can also have a 6 ERA but, more importantly, we can use the remainder of the season to determine whether guys are ready (Crick!!!!) or not. We’re wasting valuable time that could be used to evaluate our farm guys. If they’re ready, great. If they’re not, at least you know sooner rather than later. Put Cain and Moore in the pen. It’s time.
What’s the pecking order on this team amongst the players? Who comes after Posey? Is it Belt? Pence? BCraw? MadBum? Melancon? Shark?
Crawford.
It’s a library in there
Who’s after BCraw in your list?
Posey, Bum, Crawford, Panik, Shark, Belt.
Bum…but his DL stint , as with all players, makes that a moot point for now
I’d say Posey and Panik tower over the rest because they put the ball in play, have disciplined strike zones, and play excellent defense. Obviously if Bum comes back as his sub-3 ERA self he’ll make the rest of the pitching staff look like they pitch for the Reds.
So it’s Posey, Panik and then Bum?
Right guys but wrong order. Bum is in another universe.
Cain is probably still the man, sadly.
The Union man, at least.
The best part of tonight is that Lefty didn’t have to hear the PR spin by Estes and Laskey that Moore will stay in the rotation over Blach….
Wow.
Laskey is a mouthpiece for Bochy’s coaching philosophy. He’s a bore.
Baggs cheered me with his pregame post, reminding me that Bochy already said in so many words that Blach is staying in the rotation after Bum gets back.
How could anyone seriously think that? Immediate loss of all credibility, and/or confirmation that these guys are merely sycophants for the front office. Give me a break.
What a lousy game. That’s the truth damn it.
Wasted 5 innings of good work by the pen.
Slater to the DL. Damn shame.
So he played hurt tonight?!
No, I think that he probably tore his groin running to first tonight
Geez that sucks. We’re getting the same bad luck with injuries we had the last couple of years. You hate to see it in a kid that was just getting his wings.
Hip injury. He’s been playing through a hip flexor for a couple weeks. MRI tomorrow. Beat writers think Parker will come up but that it’s not ridiculous to think they’ll take a look at Shaw at some point.
Bummer for Slater who was getting a nice opportunity.
Too bad for Slater and too bad for the Giants. It would’ve been better for both if they could see how he does over the rest of the season.
Definitely, but I’m sure he’s done enough to earn a real shot next year. I think he’s passed up Mac and Parker. Shaw may be his biggest competition until the younger guys make a move.
True, but it would’ve been even better to see larger sample size. Hopefully, he’ll be back sooner than it looks.
It looked bad
So to recap the night:
MyGuy™ Moore–well, you know
MyGuy™ Slater–I’m thinking 6-8 weeks
MyGuy™ Gomez–well, that was kind of fun to see him
Good night by the relievers–Crick looked good. Two doubles for Joe. Span into the drink. Weather was beautiful–we were in short sleeves the whole game. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a warmer night game at AT & T.
And that’s that, I guess.
I attended one day game in 2013 (Zito win 10-0 over the Rox) when it was 82, never felt better! But my first AT&T game (2010 WS Ring night) was brutally cold and very windy. It was barely 50 degrees that day, and even wearing my winter parka didn’t help, totally exposed to the elements in View 304! I struggled through the ceremony and the first three innings before my friend and I bailed to the Club Level to warm up ($10 hot chocolate never tasted better!) for most of the rest of the game. Then we had trouble grabbing a taxi along Townsend, and I was getting colder and colder. With my spinal stenosis and arthritis issues, once I get cold, I literally can’t move, and right at that moment I was never more miserable! Hearing the foghorn (a great ninth-inning comeback 3-2 win!) lifted my spirits a bit! Fortunately my friend had been chatting it up with a group of fans who were waiting for their hired limo back to Marin. Before I knew it, we were riding along with them, and their driver dropped us off at the Embarcadero Hyatt on their way out of town! I’ll always be grateful to them and my friend (and CU) for helping me! 🙂
So Gomez did come to the plate – missed it. How did he look? What did he do?
Swung at the first pitch–a hit-me fastball–and lined it to right for an out. Good swing.
Panda Jr.!
Lonzo Ball is causing sellouts in the NBA summer league. There are going to be a lot of disappointed fans when his performance doesn’t come anywhere close to matching his hype. The lowlights:
http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/lonzo-balls-summer-league-debut-was-a-disaster-1796735360
Ball hasn’t shown me that he’s a true difference maker, but I haven’t truly watched enough to know…however, it’s a different world when a kids first summer league game ( summer league…..) gets scrutinized this much.
