Like Morse, just enjoy the ride

There's really something to be said for being able to totally relax and enjoy what's going on around you. It's the way you feel on vacation, the way you feel when you gaze out at something beautiful with nowhere to be; your phone only making an appearance to take a picture because there's no service anyway.


It's an odd feeling-- almost surreal when it happens. But it just feels right.


That's the way I'm feeling when watching the Giants these days-- like I don't have a friggin care in the world and nowhere to be.

That's how good they've been.



Hell, even ESPN has noticed. That's how good they've been.

It's been awhile since my last post, partly because there's been no controversy, barely any conflict or poor decisions being made. It almost seems... do I dare say... easy.


In that last post, I wrote that the Giants would be alright without Brandon Belt. Not only have they been alright, they've hit some sort of zone, that can only be enhanced by Belty's return in a couple weeks.


It's difficult to even imagine that they'll be regaining another bat with superb defense when the current lineup has been so successful.


So much of that success can be attributed to Mike Morse and everything he does. He's played an admirable first base and left field, has absolutely raked the ball, and you can just tell, has had a huge impact on the Giants' clubhouse. He's having fun playing baseball and I'm having fun watching him.


It's unfortunate that he's only on a one year deal, because whatever magic Mike has brought to the clubhouse (see what I did there?) and to the lineup, I don't want it to end. Pay the man immediately.


Currently Morse ranks in the top 20 in all of MLB in HR, RBI, Slugging %, and OPS-- something this team has needed for years and years. Curiously though, for you Saberjerks, Morse is only a 0.9 WAR.


See, this is why I have a problem with that stat. It's not an end all be all, and there's exceptions to the rule. I won't go off on a huge tangent, but to say that Mike Morse has only been worth one extra win to this team is beyond absurd. He's been a shot of adrenaline into this lineup and a shot of tequila in the clubhouse. Plus he did this on Stan Lee / Superheroes Night. Hulk status.

 

There of course have been others that have been amazing additions this season-- most notably the ageless Tim Hudson, who has pitched like a Cy Young candidate. However, there's one other guy that has essentially been an addition that I'd like to talk about.

Ryan Vogelsong.

Is he an addition? You betcha. Yah. *Fargo voice*

He may not be a new face around these parts, but Vogey's resurgence to an effective, chainsaw-angry member of the rotation has been huge, especially due to Cain's uneven season and Lincecum, well... being Lincecum.

Vogey currently sports a 3.39 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, with 7 of his 12 starts have been "quality".

His starts have been such a far cry from what we all expected from him, that's it's just gravy. I can't say for sure that he'll be able to keep this up all season, but his efforts have been absolutely huge so far. You could even argue he's been more helpful to the cause than Matt Cain, which is crazy. If Vogey keeps this up, even remotely close to what he's done thus far, the Giants' rotation will outperform expectations all season.

Outperforming expectations has been the name of the game so far, and it's just been plain fun to watch. Posey and Panda have hit rough patches this year at different times, but they've evened out. The Giants keep winning. Pence had a rough start. They win anyway. Belt goes down? No problem. Cain on the DL? Whatever. Buster and Pagan need days off? Oh well, they win without them. Blanco gets some starts? He's a catalyst all the sudden.

It's just insanity.

It's remarkable too how Bruce Bochy has been able to work guys in and out of the lineup lately without much consequence in the win column. It all just works out... and believe me, I've noticed.

Right after Lincecum gave up that first HR to Granderson:

That brings me back to my opening paragraph. You just need to sit back and enjoy the scenery. 21 games over .500 on June 8th is crazy, and it been thoroughly fun.

Part of my ability to just sit back and enjoy this is because we have those two big trophies from 2010 and 2012. Just as the second trophy validated the first, this great start is on its way to validating those other years.

When we won that 2nd World Series, it felt different than the first one. The first one was insane... even with a commanding series lead over Texas, it was gut-wrenching and nail-biting until that final out. With the second one, a feeling a confidence swept over me after we won the first two games. Because even if something bad happened and they blew it, we'd always have 2010. I was able to drink and joke with people against the Tigers without having to get a referral to a cardiologist. It was just plain more fun.

Now, back in an even year, those first two trophies are the Fort Knox full of gold bars that backs up this 2014 currency. I'm able to enjoy it more because I still feel like we're playing with house money. And that my friends, is priceless.

Expecting the unexpected

Completely unbelievable. 

