My September Cup o' Coffee

September roster expansions are good for two things: extra bodies to replace the weary ones on playoff-bound teams, and player evaluations for the #1 pick bound teams. So, who might the ones be to get a (re)taste of the big leagues?

• Jonathan Sanchez: He's a definite call-up, seeing as he's taking Lincecum's spot in the rotation tomorrow. After being sent down to Fresno in August to smooth out his inconsistencies with his command. In his time down there, he's pitched 14.2 innings with 5 earned runs, 8 walks, and 22 strikeouts. After being bounced around from starter to reliever, this is his time to prove that he can start and pitch well.
• Nate Schierholtz: He was with the Giants for most of June, hitting .325 in 14 games. He was sent back down to Fresno again, with the note to start hitting for power. Since then, he's hit 10 home runs with a batting average of .333.
  
• Eliezer Alfonzo: After suffering a play-at-the-plate collision in June, he was sent to the 60-day DL and eventually to the Grizzlies for rehab. During his rehab, he's batting .317 with Fresno. Before the collision, he batted .260 in 21 games.

And who are the ones who might be taking a sip for the first time?

• John Bowker
• Eugenio Velez
• Clay Timpner
• Osiris Matos
• Brian Horwitz
• Erick Threets
  
• Matt Palmer
• Scott McClain

Bochy did say that a few players not on the 40-man could be called up.

[UPDATE]

Sanchez and outfielder Nate Schierholtz will be recalled from Triple-A Fresno today when major league rosters expand, Bochy said. The club will call up three or four more players, including catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, after the Triple-A season ends Monday. Outfielder Fred Lewis will follow as soon as his sprained ankle heals. Bochy said one of the call-ups could be a player who isn't on the current 40-man roster, possibly outfielder Clay Timpner.

Man, It's Hot

Due to this uncharacteristic August heat, I'm not fully functioning right now. Apologies in advance for rambling sentences, grammar errors, and misspellings.

Well, tomorrow is the Giants' first day off in 30 days. I don't know what I'm gonna do. They're like that unfaithful boy/girlfriend who says he/she'll "never do it again, I swear" but you know he/she will and yet you stay with him/her anyway. The funny thing is, the Giants have been playing good ball ever since 756, winning 11 of their last 14.

Wouldn't it have made sense if the Giants lost 11 of the last 14? To sneak up on the Devil Rays in the race for the #1 draft pick? Well, unlike much in the Giants season, this could be classified as a win-win situation.

The Wins:

• The starters are improving. In a losing season, that's been a definite plus. In his last 3 starts, Zito looks much more comfortable on the mound. His fastball's better than it's ever been this season. He's found the release point of his curveball and can steal strike one. Cain's figured out how to get his own run support (I'm typing that half in jest). Even disregarding his two homeruns, his ABs are noticeably better (lineouts and flyouts are much more preferable to groundouts).
  
• The bullpen is solidifying. With the addition of Brian Wilson, the bullpen is more stable. In his short re-call, he's only pitched 10 shutout innings. Hennessey has also been very reliable. He's currently on a 13 consecutive saves streak, the longest streak in Giants history since Robb Nen's in 2002 (12 consecutive saves).
  
• The young'uns look as if they at least belong in the majors. They may or may not pan out to be every day players, but there's some hope for Rajai, Frandsen, Ortmeier, or any of the other guys who'll be called up in September.

The Other Wins (That Stem From Losses):

• Well, losing brings us a step closer to a higher draft pick. Of course, this is supposed to be the consolation prize to losing. One must never root for one's own team to lose, no matter what the circumstances. That'd be the Golden Rule of Fandom.
  

Sorry for the Hiatus

Gotta adjust to the high school schedule again. Methinks my posts will be more sporadic now, due to this formula:

4 advanced classes * 7 days > x blogging hours

Some quick notes though, to keep up to date:

• The Giants just finished off sweeping the Brewers. The Cubs should be thanking us for misplacing our offense when they were in town.
• G-Rod got his first career big fly in the majors.
• Rajai Davis has been slumping lately. He was 1-17 or something like that coming into today's game. He was also caught stealing second today.
  
• The Giants received Travis Denker, a high A 2B, from the Dodgers in the Sweeney deal. Considering early reports having us getting cash, this is a definite steal.
• Speaking of Sweeney, he's gone 3-15 ever since getting traded. This further evidences that he is still a Giant.
• The 49ers were exploited by the Bears yesterday. The defense made Rex Grossman look good. But then he fumbled a snap and threw an interception, so the order of the universe was restored.
• It doesn't seem like the contract negotiations between the Warriors and Nellie are getting anywhere. I'll be extremely worried if this isn't sorted out by the end of September.
• The USA basketball team is playing quite well. They've steamrollered over every single one of their opponents by at least 40 points. If they don't win the gold in Beijing next year, I'll be very disappointed.
• Bayern are now 3-0 with 0 goals conceded in the Bundesliga. Everyone is clicking, but the players are dropping like flies. Toni just went down with a hamstring injury and is sidelined for up to 10 days.
  
• Hamit Altintop is astounding. What a threat to have off the bench.
  

