Giants 2017 Starters

This is it, save for a couple of forgettable Chris Stratton starts. If the Giants knew how bad the season was going to be, do you think they would have DFA'd Clayton Blackburn? I sure would have liked to have seen him in extended meaningful action, I think he'd have developed into a keeper like Ty Blach seems to be doing. 

Believe it or not, the core problem is not here. Samardzija has to keep the ball in the yard and get finer with the strike zone. He's discovering the difference between control (throwing strikes) and command (throwing strikes with stuff and proper location). It just can't be anywhere in the strike zone. We tell twelve and thirteen year-olds with "stuff" to just throw it down the middle and dare them to hit it. That doesn't work in the show. The other guys is getting paid big bucks too.  

Nothing stops Bumgarner, except dirt-bikes and lack of run support. Not worried about him. PAY THE MAN!!

Blach pitches to contact and keeps the ball in the yard and on the ground. So he may get hit but he can get a DP limit damage. Talk to Samardzija.

Cueto has to get it back. He got exposed a little after Bumgarner went down. I don't think he's a pure #1 anymore. He needs some cover. Keep Bummer away from dirt bikes.

Matt Moore is truly vexing. I think a lot of it is between his ears. When he threw the WP and forgot to cover home recently, I though Posey should have drilled him with it. It might have knocked some sense back into him. He seems to forget how to compete when things go wrong. When the wheels come off for him, they don't go back on easily, like for Blach and Bummer. He supposedly has 3-4 pitches, none of which he can really command. Which means he really doesn't have any pitches.

Matt Cain. Hey, thanks for the memories. Here's your $7M buyout for next year. The old-timers game is in June, you think you can give us a couple of innings? Maybe get some guys out there? What do they say, if you have two Matt's in your rotation, you really don't have any? TRUTH!!

Moore has to figure it out quickly or, as long as we're into bringing back the old guard, let's just offer him back to the Rays for Matt Duffy, if he ever gets off the DL. He plays left, Parker goes to RF and Pence, IDK about Pence. He makes a lot of money so.......yeah. That's why we can never have a nice team around here.

Matt Cain returns after twelve month layoff

This is the perfect remedy to remove the bad taste of the last two games in Miami. Matt Cain versus Jose Fernandez in The Rehab Bowl. Plus it doesn't get much better than a nooner in Miami, I tell 'ya. We shall see which of the two aces on the mend comes back closer to form.

from LA Times:
Marlins' Jose Fernandez returns to action against Giants and Matt Cain - LA Times:

The NL rookie of the year at 21 in 2013, Fernandez was the Marlins' opening-day starter last year, but his ascent was interrupted by an elbow ligament injury that required reconstructive surgery. He won't be the only pitcher making a comeback Thursday — his opponent, Giants right-hander Matt Cain, will start for the first time since July 2014.

'via Blog this'

It's good to see Fernandez back as well. Between him and the Mets Matt Harvey, I don't know of two more exciting pitching prospects to hit the league recently. Except maybe the Mets Noah Syndegaard....and maybe the Mets Steven Matz....Hey wait a minute, shouldn't the Mets be less of the Mutts with all this good pitching? IDK, maybe that's why they are still the Mutts.

Anyway, it's a pitcher's league now, that much is clear. Not a day goes by it seems that my iPhone isn't updated with some pitcher or another pitching a no-hitter through six innings or more....and that includes games from outside the greater Tampa Bay area. What's up with that Rays?

Welcome back Matt Cain!! It's been too long.

Giants win on walk-off E1 - It's the "Giants Way"

http://m.mlb.com/video/?content_id=36807385&topic_id=6479266

It's never pretty, but this is the "Giants Way" this season. The bullpen got the train back on the tracks after Huddy was perhaps left in a bit too long and frittered away an early four run lead. Maybe Bochy pushed him a little too far trying to shorten the bullpen assignment or just deferring to the veteran warrior.

This sets things up nicely for the next two, of which the Giants really only MUST win one of two. The Cardinals almost MUST win both. Vogie and Bummer at home give the Gigantes an outside chance at closing things out at home, but we're a long way from that.

Cardinals would have to like their chances even if they go home down 3-2 with the task of beating Peavy and Hudson on consecutive nights. No offense to the way either one has pitched down the stretch, but this is where you miss Matt Cain pitching before or after Bumgarner.


http://m.mlb.com/video/topic/6479266/v36807309/nlcs-gm3-sandoval-dives-to-rob-holliday-of-hit

A little overkill on the Gamecast data, but this is a pretty play. Bad-hopper to Pablo, which if it gets by him, puts the Giants in a large 10th inning hole. If he leaves after this season, the Giants will miss plays like this, which Pablo has delivered routinely throughout the year. This one was delivered in the clutch, in prime time, for the whole nation to see. Cha ching!!!

