Numbers
The numbers of those reading the blog took a dive so we concluded that we were writing too much and decided to correspond less frequently. Like it say in Galatians 6:7, I will not be mocked.
The Giants
During spring training I said that the starting pitching staff would be pretty good having Bumgarner as the anchor if Cain could come back and be a #2 starter and a rookie who would wow them and become a starter which has turned out to be Heston. The last two starters would come from Vogelsong, Peavy, Hudson and Peavy. Peavy and Cain now off the DL get tested this week in Miami. Peavy was belted in the Pacific Coast League so I do not expect much from him but Cain has looked pretty good. His second start is the one to really watch. If the Giants dream comes true Cain will be a solid #2 starter making them a real contender for the playoffs.
The team is just one game out in second place as we come close to the half way point of the season. I would never believe they would be so close especially since they lost Pence whose presence stretches the lineup and provides better pitches for the other batters. . . Duffy has been the story of the year to date. We thought he should have been sent to the minor leagues instead of sitting on the Giants bench. However McGehee was so bad they had to play Duffy. Just like last year their 8 second basemen were so bad they were desperate and brought up Panic. Sometimes its better to be lucky then smart. . . Speaking of McGehee statistics show that for every ten times at the plate with men on base he hits into double plays eight times. . . Those that follow the Giants know they have been a streaky team but nothing like Belt who looks horrible in most games. . .Have the Giants dropped their black Saturday jerseys? Haven't been seen lately at AT&T probably because no one can read the numbers. . .Will Susac force Posey to be an everyday first baseman? Its happening now out of necessity.
Anti-Christ
In Galatians 6:7 it say "Do not be deceived, God will not be mocked." The Giants like most of the nation mocked the son of God in celebrating Anti-Christ Day last Friday. If your not with it today if you aren't part of the anti-Christ groups led by our President. This is not surprising because in the Message La Salette, Our Lady says, "Civil governments will have the same objective, which will be to abolish and make every religious principle disappear, to make way for materialism, atheism, spiritism and vices of all kinds." Since the Church of Vatican II silenced Sister Lucy of Fatima in 1958 many may have never known that Our Lady said, if people do not cease offending God various nations will be annihilated. Think the Untied States has a chance? Don't bet against it. Father Gabriel Amorth the world's most famous exorcist said recently that the dark prophecies of Fatima may well come to pass anytime after October 2015.
Related article - Our Lord said, " I saw Satan Fall Like Baraq O-bamah" can be found at www.homerscomments.BlogSpot.com
Monday, June 29, 2015
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
It's Over
The Giants finally won a game Wednesday to break their losing streak at home at 9 and their overall streak at 5. In case you didn't hear the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Championship proving that they are the best basketball team in the world.
The Warriors
It has been forty years since the Warriors won their last NBA title until last night when they beat Cleveland 4 games to 2 in the final series. Yes 40 years is a long time but so is 7 months of regular season and then 2 months of playoff basketball which the Warriors dominated the NBA. They won 81% of their games during the regular season while Atlanta was the only other team to win over 70%. We predicted the Warriors would roll during the playoffs and even though the games were tougher then expected they still managed to win 76% of them.
Steve Kerr was fantastic. He did a great job which took guts. At the start of the season he made Iguodala, a starter all of his NBA life, his sixth man. All Star Lee came back after months of injuries was regulated to a roll player because of the great play of Green. During the season he played different reserves depending on the match up keeping players fresh and happy. Then he benched his starting center Bogut after the first three games of the Championship series for Iguodala which proved to be the winning move of the series. None of these players ever showed they were upset because the only goal in mind was to win the NBA Championship. Perhaps other NBA coaches would have had similar ideas as Kerr all but a very few would have had the guts to make the moves knowing the egos of most NBA players.
The General Manager Bob Myers gets plenty of well deserved credit for putting a very strong team together. It is true that the Warriors had very few injuries during the long drawn out season and when they lost a player the replacement was probably just as good. Don't forget Reilly who proceeded him for drafting Thompson and Curry for which he was criticized. The hiring of Jerry West as a consultant was worth every penny they had to pay him.
Although I don't follow the NBA too closely during the season I did hear on more then one occasion that the Warriors were getting very little respect. The old battle cry, 'Wait to the playoffs'. Well the Oaklander's proved the experts wrong and perhaps changed the way basketball will be played in the future with their win. Did you notice that Larry Sliver the commissioner of the NBA really didn't want to give the Warriors the Larry O'Brien trophy. He started his presentation praising Cleveland and all the injuries they played through then congratulated the Warriors without presenting them the trophy. He came back a few minutes later and gave them the trophy.
The All Star Game
I read that Aoki has passed the great Miami outfielder Stanton in the National League balloting and Kansas City players are leading eight positions for the American League All Star team. Their second basemen hitting about .207 just took the lead. You can't take this game seriously. Don't worry the voting will be fixed before the end so the Royals don't have all of those players starting. If they want to have fans vote then as I have said before come up with electoral college system.
Bud Black Fired
Bud Black has done a great job for the Padres over the years. A new GM comes in trades for all these players other teams do not want or do not want to pay and thinks he can buy a championship. Dave Roberts is the new interim manager and is well liked but I remember when he was with the Giants he made an awful lot of stupid mistakes. I don't think he really understood the game. After Roberts lost his first game as Padres manager he was replace by a good Italian Pat Murphy. Hope he lasts more then one game.
Sacramento
The headline is that Matt Cain struck out seven in 3.2 innings of work. The fact he got belted all over the lot is just part of getting back into pitching form. He still has a couple more starts for the River Cats. Good luck! Peavy pitched seven strong innings last night throwing 95 pitches in a 3-1 loss.
Seattle Series
The Giants certainly are a mystery team. One streak after another both winning and losing. In this short home stand they are losing to teams they should beat if they have any desire to make the playoffs. After losing Monday they finally broke their losing streaks on Tuesday by beating the Mariners. Duffy was the hero at the plate which included another home run off a tough inside pitch just liked he did last week.
Feel Good Report
The good news is that the Giants reported that Blanco was feeling better whatever that means and the bad news is that Pence may be sidelined for weeks after a splint was put on his wrist. The Giants have really missed both of these players especially during their recent losing streak.
The Cardinals
Can you believe that the FBI is investigating the Cardinals for tampering with the Houston Astros internal communication system. What are they worried about? Just payoff the St. Louis FBI office with a few season tickets and the entire incident will be dropped.
The Rangers
Our blog member Russ J from Texas wrote and said he didn't feel Texas could help the Giants playing the Dodgers this week. He was wrong. Texas won the first two games played in Arlington I guess between rain storms. That's what I love about the Dodgers they keep losing so that the Giants even with all of their losing, and other NL West teams can stay in the fight for the Division title. Texas will face the Dodgers two best pitchers tonight and tomorrow in LA.
R.I.P.
Martin Bastiani a high school classmate of mine. Marty served as a detective in SF Police Department for 55 years. May God have mercy on his soul.
The Warriors
It has been forty years since the Warriors won their last NBA title until last night when they beat Cleveland 4 games to 2 in the final series. Yes 40 years is a long time but so is 7 months of regular season and then 2 months of playoff basketball which the Warriors dominated the NBA. They won 81% of their games during the regular season while Atlanta was the only other team to win over 70%. We predicted the Warriors would roll during the playoffs and even though the games were tougher then expected they still managed to win 76% of them.
