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Post by sharksrog on Oct 27, 2021 22:15:58 GMT -5
Even though the Giants seem unlikely to re-sign Kris Bryant and simply won't exercise Johnny Cueto's option, they're going to spend a lot more money on their own potential free agents than seemed at all likely a year ago.
They've already committed $32 million to Brandon Crawford and quite possibly will spend even more for Brandon Belt. They're sure now to exercise Buster Posey's $22 million or so option and might well extend him on top of that. Evan Longoria's option is a year away, so they'll be paying him this year for sure. Farhan has indicated they would likely re-sign at least two of their free agent pitchers. If one of them is Kevin Gausman, he'll almost certainly garner over $20 million per season unless the contract is really long. DeSclafani or Wood should be far less expensive, and Wood in particular would be for less time.
The bottom line is that a year ago it appeared the Giants would be flush with cash, with the possibility of even Buster Posey being bought out and neither Brandon being re-signed. Now the Giants are in decent monetary position entering free agency, but the huge windfall from not re-signing their own players seems to be disappearing.
A year from now it seems highly possible they won't exercise Evan Longoria's option, again providing some flexibility but hardly a bonanza. A year after that, the contracts of both Brandons (assuming they re-sign Belt) and possibly Buster and perhaps one of the starting pitchers they might re-sign this year might come up again. By then the youngsters should be arriving in significant quantities.
The Farhan era is becoming exciting. Speaking of which, Farhan is on a five-year contract himself, so the Giants might renew him this winter and will almost certainly do so by next winter. I don't know how long Gabe Kapler is signed for, but he shouldn't need to worry about changing addresses. The changes this winter will likely be in the coaching ranks and have already begun with the retirement of Ron Wotus.
Circling back to Johnny Cueto, one could have argued when the Giants re-signed him, he had been the second-best starter in the National League over the previous four or five years. He was darn good for the Giants too if he could just have remained healthy. It just doesn't seem like his six years are already up. He came within a third of an inning of reaching 220 frames in 2016, but in his final five seasons he was unable to average even 80.
Johnny will likely sign with someone, possibly even the Giants. But should his career be over, he would likely finish it with a lower ERA (3.45) than Madison Bumgarner (3.31 and rapidly rising). This is one heck of a coincidence, but as of this moment, the two are within a third of an inning of each other. Madison's career began in 2009; Johnny's began a season earlier.
In another coincidence, Sandy Koufax and Clayton Kershaw are within 30 innings. Clayton passed Sandy this past season. Sandy pitched a dozen seasons; Clayton has pitched 14. It sounds to me like the Dodgers will re-sign Clayton, who like Madison has been declining for a while, although not nearly as quickly. Some would likely be surprised, but Kershaw's ERA is a quarter of a run lower than even Sandy. In fact, Clayton's is lower than any starter who didn't pitch in the dead ball era.
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Post by rxmeister on Oct 28, 2021 7:02:46 GMT -5
Chokeshaw? From Rog of all people? I expect that from Randy with Rog then admonishing him for poor taste! Nice summation of the expected off-season Rog, but knowing Farhan we know there will be no bidding wars for players, so if even one team makes a big offer to Belt, Wood, Disco, or even Gausman, the plan to bring them back goes out the window. He might bend a little in the case of Gausman and based on Kevin’s comments about being here and also about their attention to Covid protocols being important, I doubt he wants to leave. I expect Wood to stay, because his injury history will limit his value on the open market, but Disco leaving won’t surprise me. Cueto won’t be back, leaving him off the playoff roster was insulting to him and I also got the impression he was never really happy here. Farhan will fill out the rotation the same way he has in the past, signing veterans to one year prove it deals. A few pitchers in this category are our old friend Drew Smyly, Dylan Bundy, Corey Kluber, Danny Duffy, etc. Farhan will certainly have the funds to go higher, although I don’t think he’s a fan of long term deals for starting pitching. He could make a run at Scherzer though, who is someone he can throw big money at in a short term deal. I expect Posey and Belt back for sure, because he has the option on Buster if all else fails and I don’t expect a big market for Belt, although there probably should be. Let’s end this Series nobody cares about and get going already!
