31 August 2010

Live tweeting space filler

Instead of reflecting on Monday night's game while my head is still throbbing from beating it against the wall, I offer you the following history of Sunday's contest via my Twitter feed. Do check it out and give a brother a follow while you're there...

12:17 PM Aug 29th
Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Live tweeting from Section 104 to commence shortly. Stay tuned. #sfgiants

2:26 PM
Back up again after issues with AT&T Park WiFi. Ironic considering I rock an iPhone. Anyway, back to the game... #sfgiants

2:32 PM
Catching up on the game: Matt Cain = horse. Andres Torres = beast. Eli Whiteside = not Buster. Pablo Sandoval = Panda. #sfgiants

2:34 PM
@sfgiants Can we hear some "Good Vibrations" on the #SFGOrgan?

3:03 PM
Shotgun gave us just what the doctor ordered today. This rotation needs a leader. Cain might be the guy. #sfgiants

3:17 PM
Well, I always like to be there when the season ends. #sfgiants

3:22 PM
#sfgiants and #Padres with dueling four-game slides. G's could be on the verge of being 2 out. Could be.

3:26 PM
Guillen's had all kinds of chances to make up for beefing that 1st inning popup yesterday. He just came thru big time. #sfgiants #BeatAZ

3:28 PM
We. Will. Not. Lose. Today. RT @GSWJim  @ArcadeDreams Maybe spoken too soon.

3:32 PM
First time I've seen the McCovey Cove suite unoccupied. Might have to run a guerilla maneuver and bum rush the joint. #sfgiants

3:40 PM
Yeah. #thathappened #sfgiants

3:41 PM
Yeah. #thathappened too. #sfgiants

3:48 PM
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING:  #sfgiants baseball may be bad for your health.

3:55 PM
Even my usher is ripping Bochy for his machinations. I usually cut him some slack, but why put Wilson in Nate's spot & not Ross'? #sfgiants

[Butch's note: That last one turned out to be a prophetic tweet.]

28 August 2010

129 down. 33 to go.


There was a moment when everybody thought Tim Lincecum was out of the first inning. He'd walked the first batter, then struck out a pair and gone to 3-2 to Chris Young. He threw a pitch that looked like a strike to a lot of people, but not to Dale Scott. So Young walked, and Tim hung a 1-2 changeup that Adam LaRoche drove deep into the drink in one of those interesting confluences of my fantasy players and the reality of the game — in the same instant, I got 3 earnies tacked onto my pitching staff, and a three-run homer's worth of points from my offense. I'm trying to remember why I ever drafted LaRoche in the first place. Probably because he was the best available first baseman in a round when I needed a first baseman. I certainly don't like the guy, and I usually don't draft guys I don't like. Bad strategy, I know, but we all have our principles, and who the hell would want Matt Holliday on their team, anyway? The elder LaRoche brother turned down multiple years and more money from the Giants than the D-backs ended up giving him on his current one-year contract. His reasoning? He didn't want to hit in our yard 81 games a year. Like any self-obsessed, ego-driven athlete, he was looking out for Number One's numbers. Only one problem with your philosophy there, Adam: You play a team sport, and your team is in last place. Enjoy it. Back to Timmy and the pitch of fate. If you ignore the three-run splash job, the kid had a pretty good game. It did look like he was sacrificing velocity for control with his fastball, but more power to him. His stuff is good enough to get outs at whatever speed he wants to throw it. Pitching is all about keeping hitters off balance. Timmy knows how to do that, and that's why I'm not worried about his future in the long term. It's the short term that concerns us all right now...
BTW...

> I've mentioned before that our season tickets are perched just above the opposing team's family and friends section. Well, let's just say it's never fun to be at the park for an embarrassing loss such as that, and it's even worse when you're sitting near the opposing pitcher's family...

> Fred Sanchez with another pair of hits, but he booted his way to his first error of the year. You read that right. Dude hasn't goofed in the field since coming off the DL in early May. I'd tell you the other Giant working on an E-less streak, but that would only jinx him...

> Buster Posey leaving a game is always a major story in a situation such as the Giants find themselves, so when Mike Fontenot came out to pinch hit for Busta Bust in the eighth, I nearly pooped my pants. Looks like day-to-day with a forearm strain. Everybody grab your rosaries...

> Made it to the Cove in time for the first pitch, a rarity of late. I remember when I used to consider it sacrilege to arrive late or leave early. At least I still hold to one of my principles...

War Zeets. Show me something...

27 August 2010

128 down. 34 to go.

I'm not going to begin to describe the insanity that was the Reds series because there's just no way to do it justice. I could write a Russian novel on the plethora of stats dug up by beat writers, broadcasters, players, and pundits over the past few days, but nothing could possibly come close to actually witnessing the events at 24 Willie Mays Plaza in person. Unfortunately, work prevented me from attending what had to be one of the most epic contests in the history of our New York Gothams, but the laughers on Monday and Tuesday night were just as dumbfounding. Who would've predicted a team that got straight up shut down by the Pads, Phils, and Cards while going 3-6 in a nine-game stretch would come home and put up three straight 11-run performances against a team currently sitting atop its division and possibly headed for October baseball? But what else should we expect from our Teflon Team? I've beat this point into the dirt over the past five months, but the 2010 Giants have shown more resiliency, more tenacity, more drive and will to win than any Giants team I've seen in the past decade. Even the '00-'04 teams would never, could never have come back from a nine-run deficit in the bottom of the fifth. No, something about the chemistry of this club, something about the way the dugout explodes whenever something positive happens on the field, something about the fans who don't seem content to just give up, something is happening at the Cove this season that goes beyond the stats, beyond the Splash Hits, beyond the K's. Maybe the marketing slogan I love to hate has been right all along. Maybe it really is magic inside...

