1st inning: 6-12
2nd inning: 6-12
3rd inning: 10-8
4th inning: 4-14
5th inning: 8-10
6th inning: 7-11
7th inning: 9-9
8th inning: 6-12
9th inning: 8-10
The final tally for 2017 is 64-98 (.395), 40 games out of first place and 23 games behind the wildcard. The Giants tie the Detroit Tigers for the worst record and will get rewarded with the number two overall pick in the 2018 June draft (the Giants had a better 2016 record than the Tigers).
It was a season in which everything went wrong. The team was a disaster from the opening bell and never found its footing. Considering the expectations and track record you could argue it was the worst season ever for the San Francisco Giants. The team was 16th of the 30 ML squads in runs allowed per game (4.79); they were 29th in runs scored per game (3.94). The league average for RA/RS was 4.65, I think you can see the problem. They couldn't hit and the pitching was sub-par. They also couldn't play the field or run the bases. The only players on the club with anything close to their expected performances were Buster Posey (.320/.400/.462, 4.3 fWAR) and Jeff Samardzija (207-2/3 IP, 3.8 fWAR).
One of the things about being a sports fan is that the outcomes are random. If you like movies of a particular ilk, say rom-coms or super-hero franchises, you can pick those when you go out and you will stand a good chance of getting your money's worth. If you go to the circus or to the opera you have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Sporting events don't give us that luxury. You have to take a risk--the performance could be a dud. Imagine if Broadway musicals had the variation we see in ballgames. Tuesday night's Hamilton could really stink but Sunday's would be epic, for example. Who would stand such a thing?
What we learn in life is to take the bitter with the sweet. There's no way to separate the bad from the good as the world is all jumbled up. It's not neat out there, it's messy, and it can't be untangled. We love the Giants so they drive us crazy. If we didn't care it would be a lot easier. But we do, so it isn't. We cry "wait 'til next year" when things are bleak. The 2018 Giants may be bad, or they may bounce back, there's no way to know for sure. One thing I'm sure of is that I'll be right here, chiming in on my beloved orange-and-blackers, and hoping you'll join me.
As always, my heartfelt thanks to all of you for reading, lurking, commenting, and posting. This is our 10th full season of blogging here at RMC, that's over 2200 posts! Writing about the Giants has taught me much about myself. It's brought into focus my lifelong relationship to baseball, allowed me to muse often on the nature of fandom, and forced me to ride out the highs and lows with some degree of equanimity. I can't wait to see what next year brings.
--M.C.
p.s. Baseball is a slow, sluggish game with frequent and trivial interruptions, offering the spectator many opportunities to reflect at leisure upon the situation on the field. This is what a fan loves most about the game. --Edward Abbey (from Vox Clamantis in Deserto)
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baseball. Show all posts
Monday, October 2, 2017
Sunday, May 3, 2015
A Baseball Story
When Taylor Featherston was a young man, he was known around the minor leagues as a fast runner with a pretty good glove. Not a great glove, but good enough to play any infield position. Not super fast, either, but fast enough to be considered "speedy." He as drafted by the Colorado Rockies, but bounced around the minor leagues for a few years until he realized that he would never be the star baseball player that he always envisioned when he was a boy. What is generally not known is that Featherston, or Professor Featherston as he was known from 2024, after he completed his educational degree until his retirement from McMurry College in Abilene, Texas, also had a major league career.
It was one of those fluke circumstances. He was in the California Angels' (or, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before the California legislature outlawed moniker fraud) system, at age 25, still envisioning a chance for himself in the majors. The Angels were generally healthy but for a couple of injuries. The Angels called him up, as their returning utility man was one day short of coming off of the disabled list and they needed a replacement to fill out the roster. Featherston knew that, still, if you get a call to the major leagues, you take it and don't think twice. He as in Salt Lake, on the Bees, a quick plane ride from San Francisco where the Angels were to play the second of a three game set. Featherston caught the 6 am flight Saturday morning, arriving at SFO and going straight to the Giants' ATT park, where a major league uniform awaited him.
The Angels had a full compliment of starting players, his role was to be a back-up, but, you never know, maybe he could get in the game as a pinch hitter or late-inning defensive replacement. Especially since the Angels had to play National League rules, which meant that the pitchers had to bat. The Angels has lost the previous night, and, like every team, wanted to beat the 2014 World Champion Giants. The Giants were starting Tim Hudson, a 40 year old pitcher that Featherston had seen, it seemed like forever, battling the Texas Rangers as an A and the Houston Astros as a Brave. The stands filled, unlike anything he had seen in the minors - a sea of orange and black, and championship banners flapping in the cool breeze. The Giants drew first blood with 2 runs in the second. The Angels answered in the 4th with 1 on a Mike Trout home run, but the Giants added in the bottom of the 4th to keep the lead at 2. Hudson was masterful, keeping the Angels down until he gave up a second solo home run in the 7th to Albert Pujols. Watching these legends, Featherston had to remind himself to keep mentally ready, he could be called on at any minute. Buster Posey added to the Giants' score in the bottom of the 7, the Angels were still 3 runs down.
Then, in the 9th, Tim Hudson walked the first batter pinch hitter Collin Cowgill, and Bruce Bochy, the Giants' manager, determined that it was time to go to the bullpen. The second batter hit into a force out, leaving a runner at first for Mike Trout. Trout promptly singled and Albert Pujols struck out, so the Angels were down to their last out with two on. A pitching change brought in Jeremy Affeldt, who gave up a single to Kole Calhoun. That was one run, 5 - 3 Giants with two on. Another pitching change brought in Santiago Castilla, the Giants' closer. David Freese singled to straight-away center, scoring Trout, and sending Calhoun to third base as the Angels drew within one. Then, breaking his concentration, Manager Mike Scioscia barked at him to go in and pinch run for Freese. The Angels were hitting the Giants' relievers and he was going to be a part of it! The first base coach told him to be ready, that if Matt Joyce got wood on the ball, he was to run like there was no tomorrow. There would be no double plays to break up, no trying to tag and run on a deep fly out. There were two outs in the ninth!
And with that, Joyce stung the ball up the middle and as Featherston sped toward second, he felt the ball bounce off of his leg. He reached second, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Calhoun cross the plate, but something was wrong. The umpires were signaling "out" and the Giants were walking off the field. He had been hit by a batted ball for an out and it was the third out of the ninth inning. The Giants had won.
The next day, Taylor Featheston was sent back to Salt Lake, but not before Mike Scioscia gave him a pep talk and told him to be ready to come back at any time. That time never came. When he retired from teaching in 2062, he was asked if he remembered the game. "Remember it?" he said, "I haven't forgot a second."
It was one of those fluke circumstances. He was in the California Angels' (or, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim before the California legislature outlawed moniker fraud) system, at age 25, still envisioning a chance for himself in the majors. The Angels were generally healthy but for a couple of injuries. The Angels called him up, as their returning utility man was one day short of coming off of the disabled list and they needed a replacement to fill out the roster. Featherston knew that, still, if you get a call to the major leagues, you take it and don't think twice. He as in Salt Lake, on the Bees, a quick plane ride from San Francisco where the Angels were to play the second of a three game set. Featherston caught the 6 am flight Saturday morning, arriving at SFO and going straight to the Giants' ATT park, where a major league uniform awaited him.
The Angels had a full compliment of starting players, his role was to be a back-up, but, you never know, maybe he could get in the game as a pinch hitter or late-inning defensive replacement. Especially since the Angels had to play National League rules, which meant that the pitchers had to bat. The Angels has lost the previous night, and, like every team, wanted to beat the 2014 World Champion Giants. The Giants were starting Tim Hudson, a 40 year old pitcher that Featherston had seen, it seemed like forever, battling the Texas Rangers as an A and the Houston Astros as a Brave. The stands filled, unlike anything he had seen in the minors - a sea of orange and black, and championship banners flapping in the cool breeze. The Giants drew first blood with 2 runs in the second. The Angels answered in the 4th with 1 on a Mike Trout home run, but the Giants added in the bottom of the 4th to keep the lead at 2. Hudson was masterful, keeping the Angels down until he gave up a second solo home run in the 7th to Albert Pujols. Watching these legends, Featherston had to remind himself to keep mentally ready, he could be called on at any minute. Buster Posey added to the Giants' score in the bottom of the 7, the Angels were still 3 runs down.
