tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82401642011-08-15T08:51:29.823-07:00Commentary on the San Francisco Giants in specific, and MLB in general. Sometimes amusing, always opinionated, and most importantly, low on carbs. Kansas City Royals and poker-related stuff thrown in for sake of confusion.Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.comBlogger4351100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-4638503054666774682011-03-24T16:45:00.001-07:002011-03-24T16:50:07.975-07:00

I've moved here: Orange & Black BaseballI wanted to start fresh...which is, of course, why I gave the new blog exactly the same name as this one. Ahem.In any case, it'll be the same general idea -- mediocre baseball analysis mixed-in with corny jokes and gratuitous use of ellipses. ...ellipses are...very...very...cool.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-61749634963342688432008-08-03T13:11:00.000-07:002008-08-03T13:12:57.907-07:00

42-year old Greg Maddux.Padres alternate home jersey...camo gold, for lack of a better description.Egads.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-50798653355972438782008-08-01T13:12:00.001-07:002008-08-01T13:30:57.929-07:00

I hardly even know what to write, only that I felt the need to write...something...in this space, since nothing had been written here in over a year now.There's going to be naught but crickets to greet these words, I'm sure (and inattentive crickets at that...they always give me the cold shoulder, the bastards), but one doesn't jump on a bike pedaling madly after not riding one in a long time,

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-33611975173315928062007-06-13T23:36:00.000-07:002007-06-13T23:58:47.169-07:00

...boy, I'm so glad the Giants traded Jeremy Accardo for Shea Hillenbrand. That move worked out oh, so well for the Giants.Good job, Brian Sabean. Sticking with Armando Benitez was indeed the correct move, as we all know traded youth for veteran know-how and savvy works each and every time.With that, I'll balance things out a bit -- I must admit that overall Randy Winn has done more than I

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-31331468044518717192007-05-22T13:51:00.000-07:002007-05-22T18:44:00.163-07:00

Last night made it a lot easier to not hate Ryan Klesko.It's a sports hate, mind you, not real life hate like I have for the Dodgers, the Dallas Cowboys, and wasps (the honey bee is fine, and serves a purpose, but what do wasps do other than scare the living crap out of most of us?). I've heard good things from a couple of reliable sources telling me Klesko is a very nice guy -- he just had a bad

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-45425785582540977822007-04-29T01:50:00.000-07:002007-04-29T02:09:33.883-07:00

Okay, now this is a bit more balanced. Unfortunate and sad, but the Law of Averages is sitting there with a smirk on his mug.Eight game winning streak complete with great pitching, little offense, and a lot of one and two-run victories. Two-game losing streak, complete with little offense, and two one-run losses.Live by the narrow victory, die by the narrow defeat.Not to beat a dead horse, but at

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-50239742648012021302007-04-26T05:33:00.000-07:002007-04-26T06:17:29.242-07:00

I hear Crow tastes ever so slightly better when it's lightly fried in olive oil with some garlic, green onions and mushrooms.Ah, nevermind -- Crow tastes like chicken anyway.After reeling off seven straight wins and vaulting themselves right back into the NL West chase on the strength of Barry Bonds Bombs and some superb starting pitching, it's pretty easy to just slap the fat and ride the wave

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-4504264983761080382007-04-12T13:39:00.000-07:002007-04-12T13:50:14.448-07:00

The only thing I'm hoping to get out of this year at this point, with the Giants running a 2.2 runs/game average, is that the Giants find a new general manager. Brian Sabean has been so exposed over the last couple of years -- he's basically rode Barry Bonds throughout his tenure here, and made two blindingly brilliant moves to acquire Jeff Kent and Jason Schmidt.I'm just tired of seeing Sabean's

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-90329629554664107782007-04-11T03:07:00.000-07:002007-04-11T03:23:33.101-07:00

Just acknowledging the win -- it's there, it happened, and we'll hope for more. We'll also hope that Armando Benitez finds his way onto another team...but a couple of side notes to the aforementioned 6-5 squeaker:The Royals won, too, with Alex Gordon, a.k.a Oh-My-Garsh-Please-Save-Our-Franchise v.2007 belting his first homer, and Zack Greinke, a.k.a Oh-My-Garsh-Please-Save-Our-Franchise v.2006

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-43016599521329745022007-04-10T00:01:00.000-07:002007-04-10T00:58:00.786-07:00

I wonder how long it'll take the Giants this year to realize that what they've put together isn't going to work...and had no chance. Wagers, anyone?The only team in the league that has scored less than the Giants is a team that's played four less games, and there's only one team with a worse run differential than the Giants.The Giants are not only starting the season losing six of their first

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-70166690964679260452007-04-08T14:44:00.000-07:002007-04-08T15:22:38.968-07:00

This game will be, in the next hour or so, my first full Giants game watched so far in this young season.I'm seeing about what I expected -- the Giants are a team which has to have a few things go right to win. They can't afford poor pitching performances, they can't afford missed opportunities to score, and they can't afford...well, any mistakes, period.I truly believe this is the swan song not

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-85586869213300460932007-02-12T14:43:00.000-08:002007-02-12T14:42:43.864-08:00

This is an "I'm not dead" post. The lack of time that I've had in the last bunch of months to write anything that would've meant something to somebody has been a bit disheartening, but I have made the mental committment to myself to get back to writing, and back on track......only problem is, I have so little real idea as to what's going on with the team that I'm going to have to take a bit of

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1159684793780964332006-09-30T23:15:00.000-07:002006-09-30T23:39:53.806-07:00

