The End of the Season
I haven't written in quite a while, and I'm sure both of you are furious with me.
No excuse, got caught up in the possible end-0f-the-season miracle. You know, the one we blew away in the span of 8 batters on a fateful Saturday in Los Angeles?
Truth? I was at the game.
I'm still recovering.
My father-in-law (Red Sox fan) was in town so the two of us headed out last minute, got pretty bad seats way up the 1B line, and watched history unfold.
Soon as we sit down, he tells me that, based on a lifetime of seat-jumping at Fenway, we'll be able to move up to better seats by the 4th or 5th. It is a surprising testimony to Dodger fans that we never moved as much as one row closer. There were no seats to be had.
Sweetest moment? Bottom the 8th. 2 on, 2 out. Beltre up. The entire place chanting "MVP! MVP!" Beltre grounds out. I stand up and chant "MVP! MVP!" I still can't believe I did something like that, but enough people appreciated the irony of it, that I wasn't hated.
Luckily for Giants fans everywhere, baseball is an 8-inning game. Can you imagine if we had to try to go out there and get another 3 outs? We wouldn't be where we are now, headed back to Atlanta for game 5, with Lowry going to the mound to continue his rookie miracle season...
Humor me. I live in denial.
91 wins sounds like a lot. And it is. Unless it takes 92 to make the playoffs. Then you go through the 71 losses and pick a handful that we plum blew. Turns out there are lots of culprits, aside from the heartbreaker in BlueLand.
Whenever the Giants blow an April or May game that they should have won, it irks me to know end to hear players, managers, anyone talk about how "It's OK, it's only peril. The game doesn't mean as much..."
Dudes!! It's a loss! One less "Oops, did we lose that game?" in April would have given us 92 wins and then who knows. How about getting swept at home by Pittsburgh? How about 4 straight 1-run losses at home to LA? How about games where we blew 5-run leads against Colorado? Boston? Anyone?
Uhg.
So now I root for Boston. Partly because I have to, by the laws of marriage. But also partly so there will be one less team that has waited as long as we have for a championship. Kids, it's been 50 years. If the Red Sox win, then it's down to us and the Cubs and maybe a couple others I'm not thinking of at the moment. (White Sox?)
Eventually, even the Cubs will win, and then it'll just be the Giants. Suffering for 50+ years. With some of the best players ever to suit up. (Mays. McCovey. Bonds. Marichal.) And no championships. That's my dream.
On the other hand, 2005 might just be our year.
You think?
Monday, October 11, 2004
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
String Him Up
Another Off-Monday means the Giants are quiet as they get ready for a must-sweep series against the Brewers.
Doesn't mean baseball was quiet.
Across the pond from Pac Bell, a very ugly incident took place. Anyone here bothering to read this knows what I'm talking about. And my personal take is pretty much what most are saying. Frank Francisco needs to be dealt with harshly. VERY harshly. If he pitches again in 2004, it's a travesty. He probably shouldn't pitch in 2005 either.
Look, you're a professional ballplayer. Sports is an emotional world. People love their teams, some of them get drunk (less than you'd think, but it only takes one...). They're gonna say some horrible things. But I don't care if the fans are saying your three year-old daughter is having sex with their dog, your job is to ignore them. They are drunk. They are louts. You make a lot more money than they ever will.
Francisco couldn't handle it. He threw a chair into the stands.
He should go to jail.
It's that simple. The chair flew into the stands, apparently hit it's intended target on the head, then bounced and hit an unintended female target in the face, breaking her nose.
Francisco should go to jail.
Not just suspended, which ought to be obvious, but jailed. Behind bars. And sued. Trust me, he will be sued. But we need to keep our anger in check. The woman with the broken nose will sue. She should. But she should only sue Francisco. Not the Oakland As. Not the Texas Rangers. Not MLB. Francisco. Not as deep a pocket, but he threw the chair, so he should pay the price.
This is where we hold our breath and look to see if the fine line of decency is crossed and what starts out as an ugly incident turns into a frivolous lawsuit by an ambulance chaser. Francisco threw a chair at her and broke her nose. He should pay her, I don't know, maybe a few hundred thousand dollars. A year's salary. My fear is her lawyer will want her to become a millionaire over this, and that crosses the line.
We'll see.
Another Off-Monday means the Giants are quiet as they get ready for a must-sweep series against the Brewers.
Doesn't mean baseball was quiet.
Across the pond from Pac Bell, a very ugly incident took place. Anyone here bothering to read this knows what I'm talking about. And my personal take is pretty much what most are saying. Frank Francisco needs to be dealt with harshly. VERY harshly. If he pitches again in 2004, it's a travesty. He probably shouldn't pitch in 2005 either.
Look, you're a professional ballplayer. Sports is an emotional world. People love their teams, some of them get drunk (less than you'd think, but it only takes one...). They're gonna say some horrible things. But I don't care if the fans are saying your three year-old daughter is having sex with their dog, your job is to ignore them. They are drunk. They are louts. You make a lot more money than they ever will.
Francisco couldn't handle it. He threw a chair into the stands.
He should go to jail.
It's that simple. The chair flew into the stands, apparently hit it's intended target on the head, then bounced and hit an unintended female target in the face, breaking her nose.
Francisco should go to jail.
Not just suspended, which ought to be obvious, but jailed. Behind bars. And sued. Trust me, he will be sued. But we need to keep our anger in check. The woman with the broken nose will sue. She should. But she should only sue Francisco. Not the Oakland As. Not the Texas Rangers. Not MLB. Francisco. Not as deep a pocket, but he threw the chair, so he should pay the price.
This is where we hold our breath and look to see if the fine line of decency is crossed and what starts out as an ugly incident turns into a frivolous lawsuit by an ambulance chaser. Francisco threw a chair at her and broke her nose. He should pay her, I don't know, maybe a few hundred thousand dollars. A year's salary. My fear is her lawyer will want her to become a millionaire over this, and that crosses the line.
We'll see.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Argh! (and other 4-letter words)
Jason Schmidt can just give back the Cy Young award he won about a month ago. Is there ANYONE who thinks he's fully healthy after his groin pull? He's been shelled 3 straight times!
