Anyone But...

After listening to the Giants lose yet another game to the Marlins, my first thought was, How the heck do you lose to the Marlins? And then, I corrected myself with the thought, Oh, yeah, they're the Marlins. For the past decade or so, the Marlins just seem to have the Giants number. Whether they are good or bad, the Giants always seem to get their hats handed to them by the members of this fishy team. I don't know what it is, but when I see the Marlins on the schedule I just know that a bunch of losses will follow.

In the early 90's, it was the Astros for the Giants. We just never seemed to be able to get past those guys. They weren't a great team back then - better than some perhaps - but they had our number. And before that, I can remember fearing the arrival of the Braves (back before they were good and before they had that annoying Tomahawk crap... honestly, is there anything more annoying in modern baseball? I'd take the DH in the NL if they'd ban the tomahawk crap!)

I don't know what it is that allows some teams to dominate match ups even when the other team sucks, but I'm sure the Giants can't be the only team with a fish they can't fry. Anyone else's team have an annoying nemesis?

God Answers Prayers

I present the following story for what it’s worth.

Following the Cardinals 1968 World Series appearance against the Tigers, there were a few sparse years but the team stayed competitive. We fans certainly didn’t anticipate a post season drought of fourteen years. Suffice it to say, the seventies were a kidney stone of a decade for Cardinal Nation.

One exception, however was the 1971 season. Throughout the season, the Birds fought Willie Stargell’s Pirates neck and neck for the National League East title. And it came down to the last series of the regular season. The Pirates were in town with the Cards two games behind. We needed a sweep to get to the post season.

For the second game, Bob Gibson was to pitch. I desperately wanted to go to the game. My father had tickets from his work, but was taking business acquaintances. My pleas to him to find a way to take us fell on deaf ears. It was a school night. Mom, my brother and I were to stay at home and listen to Jack Buck on the radio.

As my father was getting ready to go to the game, I went into my bedroom and hit my knees. I remember I prayed to God that my Dad would change his mind and take us to the game. Later on, he told me he had seen me there and felt bad that it was not meant to be.

Suffice it to say, I was disappointed when he left the house without me in the car. I resigned myself to enjoying the game on the radio and figured I could sneak my own transistor hand held implement into bed with me along with the ear piece and listen after “lights out” if the game went long. (I doubted it would. Gibson was known for pitching fast games. I once saw him pitch a game in an hour and forty-five minutes. Woe to any batter who called “time” more than once during a game.)

Anyway, about 6:30 that night our phone rang. Mom picked up the receiver and listened. Then she started laughing. I heard her say, “We’ll be there in half an hour.”

It seems, Dad had picked up the business associates and took them to the game. When he got out of the car, however, he had locked and closed the doors.

With the keys still in the ignition.

With the motor running.

He sent the associates into the ball park, found a scalper with three tickets, then called my Mom who brought us to the game.

I wish I could say, we won, but at least I was there.

And that’s how I know God loves baseball.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

# 715

So he's done it. Barry Bonds has passed the Babe. I was out on a campground when it occurred, and only discovered that he'd hit it when I checked scores on my cell phone (Yes, I'm a geek).

It is a remarkable achievement, regardless of the cloud of suspicion over his head. Only 3 men in baseball history have ever hit this many home runs. And now, only two have ever hit 715.

The question that remains - does Barry reach Aaron's record? What do you think?

I don't think he does. If by some miracle he does, it will NOT be in a Giants uniform.

By Decade...

Okay, since we're all in this All-Time Team mode...let's go with All-Decade teams, starting with the 1970s. Any player from that decade...fill out a starting 8, Utility, DH, and four man rotation, with your closer.

Once again...the 70s. Disco demolition night. White Sox and softball shorts. "We Are Family" Pirates. The Big Red Machine. The Oakland "Hairs". Artificial surfaces in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Montreal, Philadelphia, Kansas City, St. Louis, Seattle, Houston, Toronto. Atlanta and Cincinnati were in the "West". Chicago was in the "East".

Have at it.

