June 9 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History

What is this all about?

Yesterday

Here are the top 5 June 9 moments in San Francisco Giants history

Walk off 1968 home vs. Mets, three and a half games out of first headed to a Sunday doubleheader against the Mets, 4-4 in the 9th inning of game one, McCovey's just tied it with a single, there are two on and two out when Willie Mays singles off Cal Koonce to score Ron Hunt with the winning run (we'd take the second game also).  It's Mays's 9th San Francisco walk off hit.  Only a six and a half WAR season for Mays, his 14th best as a Giant.

1975 home vs. Mets,  4-4 in the 9th inning, down 4-2 with two on and two out, Willie Montanez singles off Jerry Koosman, scoring two (the second coming on a fielding error) and it's tied at 4.

Walk off 1975 home vs. Mets, same game, next batter, Bruce Miller singles home Montanez with the winning run.  We got Miller out of the Angels farm system for Al Gallagher in early '73, He got about 600 not particularly impactful plate appearances in four Giants seasons, the only team he ever played for.

Walk off 1984 home vs Astros, we're 18 under .500, 14 games out of first, the season's already over, we are down 5-3 with two on and two out in the bottom of the 9th - Joel Youngblood hits a 3 run homer off Bill Dawley for one of the few bright spots of the season.  How many similar walk offs in San Francisco history had there been before this?  A homer when we were down 2 runs to win the game?  Leon Wagner did it in '59.  Reggie Smith and Jack Clark both did it in '82.  I think that's the list.   Youngblood was a Giant for six seasons, in '84 he started at third coming off a really good season with the bat in '83 (138 OPS+) he didn't follow that up this year.  He was with the club until signing with the Reds after the '88 season.

1991 at St Louis, we're 10.5 out, but have a 3-2 ninth inning lead, runners on the corners, Jeff Brantley had a 3 ball, no strike count on Todd Zeile - he got the green light and went 5-4-3 to end the game. Brantley's best Giants season, still one of the 10 best seasons for a reliever in franchise history, was the year prior - he closed in '90 but was setting up for Righetti in '91 and then Rod Beck took the closer's job in '92 and Brantley was off to Cincinnati after the '93 season.

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!

June 8 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History

What is this all about?

Yesterday.

Here are the top  5 June 8 moments in San Francisco Giants history.

Walk off 1960 home vs. Reds, 10 games over .500 and a game out of first, we only had 4 hits coming into the bottom of the 9th (the Reds had 3) and trailed 1-0 with 2 out and the bases loaded, Eddie Bressoud singled home Willie Kirkland and Orlando Cepeda off of Jim o'Toole to win the game.  It was the 20th walk off hit in San Francisco history.  Bressoud was a utility guy who had come over with the club from New York - except for '59 and this year when he was the starting shortstop.  Good enough glove, hit like a shortstop - he was the first overall pick by Houston in the expansion draft after the '61 season.

1969 home vs. Phillies, the Giants are 2.5 games off the lead coming into this one, only 9000 paid on a Sunday afternoon at the Stick, they got 3 and a half hours of baseball, Giants down 6-5 in the 8th, Willie Mays hits a 2 run homer off of John Boozer - it took another 4 innings, but we'd win the game 9-8 in 12.  Mays failed to hit 20 homers in '69 - that was the first time that had happened since 1952.

1975 at Pittsburgh, Sunday doubleheader at Three Rivers, we had already taken the first game, tied at 2 with 2 on and 2 out in the 9th, Marc Hill doubles both men home off of Dave Giusti.  It's Hill's first season in San Francisco, we got him from the Cards for Elias Sosa and another backup catcher, Ken Rudolph.  Mostly, Hill was a backup in his 5+ seasons as a Giant, we sold him to the Mariners in the middle of 1980.

1996 home vs. Cardinals, half dozen games out of first, Todd Stottlemyre held us to 2 hits through seven innings, but with the score tied 1-1 and two outs in the 8th, Stan Javier hit a 3 run double to put us up the eventual winning 4-1 margin.  Once upon a time a 21 year old Javier was part of the package the A's got from the Yankees in the Rickey Henderson trade; now he was 32, having signed with the Giants in the offseason.  By and large he was a 4th OF for the Giants for most of four seasons until being dealt to Houston in late '99 for a non-prospect.

