Desperation!

The Giants

Remember the 2014 World Champion Giants had tried 7 or 8 players at second base and then out of desperation called up Panic.  The former #1 draft choice of the team was still a year away or so the talent scouts thoughts.  Panic proved them wrong and was the key addition to the team that led them to the world's title.

At the same time another rookie Duffy was brought up as a reserve infielder and to the surprise of many delivered a number of key pinch hits for the Giants in their drive to the playoffs.  The Giants lost Sandoval after the 2014 season and they were looking for a third baseman.  Duffy played mostly the middle infield positions and was not in their vision as Sandoval's replacement and in fact the question was after they signed McGehee should they send Duffy back to the minors so he could play everyday instead of sitting of the bench in the majors. The Giants got lucky.   McGehee was so bad from the start and again out of desperation they started Duffy at third on occasion.  He delivered and finally about six weeks into the season had won the job at third and did a fantastic job all season both at the bat and in the field.  In Wednesday night's game against the Dodgers, Jansen the Dodger closer shaved him pretty good putting Duffy on his back.  What did Matt do?  He smashed a single on the next pitch then immediately stole second and in a few minutes scored on Parker's single.  That's how to answer a knockdown pitch.  That's Duffy!


Bruce Bochy loves to play September baseball but he couldn't do it this year.  Gone for the season because of variety of injuries were three infielders Belt, Panic and Adrianza, four outfielders Pence, Blanco, Aoki and Perez., the two reserve catchers Sanchez and Sucac and also Lincecum who had been removed from the rotation before discovering he needed hip surgery.

Three rookie call ups outfielders Parker, Williamson and the catcher Brown have impressed the Giants brass.  They had to be surprised because none of these players were called up on September 1st but later in the month because the Giants were desperate and had no other choice with injuries mounting daily.  Parker has entertained the Giant fans with booming home runs and Mac Willamson seems to have all the tools and looks liked he could be the real thing  with a little more  experience and Brown has been raved about for his handling of pitchers and getting a few key hits.

We wrote early in the spring that Parker was one of two rookies that could impress the Giants.  He had a poor spring and when called up in June for a couple of weeks looked lost at the plate.  Obviously he learned his lesson and was ready when called up a few weeks ago.  We were also first one to write in early August that both Pence and Panic were most likely lost for the season. Panic did  come back for three games getting a few hits including a homerun before aggravating his back and the team decided the risk wasn't worth it.

Pagan still doesn't impress me.  I know he makes a lot of great catches but also does not know how to cut off a ball and has played many singles into triples.  In a game in Oakland last week Pagan stopped and watched Crawford drop a ball he tried to catch Willie Mays style over his head.  It was Pagan's ball and he should had called for it according to Bill Lasky and Vida Blue.  The botched play costs the Giants two runs.  Then a ball was hit over Parker  head in left against the fence and bounced back towards the infield.  Parker had crashed into the wall and was laying on the ground. Then we see Pagan in the picture chasing down the ball.  I guess he finally woke up.  He should have been over there since he had nothing else to do according to Lasky and Blue.  It reminded me of a play I saw at Wrigley Field. Dusty Baker was playing left for the Giants and the ball was hit against the left field ivy and bounce back toward the infield.  Where was Dan Gladden the Giants centerfielder?  I think he was sleeping in center.  People always raved about Gladden  defense and I thought at the time it was all bull.  He later became a fixture in Minnesota.  In fact when you see a center fielder come over to get a ball off the field after hitting the fence the announcers of the game are surprised and amazed because the player was hustling which is what he should be doing.

I will have one last article on the Giants outlining my thoughts on plans for the winter and spring and what I think the Giants will do.

In case you missed the news, the Dodgers won the NL West for the third straight year.  Veteran Kevin Frandsen a very recent call up saved further embarrassment by getting the only Giant hit in the game clinching win for the Dodgers.

As I mentioned earlier in the year we have been blacked out of Giant Dodger telecast just like 66% of the Dodger fans.  Time Warner could not sell the Dodger package at the price they wanted but the Dodgers got their money and that is one  reason they have close to a $300 million payroll including $90 million to players that are not on the team which is more then eight major league teams full salary base.  Who will be the new Dodger centerfielder next year? Cepedes!


"Money Ball Fired"

Billy Bean was fired!  This might have also been out of desperation.  You didn't read this in the media because he got a promotion.  Sure he did.  Now he is charge of some type of operations at the ball park.  The raves were all over the television.  Then I look and noticed that NY Mets had won the NL East.  The  Mets  made their big move once they got Cepedes from the Tigers via the Red Sox via the A's.  Then it was the Cubs who caught on fire in the National League once the former #1 A's draftee Russell started playing shortstop and hitting homeruns at Wrigley.  Then there is the third basemen for the AL East champion Toronto Blue Jays MVP candidate Donaldson who leads the league in runs  scored and has 41 homeruns.  The last I looked the A's were in the cellar of the AL West.


The NBA

They heard the critics and so out of desperation the NBA changed their playoff format setting up a system that is unfair because teams do not play each other an equal number of times and a few teams will have a much easier schedule that will provide for an more favorable  playoff matchup that might not be deserved the problem they were trying to solve.

The Forty Niners

I have completed reading Dave Newhouse's book "'Founding 49ers"  I will soon complete my comments and memories on a very interesting book.

I have one word for the 2015  Forty Niners --- Desperation!