I got a lot of cardio from all the dancing I did in between innings. Just dance off the pain! One of these days I’ll get back on the Jumbotron. Zach the bartender at the Garden continued to remember me. He’s a sweetheart. That’s all I’ve got to add. Oh and the moon was pretty and the weather was great- no jacket required! https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1b8f4c436e1721841493e9f04fd26728dfeb3a1bf04238ad4ab1dda8f634e125.jpg
Attababe, peach. Make it a good night out of it, regardless.
On a happier note, here’s a play that Hwang made 3 years ago in South Korea that Baggs retweeted from some dude today and Miller mentioned during tonight’s game… wearing a scarf during a game!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pS7Hd4WRkk&feature=youtu.be
For as good as the Giants road trip was at 4 wins and 2 losses, they still dropped another game behind the Dodgers. As of last night, 25 games back of first before the All Star game is just incredible.
Haven’t been to NYC since I was a kid so was curious to know how much the $500 steak actually cost; $94. Too rich for me, we must be paying GG to much to run this blog for us.
The $33 burger at Mineta Tavern is a better deal
I wonder if Greek caught a glimpse of this Rauschenberg piece entitled “2017 Giants”…
http://www.tate.org.uk/rules-of-rauschenberg/media/59.024.alt_1-lr_y3y9eyv.jpg
On Sports Center this Morning, they had highlights of George Springer hitting 2 HRs last night, breaking the record for most leadoff HRs before the All Star break 27, the old record was 26 by Brady Anderson, the hitter that was 3rd holds the NL record with 24, his son has a ceremony today at AT&T Park .
What’s latest on Slater?
I haven’t heard, but watching it tells me 60 days…the way he had to be helped made me think it’s a full tear. He couldn’t put any weight at all on it.
It’s his hip, not a hamstring, so you think he tore his labrum , and needs surgery like Timmy had in 2015 .
Oh, relax. You see my point.
Relax lololol my man is a very excited cat!
Bochy said last night it was his hip, that he’s having an MRI today, and that he’ll be going on the DL and “down for awhile.”
The presumptive pick is Parker, but he’s been yuck : ..189 avg in last 10 games.
Big Mac is batting .182 over last 10 games – what an El Stinko year for him. Sub .300 OBP and lots of Ks.
So much for this dynamic duo in ’17, the end of the line, pretty much.
It almost has to be Parker, though, since he ran into a wall for the Giants earlier, and deserves another chance. Williamson is toast, seemingly.
I like. Parker will run into walls for this team. Williamson will run through other players.
Williamson can run into me…
I think so. Parker gets a shot because he was the Opening Day LF and he was injured in the line of duty, but if he can’t cut it, we could see Chris Shaw.
No kidding. What a huge bust.
http://ww1.prweb.com/prfiles/2013/06/18/10846207/gI_75936_reel-morganna-300.jpg
I KNEW I worded that wrong…
Slater is almost an anagram for latest. So close!
Moore and Cain have the two worst ERAs in the NL. Even Cueto, Blach, and Samardzija are buried pretty far down the list. The offense has been terrible, yes, but the rotation was hands-down supposed to be the strength of the team. They were fourth in the NL in rotation ERA despite bad years from Cain and Peavy. I know Bum’s injury makes a big difference in this stats, but–what the heck happened to all of them?
What if, collectively, they do not like the new baseballs? What if some pitchers are better equipped to deal with a different feel to the ball and others not so much. Perhaps it has a real impact of their spin rates and their ability to command the ball. Their pitches come in flatter and in the wrong location as a result of not feeling right in their hands. I dunno, worth the speculation.
Maybe. Scherzer, Sale, and Kershaw are still studs, though Kershaw’s given up a lot more HRs than usual.
Maybe guys that rely on gas or the gas/changeup combo fair better than those more reliant on 2 seam movement. Maybe some mechanics are better equipped to spin the power curve like Kershaw. The long balls are just a league wide phenomenon that are a product of new swing type to some degree and possibly lower seams to a large degree.
A.P.: “The numbers jump off the page, and not in a good way.
An ERA of 6.04, last in the National League. A WHIP of 1.69, also last in the National League. A .307 batting average against.”
Maybe he’s hiding an injury? It’s the only thing that makes sense.
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/giants-have-eight-million-reasons-keep-looking-matt-moore-second-half
a thought that crossed my mind last night, too. But they really didn’t try to conceal Melancon’s arm troubles, nor Cueto’s blisters.
But in both cases, they kept pitching. The players minimize the injury, not the staff. (Sometimes.)
In that regard – why was Slater run out there unnecessarily (playing hurt)? Now he’s got a season-ending injury that could become chronic. To the ONLY decent LFer in the organization.
p.s. Someone mentions (below) that the team’s “strength and conditioning” is non-existent. This points to another organizational issue that’s shoved under the covers.
