So, the Giants did it again yesterday – an unlikely inside the park homer by Pagan in the bottom of the tenth. We’ve sort of gone into this before in a recent blog but here’s a little more detail why the Giants are able
to come back so much – and hit so well for a team with previously weak-hitting players.
First off, you’ll note, the Giants only struck out three times during the game, and walked six times. The Rockies, in contrast , struck out six times and walked only once. This is key and it’s been a pattern this year and in recent years. Note also that the Giants were , last we checked, in the Top Three for teams with fewest stikeouts.. They’ve also improved their walks. Sandoval, who used to lead the team in strikeouts, has ‘magically’ cut his strikeouts in half, as has Scutaro, since coming to the Giants from Colorado last year. (Even more ‘magically’ they’ve both improved their averages, significantly and even more amazing is that Sandoval has improved his homeruns. Similar patterns have taken place with other players on the team. One could accept Sandoval’s achievement a littlel more if it weren’t for the sudden display in homers going back to last month of last season when he hit seven and this year when he already has eight. So, it’s not just a question of cutting down on the swing, going for average.
Something else is giving these Giants a boost. Scutaro never hit over .300 in his career, and , now at age 38, he’s been hitting well over .300 since coming to the Giants last year.It’s simple. When that ‘something else’ improves one’s vision and hand-eye coordination, as well as bat speed and power, he’s going to not strike out as much and get more hits, in our view. And, in the bottom of the ninth – or tenth- when the pressure’s on and a player is working extra hard and concentrating. he’s going to work the pitcher. Normally you’d see some strikeouts against a good reliever like Bettencourt, but many of the Giants, with their magic powers, just don’t strike out anymore- or very rarely now. The improved eyesight will also help draw walks, as Crawford did to lead off the tenth. Then Pagan will work the pitcherto get in a hitters count, if necessary, after the pitcher is already concerned with a runner on base.And Pagan hits a long ball – he’s hit more homers on the Giants in the bigger park – than in past years – to win the game.
The pattern has happened time and again and people just assume the Giants are great. It’s that ‘something else’ we’ve talked about that the Giants have been using, off and on, since Bonds and Balco over a decade ago, in our opinion. And, amazingly, they’re still getting away with it. Of the current Giant crop of players who played for other teams before the Giants, they had a combined average of around .250 before coming to the Giants. The Giants now , inexplicably, lead the league in hitting, at .271 as of 5/24, in what’s considered a pitcher’s ballpark.
It is our believe that Giants management continues to load up on the type of players who will play into this ‘system,’ if you know what me mean. (Eg a journeyman catcher, Quinonez (sp) ,of Venezuela (like Sandoval, Scutaro, the late Melky Cabrera, Blano, etc ) who had only one homer in his career, was another one of those late inning heroes with an unlikely homerun after being called up). It’s pretty incredible that a virtually different lineup won the 2012 series as compared to 2010. Who thought the Giants could do it without Brian Wilson, Ross, Huff of 2010, etc. Only the names change, the results are the same. And don’t be surprised to see the Giants win another series if they make it to the playoffs. If they weren’t paying their st struggling, starting pitchers so much you ‘d likely see some changes for the similar type of ‘system’ pitchers like Mijares, Jean Meache(sp) , but don’t be surprised to see Lincecum and co. magically transform themselves. (The new designer ‘something else’ is largely undetectable today with current ‘testing,’ which is done as little as once during a season, according to the new testing rules).
PS We’ve been getting great interest from these pages and the big site that was recently taken down, inexplicably. We have our feelings who was behind it- and it wasn’t MLB. Our previous website was recently taken down as ‘spam’ if you can believe that, and this one may too… Looks like we may be victims of that whole government-related conspiracy against the media, sadly, performing a ‘watchdog’ service that people appreciate (we’ve had more readership than on all our other non-sports website.
Google /blogger has taken down our watchdog site , exploring drugs in baseball @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio1.blogspot.com Hopefully they won’t take down this one , which is critical of Obama administration…
AN OPEN LETTER To The DENVER ROCKIES AND MOST ANY OTHER TEAM WHO PLAYS THE GIANTS @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio.blogspot.com/ (as long as they don’t take down THIS site with many fewer blogs than the other… Maybe i beetter start going back to putting them on http://RoadToSuccess.us as I don’t think Google can take down a WordPress site…
I feel sorry for the Rockies when they play the San Francisco Giants. Notice how Scutaro, Sandoval and some of the others suddenly raised their averages significantly, cut down on strikeouts, magically, when Melky came around last year? Well, it’s been going on a long time – like over 10 years since Bonds, and only in a city like San Francisco can they get away with it. Management not only turns a blind eye but even looks for tainted players like Jose Guillen or Mota that other teams don’t want.Even they the Giants lose a Cabrera or Brian Wilson it doesn’t matter because they go to Venezuela or the Dominican and pick up another guy who’s not afraid to, well… you know. I hate to be say it, but we’re about the only watchdog in town. Nobody else here seems to care.