Jason Grimsley has been reported as linking many big league players, including such names as Miguel Tejada, Andy Pettitte, and...wait for it...Roger Clemens, in using performance-enhancing drugs.So...what now? Is your world rocked yet? If so...why?C'mon, did any of us really think that Barry Bonds was going to be the only guy to villify? It's unfortunate, because a player like Clemens has an

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1158660849735636952006-09-19T02:25:00.000-07:002006-09-19T03:16:58.060-07:00

As I said before, it was unlikely to begin with, but now it's strayed into the region of Well-Nigh Impossible. The Giants aren't going to see post-season play in 2006, and more's the shame, because the NL playoffs could've benefitted from the Giants special brand of mediocrity. Now they'll have to settle for the mediocre mediocrity of every other team that's going to make it, with the exception

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1158450305736812452006-09-16T16:26:00.000-07:002006-09-16T16:45:05.880-07:00

After watching the 2nd half (and missing the 1st half, dammit) of the Michigan/Notre Dame game...excuse me, the Michigan obliteration of Notre Dame, I just had to put up a small post of satisfaction.If anyone follows the Wolverines at all, you know what they're problem has been in many recent years has been -- early season losses, and specifically, early season losses to the Irish. It's always a

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1158435545777187612006-09-16T12:20:00.000-07:002006-09-16T12:39:05.800-07:00

Looks like Luis Gonzalez and the Arizona Diamondbacks will part ways at the end of this season. Gonzo is an older, veteran player who still seems to have retained a portion of his former skills, thus the chances of him playing next season are pretty good.Do you know where I'm going with this?Don't do it, Brian Sabean. Just...just don't do it. It's an unlikely move at best, but still, I feel it's

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1157791863773304302006-09-08T23:13:00.000-07:002006-09-09T01:51:03.910-07:00

Find control panel on thigh, on the left side of left legUnscrew control panel doorFind "Care" buttonSwitch to "Off" positionI think I'd better call the Help Desk, because although I flicked that switch to the "Off" position a couple of weeks ago, it hasn't worked yet. I still care.Caring, however, is one thing. Hope is altogether something else. By now, I've found that I've completely exhausted

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1157394550176484872006-09-04T11:16:00.000-07:002006-09-04T11:29:10.210-07:00

I hope that didn't sound too dramatic, but recently my truck died, causing my commute to lengthen by about an hour and for me to lose a bit of enthusiasm to write something on this blog after work...or even on my days off.Looks like I should be picking up something this week, so my quality of life ought to improve enough from that to make writing something not be such a chore. I will acknowledge

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1156444946607931672006-08-24T11:28:00.000-07:002006-08-24T11:43:44.983-07:00

Eliezer Alfonzo. Nuff said.(I really hate that expression, but it just seemed to fit.)As the season wears on and he continues to run a SLG over .500 and a decent batting average, it's becoming harder to figure out what the Giants might do next season at the catcher position. Alfonzo isn't as good as Mike Matheny defensively, but when you can hit 40 points better and SLG about 150 points better,

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1156021427573260172006-08-19T13:30:00.000-07:002006-08-19T18:51:25.080-07:00

At the point last week when the Giants had lost 13 of 16 games and were playing the red-hot Dodgers, I put forth my theory on the ebb and flow of the Giants fortunes to my friend Lucky Luis as that series began. I told him that a sweep of the Dodgers was in the making -- not because of anything to do with the rivalry between the teams or because I thought the Giants were any better than the

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1155631002244055682006-08-15T01:05:00.000-07:002006-08-15T01:36:42.276-07:00

I was trying to figure out, a bit before I wrote this, whether my desire to write...something...here was stronger than my desire to write that single word of finality to drive home the last nail in the Giants' coffin for the season. Both were pretty strong desires, as I haven't written anything in a week and a half (sorry, for those who care), and I've been waiting for the moment to come where I

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1154596677377703572006-08-03T01:56:00.000-07:002006-08-03T02:17:57.560-07:00

Trying to figure out the Giants and the NL West is an exercise in futilitism and frustratocity.The win finally came, as we all knew it would...eventually. But if the Giants have been the epitome of mediocrity this year in most areas, one thing they do very well is steal the joy out of a win -- this time with a near-meltdown in the 9th inning, for once not caused by Armando Benitez (though in true

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1154333530964762282006-07-31T01:06:00.000-07:002006-07-31T01:12:10.976-07:00

Follow up the biggest winning streak of the year with the biggest losing streak of the year.And today is the trading deadline.But man, it's a good thing Brian Sabean got Shea Hillenbrand and Mike Stanton, because otherwise things would be worse.Oh, wait a minute...getting swept by two of the worst teams in the NL is about as bad as it gets, isn't it?And wonder of wonders, Armando Benitez figures

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1154165258634796012006-07-29T02:27:00.000-07:002006-07-29T02:27:38.646-07:00

...whatever.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1153985474956656922006-07-27T00:26:00.000-07:002006-07-27T00:31:14.973-07:00

All part of a well-orchestrated plan, you see.There may have been a few of you who came by here after the Giants won their 4th and 5th games in a row recently, looking to see if I had anything to say about the team. After all, in winning the third game of the series against the Padres the Giants had not only won that series and catapulted themselves into 1st place in the NL West, but the five

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1153417479396039912006-07-20T10:26:00.000-07:002006-07-20T10:44:39.533-07:00

Well, just another series won while getting outscored -- this time by the count of 19-12. But you know what they say, losses and wins are all that matters. The margin by which you lose or win is irrelevant.However, I can't help but think it's a bit disconcerting that the Giants have run up a 3-3 record after the Break so far, with the deficit in the losses being: eight, four, and nine. The margin