I found that remark below about about the conditioning pretty valid.
You would think that in a game that is largely athletic (but charming because of its brain requirements too) that there would be great emphasis put on player well being.
On the one hand, you have Matt Cain who consulted with the team for years about the bone chips, finally getting to a point where all agreed taking them out was better than leaving them in. I feel pretty sure that the doctors were involved in deciding they should let Melancon try to work his way through his problems this year.
But then you can point to Pence, who always seems to tell the team he’s ready to play, no matter what. Nunez seems a bit like this category, too.
With Slater, it is hard to say. Of course he wants to become a big leaguer, by being ready to play. But its a lost season for the Giants, and if he’d sat out until after the ASG game, he might have escaped what looks like a prolonged DL stint.
p.s. It isn’t exactly medical, but isn’t it just amazing how Pablo Sandoval ate his way off the diamond?
Great point re Sandoval. That WAS a medical issue. But his issues got addressed over and over (3 seasons?). He just couldn’t control himself, and paid the price.
I would think injury if his speed was off…but it’s not. He’s still throwing heat, but his placement is abysmal. He is either way wild outside the zone, or like last night, “wild” down the gut. I don’t think it’s injury…it’s an issue of fine control, and the comparisons to Johnathan Sanchez are apt: great “stuff”, no control
Sanchez… oy, I forgot about him. Good comp.
Sanchez had control, he was just an infuriating nibbler. He even stated in an interview that he didn’t mind walking people, because then he could just get a double play. The guy had such electric swing and miss stuff, drove me crazy that he never trusted it. Moore is not as good as Jonathan Sanchez.
I think you are getting Vogey and Sanchez confused, that quote is a Vogey quote, Sanchez was very wild , he was known for wild pitches and missing location by feet not inches .
No confusion at all, it was very much a Sanchez quote. Here’s the link:
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/giants/2011/11/07/jonathan-sanchez-is-gone-but-not-soon-forgotten-thoughts-on-cabreras-breakout-season-etc/
Baggs also compared it to a bad Zito start. Good call. Last night was less like Sanchez and more like Zito when Z was throwing batting practice.
Along with everything else that’s happened this year, the best prospects up and down the minors have had their seasons shortened or ruined by injuries: Duggar, Arroyo, Slater, Quinn, Jones. On the Giants: the ace, the closer (twice), the best lefty reliever, the entire Opening Day outfield, the third baseman, the shortstop–and the All-Star catcher got beaned. Epic.
This is why Rauschenberg chose the goat to depict the season. Genius.
The cosmos is trying to get all this stuff out of the way this year, to make 2018 gloriously injury free?
I guess the Giants can easily activate any OF from any level they choose?
Calixte is the only OF on the 40-man roster besides Parker (60 day DL) and Williamson.
But Mike Morse is apparently on the 10 day DL but could clearly be moved to the 60 day list to enable Shaw or anyone else to be called up.
Oddly, Arroyo is not listed as being disabled at all, although it sounds like a broken finger could justify placing him on the 60 day list, for yet another roster spot.
Alex doubled down on the company line about Moore remaining in the rotation.
It does point to the proper way to use a lost season. But, Alex’s narrative about Moore’s salary is a very poor excuse to me. I know that is also used for Cain, but Cain has the legacy, Moore has a couple of good games.
Of all the disappointments this season, and there are many, Moore is my biggest because the results are much farther off expectations than anyone else on this roster, even Cueto.
Brisbee agrees.
It IS the proper way to use a lost season.
Best-case scenario: Moore does turn it around in the second half, restoring his trade value. Giants pick up his option. Andrew Suarez looks great for Sacramento and ready for the bigs. The Giants trade Moore in the winter, saving salary and getting some prospects back.
None of that happens if Cain gets the spot rather than Moore. And Cain’s legacy is in the very distant past. (You mentioned yesterday him being a great contributor to three titles, but it really was only two. He barely factored in 2014 and was done by July.)
It’s clear you’ve been over Cain for quite awhile. I understand why.
Cain is a battler who has given his wing to this team. Right or wrong, he is being handsomely paid back for that. In a lost season, he gets to run out the string.
Moore us a theoretically supremely talented pitcher who was counted on to help thus team contend. Whereas Cain was expected to be a 5th starter who the team hoped would be a .500 pitcher, Moore was counted on to be stellar.
Moore has fallen flat. He isn’t just “bad”. No. He isn’t on par with Cain. He’s worse. And to be worse than Cain when you’re seen as one of the key staff aces is beyond disappointing.
If Blach gets banished, you’ll blame Cain. I won’t.
