GAMEBALL and JOKER--> PHILLIES at GIANTS 04/28

Ok suck it up and write something kid, the peoples be waiting…..

Oh man, bad afternoon all the way around…. man I feel like crap…….what seemed like a good day at first quickly deteriorated into a Giants loss and then work took a turn south as well, as I was painted into a corner by a pissed off customer for something that I really don't know who said what to whom…. all I know is I am the bad guy and any attempt to try to correct the perception is either going to throw someone else under a bus and/ or make the customer feel attacked…..I didn't see that one coming…..all I can tell myself is that's why I get paid the big buck (singular) to be the Taco Bell Day Shift Manager……too bad my cashiers aren't nearly as attractive as the commercials… that is unless you like women that bear a striking resemblance to Bengie Molina….without the big boobs…..

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> PHILLIES at GIANTS 04/28

GAMEBALL

NATE

Once night after just missing a gameball, Nate did everything he could not only to keep the Giants in the game, but to cement that Pinnacle of All Giants Honors, the GAMEBALL…..Nate went crazy at the plate today going a perfect 5 for 5 with a walk….2 of those hits were doubles and he scored 3 runs and knocked in a run early and late….. ahead, tied, or behind…righty or lefty….Nate just kept on hitting…. man, what does it take to get out of that 8 hole Bochy???? Nate the Great is ready for some primetime action!

TIP OF THE CAP :
LINCECUM
What can you say, Tim was a sharp blade slicing through the Phillies lineup.. through 8 he had just the Howard Homer on the negative side of the ledger….Season High 11 strikeouts, no walks and a 3 run lead…….the came the 9th…..after getting Dobbs to ground out, Timmy made his biggest mistake of the day….giving Bochy a reason to lift him with a 4 pitch walk to Victorino….

TORRES
Tied the game with a double in the 5th, bases loaded walk for the go ahead run in the 6th…and then tied the game again with a single in the 10th….too bad he ran out of magic in the 11th……do we REALLY have to take Rowand back?

RENTERIA
2 out 2 rbi single of Hammels to make it 4-1 in the 6th…..

MOLINA
First Multiwalk game since August 2009

SCHULMAN
Hey, howya doing…..so what's your screenname? I am guessing its Nine Buck? Either way, thanks for the traffic =)


JOKER

VELEZ

Man, not sure WHAT happened there…..usually when you see someone make a flub like that either A) Sun/ lights got in their eyes or B) They took their eye off the ball to make a play…..well with two outs and no sun or lights to be found…..Eugenio watches the ball all the way into a CLANK of the glove…..what the fuck? I could have made that catch with both hands behind my back….. What to do with Eugenio??? All the physical tools you want from a ball player….. but somehow the ghost of Jose Cruz haunts him……and if that wasn't enough, Eugenio gets a shot at redemption on a silver platter…..tying run at 3rd with 1 out….2-0 curveball gets chopped right into the dirt to Howard who proceeds to gun down the tying run…..nope, no redemption for Eugenio…..and the only positive thing you did was keep Wilson from being the JOKER…….

SMACK OF THE STICK :
HUFF
0-4….3 K's with men in scoring position, only a lineout in the 7th avoided the Golden Sombero…..

BOCHY
Maybe you agreed with him maybe you didn't…..but either way in the end the Manager is responsible of the decisions made….we KNOW Wilson blows that game, maybe Timmy nails it down? He certainly had gas in the tank, but with the rested Wilson cranking it up, Bochy was thinking it was the no brainer there….of course we all know now that it was the wrong move…..

WILSON
Sure, Werth was a lucky bounce…..but that's why you want a strikeout pitcher at the end of the game…..why leave a win to change of a ball bouncing fair…..and the Howard walk setup that play, as did Utley hard grounder……Wilson blew an easy one here….

ROMO/AFFELDT
Sure the starting pitching gets all the press, but I will say it again…..this bullpen is what really sets this pitching staff apart from the others in the NL…..Deep and talented pitchers with swing through stuff from closer to mop up……welll they got their share of whiffs tonigh, but Affeldt didn't know where his pitches were going, and Romo didn't fool enough people with his benders…..

MERKIN
Apparently, he didn't learn his lesson during the Cardinals series…after calling out Pujols, Albert proceeded to pound Giants pitching preventing the sweep…..well, I guess our newly minted $125 million man is an avid reader of GiantsBoard.com as well….and he obviously reacted to what was written with a solo shot, the hustle on what looked like a likely fair ball to tie the game and then a clutch defensive play in the 11th……so if Pujols didn't convince you that Major Stars read Gameball and Jerk… then Howard is even more proof…..