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Post by reedonly on Oct 28, 2021 8:11:23 GMT -5
Chokeshaw? From Rog of all people? I expect that from Randy with Rog then admonishing him for poor taste! Nice summation of the expected off-season Rog, but knowing Farhan we know there will be no bidding wars for players, so if even one team makes a big offer to Belt, Wood, Disco, or even Gausman, the plan to bring them back goes out the window. He might bend a little in the case of Gausman and based on Kevin’s comments about being here and also about their attention to Covid protocols being important, I doubt he wants to leave. I expect Wood to stay, because his injury history will limit his value on the open market, but Disco leaving won’t surprise me. Cueto won’t be back, leaving him off the playoff roster was insulting to him and I also got the impression he was never really happy here. Farhan will fill out the rotation the same way he has in the past, signing veterans to one year prove it deals. A few pitchers in this category are our old friend Drew Smyly, Dylan Bundy, Corey Kluber, Danny Duffy, etc. Farhan will certainly have the funds to go higher, although I don’t think he’s a fan of long term deals for starting pitching. He could make a run at Scherzer though, who is someone he can throw big money at in a short term deal. I expect Posey and Belt back for sure, because he has the option on Buster if all else fails and I don’t expect a big market for Belt, although there probably should be. Let’s end this Series nobody cares about and get going already! Free agent market in thin on starting pitching. When your own players are the best ones listed, you can assume no improvement from the free agent route. Rxmeister's scenario looks like it will be correct. Desclafani is certainly gone. Even though they say its not true, the team need to be constructed to beat the Dodgers. |
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Post by sharksrog on Oct 28, 2021 13:33:16 GMT -5
See, Mark recognized it right away. There is no way I would be a child and call Clayton "Chokeshaw." Then I posted that when one followed the letter "K" with the other letters of Clayton's last name, some childish fool has rigged our board's program to write "Chokeshaw." Why has Matt not taken care of this? It simply makes us look petty and childish.
I'm not a big fan of the chant of Giants and other SF fans of "Beat LA" either. It kind of legitimizes Los Angeles as some kind of power. Hey, I live the Giants/Dodgers rivalry as much as anyone. But the games are tremendously exciting because they're between the Giants and their big rival; not because they're with Los Angeles. Los Angeles is simply a huge city that is horribly overcrowded with cars even more than people. Beating the Dodgers is special not because Los Angeles lost, but because the Giants won. Chanting out "Beat LA" makes it sound like we're giving Los Angeles more credit than it deserves.
Meanwhile, Matt, thanks for re-inventing our board -- and now please fix this "Chokeshaw" crud. It's demeaning us.
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Post by sharksrog on Oct 28, 2021 13:52:07 GMT -5
Mark makes a good point about Scherzer being a possible Giants target because he won't require as long a contract.
Regarding getting into a big bidding war, Farhan has done a nice job of avoiding that, but he did enter into the bidding on Bryce Harper. Bryce is a very good player, but the problem might have been the same as the previous administration's trying to acquire Giancarlo Stanton -- health. Bryce has remained relatively healthy in his three seasons with the Phillies, but he has seasons of 118, 100 and 111 games in his 12-season career. The good news for the Phillies is that two of those three came in the first three seasons of his career.
The big commodity on the free agent market this winter is shortstops, and the Giants have already re-signed theirs. As Reed mentioned, the free agent market is thin on starting pitching. The Giants might have a slim advantage toward re-signing their own free agent pitchers, and Farhan has indicated the Giants might indeed re-sign at least two of them. Won't be easily done, but some of the Giants' starters may feel they have a better chance of success with the Giants and their coaching staff.
DeSclafani is a tough one because as Mark pointed out, he pitched quite well against the rest of the league, but with the exception of a fine September 3rd start, was destroyed by the Dodgers, the Giants' biggest competitors.
The biggest blessing from last season was the development of Logan Webb, who has become the Giants' best young pitcher since Madison Bumgarner. And apparently in great part because the Giants helped him change his motion. How much does Kevin Gausman want to come back, and will it hurt that he is no longer seen as the Giants' ace? And of course, how much will he cost, and for how long? Will he give the Giants a bit of a hometown discount?
Another beauty of last season is that San Francisco now appears to be a destination of choice. They have built their success in great part because their coaching staff has succeeded in making players better. The Giants have also been quite good at identifying players they can help improve, meaning they will likely spread their offers in productive directions.
