Baseball Lifer

Following yesterday’s averted sweep at the hand of the lowly Reds, the Giants go into Philly, and beat the Phillies in a 10-inning somewhat thriller, 5-4, thanks to three home runs.

GAMEBALL:

Logan Webb

Since the second inning of his May 18 start in Denver, Webb’s struggles have been wearing off. He needed to have a great start today, and that’s exactly what he did, as he struck out 10 and gave up just four hits over eight-plus innings.

Unfortunately, his three blemishes, which were three solo home runs in a live ballpark, sent the game to extra innings, but you can’t take anything away from Webb, and how he pitched today. It sucked, because he really wanted to take the ball in the ninth and get the complete game, but couldn’t, because Kyle Schwarber hit what was a good slider at the knees out to straightaway center.

Webb seemed a bit dejected in the clubhouse after the game, and understandably so, but if he keeps this up, he’ll be just fine, and—since I think we can start talking about this now—be in good position to make his first all-star team.

TIP OF THE CAP:

Nick Castellanos: Hit a solo shot to start the scoring in the bottom of the second, or in other words: I’m hoping these write-ups can springboard me to a nice job, and a press box credential this summer, as I pride myself in my knee-jerk emotions and authenticity, as there’s a drive into deep leftfield by Castellanos; it will be a home run.

Wilmer: 1-for-5 never looks the greatest on a boxscore, but he put the Giants on the board with a two-run shot in the sixth.

Longo: Man, stay hot, Evan Longoria. Longo hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning yesterday in Cincinnati, and then he gave the Giants their first lead of the game with two outs in the ninth with his fifth home run in five games.

Kap: For letting Webb try and get the complete game. Kap showed Webb the confidence he has in him, and that’s always going to make a player happy and want to play for you.

Kyle Schwarber: I know I’m enabling the wrong way the game is being played today by giving a Tip of the Cap to a .188 hitter with 11 home runs at the end of May, but Schwarber is just too much fun to watch. He beat a good pitch by Webb to tie the game, and as much as it sucked to see Webb not get the complete game, that was a sweet motherfucking swing.

Stuart Fairchild: He just came in the game when Schwarber tied it, but he nearly brought it back with what would’ve possibly been the catch of the year. Fairchild climbed that centerfield fence pretty damn high, and nearly brought it back.

Eli White: Speaking of climbing the fence high to take away a home run, Eli White—yes, there’s an Eli Whiteside, AND an Eli White—actually pulled it off for the Rangers in their airplane hanger in Arlington today.

Dominic Leone: Alright, back this one. Leone pitched an inning; gave up a hit; and got the win. He gets a Tip of the Cap, because a game-tying home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth is a major buzzkill, and puts all the momentum into the other team’s dugout. Leone, who is very much a forgotten asset in the bullpen was able to keep everything in check, and send the game into extras. Very much appreciated.

Curt Casali: I’ve been trying to tell people that the recent injuries have contributed big times to our struggles over the last week and a half, and fuck was I right. He showed just why the Giants really needed him back with his BOMB to left to put the Giants back ahead in the 10th.

Camilo Doval: A 1-2-3 inning from the dominant flame-throwing closer we all know Doval is. Keep this up, and we’ll have another guy making his first trip to the All-Star Game this season.

Tom Hallion: A special shoutout to one of my favorite umpires. First of all, it’s already awesome that he was planning to retire after being the crew chief of the World Series last year, but then decided to come back for at least another year, and be one of the last remaining true remaining old-school National League umpires, following the retirements of Joe West, Gerry Davis and Brian Gorman. Then yesterday, a true Baseball Lifer, who has given so much to this game, and has given us many memorable moments, gave us another awesome clip. This, THIS is being an umpire. This is Baseball. Umpires are human, and they’re filled with emotions like the players, and they need to be able to show their emotions like they used to. Major League Baseball, and mainly Joe Torre, have stripped the umpires of their dignity over the last decade, and have allowed players, coaches and managers to walk all over them with very little, if any, repercussions.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, when umpires were allowed to have personalities, and were allowed to give it back to players, coaches and managers who were being assholes, they were actually popular and respected. They were true characters, and very much a celebrated part of the game. In the American League, you had Ron Luciano’s awesome mechanics; Ken Kaiser, who was a wrestler; my pal, Dale Scott; and many others. In the National League, you had Dutch Rennert’s strike calls; Eric Greg, and the fun he had on the field; Frank Pulli; and many others. Hell, some of them even did commercials, like Bruce Froemming did for McDonald’s. Ron Luciano even did color on national telecasts in the ’80s after he retired.

Unfortunately, today’s umpires aren’t allowed to have any personality, and they’re being turned into robots. They’re all being taught to use the same mechanics, and to be emotionless robots on the field. The Umpires are still my second team next to the Giants, and what I have to say them is: guys, let loose!!! Show some emotions out there; don’t let the players walk all over you; put them in their places when they’re being assholes. Lastly, back to Tommy, let’s never forget one of the greatest moments in Giants history.

JOKER:

Nick Adams

Yes, this smug asshole. You’ve all probably seen his “SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT” by now; and I just saw that he declared “victory” after Gabe Kapler came out and stood for the National Anthem today. Nevermind that Kap only did it, because it was Memorial Day, and he fully plans on continuing his boycott of the Anthem tomorrow, but Adams declared victory anyway, because he’s a fucking idiot.

Anyway, this is not about Nick, this is about the fact that even though Baseball is my escape from the state of America right now, our latest school shooting has given us no choice, but to talk about the epidemic of gun violence even in Baseball. This gives me a chance to get some stuff off my chest. I have been in pain for a long time, because of our sad, useless and insane lack of gun laws, but for everyone in Baseball, and really throughout the country and around the World, who are talking about it, get this: Nothing, and I mean NOTHING is going to happen until people realize that BOTH Republicans AND Democrats are utterly corrupt. Neither side will do a damn thing. The Republicans are owned by the NRA and the Gun Industry; and the Democrats are only using this to fundraise for elections they fully intend to lose anyway. If you want something to get done about this, and for kids to stop being gunned down in schools, then we need to elect politicians, who will tell the Billionaires and Corporations who own this country to go to hell, to EVERY BRANCH in EVERY LEVEL of government over these next two and half years from the School Boards to the Office of President of the United States. Until then, nothing will get done.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

No need to Smack anyone with the Stick today; I got everything off my chest.

I’ll just say this: Curt Casali showed just why getting healthy again will boost the Giants, and make them the championship-caliber team they really are. We just need to be patient, and wait for Belt and LaMonte to come back, and we’ll be just fine. We may not win the West this year—though, it’s still way too early to say that—but we can certainly beat out the Padres for second place and the first wild card spot, which will give us home field for all two or three games of a Wild Card Series against them. If we stay healthy, I think we’ll achieve that.

Stephen