BTW...

> In a rush to get out the door and get to the Park for Orange Friday and Timmy's latest attempt to revive Big Time Timmy Jim, so I don't have time to pour over every detail of our recent offensive onslaught, so I'll leave you with a link to Baggs' best effort to sum everything up. Live tweeting to commence in T-minus two hours...

> One thing that sticks out from watching Wednesday's game play out on MLB Gameday: I was at my grandmother's for a Labor Day BBQ in 1989 when our boys dug out of an 8-run hole to beat the very same Red Legs at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati — referenced in Baggs' blog. I remember watching them fall behind 8-0 as my family members slowly filtered outside for burgers and sodas and beers and smokes, leaving me alone to watch in misery. As our team started their comeback, I urged my family to watch along with me. "You might miss history!" I shouted out the patio door. But I was the only one in the room when they put the cherry on top of a 9-8 victory. I've never left a game early since... except for one time in L.A., but that was for a lady — and a good one at that...

24 August 2010

126 down. 36 to go.

I don't know much, but I'll bet a dollar against a dime that Aubrey Huff was a steaming pile of pissed off watching little Andres Torres round the bases after depositing one over the centerfield wall in the bottom of the third. After all, back in the first, Huff Daddy cracked an Edinson Volquez pitch just about as hard as anyone could and gave it enough back spin to take it well out of almost any park in the majors. Unfortunately, Huff plays his home games at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, and even in the warm and windless conditions that greeted players on a rare comfortable Monday night in San Francisco, his bomb turned into a two-run double off the CF wall. Even from my perch in Section 104, I could feel Huff seething out at second base, staring into the abyss of the outfield as if to curse the park to its very foundation, the definition of AT&T'd. Yet, there was my fantasy superstar, Mr. Torres, with his unassuming swing — not exactly coming-out-of-his-shoes violent as you see with most little power hitters — and his tiny frame, doing what must sometimes feel like a wet dream for Aubrey: conquering the toughest field in one of the league's toughest parks with his 14th HR (tied for second on the team). So it was probably with no small amount of satisfaction that Huff watched his 8th-inning blast arc majestically into the deepest section of the Arcade, above the 20-foot wall, above the 421-foot marker. Bonds territory. I'm gonna add to all the other takes on Pablo Sandoval's resurgence in a moment, but the most welcome sight to my eyes in recent days has been Aubrey Huff's reclamation of his swing. More than anyone right now, we need this guy to be the MVP candidate he was in the first half. More and more, it looks like he's on his way there...

BTW...

> Pablo Sandoval went from Pablo to Panda to downright Kung Fu-Stylie with his four-rope, three-hit performance. Seemed like he squared everything up — aside from a weak fly to left in his only right-handed AB. More importantly: Dude wasn't waiting around for a written invitation. He saw the ball, he hit the ball. That's where Panda gets his strength. Asking this guy to take a pitch is like asking Joey Chestnut to stop eating...

> Fred Sanchez had his first four-hit game with Giants, and I barely noticed...

> Matt Cain was the horse we needed him to be to stop the bleeding. Take away three straight hits in the top of the third, and he's got a clean sheet and probably goes the distance. He retired the last 14 guys he faced and dropped down three sacrifice bunts, even though only one of them was ultimately successful. Blame it on Fred Sanchez's aging legs. It just goes to show how good this staff can be with the confidence that the offense is going to show up. Nothing scarier in baseball than Shotgun Cain with a lead...

> On the flip side, you gotta feel for Edinson Volquez, who pitched so poorly and was lifted so early with his team facing such a deficit that the hometown fans gave him a standing ovation. I didn't join in since I'm not one for kicking people when they're down, but I'll admit it made me smile...

> What didn't make me smile was the attempts at not one but two simultaneous waves smack in the middle of the game. What're we, Doyer fans? I'll have none of that in Section 104, thank you very much. War every fan who booed the wave as it labored around the park...

Let's hope the boys saved some offense for tonight...

22 August 2010

124 down. 38 to go.

Some quick hits before Breakfast with the Giants...

> It was shaping up pretty nice for Timmay after three, but Randy's Revenge really shook him up. It may have taken an inning to catch up to him, but he got rattled. He went from that steely eyed, overconfident bundle of limbs to the sweaty ball of goo that's taken the mound oh too many times of late. According to the kid, he's on track, feeling better out there, more in control. But the results just don't show it. I can't stress this enough: Every projection of the Giants' season hinges on Tim Lincecum being Tim Lincecum. If he's not, nothing else matters...

> It seemed like P-Happy was all over the place last night for the Cardinals. A run-scoring triple that easily could've been scored a double with an error on Pat Burrell, but I'm not gonna complain about that one. An RBI single off Mota late in the game to seal the deal. Then there was Pedro's glove. He's got such soft hands. He always has. Even when he was barely hitting above the Mendoza line for us, he could always play the field. Yeah, I guess it's safe to say I miss the bastard...

> Don't need to call me a jinxer. I know it. I write a feature on Pablo and 12 hours later, he goes out and puts up an 0-fer-4 — and leaves 4 men on base in the process. Dagnabbit, Panda...

> For the first time, I had the laptop propped open during a road game, watching the Gameday of Padres at Brewers while the Giants telecast played out on my 47" HDTV.  The Pads game was a little more of a contest, so my attention was drawn to my 17" MacBook Pro. I imagine it'll be like this the rest of the way, especially when I'm in France in a few weeks. More to come on that...

