Tag: Barry Bonds

Cubs clutch again in their return to AT&T Park as defending World Champs

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Chicago Cubs’ Javier Baez, left, slides past San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey to score on an inside-the-park home run during the second inning of a baseball game, Monday, Aug. 7, 2017, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

By Morris Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO–It’s been the better part of a year since the Cubs and Giants last met with the stakes at their highest. Neither team is anywhere near where they were in the 2016 NLDS, but the one difference between the two clubs is a big one.

The Cubs have hope for the remainder of this season. The Giants.. not so much.

On Monday, Cubs starter Jake Arrieta wasn’t much better than the scuffling Matt Moore. And the Giants power game wasn’t absent, in fact their four doubles and Ryder Jones’ first-ever, big league home run outpaced the Cubs’ homer and a triple.

But the Cubs made winning plays, and Arrieta got the big outs leading Chicago to a 5-3 win. And a win was all the Cubs needed to increase their narrow lead in the NL Central, and inch further away from just being the most noteworthy team hoovering around the .500 mark.

And where have we seen elements of the clutch Cubs and faltering Giants previously? Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon knew as soon as he arrived on Monday.

“First of all, no time elapsed. What was it, nine months ago?” Maddon said before the game, referring to the Cubs’ miraculous, four-run, ninth inning rally that took them past the Giants, 6-5, in Game 4 of last season’s NLDS. “It’s incredible how, we as humans, time just evaporates. The nine months evaporated. It was like we had just walked in yesterday.”

Maddon went on to say that win was the key to the Cubs erasing their century-long championship drought. The win on Monday might have some greater significance as well. The Cubs got stunned late by the Nationals on Sunday at Wrigley Field, and saw their lead over the Brewers remain precarious.

And then the Giants provided a path, uniquely off the outfield wall in Triples Alley.

After Jason Heyward singled with two outs in the second inning of a scoreless game, Javier Baez sent a shot into right center field that caromed offensively past Carlos Moncrief toward the right field foul line. That sent the speedy Baez into overdrive rounding second base, and given the green light from third base coach Gary Jones, all the way to home plate.

But Moncrief, the powerfully built rookie, recovered and unleashed a monster of a throw–over 300 feet–to the plate. With catcher Buster Posey applying a swipe tag, the sliding Baez was safe–barely.

“That’s Bo Jackson-arm stuff right there,” Maddon said.

A great play by both players and Posey with the tag, but the significance to each club? Like a night and day difference.

The Cubs’ highlight play of the game plated two runs, and those would become the margin of victory. The Giants’ big play–Moncrief’s monster of a throw–neither scored a run or produced an out.

Matt Moore surrendered Baez’ shot, and took the loss, his 12th of an increasingly rough season. Moore has won just once in his last 14 starts, and Bochy pointed to the pitcher’s epic struggles with left handed hitters, who are hitting .380 against him. On Monday, Moore allowed six of his eight hits to lefty batters.

“He’s really good at times,” Bochy said. “And then he makes mistakes.”

Arrieta continued to right his season, after a rough middle part in which he was beaten in consecutive road starts at Boston, Denver and St. Louis. California is more to the 31-year old’s liking where he’s 7-1 in his last nine starting assignments dating back to August 2015.

Arrieta admitted to not being at his best physically on Monday, but his approach proved correct.

“Gave up some hard hits, but afterwards I was able to spin the ball and get some guys out,” he said. “You want to pitch to contact in this ballpark.”

The Giants offer Ty Blach on Tuesday in a battle of lefties. Jose Quintana gets the start for the Cubs.

 

 

 

Maple bats: Do they cause more harm than good?

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In this June 4, 2013 photo, the wood of choice for the Uppercut Bat is a high grade piece of Maple that can be custom ordered and designed with a variety of stains and paints, at the Uppercut Bat Company in Tupelo, Miss. Ever since the game of baseball was invented, players have needed two essential pieces of equipment: a ball and a bat. The Uppercut Bat Co. is less than two years old, but it has drawn a legion of fans and customers who have taken to the company’s wood bats. (AP Photo/The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Thomas Wells)

By: Ana Kieu

Maple bats became popular after the MLB introduced the first sanctioned model in 1997.

Former outfielder and first baseman Joe Carter was the first baseball player to use a maple bat. Carter played for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants. In his professional career, he hit 396 home runs and drove in 1,445 runs. He was also named to five All-Star teams.

