Results tagged ‘ san diego ’
I Am Renaming My Fish Carlos and I Bet Nuekom Sold Sabean’s Suite
First things first. I have a new member of my family, a fish named Rivendell (Do. Not. Laugh.) who is profoundly antisocial and doesn’t seem to like to eat. I am considering renaming him, thinking maybe that’ll make him more energetic.
And when I got home from today’s Giants game- yep, I was there!- “Carlos” or “Beltran” were at the top of my new name list. Because Beltran hit two smurfin’ homeruns (ack, I can’t get the smurfin’ thing out of my system ). One of those homers was a splash and also was his 300th career. It rocked. Really. The whole empty-yet-still-sold-out ballpark was electric. Timmy was really wonderful too and D-Ro proved that I am not totally insane in still being a fan of his. I mean, last night sorta proved that too. What with his amazing hit in the 11th to walk-off and give the Giants their third straight win.
Today was the fourth straight win and if I’m remembering correctly, it’s the first sweep of the Padres this years and that feels good, my friends. Very good.
Overall, it was a lovely, foggy game and I finally wore my one and only Giants shirt that has never seen the light of day since I bought it a year ago, because, well, I don’t think orange suits me. But I layered and dressed it up and then got a compliment on it, so all is well.
Then I got home and heard The News. You know what I mean. I mean, right? In case you live under a rock or have just been eating pizza or other delicious foods the past few hours and not reading the news, I will fill you in: the word is that the Giants have pushed out the Managing General Partner- or is it General Managing Partner? I can never keep it straight.- Bill Nuekom in favor of Larry Baer. Which is not good news, it appears. My mood is ever so slightly crushed.
It really seems to me that being a Managing General Partner is an incredibly hard job. Whether you’re too involved or not involved enough or put forth too much money or not enough, you’re out of luck, far as I can tell. They never seem to last very long.
Which just goes to show I’d be better better off as an International Scouting Director, a la A.J. Preller. Or, oh, do you think maybe Nuekom sold Sabean’s suite? I bet that’s it. I totally do.
Diamond Girl
p.s. I am also going to get all preachy here and say I brought my own cinnamon roasted almonds because of Diamond Nuts use of slave labor in their supply chain and not only did I feel kind of self-righteous, but they also totally tasted better. BYO, people! And while you’re at it, vote for Jeremy Affeldt for the Roberto Clemente Award for his work as a modern-day abolitionist!
Yes, This Post Is Titled Brett Pill
Were you surprised? Seeing as Brett Pill could probably run for mayor of San Francisco (or even governor of California, what with all the disillusioned Dodger fans) and win by a massive landslide, I figure I should probably blog about him.
Well, that and the fact that I ABSOLUTELY ADORE HIM AND HE IS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO THE GIANTS. Okay, sorry about the caps. I try to avoid that. But Pill is rather a special case, you know?
He was one of the September call-ups, which is to say he was something along the lines of an afterthought for a team that had just been labeled “Out of contention- move right along”. Apparently, he read that label to say, “Tear it up, kid! We have a pennant to win!” Not that I mind. I’m just surprised. And impressed. Very, very impressed.
The series against San Diego certainly went better than I had expected coming in, even though today’s finale was a bit (a bit?) of a let-down. The whole “see-ball-hit-ball” thing seems to have gone bye-bye. No matter. The team is playing a whole lot better and as of right now- and this is sure to change before I post this, just ‘cause- the Rockies are beating the Diamondbacks. Which doesn’t help tremendously, seeing as this pesky thing called math says with each passing day it is becoming harder for the Giants to catch up, but I was never good at math anyway so I’m just ignoring it.
The point of diving into the lake and all that. Right? Right.
Diamond Girl
p.s. Brett Pill!
Okay, fine. Finished now.
My Letter to the Padres
Dear San Diego Padres,
Look. I know we’ve had our differences. I know I hated you with something of a burning passion last year- and, okay, much of this year- and I may have made one too many cracks about Jon Daniels vs. Jed Hoyer, but deep down we’re friends, right? I mean, I hope so. Because I have a teeny-tiny favor to ask of you.
You are going to be inhabiting Chase Field, the home of the much-feared Diamondbacks this evening and I, well, need you to beat them.
Pretty simple, really. Just get a few hits, throw some nice pitches and come out with the W.
The reason I’m proposing this is that it’s really good for both of us. My Giants get a chance to end today only 2 games back and you get a chance to be only, eh, 11 games back! Win-win, I know. You don’t need to tell me how smart I am.