Steve Kerr was fantastic. He did a great job which took guts. At the start of the season he made Iguodala, a starter all of his NBA life, his sixth man. All Star Lee came back after months of injuries was regulated to a roll player because of the great play of Green. During the season he played different reserves depending on the match up keeping players fresh and happy. Then he benched his starting center Bogut after the first three games of the Championship series for Iguodala which proved to be the winning move of the series. None of these players ever showed they were upset because the only goal in mind was to win the NBA Championship. Perhaps other NBA coaches would have had similar ideas as Kerr all but a very few would have had the guts to make the moves knowing the egos of most NBA players.
The General Manager Bob Myers gets plenty of well deserved credit for putting a very strong team together. It is true that the Warriors had very few injuries during the long drawn out season and when they lost a player the replacement was probably just as good. Don't forget Reilly who proceeded him for drafting Thompson and Curry for which he was criticized. The hiring of Jerry West as a consultant was worth every penny they had to pay him.
Although I don't follow the NBA too closely during the season I did hear on more then one occasion that the Warriors were getting very little respect. The old battle cry, 'Wait to the playoffs'. Well the Oaklander's proved the experts wrong and perhaps changed the way basketball will be played in the future with their win. Did you notice that Larry Sliver the commissioner of the NBA really didn't want to give the Warriors the Larry O'Brien trophy. He started his presentation praising Cleveland and all the injuries they played through then congratulated the Warriors without presenting them the trophy. He came back a few minutes later and gave them the trophy.
The All Star Game
I read that Aoki has passed the great Miami outfielder Stanton in the National League balloting and Kansas City players are leading eight positions for the American League All Star team. Their second basemen hitting about .207 just took the lead. You can't take this game seriously. Don't worry the voting will be fixed before the end so the Royals don't have all of those players starting. If they want to have fans vote then as I have said before come up with electoral college system.
Bud Black Fired
Bud Black has done a great job for the Padres over the years. A new GM comes in trades for all these players other teams do not want or do not want to pay and thinks he can buy a championship. Dave Roberts is the new interim manager and is well liked but I remember when he was with the Giants he made an awful lot of stupid mistakes. I don't think he really understood the game. After Roberts lost his first game as Padres manager he was replace by a good Italian Pat Murphy. Hope he lasts more then one game.
Sacramento
The headline is that Matt Cain struck out seven in 3.2 innings of work. The fact he got belted all over the lot is just part of getting back into pitching form. He still has a couple more starts for the River Cats. Good luck! Peavy pitched seven strong innings last night throwing 95 pitches in a 3-1 loss.
Seattle Series
The Giants certainly are a mystery team. One streak after another both winning and losing. In this short home stand they are losing to teams they should beat if they have any desire to make the playoffs. After losing Monday they finally broke their losing streaks on Tuesday by beating the Mariners. Duffy was the hero at the plate which included another home run off a tough inside pitch just liked he did last week.
Feel Good Report
The good news is that the Giants reported that Blanco was feeling better whatever that means and the bad news is that Pence may be sidelined for weeks after a splint was put on his wrist. The Giants have really missed both of these players especially during their recent losing streak.
The Cardinals
Can you believe that the FBI is investigating the Cardinals for tampering with the Houston Astros internal communication system. What are they worried about? Just payoff the St. Louis FBI office with a few season tickets and the entire incident will be dropped.
The Rangers
Our blog member Russ J from Texas wrote and said he didn't feel Texas could help the Giants playing the Dodgers this week. He was wrong. Texas won the first two games played in Arlington I guess between rain storms. That's what I love about the Dodgers they keep losing so that the Giants even with all of their losing, and other NL West teams can stay in the fight for the Division title. Texas will face the Dodgers two best pitchers tonight and tomorrow in LA.
R.I.P.
Martin Bastiani a high school classmate of mine. Marty served as a detective in SF Police Department for 55 years. May God have mercy on his soul.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
NBA Finals Game 5
Warriors Win
I told you so by predicting the Warriors would win Game 5. I am really lying. I thought they would win rather easily and play in the 1st quarter like they did in the fourth. Cleveland deserves a lot of credit for their effort.
Coach Kerr said a few games ago that he wants every team to be a full strength. I know if the Warriors wrap it up Tuesday many will say Cleveland didn't have their entire team.
This is really a very interesting series and a chess match each game. What will Cleveland try in Game 6? Do they have any more options?
Remember a few years ago when the Warriors traded for injury prone Bogut in order to get a good big center because you can't win the championship without one. This series is sure questioning that theory.
Go Warriors win Game 6. My heart can't stand a Game 7!
I told you so by predicting the Warriors would win Game 5. I am really lying. I thought they would win rather easily and play in the 1st quarter like they did in the fourth. Cleveland deserves a lot of credit for their effort.
Coach Kerr said a few games ago that he wants every team to be a full strength. I know if the Warriors wrap it up Tuesday many will say Cleveland didn't have their entire team.
This is really a very interesting series and a chess match each game. What will Cleveland try in Game 6? Do they have any more options?
Remember a few years ago when the Warriors traded for injury prone Bogut in order to get a good big center because you can't win the championship without one. This series is sure questioning that theory.
Go Warriors win Game 6. My heart can't stand a Game 7!
Heading South?
Was it a Self Fulfilling Prophecy?
Friday's Game
During their four days in New York Bochy and the Giants let everyone know that they were not happy about playing a night game on get away day. The intended prediction was that the Giants will be tired after flying all night and will not be able to play very good baseball the next day. That prophecy was fulfilled as the Giants managed only two hits in losing to the D'Backs 1-0. The Giants have not won at AT&T since May 29th indicating that they may enjoy playing on fields that it is easier to hit instead of their unfair home ballpark. Anytime Bumgarner allows only one run and loses it is a disaster for the Giants who are going to need a win from him almost every time out.
The game was marred by some terrible ball and strike umpiring. If you watched Panik in the 9th inning at the plate you know what I mean. Two pitches ankle high at best were called strikes. Then he was forced to swing at a bad pitch and ground out. Bochy said after the game that the umpire never gave Panik a chance. No kidding! It broke his 14 game hitting streak.
The Panik situation was very noticeable because it was the ninth inning and he represented the tying run. These calls are not always that apparent but happen continually during a game. In many cases if the 2nd strike is off the plate or high or low bad call the batter is stuck. He can't take a chance taking a pitch so he has to swing at almost anything and in nearly all cases the pitchers knows it. It is my contention that these bad calls, which cannot be reviewed, change the course of the game more then overturning a call at first base. For this reason I believe Instant Replay is an waste of time, money and energy but I also understand when an umpire call is overturned even though in some cases it could take up to five minutes to decide, people feel good about getting the call right.
Saturday's Game
It felt like it was over in the first inning. Vogelsong walked four led to a 3 run first inning for the D'Backs who eventually won the game 4-2. The Giants finally got a hit in the 6th inning with Panic smashing a double down the right field line. Last night it took them seven innings to get their first hit in a game they managed only two. Tonight they got four which was a big improvement. It's becoming more obvious that they can't hit or win at AT&T. Batting averages are starting to level off and how long can Bochy continue to bat Pagan third? Parker looked like a good AAA player in his debut and the new pitcher Broadway got the D'Backs out without any damage in the inning he pitched.