Former left fielder Barry Bonds used maple bats over the course of his career. Bonds broke the MLB’s single-season home run record in 2001. He also broke a career home run record in 2007. He finished the season with 28 home runs, 66 RBIs, 340 at-bats and a .276 batting average. He led both the American League and National League with 132 walks. He became a free agent on October 29, 2007. He served as a hitting coach for the Miami Marlins in 2016.

The validity of maple bats decreased in 2010. The MLB inspected them after they began to shatter at a faster rate. The doubtfulness surrounding maple bats revived after Chicago Cubs rookie Tyler Colvin was struck in the chest by a piece of a broken bat. As a result, Colvin was hospitalized in stable condition and sidelined for the rest of the season.

Despite the incident involving Colvin, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said that eliminating maple bats was impossible due to a shortage of high-quality ash. However, Scott Drake, vice president of communications for TECO, said that Louisville Sluggers could produce some bats made completely of ash. Although there’s a shortage of ash, the overall supply hasn’t been hollow just yet.

The close call for Colvin should’ve been enough for the MLB to take steps towards action. The league shouldn’t have to wait until a player dies on the baseball field before the necessary changes are made in bats. In 2010, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said the same thing and put an emphasis on how the league would wait too long for an in-game death.

Colvin’s injury came two years after the MLB started looking into the issue of shattered maple bats. 2,232 bats broke in the final three months of the 2008 season. 756 of those bats separated into multiple pieces. It’s obvious the problem came from the increased use of bats made from maple, but all we can do is educate ourselves about the dangers and risks until the league wakes up to smell the coffee.

Maple bats can cause more harm than good.

Some words of advice for DeMarcus Cousins from an “OG” reporter

Published on by Charlie O. MalloneeLeave a comment

og-cousinsby Charlie O. Mallonee

SACRAMENTO–DeMarcus Cousins is back in the news and not in a good way. On Friday, a story with video of the incident was released showing DeMarcus Cousins shouting at and frankly trying to physically intimidate Sacramento Bee sports columnist Andy Furillo over his story on the Barnes – Cousins incident in a New York City nightclub. Cousins was upset over a reference Furillo made to another incident from last summer about a fight that involved Cousins’ brother and himself in Florida.

You can click on the link to see the video and read the column: (http://www.sacbee.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/andy-furillo/article120107843.html). Let me just say I enjoy reading Andy’s column’s on sacbee.com and I have enjoyed the few conversations I have had with him at Kings games. He like myself has a few road miles on him and he probably carries a AARP card for discounts. I mention that to highlight the fact that Furillo is an experienced reporter and observer who understands the rules of the road. He is also the son of a famous Southern California sports writer and broadcaster so he knows his way around this business better than most.

I have read the column and there is nothing in the story that should have elicited the kind of over-the-top response from Cousins gave to Furillo. I would not have expected Cousins to have given Furillo any kudos for the column but his response in the locker room was uncalled for in this case.

This is my response to Mr. Cousins.

DeMarcus:

First, let me say that I have really enjoyed watching you play basketball as I have covered the Kings for the past three seasons. What you do on the court amazes me. You see, I am an “OG” who saw “the Big O” – Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell play each other in the first NBA game I saw in live and in person. I have had the privilege of seeing many of the best big men of the game play live and you fit right in on that list.

When you execute a dribble-drive from the arc into the paint then add a spin move with an underhand layup that makes every guard in “the association” jealous, its amazing. You will then turnaround on the next possession and bury a 3-pointer. Later, you are battling double-teams with your back to the basket and pull off a hook shot that’s good for two. We have not even started to consider your passing ability. George Karl said you were the best passer on his team and that was from a man we are fairly sure did not like you much.

You wear “best big man in the NBA” mantle well.

DeMarcus – in the spirit of full disclosure – I have called for the Kings to trade you. I have two reasons for calling for a trade:

  1. You are the Kings best asset. This team needs a lot of pieces in order to truly become a playoff contender. Sometimes, you have to part with an asset in order to get back the multiple assets you need. Trading you would probably bring the Kings two serviceable starters and two very valuable number one draft picks based on the projections I have read. Sacramento needs those extra first round picks to create the foundation they need to build a winning situation.
  2. The other reason I have called for a trade is because it is what I think is best for you. This next contract is your “BIG” contract. You will be at the apex of your career. This your chance to be on a team and play for a ring. A chance to play in a larger market and cash-in on the endorsement business. You can be one of players helping to carry the team rather than having to carry the entire team on your shoulders. It could be your chance to really become one of the best known players in the NBA by playing in a major market.

