! ! ! ! Can’t get any lower. Still I feel I’m sinking ! ! ! !
Outshined by Chris Cornell and Soundgarden. The theme song for your SF Giants 2026 team.
In a season full of pitching debacles and crushing losses, they managed to pull one out for the ages.
Yes, the biggest blown 9th inning league in the 125 year history of the team. They were 2,208-0 when leading by 6 or more in the 9th. Til today.
Up 9-3 in the top of the 9th, the team could not even get an out before Cincy tied it. Bivans came in and really had no clue. Not sure why whoever the interim manager even was didn’t pull him a little faster, but I think it was pretty obvious Bivens didn’t have it. He gave up the longest home run into the cove that I’ve ever seen. Then again, Smith came in and nuked the joint. And the rest was errors, walks and general rookie ball crap.
I guess the lockout is a blessing.
For Dolly . . .
Forty Niners Forever 
I do think snarkk is onto something about the OF. Cox is due back soon and Giants should at least let him platoon in CF. they have couple more in Sac that they could give looks to by September if not sooner and at some point Bericoto should return though I haven’t heard anything about him.
Given salaries they already are stuck with I’d try to move Lee first–he’s the most expensive at $21 mil for next 3 years, and he has option he could activate in a year to leave anyway. while high OB is relief from so many other hitters it’s mostly singles driven ala Arraez and he doesn’t walk much or steal bags. his D does not grade out well even in RF. If he can keep BA up around .300 range he might attract some attention.
Arraez and Ray must be packing their bags, but I’m dubious that, as rentals, they’ll bring much. Ramos, arb eligible but under control, is worth more in the long run, but that’ll be true this winter, too. Beat writers have been tweeting that other writers say that Lee’s not on the block. If he is, fine — but he’s similar to Ramos. No particular hurry. Maybe some teams in contention need OF help now, but we’re not talking about bright stars. They’re not equivalent to Hunter Pence in 2012, for example. If they go now, the many other more or less replacement level OFs in the system will fill in. (Meanwhile, much chatter about Mahle, Brubaker, even Hoser. Mousemeat.)
I hope Buster does better than he did last year. He should’ve extended Rogers. He should extend Arraez. I doubt he will. Hope the haul justifies the move this time.
Many are saying trade Lee, Arraez, Adames et al… Really question the team would get anything of more value than those players already provide. Lee and Arraez are players to build a team around. Unless you’re calling for a complete tear down and rebuild, you gotta keep some good pieces. Any OFer not named Lee, you trade. You improve 2 OF positions and/or get prospects. Devers Eldridge Adames Schmitt Arraez … don’t see how they acquire anyone better than them. Team STILL needs a stronger OF, but other than that, the talent is here already. It’s all about pitching pitching pitching …… Without new starters and relievers, team ain’t goin’ nowhere…
That said, maybe FO will surprise us, but they might not get a lot done through trades at this time. At least a start would be helpful. That would mean they’d probably have to go heavy on free agents in the off season to fill the holes.
Hello from Krabi, Southern Thailand. Beautiful beaches and women! My daughter is visiting her mom and Vietnamese relatives . . . Heading to Bangkok in a week and then catching a flight to HCM city and Tuy Hoa, where my daughter is.
Snarkk, Willie, and Xoot nailed it (last few posts). If we don’t accomplish any big trades going forward, we’re likely fucked until 2030 or 2031, when the last one of these contracts expires. Conversely, even if we trade 1-2 of these contracts, WE ARE STILL SCREWED, as we’re not going to get much in return.
I guess what I am saying is that without these chumps performing, coupled with putrid pitching, we continue on our (umm, quick math . . . 2026 minus 2014 = 12) 12 year rebuilding program.
Sigh . . .