Moore needs to figure it out. Throwing him on the bump another 13 or so times is going to be a very painful experience, and as you pointed to on another post, fans will stop going. If I know Moore is pitching, I will NOT go. If I know Cain is pitching, I might…he’s given me so many fantastic memories that a farewell tour game is at least nostalgic
No. If Blach gets banished, I’ll blame Bochy.
I agree Moore’s been an enormous disappointment. The only bigger one, I’d say, is Bum wiping out half his season on a dirt bike. But Bum has money in the bank with all of us, so we’ll forgive him.
In this instance, though, it’s really not about me being “all over Cain” but rather that it IS in the best interests of the team’s future to either fix Moore so they can trade him or fix Moore so they can keep him. He’s still young and healthy and under relatively cheap team control for two more years. And they traded a lot to get him, too.
They have similarly moved respected veterans out of the rotation when they were playing out the string and pitching poorly. Zito in 2013. Lincecum in 2014. Vogelsong in 2015. Peavy in 2016. Now it’s Cain’s turn.
Moving either Moore or Blach out of the rotation to show “respect” to Cain accomplishes nothing for the future. And I think the team owes it to the fans, and to guys like Crawford and Posey and others going forward with them, to focus squarely on the future. Cain’s been rewarded for his stellar past. The present sucks. There’s just the future.
Valid.
I’m just going Full Lefty on Moore. This is a season defining disappointing half season for a key figure, and the thought of another half season of his dazed confusion is less appealing than a farewell tour for Cain.
Well, it also might be that some time pitching out of the pen could be good for Moore. I could see that.
Just want to highlight what you said Lefty about Moore:
“It is in the best interests of the team’s future to either fix Moore so they can trade him or fix Moore so they can keep him.”
Glad we have Andrew Suarez, forgot him in my pessimistic look at rotation in 2018
I was tickled to see TO have more than one Man Crush. Crawford is a solid choice. And sticking with Moore last night during several scuffles shows me he (TO) is coming around. Moore looked ill when Bochy came to get him but Moore had too many two strike counts on Marlin hitters when they did even ‘Moore’ damage.
From afar, it looks to me like Matt doesn’t ” let go” on his pitches and throw through the target. He seems to (possibly) have a last second yip/lack of conviction on too many pitches, a bit like when Klay slumps a bit on his shots…there is something stilted and tight on his release.
There is no doubt Moore has stuff. Sometimes it’s electric. But , again – my distant amateur analysis – it’s mental. It’s lack of confidence. I’m not sure if or when that returns
Great post. We normally call that recoiling but you nailed it. His ball currently has enough on it to just get to the glove…
Most are taught to throw it through the destination.
Who needs catching depth in the minors when you have Buster Posey?
At any rate, a scouting report on Aramis Garcia who has played over 250 minor league games, yet is still at High Class A:
https://www.fanragsports.com/mlb/sf-giants/pleskoff-scouting-report-aramis-garcia/
All I know he is a great RBI man, Buster can learn a few things from him .
ZING
“Aramis Garcia is one of few credible catchers currently in the San Francisco Giants organization.”
And he has those ‘caterpillar eyebrows’ – when (if) he catches Moore, there could be some weird static electricity out there.
Saw him interviewed before Bumgarner’s start in San Jose the other night. He was very excited about catching Bum. Seemed like a poised and likable young man. I learned that his first name is pronounced AIR-a-miss, not A-RAH-miss.
I can’t keep up with the spinning weather vane that is Ryan! Go Posey!!
Will Evans be back next yr?
50-50?
I dont like those odds
99.99999999999% he will be back. They groomed him for this. None of the Giants players or coaches or Front Office People or Advanced Scouts ‘forgot how to win’.
This year SUCKS. It is up to US to deal with it.
OK and thank you
It’s not just “up to us to deal with it.” You can bet ownership cares about things like butts in the seats and lower TV ratings. If you lose the trust of your fanbase, it’s hard to get it back and it’s bad for business. And when you spend hundreds of dollars for a night out at the park and watch bad, boring baseball, you’ll think twice about doing it again. I’m as diehard as they come, and we’ve only been to two home games this year–and I’m not sure there will be any more. (And I find myself weighing our annual spring training trip, though cynically I’m hoping things will be cheaper and less crowded in Scottsdale next year.)
Baggs had the park vibe nailed in his postgame piece. Fans booed Moore by the end of the first inning. By the time he finally came out, they were on their phones (I was, I was posting here), and “too bored to boo.” And this was a lively crowd that was dying for something to cheer for–those of us left in the ninth went nuts over Span’s home run and the little mini-rally that followed it.
The fans are not the ones having the bad year. It’s the team, and the management of that team. No one should escape scrutiny for that.
Thank you for going nutz for our man Span. Is he playing his way onto another team?
