Category Archives: San Francisco Giants

Veterans Day and Every Day ….. Thank You!

Note:  This is a re-post of my 2014 Veteran’s Day Blog.

Arlington National Cemetery

“But the mainstay of the big leagues was the reservoir of 4-Fs – males of draft age who had been rejected on physical grounds by the Armed Forces. Not since harem attendants had gone out of style were men’s physical deficiencies so highly prized. Ulcers, hearing defects, and torn cartilages were coveted by team owners.” – Frank Graham, Jr. in Farewell to Heroes (1981)

This and the following list of Hall of Fame Members Courtesy of  Baseball Almanac.

Baseball Hall of Fame Members  who Served in the Armed Forces.
The Civil War  
Morgan Bulkeley United States Army
World War I
Grover Alexander  United States Army
Happy Chandler United States Army Continue reading
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MLB SALARIES ~ DID THEY GET WHAT THEY PAID FOR?

scales of justice 2Here’s a list of the 2014 salaries for the Major League Baseball teams.  You can get a look at the individual player salaries from USA Today’s website.  Individual rankings are interesting because you have to look past 65 players to get to the Royal’s top paid player, James Shields at #66.  To find the highest paid “active” player on the Giants roster you’ll go to #29 for Tim Lineceum and further down to #89 for Buster Posey.   But the real surprise was Madison Bumgarner who’s way down the list at #271.  I’ll bet that’s going to change in the near future huh?   Of course, you have to look at the total number of years in the individual contracts to see what the actual value is.

So the question is “Did they get what they paid for?”  I’d say the Kansas City Royals management is feeling pretty good about themselves right now, ranking #18 out of 30 for highest salaries and still  producing the top American League team in the nation.

RANK TEAM CURRENT DIFF AVG SALARY
1 Dodgers $241,128,402 $ – $7,778,335
2 Yankees $208,830,659 $ – $8,031,948
3 Phillies $179,521,056 $ – $5,791,001
4 Tigers $163,078,526 $ – $5,824,233
5 Red Sox $154,380,395 $ – $5,717,792
6 Giants $148,239,158 $ – $5,490,339
7 Nationals $134,366,735 $ – $4,798,811
8 Rangers $132,491,596 $ – $4,140,362
9 Blue Jays $129,427,700 $ – $4,793,618
10 Angels $128,046,500 $ – $4,415,396
11 Reds $112,378,771 $ – $3,405,417
12 Diamondbacks $111,798,833 $ – $3,726,627
13 Cardinals $108,020,360 $ – $3,857,870
14 Orioles $105,084,121 $ – $3,389,810
15 Brewers $102,724,338 $ – $3,804,605
16 Rockies $99,579,071 $ – $3,688,113
17 Braves $97,855,673 $ – $3,156,634
18 Royals $90,481,500 $ – $3,351,166
19 Padres $89,881,695 $ – $2,899,409
20 White Sox $89,551,982 $ – $3,316,740
21 Mariners $89,539,642 $ – $3,087,573
22 Twins $84,912,500 $ – $3,396,500
23 Mets $84,281,011 $ – $3,121,518
24 Indians $82,500,800 $ – $3,055,585
25 Rays $82,035,490 $ – $2,828,810
26 Pirates $77,845,999 $ – $2,883,185
27 Athletics $77,220,900 $ – $2,490,996
28 Cubs $74,546,356 $ – $2,662,369
29 Astros $44,985,800 $ – $1,606,635
30 Marlins $41,836,900 $ – $1,549,514

“GAME ON” ~ The Truth comes Out!

The Royal Giants

The Royal Giants

“I’m a baseball fan first, and a Giants fan second”. You’ve heard it over and over again right here on this blog and no matter what anyone says I meant it. I meant it when I said it, and I mean it now, but to tell you the truth this World Series stuff was getting right down to the wire when I realized I knew everything about the Giants and nothing about the Royals. Due diligence required I take a crash course in Royalspedia and I’ve been doing my best.

For example, I know the Kansas City Royals team are faster than lightening, I mean, not just the runners, but the entire team. Even the mascot. Scary stuff. Well, maybe not the mascot so much. But they lead all of Major League Baseball in stolen bases and they even run to first base on a walk. They also have not only one, but three starters in a lights-out bullpen.   And all week long I’ve been playing that “Kansas City Here I Come” song in my head.  It won’t go away, just over and over again.

So now that I’m feeling a little more knowledgeable about the  Kansas City Royals It sort of gives me a sense of kinship with both teams  and I’m appreciating the true competitive nature of this series, something that was eluding me before.

