120 games gone. Last build - here are the projections.
AL East
1. Boston 91
2. NYY 86
3. Tampa
4. Baltimore
5. Toronto
AL Central
1. Cleveland 90
2. Minn 82
3. KC 81
4. Det
5. Chi
AL West
1. Hou 99
2. LAA 81
3. Sea
4. Tex
5. Oak
NL East
1. Wash 95
2. Miami 79
3. NYM
4. Atl
5. Phi
NL Central
1. Chicago 87
2. StL 85
3. Milwaukee 81
4. Pitt
5. Cin
NL West
1. LAD 110
2. Ariz 89
3. Col 88
4. SD
5. SFG 66-96
AL Top Players
C G.Sanchez NYY 2.7
1B J.Smoak Tor 3.5
2B J.Altuve Hou 5.95 - MVP
SS A.Simmons LAA 5.8
3B J.Ramirez Cle 3.7
LF J.Upton Det 4.4
CF M.Trout LAA 5.1
RF A.Judge NYY 5.6
DH N.Cruz Sea 3.1
SP C.Sale Bos 5.5 - Cy
SP C.Kluber Cle 4.7
RP C.Kimbrel Bos 3.4
C S.Perez KC 2.4
1B L.Morrison TB 3.1
2B J.Schoop Balt 3.8
SS C.Correa Hou 4.55
3B E.Longoria TB 3.25
LF M.Gonzalez Hou 3.55
CF G.Springer Hou 4.85
RF M.Betts Bos 4.85
DH E.Encarnacion 1.15
SP M.Stroman Tor 4.6
SP E.Santana Min 3.85
RP A.Miller Cle 2.65
NL Top Players
C B.Posey SFG 4.25
1B P.Goldschmidt Ari 6 - MVP
2B D.Murphy Wash 3.9
SS C.Seager LAD 4.8
3B A.Rendon Wash 4.7
LF C.Taylor LAD 4.5
CF C.Blackmon Col 4.6
RF G.Stanton Mia 5.45
SP M.Scherzer Wash 6.1 - Cy
SP J.DeGrom NYM 5.05
RP K.Jansen LAD 3.55
C JT Realmuto Mia 3.55
1B J.Votto Cin 5.95
2B DJ Lemahieu Col 2.7
SS Z.Cozart Cin Cin 4.4
3B K.Bryant Chi 4.7
LF M.Ozuna Mia 4
CF E.Inciarte Atl 3.25
RF B.Harper Wash 4.5
SP G.Gonzalez Wash 4.95
SP C.Kershaw LAD 4.95
RP B.Hand SD 2.45
August 14 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History
What is this all about?
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 14 moments in San Francisco Giants history. All within 11 years.
1963 at Cincinnati,'63 was wild, we were in first place on June 24, 10 out on July 20, and now 4 out at game 119. 32 combined hits in this one, the big one coming at 6-6 in the 10th, Felipe Alou singles home Jim Davenport off Bill Henry, and we are gonna win it 7-6. Through 2016, Felipe was the 42nd greatest San Francisco Giant of all time.
1968 at Pittsburgh, we're 14 games out, looking for our 5th straight win, Gaylord throws a 10 inning complete game, giving up just 3 hits, walking none and striking out 6. It was 1-1 in the 10th, Willie McCovey drives in the eventual winning run with a single off of Ron Kline. Through 2016, Gaylord's the 9th greatest San Francisco Giant of all time, holding off both Cain and Bumgarner with the second most San Francisco WAR for pitchers.
1970 at St Louis, we're 20.5 out and just lost the front half of a doubleheader, we're tied 4-4 in the 10th when Bobby Bonds doubles home the go ahead run off of Tom Hilgendorf. We win it 5-4. Through 2016 Bonds remains the 7th greatest San Francisco Giant of all time. He had more Giants WAR than Kent, Cepeda, and Jack Clark.
Walk off 1971 home vs. Mets, we were 9 up when the month started, it's less than 2 weeks later and the lead is cut to 4. A Dick Dietz 9th inning homer off Tug McGraw sent the game into extras - and in the 10th a Jimmy Rosario sac fly off of Charlie Williams won the game. Rosario played 99 games with the Giants (and only 15 otherwise). He had 18 career RBI.