Jake Peavy defines being a good teammate

Other than the contributions of the kiddie-corps (Panik and Susac) I don't know of anything else that has turned the Giants (once-sinking) ship around more. Replacing Matt Cain was an absolute must. Maybe Petit steps in and gives you the same type of innings and the same record, but he doesn't bring the same presence that Peavy does. His quote below about being a good teammate is classic.

Kudos to Sabean, this is in his GM wheelhouse. Bringing in a veteran and wringing out the last bit of performance out of him. So maybe, this at least partially offsets the Uggla experiment somewhat. Sabean also gets props for bringing back Travis Ishakawa who has been a godsend at first base and as a lefty bat off the bench. I'm sure there was considerable eye-rolling from the assembled Giants bloggers when that move was made (myself included). Ishakawa is almost an offensive weapon now.

This article adds some of the detail and once again is very classy coming from a Sawks reporter.

from NESN.com:
Jake Peavy Trade With Red Sox Paying Dividends For Giants Down Stretch | MLB | NESN.com:

Peavy, who was 1-9 with a 4.72 ERA through 20 starts at the time of the trade, has rewarded the Giants since landing in the Bay Area. He’s 5-4 with a 2.29 ERA in nine starts with San Francisco, helping the team absorb the loss of Matt Cain. Peavy’s 1.12 ERA since Aug. 9 is tops in the National League.

“Over the past few weeks we’ve found some identity as a team,” Peavy told reporters Thursday after another solid performance. “Playing good team baseball, playing for each other, playing hard.”

The Giants entered Friday with a 22-15 record since the beginning of August. They trailed the Los Angeles Dodgers by only two games in the National League West and sat atop the NL Wild Card standings alongside the Pittsburgh Pirates. Obviously, it’s not all Peavy’s doing. But San Francisco looks rejuvenated.

“As you get older, you realize what the word ‘teammate’ is,” Peavy said. “When I walk away from this game, that’s what I want to be said about me. I don’t care about any numbers, any wins and losses. I want my peers, when they get asked about me, to say this guy came in prepared, he got his work done, and he was one of the best teammates I’ve ever had.”

Peavy’s status as a great teammate never was in question. Now, with a change of scenery, he’s back to being a quality starting pitcher, too.

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No ligament damage in Matt Cain’s elbow, but he’s dealing with “loose bodies” | HardballTalk

Joint mice in knee (not Matt Cain's) 

Cain has "joint mice". No TJ surgery, but he may be shut down for repairs for the immediate future. Good news for 2015 in theory.

from Hardball Talk:
No ligament damage in Matt Cain’s elbow, but he’s dealing with “loose bodies” | HardballTalk:

This is pretty much a good news/bad news situation for the Giants, but Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com has an update on Matt Cain‘s elbow:

So no Tommy John surgery for Matt Cain, which is good, but it sounds like a cleanup-surgery could be in his future no matter what. In other words, he might not pitch for the Giants again anytime soon. We should know more on his status in the next couple of days, but that Jake Peavy INSURANCE POLICY is looking pretty smart right now.

'via Blog this'

POSTGAME NOTES: A classic Matt Cain start, in just about every way – Giants Extra

This is good news for the Giants. I have been reading some analysis of Cain's mechanics and the "lower arm slot" evidence is out there and it is somewhat concerning, especially when combined with diminished performance and a change in his mix of pitches. Whew....that was a mouthful. It is good to see him closer to his old self than his new self.

He may be entering the same stage that Lincecum has been struggling with for the past couple of year, changing from a higher-K power pitcher pitcher to a lower-K finesse pitcher who is not afraid to hit bats,



from Giants Extra:

POSTGAME NOTES: A classic Matt Cain start, in just about every way – Giants Extra:

"The long-time ace is cleaning up his mechanics and he showed some serious stuff Saturday — including a 94 mph fastball in the first inning. Cain threw 22 of 28 first-pitch strikes and 116 pitches in all, his highest total since September, 2012. He insisted in Los Angeles that he would stick with his approach, and it seemed he was being stubborn. But today, as Cain pounded fastballs over and over again — 63 of them in all — it was pretty clear that Cain can still be effective this way. That’s a good lineup he faced today, and without a mental mistake in the third inning, Cain probably keeps the Rockies off the board."

“He gave us a great effort,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He just had good command of all his pitches. He worked hard early in the game but he still got in a good groove. He just threw quality strikes today.”

