Season recap....

I'm going to post a long winded, opinion based, unreadable season recap on the abortion that was the Giants 2011 season tomorrow. I'm gathering my thoughts, looking up stats and contracts and will give a synopsis of each player for the season that was and the upcoming season.

So I'll see you tomorrow.....

Here we go.....

Basically, the Giants can't lose another game. How sick would it be if they reel off 8 straight and tie at the end of the year and have a 1 game playoff? Like against the Cubs way back in 1998 when and they started Mark Gardner  vs. Steve Trachsel and got shut out for 8 innings but put up 3 in the 9th to lose 5-3. I'll be honest, if the Giants had a 1 game playoff with any team other than the Dodgers and Kershaw, I put them as the favorite.

I have a golf tourney today so I gotta keep this short. The Song goes tonight and I'd love for him to produce in the clutch. At this point, every game is a playoff game and if he throws well, it's a huge boost going into next year for the Giants rotation...

Why I dislike the Giants....

Because they make me care. I was totally prepared to write them off so I could focus on the football season. Now they've won 8 in a row and are 5 back in the West and 4 back in the Wild Card. Bochy, for the most part, has let the kids play in September and they've responded. Playoffs or not, we have sen what this team could be next year. If they get a leadoff centerfielder, with Panda, Beltran, Keppy, Posey, Freddy and maybe even Belt, Pill or Crawford in the mix, they have a steady offensive base when they're healthy.

Question....when am I ok with Huff as my starting 1st baseman? Well, if Belt is in the left field, never. But my real answer is if he's the 5th or 6th best hitter in my lineup. With Panda and Beltran (if he re-signs) and Posey the Giants have their 3-4-5 hitters (not necessarily in that order). With either Freddy or Keppy hitting 2nd (I prefer Keppy 2nd, Freddy 6th or 7th), Huff can be the 6th or 7th hitter. I'm totally fine with that. We've seen the worst of Huff this year. So next year if he evens out, I'll take .265-.270 with 15-20 HR's and 65-75 RBI's from the 6th/7th hitter.

But for the rest of this year, I'd love for Pill to get more AB's and Crawford to be in the lineup vs. lefties to see if what he can do. If not him, then when the Giants face a lefty, put Keppy at shortstop and let Fontenot play 2nd (he hits a respectable .250 vs. lefties). And I'll say again....CABRERA SHOULD NOT SEE THE FIELD. Mike Murphy should hide his uniform. He STILL offers nothing. I bet he's a great, likable guy. If so, he should turn into what Torres is now. A dugout guy. Who's the first guy to welcome a Giants hitter at the top step of the dugout? Torres. And you know he says, "Vamos! Come on baby!" Love him as a 5th OF'er next year.

Tomorrow the Giants get Kershaw. So, basically, it's a loss. Not because it's the Giants but because he owns them and he's been unreal all year. He's won 17 of his last 19 decisions. The Dodgers have won 13 of his last 16 starts. And he faces Lincy. How does this game not end 2-0 and Lincy throws 7 innings and gives up 1 earned? Kershaw should win the Cy Young in the NL this year. 1st in wins, ERA and Strikeouts.

Here's to hoping the Giants can reel off 8 more in a row after Tuesday and make things interesting :-)

Dare I say......6 in a row!?!?!?

So I'm semi-interested now. Here's the deal. If the Giants can somehow pick up 2 more games before they go to Arizona next week, I'll be regular excited. That would mean they'd be 4 games back with a 3 game series in Arizona. While it's still very unlikely that they actually have a say in the playoff picture, it's nice to see Bochy put in the kids and get results. Oh, and I didn't mention the Wild Card, which the Giants are 5 games behind the Braves. It's more likely they get closer to ARZ because of the head-to-head games but if Atlanta decides to shit the bed, more chances can only help the Gigantes.

Now, let's say they get close with a few games left. Does Bochy get a tight butthole and put Cabrera and Burrell and Stewside back in the lineup because they've "been there"? I sure hope not. The guys who have played in the last 10 days (H. Sanhez, Crawford, Belt, Christian, Pill) deserve a shot to play in pressure games. It could only be a good thing. Either they win games and their confidence soars or they lose and deal with failure on the big stage. The Giants have played with a loose confidence since they've been "playing out the string" and it'd be awesome if they stay that way the next 11 games.

So Bochy, keep the kids in the lineup, stop letting Runzler pitch and just because Stewart hit a Coors Field homerun doesn't mean he starts the last 11 games....

5 in as row?????

Panda hits for the cycle and The Song gets a win. Surkamp is showing he's just fine as a 5th starter and is more valuable than Zeets and J Sanch. In the last 5 games (all wins), here's a breakdown of starts:
BCrawf - 4
Hector Sanch - 3
Eli - 2
Cabrera - 1
So, when Crawford starts, we win. The one start Cabrera had, it took extras to win. Can someone email these numbers to Bochy?

It's nice to see the kids playing. Still, Huff has had 4 starts and Pill 1. I just will never get it. Ross, Panda, Keppinger and Los should all start right now. And then Pill, BCrawf, Belt and Sanchez should start no matter lefty/righty for the rest of the year. Period. Can anyone make an argument to the contrary? Why do we need top see what Huff, Cabrera, Torres, Stewside or DeRosa can do from here on out? They can hit a combined .232 with no pop. Am I crazy?