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(The fine print: There will be cussing and bad taste. This is written with the heat of the moment feel you may have during the game, with rational though sprinkled in now and then. This is entertainment folks, sure there is a lot of truth and I am a genius, but this is all about having a laugh and enjoying the ride…….now lets go heckle Jeff Kent in when he gets inducted to Cooperstown..)




by merkin

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at DODGERS 04-16

I hate the fucking Dodgers… and the only thing I hate more than the Dodgers, is fucking Los Angeles itself… Pompous, self centered, shallow people inhabiting a dirty urban sprawl of asphalt and concrete…. Sure it’s a great place if you are shopping or trying to do business, but as you lift off from "lovely" Burbank, Santa Ana, or god forbid LAX, you can just look over at the brown shit you have been wading through for the last few days and you feel dirty all over……And then there is Dodger stadium, with decks that seem to get higher and steeper and then the smog that you really don't notice day to day……but when you focus further away and looking through a good chunk of "air" to watch a ball game…..fucking nasty….I can hardly watch a ballgame there, can you imagine playing??? Sure its cliché, but its true….I will take the crunchy neo-hippie of Mill Valley driving a Volvo, or the Sand Hill Road Venture Capitalist driving a Mercedes S Class with a huge Grateful Dead sticker in the back window…..

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at DODGERS 04-16


GAMEBALL

VELEZ

Yes, the rally fell short of its objective… or maybe not…..7-0 after 2 innings….this game was long over already and the Giants of 2009 would have mentally checked out of the game…..but not tonight, as the Giants kept coming trying to make a game of it…..and thanks to a 2 out 9th inning blast from Velez, his 2nd this week….good job Velez, and way to make another late charge for the GAMEBALL…..

TIP OF THE CAP :
URIBE
Couple hits including a 2 RBI Single that plated the Giants first 2 runs….

DEROSA
Beginning to warm up to this guy….he don't like losing and he was key in 2 Giants rallies

JOAQUIN/ MEDDERS
Neither were particularly effective….but they got the job done….saving the real pitchers in the bullpen…..

JACKIE ROBINSON
He may have been a Dodger, but he was still Jackie Robinson …and he is bigger than baseball….there are only a few stories in the world that can make me as emotional as Jackie's…… great man, great story…..tip that cap……

JOKER

PADILLA

Wow…. Brian Wilson thinks you are a crazy fuck……Big time headcase with Big time stuff and never been able to put it together….been too busy beaning people and fighting with his own team….I joke about Brian Wilson, but this guy is a wack job…..just be glad he is good at baseball…..otherwise he might be hiding in the bushes waiting to hack you to pieces……I swear the subhuman thing is missing a few chromosomes……the headhunter added Rowand to his list of victims and is tonights JOKER


SMACK OF THE STICK :
WELLEMEYER
11 runs allowed for Wellemeyer, 14 runs for the rest of the starting staff….Todd's spring magic is gone and the velocity of 2008 is a distant memory…..this guy make me long for the days of Jamey Wright….now that's pretty sad……Honestly, send this guy to the pen, send Joaquin down to AAA to get some work and bring Joe Martinez back up……sure Joe isn't lighting the world on fire, but he couldn't be worse and at least then you would have Joe and Wellemeyer to soak up innings every 5th day



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(The fine print: There will be cussing and bad taste. This is written with the heat of the moment feel you may have during the game, with rational though sprinkled in now and then. This is entertainment folks, sure there is a lot of truth and I am a genius, but this is all about having a laugh and enjoying the ride…….now lets go heckle Jeff Kent in when he gets inducted to Cooperstown..)




by merkin

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> PIRATES at GIANTS 04-13

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> PIRATES at GIANTS 04-13

GAMEBALL

VELEZ

Damn that skinny kid has got some pop, Eugene hit a chopper to tie the game… but the real heroics was the SHOT he hit over the bricks in right…..the kid can hit, but is a man without a position and probably never gets a chance at a full time job because of his defensive shortcomings….but man, this kid gives you goosebumps where you see all that potential……and we got a glimpse tonight, which was good enough for the GAMEBALL

TIP OF THE CAP :
MOLINA
What a strange year, did anyone expect that Bengie would not only be leading the team in hitting with a .455 AVE, but his OBP is actually HIGHER that his batting average!.... 22 AB's into the season Bengie has 2 walks, compared with last year where it took Bengie until May 14th and 123 AB's before his 2nd walk of the season…..Quick Sabes, lock him up for 3 more years!!!