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1153076582368171152006-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:002006-07-16T12:03:02.650-07:00

I'm glad the Giants pitching staff got all of this out of their system, all in one game. Now they can go back to, you know, not sucking so darn much.But, as usual, the NL West can't get away from itself -- the Diamondbacks are the only NL West team that won yesterday. The AL West and NL West just ought to randomly re-arrange the teams within the division, just for kicks...except that I bet that

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1152857177577306132006-07-13T22:05:00.000-07:002006-07-13T23:07:59.100-07:00

First of all, let me just say that acquiring Aubrey Huff hardly would have been the answer to the Giants offensive woes. He's a solid bat, although he's not putting up the kind of offensive numbers you'd want from your 3rd baseman, or for your 1st baseman.Acquiring Huff would've put Mark Sweeney in a bit of a twilight zone, as there'd be no real reason to have Sweeney on the team -- Huff plays

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1152726312216869932006-07-12T10:33:00.000-07:002006-07-12T10:45:12.390-07:00

Not going to talk about it. And I think you all know what I mean, too. If it happens, it happens, but I try to keep this blog off of the "hot" topics du jour, and most of the times that means I don't talk about Federal indictments and the reticence of personal trainers.It's Orange & Black Baseball, not Orange & Black Speculation & Gossip.Besides, plenty of other folks are going to talk about it,

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1152600172892007492006-07-10T22:37:00.000-07:002006-07-10T23:42:52.996-07:00

I'm gettin' me a new computer. It'll be shiny, it'll be black, and it's best feature is......that it isn't this piece of crap I've had for six years.I've been fighting with this thing for the past couple of weeks. It seems to have this preternatural sense that a new computer was in the works and is doing its darndest to go down in flames. Battling with the thing to simply boot up correctly has

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1152175179523384012006-07-06T01:34:00.000-07:002006-07-06T01:39:42.430-07:00

Look at the standings.The Royals no longer have the worst record in baseball. That particular distinction now belongs to the Pittsburgh Pirates -- at least, for however long it takes for the Royals to go on a losing streak at the same time the Pirates play a little .500 ball.Whatever. This is, without bullshit, the happiest I've been looking at the standings all year. No joke. I've avoided

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1152163930071331652006-07-05T22:13:00.000-07:002006-07-05T22:32:10.200-07:00

As the Giants were the toast of the town yet again -- in Denver -- with a 3-5 loss to the Rockies, I was winding down my work day. Coming home at around 9:00p.m., I got a wild hair and decided to call into KNBR for what would be the 2nd time in my entire life.See, I don't normally do too much talk radio. I usually find that whomever the host of whatever show is on misses a lot of points on

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1152068588381552912006-07-04T19:57:00.000-07:002006-07-04T20:03:08.470-07:00

To be first in something is usually a special feeling...except when you're me.In a random check to see where people were coming from before coming to this site, I've found out that if one happens to be on Google Korea for some strange reason (being Korean and needing to find something on the Internet pops up as a decent reason), and happens to type in "baseball disaster" into the search box......

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1152050172500339992006-07-04T14:07:00.000-07:002006-07-04T14:56:12.640-07:00

It is the 4th of July, and today shall mark the 4th game in the Giants current winning streak, which will be the first four game winning streak of the year for San Francisco.Yes, feel the symmetry. Feel it. Live it. Be it.And speaking of symmetry, the stars seem to be aligning for Ray Durham, who has had a hot power bat lately -- slugging .643 in his last seven games, and hitting some very

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1151739394485823352006-07-01T00:33:00.000-07:002006-07-01T00:36:34.496-07:00

Well, I tried. I tried here to call for a Giants four-game winning streak, but I suck, apparently.The Giants reeled off a sweep of the Rangers after I wrote that piece on the 27th setting themselves up for the four-gamer, but ran into a brick wall named Father Alou.Felipe doesn't seem to mind doing unorthodox things with his position players, whether it be starting Jose Vizcain'to at first base,

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1151451628133168522006-06-27T16:01:00.000-07:002006-06-27T16:40:28.276-07:00

For...a turnaround. Or, a complete collapse.Something.The Giants are managing to not be anything. While this isn't necessarily unexpected territory for a .500 team, perhaps it's a bit more obvious to me now that it's happening to the Giants.The offense is poor. However, a run of health by Moises Alou and even just a semi-resurgence from Barry Bonds could change that -- fairly easily, too, I'd say

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1150995834868388512006-06-22T10:03:00.000-07:002006-06-22T10:05:42.680-07:00

No more World Cup for me.I've decided three things about soccer: 1) I don't mind watching it, and could even grow to like the action, 2) I cannot stand watching fouls, and 3) I cannot stand the way the referees can take over a game.Fouls and what comes with them are likely one of those "just part of the game" things to other countries who know a lot more about soccer than I ever will, but

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1150926825844677492006-06-21T12:18:00.000-07:002006-06-21T15:57:42.900-07:00

Haven't written in a few days, but there's a good reason: Reno.Friday through Sunday of last week myself and seven friends of mine headed up to Reno for a bachelor party (I'm not the bachelor, I'm the best man), and I've been in recovery mode for the last couple of days. I would tell you all about the trip, but you know -- what happens in Reno, stays in......okay, there really isn't all that much

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1150478092914608362006-06-16T10:12:00.000-07:002006-06-16T10:14:52.963-07:00