The only reason the Giants are even alive for a playoff spot is that they have beaten up on weaker competition from time to time, though not, of course, on the Rockies.
2004 is over. It just is. It's over for the Giants, it's probably over for the Cubs. The wild card looks to be Houston or Florida, two teams who were left for dead a few weeks ago, but pretty much expected to be in it this year. They are living proof that it's not how you get out of the gate, but how you stay aloft for the long haul. Getting hot at the right time will do wonders.
Meanwhile, what to do with the Giants? I'm going to pretend I'm Brian Sabean and that I can cut whomever I want for 2005. Should be fun.
Outfield:
Bonds, Mohr, Tucker, + 2. One of those two should be a young, bold, PROSPECT. Liek Linden, or speedster Ellison. Grissom? Go. Go far away. Leave us be. Ledee? Are you kidding me?
Infiled:
Snow, Durham, Alfonzo, Cruz. TRADE PEDRO FELIZ NOW! While people see the power and ignore everything else. Yes, he somehow backed into a 9th inning walk last night and was not the reason we lost. But in my world, to be on my team, you have to have an OBP of AT LEAST .300! You've got your starting 4. You need backups. DON'T PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR THEM! Dallimore, Ransom, and others will do just fine in these rolls, and cost a lot less than a "proven veteran."
Catcher:
Trade A.J. Pick up a servicable back-up Catcher. Yorvit can start. A.J. may be worth something from someone who wants the eternal promise of a .300 hitter. Admit that trading Nathan away was a HUGE mistake.
Notice I'm not being overly down on the offence. Nor all that realistic. Why? Because the offence isn't the problem.
Rotation:
Schmidt- but let him heal.
Lowry- but let him be the #3 guy.
Tomko- but let him be the #4 guy.
Bring up Cain or another young gun and let him be the #5.
Gee... that leaves the #2 slot. And... Rueter? Nope. This is where Sabean needs to work the market. Get us the #2 guy we need. Pick him up, he's out there, available. Go get him. Please. Pretty please. With a cherry on top.
Bullpen:
Brower
Hermanson
..
..
I have no idea.
OK. I guess pitching is what's going to decide Sabean's off-season. It's no secret we need quality pitching. It's no secret it's out there. So keep an eye on what Sabean does to our pitching. Don't fret too much when we fail to sign Garciaparra or Delgado or J.D. Drew. But scour the newslines looking for the pitching.
This offence can win it all in 2005. This pitching staff can't.
Jason Schmidt can just give back the Cy Young award he won about a month ago. Is there ANYONE who thinks he's fully healthy after his groin pull? He's been shelled 3 straight times!
The only reason the Giants are even alive for a playoff spot is that they have beaten up on weaker competition from time to time, though not, of course, on the Rockies.
2004 is over. It just is. It's over for the Giants, it's probably over for the Cubs. The wild card looks to be Houston or Florida, two teams who were left for dead a few weeks ago, but pretty much expected to be in it this year. They are living proof that it's not how you get out of the gate, but how you stay aloft for the long haul. Getting hot at the right time will do wonders.
Meanwhile, what to do with the Giants? I'm going to pretend I'm Brian Sabean and that I can cut whomever I want for 2005. Should be fun.
Outfield:
Bonds, Mohr, Tucker, + 2. One of those two should be a young, bold, PROSPECT. Liek Linden, or speedster Ellison. Grissom? Go. Go far away. Leave us be. Ledee? Are you kidding me?
Infiled:
Snow, Durham, Alfonzo, Cruz. TRADE PEDRO FELIZ NOW! While people see the power and ignore everything else. Yes, he somehow backed into a 9th inning walk last night and was not the reason we lost. But in my world, to be on my team, you have to have an OBP of AT LEAST .300! You've got your starting 4. You need backups. DON'T PAY A LOT OF MONEY FOR THEM! Dallimore, Ransom, and others will do just fine in these rolls, and cost a lot less than a "proven veteran."
Catcher:
Trade A.J. Pick up a servicable back-up Catcher. Yorvit can start. A.J. may be worth something from someone who wants the eternal promise of a .300 hitter. Admit that trading Nathan away was a HUGE mistake.
Notice I'm not being overly down on the offence. Nor all that realistic. Why? Because the offence isn't the problem.
Rotation:
Schmidt- but let him heal.
Lowry- but let him be the #3 guy.
Tomko- but let him be the #4 guy.
Bring up Cain or another young gun and let him be the #5.
Gee... that leaves the #2 slot. And... Rueter? Nope. This is where Sabean needs to work the market. Get us the #2 guy we need. Pick him up, he's out there, available. Go get him. Please. Pretty please. With a cherry on top.
Bullpen:
Brower
Hermanson
..
..
I have no idea.
OK. I guess pitching is what's going to decide Sabean's off-season. It's no secret we need quality pitching. It's no secret it's out there. So keep an eye on what Sabean does to our pitching. Don't fret too much when we fail to sign Garciaparra or Delgado or J.D. Drew. But scour the newslines looking for the pitching.
This offence can win it all in 2005. This pitching staff can't.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
It's only the D-Backs
On one hand, I want to be excited about a 3-game sweep. ANY 3-game sweep. I want to explain away Lowry's bad outing to strep throat and a 100 degree fever and revel in Tomko's resurgence. On the other hand... IT'S ONY THE DIAMONDBACKS. This is the WORST team in the majors.
Still, we beat Randy Johnson, no easy task. Sure he's 12-13 now, but his ERA is better than any Giant's starter.( Including Schmidt, who's over 3 now) and he's FREAKIN' RANDY JOHNSON! We scored 4 off Randy. Not bad, kids. Not bad at all.
And now we go to Colorado. Will we continue this mini-uprising? Only 3 1/2 behind LA, can we make it up? Will Chicago choke on a series of double-headers? How do they reschedule an enitre series? How do these double-headers work? Do they play one team in the morning, then the Marlins fly in from Pittsburgh and play an evening game, then go back to Pitt. for game 2?
So many questions. That's the point of the 2004 Giants. All questions, no answers. The season is over when they lose to Colorado, then back alive after sweeping from the worst team in the majors? I don't think so.
