by
GreekGiant
Well those three rings were real nice. It looks like the Gods of baseball are now demanding payback for all our good fortune.. The Giants played a thrilling game tonight and the bullpen coughed up another victory… What can I say? Just read the comments.
Madbum on Fire in the Soft Era of Baseball
The Puig-Madbum dustup at the end of the 7th was fun. I really enjoy two macho men going at it full on in the heat of a baseball game. Most amusing was the scrum of bodyguards Cain, Pence, Belt and Smarge trying to keep our ace from getting into a cage fight with the Cuban Full Throttle. As some of you posted in the comments, Bum seems to elevate his game the angrier he gets. I love his intensity. I never get tired of it. I also think he straddles the line between easily-offended and looking for a fight versus the edgy competitor. Nolan Ryan was that way. So was Will Clark. I love hard-nosed baseball. I hate this new school of namby-pamby socializing between players on opposing teams nowadays. Our times are soft. We are soft. Baseball is soft. Give me Madbum with fury.
Why, they even had to create a ridiculous contrivance of World Series home field advantage to make the All Star Game competitive! How pathetic. I grew up in the 1980s and 1990s to guys like Pete Rose, Gary Carter, Dave Parker and Reggie Jackson who would absolutely knock your block off in the All Star Game. It was treated by the players like a World Series. Times have changed and players like Bum are throwbacks and transparent with their emotions. God bless him! Tonight against the Dodgers he was masterful: 7 innings pitched, 1 hit, 10 strikeouts, 1 walk, and 0 runs, lots of snorts, grunts and fury. Watching Madbum pitch tonight was memorable, a night I will remember as one that will add to his legend. My retirement home nurse is in for a treat.
United Nations Declares International Moratorium on Head-First Slides
Watching Eduardo Nunez create a run out of nothing was an inspiration. Give him two twigs and a cup of water and he will build a Star Destroyer. His defense has been nothing short of spectacular too. The head-first slides make me cringe however. First, no runner should ever slide into first unless its to avoid an errant throw and a runner should never be looking at the throw to first anyway so never, never, never slide into first you Little Leaguers. It is a recipe for getting hurt. Second, now that I got that off my chest I think the head-first slide should be banned outright. The exposure to the hands, fingers, wrists and other parts of the body is too big a risk. It amazes me that in this current age of the injury plague, teams still allow their players to slide head-first.
The Bullpen (and the Defense) Break Our Hearts Again
With runners on first and third in the ninth with nobody out and Justin Turner at bat with a 1-2 count, Buster Posey called for a high fastball. Hunter Strickland threw one thigh-high that was smashed into right field for an RBI game-tying single. The next batter, Gonzalez, hits a game-winning double off Hunter Pence’s glove, game over. Our pen may have cost us a shot at the postseason. It certainly has cost MadBum 3-5 victories this year. Our hearts are broken once again.
Once again we will awaken tomorrow and hope for a new winning streak to start. Or, we might just stop watching baseball altogether and go to the movies, bake a cake, or take a canoe trip somewhere.
Wow. As fast as Baggarly. Bumgarner can throw 130-140 pitches without a problem. 97 tonight.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KU7_G2grxJE
An appropriate clip. What’s it from?
Bridge Over the River KwaiCorrection: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Correction: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Thanks. Haven’t seen that movie in a long time. Alec Guinness? Sesu Hayakawa, I remember.
watch it again. you will not be sorry. one of the best movies i’ve ever seen.
Season over!! The Dodgers will sweep us and Cards will sweep Rockies. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/0eed67d66cfef3e4ab19a59991c9b330f7e0f53b8354ec86a526157dc6947315.png
Don’t even talk like that…
What are the odds the Giants finish the season below .500. It’s possible.
Bumgarner lifted the team on his shoulders. Bochy wouldn’t let him carry them all the way.
Bochy went on vacation over 2 months ago. Dude wants nothing to do with a post-season.
Looks that way. He’s made a ton of bad decisions with the bullpen but we’re in this position in large part because Evans neglected the pen.
Wow. Bum not wanting to address the situation at all…
Mad Bum didn’t throw Bochy under the bus…good for him.
Estes with the line of the season: “This team takes the field in the 9th inning expecting to lose”
I will be unbelievably proud if they turn this around. I don’t expect it. I feel for them.
Brisbee (above):
“I’ll say this: You’ll remember this team. No matter if they win a postseason game or series or fail right off the edge of the regular season, you’ll remember this team for as long as your internal memory has sufficient power. That’s at least something.”
Greek…SPOT ON in your assessment of Old School Bum, Dave Parker, Pete Rose, and REAL MEN who played the game.
What a disgrace taking Bum out of this game, when he showed some FIRE and DESIRE to win, and shake this damn CRATER of a team out of its doldrums.
AHHHH, but there’s Bruce Bochy swooping in there yet again to lose the day, sabotage any momentum we may have mustered YET AGAIN, and completely do everything he can to destroy this unforgettable season and lead us further down the toilet.
Enjoy those millions Bochy. I’m sure that early vacation is burning a HOLE in your pocket.
DISGRACEFUL.
At least the new blog is a winner.
I’ve been watching the Giants since the 80s and cant remember a more frustrating, soul crushing 2 months of baseball ever.
2002 Game 6 was the only other time I’ve felt this emotion, but to have it on a daily basis is just brutal.
Is it entirely possible that these arms that were so good in AAA are just 4A pitchers, to go along the long line of 4A hitters that we have produced?
When I saw what these guys (Stickland, Law, Okert, Osich) were doing in AAA, I felt good knowing that we were getting to the end of the Lopez, Romo, Affeldt, Casilla era and had some good arms coming up. But now, I’m not so sure.
Looks like Bobby Evans is going bullpen shopping in a few months.
Just one experienced, healthy closer will calm everything the eff down.
Or a competent manager. We have neither.
I’ll say that Bochy has puzzled me A LOT this season. Casilla vs Lamb, Strickland vs anybody.
But I can’t say he should be fired. Everyone hits a slump and he has been pulling a lot of bad strings for sure. Again, he’s puzzled me more often the past 2 months than he has since he got hired but he also doesn’t throw the pitches or swing the bats.
2016 Giants just can’t seem to get all cylinders firing in unison, from the Front Office down…
Hell, last Tuesday night I saw Rags have to remind the bat boy on a few occasions that there was a ball in front of the dugout that needed to be picked after umpire threw it out of play….
No way, Scout. It’s WAY deeper than that. Of course, a closer would help. Bruce has lost his mind in many ways, and that’s on him….do you know we don’t have that closer? He refuses to give anyone a true full 9th inning to even know
Wheel sea…
we’ve seen already
Madison Bumgarner. If looks could kill
smh
I do not disagree with the decision to pull Bumgarner after 7 innings because even if he had pitched through the 8th, the high pitch count wouldn’t have allowed him to get back out there for the 9th. He was around 97 pitches after 7th and would’ve had around 110-115 after 8th. Will Smith & Law got out of the 8th unscathed and there weren’t anyone questioning his move then, so it’s not right to question it now.
The only reason that people are questioning that move in hindsight is because of the 9th. And to me, Bochy is just too antsy to stick with a reliever for more than one batter if his name isn’t Casilla.
No matter who you have as relievers at the back end, when one of the relievers allows a leadoff batter to get on and the manager takes him out and inserts a new reliever, who allows a base hit, and you take HIM out and insert a new reliever with 2 men on with no outs, there is no closer in baseball that can protect a 1 run lead in that situation under this much pressure. Not even Zach Britton can save that. That is simply a set-up for failure.
Bochy just has to suck it up and stick with a rookie closer in Law. Stick with ONE guy!!!
Not true…many of us questioned it immediately. Wrong decision, of course. We’re numb to them
Yeah that was a ton of pressure on Strickland
And so what? There’s no magic number of pitches. I believe you probably recall the 2014 World Series?
The point is he would’ve been out after the 8th inning anyway.
But Bochy mismanaged the 9th…give a guy the inning…but he tinkers so much and puts guys in impossible situations way too often…
And he should and could have gone the 9th too…
He’s overthinking it. He said so himself in a Baggs article earlier.
exactly
Why? Give him 15 in the 8th and that brings him to 112, with gas left in the tank. This was a huge game. Bumgarner came up just as huge and was ready to carry the team to the end. I’m sure the rest of the team was counting on it as well. I have no doubt that everyone else on the bench was dumbfounded by the move. My money is on the idea that they no longer have confidence in Bochy, which would be a very bad thing. He’s ruined their chances with dumb moves too many times.
Yeah no way the guys have faith in Bochy’s moves now. He’s already lost the bullpen but seems to be getting to the position guys now too. Not good.
Not necessarily. If he gets through the 8th with 10-12 pitches, he comes in for the ninth with a pitch count of about 108. Easily could have completed the game.
How did he mismanage the ninth? If he took out Law to begin the inning they would have countered with a PH. Lopez needs to get out lefties who are hitting 200 against him and strickland pitching from behind imploded in the second save situation in the last week.
What exactly is Bochy supposed to do when he has absolutely no no in the bullpen who is reliable. Absolutely no one — except maybe Smith recently.
You are expecting him to draw to an inside straight when he has absolutely no cards to pkay.. I posted this on the last article, but short of letting MadBum and Cueto pitch compkete games every game, there is nothing that Bochy could have done with this group of miscreants
Sorry, this was intended to reply to my goid friend Mathew’s observation beliw.
First, by the fact that Bumgarner wasn’t pitching the ninth. Second, but not giving Law a chance to really try to close out the game.
Who exactly gave up the tying run– Law
He gave up a single and was pulled…for two other guys that have been mediocre.
Everyone in the bullpen has been mediocre on their best days.
Not Law.
Maybe he should let MadBum’s arm fall off since we wont need him in the pistseason anyway.
