GAMEBALL and JOKER ==> METS at GIANTS 07/18

GAMEBALL and JOKER ==> METS at GIANTS 07/18

GAMEBALL

ISHIKAWA

Playing time has been hard to come by, but Travis has made the most of it when he is in there……and today, in a clutch pinch hit at bat he laced a 2-2 fastball to center to to plate 2 runs to tie the game, and then game around to score the run that beat the Mets in the 9th……just a few months ago Ishikawa was an afterthought, a useless part, a vestigial organ like the Appendix of the Human, the Wings on an Ostrich or Eyes on an Umpire….Good job bringing home the victory…….

TIP OF THE CAP :
TORRES
Big double set up the winning run in the 9th…..

JSANCHEZ
Pitched erratically, but well enough to keep the Mets in check and give the Giants a chance to win

URIBE
missed some early chances, but came up with a big single in the 9th inning rally

PANDA
Yes, good news is that he IS looking very good all of a sudden…..and took 2 walks today including a BIG BIG walk to start the 9th……maybe the stories of working with his brother during the all star break is more than just a fluff piece……

JOKER

CUZZI

Man, this guy is a fucking clown…….the ever shifting strike zone was pissing both teams off…..expanding the zone early in the count and then tightening it up late in the count……and then as tempers got heated, he let the emotion of the game cloud his tiny fucking brain, blowing an OBVIOUS call…..I mean come on, you don't get calls easier than that……I assume you know where the plate is……all you have to do is watch the glove and the tag…..and if you WERE watching the glove and the tag you woulda seen that not only did Ishkawa TOUCH the plate, his foot was PAST the plate……and yes the Giants won 3 out of 4, but that has nothing to do with it…..the Giants battled and came back and won this fucking game……and its bigger than just one game……it’s a L instead of a W…..and its about momentum into a HUGE series in Los Angeles…..Fucking Umpires NEED to be held accountable……dock their pay for missing big calls, or something……they just go back to the clubhouse and call it a bad day and move on, while the teams involved live with the consequences of their mistakes……and umpires like Cuzzi, who have a history of blowing calls under pressure need to be sent to AAA, just like a player who fails…….but what can you expect from an idiot like Cuzzi, its genetic……here is a photo taken with his two brothers……no, that’s not Larry Baer on the right……



SMACK OF THE STICK :
WILSON
After getting Davis 1-2, he threw 3 straight slider things, and the last one was belt high…..and by that time Davis had a real good look at that pitch…….the fucking tard was overthinking it……don’t throw that shit back to back, it AINT that good……you reach back and throw hard and then do it again, then mix in the slider…..you don’t feature the fucking slider…..jackass

SABEAN
13 pitchers coming off 3 off days……yeah, that’s bright….and after your starters AVERAGED 8 innings over the last three games, that looks even brighter…..and then with the roster hamstrung, and you can't pinch hit in a crucial spot in the 10…..well, you are the jackass…….tell me you wouldn't rather have Bowker hit in Whitesides spot in the 10th….or have Nate hit with Bowker on deck to force them to pitch to Nate……either way…..fucking stupid….

BOCHY
OK, how the FUCK do you NOT get thrown out of that game…..good god, even Felipe Alou woulda woken from his perpetual coma and gotten run there…..let the fucking UMP HAVE IT…EMBARRASS HIM OUT THERE…..its the only reprimand an ump will get…. ..so show some passion and some fight…..if not for your team, for the fans……


SHARE VIA FACEBOOK

SHARE VIA TWITTER

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 thought 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 NATIONALS 07/09

GAMEBALL and JOKER ==> GIANTS at NATIONALS 07/09

GAMEBALL

TRAVIS

Travis……this guy is the cockroach of Giants first base prospects……usually they come and go quicker than the Fiddle Faddle and Choco Taco stash in Timmy's locker after a couple bong loads ….but Travis has gone from prospect to suspect to prospect to 4A player to starter to pinch hitter and is still on the roster……and actually flourishing in his role of pinch hitter and spot starter….Travis is looking relaxed at the plate and who knows why……I can't imagine that’s its easier coming off the bench…..and who knows what he does in full time play…..but with 2 hits tonight he is hitting .345 with a 939 OPS….with pretty even splits between starting and subbing……could he do the same playing full time???? well, with Torres and Uribe out and Nate relegated to the nether regions of the 25 man, we may just see a few more starts for Ishi…..

