Last month, in a post entitled “Barry Zito’s magic Wand,” I wrote about Barry Zito, the hitter, and noted the following: So, one of the things to watch for — a storyline if you will — is if Barry Zito will ever pull a ball to RF in the 2013 season for a base hit. If it happens, mark your… Read more →
In life, some people like oranges. And some people enjoy the taste of apples. Everyone has their preference of things — food, clothing, cars, sports teams, whatever. Everyone has preferences. This, oddly enough, extends to pitchers hitting. Some are for it and some against it. Me, personally, I’m for it. I’m not here to tell you which preference is right…. Read more →
This was the game that the Giants were supposed to lose. This was the game that Justin Verlander — Really Good Pitcher(tm) — was supposed to dominate. Neither of those things happened. And it was freaking awesome. Baseball is a really bizarre game sometimes. Even more so in the postseason, where you take the unpredictability of everyday baseball, punch in… Read more →
I know I did it. You probably did it too. You probably make some jerk comment about how Barry Zito — vastly overpaid, not all that great pitcher — was starting in the playoffs for the Giants in a must-win, do-or-die, NLCS Game Give. You did it, just like I did it, because it was the easy thing to do…. Read more →
Playoff baseball is awesome again. After a postseason of offensive futility, the Giants’ bats came alive in Game Four, hitting three home runs, racking up 11 base hits, and scoring eight runs against the Cincinnati Reds. What an amazing turn of events. After getting destroyed in Game Two, the Giants looked like a team that didn’t belong in the postseason…. Read more →
First, an image from SFGiants.com: Oh, that’s delightful. Splash images on MLB.com websites often range from stupid to really stupid, but I think there’s something to the prevailing notion that Barry Zito could possibly start a game in the playoffs. The Giants intend on taking five starters into the postseason, with the plan to shift one of Zito or Vogelsong… Read more →
For the longest time – and by ‘longest time’ I mean the past 4-5 years – the Giants have followed a formula that included great pitching with just-enough-offense to win games. This is known as “Giants Baseball.” And to the uninitiated it’s often a frustrating blend of baseball, but it’s hard to feel bad for yourself when you get to… Read more →
Zito inner monologue: OK, Barry, don’t screw this one up. This guy is a really good hitter. Gotta come at him with my best stuff. Good thing me and Timmy have been working on my super secret weapon, codenamed E.E.P.H.U.S., on the side. You’ll never expect this one, sucker! /throws ball 2 feet /ball slowly rolls 50 feet Crap.
Andrew Baggarly (from an article titled “Backsliding Zito means more pressure on Lincecum”): The Giants simply can’t afford to caddy for their ace in nine consecutive losses when they’re also handicapped with a struggling Zito in the rotation. If that wasn’t already obvious, it became crystal clear after Zito gave up eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings of a… Read more →
.255/.335/.317 That’s Tim Flannery’s career batting line over 11 seasons in the major leagues. .255/.335/.317. Really, it’s not a very good batting line. He was pretty good at drawing walks (277 career walks vs. 293 career strikeouts) and he did have some competent seasons on offense (by OPS+ he was above average in 1984-86 and 1988), but it’s not a… Read more →