Results tagged ‘ Fred Lewis ’
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas…
…and at AT&T
Park… not a free agent was calling… not even as a lark….
So Nick Johnson preferred the Big Apple and Brad
Penny the Big Arch. And no seasoned catcher worth his salt is willing to sign a
contract for just one year. In a way, that suits me just fine. I much prefer
the Giants’ “wait-and-see” attitude this year over their customary
“willy-nilly” signing of the first free agent coming down the turnpike that
gave us the likes of Edgardo Elfonzo, Ray Durham, Randy Winn, Barry Zito, Aaron
Rowand just to name a few who achieved mixed results here before. I’m willing to wait
this off-season and see what develops in the free agent market if the Giants are.
Common wisdom dictates that the Giants must acquire a
power bat or two to protect Pablo Sandoval in the middle of the batting order.
I dispute that notion for two reasons: (1) The Panda does not need protection
because he is a notoriously bad ball hitter. Many times last year, he took
pitches a foot outside and slapped them into the opposite field for hits. He is
not at all like Barry Bonds who would not offer at pitches even a few inches
off the plate and thereby broke the major league record for walks in the process. (2)
Without a primary power hitter, the Giants can still thrive as a singles
hitting team in much the way the St. Louis Cardinals were
successfully constructed in the 1980′s. If Bam Bam Meulens convinces the Giants
to become much more patient and selective at the plate next year, AT&T Park
is conducive to an offensive strategy of small ball. Adding a strong defense
and a superlative pitching staff, just averaging four runs per game for the
Giants will achieve excellent results next year.
My biggest concern is whether Aaron Rowand can dial it
down and retool his approach at the plate next year. Many times last year, I
saw him take mighty swings with spotty results. But he had his best stretch of
the season last year while batting lead off and just taking the ball up the
middle for singles and doubles. Also remember that Fred Lewis started
off the season last year red hot while batting low in the order. It was only
when Bruce Bochy promoted him to lead off that Fred’s production waned
precipitously and he never fully recovered. Perhaps he will rebound next year by
batting lower in the order. Also, Travis Ishikawa batted .349 at AT&T Park
last year while only .162 on the road. If he can improve his consistency, he would be
a valuable contributor next year.
I just heard a radio report that the Giants were
closing in on signing Juan Uribe for next year. If true, that would keep most of
last year’s team intact. I would construct the lineup in this order: Velez
(Torres); Sanchez (Burriss); Schierholz (Bowker); Sandoval (Uribe); Ishikawa
(Bowker/Guzman); Rowand (Lewis); Posey/Whitesides; Renteria (Burriss). This
presumes that Emmanuel Burriss will beat out Kevin Frandsen again next year for
a spot on the team. Of course the Giants will buy a free agent this off-season.
They cannot afford not to or risk a general uprising by its fan base. And I
expect they will wait until spring training before acquiring a short-term catcher on
the cheap. I noticed ex-Giant Eliezer Alfonzo is available. That would be a
nice reunion.
Well, the Winter Solstice has passed and now the days
are getting longer. I won’t be long until pitchers and catchers report to spring
training and it all begins anew. So until that time, stay warm and let the
visions of sugar plums dance in your heads. Merry Christmas to all and… Go Giants!
The Last Hurrah
I got to the ballpark early Sunday morning (Sept. 27)
not because the Giants were giving away a freebie but because I wanted to
wander the stadium one last time this season and take pictures. (And also
because I wanted to get a good parking place.) This game was going to be the
last one I attended this season because I was going up to the Sierra mountains
in a couple of days.
The dear lovable Cubbies had all but knocked my
Giants out of the wildcard race with three straight wins this penultimate home
series. But on this beautiful day, the Giants were being afforded a fourth
chance at redemption in avoiding a sweep at the hands of the National League
central Division runner-ups however Pyrrhic such a victory may be.
Shortstop Ryan Theriot opened the game opened
the game with a line drive down the rightfield line off of Matt Cain‘s
first pitch that John Bowker dove for and caught just beyond the
visitor’s warm up mound. That was a good omen so it didn’t bother me much when
rightfielder Kosuke Fukudome fought through eight pitches to get a
double into centerfield because Matt Cain retired the next two batters on just
three pitches. Obversely, second baseman Eugenio Velez led off the
bottom of the first with a single into rightfield also on Randy Wells‘
first pitch of the inning, advanced to second base on the next pitch that
leftfielder Fred Lewis singles to leftfield and eventually scored on
shortstop Juan Uribe‘s ground out to third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
Then, leading off the bottom of the second, first
baseman Travis Ishikawa singled off of randy Wells after taking a ball
and then immediately scored on a double by catcher Eli Whiteside who had
a 0-1 count. After Matt Cain looked at a ball, he then sacrifice Eli
Whiteside to third base. But do you know what is really spooky? Leading off
the bottom of the sixth, first baseman Travis Ishikawa singled off of Randy
Wells after taking a ball and then immediately scored on a double by
catcher Eli Whiteside who had a 0-1 count. After Matt Cain looked
at a ball, he then sacrifice Eli Whiteside to third base. The only
difference is changing “second” inning to “sixth” inning. The two innings began
the exact same way down to the pitches! However, Eli Whiteside wasn’t
left stranded in the sixth inning. He scored the Giants’ fourth run of the game
when Eugenio Velez singled to leftfield. Eugenio Velez went to
second base when centerfielder Randy Winn singled to leftfield and
scored on third baseman Pablo Sandoval‘s single to make the score 5-0.
