by
Matthew
We are a product of our surroundings. I grew up in Shaw’s Flat, California. It just so happened to be the center of the universe.
There was very little flat land in and around Tuolumne County. But, my father had built a house on an acre of land that was next to my Grandfather’s house, which was next to my Great Grandfather’s house. They were in a large meadow surrounded by groves of poplar and oak trees. My front yard was a baseball field. The outfield fence was a string of poplars. On one tree by the road, I put a handmade sign that lasted for years “Poplar Stadium”.
When Dad got off work every day at around 4, I ran way out to the road and jumped on the running board, and held the mirror. I wore my mitt. Before he even went inside, he grabbed his, and we did these things: I pitched 6 innings to his strike zone – strike out 18. Walk as few as possible; He threw me 18 at bats. He hit me 50 grounders. He taught me to play baseball. Our neighbor, Mel, called me “Willie” until the day he died in 2013.
My oldest sister, Shirley, however, taught me to love baseball, and love the Giants. At night, I would sit in her room, and we would turn on the radio and listen to KSFO…Russ, Lon, Bill Thompson. The night was lit by stars, and way across the meadow, the mountain top in the distance was lined by little tiny pine trees. I imagined them to be fans at the top of the stadium. When Juan pitched, she would take a ruler, line out a scorecard on the back of the cardboard from a package of nylons (she may have snagged them on purpose to get more scorecards…). I was drawn to the sounds of the game…I lived to be the shortstop for the Giants.
As I grew, my buddies all came over for sandlot games…all day, every day, all summer. We all loved to play. None loved it as much as me. I played and grew, and played and grew. I loved Juan, and Tito, and Willie, and Willie, and Jim, and Jimmy Ray…then others came along…years passed. They never won, I never wavered. I kept playing. At 20, Coach Streeter had us all in the dugout in February, and told us all the lineup he was going with that season. “Randy will bat 3rd and play shortstop…” . I went to my apartment that day, sat alone, while my roommates, clueless as ever, debated their various levels of stupidity…and I tried to let go of the game and my dream. I couldn’t. I kind of haven’t. I got 13 at bats that year. I cheered on Randy, and everyone else. I flicked seeds from the end of the dugout. I knew that year meant I needed to decide where life was taking me. Just months later, I met Beauty…and I knew that it was time to start that new, wonderful, satisfying, fulfilling, tremendous path. Through it all, baseball never let go…I still love it…the greatest sport in the world.
Through the journey, one thing has been there the whole time: my Giants. When Chris Arnold and Jimmy Howarth came through with key hits in a 7 run bottom of the 9th to beat Pittsburgh 8-7. When Jimmy Rosario crashed through a gate at the Stick making a game saving catch. When we opened the new park. When Dusty took the ball from Russ. When Timmy rode the shoulders of teammates. When I watched more trophy celebrations in 5 years than any fan deserves in a lifetime. When Casilla balked. When the Cubs celebrated on the infield.
Baseball has been a very trusted friend. It taught me how to win. It taught me the proper way to handle those wins. It taught me how to lose. It taught me to respect your opponent in those losses, even on days when, though your team was clearly better, you were not that day. It taught me work ethic. It taught me joy, sadness, acclaim, loneliness, togetherness, support, teamwork, fairness, unfairness, luck, chance. It taught me how you have to set your ego aside for the team, sometimes because you won’t play much. It taught me that you can do everything right, and still fail. It taught me you can also not do it just right, and still succeed. It taught me to stand in the middle of a field on a mound with all eyes on you, and how to calm down enough to make a pitch. It taught me to look out at a man child about to heave either an un-hittable fastball, or more un-hittable breaking ball, and try to hit it anyway. It mostly taught me humility…it taught me life is like baseball. It taught me baseball is the closest thing to life that I have ever known.
The Giants didn’t succeed in 2016, and we all are heartbroken. We are all analyzing everything that happened.
The day after the devastating loss to the Cubs that ended the 2016 season, Brandon Crawford was cleaning out his locker. The prior night, he made two errors. The prior night, he crushed a double off the top of the fence.
He grew up learning to love baseball, too. He was dedicated and talented enough to realize his every dream. In that Cubs game, baseball humbled him. He went home thinking about how much baseball means to him, and how much baseball taught him. He will have learned all those things from this wonderful game that we all learned as well.