This is a flawed team trying to make it on flash and sizzle.
Still, there's only 3 actual teams in the NL this year, ayet 4 need to go to the playoffs.
Why not us?
On one hand, I want to be excited about a 3-game sweep. ANY 3-game sweep. I want to explain away Lowry's bad outing to strep throat and a 100 degree fever and revel in Tomko's resurgence. On the other hand... IT'S ONY THE DIAMONDBACKS. This is the WORST team in the majors.
Still, we beat Randy Johnson, no easy task. Sure he's 12-13 now, but his ERA is better than any Giant's starter.( Including Schmidt, who's over 3 now) and he's FREAKIN' RANDY JOHNSON! We scored 4 off Randy. Not bad, kids. Not bad at all.
And now we go to Colorado. Will we continue this mini-uprising? Only 3 1/2 behind LA, can we make it up? Will Chicago choke on a series of double-headers? How do they reschedule an enitre series? How do these double-headers work? Do they play one team in the morning, then the Marlins fly in from Pittsburgh and play an evening game, then go back to Pitt. for game 2?
So many questions. That's the point of the 2004 Giants. All questions, no answers. The season is over when they lose to Colorado, then back alive after sweeping from the worst team in the majors? I don't think so.
This is a flawed team trying to make it on flash and sizzle.
Still, there's only 3 actual teams in the NL this year, ayet 4 need to go to the playoffs.
Why not us?
Friday, September 03, 2004
The Day The Season Died
Let me take you back.
Tuesday, August 17th. That was the day the Giants' season ended. We won. But in all reality, we lost, big time.
Jason Schmidt leads Montreal 4-2 after 8 innings. He comes out to pitch the 9th, throws three warm-up tosses, and leaves. Hermanson blows the save, but scavanges the win.
We haven't been the same team since.
You think Jason's fully healthy? He's been shelled twice in a row since coming back from his minor groin pull. I'm no doctor, but I'm a guy and I don't think there's anything remotely close to a MINOR groin pull.
That's like saying we currently have a MINOR budget deficit. Without The Schimdterator, we're a decent offense behind a AAA rotation. Oh sure, we're only 1 1/2 behind the Cubs for the Wild Card, but if I'm Chicago, I'm more worried about Florida and Houston than SF and SD. Time to pack it in? Of course not. Miracles happen. We've won 10 in a row this season, we can do it again. One never knows. But in al reality, we need to look ahead to 2005 and MAKE A REAL PUSH FOR A TITLE.
The offence, much maligned, is actually in decent shape. Install Mohr full time, let Grissom go. That's an upgrade. Would we like a bopper? Sure thing. But more than that.. we need a HUGE starting pitcher. Steal Pedro from Boston. Or something. There are some Starters on the market this winter. We NEED to get one. And I don't mean make a last second curtesy bid to Greg Maddox only to be spurned, I mean make the first move, signalling to other free agents that 2005 is the Giants' year.
We wiping Nen's $9 mil off the books this year. Don't have to pay F-Rod's $3.5 mi. Niefi won't be eating up $2 mil. The money is there. USE IT!
Or forever rest in peace.
Let me take you back.
Tuesday, August 17th. That was the day the Giants' season ended. We won. But in all reality, we lost, big time.
Jason Schmidt leads Montreal 4-2 after 8 innings. He comes out to pitch the 9th, throws three warm-up tosses, and leaves. Hermanson blows the save, but scavanges the win.
We haven't been the same team since.
You think Jason's fully healthy? He's been shelled twice in a row since coming back from his minor groin pull. I'm no doctor, but I'm a guy and I don't think there's anything remotely close to a MINOR groin pull.
That's like saying we currently have a MINOR budget deficit. Without The Schimdterator, we're a decent offense behind a AAA rotation. Oh sure, we're only 1 1/2 behind the Cubs for the Wild Card, but if I'm Chicago, I'm more worried about Florida and Houston than SF and SD. Time to pack it in? Of course not. Miracles happen. We've won 10 in a row this season, we can do it again. One never knows. But in al reality, we need to look ahead to 2005 and MAKE A REAL PUSH FOR A TITLE.
The offence, much maligned, is actually in decent shape. Install Mohr full time, let Grissom go. That's an upgrade. Would we like a bopper? Sure thing. But more than that.. we need a HUGE starting pitcher. Steal Pedro from Boston. Or something. There are some Starters on the market this winter. We NEED to get one. And I don't mean make a last second curtesy bid to Greg Maddox only to be spurned, I mean make the first move, signalling to other free agents that 2005 is the Giants' year.
We wiping Nen's $9 mil off the books this year. Don't have to pay F-Rod's $3.5 mi. Niefi won't be eating up $2 mil. The money is there. USE IT!
Or forever rest in peace.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Group Therapy II
"So....."
"Go ahead Kirk, let it out."
"So I lost again."
"Go on."
"Gave up 2 Earned runs in 5 innings. Then another Earned run in 1/3 of an inning."
"Ah."
"WHY DO THEY KEEP BRINGING ME OUT FOR THE 6TH???"
"Now, now Kirk. Let's be honest. You gave up 2 runs in the 5th. Nothing stellar about that."
"Don't change the subject on me! I can't pitch the 6th! I can't! God help me, I can't!"
"Kirk, I'm feeling hostility. Not everybody can pitch the 6th inning, you know. It's OK."
"Doc, let's face it. I'm a freak of nature. Coming into the season with one of the best records for a left-hander currently pitching. I've never been a good pitcher but I've always won! Now I'm not winning! What's wrong with me?"
"Well, you said it yourself. You're not a good pitcher. Let's work with that."
"Screw it. I don't care anymore. I'm making a ton of money. I'm just going to go out there and let the losses pile up. What are they gonna do? Put me in the bullpen?"
"Interesting idea..."
"So....."
"Go ahead Kirk, let it out."
"So I lost again."
"Go on."
"Gave up 2 Earned runs in 5 innings. Then another Earned run in 1/3 of an inning."
"Ah."
"WHY DO THEY KEEP BRINGING ME OUT FOR THE 6TH???"