It's not torture, and it's not surprise. It's just completely unbelievable.

I warned you to expect the unexpected. The unexpected is now an understatement.

What we all witnessed in Game 1 was the same thing we all witnessed in Game 7-- complete and utter domination of a team that was expected to take care of the Giants like a garden hose rinsing dirt off a walkway.

You know it's a good thing when 22 of 27 ESPN "experts" pick the Tigers to romp all over the Orange & Black. It's also a great thing when the best pitcher in the game is tagged for 5 ER and is reduced to an ungracious little jerk who all but blamed a mound visit by pitching coach Todd Jones for Pablo Sandoval's second HR.

That's what this team does to people.

They take reigning World Champs, defending AL Cy Young/MVPs, and every expert's darlings, and completely take them by storm.

You could clearly see the shock of the faces of the Tigers both during and after the game. It was a collective, "What the F--- just happened?"

Not only were they handled by a suddenly dominant Barry Zito (crazy right?), but they were demoralized by Panda's historic 3 HRs, and countless dinks and drives by Scutaro, Pagan, and even Zeets himself. Then you have a wicked Freak Lincecum roaring out of the bullpen and throwing a flawless two and a third. I'm a Giants fan who's seen or heard almost every game this year, and even I last night was saying, "WTF just happened?"

I don't know how they're doing this, but they are.

It's a long series, and Detroit will win a game or two before it's all said and done, but it's extremely difficult not to get ahead of ourselves here. I don't see the resilience or heart in the Tigers that I see in our guys, but they're certainly capable of taking the lumber to us at some point and shutting us down with Anibal Sanchez.

What we all saw last night was an incredible show of Ruthian (or Sandovalian) proportions with a side of epic #RallyZito action. Simply inexplicable, but fact.

In Game 2, the Giants send to the mound Madison Bumgarner, who has been more bum than MadBum in the playoffs. If Bochy and Rags say they've fixed his mechanical issue, who am I to judge? These two, along with the rest of the coaching staff have combined to create nothing but magic. Let's just hope Bumgarner is fixed better than Jose Valverde was fixed.

Game 2 starter Doug Fister is from Merced and grew up a Gyros fan. He's going to be fired up and hasn't pitched in nearly two weeks. People can debate the layoff factor all they want, but it's going to hurt the sinkerballer tonight. Like Verlander before him, the Fistmeister is going to be overamped and rusty.

He's likely not going to give up any HRs, but I'll bet you anything the Giants tee off on him, executing a veritable laser show that would make Pink Floyd jealous.

I have to say, I am enjoying this World Series so much more than 2010. Even though we killed the Rangers and it was incomparably exciting, it was still nerve-wracking and completely emotionally exhausting. I feel like this time around, we're all able to take it all in better. Especially after our Game 1 romp, I think I'm able to look around (so to speak) and really revel in the moment without the neurosis and paranoia that came along with the Torture.

Regardless, we don't know what tomorrow holds, so enjoy this Giants fans! You never know if you'll be back!

That old familiar feeling

This feels weird. Don't you think?

It feels right, but it feels weird.

How the hell did we get here? This wasn't supposed to happen, but it has. It's feels familiar, but it's just plain crazy. I don't know how to describe it, but the way I'm feeling is almost like I'm jetlagged or stoned off of prescription pills like after one of my knee surgeries.

Truthfully, I can't believe we're here, and it seems like the Giants have somehow managed to capture lightning in a bottle twice in three years. It's a phenomenon like fog or sourdough bread-- something virtually unique to this place and this team. It's something truly that lacks logic; of course logic and the lack thereof being the ongoing theme of this team in this postseason.

The Game 7 show we all witnessed was completely unexpected, but embraced by all, as if that 9th inning downpour was made of nothing but condensed water vapor and destiny itself.

Perhaps rather than logic or non-logic, the theme of this postseason should be to expect the unexpected.

The previous two opponents the Giants faced were capable and talented. One outperformed us all season, and the other was the reigning champs-- seemingly peaking in the same manner in which they did last year. I knew (and predicted) that each series would go the distance. Of course I had no idea why or how they'd go to 5 and 7 games respectively, but I just had that feeling.

To me, this upcoming series with the Tigers has a different feel. They are certainly more offensively talented. They have two guys in Fielder and Cabrera that scare the living hell out of me. They have an ace (with a capital 'A') in Justin Verlander, that could potentially pitch 3 games.

