Underappreciated Giants: Volume Two
by Grant Brisbee on Dec 31, 2008 1:48 PM PST
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PrintAfter the strike-shortened season of 2002 – in which the Giants had a really good shot at postseason success if the season continued, dang it – Brian Sabean pounced on the free agent market like a big ol’ ocelot. Jeff Kent was unlikely to return, and Bill Mueller was a mediocre player with an injury history and on the wrong side of 30, so the Giants signed:
- A 28-year-old third baseman with good defense who was usually good for a few MVP votes every year.
- One of the more consistently productive second basemen in the game with a fantastic record of health.
Wow. Just wow. It was the free agent bonanza Giants fans had waited for. Jeff Kent was going to be 35; there was no sense signing him to a long-term deal. Mueller couldn’t stay healthy, and his offense was already slipping. It wasn’t as if he was ever going to lead the league in batting average and pull home run power out of his rump. So the Giants were able to fill the holes at second and third with a young semi-star and a veteran semi-star. What an offseason! And then they had to ruin it by signing this guy for two years:
- A 36-year-old center fielder coming off of a fluky good season, his first halfway decent season in six years.
Ugh. Just ugh. Marquis Grissom was one of the most overrated offensive players in baseball in his prime, and he was usually good for an on-base percentage below .300 in his 30s. He was getting older, his defense was declining, and he wasn’t going to hit for enough power or average to make up for his free-swingin’ ways. Terrible, terrible move, and the worst th…
Shows what I know. It turned out to be a fantastic and cheap acquisition. Grissom’s defense was quite good, and he provided 20-homer power from a premium defensive position. He was likable, charming, and a clubhouse favorite. Grissom was a big part of the 2003 team that finished with 100 wins before the playoffs were cancelled, and he was a key component of the last contending Giants team of 2004.
His biggest contribution might be two game-winning hits in this game from 2003. It wasn’t that important of a game, but without Grissom, we would never know the beauty of Jon Miller’s "worst baserunning in the history of the game"-call. We would never know the beauty of a play-by-play account that reads, "Rivera out at Hm/RF-3B-SS-C/Adv on E4 (throw to 3B)." And we would never know the beauty of the worst baserunning of the history of the game (video file).
So hooray for Marquis Grissom, a grizzled piece of found money who gave his best for the Giants. Well, with the exception of 137 miserable at-bats in 2005, but you couldn’t blame Sabean for trying Grissom out one last time.
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Uh , Chief?
Worst “Worst baserunning linking” in the history of the game.
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Dec 31, 2008 1:53 PM PST reply actions
Whoops , there it is!
I’ll shut up now.
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Dec 31, 2008 1:55 PM PST up reply actions
habib?
are you saying Vic is your beloved?
We don't really have that much pitching depth. We don't really have that much pitching depth. FOR GOD SAKE, VERUCA, DON'T GO FAKE TRADING JONATHAN SANCHEZ. We don't really have that much pitching depth
I'm sorry , folks...
…but I had to put a stop to that.
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Dec 31, 2008 7:59 PM PST up reply actions
That would habibi
Habib is, I believe, just “beloved”.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
Shukran , sadiquis
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Jan 1, 2009 9:29 AM PST up reply actions
Sadiquis?
Sounds familiar, but I can’t remember what it means. Where did you get your Arabic?
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
"Friends."
From Saudi Arabia.
in ‘77 Dad worked for the Arabian – American Oil Co. and dragged the remaining family – including me , all of 17 – there. That’s where I first saw/played fastpitch softball , only it wasn’t women pitching…
It’s interesting because the word for the homemade firewater they brew there is ALSO called “sadiqui”
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Jan 1, 2009 10:39 AM PST up reply actions
You might substitute "Minn faddlich" for friend as well.
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Jan 1, 2009 10:40 AM PST up reply actions
That's what I thought
I’m used to what I thought was the more commonly used “rafiqi”.
..so allow me to present Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain as two sweet, sweet bottles of warming hooch.
Who?
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Jan 1, 2009 3:03 PM PST up reply actions
Excellent choice. I thought it was going to be Mueller, but you switched up on us. Marquis had many siblings as well.
The crime lord in the first Batman movie?
Are they related?
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
by Useful_Idiot on Dec 31, 2008 8:04 PM PST up reply actions
Grissom was a very nice addition to the Giants. I agree with everything you said, but I would quibble over his defense. He was alright in his first year but by the second year he really had no business playing in CF. I just remember a ton of balls landing in front of him for hits because his speed was pretty much gone.