He will, like us, think quite a bit about “Baseball, the Giants, and me”
Guest post of the century! Is that your artwork? Love it!
Breckeroni digs it.
Gnarly and bitchin.
15 y.o. Footy’s mechanics could use some tinkering.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/94d3546b978e0397a3b0fcea0d397a6193e88cafd7af389e1de5fd8ab933c773.jpg
Krukow like, even the teeth.
Looks like Seven Foot Stride Footy!
Nice short arm circle
Nothing wrong there
Looks Tall and Fall or Drop and Drive
You got some #55 in you. Great shot. No wasted motion
I love this….
The art was fine by a teammates sister (Robin Keefe)…Beauty kept it all these years
Wonderful Post Matthew! Thank you!
Thanks for hosting, my brother!!
Nice read Matty. Think of it, a sympathetic big sister too.
She’s the best…visiting me next week…we still talk every day, mostly about Giants and Warriors.
I left my presidential ballot blank, but with all the information that’s come to light, it’s laughable that Clinton supporters could feel morally superior to Trump supporters. Those are two terrible choices.
Snorkel: “Who is care”
I think that they just feel SAFER.
I think they almost all feel morally superior. But for about half of them, it’s fear more than a feeling of moral superiority which is motivating them to actually vote.
“I think they almost all feel morally superior.”
Seeing that it is a pretty low bar, they might be right.
Good point.
The real world often comes at a surprise.
Maybe this will help. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/terrapins-insider/wp/2016/11/06/three-takeaways-from-maryland-footballs-59-3-loss-to-michigan/
Truly a wonderful story, Matthew. Your dad, your sister, your childhood friends playing sandlot baseball games. My favorite part: how your handmade sign “Poplar Stadium” lasted for years.
Does the house and field still belong to your family?
4 u. The herd, 5 of which are market bound. Bull not present but he is hereford with horns. Ranch in wife’s family 60 years. It’s just the two of us keeping it going.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c9448dea83b5e6ee6fa00e5d44f9f2366cce2b34897b281224543a5ae3b2d57f.jpg
Hang in there, Foots! America needs hardworking, honest people like you and your wife.
Ahhh thanks but the real hard workers are the ones farming for primary income. The cattle cover property taxes.
Now the truth- dinner for the year?
Wow, Ryan. This looks very much like the rolling hills in Montana.
In addition, it looks like the country in between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.
Well, things change…my father’s girlfriend is living there now. A sweet lady, but it’s being used by her family, not ours. It’s in a trust so it will end up back with another sister at some point. The field was morphed into an RV shed and a few other things, but the essence is there….
I’m glad it’s in a trust and will come back around. Who knows? You might be playing baseball in the field with your grandchildren someday.
MattyIce27 FWIW with a pedigree like that, I just filled out my lineup for today and your leading off and playing SS.
Love you, Clutch!
Good job, Matthew!
I like the part about Crawford. We’ll never know, but I wonder what he was really thinking after Game 4.
He shared a bit of his thoughts on his blog. It hit him hard, really hard apparently. It seems he’ll wear that one for a while.
He wrote about this in his blog some time afterwards. Still feeling awfully bad.
That he told us (via his blog) that he hasn’t watched ANY postseason baseball, and has no desire to, kinda tells us where his heart is.
Now we do the offseason dance, and pine for “pitchers and catchers report”. About 100 days away…and counting!
I didn’t read his blog. but from what you’ve said, I like him even more than I did before. Doesn’t seem like he was blaming anyone else for the loss.
No he wasn’t, and he even said something to the effect of “my error was a big part of our loss”. @BCraw35 is a major asset for our franchise. Love that guy!
Matthew, my friend: that was OUTSTANDING! What a great essay on the essence of baseball, with a wonderful dose of you mixed in. Great read! Thank you so much for sharing. I’m with Clutch: you’re leading off at SS today, and you’re going the full nine. Get us a couple of knocks!