"Now, now Kirk. Let's be honest. You gave up 2 runs in the 5th. Nothing stellar about that."
"Don't change the subject on me! I can't pitch the 6th! I can't! God help me, I can't!"
"Kirk, I'm feeling hostility. Not everybody can pitch the 6th inning, you know. It's OK."
"Doc, let's face it. I'm a freak of nature. Coming into the season with one of the best records for a left-hander currently pitching. I've never been a good pitcher but I've always won! Now I'm not winning! What's wrong with me?"
"Well, you said it yourself. You're not a good pitcher. Let's work with that."
"Screw it. I don't care anymore. I'm making a ton of money. I'm just going to go out there and let the losses pile up. What are they gonna do? Put me in the bullpen?"
"Interesting idea..."
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
The Marquis Grissom de Sade
In France in the 1700's, there was a man you may have heard of known as the Marquis de Sade. He was a deranged, sexual deviant who once famously declared "Either kill me or take me as I am, because I'll be damned if I ever change..." He was arrested numerous times in his life for various horrid acts of sacrilige and perversity (and some outstanding debt) and was thought of in his day as a truly dangerous and disturbed man.
Nowadays, people look back at Mr. Sade and, well, I don't exactly what most people think, butthey certianly don't have the honest view of who he was. Some find him an amusing and interesting figure from history, some see him as the father of the Goth movement (no idea why, but I swear I knew a guy who said that- something about Sadism... I'm sure The Cure were involved)
Point is, looking back on his behavior, he doesn't come out quite so bad. Oh sure, he masterbated with crusfixes, but did he ever bear a woman's breast during half-time? I think not.
The Giants have their own Marquis de Sade who will also look better in retrospec than he ought. Mr. Grissom just hit his 18th Home Run in a 9-5 drubbing of the Woeful Rockies. When the season is over, is it too much to assume he'll end with around a .270 average, 20+ HR, and 80+ RBI (he has 71 right now)? Does a 20-80 guy sound pretty useful to you? Yeah, me too.
Thing is, he's been nothing but a disaster for us. After a darned good April, he's been a drain on the offense. The guy has 30 walks (an improvement for him) to pick up an OBP of .317. .317. That hurts. Oh sure, It's not Neifi-level, or Feliz-level, but it hurts. And what hurts more?
How about 20 GIDP so far this year.
20!!!
And you're probably thinking "Only 20? Really? I was sure he'd be in triple digits by now."
And that's the key. Grissom has become Mr. Rally Killer. Even more than A.J. PeirceBrosnanKinseyWhatever. At least in terms of "Yes! Giants have 2 on and 1 out! Who's up? Grissom? Oh well, we'll score next inning." (A.J. has actually hit into 22 Double plays, but for some reason, you just feel that Grissom has done worse.)
How many times has Grissom made the last out, often a double play, with Bonds on deck? How many innings have been derailed by the one-time speedster thwacking a groundball to short? It's like there's a groove from the Batter's Box to the SS and he manages to slide the ball right in there every time.
Or, of course, he just strikes out. Can't forget that.
Yet at the end of the season, you watch. 20+ HR. 80+ RBI. What a great guy. Let's resign him to a Marvin Bernard-style contract.
Repeat after me.:
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
If there's anyone out there who knows voodoo, or magic, or majik, or Tarot, or heck, anyone with a powerfully prophetic Lite-Brite, chant for a new CF in 2005.
"Either kill me or take me as I am, because I'll be damned if I ever change..."
Works just as well for our Marquis, doesn't it?
Oh, and in other Giants news, Brett Tomko, pitching well for the 2nd straight time, injured himself AFTER a strikeout.
Of course he did. Can't have a half-way decent starting pitcher not named Schmidt, now can we?
Uhg
In France in the 1700's, there was a man you may have heard of known as the Marquis de Sade. He was a deranged, sexual deviant who once famously declared "Either kill me or take me as I am, because I'll be damned if I ever change..." He was arrested numerous times in his life for various horrid acts of sacrilige and perversity (and some outstanding debt) and was thought of in his day as a truly dangerous and disturbed man.
Nowadays, people look back at Mr. Sade and, well, I don't exactly what most people think, butthey certianly don't have the honest view of who he was. Some find him an amusing and interesting figure from history, some see him as the father of the Goth movement (no idea why, but I swear I knew a guy who said that- something about Sadism... I'm sure The Cure were involved)
Point is, looking back on his behavior, he doesn't come out quite so bad. Oh sure, he masterbated with crusfixes, but did he ever bear a woman's breast during half-time? I think not.
The Giants have their own Marquis de Sade who will also look better in retrospec than he ought. Mr. Grissom just hit his 18th Home Run in a 9-5 drubbing of the Woeful Rockies. When the season is over, is it too much to assume he'll end with around a .270 average, 20+ HR, and 80+ RBI (he has 71 right now)? Does a 20-80 guy sound pretty useful to you? Yeah, me too.
Thing is, he's been nothing but a disaster for us. After a darned good April, he's been a drain on the offense. The guy has 30 walks (an improvement for him) to pick up an OBP of .317. .317. That hurts. Oh sure, It's not Neifi-level, or Feliz-level, but it hurts. And what hurts more?
How about 20 GIDP so far this year.
20!!!
And you're probably thinking "Only 20? Really? I was sure he'd be in triple digits by now."
And that's the key. Grissom has become Mr. Rally Killer. Even more than A.J. PeirceBrosnanKinseyWhatever. At least in terms of "Yes! Giants have 2 on and 1 out! Who's up? Grissom? Oh well, we'll score next inning." (A.J. has actually hit into 22 Double plays, but for some reason, you just feel that Grissom has done worse.)
How many times has Grissom made the last out, often a double play, with Bonds on deck? How many innings have been derailed by the one-time speedster thwacking a groundball to short? It's like there's a groove from the Batter's Box to the SS and he manages to slide the ball right in there every time.
Or, of course, he just strikes out. Can't forget that.
Yet at the end of the season, you watch. 20+ HR. 80+ RBI. What a great guy. Let's resign him to a Marvin Bernard-style contract.