Hey, if you want to just sweep ‘em, you could do that too! Because, just between you and me, the Giants totally rained on my parade yesterday. I was sniffing my fingers-which-smelled-like-lemons-due-to-my-making-of-lemon-bars and totally, 100% ready for a win and then they went and… lost. Sometimes my optimism is hard to keep going. Which is, of course, why I could use a little help from you.
Thankfully, the lemon bars were perfectly delicious. So my day was not entirely ruined.
So do we have a deal, Pads? What if I throw in a new name for your stadium? (Because even you must admit that Petco Park is rather lame.) I’m thinking something along the lines of Prada Park or Stadium of Marc Jacobs. You know.
Love,
Diamond Girl
p.s. Cole Hamels cannot walk the runway. In case there was ever a question about that.
Heath Bell Is Raising Goats in Peru Now?
After all this time, waivers still make my head spin.
As far as I can tell, the Padres wanted to send over Heath Bell to the Giants but the league wasn’t into that idea, so they’ve sent him to raise goats in Peru instead.
Sorry, the possibility of photo shopping that one was too good to pass up.
Or something.
There is the distinct possibility that my brain is a little shaken and jumbled due to the volume of earthquakes (three in twelve hours in the Bay Area, people) and I misunderstood the stories I read. So don’t quote me on that.
In other news, the Padres are still killing the Giants. San Francisco has actually started to display some potential for getting runners across home plate (!) but at the same time the pitching has started letting in seven runs, so they are still losing. ::takes long, deep breath::
Beltran is off the disabled list, which is good news and I hope to see some flashes of brilliance from him. I am a little skeptical of the plan to have Schierholtz play through a foot fracture and more than a little worried about the number 5 spot (Runzler starting? Again? Really?) but we shall see how it will play out.
The Dog Days are nearing an end and I am ready for the stretch run. I mean, ready-ish. Having Bell in the bullpen would make a little ready-er.
Diamond Girl
Why Barry Is Like An Ice Cream Cone in the Sun, Blonde JD and Other Assorted Second Halfness
Well… so… mini-blowouts, blowouts and tight games. We’ve gotten some pretty good entertainment this weekend.
July 15th, 2011. In the scheme of blowouts, Giants vs. Padres game ranked with some of the best. If you’re looking at the 6-1 final score and wondering what’s up with me, then just believe me when I say that felt like a blowout/offensive explosion, overall nice game. We could call it a mini-blowout.
July 16th, 2011? That’s maybe a more classic blowout, featuring a Padres win, a 11-3 final score and a Zito meltdown of vaguely epic proportions. Painful doesn’t cut it. I mean, I would say that one blowout deserves another, except if that was going to happen, couldn’t we have at least scored a nice round 10 runs or something, before we gave it right back?
And then July 17th, 2011. Let’s just say the two teams together left 18 runners on and neither got even one extra base hit. It was a nail-biter and the Giants won 4-3 in the 11th with a suicide squeeze. That kind of game.
I think whether or not you’re a Zito fan like me, his start has to be disappointing and the one real downer of the series. It has so felt like he might be getting something good going. I said his third start back from the disabled list would be the catalyst, but I was wrong. This is what everyone’s going to remember.
Let me give you my favorite Zito analogy.
Zito when he’s doing well is a chocolate ice cream cone.
But when he goes… he goes fast. Like an ice cream cone in the sun.
Let’s do a little brightsideness! The offense has looked encouraging. While Pablo’s hit streak ended on Friday, he got it right back going, Tejada has looked- dare I say it?- okay, actually and Fontenot’s been a total sparkplug. Even Aubrey’s gotten a few hits. You have to get those sad games like Saturday’s out of the way and the Giants just took three out of four from San Diego. That feels absolutely magic to say. Not to mention that Matt came out victorious in the Matt vs. Mat matchup. Small pleasures, you know?
And don’t look now but he Rangers are on an, eh, 11 game winning streak. Say that aloud for good measure, okay? I am excited about this because a) that that means they have an identical record to the Giants (World Series re-match, anyone?) and b) I have a sneaking suspicion/dream that Jon Daniels will die his hair blonde again. And make pictures available to the media. In the meantime, this will have to do.
