June 2005 Archives

By the time fireworks light up the sky on July 4, the Giants will be exactly half way through this wretched 2005 season. A sweep of the AzBacks notwithstanding, the Giants are nine games behind the NL-West San Diego Padres....
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Today's fishwrap comes to us with news of more shake-up on the Giants pitching staff. Until further notice, Brett Tomko is a member of the bullpen. He's not happy because he's so damn professional: "If you are happy about it,...
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The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call is reporting that certain Republican members of Congress are making veiled threats against major league baseball as it considers the various ownership groups vying for the Nationals. One group that has the GOP squirming...
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Peter Gammons' latest ESPN.com column examines the early summer trade market and asserts there may be far fewer players available this year. The usual patsies -- Brewers, Pirates, Tigers, etc -- are building momentum, not trying to trade it away....
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Weighing in from New Frickin' York, which was once more profane until Giuliani cleaned up the streets and corporate America took over the city's commerce. Walking around this visit, everything feels so much blander. Not quieter, but blander, as if...
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Nice little victoire tonight, thanks mostly to an unlikely meltdown from the Twins platinum bullpen. Joe Nathan, *this* is why we traded your ass. Tonight's victory is also due to the fact that Brian Sabean knows how to evaluate 42-year-old...
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This game sounds like fun. The reports of Jose Guillen getting especially riled and screaming at his former Angel mates -- then hitting a crucial homer in the eighth -- make me want to trade my season tix in the...
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We can now officially ask the question: Among rookies with funny names, where do you think Shabala ranks? I've been waiting a couple years for that one. Todd Linden and Adam Shabala are now San Francisco Giants. Marquis Grissom and...
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Word is Jim Brower was just released and Jesse Foppert called up, as his "promotion" to San Jose indicated earlier this week. Foppert will start Tuesday against Minnesota. Welcome back, Jesse. Let's hope the Giants give you the breathing room...
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Thanks to Baseball Prospectus, I had a nice little lift this morning. The stat of the day in this morning's newsletter is top NL rookies ranked by VORP, or value over replacement player. Third on the list but nearly tied...
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Please choose which of the following is the better symbol of the Giants hitting bottom: 1) An ad during tonight's radio broadcast that featured Gary Coleman shilling for an online loan site. The pathetic former child star Coleman said he...
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Instead of adding to the gloom of today's constant rain, I'm curious how many teams of the past ten years have made the playoffs after looking mediocre or worse about half way through. In a recent discussion of the Giants'...
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The big takeaway from the weekend series with the Mets: there's something wrong with Jason Schmidt. Somewhere between Kris Benson's leadoff double in the third inning and Kris Benson's bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning, Mike Krukow stopped jimmy-jackin' around...
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Speaking of badly butchered punch lines, the Matt Herges era has ended. The Giants shipped him to the Diamondbacks, which is mildly surprising for two reasons: 1) They are a division rival. 2) They couldn't wait until he cleared waivers....
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As Moises Alou channels Candy Maldonado with his sliding non-catches, as LaTroy Hawkins unzips his mask to reveal the tortured spectral face of Matt Herges, as Felipe Alou trips over his catheter on his way to argue with the umpires,...
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Amid fears that Brian Sabean is about to trade the crown jewels of the Giant farm system for Doyle Alexander, Larry Andersen and Glenn Davis, I submit to thee this question: who's next to be traded? Will it be a...
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