GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at MARLINS 05-05

Its still only May, but something is cooking with this team…. I figured the offense would be a little better, but the pitching couldn't get better and the defense was on the decline….well you can butter my buns and call me a biscuit, cause the Giants are BETTER on Offense and Pitching… and the defense might even be IMPROVED as well…..
Last Year the Giants were 13-13 scoring 94 and allowing 104
This Year the Giants are 16-10 scoring 120 and allowing 78
That’s just fucking crazy.. and sure the Giants had a bunch of home games this year, but considering the run differential they should be 18-8… so they are unlucky to be only 16-10….
Looking under the surface as some of the more esoteric stats, maybe you can point at the Pitchers allowing a BABIP of .268 as not being sustainable…..but then again, when looking at the way they have been pitching and playing D…..do you really want to make that argument?

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> GIANTS at MARLINS 05-05

GAMEBALL

ZITO

Mr Unicorn seems determined to rob me of any fun had at his expense…..Brilliant AGAIN….good god, you gotta love it….but its coming fucking predictable…. Lets break it down…… BABIP is an ridiculously unsustainable .209 and strand rates are hovering way up ay 80%.....but didn't we have the same conversation about Cain last year …..regression to the mean works both ways….the underlying numbers and the results can both move as more data comes along and the early success has built some good feelings inside Mr Love Me's head and that can't be bad…..especially when he is sporting a 2.80 BB per 9 rate with is the LOWEST of his CAREER, with only his CY YOUNG season of 3.06 BB per 9 rate coming close…..and remember we are talking about a pitcher with decent strike out rates who has traditionally walked way too many people with 3.70 walks per 9 career average…
Zito is also sporting the highest GROUNDBALL percentage of his career at 44.7% of balls in play……the highest Groundball percentage of his career so far was 40.9% and he has a career rate of 38.1%.well….and what happens when you put the ball on the ground? BABIP and HR% goes down as well…….
Man…..Less Walks, More Grounders, No Homers……maintaining Strikeout Rates…..a little offense and a bullpen?......well Barry here is your well deserved GAMEBALL to go with your 5th win……and it makes me wonder….when will the Cy Young talk begin? Too early? Long shot right?...hey, did ANYONE see THIS COMING???? Long Shots can happen……

TIP OF THE CAP :
ROMO
Now THAT has to be the pitching equivalent of hitting a walk off homer…..as bad a performance as he had yesterday, was as good as he was tonight….coming into a late close game with the bases juiced, no one out and the meat of the order at the plate…..and Romo made quick work going with 3 curves in a row to make the best hitter in the lineup look foolish…..then after leaving a fastball up in the zone, got Cantu to turn over a curveball into a inning ending DP to get out of the inning… 3 runners stranded…. 3 earnies not tacked onto Zito's ERA….that fucker should buy your ass a boat….. of course Romo would have to let Lincecum borrow it…….

ROWROW
Please get hot, please please get hot……Mr Squeeze One Out in the batter's box is a streaky ass mother fucker…..mostly suck, but every once in a while he will get hot for a month or two (unless it’s a contract year)…..and Rowand got the Giants on the board with a run scoring grounder (don't take those for granted) and then went deep for the 2nd time in 2 nights……

DOWNS
What the fuck??? Downsie is looking like a major leaguer (I call him Downsie, cause that’s what I picture Bochy calling him)…….417.. double single, two walks and and a run scored……ROOKIE OF THE YEAR???? Hey is Zito can win another Cy Young, anything is possible…..

JOKER

DEROSA

"DeRosa refuses to use his wrist as an excuse, but he answered honestly when asked if it was on his mind."
Now, Derosa seems like a nice guy, and I love the fire he is playing with…..but he knows the Media and he is answering the questions and basically trying to make an excuse without looking like he is a pussy…..and honestly Derosa…..when you don't hit you don't hit, and wrist or not, people are going to be pisses off…..and since we are being Honest….are you sure your wrist is making you doubt your swing? or is your swing making you doubt your wrist…….Shut up, Suck it up, and get our there and take your lumps like a man, and if you can't then sit the fuck down until you can you JOKER…..

