SF Giants: Under(Dog)mining Themselves

If you want to talk about a team undermining their own accomplishments, you're not going to find a better picture than this shot of Barry Zito, who's pitching really well this year, but apparently accepted the position of Captain on the Douche Squad. Not totally relevant, but f*** me, that's a boner of a photo.

The Giants started out the season 6-1 or something awesome. Then they stopped hitting the baseball and lost a few. Won a few, lost some, did little more than watch the Padres play around them and now find themselves in 3rd or 4th place in a so-so division. Perhaps the saddest part is that it's hard to complain this year because we're actually above .500. Currently.

Why is he leaning on a guitar? Jesus.

Anyway, it's been more of the same with the Giants for so long (top notch pitching, nauseatingly bad hitting) that it's not so much a problem anymore, it's a style of play. It's an identity. They are the team that pitches lights out and averages 4 hits a game. It's part of the game plan, it dictates the order of the lineup, and probably has reached the point where they won't draft hitters. They will avoid signing a big bat for the next few years so that they don't lose their flow. Their shitty, incapable, offensively-dwarfed flow. Also, they need guys that can sing along while Zito plays the acoustic version of "Layla" in the locker room. Does he even play the guitar?

I mean, we just signed Pat Burrell. And I'm sort of excited about it, which is gross. When another team releases a guy because he's old and not producing and then your team signs him, you shouldn't be thrilled. But that's the Giants' version of bringing in a "bat," a guy that can hit homers sometimes but most of the time will not but the "threat" is there. Hey, Giants? Until he hits his 2nd homerun with the club, the "Burrell Threat" is going to stay at really light yellow. Meanwhile, Buster "The Lord Our God" Posey is batting, like, .900 and has about 3 RBIs because there's never anyone on base ahead of him.

Long and short of it, when your pitcher only gives up one or two runs, you should feel good about your chances of winning, and I don't. When the first two batters of an inning reach base, you shouldn't think, "these guys are not making it home," and that's my immediate thought. And when you have men on 2nd ad 3rd with one out, it shouldn't be possible for your leading RBI man Juan Uribe to hit into a double play, and yet it's oddly expected. But, to be fair, it can be distracting when the count is 2-2 and you hear Barry Mraz Zito tuning his axe in the dugout. His hair is really perfectly wind-blown in the picture.

Hair of the Underdog: SF Giants and Bowmore

The walk-off home run to Prince Fielder started it. I mean, really? A walk-off to Prince? How cliche, with an accent over the e that I don't know how to make. But what really sent me into this bender was losing the series to the Padres. The effing Padres, man. They're so bad. But I guess they aren't as bad as the Giants. And that's why I've had so much scotch.

It's tough that Giants' losses drive me to drink. But they do, so I'm gonna write about it. If my teams losing just made me totally despondent and unable to communicate my sorrow, I wouldn't have a blog, much less a blog as successful and well known as this one. Fortunately for everyone, the Giants current tailspin hasn't made me want to give up on life, it's just made me want to attack life with alcohol. And one of the weapons I use is Bowmore.

It's a great scotch for those of you who like a peaty scotch but don't want to feel like you're gnawing on a camp fire. I'm not a booze wizard and I don't have an expansive frame of reference, but I find Bowmore to be a slightly milder version of the really bold scotches that cost you $70 a bottle. Also, it helps you forget you lost two out of three to the fucking Padres.

I got a bottle for... I think $37 or so, not cheap, but more than worth the money. Throw in a couple ice cubes or a splash of water and it's just a delight. Then watch Aaron Rowand ground into a triple play and have another. Bowmore is one of the Islay distilleries, located on the island of Islay off the coast of Scotland. The Islay scotches are some of the best, or so I have been told and read just now while trying to learn about this post that I'm writing. I have had a few of the other Islay whiskeys and liked them all, but I'll save that discussion for when the Giants get swept by the Dodgers this weekend and/or don't make the playoffs. Apparently these scotches get a lot of their unique flavor from the water that they use, with the southern distilleries using the brown, peat heavy waters and the northern distilleries getting their water directly from the spring so it's a little less smokey. Bowmore is more centrally located, giving it a nice balance of the two. I just paraphrased all that directly from this source.

