Baseball news

First off - the Giants did something they should have YEARS ago...

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs/2009/01/28/will-clark-to-minister-giants-way/

The Thrill is BACK - and not a moment too soon!

And with the arrival of Clark, we say goodbye to another great Giant, Jeff Kent, who decided to hang em up:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/22/SPNV15EGK9.DTL

While I'll admit, I was pretty harsh of Kent when he left, but looking back on it, he was the same red ass type player that endeared Clark to Giants fans. Looking back on it, he was just as important to the team as Bonds, a bat they never replaced, and, at times, was a guy you wanted up in an RBI situation ahead of Bonds.

The game will miss him, and hopefully the Hall wont be too far away.

I feel like the Judge in Caddyshack...

Surely the good lord wouldn't interrupt the greatest college basketball season of my life!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/30/SP3D15KF5M.DTL&feed=rss.sports

... I hate sports ... Well, if they can just hang tough in conference and limit the damage...

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/recap?gid=200901310467

We suck again!... dammit....

Your boy is BITTER!

P.S. Get well Patty

The OC is here - are you JACKED UP yet?

Well they did it - the 49ers went out and hired the most ho-hum candidate to replace the mad scientist, Mike Martz

Alot of people put blame on the lack of continuity with the offenses struggles. And I have seen others, compare new OC Jimmy Raye to the last OC SF fans have enjoy - Norv Turner.

But while Norv got some production out of Alex Smith and Frank Gore, I still thought his passing game left a little to be desired. The NFL is a passing league, one where the three wideout formation is a normal occurrence on any down not just third and long. (I will give him the benefit of the doubt that, the team's wide reciever situation at the time probably had alot to do with it.)

Now we welcome Jimmy Raye, fresh ink on a three year contract. Its easy to criticize this move - he's older, he has been an offensive coordinator more than once with little success, and was really the least sexy candidate interview (aside from Dan Reeves).

Hell - he coached for the niners - in 1977!

I decided to try and be a little more open minded. First off, he is likely to stick around, something I'm sure Singletary not only wanted, but was worried about with younger coaches who were interviewed. He definitely has experience. And if you look at his last two stops as an OC, you see a Chiefs offense that was able to score despite not having alot of top tier offensive players, and you see a Raiders offense that he babysat the title while Norv called the plays.

So I am going to give the guy a chance. After all, he got 28 TDs and over 4,000 yards out of Elvis Grbac!

So bring it on Jimmy - I hope you have what it takes to keep this momentum they built at the end of the season going.

Gaels ranked ahead of Gonzaga? Say it aint so!

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings

ESPN/USA Today Poll
1. Duke (30) 18-1 774
2. Connecticut (1) 18-1 733
3. Pittsburgh 18-1 706
4. Wake Forest 16-1 666
5. Oklahoma 19-1 663
6. North Carolina 17-2 636
7. Louisville 15-3 547
8. Marquette 17-2 538
9. Michigan State 16-3 475
10. Xavier 17-2 458
11. Clemson 17-2 425
12. Texas 14-4 402
13. Butler 18-1 384
14. Arizona State 16-3 378
15. Syracuse 17-4 321
16. UCLA 15-4 311
17. Purdue 15-4 267
18. Saint Mary's 18-1 212
19. Memphis 16-3 193
20. Illinois 17-3 181
21. Villanova 15-4 113
22. Notre Dame 12-6 97
23. Georgetown 12-6 92
24. Minnesota 17-3 84
25. Gonzaga 14-4 60

AP Top 25
1. Duke (62) 18-1 1,789
2. Connecticut (6) 18-1 1,694
3. Pittsburgh (3) 18-1 1,647
4. Oklahoma (1) 19-1 1,539
5. North Carolina 17-2 1,529
6. Wake Forest 16-1 1,509
7. Louisville 15-3 1,351
8. Marquette 17-2 1,209
9. Michigan State 16-3 1,136
10. Xavier 17-2 1,084
11. Texas 14-4 1,017
12. Clemson 17-2 929
13. Butler 18-1 916
14. Arizona State 16-3 834
15. Syracuse 17-4 808
16. Purdue 15-4 724
17. UCLA 15-4 544
18. Memphis 16-3 530
19. Illinois 17-3 401
20. Gonzaga 14-4 381
21. Villanova 15-4 276
22. Saint Mary's 18-1 247
23. Washington 15-4 218
24. Kentucky 16-4 217
25. Georgetown 12-6 189

Damn it feels good to be a... Gael? Lets go - thursday night - BIG GAME.

O.A.R. Was.. wait for it... Awesome!