This day belonged to Matt Cain. Besides Kosuke
Fukudome‘s double in the first inning, Randy Wells hit a double in
the third inning and catcher Koyie Hill hit a single in the fifth
inning. Other than that, no other Cub reached base in the first seven innings.
And even after Matt Cain walked two cubs in the eighth inning, re
retired Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome on a fly ball and strike
out, respectively, to finish his day scoreless with 112 pitches thrown.
The Giants might have shut out the cubs this day but
reliever Sergio Romo gave up a two-out double to second baseman Jeff
Baker followed by a triple by leftfielder Bobby Scales. Even the
usually reliable lefty, Jeremy Affeldt, couldn’t get the third out of
the ninth inning when he walked Koyie Hill with a full count. Enter Brian
Wilson. Six pitches. Strikeout. Giants win 5-1.
It was a beautifully satisfying way to end my season
this year. The Giants performed up to my expectations. They even got me to
believe I should be expecting more. Well, maybe next year, they’ll deliver.
We’ll see. Go Giants!
Just Another Night At The Zoo
Take
one part Los Angeles Dodgers, throw in a good measure of pennant race fever,
add a warm Friday night, and mix it all together within an AT&T Park filled
with Giants fans and you’ve got yourself a potent potable (if not an outright
explosive substance). Enjoy! And I certainly intended to as I arrived to the
park at 4:30 to watch both teams take batting practice.
Matt
Cain did not start the game sharp. Although he got lead off hitter shortstop
Rafael Furcal out on a spectacular diving catch by Nate Schierholtz in
rightfield, rightfielder Andre Ethier hit a single to leftfielder Eugenio Velez
on a full count. And although the doubly hated and feared leftfielder Manny
Ramierez struck out looking at an 87 mph slider on a full count, centerfielder
Matt Kemp hit another single to left field. And then, when two out in the
inning, James Loney nailed a double over Nate Schierholtz‘s head and into
Triple’s Alley for a stand-up double and a two run Dodgers lead.
Tonight,
the Giants could not answer the Dodgers until the second inning when catcher
Bengie Molina led off with a single to leftfield followed on the next pitch
with a double into the right field corner by third baseman Juan Uribe sending
Bengie to third with no outs. Nate Schierholtz moved the runners over and the
first run on the board with a ground out Rafael Belliard at second base. But
Juan Uribe died at third when centerfielder Aaron Rowand impatiently swung at
two inside pitches from Hiroki Kuroda finally grounding out to Hiroki Kuroda at
third base and shortstop Edgar Renteria grounding out to his counterpart for
the last out. 2-1 would be as close the Giants would get to the Dodgers
tonight.
After
Matt Cain threw 31 pitches in the first inning, he threw 54 more from the
second through fifth innings giving up just two walks and a single to catcher
Casey Martin. During that span (from the third through the fifth innings) the
Giants went three-up, three down on just 29 pitches from crafty Hiroki Kuroda.
And
then the sixth inning happened. After getting the first two Dodgers out, James
Loney hit a home run for his third RBI of the game. That was as bad as Casey
Blake‘s home run just three pitches later for a 4-1 Dodgers lead. It’s
interesting to note that Matt Cain‘s second pitch to Casey Blake seemed to
catch much of the outer plate, thigh high; especially considering the strike
calls Hiroki had been enjoying.
I’m
not one to carp gratuitously on umpire’s calls but when a pattern of bias
appears to be established, I’m not shy about calling that fact out to the
responsible party. I asked home plate ump Brian Gorman where he was from.
Pacoima? Toluca Lake? When he did finally call a strike, I agreed that Matt’s
pitch was “right down El Segundo!” I know it’s obscure but if Brian was from
the Southland, he knew of which I spoke.
So
once Matt Cain was able to struggle through the rest of the Dodgers lines and
finally get the final out with a strike out against Hiroki Kuroda, he was
lifted in the bottom of the inning for Fred Lewis who could only manage to
ground out five feet to the catcher for the first out. The next two batters
were also dispatched on five pitches and the Dodgers lead stayed 4-1.
And
then the seventh inning happened. The first three Dodgers in the line up all
singled against reliever Merkin Valdez for a 5-1 lead. When Merkin walked Matt
Kemp to load the bases, he was lifted for Bob Howry. No “Neuvo Roberto” this
night. After a sacrifice fly by James Loney for a 6-1 lead, Casey Blake hit a
single and Russell Martin hit a double for a 9-1 lead by the time Hiroki Kuroda
struck out again to end the inning again.
At
this point, the only thing to do is to have fun… or fight. And, although there
were plenty of rumbles in the bleachers in the late inning causing security
personnel and uniformed policepersons scurrying all around the premises, my
section stayed relatively calm. There were a couple of elder “vato-ish” sitting
to my left but the just laughed off some of the comments directed at them. And
when the slaughter was in full flower, I shushed at them while they laughed and
celebrated at us warning then, “Those are the last runs you’re going to score
this weekend! You’d better enjoy them!” And there was another big, large
Dodgers fan with a 99 Ramirez jersey on who would stand up and taunt us at not
so crucial moments to which the funny, drunk young man would retort, “When are
you due, Manny?” Sit down before your baby drops!” “You shouldn’t be drinking
beer while you’re pregnant, Manny!”
In
the top of the eighth, Bruce Bochy finally treated us to a glimpse of the
future. He started the inning with this substituted lineup: Eugenio Velez LF;
Rich Aurilia 3B; Travis Ishikawa 1B; Kevin Frandsen 2B; Joe Martinez P; Nate
Schierholtz RF; John Bowker 1B; Ryan Rohlinger SS; and… Buster Posey catching!
