2007 World Series.. So Far it's BoSox 2-0.

As for former Giants being in the 2007 World Series, right off of the cuff I'd say Colorado has more.
In the series, so far, it's Boston Red Sox 2 Colorado Rockies 0
Not good to be a Giant these days.
Oakland Athletics...boy could the Rockies use Jack Cust now!


Kevin Marquez

We Got Pierzynski'd and Joe Blo(s)

Since 2002, when the Angels and Most Valuably Enhanced Troy Glaus (Not Barry?) defeated the Giants in the World Series, it's been a what former Giants' players are on that team, kind of thing for me.

2003- Florida Marlins. Not a matter of who the former Giants were as it was that they defeated the Gigantes to get to the next round.
2004- Boston Red Sox. Third base coach was Wendell Kim. Reliever extraordinaire was Keith Foulke. Knuckleball receiving specialist Doug Mirabelli. Sweet fielding, I don't know why they didn't retain him- Bill Mueller was a league leading hitter playing third base for these unforgettable Bosox.
2005-Chisox. WE GOT PIERZYNSKI'D !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The guy leads the free world in hitting into double plays and costs us Nathan, Bonser, Lirianes.
2006- StL Cards...All I remember from this yawnfest was that Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, two St. Louis Cardinal announcers, no matter how you slice it, were god awful.
The fact that Joe Blows and is on the FUX network was a match. His smug attitude and McCarver's insistence on filling our heads with insignificant statistics was intolerable to me.
Why? Because I already knew those insignificant stats. My head is full of tainted wonders learnt way back when I was young and impetuous.

But I digress.

I must say something about the smug, Joe Blo(s)Buck. When I was in high school, the guys and I would always howl to no end, with the mentioning of someone who thinks he knows was brought up. In high school, we all, to some degree, "think we know" or else we wouldn't be doing what we were doing. But to put that whole attitude into one word, the word would be smug.

Joe Blo(s) Buck is smug. Or you could say, "he thinks he knows."

Don't you just hate people, in positions of authority (and lead announcer of the World Series would be a pretty good place to be to educate those who are worthy of your knowledge) who have a knack for saying things that suggest the aforementioned is as obvious as the zit on your forehead?

I mean, the guy he heard -on the radio- announcing the game was his dad. He ought to know something, right?

Kevin Marquez

Smoke and Mirrors

In last night's American League Championship Series (ALCS) game at Fenway Park, October 21, 2007, the third base coach of the Cleveland Indians (Joel Skinner) chose not to wave in the speedy Kenny Lofton, even though Manny Ramirez had not yet retrieved the line drive down the third-base line hit by Casey Blake, and Lofton had rounded the third sack.

Earlier in the game Lofton had hit a ball off the Green Monster, in left field, that Manny Ramirez played nicely and threw to Dustin Pedroia but Pedroia missed Lofton with his tag. He got Lofton on the sternum, after he had already touched the bag.

This proves once again that the umpires are rarely in position to call tag plays as most settle for calling the runner out simply because the ball got to the base first.

Seems the umpires don't think that the player on the receiving end of a throw needs to tag the runner. Much the same way most defenders still go for the pump fake of a quarterback even though the QB has clearly crossed the line of scrimmage.

Stay in school kids! Because as you mature and you learn the finer points of the game and if you enjoy the sport enough to become a fan you will, at some point in time, learn that it's all done with smoke and mirrors.

Kevin Marquez

Garrett Broshuis

Garrett Brohuis is in the Giants' farm system. He was drafted out of the University of Missouri and is 24-years old.

He has a blog that offers his opinions on the trials and tribulations of minor league baseball.
This may be worth checking out, for all of you Gigante loving fans.

But know this, while in Double-A, with the Eastern League Connecticut Defenders, he posted a 3-W and 17-L season, 19 1/2 games out of first place.

Don't let his statistics prevent you from checking out his blog. The blog has to be better than his pitching performance, right? With numbers like his it ought to be a laugh riot.





Kevin Marquez

There May Be Others We Don't Know About

(In memory of Barry Bonds, since the feds just can't seem to leave this guy alone nor can some bitter fans who are mad that Bonds didn't do more for the community, like mow their lawns or something. Originally sent to the SF Chronicle on 2/21/05...not to be seen by its readers.)

To all of the people employed to put in print their ideas of how they believe things are I prefer facts over speculative drivel and fancy adjectives. Or as Jon Miller has so eloquently put it, "I look at the bottom line."

Rule Number One: The fraternity that are writers, play favorites. Shoving the hatred of Barry aside, I think what Felipe Alou said should be duly noted. Said the former player then manager, "If you're good, you're good, whether it's the era of the steroids or cigars or hot dogs or beer or amphetamines or red juice or whiskey," Alou said: "Some of these guys whose names have been accused of (steroids) have gone into the (toilet) while a guy like Barry continues to play.

"Of all the names that came out, only one guy (Bonds) was an MVP last year. There is a big gap between Barry and everyone else, just like there was a big gap between the Babe and everyone else."

Back in the mid-1960s there was a left-hander from Brooklyn, New York who was the best but it took some time for his skills to be recognized by those other than his team and mates. If I flashed some statistics you can see the mediocrity become phenomenal.

1960: 8W 13L 3.91 ERA 37-Games 7-Complete games 175-Innings pitched 197-K's
1961: 18W 13L 3.52 ERA 42-games 15-complete games 255-innings pitched 269-K's
1962: 14W 7L 2.54 ERA 28-games 11-complete games 184.1 innings pitched 216-K's
1963: 25W 5L 1.88 ERA 40-games 20-complete games 311-innings pitched 306-K's

Jumping from 175 innings to 311 seems very precipitous. He used ointments and liniments to soothe his aching arm and joints.