Sunday's Final Game
The D'Backs Sweep! Those dam Mets! Somebody has to take the blame. They scheduled a night game on get away day forcing the Giants to fly overnight to San Francisco. Little did we realize that the flight hangover would last three days.
Bochy managerial philosophy was again very evident in this game. Heston was trailing 3-0 and the D/Backs had loaded the bases with one out. Many managers would have pulled their pitcher. Not Bochy. It was the fifth inning and Heston still could get a win so he left him in and it was the right decision as he retired the next two batters without Arizona scoring. The strategy almost paid off in the Giants half of the fifth with two on Duffy pinch hitting hit a long fly to deep left center that was caught. K & K the Giants TV broadcasters said without the wind that might have gone out to tie the game. But this is San Francisco and AT&T Park.
I had just awakened from a nap and turned on the game in the 1st inning only to see McGehee hit into a double play with the bases loaded. I believe the team hit into five during the game.
The Family
We had to take my wife Barbara to the Hoag Irvine Emergency Hospital around 9:15 Saturday night. My daughter Jane joined us a little later. Barbara had an Arial Flutter. Her heart was pounding for about two days and after talking to our other daughter Katie, we finally decided not to be stupid any longer so went to emergency. They took Barbara right away and the staff did a great job getting the heart back into rhythm. We got home about 2:30 am. So Monday is off to our cardiologist. She has relaxed today and is doing very well.
To compound things Barbara has had a tough time with her COPD recently so we didn't know if this was playing a part with the heart. She has tried to avoid steroids but recently every time she goes off her breathing acts up. Last Wednesday Barbara finally decided that she had to stay on steroids so now we are attempting to discover the right level of dosage.
Comments
Broadway the new Giant pitcher brought up from Sacramento has pitched in the minors for 10 years. I am not sure if this is his first opportunity in the big leagues. If it is congratulations to the Giants for their decision to give him a chance at the major league level.
Aoki went 0 for the D'Backs after raising his batting average to .338 on the trip east.
The Giants have now lost 8 straight games at home. They are not heading south to overtake the Dodgers but southeast to be taken over by Arizona. The Giants trail the Dodgers by 3 1/2 games but are only 3 games in front of Arizona.
The Giants only scored 2 runs in losing 3 straight to a team that came to SF with a 4 game losing streak.
Friday's Game
During their four days in New York Bochy and the Giants let everyone know that they were not happy about playing a night game on get away day. The intended prediction was that the Giants will be tired after flying all night and will not be able to play very good baseball the next day. That prophecy was fulfilled as the Giants managed only two hits in losing to the D'Backs 1-0. The Giants have not won at AT&T since May 29th indicating that they may enjoy playing on fields that it is easier to hit instead of their unfair home ballpark. Anytime Bumgarner allows only one run and loses it is a disaster for the Giants who are going to need a win from him almost every time out.
The game was marred by some terrible ball and strike umpiring. If you watched Panik in the 9th inning at the plate you know what I mean. Two pitches ankle high at best were called strikes. Then he was forced to swing at a bad pitch and ground out. Bochy said after the game that the umpire never gave Panik a chance. No kidding! It broke his 14 game hitting streak.
The Panik situation was very noticeable because it was the ninth inning and he represented the tying run. These calls are not always that apparent but happen continually during a game. In many cases if the 2nd strike is off the plate or high or low bad call the batter is stuck. He can't take a chance taking a pitch so he has to swing at almost anything and in nearly all cases the pitchers knows it. It is my contention that these bad calls, which cannot be reviewed, change the course of the game more then overturning a call at first base. For this reason I believe Instant Replay is an waste of time, money and energy but I also understand when an umpire call is overturned even though in some cases it could take up to five minutes to decide, people feel good about getting the call right.
Saturday's Game
It felt like it was over in the first inning. Vogelsong walked four led to a 3 run first inning for the D'Backs who eventually won the game 4-2. The Giants finally got a hit in the 6th inning with Panic smashing a double down the right field line. Last night it took them seven innings to get their first hit in a game they managed only two. Tonight they got four which was a big improvement. It's becoming more obvious that they can't hit or win at AT&T. Batting averages are starting to level off and how long can Bochy continue to bat Pagan third? Parker looked like a good AAA player in his debut and the new pitcher Broadway got the D'Backs out without any damage in the inning he pitched.
Sunday's Final Game
The D'Backs Sweep! Those dam Mets! Somebody has to take the blame. They scheduled a night game on get away day forcing the Giants to fly overnight to San Francisco. Little did we realize that the flight hangover would last three days.
Bochy managerial philosophy was again very evident in this game. Heston was trailing 3-0 and the D/Backs had loaded the bases with one out. Many managers would have pulled their pitcher. Not Bochy. It was the fifth inning and Heston still could get a win so he left him in and it was the right decision as he retired the next two batters without Arizona scoring. The strategy almost paid off in the Giants half of the fifth with two on Duffy pinch hitting hit a long fly to deep left center that was caught. K & K the Giants TV broadcasters said without the wind that might have gone out to tie the game. But this is San Francisco and AT&T Park.
I had just awakened from a nap and turned on the game in the 1st inning only to see McGehee hit into a double play with the bases loaded. I believe the team hit into five during the game.
The Family
We had to take my wife Barbara to the Hoag Irvine Emergency Hospital around 9:15 Saturday night. My daughter Jane joined us a little later. Barbara had an Arial Flutter. Her heart was pounding for about two days and after talking to our other daughter Katie, we finally decided not to be stupid any longer so went to emergency. They took Barbara right away and the staff did a great job getting the heart back into rhythm. We got home about 2:30 am. So Monday is off to our cardiologist. She has relaxed today and is doing very well.
To compound things Barbara has had a tough time with her COPD recently so we didn't know if this was playing a part with the heart. She has tried to avoid steroids but recently every time she goes off her breathing acts up. Last Wednesday Barbara finally decided that she had to stay on steroids so now we are attempting to discover the right level of dosage.
Comments
Broadway the new Giant pitcher brought up from Sacramento has pitched in the minors for 10 years. I am not sure if this is his first opportunity in the big leagues. If it is congratulations to the Giants for their decision to give him a chance at the major league level.
Aoki went 0 for the D'Backs after raising his batting average to .338 on the trip east.
The Giants have now lost 8 straight games at home. They are not heading south to overtake the Dodgers but southeast to be taken over by Arizona. The Giants trail the Dodgers by 3 1/2 games but are only 3 games in front of Arizona.
The Giants only scored 2 runs in losing 3 straight to a team that came to SF with a 4 game losing streak.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Disasterous Road Trip
The Phillies
The Giants are currently in the middle of a six game road trip to both Philadelphia and New York.
Even though the Giants took 2 of 3 from the horrible Phillies it was very disappointing. Also upsetting was the fact that they recalled McGehee. Thought we got rid of that problem.
If you watched the games from Philadelphia on television you must have observed that the stadium was half full. It wasn't too many years ago that the Phillies sold out every home game for years. Oh how things can change. Philadelphia fans take their sports very seriously and show their anger by not attending the games.
