The '84 All Star Game

I've been to only one All-Star game and that was in 1984 at Candlestick Park. I was still living in San Diego County but was in town for a visit and a ticket was available.

Here are the starting lineups:
AL
1. Lou Whitaker
2.Rod Carew
3.Cal Ripken, Jr.
4.Dave Winfield
5.Reggie Jackson
6.George Brett
7.Lance Parrish
8.Chet Lemon
9.Dave Stieb

NL
1.Tony Gwynn
2.Ryne Sandberg
3.Steve Garvey
4.Dale Murphy
5.Mike Schmidt
6.Darryl Strawberry
7.Gary Carter
8.Ozzie Smith
9.Charlie Lea

Future Giants catcher Carter hit a homer in the second inning and was named game MVP in the 3-1 NL victory.
The game featured power pitching with 21 strikeouts recorded by the two sides. Fernando Valenzuela and the 19 year old Dwight Gooden took turns striking out the side. Valenzuela's mowing down of the formidable trio of Winfield, Jackson and Brett elicited comparisons the feat accomplished by Giants immortal Carl Hubbell 50 years earlier:

In the 1934 All-Star game played at the Polo Grounds, Hubbell set a record by striking out in succession five batters destined for Cooperstown: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin. In 1984, the 50th anniversary of this legendary performance, the National League pitchers Fernando Valenzuela and Dwight Gooden combined to fan six batters in a row for a new All-Star Game record (future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, and George Brett by Valenzuela; Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, and Alvin Davis by Gooden). Hubbell himself was on hand for the 1984 All-Star Game at San Francisco's Candlestick Park to throw out the first pitch.(from Wikipedia)

Representing a weak Giants team that year were catcher Bob Brenly and outfielder Chili Davis. Both appeared as pinch hitters, both made outs

Mad's Men

The Giants softened up the Nationals with a feint-and-punch combo in the 1st, staggered them with a haymaker in the 3rd, and finished them off with some snappy jabs in the 8th. Madison Bumgarner knew what to do with a lead and pitched another fine ballgame. The Giants take 3 of 4 in D.C. and head to the ASB 47-41 (.534), four back of the Padres.

Buster Posey had the big blow in the 3rd, a booming triple that scored two, and Travis Ishikawa, who continues to stroke the ball well, had two big hits. The youngsters were the stars today, and it is the youngsters who'll have to step up if the Giants are to make a run. Buster Posey has given us every reason to believe he is indeed The Real Deal. He hit cleanup today, and he looks like that homegrown middle-of-the-order hitter we have been waiting for since Will Clark. May it please the baseball gods, and may we take joy in the bounty they have seen fit to grace us with. Other than Aubrey Huff and Andres Torres, the rest of the thirty-something crew is underwhelming. Check out these wOBAs: Rowand .298, FSanchez .314, Renteria .327, Uribe .328. That ain't gonna cut it, mates. If you prefer OPS, the numbers are .681, .708, .711, .758, with only Uribe above the .729 NL average. To be fair, both Pablo Sandoval (.307, .704) and Nate Schierholtz (.304, .685) are putting up Rowandian numbers. We've seen Pablo hit a lot better than this, and there's still a chance Nate can do better as well. Who thought Travis Ishikawa would be swinging such a good bat at this point in the season? Our 20-year-old pitcher and his 23-year-old catcher, with a little help their 26-year-old first baseman, hammered it home to me today. The young guns have to step up and wrest control of this club from the greybeards. The old guys have to become the role players and the kids have to be the stars. The pitchers, of course, already know that. But as we've seen, both this season and last, they cannot do it alone.

 Enjoy the All-Star Break, me buckos!

--M.C.

Giants score 10 runs; Matt Cain weeps

Jonathan Sanchez had one of those Sanchezian Nights where he couldn't get out of the 4th inning despite six strikeouts and only two walks. He also hit a two-run single that gave the Giants a brief early lead that he quickly gave back. Since Matt Cain wasn't pitching, the gag rule was lifted on run-scoring and the lads racked up 10 big ones. I've been squawking and hollering all season long that the Giants "need another bat" and all of a sudden the Flemming-faced kid from Florida State is running out a .351/.386/.510 line (that's a .405 wOBA). I think that qualifies as "another bat." If Pablo Sandoval can start hitting, Aubrey Huff can keep raking, and Andres Torres can fight off the Dark Lord of Regression, the Giants might--they just might--have a real offense. Of course, there's always Edgar Renteria. But even Aaron Rowand gets a clutch hit now and then so perhaps that magic can wear off on Edgar.

MadBum today. The Nats counter with Livan Hernandez. This is a mismatch of Cainian proportions--Livan will throw a 165-pitch 17-hit complete game and win a World Cup-like 2-1 angst-fest. Or not. The Giants are only four back, but the Rockies are only one back after a six-game win streak. San Diego is 5-5 in their last ten games.

--M.C.