Repeat after me.:
NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
If there's anyone out there who knows voodoo, or magic, or majik, or Tarot, or heck, anyone with a powerfully prophetic Lite-Brite, chant for a new CF in 2005.
"Either kill me or take me as I am, because I'll be damned if I ever change..."
Works just as well for our Marquis, doesn't it?
Oh, and in other Giants news, Brett Tomko, pitching well for the 2nd straight time, injured himself AFTER a strikeout.
Of course he did. Can't have a half-way decent starting pitcher not named Schmidt, now can we?
Uhg
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Noah's Arc
First, I just need to say.. Thank God we finally have a closer who will come in and shut the door on the opposition.
Grrrrrrrrrr
OK, Let's investigate one Noah Lowry, supposed Savior of the Franchise.
Here are two pitchers, which would you rather have in your rotation?
ERA K/9 BB/9 OPS Against
Pitcher A 2.84 8.53 2.27 .693
Pitcher B 5.74 7.43 4.05 .807
Well they both have decent K/9 rates, one pitcher does seem to be quite a bit better than the other. Of course, no surprise, both of these pitchers are Noah Lowry. Pitcher A is at Pac Bell, and Pitcher B is anywhere else in the Major League Baseball universe.
So is Noah really the Savior of the Franchise? Or is he one of those pitchers who somehow MATCHES UP WELL WITH PAC BELL?
I'd say his next start will be a good indicator, but it's against Arizona. At Pac Bell. So I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict Lowry to throw another shut-out.
They have platoons in the field all the time, how about platoons in the rotation? Now that we know Tomko hates pitching at Pac Bell, lets shift Lowry and Tomko back and forth in the rotation. If the 5th spot falls at home, Lowry pitches and Tomko is long man from the bull-pen for a few days before and after. If the 5th spot falls somewhere else, Tomko pitches, Lowry goes deep.
Just a suggestion.
First, I just need to say.. Thank God we finally have a closer who will come in and shut the door on the opposition.
Grrrrrrrrrr
OK, Let's investigate one Noah Lowry, supposed Savior of the Franchise.
Here are two pitchers, which would you rather have in your rotation?
ERA K/9 BB/9 OPS Against
Pitcher A 2.84 8.53 2.27 .693
Pitcher B 5.74 7.43 4.05 .807
Well they both have decent K/9 rates, one pitcher does seem to be quite a bit better than the other. Of course, no surprise, both of these pitchers are Noah Lowry. Pitcher A is at Pac Bell, and Pitcher B is anywhere else in the Major League Baseball universe.
So is Noah really the Savior of the Franchise? Or is he one of those pitchers who somehow MATCHES UP WELL WITH PAC BELL?
I'd say his next start will be a good indicator, but it's against Arizona. At Pac Bell. So I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict Lowry to throw another shut-out.
They have platoons in the field all the time, how about platoons in the rotation? Now that we know Tomko hates pitching at Pac Bell, lets shift Lowry and Tomko back and forth in the rotation. If the 5th spot falls at home, Lowry pitches and Tomko is long man from the bull-pen for a few days before and after. If the 5th spot falls somewhere else, Tomko pitches, Lowry goes deep.
Just a suggestion.
Monday, August 30, 2004
It's Raining Snow
Right now, after going 0-2 so far as the Giants fall behind 3-1 to the Braves, J.T. Snow is hitting .323. And it's not an empty .323, as an OBP of .424 and an SLG of .514 (!) will attest. That Snow has an OPS of .938 is one of those "check to make sure it's not raining locusts" end-of-the-world signs.
So this begs the question, should he be our 1B in 2005?
Which is actually a more interesting question than "WILL he be our 1B in 2005" because I'm betting he will. There's a $2 mil option which will be difficult to pass up for a 1B with a .938 OPS and Gold Glove. Problem is, we won't be getting .938 in 2005. We'll be getting @ .750. And While $2 mil for a .750 OPS at short or second might be worthwhile, not so at 1B. We can get REAL 1B who will hit .900 or more on a consistant basis and strike fear into the heart of pitchers everywhere. They'll cost more, but tell me throwing a healthy Mr. Delgado, or Mr. Sexton into the 5-hole behind The Barry doesn't improve things.
I mean come on people. Which is more believable? That at 32, J.T. figured it out and has raised his game to the level of the elite for all time? Or that posting a BA, OBP, and SLG all higher than career bests turns 2004 (in less than full-time -- he doesn't qualify for the batting title yet) makes him this year's Brady Anderson?
If only he was Brady Anderson of '96. 50 HRs would look mighty good right now.
The true horror is the idea that Sabean gets all excited, falls over himself, and signs Snow to another 4-year deal at $17 mil per or something.
That's a chilling Snow thought.
Right now, after going 0-2 so far as the Giants fall behind 3-1 to the Braves, J.T. Snow is hitting .323. And it's not an empty .323, as an OBP of .424 and an SLG of .514 (!) will attest. That Snow has an OPS of .938 is one of those "check to make sure it's not raining locusts" end-of-the-world signs.
So this begs the question, should he be our 1B in 2005?
Which is actually a more interesting question than "WILL he be our 1B in 2005" because I'm betting he will. There's a $2 mil option which will be difficult to pass up for a 1B with a .938 OPS and Gold Glove. Problem is, we won't be getting .938 in 2005. We'll be getting @ .750. And While $2 mil for a .750 OPS at short or second might be worthwhile, not so at 1B. We can get REAL 1B who will hit .900 or more on a consistant basis and strike fear into the heart of pitchers everywhere. They'll cost more, but tell me throwing a healthy Mr. Delgado, or Mr. Sexton into the 5-hole behind The Barry doesn't improve things.
I mean come on people. Which is more believable? That at 32, J.T. figured it out and has raised his game to the level of the elite for all time? Or that posting a BA, OBP, and SLG all higher than career bests turns 2004 (in less than full-time -- he doesn't qualify for the batting title yet) makes him this year's Brady Anderson?
If only he was Brady Anderson of '96. 50 HRs would look mighty good right now.
The true horror is the idea that Sabean gets all excited, falls over himself, and signs Snow to another 4-year deal at $17 mil per or something.
