SFGiantsGuy

So we've already seen the Giants knock off the Phillies for the National League crown in 2010. Apparently that didn't sit well with Philly, seeing our pitching staff shut them down and beat their allegedly superior starting pitching staff. So what did they do? They went out and convinced Cliff Lee to come back to them. Is there any doubt they did this because they feared matching up with the Giants again in 2011? I can't help but think so. The Phillies had a far superior offense to the Giants on paper. And Halladay/Oswalt/Hamels should have matched up very well with Lincecum/Cain/Sanchez. Which should have meant the Phillies should have won, right? Well, wrong. It's why they play the games. And the games said the Giants were so good, they didn't even have to take the series to a seventh game. It also had a lot to do with the fact that our fourth starter was better than their fourth starter. So Philly went out and got the prize free agent of the of

All sorts of preemptive craziness this Sunday before the Winter Meetings tomorrow. So Adrian Gonzalez is a Red Sock (I refuse to call a singular player on that team a Red Sox). Actually, he's not. He's still a Padre. And if the A-Gon to Boston deal is officially dead, then Javier Lopez's role as a lefty specialist becomes that much more important with Gonzalez still in a Friars uni. I was looking forward to seeing "The Human Trade Rumor" out of the NL West but it looks like we'll have to contend with him one more year. That being said, even if it's probably better for the Giants if Gonzalez HAD been traded to Boston, aren't you just a little bit happy that one of those big money teams didn't get who they wanted? Gonzalez didn't spurn Boston, he apparently DOES want to play there, but he wanted more money than Theo was ready to dish out. And now they don't get him (for now). That sort of makes me smile. I'll smile broader if Cl

The Giants need a shortstop. Everyone knows it. Edgar Renteria and Juan Uribe are free agents. Bochy is a big fan of both guys. Especially in the clubhouse. But it doesn't seem likely either will return. Neither is really an acceptable everyday shortstop option anyways. So what do the Giants do? Let's examine the options: There's been murmurs of a Jason Bartlett connection. Jason Barlett had a career year in 2009 hitting 14 homers with 66 RBI's for the Rays. His previous career high was 5 HR and 43 RBI. In 2010, he reverted back to his old self and hit 4 HR with 47 RBI but batted only .254 with an OBP of .324. He has a career average of .281. I would say Bartlett would be a good fit, especially since he has a reputation of being a very good defender and grew up in the Bay Area (Mountain View), except he was subpar defensively last season. And I don't mean just below average, he was really bad if you look at his UZR (-13.9). Can the Giants afford to

It's Thanksgiving tomorrow. And one thing I am most thankful for are the 2010 SF Giants. They brought me one of my best moments in life thus far. I don't know what that says about my priorities or my life, but there you go. If I had to rank where the moment lies, it'd probably be after I lost my virginity but before I graduated college. Somewhere in that spectrum. Granted, I am not married nor have kids so I can't say it was more exciting than those two things at this juncture. We'll see when those two things happen where this championship run lies. But seriously, how great was this season. Brian Sabean took us on this ridiculous journey: OPENING DAY LINE-UP 2010: Rowand CF Renteria SS Sandoval 3B Huff 1B DeRosa LF Molina C Bowker RF Uribe 2B Lincecum P vs WORLD SERIES GAME 5 LINE-UP 2010: Torres CF Sanchez 2B Posey C Ross LF Uribe 3B Huff 1B Burrell DH Renteria SS Rowand CF Lincecum P The

NOTE: Post updated with actual team italicized or bolded if correct. Although I'm still basking in the aftermath of the San Francisco Giants World Series championship (as, likely, you are as well), baseball never stops. The offseason has begun and even though I'd like to just sit here on my laurels and let my beer shower soaked vestments further infect all my other clothing items, I shall not. Just as Bochy and Sabean got together a day or two after the parade, so shall I sit down at my keyboard and spout predictions about the top free agents in this 2010 class, inclusive of course of our beloved rally thong wearing, name chanting, WS game clinching homering guys. Before I go into my free agent predictions, let me validate my prediction power. Towards the end of spring training last March, these were my predictions (bold means correct): NL Playoff teams: Phillies, Giants, , Cardinals, Rockies AL Playoff teams: Yankees, Twins , Red Sox, Mariners ALCS: Yankees vs

