Giants Midnight Replay

Out-Slugging the Sluggers

Giants squeak by the Marlins 9 to 6

Screenshot of the game.

4 out of 5 Neukoms

3 Walks, No Errors, 6 for 14 with RISP and 15 hits is not that bad of a line for this lineup.

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The Jerry Award (hero) goes to Lincecum for getting an amazing 13 K’s but getting chased by bad placement on ONE pitch and, I suspect, the humidity (i live in NYC, the humidity up here is no joke, I get fatigued quick, I can’t even fathom Florida.)

The Tom Award (villan) goes to the Hanley Ramirez who absolutely swats the Giants last night with 3 for 6 with 3 RBI and single-handedly deflated my enjoyment of the game. 

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Special award section

       Jorge Cantu         ……………………………………………        Gets one of these 

And throw in a hat trick for Dan Uggla and Jeff Baker while your at it. 

In other news.

- I am beginning to like Aubry Huff more and more. The more I think about it, the more he reminds me of Randy Winn with his professionalism. 

- And here is some flying animals for you. 

Aaron Rowand tries out his new face transplant by throwing it across the outfield.

Dan Uggla is looking for some nuts to store for winter… instead he got this line drive. 

Jeremy Affeldt does some distracting calisthenics on the mound.

Somewhere in Salt Lake AAA Kevin Frandsen catches a pop-up. 

40 Giants in 37 days

Aaron Rowand

How will he do this year?

My friend’s girlfriend used to go to school with Rowand and told me that even back then everyone called him lunk-head.. oh god. If only Rowand could swing all that meat that was packed between his ears, maybe he could hit the steady diet of curveballs he is fed. Actually watching him swing at a curveball in the dirt might be the most aggravating thing that I have ever had to watch. WE NEED ROWAND TO HIT THIS YEAR, LIKE I NEED A BURRITO FROM PAPALOTE’S RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!

Do I like the guy?

No. For the record I have hated the contract since the beginning. ( I just tried to pull up my old blog about me hating the Rowand contract, but I just realized that that whole blog/conversation only happened in my head.)

Would I hang out with the guy?

Yes… here is the senario… I am hanging out at the bar…… I am about 6 drinks deep and getting deeper. Rowand rolls up with his posse and buys rounds for everyone. We run down the street kicking signs screaming at people……… I just realized that in a lot of my imagined scenarios where I am hanging out with Giants players we are causing hell in the streets….. what is all that about. I am trying to say…. yes, I would hang out with Rowand but only if I was REALLY drunk.

Will he play an essential part of the 2010 Giants?

I predict that he is not the leadoff hitter by the All-Star break. But his continued success in the starting lineup is absolutely essential. I can see him and Renteria making or breaking this team.

40 Giants in 37 days

We continue our discussion of how everyone on the 40 will do this year and why I probably don’t like them.

Freddy Sanchez

How will he do this year?

With the rise of advanced statistics there had to be something that lost it’s value. I feel like of the three triple crown categories, Batting Average has become the least valuable. Unfortunately that is the part of the triple crown that Sanchez has won before. Having a +.300 AVG is not exactly the sexiest stat anymore just ask Randy Winn. Although it will be nice to have a solid average at 2B, he will not be hitting anything out to the cove. With all that I say that we get an “average” version of our most average asset. .300 hitter, hopefully north of .350 OBP, and we might get lucky and see 1 or 2 get over the fence.

Do I like the guy?

Why do I think of Freddy Sanchez as a total nerd? Have I seen him in a pair of glasses ever? He also gets point in my book for coming up with the Pirates. Thee WORST team ever. I have a soft spot for guys who seem to look out of place on a baseball field. I can see this guy teaching 6th grade or showing a model house on the real estate beat.

Would I hang out with him?

For sure, we could play Scrabble, watch Harry Potter, eat popcorn, and drink yoo-hoo.

Will he have an essential part in the 2010 Giants.

Most definitely, everyone in the starting lineup has to OVER-produce for us to get into the playoffs. We need your doubles hitting .300 AVG and your double play agility up the middle.

Where Are They Now?

That Omar Vizquel interview got me thinking of Giants of the very recent past. And WTF they are up to right now.

hmmmmmm…… what about THIS fatty… anyone remember this guy?

Looks like Armando Benitez is up to his old tricks again….

I pulled this straight from his Wikipedia page..

“On August 22, 2009 Benitez was signed to a minor league deal by the Houston Astros and assigned to their triple-A affiliate the Round Rock Express. On his minor league return, Benitez gave up back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs against Memphis Redbirds hitters.”

Wow… that is 4 HRs in a row…. I almost feel sorry for him….

40 Giants in 37 days

John Bowker

How will he do this year?

