Sounding Off 2007

On the very last night of 2007, TFRJ would like to look back and remember the past 364 days of this eventful year. Here is a list of the most defining moments of Bay Area sports of Oh-Seven:

San Francisco Giants

Opening Day: The sun was shining, the ballpark pristine and packed, the beginning of the last year for one of baseball’s greatest hitters. Barry Zito, inked to a $126-million contract over the winter, took the mound as the Giants’ ace versus the Padres’ Jake Peavy in a potential pitching duel. Alas, Zito gave up three runs in a 5 inning stint, but the bullpen choked up another 4 runs, all the while Peavy and crew shut out the Giants. If nothing else, opening day was a sign of things to come.

1-hit loss: Matt Cain gives up one hit and one run on a questionable triple through 7 solid innings and then proceeds to lose the game. One of the many disasters in an unlucky season for Cain.

200-innings loss: Matt Cain goes another 7 strong innings, striking out 8 and earning the honor of a 200-inning season under his belt. He also ingratiates himself even more in Giants fans’ hearts, barking at Scott Hairston for a cocky bat-flip. The Giants led 4-2 through 8 innings, with Brian Wilson closing it out. Wilson gives up 4 runs, stemming from a single to Brady Clark, a walk to Oscar Robles, and then a home run to Brian Giles, which travels all the way up the wall in right field. The Giants go down harmlessly in the bottom of the ninth.

KKKKKKKKKKKK: Count ‘em. Twelve K’s by Tim Lincecum in a 7 inning shutout masterpiece against the Diamondbacks. Fortunately, his gem coincided with a rare offensive explosion by the Giants, winning 13-0 on the fine day of strikeouts by fastball, curve, and change.

It be Mando-time: Walk, balk, bunt, balk, home run, loss. Goodbye Benitez!

Golden State Warriors

The Trade: On January 14, the Warriors pulled off the impossible: shipping Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy and their bloated contracts to a sucker who fell for the hook, line, and sinker. In return, the Warriors received Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington, two misfits in Indiana who instantly found a home in Nelliball, in the ROARacle, and in thousands upon thousands of Warriors fans’ hearts.

Looks like the whole gang’s here: Mired in a 6 game losing streak and facing the Pistons on the road, the Warriors’ season looked bleak and lottery-bound, when

…Dris got a reverse lay-in, to the wonderment of all,
JRich, the much beloved, shot lights-out with the 3-ball;
Monta, Al, and S-Jax got the shots they took to fly and then drop in.
And Baron, the returning Warrior, willed his team to grab the win.

And from the Bay there rose a culminating yell,
It rumbled through dear Oaktown, it rattled in San Rafael;
It knocked upon The City and recoiled in San Jose,
For finally, yes finally, things were goin’ the Warriors’ way.

The Series: 6 games. 5 starters. 4 wins. 3 nights in the loudest building on the planet. 2 stars, one former and one current, humiliated. 1 drought snapped, much to the delight of the denizens of Northern California.

The Dunk: Put that in your flat top!



The 49ers and the Sharks’ most defining moments coming up tomorrow!

From here at the Front-Row, have a very Happy New Year!

Winter Hiatus

I'm going on hiatus again. This time, it'll probably be for a week or so. Okay, maybe more because I'm going places for Christmas vacation. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open for any news about the Giants trade front and the Golden State Warriors for me. I heard they just downed last year's champions tonight ;P

How to Dance Shoot the Electric Slide Redux

No Soup for You! Next!

Dear Brian Sabean,

These Cain/Lincecum for Alex Rios talks are really irritating. Alex Rios is impressive, but this is simple math.

Alex Rios =/= Franchise cornerstone.

Cain+Lincecum = Franchise cornerstones

As Grant from MCC put it, get the hell away from Riccardi, Sabean.

Sincerely,

TFRJ

Nashville 2007: Winter Meetings and Tire-Kicking

12/4 8:47 PM

• Contrary to all the Rolen to San Francisco rumors, the Giants have no interest in the third baseman.

  Lincecum is also mentioned in Alex Rios talks. Um, no. There is no way that the Blue Jays get Cain or Lincecum for Rios. The encouraging signs are that Sabean is getting closer to declaring Matt and Tim off-limits (again, “our expendable player for Caincecum”) and Toronto GM JP Riccardi stated that none of the names thrown out in the media have come up in actual discussions.

  The Giants are linked to Tigers 3B Brandon Inge, who is now redundant with the fresh trade for Miguel Cabrera. Let’s see: a 30-year old who batted .236/.312/.376 and had a major power dropoff last season? I think we know what the answer is.

  [SF Giants]

• The Dodgers are discussing a trade for Orioles’ pitcher Erik Bedard. He was a beast in the AL East, so imagine the damage he could do in the NL, especially plugged into a rotation with Lowe, Penny, and Billingsley. However, the Orioles are asking for a package similar to ones put together for Johan Santana and Bedard is two years away from free agency.

  [Nashville Confidential]

Nashville 2007: Winter Meetings and Tire Kicking

And so we say hello to day 1 of the baseball winter meetings in Nashville. Several transactions have already occurred among some teams, but nothing blockbuster as of yet. Nothing from the Giants yet either.

Lefty, from El Lefty Malo, has already started a running list of transactions and commentary earlier in the day. MLB.com also dedicated an entire blog to the winter meetings. I’ll tack on my own thoughts in italics on any deals that come up.

Earlier:

• Nationals send Elijah Dukes to the Rays
• Diamondbacks send Carlos Quentin to ChiSox
• Jake Peavy near extension with Padres
• Andy Pettite remains with the Yankees

As of later:

• Lincecum and Cain are "getting close" to off the market, according to Brian Sabean. He hasn't been blown away by the offers, save for an "interesting" one, which was NOT for Miguel Cabrera... The Lincecum for Reds minor-league stud prospect Jay Bruce idea was “pure fiction.”… 3B Scott Rolen’s name is even more heavily linked to the Giants today. The Cardinals might be looking to move Rolen before signing FA Pedro Feliz:

  Seems like Sabean can’t talk to other GMs without a silly offer for Cain and/or Lincecum. Supposed bad news: Other GMs are not interested in the Giants’ marginal prospects or semi-serviceable veterans like Dave Roberts or Bengie Molina. Supposed good news: The Lincecum and Cain tandem will strike fear into the hearts of the NL for at least another year. That means the Giants won’t be getting any young, outstanding talent in exchange for the two. But I suppose the latter part is bad news.

  [SF Giants]

12/4 6:00 PM

• Boy, did I ever have the hell scared out of me earlier today. I was going home with the car radio tuned onto KNBR 680 while they were having the winter meeting updates. The volume was pretty low so I couldn’t catch much, but this is what I hear: “Giants pitcher Matt Cain [too low to hear] in return for Alex Rios.” Erp!

  Thanks to the updates on McCovey Chronicles, my fears were put to rest. Sabean may have been forced/stupid in the Zito signing and other assorted mishaps, but I’m getting sick of these “we’ll give you our crap to good young player in exchange for Cain and/or Lincecum” propositions.

• Marlins send Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers in exchange for Cameron Maybin, Andrew Miller, Mike Rabelo and pitchers Burke Badenhop (MiL), Eulogio De La Cruz (MiL) and Dallas Trahern (MiL): The premier third-base trade market just shrunk drastically. This doesn’t affect the Giants too much, except that they won’t face Miggy 6-7 times a year anymore. The Tigers gave up a lot for Cabrera and D-Train, but a lineup of Cabrera, Sheffield, Granderson, Ordoñez, and Polanco is a WS contender.

  [SF Gate]

Warriors @ Sonics: Playing with Fire

… literally.

