West of Berkeley, East of San Francisco

Reflections on a Championship Season

2010-12-25T19:13:00.000-08:00

Nine years ago, I saw a future first-ballot Hall of Famer pitch the series of his life, rallying his team back from three straight heartbreaking losses and showing the whole world why he might just be the greatest left handed pitcher of all time. I saw a team that had no quit, a team that never said never, and I saw a mighty empire toppled by a mere bloop.

Eight years ago, I saw a king still enjoying his golden years, untainted by the scandals ahead. I saw my very own hometown team surge into the playoffs, carrying the spirit and hopes of an entire city with it. I saw the magic of an October run and I found myself engulfed irreversibly by its allure. I saw a closer selflessly give his arm up in an attempt to save his team... and then, I saw the brutal meaning of "six outs away" - the cruelty of false hope and heartbreak.

Seven years ago, I saw a chance at redemption fall short thanks to a dropped fly ball.

Six years ago, I saw a comeback attempt end in a heartbreaking collapse at the home of a hated rival.

In the few years after that, I saw the beginning of the end to an era permanently tainted by a steroid scandal, to the misguided philosophy of building a team around one person, and to the reign of a homerun king. I saw a fallen hero take one last swing in the spotlight, before giving way to the inevitable change ahead.

From the ashes of the previous era, I saw the birth of a new team. I saw a ray of hope sprout with the emergence of an oft-overlooked workhorse who flirted with history before history had known of him - a pitcher who now anchors the rotation with his strength and consistency. Slowly, but surely, the young began to replace the aging, and a revolution had begun. And of course, I saw the debut of a superstar, who couldn't have looked older than 12 and yet possessed an aura unlike any I had ever seen...

Two years ago, I saw the re-emergence of hope for the first time in half a decade. I saw a kid take the reins as the staff ace, captivating an entire city en route to becoming the city's first Cy Young award winner in over four decades. But, even so, I had stood by miserably and watched as the team fell well short again...

Last year, I saw a real team begin to take shape, a team filled with both energy and talent at its core. I saw a bullpen gain its teeth. I saw a true closer emerge for the first time in nearly a decade, bringing back memories of the legend that sacrificed himself in 2002. I saw a starting staff that, even in its prematurity, showed enormous potential and stood up to any lineup thrown against it. But, again, I saw a team still a stretch away from the promise land...

And then there was this year. I saw a freak show his vulnerability for the first time in his career. I saw a team struggle daily to find offense. I saw an overpaid pitcher regain the trust and love of a city, only to lose it again in a matter of months. I saw a beloved catcher traded away in hopes for change. I saw a team of nobodys that flirted with .500 as late as June, a fanbase frustrated with the apparently complacent moves of a general manager, and a six and a half game deficit at the start of the season's final month.

But, at the same time, from a group of misfits, I saw the emergence of a real team. I saw a team invigorated by the ascension of two veterans disguised as rookies. I saw a team scratch and claw through more nail-biting moments than anybody's nails could take. I saw a team that reminded the whole world how baseball was meant to be played. I saw a team that didn't just feature one great player, but an entire supporting cast that proved just as important as the stars themselves. I saw a group of players that refused to quit, that believed even when nobody else did, that spurned all critics. I saw former rejects turn into postseason legends, their feats forever embedded into the hearts of fans. I saw half a century of misery erased by a magical month and replaced by an incomparable rush of joy and elation.

I saw a championship year.

They did it. They really did it.

--------------

But so much has changed since then. NLCS hero Juan Uribe is now a Dodger. World Series MVP Edgar Renteria probably isn't coming back. Postseason pitching god Cliff Lee is now in Philadelphia. Miguel Tejada has joined the mix. The national spotlight is back on the east coast again and the Red Sox and Phillies have already surpassed the Giants as next year's World Series favorites.

Everything seems like it happened so long ago - yet, in reality, it's only been about 7 weeks. I can still recall so many specific details from the games - Javier Lopez walking off the mound in NLCS Game 3 after another perfect inning, Uribe's walkoff sacrifice fly in Game 4, Uribe's series-clinching homerun in Game 6, Uribe's 3-run shot in Game 1 of the World Series (We're going to really miss your bat, Uribe), Renteria's towering shot that stayed just fare in Game 2, Bumgarner's curveball for a called strike 3 to end the 8th inning of Game 4, Renteria's series-clinching 3 run shot and Dave Fleming's shiver-inducing call in which he loses his voice midway through, and, of course, Brian Wilson's final strikeout of Cruz that sent an entire city into an incomparable frenzy....

These memories will never fade away; they are forever ingrained in my mind (partly because I can't help but rewatch highlights every other day). Yet, sometimes, it's still so hard to bring myself to believe that it actually happened. With each passing day, these memories grow more and more unfamiliar. Their vividity remains untarnished, but their reality continues to diminish. Did that really happen? Did Brian Wilson really close out Game 5 of the World Series? Did we really just just win it all?

It's an indescribable feeling, a heart trying to embrace a joy it had been deprived of for as long as it could remember. Perhaps it's because this is all so new to me. It's the first time in my life that everything I wished for, all the unlikely things that I held out my hopes for, actually came true. It's the first time that I have something to look back on, something to tell my grandkids about in the future, and something to be truly grateful for, even if nothing else goes right.

And perhaps all of this serves as a reminder of how fragile and transient life can be. Moments come and go in a blink of an eye; it is up to the human heart to choose which moments to hang onto.

2010 was one hell of a ride, but we have to remember - in a few more months, we won't be World Series champions anymore. It'll be a new season, a new year, a new journey toward glory. This new season will carry with it another year's worth of amazing feats to celebrate and another year of dreams from baseball fans across the country. The game will be the same - strikes and balls, outs and hits. The fans will be the same - millions glued to their television, hoping for a chance to win it all. The story will be the same - 30 teams, 162 games, and one champion. It's all part of the beauty of how life works, and how baseball works. With the fulfillment of one dream comes the birth of another; every championship comes with a chance to repeat as champions. And I simply can't wait for next season, even if it means we won't be able to call ourselves the World Series Champions anymore.

The Quiet Ace

2010-10-30T02:25:00.000-07:00

Shane Victorino stood at the plate, the count 3-1. Matt Cain prepared himself to deliver the pitch. It was to be his 118th of the day and though he refused to acknowledge it, fatigue had probably begun to set in for him, as he had hit Ibanez with a pitch and walked Gload on 7 pitches before facing Victorino. He went in motion and delivered - a fastball on the inside part of the strike zone, clocked in at 90mph. Victorino swung - foul ball. 3-2. Cain readied himself again, knowing this would likely be his last batter of the afternoon. It was the 7th inning and the Giants were hanging on to a 3-0 lead, having scratched out 3 runs off the 2008 World Series and NLCS MVP Cole Hamels. The bullpen was ready to take over and send the Giants to a 2-1 series lead, but Cain was not finished yet. One more pitch. From the stretch, he unloaded again - this time a fastball on the outer half of the strike zone, and Victorino swung. Ground ball to second, fielded by Sanchez, a throw to Huff - inning over.

Another 7 scoreless innings in the books. Not as headline grabbing as Lincecum's 14 strikeout performance, but effective and clutch nonetheless. And in Game 2 of the World Series, Cain would do the same - a clutch, effective 7 and 2/3 scoreless innings, leaving the bullpen with a small but more-than-viable lead. Though he gave up his first extra base hit of the postseason, he held the Rangers to just 4 hits and 2 walks, striking out two along the way, and continued his postseason dominance. Cain has yet to allow an earned run this postseason , delivering three ~~high-quality~~ ace-quality starts and has helped put the Giants in a favorable position in the NLCS and now the World Series.

Yet, half of baseball fans in New York probably have no idea who Matt Cain is. Isn't it all about Lincecum? Or that beard man? Or that new rookie Buster Posey? Or that Cody Ross fellow? Well, let me tell you who Matt Cain is. He has logged 200+ innings 4 consecutive seasons, after making his major league debut in 2005 and contributing 190+ innings in 2006. He has posted a strong 3.45 ERA over 5+ seasons with the Giants, not including his latest postseason starts, and has been a king of consistency.

In 2007, when Barry Zito flopped and failed to deliver on his big contract, Matt Cain quietly stepped in and anchored the beginnings of what would later become one of the best starting rotations in the league. And when Lincecum emerged and captivated the baseball world in 2008 and 2009, Cain took a backseat in the spotlight, but his pitching never went away. He continued to give the Giants high-quality start after high-quality start, giving the Giants a powerful 1-2 punch atop their rotation.

And in 2010, when Lincecum appeared to have lost some of his magic touch, Cain stepped up his game once again - though perhaps it was not that Cain had suddenly gotten all that much better,but that his ace-like consistency had suddenly become that much more important in the absence of another ace.

He has been a workhorse ever since his arrival to the big leagues and he led the Giants this year in innings pitched with 223.1, a career high for him. Though homeruns and control have been problems, Cain has battled and worked to limit them. His changeup has blossomed into a deadly weapon that complements his high fastballs. A fly ball pitcher, Cain has found a way to make full use of AT&T park, as its spacious grounds act as a deathbed for most balls popped up in the air (see: Kinsler's double).

And on the nation's biggest stage, Cain has simply been brilliant. Only four other pitchers can boast the feat of having gone 20 or more consecutive innings without allowing an earned run (Matthewson with 27 in 1905, Hoyt with 27 in 1921, Kenny Rogers with 23 in 2006, and Carl Hubbell with 20 in 1933) - three current Hall of Famers, and one potential Hall of Famer to be. And yet, despite having the numbers to warrant conversation in the context of other pitching greats - there continues to be a feel that many do not consider Matt Cain to be an elite level pitcher. Most fans continue to see Cain as a second string pitcher behind Lincecum; they don't consider Cain on equal footing with pitchers like Halladay, Hernandez, or CC Sabathia.

I'll admit - I, too, have been guilty of this. And why not? Lincecum has been nothing short of remarkable and deserves every bit of attention he gets. But that does not mean we should ignore what Cain has done. Actually younger than Lincecum, Cain has been through more with the Giants than any other current Giants player. He is currently the longest tenured Giant on the team, having experienced both the end of the Bonds era and the emergence of the incredible and torturous pitching-dominated culture that lives in San Francisco today. A consistent victim of low run support, he neither complained nor whined. He simply kept at it and quietly put together ace-like season after ace-like season. He pitched like an ace when all eyes were on the dazzling Tim Lincecum or the flops of Barry Zito. And he pitched like an ace when it mattered most - in the playoffs, shutting down opponents at a rate that legends tell of. People have spoken endlessly about Cliff Lee's 7-0 playoff run, but perhaps it is time to discuss the emergence of a new legend, one that quietly excelled in the background.

If/when the Giants win the World Series this year, the MVP award might well go to Freddy Sanchez or Edgar Renteria, but if we really wanted to give an MVP award, one that truly told the story of the past 5 seasons, there is no doubt that Matt Cain would win it.

Redefining Convention: the 2010 San Francisco Giants

2010-10-24T19:16:00.000-07:00

There are not enough words in the English dictionary to describe the paradox that is the San Francisco Giants. (While we're at it, let's cross out "Convention" from the title of this article and replace it with "everything".)

An offensively challenged team kept alive by incredible and timely pitching, the Giants knocked off the Phillies in Game 6 of the NLCS last night in their usual fashion. NLCS Game 6 featured neither dominance nor power, but grit and stinginess. The Giants stranded 11 baserunners, had just one hit in 8 tries with runners in scoring position, grounded into two rally-killing double plays, and gave the Phillies numerous opportunities to score. Starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez lasted just two innings and left the third inning after hitting Utley in the back to put two runners on with nobody out and the Giants were forced to use their bullpen for 7 innings that night.

By no means should the Giants have won, but here's the thing - they did. And they've been doing this all season. After falling in a 2-0 deficit, almost an insurmountable obstacle with the Giants' anemic offense, the Giants "rallied" in the 3rd. Pitcher Jonathan Sanchez led off the inning with a single, Torres hit a fly ball to the center field wall that Victorino could not handle, and a sacrifice bunt by Freddy Sanchez put runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out. Up came #3 hitter Aubrey Huff, who singled up the middle to score Sanchez. Torres was thrown out at the plate thanks to a fortuitous bounce on the pitcher's mound on Victorino's throw and Huff moved up to 2nd on the play. Buster Posey followed up this with a slow roller along the 3rd base line and after Polanco's throwing error, Huff scored the tying run. 2-2. No big hits, no homeruns - not even an extra base hit. Just more scratching and clawing and grinding (and a bit of help from lady luck and the Phillies defense). Typical Giants baseball.

From that point on, they stranded runner after runner after runner, squandered opportunity after opportunity, and seemed destined to fall to the powerful Phillies offense. But the pitching staff would not have any of that. They countered the 11 Giants runners stranded by stranding 11 Phillies baserunners themselves. A starter turned reliever, Madison Bumgarner worked his way into trouble in the 5th and 6th innings, and with his inexperience, both as a reliever and as a major leaguer in general, the Phillies seemed poised to break loose. But just as the Giants pitching staff has done all year, he would work out of trouble, stranding the bases loaded in the 5th and a runner at 3rd with one out in the 6th.

And then came in the 8th inning. Phillies reliever Ryan Madson was in his second inning of work and had dominated the Giants the entire series - having struck out the heart of the Giants lineup in order in the 8th inning of Game 5. And after two quick outs, the batter was Juan Uribe. Though he had his moments, he had struggled mightily in the postseason (then again, so has the entire Giants offense minus Cody Ross) and was battling an injury. But none of that mattered - Uribe took the first pitch he saw and drove it to right field for a homerun - just barely over the wall, but a homerun nonetheless. And just like that the Giants were on top 3-2.

But the night was far from over. After escaping Lincecum's jam in the 8th inning, Wilson, with two outs in the ninth, walked Utley, putting the go-ahead run on base and pushing the tying run to second base with Ryan Howard, the Phillies big slugger, coming to bat. He quickly worked the count 3-2 (the usual Wilson count), but struck out Howard looking with a backdoor breaking ball to send the Giants to the World Series. Howard could not believe it - he stood there, hands on his hips, in disappointment at the strike call and the realization that his team, heavily favored by any standard, had just lost to a team featuring Cody Ross as their best hitter, a team that actually scored less runs total than the Phillies in the series.

The Phillies had stranded 11 runners on the night and were just 7 for 45 (.156) with runners in scoring position during the series. They can blame themselves all they want - for their lack of clutch hitting and untimeliness, but the fact of the matter is, the Giants were simply better. There may not be any statistics or expert analysis that could have predicted or justified this - save for the 4 tallies in the win column - but the Giants were better. The Giants know that and the Giants faithful know that. Their offense dwarfed in comparison to the Phillies and their starting pitching seemed to have finally met their match against the Phillies' experienced "H2O", but the Giants found a way to be the better team, and they did so four times before the Phillies could.

But this is just the tip of the iceberg; I could go on for days about how the Giants have grinded their way through the season in unconventional fashion. Their best hitter in the postseason was added to the team in late August not as an upgrade but as a surefire way to keep him away from the Padres. The Giants won the NL West only thanks to an epic Padres collapse that featured a 10 game losing streak while atop the division. Their cleanup hitter is a rookie catcher that took over the catching duties midseason. Their leadoff man was a 30+ year old journeyman who showed no signs of breaking out. And the #5 hitter? A reject from the Rays. They have almost half their payroll sitting on the bench in the form of Edgar Renteria, Aaron Rowand, and Barry Zito. Their usually dominant ace Tim Lincecum had a subpar season ("subpar" by Lincecum standards, of course), going 0-5 in August. And when it seemed like the Giants simply needed more offense, general manager Brian Sabean went out and added two bullpen arms. The list goes on.

But none of that matters, what matters is that the Giants stand atop the NL, with a chance to take home the World Series crown for the first time since 1954. How they did it will be left up to debate for years, but that's where we are now. Duane Kuiper has cleverly coined the term "Giants baseball: Torture" as the motto of the 2010 season, but in light of the previous seasons, this is the best that Giants baseball has ever been. The hearts of Giants fans still ache from the oh-so-close-just-6-outs-away-goddamit moment of 2002, their frustration amplified by the quick exit from the playoffs in 2003, their faith questioned by the heartbreaking end to 2004 at Dodgers stadium, and their determination strained from the lackluster finshes from 2005-2009.

This year was different. It was the same - great pitching and barely viable offense - but different. The Giants have a chance, a chance to end their half-century long drought. On paper, the Giants pale in comparison to the Rangers, who possess a powerful and deadly offense and a postseason pitching god in Cliff Lee. Many have already begun to write us off already, but this has been the case all season long. They wrote us off before the season even began, pointing out our offensive incompetence, they wrote us off when we slumped our way out of the race temporarily in late June, and they wrote us off again at the beginning of the NLCS. The Giants proved their critics wrong time and time again - and there's no reason they cannot do it now. Statistics may tell a story over a season, but in 7 games, anything can happen.

If this is truly torture, then call me a masochist, because I'm loving every second of it.

RIP Bobby Thompson

2010-08-21T20:09:00.000-07:00

He gave the Giants possibly the greatest moment in all of baseball and the years may pass, but we'll never forget what he did for us.

"There's a line drive... it's gonna be, I believe... THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!"

