Bitch about the Giants here.

Can someone plz teach Rick Sutcliffe how to interpret the ESPN K-Zone? If he's shown a pitch that K-Zone says is outside the box, and talks about that pitch being a strike, I'm going to bitch more on the internet.

I watched the end of that game at 2:30 am. Bengie Molina is an idiot for swinging at the 1st pitch.

Kawakami: Morris cut to the heart of it, and got cut out

By Tim Kawakami
Mercury News Sports Columnist

Article Launched: 08/01/2007

LOS ANGELES - Gee, was it only 13 days ago that Matt Morris wondered aloud about the Giants' real goal?

Silly him.

He probably could have guessed back then, and Morris sure as heck realized it the shocking millisecond he was told Tuesday - trade deadline day - that he had been traded to Pittsburgh, of all places.

The Giants' No. 1 goal always has the initials B.B. and the No. 756 as the dubious end of the rainbow. No other goals come close to that one, and pity the fool (or expensive, mediocre pitcher) who assumes otherwise.

The Giants' No. 2 goal, now that they've taken two years too long to figure out the true dimensions of their own wretchedness: erase as many of their recent egregious mistakes as possible by dumping veteran salaries to a better-run franchise, such as the Pirates.

The Pirates!

Yes, Pittsburgh was in better shape to take on Morris' remaining $13.5 million and ability to eat innings than were the Giants.

That's because the Pirates don't have Barry Zito signed for seven years and $126 million, or still owe Armando Benitez many millions, or have to pay Ray Durham for another year, or Rich Aurilia for another year or . . .

If the Giants sink much deeper, I'm afraid they'll be giving up veterans to improve the playoff chances of superior clubs like the Pawtucket Red Sox or Springfield Isotopes.

Anyway, after a quick start in 2007, Morris was pitching horrendously - no shock to this
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raging skeptic, since I suggested that the Giants should've traded him months ago - but he sure finished his Giants career in a blaze.

Tuesday, after the trade for a basic B-minus prospect, Morris told Pittsburgh reporters that he was happy to be "getting some better defense" (my translation: no more Durham-kicked groundballs!) and "some young players who are looking to play hard" (not old players who hardly play).

This is cut-to-the-heart stuff that Giants management chooses not to contemplate. La, la, la, la, we don't hear you, Matt!

But if Morris, who is held in high regard by the other pitchers, said it, you know Zito, Matt Cain, Noah Lowry and Tim Lincecum are thinking it.

The Giants are so messed up that they gave Morris, Zito, Dave Roberts, Aurilia, Ryan Klesko, Durham and several others way too much money just to fill gaping holes. And now that the season is lost, the only one they could move was Morris.

The rest, not even the Pirates would dare take.

"He was just a real warrior for us, a man of character, a guy that led the staff," Manager Bruce Bochy said of Morris. "But it's a business, part of the game."

So? "Gotta move forward," Bochy said.

Unless the Giants go backward for two or three years, which is what it's looking like.

On July 19, Morris started the commentary when, after a losing effort, he opined: "I don't know what the goal is here anymore. To win games?"

Giants owner Peter Magowan responded a few days later. "I think the only thing that bothered me about that comment would be if Matt Morris thought the organization was not as interested in winning as he is. That would not be true."

Yes, thank you, Peter. You just traded Morris to the Pirates because none of the real contenders wanted him. Nice message there.

Tuesday afternoon, when you got past the scores of us annoying media types huddled near Barry Bonds' locker, the Giants clubhouse at Dodger Stadium had the look of a damned village. The trade deadline had passed, and only Morris was gone, banished by the same men who gave him $27 million less than two years ago.

The leftover players knew how bad the team was, knew that it felt worse because of Bonds' home run chase, and knew that the current management is the same one that got the franchise into this mess.

General Manager Brian Sabean said the Morris trade was all about flexibility. But of course, he and Magowan are the ones who cluttered everything up with those horrible deals and have zero young hitters in the pipeline ready to help out any time soon.