1974 at Philadelphia, we're 22.5 back, the season's over but we get one here, 4-4 with 2 out in the 9th, Bobby Bonds hits a 2 run shot off Jesus Herrnaiz and we win this one 6-4. Who won the Bonds for Murcer trade? Bonds only spent a year as a Yankee but had a 5.6 WAR, Murcer had two years as a Giant with 4.4 WAR.
The Yankees then turned Bonds in Mickey Rivers and he had a ton of value, 13.15 WAR in 4 seasons.
We turned Murcer into Bill Madlock, who gave us about 40% of Rivers' WAR (Madlock became a bunch of pitchers, Rivers became Oscar Gamble)
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 14 moments in San Francisco Giants history. All within 11 years.
1963 at Cincinnati,'63 was wild, we were in first place on June 24, 10 out on July 20, and now 4 out at game 119. 32 combined hits in this one, the big one coming at 6-6 in the 10th, Felipe Alou singles home Jim Davenport off Bill Henry, and we are gonna win it 7-6. Through 2016, Felipe was the 42nd greatest San Francisco Giant of all time.
1968 at Pittsburgh, we're 14 games out, looking for our 5th straight win, Gaylord throws a 10 inning complete game, giving up just 3 hits, walking none and striking out 6. It was 1-1 in the 10th, Willie McCovey drives in the eventual winning run with a single off of Ron Kline. Through 2016, Gaylord's the 9th greatest San Francisco Giant of all time, holding off both Cain and Bumgarner with the second most San Francisco WAR for pitchers.
1970 at St Louis, we're 20.5 out and just lost the front half of a doubleheader, we're tied 4-4 in the 10th when Bobby Bonds doubles home the go ahead run off of Tom Hilgendorf. We win it 5-4. Through 2016 Bonds remains the 7th greatest San Francisco Giant of all time. He had more Giants WAR than Kent, Cepeda, and Jack Clark.
Walk off 1971 home vs. Mets, we were 9 up when the month started, it's less than 2 weeks later and the lead is cut to 4. A Dick Dietz 9th inning homer off Tug McGraw sent the game into extras - and in the 10th a Jimmy Rosario sac fly off of Charlie Williams won the game. Rosario played 99 games with the Giants (and only 15 otherwise). He had 18 career RBI.
1974 at Philadelphia, we're 22.5 back, the season's over but we get one here, 4-4 with 2 out in the 9th, Bobby Bonds hits a 2 run shot off Jesus Herrnaiz and we win this one 6-4. Who won the Bonds for Murcer trade? Bonds only spent a year as a Yankee but had a 5.6 WAR, Murcer had two years as a Giant with 4.4 WAR.
The Yankees then turned Bonds in Mickey Rivers and he had a ton of value, 13.15 WAR in 4 seasons.
We turned Murcer into Bill Madlock, who gave us about 40% of Rivers' WAR (Madlock became a bunch of pitchers, Rivers became Oscar Gamble)
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
August 13 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History
Sunday, August 13, 2017
What is this all about?
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 13 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1968 at Pittsburgh, we've won 3 straight but are 15.5 out and starting a 13 game road trip. Juan Marichal wins his 21st game, throwing a complete game 2 hitter, all of our runs came with one swing of the bat, a 3 run Willie Mays homer off Bob Veale with 2 outs in the 8th that broke a scoreless tie. 325 innings pitched for Marichal in '68, he had one more elite year in '69 and then started his decline. With 60 WAR he's pretty easily the greatest San Francisco pitcher of all time, the conversation starts at who is second best.