Bum & Morse

Bum & Morse

But this morning I’m hearing that the Giants have named Michael Morse as the Designated Hitter for the series and I’m just a little in shock.  For some reason I’ve had this feeling all along the DH should be Madison Bumgarner.  Not to take anything away from Morse who should, by all accounts, be named the happiest most fun-loving and most cordial of all the Giants team members.  He’s my pick for Mr. Congeniality anyhow.

But imagine if Bum were to pitch a no-hitter and hit a grand slam in the same game…….and in a World Series game to boot, the thought of the thrill of it is overwhelming!  And it could happen!  But not if he’s warming the bench on offense.

So there it is.  The lady’s gonna politely clap for a Royal good play,  but her fingers will always be crossed for that  Giant triumph.

“Those Classy Cardinals” Not the fans ……Not this year…..

Ishikawa Game Ending HR

Ishikawa Game Ending HR

Wow!  After reveling in happiness of the Giants really, really long-shot of making it,once again to the World Series, I was very quickly yanked back to reality this morning when a respected website brought my attention to “way too many” tweets posted by some very misguided Cardinal fans last night.   Maybe it’s the sign of the times, the state of our country, the desperate need to find something good in our lives.  Whatever the reason, it doesn’t reflect well on the St Louis Cardinal fans.

Those Classy Cards

Those Classy Cards

Back in 2011 I posted a blog about “Those Classy Cardinals” and I meant it.  It was one of my favorite postings.  They’d been voted the best fans in Major League Baseball and there was a reason for it.  They were knowledgeable and they were polite and they were one of my favorite teams. Busch Stadium has been on my bucket list of places to visit ever since.   My least favorite team was the Phillies and it was also because of the fans.  They were nasty and hateful not only in their tweets and blogs but also when you visited their stadium as evidenced by the Giants entry into the playoffs and their treatment of Tim Lincecum and others.

This is worse.  I’ve always tried to make this a kid-friendly blog because, after all, isn’t that what baseball’s all about?  But I’m sure not above linking to it and here it is in case you want a dose of early morning reality, Baseball’s Best Fans.  Yeah, right.

This World Series is historic in that it’s the first World Series that will be played by two Wild Card teams each with under 90 wins in the regular season.  I’m a baseball fan first, and a SF Giants fan second.  And,to tell you the truth, I know squat about the Kansas City Royals.  But no matter how the series goes, the best team, for this year, in this series, is going to win.  And not because the umpires made a bad call or the pitcher(s) weren’t spot on, or someone’s out on the DL.  It’s because the best team always wins.  And if you’re such a sorry individual you can’t take it and it’s too much for you because it wasn’t your team who prevailed, well suck it up.  This is baseball and it’s not for the faint of heart.  It’s for the love of the game ……whether you like it or not.

GO GIANTS AND GO ROYALS!  May the best team win ….. and they will.

Note:  To clarify that last paragraph.  The tweets that were posted on that site, and there were hundreds of them, were so vile, so full of hatred and bigotry, and spewed such filth it made them almost unintelligible.  You would almost have to have read it to understand my response.  However, the powers-that-be took the blog down within minutes of my posting so that it’s no longer available, and that’s a good thing.   I’m even a little embarrassed that I tried to share it with you in the first place, it was that bad.

Madison Bumgarner’s big error not all his fault

Bums Error to 3rd

Bums Error to 3rd

Photo Courtesy JEFF CHIU/AP

Classy guy this Madison Bumgarner.  I read the article this morning from Baggs about why in the world Bumgarner, with his 20 straight games – no- runs stat this year, would throw the ball away with such purpose and intensity ending in such disastrous results.

This article explains it well. Evidently his catcher, Buster Posey, yelled “three, three, three” at him and since Buster calls the shots and usually knows best, Bum instinctively threw it to third, or at least threw it AT third. When asked what Buster was yelling at him, he refused to incriminate Buster, instead saying you’ll have to ask Buster about that.

In the end Bum’s classic response; ” Doesn’t matter. He didn’t tell me to throw it to left field”. Class act you say? And I’d say you’re probably right.  And now on to Game 4.

Giants vs Nats Game 2…..If only!

Baseball Surprises!

Baseball Surprises!

Take a look at Matthew Pouliot’s Hardball Talk take on the 18 inning playoff game between the Nats and the Giants yesterday.  Matt’s saying, basically,  the Nats would have won if they’d left Zimmerman in the game in the 9th.

Well, this is the most ridiculous post I’ve ever read on Hardball or pretty much anywhere.  If only.  If only…..woulda, coulda, shoulda.  Poor dears.  Are you nuts? If only Sandoval had gotten a two run homer in the 3rd.  If only Zimmerman had another 3 strikeouts, if only Hudson had pitched a no-hitter.  If only Posey had been safe at the plate, ……. yada, yada, yada.