TIP OF THE CAP :
TORRES
All he does is score runs in the first inning ….with 16 of 46 runs scored in the first….…and sometimes he drive in himself

CAVS OWNER
Nice Letter…..Mix in a couple F Bombs, and you can sub for me sometime…..

FRANDSEN
Doing well in a small sample size with the Angels…..and a small dart thrown at the "Vets" in the Giants clubhouse that didn't like him being outspoken,….I like to think he is talking about Rowand……

JOKER

SABEAN

I'm not one that enjoys rehashing the past…..but I do it all the time anyway……so as the Giants get their asses handed to them by Adam Dunn…yes the same Adam Dunn that plays the outfield like a manatee with down syndrome, but he also a force in the middle of the lineup with an OPS of .900+ only every fucking year….and guess what, he played about 40% of the time at 1st in 2009 and in 2010 he's a full time first baseman and loving it……I flash back to the offseason of 2008-2009…..where we had the whole….I talked to him, I never talked to him….he won't play first, never asked about playing first……what the fuck was that all about…..you don't FUCKING ASK him if he is open to it, you MAKE AN OFFER and mention he might play some first….. if he takes the offer or counter offers, then great……if he ignores you then forget it……but just blowing the whole thing off cause you supposedly talked to someone that didn't want to play first……I doubt he talked to anyone, probably had Bobby Evans email the agent and ask if he liked playing first or some shit……so as Dunn blisters Cain to the right center alley, I can only think of how many more games we could have won last year, and which Giants prospects Sabean is considering on trading to get him this year…..fucking jackass…..

SMACK OF THE STICK :
CAIN
Well……got the shit kicked out of him by Dunn as mentioned……but also gave the Nats their first run with that Jamarcus Russell Spiral to Pat Burrell in the 1st….and then with the Mighty Strasburg on the verge of being lifted, he got a big time nibble going in the 6th after a Dunn Rocket…..with back to back walks and a bloop leading to a couple runs……and then of course the hinges came off in the 7th….

BOCHY
You know, did you really need to leave Cain out there to be devoured? That can't be good for the kid…..he got lucky to get out of the 6th on a throw behind the runner at 1st, and then the first 2 runners in the 7th got on base……and then a couple outs later ……BOOOM…….8 runs…..thats always good for the confidence……

TORRES
Torres has had a reputation of getting his wheels banged up……and groin tightness is actually worse than it sounds…..cause this means we get more Rowand……

HINSHAW
Well……6-8 weeks for Runzler?....that sucks……now Affeldt is the lone leftie in the pen, and the door might open for Hinshaw……but lets hope not, cause he is walking like 15 batters an inning in AAA….

SHARE VIA FACEBOOK

SHARE VIA TWITTER

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 thought 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 Infielders 2010 ..... GAMER or HEADCASE Pt 2

Ok, looks like we are rolling… so stay with me as we move to the infield with GAMER or HEADCASE……or to put it in 2010 marketing speak, ILLUSION or TRICK

The PANDA
Instead of an offseason talking about how Pablo had the best first full season by a Giants homegrown player since Will Clark in 1987, instead of talking about Pablo hitting the most homers by a homegrown player since Matt Williams in 1994…all we heard this offseason was detailed diet and workout plans of Operation Panda….good bless Pablo, man…. after a season like Pablo had, any other player in the league would have blown a gasket when every question was about how many slices of Pizza he ate this offseason.. DOESN'T ANYONE WANT TO TALK ABOUT FUCKING BASEBALL????? Pablo hit .330 BA with 25 BOMBS PEOPLE……yeah, he could use some guidance with his diet and fitness, but do you have to make that the Giants Headline all season long???? Is the Front office even fucking thinking???? Sorry guys, if I had habits to change and it became a headline…..I am eating fucking handfuls of goddamn twinkies just to spite the powers that be…….thank god Pablo is such a good natured son of a bitch……..oh yeah, expect more of the same….
VERDICT: GAMER

