SHOCKEY IS A SAINT??? HAHAHAHA

At least he won't be hurting for night clubs to go to between games in The Big Easy.

I think I would have rather have had Jason Taylor than the draft picks, plus it keeps Taylor away from the Skins, but you can't always get what you want.

So the Shockey era ends in N.Y. almost as it began. I for one agree with Parcells, he couldn't carry Bavaro's jock as a TE and the magic carpet ride to Canton has hit a couple of speed bumps.

I don't care about the stats. I'm talking about as a player and as a teammate and team member, this guys has been too much drama queen, too little player.

Don't get me wrong, he did come in with a world of potential. He had WR skills in a TE's body early on. His catch the ball and look for someone to run over instead of run around was fun to watch. But he seemed to have lost those skills in recent years. There was a lot of bitching about not throwing him the ball enough, but I think the numbers will show there were an awful lot of unproductive passes (ie: incomplete) thrown his way in the last couple of years. These same passes seemed to end of complete much more often when Boss took over at TE and Smith and Tyree were worked into the passing game a bit more after Shockey's injury.

Maybe if Shokcey would have spent more time working out in the off-season with his QB , than the fellas at the "U", the Manning-Shockey combination might have been more lethal. Then maybe they would have seemed to be on the same page during the season when it counted.

I would not have blamed Manning one bit if he didn't drill one right in his ear hole, when he got up with his arms flapping like it was Manning who was on the wrong page after a pass went awry.

Good riddance, the team did seem to play better after Shockey hit the sidelines, so I'm guessing he won't be missed nearly as much as he believes he will.

I guess the enduring moments of the Shockey/Giant highlight reel would have to include the early victory celebration in 2005 vs. the Seahawks pictured above. Shockey posing for the cameras as a Giants game-winning field goal attempt went awry.

And there was a similar bout of chest-puffing and fan-taunting in the playoffs versus San Francisco, I believe in his rookie year, right before the 49ers erased a 30 point Giant lead to send them home. Shockey always new where the camera was and never failed to call attention to himself in the true tradition of a "U" player.

That kind of extra baggage never seemed to play as well on Broadway as it does in maybe Dallas or Miami.
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ON THE OTHER GIANTS PROSPECT FRONT:

It looks like Nate Schierholtz continues to grease the exits for Randy Winn. What more does this guy have to prove in the minors? Find out what he can do at the big-league level. The only way to do that is to move Randy Winn. Get whatever value he has out there, two or three mid level prospects? Whatever.

Pablo Sandoval continues to hit, they have to decide if he's truly a catcher or if he moves to 1B. He's a bit of a Bengie Molina clone, so my guess is he better be decnt behind the dish. The bat seems like it will be there though. Still a year or two away though.

AA Sandoval, Pablo C 4 0 2 0 .337 2B (8)
AAA Schierholtz, Nate RF 3 1 1 0 .312 3B (10), OF assist

SAY GOOD-BYE TO RAY DURHAM - ONE DOWN, THREE TO GO.

Here is a breakdown on the two prospects received from the Brewers today in the Ray Durham deal. It is good to see the Giants do not harbor any delusions of grandeur for the rest of the season. It's more important that they recover some value for the remaining assets they have with Randy Winn being the player it would seem would have the most value to a playoff contender.

The same thing needs to happen with Randy Winn, Rich Aurillia and Dave Roberts. Trade them for whatever marginal prospects you can get. Judging by the "haul" from this deal, we're not going to get a top five or even an top ten prospect from anybody, but if you can get two guys apiece for each guy with one of them being a pitcher, you have a chance of hitting on one pitcher and one position player eventually being a serviceable major leaguer.

I don't think Omar Vizquel brings you anything, he's going to retire a Giants, it appears. Bengie Molina is here until his contract runs out or Buster Posey makes an impact, whichever comes first.

THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS - THE FUTURE IS WAY DOWN THE ROAD
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FROM BLOG BREWCREWBALL.COM
http://www.brewcrewball.com/2008/6/26/559111/breaking-down-the-prospect

11. Steve Hammond LSP (26) [AAA] - 94.7 IP, 84 H, 40 R, 35 ER, 6 HR, 33 BB, 82 K, 1.35 GO/AO, .238 BAA
Hammond is probably the most underrated prospect in the system. He reached AA in just his second year in the system and seemed to be being fast-tracked, possibly as a reliever, but now, two years later, he’s only just been promoted to AAA. 2007 was rough for Hammond, but he’s gotten back on track this year. He’s old for a prospect, but that’s less of a concern for pitchers than hitters. Hammond has an excellent chance to be a #3/4 innings eater-type starter in the big leagues, which isn’t as sexy as Jeffress’ potential but is necessary when you’re a team like the Brewers. I’m thinking a lefty Jeff Suppan is a good comp, though Suppan already had three 200+ innings seasons in the Majors under his belt by this age.