ROWAND
Back and forth performances all over the place, and after a much publicized 0 for 10 start, Rowand is now hitting .300 and got 2 more hits tonight and scored 2 runs….also made a nice play to gun down DOUGHMITT trying for a double……

ROMO
Keeps on dealing…..

JOKER

RENTERIA

Well that was quick….Renteria has not only cooled off considerably, he gets the JOKER this evening for his bat but especially the muffed catch on what looked to be a sure double play ball to set up the go ahead run in the pivotal 8th…….I would avoid Affeldt in the clubhouse, I hear he can have a temper……

SMACK OF THE STICK :
AFFELDT
Yeah, run was unearned, but you still set the whole thing up with the 4 pitch walk

FLANNERY
Dude…….you got one job to do….and that play on Pablo wasn't even close….and in case you missed it Molina is hitting like .400 something…..

MEDDERS
The weak link got smacked around for insurance runs that turned into a good investment for the Pirates……with the depth of Giants pitching, you have close to no job security….the only thing you have going is the Giants don't want a kid sitting at the end of the pen collecting dust…..

CAIN
Sorry Cainer, 6 Innings and 3 runs aint gonna cut it….that may be a Quality Start in some parts, but we expect dominance from the big arm..

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(The fine print: There will be cussing and bad taste. This is written with the heat of the moment feel you may have during the game, with rational though sprinkled in now and then. This is entertainment folks, sure there is a lot of truth and I am a genius, but this is all about having a laugh and enjoying the ride…….now lets go heckle Jeff Kent in when he gets inducted to Cooperstown..)




by merkin

Giants Outfielders 2010.....GAMER or HEADCASE Part 1

Looks like it's time to shake the offseason cobwebs out and start figuring out what I am going to type up this year. So let's start this thing like the other billion goddamn Giants websites out there and give you a Season Outlook for the Giants…. This should give me a chance to round out into my regular season form at least as well as Freddy Sanchez……

OK, so lets play a little game I call… GAMER orrrrrrr HEADCASE……

OK lets start in the outfield

OF/ IF Mark DeRosa
Well one think I learned this offseason, is that this guy is a slick mother fucker. If he hits like he interviews, the fanbase will love this guy. I was never convinced about this guy as a hitter, I mean who breaks through as a fulltime player at 31 years old? Well DeRosa broke through with 3 solid seasons with the Rangers and Cubs, and even a very solid 1/2 season with the Indians before crashing and burning with the Cardinals. Wrist injury? Sure, I will buy that. Was the breakout real? I think so, hard to fluke 3 1/2 years worth of stats, especially when you see gains in pitches per at bat and associated BB% per PA. So what do we expect this year? I would lock him down for 400-500+ AB's with 10-15 HR and .270-.280 BA and .340-.360 OBP, but the part that is really cool about this signing is he can play decent defense at 3 positions giving the Giants flexibility for inevitable failures of others…… You can slide him into 3rd and Panda over to 1st, so really the battle at 1st is Huff v Ishi v the 4th OF. Or lets says Renteria sucking air again, and Sanchez still brittle? Go with Uribe and DeRosa up the middle…. He's not going to dazzle anyone at any of these positions, but he can't be that bad??? and Please Please Please keep this guy out of Right Field…….VERDICT: GAMER

OF Aaron Rowand
Lost 10 pound, best shape of his life, back to the basics, blah blah fucking blah… I don't buy any of that shit. This guy has always run hot and cold, and these days its more like Teppid and Artic….the only story I want to read about Rowand in the offseason is how his ridiculous contract has expired and he has to pick up part time work as a speedbump. Throw our that career year that proceeded his contract with the Giants (sound familiar?) He has established a .260-270 BA with .320-340 OBP and 10-15 HR. hey, at least he wasn't an embarrassment in Center Field…..
So expect another mediocre season at all star prices, with clichés about Gamerness and Gamerocity ……..VERDICT: HEADCASE

