Giants
It's Winter baseball in Arizona and the rain continues to fall. If you read the press and believe them the Giants have been very busy signing a number of players in order to bolster their weak roster.
This will be a different spring for the Giants. Most training camps the team had one or two openings. This years Giants is wide open because there is a different evaluator.
Some of my early thoughts follow:
I believe the pitching is at least okay because of the numbers.
Can Aramis Garcia continue to perform like he did last September behind the plate? I look for Stephen Vogt the ex-Oarkland A to make the team as the back up catcher.
The infield is back. In some years it has been great in other years injuries have taken their toll. The big question is third base. I still believe Longoria is a waste at third. An opening for Sandoval at third at least against right handers. I am really anxious to see Ryder Jones at third. He got hurt last fall but he looked a lot better to me at the plate. Panik should handle second but there is talent at that position on the roster.
Anyone who follows the Giants knows that the outfield is wide open. Steven Duggar is scheduled for center field. He has been built up by the Giants for a couple of years. But so many Giants build ups have flopped so who can believe them? I thought he was a .240 hitter when he came up but he started to get some key hits in games as he got experience so he could make it. His injury last fall was a big blow. They were very smart to sign Cameron Maybin
I am happy to see MacWillimson given a chance. He almost killed himself going after a lousy foul ball over bull pen in left. I hope Bochy tells him to let fouls over that bullpen drop. Not worth a season for one out. His new hitting stance will be given every opportunity to win a spot.
Gerardo Parra will make the roster and most likely start.
It should be a very interesting few weeks in Arizona.
Is Baseball Over?
As far as I know being in southern California the press did not cover the big baseball story. It is well known that the Giants are big backers of Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic party like most people in the Bay Area. When the Green Plan came out backed by every Democratic candidate for President, it was never mentioned that it would end major league baseball. It is simple no planes no schedule. I would believe that Larry Baer was on the phone to Washington asking what the hell are you promoting? Are you going to put us out of business? Did any of the Bay Area writers ask Baer about this? They are probably too liberal to even want to ask the question. I don't think they are stupid but come to think of it, they are products off our educational system. That's why you should read this blog.
It also will be the end of the NBA that cannot exist without planes. Where is Steve Kerr's opinion and how about Curry and the Spurs coach Popovich. There silence is deafening. In other words they are phony's.
The Future
As I told my granddaughter at the U of Arizona, I just hope you get out of school not being a socialist which is pretty hard to do today. How about a student at Long Beach State who discovers he doesn't have to pay off his student loan and he can surf everyday and government will take care of him for life. As a college professor said on national television last week, we don't teach critical thinking skills. In other words, the kids are brain washed. I feel for parents many of whom risk their retirement.
The NBA
The All Star weekend just ended. I could not even watch most of the pick-up game. The players in the slam-dunk contest kept trying to excite the crowd without much success. One player got 33 points for missing six dunks in a row. I thought the purpose of the game was to put the ball in basket. The three point contest looked just like a regular game.
Now We Know
Just about everyone thought that Governor Brown was crazy with his billion dollar train. Well he was just ahead of the game since he knew there were plans to eliminate planes in ten years. California would lead the nation again. Obviously Newsom does not have the vision of his predecessor.
We now know why Farhan Zaidi, the Giants head baseball man never had an opportunity to hire his manager. He knew that this would be Bochy's last year. A nice way to retire. Bochy knew how to manage the modern baseball player.
Bryce Harper
Who is he going to sign with? The Giants have plenty of .240 hitting outfielders. He hit 24 home runs last year which translate to about 18 at Oracle. It would be a waste of money.
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Monday, February 4, 2019
The Super Bowl Was Stupid!
Super Bowl
Although I picked the Rams to win the outcome of the game was not as surprising as the game itself.
It looked more like a Stupid Bowl than the Super Bowl. There is no doubt it would not have taken much effort for the losers in the Conference championship games, the Chiefs and Saints to have played a more exciting game. If you are one of those all out NFL fans and for some reason have missed the annual Hall of Fame games each year and wonder about the game, the 2019 Super Bowl was a replay of most Hall of Fame games.
There are many awards given at the end of this game. Every week the winning team gives the game ball to one of their players for their outstanding contribution. This game, I would have given the ball to the Defensive Coordinator of the Patriots. With an extra week to prepare, he knew everything the Rams were going to do, when they were going to do it and how to stop them.
