Marty, It is difficult to write about this team without returning constantly to the same observations which have been made over and over again this year. Nothing is new, a similar discontent, from a fan’s viewpoint, gets repeated until the refrain becomes tiresome.

Going out to the ballpark, watching the games on the tube, is anything but enjoyable. Seeing a team blow three and four run leads in the late innings, with a remarkable consistency, is maddening. Watching hitters, with runners in scoring position, hitting into double plays with greater regularity than any other team, irrespective of how good or bad that other team may be, is disheartening.

Click below for Ed’s Analysis!

[Read more →]

If the Oakland Athletics
exit early again from the Playoffs
during the Divisional Series
this bunch will be labeled
with the tag that they
are just a good 162-game
season team.

By Amaury Pi-González [Read more →]

Marty; When we talk of fundamental problems we are talking of management decisions which can significantly affect the team’s prospects in the future. The Giants have been successful, to a great extent, these past three or four years pursuing a plan whereby they stock their club with veteran players, either through trades or free agency. These are not impact players but are. for the most part, players of known ability who, when put together with a team which has Barry Bonds playing the predominant role he now plays, has managed to make the playoffs and, in one instance, came very close to winning the Series.

During these years their pitching has been adequate to meet the demands a winning team makes. Nen has been a fairly reliable closer and when he left the scene Worrell unexpectedly, stepped up and performed well, closing games. Schmidt, stolen from the Pirates in one of Sabean’s coups, became one of the games outstanding starters.

For many years , the farm system has emphasized drafting pitchers. Position players who are capable of performing at a high major league level have been a rare, well-nigh, non-existent commodity on their minor league clubs. The Will Clarks, the Jack Clarks, surfaced many years ago and haven’t been seen since. Despite the emphasis on drafting pitchers, there have been remarkably few pitchers coming through the farm system who have been successful at the major league level. Williams is one who comes immediately to mind. the other one, unfortunately, happens to be Nathan, inexplicably traded for a catcher who wasn’t needed.

Click below for Ed’s analysis of the current problems of the Giants!

[Read more →]

Marty; Right up to the last minute, the baseball map was being revamped by last minute trades and moves. This is the game’s latest development, now full blown. Teams in contention await the trading deadline and make their moves. Some will be successful, others disastrous, and some will turn out to have had small impact.

Click below for Ed’s much anticipated analysis of the season!

[Read more →]

Ruben Gómez died this week at his
home in Puerto Rico -long illness-
he was 77 and the first pitcher
from Puerto Rico to
win a World Series game.
In 1958 Gómez pitched
the first game for the then
“new” San Francisco Giants
at Seals Stadium.
But many other Latino pioneers
couldn’t play in the Major
Leagues prior to 1947
because of the color of
their skin.
Here are a few of the best.

By Amaury Pi-González
San Francisco,CA.

[Read more →]

Marty; The AllStar game is gone and should not be missed. The tough remaining part of the baseball year stretches in front of us. With respect to the AllStar game, it is time to surrender the idea that it is anything but a meaningless exhibition game. As such, it should not have meaningful consequences. Home field advantage in the World Series is such a consequence, despite the Yankees loss in a six game series last year. Hearing the comments of the players who participated yesterday, their repeated expressions that they were there for “fun”, simply demonstrates the consideration which should be given to it.

Click below for more from Ed! I’m back from the all star game and ready for the second half…Marty

[Read more →]

Look at the starting lineup for the
American League All Star team
and you will see two Rodríguez,
one Martínez one Ramírez and
one Guerrero and on the National
League Pujols, Rentería and
company, plus the second
string. This is “béisbol”and
here: Se Habla Español…
Not only quantity, but an
argument could be made
that of the top 10 players
in Major League Baseball
over half are Latinos.

By Amaury Pi-González
San Francisco [Read more →]

Marty, This is being written before the Giants’ Sunday game with the A’s. When we looked in mid-June at the Giants’ upcoming schedule, with games to be played against the Red Sox, the Dodgers and the A’s, the thought expressed was that if they broke even against these clubs it could be considered a successful trip. They have done much better than that.

Note: Since Ed wrote this analysis of the Giants they have lost two games, one to the A’s and one to the Rockies.
[Read more →]

Isn’t it ironic that in Boston,
Massachussetts(New England)
a real bastion of Liberalism,
racism still much more
prevalent than in most
other places in the country ?

By Amaury Pi-González
San Francisco [Read more →]

New York Yankee pitcher
Jose Contreras has a $32 million
contract with the team, a $5
million dollar home in Tampa
and all the cars he wants. But
last week he got the most
important thing of all,
his family.

By Amaury Pi-Gonzalez
Seattle [Read more →]