With that out of the way, I am now going to give you some “OG” words of advice from my personal perspective.

A battle with the press is a losing proposition. There are more of them than there are of you and they will not go away. You are in the sports and entertainment business. One of the reasons professional sports makes the money it does is because of the coverage it receives from the press. If television, radio, newspapers, magazines, websites and other social media ignored sports, the money that teams and players make would be much less than it is now. Of course the same is true for the press, they need the teams and players to sell the advertising that makes them their money. It really is a codependent relationship. Sports and the press need each other.

You can fight and intimidate the press in Sacramento easier because it is a smaller market where there are less media players and loss of access would have a larger impact. If you would be traded – say to Boston as some of the rumors have suggested – you would be in for a rude awakening. Boston is a large city with major media competition. Reporters in that kind of situation eat their young for breakfast. They are looking for something to set you off into a tirade so they can report it first. It is a minefield that you cannot control.

Fighting the press does not pay off in the long run – ask Barry Bonds. Bonds had an adversarial relationship with the sports press during his entire career. When his shortcomings came to light, reporters were delighted to report the story. At a time when a person could have used a friend in the press, he had none.

Bonds is still paying for his poor relationship with the press. Baseball’s all-time home run leader received just 195-of-440 votes from eligible voters for baseball’s Hall of Fame. Of course, there is the PED controversy but I believe that attitudes would be softening toward Bonds faster had he been less of an enemy to the press. We are talking basic human nature in this situation. Bonds has six more years on the ballot and will probably make it into the Hall but I think there are voters who are determined to make him wait until the final opportunity because of his attitudes toward the press when he was a player.

I know the press can be a pain, 20-plus people asking the same questions 20 different ways. After a loss, how many times do they expect you to answer “how do you feel?”. People not caring that you do not feel like talking after a loss. People who do not care if you did not like what they wrote about you, your friends or family. People who do not know how to play the game but just talk about it.

DeMarcus – when was the last time you read something negative about LeBron and the press? You do not read those stories. Is LeBron always up and happy with reporters? I will guarantee you he is not. He has made it part of his career to learn how to deal with the press in the best way possible. When he has an off night with the press, you do not hear about it because the press corps remembers all of those nights when he accommodates them and their questions.

Dealing with the press is as much a part of your job as is pulling down rebounds. That is one of the reasons you get paid so well. Actors do not get paid just to act. They have to be interviewed and promote their work. It is all part of the entertainment business and sports is part of the entertainment business. When you sneeze, it’s news. Eat at a new restaurant, it’s news. Get a traffic ticket, it’s news. Score 50 points, it’s news.

I close with three pieces of heartfelt advice:

  1. If you are unhappy about something a reporter has said or written, tell a member of you great media relations staff and ask them to let the reporter know or better yet – ask them to bring the reporter back for an off-the-record chat. Andy Furillo would have listened to you. It would not have changed his story but he would have politely listened to your opinion. And who knows, you might change someone’s mind once in a while.
  2. Hire a press consultant to teach you how to think and speak in sound bites. If you do this, you will be prepared after the tough loss when really do not want to talk about it. You know what questions are coming. Learn how to give those five to 10-second answers that will delight the readers and viewers at home while getting the reporters out of your hair.
  3. Finally and this is my most important piece of advice, stop reading and watching what we as reporters are saying about you on TV, radio, in the newspapers, the internet and social media. Do not let your staff tell you about we are writing. Do not let us count. The people who should count for you are Dave Joerger and the assistant coaches, your teammates, Vlade Divac and Vivek Ranadive. Trust me – you will be much happier.

DeMarcus – good luck with the rest of the season. Happy holidays and Peace on Earth.

Lincecum exits with a win over the Dodgers

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By Morris Phillips

Tim Lincecum wanted to end his 2013 season—and possibly his career with the Giants—in style.  Fans of the Giants and Dodgers—weary of senseless violence– wanted peace.  And apparently, Brian Wilson wants his World Series ring after all.

To say Thursday night was a busy one on the shores of McCovey Covey would be an under statement.