1978 at Los Angeles, this is such a great season, the Giants are battling the Dodgers and Reds all year, after a doubleheader sweep of the Cards on May 14 we moved into the lead, for 3 months, all the way until August 11, we were no worse than tied for first, but two days ago we fell a game out (and in third place) but we beat the Dodgers yesterday and are now tied for the lead. This is our 8th game against the Dodgers in the last 10 days, we're trying to split them 4-4. Sunday afternoon at a sold out Chavez Ravine, first place Dodgers - first place Giants in the middle of August and there's no wild card to save you. This is the best baseball gets. We go nearly 4 hours. We scored 2 in the top of the 10th - they came back with 2 in the bottom. 6-6 in the 11th, Larry Herndon leads off with a double off of Charlie Hough, Jack Clark drives him home to give us the 7-6 lead, in the bottom of the 11th John Curtis leaves with 2 on and one out, Ed Halicki, making his first relief appearance in 2 seasons, comes in and gets Garvey and Dusty to end the game. This is the 118th game of the season and we leave Dodger Stadium with a 1 game lead - we lose our next game in Montreal to drop back to a tie and then never spend another day in first again.
Walk off 1987 home vs. Houston, 8 days ago we were 5 out of first - but now we are tied with the Reds, Thursday afternoon at the Stick, a Kevin Mitchell 3 run homer in the 7th gave us a 6-5 lead, now it's 6-6 in the bottom of the 11th inning, and with 2 out he does it again, singling home Robby Thompson off of Rocky Childress to win it 7-6. Mitch hit the ball, career OPS+ of 142 (it was 151 as a Giant) a 142 OPS+ puts him tied for 62nd all time. Who had better career numbers?
Bonds 182 (3rd)
Mays 156 (tied for 20th)
McCovey 147 (tied for 43rd)
1993 at Chicago, we're 77-38, we have a 9 game lead in the West - sure, there's no Wild Card, but who could possibly need it? We're gonna live forever. 1-1 with an out in the 5th, Kirt Manwaring homers off Greg Hibbard. We go on to win 4-1. Manwaring spent a decade in San Francisco and was our starting catcher from '92-5. This is his best year with the bat, he had a 91 OPS+ and won his only Gold Glove (and might have deserved it, he had a defensive spike this season also). Manwaring hit 21 career homers, this was #10 (#9 was 4 days prior). Two of his last four homers will come against us when Manwaring was a Rockie, off Rueter in '98 and Rich Rodriguez in '99.
1996 at Pittsburgh, we're 14 out, so just playing out the string, we've lost 9 games to the lead in the past 5 weeks, down 8-5 in the 8th, Tom Lampkin hit a 2 run double off Dan Plesac to cut it to 1, and in the 8th, Rick Wilkins pinch hit a grand slam off Francisco Cordova and we wind up winning this one 12-10. Lampkin played in 131 games in two seasons for the Giants, he and Wilkins split time behind the plate in '96, Wilkins played in 118 games in two Giants seasons.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 13 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1968 at Pittsburgh, we've won 3 straight but are 15.5 out and starting a 13 game road trip. Juan Marichal wins his 21st game, throwing a complete game 2 hitter, all of our runs came with one swing of the bat, a 3 run Willie Mays homer off Bob Veale with 2 outs in the 8th that broke a scoreless tie. 325 innings pitched for Marichal in '68, he had one more elite year in '69 and then started his decline. With 60 WAR he's pretty easily the greatest San Francisco pitcher of all time, the conversation starts at who is second best.
1978 at Los Angeles, this is such a great season, the Giants are battling the Dodgers and Reds all year, after a doubleheader sweep of the Cards on May 14 we moved into the lead, for 3 months, all the way until August 11, we were no worse than tied for first, but two days ago we fell a game out (and in third place) but we beat the Dodgers yesterday and are now tied for the lead. This is our 8th game against the Dodgers in the last 10 days, we're trying to split them 4-4. Sunday afternoon at a sold out Chavez Ravine, first place Dodgers - first place Giants in the middle of August and there's no wild card to save you. This is the best baseball gets. We go nearly 4 hours. We scored 2 in the top of the 10th - they came back with 2 in the bottom. 6-6 in the 11th, Larry Herndon leads off with a double off of Charlie Hough, Jack Clark drives him home to give us the 7-6 lead, in the bottom of the 11th John Curtis leaves with 2 on and one out, Ed Halicki, making his first relief appearance in 2 seasons, comes in and gets Garvey and Dusty to end the game. This is the 118th game of the season and we leave Dodger Stadium with a 1 game lead - we lose our next game in Montreal to drop back to a tie and then never spend another day in first again.