I saved the best news for last:

• Rich Aurilia, Noah Lowry, Matt Cain, Vinnie Chulk, Kevin Correia, and Tim Lincecum will be guest bartenders at Dolce in San Francisco this coming Wednesday at 7 PM. The cover is $15, and it's a charity event for a boy with spinal muscular atrophy. I'd love to go there and ogle Noah, Matt, and Timmyhelp a worthy cause, but age restrictions and school nights say otherwise. It sucks being my age.
  

GSoM Night II - WE GSOM

Yeah, I know this is not the superblog that is Golden State of Mind. The Front-Row Johnson is far from that. But I'm here to tell you about the party that will be goin' on during the Warriors home opener against the Jazz on October 30.

That's right, a party. GSoM is hosting its 2nd GSoM Night, the craziest game experience ever. Here's what 350 diehard fans look like packed into the upper deck:


And that was just the first GSoM Night.

This time, they're amping it up to 500+ people. 500+. I can't even imagine the intensity that the Oracle's gonna get. Here are the details:

1) When is it?
Opening night vs Utah - Tuesday, October 30
Sorry to everyone who can't make it that night, but c'mon it's opening night! I've never been to an opening night before, so to spend it with all of you will make my first opening night special.

2) Courtside Shootaround
Just like last year we'll be able to go down courtside around 6p to watch the players warm up. Unless you're ballin out of control, rarely do you ever get to see the players up close and personal.

3) Free GSoM Night T-shirts
Remember the free We Believe t-shirts the Warriors gave out during the playoffs? Well we're bringing that back but with some GSoM flavor. Everyone who purchases a ticket through GSoM gets a free t-shirt designed by our very own Tony.psd. WE GSOM!

4) GSoM Raffle
More free stuff! You want some free Warriors merchandise? How about some free Warriors memorabilia? Or how do free tickets to future games sound? Well we're giving all that away in a GSoM raffle! All you have to do is buy a ticket for GSoM Night 2 and be present at the time of the raffle to have a chance to win.

5) High 5's in the Tunnel (16 & under)
How cool is this?! During player introductions, 20 randomly chosen people aged 16 and under will get to stand in the tunnel and high 5 the Warrior players as they get introduced. I wish I was 16 just so I could do this.

6) Jumbotron Love
Just like last year, they're going to zoom to our section and put us up on the Jumbotron during the game. When that happened last year, we went bananas and showed the rest of the crowd what GSoM is all about. Expect more of the same this year.

7) Family Friendly Section
We have always said that this is a family friendly site, and we intend to maintain that across our GSoM Nights. This year, we're setting up a family friendly fan section and a rabid Warriors fan section. The sections will still be next to each other, but we can give the families with young kids their own space while the rabid fans (like me!) can go crazy in our section too.

8) At least 500 of your GSoM friends
We're looking to build on last year's success and are looking to sell at least 500 of these tickets. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, facebook or myspace friends and anyone else you can think of about GSoM Night 2. We'll rock the house. No doubt.

High-fives in the tunnel? Free merchandise? Courtside shootaround? Jumbotron? Hell yes.

With the Warriors magical playoff run last season, game tickets are worth more than gold. Normally, tickets won't be on sale until a month before the season starts, but thanks to GSoM friend Chris Murphy, you'll be able to buy tickets to the home opener right now. He's guaranteed 500 tickets, with more on the way if need be. Hurry!

Just like last year, our boy Chris Murphy of the Warriors is in charge of tickets.

Cost: $30 (regularly $35)
Seat Location: Club 200 - Sections 205-212 and if we fill that up 221-228

There are 3 ways to order:
1) Call Chris: (510) 986-2214
2) Email Chris: ctmurphy@gs-warriors.com
3) Download, print, and mail the GSoM Night 2 flyer.

Of course, nothing completes a rockin' game like free merch. As up above, GSoM will be giving away free T-shirts, designed by the graphic artist maestro Tony Robles (aka Tony.psd). Here's what they'll look like:



In addition, Tony will also give away an original poster for one lucky winner. If you haven't seen his work yet, check out this wallpaper up on the warriors.com Fan Artwork page. Or the posters he created during the Warriors playoff run (scaled version found down the right-hand sidebar on GSoM).

Get your tickets, get your husband/wife/friends, and get ready for the craziest and the loudest game of your life!

Schadenfreude

Alternate title: Mark Sweeney is still a San Francisco Giant.


Sween Dawg to Mays Field, over. Sabotage commences at o'nineteen hundred, over.

You gotta love it:

But Sweeney, a pinch-hitter who was picked up last week in a trade with the San Francisco Giants, made a mental blunder that resulted in the game's final out. Appearing to lose track of the number of outs, Sweeney strayed too far from first base when Juan Pierre popped up. Catcher Brad Ausmus caught the ball in foul territory and threw out Sweeney to end the game. Shea Hillenbrand was on second base.

Here's a little fictional anecdote posted on McCovey Chronicles:

On the last day of the season in LA, the Dodgers vs the Giants, bottom of the ninth, the Bums have Mark Sweeney on third base with only one out in a 3-2 ball game. The Bums best hitter, James Loney is at the plate, so they're feeling pretty good. The Dodgers need to win to get into the playoffs.

Suddenly, Sweeney takes off from third before Hennessey throws the pitch. They tag him out easily, to the shock of 50,000 mouthbreathing fans in Chavez Ravine.

