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Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7

Notes from the show, available off sfgiants.com if you want a listen.

Biggest news:  Giants seriously pursuing Zito

Star-divide

Notes:

  •  Damon Bruce says he spoke to some Giants officials with knowledge of the situation and supposedly the Giants are still hot after Barry Zito.
  •  JT Interview:  what's he's going to do for Giants
  •  Dave Fleming calling in:
  •   -  Agrees with fans wondering how much better did the Giants get while losing Alou and Schmidt
      -  Heard from a Giants official that the Giants interest in Zito is very strong, heard this from a reliable source.  Interest is very serious, but obviously not a sure thing, depends on how bidding unfolds.
      -  Crazy what overpay means now, better to pay for quality like Zito than average level players.  He is not the best pitcher out there but will be paid like it, however, he is one of the top pitchers around.

    *  Todd Linden interview:
      -  Playing winter league in Puerto Rico for Mayaguy team.  Hitting .373, 4th highest in league, 20 games, 15 runs, 67 ABs, 25 hits, 4 HR, 16 BB.
      -  Came down to get ABs and to stay in shape
      -  Want to get a good approach, get good pitches to hit.
      -  Bochy did call him, but missed each other
      -  Home is near Seattle, WA, going back soon for Christmas

    *  Duane Kuiper interview

    This confirms the rumors that the Chronicle noted about Giants seriously seeking Zito.

    I hope that they are serious about chasing Zito, but does it strike anyone else as weird that there is so much news about who the Giants are pursuing?  Usually most of this is kept on the down low until we are close to getting the player.  I wonder if this was all PR that the Giants did to show to the fans that they are trying but not succeeding to sign young players.

    I also wonder if this could be pay back to Boras for the Villalona incident.  Boras was threatening to sue the Giants over it but then suddenly went silent after being hot and heavy.  It could have been because it would have been suicide to sue a possible client over a deal gone sour, killing any chance of representing another Latin player.  But maybe the Giants agreed to "pursue" Zito to give Boras leverage in the actual bidding, as payback for not being sued for Villalona?

    Just a fleeting thought, who knows...  :^)  

    This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.

    0 recs | Comment 33 comments

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    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Good to hear about Linden in PR.

    Okay, so the Giants are seriously purusing Zito. That's great. But one can seriously pursue things and still get nowhere. Like when you miss the ice cream man passing your house and have to tear ass down the street after him. When seriously pursuing a dude in my English class a few semesters ago there was no date, just a realization that he wasn't as dreamy as I thought he was. Etc.

    Getting Zito would be keen and all but I'll believe it when I see it.

    Read SFDugout. It'll make you a better person.

    by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Dec 12, 2006 1:04 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Hence why Fleming noted that this was not a sure thing and why I didn't further mention it, but it is a good point to emphasize, thanks.

    I totally agree, about the ice cream truck, I used to chase it all the time when growing up.  Of course, back then, they were nice shiny trucks, not the run down roach-traps that all appear to be today (perhaps the same trucks!).

    Now let's cross our fingers...

    by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Dec 12, 2006 1:15 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Don't worry, I'm your friendly neighborhood pessimist always on hand to inject gloom and hopelessness. :)

    Seriously, though, Zito would be something else. I still think he's overrated and a head case but the guy can flat out pitch and he's healthy. It would be a step in the right direction if this deal went down.

    The ice cream truck has been overrated since I couldn't get two twin pops for 25 cents, or two Fudgesicles for a dollar. Everything costs more now and that is wrong and sad.

    Read SFDugout. It'll make you a better person.

    by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Dec 12, 2006 1:22 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    As someone with an ongoing, 1989-born blackout concerning all thing's Athletics, can you explain why Zito is a headcase?

    by lunaticfridge on Dec 12, 2006 1:36 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    He reminds me of a less self-destructive version of Shawn Estes. He has the stuff, the talent, the durability, but he can't get back to the form that put him into the elite ranks of the league. I don't know if 2002 was a fluke or what, but he hasn't been the same since.

    Going into the ALCS against the Tigers I knew he was going to blow it. I knew he was going to choke, and it still pissed me off when he did. He's maddening to watch for that reason.

    So, is it a health issue? Probably not, as he's been healthy most of his career. I'll be the first one to say the A's had some really shitty luck and they were just flat out bad in the early parts of 2005 when Zito had his really bad outings and hard luck losses. So what is it? Why does Zito teeter on the edge of either being great or being heartwrenchingly disappointing?

