McCovey Chronicles - Open GameThread, 4/8We want to continue to create opportunities for payroll flexibility.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50879/mcc-fav.png2014-04-08T17:44:51-07:00http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/rss/stream/53592132014-04-08T17:44:51-07:002014-04-08T17:44:51-07:00Giants win home opener, 7-3
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<figcaption>Thearon W. Henderson</figcaption>
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<p>Dingers and two-out hits. Just like we're used to. </p> <p>Let us step into the wayback machine and remember some bad times. In April, 2012, the Giants hit .173 with runners in scoring position. In April, 2011, the Giants hit .173 with runners in scoring position. One of those Aprils happened in the best season; one of those Aprils happened in the worst season. But both of them were as frustrating as all heck. The Giants could get the runners on, but they couldn't get them in. Made you want to take a bite out of your glass, it did.</p>
<p>And all you could do was grumble about luck and regression and being patient. No one is that bad with runners in scoring position. If clutch or unclutch are real things, they sure as heck aren't that obvious. Luck. Regression. Be patient.</p>
<p>This brings us to the present day. The Giants have scored more than a third of their runs with two outs. When they get runners on, they drive them in. Entering Tuesday's game, the Giants had a 1.019 OPS with runners in scoring position, and they were hitting .931 with runners on compared to .639 with the bases empty. In table format:</p>
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<th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;" class="tooltip sort_default_asc" align="left" data-stat="split_name">Split</th>
<th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;" tip="<b>Plate Appearances</b><br>When available, we use actual plate appearances from play-by-play game accounts<br>Otherwise estimated using AB + BB + HBP + SF + SH,<br>which excludes catcher interferences.<br>When <span class=tooltip>this color</span> click for a summary of each PA." class="tooltip" align="center" data-stat="PA">PA</th>
<th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;" tip="<b>Hits/At Bats</b><br>For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA<br>per team game played<br>Bold indicates highest BA using current stats<br><span class=glimmer>Gold</span> means awarded title at end of year." class="tooltip hide_non_quals" align="center" data-stat="batting_avg">BA</th>
<th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;" tip="<b>(H + BB + HBP)/(At Bats + BB + HBP + SF)</b><br>For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA<br>per team game played" class="tooltip hide_non_quals" align="center" data-stat="onbase_perc">OBP</th>
<th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;" tip="<b>Total Bases/At Bats or <br>(1B + 2*2B + 3*3B + 4*HR)/AB</b><br>For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA<br>per team game played" class="tooltip hide_non_quals" align="center" data-stat="slugging_perc">SLG</th>
<th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;" tip="<b>On-Base + Slugging Percentages </b><br>For recent years, leaders need 3.1 PA<br>per team game played" class="tooltip hide_non_quals" align="center" data-stat="onbase_plus_slugging">OPS</th>
<th style="background-color: #ddd; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 2px;" tip="<b>Batting Avg. on Balls in Plays</b>(Hits - Home Runs)/(At Bats - SO - HR + Sac Flies)<br>This also measures how effectively the<br>defense turned balls into outs." class="tooltip hide_non_quals" align="center" data-stat="batting_avg_bip">BA<i>bip</i>
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<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; "><span class="tooltip">High Lvrge</span></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">57</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.392</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.418</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.706</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">1.124</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.432</td>
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<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; "><span class="tooltip">Medium Lvrge</span></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">83</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.240</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.305</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.387</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.692</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.296</td>
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<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; "><span class="tooltip">Low Lvrge</span></td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">131</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.197</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.277</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.376</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.653</td>
<td style="border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 2px 3px 2px 2px; white-space: nowrap; " align="right">.217</td>
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<p>Luck. Regression. Be fearful. Don't get used it it. Stats. Sample size. Attica. Winter is coming.</p>
<p>Nuts to that. This is Corey Haim in <i>Goonies</i>, picking the coin out of the well. This is my wish. This is my wish and I'm taking it back. I'm not going to feel guilty, and I'm not going to wait patiently for cruel, cruel regression. The Cardinals won 97 games last year, partially because they hit <i>.330 with runners in scoring position as a team</i>. That was a record. Did they care? Nope. They rode those shenanigans all the way to the pennant. The regression never came.</p>
<p>I would like the Giants to be jerks in a similar fashion.</p>
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<p>Here come those Giants. Did you know their BABIP is ____? You know that has to stop, that's just luck, come on. Did you know they hit ____ with runners in scoring position in the first half? Wait until they realize that's not sustainable. I can't wait to see the look on their faces!</p>