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Post by klaiggeb on Oct 28, 2021 15:29:06 GMT -5
See, Mark recognized it right away. There is no way I would be a child and call Clayton "Chokeshaw." Then I posted that when one followed the letter "K" with the other letters of Clayton's last name, some childish fool has rigged our board's program to write "Chokeshaw." Why has Matt not taken care of this? It simply makes us look petty and childish. I'm not a big fan of the chant of Giants and other SF fans of "Beat LA" either. It kind of legitimizes Los Angeles as some kind of power. Hey, I live the Giants/Dodgers rivalry as much as anyone. But the games are tremendously exciting because they're between the Giants and their big rival; not because they're with Los Angeles. Los Angeles is simply a huge city that is horribly overcrowded with cars even more than people. Beating the Dodgers is special not because Los Angeles lost, but because the Giants won. Chanting out "Beat LA" makes it sound like we're giving Los Angeles more credit than it deserves. Meanwhile, Matt, thanks for re-inventing our board -- and now please fix this "Chokeshaw" crud. It's demeaning us. I guess I will present the contrary point of view. I am a huge fan of the beat La chant. As Reid has pointed out multiple times, I am simply sick and tired of their arrogance. And if I live in Idaho, and I'm sick of their arrogance imagine what the fans in San Francisco think when they have to listen to Dodger fans at Oracle park with that same nonsense. |
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Post by reedonly on Oct 28, 2021 15:35:03 GMT -5
See, Mark recognized it right away. There is no way I would be a child and call Clayton "Chokeshaw." Then I posted that when one followed the letter "K" with the other letters of Clayton's last name, some childish fool has rigged our board's program to write "Chokeshaw." Why has Matt not taken care of this? It simply makes us look petty and childish. I'm not a big fan of the chant of Giants and other SF fans of "Beat LA" either. It kind of legitimizes Los Angeles as some kind of power. Hey, I live the Giants/Dodgers rivalry as much as anyone. But the games are tremendously exciting because they're between the Giants and their big rival; not because they're with Los Angeles. Los Angeles is simply a huge city that is horribly overcrowded with cars even more than people. Beating the Dodgers is special not because Los Angeles lost, but because the Giants won. Chanting out "Beat LA" makes it sound like we're giving Los Angeles more credit than it deserves. Meanwhile, Matt, thanks for re-inventing our board -- and now please fix this "Chokeshaw" crud. It's demeaning us. I guess I will present the contrary point of view. I am a huge fan of the beat La chant. As Reid has pointed out multiple times, I am simply sick and tired of their arrogance. And if I live in Idaho, and I'm sick of their arrogance imagine what the fans in San Francisco think when they have to listen to Dodger fans at Oracle park with that same nonsense. As I mentioned before, its not just the Dodgers. Its the Lakers, USC, UCLA, and Rams when they are good. |
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Post by klaiggeb on Oct 28, 2021 15:38:21 GMT -5
I guess I will present the contrary point of view. I am a huge fan of the beat La chant. As Reid has pointed out multiple times, I am simply sick and tired of their arrogance. And if I live in Idaho, and I'm sick of their arrogance imagine what the fans in San Francisco think when they have to listen to Dodger fans at Oracle park with that same nonsense. As I mentioned before, its not just the Dodgers. Its the Lakers, USC, UCLA, and Rams when they are good.
I stopped going to games for a multitude of reasons, but one of the biggest was the obnoxious fans.
