do we start to worry that Sabean might panic and do something incredibly stupid?

I'm more pissed off than anything that I stayed up so damn late watching the game only to have them lose like that and then I have to go to work the next day with a lack-of-sleep-headache.

I'm amazed at people my father's age who have stomached being a fan of this team for 50 years. I'm on about year 12 and I can't take much more.

1985: Will Clark #2 overall
1986: Matt William #3 overall

2008: #5 overall (Smoak, Hosmer, Alvarez???)
2009: #1 overall?

Hope to be as fortunate with the picks as the 1980's.

Whilst listening to the Giants game on the radio, how far can you drive before the bullpen relinquishes a lead of 2 or more runs?

Last night, I left 21st and Valencia with the score 2-0. By the time I had reached Duboce and Guerrero, it was 2-2.

Was there something wrong with Wilson last night? I mean, a 39-year-old journeyman long reliever who didn't even pitch in the bigs last season? I'd cry but it's not worth it right now.

If you're like me and not keeping close track of these things, you'll appreciate the new "record" tally just below the Fanposts" section.

It's helpful to know the Giants are 0-2 right now. Waiting for win #1 will be more fun that anticipating HR #756 last year.

New meaning to the term "anger management".

I don't know if it's apathy, Grant. I prefer to think of it as a morbid sense of humor. On my annual post on my blog, I compared a truly bad baseball team to Highlander 2 -- so bad it's entertaining.

That's MY slogan for this year: Giants 2008 = Highlander 2.

I can remember the days when the bullpen was solid. It was a surprise when they didn't hold the lead. That was a long time ago. 2002 or 2003 maybe. Now, I am surprised when they don't blow it. Similarly, I am genuinely surprised when the "hitters" come through with runs. I have such distaste for this product management put out for us, but I can't say it is apathy.

with overpriced and over the hill vets that are blocking the kids. The entire infield, minus Bocock, should be benched and Ort, Velez, and the batboy brought in to replace them. Bring Nate back and stick his ass in LF. Put Rajjee baby in CF, and okay the guy in RF. Leave them there for a year and we will probably not win anymore games but they sure as hell will be fun to watch. Maybe in the future we could have a good team. I didn't say great. I will settle for a good .500 team. Cain deserved a lot better than that. He pitched a great game and got nothing for it except a wet finger in the ear.

I've punted this season a long time ago so the losses don't hurt like they would if there was a chance in hell we would compete this year. But I am worried about:

-Cain's pitch count. That's just down right stupid and should not happen at all this year, with him or Timmy. A hard pitch count of 105 should be in place for both, no matter what. It is unbelievable that managment wouldn't have this in place to protect their two most important players.

-Cain's intensity. I love that he was so into it and that part of his makeup is awesome but I'm worried this team will break him. If last year was hard on him I don't want to imagine what this god awful team will do to him. I know it's part of who he is but outside of BatFlipGate last year, I don't remember him being so visably intense. It's only going to get worse this year and if that's the start I'd hate to see him in August. I'd keep all bats and sharp objects away from him whenever he is in the clubhouse near the everyday players. Aurilia and Durham could be the first to feel the wrath. I know it's impossible to change who he is but I'm concerned.

It's a sad, sad day when hard core Giants fans like us cannot even get worked up over a soul crushing loss to the Dodgers.

I think 2007 just crushed all the soul right out of us. And this off season didn't exactly pump up the volume.

It's probably better to laugh than cry.

I remember a MNF game I saw live at the Meadowlands. Jets vs. Dolphins. Testaverde QB for the Jets. The Jets were horrible - negative rush yards in the first half, down 3 TDs going into the 4th Quarter. The entire stadium (sold out - we literally could have climbed over the backs of our seats and out of the stadium) mocked the Jets mercilessly for 3 quarters. Booing, sarcastic applause at any 1st down or stop... it was actually quite amusing.

And then a miracle happened. Testaverde caught fire. They scored _4_ touchdowns in the 4th quarter - including 1 by LT Jumbo Elliot on a pass receptions Miami scored one back, and it went to overtime where the Jets won. It was the most improbable thing I have ever seen live.

