Humm-Baby!

Niner Report: Charged

2006-10-19T09:35:00.000-07:00

We would like to think, as the saying goes, that on any given Sunday...

But these 49ers are proving more and more that the victory over the St. Louis, in which the defensive unit held the Rams to their lowest point total of the season, was a complete aberration. In the present condition of confusion and miscommunication, Derek Smith & Co. failed to put up much resistance to the Chargers, who at times looked like they were running against a practice squad. In his first full season as a starter, QB Philip Rivers played like a season vet, putting up a career high in yards (334) without throwing a pick or getting sacked. Rivers even felt confident enough to scoff at the 49ers' letting tight end Antonio Gates loose in one-on-one coverage on the third play of the game. Nolan's response: linebacker T.J. Slaughter shouldn't have been alone in man coverage of Gates but found himself isolated because of an "error in the implementation of the defensive play call."

There were a couple of positive signs from Sunday's game as well. Bryan Gilmore, despite his costly fumble, showed some spark off the bench with a couple of big end arounds (one of which was made possible by a Alex Smith's textbook block) and a nice TD reception. DT Ronald Fields showed some life with five tackles and forcing Rivers to intentionally ground what ended up as a safety.

The bye week couldn't have come at a better time, as Mike Nolan and his coaching staff need the extra week to not only reorganize the defensive unit but perhaps re-think their entire defensive philosophy. Rookie defensive end Parys Haralson figures to play a more prominent role after the off week, while Walt Harris' return to the secondary after tweaking his hamstring should also help. On the offensive side guard Larry Allen should also return Oct. 29 in Chicago, although Norv Turner's unit scored more points against San Diego than any other team so far this season. Of course that might also be because the Charger defense let up a bit after its offense scored TDs on five of its first six possessions.

An ongoing cause of worry: why can't this team convert on short yardage plays?

Niner Report: Um, Mercy?

2006-10-13T14:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend's bout with San Diego will be a telling matchup for this young Niner team. After beating the 4-1 St. Louis Rams, Philadelphia sauntered into Candlestick and slapped the Niners around. The next week they were throttled on the road at Arrowhead Stadium, but returned home to a nice treat: the pathetic Oakland Raiders. Last week's win put the Niners at 2-3, and a chance to reach .500. To do so, the Niners will have to take down one of the best teams in the NFL.

The Chargers present a myriad of problems that have plagued the Niners this season:

They have a balanced and competent offense, which excels at protecting the quarterback and the football. In the Niners two wins, they were able to pressure the quarterback (especially against the Rams), and force turnovers (four against the Raiders). Neither team was able to expose the Niner's main defensive weaknesses: inability to produce pressure without the blitz, and an inexperienced secondary lacking playmakers. In their losses, the Cardinals and Eagles threw with ease and faced little pressure in the backfield (called it the Avian Complex). The Chiefs did whatever they wanted, as the Niner D turned into a siev. Unfortunately, the Chargers are fully equipped to do things to the Niners D that they only talk about on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
They have, arguably, the league's best defense. Shawne Merriman is a beast. As is SF product Igor Olshansky from St. Ignatius (I meet him when he was high school and he was HUGE then). Fortunately, the Niners won't have to dodge any Steve Foley bullets; he is out for the year after getting shot by police in the preseason. The secondary is good, but the Chargers dominate because they put pressure on the quarterback.
They have Antonio Gates and LaDainian Tomlinson, the two best players at their respective positions in the NFL.

This whole game has the makings of another Niner massacre. The offensive line is a mess (will Jonas Jennings ever play a freaking game?), and there are just better players on the blue and gold sideline. One thing working in the Niners favor: at least they aren't coached by Marty Schottenheimer.

This game features a good matchup of young quarterbacks, and also pits two of the top rushers in the NFL against one another (oh, I went there). While Frank Gore did win an award for last week's performance, he is still a humble admirer of the great LT.

The only way I see the 49ers winning this game is if the Chargers are still beaming from taking down the Super Bowl Champs, and overlook this week's game. If the Chargers come to play, the only way to beat them will be to reign in LT and force Philip Rivers to screw up, which is easier theorized than done. Rivers is still only starting his sixth NFL game, and has yet to lay a real stinker, so rattling his cage will be imperative if the Niners want to have a chance. There is no way the Niners can win a shootout, so ball-control--and security (you listening Frank Gore?)--will be vital.

In the end, the Chargers have too much for the Niners to handle. As San Fran has shown this year, they can beat bad teams, but when they play the real teams in the NFL (not the Raiders) they just don't have the players to compete. Knowing this squad, they won't quit, but I don't think they are capable of taking down one of the premier teams in the NFL. I hope they prove me wrong.

