Open Venting Thread

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Re: Open Venting Thread
I really can't wait for this season to end
by positiveuphemism on May 29, 2007 8:33 PM PDT reply actions
$520
by victor frankenstein on May 29, 2007 8:33 PM PDT reply actions
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I actually stayed home watching this game instead of going to the girlfriend's for sex.
The standard going rate of a girlfriend in DC is roughly $200/hour. I want $1300.
Two words:
Unless she won't go for it, in which case tape it next time.
by tk on May 29, 2007 8:35 PM PDT up reply actions
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by Grant Brisbee on May 30, 2007 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions
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But that said, what is the point of running him out at all? I don't care what his stats say, and I don't care if he's had a couple good outings. If this team gets to the point where one inning really matters, this schlemiel will ruin it. Let Ortiz "close". Or Hennessey, or anyone else. Have no closer at all, until someone steps up to do it. But from now on, Balk-Off should be relegated to meaningless innings. Then, on the off chance the team can come up with adequate answers on offense to pull out a few of these 1-2 run games, maybe one of the other pitchers will have stepped up enough to function as a closer. It literally can't be worse than having Balk-Off.
BB
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o, just me, never mind then.......
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Damon Bruce on KNBR has just re-dubbed our alleged closer "Armando Nabokov." Nice.
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by Liriano on May 29, 2007 8:46 PM PDT reply actions
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I'd be shocked if Benitez lasted another 2 weeks in a Giants uniform. This simply cannot stand. Brian Sabean is the biggest idiot in the world if he doesn't deal him soon. In the World.
by Punch Rockgroin on May 29, 2007 8:47 PM PDT reply actions
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He's gotta go. It's not fun having him on the team.
by Punch Rockgroin on May 29, 2007 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions
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by Liriano on May 29, 2007 8:50 PM PDT reply actions
"I did my (blow) job." (so to speak)
Guesses?
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by Liriano on May 29, 2007 8:54 PM PDT reply actions
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by PacBellBoozer on May 29, 2007 8:58 PM PDT up reply actions
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he showcases blownitez in spring training with the hope that he does well enough to deal him for something of value, then he somehow manages to trick himself into thinking benitez is good and keeps him
its like setting a bear trap with a sandwich, and then getting so hungry looking at the sandwich that you forget that you just put it in a bear trap
i hate them both so, so much...
by Mike @ McCovey Chronicles on May 29, 2007 8:55 PM PDT reply actions
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by victor frankenstein on May 29, 2007 8:58 PM PDT up reply actions
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"Goddammit, I am paying this guy $10 million and I'm going to get my 10 million bucks worth no matter what!"
This is what happens when you have a baseball card collecting, trust fund kid, connive his way into a managing general partnership, get restless, then start meddling in the personnel decisions of your favorite MLB team.
This is also what happens when you turn down a happy meal for your edsel.
by E Ticket on May 30, 2007 6:32 AM PDT up reply actions
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"I want that guy gone. Yesterday. And take whatever you get for him and dump that in the East River, too - just because of the taint"
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by Rude thoughtless little pig on May 29, 2007 8:58 PM PDT reply actions
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N.Y. 5 S.F. 4 W: Benitez L: Benitez S: Benitez
He does it all.
by Liriano on May 29, 2007 8:58 PM PDT reply actions
Open Venting Thread
So far this season:
IP H BB K ERA
Accardo 21.2 15 6 22 1.25
Aardsma 26.2 24 14 32 4.73
And no, I won't go into Nathan and Linebrink. But, I will go into Heath Bell because I freaking found him last year and didn't take much digging to see that his peripherals were pretty good. Heath Bell to the Padres for a bucket of dirt
Bell 30 17 6 31 1.20
What a front office we have.
by Kent @ McCovey Chronicles on May 29, 2007 8:59 PM PDT reply actions
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DFA Benetiz
DFA Sabean
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by GiantJim on May 30, 2007 9:32 AM PDT up reply actions
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by Rude thoughtless little pig on May 29, 2007 9:06 PM PDT up reply actions
Not sure how to post an image in a thread, so...
Man...
Yes, the Mets' free agents of note:
Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Pedro Martinez, Billy Wagner
Ours:
Mike Matheny, Barry Zito, Omar Vizquel, Armando Benitez
Yeah, we're good!
by Kent @ McCovey Chronicles on May 29, 2007 9:23 PM PDT up reply actions
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Re: Man...