That's a chilling Snow thought.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Group Therapy
"Hi. My name is Kirk Rueter and I have a problem."
"Hi Kirk."
"I am a 5-inning pitcher. I want to fight it, I want to be a real starting pitcher, but I'm not."
"Tell us more."
"I have an ERA of 4.62 in inning 1-5. Nothing great, but it gets me a paycheck. Problem is, I have an ERA of 8.14 in innings 6 and beyond."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, tell me about it. Just today, I was going smooth, had a shut-out through 5. Then I came out in the 6th. Didn't retire a batter, gave up 4 runs."
"Man, I feel for ya."
"Maybe if my manager understood my limitations, I'd be able to get out after 5 and get a win. But unfortunately, my manager keeps bringing me out in the 6th and beyond. I don't know what to do."
"Have you tried faking injury after 5 innings?"
"No. Hadn't thought of that.. Interesting idea."
"That's what we're here for. Until then, let's practice our mantra. I WILL NOT PITCH THE 6TH INNIG OR BEYOND. BECAUSE IF I DO, MY TEAM WILL LOSE THE GAME."
"I WILL NOT PITCH THE 6TH INNIG OR BEYOND. BECAUSE IF I DO, MY TEAM WILL LOSE THE GAME"
"Very good Kirk. Can't wait to use you against St. Louis in the playoffs."
"Hi. My name is Kirk Rueter and I have a problem."
"Hi Kirk."
"I am a 5-inning pitcher. I want to fight it, I want to be a real starting pitcher, but I'm not."
"Tell us more."
"I have an ERA of 4.62 in inning 1-5. Nothing great, but it gets me a paycheck. Problem is, I have an ERA of 8.14 in innings 6 and beyond."
"Ouch."
"Yeah, tell me about it. Just today, I was going smooth, had a shut-out through 5. Then I came out in the 6th. Didn't retire a batter, gave up 4 runs."
"Man, I feel for ya."
"Maybe if my manager understood my limitations, I'd be able to get out after 5 and get a win. But unfortunately, my manager keeps bringing me out in the 6th and beyond. I don't know what to do."
"Have you tried faking injury after 5 innings?"
"No. Hadn't thought of that.. Interesting idea."
"That's what we're here for. Until then, let's practice our mantra. I WILL NOT PITCH THE 6TH INNIG OR BEYOND. BECAUSE IF I DO, MY TEAM WILL LOSE THE GAME."
"I WILL NOT PITCH THE 6TH INNIG OR BEYOND. BECAUSE IF I DO, MY TEAM WILL LOSE THE GAME"
"Very good Kirk. Can't wait to use you against St. Louis in the playoffs."
The Magical Mr. Tomko
After spending months not updating, I decided to use this blog for something I'll update a lot more frequently on: The San Francisco Giants.
For those not in the know (both of my imaginary readers) The Giants currently stand 71-58, 4 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West, 1 game behind the Cubbies for the NL Wild Card, and 1 game above the Padres in all things.
Last night, in Florida, Brett Tomko pitched his first major league shutout, dominating the Marlins 5-0. Seeing that happen (on the Internet, at least) reminded me that Tomko first came to my attention as part of a hot, young, Seattle rotation that was going to rule the world. Gil Meche. Freddie Garcia. Ryan Anderson. Brett Tomko. These were the young studs of the system. And Tomko was often mentioned by scouts as one of the best.
So what happened? How'd he go from up-and-coming Superstar to journeyman who has somehow managed to obtain a winning record for this season? I dunno. I know that when we signed Tomko, I thought to myself "Cool. He's gonna break out and have the season folks have been predicting." And he did. And started, like, 1-4 or 1-5. That's the season everyone has been predicting. Last night he reminded everyone why he was once thought of as a future star. But the rest of this season, he has reminded everyone of why he's a journeyman.
Eh. He's just keeping a rotation spot warm for Cain.
In Other News:
My film, the one I wrote and got produced, is available. You can rent it at Blockbuster. You can rent it at Hollywood Video. You can rent it from Netflix, or find it on Amazon. I get a piece of the backend, so go see it. Both of you. It's called The Eliminator. Starring Michael Rooker and Bas Rooten. Go have a few beers, pop it in and enjoy yourself. It's no work of art, but it's no Pluto Nash either.
No news on any of my other scripts. I'll keep you posted.
After spending months not updating, I decided to use this blog for something I'll update a lot more frequently on: The San Francisco Giants.
For those not in the know (both of my imaginary readers) The Giants currently stand 71-58, 4 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West, 1 game behind the Cubbies for the NL Wild Card, and 1 game above the Padres in all things.
Last night, in Florida, Brett Tomko pitched his first major league shutout, dominating the Marlins 5-0. Seeing that happen (on the Internet, at least) reminded me that Tomko first came to my attention as part of a hot, young, Seattle rotation that was going to rule the world. Gil Meche. Freddie Garcia. Ryan Anderson. Brett Tomko. These were the young studs of the system. And Tomko was often mentioned by scouts as one of the best.
So what happened? How'd he go from up-and-coming Superstar to journeyman who has somehow managed to obtain a winning record for this season? I dunno. I know that when we signed Tomko, I thought to myself "Cool. He's gonna break out and have the season folks have been predicting." And he did. And started, like, 1-4 or 1-5. That's the season everyone has been predicting. Last night he reminded everyone why he was once thought of as a future star. But the rest of this season, he has reminded everyone of why he's a journeyman.
Eh. He's just keeping a rotation spot warm for Cain.
In Other News:
My film, the one I wrote and got produced, is available. You can rent it at Blockbuster. You can rent it at Hollywood Video. You can rent it from Netflix, or find it on Amazon. I get a piece of the backend, so go see it. Both of you. It's called The Eliminator. Starring Michael Rooker and Bas Rooten. Go have a few beers, pop it in and enjoy yourself. It's no work of art, but it's no Pluto Nash either.
No news on any of my other scripts. I'll keep you posted.
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
Incoherent April Ramblings
So I said I'd have a bunch of "unofficial" rules on how to write a B-Movie.
Then I didn't post for close to a month?
Coincidence? Or conspiracy?
