The 2014 Giants and Chemistry 101

This is the 2014 Giants (and the 2012 and 2010 versions for that matter): Team Chemistry.

It's an elusive thing and one that is hard to define at times within a baseball context, but you know it when you see it. You also know it when you lack it as a team, usually nobody mentions bad chemistry.

It is definitely when the total is greater than the sum of the parts. That is what Bumgarner is describing here.

from San Jose Mercury News:
Giants win, complete sweep of Minnesota Twins - San Jose Mercury News:

"We've got a good team," Bumgarner said. "It's better than a lot of people realized at the start of the year. We play together. On paper, it might not be the best, but I'd put it up against anybody."

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Happy Memorial Day

from allprodad.com
http://www.allprodad.com/articles/more-great-articles/what-do-1-point-3-million-lives-mean-to-you/

1,321,612. Do you know what this number represents? It represents the total number of U.S. deaths as a result of war. That number is staggering to me, as I cannot say I know one of them.

The men and women who serve our country in the armed forces seem distant, almost unreal. Memorial Dayserves as an annual reminder to some of us, but many times, unless it hitsclose to home, we don’t truly understand the magnitude of it.

This is why instead of focusing on the opening of the local swimming pool, grilling out, and the unofficial kickoff to summer, we should make sure our kids value Memorial Day and what it represents.

Memorial Day is the day to remember those who sacrificed their lives to defend our nation and our freedom. It’s our job to teach them the importance and history of Memorial Day. Here is a Memorial Day Timeline to get you and your kids started and a great video that teaches the history of Memorial Day.

California Chrome has won the Preakness!!!

Only thirty one previous horses have won the first two legs of the Triple Crown before California Chrome.

Only eleven of those great horses have gone on to win the Triple Crow.
The last, Affirmed  in 1978.

So many great names on the list of horses that won only two thirds of the races. We will see in two weeks which list California Chrome ends up on.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_Crown_of_Thoroughbred_Racing

United States Triple Crowns[edit]

Main articles: United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing

In the United States, the three races that make up the Triple Crown are:

1. Kentucky Derby, run over the 1 ¹⁄₄-mile (2.0 km) dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky;
2. Preakness Stakes, run over the 1 ³⁄₁₆-mile (1.9 km) dirt track at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland;
3. Belmont Stakes, run over the 1 ¹⁄₂-mile (2.4 km) dirt track, the longest in USA thoroughbred racing, at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.

Triple Crown winners[edit]

List of US Triple Crown Winners

Year	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Breeder
1919	Sir Barton	Johnny Loftus	H. Guy Bedwell	J. K. L. Ross	John E. Madden
1930	Gallant Fox	Earl Sande	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	Belair Stud
1935	Omaha	Willie Saunders	Jim Fitzsimmons	Belair Stud	Belair Stud
1937	War Admiral	Charley Kurtsinger	George H. Conway	Samuel D. Riddle	Samuel D. Riddle
1941	Whirlaway	Eddie Arcaro	Ben A. Jones	Calumet Farm	Calumet Farm
1943	Count Fleet	Johnny Longden	Don Cameron	Fannie Hertz	Fannie Hertz
1946	Assault	Warren Mehrtens	Max Hirsch	King Ranch	King Ranch
1948	Citation	Eddie Arcaro	Horace A. Jones	Calumet Farm	Calumet Farm
1973	Secretariat	Ron Turcotte	Lucien Laurin	Meadow Stable	Meadow Stud
1977	Seattle Slew	Jean Cruguet	William H. Turner, Jr.	Karen L. Taylor	Ben S. Castleman
1978	Affirmed	Steve Cauthen	Laz Barrera	Harbor View Farm	Harbor View Farm

Failed Triple Crown attempts[edit]

The following horses won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness but were beaten in the Belmont:

• Pensive (1944): second to Bounding Home
• Tim Tam (1958): second to Cavan
• Carry Back (1961): seventh to Sherluck
• Northern Dancer (1964): third to Quadrangle
• Kauai King (1966): fourth to Amberoid
• Forward Pass (1968): second to Stage Door Johnny
• Majestic Prince (1969): second to Arts and Letters
• Canonero II (1971): fourth to Pass Catcher
• Spectacular Bid (1979): third to Coastal
• Pleasant Colony (1981): third to Summing
• Alysheba (1987): fourth to Bet Twice
• Sunday Silence (1989): second to Easy Goer
• Silver Charm (1997): second to Touch Gold
• Real Quiet (1998): second to Victory Gallop
• Charismatic (1999): third to Lemon Drop Kid
• War Emblem (2002): eighth to Sarava
• Funny Cide (2003): third to Empire Maker
• Smarty Jones (2004): second to Birdstone
• Big Brown (2008): Did Not Finish to Da' Tara
• I'll Have Another (2012): Did Not Start to Union Rags

