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Around SBN: Notre Dame's Turnaround: How Have The Irish Done It?

Cain't Misbehavin'

by Grant Brisbee on May 22, 2006 12:35 PM PDT in News

Someone might ask, hey, why the A.J. loathing? To which I respond:

He kneed another man in the "luxury box", apparently with zero provocation.
There was a trade. It didn't work out. You can read about it, if you're into the whole corporal mortification thing, here at my new Fox Sports Bay Area column.

But it seems tacky now, having a column full of morbidities and gloom. The Giants have won five of six, and are two games out of first. They've given up eight runs in the past six games. That almost reads like a misprint. A week ago, which one of the following quotes would you have expected Jon Miller to say?

"The Giants have given up eight runs in the past six games...."

or

"The Giants' bullpen has given up eight runs in two-thirds of an inning, which brings the score to twelvity-six to two. And it looks like Alou's coming out to make a double-switch...."

They're rolling, just like every other team in the West has done at one point or another. And they took the series in Oakland with a phenomenal rebound performance from Matt Cain. It's hard for me to describe just how well Cain pitched, so I'll leave that job to the professionals:

Oakland, CA - (Not AP)

Rookie pitcher Matt Cain completed a one-hit shutout on Sunday, leading his San Francisco Giants to victory over the Oakland Athletics. Barry Bonds did not hit a home run.

Bonds was in attendance though, watching the game from the top dugout step. He had four at-bats in the game, but was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning, much to the displeasure of the fans hoping to see history.

Here are some words that rhyme with Bonds:

Ponds.
Fronds.
Wands.
Croutons.

After Cain got the final out, he was congratulated by Bonds. It is still not known whether Cain booed Bonds during this attempt at congratulations, or if he put Bonds in his place with a homemade sign.

I feel like I'm there.

I've heard several times that Cain's stuff isn't "electric". That's true only if the term "electric stuff" can only be applied to a select pantheon of current pitchers. As in, Pedro Martinez, Felix Hernandez, and Johan Santana have electric stuff, and that's it. That's understandable, if a little hyper-exclusive. But Cain has a fastball that can make veterans look as if they're swinging a 15-pound sledgehammer, and a breaking ball that can break a hitter down. My vote goes for "electric, but certainly not all of the time." It was fun to watch yesterday, for sure.

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Comments

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

Cain has hybrid stuff: part electric, part combustion.

Satan wears a Dodger cap

by nostocksjustbonds on May 22, 2006 12:45 PM PDT reply actions

Well put.

by Kitspool on May 22, 2006 1:57 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

The one-hitter was probably a combination of Cain rediscovering his stuff and the A's hitters hibernating. The A's are pretty mediocre. And now we face a team with a more challenging batting line up that might reflect where our pitching truly stands.

"I see two Kirk Rueters." 7/31/04 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

by WithTechron on May 22, 2006 12:46 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

That's just too "half-empty" for me. A one-hitter is a one-hitter.

by hammystyle on May 22, 2006 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

I realize I'm inviting an offensive explosion by even mentioning this, but doesn't it seem like the Cardinals are sneaking by on Pujols and reputation?

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/Statistics/Team/playerstats?team=stl&pagetype=batting&seasonYe ar=2006

I see a slappy Rolen, a free-falling Edmonds, and a lot of at-bats for the likes of Encarnacion, Eckstein, Molina, Miles, Taguchi, Luna, Rodriguez, and Spiezio.

Feel free to blame me if we lose 16-2 tonight.

"Robb Nen is going to get you" - Benito Santiago to Chipper Jones, 10/7/02

by Pants Man on May 22, 2006 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions

clearly we will lose 28-1

Rolen is looking a bit like Moises last year, decent AVG and OBP but strangely lacking in power. I don't keep tabs on the Cards, obviously -- maybe he's still recovering from a previous injury. And I'd heard that Edmonds was slumping but I didn't realize it was 744 OPS slumping. If Spiezio gets a big hit off of us I will kill myself.

At some point in the future Pujols might start to get the Bonds treatment, but I don't think it will be during this series. LaRussa and Felipe have too much of a love affair with one another to four-finger Bonds/Pujols except in obvious situations.

by non sequitur on May 22, 2006 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

Considering that they've playing well without Alou the (relatively) Younger is all the more reason to be encouraged.

In medical school, proctologists finish at the bottom of their class.

by Goofus on May 22, 2006 12:55 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

But what did Bonds think about Cain?

club ph34r - comics! rally hippo - crappier comics!

by Natto on May 22, 2006 1:21 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin': The A.J. part

Grant, your aticle on FSN is interesting and fun, but how much of Nathan's and Liriano's success can be attributed to the Twins organization and pitching coaches? Who's to say that these two would be the same pitchers in SF? If Nathan was our closer, he'd be coming into a tie ballgame with one out in the 8th and a man on first and third because we have some highschool kids pitching between the God-like Cain and the closer. I think the regret about losing Nathan is probably justified, but I don't really know anything about how the coaching staff and pitchers around him in Minn. might have helped Nathan become a great pitcher. What do you think?