Thus my support of "beat LA!" |
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Post by reedonly on Oct 28, 2021 15:39:21 GMT -5
See, Mark recognized it right away. There is no way I would be a child and call Clayton "Chokeshaw." Then I posted that when one followed the letter "K" with the other letters of Clayton's last name, some childish fool has rigged our board's program to write "Chokeshaw." Why has Matt not taken care of this? It simply makes us look petty and childish. I'm not a big fan of the chant of Giants and other SF fans of "Beat LA" either. It kind of legitimizes Los Angeles as some kind of power. Hey, I live the Giants/Dodgers rivalry as much as anyone. But the games are tremendously exciting because they're between the Giants and their big rival; not because they're with Los Angeles. Los Angeles is simply a huge city that is horribly overcrowded with cars even more than people. Beating the Dodgers is special not because Los Angeles lost, but because the Giants won. Chanting out "Beat LA" makes it sound like we're giving Los Angeles more credit than it deserves. Meanwhile, Matt, thanks for re-inventing our board -- and now please fix this "Chokeshaw" crud. It's demeaning us. I'm okay with keeping "chokeshaw". If it bothers you so much, you could figure a way around it. Maybe we can have the word Dodgers changed to "Doyers". Beat LA! |
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Post by reedonly on Oct 28, 2021 15:40:18 GMT -5
See, Mark recognized it right away. There is no way I would be a child and call Clayton "Chokeshaw." Then I posted that when one followed the letter "K" with the other letters of Clayton's last name, some childish fool has rigged our board's program to write "Chokeshaw." Why has Matt not taken care of this? It simply makes us look petty and childish. I'm not a big fan of the chant of Giants and other SF fans of "Beat LA" either. It kind of legitimizes Los Angeles as some kind of power. Hey, I live the Giants/Dodgers rivalry as much as anyone. But the games are tremendously exciting because they're between the Giants and their big rival; not because they're with Los Angeles. Los Angeles is simply a huge city that is horribly overcrowded with cars even more than people. Beating the Dodgers is special not because Los Angeles lost, but because the Giants won. Chanting out "Beat LA" makes it sound like we're giving Los Angeles more credit than it deserves. Meanwhile, Matt, thanks for re-inventing our board -- and now please fix this "Chokeshaw" crud. It's demeaning us. I'm okay with keeping "chokeshaw". If it bothers you so much, you could figure a way around it. Maybe we can have the word Dodgers changed to "Doyers". Beat LA! The first best outcome of a season is if the Giants win a World Championship. The second best outcome of a season is if the Dodgers don't. |
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Post by sharksrog on Oct 28, 2021 18:13:09 GMT -5
Chokeshaw is childish, but the biggest problem was when I posted how foolish it was to insert "Chokeshaw" for Clayton's actual surname, it came out that it was foolish to insert Chokeshaw for Chokeshaw.
Someone has rigged the board.
All we're doing is showing how juvenile we are.
Try it yourself. Unless someone has unrigged the board, if you type in "Kershaw," it will come out "Chokeshaw." Unless the board has been unrigged or it's rigged only for me. I was shocked to see Chokeshaw when I knew I had typed in Kershaw, and I was even more shocked when I saw that the second time I typed in Kershaw, it wasn't later changed to Chokeshaw, but immediately came out that way.
Someone here is simply being childish.
Incidentally, "Beat LA" is a negative cheer. Why not emphasize positive statements. We've got far too much negativity these days. We see far too many instances where people aren't trying to accomplish anything positive but instead of trying to keep anything from being done by those they disagree with -- and they're certainly not trying to do it with only the truth.
How have we become so dishonest and anti-productive? I'm not trying to get into politics here, but I think ethics certainly apply. As my late dad would likely say if he were still alive, "We've gone to hell in a handbasket."
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Post by Islandboagie on Oct 28, 2021 18:57:20 GMT -5
Cancel culture MLB style, nice work, Rog. We should definitely stop all negative chants at sporting events because it might hurt your feelings. How selfish of us as a nation to not take your feelings into consideration.
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Post by reedonly on Oct 28, 2021 20:22:10 GMT -5
Chokeshaw is childish, but the biggest problem was when I posted how foolish it was to insert "Chokeshaw" for Clayton's actual surname, it came out that it was foolish to insert Chokeshaw for Chokeshaw. Someone has rigged the board. All we're doing is showing how juvenile we are. Try it yourself. Unless someone has unrigged the board, if you type in "Chokeshaw," it will come out "Chokeshaw." Unless the board has been unrigged or it's rigged only for me. I was shocked to see Chokeshaw when I knew I had typed in Chokeshaw, and I was even more shocked when I saw that the second time I typed in Chokeshaw, it wasn't later changed to Chokeshaw, but immediately came out that way. Someone here is simply being childish. Incidentally, "Beat LA" is a negative cheer. Why not emphasize positive statements. We've got far too much negativity these days. We see far too many instances where people aren't trying to accomplish anything positive but instead of trying to keep anything from being done by those they disagree with -- and they're certainly not trying to do it with only the truth. How have we become so dishonest and anti-productive? I'm not trying to get into politics here, but I think ethics certainly apply. As my late dad would likely say if he were still alive, "We've gone to hell in a handbasket." ok, I positively want to beat the crap out of LA |
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Post by rxmeister on Oct 29, 2021 7:57:33 GMT -5
I’m with Rog on the Beat LA chant, but maybe it’s because I’m in NYC and don’t see the LA-SF rivalry up close. I’m also too young for their NY rivalry, which is about the only thing I’m too young for these days! I hate the Dodgers, but only because they’re in our division and been so good over the years. I actually admire the way they run their organization, and when Farhan was hired I hoped he’d make our organization like theirs and I’m thrilled that he has, despite the fact that he doesn’t work with unlimited payroll like they seem to do. That makes him all the more brilliant and the Giants can’t give him an extension long enough to suit me. What differs from the Dodgers is that without the blank check he has to makeover the roster yearly with bargain basement signings and hunches, so there’s going to be years when it all goes wrong, and for all we know that might be next year, although I sure hope not. He just can’t sign a Mookie Betts and say “well that solves that position for the next decade” then go worry about somewhere else, nor can he bring up a prime prospect like a Walker Buehler and not have to worry about someday losing him to free agency. But back to the Beat LA chant, I think it almost empowers the team and the city, as you’re attaching way more importance to them than they deserve. You know what really drives someone crazy? Apathy. Treat them as if they’re unimportant and mean nothing to you. I mean when I was a kid growing up and had a crush on a certain girl, her not knowing I exist hurt a lot more than her disliking me. To me beating any team in the west means as much to me as beating the Dodgers. It’s almost like we’re jealous of them to give them that much attention.