Barry Zito will be Baked Zitti today in the St. Louis heat.

21 August 2010

123 down. 39 to go.

I've said it before, but so much in baseball can hinge on one pitch. Last night, the pitch that stood out was the changeup low and out of the strike zone that Pablo Sandoval absolutely nutted into the Cardinals bullpen in right center. It didn't give the Giants a lead, but it did extend their lead. It was a solo shot, so Jake Westbrook avoided a crooked number. But in the context of the season, that pitch and the swing Sandoval put on it meant a whole heckuva lot. Baggs has already opined on the subject here, so I won't regurgitate his stats and observations. From the perspective of a fan who watches most of his games from the couch, it's clear that Pablo is slowly but surely becoming the Panda once again. In his last ten games, he's hitting over .300 with four jacks and five RBI. Two days ago, he laced his first homer from the right side of the plate since September '09. And last night, he fell behind 0-2, fought back to a full count, and crushed a pitcher's pitch outa the park. It's upsetting that his defense has seemingly waned as his offense has improved, but honestly, I'll take that trade off. The Giants have been among the best defensive teams in the league all year, and when they score four runs, they're virtually unbeatable. They're not a perfect team, so they have to distribute their resources as efficiently as possible. Am I ready to say that Kung Fu Pandamonium has returned? Not quite. Too small a sample size. But it's a nice sample nonetheless, and it's encouraging that it's happening at just the right time. As the pitching staff begins to tire in the season's final weeks, we'll need some offense to back them up. Sandoval, Sanchez, Burrell, Huff, Posey, and yes, even Guillen need to be on top of their respective games, because if we can't count on Timmy, we need to mash...

BTW...

> How freaking awesome was it to watch Madison Bumgarner go right after The Great Pujols? Albert progressively got a better look at MadBum's stuff, eventually blasting one out to deeeeeep left center after Andres Torres robbed him of a double at the centerfield wall. But Bumgarner stole the show tonight. I dare anyone to prove to me he's not the ace of the staff right now...

> Sergio Romo seems to have secured the eighth inning gig — for now. No telling if his mini-implosion last night will affect Bochy's late-inning choices, which are already due up for review with Jeremy Affeldt's return to a clean bill of health...

> The sequel to last night's Kung Fu Panda Redux was the Return of the Huff Daddy. Nice game for a guy who's my age yet looks twice as old. And according to Baggs, it was all my buddy Pat Burrell's fault. Be sure to check out the off-day story on these two and the blog that followed. Classic stuff...

> I don't know about you, but seeing Pedro Felíz in another uniform always makes me feel... grateful...

> I have no problem with José Guillen wearing the sacred No. 6, provided he produces with his bat and throws out at least a half a dozen guys trying to stretch singles into doubles. It's obvious his legs are not what they used to be, but that's nothing new for a Giant wearing the 6 jersey. I know I said some nasty things, but so far, so good for the newest Gigante...

20 August 2010

122 down. 40 to go.

So who the hell was that? The guy who took the ball tonight and climbed up on the bump. The guy who twirled a gem and got yanked before he's had enough. The guy who's been up and down so much over the past three seasons that his real nickname should be Yo-Yo. Was that really "Dirty" Sanchez? I'll be damned, it was. Where was this Dirty on Orange Friday against the Padres, after guaranteeing a sweep, after opening his big fat mouth like he's bloody Juan Marichal? He's not Juan Marichal. He's not even Juan Valdez. He's a tremendous pitcher with the best natural stuff of anybody on this staff, a guy who could be a legit Number One, an ace in the hole... if he could just keep his dome straight. You can see it in his eyes the moment it happens. Sometimes it starts with a foul ball. He rubs up the new one and stares off into the abyss of the crowd, wondering what they're thinking, knowing they're all watching him. He comes to and gets the sign from the catcher like he's glancing at an accident on the highway. And when it comes in, it's either way off the plate, in the dirt, or nice and juicy. Then, you have evenings like this. Evenings that make you want to scream "WTF? Where was this when we needed it?" Because he's on my fantasy team, I was having a look at Dirty's splits. In four April starts, he went 2-1 with a 1.85 ERA and a WHIP of 1.11. In May, he posted a WHIP of 1.09, but his ERA jumped to 3.58. He went 1-3 in six starts. So, what caused the ERA jump if his WHIP stayed virtually constant? In April, he didn't give up a home run. In May, gave up four. Here endeth the lesson...

BTW...

> I don't have anything interesting to say about Wednesday night. Andres Torres continued to impress for Team Hopey Changey with a leadoff bomb — his 12th! — but los Gigantes didn't muster much more beyond Pat the Bat's encore tater in his return to Philly. Funny as shit to see him get a standing O on Tuesday before his first at bat, only to be booed after putting one in the seats...

> I know I just spent some space on this blog lauding the bullpen's stalwart performance of late. Perhaps I should hold my jinxing tongue... :)

> Always great to see Matt Cain get some run support. [sarcasm] As rough as it's been for the Giants starters of late, you have to feel for guys who go out there sometimes thinking they're gonna have to throw a shutout just to have a chance to win. The tendency, I imagine, would be to take too fine an approach, to nibble, and nibbling never got anybody a Cy Young Award... or two...

> Ten bucks says Buster Posey loses another double and an RBI when the official scorer has a second look at the ball Shane Victorino misplayed in the third. Dude gets enough hits anyway, right?

> War Panda. Finally.

18 August 2010

120 down. 42 to go.