July Recap: Rejuvenation

2010-08-03T16:22:00.000-07:00

So.. I've been really lazy and haven't been writing down what's been happening, but I suppose I'll start changing that now. The Giants had an amazing July, winning 20 (21*) games in a month for the first time since 2000. In just a month, they've gone from barely above .500 to being the Wildcard leader, 2 games above St. Louis as of today and just 2 back of the NL West leading Padres. They own a better record than both the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves and the NL Central-leading Cincinnati Reds and even made it up to the #5 spot on this week's ESPN Power Rankings. So, here's a quick summary of what happened this month:

Pre-All Star Break:
July actually started off slowly for the Giants, as the first two games of a four-game set in Colorado, and it appeared that they would drop a 3rd consecutive game, as they had to face the untouchable Ubaldo Jimenez. But, to everybody's surprise, the Giants rocked Ubaldo, at least in the 3rd inning of the game, scoring 7 runs in the inning, capped off by Ishikawa's grand slam. The Rockies got Jimenez off the hook by rallying from a 6 run deficit to take a 8-7 lead, but the Giants would respond and win the game 11-8. Though the final game of the series resulted in a heartbreaking 15-inning loss for the Giants, they showed incredible resiliency throughout the game, escaping jam after jam and rallying from a late 3-0 deficit to force extra innings. These two games marked a turning point for the Giants' fortunes, as they found both their offensive stride and their swagger. The Giants rolled through Milwaukee, sweeping the 4-game series thanks to an impressive display of offense and sloppy defense from the Brewers, and, despite a setback against Strasburg, took 2 out of 3 from the Nationals. Posey made a mockery of major league pitching, hitting 5 homeruns for the week (one, two, three, four, five) and winning the NL Player of the Week award. Bumgarner notched the first two major league victories of his young career with strong starts against both the Brewers and Nationals.

Post All-Star Break:
The All-Star Game ended well for the NL, as they finally won an All-Star Game behind strong pitching (except for Kuo and his inability to throw to 1st base, of course), McCann's clutch bases-clearing 3-run double, and David Ortiz's obesity. Even more surprising, Brian Wilson actually pitched a quiet and quick 8th inning to preserve the 2-run NL lead. The Giants remained hot, taking 3* (again, f*** you, Phil Cuzzi) out of 4 from the Mets thanks to their usual mantra - superb pitching. The Giants started off the second half with 2 shutouts and cruised to a series victory (should have been a sweep). Up next were the reeling Dodgers, having been swept in a 4-game series in St.Louis by the Cardinals, and the Giants took two out of three - the first thanks to a good start from Bumgarner and the second in hillarious and dramatic fashion, as noted by the previous post. Billingsley pitched a shutout to prevent a sweep, but the Giants were on a roll and the Dodgers woes would continue for the rest of the month. The Giants then took three out of three in Arizona, capped off by Ishikawa's clutch RBI-single for a 10th inning win in the series finale. The Giants suffered a minor setback against the Marlins and settled for a series-split against another hot team. Posey's hit streak ran to 21 games, but ended there with Anibal Sanchez's 1-hit shutout of the Giants in the series finale, one shy of the record for Giants rookies.

And then in came the Dodgers, seeking to reverse their fortunes in a place where they have reigned over the Giants this past decade, but the Giants would refuse to relieve the Dodger woes. The Giants escaped with a 6-5 victory on Monday despite Lincecum's shaky start and a Wilson-less bullpen that put the tying run on third after entering the ninth with a 4-run lead. The Giants won in dramatic fashion on Saturday, in front of a national FOX Game of the Week audience, thanks to a clutch 2-run homer off closer Jonathan Broxton in the bottom of the 8th inning. It was sweet revenge for the Giants, as the Dodgers had hit Buster Posey, the previous batter, to bring the winning run to the plate, and even sweeter for Zito, who was spared of another undeserved loss. The Giants and Dodgers would play the series finale in front of another national audience, this time on ESPN's Sunday Night Game of the Week with hometown Hall of Fame announcer Jon Miller doing the play-by-play. Renteria's two-run triple proved to be the only offense in the game, as Matt Cain outdueled Dodgers' ace Clayton Kershaw for his first win against the Dodgers in 15 tries (now 1-8 against them), shutting the Dodgers out over 7 and 2/3 innings.

The Giants emerged from the series a season high 16 games above .500. The offense proved to the primary surprise, as the Giants led the NL in runs scored in July with 149, one shy of the Yankees for the MLB lead. Though Sabean elected not to trade away one or more of major pitching prospects for another hitter, the offense has proven this month that it can deliver when it needs to. Despite Lincecum's apparently reduced fastball velocity, the pitching looks as strong as ever, with 5 starters wielding ace-caliber talent, the bullpen receiving reinforcements in the form of left-handed specialist Javier Lopez and right-handed middle reliever Ramon Ramirez, and left-handed reliever Dan Runzler expected back from the DL soon. It remains to be seen whether the Giants success can hold out to get them into the playoffs, but the outlook is certainly bright.

Interesting Notes:

Giants pitchers lead the majors in walks issued at 417, but they rank first in strikeouts and 3rd in ERA at 3.41.
Giants pitchers sport a collective 1.41 WHIP after the 6th inning, despite leading the league in saves - a sign of the torture they put fans through.
Andres Torres is on pace to hit about 50 doubles, which would be a franchise record.
The Giants had not swept a home series against the Dodgers since 2004.
Mota is a slang term for pot in Spanish.
Matt Garza pitched MLB's 5th no-hitter this year in a 5-0 win against the Tigers. The Rays have been on a tear and are now neck-and-neck with the Yankees for the AL East lead.
Teams in 4 of the 6 divisions in baseball are further back in the Wild-card standings than they are in the division standings.

A Game for the Ages - the Century-Old Rivalry at its Best

2010-07-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

Things were certainly bleak. 2 time Cy-Young award winner Tim Lincecum was nothing of his old self; he gave up 5 earned runs in under 5 innings, racking up a measly 2 strikeouts against 3 walks. He gave up 3 runs before getting an out in the first and even uncorked this humorous (but concerning) pitch. Lincecum also hit Kemp with a fastball that ran inside after narrowly missing the pitch before, prompting the umpires to issue warnings to both sides. The Giants had just one hit (and a run, thanks to a walk that preceded the hit and a sacrifice fly) through 5 innings against the Dodgers' young left-handed ace, Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw was cruising, having retired 11 straight Giants until Freddy Sanchez's one-out single in the 6th, and the Dodgers held what seemed to be a comfortable 5-1 lead.

Paul drops the ball.

Then, things got interesting. In the sixth inning, after Posey and Sanchez both reached base, outfielder Xavier Paul dropped a crucial fly ball that allowed the Giants to score 2 additional unearned runs. Burrell had hit a fly ball that looked to be nothing more than sacrifice fly (which was still good considering the Giants' offensive woes); instead, Paul's error would put runners at 2nd and 3rd with just one out. Sandoval made sure the Dodgers would pay for the mistake, ripping a 2-run double down the left field line on a high fastball from Kershaw to cut the deficit to one. (A positive note: Pablo seems to have figured out how to hit that high fastball.)

In the bottom half of the frame, Giants reliever Denny Bautista threw another controversial pitch, running up and in toward Russell Martin's head and forcing him to jump back to get out of the way. Surprisingly, it was neither Bautista nor Bochy that would be ejected in this scenario - Dodgers bench coach (and backup manager) Bob Schaefer got into a heated argument with the umpires from a distance, as he furiously called for the ejection of Bautista, and was ejected as a result. Kershaw, despite struggling the previous frame and running his pitch count to over 100, stayed in the game to bat in the 6th. This set up the 7th inning, in which Kershaw promptly hit Rowand, the first batter he faced, prompting the automatic ejections of both he and Dodgers manager Joe Torre and leaving the Dodgers with batting coach Don Mattingly as their temporary manager. (All three ejections here.)

(Joe Torre argues with the umpire after bench
coach Bob Schaefer is ejected.)

This would prove crucial in the 9th inning. After two perfect innings by All-Star reliever Hong-Chih Kuo, the Giants were left to face with Broxton. Though widely considered to be an elite closer, Broxton had not been himself lately, blowing important saves recently to both the Yankees and the Cardinals, and would not get the job done tonight either. A leadoff single by Uribe, a walk by Renteria, a perfect bunt by Rowand, and an intentional walk to pinch-hitter Aubrey Huff would load the bases with just one out. Andres Torres began walking toward the plate in an apparent matchup with Jonathan Broxton - emphasis on the apparent. Acting manager Don Mattingly went out to the mound to talk to Broxton and, as he began to walk away, first baseman James Loney asked him a question, leading to the gaffe of the night, as Mattingly naively returned to the mound after stepping off in order to add a few final words. He completely forgot about a strict MLB rule regarding mound visits, which dictates that a manager cannot pay two consecutive visits to the mound without making a pitching change. Giants manager Bruce Bochy, who played an important role in facilitating the Giants victory tonight, argued that Mattingly's additional action constituted a second mound visit, thus necessitating a pitching change, and won his case. Broxton left the game and in came George Sherrill with his 7+ ERA. The rest, as you know, is in the books. Torres promptly put the Giants on top with a dramatic, crowd-silencing 2-run double on the second pitch from Sherrill and Posey added an RBI single for insurance. Affeldt, filling in for closer Brian Wilson, who had pitched 4 straight days, closed out the game despite a 1-out double from Furcal by striking out Andre Ethier, and that was that. Casilla, who pitched two scoreless innings, escaping yet another self-created jam in the 7th by coaxing a double play ball, got the victory. With this, the Giants have won 11 of their last 13 games and handed the Dodgers their sixth consecutive loss. They remain three games out of the NL West and half a game out of the Wildcard.

(Andres Torres celebrates after hitting the go-ahead 2-run double and scoring on Buster Posey's base hit.)

(Images taken from MLB.com)

Random Topic 2: Gay Marriage

2010-07-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Marriage - the ultimate symbol of love between two (or more, depending on what you believe in) people. But should it be restricted to the union between a man and a woman? Should two men or two women have the legal right to marry? Who defines marriage? Who has the ultimate say in the definition of marriage? These questions - this debate - have been a central conflict in today's world, especially in California. But I'm here to present a new opinion - that both sides feature complete idiots wasting their times on a meaningless issue. Yep, that's right. This whole debate has no significance whatsoever; it's equivalent to two sides arguing over the name of a street - nothing but a waste of time in an era where there exist so many other problems that need our attention.

For those of you who argue that gay men and women deserve the same rights as heterosexual couples, I completely and wholeheartedly agree. Any two people - heck, it can even be between a person and a robot for all I care - that love each other deeply deserve protection and benefits from the state; gay couples deserve to be recognized as equals to heterosexual couples. This isn't the issue I want to focus on; gay rights are already a given - it's the right thing to do. If they aren't equal under the law right now, then something should be done to make them equal under the law. End of debate.

The real issue that I would like to discuss is the issue of "marriage." Let's take a hypothetical situation: there are two couples, each in deep, loving relationships. Both share the same benefits - both file their taxes together, both enjoy tax credits to help raise their children. The only difference? The state recognizes one as a "marriage" and the other as a "domestic partnership." But is this really a difference? Honestly, why do people care about what it's called? First of all, if you love someone, why do you need the government to tell you that you love him/her/it/whatever? Love transcends the law; a piece of paper cannot tell you what to love or not love. The word "marriage" is nothing but overhyped legal jargon. Who says you can't love someone fully if you're not married to them? Heck, what difference would it make if they changed the word "marriage" to something ridiculous like "asdkfuweiortuaiodjfaklsdjfkasd"? Would people stop loving each other? I certainly hope not.

My point is - why are we bitterly bickering and fighting over terminology? We're wasting everybody's time, we're wasting campaign money, and we're not getting anywhere. It's as if we're spending millions of dollars and hours just to figure out a correct definition for a useless word in a dictionary. This whole idea is pointless - and the blame for this ridiculous debate doesn't fall on one side either. Both sides deserve equal blame. (How's that for equality?) On the one hand, you have the gay marriage supporters, the Prop. 8 opposition, the liberals, whatever the hell you want to call them. I agree that if gay couples do not have equal rights as heterosexual couples, then they should definitely lobby for equal rights. But, why the whole hissy-fit over the recognition of "marriage" by the government of all things? Who cares what the government labels you as, so long as you have equal rights? It's not like the government is your mom or something - do you really need the government's approval to love someone? If you guys want equal rights, fine. But please stop wasting our time about the whole "marriage" thing. On the other hand, you have the gay marriage opponents, the Prop. 8 backers, the conservatives, whatever you want to call them. These people are just as, if not more stupid than the gay marriage supporters. These heterosexual couples are happily married. (Or well, you're supposed to be happily married...) The government says they're married. They get legal benefits, tax cuts, wills written out to each other - the whole package. Why in the world must they care if two other men or two other women, that they've never seen before and probably will get to never know in their entire lives, get married? What can two random strangers getting married as a homosexual couple possibly do to damage the lives of a heterosexual couple? There is absolutely no logical reason for them to stop people from giving themselves a silly label - honestly, who cares what the government labels people as? If two men get married, will you stop loving your wife/husband? I really hope that's not the case. And for those of you planning on making some ridiculous argument with the bible (<--I'm leaving this uncapitalized on purpose to offend people who care about labels) - please don't. I mean, these gay couples - many of them are devout Christians, faithful to God, church attenders - you know, decent people who are probably going to heaven. Why fight so hard to deprive them of this little "sin" when there are devil-praising heretics out there spreading violence and hate? Why not spend some time and money going after those guys? Get your priorities straight, people.

So that's about all I have to say - it's a little less formal this time because I'm a bit lazy.. but yeah. Please feel free to leave comments.

One last note, though: to those of you who think that equality will only be guaranteed if the couples are placed under the same label - take a look at race. Do we need to call all black people "white" in order to guarantee their equality? No, and the same should apply to couples. We shouldn't need to label something to guarantee equal rights. It might be a bit easier, but it certainly isn't necessary.

Last last note: I actually had no idea about the Argentina thing when I wrote this..

Random Topic 1: Confidence

2010-07-03T00:42:00.000-07:00

A man walks up to a pretty girl and asks her out on a date. Nearby spectators remark and compliment his "confidence." We've all seen something like this before, whether through the movies or in real life - a "confident" man getting a date. This idea of "confidence" persists throughout society: interviewees are often taught to exude "confidence" in order to get a job, lawyers must appear "confident" in order to win a case, and an athlete's success if often attributed to his "confidence." Our society places a high value on society; a "confident" personality or demeanor is often viewed as positive.

What exactly is "confidence"? According to Dictionary.com, it is the "belief in oneself and one's powers or abilities." But really, it is a useless word. It's a word that is unnecessary, misused, and falsely praised. It's nothing but a illusory euphemism for arrogance. In nearly every case, a simple substitution of the word "confidence" with "arrogance" can be made. Arrogance provides a justification for all the scenarios mentioned above. An arrogant man views himself so highly that he believes himself to be worthy of the reward in each scenario listed above; he believes himself worthy of a girl's affection, of being hired, of his argument in a trial being undeniably correct, of being recognized as the world's best athlete. He cannot possibly fathom the possibility of failure and he will never admit inadequacy. This is the real driving force of confidence with its euphemistic shield deprived. Confidence is nothing but arrogance, though it may come in smaller and more subtle doses at times, and arrogance derives from ignorance, from the inability to foresee or accept potential failure. Our ignorance causes us to see this as a good trait; we hail the "confident" person as the epitome of success and we ignore the fact that confidence is nothing more than a sugar-coated form of arrogance, an evil figure covered by a cloak of unjust praise. And for this reason, we must open our eyes. Confidence does not, and should not, exist as a separate entity from arrogance. They are completely intertwined - they are one and the same.

But what about the good aspects of confidence? What about the rookie that has the "confidence" to pinch-hit in the bottom of the 9th inning with the game on the line? What about the lawyer with enough "confidence" to deliver his argument in a way that convinces the jury? What about the new worker who has the "confidence" to stay calm during the interview and answer all the questions properly? What about the nerdy average-looking kid that is "confident" enough to ask out the love of his life? If confidence is arrogance, then does societal success depend entirely on arrogance?

The answer to that is, simply, no. The issue here is that confidence is a misused word. A rookie does not have to believe in himself in order to hit a home run; he must simply focus on his fundamentals. A lawyer only has to appear self-assured in his argument; deep down, he knows there are always counterarguments. A prospective employee does not have to believe he is undeniably the best applicant out there; he only has to answer the questions presented to him to the best of his abilities. The average guy knows he won't always succeed, but he knows that he has to try. When it all boils down, the good in society depends not on arrogance or confidence, but on courage and determination. It depends on one's courage to attempt a task to the best of his or her ability regardless of the odds or the situation. It depends on one's determination to persist and endure even if the situation appears destined toward failure. These are the values that society must value - not confidence, but courage and determination.

The world today is plagued by an evil in the form of ignorance; we deceive ourselves by seeking "confidence" in those we depend on. If we continue to do so, our world will begin to become overrun with arrogant, ignorant people. The forces of evil will slowly weed out the forces of good; arrogance will supplant courage and determination as the foundational values of society. Thus, we must abolish the notion of confidence. We must strip off its illusory coat, the misleading positive connotations that perpetuate our own ignorance in a vicious cycle. When we see an arrogant person in a position of power, we bring ourselves to believe that arrogance, or "confidence" as one might say, is a force of good, one that gets us where we want to go in life. Ignorance breeds confidence and confidence fuels ignorance. For the sake of humanity, and for the sake of the world, we must delete this word from our vocabulary or, at the very least, shed light on its evil, hateful nature.