The Mets
The 'experts' will say it was winning road trip. In my opinion it was a disastrous trip by losing the last game of the series to the Mets. You can blame the last game loss on the manager. He might be headed to the Hall of Fame but I could not believe the decisions he made Thursday night. It starts with the lineup. Why was Maxwell hitting fifth instead of Duffy or Crawford? In the first inning it killed them. They had one run in with the bases loaded and none out and Maxwell hits into a double play killing any chance of a big inning. Then in the eight inning with a runner on first and the game tied with one out and Posey up. The pitcher doesn't throw any pitch near the plate to Posey and ads insult to injury by hitting him with a pitch that would have been ball four Then Maxwell is an easy out. I hope the Giants remember Posey getting hit when the Mets come to SF and give it back to them.
The pitching decisions were horrible. He kept Lincecum in the game longer then he should have been hoping to get him a win. That's Bochy's way of keeping everybody happy and it works over a season but it does cost them games. Then with the Giants leading in the top of seventh inning he pinch hits for Petit who only needed fourteen pitches to finish the fifth inning and retire the side in order in the sixth . I thought Bochy should have given Petit a chance to go the distance or until he needed help. The relief staff was used unnecessarily from the 7th inning on and blew the game. Anyone wonder why the Giants relief staff is over worked.
Bochy's righty lefty BS back fired in the ninth inning by walking the Mets left handed batter with the winning run in scoring position to get to the best hitter on the team. One pitch and game is over. You won't hear this on the post game show and I assume that is the reason you read this blog.
Pagan went 0 for the series batting third. He is now hitting .279 a big drop from around .350 a couple of weeks ago. Panic although he got an infield hit to keep his hitting streak alive swung at a number of bad pitches tonight. Posey hit weakly back to the pitcher on a 3 and 0 count. That's not the first time he has done that this season. Give him the take sign on 3 and 0.
Another Feel Good Story
A few days ago the story was Pence will be okay in a couple of days. Sure. He is now headed for the DL again. Blanco got hit by a thrown ball in batting practice and is on the 7 day concussion DL. Remember last year the same thing happen to Belt and he was out close to seven weeks. There will not be any feel good predictions for Blanco.
A No Hitter for Heston
Heston pitched a great game in the Giants 5-0 win over the Mets showing that you don't have to throw 100 miles an hour to win. Just put the ball in different locations with different speeds like Heston did and the results speak for themselves. Almost every out was either a K or a weak grounder.
Now the question is what do they do with Heston when Peavy and Cain come back. The thought was that Heston would be sent down with an option because he has had some bad games. Maybe they can't do that now. One would think his competition of Lincecum, Hudson and Vogelsong pitched shut outs every time out. They don't and last nights game was a prime example. Peavy got belted in Sacramento in a recent comeback outing. The excuse being well, we don't know what type of pitches he was working on. BS! He got belted.
Home Run Contest
Both Panic and Duffy hit home runs Tuesday night. Maybe the idea of a contest between them isn't that bad. I was most impressed with Duffy's homer because he hit an inside fast ball with his arms close to his body. Tough to do. Duffy impresses me more each day with his play at third base and at the bat. Panic is now challenging to be an All Star. When it comes to infielders and catchers the Giants do a great job drafting. When it comes to outfielders they are terrible. They have drafted almost a hundred pitchers in recent years and you would think 5% would have made it to the majors.
Parker Recalled
Jarrett Parker was recalled from Sacramento to replace Blanco. I wrote in early spring training that I thought Parker had a chance to make the squad. He started hot and then quickly tailed off. I have always been impressed with his swing but I guess the problem is he doesn't make contact that often. He was batting .268 for the River Cats. I hope he gets a few at bats to see what he can do at the major league level. He will use the Giants hair stylist since he is a rookie and can't afford to bring his own on the road.
Skunks and the Building of Chavez Ravine
We recently mentioned that skunks had visited the Cardinals dugout at Dodger stadium last Friday night. Regular blog reader Pat O sent us the following history report.
If you watch the pictures of Dodger Stadium being constructed in the early 60's, you see that the hill behind the field was shaped so that stands could be easily constructed. That meant that many skunks and critters who were there first were ousted. They got some revenge last Friday.
Pat O taught in Los Angeles at Cathedral High on Bishop Road 1955-60. The school property had previously been a Catholic cemetery; that's why their nicknames were Phantoms, Spooks and Ghosts. Loyola High School fans had a nasty response to those names. Pat O coached the Cathedral varsity baseball team in 1957, not very successfully, but the diamond was fine, quiet and a little remote.
The Dodgers swung a sweet deal to get the land that had been set aside for housing for the poor, especially for those who had settled there 50 or so years before. Sadly, they were forced out of their properties. Politicians over the years had promised the housing but somehow the money set aside had disappeared. It's only right the smelly deal was confirmed by the skunks (not the creature but the politicians who screwed the poor original inhabitants.)
Trumbo Traded to Seattle
Our busy contributor from Texas sent us these comments from a happy D'Back fan. "The feeling of myself and many others is that to get anything for Trumbo was a gift. He was a disaster on defense and his offense was average at best. He was terrible in clutch situations leaving 9 runners on base in one game last week." Trumbo and Trout were both big home run hitters when they started their major league careers with the Angels. I always got them mixed up because their last names both started with a 'T'. When Trumbo was traded to the D'Backs a little over year ago I was thinking how nice it would have been for the Giants to have him as a power hitting left fielder. Could I have possibly been wrong? Trout on the other hand is considered by many one of the best players in the American League.
Did the Giants Draft a Girl in the First Round?
I am sure many of you have seen the AT&T ad about the first female major league baseball player. It's been shown hundreds of times. A quick look at the Giants first draft pick made me think that he looks more like a girl then the girl in the advertisement. I hope we don't start hearing reports from the instructional league that just because he wants to look like a girl doesn't mean he throws like a one.
It can't be ignored that it is a popular trend with the enormous reception Bruce Jenner got for changing his appearance and name to Caitlyn Jenner. S/He will be honored by ESPN at the ESPY Awards. We believe at that time s/he will give his/her gold medal won in 1976 at the Montreal Olympics to Guido Kratschmer of then West Germany who came in second. Olympics have rules about being the same sex in competition.
College Basketball Changes
College basketball in an effort to increase scoring used a number of members from Mensa to make recommendations. The major changes were to use a faster shot clock and to have fewer time outs and provide more freedom of players to move whatever that means. The draft copy had just been completed and the group was having lunch. They asked the waitress if she was a college basketball fan and she said yes that she was great fan of the Stanford Indians. A quick reply was, "Don't you mean Cardinal?" Yes, she replied my uncle was a great fan of George Yardley and that's why I always remember Indians. They then asked her would she be in favor of a faster clock. She replied oh yes, then I would only have to work 4 1/2 hours instead of 5. They laughed and then they told her that they were trying to get higher scores for college basketball. She answered then why don't you just make the two point shot worth three and the three point shot worth four. Silence!
Congratulations
Denis Ragan and 'Skip' McDonald were honored recently for being St. Ignatius College Prep alumni of the year. In fact this web site would probably not exist if it wasn't for the promotion job done by Denis. Many of the blog readers are members of the class and know first hand what a marvelous job both Denis and Skip do for our class and the school. It was an honor well deserved.
The Giants are currently in the middle of a six game road trip to both Philadelphia and New York.
Even though the Giants took 2 of 3 from the horrible Phillies it was very disappointing. Also upsetting was the fact that they recalled McGehee. Thought we got rid of that problem.