Was able to land a ticket to O.A.R.'s concert last Wednesday at the Warfield - they put on a great show!

They played a solid 2 hour set, complete with an encore that satisfied a thirsty crowd.

O.A.R. played alot of songs, and our personal highlight was when lead singer Marc Roberge put the mike into the crowd for an over anxious fan who, in turn, couldn't remember the words.

"Thats fucked up man," Roberge joked to the crowd.

First thought - I hope he didn't tell too many people he was giong to the concert. "Hey Ben, how'd that concert go last night? errr....."

They didn't Jam out as much as I like, but here was when they did:

(Sorry if the first half is a little shakey - it was late in the show and Mario wouldn't stop running to the bar)

I vowed mid show that next time they are in town, I'm not only buying tickets, but that I'm buying two extra and making my dad go - This hopefully will put some pressure on me to come through on that deal.

What is going on in Oakland?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/24/BAUG15G5B9.DTL&tsp=1

Is it just me, or is the OPD becoming more and more like the BPD in the Wire?

Someone get Mcnulty and Bunk on the case

49ers updates

It has become quite depressing to be a 49ers fan lately

I have tried to stay "Faithful," but this is getting out of hand.

Kevin Lynch of the Chronicle said it much better than I can : http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ninerinsider/index?blogid=45

I also agree that, of all the powerhouse candidates they have brought in, Hue Jackson has the most intrigue. He could bring the crispness to the offense the defense had at the end of the year.

Matt Maiocco can't get a grip on which way they are leaning:

http://blog.pressdemocrat.com/49ers/2009/01/no-additional-oc-interviews-scheduled-today.html

I am hoping they were just doing due diligence by interviewing Reeves. He has an impressive resume, but really this team should be looking forward, not backward.

Matt Barrows has done some interesting reports from the Senior Bowl:

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/018877.html

Of those three, the biggest man crush I have had is on Raji. Franklin is our only real NT, and he is A. Not great and B. A free agent next year. Raji could be a great value pick at ten, and anchor the defense - especially keeping blockers off Patrick Willis.

There is alot of time between now and the draft, so who knows - Alan Branch was supposed to be a top ten pick, fell out of the first round - I wonder who will have that type of slide this year, which typically comes after the NFL Combine...

More great news: Adam Schefter of NFL Network wrote he thinks the 9ers are making run at being the team to bring back Mike Vick.

Is it too late to buy a Clark Haggins Cardinals Jersey?

Luckily, Barrows sees through the BS:

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/018918.html

Last - in my FA analysis, I pointed out the team should look into help with the return game. Looks like they got an early start:

http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/49ers/archives/018885.html

My President is making moves

I am so inspired to see a President in the white house that wants to bring politics into the Internet age. I hope they let him keep the blackberry and get a laptop for the oval office.

I can't say how frustrated I am that it takes government agencies so long to do anything paperwork related. In my company, we can open and process a claim in an hour. Try filing a claim with the Post Office after a mail truck hits your parked car. Or try waiting 30 days for a police report from Oakland, despite the fact officers drive around with cars with computers inside.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/01/23/MN8515FTEA.DTL&type=politics&tsp=1

I have not been inspired by politics ever. As a kid I like Clinton, but it was more because he had so much swagger, and things were going well when he was around. But Barack is progressive. and I hate to use that word for obvious reasons, but it's a quality I look for in people, and especially LEADERS.

And my progressive, I mean he has his plans on the Internet, by keeping the public informed. He sees what is going on - TV and print are slowly dying, and the Internet is the future of communication. His entire agenda is laid out on whitehouse.gov - no secrets, nothing to hide.

There are still plenty of people out there that have their minds made up, and wont give him a chance. I can't wait to see what he has in store next for us - even though the doubters will probably be unhappy with any move he makes, I'll be watching with plenty of hope.

Giants Top Prospects

Keith Law recently released his top 100 prospects in baseball, and guess what - The Giants actually have a couple players that made it.


Here is his breakdown of the Giants' top 4 :

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=law_keith&id=3840355


RANK #6

AGE - 19
Madison Bumgarner (LHP)
San Francisco Giants - TOP '08 LEVEL: A (Augusta)
A year ago, Bumgarner was a live arm, a projectable body, and a name to file away for the future. He only started throwing breaking balls late in his high school career, and the rudimentary secondary stuff plus his low arm slot had scouts -- including me -- assuming he was a long way away from the majors. His slider made enormous strides in his first full year in pro ball, and his changeup is now solid-average, no small feat for a pitcher who throws from a low 3/4 slot. He's unusual for pitchers of his ilk in that his arm action is fairly short and compact; many pitchers who throw from below 3/4 get long in the back, almost slinging the ball, and have trouble turning over a changeup or staying on top of breaking balls as a result. His command and control are both above-average, and he was aggressive in going after South Atlantic League hitters, who stood little chance against him. The Giants were careful with Bumgarner in 2008, but there's a good chance he finishes this year in Double-A and shows up in the majors at some point in 2010.