A splash hit is always fun, and it was nice to see them at least get on the board and not get skunked.
Span looks like he could help a contender with his bat right now. That first AB, even though it ended up as a 4-3 out (hard-hit, though) was excellent. Something like 11-12 pitches.
I saw that first AB and a nice crisp line drive snared by the phenomenal Dee Gordon.
A team need not a CF, obviously, but have need for a corner OFer.
Well I thought that was a given. But how we fans comport our emotions during dark times would also show a lot. I’ve never been at a Major League baseball game and been too bored. Two 25 man rosters and plenty of talent to marvel at on both sides while, yes hoping the home town boys – win.
I watched every pitch of all nine innings. But the first couple innings were long, slow, and excruciating. The game was basically over by the time the Giants came to bat. The team was flat offensively. It’s not a lot of fun to watch that.
It’s true. It was the kind of game where I didn’t care that I didn’t show up until the 2nd inning (which would have been the third if the 1st inning wasn’t so much longer because of the 4 runs Matty gave away) even though I like to be in my seat with my food and my beer before the 1st pitch, and I spent an inning and a half hanging out with Zach the bartender instead(and as I walked to the Garden, that’s when that other homer landed in the bleachers) and then when Span hit that homer, I think we were all dancing like as if he had just cleared the bases with the long ball. Fans had their rally lights on when the other team was at bat instead of our own (maybe they’re just stupid though) but didn’t have them on when Belt was at bat. Even the seagulls were MIA!
On the other hand, I continue to be impressed we still have so many people show up. It must be that pesky delusional hope mixed in with a nice view.
I can’t wait to see Deer jack up Zach in a Duel at the Kale Monument.
It’d be more entertaining than a game! But on Zach’s home turf? He’s got the advantage. Plus those baby blue eyes of his. And no hair for Deer to pull. I’ll be sitting back, drinking my watermelon beer, of course.
Once Rob splashes a vial of deer urine in Baldy’s eyes, he’ll start hoof spinning all over his dome like a Battle Bot on Red Bull. Deer by a TKO
This is a patient org so i think he’s back
True, but when I saw your question, I started to feel less sure Evans is safe.
Put it another way around: If as seems likely Bochy decides to retire, the team would not want to change BOTH leadership positions.
99% Yes
my day is ruined
Rare 7:05 Saturday night game
Barry Lamar Bonds and Family Wall of Fame at 330 PM
i may go and get a SRO ticket today
Bitchin and Gnarly. Go see BLM instead of drive down to Monterey 🙂
lololol
Just when you think it’s rock-bottom:
“The breaking ball didn’t do what Moore wanted, but it’s hard to be mad at that. Sometimes, a pitcher faces Stanton and gets marked with his musk. This is your yearly reminder that the Giants had a chance to draft Mike Stanton with the draft pick they received for losing Mike Stanton in free agency, and they drafted Charlie Culberson instead. And while I guess that indirectly led to a championship, I still feel like anything Stanton does to the Giants is their own fault.”
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2017/7/7/15940622/sf-giants-recap-marlins-matt-moore
It gets even worse when you read about McGIDP’s legacy. Brisbee’s memory is sometimes too good.
p.s. And he’s all over broken Matt Moore.
… and broken Austin Slater…
I saw that: The pitching prospect the Giants traded to the Marlins for McGehee was later traded to get Dan Strailly, who pantsed the Giants last night? Was that another Bobby Evans special, or was it still Sabean then?
I remember being singularly unimpressed with the trade for McGehee even at the time–you let a homegrown All-Star, a World Series MVP, get away, and THIS is the best Plan B you could come up with?
Did you watch the Luis Castillo clip? jaysus…
I didn’t need to know this. The guy we traded for McGehee has a 97.9 mph avg fastball an a 12.4% whiff rate. Geez
And then there’s the guy we traded for two mediocre months of Mike Leake…I forget his name…
He who shall not be named 🙂
Other than every day by the 3 top suspects for the rest of time…
Keury Mella ?
MyGuy™!
#1 High-A prospect in the system or the 20th “AAAA” prospect in a trade. Which one is successful? One a pitcher. Other a hitter.
As we sift through the wreckage, there are a few stark visuals that jump out:
Moore staring at the heavens as the scoreboard smokes and spins numbers like a slot machine
Span getting a running start like a cricket hurler so he can throw a three-hopper to Crawford, who is 70 feet away, as baserunners gleefully frolic about
Belt watches a borderline strike 3
Crawford swings and misses
Melancon does the Casilla-Head-Jerk on another flare to right
Posey grounds to 3rd with 2 runners on and drops his head, jogging towards first
Pence spazzes after a fly ball like an electrocuted cat
“Pinch hitting, a random white dude hitting .136”
I just think it’s a lost season. None of us have any guaranteed fixes….but I can’t wait for my Spring 2018 blind optimism….