It's getting serious now. The gap is widening. The Fathers are playing cupcakes. Los Gigantes are struggling with winning teams. The starters are 0 for their last 13 with an ERA approaching 6. And last night, hours after I lauded the bullpen on this very blog, they suffered a monumental collapse and let the Phils blow a close game straight to hell. No chance for a 9th-inning miracle. No joy for long-suffering fans of the Orange and Black who should be poised to go on suffering if the trends of this roller coaster season continue to play out. Right now, the team is 14 games over .500, right where they finished in '09. If they can manage to post a winning record the rest of the way, they could be said to have "improved". But truthfully, in this division, with this talent in the rotation, true improvement means a pennant. Absent that, this is a lost season, and anyone who tries to put a rose on it is selling you something. I know most pundits predicted a middle-of-the-road finish for the China Basin 9. But those of us with a couple drops of faith left in the tank saw modest improvements, a couple stout prospects on the way, and a never-say-die attitude and thought, much like the construction worker in Major League: "These guys ain't so f**king bad." Now, we're starting to sound like the Japanese groundskeepers from the same movie: "They're still sh**ty." So what's it gonna be then, eh, Giants? Another season to forget, or a resurgent race to the finish line? God help me, you know I'm praying for the former. But the latter appears increasingly more likely with every passing day and every minor disappointment...

BTW...

> War Jose Guillen. No, I did not want him. Yes, I'm glad to have him. At least with him in there behind Posey, Huff, and Burrell, the lineup doesn't look so... weak. If Panda continues his gradual rise from the realm of mediocrity, we might actually scare a few pitchers down the stretch...

> I'm not gonna rag on a guy who's been the obvious MVP of the club since April, but it looks like having to carry the team for the first three months of the season is finally catching up to Aubrey Huff. Let's hope he catches a second wind sometime on this road trip, because we're surely gonna need his bat to make a run...

> I don't know how serious Chris Ray's injury is, but it's awful dubious to get lit up one night and find yourself on the DL the next day, just in time for a rehabbing teammate to return to the 25-man roster (see Affeldt, Jeremy)...

> Quick hit: Barry Zito gave up more runs in 5+ IP last night (4) than the Giants' staff allowed in a three-game series at Citizens Bank Park last September (3). FYI, they lost two of three in that '09 series...

Will Matt Cain beat the streak? We'll find out soon enough...

17 August 2010

119 down. 43 to go.

Four games is nothing. We can make up four games, but not if we can't do one very simple thing: Beat the f**king Padres! Seriously. This is not hard. The Diamondbacks do it, the Dodgers do it, even the Rockies do it. Why can't the Giants? Are they in our heads? Do they know better than us how to win in our own park? Do they put some sort of voodoo curse on the visiting clubhouse whenever we visit their Dog Park? Is this some kind of cosmic joke on Giants fans? Or is it karma for all those years of walking in and flat out owning Jack Murphy nee Qualcomm Stadium — both on the field and in the stands? Probably all of the above. But it doesn't matter. We have to beat these guys, or we're not going anywhere this season. Seven games left, three in our house to close the season, and every one of those games is HUGE. I'm calling it right now: The Orange and Black MUST win at least five of these seven remaining games with the Friars to have a chance to win the West. We can drop six of seven and still back into the Wild Card. But that scenario is too dependent on the performance of other teams, and I don't know about you, but I couldn't stand making the playoffs without having proven that we can (at least) compete with the best team in our division. Plus, it's incredibly possible that we meet them in the NLCS. (Let's call that scenario "Butch's Worst Nightmare.") So the long, short, and in-between of it all is this: Beat the f**king Padres. Of course, it'd be nice to win at least a couple games on this roadie to the hot-and-humid infernos of Philly at St. Lou, but let's not ask too much of the Mudville Nine. They've already got enough to worry about...

BTW...

> As Mychael Urban said on Sunday afternoon's Sportsphone, it is officially time to start the worry meter on Big Time Timmy Jim. Whether or not he snaps out of this funk could determine the course of these final 43 games. My worst fear that will likely prove true: The kid slacked on his conditioning during the offseason — "Puff, puff, give..." — and has already run out of gas. If that's true, he's done for the year, and we may as well not make the postseason. I have to imagine if it truly was a mechanical problem as Tim suggests, Big Daddy Chris would've pulled a Father Knows Best and corrected his ultimate creation by now. To be continued after Saturday's start in the St. Louis heat...

> Much I love his defense and have his career numbers memorized, I have to say Freddy Sanchez looks like absolute garbage right now, and he's said as much as well. Good thing someone went and got this Fontenot guy to shore up the middle infield, especially with Edgar back on the mend. And I have to give a shoutout to the Chron's John Shea, who tweeted his ideal lineup following the Guillen acquisition with Buster in the two-hole. Nice call @JohnSheaHey...

> In the midst of this crushing series loss to the Fathers and a 12-game winless streak for the starting staff, I'd be remiss to ignore the fine work of the Giants bullpen of late. These guys have really plugged the leaks and kept us in this hunt, and it's due in no small part to the reinforcements brought in my Sabes and the brass before the deadline...

> Good to see Bochy's been reading my Twitter feed. Anyone else think U-RIBE! should've bunted in the bottom of the 11th on Saturday?

> Would've meant more in terms of momentum if they'd closed out the series with a W, but Saturday's win was absolutely crucial. Without it, we're staring at a 6-game deficit and probably thinking Wild Card. And the crown jewel of Saturday's comeback was that it happened against the vaunted San Diego bullpen. There ain't nobody gonna tell me our boys lack heart, perseverance, and determination. Unlike years past, we are never out of a game, no matter the deficit, because the 2010 Giants just don't quit...

