Category Archives: A1 Baseball

Baseball is dying, you guys

SF Giants Fan Fest 2013. Good Grief!

SF Giants Fan Fest 2013.
Good Grief!

A few weeks ago my grandson said this exact same thing. I took into account his passion was basketball and surmised he watched only a few baseball games each year, if he had to. Jake lives in Oregon and, granted, there’s not a lot to get excited about in Oregon except maybe Oregon Duck football and OSU Beavers during baseball season, and maybe once in a while the Trailblazers.

Juan Marichal.  Just your Basic Pitching Form

Juan Marichal. Just your Basic Pitching Form

But having grown up in a baseball family I just don’t get it. I don’t get that others don’t get the athleticism of baseball players, the finesse of a perfectly thrown ball, the artistry of a catch that was so impossible to make, even the opponents keep playing it over and over in the clubhouse the next day. Once-in-a-lifetime stuff. So when I read this comment on Hardball Talks,one of my favorite blogs, I had to ponder again what Jake said, and meant, about baseball not making it more than 5 or 10 years. And to Scott Conray who posted this little ditty, I have to tell you we have not seen baseball’s most famous player yet.

LA Dodger Yasiel Puig on  an ordinary day.

LA Dodger Yasiel Puig on an ordinary day.

One example, and there are many, is the rookies coming up from the farm teams. These kids are exciting to watch. And they’re winning games. And they’ll continue doing this. If you have any doubt about the fans love for the game read “Casey at the Bat”, again and you’ll get it. The poem was written over 100 years ago with the same passion and fervor that baseball fans still experience every time they watch a great play, a fantastic pitch, an out of the park home run or a rookie walking to the plate making the sign of the cross and blasting it out of the park. And I don’t care which sport you’re passionate about, it just doesn’t get any better than that. In my humble opinion, of course ……

Bruce and Brett Bochy make MLB history

Brett & Bruce Bochy

Brett & Bruce Bochy

Last night, during the LA Dodgers batting practice, the SF Giants manager Bruce Bochy called his son, Brett, from the bullpen to the mound. It was the first time this has happened in the history of the game, according to the announcers. And it was emotional. Maybe not so much for the father-son pair, but for the fans and teammates and, for sure, this blogger. Brett Bochy was at spring training this year and eyes were on him as would be expected. I never really followed his progress but like most fans hoped he would make it. And that’s true for most rookies. We cross our fingers and toes when they step onto the field and hope they make it, do well, make mom and dad proud. The Giants have had several situations of that exact thing happening this season and it’s special. Just like last night was special. Brett Bochy proved he can hold his own despite the fact his dad’s a major league manager. Good for you kid ~ and good for dad too!

Bud Selig can’t remember the last domestic violence incident in Major League Baseball

Ronni’s Note: But just because Bud Selig doesn’t remember an incident doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. The law of averages says it is. Maybe it just isn’t getting reported. But what’s going on over at the NFL? Reporting of it’s becoming epidemic and that’s a good thing, but can’t somebody get a handle on this? Condi, where are you?

Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow has a degenerative muscle disease

Mike Krukow, on the left, and Duane Kuiper

Mike Krukow, on the left, and Duane Kuiper

This is sad news. I’ve been following baseball forever but I’ve learned more about the game from listening to Mike Krukow, the Giants color analyst, than from any other source. Mike has such a quick wit about him with his nightly “grab some pine meat!” and pitch-by-pitch comments. So much so it’s necessitated an actual “Kructionary” website. See Baseball Almanac‘s take on Kruk and his illuminary sayings.

DAN UGGLA’S BURYING THE HATCHET!

2nd Baseman Dan Uggla in action!

2nd Baseman Dan Uggla in action!

Is this the same DAN UGGLA that helped Jonathan Sanchez clear the dugouts during the 2010 playoffs with Atlanta? Oops!  Sorry…..that was Chase Utley.  I always get those guys mixed up. But it’s nice to see Danny’s burying the hatchet (Atlanta Braves lingo) in case this might have been an issue.

Here’s his stat’s from Wikipedia.  Welcome to San Francisco Dan Uggla ~ after a hopefully short stint with the Fresno Grizzlies, that is :)).

 

Born: March 11, 1980 (age 34)
Louisville, Kentucky
Bats: Right Throws: Right
MLB debut
April 3, 2006 for the Florida Marlins
Career statistics
(through July 15, 2014)
Batting average .244
Hits 1,127
Home runs 233
Runs batted in 690
On-base percentage .337
Teams
Career highlights and awards

 

 

 

Clown shoes in Chicago: the Cubs grounds crew couldn’t get the tarp on the field

Ronni’s Comment: Yesterday during the Cubs -Giants game there was a torrential downpour. I mean the kind that monsoons are made of. It lasted probably 15-20 minutes. But when the grounds crew tried to put the tarp on the field it turned into a nightmare for the guys pulling the tarp for sure, but also for the Giants fans and, in particular, for Mike Krukow, commentator for the Giants

I’m not sure I agree with the official ruling, but Mike Krukow commented several times during the rain delay stating in his words to the effect that the field crew “intentionally” screwed up the laying of the tarp. That it was totally intentional. That it wouldn’t have happened if the Cubs had been behind.

And I say shame on you Mike Krukow. You know better. Just because the Giants have won a few championships doesn’t give us the right to belittle others. We (the Giants) have been playing pretty lousy lately but that’s not a reason to take it out on the grounds crews or the umpires.

I’ve heard other commentators say similar things when I’ve had to listen to them from the opponent’s perspective and I’ve always been glad we were blessed with our own special Kruk & Kuip. They are a class act, top of the game, and they know everything! So I’m hoping this was just a bad day for Mike and I’m hoping he’s hoping it doesn’t happen again. But that’s just me hoping.

I can’t wait to hear what they have to say tonight, about last night, and praying it doesn’t rain again!