Global Warming

Seasons

I finally figured out that global warming means no change of seasons.  Last week we had baseball spring and summer, football fall and basketball winter all lumped together into one big television show.

Baseball

I did not see every pitch of every game but it was an exciting week with both the AL and the NL going to a seventh game to decide the championship in each league.  Watching the players on these teams just endorsed my feeing that the Giants are in bad shape for the near future. Red Sox -  Dodgers are the two best teams so the World Series should be very competitive. Although I am not rooting for them, I think the Dodgers will pull it out based on the fact that every team I supported in these playoffs has lost starting with A's and finishing with the Brewers.

49ers

Monday night's game against Green Bay showed that the 49ers know how to lose a game.

Yesterdays game against the Rams was an embarrassment to say the least. Beathard is not a disaster waiting to happen --- it has happened.  He never was taught that your third receiver is out of bounds.  If I was the 49er coach, I would start the veteran they signed from Houston last week.

We wrote last week that Rams were not talking a 17-0 season because they knew they had to play the 49ers twice.  Is this part of the 49er plan to play so lousy that the Rams will be over confident in their second meeting.  I don't believe it either.  When I turned on the television I thought I had the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets game since the game was on the wrong network.   Then I finally figured it out that it was the Rams.

Joe Perry with shadowed number 1950s

The 49ers wore their throw back uniforms from the 1994 Super Bowl Championship team. Many of  the past Niners were in attendance and must have wondered what has happened to our team. Lots of others are wondering the same thing.  Whats interesting about the uniforms is the fact that the team did not startout the 1994 season wearing the shadowed numbered jerseys and white pants.  They wore them that year as a throwback uniform and then asked the NFL permission to wear them the remaiander of the season which was granted.  It was early in the 1950s that the shadowed number jerseys were first worn by the 49ers for a year or two.

The Warriors and the NBA

In the last post I picked the Warriors to finish below the Rockets and the Lakers.  Since I made this public I checked out those teams during the first week of the season.

Granted it is a small sample but the Warriors are on track to win 56 games this season which is still enough to earn the playoffs.  It became obvious to me that it is Curry that will carry the team.  Lets hope he stays healthy for most of the season.  He continues to thrill the crowds with great plays.

Both he and Durant were saved Friday night in Salt Lake City.  Curry who had 31 points missed a layup and then Durant who had 38 missed one of his easy 10 footers in the last seconds of the game with the Warriors trailing.  They were both bailed out by Jonas Jerebko who tipped in the winning    basket at the buzzer.  The Warriors signed Jerebko because they needed someone off the bench who could hit a 3 pointer. To put this in baseball terms,  a player has 4 hits in the game than he is up in the last of the 9th inning with the bases loaded and one out and his team trailing by a run.  The batter hits into a double play to end the game; that's Curry and Durant without Jerebko.

The Lakers

I turned into two Laker games during the week.  The first game against Portland I got to see some the second half.  I was looking for #23.  I finally found him and the plays I saw he never touched the ball.
Then against the Rockets towards the last few minutes of the game and the Lakers trailing by a few points.  First he misses from the top the key then the next time down he drives and misses a five foot hook shot. Then on the third time down he misses a follow up under the basket.  James is #23.

The Rockets

If  I had remembered that Houston signed Carmello Anthony I never would have picked them above the Warriors.  They still have the former House of David star, that long bearded left handed shooting guard, that keeps pumping the ball through the net.  I noticed when he is on the bench the guards in the game keep fighting among themselves for the basketball.  While he was on the bench the bearded wonder leaned over to tie his shoe and the player next to him leaped up to enter the game and while doing so stepped on his beard.  Boy, did that hurt!






  

Predictions

Giants

The Giants surpassed my expectations for the season.  In April I thought they would still be sleeping in the cellar at the end of the season. But no!  They awoke and passed the Padres into fourth place.  In 2017 as you might remember they ended up 40 games behind their rival Dodgers. I predicted at the start of the season they would pick up 15 games on the LA sluggers.  Sure enough if fact, they were only 18 1/2 behind their hated rivals  meaning they picked up 21 1/2 games or 6 1/2 more than I predicted.  Can't ask for any thing more than that!

The 49ers and the NFL

Earlier in the year I wrote on this blog that I thought the  49ers had a very good chance of making the playoffs.  Then injuries to star players destroyed the season.  In fact there is a real good chance they won't even be able to beat Green Bay tonight in the MNF game of the week.