Walk off 1987 home vs. Houston, 8 days ago we were 5 out of first - but now we are tied with the Reds, Thursday afternoon at the Stick, a Kevin Mitchell 3 run homer in the 7th gave us a 6-5 lead, now it's 6-6 in the bottom of the 11th inning, and with 2 out he does it again, singling home Robby Thompson off of Rocky Childress to win it 7-6. Mitch hit the ball, career OPS+ of 142 (it was 151 as a Giant) a 142 OPS+ puts him tied for 62nd all time. Who had better career numbers?
Bonds 182 (3rd)
Mays 156 (tied for 20th)
McCovey 147 (tied for 43rd)
1993 at Chicago, we're 77-38, we have a 9 game lead in the West - sure, there's no Wild Card, but who could possibly need it? We're gonna live forever. 1-1 with an out in the 5th, Kirt Manwaring homers off Greg Hibbard. We go on to win 4-1. Manwaring spent a decade in San Francisco and was our starting catcher from '92-5. This is his best year with the bat, he had a 91 OPS+ and won his only Gold Glove (and might have deserved it, he had a defensive spike this season also). Manwaring hit 21 career homers, this was #10 (#9 was 4 days prior). Two of his last four homers will come against us when Manwaring was a Rockie, off Rueter in '98 and Rich Rodriguez in '99.
1996 at Pittsburgh, we're 14 out, so just playing out the string, we've lost 9 games to the lead in the past 5 weeks, down 8-5 in the 8th, Tom Lampkin hit a 2 run double off Dan Plesac to cut it to 1, and in the 8th, Rick Wilkins pinch hit a grand slam off Francisco Cordova and we wind up winning this one 12-10. Lampkin played in 131 games in two seasons for the Giants, he and Wilkins split time behind the plate in '96, Wilkins played in 118 games in two Giants seasons.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
August 12 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History
Saturday, August 12, 2017
What is this all about?
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 12 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1965 home vs. Pirates, a game out of first and hosting a Thursday doubleheader, 3-3 in the 8th, Matty Alou homers off Don Schwall and we win 4-3. Jesus also homered in this one (Matty and Felipe homered in the same game 4 years prior) It's Alou's 12th and final career Giants homer, he's dealt to the Pirates after the season.
Walk off 1966 home vs. Astros, we're a game out, but about to start a 15 game homestand, Gaylord against Mike Cuellar, they both throw complete games, Houston gets 3 hits, we get 4, the 4th hit coming in the bottom of the 9th of a scoreless game - Willie Mays homers to send everyone home happy. 35 year old Mays has a 149 OPS+, his lowest in a decade. Mays hit 6 career walk off homers, this was his 5th and it will be 5 years before he hits another.
Walk off 1973 home vs. Mets, we're 8 out, but walked the Mets off the day before and you could see a path to our making it a race down the stretch, we're down 1-0 with 2 out in the 5th, Tito Fuentes hits a 3 run homer off former Giant Ray Sadecki and we win the game 4-1 (Fuentes drove in that one also). It's Fuentes' 33rd career homer, all with the Giants, he only hits one more in San Francisco and then 11 additional homers.
Walk off 2009 home vs. Dodgers, we've lost 2 straight, dropping to 7.5 out in the west, but we're only a game out in the WC. Sold out Wednesday afternoon crowd, Tim Lincecum goes 8 2/3, gives up just 4 hits, but he's out of the game by the bottom of the 10th when, with the score 2-2, Juan Uribe hit a 2 run walk off homer off of Guillermo Mota to win the game. Earlier, Bruce Bochy and Ron Wotus were both ejected and the benches cleared in the 5th. The Giants took Lincecum 10th overall at of Washington in '06 (Longoria went 3rd, Kershaw 7th, Scherzer 11th, we also took Emmanuel Burriss 33rd). Lincecum was in our rotation the following season; the first five seasons of his career ranged from good to great (he led the league in ERA+ in '08 and had a better one in '09; Lincecum's '08 season is the 17th best for a San Francisco starter, his '09 the 27th; he won the Cy Young both seasons. The next four were pretty terrible, Lincecum went from one of the best to one of the worst pitchers in baseball in 2012 and never found it again. His Giants career ended after 2015, he pitched in 9 games for the Angels in '16 and that was the end of his big league career.