James Loney is so shocked he takes 3 straight fastballs right down the middle without even realizing Hennessey threw one. The stadium is completely silent.

Sweeney bursts out of the dugout and rips off his jersey to reveal a Giants jersey underneath it. The Giants pick him up and carry him off the field on their shoulders.

Sizing Them Up: Part II

Overview: 67-15 record... Lost to the Warriors 4-2 in the first round of the 2007 playoffs... Dirk Nowitzki won 2006-2007 MVP... 4th highest regular season win total...

Subtractions: Traded rights to Mikolan Rakovic to Orlando Magic for Reyshawn Terry...

Additions: Received Reyshawn Terry from Orlando Magic for rights to Mikolan Rakovic... Signed Nick Fazekas... Signed Brandon Bass... Re-signed Jerry Stackhouse... Re-signed Devean George... Signed Eddie Jones...

Thoughts: After being run out of the building by the Warriors in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, it was clear that the Mavericks needed to find a hardnosed utility player to plug their defensive holes. They went out and signed FA Jones as their version of Matt Barnes, but I don't think he'll be the answer to the Mavs' problems. At most he'll be another scoring option off the bench.

Re-signing Stack to a $21 million/3 year deal was questionable. In contrast, the Jason Kapono, another 3-point shooter, signed with the Toronto Raptors for about $24 million/4 years. In addition to being younger, Kapono shoots a higher FG% than Stackhouse. Although Stackhouse provides a legit scoring threat off the bench (see game 4 of the Warriors/Mavs series), he does not provide much else.

Re-signed Devean George was one of those meh moves. He doesn't add much, nor does he taketh away.

I'm not sure why the Mavs haven't addressed their gaping hole at PG yet. Devin Harris is the closest they've got to a true PG, and after that, nobody else. Jose Juan Barea is decent, but his height makes him a liability at times. The Mavs also don't have any quality backup swingmen after Jerry Stackhouse. Rumors have it that they are interested in the Warriors' Pietrus. Despite his countless mental mistakes, he is an ideal athletic swingman for the Mavs who also provides some perimeter defense.

In summation, the Mavs haven't done much in the offseason. I suppose Mark Cuban thinks that last season's team, flawed as it was, is good enough to go all the way this season.

Threat Level (1 being sugar-glass, 5 being adamantite): 2.5-3 - As Mike Krukow would say, we have ownage over the Mavs. Nellie knows too much about the Mavericks and Avery's tendencies and flaws.

Next up, the team that is home to drama queen Kobe Bryant: the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Wright Stuff

Warriors rookie Brandan Wright fancies himself as a blogger. Or maybe AOL asked him to do it. I don't know. In his first entry, he says that he wasn't as excited as other fans when the Warriors defeated Dallas.

But how familiar am I with the Warriors? Well, I don't know any of the guys on the team from summer ball or college or anything like that. But like everyone else, I watched their first-round upset of the Mavericks. I was impressed with the toughness they showed in beating Dallas; dominating them, even. I wouldn't say I was as excited as a lot of other basketball fans, but it was impressive.

Blasphemy!

Nah, just kidding. When you start grabbing 8 boards a night, we'll forgive your transgressions.

Wright also likes playing video games (who doesn't?), tennis, and golf. Don't quit your day job.

It's Futbol Season!

No, not this.


This.

Yes, welcome to my dark and sordid side of international footie. I don't believe I've explained who my favorite teams are yet, so here they are:

• FC Bayern Munich (Bundesliga, Germany) - I only started following them last season due to the World Cup. I was arbitrarily rooting for Germany, picked Lukas Podolski, Bastian Schweinsteiger, and Philipp Lahm as my favorite players, and then chose their domestic club as my favorite. At that time, Podolski was moving from FC Cologne to Bayern, so I picked well. After a disappointing season last year for the Bundesliga juggernauts (not qualifying for the Champions League and finishing fourth), they splashed the cash and picked up the likes of Miroslav Klose (Podolski's strike parter in the German NT), Ze Roberto (former Bayern star), Franck Ribery (outstanding French midfielder), Luca Toni, Hamit Altintop, Marcell Jansen, and Jan Schlaudraff. With a completely retooled team, this season could vault the Reds back into CL contention.
• Bolton FC (Premiership, England) - I don't really know too much about this team, though they are pretty okay. They're not one of the Big 4 , but they're certainly a contending mid-table team. I started following them when I began reading Kevin Nolan's, the Bolton captain, column on BBC Sport. Bolton qualified for the UEFA Cup last season, so maybe they might be playing Bayern in a match. I don't follow Bolton as much as I do Bayern, but I still keep up with their scores and such.

Bayern's first match of the season was against newly promoted Hansa Rostock. Seeing as I live about 9 time zones away from where this match took place, I can only get the highlights. Even from 7 minute clips, it looks like Bayern are a completely different team.

• Great 1-2 pass from Miro to Toni. It completely threw off the lone defender and goalie.
• So many different scoring options. Miro and Toni are both adept at using their heads as well at their feet to score goals, something that was sorely lacking last season when Michael Ballack left. More creativity in the midfield with Schweini, Ribery, and Ze Roberto.
  