Then, in the 9th, Tim Hudson walked the first batter pinch hitter Collin Cowgill, and Bruce Bochy, the Giants' manager, determined that it was time to go to the bullpen. The second batter hit into a force out, leaving a runner at first for Mike Trout. Trout promptly singled and Albert Pujols struck out, so the Angels were down to their last out with two on. A pitching change brought in Jeremy Affeldt, who gave up a single to Kole Calhoun. That was one run, 5 - 3 Giants with two on. Another pitching change brought in Santiago Castilla, the Giants' closer. David Freese singled to straight-away center, scoring Trout, and sending Calhoun to third base as the Angels drew within one. Then, breaking his concentration, Manager Mike Scioscia barked at him to go in and pinch run for Freese. The Angels were hitting the Giants' relievers and he was going to be a part of it! The first base coach told him to be ready, that if Matt Joyce got wood on the ball, he was to run like there was no tomorrow. There would be no double plays to break up, no trying to tag and run on a deep fly out. There were two outs in the ninth!
And with that, Joyce stung the ball up the middle and as Featherston sped toward second, he felt the ball bounce off of his leg. He reached second, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Calhoun cross the plate, but something was wrong. The umpires were signaling "out" and the Giants were walking off the field. He had been hit by a batted ball for an out and it was the third out of the ninth inning. The Giants had won.
The next day, Taylor Featheston was sent back to Salt Lake, but not before Mike Scioscia gave him a pep talk and told him to be ready to come back at any time. That time never came. When he retired from teaching in 2062, he was asked if he remembered the game. "Remember it?" he said, "I haven't forgot a second."
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
Nats walk all over Cain, Giants
Thirteen years ago, Russ Ortiz walked the first three guys he faced. Tonight, a nearly full moon hanging low in the sky, Matt Cain walked the first three guys he faced. Neither game turned out well. The Padres beat the Giants 10-7 that afternoon in 2001, and the Nationals beat the Giants 6-2 this evening for their third win in three chances. The Giants have lost three straight for only the second time this season--they lost three consecutive 2-1 games from April 17th to April 19th, the first to the Dodgers and the next two to the Padres. It wasn't long ago that San Francisco was the hottest club on the planet, winning their last five series and boasting the best record. Washington, though, has served notice with ten wins in their last twelve games including a 17-5 pasting of the home team at AT&T Park. The Nationals seized first place in the NL East with tonight's win, and their +50 run difference is just behind the Giants at +53 (Oakland rules the roost at +130).
Cain did not have the command he showed in his last start--his five walks were just shy of his career high of six. Giving up the home run in the 5th to Jayson Werth after making him look foolish was a particularly cruel blow. It was to be a moral victory of sorts, putting up zeroes after the ugly start to the game, getting a shut down inning after the Giants finally scored, but that's not how it worked out. Matty has yet to find his groove in 2014, and his ten starts are the fewest of the five in the rotation. Here's a guy, you'd think, who has seen it all in his ten years, everything from last place and losing records to World Series rings, All-Star Games, and perfection. Just last year he gave up nine runs in one inning! Before tonight, though, Matt Cain had never walked the first three guys he'd faced in a game. Baseball is funny--if some new horror hasn't happened to you it's only because you haven't played long enough!
There's one more shot at the Nationals tomorrow afternoon with Tim Hudson on the mound.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Cain did not have the command he showed in his last start--his five walks were just shy of his career high of six. Giving up the home run in the 5th to Jayson Werth after making him look foolish was a particularly cruel blow. It was to be a moral victory of sorts, putting up zeroes after the ugly start to the game, getting a shut down inning after the Giants finally scored, but that's not how it worked out. Matty has yet to find his groove in 2014, and his ten starts are the fewest of the five in the rotation. Here's a guy, you'd think, who has seen it all in his ten years, everything from last place and losing records to World Series rings, All-Star Games, and perfection. Just last year he gave up nine runs in one inning! Before tonight, though, Matt Cain had never walked the first three guys he'd faced in a game. Baseball is funny--if some new horror hasn't happened to you it's only because you haven't played long enough!
There's one more shot at the Nationals tomorrow afternoon with Tim Hudson on the mound.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Monday, April 14, 2014
1954
Sixty years ago the New York Giants won their fifth World Series in franchise history by beating the Cleveland Indians in a four-game sweep. It ended a run of five straight titles by the Yankees. The Brooklyn Dodgers would get their first championship the next season, and the Milwaukee Braves would grab their first in 1957. The one thing all those clubs had in common were African-American stars. Willie Mays was the MVP in 1954 and played alongside Monte Irvin and Hank Thompson. Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella (the 1955 MVP), Junior Gilliam, and Don Newcombe led the Dodgers. And the Braves, of course, had Hank Aaron (the 1957 MVP) and Eddie Mathews. The Indians, led by Larry Doby, also had Luke Easter, Dave Hoskins, Dave Pope and Al Smith on their roster, making the 1954 Series a notable one for the presence of so many black ballplayers. Robinson's breaking of the color line in 1947 also made it possible for dark-skinned Latino players like Sandy Amoros and Ruben Gomez to make it in the bigs as well. Ernie Banks, just to mention another great former Negro Leagues player, made his debut in 1954.
Bill Madden chronicles that season and its impact on the game in his latest book 1954: the year Willie Mays and the first generation of black superstars changed Major League Baseball forever. Mr. Madden covers a lot of ground, from Branch Rickey and Bill Veeck to Leo Durocher and Walter O'Malley. Along the way we follow the 1954 season from the perspective of the underdog Giants and the powerhouse Indians, a team that set a record with 111 wins. Legendary New York sportswriter Dick Young gets a lot of ink as well, for this was a time when newspapermen were the main link--other than radio broadcasts--between fans and their favorite teams. TV was just beginning to make inroads into the game, and the Giants were on the forefront as they featured a pre-game show with Laraine Day, the glamorous former MGM actress and wife of the mercurial Durocher.
I'm not sure Mr. Madden makes his case in 1954 that baseball was changed "forever," but you can certainly say a critical mass of African-American stars emerged during that time, and they paved the way for even more men of color to participate in the national pastime. The Yankees would be the last team to integrate, but they managed to stay at the top (Series winners in 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962 and runners-up in 1955, 1957, 1960, 1963, and 1964) despite their intransigence. Certainly integration was a pivotal time in both the game's and the nation's history, but I don't know if any particular year was more important than any other. The relocation of the Dodgers and Giants to California, followed by expansion and then division play had huge impacts as well. Perhaps nothing was more momentous than free agency and the two strikes it precipitated, and the flood of television dollars that has been unabated in the last few decades has certainly made the modern game very different.
Nonetheless 1954 is an interesting book and baseball buffs like yourselves will enjoy all the great stories of the old-timers. Giants fans, in particular, will enjoy anything about Willie "The Greatest of Them All" Mays and his place in team and baseball lore. I particularly liked learning more about Alvin Dark, who managed the talented but unlucky San Francisco teams in the 1960s. Giants fans will also appreciate some history on Al Rosen, a star for those same Indians, who later of course was the Giants GM from 1985-1992.
--M.C.
p.s. Thanks again to Kristina DiMichele and DaCapo Press for the review copy. I've got another book from them about the 1991 World Series that I'll get to later.
Bill Madden chronicles that season and its impact on the game in his latest book 1954: the year Willie Mays and the first generation of black superstars changed Major League Baseball forever. Mr. Madden covers a lot of ground, from Branch Rickey and Bill Veeck to Leo Durocher and Walter O'Malley. Along the way we follow the 1954 season from the perspective of the underdog Giants and the powerhouse Indians, a team that set a record with 111 wins. Legendary New York sportswriter Dick Young gets a lot of ink as well, for this was a time when newspapermen were the main link--other than radio broadcasts--between fans and their favorite teams. TV was just beginning to make inroads into the game, and the Giants were on the forefront as they featured a pre-game show with Laraine Day, the glamorous former MGM actress and wife of the mercurial Durocher.
I'm not sure Mr. Madden makes his case in 1954 that baseball was changed "forever," but you can certainly say a critical mass of African-American stars emerged during that time, and they paved the way for even more men of color to participate in the national pastime. The Yankees would be the last team to integrate, but they managed to stay at the top (Series winners in 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962 and runners-up in 1955, 1957, 1960, 1963, and 1964) despite their intransigence. Certainly integration was a pivotal time in both the game's and the nation's history, but I don't know if any particular year was more important than any other. The relocation of the Dodgers and Giants to California, followed by expansion and then division play had huge impacts as well. Perhaps nothing was more momentous than free agency and the two strikes it precipitated, and the flood of television dollars that has been unabated in the last few decades has certainly made the modern game very different.