This is what I had been waiting all season long to see. And although Joe
Martinez gave up the 10th Dodgers run with a walk to Manny Ramirez
and a double to Matt Kemp (all with two out), the young Giants answered with
their second run of the night when John Bowker triples into Triples Alley and
scored on Ryan Rohlinger‘s ground out.
But
Buster Posey struck out looking at a 94 mph fastball from Hiroki Kuroda to end
the inning and end his maiden at bat in the big leagues. And the Dodgers scored
their tenth run in the top of the ninth inning to lead 10-2 which is only
notable to mention because, in the bottom of the ninth with the crowd clearly
things, a gaggle of pre-teen girls gathered behind me to jump, yell, scream,
dance, and chant to their hearts’ delight. They call out to now centerfielder
Eugenio Velez if they could meet Aaron Rowand. And in the bottom of the ninth,
they invented the chant, “NINE IN THE NINTH!!! … NINE IN THE NINTH!!! … NINE IN THE
NINTH!!!” It was not only humorous, it even worked to the extent the Giants got yet another run on a two out rally no less via a single by Travis ishikawa followed by a double by Kevin Frandsen off of reliever Ramon Troncoso to make the final score of the night 10-3.
Those young ladies also represent the future of the Giants franchise insofar as if their enthusiasm in this dynamic product can be sustained for another two or more years with exciting playoff-caliber baseball, they and their fellow youthful “demographic” will imprint a fertile, growing fan base that will sustain the ball club throughout the next generation to come.
The Rockies won last night. The Giants’ prospects are slipping. But through it all, the Giants fans are remaining true and loyal. We fans like this team. It has character we can identify with and believe in. And if it is not meant to happen in 2009, it will get better in 2010. Go Giants!
A Crisis Of Faith
Reality
slapped me hard in the face this week. It was the Reality of the eventual fate
of our Giants’ hard-fought 2009 season. Specifically, it ruthlessly slapped my
metaphorical jowls last Friday when the Giants’ bullpen could not protect a 5-3
lead for Tim Lincecum‘s win. The Giants lost 10-5 after giving up five runs on
only one hit. Ouch! And that harsh realization was strongly reinforced last
Sunday when I watched Tim Cain‘s lackluster 5-2 loss to the comparatively
lowly, injured-riddled Cincinnati Reds from the plush comfort from my living
room couch rather that dragging my old, battered, sagging and sore body out to
cook in the blazing afternoon aluminum bleachers-reflected sun as I originally
had intended to before logic and reason was unmercifully imparted
intra-epidermally into the nether reaches of my until-then stubborn and hopeful
gray (and orange) matter that makes up a significant part of my unseen nervous
oblongata. And what (un)prodded me not to utilize my sole season ticket to
venture forth and claim my Giants Trading Cards Day prize was that I had come
to the personal realization that the Giants’ most improbable 2009 run had final
run its due course this year.
Let
me back, back, back track (with due apology to ESPN’s Chris Berman) to my youth
and state that based upon my personal experience as a Giants fan since I first
saw them over fifty years ago in Seals Stadium, I’ve seen this scene many times
before. Many seemingly strong and healthy Giants teams have faded on me late in
the summer as the other National League teams are making the home turn and
start sprinting for the October finish line. A stumble here, a falter there,
and the Giants slip back in the pack inexorably hobbled eventually to limp
nobly into Fan Appreciation Day.
Make
no mistake. I am not bitter. Nor am I particularly disappointed. In Spring, the
Giants were not expected to be doing this well this far into the season but I
bought a single season ticket nonetheless expecting something Tim Cain‘s lackluster 5-2 loss to the comparatively lowly, injured-riddled Cincinnati Reds
extraordinary might happen and something extraordinary did: Tim Lincecum, Matt
Cain, Pablo Sandoval, Jonathan Sanchez, and Nate Schierholtz to name a few. But
the tell tale signs of cracks in the engine are beginning to show. Randy Winn
is finishing his Giants career both weakly and inconsistently unfortunately.
Bengie Molina is still swinging hard but is either missing or pooping up (until
recently!). And ersatz rookie Pablo Sandoval is hitting only singles now
intermittently. And the temporary lift that the new additions Ryan Garko and
Freddy Sanchez provided the club when they first arrived this month were short
lived and mostly gone now.
So
it has come to this. Jonathan Sanchez pitched a very fine game last night if
you don’t count the fourth inning. His no hitting-vaunted arm slot inexplicably
slid down into an arm “slop” that one inning as he walked two batters before
allowing rightfielder Matt Kemp to clear the bases on a double that leftfielder
Fred Lewis all-too-typically had trouble digging out of the corner. Oh, the
Giants did hold their heads up high as first baseman Travis Ishikawa and
catcher Bengie Molina hit solo home runs both early and late in the game for a
4-2 loss. But it was too little too early and too late. No one was on. Nor was
I sitting in the bleachers. It was fun being a spectator listening to the
chatter of female Dodgers fans sitting behind me all night long. And there was
the spectacle of Giants-Dodgers fights always in play as the Dodgers protect
their lead in these home night games. But in my heart-of-Giants-fan-hearts, I
know this season is over for all practicable purposes.
I
hope I am wrong. I’d like to be surprised. But barring some miraculous
September turn around caused by the call up of rookies like catcher Buster
Posey and pitcher Tim Bumgarner and perhaps others, we will be watching the
collective behinds of the Rockies, Cubs, Cardinals, Marlins, and (baseball-gods-forbid)
Brewers finishing the season ahead of us. Ah, Cassandra cries and Giants fans
cry. But I will keep my dauber up and support my Giants as I continue to enjoy
this most improbable of seasons here. Go Giants!