He only threw 97 pitches?
Today. Im not saying that I wouldnt have let him pitch the 8th. But he probably doesnt pitch the ninth anyway and the fact is you cant do that to the guy every game. Zthe bullpen has to be able to put up a scoreless inning and they just dant because they stink
No, you wouldn’t want to do that every game. But this wasn’t just any game.
Our pen.
I have what may be an unpopular opinion, and TO pointed to it…we have NO idea necessarily if any of them can be Closer’s because none of them are afforded the chances that Casilla got over and over…
Give someone a clean, full 9th inning. Sink or swim. But, when you bring a guy like Strickland into an unwind able mess -2 on, no outs…and say ” go save these guys mess”, it’s much different than ” here’s your 9th inning. Go do it.”
What’s up? I really and truly don’t get it.
I don’t get it either and I’m beyond aggravated with how Bochy is utilizing the pen but at some point, someone has to get a hitter out. Whether it was Law getting Toles to start the inning or Lopez getting Seager or Strick actually executing a high fastball to Turner. You’d think eventually even a hard hit ball would be directly at someone and allow us to escape. I’ve never seen anything like this, and hope to never again.
I agree. You have to find that one guy and give him that chance. It should be Strickland but he absolutely refuses to throw a breaking ball more than once an inning and if he has no confidence in that, he can’t be the closer.
But once you find that guy, EVERYTHING else will fall into place. But who can Bochy really trust right now?
It’s a good time to have a couple guitars handy.
Brought my Guild nylon south. Think I’ll give it a play this A.M.
Good night all. It hurts less when sleeping.
I said it jokingly earlier but it fits. Together We’re Hurt.
And as much as I love Bum and his fiery demeanor, he seemed to be looking for trouble in the 7th. Yes, Puig was looking at him and stepped to him but if Bum had just walked to the dugout none of that would’ve happened and I really believe Boch lets him hit in the top of the inning and take the mound again.
I like your write up. I do see a bit of a gulf with the stance on today’s game being namby pamby vs banning the head first slide because too many guys get hurt.
Now, I totally agree the head first slide is foolish and a bad idea. But wouldn’t banning it for the obvious player injury factor have to be considered “namby pamby”? Eg, I think the Ray Fosse incident (Pete Rose sort of ending RF’s career during an exhibition game) was the seed to the so-called Posey rule. So if one is nampam, isn’t the other?
That said I absolutely Hate the headfirst slide. And a guitar player (or a man who makes a living throwing a ball, should never do that on purpose. Plus it’s proven to not be faster. So there’s that.
One more thing. I’m probably the only one here who agrees with the manager to take a guy out who loses his cool, like he’s looking for trouble. What some are calling competitive spirit, I see as poor sportsmanship and bad for the team. Counterproductive, negative vibes. He’s the best pitcher and was dominating, no need for such Little League posturing. And further – he’s been there. Should act like it.
Don’t forget the ridiculous confusion around the slide rule at second.
And furthermore, football players used to not use face masks and had minimal padding!
(gets off box of Dial soap)
“Little League posturing”… great line!
A guy can be dominant on the mound or at the plate, tough as nails, no taker of anybody’s BS and still be a cool, calm, professional. I too feel like Bum goes looking for trouble sometimes. More often than not to his own detriment. Some might say he’s a firey competitor, that his act energizes the team. I’d say walking cooly back to the dugout, returning for a shut down 8th inning, maybe even another in the 9th, would do more to fire up the team and prove to all how tough he his than these stupid immature pissing contests he gets himself into.
Good night GE refugees…. I’m going to go stare at this pic all night and cry myself to sleep: https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/730863cbdcec13c39dcf0ed5eddd51bedb6b5e059e82fac6f4bb90a53b55c064.jpg
http://baseballhall.org/sites/default/files/styles/fullscreen_image_popup/public/_I3Q0002-2.jpg?itok=c59o2Nsn
The commentators on the MLB Network were eviscerating Ol’ Boch for pulling Bumgarner—and, oh were they right. Biggest game of the season for the Giants–and Ol’ Boch, that genius, hands it over to his laughably lame bullpen with an oh so predictable result. I mean, really, the mighty Bumgarner wasn’t good for another 30 pitches? So help me Marichal, Koufax, Gibson, etched., he was!
One other thing. While y’all are eviserating the bullpen, don’t forget the hitting. It usually takes more than one run to win these games. Tough to expect perfection from pitching when they’re often given just a run or two to work with. Yikes.
So let’s pile on the batters too.
Weird deal. Saw a couple of tweets with video of Hunter Strickland running laps and stairs in an empty Dodger Stadium. I know pitchers run and I know they run stadium stairs. But I doubt they run them at 11:00 at night after blowing a save. In fact, the tweet on the stairs video was “Someone tell Bochy he needs to come get Hunter Strickland.”
I’ve always thought Strickland was mentally fragile. I read he was besides himself after blowing that game against the Padres last week, nearly in tears talking to reporters. (I must say, that’s a little refreshing after the shrugging “I did my job” stuff from Casilla. It’s nice to see someone actually care.)
With that in mind, was it the best idea to bring Strickland into a mess like that? Probably not.
This just gets worse and worse with every week that goes by. I’ve never seen anything quite like this.
Uncharted waters.
Who would you rather have close if you were the manager Strickland or Casilla? Strickland 3 saves 5 blown saves, Casilla 31 saves 9 blown saves?
I will say this until it sinks in to all, the Giants have a run scoring issue. 2, 0, 1 runs scored in 3 games. 2 blown saves against contending teams. They need to score more runs than 1 a game average unless you expect thier pitching to throw shutouts every night.
I’ll choose Door #3. I’m not a big Strickland believer, but I think out of the 15 guys in the bullpen there had to have been a couple who could have gotten three outs. Me, I would have stuck with Law. I would have let Smith finish the eighth and come out with Law in the ninth and I would have left it at that.
Well Strickalnd came in and gave up 2 hits with no outs as the closer… Game over….
Right on brother!
I don’t think we’ll see Strickland in the 9th ever again.
The whole second half defies explanation.
Alex’s somewhat puzzled take on why Bochy pulled Bum is that he thought Bum was tired or had gone far enough. He noted that there have been several other games this year where he’s yanked Bum when it looked like he still could have gone at least another inning.
It wouldn’t make sense to say he’s “saving” Bum for a playoff run that looks more unlikely with every game that goes by. Saving him for next year and the year after? Snakebit by the early demises of Lincecum and Cain? So weird.
I sure hope it doesn’t come out that Bochy was being parental because of Bum’s thing with Puig. Even if you don’t like what happened there (and I’ve stuck up for Bum, but I didn’t like it, either), Bum’s earned the right to not be treated like a child. And you don’t put your team at risk in a critical game just to teach someone a lesson–do you?!
Bochy should have been fired before he left the stadium.
This worries me too. I wonder if Bum is nursing some type of injury…
He said no.
Woke up this morning under grey Brittany skies, dripping with sadness. Too excited to start with a cup of coffee, I went to the computer, and straight to the box score (I could read a box score before I could read). I thought: This can’t be last night’s game (read bullpen). They couldn’t have done it again. There are no groundhogs in France.
But there it was. Bum throws his ass off, and the pen pukes again. I hate to say it, but this Giants’ team does not belong in the postseason. Get ready to go buy a bullpen, a LF, a CF, or return in the spring for another groundhog moment.
2016 = Perdu
2017 = Qui sais?
I like the educational priorities here: box scores before See Dick and Jane.
These have been disappearing from newspapers, and I wonder if the kids today still know how to read one?
Even the announcers don’t. I heard Kuiper say recently that the Giants had stranded 26 runners the previous game because he misread the box score. It would take some serious talent to strand 26 runners.
It was a horrible loss. Our offense did nothing and 9th was a freak show of…
A rotten way to begin a day for sure. Tomorrow, go for the cafe first.
This has obviously gone far beyond just losing. It’s embarrassing, it’s humiliating. And I’m not talking for me as a fan. I wish they were winning, but I’m not playing. I’m not losing. I’m not embarrassed. I’m talking about the players.
Most of these guys have been World Series champions. They had what it took to come back, more than once, from the brink of elimination. If you think you feel bad, imagine how they must feel. Their collapse is becoming big news. They are prideful men, and their friends, families and peers are watching them fail in the most shameful way possible.
It’s one thing to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and know that you’re just not getting the job done. If you can do that, at least you can make some sense of what’s happening. You can focus on trying to fix what’s wrong. But what can you do if a major reason for your embarrassment is out of your control?
Most of them know that they haven’t been playing as well as they could or should, but they also know that despite this fact, they would still be in good shape if these games in September hadn’t been allowed to slip away in the end. And that’s why I highly suspect that Bochy is losing the team. Managers and coaches play a role, but ultimately it’s the players that win or lose together. They rely on each other. The manager should be helping, but in this case he’s hurting, and I doubt there’s much tolerance for that. When they needed him most this season, just as he’s done in the past, Bumgarner was standing tall and refusing to allow them to lose. I doubt there’s any quality that teammates could respect more than the ability to come through when the team needs it the most. They knew with Bumgarner on the mound, the way he was pitching, they were going to win this big game. And then, inexplicably, Bochy took that away. He voluntarily traded a strength for a weakness, and he allowed them to be embarrassed again. That’s not what a leader does, and I doubt it’s easily forgiven.
As much as some of us HAVE chided you on negative takes…this encompasses exactly what most of us (and the players)…(and the upper management…)…(and the ownership group) must also see. It becomes clearer with each ill-advised decision. If WE are sitting here in the 8th inning thinking “uh oh”…or more like “OH MY GOD THIS IS CRAZY!!!!!), then you have to wonder what it must be doing to the hardened professional finish on these guys. I think about Posey, Pence and Crawford mostly…but I also think about all of them. It’s gotta leave a mark.
