Ladies, gentlemen, I’ve found a way to listen to Spring Training games online for those of you that can’t listen on the radio. What you’ll need to do is head on over to the link below,  and you’ll create an mlb.com account. Then you’ll need to head over to the second link, and find the Giants game on the scoreboard. Click the Listen icon, and you’ll be able to listen to the game. This only works for Spring games, which is good enough.

Register: https://secure.mlb.com/enterworkflow.do?flowId=registration.ajax.wizard&c_id=mlb
Scoreboard: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/scoreboard/index.jsp

Giants Nation

December 5th, 2012

Brock Bond is a second baseman in the San Francisco Giants organization who, in 2012, hit .332 in AAA Fresno. Needless to say, those are extremely impressive numbers, and at age 27, he’s definitely due for some time in the majors. We got the chance to ask Bond some questions on Wednesday, and he’s a good guy. Follow him on Twitter: @brockbond1

GN: So you’ve played well in AAA the past 3 years, including a monster 2012 season, how excited are you that you may reach the show next year?

Bond: Yes. That is my goal. I have worked very hard and I hope that I will get a chance.

GN: I’m sure Giants fans will be happy to see you in San Francisco when that day comes.

GN: What have you enjoyed the most during your time as a Giant?

Bond: It’s been fun being around all of the great players they have, and becoming good buddies with a bunch of them, as well as getting instruction from some great coaches like Joe Amalfitano.

GN: The last Giant to have Bond in his name hit 762 career home runs, how do you expect your MLB career to turn out?

Bond: I think it will turn out good. I play hard every game. I’m a little different than Bonds, because he hits home runs and my job is to get on base. I have been consistent in my minor league career and I hope that it will carry over to the show if I get a chance

GN: Favorite teammate from any season of yours?

Bond: Thats a tough question, I wouldn’t say I have a favorite but its been fun playing this past season with my old college roomate Ryan Lollis.

GN: Ryan Lollis eh? A couple of .300 hitters are sure to be buddies, I guess it’s fair to say.

GN: What was your favorite MLB team growing up?

Bond: I grew up in St. Louis as a Cardinals fan, I used to love going down to Busch Stadium with my dad as a youngster.

GN: Who was your favorite player growing up, and what was your best memory of his?

Bond: I don’t really have a favorite player, but I was born on the day Pete Rose broke the hits record and I have always admired the way he played the game. I obviously have not watched him much but from watching highlights of him running over catchers and diving into 3rd, it really motivates me to play the game hard.

GN: What do you prefer as a fan, a pitcher’s duel or an all out slugfest?

Bond: A slugfest of course.

GN: Your walk up music in 2012 was Matisyahu’s One Day, what led you to make this choice? Did it at all inspire your .332 batting average?

Bond: Yeah I think it did. I remember talking to our clubby about finding a walk up song with some substance, and I remember my older brother Brandon who is in the Air Force,playing this song a while back, and thought it was great.

Now it’s time for 2 hand picked questions from MLB Nation followers

Alex from Fresno, CA: What was it like to play in front of Grizzlies fans?

Bond: It was great. They were super nice and supportive through the ups and downs.

Charlie from CA: How much of an inspiration was Ryan Vogelsongs rags to riches story in ’11 to you?

Bond: Well he has quite a story, and a story like that reminds you that there is hope. Getting to the big leagues is hard, and on those days when your down guys stories like his helps you keep going and reminds you to never give up.

GN: Thank you for your time Brock, best of luck in 2013.

Bond: Thanks a lot, I appreciate it

What are your thoughts on our interview with the Giants middle infielder? How will he fare in 2013? Comment below.

Matt Criswell

December 1, 2012

This offseason has had teams fighting for players, and it has only just begun. OF Angel Pagan has received two four year contract offers from the Phillies and the Giants. Of course the Giants would love to bring Pagan back to San Francisco especially after the 2012 season in which he batted .288/.338/.440 with 29 steals in 36 chances, 38 doubles and a majors-leading 15 triples, but that kind of season also attracts other teams that will be fighting for a title next season. The Phillies are motivated to put a hot bat in their lineup, especially after the Braves just signed a deal with B.J. Upton.

If the Giants choose to not go with Pagan next season they have a few free agents to choose from, most notably Michael Bourn, Josh Hamilton, and Shane Victorino. The Giants will most likely not go with Hamilton because he is going to want a 4-5 year deal and they won’t want to be tied down to a player who has been injury prone. Shane Victorino is also a risk due to age, while Michael Bourn would definitely put more speed in the line up. His downside would be him not being as effective defensively or with the bat as Pagan. So overall Pagan is probably the best choice for a center fielder in the 2013 season.

Geoff Roberts

November 31, 2012

Twitter geeks, baseball nuts and rabid Giants fans alike were ablaze in the fires of fury and outright depression 53 minutes ago. The news of Wilson’s non-tendering spread across the vast interwebs faster than you could say “Tommy John,” with The Beard offering nothing but dead silence on his Twitter account. Not saying that a certain degree of discretion is required in the midst of contract negotiations, but Wilson hasn’t posted a single quote, wisecrack or quip since mid-October.