Giants Baseball - the Leading Cause of High Blood Pressure

2010-06-26T01:18:00.000-07:00

Just a quick summary with how the Giants tempted with fate today:

The Giants scored their three runs in the first inning thanks to:

Posey's RBI single up the middle - perfectly placed line drive/grounder that went perfectly between Sandoval's leg at second
Two infielders colliding on a ground ball up the middle.
A perfectly placed bunt single by pitcher Jonathan Sanchez with the bases loaded.
A throwing error on the same play allowing the tying run to score.

The Red Sox loaded the bases 3 times in the last 4 innings, trailing by a run in each case, and failed to tie the game. (See Casilla's Houdini act here.)

They also had two runners or more in three other innings and failed to score in two of them.

The Red Sox stranded 11 baserunners in the final four innings.
Every Red Sox starter besides Wakefield and Hall finished with at least 2 LOB.
Giants pitchers issued 10 walks this game and four wild pitches - three by Casilla.
Wilson somehow got a save despite giving up six baseunners.
After facing three hitters just to get one out in the 8th, Wilson was one out away from a clean 9th. However, a triple, two singles (one coming on a fastball down the middle in an 0-2 count... seriously WTF Wilson??), and a walk later: the bases were loaded. Wilson managed to escape the jam by coaxing a grounder to short from Darnell Macdonald to end the game.
Here's the box score for reference.

Two Simple Reasons for why Ice Hockey > Soccer

2010-06-20T01:24:00.000-07:00

The typical hockey score, while relatively low, is nothing compared to the typical soccer score:

2. This is hockey:

And this is soccer: (Note that he BARELY grazed the guy.)

I rest my case.

List of Evil: 15 teams to boo

2010-06-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

Barring extraordinary circumstances, one must always boo any team on this list. It is the right thing to do. If two teams from this list are playing each other, boo the team higher up on this list. For tiebreakers, root for the underdog or the team with the better feel-good story at the time.

1. L.A. Dodgers
2. New York Yankees
3. New England Patriots
4. USC (all sports)
5. Brett Favre's current team
6. Stanford (all sports)
7. L.A. Lakers
8. Detroit Red Wings
T-9. L.A. Angels

T-9. Boston Red Sox
11. Dallas Cowboys
12. Boston Celtics
13. Anaheim Ducks
T-14. Pittsburgh Steelers
T-14. Arizona Cardinals

On the bubble: L.A. Clippers (too weak to be evil), Oakland A's (in recent years, its been a relief knowing that we're not as bad as a certain team across the bay), Oakland Raiders (see: Oakland A's), New York Mets (overshadowed by much eviler Yankees), St. Louis Rams (see: Clippers), Chicago Blackhawks (the sweep was brutal, but not much history against that team), L.A. Kings (see: Clippers, but it's important to note that they did manage to make the playoffs in 2010)

Weeks 9 and 10: Sweep Revenge

2010-06-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

Giants went a nice 8-5 during the past two weeks, thanks mainly to a sizzling Matt Cain who went 3-0 and lowered his ERA to 2.05. At this rate, he's beginning to put his name back into Cy Young consideration. They began week 9 with a 3 game set against the Rockies. Lincecum failure to keep his end of what was supposed to be an epic pitcher's duel with Jimenez and the inability of the Giants offense to back Barry Zito's stellar start caused the Giants to drop the first two games of the series. They followed that series up by taking 2 out of 3 from Pittsburgh; Lincecum finally began to snap his funk, throwing 7 good innings and giving up 3 runs. Giants could certainly have done better in Cincinnati - they won the first two games of the four game set but dropped the other two, failing to make much off Harang and blowing a late lead in a game where Wellemeyer left early due to injury. But, we should be satisfied - splitting a road series with a division leader isn't bad at all. To conclude week 10, the Giants exacted sweet revenge on the crosstown rival A's, sweeping the series and making up for three-game sweep they suffered in Oakland a month ago. Lincecum, Zito, Cain provided excellent starts - three LQS (Lincecum-Quality Start: defined by me as 7+ IP, 2 ER or less, and a 4:1 K:BB ratio), I might add - and the Giants offense provided just enough to overcome a semi-shaky bullpen.

Zito earned his first win against the A's this weekend. With this win, Zito now has a win against every team in the MLB.
Buster Posey, despite his 0 for 4 today, continues to impress, and hit his first major league homerun on Thursday - a second decker. He's got a cannon for an arm too.
With Wellemeyer injured, Joe Martinez is expected to pitch in his place on Tuesday against the Orioles. If you remember, he's the pitcher that got a concussion last season after taking a line drive at his head.
Wilson did it again on Saturday. He protected a 1 run lead by escaping a bases loaded, 1 out situation in the 8th inning and worked 1.2 innings for the save. I think the broadcasters sum it up nicely after the game here.
Huff has done very well since his poor April; he hit two two-run homers (one two) today to back Cain's start and has raised his average to .300.
Golden Tate? Seriously?

Oh yeah, the Angels swept the Dodgers too. It was a good weekend. Giants now sit just half a game back of the Dodgers in the Wildcard and 1.5 back of the Padres in the NL West.

Galarraga's spoiled gem shows that a perfect game requires a total team effort, and that includes the umpire too. Galarraga got an apology and a new car though, so all is well.
Diamondbacks dropped 10 games in a row, including 3 straight in walkoff fashion, before finally walking off themselves in a 9th inning comeback against Manny Corpas.
Jose Bautista continues to surprise everybody with his early season success. He has 18 homeruns for the Toronto Blue Jays, good enough for 2nd most in the majors behind Cabrera's 17. Looking at his career track record...... WTF? (Dare I say steroids?)
With the Red Sox heating up, the AL East has become one scary division. They arguably have four top-ten teams in the majors: the Rays and the Yankees continue to stand on top but the Halladay-less Blue Jays have been a nice surprise and the Red Sox sit just 4 games back.
Awesome headline: "Jimenez wins 11th as ERA rises to 0.93" When your ERA rises to 0.93 for your 11th win of the season, that's pretty damn amazing. Jimenez was "roughed up" a bit on Friday, however; he gave up 3 runs in a rain-shortened win over the Blue Jays.
Greinke finally wins a game. He's now 2-8 on the season. Yes, 2-8. Some of those losses were his fault, but come on, 2-8??? How can a team possibly screw their pitcher over that much?
Here's why you shouldn't throw a fastball down the middle to a guy, even if he's never seen a major league pitch in his life: Daniel Nava hit a grand slam on the first pitch he saw from Joe Blanton, becoming just the second player to do so on their first MLB pitch.
We nearly had a double-no hitter in Chicago today; both Gavin Floyd of the White Sox and Ted Lilly traded no-hit innings until the 7th, when Chicago scratched out two hits and a run off Floyd. Lilly would lose his no-hit bid in the 9th thanks to a Juan Pierre single, but Marmol's excellent relief work would work the Cubs out of a 2nd and 3rd, nobody out jam to preserve the 1-0 win.

Other News:

Lots of headlines in college football:

Nebraska leaves the Big 12 for the Big Ten.
Colorado joins the Pac-10.
Many other teams (including Oklahoma and Texas) might leave the Big 12 for the Pac-10 - we could potentially have a Pac-16 superconference by 2012, with two subdivisions consisting of the 8 original teams (UCLA, USC, Cal, Stanford, WSU, Washington, Oregon, OSU) and the 8 newer teams.
USC caught cheating. Numerous wins forfeited, including some from 2004. Two year ban on bowl games. Loss of numerous scholarships. Cal, by default, is the 2004 Pac-10 champion (YEAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!), even if the conference refuses to recognize that.
Jeremiah Masoli released by the ducks.

Giant sinkhole in Guatemala.
Lakers down 3-2 to the Celtics. Just one more and the Baby Killers will be defeated.
College rhetoric sucks, the readings make no sense and neither do my essays.
Karate Kid was nice, but I expected more comedy, not Jackie Chan actually crying - touching scene though.

Week 8: Posey, Cain spark San Fran renaissance; Doc paints perfection in Florida

2010-05-30T23:15:00.000-07:00

A 5-1 week places the Giants back in the realm of competence as the Giants finished off a sweep of the Diamondbacks with a thrilling come-from-behind win that featured a 2-run 9th-inning rally and a walkoff hit from outfielder Andres Torres. Offense highlighted the final two innings, but it was the defense that set them up - Schierholtz and Sanchez threw out key runners (highlights here and here) trying to take an extra base, keeping the game within reach. Lincecum had a bad day on Wednesday and the Giants needed a 3-run rally in the 7th inning off former Giant Tyler Walker to overcome a semi-poor start from Zito on Thursday, but the bottom of the rotation rose to the occasion. Wellemeyer preserved his job status with two quality starts at home to start off and end the week, Sanchez held the Diamondbacks to one run in 5 innings in a 12-1 rout on Saturday, and Cain topped them all with a dominating one-hit shutout of the Diamondbacks on Friday. Other notes:

Perhaps the headline of the week, if not Cain's one hitter, should be the call-up of long awaited prospect Buster Posey - tasked with providing a stimulus to an oft dormant offense. The result? Two three-hit games (highlights here and here) and 4 RBIs. When can we start calling him our savior?
Andres Torres appears to have turned a corner, seemingly becoming the leadoff hitter the Giants desperately need. Torres batted .417 this week, scored 9 runs, and stole 2 bases. His season average is now at .307 and he currently leads the team in both doubles and stolen bases. Combined with apparent resurgences from Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval, the Giants have a very solid 1-2-3 punch in the top of their lineup right now.
Aaron Rowand continues to struggle - I believe that it's time to bench him. The Giants need to put Torres in center and Schierholtz in right. This gives them their optimal lineup of: Torres (CF), Sanchez (2B), Sandoval (3B), Huff (LF), Uribe (SS), Posey (1B), Molina (C), and Schierholtz (RF). Schierholtz has done well at the plate this year and his defense in right field - especially that cannon of an arm - cannot be understated. Perhaps Rowand will regain his stroke again with some time off.

Of course, the other big story: Roy Halladay, who I've always thought of as a workhorse rather than a no-hit type pitcher, etched his name in history with a perfecto - 27 up and 27 down in Miami against the Florida Marlins. (Let's not forget the effort of his counterpart Josh Johnson either - he pitched 7 stellar innings himself, giving up just one unearned run.) It's the second perfect game this month (the other being Braden's perfect game in Oakland on Mother's day). This a bit of a surprising statistic, considering that there have only been 20 perfect games in over a century of baseball. In fact, 3 of those perfect games have actually occurred within the last year (see Buerhle vs. Rays last season). Coincidence? Maybe...
Not really sure what to say about this. Joe West (if you remember, he also called out the Yankees and Red Sox for taking too long during games - I completely agree with him on that, but I'm not so sure about this.) comes under fire again after ejecting Buerhle and hotheaded manager Ozzie Guillen for arguing two questionable balk calls. Heck, even the announcer called him out, saying that he "deserved a suspension."
The Nationals survived a 9th inning scare on Friday with some wild pitching from Capps, who gave up 4 singles to start the inning but retired the next 3 to preserve the save. That didn't save them from dropping the next two games against the Padres, however; the Pads still hold the division lead, 2 games over the Dodgers and 2.5 over the Giants.
Santana throws 8 shutout innings - and loses. Brewers countered with a complete game shutout from Gallardo and two-run walkoff homerun in the 9th to win it.
Greinke gives up one run, loses.
Max Scherzer made the most of his 5.2 inning start today, striking out just about everybody he faced (14 to be exact) without giving up a run.
Pujols hit 3 homers today, perhaps his "slump" is finally over.
Perhaps the catch of the year: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=8476941
How to hit a game winning homerun: http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=8527779
How not to hit a game winning homerun: http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=8493341
Squirrels are evil. Not only have they attacked neighborhoods, now they're trying to invade our national pastime. They must be stopped - join the war, end the terrorism.

Other news:

Another Lakers-Celtics matchup for the NBA finals... it's getting old guys, just about anybody else would've been less boring.
Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead in the NHL finals on Saturday... hard to get interested in though, now that the Sharks have choked again.
Heartwarming story of a boy and his childhood hero........ wait, what? Ochocinco?
Jet + fast = awesome.
Iron Man 2 was good, but not as good as the first one.
Season finale of Chuck was AWESOME. Can't wait for next year.
Tomorrow is Memorial Day.

Weeks 6 and 7: How Quickly Things Change...

2010-05-23T23:52:00.000-07:00

I got lazy last week after a weekend up in Davis.. so yeah, here's two weeks packed into one post.

A terrible two weeks that included five painfully-difficult-to-watch losses against the Diamondbacks and the A's have the Giants barely treading above the .500 mark with a 22-21 record. Pieces just aren't meshing together. It seems like every time the starting pitching has a good day, the offense is nowhere to be found, and whenever the offense finally breaks through, the pitching gives it right back. But in a way, that's a good thing - it's a sign that this might just be a slump, that they'll figure it out eventually. Well, we can hope for that to come true, but right now, with the way the offense has been going (1 run in 3 games against the A's? WTF?) it seems like this guy might make a ton of money. The Giants absolutely need a spark - whether its a callup of Posey and/or Bumgarner or a firing of Bochy (highly unlikely), something needs to change.
The Reds, a surprise success story early on, are continuing to give the Cardinals a heated battle in the Central, and remain half a game out of the division lead.
To add to the miserable week, the Dodgers have begun to heat up. Their offense has been hot all season long, and now, their pitching seems to be getting it together... it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this isn't good for us.
Why you should never walk the bases loaded in front of A-rod, even if he hasn't been all that great: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=8017143&query=game_pk%3D264332
While we're on the topic of grand slams, proof that Mariano Rivera is human: http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?c_id=mlb&content_id=8059633&query=game_pk%3D264362
With offensive powerhouses such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, nobody could have predicted that at this point in the season, the Toronto Blue Jays are far and away the league leaders in home runs.
Zach Greinke finally won a game... and then promptly proceeded to earn another no decision in a quality start.
Why wins are meaningless: Tyler Clippard, a Nationals reliever, has more wins (seven) than all but two starting pitchers. He also has 5 blown saves and 3 losses accredited to him.
The Rays continue to rule the AL East, having put up an incredible 32-12 record and sweeping the Yankees in a two game set this week.
Speaking of the Yankees losing, the Mets took 2 out of 3 in the subway series at home this weekend thanks to timely hitting and strong outings from Mike Pelfrey and Johan Santana. Mets continue to sit at the bottom of the NL East, however.
Random fact: Nomar is Ramon backwards.
As epic as the Braves comeback was, it does not excuse this pre-game abomination:

(He's wearing a Hannah Montana backpack, if you can't tell. Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/games/300520115/photos;_ylt=Am4eWjVy9doyfbFmuuRsJ8O4u7YF?slug=reds_braves_baseball )

Other News:

Phoenix finally won one against the baby killers. Lakers continue to lead the series 2-1, however.
Sharks choke again... yep.
7th seeded Philadelphia has taken a 3-1 series lead behind backup goalie Michael Leighton's three shutouts in the Eastern Conference finals. They will look to wrap up the series at home tomorrow and move on to face the Chicago Blackhawks for the Stanley Cup.
Summer school is starting...... one week after school ended. This'll be fun..... ha-ha-ha...

Week 5: East Coast Swing

2010-05-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

I have finals to study for so I'll try to keep this brief...

Giants went 4-2 this week, sweeping the Marlins in Florida and squeaking out an ugly win today in New York to avoid being swept themselves. The Giants won on both Lincecum starts, but he failed to get the win in either one of them, thanks to defensive and bullpen meltdowns. On Tuesday, the Giants survived two three-run shots thanks to a game tying homerun with 2 down in the ninth from Aaron Rowand and a 12th inning rally. On Wednesday, Sergio Romo preserved a shaky 3-1 Giants lead in the 8th by escaping Zito's bases loaded 0 outs jam without giving up a single run. On Thursday, Cain's stellar pitching allowed the Giants to cruise to a series sweep. Two consecutive walkoff losses would dampen the Giants' roadtrip in New York, but the Giants rallied for a win today, despite blowing a 4-0 lead and trailing 5-4 heading into the 8th. Rowand hit a 2 run shot that put the Giants up for good and Wilson solved the bullpen problem himself, recording a 5 out save with 5 strikeouts.
More good news: Dodgers still suck. The pitching continues to be a problem, as Kershaw got lit up by Milwaukee on Tuesday, giving up 7 runs in just 1.1 innings, and Charlie Haeger could not record a single out in the first inning last night against the Rockies.
Padres are still on top of the NL West, but the Giants were able to pick up a game on them today thanks to Pedro Feliz's (Remember him?) game-tying sacrifice fly in the 9th inning. Giants are now half a game back in the NL West and will play the Padres at home in a 3 game set on Monday.
Surprise: Scott Olsen (who??) almost pitched a no-hitter for the Nationals (What??) on Thursday, lasting 7 innings before giving up his first hit. The Nationals would go on to win in the bottom of the 9th despite blowing a 2-0 lead.
Bigger Surprise: Livan Hernandez is now 4-1 with a 1.04 ERA. WTF?
Sign that the end of the world is coming: Nationals are tied for second place in the NL East and only two back of the Phillies.
Ubaldo Jimenez is now 6-0, and going for his 7th win against the Dodgers as I type this. Dodgers are currently leading 1-0 in the 7th, however.
Brad Lidge is back - recording his first save of 2010 today. Question is: will we see 2008 Lidge or the Pujols/injury-scarred Lidge?
UPDATE: Dallas "GET OFF MY MOUND" Braden has just thrown a perfect game in Oakland against the Rays.