Football....Oh, and the Giants

Giants first. Ummmmm, did Bochy just start BCrawf for 2 straight games? I believe he did. Did the Giants win? Oh, that's right, they scored 8 runs....TWICE!!!! Now, was it all Crawford? Of course not. The dude went 0-7 with a walk. But he flat out picks it and should start for the duration. Also, did you see Hector Sanchez's double? Stewside has never put a swing on a ball like that. And he threw a out Maybin who's had 4 stolen bases and Bartlett who's had 6 SB's versus the Giants this year. But he's a bad defender, right? A switch hitter with gap to gap power and at least average defensively. Nope, I'd rather have a guy (or 2) who hits .203 (combined) but as Krukow says, "sits really low for a tall catcher". Ridic.

And in the savior department, Zito was just activated by the Giants. Hey Zeets, thanks but no thanks. How has he not become the only lefty, sidearm knuckleballer in the league. I'm dead serious. Become a specialist and contribute SOMETHING....

On to football. I'm, as you can imagine, a big 49ers fan. I also have the NFL Sunday Ticket so I watch a ton of football on Sundays. Most of my thoughts will have a fantasy football feel to them. Here's a few takeaways from Week 1:

-Jim Harbaugh is going to try to hide Alex Smith as long as he can. Smith had zero high risk throws on Sunday. Their D was very good but you just don't know because they were playing the Seahawks. Tarvaris Jackson is worse than Alex Smith, hands down. I also find it weird that for 6 years (probably longer), no matter who is calling the plays, the 49ers specialize in the 4 yard out on 3rd and 6. I see an 8-8 or 7-9 team this year.

-Darren McFadden is a beast. If he stays on the field (a big if), he's a top 6 RB in the league. For running as upright as he does, he punishes people.

-It's REALLY the year of the QB. As they say, it's a copycat league. Green Bay won without a dominant run game so we are seeing a ton of guys just chucking it. 14 of the 32 QB's in the league broke 300 yards. 44%!!! Only 7 RB's broke 100 yards.

-If Kenny Britt (TEN) stays healthy, he's a top 5 WR. He's got a knack for the big play. Oh, and if he stays out of jail as well.

-Cam Newton looked much better than anyone expected but I'm not on the bandwagon just yet. He very rarely checked down or went through his progressions. He'll need to adapt in a hurry.

So that's just a taste of Week 1. I'm very interested to see the 49ers versus a quality team in Dallas. We'll know a lot about this team by this time next week....

Playing out the string...

Words you hate to hear as a baseball fan. Especially when your team won the World Series last year. But that's what we're faced with as Giants fans. The biggest reason, in my opinion? Believe it or not, it's not Bochean's ineptitude. Seriously. I guess you could thank Scott Cousins, Freddy's shoulder, and Panda's hamate bone. Oh, throw in Nate's right foot, Beltran's wrist and B Weezy's right elbow. Yeah, it's injuries. Were they good enough to win despite those injuries? I say yes but it's debatable. I think if they made a few different moves (in game moves and roster moves), they had a shot. So I'd say it's a 60/40 split. 60% injuries, 40% Bochean/Veterans not playing to their potential.

So what to do next year? Well, let's talk about what they do have offensively. Posey, Huff, Sanchez and Panda. You can mark that. Huff is getting paid $10 million next year and you can be sure the Gaints aren't going to eat Rowand's, Zito's and Huff's money next year (yes, that's what the Giants are doing, eating Zito's contract. Can anyone say that they think he will ever contribute on a baseball field again?). So who plays SS? It's fairly clear the Giants brass (using that term loosely, they're more of a pewter I think) doesn't believe in Crawford is the answer. So going off that belief, I'd say Keppinger has earned the respect of Giants players, coaches and fans. He deserves a 3 year deal (the only caveat to that would be if the Giants can sign Jose Reyes. He would be A#1 on my off season list). That's it. You can stay in house or hit a homerun with Reyes. So that leaves the OF.

So the guys who are UFA's (unrestricted free agents) are Ross, Burrell and Beltran. I can't see the Giants signing Cody Ross next year. He made $6.3 million this year and produced about $1.3 million worth. Unless he takes a huge pay cut, he's gone. Burrell should become a coach. Period. Now, if they want Beltran, I think he'd stay at the right price. He made $18.5 million this year. I see him getting a 2-3 year deal worth in the $12-$15 million per year. He's 33 and I'd be totally fine with a 3 year deal. He's that good. Now onto guys who are arbitration eligible. Torres and Nate. I could see both of them re-signing as backups. Nate could find a starting gig elsewhere but he stays home I think. Torres would have to sign as a 4th or 5th outfielder. He made $2.2 million this year. He won't be getting a raise so I'd take him.

There are a few names I'd love to see on the Giants next year. Michael Bourn is tops on the list. Now, he's arbitration eligible with the Braves but if the Giants could pry him away, he's EXACTLY what they need. An real life leadoff hitter. Other guys you may have never heard of. -Emilio Bonifacio. He plays in Forida, is a SS, but also played in center this year. He's arbitration eligible but could be had in a trade. Love him at the top of an order.
-Angel Pagan. Also arbitration eligible but the Mets could part with him. Switch hitter with pop and lotsa speed. He pushed Beltran from center to right so we know he has skills in the OF.
-Coco Crisp. From right across the Bay. Keeps the ball in play, is an UFA and the guy can flat out play.

Those are just a few guys who could leadoff and play CF. I've heard Grady Sizemore as well but I think that would be a horrible move. Haven't they had enough of the injury bug? Sizemore has had like 37 knee operations in 9 months. P.S. I haven't even talked about Belt and Pill. That's a discussion for another day. But as the season winds down and the football season kicks off, there will be a shift in focus here at 6 Demon Bag SF. Th Giants will always be #1 in my heart, but I've got to stay relevant. Thanks for the support thus far and I hope to keep entertaining.

