The 7th Inning Stretch

A Compromise I'm Willing To Make!

2009-04-14T09:39:00.000-07:00

So here's my simple compromise vis a vis the Steroid Era...

I'm willing to throw Barry Bonds and all his records under the bus in exchange for the same thing being done to Mark McGuire and Jose Canseco in the 1989 World Series. You get no Barry! We get our World Series rings!

Sounds like a good trade to me! No Bonds For Rings! NO BONDS FOR RINGS! Has a nice ring to it, eh?

Pittsburg and Kansas City in the World Series 2009

2009-03-18T12:07:00.000-07:00

Just joking! Wanted to make a post on the blog to try and stir up some interest.!!!

The Boys of Summer are almost ready for opening day. Any predictions like:

Will Webb win the Cy Young this year?

Will the Giants make the playoffs?

Will the Yankees start selling their own version of branded steroids for kids?

Come on guys, it's time for predicitons.

The All Star Game is Rocky, Too!

2008-07-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

You remember at the end of Rocky II, Apollo and Rocky are evenly matched and it goes into the 15th round and at the very end, they both fall down and the umpire starts counting and Rocky barely stands up and wins the title - well, that was the All Star Game in a nutshell.

Call this the revenge of the game without an end. When Selig called off the "exhibition" All Star Game before a conclusion resulting in a tie (A TIE? THERE ARE NO TIES IN BASEBALL!), he angered a great many fans. As a result of that game, the following year he changed the rules so that the All Star Game would have meaning - he made home field advantage in the World Series the prize that the winning team received. Because of that, the game can no longer end in a tie.

Unfortunately, the game is still an exhibition. And fans who attend or watch on TV want to not only see their "league" win the game, but they want to see all the stars selected play. Which means that managers are inclined to use up their players at an alarming rate, substituting willy-nilly, during the regular nine innings so that everyone has a chance to play. If the game goes into extra innings, of course, then managers have to scramble to make sure they have a team on the field.

When I tuned in to last night's game, they were in the bottom of the 14th. The AL was using its last pitcher and he was on a strict pitch count, and the NL had only two pitchers, and one of them was in the game. Both pitchers that were pitching had just pitched on Sunday and they were dead tired. Furthermore, if neither team won soon, both managers were going to be out of pitchers to use.

The outcome was probably never really in doubt. Someone was going to win because somebody had to win. Just like Rocky II, it was the last team standing that got the victory. When a sacrifice fly was hit in the bottom of the 15th, the final throw to the plate was almost meaningless because anything even close was going to be called safe by the umpires. There was simply no other alternative. NL fans might be a tad upset, but they had just as many chances to win the game. In the end, however, the AL simply stood longer and thus won the title.

Now, maybe Selig will get his head out of that dark place and restore the game to its original purpose - drop the whole home field advantage stuff and change the All-Star voting back to only those people who actually attend games (sorry Japan, but if your players are good, they'll still be voted in). Otherwise, sooner or later, Apollo is going to enter the All-Star game dressed in the Red, White and Blue and singing James Brown. And that's a sight none of us want to see.

To Leave or Not To Leave

2008-05-19T09:41:00.000-07:00

Before this discussion even begins, I want to clarify that I was taught the proper respect for the game by my father - you leave the game after the last out and not a second sooner. So any opinion to the contrary is not as a result of improper upbringing and does not show deficient breeding - lest I tarnish the Robison name and the clan Gunn and its illustrious ties to baseball fandom forever.

That having been said, the question has been raised many times before by fans the world over - when is the proper time to leave the game. Out of sheer respect for the players, who must continue to battle until the final out no matter the outcome, it would seem that the short answer is the traditional answer - you leave after the final out. However, in this post-modern era of complicated schedules and rushed lives, is that model of fan behavior even realistic anymore.

I have been to three games this season and my average departure time has been the 7th inning stretch. The first game ran long and it was a school night - so we left early and were pleased with the ultimate outcome as the Giants won just about the time I got home. The second game - this last Monday - the Giants managed to allow the Astros back into the game, and ultimately to take the lead, before I left. The Astros eventually beat the Giants 7-4, but I was already home before that happened. To be fair, the game had come out of nowhere and I had not really scheduled for it - so any innings of the game that I saw were technically extra innings as far as my viewing schedule was concerned. Yesterday, the Giants and White Sox were battling one another in a game that was sloppy and ugly. After the Giants battled back to a 6-6 tie in the bottom of the 7th, they promptly gave up three runs in the top of the eighth and we decided to leave. Before we reached the car, the Giants got two runs back in the bottom of the eighth to make it 9-8. But by the time we were in the car and had got the radio on, the White Sox had increased their lead to 13-8, which also turned out to be the final score. Though if you were to ask me, the outcome was never in doubt after the White Sox took the 9-6 lead.

We've all been surprised by dramatic comebacks. We've all seen upsets. We've all watched the tide turn and momentum change. But for some reason, it just happens less in baseball than other sports. There are games you go to where the odds of scoring one or two runs to make a comeback seem as long as a basketball team from Somalia making up a 40 point first half deficit against the Dream Team. Not insurmountable. Not impossible. But definitely improbable - to the extreme.

But should the decision of whether to leave or not to leave be based entirely on your team's chances to win? Should weather be factored in? Should schedule have any factor in the decision? Or should a die hard fan remain intact at a game until the players trot off the field for the last time?

My actions say one thing. My heart says something else. Not all that different from the struggles in my Christian faith. Sometimes remaining faithful to the things we love can be hard in the face of our struggles with daily life. I hope for a day when I no longer have anything better to do than watch my team and support them with my presence and my prayers until the outcome is complete and the best team has won.

The Worst Promo Night I've Attended

2008-05-08T05:34:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of Will's awesome post about the upcoming light bulb promo night, I thought I would share my story of the worst promo night I've attended. It was the Reds-Giants game on August 1, 1991 in Cincinnati.

My buddy Chris and I met up with my Black Sheep of the family uncle at the park and went through the gate. It just so happened to be GEORGE FOSTER NIGHT and all 30,000 fans were handed a 18"x24" poster of George suitable for framing. We got to our seats in the second tier and that's when we started drinking. Then the game started...

I knew it was going to be a long night because Will Clark cranked one out in the first inning. Then, it seemed like every inning, the Giants would get a run or two and by the seventh inning stretch, it was 5-0.

During the stretch, they marched about 200 guys out onto the field thathad just joined the military so they could take their oath. And that's when I saw the first UFO. It was a finely crafted paper airplane, that looked strangely like George Foster, and it came lofting down from the Upper Deck and slammed into the field. I remember saying, as I stared at the scene and heard the crowd cheer for the plane, "Why would someone do that?" As I said this, I turned to my Uncle Richard just in time to see him put the finishing touches on his airplane and launch it. Richard's only fell to the section below us, but he was so drunk that it really didn't matter. And we all laughed.

As you can imagine,with the combination of beer, a George Foster poster, and a 5-0 score, the airshow was on! For the next two innings, there was a nonstop onslaught of airplanes. Most would just fall to the crowd below, but several made it onto the field. One in fact, made it all the way to second base! When that happened, Riverfront stadium erupted in cheers and I think even Barry Larkin smiled as he retrieved it from the base paths.

As you can see, even something as simple as a free poster can go terribly wrong. But then again, it gave us something to cheer for.

Worst Promo EVER

2008-05-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, in the history of sports rivalries there are few that are more intense than that between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I can remember many a game where fights broke out in the stands, beer was dumped on players heads, etc... I try to avoid going to games between these two teams because of the intense rivalry and the large amount of yahoos who go to the game to get liquored up and pick fights.

With that in mind, what the hell are they thinking?

July 17th, 2008 at AT&T Park, Giants vs. Dodgers, and it's PG&E Solar Day at the park. The first 20,000 fans will receive a free CFL light bulb. Never mind the aforementioned facts, let's just consider the idea on its own merits. Where the hell are 20,000 people going to put their CFL light bulbs while they are trying to watch a baseball game? How are they going to wear a glove, hold a hot dog, and also manage their fluorescent glass tubed light bulb? Already a bad idea.

Now add in the element of this rivalry and you can see the large bloodbath that will surely ensue. You heard it here first, folks, Will the Prognosticator is calling ahead to say that this will go down in the history of history as the worst promo EVER!

(So long as the Dodgers lose, however, the game will be considered a success.)

Your Pay vs. Zito's Pay

2008-04-29T10:05:00.001-07:00

Check out this calculator, courtesy of the San Francisco Chronicle. Compare your pay vs. Barry Zito's pay and what you can buy with your money versus what Barry can buy with his $126 million salary over 7 years.

Naturally, this is painful for me to write being a Giants fan, since he is now the highest paid long reliever in baseball.

Check it out.

Fan Stats Part 1

2008-04-11T13:23:00.001-07:00

As the 7th Inning Stretch Deputy Commissioner of Baseball Statistics, I am hereby imposing the use of Fan Statistics to determine any fans net worth to a baseball team. So from now on, I expect you all to list your most relevant stat next to your name when commenting or posting. You may choose from the following list of relevant Fan Statistical Categories:

R.P.G. (Record Per Game) - This, the most straightforward of stats, is the Record Per Game stat, also known as your win/loss record while attending games. Currently, I have been to one game and my RPG is 1-0. There is also an RPG Percentage for those truly into mathematics, and my current RPG% is 1.000.

W.A.G. (Wins After Game) - This is a more relevant stat to your fandom ability. This statistic measures the number of wins your team has after you attend a game - kind of like the Yards After Catch statistic for wide receivers. It is measured by the total number of wins your team scores after attendance (until the next loss, of course) divided by the total number of games attended to create an average W.A.G. score. Currently, the Giants have won two games in a row after my visit. This creates a WAG score of 2.00 (2 games divided by 1 visit). If they win again tonight, my WAG score would increase to 3.00.

R.P.V. (Record Per Viewing) - This is the same as your R.P.G. except that it measures your Television viewing record. For the true fan, partial viewings, like partial attended games, count towards your total record. I have not actually seen any games on TV this season (except the last half inning of the one I attended) so my R.P.V. would be the same as my R.P.G..

W.A.V. (Wins after Viewing) - same as W.A.G. except again it refers to Television viewing.

R.P.L. (Record Per Listen) - This can be a brutal category for most since most fans will listen to the radio portion of some game pretty much every game of the season, and so, often their R.P.L. will match the team's record perfectly. This pretty much makes this a meaningless statistic. But if you happen to only listen to the radio when your team wins, then its a good stat to have.

W.A.L. (Wins after Listen) - again, pretty meaningless, unless you happen to only listen to games at the start of long win streaks.

That's it for now. Once again, please include your most relevant fan stat after your name when commenting here.

Next Time we'll tackle important Fan Stats like R.S.B (Runs Scored while in Bathroom) and R.P.G.F. (Runs Per Garlic Fry order).

Until then, keep those fan stats recorded.

Will (2.00 WAG) Robison

The Rally Malt

2008-04-10T10:04:00.002-07:00

Many "fans" hated Candlestick Park because it was cold, damp, and seriously hardcore. But there was a certain breed of people that absolutely loved Candlestick - a hardy stock known as Giant's Fans. Basically, no matter how much you claimed to love the Giants, if you didn't love the Stick, you weren't a real fan.

Which isn't to take away anything from the new crown jewel of all baseball stadiums - Pacbell/SBC/AT&T/TELCOMDLESTICK Park at Willie Mays Plaza. This stadium is comfortable, easy to access, and has provided some thrilling moments in its 8 year history. Its just not Candlestick. There's no separating the wheat from the chaff. It just sort of clumps together in an unsightly mess. And as a result, you get people watching games while working on their laptops. And yahoos standing up every ten seconds to wave to their cell buddies across the park while talking on the phone. There are no hardcore fans at this park unless you talk about the guys who go all game without eating a single garlic fry in what has to be pure Guantanamo type torture.