Nonetheless 1954 is an interesting book and baseball buffs like yourselves will enjoy all the great stories of the old-timers. Giants fans, in particular, will enjoy anything about Willie "The Greatest of Them All" Mays and his place in team and baseball lore. I particularly liked learning more about Alvin Dark, who managed the talented but unlucky San Francisco teams in the 1960s. Giants fans will also appreciate some history on Al Rosen, a star for those same Indians, who later of course was the Giants GM from 1985-1992.
--M.C.
p.s. Thanks again to Kristina DiMichele and DaCapo Press for the review copy. I've got another book from them about the 1991 World Series that I'll get to later.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Almost Perfect
Baseball nobody Yusmeiro Petit threw the game of his life tonight and became only the twelfth pitcher in major-league history to lose a perfect game on the 27th batter. The well-traveled Venezuelan was dropped from the Giants 40-man roster twice this season before crafting his one-hitter. Among his many stops on the journeyman trail was Oaxaca, Mexico. The smiling, beardless picture of me you see when you click M.C. is from Estadio Eduardo Vasconcelos in the city and state of Oaxaca, home of the Guerreros. I still have the O.G. jersey I'm sporting in the pic. The fateful hit came off the bat of Eric Chavez on a 3-2 pitch--I wonder how many of the eleven previous guys got two strikes on the batter before losing him. Chavez has been in the bigs for 16 seasons and has always been a tough out. The Diamondbacks are his third team. He spent his first 13 years with Oakland, their longest-tenured player next to Rickey Henderson (14 years). He almost had to hang up his cleats due to back injuries but managed to get healthy and get a second chance with the Yankees. He spent only two seasons in the minors before his call-up at age 20. Petit was a bit of a phenom himself, reaching The Show at age 21, but lost his job in the majors by age 24. He had to get cut by two clubs in two seasons before the Giants resurrected him last year.
Hunter Pence looked like he might have had a chance for a spectacular play on that stroke off the bat of Chavez, but it fell just short of his reach, and that's saying something. Hunter "Plastic Man" Pence gets to most balls, so you know it was a clean hit. It was, alas, a great night of baseball. The Giants won the game, in a large part, because Pence (who scored all three runs) and catcher Hector Sanchez got three hits each. And Juan Cruz made a great catch in left after being inserted for defense. Yusmeiro Petit came oh-so-close to baseball immortality, and it is a shame he lost it on the last batter. A damn shame. But it was one hell of an effort.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Matt Cain--he of perfect game fame--is listed as tomorrow's starter.
Hunter Pence looked like he might have had a chance for a spectacular play on that stroke off the bat of Chavez, but it fell just short of his reach, and that's saying something. Hunter "Plastic Man" Pence gets to most balls, so you know it was a clean hit. It was, alas, a great night of baseball. The Giants won the game, in a large part, because Pence (who scored all three runs) and catcher Hector Sanchez got three hits each. And Juan Cruz made a great catch in left after being inserted for defense. Yusmeiro Petit came oh-so-close to baseball immortality, and it is a shame he lost it on the last batter. A damn shame. But it was one hell of an effort.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
p.s. Matt Cain--he of perfect game fame--is listed as tomorrow's starter.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Thoughts on 1500
Take a look at this page on Baseball-Reference. It lists all 679 major-league managers, and if you sort by "Games" Bruce Bochy comes in at number 20 all-time with 2998. There are 1498 losses to go with those 1500 wins. With 62 games left in the season (last night's win was the team's 100th game), Ol' Boch will pass both Dick Williams (3023) and Tommy Lasorda (3040) in short order. Those guys are eerily similar to each other: Williams was 1571-1451 with five playoff appearances, four pennants, and two rings, and Lasorda was 1599-1439 with seven playoff appearances, four pennants, and two rings. Tommy did it all with one club, of course, and was famous for his affability. Williams managed six teams, and was infamous for his acerbity. Those guys are baseball legends, and both are in the Hall of Fame. It's hard to imagine our guy being in the pantheon with them, but his record (six playoff appearances, three pennants, two rings) speaks for itself. By the end of next season Bochy should have more career wins than both of them. He'll probably never come close, however, to their win percentages (Williams .520, Lasorda .526).
If you sort by "World Series won" you'll see there are 14 guys with exactly two rings, the only other current one being Terry Francona. Interestingly, he won two rings in four seasons with the Red Sox, ending "the curse" and giving a storied franchise some much-needed contemporary bragging rights. Sound familiar? Four years later, despite four winning seasons and two more playoff appearances, he was given the sack. I don't see the same volatility with the Giants front office. Bochy and Brian Sabean will likely be paired until one or the other retires. Sabes is only 57, Boch 58. More importantly, Larry Baer is "only" 56. Baer's resume says Class of 1980 at UC Berkeley--I was Class of 1981! Tom Kelly (Twins '87 and '91) and Cito Gaston (Blue Jays '92 and '93), are familiar names for us on that list, but neither one of them are currently managing. Gaston is 69 and last managed the 2010 Toronto club, but Kelly, 62 now, was done at age 50 (2001). Both only managed in one city for their careers.
If you sort by "Wins" you'll see there are 10 guys with 2000 or more. No one will ever top Connie Mack (3731), who managed for an astonishing 53 years, and John McGraw (2763) will hang on to the second spot. Tony LaRussa, like McGraw, managed for 33 years and his teams won 2728 games. Bobby Cox (2504) is the only other manager with over 2500 wins. Jim Leyland (1731) and Dusty Baker (1638) both have shots at 2000, though Leyland is 68. If the Giants win 600 more games during Boch's tenure, he would pass Leo Durocher (2008) and Walter Alston (2040) on the all-time list. Wouldn't that be something? In his seven years in San Francisco, the Giants have won 549 games, so it might take a while. Even so, 1500 career wins puts him in elite company. That's more than Earl Weaver, Chuck Tanner, Whitey Herzog, and Billy Martin, for example. I would like to see him pass Baker for most games (1556) and wins (840) as an SF manager.
What I'd really like to see, though, is the Giants winning a bunch of games. Hell, if they fired Bochy and put Kermit the Frog in the manager's chair I'd be OK as long as they were winners. I mean, I like stats and history and all that, but what I really care about is wins. So let's get to winning, eh? This team is playing like shit. Even the win last night was patched together with bailing wire and duct tape. Fer chrissakes, this team won the goddamn world championship last year! And now we have to watch the Dodgers ride the top spot? What? Look, if they can win 14 of 18, so can the Giants.
Chad Gaudin tonight.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
If you sort by "World Series won" you'll see there are 14 guys with exactly two rings, the only other current one being Terry Francona. Interestingly, he won two rings in four seasons with the Red Sox, ending "the curse" and giving a storied franchise some much-needed contemporary bragging rights. Sound familiar? Four years later, despite four winning seasons and two more playoff appearances, he was given the sack. I don't see the same volatility with the Giants front office. Bochy and Brian Sabean will likely be paired until one or the other retires. Sabes is only 57, Boch 58. More importantly, Larry Baer is "only" 56. Baer's resume says Class of 1980 at UC Berkeley--I was Class of 1981! Tom Kelly (Twins '87 and '91) and Cito Gaston (Blue Jays '92 and '93), are familiar names for us on that list, but neither one of them are currently managing. Gaston is 69 and last managed the 2010 Toronto club, but Kelly, 62 now, was done at age 50 (2001). Both only managed in one city for their careers.
If you sort by "Wins" you'll see there are 10 guys with 2000 or more. No one will ever top Connie Mack (3731), who managed for an astonishing 53 years, and John McGraw (2763) will hang on to the second spot. Tony LaRussa, like McGraw, managed for 33 years and his teams won 2728 games. Bobby Cox (2504) is the only other manager with over 2500 wins. Jim Leyland (1731) and Dusty Baker (1638) both have shots at 2000, though Leyland is 68. If the Giants win 600 more games during Boch's tenure, he would pass Leo Durocher (2008) and Walter Alston (2040) on the all-time list. Wouldn't that be something? In his seven years in San Francisco, the Giants have won 549 games, so it might take a while. Even so, 1500 career wins puts him in elite company. That's more than Earl Weaver, Chuck Tanner, Whitey Herzog, and Billy Martin, for example. I would like to see him pass Baker for most games (1556) and wins (840) as an SF manager.
What I'd really like to see, though, is the Giants winning a bunch of games. Hell, if they fired Bochy and put Kermit the Frog in the manager's chair I'd be OK as long as they were winners. I mean, I like stats and history and all that, but what I really care about is wins. So let's get to winning, eh? This team is playing like shit. Even the win last night was patched together with bailing wire and duct tape. Fer chrissakes, this team won the goddamn world championship last year! And now we have to watch the Dodgers ride the top spot? What? Look, if they can win 14 of 18, so can the Giants.