I'm comparing the two for crying out loud, injuries and all. Wondered about Delgado, but I was writing off the top of my head. I like Zito, I really do, but financially (?), I'd have to say that I'd consider a fragile Pedro to a long term Zito. Remember Pedro is hurt now, we don't know what would have happened had he come to SF. Hell, think of Zito on our finances over the upcoming years when he's our third best pitcher. I also "like" Omar, but signing him, Alou, and Matheny were not smart moves in my mind. And, that's not me saying that now, I said that then too. (Stupidly, I thought that 'Mando was okay relative to the others...silly me.) Yes, Omar's been good (well, until this year), but compared to other SS around the league? I think that we could have done better.
by Kent @ McCovey Chronicles on May 29, 2007 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions
Re: Man...
Pedro: 4 years $13 million/per.
Zito: 7 years $18 million/per.
Pedro 1st year: 148 ERA+, 217 IP
Pedro 2nd year: 96 ERA+, 133 IP
Pedro 3rd year: injured
Barry 1st year: 88 ERA+, 198 IP (projected)
Pedro is a world class pitcher, who pitched like it in 2005. He will be a better pitcher than Barry when he returns. The scary part of Barry's contract is that it looks we have signed Kirk Rueter, circa 2000, to the largest pitcher's contract in history.
The Mets paid a steep price for Delgado, good prospects, plus inheriting a $16 mil/per contract for three years. But he's a better full time hitter than the Giants have acquired since 1998 (Ellis Burks).
by GiantJim on May 30, 2007 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions
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Lowlight of the (very long) night was def listening to Mets fan yell "We want Mando!" for three innings.
At least I got a few very sincere and empathetic "Don't worry, we know how you feel"s on the (very long) way out...
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BB
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To those who think Benitez will still be here because Mando won't fetch anything in return, I refer you to the legal precedent of The People v. Livan Hernandez. Fatass 1.0 and Edwardz Guzman for a then unheard-of Jim Brower (Hermanson wasn't in this deal too, was he?), in the wake of Livo's Game 7 bedcrapping. We might trade Benitez for a metallic brown Chevy Nova, but we'll deal him. And the sooner, the better.
Now, if I relate one bright spot from tonight's evening at Shea (other than Timmy blowing 99-mph gas past Beltran): I was headed towards the 7 train in my Giants hat and shirt (my Jason Schmidt jersey is suddenly so passe) and one Mets fan (the only one of the whole night--props to them) started getting up in my face. "Ha ha, you just got Metsercised! You got Delgadoed!"
So I asked him: "How long have you been a Mets fan?"
"Ten years."
"So you know what this is like."
Pause. Then, some fraternal pats of solidarity on my back, an almost tearful "I'm sorry, man--I'm sorry." And then silence.
I'll be back at the yard tomorrow.
by candymanhackman on May 29, 2007 9:28 PM PDT reply actions
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by tbryant80 on May 29, 2007 9:34 PM PDT reply actions
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by Rude thoughtless little pig on May 29, 2007 9:42 PM PDT up reply actions
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by lyricalkiller on May 29, 2007 9:46 PM PDT up reply actions
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A CLOSER!
he's not supposed to wilt and have those little tics so goddamn easily.
by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on May 29, 2007 9:52 PM PDT up reply actions
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by giantscatcher on May 29, 2007 10:38 PM PDT up reply actions
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Coincidence?
by Punch Rockgroin on May 29, 2007 10:40 PM PDT up reply actions
A couple of things from the Gate:
"Only twice in the entire season last year did a pitcher balk twice in an inning, with Orlando Hernandez and Runelvys Hernandez the offenders, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Davidson worked the Hernandez game."
...
More detail please!
---
Second: Mando actually straight-up said, "I lost the game."
I DO NOT BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW. He didn't try to pass it off on anyone else!
Re: A couple of things from the Gate:
If he could figure one out, you know he'd have used it...
by EliminateMe on May 29, 2007 10:59 PM PDT up reply actions
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It's not on Mando, who is helpless & hopeless
It's on Sabean.
It's on Sabean for keeping this oddity, this nonentity -- despite all the evidence -- for three gruesome seasons.
Re: It's not on Mando
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I believe the oft-cited benchmark for an average closer is that he'll save 80% of his opportunities, because once a guy is deemed fit to be an MLB pitcher, he almost always has enough talent to get three outs without giving up a run at that rate. Below 80%, and we're talking about either bad luck or poor skill.
by David A. Arnott on May 30, 2007 12:01 AM PDT up reply actions
Oh by the way, folks:
Rox won their 7th in a row and are a percentage point ahead of us in the standings.
