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This guy has some real potential. Jeesh.

Lin-Cy-cum!

"Henceforth, he will be 'Tim Lincecum, 2008 National League Cy Young Award winner.'" You done us proud, Timmy.

Video

Tim's First Award

Players voted him NL pitcher of the year. Way to go.

Off with their heads

The Purge has brought about a lot of chatter here, here, here ... oh I could go on.

Although there are some who think that Correia or Denker may amount to something, I don't think so. And I don't think are worth a million a piece to find out. Even though I agree -- there is room on the 40-man roster.

Burried Alive

There are probably no easy fixes for a team a long way to getting past the first round in the playoffs. But, as much as I hate to say it, it's good to see the Dodgers show the baseball world that the NL West is not so terrible as some have said for years.

It's fun to think about the players that might be coming our way. I know there's a price, but could it be worse than repeating the last two years?

I don't know about moving the CF fence in. CF HRs turned into triples is not why the Giants suck. This is no time to stick our heads in the dirt and pretend that we have a serious shot at improving without a few bold moves.

Let's see what Sabes can put together ... and if it's lame, move him out. Or are we going to regret not giving Ned Coletti a shot here.

PS, I Love You

Pablo Sandoval, the cabello from Puerto Cabello -- the switch-hitting catcher-1B might be even better than we hoped AJ the A-hole would be. He's on my team next year, but long-term, sadly, in spite of a strong arm, he's probably best suited for DH.

Fall from grace

OK, it's been a long nasty summer, but now that it's Fall we can get down to the business that should have happened last year -- rebuilding the team.

There's a dynamite rumor of Cain for Fielder and Hardy. What are you waiting for? Pull the trigger. And that's just the beginning.

Can Timmy win Cy Young? No matter, that he's in the running is enough for me.

Turn back the clock

Easy there, Timmy. Don't hurt yourself.

There's a great suggestion floating about Zito working out his troubles in A-ball with his old coach Rick Peterson.

Turn back the clock? Worth a try.

The other news is the draft. Always reason for hope. This year's phenom goes by the name of Buster Posey.

an odd week

The biggest news is the record setting career of Omar Vizquel. What an honor it's been to have him on our club.

But there's lot's to talk about in addition:
- Velez demoted. I hope he makes it back -- in a couple of years.
- Bowker has not been the answer.
- Ort on the DL, who knew he was still on the team?
- Bengie and Wynn are having fine seasons. I wish they were tradebait.
- are any of these position players coming back next year? What's the plan besides Lewis and Rowand?
- Triple play!

More later on the pitchers

boo!

How many times in years past have you said "oh sure, they fire the manager, but who's going to fire the owner?"

They did it, they fired the owner. And Sabean is next.

As we stick the knife in, we say "this one is for AJ." And again, "this one for Zito." Over and over. One for each transgression. How cathartic.

Rebuilding in the most complete way is going to be this season's show. Who knew? A long frustrating summer on the field is going to be entertaining in the team suite. Kind of like our own reality show.

Better than the courtroom.

the contenders

I don't know how Sabean can say that the Giants can be contenders this year. I know you have to spin a bit to sell tickets, but I think it would be more believable if he talked about all of the great trades he was working on, rather than how this crew is going to challenge for the pennant. What a bunch of hooey.

Nice to see Vizquel come back and play well. Class guy. Good for the kids to emulate. But this club is not going to do anything besides lose 95 games and finish dead last unless they get a few hitters. You don't have to be a baseball genius to see that. And if you don't see it, you've lost touch.

Commentary - Why aren't they trading?

Another perspective - AJ never liked them.

Who?

Another loss, so it goes.

The question of the day -- who is John Bowker? Is he the first baseman of the future? Or is he another in a long line of almost-good-enough prospects that the Giants have a well-earned reputation for producing? Another Damon Minor?

We hear the rumors about Magowan's reign about to end. Is it also the end of the Sabean Era? Could it be that my chance to run the club is nigh?

Holm Sweet Holm

How unlikely was that? Late-inning heroics from your back-up catcher. That's not the way you draw it up, but it's fun once in a while. The Phils, meanwhile, shouldn't be losing two of three to this club. They are not going to win the East like that.

OK, fun time is over. Reality is that the team sucks and there's nobody in the minors or on the DL who's going to make it better. You can get better at almost every position, at least have a youngster in place for your aging starters. What are you doing about it? ... Hello?

Misch-tery

Another loss, the bullpen blew it. But Mr. Misch pitched well and gets to stay in the rotation. How does he do it? Is he good enough to think more about trading one of the top three starters ... ?

The last lefty opponent starter in the string of seven today. And probably without Ol' Man Molina and his achy-breaky knees. But Lewis has survived, picked up an RBI hit yesterday. He's an every day guy now. Bowker didn't get a real shot at them. Maybe it's better for a young guy feeling his way, but I'm looking forward to seeing him back in the lineup.

I'm not so sure that Vizquel's return is going to make any difference unless it means Burris plays third and Velez second every day.

