It's May, Let's Review the 2008 Giants

Looking at the numbers, and the numbers do not lie, as we enter the sixth week of the 2008 major league baseball season this may be what Giants' fans should become accustomed to seeing from the orange and black.

Currently the Giants have three players with at least 4 home runs. As expected, Benjito Molina and Aaron Rowand are leading the way with a surprise, up until now, John Bowker. Veteran Richie Aurilia and young Freddie Lewis are at 3, with mound stud Matt Cain all alone with 2.

Seven players have double-digit RBI's. Molina-20, Rowand-16, Jose Castillo-14, Randy Winn-13, Bowker-12, Aurilia-11 and Lewis-10.

Seven players have scored a double-digit number of runs. Fred Lewis-22, Castillo, Winn-16, Rowand-15, Eugenio "Cheesy Cheetah" Velez and Bengie Molina- 11, Emmanuel Burriss -10. (Ray Durham is at 9 runs scored.)

Seven (7) players have at least 4 stolen bases. Cheesy Velez-8, Winn-6, Lewis-5, Ray Durham, Emmanuel Burriss-4 (Brian Bocock and Rajai Davis also had 4. Davis is now with the Oakland A's and Bocock in Fresno, so he could add to his total later in the season.)

So far the 17W 23-L Giants have been a pleasant surprise. And as you can see by the numbers they are getting contributions from many players. It's lucky sevens so far, from the 2008 San Francisco Giants/Gigantes.

News and Notes********************

On May 12, 2008, in the San Diego Padres game they replaced starter Randy Wolf with Sean Henn. Not a good combination, right? Yes, you'd be right. Wolf was credited with allowing 7 runs while Henn allowed 5.

This day in history...(May 14) On this day in 1994, pitcher Paul Shuey struck out 4 batters in an inning, the first rookie to this in American League history. (It was Shuey's second game in the majors.)

Paul Kenneth Shuey, born in Lima, Ohio, was a first-round selection by the Cleveland Indians in the 1992 amateur draft. He was the second overall pick.

He also has the dubious distinction of being the only pitcher in American League history to have allowed the thirtieth (30) run to score in a game when his pitch was grooved into Ramon Vasquez' sweet spot for a home run on August 22, 2007.

Kevin Marquez

Tim Lincecum a.k.a. The Franchise

After yesterday's performance at AT&T Park, which made his record an impressive 5W-1L, with a 1.61 ERA, the Giants' young right-hander, Tim Lincecum, is fast becoming recognized as the Franchise of your San Francisco Giants.

You hear it mentioned over and over how when a particular pitcher is scheduled to pitch, those days are generally regarded as win days because that's how his teammates feel about their chances when this pitcher starts. This is the kind of positive energy The Franchise has created in his short time with the Giants.

The young hurler who made his debut last season, on the birthday of the organization's best player and arguably one of baseball's greatest ever, Willie Mays, will be just 24 years of age on June 15, 2008.

His only loss was on the receiving end of what could be considered, by baseball fans, the worst call EVER made by an umpire in major league history. On a time-out call that was waved off only to call a balk on Lincecum, which brought in the lead run from third base, this Giants' fan was wishing the fans in attendance could re-create what takes place in The Plaza del Pueblo in Bunol, Spain, on the last Wednesday of every August. That's when La Tomatina - the world's largest tomato fight- happens.

I doubt major league baseball would approve but I propose on Orange days/nights at AT&T, all Giants' fans could bring a supply of tomatoes and only after a vote was taken, by way of the large scoreboard, if it was determined that an umpire made a game-changing call against the orange and black, then at the count down (ten, nine, eight, seven,...) fans could unleash their supply of love apples on that bum in blue.

(thanks to ESPN mag for the info on La Tomatina)

Kevin Marquez

7th Inning Stretch

Harry Caray, the Bud man who was a Cub's Fan, popularized the 7th inning with his rendition of Take Me Out to the Ball Game. But I wanted to see the origin of the Stretch. And as you can bet, aside from Wikipedia, there are tales (referred to as myths) about the Stretch.

The man credited with bringing baseball to Manhattan college in the late 1800s was Brother Jasper of Mary F.S.C. (Institute of the Brothers of Christian Schools).

As the story goes, it was a hot muggy day in 1882 when during the seventh inning against a semi-pro team (the Metropolitans) Brother Jasper noticed the fans becoming restless. To break the tension, he called a time-out in the game and instructed everyone in the bleachers to stand up and unwind.

A popular myth is that our 27th president, William Howard Taft, at a Washington Senators game in 1910, felt sore in his backside and decided to stand up and stretch. Upon seeing the chief executive stand, the rest of the spectators in attendance felt obligated to join the commander-in-chief in a little stretch of their own.