Lincecum arrived in San Francisco in 2007- the final year of Barry Bonds as a Giant—and went on to win two Cy Young awards, two World titles and throw a no-hitter.  Now 29 and not nearly the pitcher and player he was a few years back, Lincecum enters the off-season as a free agent.  But if Thursday was his final act as a Giant, LIncecum made sure he leaves a winner, as the Giants squeezed past the Dodgers, 3-2.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen, but I was very happy with what he did tonight,” manager Bruce Bochy said of Lincecum.

While both sides have said all the conciliatory things, Lincecum may not be back.  The Giants will have bigger off-season priorities then resigning the Freak, and Lincecum will command offers to be a starter for other teams even as his skill set has eroded prior to him turning 30.  Given that, the fans in attendance brought signs and cheers of encouragement while Lincecum departed after seven innings pitched by giving the crowd a polite bow.

“That ovation was pretty special and I’ve always had an awkward way of acknowledging that,” Lincecum said.  “But I do have an appreciation and respect for the way they’ve received me.”

Lincecum cooled the Dodgers’ lineup during his stint, allowing single runs in the first and fourth inning and leaving with the game tied after the Giants rallied for a pair of runs in the fifth.  Angel Pagan’s drive to left in the eighth inning just barely cleared the wall and marked the difference in a hard fought game between the California rivals.

Prior to the evening’s first pitch the crowd stood in a moment of silence for Jonathan Denver, who attended Wednesday’s game and was stabbed to death after the game in a confrontation between Giants and Dodgers’ supporters near the ballpark after the game’s conclusion.

Arrests have already been made in connection to Denver’s death, but the violence between fans of both clubs again marred the rivalry as it did when Bryan Stow was severely injured outside Dodgers Stadium in 2011.  The moment of silence on Thursday was an eery reminder of that incident and also an indication that much work is to be done to move beyond the violence.

After the game’s final pitch, former Giant Brian Wilson ran across the field and confronted Giants CEO Larry Baer apparently over the delivery of his World Series ring from 2012. According to the Giants, they had approached Wilson a couple of times to arrange and schedule the gift of his ring but were rebuffed both times.   In the bizarre confrontation, Wilson was seen to be yelling while Baer stood befuddled.

The awkward solution?  Wilson’s ring was delivered to the Dodgers’ clubhouse soon after the confrontation without any fanfare.

The Giants take on the Padres in their final series of 2013 with San Diego’s Burch Smith facing San Francisco’s Ryan Vogelsong in the opener at 7:15pm.Image

Where did the fans go?

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By Jerry Feitelberg

Ever since 1968 when the A’s arrived I Oakland, they have always been the “second team.” The Giants landed in San Francisco ten years earlier and have “owned” the Bay Area ever since. Never mind the fact that the A’s won six American League pennants and four World Series. There was no question that the fans preferred the Giants over the A’s even when the Giants played at Candlestick Park. There is no question that attendance has been terrific at the Giants new facility, AT&T Park, at Third and King in the city. The Giants, of course, have had great success on the field since the park opened. The Giants had Barry Bonds and Jeff Kent and they won the NL crown in 2002 but lost the World Series to the Anaheim Angels that year. They sold out the park and while attendance slowed up a bit prior to the 2010 season, they have done very well. The Giants, as everyone knows, won the World Series in 2010 and 2012.

The A’s, on the other hand, had some bad season afters they made the playoffs and their attendance was pretty pathetic. Their owners, Lew Wolff and John Fisher, have wanted to move the team to San Jose but the Giants,who have “territorial rights” to San Jose have indicated that they have no intention of relinquishing those rights.

So, the A’s play in an outdated facility but they have an outstanding team that is trying to win the AL West and make it to the playoffs for the second straight year. One would think that the Coliseum would be packed. Not so. The A’s played the Texas Rangers the last three days here in Oakland. How was attendance ? Pretty bad. The A’s drew 24,000 on Labor day and 16,000 plus Tuesday and Wednesday and the Attendance for Thursday’s night game with the Houston Astros appears to be the smallest crowd of the year with less than 10,000 fans. If you were a player, would you not wonder what the hell is going on. The Giants who are in a battle for last place in the NL West and playing at home against Arizona will pack the joint and the A’s will be playing in front of a sparse crowd. Hard to believe but if the fans want the A’s to stay in Oakland it would be wise for them to show up and support their team rather than moaning and groaning about the possible departure of the club to San Jose.