I was reminded of all this the other night as Andy invited me to come along in place of his wife to watch the Giants Opening Night game. For a change, the park was frigid. Seriously, if someone had thrown a beer at a Dodger Fan it would have frozen in mid-air. People were dressed in layers like tiny Nanooks and blankets were everywhere. It was gloriously cold and, except for the wind, deliciously Stick-like. Andy and I both opined that the crowd had a decidedly old school feel to it as all the Yup's were probably at home with their Starbuck's Lattes and stairmasters watching the game on TV. Only true fans stuck it out against that cold.

Of course, there's a limit. And after 8 years of soft comfort and too many incredibly scrumptious brats with grilled onions, I have to admit to having lost a certain edge in my tough Stick loving nature. When it was starting to look bad for the Giants, I suggested to Andy that, just like in the frigid days of Candlestick, it was time for our 9th Inning Frozen Chocolate Rally Malt, he simply declined, and I didn't press the issue. Something about frozen ice cream on a frozen night had lost its appeal in the previous 8 years. The Padres ended up tying the game in the 9th and after the Gigantes failed to win the game in the bottom of the 9th, we actually left the park for warmer climes. (The Giants did end up winning in the 11th, but only the true die-hards were there to see it - the rest of us had kids to put to bed and work to go to in the morning. I lament the loss of my baseball innocence.)

Either way, the first game of this new season that I attended, was the best experience I've had in years. There were no big stars hogging the limelight. There was no talk of contracts or labor issues or off-the-field legal troubles. It was just baseball, frigid cold, and good times - like the old days.

But Andy had better be on notice - next time we're getting the Rally Malt!

The Early Returns

2008-04-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

So guys...3 days in and what do we have? A new ballpark in DC, the smallest crowd in Camden Yards history (which was tonight), a decimated Angels pitching staff (Kelvim is out for the season), an overseas opener (ghastly), A-Rod's first homerun, and a dud of a Giants/Dodgers rivalry.

But who cares?

The grand ol' game is back, and I am LOVING it.

It is Time

2008-03-23T23:06:00.000-07:00

Okay guys...the season begins in..gasp...Tokyo...this week, so it is about time that we put our season's predictions in place.

So you've got a couple of options:

1) Post your picks here.

Or

2) Post your picks over at your personal blogs.

I plan to publish my picks over at The Beach this week. Who's game?

Back to Real Baseball

2007-11-13T15:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, let's reboot. No more talking about the former Left Fielder for My San Francisco Giants. Let's talk about baseball as if it really mattered.

So, where's A-Rod going to go? And for how much? Boras (emphasis on the last syllable - always) is trying the old collusion card to guarantee his boy a large contract. I think all of the baseball owners should have to play an A-ROD luxury tax and give it to like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to sign this guy and then have him sit on the bench for three years or until he dumps Boras as his agent. I think that might make the point about the whole collusion thing.

So, beyond the seamy side of Baseball, what player do you hope your team signs in the off-season? What are your hopes for next season?

Let's get this new off-season started off right, shall we?!

Somebody Else's Problem

2007-09-24T11:34:00.001-07:00

The first time I saw Barry Bonds play was in the home opener of the 1993 season at Candlestick. I'd heard so many bad things about the guy. The press clearly hated him. But when he came to the plate, you could feel the anticipation in the stadium. It was as palpable as the fog on a Monday night game. And fwack! He hit a homerun in his first at-bat at home. He did that a lot. Saving his most memorable swats for home games. Is it any wonder that Giants fans are so rabid about the guy?

Well, he's somebody else's problem now. Who can deny that he's been a distraction? Who can deny that baseball in San Francisco has become the Barry Bonds show? I love the baseball player that Barry Bonds was, is, and might still become - but the guy? Whether he did or didn't do steroids is almost not the issue - whether he pissed off the media, is not really the issue either. Even though he can be personable to Giants fans and a great community person, that's not the issue at all. Its what he's meant for the Giants as a team that is the issue. And in that case, he's over stayed his welcome by about three years.

Oh sure, there was the record, and all those homeruns. But as self-serving as that became, it really started to lose its luster around 715 homeruns. Not because the media intensity increased, and not because of the questions surrounding the validity of the record, merely because baseball became the sideshow here in San Francisco.

When I found out Barry was leaving, I discovered that I was actually relieved. And then I started to remember what Baseball had been like in San Francisco years ago - when I used to enjoy talking about things like the bullpen, and the new rookie at third base, and what our chances were like against the Dodgers. But somewhere along the way those questions morphed into, Do you think Barry will break the record this year? Will he make it to the end of the season before he's indicted? Should we resign him next season? Those questions have all been answered now. I'm looking forward to asking new questions about new players. I'm really looking forward to life post-Barry Bonds.

He'll always be a hall of famer to me. He'll always be one of the greatest to ever play the game. But, quite frankly, I'm glad he's somebody else's problem now. The Giants need to move on.

A RECORD IS BROKEN

2007-08-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

WOW! A-Rod set the record for the fastest person to ever hit 500 home runs. Finally someone has set a record this year!!!!

Anymore that anyone knows of?

Is anyone alive in SanFran?

My Top Five Baseball Moments - Number Three

2007-07-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

Baseball Trip 2000! That's what I was calling it. I had been wanting to visit other parks for a long, long time, but had never really managed to get around it. I asked my Dad to create an itinerary for me so that I could tweak it and find a really good baseball trip, but when he presented me with the itinerary, I couldn't change a single thing. It was a beautiful trip.

We went to PACBELL park on a Friday night and watched the Giants play, but left about the 7th inning to catch our flight to Chicago (the red eye). It was my first trip to Chicago since I had flown through O'Hare while in the Navy and really the first trip where I would ever see more than just the environs around O'Hare. We spent three days in Chicago, but alas, the Cubbies were not in town and we didn't really know our way around enough to visit Comiskey. So, after three days we left Chicago and drove to Detroit for an overnight stay.

In Detroit, the hotel manager found out about our baseball trip and asked if we had tickets for the Tigers game that night. We said that the tickets online had been sold out for months. As it turned out, the place was practically empty. We took a cab over to the park and walked right in with excellent lower box seats right by first base. Good food, good times, funky new ballpark.

The next day we left Detroit and the United States and drove to Toronto. I had tickets for the Blue Jays in the SkyDome for the second night of our stay. We were both feeling a little under the weather by then, but we went to the game anyway. When we arrived, the dome was open and we had a gorgeous view of the giant CN Tower above us (we went up it the next day and could see all the way to Niagara Falls from the top). About the second inning, though, they closed the dome. It was cool. Stadium looked, felt, and played like a warehouse however. Definitely not baseball. Still I really enjoyed my time in Toronto. I wish I had a reason to go back.

After Toronto we traveled further north to Montreal. The Expos were still there though I think that was the first season they experimented with playing some games in Puerto Rico. We did take the Olympic Stadium tour, however, and walked out on the turf all the way to second place. Since the roof of the enclosed stadium had never been opened (the mechanism had failed before they'd ever opened it) the place smelled like a men's locker room that hadn't been aired out in 30 years. Definitely glad I didn't have to watch home games there. I'm also glad that they moved the team since that stadium really sucked.

After that we headed south, and on our way to Syracuse, we stopped at Cooperstown. If you've never been, you have no right to change your name to Mohammed. Seriously, this place is the Mecca of Baseball. A pilgrimmage is required for all real baseball fans.

We wasted our next two days in Syracuse, Rochester, and Niagara Falls, before arriving in another one of those overnight stopover places - Cleveland - on our way back to Chicago. But this is where my Number Three Baseball Moment begins.

We arrived in Cleveland at the tail end of a long trip. We were tired. We were baseballed out. We were about ready to head home. And Dave broke the trunk on the rental car (long story involving normal brotherly squabbling... but funny, I guess). We were able to drive out to the Cleveland airport and exchange cars, no real problem.

The next day, we got up and went to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame - it was a block and a half away. Not expecting much there, I was actually blown away about how cool that place was. It put me into a good mood all day. Later, as we returned to our hotel, we found out that not only were the Indians in town that night, but they were facing a Boston Red Sox team with Pedro Martinez pitching at the height of his success.

We were bitten once more with the baseball bug and we decided to head up to the stadium to see if we could get some tickets. We found a scalper outside the stadium who was disappointed to sell us Bleacher tickets (we really wanted to sit in the bleachers with the "real" fans). Then we went into the stadium and just goggled. I may be extremely partial to PACBELL Park, but I have to say that Jacob's Field would be my second choice as favorite stadium. We had excellent hot dogs, excellent beers. We bought hats and jackets and scorecards. Damn it! We were the perfect Indians tourists. But the stadium and the team and the city just gave off that vibe.

We made our way out into the bleachers. It was mid September (Labor Day was two weeks behind us) and the season was coming to an end - both the Summer season and the Baseball season. There was a fine mist over the stadium and nobody moved. People filled the stands with excitement and energy. When the game finally started, we could sense a vibe that I have rarely felt in San Francisco - everyone was in to the game. There were no yahoos talking on cell phones, reading the paper, or tapping away on their laptops. These were baseball fans and they were there to watch a baseball game. And not only that, they actually seemed to understand what they were watching. When the perfect game was finally broken up in the fourth inning by a walk from Pedro, the crowd erupted in a huge cheer. They understood that Pedro's bid had just ended and they didn't need anyone prompting them to cheer or root for their team.

However, it was the end of our trip and the fine mist had turned into a light, but steady, downpour. Dave and I were both ready to head home. We waited until the end of the Fifth inning, and then we slowly walked back to our hotel (about ten blocks away). It had been a brief experience, but a memorable one. To this day, my Cleveland hat is still one of my favorites because to me it represents true fandom.

Our trip ended a few days later as we passed back through Chicago and then flew home. It had been a great experience and I hope to do it again someday.

My Top Five Baseball Moments - Number Four

2007-07-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

This is the quintessential Candlestick trip from the 1990's. But first a little (okay, a lot) backstory...

As many of you may remember, in 1992 it was announced that the Giants had been bought by an ownership group in Tampa Bay and that they would move in to Tropicana Field for the 1993 season. Many Giants fans, myself included, were distraught. But, lo and behold, San Francisco fought back. They formed an ownership group led by Peter Magowan of Safeway and they challenged baseball to refuse the sale to Tampa Bay and let the San Francisco group buy the team. Baseball stepped up and the owners (including those dudes down south who's name gets trashed here rather regularly - we still owe you one) denied the sale and move to Tampa Bay and Peter Magowan, etc... found themselves owners of the San Francisco Giants.

The first thing they did was sign a left fielder from Pittsburgh by the name of Barry Bonds. As far as Giants fans were concerned, that was just a bonus. The fact was, our team was saved. In 1993 with Bonds and new skipper Dusty Baker, the Giants took off and won 103 games (ultimately losing out of the playoffs by 1 game to the Braves in the very last year without expansion and the wild card). The next year was the strike shortened year of 1994 (and who remembers that Matt Williams was on pace to break Maris's record back then before the strike ended his attempt). As I recall, 1995 was a very bad year for the team, but Magowan was already looking ahead. The announcement of a new stadium to be built downtown was greeted with great enthusiasm. We'd gone in just a few years from nearly losing our team to getting a verifiable super star and a new stadium. We were in 7th Heaven.

But Candlestick still held the Giants all the way through the 1999 season. And during that final stretch their were games that were, shall we say it, poorly attended. Talkshow Host always used to say that the worst draw in Bay Area Sports was a Monday Night game at Candlestick against the woeful Montreal Expos.

In 1995, Magowan started to make some changes to the 'Stick to put some butts in the seats. He added a new concession area and more food options. He removed the bleecher section and added a new bleecher section that literally was right on top of the action (the left field Bonds Squad). And a year later, in 1996, he added a Right Field Bleacher section as well. Andy and I were there on the first day of the Right Field Bleachers and as we sat there, Peter Magowan himself came out to the new bleecher section to see them for himself. He asked Andy and I to sit in front of him so that he could check out the leg room. We were only too happy to comply (and get an autograph as well ;).

