Run Support

Finally, Matt Cain got some run support. The Giants picked up the 7-1 victory today over the visiting Brewers. Matt Cain, who has had the second worst run-support in the Majors the last two seasons, got some support today in his debut of 2009. He allowed only one run on four hits in seven strong innings.

You have to be proud of the offense and the way they got behind Cain today. Bengie Molina was the man as he drove in four runs, knocking the ball into the opposite field on more than one occasion. Fred Lewis also had an outstanding day at the plate going 3-3 with a double and two runs scored; he’s now hitting .556 on the young season. Pablo Sandoval, Molina, Randy Winn and Aaron Rowand each had two hits for the Giants.

Although the Giants picked up their second win of the season, it is a heartfelt win as they quickly headed to the clubhouse to check on the condition of their fallen teammate, Joe Martinez. Martinez was one strike away from ending the game when Mike Cameron hit a line drive that bounced off the head of Martinez. He quickly fell to the ground but bounced back up as if he might have blocked the ball with his glove. But after a moment, he was staggering and replay showed he was indeed hit above his right eye. The Giants trainer rushed to his side with bandages and a towel to stop the bleeding. Cameron, who hit the line drive, was disgusted with himself. You can tell that Cameron has a good heart as his facial expression was that of worry. During the time that Martinez was taken off the field and Brandon Medders came in to get the final out, Cameron was praying that he would be okay. Let’s all hope and pray that he makes a quick recovery and get back out onto the field pitching for the Giants.

The Giants are now 2-1 on the season and have a one-game winning streak. In their next game, they play at San Diego Padres on Friday, April 10.

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Nick Adenhart, 1986-2009

Major League Baseball and baseball fans alike lost a young player. I, myself, live just north of Little Rock, AR where Mr. Adenhart played his Double-A ball for the Arkansas Travelers. I was fortunate enough to see him play and remember his stellar pitching performance.

I know that his family, friends, fans and members of his baseball family will mourn his sudden and tragic loss. He was much too young to be taken away from us but the Lord has a plan and although he is no longer with us on Earth, he will be with us in our memories; he’s most likely smiling down from Heaven because he’s playing on the Golden Field.

You will be missed Nick Adenhart, 1986-2009.

 

Giants beat Brewers, 10-6, for Opening Day Win

The Giants got off to a good start by defeating the Milwaukee Brewers 10-6 on Tuesday afternoon at AT&T Park. Although the reigning Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum didn’t pitch like he all hoped he would, he still showed signs of last season. I believe he was excited and full of adrenaline which caused for his erratic pitching performance today. I think it’s safe to say that we won’t see this side of Lincecum too often.

How about the bullpen? Not a bad job today but not a great one either. It’s Opening Day and therefore you expect there to be some rust, especially from the younger pitchers who might be making their Major League debut. I hope that Dave Righetti gets the bullpen together quickly because they did show signs of dominance against a very good Brewers team.

Big ups to Rowand and Molina for sending the ball into orbit. Each had a homerun today to help the Giants’ offensive power surge. Pablo Sandoval showed everyone why he is in the lineup by knocking the ball around the park and hitting some hard drives; he also had a double and a pair of runs. Rowand also had a double today as he went 2-3 from the plate with the RBI. Travis Ishikawa made a great 2009 debut by knocking a ball into Triples Alley and clearing the bases for three RBI.

The Giants ended the day with ten (10) runs on (12) hits and committing only one (1) error. The Giants play host to the Brewers tomorrow in their first night game of the season. The Big Unit Randy Johnson gets the ball as he begins his pursuit of 300 wins. San Francisco is 1-0 on the season and currently on a one-game winning streak.

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2009 SF Giants

Hello 2009! Spring Training starts in less than a month and I, for one, am excited to see what 2009 holds for the San Francisco Giants. I’m very excited to see Jeremy Affedlt added to the bullpen and am anxcious to see how Edgar Renteria will do in his coming back to the National League, where he seems to play better than in the American League. With the reigning Cy Young Award Winner and some great young talent coming back this season, I’m optomistic the Giants can make the playoffs.

I have to say that I hope I get to be proved wrong. I am not all that excited that the club signed Randy Johnson. He’s been injured a lot over the past couple of years and his career is winding down. He’s still VERY intimidating out on the mound and I truly hope he pitches lights out…I WANT to be proved wrong on this!

I watched “In the Clubhouse” yesterday and very pleased the Giants are answering the questions of the fans. They have a great setting in the clubhouse, where a lot of fans never get to set foot. I was happy to hear that Manager Bochy is excited about the new talent and returning talent he has to work with this season. I was also happy to see the excitement on Barry Zito’s face; you can tell he’s worked hard this off-season and is ready to get 2009 going.

Let’s hope for a great Spring Training! Go Giants!!

Thank You Mr. Magowan

Mr. Peter Magowan officially handed over the reins of the Giants organziation to Mr. William H. Neukom. Magowan began his tenure as President with of the Giants by blocking their move from San Francisco to Tampa Bay (now home of the Rays). He blcoked the move by securing funding for a new downtown ballpark that is being paid for by private funding; this hasn’t been done since Dodger Stadium was built in 1962. All of Magowan’s critics said it couldn’t be done and if it is done, you won’t be able to put a competitive team on the field. I don’t know about you, but I have to say that he’s proved his critics wrong in all aspects.