The Warriors continued their hot streak in Seattle, controlling the pace and never trailing once against the Sonics. With a 109-96 win over the Sonics, the Warriors upped their win streak to 6 in a row and 9-1 in the last 10 games.

The Warriors raced out to a 17-8 start in the first quarter when the scoreboard caught fire during a mandatory timeout. I’d like to believe it flared up because of the Warriors hot shooting (at least 50% from the field), but that’s just as unlikely as a conspiracy to move the Sonics to Oklahoma. The Warriors maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game and cruised to an easy victory.




The Defense: Pre-Jackson’s return, the Warriors allowed opponents 51% shooting from the field. Once Jack came back, they drastically reduced that amount to 44%. Tonight, they held the Sonics to 41.4% from the field, and 20.0% from beyond the arc. Jackson, who is making a solid case for Defensive Player of the Year or for a spot on the All-Defensive Team, victimized Kevin Durant, holding him to a quiet 6 points on 2-12 shooting. As a team, the Warriors continually harassed and changed the Sonics’ shots and did not allow many easy open shots. Including tonight, the Warriors kept 4 out of their last 5 opponents under 100 points.

Andris Biedrins: Andris approached Garnett-like numbers again, with 18 points on 9-12 shooting and 16 rebounds. He notched a double-double by the end of the first quarter with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Though most of his points were off feeds from Baron, Jack, or Monta, Jim Barnett pointed an important aspect of Andris’ game: Andris knows when to cut to the basket and how to handle a pass. Example: Monta drove into the lane from the baseline, forcing the defense to collapse and drawing in three defenders. Andris moved into the lane and anticipated and caught a beautiful around-the-back pass from Monta as he went up to the rim. Easy layup.



Monta Ellis: Speaking of Monta, how good was he tonight? Monta continued his streak of solid games, scoring 18 points on 8-15 shooting and dished out 5 assists. On his radio show with Ralph and Tom on KNBR, Nellie admitted to allowing Monta to play more as a scorer in recent weeks. Not so coincidentally, as Monta relaxed and played his natural game, he also cut down on his turnovers and opened up his court vision. Though he might not ever be a pass-first PG like Nash or Kidd, he’s gradually expanding his speed and scoring ability to become a more well-rounded guard. It’s fun to watch him grow up every game.

Garbage Time: Nothing of much importance to note here, except for the fact that all the starters got around 6 minutes of extra rest. Baron played a total of only 30 minutes, Al 31, Monta 30, and Andris 27. Jackson was the only one of the starters with significant minutes, 36. Hopefully this extra rest will help keep up the intensity tomorrow night, when the Warriors face off with the Orlando Magic and Adonal Foyle, who just came off a 104-97 win over the Lakers tonight.

The All-Seeing Eye Just Got a Set of All-Hearing Ears

According to Sports Media War:

The NBA will begin miking players and coaches during nationally televised games, starting this week… Cameras will also record "pregame, halftime and postgame meetings" from team locker rooms… Future plans have players getting microphones "sewn into their uniforms."

Unless the league officials are paranoid, I think they're trying too hard to appeal to fan interest in a creative way. It's a cool concept, but it places an extra burden on coaches and players to watch their mouths during a game. They might say things they probably won't in a normal situation, but trash talk flows free and easy in a competitive atmosphere. I guess I might be stretching this too much, but what if the league starts fining coaches and players for bashing other coaches, players, or refs in a game? It would be a no-win situation, considering the league already fined coaches in 2000 for refusing to wear mikes.

Happy Joe Thornton Day!

Today, November 30, 2007, marks the two-year anniversary of the Joe Thornton trade from Boston to San Jose. Let’s remember that day, shall we?

Sharks send: Marco Sturm, Wayne Primeau, and Brad Stuart
Bruins send: Joe Thornton

Both the Sharks and Bruins were struggling that season. The Bruins went 1-8-1 in their last ten games, while the Sharks earned no wins with a streak of 0-7-3.

What they said:

We gave away three quality guys for a dominant centerman," said defenseman Kyle McLaren, a former teammate of Thornton's in Boston. "It's a big move for us. And Joe's the type of player that can help our team right now.

Added Sharks captain Patrick Marleau: "There's not one team out there that wouldn't want to have him on their team.

"Once you get over the shock of losing three of our friends, I think we're going to really come to enjoy watching Joe Thornton play every night," said [Ron] Wilson.

It was emotional," Thornton said, a day after he was part of a four-player trade that landed him with the Sharks. "But as the night went on, I kind of calmed down. Now, I'm excited to start something new.

Of the traded Sharks trio, only Sturm is still on the Bruins. Primeau and Stuart are on the Flames and the Kings, respectively. Today, the Bruins are 3rd in their division, 6th in the Eastern Conference, and the Sharks are 2nd and 7th. Despite the seeming divisional balance, Thornton’s continued performances as a franchise cornerstone reaffirms the fact that the Sharks pulled off one of the greatest heists in NHL history.

Tonight against the Avalanche, Thornton dazzled once again, netting two goals and handing out an assist to lead the Sharks to a 3-2 victory.

This is home for me," Thornton said. "This is where I want to be for the rest of my career, so it's been a good two years, and many more to come.

More hardware to come!
This, among other reasons, is why every night I say thank you to the heavens for gracing the Sharks with Joe Thornton.

Operation: Restore the Baron's Majesty

Objective: Get Baron Davis into the All-Star Game.

Logistics (League-Wide):

• Points: 8^th with 24.0 PPG
• Assists: 5^th with 8.6 APG
• Minutes: 2^nd with 40.4 MPG
• Steals: T-10^th with 2.0 SPG
• Points/Rebounds/Assists: 5^th with 38.0 AVG

Preliminary Prognosis:

All fanboyishness aside

The main thing is: He really deserves it.

Really, right now he deserves not just a spot on the team, but the starting spot, ahead of Nash, CP3, TP, and Deron.

I'd go so far as to say (and did say in the game thread) that he's currently playing like the fourth most-dominant player in the NBA. If I had to make a Top 5...

1. LeBron James (by a pretty wide margin)

2. Kevin Garnett

3. Dwight Howard

4. Baron Davis

5. Chris Paul

(Duncan should probably be on there, but there've been a lot of games where he's really been second fiddle to TP or Manu).

Then again, the game is about popularity, not actual value, so if we want BD to be there, we better start stuffing that ballot box...

Mission: Vote often, vote with multiple email addresses, and vote Baron Davis. It's been too long since a Warrior made it to the ASG, and it's time to let the league, country, world know what the Baron is capable of.

[UPDATE] Oh, and vote Baron just to spite Sir Charles Barkley again. On the TNT broadcast, he said he wouldn't put Baron over Deron Williams or Chris Paul on his list.

Killing One Bird with Three Stones

Matt Cain is safe… for now.

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Minnesota Twins followed through with a rumor that included Twins RHP Matt Garza and Rays OF Delmon Young. The final deal sent Young, SS Brendan Harris, and OF Jason Pridie (MiL) to the Twins for Garza, SS Jason Bartlett, and RHP Eduardo Morlan (MiL).

The trade most likely quashed any realistic trade scenarios between the Giants and the Rays, who matched up well together in terms of trade partners. With the acquisition of Garza and indirectly, Morlan, the Rays have the starting pitching they need to help complement their youthful but talented lineup. That should end the common trade idea of Cain for Carl Crawford or BJ Upton.
---
Flood of Giants news (thanks McCoven):

• Lincecum and Cain are virtually untouchable trade-wise during next week’s winter meetings. [FOX Sports]
• Not even for Miguel Cabrera. [SJ Merc]
• Joe Lefebvre is still in the organization as one of the new special assistants. [SF Giants]
• AAA Fresno Grizzlies changed their colors to black and orange to identify with their parent club. It’s much better than green and tan. [Fresno Grizzlies]
• HBO plans to make a movie out of Game of Shadows. Wonder who is going to play Barry Bonds? [SF Chron]
  

Warriors vs Suns: NBA Live, Live!