Justin Verlander is capable of shutting us out 3 times and then leaving the clubhouse with Kate Upton on his arm. That's how good he is.

Right now, we have 3 reliable starting pitchers and one of them is Game 1 starter Barry Zito.

The Tigers have a spontaneously combusted Jose Valverde removed from the closer's role and defensive liabilities.

You can break down this matchup however you want, but all you'll get is right back to where you started.

I can't put my finger on it, but I feel like the stars are aligning for us once again. Naturally I could be wrong, but just like 2010, there's just an 'it'  factor about this team that cannot be ignored.

Just like 2010, the Rangers were better than us on paper-- laden with sluggers and Cliff Lee. I see almost a mirror image of Texas in the 2012 Detroit Tigers.

I'm no expert, and I watched less than 10 Tiger games all season, but that's basically what I've gathered.

All I'm saying is it's happened once under similar circumstances, with a similar hodgepodge of players-- a veritable David/Goliath story. Why couldn't it happen again?

Prediction: Giants in 6

Why we watch...

It may be 1:30 am, but I'm too excited to sleep.

It's partially because I just caught a 10:40 pm show of Taken 2. If Liam Neeson killing Albanians with his bare hands doesn't fire you up, then you don't have a pulse. Furthermore, if thinking about the Giants in the playoffs doesn't get your heart racing a little, then get the hell out of here, because you're not welcome.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and I for one cannot wait.

Am I apprehensive? Of course. A little scared? Maybe. But that's what makes it so goddamned incredible. The playoffs are an emotional rollercoaster-- a gut-wrenching endeavor. It's a feeling nearly impossible to duplicate and I wouldn't trade my fanhood for anything. Just as we learned in 2010, it'll all be worth it someday.

I'm not going to break down the Giants-Reds series. There's no point and this isn't that kind of blog.

If you're reading this, you know our strengths and weaknesses. You've read articles already about the Reds. We've all studied our opponent, and they're going to be tough.

We likely won't sweep Cincinnati, and it likely won't be a smooth ride, but dammit, we are going to win this series. Our team is battle-hardened and hungry.

I can't think of a single player who will take this lightly-- everyone from Ryan Theriot to George Kontos. This is why they play the game, and I feel like this squad has the makeup of potential champions.

Don't compare this to 2010, because it's not all that similar. There wasn't the same expectation of winning two years ago. We didn't clinch the West until the last game. We didn't have a batting champion or a steroid suspension. There is no Brian Wilson or red thong.

This is a different team and it has a different feeling. Like 2010, our guys have heart and character, but there seems to be an aura of workmanship and a businesslike tendency that was missing from the happy-go-lucky misfits from back then.

They've been there. Those that weren't have learned from the rest.

Our pitching is no longer bulletproof. We can't rely on Lincecum anymore and that's depressing. Is that same guy in there somewhere? Absolutely. Whether or not we'll see him on any given day is about as sure a thing as putting everything you have on red while watching that little ball spin around the roulette wheel.

You hold your breath, say a silent prayer... and wait.

There are guys who have been quiet with the bats who have the capability to lift this team to an entirely different level of success (Pence, Panda, Belt, I'm looking at you), but we can't count on them to get the big hit.

What if Posey has a rough series or Scutaro doesn't get those seemingly inevitable clutch hits? What if Pagan gets shut down and doesn't get on base the way he has in the second half?

There is no sure thing in this series or with this team-- on either side-- and that is what makes it an intriguing matchup.

In fact, if you were to look at stats on paper, the Reds are the clear-cut favorites.

That's why we watch though. We've watched paper champions like the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Rangers fail to make it to the dance, while young ragtag nobodies like Oakland and Baltimore perform like well-oiled machines.

Baseball doesn't make sense sometimes, and that's why we love it.

I will leave you with these thoughts:

We've lived and died with this team all season. Throughout it all, we've been both disgusted and elated, confident and deflated. I don't expect that to change come Saturday at 6:37 pm.

This is our team and we know what we're in for. We can't fully explain how they've managed to get to this point, but does it really matter? How these men overcame a worst-case scenario season by an ace and the loss of our closer, the demise of the rally thong, and the crumbling of a testosterone-aided idol, I'll never be able to explain.

What I can identify in this 2012 team, is that they have "it".

It's the same "it" factor that we had in 2010 and that the Cardinals had in 2011. It's that very same "it" factor that I see in Oakland, Baltimore, and St. Louis this season. After all my years of watching sports, championships more often than not are won, not bought. For every bought and paid for New York Yankees ring in the last 20 years, there seems to be an equally improbable "it" champion-- teams that no one gave a chance.