One might say his efforts were heroic. But maybe, just maybe, some undetectable chemical was in the players' choice of ointments and or liniments?

In 1965, he pitched in 335 and 2/3 innings, striking out a record 382 batters versus 71 walks issued, just 3 years after hurling 184.1 innings.

The pitcher I am referring to is Sandy Koufax.

The aforementioned statistics are stand-by-themselves awesome. As are Barry's since he has worn the orange and black. I don't accuse Sandy Koufax of cheating nor do I want to take anything away from Koufax by inserting an asterisk. But looking at his numbers, what if?


Kevin Marquez

Note: Proving that getting a win, for a starting pitcher, may be the most difficult thing to accomplish statistically I'll post the World Series stats of Sandy Koufax.

1959 W-0 L-1 ERA 1.00 G-2 IP- 9 BB-1 K-7
1963 W-2 L-0 ERA 1.50 G-2 IP-18 BB-3 K-23 Complete Games-2
1965 W-2 L-1 ERA 0.38 G-3 IP-24 BB-5 K-29 Complete Games-2
1966 W-0 L-1 ERA 1.50 G-1 IP-6 BB-2 K-2
Totals W-4 L-3 ERA-0.95 G-8 IP-57 BB-11 K-61 CG-4

AL has history...NL making history

Cleveland Indians versus the Boston Red Sox. Tris Speaker vs Cy Young. Bob Feller vs Ted Williams. Jim Longborg vs Luis Tiant. (Of course, El Tiante was an ace for the Red Sox after the Indians let him go. Also, Dennis Eckersly was on both teams as well.) And now it's: C.C. Sabathia vs Tim Wakefield, Fausto Carmona vs. Josh Beckett, Paul Byrd vs Daisuke Matsuzaka.



Colorado Rockies versus Arizona Diamondbacks... D'backs have one World Series ring in their short history...Rockies have never advanced as far as the Championship series.

The team in the rarified air back in the days of the Blake Street Bombers: Dante Bichette, Andres Galarraga, Larry Walker and Vinny Castilla were quite a lineup. But today's lineup of Matt Holliday, Todd Helton, Garrett Atkins, Troy Tulowitzki, Yorvit Torreabla, Kaz Matsui, Willy Taveras and Brad Hawpe now have some pitching to go along with their limitless hitting. Jeff Francis, Josh Fogg and Aaron Cook get the Rocks into the late innings for the bullpen to hold down the fort.

But Arizona has a steady corps of hot prospects showing they belong in the majors. BJ Upton's little bro, J.D. Drew's little bro, El Duque's little bro all belong on the D'back roster. They also have the best story without steriod implications...Micah Owings. A left-handed pitcher who hits like Babe Ruth. And one cannot say anything about the Arizona Diamondbacks if they don't tip their caps to Eric Byrnes. A player of such effort that it has spread throughout the clubhouse as well as between the lines. Arizona leads the league in beating out infield hits, a bi-product of Byrnzie's hustle.

It is of interest that Game One at Bank One Ballpark is not a sellout. Probably because there is so much to do in the valley of the sun. If you figure baseball is one of man's favorite sports next to woman, this may help one deduce why there is a lack of attendance.

In this college environment there is a large contingency of the male population whose focus is on those hotties who kneel and bob versus being at the B.O.B. to watch the National League Championship Series. Or is it that they care more about the talent on-the-pole than between the foul poles? It's possible that there are as many people who could name the starting lineup of the D'baby backs as can name those baby's who got back at the numerous night clubs throughout the valley of the sun. A place that just may be hotter when the sun goes down!!

So sit back, grab a cold one and tune into these championship series games. They ought to be fun ballgames to watch. Not as fun as what is happening in the neighborhood of the B.O.B. but you always have spring training (Scottsdale, AZ) in March to make up for some time lost.

Kevin Marquez

PostSeason on the Airwaves

For the past couple of months I have gone without cable television. I guess that puts me in Gilligan's Island territory since most people in the free world have cable television, or so it seems. But as a baseball enthusiast I really need to get a feel for what is taking place by the very descriptive styles of some of baseball's best play-by-play announcers.

Doing the Yankees/Indians series is Jon Miller and Dusty Baker.
There's a rapport here that really has a good feel to it and makes listening all the more enjoyable.

Buck Martinez, an excellent color-commentator, has a real knack for calling something ahead of time and usually his insight is a bullseye. He's doing the Cubs/Diamondbacks games.

There hasn't been a broadcast of the Phillies/Rockies games that has aired on ESPN radio, at least for this neck of the woods so I don't know who was selected for that series.

And the Red Sox/Angels I cannot recall who the play-by-play guys are but they are both very good at letting you know what will happen before it occurs. I suppose, if you do not know the names of the people behind the voices and yet you listen still says a lot about the broadcasters.
Oh, I just remembered, Dave Campbell is the color commentator. The guy they call "Soup" has a flair for broadcasting and as with all of these voices on the airwaves is very good at what he does.

Good broadcasting cannot be beaten by HD television because it allows you to use your imagination. And while the listener doesn't need a whole lot of information to paint the picture the timely elements of suggestions brought on by guys who have done more than play the game, they studied the game. Knowledgeable broadcasters help the listeners adjust their way of hearing what might be expected by offering key points of insight. The listener may or may not have even thought of the scenario but after the listener thinks about who it is trying to execute such plays it makes perfect sense. The more you get well-thought-out reasons for why players are doing what they are doing you begin to think along those lines and it makes the game even more enjoyable.

The thing about baseball is that it never gets old learning new ways to make things happen. It helps you with your own efforts when it's your turn to play.

Baseball, ya gotta love it!

Kevin Marquez