Oh and P.P.S. - if you're reading this, when you're done, click on one of the adds on the blog and check 'em out. It helps me and you :-)

Let them play....

The kids, obvi. At this point, the Giants need to know if they're going to let Crawford be their SS next year. A month left should give them an idea if he can hit in the majors. Pill will play for the duration because he's earned it...right? It also looks like Christian is going to keep getting AB's in center.

Football starts tonight. Kind of excited. My mind's all jumbled with Giants, fantasy baseball playoffs and the beginning of the football season. No focus on the blog. I'm cheating my 5 followers. I apologize....

Update....

Pill just hit another bomb...weird. Huff's back is mysteriously acting up....weird.

P.S. - I wanted to be the first to call him Pill-y The Kid...you're welcome...

Was Huff just on the bench????

And the Giants scored 6 runs? Pill starts and goes ya-ya's his first big league at bat....Weird. Bochy still had to have his boy Cabrera in, who actually had an RBI knock but did play his standard pedestrian defense. They also brought up Justin Christian out of nowhere and he contributed. Beltran and Keppy were studs, obvi.

I'm not going to say much because I don't want to jinx a good thing. Let's hope all the kids are given a chance again today and hell, maybe ARZ loses again just to torture us some more....

I guess less stress is good, right????

So while the Giants aren't mathematically eliminated, I'm going off the assumption that they're not going to make the playoffs. Of course, Bochy still thinks they're "in it" because there's no other reason for Huff starting than that Bochy thinks they've got a chance. He gives them their best chance, right? Even Scott Ostler, columnist for the Chronicle, said this about yesterday's game:
To some, the situation called for a shake-up Sunday. Something different. Anything.

But Aubrey Huff was back at first base, batting fifth, despite a 5-for-33 homestand (he did single to open the seventh), and a career 2-for-13 against starter Daniel Hudson. Sitting it out was Mark DeRosa, a rare recent ray of offensive hope (5-for-11 on the homestand, on base nine of his last 18 plate appearances). But he's a righty, and so is Hudson.

No Brandon Crawford for defense in the eighth, and who knows if he could have prevented Parra's crucial single on a slow roller to short. No Brandon Belt bunt in the seventh with nobody out and a runner on second. That would be contrary to the book, giving up an out, but one more run there would have been big, and Belt had whiffed twice against Hudson.
That's all water-cooler talk, to use a Jim Harbaugh phrase for useless chatter.
Bruce Bochy has a pencil, not a magic wand.

True Scott, it's not a wand. But he could write out the correct lineup with that pencil. While watching the game today (a 7-2 Giants win), it's clear that Crawford is an MLB-ready SS. Too bad it took them this long to get him back in there.

The reason I get so maddened by Bochean is that they do their jobs not to lose. Take a chance, leave the guys who are hitting .230 on the bench. If a guy is a terrible defender, put in a guy who isn't. Cabrera, Tejada, Stewart, Whiteside, Rowand, Huff, DeRosa, Ross (until a week ago) are all square pegs and starting spots are round holes. What shapes are Crawford or Pill or Belt (until 2 weeks ago)? We don't know. Maybe they're round, maybe they'd fit. But if you KNOW a guy isn't a fit, should it take 3 months of you cramming him into the hole for you to figure it out?  Just because a guy was a round peg 3 years ago means absolutely nothing. Actually, less than nothing because you're paying them.

Figure it out. We know Zito will never be a consistent starter in the league again. We know J. Sanchez needs a change of scenery to unleash his true potential. We know the Giants have 2 possible SS's for the future (Keppy and BCrawf). Can anyone tell me that a Lincecum/Cain/Bumgarner/Vogelsong/Surkamp isn't the best starting 5 the Giants could put out there? I'm terrified at what Sabean is going to do in free agency this offseason. He may knee jerk and sign Beltran to a 4 year deal. Great player...if he has a 1 or 2 year deal. Huff  ($10 mil)is here next year, as is Freddy ($6 mil). Those are the only 2 guys who are completely locked up next year. Others (Panda, Nate) will be arbitration eligible but will return. So there's a lot for Sabean to mess up. I have nothing but faith in him. How bout you?

Short and sweet....

It's a huge uphill climb at this point. Hopefully the Song throws well, the Giants score a few runs and they're 5 out and the D'Backs magic number is still 18 (magic number is your wins plus your opponents losses). I will say this, I truly believe Bochy needs to get off of Cabrera. He offers NOTHING. If you're going to contribute zilch on offense, you better pick it. He doesn't. He plays SS with a piano strapped behind him and a spade shovel for a glove. Would that make the difference in winning and losing? No. But you gotta put guys in a position to win. Bochy does not. That is all....

They couldn't.....could they?

Well, well, well. The calendar turns and the Giants decide to score some runs. I was doubtful, still am. If you'll recall, this was my quote two days ago, "Right now, I'd say they have a 23% chance of making the playoffs".
That percentage has gone up but not a whole lot. But I'll tell you what, they have planted that seed in the Diamondbacks head. Everything was puppy dogs and ice cream for ARZ in August. They played loose and free but playoff baseball is different. Now it's time for the stretch run and we will see if they have what the Giants had last year.

The positives were plenty last night. Los finally did what we thought he'd do when we gave up Wheeler 6 weeks ago. He's can be the centerpiece of an offense but he needs help. CoRo may have figured something out. It's one game but he looked different last night and that was plain to see. Cain was very good as usual. Nobody talks about him, he's not super flashy but when it's his turn, you always no you've got a very good shot at winning. And as usual, Keppinger came up with a knock. It's going to be fun to see a guy who's never been on a winning team actually play meaningful games. I've said he's a better version of Freddy Sanchez and he hasn't let me down yet. Him at SS and Freddy at 2B next year ain't looking so bad.