Other news:

Sharks made it to the conference finals. Seriously. No joke here. They wrapped up their series against Detroit at home last night with a remarkable performance from goalie Evgeni Nabokov despite his horrific play in Game 4. They will await the winner of the Chicago-Vancouver series.
Awesome quote from my SI calendar: "Bayarmaa Tsogtbaatar, Mongolian beach volleyball player, on how she expects her country to fare at this week's Asian games: "Beach volleyball in Mongolia is very difficult, because we don't have any beaches." "
Oil spill still uncontained in the Gulf of Mexico.. BP is in some serious trouble.
Iron Man 2 is out.. I haven't seen it though...

A Divergence from Fate

2010-05-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Last night, a story was written - but not the usual story. No, it wasn't the usual inspirational triumph of the underdog David over the mighty Goliath or the magical tale of a young knight going up against a big bad dragon. No, this time our task was not to pull off an improbable upset, but to keep little David down, to quash the hopes of the naive young knight. The Sharks and the Giants were by no means underdogs last night- neither Davids nor unknowns. The Sharks went into Detroit with a 2-0 series lead for Game 2 of the NHL conference semifinals, looking to build on its already formidable lead, while the Giants sent its best to the mound - Tim Lincecum - to make a statement in the first of a three game set in Florida. We were not just hoping to win - we expected to win.

And in the beginning, things appeared to be going our way. The Sharks, despite trailing 2-1 after the first period, clearly had momentum their side. Setoguchi had scored yet another goal from the seemingly unstoppable San Jose second line with just seconds remaining in the first period and Nabokov made a nifty save on a Zetteberg penalty shot to keep the score close. They looked poised to make a surge after intermission and to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series over the desperate Red Wings. The Giants had a 3-0 lead thanks to timely hits from Aaron Rowand and the usual superb pitching from 2-time Cy-Young Award winner Tim Lincecum, who had racked up 11 strikeouts in just 5 innings. Nobody in their right mind would believe that the Florida Marlins could have any chance at winning this game.

But, as you all know, these are also the beginnings from which underdog stories are told - the longer the odds, the greater the story. And so, it began, like any underdog story - the weaker team fighting valiently to win over the hearts of viewers, to unravel what was surely expected to be a night of triumph for the stronger team. The Red Wings scored early in the second period to regain the momentum and to take a 3-1 lead. The Marlins, seemingly with fate on their side, got two runners on board thanks to a ground ball that found a hole and a perfectly placed unintentional swinging bunt. Hanley Ramirez would capitalize on Lincecum's only mistake of the day (and it wasn't even much of a mistake) and blast it over the wall for a three run homer.

Of course, as no great underdog story is without continued adversity, the Giants and Sharks made sure the fight would not be easy. The Sharks outshot the Red Wings 12-9 in the second period and drew three power play opportunities. The Giants negated the Marlins' strategy of intentionally walking Huff and retook the lead with Uribe's two-run double, setting up ace Tim Lincecum once again for the win.

The underdog, assuming its own role as well, however, would continue to play its part. The Red Wings, despite all the opportunities for the Sharks to score, held their ground and would allow no goals in the second period, going into intermission with their two goal lead in tact. The Marlins had plenty of magic left in their hat, hitting yet another three-run homer - this time coming off the bat of Dan Uggla.

All signs pointed toward a triumph for David, and another day of disappointment and regret for the Goliath, who had let the games get away. It appeared to be just one of those nights where you shake your head and move on - the story seemed to be coming to a close, the unsung heroes had made their say, and on this day, on this night, fate wanted the underdog to win. Had things gone as usual, the Sharks would have just faded away, conceding victory to the more desperate team, and the Giants would have been too shaken by the barrage of three-run homers to do anything more. The Davids of the world would have a night to celebrate and journalists were ready to publish their underdog stories for the world to clamor over. The last pages were finally being written...

...but, wait. It didn't turn out that way. Not this night, not this year.

No, the Sharks and the Giants refused to let fate dictate their destinies. These were not the same teams as last year - not the same perennial primetime chokers, not the same good-but-not-quite-there-yet teams. These teams were different. They refused to accept their storylines - they refused to accept their supposed fate. Not this night, not this year.

On a night where what could have gone wrong - allowing a desperate underdog at home to take a solid lead and the momentum into the final period, giving up two three run homers to make all of Lincecum's strikeouts go for naught - did go wrong, the Sharks and the Giants did not give in. Instead, they rebounded, doing everything possible to make sure that what could go right did go right. The Red Wings, looking to stamp out another scoring opportunity for the Sharks in the heat of the 3rd period, were ready with Thornton sitting in behind the goal. They knew that Thornton loved to make assists from behind the goal, and they were ready for it. In Florida, the Marlins brought in their closer Leo Nunez and were within one out away from a thrilling 6-5 victory over the great Lincecum and the Giants. Things looked bleak, and by all means, two losses were in order, but that was not the case. Not this night, and not this year.

Thornton, as if knowing he had to do something different to shed his playoff curse, took the puck himself, skated in front of goalie Jimmy Howard, and scored to bring San Jose within one. Logan Couture would add a goal of his own minutes later, capitalizing on Howard's rookie mistake of not protecting the goalpost. And just like that, the game was tied. In Florida, Rowand, with two already gone in the top of the ninth, launched a ball into the left field bleachers - no save for Nunez. The games would go on, as the Sharks and the Giants refused to give in. Not this night, not this year.

But of course, many expected the underdog story to continue. The games headed to overtime and the bottom of the 9th, respectively. The Red Wings and the Marlins were set up for thrilling walk-off victories to complete their tales, but things didn't turn out that way. Not this night, not this year.

The Sharks and the Giants made sure of that. Thornton, looking to further dispel his image as poor playoff contender, made a perfect pass on a 2-on-1 breakaway to Marleau, and just like that, it was the Sharks who would be celebrating a thrilling overtime victory. In the other arena, Wilson, Runzler, and Mota made sure the Marlins wouldn't get their say, shutting down Hanley and company over the final three and a third innings. Aubrey Huff delivered a clutch two run single in the top of the 12th inning to put the Giants up for good.

And just like that, it was over. No underdog tale, just the story of two great teams that recorded expected wins - two teams that battled and battled - two teams that decided their own destinies, that refused to let momentum and fate dictate their futures. And this is why I'm excited for this year. These aren't the same Sharks and the Giants of last year - these are true playoff teams. They're going to do great things - I can just feel it.

Let this also be a lesson for your own life. Don't let a situation dictate what you can or cannot do. Greatness is born from what you make of the situation, not from what the situation makes of you. Create your own destiny, and let nothing get in your way. No story is prewritten - nothing is scripted. The only question is: Will you let someone write the story for you, or will you write it yourself?

Best T-shirt Ever

2010-05-04T01:10:00.000-07:00

http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__27/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-260145914-1272904445.jpg?ym.7IFDDMY3ALELn

2 puns in one for those of you that aren't baseball literate or don't see it:
1. The best pitcher on a team is usually referred to as the "ace." Greinke was a Cy-Young Award winner last year (given to the best pitcher in each league).
2. He plays on a team called the Royals... it's a ROYAL flush.. get it?

Credit to Nam for finding this.

Week 4: A Passing Grade

2010-05-02T22:44:00.000-07:00

The Giants have passed their litmus test - a 9 game stretch featuring three of last year's playoff contenders - the Cardinals, Phillies, and the Rockies. The Giants took two of the first three against all three opponents (though the bullpen and Velez really blew it on Wednesday, costing Lincecum a much deserved win), going 6-3 in the stretch. This bodes well for the Giants, who look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Lincecum will lead the team into Florida on Tuesday (Wellemeyer's start to be skipped to prevent Lincecum from getting too much rest - Wellemeyer pitched 2.1 innings in relief in a loss today) for a three game series, and they'll head to New York for a three game weekend series after that. Notes:

Zito continues to roll, as he limited the Rockies to two runs in 8 innings on Saturday. For the second game in a row, he brought the AT&T crowd to their feet, as fans filled the stadium with chants of "BAR-RY! BAR-RY! BAR-RY!"
Jonathan Sanchez was wild today, walking 5 batters, and was unable to pitch past the 5th. Medders came in for "relief" and promptly allowed both inherited baserunners to score. The troubling issue here is whether Sanchez is headed toward another May slump - his career ERA in May (5.54) is over 2.5 points higher than his career ERA in April (3.01).
Speaking of Sanchez-es, Freddy Sanchez is expected back soon, while Aaron Rowand returned to the lineup for the first time since being hit in the head by Vicente Padilla. Hopefully, the return of Sanchez will give the Giants a much needed offensive boost.
Huff hit another homer today (albeit a useless one) and now has 4 on the year. Huff has always been a slow starter in his career, so hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.
Don't test Schierholtz's arm. Here's why.

The Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a 22-game losing streak in Milwaukee (yes, 22 games.), thanks to more struggles from Trevor Hoffman. Ronny Cedeno led off the 9th with a game-tying homerun and Ryan Doumit put the Pirates on top for good with a grand slam to end their misery in Milwaukee. Hoffman would proceed to blow a second straight save against Pittsburgh the following day, prompting a temporary change in closers in Milwaukee and putting his quest for 600 saves at a standstill for now. Latroy Hawkins will most likely manage closing duties for the time being.
The A's snapped a 4 game losing streak against Toronto yesterday, but they have certainly fallen from their quick start. They are now 13-13, having gone 1-5 this week, but they're still only half a game back in an AL West where nobody seems to want to take control of the division. Look for the Mariners to make a move now that they have Cliff Lee back... although, they're going to need their offense to do better than it has of late. Mariners starters tossed 26 scoreless innings this weekend, and yet they lost all three games.
Ubaldo Jimenez is now 5-0.
Tuesday was a good day. Why? The Dodgers lost not once, but twice!
Astros and Orioles still suck.
Lidge is back - he'll be eased back into the role, however, despite Ryan Madsen's self-inflicted anger tantrum injury.
Padres stay hot, winning 5 of 7 and holding their ground atop the NL West.
Greinke remains winless this year, despite throwing 8 innings of 1-run ball today. The Royals offense was shut down by Wade Davis and the Rays bullpen. Evan Longoria's homerun accounted for the only run. Meanwhile, Jaime Moyer won again, despite holding a 5+ ERA, and now is 3-2 on the year. I wonder how pissed Greinke must be.

Other news:

Sharks performed admirably this week in the second round of the playoffs. In Game 1, the Sharks got to rookie goalie Jimmy Howard early, scoring 3 goals in a span of about 90 seconds in the 1st period, and managed to hang on for a 4-3 win. In Game 2, the Sharks won another game by the score of 4-3, but this time they played from behind, needing to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the third period; 10 power plays as well as 43 faceoff wins out of 69 faceoffs allowed the Sharks to dominate play throughout the game, while Joe Thornton chose an opportune time to score his first goal of the playoffs, giving the Sharks a 4-3 lead 12:37 into the third period. Overall, however, it was the other Joe - "Little Joe" Pavelski - that proved to be the hero on both nights, scoring two goals and notching an assist in both contests. He became the first player since 1992 to have three consecutive multi-goal games in the playoffs, the first player since 1996 to get three points in three straight playoff games, and now leads all of the NHL with 9 playoff goals this year. (Check out this awesome Pavelski commercial by the way.) San Jose will now head into Detroit with a 2-0 series lead, looking to put an end to their playoff ineptitude. (Highlights from the first two games here and here.)
March madness will now consist of 68 teams instead of 65.
Tiger Woods is struggling.
Only two more weeks of school left for me, I'm actually not really looking forward to summer since nobody gets out of school this early except Berkeley kids...

Week 3: Mixed Feelings

2010-04-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

Giants had a bit of an up and down week...

The bad: They went 2-4, and were swept by the Padres, who have usurped the NL West throne for the time being by winning 8 in a row. (Why does it always seem like we always visit Petco when the Padres are red hot?) Cain continues to be winless and Wellemeyer continues to suck. The offense has begun to show that it's nowhere improved from last year, stranding God-knows-how-many-runners-at-3rd-with-less-than-1-out, and it seems like another frustrating season at the plate looms ahead. They'll have their work cut out for them on Monday too, as the Giants will have to face the 4-0 Roy Halladay and the reigning NL champion Phillies in a 3 game set.
The good: They did manage to take 2 out of 3 from the Cardinals, widely considered the best team in the NL Central. Lincecum pitched brilliantly on Friday despite lacking his best stuff, but he was outshined this week by none other than Barry Zito - that's right, Barry Zito. Zito struck out 10 Cardinal hitters and blanked them for 8 innings in an epic pitching duel with Adam Wainwright. His performance was so inspiring that he had the entire crowd chanting "BAR-RY! BAR-RY! BAR-RY!" throughout his final innings and in the 8th, he finished off his brilliant start by striking out the side, sending AT&T Park into a frenzy. More importantly, it rejuvenated the Giants and gave them the momentum they needed to finally scratch out 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th for a 2-0 win. Wilson would get the save in both games.
From an overall perspective, things still look bright. Getting swept in San Diego was frustrating, yes, but the Padres were on a roll. If the Giants can may be find a way to improve their situational hitting, whether through internal coaching or signing a big bat, there's no reason not to expect playoffs this season.

The Tampa Bay Rays have been on fire - surging to a 14-5 start that included a 4 game sweep of the reeling Red Sox who now find themselves at 8-11, 6 games back in the AL East and in fourth place. The hot start has the Rays on top of the AL East, 1.5 games ahead of the mighty Yankees, who have had a strong start of their own.
Usually, 7 ER in 6 IP means a loss, but this was not the case for Dan Haren. Haren decided to make up for his shoddy pitching performance with his bat - going 4 for 4 at the plate and nabbing an RBI of his own to help the Diamondbacks plate 9 runs in a win over the Cardinals.
Red Sox catcher Victor Martinez hit a new low on Tuesday, as he allowed NINE stolen bases. Granted, knuckleballer Tim Wakefield was a huge reason for most of them (knuckleballers are easy to steal off of because of their slow delivery time), but nine?? What's more shocking is the fact that the Red Sox still somehow found a way to win thanks to some late heroics by means of a game-tying omerun and a walkoff hit from rookie Darnell McDonald who was just called up earlier that day.
Brewers handed the Pirates a humiliating defeat on Thursday, outscoring them 20-0. (Compiled highlight of all 20 runs here.) The sad part is that the Brewers had already outscored Pittsburgh 16-1 in the first two games of the series.
Dodgers were 2-4 themselves, so we're still a few games ahead of them. They were blanked 1-0 today by the Nationals behind starter Scott Olsen.
Livan Hernandez has a 0.75 ERA?? WTF?
Hughes fails epically in losing his no-hit bid, but the Yankees still won that game 3-1. Surprisingly, the A's continue to sit atop the AL West. Maybe the Bay Area is finally turning it around...
Baltimore still sucks, Houston - not so much anymore.
The NL East is being hotly contested. Phillies still reign with a 11-7 record, but three teams - Florida, New York, and Washington - are right on their tail with 10-9 records.

Other news:

Sharks found their rhythm just in time to avoid a choke and overcome shooting two game winning goals into their own net for Colorado. Pavelski's overtime goal gave the Sharks a pivotal Game 4 win in Colorado on Tuesday, the Sharks rolled to a 5-0 win on Thursday, and a 4 goal outburst in the final period gave the Sharks a 5-2 win in Colorado on Saturday to wrap up the series. Things are good, but they gave up TWO goals to an ASIAN guy this series. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN?? I'm not sure if this is a testament to how surprisingly good that guy actually is, or if the Sharks just really suck. They'll have to wait a few days to find out their opponent in the conference semifinals - it will be the lower seed of three teams: Nashville (7th seed), Detroit (5th seed), or Phoenix(4th seed). Vancouver also joined the Sharks in advancing to the 2nd round by knocking off the Los Angeles Kings tonight.
49ers have a good draft - no Jimmy Clausen, two big offensive linemen in the first two rounds to augment their smashmouth style, and safety Taylor-Mays (from USC... but I'll suck up my Cal pride for the greater good.) Hopefully, they'll have what it takes to finally win the West and make the playoffs this year, but Seattle's making a big push of their own.
Lakers struggling to get past Oklahoma City, getting blown out consecutive days on the road to drop to 2-2 on the series. Do I smell an upset coming??
Jon Stewart is brilliant, South Park needs to be uncensored and Revolution Muslim can go to hell.
One more week of real instruction before dead week...

Proof that Boston is evil

2010-04-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

“Finally, it’s over,” said an exhausted Satan...

Link: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/recap?gid=2010042101

The Buffalo Sabres are in trouble though, Boston has found a way to score just enough to get by Olympic MVP and American hero Ryan Miller and have a 3-1 series lead. Two of the remainign three games are in Buffalo, but the Sabres are going to have to win them all to stay alive.

Week 2 Recap: Reality Check

2010-04-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

I have a ton of work to do, so I'll make this quick.