They are so marked up
Two consecutive POTD.
Thank you TO and Matthew.
Ditto
Strickland never has been never should be and never will be a closer.
MadBum got angry at the wrong guy. He should’ve been swearing at Bochy.
I feel really really bad for guys like MadBum who are pouring their heart and arm out for the team.
This team reminds me of the 2009 Giants. In 2009 I had high hopes for them with their pitching and 3 Cy Young winners. I also thought Cain at that time had a chance in the future to win one. Their hitting wound up being anemic that year as well.
That was a fun team. Pablo had a career year at age 22 and Timmy won his second Cy. They actually won 88 games and would have made the playoffs under today’s format.
True that. 2009 was a redux of 1986. A young, growing team on the cusp of becoming a perennial contender. A great Giants season.
One guy that will not be making eye contact with MadBum anytime soon – Hunter. Or any of the bullpen guys.
The dugout disgust was readily apparent.
Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result….
This whole 2nd half has been literally unbelievable. Last night might have been the nail in the coffin. If you can’t win with your ace rising to the occasion and pitching one of his best games of the year, and still losing in the same manner that’s been dogging them all season, maybe it’s just 3.5 years of even year magic coming crashing down in the span of a couple months.
I’d guess Bum’s outburst had more to do with frustration and the mounting pressure more than Puig himself. This team knows it’s circling the drain rapidly. Oracle said below that Bochy could be losing the team and I agree. How can he not be at this point? Romo gave a *possible* indicator of that the other game. And it’s not necessarily all the bad decisions, but just the losing itself. Managers usually don’t survive these types of collapses, especially with all the spending, bold trades, and high expectations. So we’ll have to see what happens with Bochy. Likely nothing, considering his relationship with the FO and he’s still signed for a few more years. My opinion is that he should be shown the door, especially if he has lost the team. While the 3 titles were wonderful, this org clearly wants another and I don’t think Bochy will be able deliver it. And I certainly don’t want to see this same crap anymore.
Has any coach/manager destroyed all his cache with his players/fans so quickly? Wow, what has happened to Boch?
Good question. And I have no idea. I guess things just didn’t work out. Even in the good years we saw his stubbornness and were frustrated by guys like Rowand and Tejada getting playing time, but things eventually worked out. But I don’t recall so many decisions simply not working out like this year. It’s just unreal.
Quick edit, Tejada was in 2011 which was certainly NOT one of the good years. That was probably Bochy’s worst job managing until this year.
True that. The undermanned 2011 team fought through adversity and led the division into August. Sabean (Beltran) and Bochy (Rowand, Tejada, O.Cabrera) came up short.
Even just last year, I really admired the job he was doing. I thought him handing the 3B job to rookie Duffy and benching McGehee was one of his finest moments as a Giants manager–I didn’t believe doing that was in his DNA. And the team was scrappy and stayed in the race far longer than it should have, considering the crippling list of injuries.
They can always move Bruce to a specialty role. The question though is Raggs and Gardys role in all this. Bruce consults with Raghetti on all his pitching moves. Gardy is the one coaching the kids tryng to make em right. Have all 3 lost it at the same time or are the ptichers just that bad or is it not really the pitching? I find it hard to win games when you score 3 runs over 3 games. I find it hard to fault relief pitching for the losses but that is what people seem to be blaming. Why is that? Is it because it is easy to point to that 1 inning? That is the same case that people screamed about Peavey and Cain, that 1 inning (4th or 5th). I find it hard to fault pitching for the losses when the offens has been so anemic that 31 games this second half they have score 3 runs or less. Losses in those low scoring games are hitters faults not pitching in my opinion.
Good point about the coaching staff and where they fit it. But I guess ultimately it’s Bochy’s call. Who knows, maybe Raggs is pleading with Bochy behind closed doors to give Law a shot but Bochy doesn’t give in.
And you’re right about the offense, they’re not scoring enough runs. But the team IS built on pitching and defense, so I suppose that’s the area that has the higher responsibility. I think it was in 2010 when the team was struggling so Sabean had to go have a talk with the pitchers to give them a kick in the butt and remind them that they are a pitching team, something like that. And it worked. But I guess when you have a late lead you expect the pitching to get the last few outs, no matter how many runs were scored. With that said, I’d love to have Cespedes next year 🙂
Memory says one thing but the stats say another. Back in 2010 they played 42 games in the second half where they scored 3 runs or less. They won 17 and lost 25 of those games. Certainly not a stud hitting explosion, so it must have been the great pitching.
Reality is the second half of 2010 the pitching was average, it was the run scoring of the offense that was above averae. The Giants scored 4.1 runs per game in the second half of 2010 while allowing 3.41 runs per game. The league average scored 3.46 runs per game in the second half (17363 runs in 5009 games) The offense scored 0.7 runs per game more than league average. Their stud pitching averaged 3.41 runs a game or just slightly better than the league as a whole. To me, the stats say offense carried the team and pitching was league average.
With that said, pitching that year had a record setting september allowing 3 runs or less in all but 1 game.
Baseball is a team game, but when you get to the ninth inning, the starter and the hitters have done what they could and now it’s the bullpen’s job. And if the bullpen is handed a lead, even if it’s just a one-run lead, that means the rest of the team did its job up to that point. Sure, a bigger lead would obviously be better, but any lead means that (a) the starter kept the team in the game (b) the defense did its job well enough and (c) the offense at least did something.
When a team loses nine games after going into the ninth leading, yeah, that’s on the bullpen.
To 2hole’s point, the Giants haven’t won a single game out of fifty something when they trailed in the ninth. Gotta win a few of those, that is on the offense which basically has been one, two, three grab your gloves for two months.
No argument that the offense has been anemic. But holding leads in the ninth inning is the bullpen’s job and they’ve been the worst in baseball at doing it.
Combine one of the worst bullpens with a second half offensive fail and whaddaya get… “Your 2016 Saaaaan Francisco Giiiiiiants!!”
Re Righetti and Gardner, I think they’ve done their job and developed 15 serviceable pitchers (except Casilla). How Bochy had used (not used) those pitchers is the mistake.
The second half in a nutshell, lack of scoring
3 runs or less scored (31 games) – 6 wins 25 losses
4 runs scored(5 games) – 2 wins 3 losses
5 or more runs scored(25 games) – 14 wins 11 losses.
Do you see a trend here? When they score more than the league average they win more games than they lose. When they score well below league average at 3 or less runs per game they lose and lose and lose…….
Thanks 2hole! This is a bigger stat than the blown saves for me:
3 runs or less scored (31 games) – 6 wins 25 losses, second half… Giants have scored one run, one run in their last two games and 3 in their last three in games they had to win. Yes, the bullpen is a colossal failure but someone needs to ask hard questions about the lack of offensive production in the second half.
Lack of offense has been my biggest beef over the course of the entire 2nd half. I’ve posted this before, I’ll say it again… When you score at or even just a little better than league average you take a helluva lotta pressure off the bullpen. If your pen is suspect, and prone to coughing up runs, the team is better able to absorb them when they themselves have scored 4, 5, or 6. One run leads demand a reliable shut-down bullpen and stellar defense. Four run leads, not so much. How many teams have a bullpen full of consistently reliable relievers? Its rare. They say pitching and defense wins games. As if offense was a given. But it sure helps your team win if your offense scores more runs than the other guys. Kinda the whole point of the game.
I remember when Wilson was their closer and games were torture. They were torture because he would come in with a 2 run lead give up a run and load the bases then make the pitch.
So what did Strickland do regarding Pence? I turned off the TV in disgust as the winning run crossed the plate.
How ironic, wife was watching something else, turned back on a commercial just as the guy was scoring the winning run. I read here that Pence missed a catchable ball and has gotten some flak for not being a great outfielder and I find that to be unfair. That guy has been making plays for years, I don’t remember any other costly mistakes out in right field since he arrived in 2012.
It was very catchable and it was a team loss. Nobody should point fingers at one player, especially not Pence, who busts his butt every night.
Looked like maybe he misread it and thought it was a homer? Anyway, yeah. No one has any right getting mad at Pence, ever.
Good morning Lefty! What are you doing up so early?
I’m an early riser as a rule, but another day of meetings to get ready for. First day of classes tomorrow. I wake up with coffee, the blog, and Twitter.
I can’t believe how late the school is opening for fall, it’s practically Thanksgiving. At our friend’s house over the weekend, Davis daughter was there, I asked what she was doing home, surprised to learn that classes had not yet started. I did warn here about the nutty Giants loving English professor, she said not to worry, she’said a biology major.
Quarter system. 10 weeks of classes then finals. Still done by Christmas.
Actually it’s even a bit early this year. Sometimes we don’t start until around the 28th or 29th. We go until the second week of June, though. It’s still the same amount of time as semester schools.
Looked to me like the had it at the end of his glove then lost it when he looked at the wall he was about to hit.
i don’t think he did anything to pence, He stood on the field and stared into space after getting punched in the gut
Waking up this morning the first thought I have is this: Never give up! Don’t give up Giants! Don’t let this stretch of losses tarnish your legacy. Right now we are on the verge of going down in baseball history as one of the worst collapses ever. It will be hard to accept this but the Giants’ legacy is in question here. Yes, the three rings are awesome… but… recent history folks… that is a big part of the psychology and narrative of life and baseball…
Just don’t go down like the Phillies who only got one ring and looked primed to be an NL dynasty then went kaplooey.
Still not eliminated from title hopes this year. And next year should very much be a competitive season especially with that one (or two) big bullpen adds that solidifies the back end and keeps Bochy from doing his dance at the top of the dugout steps.