Cain got off to a rough start last year, too, and then he turned in a 2.36 ERA after the break — a reminder of what he’s capable of. Saturday was another reminder, and it made it a lot easier for the Giants to walk out of the park after a 1-0 loss with their heads held high.

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Matt Cain continues Giants' run of strong starts, Giants win - McCovey Chronicles

Matt Cain regaining his form after a brutal 2013 is a must for the Giants. He seems to be throwing from a lower arm slot, but my eyes may be deceiving me there. That would be my only concern with Cainer.



Pablo Sandoval looking very Tony Gwynn-esque would simply be icing on the cake. Shhhhhh......don't say cake around Pablo. He needs to be closer to .300 BA than 300 lbs.



from McCovey Chronicles:

Matt Cain continues Giants' run of strong starts, Giants win - McCovey Chronicles:



"Pablo Sandoval got a couple hits, and danged if he didn't look good doing it. Here's a GIF that will thaw the winter away from your heart.
"







'via Blog this'

Cain is far from able and Kickham kicks it to Fresno

Going from bad to worse at a stunning rate of speed - your 2013 Giants. When your ace cannot throw strikes, nor can he get out of the first inning -- versus the Mutts BTW -- how much worse can it get?

Quote To Note:

"I wasn't throwing strikes. We needed a chance to win and I wasn't giving us an opportunity."

—RHP Matt Cain, after getting yanked in the first inning of an eventual 7-2 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday.

Kickham continues to struggle. He'll work it out at Fresno for the near term.  He seems to be a different pitcher ( effective vs. ineffective ) with nobody on base versus with runners on. Throwing from the stretch decreases his effectiveness. So therefore making him a relief pitcher, where throwing from the stretch and with runners on base is at a premium, does not seem like a long-term option.

The second time through the lineup issue is a bit more of a head scratcher since he does seem to have a decent enough mix of pitches to work his way through a lineup 2-3 times. I still like him better as a starting pitcher versus a reliever but some of the kinks in his game that should have been ironed out in the minors were exposed a bit at the major league level.

from Yahoo Sports:
San Francisco Giants - Team Report - MLB - Yahoo! Sports:

LHP Mike Kickham demonstrated in his first three appearances for the Giants an ability to get batters out the first time he faced them. Unfortunately, he didn't do nearly as well in subsequent matchups. The left-hander continued that trend in Wednesday's 7-2 loss to the New York Mets. After relieving RHP Matt Cain in the first inning, Kickham shut out the Mets on no hits through the fourth inning, facing three batters twice and the other six once. But the Mets solved Kickham in the fifth and sixth innings, belting three doubles and a home run among five hits while adding four runs to their 3-0 advantage. Kickham did strike out six in a season-best 5 1/3 innings. But, once again the conclusion was he's not ready for the multiple-inning task of being a starting pitcher. He will remain in relief for the foreseeable future.

'via Blog this'

Matt Cain gets first win as Giants sweep Dodgers - Yahoo! Sports

If you had told me before the season started that the Matt Cain would be on pace towards a 5-10 record and the Giants would still be in first place, I would take that deal. Cain will turn it around, yesterday was a first step. I was hoping for a walk-off hat trick but have to settle for a sweep. What a tough life being a Giants fan has become. We used to talk of torture and consecutive years without a pennant and now we complain about trivial matters.

from Yahoo Sports:
The Juice: Matt Cain gets first win as Giants sweep Dodgers; Justin Verlander impeccable for Tigers | Big League Stew - Yahoo! Sports:

After two consecutive nights where they needed walk-off wins to beat the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, the San Francisco Giants looked to have things in order Sunday night.

Matt Cain, winless on the year at that point, cruised into the eighth inning. Hunter Pence drove in all four Giants run with two doubles and a fielder's choice. The Giants were up 4-0. But then, as tends to happen when the Dodgers and Giants play, things got interesting.

'via Blog this'

Matt Cain is not perfect Giants fans -- Deal with it!!

Wow!! And people think I'm harsh. How does Matt Cain go from ace to chump this fast? We're not even out of April yet. I guess if Barry Zito can go from chump to ace during a similar time-frame, maybe you need some sort of counter-weight to keep the universe from spinning off it's axis or something. Good Grief!!

from Yahoo Sports:
San Francisco Giants - Team Report - MLB - Yahoo! Sports:

Player Notes:

RHP Matt Cain can no longer be considered the ace of the Giants pitching staff. He put his club in a big hole Tuesday by surrendering run-producing hits by Paul Goldschmidt in the first and third innings as the Diamondbacks built a 4-0 lead. The Giants have yet to win with Cain on the mound this season (0-5), and here's one big reason why: In his last 17 innings, he has surrendered six home runs, including the two-run bomb by Goldschmidt in the third inning Tuesday.