Check this out:
From Elias: Buster Posey went 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs on Saturday, giving him 19 hits, six homers and 13 RBIs in 10 games in July. No other rookie in National League history has had that many hits, homers and RBIs over a 10-game span. Several American League players have done that, most recently Brian Daubach for the 1999 Red Sox. (from the ESPN team site, emphasis mine)

DC downer

Matt Cain gave up 7 runs for the second time in his last five starts. It looked like he was done after six, but Ol' Boch sent him out for the seventh and it got ugly. Adam Dunn was the main Cain pain, stroking a double and two homers. Despite a 1-0 lead, the night started poorly for Matt, his pick-off throw to 2nd base in the bottom of the first was not something you see very often (unless you follow Little League). Stephen Strasburg looked very sharp, throwing a filthy change-up that reminded me of another phenom. Strasburg is a big guy, however, and looks like he could have played linebacker in college. He can also bring it at 99-mph. I think Tim might just have competition for "most exciting pitcher in the NL" next year. The kid turns 22 on the 20th. At 45-41, the Giants have the 9th best record in the league. Since only four teams make the playoffs, we'd best get cracking.

--M.C.

American League happenings

The Texas Rangers parted with Justin Smoak in order to get Cliff Lee*. They obviously think they are playoff-bound. Smoak, you may recall, was drafted at the same time as Buster Posey, though Posey was chosen fifth and Smoak eleventh. Parting with your 1st-round pick is big deal--imagine who we would expect to get in return if we parted with Buster? Cliff Lee is quite a prize, and just keeping him out of the Yankees hands is good enough for me. Texas is obviously confident that they can make a real run. They have the same record as the San Diego Padres (50-35), but have a 5-1/2 game lead over the 2nd-place LAnaheimers. When you trade away a prospect like Smoak**, you are going "all in" for 2010. This is a club that's being sold.

Speaking of Buster Posey, who I hope is the "other half" of a Dynastic Duo with Tim Lincecum that will bring years of glory to the San Francisco Giants, he will face 2009 Gold Spikes Winner Stephen Strasburg tonight. Buster, of course, is the 2008 winner. Can you name the 2006 winner? (2007 is Tampa Bay Ray David Price.)

The Giants pulled out an extra-large can o'whup-ass when they saw Ubaldo Jimenez. Perhaps they can ground another high-flyer tonight.

GO GIANTS!

--M.C.


*Deal still pending.
**The former South Carolina Gamecock has a line of .209/.316/.353 in 275 major-league PA (all in 2010).

Sweeeeeeep!

Your 2010 Giants: score 34 runs in 10 games against the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Rockies; then score 36 runs in 4 games against the Brewers. Today, Barry Zito walked 6 guys in 4-2/3 and left the game when it was 7-2 Giants. And people wonder why I'm perplexed about this team. Who are we? Pretenders? Wannabes who can't put a whole season together? A deeply flawed club with enough starting pitching to stay in the hunt? A tough, resilient bunch just on the verge of finding all the right pieces for a stretch run? Sheesh. I want a team that plays .600 ball and struts into the playoffs with justifiable swagger, not some pesky dark horse who--if the breaks fall--has a shot at the post-season. My deepest fear is that The Organization™ is content with this "just winning enough" approach. That they think 85-89 wins is good business. I get these sinking feelings all the time. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I'm increasingly convinced that "pretty good" is good enough for Nuke, LarryB, & The Sabe-ster. When you reach for The Big Prize and fail, the fall is damn hard. My nightmare is that we'll no longer reach because the fall will hurt too goddamn much. (Someone--anyone--convince me I'm crazy! Tell me I'm wrong!!)

The Jonathan Sanchez-for-Corey Hart rumor seems to have died down, which is fine by me. At this point, being "buyers" means getting fleeced--giving up too much for what you get in return. Sellers don't have to sell, but the buyers feel like they have to buy, so they overspend. The Giants, if they make a move, will likely give away too much for a marginal improvement. Last year it was so ridiculous we got a guy who couldn't suit up. I'll admit FSanchez is having a good year, but we got him last year, and he couldn't help us at all when we needed a fresh bat in the lineup. That sort of thing doesn't exactly generate confidence in the GM and the rest of the suits.

The Giants take on Mr. Phenom Stephen Strasburg in D.C. tomorrow. It is Matt Cain's turn, and that strikes me as fitting. After all, the last four starters got, on average, 9 runs of support apiece. Cain gets to face a guy that has only given up 12 runs in 6 starts. And we all know that Matt has the worst run support of any pitcher in the bigs. Dig deep, buddy.

And keep rakin', Buster.

--M.C.

Busterfied Tim

In what we all hope is a glimpse into a wonderful future, Tim Lincecum and Buster Posey combined for one of the sweetest victories of the year, 15 - 2 over the Brewers. Of course, because the baseball gods mock me, I missed every pitch. So, this post is entirely based on a box score. Nothing else. What a journalist, huh?

It is a be-uuutee-ful box score, though. First Tim's line:

7 innings, 1 run, 4 hits ( HR, 2B), 2 walks, 10 strikeouts

Everything you want and have come to expect from the Freak: a quality start, few hits (especially big ones) and boatloads of the K's. I believe that is the fifth time Tim has reached double digits this season and each game is a "W." A lovely day for sure but it certainly is not the performance that JUMPS right of the page. I am, of course, talking about the amazing day that our young Mr. Posey had for himself:

4 AB 3 runs 4 hits (two homers, including a GS), SIX RUNS BATTED IN, plus a walk!

It would seem that Buster was trying to do his best Willie Mays impersonation. You know what, I'm down with that.

One word sums up this boxscore and those of you that have read this blog before probably know what's coming. (I don't think I've used it this year...) This boxscore definitely has given me

SCHPILKAS!