• I haven't seen the Miro midair front-flip for a long time. Classic.
• We should have had way more goals than 3. Still, it's good to win.
  

Play of the Year

In a downright depressing season for Giants fans sans 756, there are few bright spots to look ahead to. To put it mildly, the farm system is shoddy, the "veteran" position players are old and past their primes, the bullpen is inconsistent, the offense lacks punch, blah blah blah.

The bright spots, though, come in the form of Lincecum, Cain (when he gets run support), and maybe even Rajai Davis. In 13 games with the Giants, he's batting .405/.500/.622, stolen 8 bases, and shown that he has a cannon for an arm. I know, I know, small sample size. But with little to look forward to, this is something pretty significant.

Not halfway convinced yet? Maybe this will help:

Foyle Bought Out, Warriors Fans are Rejoicing Ambivalent

Pree from HoopsWorld.com reports that Adonal Foyle, the 10-year Warrior veteran, has agreed to a buyout. In addition, Foyle is asking for only $13 million, about 66-68% of his salary, which will be paid over the space of 3 years.



The ending of Foyle's 10-year tenure with the Warriors marks the ending of the pre-Nelson Mullin era. It's refreshing, and in some cases, difficult, to see Mullin correcting his past mistakes by removing huge contracts. Foyle is the very last one of such contracts, outlasting Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, and most recently, Jason Richardson.

Despite his shortcomings in Nellie's system, I'll miss Foyle as a person. In a modern sports world where money is one of the most important, if not predominant, aspects, he is the antithesis to it all. He's a thoughtful and well-spoken guy, with other concerns beyond lining his pockets.

Throughout his 10 years, which were all in the Dark Ages of Warriors basketball, he stuck with the team and rarely complained. I'm happy that he was finally rewarded with the playoffs for his loyalty. I wish him the best elsewhere, and when it's all said and done, hope that he returns to the Bay (and becomes the President of the United States).

So where does that leave the Warriors? In a significantly better position to do more player-wise than a day ago. Here are some options that have opened up with Foyle's buyout:

1. A Pietrus sign-and-trade is looking more likely. The $3 million from the buyout could help the Warriors land either Jason Williams or Udonis Haslem from the Heat. Reports came out a few days ago that even with the Penny Hardaway signing, the Heat were still interested in Pietrus.
2. A combination of the $10 million TPE from the JRich trade and the $3 million from the buyout could result in the signing of a big-name player. AK47's name has been floating around Warriors forums and has been a target for some fans. Coincidentally, Kirilenko also makes $13 million this season... Other names could include JO, Artest, perhaps even Kobe.
3. The $3 million would help with extending Monta and Andris' contracts. Before the buyout, extensions for both were looking unlikely, especially if the Warriors added another player, but now there is more leeway.

Sizing Them Up: Part I

Overview: 58-24 record... 2006-2007 NBA Finals winners...

Subtractions: Waived James White... Traded Luis Scola and Jackie Butler to Houston for Vassilis Spanoulis... Drafter Tiago Splitter, but cannot buy him out until next season

Additions: Received Vassilis Spanoulis... Drafted Tiago Splitter... Resigned Fabricio Oberto... Resigned Matt Bonner...

Thoughts: The Spurs did not do much, and rightfully so. They'll ride the Big 3 of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili to another 3+ rings and perhaps establish an era of dominance. Well, maybe they're not quite there yet, seeing as they've only been champions every other year since 2003. One thing's for sure: they'll keep playing that incredibly efficient brand of basketball, much to the chagrin of good TV.

Resigning Oberto was a good move. He's a vastly underrated player for the Spurs, doing all the dirty work in the post. Even though Splitter is unable to play in the NBA this season, the Spurs have a contingency plan once Duncan is past his prime. Splitter can continue his development in Europe for another year or so, and then start learning under the wing of Duncan, who will be 34 by then. The Spurs have had success with overseas players, so I wouldn't be surprised if Splitter starts flourishing with them. At least he could pan out better for them unlike Butler.

I'm not too crazy about the concept trading with division rivals, so I'm not too sure about the Butler-Scola/Spanoulis swap. It's probably just a salary dump on the Spurs end of things, since Spanoulis has publicly stated he doesn't want to play in the NBA anymore.

Threat Level (1 being sugar-glass, 5 being adamantite): 5 - The Spurs are the anthesis to the Warriors. The Spurs are built to dismantle the Warriors. The Spurs are the kryptonite to the Warriors. The Spurs are to the Warriors as the Warriors are to the Mavericks.

There's not a body (maybe except Biedrins, but only for one game last season) on the Warriors that can stop Duncan. Monta, despite his speed and body control, is no match for Parker. Their bench, with the likes of Brent Barry and Robert Horry, provides too much depth for the usual 7-8 man rotation Nellie uses. Scary.

Next up, our favorite punching bags: the Dallas Mavericks.

A Digression

Shiny

Well, the Giants offense struck, or not, again, resulting in the 985719875th shutout of the season. Luckily, the game was simultaneous with Tiger birdie-ing and par-ing his way to winning his 13th major, 5 back from Jack Nicklaus' record of 18. Tiger Woods > Giants.

Anyway, the Giants are back at it this afternoon with a doubleheader against the Pirates. Ironically, the doubleheader was scheduled because of rain, but the weather in Pittsburgh has a 60% chance of rain today. Maybe if they're rained out again, I won't have to flip between them and the Niners.