I hate the Giants. At least the last two seasons their playoff hopes were dashed in July so my depression peaked before August. Now they're only 4 games out of the wild card race, behind the Rockies who are currently the worst thing in my life. It's almost a given that the Giants will close the playoff gap and then lose 4 out of 5 in heartbreaking fashion. So being within striking distance of the postseason is almost worse than being totally horrible.

Those Colorado jerk-offs cannot lose. They just now scored 5 runs in an inning to go up 5-1 over the Reds. Like they knew I was in the midst of a Giants-mourning post and they wanted to help. Thank you, Garrett Atkins, you've made everything so much easier. Go drown yourself. In a delicious glass of Bowmore!

Underacheiver: Jason Schmidt

"Hey, how's that huge contract with Zito working out? Hey, Zito still making $126 million to sit in
the bullpen? Hey, Giants still sucking while Zito sucks you dry?"

HEY DODGER FANS, HOW'D THAT 3 YEAR, $47 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT WITH SCHMIDT WORK OUT? FEEL LIKE HIS 3-8 RECORD AND 2 YEARS ON THE DL WAS WORTH THE BUY? HAPPY YOU STOLE HIM FROM US NOW?

Oh man. I am the bitterest. I hate that I'm writing this because I used to be such a Jason Schmidt fan. You know, before he became evil and then karma ate his arm muscles.

For those of you unaware, it's looking more and more like 36 year-old Jason Schmidt's career might be over. He signed with the Dodgers in December of 2006, pitched a few so-so games, and then had been injured for over two years before coming back to play four games this season and then again doing something screwy to his shoulder and heading back to the DL. As much as I hate the Dodgers, and I hate them with all my available hatred, it's pretty sad to see a guy's career go down the tubes like this.

But then again, it makes me feel SO much better about my Barry Zito situation. Zito signed with the Giants for an infinite amount of money for 6 or 7 years (I can't remember the length of the contract because after his first two God-awful seasons I was sure he'd be murdered before the contract expired) and now, in his third year in SF, he might have his first winning season with the club. His game has changed a little, he's a lot more consistent, and while he still isn't worth the contract he signed (no one is worth the contract he signed), it doesn't look like the assassination is going to happen. So to have Zito playing well as Schmidt sails into oblivion is grossly satisfying. It's going to make it that much sweeter when I wear my Jason Schmidt Giants jersey to Dodger Stadium. As Dodger fans shank me and call me names, I'll know it was right not to re-sign Schmidt.

It's been quite a roller coaster with these guys. While the Giants initially crippled themselves hugely with Zito's contract, the Dodgers signed Schmidt to a very reasonable and respectable deal. Now, however, we find the Giants with a far better pitching situation than the Dodgers, and a measly 7 games back in the NL West. So, from my perspective, looking through a very small window and only from a certain angle and only when it's dark, and it helps that I'm not wearing my glasses, and I just went swimming in a really chlorinated pool and I didn't have goggles, it looks like the Giants really came out ahead on this one. They're probably gonna win the World Series. That's just the way things seem to lining up right now. And you can bet that Dodger fans will look back on Schmidt's fall from grace and that 2006 trade and think, "We are just a dumb bunch of idiot jerks who make terrible decisions and do terrible things and should not be allowed in bars or out after 8pm. We're just awful." And Giants fans will think, "Yup, you guys are simply the worst kind of people. Terrifically horrible." And Barry Zito will be the World Series MVP. And the Golden State Warriors are going to the playoffs next year. And everyone agrees on health care reform. And lots of people are reading this post. Glorious.