Even though KC Chiefs lost to New England last night their qb has really impressed me.  I would think they would win the AFC title this year.  My only hesitation is that Coach Reed's teams have had a habit of slumping toward the end of the season.  The Rams have look sensational so far this year.  One question is have they peeked too soon? Possibly!  No one in the LA area has predicted a 17-0 season because they realize that their schedule includes two games with the Forty Niners.

The Warriors

I have read that Coach Kerr feels good about the preparation for the season;  typical liberal response.  I watch some their pre exhibition season games and was not impressed.  In fact I thought they were awful.  The Lakers ran circles around the Warrior reserves  pushing them from San Jose, site of the game, to Gilroy.  It was embarrassing.  The Laker reserves were making one 3 pointer after another while Warriors were clanking their free throws off the back rim.  Remember the plan is play the regulars 32 minutes and the reserves 16 minutes.  So these bench sitters are schedule to play 1/3 of each game.

I haven't lost faith and still believe they will win at least 48 regular season exhibition games enough to qualify for the playoffs. They will then win the west and eventually lose to Boston in 6 games in the NBA finals.  You can almost believe this is a prophecy so don't be afraid to hit Vegas.

The Giants First Trade?

A League of Their Own

The Giants are interviewing a woman to take over Brian Sabean's responsibilities.  Listening on Bay Area TV to the discussion, the participants were confusing this job with the general managers job.  Her past experience has been in baseball operations and I would believe if she is employed she would hire her own General Manger and then eventually a new manager.  I am still waiting for the call!

World Series

The Dodgers will be World Champions!

If I am Chosen!

Technical Difficulties

I understand the last post did not get to many of you.  I lost about 25% of my list of names, others did not receive a link and yet others got the post.  If you scroll down you can read it.  The title is "Bochy and Evans Out" my scoop of the year two weeks prior to the announcement about Evans.  I have reviewed my list of names and if someone receives this blog that wasn't on the original list, you can join the group or email me and I will eliminate your name.

The Giants

Normally at the end of a baseball year I attempt to project what Giants management should or will do during the winter months.  Since this year we do not know who will be making the decisions, I decided to play the roll as the new director of baseball operations.

The Giants want to remain competitive so they can continue to draw large crowds to AT&T.  The current plan of signing and paying hugh sums of money to declining players like McCutcheon, Melancon and Longoria has not worked and most likely a major reason why the general manager was fired.

The Giants plan is to remain competitive and get young at the same time. Almost impossible!  This is the reason if offered the job, I would likely turn it down by telling them the truth.

Most Giant fans know the team's weakness.  They need at least two big bats in the lineup regardless of position.  That's easier said than done since the previous management has tried and failed in recent years.  Those who have read my posts in the past know that I have complained of the lack of power for years.  I am not just talking home runs but players that can continually hit the ball hard.

This year the Giants hit 133 home runs.  Compared to the major league teams that made the playoffs it is embarrassing; Atlanta 175, Cleveland 216, Oakland 227,Dodgers 235, Houston 215, Colorado 210, Boston 208, Milwaukee 218 and the Yankees 265, two for every Giant one, while breaking major league baseball record. The Orange and Black noted for their triples only beat 3 NL teams with more triples.

Another glaring challenge is the fact that the Giants have number of players who are over the hill and under performing but have  no trade clauses in their contracts or make more money than they are worth making it very difficult to trade them.

Lets review how we can accomplish our goal.

1.  Every player should be on the trade black except perhaps for Posey and a few young pitchers.  The idea is not to get rid of them and trade them for the sake of a trade but to see if value is offered in return that can improve the club and make it younger.

2.  Offer Brandon Belt in a trade.  Chances are we will not get any takers besides a minor league player because of his high salary and the fact he is injury prone. He will most likely be at first next season.

3.  Joe Panik. He is a major disappointment.  Injuries in the past two years plus the shift has really hurt his hitting and for some reason his fielding has dropped off.  Might be able to get a relief pitcher in exchange for him.  Giants have a few young players such as Avelino, Gomez, and Hansen that are possible replacements.

3.  Evan Longoria was a waste at third.  It will be a challenge to trade him for a Class A star. Sandoval being paid by the Red Sox will still be around and I really like what I saw in Ryder Jones before he got hurt.