Let's hope that the gift of "it" blesses us with another long run into the playoffs.

Prediction: Giants over Reds in 5


Other AL/NLDS predictions:

Cardinals over Nats in 4
Orioles over Yankees in 5
A's over Tigers in 5

Reader Submission #3: Finally, it's starting to sink in

The following is a reader submission to The Dodgerhater by avid Giants fan and Dodgerhater reader Julian Perez. I thought it was appropriate to get other perspectives on what this World Series means to people.



Finally it's starting to sink in

Julian Perez


Wow! I’ve waited just about 25 years for a World Series championship to come home to the best city in the world, and it has finally happened. Now that the parade has taken place, it is finally sinking in that the San Francisco Giants are the 2010 World Series Champs! It still feels weird saying that.

I was initially in shock after watching Brian Wilson record the final out of game 5. I dropped to my knees, screaming toward the sky and shaking uncontrollably. Unfortunately I was not with anyone else to share the utter euphoria I felt, but I am sure that the rest of the Orange & Black nation was feeling the same way. The first person I called was my brother, who was in tears over the win.

Many Giants fans have been suffering since the team moved here in ’58 and I can only imagine how they must have felt. I spoke to a guy at Game 2 of the World Series who had been at the series in ’61, 89, and ’02 and felt the same heartbreak at the conclusion of each. To this day I still have never seen fully seen the final out of the 2002 World Series. I walked out of the room as soon as Kenny Lofton made contact and flip the channel anytime highlights of that series are on. But when Nelson Cruz struck swung and missed on that final pitch, it felt like a new beginning. A 54 year weight had been lifted off everyone’s shoulders. The demons have been banished. The scars left by things like Willie McCovey’s line drive and Dusty Baker giving Russ Ortiz the game ball in the six inning of Game 6 have been magically healed.

People outside of the Bay Area (and maybe Boston, Cleveland and Chicago) have no idea what this wait has been like! The last time the Giants won the series, my parents were 2 and 5 respectively. I keep hearing East Coast fans saying that we don’t know how to handle ourselves and that we’re acting like idiots out here. You know what I say to that?

“You guys wait 54 years and then let us know how it feels you spoiled douche bags.”

I am also getting sick and tired of the media completely hating on this band of “misfits” that screwed up television ratings for Fox. I don’t think the teams were as responsible as the consistently biased, horrible commentators. Maybe it was the fact that the games didn’t start till 8 o’clock on the Eastern Time Zone. I couldn’t believe the fact that ESPN, the self proclaimed “Worldwide Leader in Sports” dedicated two slots of 30 second highlights the day after the win. It just proves that those executives are wearing blue and white pinstripes.

I even read an article on Deadspin.com the next day saying that San Francisco fans “don’t even know how to properly celebrate” because 5 people were arrested the night of game 5. Uh, last time I checked, when Boston won in 2004 there were riots in the streets and cars flipped over. That same year there were even worse riots in New York when the Yankees lost to the Sox in the ALCS. Wednesday’s celebration proved all those haters wrong! We know how to party, have fun, come together as one, and celebrate a world goddamn championship!

I would also like to congratulate and apologize to Bruce Bochy and Brian Sabean. Those of you who read this blog as avidly as I do may remember I wrote an article ripping Sabean a new one for not getting a big bat after the trade deadline. Never in a million years did I think we would get to the playoffs--- let alone the World Series with the team we had at the deadline. Even during the waiver period, I was cursing the likes of Cody Ross and his 7 RBI’s over the last six weeks of the season.

I can admit when I’m wrong. Not only was I wrong, but I now have a whole new faith in Sabean and the entire front office of the Giants. They have put this team in a position to pitch their way back to the playoffs for years to come. Lincecum, Cain, and Bumgarner are all signed through at least next year and Jonathan Sanchez is arbitration eligible. It also makes me feel pretty good (and shitty at the same time) to know that a former CY Young winner is our #5 starter.

That being said, it is now time to wipe off the champagne, sleep off the hangovers from the amazing parade, and start thinking about the upcoming 2011 season.