'via Blog this'

For a little historical perspective, Matt Cain is still a pretty neat story for the Giants. I'll bet Billy Beane wishes he could replay this draft story referenced below.

Oh well, maybe someone will right an ex-post facto retrospective of Moneyball or something. Hmmm.....

from foolsandsages.net:
http://foolsandsages.net/2012/06/15/on-matt-cains-perfect-game/

Through it all is Matt Cain. He is known for his steadiness and long tenure with the team. As part of the requirement of being a Giant, Cain must have an animal counterpart; his is a horse. True, he was an All Star twice, but he was never considered a starter. He was thought as “good, not great.” Even those who pioneered the idea that, hey, maybe a pitcher’s win-loss record isn’t the best way to evaluate a pitcher point to his sub-par FIP and xFIP to substantiate that “good, not great” claim.

There’s a book out there, a book about baseball economics that masquerades as a tome of sabermetrics, which touts the benefits of drafting college players over high school ones. This book – let’s call it Moneyball – goes at length to describe the Oakland A’s 2002 draft. In this draft, the A’s have two first round picks sandwiched around the San Francisco Giants’ first round pick. Here is that entire draft sequence as written in the book:

Note the handwritten inclusion of Matt Cain. Normally, I do not write in books – it’s distracting and feels wrong – but this was different. The Giants made their pick. What a simple, innocuous filler. It was almost like the Giants’ pick was inconsequential to the narrative, that Billy Beane and Co. were so wise to take Joe Blanton and John McCurdy. Yet here we are, ten years and ten days after that draft. Joe Blanton is in the majors as a fifth starter with a career 4.33 ERA. John McCurdy never made it past AA. Matt Cain threw a perfect game.

Full Update of Surprises, Busts and Injuries at San Francisco Giants Camp | Bleacher Report

If the worst thing Giant fans have to worry about is Tim Lincecum, then it should be a good season. The life on his fastball appears better this spring versus last. He seems to be able to get low 90's again fairly routinely.  The last couple of seasons there was an APB on a 90+ radar gun read. His breaking pitches find a lot of dirt which is murder on the catchhers, a long day of blocking. All the other starter appear to have not missed a beat from late last season.

Both Lincecum and Zito seem to prefer a catcher other than MVP Buster Posey behind the dish. Odd in that Posey ranks highly in many catchers defensive metrics. The Giants seem to be trying to wean both Linceum and Zito away from their own personal catchers.

The over / under on wins should be about 90 this season, which should equate to a playoff spot again. After that, anything goes.

from Bleacher Report:
Full Update of Surprises, Busts and Injuries at San Francisco Giants Camp | Bleacher Report:

Ryan Vogelsong (3.38 ERA), Barry Zito (3.38) and Madison Bumgarner (1.86) are rounding into shape, and Matt Cain had his best outing of the spring his last time out. Vogelsong also looked sharp in his first start for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic on Saturday.

The rotation should be an even bigger strength for the Giants this season than it was last year, especially if Lincecum can chop a few runs off of his 5.18 ERA from a year ago. Despite his 14.73 spring ERA, the smart money remains on Lincecum bouncing back in 2013.

'via Blog this'

Vogelsong hopes to spark latest rally, put series in Cain’s hands | Giants Extra

Voge's thinking along my lines. We'll see how it goes.

from MercuryNews.com
Vogelsong hopes to spark latest rally, put series in Cain’s hands | Giants Extra:

“Hopefully I can go out and throw up a good one on Sunday and hand the ball over to Matt,” Vogelsong said after the Giants’ Game 5 victory. “He can throw a good one up and make this thing real interesting.”

'via Blog this'

Lincecum, Giants top Reds 8-3, tying NLDS at 2-all - Yahoo! Sports

I like our odds better than their odds, but somebody is going to break the streak today and somebody is going home crying.

from Yahoo Sports:
Lincecum, Giants top Reds 8-3, tying NLDS at 2-all - Yahoo! Sports:

"Matt Cain, who lost the series opener and has yet to beat the Reds in three tries this season, will start Game 5 against Mat Latos.

Facing elimination, the Giants' slumping hitters came out swinging and extended Cincinnati's playoff misery. The Reds haven't won a postseason game at home in 17 years."

'via Blog this'

Cain Perfect!!!

Why even try to quantify perfection? Just enjoy the moment. Cain is stepping up and stepping out of the shadow of Lincecum this year to become the staff ace and stopper. This game merely punctuates that point.

WAY TO GO, MATT!!

from ESPN:
Matt Cain's perfect game: Best ever? - Stats & Info Blog - ESPN:

"It had never been done by a San Francisco Giants pitcher. It had never happened to the Houston Astros. It had only happened 21 times in Major League Baseball history.

