Categories
MLB General

The Full Count: Carl Pavano makes how much per win?


1. Two hits, one win: The Padres offense struggled mightily against the Giants last night, but it didn’t matter. Despite only mustered two hits by San Diego, they won 1-0. Giants starter Matt Cain had six hitless innings, then gave up a sac fly in the seventh, the only run of the game. San Fran’s offense was shut down as well by Chris Young, who had seven scoreless innings and earned a win. The Giants dropped to 1-6, tied for the worst record in the majors.

2. Two years, one win: Carl Pavano’s struggles with injuries have been well-documented during his time with the Yankees. But on Monday he put out his first win since 2005, pitching seven innings and allowing two runs. He was helped out by the Yankees’ dynamic offense. Bobby Abreu drove in four runs and A-Rod hit his league-leading 5th homer of the season as the team lit up Sidney Ponson for an 8-2 win over the Twins. Amazingly, the Yanks have five players in their lineup hitting over .340, including Johnny Damon’s .556. Still, they are only 3-3 on the year.

3. Snow Day: In a maddening episode, especially for fantasy owners like me, the Indians-Mariners game was snowed out for a fourth consecutive day on Monday. For three straight days, a planned doubleheader was called off. In order for this not to happen again, the Indians moved their next home series against the Angels to Milwaukee’s Miller Park. That has a retractable roof, so the series (which starts today) will definitely occur. The games missed will likely be made up with a doubleheader on a mutual off day for both teams.

Player of the Day: Braden Looper, Cardinals: 7 innings, no runs, two hits in a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh.

Stat of the Day: The Giants only have two homeruns this season, less than seven major league players.

Categories
San Francisco Giants

You know what they say about big feet… Yup – steroids


In a new epilogue to Game of Shadows, the authors dropped a little nugget on us about the incredible growing Barry Bonds:


Since joining the Giants, Bonds had gone from a size 42 to a size 52 jersey; from size 10 ½ to size 13 cleats; and from a size 7 1/8 to size 7 ¼ cap, even though he had taken to shaving his head. The changes in his foot and head size were of special interest: medical experts said overuse of Human Growth Hormone could cause an adult’s extremities to begin growing, aping the symptoms of the glandular disorder acromegly.

Now we understand that as you get older, your face might round out and give the illusion that your head is growing. So when folks say that Barry’s head isn’t that big, we don’t believe it but we can see the argument. However, has anyone you ever known grown 2 1/2 shoe sizes after the age of 30? Is there anyone left who still thinks Barry is innocent? Anyone? Oh wait, Bonds defenders now go to the “but it wasn’t illegal back then” argument. Oh it’s going to be a sad sad day when Barry breaks Hank Aaron’s record.

Links:
[SI]: Game of Shadows: The Aftermath

Categories
Boston Red Sox

Bonds to Boston? Unlikely


In another spectacular example of sportswriter logic (i.e. make up some bs) Murray Chass in the New York Times is speculating that since both the JD Drew and Barry Bonds contracts, even though agreed to in terms, have not been signed, that Barry Bonds could end up in Boston. (We would like to speculate that since the Raiders have a head coaching vacancy and Rich Kotite used to be a head coach, that the Raiders might hire Kotite.)

OK, the Giants are definitely trying to backpedal on the Bonds deal because of the recent amphetamines news and the Red Sox are worried about Drew’s shoulder but putting Bonds in there doesn’t make any sense. First, do the Red Sox really need Barry Bonds? He just becomes a huge distraction. If the Giants are worried about his affect on the club house even in the only city where he is loved liked tolerated, what is going to happen in Beantown. Second, this is also the guy who called the entire city of Boston racist.


Boston is too racist for me. I couldn’t play there. That’s been going on ever since my dad (Bobby) was playing baseball. I can’t play like that. That’s not for me, brother.

We’d actually like to see Bonds in Boston. That would make those Red Sox trips to NYC even better. Although the east coast biased media coverage would be completely out of control.

