GDT 5/22 Giants @ Yeastmen

[Mays-Fan]

This is from Schulman's article on sfgate:

I talked to Huff before the game, asking if he had a little rookie-type nervousness starting for the first time since his anxiety leave. To the contrary, Huff was more calm than usual, even serene. He said that therapy has helped him realize he’s playing a game and he can’t worry about the results.

After the game, when asked to assess his performance, he said, “I felt great, man. My whole goal was to go out and not be so results-oriented. Just go out and have good at-bats. I did except for one at-bat. I drew a good walk. The two balls I hit I just missed (home runs). I looked at balls and swung at strikes. It was a good, positive start.

“I felt like I could actually do some damage. It’s been a long time since I felt that way. I took some pitches I’ve been swinging at for the last year and a half.”

Pre and post game comments sorry... Seems like he was way deep down in his own head and he couldn't climb back out without some help. And you know that dude has some weird shit in there, so I dunno I'm thinking maybe he's got a clear mind and could possibly start contributing sooner than later.

I'm no sports psychologist, but these seem to be pretty reasonbable comments. Hal Reynolds and Larry Bowa on MLBTV were talking about Pujols' slump, and they said much the same thing. You have to avoid the temptation of trying to make it all back up at once. You can't get 4 hits in the next AB, or go 20 for 20.

Correct the process, and the results will follow.

Sounds like Huff's approach is right - take it one AB at a time, one pitch at a time. Be patient. I did not see the game, but Huff says he hit a couple balls hard, and drew a nice walk. Sounds like a decent return for him.

We'll see - one day at a time.

We won the game, he didn't freak out, his teammates didn't freak out, looks like he played OK. One day at a time.

 

[Heathbar012]

Pitching, pitching, and then oh yeah more pitching. Their rotation is the best in the NL. They look kind of like us in 2010.

Maybe statistically in a SSS, but not with the level of consistency that warrants any comparisons to a World Series team. Look at the bottom of their rotation. Do you really want to compare modern-day Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang to 2010 MadBum and Durtty? I'd certainly take Lilly over 2010 Zeets/Wellemeyer, but that's only because him and Capuano have owned the Giants, so I would want to Mark Portugal that situation (only sign a guy to keep from having to face him twice to four times a year).

The Dodgers are a good team. Just because we didn't have them in the top 2 of the pre-season discussion doesn't mean that this could never be expected. They don't have the depth or bullpen to withstand a 162-game season at the top of the NL West. The Giants main issues so far have been health and fielding. Those tend to work themselves out a lot quicker than depth and bullpen. The moves that the Giants, Dodgers and D-backs make at the deadline will end up deciding the NL West, but two of the three will make the playoffs. At the beginning of the year, it wouldn't have surprised me if you said that the Dodgers would be one of those two. It would have surprised me if you said that they're going to win the NL West. That would surprise me now.

I think it's more like 2010 for the Giants (replace the Padres with the Dodgers).

 

[msgkings322]

Maybe statistically in a SSS, but not with the level of consistency that warrants any comparisons to a World Series team. Look at the bottom of their rotation. Do you really want to compare modern-day Chris Capuano and Aaron Harang to 2010 MadBum and Durtty? I'd certainly take Lilly over 2010 Zeets/Wellemeyer, but that's only because him and Capuano have owned the Giants, so I would want to Mark Portugal that situation (only sign a guy to keep from having to face him twice to four times a year).

The Dodgers are a good team. Just because we didn't have them in the top 2 of the pre-season discussion doesn't mean that this could never be expected. They don't have the depth or bullpen to withstand a 162-game season at the top of the NL West. The Giants main issues so far have been health and fielding. Those tend to work themselves out a lot quicker than depth and bullpen. The moves that the Giants, Dodgers and D-backs make at the deadline will end up deciding the NL West, but two of the three will make the playoffs. At the beginning of the year, it wouldn't have surprised me if you said that the Dodgers would be one of those two. It would have surprised me if you said that they're going to win the NL West. That would surprise me now.

I think it's more like 2010 for the Giants (replace the Padres with the Dodgers).

I love this comment. Perspective.

Yes our pen is better, but I think I am more positive on their rotation than you are. Bottom line we agree, it will be a 3 way dogfight.

I hope the West gets a wild card, with the East so strong. I hope they beat each other up so much that only 1 wild card comes from the East

 

[Heathbar012]

F'ing DBacks rolled over again

Fielding, fielding, fielding. FYWW always helps, too. Why doesn't every team have a great bullpen? Speaking of which, no way Casilla goes today, right? ANGRY BOCH: LONG ROAD TRIPS MAKE ME WANT TO PUNCH BURRISS. BURRISS MAKES ME WANT TO PUNCH BURRISS. I should probably move this to the game thread.

 

[Heathbar012]

I love this comment. Perspective.

Yes our pen is better, but I think I am more positive on their rotation than you are. Bottom line we agree, it will be a 3 way dogfight.

I hope the West gets a wild card, with the East so strong. I hope they beat each other up so much that only 1 wild card comes from the East

This, this and more this! Kershaw, Billingsley, Capuano and Lilly certainly pitch the Giants tougher than any four Dodgers of recent memory. Last time out, it looked like some guys are starting to see the ball better against Billingsley, and I still can't accept that Ted Lilly is a decent pitcher (Buster agrees). Somehow, lefty junkballers just own the Giants (some of them even get huge contracts to play in SF). Either way, this is gonna be a really fun season. The Dodgers being more relevant may be bad for our overall health, but it's great for baseball entertainment.