In Zaidi we trust - The Giants

So Crawford's 2/$32M extension is officially the biggest deal Farhan Zaidi has handed out as #SFGiants president of baseball operations.

— Ben Kaspick (@BenKaspick) August 13, 2021

games are getting more and more intense. not sure why the Mets manager took out Walker but this was not a good game by the Giants. the Giants needs five outs to get out of a bases loaded ninth but they did. i might say this was one of their flatter games but somehow still won.

there is something about this team this year

Kapler is a Greta Van Fleet fan

the Giants probably put the nail in the coffin by sweeping the Mets. tonight they should not have lost but the first pitch got them, they are flat right now.

in other words the season is starting to catch up to them to the naked eye

Webb pitched a gem tonight, the Giants finally played their brand of baseball and had a win over the ATL

every game is becoming bigger and bigger

one of the worst days in my life

after having the best record in baseball and being on top after more than 100 days it all come crashing down tonight

i feel the Giants need to win the division this year and that is more important than winning another World Series. in 2014, the Giants Won the World Series despite not winning the division, the Dodgers reign in the West needs to end and this year felt right

also this Texas, supreme court thing really bothers me

why go on...

There’s still time, you’ve got a month of games and fangraphs puts your playoff odds at 100% (lol)

if only bee ok had known that the giants would be back in first 15 hours later

rip

Pour one out

Y'all know it's only his stress level that's keeping the plane in the air, right

he died as he lived; only paying attention when his team was good, then somehow making it all about himself

fly high, frontrunner

Press F to pay respects

i was a bit too emotional the other night, i get to invested in this shit. sorry everyone.

and no mookie, i pay attention on the down years too and buy Extra Innings every single year, i just took a long break from ILB is all, as see above (too invested).

Imagine if you were a Padres fan right now, oy vey

Sure, our extremely expensive, all-in season is falling apart, but at least we've never won a title

The only thing that would bring me down this year is if the Giants lose to the Dodgers in the postseason and/or the Bums win it all again.

This season is already found money (I mean they sit at 85 wins right now... a total that I would have considered amazing progress if they ended that way). They have a top 10 farm now. Tons of money coming off the books. Possibility of signing Bryant. Proven elite hitting can happen at 24 Willie Mays Plaza without the roids. I can go on. They should be competitive for some time now and the best Faidi years are still ahead. I don't see them pulling off a WS win this year since the starting pitching is completely unreliable outside of Webb, but they could get close.

Padres have had a classic case of "celebrating at half time" a la the Falcons in the Super Bowl and a ton of injuries. They can still sneak in and grab a Wild Card spot though. They remind me a bit of the 2nd half 2016 Giants but with 1000% more hubris. Until they win something that hubris will only hinder them. Perhaps they need to lose more before they truly can pull one out, a la the Dodgers.

Speaking of - Dodgers are expected to win 100+, expected to win the division, expected to go deep and/or win it all.

Anything short of that is a satisfying dose of schadenfreude.

what a game tonight, thou the Giants never scored an insurance run as they had to have around 12 chances with running in scoring position. to lose this game would have been heartbreaking.

2 out of three and take the series season versus the Dodgers. that will work.

first team to 90 wins and 40 games over .500

first team to sweep the Rockies this year at their park

a sweep on the road and go 6 - 0, will take it

Wilmer Flores had a big game. Fun nail biter of a game

clinched a playoff birth tonight for 2021

incredible year (so far)

bullpen game bit them on the ass tonight

San Diego had to win a game, just wish it came against the Dodgers instead of losing six

.@stevekornacki's model gives the Giants a 76.4% chance of winning the NL West 👀 pic.twitter.com/xQuP4AiOBJ

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 16, 2021

1 is better than 2

What a game

haha! what an ending

I screwed that up

2 up on the Dodgers is better than 1

you can't make this stuff up. Giants cruising and put their closer on the IL today. up comes Rogers and gives up three in the bottom of the ninth. Giants tie it in the bottom of the ninth on their last strike. and then...