Let’s start with the stadium. Even though it started as Pac Bell Park in 2000, and was renamed to SBC Park and again to the present day name of AT&T Park, the ballpark was the key factor in keeping the Giants in San Francisco. After the city had denied the team a new stadium on four different occasions, Magowan finally got the bill passed in 1996 by a 2-1 margin. The ballpark was built right on a cove in the San Francisco Bay, now known as McCovey Cove, and opened in time for the 2000 season. Even after eight years, AT&T Park is still considered one of the top five ballparks in the nation.

In 1993, Magowan’s first year as President of the Giants, he brought in the biggest name of them all, Barry Bonds. Bonds is a hometown player, whose father Bobby and godfather Willie Mays both played for the Giants, and made an immediate impact on the city and the organization. Magowan made sure to surround Bonds with the right amount of veteran and young talent to build a winning team. Magowan’s plan to build a competitive team really took shape in 1997 when the Giants won the National League West by two games over the rival Los Angeles Dodgers. This began a streak of eight consecutive winning seasons including an appearance in the 2002 World Series against the in-state rival Anaheim Angels.

The Giants reached the 2002 World Series to face off against the Anaheim Angels. This was their first appearance in the series since 1989, which was made famous by the earthquake that rocked San Francisco before the start of Game 3. The 2002 World Series was the pinnacle of Magowan’s tenure with the Giants. Although the Giants were defeated by the Angels 4-3, Magowan had finally silenced his critics by doing everything that was said he couldn’t do. He kept the Giants in San Francisco, he built a new ballpark, and he had a winning team.

Now that Magowan has handed over the reins, he leaves behind a great legacy and a solid foundation for Mr. Neukom to build on. The team is on the rise with the development of their young talent in the minors and through the draft. Many of the players that Mr. Magowan and GM Brian Sabean have drafted are either already in the majors or have seen time in the majors. So, I think I speak for all Giants fans by saying thank you Mr. Peter Magowan for everything you’ve done for the Giants!

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Farewell Omar Vizquel

It has recently come to a realization that perhaps the greatest Shortstop in the history of Major League Baseball, Omar Vizquel, will not be returning to the Giants next season. Although he is getting on up in age, he still has the best defensive glove of any infielder in the league. His passion for the game and his flare as an infielder make him so much fun to watch. He’s fun to watch not only because he makes the Shortstop position look so easy, but anyone who pays attention to Vizquel can see how much he truly loves to play everyday, he’s an adult playing a kid’s game and he knows it and embraces it.

Even though Vizquel’s glove, attitude and most likely his presence in the clubhouse will be missed, he has paved the way for the younger talent to shine at the six spot in the infield. It’s my opinion that Vizquel is a slam dunk to win this season’s Gold Glove award yet again.

Vizquel’s bat may have slowed this season, with a batting average of only .222, but I would begin to assume that he has helped the younger players with their hitting and baserunning skills. He’s a veteran of the game and will be a valuable asset to whichever team he signs with for 2009. He will be able to help the younger generation of players, especially those who are bouncing between Triple-A and the big leauges, to gain further knowledge of hitting, baserunning, fielding and probably learn some life lessons from Vizquel along the way.

Omar Vizquel has but one goal left in his Major League career…winning a World Series. He’s been to the playoffs six (6) times, all with the Cleveland Indians. His first trip in 1995 led him all the way to the World Series to face off agaist the Atlanta Braves in the first World Series since 1993 (the 1994 World Series was cancelled due to player’s strike). Vizquel has been the World Series twice, in 1995 as mentioned above and again in 1997 when the Indians took on the young and talented Florida Marlins. Athough he was unable to win the ring in either chance, I have no doubt in my mind that he would love to get back to the World Series for a third time and have the opportunity to bring home the ring that has eluded him throughout his career.

Vizquel is a 3-time All-Star, all three appearances coming for the American League while with the Cleveland Indians. He appeared in 1998, 1999, and again in 2001. He has a career .984 fielding percentage, 11 Gold Gloves (second only to Ozzie Smith), and is a career .273 hitter with over 2,600 base hits. He is a slam dunk to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame when his time is up, if he’s a first ballot Hall of Famer (my opinion says yes) is something we’ll just have to wait for.

Thank you Mr. Vizquel for playing your heart out for the Giants organization, your teammates, the coaches, yourself, and the fans. Although your time in San Francisco has been too short, the memories you’ve left us with will not be forgotten. I know I am proud to say that one day I can tell my kids that I had the opportunity to watch the two greatest players at the Shortstop position, Omar Vizquel and Ozzie Smith. Thank you again!

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Thanks for Visiting

Hi. Thanks for visiting SFGiantsBaseblog on MLBlogs.com. I am a life-long fan of the Giants organization and will be writing my thoughts and concerns of the organization in this blog. I appreciate any comments from any of my posts. Thanks for visiting my blog. I’m looking forward to the moves the Giants organization will make during the off-season and starting play in 2009!

In the meantime, I think this season’s playoffs and World Series will be exciting. With the Cubs and the Rays being fantastic stories, this season’s playoffs are a nice change of pace with the different teams, i.e. Brewers, Cubs and Rays. NO YANKEES!!

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