Walk off 2006 home vs Pirates, three out of first, opening up a homestand against Pittsburgh, 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th, 2 out, bases loaded, Moises Alou at the plate - Matt Capps throws a wild pitch to score Eliezer Alfonzo with the winning run.

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!

60 Games In - 2017 MLB All Star Teams

Here is the second build of my selections for the 2017 MLB All Star Teams.

I do this exercise each year at the 40, 60, and finally the 80 game mark, full 34 man all star rosters for both leagues.  Each team represented, 21 position players, 13 pitchers.  Edit, there are only 32 players on each roster in 2017, I'll make that change at the 80 game update.

I'm only interested in this season's play, it's an evaluation of the best players so far in 2016. WAR is B-Ref+Davenport, the best WAR number that exists.

I also do this opportunity to make updated predictions.  These are they.

AL East
1. NYY 87
2. Boston 87 WC1
3. Baltimore 
4. Tampa 
5. Toronto 

AL Central
1. Cleveland 89
2. Minnesota 82
3. Detroit 
4. Chicago
5. KC

AL West
1. Houston 102
2. Seattle 84 WC2
3. Texas
4. LAA
5. Oakland 

NL East
1. Washington 95
2. NYM 
3. Miami
4. Atlanta
5. Philadelphia

NL Central
1. Chicago 89
2. Milwaukee 82 
3. St Louis 
4. Pittsburgh
5. St Louis

NL West
1. LAD 95
2. Colorado 88 WC1
3. Arizona 87 WC2
4. SFG 76
5. San Diego

American League
Starters
C A.Avila Det 1.9
1B Y.Alonso Oak 1.75
2B J.Altuve Hou 2.35
SS C.Correa Hou 2.55
3B M.Sano Min 1.95
LF B.Gardner NYY 2.1
CF M.Trout LAA 3.7 
RF A.Judge NYY 3.35
DH C.Dickerson TB 2.55
SP D.Keuchel Hou 3.35

Reserves
C B. McCann Hou 1.3
1B J.Smoak Tor 1.55
2B R.Cano Sea 1.85
SS E.Andrus Tex 2.45 
SS F.Lindor Cle 1.6
3B E.Longoria TB 1.55
OF M.Gonzalez Hou 1.85
OF J.Upton Det 1.8
OF A.Hicks NYY 2.4
OF G.Springer Hou 2.3
OF A.Garcia CWS 2.4
OF M.Betts Bos 2

P J.Vargas KC 3.05
P D.Bundy Bal 2.7
P E.Santana Min 2.6
P C.Sale Bos 2.5
P M.Stroman Tor 2.35
P M.Fullmer Det 2.3
P Y.Darvish Tex 2.1
P C.Carrasco Cle 2.05
P J.Paxton Sea 2

RP C.Kimbrel Bos 2.3
RP A.Miller Cle 1.7
RP D.Betances NYY 1.5

National League
Starters
C B.Posey SFG 2.6
1B P,Goldschmidt Ari 2.95
2B J.Harrison Pit 1.95
SS Z.Cozart Cin 4
3B N.Arenado Col 2.65
LF M.Ozuna Mia 3
CF C.Blackmon Col 2.2
RF B.Harper Wash 2.45
DH J.Votto Cin 2.8
SP M.Leake StL 2.9

Reserves
C Y.Grandal LAD 1.75
1B F.Freeman Atl 2.7
1B R.Zimmerman Wash 2.6
2B D.Murphy Wash 1.8
SS C.Seager LAD 1.8
3B A.Rendon Wash 2.3
3B E.Suarez Cin 2.5

3B J.Gyorko StL 2.4

3B K.Bryant Chi 2.4

OF M.Conforto NYM 2.8

OF E.Inciarte Atl 2

OF G.Stanton Mia 2

P M.Scherzer Wash 2.85
P C.Kershaw LAD 2.75

P R.Ray Ari 2.65

P I.Nova Pit 2.35

P S.Strasburg Wash 2.2

P Z.Greinke Ari 2.2

P A.Senzatela Col 1.95

P C.Anderson Mil 1.9

RP G.Holland Col 1.7

RP R.Iglesias Cin 1.7

RP B.Hand SD 1.5

RP P.Neshek Phi 1.15

June 7 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History.