OF Nate Schierholtz
Hard not to cheer for Nate, local boy who has all the tools to be a prototypical AT&T Right Fielder….going into the season looked like Nate was finally going to get his shot…sure Nate has about 500 AB's in the bigs with some modicum of success to show for it….. but as he entered Spring Training the Right Field job was his too lose….and looks like he may have just gone ahead and lost it with 14 K's with 4 BB in 59 PA, that's 24% Strikeouts…He even got the Sabean "Player's wont' read this" Treatment as he described Schierholtz battling demons to Baggs…In Nate defense, the Giants were looking for more power, and although he only has 1 HR, he does have 9 Extra Base hits to go with those 14 K's…...Nate is one of the wildcards for the 2010 Giants. I think 0.280 BA .320 OBP and 15 HR is about the most we could hope for, but I don't think he gets anywhere close to that….Seems that he is having doubts about himself and the path that he and Bam Bam have taken this offseason… Sure, I am just some random asshole on the internets, but to me that looks like someone too worried about the mechanics of his swing than the pitcher trying to get him out…..It's a tough game Nate, keep your nose down and your eye on the ball. Until then, I have to call em like I see em, and right now….VERDICT: HEADCASE

OF John Bowker
What a difference a year makes. Bowker relegated to the Minors after spending most of 2008 on the big club, sucked it up and went ahead and beat the snot out of the PCL posting a league leading .342 BA and 1.047 OPS… he rolled that momentum right into Spring Training with a 1.009 OPS in the desert…..when he was languishing you didn't read about him getting a bad break, or being mistreated by the organization (cough Frandsen, cough cough), you just saw the stats come rolling in quietly week after week. Sure stats don't tell the whole story, but we are talking about a guy with a short compact stroke that would play well in the Majors…… I do have hoep for 2010, after about 400AB's in the show, Major League pitchers have exposed his weakness with slow stuff down and in….. If he can just adjust to that pitch he should be able to put up something in the range.270 BA .340 OBP and 15+ HR…. and although he won't win any gold gloves anytime soon, he has enough speed and smarts to play RF in AT&T……and maybe he won't cover as much ground as Winn did, but he certainly has a better arm…..VERDICT: GAMER

OF Andres Torres
What's not to like about this guy, former prospect turned savvy veteran. Switch hits, runs down balls in the gap wearing bling almost as big as him. Hey, sit me start me, I am just happy to be pulling down the major league minimum. riding charter jets, and staying in 1st rate hotels… Rowand better not get hurt, because if we got to see this guy play center for an extended period we would get spoiled…. and god know he would probably not only out glove but out hit Rowand as well……VERDICT: GAMER

OF Freddie Lewis
Oh god, I feel bad piling on this guy…. I think it he was typing this up himself it would label himself a headcase….. Heck, I heard he was in the same support group as Brett Tomko, Ricky Ledee, and Wayne Gomes…… After some success at the major league level he was anointed the Giants best chance for a homegrown impact position player by not only Management, but the Lord hisselfs (#25, for the unlearned)……Lewis has a major case of the Yips at the plate and in the field... nothing short of a trade or maybe electroshock therapy is going to snap him out of it…….lets hope for Lewis case the Giants choose trade…. VERDICT: HEADCASE

Eugenio Velez
The Pharaoh is about as gifted a athlete as there is, electric bat and lightning in his legs……too bad he has hands of stone on the infield and the instincts of a platypus in the outfield…..he will make an outstanding play, only to back it up with a booted grounder or a bad first move in the outfield……a converted infielder, he probably turns more routine flyballs into great plays with his bad routes in the field….he has been playing outfield long enough that you figure he would start to get it…..but he hasn't……when everything is clicking he is one of the best position players on the team….but when it starts to go south, get him out of there before he crushes his own psyche….nope, despite the glimpses of ballplayer he shows the VERDICT: HEADCASE…..

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(The fine print: There will be cussing and bad taste. This is written with the heat of the moment feel you may have during the game, with rational though sprinkled in now and then. This is entertainment folks, sure there is a lot of truth and I am a genius, but this is all about having a laugh and enjoying the ride…….now lets go heckle Jeff Kent in when he gets inducted to Cooperstown..)

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at MILWAUKEE 09/05

Long day, lots of driving……lets get this thing written and get some rest……
14 games above .500, and 3 wins so far on a 6 game trip…. seems like the Giants are getting the breaks this time out on the road and the pitching and defense has been nearly flawless…have a chance at a series sweep in Milwaukee, which would be a real coup for a Giants team that has struggled all year on the road and struggled for years in Milwaukee (only the Giants 6th win in their last 22 games in Milwaukee)….and you say the Giants have made you bite your nails down to the nubs??? Well, I don't know what nubs are, but when you have a crappy offense and a stellar pitching staff, fewer runs are going to be scored and every play gets magnified……The Giants are 2nd to last in the National League in runs scored and First in fewest runs allowed….and teams score an average of 3.85 runs in Giants games, lowest in the league…..all of that is fairly obvious, but what is slightly interesting is no other team is below 4 with the Cardinals games with the second fewest runs averaging 4.24 runs per game…that means that Giants games have 0.8 runs less than the team with the 2nd fewest runs per game…..Thats quite a difference……