RANK #8

AGE - 22

Buster Posey, (C)
TOP '08 LEVEL: A- (Salem-Keizer)

Posey presents a very balanced set of tools that, given his position, make him among the most valuable properties in the minor leagues. A recent convert from shortstop who also pitched a little in college, Posey is a plus defensive catcher with a plus arm (he pitched in the low 90s), soft hands, and a lot of energy at a position that demands it. At the plate, he has a compact stroke, excellent bat control, and a good eye, so while he doesn't project to hit for more than average power, he should make plenty of hard contact and end up a doubles hitter with 15-20 home runs per year. The combination of a projected plus hit tool and currently plus defense make him a very high-probability prospect -- he plays in the big leagues no matter what, be it as a quality backup if he never improves at all or as a star everyday catcher if he reaches his offensive ceiling.

RANK - #26

AGE: 20
Tim Alderson (RHP)
TOP '08 LEVEL: A (San Jose)
Alderson was one of only two high school pitchers from the 2007 draft to start the year in high-A -- Rick Porcello was the other -- and he had the added challenge of pitching in the hitter-friendly California League, although San Jose is itself a pitcher's park within that circuit. He spent the entire year there at age 19 and was outstanding, ending the season on a six-start run where he walked one batter over 37 innings while fanning 28.
He sits with a solid-average fastball at 90-94 mph with the promise of more velocity in the future, and his hard curveball is already plus, with tight rotation and a late two-plane break. With Bumgarner making so much progress with his secondary stuff, he's passed Alderson for a couple of reasons. One is Alderson's funky delivery; he lands on a slightly stiff front leg, and to get the ball to his glove side, he ends up throwing across his body due to a low arm slot. His changeup really hasn't progressed through one year in pro ball, leaving him vulnerable to lefties.
The delivery works, so the Giants aren't likely to alter it; if the changeup improves at all with use, his plus-plus command and out-pitch breaking ball give him the upside of a No. 2 or 3 starter.

RANK #34
AGE: 18

Angel Villalona (1B)
TOP '08 LEVEL: A (Augusta)
It may be unfair to drop Villalona this far, given his youth, but we do have more insight now into just how raw of a prospect he is. Villalona played almost all of 2008 at age 17, and was the youngest player in the full-season Sally League, where he showed plenty of power but also demonstrated problems with pitch recognition that aren't going to go away if he's just pushed up the ladder.
Villalona can murder a fastball or any mistake in his hitting zone, but he struggles with anything soft and away and with better off-speed stuff. Once he's behind in the count, he's not coming back. He drew just 15 unintentional walks this year in exactly 500 plate appearances (but was walked intentionally three times, so he was clearly feared). He's not all-or-nothing, as he has a pretty wide hitting zone and can adjust a little bit to some breaking balls.
The Giants have already moved him to first base -- no small task -- and conditioning will always be a concern, as he's thick-bodied already and was not in great shape for spring training in 2008. He would just now be entering his senior spring if he had been born in the U.S., and yet already has a year and a half under his belt in pro ball, so we can't evaluate him by the same standards we might use for other hitters.
The upside is still there and is tremendous -- four- or five-hole hitter, lots of power, probably never a good OBP -- but it's going to take some time.

It is a nice change of pace to have some Giants Minor Leaguers actually be PROSPECTS, not just young baseball players....

UPDATE: Law has posted the top prospects by teams - here are hte Giants and A's top players:
San Francisco Giants
1. Madison Bumgarner, LHP
2. Buster Posey, C
3. Tim Alderson, RHP
4. Angel Villalona, 1B
5. Conor Gillaspie, 3B
6. Henry Sosa, RHP
7. Nick Noonan, 2B
8. Roger Kieschnick,RF
9. Rafael Rodriguez, RF
10. Edwin Quirarte, RHP

Oakland Athletics
1. Brett Anderson, LHP
2. Trevor Cahill, RHP
3. Michel Inoa, RHP
4. Vin Mazzaro, RHP
5. Chris Carter, 1B
6. Sean Doolittle, 1B
7. Gio Gonzalez, LHP
8. Adrian Cardenas, 2B
9. Aaron Cunningham, OF
10. Josh Donaldson, C

I feel Inspired!

Alright Buddy - Now go get em!