    Hence, why I think it's a mental thing. Guy's in his head way too much as it is. Perhaps calling it a "head case" is too much but I don't know what else to call it.

    Read SFDugout. It'll make you a better person.

    by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Dec 12, 2006 1:59 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I absolutely agree with BaronVon on this one. I've said it before even, though never in such specific terms, but I bet if you search for Zito + nutcase/nutjob/headcase you'll find a few comments from me dating back a few months. The guy's solid for sure, but he doesn't have that "killer instinct," as E puts it, to really make his bang worth his buck.
    Coming to you by proxy

    by howtheyscored on Dec 12, 2006 2:38 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    But what about game 1 of the ALDS, against AL batting champ Joe "Lawn" Mauer, future MVP Justin "This" Morneau "Coil," and once and future Cy Younger Johan "Boards of" Santana? That's less of a clutch start than the one against Les Tigres? How can you hate a d00d who collects stuffed animals? (You don't have to answer that last question.)

    by lunaticfridge on Dec 12, 2006 3:01 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Further proof of my point. He's not consistent. He's elite when he's on, and when he's not on he's a disappointment because we all know how good he can be.

    As for the stuffed animals, I don't hate on him for that. I just bought a Beanie Baby shark for my cube at work. He guards my in box and threatens people who give me work to do.

    Read SFDugout. It'll make you a better person.

    by BaronVonCurrentEvents on Dec 12, 2006 3:29 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Well you are very nice.  My office is set up a little different. No ferns, just 3 Venus Flytraps. 6 tarantulas, dozen brown recluses, and assorted black widows in my converted ant farm. I have a 10 gallon freshwater aquarium with piranha. And a 100 gallon tank converted to hold 5 cottonmouths.  I felt this was more appropriate than the obviousness of Les Nessman Tape

    People seldom mess with my stuff when I am away from my desk for days at a time. Plus I contribute to the safekeeping of the ecosystem.

    Save The Pitcher. Save The World

    by E Ticket on Dec 12, 2006 6:23 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I suppose E's OFFICE would come with the prerequisite DESK...don't want to hear 'bout no Barcalounger , 'kay? Dealing with one of those already , as are we all.
    Your message here!

    by victor frankenstein on Dec 13, 2006 4:05 AM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    You need to stay away from Chris Berman.
    LicenseToPills: barry bonds says words, they have nothing to do with his thoughts, they are just subjects and predicates in his mental kingdom

    by Natto on Dec 13, 2006 1:04 AM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Don't we all...
    You're nobody 'til everybody in
    this town thinks you're a bastard - Elvis Costello

    by EliminateMe on Dec 13, 2006 10:42 AM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I've been following Zito pretty closely his entire career as he is on my keeper league team.  Head case might be the best way to describe the guy.  At some point in every game he pitches he has a half-inning were he teeters on the brink of a complete meltdown, generally brought on by a bout with wildness.  Sometimes he recovers after a dozen WTF pitches and sometimes he goes a little Brett Tomko with it.  The end result is usually decent with Zito, but the path to that result is part excellence, part Tomko.
    Vote for Pedro...to be DFA'd!

    by W8ingForATitle on Dec 12, 2006 3:35 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    You're singing to the choir!  I remember gas at 25 cents, I used to get good stuff out of the gumball machine for a penny, and a dime could buy me a handful of candy!
    Go Giants!!!

    by obsessivegiantscompulsive on Dec 12, 2006 1:43 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Martin. I never heard anybody sing to a choir before. That would be pretty funny.  Kind of like if you went Christmas Caroling and all of a sudden people opened their doors and started reciting poetry about MacPenisbutter and the Seven dwarfs.
    Save The Pitcher. Save The World

    by E Ticket on Dec 12, 2006 6:25 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Martin, you're reading to much Agatha Christie.

    by allfrank on Dec 12, 2006 1:24 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Actually, the Villalona theory makes sense, to a degree. I want Zito. I'm prepared for Suppan. I cannot accept Ortiz or Wells.
    I own my own business and I'm a giants fan; being a Giants fan is harder.