Links:
[NY Times]: Unsigned Bonds Awaits Further Review

Categories
San Francisco Giants

Barry Bonds is a good teammate


The New York Daily News is reporting that Barry Bonds failed a drug test and violated MLB’s amphetamine policy last season but blamed it on a teammate. According to Bonds, he took a substance from Mark Sweeney’s locker and it turned out to be amphetamines. Hmmmm…. so what we have here is a world class athlete under intense scrutiny for performance enhancing drugs just randomly putting stuff in his body that he found in a teammate’s locker. Unless that substance was a bucket of friend chicken he found in Pedro Cerrano’s locker, we’re calling bullshit.

Amphetamines (speed), long used in baseball and known as “greenies” are a performance enhancing drug but does not fall under the steroid category so Bonds wasn’t suspended 50 games. Instead he was given counseling and treatment. A second offense would have meant a 25 game suspension.

Bonds and all his defenders have always said that he never did anything wrong because even if he took steroids, it was before the league banned them outright and he has never failed a drug test. Well, that argument is out the window. He has failed a drug test for a performance enhancer. Is there really any question that Bonds is not a “natural” athlete and a cheater? And on top of that, in a team sport, he throws a teammate under the bus. It really will be a shame if Bonds breaks Hank Aaron’s home run record.

Links:
[NY Daily News]: Failure leaves a testy Barry

[Palm Beach Post]: Baseball and amphetimines

Categories
MLB General

Rejoice non-Giants fans


Barry Bonds will not be tainting your hometown team with his huge melon and his syringes. Bonds has agreed to a one-year contract with the Giants for $16M. There are incentives in the deal (we wonder if “don’t get caught with steroids” is one of them) that could make the deal worth up to $20M.

While the offseason has been filled with Bonds’ agent and the Giants sniping at each other, apparently money solves everything as both sides played nice. Bonds gets his $16M-$20M and goes back to the only stadium where he isn’t booed and the Giants get to cash in on Bonds as he chases Hank Aaron’s home run record.

Longtime readers of the blog know that we hate Barry Bonds and hope he breaks his arm before he catches Hammerin’ Hank in the home run record books. He’s only got 22 to go. Don’t be suprised if he conveniently breaks the record in San Francisco.

Links:
[SF Gate]: BONDS TO STAY WITH GIANTS
[SF Gate]: Ray Ratto: Magowan’s tough talk was just blather
[Blog Critics]: Savings Bonds: The Giants Should Have Passed

Categories
San Francisco Giants

Everybody hates Barry… well ok two-thirds


Hank Aaron has broken out the old “afraid to fly” excuse to explain why he won’t be there when/if Barry Bonds breaks his 755 HR record.


First, I don’t like to fly. And if I come, there’s going to be some controversy. And if I don’t come, there’s going to be some controversy. I have pride in the record, but records are made to be broken. But the reason I don’t want to get involved is everybody is innocent until proven guilty, and we can talk, we can talk, we can talk, but until there’s proof, I have no comment.

Translation: Barry Bonds is a steroided up cheater and no way do I want to be there to see my record being broken. At least that’s the way we see it.

Meanwhile, an AP Poll found that only 33% of baseball fans want to see Barry Bonds break the all time Home Run record. To which we say, why are you doing most of the polling in San Francisco? That’s about 32% more than we expected.

Links:
[ESPN]: Aaron doesn’t plan to be there if Bonds hits No. 755
[MSNBC]: Only 33 percent of fans want to see slugger break home run record

Categories
MLB General

Oct 17 in Sports History: an earthquake hits the World Series


In 1989: The third game of the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s was postponed due to the biggest earthquake to hit the Bay Area since 1906. ABC-TV had just taken the air with the game about 30 minutes away when the 7.1 magnitude Loma Prieta quake hit, causing minor structural damage to Candlestick park and major damage to the surrounding area. Over 60 people were killed, but it could have been much worse as a 60-foot section of the Bay Bridge between San Francisco and Oakland collapsed; but fans getting to the ballpark or home to catch the early start time of the World Series had the bridge and many other roads which suffered damage uncharacteristically quiet at rush hour. The Series would resume 10 days later with the A’s completing a sweep of the Giants.