Who Let The Dogs In??? … (Woof! Woof!)
I
got to the ballpark early but there was no batting practice as I had expected
because it was The Dog Days of Summer promotion where hundreds and hundreds of
dog owners bring their four footed dependents to parade around on the field
before the game and have their costume judged. It is a highly amusing affair
and I’m basically a cat person. The looks of the first-time visiting Phillies
fans walking around the stadium were also very amusing. I’m sure they thought
this might have been an everyday occurrence in a city as consistently weird as
San Francisco.
And
to accentuate the weird was The Freak who is more formally known as Tim
Lincecum pitching for the Giants this Saturday night. Opposing him could be
nicknamed The Hulk because Joe Blanton is one big landmass of a man. I have
never seen any pitcher throw a longer long toss warming up before the game than
Joe Blanton. In comparison, Tim Lincecum wasn’t even on the field by the time
Joe Blanton had finished long tossing with his catcher Paul Bako.
During
the first half of the game, Joe Blanton pitched more like the reigning Cy Young
pitcher going just one batter over the minimum in the first four innings while
throwing 46 pitches. Meanwhile, Tim Lincecum threw 18 pitches in the first
inning because centerfielder Jason Werth hit a single; threw 16 pitches in the
second inning, threw 14 pitches in the third inning because Jimmy Rollins hit a
two out single and stole a couple bases as Jason Werth was being walked; threw
12 pitches in the fourth inning despite giving up two singles; and 24 pitches
in the fifth inning while giving up three singles including one to opposing
pitcher Joe Blanton.
But
Tim Lincecum gave up no runs while he played rope-a-dope with the Phillies
through the first five innings. And in the bottom of the fifth inning,
now-backup first baseman rookie Travis Ishikawa led off with a single but was
thrown out barely (if that) at second base trying to steal the pitch before our
centerfielder Aaron Rowand hit a double into right field. Aaron moved to third
on left fielder Fred Lewis‘ infield single off of Joe Blanton. And then
shortstop Jose Uribe hit a high fly ball into shallow right field that Matt
Stairs made a basket catch on while running in and then momentarily bobbled
before throwing home just a split second too late stop Aaron Rowand from
sliding around the tag for the first run of the game.
And
it was déjà vu all over again in the seventh inning when Travis Ishikawa led
off with an infielder squibber for a single again. But before he had a chance
to duplicate his double as before, Joe Blanton drilled Aaron Rowand on his left
forearm. That got everyone in the stands (and maybe in the dugout) riled up
because Ryan Garko was drilled high up his left shoulder near his head with a
Tyler Walker fastball. That was not cool. So Travis Ishikawa advanced to third
base on Fred Lewis‘ fly ball to centerfield and scored the Giants’ second run
on another fly ball by Juan Uribe to left field.
In
response to getting a run in the fifth inning, Tim Lincecum muscled up and set
down the next nine Phillies batters in the sixth through eighth innings. But
with 117 pitches thrown, Giants manager took out his starter in the ninth
inning for his closer. Enter Brian Wilson. I was expecting a little drama from
the World Champion Phillies. They had gone hitless for their last ten batters.
But Brian Wilson got Matt Stairs to fly out to Fred Lewis on four pitches; got
former Giants third baseman Pedro Feliz to ground out to new shortstop Edgar Renteria (because Aaron Rowand had to be taken out of the game); and finally ended the game on two more pitches when pinch hitter All
Star Shane Victorino grounded out to the game hero, Juan Uribe, to end the
game. Unleash the Dogs of Victory!
It
was a gutty win by Tim Lincecum, whose record rose to 12-3, because he was not
sharp to begin the game but found a way to battle through it without giving up
a run and close out his performance strong. And it was nice to see Brian Wilson
come in and take care of business against a good hitting team. So it will be up
to Barry Zito to see if the Giants can close out the home stand with a victory
over the World Champs. And as I yelled to Jason Werth after Aaron Rowand walked
to first base in the seventh inning, “Watch out tomorrow, Jason! Barry Zito’s
going to plant a 75 mile an hour fastball under your ribs!” Go Giants!
How Sweep It Is!
I
entered the ballpark at 12:15, a half hour before the game. The morning skies
were gray but the clouds parted as the game began and Matt Cain threw seven
straight strikes to get through the first inning. However, leftfielder Garrett
Jones led off the second inning with a single up the middle and stole second
base five pitches later. But Matt Cain struck out both first baseman Steve
Pearce and right fielder Brandon Moss, both looking, and induced shortstop Ramon
Vazquez to ground out on a nifty play by second baseman Juan Uribe. And then
catcher Jason Jaramillo led off the second inning with a single to right field
and was immediately sacrificed to second base by pitcher Zach Duke. But there
Jason Jaramillo remained as Matt Cain retired both centerfielder Andrew McCutchen and third
baseman Andy LaRoche hit fly balls outs to right fielder Randy Winn and catcher
Benji Molina, respectively. Additionally, Brandon Moss led off the fifth inning
with a single to left field but Matt Cain retired the bottom third of the
Pirates batting order in order so as not incur any damage. And in the same
vein, Garrett Jones led off the seventh inning with a walk but he was out
trying to steal second base four pitches later. Other than that, Matt Cain
allowed pinch hitter Jeff Salazar to reach base on a five-pitch walk only after
two were out in the eighth inning which was ironic since Jeff’s batting average
of .067 was 144 points lower than Zach Duke‘s for whom he was batting.