EDGAR RENTERIA
Well ain't that a bitch, Sabean rewards player with a rich contract only to watch their career worst year (stop me if you heard this one before)…..bone chips? ok, I buy that……332 BA from 2007? THAT I don't buy…. best case, .270-290 BA ..330-.350 OBP with 10-15 HR…..but now 2 years removed from his career year coming off surgery and turning 34 this season??? I am guessing we are looking at .260 BA .320 OBP with 10-15 HR…..at least if the wheels don't fall off……
VERDICT: SNOOZER

FREDDY SANCHEZ
All Star Batting Champ Freddy Sanchez…..This is some sort of bad joke right??? I am thinking a better moniker would be Sabean's Yearly Contract to Regret Circa 2010 Freddy Sanchez…. Knee + Knee +Shoulder, good god, hope he gets traded to Toronto so he can take advantage of that Universal Canuck healthcare……Prediction for 2010? limited 350 at bats after bouts with Rickets Shingles and Gout……
VERDICT: PRETENDER

AUBREY HUFF
Ok, so who the fuck names their kid AUBREY??? Guess that was an easy shot, but it needed to b said. Pasty flabby white guy that would looks more like a professional bowler, than a baseball player. Sure that's racist, but he's white so its OK ;)…Anyways, the guy certainly has pop in his bat, but the hard part is getting the bat to contact the ball….hell, even getting his glove to contact the ball is an issue at times…..He better come out of the gate with a bushel of bombs, or the Giants faithful won't stand for his defense…. and yes, after watching JT for so many years, and even Ishi and Galarraga we are a bit spoiled……average first baseman = butcher in SF Giants fan speak… add that to his reputation of "having a good time and this don't look good..…Really this could go either way, but I think AT&T is going to kill his power, as many those homers robbed by the Brick Wall in Right and Triples alley are turning into Doubles and even Singles with his foot speed…..(9 of 204 career HR went OPPO)….Hope I am wrong but I don't see him getting more than 400AB's with 10-15 HR's….
VERDICT: HEADCASE

TRAVIS ISHIKAWA
Ahh Travis, our hearts may wonder but they always come back to you….Glove so slick, bat so powerful…..so why don't you just break out already……I am still hopeful, as Travis is still young enough to become a solid player, but time and opportunities aren't unlimited…. I remained convinced there is something mechanically wrong with Travis…..I have never seen a player look like he is right on a pitch only to do the swing through….I am predicting……ok, maybe praying that Bam Bam can fix whatever is wrong…but I doubt it…….really in the end I will be forced to realize our
VERDICT: HEADCASE

JUAN URIBE
Much like Krukowisms, best served in small doses…..not he isn't the .300 hitter you saw last year, no he won't fulfill the promise he showed as a Rockies Prospect at the beginning of the Millennium…..but he WILL play any time he is asked and any where he is asked without complaint….and he WILL swing at a high fast ball like a starving Filipino Boy presented with a Piñata stuffed with Lumpia and Spam…..I mean, good god when a hitter swings this hard without snapping a bone or tearing a ligament its hard not to like….especially when every once in a while he connects…..in extras…..to beat the DOGGIES…..
VERDICT: GAMER


SHARE VIA FACEBOOK

SHARE VIA TWITTER

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--> DBACKS at GIANTS 8/25

Back from the game and I am beat..... considering this is only the first game of the homestand where I will be attending at least 50% of the games thats a sad state of affairs.....this was a good crowd for a Tuesday night with 37K+ ":attendance" of course that wasn't quite how many people were really there but you had people all the way up in the corners of the upper deck and the bleaechers and arcade were fairly packed....and hey even rich field club seats were 80+% full......but this crowd wasn't here to celebrate....they were blood thirsty......and it was either going to be Dbacks or Giants blood depending on the outcome......this was a crowd remincient of some of the games late in 2004 where the Giants started to blow chunks late (see Benitez)....where every small error was met with something ranging from disapproving murmurs to lusty boos....... but in the end was some semblance of relief, and perhaps the best cheers you heard for the Giants were in when the game was 100% over and the fans were congratulating and cheering on the ramps and in the stairwells on the way out......I got spontanious high fives from 3 strangers... when you passed them by they saw the same look on your face as they had on theirs.....just plain relief from the final out come......and disbelief it was last night was and what tonight almost was........