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at MILWAUKEE 09/05

GAMEBALL

VELEZ

When you saw his name penciled in the lineup and 2nd, images of defensive flubs and failures flashed before your eyes……Not so fast…..Eugenio of the cast iron infield mitt was the difference today, making at least 3 slick plays, including a nice play in the 7th with Cain in trouble and then in the play of the game, Eugenio ranged so far up the middle that The Fox announcer proclaimed "It's Through" before correcting his call on Eugenio's sterling snag and shuffle to 2nd for the out….add a single and a steal in the 7th and a leadoff triple to score the 3rd run of the game and Eugenio gets today's gameball……

TIP OF THE CAP :
CAIN
Wasn't his best today, but was still pretty damn good…..good enough to finally break through for his 13th win on his 8th try….and also exorcised the demons of Miller Park where he had a 0-2 with a 6.43 ERA going and beating a Brewers team that had him at 1-3 with a 4.67 ERA……and also managed to avoid serious brain damage from a Gallardo fastball…..hey, I woulda struck out too……

URIBE
Got a 2nd chance on a full count off speed pitch and was able to straighten it out for his 6th homer since the beginning of August…..might not sound like much, but that ties him for the team lead since the beginning of August with…..get this….. your cleanup hitter…..Bengie Molina……Sandoval only has 5 since August 1st……

MOLINA
Horrible day at the plate with 2 K's and 2 lazy fly outs, but with 2 out and 1st and 3rd made a throw absolutely on the screws to nail Gerut trying to steal second and get Cain out of the 7th without another pitch…..

WILSON
Came in and bailed Affeldt out with a little help from Velez for the 1+ inning save, and gave up a little line drive single and nothing else hit remotely hard…..

ROWAND
Not blessed with great speed, but has good instincts and will give up the body in a moments notice…..More of a season Tip of the Cap for playing solid, albeit unspectacular D in Center….and for being strong enough to have Winn bounce off you when you hold onto the last out…..

JOKER

FOX

Sure, Giants getting some network exposure might sound like a good thing, but when you sit down and realize that you not only don’t get Kruk and Kuip, but you get a pair of jackasses instead…Its enough to make you wish they would go back to being Yankees/ Red Sox channel…….Many people feel that Karros let his Dodger blood tweak his broadcast…..I listened and think he did a fairly decent job of keeping his allegiances under wraps, with compliments for the Giants pitching staff and maybe 1 hitter, mixed in with his bashing of our hitters……nonetheless, both Stockton and Karros suck…..Stockton needs to stick to NFL, as he gave a haphazard, dry, play by play….if you listened to his tone of voice on Uribe's shot 10 rows deep, you would think it was a lazy fly ball….and am pretty sure that Stockton THOUGHT it WAS a lazy fly ball, even after they put the run up on the board……and then his call in the dramatic 8th of "its Through, NO!" is still cracking me up…..Dude, its TV, just relax and call it when you are sure……

SMACK OF THE STICK :
WINN
Rowand's ball……back off……

AFFELDT/ URIBE
On the play in the 8th where Affeldt throws the ball into center, I have to give part of the blame to Uribe…ball is hit the left field side of 3rd……Uribe charges, realized that Affeldt has it, then Uribe stops, and heads to cover 2nd…….Velez is already a couple steps from 2nd and now Affedlt has 2 targets…..he picks up Uribe and throws it behind him as Uribe is moving to second…..That's Velez's cover at 2nd and now you got 2 guys in one spot……and don't tell me Uribe was heading to back up 2nd, he was heading RIGHT TO 2ND…..

SANDOVAL
0 for 4 with 2 K's an nothing hit hard…….and the play in the 8th when he charges the ball…..he has GOT TO LEARN…..Hitter with some speed, when you charge it you try to barehand it…..if you get it great, if you don't well then you don't….if you go after it with your glove you got NO SHOT, which you realized AFTER you ate the ball…don't get me wrong I know he is hurting and he has played BEYOND expectations at 2rd…...but this is not the first time he has done this, and that's a mental error that has to be fixed.…..