Attempted murder? Now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel prize for attempted chemistry? Do they?

by mbedard on May 22, 2006 1:22 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin': The A.J. part

I've always thought A.J. was a bit irritating, and that he deserved to be smacked around a little bit. However, Barret's punch was kind of a cheap shot, for which he later apologized. It's just too bad pitchers get tossed these days for throwing at someone, or it would have been nice to see Zambrano drill A.J. with a fastball on his fat, flabby caboose.

The Cardinal Curmudgeon

by lawman3842 on May 22, 2006 1:55 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin': The A.J. part

I didn't see the AJ/Zambrano thing, can somebody explain? Personally, I think they're both fukknozzles.

by mxmob33 on May 22, 2006 2:03 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin': The A.J. part

AJ bashed a home run off zambrano and did the zambrano signiture of kissing his fist and pumping it on his chest and pointint to heaven. zambrano went nuts. ozzie went on the field to tell him to shut up. and then the cubs won.

"I see two Kirk Rueters." 7/31/04 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

by WithTechron on May 22, 2006 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin': The A.J. part

Well, Nathan had one heck of a year in the pen. Bonser still put up good numbers, despite the slight dip in velocity.

Strikeouts are fascist.

by irwin on May 22, 2006 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

I know how much everyone just LOVES these wonderful East Coast sportswriters' obsession with Bonds articles, and seeing as how they've all been so non-biased and well-conceived, I figured you'd all very much enjoy this one from ESPN today:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/060512

Page2 has decided that if Bonds hadn't been such a huge steroid abuser, the number of homeruns he would have would be 616, and no asterisk needed!

These are just getting WAY out of hand... This may be the dumbest article I've read on this subject yet...

by ololo3 on May 22, 2006 2:08 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

And if ruth wasn't such a boozer, he'd have 950. and if mantle had healthy knees, he'd have 1200. and if there wasn't segregation, josh gibson would have 1300.

"I see two Kirk Rueters." 7/31/04 vs. St. Louis Cardinals

by WithTechron on May 22, 2006 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

And if a frog had wings, it wouldn't bump it's ass a-hoppin.

by zenbitz on May 22, 2006 3:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

I actually liked the article. I thought he was pretty objective about the whole thing, and came to a reasonable conclusion based on a few different factors.

by hammystyle on May 22, 2006 2:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

How many pitchers who got Bonds out from 1999 to May 2, 2006 were on steroids? Answer me that, then we'll talk.

Satan wears a Dodger cap

by nostocksjustbonds on May 22, 2006 3:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

Start talking about park factors as well, of course. It doesn't really seem fair to take away, say, #71 in 2003, since it didn't clear the fence by nine feet. It cleared a tall fence in a pitchers park 421 feet from home plate.

But as far as the ocean of garbage written about Barry is concerned, this piece was harmless and mildly interesting.

"Robb Nen is going to get you" - Benito Santiago to Chipper Jones, 10/7/02

by Pants Man on May 22, 2006 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

not to mention Ruth and Aaron's highly favorable parks

Strikeouts are fascist.

by irwin on May 22, 2006 5:22 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

I didn't like it at all. I found that he double-counted some factors, but most importantly ignored Bonds' 1999 injury. If you take away home runs that you attribute to steroids, you have to put back the ones that were lost because of a steroids-related injury.

by antinous on May 22, 2006 11:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

Bonus points for "Angry Blogger FAQ".

by zenbitz on May 22, 2006 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions

Cain't Misbehavin'???

Wow, deja vu! I could have sworn I just read a "Cain't Misbehavin'" article recently. Or maybe the precogs told me about it - I'll have to ask them. Better check out their minority report, too.

Waiting for Travis, Nate, Marcus, and Nick P.

by Lyle @ McCovey Chronicles on May 22, 2006 2:54 PM PDT reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'???

An AP Sports Wire Feed Darkly.

If Cain proves to be the real deal, there'll be lots and lots and lots of crappy puns to get sick of.

Me, I appreciate the fact that Barrett took a long whack at a short Pierzynski.

"When I think of how many times the Enemy has tried to kill Gary Busey..."

by multiphasic on May 22, 2006 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions

I can only express myself through song.

He's electric
He's in a ballclub full of eccentrics
He's done things I never expected
And his stuff's just fine

He's a young pitcher
Yesterday he threw a one-hitter
I hope that he doesn't get a blister
So his stuff stays fine

And I want you to know
I've got my mind made up now
The Giant will be just fine
And I want Sabean to say
I've traded Greene for Pujols
But I need more...
Coz I'll be you and you'll be me
There's lots of Bonds homeruns to see
There's lots of visiting teams to boo
Schmidt's electric, and Cain is electric too.

by Salemicus on May 22, 2006 3:54 PM PDT reply actions

Re: I can only express myself through song.

Don't make me pour bleach into my ears to rid this repulsive melody from my brane.

by Ruths Curse Steakhouse on May 22, 2006 4:29 PM PDT up reply actions

There are two kinds of people in the world

People who liked Oasis in 1995/6
Nazi paedophile Dodger fans

by Salemicus on May 22, 2006 6:58 PM PDT up reply actions

Re: Cain't Misbehavin'

When Cain's fb busts out at 158mph, I will concede to the term "electric"

No Comment

by Sidd Finch @ McCovey Chronicles on May 22, 2006 5:19 PM PDT reply actions

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