Losing a Super Bowl game is not a step to winning in the future. In the 1972 game the Cowboys beat Dolphins after losing to the Colts the year prior and then the following year 1973 Dolphins beat the Redskins to claim the Lombardi trophy. The Patriots winning in 2019 was the first team to have lost the year prior to win the big game in 46 years. In checking the history of the Super Bowl scores published by unknown, the nick name of the team is used in every case except the Redskins. At least I am consistent.
The decline of the teams is usually gradual like the Rams who will most likely lose the Conference Championship game next year, then maybe make it as a wild card in the third year. Those who have read this blog know how upset I was when the Niners lost 2013 game because I knew from history that the collapse was coming as proven.
After watching some the commercials I asked myself, What are they selling? And the half-time show, when I see all those kids jumping up and down in front of the stage, I say to myself, isn't that getting old? Know its my age and a generation gap but so what!
Although I picked the Rams to win the outcome of the game was not as surprising as the game itself.
It looked more like a Stupid Bowl than the Super Bowl. There is no doubt it would not have taken much effort for the losers in the Conference championship games, the Chiefs and Saints to have played a more exciting game. If you are one of those all out NFL fans and for some reason have missed the annual Hall of Fame games each year and wonder about the game, the 2019 Super Bowl was a replay of most Hall of Fame games.
There are many awards given at the end of this game. Every week the winning team gives the game ball to one of their players for their outstanding contribution. This game, I would have given the ball to the Defensive Coordinator of the Patriots. With an extra week to prepare, he knew everything the Rams were going to do, when they were going to do it and how to stop them.
Losing a Super Bowl game is not a step to winning in the future. In the 1972 game the Cowboys beat Dolphins after losing to the Colts the year prior and then the following year 1973 Dolphins beat the Redskins to claim the Lombardi trophy. The Patriots winning in 2019 was the first team to have lost the year prior to win the big game in 46 years. In checking the history of the Super Bowl scores published by unknown, the nick name of the team is used in every case except the Redskins. At least I am consistent.
The decline of the teams is usually gradual like the Rams who will most likely lose the Conference Championship game next year, then maybe make it as a wild card in the third year. Those who have read this blog know how upset I was when the Niners lost 2013 game because I knew from history that the collapse was coming as proven.
After watching some the commercials I asked myself, What are they selling? And the half-time show, when I see all those kids jumping up and down in front of the stage, I say to myself, isn't that getting old? Know its my age and a generation gap but so what!
Friday, February 1, 2019
The Super Bowl
The Super Bowl
A couple of weeks ago I emailed a few friends informing them that the Rams would beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That was my prediction and it very possible it could be right on the money. Too bad I wasn't in Vegas.
There are literally hundreds of NFL fans especially those living along the Mississippi who believe the Saints should be in the big game. The reason being the blown pass interference call. Can anyone describe to me pass interference? The big 'cop out' call in recent years has been holding before the ball was thrown. Five yards and an automatic first down. The replay is shown and some times it looks like the defense back actually touched the receiver.
Then on a long pass, the replay will show the receiver and defensive back practically wrestling as the ball is the air and many times there is no call. Hard to explain but of course this is the league that has a hard time defining a completed forward pass. What did we ever do before replay? Oh I remember, if the ball didn't touch the ground it was a completed pass. Sounds reasonable. But now you need to have complete control of the ball. You have heard announcers looking at a replay and saying from this angle it looks like his little finger moved. The call of a completed pass might be over turned. More Fans are beginning to accept the fact what we have mentioned for a couple years, that the league is run by a lot of stupid millionaires with law degrees.
The lesson being --- Be smart enough to get in-law school then when you have earned your law degree you will be dumb enough to make a million.
Regardless the Stupid Bowl will be played Sunday!
The Warriors
The Warriors have certainly rebounded. Lots of reasons for their recent surge but one has to be the return of the hot shooting Clay Thompson. Once he started to drill most of his shots the Warriors began rolling. Let's hope then they haven't peaked too soon and they can remain relatively injury free until the season really begins some time before summer.