This will not be close to the same team next year. Playoff hero Edgar Renteria will likely not be re-signed and Juan Uribe could likely be signed by another team after a career year. The Giants have said that re-signing Aubrey Huff is their #1 priority which is great, but where does he play next year? Do you put Pablo at 3rd again? Do they call up a guy like Brandon Belt to take over at first, or maybe give Ishikawa one more chance while having Huff in the outfield? What about Pat Burrell? It is hard to see him coming back.

Burrell most likely got his last hit as a Giant in the NLCS (0-13 in World Series). How about a guy like Jayson Werth hitting in the middle of the lineup with Buster and Huff?! A guy can dream can’t he? Either way it is obvious that a bat will be at the top of the list for the Giants during free-agency, but don’t be surprised if Jonathan Sanchez is pitching in a different uniform in 2011. There are talks of Dan Runzler being turned into a starter and the farm is packed with pitching talent. So it seems like the logical thing would be to trade Sanchez rather then pay him $5.5 million in arbitration next year for 8 BB a game.

Regardless of what the Giants do this off-season, we will always have this incredible, magical, and at many times torturous season in our minds and hearts forever. No person or team can ever take away the fact that the Giants are champions. Now it’s their turn to chase us for a crown! The wait is over and it was worth it! Black and Orange forever!!

P.S.: My friend, a hardcore Yankees fan, made a bet with me at the beginning of the playoffs that if the Giants won the whole thing that he would get Buster Posey’s number (28) tattooed on his leg. He has since told me that he intends to do it because it was a “man’s, man’s bet” so there will soon be pictures to follow.

November 1, 2010: The wait is over

I still can't believe it. We did it. We won. WE WON THE WORLD SERIES!

I know it happened. I saw it happen. I celebrated after it happened. I hugged strangers and bummed cigarettes while partying like it was 1954. And it still seems so surreal-- so improbable; so impossible.

How did this happen?? Of all the years and all the teams we've called San Francisco Giants, this was the collection of guys to do it. It almost seems like an accident... as if this story was originally written as a fictional novel, then turned into a Hollywood drama complete with a witty and heart-warming screenplay.

It might as well be a heart-warming, witty Hollywood drama, because that's exactly what it was.

The cast was a vibrant quilt of A-list talents and eccentric contributers, B-list supporting actors, capable character actors and extras. The director drove everyone crazy, and if half this movie's investors had their way, the producer of this championship would've been fired two years ago.

You really couldn't script it better. Everything from the beginning of the season straight through to Brian Wilson's final pitch was dramatic, fun, frustrating, torturous, and damned exhilarating.

They beat the two-time defending NL Champion Phillies including Roy Halladay twice. They beat the supposedly invincible Cliff Lee in the World Series twice. They held an incredible Texas lineup to a paltry .190 BA in the 5 game series, just days after the Rangers hit .281 against the $200+MM New York Yankees.

Their lineup had no national stars. No one on the team hit 30 homers or drove in 90 RBIs. There was no Barry Bonds or Jeff Kent. There was just a cast of characters worth more playing together than as separate parts.






What this championship means to long-suffering Giants fans is wholly indescribable. We've seen our share of Superbowls, and they were incredible, but this is something else entirely. To wait this long, and root this hard without tasting the sweetness of a title makes it that more incredible. As Tom Petty said, "The waiting is the hardest part."

There wasn't a Giants fan out there on the night of November 1st that didn't get chills, have their eyes well up with tears, hug a stranger, laugh hysterically, or scream the same unintelligible slogans over and over again.

I'm a fairly young guy, so I know I am lucky to have experienced this so early in life. After the dust settled following the game, I began to think about what this title meant to different people. I thought about the old guys who can now die in peace. I thought about those who were taken from us too early, who literally lived and died with the San Francisco Giants and who weren't around to see it. I think of my dad and his friends, who were born in 1955 or 1956, who have known nothing but frustration for over 50 years.

I also think of the players like Aubrey Huff, who never played on a winning team. A guy who played nearly 1,500 games in semi-obscurity before getting to hoist that trophy. I think of equipment manager Mike Murphy, who's been with the team for God knows how long. That guy's been washing uniforms, picking up jocks, and riding the highs and the lows of professional baseball his entire adult life. It's as special to him as anyone.

I think of our young guns like Buster, Bum, Timmy, and Cainer, who now know what it takes to get there, and get it done. You think they won't be motivated to get back there and capture that same lightning in a bottle?

I think of Edgar Renteria, one of the most maligned Giants players since Edgardo Alfonzo-- a guy who was added to the NLDS roster as an afterthought, simply because there was no other backup shortstop. He earned all $16MM of that contract in one postseason, and he potentially bookended his career with championships. Simply incredible.