Warriors 129-114 Suns



I'm in the middle of chemistry homework, so I'll get back with some thoughts about this don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-it game. For now, I'll leave you with a picture of Nash in a dramatic and desperate cry to the heavens. Either that or he just turned the ball over again.

----

First off, let me say that what I watched last night was one of the purest basketball games ever. The Warriors hit a layup, the Suns answer back without using more than four seconds of the shot clock. The Suns hit a trey, the Warriors stop and pop. As Fitz repeatedly mentioned in last night’s broadcast: “[Either team] won’t let you celebrate for too long.” There was no pounding, no excessive pushing, just running, sharp passing, and buckets and buckets of points. As OptionZero commented:

MEMO TO DAVID STERN
MAKE COPIES OF THIS GAME
Send one to every other team in the league.
Mandatory movie night. Suspend all games on the schedule if you have to.
Watch this game, cuz thats pure basketball.
Man that was magic.

Bliss is...

The Lineup: Remember the game against the Suns last March when Nellie unveiled Al Harrington at center? He did it again, this time inserting Monta Ellis and Matt Barnes into the starting lineup. Hello, throwback Nellie-ball!



The Assists: The ball movement was downright pretty with the offense spacing the floor and opening up plenty of passing lanes. Four of the starters had at least four assists, pacing the total of 31 assists to 52 made shots. After a frenetic first quarter, the Warriors settled in and ran several half-court plays. They took advantage of Phoenix’s double-teams by threading the needle to another Warrior cutting through the lane for an easy layup or dunk or kicking out for an open three.

The Defense: Ever since Stephen Jackson returned, the Warriors have tightened up the D, especially in the fourth quarter. They forced Phoenix into 20 turnovers, six more than the Suns’ average of 14 per game, and turned those mistakes into 37 points. Steve Nash and Grant Hill combined for 13 of those turnovers. The Suns had nice offensive distribution with 6 of 8 players scoring in double-digits. However, not one Sun was a threat throughout the entire game, courtesy of the “piranha” defense rotating effectively and forcing quick fouls and turnovers.

Hot Hands:

Jack: Jack was one of the Warriors to top 30 against the Suns, going for 32 on an effective 13-21 shooting.

Baron: When in doubt, pass the rock to him. Baron exploited his match-up with Nash, posting him up down low or hitting a jumper whenever Nash gave him too much room. Baron went 11-24 from the field, including 5-10 on three-pointers. If he scored two more points, the Warriors would have had a trio of thirty-point scorers.

Barnes: Despite (or because of) the stressful circumstances in his life right now, Barnes went out and quietly filled up the stat sheet: 8 points on 3-5 shooting including 2-2 from the arc, 7 assists, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. He helped jumpstart the offense in the first quarter and was a lurking threat throughout the rest of the game. Welcome back, man, and my heart goes out to you and your family.

Al: Al rebounded from a lackluster road trip, going for 14 points on 5-9 shooting along with 2-2 on threes. His first three gave the Warriors their first points in the game and ignited the offense toward a 45-point first quarter.



Ellis to the Rim! Monta’s recent surge deserves a category for itself. After matching his career high of 31 points in Philadelphia, Monta had a second consecutive career night and matched his career high again. With a Sleepy-esque performance in the 4th quarter, he scored 15 straight points to put the Suns away for good. Nash was victimized again, this time by Monta scoring jumper after jumper with him as the defender. He tore to the rim if defenders came too close. They don’t call him the Mississippi Bullet for nothing.

Stop the Presses!

NINERS WIN! NINERS WIN! NINERS WIN!

-hyperventilates and is unable to continue-

Ok, I've stopped.

Boy, that was the best win, even if it was one of the sloppiest defensively, this entire season. It’s time to start counting my blessings, even though Thanksgiving is three days over.

Thank you for the Arizona Cardinals, the only team we’ve swept this season and who contributed to 2/3 of our win total.

Thank you for Patrick Willis, who had 16 tackles and 0.5 sack and continues to work his tail off no matter if the Niners are out of it.

Thank you for Andy Lee, who punted for an average of 47.7 yards and who continues his case for MVP of the Niners.

Thank you for Frank Gore, who finally hit the 100-yard mark for the first time this season and scored two touchdowns.

Thank you for the Cardinals’ special teams, whose delay of game penalty forced kicker Neil Rackers to miss a 32-yard field goal attempt.

Thank you for Ronald Fields, who sacked Kurt Warner in the endzone and forced a fumble.

Thank you for Tully Banta-Cain, who finally contributed something positive and recovered the fumble.

Thank you for the win, since the Niners are one step closer to mediocrity and one step further from absolute unwatchableness!

Hail Kelenna Azubuike

Warriors 100-98 Sixers
Kelenna Azubuike's Game-Winning Three in Overtime







[Yahoo.com]

Earthquakes on the Defensive

Three days ago, the San Jose Earthquakes held their expansion draft and selected 10 players from 10 other MLS teams.

Player	Former Team
Ryan Cochrane	Houston Dynamo
Clarence Goodson	FC Dallas
Ned Grabovoy	Columbus Crew
James Riley	New England Revolution
Joseph Vide	New York Red Bulls
Ivan Guerrero	Chicago Fire
Brian Carroll	DC United
Jason Hernandez	Chivas USA
Gavin Glinton	LA Galaxy
Chris Pozniak	Toronto FC

Who else is excited to see Cochrane back in a Quakes uni? Hope he brings a ring too.

WHEEEEE

From NYC, your 2007-08 Warriors:



I'm gonna have to try that sometime.

[Warriors PR Blog]
[Fear the Beard]

49ers 9-13 Rams: Insanity

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

- Albert Einstein

Found in the 49ers' locker room following the 13-9 loss against the Rams:

Two Game Win Streak?!

Warriors 106
Raptors 100

Apparently it was Italian Day in Canada, so if the Raptors put up at least 100 points, everyone would go home with a free pizza.

Warriors away games must be a hot commodity with the amount of fans they bring in:

Everyone wins (insert some sort of giveaway) if (insert team name) score 100 points!

Anyways, DANCE BABY!

And on the 7th Day

He said, "Let there be a win for the Warriors," and He saw it, and it was good.

It feels great getting the monkey off our backs. I loved the win, but I loved the way we got the win even better. The Warriors won the battle of the paint for once. The FSN crew kept showing the points in the paint graphic throughout the game, and at one point, the Warriors had 50 points in the paint compared to about 10 for the Clippers. Everyone was fighting for a rebound last night and everyone was trying for the extra pass, and it showed in the game and the boxscore.



The Assists Baron getting 8+ assists a night is a given, so I was impressed with Barnes and Monta. With a dislocated finger, Barnes found Andris and POB for a lot of easy dunks and lay-ins. His 8 assists complemented Baron's 12. Monta couldn't seem to finish at the rim early-midway through the game, but used his speed to pass the ball instead. I remember a play when Monta slashed to the rim, was crowded by two Clippers, and and threw a nifty outlet pass to Andris for a dunk. Monta could easily be one of the most creative passers on the team.

The Rebounds: The Warriors outrebounded the Clips 52-43. As I noted, it seemed as if every Warrior had a nose for a rebound. Al Harrington nabbed a particularly funky rebound: the ball caromed off the floor and into the air, and Al outjumped three Clippers for it.



The Big Guys Our big man trio was awesome last night. Andris Biedrins was a beast with 23 points on 9-12 FGs, a career-matching 18 rebounds, and 2 blocks, including a nasty rejection when Corey Maggette went in for a dunk. After being thoroughly outplayed by Chris Kaman in LA, he outmatched the Caveman in Oakland.