Okay, compared to all the backstory, my actual moment isn't nearly so awe inspiring. It was 1997, early in the season, and on a Monday night, Montreal was in town. My friend Jay had yet to try out the right field bleachers, so I suggested going to the Stick early and getting some bleacher seats and watching batting practice.

We got there early, but the Giants BP was already over. However, the Expos were taking BP just as we sat down in the right field bleachers - all by ourselves. We leaned over the fence and started jawwing good naturedly with the guys catching shag flies out in deep right/center field and then... WHABOOM! A baseball landed two feet away in the bleachers, right next to us. In my entire life, I'd never gotten a free baseball at a ballgame. I'd come close before on Opening Day, 1993, but I'd never actually got a ball. It was BP, so it probably didn't count, but I was ecstatic anyway. I picked up the ball and my friend Jay was jealous for all of about two minutes. FWABOOM! The second ball caroomed off the right field bleacher seats about ten feet away. Jay ran over and picked up his own souvenir.

I was waiting for the fans in the other bleacher sections to come join us... but nobody did. Another ball landed in the bleachers and we scooped it up. It was an embarrasment of riches. THEN the guys shagging balls got into the act. They started tossing every ball that came their way up to us. By the time BP was over we had 8 balls between us. And only then did another fan finally show up in the right field bleachers.

I kept some and gave some to kids who'd never had a ball before. I have no idea who hit any of them, and I really didn't care. As for the game, it was a tight 1-1 affair that ended up in extra innings. In the end, only Jay and I were left in the Right Field Bleachers and we turned our caps around for rally time and used our mojo and magic to will the Giants to a 2-1 victory in the 11th Inning. We went home completely happy and satisfied.

I can honestly say that I've never had a more fulfilling complete game experience at a baseball game. It was just one of those games that sticks with you despite the fact that nothing really extraordinary happened. But on a cold lonely Monday night at the Stick, I had the fourth best baseball moment of my life.

My Top Five Baseball Moments - Number Five

2007-07-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

These lazy days of summer when I enjoy just sitting in the stands with a dog and a beer and watching baseball - doesn't really matter who is playing - makes me think of my long life with baseball, starting from when I was a kid and going all the way to now when I am a much older kid. Watching the T-Ball kids run the bases with baseball legends looking on and hearing things like Andy's son saying that it was the best day of his life reminds me of all the wonderful things baseball has done for me over the years. I decided that in this uncertain time for sports where allegations of criminal activites seem to be surfacing about different stars every day, that it might be nice instead to dwell on the things that attracted us to the sport in the first place.

So here is my Number Five greatest Baseball moment in the countdown of my top five...

The competition for the five spot was rather exciting since there are many great, great moments from my life, but I decided ultimately to be completely representative and include at least one where I wasn't just a participant but an active competitor. The runner up to this story might very well be the time when video game baseball first came out and my Dad and I plugged about $20 in quarters into a machine in Las Vegas so that we could play a full 9 innings of head to head video game baseball, but that's not real athletic so I'll skip directly to my story.

It was my senior year in High School and though at the time I didn't realize it, I was somewhat of a jock. (To be fair, nerds and geeks never get labelled jocks even if they have more athletic accomplishments than most other jocks). As the end of the school year approached, my swimming coach/cross country coach decided to have a picnic for the athletes on his teams. We gathered after school outside the gym and ate hot dogs and hamburgers and what not while I made the rounds and spoke to all the members of the two teams. I was one of those guys that had friends in all strata of school hierarchies.

After eating about five hot dogs (I was skinnier than a rail back then) my coach suggested that we get a game of baseball going and selected me and one of the jocks as coaches. Now, while I did have more athletic points and higher accomplishments than any of the jocks on the team, I was considered an outsider by them. Basically, we got along, but we didn't like each other. So when it came time to pick teams, it was about four or five picks in before we both realized that the jock team was loaded with athletic talent and the geek team was not. I had naturally taken all the people I liked (the girls, the lesser athletes, the people who were nice, not good at sports, per se) and the jock captain had done the same - selecting all of the top athletes in the school. After that, I purposefully selected all those players that I knew the jocks would never select and he purposefully selected only the athletes. On paper, and in most opinions, we were going to get crushed. The jocks even appealed to our Swim coach to re-do the selections to make the teams more fair. But before he answered, I said, boldly, "I don't want any other team. I like the team I have. And, we're going to win." My Swim coach looked doubtful but he agreed not to interfere.

My team was a little less than enthusiastic. In fact, according to them we were going to be completely destroyed by the jock team. Half the guys on their side had actually played for the high school baseball team. But I told them not to worry, to have fun, and to just play to the best of their ability.

To make a long story short, we absolutely crushed the jock team. We had nothing to play for. Our pride wasn't on the line. We weren't expected to win. So we just relaxed, hit, ran, caught, pitched like it was a pick up game of baseball at an after school picnic. They, on the other hand, had to prove that they were better than us - being the athletes and all - and as we started to dominate them, they fell apart and started ripping on each other and each tried to become the star of the game. The I's got crushed by the We's. The final score was something like 16-4. I don't think we hit a single homerun. I'm fairly certain that every hit was a single. In one inning, we batted around twice.

I always remember this whenever anyone says, "That's why we play the game." There is more to the game of baseball than raw talent. Like golf, there is a humbleness that must be maintained for a player to reach the lofty and truly great heights of a superstar. As Jordan's commercial so eloquently pointed out, we fail more often that we succeed - but we keeping coming back for more. On this particular day, David beat Goliath because David was confident and loose. Almost 20 years later, that same combination of confidence and looseness finally brought a world series title to Boston after a long drought.

Baseball might not be everyone's life, but it is mine. Its ebb and flow marks my seasons and its highs and lows form my backdrop. If there is a more perfect game, I have yet to find it.

In Rod We Trusted...

2007-06-25T10:28:00.001-07:00

It was the 9th inning of a tight game between the Giants and the Marlins in Florida. The Giants were up by a run and had brought in their closer, Rod Beck, to help preserve the victory. It was 1993 and the Giants were in a dogfight pennant race with the Braves where every game counted down the stretch. Beck had been banged up - had blown a couple of saves in the previous week. There was some concern that he might be too banged up to finish the season.

After striking out the first batter, the next Marlin singled solidly and Giants fans everywhere groaned inwardly. Would this be the start of another blown save? The next Marlin up was a feared power hitter. Beck looked in, let his arm dangle, and then blew a fastball right by the batter. A collective sigh of relief, Beck was doing okay. He'd strike this guy out and...

CRACK!

The next pitch came in a little too fat. The Marlin jumped all over it. It sailed far and deep into the night - easily the farthest hit ball of the night - and as it disappeared into the gloom of the darkness of the stadium only one thing kept the Giants fans from committing mass suicide... it had been foul.

Beck got the next pitch down and the batter drove it into an inning ending double play and the Giants got off the field and Beck had another save.

What sticks in my mind about this particular play on this particular night is not that Rod Beck was pitching, or that he was particularly dominant. We all loved Rod Beck. He was old school. He was tough, intimidating, and he just kept coming after batters like the Terminator. But he wasn't especially gifted as a pitcher. He just exuded attitude. He had the look and the feel of a closer - often an overlooked element in what make a closer so intimidating. Even with his crappy stuff working, 9/10ths of his job as closer was to make the batter feel that it was going to be REALLY hard to get a hit off this guy. That was the feeling Beck gave out. It wasn't the pitching so much as it was the attitude. What sticks out in my mind about this particular night was the attitude Rod Beck displayed about being the Giants closer.

When asked in the post game conference what Rod Beck had thought about the 0-1 pitch that had ended up deep in the bleachers, barely foul, he replied, "Strike Two".

Rod, we will miss you. You died too young at 38 this weekend.

Our prayers for your family and friends as they go through these troubling times.

For Whom To Root?

2007-06-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

This weekend provides us with the first opportunity since 1912 to see the Giants and Red Sox play each other. I grew up a Giants fan and have rooted for them all my life. However, the only professional team I have ever worked for has been the Red Sox - albeit on the lowest possible level (T-Ball ;). In my inner heart there is a struggle to decide which team is more deserving of my loyalty.

On the one hand, the Red Sox have been playing fairly decent baseball - sliding off a little in recent weeks after an incredibly hot start. But the dreaded Yankees are now coming on strong behind them and if I want my Red Sox to continue to do well, it might be good to have them beat up on the Giants. I have the jersey and the hat to wear and Fenway is an American classic.

On the other hand, I am now and always shall be a Giants fan. They are the team that I grew up with and have died with on many, many occassions. I sat through fog soaked nights with them where I couldn't see the field. I ate chocolate malts in 40 minus degrees whether to help start a 9th Inning rally. I stayed all the way through a Monday night extra innings game against Montreal that ended 2-1 in the 14th. I was there for the final game at Candlestick and for the first game at PACBELL. I stopped collecting autographs when all my favorite players and managers were being traded after I'd got them to sign something. I have pleaded, cajoled, wheedled, and otherwise browbeaten God again and again and again to let my home town nine win just one more game, just one more series, just one more playoff, just four more outs! I guess I've become invested in their success.

I can't decide. I like the Red Sox, but I love the Giants. It'll be hard for me to decide which way to root. But I think ultimately, I'll probably default to the Giants. Either way, this is bound to make for one hell of a good series!

Has Free Agency Made The Playoffs Obsolete?

2007-05-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

There should be little surprise that the NBA Playoffs - the pinnacle of the Basketball year according to the NBA - is drawing less viewers than Professional Wrestling. I mean, honestly, who cares? Its the same old teams as last year and there are no players that anybody could care less about. Besides, whether we watch or not, these players will, with any financial sense in their bodies at all, be set for life. Our watching will not change that, and quite frankly, we all have more important things to do.

Such an attitude can't be far behind for Baseball and Football. It already infects NBA Basketball and NHL Hockey. The fact of the matter is, from year to year, a team changes its stripes so often that there is little reason to root for your home team anymore, and even less reason to root for a sport in general. The money that is thrown around these sports puts the athletes in the unenviable position of having to defend such huge salaries for what is, in essence, a child's game. For the Michael Jordan's of the game, this is pretty easy to do. For the rest of the athletes, its a no-win situation. Add any sort of negative press to an already troubled sport, and the viewers begin to turn away in droves.

But, at least, during the regular season fans can watch their team's struggles and triumphs and hope that their team makes the playoffs. As the team's chances diminish, so do the crowds. As soon as the team is eliminated, so are the fans. 32 Sports teams fans become 16 become 8 become 4 become 2 (and the occassional event fan who watches the finals because they're the finals). By the time a championship game comes around, there might be almost nobody watching the sport.

In sports like Wrestling and NASCAR, each and every contest can produce a winner that was different than the previous week. There are no heroes who stay heroes and no villains who stay villains. Fans are encouraged to adopt a single competitor as their athlete. And they live and die by that athlete, knowing full well that next week the outcome might be completely different.

If we can't have true team sports - where a team remains constant from year to year to year, and we can't have a true athlete sport - where the athletes are the source of our hero worship, then we are stuck with some sort of inbetween compromise where we root for our team until they suck, and then we move on to another sport until next year.

For big time pro-sports, its all about the product they put on the field... but its also about our connecting to that product. Any obstacle that gets in the way of our connection ought to be removed or restricted.

Its time Baseball did something about its free agency problem. Its time Baseball put the Genie back in the bottle.

Bob L. Head

2007-05-17T06:39:00.000-07:00

Check out this story at ESPN regarding an upcoming giveaway by the minor league Portland Beavers. Clever, creative, and unique. Bob L. Head's of the world...unite!

New Toys

2007-05-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

More widget fun - note the new scoreboard in the sidebar - click on the menu to get MLB scores and today's action, in addition to NHL and NBA playoff scores...

We here at The 7th Inning Stretch are here for the fans and by the fans...

According to the polls...