Now, the negatives. Cabrera...still a steaming pile of worthlessness. Huff hasn't figured it out yet and our catcher (Whiteside last night) took another 0-4. Your 6-7-8 can't all be auto-outs. It shows you the balls Bochy has to consistently put those guys out there day after day. He's confident that they'll figure it out (they won't, and pretty much everyone knows it) and you have to, in someway, admire that about him. I love that Burrell (and yes, he does wear his shower shoes inside of his cleats) is back and he did walk twice but he can't be the 5 starts-a-week LF down the stretch. Now that the younger guys got a taste of playoff caliber baseball, give em shot Bochy.

Make no mistake about it, that was a playoff game last night. You could feel it in the park. Even through the TV you could tell. The Giants haven't done much right this year (other than pitch), but we all know from last year that they can man up when needed. If/when they win tonight, the D'Backs will feel that grip tighten on their throats. Yes, the Giants did it last year but don't be mistaken, the D'Backs are not the Padres. They are a much better team with an actual offense so the road is much tougher this year. But with another couple W's, the Giants go from 23% to a dead heat for the playoffs.

Prediction for tonight.....G Men win 3-1. Lincecum throws 7 and pitches out of trouble all night. Huff and Panda factor in some way and it's my sincere hope that Crawford starts and comes up with a Vizquel-like play to save a run. I leave you with a few B Weezy quotes:
-Kaboom! You're getting this
-Chuck Norris has been known to throw a baseball 100 mph. I've been known to throw Chuck Norris 100 mph
-I’m a certified ninja. It happened in a dream. Normally it takes a lifetime, but I did it in 12 minutes
-Got Heeeeeem!

Stretch drive time....

So after this weekend, at least we'll know whether or not the G Men have a shot at the West. With a sweep, obvi they're right in it. If they take 2 of 3, they're 5 out with 22 games left. A big hill but not impossible. If they lose 2 or 3 in the series, they're done. Right now, I'd say they have a 23% chance of making the playoffs. If ARZ stops playing like the '27 Yankees, then that percentage goes up. But make no mistake, if the D-Backs don't start losing a few games, that percentage is 0%.

So Bochy says he sees Pill as a right handed bat off the bench. Excuse me? The dude can play anywhere (mainly plays 1B but can play OF, 2B, 3B) and he rakes. Yeah, yeah...in AAA, I get it. But let's throw Keppy in at SS and let Pill play 2B. Because we all kow we have Albert Pujols at 1B (that's how Bochy sees Huff right?) so he gets as many AB's as he wants. I find it amusing that when Bochy sits Huff, it's because he's giving him a "mental day". Does mental day equal "you're-a-steaming-pile-this-year"?

And while I love him because we kind of do look alike and he's been very productive throughout his career, Cody Ross has been worse than Huff. He needs to be the right hander off the bench for a week or two, give him a "mental 10 days". So here's what I hope the lineup looks like come September 2nd and beyond....

C - Sanchez
1B - Belt
2B - Keppinger
SS - Crawford
3B - Panda
LF - Huff/Ross/Ford/Pill
CF - Torres
RF - Beltran

What will it be....

C - Stew-side
1B - Huff
2B - Keppinger
SS - Cabrera
3B - Panda
LF - Belt/Ross
CF - Torres
RF - Beltran
Because that's worked so far....

4 months too late....

Ah, Sabean. So what your telling us is Rowand and Tejada aren't good enough to play any longer and the nearly $20 million they're making is wasted? Ummmm, told you so? I will give it to him though, he's admitted he messed up....horribly messed up. As I was telling some people just last night, it was almost a relief not having to worry about the Giants making the playoffs. Less stress, less work missed for games and more time for other things (fantasy football and poker). But Sabean goes and disappoints (in a good way) me again.

So MadBum goes out and gets 4 runs....4!!!!!....of support and throws a gem and the G Men get a win. Now, if ARZ loses tonight (unlikely), the Giants are 5 games out with Cain, Lincecum and Vogelsong going this weekend. With this new found lease on life (the GM actually saying he's terrible. That's what he said, right?), even if they take 2 of 3, they're 4 out which is by no means is too much with this staff. Plus they get the infusion of speed (Darren Ford, Burriss), defense (Brandon Crawford) and hitting (Bret Pill, Brad Eldred, Hector Sanchez?) when the rosters expand. Is there any doubt that's what they need? An infusion of life and youthful exuberance.

Literally, if they score 3-4 runs a game, with this staff, they can go 18-7 the rest of the way. That "may" get it done. Wouldn't it be nice to see Bochy give these kids a shot to get the Giants into the playoffs? We know DeRosa, Cabrera, Huff, Ross and Torres HAVE NOT produced. In the end, the Giants will need a couple of those guys to be there (Huff and Ross), but it'd be nice to see Pill and Belt and Crawford come up big. What's the downside of giving them a shot?

So can you picture Tejada and Rowand in Cabo, at Senor Frog's, sombreros on their heads, just shit housed off of Corona Lite and Cuervo? And Zito is in the VIP with 3 models, not talking to any of them cause he's focused doing yoga. Oh, and as you read this, Pat the Bat is in his shower shoes and a towel....no matter when you read this.....

Root canal, anyone....

Watching the Giants game right now and Lincecum just got pulled. I think he went directly to the clubhouse and shot Sabean in the head and lit all the offensive lockers on fire. It's madness. Some say the definition of madness is doing something the same exact way and expecting a different result. Sabean makes terrible moves, Bochy plays those guys and the Giants lose. It's pointless to talk about anymore.

