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

06.25.2008
6/25/08: Oh Snap!

Giants 4, Indians 1: Is Barry Zito back? Tonight was by far his best game of the year, and in his post-game interview he said his attitude was more or less, fuck it, I've got nothing to lose.

In the post-game radio wrap, Mike Krukow slapped a cold wet fish across the cheek of his fellow KNBR employee Damon Bruce, the talk-show guy who one week ago questioned Zito's willingness to win, an on-air move that earned Bruce the eternal cold shoulder from Zito's teammates. And apparently from Krukow -- retired or not, players stick together. When the broadcast crew picked their players of the game, they pointedly saved Zito for last, then let Krukow say that Zito was Damon Bruce's pick. If a studio audience had been present, there would have been a gasp and someone in the back would have yelled "Oh, snap!" As we used to say in 8th grade: Hella face.

I caught a few minutes of Bruce's post-game show (a few minutes of him is all I can take), and he made an oblique reference to the fact that he got called out on the wrap. But he tried to play it off as if he had Zito's back and said Bochy was an idiot for taking Zito out in the 7th inning. He riffed on the fact that the cameras caught Zito showing -- hey, whaddya know? -- some passion when he came out. Oh yeah, Bruce said -- and I'm paraphrasing -- I saw it in his body language from the first pitch. I knew it was different this time.

Damon Bruce is not just an incisive observer of the human condition, he's also suddenly Barry Zito's buddy. You and me, Barry, we both know what it's like working for the Man who only goes by the Book.

Mrs. Malo heard all this while we were making dinner tonight. What the hell is he talking about, she asked. I tried to explain the backstory. This blowhard is now persona non grata in the Giants clubhouse. He violated the man-code. She rolled her eyes. "These people need to stop taking themselves so seriously," she said.

But you don't understand, I said. If you're a non-player, you can question a guy's talent, you can say he's lost it, his arm is shot, he can't find the strike zone, but question his will to win? Cast aspersions on his cojones? Them's fighting words. You don't make it personal. You don't toss that out lightly, especially when a guy is busting his ass trying to figure out what's wrong.

What is it about these KNBR guys? First Larry Kruger, now Damon Bruce, doing the yadda-yadda meathead sportsguy schtick. They're like the George W. Bushes of sports radio -- they don't want to know too much in case they sound too well-informed, then they cut off the people who make them sound bad. It's all guts and instinct and body language, like the Chron's Bruce Jenkins knowing a gamer when he sees one because the socks are pulled up high.

PLODAG: Zito. Most important stat: no walks.

The Upside: John Bowker, who atoned for missing a hard ground ball that led to Cleveland's only run by whacking a hanging curveball for a soaring majestic drive deep into the Ohio night. Tip of the hat to The Special Agent, who retired both hitters he faced but who also set the clubhouse mentality by defending Zito a couple weeks ago.
 


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[June 26, 2008 4:59 AM]  |  link  |  reply
Haverecords said

Bruce is an idiot and worse. I don't know what it is with KNBR and that time slot, either, but for the sake of any of us half intelligent out there, things must change!

I do have to say that it has been great to have Ted Robinson filling in for Tolbert has been a Godsend. I don't care much for that show normally, but ol' Ted is wonderful, and his knowledge and intelligence really shine through.

I don't want to trick myself into optimism, but Zito looked good, much more like the Zito of the better past. If we can get the zito of the past, then that contract would be only half from hell...

[June 26, 2008 11:10 AM]  |  link  |  reply
obsessivegiantscompulsive said

Yeah Zito!

Definitely best start of the season. But before people say the Giants worries are over, let me just say that he has had nice games last season where he didn't walk many or any people too and didn't give up many hits or runs either.

The key thing is that it sounds like his velocity is back to pre-Giants days at 87-88 MPH and he was consistently at that velocity all game long (wish I knew how to use PITCH/FX to verify this, but that's what I recall hearing on the radio). That is what he needs to do to be successful like he was when he was with the A's.