GAMEBALL and JOKER--> DBACKS at GIANTS 8/25

GAMEBALL

ISHIKAWA

The forgotten man with his 2nd start in 9 days came through big time with TWO big hits.....the first a leadoff double against Haren in the 7th.....he would come around to score the tying run......the Giants could have easily rolled over to lose 2-1......and then the tie breaking SHOT off Rauch over the bricks and good for 3 runs which were just good enough for the win.....
Garko hasn't been as good as advertised, while Travis seems charged up by the competition......and Travis' last start? only a 1 for 5, but was the only win in Denver.....I don't give a shit what I said before, after a performance like tonight, you need to play Travis until he shows the job isnt his.....

TIP OF THE CAP :
URIBE
Solo shot got the Giants on the board, and then actually put the ball in play for the error on the third baseman.....

CAIN
Pitched a solid game overall and game the bullpen some much needed rest

FANS
Came out in force tonight, nice to see the yard full after a night like last night

GIANTS
Those $5 tickets are great, keep it going and they will come.....

JOKER

WHITESIDE

Catchers interference set up the DBacks only 2 runs of the game, making it 2-1 instead of 1-0...... and with Haren dealing things looked grim.....

SMACK OF THE STICK :
BOCHY
Wilson was chewed up, you should either have put Romo in to begin with or had him in the game a batter or two sooner.......1st and 3rd with 1 out and 1 run down, and you put a gimpy Sandoval up there when the DP is your worst enemy??? I go with Garko there, career 0.68 GB/FB.......

WILSON
Sure he was gassed but he still was the man on the spot

LEWIS
Misplayed the ball in left, but made a quick recovery.....luck? I think so.....

SCHIERHOLTZ
Missed the cutofff man in the 9th allowing the lead run to get to 2nd

FRANDSEN
Rohlinger????....BWHAHAHHAHA.....man they really do hate you

MILLER
F YOU from last night still

DUDE SITTING 3 ROWS IN FRONT OF ME
Decided he wanted to stand up and give his buddy a headlock right as Ishikawa Doubled......and then did it again when Uribe hit into the Error.... Missed both plays.....and this guy doesn't have any idea what "DOWN IN FRONT" I actually got out of my seat and walked over to him and explain that he shouldn't stand up while the batter is hitting when everyone else is sitting......I don't care how much UFC shit you are wearing, just try to headlock this fucking pissed off Giants fan.......


SHARE VIA FACEBOOK

SHARE VIA TWITTER

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 08/10 DODGERS at GIANTS

I'm tired, I'm pissed, and now I need to sleep so I can work tomorrow
But first a quick write up….although the game deserves much more…..sorry for the brevity folks I need sleep……

GAMEBALL and JOKER 08/10 DODGERS at GIANTS

GAMEBALL

ISHI

Tough one, I will go with Ishi who hit the HR to get the Giants on the board and drew THE ONLY GIANTS WALK of the night……which of course was punished by being pulled from the lineup……

TIP OF THE CAP :
MONKEY
Well, when a few Dodger fans in front of us got uppity, all they needed was a blast from the Monkey Lung Cannon to set their ears ringing and shut them up for the rest of the game….and if you think I am kidding, try sitting in front of her when she is mad at an umpire……

MILLER
Kept the Giants in the game….well, if the Giants were capable of scoring runs that is

DRAVECKY
Was it really 20 years ago?