Whew. Took two of three, and the towers have stopped falling.Odd as it is with the Giants struggling as little as two days ago, poof! and they're streaking.I really kind of mean that, too. There are a number of players headed in the right direction after rough starts this season:Matt Morris is on. He's had three starts in June, and they've all been from competitive to very good. His line so far

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1150356968547451722006-06-15T00:34:00.000-07:002006-06-15T00:36:08.560-07:00

No, dangit, not that Ben Gay, I mean the analgesic cream. However, I do wonder -- if you had that as your name, wouldn't you try and alter it to Benjamin Gay or something? It's too bad he didn't become a star in the NFL, because who knows to what lengths Pfizer would have gone to get Ben Gay the football player to endorse their product.Smacks of a missed opportunity.Back from the land of Tangent

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1150272803976275892006-06-14T00:38:00.000-07:002006-06-14T02:05:01.766-07:00

Cancer often kills. So it seems a bit extreme to call Armando Benitez a clubhouse cancer. Clubhouse stomach virus is much more appropriate, as his recent pitching and even more recent bitching makes me want to throw up.Read that link, then tell me whether you think the Edgardo Alfonzo signing or the Benitez signing was worse. Too close to call for me, but I think I'm leaning towards the latter

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1150092002933348152006-06-11T20:42:00.000-07:002006-06-12T00:31:30.290-07:00

This sucks like 10-year olds at a lollipop convention.The Giants need a shot in the arm, and they need it badly. While yesterday's game was lost primarily by the bullpen, the bullpen isn't my main concern -- a large part of what might ail the bullpen, if anything, could likely be solved by removing Tim Worn-ell. It wasn't his fault that when he came in the bases were already loaded, but: 1)

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149959650280957002006-06-10T09:15:00.000-07:002006-06-10T10:14:10.503-07:00

...a loss is just a loss.To paraphrase the Giants' rally cry from the Roger Craig days, Ho-Hum Baby.The Giants seem to have a tendency to play to the level of their competition. While the Pirates aren't as bad as their record indicates (they're 7-18 in one-run games after last night's 3-2 win), they are horrible on the road (6-25).So, after barely beating the Bucs in a game they didn't deserve on

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149837653272080122006-06-09T00:15:00.000-07:002006-06-09T00:20:53.326-07:00

Pedro Feliz. Lance Niekro. These two really are the exact same hitter. Really. I mean it. Read on!Well, wait. (teaser)Before I get into the comparison, Niekro's last 13 games are weird. In five of those games, Niekro put up a total 0-fer -- no hits, no walks, no contribution to the offense in 20 at-bats.In the other eight games (including last night), he's World Beater. 19 for 35, 3 walks, 3

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149831779222032732006-06-08T22:28:00.000-07:002006-06-08T23:52:21.763-07:00

How, I do not know. I'd post the link to the boxscore like I usually do, but then if you hadn't seen or heard about the game, you might become confused -- trying to link the win to the boxscore would be like trying to link sex appeal to Calista Flockhart. Difficult, to put it mildly, and likely to induce a headache before any conclusion could be attained.Move along, nothing to see here.Oh, and by

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149749177623415172006-06-07T21:44:00.000-07:002006-06-07T23:46:17.826-07:00

How longhow long will I slideSeparate my sideI don'tI don't believe it's badSlittin my throatIt's all I everRed Hot Chili Peppers, Other SideI'm not sure exactly what Anthony Kiedis was talking about when he wrote those lyrics*, but I was musing on how long the Giants should let Tim Worrell pitch if he keeps being this horribly, and for some odd reason that seemed to fit. Martin from Obsessive

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149657062446688462006-06-06T22:00:00.000-07:002006-06-06T23:02:47.590-07:00

If you were doing anything short of having mind-blowing sex instead of watching Jason Schmidt's 16-strikeout performance tonight vs. the Marlins, well......this would be one of the very few times that injuring yourself in anger would be appropriate. I only saw the last few innings and I'm pissed off that I missed the rest.But that last inning was the most impressive, regardless. With men on 2nd

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149583503761189072006-06-06T00:31:00.000-07:002006-06-06T01:45:04.143-07:00

I type out that title, and realize that Mike Matheny still has a bit of recovery time before he comes back from his concussion, but the title is team-themed...and of course, Matheny's a team kind of guy.So...Moises Alou is back, but I'm wondering a bit if this will be a good thing in the short term. Now, work with me -- Alou's batting line is nothing to sneeze at (but bless you anyway, my child,

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149570370011836782006-06-05T22:03:00.000-07:002006-06-05T22:06:10.023-07:00

The Giants have taken 2 of 3 from the Mets on the road, and just opened up their series against the Marlins by pounding the Fishes. But you know what I just found out?If you type the words "seven hundred fifteen" into Google, good ol' Orange & Black Baseball comes up first. I'm so happy I could just...breathe and blink.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149404574052323572006-06-03T23:28:00.000-07:002006-06-04T04:34:25.396-07:00

There can be nothing, but nothing in baseball that is as annoying as a split of a doubleheader.Sweeping a doubleheader is always an uplifting thing, even if you're team is horrible. Searching for a win? How 'bout two in one day?Double your pleasure, double your fun. We got two wins, and you got none. Get it? Two wins, Doublemint twins...two wins...twins......alright, at least it rhymed.Losing

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149148895462827892006-06-01T00:50:00.000-07:002006-06-01T01:01:35.476-07:00