4.  Brandon Crawford was the All Star shortstop. He batted about .400 in May and June and propelled the Giants into the pennant race.  The rest of the year he is batting about .185.  Now we hear it might have been his knee problem that hurt his batting. He would be very difficult to lose unless the Giants receive a can't miss promising star in return. Lets hope if he returns , he will regain his health because the Giants will need his .400 hitting and his great shortstop play.  

5.  Steve Duggar. Will he be the centerfielder?  The Giants are promoting him as a star of the future.  Sorry, I don't see it to that degree.   He showed improvement at the plate until he got injured.  Will start in centerfield.

6.  Mac Williamson running over the bull pen in left field and crashing into the wall ruined his season.  Would he had slumped anyway?  Will he be cleared to play next year?  His new batting approach showed promise and is worth another try in spring training.

7.  Hernandez, Slater and Shaw all slumped and it is hard to visualize all three of them returning.  Unless the Giants find more  productive outfielders this winter,  they will not be competitive.   The very popular Pence who I wondered why he was on the team this year, was the teams best outfielder in September.

8. Posey will be back behind the plate and the young catcher Aramis Garcia has been the September surprise to be the back up catcher.  Talk of Posey moving to first base is premature.  He has to prove that he can hit more than 5 home runs in a season.

9.  The Giants need to trade Bumgarner.  He is really the only player that can bring some quality young outfielder in return. If they can't get what they need in the trade than he should should return as a starter. 

10.  The bright spot for the Giants is their starting pitching.  Rodriguez, Suarez, Stratton have shown plenty of potential and Holland was a big surprise.  Forget about Samardzija and Cueto.  Considering the staff got very little run support, they did a very good job and most of the younger relief pitchers could return next year. The Giants scored 603 runs this year, the NL average was 709 and the Dodgers scored 804.

The Giants could be younger at second, third in the outfield and behind the plate in addition to their seven youthful pitchers that rounded out the staff this year.  That fulfills one half of our goal to be younger, but the question remains will they be competitive.

I would recommend to management the following:

1. Eliminate triple valley and make it a little more feasible to hit a home run.  AT&T Park will never be a home run paradise because of the heavy air that is normal for most games. 

2.  Move the bullpens from the foul lines before they ruin another players career.  In past posts, I have suggested different locations in the outfield and if things get desperate put them on a barge out on McCovey Cove.

3.  Review the scout's record.  One method I would insist on would be to review the top 50 or so young players in the majors.  Could the Giants have drafted them?  What was the scouts report on these players.  Was he accurate or just miss the boat.  Those that miss the boat too often will catch the next one to Alameda.

I understand the current manager is going to return next year.  That's great!  Hire a new person to run the baseball show than tell him he can't choose a manager. When I am able to bring in a new manager, I would ask his philosophy of playing a regular if  that player is injured.  Belt and Crawford are prime examples this year. Belt's average dropped over 40 points in the last months of the season because he was injured.  He hurt the team.  Now he is going to have surgery.  Crawford hit over .400 in May and June bolting the Giants into the pennant race.  In the other months he is hitting about .185 but still batting. 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th in the order. The players made the decision to play not the manager.  I would insist it be the other way.

The 49ers

Injuries have ruined dreams for 2018 season. The loss of Jimmy Garoppolo was devastating.  He made a stupid mistake to try for an additional yard when it was not needed.  He is not dumb.  He never saw Tom Brady make such a mistake or he wouldn't  be playing at his current age that fast approaching 52.  Garoppolo got emotional and  caught up in the big 49er comeback.  I remember when Pete Carroll coached at USC the opponents would inevitably make a drive down the field at the end the game.  Every drive was assisted  by a roughing penalty or pass interference.  Looking at the replay in most cases one would say, what penalty? When asked about it,  Pete replied officials get caught up in the emotions  of the game also.  

Will they be able to put an offensive lime together for Sunday against Arizona?  I liked the play and effort on the part of quarterback Beathord but how long can he last?

The Warriors

The anticipation of going undefeated for 100 games was ruined in their first game.  Thank goodness, the pressure is off.  They call these current games exhibition games then what do they call the 82 regular season games that preview the playoff season that starts in April after the Giants 2019 season has begun?

The Sharks

Is this  year for the Stanly Cup?   Season begins tonight.

Baseball Playoffs

I am pulling for the A's. I do not have any feeling who will eventually end up the World Series.  The Red Sox look tough in the American League while the National League is wide open.