FINAL THOUGHTS
Got to sneak in a little radio today, and after watching these Fox guys on Tivo, it just makes me appreciate these guys all the more…and yes, they still make me laugh….and this piece here from Friday about Krukow's Banjo (right click to download) had me chuckling

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(The fine print: There will be cussing and bad taste. This is written with the heat of the moment feel you may have during the game, with rational though sprinkled in now and then. This is entertainment folks, sure there is a lot of truth and I am a genius, but this is all about having a laugh and enjoying the ride…….now lets go heckle Jeff Kent in when he gets inducted to Cooperstown..)

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at ROCKIES 8/24

If you have been anywhere near a local Giants broadcast the last month you have heard the proclaimation over and over "WE'RE IN THIS".... the timing almost celebrating the piddling moves made by the front office to put the Giants "over the top"......well kids they almost had it right, but they were slightly off...."we WERE in this"......but after a game like tonight and after a weekend like we just had, and after Cain and Lincecum go winless in 8 starts.....I don't think are many Giants fans that really think "WE"RE IN THIS"..... Sure the Giants are still are only 4 back with 6 home game against the Rockies left.....but the Rockies are clearly a superior team...... The Giants had their chances and lost two games they should have won....and I don't mean they deserved to win, I mean they were the kind of games that the Giants NEED to win.....they had the Rockies playing 2009 Giants baseball....low scoring affairs and the Giants failed.....sure the offensive woes are nothing new......but the Giants failures on defense, on the mound doomed them this weekend.......
And its not just the Rockies we have to worry about, don't forget the Marlins and Braves have both pulled within a game of the Giants and by this time next week you can expect to be passed.......

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at ROCKIES 8/24

GAMEBALL

VELEZ

Hard to hand out any kudos on a night like tonight, but Velez did his part scoring 2 of the Giants runs and knocking in the other 2 just when it seemed like it no one was ever going to score..... I even give him a pass on that error, as it was a nice play to get to it and you have to try to make that throw......you will never confuse him for a gold glover ......I give him an A for effort

TIP OF THE CAP :
WILSON
DP Bunt stumble out of the box aside, he was nails when he had to be, and I have alot more confidence in the guy in what he has shown me the last week or so..... I always worried how he would react in a big game....well, I think he has come a long ways towards settling those fears.....

ROMO AFFELDT
Got their work in early and got out of the inning......


F YOU

MEDDERS/MILLER

Both of these players clearly deserve a big fucking middle finger.....handed a 3 run lead and all you have to do is throw a strike now and then....
.....The Giants held the powerful Rockies lineup in check all night with timely pitching and defense..... and the Giants come up with runs FINALLY in the 14th, and it all goes to hell.....A walk to a clearly injured leadoff hitter, a walk to put the tying run on base with 1 out, a walk to the pitcher....and a fucking grand slam..... the only thing that inning needed was a boot by Cody Ransom......if the Giants lose this 2-1 in extras, you can salvage something in the fact you were able to shut down the Rockies so long, but after BLOWING......just fucking completely FUCKING UP that 14th inning, any semblance of confidence that these players have in themselves and each other is GONE......

SMACK OF THE STICK :
F SANCHEZ
What the fuck is going on???? This is the EXACT reason you are are here, to give SOMETIME to this goddamn lineup..... Traded for damaged goods? perhaps...... but on the bright side.... Freddy is 156 PA short of his option for next year kicking in....with 37 games left thats over 4 PA per game.....looks like he just might fall short..... of course that means that Sabean will give him an extension for even MORE money.......

MERKIN
At least he threw a strike.....it went a LONG WAY......but it least he didn't walk em all in......

URIBE
A long time ago, booted the ball in like the 4th or 5th or something....not sure if it would have saved that 1 run, but I would have liked to have found out.....

PANDA
Losing your best hitter that early in the game left the bench short and changed the complexion of the lineup dramatically......Dehydration???? Good god, drink some fucking Gatorade......

BOCHY
So many things.....1st of all, using Romo and Affeldt quickly took the depth out of your pen.....I was thinking at the time, this is a TIE GAME, you sure you wanna burn your best two setup man by the 8th??? little did I know....... and another was NOT bunting Rowand with Garko on 2nd and PINCH RUNNING for Garko in the first place further depleting your bench......and of course the handling of the pitching staff in the 14th...... Medders was clearly gassed, and Miller entered a high pressure situtaion.... you can hit Cain for Medders and then pitch Merkin or Miller to start the 14th clean...... there are probably 15th other things I missed, but I can tell you right now...... Neukom is watching too, and I don't think he has any ties to you......