MOLINA
Couple hits and a bomb.,.....and notice on that HR, he actually took two pitches first……

JOKER

HOHN

FUCK, what the hell is going on with Umpires and the Dodgers, just ask Bobby Cox what he thinks about the umps over the weekend……well the good "fortune" for the Dodgers keeps on coming with Freddy Sanchez and Rich Aurilia both being run up on misplays by the Dodgers……and in each case the Giants actually had a REAL HITTER coming up next……Sandoval and Velez respectively…….
and what the fuck is up with this clown's mustache…..looks like a reject from a Nintendo game, guess his brothers Luigi and Mario got those sweet gigs chasing Monkeys named Donkey and eating mushrooms, while you are stuck traveling city to city 6 months out of the year…….wonder if the mushrooms they slipped you made you hallucinate those plays at first…..or perhaps they just made you go blind……

SMACK OF THE STICK :
MANNY
umm, nothing witty or fancy……just a good old fuck you greasy self important bastard….thanks for coming back to the Dodgers and fucking up the good thing they had going…….

SANCHEZ
Hard to get too upset with a kid still so raw, but come you walk 2 back to back in that inning and you are going to hear it…..

SHARE VIA FACEBOOK

SHARE VIA TWITTER

GB and JK ARCHIVES AT THE GIANTS BOARD BLOG

GAMEBALL and JOKE 07/08 MARLINS at GIANTS

Sorry for the delay folks, got pulled away for Pablo related stuff…..

My friends, we have an unprecedented opportunity ahead of us. We have a chance to elect, not just a Giants Player, not just a Popular Athlete, but a man who truly appreciates his good fortune and understands that WE the FANS make the game. Sure Pablo is dynamic on the field, but he is also boisterous, fun loving and most of all respectful to the fans. You can see how humble this guy is in his interviews, and how respectful he is…despite his less than perfect English is always willing to talk to the media and the fans. Just think of the pride we will feel when we see Pablo with that SF Cap on his head in t he All Star Game, knowing you played a small part….. And better yet, Pablo will know that HIS LOYAL GIANTS FRIENDS helped put him there, and that my friends goes a long way in building Player/ Fan loyalty……

So tomorrow…..do your fellow fans a favor. Pack a sack lunch or whatever…and spend at least a solid 20 minutes of your lunch hour at your desk with your 9 Key Number Pad plugging away…still enough time to get fed, and you can help make that final push before the 1 PM Pacific Deadline…………Just think, we usually get about 150-200 hits on this …....if we all vote about 10x a minute for 20 min….that's like 30-40,000 votes…..could be the difference but first……click here and vote a few times will ya?


OK, enough sermoning, lets get to the meat of the matter……

GAMEBALL and JOKE
07/08 MARLINS at GIANTS

GAMEBALL

SADOWSKI

ICK….I think I liked the shaving cream face better…..Sure we all had dreams of Sadowski perhaps coming out of nowhere to break that 25 scoreless inning debut record…..but his lucky charm wore off, but I can hardly say that the glass slipper doesn't fit….Ryan pitched pretty well, despite a few walks….The Marlins had the book on the kid and he still was able to battle through the walks and defensive lapses to get into the 6th inning and giving the Giants a chance to win IF he has a little offense behind him…..what more can you ask from a #5 starter? So lets give the kid his due, his ball is moving around and time will tell if he sticks, but for the time being…..he is buying time for the blue chippers to marinate in the minors a little first……..

TIP OF THE CAP :
WINN
Winn made a nice throw to the plate to nail run #2

PABLO
Because we love you unconditionally, you big hairy man…..well, as long as you don't suck…….

TIMMY
For pitching tomorrow (Slim Pickens today!)

BURRISS
For clearing a space on the 40 man roster…..ouch……hope you get better soon

BOWKER
Welcome back to the show…..from Schulman here

JOKER

ISHIKAWA

OK Folks, I give up……Travis was my boy, I admit…..Loved him since I got to meet him in spring training back in '06….. Charismatic, HUGE POWERFUL LEGS (god I sound gay, not that there is anything wrong with that) slick glove, a position player full of promise in a mostly barren farm system….. and then after last years surge, and his great spring training, I thought this was the year………NOPE…….the power stroke from 2008 is there, but its just a tease…..the guy needs serious work on his swing…. I am no coach but even I can see him jerking his head off the ball…. Never seen so many swing through on balls it looks like he was going to cream….so today, not much in the way of offense, and then a ball ruled a hit that you SHOULDA had that lead to run #2. No that’s it, I have had it…..and I am thinking so have the Giants front office……so Bowker, did you bring your 1st baseman's mitt???