More Tiger: Scott Ostler over at the Chron wrote an interesting piece on Woods today. He writes that Tiger is one of those real role-model athletes, and I have to agree with him.

T-minus 5 Hours and 20 Minutes

Until 49ers football is back in action!

Tonight's preseason opener begins at 5 against the Broncos. According to Nolan, the starters will take the field for the first 15 plays or the first quarter, whichever comes first, the second unit takes over for the second quarter, and the rest of the game will be played by guys looking to make the roster.

Unlike last summer, I couldn't go to training camp, so this will be my first time seeing Patrick Willis, Joe Staley, and all the other draft picks. From what I've read about them around the internet, I'm already impressed.

It should be a fun, if meaningless from a fan's perspective, game to watch, but hey, we've been waiting 6 months, right?

San Francisco 49ers vs Denver Broncos
5 PM
ESPN, Ch. 7
KNBR 1050

Unexpected

Here's the first couple of lines from the Chron's recap:

First inning: 10 pitches, nine strikes, three strikeouts.

Fourth inning: 31 pitches, six baserunners, five runs.

Tim Lincecum had one of those topsy-turvy afternoons Saturday at China Basin.

Yeah. The game was awesome for the first 3 innings, and then Timmy sort of... imploded? It was weird. He got 6 strikeouts in those fun 3 innings, but then... yeah. He looked like he was sucker-punched after the back-to-back HR's by Freddy Sanchez and Adam LaRoche. I'm telling you, weirdest thing ever.

I don't have to mention the bullpen implosion (again) or the anemic offense (again), right?

So Zito's pitching tomorrow. I'm calling a sweep. Hopefully it'll be over by the 3rd inning and not one of those 13 inning deaths.

Monster Park, Bill Walsh Field

During Friday's public memorial for Bill Walsh, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that Monster Park's field would be named after Walsh.

It's a simple but beautiful gesture. If you want to be mercenary about it, the 49ers are still sponsored by Monster, and Monster still has the stadium rights. I'm sure that Bill Walsh field will be carried over to the new park in Santa Clara.

Sizing Them Up: Prologue

With the NBA season coming upon us With the NBA season still a long 2 months away, I'll be writing a series of posts about the beast that is the Western Conference. I'll size up each team, look at their major gains and losses, how I'll expect them to do next season, and how much of a threat they present to the Warriors.

There's no timetable for when (and if) I'll finish this, but I know I'll have it done by October 30.

We'll start off with the winners of last season's Finals rings, the San Antonio Spurs.

The Light and The Truth

Here's a story to lessen the pain from last night's bullpen blowup (again). At least there was Psych on afterwards so I could laugh.

A scout once saw Tim Lincecum pitching against another pitcher with equal talent and ability. The game was tight early on, with both pitchers allowing runners on base but not allowing any to score. It remained 0-0 in the top of the ninth.

This was when Lincecum got himself into a spot of trouble. He got sloppy and allowed 3 consecutive singles. With the bases loaded and no one out, Lincecum turned to the other pitcher, who was standing in the dugout. Lincecum said, "I admit it. You are a better pitcher than I am."

Puzzled, the other pitcher replied, "Then why are you still smiling?"

"Because I know something that you don't."

"And what is that?"

"I... am not left-handed." With that, Lincecum put the ball in his right hand and transferred his glove to his left. He proceeded to strike out the next 3 batters on 9 pitches, all swinging.

Lincecum's team won in the bottom of the ninth, with a walk-off home run by Les Johnson.

Moral of the story: Do not question the light and the truth that is Tim Lincecum.

Ahoy, Matt-ey!

This homestand wraps up with a 3-game series against the Pirates. Who other than recently traded and disgruntled Matt Morris starts on the mound. He had a few choice words to say about the Giants management after he became a Pirate. I'm not sure how the fans will treat him, but maybe it won't matter since the yard's been quiet dead after the 756 euphoria. I guess it's only fitting if he throws a complete game shutout against us, despite giving up 80 hits and 40 runs in 45.1 innings during his last 8 starts as a Giant.

Russ Ortiz will be making his own comeback tonight as a replacement starter for Lowry. He's been quite successful against Pittsburgh throughout his career, 8-1 and a 3.18 ERA in 12 career starts (13 if you count a relief role). He almost had a CG against them earlier this year, but was pulled with one out left.

7:15 PM start time.

Bye-Bye, Sweeney

Professional pinch hitter Mark Sweeney's been dealt to the Dodgers.

He was heating up around the trade deadline, so obviously that increased his stock. Though I won't root for him as a Dodger, he was a good teammate and performed well as a Giant, so I wish him well. Good luck in Lalaland, Sweeney.


May you get 20 more pinch hits... but all in Dodger losses

Ortmeier was called up to take Sweeney's spot.

It's good to see Sabean making... good on his word. It may be minor so far, but it's a step in the right direction. Hopefully this is another fleecing.

1!!!

MATT CAIN GOES DEEP! FIRST CAREER HOME RUN! ROAD TO HISTORY, BABY!


Reproduction of Kruk and Kuip's telestrator-happy antics


They need to get a picture of him swinging the bat. Caught everyone off-guard

Congratulations to Bruce Bochy for getting his 1000th win as a manager!