As you finally get to enjoy the long-fabled "Parade Down Market Street" we've all dreamed about, I urge you to really soak it up. Enjoy every second of it. Take as many pictures as your memory card will allow. You never know if you'll ever get to see it again.

One day, you can tell your grandchildren that you were there and you got to see it, and we both know you will never forget this.

We're almost there: It's ours to lose

This just keeps getting better and better.

Before it's all said and done, it's about to get sweeter than any of us could have imagined back in April.

Back in April, Rowand started over Torres, Posey was in Fresno, Wellemeyer was our 5th starter, Burrell was DH'ing in St. Petersburg, and Madison Bumgarner was... a concern to say the least.

Remember? He had a terrible Spring, was throwing 85, and everyone was freaking out! Some people thought he was injured. Some thought we were dumb not to trade him while his stock as a prospect was high. More thought he had gone all Rick Ankiel on us and would never recover.

I was one of those freaking out... thinking he'd been rushed; thinking he'd need more seasoning and time to iron out his mechanical problems. I feared the worst. I prayed to God I didn't see anything at the bottom of my screen mentioning Madison and the most feared words in the Baseball Language: Dr. James Andrews.

Thank God none of that ever happened. Sure enough, after a couple months in Fresno, slowly but surely, Bumgarner came back around. His velocity increased back to respectability, and his stock slowly began to rise again.

Bumgarner's was not quite the odyssey of an Aubrey Huff or a Rick Ankiel, but within the framework of one season, it mirrors the Giants' season as a whole. It is quite possible that if you were to choose just one Giant's season that best represented the "hero cycle" that is the 2010 San Francisco Giants, it would be Madison Bumgarner.

As it turned out, in one of the biggest games of our lifetimes, this 21 year-old country boy with ice water in his veins shut down one of the best lineups assembled in the last 20 years. He threw mostly fastballs that varied in speed from 89-94, and kept professional hitters off balance all night. He can barely buy a beer, and he made Vladimir Guerrero, who drove in 115 runs in '10, look like a confused old lady.

Bumgarner, who I refer to as "The Carolina Kid", seems like he has "it". We said that about Timmy in '07. Remember?

His demeanor and mentality lead me to believe he would be an excellent military sniper. One of the most skilled jobs in all the world, a sniper must be silent, patient, alert, steady, and strong. You can't blink. You can't make a sound, and if you so much as shake an iota, your shot misses by 10 feet. Madison Bumgarner has a steady trigger finger.

As it were, The Carolina Kid and his steady trigger finger, at all of 21 years old, has led our beloved baseball team to within one win of a World Series title.

Pat Burrell is the Machine?

Thanks to my Twitter bro, and Phillies fan @Utley4God for the tip here. This may be a day late, but I don't think many of us have heard or seen this:

From TheFightins.com (Phillies Blog):

"...After narrowing down the suspects, (Deadspin.com) decided that the culprit was more than likely Pat Burrell, former left-fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies and Wilson’s current teammate. Now that’s some mighty fine investigative work by the Deadspin boys, because for the last couple of years, I have been sitting on a picture of Pat Burrell in all his gimp-outiftted glory, but never ran it because the guy who gave me the picture didn’t want to get caught.

...

I don’t really want to go into detail about how I acquired this picture, but it was taken at Pat Burrell’s house in Arizona during a Christmas party in (I believe) December of ’04 (possibly ’05). According to my picture-taking accomplice, every year during his Christmas party — which is attended by a veritable who’s who of baseballers who spend their winters out in AZ — Pat wanders upstairs and slips into his assless-chapped gimp outfit to entertain his party guests while making them feel extremely uncomfortable all at the same time."

And without further weirdness, the visual evidence:



Again, thank you to The Fightins for the amazing work!

Too good: Dallas Reporter Smells Weed

This guy is hilarious. I you can't see these two videos, click here. It's truly hilarious.

This Dallas reporter outside of AT&T is appalled at "people smokin' weed!" beyond McCovey Cove. Too funny.



And the followup:




Again, click here if you cannot see the videos.

Nice win, weird game

That was fairly amazing. I wish I could've been at the yard, but it doesn't matter. It didn't matter if you were with a group of friends, listening on the radio at work, or getting blind drunk with strangers at a bar... We won a World Series game, and we need to win three more. That right there is an absolute rush.