24. Darren Ford CF (22) [A+] - .234/.314/.311/.625, 38/46 SB
Darren Ford really does a lot of things well on the baseball field. He’s the fastest guy in the system, and one of the fastest in the entirety of professional baseball, and he uses that speed to run down everything hit near him in center field. He has a little bit of pop, and he has a better idea of the strike zone than most crappy fast guys, yet here he remains, a crappy fast guy. Will the Brewers take mercy on him next year and promote him to Huntsvile, sparing him a third straight season struggling with the heavy sea air of the FSL? If they do, will that snap him out of his now-year-long doldrums? I hope so.

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GIANTS PAST - GIANTS FUTURE (R.I.P. BOBBY MURCER)

Sad new that ex-Giant and "Yankee Forever" Bobby Murcer passed away.

Although he did not have his best years with the Giants, in my mind is the consummate example of the huge benefit the short porch in RF @ Yankee Stadium gave to LH pull hitters.

His power numbers dropped like a rock when he had to hit in Shea Stadium for a season while Yankee Stadium was being renovated and then when he went to Candlestick to play for the Giants.

Hell, he didn't show all that much power with the Cubs, but then back to Yankee Stadium to finish his career and while the power returned somewhat, he was relegated to part-time status.

It's not his fault, it is what it is. It does demonstrate the weakness of using statistical analysis alone to make solid determinations about a ball-player.

BOBBY MURCER CAREER STATS FROM BASEBALL REFERENCE:
http://www.baseball-reference.com/m/murcebo01.shtml

1973 27 YRS. OLD @ Yankee Stadium 22 HR 95 RBI .304 AVG.
1974 28 YRS. OLD @ Shea Stadium 10 HR 88 RBI .274 AVG.
1975 29 YRS. OLD @ Candlestick Pk. 11 HR 91 RBI .298 AVG.
1976 30 YRS. OLD @ Candlestick Pk. 23 HR 90 RBI .259 AVG

It seemed like the negative attention that 11 HR season attracted, for a middle of the order type player, Murcer changes his swing to get the power numbers and hurts his average. Although, I would take 23-90 in the middle of this years lineup right now. I'm not sure Durham or Molina get there, but we shall see.



The Giants continue to bolster the farm system by making the Rodriguez signing official. He will team with Angel Villalona and appear on top prospect lists for the Giants for three or four more years to come.
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http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/international-affairs/2008/266516.html

Giants Set Record For Rodriguez

Dominican outfielder gets $2.55 million bonus

By Ben Badler
July 15, 2008

After months of rumors, the deal is finally done: Rafael Rodriguez is a San Francisco Giant.

Rodriguez, an outfielder from the Bani in the Dominican Republic, signed yesterday (his 16th birthday) for a $2.55 million bonus, the largest bonus ever for a Latin American hitter, excluding Cuban defectors.

"He is one of the better position players on the international market this year," Giants scouting director John Barr said in a press release. "We scouted him extensively this season with many people on our staff evaluating him. To a man, we all agree that Rafael is the type of player that we want to bring into the Giants organization."
-------------------------
What we need are for the older prospects, this years collegiate draft to come through fast. There is a gaping hole in the Giants farm system from AAA to High A. The AA Connecticut club is loaded with 25 and older suspects that need to be moved up in the organization or out of it.

The better prospects from the last two years drafts are still toiling primarily in Hi-a and Low-A ball. This is due mainly to the loss of high draft picks from signing the free-agents that would surround the B-POPE, BLB.

Some of those free-agents are still around clogging up roster spots that could be used for the few minor-leaguers who border on prospect status. Out with Vizquel, Winn, Aurilia, Durham. In with Schierholz, Martinez-Esteve, Ishakawa and whatever other borderline prospect we have down there. Maybe you find another John Bowker, maybe you don't. And if you find one it doesn't serve the organizations "we're moving on and getting younger" approach to have guys like the afore-mentioned veterans clogging up roster spots and lineup spots.

Being this close to the division leaders is a "fools gold" that is going to fool management into thinking the team is in actual contention. This will lead them to hold on to these ancient mariners past the initial trade deadline where theses guys can make the playoff and World Series roster for the tam that trades for them. This is when these guys have there highest value. If you hang onto them thinking they could get hot and with the pitching staff we have, we could be right back in this thing in a week, you're going to give them away for next to nothing by late-August or September.

Get what you can for them now, preferably some Double-A or Triple-A level players and take you chances with them down the road. The next year or two is going to be tough enough as it is until the Bumgardeners and Aldersons and Villalonas make their mark.