Chad Gaudin tonight.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Ridiculous
Major League Baseball should simply hand the post-season broadcast reins over to the Yankees Network. After all, the entire playoff schedule is based on making sure the Yankees are the prime time game. The Giants and the Cardinals, the last two World Series Champions, play at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time today--that's 3:00 p.m. Central in St. Louis. That's a ridiculous time to start a baseball game. Unless, of course, you have to accommodate the Yankees. It's one thing to be the richest, most successful team. It's another to be constantly shoved down the throats of every baseball fan in America. Hey Bud, fans of other teams don't like the Yankees. Casual fans don't, either. The rest of the world is praying fervently that the Tigers send them packing. Look, we know that Steinbrenner, Inc. is on your speed dial and that you seek permission from them before you wipe your own ass, but maybe in the future you can be a little less obvious about it.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Game of My Life
Thanks to the nice folks at Skyhorse Publishing** I was treated to a review copy Matt Johanson's Game of My Life: San Francisco Giants. Originally published in 2007, the new edition now includes vignettes from the 2010 championship season. Each chapter focuses on a particular player and their most memorable game in orange-and-black. It starts with Orlando Cepeda's debut in 1958--which was also the first Giants game in San Francisco--and ends with Brian Wilson's save in Game Five of the 2010 World Series. Along the way the reader is treated to terrific stories from the likes of "Dirty Al" Gallagher, Tito Fuentes (a childhood favorite of mine), Dan Gladden, Robby Thompson, Darren Lewis, Kirk Rueter, Rich Aurilia, and many other fan favorites and interesting characters. I particularly enjoyed reliving Bob Brenly's "greatest Humm-Baby performance of all time" game (9/14/86) since I was in attendance with much of my regular Candlestick posse (you know who you are). Frank Gunther, one of the crew, actually caught Brenly's game-winning homer when it bounced up to our seats in Section 30 in the LF bleachers. I will also never forget Mike Krukow's complete game victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game Four of the 1987 NLCS. We were lucky enough to have scored tickets in Section 2, right behind home plate. After Jeffrey Leonard's improbable, wind-aided home run that gave the Giants the lead my buddy Ron (yes, that Ron) was so excited he started beating on me and I collapsed to the concrete in a fetal position. Never was getting the wind knocked out of me so worth it! Giants fans will recognize many of the great moments: Will Clark's big hit off Mitch Williams to win the pennant in 1989, Brian Johnson's homer in extras to beat the Dodgers in 1997 (and Rod Beck's miraculous pitching in the same game), Kenny Lofton's hit in 2002 to send the team to the Series, and Jonathan Sanchez' no-hitter against the Padres in 2009. Players from the obscure Brian Dallimore to all-time great Willie Mays share their anecdotes, making Game of My Life a must-read for Giants fans. Mr. Johanson has done an excellent job assembling all the stories and adding his own take on the colorful history of the many who've worn the Giants uniform. He's also--like me--a California public high school teacher! That's extra credit, for sure.
--M.C.
**Game of My Life is published by their subsidiary Sports Publishing.
--M.C.
**Game of My Life is published by their subsidiary Sports Publishing.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Giants continue to underwhelm
Last year the Giants were 13-15 in August. This year they are 3-8. Going 10-7 from this point forward for the rest of the month and finishing 13-15 would be something. Whatever it is the Giants are playing right now, it ain't in the "How to Defend a Championship" manual. So I'm ready for something. Not quite sure what. A few wins, perhaps. Thumping on some piece-of-shit nowhere ball club would be a start. Hey, I'm a patient guy. I waited many years for a championship team, so I know all about patience. I realize Arizona's lead is small, there is plenty of baseball left, even two series with the damn Diamondbacks! I get it. But this is some seriously ugly shit. The team is wasting good starts. They have no chance when there is a poor start. This we know. So they have to be really good at winning the close ones. This they have been. So this underwhelming stretch of play we've been treated to is especially hard to enjoy. This team has a lot of expectations. The fans--quite reasonably, I should add--anticipate a spirited defense of the title. Pry that fucking trophy from our "cold, dead hands" and all, not to go too Hestonian on ya. Don't you think so? Don't you feel like this run here right now and in the next few years with Tim & Matt & MadBum & Buster & Pablo & Brian is "the window" that every franchises chases? This team has a pitching staff that can lock down the NL West in a few weeks. Once Jonathan Sanchez gets his groove back they will be even more formidable. They, unfortunately, can't do it alone. They have to have some guys who can hit and catch and throw. And score some damn runs. And those guys need to get it going. 43 more chances, fellas--it ain't fookin' April anymore.
--M.C.
--M.C.
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Mental Game
"Baseball is 90% mental; the other half is physical."
Yogi Berra is credited with that bit of wisdom. Funny thing, it is true. Baseball is a mental game. The pace may be languid, and the physical action sporadic, but the athleticism required to play professionally is a rare trait. A small percentage of the population has that kind of talent. A small percentage of those athletes make it to the big time. What separates the ones who stick from the ones who don't is mental. Fortitude. Perseverance. Desire. And what separates the greatest players is their ability to learn--to adapt and adjust. To maximize what they have and acquire new skills. Jim Kaplan's new book, The Greatest Game Ever Pitched: Juan Marichal, Warren Spahn, and the Pitching Duel of the Century, brought this point home.
Mr. Kaplan relates a story about Juan Marichal telling Willie McCovey that he was going to change his approach before a game, asking him to play deeper in left field. It was June 15, 1963, at Candlestick Park and the opposing team was the Houston Colt 45s (later Astros). McCovey, amazed that the red-hot Marichal would be messing with things coming off a shutout and five straight wins, obliged nonetheless. Marichal explained that the Colts had hit him hard last time, and he needed to give them a new look. Here's Kaplan:
Stories about baseball before the era of division play and free agency naturally contrast sharply with much of today's game. But the game itself, and the contest of wills between the participants, remains the same. I get the feeling that Mr. Kaplan is nostalgic for a lost era of baseball, before Twitter and ESPN and whatnot. I was nine years old when the NL West and NL East were created, and I was in high school when Andy Messersmith was granted free agency. I'm not sure I've known anything but modern baseball. I remember though, when people watched the play on the field and not Jumbotrons or iPhone screens. So I can relate to his longing for some of those bygone things.
Read The Greatest Game Ever Pitched and tell me what you think.
--M.C.
(I've cross-posted this from my other blog Ten Pound Press.)
Yogi Berra is credited with that bit of wisdom. Funny thing, it is true. Baseball is a mental game. The pace may be languid, and the physical action sporadic, but the athleticism required to play professionally is a rare trait. A small percentage of the population has that kind of talent. A small percentage of those athletes make it to the big time. What separates the ones who stick from the ones who don't is mental. Fortitude. Perseverance. Desire. And what separates the greatest players is their ability to learn--to adapt and adjust. To maximize what they have and acquire new skills. Jim Kaplan's new book, The Greatest Game Ever Pitched: Juan Marichal, Warren Spahn, and the Pitching Duel of the Century, brought this point home.
Mr. Kaplan relates a story about Juan Marichal telling Willie McCovey that he was going to change his approach before a game, asking him to play deeper in left field. It was June 15, 1963, at Candlestick Park and the opposing team was the Houston Colt 45s (later Astros). McCovey, amazed that the red-hot Marichal would be messing with things coming off a shutout and five straight wins, obliged nonetheless. Marichal explained that the Colts had hit him hard last time, and he needed to give them a new look. Here's Kaplan:
After consulting his notes on opponents, Marichal had concluded that Houston players were getting a preview of the coming pitch by reading his grip. Abandoning his high leg kick, he hid the ball, brought his hands together belt high and pivoted quickly.McCovey wound up making a play on the fence late in the game to get an out and help preserve Marichal's no-hitter. Warren Spahn had the same attitude. Here's more from Kaplan:
"I don't pitch the hitter the same way from season to season," said Spahn, who could remember pitches he'd thrown 15 years prior. "Why? Well, I think hard about hitters and try to think the way they think. So there's always the possibility that the hitter may have given considerable thought to the way I pitched him in the previous year and he might be looking forward to those pitches next year."A little later in the same chapter:
Like Spahn, Marichal had an extensive mental book on hitters' weaknesses. "This is a guessing game," he said. "I'm always trying to guess what the hitters are guessing. I haven't gotten any better, only smarter."On July 2nd of the same 1963 season, Spahn and Marichal would pitch a 16-inning 1-0 game in San Francisco that Willie Mays would end with a home run. Spahn was pitching for the Milwaukee Braves (now Atlanta), the club he had come up with when they were still in Boston. That game is the subject of Kaplan's book, but it's really about two men, two ballplayers from different backgrounds and different generations. Their personal histories and their accomplishments on and off the field are interwoven throughout the account of the great pitching duel. Spahn was 42, and just about at the end, while Marichal was 25 and just beginning his exceptional run of great seasons (familiar to every Giants fan). Warren Spahn, the winningest left-hander in baseball history, died in 2003 aged 82. His son Greg supplies the forward for the book.
