Baseball Lifer

What a shit show. What the fuck is going on with this team?

This is literally the easiest home stand of the season, and we’re 2-4. We lost two of three to the lowly Reds; we lost a pathetic game to the lowly Tigers on Wednesday; and tonight, we lost 1-0 to the White Sox thanks to an error, and an infield hit that hit the bag at third in the ninth.

This is one of the worst offensive stretches I have ever seen the Giants go through—2011 and 2018 are the only other two at this level—and I can’t ever remember a time where it was this IMPOSSIBLE to get a runner in. Things need to change soon, or else this season could begin to slip away.

GAMEBALL:

Alex Cobb

Kinda sad when the Gameball goes to a guy for pitching five shutout innings, but that is the case tonight.

Though, you know what: the White Sox have a damn good offense—damn good for 2022 standards—and Cobb kept them off the board. His fastball was topping out at 95-97 miles per hour in Spring Training, and he got off to a great start before injuring himself in the first game of the doubleheader in New York on April 19. Cobb is capable of replicating those numbers, and let’s hope tonight is a start.

TIP OF THE CAP:

Johnny Cueto: Welcome back to one of my favorite Giants ever. One of the most positive, and one of the smartest players and human beings I have watched in my time as a fan.

From the first start he ever made for the Giants on April 5, 2016 in Milwaukee, I knew he was something special. He was always calm on the mound, and never led adversity get to him. I still believe that he should’ve been put on the postseason roster last year, and that he should have started Game 4 of the NLDS in LA.

Hell, he’s having a decent season, and if there’s any way we could get him back at the deadline, I’m in.

Jason Vosler: Gotta give Vosler major credit. As he was preparing to field a the ground ball of the bat of AJ Pollock with two outs in the top of the ninth, the ball hit the bag at the very last second and ricocheted to Vosler’s left, but Vosler very quickly snagged it, anyway. It’s a damn shame he couldn’t throw out Pollock, because it would’ve been one of the most unique plays, ever.

AJ Pollock: Pollock has always been one of my favorite players to watch. He has always been a fierce competitor, and he may be past his prime now, but he still goes out there every game with the same determination to win. He showed that with a 2-for-3 night.

JOKER:

Kap

When a team goes bad, and goes through a prolonged stretch with a lack of urgency, you sometimes have to look to the skipper.

Kap has not managed the greatest this season. He runs through his bench during games, and he doesn’t give his bullpeners consistent roles, which are what they need. Tonight, he pinch-hit Darin Ruf for Joc—never mind Joc hits lefties better, and is having a far better season—after Austin Slater walked to lead off the bottom of the eighth, and Ruf predictably grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to kill any chance at a rally. Just flat-out bad managing, and that has to change if the Giants are going to turn things around.

I also feel like Kap’s not doing enough to motivate the team. Like when he came out to argue with Lance Barrett on Wednesday, all he did was argue nonchalantly when he should’ve gotten tossed. Kap, Get tossed, put on a show, show some real emotions!!! This team needs a firework shot up its ass, and their manager getting tossed is the perfect way to do it. Let loose, Gabe! Get out there, and get everything you need to get off your chest. Then you can go back to the clubhouse, sit back with your steak, whiskey and coconut oil, and relax. And hell, light up a joint, too. You’ll have earned it!

FLIP OF THE FINGER:

Rob Manfred: The EVIL ONE is back in the news, as he claims that he doesn’t hate Baseball, when in fact we know that’s a bold-faced lie. He also claims that he is trying to “save” Baseball. Save Baseball from what, Rob? Yourself???

In a pathetic and disgusting puff piece by ESPN, the commissioner gave us his latest horseshit, and revealed that he plans to implement a robotic strike zone for the 2024 Season, sucking out what little remains of the human element of the game.

The fact that they’re even calling it robotic shows not just how sterilized Baseball has become over the last four and a half years, but how sterilized life, society, culture and America have become over the last four and a half years. Everything is sterile, fake and contrived, now. The way the game is played today is fucking disgusting. A .340-hitter who gets on base with base-hits is bad, because his “launch angle” is bad, and he doesn’t have enough power; but hitting .136 is awesome and celebrated, because your “launch angle” is high, and you’re hitting fake baseballs over 400 feet.

Baseball often imitates life, and just as there’s a dwindling human element to life, there’s very little human element left in the game. From the way the game is played, to the suppression of personalities and characters, to the emotionless robots who now run baseball ops departments throughout the league, our great game is being stripped of its character, integrity and dignity.

This is thanks to Manfred, who I believe is crazy, and needs a psychological evaluation ASAP. I sincerely believe that Manfred wants to be famous, and I even believe he may go to bed at least once a week thinking about a segment in Ken Burns’ ’11th Inning’ that will be entirely about him. He wants to be viewed as this “revolutionary,” who “modernized” the game, but he’ll be known as the man who DESTROYED the game. Though, he may be cool with that, too.

ESPN: For putting the time, money and effort into putting this horseshit together. The video starts with Manfred inside the Hall of Fame Museum gazing at the Hall of Fame plaques in an “emotional state” to make it look like he loves the game. Anyone with a brain knows this is utterly false; you guys know it is, too; and if you think that you’re fooling anyone, get your head out of Rob’s ass.

SHAME on you!

SMACK OF THE STICK:

Don Van Natta Jr.: To the guy who wrote this garbage. Great job destroying your dignity!

Darin Ruf: Back to the game, and man, Ruf has become a guaranteed double play like Marquis Grissom and Bengie Molina.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

This team can be so determined, focused and on a mission, but will then be dead and lethargic two weeks later. They seem to have a good clubhouse chemistry, but they are not all there right now.

I wonder some of the guys in the clubhouse are going through some stuff mentally, which is understandable, and which I suspect may be the case in every clubhouse due of the state of the country and the world. The Giants’ players and coaches seem like really good people, and I imagine a lot of them are upset by what is happening in America, and around the World. Everything going on right now is taking its toll on everybody, and it is hard to play baseball games through this. I have been really impressed and personally appreciative of how the Giants are utilizing mental health services to help their players, and if mental health struggles are the case, I hope this helps guide them to be the distraction we all desperately need right now.

As for the team itself, they need to make some moves, and they need something to click, but most importantly, they need to re-find their identity. It was there in April, and against the Dodgers three weeks ago, but it is gone, now. Some new additions and re-enforcements for the team will go a long way into helping them re-discover their identity. Some people may say that this team is not worth upgrading at the deadline. As long as the Giants don’t give up major prospects, it is. Farhan has been able to make great trades without giving up major prospects, and there’s no reason why he can’t do it this season.

I still believe the time is going to come when the Giants re-discover their identity, start clicking and go on a run. However, things are going to need to change first.

Stephen