¡Vamos Gigantes!

14 August 2010

117 down. 45 to go.

Nice one, Dirty. We stake you to a 2-run lead. You give it back. We put two runners on ahead of you. You bunt it back to the pitcher. A suggestion from a guy who still begrudges Dusty Baker for handing Russ Ortiz the game ball: You can't guarantee a win in team sports. But if you happen to get overanxious in the postgame presser and say something you should probably have kept to yourself, the least you can do is keep a clean sheet for your part in the contest. Failing to do that, you get my Razz of the Day. I will, however, note that your performance was much improved overall, and my fantasy team thanks you for it. Btw, #TeamHopeyChangey is still in the cellar of the middle of the league. Get that? Short post today because I have to run out the door and walk precincts. I think when this campaign is done, I'll get GOTV tattooed on my arm...

BTW...

> Seeing Aubrey Huff take Clayton Richard the opposite way for an RBI double in the first was like a vision of happiness. Defenses have been employing the "Barry" shift on Huff Daddy pretty much all year, but the guy can hit to all fields, so I don't really see the point. It's also striking to remember how rarely the man for whom I name the shift did this very thing, even in situations where a bleeder to the left side would score the winning run...

> As I said on the Twitter thingie, this is not the end of the world. We still have two games left in this series to jump back into the race for first. It's all about winning series from here on out. We do that, we'll be golden...

13 August 2010

116 down. 46 to go.

So it begins: Showdown Series, Guarantee Weekend, How The West Was Won... Doesn't matter what you call it, this visit from the Fathers is freaking HUGE. But it wouldn't mean quite as much were it not for one man: Pat Burrell. At the risk of turning this blog into a Pat the Bat lovefest, there is now officially no way to deny the positive impact this scrap heap signing has had on your 2010 San Francisco Giants. Let's talk about the GWRBI in three of the last four Gigantes victories — and it woulda been all four had the over-taxed bullpen not blown the 4-run lead provided by my high school classmate's emphatic fifth-inning grand slam. Let's talk about clutch late-inning home runs to beat the Hated Ones, and then the Cubs on Wednesday night — with Butch in the house! Let's talk about critical sac flies (the most underrated stat in all of baseball) to beat the Braves last week and those same Cubbies on Monday — again, with yours truly cheering him on from Section 104. Let's talk about professional at bats, a strong arm in left field, and a winning attitude. Let's talk about how Pat's signing jacked up Aubrey Huff, his former teammate at The U. Most importantly, let's talk about how Brian Sabean continues to confound his critics by pulling players like Pat out of his ass and watching them turn into difference makers. I'm talking about Kenny Lofton, Randy Winn, Juan Uribe, and now Burrell. Much as I abhor the acquisition of Jose "Cancer" Guillen, I have to stop short of bashing the move until we've seen what it yields. Hell, for all we know, Guillen will have a game winner down the stretch that proves to be the difference between playing baseball or golf in October. So put away your Lunatic Fringe membership cards for one day and do what our good buddy Jeff Kent says: "Watch the game." Who knows? You might see something special...

BTW...

> War Pablo Sandoval. First homer since mid-June. A splash hit, no less. Match that with a pair of shots to Triples Alley in the final two games of this series that would have been out of any other park, and you've got the makings of a possible re-birth. But I'm gonna stop right there, because we've heard it, seen it, felt it before, and Panda version '09 has yet to make an appearance...

> I'd love to sit here and bitch out the 'pen for "blowing" Matt Cain's 10th victory and "wasting" Pat's granny, but how can you hate after the week they've had? Relievers have taken the decision in each of the last 9 games, and between a pair of extra inning contests and a bevy of abbreviated outings from the starters, these guys are taxed. Ironic that Bochy went to a 7-man 'pen to add some bench depth right before this tenuous stretch. But it looks like reinforcements are on the way in the form of Jeremy Affeldt and "Big" Dan Runzler — both tossing for the Baby Giants this weekend...

> Amidst all this Pat the Bat insanity, I'd be remiss if I didn't check in on another Bellarmine alum — and fellow Willow Glen native — who once wore the orange and black of his hometown team. I'm referring, of course, to Kevin "Franny" Frandsen. Unfortunately, Franny is currently plying his trade at the AAA level for the hated Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in Orange County Near the Airport (A Huuuuuuuuuge Toilet Bowl). Before his demotion, he was hitting .288 in 139 ABs for the big league club, with 11 doubles and 13 RBI. Also of note: 9 BB and only 6 Ks. Right now, he's batting .266 for the Salt Lake Bees. I will keep you posted on his movements...

> Can't say I was all that geeked up by Jonathan Sanchez's bulletin board quotes following his shellacking in Atlanta on Sunday. I've never been one for guaranteed victories because there are too many variables in sports to make these guarantees anything more than sheer bravado, especially in baseball. IMHO, you take care of your business and leave the talking for the broadcasters and beat writers. Let's hope Dirty didn't light too big of a fire under the Padres' collective ass...

See you at the Cove...

11 August 2010

114 down. 48 to go.