2007-05-08T11:22:00.000-07:00

75% of all Americans are sick and tired of hearing about steroids.
69% think that the constant coverage of star athletes and their alleged problems suck all the fun out of sports.
91% could care less whether Bonds breaks the home run record so long as the media stops harping on it and reminding everyone that he is the all time worst human being ever because he allegedly took steroids and that makes him a cheat and a liar and someone ought to send in the army and remove him from power (WMD's or no!).
5% of all Americans are stuck watching teams like the Devil Rays.
51% of all Americans elected George W. Bush despite evidence that he was a really lousy President.
85% believe that we ought to have a real commissioner.
100% of all real San Franciscan's hate the Dodgers.
115% of all real Bostonians hate the Yankees (some dead were reanimated for this poll).
99% of all Cubs fans agree that their team has no chance, but hope otherwise.
83% of all Braves fans are convinced that their team in the playoffs is a natural occurrance like rain falling.
21% of "fans" get their opinions on sports topics from polls like this one.
69% of NASCAR fans would rather be watching baseball... the way it used to be played.

All poll findings were done "scientifically" in much the same way ESPN conducts their "scientific" polls.

A short comment on this early season...

2007-04-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

How does Pujols not score on a suicide squeeze in the 12th inning of a game when the catcher drops the ball? I didn't see the game, I was listening on the radio, so I can't comment directly, but is it possible Pujols was intimidated by the Giants catcher? I'm guessing he didn't really want to run the squeeze in the first place. He was just following orders.

Oh well... the Giants win!

Number 42

2007-04-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Sixty years ago, MLB broke the color barrier when number 42 stepped onto the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Jackie Robinson made history as the first African-American ballplayer in Major League Baseball (yes, we could discuss the Negro Leagues at length, but I'm not headed in that direction today).

This weekend MLB will be celebrating that anniversary, and players from teams throughout MLB will wear, for one game, the number 42...which as most of you know, has been universally retired throughout the game (unless an active player still was wearing the number, as in the case of Mariano Rivera of the Yankees). You can see the list of players, coaches and managers who will be wearing the number here.

So as we head into this second weekend of the baseball season...here's to you, Mr. Robinson.

Please rearrange me when I'm sane...

2007-03-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

My 2007 Predictions
or
You Will Mock Me!

American League East:
1. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
2. Boston Red Sox
3. New York Yankees
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Baltimore Orioles

American League Central:
1. Cleveland Indians
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Kansas City Royals

American League West:
1. Oakland A's
2. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
3. Texas Rangers
4. Seattle Mariners

National League East:
1. Washington Nationals
2. New York Mets
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Florida Marlins
5. Atlanta Braves

National League Central:
1. St. Louis Cardinals
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Cincinnati Reds
4. Houston Astros
5. Milwaukee Brewers
6. Pittsburgh Pirates

National League West:
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Diego Padres
3. San Francisco Giants
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. Colorado Rockies

AL Wild Card:
Detroit Tigers

NL Wild Card:
San Diego Padres

All Star Game:
National League over American League

ALDS:
Cleveland over A's, 5 games
Tampa Bay over Detroit, 3 games

NLDS:
LA over Cardinals, 5 games
Nationals over Padres, 3 games

FINAL FOUR

ALCS:
Cleveland (Ohio St.) over Tampa Bay (Florida), 6 games

NLCS:
Nationals (Georgetown) over Dodgers (UCLA), 4 games

World Series
Cleveland over Nationals, 6 games

(By the way, baseball doesn't start until after the NCAA Final Four, in case you haven't guessed by my picks ;)

Prognostications

2007-03-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's time guys. Let's have it out...beginning today and through Sunday, let's post our season predictions.

Things to include:

Division winners.
Wild Card winners
All Star Game winner (to determine WS home field advantage)
Division Series matchups and winners
League Championship Series matchups and winners
World Series matchups and winner, including number of games it will take to win.

Then we shall mock each other's picks mercilessly.

Fantasy Baseball

2007-03-01T23:37:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year.

The smell of the freshly cut grass. The aroma of the grilled hot dogs laden with sauerkraut and onions. The sound of the vendors yelling "Peanuts! Popcorn!" The crack of the bat. The roar of the crowd.

The mouse clicks at your desk at the office, early in the morning, adjusting your lineup, your starting rotation, and looking to see if anyone else noticed that the hot shot rookie prospect from AAA had been picked up by any of the other teams in your league yet.

Folks, you are invited to play Yahoo Fantasy Baseball. Shoot me an email to pagenandy at gmail dot com and I will give you the password and league ID. I know Donny's in....what about the rest of you?

The Opening Theme

2007-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:00

I can hear that familiar chorus, sung by thousands of men this day every year. You know the song...

"HALLELUJAH! HALLELUJAH!"

Pitchers and Catchers Report today.

Baseball is here!

Fitting Quote for this Time of Year

2007-02-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

"People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." --Rogers Hornsby

Since we are in the middle of winter, I thought this quote speaks well for all of us. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel because Pitchers and Catchers report NEXT WEEK!!!

Smoke on the Water...

2007-01-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

With the evidence presented today, I'd say that all of this talk about Barry Bonds has FINALLY gained some credibility. Though I have backed Bonds all of this time, I never once claimed that he was innocent - just that there was no proof of his guilt. I am a strong believer in the idea of being innocent until proven guilty. If you've ever been wrongly accused of a crime, you'd be a strong believer as well. With this latest news, however, that Bonds did indeed fail a drug test, there is now some credible evidence that Bonds has taken illegal drugs in the past. Bonds doesn't deny the test, why should I?

This certainly suggests now that there is smoke near Bonds, and smoke usually leads to fire. However, the drug in question was not a steroid and Bonds not only did not dispute the outcome of the test, but also agreed to voluntarily take 6 more random drug tests to prove the idea that this was a one time only abberation. Whether Bonds is innocent or guilty, this is the sort of behavior I'd expect from him considering the other circumstances.

While this admission clouds the future of this once great player, it also clarifies some of the Giants off-season moves - the acquisition of Ryan Klesko, for instance. Some may renew calls for Bonds to be removed from Baseball, but before we all go that far lets remember two things. One, Bonds has not failed any other drug test. And two, Bonds was not the only player to fail this drug test - in fact, he was only one of HUNDREDS of baseball players who failed this particular test. Amphetamine use in baseball is a true problem, not one fabricated by the government and media.

Clearly, Baseball needs to clean up its act once again. I'm guessing this would all be much easier if there was a strong commissioner in power. It seems as if the players are once again suffering from the lack of a strong, impartial, commissioner. But that's enough negativity for one day... its only about 60 days until pitchers and catchers report. That's really what its all about.

Changes!

2006-12-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

Well, yours truly wound up switching over to Blogger beta which had an adverse effect on the old template...which is why I changed it to this one. Marcel, Randall and James...when you guys switch over to the beta (or receive the invite from Google to do so), you'll be automatically added back as contributors to this blog.

Feel free to make any template changes to add back in the Email Subscription feed (thanks Donny!) or anything else that you think could spruce up this blog...

And be sure to use the "Labels" so we can start categorizing our posts!

The Missing Man

2006-12-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

It's a sad day for Giants fans...fan favorite and long time shortstop Jose Uribe was killed in a car accident in the Dominican today.

He was part of the infield that had Will Clark at 1B, Robby Thompson at 2B, Matt Williams at 3B (Williams replaced the stiff Chris Brown), and Uribe at SS. He became a Giant when Jack Clark was traded to St. Louis in exchange for pitcher Dave LaPoint, 1B David Green, and a young kid named Jose Gonzales - who briefly changed his name to Uribe Gonzales, then Jose Uribe.

Thanks for the reminder earlier, Will...

U........RIBE!

U........RIBE!

U........RIBE!

JASON YOU KNOW WHO

2006-12-06T23:47:00.000-08:00

It's sort of like how Yankee fans felt immediately after Johnny Damon turned in his Sox for pinstripes and a haircut. It was hard to swallow. Acceptance of a stranger from the wrong side of the street joining the family would take some time. You need to get over your resentment and swallow your pride before you get to know the guy.

And so it is with the new member of our family who just signed his lease agreement to move in. His name is Jason Schmidt. I'm not about to welcome him with open arms just yet. We're gonna keep an eye on him, make sure he's not going to be a slob, eat all our food, drink all our beer and hit on our girlfriends and wives.

So Mr. Schmidt, I hope you like your new home. Weather is nice and warm, sky is always BLUE. We have a nice organ in the living room. But before you get comfy and start walking all over our lawn, remember that $47 million for three years means we expect great things from you, like the good work you did in 2003 and 2004 for those people we don't like very much. Oh, and take out the trash on your way out. And light a match after flushing, will ya?!

New Foreign Pitching Prospect

2006-12-04T13:05:00.000-08:00

All the hype of the new pitching prospects from Japan is far from over. Move over Matsuzaka and make way for Chewbacca!

This impressive left hander hails from the snowy mountains of Kashyyyk and is shown here putting on a clinic for the MLB scouts yesterday. Accompanied by his agent Princess Leia (yes, she really is a princess), Chewbacca wooed the scouts by pitching fastballs in the 124 mph range! However, his most impressive pitch is the never before seen, furflip ball that moves like a butterfly on crack and is deemed impossible to hit by the likes of A-Rod and Barry Bonds. This pitch just comes natural to Chewbacca because it utilizes his raw arm speed and hairiness to accomplish the strange ball flight.

Rumors abound throughout the league over who will jump to sign the big fellow that stands 7'11" tall and weighs nearly 700 pounds. Sox GM Theo Epstein was quoted as saying, "Holy Crap! I wish I wouldn't have squandered all my money on that gyroball joker!". George Steinbrenner was all smiles and hoped to see Chewbacca in pinstripes come April.

Since Chewy (as he prefers to be called) is not from any country, at least on earth, he can be purchased for whoever the highest bidder may be. It pretty obvious that the leading candidates are the Yankees and also the San Francisco Giants that are planning to dispose of Mr. Bonds in order to free up the cash need for the acquisition.

Baseball expert Donny Prater was quoted as saying, "This puts a whole new paint job on the face of baseball. Finally, there can be a merger between man and alien man-beast! This is what the people want." Mr. Prater went on to say that he wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot), the Abominable Snowman, and the Chupacabra don't come knocking on the MLB door.

So a new and exciting chapter in the saga we know as baseball is opened. May the force be with us all!!!

Manny in the West?

2006-11-28T22:16:00.000-08:00

The hot rumor going into the winter meetings is that it's a 3 way horse race between San Diego, Los Angeles (Da Bums), and San Francisco to come up with the best deal to obtain LF Manny Ramirez from the Boston Red Sox. It's interesting that all 3 are working the phones because:

1) Each team wants Manny partly to prevent him from going to their opponent in the NL West.

2) Theo Epstein, Boston's GM, used to work for Kevin Towers, San Diego's GM - and they've traded between each other previously.

3) Ned Colletti, LA's GM, used to work for Brian Sabean, San Francisco's GM - and they are clearly trying to outdo each other this offseason.

Will Manny wind up in the NL West? It's questionable at best, because Manny's a 10 and 5 guy, so he has the right to approve or veto any deal. He's never played outside the AL, aside from Interleague games, so he might not be inclined to switch leagues. Of course, Omar Vizquel made the switch a couple of years ago to come to SF, at an older age - so perhaps Manny would consider it.

The question is - who will come up with the best deal? Will he come West?

I will say this: Manny's one of the few players today worthy of the salary he's getting (by comparison to recent contract signings). Gary Mathews Jr and Juan Pierre are NOT worth the $50 million and $40 million each are getting (and I'm glad the LA teams are the suckers in that bet).

So...whaddya think?

CY Young Pride in Ashland, KY

2006-11-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

As a tribute to our hometown hero Brandon Webb and his winning of the Cy Young award, my family declared today as Brandon Webb Day. Actually, every November 15th will be celebrated as such from here on out!!

This holiday will consist of Will wearing his jersey to school. But now that the D-Backs have changed there color scheme, I guess this is now a Throw-Back Jersey. Cool huh!

Yesterday, Andy sent me the message that Brandon had won the award and I jumped out of my seat when I found out. I started calling everybody I knew and telling them. Exciting stuff for a kid from Ashland, Kentucky to accomplish and it's exciting for me because I have batted against him (He was 7 years old and it was a wiffle ball), but it still counts!