TF, I’ve always known your love for this great game…it’s so nice that we have a community like this to share our respect for this great game
The current issue of ESPN The Magazine has their annual Franchise Survey. All teams in the four major sports are rated #1 through #122 in categories such as players likability, ballpark experience, ticket prices and value for your money. Some interesting rankings for Bay Area fans (and overall):
#1 Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
#2: San Antonio Spurs (a perennial top 10 finisher)
#18: our San Francisco Giants! The Cathedral is ranked second overall for stadium quality, we’re #2 in fan-friendly environment, and #1 in making it enjoyable for fans to catch games on TV, radio or online. Yea for Kruk, Kuip, Miller and Flemming!
#25: Oklahoma City Thunder (OK, that one is for me!)
#30: San Jose Sharks
#33: Golden State Warriors
#48: Chicago Cubs
#91: Miami Marlins (proving GG isn’t the only one that despises Loria, et.al.)
#122, and dead last: Our San Francisco 49ers! “they have created the perfect storm. Fans see 49ers owners as the NFL’s most dishonest and its players as the least available in sports. The front office has raised prices by more than 60% over the past five years (NFL average: 12%). Since they won only five games in 2015, they were named the NFL’s worst in paying to attract quality players and coaches.” Yep, that just about says it all.
Some needs to hire/recruit TO to clean up 49’erville.
As a Sharks fan, I would have thought the organization would have been much lower with the annual raising of tickets and how fandom dropped significantly after the 2013-2014 reverse sweep by the Kings.
Thanks, TF62!
The Royals have declined the option on Luke Hochevar.
Pretty sure he is one of those thoracic outlet surgery guys. Former #1 overall pick!
No eval intended, just info.
May be worth a shot after closer had been figured out.
Drew Brees 49
SF 21
Pops is snoozing, but we’ll watch the rams in the collesseum later.
Jeff Fischers in trouble. Owners wondering how Goff has not thrown one pass?
21 is a bit generous
I think our defense will be much improved
Saints 45 Niners 21
41-23, Saints. You are the winner!
I don’t use Facebook so I’m sort of ‘meh’ on it as a news source, but some critics have just given Zuckerburgs baby a stern talking to.
http://www.vox.com/new-money/2016/11/6/13509854/facebook-politics-news-bad
Crawford’s double off the top of the fence was in game 4, no?
It was…I had a few edits coming thru shortly
Really impressed with the kind and thoughtful way you asked this.
So dgg you like that better than “Crawford’s double was in game four, dumbass,”
I just burst out laughing! Of course I do! Terrific story about you and your sons on the last post. You should write a guest blog, PS35!
To be honest I was on my phone when I wrote that and had no way to check, I thought I might have remembered this wrong and wasn’t sure.
Great post Matthew. Thank you.
New SciFi movie. No baseball.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMo3UJ4B4g
Great piece Matt, thanks for sharing. One correction though; there’s no Shaw’s Flat in CA, if we have to Google it then it doesn’t exist. I remember hearing that Pirates game on the radio, those names are quite the blast from the past.
Hey, it’s not my fault that Google Maps can’t find the center of the universe…you take Shaw’s Flat Road off of 49 by the high school, drive 2 miles and find yourself halfway between Sonora and Columbia, dead center of where life began.
I’m trying to figure out the Giants’ active pitching roster next year and things don’t add up, or more accurately, the number which things add up to is much too big. For sure there will be Bumgarner, Cueto, Samardzija, Moore, Cain, Strickland, Law, Smith, and Kontos, right? Presumably someone will be acquired for the bullpen. All the closer candidates are right-handed and I can’t imagine that they would have Smith as the only lefty reliever. This means Okert or Osich or someone like that will have to be on the roster. That’s already 11 pitchers right there. That doesn’t count Gearrin (who’s out of options and it would be insane to just give him up), Blach, Romo (is he really washed up at 33? Bochy rated him as the third choice for closer after Casilla and Strickland), a hypothetical second relief acquisition, and Suarez (who also may be out of options, I’m not sure). Even assuming Casilla and Lopez are let go, this is just way too many pitchers.
You’re right: A couple guys will have to go.
The obvious choice: Cain. The sad truth is that in all likelihood, his presence on the roster either takes a job from someone more deserving (e.g. Blach or Gearrin or Suarez) and/or makes them carry one fewer position player. Either way he hurts the team if he takes up a spot.