KEVIN GAUSMAN WALK-OFF SAC FLY!
REPEAT: KEVIN GAUSMAN WALK-OFF SAC FLY! pic.twitter.com/M0tART2yUP

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 18, 2021

Dominic Leone has been something this year. has been the opener when the Giants are throwing way too many bullpen games. tonight he closed the game.

what a year

Steven Duggar saved a homer with an incredible effort, but Jorge Soler gets a double out of it pic.twitter.com/BjeNRVAL1r

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 19, 2021

2 out of 3 against an Atlanta team that is fighting for their playoff lives, unfortunately the Dodger did the same. still up and in the end of the week and that is all you can hope for at this time of the season.

LaMonte Wade Jr. has now beat the entire NL West in the 9th inning.

7/22 vs Dodgers (tie-breaking two-run single in 5-3 win)

8/5 vs D'backs (game-tying two-run single in 5-4 win)

9/8 vs Rockies (go-ahead two-run single in 7-4 win)

9/21 vs Padres (go-ahead single in 6-5 win)

— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) September 22, 2021

nice piece on the Giants: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/32249806/the-san-francisco-giants-just-keep-surprising-us

not sure of the last time the Giants actually gained ground on the Dodgers, might be when the Giants beat Walker Buehler.

Kazmir, of all people, gave the Giants four shut out innings to start this game, turns out it was enough

sorry, he actually gave up on earned run

The Rockies' win over the Dodgers last night drastically changed @stevekornacki's model in the Giants' favor pic.twitter.com/PLe9C5i4zc

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) September 23, 2021

that was short lived, i don't think i can take nine more games of this

What are you going to do if you decide you can't take it?

well, i have HBO for free this weekend so i can watch movies instead. better for my blood pressure

First team to 50 wins
First team to 60 wins
First team to 70 wins
First team to 80 wins
First team to 90 wins
First team to 100 wins

what a year. please, please, please baseball gods let us win the NL West in 2021

8th year in Giants history with 100 wins

1904, 1905, 1912, 1913, 1962, 1993 & 2003

I'm a little off as it's 17 this year, not in these two games.

Remember where you were on the day Luis Matos drove in SIX runs in one game and 11 total in two games pic.twitter.com/YnnE5Qp0S2

— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) May 18, 2024

Baggarly’s description of the latter remains some of my favourite baseball writing ever.

I've said it before, probably in this thread, but no lie, I watch Ishikawa's HR probably 3-4 times a year when I'm down.

I should have mentioned I was at game 2 of the 2010 WS in the left center bleachers and watched that crazy ball bounce off the fence about 30 feet in front of me. It was the most surreal fucking thing ever...

Pablo Sandoval 3 home run game in 2012 World Series

Justin Verlander's "WOW" is visualized in my head now. I wasn't at this game but was at Pedro's across the street and I recall standing ON THE BAR for the third home run, and I don't recall being the only one doing so. It was a madhouse of euphoria. We felt invincible! Just recalling all of this gives me shivers.

Watched the end of today's game. Matos and Ramos look GREAT and I am really really hoping our home growns can stay productive and give this team the heart beat it sorely needs.

that five year run was special and we'll likely never sniff anything like it again in our lifetimes.

Absolutely. I felt that at the time, and by 2014, especially with Bum ending things the way he did, appreciated the impossible magic of every single moment. We knew we were watching history in that moment in real time. I feel lucky to have just been so close to it, living in the city when it happened in my early 30's, the prime of my life. I have so so so many stories, memories, friendships and even relationships/flings that seemingly sprouted from that magical era and its many celebrations. A brick along the outside of the ballpark shares my grandfather's, father's and my name on it. Took my father to that 2010 WS game 2. After they won I kinda felt he could now die happy and at peace (he'd been a Giants fan since they moved to SF, has a ticket stub of the first game at Seal Stadium in the Mission). That run affected the city in a profoundly positive way and the team's personalities, quirks, eccentricities and underdog status seemingly perfectly mirrored the city at the time. As bleak as things might get for the team in the decades to come, I'll always have those memories of both the team and SF. I was around for the Niners in the 80's/90's and the Warriors dynasty but the Giants run was like nothing else. Usually dynasties dominate, define greatness. Feel unstoppable. But this was an improbable dynasty. A dynasty of upsets. A dynasty of surprises and magic moments. I can't think of an equivalent in any other sport.

I'm sad today but these posts were a great pick me up.

Hell yeah. Just writing this out has picked me up too. Such amazing times. Much love.

I hope to have a beer with you one day octobeard, such great posts.

I was sad about Jung Hoo Lee injury news and not my personal life on that particular day, just to be clear. But these Giants posts were magical. Thanks everyone!