Stories about baseball before the era of division play and free agency naturally contrast sharply with much of today's game. But the game itself, and the contest of wills between the participants, remains the same. I get the feeling that Mr. Kaplan is nostalgic for a lost era of baseball, before Twitter and ESPN and whatnot. I was nine years old when the NL West and NL East were created, and I was in high school when Andy Messersmith was granted free agency. I'm not sure I've known anything but modern baseball. I remember though, when people watched the play on the field and not Jumbotrons or iPhone screens. So I can relate to his longing for some of those bygone things.
Read The Greatest Game Ever Pitched and tell me what you think.
--M.C.
(I've cross-posted this from my other blog Ten Pound Press.)
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Trumpets are a-trumpeting!
And flags are a-flying! It's Opening Day!
Big test for the defending champs right away with six games on the road (four in Chavez LAtrine and two in Petco). Then it is six at home--three vs. St. Louis and three vs. LA. Then it is on on the road again for six against division foes Arizona and Colorado.
The Giants only play nine home games in April. That's with seventeen road games. In May they play twelve home games against seventeen road games. It evens out in June with sixteen at home and eleven on the road. It's even in July--thirteen and thirteen. August is when the payback comes with only ten road games and nineteen home games. The longest homestand of the year (twelve games) is August 23rd to September 4th. The Giants finish at home in September (with three against the Rockies) but play ten road games right before that! The final count for the month is twelve home, thirteen away.
I think the schedule gods have thrown down the gauntlet. The Giants will have to play well right out of the gate. Last year they dug themselves into a huge hole by losing the first seven games to the Padres. It all worked out, of course, but digging out of holes is a lot more fun when the hole isn't too deep.
At 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time today the talking stops and the season gets underway. I'm excited and I'm confident the Giants will be up to the challenge. I'm very excited about Brandon Belt. Check out Rory Paap's column at Bay City Ball for more on our new phenom.
GO GIANTS! BEAT LA!
--M.C.
Big test for the defending champs right away with six games on the road (four in Chavez LAtrine and two in Petco). Then it is six at home--three vs. St. Louis and three vs. LA. Then it is on on the road again for six against division foes Arizona and Colorado.
The Giants only play nine home games in April. That's with seventeen road games. In May they play twelve home games against seventeen road games. It evens out in June with sixteen at home and eleven on the road. It's even in July--thirteen and thirteen. August is when the payback comes with only ten road games and nineteen home games. The longest homestand of the year (twelve games) is August 23rd to September 4th. The Giants finish at home in September (with three against the Rockies) but play ten road games right before that! The final count for the month is twelve home, thirteen away.
I think the schedule gods have thrown down the gauntlet. The Giants will have to play well right out of the gate. Last year they dug themselves into a huge hole by losing the first seven games to the Padres. It all worked out, of course, but digging out of holes is a lot more fun when the hole isn't too deep.
At 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time today the talking stops and the season gets underway. I'm excited and I'm confident the Giants will be up to the challenge. I'm very excited about Brandon Belt. Check out Rory Paap's column at Bay City Ball for more on our new phenom.
GO GIANTS! BEAT LA!
--M.C.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Bring Me the Trophy of Allan H. Selig
The Trophy Tour is of utmost importance to me. I longingly wish--or is it wish longingly?--to gaze upon the Commissioner's Trophy and bask in its shininess and awesome glory. Medford, Oregon, is the closest it will come to my hometown. Alas, the web page teases me with TBD and TBA, refusing to publish the actual date, time, and place of the Trophy's visit! I cannot stand the torment any longer. I must know. I must be able to plan the event! I've sent the Giants mail pleading for commitment and clarification, but to no avail. I feel abandoned in my hour of need.
Friends of RMC, I beseech you. Send to the Giants your concerns about me and my local fellows. Tell them about how remote and underprivileged we are here in the State of Jefferson. Flood them with requests to bring the Trophy to us. I know, I know, they already brought it to Redding and Chico, but that was only after a last-minute alteration of the schedule! It was on, then off, then on again! Curses! And Redding is 50 miles further away than Medford!
I WANNA SEE THE TROPHY AND I WANNA GET MY PICTURE TAKEN WITH IT!!!
--M.C.
p.s. The Magic Inside is fun. It's an hour-long review of the entire 2010 season narrated by Duane Kuiper. Lots of great clips and interview snippets. (Is there a Giant more charming and likeable than Andres Torres?)
Friends of RMC, I beseech you. Send to the Giants your concerns about me and my local fellows. Tell them about how remote and underprivileged we are here in the State of Jefferson. Flood them with requests to bring the Trophy to us. I know, I know, they already brought it to Redding and Chico, but that was only after a last-minute alteration of the schedule! It was on, then off, then on again! Curses! And Redding is 50 miles further away than Medford!
I WANNA SEE THE TROPHY AND I WANNA GET MY PICTURE TAKEN WITH IT!!!
--M.C.
p.s. The Magic Inside is fun. It's an hour-long review of the entire 2010 season narrated by Duane Kuiper. Lots of great clips and interview snippets. (Is there a Giant more charming and likeable than Andres Torres?)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Did the Giants do enough at the deadline?
I mentioned in a comment yesterday that the Yankees, possessors of the best offense in baseball, felt the need to go out and get two hitters at the deadline. They were rumored to be interested in Adam Dunn, but wound up with Lance Berkman and Austin Kearns instead. Here's quote from River Avenue Blues, the excellent Yankees blog:
But--and there's always a but--the Giants still need help on offense. Think about it: the best team and most successful franchise in the HISTORY OF THE SPORT made an effort to improve their offense (as well as their bullpen). What do they know that the Giants don't? The Yankees have an enviable track record of winning. They are doing something right. I think that something is the ceaseless quest for upgrading at every roster spot.
Here's a few thought from outstanding Giants blogger El Lefty Malo:
Here's a few more thoughts, this time from the smart and insightful Triples Alley:
--M.C.
*Fucking New Guy
While the team has sat in first place since mid-June, there are always opportunities to improve.Wow. That is the mind-set over there in Yankees-land. First place ain't enough. You have to improve. I guess that's why they ran out of fingers and toes (for all their rings) in the Bronx. The Padres knew they had a weak offense, and went out and got Ryan Ludwick and Miguel Tejada. Ludwick is a smart move. The jury is out on Tejada, he'll probably hurt them defensively, and it remains to be seen if he can contribute the power they are looking for, but it is at least an effort at improving. The Dodgers made a flurry of moves, but until they start hitting as a team they are going to flounder. Ted Lilly won't help if they only score 2 runs per game--look at Clayton Kershaw. (I sure hope their offense doesn't get back on track.) The Giants had an obvious bullpen problem, and they got two guys who look like they can help. In fact, FNG* Javier Lopez got a big out in the 8th yesterday, just what the doctor ordered.
But--and there's always a but--the Giants still need help on offense. Think about it: the best team and most successful franchise in the HISTORY OF THE SPORT made an effort to improve their offense (as well as their bullpen). What do they know that the Giants don't? The Yankees have an enviable track record of winning. They are doing something right. I think that something is the ceaseless quest for upgrading at every roster spot.
Here's a few thought from outstanding Giants blogger El Lefty Malo:
The best can also afford like no other team to make themselves better, but the point is, just because the offense finally seems perfectly adequate doesn't mean the Giants shouldn't keep trying to improve it . . . I'm not trying to be a Debbie Downer, I'm just saying there are plenty of scenarios in which the Giants' league-best offensive output in July falls off in August and September. Why not make a move or two to prevent those scenarios from happening?Wow. That's hardcore. But I tell you what, I'm with him. Even if we are in the post-season this year, I'll be hollering about how we don't have enough goddamn hitting. I've been hollering about it all year long so I won't quit now. You come to RMC for consistency, dammit, and I aims to please.IfWhen the Giants win the World Series, I'll still argue they need another bat.