Friday's Baseball Category

Categories is a game my sister and I invented to pass the time and it has been a feature on my blog for a while now on Friday's. The game works particularly well with blogs because it is, in essence, a blog category type thing. The idea is that I name a category and ask you to furnish the three best (and often funniest) answers you can come up with. For example; Name Three Other Substances Bonds Thought He Was Using Besides Flax Seed Oil. And you would answer 1) Injectable Sun Screen 2) Spray On Hair and 3) Tattoo Protection... or something like that. Got the idea?

Okay, Today's Friday Baseball Category Is...

Name Three Ways Baseball Could Be Improved By Adopting Parts Of Other Sports.

Good luck!

A Philosophical Query

In a comment to yesterday's post, Donny Prater provided a line-up filled with movie character ball players. Certainly, we can all agree that The Natural and Field Of Dreams are definitive baseball movies, i.e. movies which portray the transcendant aspects of the game and its connection to the American psyche to a wider audience.

Here's the question: Does Bull Durham, a fine movie BTW, fall into that category or is it just a chick flick masquerading as a baseball movie?

Discuss.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

You Are The Coach, Part 3 (Final Lineup)

I'm happy to announce that the Galaxy Commissioner approved of our all-time player lineups. He kept remarking in his best Klingon garble something to the effect of "Dochvam nuq vortek Piazza" which I later found out through translators was he liked that one the best.

Our collective wisdom was so well received that, when finding out who our favorite teams were, he personally requested the best all-time lineups for each of them - Yankees, Giants, Dodgers and Cards. Was there a Cincy fan somewhere here too?

Without further adue coaches, lineup cards please.....

Dodgers all time lineup

C - Roy Campanella (edging out, you guessed it....Pizza boy!)
1B - Gil Hodges (edging out Mr. Forearms, Garvey)
2B - Jackie Robinson (edging out Davey Lopes)
SS - Maury Wills
3B - The Penguin
OF - Duke Snyder
OF - Tommy Davis
OF - Willie Davis
Util - Pedro Guerrero (can play 3B, 1B and OF)
P - Koufax (edging out Sutton and Drysdale)
RP - Gagne
Manager - Walter Alston (edging out the "fat little Italian")

Name That Field

Can anyone name the stadium in the header graphic? No cheating...

Favorite Games?

Between all of us here at the "Stretch" we likely have some amazing memories of games we attended. I'd love to hear your memorable games. The only rule is that you actually attended the game (so unless you were at the 1954 pennant clinching game between the Giants and Dodgers, that doesn't count - likewise the 1988 World Series game with the Gibson homer).

I will post my memorable game or games later...

You Are The Coach, Part 2

After our strong showing in the Intergalactic Series classic, in which we steamrolled over the Ferengi's on their home turf (just a hop and a skip away on quadrant 6 if you cruise on warp factor 9 with Data at the helm), the galaxies proposed that we bring back the best players of all time by position and left this gargantuan task at the hands of baseball gurus at The 7th Inning Stretch! Holy Cow!

Lets not disappoint. Please submit your starting line up (please use same format as Donnie's - all the positions, a DH, a Utility player plus one pitcher and one reliever).

My lineup:

C - Mike Piazza
1B - Lou Gehrig
2B - Rogers Hornsby
SS - Ernie Banks
3B - Mike Schmidt
OF - Bonds
OF- Ted Williams
OF - Willie Mays
DH - The Babe
Util - Mickey Mantle (Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, Pete Rose....and Hank Aaron got snubbed!)
P - Clemens
RP - this is a tough one....oh man....arrrgh! Dennis Eckersley

You Are The Coach!!!

Since the post you guys threw out on Tuesday was so fun, I wanted to try my hand at it. I'm not a Science Fiction fan and I hate Star Trek but bear with me. Here's my question:

It's time for the intergalactic baseball championship. You are the coach for the Earth team and you will be playing against seven other teams from all over the galaxy. Who's in your starting line up? (this includes all the positions, a DH, a Utility player plus one pitcher and one reliever)

Also, they have to be active this year.....Clemens can't play.