I know what's on your mind, but I'm not getting into it. I've already expended far too much energy, used far too many words, and wasted far too much space on the frankly frightening subject of the Amazing Disappearing Back-to-Back Cy Young Award Winner. Mediocre Merc sub Carl Steward already blogged about the need for Big Time Timmy Jim to consult his own personal Dr. Frankenstein. And Timmy himself has already addressed the issue of his rapidly waning success with the media types. So why bother? It's just gonna rile me up anyway, and I've got tickets for tonight's contest, so I need to be in positive spirits for Section 104. I will say that I called yesterday as the one game the Giants would likely lose in a series against one of the most pathetically struggling teams in professional ball right this minute. Long story short: Tim is the only G's starter in whom I do not have innate confidence, and Ryan Dempster has always given us hives. While I truly hate it when I'm right sometimes, there's a reason they call me #Butchtrodamus. Late-inning rallies and lucky breaks aside, this game was over the moment Team Hopey Changey 29th-round draft pick Kosuke Fukudome (pronounced Fuk-u-dome in Section 104) got wet off former THC teammate Timmy. (There was no pun intended there. The abbreviation of my fantasy team's name is THC. Purely coincidental. Swear to god.) I would have been remotely excited by that development had I not dumped Fukudome like a dirty diaper back in May. That's the best contact this guy's made in months, and that fact that it came off the Franchise should be another red flag — but I'm not gonna talk about that. Of course, there's not much else to talk about, so who the hell am I kidding? We need Timmy straight in the head and sound in the body. Right now, he's neither, and it scares the living piss out of me because that means Barry Zito is our de facto "ace". And while Baked Zitti looks like his usual second-half self, I'm not convinced he could lead off a short series against an Adam Wainwright or Tim Hudson — or Roy Halladay...

BTW...

> Buster's back, and Pablo didn't look too shabby either. Good to see some production from both of these guys after recent struggles — albeit Panda's a bit more pronounced and extended than Gerald's...

> Not to rag on the 'pen because they've been freaking stout lately, particularly former Hated One Guillermo Mota. But those two Cub runs with two out in the eighth were freaking back breakers and made the 9th inning rally by los Gigantes that much more bittersweet. Imagine if Panda's infield hit had tied the game...

10 August 2010

113 down. 49 to go.

Go Bells. Seriously, I don't think I've taken full advantage of this space to express the sheer joy I get from watching a former Bellarmine classmate light it up for the team we both grew up idolizing. And now, three times in nine days, Pat Burrell has won a game for los Gigangtes de San Francisco — first with his epic 8th inning blast against the Hated Ones, then on a pair of desperately needed sac flies. One of those SF's produced the only win that SF picked up in the ATL. The other ended an 11-inning contest on Jerry Garcia Tribute Night yesterday at the Cove. My avid Tweeps will recall that I called for the Giants to sign Pat the Bat the very day he was DFA'd by the Rays, and I lobbied for the move over the week that followed before a deal was finally struck. To a one, the beat writers — I'm looking at you @HankSchulman — said it would be a pointless endeavor considering the team's apparent outfield logjam and the apparent decline of Burrell's career arc. What a difference a couple months make. His numbers over 170 plate appearances since joining the Orange and Black? .291/.388/.511, 10 2B, 7 HR, 20 RBI — and 4 sacrifice flies. And just yesterday, Bochy says Pat's the de facto everyday LF. So go eat another donut, Henry, and let the big boys like #Butchtrodamus do the prognosticating. When this season is said and done, I hope we can all look back and be happy that Sabes and the brass took a chance on that kid who used to sit behind me in Counterculture Lit with Mr. Benson. But even if he never swung a bat after that homer against the Doyers, he would've held a special place in the hearts of Giants fans for years to come. Go Bells, indeed...

BTW...

> This [lack of] offense is really starting to piss me off. I mean, for crying out loud, 7 BBs in 5 IP from Carlos "I Can't Help That I'm A Total Douche" Zambrano, and we score 2 whole runs — one of them on a WP? Yeah, it's odd to have a rookie catcher batting cleanup, but when you've only got three guys out of nine you can trust not to strike out feebly or bounce a two-hopper to short with runners on base, you've got to put them where they can make an impact. The good news? The boys picked up twice as many hits with RISP on Monday night as they did all weekend in Atlanta. The bad news? They still almost lost to a lesser team. Ah, the dog days...

> I'm certainly not the biggest Deadhead in the world, but I'm enough of a fan to appreciate last night's tribute to Jerry. As always, the team put on a wonderful pre- and in-game show, highlighted — for me anyway — by Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bill Walton leading 8,500 strong in a kazoo chorus version of "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the stretch. There were plenty of heads in the crowd, and the lot before the game was reminiscent of my weekend with Phish at the Greek. I think I heard someone asking for a miracle for tonight's game...

> War Giants bullpen for coming home hard. Five and a third of shutout ball from six of seven available relievers, but I sure as hell didn't want this game getting to Santiago Casilla. Yikes! Thankfully, it ended with Chris Ray on the bump, as it has three times since he was acquired for Bengie Mo. Pretty good deal that...

09 August 2010

112 down. 50 to go.