That’s obviously logical. But he is being paid through 2017, more than $20 million a year, and the team is loathe to admit that they’ve just thrown the money away.
I don’t think it’s about the money, John. It’s how can they DFA Cain after everything he’s done for the Giants? Perhaps he’ll come into Spring Training with real stuff, command and control.
For whatever reason it’s hard to see them DFAing Cain. Then how do they keep the number of pitchers on the active roster under control? Something has to give.
Why? To me, the Giants don’t seem to be a win next year at any cost sort of team. Whether it’s a marketing schtick or reel, they seem to take this ‘we are Giants’ theme seriously, both internally and publicly. IF that’s real, and not make believe, then you have to condition your perspective and speculation with that in mind.
Meaning specifically what in terms of who will be on the 25-man roster?
If Cain isn’t hurt, and has a 90+ mph FB, he’ll get a shot. Add to your rumination, this a MLBPA contract year, and Cain is the union rep.
The current CBA ends on December 1, 2016. One of the changes for 2017 could be a 26-man roster. Problem solved?
I believe it is Cain’s spot to lose. He’d have to struggle before ty Blach gets the job.
Fine, so how do they keep it down to only 13 pitchers, let alone 12?
I agree mostly. But what if Ty Blach begins next year the way he ended this year: pitching much better than Matt Cain in spring training?
He might then win the long man role. So long as Cain has good rhythm and command of his arsenal. They know that ST is still just ST and the process more important than results. But maybe Cain gets bombed and his elbow starts barking and the DL solves the Cain dilemma.
Of course. The long man role. I keep forgetting that. Perhaps because that role hasn’t seemed to work out for the Giants reliably or consistently since Yusmeiro.
Suarez a nice option there. And then there’s free agent Petit!
Well, since they’re paying him $20 mil next year regardless, obviously it makes sense to see how he looks in spring training before making any final decisions.
But John is right that there’s a math problem. If the givens are:
Bum, Cueto, Shark, Moore, fifth starter (Cain or Blach)
Law, Strickland, Smith, second lefty (Okert or Osich; other one to AAA)
=9 locked-in spots
Then the possibilities are:
–new free agent closer
–Kontos, Gearrin, Suarez, Blach/Cain
So IF there is one free agent signing, that makes 14 pitchers. They really should only have 12, but if they go with 13, someone still has to go.
Late to the party as well. Suarez might be the odd man out, but let’s see how Spring Training and off-season workouts go first.
But even sending Suarez down (and assuming Romo is gone) leaves them with 13 pitchers on the staff. And it means only one free agent reliever. Which means if they get Holland, he’s the closer.
Anything can happen. Better to be insured. Trading depth from the pen to help roster also a spring option.
If Blach doesn’t get the fifth starter spot, he’ll probably get sent to AAA. He has options, and it’s better for him to stay in a rotation for when they need him.
I have this dreadful feeling they’re just going to let Gearrin go, which would be criminal after the September he had. 26% swinging strikes. 40% O-swing%. 31% O-contact%. 68% Z-contact%. 51% contact (not a typo). He was just unreal. And then Bochy just left him off the postseason roster. Anything is possible.
The Rowand effect
Late to the party: Great post, Matthew.
I sent an update to GG that noted one more thing: right after that life change, I met Beauty…it’s amazing how when you look back at what happened when, it’s all for the good.
I second that. Great post Matthew.
Excellent, Matthew!
Thanks, Brother!
Go Rams, beat the Cams.
Working out in a weight room full of cops, with everyone rooting hard against Kaepernick and Kaepernick obliging by throwing a pick and then wanting no part of trying to make the tackle, is my idea of a good way to start the day.
How much you bench?
Not a lot.
I haven’t really gotten after it in 20 years. I’d be afraid of tearing my rotator cuffs.
The flat bench is tough on the shoulders. Incline is better.
Push-ups and pull-ups are all a real man needs. Right, champ?
Bingo…with Dumbbells instead of a bar even better yet
He lost me at the socks.
Socks with pigs on them? Really?
What an immature dumb a^^.