In 1971 and 1979: The Pittsburgh Pirates clinched their last two World Series in Baltimore on the same day by taking a pair of Game 7‘s from the Orioles. In Game 7 of the ‘71 Fall Classic, Steve Blass threw a 4-hit gem and Roberto Clemente homered as the Pirates won 2-1. In Game 7 of the ‘79 Series, Willie Stargell hit a three-run homer in the top of the sixth inning to help push the Pirates past Baltimore 4-1. 1979 was the last time a team had overcome a three games to one deficit to win a World Series.

In 2000: Patrick Roy of the Colorado Avalanche cemented his place as the game’s greatest goaltender when he passed Terry Sawchuk on the all-time wins list with 448. Roy defeated the Washington Capitals 4-3 in overtime to take first-place all time. Roy, who was only the third goalie and 51st player taken overall in the 1984 draft, won three Vezina Trophies as the league’s outstanding goalie and three Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP.

Categories
MLB General

Sep 19 in Sports History: Better Times for the Cubs and Mariners



2001 AL MVP

In 1906 and in 2001: The Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners, who are tied for the ML record for wins in a season, both clinched on the same day. The Cubs were the earliest team to ever clinch a pennant and the Mariners led the AL West Division wire to wire (the Detroit Tigers were the last to do it, and they also clinched their division on this day in 1984. While both franchises won 116 regular season games, each failed to win the World Series.

In 1994: Stan Humphries and Tony Martin of the San Diego Chargers hooked up for an NFL record-tying 99 yard touchdown reception in a win over the Seattle Seahawks. Also, in 2005, Ladanian Tomlinson of the Chargers broke the NFL record by scoring a touchdown in 18 consecutive games.

In 1968: The day after the Cardinals were no-hit by Gaylord Perry of the Giants, St. Louis pitcher Ray Washburn returned the favor and tossed a 2-0 no-hitter against San Francisco. It was the only time in baseball history there were no-hitters in consecutive games in the same park.

Categories
MLB General

The Full Count: Padres eyeing division title


1. The Battle for the West: Are you ready for a defining series? Just like the five-game Yankees-Red Sox melee a month ago, it could decide a division. That division is the NL West, and the teams are the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers. The Padres will enter this four-game weekend set on a roll, having won 7 of their last 10 games. They finished off the Reds last night with a 4-2 victory, with all runs for both teams being scored in the 7th inning. San Diego will enter that series just a half-game back of the Dodgers for the division lead, as Los Angeles has been crumbling lately. They’ve gone 4-6 in their last 10, and they lost to the pitiful Cubs yesterday. It looks like the Padres have all the momentum going into this duel, and if they can sweep it they might virtually clinch the NL West division title.

2. Still going: When will the Giants run out of steam? They’ve been great the entire month, with an 8-4 record in September and a 19-9 record since August 14. Yesterday they shut down the Rockies 5-0, with Matt Cain having a fantastic start. Cain allowed no earned runs for his 4th consecutive start and has lowered his ERA from 4.89 to 3.75 since August 12. Yesterday, Cain gave up just two hits and struck out seven. He led the 74-72 Giants to another victory to keep them 2.5 games back of the Wild Card leader, the Padres.

3. What an offense: The Yankees offense this season has been truly great, and now they are boosted by the return of Hideki Matsui from injury. Matsui homered yesterday for the first time since May 9 as the Yanks destroyed the Devil Rays 7-4 to bring out the brooms. The sweep was won by a combined 27-12 in three games, with the D-Rays notching exactly four runs in each game and the Yankees simply outscoring them. Derek Jeter went 2-4 to extend his hit streak to 23 games, and .339 hitter Robinson Cano went 2-4 with 3 RBIs. New York leads the entire majors in runs scored, with 32 more than the second-place White Sox. They also lead the league in batting average (.285), OBP (.365), and OPS (.825). They’ll probably get Gary Sheffield back in time for the playoffs as well.

4. Making up for lost time: The Angels were battling with a .500 record for most of July and early August. Now, their focus is on the Oakland A’s after a 17-9 run the past month. The Angels are 9-4 so far in September, and they control their own destiny down the stretch. Though they are five games behind Oakland, Los Angeles plays them 7 times over the next two weeks. They also have 6 more games against division rival Texas, who they defeated 2-1 last night. Could they make an improbable run at the playoffs? That’s one of the more interesting occurrences as we head down the stretch.

