One of the consequences of blogging is that sometimes you have to eat your words. (Hey, I like eating, it's just that I worry about the lack of nutritive value.) The bi-polar Giants scored 7 runs on Sunday, 9 runs on Monday, and 10 runs last night. That's 26 runs in three games, about the same number of runs we'd normally score in a month. If you divide 26 by 3 you get 8.6666666666666-&-some-change. The Giants will score 8.6666666666666-&-some-change tonight, and, like George Zimmer, I guarantee it. You see, that's math, me buckos, and therefore it is true. Q.E.D.
Barry "Don't call me Beezy" Zito dazzled a potent Crockies lineup with mystical incantations, self-help aphorisms, and a devastating curveball. Look for him to offer a line of fair trade organic non-fat cottage cheese at the ballpark next year. All kidding aside, is this the Real Barry Zito? Has he turned the proverbial corner? I think it's great that he's pitching well after the black hole of the last two seasons, but, like the Giants new-found hitting prowess, is it sustainable? (I'm pretty sure the cottage cheese will be sustainably farmed, but that's a topic for another post, don't you think?) Can I pencil in Barry for 7 IP and 2 ER on a regular basis? Or, like the Giants, is he just toying with me? Will it all come crashing down AGAIN? What the hell, make me eat my words--I've always enjoyed a good alphabet soup.
Two back in the loss column right now, and a win tonight will make it one with a day off before the trip to LA. The lion will lie down with the lamb if we win tonight, world healthcare will be instituted, and all pollution will be cleaned up. If we lose, we'll be three back in the loss column and western civilization will collapse. Matt Cain has given up 25 earned runs in his last 10 starts (72-1/3 IP) and is 2-3 in that span. Of course, that's before we established our new baseline of 8.6666666666666-&-some-change runs scored per game. C'mon Matt, let's kick the Crockies when they're down. If you don't, I won't be held responsible for the "trade-Cain-for-a-hitter-now-that-Barry-Zito-is-a-god" blogs that will pop up like the dandelions in my neighbor's lawn.
Go Giants!
12 comments:
A. NEVER TRADE MATT CAIN! (For that matter, my inter-season mantra remains the same today: never trade any effective starter.)
B. Tonight is, again, the biggest start of Matt's career, & HE MUST PERFORM. I agree with Jon last week - your big guys must perform well in the big games. Any dodger game is a big game, & Matt needs to turn that record around (which he will). Now, this is another big one. He must be ENORMOUS, or we will have accomplished virtually nothing with our 3-day offensive eruption.
C. NEVER TRADE MATT CAIN!
I got to watch last night's game and it sure was fun to see the boys jump out to a big early lead. Everyone had a piece of the action. Often we make mediocre pitchers look like stars. Last night we made a good pitcher look like a chump. And Zito was fabulous. He has the occasional off-game but he's been really really good more often than not.
Jeez, Ron, lighten up on Cain. Yeah, he needs to not suck tonight, but we can't demand shutouts. We need to keep hitting and scoring. And Cain's not going anywhere. Who's talking about trading him?
Mark mentioned that people will start talking about how people will want to trade Cain, now that Zito is good. He's right - some idiots will start that up again - you know the chatter "gee, if we can only finally get Adam Dunn" - that sort of bullshit. I wouldn't trade Cain for any hitter, except Albert Pujols. I wouldn't trade Lincecum for Albert Pujols.
Cain needs to WIN tonight - that is mandatory. He is a big stud pitching a big game. He needs to WIN. This is our last 2-for-1 day of the season - from here on out, it is out of our hands. If he doesn't WIN, we will have pissed away 3 of the 19 days left in the season, while gaining only one game in the standings. If he WINS comfortably & in a studly manner, we will have gained 3 games in 3 days, seized huge momentum, & will have the reassurance that both of our 2 aces are reliable in huge games.
You guys are missing the most important topic... COTTAGE CHEESE at the park in 2010!!!
Don't TEASE me bro! Don't tease me!
One question though, is it gonna be processed or unprocessed?
Unprocessed! Totally natural, man! (I love cotttage cheese.)
Obviously, I agree with Ron. It may not be fair but I EXPECT Matt to control the game and WIN. If that means throwing a shutout, then so be it. Not fair, is it?
I also doubt Matt will get traded, but mostly that is due to his value. Once he (and Tim) get the big contracts, they will both become much more likely to be traded. Especially if MadBum or someone else emerges. Few teams pay top $ for more than two starters.
Yes, but OUR team saves its most massive contracts to average to below-average players. So Matt and Tim are safe.
And relax, Ron, the trade comment was supposed to be funny. Cain is signed through 2010 and there is a club option for 2011. I think Cain is a great Giant and win or lose I want him on my team.
Mr. Anonymous makes a good point - few teams do pay top dollar for more than two starters. But one that did was the Atlanta Braves. They had Smoltz, Maddux and Glavine and won eleven straight NL east championships, from 1995 through 2005. Not to mention a few other good pitchers, like Denny Neagle who won 20 games in 1997 and did not get a playoff start. The bottom line is that they committed payroll, and you can't argue with the results.
Yes, but since they only won ONE World Series title (and lost 4 other times) they are a bunch of losers, chokers, and limp-wristed wannabes, certainly not studly real men who throw shutouts in every big game. ;-)
Seriously, I like the way the Braves did it--I think Cox is a good manager and that the front office is pretty smart. They have a fine pitching staff this year, too. I think we could do pretty well by looking at how they put that run together. I wonder if it is still possible to win a division that many times in a row (if you're not the Yankees, I mean).
You can tell me to relax all day, but this team is still operated by Brian Sabean, & Brian Sabean was licking his chops to trade Tim Lincecum or Matt Cain for Alex Rios. At his prime (which has mystically faded away), Alex Rios was a slightly above average OF. A slightly above average OF should NEVER EVER be sufficient trade value for a top line Starting Pitcher. We all knew that was a dopey proposition, when it was being talked about.
As long as inane trade talk like that is around, joking or not joking, I will respond swiftly & with great passion to even the slightest whisper regarding a trade of one of our prized starters. You could fill a competitive major league roster with all of the decent prospects we were ready to trade for Adam Dunn at one time or another.
And, one World Series title would be plenty for me!!!!! Seriously. We are in the Cleveland Indian / Chicago Cub dung heap of non-winners. One World Series title would be dandy!
Ron, we have been telling you to relax all life, and you haven't got the message yet.
On the topic of cottage cheese, I think it is the best ball park food idea since eel bones!
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