Here's a few more thoughts, this time from the smart and insightful Triples Alley:
Let’s face it- most of the hitters we have on the roster really just aren’t very good. But we’re getting some brilliant production from two unlikely players- Aubrey Huff and Andres Torres, both of whom should receive MVP consideration at the end of the year. There’s a possibility that both players have reached new standards of performance, but…there’s also a possibility that we’ve caught lightning in a bottle. Now is the time to go for broke rather than rebuild or stand pat; now is the time to make a move that ensures our chances of making the playoffs. This means that we should not sit and twiddle our thumbs, hoping for Pablo Sandoval to figure things out and hit like he did last year. Huff, Torres and Posey cannot carry the offense by themselves, although they’re doing an awfully good job at it. We need a bat, and we need one now. It doesn’t have to be an elite hitter a la Adam Dunn, although that would be nice. No, a simple above average hitter would do the trick.To be fair to Triples Alley, he spent most of a paragraph getting really excited about the 2010 Giants before throwing out his "but". He, like me and the aforementioned Mr. Malo, is a fan. We loves us some Giants. And we are excited about this club, especially as it looks more and more like we will be one of the best teams in the league. So I'll leave it to you, dear readers. Did the Giants do enough at the trade deadline?
--M.C.
*Fucking New Guy
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Padres pick up a hitter, Dodgers hope for a pitcher
The San Diego Padres acquired Ryan Ludwick in a three-way deal with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians. The Padres give up Corey Kluber, a 24-year-old AA pitcher with good strikeout stuff, and Nick Greenwood, a 22-year-old A-ball lefty from the University of Rhode Island.
Ludwick just turned 32 and is in his 8th year in the big leagues. He had a sensational year in 2008, cracking 80 XBH on his way to a .966 OPS (.406 wOBA and 5.4 WAR). His 2009 was not as impressive (.265/.329/.447), but 2010 has been much better (.281/.343/.484). He's racked up 2.6 WAR so far (2009 was only 2.0 WAR), and his .354 wOBA is right at his career average. He's a lifetime .832 OPS (117 OPS+) hitter, and he's considered an above-average fielder. He became a regular in 2007, after accumulating only about a season's worth of PA in his first four years. He had a stint on the 15-day DL earlier in the month. For perspective, only three Giants (Huff, Posey, Torres) are hitting above a .354 wOBA. The Cardinals apparently have a youngster (John Jay) ready to fill Ludwick's shoes in RF. St. Louis doesn't have that much of an offense, so it seems weird they'd let go of a good hitter. They obviously want another starter. We'll see what Westbrook can do. The real winner here is San Diego. They give up nothing and get a real bat for their lineup. He's not a game-changer, but he's a good player, and they don't lose anything on defense. He is immediately their 2nd-best hitter.
The Dodgers acquired Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot in a "meh" deal that sends former 1st-rounder Blake DeWitt and prospects Brett Wallach and Kyle Smit to Chicago. Brett Wallach is Tim Wallach's son, he's a pitcher in A-ball. I don't think Lilly will solve the Dodgers rotation issues, but I suppose he's an upgrade over Carlos Monasterios.
--M.C.
Ludwick just turned 32 and is in his 8th year in the big leagues. He had a sensational year in 2008, cracking 80 XBH on his way to a .966 OPS (.406 wOBA and 5.4 WAR). His 2009 was not as impressive (.265/.329/.447), but 2010 has been much better (.281/.343/.484). He's racked up 2.6 WAR so far (2009 was only 2.0 WAR), and his .354 wOBA is right at his career average. He's a lifetime .832 OPS (117 OPS+) hitter, and he's considered an above-average fielder. He became a regular in 2007, after accumulating only about a season's worth of PA in his first four years. He had a stint on the 15-day DL earlier in the month. For perspective, only three Giants (Huff, Posey, Torres) are hitting above a .354 wOBA. The Cardinals apparently have a youngster (John Jay) ready to fill Ludwick's shoes in RF. St. Louis doesn't have that much of an offense, so it seems weird they'd let go of a good hitter. They obviously want another starter. We'll see what Westbrook can do. The real winner here is San Diego. They give up nothing and get a real bat for their lineup. He's not a game-changer, but he's a good player, and they don't lose anything on defense. He is immediately their 2nd-best hitter.
The Dodgers acquired Ted Lilly and Ryan Theriot in a "meh" deal that sends former 1st-rounder Blake DeWitt and prospects Brett Wallach and Kyle Smit to Chicago. Brett Wallach is Tim Wallach's son, he's a pitcher in A-ball. I don't think Lilly will solve the Dodgers rotation issues, but I suppose he's an upgrade over Carlos Monasterios.
--M.C.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
MadBum beats Da Bums!
It was the biggest win of the year--beating the Dodgers in the LAtrine. It was also a very weird game. Panda made a mistake on the field that led to a run (it was a bad call by the umps), Andres Torres ran into an out (he obviously lost count), and the umps actually conferred on a call and got it right. I've never understood why the umpires don't confer more frequently. Seems like many of the bad calls we see could be set right just by the crew talking about the play. I expect we'll see more use of video replay in baseball, and that's fine with me, as long as it doesn't become as tedious and stupid as the NFL. Perhaps they could put an ump in the booth with all the camera feeds, and the crew chief can call on him when the play demands it (or the managers issue a challenge). Regardless, get together and talk. Find out who had the best angle and what they saw. Seems like that should be the crew chief's job.
That was only the team's second win in seven games this season against the Dodgers. A double by Andres Torres and singles by Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the 3rd. Nate Schierholtz hit a 2-run homer in the 4th to make it 4-0 (nice to see him contribute!), and with MadBum dealing things looked good. In the 6th, Rafael Furcal hit a leadoff bomb to make it 4-1, and Jamey Carroll singled, but Bumgarner got the next two guys out. When he walked James Loney, Ol' Boch yanked him and got Guillermo Mota. Mota made a stupid pickoff throw that bounced in the dirt and went into centerfield. (No need to actually throw there, just the fake and the looks would be enough to keep the runner close.) With runners on 2nd and 3rd and two outs, Matt Kemp hit a grounder to Sandoval. 99.99% of the time the third baseman throws that ball to first and the inning is over. Sandoval decided to tag Loney, who was coming towards the base, thus making it a "time play" (Rule 4.09a). The umps ruled that Carroll had scored before the putout was recorded, making it 4-2. The replay showed they got it wrong. Fortunately, the Giants scored later to make it 5-2 and the bullpen had just enough in the tank to close out the win.
The Giants have to beat the Dodgers and the Rockies and the Padres and even the lowly Diamondbacks if they expect to win the West. Last night was a good start.
--M.C.
That was only the team's second win in seven games this season against the Dodgers. A double by Andres Torres and singles by Buster Posey and Pablo Sandoval gave the Giants a 2-0 lead in the 3rd. Nate Schierholtz hit a 2-run homer in the 4th to make it 4-0 (nice to see him contribute!), and with MadBum dealing things looked good. In the 6th, Rafael Furcal hit a leadoff bomb to make it 4-1, and Jamey Carroll singled, but Bumgarner got the next two guys out. When he walked James Loney, Ol' Boch yanked him and got Guillermo Mota. Mota made a stupid pickoff throw that bounced in the dirt and went into centerfield. (No need to actually throw there, just the fake and the looks would be enough to keep the runner close.) With runners on 2nd and 3rd and two outs, Matt Kemp hit a grounder to Sandoval. 99.99% of the time the third baseman throws that ball to first and the inning is over. Sandoval decided to tag Loney, who was coming towards the base, thus making it a "time play" (Rule 4.09a). The umps ruled that Carroll had scored before the putout was recorded, making it 4-2. The replay showed they got it wrong. Fortunately, the Giants scored later to make it 5-2 and the bullpen had just enough in the tank to close out the win.
The Giants have to beat the Dodgers and the Rockies and the Padres and even the lowly Diamondbacks if they expect to win the West. Last night was a good start.
--M.C.
Monday, July 19, 2010
50 years ago today
THT writer Chris Jaffe sent me a note about Juan Marichal's debut--it was 50 years ago today, July 19th! It is, of course, one of those bits of Giants lore all good orange & black fans know about. I thought with MadBum going tonight it might be a good thing to channel some of the Dominican Dandy's mojo. Check out Chris' piece here. It is the highest Game Score in a debut performance (2-hit shutout, 12 K) in baseball history.
You can check out the box score here. Only 13,279 were in attendance at the 'Stick. That would have been a big crowd back in those lean 70s seasons, eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
You can check out the box score here. Only 13,279 were in attendance at the 'Stick. That would have been a big crowd back in those lean 70s seasons, eh?
GO GIANTS!