It sounds like the Phils had a number of HRs taken away by the Gints home grounds. What about Feliz going the other way last night? Where did that come from? I think he could have a big year in little Citizens Bank Park.

Slap-and-run, that's the ticket.

bad

Remember what I told you kids, this is a bad club. 12-6 bad. Aurilia-and-Castillo-are-your-best-hitters bad.

So bad, in fact, that they're letting the biggest loser start tonight's game.

Jeesh.

lost weekend

Three great ballgames, not fun to lose two, but the kids played alright against a much more talented club, even without Rollins.

We're a month into the season and I hear no trade winds blow. Seems to me there should be something happening here, besides bringing up Bowker.

mulligan?

I'll take the Five runs and 16 hits. Too bad it wasn't a win, but that's OK. I think the roster is getting there. Hoping for trade talks.

Looking for more fireworks today.

day off

If I was running the club -- usherettes! Here are the Soxettes from old Comiskey Park.

got it

OK, calm down. The club is not even sniffing .500 ball. But I have to admit, I like Fast Freddie.

And here's a tip of the capt to the bullpen. The losses are usually due to a really bad start and offensive troubles. Only two losses so far. I don't know if they'll continue to do the job, but can't take their success so far away from them.

Much sadder news: PEDs suspension for last year's catcher.

Coming up: they're better than the Rocks and the Pads, let's see if they enjoy hitting in Philly and Pittsburgh. I think so.

deep 6

I don't even want to talk about it

disarmed

We lost this slugfest, but, on a more somber note, saw North Correia go south after only nine pitches. I'm hoping it isn't serious.

I didn't note the surprising victory from the day before. The kids came through. O'Sanchez out dueled Harang. Big hits from Lewis and Velez. Beauty.

Dusty's return home spoiled. He's widely disrespected, blamed for ruining arms and losing in 2002. I don't agree with any of it. I think he's an excellent Mgr. and would hire him in a second. Watch the Reds exceed expectations, as his teams often do.

Bengie had yesterday off, so I figure he'll homer today. But young Thomas Alva Edinson Volquez going for the Redlegs. That's a tough match-up. Especially with our "Ace" on the hill.

4-0

Yes, Boy Wonder is undefeated. Points: he's going to lose a few; he only pitched 6-1/3 of this one, walked five, and needed the bullpen to be perfect; he seems to have a knack for getting just enough support to win, the opposite of the mark of Cain.

Nice to see Richie do something with the bat, but I don't expect to see it too often.

Still, it's a fun run, we're ahead of LA, a half game away from being the best of the worst.

Tonight we go against Harang, so I don't expect too much.

smells like victory

How unlikely was that? I'm impressed. This team is playing poorly, but not terribly. After starting 1-6, they've gone 8-7. All the clubs in the NL West except Zona are 9-12 or 13. Also surprised at how bad the other clubs are.

Fast Freddie found a way to contribute. Bengie had a huge hit. The mark of Cain was great but got no W. Again.

I guess it was one of the few times in history two pitchers who gave up 9 runs in their last start faced each other. What do they do? Give up one run between them. Figures.

Lets see what Boy Wonder can do tonight.

3-2/3

Yeah, 3-2/3 is about all he can give us. Too bad, the rest of the club might have gotten the job done, but hard to keep your dauber up when your "ace" lets you down.

Sit down, surf boy, and let the rest of the staff carry your hefty salary around the NL.

their better is better than our better

That's just how it is. Now. Bowker played first without making a fool of himself. Velez only ran us out of one inning, but started a sparkling DP. Burriss was fine and got the other kid a day off. Just one more step to getting him at third in place of Castillo and we'll have all our kids in the lineup. Tell me why not. Tell me they'll do worse than any other players from this roster.

Remember the terrible, terrible '96 season? Marvin Benard, William Van Launching Pad and 94 losses? Traded Matt Williams for Jeff Kent and finished first in '97. Can't be done without a player like Bonds on the club, but the point: tell me Aurilia, Castillo, Bengie, and Winn are going to be here next year. One of the kid pitchers probably has to go, too. But what can we get and how much better will we be?

Tonight our 0-4 is up against their 4-0. Not too likely that we'll win, is it? But maybe one of the kids lucky enough to get into the lineup will do something worth noting and remembering when it comes time to make up next year's roster. I'll just read about it in the morning.

Bengie jumping

Ol' Molina was great after a day off. Ray-man swung the bat, too. O'Sanchez was terrific, though he scared me a few times. Lewis stole a base, Bye Bye Bowker did his thing, Burriss got into his first game. Only Chulk seemed over-matched. Not a problem. We took the season series from StL, and LA dropped into last. I love it.

North Correia is going tonight. Kids at LF, RF and 2B. I don't expect to see Burris at third, though I can hope. The D'Backs have two top starters going against only one of our best. Too bad.

It's been a great effort so far. But we have to get someone at first right now (Ort can't be worse than Richie, or, if you insist, let's see if Bowker can get it done), and start looking to a future behind the plate, short and third. Let's see the plan.

attaboy

The Boy Wonder was awesome and the pen came through. Nice one.