BONUS RANT
The Giants have no business being in the race, sure you can ride a great pitching staff a long way, but you have to EXECUTE in order to win...... and the games they NEED TO WIN they are dropping left and right...... if you look at the standings tomorrow, it would seem the Giants are "IN THIS" but don't be fooled..... The Rockies, Cardinals, Phillies are the class of the National league, and the Dodgers aren't far behind.... add that to the resurgent Braves and Marlins and it doesnt look good for a Giants team stuck in reverse......so the Giants return home tomorrow to face Dan Haren and give no support to Cain in ANOTHER must win.....but be assured.....this isn't the year.....and unless a few real hitters fall from the sky, next year won't be it either.......get used to it Giants fans, we are just good enough to break your heart and stamp out whatever hopes you had, yet again......

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GB and JK ARCHIVES AT THE GIANTS BOARD BLOG

(The fine print: There will be cussing and bad taste. This is written with the heat of the moment feel you may have during the game, with rational though sprinkled in now and then. This is entertainment folks, sure there is a lot of truth and I am a genius, but this is all about having a laugh and enjoying the ride…….now lets go heckle Jeff Kent in when he gets inducted to Cooperstown..)

GAMEBALL and JOKER 08/11 DODGERS at GIANTS

FUCK….I really don't know what to feel…. at different times tonight I have been angry, disappointed, embarrassed, frustrated, despondent, scared, depressed, ashamed, vindictive, and jealous….I don't know if I just described the 7 stages of grief, the 12 step program, or the 12 days of christmas but it feels somewhere between the 4th and 5th plane of hell, you know the plane where you waste pitching with bad defense and an anemic offense???? but really after all those emotions I am just tired….tired of watching this team simultaneously playing over its head and not up to its potential…..tired of pretending I don't know the outcome of the game before it ends…..tired of blaming players, coaches, front office, and umpires….. tired of hoping and wishing and cheering only to have those pleas once again go unanswered…..but whatever…..the really fucked up part is the Giants remain just 1 game behind the Rockies for the wild card and despite their pathetic performance since last Friday night they are still in the thick of things and could still pull this out……too bad they won't……

OK, folks, late again and this time I have a couple drinks in me….really need to get some sleep…..

GAMEBALL and JOKER 08/11 DODGERS at GIANTS

GAMEBALL

POSEY

Looks like he is on top of AAA pitching with his average approaching .300……now if this kid turned into the next BJ Surhoff….I am really going to be pissed……

TIP OF THE CAP :
RENTERIA
2 hits and looked like a major leaguer…….

JOKER

VELEZ

BAD Eugenio…..BAD BAD……

SMACK OF THE STICK :
BOCHY
Winn…..#2…….really?.......

PANDA
gone cold at the wrong time…..and should have barehanded Furcal's bunt, and almost threw away the grounders from Blake…..



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GAMEBALL and JOKER 08/07-08/09 GIANTS at REDS

I'm back, that was kinda fun I think….. went to 2 games this weekend and ended up stranded in the city Saturday night without a decent hotel room available anywhere on the Peninsula….ended up finding a hotel in Oakland, so hoofed it over to BART and got over to the other side of the bay in time to catch the Dodgers at a sports bar…..and of course we end watching the game with some Dodger fans, after some shut eye it was back to the city, but this time we mixed it up with a Ferry Ride ….and after getting my car situation figured out it was back home…….

Was a strange weekend for the Giants as well, as we look back on these 3 games and we really don't feel like we were outclassed by this Reds team….the Giants out homered and out hit the Reds, but it was the smaller parts of the game where the Reds killed us…..drawing more walks, turning more Double Plays, throwing fewer wild pitches and committing fewer errors……. the Giants were doing everything a contender cannot do, when they really pissed away a series they could have won…..Are the Giants in this? Well not for long if they keep shooting themselves in the foot…….

GAMEBALL and JOKER 08/07-08/09 GIANTS at REDS

GAMEBALL

VELEZ

This kid is just kicking ass and taking names….ever since his recall, with a 56 game hitting streak (I think, I didn't actually count the games) and this weekend he was a force with 3 singles, 1 double, and 2 homers with a stolen base and a nice play Saturday against the fence in left fighting the Sun……Probably not the first to mention this, but Velez reminds me a little bit of Alfonzo Soriano……now I don't think that Velez has the same power potential as Soriano, but Soriano wasn't exactly a slugger in the minors either…..both from San Pedro De Marcoris Dominican Republic, the the most prolific city in the DR at producing Major Leaguers….both were miscast as 2nd baseman, toyed with conversion to Center Field, before settling in Left (We hope)……free swinging leadoff men with low OBP's but the ability to generate loud contact and tremendous bat speed with a small frame……They both were relatively late bloomers with Velez making his splash at 27, and Soriano made his splash at 26……of course its WAY too soon to say that Velez is even half the player that Soriano became, but it is nice to dream and the parallels seemed too compelling to ignore…….