Diamond Girl
Why the San Francisco Giants Need To Be Reading InStyle And Listening to Lullabies and Love Songs
The Dodgers are the Giants rivals. This, we know. But they’re vaguely pitiful rivals right about now and the attempted creation of a rivalry between the Giants and Rockies (think: humidor) has sort of lost steam. The Rockies are certainly opponents. Just not really rivals.
Enter the Padres! (Dramatic music.)
San Diego was good last year and dismally bad this year. Through it all, they have become the arch-nemesis of San Francisco. Partially, yes, because we can’t seem to beat them but also because they are a well suited rival- somewhat similar (good pitching, no offense) and they are of course, in the League of the Sunny Beaches. National League West, that is.
Which is why yesterday’s 5-3 loss was more painful to watch than any old game. Lincecum wasn’t terrible but he wasn’t great and he pulled the mental issues on the mound skeletons out of his closet (really, who pulls skeletons out of their own closet?) while Pablo hit like there was no tomorrow and the rest of the offense slept peacefully.
Speaking of sleeping… I’ve come to the (only logical) conclusion that sleep is the problem. Not enough sleep. Hear me out, or rather read this article from yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle. In summary, it’s about a small study on Stanford athletes, showing that when they supplemented their recommended eight hours of sleep with an extra two, their sports performance got demonstrably better. So I think the Giants (yes, even Cody Ross and his million-watt smile) need a few more hours of shut-eye. So I’ve made a list of tips for sleeping better. I am totally a source on this. Me and Sleep are real tight.
- Buy Lullabies! Tanja Solnik’s CD of Lullabies and Love Songs puts me to sleep every time. In a good way.
- Read Ball Four (If You’ve Already Read it, Read Again)! I loved that book. I really did. But every time I picked it up I fell asleep like clockwork.
- Read InStyle Magazine for that matter.
(Okay, enough InStyle.)
- Stretch! While exercise is a no-no for an hour or so before going to sleep, a few stretches can loosen your body and make you more comfortable and ready to sleep. I’m rather partial to lying upside down on my big blue ball, daydreaming about a reality show with Theo Epstein/Jon Daniels showdown. Am I completely imagining that rivalry?
- When all else fails… turn on late night sports radio. While the bashing of yourself, may stress you out, it’s the ultimate cure for insomniacs. Think, Was the Cousins/Posey play clean? Again. And again. And again.
Sweet dreams.
I mean, wake up!
There’s a game tonight! And then sweet dreams.
Diamond Girl
p.s. When John Axford of the Milwaukee Brewers posted this photo to his Twitter account about a fish in his hotel room, all I saw as the Alba orange exfoliating cream in the background. I was thrilled. I absolutely love Alba. Ballplayers do too!
10 Things You Should Know About the Twins
So. Interleague play with the Twins kicks off tonight in San Francisco. As National League people, I figure we could all use a few facts about our opponent for the coming three days. Here goes.
10. They play at Target Field. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like Target. But Target Field? I can’t like that.
9. Their slogan this year is “This Is Twins Territory”. You know the point when alliterative becomes corny?
8. Their catcher (Joe Mauer, that is. You may have heard of him?) does commercials for Head and Shoulders Shampoo. I will love this guy forever. Too great.
7. They’re named the Twins like the Twin Cities. À la “Boy meets girl… Romeo and Juliet… Sampson and Delilah… Minneapolis and St. Paul…” –Groucho Marx
6. Their General Manager is named Bill Smith. Search that on Wikipedia. Because of the number of people who come up, they’re all subdivided into industries. It’s something to see.
5. They are in second to last place in their division…
4. …but are 9-1 in their last 10…
3. …and on a 7 game winning streak
2. Then again, they last played the Padres and we all know how easy it is to beat San Diego. I mean, just look at the Giants record versus them last year! Okay, forget it. Don’t.
1. Despite how scary the last few Facts About the Twins might seem, they are human. Very human. Make that 31-39 on the year. So, you know. Not too scary.
Diamond Girl
p.s. Speaking of totally great commercials? I know I’m a little late to the party, but the MLB Always Epic campaign is brilliance. Minus the strange Wilson one. But Fielder’s ball flying over Mongolia and Ubaldo’s overall adorableness? Perfection.
Double Take Time
Although I’ve been surrounded by baseball this weekend, it’s been the under 5 feet tall kind. So today I heard the end of a very nice win and a very goofy KNBR broadcast on the way home and just went to the NL West standings and checked them out. Then I did a double take.