Meanwhile,
Zach Duke was pitching an equally skilled game escaping multiple Giants runners
on base in innings two, four and seven (the latter being a one out, bases
loaded situation). I’ll spare the readers from a detailed description of their
failed efforts but it was frustrating to watch the Giants hit into two double
plays and again unable to get that clutch base hit with runners in scoring
position. But much of that credit belongs to All Star pitcher Zach Duke who
pitched at least as well as All Star pitcher Matt Cain whom he (Zach Duke)
replaced a few weeks ago. Perhaps some of the blame belongs to the Wednesday
afternoon crowd who were very low energy and lackadaisical which is their want.
Especially during summer days when school is out, much of a weekday afternoon
crowd AT&T Park consists of school kids hanging out with each other and
only peripherally interested in the action on the field as opposed to the
personal interaction in the stands. But I do enjoy these weekday day games and
try to attend as many as I can so I will not complain. I will only observe. At
it was nice watching the Giants’ new first baseman from the Cleveland Indians,
Ryan Garko, get his first base hit and first base on balls as a San Francisco
Giant.
It was interesting that Pirates manager John Russell
pulled Zach Duke out of the game in the eighth inning with two outs for a
weaker batter because he had only thrown 85 pitches up to that point. But he
did bring in John Grabow who pitched flawless eighth and ninth innings against
the top of the Giants batting order in a scoreless game with only eighteen
pitches and two strikeouts. And it was equally interesting that Giants manager
Bruce Bochy decided to let Matt Cain bat for himself in the bottom of the
seventh inning of a scoreless game with runners on first and third bases and
two outs having only thrown 87 pitches up to that point. But those runners Matt
Cain stranded were the last runners the Giants would have on base until after
Matt Cain was removed from the game in the top of the tenth inning.
Enter Brian Wilson who was called on to pitch the top
of the tenth inning and got Steve Pearce to pop up to Juan Uribe on the first
pitch of the inning. And then he got Brandon Moss to swing at miss at a 97 mph
fastball ending his nine-pitch at bat. But Brian Wilson threw a wild pitch to
Ramon Vazquez when he swung for his third strike and got to first base before
Benji Molina could retrieve the ball. Luckily, the Giants avoided catastrophe
when Jason Jaramillo grounded out to third baseman Pablo Sandoval for the final
out. Left fielder Eugenio Velez opened the bottom of the tenth inning with a
hot smash up the middle for a single and then was promptly sacrificed to second
base by Juan Uribe. And although pinch hitter Fred Lewis eventually strike out
swinging at Matt Capps sliders down and in off the strike zone. However, when
centerfielder Andres Torres drew a walk, Randy Winn came up with a chance to
“Winn” the game. And “Winn” it Winn did by dropping the bat head on Matt Capps‘
first offering lining the ball past Steve Pearce‘s desperate dive in vain and down the
right filed line for the victory.
Walking back to the Ferry Building for the ride home,
I listened to the radio when, less than an hour after the game ended, it was
announced that the Giants traded their AA hot pitching prospect Tim Alderson
for the Pirates’ All Star second baseman Freddy Sanchez who missed this series
with a sore knee. All the Giants fans I spoke to on the ferry thought it was a
good trade. In the radio interviews, he sounded like a solid upright guy. I
just hope he gets healthy and starts hitting. Then I’ll be very happy. It’s
uncertain whether he’ll be available for the upcoming weekend series against
the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies. If not, I hope the other Giants start
hitting because the Phillies with not go down on a few singles and walks like
they did today. Go Giants!
A (Little) League of Their Own
Sunday
was Little League Day again at AT&T Park. Hundreds, if not thousands, of
Little Leaguers showed up in their uniforms to participate in a pre-game
question and answer session with Giants players Tim Lincecum, Travis Ishikawa,
and Giants coach Tim Flannery. Then they got to parade around the field on the
warning tracks before the game started. It is a great tribute to Pat Gallagher,
the Giants Marketing Director for the past 33 years who retired last week. This
promotion is pure marketing genius. Surrounded by all these Little Leaguers
together with their families, I pictured myself coming to this park thirty
years from now and seeing these kids today grown up and bringing their Little
Leaguers to experience the same thrills they’re having today. Not only are the
Giants making devoted Giants fans out of these Little Leaguers today but they
are also sowing the seeds to grow their fan base exponentially for many years
to come. It’s pure marketing genius.
And
the game this sold out crowd watched this afternoon was a very enjoyable
experience to boot. Although the Cardinals got runners in scoring position
against Giants starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez in every inning he pitched
(except the fourth), they only scored one run in the third inning until left
fielder Nick Stavinoha hit a bases loaded double to the outfield wall, just
beyond the glove of centerfielder Aaron Rowand, in the bottom of the fifth
inning driving in another two runs and driving Jonathan Sanchez out of the
game. Brandon Medders came in and intentionally walked catcher Yadier Molina to
reload the bases. He then struck out third baseman Brian Barden looking at a 91
mph fastball for the second out of the inning before inducing eighth place
hitter and pitcher Adam Wainwright to fly out to Aaron Rowand and end the
threat of a big inning. Did Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa rue his decision to
bat his pitcher eighth in the batter order at this point of the game?
And
at that point, the Giants were trailing the Cardinals 3-1 after opening the
game in the first inning with a double by Aaron Rowand followed by a
hit-and-run single by shortstop Edgar Renteria. This allowed right fielder
Randy Winn to drive in that first run of the game with a sacrifice fly to right
fielder Ryan Ludwick. And so it was later at this midway point of the game that
the Giants did what they have been doing for most of this home stand. They
answered their opponents’ run scoring with a rally of their own. Rich Aurilia (who
came into the game for third baseman Juan Uribe on a double switch with Bandon
Medders) started off the bottom of the fifth inning by singling Adam
Wainwright‘s first pitch off of second baseman Joe Thurston‘s glove. Aaron
Rowand lined Adam Wainwright‘s next pitch down the left field line for a
double. With runners on second and third, Edgar Renteria brought Rich Aurilia
in with a grounder to shortstop Brendan Ryan for the first out of the inning.