Hopefully we tack on a few more so he can get out of the sub-500 zone

And Barry went deep. McCovey Cove deep.

Maybe This is What It's About

I would like to offer my congratulations to Barry Bonds on becoming baseball's career home run leader. It is a great accomplishment, which required skill, longevity, and determination. Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball, and I have been priviledge to hold this record for 33 of those years. I'll move over now, and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historical achievement, My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dream. - Hank Aaron

On August 7, 2007, Barry Bonds hit his 756th career home run at Mays Field, passing Hank Aaron as the new home run leader. It was truly one of the greatest moments in all of sports, one that will now be shown countless times, as is the video of Hank Aaron trotting around the bases with two long-haired fans.

At 8:51 PM, Mike Bacsik gave up Barry's 756th home run. He went back to the dugout to collect himself, but listened to Barry's emotional speech and Hank Aaron's message. Bacsik is the son of another former Major Leaguer, a pitcher of the same name, Michael Bacsik. Bacsik Sr. faced Aaron two months after Aaron hit 755, but did not yield 756. During the press conference, Bacsik Jr. addressed the questions from the media, in essence saying, "There's no shame in giving up a home run to Barry Bonds." He had a demeanor about him, one of friendly acknowledgment that he and Bonds would forever be joined in history.

In that moment, he became a child again.

Every record, every accomplishment, every milestone, is built up by a number of smaller things, seemingly insignificant in the light of the achievement itself. During his interview with Mike Krukow and his press conference after the game, Barry said he applied one piece of advice from his father, Bobby Bonds, that is, to load his back leg. During the 10 minute on-field celebration, Barry lost himself when he thanked his father. He doubled over, but with his fist still pointed toward the night sky, his voiced choked and teary.

Number 756 did not just break a record. It turned the 43,000 at Mays Field and the millions at home watching into a human again, a child again. In one moment, people of both the younger generation and the older generation were united in that simple, pure, untroubled happiness only a child experiences.

And maybe that's what so great about the game. It humanizes us, it touches the child-like awe and appreciation for the great in us. Maybe that was what Bonds and Bacsik were feeling last night. Maybe that is what keeps us, the children of baseball, together.

756

The facts:

• Time: 8:51 PM (PST)
• Count: 3-2
• Pitch speed: 86 mph
• Pitches: 7
• Distance: 435 ft

Bacsik deals... and Bonds hits it high... hits it deep!... it is out of here!... 756!... Bonds stands alone. - Duane Kuiper

Congratulations Barry.

8/7 Giants vs Nationals

Sorry, I couldn't think of a partially clever title.

Zito will be on the mound tonight against a guy whose name I can't pronounce. It's spelled Bacsik, but I don't know if it sounds like basic or back-sick.

Most Giants fans, including me, are pretty displeased with the way Zito's been pitching this season, but I have some newfound respect for him when he pitched an inning of relief during the last game of the Padres series. He could have easily said no, but he sounded eager for some relief work.

"It's fun to help the team on a day when I didn't come to the yard thinking I would."

From pitching relief, Zito said he learned to focus on just one hitter at a time instead of thinking about going 6 or 7 innings, a practice he would take into today's start. In yesterday's post-game wrap, Kruk and Kuip were remarking that Zito also might have learned that he didn't need 60-100 warmup pitches but quite less.

First pitch at 7:15 tonight. Don't walk the stadium.

Graphing Madness (but Good Madness)

Mapping the NBA is a very interesting breakdown of all the teams in the NBA. It's a great article by tziller, who also runs SacTown Royalty, complete with graphs and a detailed analysis. I learned some surprising things in it, especially that the San Antonio Spurs are not dirty cheating scums. It sure seems they are though.

11th Hour Win

Hot damn
Giants 3
Nationals 2
WP: Hennessey
LP: King

The Giants are so good at getting into extra-inning messes. Thankfully, they got a rare win out of this one.

Timmy went a strong 7 innings, striking out 8, walking 5, and allowing only 1 run on 5 hits. He couldn't get a decision in this one, but helped out a bullpen that was maxed out in the Padres series. He hit from the mid 90's to low 100's with his fastball, once clobbering Ryan Zimmerman with one straight into the W of his batting helmet and then striking him out the next time up with a scorching 101 mph heater.

The Nats' Lannan pitched quite well too. He also went 7 innings, walking 5, striking out 2, and giving up only 1 run. Despite an error made by Jimenez's throwing error that allowed Timmy to reach 2nd and Davis to get on 1st, he got Vizquel to fly out and end the inning. He was able to keep Barry hitless, walking him once but sending him back to the bench with a foulout, DP ball, and a strikeout. I like Lannan. Hope he does well in the future.

Most of the Giants' offense came from Molina. I've tagged him for losing his clutch powers recently (either that or G-Rod stole them), but he came through. Bengie tied the game in the 1st with a ground ball that found a hole into left field that allowed Rajai Davis to score. He did it again in the 10th with a sacrifice grounder that got Winn to score and tie the game at 2-2.


