The lads sported their orange kit last night and used it to good effect, seeing off the tourists one-nil. It was a cracking good show in the center of the pitch, with Barry Zito and Buster Posey leading a stifling, sure-handed game of ball control.
Hey, it worked for Spain! They won the World Cup final 1-0. And they won the semifinal 1-0, the quarterfinal 1-0, and their round of 16 game (the octofinal) 1-0. This 1-0 thing has real potential--we are talking international potential. It saves on scoring, it really does, and that just tires the lads out unnecessarily. Best to save them for defense.
Seriously, it was a tremendous performance by Barry Zito. It wasn't a complete game, but it was as dominating as Lincecum's. TEN strikeouts! The Mets have to be scratching their heads--they came to San Francisco and wound up playing the Padres. When I said the Giants would have to play "as well" as the Padres, I didn't mean they had to play like they were the Padres. But a win is a win is a win. Whatever works, I say. The team has been smoking in July, winning 9 of 13. Matt Cain goes today, and it would be nice to see him re-discover his May form (6 starts, 44-2/3 IP, 10 R, 35 K, 0.918 WHIP, 2 CG).
Go Giants!
--M.C.
8 comments:
Zito only gave up two hits and two BB in eight innings, 112 pitches. Buster was working him quickly. Good idea with Zito, he gets into trouble when he has time to think about things. In spite of the hoohah about whether Bochy should have pulled him after 4 2/3 last start before the Annual Mid-Summer Exhibition, Zito pitched better, fewer pitches in 8 than in his previous 4 2/3.
Also of note (or perhaps not of note) was the fact that, on the evening that the Giants honored Jon Miller for his winning of the Ford C. Frick award, the broadcasting sucked. Kruk was not there and they inexplicably gave Miller the night off, so it was Flem and Kuip on the radio (mostly, Kuip spent some time on tv) and FP and Rajai Mathias, whomever that is, on tv. As I may have noted previously, I would rather watch in silence than hear FP. Or not listen at all.
Agreed, FP is annoying. Flemm has improved a lot and is better every year. On the radio, I actually prefer him to Miller. Miller is funny as hell, and has that golden voice. But he's fucking full of himself and it is tiresome to hear him keep talking on and on. He also spends a little too much time trying to turn the perfect phrase instead of just calling the action. Kuiper I can live with, he is mellow and has a feel for the game's pace. It works well on TV. Krukow knows a lot about the game and can give good insight, but he needs freakin' ADHD meds. If would shut up once in a while it would be better. And he might switch to English occasionally, and avoid describing everything in Krukovian. If he says a relief pitcher is "getting greased up in the 'pen" one more time I'll go mad.
I know it is sacrilege in GiantsLand to criticize the broadcasts, especially since most other teams have truly wretched guys behind the mics, but I've come to prefer Kuip & Flemm. Now if we could just do something about AmyG.
I can't believe you actually put this in writing:
"Flemm has improved a lot and is better every year. On the radio, I actually prefer him to Miller."
You compared a Hall of Fame, better than Lon, announcer to a stanfurd scum. Really, MOC, I've heard you say that one out loud before and I will NEVER understand it. Flemm is lucky to have a job and we have lived through dozens of him before. He'll be gone in another couple years, I hope. Jon Miller is a once in a lifetime event.
Aren't we undefeated in the orange? Something like 9-0? Or did I blank a loss out?
Flemm's play-by-play IS better. Miller is wiser, has a better, more enlarged perspective, is certainly funnier, and has an absolutely gorgeous voice. But his actual announcing work is not as good. He's two beats behind the play, he tells too many pointless anecdotes, and he's too goddamn in love with his own voice. Flemm is a goober, and talks about adolescent shit like which ballplayer is pals with which other ballplayer, but his craft is 10 times better than when he started. I have to give the guy his due--when it comes to the ACTUAL GAME EVENTS and not the B.S. they fill the dead space with--I prefer him calling it. Same goes for Kuip over Kruk. And I think we'd better get used to Flemm, it seems to me he's apprenticing with The Master, and has good-naturedly played the foil for him and for K & K now for several seasons. I expect him to become The Voice of the Giants very soon. Miller is actually behind the mic for a lot fewer hours these days, what with his ESPN duties. Dave does the lion's share of the work. He's only 34. Miller is 60 next year. Kuip is 60 this year. Kruk is 60 in 2012. They will be passing the torch soon.
I repeat: stanfurd scum
end of my contribution on that topic.
anyway...Nobody knows about the orange thing?
I thought that the boys were 7-0 with Orange on Friday? I may be wrong about that though. But I'm pretty sure that they have not lost ever on those Orange Fridays.
A quick check of the schedule on the website answers the question, lads:
3-0 on home Fridays in April, 2-0 May, 2-0 June, 1-0 July (with LA coming on the 30th).
And I will always prefer Lon Simmons to Miller. Lon didn't have that overwhelming urge (that all modern announcers have) to fill every dead space with talk. Baseball is all about "dead space." Most announcers would be better if they talked less, especially for baseball. Bill King was a brilliant basketball and football announcer--the best I ever heard at hoops (yes, that includes the highly-overrated Chick Hearn), but his amped-up style never suited the pace of baseball.
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