Giants rumors for the 2014 Draft - McCovey Chronicles

If this is the guy the Giants end up with, I would be OK with it. But given the crowded list of pitching prospects already in the pipeline and the paucity of quality, near MLB ready bats.........I mean......don't you think a college hitter might be a go at #14?  You would get a guy who would be close to MLB ready and it's not like the Giants are the youngest everyday lineup in the bigs right now. I'm just saying.

from McCovey Chronicles:
Giants rumors for the 2014 Draft - McCovey Chronicles:

"Baseball America has a mock draft up, and it's free for the unwashed regulars who don't subscribe. Here's who they have the Giants picking at #14:

... personnel director Dick Tidrow would be just the guy to bring the most out of Vanderbilt’s erratic ace Beede.

Projected Pick: Tyler Beede"

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Let's see, he's tall. And he throws the ball much harder than I can. From Minor League Ball:

On the mound, Beede possesses the stuff of a top line arm. His fastball sits 92-94 and can get up to 97. When he works down in the zone, it has good movement. His curveball is 80-83 with hard downward action. When he's on, it's an out pitch. I've seen him throw a slider but it doesn't hold up well. His change is in the 78-82 MPH range and is spectacular at times showing great depth and fade. It's a plus-plus pitch at times.

Beede was drafted 21st overall in 2011 and didn't sign, so it looks like he walked the hot coals pretty danged well, coming out a similarly touted prospect on the other side. 

California Chrome shines bright in the 2014 Kentucky Derby

Finally, A Giant is BA Prospect of the Day!!

Nice to see a Giant at the top of the list, it's only mid May. It had to be Crick, I suppose. He is their chosen one, after all.

Good to see Crick get the command and control issues (at least the control) ironed out for at least one day. If he can build on it, he stays at the top of the list among the pitching prospects. Stratton continues to scuffle, but both Derek Law and Heath Hembree continue to shine at the closer end of the bullpen.

Would be nice to see on of the hitters crack the top of the list. Maybe Panik or Susac?

C'mon BA, you can do it!!

Baseball America Prospect ReportCompiled by Baseball America   May 17, 2014
PITCHER OF THE DAY: Kyle Crick, rhp — Double-A Richmond (Giants).
The Giants' top prospect, Crick had struggled with distance in his first year at Double-A. But in his longest outing to date, the hard-throwing righthander blanked Altoona on two hits and a walk in six innings in a 2-1 win. His longest previous outing was five innings in his first start on April 6. His command continues to be an issue as he has walked 20 in 24.2 IP this season.

SF		AA		Crick, Kyle		6		2		0		0		1		6		3.28		W (2-1)
SF		AA		Hall, Cody		1		0		0		0		0		2		3.68
SF		AA		Law, Derek		1		1		0		0		1		0		2.60		Sv (10)
SF		AAA		Hembree, Heath		0.1		0		0		0		0		1		2.51		Sv (9)

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Giants prospects continue to shine

It will be a great day in Poco_Gigante land when both Andrew Susac and Joe Panik sport their .300 plus averages and prove I don't know anything when I complain that the organization can't produce quality hitters. 

A little further down, two of my favorite pitchers,  Black and Law, continue to shine.  

  
Baseball America Prospect Report
Compiled by Baseball America   May 12, 2014

SF		AAA		Susac, Andrew C		4		1		1		1		.333		HR (4)
SF		AAA		Brown, Gary CF		4		0		2		0		.276		SB (6)
SF		LoA		Jones, Ryder SS		5		1		2		3		.264		HR (1)

SF		AA		Blach, Ty		7		6		3		3		0		3		2.23		W (3-1)
SF		AA		Law, Derek		1		0		0		0		2		3		2.35		Sv (9)

AJ McCarron headlines free fall of three big-name SEC QBs in the NFL draft | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo Sports

I am not for one minute saying the McCarron will have the career of a Tom Brady. But some day down the road, we will look back and in similar fashion to Brady say "How did this guy stay on the board so long?"