Patrick O'Bryant notched career highs all-around: 10 points on 5-6 FGs, 4 rebounds, and 1 steal and block apiece. I loved the way every Warrior high-fived him after every time he dunked or hit his hook shot. He came in for Andris when he got into foul trouble in the third quarter and played well above expectations. I don't think I've ever seen Patrick that happy up until last night. If he can produce like last night, the Warriors will have a very solid center rotation.

I can't wait until Nellie is confident enough to play Andris-Wright or POB-Wright at the same time. Their length bothered the hell out of the Clippers (remember the play where POB stole the ball just by sticking out his arm? Fantastic).

Bonds Indicted

SFGate: Bonds indicted on perjury, obstruction of justice charges

Honestly, what a waste of four years. All of this government money went into an effort to figure out if a guy put substances in his body. In the big picture, there are so many worse crimes. Rape, homicide, manslaughter, genocide, child abuse. I’m disappointed in the feds for turning this into a fully-fledged witch hunt.

[UPDATE]

Ray Ratto: One thing seems clear, consider Bonds retired

I just skimmed the article, but here are some interesting lines:

The five-count indictment blows so many holes in Bonds' desirability to other teams that it is unfathomable that another team would be willing to sign him, either in December, March, June or ever. Never mind whether he is still a salable commodity to the average fan - no team is going to sign someone who might have to take a few weeks off during the middle of the 2008 season to go on trial. Even the most benign viewing of the events of today undercuts Bonds' ability to make himself attractive to another team. His new uniform is a suit, his support staff is John Burris and Michael Rains, and 762 is the home run record for the foreseeable future.

And finally, there is one last conclusion not to be jumped. That with Bonds indicted, the Steroid Era is finally behind us, and baseball can dance free and untainted. No, it's in front of us, halogen high-beams right through our corneas, and it's going to stay in front of us for at least as long as it took for the drugs to become a full-blown era.

Bill James Predictions for 2008 Season

Sorry I put this up so late. And that it's not even half-finished. I underestimated the power and inconvenience of English essays yet again. I guess half-baked is better than stone cold. I don't even know what I'm saying anymore.

Here's the not finished post:

Fangraphs.com has his predictions for each player individually, so no need to buy the $21 book.

Persons of interest:

Kevin Frandsen: 408 AB - .282/.330/.407, 115 H, 7 HR, 25:37 BB:SO
Ray Durham: 446 AB - .258/.337/.410, 115 H, 13 HR, 49:70 BB:SO

I’m not sure how Durham bounces back while Frandsen has a solid year at the same time, unless Frandsen plays third base or Durham bounces back with another team. Either way, it’s good seeing Kevin get consistent playing time since he’s more effective with regular AB.

Nate Schierholtz: 344 AB - .299/.331/.480, 103 H, 10 HR, 15:50 BB:SO

Excellent numbers for a rookie if James’ predictions come true. The Giants are in a sorry state if Nate is one of the better hitters in the 2008 lineup.

I'll get some more done tomorrow.

(Late) Congratulations to Jeremy Roenick

… for scoring his 500th goal two night ago against the Coyotes. The goal itself was unconventional: shot from center ice, bounced off the back boards, bounced off Alex Auld’s back and into the net. Roenick joined the ranks of Mike Modano and Joe Mullen as American-born players with 500 career goals.

In another scheduling quirk, the Sharks face the Coyotes again tonight. If the Sharks can keep up the play from the last game, then there should be no problem notching another win. At least I hope.

[UPDATE] Sharks pounded the Coyotes 5-0. I wish FSN broadcasted the game so I wouldn't have to watch the carnage that was the 49ers/Seahawks game. Flat out terrible. Eh, I might as well do a little odds & ends link dump.

• Ray Ratto: Time to turn off the Niners [SFGate]
• Sharks beat Coyotes again (and can you believe they're playing each other again on Thursday?) [SFGate.com]
• Open Feel Sorry For Ourselves Thread (and lament the fact that Bay Area sports are at a near all time low) [McCovey Chronicles]
• Stanford's Got the Goods (hooray for Stanford men's basketball!) [SFGate.com]
• You can't not love Andris Biedrins. [warriors.com]
  
• Bill James Handbook Projections (I have a post about this tomorrow) [Fangraphs.com]
  

The First Rule of Fight Club Is

... you do not trade Tim Lincecum. Or Matt Cain for that matter.

A few days ago, Tracy Ringolsby reported, “Tim Lincecum, [the Giants’] No. 1 pick in 2006, can be had for a quality bat.”

Say what? Maybe it’s a bit of common media exaggeration. Understandably, the Giants are in no position to refuse to listen to any trade offers for Lincecum, but who are those quality bats?



Miguel Cabrera: Floating rumors have suggested that the Marlins will take Lincecum straight up for Miggy. Cabrera instantly fills a void at 3B and at a power spot in the lineup. Last season, he batted .320/.401/.565 with career highs in home runs (34) and RBIs (119).

Why not: Not only is his batting prowess growing, so are his waistline, errors (23, up from 17 in 2006), and questionable work ethic. Most importantly, he is eligible for arbitration and free agency after 2009 and could command at least $10 million. On the other hand, Lincecum is under contract for the next 5 years. I would not want to give up five guaranteed years of superb pitching and discipline in exchange for a probable one-year rental.



Delmon Young and Carl Crawford or BJ Upton: Young, the talented Rays’ outfielder, easily exhibits more upside than any of the young Giants outfielders. That goes for Crawford and Upton too.

Why not: First off, the Rays would laugh Sabean off the phone if he offered Lincecum for Young and either Crawford or Upton. Lincecum could probably fetch Young and a developing prospect, not Crawford or Upton. Secondly, the Giants have a glut in the outfield. Trading for Young and Crawford/Upton means moving Dave Roberts and Randy Winn to other teams. It’s not impossible, but Roberts has a hefty contract and Winn holds to right to veto trades to ten different teams.

If the Giants are trading Lincecum, they should receive Evan Longoria and a developing infield prospect. Longoria and Lincecum both are “unproven” in terms of major league experience but have shown incredible talent, so the trade balances. The infield prospect comes from the fact that Lincecum has played and can handle, even dominate at times, the big league.

I am all for improving the Giants’ offense in any way possible, as long as the names don’t include Lincecum (or Cain). They are the anchors of the team and will complement any good (or at least league-average) offense the Giants have in the future.

Lincecum and Cain, they keep us sane.

90+ Days Until Pitchers and Catchers Report

Click to view

People ask me what I do in the winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.

- Rogers Hornsby

Fortunato Ain't Dead

Ay, what a sucker-punch of a game.

Mavericks 120-115 Warriors

Three lessons learned:

* Monta needs to step up. Underwhelming play, limited court vision, and too many jumpers are not the signs of an improving PG.
* Rebounding. The starters snagged 35, but the bench, namely Matt Barnes, contributed a paltry 3. I can't give Barnes a pass on this one. He rebounded spectacularly during the playoffs last year, and that was on one leg and a broken finger.
* Free throws. For the love of basketball, they are manna from heaven. Don't throw them away. Over the 5-day break, something needs to be done. Visualization, Rick Barry style, hypnosis, anything.

Some positives:

* The motion offense looked much better tonight. I would've liked to see more passing and less dribbling, but an overall improvement from previous games.
* The starters improved tonight, except for Monta. Baron showed flashes of playoff-Baron, Kaz played well with a sprained ankle, Al continued his hot hand, and Andris nearly had a double-double along with 5 blocks, 2 assists, and only 1 turnover.
* The 3-point shooting wasn't near the Mendoza line. In fact, the Warriors batted an MVP-esque .440! I can give props to Barnes for shooting 3-6 from long range with a dislocated finger. Hopefully he's found his touch again and can provide a bigger spark off the bench.

