Trash and the Giants

SBL

SBL is over and my record of predicting the NFL this year is still perfect.  I predicted the Panthers would win by 24 and they lost big time.  I didn't pick one NFL game worth anything right all season.  This is not the only reason I am completely turned off by the NFL.  Maybe I have seen too many games in my lifetime or maybe it is the "messages" every year during the half time show.  How many pills do those guys have to pop to keep jumping up and down like jack rabbits.  Is the NFL trash?      
                                     

Spring Training

Some 1951 Giants that would be welcome in 2016

To get me in the baseball mood, I just finished reading the book "The Rivalry Heard 'Round the World",  a gift from Santa.   It  features primarily the Dodgers-Giant rivalry since they came west and one chapter at the start on the first sixty eight years in New York which featured the 1951 season one of the most exciting in baseball history.  The Giants recently have had three World Series titles but since they came to San Francisco some teams have been good others bad and in fact so lousy they threatened to leave twice for Toronto and Tampa Bay since relatively few fans found their way to freezing Candlestick.

Other Giant teams through the decades have had high expectations but in the long run failed to produce.  In 2016 they are definitely contenders since they added two starting pitchers Cueto and Samardzija. Management had done their job now the new pitchers have to produce.  Last  year they told us at the beginning they had seven starters then before the end of the first week they had called up Heston a rookie pitcher to start.  It seems that management had too many 'old fashions' last year when reviewing the teams outlook.  This year they stuck to Starbucks and the results have been much core realistic.

Outlook for 2106

Pitchers --- The starting five is all set with Bumgarner, Cueto, Peavy, Samardzija and Cain starting in that order regardless of their efforts this spring.  Heston has to  have a very good spring to make the staff.  The relief corps is solid and made up of those pitchers that ended the 2015 season with the team.  The key to a successful relief staff is to have a couple of pitchers ready to come up from the minors and get the job done.

Catchers ---  Posey and Susac if he is recovered will start the season.

Infield ---  The Giants infield is home grown which certainly is a tribute to the scouts.  Main concern about the infield is health.  Belt at first is a bad hop grounder hitting him in the face away from ending his career.  Panic at second base is the glue of the team.  Losing him would be a disaster.  He is coming off a shortened season because of a bad back.  We know about Tiger Woods and his back and Warriors coach Steve Kerr both of whom had surgery.  To my knowledge Panic did not go under the knife and hopefully rest and what ever treatment they gave him has worked.  If he isn't ready to start spring  training on time start worrying because that will be a big red flag.  Crawford returns after an all star season at short.  His average would have even higher if he didn't have some nagging injuries in August.  As ex-coach Tim Flannery has indicated that he needs a couple days off now and then during the season to play at his peak.  Duffy the surprise of 2015 will return to third and hopefully be able to continue his stellar play and avoid the sophomore jinx that seems to affect many major leaguers. Adrianza will be the top utility man.  Management has indicated that the last infield spot will go to a non roster invitee.  This means Tomlinson who earned his stripes filling in for Panic last year will most likely start in Sacramento so that he can play daily.

Outfield  ---  Six players and only five spot.  Most of the winter the media was filled with stories of how the Giants need a left fielder.  No they didn't. They needed a centerfielder which they found in Span who will lead off.  Pence is expected to return and be a fixture in right.  He is coming off an injury filled season after going years  hardly missing a game.  Pagan is the favorite for 10 million reasons to start in left.   The Giants need a power hitter in left and Pagan is not the answer. Hopefully Blanco has recovered and will return.  He was having his best season at the plate.  He is tagged to be the fourth outfielder and through the years has always come through for the Giants when called upon. The Giants signed Kyle Banks to be a right handed power hitter off the bench that Bruce Bochy loves to have on his team.  For this reason it is his job to lose this spring.  Then we have Parker who was a left handed hitting sensation in September after being brought up.  Because of player and money considerations on the team he will have to hit the cover off the ball this spring like he did last fall  to be considered for the team. And even then he may start the season in Sacramento but he will be back and be the leftfielder most to the season.

Lincecum --- I have to ask the question why  do so many want to see Lincecum return.  For the last two years he has been a big headache for the pitching coaches.  Why do you want more problems?  I read that Lincecum would have a tryout in January so scouts could observe him throwing.  It is now getting close to the middle of February and still no work out. This is a big red flag.  Krukow has mentioned that it is going to be tough to see Lincecum in a different uniform.  Remember Mike that we saw Mays in a Mets uniform, McCovey in both Padres and A's uniform, we saw Cepeda in his prime in a Cardinals uniform and Marchial wearing Dodger blue.  That's baseball!  I would not be opposed to seeing Timmy back with the Giants if he signs with Sacramento and earn his way back to the majors.

DH --- A few know-it-all's in baseball don't like to see pitchers bat. There is now a big movement among these dummies to have the National League adopt the DH rule next year.  Take the strategy right out of the game which makes it great.   How could baseball elected such a dummy as commissioner? 