Checking out Smith’s stats, the big one is very low Z-swing% (55.7%), the 3rd lowest in the majors after Miller and Nola, so huge number of called strikes:
http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=40&type=5&season=2016&month=0&season1=2016&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=4,a
The curve in particular looks just brutal, check out the heatmaps. Lots of pitches in the strike zone:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-06-02&se=2016-09-28&type=0&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=CU&season=all
but almost no swings:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-06-02&se=2016-09-28&type=2&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=CU&season=all
and almost no hits:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-06-02&se=2016-09-28&type=4&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=CU&season=all
Continuing with the Will Smith theme, something radical seems to have happened around August 20 (after which he gave up no runs for the rest of the regular season). His fastball became completely unhittable:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-08-20&se=2016-09-28&type=5&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=FA&season=all
Even though it was basically in the zone:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-08-20&se=2016-09-28&type=0&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=FA&season=all
The curve was also completely unhittable:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-08-20&se=2016-09-28&type=4&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=CU&season=all
And it was also generally in the zone:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-08-20&se=2016-09-28&type=0&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=CU&season=all
The slider on the other hand was lousy.
Here are the fastball averages in August up to the 18th, they’re also lousy:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-08-02&se=2016-08-18&type=4&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=FA&season=all
And here are the fastball averages for the year up to August 18th:
http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=8048&position=P&ss=2016-06-02&se=2016-08-18&type=4&hand=all&count=all&blur=1&grid=10&view=pit&pitch=FA&season=all
The 18th (that was the 10-7 win over the Mets) was the last regular season game he gave up a hit on the fastball and also the last regular season game he gave up a run.
I like Will Smith. He looked strong down the stretch. Should be a valuable asset in next year’s pen.
Lifelong (old fart) 49ers fans like me remember the 1978 season, when we posted a 2-14 record. Then we followed that with *another* 2-14 season in 1979. At least this was Bill Walsh’s first season, and we knew better times were ahead.
Looking at the hot mess that is this year’s Niners, I just hope we can find a way to win one more game and not finish 1-15. Looking ahead to the second half, I’m not seeing that W. At least not the way they’re playing now.
This just in: Chip Kelly is not going back to college coaching. Great. Next week’s news will likely be York telling us what a great GM Baalke is. Our San Francisco 49ers: worst team in the NFL.
Bud Black new Rockies manager
He will be good for them. Got a raw deal in SD.
That’s bad for us, he’s got a talent for getting something from nothing.
Competitive but didn’t take the Padres to the POs. Rockies are a pretty bad team and their FO is a bit of a mess.
I remember game 162 from 2010. Black is a craftsman with a rotation. If the Rockies get pitching, oh boy.
They’re working on it. One of best farm systems right now with some good arms in the pipeline. Always hitters coming up.
Giants should trade Steve Decker to work as Black’s bench coach. They would clean things up, that pair.
when you’re good, you’re very good
It would not be a good fit; their pitchers would be drilling hitters too often.
Good hire. Glad we kept Wo..
Thank you for sharing this, Matthew. Reminds me of when I first started loving this game and how much I still love this game!
It’s better than hop scotch, this I know.
Hop scotch had it’s moments for me.
Four square, tether ball, hand ball, butts up….
Baseball, Lunch. They will come….Lunch. They will come
Turn out the lights, the party’s overrrrrrrr,,,
Great guest post Mathew. Thanks.
Thanks, Hac! I’ve got one flap down in honor…
BTW, Comey just exonerated Ms. Clinton.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/11/tracking-the-clinton-controversies-from-whitewater-to-benghazi/396182/
Yup. Heard it earlier today….
Here’s mine.. either 9 or 10 years old. Of course I was on the Giants!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/1f6572112e41f781c792a41a625715b67c171ce233c3b3d777bce93c8fd7f1c8.jpg
Awesome socks. You inspired Sergio Romo!
AWESOME!!!
Channel 4 just teased the story about Dr Lefty’s vicious pet turkeys over in Davis.
Is there video somewhere? I like watching those turkeys walking about downtown. Someone else’s downtown, of course.
Yes, they had video, check out KRON 4’s site, I’m sure that story will end up there if it hasn’t already.
Thanks. I wasn’t sure where to find it.
The Davis turkeys made the So. Cal news as well. They were on roofs and everywhere. What solution could possibly exist? The best minds will surely come up with something.