But that was before Matt Cain joined the exclusive perfect game club on Wednesday.

Most Strikeouts In Perfect Game
Since 1900
Strikeouts
2012 Matt Cain 14
1965 Sandy Koufax 14
2004 Randy Johnson 13
Cain reached perfection in style. He struck out 14 batters along the way, tying Sandy Koufax (1965) for the most strikeouts in a perfect game since 1900.

Cain's Game Score was 101, the highest of any pitcher since Kerry Wood's 20-strikeout game in 1998 (105). In terms of perfect games, Cain ties Sandy Koufax for the highest ever. "

'via Blog this'

Cain agrees to $127.5M, 6-year deal with Giants - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

Pitching and defense win championships. Pitching and defense win championships.
I hope they have money left over for Buster. I hope they have money left over for Buster.

We're going to really have to jack the A's up for that San Jose market.

Wait, did I just say that out loud? The A's have no money and San Jose is actually a market worth paying something for? Seriously? We are so screwed in a couple of years if we can't find a GM stupid enough to take Zito pretty quick. Where's Jim Hendry's number?


Cain agrees to $127.5M, 6-year deal with Giants - MLB - Yahoo! Sports:

Cain and the Giants agreed Monday to a $127.5 million, six-year contract, the largest deal for a right-handed pitcher in baseball history.

“This is a decision that was made pretty simple for us. It was a process and it was a negotiation. It was good for my family and I to go through all of that,” Cain said, his wife Chelsea in the back of the room for his news conference. “To be able to know this is probably going to be our lifetime as a Giant, that’s pretty cool for us.”

The agreement adds $112.5 million over five years to the $15 million salary for 2012 that remained on the All-Star’s previous deal. Cain gets a $5 million signing bonus as part of the new contract and $20 million annually from 2013-17. The deal includes a $21 million option for 2018 with a $7.5 million buyout that, if exercised, would raise the total to $141 million over seven seasons.

Cain’s option would become guaranteed if he pitches 200 innings in 2017 or 400 innings combined in 2016-17 and isn’t on the disabled list at the end of the 2017 season for a right elbow or right shoulder injury. If it doesn’t become guaranteed, it would be a team option.

All quiet on Tim Lincecum contract front, but Giants say talks with Matt Cain have been “healthy, ongoing” | Extra Baggs

Good news for Giants fans. It seems like down the road we may have to reconcile the staff to include Lincum OR Cain rather than Lincecum AND Cain, but this may have pushed that date down the road a little bit.

Lincecum, Giants agreed to $40.5M, 2-year deal

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/012412_Lincecum_Giants_agreed_to_405M_2-year_deal.html



All quiet on Tim Lincecum contract front, but Giants say talks with Matt Cain have been “healthy, ongoing” | Extra Baggs:

"The Giants are known to prefer a four-year structure that would take Lincecum through arbitration and buy out his first two seasons of free agency. Lincecum’s camp has preferred a one- or two-year deal that would preserve his ability to hit the open market after the 2013 season, although they proposed an eight-year structure that the club had no interest in pursuing.

The Giants have been just as public in their desire to wrap up a long-term extension with Matt Cain, who is under contract for $15 million this season but will be a free agent at the end of the year. Unlike Lincecum, Cain isn’t tied to the arbitration schedule. So there was the assumption the Giants might wait until after they clear their arbitration docket (they have Angel Pagan, Melky Cabrera, Sergio Romo, NAte Schierholtz, Santiago Casilla and others to prepare for, too) before turning their attention to Cain.

But as Evans told me today, “Hey, I can multitask.”"

McCovey Chronicles - For San Francisco Giants Fans

Ezra Shaw - Getty Images

Call me crazy, but I got the same queasy feeling I had when I heard the Cubs pitching brain-trust mention that they were working on adding a slider to Kerry Wood's arsenal of pitches shortly after he blew away 19 Astros with a two-pitch arsenal.

First question is "Why?".
If it ain't broke, stop trying to break it.
Can't we wait until it breaks before we try to fix it?
And if he throws this pitch from a different arm slot, doesn't that minimize the effectiveness?

IDK, call me crazy or queasy....but I can't figure it out. Hope it works out, because Cain had been very consistent and very effective for quite some time now. He has seemingly passed the hard-luck, lack of run support mantle over to Bumgarner.

McCovey Chronicles - For San Francisco Giants Fans:

"Mike Krukow noted today that Cain is changing his arm slot for the occasional slider, too. Whatever is going on, Cain looks like a slightly different pitcher right now. He's not radically different, but it seems like he has an adjusted arsenal to complement his sneaky-fast fastball."

