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| Courtesy of the Butch Husky Estate © 2012 |
Or, we could just throw a few bullet points at the white board of life and see what sticks in a month or two. Anything's better than obsessing over Matt Kemp's OPS two weeks into the season.
With that, here are my 10 observations from the first 10 games of the young season...
Game 1 (D-Bags 5, Gigantes 4): We could legitimately focus on Timmy in three of these points, but this game was instantly noteworthy because last year it would have been over after the first inning. This year, there's a little more pop, a little more bop, and a little more je ne sais quoi. This year, they're going to make every game interesting. At least we all can hope they do.
Game 2 (D-Bags 5, Gigantes 4): Second verse, same as the first? But seriously, MadBum has been known to get knocked around early because he pounds the zone from the first pitch to the last, and if a team comes out with an aggressive, unified strategy, they can take advantage. This is something he'll learn to correct as he gets older. Not that throwing strikes is a bad thing. Just throwing better strikes.
Bonus Observation: Brett Pill should get one AB a week in a critical situation, just to see what happens.
Game 3 (D-Bags 7, Gigantes 6): Okay, this is when we knew the baseball gods were fudging with us. But seriously, can't say enough about all that offense. The G-Men went toe-to-toe with the Snakepit's lineup of mashers and came within a few runs of flipping the script and sweeping them in their house. Alas, Matt Cain completes the trifecta of #fail. But man oh man them Giants look like they can hit.
Game 4 (Gigantes 7, Rocks 0): Sweet freaking Jeebus, Barry Zito!? I mean, for reals, y'all. One week prior, dude was done. He was pitching to minor leaguers to work out some massive, career-threatening kinks in his ridiculously over-thought delivery. Now he's tossing the G's first shutout at Coors since who knows when and getting a hit of Esmil Rogers after fouling off seven pitches. WTF. SMH. FML.
Game 5 (Rocks A LOT, Gigantes NOT SO MUCH): Yeah, eff you too, Timmy. Thanks for raining on Zito's victory parade... But again, not the time to focus on a Lincecum lament. This one is all about Nate Schierholtz and whatever elixir he finds in the rare air of the high plains. Another guy who was shoved out of the starting lineup, almost an afterthought, until he launched two balls into the night.
Game 6 (Gigantes 4, Rocks 2): Now, that's the Madison Bumgarner we know and love. What an all-around crisp and beautiful game from the lads... Other than the regrettable ninth inning, of course. It was the beginning of the end of the beginning for B-Weezy. He said afterwards that the ankle tweak was a "non-issue", and he was right. His elbow had bigger news to break.
Game 7 (Gigantes 5, Bucs 0): Matt Cain. Earning his money. That's all you can say. I've never seen a no hitter live, much less a perfect game, but if this is as close as I ever come, I can die a happy man. To see this guy on top of his game against an inferior opponent is almost like watching a lion gore a billy goat. They shoot Pirates, don't they?
Game 8 (Gigantes 4, Bucs 3): Before everybody gets their panties wet for the Return of Zito the Great — including yours truly — allow me to throw some cold water on your collective crotches. Please to consider Barry Zito's line through 6 starts in 2010: 5-0, 1.49 ERA, 28 Ks, 12 BB, reached the 8th 4 times and got into the 7th once. Yeah. I'm sorry. I wish I could jump on the bandwagon, too.
Game 9 (Bucs 4, Gigantes 1): Yep. Knew this one was coming. Coulda seen it a mile away. Another case of Vogelstrong being Vogelstrong. I don't know why I was worried about him. I was also worried about Kevin Correia. Dude gets it up to pitch against the O&B. He's got a 1.18 WHIP and a 3.27 ERA against us since moving out of his San Francisco apartment. So don't trash talk the kid so much, maybe.
Game 10 (Philz 5, Gigantes 2): It's still not time to worry about Big Time Timmy Jim, but it's not exactly the right time to be using that nickname, either. Another first inning meltdown, this one avoidable if our two noobs in the outfield can figure out how to communicate. (Se dice "¡Yo la tengo!")
This one really was over after the first, because you're just not coming back from 4 down against Roy Halladay, no matter how shaky he looks. Great pitchers get into trouble. What makes them great is their ability to get out of trouble. And the Doc did a great job of that last night. (Memo to Charlie Manuel: I did not say "good.")
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See you at the Cove again tonight. Five straight days with the smell of garlic fries in my nostrils and the taste of IPAs on my lips. I haven't even had a chance to get into the Cain and MadBum signings, but there's time for all things in this life...
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