Time For Some Questions

With almost two months under our belts, I think it's time for some serious discussion:

1. Best division in the NL? AL? Baseball?

2. Ditto the worst divisions?

3. Any teams likely to run away with playoff spots?

4. Any team clearly with a fork in it at this point, other than the Royals.

You only get full credit if you show your work.

Cheers.

9 to 2.

I love going to games, but I'll admit, the weeknight games can take their toll on me, especially after being up since 5 am, working all day, coming home to pick up my son, and driving back out to the ballpark.

That said, there's nothing like an evening at the ballpark, especially on a nice 65 degree night like we had tonight in San Francisco. Pujols vs. Bonds. Cards vs. Giants. Mark Mulder vs. Jamey Wright.

On paper, it was a mismatch. The journeyman Wright was to face off against Mulder. The central leading Cards against the Giants, 2 games over .500.

But Wright had command of his pitches. In the 1st inning, he had an impressive K of Pujols, dispatching him on 3 straight strikes. His final line was 1 run on 6 hits, 2 BB and 4 K in 8 innings of work, only 102 pitches, saving the Giants pen for a second day - the only member of the Giants' pen to see action was Benitez - and that was primarily because the Giants had loaded the bases in the 8th inning with a 4-1 lead at the time, with the former Padre Mark Sweeney pinch hitting for Wright, and hitting a hard single off the top of the 23 foot RF wall, driving in 2 runs to extend the lead to 6-1.

::

My son and I thoroughly enjoyed the evening. After all, baseball is his favorite game, and at the tender age of 5, he has attended more games than I had by the age of 10. It is a magical sight for any child walking into the ballpark, seeing the vast expanse of grass, the aroma of the hot dogs, and here in SF, that of garlic fries.

From a fan interaction perspective, the biggest downside to this ballpark is the prevalence of corporately owned seats. The seats I purchase from a friend are down in the Lower Box, 30 rows from the field, 1B side. Great seats. Unfortunately, we are surrounding by many corporately owned seats, and tonight, sitting behind us were several men in San Francisco on business, their first time at this ballpark. The folks in front of us were also corporate-types, more interested in talking business, paying attention only when Barry came to bat.

I don't mind the corporate ticket holders in the sense that they do help pay for my club (and for most baseball teams in general). But it does impact the general sense of fun in the stands with so many "general" fans as opposed to Giants or Cardinal fans in the stands.

At least no one was standing up in front of me on their cellphone waving to a friend out in the bleachers trying to find them with binoculars.

Randall, we took game 1.

More On Barry

I note on ESPN's Page 2 today, Patrick Hruby suggests that Barry's "real" homerun total is about 616 because of the juice. Purely arbitrary, of course. To my mind, however, one doesn't hit 500 or 600 or 700 homeruns in a career without some athletic ability. I’m sure the juice helped in some fashion, but Schadenfreude causes us to minimize the efforts of anyone who approaches the summit of Mount Olympus.

I was alive when Henry Aaron was chasing Babe Ruth and to hear people talk, you would have thought the apocalypse was imminent. Part of it, of course, had to do with Henry’s skin tone, but most of it, I think had to do with reality intruding on our picture of the idyllic past. Henry, played it just right and recognized his role in the drama.

Barry's problem is not the juice. It's his personality. For those of us who grew up wishing we could someday play major league ball, only to see our dreams dashed in little league or junior high, his attitude vexes us. He doesn't seem to have the reverence for the game which we have and wish all major leaguers had.

That's the difference between Barry and Mac/Sosa. The latter two saw themselves as part of something bigger and acted the part. They saved baseball because of it and that’s why people don’t complain about them the way they do about Barry.

Yet, Barry doesn't care; About the game or the fans.

In truth, I don’t begrudge him his taters or his attitude. We forget sometimes that our heros of yore were not saints. Ty Cobb was a mean, racist bastard. Most of the ball players of the twenties and thirties were philanderous drunks. We just choose to ignore those facts because of the passage of time.