SMACK OF THE STICK :
FRANNY
Oh Boy…..looks like you ran out of hard hit balls right at people……with Uribe and Renteria stroking the ball, you got to play like Nate did to get a shot…..a pop up, and 24 bouncer, and a "semi hard hit grounder" ain't going to do it……life ain't fair kid, and its hit or sit………



VICTORINO
Yesterday we reviewed the Puppy Kicking and Baby Hating….. but today brings new revelations…. Victorino is always at the ready for a good hump….yup, he basically is advertising in SI that he likes to fuck…… sure, who doesn't like a good fuck now and then, but what happened to being tasteful? You don't advertise it, unless its your message board buddy and you want to get your dates to pose erotically and then send the pictures of your conquests to your benevolent Admin… you don't put that out in national magazines for kids et al to read……… Yes friends….Shane Victorino your Haphazardly Humping Hawaiian……



SHARE VIA FACEBOOK

SHARE VIA TWITTER

GB and JK ARCHIVES AT THE GIANTS BOARD BLOG


So hope you enjoyed tonight and every night…..and go ahead and vote a few more times watching the news, sports, or that secret pleasure reality show your friends would laugh at if they knew……and if you needed one more reason to vote, Pablo signed my Girlfriend….yes, I yelled "HEY PANDA, SIGN MY GF" and pantomimed holding her up…was good for a laugh and smile from Pablo, and sure enough he came over and signed her……see below……



AND DON’T FORGET, JUST 20 MIN AT LUNCH TOMORROW
DEADLINE IS 1PM, Thanks!

GAMEBALL and JOKE 06/22 GIANTS at ATHLETICS

Game 1 to the boys in Green and Gold……which we all expected when we saw the pitching matchup……Sanchez vs Professional Baseball Player…….that's certainly a tough draw to overcome……so just sit back, relax and wait for Timmy Day…….

GAMEBALL and JOKE
06/22 GIANTS at ATHLETICS

GAMEBALL

ISHI

Back in the lineup with that slick glove and that uppercut stroke…..He's got the swing, he's got the power……and I will keep harping and harping on it…..now he needs to make contact…….the big change to his game in his breakout 2008 was 1) Fly Ball Rate and 2) Contact rate……..he's maintaining the Fly Ball rate……now he can just cut down on those swing and misses…….maybe it comes with time and pitch recognition…..maybe it’s a flaw in his approach…..whatever it is…..it was working today as he crushed a line drive shot to Right for a short lived lead……and more importantly to me…..0 K's……

TIP OF THE CAP :
MERKIN
Wow…..this is going to be a short list……so Mr Merkin, you are here not for your performance…..but the amusement you provided me as you tried to concentrate on pitching while clearly distracted by your wardrobe You could see him look down at his untucked shirt and think….should I stop and tuck, or should I throw……ok throw…..and then look down again, tuck a little and ….ok throw…..oh it came untucked on the other side……whatever…..ok throw…….no, got to tuck……drop the glove and tucked ……man, I swear he was paying so much attention to his shirt, that he probably completely forgot there was a man on 1st……

JOKER

SANCHEZ

As a famous Yankee Catcher once said…..it's" Déjà vu all over again"…..seems it was just five days ago we reviewed the option rule and determined that we had seen the last of Sanchez……this kid is just about as frustrating as it gets, constantly getting himself in trouble, and yet talented enough to wriggle off the hook over and over …but not forever…..You see despite all the physical talent in the word, "90% of baseball is half mental," and Sanchez is stuck on the short bus……..