I'm back down here in the OC but I moved to San Francisco in '95 and at that time could cate less about sports. Started watching Steve Young, at the end of his career, but it was Barry Bonds who changed everything. I started watching the Giants in 2000, was crushed in 2002 but 2003 was actually more heartbreaking. In the end it took me 11 years to get my championship. Then there were 3 in 5 years.

I would like that! LMK next time you're in the city. I always appreciate how regularly you post in this thread too.

Hopefully these guys can pick things up after finally winning 3 in a row and I'm sure JHL will come back with a vengeance next year.

Yesterday the Giants had there first three wins in a row, today it's four. They also, finally, swept a team. Even if it's the Rockies, they generally have issues against them.

might catch a game at candlestick park next month. any tips, things to check out, etc.?

Candlestick Park? Can you let me borrow your time machine?

or are you referring to 24 Willie Mays Plaza and newly christened LED Spotlight Park?

dang what a series. insane 8th inning.

Matt Chapman is on fire. Good series

Well shit, I missed today's game (east coast day games are hard to follow) and just saw the crooked number in the 8th there. That's about as insane as Tuesday's game. Okay maybe this team is more resilient than I thought and my fan resolve is a house of cards in a wind storm

Patrick Bailey!

How much I love you

So, right now, no one in baseball is playing better than Matt Chapman. I finally see why they signed him.

.500

First time this year

They're pretty good against teams not named the Dodgers and Phillies

does this team play any boring games y/n

Yes you just haven’t watched any of them

i see

I forget when announcer Duane Kuiper first stated his "Giants Baseball... Torture" line, maybe as early as 2002 but definitely in the 2010s...

SFGate says 2010.

https://www.sfgate.com/giants/knapp/article/It-s-torture-with-an-upside-3175669.php

The most galling defeat came under dark and drizzling skies at Petco Park on April 20. Jonathan Sanchez dominated the Padres, holding them to one hit while striking out 10 in seven innings. But the Giants were just as stymied by Mat Latos, a hulking right-hander with platinum blond hair and a hard fastball that traveled straight downhill. The Giants managed just four hits in his seven innings, none of them coming at opportune times in a 1–0 loss. It was the 29th time the Giants held an opponent to one hit or fewer in a nine-inning game in their San Francisco era. It was the first time in those 53 seasons that they lost. “I can’t say I’ve been in a game like this,” said Bochy, who remained stoic in front of the press but began spewing blue language as soon as the reporters filed out of his office. “No way we should’ve lost tonight’s game.” A day later, broadcaster Duane Kuiper continued to ruminate on all the unbelievably wasted opportunities in the 1–0 loss—including a leadoff triple from Nate Schierholtz in the eighth inning—and he opened the telecast with a quick recap. Then he stared into the camera and used the only word he could to summarize the situation. “Giants baseball,” he said. One beat. Two beats. “Torture.”

Nothin like it!

I remember that game and watched it live. It was as brutal as described. It's amusing how viral the "torture" line became after, and I feel Grant Brisbee, with his McCovey Chronicles blog and forum at the time, fueled its popularity and cult status.

Speaking of torture, this last question in the mailbagg (over something I hadn’t noticed) made me laugh:

Hey Baggs, it looks like the Giants changed their base hit ‘celebration’ from a motion that resembles pulling a hood or mask over the head and zippering the mouth to a simple salute. Couple of questions: Why the change? Why the salute? Was the first celebration an homage to Pat Burrell’s appearance as The Machine? — Michael H.

I have no idea what you’re talking about. Who is The Machine?

This team is on fire and so much fun to watch.

I have probably jink it.

When this team went on their 10 game road trip through Boston, Philadelphia and Colorado it was gloom and doom. They were a bad team, But something happened and they are coming together. Playing the best teams in the league with the Phillies and Yankees coming into town will prove if this team is real or not.

LaMonte Wade Jr. hamstring injury is a huge loss

And a bullpen game

Playing the best team in MLB, Phillies

Giants win

Bullpen game against the Phillies. Need to sweep tomorrow.

Benches clear after Harrison throws up and in to Harper twice… on the 7 year anniversary of the Harper/Strickland dust up

Took two out of three against the best team, Phillies, can they do the same against the Yankees?

Doesn't help missing LWJ. Maybe! They have a vibe going.