Jason Ellison finally gets start #2, and he goes 2 for 4 and cracks a homer. It means nothing, less than nothing, really, but it's still hilarious.I lied. Two nods to yesterday's game: Jeremy Accardo is nasty, and the Giants ought to be thinking of a bigger role for him. No, not now, not after only 50 innings pitched in the bigs, but...soon.Odd. I was hating the 'pen as soon as a month ago, and

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149146574218221502006-06-01T00:22:00.000-07:002006-06-01T00:22:54.223-07:00

Let's make up an experimental productivity stat. This is going to be very long and kind of complex, so if you don't have enough time or aren't into stats, thanks for stopping by...but come back another day.What I'm hoping is that I can loosely (yes, LOOSELY) figure out a player's production in comparison to his salary, and use both old school performance gauges (runs scored and RBI) in conjuction

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1149062781803862552006-05-31T00:39:00.000-07:002006-05-31T01:06:21.960-07:00

Giants vs. Marlins. Royals vs. A's.If you told me the way these series would have the Giants and A's down two-to-zip, I'd have doubted you.The A's, I suppose, are doing their yearly swoon, which'll inevitably be followed by their yearly tear. Guess I ought to be happy the Royals are beating a team that isn't the Cleveland Indians.The Giants just can't be bothered to score runs. To use a couple of

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148973501195686232006-05-29T22:07:00.000-07:002006-05-30T00:18:21.363-07:00

Boy, is there egg on my face. Hardboiled, methinks.See, there's a problem with assuming a win, especially in baseball. Perhaps it was wishful thinking, but with Matt Morris making the start against one of the worst teams in the National League, I was thinking he could right his ship and the Giants could get going back in a positive direction at the Marlins' expense.That was a pretty dumb

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148881962163539792006-05-28T22:07:00.000-07:002006-05-28T23:01:55.330-07:00

Never has something that means so much meant so little.For me, and the majority of Giants fans, it means a lot. It's us who has been along for the entire ride, and whether it was a steroid-aided one or not, we have all been entertained by Barry Bonds. There has never, every been a time where I have felt cheated watching the man hit. Regardless of what everyone else thinks, it has been the

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148704705523405842006-05-26T21:09:00.000-07:002006-05-26T21:43:03.526-07:00

Watching the Giants, thus far, beat up on the Colorado Rockies. Travis Ishikawa showing out with a couple of hits...Wait. This just in. The Kansas City Royals have defeated the New York Yankees, 7-6. I don't talk about the Royals much on this site because I really don't have the time, but their losing streaks this year have been like having someone telling you they're going to punch you in the

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148608844831209132006-05-25T18:32:00.000-07:002006-05-25T19:36:18.573-07:00

Yes, my powers of prediction are back in full force.(Nevermind that I've been wrong about 45 other things during the interim between my last accurate prediction and my latest one. Whaddya expect me to admit my failures?)As I predicted and Big D from Giants Win pointed out, the team has sent down Scott Munter to Connecticut (yeah, down to double A) and Dan Ortmeier back to Fresno.While AA ball

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148450864180081482006-05-23T00:32:00.000-07:002006-05-24T01:56:05.636-07:00

So, in addition to the absolute lack of any offensive skill whatsoever besides the occasion ability to luck into a base hit, we now find out that Jose Vizcaino can't even field the position that he shouldn't be playing.This is past silly, it's embarrassing. Vizcaino's two errors in the 8-5 loss to the Cardinals Tuesday ended up costing the Giants three unearned runs -- and, gee, wouldja lookie

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148367300818031832006-05-22T23:54:00.000-07:002006-05-22T23:55:00.820-07:00

Dear Father Alou:The Jose Vizcaino Experiment is over. Please, please (oh God, please) stop playing him at first base. In the 9-2 victory over the Cardinals on Monday, he again failed to contribute via the hit, and his average fell to .183. You not only benched Jason Ellison on Friday to play this "hitter" at 1st, but in Monday's game you even benched Mark Sweeney to insert Vizcaino at 1st, a

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148270401870139732006-05-21T21:00:00.000-07:002006-05-21T21:35:28.126-07:00

Those guys at McCovey Chronicles sure know how to motivate a guy to be creative.Which one do you all like better?

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148111463945603332006-05-20T00:16:00.000-07:002006-05-20T13:10:42.036-07:00

To follow up yesterday's quasi-rant about how Father Alou constructed his lineup yesterday, I also came to wonder this...What kind of message is Felipe sending to Jason Ellison? Ellison is the 5th outfielder, yet Felipe has played Mark Sweeney in front of him a couple of times already this year. Now, granted, I'm imagining this was an offensive move on Felipe's part -- Sweeney has hit well

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1148094987663151932006-05-19T19:57:00.000-07:002006-05-19T20:16:27.743-07:00

...this.1st baseman Mark Sweeney.2nd baseman Jose Vizcaino.Outfielder Jason Ellison.Father Alou decided that his best use of these three players was the following: Sweeney in left field, Vizcaino starting at 1st, and Ellison on the bench....what?Vizcaino can't hit, thus when an extra player is put in due to Barry Bonds doing the DH thing, it never, ever should be him if another option exists.And

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147928065900655262006-05-17T21:11:00.000-07:002006-05-17T21:54:26.046-07:00

You got your Barry Bonds Beaning (tm), and we got our three game Absolute Astro Annihilation (tm).To Houston fans, apparently, that's an even trade. For me, after laughing to the point of tears, I disagree. I'll take the small bruise on Bonds' back and the sweep, thanks. Perhaps Astro fans should be more concerned with the fact that their entire team's scoring from the series was matched by Pedro

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147915534739873292006-05-17T18:06:00.000-07:002006-05-17T19:21:38.280-07:00