You can bet Lowry, Cain, Zito and Lincecum are thinking it. Except for Zito, that's the only good part of this team and this franchise. Right there.

And you know that when they think of the long-term future of this team, they're hoping that someday the Giants get it together.

You know, so they can at least be as well run as the Pirates.

i posted that because it was funny also just happened. it's wrong though, the Pirates made a terrible move by picking up all that salary.

the pirates are having the last laugh!

the giants got swept at home by the pirates (incl. by Mr. Matt Morris) in the battle of the NL basement.

the fact that Sabean got resigned for all this mess is pretty boggling. the Bonds deal (the most maligned deal of the off-season) is the only one that comes close to even making sense! the Zito deal looks really sketchy. what happens to a mid-80s fastball and an unreliable curve and rarely makes it past the 5th inning. maybe he'll become a knuckler.

A knuckle ball would actually make me like Zito.

In completely other news:

One of my favorite moments of the Bonds watch was a long chat in San Diego with Vizquel and two other female reporters about fashion and shopping. When another reporter - of the male persuasion - came over to talk about baseball, Vizquel happily answered his question but noted, "That's boring."

vizquel also likes modern art. like a lot.

Is Lincecum the most in-shape pitcher ever? Whenever he finishes sprinting to first after hitting, he walks back to the base or dugout like there was no exertion whatsoever.

The trade seems pretty even so far! Slight edge to Davis, I suppose.

Rajai Davis: .405/.500/.622/1.122, 0.00 ERA
Matt Morris: .500/.500/1.250/1.750, 6.57 ERA

Who is a better hitter: MattyMo or Noah's arc.

San Francisco signs 2 first-round picks ahead of midnight deadline

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

(08-15) 18:18 PDT ATLANTA, (AP) --

The San Francisco Giants signed two more first-round draft picks Wednesday, agreeing to deals with left-handed pitcher Madison Bumgarner and outfielder Wendell Fairley.

Bumgarner, the 10th overall selection, got a $2 million signing bonus, according to Baseball America. Fairley, the 29th pick, agreed to a deal with a reported $1 million bonus.

The Giants had signed 45 of their 52 selections — including the first 29 — ahead of a midnight deadline to reach agreements with their 2007 draft picks. Many unsigned players could go back into next year's draft pool.

Well, at least Rajai is fun to watch.

Oh man, look at Niekro trying to pitch on the Grizzlies.

sayhey.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/clip-of-the-day-lance-niekro-is-not-quite-there-yet/

Vizquel is less than 50 games from passing Aparicio for most-ever career games at SS.

Such an arbitrary record. :\

The Braves tv guys were in "let's yammer on about every subject under the sun except for the game" mode last night, and were taking about vague rumors of A-Rod to the Giants. Possible/Likely?

Makes a certain amount of sense, though I haven't heard much A-Rod-to-SF talk aside from, "We should sign the good-looking, biracial she-male lover!"

It all comes down to Bonds, and how this time Magowan doesn't seem interested in bringing him back next year, so with both Bonds' money off the books and no more marquee attraction, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Giants go after A-Rod. Whether they'll manage to sign him?

Huh, maybe the Zito signing was a way to grease Boras.

T/S: Bonds at $15M/yr. vs. A-Rod at $30M/yr.

no

the talk is defiantly there but if A-Rod does become available, i just can't see him going to San Francisco. doesn't matter because he ain't leaving New York.

i also heard that the Giants paid off a big part of their debt to that ballpark. i never read this anywhere however, so can anyone confirm this?

I don't see Alex playing for a non-contender, and the Giants are a few years away from contention in my opinion.

like the Rangers lol?

the guy will pay for whoever is footing the bill, i think that's pretty established.

Unless he's like the preznit, suddenly concerned about his "legacy."