The news last night told how Brandon was out shooting yesterday when he got the call from his agent about the good news. He said he was stunned and actually thought the agent was pulling his leg! He's a humble guy and all of us in Ashland are very proud of him.

Happy Belated Halloween

2006-11-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

Another season has passed and as I sit here reflecting upon yet another disappointing effort by the men in pinstripes, I look ahead to next year. Although the highest paid team in all of baseball choked again, there's always next year. However, this blog has been much fun and I've enjoyed getting to know you guys. Have a great offseason!

PS- Congrats Randal!!!

Year End Wrap Up (or Why The Giants Will Win It All In 2007)

2006-10-31T15:19:00.000-08:00

Well, from a Giants fan's perspective, the rather boring 2006 season is over. It was a season in which no major records were broken or challenged, when a nearly .500 team won the World Series, when the playoffs were mediocre at best, when the All Star Game was completely forgetable, and when no major scandals or heroics marked the season whatsoever. If the highlight of the season was Albert Pujols assault on the Home Run record that was derailed in late April/early May, then the lowlight of the season was the not quite startling revelation of a Diamondback's pitcher who named names and then disappeared into obscurity. The Giants had their ups and downs, but mostly they just plodded from April to September as if it was a 9 to 5 job. Boring.

However, a sea change is definitely taking place as happens in baseball every decade or so. The stars of the previous period are giving/have given way to a new crowd. Brandon Webb, Albert Pujols, and Ryan Howard are replacing Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr, and Barry Bonds as crowd pleasers. And we are all keeping our eyes open to see what new talent will emerge and what new team will become dominant.

Which is why in 2007, the Giants will win it all. Getting out from under the bloated contract of Barry Bonds, the Giants will acquire some new young talent and will propel themselves to the top once more - only this time, they will win it all. Matt Cain will pitch the first Giants No-No since the 70's. Bonds, in a back up roll that he will not relish, will break Aaron's record and then retire, and young players will take this team to the promised land.

Of course, some of you may have different opinions. Don't worry, for I will be magnanamous in victory and not gloat too much when the Giants are having their victory parade down Market Street. Now, let's get those hot stove rumors started. 06 is done. 07 has begun!

Scuffing?

2006-10-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

So, has Rogers been cheating in all his postseason starts?

We are talking about a guy who, until this season, was a choker in big games.

Mets or Cards? Game 7

2006-10-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, let's throw it down...

Mets vs. Cards in game 7? Who takes it to get run off by the Tigers in 5 games?

Yankees and Presidents

2006-10-10T01:59:00.000-07:00

Torsten Pedersen in Locus Standi has an excellent article on the striking coincidences that connect the Yankees failure to win in the post-season when the President is a Republican. Donnie, you better hope for a democrat at the next election, buddy.

Read the post here.

Thanks for the excellent stats, Torsten!

A Tribute from the Land of the Bandwagon Jumpers

2006-10-08T13:16:00.000-07:00

When I talked to Andy Friday I made him the following promise: If the Tigers beat the Yankees out, I would buy a Detroit hat, take my picture, and post it here. Since this sad fact did indeed come to pass, and I am a man of my word, I went to the mall a few minutes ago to make the purchase. Here's the problem, I went to every sports store in the mall and there were no Tigers anything to be found. Looks like there has been a run on all of the Detroit crap. Oh well, I do live in the land of the bandwagon jumpers as is evident every year just before the World Series and especially when a man like Rick Pitino goes to the team you despise the most.

Anyway, couldn't come through on the hat bro, so I made this sign instead. Go Tigers! yawn...... Just kidding, I'm actually for the Tigers to win it all. I always go with the team that knocks out the Yankees because it takes the best to beat the best!

Playoff Predictions: Let's Here 'Em!

2006-10-02T10:40:00.001-07:00

Yankees over Tigers
A's over Twins

Yankees AL Champs

Mets over Dodgers (sorry Marcel)
Cards over the Pad's

Mets AL Champs

Yankees take the Subway Series in 6!

NL Haters Have A Show (Spoilers ahead)

2006-09-28T10:25:00.000-07:00

Last week, on the season premiere of Jericho, I couldn't figure out why the two towns hit by nuclear weapons were Denver and Atlanta. I figured there might be a sports connection, but I knew of no fierce Denver-Atlanta rivalry or Kansas-Denver-Atlanta rivalry. But this week, in the second show, you begin to discover a little more of what's going on and the scope of the attack. In addition to Denver and Atlanta, we see that Chicago (Wrigleyville), Philadelphia, and San Diego were hit and the implication is a great many more... Perhaps the rest of that list includes, San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cincinatti, Houston, Miami, New York (Flushing Meadow), and Washington D.C.. Leaving Oakland, Anaheim, Arlington, Seattle, Minneapolis, Detroit, Chicago (West Side), Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Toronto, New York (Bronx), Boston, Baltimore, and Cleveland to survive and repopulate the United States with a new civilization based on the notion that all men must do their part to help out... except one person who is designated to only come in once in a while and lend a hand before going to sit back on the bench.

THE LORD'S BASEBALL GAME

2006-09-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

I recently got an email foward that I modified to make it a little more "juicy."

The Lord's Baseball Game

Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team. The Lord's team was at bat, the score was Satan's team 3, the Lord's team 0. It was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. The atmosphere was thick with tension......(read more)

JAIL TIME!

2006-09-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Here's where I'm coming from, just to set the record straight. I like Barry Bonds. I have been a Bonds apologist since 1993. I didn't like Bonds before that. I thought he was brash and cocky and a Pirate. But when he became a Giant and I watched him regularly back up his brashness and cockiness with thrilling baseball and homeruns, well, the guy just sort of rubbed off on me the way that Orel Hershiser as a Giant or Jeff Kent as a Giant never did. Its hard not to respect a ball player that comes to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning when the game's on the line and you just KNOW he's going to hit a homerun to win the game... and he does. I've never thought that about any other player who ever played the game. When the news media kept trying to rip him apart for being standoffish, I ignored them. The reporters don't play the game, so really, what should I care what they think about whether Bonds is rude or surly. That's their problem, not mine. When the news media tried to make him into a clubhouse pariah, well, again, I didn't care. The Giants kept winning with him. If other players have a problem with that, that's their problem - so long as they keep winning. But when the Steroids scandal hit and hit so closely to Bonds, I admit my faith was a little shaken. However, I've now been waiting for years for the smoking gun, and I've still not seen it, heard it, read it, or discovered it. I've heard a lot of former players bag on Bonds and I've heard a lot of reporters bag on Bonds, but I've never seen anyone actually provide direct evidence that Bonds cheated. This may qualify me as the ultimate Bonds apologist, however, I still consider the spirit of law to be much more important than the spirit of trail by media. I believe in INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. If you've ever been accussed of something that you didn't do, you know how frustrating it is to have nobody believe you until you can clear your name. That's where I'm coming from, just so you know.

With this bias clearly stated, let me explain why I think the two Chronicle reporters should either reveal their source of the secret Grand Jury testimony or go to jail for contempt. Their argument is that they need to shield their source to protect the public's right to know the important news of the day. The government's counter argument is that someone willfully and knowingly broke the law to leak secret testimony to these reporters and that while they don't like this information being out there, the fact is that they're not after the reporters but the person who broke the law.

We live in a nation that is held together by a Constitution and laws. Grand Juries exist to allow prosecutors the chance to present evidence that a law was, in fact, broken and that enough evidence exists to take a person to trial. The Grand Jury, in this case, was convened to hear whether there was enough evidence to try four members of the BALCO Steroids scandal. Bonds was called as a witness to present testimony as to what he knew about the scandal. The proceedings were supposed to be secret. Anyone breaking those rules would be subject to not only fines and prison time, but might also jeopardize the proceedings of the case against those accused. In a Grand Jury evidence is only presented in one direction - there is no rebuttal, cross-examination, or the opportunity for witnesses to defend themselves. They are placed on the stand and asked questions which they must answer without being given the opportunity to clarify all of their remarks. It is not a trial - merely an attempt to see if evidence exists to move forward with a trial. The reason many Grand Juries have secrecy clauses is not to keep the public uninformed of what is going on in these proceedings, but to not taint any possible testimony and evidence before a real trial can begin.

The problem I have with the two Chronicle reporters receiving this leaked information is that they then turned around and presented this to the public as fact. And since Bonds was still tied up in a Secrecy agreement about his testimony to the Grand Jury and wasn't about to come forward and try and explain his testimony before a trial could begin, these two reporters were basically given license to trash Bonds and his image in the media free and clear - without any rebuttal or counterevidence presented. Bonds was tried, convicted and sentenced by the public without a single opportunity to set the record straight.

Now, I'm not saying that he could set the record straight. Maybe he could, maybe he couldn't - maybe he's guilty as hell. I don't know. And neither do you. And neither are these reporters. Anyone who claims to know for sure what Bonds did or didn't do with steroids is a liar, or clairvoyant. Why? Because Bonds has never had his day in court. Never. And, according to the spirit of the Law that makes this country great, Bonds is still innocent until proven otherwise.

I think these two Chronicle reporters need to do something to restore the balance to the system. I think they need to reveal who leaked the Grand Jury testimony so that we can determine why this highly biased information was printed. I think they need to acknowledge that while some secret information is important for the world to know, whether a guy used steroids or not is NOT one of those things - even if it helps the writers get a book published and sells more newspapers. And quite frankly, I think if they refuse to reveal their source, they should go to jail for just as long as Bonds' former trainer - who refuses to testify further against Bonds in a "Secret" Grand Jury because he knows that this information will just be used to drag his former friends name through the mud even more. To do anything else would be the equivalent of saying we have two justice systems - one for those who we don't like, and one for those who we do. And that's not a system I want to believe in.

And that's all I have to say about the ugly side of baseball...

Let's enjoy the last two weeks of the season!

New York Born...

2006-09-12T10:13:00.000-07:00

Interesting article at ESPN about the NY-born baseball teams (Yankees, Mets, Giants, and Dodgers) - there's an outside chance, for the first time in baseball history, that the four teams originally born in New York could be in the same postseason this year (with the Giants having the longest shot at it).

Other permutations of at least 3 of them in the same postseason have occurred, the most recent being 2000 with the Giants, Mets and Yankees (the Giants losing to the Mets in the NLDS).

Check out the article here.

Sad Day for a Good Guy Ball Player

2006-08-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Guys, Just wanted to post this and ask for your prayers. This is an article in todays Ashland, KY Paper:

Couple’s life together was just beginning

Brandon Webb’s college roommate, new bride killed

By MARK MAYNARD
The Independent

A former Kentucky baseball player who was an ex-roommate of major leaguer Brandon Webb was among the 49 killed when a commuter jet crashed during takeoff Sunday morning at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington.

Jon Hooker and his new wife, Scarlett Parsley, were on the flight heading to Atlanta to connect for a honeymoon trip to California. They were married before 300 friends and family members Saturday night, according to former Kentucky baseball coach Keith Madison, who was in attendance.

The bride-to-be had arrived in a horse-drawn carriage for a fairy-tale wedding to Hooker at Lexington’s Headley-Whitley Museum.

“It’s so tragic because he was so happy last night,” Madison said. “It’s just an incredible turn of events. It’s really painful.”

Webb’s parents, Philip and Dreama Webb of Ashland, also attended the wedding. Brandon Webb learned of the tragedy prior to Arizona’s game with the Los Angeles Dodgers in Phoenix on Sunday.

“You never expect anything like this,” Philip Webb said. “He and Brandon were best friends. They roomed together (in a dorm) and had an apartment together in college. Their last year, they had an apartment and I had to go down and clean it after Brandon got drafted and Jon signed a free-agent deal. They had two dogs in the apartment so you can imagine what it was like.”

When Brandon was in the minor leagues, he spent some time with Hooker in the London area during the offseason. Hooker had lost his father at an early age in a car wreck, Philip Webb said.

The news came to Brandon on Sunday through Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin, who called him into the office and told him what happened. “He told Brandon he didn’t want him hearing it any other way,” Philip Webb said.