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Post by reedonly on Oct 29, 2021 10:40:23 GMT -5
To be honest, they do the same thing in Los Angeles with "SF Sucks" chants. They're not too fond of LA in San Diego or Arizona, either.
The bar of success for their fans and organization is championship or failure. Based on how much more they spend than anyone else, that's probably what it really is. As such, there is an arrogance to their organization and fanbase. The thing is that a mediocre team in LA becomes irrelevant. Fans are front runners and they just latch on to another champion (usually the Lakers). Part of the reason they spend so much is linked to the realization that if the Dodgers are second place or less, people will start to wear Laker jerseys instead of Dodger ones. It's good to beat a team that spends more.
An illustration of Dodger arrogance is that windy playoff game where Gavin Lux felt robbed when the wind blew his fly ball back into play and that they should have won the game. He forgot that Crawford and Yastrzemski also had balls knocked down by the wind.
I have lived with LA fans in college and go to LA many times a year and this feeling is probably accurate. The Dodgers are expected to win championships. When the Rams came back to LA, you know what the reaction was? Indifference! That's because they were not championship. Same with Chargers coming to LA. Clippers were largely ignored until they got Kawhi Leonard. LA fans are not fans of teams as much as they are fans of rings and thinking they are better than everyone else.
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Post by sharksrog on Oct 29, 2021 14:08:04 GMT -5
I hadn't heard the "SF Sucks" chant, but that is even more demeaning to LA than the chant of "Beat LA" is to SF. As usual, Mark nailed it. It's APATHY that hurts.
Outstanding point, too Mark that Farhan may face a challenge almost each and every year, and sometimes it won't go as well as others. I personally fear there will be a little letdown after this great season, much as there was in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
On the other hand, I'm quite excited to see now much continuity the Giants can build in two or three years when their young players begin to make a significant impact.
It will be intriguing to see how Farhan continues to fare. Matt has made what I consider to be a ridiculous point that while it is true that Billy Beane basically won games as frequently as Brian Sabean despite having only about half as much money to spend, there is no guarantee that Billy would have spent the extra dollars wisely if he had them available. I agree with Matt that there is no GUARANTEE, but if one is good at identifying bargains, the odds are quite good that he'll be even better when he has more money to spend. Farhan employees the new Moneyball, and while he doesn't have as much money to spend as the Dodgers, he has FAR more available than the A's.
Billy was mostly Moneyball. Brian was primarily scouting and chemistry. Farhan seems to embody all three.