No adjustments, no thinking outside of the box. Bochean, just enjoy those rings and those contract extensions. Maybe Sabean can buy some more shitty silver bracelets in the off season. I think Soriano and Mike Cameron might be available, you could sign them too Sabean....

Did the Giants win the World Series again????

Because I think I saw a freaking dog pile after a 2-1 win against an Astros team that's 47 games under .500. Come on boys, act like we've done this before. Now, good win, no doubt. Surkamp was impressive enough. One can't really tell because he came from AA and faced a AA club in the Astros. If he stays in this rotation spot, he gets the Diamondbacks September 1st. We'll know a lot more after that start but the first returns were encouraging. Keppy comes up huge....again. He takes solid AB's, has a solid approach and makes good decisions. See, no Cabre-jada in the starting lineup, the Giants win. Coincidence? I think not....

So here's what I really liked about the game. Fontenot leads off with a double. Now normally, I'd bunt there (and there's a 2,375% chance that Bochy doesn't call a bunt there). But Keppinger is good enough with the bat that you give him a shot to ground out to 2B and maybe he gets a hit out of it. He grounded out to first then Beltran did the same and the Giants had a manufactured run. Now tell me this....if Surkamp doesn't have that run, does he pitch the same. No way. See what I mean? Literally, 1 run makes such a difference on this team. Another 4 innings of scoreless relief...ho hum.

Question....do you think Pat Burrell hits fungos at Nate and Belt in the shower? I picture Burrell wearing just a towel and shower shoes, cigarette pressed between his lips, just wailing away while Nate and Belt dodge his line drives. And Huff is just egging Pat on, laughing at them while pounding Coors Original cans. Then when he's done, Pat sends Belt to go get him more cigarettes and beer. Can anyone else picture this?

Back to Business....

Had to take a break from the Giants yesterday. Was out watching the game on Thursday and it's just disheartening watching the Giants sometimes. But MadBum threw really well last night and Keppy had the hit they've been looking for for 2 1/2 months and the Giants get a win. The Giants had 4 hits against a guy (J.A. Happ, just up from AAA) who had given up at least 5 runs in his last 8 starts. They did scartch out 4 walks but seriously, as bad an offense as there's been in SF for quite a while (by comparison, ARZ is 10th in the league in runs and have scored 136 more runs than the Giants).

No need to tell u about Cabre-jada anymore. But my favorite was Cabrera's weak groundout with the bases loaded after the guy walked Stewart and the pitcher. Oh, I forgot to mention, it was the first pitch. Solid approach but he's a veteran, so what do we know. I really didn't mind seeing DeRosa in there to give Huff a mental day but now we know. He's helpless. He's a baby bird. He really shouldn't see the field again, especially once the roster expands September 1st.

So this Kid Eric Surkamp starts tonight. I think his strongest attribute is he's not Dan Runzler. His AA numbers were very good so maybe, hopefully, the Giants found a 5th starter. I'd prefer Mota but if it's not Zito/Sanchez/Runzler, I'll relent.

So is the offense Bochy or Muelens' fault? In a way, yes and no. The players play. No doubt. But I think a good leader puts guys into situations where they can succeed. So Huff and Ross...they play bad. But their approach has not changed one bit all year. If I'm a coach, I tweak things in those guys approach. The swing isn't the problem, it's the pitches you swing at. If the coaches stressed a different approach (Cabrera swinging at the first pitch last night is an example), I see guys coming out of their funks sooner.

And as I've said in the past, if you're last in run production as a team, you need to do the little things. If you can scratch a run or two early because you steal bases, bunt, hit and run, get guys in from 3rd with less tahn 2 outs, it's basically a win with this pitching staff. But Bochy just DOES NOT believe in small ball. His guys will figure it out. They did for 2 months last year on their run to the World Series, so why not now? That's a lazy way of coaching. It hasn't worked for 3 months, so make a change (P.S.- A "change" isn't playing Tejada while Panda is hurt or having Belt lose AB's to Rowand).

Put guys in a situation to succeed. Individual and as a team. Sabean did him no favors by signing and trading for the shit heap that are the SS's and not trading for a Catcher at the deadline (I refuse to believe that Ramon Hernandez, Miguel Olivo, Geovany Soto, John Buck). But the pieces are potentially there and Bochy will have more flexibility with the expanded rosters. While you can't tell, I'm an optimist when it comes to the Giants players, not their leaders. I can see Torres, Ross and Huff coming out of this with good months of August. If this happens, the Giants have a shot at the division. We need to see a better approach by Bochy and hopefully it's not too late....

Ummmm....told you so?????

So they won, as predicted. Not a huge shocker but it was surprising to see them not blow that game. Casilla scares the be-jesus outta me but he got the job done. Romo should be back soon so he'll slide into the closer role with Beard out. But onto last nights game. Beltran's first HR was a seed and the Giants need more of that. His play on Hudson's fly ball was atrocious however. You gotta keep that ball in front of you and let Lincecum work out of the jam. He's not what he once was defensively but he's the 3 hitter (when healthy) the Giants have needed for years.

I love the Belt/Ross/Beltran OF. As you're well aware, I think it should be Huff instead of Belt but as long as the Baby Giraffe is getting AB's, I'm good. Nate is still sidelined with a stress fracture in his foot so Belt "SHOULD" see more time. Hopefully Bochy doesn't ruin it with a Rowand start (3,723% chance Rowand starts tonight). Seriously though, give the kid Hector Sanchez a start. Stewart might be the worst "starting" catcher in the league. Just humor us Bochy.