I Love a Parade...

Tim Lincecum after bringing it home to San Fran

Brian Sabean gets to rightfully bask in the glow of victory.

The Giants President Larry Baer's quote about sums it up. A dream fulfilled.

from espn.com
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs/2010/news/story?id=5760521

Giants president Larry Baer captured the fans' long anticipation for a victory after decades of game attendance at Candlestick Park and at the new home stadium, AT&T Park. "The triumph of this team allows us to flash back and connect to our past, to experience the beauty of our memories and shared experiences with unbridled joy," Baer said.

"This day is a blessed reminder of a dream fulfilled for all of us," he said.

Buster Posey has quite the fan club

Even the police horses are stoked

Willie Mays - The Greatest Player Ever

Edgar Renteria - World Series MVP

Matt Cain - Future Ace

Posey with the Trophy

Cable Car - A San Francisco Treat

The Cody Ross Experience continues

Wilson, Lincecum and Cain

Future Giants fans - destined to never have to suffer than same fate as their older brethren in Gigante Nation

San Francisco Giants - 2010 World Series Champions!!!!

Brian Wilson ends World Series with 'most special' signal to dad

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Brian-Wilson-ends-World-Series-with-most-specia?urn=mlb-281783

Over the past few seasons, Brian Wilson has ended dozens of games the same way that he did on Monday night at Game 5 of the World Series.

It's a routine well-known to baseball fans. After recording the final out of a ballgame, the San Francisco Giants closer turns away from the plate, crosses his foreams in front of his chest and quickly looks toward the sky. It's a MMA signal that he says he adopted and adapted to honor both his late father — who passed away from cancer when Brian was only 17 — and his Christian faith.

After the celebration had calmed down somewhat, I asked the closer with the dyed beard he won't admit to if this signal meant more than the others he's made in the past.

His answer was not surprising.

"This one was the most special, sure" he said. "It showed that hard work really does pay off. That's what my dad always taught me."

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - 2010 WORLD CHAMPIONS

Remember, you heard it here first.

http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2010/04/pre-season-mlb-predictions-2010.html

NL Championship:

Giants stomp the daylights out of the Phillies, setting up, YES, my ultimate World Series for 2010. The Giants and the Rays.

In that match-up - the Giants sweep the Rays, four straight.

I didn't get the dream match up I wanted in the pre-season, I guess I will just have to settle for The Dream coming true.

The St. Pete Times columnist John Romano summed it up well, and I'm sure others will too. It was about the wait. The long excruciating wait. And getting off the futility list. As we watched the Red Sox, the White Sox and now, at last, the Giants.

San Francisco's crown has finally arrived
By John Romano, Times Sports Columnist

http://www.tampabay.com/sports/baseball/ml/san-francisco-giants-are-unlikely-world-series-champions/1131716

The past decade has been about reparations in Major League Baseball. It has been payback for millions of fans who endured losses, heartbreaks, curses, mismanagement and far too much bad luck for anyone to recall.

Red Sox fans? Their 86-year wait ended in 2004.

White Sox fans? Salvation came after 88 years in 2005.

And now Giants fans?

In their 53rd season in San Francisco, the Giants have finally won a World Series.

Giants President Larry Baer summed up the feeling of the franchise from the top down.

"It's for everybody who's ever worn a Giants uniform, for every fan that's ever frozen at Candlestick Park, for every person that's ever voted for a new ballpark, for every person who's listened to our games on the radio over the years. That's what this is for. The 2010 Giants delivered on behalf of those people.

"It's on behalf of 53 years of waiting."

This is true as well. Nobody believed in this team even up until the very end.

They are one of the most unlikely World Series champions in history. A team that seemed forever to be chasing someone else. They were behind the Padres in May, behind the Padres and Dodgers in June and behind the Padres, Dodgers and Rockies in July.

The knuckleheads on the local ESPN station were giddy announcing the Rangers plans to pitch Cliff Lee last night and bring him back on short rest to pitch Game 7, because as they put it, "There's no way the Giants can beat Cliff Lee two times". WRONG!!! On so many levels.

- The Giants had already defeated CLiff Lee once. Now twice, counting last night.
- They ignored the crucial question: How were the Rangers going to beat Tim Lincecum? JUST ONCE MAYBE.
- They ignored the question of how the Rangers were going to beat Matt Cain, in a potential Game Six.

And now they are left to cancel their flight plans for San Francisco, virtually guaranteed by new Rangers hot shot CEO Chuck Greenberg.

"This series: It is going back to San Francisco," Greenberg told the Ben & Skin Show on ESPN 103.3 FM in Dallas. "There's gonna be a Game 6. There's going to be a Game 7. Let's all hang in there and keep believing.