Courtesy of Natto from McCovey Chronicles

The bottom of the 11th began with Klesko smoking the ball into right field for a double. The Nats' defense was lined up so that Triples Alley was taken away, but the rest of right field was left open. Roberts was intentionally walked, but Rajai got hit on the back of the hand to load the bases. I'm not sure if Rajai was even hit, seeing as the catcher seemed to be more in pain than Rajai was. It looked like the Giants wouldn't be able to get a run in, since Omar grounded into a fielder's choice that got Klesko thrown out at the plate.

Despite falling behind with 2 strikes, Randy Winn smoked a single into right field. Roberts scored the winning run. The walkoff celebration was kind of weird. Roberts was going in for a high-five, but the brim of his batting helmet bumped Winn's lip. He seemed okay though during the post game interview with Kruk and Kuip. Get some ice on that.


Sweeney's Irish beanie is pretty cool

Must See TV

How crazy will it get tonight?

Bonds is coming home on the verge of 756 and The Enchanter is starting on the hill tonight at 7.

Bonds and the rest of the lineup will be facing Nationals' pitcher Lannan for the first time. I wouldn't blame the kid if he doesn't want to be a trivia question. Lannan is a young lefty (1-0, 5.40 ERA) who just picked up his first win in his last start.

The Nats will be facing Timmy for the first time. Despite not having his usual control, Timmy limited the Dodgers to 2 hits and 1 run in 6 innings of work in his last start. I guess it's some sort of magic. He had one AAA game where he walked everybody and still shutout the other team.

Barry and Timmy. Let the pandemonium begin.

The Mohawk is Back

Matt Barnes is returning to the Warriors for one more year. He's expected to resign today to a 1-year, $3.5 million contract.

I love this guy. He's a player a coach can rely on every game for hustle, heart, and grit. Barnes has a great work ethic and take-no-prisoners attitude. He can play all 5 positions, take some floor burn for rebounds, and give aggressive fouls. I think he's a fun guy to be around, seeing as he came up with the pre-game Jax pat-down routine and chipped in with the Barkley Fave 5 video spoof. It's great to have him back on the team. Thanks for bringing back an influential player at the right price, Mully.

A Weekend of History

August 4, 2007: 755 home runs - B. Bonds

• Side by Side With Aaron
• The Dugout: MLB Official Chatroom AIM Log
• Long awaited No.755 was one to savor
• Fans 1, Selig -412
• Golic Goes to Town
• Homecoming of sorts for Bonds
• Barry Bonds' 755th shot to tie Hank Aaron's home run record begins to sink in
• San Francisco fans rejoice at Bonds' historic homer

August 4, 2007: 500 home runs - A. Rodriguez

• A-Rod finally belts career homer No. 500
• Wait is over for Rodriguez
• Yankees fan who caught Alex Rodriguez's 500th home run ball considers his options
• A-Rod belts historic 500th homer
  

August 5, 2007: 300 wins - T. Glavine

• The lunch-pail magician
• Glavine may be last to reach 300 wins
• Glavine wins 300th; shares weekend spotlight with Bonds, A-Rod
• Glavine wins No. 300, bests Cubs
• For Glavine, winning 300th was a family affair
• Glavine could be last to reach 300 for years

SEVEN FIDDY-FIVE, BABY!

7:29 PM. 2-1 count. Fastball away. Swing. That full, rich thwap. High. Deep. Opposite field.

And that awed gasp heard 754 times before.

Hours before the game, Bonds was taking batting practice. He and Bochy were trying to simplify his swing. Strip it down the barest essentials. He took over 100 practice cuts, 19 of them going high and deep.

Bonds gave something to the fans at Petco Park at 7:29, or perhaps took something away. Number 755 stripped away the controversy, the allegations, the hate and indifference, and created one moment of baseball. The Padres fans were no longer Padres fans, but baseball fans who were witnessing one moment of greatness. The cheers and applause were spontaneous, but came from the inherent nature of baseball fans to appreciate history.

That's all number 755 is. Baseball. And that's all it ever will be.

Congratulations Barry.

8/3 Link Dump

Lots of things going on around Bay Area sports. Here are some stories and articles that aren't big enough for a separate post, but still very, very, very important.

• Pat Misch will be starting in Morris' spot on Saturday against the Padres. Ortiz, the other candidate for the 3rd slot, has one last rehab start in Fresno before rejoining the team and possibly being part of the starting rotation for the rest of the season. Go Misch!
• The good folks at McCovey Chronicles have a nice list of Misch-related puns. Make no Mischtake, these are so corny that they're funny.
• Bill Walsh remembered: ways to honor him, the decals on the 49ers' jerseys and helmets, and a memorial at Monster Park on the 10th.
• Kosta Perovic and Austin Croshere are officially inked to contracts with the Warriors. Warriors fans everywhere groan at the thought of Croshere in a Dubs' uni.
  

Warriors 07-08 Schedule Released

07-08 Schedule
HoopsWorld: Pree's analysis of Warriors schedule

Definitely go check out the analysis. It's a great read.

Here are the things that caught my eye:

• 2nd round redux: Season and home opener is against Utah. I hope we don't get pounded around by Boozer again. The Deron vs Baron matchup will be especially interesting, seeing as Deron is the only PG who can stop Baron.
• The first 3 months are tough, the last 2 months are tough. February is the month to make the playoff push: there is only one road game.
• 3 games with the Spurs, one away but 2 at home. That's a good thing, because the Spurs are the anti-Warriors.
  