We all need to face up to the fact that our idols in the Church of Baseball have feet of clay. We, the true believers, are responsible for maintaining the purity of the worship.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

P.S. Albert’s the real deal. I obviously can’t say for sure, but I doubt he’s cheating. Go Cards!

The Cloud

Forget the book and all you think you know. Let's go on the assumption that most people think Bonds is guilty because there is no way that anyone sets the single season home run hitting record without being on steroids. That being said, we paint McGwire with the same brush of suspicion and now, one has to wonder, if Pujols' attempt to break Bonds record doesn't also fall under this cloud of suspicion.

Pujols comes to San Francisco today with 21 home runs already this season and well on the pace to break Bonds single season record. Considering the rabid anger of non-partisan fans over Bonds this season, I wonder how long before Pujols also comes under the same cloud. There aren't many people "worthy" of breaking long held cherished records. Surely Bonds has proven not to be "worthy". But one wonders what Pujols credentials for being the new Poster Boy of Swat are? He might be wise to only break the record after having come close a couple of times. We wouldn't want anyone to suggest that his home run total of last year certainly didn't prepare him to hit 74 home runs this year. ;) And somebody better check those before and after pictures and maybe bulk up the former, just in case. We all know how telling those photos are. And the Cardinals would really do us all a big favor if they would just lock up all the local nosy reporters in the area, or make sure that Pujols never appears before a Secret Grand Jury where his testimony will Never Appear In Print Ever, We Promise.

(No, but seriously, just like McGwire and Sosa before Bonds, I'm rooting for Pujols. I hope that he doesn't hit any damaging homers against us the next three days. He could hit five or six and it wouldn't bother me at all so long as the Giants swept the series ;)

Jealousy

The official daughter has returned from her eighth grade class trip to Chicago. While there, she had the opportunity to watch the Cubs play the Nats at Wrigley Field during a day game.

I must remember the Tenth Commandment; I must remember the Tenth Commandment; I must remember . . .

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Honus Wagner To Albert Pujols

As if we all needed another diversion, behold:

The Oracle Of Baseball.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

The NL West

Okay - I'll admit to having jumped on the "woe is the NL West" bandwagon myself. But as I viewed the standings this morning, one huge difference jumped out at me:

Every team in the division is above .500.

Sure there's only a 3 game separation between 1st and last. But EVERY team - San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, Los Angeles and San Francisco - are above .500 (in LA and SF's case, only 1 game above).

Still...look at the other divisions. Chicago and Pittsburgh are hopeless in the NL Central. Washington and Florida are on life support in the NL East. Baltimore and Tampa Bay are once again at the bottom of the standings in the AL East. Cleveland, Minnesota and the terrible Royals are sub 500 in the AL Central. Both the Angels and Mariners are under .500 in the AL West, and the A's and Rangers are tied for 1st in the AL West, each only 1 game over .500 - which means they would be tied for LAST in the NL West.

Granted, we're nearly 2 months into the season, and it's still early, and the separation between 1st and last will grow over the next 4 months. But I daresay, there's pretty good ball being played out West. The Padres had won 9 straight, and are 7-3 over their last 10 games. Both the Dodgers and Giants have won 7 out of their last 10, including the three wins (with 34 runs the Giants scored) over the defending NL Champion Astros this week.

The West is winning.

For now.

Bread and Circuses

Have we reached the point where Sport is no longer about the competition, fairly played, and is now entirely about the spectacle? Have we become participants in that insanity?

I remember years ago, when I was much younger, going to a Dodger/Giants game with three friends - Andy, Greg, and Jay. For various reasons, Jay was sitting in a different section than us and we all agreed to meet after the game. During the game we witnessed numerous brawls, fights, beer tossings, and other insanity. It was not only distracting to the game, but it was just generally a terrible time at the park. After the game, we waited and waited and waited for my friend Jay to arrive. When he finally did arrive, he informed us that he'd been delayed because he'd gotten into a fight with a Dodger fan. We all thought how crazy it was to fight another human being over a game.