It's hard to believe I have not written a blog entry since the NLCS but as you can imagine, I've been a little, uh, busy. The Giants pulled a fast one on everybody and went ahead and did the unthinkable. They did not fuck up. They exceeded expectations. And they won the whole goddamn thing. San Francisco has reverted to the hippie days of free love. You couldn't start a fight right now if you went up and kicked somebody in the junk. Everyone is soaking in the victory of these 2010 misfit castoff CHAMPIONS. And love is in the air. While some are writing this 2010 squad has exorcised demons of past failures, I say they simply have helped the catharsis of the fans and the city. The memories of '62, '87, '89, '93, '97, '00, '01, '02, '03, and '04 will always linger. McCovey and Mays still never won a ring in SF. Will the Thrill and Matt Williams and Kevin Mitchell never got that final champagne shower. And Bonds, Kent, S

I don't practice tantric sex but I have to imagine this is what it feels like. The Giants are on the brink of their 4th World Series appearance as a San Francisco team. Now, plenty can happen. Halladay can happen. Oswalt can happen. And Hamels can happen. The Phillies O can happen. But.. let's consider this for one second as the Giants now lead the NLCS 3-1. The Giants have beaten Halladay twice this year. The Giants have beaten Oswalt FOUR times this year. The Giants have beaten Hamels twice this year. The Giants only need one more win against that trio. Can they do it? Who knows? This Phillies team is not going to roll over and play dead. They are going to come out firing with all they got tomorrow. Were you surprised to see Oswalt come in tonight? Be ready to see Halladay, Lidge, and Hamels come in for Game 5. The Phillies have their backs to the wall. And like any cornered predator, that's when they are the most dangerous. That being said...

I just checked out of the hospital because the Giants gave me several heart attacks this past week. I mean, come on. A 1-0 win in Game 1. A complete "Here I Am" moment from Big Time Timmy Jim. 2 hits. 14 K's. And he scribbled his name atop of the Giants franchise record books for most strikeouts by a Giants pitcher in the postseason. 9 tense innings. And a 1-0 victory. Little did we know that was going to be the LEAST exciting game of the series. A 5-4 predictable heartbreak. Raise your hand if you thought the series was over after that game. (SFGiantsGuy raises his hand, looks around room, sees other raised hands). The Giants were fulfilling their own destiny with this loss. A 4-0 lead. Everyone feeling great. Cain cruising. A 4-1 lead in the 8th. Then an error. Then a 2 run double. 4-4 ball game. Before we even knew what was happening, Rick Ankiel drove a stake through Giants fans hearts and had them (me) thinking sickenly of Game 6 2002. The

Somebody wake me up. Am I dreaming? Game 3 just ended. The only way I can express how I felt during the 8th and 9th inning: It felt like I was at a party and somebody hit me in the face with brass knuckles. Then I was given a blow J by the hottest girl there for sympathy. Brooks Conrad, you are my favorite Brave of All-Time. It also helps you're an ASU grad and you did this Sun Devil alum proud today. 3 errors, 2 which directly resulted in 2 of the 3 Giants runs they scored. Thank you from preventing me from calling the suicide hotline. The Giants lead the series 2-1. This series could easily have been over by now with the Giants sweeping or the Braves sweeping. The Braves could very easily be leading 2-1 instead of trailing. Yet it's the Giants leading 2-1. I have never seen a Giants team come back like that in October. Ever. I can't remember them having a comeback like that in their postseason history. Certainly not the San Francisco Giants. Broo

If I were ashamed of my mistakes and I had the power to erase them, I would. But I'm not ashamed. Because I am happy as shit that I'm wrong. That the Giants did not commit the ultimate choke job. The chokes of all chokes. No, they tortured as they're wont to do. They lost Friday and Saturday and then Jonathan Clinchez showed up, backed up his words from a month ago, and singlehandedly beat the Padres and knocked them out of the playoffs. How's that feel San Diego? Not good, huh? I don't want to hear you whine about it. That's the first misery you've ever had. Try having that happen to you over and over and over. I have no sympathy for you guys. So it's on. And I was wrong. The Giants were NOT eliminated in the last series of the year. They almost were. But they kicked the snide. They persevered! So I offer my retraction. The Giants are better than I thought. I thought they were good, I didn't think they were playoff bound.