TIP OF THE CAP :
ZITO
What the hell is going on here…..Zito is our ace???? well, since the Giants have returned from the Break Zito HAS been the ace on a team with Lincecum and Cain…….way to step it up Zito and good job being the only Veteran to give out Autos at the picnic, even it if was to promote your buddies wine…..and guess what, the word FREE was enough to move the wine……you and Wilson just made the crowd happier to drink the wine……

MOLINA
I take full responsibility……Friday and Saturday in warm-ups I yelled encouragement to our cleanup hitter from the first row, and in both instances he uncharacteristically looked over, smiled, and pointed at me in acknowledgement…..despite his act of ignoring the fans jeers, the guy can hear you……sure we get frustrated with him, but personally I always try to be encouraging to our own and as disheartening to the opposition as possible…without profanity or peoples mothers getting involved……I think it part of that home field advantage that our guys enjoy….

SANCHEZ
Lots of hits left in that stick of his, and seems to be a solid defender at 2nd as well……and I guess that one knee slide to his right, pop up and throw is his little style move…….lets hope it doesn't end up like Candy Maldonado's favorite…the slide catch…….(see Tony Pena Triple 1987 NLCS Game 6)

HOWRY
Came through with a Solid performance on Saturday bridging Zito to Wilson and Affeldt….and then handed out autos during the picnic, and rumors or passing the autographs through bullet proof glass while being protected by 12 security guards was greatly exaggerated……

HOBART BUILDING
Never even noticed….in my random wanderings in San Francisco, looking for a warm doorway to sleep in for the night I saw 3 flags atop the Hobart Building……USA, GIANTS, and WIN……..too funny……I wonder how well known this is, I certainly never heard of it…..and you can even see the coke bottle down 2nd street…..


JOKER

PANDA

It’s a new life for our offensive leader……and on this offensively challenged team we look to Pablo to come through with the big hits…….but this was a weekend to forget…….after a coming through with the go ahead hit on Friday it all started to unravel….in a tie game to start out the 9th…...little used rookie Drew Sutton laid down a bunt hit to Pablo, a play he thought he should have made judging by his body language as he walked back to his position……and then later in the inning, he made two less than perfect throws to home, one which Molina needed to make a stretch for and dropped with that big old catchers mitt and a second that hit the base runner square in the back……if those two plays get made, it’s a 6-5 game…….then on Saturday Pablo took at 0-4 with 3 AB's coming with runners on and 1 AB leading off right in front of a Molina Homer……And then on Sunday ….that was the killer…..in a off game for Cain, the Giants threatened to come back on the Reds in the 6th and 8th getting multiple runners on with no body out and Pablo at the plate…..and both times Pablo bounced into Double Plays basically countering all the work done by Velez and Freddy Sanchez to set the table…….
\
SMACK OF THE STICK :
GARKO
Oh boy, 1 hit on the weekend, and the argument Ishikawa's defense being worth the "offensive" downgrade is gaining traction….with a Renteria's 2 base throwing error on an scoopable ball and then today on a not shot from Nix hit right at Garko that could have been the 2nd out turning into the Reds big inning……both tough plats…..both plays Ishikawa probably makes……and the fans notice that Ishikawa's 0 for 3 included 2 line drive at em balls to the outfield, a walk and no strike outs…….That Garko trade may payoff yet…..and the payoff may be the fans finally appreciating Ishikawa…..and Ishi taking nothing for granted……

WILSON
Wasn't exactly wild, but without a decent offspeed pitch you have to be prepared for hitters to be able to just foul off pitch after pitch….I don't care if its 100 MPH or 500 MPH, if they know its coming they can just spoil it until you walk em….and that’s what happened on Friday's meltdown……

RENTERIA
After a 2nd inning single on Friday, proceeded to go hitless the rest of the weekend…..a costly error on Friday, and noticeably hurt on every throw to 1st…….just put him on the DL and get Uribe in the lineup already….he has about the same range, a better arm and at least is a threat to go deep now and then…..


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