We’re old school and it’s a joke to see the players ‘load up’ when they want to and ease off when they think they’d better. With the new designer PEDs they can virtually go on or off and the stuff’s working or not working and undetectable within hours of not taking it. (We’ve got a lot of articles in store, including explaining exactly how the drugs work – and just how easy it is today to take the undetectable PEDs – only still undetectable because MLB has n’t brought in the latest ‘detectable’ tests . It takes a Victor Conte of Balco Fame to blow the whistle and explain things these days – and nobody still seems to care – in San Francisco.Plus, there aren’ t all the side effects anymore, like gaining mass like Bonds. I could go on… but , basically, the only thing to do to beat the Giants now, as long as they’re using, is to use yourselves – which I don’t condone.
When the Giants are down they’ll just go to their bench and bring in someone like a Blanco who’ll get a key pinch hit and later bring in a reliever like Mijares , who’s suddenly gained velocity and will shut you down. It’s hard to beat that stuff. Meanwhile, you’ve got a team led by the Venezuelans Scutaro and Sandoval , alaong with Mijares , Blanco and others, who almost always keep the ball in play, rarely striking out. That’s baseball for you in the 2000s in San Francisco , anyway. Sure wish it would change. We’ve put down a lot of science that explains everything that no sportwriters here would even bring up. In fact, they just closed down our main blog site, http://WhereDidYouGoJoeDimaggio1.blogspot.com , but we’re going through all the channels, to , hopefully get it restored. Otherwise we’ve got a couple other sites like like http://WhereDidYouGoJoeDimaggio1.blogspot.com and http://RoadToSuccess.us , which have a fraction of what they took down. It’s pretty sad what’s going on is all I can say. We know people out their – even some of the SF writers – know what’s going on but just don’t say anything. For the Giants’ it’s win at any cost, even to the point of lying about being sold out everygame, turning up the PA when they’re at bat. etc… We don’t like it – and I used to be a Giants fan… Thanks for hearing us out and good luck Rockies. Maybe you’ll beat the Giants a game or two yet…
MLB Trying To Cover Itself From Further Embarassment as PEDs Continue To Purvade Baseball
Notice things seem a little quieter in the Spring Training Circuit this year? With only a week before the season starts, baseball hasn’t even reached the First Page of the Sports section. Along with an unusual amount of ‘mysterious’ injuries this year, there’s an underlying feeling of discontent in Mudville. Especially among the old school guys, the broadcasters and sportswriters, who know, deep down, that baseball is far from the pure sport it was thirty years ago when guys named Willie and Micky lead the way. The old ‘spring fever’ isn’t there. No surprise what with the continuing stream of players continuing to test positive for chemical enhancement – and more often those who don’t- and the unknowing who IS and who ISN’t ‘on’ something…
Sadly, the young generation – under age 20 – has never seen baseball played CLEANLY , now over 10 years since Bonds made Ruth turn over in the grave and Henry Aaron wince a lot, when Bonds broke Ruth’s asterisk-free season total of 60 homers with 73 and broke the Aaron’s lifetime total – and in cold San Francisco, where homeruns used to be scarce; Bonds was really the one who set things off, though McGwire and Conseco played a smaller role, a mere blip on the radar years earlier. Now we have players being invited back to a team a second and third time after playing with performance enhancing drugs – and still making big money while at it. Who knows if they are still on the juice or not? If they are, they’ll probably perform well; if not, they probably won’t. It’s crazy that this is happening. Does anybody care anymore?