Morning all. I have a confession: the other day, I said that I couldn’t bring myself to watch last night’s game, and that I would record it. Well, as a die-hard fan, it would’ve been un-ethical for me not to watch; especially since they’re not mathematically eliminated from the postseason. Glad I watched it live.
Yes, MadBum was dealing. Yes, MadBum should’ve been his own closer. After that dustup with Puiggy, I wanted Bum to bat in the 8th and hit one out. Never happened. Bochy removes him. I was pissed. By then, I could sense the inevitable. Sure enough. Once the Bums had runners at the corners with none out, I had enough. TV off, lights out.
If Bum says his tank is running low, we’re in trouble. Then again, he leads the league in pitches thrown.
I agree with you Greek. Baseball is soft and Bum is a throwback to Ryan, Rose, Carter, etc. This was the game that the Giants had to win.
I honestly feel Bum was simply covering for the decision in public…he certainly didn’t appear to be running low on anything
That may be true, and good morning Matthew. I’d like to be a fly on the wall when Bochy made his decision to pull Bum instead of saying “We talked, I’ll leave it at that.”
Days like this, reading Brisbee is the only thing that gets me thru:
“Instead, the offense didn’t do anything, the bullpen screwed up, and the ace’s brilliant outing was tarnished by a silly shoving match that didn’t need to happen and might have lit a fire under another team. Like the Giants’ bullpen needs the other team to start lighting more fires around them.”
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2016/9/20/12986186/giants-lose
OMG – the shrieking obelisk! Now that’s a reference.
Law was only 89-92, again? that doesn’t sound great.
Brisbee pointed out the obvious – Law was diminished.
Guys just aren’t consistent from game to game. Whose fault? I think it’s to be expected
Remember he just came off the DL with a strained forearm that had already diminished his velocity. Needs to be shut down if they want him back next year, imo.
Law looked incredibly shaky from his very first pitch…Kendrick swung at ball 4 twice to bail him out. Toles got a cookie….Law didn’t have it.
I want someone to be given the ball in the 9th (other than Casilla) and told “It’s your inning the whole way.
They are all being sent out with quick hooks and guys warming up. this has been an odd mix of overmanaging and undermanaging
His article is fun to read in a situation like this. I love Bum, but this loss is on him. Keep yourself under control and superior (which you are, especially when compared to Piggy), you have a game to win. there are six games this team has to win and you put your machismo in front of THAT? You let that POS put you off your game? Give me a f**king break! It just ain’t happening this year – live with it.
Nope. Yup. :o(
Opie tweet: “That wasn’t Puig’s fault.”
Kershaw on Bumgarner: “He stirred the fire on that one. He was asking for it.”
Dumb posts about Pence being a bad outfielder. Imho making asinine statements like that tells me that said person doesn’t know anything about ball. Was not a routine catch by any means. 50/50 catchable ball.
Gues what, Slikk? Bum’s tough guy act showed up at a terrible time again…I was screaming “Don’t!!! Don’t take the bait!!!!”
But. Yup.
Remember we were talking about that stuff with BUM?
I tell ya Matty i continue to sleep well after losses for the simple fact that its become a normal part of my day now, im use to it.
I dont believe there was a single one of us – as they headed to the bottom of the 9th – that didnt think anything other than “they are not winning this game….”
If you’re going to make asinine statements, this is the place to do it, especially after crushing defeats.
Sounded like Joe Panik’s ball was kind of 50/50 as well
Damn good point
Both were very very close and we just came up short…. Very frustrating, everyone is angry. Personally, I don’t see how you can hang this one on Bochy. The pitchers in the 9th did not come through and the defense just was not perfect… one of those games.
I blame Bochy for the simple fact that he removed Madbum.
If the offense had done a decent job those 50/50 defensive plays would not have mattered quite so much. More runs, bigger cushion, the greater the margin for error on the pen and the defense.
absolutely
He took out Bum….
If Bum kept going and had a short 8th he’d have finished it with ease. Bochy leaving it up to the pen once again pushed all the wrong buttons.
Damn shift made Joe’s ball a 50/50 ball. If playing normal position it would of been a twin killing!
That was on Wotus, not Panik. Wotus in a shift slump. Every single person related to this team seems to be on a slump
My middle daughter Lexi who just graduated from JC and is now transferring to UNLV called me last night 5 minutes after the game ended and as soon as i said hello she said the Gs lost huh i said yes she said i’ll call ya tomorrow and we hung up!
Kuiper coming up on KNBR
LIsten to the Bochy spin!
I missed it. What’d he say?
Were not in bums body we do not know how he feels. The 2 don’t like each other etc…were tired of the losses all of us are. He was extremely salty with very short answers.
When you can’t enjoy a beautiful sunrise highlighting the glistening dew on the dying leaves of what’s left of the late summer shade trees because the Giants lost, maybe it’s time to come to the conclusion this season is done and accept it. It’s only a fools hope now, even tho we’ll take it down to the last pitch. Way too many odd circumstances thru out the entire second half. Way too many. A post ASB run with some of the strangest actions I’ve ever seen, from managing to the off and on of both sides of the ball and just plain weird stuff from the game of inches. From the confident and non confident irrelevant approach to the peaceful acceptance of confusion. The inability and the denial. A very twilight zone turn of events. You’d of thought it wasn’t real if it wasn’t baseball.
Exactly: detach. Enjoy the autumn. Christmas is just around the bend.
Beautiful
I hate to side with Puig on this one but from all the accounts given of the incident, Bum is the one who lit the fire. I wonder if Bochy pulled him after that because Bum is NEVER pulled if his pitch count is below 100, especially on a one-hit shutout. And we saw what happened. Bum lost it and then the bullpen lost it on the field where it counts. The Giants (Bum, Romo, Casilla, Pagan) are starting to look like a team that’s hard to like.
Bum took the bait. Puig got him. Puig won. Giants lost.
Succinct and correct.
I don’t even think Puig baited him.
I didn’t watch a second of this game but when this incident happened, did people here defend bum or reprimand him? Seemed this morning like a lot of people though it was him just being intense but hindsight being 20/20, him losing his cool ultimately got him out of the game and likely resulted in the loss?
His entire short temper thing has never lead to anything good and I wonder at what point he actually needs to spoken to about it.
If anyone looks at Bum stank-eyed he approaches them for a “conversation”. We all love his intensity and fire to win but I think it cost his team this time. No way Bochy pulls Bum after 97 pitches. No freakin’ way.
Perhaps… But he wasn’t going to go the full nine and our pen still coughed it up. Bum is not the villain here.
Actually, I beg to differ a bit.
I beg to differ as well. If Bum has a short 8th and is under 110 pitches, he’s in there for the 9th. Bochy’s not THAT dumb that he’d bench a hot pitcher who’s strong as an ox.
Why not? Tim got 148 in his no hitter…Moore just got 122. This was the most important game of the season and he was rolling. Of course he could have gone 9. Pitch count wasn’t an issue, and isn’t for him
Unless Bochy said that he removed Bum as a disciplinary measure for what happened with Puig–and Bochy specifically denied that in the postgame interview–Bum bears no culpability for the loss. He pitched brilliantly. The manager chose to take him out of the game after the seventh inning–we don’t know why–and the bullpen coughed it up.
If Bum had been ejected and/or injured, then yes, it’s his fault. But absent that, there is no cause-and-effect between his thing with Puig and the loss.
Unless that was the reason for removing Bum. The truth is not necessarily what was stated.
That is true. But again, that would also be Bochy’s decision, and not one I agree with. Bum doesn’t deserve to be treated like a naughty child, and the team doesn’t deserve the manager to risk an important game to teach someone a lesson. If that’s what really happened, while I’d be disappointed in Bum for precipitating it, again, I’d mostly blame Bochy for bad judgment in response. He’s the one in the boss’s chair.
I think the comparisons to Draymond Green are overblown. Green spent the whole season getting technical fouls. In the playoffs, he racked up the flagrant points. He got suspended in the Finals, which really hurt his team.
Bum has never been ejected from a major league game or suspended. No one else has ever been injured or suspended as a consequence of one of his red-a$$ moments. In contrast, that tool Kershaw, who was shooting off his stupid mouth after the game about it being Bum’s fault, has been ejected and suspended for bad behavior on several occasions. (And after he went to management and said Puig should be traded, Kershaw is a pretty big hypocrite to be sticking up for him. Kershaw is such a jerk and a total phony.)
Listen to Bums post game interview, he admitted it was a decision he agreed with because he was on fumes, Bochy wanted to keep him in the game, but Bum was dead tired after his rage .
All he said was that one wasn’t Puig’s fault. It wasn’t.
I’ve thought, for some time, that Boch and Bum have talked about his behavior more than once. It might have been firmly stated and agreed to by both that if Bum lost it again, he was coming out. Do I believe that happened? No, but it could have since both were pretty closed-mouthed after the game.
BUM pretty much said he was gassed after the game, lots of energy wasted in that rage he was in .
I’m not buying it.
Good for you .
Don’t take everything so literally. He wasn’t going to say publicly what he was really thinking.
The reason was he was gassed, from hearing the interviews, BUM wore him self out with that rage, after already Pitching 7 innings, that’s what it sounded like to me .
I barked my tail off at how incredibly stupid it was of Bum…and I still feel that way
What some call competitive fire others call a hot head. Bum is building a hot head reputation. A punk reputation on par with little Puiggie
WOW Kuiper was an ass for the entire interview with Murph& Mac! Salty cat and i dont blame him.
Hi all. Sad day today. Woke up early, still in bed I grabbed my smart phone and launched At Bat. Jesus, one more blown save, Bum great but lost nerve control. Season over. Only a miracle could give us a postseason berth. But I never believed in miracles. Sad day indeed.
Buenas dias, Amigo!
Don’t be kidding me, Paul, please. It’s not a good day. I got my heart broken this morning. A real heart attack hurts less, believe me.