For some reason the image I get, when I try to picture this day in history, is the Mel Brooks character, in History of the World Part 1, as he does the rap song for the soundtrack of that popular movie, entitled
It's Good to Be King.

(thanks to Wikipedia)

Kevin Marquez

On the Outside Looking In

In the most recent Sporting News magazine (the one with a wrap-up on the 2008 NFL Draft) Todd Jones, the reliever/closer for the Detroit Tigers had something to say that I wish he had not. Because it'll make anything he says from this time forward have less impact.

He basically gives thanks for his stay in the major leagues and reflects on some of the things that have happened during his tenure. And for all intense purposes he comes across as very grateful. That is, up until he lays this egg-on ME-

Baseball is more uniform now. Umpires adhere to one governing body of accountability. Used to be, they could be fat, pompous pigs- routinely out of position- and eject you with no warning and hold a grudge. Now, they're polite and treat you with respect, and we have a much better rapport with them.

Maybe it's me, but Todd Jones' statement about the umpires really makes me feel like I'm on the outside looking in. And this brown-nosing statement does nothing to educate his readers of how it really is-between the lines of play in the big leagues- only that it's best we do what we can to cover our butts... just in case.

None of what he says is what I'm gathering in from my perspective. Whether it be the box seats, couch or barstool. The only truth to his "wink-wink" to the umpires was that there are no National League umpires and American League umpires (with their pillowy chest protectors). But the 'treating players with respect,' I'm just not getting that vibe! Am I alone in this assessment of major league umpires?

Any time I hear a reference to the word respect I think of the late comedian, Rodney Dangerfield. And with his comedy you got the feeling that 'No Respect' were the veritable words to describe his life. But as for saying a group of attitudes-in-need-of-adjustment treating you with respect, well Todd Jones those are just words. You don't mean it. You're just covering your butt for some game down the road when you don't have good stuff.

Kevin Marquez

Wink of an Eye

I know this is a blog for the San Francisco Giants but after watching Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoffs between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars and the effort the players on each team put forth I have to acknowledge them in some way.

We have to support those players who give of themselves on and off the field and present themselves in a professional, sportsmanlike manner. It is important that we, the fans, realize Nice Guys Finish Last because in the sporting world everybody is trying to find the edge to gain the advantage over their opponent so foul play is often more common than fair play.

Throughout the playoffs, the Sharks took the approach of execution within the rules while both Calgary and Dallas shook that off by aggressively attacking the rules and seeing what they were able to get away with. As the series extended into another game they were able to determine what was being called and what was not called.

Last night was proof that Dallas was getting away with all kinds of interference and late hits in a 1-1 quadruple overtime. Unfortunately, there wasn't a thing the Sharks could do about it except to try to overcome this miscarriage of justice and hope the puck would bounce their way. That had been how the series had been called and the officials weren't about to change how they were interpretting their decisions this late into the series.

This is how it will be for the young, scrappy, San Francisco Giants. Umpires will not give them the benefit of the doubt but most likely will give their opponent the benefit of the doubt. Something about a christening into the big leagues. (All rookies must go through. Funny how that is, because the umpires don't have to go through any such thing. But as good as umpires have it, and believe you me they have it pretty good, I still don't see or hear too many little kids aspiring to be an umpire. Thank God for small favors!)

Like these words to Jackson Browne's "The Pretender"

they say in the end its the wink of an eye...

Caught between the longing for love
And the struggle for the legal tender
Where the sirens sing and the church bells ring
And the junk man pounds his fender
Where the veterans dream of the fight
Fast asleep at the traffic light
And the children solemnly wait
For the ice cream vendor
Out in the cool of the evening
Strolls the pretender
He knows that all his hopes and dreams
Begin and end there...

I'm going to be a happy idiot
And struggle for the legal tender
Where the ads take aim and lay their claim
To the heart and the soul of the spender
And believe in whatever may lie
In those things that money can buy
Though true love could have been a contender
Are you there?
Say a prayer for the pretender
Who started out so young and strong
Only to surrender.

(thanks to Jackson Browne, off his The Pretender album.)

Kevin Marquez

Don't Touch Me There

Before each game the announcer has a tendency to ask the pitcher, pitching coach or manager what the(ir) approach may be - Why don't they ever go to the home plate umpire to ask him what sort of strike zone he may be giving that particular day/night?????

Another thing, the announcers nowadays never hesitate to mention how a missed pitched by the home plate umpire "the pitcher started off the mound.." is a bad body-language thing for the pither. How is it a bad thing?

