knightni Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_8767270 Giants' hope vanishes right from the start By Mark Purdy Mercury News Sports Columnist Article Launched: 04/01/2008 01:31:28 AM PDT LOS ANGELES - On opening day, the one thing a baseball fan wants is a fresh afternoon breeze of hope. Monday, in a 5-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Giants offered smog and despair. Oh, make no mistake. For three pitches in the bottom of the first inning, the Giants were having a wonderful 2008 season. For three pitches, the plan to win with pitching and defense was right on target. For three pitches, starter Barry Zito was in complete command. For three pitches, a ball and two strikes, he kept Dodgers leadoff batter Rafael Furcal off balance. Heck, for three pitches, the Giants were on their way to the pennant. Then came the fourth pitch. Never mind. Furcal pulled Zito's delivery for a double that landed on the left-field chalk line. And the Dodgers were on their way to a three-run inning that eventually became a 4-0 lead, then a 5-0 lead as the Giants fizzled and flubbed and were picked off base. "It's one game," said Giants Manager Bruce Bochy. "It's only one game," center fielder Aaron Rowand echoed. Good thing. Otherwise, the Giants would be on pace to finish with a record of 0-162 over the next six months, while being outscored 810-0. If there were ever a year when the Giants needed a better opening day than this, it's hard to imagine. They finished their spring exhibition schedule with a franchise-worst record of 9-23 and major question marks about their batting order. Monday, they needed to Advertisement show at least some sign - please? - of all that stuff being in the rearview mirror. "We're not looking at those," Bochy said before the game when someone showed him a page of spring-training statistics. "We've washed that all off. That's the great thing about spring training - it doesn't count." Except when it did start counting an hour or so later, nothing had come out in the wash. By being shut out and looking bad in the process, the Giants continued to showcase their unofficial motto: The Audacity of Non-Hope. Bochy's goatee seemed to get grayer by the inning, as fielding bobbles and baserunning errors gummed up the works. Making it far worse, this ugliness occurred in the home of the Giants' loathed rivals. In pregame ceremonies honoring their 50th year in Los Angeles, the Dodgers threw everything but Tommy Lasorda's kitchen sink onto the field. Almost 40 former players strolled onto the diamond and took bows, including the usually reclusive 72-year-old Sandy Koufax. Dapper and trim, Koufax looked smooth and loose as he threw one of the ceremonial first pitches. Koufax also seemed to have more velocity than Zito, the Giants' gazillion-dollar pitcher whose fastball has mysteriously lost five or six miles per hour that no one can find - including him. "Today," Zito said, "I was throwing 84 or 85 miles per hour on the high end. I'm looking at old tape to study some mechanics. I want to get 89 or 90 miles per hour back." But his throwing arm is all right? "Health-wise, I feel good," Zito said. Giving-up-runs-wise, however, he is not. Although you would have to say that, given his struggles a year ago, Monday probably counts as a quality start for him. He threw 87 pitches in five innings and gave up four runs and eight hits. Zito was able to play in the strike zone with some batters, but once they had seen all of his repertoire, look out. The despised former Giant, Jeff Kent, fouled off a few pitches and worked Zito to a 2-2 count before teeing off on a mammoth home run into the left-field pavilion. Zito, of course, will pitch just once every five days. The Giants' larger issue, really, is how the defense performs behind the more lively and younger arms of Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum. The right side of the infield Monday didn't ease those worries. Second baseman Ray Durham muffed a popup that allowed a Dodgers runner to score - although the play wasn't ruled an error because Durham picked up the ball and threw another runner out at second base. The more telling sight was Durham, who showed as much range as the center-field flagpole, trying to dive for a relatively slow groundball up the middle and not coming close. There was, however, at least one opening-day sign of promise - for the 2011 season. Rookie shortstop Brian Bocock, who spent most of last season with the Class A San Jose Giants, made a great play by going deep into the hole to snatch a grounder and peg out Andruw Jones by several feet at first base. Bocock, 23, also showed patience at the plate, working two walks. "It wasn't bad," said Bocock, who will return to the minors as soon as starter Omar Vizquel recovers from knee surgery. "I didn't feel overwhelmed. I kind of felt I belonged out there." The Giants, in last place already, also seem to belong there. Following the game, GM Brian Sabean announced that they were acquiring 3B Joe Crede and RHP Nick Masset from the Chicago White Sox for LHP Jonathan Sanchez, AAA Fresno Grizzlies outfielder John Bowker and future considerations. "We've been scouting the White Sox all Spring Training," Sabean said, "Crede looks like he can fit in at third right away and Masset can be a future starter with us." Crede and Masset both expect to report to the club by April 2 after they pass their physicals later today. Fields can't come up too soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeynach Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 holy crap...can we get a 2nd source Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WatchIt Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(joeynach @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 02:43 AM) holy crap...can we get a 2nd source Ask and ye shall receive... LINKY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Lopez's Ghost Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Is this thing actually happening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Very good Knight, well played sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RME JICO Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Good trade for the Sox. OT, I can't believe Soxtalk.com is closing until mid-August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Disco72 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 You get a gold star for the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 So Fields up to take Crede's spot and Sanchez to take Masset's? Interesting deal. Anyone know anything about these kids? Sanchez is the prospect ,most people wanted correct? Looks like Kenny won the staredown in this case. Now if something happens to Juan Uribe, Soxtalk will be the happiest place on earth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 07:35 AM) Ugh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Bit slow this morning Southsider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Zelig Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Terrible trade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggsmaggs Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 (edited) If Masset didn't perform so well yesterday I would have believed it, but you didn't get me. Mostly, because I just saw a note of my online calendar, so I was prepared. nice article tho. haha. Also, until the players pass their physicals, I don't think GMs can talk about them. Edited April 1, 2008 by knightni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2HH Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 07:58 AM) If Masset didn't perform so well yesterday I would have believed it, but you didn't get me. Mostly, because I just saw a note of my online calendar, so I was prepared. nice article tho. haha. Also, until the players pass their physicals, I don't think GMs can talk about them. Same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(knightni @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 04:21 AM) http://www.mercurynews.com/giants/ci_8767270 Fields can't come up too soon. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 07:41 AM) Bit slow this morning Southsider. Yeah, lil bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBAHO Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 So knight, tell us a little bit about John Bowker please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Felix Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 I figured it was a joke when I saw it wasn't stickied. Nice one though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxfest Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 well done sir. well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linnwood Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(Leonard Zelig @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 07:43 AM) Terrible trade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reddy Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 f***. YOU. ALL. i got really excited for a second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyCaucasian Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(Reddy @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 09:46 AM) i got really excited for a second. I feal guilty. I was actually sad Masset was gone but excited Crede was. That aint right! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerbaho-WG Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Normally I'd be a bit peeved at this, but once I saw a youtube video, I knew it was a Rickroll. Beautiful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sox It To Em Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 I got excited for a second. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightni Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 QUOTE(DBAH0 @ Apr 1, 2008 -> 09:29 AM) So knight, tell us a little bit about John Bowker please. He's an LH outfielder. Drafted in the 3rd round in 2004 from Long Beach St., 23 years old. He hit 22 HR with AA Connecticut in 2007. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/B/john-bowker.shtml http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/team/pl...layer_id=435624 He was sent to minor league camp before the season, then went to AAA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.