I said in my last post that if the Giants wanted to beat Cliff Lee, it was up to Tim Lincecum. No one could've predicted that Lee would've had such poor command with his fastball and that his offspeed pitches would've been non-existent. The Giants capitalized on Lee's lack of high quality stuff, as good teams do, and that was really the difference.

Lincecum on the other hand, has to be a cause for concern. Since his first start against the Braves in the NLDS, he's been pretty good, but certainly not great. He's been bailed out a couple times, including tonight. As I alluded to on Tuesday, if Cliff Lee is right, Lincecum giving up 4 runs is a near death sentence.



Obviously, you can never rule out these Giants-- we all know that. But without those 7 earned runs of Lee's and that monstrous dong by Uribe allowed by O'Day, the Rangers probably have the lead into the late innings.

I won't say we got lucky, but this is the first time that Cliff Lee has shown any semblance of humanity/mortality, and it was a rather big showing of vulnerability.

This does two things:

1) The Rangers, who have grown accustomed to Lee shutting down teams automatically, have had their noggins shaken up a bit. Their world has not been turned upside down, but it means something. I wouldn't expect Lee to do this again.

2) It gives the Giants a HUGE shot of confidence heading into Game 2 and beyond

Notes & Observations:

-- I said on Tuesday that one of the keys to success was Andres Torres and Freddy Sanchez doing a better job of getting on base and setting the table for the rest of the lineup. They did just that, especially Sanchez, who went 4-5 with 3 doubles.

-- Andres Torres & Freddy Sanchez went a combined 5-9 with 4 runs, 3 RBI, and one big HBP. These two did what I told them, and it was huge.

-- Another key I mentioned was Pat Burrell needing to get hot. He is on the ball... and by on the ball, I mean he is just off the ball. He is very close to getting a hold of a couple pitches and I believe big things should happening shortly. He still has a good eye and drew a huge walk off of Cliff Lee to prolong that big inning.

-- Good to see Santiago Casilla and Sergio Romo doing well. A 7 run lead is a great time to get your struggling relievers into the game. While Romo and Casilla came out of the game with a confidence boost, the same cannot be said for the totally lost Ramon Ramirez and the up and down Jeremy Affeldt.

-- Everyone knows about Vladimir Guerrero's declining mobility in the field; everyone but Ron Washington apparently. Guerrero is a future hall of famer and has always been one of the most unorthodox, exciting players in the league since he began with Montreal all those years ago.

Personally, I would not have played Guerrero in perhaps the most difficult right field in all of baseball. Vlad's arm is still stronger than hell, but he just can't move anymore. Those years of torment by playing on carpet-covered concrete in Montreal absolutely devastated this man's knees and he has no business playing out there anymore.

What happened out there in Game 1 was beneficial to the Giants, but to see Vlad struggle with routine plays and fumble the ball around was hard to watch. It is most difficult because he has been so good for so long, and his skills are eroding in front of the whole world. The man can still hit the hell out of the ball, but he shouldn't be out in the field. You know it. I know it. He knows it.

David Murphy should play in RF in Game 2. Murphy is an offensive downgrade, but not by a huge margin. He is a decent hitter that adds an element of speed and defense that is more conducive to the National League style of play. He hit .291/.358/.449 this season with 14 steals. You make the call.

-- Great to see Ishikawa and Nate Schierholtz getting big hits and making good plays on defense (other than Ishi's ugly throw).

-- Stay hot Cody Ross. He had a rather pedestrian game for his standards, but it was still 1-5 with a run and RBI. He will never have to buy a drink in this town again.

-- How huge is Juan Uribe? That guy is an amazing, funny little man and I love him. If he's not re-signed to a two year deal this offseason I will fill a mason jar with an unpleasant substance and FedEx it to Brian Sabean.

-- Nice little tidbits here:

-- Heading into the World Series, the Giants have the lowest team ERA since the '01 Cardinals and '01 Diamondbacks.

-- The team that wins Game 1 of the Series wins 61% of the time

-- 6 of the last 7 and 11 of the last 13 Game 1 winners have won the series.

-- Cain against Wilson coming up Thursday night. I would expect our lineup to be the same, going against another lefty. For the Rangers, I would expect lefty David Murphy to play in place of Vlad and hit 7th.

-- It's gonna rain tomorrow. If you're lucky enough to go to the game, bring a poncho with a funny slogan on it. Hopefully that doesn't screw up our game.