And that's not even thinking about the contributions Posey and Gillespie will make.
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GIANTS PROSPECTS DOWN ON THE FARM - FROM BASEBALL AMERICA:

CLASS....PLAYER,POS.........AB..R..H..RBI..AVG
LoA.....Villalona, Angel 1B..3..0..2..0....248

CLASS....PITCHER...........IP...H..R..ER..BB..K...ERA
LoA....Bumgarner,Madison...7.0..4..0..0...0...11..1.79...W (9-3)

CUBS RETURN SERVE AND LAND RICH HARDEN

The Cubs saw the Brewers bid for C.C. Sabathia and raised by landing the A's Rich Harden and reliever Chad Gaudin for a basket of spare parts.

The next move should be by the Cardinals. We'll see if they fold or decide they are still in the game.

Apparently the NL Central Division is where the action is, three teams with a realistic chance to win the division. Given that description, you would expect a flurry of moves by the teams in the AL East (Rays, Sox, Yanks) leading up to and coming out of the All-Star break.

We're starting to see teams identify themselves as buyers or sellers and acting accordingly. A bit surprising to see some of the moves this early given the Rockies late push into the playoffs and World Series last year.

INDIANS SAY BYE-BYE TO C.C.

Bold move by two franchises heading in opposite directions this season. The Indians look to reload for next year and acquire a potential power bat in Matt LaPorta. They get some other prospects who will not contribute for another couple of years at least. The Brewers look to maneuver into the playoffs this year by playing rent-a-stud. LaPorta was blocked in their organization anyway. Adding C.C. to their staff gives them and imposing top of the starting rotation. They are 3 1/2 back of the Cubs, C.C. could make up that difference with his arm and the added treat may be to see him bat every fifth day. As he demonstrated in L.A., Sabathia can hit.

As for the Giants, it continues to look like a variation of "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain". We have "Lincecum, Sanchez and Cain and pray for two days of rain". The Gigantes do continue to add to the bullpen from the minors with RHP Sergio Romo and RHP Osiros Matos called up last week from Fresno and Connecticut respectively. Both should help set-up Brian Wilson and may allow the team to give Alex Hinshaw some spot starts down the road. The team has to continue to see how these guys can do, both are in the 24-25 year old range where prospects begin to turn into suspects.

The Yankees fans may not be on the ledge yet, but it appears as if the window is opening a bit. The fans are distracted somewhat by Giambi's "made for porn" mustache and the daily A-Rod soap opera, but this team has not shown any indication that it has what it takes to make the playoffs and we're into July already.

Here's hoping that the Rays don't regret making that cost-saving "let's send Longoria down to the minors" to open the season gambit. Their record before and after his call-up will be analyzed a bit closer if they miss the playoffs by a game or two. That's a move the old ownership would have made and you can argue now how intelligent it was from a pure economic standpoint, but it could come back on them from a PR standpoint ("same old Rays") down the road. It may be fans using the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, but that's never stopped anyone from crushing management before has it?

LET FREEDOM RING - HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY

THIS MAP AND MORE AWESOME DATA AND RESEARCH ARE FROM THIS WEBSITE.
http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/

This article from CNN confirms the link between freedom of choice and overall happiness of a country's populace. Must be that crazy concept of government respecting the concept that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.."

Today we celebrate the success of the concepts that our Founding Fathers risked everything they had in order to achieve. FREEDOM AND LIBERTY LEAD TO HAPPINESS AND PROSPERITY. TYRANNY AND GOVERNMENT CONTROLS LEAD TO THE OPPOSITE. ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL.
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FROM CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/07/02/nations.happiness/index.html

Researchers at the University of Michigan said Denmark's prosperity, stability and democratic government placed the country at the top of the rankings, with Colombia, Canada, Puerto Rico and Iceland all in the top 10.

The United States -- the world's richest nation -- ranked 16th among 97 countries, while Britain was placed 21st.

"I strongly suspect there is a strong correlation between peace and happiness," said Ronald Inglehart, a political scientist at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research.

"There is also a correlation between democracy and peace. Democracies are less likely to fight each other than non-democracies."

Almost all the countries at the bottom of the list struggle with legacies of authoritarian rule and widespread poverty, the survey found.
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AMERICA (MY COUNTRY, 'TIS OF THEE) - Samuel F. Smith, 1832
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/m/c/mctisoft.htm

My country, ’tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims’ pride,
From every mountainside,
Let freedom ring!

My native country, thee,
Land of the noble free,
Thy name I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills,
Like that above.

Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees,
Sweet freedom’s song;
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe partake;
Let rocks their silence break,
The sound prolong.

Our fathers’ God, to Thee,
Author of liberty,
To Thee we sing;
Long may our land be bright
With freedom’s holy light;
Protect us by Thy might,
Great God, our King.