When asked how Brandon took it, his father hesitated for a second and then said “Not good.”

Webb is scheduled to pitch tonight against San Diego but his father wasn’t sure what his son was going to do.

“I’m not sure if Brandon knows what he’s going to do,” Philip Webb said.

The wedding on Saturday night was spectacular, Philip Webb said.

“For some reason, last night one of the songs that they played was ‘It is Well With My Soul.’ It was kind of strange at the time because you don’t hear that much at weddings. But, like Dreama said, it was like a testimony right there.”

The 27-year-old Hooker pitched at Kentucky from 1998 to 2001, posting a 5-5 career record with a 3.23 earned run average. He signed a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox in 2001 and played professionally for Independent League teams in Fargo, N.D., and Joliet, Ill., before going back to his hometown of London.

Hooker played for the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks from 2002 to June 2004 when he was traded to the Joilet JackHammers. He was a member of the RedHawks’ league championship team in 2003.

RedHawks general manager Josh Buckholz called Sunday a “sad day for Fargo.”

“Jon was a class guy and a great guy to have in Fargo,” he said. “He touched a lot of people’s lives. He was a fantastic teammate, he was a wonderful representative of our ballclub.”

Buckholz said nine members of the RedHawks roster, coaching staff and clubhouse staff were around when Hooker was with the team.

“There are a lot of people who knew him and loved him, and are dealing with this today,” Buckholz said.

There was a moment of silence prior to Sunday’s RedHawks game.

While at Kentucky, Hooker played not only with Webb but also Joe Blanton of the Oakland Athletics.

Hooker was working as a parole counselor and social worker while Parsley was in graduate school at Kentucky after graduating from Centre College, where she was also a cheerleader.

Philip Webb said Brandon has lost a dear friend. He said he gets choked up thinking about it.

“WSAZ was showing some clips of Jon at Kentucky and on one of those Brandon was giving him a high-five,” Philip Webb said. “Whenever you saw one, you saw the other at the school.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS contributed to this report.

RETROSHEET

2006-08-26T00:25:00.000-07:00

For purists, historians and stat-junkie extraordinaires, I just ran into Retrosheet via Blog of Danny. I was amazed by the amount of stats like box scores dating back to the 1871. Will and Andy, your New York Gothams (pre-Giants) didn't do so hot their expansion year, 1883, finishing 6th and 16 games behind division leader, Boston Beaneaters. :-)

Randall, The Red Birds, as most of us know, started as the St. Louis Browns in 1882. They fared even worse than Will/Andy's Gothams that year, finishing 18 games behind the Reds.

Donnie, your Bronx Bombers began in 1901, but were then the Baltimore Orioles. Go figure. Their first season, they were in the cellar, trailing the Reds by 32.5 games and behind Randall's Browns.

James, I'm ashamed to admit that our beloved Blue was called the "Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers" back in 1884. Our first year we ended up, uh, um.....oh look at the time! Wow, I gotta get going....

9th place, 33.5 games back.

We all had very humble beginnings in this grand pastime that has transcended multiple generations. And the rest is history!

What's Wrong With This Picture??

2006-08-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

You'd think the Little League would impose some sort of size rule after this mammoth of a 13 year old got in......

In the words of Harry Caray...."Holy Cow!!!!"

# 725

2006-08-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

I agree - it's a troubling photo.

Once again, Will and I were there, sitting in the stands of AT&T Park, watching the Giants' Noah Lowry pitch a 2 hit complete game shutout, leading the Giants to a 5-0 win over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

Of course, we also saw Bonds' career home run # 725 - I had witnessed # 722 and both Will and I witnessed # 723.

I arrived at the game just as the opening pitches of the game were thrown. As soon as I sat down, Will said, "You should've come here earlier. We could've gone down to the fence and said hi to Brandon Webb for Donny."

A missed opportunity. But Webb will be pitching Tuesday night against Matt Cain - should be an excellent game.

And on a side note - anyone catch the in-dugout tunnel brawl in Toronto between pitcher Ted Lilly and manager Josh Gibbons? Seems like the manager might be the problem in that town...

Hell Froze Over Today

2006-08-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official, Hell has frozen over! I didn't think it would ever in a million years happen but it did thanks to Mr. Steinbrenner. This morning they broke ground in the Bronx on the new Yankee Stadium. I'm a bit upset as you can tell because they will eventually knock down the "House that Ruth" built to provide parking for the new, state of the art stadium. In my mind, it is the equivalent of knocking over the birthplace of George Washington to build a bigger house next door that glorifies his life.

It's a sad day for die-hard Yankee fans. It's a happy day for all the rest of you.

Comiskey II

2006-08-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was at U.S. Cellular Field - formerly the "new" Comiskey Park - in the southside of Chicago. I picked up a ticket from our firm's payroll manager, whose brother is a Chicago police officer, with the police officer's association selling tickets as part of a fundraiser. We sat in the LF bleachers, watching the defending world champ White Sox take on the hapless Kansas City Royals.

Of course, the Royals were far from hapless this evening - they hung on to win 4-2, with the Chisox playing a sloppy defensive game that included a dropped fly ball to Jermaine Dye early the in game which allowed the inning to continue and the Royals to score a run. AJ Pierzynski, beloved by the southside, bemoaned by Giants fans, did what I saw him do waaaaay too many times in a Giant uniform...grounded into a double play.

However, I must say that the experience of attending a game at this ballpark is quite nice...I was surprised to see how wide the concourse was on the main level, as compared to AT&T Park in San Francisco, which has relatively wide concourses (compared to Candlestick), but is a much more intimate park that is squeezed onto a 13 acre site. I was awed at the size of this ballpark, which is much taller than AT&T Park, mainly due to the double-decker luxury suite level.

Awhile back, when Will had a Categories question about items from other sports that would make baseball more appealing (tongue in cheek of course), a couple of respondents suggested cheerleaders. The White Sox come closest, as they had young women, in very short shorts and Sox tee shirts, prance around the field throwing T-shirts into the crowd and dancing atop the dugouts (along with a couple of male "cheerleaders" - not unlike those you find in college squads, only without the gymnastics).

Food was good - I had a grilled hot dog with grilled onions and a diet soda, which only set me back $7.75. While my newfound Chicago friends thought that pricey, I found it to be a tremendous bargain compared to San Francisco, whereupon the same combo (with kraut added in addition to onions) will set you back nearly $12.

All in all - a good evening at the ballpark. While it's not a particularly intimate ballpark, it is a pleasant place to watch a game.

And for someone like me, it isn't often that I can say I'm watching the defending world champs. Sure am not going to say that about my Giants anytime soon...

Hey Marcel!

2006-08-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Is that the sound of a broom I hear.......'nuff said!

Friday Baseball Category

2006-08-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a nice simple one...

Name three baseball player nicknames you would never want to be called?

Get to it... Moonman!

Baseball V. The "X" Games.

2006-08-09T06:59:00.000-07:00

Bill Gnade has an interesting essay up on the above topic. It's worth the read.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Will the Real Dodgers Please Stand Up?

2006-08-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Following up on this post, the Dodgers have now won 10 in a row after losing 13 out of 14, hence, the title of this blog. This ties them for the Wild Card race with the Reds. Jeff Kent returned to the lineup and hit a two run jack and an RBI double last night. Nomahhhh returns from the DL tomorrow so the offense will be intact. And Maddux is coming off a 6 inning no-no.

Can these guys really win the west? Borrowing a line from ESPN's baseball tonite show, and you're the analyst, do you buy or sell?

OK, I'm Shocked!!

2006-08-07T05:44:00.000-07:00

I know you guys are not very fond of the Yankees.....but, I must share Saturday night with you. My family and I went to Columbus,OH for back-to-school shopping and just to goof off. Since I have been a life long Yankee fanatic, I used this trip as a chance to finally see the Columbus Clippers play. The Clippers are the AAA Yankees and their past rosters are a who's who among the home grown Yankee talent.

With visions of Mattingly, Jeter, Williams, Posada, Soriano, and others dancing in my head, we headed to the park at 4:00 Saturday. It was hat day so we made sure to get there early and yes we got hats. Also, for some reason they had an autograph session going on with George Foster, Ken Griffey Sr, Bert Campineris, and Fergie Jenkins. I wanted to get them to sign a ball and ask Fergie about pitching on acid but the line was too long, and I'm a Yankee fan......

But, here is the big kicker: the stadium where the baby Yankees play sucks! I know it is old and nostalgic, but the field looks like a nice high school field and the bathroom and the area around it stunk of stale pee. I was shocked by how crappy the old stadium really is! I've been to Single A fields that are much nicer. I guess Steinbrenner spends so much on buying good players that he can't improve the field where his guys come up.

That's the bad but the good was that atmosphere. Friendly fans that love their team was the norm and the place was maybe 1/3 full. The neat thing about the field was that the fences are the same measurments as in Yankee stadium with the short porch in right. It was fun though. It's always a good time at the ball park.

A GIFT FROM THE HEART

2006-08-03T02:16:00.000-07:00

With the recent love and attention given to Dodger blue the last few postings, I wanted to give back the love to my baseball brotherhood. Especially my Giants comrades.

A gift for Will and Andy.

If it doesn't load, try this link.

“You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. ..." :-)

The Dodgers will take it all now!

2006-08-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

Gregg Maddux is a Dodger......it's all over but the shoutin' in the NL West!

Where are the Trade Rumors?

2006-07-28T09:21:00.000-07:00

Is it me, or does it seem that the trade rumors out there, leading to Monday's deadline, are just really pathetic this year? Aside from Soriano maybe going to the White Sox (as a pit stop on the way back to the Bronx in the fall), and Abreu going somewhere (maybe), it seems that there's a dearth of good juicy rumors.

Sean Casey? Yawn.

Salomon Torres (or any other Pirate reliever)? Big, unstifled yawn.

So...let's start our own - whether they make sense or not. Let's have our fantasy July 31 non-waiver trade deadline trades. Be ridiculous. Be serious. Have fun. It's Friday.

From ESPN

2006-07-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

Check this out from Jim Caple's column.

BOX SCORE OF THE WEEK

It was a long day at the park for Brooklyn Cyclones left fielder Dustin Martin last Thursday. How long? Try six hours and 40 minutes. Or 26 innings, the longest game in the history of the New York-Penn League.

Brooklyn scored in the first inning against the Oneonta Tigers, then was held scoreless the rest of the way. Oneonta tied the game in the fourth, and then the two teams traded zeroes the next 23 innings before Tigers center fielder Deik Scram broke out of an 0-for-11 day with a two-run single in the top of the 26th inning off converted outfielder Mark Wright. The Tigers went on to win 6-1 while Brooklyn's Martin went down with this box score line from hell:

11 AB, 1 R, 0 H, 0 RBI

His 0-for-11 day dropped his average from .278 to .241.

Dessens BACK to LA

2006-07-25T17:19:00.000-07:00

Yawn. Yep...Dessens will be the difference maker in the NL West.

Where's The Love?

2006-07-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

I've yet to see a shout out for my Cardinals from you Bay Area guys, after we swept the Dodgers.

What gives?

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Mike "Schadenfreude" Piazza

2006-07-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

Schadenfreude is a German word that basically means taking pleasure in other's pain. Somehow, I just think it seems to invoke my most wonderful feelings of my least favorite player, Mike Piazza. I know, as a Christian, I have a long way to go in the forgiveness department, but let me at least wallow in his misery for a little while.

Last night, Andy talked me into going to the game with him. It was a glorious night for baseball and, indeed, as we approached the park there was a sizzle in the air. We got to our seats just minutes before the first pitch and sat under the cool awning on a 70 degree night to watch division leading baseball.

The Padres were in town, and as a team, I have nothing against them. Even if they win the division every couple of years, even if they have Trevor Hoffman, even if Tony Gwynn (who was the best pure hitter I've ever seen) used to light us up all the time, hating the Padres would be like hating the Taco Bell dog. You might hate him on the surface, but secretly in your heart of hearts you chuckle everytime you hear, "Yo Quiero Taco Bell?"