Truth told, I don't feel like talking much these days to my audience of one. Especially when that one is actually just myself.
I'm working on a new story, one written for myself, and not for any producer, B=movie or A-movie or DD-movie or whatever.
But I gots to share this one lovely tidbit.
One of my projects in the pre-production phase is being so dramatically re-written (and not by me) that it's possible that they'll end up changing the title. changing the names of the characters, and giving us back control of the original script. In it's place, I could get a story credit and some money for a film which I will have absolutely nothing to do with.
Gotta love this industry.
So I said I'd have a bunch of "unofficial" rules on how to write a B-Movie.
Then I didn't post for close to a month?
Coincidence? Or conspiracy?
Truth told, I don't feel like talking much these days to my audience of one. Especially when that one is actually just myself.
I'm working on a new story, one written for myself, and not for any producer, B=movie or A-movie or DD-movie or whatever.
But I gots to share this one lovely tidbit.
One of my projects in the pre-production phase is being so dramatically re-written (and not by me) that it's possible that they'll end up changing the title. changing the names of the characters, and giving us back control of the original script. In it's place, I could get a story credit and some money for a film which I will have absolutely nothing to do with.
Gotta love this industry.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Da B-Movie Rules
Yes, I made the deadline, came up with a climactic ending that did what I wanted, finished the script. My producer called me after reading most of the script (why don't they ever wait to finish the whole thing before passing judgment?) to tell me that he loved it. LOVED IT. Granted, it's not a Herculean task tog et this particular producer to love something, but he HAS not loved things of mine in the past, so anything positive is welcome.
That out of the way it is time to switch gears.
I've promised my wife that I'm going to begin work on the one script of mine that she has ever really liked, a family-fantasy project currently titled Untitled Family Fantasy Book Project. Catchy, no? This should be an eye-opening experience for me, because I am most definitely NOT writing a B-Movie with this one. And I've been writing a lot of B-movies lately. A lot. That's the market I've been able to tap into. Got my first film produced (check out The Eliminator (not my title) on IMDB- order it from your local video store today!) and The Installation is another B-movie, as are other films I have in the pipes. B-Movies are bringing me money (very small amounts, but money, none the less). B-Movies are what I know.
And it's not so easy as you might think.
There are rules.
Fact: most B-movies make their money in International markets. They just do. Ever wonder why these things even exist? It's not like you walk into your local Lowes and see the latest C. Thomas Howell/Sean Young thriller (currently in post-production). But overseas? I was driving through the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia when I noticed a billboard for a brand new Sylvester Stallone film I'd never heard of. D-Tox. Did you see it? It was in all the theaters in Jakarta. But in the States? You're lucky if you can rent it at Blockbuster.
Why? Dunno. Don't care.
So without further ado, here are the official "Rules" of the B-Movie.
1) No Blood. You can kill and maim and plunder all you like, but nobody should ever bleed profusely. Sometimes this is specified as "Moving Blood" i.e. Slasher slices Victim's neck and blood splatters over the walls. Nu-uh. Try slasher slices victim's neck and then lets him drop down off-camera, dead. No blood. Why? Many of the International markets have their priorities straight, and realize that's exposing people to buckets of blood may be a dangerous thing to do. So they don't let you do it. Meanwhile, in America, we have no problem watching people disembowel each other in a frivolous romp. And then we wonder why there's so much more violence here than in other countries.
2) No swearing. Two reasons. First, the obvious. Some countries won't pay money for films that have foul language in them, because they can't sell them to family markets. But also, American cursing doesn't always translate very well overseas. Think about it. Austin Powers 2 had to doctor their title when they opened in the U.K. because "shagging" has a slightly different meaning over there than it does here.
3) Action, action, action. Have you gone more than 10 pages without someone getting beaten up? You're slacking. Lots and lots of countries are inhabited by people who, believe it or not, don't speak English. So they just don't really get witty banter. But they sure as heck get a guy being tossed through a window. That's International.
Those are the three biggest rules, but there are many other, "unofficial" rules. I'll bring those to your attention in my next post.
Word.
Yes, I made the deadline, came up with a climactic ending that did what I wanted, finished the script. My producer called me after reading most of the script (why don't they ever wait to finish the whole thing before passing judgment?) to tell me that he loved it. LOVED IT. Granted, it's not a Herculean task tog et this particular producer to love something, but he HAS not loved things of mine in the past, so anything positive is welcome.
That out of the way it is time to switch gears.
I've promised my wife that I'm going to begin work on the one script of mine that she has ever really liked, a family-fantasy project currently titled Untitled Family Fantasy Book Project. Catchy, no? This should be an eye-opening experience for me, because I am most definitely NOT writing a B-Movie with this one. And I've been writing a lot of B-movies lately. A lot. That's the market I've been able to tap into. Got my first film produced (check out The Eliminator (not my title) on IMDB- order it from your local video store today!) and The Installation is another B-movie, as are other films I have in the pipes. B-Movies are bringing me money (very small amounts, but money, none the less). B-Movies are what I know.
And it's not so easy as you might think.
There are rules.
Fact: most B-movies make their money in International markets. They just do. Ever wonder why these things even exist? It's not like you walk into your local Lowes and see the latest C. Thomas Howell/Sean Young thriller (currently in post-production). But overseas? I was driving through the streets of Jakarta, Indonesia when I noticed a billboard for a brand new Sylvester Stallone film I'd never heard of. D-Tox. Did you see it? It was in all the theaters in Jakarta. But in the States? You're lucky if you can rent it at Blockbuster.
Why? Dunno. Don't care.
So without further ado, here are the official "Rules" of the B-Movie.
1) No Blood. You can kill and maim and plunder all you like, but nobody should ever bleed profusely. Sometimes this is specified as "Moving Blood" i.e. Slasher slices Victim's neck and blood splatters over the walls. Nu-uh. Try slasher slices victim's neck and then lets him drop down off-camera, dead. No blood. Why? Many of the International markets have their priorities straight, and realize that's exposing people to buckets of blood may be a dangerous thing to do. So they don't let you do it. Meanwhile, in America, we have no problem watching people disembowel each other in a frivolous romp. And then we wonder why there's so much more violence here than in other countries.