I’m strangely optimistic about 2018 as well. I see this second half as an opportunity for the org to assess what they have, identify those core pieces that should remain, and identify those assets that aren’t part of the future and package them to get a few prospects.
I now worry more about the starting rotation for 2018 than expected.
Cain will be gone.
Moore better be gone.
Cueto may be gone or diminished and expensive.
MadBum may have lingering effects from his injuries (my druthers would be for Bumgarner to take more time to heal especially after the recent 4 HR rehab)
Blach may turn out another Heston once around the league several times.
Samardzija still gives up easy runs despite high K and low WHIOP and BB.
Beede appears farther from MLB ready than in Spring 2017.
Gregorio has become a question mark.
Stratton never has been and probably never will be.
The starting pitching was to be a strength of 2017 and QS is the one team stat that the Giants at least look OK despite the loss of MadBum.
Moore just turned 28 PLUS he was traded for a fan favorite. Doubtful Rags and Gardy want this guy traded, but rather a reclamation project to begin as soon as the season ends.
I think our bullpen has a very good chance to be filthy! If Melachon and Moore come back.
I think Belts strike three was one baseball off the outside and one and a half baseballs to high for an umpire to end a game like that. #Absurd#DinnerWaiting
And let’s not forget Bochy, who I really do like and respect, with his blank stare into this twilight zone of a season, motionless and un animated save only for a small bark or two at the home plate ump, unable to do a damn thing about this sinking ship except to drill holes in the hull to drain the water.
It’s time for him to move on.
When Omar speaks, people listen http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/07/06/giants-shortstop-brandon-crawford-impresses-one-of-the-greats-at-the-position/
In the field, yes.
? = He’s MLB managerial material and when he was a Giant – the Clubhouse looked up to what he did and had to say – on or off the field.
I’ll bet Dubs means he wasn’t a great hitter
I think Dubs means that Craw is special in the field but perhaps not so at the plate…at least not the past 12 months.
Exactly!
Gotcha
Tks!
Both he and Ozzie found a way later in their careers to become better hitters.
But Yea!
Vizquel as manager is an interesting detour, however. He’s been coaching with the Tigers since 2014, so would not be a total newbie. And of course he owns a Willie Mac award.
Meant to say (so why didnt I say it?) Omar spoke of Brandon the SS, not the hitter. Right now, he’s back to his initial rep. Is this a 3 yrs in the making regression back to the mean?
The Twinkies should have fun promoting Bartolo
http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/fun-facts-abound-as-bartolo-colon-joins-his-10th-franchise/ar-BBE03zP?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout
At first I was thinking Groin / Hammy but if he ripped his hip labrum away from the bone – it could be career threatening.
http://m.mlb.com/video/v1587348583/?query=Austin%2BSlater
Is that the Bo Jackson injury? What makes you believe it might be that?
Because of the way he reacted heading up the line and because as he was heading to his MRI – he told others he thought his injury was severe.
Isn’t that also what Lincecum had? Looked it up, it was a labral tear.
Same area of injury.
Good question, Sgbssfg.
Grazie.
That is really painful – like getting stabbed with an ice-pick right in the SI joint.
Which begs the questions: why is he playing with a hip flexor…why are they rushing Bum back…why was Melancon pitching when he wasn’t healthy…etc. etc etc. This team is 16.5 games out of the second wild card spot and they’re acting like they’re tied for the division lead with ten games left to go. None of this makes sense to me.
I’m quietly freaked out that Bum is pushing it on a nearly torn away AC joint in his pitching shoulder. I know the party line of ” the doctors have cleared him”, yet I think this is ALL about Bum’s incredibly competitive nature and is a needless risk
It’s surprising how some fans feed off that sort of ‘nature’.
Couldn’t agree more. A few more “non-stress” starts in San Jose makes sense to me. No one is more competitive than Bum. Does he really need to be reaching back for more and risk re-injury to strike out a Padre batter in a virtually meaningless game? I think not.
I can’t believe it. This is something about Bumgarner’s injury we can agree on.
dgg: please come around a little more often, we miss you.
How are things going for you 610nm?
This is the best part of TWG: the ability of those sitting at home to better diagnose and treat the players than the medical professionals who are actually seeing and treating them.
Like you do about aging? Just an observation, sir.
Age is a fact, not an opinion.
But the effects of age on players as a cause for decline ( especially those just reaching 30) is opinion. You knew that.
That age is affecting Crawford is a possibility. With everyone else, it’s obvious.