SMACK OF THE STICK :
WILSON
Well, looks like Mr Untouchable is touchable…..an 0-2 fastball for a single…..a try to sneak it past slider for a single…and a HBP and troubles a brewing…….made it interesting but found the groove and got the job done……

DODGERS
Padilla out another month…. Kershaw blown out of the box……. Billingsley still can't right the ship…….Can't spell LAst pLAce without LA….wasn't too long ago I remember some people were talking about the starting staff rivaling the Giants??? seems like a long time ago now….

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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--> PHILLIES at GIANTS 04/26

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> PHILLIES at GIANTS 04/26

GAMEBALL

DEROSA

Now, if you looked at the box score, and see 4 0 1 2… fairly pedestrian, right? Well when you are the San Francisco Giants facing a 4-0 Halladay with an ERA south of 1.00? Man, I tell you if you waste that situation in that very first inning, you aren't gonna get shit off this guy….so when you got a full count 2 out base hit to plate 2 runs and get the early lead and show that Halladay is flesh and blood…..well, that’s HUGE….I don't care if it was a 57 bouncer through the hole, he put the bat on the ball and with enough umphh to get it threw that hole…..and I don't care if he got gunned at 2nd… gotta keep that pressure on …and that 1st inning set the tone…. good job and here is your GAMEBALL

TIP OF THE CAP :
WHITESIDE
Nice work kid, how the hell did you keep those fair? Whiteside hit a sizzling worm burner just down the 3rd base line for an RBI double, and then dropped the head on an a ball inside and spanked it right down the line and off the foul for a solo shot late…..not to mention a pretty insane block on a ball 2 feet outside in the dirt……another night, another situation and this is a GAMEBALL

RENTERIA
Looked foolish at times, looked like a hitter at times….and he was a hitter enough for 2 hits including getting the party started in the 1st……

PABLO
Seems like he's got multiple hits everynight……

HUFF
Starving for hits lately, but got fed tonight with an RBI single to add on in the 6th and keep the momentum with the home team……

ROMO
Airtight……2 solid innings versus one of the best offensive in the NL…..

DEFENSE
Not spectacular, sometimes not even pretty….but the Giants have been making all the plays lately… not something all teams can do……

JOKER

MANUEL

Phuck you Charlie Manuel….. not pissed anymore, but haven't forgotten the snug of the Panda…..in and of itself, maybe we forget…. but you are leading a team of pompous jackasses out there……Incredibly talented and deep organization from the Majors and through the Minors…..no reason to play like little bitches……today it was the Utley HBP….you see him react and pull back and then stop and stick his arm back out…..pansy bullshit play….like the Victorino 'Make his Own Basepath" you all pulled against Omar a few years back……that shit would get someone buzzed or knocked down in the old days……too bad the Giants brass are a bunch of pussies….cause you JOKERS need to be put in your place…..

SMACK OF THE STICK :
GIANTS BRASS
And speaking of which, when are you going to protect your own players? Not saying you nail someone in the head, but throw behind their belt and give em a scare…..what could happen? a few punches? good god, its baseball, everyone just comes out of the dugout and talks about their lear jets….hell I would throw down with these fuckers in a second…..sure I would get my ass pounded, but I guarantee I would do at least a little damage….in a fight there are only 3 things to be scared of….Guns, Knives, and Jail and I don't think any of those are coming anytime soon….well, unless I jump on the field to join the fray….and don't worry, that won't happen…..me no likely Jail……

GARY RADNICH
And while I am venting, what the fuck is this guy doing on a Giants broadcast…. he know nearly NOTHING about baseball… and makes his living being a jackass…and not even a particularly effective jackass that gets the masses riled up and get ratings….not more annoying like listening to a Hyena with Strep Throat…..good god, who likes you? I guess you MUST get ratings cause you seem to stay employed……but please please keep this guy away from ANYTHING Giants…..christ….I would rather listen toJohn London


For those that don't recall the Victorino play
Victorino ran out of the basepath in order to collide with Vizquel who was without the ball…….in a rule quirk he was called safe for obstruction
Vizquel was part of a crazy play in the fifth when Victorino tried to steal second and ran out of the basepath and onto the grass. Vizquel was called for obstruction and Victorino took second

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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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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..)