You're Fired!

'You're Fired"

'You're fired'  words made famous on television by the world's most powerful man.  I should have experienced those words for good reason.  I goofed big time!  In the February 11, 2017 edition I used the name Johnny Cueto when I was really talking about Eduardo Nunez.  I heard feed back that sounded like I knew nothing about the Giants.  Hard to argue.

In  an attempt to send out the edition about the Giants and the Lakers I sent the  I'M Back issue.  I use to know that you need to publish a new post before sending it out.  The boss said that's it!  Then on second thought baseball is a game of three's.  Three strikes and your out and their are three outs in an inning.  I only have two strikes.  But the pressure is on to try and keep my job.

The Giants

Talk about pressure.  How about those kids trying to impress the Giants brass.  Chris Marrero  with a .232 major league average with 0 home runs caught the eye of many with his three run walk off home run to win last Fridays opening game.  He just earned himself additional bats and more opportunities to show what he can do.

The Giants current record is 3-1 having lost to the Oakland A's on Monday afternoon relieving the pressure of going undefeated.  I always thought having a spring record of three or four more wins then losses was a good foundation to enter the season.  This year I expect the Giants to have a very good  record.  Many spring games are won by non roster players in the late innings usually against rookie pitchers and the Giants are very strong in these areas with fierce competition for those final openings on the team. 

To listen to the Giants broadcast Sunday from Goodyear you would think the stadium was just this side of Los Angeles.  Its really only about 1/2 hour drive from Scottsdale just off the 10 freeway.  These guys are just spoiled having almost every game within 15 minutes of their home stadium.

Other Comments

The MLB network has spring baseball almost all day with one game following another.  I tuned in for just a moment on Sunday and I saw ex- Giant Ryan Vogelsong pitching this year for the Twins strike out "the thinner" Pablo Sandoval.

The Angels and A's were on television Sunday and both teams had their spring jerseys on with big white numbers but no names on the back.  So #72 just made a great  catch. Who is it?  The announcers won't tell you because they either don't know themselves or their talking about going to Don and Charlie's tonight for a great prime rib dinner. 

A few years ago the Dodgers honored Vince Scully.  In his remarks Vince said I have one request, 'put the names of the players on their jerseys.'  Even a great broadcaster who knows every baseball player for the last seventy years and where they were born and theirs mother' maiden name makes that request.  Come on A's  and Angels wakeup.  Think of the fans for once instead of saving $1. for not adding the name on the back.

The Stadiums

One conversational question asked by many baseball fans of each other is, 'how many major league ball parks have you been to'?

If you haven't been to Globe Life  Park in Arlington, TX home of the Rangers time is  running out.  The citizens of Arlington voted to spend 1/2 billion dollars to assist in building a new retractable roof stadium that could open in 2020. This was on the same night last fall that the citizens of San Diego failed to pass a bond sending the NFL Chargers to play on a soccer field and  be known as the Los Angeles Chargers of Carson.

When the Giants played the Rangers in 2010 World Series the stadium which opened in 1994 was known as Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.  The stadium lasted 26 years.  The Braves moved into the Olympic Games stadium in 1996 and it was obsolete in only 20 years.  With Wrigley Field Chicago and Fenway Park Boston over 100 years of age one can conclude 'that they don't build ballparks like they use to'.

Next issue we will address the stadium issues of the Angels.

The Giants and the Lakers

The Giants

It is obvious the Giants are looking for a diamond in the rough this spring having invited many ex-major leaguers and other players with various backgrounds to spring training. I do not pretend to know them all but the Giants would like to see one or maybe two of these players make the opening day team.  This would allow them to option young players to Sacramento to play every day rather then sitting on the major league bench. The Giants signed veteran catcher Nick Hundley so that Trevor Brown could play regularly for Sacramento.  They are not going to keep Brown
as a reserve infielder as suggested in the papers.

I read that Pence is hurting already but still taking batting practice --- typical Pence.  The Giants need him because he is mister intangible. We all have seen him strike out and wonder how he ever gets a hit. Then the next time up hit the ball 400 feet.  His real value comes in a situation like the following.  A runner on scond and two outs.  Pence at the plate and instead of striking out dribbles the ball down the third base line.  Pence always hustles to first so the third baseman has to hurry and ends up throwing the ball into rightfied and a run scores.

I was shocked to see that Matt Cain was penciled in as the fifth starter.  If it wasn't for his $20 million  contract he would not in Scottsdale this spring.  It's not that he isn't trying but he hasn't had it for years.   He did save the Giants some money last year.  In 2014 and 2015 he won 2 games each year costing the Giants $10 million a win.  Last year he won 4 cutting their costs to $5 million a win.  I wish him luck and hope he can still make a comeback.  It will be tough because the Giants have plenty of young arms just waiting to take his spot.

The Giants wear their black jerseys about 7 or 8 times a year at home. The numbers and names are outlined in a thin orange stripe that can barely be read.  I guess they got the message.  This year the spring training jerseys are black except they have bright white names and numbers on the back . Being able to read the names especially during spring training games is a big help.

The American League West

NB of Irvine and Homer

Our newest blog member NB of Irvine pictured at the right is showing me her appreciation for expanding my coverage of the American League West.  Born in Irvine she is naturally an Angels supporter. We have other followers of the Angels as well as the Oakland A's and the Texas Rangers that read this blog so expanding our thoughts on the division race seems only natural.

NB told me that when her father introduced her to baseball she was bored then he taught her how to keep score and then every pitch meant something.

The next issue will cover the stadium issues and history with some AL West teams.