It's established because he signed one contract for the money? Not a very big sample size.

yeah i guess u r right, 10 years, 1/4 billion USDs is a small sample size. i am firmly convinced he just wants to win.

He tried to force his way out of Texas to a contender, so I think at that point he regretted that contract, and was willing to sacrifice money from it to go to the Red Sox (but Gene Orza said no, no, no).

Shane (Madison): In the next 5 years, which one of the following (if any) is most likely to win an AL/NL CY Young award: (NL) Yovani Gallardo, Homer Bailey, Tim Lincecum, or, Matt Cain (AL) Joba Chamberlain (presuming he moves from the bullpen, Phil Hughes, Clay Bucholz, or, Andrew Miller

Joe Sheehan: Tim Lincecum really stands out on that list, followed by Gallardo. In 2008, Lincecum/Cain will be the best 1-2 punch in baseball.

They might combine for a 22-35 record, however.

I've watched Lincecum at least five times this year, and while he has great raw stuff, I still think he's a year or two away from really harnessing his ability. He'll still be a very good pitcher, but I think he'll be above 3.5 ERA, above 1.2 WHIP next year, with occasional excellence.

Man, it sure is a blast watching this bullpen hit new lows daily.

could you imagine liriano, lincecum, cain, lowry & bonser with nathan closing?

oh wait, sabean's still GM never mind.

Matt Cain 2007:

GS: 32
IP: 200.0
ERA: 3.65
WHIP: 1.26
VORP: 47.7 (#8 in NL, #19 in MLB)
BAA: .235
OPSA: .675
K/BB: 163:79 = 2.06
K/9: 7.33
HR/9: 0.63

okay, ready for the punch line: 7 - 16 (.304 winning percentage)

Morbius, could you ask Rob Neyer or Will Sheehan if this is the best season in MLB history for a starting pitcher with a .304 winning percentage?

I just asked Kevin Goldstein for ya.

thx alex. are you married yet? :-D

You're familiar w/ Nolan Ryan's splendid 1987 season when he went 8-16, yes?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/ryanno01.shtml

also:

rickcwik (Chicago): Is Matt Cain the unluckiest player in the MLB this season?

Marc Normandin: As far as Wins and Losses go, he's up there, but he's right where he's supposed to be as far as peripherals matching his ERA goes, and that's what really matters, right?

(also that sounds more like a Jayson Stark question)

"thx alex. are you married yet? :-D"

NOPE! Less than three weeks to go!

ah okay... just checking!

also: LOL at Benitez and Zito's eerily similar ERAs for the 07 giants...

-- Talk among Japanese media representatives is that the Giants are seriously interested in corner outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, 30. He's a free agent in the offseason and will command more than $10 million a year, having hit .351 with 31 homers and 104 RBIs in 2006 with the Chunichi Dragons. He had elbow surgery this year and his numbers dropped (.294, 13, 48). He'll be wooed by the Padres, among other teams.

Anyone know anything about this dude?

No.

How much is/was Barry asking? I mean, 10M for a 30 yo corner OF whose translated MLB stats will likely be worse than Matsui's AND coming off of elbow surgery VS. Barry Fucking Bonds no matter how old he is.

We've talked a lot about him on the Padres blogs. Fukudome is the best hitter in Japan at this point, but I think he projects to something like Mike Cuddyer/Brad Hawpe level production as a major leaguer. He's not a slugger but he has quite a bit of power. He's a good fielder, but probably not a center fielder.

I'm sure Shasta knows a lot more about him that I do.

I was sure that Fukudome was the name of a stadium

yu darvish is the tru stud in japan but the giants will not get him. :) lol u r 2 poor

Our starting rotation cares not for your Darvish, sir.

Fukudome sounds like a Japanese JD Drew. You know, without the fundie, douchebag, hyperbaric chamber bullshit.

I would totally sleep in a hyperbaric chamber, fuck the hatas.

Fukudome is the best hitter in Japan at this point

...not named Alex Cabrera...

Rowand, ehhh?