For Bum to make the history he deserves, he just needs to keep his Pig-hate under control. He should have pitched, at least, the eighth.
Yup – others too – Wil Myers, Guerrero…
Have a Prosecco and take a walk in Venice and you will feel better…
Just done, thank you. It’s past 5 p.m. here in Venice.
No no, I know it’s a sad day. But I’m happy that you’re back on G/E.
Muchas gracias compañero Paulo.
I’m glad you waited until morning to hear the results. Thank your wife and doctor for (maybe) saving your health, if not you life.
Very, very probable. I suspect that I couldn’t had stood this loss in real time.
Now, now …How about having to go to CIN and win three? That would be a miracle.
BTW… Glad to have you back.
I have to nominate BOB for play of the game, for gutsy play of the game, for clutch performance of the week.
This guy has a pair.
For stepping between those two brutes too?
That’s the performance I’m talking about – none other.
You’re spot on because only bad things could have resulted in actual fisticuffs like Bum busting his pitching hand up.
Give Nunez a supporting role award for holding back Puig.
Gutsiest play of the season.
Bad teams make bad decisions be it infield shift, 3rd base coaching decisions, managers decisions, not making late defense replacements, pitchers with bad location or the team leader in HRs has a sickening 15. This team is terrible and there’s no way around it.
Well, we still have a legit shot at a postseason berth, and despite our epic collapse in the second half we still have the sixth best record in the NL.
Terrible? No. Frustrating, maddening, heartbreaking? Yes. Still our guys, Slikk. Still in it.
I’ve talked about our power numbers in prior posts. There’s no doubt that we need a couple of 25 HR type power guys. Belt, our “power” guy averages an HR every 10 games. It’s a distinct possibility that he ends up where he is right now and leads the team at 15. Team BA, whatever it is, is irrelevant compared to the number of guys crossing home plate.
To underscore my point we are now 9th of 15 in the NL in runs scored while being tied for 5th in BA.
Bottom line is the only stats that really matter are runs scored and runs allowed. And team W-L, of course. The other stats just help explain the important ones.
BA is a stat for showing off. Wade Boggs had a .328 career BA but his RBI stat revealed that his hitting with RISP was way below expectation given his average. I’ll never forget 2014 when Hunter Pence drove in 45 runs in 59 games yet hit only .219 with us. Dave Kingman had 200 more RBI in his career than Boggs with a .238 career BA and being a platoon guy. That guy hit when it counted and, of course, with tremendous power.
Never heard Kuiper so surly, although appearing twice a week with those adolescents on KNBR must be tough sometimes. Sounded like Kuip was talking through clenched teeth
Surly is the perfect word for my mood too!
i am uber surly and just numb.
Cheer up GV. Cueto is on the mound tonight. No truth to the rumor that our boys are throwing in the towel. We will fight to the bitter end.
Murph is a clown, he blocked me on twitter for simply disagreeing with him about something, no cursing or anything what a punk.
He blocked me on Twitter, too–only person who’s ever done that. As far as I can tell, the only reason is because my Twitter bio says I went to USC, and he’s a UCLA grad and total hater.
More importantly his “sport” is golf. Is it really a sport?
Mark Twain said it’s a “waste of a good walk”. 🙂
Good one. And I’d like to know what Ed “Doc” Ricketts thought of baseball.
I was going to ask you about the USC-Stanford game Saturday night but I guess now I won’t.
We had fun. Great seats. We expected USC to lose, so we weren’t upset. The interesting thing is there’s already been a QB change after three games.
Who’s that Murph?
Morning show host on the local radio station (KNBR) that covers the Giants.
Thank you for the info.
I think Kuip is on board with growing Bochy skepticism. Who can blame him?
I’m looking forward to hearing his interview on the podcast today. Kruk is obnoxious and offers zero criticism when its warranted. I’m not saying the broadcasters–who are of course employed by the team–should act like fans and rip the team regularly. But Kuiper will at least sometimes call it how it is. I hope there’s at least some of that on his interview this morning given how he was “surly.”
LA beat writer said we were able to get Bum out of the game just by looking at him!
Ok, boyz/gurlz – gonna practice what I preach and go to yoga. Stay alive.
Buen dia!
Say hi to the girlies for me.
You sure to practice ONLY yoga with all of those gurlz?
If I owned the LAD, I’d keep Puig on the team, just to piss off Bum and neutralize him.
If I owned the LAD, I’d sell it and buy the Giants, (gaining also some millions too, eh..eh..old Venetian trading instinct…)
Shrewd businessman you are!
Not sure if someone mentioned it below, but both Baggs and Brisbee floating the stat out there that the Giants are 4-5 in their last nine games when LEADING AFTER 8. That. Is. Impossible. All but 3 teams in MLB haven’t lost 5 games ALL YEAR when leading after 8.
Still don’t know how this season will finish, but if the collapse goes all the way through, the hardest part of this season will be knowing that the Giants would probably win the division with a good closer. Not outright miss the playoffs. The lack of a stalwart at the back end has destroyed an otherwise very talented team.
Plenty of other space oddities over this marathon. Duffy wasn’t hitting much, got injured, got traded. Joe Panik hitting sub 250 or sub 240 or whatever. Belt All-Star-ish in first half, lost his stroke in the second, Span went 30 ab’s without a hit….
This team is far from perfect, but there is no arguing around the blown saves. If the Giants had a good closer they’d be neck and neck (or even better) for the division. Two of those losses when leading after 8 were against in the Dodgers in which Bum had Kershaw beat. Plus, the offense has been awful in the second half, but they still have a good run differential and have only scored 15 total less runs than the Dodgers all year. I know many think the Dodgers have this great offense and the Giants offense is anemic. But the total runs scored this year do not bear that out. This collapse, while all share in it, squares predominantly on the pen.
Scoring more runs would help, the Giants leading HR hitter is tied for 127th in MLB in HRs .
Yes, it would. But you, among others, tout the Dodgers offense and how good it is. Well, the Dodgers have scored 15 more runs for the entire year than the Giants. I agree that the offense, particularly in the second half, has put a lot of pressure on the pen. But when a team leads after 8 it needs to win those games. The offense has a big hand in this collapse, but even with the offensive struggles this team makes the playoffs easily with competent 9th inning performances by the pen.
The Dodgers offense was very bad in 1st couple months in the season, but since June much better then the Giants offense .
We got beat by two ground ball singles and a line drive single last night.
As this season crumbles, I have to admit that your ongoing “not enough power” comments are becoming more and more correct. I know it isn’t the only thing missing, but i see these other teams come in and their light hitting random guys have more HR’s than the guys leading our team.
and you cannot blame it all on our pitcher-friendly park. Half the games are away games and we cannot buy a long ball..
Not to mention visiting teams have substantially out-homered the Giants this year. Other teams find ways to hit home runs at AT&T.
Any interest in Ryan Braun after all this?
White Span. Great idea. Let’s go get an old outfielder because we don’t have enough of those.
Where’s Kris Davis when you need him? Funny thing about your post the other day is that Davis has no arm either.
My target would Michael Taylor in the Nats org. Young, range, arm, power. On this scout’s radar for some time.
40 home runs are a much better Arm Hiding Machine that the one we have
Billy>Bobby?
Not necessarily. Billy is more shrewd at making $$, but look around the league at his traveling All Stars. He hit it solid with Davis.
Evans is not good, and won’t be
No one wants to talk about Evans.
Good call on Taylor. He’s expendable now that the Nats have their CF of the future. Turner is amazing, wow, what would the Giants look like with him at the top. Taylor has a lot of tools. I wonder would the Nats demand would be…
Not to add to the days dump feeling, but when I read this, I just cringed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-used-258000-from-his-charity-to-settle-legal-problems/2016/09/20/adc88f9c-7d11-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumpfoundation-1040a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
None.
NO, and I am a big fan. Wrong direction. We don’t want anymore veterans past their primes. We need young, athletic players, especially in the outfield.
That means better drafts, and losing for a few seasons.
The curse of winning seems to have caught up, finally
No it doesn’t. It means finding the proper value later in the first round or in the second round. Crawford was a 4th round pick. Belt was a 5th round pick. Cain was a late 1st round pick. The guy, Reynolds, the CF they drafted from Vanderbilt might have promise. Same with Slater. Same with Arroyo. Sure, top 10 picks help a team get more of a sure thing but good organizations can replenish talent without “losing for a few seasons.”
Heath Quinn has some Mac to him as well.
How were the core of this team assembled, and when. You have to pay a price to win.
MadBum and Posey were two historic draft picks. Posey would never be around in this draft format with slotting. He only fell because of bonus demands. MadBum was also a great find. But Trout was the 27th pick. Franchises like the Giants don’t tolerate losing. They sell out every game and need the attendance to keep flowing. They’re not going to tank for a lottery ticket. Plus, how often do you see the Cardinals picking at the top of the draft? When was the last time the Dodgers had a top 10 pick? Good organizations don’t need top 10 picks to sustain good teams at the big league level.
Perfectly put!
Then there are the Cubs and Red Sox as counter example. As to the Cardinals, they’ll be in the Cubs shadow, IMO, for years and the Dodgers aren’t that good except in the West in the regular season when they’re opponents are the Giants and can feed off weak sisters like the Snake and Rockies.. The Giants just aren’t good enough, and the internal dynamic that allowed them to play above their potential has slipped away. I wonder what went through Bumgarner’s mind last night, and what he may or may not have said about it.
Yeah, but you never know when weakness and vulnerability are present. Do they have faith in Mac? Not so sure.
The organization needs to fix that blind spot instead of getting an old fading ex-star with huge baggage.
OF not on par with IF. Nor will it ever be. Pray Pence stays on field. Pray for span getting shoulder surgery and hitting 280. And pray for Mac.