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by Tajiri on May 29, 2007 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions
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Oh man...
vr, Xei
Perhaps it's time
http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/story/2006/7/26/225845/388
by Stuttering John Tamargo on May 29, 2007 10:26 PM PDT reply actions
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by EliminateMe on May 29, 2007 11:00 PM PDT up reply actions
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by PacBellBoozer on May 30, 2007 12:12 AM PDT up reply actions
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by mdoeff on May 29, 2007 11:13 PM PDT reply actions
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Benitez is an assclown and he needs to go. I don't care if it's irrational, I don't care if we get anything for him, I just want him gone.
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I don't doubt Mando's trying his best right now, but the simple fact is that this sort of thing, while horrific and bizarre with the two balks, was bound to happen and will happen again, only it'll be through more conventional means, like home runs and assorted extra base hits, simply because Mando's not a good pitcher anymore; he's been an average reliever who used to be excellent. It's up to the FO to realize that they can dump Mando, plug in one of a couple other candidates and get the same or better production with the same cost, only with a roster spot opened up to give MLB experience to someone who could benefit from it.
If you're anti-nuts-kicking, you should understand where I'm coming from.
by David A. Arnott on May 30, 2007 12:24 AM PDT reply actions
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I don't think I've ever seen a GM that's less willing to let his team try the candidates it already has on hand to find a closer the old-fashioned (well, as old-fashioned as the whole idea of needing one pitcher to finish the game) way. It pains me to think of how much better off this team would be had we spent the money we're wasting on Armando on a player that helps the team win all 9 innings (AKA - a solid offensive player) instead of a pitcher who, every once in a while, finishes off a victory.
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I say give Russ a shot. He nibbles, but his cutter is filthy in relief.
http://giantsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/
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I give the Giants powers that be credit for making swift decisions this season; Niekro being DFA'd, then getting rid of Linden. However, Linden was canned for much less than what Mando is getting away with. Mando's margin for error is non-existent based on his performance but it's a lot easier to jettison the guy making a little more than league minimum.
Through all this I said that the Giants could either keep Mando at closer and blow it, or go without a closer and be in a position to blow it. I'm pretty much finished with that view. If we're going to lose miserably I don't want Mando to be the crux of it any more. Give me someone new to watch in horror.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on May 30, 2007 8:06 AM PDT reply actions
Keep on balkin' in the free world
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by Punch Rockgroin on May 30, 2007 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions
Re: Keep on balkin' in the free world
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Come on Giants.... is there really a need for him EVEN now?? Loyalty is done lets move on.
And Sabean ... Pa-lease just quite.
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Ironically, Armando Benitez is roughly the size of what the astronomers call a "gas giant," and is definitely imploding.
Huh-huh..."gas giant..."
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But it's getting closer than it should be.
Kind of like an inning where Armando pitches.
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beyond that, i just wanted to say that, having found this blog through the interview with grant posted on metsblog, i found the posts and comments to be very witty and entertaining. keep up the good writing and good luck with the rest of your season. other than the next two games, that is.
by help a rascal on May 30, 2007 10:09 AM PDT reply actions
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by EliminateMe on May 30, 2007 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions
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Sure, you can say it was because of the bottle of vodka that I'd finished off during the course of the game, but I know in my heart that Benitez was much more responsible.
On a side note, I'd really like to see a statistical breakdown of Benitez' save percentage (at least for the last couple years) in games he enters with a one run lead, games he enters with a two run lead, and games he enters with a three run lead.
Obviously, a stat that would be similar for all closers, but I'd bet that it's REALLY lopsided for Armando.
He reminds me a bit of Robb Nen in his prime: he enters the game, and you feel like you don't even need to bother watching the ninth inning, because the outcome is already determined. Of course, with Nen, that outcome was a 1-2-3 inning. With Mando, it's walking the leadoff hitter, then finding a creative way to blow the save.
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The big difference, of course, is that Nen did concentrate, buckle down, and (almost always) get the save. Whereas Mando seems to be just the opposite - once that run gets on base, he checks out, as if the game is already lost.
by EliminateMe on May 30, 2007 11:43 AM PDT up reply actions
All on Sabean and Bochy
by kg on May 30, 2007 11:09 AM PDT reply actions

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