Warriors  --- So far they have met every challenge.

The Epic Battle --- You think the Denver defense pushed Cam Newton all over the field in the Super Bowl.   The same can be said for High Pressure that is knocking down all El Nino has to offer in southern California. This is "rainy" February and today the temperature is suppose to hit about 86 in Irvine.  The high will continue through the week with the possibility of a few clouds on Sunday then more high pressure next week.  Its been a rout just like the Super Bowl.   The rain totals for this part of California  is about 1/2 of a normal year.  The only good news from the weather reports on our local TV stations is that it snowed in the Sierras.  Thank goodness! 

SBL

Sanctuary City

Its Super Bowl 50 (SBL) week in the Bay Area which will attract thousands of visitors including the two escaped jail birds from Orange County.  They were in San Francisco  because they thought it would be safe since they understood it was a Sanctuary City and also more likely to  enjoy SBL week since they were captured near Kezar Stadium site of many thrilling NFL games in the 20th Century that helped make the sport so popular.  As one might imagine changes are being considered at the Orange County jail.  One rumor on the street has it that the 'honor system' will be dropped and jail doors will be locked starting March 1, 2016.

SBL Prediction

I have had my worst year as NFL analyst.  In the Monday Night pool some of you played I was in the bottom third which was my worst finish. In the league championship games I thought New England would beat the Broncos easily and I was wrong.  I expected the Arizona-Carolina game to be very close and it was a rout.  I believe the Panthers will win the  Super Bowl Sunday by 24 points.   I have given you plenty of  warning not to rush off  to Vegas to make a killing.  You won't see me there.


The NFL

There is no other way to put it --- The NFL screwed the  Raiders. . . Only 45,000  fans put up a $100. deposit to be on the LA Rams email list and have an opportunity to purchase tickets to the new stadium, around 2019. . .  USC was allowed by contract to lease the stadium to the Rams.  The contract was amended so that they could include a second NFL team as long as it was not the Raiders.  Some LA Coliseum people have long memories dating back to the rowdy days of the Raiders playing at the Coliseum. . . All the city of San Diego has to do is build a 1 billion dollar stadium and the Charges  will throw in a hundred million or so the problem is solved and the Chargers stay in San Diego and the Raiders can move to Inglewood in 2017.

Homeland Security

According to Miami Marlins President David Samson, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told a group of major leagues owners that a stadium could be secure if additional steps were taken, such as prohibiting fans from bringing any bags and eliminating food and food service workers.  Checking the  trunks and the bottoms of cars entering parking lots outside ballparks could be another step.  Too bad they don't do that at the border.  He could also have suggested that homes of fans who bought tickets be searched in advance for weapons.

Power Ball

Like millions of Americans I played Power Ball twice with a chance to win around a billion dollars.
The question always comes up is what would you do with the winnings. Many have problems answering this question.  I have a very simple answer. After paying the taxes I would  buy a condo near AT&T Park for my visits to SF and if I had any money left I would go to dinner in the city.  I though of the Washington Bar & Grill and found out it was closed.  Then I remember the Iron Horse and old favorite of mine and discovered it was also closed.  Then I though of Bills Place out near our family  home in Richmond District and discovered it now has a Chinese flavor so  then I remembered why not Lefty O'Doul's on Geary.  Thought of being able to afford Warrior tickets was unrealistic.


 The 2024 Olympics 

We won't know until 2017 which  city will host the 2024 Olympics  Most of the competing cities from around the world are just like LA broke.  So its anybody's guess.    UCLA  has been chosen as the Olympic Village and if it is like any of the  recent games it will quickly become known as sex city which helps draw many of athletes away from their four and five star hotels.    The Coliseum will host the  track and field games.  Dirt will be thrown over the  first eight rows of  seats to make the track.  The cost is estimated at 270 million which is  really more like 1 billion.  It would be easier, cheaper and wiser to build a new stadium.

Golf

My golf partner has been sick so for the first time in a few months I went to Bixby Golf Club in Long Beach a few days before New Years to play a round.  I was alone and was asked by three sloppy dressed men if I wanted to join them.  I  said okay.  I learned that one was a Baptist minister, the second an Anglican priest visiting from England and a Catholic priest.  They were discussing problems that they were having with bats.  At first I thought  they were  talking baseball bats but quickly discovered it was bats that fly around. The Baptist said he  got a shot gun  and fired it  all over the Church and didn't hit one of the bats and only put holes in the roof.  The Anglican was able to buy Bat Spray, outlawed in the U.S. for political reasons, and he used it in the Church.  He remarked it was just like the Clintons you thought they were gone only to have them reappear again.  The Catholic priest said that he had no problem eliminating the bats in his Church.  Obviously the protestants ministers were all ears.  He  said, "all I did was baptize them, confirms them and I haven't seen any of them since."

Warriors

They are just unbelievable.

Giants    

My opinions of the Giants will appear next week once SBL is over.



                    


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