Since you’re not in the clubhouse or trainers room, it’s still your opinion
It’s not even my opinion. I don’t know. All I said was that it’s a possibility.
Wait. What? I thought you said it was obvious….
I hate to impugn Le Maestro @ SS – but he may be a bit out-of-shape. He could stand to lose a couple kilos.
That’s a really good point. With his body type, he’s probably prone to putting on weight, especially as he gets a little older. He may need to work harder at it than some others.
I tend to agree with you, especially given the poor outcomes for traditional shoulder damage.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3899910/
Proof positive that announcers and fans – know zip about certain rules
http://www.closecallsports.com/2017/07/dispelling-fan-interference-ground-rule.html
If you get a chance, check out the back story of Chris Smith, who is starting for the A’s today against Seattle. He’s 36, and making his first start ever in the majors.
It’s a title chapter in my personal book of “Why I Love Baseball”.
We watch, and opine, and criticize, and sofa-manage, and think we know best…but often we lose sight of the humanity side of the game. When a guy like Chris Smith start singing a big league game, the sport wins. Perhaps no sport forces marginal talent to believe in their own little world…a world of endless, lonely work on back fields when there is no apparent pot of gold, or final satisfaction at the end of that struggle.
I hope the guy does well…but I know he gets to take the bump, look around, and say “I did it”
I love baseball
Great post!
The Dodgers are 30 games over 500. 😢 everyone should be fired!!
It is all Ned Colletti’s fault. DOH!
Some here on TWG and before on Extra Baggs and Extra Giant used to SHOUT out at this guys double move.
None of us liked it.
Now the baseball gods + good old JoBu karma is taking over
http://www.closecallsports.com/2017/06/carter-capps-throws-illegal-pitch.html
All that success obviously left many very spoiled, as evidenced by all the whining and complaining. What goes up must come down. As fans, you don’t get to see a winning team each and every season
I’d get it more if it still was the case that the Giants hadn’t won the World Series since 1954, but it isn’t. The significance of what they accomplished is being ignored, along with the absolute truth that nothing lasts forever. To some extent, this was bound to happen.
The main culprit is simply age. The bullpen mainstays, who were so important to their success, got older, less effective, and either retired or moved on to new teams where they’re still less effective. Lincecum, the shining star at the beginning of the success, flamed out quickly. Mainstay Matt Cain succumbed to age and injury. The same process is happening with Pence and maybe even Crawford. This season, there’s also bad luck involved; key injuries to Bumgarner and Smith, and a bunch of other guys suddenly having bad seasons, but it was still inevitable. Maybe age has even caught up with Bochy and Sabean.
And it’s not really the fault of the front office, either. Although they blew it in a major way with Duvall, and maybe because of that, they weren’t wrong to give Parker/Williamson a shot. They’ve spent money and acquired good players. They haven’t been great over the last couple of years, but they haven’t totally blown it either, and these are still the same guys who engineered all the success.
Some like to accuse me of being negative, but I think the opposite is true. I’m not blaming people for this bad team. This is an opportunity. I’m interested in what the future brings. I don’t get mad at the passage of time.
Good post! Are there several ball players who dodge father time and why and who?
Tell me the last time the Dodgers finished in last place?
True, but I know the last time they won it all was 1988. What’s happening now is evidence that those running the team aren’t the best in baseball, and maybe it’s time for some to move on, but I don’t think it’s something to get mad about.
I agree but we expect more. We are not the Padres. You should never settle for past achievements. Management knew what our holes were and did nothing. Look at last year when they decided to not get a closer when there were arms out there. We get an arm last year. We beat Cubs. This year they started a platoon with two left fiekders they had 0 confidence in last year. What changed? They are being poorly ran right now and need to get their act together.
As far as leftbfield goes, what happened was Duvall. They didn’t want to make a similar mistake. And which left fielder should they have signed?
Craw is 30 – should be in the middle of his prime. I don’t think it’s age with him.
Maybe not, but some age more quickly than others. He didn’t start off as a good hitter.
How could it be age with Bochy and Sabean to impact their ability to manage (the former) and head a front office (the latter)? They’re in their early 60’s. We have a president in his 70’s. Oh wait…
I like this post a lot. Lefty added a long list of injuries this season this morning. The aging of some players still with big contracts is proving hard to overcome – just when Slater appeared to have taken an OF job we are waiting to hear about an MRI that at the best would turn out to be a long DL stint. Hang in there, TO!
More posts like this! It’s like Oracle, The Reunion Tour.
It may mostly be age, but there are too many still in the “prime” years that also just fell flat this year.
I agree it was inevitable, but the fact it happened this fast is why many fans are surprised. That may actually be a blessing, as it forces faster decisions.