Phil Nevin will be joining the Giants, right? What will be his role?
Nothing mentioned yet. Have to guess he’ll be one of the base coaches I would love to see their Triple A manager, Jose Alguacil, coach 3rd base next year.
I think he will be a base coach.
I think it’s important for us to have a good aggressive 3b coach. Flannery was really aggressive in his time here and with our park and style of play I think you have to be. He always pushed the limit and at the same time was smart about it. We can’t afford to be conservative with our offense. Those runs can be hugely important.
I wonder if Kelly and Hayes are out of the organization or will have different roles?
Pitchers and catchers report in 102 days. Have a great night everyone.
Awesome post Matthew!
Really made me yearn for those summers playing baseball all day everyday.
Thanks, and EFFFF YEAHHHH
Mathew… Outstanding!! Thanks for sharing your story.
I’ve lived in Tuolumne Co nearly 15 years now. Some of that time off Racetrack Rd off Jamestown/Shaw’s Flat Rd. During those years I routinely passed through Shaw’s Flat proper enroute to work, or on my bike training for the next week’s race. Now I’m so very curious to find the ancestral home of Mathew, and Poplar Stadium. Care to provide some details?
Besides baseball, local history is another of my things… was your pop involved in the logging/railroad industry by any chance?
There’s tons of interesting history here in Tuolumne Co. Learning some of yours makes it that much richer. Thanks!
Well, Captain, you went right past Poplar Stadium. Where Shaw’s Flat/Jamestown connects to Shaw’s Flat Road (heading towards Columbia), on the left, there was a little yellow house with birdhouses for sale all the time…that was my grandparents home (written up in AAA magazine)…and set back well behind it – across Poplar Stadium, was the house I grew up in… you may remember seeing cord upon cord of perfectly stacked oak along the driveway – Dad cut wood as a hobby for years. He was a heavy equipment operator after his early years driving cement mixers….a laborer who never missed a day of work in his life.
Another note that you can relate to: in fire season, we were in the flight path of many of the borate planes…the B-52’s and PBY’s that would cough, sputter and groan trying to carry their big loads…they would fly over regularly.
Wow Matt… I remember seeing “the birdhouse house” every day as my bus went by on the way to Columbia Elementary! Very cool!
The China Clipper had an emergency landing place/lake somewhere up that direction as well, if SF was fogged in. Not sure where, but it was north of Sac.
Thanks Mathew, the yellow house sounds familiar. I’m gonna drive over there this week and have a look around again.
I spent a few years in the early 2000’s working at the Columbia base, on the helicopter crew. Flew over your old place hundreds of times I reckon. Cheers!
Cap – If you know where Rough & Ready Trail is then you have passed by my childhood home (where my 92 year old mom still lives!)
On the road to Grass Valley?
If so, we got some roots in common (or branches at least).
Terrific post Mathew! Baggs look out!
Thanks, Barrister…it’s a long ways from Shaw’s Flat to Harry Carey’s with the Surf…
Thanks Matthew. I’ve got a 1 year old son and I hope I can teach him to love baseball as much as I do.
you will, Cynic!
My worry is I don’t think kids have the experience you described anymore, hanging out with their friends outside throwing the ball around. This is what I used to do everyday.
Ever see kids playing pickle? We used to play that at baby sitters with tennis balls.
That’s my same concern…I guess we can’t stop “progress”, but kids don’t play like we did. They don’t go out and compete, and work through the differences, and take grounders in the gut and argue over safe/out, and learn how to interact and create consensus amongst themselves…
Spot on. The best memories of my childhood are when we played baseball and stickball for hours on end. It was fun, healthy, and we learned how to get along as we honed our baseball skills. No computer, no smartphone, very little TV.
It is really sad to see parks empty during the summer. We used to play all day long with whomever was at the park. I think it was you who mentioned those rubber coated balls we used on the asphalt playgrounds. You developed quick hands or a very sore body. You also learned to read hops… that second hop was a killer. Thankfully I developed quick hands.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toJ3ZYWRh24
When you pick em good, Steve, you really pick em good.
Refresh your browser to see the updated version.
Thanks for that GG…I swear, it’s a cool honor to have a guest post on here.