I've been telling you for weeks. I've been conditioning you. Getting you ready for THIS moment. The Giants are going to break our hearts. It is "The Giants Way". I never read Bill Neukom's handbook, but teasing your fans and then absolutely thrashing their heart has to be about 99% of that book. The Giants came into the final series of the season needing one goddamn win to clinch the NL West. They have lost two in a row. They haven't pitched well and they already weren't hitting well. So instead of a champagne shower and me eating crow... the Giants are exactly where I thought they'd be: On the cusp of completely and utterly demoralizing a fanbase that already has to deal with the 49ers season going in the tank after 3 weeks and who's middle name is "gut wrenching heartbreak." So I was wrong about one thing. The Giants definitely are NOT getting eliminated in THIS final series of the year. No, they have to make it even mor

September baseball. There's nothing like it. Every day another team adds an "E" for eliminated in the standings. The circuit of 30 gets carved down to 8. In the American League, the teams are all but locked in. The only suspense is who is going to win the AL East? The tyrants of baseball, the New York Yankees? Or do the scrappy Rays from Tampa take it? The answer? WHO CARES!? We're Giants fans here. We only care about the AL when we meet them in the World Series. Twins, Rays, Yanks, Rangers? Let them go play their 2nd rate baseball. We have real strategery to deal with here in the National League! You know, in the league where pithchers who participate in the game actually have to hit! Where there's more to managing than picking your nose and grabbing your crotch! The Giants have a real dad-gum chance of making the playoffs. They lead the NL West by a full game for the first time since April, a time when hope lingered for every team (except t

So there's 12 games left in the season. And although I'm convinced the Giants will still provide heartbreak by getting eliminated in the final series of the season, I can't say I'm not living and dying with every pitch despite that inevitability. However, it's becoming more clear that the Giants path to October will have to be the division title. The Braves have a tough road to hoe facing the Phillies 5 more times (they lost tonight) but if the Phillies clinch the division prior to the last series of the year, I highly doubt they'll put their "A" line-up out to face Atlanta while we have our showdown against San Diego (where the Rockies will inevitably clinch the NL West... just trust me guys and prepare for it like I have). It's been weird rooting for the Dodgers so much lately. Of course, the Dodgers being the Dodgers, they've helped make things difficult for SF by losing pretty regularly to people we need them to beat. I'm still

Ok, so I got a lot of flak for my last post. I was criticized for being too negative. Especially since the Giants immediately turned things around and won the series against the Rockies and have now crept back to 1 game back of the division and the wildcard. Let me clear some things up here. I'm a Giants fan. I am a HUUUUUUGGEEE Giants fan. There is nothing I want more (besides money and women) than a Giants championship. But being a Giants fan for 30 years has jaded me. I want to believe like my optimistic Giants fan friends, those poor naive innocent optimists. But I can't. Why? Because I'm a Giants fan!!! I've already recited all the ways the Giants have broken our hearts when they've been in contention the past decade plus. Why would this year be any different? Because the clubhouse chemistry is so good? No. This team has been frustrating, amazing, scintillating, and yes Kuip, torture to watch this season. So many good story lines. So many t

Man, I am numb right now. The Giants have been eliminated from the playoffs and I feel yet another year has slipped away from the hometown nine. Another season watching good (but not great) Giants baseball only to fall short, as per usual. Another close but no cigar year. Ok, I'm saving the above sentence and posting it in about 3 weeks... when the Giants are officially eliminated from playoff contention. Because let's face the facts, the Giants are NOT making the playoffs. The Giants just blew a Jonathan Sanchez gem because newcomer Cody Ross got distracted by a broken bat and overcharged a ball that wound up sailing over his head. That was followed by a Freddy Sanchez throw into the dugout to allow the go ahead run to score and effectively put the final nail in the Giants playoff coffin. It was against the Rockies. In a statement game. When all the other teams the GIants needed to gain ground on lost. They went into the 9th with a 1-0 lead and feeling pretty good.