--M.C.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
88 down, 74 to go
If we set 90 wins as a target to win the NL West, then the Giants have to play .581 ball (43-31) the rest of the way. That's a tall order. The Giants were 13-9 in April, but 27-28 in May and June. This nice little 7-4 run before the Break was encouraging, but the club has yet to show it can sustain a long winning stretch. The Giants best win streak is FOUR games. They have also logged a SEVEN game loss streak. Here's another way to look at it: the San Diego Padres have played .580 ball (51-37) so far this season. The Giants will have to play the second half as well as the Padres have played the first half. The Giants have confined their poor play to teams in the NL West--they are 1-7 vs. SD, 1-5 vs. LA, and 4-6 vs. CO. On the flip side, they've beaten the crap out of Milwaukee, Houston, Washington, Florida, and Pittsburgh to the tune of 22-6. Of those clubs, only Florida and Milwaukee are on the second-half schedule, with the Marlins coming to SF at the end of the month and the Brewers in mid-September. The Giants do get to see bottom-dwelling Arizona 13 more times, and 7 games against the reeling Cubs are also on the docket, so perhaps they can fatten up on them. Clearly, they are going to have to reverse their fortunes against the Big Three in the West as 6-18 won't cut it. New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Cincinnati are also on tap--that's 17 games, and all of those clubs are playing .540 or better. The lads have their work cut out for them.
What's it going to take? For one, The Über-Freak is going to have to lead the way. He's got, presumably, 14 starts left. He's racked up 3.1 WAR (5th in the NL) so far, which is in fact below his 2008 (7.5) and 2009 (8.2) norms. We have all seen Super Tim this year as well as Mere Mortal Tim, and even a below-par Lincecum is better than most anyone else. His 3.02 FIP is 4th in the NL, but he is part of a tight clustering of stud pitchers (Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, Adam Wainwright, Ubaldo Jimenez, et. al.) rather than the lead horse blowing past the field. The Giants, weak as they are in the superstar department, need their ace more than most clubs. It's not really fair--ever--to put a team's hopes and dreams on to one player (hello, Barry Bonds), but back-to-back Cy Youngs have a way of distorting perspectives. It will be interesting to see how The Franchise carries the load the rest of the way. No matter what happens, we all love the kid, and we know he will continue to be a great performer for us.
The rest of the starters are sort of lumped together: Cain (3.82), Sanchez (3.89), and Zito (3.91) are 23rd, 24th, and 26th in FIP among NL starters. Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda all rate higher, as do Mat Latos and Clayton Richard. Even Colorado's Jason Hammel does, too. That's not a knock--the Giants have a depth of quality most teams would kill for. The Cain-Zito-Sanchez triumvirate is worth 5.4 WAR (2.0 + 1.8 + 1.6), and I'm not sure any club can boast 2-3-4 starters with that kind of value. That group, though, is going to have to rack up consistent quality innings or the Giants chances look pretty bleak. If any one of them falters or gets hurt the team could be in trouble. Adding Madison Bumgarner (0.5 WAR so far, and a 3.86 FIP) certainly shores things up, and could be a nice insurance policy down the stretch.
First-half MVP Aubrey Huff has been a tremendous addition, easily the best free-agent signing by any team this season. As much as I knock Sabean, I have to give him his due for this one. The 33-year-old is having his best season ever (3.1 WAR, .400 wOBA, 142 OPS+), and he'll have to keep it going for the Giants to get to the top. Another fellow enjoying his most productive season ever is Andres Torres (2.8 WAR, .383 wOBA). After a torrid May (.957 OPS) and a mediocre June (.737 OPS), Giants fans aren't sure what we'll see the rest of the way. His July line (.343/.425/.743) in 9 games is somewhat reassuring, but players with his career arc are outliers and hard to project. ZiPS says .345 wOBA the rest of the way, which is solid, but not spectacular, and perhaps unfair. After all, he did put up a .379 wOBA last season in 75 games, so maybe the Andres Torres we are seeing is the real thing. No matter what, he's a great story, and you gotta love him.
The big question mark is, of course, Pablo Sandoval. Chris at BCB does one of his patented expert breakdowns of The Panda's season so far, so I suggest you check that out. Suffice to say that our rotund third baseman has got to start contributing. The long-awaited emergence of rookie sensation Buster Posey has somewhat taken the sting out of Pablo's fall from grace, but I just don't see how the Golden Boy can do it all himself. As one famous wag once opined, "it takes a village." The holes on the club are big, and the patches have to hold through the dog days in a very tightly-contested division. Bullpen youngsters Sergio Romo and Dan Runzler are getting better all the time, and I have lots of confidence in them. Santiago Casilla has been a nice pickup, too. Brian Wilson is a beast (2.16 FIP, 1.4 WAR), and insanely valuable, but Jeremy Affeldt remains a question mark. Like Sandoval, he was counted on for a lot, and I think the team will miss his contributions if he doesn't see an uptick in performance going forward.
I want to believe it is a four-team race and the Giants have an equal shot. The Dodgers scare me, they have so much damn talent. The Rockies are lurking menacingly, they have such great depth and balance, and a recent history of late runs. The Padres can't be written off despite their odds-defying season. They will come back to earth, no team can hit that poorly and not see a drop-off, but they won't go quietly. I like their leadership (Bud Black, Jed Hoyer, Paul DePodesta), and worry they might just outsmart us. Baseball Prospectus publishes post-season odds, you can see them here. Of the four clubs in the hunt, the number-crunchers see San Diego having a 57.5 % chance of making the playoffs, with Colorado (56.1 %) right behind, and Los Angeles (29.6 %) and San Francisco (13.8 %) scrambling to catch them. BP says we are an 84-78 club. (We'll see, eh?) For comparison, the Yankees have an 84.1 % chance (94-68) of reaching the post-season. I've come to loathe plucky squads that fall just short, or ones that have to have all the pieces fall into place to have a real shot. I want a loaded team, one with scads of talent and surplus players. I want a team that can weather any storm and that scares the rest of the league. I mean, I love the Giants. I'm a fookin' lifer, fer chrissakes. But I want 84.1 %, and I don't see why I can't get it.
Enjoy the next 74. Go Giants!
--M.C.
What's it going to take? For one, The Über-Freak is going to have to lead the way. He's got, presumably, 14 starts left. He's racked up 3.1 WAR (5th in the NL) so far, which is in fact below his 2008 (7.5) and 2009 (8.2) norms. We have all seen Super Tim this year as well as Mere Mortal Tim, and even a below-par Lincecum is better than most anyone else. His 3.02 FIP is 4th in the NL, but he is part of a tight clustering of stud pitchers (Roy Halladay, Josh Johnson, Adam Wainwright, Ubaldo Jimenez, et. al.) rather than the lead horse blowing past the field. The Giants, weak as they are in the superstar department, need their ace more than most clubs. It's not really fair--ever--to put a team's hopes and dreams on to one player (hello, Barry Bonds), but back-to-back Cy Youngs have a way of distorting perspectives. It will be interesting to see how The Franchise carries the load the rest of the way. No matter what happens, we all love the kid, and we know he will continue to be a great performer for us.
The rest of the starters are sort of lumped together: Cain (3.82), Sanchez (3.89), and Zito (3.91) are 23rd, 24th, and 26th in FIP among NL starters. Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, and Hiroki Kuroda all rate higher, as do Mat Latos and Clayton Richard. Even Colorado's Jason Hammel does, too. That's not a knock--the Giants have a depth of quality most teams would kill for. The Cain-Zito-Sanchez triumvirate is worth 5.4 WAR (2.0 + 1.8 + 1.6), and I'm not sure any club can boast 2-3-4 starters with that kind of value. That group, though, is going to have to rack up consistent quality innings or the Giants chances look pretty bleak. If any one of them falters or gets hurt the team could be in trouble. Adding Madison Bumgarner (0.5 WAR so far, and a 3.86 FIP) certainly shores things up, and could be a nice insurance policy down the stretch.
First-half MVP Aubrey Huff has been a tremendous addition, easily the best free-agent signing by any team this season. As much as I knock Sabean, I have to give him his due for this one. The 33-year-old is having his best season ever (3.1 WAR, .400 wOBA, 142 OPS+), and he'll have to keep it going for the Giants to get to the top. Another fellow enjoying his most productive season ever is Andres Torres (2.8 WAR, .383 wOBA). After a torrid May (.957 OPS) and a mediocre June (.737 OPS), Giants fans aren't sure what we'll see the rest of the way. His July line (.343/.425/.743) in 9 games is somewhat reassuring, but players with his career arc are outliers and hard to project. ZiPS says .345 wOBA the rest of the way, which is solid, but not spectacular, and perhaps unfair. After all, he did put up a .379 wOBA last season in 75 games, so maybe the Andres Torres we are seeing is the real thing. No matter what, he's a great story, and you gotta love him.