To be honest, I haven't followed Houston as closely as I did last year, but I have to say I'm confounded by how poorly they've fared against the Giants in games 1 & 2 of this series. As I write, game 3 is going on. Seconds ago, Ray Durham hit a three run homer (shortly after Omar bunted himself to first), putting the Giants ahead 6-1. Is it even remotely possible that the Giants could

Andrewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147848327896086082006-05-16T23:31:00.000-07:002006-05-16T23:47:59.083-07:00

I haven't a clue.Who, in the name of Snarf, is going to win this division?While the Giants do seem to possess the ability to come back again and again like Mumm-ra, the Ever Living, they have a plethora of evil henchmen within their division to overcome.They do not have the speed of Cheetara. With Barry Bonds still struggling and Moises Alou on the shelf, they do not have the power of Panthro.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147762077714446642006-05-15T22:25:00.000-07:002006-05-15T23:47:57.840-07:00

Anticipation can be great for a little while, then it starts to suck.So while I've been waiting for Barry Bonds to make some more history, I've tried not to dwell on it. Instead, I've waited for a few other things.I've been waiting for Mike Matheny, Ray Durham, and Pedro Feliz to start hitting. I've been waiting for Mike Morris to start pitching. I've been waiting for Brian Sabean to awake from

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147660362531536382006-05-14T18:11:00.000-07:002006-05-14T19:32:42.666-07:00

When will the league stop walking Barry Bonds? While it's obvious he can still get a hold of one and hit it a long ways, he's been very normal this season.Bonds has 17 intentional walks, and Albert Pujols, the best hitter in baseball, has all of six.Can't help but think some of that is due to Moises Alou's absence from the lineup. Whereas it was always debateable in the past how much any hitter

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147511095696425752006-05-13T00:51:00.000-07:002006-05-13T02:18:23.980-07:00

The Kevin Frandsen Walk and Power Watch did it's duty a few days ago (as Frandsen finally drew a walk), and apparently the Giants brass noted it and decided to cut things short.Ray Durham in, and the no power having, no walk drawing, no pitch taking, ground ball hitting Frandsen is out.I don't really think Frandsen is quite that bad, but despite all of the support the kid got, that's exactly what

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147404465089716212006-05-11T20:26:00.000-07:002006-05-11T20:32:08.306-07:00

The Giants have taken the series against the Cubs with a 9-3 win, and the Royals enjoyed a day off today after sweeping the Cleveland Indians yesterday.Can everything just stay...just like this?I also read a neat piece by Dayn Perry over at FOX Sports which summarizes a bunch of reasons why Babe Ruth was overrated. I agree with him wholeheartedly while disagreeing with him -- all of his reasoning

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147317260424433662006-05-10T14:48:00.001-07:002006-05-10T20:14:20.553-07:00

The Kevin Frandsen Walk and Power Watch has done it's duty.Frandsen drew a walk in his first at-bat against Carlos Zambrano in tonight's game vs. the Cubs -which, incidentally, was his first at-bat since the inception of the Watch.That's what I do. I crab and moan about things, and they get fixed. Notice how Pedro Feliz and Mike Matheny have both hit better since I've bitched about them. No, it

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147299071949968602006-05-10T14:48:00.000-07:002006-05-10T15:11:12.110-07:00

I want to get excited about Jason Schmidt's and the Giants performance yesterday in their 6-1 win over the Cubs.I am excited, really -- can't help it. Lance Niekro went oppo field with a blast, which is 10 times more exciting than it should be (showing that kind of power to right field for him is something I didn't quite knew he had in him). Mike Matheny is heating up, getting to the point where

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147232803330314322006-05-09T20:28:00.000-07:002006-05-09T20:46:43.476-07:00

I'm late.I can imagine the rest of you laughing at me, as undoubtedly most of the rest of you have had no issues with this. What's this, you query?Seven. Four. Teen.I've been anticipating it, sure. I've known for a while I want to see it pretty badly, and I'm so glad I'm able to watch most of tonight's game and have the next couple o' days off to make certain I can watch both games.But, it really

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1147153721780602942006-05-06T22:55:00.001-07:002006-05-09T00:49:16.783-07:00

Jeff Fassero has been DFA'd in favor of Brad Hennessey. It's wonderful and terrible at the same time.I've spent most of the time I've talked about Fassero talking bad about him, but I've never doubted that he had heart. Last season he squared off against Retirement and went the full 12 rounds, winning a majority decision. In the rematch, it looks like Retirement wins by TKO in the 3rd round.He

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146983854533635752006-05-06T22:55:00.000-07:002006-05-06T23:37:34.660-07:00

How is it that one team can collect 11 hits and only score one run, while another team can scrape together six hits yet score four runs?Extra base hits.Of the Phillies six hits in their 4-1 win over the Giants, they had three doubles and one home run. Of the Giants 11 hits, they're only extra base-hit was a double.The Giants offense has one huge problem with power -- they ain't got none.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146725320253917832006-05-03T22:45:00.000-07:002006-05-03T23:48:40.383-07:00

Jason Schmidt. Have we gotten our ace back?Well: 9.0 innings/5 hits allowed (only one an extra base hit)/Zero runs allowed/Zero walks/7 strikeouts...and all that on just 113 pitches, which may be the most important piece of it. Oh, and by the way, he did it on the road in a hitter's park against a team which, before the start of this game, was 2nd in the NL in runs per game at 5.26 runs/

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146598669272937252006-05-02T11:16:00.000-07:002006-05-02T12:53:16.086-07:00