If you watched the games from Philadelphia on television you must have observed that the stadium was half full. It wasn't too many years ago that the Phillies sold out every home game for years. Oh how things can change. Philadelphia fans take their sports very seriously and show their anger by not attending the games.
The Mets
The 'experts' will say it was winning road trip. In my opinion it was a disastrous trip by losing the last game of the series to the Mets. You can blame the last game loss on the manager. He might be headed to the Hall of Fame but I could not believe the decisions he made Thursday night. It starts with the lineup. Why was Maxwell hitting fifth instead of Duffy or Crawford? In the first inning it killed them. They had one run in with the bases loaded and none out and Maxwell hits into a double play killing any chance of a big inning. Then in the eight inning with a runner on first and the game tied with one out and Posey up. The pitcher doesn't throw any pitch near the plate to Posey and ads insult to injury by hitting him with a pitch that would have been ball four Then Maxwell is an easy out. I hope the Giants remember Posey getting hit when the Mets come to SF and give it back to them.
The pitching decisions were horrible. He kept Lincecum in the game longer then he should have been hoping to get him a win. That's Bochy's way of keeping everybody happy and it works over a season but it does cost them games. Then with the Giants leading in the top of seventh inning he pinch hits for Petit who only needed fourteen pitches to finish the fifth inning and retire the side in order in the sixth . I thought Bochy should have given Petit a chance to go the distance or until he needed help. The relief staff was used unnecessarily from the 7th inning on and blew the game. Anyone wonder why the Giants relief staff is over worked.
Bochy's righty lefty BS back fired in the ninth inning by walking the Mets left handed batter with the winning run in scoring position to get to the best hitter on the team. One pitch and game is over. You won't hear this on the post game show and I assume that is the reason you read this blog.
Pagan went 0 for the series batting third. He is now hitting .279 a big drop from around .350 a couple of weeks ago. Panic although he got an infield hit to keep his hitting streak alive swung at a number of bad pitches tonight. Posey hit weakly back to the pitcher on a 3 and 0 count. That's not the first time he has done that this season. Give him the take sign on 3 and 0.
Another Feel Good Story
A few days ago the story was Pence will be okay in a couple of days. Sure. He is now headed for the DL again. Blanco got hit by a thrown ball in batting practice and is on the 7 day concussion DL. Remember last year the same thing happen to Belt and he was out close to seven weeks. There will not be any feel good predictions for Blanco.
A No Hitter for Heston
Heston pitched a great game in the Giants 5-0 win over the Mets showing that you don't have to throw 100 miles an hour to win. Just put the ball in different locations with different speeds like Heston did and the results speak for themselves. Almost every out was either a K or a weak grounder.
Now the question is what do they do with Heston when Peavy and Cain come back. The thought was that Heston would be sent down with an option because he has had some bad games. Maybe they can't do that now. One would think his competition of Lincecum, Hudson and Vogelsong pitched shut outs every time out. They don't and last nights game was a prime example. Peavy got belted in Sacramento in a recent comeback outing. The excuse being well, we don't know what type of pitches he was working on. BS! He got belted.
Home Run Contest
Both Panic and Duffy hit home runs Tuesday night. Maybe the idea of a contest between them isn't that bad. I was most impressed with Duffy's homer because he hit an inside fast ball with his arms close to his body. Tough to do. Duffy impresses me more each day with his play at third base and at the bat. Panic is now challenging to be an All Star. When it comes to infielders and catchers the Giants do a great job drafting. When it comes to outfielders they are terrible. They have drafted almost a hundred pitchers in recent years and you would think 5% would have made it to the majors.
Parker Recalled
Jarrett Parker was recalled from Sacramento to replace Blanco. I wrote in early spring training that I thought Parker had a chance to make the squad. He started hot and then quickly tailed off. I have always been impressed with his swing but I guess the problem is he doesn't make contact that often. He was batting .268 for the River Cats. I hope he gets a few at bats to see what he can do at the major league level. He will use the Giants hair stylist since he is a rookie and can't afford to bring his own on the road.
Skunks and the Building of Chavez Ravine
We recently mentioned that skunks had visited the Cardinals dugout at Dodger stadium last Friday night. Regular blog reader Pat O sent us the following history report.
If you watch the pictures of Dodger Stadium being constructed in the early 60's, you see that the hill behind the field was shaped so that stands could be easily constructed. That meant that many skunks and critters who were there first were ousted. They got some revenge last Friday.
Pat O taught in Los Angeles at Cathedral High on Bishop Road 1955-60. The school property had previously been a Catholic cemetery; that's why their nicknames were Phantoms, Spooks and Ghosts. Loyola High School fans had a nasty response to those names. Pat O coached the Cathedral varsity baseball team in 1957, not very successfully, but the diamond was fine, quiet and a little remote.
The Dodgers swung a sweet deal to get the land that had been set aside for housing for the poor, especially for those who had settled there 50 or so years before. Sadly, they were forced out of their properties. Politicians over the years had promised the housing but somehow the money set aside had disappeared. It's only right the smelly deal was confirmed by the skunks (not the creature but the politicians who screwed the poor original inhabitants.)
Trumbo Traded to Seattle
Our busy contributor from Texas sent us these comments from a happy D'Back fan. "The feeling of myself and many others is that to get anything for Trumbo was a gift. He was a disaster on defense and his offense was average at best. He was terrible in clutch situations leaving 9 runners on base in one game last week." Trumbo and Trout were both big home run hitters when they started their major league careers with the Angels. I always got them mixed up because their last names both started with a 'T'. When Trumbo was traded to the D'Backs a little over year ago I was thinking how nice it would have been for the Giants to have him as a power hitting left fielder. Could I have possibly been wrong? Trout on the other hand is considered by many one of the best players in the American League.
Did the Giants Draft a Girl in the First Round?
I am sure many of you have seen the AT&T ad about the first female major league baseball player. It's been shown hundreds of times. A quick look at the Giants first draft pick made me think that he looks more like a girl then the girl in the advertisement. I hope we don't start hearing reports from the instructional league that just because he wants to look like a girl doesn't mean he throws like a one.
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| Caitlyn Jenner |
College Basketball Changes
College basketball in an effort to increase scoring used a number of members from Mensa to make recommendations. The major changes were to use a faster shot clock and to have fewer time outs and provide more freedom of players to move whatever that means. The draft copy had just been completed and the group was having lunch. They asked the waitress if she was a college basketball fan and she said yes that she was great fan of the Stanford Indians. A quick reply was, "Don't you mean Cardinal?" Yes, she replied my uncle was a great fan of George Yardley and that's why I always remember Indians. They then asked her would she be in favor of a faster clock. She replied oh yes, then I would only have to work 4 1/2 hours instead of 5. They laughed and then they told her that they were trying to get higher scores for college basketball. She answered then why don't you just make the two point shot worth three and the three point shot worth four. Silence!
Congratulations
Denis Ragan and 'Skip' McDonald were honored recently for being St. Ignatius College Prep alumni of the year. In fact this web site would probably not exist if it wasn't for the promotion job done by Denis. Many of the blog readers are members of the class and know first hand what a marvelous job both Denis and Skip do for our class and the school. It was an honor well deserved.
NBA Finals Game 4
Series Tied 2 - 2
The Warriors proved to themselves and their fans and the basketball world that they can still play by taking care of Cleveland in game 4. Most of the press is about starting Iquodala in place of Bogus to help speed up the game. The strategy worked and was the idea of the Warriors video coordinator who Kerr brought with him from Phoenix.