2012 home vs. Rockies, it's game 115, we're a game up in the West, we came into the 8th down 6-4, but tied it at 6 and with 2 out, Hunter Pence hit a 3 run homer off Rafael Betancourt and we win the game 9-6. Pence came over in a deadline deal with the Phillies, this is his 12th game as a Giant and his first Giants home run.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 12 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1965 home vs. Pirates, a game out of first and hosting a Thursday doubleheader, 3-3 in the 8th, Matty Alou homers off Don Schwall and we win 4-3. Jesus also homered in this one (Matty and Felipe homered in the same game 4 years prior) It's Alou's 12th and final career Giants homer, he's dealt to the Pirates after the season.
Walk off 1966 home vs. Astros, we're a game out, but about to start a 15 game homestand, Gaylord against Mike Cuellar, they both throw complete games, Houston gets 3 hits, we get 4, the 4th hit coming in the bottom of the 9th of a scoreless game - Willie Mays homers to send everyone home happy. 35 year old Mays has a 149 OPS+, his lowest in a decade. Mays hit 6 career walk off homers, this was his 5th and it will be 5 years before he hits another.
Walk off 1973 home vs. Mets, we're 8 out, but walked the Mets off the day before and you could see a path to our making it a race down the stretch, we're down 1-0 with 2 out in the 5th, Tito Fuentes hits a 3 run homer off former Giant Ray Sadecki and we win the game 4-1 (Fuentes drove in that one also). It's Fuentes' 33rd career homer, all with the Giants, he only hits one more in San Francisco and then 11 additional homers.
Walk off 2009 home vs. Dodgers, we've lost 2 straight, dropping to 7.5 out in the west, but we're only a game out in the WC. Sold out Wednesday afternoon crowd, Tim Lincecum goes 8 2/3, gives up just 4 hits, but he's out of the game by the bottom of the 10th when, with the score 2-2, Juan Uribe hit a 2 run walk off homer off of Guillermo Mota to win the game. Earlier, Bruce Bochy and Ron Wotus were both ejected and the benches cleared in the 5th. The Giants took Lincecum 10th overall at of Washington in '06 (Longoria went 3rd, Kershaw 7th, Scherzer 11th, we also took Emmanuel Burriss 33rd). Lincecum was in our rotation the following season; the first five seasons of his career ranged from good to great (he led the league in ERA+ in '08 and had a better one in '09; Lincecum's '08 season is the 17th best for a San Francisco starter, his '09 the 27th; he won the Cy Young both seasons. The next four were pretty terrible, Lincecum went from one of the best to one of the worst pitchers in baseball in 2012 and never found it again. His Giants career ended after 2015, he pitched in 9 games for the Angels in '16 and that was the end of his big league career.
2012 home vs. Rockies, it's game 115, we're a game up in the West, we came into the 8th down 6-4, but tied it at 6 and with 2 out, Hunter Pence hit a 3 run homer off Rafael Betancourt and we win the game 9-6. Pence came over in a deadline deal with the Phillies, this is his 12th game as a Giant and his first Giants home run.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
August 11 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History
Friday, August 11, 2017
What is this all about?
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 11 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1962 home vs. Dodgers, the great 1962 Giants are 74-42 but 4.5 games behind the first place Dodgers, this is a weekend series at the Stick, we took the opener and this is a Saturday afternoon in front of a giant crowd, a McCovey 3 run homer off of Drysdale in the 6th gave us a lead, this is the 9th, we're up by a run but the Dodgers have the tying run on first, nobody out, Frank Howard at the plate - but Stu Miller gets him 6-4-3 and we're gonna win this one 5-4. We sweep them the following day to move 2.5 out of first place. It's Miller's last season as the Giants closer, as a starter he led MLB in ERA+ back in '58 (155) and was nearly as good as our closer in '61 - but he's 34 this year, has a 93 ERA+ and so you understand why we send him to Baltimore after the season. It was a mistake, in 5 Orioles seasons he has combined 145 ERA+ and is an effective bullpen arm the remainder of his career.
