The NFL world goes back to hibernation as the draft wonks fade back into obscurity and Mel Kiper’s head goes back into cold storage til next March.
Still perplexed over the drafting of Kaelon Black in the 3rd round, but hey, what’s another wasted pick on a reach for an RB that may just end up a special teamer? Then again, 3rd round LB pick last year, Nick Martin is merely a special teams guy as well. Nothing wrong with a strong special teams, but I sure would have drafted a center or guard before that, as we could have gotten this guy or someone like him in the 4th.
All the rest of the guys? I just hope Cruz sticks around. We need more better bodies on the O line.
And hey, those (s)crappy Giants are making their early season push to .500!
Once again, the major acquisitions Devers and Adames are struggling mightily out of the gate. Arraez is simply killing it, and Casey at the Schmitt is crushing the ball all over the place. Harrison Bader is the latest hologram who may just vanish into thin air soon. And the stellar upgrade of the pitching staff (Mahler and Houser) has careened into a ditch.
That being said, Landon Roupp has been outstanding, and Ray and Webb are holding their own so far. The pen is pretty much Vitello throwing darts as far as I can tell. But he IS using the strategy put forth by some over on the Flap that you use your closer in earlier situations should they present themselves that way. Like top 7, 2 on, 1 out. Bring in the closer. You know, out the best guy into the situation that warrants it.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
Aaaaaaand Walker gags up the win for Webb. Maybe this closer by committee isn’t a very good idea.
Walker wanted the job, but that ain’t the way to do it.
Goddamn, so sick of Walker. Wasted Webb’s best game this season, and with Doogie next, we’re looking at getting swept.
Fuck Walker as John Lithgow would say in Cliffhanger “Damm you Walker”the Closer should be Caleb Killian Red when will Vitello ever get that?
Fucking Webb pitched his ass off to not get a win and get Cained again!
we had our opportunity to add on in the 9th but Chapman couldn’t it done.
hey, couldn’t watch or listen today. How close to going out was Lee’s fly to left in the 8th?
12th Man, preface by saying I am overly influenced by what the 49ers did in the 1980s and early to mid 1990s. Coupled with my favorite team, the Giants finally winning not 1, not 2, but 3 WS trophies in 2010, 2012, and 2014. In effect, it really pains me to see the ineptitude of the Giants specifically, not so much because I want them to win another WS, but because THEY DON’T EVEN COMPETE ANYMORE. That’s despicable in my mind because they are almost as rich as the Dodgers and Yankees . . . Ergo, they should be able to suit up a team that is better than .500 every year.
I digress though . . . You are unequivocally right about not getting rid of Shanahan. I may not like him, but at least year in and year out, the Niners compete for a SB. He obviously has a lot to do with that happening.
Again, I am just beyond frustrated about my Giants and it influences what I say about other teams I love in the SF Bay Area, particularly when I was present when these teams were dynasties. Thank you for sharing that post in the previous thread. 🙂
Missed the game but blown saves is nothing new to Walker and I know every closer has some blown games. However Walker sometimes has strings of em and that is the scary part.
Sad to hear that David Allen Coe passed. I really liked a lot of his stuff. RIP
Well, Blade, I’m not optimistic about Shanahan as being able to get this team over the top. I’d love to be wrong but Shanny will not relinquish any power he currently has. I mean fuck, even Bill Walsh stepped out of the GM role to the betterment of the team.
The 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023 teams were better than last year’s. Even fully healthy. 2021 was railroaded by Purdy’s injury but the other 3 were undone by Shanahan being clueless about clock management, being conservative when he shouldn’t have been, and then getting wimpy when he should have been aggressive.
2023 is especially galling as we were a lot better than the goddamn Chiefs. And then Shanahan totally blows the OT coin flip. Losing Greenlaw had a lot to do with the loss, but Shanny bears a lot of the blame.
ESPN says this about . . .
5 “Breakout Pitchers”
Landen Roupp, SP, San Francisco Giants: The 27-year-old Roupp, never a top prospect after joining the Giants in the 12th round of the 2021 draft, has the best curveball in the NL this side of Nolan McLean and Paul Skenes. He gets beaucoup ground balls and, with the aid of Oracle Park’s dimensions, keeps the ball in the park. In a rotation with Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, he has been the best of the bunch and should be a midrotation staple for years to come.
5 “Breakout Hitters”
Giants have 0 on this list.
5 “Players to be concerned about”
Rafael Devers, 1B, San Francisco Giants: Devers sports the lowest in-zone contact rate in MLB at 68.7%. And while hitters can find success with so much swing-and-miss on strikes — Devers often finds himself near the top of the leaderboard in this category — he is punching out more than ever, walking less than ever and in desperate need of a hot streak to quell the concerns over a contract that runs through 2033.