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take me out to the... ugh
Some of you may have noticed the lack of comments on baseball throughout this season.
There is one simple reason for this: the Giants suck. There is just no other word to describe them. I don't want to be a fairweather fan, really I don't, but it is so hard to bother tuning in when I know that more than half the time I'd be watching such an uninspiring crew take the field. I can't point to any one single failure that's causing the problem, unless it's the lack of Barry Bonds. It's true that the offense has been somewhat anemic, but his absence doesn't affect the pitching, which has also been wildly uneven.
Every year, I go to a ballgame with my dad and other assorted relatives (this year, Mom, my brother D, and my uncle joined us). Most years I get to at least a few others -- I attended an average of two a month last year -- but today was my first game of the season. Considering how little season is left at this point, this is pretty pitiful. Anyway, from beginning to end, the game was symptomatic of nearly everything that's gone wrong this season. The pitcher was a kid who worked well through the first four innings and then fell apart. The offense managed to pull off two runs in the first inning and then never scored again despite putting men on base almost every time. About the only bright spot was the Giants' bullpen, which sent out three young relievers who all performed well. Too late for the win, but seeing the kids play brilliantly at least gives me hope for the future.
I wish that the Giants brass would just give up on this season, start pruning and trading the dead wood and give all these kids some major league experience. But no, they have to play in the worst division in the history of baseball -- the Padres, who are in first, are barely at .500, and so the second-place Giants, a mere seven games back, actually have a hope of catching them. Not that they wouldn't be eaten alive by whoever wins the NL East, but making the playoffs means more money for the execs, a guarantee of at least three extra games. So rather than the rebuilding year the team needs so desparately, we'll continue with these lackluster veterans and the occasional bright shining rookie.
Bleah. Is it next spring yet?
There is one simple reason for this: the Giants suck. There is just no other word to describe them. I don't want to be a fairweather fan, really I don't, but it is so hard to bother tuning in when I know that more than half the time I'd be watching such an uninspiring crew take the field. I can't point to any one single failure that's causing the problem, unless it's the lack of Barry Bonds. It's true that the offense has been somewhat anemic, but his absence doesn't affect the pitching, which has also been wildly uneven.
Every year, I go to a ballgame with my dad and other assorted relatives (this year, Mom, my brother D, and my uncle joined us). Most years I get to at least a few others -- I attended an average of two a month last year -- but today was my first game of the season. Considering how little season is left at this point, this is pretty pitiful. Anyway, from beginning to end, the game was symptomatic of nearly everything that's gone wrong this season. The pitcher was a kid who worked well through the first four innings and then fell apart. The offense managed to pull off two runs in the first inning and then never scored again despite putting men on base almost every time. About the only bright spot was the Giants' bullpen, which sent out three young relievers who all performed well. Too late for the win, but seeing the kids play brilliantly at least gives me hope for the future.
I wish that the Giants brass would just give up on this season, start pruning and trading the dead wood and give all these kids some major league experience. But no, they have to play in the worst division in the history of baseball -- the Padres, who are in first, are barely at .500, and so the second-place Giants, a mere seven games back, actually have a hope of catching them. Not that they wouldn't be eaten alive by whoever wins the NL East, but making the playoffs means more money for the execs, a guarantee of at least three extra games. So rather than the rebuilding year the team needs so desparately, we'll continue with these lackluster veterans and the occasional bright shining rookie.
Bleah. Is it next spring yet?
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At least you've got a beautiful ballpark to go to! At least from what I hear - I've only been to Candlestick, in April a few years back, and I still haven't really warmed up. :)
i put you on my flist, btw.
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I hate to admit it, but you are probably at least partly right about Barry. I've always been a big proponent of the "but it's not just Bonds!" school of thought, but in the face of this season it's gotten hard to justify. Supposedly he's coming back on Monday, although whether he can singlehandedly save the team when he hasn't played since last September I don't know. Sabean is an odd one. For many years, he could do no wrong -- every trade he made, every pick-up, turned to gold, no matter how weird it seemed at the time. But last year all that started falling apart. Too many good prospects and draft picks given away? Too many other managers catching on to his style? Hard to say.
All the rumors about SBC are true: it's a gorgeous park, a wonderful place to watch a ballgame. And I can walk there from my home, a big plus! Candlestick in April? Ugh. Well, really Candlestick at any time of year. It is not missed.
I've never seen a game at Fenway, have always wanted to. I really need to get out to visit
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Seven games is a lot to make up; I'm not particularly optimistic, Barry or no Barry. Sabean is an odd one. For years I felt like he kept making weird-ass moves but somehow got away with it. Was he cleverer than I thought? Did he just get lucky? But when he signed 87-year-old Omar Vizquel to a twenty-year-deal... either Vizquel's agent had naked pictures of him with a llama, or he just didn't know what he was doing.
There's really nothing like Fenway. What's sad is that even when I go to Boston, I don't bother to try to go, because it's so hard to get tickets. I'd really like to check out the Monster seats someday...
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There are always ways to find tickets if you are willing to shell out enough money. ;) That has been a problem for seeing the Giants as well, but I have a feeling it's not going to be as much of an issue next year...
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sigh...
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