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<p>And it just keeps happening, over and over again, because when's the last time the Giants had a barrel of good fortune?</p>
<center> <img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1603885/slomowood.gif">
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<p><br>Right, basically never. So they're overdue. And while it's not likely that the Giants are going to continue their success with runners on and runners in scoring position, that doesn't mean you don't get to slap it about your face like aftershave right now. Wheee? Wheeeeeee! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!</p>
<center> ★★★<br><br>
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<p>Brandon Belt is good, and I'm encouraged by his start to the 2014 season.</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Okay, maybe it's time to be a little less timid about him. It's a good start, small sample size, I love the power, small sample size, and everything's peachy keen with him right now, small sample size. Couldn't ask for anything more, really.</p>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3608425/mustreads.css">
<p>But here are two reminders. First: Belt is a career 1.052 hitter in the minor leagues. He's a .343/.457/.596 hitter over 825 plate appearances. He has more latent talent in his goofy neck than the rest of us have in our combined bodies. He was a top-25 prospect in baseball, and considering how much drama there was with his playing time and knuckles and slump-shoulders, it shouldn't be that unlikely that he's morphed into something more, something brilliant.</p>
<p>Second, <a target="New" href="https://twitter.com/dustinparkes">Dustin Parkes</a> reminded me of jctgamer's GIF:</p>
<center> <a href="http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2141845/swagger_gif.jpg"><img alt="Swagger_gif_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn3.vox-cdn.com/imported_assets/2141845/swagger_gif_medium.jpg"><br></a> <br id="1397003739777">
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<p>Mmmph. If the problem was confidence, there was a delivery of it around the All-Star Break last year. If the problem was lack of opportunity, the Belt Wars are long over. If the problem was wonky mechanics, those have been fixed.</p>
<p>Brandon Belt is good, and I'm encouraged by his start to the 2014 season.</p>
<center> ★★★<br><br>
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<p>Tim Hudson is a brilliant sinker-chucker, and I'm getting attached to him. He makes me think of <a href="http://www.thecomicstrips.com/store/add.php?iid=85089">this Bloom County strip</a>. He is Bruce Willis. His smirk and general derring-do will get us through this season.</p>
<p>Also, I can't express how continually horrified I am at my photographic memory of Bloom County, Calvin and Hobbes, Far Side, and Peanuts cartoons. Hell, there's even some Herman and Wizard of Id in there. WHERE WERE YOU, MOM? WHERE WERE YOU?</p>
<p>Note: Barry Zito's ERA last year through two starts was 0.00000000000000. The small samples are calling from inside the house! I repeat, the small samples are calling from inside your house!</p>
<p>But, c'mon, you can't possibly suggest that this ex-Athletic isn't filling you with much, much more confidence than that other one. This one just looks more in control. His stuff looks better, more reliable. Hudson is like a simple Rube Goldberg device that's super easy to understand. "Well, sure, you throw the sinker here, mix in the slider there, trip the command wire, wait for the control bucket to drop, and, boom, you've captured an Aaron Hill."</p>
<p>The Giants had a lot of options in the offseason, and a lot of us were grumbling about them not getting creative. But here's something they almost certainly didn't futz up. Hudson looks like the same Hudson from the last several years, and that dude was good.</p>
<center> ★★★<br><br>
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<p>Updating <a href="http://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/4/8/5594276/san-francisco-giants-home-opener-barry-bonds-murdering-baseballs">the story from earlier</a>, the Giants are now 12-3 in their openers at AT&T Park. This one would probably rank ninth if I had to redo the rankings.</p>
<p>Except this one is tied for first. All home-opener wins are tied for first, really. There was sun, bunting, a flyover, and <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2014/4/8/5595078/batkid-first-pitch-san-francisco-giants-dawwwwwww">Batkid</a>. The weather was perfect, and Kirk Gibson is irritable. Tied for first, folks. Tied for first.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/4/8/5595720/giants-diamondbacks-recap-belt-belt-beltGrant Brisbee2014-04-08T14:47:17-07:002014-04-08T14:47:17-07:00Home Opener Thread 2
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<p>I like it when the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/">Giants</a> score runs while preventing the opposing team from doing so.</p>
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/4/8/5595252/home-opener-thread-2Natto2014-04-08T12:42:47-07:002014-04-08T12:42:47-07:00Open GameThread, 4/8
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<img alt="still the best damned park to ever ballpark" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/jxSLAtWTDfEWZj_EBNm4cFvPNK8=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/31329785/165716601.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>still the best damned park to ever ballpark | Ezra Shaw</figcaption>
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<p>Baseball at Mays Field!</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
<p>Today's <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SFGiants&src=hash">#SFGiants</a> lineup vs. ARI: Pagan cf, Belt 1b, Sandoval 3b, Posey c, Pence rf, Morse lf, Crawford ss, Hicks 2b, Hudson p</p>— San Francisco Giants (@SFGiants) <a href="https://twitter.com/SFGiants/statuses/453572202034520064">April 8, 2014</a>
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https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2014/4/8/5594840/open-gamethread-4-8Grant Brisbee