So, the Giants didn’t do so well during their run of top competition. This isn’t as unusual as you might think. Often, the good teams beat you up in their house, and you beat them up in yours. The only team that is beating up the Giants everywhere is the Padres, who are making a run at best record in baseball right now, so, you gotta take their dominance with a grain of salt.
The Giants are gonna face off against the D’backs, then the Rockies, the Dodgers, and then take another crack at the D’backs. In fact, the Giants have as easy a finishing schedule as any team in the league. Seven games against the Padres, and the rest of their games are against teams with mediocrity written all over them, the Dodgers, Cubs, Rockies, Brewers and D’backs.
The Padres have a slightly more challenging schedule, with one series each against Cincinnati and the Cardinals added into the seven games against the Giants.
So, if you’re rooting for the Giants to win, they should. If you are hoping that a collapse will get us a new regime, well, if they do collapse with this easy a finishing sked, it probably will.
UPDATE: Well, that was just horrific. For those of you hoping for a regime change, if it happens, you can thank Lincecum, because, if the Giants fail to make the postseason this year, you can pretty much point to Lincecum’s last eight starts, in which he’s allowed an astounding 32 runs, not to mention having given up at least three runs before the end of the third inning in each of his last five games; all the while insisting that he doesn’t want to ask his Dad to help him figure out why he’s lost five miles and twelve inches off his fastball.
Fine, He’s been outrageous for most of the last three seasons. He deserves a little slack. I get it.
But, if you’re the Giants, and you just ponyed up $21 million, and your team is in the running for its first postseason game in five years, (or is it six?), I think you have the right to insist that your employee consider the needs of the team over his desire for independence. Lincecum has no command of his fastball whatsoever. He’s throwing it 89-91, instead of 94-96, and nowhere near the plate.
Listening to Bochy’s postgame interview, you can tell that he has no idea why Lincecum can’t find the plate. None. An organization that allows this kind of flailing to continue is just one more indication of how poorly the Giants are run. Between Sandoval weighing 270 pounds, and Lincecum’s unwillingness to seek out the help that he needs, the two players the Giants were most counting on this year have been essentially about 60% of themselves. Other than Posey, who the announcers are now telling us is hurt, the Giants best young players are apparently out of shape, unwilling to accept coaching, and absolutely killing this team.
And, by the way, if Posey is hurt, then I really do look like Nostradamus, because I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again:
Buster Posey is too good a hitter to be behind the plate.
For the month of August, he’s running out a .283/.333/.435 .768 OPS line, with 2 home runs in 92 at-bats. Gee, I wonder if he’s a little banged up?
A couple of other notes:
For the month of August, Uribe is batting .233, with 2 home runs in 73 at-bats. Aubrey Huff has 2 home runs in 82 at-bats.
Ernie,
I think I may have figured it out. We’ll see.
Cool beans John! Hate for my home away from home to become infested like a roach motel
there are tons of third party programs that can stop the spammers
but i take it you are looking for a hands free one, so you wont have to waste time moderating
the only way we see a regime change at season’s end is if bow tie is a serious owner…unlike pink pete
we are about to watch a collapse of epic proportions
timmy is done…and zito has returned to his old crappy self
and the reality of having a defense full of holes is rearing its ugly head
this team is not going to the playoffs
no team that gets spanked two games in a row by this years snakes is going to the playoffs
and to me the change is rather obvious…although the brain trust should interview as many people as possible
i make evans the new gm and decker the new manager
i know that success in the minors means little in the bigs….but at every level, decker has gotten the best out of what he has been given…and that include this season….
I’ll try to be brief. From every level starting in t-ball up through little league, babe ruth, american legion, connie mack, high school, juco, div II, div I college programs, who the head coach/manager is a huge criteria.
Successful players want to play for successful head coaches/managers. Successful guys with a reputation for running winning programs is what attracts top tier talent.
Alou and Bochy have had mediocre results as managers. Alou .503 win percentage primarily the result of the first two years in SF where he had Bakers players. Other than that he was a world class loser. Bochy, even with his two playoff teams in San Diego is a career 35 games under .500 at .493. Neither of these guys is hoser bad. They are slightly below average; which is what the Giants have become in spite of their sensational July record of 21-5.
The Giants have been, are, and will continue to be a little bit over average, a little bit under average, and just plain average, depending on what season you wish to look at since the Baker-Bonds era.
And right now it seems everything is falling apart. Lincecum, Zito, Posey, Sandoval, the bad free agent signings of DeRosa, Sanchez, Rowand, Renteria are all roosting at the worst possible time. This is the time of the year where real leadership can get things turned around in a hurry. Company guys like Bochy continue to play favorites and adhere to time-worn methods and not rock the boat. The results always turn out the same. Maintain the illusion of doing something, but really don’t do anything outside of the business plan.
+mia abd Unc Joe,
Great Posts…total agreement. In a rush at moment and will post again later.
Not tryng to pile on…But, thought I’d like to give one of the worst Gigantes one week performance in it’s history by a pitcher. Yes Indeed…It is Mr. Zito…or should that be Zero.
3 g 8.1 ip 16 r 15 er 8 bb 6 so 16.66 era
No further comment.
The guy needs to spend more time on his mental preparation and focus…and less time on his appearance(hair and uni). Absolutely no mental toughness…and it shows.
But, what can you expect from a guy you was handed the rip cords to a golden parachute w/o having performances clauses. Just no fire…or burning desire in him to win at all costs.
Say adios.
And Timmy needs to cut that fucking hair…get a noew look…and show his team he’s willing to make the adjustments.
Sorry Gents for the typo’s and errors in previous post.
Actually Zito gave up 17 runs…and forgot to add the main stat….0-3.
Hopefully we salvage one today.
Correction.
Fucking blind and ignorant w/o my spec’s.
Zito’s one week debacle
0-3 w/l 8.1 ip 16 h 15 r 13 er 8 bb 6 so 14.44 era
Sorry…I’m as lame as Zito today.
You reminded me of something Scott. Lincecum’s personal appearance. A lot of non-baseball folks seem put off by criticism of Lincecum’s personal appearance. Baseball cruelly punishes those that try to be unique. Baseball is built around codes and being the same. Notice the plethora of necklaces, the wide brim hats pulled low, to the “Clemens Cut” Bonds style long pants.
Players are like monkeys, they all imitate one another. Great effort is put into looking like everybody else and fitting in. There’s clowning to be sure, but baseball is a serious business. Being different doesn’t help. As much as I love Bill Lee, going all counter culture didn’t help his career one bit. It made him popular, but it hurt him on the field. Non-conformists are targeted, and this game is so goddamn hard at that level, bringing negative attention to yourself does not help. It may make you popular in the media or with fans, but guys that develop a reputation for drawing attention to themselves don’t do themselves any favors.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the kid, but like all kids, at some point if you don’t grow up, you will be left behind.
John:
How about killing the above pingbacks.
New Regime or Playoffs? That’s a tough choice.
I think I’ll take playoffs, as it’s just so damn exciting to watch the Giants play in October!
I think there is little if any chance of Giants ownership changing regimes. They’re fat and happy and “competitive” with a full house and compliant media. Neukom didnt’ get to where he was by being a boat-rocking aggressive risk taking winner take all kind of guy.
Gians fans are stuck. So hope they win.
I’m pretty much disgusted, as you can tell by the whole phony organization