West W L GB L10
Arizona 29 24 - 9-1
San Francisco 29 24 - 5-5
Colorado 25 27 3.5 2-8
Los Angles 24 30 5.5 4-6
San Diego 23 31 6.5 4-6
I did not see Diamondback brilliance in my crystal ball at all. And while I guess they’ve been pretty amazing for 10 games, I have only just taken real notice of it. Move over, Mile High people. The dessert is giving you a run for your money. And then, of course, the Giants. Who are showing signs of taking my advice (okay, everyone’s advice. I admit it has nothing to do with me.) and heating up. I’m not trying to jinx them or anything. But they looked good today.
Especially Torres, who is officially the Cutest Player in the MLB. He gives the Little Leaguers a run for their money with his adorableness. I want to bottle up his good games and sprinkle them over depressing ones, to get the energy going. Heck, sprinkle them over depressing moments of my life, to get the energy going.
Sometimes it takes those lows (read: being swept by Milwaukee) to get some highs and maybe, just maybe, this is the start of something good. It kind of feels like it. I never liked Kevin Towers anyway.
And do me a huge favor and tell me “hip contusion” actually means “he’s eating ice cream and watching corny romantic comedies on demand in his hotel room” in code, okay? Because it would make my Memorial Day Monday a little better.
Diamond Girl
p.s. If you’re looking for something to see on demand on your hotel room (other than corny romantic comedies) I recommend Wall Street: The Money Never Sleeps. The acting, the script, the story… me and my bowl of raisins/blue chips really enjoyed it for the second time last night.
5 Cooler Cars for Brian Wilson and an Over-Under on Michael Young
There are so many things I could write about today. The fact that AJ Burnett is either delusional or his therapist told him to repeat positive affirmations to anyone and everyone. The fact that the World Class Good Guy seems to be morphing into a World Class Bad Guy before our very eyes. The fact that Mat Latos is on a bizarre anti-SF rampage. And then the whole, “is Aaron Rowand mad?” thing (although no one except me seems that fascinated by that). What I actually want to write about is the thing that made me wonder if there was indeed a minimum age to be in the Majors. Apparently, they let pre-adolescents in. Or at least, people with very preadolescent senses of humor.
Andrew Baggerly of the San Jose Mercury News (who, by the way, is killing all the other writers with his coverage of Spring Training) reports that Brian Wilson’s new ride is a fully decked out police cruiser. With a loudspeaker. On which he announces his arrival in the morning with, “I’m heeeere!”
If I gave my little brother a toy police cruiser for his birthday, yes, he might do that. But that is no excuse for Brian. My brother is 20-odd years younger than him. That’s not what they mean when they say, “unlock the child within you”. At least I hope it isn’t.
If he thinks the Obamas having a water dog is not cool, then I would like to say that driving a police cruiser is, um, not cool either. Just saying. Don’t want to get arrested. Don’t want to get arrested. Don’t want to get put in Bad Fan Prison. But that is not cool.
So, of course, I made him a list of 5 cooler cars. If you are slightly or very puzzled by this and the last paragraph, watch this quick episode of Life of Brian.
5. Ferrari. I don’t actually get the obsession with Ferrari’s and that they’re everybody’s dream car. Except for the name. I melt for Italian names. (My father just alerted me that his parents had several Ferraris, which I was not previously aware of. I know about the Emilio Pucci dresses and the Chanel boots they have passed down, but, until now, nothing about the hip cars.)
4. Prius. This is the cool of the future. ::Joe Martinez yells, “The car from the Ghost Writer!” I ignore:: Set the trends, Willy!
3. A Chrysler. I am being a shameless ad sucker here, but I am still into that Superbowl Chrysler ad.
2. An old school VW bus. You know, the kind Timmy wanted. They may not think that’s cool down in Hollywood but it’s way cool up here.
1. And Joe said that coolest one of all. The car from The Ghost Writer. I have referenced this before, here. That beautiful car has an intelligent GPS that will lead you to the murder spot of your predecessor at work. If that isn’t cool, what is?
There. No one can accuse me of not giving useful advice now. I just got you your baseball news and a list of cool cars, lumped into one.
I am calling grocery stores all over the Bay Area trying to find one that stocks mass amounts of popcorn. This Michael Young saga may last a long time. I still have my Team Jon shirt, but I’ve run out of popcorn. Over or under, 40 days and 40 nights? ‘Cause I need to know so I can stock up.
Diamond Girl
sfdiamondgirl
Recent Comments