So,’Commissioner’ Selig and MLB decide they have to make a point, lest they continue to look even more like ‘turn the other cheek’ laughing stock, as they’ve been for over a decade now. They come up with some names, much like Edgar Mitchell did – remember the Mitchell report that went nowhere? – and threaten a lawsuit against this new Miami-based version of San Francisco’s BALCO. Good luck guys. Sounds like going after straws again. Give ’em a little scare, I guess. Without real hard evidence, you’re putting yourselves in position for a reverse lawsuit – and to further upset the game.. Nothing’s going to change at this point, especially with the speed and ineptness that Selig and his ‘yes men’ do things. Baseball’s players union is very strong and you’re not going to get very far. Meanwhile the fans will suffer, or will they? The young ones don’t know any other way than baseball on steroids. It’s sad for both those who haven’t had the opportunity to see REAL baseball , and , us ‘oldtimers’ who remember how great the game can be if played honestly. But, like so many things today, there are easy short cuts to easy money, thanks largely to advanced chemicals, computers and , perhaps, a society gone south. I, for one, have pretty much lost interest in baseball (especially living in the SF area ( PED headquarters) but it looks like things may be going bi-coastal . As Buster Olney noted in his ESPN column today, the problem is now so entrenched . Easily half the SF Giants are on the stuff, in my opinion, lead by the Venezuela connection of Scutaro and Sandoval. (Scutaro comes over mid season to suddenly become Babe Ruth and ‘teach’ Sandoval his ‘tricks’ just as A-Rod did with M Cabrera, before Cabrera took his ‘secrets’ back to Kansas City where he taught his fellow Venezuelan Scutaro and Mijarez before THEY came to the Giants… and on and on it goes.. Incestual relationships all over the place but either I am the only one who sees them or perhaps one of the few who cares enough to speak out. So the Giants lose another star of 2010, Brian Wilson. No big deal.. J ust go back and get old suspects from 2010 , Andre Torrez and Rafael Ramirez, who had their best seasons with Giants, as have most of these guys. Across the bay The A’s bring back Bartolo Colon, who will either still have to be on the juice , at 39 , to perform well, or will be a throwaway. Here today , gone tomorrow, just like the experiment with Manny Ramirez, last year; that failed, leaving him out of excuses and into retirement. Finally. More @ http://wheredidyougojoedimaggio1.blogspot.com/
The A’s continue to lose the one run games as much as the Giants win them.Like yesterday, again the Chicago White Sox, losing 4-3. At the same time the Giants were losing to the Cubs, but it was 11-4.
If you’re going to lose, may as well lose big. I’d rather lose my a big score by one run.
What does this all mean in the greater scheme of thing?
It’s another indicator in the management of a team. When a team consistently loses by one run, can’t come up with the clutch strategy to plate that winningrun, one must look beyond the players. If you’re that close in games, you shouldwin your share. With Manager Bochy, the giants recently won three of six games in ‘walk-off’
I can’t remember the last time the A’s had a walk off win.
A good team should have its share of one run wins. The A’s are a good team,with a better team ERA than the Giants and comparable batting average, yet theGiants are able to win the close ones the A’s don’t. Even though the Giants arenot a fast team, they manage to run themselves into runs when they need to.Force a walk, steal a base, perhaps rattle the pitcher and force an erro, a sacrifice fly – all without beneift of a hit!
The Giants play smart baseball – and I’m not a Giants fan. In fact I don’tlike them. GM Sabean deals in steroid players – there are stil some on the team – and hewon the series in September , after bringing in convicted steroid user Jose Guillen, w, who with the help of newbie, Cody Ross, ‘infected’ the Giants, asiit were, from a .500 team in July to a playoff team and then World Series champs. I go into detail elsewhere forthose interested, as too many have turned a blind eye or don’t care , or both.I have a big issue here as an ‘old school’ baseball fan…at http://www.RoadToSuccess.info and http://www.BayAreaCoupons.infobut that’s a sidetrack, and I apologize, but feel the need to speak out on thisjust as I did on Bonds, while everyone else thought Barry hitting homers ata Ruthinan in his 40s was normal and great! I think it cheating, just as I have lost all respect for my previous faves McGwire and Conseco and their steroid abuse.
So,getting back on track, A’s manager Bob Geren has had good players to work with the past four years but cannot come up with a winning record, the firstmanager under Beane NOT to have a winning record. As long as Geren is at the helmexpect the same. Pitching takes care of itself, for the most part, but to buildan offense a good offensive strategy, especially in late innings, is necesary, alathe Giants and Bochy, as much as I hate to admit it.
MORE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
A’S and GIANTS MANAGERS,
MANAGEMENT
Eventually, Beane will be forced to fire his buddy, Geren, as remaining A’s fansgrow increasingly resentful and the fanbase dwindles even further. (And owner Wolfand Co. wonder why there are so few fans at the games.)
I can’t stand mediocrity but that’s what we’re been getting at least the last four years with the A’s. Great pitching , yes, but it is spoiled by poor team play and lack of a winning style. Geren doesn’t bunt, hardly steals,over uses some players (eg Fuentes) and doesn’t play others enough(eg hot hitter Sweeney). I could go on… With different managers over the past decade the A’s could have and should have had at least 3 or 4 league championships and probably a world series entry or two.
As good as a trader Billy Beane can be, he better FACE FACT that THE MANAGER CAN MAKE A DIFFERNCE! He must swallow his ego and find a strong manager and let him MANAGE! If Beane truly can’t watch games because he gets too upset whenthey lose, how does he think A’s fans feel. Or does he care. Secretly, I think perhaps the management is just riding things out as they try to move the team. Thankfully, for once, commissioner Selig, in his usual plodding way, isn’t helping them and the agony goes on… At least Oakland still has a team, I guess.
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The A’s continue to lose the one run games as much as the Giants win them.Like yesterday, again the Chicago White Sox, losing 4-3. At the same time the Giants were losing to the Cubs, but it was 11-4.