1974 at Chicago, we're 22.5 out, here's a Sunday doubleheader, a Mike Caldwell complete game gave us a game 1 win, we're down 4-3 with 2 out in the 9th of game 2, Tito Fuentes hits a 2 run single off Dave LaRoche, we win this one 6-4 and get a little bit of joy in a dreary year. 4 years before he would throw 23 complete games for the '78 Brewers, Caldwell was in his first year in San Francisco after being the return from the Padres in the Willie McCovey trade. And he was terrific in '74, his 130 ERA+ was the second best mark of his career (only behind the aforementioned '78). He collapsed in the two remaining years of his Giants tenure. After the '76 season we sent him, D'Acquisto and Rader to the Cards for Willie Crawford, John Curtis, Vic Harris. By mid '77 he had been dealt twice more, winding up in Milwaukee where he had an absolutely out of nowhere age 29 season in 1978, finishing second in the Cy Young voting behind Ron Guidry in the season where he won 25 games and had an ERA+ over 200. Caldwell was good again the following year and then began his decline, retiring after the '84 season.
Walk off 1982 home vs. Braves, on July 30 we were 13.5 games out - but we've won 9 straight, and come into this Wednesday afternoon game only 5 out of first place. It was all madness. This was the end of an 8 game homestand, only 22,000 paid despite the scorching run, this is a 3 and a half hour 12 inning game. 6-6 in the 12th, one out - 37 year old Reggie Smith, who just had a heck of a final season in his big league career, hits a game winning 2 run homer off of Carlos Diaz to extend the streak to 10 games and move us 4 out of the lead. This was the end of the streak, the Dodgers beat us the next day, and by the beginning of September we were 9 games out again and the season was over...or was it... This was Smith's 4th homer in a week, he had 4 career walk offs and 2 were this season as a Giant. I loved the '82 Giants, what a fun club. Like the SNL season where they brought in Billy Crystal and Martin Short.
Walk off 2002 home vs. Pirates, we're 7.5 out of the lead - but 1.5 up in the wild card, 4 hours in front of a sold out Pac Bell Park on a Sunday afternoon, 4-4 with an out in the 11th, Ramon Martinez singles home the winning run off of Mike Williams. We dealt for Martinez out of the Royals system before the '97 season, he came up in '98 and spent 5 seasons as a utilityman, including getting the bulk of the third base plate appearances the year before. Martinez was okay as a spare piece, he had a 101 OPS+ this year, his last as a Giant, he left for the Cubs in the offseason and would finish his career as a Met in '09.
2005 at Atlanta, we're 8.5 out of first, trying to avoid a sweep by the Braves, down 3-2 in the 7th, Randy Winn hits a 2 run homer off future Giant Tim Hudson and we're gonna win it 5-3. A man described as an obsessive Giants fan was found guilty of phoning in a bomb threat for this game. Let's take a look at his historical recaps. The Marlins drafted Winn 10 years before in the third round out of Santa Clara University (we took Darin Blood ten picks later, he made AAA but no higher and stopped in 2002). The Rays took him from the Marlin syste, in the '97 expansion draft and he came up in '98. After 5 years in Tampa he went to Seattle (traded for a manager, Lou Pinella) and we got him at the deadline this season for Jesse Foppert and Yorvit Torrealba. In 58 games with the Giants in '05, Winn played the best baseball of his life, with a 173 OPS+. This was Winn's 9th game with the Giants. He spends 5 seasons in San Francisco, signs with the Yankees after the '09 season and finishes his career in 2010 as a Cardinal.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
Yesterday
Here are the top 5 August 11 moments in San Francisco Giants history.