Prediction: Chargers 27-10 (and if you don't believe me, look at the ESPN Madden simulation; it's like the hand of God).
Season: 5-0.

Web Watch: Omar Vizquel

2006-10-12T09:12:00.001-07:00

Athlete: Omar Vizquel
Website: www.omarvizquel.com (under construction), MySpace

Look at the old man learning new tricks. While his official site is under construction (and actually has been for a while), Omar "Meatball" Vizquel redirects fans to his MySpace page. In a strange development there was actually an Omar poser that lurked among the MySpace ranks, robbing visitors of heartfelt comments of adulation and praise. Thankfully, the intruder has been "removed."

Kevin Frandsen's MySpace exists somewhere out there also, but unfortunately for him his occupation did not always read "San Francisco Giants" as Omar's does. However as the site tells us Omar's current technological capabilities are somewhat limited because his webmaster "Brad" (no doubt watching the market recap and having an import) is setting up his laptop still. Says Omar:

He will be sending it to me soon.

Nothing like some good off-season news.

Best comment on the page, courtesy of JOWEEZY THE GUY WHO CANT THINK OF A DISPLAY NAME:

u gotta talk to benitez and set him straight. hes a cancer. its one thing to play bad but another to blame others.

The potential of the MySpace comment as a medium to deal with team issues has not yet been realized. By posting comments every day we can only hope that Vizquel develops some beef with Benitez along the lines of Jose Mesa and Armando is forced to leave...

Niner Report: Take That Raider Nation

2006-10-10T14:17:00.000-07:00

Not like we hear at HMB want to brag or anything, but Sunday's victory over the Raiders put us at 4-0 on the season (with one N/A) in predictions. Granted we haven't been going against the spread, but it is still a somewhat impressive feat. I guess this little self-praising exercise means that our first stumble will come this weekend against San Diego, but we'll wait till Friday--and then Sunday--to find out.

The win over the Raiders really isn't anything to write home about; it is obvious that they are the least disciplined, most poorly prepared, and ineptly coached team in the entire NFL. A win like this is something that the players, franchise, and fans should expect henceforth. But it still remains reassuring to see a team that played so poorly last season be expected to win a game the following year. This shows yet another sign that things around here just might be changing.

Despite the abhorrent opponent, there are some good things to take out of Sunday's triumph. Let's take a quick glance:

Frank Gore finally held on to the ball for his first fumble-free game of the year, and in the process, scampered to the top of the NFL rushing list. If anyone predicted this at the start of the season, I will immediately make you my bookie.
The Niners trailed at halftime and were able to make a spirited comeback behind an efficient Alex Smith and a turnover-forcing D, which included three picks from corner Walt Harris (no, not the Stanford coach).
Norv Turner exacted revenge on his former employer, and his offense looked ten-fold more competent.
No play better exemplified the divergent directions of the cross-bay franchises than Melvin Oliver's fumble recovery.
Arnaz of the Battle Zone caught two TDs in hopes of complementing Antonio Bryant.

Not all things were so rosy after the game, however:

Nolan's in-game decision-making is once again a topic up for debate. This time he's being chastised for going for two fourth-and-ones. Either way, you just can't win.
Manny Lawson, fresh off of blocking a punt, might be getting a little worn out already.
Good news: Rookie Delanie Walker finally made his anticipated regular season debut. Bad news: he didn't do anything.
No matter how you slice it, the game was still pretty ugly. But, hey, we'll take whatever we can get.

Overall, the positives outweighed the negatives, which is almost always the case in a victory. Before we jump to conclusions, let's take a gander at the season's statistics so far.

The Niners rank 7th in scoring offense, 13th in total offense, 8th in rushing, and 11th in passing.
The defense is still seventh-worst in the NFL, but is in the middle of the pack (15th) in forcing turnovers.

Obviously, the offense has been infinitely better than last season, and while the numbers of the defense may suggest little has changed, the ability to create turnovers shows that there is natural talent on the team that has yet to have been fully harnessed. The most telling improvement on the team, however, lies in Alex Smith. Let's compare his first five starts of last year to those in 2006:

2005 first 5 starts (aggregate): 50/109, 46%, 551 yards, 0 TDs, 10 INTs, 23.15 QB rating.
2006 first 5 starts (aggregate): 89/152, 58.6%, 1071 yards, 6 TDs, 3 INTs, 85.2 QB rating.
2005 first 5 starts (average): 10/21.8, 46%, 110.2 yards/game, 0 TDS/2 INTS per game for an average QB rating of 24.0.
2006 first 5 starts (average): 17.8/30.4, 59%, 214 yards/game, 1.2 TDs/0.6 INTs per game for an average QB rating of 90.14.