See Ray Ratto's post about the rivalry. There still is some optimism.

Warriors vs Mavericks Tomorrow: Breaking out the Vintage

In my English class, we just started our Romanticism unit by reading some short stories by Edgar Allen Poe. The story that intrigued me the most was "The Cask of Amontillado." If you haven't read it yet, "The Cask" is about two friends, one of whom wants revenge on the other.

Montresor lures Fortunato to his wine cellar, claiming that he needs Fortunato to identify a sherry called Amontillado. Montresor leads him deeper into the cellar and offers him multiple draughts of wine. Eventually, Montresor pushes the drunk Fortunato into a room, chains him to the wall, and begins closing off the entrance with mortar and stone. Fortunato jokes and tells Montresor to let him out, but Montresor just mimics his requests. He seals up the last stone and leaves Fortunato to die.

A bit morbid, isn't it?

Tomorrow, the Mavericks come into Oakland. Like Montresor, Nellie cajoled the Mavs into believing that the Warriors would do no harm. Like Fortunato (what an ironic name), the 67-win Mavs were strung up by the Warriors.

This season, the Warriors have been playing shoddy defense and even shoddier offense. Not the best way to face a team who is out for your head for the past 2 years. The optimist in me says the Warriors improved over the past four games, but the pessimist predicts a 20-point blowout loss. Hopefully, the stone-and-mortar holds up because Fortunato might not be dead just yet.

Frank Yallop: Goodbye LA, Hello to the Bay

Operation Schadenfreude-

Phase 1: Sabotage the Los Angeles Dodgers by sending Mark Sweeney. Accomplished.

Phase 2: Send two-time championship winner coach to the Los Angeles Galaxy to compile a mediocre 18-20-12 record. Accomplished.

Phase 3: Have said coach return to the San Jose Earthquakes to win the MLS in their first inaugural season. Pending.

You Know the Little Red Button that Says "Panic"?

... don't press it just yet.

The Warriors are off to an uninspiring 0-2 start, understandably losing to the Utah Jazz and not-so-understandably losing to the Brand-less Los Angeles Clippers. Recurring themes? Being outrebounded and abused by the other team’s big man. In the reverie of last season’s magical run, this is enough for some fans to say:



Rebounding is not a quick fix problem. What can the Warriors do then?

• Stop taking ill-advised threes: We love to watch the Warriors when their threes are falling. We love to lambast when they are not. In yesterday’s game, the Warriors shot 25% from three-point land as a team with Baron Davis as the main culprit: 1-9. Threes are a good way to quickly erase a large deficit, but if they are not falling, take it to the rack. Many times an opposing player will snag the rebound from the missed three since Andris Biedrins is usually the only player around the paint.
• Pass more: You know the Warriors are “on” when you see quick, sharp passes that result in wide open dunks and threes. I can’t comment about the passing in yesterday’s game (I was covering a football game), but in the game against the Jazz, I did not see any of the drive-kick out-drive-kick out-shoot sequences that were effective last season. Less dribbling and more passing equals high percentage shots and less scoring opportunities for the opponent.
• Get the energy back: Specifically, get the energy from the bench back. Apart from Al Harrington, nobody else on the bench has produced. Because of his incessant rally-killing jumpers in the first game, some fans have dubbed Troy “T-Hud” Hudson as T-Rash. Matt Barnes is looking more like a one-hit wonder than a breakout player. A nifty steal and breakaway dunk or a block down low is sometimes all it takes to get the team rolling again.

Solving these problems won’t effect a 78-game win streak. They will, however, help the team look as if they want to play above mediocrity.

Season Opener: Warriors vs Jazz

Redux, please:



GO WARRIORS!

Breaking: Joe Torre to Manage Dodgers

From the LoHud Yankees Blog:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to fire manager Grady Little and replace him with former Yankees manager Joe Torre, The Journal News has learned.

Torre, 67, could be named manager as soon as tomorrow, according to two sources close to the situation. Don Mattingly is expected to accompany Torre to Los Angeles as his bench coach. Torre is also interested in hiring Kevin Long, his hitting coach with the Yankees.

Torre is a good man, but I am now compelled to boo him.

Rumors of A-Rod to LA to follow shortly.

10/29: Warriors 4 Bagger

We're talking about practice man. We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now.

- Allen Iverson on the importance of practice

Like AI’s speech, the repetitious and meaningless NBA preseason is finally over. Here we are on the eve of the Warriors’ season opener against the Utah Jazz.

• Notes, highlights, and video of yesterday’s open practice from the fans’ point of view. Includes detailed report of offensive and defensive sets in a comment by OptionZero. [GSoM]
• Open practice recap on the official Warriors.com blog. [Warriors.com]
• In-depth analysis of individual performances by Adam Lauridsen. [Fast Break]
• Jason Gurney of Ballhype fame put together a best-case, worst-case, and most-likely-case comparisons for each of the Warriors for this season. Kelenna Azubuike as Mitch Richmond? Heck yes! [GSoM]
• Extended media attention of the Warriors begins right here in the Bay. [Warriors.com]
• Your obligatory "what this season holds" piece. [SFGate]
  
• The front office decided not to extend TFRJ favorite Andris Biedrins beyond this year. I’m disappointed, but this isn’t detrimental either way. [Merc]
• Nothing provides better comic relief than the annual public rookie hazing. The four rooks and Azubuike (who's still counted as a rook) had to learn Soulja Boy, courtesy of Al Harrington and three kids from the audience. Marco needs work.

A-Rod to Opt Out

If the Giants were to sign Alex Rodriguez, who is opting out of his $252 million contract, this would happen:



+



=

49.33% of the Giants payroll next season.

-head explode-

Headdesk: Why Won't the Sharks Push the "ON" Button?

VS
SHARKS ------------------ .500 RECORD TEAM

Sharks are relentless, determined, swift, agile, bright and fearless. We plan to build an organization that has all those qualities.

- Matt Levine on the team's new name in 1990

What do the adjectives relentless, determined, swift, agile, bright, and fearless have in common with a .500 record?

They don't.

Numerous fans this season have cried out, wondering how a team with the likes of Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, and Jonathan Cheechoo on the ice can play like a team of mediocrities. On paper, this team is the embodiment of the Six Commandments of a Shark. On the ice, they lack the sporting world’s Great Commandment: determination. If thou art better than thy opponent, then thou shalt play like thou art.

The Sharks have some of the best, if not the best, talent assembled on the roster. The problem is, they just don’t seem to want it as much as the other team does. Take the Sharks’ 2-1 loss to the Bruins (the Bruins!) in the fifth game of the season. The Sharks could not take control of the game, despite limiting the Bruins to one goal for most of the game and no shots in the second period. Then, they finally notched a goal to tie 1-1, only to kick back, not execute a simple play to clear the puck, and watch the Bruins score a game-winning goal in the dying seconds of regulation.

Perhaps the Sharks read about the simulation where the sim-Sharks won the whole thing. Sorry guys, but waving a copy of NHL 08 at the other team isn’t quuuiiite the same as winning for real.

Perhaps the better question would be: when will the Sharks pull their heads out of their collective ass?

Earthquakes Have a New Home

...in Santa Clara.

The team will play at Santa Clara University's Buck Shaw Stadium during the 08 and 09 seasons. Buck Shaw currently houses 6,000 seats, but will be renovated to include 5,000 temporary seats and a digital video board a la the Phone Booth, among other upgrades.

The Quakes will hold games against larger opponents at larger stadiums. McAfee Coliseum, owned under Quakes' co-owner Lew Wolff, is a possibility with its 50,000 capacity. Another possibility is the newly renovated Stanford Stadium.