2) No swearing. Two reasons. First, the obvious. Some countries won't pay money for films that have foul language in them, because they can't sell them to family markets. But also, American cursing doesn't always translate very well overseas. Think about it. Austin Powers 2 had to doctor their title when they opened in the U.K. because "shagging" has a slightly different meaning over there than it does here.
3) Action, action, action. Have you gone more than 10 pages without someone getting beaten up? You're slacking. Lots and lots of countries are inhabited by people who, believe it or not, don't speak English. So they just don't really get witty banter. But they sure as heck get a guy being tossed through a window. That's International.
Those are the three biggest rules, but there are many other, "unofficial" rules. I'll bring those to your attention in my next post.
Word.
Friday, March 26, 2004
Die Hard with a B-Movie
I am desperately trying to finish this Spawn of Satan Re-write on The Installation by Saturday. I've got 97 pages right now, and I'm more or less in the climax, but it's isn't all that exciting, and I'm worried that I've blew my momentum with a rousing false climax at around 92 or 93.
What I need to do is just finish the damn thing, then go back and fix it. The re-write of this re-write will be massive. And it will be done in one day. And cows will fly out of my butt. Have I mentioned that I dislike this project?
Usually, I have a really whiz-bang ending in my head before I even start, and it's just a matter of getting there. But this time, I dunno. I broke my own rules and wrote before thinking and now I've got this monstrosity on my hands.
Also, writing 7 or 8 pages a day, I lose track of the forest for the trees. Right now I've got 2 good guys left and 2 bad guys. Naturally, I need to have the good guys defeat the bad guys and toss us all a happy ending. But how? I've set up long ago that the real physical battle was going to be between the hero and the "Karl" character (to use Die Hard analogy). But the battle against "Karl" (he's the blonde baddie who Bruce Willis eventually dispatches by tying a chain around his neck and swinging him off the stairwell) was both A) to "ultimate" a struggle and B) to final for my own good. See, in Die Hard, Karl comes back one last time after we thought he was dead at the very end when everyone's hugging and cheering. He's the "surprise scare" and it works because even though we thought he was dead much earlier, he was really just hanging around, free to come back like a bad Supervillain. Problem with my Karl is, I blew him up. Pretty severely. Not sure how he's supposed to come back after that.
Then, of course, comes the question of how to kill my "Hans" (Alan Rickman). I don't have a nice zillion-story tower to drop him out of. Another fight? Boring. Boring, boring, boring. He's the big baddie, he needs a special demise.
And I'm all special-ed out.
And it's due tomorrow.
And I'm wasting time writing this rather than the script.
I am desperately trying to finish this Spawn of Satan Re-write on The Installation by Saturday. I've got 97 pages right now, and I'm more or less in the climax, but it's isn't all that exciting, and I'm worried that I've blew my momentum with a rousing false climax at around 92 or 93.
What I need to do is just finish the damn thing, then go back and fix it. The re-write of this re-write will be massive. And it will be done in one day. And cows will fly out of my butt. Have I mentioned that I dislike this project?
Usually, I have a really whiz-bang ending in my head before I even start, and it's just a matter of getting there. But this time, I dunno. I broke my own rules and wrote before thinking and now I've got this monstrosity on my hands.
Also, writing 7 or 8 pages a day, I lose track of the forest for the trees. Right now I've got 2 good guys left and 2 bad guys. Naturally, I need to have the good guys defeat the bad guys and toss us all a happy ending. But how? I've set up long ago that the real physical battle was going to be between the hero and the "Karl" character (to use Die Hard analogy). But the battle against "Karl" (he's the blonde baddie who Bruce Willis eventually dispatches by tying a chain around his neck and swinging him off the stairwell) was both A) to "ultimate" a struggle and B) to final for my own good. See, in Die Hard, Karl comes back one last time after we thought he was dead at the very end when everyone's hugging and cheering. He's the "surprise scare" and it works because even though we thought he was dead much earlier, he was really just hanging around, free to come back like a bad Supervillain. Problem with my Karl is, I blew him up. Pretty severely. Not sure how he's supposed to come back after that.
Then, of course, comes the question of how to kill my "Hans" (Alan Rickman). I don't have a nice zillion-story tower to drop him out of. Another fight? Boring. Boring, boring, boring. He's the big baddie, he needs a special demise.
And I'm all special-ed out.
And it's due tomorrow.
And I'm wasting time writing this rather than the script.
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
In The Beginning...
Why does anyone start a blog? A place to vent to the unknown populace of the Internet? A chance to share their views with like-minded people across the globe? Ego?
Well, I'm all for a good ego-boost every now and then. But basically, as a writer, I have found that putting my thoughts down on paper helps me organize them. And then hopefully masses of people will read them and decide that I'm a brilliant savant who deserves truck-loads of money.
Or something like that.
The project du jour is a B-level action script called The Installation. A deal is pretty much in place to make it for @$250,000 if I ever finish the script. So I'm writing, trying to connect the dots and make everyone happy. One problem.
I hate this script.
I should never have pitched it. It's a disaster waiting to happen. What am I gonna make on it? $5,000? For all the Hell it's putting me through, the rewrites, the rules I have to follow, the roles I have to write to fit the stars who come attached to the money, it's almost not worth it.
But I have a deadline, and so I toil...
Why does anyone start a blog? A place to vent to the unknown populace of the Internet? A chance to share their views with like-minded people across the globe? Ego?
Well, I'm all for a good ego-boost every now and then. But basically, as a writer, I have found that putting my thoughts down on paper helps me organize them. And then hopefully masses of people will read them and decide that I'm a brilliant savant who deserves truck-loads of money.
Or something like that.
The project du jour is a B-level action script called The Installation. A deal is pretty much in place to make it for @$250,000 if I ever finish the script. So I'm writing, trying to connect the dots and make everyone happy. One problem.
I hate this script.
I should never have pitched it. It's a disaster waiting to happen. What am I gonna make on it? $5,000? For all the Hell it's putting me through, the rewrites, the rules I have to follow, the roles I have to write to fit the stars who come attached to the money, it's almost not worth it.
But I have a deadline, and so I toil...
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