Aaron Rowand advance to third base by tagging up on Randy Winn‘s fly out to
centerfielder Skip Schumaker and came in to finally tie the score when first
baseman Pablo Sandoval banged a single out into right field.
And
so it was that Giants bench player emeritus Rich Aurilia came up again leading
off the seventh inning and crushed Adam Wainwright‘s fourth pitch deep into the
left field bleachers creating a 4-3 lead for the Giants. After that, things got
even more interesting. Relief pitcher Merkin Valdez, pitching his second
inning, got the first two outs of the eighth inning before walking last place
hitter Skip Schumaker. When lead off hitter Brendan Ryan next singled into
centerfield, Giants manager Bruce Bochy brought in lefthander Jeremy Affeldt to
face Joe Thurston with the fearsome Albert Pujols waiting on deck eagerly
swinging his big bat. On a full count and with the runners running, Jeremy
Affeldt snapped off a nasty 91 mph thing for an inning ending strikeout thereby
preserving the 4-3 lead.
The
Giants even padded their lead in the bottom of the eighth with a lead off
double by Pablo Sandoval splitting the left and centerfielders. He moved over
to third base on a single by Fred Lewis and scored on pinch hitter Bengie
Molina‘s two-strike sacrifice fly to newly substituted centerfielder Colby
Rasmus. That extra fifth run proved serendipitous when the Cardinals first
baseman Albert Pujols led off the ninth inning with a single for his third hit
of the game. Giants closer Brian Wilson then got Ryan Ludwick and Nick
Stavinoha both out on high, twisting, wind-effected fly outs to newly
substituted centerfielder Andres Torres and leftfielder Fred Lewis,
respectively. When Brian Wilson struck out Bengie’s brother, Yadier Molina, on
four pitches to end the game, the fans went crazier and the Little Leaguers
began queuing up to run the bases around the infield thus adding more happy
moments to take home and cherish forever with their memories of today.
To
quote Bruce Bochy, this game turned a good home stand into a great home stand.
By winning five of six games this week, this victory kept the Giants’ record
above .500 and still in second place ahead of the San Diego Padres in the
National League West Division. As a paying fan, it is very gratifying to see
this team keep its heart and desire for success strong as it struggles through
its early-season clutch hitting problems. Have they finally turned that corner?
Yes, they have at home in AT&T Park. The question remains if they can keep
that corner turned away from home while playing on the road. The next ten games
in Washington D.C., Miami, Florida, and Phoenix, Arizona will answer that
question. We can only hope… and pray… and run the bases whenever we can. Go
Giants!
Redbirds Fly Into Town
And
the local cream-colored birds are ready for them. The Giants opened the gates
this Friday afternoon an hour early at 4:15. It was interesting watching them
take infield practice and warming up for the first half of their batting
practice session. I understand that the Giants are one of the very few teams to
take regular pre-game infield practice. The picture below shows Tim Lincecum,
Jeremy Affeldt, Randy Johnson, and Justin Miller (or maybe Brandon Medders?)
warming up in left filed. The little guy in the home Cardinals uniform in the
lower right picture had numeral “5″ and “Pujols” on the back of his jersey so
that had to be Albert Pujols‘ young son.
The
wind was blowing pretty hard and the night was quite chilly but that didn’t
stop the hardy Giants fans from filling up the bleachers. Like Randy Johnson
last Wednesday, Matt Cain faced just one batter over the minimum for the first
three innings. However, the Giants jumped on pitcher Joel Piniero in the first inning
led off by Aaron Rowand‘s double followed by a walk to Randy Winn and a
fastball off the thigh of Bengie Molina. Pablo Sandoval came up for the first
time this week and drove the second pitch he saw into right field and Aaron Rowand and
Randy Winn home for the first two runs of the game.
The
Cardinals got their first two batters of the fourth inning on base with singles
by left fielder Chris Duncan and first baseman Albert Pujols. Although Matt
Cain struck out right fielder Brian Ludwick on a 94 mph heater and induced
centerfielder rookie Colby Rasmus to fly out to Randy Winn in right field, he
threw a wild pitch in the course of walking catcher Yadier Molina to load the
bases. But third baseman Joe Thurston grounded out to second base for the final
out. So the Giants responded in the bottom of the fourth inning by punching out
four hits of their own, the main one being Fred Lewis‘ triple driving in Pablo
Sandoval and Emmanuel Burriss singling home Fred Lewis from third base with two
outs and the pitcher Matt Cain due up next. I would have expected Cardinals
manager Tony LaRussa to walk Emmanuel Burriss there but Matt Cain also got a
hit next so maybe the question is moot.
The
Cardinals got to Matt Cain in the next inning with singles by Albert Pujols and
Colby Rasmus sandwiched around a walk to Brian Ludwick producing their first
run of the game. And second baseman Emmanuel Burriss threw the relay on a
potential inning-ending double play into the Cardinals dugout that allowed
Brian Ludwick to score their second (unearned) run. But Matt Cain then struck
out Joe Thurston on a 93 mph fastball to end the inning. Ironically, Emmanuel
Burriss may have had the defensive play of the evening in the next inning when,
with one on and two outs, he speared Chris Duncan‘s screaming liner through the
infield that prevented Albert Pujols from coming up with runners on base in a
4-2 game. And third baseman Juan Uribe may have had the next best defensive
play of the night in the next inning when he smothered Albert Pujols‘ hot shot
down the left field line and got up in time to throw and get the first out of
the eighth inning. And Edgar Renteria followed that on the next play by ranging
behind second base to barely glove Brian Ludwick‘s grounder up the middle and
spinning in time to just nip him at first base for the second out of the
inning. When Colby Rasmus next popped up to Edgar Renteria, Bob Howry had done
his job admirably.