For those who haven’t been following this story, allow me to wind the clock back less than a week to the day when Wilson was faced with a (then) growing possibility of his non-tender status: Tim Brown quoted Wilson as stating that his preference would be to sign on with the Dodgers since his off-season home is in Los Angeles. His alternate choice would be the Red Sox, considering he grew up as a hardcore Boston fan.

Now allow that to settle in for a minute, perhaps go punch a pillow, grab a strong drink and breathe.

Better? Good. Now consider for a moment what the ramifications of making such a statement are considering the atmosphere between LA and San Francisco fans in the past few years. Not exactly pleasant, is it? It would be no stretch of the imagination to say that Wilson’s alarming preference for potential suitors has sent a proverbial tidal wave through the Giants’ fan base, although far too many individuals have taken up near-militaristic opinions in response. Ranging from “bye-bye, Bweezy” to “**** *** ******!!!” (expletives deleted), Giants fans have made no secret over their disdain.

Are these rabid fans correct in their assumptions? Should we consider this announcement as a monumental betrayal? The answer to both questions is a resounding “no.”

Let’s take a look at the knee-jerk reactions swimming around the web right now. Firstly (and there’s absolutely no denying this point), take into account that there are bandwagon fans coming out of both ears right now. That in itself immediately discredits at least 40 to 50% of the negative blabbering. Secondly, those SF fans who have been around longer than 2010 should understand that baseball–first and foremost–is both a corporatocracy and a business. Remember Will Clark heading to Texas after his injury-prone 1992-1993 stretch? He understands the business side of this game, and Wilson obviously does as well. I’m not saying that that fact exonerates him from some of the criticism he’s received, but searching for greener pastures in the midst of a somewhat hostile atmosphere is not only a player’s right, it’s their prerogative.

Regarding the betrayal aspect, the same fact comes into play regarding a player’s responsibilities to their fans: they have none! If a player chooses to approach a rival team, that is their decision and their decision alone. After giving their lives and often their health for the amusement of their fans, athletes hold no responsibility whatsoever to maintain a happy relationship with their fan base. They owe their fans nothing, and those fans should be ashamed at the amount of condemnation they are throwing at Wilson. The Bearded One will forever be a Giants franchise in itself, regardless of who he plays for. Enjoy the time that he was here and, should he be leaving the breezy climes of McCovey Cove, revel in the fact that we were privy to one of the most charismatic and off-the-wall players to ever grace a field. I wish him well whatever the eventual outcome may be.

By Giants Nation

November 28th, 2012

Giants closer Brian Wilson may not spend 2013 in San Francisco, Wilson, a guy with a fastball reaching 97, has said that his first choice should he become a free agent, is to sign with the Dodgers. That’s right. The face of the Giants franchise has publicly announced that his first choice would be to sign with the rival Dodgers. Here’s a picture of him in Dodger blue: 

Hideous, isn’t it? Or at least it’s that way for Giants fans. What are your thoughts on this possible signing? Will Wilson be able to return to pitching like the dominant closer he was 2 years ago after back to back Tommy John surgeries? If you were an athlete, would you join forces with the rival? Comment below.

By Giants Nation

November 24, 2012

Marco Scutaro. When fans of other teams hear the name, they think of his World Series clinching RBI single, his .500 NLCS, but most baseball fans forget that the man hit .362 during his time in San Francisco in 2012, .302 overall. So why is he not a more sought after free agent? He’s arguably the clutchest hitter out there, and with only 14 strikeouts in 268 plate appearances, we already know he doesn’t strike out much.

Other ballclubs are licking their chops at the thought of signing slugger Josh Hamilton, but the Giants second baseman is without a doubt the better investment in my eyes. Whichever team inks him to a 2 year deal(which looks like it’ll be the Giants at this point) will surely enjoy his services.

 

Now, I’m going to make this a bit simpler to those who didn’t have the privilege of seeing him play all year. Because to those of you who haven’t, you probably think I’m insane for taking a 37 year old second baseman over a former AL MVP, but Scutaro can do a lot of things that Hammy simply can not. Scutaro hit .362 in one of the most pitcher friendly ball parks in the majors. Defensively, Scutaro is also the better option. He only made 2 errors at second base in his time with the Giants. Scutaro also can play short and third, not to mention having experience in the outfield and first base. But if you’re into missing out on that but getting some power in your lineup while spending an extra $150M in the process, be my guest.

 

So that explains why there’s not a doubt in my mind that Scutaro is the best free agent on the market, hopefully after reading this, you’ll think the same. This is my first article, so I’ll improve in time, and maybe they’ll be a bit longer. Hope you enjoyed.