Well, at least that's out of the way.It's obvious the San Diego Padres just decided to get all of their run-scoring in the series out of the way in one game. Before the game yesterday, the Padres were scoring at a 3.7 runs per game clip, meaning in a three-game series, they've been averaging about 11 runs.Simple logic would dictate that we note that their 10-4 smothering of the Giants yesterday

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146539343249095052006-05-01T19:47:00.000-07:002006-05-01T20:25:16.123-07:00

Paraphrasing a Richard Pryor bit:You ever hear one name in boxing you can say, and it'd fuck everybody up?"Well, what if he'd fought Sugar Ray Robinson?""Aw shit! Don't fuck with the SUGAR! I ain't lyin', Sugar fight so good, it'll make your dick hard."I mean, I won't go so far as to say Omar Vizquel does that, but boy, he sure does come as close as possible while playing shortstop. Another day,

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146429729812227812006-04-30T12:10:00.000-07:002006-05-01T20:09:35.133-07:00

...was nice on a few different levels.Four wins vs. two losses for the Giants against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Although two of the wins came in dramatic fashion after the Giants ended up having to get over and past D-Back rallies, they do count.Some notes:The Giants are 1-3 without Bonds, and they are 1-2 in games where Bonds homers. The latter is semi-uselss information, but the former will be

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146201801987073642006-04-27T19:49:00.000-07:002006-04-27T22:23:22.136-07:00

During my Brian Wilson rant yesterday, I failed to notice that he apparently went on the DL right after being brought up, which was why Jeremy Accardo was there to pitch in the 1st place. This was pointed out to me by someone going by the name of Nonny Muss.Mr. A. Nonny Muss. Thanks.My Royals-related euphoria (caused by them winning three of four games) met with a serious downer in the form of

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146117505224835792006-04-26T21:55:00.000-07:002006-04-26T22:58:25.356-07:00

Almost is a frustrating word.Think about it. It's made up of "all" and "most", which, last I checked, aren't the same thing.With winning it's even worse. You either have all of the win, or you have nothing. Sure, we say things like, "they almost won" all the time, but it's a bit goofy. They almost won, but they lost instead.Think about it -- winning and losing are two extremes, very far away from

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1146042064476123422006-04-26T01:31:00.000-07:002006-04-26T02:09:13.876-07:00

Watching Barry Bonds go yard, and opposite field at that, still instills a certain amount of awe in me. Number 710 was impressive as all heck, with one of those no-doubt cracks of the bat along with the inherent beauty of watching someone identify exactly where a pitch was going early in its flight, and using his power to go with the location of the pitch -- which was outside.It was also

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145994653843026132006-04-25T11:54:00.000-07:002006-04-25T12:50:53.983-07:00

While I still hold with the thought process that the Giants were lucky to some degree in their first 18 games or so, it can't be overlooked that they were a bit unlucky, too, in the form of the couple of last at-bat losses to the Colorado Rockies.And, as the season progresses, certain things that seem like happenstance at first start to gain a bit of credibility:The Giants haven't lost a seriesIn

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145856097664597572006-04-23T21:45:00.000-07:002006-04-23T22:21:37.776-07:00

Is the problem Barry Bonds, or is the problem steroids?Forgive me, I get confused. Whenever someone brings up Bonds in a steroid-related conversation, I tend to shrug it off -- see, I believe that there are folks working on this (heck, some are even making a career off of this) and that the truth will come to some degree of light sooner or later. There are a couple other reason I shrug it off,

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145828714689079662006-04-23T14:41:00.000-07:002006-04-23T15:22:56.836-07:00

Hi, Brian Wilson.A sure-fire way to impress me in your first big league action is to come into a game throwing in the 89-95 mph range, staying almost completely in or around the strike zone and getting a bunch of swingthroughs and strikeouts in two innings of work.Consider me impressed.I'm also impressed that Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is pitching to Barry Bonds in the 9th inning of a tie game

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145674530171100602006-04-21T19:41:00.000-07:002006-04-21T21:15:59.430-07:00

Well.Pedro Feliz is having himself a game -- three hits, three at-bats, two home runs, four RBI. The first one was very nice, as he simply took a get-it-in-there fastball over the plate in a 2-1 count over the fence in left-center field. Working the count in your favor cannot help but put you in positions for these things, I think.The second was Feliz turning on a pitch on the inside, ending up

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145654952532153212006-04-21T13:39:00.000-07:002006-04-21T14:29:12.650-07:00

It.Some have it, some don't. Bad teams don't have it, and neither do very good teams, strange as that might sound.The teams that have it, or "it", if you prefer, are a special breed of team. They are the team that "finds a way" to win, that just "gets the job done". Joe Morgan is good at spotting teams like that, but then, he's also good at confusing me four or fives times during a broadcast (

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145420940521786492006-04-18T20:56:00.000-07:002006-04-18T21:29:00.676-07:00

Watching the Diamondbacks pound on the Giants like a sledgehammer in the 6th inning, I'm starting to wonder when enough is enough.Jack Tashner has pitched more like Jack Black. His ERA entering tonight's action was 40.50.Is that even an ERA anymore by the time it gets to that number?Yet Father Alou keeps throwin' 'em in the fire, heedless of the consequences. Tashner, sure enough, burned the team

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145390254006945342006-04-18T12:02:00.000-07:002006-04-18T12:57:34.673-07:00

My powers of prediction and projection are puissant.Of course, on Sunday when I mused that the Giants would likely see an improvement in their offensive fortunes in Arizona and/or Colorado, I didn't necessarily think that musing would manifest itself in the form of a ten run outburst in their first game against the Diamondbacks, but it is not for nothing that in certain portions of the world I am