I am reminded of this situation because of the insanity that I am seeing in sports lately - on both sides. The alleged steroid abuse that was rampant in baseball by players who felt the need to get an edge in a game that really didn't need any extra excitement is one part of it. But the other part of it is the fan's reactions to sports stars. I remember at the end of the World Cup in 1994 when a member of the Columbian soccer team was killed after his team was eliminated in the first round. I thought that was insane. But just this last week, I've seen fans boo the Canadian national anthem at a Hockey Game (Uh, hello! The sport was invented there you numbskulls!) and last night's attempted assault on Barry Bonds was actually cheered by the crowd. Where did this blood lust come from?

When I coach T-Ball, I enjoy watching the kids hit the ball and run as fast as they can to first base. I enjoy the fact that they are more concerned with whether their parents see them make a play than whether anyone else cares. I enjoy the fact that these kids play because its fun. In fact, if it didn't interfere so horribly with their cartoon schedule, I'd say replace all major leaguers with 5 year olds and lets watch something really entertaining for a change. It'd be good for baseball. And it'd be good for the so-called fans.

DID YOU KNOW?

This is a feature dedicated to listing your "Did you know?"s in baseball. Over the course of our grand game's history, there have been many oddities, rarities and trivia gallore . Strictly for the historian, the purist, the stat junkie and the fantasy-league wannabes. Let the lists begin.....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you know Cy Young is the winningest pitcher in baseball history, with 511 wins. But did you also know he is the losingest pitcher, with 315 losses?

Sidenote: Did you also know that he also holds the record for the lamest real name? Yup - DENTON TRUE YOUNG.

Did you know that The Babe hit the first homer in All-Star history back in 1933? And yes, the A.L. won 4-2.

Did you know that Mickey Mantle, Ken Caminiti, and Eddie Murray share the all time record for most home runs from both sides of the plate in one game?

Did you know that the only team to ever have the best record in baseball in a season never made the post-season? The Cincinatti Reds did that in the strike-shortened season of 1981, never winning the division during the two halves of the season that year.

Did you know that on the 20th of September, 1981, the Yankees signed a Stanford University outfielder who hit .316 his previous season to a Minor League contract? That player's name? John Elway.

Did you know Jeff Bronkey is the first player from the Middle East to ever make it to the major leagues? He played for the Texas Rangers in 1993, and hailed out of Kabul, Afghanistan.


What's your Did You Know?

Hot Dogs and Fermented Hops

First things first, I don't condone such behavior as shown on this banner. In other words, I don't drink but I do love hotdogs. I just wanted to stir the pot of sauce that this blog is slowly simmering in by showing my new west coast friends this picture. Any comments???

All joking aside, if he did or he didn't, Who Cares? Barry is an over forty guy that can still hit a 98 mph fastball. Do you know how hard that has to be? I know that if I could step into the batters box and try, I would probably pee my pants and have to leave the game.

So, Barry Bonds, good on you! You've perservered and run the race. I think Babe would be proud. Oh yeah, and before I forget, there's this guy named A-Rod and a youngster named Albert in St. Louis that are gunning for you!!!!!!!!!!!!

Voices

Among my earliest memories of baseball were those Saturday morning (on the West Coast) games on NBC with the soothing sounds of Vin Scully on play by play with Joe Garagiola on color. I can recall seeing a Pirate/Red matchup in the late 70s with the "We Are Family" crew facing Tom Seaver and Pete Rose and Johnny Bench, in either the old Three Rivers or Riverfront Stadium on the carpet with the 5 circles.

I'm not nostalgic for the days of Astroturf.

But thinking back to those days makes me think about how fortunate I've been out west to hear some very good announcers. With the Giants, I recall listening to Hank Greenwald for many years, along with Lon Simmons for parts of the past several years. When Hank retired in the mid 90s, the mike was turned over to Jon Miller (formerly of the Orioles and still with ESPN's Sunday Night crew). Joe Morgan did great color work for the Giants until he stuck with his national gig, and the current crew including former Giant and Indian Duane Kuiper along with former Cub, Phillie and Giants pitcher Mike Krukow (who ironically came to the Giants from the Phillies in exchange for Joe Morgan) is quite solid.