5. The Amazing Races: What’s the status of each major race in baseball? Let’s start with the AL East, where the Yankees have things wrapped up. They lead by 11.5 games over Boston, who has little to no shot of catching them. the AL Central race is far more interesting. The Tigers still lead, but only by a measly game over the smokin’ Twins. The White Sox lurk at three games back, so don’t count them out either. We’ve already given you the AL West, so let’s move on to the NL. The biggest divisional lead in baseball, as it has been for a while, is the Mets over the Phillies in the NL East. They lead by 16.5 games and have a magic number of 3. In the Central, the Cardinals lead by 5.5 games, though the Reds have faded. St. Louis should have the division in their pocket by next week. Houston is six games back and should finish the year in second place. So there you have it.

Categories
MLB General

The Full Count: sneaky Giants in postseason chase


1. A Giant comeback: The San Francisco Giants have sat toward the back of the NL West division throughout most of this season. However, via a recent winning streak they’ve snuck up on the class of the division, the Padres and Dodgers. After beating the Rockies 10-6 yesterday for their 7th win in 10 games, the Giants are just 3 games back of the leading Dodgers and 1.5 games out from the Wild Card-leading Padres. Yesterday Pedro Feliz drove in three RBIs in the win, giving him a team-leading 91. Despite being a quiet team throughout most of the year, the Giants have a serious shot at the postseason.

2. The Greatest Show on Grass: The St. Louis Cardinals appear to have the division title wrapped up once again. They’ve won two straight games and lead the pretending Reds by just five games, but they are the vastly superior team. Their record is 77-67 after winning last night, while the Reds are stuck at 72-72. The Cards slipped away with a late win due to the usual suspect: Albert Pujols. He hit a two-run double in the ninth that provided the difference in their 6-5 win over the Astros. Pujols, who has 45 homers and 120 RBIs, has a good shot at his second straight MVP award. However, our vote would still go to Ryan Howard of the Phillies, who was rained out again yesterday but leads Pujols in most categories.

3. West vs. Central: The “Big Three” AL Central teams are currently in battle with the three top teams from the AL West. The Tigers are taking on the Rangers, the Twins are playing the A’s, and the White Sox are facing the Angels. Yesterday, the Tigers, Twins, and Angels won among those three series. Detroit snapped a losing streak with a 3-2 win, with each of their runs coming off a solo homer. Kenny Rogers earned the win in that one. Meanwhile, the Twins beat the A’s 7-5 to win their fifth straight. Justin Morneau improved his average to .324 while hitting two RBIs (120). The Sox lost, however, by a 4-3 margin to LA. Chone Figgins drove in a run off Bobby Jenks in the 11th to win that one.

4. Over after the first: The Yankees displayed all their offensive power as early as the first inning in yesterday’s home game against the Devil Rays. They scored 9 runs in the first, including a remarkable 6 driven in by Bobby Abreu. Abreu hit a three-run homer his first time up and followed that up with a three-run double. His 6 RBIs in one inning tied him for the second-most in the last 30 years. Only Fernando Tatis, who hit two grand slams in one inning on April 23, 1999, has ever had more. Abreu is hitting .346 with 31 RBIs as a Yankee and has a .298 overall average. Mike Mussina pitched well for the Yanks and improved to 14-6 on the year. New York rolled 12-4 and has reopened their double digit lead over the Red Sox.

5. 14 and done: This has been a forgone conclusion for a while now, but at least now it’s official. The Braves are out of the running in the NL East, and they won’t win their 15th straight division title. Yesterday the Mets edged the Marlins, and even though the Braves were off that sealed the deal for Atlanta. The Mets, who are 89-55 and so much better than the Braves in every way, have done what they haven’t been able to do for 15 years. They even made the World Series in 2000, but they’ve hadn’t beaten the Braves since the Internet Age began. Now they have. They lead Atlanta by 19.5, and the Braves’ Wild Card hopes are all but over as they are 5 out with six teams ahead of them. RIP, Braves dynasty.