Yes. But I hope the faster decisions are correct and suitable to the current conditions of the team.
But this isn’t just a one year downturn. I can’t imagine that they’ll this bad next season, but they’re not going to be contenders, either.
I think I agree…the gaps up top AND in the pipeline are pretty scary. If I can read their minds, based on how they have operated before, they are going to count on a 3-4 year period of rebound and then sustained performance from Posey, Craw, Belt, Panik, Bum, Marge, Melancon…and the new try to build around it. That’s a risk, but I don’t think they see alternatives
Which is exactly why, as I’ve been saying, they need a few bad seasons to give them at least a chance to re-stock with some top talent.
Good takes but no mention of a major culprit of the downturn; the over signing of players to set for life and future generations contracts. The team has no fire, no intensity, no passion and that includes the manager.
So. Who’s coming in for Slater? It’s not going to be Parker. My guess it’s going to be a pitcher from Sac.
It has to be an outfielder: minus Slater, there’s now only Pence, Span, and G. Hernandez. Can’t really have Belt and Kelby be the backups.
On the 40-man OF list are Calixte, Parker, and Williamson.
There’s easy moves to put someone else onto the 40-man, should they decide to try Shaw or somebody else.
It could be Mac. I was just guessing on the call up.
Why won’t it be Parker?
Heard he’s not ready.
But, we gotta get him going!
I’m working on it as we speak.
You mean physically
That’d be my assumption.
No fear of the Giants suffering from Duvall-itis once they – finally – let him go (and take Maaaac with him).
Might have been Upton but he hurt himself again ………
It’s Mac.
HOW young can a now 200 M Superstar – have ever looked before? YOUNG……that’s how
https://mobile.twitter.com/NBA/status/883672035888513024/video/1
From the old days, Gene Conley passed recently.
“Conley, who died at 86 on Tuesday at his home in Foxborough, Mass.,
pitched for the World Series champion Milwaukee Braves in 1957. At 6
feet 8 inches — he was the tallest pitcher in the major leagues at the
time — he also carved out a parallel career in professional basketball,
playing during baseball’s off-season and winning three N.B.A. titles
with the Boston Celtics, from 1958 to 1961.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/05/sports/baseball/gene-conley-dead-won-titles-in-baseball-and-basketball.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fobituaries&action=click&contentCollection=obituaries®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront
Surf Maui will be pissed, but I’ve given a concession speech. So , who I’m rooting to make it to the series:
Astros and Nationals
How about you?
Ditto that.
Still holding a grudge against Dusty re: 2002 WS. Nevertheless, rooting for Nats v Tribe but money on Dodgers v Astros.
I get that. Still, a Baker fan here since the JT Snow and Dusty’s son play at the plate. I like Cleveland too but have always like the Colt 45’s. Houston is very good right now. LA could do it providing they can get past their annual choke job.
Good choice.
Rox and Tribe.
Even with Dusty there, I can’t root for the Nats. Is it weird that Col is the only team I feel I can root for?
I understand. But Dusty has made into the Jimmy Conners Lexicon for me…hang round long enough and I soften. The Nats have guys who deserve to get a chance at the big prize….Zimmerman, Murphy, Rendon, Gio, (even) Harper, and others. Their fans have been gut punched a ton. It would be nice for them
They haven’t been around long enough for me to sympathize for their fans. Rox have never won it. They’re far more likeable.
I don’t believe in the Rockies as much as I do Washington. Their park is a joke and crushes the hopes of pitching staffs
Nats like playing for Dusty.
I finally figured out who Surf Maui reminds me of:
Joe Walsh….Life’s Been Good
A bit of Gorgeous George, as well.
Some Ben Franklin.
So, he’s a rockin’, wrestlin’ politician. I like it!!
There is a Will Clark facial expression somewhere in GG’s face…
We may be 25 games behind LA, but, the good news is we’re 16.5 games behind the WC race. A much easier task to reach. The ‘Abandon All Hope Ye Who Enter’ banner is not quite ready to be affixed to the 2017 season. Close, but not yet.
Pollyanna already jumped off a cliff. Why not you?
I believe it is easier to close out 25 games needing to pass 4 teams than 15 games needing to pass 9 teams.
I would rather get hit by a truck than a train
I would rather be stepped on by an elephant than stampede of bulls.
So a truck and an elephant win the semifinals. Who wins the final? Truck or elephant?
More unrest in the booth according to the Gossip Guy Rich
http://richliebermanreport.blogspot.com/2017/07/more-on-giants-bs-on-assignment-miller.html
The comments are more humorous and informative than his article.
So true, his regular followers can toss the old mud around !
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/2017-season/giants-get-un-moored-lose-to-marlins-in-bad-game-6-1/