Do you know where to find defensive stats from 2004? I’d like to be able to ignore those too.
by Grant Brisbee on Dec 31, 2008 2:33 PM PST up reply actions
(And your point is well-taken. I seem to remember that now….)
by Grant Brisbee on Dec 31, 2008 2:39 PM PST up reply actions
FanGraphs has bUZR data now back to 2002. I did a brief post on the best and worst Giants defenders from 2002-2008 on my spamblog. There’s some pretty good discussion in the comments section.
http://www.baycityball.com/2008/12/17/best-and-worst-giants-defenders-2002-2008/
Grip earned ‘worst’ honors for his 2004 season. He just fell off the cliff between ’03 and ’04, but he was very respectable in ’03 for a 50-year-old man playing center.
I remember those I also remember a lot of singles stretched into outs. Grip was the last one to know that he’d lost a step.
We don't really have that much pitching depth. We don't really have that much pitching depth. FOR GOD SAKE, VERUCA, DON'T GO FAKE TRADING JONATHAN SANCHEZ. We don't really have that much pitching depth
Not sure why I remember this
I seem to recall him catching a lot of balls in the palm of his glove rather than the webbing, so it often looked like he was going to drop it even when he didn’t.
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
by Useful_Idiot on Dec 31, 2008 8:07 PM PST up reply actions
You had to love the fact
that he was named after a car model of Mercury.
Greetings, Marklar! I am Marklar! This is Marklar.
We should get to see him some this year, he signed on as the Nationals first base coach this offseason. Also, you’ve got to love him for the classic ‘inner / outer-outfield’ commercial with Barry in the recliner.
It would have been nice if once…just one time ever…Grissom used two hands to catch a fly ball
by Missing Barry on Dec 31, 2008 3:39 PM PST up reply actions
Looks like Michael Tucker
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
by Useful_Idiot on Dec 31, 2008 8:09 PM PST up reply actions
FUCK YES!!!
One of my favorite commercials all time.
When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realized God doesn’t work that way, so I stole one and prayed for forgiveness. - Emo Philips
Neglectful father of David Quinowski
All of those '03 commercials were great
My favorite was the one with Lou Seal dancing. Also, the “Introduce yourself” bit was hilarious.
I was hoping that guy would keep doing commercials for us, but he left… It’s been all down hill for Giants commercials since then. “Your SF Giants”, and then the whole gamer fetish- not very fresh or creative, to say the least.
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
by Useful_Idiot on Dec 31, 2008 8:15 PM PST up reply actions
The clock doesn't matter in baseball. Time stands still or moves backwards. Theoretically, one game could go on forever. Some seem to.-Herb Caen
My adopted son Matt Downs . Utility Infielder with a Bat !
DMoss...Urgggghhhh!!
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
Jeremy Affeldt Ready To Make His Father Proud
by Giant among Angels on Dec 31, 2008 9:31 PM PST up reply actions
You mean the Ace Australian?
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
by Useful_Idiot on Jan 1, 2009 11:54 AM PST up reply actions
Ray from across the bay!
Heheh I called him that all the way up to last season.
by lincypoo i wuv u on Jan 6, 2009 10:56 PM PST up reply actions
It’s been all down hill for Giants commercials since then.
Not true. The next seaon brought us the lovely “Thighbone Girl” who asked JT questions. My heart still pitter patters thinking about her.
My adopted Giant: "Raptor Jesus" Guzman
Hmm, I don’t remember that one, but if I saw it I’d probably recognize it
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
by Useful_Idiot on Jan 1, 2009 11:45 AM PST up reply actions
Searching for “thighbone girl” on youtube brought up a tupac video, something about Ted Bundy, and a soulja boy parody. Methinks I won’t be able to find this commercial online, unfortunately
Wall-E for Best Picture 2008
by Useful_Idiot on Jan 1, 2009 11:52 AM PST up reply actions
“Hey JT, what’s your favorite movie?”
“The furf Rocky.”
(question and answer 2, which I do not remember)
“The hip bone’s connected to the…”
(Monotone) “Thigh bone.”
GROUGTHINK ALERT
After all these years...
…NOW I understand “furf Rocky”
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Jan 1, 2009 5:05 PM PST up reply actions
Here ya go Goof.
Don’t tell the missus.
http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/sf/fan_forum/gen/commercials.jsp
Scroll down to the 2006 commercials. Thighbone Girl, Arugula, What does the G, and Meatball is all there.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
"So Where the Hell is Barry Going To Be?"