Yeah, caught the Damon Bruce call out. I guess it helps that they are Giants employees and Bruce is a KNBR employee. Caught his limp come back as well, yes, this is a different Zito yadda yadda, why didn't Bochy keep him out there longer.

I never cared for the previous guy because he would infuriate me by opining authoritatively on the Giants while getting basic facts on them wrong regularly enough that I stopped listening to KNBR at night.

Bruce was inoffensively pleasant previously to me, but nothing great either, for a long time, and I have to guess that his management told him something similar about his radio show audience numbers to the point of "if the show's audience don't improve... X"

Given such an ultimatum, he probably figured that since the previous guy built up a big enough audience by being a Giants provacateur, maybe he can copy him. And who is the easiest target on the Giants today?

Only, attacking a guy's manhood like that, that's serious stuff to athletes, call him crappy, lousy, a bum, but to doubt his will to win?

I'm sure, at some point, though, when the Giants (and hopefully Zito) is doing better, Bruce will pop his head up and pat himself on the back for motivating and uniting the Giants with his comment. "Yeah, the Giants are X-Y since I spoke up..."

I like Robinson because he always share a lot of inside information on the Giants and sports in general, since he does a wide variety of work.

But I love Mr. T, he has totally toned down and mellowed Ralph (except when it comes to OJ Simpson) enough that I don't turn him off when he goes on one of his rants and just talk sports.

If Zito can keep this up - and I still believe he can - then the contract going forward is not that bad, because a mid-to-high 3 ERA consistent innings eater is worthy of the top contract Zito has.

Peripherals aside, he's never been a DIPS compliant pitcher except maybe his first year or two of his career. He has been a Rueter-esque starter who believes, rightfully, that a walk is better than giving up a hit, with the trick being that you don't just give the batter a walk, you make him work for it and hopefully entice a weakly hit ball to a fielder first.

This Zito had been able to do previously in his career, his BABIP has normally been significantly under the standard DIPS mean of .290 or .300, depending who you follow (but last year it was around .300 :^). That is a sign of the Crafty Lefty archtype that Tom Tippett discovered in his examination of the DIPS phenomenon. Even last year he did that, his problem this year is batters are hitting like he was putting it on a tee for them, and he was walking them when he wasn't teeing it up.

[June 26, 2008 3:37 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Kid Fu said

Lefty,

"Hella face!"

You have taken me back to jr. high. You have made me laugh. You have infuriated my wife who recently received her first of many facings to come. Hella face woman!

[June 26, 2008 4:23 PM]  |  link  |  reply
ELM replied to Kid Fu

If I do nothing more than bring our national conversation to a junior-high level, I'll have lived a worthwhile life.

[June 30, 2008 4:02 PM]  |  link  |  reply
horace w green said

Nice series win at Mt. Davis to cap off a 5-4 roadie. These guys are closer than they appear - their big weaknesses are the #4 and #5 starters (Zito, Correia), both of whom could pitch better in the second half, and their home record (14-24 v. 22-22 road). Because the division is so weak, they could make a 2d half run with a few tweaks (i.e, the bullie) even after they trade Winn, Durham and Aurillia. I also expect Cain to be better in July and August. Plus, now that they have a batting coach, all they need is a pitching coach ("hey, someone go wake up Rags!") and they'll be all set.

[July 1, 2008 3:55 PM]  |  link  |  reply
bigO said

This just in: Breaking news: Just got word from Timmy's dad that Tim will be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. . . They shot for a couple days at Timmy's dad's house. . . Pick it up at a store near you soon.

[July 1, 2008 4:26 PM]  |  link  |  reply
PM said

Yep, the Zito we know is back.

[July 2, 2008 4:12 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Jason said

Missing your wit lefty!!!

[July 4, 2008 3:31 PM]  |  link  |  reply
Dignan said

Who ate my lefty.