SMACK OF THE STICK :
4-5-6 Hitters……
You saw it coming didn't you? Molina, Winn, Lewis…..a combined 0 for 9 with 3 K's….

ROWAND
Double clutch cost the Giants 90 feet and an out……and a double play quickly ended the only real threat this offense could muster

FRONT OFFICE
Make a move already……I can understand not wanted to trade Sanchez, but he AINT suddenly going to find it at this level with the bright lights and pressure…..send him to Fresno to straighten himself out……at this point you would hardly get anything for him in trade, not until he demonstrates the ability to throw strikes….and at this point he needs to be dismantled and fixed……band-aids ain't doing it…….

NBC
Wow…Miller, Fosse, and Krukow……a bit awkward as they tried to give equal time to both teams……never seen that situation before……but NBC gets the game and the broadcasters and the decisions…..and hell …..the broadcast booth was the only part of the game the Giants could actually come out ahead…..

MEDIA
So a few days after we reviewed the options status of Sanchez, you hear that he is out of options…..ok, wouldn't be the first time I smoked the crack pipe….and then a few days later they reverse course and let us know he HAS options….Okaaaaaaaaaaaaay……..first, Giants front office say they were misquoted…..second, how hard was it to look up…..hell, all I had to do was…..Wikipedia + Baseball Reference Game Log + Giants Transaction Archive……I will be sending my resume to Sabean tomorrow…..of course I might throw off the curve at 24 Mays Plaza……

A'S FAN
WOW….just WOW……a replica Series Trophy behind the plate….Good God, how long did that take you????? and I can't imagine going to the game and trying like hell not to break it as you shuttle back and forth to the park…….I mean, I can understand obsession…hell I put in hours and hours on this thing……but good god, even I wouldn't go that far……so many easier ways to get the message across……Hell, I would blow up a picture of the trophy…..would have the same effect……but whatever……hope you had your fun…..

GAMEBALL and JOKE 5/25 BRAVES at GIANTS

GAMEBALL and JOKE
5/25 BRAVES at GIANTS

GAMEBALL

ISHIKAWA

Finally, the guy who the Giants hung their first base hopes on this year came through with a 4 hit day including a 3 run BLAST above the bricks in triple's alley….a glimpse of that untapped power that had everyone waiting…… After a solid AA/AAA season, an impressive late season audition, and a spectacular spring, the Giants decided to stand pat at 1st and give Ishi a try….especially in light of the Sandoval 3rd base experiment…..with the Pablo experiment looking good so far (if his arm is ok) the everyone has gotten frustrated by Ishikawa's struggles…where has that line drive power bat gone????? I've said it before….the swing is there, but he is having a hell of a time making contact……I mean, I can't remember seeing so many swing throughs…..and not the slider off the plate, or the behind on the fastball swing through….I mean fastball down the pipe, swing right on time….make no contact swing though that can make a hitter look back and wonder if he has a hole in his bat…….seems like his pitch recognition is good enough……but something weird is going on here…..maybe he is pulling his head off, moving his head around…maybe even "blinking too much"……I don’t know…..all I know is he is good looking and slick with the glove around first…….
all he has to do is hi 260 with a 350 obp and 15 HR and teenage girls all around the Bay Area won't get enough of little Ishi T-Shirts, Ishi Bears, Ishi Pins, etc……..

TIP OF THE CAP :
FLANNERY
Often unnoticed until they screw up, 3rd base coach is a thankless job…..so its about time we showed some appreciation for the animated guitar man…..taking chances that paid off….2x in a pivotal inning

SANCHEZ
5 innings of 2 hit 1 walk baseball…..had it come apart after scoring from 1st on a double….but hey….I'll take this as a positive sign

MILLER/MEDDERS
From obscurity to …..well…..obscurity…..these two guys have been GOLD for the Giants….mixing pitches, keeping the Giants in games, bailing starting pitchers out from early exits…..gotta love it….and they cost very little, and help keep the Giants from turning some of their high value minor league arms into fast track bullpen help ALA Sanchez a couple years back…….

AFFELDT
Wicked…..if Wilson ever loses his job…..I know someone who can get the job done…..