Maybe he can get a free bag of nuts from the charter service for his troubles. No Game 6. No Game 7.

In the end, this may have been the difference between these two teams. The Giants franchise by virtue of their past, know full well the experience best described philosophically by FSU football coach Bobby Bowden, "Not Enough Wide Rights": "They haven't had enough 'wide rights' yet. You have to get kicked around enough in the big ones to learn how to win them."

The Giants franchise finally learned how to win the big one, instead of the kick sailing wide right. They've sure been kicked around enough in the past.

In the end, Romano sums it up pretty well. I don't want to compare and contrast heartache with anyone and I'm glad that, in this area, I no longer have to. But I feel the Cubs fans pain. And the Indians, and now the Rangers, who move up the list. And the Astros, who enter the back end of the list.

Their heartache was not as celebrated as Boston's, and their wait was not as long as Chicago's.

But that does not mean the path was any less painful for those who lived it.

For those who saw Game 7 of the 1962 World Series end when McCovey lined out to Bobby Richardson with two on and two out in the ninth inning of a 1-0 loss to the Yankees.

For those who lived through the earthquake and World Series sweep by Oakland in 1989, and those who saw the Giants come within five outs of winning the 2002 World Series in Game 6 before manager Dusty Baker prematurely pulled Russ Ortiz.

Peter Magowan, who was the leader of the ownership group that purchased the Giants in 1992 and kept Vince Naimoli from buying the franchise and moving it to Tropicana Field, walked through the clubhouse Monday night hugging player after player.

"For a lot of people in San Francisco, this is the happiest day of their lives," said Magowan, who is now Giants president emeritus.

Maybe the happiest day in their sports lives. But yes.

So who would have thought that this team -- of all Giants teams -- would be the one to win it? It's why we watch, and why we play the games, because you just never know.

After all of the close calls and all the losing seasons, the deed was finally done by a group of players who refer to themselves as the Dirty Dozen. They have an ace with long hair, and a closer with a dyed beard. They have a third baseman who looks like Kung Fu Panda, and a first baseman with lucky undergarments from Victoria's Secret.

They are misfits, runts and castoffs. Their highest-paid player did not even make the Series roster, and their cleanup hitter was acquired on waivers a couple of months ago.

"Those Giants teams with Willie Mays and McCovey had four Hall of Famers on those teams," outfielder Aaron Rowand said. "But it takes a lot of luck too."

So, in the end, devotion pays.

Sooner or later, faith is rewarded.

Eventually, hope is not in vain.

What a wonderful take away message. How wonderful a day it must be for Edgar Renteria who endured the criticisms from many corners, including this one, about the worthiness of the contract? Well, I won't question it any more. It was well worth it and I'm so happy for him. Redemption is a wonderful thing.

And for Brian Sabean, who endured the criticism from many corners, including this one, about some of the moves he made to get the team here. Unfortunately for Brian, I can't guarantee that they will not continue. It kind of goes with the territory. But for now, actually forever really, he only needs to point to whatever finger this World Series ring ends up on and he will forever hold the ultimate mute key. Dang it, Life is so not fair.

BTW, How cool a day is it for Giants equipment manager Mike Murphy? World Champions and he'll just be chatting about it with Willie Mays. How cool is that?

Mike Murphy was a batboy in old Seals Stadium when the Giants played their first game in San Francisco in 1958. That happened to be the day he met a future Hall of Famer named Willie Mays. Murphy would go on to work for the Giants for the next 52 years, and continues to run the clubhouse as the equipment manager.

"There's a whole potful of people who have never been through this," Murphy said. "I wish they all could see it. It's a great feeling. You feel like you're sitting on top of the world.

"As a matter of fact, I'm going to call Willie right now."

It is a great feeling.

You do feel like you are sitting on top of the world.

You do feel like anything is possible today because of what happened yesterday. It's silly really, but true.

As Giants fans, we knew coming down the stretch that this season was going to end in tears.

We just didn't know which type.
We know too well, from many prior years of disappointment, the bitter, stinging tears of defeat.
We know not well, the sweet, liberating tears of joy.
Well now we know....

HOW SWEET IT IS.

SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - 2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS

"Oooo-ree-bay" - Cain is more than able - Redemption for Renteria and Rowand

I'm not sure you could ask for anything more from a game than what the Giants received yesterday. I sat in stunned silence towards the end of it, saying quietly to my wife, "It's as if everything that could go right for the Giants, has gone right". Scary right.