You guys like my rally beard? I applied a second coat of Walt Frazier Just For Men. Looks delicious. ---->

Thoughts before Game 1

This is what we've all been waiting for... another chance to finally win a championship.

Not in a million years did anyone expect a Giants-Rangers World Series, and this series is as intriguing and unpredictable as the matchup itself. But, I will see what I can do...

-- Cliff Lee is the best pitcher in baseball right now. He's pitching better than Lincecum, Halladay, Cain, or anyone else that has participated in the playoffs. He is straight filth, and he is more likely to know the lyrics of a Justin Bieber song than he is to walk a guy. That means neither is likely.

Games 1 and 5 will be up to clutch late-inning hitting and Tim Lincecum. Lincecum cannot give up more than 3 runs in either start, because Lee will allow 2 or less. The way to beat Texas in games Lee starts is to A) Get lucky or B) wear him out, take pitches, and beat Texas's inferior bullpen.

-- Josh Hamilton will beat us at some point (or two). The key is to minimize the damage caused by their other two boppers, Nelson Cruz and Vlad Guerrero.

-- Keep the deer off the basepaths. If the speedy Elvis Andrus and the beastly Ian Kinsler draw walks, smack singles, and do their cute little antler thing, we've got problems.

-- Much has been made of Bengie Molina's presence in the Texas clubhouse. Sure he knows signs, tendencies, and our pitchers. It is an advantage for sure. But this is baseball, not the NFL. This isn't a Gruden with Tampa against the Raiders situation.

Molina knows Cain and Lincecum intimately but never really saw Timmy's slider. He doesn't know much about Madison Bumgarner, and was not on the team with Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez, Cody Ross, Mike Fontenot, and barely saw Buster Posey.

And another point that Chris Ray, the man Molina was traded for, is still on the team. He is not on the active roster, but that doesn't prevent him from sharing signs, tendencies, game plans, and tips on Josh Hamilton, Michael Young and company.

Another point is that everything is on HD video, and advanced scouting departments for each team do nothing but track tendencies.

The Giants will have changed their signs, and Bengie Molina's effect on the series will be minimal. He wont make Lincecum's changeup easier to hit or Brian Wilson's beard any less awesome.

-- Andres Torres and Freddy Sanchez need to do a better job of setting the table and Pat Burrell needs to heat up again. He is due.

-- Please God, stay hot Cody Ross...

-- Casilla, Romo, and Ramirez scare the hell out of me. Good thing Jeremy Affeldt appears to be back...

-- Jonathan Sanchez will once again pitch on the road. Homeboy needs to find his control. Another 3 inning meltdown will sink us.

-- The DH thing is a concern. While Vlad Guerrero will probably bumble around in the outfield during the first 2 games in San Francisco, the Gyros will have a dilemma on their hands in Arlington.

Cliff Lee and CJ Wilson are Texas's best pitchers, but both are lefties. Had Ron Washington opted to throw Colby Lewis in Game 2, the Giants would have had to really improvise with their DH situation.

With two righties in Lewis and Tommy Hunter going in Games 3 and 4, it creates an ideal situation for Pablo Sandoval to DH.

Yes, Sandoval is a full-blown retard, but hitting left-handed is his stronger side, and maybe the lack of stress of playing 3rd base will help him.

Pat Burrell makes sense as a DH (possibly in Game 5 against Lee) but the last time he tried that, he hit .211 with 2 HR and was fired by Tampa Bay. He hates it.

-- I know he wont read this, but I'd like to apologize to Bruce Bochy. At points this season, I declared him "unfit to lead". I even wanted him fired. I was wrong Boch.

I disagree and second guess more than half your lineups and in game moves, but you've gotten us to within 4 games of a championship. If you get this done, I will be forever in your debt...

Predictions: Giants will win in 6 games. The torture will continue, but so will the clutch performances at the plate and on the mound for San Francisco. The Rangers have the hottest pitcher on earth and a superior offense in every way. It only seems logical that they'd win.

Unfortunately for them, they've earned a chance to face the most illogical team ever assembled. The Giants aren't supposed to win, and that's precisely why they will.

PS: I dyed my beard jet black in honor of Brian Wilson. I am applying a second coat tomorrow before the game.

If you have not seen my "Giants Win the Pennant" video, you're missing out. In just over 48 hours, it's received nearly 1,200 hits. It's epic, and will get you fired up for the World Series even more than you already are!



The Giants Win the Pennant!
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