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Post by reedonly on Oct 29, 2021 15:16:25 GMT -5
I hadn't heard the "SF Sucks" chant, but that is even more demeaning to LA than the chant of "Beat LA" is to SF. As usual, Mark nailed it. It's APATHY that hurts. Outstanding point, too Mark that Farhan may face a challenge almost each and every year, and sometimes it won't go as well as others. I personally fear there will be a little letdown after this great season, much as there was in 2011, 2013 and 2015. On the other hand, I'm quite excited to see now much continuity the Giants can build in two or three years when their young players begin to make a significant impact. It will be intriguing to see how Farhan continues to fare. Matt has made what I consider to be a ridiculous point that while it is true that Billy Beane basically won games as frequently as Brian Sabean despite having only about half as much money to spend, there is no guarantee that Billy would have spent the extra dollars wisely if he had them available. I agree with Matt that there is no GUARANTEE, but if one is good at identifying bargains, the odds are quite good that he'll be even better when he has more money to spend. Farhan employees the new Moneyball, and while he doesn't have as much money to spend as the Dodgers, he has FAR more available than the A's. Billy was mostly Moneyball. Brian was primarily scouting and chemistry. Farhan seems to embody all three. Billy Beane's edge has by now evaporated because every team is using Moneyball and analytics nowadays. Every team that uses a strategic edge gets copied to some degree and Beane has been copied long ago. |
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Post by sharksrog on Oct 29, 2021 15:49:53 GMT -5
You make a fine point Reed, that Moneyball has been copied, and the A's edge has diminished. Still, they're playing well without spending much money, so their advantage may not have been been lost entirely.
I think the Giants now have the best combination of analytics and chemistry in baseball.
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Post by reedonly on Oct 29, 2021 18:18:37 GMT -5
Brian Sabean was slick in doing moneyball but appearing old school. Farhan needs to keep his secrets but he seems to be guarded when interviewed so hes not spilling company recipes.
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Post by sharksrog on Oct 29, 2021 19:46:33 GMT -5
From what I've read, the Giants were late in getting into analytics, although a quick search now doesn't find me anything to back that up. I did like his signings of Juan Uribe and Aubrey Huff, and Andres Torres become one of my favorites.
Wouldn't it be intriguing if the Mets signed both Brian and Bruce Bochy? I'm all for it. I think that would be really cool. Maybe New York could pay SF back for stealing the Giants!
I feel sorry for guys like Mark and Mordy who have to root from afar.
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Post by rxmeister on Oct 30, 2021 6:30:47 GMT -5
Sabean’s biggest strength to me were his deadline moves, where he would quietly add rental players that didn’t seem impressive at the time, like Javy Lopez or Marco Scutaro, and they would then rise to the occasion late and post season, and then he would re-sign them as Giants long term. He didn’t fare as well in free agency or in big trades, although Jeff Kent for Matt Williams was bold and worked out terrifically. I remember rival GM’s couldn’t stand him because he was gruff and didn’t answer the phone or return their calls, good luck Mets if you sign him! Actually the impression I get is that Sabean is openly campaigning for their job and they’re not interested. And Rog, I like rooting for the Giants from afar! The time difference works out well for someone who works till 9 pm. I get to come home and watch the entire game, because here it usually starts around ten!
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Post by sharksrog on Oct 30, 2021 10:02:02 GMT -5
I'm glad rooting from New York works out well for you, Mark. I imagine it's tougher for Mordy, who has to get up for the stock market. But while in the long run it worked out fabulously for me when we moved to the Bay Area three years after the Giants did, I feel bad for the many New Yorkers who poured their lives into the Giants, only to see them move away to the West Coast.
A few years back, the Sacramento Kings nearly moved to Seattle. For me personally, it would have worked out well for them to move, since I have long rooted for the Warriors, and the Warriors would no longer be blacked out here. But it just didn't seem fair to the people of Sacramento for them to move, so even though it hurt, I rooted for them to stay.
Now I hope that Seattle can get an expansion team, since they lost their team years ago themselves. And I was glad when New York got the Mets and their Dodger blue and Giants orange. Wasn't the same though as having the Giants and Dodgers, was it?
The internet has made rooting for a team from afar much easier, since it is now easy to get local sports coverage from afar. And of course it is now much easier to get TV coverage of the Giants from New York than it was to get it from the Bay Area when I was a kid. Listened to a lot of Giants games though. And got to see about 30 or 40 a year in person.
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Post by reedonly on Nov 3, 2021 1:42:38 GMT -5
As I mentioned before, its not just the Dodgers. Its the Lakers, USC, UCLA, and Rams when they are good.
I stopped going to games for a multitude of reasons, but one of the biggest was the obnoxious fans.
Thus my support of "beat LA!"As per usual after a championship, fans last season did a lot of vandalism and looting after the WS win and after the Laker win. It was so bad that Vin Scully had to implore people to behave on Twitter. The story in LA after the series was not that the Dodgers won but that downtown got trashed by fans who acted like thugs. Even the police chief said "we are embarrassing ourselves as a city". |
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Post by klaiggeb on Nov 3, 2021 9:48:34 GMT -5
I get that, Reed, I used to live behind what I call "The Blue Curtain," in Ventura country.