Giants went a disappointing 3-3 this week, though they are still 8-4 and on top of the NL West. They suffered a very tough loss in the rubber game on Sunday, as Zito's 7.1 scoreless innings (before the home run anyway) went to naught thanks to a Manny Ramirez 2 run homer that gave the Dodgers a 2-1 win. They will play the Padres in a 3 game set starting Monday and then a daunting stretch ensues afterwards - Cardinals, Phillies, and Rockies. This will be a true test of where the Giants stand among the elite teams of the NL.
Ubaldo Jimenez throws a no-hitter against Atlanta on Saturday, the first in Rockies history. This guy is good, folks.
A scoreless marathon in St.Louis: The Mets and Cardinals battled to the 20th inning on Saturday, a game in which the Mets won 2-1 thanks to runs in the top of the 19th and 20th inning. To summarize quickly, the game featured:

7 shutout innings from both Johan Santana and Jaime Garcia, who took a no-hitter into the 6th inning.
Both teams left a combined 35 runners on base (22 of them from the Cardinals). The teams batted a combined 1 for 27 with runners in scoring position.
The Cardinals left the bases loaded not once, not twice, but three times: in the 10th, 12th, and 14th.
46 of 50 available players were used in the game.
Felipe Lopez, the Cardinals 3rd baseman, pitched a scoreless top of the 18th, highlighted by a 10-pitch battle with the opposing pitcher at the plate. Kyle Lohse, a starting pitcher, played three innings in the outfield and made several key catches for the Cardinals.
Joe Mather, an outfielder, would pitch both the 19th and the 20th for the Cardinals, surrendering a run in both frames and taking the loss.
Francisco Rodriguez blew a save in the 19th inning, as Molina drove home Pujols with 2 outs to tie the game at 1 and send it to the 20th.
Mike Pelfrey, a starting pitcher, earned a save in the bottom of the 20th.
Wainwright was the hero tonight, as he saved the Cardinals bullpen by pitching a complete game for the victory. In the end, I guess you can say that the Cardinals made the right sacrifice by electing to not use their starting pitchers on Saturday.

Closer drama, continued:

Fuentes to the DL, Rodney in as closer for the Angels.
Gonzalez to the DL, Jim Johnson in as closer for the Orioles, although he's already blown a save against the A's.
Frasor out as closer for the Blue Jays, Gregg in.
Qualls blew two saves in consecutive games this week against the hated Dodgers.. he's still closing as of now though.

And for other news:

Sharks appear headed to another playoff choke... I don't even want to go into this one. They're trailing 2-1 in the series now.
NBA playoffs are underway.. I'm not much of an NBA fan though.
49ers acquire Ted Ginn Jr. from the Dolphins for a 5th round (?) pick.
Europe is covered in ash, flights are delayed thanks to ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
Whales have six-packs.
Soccer is still lame.
I didn't get a chance to zipline.. apparently you had to line up at like 7am just to reserve a spot.

Baseball recap fail

2010-04-13T01:17:00.000-07:00

"Jose Uribe also drove in a run for the Giants, while Sandoval scored on a wild pitch..."

"Jose Uribe"? Did we sign Juan's younger brother or something? Or did Jose suddenly become a nickname for Juan?

Rick Eymer is listed as the author of this article.. I wonder when he'll notice.

Link: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100412&content_id=9258084&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf

Highlights, Headlines, and Notes from Week 1

2010-04-11T23:34:00.000-07:00

The Giants are 5-1 thanks to two dominating outings from Mr. Cy Young, Tim Lincecum (highlights here and here - check out his strikeout of Infante in the 7th inning for the 2nd out.. he threw like a wicked cut changeup or something on accident), a heroic two run 9th inning homer by the red hot Renteria, and some very timely hitting from the lineup as a whole. Is this finally our year? It's certainly starting to look like it. The pitching has been superb - I dare say that we have the best pitching staff in the majors, rotation and bullpen combined. Wilson has been nothing but lights out (save for that moment on Friday where he needed Romo to get him out of a bases loaded jam, but we can blame that on exhaustion), Affeldt is the reigning NL setup man of the year, Runzler and Romo are excellent young relievers, and Lincecum continues to anchor an outstanding rotation. (How many teams have #3 starter as good as Cain and a #5 starter that can give you 6 strong innings?) Especially noteworthy is Zito's performance in Houston - 6 IP, 0 ER, and a W. If Zito can continue his success from the second half of last year and the offense can stay out of all those DPs (which might become a serious problem later... the Giants are by far the league leaders in GIDPs with 12) and continue the recent string of timely hits, there's no reason they don't have a legitimate shot at not only the NL West title, but the National League pennant as well.
I hope Larry Dobrow knows how retarded he looks right now for ranking the Giants 19th in his pre-season power rankings. "Aaron Rowand's .429/.492/.625 performance during spring training somehow doesn't carry over into games that matter ... Tim Lincecum's do-the-hokey-pokey mechanics start to work against him ... Pablo Sandoval inadvertently creates a sinkhole in the batter's box." Well... okay, to give him credit, he's right about the Rowand thing. Something tells me though that even after this week, ESPN will refuse to recognize the Giants as an elite team...

Dodgers stink it up. They got blown out by the Pirates on Monday, they saw the Pirates walkoff with another win on Wednesday (not only that, they lost to a team that had a starting pitcher named Ross Ohlendorf.. Yes, Ohlendorf.) , they blew a 2-run lead in the 9th and saw another walkoff on Saturday, and blew another late lead today. Life could not be any better - it's still early, but they're now sitting at the bottom of the NL West with the Padres, a good 3 games back. Oh, and did I mention that their opening day starter was actually Vicente Padilla? That's like asking to lose.
Diamondbacks score 13 runs in one inning, including three homeruns - one of which from a pitcher who spent his entire career in the AL.
Buerhle may already have a Gold Glove and a Play of the Year locked up after this defensive gem.
The A's are 5-2? What is this?
With all the talk about the Yankees, the Red Sox, and the Rays, it's the Blue Jays that sit atop the AL East with a 5-1 record right now.
The Astros are now 0-6. Halladay threw a complete game today, as he looks to possibly dethrone Lincecum from the Cy Young seat.
Pujols is still a monster. Evidence here, here, here, and here.
Heyward makes a splash, hitting a 3 run homer in his first Major League at bat. He now has 3 on the year and looks to make a powerful presence in the Braves lineup. He struck out 4 times on Friday, but he's still adjusting and is maintaining a respectable .292 average as of right now.
Closer drama: Both Mike Gonzalez and Frank Francisco have blown two saves already. Jim Johnson and Neftali Feliz (<-- especially this guy) look poised to unseat them from the closer role. Hoffman also has two blown saves, both against the Cardinals, giving up three homeruns (one, two, three) in two appearances against them this weekend. Maybe his days have finally become numbered... the Brewers lost as a result on Friday, but managed to pull out a win tonight despite Hoffman's performance with a walkoff homerun from Casey McGehee.

And now for some non-baseball related news/notes:

Sharks have the #1 seed again in the West. They will play the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the NHL playoffs. As always, the question is: when will they choke this time?
Steelers trade Santonio Holmes to the Jets for a 5th round pick - who does Roethlisberger have to throw to now?
Warriors coach Don Nelson becomes the all-time NBA leader in coaching wins, winning #1333 last Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Too bad they aren't anywhere close to the playoffs.
Tiger Woods is playing golf again.
Less nukes?? Nooo!!!
And lastly, I got hired as a tutor! Woohoo! $12.50/hour here I come.

Photos from Yahoo.

The Giants and Baseball: More Than Just a Pastime

2010-04-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Baseball. America's pastime. A sport where grown men in uniform wage war using gloves, balls, bats, and their bodies - where enormous sums of money are given to players to do nothing more than hit a ball with a bat - where tens of thousands come to watch and cheer on their team in stadiums larger than mansions - where hundreds of thousands of televisions tune in just to watch for a few numbers or images... yes, baseball. Why do we do it? Why do we devote so much of our time and attention to something that on its surface appears so meaningless, especially to those who rarely watch it?

The answer is simple. It's more than just a sport. A baseball field is where hearts and dreams are made - and where they are broken. It's a place where thousands of fans - strangers or not - can connect and bond, because on that field, for those three or four hours after the symbolic first pitch ritual and the emphatic "LET'S PLAY BALL" call from the hoarse-voiced umpire, nothing else matters. There is but one purpose, one desire, one duty, and one common uniting dream, shared by thousands who would otherwise have absolutely no connection to each other - a goal of bringing home a championship.

Yes, it is true that these fans will never truly physically possess a trophy, but physical possession is not the only way to cherish a triumph. When a fan sees his team win a championship, an inexplicable joy and happiness fills his heart - a euphoria unlike any other. Because in that period - those fleeting days or weeks - his years or decades of devotion, faith, and loyalty have paid off. All the time spent praying for miracles, pleading to the skies for just one more win, agonizing over heartbreaking defeats - it's all rewarded, it's all given meaning.

Even when one's own team is not the one celebrating, baseball gives us reason to believe - not just in the sport, but in life as well. Who could forget when the little known Arizona Diamondbacks rallied off the presumably unhittable Mariano Rivera to win its first ever World Series over the big bad Yankees? Or the time that Dave Roberts, now forever enshrined in Red Sox lore, stepped up to become a hero and stole the base of his lifetime with two down in the bottom of the 9th? Every baseball match is essentially a David-versus-Goliath battle, a fight between good and evil, an altruistic struggle for an underdog trying to topple a favorite.

The times that the team we root for doesn't win - we are reminded of the realities of life. Sometimes, we don't always get what we want. Evil can prevail over good, David will lose most of the time, the rich obnoxious stud sometimes does get the girl, and tragedy isn't limited to Korean dramas. These losses, however heartbreaking or disappointing, teach us about the downside of life. From these losses, we learn to move on and to not only accept defeat, but to get up from it and come back strong the next day. True fans are not defined by their devotion in times of joy. They are defined by their resiliency in times of peril - by the fact that they still stand in pouring rain, to root on their last-place team in a meaningless game - by the fact that they still care, even if no miracle could possibly save their team - by the fact that they refuse to turn off the television, even when their team is being slaughtered. True fans, and true people for that matter, are defined by their strength in times of crisis, not in times of celebration.

But the times that they do succeed - the times that the miracles do happen - these moments inspire us. When we see the underdog prevail over the giant obstacle in its way, even when it isn't our own team pulling off the miracle, we are inspired and motivated. We are reminded of what we can do, of our own potential, of our own possibilities. Suddenly, our own problems become less daunting, our obstacles less tall, the climb ahead less steep. A sense of vitality and inexplicable joy fills our veins, reinforcing our devotion to the sport. These are the moments that true fans live for - to feel the awe and splendor of seeing the impossible happen.

In the movie "Fever Pitch" (Yes, shut up, I was bored and watched it.), one of the characters said, "Sometimes, it's nice to devote your soul to something that you have absolutely no control over," or something like that. In a way, baseball is a religion. You have Christianity, I have the Giants. It's always there for you, whether your life is in shambles or couldn't be better. You can always turn on the radio and forget about your day's worries. A religion serves its purpose in society not because we care about whether God exists, but because it teaches us certain values and provides us with comfort in times of need. Baseball teaches us how to deal with the ups and downs of life and to never give up, even when the odds aren't in our favor. It serves as an outlet that anyone can turn to in any situation. It is impartial to our actions and our problems - it's a constant in a tumultuous world. Whether you just went bankrupt or got dumped by the love of your life, baseball will remain the same - pitchers will still be throwing balls and batters will still be swinging at them. It is this consistency that defines baseball and it's this consistency that makes it such a great pastime.

With all that said, opening day is upon us - LETS PLAY BALL.

One of a kind...

2010-03-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

You've heard of switch hitters. Well, now meet Pat Venditte - a switch pitcher:

Yup, might as well pack up the kids, start the station wagon and head for home because how else are we going to top a pitcher making an ambidextrous appearance while wearing a specially-designed glove with six finger slots so he can wear in on either hand?

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Pat-Venditte-throws-with-both-arms-in-appearance?urn=mlb,231182

Now the question you might be pondering is: what happens when a switch hitter faces an ambidextrous pitcher?

The answer: Two years ago, Venditte brought up this exact same issue in the minors. He and the switch hitter at the plate ended up switching sides repeatedly for several minutes until the umpire stepped in and forced the hitter to choose first. Venditte received the advantage that time, but a new MLB rule prompted by this incident now states that a pitcher must choose first. Each side is allowed, after at least one pitch has been thrown, to switch once more for the duration of the at-bat.

Awesome Interview with Heath Bell

2010-03-27T00:50:00.000-07:00

It's pretty long, but try reading at least the first part of it.. it's hillarious. Heath Bell might just be the most interesting baseball player in the MLB.. curveball favoritism, aliens, toasters from outer space, traditional no-DH supporter - you couldn't ask for a better combination.

DB: Do you have any conspiracy theories? Like, "The CIA killed JFK," or "We never really landed on the moon"?
Bell: I don't think Harvey Oswald acted alone. I do think we landed on the moon, but I have a speculation as to why we've never gone back. But I really think that UFOs are true and the government's hiding that. And I think the best pitch in baseball is a curveball and everybody else says it's a slider.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Answer-Man-Padres-Heath-Bell-talks-toys-consp?urn=mlb,230274

Expansion of War: The Fly Insurgency

2010-03-15T19:50:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I came before you to announce the declaration of war against the squirrels from the nations of beavers and the nation of whales. I warned of the need for immediate action against these immoral extremists that seek nothing more than to create havoc. Some of you valiantly answered the call - your aid is greatly appreciated and your sacrifices will be remembered for generations by the free peoples of the animal kingdom. But many of you remained neutral, assuming that the situation would resolve itself or that it would never reach your doorsteps.

Friends of the animal kingdom, I urge you, the torchbearers of freedom and civilization, to end your isolationism now. The conflict has escalated - we deal not only with radical warmongers in the squirrel population, but with a new threat: the flies. Today, I was ruthlessly attacked by the flies, who have adopted the kamikaze ways of fascist Japan in the days of World War II. I was attacked today not once, but twice, by two different flies in two separate occasions. These flies were extremely well trained and they know no moral limits - they dive at full speed at their enemies, aiming cruelly for sensitive areas. One flew straight for my mouth and would have went in had I not closed my lips in time while another attempted to fly up my nose.

I should have personally seen the warning signs myself. About half a year ago, while I was going about my business in the bathroom, a strange incident occurred. A small fly, probably no older than a week, dove at full speed into the toilet bowl and committed suicide. I thought nothing of it then, but now I realize that these flies have been training and testing their tactics to perfection. This incident must have been one of their test runs.

While both attempts today caused no serious damage, this cannot be taken lightly. It is one thing to fight one insurgent population, but to fight two ruthless and violent species at the same time is no easy task. The flies have allied themselves with the terrorist squirrels, creating a partnership comparable to Hitler's Axis of Evil in World War II.

My fellow animals - the time for neutrality is over. I call upon you all today again, because this threat will not go away by itself. Your aid is needed, for the freedom and security of the entire animal kingdom is at stake. It may seem like just one incident here and there, but these species are predatory bullies. We cannot appease them - we must oppose them. We all love peace and serenity, but it is time now to fight - to fight for our happiness and our freedom.

On a side note... baseball season's almost back (woohoo!), so these crazy rants will probably go away soon...

The Squirrel Menace

2010-02-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

As of 18:00 on February 26th, 2010, I have ceased all diplomatic relations with the squirrel peoples. I come before you now to announce the declaration of war on behalf of the beavers against the nation of the squirrels. The squirrels have heartlessly attacked and abused the rest of the animal kingdom, unjustifiably wrecking havoc on those that want nothing more than peace. Repeatedly, we have tried a passive approach, hoping that the common sense would awaken in these creatures. We see now that this approach was faulty and ill-advised. These squirrels have no common sense; they seek nothing more than to disrupt our much-desired peace, institute anarchy, and terrorize the common animal.

Let us recall that last year, it was these same squirrels that made an unwarranted ruthless attack. As I walked under a tree, ignorantly but blissfully enjoying the passing of the rain, an agent of the squirrels made its move. Cowardly hiding in a tree, out of harm's way, it ambushed me - dropping a fear-invoking shower of water droplets that soaked my clothing. This was not the first time these squirrels have attacked - the animal kingdom has endured years and years of abuse from these creatures and we have done nothing to stop them.

Earlier this week, the line was crossed. Previously, the squirrels, at the very least, had respected our territorial integrity - confining their terrorism to the outside world - but this is no longer the case. An agent squirrel was spotted deep inside my apartment complex, presumably preparing for yet another act of terrorism.

This is the final straw. The oppression must end here. We, the animal kingdom, cannot allow a minority extremist group with no sense of morality to terrorize the world. With approval from the whale kingdom, I would like to ask for the support that the rest of the animal kingdom. The choice presented is clear: will you join us and rid the world of terror, or will you continue to live oppressed and abused by a bully species?

How to lose 11 games every year

2010-02-16T23:20:00.000-08:00

1. Draft Jamarcus Russell and surround him with crap.

2. Sign Shane Lechler to the richest deal ever given to a punter.

3. Pass on Michael Crabtree to sign a second round draft pick that nobody would bother considering.

4. Have Al Davis run things.

And finally, and most recently:

5. Sign Sebastian Janikowski to the richest deal ever given to a kicker.

There you have it, your Oakland Raiders: perennial 11-game losers and top-5 draft pick wasters. And you thought it was bad on the west side of the Bay?