But the starting lineup was:

Lewis
Castillo
Winn
Durham
Rowand
Aurilia
Holm
Bocock
Lincecum

Only Lewis, one of our future players in the game. What's the point? I know I shouldn't complain -- they scored three runs and won. But this lineup will win 60 games. That's not a goal, it's a failure. Unless it's path to seasoning raw but unmistakable talent.

Jon on the radio hinted that Boch wanted some of the kids to sit to think about mistakes they made, especially on the bases. Interesting.

I see that Davis is out and Burris is in. That's cool, though sad. I hope he clears wavers and gets his swing back. But many said he was playing over his head last year.

But shuffling kids is not an answer either. (GM moment) We have to make more room for these kids by moving the vets out. If our old-timers were more talented, we could do what the Cards are doing -- a core veteran infield and kid outfield, getting on base and making things happen. Rebuild on the run. Brilliant. This is what we should have been doing starting in 2003, instead of trying to recapture the magic of an aging team. That's leadership.

I'm hoping for Velez, Bowker, Burris, and Lewis every day. The 2, 3, 5, 6 hitters from yesterday -- Castillo, Winn, Durham, Aurilia -- should be traded or on the bench. Add Bengie to the trade list. Trade them for prospects ready for prime-time. The kids are not going to do any worse.

There's a lot of argument about trading one of our starters. Tough call. What are we being offered? Alex Rios, I wouldn't take. We have outfielders. Is there a franchise catcher, 3B or shortstop out there?(/GM moment)

Today promises a start of the commitment to the kids. Let's see what they've got.

oy

Happy Passover. The mark of Cain continues to be a bummer. But it looks like we're going to see the kids play, after all, so I'll stay tuned.

This kid is special, but would be an instant winner on a team that scores runs. Yesterday he was neither. Ugly. Everybody has a bad day now and then. Even a guy with 349 wins.

There's talk of a six-man rotation. I like it.

Fast Freddie Lewis is on a streak -- a modest eight games with a hit. Maybe he'll stick. I wish he could steal a couple of bases.

The Boy Wonder is back on the hill today. Always reason to hope.

dimished unit

I read this morning that they won another one, ruined the Unit's return. Amazing.

The long-tern good is Winn and Benji playing well and adding to their trade value.

O'Sanchez was OK, though Jon talked about how tentative he seemed (yeah, I listened to the first couple of innings).

Not sure about trying to make a first baseman out of Bowker on the fly at the major-league level. Isn't it enough if he can come up and hit? Now they're saying no Giant in any city has hit homers in their first two games. If Barry had known we would remember it, he would have done that, too.

I just keep thinking of Mike Laga. You can come up and look good for a short time, then reality sets in. It's an old story.

Today? 50 years since the first MLB game at Seals Stadium in the Mission. Nice. Better to celebrate with a win.

Bye Bye Bowker

The Boy Wonder was great, as usual, but nobody could have predicted Bowker's heroics. The first SF Giant to hit taters in his first two games. Nuts. NVTS, nuts.

The pen made another thriller out of it, but held on.

This game underscores the fun of watching the kids play. Sure, they'll drive you crazy sometimes, but the joy of a player who doesn't yet know he isn't the next Babe Ruth is contagious.

LET THE KIDS PLAY.

Next, the baseball world will be watching the Unit's first start.

it was fun

Yeah, it was fun while it lasted. Cain had a no-no and tater. Some rookie hit a homer in his first game. I was on my way out the door and I just listened long enough to hear the Cards first hit. All was good.

But what's up with bringing up one rookie OF for three days and then sending him down for another? Are they serious? Do they expect us to think they know what they're doing?

I got back and it had all gone south. The mark of Cain. Lots of fireworks to enjoy though as a pitchers' duel turned into a slugfest. We were on the short end again.

OK, it's another day, featuring the boy wonder.

the stopper

The long streak that had captured the imagination of the nation is finally over -- the men in orange and black finally lost after three straight wins. Guess who picked up his third loss?

He wasn't terrible, just bad enough to lose. Also added a surprise RISP base hit.

The defense could have been better, and two men were nailed at the plate. But listening to Jon on the radio was still a joy. Great interview with Darrell Evans.

Now the rest of the rotation steps up. It may not always be pretty, but I tune in every night to see if there'll be a no-hitter -- for either team.

GM move: with so little to swap, it's got to happen at the top prospect level. I'd look to move Sanchez or Bengie if a top position prospect could be attained, the kind that at least has a chance to be a franchise player. Even if he just proved to be a regular, every single position would be improved. How pathetic is that?

Often the best moves are the rejected deals. Joe Crede is not going to save the Giants. Sure, he'd immediately be the top slugger on the team, but he'll never be the difference maker.

Did you see the Onion?

lights out

Woke up this morning to find out that Correia was great last night vs the previously-over-performing Cards. Starting pitching continues to be outstanding with the exception of the $126-million-man.

The poor guy who drafted him at the bottom of my roto league just dropped him. If only fantasy mirrored life.

I also enjoyed seeing that the previous savior had another weak outing.