• 20 NATIONAL TELEVISION SLOTS! 20, including NBATV. All of the games versus Dallas and Phoenix are going to be shown on national TV. That's going to generate a lot of buzz and viewer ratings. Who wouldn't want to see us embarrassing Dallas again or scoring a combined 300 points with Phoenix? Where's Tim Donaghy when you need him?

Here are the home games I would definitely attend:

• Oct. 30: Utah. It's the first game of the season!
• Dec. 5: Milwaukee. I want to see how the Yi situation is turning out. If he's even with the Bucks.
  
• Jan. 13: Indiana. The return of the Indiana Warriors. We've missed you Dunleavy.
• Feb. 1: Charlotte. Welcome home, JRich.
• Feb. 11: Washington. The Washington Warriors come to town. It'd be awesome if the game was as wild as last year's.
• Feb. 26: Seattle. I want to see Durant.
  
• Mar. 2: Portland. I want to see Oden.
• Any game versus LAL. We have to make up the 0-4 last season. I'd like to see how the malcontent Kobe gets along with his subpar teammates.
  
• Any game versus Phoenix. 300 points minimum.
• Any game versus Dallas. 1st round redux.

Can't wait? Some hype from last season.

The Dunk Heard 'Round the World


The Greatest Upset Ever

Zito Proves His Worth... Sort Of

$49, 315.07 = How much Zito gets paid by the Giants every day. He (sort of) earned that fifty thousand bucks last night by giving up only one run (which came from a bases loaded walk). Go Zito, keep it up, more strikes please, stop walking the stadium.



On the other side of the ball, the offense has been decent for a while now. They scored 3 in the first inning against a useless Brett Tomko and tacked on an insurance run in the 7th. The bullpen did okay, except it was a nightmare during the eighth and ninth innings. Chulk got one out but allowed two singles and was yanked for Taschner. Tasch proceeded to walk Loney and promptly got yanked for Hennessey. Brad struck out Saenz and got Martinez to ground out. Brad's got brass balls. The Dodgers had the bases loaded and got nothing out of it. Sounds a bit like the Giants.

The ninth inning got ugly. Hennessey allowed a single and a walk, but got Pierre to line out to him. But in his haste to end the game with a triple play, Brad threw the ball behind Omar, who was running toward second. The runners did not advance, but there still was only one out. Hennessey walked the next batter, and then Bochy pulled him for Kline. Kline got the second out, but allowed one run to score. He IBB'd Garciaparra, who hit a 2-run homer off Messenger the day before, and then got Loney to ground out. End game.

Yeah, so the Giants are heading to San Diego, the Dodgers are left wondering why the got suckered by the last-place Giants, and the order is restored.

Matt Cain versus Greg Maddux tonight. This'll be a good matchup to watch. Hopefully Cain's figured everything out. Just pound the zone, kid, and you'll be fine. Bonds has eight HR's off Maddux, but Maddux has not lost to the Giants since 2003. 4 years of ownage. Time to return the favor.

From KG to Croshere

I think I'm gonna tear my hair out.

According to Janny Hu, the Warriors are pursuing free agent Austin Croshere. He's a 10-year veteran forward on the Mavs who put up 3 points and grabbed 3 boards in 11 minutes last year. Everywhere, Warriors fans are saying, "Why?"

Croshere is nothing but a Murphleavy-esque stiff-scrub who shoots 3s but doesn't do anything else. Uh, shooting 3s won't help the Warriors at all, seeing as 5 of the current 12 Warriors can hit treys with relative ease. He did not fit with the Mavericks' gameplan, let alone will he in Nellie's up-and-down style. He may have playoff experience and "veteran savvy" that could benefit the team, but in reality, all he would do is take away valuable minutes from Wright and Lasme.

The glimmer of hope is that Mullin never reveals his signing plans. As Lifelong from Golden State of Mind put it, the best we can hope for is that this is a huge smokescreen for a monumentally better player.

It's deflating for a Warriors fan to drop from a KG to a Croshere. If this is the best Mullin can do, then God save the franchise.

BEAT LA

Fun win yesterday. Lowry gets his 12th W through 5 2/3 innings, and the bullpen didn't allow a baserunner for the rest of the game. It's funny how the Dodgers fans hate Bonds, and yet they take pictures and videos of him at his at-bats. On his morning interview today on KNBR, Kruk said he'd never seen so many flashbulbs lighting up in a stadium.

Tim Lincecum is pitching today. TIM LEROY LINCECUM IS PITCHING TODAY. Whoo! It's good to have hope every few days. If Jeff Kent is playing today, I hope Timmy rockets a fastball near his head. And then strikes him out on 3 consecutive pitches, the last one being a wicked change that breaks Kent's ankles. Like what happened to Nick Swisher. You know, just for laughs.

Go Timmy, go Giants, BEAT LA!

[Edit 1:20 PM] I normally don't read Bruce Jenkins' stuff, but he has a pretty good article today about the Evils and their fans. I couldn't agree more with what he had to say about them. Beach balls (I saw one dropped on TV last night), arriving late, leaving early, and eating their children. Don't say nothin' 'bout no traffic, hear?