Hope you’re having a great time, blade. I wouldn’t worry about the Gigantes while you are on a Thai holiday. I hope the pad thai and red curry dishes are good !…
Thanks Tom. Trying to 😉
I always love this time of the baseball year, leading up to the deadline. Anticipation… (just read something about Carly Simon and Parkinson’s…) I think about the players I like to watch, at bat or in the field. Players you pay more attention to when they come to bat. For me: Arraez, Lee, Schmitt, Devers, Eldridge… 2nd tier, for their potential, Susac, Baricoto. If I was in charge, I’d build the team around that. Everyone else can go, if they can get value in return. Pitching pitching pitching pitching….
I do believe (spoken as at a gospel rally down Alabama way) that this team is NOT that far away, not years at all. Improve the outfield. Other than that, it’s all about the pitching. Sabean took the team from worst in the west to best in the west in one year with a few moves. And then built a dynasty based on pitching. Buster was a part of that. He needs to bust some moves.
Buster the exec needs Buster the player. Game’s changed so much since the 3 in 5 (let alone Sabes 97) that idk if you’re even able to build a team that way – or if it would work.
This was probably the most common lineup for the 76 Big Red Machine: Rose-Griffey-Morgan-Foster-Bench-Perez-Geronimo-Concepcion
God knows what it would be today…
Flip Morgan for Griffey and you’re done!
Sparky Anderson was known as Captain Hook in those days for using his pen often and yanking SPs, quite unlike 60s.
Probably a bad example by me, James. Lineup was so loaded it almost didn’t matter (and of course pre-DH)…
Yeah, not the best example, but the basic principle of what makes a winning team has been and always will be valid, even if it wasn’t always consciously applied in the past. Given your constraints, try to build a roster that on paper maximizes the difference between runs scored and allowed over an entire season. The kinds of players who usually help a team do that have always been the same: hitters who get on base and hit bombs, pitchers who minimize hits and walks allowed.
so before the 80s-90s ops and whip were concepts whispered by the gods in the collective unconscious but then came computers.
You mean “and then came . . . JAMES!!” Nearly the anointed one himself. He didn’t need no stinkin’ computer. OT prophets like Weaver knew.
uh huh.
He⬆️ turns 84 today. I liked him as a kid. Link below is to a good article from a few years ago. Bet this guy would respond to us like Skip Pitlock did…
https://www.newportnewstimes.com/sports/local-man-is-baseball-royalty/article_0c30ab44-1822-11ed-a2fe-efefd7cc8a21.html
Great story, thanks Loo.
Spent a week at Lincoln beach a few years back. Real nice place.
It was cool to see Mike Trout back in action and playing well.
5 vets/4 kids in lineup as Lee still out, I guess bothered by when he got hit. Gilbert McCray Rodrigues (C) and Eldridge. Only week left to deadline
MCC says Davidson off to slow start in Sac, 11-41 2 BBs 13 Ks. Harber has 17 hits by contrast in same amount of ABs and played LF over weekend.
wow Sproat threw fastball right by Arraez and Eldridge, a swinging strike to Devers before harmless ground out.
All the shit I give Gibby he is a solid defender.
Why burn a fucking ABS call then? First fucking pitch.
Here goes Mahler. Nibble nibble nibble boom.
I wonder if a team’s challenge success rate will fluctuate randomly from year to year. Right now, I hope so.
And a dismal season gets worse. Schmitt’s knee is jacked.
dammit. Schmitt’s great season is in jeopardy now.
And down goes Schmitt knee are ankle are both..Well hopefully nothing to serious.Hmm Parks Harber is a 3B come on up..
He was barely able to walk in the dugout.
The “extend Arraez” faction with a tiny bit more ammo, unfortunately.
Does anyone ever tell K&K what the Giants are hitting with RISP? Right now it’s 263, two points behind the Brewers.
Yeah, Mlw being +100 over SF in runs scored is negligible.
Well, that’s why BA w/ RISP is baseball’s single most useless stat. I assume you are not attributing that 100 run gap to the two point difference in average.
Just another weird day in the bay, even 49er rookie DL men Romeo Heights had to be carted off the field with both arms and leg not functioning properly,Turned out to be Cramps, Hydrate more Rook!!
The training staff strikes again.
Kuip going crazy cray
Cray gets a batting average.