This is baseball and  “if only’s” don’t count. The Giants won because they outlasted the Nats.  Pretty simple really.  Someone had to win.

Now on to Game 3 at AT&T Park and may the best team win. Oh, and by the way, congratulations to the SF Giants for their Game 2 win over the Washington Nats because it’s baseball and someone had to win. In my humble opinion, of course!

Mad Bum Out of the Box and, Please … No More Bunts!

Madison Bumgarner , the Pitcher

Madison Bumgarner , the Pitcher

Madison Bumgarner, The Hitter!  (Photo Courtesy Getty Images)

Madison Bumgarner, The Hitter! (Photo Courtesy Getty Images)

I love this guy! What about this? To Bruce Bochy: How about putting Bum in left field on his days off?  That will get him in the line-up and God knows we can sure use him. AND NO MORE BUNTING PLEASE!

Madison Bumgarner’s a cowboy, down on the farm, strong as an ox type guy. He can do this. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to let him get that pitch count up there a little more either.

I mean, seriously, we’re getting down to the wire here and it’s never too late to think outside the box.  Just saying …….

And take a look at another take on the subject from Hardball Talk.  Great stuff!

 

 

 

Video: Yasiel Puig made a fantastic throw last night to nail Brandon Belt at the plate

That Pesky Puig just won’t go away. I was trying to explain this play to someone today, but nothing I could say did it justice.  It was just one of those plays dreams are made of.  Thanks to Hardball talk here’s an instant replay ….. if MLB will let us use it for awhile and not delete it.

Name Origins of all 30 Major League Baseball Teams

Cincinnati Red Stockings.  1st Professional Baseball Team

Cincinnati Red Stockings. 1st Professional Baseball Team

Cincinnati Red Stockings Photo Courtesy “www.todayifoundout.com” Daven Hiskey.

I “Stumbled” on this great post that lists the origins of all 30 Major League Baseball Teams.  It appears the Boston Red Sox hold the oldest named team dating back to the 1860’s, popularized by the Cincinnati Red Stockings from 1867-1870 and used by Boston’s National League franchise from 1871-1876.

But the actual team name origin that’s  with the same team is the San Francisco Giants, formerly the New York Giants, that dates back to 1885.    

Read the original Post  Stumbleupon.com, written by Scott Allen. 

 

Clayton Kershaw wins his 20th game of the season

National League All-Star pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw watch the Home Run Derby Monday July 15, 2013, at Citi Field in NY. Photo by SF Giants/Andy Kuno

National League All-Star pitchers Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw watch the Home Run Derby Monday July 15, 2013, at Citi Field in NY. Photo by SF Giants/Andy Kuno

I love this guy! Okay, so I’m a Giants fan, but who can argue with the stats? Not to take anything away from Madison Bumgarner, but Clayton Kershaw rocks and if we don’t make it (and things aren’t looking too good right now) I’m cheering for the Dodger blue. Well, at least for the rest of the season.   And I’m trying to figure out how the Giants are going to be able to acquire Kershaw while keeping Bumgarner.  Yes, I know.   One thing at a time.

Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow has a degenerative muscle disease

Mike Krukow, on the left, and Duane Kuiper

Mike Krukow, on the left, and Duane Kuiper

This is sad news. I’ve been following baseball forever but I’ve learned more about the game from listening to Mike Krukow, the Giants color analyst, than from any other source. Mike has such a quick wit about him with his nightly “grab some pine meat!” and pitch-by-pitch comments. So much so it’s necessitated an actual “Kructionary” website. See Baseball Almanac‘s take on Kruk and his illuminary sayings.

DAN UGGLA’S BURYING THE HATCHET!

2nd Baseman Dan Uggla in action!

2nd Baseman Dan Uggla in action!

Is this the same DAN UGGLA that helped Jonathan Sanchez clear the dugouts during the 2010 playoffs with Atlanta? Oops!  Sorry…..that was Chase Utley.  I always get those guys mixed up. But it’s nice to see Danny’s burying the hatchet (Atlanta Braves lingo) in case this might have been an issue.

Here’s his stat’s from Wikipedia.  Welcome to San Francisco Dan Uggla ~ after a hopefully short stint with the Fresno Grizzlies, that is :)).

 

Born: March 11, 1980 (age 34)
Louisville, Kentucky
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 3, 2006 for the Florida Marlins
Career statistics
(through July 15, 2014)
Batting average .244
Hits 1,127
Home runs 233
Runs batted in 690
On-base percentage .337
Teams
Career highlights and awards