After finally finding a home stadium, the Quakes' next two items on the agenda is finding a coach and stocking players. Names for head coach include former Quakes coaches Frank Yallop (Galaxy), Dom Kinnear (Dynamos), Paul Bravo (former Quake now at Galaxy as assistant coach), and Troy Dayak (former Quake defender). The team will hold its expansion draft in November.


[SFGate.com]
[FanNation]

Quickly...

I realize it’s halftime of the Warriors’ final preseason game versus the Clippers, but Hoopsworld write Pree is running a live blog from the game. Drop him a question in the comments section to find out how the young’uns are faring.

Athletes Read Books?!?!

In addition to taking charge of the 2007-08 Warriors, Baron Davis has also started a team book club.

Our team, we are improving and bonding. We even started a book club and yes Steve Jack is a member. Take that haters. Ballers do read, write and count.

Baron is known for being one of the dominant point guards in the Western Conference when he's on, but few realize that he is also an active voice in current events and politics. He's releasing a documentary about the effect of gangs on impoverished neighborhoods, supporting the 50 Million Pound Challenge, and making known what is affecting the USA.

I was watching 360 last night in the Seattle hotel and besides the fires there's a drought in ATL, flooding in the N.O., its still summer weather on the east coast (people wearing shorts in beantown in October) I am starting to get worried, these are some strange days...

Nellie Announces Opening Night Lineup

When thou is smaller than thy opponent, thou doth not goeth bigger, thou shalt goeth even smaller.

-Book of Nellie

PG: Baron Davis
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Kelenna Azubuike
PF: Mickael Pietrus
C: Andris Biedrins

• Nellie also mentions that Patrick O'Bryant and Al Harrington will come off the bench together.
• Why is Pietrus, the very last man to make it to Hawaii, starting? Matt Barnes gives roughly equal production as Pietrus, with fewer mental errors and more ballhandling skills. Pietrus did not live up to his status as lockdown defender last season, rather fouling at a rate of 4.5/40 minutes.
• I'm not too sure why Monta is back at SG. During training camp, Nellie said that he would have to play as a PG. He'll probably slide over to PG with Kaz/Marco Belinelli moving to SG once Baron gets his rest.
• My guess: Everyone except Dre camps out around the 3-point line, with Dre manning the high post. This should space the floor and clear the lane enough for Baron, Monta, Kaz, and Pietrus to take it to the hole.
• Nellie must be trying to counteract any stagnant bench performances with Al coming in as 6th man.
• We'll be out-rebounded badly... again.
• Knowing Nellie, he could change the starting lineup 5 times in the next 9 days, so I'll take this with a big grain of salt.

[Warriors.com]

Other: Pat Burke and Tierre Brown were cut from the squad today. [Janny Hu]

Vote for Grant of McCovey Chronicles!

As you might know, McCovey Chronicles, one of the great SB Nation sports blog, focuses on the San Francisco Giants. Its founder, Grant Brisbee, is one of the finalists for a $10,000 blogging scholarship.

Grant doesn't just post his feelings about the Giants, he creates engaging discussion among the McCoven faithful. He's made McCovey Chronicles the mecca for informed (and informal!) conversations about the Giants, witty banter, and attempts at humor (cue the motivational posters!). Here is a list of 2007's most memorable posts during the 3rd Annual Grant Appreciation Day. I especially recommend the Lincecum Eve poem, the letter to Jay Mariotti, and 756.

The winner of the scholarship is determined by an online vote. Since this will be counted and monitored (unlike Ecko's 756 poll), the poll limits 1 vote per IP address. Grant is part of the proud circle of Bay Area bloggers, so I'm asking for help on his behalf. Tell your friends, family, and co-workers who are Giants fans to check out mccoveychronicles.com and to go vote for Grant.

Take a quick moment to go to http://www.collegescholarships.org/blog/2007/10/08/vote-for-the-winner-of-the-2007-blogging-scholarship/
and vote for Grant Brisbee.

Good luck to Grant from the Front-Row!

Baron Davis vs Marco Belinelli

During the Las Vegas Summer League, Warriors fans became enamored with Marco Belinelli’s deadeye and lightning quick catch-and-shoot. Nellie echoed those feelings with public praises like “I’ve never seen anyone like him in the NBA” and “he’s gonna be special.” Even as a rookie, Il Tiratore has already caught on with Baron Davis during the team’s Hawaii training camp. Baron and Marco stage daily long bomb contests, shooting jumpers from 40 feet out and nailing them.


Too easy

Looking In from the Outside

Padres vs Rockies playoff game to determine the last playoff spot in the NL. Game tied 6-6.

[Update] Just wow. Rockies win a thriller, 9-8, scoring 3 runs off Trevor Hoffman in the bottom of the 13th. Wow. See you in Philadelphia.

The Usual Suspects

With the Giants' nightmare season finally over with an 11-2 win over the Dodgers, it's time to look ahead to a team the Giants want to be. Yes, they're from diametric sports, but nevertheless: the 2008 Golden State Warriors. Young, speedy, and downright exciting.

Most casual NBA fans probably rarely heard about the Warriors up until late last season when they went on the magical playoff run. After an intriguing offseason that included swapping Bay Area favorite Jason Richardson for unproven, big-eared Brandan Wright, dumping the contracts of Adonal Foyle and Sarunas Jasikevicius, re-signing Nellie, and taking on veterans Austin Croshere and Troy "You Know What I'm Sayin'" Hudson, long-timers and newbies alike are wondering, "How is this team going to look like this season?"

The Warriors' return to respectability hinges on some key issues that should be resolved, or at least partially answered, during the 2008-09 season.

1. Is Baron Davis going to stay healthy for at least 70 games? If not, can Monta Ellis, Baron's heir apparent, be trusted to take over?
2. Can the combined play of Marco Belinelli, Stephen Jackson, and Kelenna Azubuike make up for the scoring and rebounding void left by J-Rich?
   
3. Will Brandan Wright show that he is worthy of some playing time, even though Nelson already said that he didn't think Wright was ready yet? Will he be able to help Biedrins snag those rebounds?
   
4. Are Kosta Perovic, Stephane Lasme, and Patrick O'Bryant capable of being Andris Biedrins' backup?
5. Can Stephen Jackson maintain and even increase his level of play from last year? Same goes for Al Harrington, Matt Barnes, and Mickeal Pietrus (assuming he re-signs).
   

Finale

I’ll miss the play.

The games.

The non-games.

The maybe games.

The at-bats.

The swings.

The walks.

The chickens.

The splashes.

The catches.

The steals.

The cameras.

The highlights.

The cheers.

The boos.

The power.

The singlesdoublestriples.

The anticipation.

The home runs.

The home run.

The media.

The controversy.

The interviews.

The press conferences.

The attitude.

The identity.

The mark.

The Giant.

Here’s to Barry Bonds’ last night at Mays Field. Here’s to the fifteen years.

[Update] Well, that's it.

Barry’s last at-bat as a San Francisco Giant in Mays Field ends on the warning track, a few feet short of the front-row. For one moment, it felt like what we Giants fans have felt 762 times before. The wait and the accelerated heart rate. The knowledge that whenever Barry stepped into the batter’s box, he would make things interesting, no matter if the Giants were deep into the postseason grind or playing a meaningless game in September. And then the ball dropped into the glove of Brady Clark on the warning track. Just short, just short, just short….

That’s what it feels like. A metaphor. Giants fans have been witnesses to power, greatness, and towering heights for 15 years. As tonight’s game winds down, those 15 years and 2430 games feel too short. Not enough. One more shot.

Thanks for the 15 years’ worth of memories, Barry Bonds. It’s been awesome.

