GAMEBALL and JOKE 5/27 BRAVES at GIANTS

GAMEBALL and JOKE
5/27 BRAVES at GIANTS

GAMEBALL

BIG RAT

299…you got to give him the gameball….but better yet….looks like RJ might have found a little consistency with back to back solid outings following the THRASHING by the Mets…..
Velocity? Check
Release Point? Check
Control? Check
Wow, looks like 1 hell of a #5 starter…..and heck if Sanchez, Zito, and Johnson all keep it up, this team could just stay in the race with this middling offense….

TIP OF THE CAP :
BATS
But it wasn't middling tonight, taking advantage of a less than sharp Kawakami….
The Giants were 2 for 6 with runners in scoring position which was good for 1 RBI (Molina gunned down)…..the Giants proceeded to go 4 for the next 4 chances before ending the game at 6 for 12…..
And contributions came from the whole lineup with 9 players getting hits, 5 players with RBI's and 5 players with Runs Scored……
And the timing was perfect, as every run the Braves scored was answered by the offense the following 1/2 inning, never allowing the Braves any momentum…..
I know there have been more runs scored by the Giants but I would have to say this was my favorite offensive game of the year ….especially after that road trip drought….
And that’s 16-8 at home, and heck if we cant make the playoffs…..I think you have 3 goals
1) Finish above .500
2) Dominate at home
3) Beat the freaking Dodgers
That should keep the fans satiated and the team thinking positive as we build to 2010…….


BURRISS
Mr Slappy made a little error leading to a Braves rally…..but I will go ahead and over look that as a error of youth…and instead look at the bright side
You see that play he made on that Diaz Foul???? LOVE that RANGE…..
And then with the bat….PULLED a ball through the hole to right……nailed a single just to the right of Center, and then smoked one over the head of Francouer to the wall in right……and all of that LEFTHANDED……the kid is growing up before our eyes…..and by the way after a mini slump he's back up to.a .271 average

RESERVE OF's
Schierholtz and Torres looks like they both are making a case for Lewis' AB's……
I especially LOVE Torres's range in CF….if Rowand was still slumping, I would be lobbying for some CF time for Torres….and nice snag in the corner and clutch hitting in a relief role for Nate

MERKIN
It's ok if I have a man crush on my namesake, right?
When Merkin is ON, nobody in the pen has better stuff…….
If you get Merkin, Affeldt, and Wilson going at the same time, you got yourself a bullpen you can build a championship team with…….well…..I know…..that's a very big "IF"

JOKER

LARRY

Freaking Larry……
Now perhaps the chat of "He's a bum" is worn, but it does seem to impress visitors just for coordination (of course, Yankees' fans actually rehearse their chants, but I digress)….but of all the stupid Bleacher Creature taunts I have heard, one sticks in my memory…….from when Chipper was in LF a few years back…..
"HEY LARRY……YOUR MOM CALLED FROM THE PAY PHONE……SHE SAYS THANKS FOR THE TRAILER"……classic stuff…….
And in a conversation I was lucky enough to have with an unnamed overly friendly Giant player at Momo's…..the discussion was about how Chipper lets fans get under his skin…..even more classic……
But if the fans didn't get under his skin, this 3 game set certainly got into his noggin…..
Picture yourself in his shoes, coming off a injury……it's cold, night game, and moist…..deep fence in Right……pinching hitting against a slightly wild high 90's Wilson….then coming back the next night to get schooled by the reigning Cy Young winner…..and THEN the next night, getting 3 K's from the old man Randy….topped off with a 97+ MPH moving fastball from Merkin……..
1 for 9 with 6 strikeouts…..and you are lucky you got one hit….


SMACK OF THE STICK :
PRADO
What the fuck was that????
In the fourth inning, Prado turned the pivot on a 5-4-3 Double Play…..the bad part…..there were already 2 outs……so obviously he didn't have his head in the game…..and then the next inning a chopper by Lewis….and Martin catches the ball and proceeds to think to much…..you see, I could tell because he was blinking….you see him blink?
Look at the pictures….on the left he is thinking/ blinking, on the right he is relaxed

But I digress……
What I think happened, is he had no idea who was running, and he panicked when he saw Lewis flying down the line……he had no chance at a DP on a chopper like that, get the lead runner…..and heck, Lewis almost beat that sucker out after the double clutch……
Good god……you make Lewis look like a natural…….

LEWIS
Speaking of good old bumblefingers…..0 fer……with a K, but did grind out the walk….and of course a little bumble on a Double that cost the Giants nothing…but people will remember……

KUIP
Now, Kruk and Kuip (as if they knew RJ would be pulled after 79 pitches) were going on and on about pitch counts, and I am open minded……but when Kuiper made the analogy about training for the 100 yard dash and now we ask them to run the 140 yard dash, he won't be able to do it……
Ummm, that’s wrong on so many levels…….
Running is more or less and natural motion, and the beating your body takes from a 100 yard dash is nothing like the beating your body takes from the unnatural pitching motion……pitching breaks down muscle….the body needs to heal…..100 pitches may be arbitrary, but so are speed limits……do speed limits save lives? Yes…..do speed limits make sense for every situation they are used? No……..pitch limits are there to protect pitchers arms and the investment clubs have made in them……will they prevent all injuries? No……do they always make sense in every situation? No……do they prevent damage to pitchers arms in some cases? Yes…..just like speed limits they are a check against potential abuse…..now, if you have a coach/ manager that is better at determining pitchers limits than an arbitrary pitch count…great……but as we have seen with the crucifixion of Dusty Baker in Chicago, if that coach/ manager takes responsibility….and an injury occurs, then blood is on their hands……and do YOU wanna be that guy? and with the value of these players, who wants to even take a chance……
And as far as Nolan Ryan, I am glad he has the guts to challenge the status quo…..love to see how that works out……now if we can get a major league club to listen to Dr Mike Marshall now THAT would be worth watching……


Footnote
Home record and vs LA Record
2009: 16-8 at home 4-5 v LA
2008: 37-44 at home 9-9 v LA
2007: 39-42 at home 8-10 v LA
2006: 43-38 at home 6-13 v LA