FUTURES GAME

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080626&content_id=423442&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

Since the Giants seem determined to put the past behind them, and the present is nothing to write home about, all that's left for Giants fans is the future.

As part of MLB's All_Star Game festivities, the Futures Game, made up of the best prospects from minor league baseball, provides a glimpse into the future for fans.

The Giants placed OF Nate Schierholz and RHP Kevin Pucetas on the Team USA roster. The World team roster will include uber-prospect Angel Villalona (the youngest player in the game) and late addition C Pablo Sandoval.

In a sense this may remind Giants fans of the one of the biggest weaknesses in the organization right now. The lack of quality major league prospects at the upper levels (AAA and AA). It seems as if they are loaded with guys at those levels who are turning the corner from prospects into suspects. The AA Connecticut team is loaded with 25 year old position players who are not exactly tearing up the league. This type of player will at best develop into a role-player type, or a borderline starter/bench player.

The better prospects are still in Low-A or High-A ball. The Giants are still paying the debt incurred by the loss of premium draft picks for signing some of the free-agent has-beens who still dot the current roster and were unable to push the Bonds-era teams over the hump to a championship.

TAKE THAT BOSTON - RAYS SWEEP

Yeah Paps, Paybacks are a BITCH!!! Consider this a down payment on the payback the Rays are going to lay on the Sox this year. Ironic that Cocoa Puffs was serving his suspension and Paps was relegated to warming up on the sidelines while the Rays blew the doors off the Red Sox lead.

Very self-serving of ESPN to mark yesterdays game/comeback by the Rays as the turning point of the Rays season. I would bet that to a man, the Rays would point to the June 5th encounter illustrated above or some marker prior to that, as the point where the message was delivered by the Rays, that they have in fact arrived.

Joe Madden has been doing a great job of building the confidence of this team to allow them to get to where they are today. ESPN's presence had nothing to do with it.
They are rather late to the party, but hey, they did finally get there.

RIP - GEORGE CARLIN

SOME OF CARLIN'S BETTER ONE-LINERS:
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/arts/2008/06/24/2008-06-24_grated_george_carlin_jokes_still_make_pe.html

* Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
* Why do they lock gas station bathrooms? Are they afraid someone will clean them?
* Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
* The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.
* In America, anyone can become President. That's the problem.
* I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then it dawned on me - they're cramming for their final exam.
* I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.
* Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?
* If the "black box" flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff?
* You know the good part about all those executions in Texas? Fewer Texans.
* What was the best thing before sliced bread?
* Why is it called tourist season if we can't shoot at them?
* I'm completely in favor of the separation of church and state. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.
* I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
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CARLIN'S CLASSIC COMPARISON OF BASEBALL VS. FOOTBALL

CUBS POP THE ZIT, RAYS POP THE SAWKS

THE DEFINITION OF MADNESS IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT

The Giants and Barry Zito lost to the Cubs last night 9-2 bringing the Big Zit's record to 3-12. Awesome. When do Giants fans start to wear bags over their heads on night's that Zit pitches? They don't have to be brown paper bags either, I know San Fran is not a blue collar town. They could be those cute bags that you get in those cute little designer stores. Maybe something in a nice pink hue. What color best screams LOSER?!?!?


HERE'S HOPING THAT THE RAYS KNOCK THE SOX ON THEIR CANS AGAIN - JUST LIKE IN THIS BLAST FROM THE PAST

The Devil Rays open a big series against the Red Sox this week with a W.

Two out of three would be fine, but a sweep would be just what the Chowder Nation needs to provide a bit more clarity into the way things are going to be in the division this year.

And with apologies in advance to the panty-waists who will say "Ehhh...mmmmmm, I'm sorry Mr. The Slav, but violence is never the answer." I would agree with that in theory, in a perfect world. But since I prefer to live my life with a healthy dose of REALITY sprinkling in, I would edit that statement with one caveat added--"Yes, violence is never the answer, except in those cases when violence IS THE answer."

Maybe it's only me, but I point to this event as the date and time when the balance of power between the Yankees and the Red Sox changed. It has led to the championships and the dominance of the division that the Sox Nation enjoys today. If anyone from The Nation can point to another pivotal event, feel free to let me know.



I just have a feeling that down the road we may look to the Shields-Crisp-Gomes Royal Rumble as the point where the balance of power in the division shifted once again.

We shall see.....This should be the Rays rally anthem/seventh inning stretch song whenever the Sawks/Yankees come to town this season. IT'S PERFECT!!!! Plus, I think Dee Snider is a local. Hey, if the White Sox could resuscitate "Don't Stop Believing", the Rays can bring this classic rocker back.



If you're scoring at home, that would be Sox="Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond vs. Rays="We're not going to Take It" by Twisted Sister. I know what team I'd rather be on if you get my drift ; ;. HAHAHAHA