What does that have to do with the Giants? Uh... I dunno? Earnest Ragging?

I saw briefly that his fastball was sitting pretty around 85-87ish. I thought he had a 89-91 fastball. Was I wrong?

we've all been in situations where things get so bad that all we can do is laugh. Why should we get upset that the manager starts a bunch of senior citizens and they GIDP and boot grounders and lose the game. If you're upset at last night's loss, your expectations are way too high.

Any expectations of the Giants this season need to be really, really low and not be based on the team's win loss record. They're gonna lose a lot, and look bad doing it, but there can be some positives, like Cain and Linc progressing and maturing as pitchers, so that they'll be better when the team is good again.

And if the team is playing Durham, Roberts and Richie to increase their possible trade values, then I suppose that's ok, too - if they're traded for players that can help us beyond this season (my expectations on this count are low, too.)

It's also be nice if one of Rajai, Fred, Ort, Velez, Holm (or a AAA callup or traded for player) proved himself capable of being a major league regular. It may not happen, but it isn't unreasonable to expect that at least one of them can be (ok, maybe it is).

Maybe, I'm just being greedy on that last one, but you see the point. Keep expectations low and vague. You won't be disappointed.

It looks even stranger now that Rowand has 4 hits and Richie keeps hitting into double plays and the other guys keep sucking. (Even though 6th is only in the bottom third if you don't count the pitcher, the idea is the same. Rowand obviously should hit in one of the 3-5 spots.)

I tried to Embrace the Suck. I tried to Love the Suck. Hey, at least they wouldn't be "almost, maybe, if the rest of the West beats up on each other.." good enough to keep me watching. I figured, no pressure.

Fuck that.

I hate the fucking Dodgers with the white-hot intensity of a thousand imploding suns.

The only thing I hate more?

Losing on a dumbass play like that.
I am unable to Embrace the Suck.
So I must suffer through the rest of this miserable season.
All outs, all the time.

Rain is likely for tonight's game. Perhaps not enough to cause a delay, but enough to make a mess of things.
vr, Xei

Let's hope Lincecum can pick up where he left off in his last start vs. Oakland. Although I think the rain will be a little harder tonight. Check it out

radar

Giants

Velez 2B
Aurilia 1B
Winn RF
Molina C
Rowand CF
Lewis LF
Castillo 3B
Bocock SS
Lincecum P

Bums

Furcal SS
Martin C
Ethier LF
Kent 2B
Jones CF
Loney 1B
Kemp RF
DeWitt 3B
Fatt Ass P, I mean Chad Billingsley

I see no sign of hope that this team won't lose 100 games next year too (and in 2010, for that matter).

Yeah, the dynamic duo will probably keep on with their development. But, hey, Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, anyone? And beyond our talented two, what other sources of optimism do we have? And sure, Sanchez, Schierholtz, Wilson, and a couple others look like they may someday be believable as major leaguers. Sure, Angel V might get announced at the 2015 AllStar game. But even with all that, combined with some lucky free agent signings that break the right way, it will not be enough to get us near .500 any time soon. It's been four years since we were last there, and it might be many more years until we are there again.

We've committed our one superstar salary for the next six years to a clone of Rueter 04-05. The minor league organization is still incapable of developing hitting skills (hitting for average or power, much less patience/drawing walks). Sabean still seems wedded to his same old jacked theories like that walks don't matter on offense, and the most important thing in a first baseman is their glove. And whatever magic Sabes used to work on the trade market dried up a long time ago.

The thing that was going to be the most interesting to me in the 2008 season, with an eye to our next winning team, was to see if Fransden could get on base 200 times. I think that it's safe to say, the answer is gonna be "no" …

Funny how Oakland decides to tears things down to rebuild, and they still manage to put an entertaining, borderline competitive team on the field. And why is that? Oh, right. Billy is one of the three or four most competent GMs in the game. Meanwhile, Sabes is clearly one of the three or four least competent : four frikkin years running now of small market team results on big market team salary, two of them even with Captain OPS in left field …