ROWAND/ WINN
As Krukow would say……Stay hot….

RENTERIA
Welcome back and nice to see the stick warm up as well…..

JOKER

BIP

In post game, I quote
"That inning once again he start starts blinking out there, he was starting to get a little tired, he has just scored I believe, from second base on a uh uh uh long single, and I think he started to get tired, he went out there and labored a little bit I saw him starting to blink which means he's starting to think again, and then he started walking guys, gave up a triple, a couple walks, and a base hit, before you know it Bochy was out there talking to him 'Say hey you know what, come on in and sit down, you had a good day'"
What the FUCK was that???
BLINKING?????
Ok, to be fair lets put this into context. I guess they had a pregame segment (which thankfully I missed) about how Sanchez thinks too much, and when he thinks he starts thinking too much, he starts blinking too much…..
Now to illustrate this phenomenon…..they used STILL pictures of Sanchez….."here on the left he is focused, and on the right he is thinking……(looked like a slight squint to me at best)…..
Good god, are you serious????
And even if it's true…HOW THE HELL COULD YOU SEE THAT???? day game, eyes under the hat…..and it certainly wasn't on the TV feed……
Sorry folks, I don't believe that BIP saw a damn thing….if he was even slightly paying attention he might have noticed that Sanchez scored from 1st on a double…..not 2nd on a long single "he believes"……or maybe he was staring too deeply into Sanchez's eyes to notice……


SMACK OF THE STICK :
KNBR
Good god….I spent a couple hours on the road in post game as was "Treated" to SPORTSPHONE 680…….yes…its baseball so I will listen (part of the addiction) but good god these people are stupid…..now sure, I hear a couple good calls now and then, but at that point anything that resembles a rational thought sticks out like a sore thumb……do they screen out anyone with a high IQ????......I am so tempted to call, but I would probably realize just the fact I am on the radio I would lose like 75 IQ points…..
Hey at least it wasn't Damon Bruce, who is even more retarded than some of the callers…..

GAMEBALL and JOKE 5/24 GIANTS at MARINERS

After this past week, this almost felt like a victory……a few big hits and the offense seems like it is back and on track….Felix was dealing some NASTY stuff…what can you do….lick your wounds and hope some home cooking can get us back to the W column….

GAMEBALL and JOKE
5/24 GIANTS at MARINERS

GAMEBALL

FRED LEWIS

Finally, we see that easy power potential from Freddy…and mister "go the other way" has gone deep twice both times jerking the bal to Right…….sure yesterday was the curveball…..but today he turned on a 97 MPH fastball…..sure it wasn’t on the hands,…but I will take this as a good sign…..the kid has TOOLS and needs confidence more than anything……

TIP OF THE CAP :
ROWAND
Kept the lead off magic going with 2 more hits and a nice diving play kept the Giants in the game…….


JOKER

ISHIKAWA

OK, folks….I have been preaching patience with Ishi….but I am almost done……after a brief hot streak that brought his average all the way to .241, he has gone 2 for 17 with 6 strikeouts…..sure 4 walks were nice, but he's still striking out at a nearly 30% clip……
If he can't get his contact rates up, whatever power he has is useless and that slick slick glove of his can go find another home…the clock it ticking Ishi, and I got the feeling that is Jesus ever starts hitting even just a little you will get your walking papers…..
Sure Ishi may figure it out one day…..but if it ain't in the next few weeks he will be figuring it out for another team……

SMACK OF THE STICK :
BOCHY/ SABEAN
Have rode Molina like Alyssa Milano on a date with a fat Pitcher
Molina's bat has gone ice cold, Panda on the shelf, and Holm's 10 day clock ticking led to Whiteside getting the call…..lucky enough Ed performed well…but let the lesson be learned….when a key offensive piece is the catcher…..he needs his rest……
Now about moving Posey off catcher……

SCHIERHOLTZ
See Ishi…..clock isn’t quite as advanced…..but you better do something….and soon……

ZITO
I can't get too down….Zito had an off day….but his stuff was still there….his control was the biggest issue
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------