The same with Murray and perhaps even Mettenberger if both rebound from injuries. Murray may be the bargain of bargain picks if he regains his form. .


from Yahoo Sports:

AJ McCarron headlines free fall of three big-name SEC QBs in the NFL draft | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo Sports:

McCarron, well known for helping lead Alabama to two national championships, wasn't even the first of those three SEC quarterbacks taken. Murray was selected by the Chiefs with the 163rd overall pick, in the fifth round. At least McCarron didn't wait much longer after that. McCarron was picked by Cincinnat with the 164th pick. Mettenberger was finally selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round (178th overall). 

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Puig once again the clown

Maybe Mattingly ought to look at the tape of Brandon Crawford's HR. No bat flip and I'll bet it took Puig (which must be Cuban for Pig) twice as long to trot his fat ass around the bases. That's what the issue was. Maholm is right, this idiot flips the bat on outs. What he fails to account for is the time around the bases.

from Giants Extra:
POSTGAME NOTES: “I was just congratulating him. It was a really good hit.” – Giants Extra:

“I was just congratulating him,” he said with a straight face. “That was a really good swing. I don’t know why everybody got so mad. That was pretty impressive. I don’t know what happened.” There was a hint of a smile, but Bumgarner held back. 

A couple hundred yards away, the Dodgers, on the losing end of a close game for the second straight night, seemed not to be in a joking mood. Don Mattingly said he thought home plate umpire Will Little should have done something. 

 “It always surprises me when guys react to things when their team does the same type of stuff,” Mattingly told local reporters. “It’s always amazing to me.” Paul Maholm, tonight’s other starter, seemed to shrug it all off. “He bat flips when he gets out,” Maholm said of Puig. “I don’t think he was technically pimping it.”

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Mattingly and some of the Dodger veterans tried to get this ass-wipe to play the game right, now they've clearly given up the fight and joined the chorus of "Oh, what's the harm? He's just having fun playing a kids game" meme.  See the NBA and the NFL -- both inherently kids games, also played by men -- where any measure of sportsmanship or respect for your opponent is a horse that long since left the barn.

Fortunately, MLB and the NFL remain self-policing and Mattingly knows this. So when his guys starts wearing fastballs, he can start blaming the umpires, as he is now shamelessly beginning to do, to step in and clean up the mess of his own failure to police his own ballplayer.

Beltran was right, and now Bumgarner is right. What is that these guys know, that Mattingly can't admit, cause he chooses to take the cowards way out in dealing with his player? It's a growing list of players and organizations that don't seem to understand poor little Miss Puig?

You're own guy doesn't respect you Donnie Baseball. WEAR THAT!!! And this is coming from someone who USED to respect you and what you stood for -- you USED to BE somebody who played the game right. Now, because you have one guy who can't fit in -- but maybe can win a game or two for you -- your values as a player are flushed down the toilet? Talk about being a pimp? Oh no, wait a minute, that's the definition of being a whore. My bad.

What happened to the example these guys are setting for the kids? Is it now OK for kids to disrespect and show up an opponent willy-nilly? I guess the ultimate PED argument goes down the toilet as well for these panty-waists in the media who never played the game.  Let the kids learn it's OK to be a clown-ass as a teammate, disrespect your opponents, as long as your having fun and making people laugh. Like a clown would. A hundred years of playing the game right flushed down the drain because one guy, who barley speaks the language, never mind understand the culture can't / or won't get acclimated. Yeah, where do I sign up for that logic?

Odell Beckham Jr. NFL Draft 2014: Grading Giants' 1st-Round Pick | Bleacher Report

Odell Beckham Jr Highlights ᴴᴰ "Remember the Name"

After UNC TE Eric Ebron went to the Lions two picks in front, I was starting to lose interest. But when you say this guy is comparable to DeSean Jackson, I got right back into it. I should be puking at the comp to an Eagle, but the guy killed us, soooooooo.............yeah.



Some pluses, some minuses, but hey who doesn't, right? A chance to be a decent pick and a need pick ever since Hakeem Nicks kinda stopped trying.



Onto the linemen, doesn't matter which side. Some big 'uns, please.



from Bleacher Report:

Odell Beckham Jr. NFL Draft 2014: Grading Giants' 1st-Round Pick | Bleacher Report:

The former Tigers wideout has good speed and fantastic agility and leaping ability, and his solid hands make him a dangerous prospect. He's a fantastic athlete, the kind of playmaker that every title contender needs to be successful. His route running is excellent, and he's extremely tough to catch in the open field. 

 But Beckham isn't perfect; he's not blazingly fast and isn't overly large for a wideout. His hands and blocking skills are both still very much works in progress, and his judgment fielding punts can leave a lot to be desired.

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