Superbowl Recap

2010-02-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

Well, they did it, despite me thinking the Colts would win (told you I'd be wrong). The boys from the bayou answered their call and brought back to New Orleans the one thing they desperately wanted - a Super Bowl trophy. More importantly, it gives the downtrodden city something to celebrate about - something to take their minds off the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Just a few years ago, the home of the Saints was used not as a football field, but for refugees seeking shelter from one of the worst storms in American history. A city once submerged by levee water now rules the roost in the NFL and the citizens of New Orleans could not be any happier. Anyway, enough of the feel-good stuff. Let's break down why they won:

Colts blinked first.
In a clash of titanic quarterbacks, Manning screwed up first. The game featured two high-powered offenses accustomed to bending other team's defenses at their wills. Expectations of a seesaw battle to the end quickly vanished, however, as Manning threw a costly interception on third down deep within Saints territory while trailing by 7 that was returned for a touchdown. The touchdown put the Saints up by 14, giving them all the cushion they would need, and effectively sealed the game. It was the first turnover of the game, and it hurt the Colts badly.

The onside kick.
Nobody calls on onside kick to when you're only trailing by 4 points at the beginning of the second half. Nobody except the Saints that is. In a game normally dominated by conservative play, Payton took the biggest gamble of his life and it paid off. The on-side kick gave the Saints a chance to take the lead for the first time in the game (which they did with their first touchdown) and completely turned the momentum in their favor.

Another crucial decision to be noted was Payton's decision to go for it on fourth and goal just before the second half. The Saints were stuffed, but even so, the Saints benefited from the decision. The Colts got the ball back pinned deep within their own territory and ended up punting away after failing to convert a first down with three running plays, leading to an easy Saints field goal before halftime. You may argue that the Saints could have just kicked the field goal in the first place, but it's important to note that they took the ball out of Peyton's hands. Had they kicked the field goal instead of going for it, Peyton Manning would have gotten the ball back with reasonable field position and 2 minutes to play. And we all know what Manning can do with that.

Garrett Hartley
Not only did Hartley break a Superbowl record by hitting all three attempts from 40+ yards, but he also kept the Saints in the game early on, when the game seemed to be dominated by Indianapolis. A rookie kicker that had already cost the Saints a game in regulation, Hartley proved clutch for the second straight playoff game, besting his elder counterpart Matt Stover in what was mostly a close game. The 9 points were especially important in the Colts' second to last drive, as it gave them a formidable lead that put a great deal of pressure on Manning that likely led to the game-ending interception.

Well, that's that. It was a close game overall, but the Saints found a way to squeak it out. Who knows? Maybe if they played again, the Colts would win, but none of that matters now. The scoreboard will always read 31-17 Saints for Superbowl XLIV and that's that.

So, what have we learned?

Who dat that think they gonna beat dem Saints? Nobody, now.
Never count out a team of destiny. Ever.
Football is a game of skill, determination, and preparation... but sometimes, it just takes balls to win it.
A defense CAN win a championship off turnovers.
Drew Brees has cemented his position as an elite and future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Manning isn't perfect, but then again, nobody is. He'll be back again next year.

Superbowl Prediction

2010-02-07T00:47:00.000-08:00

Colts 38, Saints 22 - Colts explode out of the gates and take a commanding early lead that proves too much for the Saints to overcome (I'm still rooting for the Saints though). Manning wins MVP with three touchdown passes and 350 passing yards, Wayne catches a pair of TDs, Brees throws an early interception returned for a touchdown, both Thomas and Bush fumble, and someone gets run over by a truck in a beer commercial. Knowing my luck, the complete opposite of this will probably happen, but oh well, maybe I can counter-jynx the Saints so that they win?

Random Reflection on Life

2010-01-29T01:44:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so I got really, really bored (I was probably a little high/sleepy at the time too) and I decided to draw a picture about my life on Paint... This is basically it. Interpret it however you want. Do all paths lead to a happy future? Or just one? Or maybe none? I don't know.

Lately, I've been feeling really overwhelmed with questions and more questions and general confusion. It seems like every time I try to find an answer in life, I get thrown about a hundred more questions. What the hell do I want to major in? What's my purpose in life? Is this it - the peak of my life? Am I supposed to do something great? Should I be patient or more proactive? Will there be a calling for me in life or am I destined to live a normal life? What is love anyway? What about those great things you were supposed to accomplish or those dreams you had? Do you even have any dreams? Wait, do I need to pee right now? Questions, questions, and more questions. I have no idea what I want to do in life - I don't even know what I'm passionate about (except maybe sports, but what can I do about that?).

Maybe I should've been an EECS major or a math major.. oh well, a little too late for that. But there's one big question that still lingers in my head... what is my purpose in life? I can't turn to religion - my brain refuses to believe in it and even if I showed up to church every Sunday, I'd just be lying to myself.. I can't live a lie. Am I supposed to help others or make a difference in the world? Should I devote my life to a charity? I want to do something in life - something important, something that'll make an impact on someone somewhere - but, what? Will this even give me the satisfying, happy future I want? It seems like I'm always wanting more. I have an urge in me to prove my worth and I don't know if I'll ever satisfy that urge. There's a desire and a sort of a fire in me that's pushing me on, asking for more, living off the thrill of being swamped with mountains of homework and the stress of midterms. But, is this desire misguided? Am I not living my life to my fullest? I can't help but think that this can't be all there is to life - masochistically forcing yourself to do schoolwork for the hell of it.

I don't know... this is why I don't like thinking. Thinking is bad. Thinking gets you killed. Trust your instincts, damn it. Well, I still have time to figure things out, but I can't help but notice the ticking of the clock.. tick, tock, tick tock....

Championship Sunday Recap: Favre fails, Manning prevails

2010-01-26T00:28:00.000-08:00

Early game - Colts 30, Jets 17 The Jets had everything going - they exploded with a 17 points in the second quarter to take a seemingly commanding 17-6 lead in what was looking like a defensive struggle that their smashmouth run-first style of play would normally thrive in. Their points came thanks to this perfect pass from Sanchez to Edwards and this trick play from the wildcat formation that led to another touchdown. However, the Colts would not be silenced. From there on, it was Manning being Manning. He drove the Colts downfield for a touchdown moments before halftime and brought them to paydirt again in their first possession of the second half, giving them all the points they would need to beat the Jets as they took a 20-17 lead. They would add to their score later in the 4th quarter to run away with the game, winning themselves a duel in two weeks against the boys from the Bayou.

Later game - Saints 31, Vikings 28 An incredibly close game in the Superdome narrowly won by the New Orleans Saints in overtime - thanks in part to a plethora of Viking turnovers and miscues that bailed out a conservative and seemingly out-of-sync offense. The Vikings and Saints battled neck-to-neck, trading leads and touchdowns until the very end. Brett Favre seemed to have found a way to overcome the seemingly insurmountable amount of turnovers for the Vikings and drove them downfield, on the outskirts of field goal range for Longwell, with a few seconds to go. But on 3rd and 15, Favre rolled out to the sideline, and instead of scrambling forward for an easy 8 yards to get them well within field goal range(there was nobody in front of him - the Saints had blitzed), he inexplicably threw across the field into what appeared to be quadruple coverage and was intercepted. The Saints defense bailed them out and Favre would never touch the ball again, as the Saints marched downfield, daringly converting a 4th and inches, to set up Hartley's game winning 40-yard field goal in overtime. (It's important to note all the failures that kickers have endured in this year's playoffs and that of all people, Hartley, who missed a field goal earlier in the season that cost the Saints a game against the Buccaneers, would be the hero.) As this ESPN columnist points out, this was the third time that Favre's Superbowl hopes have ended with a costly interception in his final throw in a playoff game. Will he retire now? I don't know, but he had better. At least now, we're spared from having to hear stories about how great it is to have Favre back in the Superbowl...

2009 in Review: 5 to Blame and 5 to Proclaim

2010-01-17T23:56:00.000-08:00

As 2010 dawns, a new year of hope and disappointment awaits us. Another baseball season, a Super Bowl to come, another college football season - you know the drill. But before we look ahead, let's take a look back at 2009 with a series of posts, a year featuring a hope-stirring season from the Giants, a roller coaster season from the 49ers, another playoff choke by the Sharks, and more disappointment from the Cal football team.

Zeroes:

5. The Giants offense minus Sandoval. What could've been, what should've been. If it weren't for the anemic Giants offense holding them back, the Giants would EASILY have been in the playoff race. It's almost sad seeing all the good pitching go to waste.

4. Bob Gregory - defensive coordinator of the Cal Bears. Seriously, would it kill you to stop a pass once in a freaking millenium? The Cal defense was shredded apart all year by opposing quarterbacks. Heck, at the end, even Andrew Luck almost took the Big Game away from us. If it weren't for one bad pass, Cal might've lost to Stanford. I know, you can't blame everything on the coach, but come on, when you give up over 300 yards passing to a WSU quarterback (blowout or not blowout), change has to come.

3. Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Evgeni Nabokov. What do they all have in common? They're all top-of-the-line starters, at the top of their positions, San Jose Sharks, and of course, playoff chokers. A President's Cup, #1 seed, and you lose to the 8th seeded Anaheim Ducks? Could you choke any harder? They've had many, many chances to succeed in the playoffs, only to fall on their faces over and over again. Time and patience are running thin - it's time to get some playoff success or overhaul this core group.

2. Brett Favre. WILL YOU PLEASE SHUT UP AND RETIRE ALREADY??? Seriously, this guy changes his mind more often than a 5 year-old kid and then whines and cries about it, taking up half the news stories on ESPN every offseason. Not only that, he just had to throw a last second miracle pass against the 49ers... we could've been freaking 4-0. Thanks a lot, Mr. Favre. You were a great quarterback, we know, now go retire please.

1. Kevin Riley. I don't even want to explain.

Heroes:

5. Patrick Willis. This guy has emerged as the leader of the 49ers defense. He is the banner of smashmouth football and helped 49ers emerge as one of the stronger run defenses in the league in 2009. Selected to another well-deserved Pro-Bowl, Willis was clearly the defensive MVP on the 49ers team.

4. Vernon Davis. A true zero-to-hero story. Just one year ago, he was sent to the showers for bad behavior and a dispute with new coach Mike Singletary. Ever since then, he has righted his life and amended his relationship with Singletary and it has clearly shown on the field. Davis finished with 13 touchdowns, tied for most ever for a tight-end in a single season with Antonio Gates (set in 2004), and he will be making his first Pro-Bowl appearance this year in Miami. With his best years still ahead of him, the future certainlly looks bright for this kid, and so does the 49ers offense because of him.

3. Jeremy Affeldt. An unsung hero in the bullpen. If you had been following the Giants this season, you would know how many countless jams this guy got the Giants out of. The lefty setup man easily won the TYIB award for reliever of the year (and deserved it too), leading all relievers in double plays induced and finishing with a miniscule 1.73 ERA and 33 holds. His quick fastball and devastating breaking pitches kept the Giants ahead or tied in many, many occasions and though he wasn't the closer, he certainly did save a lot of victories for the Giants.

2. Pablo Sandoval - a.k.a. "The Kung Fu Panda" Curveballs in the dirt, fastballs near his head, changeups - you name the pitch and location, he'll still hit it. Nicknamed "Kung Fu Panda" by fellow teammate Barry Zito for his resemblance to the movie character, Sandoval carried the inept Giants offense on his back - racking up 25 HRs and 90 RBIs with an outstanding .330 batting average. He was robbed of an All-Star appearance in the Final Vote, but there's no doubt that he'll be back in the mix next year.

1. Tim Lincecum Do I really need to explain? "The Freak", "The Franchise", "The Kid"... we might as well call him Jesus - he is the ray of light in the dark forest that is Bay Area sports. He gave the Giants hope in an otherwise dismal 2008 season and carried that hope into 2009, nearly leading them to the playoffs. He is the new face of the franchise and fans have begun to worship him as God. He has revitalized baseball in San Francisco, giving the Giants a new younger look that will put the Bonds days behind them. What Lincecum has done in just his first two major league seasons is practically unprecedented - two Cy Young awards and a rapid ascension to the pitching elite. Lincecum has quickly established himself as one of the best, if not the best, pitcher in the National League and his future is as bright as it can possibly be.

And that concludes the segment "2009 in Review." Tune in next year for 2010 in review?

2009 in Review: Top 10 Moments

2010-01-14T19:17:00.000-08:00

(Yes, I know this is a little late, but I've been busy.)

Top 10 Moments:

10. 9/13/09 - San Francisco 20, Arizona 16. With the Cardinals coming off an NFC-championship year, they looked poised to repeat as NFC West champions. The 49ers came in as heavy underdogs, but regardless, they did what they had to do to win. The offense did little in the 2nd half, but an methodical 80-yard drive led by Shaun Hill gave the 49ers exactly what they would need to hold off Arizona and win the game. Though the Cardinals would eventually win the NFC West anyway, the 49ers put up a strong fight and showed signs of hope. They would go on to sweep this series and finish with a non-losing record for the first time since 2002. (Highlights here.)

9. 7/27/09 - Lincecum strikes out 15 in a 4-2 complete-game victory over the Pirates. Okay, this might not have made the list if I weren't there myself. Nonetheless, this game was a prime example of just how special Lincecum is. The atmosphere at the park was incredible, especially in the 9th inning - a nearly sold-out crowd standing on their feet, despite the opponent being the Pirates, cheering him on, knowing he would not disappoint as he struck out the final hitter of the game. On a side note, Wilson had the best expression ever while waiting in the bullpen after warming up, it was kind of like "Why the hell did you guys even bother warming me up?"

8. 7/12/09 - Tim Lincecum named the starting pitcher for the NL All-Star team. Another honor in the short, but incredible career of young Tim Lincecum. This kid will be great for years to come. Let's not forget, 2009 was just his second full season in the Major Leagues. In other words, he's gonna be great for years to come. (Side note: Did you know that the first eight AL All-Star starters were either named Lefty or Red?)

7. 6/4/09 - Randy Johnson wins his 300th game. One last achievement in the remarkable career of Randy Johnson. (Much credit goes to Brian Wilson for preserving the win with a 4-out save that included a strikeout with the bases loaded in the 8th and Burris for this great defensive stop.) This would be ranked higher if he had been on the Giants for more than a year. Regardless, he was one of the greatest pitchers in history and it was his god-like performance in the 2001 World Series that got me into watching baseball. (Highlights here.)

6. 11/19/09 - Tim Lincecum wins the 2009 NL Cy Young Award. More praise for the Freak. The Cy Young Award goes to the best pitcher in the league that year, and once again, it was Lincecum. What he has done is incredible - two Cy Young awards in just two full seasons in the majors. Nobody has ever done that in the history of the game, and at this rate, Lincecum might even break the record for the number of Cy Youngs he wins in his career.

5. Sharks win the President's Cup. The President's Cup goes to the team with the best record in hockey, and the Sharks were that team in the 2008-2009 season. Though they didn't get anywhere in the playoffs, you have to admire the fact that they have been able to put up such great regular seasons on a regular basis, despite being such a young franchise.

4. 11/21/09 - California 34, Stanford 28. (Video recap here.) It was a mostly disappointing season for Cal - finishing just 4-3 in the Pac-10 while getting blown out by USC, Oregon, and Washington. "Stanfurd" had just steamrolled USC and Oregon in the previous two weeks, lighting up their defenses for 55 and 51 points respectively behind senior tailback/beast Toby Gerhart, and came in as huge favorites. But, Cal would not let this deter them from upsetting their arch-rivals. They quickly fell behind 14-0 thanks to a long touchdown run by Toby Gerhart and a blocked punt, but Kevin Riley found the good Kevin Riley in him and Vereen stepped up as a hero in the place of the great Jahvid Best, rushing for nearly 200 yards and 3 TDs. Cal would eventually narrow the lead to 14-10 at halftime, take the lead on their first drive of the second half, and never relinquish it. The Cal defense, shredded apart all year by opposing passers, held its ground despite giving up 3 Gerhart touchdowns, intercepting Luck in the final minutes to seal the game. Three knees later, Cal fans stormed the field in Stanford, cheering, knowing that the Axe would remain in Berkeley for one more year.

3. 8/26/09 - Molina hits a pinch-hit 3-run HR to give the Giants a 4-3 lead in the 8th. The Giants had been trailing all game and seemed lifeless except for a solo shot from Uribe in the previous inning. They needed this game badly to stay close to the Rockies and with two on and two out, they called on their best hitter. He had been sitting because of an injury, but he limped to the plate anyway, and in dramatic fashion, he launched a 3-run shot into the left field bleachers, sending the crowd into a frenzy and the Giants to an incredible win that brought them within 3 games of the Rockies.

2. 7/26/09 - Renteria hits a grand slam against the Rockies, giving the Giants a late 6-5 lead. This was a pivotal game in the Wildcard race. The Giants won the first two games of the series after coming in trailing by 3 games and needed one more win to reach a tie for the Wildcard lead. Things looked dismal, as the Giants trailed 5-2 heading into the 7th, and faced bleak prospects as Jim Tracy called on the stout Colorado bullpen. Renteria stepped up to the plate, with the bases loaded, facing the seemingly unhittable Rafael Betancourt and drilled a 1-0 pitch into the left field bleachers for a grand slam. The game would require one more heroic effort, but Jeremy Affeldt would do just that, striking out two Rockies hitters with a runner at 3rd to preserve the lead. The crowd at AT&T park exploded, chants of "Sweep!" flooded the stadium, and the Giants were still in the playoff hunt. This series gave so much hope for the Giants, though it would eventually go for naught.