Yo, mister announcer, can I ask you a question? This kid on the mound has been doing that ever since he toed the slab. At this point he's doing this by rote, so it's not a thing done to show up the fragile bum behind the catcher in dark clothing. Why are you going out of your way to give the bum ump the benefit of the doubt and not the pitcher? Are the announcers and writers conditioned to kiss the ass of incompetency, which is officiating's closest -most accurate- synonym? Like the two came to some sort of agreement?

I just don't get why the umpires are such jerks about everything.
There isn't a name of an umpire,that comes to mind, who has a fun approach to the game. No Emmett Ashford's exist any more. Why? They all seem to have an over-abundance of douchebaggedness. If that's even a word. (I have a difficult time using the usual four-lettered expletives to describe these Magoos.)

Am I alone, or do you feel the same about the officiating in baseball, football, hockey, basketball, and or soccer?

In last night's game at Philadelphia, between the Giants and the Phillies, Aaron Rowland returned to the City of Brotherly Love to a roaring cheer. And he delivered a homer in extra innings that would have won the game had not Charlie Manuel blew into home plate umpire Darryl Cousin's ear.

What made Charlie Manuel's chat with Darryl Cousins so timely was that his star first-baseman, Ryan Howard, had just got tossed due to the home plate ump having a bad case of rabbit-ears. That Manuel knew exactly which buttons to push was noteworthy. Evidently, the oh so sensitive Darryl Cousins likes a little tongue-Charlie Manuelly-with his promises. Because with 2 out and a runner on, the strike zone was no longer in existence. All that mattered was how Cousins was going to finish the game standing on two feet, since he became so weak-kneed after Charlie Manuel's wet whisper.

Meanwhile, Brian "Wouldn't It Be Nice" Wilson, had to throw 5 strikes (as opposed to the rulebook 3 strikes) and on the fifth one over the dish, Pat "the Bat" Burrell deposited it into the left-field stands for a walk-off home run. That was more than Darryl Cousins could do. He needed a golf cart to be removed from the playing grounds.

Hey, the Giants are a good team to pick on. With their lack of power and abundance of rookies nobody expects them to win. It must've been in a memo to the arrogant umpires.

Such is the case for the 2008 San Francisco Giants. If you're a fan you had better get used to it or its going to seem longer than 162 games.

Kevin Marquez

That WAS the WORST Call

Harry Wendelstedt can thank Gary Darling for replacing him, from what must have seemed like the loneliest position, at the top of major league baseball's all-time bad calls list. Considering the arrogance of today's umpire, it only took 40 years for one of the worst calls to be topped.

In Harry's defense, he was a rookie. In 1968, while umpiring home plate, in a game where Don Drysdale was setting the all-time record for innings pitched without giving up a run. (Fifty-eight -58- to be exact. Orel Hershiser went 59 consecutive scoreless innings, 20 years later in 1988). So you can understand why he claims to have seen something nobody else at Chavez Ravine or planet Earth saw, the night Dick Dietz, the San Francisco Giants' slugging catcher, was ruled not to have made a valid attempt of getting out of the way of a Drysdale pitch! It never occurred to the rookie umpire that maybe the reason Don Drysdale had the scoreless innings streak was because he was fooling the hitters. Well, add the Mule (Dietz' nickname) to the list of bamboozled batters. (What makes this call so bad is that nowadays very few batters exhibit the ability to make-an-attempt to get out of the way of a pitch headed for them. Perhaps the protective gear they are wearing allows them to "hang in there" that much more.)

A youngster trying to prove he belongs over-stepped his boundaries to see to it that a record was set. It was agony for fans of the orange and black but simply marvelous for baseball statisticians, not to mention "bleeders of Dodger blue."

Then, on April 29, 2008, Gary Darling relieves Harry, father of current ump Hunter, of the dubious distinction as the umpire who made the worst call in major league history. (Almost 47 years to the day, when Willie Howard Mays, Jr., hit 4 home runs at County Stadium in Milwaukee...on April 30, 1961.)

This guy had the audacity to make the signal for a "time out" and then, as the pitcher (Tim Lincecum) obliged, he changes his intent and calls the pitcher for a "balk!" It was Darling who balked, not Lincecum.

The idea that an ump would first signal "time out" and then change his mind AND THEN CALL A BALK is without question the reason this IS the worst call in major league history.

There may be an irony here. The previous "worst" involved Hall of Famer, Don Drysdale versus the San Francisco Giants. This call, involved Tim Lincecum, of the San Francisco Giants. Maybe, in time, Lincecum will have a career worthy of Cooperstown mention. And if he does continue to make strides toward enshrinement, it permanently etches this memory -in stone- so Gary Darling can dream this -nightmare of a call- over and over until each sleepless night convinces him he was the bum who made the worst call in major league history.

Kevin Marquez