Enter
Brian Wilson. Like relievers Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry before him, it took
Brian Wilson just ten pitches to get the job done. The three consecutive fly
outs were (1) to Aaron Rowand in centerfield; (2) a wind-twisted pop up down
the left field line that Juan Uribe caught in foul ground; and (3) a long fly
ball towards the right field stands that Randy Winn caught up to just before
having to run up onto the bullpen mound and caught it around his shin. It was a
nifty, well-pitched game that took under three hours to complete. I don’t
remember it being this consistently cold at night in San Francisco during the
month of May but maybe I’m just getting old. And maybe it works to the
disadvantage of the visiting ballplayers. Whatever. Go Giants!
299
It was a nice Wednesday for a picnic. Randy Johnson was gunning for career victory number 299. The Braves were on the verge of getting swept by the Giants just after they got finished sweeping the Toronto Blue Jays in Atlanta last weekend. It was still the first third of the baseball season and no one was panicking on either team nor those in the stands neither.
Randy Johnson set down the first nine batters of the game mixing in three strikeouts into the mix. The Giants were getting after thirty-three year old rookie pitcher Kenshin Kawakami from the get-go. After starting off with two strikes in the second inning, Fred Lewis eventually walked, stole second base on Travis Ishikawa‘s strike out, took third base on a wild pitch shortly thereafter and scored easily on Juan Uribe‘s single into right field. Aaron Rowand doubled on the first pitch of the third inning and took third base on a passed ball shortly thereafter. After Edgar Renteria walked on four pitches and Randy Winn popped out, Bengie Molina swung through a hit and run play but Renteria stopped short of second base to avoid the out and get into a run down. But Aaron Rowand broke from third base and when the throw back to catcher David Ross short hopped him and bounced back in front of the plate, Rowand beat the race to the plate for the Giants’ second run.
Randy Johnson was the master of all he surveyed. He pitched to only one batter over the minimum through the first five innings but then allowed a lead off single to rookie centerfielder Jordan Schafer in the sixth inning. After Kenshin Kawakami sacrificed him to second base, first baseman Casey Kotchman drove him in with a single to leftfield for the Braves’ first run. But the threat was squelched when Randy Johnson struck out fellow future Hall of Famer, Larry “Chipper” Jones for the third time in the game and after he started the at bat with three called balls.
The Giants answered
by getting R.J. two more runs in the bottom of the sixth with doubles by
Emmanuel Burriss and Aaron Rowand and a single by Randy Winn driving in the
latter. Unfortunately, Emmanuel Burriss let third baseman Martin Prado‘s grounder to him leading off the seventh inning go by him for an error and reliever Brandon Medders next walked leftfielder Matt Diaz. Although Medders got Jeff Francoeur to fly out on the next pitch to Aaron Rowand in centerfield for the first out of the inning, Giants manager Bruce Bochy lifted Brandon for Jeremy Affeldt who then walked pinch hitter Brian McCann to load the bases. Although Jordan Schafer struck out, pinch hitter Garret Anderson drove in two runs with a single up the middle. Fortunately, shortstop Diory Hernandez bounced Affeldt’s next pitch to Emmanuel Burriss who forced Anderson at second base for the last out.
As they did in the previous inning, the Giants answered with four consecutive singles by Travis Ishikawa, Juan Uribe, Emmanuel Burriss, and pinch hitter Andres Torres thereby pumping the score back up to 6-3. Giants relief pitcher Merkin Valdez came in the eighth inning to set down the heart of the Braves’ lineup on seventeen pitches punctuated by striking out the afore-mentioned Hall of Fame cinch Chipper Jones on a 98 mph fastball. I learned later that it was the first time in Chipper’s sixteen-year career that he has worn a golden sombrero (i.e. four strikeouts in a game). The 2009 Merkin is a far cry from the 22 year-old skinny rookie I watched in his 2004 debut getting rocked by the Cincinnati Reds in a late inning game. He seems much bigger today in both stature and poise. I am slowly gaining confidence in him. It is somewhat ironic that we originally obtained him in a trade from the Atlanta Braves.
Enter Brian Wilson in the ninth inning. Although he labored with a nine-pitch, two out double by former All Star catcher Brian McCann, Brian Wilson earned his tenth save of the season on the next pitch to Jordan Schaffer who popped up down the line to Edgar Renteria and Randy Johnson moved to within his remarkable milestone on his stellar career: Victory Number 299. Poor Jordan Schafer. He was being ridden rather hard tonight by the fans in the bleachers. He wore the golden sombrero in the first game and made the last out tonight. But who cares? Not us hard hearten, bitterly cold bitten fans in the bleachers. We swept the always-ominous Atlanta in three games. We were feeling good. Bring on the St. Louis Cardinals! Go Giants!
Remember, Always Remember
Monday
was a day set aside to remember and honor all those Americans who have fought
and died in defense of our country. It is as patriotic as the Fourth of July if
not as celebratory. Memorial Day is a more somber experience calling for
personal introspection. And so it was at AT&T Park this holiday afternoon.