Hey, folks, everyone can now see The Beauty Timeline too!
great job matty. it sounds like you have had a terrific life, so far. your father must have really loved his family, and,i’m guessing, along with your mom, raised a fine man. i get the feeling sometimes that i grew up on the wrong coast. you, and so many others in this group, were cut from the same cloth as i was.great read, and well written, pal.
Beautys now hitting cleanup.
Allen approves this message.
Rootbeer floats on me!
How apropos…I lead off….and she has to clean up the mess
Yes, that image of our mates has many good angles.
They come through in the clutch situations; stand on deck when we are up there flailing away; and have a good word of how to not strike out the next time because they pay attention to what we do. Yep, God knew what He was doing when He said it is not good for man to be on his own.
I read that ‘on deck’ and ‘in the hole’ were naval aviation terms adopted by baseball.
I have heard that too and it makes as much sense as anything. “In The Hold” might be the real Navy term and as language does, it evolves.
Actually, on a carrier, it was always ‘in the hole’. It dealt with the position of the aircraft/crew awaiting elevator transport from the hanger deck, in the hole, to the flight deck ‘on deck’.
Oh yeah … Aircraft Carrier lingo.
I wonder how much Teddy Ballgame, as a Marine Corps pilot might have had to do with that….
Good question. I’m not sure when the term appeared, but Navy carrier flight goes back to the late ’20’s or ’30’s.
I would bet, and this is just me, that the terms weren’t widely incorporated until after the war but who knows.
Thanks Matthew … Great way for me to start this week of craziness; you took me back to some very good times.
It was my self indulgent pleasure…keep hackin’, Haak
Schulman is tweeting that the Giants will announce Phil Nevin and Jose (“Augie”) Alguacil as their new base coaches today. He didn’t say which base(!), but either way, it’s safe to say that there’s a new sheriff in town. Good for Augie!
Ya beat me to the punch : )
Decker to Manage Sac Town?
He’s the assistant hitting coach for the Giants…Augie had only been in Sac for one year, anyway, so they’ll find someone else.
We all know where Jose was, but what was Nevin doing before this?
He was managing the Reno Aces, the Diamondbacks’ AAA team.
Longtime connection with Bochy, too, from their Padres days.
Nevin is the guy the Astros took #1 instead of Jeter. LOL.
ouch
ooooops
2 guys were picked in front of michael jordan. hakeem olajuwon, which isn’t too bad, but sam bowie?
Golden Spikes winner out of csu Fullerton.
The second through fifth picks were:
Nevin
Paul Shuey
B. J. Wallace (who never played in the majors)
Jeffrey Hammonds
Chad Mottola (125 career MLB at-bats and over 5,000 at-bats at AAA)
Those five would combine for two All-Star Game appearances (Nevin and Hammonds)
The Yankees drafted Jeter, who chose to turn pro, signing for $800,000.
Interesting, another young and rising AAA manager. Maybe Bobby wants to warm the seat a little?
I watched a movie about the next three months of Trent Baalke’s life this weekend.
Yup, Dead Man Walking…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmPOnRUDZAE
i’m in love
She’s ‘healthy’, isn’t she. And she plays an outstanding harp. That’s John Sebastian ex of Lovin’ Spoonful with her.
You’re assuming he was talking about her, not that there’d be anything wrong with it if he wasn’t.
i don’t swing from that side of the plate, but as you say, not that there’s anything wrong with it.
i didn’t even get to her physical attributes. a woman that can blow a harp like that is my kinda gal. JS i know. i’ve seen him a couple of times, and who could forget the theme to welcome back kotter. thx for the post..
The Cubs have declined Jason Hammel’s option for 2017.
And Scott Kazmir has declined to walk away from the $32 mil the Dodgers still owe him.
Hey, on the food option order in question. I asked a friend of mine, and she has used ‘Blue Apron’ and ‘Munchery’. Blue Apron she’s eaten, and Munchery she’s used herself.
https://munchery.com/
https://www.blueapron.com/
Thanks! I’m intrigued by these services for a couple reasons. I like to cook, but planning and shopping for meals gets away from me during a busy spell. If the ingredients are in the house already, I love wandering into the kitchen around 5-5:30, pouring a glass of wine, putting on some music, and fixing a meal.