One of our blog members relayed me that he thought that Curry telling the media that he believed that we didn't land on the moon would be big news. It was for a few hours but it was quickly yanked. Curry is well like so it was easy to do. I can just hear Curry's agent calling him and saying,"What the hell are you doing?" Say it was a joke and I will get the message out. Curry is a great person and basketball player but he can be talked into saying almost anything. Remember he said it was perfectly okay for boys to enter the same bathroom as his daughter. His agent should tell him to quit listening to CNN.
NBA
The old man injury bug has hit the Lakers with James being out for a number of weeks. It has hurt plenty for if the season ended today the Lakers would not be in the playoffs. So James is back! Too soon?
Winter Training
With the Super Bowl this Sunday, Winter Training for major league baseball will start about 10 days later with the regular season beginning at the start of spring. The Giants will not be a contender!
TV News
I was happy to see that the Giants signed Dave Fleming to continue broadcasting at least 140 games a year for the next few years. I am sure they have him in mind to be the lead announcer when John Miller finally hangs it up
The 5pm show on NBC Sports Bay Area "Happy Hour" got yanked. Maybe it was too much Warrior news. I had commented before with the coverage the NBA got on that channel, who needed the NBA network? The commentators were very liberal and political in their opinions and let everybody know how right they were. But that's the Bay Area so that probably wasn't the reason. Competition with Tucker Carlson a local boy on Fox News could have contributed to low ratings. Even though I didn't always agree with their comments I enjoyed the show.
A couple of weeks ago I emailed a few friends informing them that the Rams would beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. That was my prediction and it very possible it could be right on the money. Too bad I wasn't in Vegas.
There are literally hundreds of NFL fans especially those living along the Mississippi who believe the Saints should be in the big game. The reason being the blown pass interference call. Can anyone describe to me pass interference? The big 'cop out' call in recent years has been holding before the ball was thrown. Five yards and an automatic first down. The replay is shown and some times it looks like the defense back actually touched the receiver.
Then on a long pass, the replay will show the receiver and defensive back practically wrestling as the ball is the air and many times there is no call. Hard to explain but of course this is the league that has a hard time defining a completed forward pass. What did we ever do before replay? Oh I remember, if the ball didn't touch the ground it was a completed pass. Sounds reasonable. But now you need to have complete control of the ball. You have heard announcers looking at a replay and saying from this angle it looks like his little finger moved. The call of a completed pass might be over turned. More Fans are beginning to accept the fact what we have mentioned for a couple years, that the league is run by a lot of stupid millionaires with law degrees.
The lesson being --- Be smart enough to get in-law school then when you have earned your law degree you will be dumb enough to make a million.
Regardless the Stupid Bowl will be played Sunday!
The Warriors
The Warriors have certainly rebounded. Lots of reasons for their recent surge but one has to be the return of the hot shooting Clay Thompson. Once he started to drill most of his shots the Warriors began rolling. Let's hope then they haven't peaked too soon and they can remain relatively injury free until the season really begins some time before summer.
One of our blog members relayed me that he thought that Curry telling the media that he believed that we didn't land on the moon would be big news. It was for a few hours but it was quickly yanked. Curry is well like so it was easy to do. I can just hear Curry's agent calling him and saying,"What the hell are you doing?" Say it was a joke and I will get the message out. Curry is a great person and basketball player but he can be talked into saying almost anything. Remember he said it was perfectly okay for boys to enter the same bathroom as his daughter. His agent should tell him to quit listening to CNN.
NBA
The old man injury bug has hit the Lakers with James being out for a number of weeks. It has hurt plenty for if the season ended today the Lakers would not be in the playoffs. So James is back! Too soon?
Winter Training
With the Super Bowl this Sunday, Winter Training for major league baseball will start about 10 days later with the regular season beginning at the start of spring. The Giants will not be a contender!
TV News
I was happy to see that the Giants signed Dave Fleming to continue broadcasting at least 140 games a year for the next few years. I am sure they have him in mind to be the lead announcer when John Miller finally hangs it up
The 5pm show on NBC Sports Bay Area "Happy Hour" got yanked. Maybe it was too much Warrior news. I had commented before with the coverage the NBA got on that channel, who needed the NBA network? The commentators were very liberal and political in their opinions and let everybody know how right they were. But that's the Bay Area so that probably wasn't the reason. Competition with Tucker Carlson a local boy on Fox News could have contributed to low ratings. Even though I didn't always agree with their comments I enjoyed the show.
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