1. 7/10/09 - Jonathan Sanchez throws a no-hitter. (Video of all 27 outs here.) It was the ultimate comeback story. Sanchez, in his first start back from being demoted to the bullpen and with his father watching from the stands for the first time, pitched an incredible game (would have been a perfect game if it weren't for Uribe's 8th inning error). Thanks to some gold-glove caliber defense, highlighted by Rowand's dramatic catch at the wall in the 9th, Sanchez kept the glory alive throughout the night, striking out Evereth Cabrera with a curveball to seal the game and his place in history. It was the first-ever no-hitter at AT&T park and it will give Giants fans something to remember for a lifetime.

(Next post to come: 5 to Blame and 5 to Proclaim)

2009 in Review: Worst 10 Moments

2010-01-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

Worst Moments:
(Note: Links not provided. If you want to be masochistic and relive these moments, do your own research.)

10. 11/4/2009 - Yankees win their 26th World Series.  Evil Yankee empire wins another one... enough said.

9. 7/5/2009 - Randy Johnson leaves the game with an injury.
   It's very likely that this was the Big Unit's final start of his illustrious career. With 303 wins, a 10.67 K/9 ratio, 4875 strikeouts (second-best in history), a perfect game, and 5 Cy Youngs, the Bay Area native was arguably the best left handed pitcher in MLB history. He carried his Diamondbacks team to a World Series victory in 2002 (beating the hated Yankees), sharing the MVP award with fellow starter Curt Schilling. It's always sad to see such a pitching legend go, even if he barely spent any of his career with the Giants.

8. 10/3/2009 - USC 30, California 3
   Special teams meltdown, defense shredded apart, offense worse than a train wreck, being obliterated by our arch-rivals from SoCal - it was just about as bad as it got. Any remaining Kevin Riley supporters were quickly turned into stout critics. Riley played just about as poorly as you can play - getting sacked multiple times, throwing red zone interceptions, missing wide open targets. The defense simply could not hold up with no offensive support. This was the official tombstone of the season - all hopes of a Rose Bowl or at least a decent season gone down the drain. This loss would be higher up on this list if it were not for an even worse loss a week earlier... (mentioned below)

7. 12/6/2009 - Mare kicks a last second field goal to lift the Seahawks over the Niners.
   With Mare's kick and Seattle's victory, any chance of the 49ers going to the playoffs were decreased to near-impossible. It turns out that it wouldn't have mattered anyway, since the Cardinals surprisingly beat the Vikings at home to stretch their lead over the division, but this loss also took away any possibility for the Niners to get their first winning season since 2002.

6. 10/11/2009 - Falcons 45, 49ers 10.
   Was this finally the season? Were the 49ers finally a good team? They were 3-1 and coming off a 35-0 blowout of St. Louis, but hopes of finally having a good playoff team were quickly shot down, as Roddy White lit up the scoreboard with 210 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns. It was clear after this game that we would have to wait yet another year for that breakthrough season.

5. 4/27/2009 - Ducks beat the Sharks 4-1 to win the series 4 games to 2.
President's Cup, #1 seed, home field advantage throughout the playoffs, Pacific division crown - all gone down the drain, as in seasons past. Another playoff choke for the Sharks - this time losing to the #8 seed in the very first round. It doesn't matter what you do in the regular season - if you can't win in the playoffs, what's the point?

4. 9/26/2009 - Oregon 42, California 3.
Same story as the USC game. Why is this ranked higher? Nobody expected this to happen - the Bears were 3-0 and were ranked #6 in the nation. Hopes of finally reaching the Rose Bowl and winning the Pac-10 were as high as they could be, but as in past seasons, the Bears did not live up to the hype, falling on their faces instead. The game was a brutal slaughter by the Ducks - as they were completely outplayed in just about every possible way.

3. 9/16/2009 - Schierholtz strikes out to end the game - Rockies 4, Giants 3.

   A final effort to propel themselves back into the Wildcard race. Two blowout victories in the first two games had Giants fans eyeing a 7th straight victory at home over the Rockies in the final game of the season between the two teams. After falling behind 4-0, the Giants needed a miracle in the 9th - and they almost got it. Three timely hits, a throwing error, and a daring stolen base put the tying run at 2nd with nobody out. But Winn and Renteria failed to move the runner over, and despite a lengthy at-bat by Schierholtz, the 9th inning drama went for naught, as Schierholtz struck out to end the game, putting the Giants 3.5 games back in the Wildcard and dashing any hopes of the playoffs.

2. 9/27/2009 - Favre wins the game for the Vikings with a last second TD pass.
   The 49ers came into the game with an optimistic 2-0 record and had their sights on the playoffs after defeating both the Cardinals and the Seahawks. They led 24-20 in the final minute after a hard-fought battle with the Vikings that involved multiple-lead changes, but Favre would have the last word. A defensive meltdown allowed Favre to march downfield and find Greg Lewis in the end zone from 32 yards out with 2 seconds to go, as the Vikings took a 27-24 lead. This was a chance for the 49ers to finally prove that they were a playoff team - this was a game that playoff teams win - and they failed.. Yes, you could say that a moral victory could be obtained from this, as the 49ers fought neck-and-neck with one of the NFL's elite teams, but at some point, you need real victories and not just moral ones.

1. 8/24/2009 - Spilborghs hits a walk-off grand slam for the Rockies in the bottom of the 14th.
   So much hung in the balance in the series. The Giants came in two games down in the standings and could have achieved a tie by winning three out of four. But after two straight losses, the Giants were simply looking to salvage the series and stay close in the Wildcard race. With 3 runs in the top of the 14th, things seemed to be going their way in the series finale, but a bullpen meltdown in the bottom half culminating in a walk-off grand slam for the Rockies gave the Giants a devastating, season-killing loss, dropping them four games back of the Rockies in the Wildcard. A surprisingly successful season that had inspired Giants fans had finally hit its bump in the road. Despite the fact that the Giants followed this series up optimism-brewing home-sweep of the Rockies, this series would haunt them, as the Rockies would hold on to their Wildcard lead for the rest of the season.

(Next post to come: Best 10 Moments)

Boom!

2009-12-28T22:21:00.001-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/there-she-blows-17337654

Anybody else think that explosion looks awesome? How did they make it so controlled..?

Other things of interest:

A Joe Pavelski shootout goal and another good performance by goalie Evgeni Nabokov leads the Sharks over the Coyotes 3-2.
Warriors actually won?? Is this the end of the world?

Sunday Recap

2009-12-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

(Note: I wasn't actually at home watching any of these games, so my facts are off, let me know..)

49ers 20, Lions 6 (highlights here)
It was a great win for the 49ers and this gives them a chance to finish at .500 for the first time in almost a decade, but there were a lot of bumps along the way. To summarize:

Good: 49ers forced 6 turnovers (3 interceptions and 3 fumbles, 2 of which by Calvin Johnson)
Bad: The 49ers could not manage to score a single point off those turnovers. Good teams find ways to punish their opponents for their mistakes - the 49ers obviously are not there yet, not until Smith and the offense get better. Let's not get ahead of ourselves either. The Lions had a 3rd-string quarterback in there and he made a whole bunch of mistakes - had they started Stafford, the game might have ended much differently.
Good: Gore had a big day, totaling over 150 yards (81 receiving) and scoring a touchdown.
Bad: Gore also had a fumble and was stuffed on a 4th and short that should have been converted. 71 yards on 28 carries for a low 2.5 yards per carry is nothing to gloat about either. Gore did well today, but it could've been a lot better. 49ers need to get Gore a late Christmas gift the next NFL draft by picking a good offensive lineman or two.
Good: Smith led two touchdown drives in the 3rd quarter that put the game away and finished with a quarterback rating of 97.5, with no interceptions.
Bad: His play was very inconsistent and the 49ers offense did nothing in the first half. Had Stafford been playing, the 49ers would probably have been trailing at halftime.
Good: This 50 yard connection between Crabtree and Smith. Is this our future? The follow-up to the Montana/Young-Rice combinations?
Bad: The ball was underthrown. A better thrown ball further down the field would have resulted in an easy touchdown. Also, how the hell do you fall behind, even by 3 points, against the freaking Lions?
Good: This play-action pass to Gore on 4th and short.
Bad: That they needed something like that to get past the lowly Lions on 4th and short.
Good: Gore has another 1000-yard rushing season.
Bad: No playoffs, again.
Good: Hey, a win is a win right?
Bad: It shouldn't even have been close. The 49ers need more from their offense and to take advantage of those turnovers. They also need to make things happen themselves - the opposing team isn't going to hand them the ball over and over again every game. Lions haven't won a road game since 2007 either.
Good: They still have a chance to finish at .500, on the road against the Rams, which would be their best record since 2002.

Other interseting notes from around the league:

The NY Giants were completely humiliated in a 41-6 blowout by a Panthers team led by backup/journeyman quarterback Matt Moore in their final game at Giants stadium. It was 31-0 at one point before a Lawrence Tynes field goal.
The now 3-13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers found a way to beat the Saints by a score of 20-17 in overtime thanks to a missed 37-yard field goal (check out this guy's priceless reaction at 0:37 in this video) by the Saints kicker (pictured above) in the waning seconds of regulation, handing them their second consecutive loss of the season. The Buccaneers managed to win despite falling behind 17-0 in the first half. What's more interesting is the game-winning drive in OT by the Bucs - they ran the ball 11 straight times right at the New Orleans defense for 48 yards to get into field goal range and did not need to throw even once. This could be a meaningless loss by the Saints, but they need to be careful and make sure that they're ready for the postseason.
Colts finally lose, by a score of 29-15 to the Jets. This one was more understandable, however. The Colts have already clinched a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Caldwell put his quarterback's health first instead of going for the perfect season, pulling Manning and a few other starters in the 3rd quarter.
Eagles beat the Broncos 30-27 and have a shot at taking the #2 seed away from the Vikings. Vikings will play on Monday night against Chicago, as people begin to wonder whether Favre has hit his age limit.
Pittsburgh looks to be back on track after losing 5 straight games, 3 of which against very weak teams, with a 23-20 win over their division rivals. But is it too late for them to get back into the playoffs and defend their Super Bowl crown?
Raiders still suck. They started Charlie Frye this week and he actually threw for 323 yards, best in the NFL this week, and they STILL lost.. hahahahaha. Wait.. holy shit, the Browns have won 3 straight games? What happened? They were just 1-11 a few weeks ago...
Cowboys already leading 7-0 in the first quarter.

Other notes:

Riley still sucks.
Giants close to resigning Uribe to a very economical 1 year deal for $1 million + incentives.
Christmas is over.
Sherlock Holmes was a pretty good movie. (Just saw it this morning.) Still haven't watched Twilight and hopefully never will...
Urban Meyer stepping down as.... wait no, never mind, looks like he changed his mind...

(Images from the Associated Press, Getty Images, and Yahoo!)

Official Funeral for the 2009 49ers Season...

2009-12-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

(Tombstone created from these original images: 1 2.)

Now that the 49ers playoffs hopes are officially dead thanks to a 27-13 loss to the Eagles coupled with a 34-27 win by the Cardinals over Detroit, it's time to remember, forget, and move on. For assistance, here's the Kübler-Ross model, otherwise known as the five stages of grief, which describes a process consisting of five steps in which people deal with grief and tragedy: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Let's go through them one by one:

Denial: No! The 49ers will still win the Super Bowl! Yeah!!! I believe!!! The Cardinals will get disqualified for steroid use and we'll win the NFC West!! SMITH WILL THROW 50 TDs IN THE PLAYOFFS!! IT'S NOT OVER YET!!

Anger: WHY US??? What did we do wrong?? We believed as hard as we possibly could! Singletary was supposed to be the answer! FIRE THEM ALL! OVERHAUL THE TEAM! BURN SMITH AT A STAKE!! *angry rant*

Bargaining: Nooooo..... let us take away one bad play, please please please please! Overrule Favre's last minute touchdown pass or Addai's touchdown pass! We'd be 7-7 and our playoff hopes would still be alive! Come on NFL, find a mistake somewhere and overturn a game for us!

Depression: What's the point of trying? We're always gonna lose.. we suck... the 49ers will always suck. The glory years of Montana and Young are long gone and they're never coming back. Alex Smith sucks. Our entire team sucks. The Bay Area is doomed forever.. let's just give up hope... we're just gonna suck every year anyway. There's no point in believing...

Acceptance: Okay, it's finally over. Let's try to salvage the rest of the season. The 49ers have the Rams and the Lions left and both games are very winnable. Finishing 8-8 would be a big step forward and give us something to build on next year. A few good picks and a better offensive line and who knows? It could be us sitting on top of the football world in a year or two.

Well, we're all probably still miserable, but oh well, what can you do about it? At least the Sharks are still doing okay: Evgeni Nabokov was the hero again, stopping 45 of 47 shots, as the Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks tonight by a score of 3-2 in Chicago, despite being outshot 3:1. Hopefully, they can keep us distracted and entertained until baseball season....

And of course, what could cheer us up more than a Tom Brady interception?

Goal of the week

2009-12-22T00:04:00.000-08:00

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20092010,2,539&event=DAL724

(For those of you that don't ever follow hockey, the Dallas goal didn't have a goaltender because they were trailing with only a minute left - they put out an extra attacker and pulled their goaltender to increase their chances of scoring.)

Jokes aside, Nabokov and the main trio of Marleau, Thornton and Heatley had a great game. Recap here. Maybe this is finally the year......... okay, not getting hopes up yet, not until they get past the 2nd round of the playoffs without choking.

Free WiFi on BART!

2009-12-21T22:41:00.001-08:00

The latest wireless hotspot? Under the bay between San Francisco and Oakland.

That's because four cell phone companies - AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon - have just turned on their wireless networks in the Transbay Tube, BART announced today."The best news is that the installation and operational costs are paid by the providers - not by BART," said James Fang, president of the Bart Board.

Nearly 161,000 people take the Transbay Tube each weekday. Now their cell phones and laptops won't have to be idle during the 10-minute or so ride under the Bay.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/21/BAJ81B7VF1.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea#ixzz0aOh2LJP2

Wahoo! Now I won't be bored staring out the dark windows at lights whizzing by for those few minutes under the Transbay Tube...

Image of the Day

2009-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0z2LR2ygqo&feature=related - 2:08

All I want for Christmas...

2009-12-19T22:10:00.000-08:00

is Roy Halladay? (This is a little late, yeah, but I just finished my last final today.. so cut me some slack.) In case you've been living under a rock this week, a series of trades and signings have just shook up the baseball world and if you did miss it, here's a wrap-up of what's happened this week:

A multi-team trade between Philadelphia, Seattle, Toronto, and Oakland (who really doesn't do anything in this trade):

Philadelphia gets Roy Halladay and $6 million from the Blue Jays along with 3 prospects from the Mariners. They also sign Halladay to a 3 year extension at $20 million/year.
Seattle gets Cliff Lee from the Phillies.
Toronto gets three prospects from the Phillies, one of which, Michael Taylor, goes straight to Oakland for a different prospect. (wtf?)

Red Sox sign Lackey to a 5 year contract. (even more reason to dislike them)
Angels sign Matsui to a one year deal and apparently declare that they are content with their team, despite losing their best hitter and pitcher (see: Red Sox).
Other noteworthy transactions:

Dodgers sign Jamey Carroll (2nd baseman).
Milton Bradley traded to Seattle for Carlos Silva.
Baltimore signs Garrett Atkins (3B) and Mike Gonzalez (RP).

Now what does this all mean?

Phillies get an upgrade over Cliff Lee and will have arguably the current best pitcher in the MLB (yes, including Lincecum) leading their rotation for the next 3 years. If J.A. Happ matches his potential and if Hamels channels some of what he had during the 2008 playoff run, the Phillies will easily have the pitching to win another World Series.
Seattle now has a 1-2 punch in Cliff Lee and the very much underrated Felix Hernandez that can rival any in majors and I'd say that with the Angels not doing anything, they're the favorite to win the AL West.
The A's still suck.
Toronto got jipped. Had they traded Halladay a year ago with an extra year left on his current contract, they would have surely gotten a lot more in return. Instead, they actually had to pay Philadelphia to take Halladay for 3 prospects.
Red Sox are looking to build up enough ammo to make another run at the Yankees and Lackey could be an important role in that. Lester and Beckett are good, but they aren't at Lackey's level.
Angels are cocky as hell, but they have the minor league system to back it up. Their focus on fundamentals is why they're there year after year, competing with the Yankees and Red Sox with half the payroll.
Baltimore looks like they're loading up. I doubt they could pose a credible challenge in the loaded AL East though.

Evil Tyrant of the Month: Fidelity Investments

2009-12-16T02:06:00.000-08:00

[Pettigrew] said he never sent any fantasy football emails at work or using his work email address. But the investigators found two instant messages that had fantasy football-related material.
"One of my buddies sent me something about how bad Trent Edwards (notes) was playing or something like that," Pettigrew said. "So they called me in and talked to me for about 90 minutes on everything I ever knew about fantasy football."

http://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy/blog/roto_arcade/post/Investment-company-to-fantasy-owners-You-re-fi?urn=fantasy,208825

You have to be a real a**hole to fire someone over just TWO simple instant messages... I am officially boycotting Fidelity Investments (probably won't do anything, but hey, why not?) and will never accept services from them ever again.