Recently I wrote that Kerr was honest with the press. Yesterday he admitted he lied by telling the press that there would not be any lineup changes before the start of last nights game. One of the big strengths of the Warriors this season has been their ability to match their personnel with their opponents. It has provided an opportunity for almost every player to keep sharp and contribute.
The series continues Sunday and now is the best 2 out of 3. Each game in these playoffs has been a different adventure so one cannot assume that the next game will be like game 4. We wrote the last time that if the Warriors won game 4 they would win the series in 6 games. I wanted to change this prediction to 7 games when I learned of Green's back problems. He wasn't bothered last night and played close to his old self and if that continues it should be the Warriors in 6.
Forty Years Ago
Game 4 - Landover, Maryland
Warriors 96 - Bullets 95
Warriors Win Series 4 games to 0
The Warriors proved to themselves and their fans and the basketball world that they can still play by taking care of Cleveland in game 4. Most of the press is about starting Iquodala in place of Bogus to help speed up the game. The strategy worked and was the idea of the Warriors video coordinator who Kerr brought with him from Phoenix.
Recently I wrote that Kerr was honest with the press. Yesterday he admitted he lied by telling the press that there would not be any lineup changes before the start of last nights game. One of the big strengths of the Warriors this season has been their ability to match their personnel with their opponents. It has provided an opportunity for almost every player to keep sharp and contribute.
The series continues Sunday and now is the best 2 out of 3. Each game in these playoffs has been a different adventure so one cannot assume that the next game will be like game 4. We wrote the last time that if the Warriors won game 4 they would win the series in 6 games. I wanted to change this prediction to 7 games when I learned of Green's back problems. He wasn't bothered last night and played close to his old self and if that continues it should be the Warriors in 6.
Forty Years Ago
Game 4 - Landover, Maryland
Warriors 96 - Bullets 95
Warriors Win Series 4 games to 0
Tuesday, June 9, 2015
NBA Finals Game 3
Warriors Lose!
Too little too late
Look at it this way if the Warriors win Thursday the series is tied.
The Warriors were down 2-1 to Memphis and won the series 4-2. Problem is Cleveland is not Memphis.
Can the Warriors pick up Thursday where they left off in the 4th quarter or did Cleveland just let up with a 20 point lead?
There is no question that many of the Warrior players have been horrible in this series. Cleveland has out played them out hustled them and out coached them. Can it be turned around? If the Warriors don't win Thursday it will be over in 5. If the Warriors win Thursday they will win the championship in 6 games.
Forty Year Ago
Game 3 at the Cow Palace
Warriors 109 Bullets 101
Warriors lead series 3 game to 0.
Too little too late
Look at it this way if the Warriors win Thursday the series is tied.
The Warriors were down 2-1 to Memphis and won the series 4-2. Problem is Cleveland is not Memphis.
Can the Warriors pick up Thursday where they left off in the 4th quarter or did Cleveland just let up with a 20 point lead?
There is no question that many of the Warrior players have been horrible in this series. Cleveland has out played them out hustled them and out coached them. Can it be turned around? If the Warriors don't win Thursday it will be over in 5. If the Warriors win Thursday they will win the championship in 6 games.
Forty Year Ago
Game 3 at the Cow Palace
Warriors 109 Bullets 101
Warriors lead series 3 game to 0.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
NBA Finals Game 2
Warriors Lose
It was Sunday night and we were having our usual Sunday Manhattan and I thought the Warriors would roll over Cleveland. Wow, was I wrong. The cocktail hour was quickly ruined.
On Friday night at Dodger Stadium a couple of skunks were found in the Cardinal dugout. Animal Control was called and could not get rid of them. Somehow they landed right in Oakland on the Warriors bench. I don't understand how the Warriors got to overtime to make it exciting but they didn't shoot, didn't pass and didn't rebound. They stunk!
They could easily be behind by two games in this series. From what I have observed on television The Warriors will be very fortunate if they can win one game in Cleveland.
Forty Years Ago
Game 2 NBA Finals at the Cow Palace
Warriors 92 - Bullets 91
Warriors lead series 2 games to 0.
It was the day of Game 2 of the finals in 1975 when I was invited to be a lunch guest at the Mensa convention being held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Mensa, as you might know, is a national organization for people who have an IQ of 140 or higher. I don't know if any of our blog readers are members but I know some are eligible.
When we sat down, one of the members discovered that their salt shaker contained pepper, and their pepper shaker was full of salt. How could they swap the contents of the two bottles without spilling any, and using only the implements at hand? Clearly - this was a job for Mensa minds. I remember being fascinated with their ideas and finally they came up with a brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw, and an empty saucer.
They called the waitress over, ready to dazzle her with their solution.
"Ma'am," they said, "we couldn't help but notice that the pepper shaker contains salt and the salt shaker pepper". But before they could finish . . . the waitress interrupted.
"Oh --- sorry about that." She leaned over the table, unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them. There was dead silence at the Mensa table.
It was Sunday night and we were having our usual Sunday Manhattan and I thought the Warriors would roll over Cleveland. Wow, was I wrong. The cocktail hour was quickly ruined.
On Friday night at Dodger Stadium a couple of skunks were found in the Cardinal dugout. Animal Control was called and could not get rid of them. Somehow they landed right in Oakland on the Warriors bench. I don't understand how the Warriors got to overtime to make it exciting but they didn't shoot, didn't pass and didn't rebound. They stunk!
They could easily be behind by two games in this series. From what I have observed on television The Warriors will be very fortunate if they can win one game in Cleveland.
Forty Years Ago
Game 2 NBA Finals at the Cow Palace
Warriors 92 - Bullets 91
Warriors lead series 2 games to 0.
It was the day of Game 2 of the finals in 1975 when I was invited to be a lunch guest at the Mensa convention being held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Mensa, as you might know, is a national organization for people who have an IQ of 140 or higher. I don't know if any of our blog readers are members but I know some are eligible.
When we sat down, one of the members discovered that their salt shaker contained pepper, and their pepper shaker was full of salt. How could they swap the contents of the two bottles without spilling any, and using only the implements at hand? Clearly - this was a job for Mensa minds. I remember being fascinated with their ideas and finally they came up with a brilliant solution involving a napkin, a straw, and an empty saucer.
They called the waitress over, ready to dazzle her with their solution.
"Ma'am," they said, "we couldn't help but notice that the pepper shaker contains salt and the salt shaker pepper". But before they could finish . . . the waitress interrupted.
"Oh --- sorry about that." She leaned over the table, unscrewed the caps of both bottles and switched them. There was dead silence at the Mensa table.
Friday, June 5, 2015
NBA Finals Game 1
I have been told by blog patriot John S from Wisconsin that there is only game in town...The Warriors
I sat and viewed last nights Warrior game just like I very calmly watched Bumgarner mow down the Royals in the 7th game of the World Series. That's not quite the truth. I was yelling and screaming at the television and wondering how the GS Warriors were ever going to stop a guy named James who always seem to score when the Warriors got close.
I still don't understand how the Warriors won the game. They trailed the entire game and somehow managed to get a tie in regulation. I think Cleveland also wondered and is most likely one of the reasons they were so flat during the overtime. They gave it all they had and failed!