The NBA

Blog member JK with Magic

Blog member JK of  Long Beach in a recent photo with "Magic" Johnson. The blog member being a strong Warrior fan has been concerned with the purge of the Lakers front office on the status of ex-Warrior coach Luke Walton.  It has been reported that Johnson only comment  about the situation is , 'if he plays me he stays'.   

The NBA All Star game was played last weekend and the only thing that surprised me was that the winning team didn't score 200 points.  Hours and hours of television time is wasted each year discussing who is going to start the bovine game.

I turned in just in time to see the slam dunk winner miss a dunk.  I thought the purpose of the game was put the ball in the basket. All the build up of Thompson to win the 3 point competition was strictly hot air.

Baseball All Star Game

Speaking of All Star games, I read that the winner of the Major League Baseball All Star will not automatically get home team advantage for the World Series.  It was discovered that it was Fox that wanted it added to make the game more interesting.   Bub Selig went for because it brought in more dollars for baseball.  Every decision that guy made as commissioner was  based on money to the determent of the integrity of game and the owners loved  him.

We're Back

As some of you know my wife passed away last October from a severe case of COPD which curtailed my interest in the blog.  Recently some of my friends have encouraged me to continue although I have many additional obligations that keep me busy almost everyday. I have found commenting on the Giants especially and other sports has been good therapy and an convenient way to keep in touch with many friends.

The Sharks -

The San Jose team made the Stanley Cup Finals last year.  This year they have been a solid hockey team and the last time I looked they were leading the Pacific Division by a couple of points.  They will make the Stanley Cup playoffs again this year but it will be very difficult for them to make it to the finials two years in row.  The Sharks remain the only California NHL team without the big cup.

The Warriors -

Golden State now has 44 wins which is more then enough to qualify for the playoffs.
The starters should be cut back to between 25-28 minutes a game to keep sharp then increase their minutes back up to 35 or so during the last couple weeks of the season      Many of the teams in the NBA are lousy so that the blue, gold, black. white and even red glad Warriors will still win most of their games and end up either the first or second best record in the league. It is most important that they are fresh and healthy for the 8 week playoff grind.  Last year the team was injured and very tired at the end losing their final three games and the championship which was the consequences for working so hard to break all kinds of NBA records that in the end meant nothing.  Hopefully they have learned their lesson and follow the good advise given on this blog.

This year's team although extremely talented and very exciting at times, can also be very boring since they seem to lack the personality of the last two teams.  The NBA Championship should return to Oakland.

The 49ers and the NFL -

It's hard to believe but someone could make the strong case that the 49ers are part of Sacred Scripture. Matthew 15:14 'the blind leading the blind' reminded me so much of York and the 49er search for a coach and general manager. However, somebody must have spit in Jed's eyes one night as illustrated in Matthew 8: 22-25 which cured a blind man's sight because the 49ers made some excellent choices to run the team.  Now if only York would pack up and live in Ohio.

I have always been of fan of the new GM John Lynch and I remember that I was extremely upset when the 49ers fail to draft him out of Stanford.  He is smart and knows the NFL and I look for Kyle Shanahan to eventually bring the 49ers back to respectability.  The 49ers will not look like Atlanta next year because they do not have nearly the talent of the Falcons because of some very poor drafts exercised by people with experience.  Kyle's big help in the draft will be in the later  rounds when he will know the type of talent the 49ers need to make them winners again.

Back a few years ago when the 49ers lost the New Orleans Super Bowl I wrote that they would not recover.  They didn't and either will the Falcons after blowing the Super Bowl.  I felt like a genius for three quarters because I predicted that Atlanta would win the Super Bowl by 3 or 4 touchdowns.  Oh well!  Can't be right all the time.  I am looking for Atlanta to go 6-10 next year then they hired Steve Sarkisian and I changed my mind and believe they will be 5-11.

The Giants and Spring Training

The Giants will play their first exhibition game on February 24th which is ridiculously early because of the World Baseball Congress which will feature three Giants, Posey, Crawford and Cueto.  Cueto came from the Twins last year and I lost count of how many times he was on the DL.  He has lots of talent and potential but doesn't always use his head.  Chances are he will start the season on the DL.  Giant fans know that both Posey and Crawford perform at their best with some day offs but it would be a PR nightmare if they had to miss opening day.

During the winter the Giants signed Marc Melancon the pitcher they wanted  to be their closer and strengthen their catching by signing Nick Hudley who I like.  We will review the Giants in detail and comment on their chances for the coming season a littler later in the spring.

The Giants also signed 88 year old Jimmy Rollins to be their backup shortstop and the tragic part was he was put on the 40 man roster.  This meant the loss of Adrianza who was picked up by the Twins. Rollins who is really only 78 years of age will be on the DL by May 15 and Adrianza will be having an all star season for the Twins and Giants will be searching for a back up shortstop.   There is only one way to describe this move...STUPID! 

Who was the big surprise for the Giants during the playoffs last year?  Connor Gillaspie for his big triple off of Chambers the great left hander of the Reds, Yankess and finally Cubs.  Connnor is a left handed batter and did not face a left hander until September when he got a single against Atlanta. If he would start they would pinch hit for him as early as the 5th inning if he had to face a lefty.  Now the Giants are touting their new hero.  They blew it with Connor and kept a very good talent on the bench most of the season.  As I  wrote last year the lousy job Bochy did with his relievers you can ad the decision to keep Connor on the bench  to a year that the future Hall of Fame manager will want to forget.  I thought he did a horrible job and so did Romo who paid the price and became a Dodger.

Stale Plain Donuts

What better Valentine's gift then stale plain donut? They are the rage of the North Lake in Irvine. To take full advantage of this delicacy cut the donut to look like two small tires. Toast well then cover with butter.  They are best when at least three or four days stale.  Now what to do with all those chocolate covered strawberries.