Okay, everybody, time to take a step back from the cliff. It's one week, one road trip, six games, a very small sample size from which to deduce that the 2010 season has officially bit the big one. Please try to remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. Is it disturbing that the Giants' bats all tend to go cold at the same time? Yes. Is it frustrating that our pitching staff tends to wilt like a poppy in the heat and humidity of August's dog days? Yes. Is it discouraging that we had an opportunity to move into first place this weekend with a few more timely hits and yet fell flat? Yes. Don't I hate losing to the Braves as much as you do? Of course. But it was wrong for me to call the coroner in the first week of July, so I'm certainly not gonna join the doom-and-gloom brigade after one week in August. I don't know what causes the collective outbursts from our offense nor the requisite collective slumps. But is it too far fetched to think that, over time, a ballclub begins to function in a similar fashion to a group of women who see their menstrual cycles come into alignment while living under the same roof? It certainly puts a crimp on the whole winning ballgames thing when nobody can get a hit to save their life, but it is what it is, as they say, and I doubt we'll hear any bitching if everybody gets hot in September and October. As for the pitchers, there's not much you can do when you play your home games in the coldest winters ever experienced in the summertime and have to travel to places like Hot-lanta, Philadelphia, and St. Louis around the time of year when those cities turn into oversized saunas. A little wilting is to be expected, but still, the starters were not the problem in this series... Okay, so maybe "Dirty" Sanchez could have been better... No, the real problem is what it's always been: situational hitting. You cannot — CAN NOT — go 1-for-31 with RISP over a four game series and expect a split. Hell, you shouldn't even expect to win a single game with that stat hanging off your utility belt. But again, this is something that's plagued the Orange and Black for years, and while we all wanted the July explosion to stick around a little longer, we've just been reminded that this is a hit-and-miss offense. When they hit, they crush. When they miss, you may as well be watching Matlock if you're looking for excitement. And before you start ripping Sabean or Bochy for not making a deal for a hitter, look at the market. Ludwick was the steal of the show, and even that deal took a third team and almost didn't happen. There was no instant offense on the market. If there was, it would've been had by hook or by crook. I agree with the brass. The right move wasn't there. And instead of risking the future on a rental who may not work out (ahem, Sidney Ponson, Shea Hillenbrand, Ryan Garko), the brass decided to have confidence in the hit-and-miss offense and push on through with a team built around pitching and defense and just enough hitting — exactly their game plan coming into the past two seasons. It's worked out so far. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt and see how this plays out on October 3rd.

BTW...

> Looks like Gerald "Buster" Posey had a little trouble getting it up in front of the hometown crowd. Let's hope his bat springs back to life at the Cove, or we're in for a long couple of months...

> What the hell is wrong with Freddy Sanchez? Dude needs to pick it up. He's the only guy whose bat didn't heat up in July, but at the time, his ineptitude was obscured by production from everywhere else in the lineup. Good thing is, the guy knows it, and he pushes himself out there. Good attitude to see from a millionaire every now and again...

> As if we needed a reminder of why Todd Wellemeyer is no longer in the starting rotation. Question: Whose bright idea was it for him to make his return to the bump on a road trip?...

> Only once this season has "Dirty" posted consecutive quality starts — back in April. Looks like he'll be platooning for Team Hopey Changey from here on out. And Big Time Timmy Jim may suffer the same fate if he can't figure out his mess...

> It should not be surprising to anyone who follows the team that our bats went cold against Tim Hudson or Derek Lowe, both dyed-in-the-wool Giants Killers. I'll leave the stat crunching to others who do that better. This blog is for the fan take, and that's my take. Pfft.

06 August 2010

109 down. 53 to go.

Two pitches. That's all it takes to lose a game. So how'd you like to be a starting pitcher? For what it's worth, we all know Big Time Timmy Jim has issues with the heat, especially east of the Rockies. Hell, I can't blame him. The humidity is brutal. And if he hadn't been forced to run the bases in the second after Pablo's a late break from second on Timmy's sac bunt attempt, who knows? Maybe he comes out in the bottom half and sets down the side in order, gets in a rhythm, and coasts through seven strong. Maybe he doesn't allow the jack to Gonzalez and another to Hinske — wall-scrapers, both of 'em. Maybe the offense piles it on in the second and puts the game out of reach. We know for sure it would have led to at least one more run on Torres' double. But if you know me, you know I'm not one to play "What if..." This game is about results, not hypotheticals, and nobody ever won a game on a do-over — though that Mets game a few weeks back made Butch think about petitioning MLB for a rules change. As it stands, not the worst loss of the year, but definitely one of the worst performances with RISP that we've seen from the 2010 club. I'll tell ya right now, one hit with RISP and 9 LOB is not gonna git 'er done in October... BTW: "No, no, no, no, no, no, no no!" No, this is not a Bohemian Rhapsody reference. It's what I would've said had I been in the room with Giants brass when the subject of acquiring Jose Guillen came up. I'm not a fan of clubhouse cancers, and A's fans should know well enough to steer clear of this loser. I don't care how good his stats look or how quick a bat he swings. If we didn't make a move at the deadline, we certainly should not make this one... War Gerald "Buster" Posey for cleaning up the POTM awards from MLB: Player of the Month, Rookie of the Month, Clutch Performer of the Month. Why not combine them all into the Rookie Clutch Performing Player of the Month? That way, BP can save some space on his mantle for the awards sure to come in his future (ROY, GG, MVP?).

P.S. Great first night of Phish at the Greek, even though I didn't get in. Heard the whole gig from the berm behind the venue. God bless Berkeley! Possum, Wolfman's, Divided to open it up. DwD, Free, Tweezer, Fluff in the second set. Looking forward to getting in tonight. Wish me luck!

05 August 2010

108 down. 54 to go.