My theory of playoff series is simple. If a team is an underdog then they have to win all the close games to have a chance. Cleveland lost last night therefore they don't have a chance. One problem with this logic . . . Is Cleveland the underdog?
I would expect the Warriors to roll Sunday night to a game 2 victory.
Game 1
Warriors 101 -
Bullets 95
Thursday, June 4, 2015
First Place for a Day
Comments
As reported in the SF Chronicle when we last wrote on the Giants that Bochy was thinking of changing his lineup and moving Pence and Pagan into #2 and #3 slots and dropping Panik to #7 in the batting order. It seems that Bruce changed his mind and said the story was overblown. Perhaps he read our blog that asked the simple question why. Panik is a classic #2 hitter. If he continues to impress he might end up being the #3 hitter in the lineup. If he played in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Denver, Arlington, Houston etc he would most likely hit close to 20 home runs during the season. Currently he is on pace to hit 12 this year playing half his games in unfair AT&T Park.
In the Tuesday game against Pittsburgh the Giants had Duffy on second with two outs in the second inning with Panik at the plate. Krukow the television analyst for CSBA could not believe they pitched around Panik walking him with Pence on deck. All I can say is Wake up Krukow! Pence grounded out. Pence did have three hits in the game but failed to get an rbi. Panik grounded out with the bases loaded in the eight inning with a chance to give the Giants a lead.
The first goal for the Giants this year was to stay in contention the first eight weeks. Only two teams in the National League have more wins then the Giants and in fact the Giants moved into first place for one day in their division after beating the Braves in the first two games of the current home stand. Will that be the last time they are in first place this season? Starting pitching still has to be the major concern with many of the starters failing to go six innings. This results in putting the pressure on the relievers which causes them to give up hits. Hitting has been the teams strong point to the surprise of many. When the Giants started this home stand the averages of their eight starters were .322, .297, .298, .303, .299, .291, .310, and .301. The real question is can they keep it up as averages tend to level off during the season.
The television media is mentioning a home run hitting contest between Duffy and Panik. Hope it is not true. Trying to hit homeruns would ruin both of their swings. It might have already taken a toll on Duffy who since taking over the every day job at third base has seen his average drop about 23 points.
Most Surprising Stat: Crawford with 182 at bats has 36 runs batted in while Pagan with 198 at bats many in #3 slot in the order has only 11.
Remember at the start of the season the battle for back up catcher between Sanchez and Sucac was very competitive. Sanchez won the job and then was sent down to Sacramento. Both players have been a big disappointment this year at the plate.
I keep hearing how great things will be when Peavy and Cain return. Everyday we learn of their progress. Both of them have done this before only to eventually receive setbacks. If they do return how effective can they be?
The Giants proved last year that the best team does not always win the World Championships. Its whose hot in the playoffs. The Giants have a better chance then most teams to make the playoffs. The Dodgers are the only team that could run away in the west but they continually find ways to lose to keep the race interesting. There are still four long months to go and it looks like there could be a number of surprises in all the major league races. The Texas Rangers who were predicted by many to clean up the basement in the Al West continue to move up the ladder.
Russ J our regular blog contributor from Texas reports that Josh Hamilton pinch hit a walk-off double to beat Boston in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. The crowd went wild and Josh's welcome 'home' is secure for awhile. The Panda had two errors. He is doing almost as well in Boston as Josh did in Anaheim in the past few years. Maybe some of those guys will figure out that going 'for the money' is not a guarantee for success. Sandoval is currently hitting .244.
Wouldn't it be ironic if Sandoval followed in Hamilton shoes and eventually returned to the Giants.
Stupid Plays
Palanco the Pirates right fielder stole second base with two out. Then the Giants pitcher threw a few pitches in the dirt walking McCutchen taking the bat out of the hand of the player who was killing the Giants with one hit after another. Willie Mays understood that stealing a base with McCovey at the plate was often detrimental to McCovey because the opposing first basemen could play off the base closing the gap between first and second base making it more difficult for McCovey to get a hit. Stealing a base is an important strategy in baseball but base stealing for the sake of stealing a base does not impress me.
Aoki made two stupid plays on the base paths in the game Wednesday. Pagan hit a line drive which doubled off Aoki. If he knew were the shortstop was playing he would have hustled back into second to prevent the twin killing. Earlier in the game with two on and two out he was caught stealing third base. There was no reason to steal. The replay actually shows he might have been safe but it was either to close to change or the umpires thought he should be called out because it was stupid.
The June Swoon
As I remember the Giants 'June Swoon' goes back to the days of Mays, Cepeda, McCovey et al. It is not new. Last year it started in the middle of June and lasted through most of July. During that time the future world champions were the worst team in the majors. It possibly started this year on May 30 when the Giants lost to the Braves. Going into the Philadelphia series the Giants have lost five straight. Playing the Phillies could prove to be a big break for the Giants since they will be facing a team with a poor record in a hitter's park. It's a real opportunity to break lose.
The White House
On Thursday the Giants will be the guests at the White House of the President for the third time in five years. I suggest next year if the Giants win again that they invite the President to AT&T Park to honor the champions. Larry Bear could proudly show the President AT&T Park which I am sure he has heard about and perhaps is anxious to see. He usually makes at least two trips a month to California so it seems like a natural.
The Games are Shorter
Major league efforts to shorten the time of the games is working. I have noticed many Giant games being played in the range of 2 hour 30 minute mark which is a big improvement. The Angels announced that 35 of their 51 games have been played in less then 3 hours. When I was younger back in the middle of the last century many baseball games were played in less then 2 hours.
Attendance
Although there always seems to be vacant seats at AT&T the Giants consecutive sell outs continue. I have lost count. Attendance is down in Anaheim. In 2005 the Angels were averaging over 42,000 per game and now this year it is a little over 34,000 a game. I remember when the Angles signed Pujols to a 10 year muti-million dollar contract the OC Register predicted that even if prices go up the fans will be there. Prices have gone up to keep the revenue even but attendance is lower. For those not familiar with Angel Stadium it is located right at the 5 freeway from Los Angeles and San Diego, the 22 freeway from Long Beach and 57 freeway from Newport Beach and the Inland Empire cities. Great location and easy access for millions.
The Belmont
This Saturday at 3:18 is the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes. American Pharoah who is a heavy favorite will be racing to be the first triple crown winner since 1978 and I believe the 12th horse ever to accomplish the feat. There are eight horses in the race with Frosted and Materiality being the main competition. I didn't have a chance to ask Sue one of the Blue Baggers from Irvine's North Lake who she has in the Belmont. She picked American Pharoah to win the Derby.
Late News
Following the Giants game on Wednesday Krukow elaborated on how well Panik is hitting and playing. Guess he finally woke up!
Josh Hamilton of the Rangers will be out four weeks with a strained left hamstring that he aggravated when he had the game winning double as a pinch hitter which we highlighted above.
The White House celebration went well with tremendous respect shown to the President of the United States. I couldn't help but contrast in my own mind the disrespect shown Jesus Christ. Giants took the train from Washington to Philadelphia following the ceremony.
Tim Lincecum missed the White House ceremony and flew direct to Philadelphia so he will be ready to pitch tomorrow. I can't remember this strategy ever working.
Giants remember the very wet long days they recently spent playing the Rockies. The rain continues and the Dodgers who just finished a series in Colorado had the same experience. Some want to blame Climate Change but it is really all the pot smoke hovering over the Rockies.