When I'm in LA during this time of year, I make a point to listen to Dodger games on the radio - if only to hear Vin's voice. Or I'll watch a Dodger game on the tube, because Vin will be announcing a few innings on TV before heading over to the radio side.

We associate our teams (and our memories of games) with those who called them. The 1954 NL title would not be the same with Russ Hodges' dramatic call. Giants home runs take on a special value, it seems, when Lon Simmons announces it with his trademark, "Bye bye baby!"

So...I'm curious to hear about your memories and thoughts on your favorite announcers. The lines are open...

It's only May...

...But Colorado has a better record on the road than at home.

Everyone talks about how awful the NL West is, but no one seems to notice that the AL West is just as dreadful.

The Yankees are not the best team in NY right now.

Atlanta is 4 games under .500. Why do I think they'll be in the divisional race come September?

Cincinnati will be under .500 once again when September rolls around. And Junior Griffey will spend at least another stint on the DL in July.

Giants vs. Dodgers this weekend. Of COURSE Barry wasn't going to tie or pass the Babe against the Cubs. He'll hit 714 and 715 against LA pitching, just like #71, 72 and 73.

Are you listening Marcel?

Donny, sorry about Matsui.

The State of the Game

I read an interesting quote in the paper yesterday from a writer, Gay Tallese, who was in town promoting his non-baseball book. But when asked about San Francisco, somehow he drifted onto the subject of Bonds. He said something to the effect of; "Bonds is being paraded around the nation like a sacrificial lamb, being pilloried in each and every city he visits like a martyr before execution." This from a guy who didn't describe himself as a baseball fan and it matched exactly what I had been thinking about this situation - that it had gone far beyond simple contempt for someone that had allegedly broken the law and moved into outright theatrics. Of course, I don't blame Bonds so much as the game of Baseball itself which has been allowed to come to this situation.

There is no commissioner. Oh sure, Selig holds the title. But let's be realistic. Had there been a commissioner in baseball five years ago, none of this would have ever happened. Its not that it hasn't happened before, but before it was quietly taken care of behind the scenes. Baseball policed itself and never allowed the public in behind the scenes to make decisions in the court of public opinion. Baseball learned its lessons after the Black Sox Scandal and was forced to basically dismantle an entire World Series team in order to appease the public. I'm wondering if Bonds isn't the scapegoat for an entire generation of bad steroid policy.

So much of the reason this is being bandied about in the press is the fact that Baseball has become such a business. For a few glorious seasons after PacBell park opened in San Francisco, I thought how wonderful it was to have a new ball park and a great team. But when I went to the ball park this year, I was shocked to see that a 20 oz coca cola that I could buy for a buck at inflated 7-11 Convenience Store prices, cost a minimum of $4.50. Depending on the sale, you could almost buy a 12 Pack of Coke for that same price. Has anybody learned anything from the movie theaters and their declining sales? There are other options out there. People will move on to other things - cheaper things. Baseball, I fear, will soon become the last bastion of people who have been outpriced by the high cost of NBA hoops.

I am worried about this next collective bargaining agreement that is going through. The last strike nearly ended baseball for good. I'm not sure the sport could survive another strike. Everyone needs to get over the idea that $10 mil a season just isn't enough and start paying attention to the masses they allegedly play for.

All that being said, baseball is eternal. Every spring it is renewed. Every summer it becomes a part of long hot days and early evenings spent listening to the radio while we work in our yards, or just relax with a beer. Every fall, it becomes a classic again. I have always been a baseball fan, and as pessimistic as I seem to be getting lately, I think there is nothing that can destroy the love of the game for me. I'm even almost willing to allow the Dodgers to win occassionally, so long as baseball goes on (Just so long as you guys fire Jeff Kent, all will be right with the world again!).

Now, Play Ball!

Go Giants!

Will

And So It Begins

Your source for spirited discussions about the game we all love. We will reflect upon the season, talk smack about our rivals, and throw about stats galore.

So stand up and stretch. Look down on the field and sing it with us, off key and at the top of your lungs...

"Take me out to the ball game..."