[Update] I don’t believe how genuinely sad I am about this right now. SFGiants.com has taken down their 756 background image. The grounds-crew is probably clearing up the Bonds 25 image on the outfield grass. No more Road to History signs save for the home-run tracker out in right field. No more waking up every gameday and wondering if Barry’s gonna play. No more rubber chickens hanging from the arcade wall. No more jersey No. 25. This hurts.

How is Ray-Ray All Clutch All of a Sudden?

That was the question I asked my dad last night when we were at the game. Let me say, that was a fun game to be at.

Game notes:

• Kevin Correia is making a strong case for a spot in the 2008 starting rotation. He wiggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the 2nd, getting Cantu and Arroyo to leave Reds fans wondering why they couldn't get a run with less than two outs. Correia was on cruise control for the rest of his 5 shutout innings, lowering his starting ERA to a stingy 2.41.
• Fielding fly balls looks much more difficult in person than on TV. Granted, with the way Correia was pitching, not many balls were hit hard to the outfield. The only two hard hit flies were a line drive that Nate Schierholtz caught by leaping into a padded section of the brick wall in right field, and a long fly that Dave Roberts caught in left-center
• Kevin Frandsen is starting to look more and more like a Major League player. After a career 5-hit night, he went a modest 1-3, but found a way to get on base a second time: getting hit by the pitcher. I don’t know how many times he’s gotten hit this season, but he’s starting to resemble Craig Biggio (in getting HBP). On the defensive side, Frandsen took away a base hit by fielding a tricky ground ball that rolled to the outer edge of the infield.
• Brad Hennessey is still handling his business. After accepting his switch from closer to setup man, he performed admirably in the eighth inning. He got two quick outs before Encarnacion doubled on a ground ball down the left field line. Hennessey wasn’t rattled, and proceeded to end the inning with comebacker. Hennessey pitches much better in no-pressure situations, so the 8^th inning job could be a perfect fit.
• I don’t know where Ray Durham got his clutch powers all of a sudden. This was the second night in a row where he sent home two runners in a pinch-hit situation.
• If Brian Wilson is not the closer next year, I will be very, very sad.

Experience notes:

• Left-center bleachers aren't too shabby. You're surrounded by the diehards who know every player's name, in addition to the names of the rest of the diehards in the section. We had two Reds fans sitting in the row in front of us, so you could expect that we heckled them a bit.
• I got an autograph from Tyler Walker. He’s a cool guy. He was signing for about 10 minutes already, and I was one of the last people to get an autograph and he still signed my baseball anyway.
• It was raining a bit, so batting practice was cancelled. So unfortunately Tyler was my first and last autograph of the day.
• I almost caught a ball that Dave Roberts tossed to our section. I was about two feet too far from it. A little boy ended up with it, so that makes up for my ineptitude with a glove.
• There were two little kids with awesome signs. “Dave Roberts is Awesome”, “God Bless the Giants”, and “I am President of the Tim Lincecum Fan Club”. A camera guy was walking around, and the kids wanted to get on TV. The sad part is that the Roberts sign had ESPN written on the corner, so the guy wouldn’t film them. Naturally, we told him to let the kids on TV, but he said he couldn’t and walked away.
• I saw the Dog. No explanation necessary.

I’ll get pictures up tomorrow.

Wow...

Dear Fans,

This journal will be one of my last entries as a San Francisco Giant. Yesterday, I was told by the Giants that they will not be bringing me back for the 2008 season. During the conversation with Peter Magowan I was told that my play this year far exceeded any expectations the Giants had, but that the organization decided this year would be my last season in San Francisco. Although I am disappointed, I've always said baseball is a business -- and I respect their decision. However, I am saddened and upset that I was not given an earlier opportunity to properly say goodbye to you, my fans, and celebrate with the city throughout the season as I truly believe this was not a last minute decision by the Giants, but one that was made some time ago. I don't have nor do I want any ill feelings towards the organization, I just wish I had known sooner so we had more time to say our goodbyes and celebrate the best 15 years of my life.

I consider the City of San Francisco and you, the fans, my family. Thank you for loving me and supporting me throughout all the highs and lows. I feel a deep connection with you as I have grown up with all of you since the days my dad first became a Giant. The Bay Area has loved my family and friends for so many years and I thank you for that. It is now a time for change, as many athletes have experienced. It is comforting to know that those who have come before me -- Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Joe Montana and Jerry Rice, to name a few -- have forever remained in the hearts of the fans, as I know I will too.

During my career as a Giant, so many people made significant impressions on my life. I'd like to thank all my past and current teammates. I've had the opportunity to play with some amazingly talented ballplayers who have treated me with respect, supported me and rooted for me throughout the years. Mike Murphy, our devoted Equipment Manager, used to baby-sit me as a little boy at Candlestick Park. There are no words to describe the love and respect I have for him. Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper are the two best broadcasters in the business. Their professionalism, integrity and love for the game, puts them in a league of their own. I thank them for their support and I'm honored to call them friends. It is also important to thank all the men and women behind the scenes at the stadium who come to work every day and make it possible for us all to enjoy a day at the ballpark. I love walking to clubhouse hearing their "hellos" every day.

I would have loved nothing more than to retire as a Giant in the place where I call home and have shared so many momentous moments with all of you, but there is more baseball in me and I plan on continuing my career. My quest for a World Series ring continues.

Until next time,

Barry Bonds

Barry Bonds' blog

Now That's a Bat Flip

Martin Prado shows off some serious sleight of hand skills. Keep your eyes on the bat.



[Ballhype]

New Unis, Old Look

Brian Hayward reppin' the Sharks' first uniform.


Joe Thornton rockin' the new retro uni. (oxymoron, anyone?)



I’m a big fan of retro unis, so I think these look pretty fly. The little bits of burnt orange they incorporated sets off the teal and the white nicely without overwhelming the color scheme (see: Warriors’ alternate jersey). I'll give the teal home jerseys the edge here. Though the white jerseys are aesthetically pleasing as well, I'm not too fond of the shiny material used on the name and back number. Maybe it's over-enhanced by the TV and camera lights, but I'm sure it looks better in person. Props to RBK and the Sharks design team for fusing new jersey technology and retro themes together so well.

Official press release [SJ Sharks]

This One's for Her

There are wins where you know you won because you were flat out better than the other team and played as such. Then there are wins that make you feel like you're living on borrowed time.

Toss the 49ers 17-16 win over the Rams into that latter category.

It wasn't all bad though.

• Frank Gore scored two touchdowns, one of them being a 43-yard running beauty while shedding multiple tackles.
• The defense played much better than what they showed in the preseason. Though Bulger threw for 368 yards, he was sacked 6 times and generally got harassed by the linebackers.
• Patrick Willis, last week's Rookie of the Week, got a game high 8 tackles.
• The special teams harried Dante Hall throughout the game. There was one punt return in the 4^th quarter where he was cornered and tackled on the St. Louis 8. Then he had that game-changing dropped punt return where Lady Luck decided she was a Niners fan.

Well, a win is a win. Especially for Frank Gore.

Niners (quickie) 4 Bagger: 9/16

• Defense comes up big
• Do 49ers deserve first place?
• Gore heads to mom's funeral
• Better to be lucky than good
  

Headdesk: Why Does Matt Cain Always Get the Short End of the Run Game

Question: Which pitcher gets tagged with a loss in a 6-0 game?

Pitcher A: 6 IP, 3.71 ERA, 1 H, 6 K, 0 BB
Pitcher B: 6 IP, 5.40 ERA, 4 H, 5 K, 0BB










Answer: Pitcher A, Matt Cain.