Eli Manning's Superbowl Miracle

2009-12-12T15:07:00.001-08:00

I ran across this clip on YouTube just now.. I think this captures everything I would've wanted to say about it.. honestly, I think this may have been the greatest play of all time, maybe even better than Montana's pass to Clark in the waning seconds against the Cowboys.

Hope, Lies, and Heartbreak

2009-12-10T01:56:00.000-08:00

I've always been a believer; there are times when pessimism and doubt take over, but at the end of the day, I find myself believing, even when there is nothing to believe in. I believe that no odds are insurmountable, that no goal is unreachable, that no dream is impossible. I believe in miracles - in the underdog that never gives up, that continues to fight for the one thing that matters more to him than anything else in the world, that, in the end, finds the inner courage and strength to defeat the evil giant standing in his way. I believe that good will always defeat evil - that the world is just and righteous and will reward those pure of heart.

I'm sure everyone has fond memories of chasing the love of their lives. The times spent pondering and speculating, dreaming about what could be and what should be. The anticipation and excitement keeping you up Saturday night (or Sunday night, or Wednesday night, or Friday night, or even on the night before certain holidays!). Waking up and jumping out of bed, despite it being Sunday morning, with the gut feeling that today was the day - that the beginning of a dream could be realized. The superstitious rituals before the big event - Are you wearing your lucky sock? Is your shirt the right color? The hype and anxiety going into just seeing them for a few hours. We all know how great that feels.

But when do we stop believing in the perfect universe? Where does the truth end and where do the illusions begin? How many times can the heart be lied to and broken before it refuses to care? How long can one fight for his dream without any sign of fruition in sight? Ultimately, when do we give up? We all say that we should never give up, but, if time and time again, your dreams are shot down and your heart-held beliefs revealed as lies, what do you do then? Do you continue to get back up against all common sense? Or do you give up and move onto other things in life?

Ah, the bad memories. The pain felt from being let down, from being heartbroken and crushed. You knew it was coming, but you just couldn't help but believe - that maybe, just maybe, fate could slip up a bit and tear down that wall of insurmountable odds. You've believed before - and you've been disappointed before - but that didn't stop you from believing again, did it? Your heart has a short memory - it always comes back for more. But when has it had enough?

And yes, I'm talking about the 49ers. (If you haven't at least guessed at that by now, you really should stop reading this blog post and go watch a Korean drama or something.. seriously, stop reading this.) No, it hasn't been 80 something years like the Red Sox, but it sure feels like it - and hey, who's been alive that long anyway? Ever since I started following them in 2002, it's been lie after lie and disappointment after disappointment. Let's break it down, shall we?

We were told upon the departure of Jeff Garcia that Tim Rattay would be the answer. One 2-14 season later.. obviously not.

We were told after passing over Aaron Rodgers, at the dismay of many Cal fans, that Alex Smith would be the answer. We were told that the suit-wearing Mike Nolan would follow in his father's footsteps and lead us to greatness once again. After they finished the 2005 and 2006 campaigns with strong wins at the end, we began to believe that they were onto something - that maybe this was finally it.

One disappointing 2007 season later, obviously not. The suit's powers demystified, Alex Smith injured, hearts broken again, and another team MVP award to kicker Joe Nedney.

We were told after this that Shaun Hill was the answer. We were then quickly told otherwise with the sudden appearance of journeyman J.T. O'Sullivan in the preseason. We were told that O'Sullivan was going to be the answer and after he became the first 49er since forever to throw for 300+ yards, we believed them. We believed again and we let our hearts get attached when we should have known better. Our brains warned us against this, but our hearts just wanted to dream and believe. One humiliating six game losing streak, one coach firing, one shower-call, one pants-dropping, and a bajillion turnovers later, we were crushed once again. We hit rock bottom - disappointed almost beyond repair.

And then, they tried to make us believe again. We were made to believe that O'Sullivan was just an aberration - that Shaun Hill was still the answer - that coupled with Singletary's tough, no nonsense, smash-mouth, run-first style of play, we would once again be an elite team. After a few wins to close 2008 and a season-opening win in Arizona, we believed them again. Why? Because that's what a heart does. It gets hurt and it gets punched in the gut, but at the end of the day, it comes back for more. By now, our brains were begging for mercy, but our hearts just had to dream once more - to ponder over what could be and what should be - to fill with optimism and excitement, forgetting the pain of the past. And, of course, a few frustrating and embarassing losses later, we were heartbroken once again.

But, as you all know so well, the 49ers were not done. They tried to make us believe that Alex Smith was the answer - that a spread, pass-first, offense would lead us to greatness - that this wasn't the old Alex Smith, no. This was the new Alex Smith and he had finally channeled the great quarterback in him. This time, we didn't even have time to believe. We all knew not to get attached so easily, yet in each of those close losses against Peyton Manning, the once-passed-over Aaron Rodgers, and now Seattle - we still felt the pain. Our spirits - already shattered into pieces - were thoroughly stomped over and crushed into dust.

But this won't be the end. No. The faith will always come back. That's what fans do. They find ways to believe in the darkest hour. It's why they still show up in sub-zero temperatures to cheer on their last-place team in a meaningless game. Nothing will ever change that - no matter how many times our hearts get broken - even if it's a hundred years before the team we love makes the playoffs, we'll always care. We'll always get our hopes up. The same goes for just about every miserable team in the Bay Area - the perennial playoff choking Sharks, the Bonds-less Giants, the we-like-to-get-high-early-season-rankings-only-to-choke-and-fall-off-the-face-of-the-earth Bears, and... okay, maybe not the Warriors - they just suck - but you get the idea.

Some random dude somewhere at some point in time said "It is better to have love and lost than to not have loved at all." Yeah.. that dude was weird. But he (or she... or it) brings up a good question, is it really better? Are we truly better off having invested so much of our hearts into something that has given us nothing in return? Or is this a bitter and painful curse that we are doomed to suffer from for the rest of our lives? That's for you to decide.

Sunday Notes

2009-12-06T15:01:00.000-08:00

Alex Smith > Kevin Riley
49ers have completely abandoned the run-first offense: 26 passes, only 4 rushes in the first half
It's tied 14-14 at the half, but the 49ers will get the ball first.
Saints must have God on their side, after pulling off an unbelievable win in Washington where the Redskins practically gave them the game with plays like this (Yes, Brees is so good that he gets touchdowns even when he throws interceptions) and this, as well as an inexplicable missed 23-yard field goal that led to this game tying touchdown reception. Saints improve to 12-0 and continue to control their own destiny for home-field advantage in the NFC.
The Steel Curtain had an epic collapse, giving up three touchdowns to the Raiders BACKUP quarterback, losing 27-24 in the final seconds thanks to this catch and this ensuing touchdown reception. Steelers fans are stunned as they have watched their team drop four games in a row, now facing slim playoff hopes.
Colts still undefeated.
Patriots blew a 21-10 lead and lost to the DOLPHINS. Brady picked off with under a minute to go to seal the game. HAHAHAHAHA.
You know things are bad for you when Michael Vick scores two touchdowns against you.
I should be working on my E10 report....
49ers suck.. so much for the playoffs...
To cheer up, here's a picture of Belichick facepalming.
Cal gets to go to the Poinsetta Bowl.... whee.. I'm sure that's everybody's dream... going to the freaking Poinsetta Bowl... at least the Emerald Bowl is in SF.. ugh
To even further kill our hopes, Arizona beat Minnesota today to take a 3 game lead in the division standings.

Soft Kitty

2009-12-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

Soft kitty, warm kitty
Little ball of fur
Happy kitty, sleepy kitty
Purr, purr, purr

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIp77PUvLTE

Not sure why, just felt like posting it.

The fate of the 2010 Giants season rests on the shoulders of two kids...

2009-12-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

.. and no, I don't mean "the Freak" or "Kung Fu Panda." We already know how good Tim Lincecum and Pablo Sandoval can be. Lincecum will lead a trio of starters in the rotation comparable to, if not better than, that of the A's in 2002. Sandoval will continue to carry an anemic offense that ranks near the bottom in on-base-percentage and power.

Instead, we turn our eyes to two rookies - Madison Bumgarner and Buster Posey. Bumgarner, the 10th overall pick in the 2007 draft, has surged through the minor league system (not Lincecum type numbers, but still very very good - he led the minors with a 1.46 ERA, striking out 164 and winning 15 games), making his major league debut last season as a fill-in starter and a reliever. He has the potential to be a left-handed version of Cain, with a plus-fastball that can hit low-to-mid 90s and fast-developing secondary pitches that include a curveball, slider, and changeup. Did I mention that he's left handed? This is the kind of lefty that MLB teams will drool over - good left handed pitchers are in short supply and the Giants are lucky to have him. If he can fulfill even some of his potential, the Giants will be in great shape. They already have a two-time Cy Young winner leading the staff and Matt Cain and Barry Zito have the ability to go head-to-head with any other ace in the MLB. If Bumgarner can even come close to living up to his potential, the Giants will have undoubtedly the best -- and most feared -- rotation in the majors. With or without an offense, it would keep them in the hunt for the playoffs throughout the season and if they do make it - watch out. Nobody wants to face a rotation like that in the playoffs, just ask anybody that played the White Sox in 2005.

Even more important may be the performance of the 2008 first round pick - Buster Posey. Posey looks even more kid-like than Lincecum, but he may be the answer to the Giants thirst for good bats. A Golden Spikes Award winner in college, Posey, like Bumgarner, surged through the Minor Leagues, racking up a statline of .325/18/80 in 115 games between the A and AAA levels, making his debut last year in September. Posey will have large shoes to fill with the almost-certain departure of Molina. Not only will the Giants miss Molina's bat, but also his management of the pitching staff. He has presided over the staff, watching it become one of the league's best with emerging stars such as Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum and calling almost every pitch in Lincecum's two Cy Young award winning seasons. Will Posey be able to live up to his offensive potential? More importantly, how will he deal with handling the entire Giants pitching staff at such a young age? These are questions that Posey will have to answer in his first full season and the Giants need those answers to be positive. A McCann-like season would give the Giants a great 2-3-4 punch in the lineup with Freddy Sanchez, Posey, and Sandoval, but a mediocre one will probably lead to another miserable year at the plate in San Francisco.

The free agent season is far from being over, but don't look for the Giants to make a big move. With Lincecum and closer Brian Wilson most likely receiving large salary increases due to arbitration, the Giants won't have much left in their payroll for guys like Lackey, Holliday, or Bay. They will most likely add a middle-of-the-pack free agent such as Orlando Hudson or Johnny Damon (boooo) in an attempt to improve the lineup, but they simply don't have the money to bring in the big bat they need or a veteran pitcher to fill the #4 spot in the rotation. Don't expect a big trade either - after giving up Tim Alderson to get Freddy Sanchez last season, the Giants won't be willing and shouldn't be willing to give up more from their talented minor league system.

Bell peppers + eggs = no

2009-12-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Note to self: Don't put bell peppers in an omlette, it tastes really bad... maybe it's just because I'm sick right now, but yeah.. this tastes really bad.

That's all for now.

Tom Brady, Peyton Manning.... Drew Brees?

2009-12-01T00:09:00.000-08:00

Move over guys, there's a new elite quarterback in town and it isn't Manning or Brady. Drew Brees just made a resounding statement to the football world, tearing up the Patriots defense for 371 yards and 5 TDs en route to a 38-17 victory. (On a side note, this picture is PRICELESS. Yeah that's right, you got OWNED Belichick, now go home and cry you cheater.) Sure, he may have had a better offense to work with and maybe the Patriots defense isn't that good after all, but this game proves that Brees is legit (and so are the Saints, for that matter).

More than legit, in fact. Brees showed that he could hang with and even beat Brady or Manning, the two quarterbacks that many peg as the best of the decade. So much hype has gone into matchups between the Patriots and the Colts: every game between them is like the Superbowl, if not more important. This win over the Patriots, however, proves once and for all that the quarterback spotlight monopoly (or bipoly or whatever you call a monopoly by two people) should be over, if it isn't already. Brees should and probably will win the offensive MVP award this year and his numbers of the past few years have been as good as anybody. Sadly, he probably will never get the credit he deserves so long as Manning or Brady are around. The media loves the Manning-Brady rivalry, and it's unlikely that they'll stop shining the spotlight on them anytime soon. But have no doubt, Brees deserves to stand directly beside them as one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks.

On another side note, here's a picture of Brady being emo.

(Above image from Getty Images)

49ers finally get a win (Cutler giving us the game doesn't count)

2009-11-29T17:40:00.000-08:00

Apparently, smashmouth football doesn't work on offense, at least not until the 49ers get a better offensive line. Alex Smith threw 41 passes (27 completed) for 2 touchdowns while Gore only had 16 carries for 33 yards in a 20-3 win over Jacksonville (highlights here). Both touchdown-scoring drives involved minimal contributions from the running game as Smith led the Niners down the field twice in the second quarter to take a 17-0 lead. It's a surprising (and nice) change of pace, as the run-first ultra-conservative Jimmy Raye finally decided to open up the playbook and let Alex Smith lead them to victory. Maurice Jones-Drew was mostly a non-factor in the game, with only 15 carries for 75 yards and the 49ers pass-rush made a surprise appearance, sacking Garrard 6 times in the 2nd half and forcing two fumbles while stalling the Jaguars offense twice in the red zone and twice on fourth down. Is this the turn around game we've all be waiting for? Tony's dream of a perfect season died months ago, but maybe, just maybe, the 49ers can find a way to sneak into the playoffs.

On a side note, the Titans pulled off an incredible win at home over Arizona with a last second touchdown pass by Vince Young to take a 20-17 lead as time expired, culminating a lengthy drive in which the Titans miraculously converted multiple fourth downs. With that loss, Arizona falls to 7-4, allowing the Niners (5-6) to pick up a game on them in the standings. This puts the Niners in a great position, as the Cardinals will have to face Favre and the 9-1 Minnesota Vikings next week while the Niners will play the Seahawks in Seattle. Should San Francisco defeat Seattle (which they already have this season) and should Arizona lose to the Vikings, this would set up a battle in two weeks for the NFC West lead in San Francisco, with the Niners already having already won once over them in Week 1.

From there, both teams will face one good team (Green Bay for Arizona, Philly for San Francisco) in addition to the Lions and the Rams. If things go as planned, Arizona and San Francisco would finish with identical records, with the Niners holding the head-to-head tiebreaker and winning the division. So cross your fingers guys, and don't give up hope (*cough*Dan*cough*), all is not lost.

(Images from the Associated Press)

!!!!!!

2009-11-29T12:56:00.001-08:00

I THINK IM FINALLY GROWING A BEARD!!!!
!!!!

Yeah... not long enough to stroke it though.. but soon..

Can anyone stop the Tebow offense?

2009-11-28T17:54:00.000-08:00

Another week, another Florida Gator victory. And as usual, it wasn't close. It hasn't been all season. The Gators have won all their games except one by 10 or more points.

So, the question is, CAN anybody stop the Gators offense? It's tough enough trying to prevent a QB scrambling for a first down when nothing's open downfield. Now, you have to deal with a quarterback that can run better than half the running backs in the conference. The second touchdown scored by the Gators in their victory over Florida State today highlights the heart of the offense. Tebow rolls left, appears to be throwing, nobody has him covered, and he runs it in himself. Try to stop him on the ground? He'll beat you with his arm. He's thrown for 1943 yards and 14 touchdowns this season and would probably have more if the Gators didn't blow out their opponents every week. He's not the only star on this Gators team either. Gators not named Tebow (Jefferey Demps and company) have rushed for 1823 yards, good for 6.29 yards per carry, which would be second best in college football.

It's been three years since Tebow has taken over for Florida, and to this date, nobody seems to really have an answer for Tim Tebow and the Gators. They've compiled an unbelievable 34-5 record (4 of those losses coming in 2007, Tebow's first year as a starter) and will play Alabama next week for the SEC Championship and, should they win that, Texas in the BCS Championship Game (barring an epic collapse by the Longhorns). Will either team figure out how to stop Tebow? Maybe, but one thing's for sure: if they do manage to stop him, they had better give a Nobel Prize or something to the defensive coordinator responsible.

Inaugural Post?

2009-11-28T17:12:00.000-08:00

So................ I've decided to make a blog. Yep. Why? I don't know.. I'm bored, I guess, and apparently I think writing about nonsense will help cure some of that boredom. Anyway, lets get to the point. This blog will probably mostly consist of posts about sports with other interesting life-related things here and there... yep. If you're reading this, bravo, you probably have nothing good to do either.. hahahaha...

Some random stuff:

Al Gore is awesome.
I love ham.
Nuclear missiles are awesome.
I don't believe in God.
I'm a Giants (baseball), 49ers, Sharks, and Cal Bears fan.
I hate the Dodgers, Patriots, Stanford, USC, Yankees, and Red Sox (to a lesser degree).
Norcal > Socal.
China sucks.
The United States of America is the best country in the world.
Running into walls is awesome.
I don't listen to music.

Alright, that's about it.. I think... maybe you'll be bored enough to read this once in a while. If not, oh well.

Oh and a prize (ok, not really, don't expect one) to the first person that figures out where I got the title of my blog from...