The Giants get Hector Sosa for the 2nd time in a week tonight. Anyone want to wager the Giants score at least 5 runs tonight? The Song goes tonight and WILL NOT give up 5 runs again to the Astros. He goes 7 1/3 and gives up a couple in another win for the Gigantes. Done and Done....

Hey, anybody remember 3 1/2 months ago I said let's trade J Sanchez, Belt and whoever to the Mets for Jose Reyes then sign him to a 6 year deal? While I'm aware he's DL'd right now, wouldn't that be a nice little addition? Do the Giants need a leadoff hitter or SS? Nah, we got the man, the myth, the legend....the human Monchhichi Orland Cabrera (OK, maybe Gene Velez was the REAL Monchhichi but I digress). No, I'm never gonna let Sabean live down Cabre-jada until one of those worthless piles hits a walkoff in the playoffs.....

An end to the streak....

Last night was the last poorly played Giants game. Surprised you didn't know that. Just a feeling. But onto the recap. Another loss, another poorly played game. 3 errors, miscommunications, timely non-hitting....same old, same old. First off, props where it's due. Orlando Cabrera had a huge game tying single in the 8th inning. I rip him, rightfully so, but he will come through from time time. And it's not him I'm ripping, it's Bochean really. Hector Sanchez gets his first big league knock in the same inning. Hey Bochy, why not give the kid the start? What's that? Oh, because Stewart has a cannon arm and sits low for a tall catcher. Got it. Sound reasoning. I'm so sick of hearing that Stewart has a great arm. While he throws guys out, he's a below average defensive catcher. The stats don't support this claim but if you watch enough games, you'll know exactly what I mean.

Now to my favorite/most maddening part of the game. Check out this part of the game log:

-P. Sandoval singled to shallow center
-A. Huff doubled to deep right, P. Sandoval to third
-B. Belt safe at first on first baseman J. Guzman's throwing error, P. Sandoval and A. Huff scored, B. Belt to second
-C. Ross flied out to right, B. Belt to third
-A. Rowand popped out to second
-C. Stewart grounded out to shortstop

Hilarious. The guy literally offers nothing. He's molten lava (you're welcome, Nan). He ran into a fence and broke his entire face....once. Sure, it's only one run and it was in the 6th inning so there's plenty of game left but 1 run to the Giants is like 4 to a regular ballclub. That's the problem, in my eyes, with the Giants. Obviously they can't hit or score. That's well documented. But they are, by a wide margin, the WORST situational hitting team on earth. When you can't hit, you need to bunt, get guys over and score guys from 3rd with less than 2 outs.

So when I hear fans say they should fire Bam Bam Muelens (the hitting coach), I agree. Not because the Giants don't score, but because he doesn't stress the fundamentals. And to a larger extent, neither does Bochy. 1 measly run to our staff is huge. And if a team can't score, they have to play small ball, which the Giants refuse to do.

But the silver lining? Lincecum goes tonight. The Giants win. Have to. Then take 3 of 4 or sweep the Astros. Mark it. I feel a good stretch coming on here. Beltran is back, Belt actually played and maybe, just maybe Hector Sanchez isn't an automatic out (hat tip to Stewart and Whiteside). If only Nate didn't have a hairline fracture in his foot and if only Cabre-jada (<---well done) could get DL'd. A boy can dream I guess....

Haphazard Thoughts....

These are just thoughts, facts, tid-bits and notes about random stuff. Not all Giants related. Well, about 50% Giants related.....

-When Beltran comes back, why doesn't Nate play in CF? He's got the skills. And you could play Ross/Belt in LF. Of course, Huff should be in LF but that's been discussed....

-When I'm at work (I'm a Waiter/Bartender) and someone pays with cash and I ask "would you like change?" and they say yes...why do they get up and leave the change I brought? Why did you need change in the first place dick?

-If I'm ranking the top RB's in my upcoming Fantasy Football Draft (PPR league), they go as follows: Arian Foster, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Chris Johnson, Jamaal Charles....

-Matt Cain came into my work last night (unfortunately I was off) with his wife. If he throws a no-no, hopefully it becomes a Giants safe haven....

-Did u know 90% of the cells in your body are non-human. Seriously, Google it....

-Aaron Rowand has earned $17,662 per hit so far this year ($13.6 mil & 77 hits)....

-Least populated country in the world....Vatican City (Just over 1,000 people)....

-DeRosa, Tejada, Rowand and J Sanchez are making $30.9 mil this year. Oh Sabean, you're so silly. Enjoy that WS ring.....

-Why do i think it's fine if I lose $400 playing cards at the California Grand but it's ABSURD spending $92.37 at the supermarket for life giving food and beverage????

-Do you think Andres Torres does all his workouts in True Religion jeans?

-In 17 1/3 innings post all star break, Affeldt has a 0.52 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a .133 BAA (batting average against). Disgustingly good....

That's all I got for now....

Sometimes, it's not fun to be right.....

So obviously I was way off giving Runzler credit for 4 1/3 and 3 runs. So he put forth a disgusting display yesterday with 1 2/3 innings of worthlessness and gave up 4 runs. Of course, Mota comes in and goes 3 innings and doesn't allow a run and now has a 2.78 ERA post all star break. But I don't need to get into Mota anymore. I've said my peace on that situation. The Baby Giraffe goes big fly and has 4 knocks. Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see him on the bench tomorrow. Bochy plays the averages as you know.

The Bullpen was unreal yesterday. 9 1/3 innings of SCORELESS relief. Without Beard and Romo. That's crazy good. This staff all around is as good as baseball has seen in 20 years. Seriously.