You’re a better fan than I…I have less than zero hope that shoulder surgery at 56 is going to make Span into a serviceable outfielder
To me, baseball seasons are living, breathing organisms…this one has a growing fungus on it that is permeating everyone and everything. The coaching staff, the players, the bench, the pitchers…the everything. It feels as if this thing got away…the post All Star funk has turned into an absolute free fall.
Still rooting. Still resigned to the fate. Don’t know what to expect, but everything’s broken
I was taken by Strickland at games end just starring out into space with his hands on his hips. 98 isn’t enough without a good changeup you can throw for strikes.
98 and good slider is good enough for late innings. Maturity and location and he is very effective.
LOL.
Not sure what would stir laughter from that comment. But maybe you agree with Efrain that guys that can control 98 is nothing special. And I know you love the notion of just picking up a changeup with deceptive arm action and voila! (of course it would be, but much easier said than done).
Consider it sardonic laughter. It isn’t a matter of how easy it is, it’s that without command and control, all he has left is velocity as a tool to manage his effort. Without that at least, he’s a sheep among wolves. Kimbrel’s development and effectiveness is a useful comp. Same FB repertoire, plus a changeup.
Kimbrel’s go-to pitch was the slider. Regardless, Strickland hasn’t been able to develop either one. Those curveballs/sliders/whatevers he threw to Turner and Gonzalez last night were absolutely horrendous. Just pathetic hangers that wouldn’t fool a high school hitter.
Your right about the slider, good knowledge, but what struck me as odd was him going to a knuckle curve as his out pitch in 2012-3, although he did add a changeup in 2015.
Strick9 doesn’t have the head for the position; he can develop any pitch you want… he doesn’t have the mentality for it.
He’s fine in 7th/8th. Today’s MLB bullpen features FB/SL guys at 98/90.
Yup, just not a closer.
close, but no cigar, Strick.
not that he couldn’t get 3 outs in the 9th when the real closer has night off.
Know what a PFL is?
It’s a Pre-Frontal Lobotomy
He’s no Kimbrel. If you have Strickland and Law performing to their abilities along with Smith and Osich, the 7th & 8th should be fine.
I have to admit, I’m somewhat of an iconoclast about closers. I think you use your best arm at the highest leverage point in a game. True, with a low scoring team, that’s usually the 9th.
the counterpoint is how do you know the 7th is the highest leverage point when the 9th is yet to come – but I get that argument – don’t think anyone actually applies it.
Giants best pen arm is Law?? And he’s got something going on as was perhaps to be expected given previous work loads.
You’re right, it’s hard to tell, but it can be followed real time, and is. I’m not at all sure Law is the best ‘arm’ in that bullpen group. The best is more than highest upside, it’s best sustained performance. Law has good nights, and bad nights. Everytime I think about that old movie, Fallen (I think) with Denzel Washington, where the evil demon jumps from person to person.
DLaw is STILL recovering.
His ball didn’t have the hop it’s shown when he is right. I’d agree.
First of all 98 is nothing special, there are teams (like the Mets) that 1/2 the staff throws that hard.
Maturation? The guy is 28 yrs old. C’Mon stop making excuses.
Temperament is Strickland’s missing quality. He doesn’t have it. Not as a closer, anyway. I thought he might come around, but he will not ever have the right temperament for being a closer.
Strickland is missing the tool(s) he needs to close, IMO. Nobody cares about 98 mph without command and control.
He has a promising slider and a developing 2-seam. He does NOT have the head for it.
98 mph demands a change up.
I don’t disagree. But to rely on just a harder FB is just idiocy.
Indeed.
The way it’s happened has made it even that much more excruciating. It’s one thing if they just collapsed and got crushed by everybody. But they’ve found the most inexplicably frustrating and painful ways to lose games. It’s much easier to take when a team just isn’t as good as the other teams. But when a team consistently has the lead and finds a way to blow it, that makes it soooooo much harder to deal with.
Well said Matthew. If I am the owner of the team I have to look at the manager. Now, I am a big fan of Bochy and I would call him the best manager in MLB. That said, he is responsible for this mess more than any other single person. I think the season just got away from everyone and all the solutions of the past years did not work this time. Our bullpen got old and the replacements are too green for the high pressure situations of pennant race. Add to that the fact that ALL our bats got cold in the second half and you have this mess.. Honestly, I don’t know if it is a clubhouse culture issue, psychology, poor execution, complacency… or did our players just all go from great to mediocre all of a sudden in the same season?
Bochy, huh? To me, it looks like I’m witnessing the end of the run, and I guess that includes Bochy but it also includes Posey, who spent almost the entire season unable to drive the ball. It includes Cain, once a rotation stalwart. It includes Pence, whose body broke down again this year. It includes Pagan, who was again effective when healthy and awful when not 100% and whose run with SFG is over. It includes Belt, who needed to advance to the position of offensive leader of the lineup and never did. It includes Duffy, who gave us a grittiness that everyone appreciated and was not given the chance to come back from the Achilles injury. It includes the fabulous Core Four of the bullpen: Affeldt (retired, leaving a big void), Lopez (ineffective for most of the year), Romo (injured, then showing decline), and Casilla (exceeded the shelf life of a closer). The GM transition signaled the end of Sabean’s run, and Evans’s moves have not panned out. The third base coach is even included, replacing the Zen optimism and good judgment of Flannery with the flat and timid Kelly. I wish it were just Bochy.
Good points. It does look like we got old fast but that doesn’t account for the historic difference between the first and second halves.
That’s what remains to be figured out. There will be, I suspect, a lot of simple answers, but, IMO, there is nothing simple about what causes such a night and day shift in outcomes.
Sensible, balanced critique.
Such a top to bottom melt down! It’s hard to figure out which is worse: the poor offense, which is failing inning by inning, or the bullpen, which is failing day by day. All those arms down there and NO ONE can get outs in the 9th inning. All those hitters, and it’s one or two runs a game, if we’re lucky (like last night, lucky to get the one run).
Baggs has a great article. Odd though, can’t even log in to say so. Discuss doesn’t even respond.
Thanks…just read it. Yup. Spot on.
Yes, good write-up, but blog was unresponsive even after reloading several times. Something is going on and I don’t think it’s on Disqus.
Soylent Merc?
I am reminded of the basketball story where the team comes in at halftime and the point guard is 0–8 from the free throw line. The coach berates his effort and says “You’re 0-8 from the foul line, what are you thinking?”.
Point guard says “I’m thinking I’m going to miss”.
I question at this point whether whomever goes to the mound in the 9th inning has the mindset of “I think I’m going to blow this save”. Not likely their mental makeup but you do start to wonder after such a historic streak of failure. Very disappointing. Glad I chose to turn it off after 8 innings with Madbum’s stellar effort to ponder.
it’s also a mentality of “If I let one guy on base, I’m going to be replaced.”
THAT is THE BIGGEST POINT OF ALL!
Sorry for my caps lock mentality
I have never made a bigger point save the one on the top of my head.
Yes, they feel the need to be perfect otherwise they’re out. That can lead to poor pitch selection and/or quality. I think, for a closer, the mentality of this is my f#$%^&* inning no matter what creates a better mindset. IIIRC Brian Wilson was a great closer for the Giants but he didn’t exactly have regularly clean 9th innings. Many closers need some leeway to work out of jams.
If one were to coin a term to describe the Giants pen, it would be the snowballs. When something goes wrong, they just seem to fall apart. I was wondering last night whether or what Strickland thinks about being as much as crowned as the potential closer and blowing it in a setting that for a closer is a game to game reality. SMH.
I don’t think Strickland is the most cerebral type. He looked like he was just trying to throw as hard as he can last night and eschewed the art of pitching entirely. He does not have the mental makeup to close out games. And, yes, all of the RP seem to fall apart when something goes wrong. The last two times have started with a relatively innocuous single.
I agree for the most part. It’s why that troubles me. Today will be a character check, if they come out flat and listless, I say tear it down and start over, if they come out like tigers, win or lose, the spirit is still there and you have something to build on.
If anyone needs a “fresh inning” start given his mentality, it’s him.
Bringing him into a messy situation is not a smart practice
That mentality has been fostered since the first day of the 2nd half, at the very least. Probably all year long. It’s not up to Bochy to do their job for them, but to strive to put them in the right mindset, and to cultivate younger talent, which he has never excelled at, with the exception of blue chippers like Posey and Madbum.
No trust in your pen to get outs? You shall reap what you sow.
funny, because I personally feel he was masterful in that regard for his SF tenure
Exactly. “Was,” being the operative word. But I think what I indicated in my post is self-evident. Bochy is great with proven vets that still have something left in the tank. He is a master motivator with them. But with rookies and the like, there is a serious lacking in the developmental department. So yes, his bullpen work has been exemplary, but not with rookies and/or younger players. This is partly the reason for the disunity and lack of rhythm in the bullpen. No faith in the younger players.
Even with Posey, he had to be forced, yes FORCED, to play Buster behind the plate. If it wasn’t for Bengi being traded, Buster might still be playing 1B.
NO DOUBT. I remember those days quite well. Not only was Molina just falling off a precipice with his abilities due to aging from such a demanding position, but Posey was just ready to ROCK. Management, of course, had to step in. Sabean’s balls kept Bochy in check, at least more than Evans, which is an understatement to say the least.
Guys don’t know their roles. Bochy feels like he has to has trust in who he puts out to close, but he doesn’t trust the new guys that’s why he kept putting Casilla out there. He really should have showed some trust in Romo the other night and just left him out there instead of bringing in Casilla.
And it seems he just doesn’t want to try a guy at closer. I wish he would compromise and pick even two guys that he wants to try at closer. Then just put in one or the other and “give them the inning.” Sure it may not work, but it’s not working now.