Two days in Colorado, and I have to admit, I expected the reverse result. You tell me Jonathan Sanchez is pitching at Coors with career splits against the Rocks resembling Atlee Hammaker's career stats, and I chalk that up as an "L". To more acutely express my feelings about the matchup, I held "Dirty" Sanchez off my 25-man fantasy roster on Tuesday. While the Giants fan in me was pleasantly surprised by the W, the fantasy player in me was ready to leap from a very high balcony if Dirty had been able to complete the shutout. Luckily for Team Hopey Changey, he faded after six — once again — I only ended up missing out on 17 points and an ERA boost, and los Gigantes were victorious. Drinks all around... Jokes aside, you have to be pumped by Sanchez's performance considering how much he'd struggled before the trade deadline. His postgame quotes hinted at it, but I'd go so far as to pin the secret to his success in Denver on comfortability. Remember, this is a guy who has a general problem with focus. Throw in a healthy dose of job insecurity and the thought of picking up roots and heading to another franchise, and you've got a nervous breakdown waiting to happen out there on the bump. As it stands, Dirty and the rest of the team got a big boost from the Giants' (lack of) moves on July 31st, and that will only serve the clubhouse chemistry well down the stretch. BTW: What the hell am I s'posed to say about yesterday? I didn't listen to the postgame show or Sportsphone with F.P., but I'd guess the Negative Nancies were out in full force with their vapid arguments about the need for a big bat and more pitching depth. Friends, sometimes a loss was always gonna be a loss no matter what team you threw out on the field. Ubaldo was due, the Rocks' bats had been on fire prior to Tuesday's anomaly, and Bumgarner had been pitching well over his head for a 20-year-old rookie. (Now, he's winless as a 21-year-old.) Add all that up, and it's a series split. We do the same in Hot-lanta, we'll be sitting pretty when we get back to the Cove... Did I mention the Pads have lost two in a row to the Hated Ones? I'd never (openly) root for the boys from Chavez Ravine, but I'm not gonna sit here and tell you those results don't warm my heart — just a bit.

P.S. Headed up to Berkeley for three nights of Phish at the Greek Theatre, so the tweets and blogs might be slow going for the next few days. Hope you'll bear with me.

02 August 2010

106 down. 56 to go.

FRIDAY: It's an adventure every night with this team, B-Weezy back spasms or not. But for some reason, this time, I wasn't worried. Even as the tying run moved into scoring position, I felt deep down in those places you don't talk about at parties that the boys were gonna pull this one out. I brought a kazoo to the game, an orange one. It debuted on Monday, but I really let it out on Orange Friday, blaring in the ears of unsuspecting Doyer fans. After a few innings, I began to recall the last time the Hated Ones came to town. I said some really awful things to some blue-clad fans that warm evening in late June. I eased off on the kazoo, stopped telling every other person in an Ethier shirt to "Go back to your smog-infested shell of a city." I let them be. And los Gigantes rewarded me with a W. How did I know they would pull it out? Because in the top of the 9th, I had my mouth hermetically sealed shut. BTW: War Juan U! RIBE! for still being a baddass, but this game belonged to Aubrey Huff. Two-run double, Arcade homer, two great plays from both corner outfield positions. Can you spell M-V-P? Buster Posey... 1-game hitting streak.

SATURDAY: When Pat Burrell connected on his eighth inning bolt of lightning into the glove of a lucky fan roaming the bleachers, the multitude of images, memories, thoughts, and feelings that splashed across my mind would have been enough to fill an entire volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica. My instincts told me to join the rest of my 42,000 friends in attendance and jump for joy, explode in a rage of happiness and inchoate ranting. But I had to keep all but the briefest of bleats tucked neatly inside my soul. Why? Because I had the honor of sharing a luxury suite for the final 2+ innings with a local VIP, and while he would not have cared if I'd screamed bloody murder, I had to respect the austerity of his guests. It hurt so much to hold it inside as my former high school classmate rounded the bases in a moment that all of us there knew instantly would be carved into the storied history of this rivalry, to be repeated to our sons and daughters, to their daughters and sons. It hurt so much  had to cry. And when I did, I was thinking of my father, and his father. It's a family thing, you see. BTW: I'd have to be a galdarned idiot not to realize the eerie symmetry between this game and the Sunday afternoon affair at Chavez Ravine following a bitter floor battle at the California Democratic Party Convention on April 18th. On that day, oh so long ago, Barry Zito threw seven scoreless, and he was dealing like he always does in that yard. But he was being matched pitch for pitch by Clayton Kershaw, until U-RIBE! shot one into the left field pavilion. Part of me wanted the game to end 1-0, but the other part — the dominant part — knew that it wouldn't. So when Zito walked Garrett Anderson and Romo came in to give up the ghost to ManRam, I sat there and laughed. To keep from crying. I could sit here and draw the parallels, but I'll just say that this was Zito's redemption, even though he didn't figure in the decision of either game.

SUNDAY: I'm going to try very hard not to get excited. I'm going to do my best not to fly off the handle and make bold but uneducated predictions. I'm going to bite my tongue. But this is getting to be pretty f***ing fun, and the fun's only beginning. I remember the last time we swept the Doyers at the Cove. I remember because at the time I was working as an usher in Sections 219 & 220 on the Club Level. Great view up the first base line out toward the archways. I got to watch J.T. Snow do his bizniss every day, and they paid me $11 an hour to do it. Good union work. On the day we completed the sweep, the Giants were absolutely blowing those pricks out of the water, and I had to deal with the one and only fight in my section the entire year. It was started by a Doyer fan who — as fate would have it — was from San José. I don't know what pissed me off more: his team of choice or that he could've been my neighbor. Or maybe it was having to stay an hour after the game to fill out a report, and then another, and then another. All because some Giants fan sprained his thumb in the altercation. I remember trying to get between them before it happened. My fans may have thought I was trying to protect them from drunken violence. Truthfully, I just wanted them to cool it so I could watch the game and get home on time. BTW: How does Edgar Renteria do it? Every time the fans — yours truly included — start calling for his head, he turns around and does something that makes it impossible for us to hate him (see: Opening Day, grand slam vs. Rockies in '09). War Matt Cain. He earned that W.