Now, let's not get carried away. The Giants just lost 2 of 3 from a team that's 43 games under .500 and Carlos Lee is the only semi-recognizable name on the team. The silver lining you ask is two fold. First, Arizona has lost 5 in a row and plays a 4 game set in Washington who plays solid at home. Second, the Giants are only 1 1/2 games back after going 7-13 so far this month. Oh, and they get San Diego and Houston next. Last year at this time (actually exactly a year ago Friday, the Giants were 5 games back of San Diego) The Giants were in worse shape. So with a little health and home cookin',  we as fans have reason to be hopeful. That is unless Bochy decides that Cabrera, Tejada and Wall Sit Rowand absolutely NEED at bats to stay sharp. Ok, we know for a fact that at least two of those guys start on Tuesday but let's hope it's not Tejada. He offers nothing....ever.

I'd like to discuss Huff though. He's playing much better post all star break but he shouldn't be hitting cleanup but the Giants have none options so he's stuck there. I like that Bochy has given him time to figure it out. They way he sticks with veterans too long actually worked in this case (1 out of 38 is good right?). I see Huff having a big September....in left field. A friend (CeeDub) and I were chatting and he made a good point. If Bochy decides to play Belt everyday, then he should play 1B and Huff in left. Belt is much better at first and Huff doesn't struggle in left. Problem solved.

Well, here's to Cabrera and Tejada slap fighting in the clubhouse and both snapping an Achilles Tendon and Rowand blowing his shoulder out while doing some body work on DeRosa's IROC (Is there any way DeRosa doesn't cruise his IROC with Vinny Testaverde?).

Status Quo....

So the Giants are in a rut. A Mariana Trench type of rut. Injuries, wasted AB's, terrible lineups, bad defense. We all know this. Luckily, the Diamondbacks are letting the Giants lie in the weeds and hang around. 2 1/2 games is nothing with more than a month to play. But what's happening today, Sunday, might be the biggest travesty of the season thus far. Yes, even bigger than running Zito and Sanchez out there every 5th day. Bigger than trading for Cabrera and signing Tejada. Bigger even than Sabean's comments about Scott Cousins. The Giants are actually STARTING Dan Runzler today vs. the Astros.

Yep, Dan Runzler. You know, the younger, more wild, more head cased version of Johnathan Sanchez. I realize he was a starter in Fresno (2-3, 4.17 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 10 starts), but just because you were a middle of the road starter in AAA, doesn't mean you should just automatically start when the Giants need a guy to make a spot start. Am I missing something? Seriously let me know. OK, so you say, "who else would you have start"? Ummmm, let's see, if I had to pick someone, I guess.....Guillermo Freakin' Mota!!!!! He's the Giants long reliever (3.20 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, .164 BAA with a 23:7 K:BB since the All Star break), so his arm is stretched out. I said 6 weeks ago (no proof but it's true) that Mota should be our 5th starter and Zit-chez should be DL'd for the duration.

And most would say, "well, then that will tax the bullpen because Mota will only go 5 innings". But can you tell me the last time Zit-chez went more than 5 innings with out giving up at least 5 runs? I can. Zito was July 7th and Sanchez was June 12th....yeah, June. You know, the 6th month of the year. We are now almost done with the 8th month of the year. So in all those starts those two "pitchers" had (8 starts worth), the bullpen (mainly Mota) was used anyway. So I hope Runzler goes out and deals and throws 6 innings and gives up 2 runs. I'd give up booze for a week if that happens. But doesn't 4 1/3 innings, 3 runs and 5 walks seem more likely. Then Mota comes in and throws 3 2/3 of solid relief. I hope Runzler deals but mark it down Dude (I'm sorry Smokey, there are rules, this is not Vietnam), he won't.....

Wow....

So the injury bug is a bitch, no doubt. If you're starting lineup includes Chris Stewart, Mark DeRosa and Aaron Rowand, you shouldn't win a baseball game....ever. Now if you were playing who has the coolest Ford F-250 Extra Cab with the 44 Inch Super Swamper tires, then the Giants win in a land slide. Now even Whiteside is out (he's on the Concussion DL, which I bet half of you haven't even heard of) because of that sweet face plant slide he performed on Thursday night. So I give Bochean a pass until the Giants are somewhat healthy again. But I have more thoughts on the roster in general.

Let's take Mark DeRosa for example. Awesome clubhouse guy and personality and he should be a coach/instructor at some point in his career. However, Sabean signed him to a 2 yr, $12 Million deal last year to be our starting LF but he got hurt. Not Sabean's fault. But really, $12 mil to a 34 yr old (at the time of the signing) who had never hit more than 21 bombs and hadn't driven in more than 87 runs in his career. But you know what he was....a "Professional Hitter". He'll give you a good AB, grind the pitcher down. Which to Bochean means he's a .310 hitter who ALWAYS comes up with a clutch hit. When in reality, he's a .235 hitter who gets an RBI infield single in the 8th inning when the Giants are up or down 6 runs. You know, the Tejada special. The guy has no business taking up a roster spot on this years Giants squad (He's 2 for 30 with 0 runs/RBI since April 17th. Sure, mostly pinch hitting but come on). But he's a veteran so we (Giants fans) gotta deal with it.