I asked Andy if he thought this might be the night that we saw the return to form of Noah Lowry, who blazed a second half trail through the National League last year. Well, he went 8 1/3 innings and gave up nothing until his pitch count wandered over 115 pitches. He was dominant until then. He had help though as several Giants made some great defensive plays behind him. But none of the Padres hits were cheap hits, even if they failed to produce any runs.

In the second inning, with a runner hanging around on the basepaths, young rookie phenom Matt Santos (okay, his last name is Santos, but last night when I said to Andy, where have I heard that name before, it was a fictional character, Andy gave me a blank stare... and now, all I can think about is the wonderful Matt Santos character who won the Presidency on The West Wing... so that's what I'm calling him), playing in only his second game, came to the plate. Andy looked at me and said, "I think its time for Santos to hit his first homerun." And just like that, Santos crushed one to deep center field for his first homerun. And everyone looked at Andy with new respect and awe. But not me... I knew Andy was baseball psychic. It was 2-0.

A couple of innings later, Santos walked, moved to second on a perfectly executed bunt by Pitcher Noah Lowry, and then was driven home by a Randy Wynn double down the line. Wynn wasted no time in stealing third. And then, with Omar Vizquel providing the bat work, scored on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze that Padres catcher, Mike Piazza couldn't touch. Vizquel eventually came around to score and it was 5-0.

But the play of the game, the absolute darling of the moment, the quintessential best play ever, occurred in the 8th. Alou led off with a base hit. And that brought Barry Bonds to the plate. As he walked up, I was thinking to myself, he's going to hit one out of here. He's going to hit 722 and I'm going to see it. The first pitch was a ball. The second one Bonds unloaded on - straight up. It skyed into the air. Piazza ripped off his mask. Bonds threw his bat down in disgust and started walked back to the dugout. But then, my favorite player in the whole wide world - who played for the hated Dodgers all those years, and then the Mets, and now with the Padres - whose father tried to steal my Giants and move them to Tampa Bay - this great wonderful player, DROPPED THE FOUL BALL! If Schadenfreude was a drug, I could have retired a kingpin at that moment. Two pitches later, Bonds found the cheap seats! 722! The relief pitcher who had just come into the game, was so rattled that two pitches later, Durham crushed one to right. And a couple pitches after that, Feliz found center. And then, they decided to give the reliever some time to beat the press out of the locker room. It was 9-0 and the Giants still didn't have an out in the inning. And all because Piazza couldn't catch a routine foul ball! Ah... I love this game.

Okay, okay, I can put the relish away with the mustard, this was only one game of the entire season. The Giants still trail the Padres by a game and a half and have never shown much inclination to run away with the division. But for one glorious moment I got to see the player I hate the most drop a routine foul ball which created back to back to back homeruns.

And that is why I love the game of Baseball.

Give up already!

2006-07-20T15:11:00.000-07:00

Rant Mode On!

Does anyone still believe that going after Barry Bonds is not politically motivated? I mean the Federal Government has done everything in its power to prove that he's guilty except say that he has weapons of mass destruction and send in the marines! Yet, after millions of dollars spent on this grand jury investigation, they still don't have enough information to indict him? Give up already! What good is this investigation going to do? Even if you catch the guy? Even if you prove it? What will the ramifications be? This thing will just stretch on and on forever.

I used to think that Stars got special treatment before the law - that they could get out of jams the rest of us couldn't. But I'm starting to think that the law might be prejudiced the other way. If any one of us had used steroids, would the government be spending this much money to prove that we did it? And are the witnesses against Bonds the shadiest, most suspect group of witnesses since Michael Jackson's trial, or what?

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark, and it smells like its coming out of some prosecutor's asstericks!

Rant Mode Off!

I read a great article in the Chronicle today about the top guys under 25 in any position. Said some pretty nice things about Ryan Howard. I'm going to have to keep an eye on this kid.

Goin' to the Chapel...

2006-07-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

Over at my site I put up a post about Fellowship Day with the SF Giants this Saturday. As I was inspired by the testimonies of these players, I found the Baseball Chapel website. Good stuff here, all. Check it out!

A Proposal to the Group

2006-07-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

Since we are all ridiculously wrapped up in baseball I feel the next step is to start up a fantasy league amongst the group next year. It would keep us even more into the game and add to the rivalry's. Any thoughts???

If everyone agrees, I will start doing the legwork and start setting it up for us.

PS- Andy, Marcel and Will's teams must only be composed of west coast ball players....hehe....just kidding. It would be a blast i'm sure!

Conversation Starter.

2006-07-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

From ESPN.

Discuss.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

AL All the Way Baby!

2006-07-12T05:59:00.000-07:00

That was one of the greatest AllStar Games I have ever seen. What pitching! Brandon Webb came in for only one inning but he quickly dispatched Jeter, Oritz, then A-Rod. What a task!

Penny is awesome Marcel! You guys are lucky to have him!

So, What were you guys most impressed with? Was it the new faces (I think so) or the old guard?

BIGGEST MELTDOWNS

2006-07-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

By now you've probably all heard about the headbutt incident involving the French soccer player Zidane in the World Cup finals. If not, get caught up here. It was ugly.

Baseball is no exception to "meltdown moments." The most recent one involved a Single A ball manager just....losing it.

Upload videos at Bolt.

What is your most memorable baseball "meltdown" over the years?

Friday's Baseball Category

2006-07-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

Not for any baseball reason, but as a result of watching too much World Cup, my mind has been on officiating lately. So here is Friday's Baseball Category...

Name the three most popular "second" professions for retiring Baseball Umpires...

So, STRIKE while the iron is hot! You wouldn't want to be left OUT! You know you'll have a BALL! And remember, no FOUL language!

BEAT LA!

2006-07-06T17:35:00.000-07:00

Had to say it...four game set, Dodgers vs. Giants from Chavez Ravine.

Marcel...Jim...GAME ON!

Bad Trades

2006-07-02T09:52:00.000-07:00

Now that it's July, and we're approaching the midpoint of the season, we have two things to look forward to - the All-Star game and the non-waiver trade deadline. I'm sure we'll start heating up the trade rumors here at the 7th Inning Stretch in coming weeks, but for now, in antipation of deadline deals, I wanted to talk about bad trades.

This morning's San Francisco Chronicle has an article about the Minnesota Twins' 2nd ace, rookie sensation Francisco Liriano. Liriano's numbers? Currently 8-1, with a 2.26 ERA in 73.1 innings pitched, with 82 Ks against 19 BBs, averages 10.06 Ks per 9 innings, and opponents are batting .216 against him.

How did the Twins acquire him?

He was a former Giants farmhand, who was a throw in player when, prior to the 2004 season, the Giants traded for then Twins All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Who did the Giants give up?
Minor league pitcher Boof Bonser (who was the Giants' No. 1 pick in 2000) and RP Joe Nathan, who has since become an All-Star closer and who currently has 14 saves, a 5-0 record, a 1.85 ERA, with 47 Ks against 4 BBs in only 34 innings of work. Nathan had not been considered a closer candidate with the Giants, and in fact had struggled as both a starter and reliever. And then, just to sweeten the deal with the Twins, the Giants decided to throw-in Liriano, who was not among the higher rated (according to the club) minor league pitchers in the organization.

So to recap: The Giants traded Joe Nathan, 2 time All-Star closer for the Twins; Boof Bonser, a former # 1 pick who is now the Twins' fifth starter; and Francisco Liriano, now the #2 behind Johan Santana on the Twins' staff, a early candidate for AL Rookie of the Year and even AL Cy Young.

Who did the Giants get, again? Former All-Star catcher A.J. Pierzynski, who played one season (2004) with the Giants, hit into 27 double plays (setting a Giants franchise record and was the major league high that year); batted .232 in the 2nd half of the season; only threw out17.7 % of base stealers; and refused to study opposing batters prior to each pitchers' starts even though he was in a new league. Additionally, he had won his arbitration case against the club prior to the season and left as a free agent to play for the eventual World Champion White Sox.

Today, you couldn't do a straight up deal of Nathan for Pierzynski, let alone a straight up deal of Liriano for Pierzynski. It was, perhaps, the worst trade by the Giants in the past 15 years.

::

Any other really bad trades you can think of?

ALL STAR TIME

2006-06-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

It's almost here guys! Who's your pitching staff for each league? Who's gonna start? Let's hear it!!!

Nicknames: You Pick 'Em

2006-06-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

I read an article here about how nicknames are not as prominent any more. Oh sure, we have The Big Unit, Godzilla, Pudge, Big Papi, The Rocket, The Big Hurt, etc...... But there is a need for more. So, Who's your favorite player that does not have one and what would you propose it to be?

Mine is: Ken Griffey Jr. "Dee Ell"

Friday's Baseball Category

2006-06-23T11:16:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the World Cup of Football (Soccer) going on in Germany right now, I was just wondering if you could...

If Baseball had a true World Cup (like soccer, not the dreadful WBC), which three nations would have the best "Baseball Hooligans" and why?

Have at it, boyz...

The Mighty Have Fallen

2006-06-22T23:12:00.000-07:00

The year was 1993...the final year of only 2 divisions in each league. The San Francisco Giants had been saved in late 1992 from a move to what is now Tropicana Field by an ownership group led by Peter Magowan, CEO of Safeway. That same group also signed a 28 year old outfielder to a record $42 million, 7 year contract - they had brought Barry Bonds home to San Francisco. Dusty Baker, who had never managed, and had been a hitting instructor under outgoing manager Roger Craig, was named the new manager.

With a lineup that included Will Clark batting 3rd, Matt Williams batting 4th, and Bonds batting 5th, the team turned around quickly from a bottom-feeding-almost Tampa Bay Giants to a division leading club that battled for the division title against the mighty Atlanta Braves, with a rotation of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Steve Avery and John Smoltz. The Giants held a several game lead over the Braves in late July; however, a deadline deal with San Diego netted the Braves outfielder Fred McGriff, who proved to be the offensive catalyst in the final 2 months for Atlanta.

Philadelphia's Phillies secured a sizable lead in the NL East in September, and had comfortably won the divison by the 3rd week of the month, leaving the Giants and Braves to battle it out for the final playoff spot, both teams on track to exceed 95 wins that season. The prognosticators from the talking heads on sportstalk radio and ESPN expected that the NL West winner would need to exceed 100 wins to win the division.

That is precisely what happened. Going into the final week of the season, the Giants faced the Rockies at home while the Braves faced the Astros. It was a see-saw battle down to the final weekend, with the Giants facing a 4 game set at Chavez Ravine and the Braves facing a 4 game set against the Rockies...at home.

The Giants did well - taking 3 of 4 from the Dodgers, losing the critical final game of the season behind rookie pitcher Salomon Torres.

The Braves did VERY well - finishing with a SEASON sweep, going 10-0, against the Rockies.

The Giants won 103 games...the Braves won 104 games.

::

Now, 13 years later, the run of the Braves appears to have come to an end. They have lost 10 straight games, 13 games under .500, and are in last place in the NL East, 15.5 games behind the Mets. There aren't many reasons for the Tomahawk chop (stolen from the Florida Seminoles) to exist in Atlanta these days.

It's been a remarkable run. It's amazing that for all their success, they only have 1 World Series title, in 1995, in the strike shortened season against the Cleveland Indians.

Personally, I've never liked the Braves (especially after the emotional 1993 pennant chase). I like their announcers (Skip Caray and Don Sutton) even less - worse homers than Mike Krukow of the Giants announcing team. I've always respected the talent, but so much of their success was driven on the backs of their pitching staff - and more to the point, Leo Mazzone, their longtime pitching coach, who has resurrected many a pitching castaway's career (Russ Ortiz and John Burkett come to mind). Now it's Roger McDowell handling the staff...ouch.

So RIP to the Braves.

Someone in England Likes Baseball??

2006-06-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've noticed on the map that there have been a ton of hits from someone in England. I didn't know there were any baseball fans on that side of the pond! We are glad to have you!!! Anyway, I have been waiting to use this picture of my favorite footballer Wayne Rooney in a post. Oh yeah, sorry if we call football soccer.