Matt Cain cements his reputation as a top of the rotation, big-time ace pitcher.
Juan Uribe continues to play out of his mind.
Edgar Renteria DOES discover the Marlins post-season magic.
Aaron Rowand delivers a line-drive laser dagger to the 421 sign in right-center.
Buster Posey continues to play Buster Posey like baseball.
The bullpen shows its incredible depth and versatility.

The earlier comparisons to the '69 Amazing NY Mets may not be too over the top. Superior pitching once again. Timely hitting and great defense. Role players coming through when asked. Even down to an opposition potential HR hitting the top of the wall and -- instead of bouncing over the wall the ball bounces back into the field of play, seemingly violating all laws of nature and/or physics. Brings back memories of the 1973 Mets and the "Ball on the Wall" play.

from ultimatemets.com
1973 Regular Season Game 153
September 20, 1973
Mets 4, Pirates 3

http://www.ultimatemets.com/gamedetail.php?gameno=1939&tabno=B

Karma? Magic? Catching lightning in a bottle? Team of destiny? I don't care, take your pick. Call it what you will. I just know its starting to feel real. I can only remember feeling like this about the '69 and to a lesser extent the '73 Mets. (A lesser extent because the '73 Mets lost the World Series, after being perhaps the least deserving team on paper to ever appear in a World Series). The Rangers have had everything go wrong for them short of having a black cat walk past their dugout.

METS V. CUBS 9/9/1969 - THE BLACK CAT GAME

I thought it very Tim McCarver like of Tim McCarver to deliver the stupidest line of the evening. Late in the game, after the Rangers bullpen blowout, he delivers a gem along the lines of "Well pitching is winning this game for the Giants, but not theirs". Is that right? Correct me if I'm wrong Timmy-boy but the score before the meltdown was 1-0. The Rangers ended the evening still stuck on 0. I think the Giants pitching did more than their fair share in winning this game for the Giants by virtue of the fact that -- by pitching a shutout - they guarantee that you don't lose. At worst, we would still be playing. Therefore, I think the Giants pitching did in fact win the game for the Giants, the Rangers pitching just made the game less artistic --something more akin to a Spring Training "B" game for the last couple of innings.

Granted the Giants caught a bit of a break when Wilson raised a blister, but that may be symptomatic of the problem the Rangers are facing. The scene from Hoosiers where the coach measures the height of the basket at the big time arena and tells his players "Same height as the basket you guys are used to". What got you here should be good enough to get you through. It seems as if perhaps the blister may have raised from squeezing the ball a little tighter, trying to get a little extra movement or a little extra break. In baseball, if you take care of the little things, the big things fall into place. The Rangers are feeling the effect in a negative sense.

Last night, the Rangers relievers had the same look of awe that the Hoosiers team did when they first walked into the big-time arena. Awe-struck and feeling out of place. We'll see if some home cooking set their minds right and puts the wheels back on the cart.

HOOSIERS. CLASSIC!!!

The same thing when the reliever threw 13-14 straight balls (I lost count). Then the deer in the headlights look. The 'WTF is going on?' countenance. The wheels came off and they couldn't put them back on. The next reliever did the same thing. Overcompensation.

I see this a lot in HS or PONY ball. A kid throws a pretty, picture-perfect breaking ball. Then the next one he tries to make it break even better than the last one. Better than perfect. And drives it into the dirt, or hangs it. Overcompensation. Instead of just repetition. Repeat. Lather, rinse, repeat. Over and over again. It's the root meaning of the word mechanics. To be machine-like, perform the same act -- over and over again, the same way each time, with mind-blowing repetition and efficiency.

Whatever it is, the Giants seems to have it and the Rangers don't.
At least for now.

Maybe it's because the Giants have had to play all season on a razor-thin margin of error due to the lack of offense. They've played 'playoff-like' baseball -- minus the playoff intensity -- all season. Now, it's just second nature. I noticed in the Matt Cain post game interview that the first thing Cain did was deflect credit from his own efforts to those of catcher Buster Posey. This is a trait that this team has demonstrated throughout the playoffs. The glory is shared and spread around liberally. Its a nice quality for a teammate to have.

The next game may be the first pitching match-up in a while where I don't think we have an advantage. And that's only because of Sanchez' last outing. Before that he was beginning to show signs of elevating to near the Cain / Lincecum level as a shut down starter. If he comes up big-time / lights out on the road, that will be the start he will be linked to for a long time. If it's anything near the meltdown versus Philadelphia, it will take him a while to shake the hit to his reputation. So Jonathan is -- fairly or unfairly -- facing a World Series opponent on the field as well as one between his ears. He has to contain his emotions and direct /focus them in a positive direction. If he does that, he can carry the franchise one step closer to the prize.

GO GIANTS!!!