When the Giants Come to Town, It's Bye-Bye Baby

08.21.2007
Cubs Fans or Otter Pops?

Another mawkishly celebrated fan “nation” invades Mays Field tonight. Oh, so long suffering! Oh, so patient! Oh, so loyal and lovable! With the Cubs in town the next three days, you’ll notice an odd tint to the stands: a shade of blue akin to the dye food makers use to attract four-year-olds to their products. Otter pop

Given the demand whenever the Cubs come to town, I thought about selling my tix to Thursday’s game for a tasty premium. But the thought of someone wearing that awful color in my bleacher seat made me cranky.

Dusty Baker looked terrible in his FD&C Blue #1 jersey, like a two-ball with skinny legs, a moustache and a toothpick. It’s one thing to make fan gear with horrific day-glo colors, it’s another to make professionals dress like electric blueberries and pumpkins when they’re trying to intimidate the opponent.

It’s disgraceful, to be honest. The expansion Rockies and D-Backs lead the league in embarrassing couture, something the D-Backs tried to fix this year, but a traditional team like the Cubs should be home white, road gray, and that’s it. The Giants brass jumped on the alternate-jersey-at-home bandwagon for a couple years, and they’ll regret it to their graves, as Barry Bonds hit his record-breaking 71st home run togged out in black top and white pants. Extra, extra, read all about it! New home run king mistaken for dishwasher at Chevy’s or bartender at Russian night club!

I hold nothing against the members of, ahem, Cub Nation unless they actively identify themselves as such. In fact, in a very unscientific sampling, I find that visiting Cubs fans are far more polite, knowledgeable, and affable than most other invaders. But that color. The only thing worse is the recent paint job of the house across from my childhood haunts.

On to more serious matters: I should clarify my post yesterday about Misch replacing Ortiz in the rotation. I’d like to see Misch get more starts, but I don’t want to see Sanchez called up to take Misch’s spot in the bullpen. I also don’t want to see Scott Munter, but that’s purely for aesthetic reasons.

At this point, Sanchez should stay in Fresno the rest of the month and start. He’ll come up in September, anyway, at which point (assuming Ortiz is out the rest of the year) the Giants might consider a six-man rotation that includes Misch and Sanchez to ease the late-season wear on Cain and Lincecum. Some subscribe to the theory that the more you throw, the better; I subscribe to the theory that an arm has a finite number of pitches no matter how well-tuned and well-trained. A few more innings now could mean a few less when they really count.  

Knowing that Davis will sit, Bonds will play, Klesko’s hot and Durham’s not, here’s tonight’s lineup prediction vs. Jason Marquis:

CF Roberts
SS Vizquel
RF Winn
LF Bonds
1B Klesko
C Molina
3B Aurilia
2B Frandsen
P Lincecum
Also on the Network:



[August 21, 2007 6:54 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Cyrus said

Here's hoping that the lineup next year is significantly less boring than the one you listed... or at least possesses some growth potential. Something like:

Davis, CF
Schierholtz, RF
Lewis, LF
Rodriguez, SS
Molina, C
Feliz, 3B
Ortmeier, 1B
Frandsen, 2B

I have no idea who takes on Winn's contract, how we sign A-Rod, and if management has the balls to relegate Roberts to a 4th OF, but I can dream... Oh, and I have this crazy feeling that Feliz will be resigned by Sabean, probably 3/20M.


[August 21, 2007 7:50 PM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

Am I the only one who sees the phallic potential that the "Bloo" berry represents? :^)

I thought you were clear that you didn't want Sanchez up here right now. But yeah, bring up someone else, but not another long-time AAAA pitcher like Atchison, either someone who had success before in the majors but lost it (is that Hawaiian guy from SD still around? don't remember). So try out Sadler, Threets, someone other than the clearly AAAA guys who are doing well in AAA because they are experienced; if they do poorly, so be it, but at least they had their chance up here for a little while.

I still say that Durham's groin is messed up, just DL him and start Frandsen for the rest of the season, first 2B, then when Durham is off the DL, sprinkle him into 3B too, SS occassionally, then alternate with Durham if Ray-Ray is still ice-ice-coldy. He was doing well with regular play before, then hit his cold streak, so it's not time to give up on him, we still need to see what's real and what's not with him. But he has hit at every level when given the chance, so give him his chance.

[August 21, 2007 9:07 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Erin said

Better to have the players and fans look as though they're perpetually celebrating All Hallow's Eve, I guess.

[August 22, 2007 1:37 AM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM said

One of my favorite holidays! Much better than Christmas.

[August 22, 2007 11:00 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Matt said

FYI, the Cubs did away with the blue jerseys this year.

I guess last night's game would've hurt if the Giants were in the race, eh?