Thought I'd Share

2006-06-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

I was finally able to pull down this pic off my phone - this was from the game I attended with my son 2 weeks ago when Barry hit # 716.

Not that any of the Dodger fans would care...

Living La Vida Loca in the O.C., Baby!

2006-06-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

At least if I'm going to be from DOWN THERE, I get to stay near Disneyland and root for the Anaheim Angels of Anaheim. Unlike certain friends of mine, whose name I can no longer mention out of loyalty to the greatest team in baseball - the San Francisco Giants.

It'd be fun to hack this site and change all the answers to obscure California towns like Weed, Volcano, and Mill Valley.

Orange County

You're rich, pretty, and living a charmed life. (Or you seriously wish you were.)
From Disneyland to Laguna Beach, you're all about living the California dream life.
Just make sure to marry rich - so you don't have to work for it!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Now I Know Why They are the World Champs!

2006-06-19T05:31:00.000-07:00

Oh the smell of hotdogs roasting on an open metal thing that moves them back and forth........ My family and I watched the White Sox complete a three game sweep of the Reds yesterday. I have to say, the Sox are for real! Those guys are monsters not only in size but also in pitching, fielding, and obviously coaching. I had never seen Jermaine(?) Dye in person and I have to say, he is large! The Reds are there usual sucky team with a few good personalities and one big ego in center field that hasn't gone on the DL yet.

One of the highlights came in about the third inning when Harang plunked Dye. What made this a highlight was the fact that we all saw and heard Dye get hit in the side and we saw him react by spinning away from the plate. The cool thing was, as he started to walk toward first base, he reached under his arm, grabbed the ball, and slung it toward the dugout!!! Tough guy........

The other highlight for me came in the singing of "Take me out to the ballpark", when I witnessed a "Sneak Attack" occur. When we got to the part where you say "Root, root, root for the (insert team name here "Reds Team")", the crowd around me overwhelmingly screamed "WHITE SOX"! That was really funny.

Anyway, it was a great day at the park (what day isn't) because it was slightly overcast and there was a nice breeze. As you can see in the above pic (crappy cell phone pic), we were right in the alley so we had pretty good seats. The Reds suck and I have always rooted for whomever they are playing and I'm teaching my son to do the same as seen in this photo. As usual, the Reds were by far way to outmatched in this series. It's a good thing that the Royals are rolling into Cincy next. That may be one AL team they will have a chance to beat. Look for the Sox to be in it at the end of this season.

Oh yeah, Hey Andy, that is no doubt Safeco field in the banner.

iPods and Baseball

2006-06-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

The iPod. Walk around most cities and you'll see a large number of folks with the ever-present white cord and earbuds. And now, in a major league clubhouse near you, the iPod...with video of opposing catchers and pitchers.

Check it out here.

No, no, no, no, nooooooo!!!

2006-06-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

You Belong in Los Angeles

Whether you'll admit it or not, a huge part of you likes being in the spotlight.
And you may just have enough star quality to make it big in LA!
Even if you don't become famous, you still belong in a place where you can get a year round tan.

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

This is so very wrong for me.

Andy, I'm Moving In.

2006-06-16T07:04:00.000-07:00

'Nuff said:

You Belong in San Francisco

You crave an eclectic, urban environment. You're half California, half NYC.

You're open minded, tolerant, and secretly think you're the best.

People may dismiss you as a hippie, but you're also progressive, interesting, and rich!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Where Would I Live in California?

2006-06-16T05:22:00.000-07:00

Why hasn't anyone posted lately? Since it's Friday, I wanted to do a funny one. I know it's a baseball blog but since I've met you guys from California, I wanted to see where I would best fit in out there. So I took this test:

You Belong in San Diego

Laid back and friendly, you were meant to live most of your life on the beach.
You usually think everything is "all good"... except when the weather dips under 60F.
You stay classy - especially when you're in Tijuana!

Where Does Your Inner Californian Belong?

San Diego Here I Come!

# 716

2006-06-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

It was another Monday evening in cool, overcast San Francisco. As my son and I trudged out of the parking lot beneath a condo complex across the street, the aroma of pizza wafted, calling us over. At $4 for two slices of cheese pizza, it was substantially cheaper than most food items in the ballpark - so we purchased four slices and walked briskly to the ballpark, 10 minutes ahead of the first pitch.

We sat in our regular seats in Lower Box 106 on the first base side, 30 rows from the field. The lackluster Marlins were the opponent, Noah Lowry against the Fish's Brian Moehler, who departed the game after the 4th inning with an ERA that had ballooned to 7.17 after giving up 8 earned runs. As the game progressed and realizing that it was a school night, we weren't going to stay very long, so this time I took my son to the Fan Lot behind the centerfield bleachers, taking him up to the slides in the Coke bottle; examining the Build-A-Bear workshop (he is only 5 years old); and allowing him to play in the miniature AT&T Park, as he hit a wiffle ball for a screaming line drive off the left field wall.

We casually made our way back along the Arcade along the RF outfield wall, bordering the Bay, when we stopped behind the seats and stood with other patrons to watch the Giants load the bases in the 4th and then watching Lance Niekro deliver a bases clearing triple ahead of Bonds.

With light bulbs flashing Bonds took a mighty swing...and POW! The ball landed behind the centerfield wall.

716 flashed on the scoreboard.

It was a good night as the Giants went on to a 14-2 win.

Which they then followed up with losing 3 out of 4 to the previously 6-25 on-the-road Pirates, who are now 9-26 on the road.

::

On a side note, what are your thoughts on Jason Grimsley, HGH and Bonds? It proves one HUGE thing for me...there have been many, many more players who have been juiced these past several years. I for one, am thankful that there will be more investigation into other players, particularly pitchers.

Technology

2006-06-08T05:19:00.000-07:00

In 1982 I got my first set of golf clubs. They were a set of top of the line Walter Hagen Ultras like the pros played with. I played all the time in the 1980's and some in the early 90's but I pretty much put them up until 2002 when I played in a church scramble. The guys they teamed me up with in that scramble laughed at my clubs and acted as though they had never seen real woods before. I felt like I had on polyester green liesure suit and a fedora, I really felt out of place. But why? Well, first of all, everyone had these new metal drivers with alloy shafts and space age irons. Not to mention the golf shoes that had rubber spikes. My shoes still had metal. WHat happened? I felt like I had been put in a time machine and transported from 1989 to 2002 because of technology.

I think baseball is no different by the way the players use new technology gloves, spikes, armor, but most of all training and physical therapy. Athletes today are given the greatest amount of training to get the greatest amount of performance out of them for the greatest amount of time! Contrast someone like A-Rod with Lou Gehrig and think about how many more opportuinities to strengthen and train that ARod was afforded.

With all of the technology out there, the great thing about baseball is that it's still one man and one WOODEN bat against a little ball. That's also STILL my golf game: Me with a wooden driver against a little ball. I did buy a new pair of golf shoes with the new fangled rubber spikes only after my old pair dry rotted and fell apart on the 17th hole.

What Is "Modern?"

2006-06-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

Interesting column by ESPN's Jayson Stark here.

How would you divide baseball's eras?

Cheers.

R. Sherman

Beisbol sans Pujols

2006-06-04T23:35:00.000-07:00

This is a terrible day for baseball. In this era of steroid testing and rumors about who's on the juice or isn't, it has been refreshing to see this young slugger put on an offensive explosion to lead the majors with 25 HR so far. Granted, I have had him as my starting 1B on my fantasy team, so I do have a personal stake in this...but I digress...

Baseball needs this young superstar power hitter - especially on this team, the Cardinals, with its storied history. Baseball doesn't need any more tantrums from George Steinbrenner, it doesn't need any more whining from New England, and it doesn't need anymore BALCO talk from San Francisco. What baseball needs is the ongoing offensive juggernaut known as Albert Pujols to keep driving in runs, to keep his batting average over .300, to continue to hit HR, to continue his assault on an .800 slugging percentage (currently at .751).

Alas, he is on the 15 day DL with an injury that could keep him sidelined for up to 6 weeks. Today is a dark day for baseball indeed.

Friday's Baseball Category

2006-06-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

Its as easy as singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame...

Name three ways baseball needs to change in order to attract NASCAR fans to baseball.

Gentlemen... start your engines...

The World's Pastime

2006-06-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

No, I don't mean soccer.

I mean baseball, which is steadily gaining popularity in Europe. Witness the EMBLOS' home town team the Regensburg Legionaires. At the moment, they are first in the southern division of the German league and are favorites to repeat as German Champions for fifth consecutive year.

For fun, surf around the international pages of this site. The award for "best mascot" goes to the the team from Vienna, Austria.

Cheers.

R. Sherman

I Am Proud

2006-06-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

I hope I don't end up jinxing him by posting this: If Brandon Webb goes on to win 4 of his next 5, he will be the starting pitcher for the NL in the All-Star Game! I know you guys are not D'Back fans, but I wish you all had the opportunity to know this kid. He is a humble guy that doesn't like the spotlight and he is the most down to earth athlete I have ever been around.

Growing up, he was just a little blonde headed kid that played with my cousin. I used to take them to my folk's pool when I was in high school and I never dreamed he would grow up to pitch at UK let alone in the majors. Then it turned out that when I met my wife (Ashland's Cheerleading Coach at the time), Brandon's future wife cheered for her and had grown up around her. He's an awesome guy, she's an awesome girl, and I couldn't be any more proud.

Go Brandon, win them all! First stop All-Stars, Second stop Cy Young!

Anyone But...

2006-05-31T16:15:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

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...

2006-05-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

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

The 7th Inning Stretch

A Compromise I'm Willing To Make!

Pittsburg and Kansas City in the World Series 2009

The All Star Game is Rocky, Too!

To Leave or Not To Leave

The Worst Promo Night I've Attended

Worst Promo EVER

Your Pay vs. Zito's Pay

Fan Stats Part 1

The Rally Malt

The Early Returns

It is Time

Back to Real Baseball

Somebody Else's Problem

A RECORD IS BROKEN

My Top Five Baseball Moments - Number Three

My Top Five Baseball Moments - Number Four

My Top Five Baseball Moments - Number Five

In Rod We Trusted...

For Whom To Root?

Has Free Agency Made The Playoffs Obsolete?

Bob L. Head

New Toys

According to the polls...

A short comment on this early season...

Number 42

Please rearrange me when I'm sane...

Prognostications

Fantasy Baseball

The Opening Theme

Fitting Quote for this Time of Year

Smoke on the Water...

Changes!

The Missing Man

JASON YOU KNOW WHO

New Foreign Pitching Prospect

Manny in the West?

CY Young Pride in Ashland, KY

Happy Belated Halloween

Year End Wrap Up (or Why The Giants Will Win It All In 2007)

Scuffing?

Mets or Cards? Game 7

Yankees and Presidents

A Tribute from the Land of the Bandwagon Jumpers

Playoff Predictions: Let's Here 'Em!

NL Haters Have A Show (Spoilers ahead)

THE LORD'S BASEBALL GAME

JAIL TIME!

New York Born...

Sad Day for a Good Guy Ball Player

RETROSHEET

What's Wrong With *This* Picture??

# 725

Hell Froze Over Today

Comiskey II

Hey Marcel!

Friday Baseball Category

Baseball V. The "X" Games.

Will the Real Dodgers Please Stand Up?

OK, I'm Shocked!!

A GIFT FROM THE HEART

The Dodgers will take it all now!

Where are the Trade Rumors?

From ESPN

Dessens BACK to LA

Where's The Love?

Mike "Schadenfreude" Piazza

Give up already!

Goin' to the Chapel...

A Proposal to the Group

Conversation Starter.

AL All the Way Baby!

BIGGEST MELTDOWNS

Friday's Baseball Category

BEAT LA!

Bad Trades

ALL STAR TIME

Nicknames: You Pick 'Em

Friday's Baseball Category

The Mighty Have Fallen

What's Wrong With This Picture??