Now I crush Bochean in this blog, with good reason. But I'm a equal opportunity blogger. I'll list the good with these two. Bochy first. He's great with the clubhouse, can run a pitching staff and is a solid "players coach" (In that if you're a veteran, he'll give you ample time and AB's to figure things out). He makes good moves from the bullpen and does keep guys on an even keel even when things look dire. Now Sabean is a bit harder for me but here goes. He hasn't really made any good free agent signings since Barry Bonds (except Affeldt) so I'll leave that alone. Getting Ramon Ramirez and Javier Lopez last year solidified the bully and were as important in my opinion as getting Cody Ross (who he actually claimed on waivers so the Padres wouldn't get him. If you remember, he was like our 6th OF'er when we got him. Behind even Jose Guillen!!!). Huff obviously was a sneaky good deal and he paid off huge for the money he got last year and I absolutely loved the Keppinger trade this year. I see Keppinger as the answer at SS if they decide that Crawford isn't the future at SS and Freddy Sanchez is back full strength next year (and of course Crawford isn't the answer, he's not a veteran). And lastly, Sabean has put together a top notch Minor league scouting and development team. I see the younger hitters catching up with the pitchers soon enough and the Giants will actually start throwing some real home grown talent on the field (Posey, Belt, Panda and Nate are a great start). So that's all Bochean gets. Now I can start my "Mark DeRosa for Bochy" campaign....well maybe not DeRosa....how 'bout Ron Wotus...or Roger Craig(former 49ers RB)....or Barak Obama....or Lee Corso....you get the picture.

The Catchers....

Obviously Stewart and Whiteside are both backups and we should have Buster but he's been gone for months so this is what we're left with. How does Sabean not trade for a catcher at the deadline or claim one off waivers right now. You're telling me the Reds were asking too much for Ramon Hernandez???? They have a young guy (Ryan Hanigan) who they've locked up for a few years to be their catcher. Hernandez is exactly what the Giants need and Bochy/Sabean love. A veteran who's been there, can be a "clubhouse" guy and he's cheap ($3 million this year of which we only would have paid half). He is on a one year deal so there's no risk or commitment next year when Posey returns. He's just one of a handful of guys that could have been had.

Tell me this....would u rather have Cabrera or Hernandez right now???? Ramon is hitting .295 (which would rank 2nd behind Panda among SF regulars) and has 11 bombs (2nd again behind Panda not counting Beltran's 15 w/ the Mets). Hmmmmmm, gun to my head....I guess I'd take Hernandez.

But the Giants have got Cabrera, he of the .221 AVG and 1 walk in 18 games. Did I mention he's accounted for 10 runs (2 runs, 8 RBI) in those 18 games and probably cost just as many in the field (I have no stat for this but if you watch any Giants baseball, you know I'm right).

But let's keep running him out there Bochy. He'll get better, we're all sure of it. Like I say, the WORST thing to happen to Giants fans was that Bochy/Sabean won the World Series. Now, don't get me wrong. That was the sweetest month of my baseball fandom life and I wouldn't trade it for anything (well maybe a date with Kelly Clarkson, but that's a discussion for a whole different blog). However, now those two asshats have carte blanche to do whatever they want and they are loved by the fans who don't really know baseball.

Thankfully Bobby Evans (ex-director of minor league baseball operations) and the Giants draft team (which may include Sabean but there's no way he does any scouting) have put together this amazing group of Starting Pitchers because the Giants can still beat anyone, despite the efforts of Bochy/Sabean (which I will be refering to as Boch-ean from now on).

This is an MLB Lineup??????

Jumping straight in to the way Bochy runs a lineup. How on earth do you start Miguel Tejada.....EVER?!?!? He's 217 years past his prime, no range and can't even make a productive out (no problem making unproductive outs). How does he not come up with a "lower body injury" and be DL'd for the next 6 months and become a special assistant to Sabean? Sounds perfect, Sabes can have the past his prime SS he covets so much at his beck and call. Problem solved. So what's the answer to Tejada you ask.....Orlando Cabrera. Sabean managed to find a SS with a worse bat than Tejada and a worse glove than Brandon Crawford. If the Giants SS is gonna be an automatic out, shouldn't he be able to pick it? Crawford has an MLB ready glove no doubt. Put him in the 7th spot in the lineup and let him figure it out....oh wait, Bochy REFUSES to give rookies consistent time (see the yo-yo that is Brandon Belt, who has a HR for every time he's been brought up to the majors).

So back to the lineup. Whatever photos or videos Rowand has of Bochy with some dirty birdie on the road I really wish he would just give them back. If Beltran is healthy, Rowand should get 1 start a week, tops. Ross sees most of the time in center, Nate in LF and Carlos in RF. Belt could still get 3 starts a week in the OF and spelling Huff at 1B. With Los on the DL, Belt should see all of his AB's. Rowand is and will always be a backup. With all the hitting he does before/after the game, he'll stay plenty sharp. And Ross needs the AB's to be what he is.....a guy who hits .250-.260 and hits 20 bombs a year. His slugging % will be on the higher side and he plays solid defense most of the time (despite the throw during the Cubs series). Nate has earned every AB he's gotten thus far. It's a shame Bochy took the best RF in the NL and put him in left when they traded for Los (Pretty sure that was more of Beltran telling Bochy he was playing RF and only RF), but Nate is a starting MLB OF and he's proved it.

So that's just the OF and the SS position. You ask me (and no one is), Nate, Ross and Beltran (Belt while Los is DL'd) in the OF and Crawford back at SS. The Cabrera trade was an abortion and unnecessary. Almost as bad as the Tejada signing. Since we won't have Crawford until Sept. 1 and he won't play when they do bring him up, can we put Keppinger (who played SS for Houston) at SS and Fontenot at 2B?

1st and foremost.....

Never thought I'd do a blog but the Giants are so maddening and fantasy football is starting soon so here goes.....