That statline says it all. Cain pitches another gem, his only blemish being a questionable triple by Adrian Gonzalez. The Giants, fielding the veteran lineup with two weeks left in a meaningless season, fail to provide any run support despite facing Brett Freakin' Tomko. After failing to score any runs with the bases loaded and one out, the Giants bullpen gives up 5 runs to put the game out of reach. Now the 6-0 loss makes it look as if Cain had imploded in the third inning.

All of his starts versus San Diego this season have resulted in losses.

4/4 3-5
4/9 0-1 (L)
6/27 2-4 (L)
8/3 3-4

Totals (not including tonight's): 28 IP, 18 H, 8 ER, 9 BB, 28 K, 2.57 ERA, .96 WHIP, .188 BAA. 0-2 record. 8 runs of support.

Though Cain doesn't have enough starts left to potentially reach 20 losses (thank God), his season is comparable to these 4 unlucky pitchers. As of now, Cain is sitting on 15 losses while maintaining a 117 ERA+. These four pitchers all have 20 losses, all with an ERA+ over 115:

Player	Year	Team	ERA+
Kaiser Wilhelm	1908	Brooklyn Superbas	124
Eppa Rixey	1917	Philadelphia Phillies	124
Bobo Newsom	1934	St. Louis Browns	124
Turk Farrell	1962	Houston Colt ’45s	124

If Cain had 5 more starts, would his record look like these guys'? Probably, but I'm glad that we won't have to find out.

Sharks 4 Bagger: 9/15

Go Sharks!

- Ralph Barbieri's catchphrase (in a somewhat bronchitis-laden voice)

• One of the Sharks’ greatest strengths is stockpiling blue-chip prospects and setting them up to contribute at an elite level. Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Joe Pavelski, and Matt Carle were just three of the Sharks’ most recent successes last season. Here is the top 20 list of the organization’s most highly-touted prospects:

Sharks Top 20 prospect list:
1. RW - Devin Setoguchi
2. C - Logan Couture
3. G - Thomas Greiss
4. D - Ty Wishart
5. D - Nick Petrecki
6. RW - Jamie McGinn
7. C - Torrey Mitchell
8. LW - Lukas Kaspar
9. G - Timo Pielmeier
10. G - Taylor Dakers
11. RW - Mike Morris
12. G - Tyson Sexsmith
13. C - P.J. Fenton
14. C - Steven Zalewski
15. D - Dan Spang
16. D - Derek Joslin
17. C - Tony Lucia
18. G - Alex Stalock
19. D - James DeLory
20. LW - Patrik Zackrisson

• First-round pick Logan Couture wants to stick around for a while. [SJ Mercury]

• Some video footage of a training camp scrimmage at Logitech Ice Center. [Sharkspage]

• Media Day interviews: Jonathan Cheechoo, Evgeni Nabokov, Coach Ron Wilson, and new signee Jeremy Roenick.

• Roenick can't wait to get back on the ice. [SJ Sharks]
• What to look for during training camp. [SJ Sharks]
• Soccer + hockey = sockey? The group that owns the Sharks is going to buy a minority share in the San Jose Earthquakes. [Soccer Silicon Valley Blog]
  

Many thanks to sharkspage.com for providing the videos and links. Go check them out for more Sharks news!

Guess Who's Back?

After weeks of not-so-intense negotiations, Nellie's agreed to come back for one more year. Even though Nellie was holding all the cards, he relented and signed for virtually the same offer he received a few weeks ago.

Nelson, who last season led the Warriors to their first playoff berth in 13 years and a first-round upset of the Dallas Mavericks, will get a $2 million raise on his base salary for the upcoming season, from $3.1 million to $5.1 million, but the final year (2008-09) of his three-year contract is now a team option (at $5.1 million) rather than guaranteed cash.

As a Warrior fan, this comes as a relief. He's not leaving the team to flounder in the beastly Western Conference and the front-office is continuing to hold firm when it comes to contract negotiations.

The franchise is set for both the short and long term. The players get to play in Nellie’s system for at least another year and Nellie gets one more shot at the playoffs and some extra cash. He’ll probably be too burned out by the end of the season to coach anymore, but Keith Smart should be ready to take over as his successor. Nellie’s also been offered a job as team consultant after he really retires from coaching. Even if Smart is heading the team, Nellie will be around for another 5 years to keep things together.

What does this all mean? We get to watch some organized chaos, wacky lineups with four guards and a big man, and patented Jedi mind tricks for a whole ‘nother year. I can dig it.

I don’t like no coaches, but I looove this man.

-Stephen Jackson after the playoff clinching game in Portland.

RIP Momma Gore

Frank Gore’s mother passed away on Wednesday after a fight against kidney disease. TFRJ’s condolences go out to Gore and his family, as he and his mother were extremely close.

Letters and cards can be sent to Frank via this address:

49ers Public Relations Dept.
4949 Centennial Boulevard
Santa Clara, CA 95054

Giants 4 Bagger: 9/13

Media: In losing to the Diamondbacks yesterday night, the Giants were officially eliminated from contention.

Giants fans: And the bad news is?

• A la Moises Alou and Vladimir Guerrero, Nate Schierholtz doesn’t wear batting gloves. He also has an endorsement deal with Franklin batting gloves. [SFGate]
• Scientists reveal that urea, a component of urine, does not toughen skin. Sorry Moises. [McCovey Chronicles]
• Dan Ortmeier is giving Ryan Klesko a run for his money over at first base. The Giants are committed to giving him some burn, having JT Snow as his mentor and giving him a spot in the Arizona Fall League. Some telling stats: Ryno- 6 HR, 108 games; Ort- 5 HR, 49 games. [SF Giants]
• Rajai Davis’ time from home plate to first base: 3.5 seconds. [SJ Mercury]
• The Diamondbacks’ youth project is a good model for the Giants’ 2008-10 plan. [Giants Talk]
• If Todd Linden hits a game-winning single, does anyone see it? [McCovey Chronicles]
• The Giants have 16 games left. Can they go 10-6 in the next two weeks to beat last year’s record of 75-87? [SF Giants]

Niners 4 Bagger: 9/11

I can’t believe my cable went out when the offense started to put it together.

• After watching one hell of a finish, Fooch over at Niners Nation handed out the virtual game ball(s). [Niners Nation]
• And the “morning after” player analyses. Where in the world was Vernon Davis? [Niners Nation]
• I wish my cable hadn’t gone out during the 4^th quarter. [SFGate]
• We want to see more of the 4^th quarter, final 3 minutes Alex Smith. Not the previous 57 minutes Alex Smith. [Ray Ratto]
• "This field is dedicated in honor of legendary 49ers Head Coach Bill Walsh and the players he inspired to greatness. His genius brought three world championships to San Francisco and forever changed the game of football. His legacy lives on with those who set foot on this field. September 10, 2007." [SFGate]
• This is why Niners fans love Frank Gore. [Gwen Knapp]
• Unsurprisingly, the real game ball went to the 49ers secondary. [SFGate]
• Press Democrat’s Matt Maiocco with his notes. [Instant 49ers]
• And more notes. [Instant 49ers]
• Even though he didn’t look comfortable at times and made some weak passes, we saw flashes of an improved Alex Smith. [Sac Bee]
• Make sure to vote for Patrick Willis as the Rookie of the Week. Nine tackles and a forced fumble is just the beginning. [NFL.com]
  

A Very Special Day, Indeed

Ah, the sweet, sweet smell of sweat, turf, and Monday Night Football.

7:15? Check.
Arizona Cardinals? Check.
Throwback uniforms? Check.
On-field dedication to Bill Walsh? Check.
National TV coverage on ESPN? Check.
Frank Gore returning? Check.
49ers' secondary versus the Cardinals' wide receivers? Check.
Alex Smith versus Matt Leinart? Check.
The return of the San Francisco 49ers to a playoff berth? Well, we'll just have to wait and see, right?

GO NINERS!