The players of both the Atlanta Braves and the Giants (as well as the umpired
themselves) wore red baseball caps with red, white and blue team emblems.
The
Giants once dedicated a five-foot high granite monument on Memorial Day in 1921
to the memory of former player Eddie Grant who died in World War One battle,
Argonne Forest, and placed it on the playing field of the Polo Grounds in
straight away centerfield 480′ away from home plate. The Giants conducted
remembrance ceremonies at the Eddie Grant Monument every Memorial Day
thereafter. In the photograph of Willie Mays making his famous catch in the
1954 World Series, the monument can be seen to the left of the Say Hey Kid.
(Link to photo: http://www.yorkblog.com/yorktownsquare/2847313257_df287ca331.jpg)
But when the Giants left the Polo Grounds for Seals Stadium in 1957, Eddie Grant’s
plaque mysteriously disappeared until it was reputedly discovered in 1999 in a
New Jersey attic that once belonged to a New York policeman. (Link to discovery
story: http://www.baseballreliquary.org/EddieGrantPlaque.htm)
In 2001, a WWI historical society offered to help the Giants install a replica
of the Eddie Grant plaque at AT&T Park but were rebuffed thereby creating
(or perpetuating) the myth of an Eddie Grant Curse preventing the Giants from
winning a championship much like the Billy Goat Curse linked to the Chicago
Cubs. (Link to replica story: http://www.worldwar1.com/tgws/thismonthgrant.htm)
If an identical monument were installed at AT&T Park 480′ feet away from
home plate, it would rest at the rear of the outfield food court at the spot
shown in the picture below.
Jonathan
Sanchez started off the sunny afternoon game in fine fashion striking out the
side in the first inning on thirteen pitches. He allowed only two base runners
in the first three innings albeit one being Braves pitcher Javier Vasquez on a
ground rule double to deep centerfield. Javier bettered Jonathan by allowing
only one base runner in the first three innings and that being first baseman
rookie Travis Ishikawa who was generously credited with a single on an infield
popup because Javier ran into third baseman Martin Prado who was getting ready
to catch it.
Before
the top of the fourth inning began, centerfielder Aaron Rowand threw his warm
up ball into the bleachers and I caught it with my catcher’s mitt. There was a
preschooler sitting next me so I gave him the ball. Two innings later, he was
still holding the ball and staring at it. Jonathan Sanchez eventually finished
the fifth inning with an efficient 68 pitches thrown. In the bottom of the
fifth, Travis Ishikawa scooted a grounder through the infield and into right
infield, stole second base when Juan Uribe struck on the seventh pitch of his
at bat, and took third base two pitches later on a pass ball. Then, with a full
count, Emmanuel Burriss broke the goose egg with a single to right field.
Jonathan Sanchez laid down a two-strike sacrifice bunt that Javier Vasquez
unwisely threw to second base a split second too late to get a force out. So,
now with two outs, shortstop Edgar Renteria lined a double into the left field
corner that allowed Jonathan to circle the bases for the third run of the
inning.
However,
in return, Braves second baseman Kelly Johnson opened the next inning with a
triple into the deepest part of AT&T Park followed by two five-pitch walks
to load the bases. So when catcher Brian McCann singled to left field for the
Braves’ first run, Giants manager Bruce Bochy lifted Jonathan Sanchez from the
game. Relief pitcher Jason Miller struck out right fielder Jeff Francoeur on a
91 mph fastball but walked first baseman Casey Kotchman to force in the second
run. But shortstop Diory Hernandez bounced a ball to third baseman Juan Uribe
who got the force out at home. Then Jason Miller struck out centerfielder
Jordan Schafer with a 80 mph slider to strand all three base runners and
preserve the 3-2 lead.
In
recent weeks, us fans could almost predict a pitching duel for the remainder of
the game but under these pleasant blue skies, left fielder Fred Lewis and
Travis Ishikawa began the bottom of the sixth inning with singles. Although
Juan Uribe could only manage a fly ball to medium deep centerfield, Fred Lewis
beat Jordan Schafer‘s throw home by an eyelash for the Giants’ fourth run.
Then, with two outs, pinch hitter Nate Schierholtz smacked Javier Vasquez‘s 107th
(and last) pitch of the game into right field sending Travis Ishikawa home with
the fifth run on a nifty fade away slide.
But
the figurative fireworks were not finished yet. With left fielder Randy Winn on
second base and two were out in the seventh inning, Braves pitcher Buddy
Carlyle intentionally walked Fred Lewis to pitch to Travis Ishikawa who already
had three hits for himself. I thought that was a counterintuitive decision by
Braves manager Bobby Cox at the time and my feelings were validated with an
exclamation point a moment later when Travis Ishikawa blasted a moon shot deep
into the right-centerfield Arcade seats for an 8-2 lead. By then, it was all
over but the cheering.
In
the bottom of the eighth inning when my buddy Aaron Rowand came up to bat, I
slipped my glove back on thinking maybe Aaron might send another ball my way.
Sure enough, on a 1-2 count, Rowand tied into Carlyle’s pitch sending the
baseball arcing directly towards me. Although it fell a few yards short of its
unintended target (me), it did elude the glove of Jordan Schafer and land up
against the outfield wall for a double.
All
in all, it was a very enjoyable game. The mood of the masses exiting the
ballpark after a Giants victory is almost as palpable as it is satisfying. It
is a perfect ending to a perfect endeavor which is what watching baseball is
all about. Plus, the fact were able to gather and honor our armed service
members with a minute of silence exactly at 3:00 p.m. was frosting on the cake.
Semper Fi, everyone, and go Giants!
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