Also, these curated meal delivery kits allow me the opportunity to learn some new techniques and try some new combinations or ingredients. There are a cajillion websites, blogs, and apps for cooking now. It’s too much information sometimes.
We’ve used Blue Apron for a couple of years now, off an on. Really delicious and economical, when you consider how much it costs to buy ingredients at the grocery store. Also, you get acquainted with foods and spices you never knew about. Maybe the best part (besides the finished product) is that ingredients are pre-measured, and there is no waste. In other words, you don’t buy a $7 bottle of some obscure spice so that you can use 2/3 of a teaspoon and have the rest of it in your pantry forever.
Great, thanks!
Wow, a good red sounds like a treat about now. We’ve found a way with a vacuum food gadget to ‘save’ red wine, without it getting nasty, on the counter top for a week or so.
Thanks Matthew — this is a great and personal piece, and it was way cool of you to share it with all of us.
You’re very welcome! Thanks for such a cool note
Algaucil has been named first base coach via mlb.com news
Nevin to 3rd. Boom.
Presuming Nevin has calmed down since his playing days. He was pretty intense (to put it mildly) and I never would have thought then he would be coaching material some day.
could be worth a game or 2
#SFGiants name new base coaches to replace Kelly, Hayes https://t.co/cpvBa24GZW via @sfchronicle
Also, Giants put Ian Gardeck back on 40-man roster. Hard-throwing right-hander is recovering from Tommy John. Per Pavs.
Nice. He was pretty nasty looking when I saw him down at Visalia. Pen potential all the way.
The climb/route up Everest.
http://everestavalanchetragedy.com/mt-everest-journey.html
That’s pretty cool. I have read quite a bit and seen numerous pictures and videos, but nothing like this.
Interesting comments about the new base coaches in Baggarly’s piece:
“Nevin, 45, has spent the past three seasons running the Triple-A Reno Aces in the Diamondbacks system. But his managerial experience wasn’t as much of an allure as his personality and passion – two attributes that Bochy knows well after Nevin played for him with the San Diego Padres from 1999-2005.
Nevin (45) and Alguacil (43) bring more youth to the coaching staff along with a competitive passion that the clubhouse appeared to lack at times last season. And on an aging staff, it can’t hurt to have two coaches who are a bit closer in age to the players.”
Baggarly also refers to Nevin’s intense personality as a player and his successful transition to coaching (mentioned below by GSDubs).
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/11/07/giants-add-youth-competitive-fire-to-coaching-staff-with-phil-nevin-jose-alguacil/
When in AAA, I think, Nevin had the be restrained by his teammates from going into the stands after a fan calling his wife and daughter names. The fan was arrested and escorted to jail. He has fire.
Augie has a lot of personality and flair, too. I enjoyed watching him do his thing in Sacramento this past year.
Lots of jackasses have fire
Interesting that Bochy and others in the organization may have thought the same thing as some of us here, that there was a lack of fire and urgency when things were turning south.
Interesting also that Kelly and Hayes are the fall guys for that phenomenon…can’t fire the players, I guess…or Bochy.
So much for character guys. Surprised Bochy wants to deal with Nevin again, given his daily whining about the ballpark in San Diego, including multiple on-field demonstrations. He’ll be patting Belt on the back a lot and telling him to call out the GM for the dimensions.
The deal is – when something negative happens at the highest level of baseball – any coach or player who looks back rather than forward is doomed. That Nevin stuff is old history.
Baggs calculator must have bad batteries. Augie is 44.
History of the MLBPA with an eye to the upcoming negotiations. http://www.hardballtimes.com/a-history-of-the-mlbpa-collective-bargaining-agreement-part-1/
Justice Department sues AT&T/Direct TV over Dodger’s broadcast idiocy. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/justice-dept-sues-attdirectv-over-dodgers-broadcasts/
Such a suit is grandstanding idiocy.
Leicester City, Brexit, Cubs…scary day tomorrow. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
AIs battle it out on game of Civilization VI.
https://www.twitch.tv/2k/v/95994932
I hope livefree’s blood pressure subsides over the naming of the Phil and Augie show.
Phil at 45 and 44 year old Augie – welcome aboard.
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