Oh boy. Is it the curse of #55? There was another young stud pitcher in the Giants organization who wore #55 once before. In his first full season he went 19-5 with a 3.18 ERA and was named to the All-Star team. He was a main cog in a Giants rebirth and he was supposed to be our ace for years to come. He was never the same after that sensational first season. Sure, he had a couple of seasons when he won 15 games but his ERA's never approached sub 4 ever again. That man? Shawn Estes. Now, I'm not completely lumping Shawn Estes and Tim Lincecum in the same boat. Estes is left-handed, Lincecum is right-handed. And even in his 19-5 season, Estes had control problems. His WHIP was a very average 1.30 that year and he walked 100! Lincecum is having his worst season as a pro and his WHIP is 1.34 which would still be Estes's 2nd best. However, these two pitchers share a lot more than just the number on the back of their jersey. Estes was always considered a cerebral p

So the Giants are leading the wildcard as I post this. They're 2 games back of the pesky Padres. They're opening a 4 game series against the Piniella-less Zambranos and need to have a very good homestand to alleviate some concerns from a less than comforting road trip. Jonathan Sanchez needs to put up or shut up. Emmanuel Burriss is on the team again offering some much needed speed off the bench and we no longer have to sit through Todd Wellemeyer doing his best Brett Tomko impersonations. The Phillies are on the Giants backsides and they're not slowing down. The Cardinals and Reds are swapping first place every day but remain right behind the Giants in the wildcard race as well. And despite the Giants having one of the best July's ever, they're still quite in danger of missing the playoffs for the 7th consecutive season unless they start playing better against quality teams. But before they do that, they need to take care of the inferior ones. And the Chic

Pat the Awesome inks himself into Giants/Dodgers lore! Great win against the dreck of southern California yesterday. Is it coincidence I write blogs during series with LA? Who knows? So the Giants get their first off day since the All-Star break tomorrow. Hopefully we can savor a home sweep of those deplorable Dodgers. And as we try for the sweep, it's going to take contributions from the guys we had on 7/30. That's because Sabean resisted the urge to trade Jonathan Sanchez and flat out refused to trade Madison Bumgarner. So because of that, the Giants are left with the team we had before the deadline. Well, except this equation: Joe Martinez - Denny Baustista + Javier Lopez + Ramon Ramirez. Sabean does what he always does at the deadline and that is get relief pitchers. Johnny Bowker and Joe Martinez got shipped off to Timbuktu (aka Pittsburgh) for Jason Christiansen, er, Javier Lopez. On the face of it, it looks like Sabean overpaid for a lefty specialist with a c

So much for a weekly update. How can I ignore one of the most epic Giants/Dodgers games in several years? Easy answer? I can't. The Giants/Dodgers game tonight was one of the best Giants victories in years. It should become an instant classic in the Giants/Dodgers rivalry. And more importantly, it introduced many young Giants (and some new veterans) to this rivalry and what it's all about. It was slated to be an epic pitching match-up. Lincecum vs Kershaw. Two great young pitchers. Ours, a righthanded 2 time Cy Young Award winner who seemed to have righted the ship in his first two 2nd half starts. Theirs, a flame throwing lefty who had embraced the mantle of being the ace of the Dodgers staff at a mere 22 years old. Like most NL West games, I expected this game to be a low scoring affair settled likely in the late innings with the starters garnering no decisions after pitching beautifully. Wrong. Lincecum: 4.2 IP, 5 ER, a reverse eephus pitch, and a Kemp beaning.

Well, hello fellow Giants fans. Let me introduce myself. My "internet" name is Macster but here on this blog, you can call me SF Giants Guy. I am a die hard San Francisco Giants fan. And I have taken issue with the fact that the Giants haven't brought the bling to San Francisco in my 30 years of living. I'm sure many of you who will stumble upon this blog will take issue with the fact the Giants have never won a championship as members of the San Francisco Bay Area period. I feel your pain. This blog is to vent, scrutinize, rumor-monger, and figure out ways we're better than Brian Sabean and Bruce Bochy and how we can fix our damn local 9. I will update the blog on a weekly basis (or on off-days) with my thoughts on the team. I'll include fascinating rumors about the Gigantes as well as give my ideas on improving them. Feel free to comment, to agree, to disagree, to throw out your own ideas. My hope for this thing is that we create a nice little com