The big question mark is, of course, Pablo Sandoval. Chris at BCB does one of his patented expert breakdowns of The Panda's season so far, so I suggest you check that out. Suffice to say that our rotund third baseman has got to start contributing. The long-awaited emergence of rookie sensation Buster Posey has somewhat taken the sting out of Pablo's fall from grace, but I just don't see how the Golden Boy can do it all himself. As one famous wag once opined, "it takes a village." The holes on the club are big, and the patches have to hold through the dog days in a very tightly-contested division. Bullpen youngsters Sergio Romo and Dan Runzler are getting better all the time, and I have lots of confidence in them. Santiago Casilla has been a nice pickup, too. Brian Wilson is a beast (2.16 FIP, 1.4 WAR), and insanely valuable, but Jeremy Affeldt remains a question mark. Like Sandoval, he was counted on for a lot, and I think the team will miss his contributions if he doesn't see an uptick in performance going forward.
I want to believe it is a four-team race and the Giants have an equal shot. The Dodgers scare me, they have so much damn talent. The Rockies are lurking menacingly, they have such great depth and balance, and a recent history of late runs. The Padres can't be written off despite their odds-defying season. They will come back to earth, no team can hit that poorly and not see a drop-off, but they won't go quietly. I like their leadership (Bud Black, Jed Hoyer, Paul DePodesta), and worry they might just outsmart us. Baseball Prospectus publishes post-season odds, you can see them here. Of the four clubs in the hunt, the number-crunchers see San Diego having a 57.5 % chance of making the playoffs, with Colorado (56.1 %) right behind, and Los Angeles (29.6 %) and San Francisco (13.8 %) scrambling to catch them. BP says we are an 84-78 club. (We'll see, eh?) For comparison, the Yankees have an 84.1 % chance (94-68) of reaching the post-season. I've come to loathe plucky squads that fall just short, or ones that have to have all the pieces fall into place to have a real shot. I want a loaded team, one with scads of talent and surplus players. I want a team that can weather any storm and that scares the rest of the league. I mean, I love the Giants. I'm a fookin' lifer, fer chrissakes. But I want 84.1 %, and I don't see why I can't get it.
Enjoy the next 74. Go Giants!
--M.C.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Missing George
Yes, I will miss George Steinbrenner. He was obnoxious, self-important, obsessive, and bizarre. He was probably a jackass, too. But he knew what he wanted--a championship ballclub. And that's what I want. So with George gone, who shall become my new Straw Man? Who shall I point to and say "Giants Ownership--do this if you want to bring home a ring?" Which organization will be my new role model? I'm lost, I tell you, lost!
Giants Ownership: stop equating "pretty good" with success. Start demanding a world championship and start doing what it takes to get one.
Mr. Steinbrenner: rest in peace.
--M.C.
Giants Ownership: stop equating "pretty good" with success. Start demanding a world championship and start doing what it takes to get one.
Mr. Steinbrenner: rest in peace.
--M.C.
"If we're gonna win, the players gotta play better,
the coaches gotta coach better, the manager gotta manage better,
and the owners gotta own better."
the coaches gotta coach better, the manager gotta manage better,
and the owners gotta own better."
- Brewers first baseman George Scott, to the club chairman
(from Cot's Contracts)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Just the facts, man
Colorado (.806) is second to Milwaukee (.831) in the NL in OPS. The Giants are fifth (.773), just ahead of Philadelphia (.770). Third and fourth place go to Arizona (.805) and Los Angeles (.784).
Colorado (.351) is third in the league in wOBA, behind Milwaukee (.370) and Arizona (.354). The Giants are fifth (.339), tied with Philadelphia. Los Angeles (.344) is fourth.
Colorado (119) is second in runs scored, behind Milwaukee (126). The Giants are eighth (96), tied with the Cubs and Mets. Arizona (116), Philadelphia (114), Los Angeles (111), Florida (106), and Cincinnati (99) are in between.
The Rockies (1.38) are eighth in WHIP. The Giants (1.15) are first, followed by the Cardinals (1.17), Cubs (1.23), Padres (1.24), Braves (1.34), Astros (1.35), and Marlins (1.35).
The Rockies (3.83) are seventh in FIP. The Giants are second (3.45), behind the Cardinals (3.37). The Cubs (3.59), Astros (3.94), Mets (3.81), and Padres (3.85) fill in the gaps.
The Rockies (90) are sixth in runs allowed. The Giants are first (63). The Cardinals (66), Mets (72), Padres (77), and Cubs (89) are second through fifth.
The Colorado Rockies are 11-11, underperforming their projection (14-8) by three games, while the San Francisco Giants are 12-9, underperforming their projection (14-7) by two games.
The home team will send out Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez against the injury-depleted visitors (Jorge de la Rosa and Jason Hammel are on the DL), who'll counter with Aaron Cook, a TBA (rookie Esmil Rogers?), and rookie Jhoulys Chacin.
--M.C.
Colorado (.351) is third in the league in wOBA, behind Milwaukee (.370) and Arizona (.354). The Giants are fifth (.339), tied with Philadelphia. Los Angeles (.344) is fourth.
Colorado (119) is second in runs scored, behind Milwaukee (126). The Giants are eighth (96), tied with the Cubs and Mets. Arizona (116), Philadelphia (114), Los Angeles (111), Florida (106), and Cincinnati (99) are in between.
The Rockies (1.38) are eighth in WHIP. The Giants (1.15) are first, followed by the Cardinals (1.17), Cubs (1.23), Padres (1.24), Braves (1.34), Astros (1.35), and Marlins (1.35).
The Rockies (3.83) are seventh in FIP. The Giants are second (3.45), behind the Cardinals (3.37). The Cubs (3.59), Astros (3.94), Mets (3.81), and Padres (3.85) fill in the gaps.
The Rockies (90) are sixth in runs allowed. The Giants are first (63). The Cardinals (66), Mets (72), Padres (77), and Cubs (89) are second through fifth.
The Colorado Rockies are 11-11, underperforming their projection (14-8) by three games, while the San Francisco Giants are 12-9, underperforming their projection (14-7) by two games.
The home team will send out Barry Zito, Matt Cain, and Jonathan Sanchez against the injury-depleted visitors (Jorge de la Rosa and Jason Hammel are on the DL), who'll counter with Aaron Cook, a TBA (rookie Esmil Rogers?), and rookie Jhoulys Chacin.
--M.C.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Hallelujah! Giants get to Halladay!
Harry Leroy "Doc" Halladay had given up only three runs in four starts (33 innings) before coming to San Francisco to face a Giants team that had scored only eleven runs in its last seven games. This being baseball, the Giants rapped out TEN HITS and scored FIVE RUNS off one of the toughest pitchers in the game and nailed down the best win of the young season. Jonathan Sanchez labored against the relentless Phillies, facing 24 batters and throwing 107 pitches to get 15 outs, striking out six but also walking five. Mota, Affeldt, and Romo combined to shut down the defending champs over the final three innings, with Sergio punctuating the dramatic finish by striking out Chase Utley looking to end the game. The Phils only managed four hits and struck out eleven times but still sent 39 batters to the plate and saw 162 pitches. Victorino was on base three times, Polanco twice, Utley three times, Howard once, and Werth twice--the top of their lineup is as good as any in the game and they make you work for your outs. But the Giants refused to break and showed they can play ball with the big boys. Swinging early in the count against Halladay, Renteria, Sandoval, and DeRosa combined for three hits and two runs in the 1st inning. John Bowker and Eli Whiteside smacked back-to-back doubles in the 2nd and it was 3-0 against a man who hadn't allowed more than two runs in a game yet this season. Aubrey Huff got an RBI hit in the 6th after another double, this one by the Panda, who seemingly can hit any pitch off any pitcher. This was a nasty-looking cut fastball that was low and inside, but Sandoval squared up on it nonetheless. Eli Whiteside wasn't done either, slashing a line-drive home run down the left-field line an on 0-1 fastball to lead off the 7th. There were a lot of great moments in tonight's game: Torres beating out a bunt for a hit after Halladay had mowed down ten in a row, Sandoval scooting home ahead of Victorino's throw on Huff's hit, and Sanchez striking out Howard, losing Utley to a walk, but getting Ben Francisco to pop up to end the 5th with two on and a run in. A terrific team effort to get a huge win against a great club. And with the production the Giants are getting from the catching spot (Whiteside .882 SLG, Molina .362 OBP), looks like Buster will stay a while longer in AAA. I suppose every silver lining has its cloud!
--M.C.
p.s. Padres lose, Giants tied for 1st place at 11-8.
--M.C.
p.s. Padres lose, Giants tied for 1st place at 11-8.
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