Looking at this snippet of the overall standings (leagues intermixed) it’s interesting to see the Giants tied with the Cards, the Mariners and Houston in wins and losses, but the Mariners and Stros much closer to being out of it in the American League.
Tomorrow is a brand new day! We’ll wake up at six, listen to “I’ve Got You Babe” on the clock/radio, Ned Ryerson will blow the save.
All this mess started after Duffy was traded. That trade destroyed the team chemistry. Fire Evans!
Who knows, sometimes things that are on the face of it trivial, make a huge difference.
It started before that.
Are you just protecting a meme, or do you have something dispositive to actually say.
You’re making less and less sense. What I said was very clear. They started losing before Duffy was traded. Beyond that, the idea that the trade of a well liked guy who didn’t hit very well when he played, and wasn’t actually playing when he was traded, caused this collapse is a fan fairy tale. These guys are grown men. They know that trades are part of the game. They know that their friend just got traded. He didn’t die. Now go hug your Bochy portrait and try to tell yourself that 2016 has been a master stroke.
Imagine my wanting to know if you say something interesting, beyond the same old Bochy bashing. The first part is worth discussing, the veiled ad hominem less so. I just don’t understand why you dislike/hate Bochy so much. It simply a puzzle to me. But what really is odd is how you want everyone to feel the same as you.
As to fairy tales, these guys aren’t grown men as I’d define it. Most/many are children in a man suit playing a child’s game in a modern tribal setting. Perhaps that’s what we/I love about The Game, we as fans get to be children and yes, tribal, right along with them.
It did, but it seemed to be sent into hyper drive. I know you’re feelings on Duffy are that it is much less impact than many of us think…but I do believe , right or wrong, it added to a free fall. Communities are sometimes delicate
It started in the 1st half when they won… when they shouldn’t have.
It is extraordinarily puzzling to me why, even the most optimistic among GE Refugees, advocate for firing Evans. I grant you that he gagged on the bullpen. Giants needed a closer and he did not get one. He substantially overpaid for Smith, but in his defense Smith has looked *much* better over the last 2-3 weeks and may turn into a reliable bullpen arm for the next 3 seasons.
But what are the other moves to be hyper critical of to the point of firing? We all loved Duffy, but it was a great trade. Moore is a premium arm, 27 years old, and under team control through 2019. And the Giants desperately needed rotation help. Cueto has been fantastic, Samardzija looks like he’s turned the corner and is pitching very well again. Nunez has been exciting, great defensively and arguing Duffy would have been much better (if at all) is a major stretch.
I am just downright baffled by the Evans incessant criticism. The Crawford contract was a great signing. I know all the Belt bashers coming out of the woodwork are trashing his extension but he’s nearly a 4-win player despite his terrible second half. Is it Evans fault that Posey’s power has disappeared and a lineup that appeared to be a strength last year all of a sudden morphed into a post ASB weakness?
I just do not get it. I think Evans has done a damn good job and I have full confidence he will fix the pen next year. MANY deserve blame for this collapse, but Bochy is WAY higher up on that list than Evans.
I haven’t heard that much Evans criticism. I’d just like to understand better the role he plays in the decision process, and how it differs from Sabeans, if it indeed does. Then I’d like to know how his approach to the GM job impacted events in the 2nd half, if indeed it did. I don’t think there is much information pro or con on his role in what’s turning to be the biggest meltdown in modern baseball history.
Well I’m replying to a comment, posted by an exceptionally optimistic GE refugee, literally screaming to fire Evans. I would go so far as to say the majority of GE refugees disapprove of the job Evans has done if you scour the comments over the last several months. He gets criticized from everything to the pen (“Bochy just playing the hand he’s dealt”), the lack of power, Belt’s extension, etc. Regardless of his role and how it corresponds with Sabean, he’s done a good job IMO. Every addition has been productive, despite Smith’s terrible start. I just think his culpability on the blame scale is far, far lower than most are attributing.
Beyond, Sabean is a hard act to follow, what can one say about Evans. Maybe he has done a good job, I don’t know, but am curious. He puts the coal in the engine and Bochy drives the train is the commonly accepted role of a GM. But the details that have come out about Beane and Amaro sort of make that narrative unsustainable. I don’t want to ‘blame’ anyone, just understand if mistakes in judgement were made and if so rectified. If it’s broke, fix it. I’m not big on the concept of ‘blame’ and punishment. You do have to make adjustments for competency, but no one here or in the sports media has made the case for a DA like Amaro being at the helm of the Giants.
” I grant you that he gagged on the bullpen.” I’m not a baseball guru like most of you, but your sentence is a good reason enough to fire Evans. WE DO NOT HAVE A CLOSER and, if my memory doesn’t fail, that caused 29 blown saved out of 67 opportunities.
First of all it is Bochy’s fault for using Casilla again and again and again. Second, while this pen ain’t great, Bochy has done a bad of a job as can be done in managing it. Third, the absence of a closer, especially if other teams rebuffed the Giants offers, is not reason to fire a guy who has otherwise made very good moves. Evans certainly bears blame for the bullpen’s failings, but I think Bochy bears just as much with his usage of the pen and continued usage of Casilla as the closer for months when it was obvious he needed to be removed. Bochy waited so long that he is now scrambling with 12 games left to try to find a closer.
I’m going to prescribe some bed rest and no computer if you don’t relax. I’d personally like to see you around longer than just this season. Have a glass of wine (smoke one if you have one) and kiss mama so she doesn’t hit you on the head.
Bobby has been the negotiator all along. Brian makes the talent decisions, Bobby does the deal. It’s been this way for several years. If they didn’t get the closer they wanted, it isn’t on Evans. Bruce has always been a vet-lover and this year is no different, it just seems it has gone on longer than before. I’m pretty sick of all of it.
Well said. The lack of bench depth is the fault of the entire FO, Bochy’s desire to carry too many pitchers for his own good and Bochy’s distaste for the kind of game that takes advantage of bench depth anyway. And this is not a new thing. Who can remember 2003 when they didn’t have a pinch runner for JT Snow because they had 18 pitchers in a 5-game series (or whatever it was).
Step away from the revisionist history plate, the team was trending down before he was traded.
Wow, thanks for the great recap Greek. I had a work thing last night. Couldn’t watch. Peeked at my phone beginning of the 9th…then again when it was over. Just wow. Did any of you listen to Kuip on the radio this morning? Never heard him that way. He was so upset. Murph and Mac basically stopped the interview midway because it was hard to talk to him. They said they’ ve never seen him that way.
I hope someone is able to link the Kuiper interview for those of us that are incapable…
Try this.
http://www.knbr.com/kruk-kuip-podcast/
Thanks, I missed that too.
“No Spin Kuip” and ” ‘Smooth’Being Rough”… but refreshing to me. I think he knows good, talented guys are looking much worse than they truly are.
Wow, is Murph just out of touch or what? I’m alright with Kuip all the way.
I found Murphy to be what he pretty much has always been in my estimation, a shallow airhead. It’s clear to me Kuiper being patient and civil with him was an act of considerable effort.
I just loved the way Kuiper ended the conversation. Crickets !! Kuip is into it!
I didn’t really get what they wanted Kuip to say at that point. What were their expectations. I was fine with Kuip too and all of a sudden it went off the deep end.
These guys are basically idiots who shouldn’t have been given the job of talking about serious baseball with serious baseball people.
In baseball and I suppose life there are serious men, and then there are light weight leaches like Murphy.
Possibly the most disheartening aspect of this club right now is the fact you can see and feel the disharmony in the clubhouse and the unhappiness/frustration with Bochy. Even during the odd years you felt the chemistry was strong right down to the wire, even after they were eliminated. This team is still in the thick of things and their morale seems markedly lower than previous years when they were actually out of it. It’s something we haven’t seen since Bonds retired and it friggin’ sucks.
Intangibles matter.
Of course they do. I suppose we’ve been spoiled in the sense that even during the non-title years, we really didn’t have to see those intangibles come into play. We simply weren’t good enough, or the injuries were too much to overcome. But we were never mentally weak nor possessed a fragile psyche nor were we defeated by our lack of chemistry. It’s glaring now that it’s occurring.
I’m just going to say as good as the front office is in some areas…they need a little Bill Walsh in them with regard to cutting ties with players who have contributed to Championships…but are no longer at an elite/above average level. The look on Madbum’s face last night after the loss says it all.
The Giants should have never assumed Casilla would return to closer form and now you have these young guys failing under pressure. Off-season focus needs to be on a closer and some power in LF. I’m starting to like Will “I’m not married to Jada” Smith.
Gorky stays…and Pagan and the White Shark are gone. Gorky and Span can fight it out in CF. I’d package a bunch of prospects (minus top 3 untouchable) and go get Braun (30 HR 88 RBIs). I doubt my “bunch of prospects” strategy would get McCutchen. This year is wave #1 of outgoing players…the second wave could be in two years…so plug the holes and go get another ring. Give me Melancon at closer (FA) and let’s go!
That’s why I’ve been a Maddon fan. He’s a lot more like Bill Walsh, than Bruce will ever be.
Span will be another test. How long does Bochy stick with Span next year if he picks up where he left off this year? “We gotta get ’em going.”
Let’s remember that Span was essentially out most of last year. He’s shown signs of hitting, so maybe this isn’t a Casilla-level problem.
He’s growing a new arm this off season?
Just like a lizard and its tail 🙂
No, let’s not. Sorry, I am just not on board with Span. I don’t think he all of sudden recovers and gets to top form as a CF at age 33. He’s a step slower and he makes more weak contact than any player I’ve ever seen. He has been a killer in the leadoff spot and I have no interest in seeing if he’ll turn it around. CFs who go rapidly downhill are very, very unlikely to bounce back in their mid-30s. See Pagan, Angel. It’s time to allow for the youth movement in the OF to see what they can do. The Giants need to know whether they have legitimate starters of the future in the OF or need to go shopping again after next year.