I stopped going to games for a multitude of reasons, but one of the biggest was the obnoxious fans.
Thus my support of "beat LA!" As per usual after a championship, fans last season did a lot of vandalism and looting after the WS win and after the Laker win. It was so bad that Vin Scully had to implore people to behave on Twitter. The story in LA after the series was not that the Dodgers won but that downtown got trashed by fans who acted like thugs. Even the police chief said "we are embarrassing ourselves as a city".
Sad. Very, very sad...and it's on the list of a gazillion reasons I'm so glad we are no longer there! |
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Post by reedonly on Nov 3, 2021 10:58:19 GMT -5
So, as far as legitimacy of 2020 championship, they got rings, trophy but no parade, validation, and trashed out downtown. There’s a lot of YouTube footage showing Dodger fan vandalism. It’s a championship but greatly tainted and the dodgers themselves know it. The city broke their promise of celebration so they don’t care either. You can come to your own conclusion.
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Post by klaiggeb on Nov 4, 2021 8:52:09 GMT -5
We live 20 minutes west of Boise,
in Idaho, and Californians are starting to come here. When we se something goofy or drivers doing something stupid our first words are must be another Californian.
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Post by sharksrog on Nov 4, 2021 15:23:00 GMT -5
When visiting Southern California, how do we know that a driver isn't from Socal? Answer: If he uses his turn signal.
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Post by reedonly on Nov 5, 2021 1:29:47 GMT -5
So cal residents tend to put "the" ahead of freeway route numbers as in "the 5", "the 101", etc.
Sharksrog obviously hasn't driven 880 recently.
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Post by sharksrog on Nov 5, 2021 9:14:19 GMT -5
You are right that that is another way one can tell a person is from Southern California, Reed. And you're right that they're not the only drivers who don't signal. I figure you can tell a lot about a person's character from whether they signal of not. I've personally found it prudent to signal just about every time I turn the wheel sharply I'd much rather signal when I didn't need to than to not signal and confuse someone.
I haven't driven 880 for quite a few months. I take it you're saying there isn't much signaling there either? I figure it just makes sense to develop simple car habits such as putting on one's seatbelt when he sits down in the car and basically signaling when one's brain says he's going to change direction.
I drove on 80 in the East Bay recently and was distressed to see how many cars with single drivers were using the carpool lane. I was disappointed when I saw that three people are required in the car there to qualify for the carpool lane when just about everywhere else in the state two meet the requirement, but as soon as I noticed it, I moved out of the carpool lane, since just my wife and I were in the car. I was shocked and disappointed when I saw how many cars were in the lane with only one person in the car.
I wonder how many of them were in the 30% who think violence may be necessary. How many of them don't wear masks. How many of them are unvaccinated.
I'm sorry, dude, but especially when it comes to mask-wearing, the freedom of the rest of us not to be exposed to COVID by you and other mask ignorers outweighs your freedom not to wear a mask.
And an awful lot of this cruddy behavior was encouraged by Donald Trump. A guy who tried to become a presidential candidate bragged that he wasn't going to wear a mask to one of Trump's misguided (in more ways than one) rallies, then got COVID and died.
We probably don't need our athletes to be role models. It's great if they can be, but they're not people we should automatically look to. But we DO need our politicians to be role models. If they aren't, we've elected the wrong people.
Donald Trump could serve as a REVERSE role model. With some, it's do as I say, not as I do. With Donald, it's don't do as I say or do. Do the opposite, and you should be in pretty good shape.
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Post by sharksrog on Nov 5, 2021 9:21:36 GMT -5
Oops, I apologize. I forgot I was on the baseball portion of the board and got right straight into politics. Again, my apologies.
But, hey, we're now just two days away from the deadline for the $18.4 million Qualifying Offers. Belt seems like a no-brainer. How do we feel about DeSclafani?
No one commented when I said that I felt the A's erred in not making a QO to Hendriks last winter. I think they failed to do so because they were cash-strapped, but I still think it was a mistake. There were only six QO's extended last winter. Fortunately, one of them was to Kevin Gausman.
No one has commented either on the QO apparently dropping from $18.9 million last winter to $18.4 million this winter. Isn't that a sign that top salaries have actually declined?
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