There is a lot of talk around the twittersphere/nerdosphere about how “The Bowk” is the breakout candidate at this years camp. And beyond the fact that he reminds me of a young left handed Aaron Rowand, he just has to really fix one thing….. STOP SWINGING AT BREAKING BALLS!!!!! How Bowker does this year is directly linked to how he nervously swings at balls that scrap his ankles. I wish it was as simple as getting glasses to be able to see the seams on the ball spin a certain way. It just seems that Bowker is waving away his chance at a pretty decent career.

Do I like the guy?

If I mentioned Rowand and him in the same paragraph you can pretty much guess where I am going with this one.

Would I hang out with him?

Not unless I was at a high school party and I was a drunk chick.

Will he have an essential part on the 2010 Giants?

This depends….  I think we all have a small clue with the way he hit at AAA last year that Bam Bam fixed his swing. So it’s all about hitting bomb after bomb in spring training to show the coaches that it’s for real this time. Personally I think he could be huge for us this year. Unfortunately he smells a bit too much like Fransen/Linden/Ortimeier that he will probably get passes up. I predict he hits 20+ HRs……… for a different team.

40 Giants in 37 days

and on we go…. with a special edition where we talk about two different people

Sergio Romo (w/mustache)

How will he do this year (if he grows the mustache back)?

While consistently posting a strikeout rate higher than his inning total, Romo is essentially a ROOGY and no that’s not short for Japanese Left handed specialist….. That is basically a right handed specialist. Although he is not used in this manner, his splits say that he should be. 2.21 ERA, 26k’s,  vs Righties, 6.56 ERA, 15k’s vs Lefties. While his back breaking curve should keep getting him into games to set up Affeldt. One thing that Romo does not have to worry about is carrying the NOOB backpack anymore since Runzler will probably be in the bullpen this year. I predict another solid year from Romo, of course this all depends on him growing back his mustache.

Do I like the guy (if he grows the mustache back)?

Oh hells yes!

Would I hang out with him (if he grows the mustache back)?

again…. oh hells yes! we would sit around drinking blue slurpees playing SNES and sneak out at night to put Bologna on our neighbors car in the pattern of a huge penis.

Will he be an essential part of the 2010 Giants?

If he grows his mustache back.

……………and now for part 2……………….

Sergio Romo (with terrible BRC soul patch)

How will he do this year (with a horrible AO soul patch)?

TERRIBLE. seriously shave that shit!

Do I like the guy (with a crusty KC poop patch)

Ahhh Hells no!!!

Would I hang out with him (and his disgusting JW dirt patch)

Ahhh Hells no!!!

Will he be an essential part of the 2010 Giants

Not if he keeps his distasteful CG spilled bbq sauce patch

Seriously Romo, we love you but be a man, stop thinking you are going to look TOO mexican if you grow your awesome stache back! Embrace your ability to rock a lip sweater….

40 Giants in 37 days

Continuing on our journey…..

Alex Hinshaw

How will he do this year?

Hinshaw had a 6 inning stop in SF last year with an ERA of 12.00 before catching the BART and a couple greyhounds back to Fresno… In Fresno he got into 52 innings and put up some pretty decent stats, striking out 72 and walking only 32. Not Dominant stuff, and not a LOOGY. I bet he would get another shot if it wasn’t for Dan Runzler. I feel like Hinshaw is the pitching equivalent of Todd Linden/Kevin Fransen/Dan Ortmeier. He will be in a Major league club house enough to remember the smell, but much longer then that.

Do I like the guy?

He seems like a mama’s boy. I feel like I would see this guy in the background of a street racing movie, or being that friend who dares you to do a gravity bong, and laughs hysterically with a contorted face as you cough your lungs out for 45 minutes.

Would I hang out with him?

Maybe I would in said gravity bong situation above….. then we would probably play some kind of street racing game on his XBOX…… (whats with the street racing?)

Will he be an essential part of the 2010 Giants.

If he breaks camp with the team I will give everyone who reads this a dollar (both of you). In other words…….. barring one of our lefties pulling a Dave Dravecky probably not.

40 Giants in 37 days

37 days left until the regular season starts. So I figured I would go through the 40 man roster and tell you what I think of each Giant, how I think they are going to do this year. If I like them or not…… you know all the important stuff. I’m gonna start with the pitchers.

Jeremy Affeldt

How will he do this year?

While our bullpen was amazing last year, there was still a little too many tense situations for my comfort. But when Affeldt was in it seemed like out lead was safe. Watching the way hitters reacted to his wicked late breaking curveball is almost comical at times. I think Affeldt will surprise everyone and live up the the hype that he created last year.

Do I like the guy?

hmm. kinda. On one hand he violates several facial hair rules. On the other he seems like someone who would sit back and drink beer with you while watching some terrible TV show. Also I seem more drawn to players that can give an interview without resorting to cliches and Affeldt is pretty decent at this.

Would I hang out with the guy?

Probably not.

Will he be an essential part of 2010 Giants?

uhhh YES! This guy is absolutely essential for the Giants to have a good season.