Based on Bochy’s history – way too long.
Signing a closer shouldn’t be a problem, it is a buyer’s market for closers. Not on board with Braun though. Let’s see what the young guys can do. I think Mac and Parker can form a very effective (and very inexpensive) LF platoon. I would like to see Slater get a promotion next year and whether he flashes potential to be CF of the future. As solid as Gorkys has been, I don’t want him *and* Span blocking Slater if Slater is legit. I really think a revamped pen and a bench power bat (Pedro Alvarez type) is all this team needs. With a Melancon or Chapman this team maybe a division winner. Instead, they are one of the worst 9th inning teams in the history of baseball.
I can see whay you’d mentioned Mac and Parker, but neither has shown any real plate discipline. Maybe it’s the “go hit one out” orders they’re getting from the dugout.
Braun is a proven power hitter…PEDs or not. If Buster (and others) are not going to hit HRs, then adding a 30+ wouldn’t hurt. We can agree to disagree 🙂
I think this team already has some potential closer candidates now. They should have been given the chance to develop long before now. Certainly they couldn’t have done worse than OTH-Casilla.
They might, but after this year the Giants CANNOT go into next hoping a closer develops. They have to buy one, they’ve left themselves with no other choice.
I’m not on board that train, yet. I’m not a buying-a-closer type guy. The best ones are hidden nuggets. e.g. Smarge, DLaw, Black, Pick-it, Wilson.
They’re not paying Smardzija all that money to close, and moving him would create a hole in the rotation. That’s not going to happen. Ray Black appears to be a pipe dream. Law might be able to do it, but because they need a deep bullpen, they’re still better off over paying for one of the top guys. The best bullpens have more than one guy with closer-type stuff.
I don’t disagree. My list was just top of head, quick response. I agree about Samardzija; maybe just a playoff option. I still think Timmy would have had a chance, but it’s too late to catch that bus.
Samrdzija would probably be good. Lincecum? Come on.
He would have, if he bought in. As I said, that bus has departed.
Will you ever give that one up? He tried to pitch this season. He had nothing. Nothing doesn’t work any better in the bullpen than it does in the roatation.
He tried to start. Not relieve.Now you’re just arguing for the sake of it.
He doesn’t have a fastball. He doesn’t have command. He can no longer pitch.
TO, say it ain’t so.
TO, you can’t have it one way with the decision to play Span over others, and another about the decision on who closes.
What I’m saying is that trying to make Samardzija the closer, even if it solved that problem, would only create another weakness.
It’ll happen if there is a post season this year. I sort of feel the Giants have more talent in the starter role in MiLB than closer. So maybe there is a good probability one of them steps forward in the spring. Regardless, Samardzija has been in the pen, and even closed before.
we can only hope
This rotation is their strength, and foundation for a better 2017. I’d prefer to see Cain try it than Smarge. Somebody just pointed out that Eck was 32 (!) – the same age as Cain, when he made the switch. That kinda shocked me.
I’m not their. Bochy has no idea whether anyone could because he shows no trust…even when he tries to. They all take the mound looking over their shoulder
I doubt there is anyone good enough on this squad. Have they had a lot of chances? According to the guy who counts the most (Bochy) they have.
That’s nuts. No one has had a chance to develop in that role.
No, that is Bochy and young players. The guy wants established veterans (see Will Smith,J. Affelt, J. Lopez).
Affeldt and Lopez were Sabe’s gets. Boch had nothing to do with it. he did use them though, but sparingly, at first.
I don’t care who got them, the point is they were not young guys, they had time in the league. Unlike all the Giant farmhands who are in the bullpen. Bruce doesn’t want to do development at the MLB level.
Of course they do … some of the recognized star closers were horrible starters. In other words, they aren’t good pitchers or they’d be starting. That’s why it’s very rare when one is worth counting on. They need better relief pitchers, from which one can be the closer if they insist on maintaining that silly marketing gimmick.
Kuiper was speculating this AM, that were the Giants to get to post season, Samardzija would get the role of closer. Interesting idea.
i actually suggested that a week ago or so. 3 man rotation and Samardzija closing.
You do not get it, Bochy will never give Mac or Parker a chance to play, he will bench them quickly if they go in a minor slump that all players go through, all these young players you have hopes for need to never get out to play for Bochy . KNBR just had Ned Colletti on , and Krueger Praised the Dodgers for depth, the Giants might have depth too , but Bochy will not play them and the F.O will never call up guys like Slater and Beede, the Dodgers do .
Yup…and it’s what he’s doing now with the “new closers”… Casilla gets a season. The others get a couple batters.
Span gets a season. Mac or Parker get a game. Maybe
Gorkys Hernandez has never blocked anyone. He’s had a nice cup of coffee here. There’s no reason to believe he can hit well enough over the long term to justify a roster spot.
Twirley 2 no fer shure.
are you sure GH isn’t Blanco of 5 years ago? an all Defense Blanco made quite a few SFG teams
It won’t happen, but I think it should just be that the best man gets the job. Span shouldn’t be guaranteed anything.
Don’t you think what Span is promised or guaranteed is a front office issue?
Shouldn’t be.
Bochy makes out the lineup. Please don’t try to tell me that Bochy’s vet love is only because of a mandate from the front office.
You have your predilections, but with spending money comes the expectation of making GM look good for having spent it. That’s the problem, IMO, no one knows the roles and responsibilities relationships in Giants management.
You may very well be right. But the arm and glove are attractive compensation in the interim.
Let him, Slater and whoever else compete for a spot in the spring.
No argument from me. Span had his shot, and may be physically unable to perform. I’ve always felt a good arm in CF was important, and given how little the Giants use speed on the basepaths, I don’t see the advantage of Span.
Well, Nuñez certainly showed his worth last night.
If – IF – there were another 3B option I’d love to see Nuñez tried in CF. He has all the necessary tools, if he can track a flyball.
I’d vote for LF myself. He has played 100’s of innings in the outfield in his career. Where is that damned Duffy when you need him. 😉 IMO, he could be a real positive in cutting off the extra base with that SS arm, and base throwing skills from being an infielder.
in all his years in milb and MLB he has almost 0 innings in CF. Were all those coaches and advisors wrong?
I don’t know – do you? I’ve heard of worse experiments – like Howie Kendricks, the dogers’ starting LFer.
I don’t either, and I hate to rely on conservative, cya guys, but that is my fallback when I don’t know. He does seem to have the skills. Must be easier to get a good 3rb than a good CF.
would you allow a trade of Belt for an MLB ready catching prospect plus an upper level OF prospect + others?
NFW !!
Scout is addicted to wild and crazy trade ideas…if those leave holes, he’ll do another…and then another.
The Giants way was to never do that…until Duffy. Now what? That’s the off season issue. Are they so bare they need to trade one of their mainstays because they read things so badly?
Doing crazy trades will empty the place.
I just said below, there’s likely a nugget here already.
Hush yoself son. It’s a question for KIR or anyone who has big boy pants on.
Well, since my pants are big, and I actually understand the value of a HOF catcher….
I’d say you have the pants and Scout, if you’ll remember, was a little girl.
You don’t understand, but it’s not your fault. Very few people are on Scout/Foothills’ level when it comes to baseball knowledge. If you don’t believe me, just ask him.
Just remember one of the greatest closers ever, started as something else entirely. Remember Mo?
HELL YES!
No. I think your thinking Buster at 1B, but he won’t be a HOF there and I truly believe he’s a maestro at calling pitches. Now if only some of those relievers can execute those pitches 🙂
In a San Francisco minute.
Yes!!!
Pagan and Span are hitting .155 and .140 in September. They probably both could’ve have benefitted from a lot more rest than they’ve had, which also might’ve benefitted Williamson, Parker and the team.
But, their stellar fielding skills serve to offse….wait….their incredible baserunning prowess offs….
I give up
Ouch!
Anyone thinking Bruce will retire? Tough year. John Madden used to say 10 years…and then they stop listening. I know it’s football (not baseball), but is “Boch” losing the room?
He’s lost me this year. No telling what he does in the post-season.
He’ll finish his contract, IMO. That is unless his heart problems worsen. Were it me, I’d be on a cool hill top near the cost sipping a good Pinot.
Blanc or Noir?
I told you red, not white. I’m sure Bruce had the same instructions.
Noir of course!
Noir. Absolument.
OK, here goes. resveratrol and other cellular antioxidants are the things we want to see you ingest. These compounds are in red wine. Stop it or I’ll tell your wife. Boch has cardiac issues too. You don’t see him here asking foolish questions.
Boch is not around here because I think he’d have to reply to some not so foolish questions and unfriendly too.
I’m sure you have a couple.
Noir I’d guess.
I don’t know what the evidence would be … it’s not like they’re not playing the Bochy style. They aren’t performing, but it’s Bochy unwillingness to alter his approach to fit the talent, in part, that has extended this malaise.
Wow I just got a call from my grandson who was in a accident and needs money to fix the car and does not want me to tell his parents.
Only problem with this I don’t have a grandson, not that I know of. But I did string the con man on for a while.
“The manager, normally forthcoming, let the decision hang in the air, and since the move came moments after Bumgarner nearly came to blows with Yasiel Puig, the imagination tends to run wild. Bumgarner insisted he did not get hurt in any way as he went toe-to-toe with Puig, his longtime nemesis. His history says he would have wanted the eighth, especially after a moment that fiery, and perhaps his history with Bochy points to another explanation. ” -AP
http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/rewind-giants-short-explanations-after-another-late-loss
New Post: http://fe0.84e.myftpupload.com/pregame/game-151-preview-giants-attempt-to-get-off-the-canvas-one-more-time-vs-dodgers/
Too soon.