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.