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
Jeremy Affeldt Ready To Make His Father Proud
by Giant among Angels on Dec 31, 2008 6:36 PM PST up reply actions
I fondly remember his walkoff homer against the Rockies in ‘05. I think that was the only walkoff homer the Giants hit that year (I’m probably wrong, but I’m sticking to it).
Hey, I know that video file!
During the year, I uploaded and linked to it in a gameday thread. And now here it is on the main page. Enjoy your fame, little video clip.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
I’ve had that since Waiting for Boof! Don’t take credit for something someone else edited and I stole!
by Grant Brisbee on Dec 31, 2008 3:12 PM PST up reply actions
We probably stole it from the same source once upon a time. My copy is called “riveradumbass.wmv”
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Because I'm a nerd, I found the thread:
My link probably won’t work anymore, though.
Never has a poster been more correct in the history of the internet. Ever! - ResDog on yours truly
Ahh, Grip...
I loved that buggley-eyed old man.
One of my favorite Giants memories was one of those on-the-field photo days, where the players would walk around the outer circle of the crowd and sign stuff and take pictures with people. My girlfriend at the time was unbelievably psyched to meet Marquis. He was her fave, she’d even named her pet bird after him. She got a great picture with him, and as he was walking away she screamed “I LOVE YOU MARQUIS” as loud as she could. He turned around and gave me a “your chick is crazy” kinda look, before saying thank you in this really high-pitched voice. It was weird.
by The Double Deuce on Dec 31, 2008 3:45 PM PST reply actions
Grip was a good Giant to be sure. I only wish that video clip had Miller’s call on it. Can’t seem to find it on youtube. :(
Someone's got the audio file on it..
I’m not sure who though.
The Basil Fawlty Moderating Strategy:
"We could run a nice blog here if we didn't have all these members getting in the way."
I feel inclined to point out...
David Bell was the 3rd baseman for that 2002 Giants team that could have made it deep into the playoffs were it not for the strike. Bill Mueller was on the team, but he re-joined late in the season. I even had this weird dream where Bell scores the game winner in Game 5 of the NLCS that propels the Giants to the World Series.
"He called the sh** POOP!" -- Adam Sandler
David Bell
Of all the Giants I have watched through the years, David Bell played way beyond his stats. When he left for the Phillies, I thought it would hurt us. But then. . .David was always hurt after that and was abysmal for Philadelphia. But he was a very underrated Giant.
Don't believe everything you think.
Him crossing home
probably my favorite sports memory, maybe just a shade behind the catch 2. That was soo freaking sweet
Maybe it is just me...
but the seeing the box score with the name E. Alfonzo really pisses me off. Partly because he was 0-5 that game, and because he was hitting .228 at the time. Waste of money
I Don't Tolerate Intolerance!
Jeremy Affeldt Ready To Make His Father Proud
by Giant among Angels on Dec 31, 2008 6:11 PM PST reply actions
Good Giant
and one of my favorites. How about a Grip Grand Slam
The clock doesn't matter in baseball. Time stands still or moves backwards. Theoretically, one game could go on forever. Some seem to.-Herb Caen
My adopted son Matt Downs . Utility Infielder with a Bat !
Power and speed...
Grissom is a member of a pretty elite group of layers with over 200 HRs and 400 steals for their careers. The others:
Barry Bonds
Bobby Bonds
Craig Biggio
Rickey Henderson
Paul Molitor
Joe Morgan
I think that’s about it. Cesar Cedeno comes up one HR short.
I read that as "lawyers"
gotta run now , there’s a process server at the door…
Who has the fun?
Is it always the man with the gun?
- The Stranglers
by victor frankenstein on Jan 1, 2009 12:03 PM PST up reply actions
I once saw Grip in Magic Gardens in Portland, of all places. At first, I didn’t know if it was him or not, I go to my friend Scotty, “I think that’s Marquis Grissom!”, only without the exclamation point, because that would have made me seems star struck. And we got over by him and sure enough it was him, with his World Series ring on and everything. What he was doing in Portland, I’ll never know.
Hats Off!
To Marquis Grissom. One of my all-time favorite Giants. Cool as a cucumber, steady as a gunslinger. Love that guy.
No, really, I have updated my blog this year: http://skaldheim.livejournal.com/tag/baseball
After the 2002 season
After the 2002 season the Giants traded or allowed to leave Jeff Kent, Bill Mueller, Russ Ortiz, Livan Hernandez, Kenny Lofton and Reggie Sanders. That began a downward spiral that continued until its reversal began in June, 2006 with the drafting of Tim Lincecum.
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