There aren’t many things to be said regarding Lincecum’s season that haven’t been said ad nauseum. Erratic control? The strike zone has been dancing for Lincecum like a cheap Vegas stripper. Velocity down? You’d better believe it. Lack of confidence? You saw the 2+ gallons of sweat dripping off of his face in Washington, didn’t you? The ace from Seattle who was once feared by any sane person behind the plate not a short 2 years ago has sprinted to the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of consistency and domination this season. As of 9/13, Lincecum holds a somewhat nail-biting 5.09 ERA and a 9 & 14 record for this season in 30 starts.

Nail-biting, that is, for anyone who has chosen to turn off the TV when Tim is pitching.

Allow me to put it this way: 6 of his 9 wins have come since July 31st. He’s won all 3 of his starts in September while walking 14 and striking out 22, and he is holding a highly respectable 3.38 ERA for the month while simultaneously cutting his overall ERA which was holding at a little over 6 until July 25th. I should note that he is also ranked 5th in the National League in terms of strikeouts with 177 K’s to his name.

The question that sits heavy on the mind of many Giants fans should be painfully obvious: where was this Timmy in the first half? Had he arrived at the start of the season throwing the kind of respectable pitches that he currently is, it would be no surprise that SF would be sitting at least 3 or more games ahead of LA at the current point. (Not to say that a 7-game lead in the NL West isn’t something to be happy about, mind you.) Lincecum has mentioned in several post-game interviews that his command has been off mainly due to some mechanical difficulties combined with the added stress of pitching in the stretch, which his current record of 82 walks for the season would certainly explain a few things.

If we take a look at his career stats, there are several things which stand out: in the past 3 years, September has been Lincecum’s fourth best month overall with a 2.92 ERA. In that same 3-year span, he sports a 2.87 ERA in 98 games started and over 2,400 batters faced. Numbers like those don’t come along every day of the week, but when mechanics begin to falter and poise begins to wane, fans begin chewing their fingernails in earnest. Boston, Cincinnati and Washington all have excellent track records against Lincecum in his career, while his best performances have come against Oakland, Houston and Minnesota.

Whatever problems may exist, it is undeniable that Lincecum is finally returning to form. Comparing his pitches from the beginning of this season to tonight, I found that his mechanics through the stretch are far more fluid and consistent than they were in the first few months. Mentally, Tim has said that his frustration has often played a negative role in his starts, but he has been trying to channel that frustration into producing outs rather than runs. This is a good sign no matter how you choose to see it, and his potential is definitely starting to blossom with a potential post-season looming only a few short weeks away. Witnessing the turnaround that Lincecum has been able to provide in the last 2 months combined with the offensive support that he has desperately sought, this very well may be a September to remember for the Giants’ former ace.

By Geoff Roberts l 6:30 PM

There’s no denying it: the Giants are playing some of their best baseball in the 2 agonizingly murky years since that crisp October evening in Texas.

The team that Bruce built (or at least had a hand in creating) has been steamrolling their way to a devilishly delicious 13 wins in their last 17 games played, and 21 of their last 32 series. The shoot & scoot method seems to be working its bizarre magic for the guys in orange and black, and with the remaining series in September sitting exclusively within the NL West, the Giants have responded in force to try and maintain their 4 ½ game lead over LA.

For a team that holds one of the best records for runs-scored on the road, and 3 players batting over .300 (excluding Melky Cabrera, who would make it 4 total), there’s one statistic which stands out more than a Brony at an MMA match:

The Giants are currently ranked 30th in home runs with a whopping 81 this season.

You read that right: 30th. That’s dead last in case you didn’t know.

Splash hits have become a distant memory, and the kayakers are becoming so bored, I’ve heard rumors that they’ve started a poker ring on the water. Is it the chilly Bay area moisture that robs a ball of its flight power? Is it a lack of training or conditioning? Is it the distracting scent of garlic fries wafting around AT&T? Your guess is as good as mine, but whatever the cause may be, the lack of the long ball doesn’t seem to affect the overall team’s performance. It’s common knowledge that AT&T is one of the most non-batter friendly parks around, and Levi’s Landing would certainly give Fenway’s Green Monster a run for its money. Statistically speaking, the current Giant’s lineup is not a glutton for home runs. Posey holds the lead amongst active players with 19, all of Belt’s home runs came in June and Sandoval is currently sitting on 109 at-bats without serving a tater. Yet there is something to be said about a team that can pull off wins with such little gusto in terms of the long ball. Be it team cohesiveness or just the right mix of drive and defense, the Giants are proving they can hold their own against the Brauns and Pujols of the MLB world.

With a little less than a month of regular season play, it’s becoming more and more obvious that the Giants are doing just fine without the crowd-stirring shots from Bonds, Williams, McCovey and the like. They produce when it’s needed, back up their pitchers if they’re struggling, and communicate effectively on the field (and I should note that they’re obviously having fun!). While the engine doesn’t roar very often, it’s certainly firing on all cylinders.