    by hairball on Dec 12, 2006 1:32 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    You might not accept Ortiz nor Wells, sir, but that is most likely what the Giants are duct taping to the back end of their starting rotation. Before pitchers and catchers report, we'll be lucky if Sabean throws in a David Riske signing, and trades Benitez + Neikro + prospect for Sexson.

    by Kid Fresh on Dec 12, 2006 2:41 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Hey, I'm all for (low)Riske, getting rid of Benitez, and gaining Sexson!
    I own my own business and I'm a giants fan; being a Giants fan is harder.

    by hairball on Dec 12, 2006 3:48 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Yeah. I could smile about this. I smiled very broadly when Edlardo Alfatso was swapped out to Disneyland for Finley.  Even when Finley sucked, I just reminded myself that it could have been Edlardo instead.  Of course 4 years of such consolations has exceeded my tolerance level for such stupidty
    Save The Pitcher. Save The World

    by E Ticket on Dec 12, 2006 6:28 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I wouldn't even want Zito for Gil Meche money.

    by mxmob33 on Dec 12, 2006 1:59 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I guess I am having trouble getting excited about these Zito rumors because we pursued Matthews jr, Soriano, Lee, and Pierre to no avail(GREAT LUCK BTW). The greatest thing about Zito would be domino effect that bumps brad or sanchez into the pen.

    by someguynamedg on Dec 12, 2006 4:05 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Alright, I'll finally admit it, I want Barry Zito (on the Giants, not in the uber-hot manlove way).  I've often thought he was overrated.  I watched him suck on a number of occasions.  But I've also seen him be fantastic.  Mostly I just want the Giants to do something exciting this offseason, and signing Zito would definitely qualify.  Plus the giants can always use more musical talent.  And now I hear  he collects stuffed animals!  That's just too awesome.  Stuffed animal collections are one of the things I look for in a player, it shows that he has... umm.... what's the word I'm looking for?  I don't know what it shows, but I like soft fuzzy things too, so I like him.

    If we do sign him it will be for too much money.  And I'm sure I'll hate the deal in 5 years when we still have him and he's not pitching like a Cy Young winner.  But whatever.  It's all just a game.  And signing him would entertain me, at least for now.  And that's what really matters, isn't it?

    by Snof on Dec 12, 2006 4:10 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    And just think about the improvements in Giants ads if Zito comes along! Say goodbye to man-soda and say hello to the wacky odd-couple hyjinks of Barry squared!

    Oh, now I'm getting excited.

    Coming to you by proxy

    by howtheyscored on Dec 12, 2006 6:13 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I'm with you.

    (And I mean I agree with you, not "with you" in the uber-hot manlove way.)

    Biggest mankinder in the history of no brain.

    by Goofus on Dec 13, 2006 11:09 AM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I'm disappointed.  I've had my eye on you for quite some time.  But I'm guessing that Mrs. McPenisbutter wouldn't approve anyway.

    by Snof on Dec 13, 2006 2:25 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I'm not for signing Zito, but I think the Giants have a better chance of signing him than Soriano, Lee, Matthews, etc..  At this point in the off-season, there are less big money suitors.  It's probably between the Giants, Mets and Rangers.  Which means it's probably between the Giants and Mets.

    And I'm actually not sure how serious the Mets are, although they may be holding their cards to the vest.

    "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix

    by GiantJim on Dec 12, 2006 4:19 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Zito won't sign here if he means what he says
    He's stated he wants to go to New York Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers.

    I don't know what is so hard to figure out about that.

    Anyway, if you want to know what Zito is going to be like in a couple of years  here is the one guy   on the Giants staff Zito might be able to relate to

    Save The Pitcher. Save The World

    by E Ticket on Dec 12, 2006 6:36 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Zito won't sign here if he means what he says
    Where's the hair going to go?
    "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." - Jimi Hendrix

    by GiantJim on Dec 12, 2006 8:17 PM PST to parent up reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    I think he will sign here if we offer 6 years and the Mets offer 5.  The Rangers, while not his first choice, are a possibility since Washington went there.

    by allfrank on Dec 12, 2006 11:11 PM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

    Re: Hot Stove Show, KNBR 12/7
    Q: How do you drive an obsessive/compulsive crazy?
    A: Inform him he got the date wrong on his thread title?

    You're welcome  :-)

    Biggest mankinder in the history of no brain.

    by Goofus on Dec 13, 2006 11:26 AM PST reply reply actions actions   0 recs

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