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145243584718236062006-04-16T19:22:00.000-07:002006-04-16T20:13:04.880-07:00

The Giants are winning again as I'm watching, to my everlasting delight. But I can't but think -- two runs through eight innings isn't exactly lighting it up. Heck, nevermind lighting it up, because that's hardly even plugging it in the electrical socket.In their first 10 games, the Giants have been limited to three runs or less half the time, with two of those times being held to a single run

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1145091486348322632006-04-15T01:27:00.000-07:002006-04-15T01:58:06.456-07:00

This'll be another weird season. I can feeeel it in my bones, I can....wait, nevermind. That's my osteo kicking in. Drat these inflexible joints of mine!As far as weirdness in this young season thus far, I'll give the briefest nod to what's becoming a plain and simple fiasco around Barry Bonds, but quickly move past it -- yes, it's weird, too. Let's consider the path to their current record of 6-

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1144817058195814052006-04-11T21:27:00.000-07:002006-04-11T21:44:18.313-07:00

I make valiant attempts to not be a moron, yet seem to do it with alarming regularity.Writing any previews about Giants home games right now are just plain silly, as the constant rain in the Bay Area that simply will not cease for any appreciable length of time is rendering it all moot. So far this year, we've had more rain here than the Pacific Northwest, and we've smashed the 100 year

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1144740354628000072006-04-11T00:25:00.000-07:002006-04-11T00:25:54.630-07:00

Call me crazy, but I think the Giants stand a great chance of sweeping the Astros if they manage to score more runs than Houston in each of the three games in this series. If they can't do that, it might be difficult.Stuff I'd like to see:A little separation in Matt Morris' k/bb ratio. While his last start was pretty good, striking out and walking hitters at a rate of about four per nine innings

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1144710525237299692006-04-10T15:26:00.000-07:002006-04-10T16:08:45.383-07:00

While many whose blood pressure is high and patience low might want to read something into the Giants 4-2 start, I am not one of those (my blood pressure is high and my patience very low, but the last part of that statement is like, totally not me).By way of explanation:The Giants are 4-2 having been outscored by their opposition 34-36 The Yankees are 2-4 while outscoring their opposition 35-23.

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1144615995182173822006-04-09T13:41:00.000-07:002006-04-09T13:53:15.236-07:00

Some observations from early in the Giants/Braves game, now in the 2nd inning:Lance Niekro's at-bat vs. John Smoltz was marvelous. In a two strike count against a nasty right-handed pitcher, Niekro lined a single to right-center field to plate Barry Bonds, who can still run just a tad...but being watched very closely. Couldn't help but notice a little gimp-hop at the very end of Bonds run from

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1144439949872502222006-04-07T12:30:00.000-07:002006-04-07T12:59:14.993-07:00

Injuries at this point in the season tend to put a damper on my hopes that the Giants will crush all opposition standing in the way of their rightful 2006 World Series Title.Of course, most of us know the Giants aren't built to do too much crushing, anyway. But Noah Lowry's back strain certainly doesn't help matters.It will be of some interest, however, should this cause Lowry to miss a start or

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1143967351645677222006-04-01T22:32:00.000-08:002006-04-02T00:42:37.913-08:00

Looking at the Giants April schedule, specifically the first 13 games, I believe we'll be finding out something about this team pretty early on.In those first 13 games, they'll face both the Padres and the Dodgers on the road, while facing tough competition at home in the forms of the Braves and Astros.Now, this ain't to put no more importance on the first 13 games then the last 13 games, or even

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1143659632248070962006-03-29T10:46:00.000-08:002006-03-29T11:13:52.366-08:00

Well, right now.However, I must congratulate Jamey Wright for having such a strong Spring and making the Giants team as the 5th starter. I mean, if the job was up for grabs (and apparently, it was), then he earned it.But should it have been up for grabs? Yes. No. Maybe.I believe the job should have been Brad Hennessey's to lose, which he may have done with a Spring ERA of 7.02. However, when I

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1142748498787856712006-03-18T21:49:00.000-08:002006-03-29T11:16:21.446-08:00

Daniel runs a tight Giants ship over here, even though we get to occasionally see photos of him drunk on wine. So, to keep on topic, I'll mention that I watched with pleasure as Moises Alou played for the DR in today's kinda sorta interesting match between the Dominican Republic and Cuba.What I really want to talk about is how much fun the World Classic has been. No, I haven't been to any games,

Andrewnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1142496474235995022006-03-16T00:07:00.000-08:002006-03-16T00:30:13.223-08:00

I never showed you all any pics from the wine bus I partooketh of a couple of weeks ago, so...Here are the highlights. I absolve myself of any responsibility for any drunkeness that is displayed in the following pictures.Yes, you too can be a Mac Daddy, if you get them drunk enough.And God shall call the Grapes of Wrath upon thee!Yes ma'am, I'll need to look very closely to make sure there aren't

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8240164.post-1142270315460068322006-03-13T09:09:00.000-08:002006-03-13T12:14:20.960-08:00

Well, that's out of the way, finally.Now that Barry Bonds has hit his first home run of 2006, we here at O&B (all three of us: me, myself, and I) were wondering if people think that Bonds is currently on steroids.Past juicing we'll gloss over, and assume that he was doing it for some length of time.How 'bout now?It'd be tantamount to an award for All-Time Stupidity if he was, I'm sure we'll all

Danielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00548779988500630807noreply@blogger.com4