Category: Players
SF Giants Clinch Playoff Spot
The Giants guaranteed themselves a playoff spot with an 8-4 win over the San Diego Padres last night at AT&T park, after the Dodgers had lost earlier in the day. With ten games left in the regular season, the team can now take the opportunity work in some rest for key players like Buster Posey, give the pitching rotation extra rest days, and tune up bench players like Ryan Theriot. As fans, we now have ten days for speculation about how far they can go in the playoffs. Continue reading
Trade Deadline Approaches. What Will the Giants Do?
It’s interesting, as it is every year, to hear people on the local radio, and around the coffee machine at work, talk about what the Giants need to do before the trade deadline to make the playoffs. They could use a closer, what with relief pitcher Brian Wilson injured and out for the year. They could use a right-handed outfielder, what with their lefty-dominated lineup in a somewhat lefty-unfriendly ballpark. Then again they could use a slugging first baseman as well. Or, at least an offensive upgrade at first base. A professional .275 hitter who hits one out now and then. What they don’t need is to trade their top prospects for a single player with only half a year left on his current contract, no matter how good he is. Continue reading
Two Wins in a Row for Lincecum
Before the baseball season started, every Giants fan’s biggest fear was that the batting lineup would post another “historically bad” season of hitting futility. Not that there isn’t room for improvement there, but at the All-Star break, every Giant’s fans biggest fear was that Tim Lincecum would never be the same. His performance in 2011 was not quite what it was in 2010, and his performance in the first half of 2012 was like a grainy, black-and-white film clip of a train wreck played in slow motion. There was unfolding disaster; fear of impending doom; dust and smoke; and glimpses of panicked faces on people who had just gone along for the ride, not knowing what was about to happen.
But then the All-Star break. Tim Lincecum came back from the professional athlete’s equivalent to the long weekend and put up two outstanding outings in a row. It’s definitely good news, but how good? Continue reading
Looking Forward to the Second Half of the Season
Despite their offensive struggles, the San Francisco Giants find themselves only half a game back in the National League West on the eve of the second half of the season. At this point, it looks like they will contend in their division, though their offense gives us concern about their ability to go deep in the playoffs. Continue reading
A Low For the Giants
The Giants just lost 6-0 to the Anaheim Angels, dropping a second series in a row 1 game to 2. All baseball fans know there will be ups and downs, so it’s not a disastrous surprise, not like dropping a bag of groceries in your driveway and breaking a six-pack of your favorite beer. But the Giants are more down than up right now, with two starting pitchers also struggling to deliver quality outings. Continue reading
Who’s Giving Us Interesting At-Bats in 2012?
The task I’ve taken on as an SF Giants blogger is to try to come up with interesting ways to look at the Giants. Here’s what I’ve come up with today: Who on the Giants is giving us interesting at-bats and who isn’t? I wrote a blog post a while back about Hector Sanchez that was looking for a while like an interesting way to be totally wrong. I questioned those who were clamoring to get rookie, backup catcher Hector Sanchez in the lineup over Brandon Belt and Brett Pill. I pointed out that Belt and Pill actually had similar hitting stats; but that changed very shortly thereafter. Continue reading
Giants Pitcher Matt Cain Pitches Perfect Game
It might be amusing to say there’s a new sheriff in town, but he’s been here for a while. The Houston Astro’s – who were once called the Colt .45’s – sent up 27 hitters, and Matt Cain sent them right back. Cain has never needed a nickname, but “Shotgun Cain” is the one that has come closest to sticking. Tonight, Cain recorded the first perfect game in the history of the San Francisco Giants. Continue reading
Melk Man – Now Delivering Daily
Giants left fielder Melky Cabrera went 3 for 4 in a 3-1 win against the Diamondbacks tonight. He also surpassed a Giants record set by Willie Mays by hammering out 50 hits in the month of May. Any time you break a record set 54 years ago by a guy who is widely considered the best ever to play your sport, you know you’re not only good, you’ve got lucky shamrocks stuck to your cleats. On top of that, he’s got a growing posse of fans who dress up like old-time milk men roaming the ball yard during home games. Continue reading
The Giants Have an Outfield
Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan picture from zimbio.com
The Giants just dropped a game to the Florida Marlins in another outing for starting pitcher Tim Lincecum. Given that the team is 2-7 in games that Lincecum starts, I thought manager Bruce Bochy should have taken him out after he narrowly escaped the fifth inning with the lead, but instead they sent him out to give up the lead in the sixth. Enough of that, it’s time to talk about the very solid outfield the Giants have been sending out these last couple of weeks. Continue reading
A Nice Win for the Giants Today
Any time you beat the defending world champions, it’s a good day. I was listening to the game on the radio at my desk while I was working as this was a day game. When the Giants went down 2-0 in the first, I thought they were in trouble. They aren’t hitting, and now even the replacements to the replacements are getting injured. Continue reading
Giants Baseball - Torture 