1962 home vs. Dodgers, the great 1962 Giants are 74-42 but 4.5 games behind the first place Dodgers, this is a weekend series at the Stick, we took the opener and this is a Saturday afternoon in front of a giant crowd, a McCovey 3 run homer off of Drysdale in the 6th gave us a lead, this is the 9th, we're up by a run but the Dodgers have the tying run on first, nobody out, Frank Howard at the plate - but Stu Miller gets him 6-4-3 and we're gonna win this one 5-4. We sweep them the following day to move 2.5 out of first place. It's Miller's last season as the Giants closer, as a starter he led MLB in ERA+ back in '58 (155) and was nearly as good as our closer in '61 - but he's 34 this year, has a 93 ERA+ and so you understand why we send him to Baltimore after the season. It was a mistake, in 5 Orioles seasons he has combined 145 ERA+ and is an effective bullpen arm the remainder of his career.
1974 at Chicago, we're 22.5 out, here's a Sunday doubleheader, a Mike Caldwell complete game gave us a game 1 win, we're down 4-3 with 2 out in the 9th of game 2, Tito Fuentes hits a 2 run single off Dave LaRoche, we win this one 6-4 and get a little bit of joy in a dreary year. 4 years before he would throw 23 complete games for the '78 Brewers, Caldwell was in his first year in San Francisco after being the return from the Padres in the Willie McCovey trade. And he was terrific in '74, his 130 ERA+ was the second best mark of his career (only behind the aforementioned '78). He collapsed in the two remaining years of his Giants tenure. After the '76 season we sent him, D'Acquisto and Rader to the Cards for Willie Crawford, John Curtis, Vic Harris. By mid '77 he had been dealt twice more, winding up in Milwaukee where he had an absolutely out of nowhere age 29 season in 1978, finishing second in the Cy Young voting behind Ron Guidry in the season where he won 25 games and had an ERA+ over 200. Caldwell was good again the following year and then began his decline, retiring after the '84 season.
Walk off 1982 home vs. Braves, on July 30 we were 13.5 games out - but we've won 9 straight, and come into this Wednesday afternoon game only 5 out of first place. It was all madness. This was the end of an 8 game homestand, only 22,000 paid despite the scorching run, this is a 3 and a half hour 12 inning game. 6-6 in the 12th, one out - 37 year old Reggie Smith, who just had a heck of a final season in his big league career, hits a game winning 2 run homer off of Carlos Diaz to extend the streak to 10 games and move us 4 out of the lead. This was the end of the streak, the Dodgers beat us the next day, and by the beginning of September we were 9 games out again and the season was over...or was it... This was Smith's 4th homer in a week, he had 4 career walk offs and 2 were this season as a Giant. I loved the '82 Giants, what a fun club. Like the SNL season where they brought in Billy Crystal and Martin Short.
Walk off 2002 home vs. Pirates, we're 7.5 out of the lead - but 1.5 up in the wild card, 4 hours in front of a sold out Pac Bell Park on a Sunday afternoon, 4-4 with an out in the 11th, Ramon Martinez singles home the winning run off of Mike Williams. We dealt for Martinez out of the Royals system before the '97 season, he came up in '98 and spent 5 seasons as a utilityman, including getting the bulk of the third base plate appearances the year before. Martinez was okay as a spare piece, he had a 101 OPS+ this year, his last as a Giant, he left for the Cubs in the offseason and would finish his career as a Met in '09.
2005 at Atlanta, we're 8.5 out of first, trying to avoid a sweep by the Braves, down 3-2 in the 7th, Randy Winn hits a 2 run homer off future Giant Tim Hudson and we're gonna win it 5-3. A man described as an obsessive Giants fan was found guilty of phoning in a bomb threat for this game. Let's take a look at his historical recaps. The Marlins drafted Winn 10 years before in the third round out of Santa Clara University (we took Darin Blood ten picks later, he made AAA but no higher and stopped in 2002). The Rays took him from the Marlin syste, in the '97 expansion draft and he came up in '98. After 5 years in Tampa he went to Seattle (traded for a manager, Lou Pinella) and we got him at the deadline this season for Jesse Foppert and Yorvit Torrealba. In 58 games with the Giants in '05, Winn played the best baseball of his life, with a 173 OPS+. This was Winn's 9th game with the Giants. He spends 5 seasons in San Francisco, signs with the Yankees after the '09 season and finishes his career in 2010 as a Cardinal.
See you tomorrow. Go Giants!
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