Warriors
Good luck to the Golden State Warriors in their championship series against Cleveland.
As reported in the SF Chronicle when we last wrote on the Giants that Bochy was thinking of changing his lineup and moving Pence and Pagan into #2 and #3 slots and dropping Panik to #7 in the batting order. It seems that Bruce changed his mind and said the story was overblown. Perhaps he read our blog that asked the simple question why. Panik is a classic #2 hitter. If he continues to impress he might end up being the #3 hitter in the lineup. If he played in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Denver, Arlington, Houston etc he would most likely hit close to 20 home runs during the season. Currently he is on pace to hit 12 this year playing half his games in unfair AT&T Park.
In the Tuesday game against Pittsburgh the Giants had Duffy on second with two outs in the second inning with Panik at the plate. Krukow the television analyst for CSBA could not believe they pitched around Panik walking him with Pence on deck. All I can say is Wake up Krukow! Pence grounded out. Pence did have three hits in the game but failed to get an rbi. Panik grounded out with the bases loaded in the eight inning with a chance to give the Giants a lead.
The first goal for the Giants this year was to stay in contention the first eight weeks. Only two teams in the National League have more wins then the Giants and in fact the Giants moved into first place for one day in their division after beating the Braves in the first two games of the current home stand. Will that be the last time they are in first place this season? Starting pitching still has to be the major concern with many of the starters failing to go six innings. This results in putting the pressure on the relievers which causes them to give up hits. Hitting has been the teams strong point to the surprise of many. When the Giants started this home stand the averages of their eight starters were .322, .297, .298, .303, .299, .291, .310, and .301. The real question is can they keep it up as averages tend to level off during the season.
The television media is mentioning a home run hitting contest between Duffy and Panik. Hope it is not true. Trying to hit homeruns would ruin both of their swings. It might have already taken a toll on Duffy who since taking over the every day job at third base has seen his average drop about 23 points.
Most Surprising Stat: Crawford with 182 at bats has 36 runs batted in while Pagan with 198 at bats many in #3 slot in the order has only 11.
Remember at the start of the season the battle for back up catcher between Sanchez and Sucac was very competitive. Sanchez won the job and then was sent down to Sacramento. Both players have been a big disappointment this year at the plate.
I keep hearing how great things will be when Peavy and Cain return. Everyday we learn of their progress. Both of them have done this before only to eventually receive setbacks. If they do return how effective can they be?
The Giants proved last year that the best team does not always win the World Championships. Its whose hot in the playoffs. The Giants have a better chance then most teams to make the playoffs. The Dodgers are the only team that could run away in the west but they continually find ways to lose to keep the race interesting. There are still four long months to go and it looks like there could be a number of surprises in all the major league races. The Texas Rangers who were predicted by many to clean up the basement in the Al West continue to move up the ladder.
Russ J our regular blog contributor from Texas reports that Josh Hamilton pinch hit a walk-off double to beat Boston in the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. The crowd went wild and Josh's welcome 'home' is secure for awhile. The Panda had two errors. He is doing almost as well in Boston as Josh did in Anaheim in the past few years. Maybe some of those guys will figure out that going 'for the money' is not a guarantee for success. Sandoval is currently hitting .244.
Wouldn't it be ironic if Sandoval followed in Hamilton shoes and eventually returned to the Giants.
Stupid Plays
Palanco the Pirates right fielder stole second base with two out. Then the Giants pitcher threw a few pitches in the dirt walking McCutchen taking the bat out of the hand of the player who was killing the Giants with one hit after another. Willie Mays understood that stealing a base with McCovey at the plate was often detrimental to McCovey because the opposing first basemen could play off the base closing the gap between first and second base making it more difficult for McCovey to get a hit. Stealing a base is an important strategy in baseball but base stealing for the sake of stealing a base does not impress me.
Aoki made two stupid plays on the base paths in the game Wednesday. Pagan hit a line drive which doubled off Aoki. If he knew were the shortstop was playing he would have hustled back into second to prevent the twin killing. Earlier in the game with two on and two out he was caught stealing third base. There was no reason to steal. The replay actually shows he might have been safe but it was either to close to change or the umpires thought he should be called out because it was stupid.
The June Swoon
As I remember the Giants 'June Swoon' goes back to the days of Mays, Cepeda, McCovey et al. It is not new. Last year it started in the middle of June and lasted through most of July. During that time the future world champions were the worst team in the majors. It possibly started this year on May 30 when the Giants lost to the Braves. Going into the Philadelphia series the Giants have lost five straight. Playing the Phillies could prove to be a big break for the Giants since they will be facing a team with a poor record in a hitter's park. It's a real opportunity to break lose.
The White House
On Thursday the Giants will be the guests at the White House of the President for the third time in five years. I suggest next year if the Giants win again that they invite the President to AT&T Park to honor the champions. Larry Bear could proudly show the President AT&T Park which I am sure he has heard about and perhaps is anxious to see. He usually makes at least two trips a month to California so it seems like a natural.
The Games are Shorter
Major league efforts to shorten the time of the games is working. I have noticed many Giant games being played in the range of 2 hour 30 minute mark which is a big improvement. The Angels announced that 35 of their 51 games have been played in less then 3 hours. When I was younger back in the middle of the last century many baseball games were played in less then 2 hours.
Attendance
Although there always seems to be vacant seats at AT&T the Giants consecutive sell outs continue. I have lost count. Attendance is down in Anaheim. In 2005 the Angels were averaging over 42,000 per game and now this year it is a little over 34,000 a game. I remember when the Angles signed Pujols to a 10 year muti-million dollar contract the OC Register predicted that even if prices go up the fans will be there. Prices have gone up to keep the revenue even but attendance is lower. For those not familiar with Angel Stadium it is located right at the 5 freeway from Los Angeles and San Diego, the 22 freeway from Long Beach and 57 freeway from Newport Beach and the Inland Empire cities. Great location and easy access for millions.
The Belmont
This Saturday at 3:18 is the 147th running of the Belmont Stakes. American Pharoah who is a heavy favorite will be racing to be the first triple crown winner since 1978 and I believe the 12th horse ever to accomplish the feat. There are eight horses in the race with Frosted and Materiality being the main competition. I didn't have a chance to ask Sue one of the Blue Baggers from Irvine's North Lake who she has in the Belmont. She picked American Pharoah to win the Derby.
Late News
Following the Giants game on Wednesday Krukow elaborated on how well Panik is hitting and playing. Guess he finally woke up!
Josh Hamilton of the Rangers will be out four weeks with a strained left hamstring that he aggravated when he had the game winning double as a pinch hitter which we highlighted above.
The White House celebration went well with tremendous respect shown to the President of the United States. I couldn't help but contrast in my own mind the disrespect shown Jesus Christ. Giants took the train from Washington to Philadelphia following the ceremony.
Tim Lincecum missed the White House ceremony and flew direct to Philadelphia so he will be ready to pitch tomorrow. I can't remember this strategy ever working.
Giants remember the very wet long days they recently spent playing the Rockies. The rain continues and the Dodgers who just finished a series in Colorado had the same experience. Some want to blame Climate Change but it is really all the pot smoke hovering over the Rockies.
Warriors
Good luck to the Golden State Warriors in their championship series against Cleveland.
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