Yesterday

What is this all about?

Here are the top 5 June 7 moments in San Francisco Giants history.

1967 at Cincinnati, 7 games over .500, 5 games out of first, 3-3 in the 9th (McCovey tied it with a 3 run homer in the 8th) Tom Haller singles home Hal Lanier off of Bob Lee, we hold on to that 4-3 win.  It's Haller's 4th and final season as the Giants starting catcher (he backed up the three seasons prior) we trade him to the Dodgers in the offseason for Ron Hunt.  It was the first Giants/Dodgers trade since the move west (only two other ones, the Maldonado trade in '85 and then we gave them Mark Sweeney in '07).

1979 at St Louis, 7 games out of first, we were down 9-5 in the 8th, but scored 4 and now with 2 on and 2 out in the 9th and the game tied at 9, Mike Ivie hit a 3 run homer off of Mark Littell.  We'd win the game 12-10.  It's Ivie's career year, 27 homers, an OPS+ of 152 (Ivie's glove was pretty bad, he gave back a lot of his offense on the other side).  It's Ivie's 43rd career homer.

1994 at Pittsburgh, 2 games out of first in the season that stopped but never ended, 2-2 in the 10th, Matt Williams leads off with a homer off Rick White.  We win it 3-2. It was Williams' 21st homer in 58 games.

1995 at Mets, Giants up half a game in the West, down 7-6 with 2 out and the bases loaded in the 8th, Eric Gunderson pitching to...Barry Bonds...he clears the bases with a 3 run double, we hold on to win 9-8.  Just a standard 170 OPS+ 8 WAR season for Bonds in '95.  It's his 10th best Giants season.



Walk off 2014 home vs. Mets, the Giants are 20 over .500 with a 9 game lead in the West, we play a 3 and a half hour Saturday night game against the Mets, 4-4 in the 9th, Mike Morse singles home Hunter Pence off of Jenrry Mejia to send everyone home.  It's our fourth walk off hit of the year,

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!

June 6 - Top 5 Moments in San Francisco Giants History

Yesterday

What is this all about?

Here are the top 5 June 6 moments in San Francisco Giants history.

1964 at Philadelphia, 28-19, 2nd place Giants half a game behind the first place Phillies - gotta love a battle for first place here in the first week of June, 2-2 with an out in the 9th, Tom Haller hits a two run homer off Ed Roebuck, we win 4-2 and move into first place.  It was Haller's 38th career homer.

1971 home vs. Phillies, we had lost 5 straight, including the first half of this double header - but were still 37-18 with an 8 game lead, Willie Mays got us back on track with a game winning homer of Joe Hoerner.  It was Mays' 12th walk off hit (last of his Giants career) and 6th (and final) walk off homer. Less than a year later we'd trade him to the Mets.

1990 home vs. Reds, come on, it's the first week of June and we're already a dozen out.  But we're looking for a sweep of the Reds here, 30,000 at the Stick for a Wednesday afternoon, we only had 4 hits and trailed 2-1 when Will Clark led off the bottom of the 9th with a homer off of Randy Myers. It's Will's 110th career homer.

Walk off 1990 home vs. Reds, same game, 2 innings later, still 2-2 with 2 outs in the 10th, Kevin Mitchell homers to dead center off of Rob Dibble to win it for the good guys.  I believe this is our 83rd walk off home run; it's Mitch's 115th career homer and his second walk off (his first was 3 weeks prior).  Mitch pounded the ball in 1990 with a 150 OPS+.  He was a four and a half win player, the 22nd best season for a LF in Giants franchise history.

1998 at St Louis, the good guys are 13 over .500 and tied for first in the West, this is a 5 hour game on a Saturday night at Busch, we are down 4-2 in the ninth inning but put the first two on and Darryl Hamilton clears the bases with a game tying triple off of Curtis King.  It took 5 more innings, but we won the game 5-4 in 14.  We signed Hamilton as a free agent prior to the '97 season and made him our center fielder, less than two months from now we send him to the Rockies for Ellis Burks.

See you tomorrow.  Go Giants!