The two things that really jump out at you are the increase in completion percentage and decrease in turnovers. Yes, he's thrown for nearly double the yardage, but much of that can be attributed to the 10 more pass attempts he's averaging a game. It's clear that Smith's accuracy is much higher which is apparent in the 12% increase in completed passes, and the significant decrease in interceptions thrown. Some of this can be attributed to the improvement of receiving personnel surrounding Smith, but from observing the game film, he has shown better command of the game in his second season. If he improves at a similar rate for this season and the next, the Niners could be darkhorse playoff contenders before previously anticipated.

(For QB rating research, this site is great.)

Before we all collectively get on our knees, Smith will have to prove his mettle in the coming weeks against--in my estimation--the two best defenses in the NFL. This weekend the Niners take on the Chargers (tune in Friday for the prediction), and after a bye week travel to the Windy City to play Chicago. See you Friday.

Baseball Closure

2006-10-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

Rest easy, Giants fans. We fought and failed. We were embarrassed by the Dodgers in the final weekend. The Padres continually beat the Giants down the stretch. It was bad.

Alas, the Padres won one game in St. Louis and the Dodgers got swepted. Their seasons lasted five days longer than ours. Most importantly, they got lured into thinking they were actually good and had a chance. There would of been no pain greater than watching Kent, Lofton, Tomko and friends celebrating again. Thankfully, it did not happen.

While I'm talking about the playoffs, it is certainly time to give the A's their fair share of praise. I'm not sure what happened, but back in June, the Giants split the season series and should of taken four of six. The A's were not a good team. Frank Thomas has found the fountain of youth somehow and Esteban Loiza has straightened out his drinking and driving issues. No one will watch the Tigers-A's series but it be great baseball. Regardless of how much the two beat each other up, the winner will certainly beat the pitching depleted NL champ.

5 World Championships, 0 Splash Hits? Sigh.

Highly interesting article by Scott Ostler regarding the strange saga that is Jeff Kent. Deadspin had a great take on it.

Cross-Town Catfight

2006-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Last week's _______ (shellacking, egg-drop, schneid, non-performance) against the Chiefs brought many of us back down to earth. We demanded the spotlight after the Rams victory and wrote off the Eagles loss as a sub-par performance against a Super Bowl contender before facing a winless Kansas City team hardly known for its defensive prowess. 41 points later we find ourselves in this current situation: the Raiders (another winless team), Niner offensive coordinator Norv Turner's former team, coming to town in a showdown of junior varsity offenses and non-existent defenses. For Bay Area fans though, this game actually holds some significance. If either the Niners or the Raiders want to avoid (or postpone) the crash at the end of their freefall, they must prove it this Sunday against an equally underachiveing (supposedly) team.

Raiders captain Randy Moss (there's so much wrong with that phrase) could break out with a monster game, especially if the Niner pass rush continues to play like, well, the Raiders. Bryant Young & Co. had 9 sacks through the first two games but only 3 in the past two, while the Raiders front line has managed only 4 QB takedowns in 3 games. The Niners can't afford to let 6'6" QB Andrew Walter feel comfortable in the pocket, letting Moss run around an inexperienced secondary.

The weak Raider defensive line might allow the 49er offensive line to regain some composure too. After giving up 5 sacks to the Chiefs (!), the unit looks sluggish, which is forcing Alex Smith into making some poor throws. Despite their poor sack numbers, the Raiders actually rank 3rd in pass defense, allowing only 138 pass yards per game. However Frank Gore (who as a starter can't afford any more fumbles) and Michael Robinson can open up the passing game by taking advantage of a rush defense that allows 145 yards per game.

This matchup should be everything you expect: ugly, high in turnovers, called by Fox's Double-A team, and full of Raider fans pissing in the sinks of Monster Park.

HMB Prediction: Niners win 20-17

Web Watch: Baron Davis

2006-10-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

The lesser known Black, Superathlete Santa

So I guess I would come here for quotes like this:

Baron Davis is described as ‘one of the few pure point guards currently in the NBA.'

and

While at Crossroads [Santa Monica, CA], Davis mingled with some of the film industry's elite off-springs, including Kate Hudson among others.

Wait, so he's a great basketball player and mingles with celebrities??? This is mind boggling...

Niner Report: That Was Pretty Bad

2006-10-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

I'll spare you most of the gory details from Sunday's 41-0 thrashing at the hands of the Chefs. Great googlie-mooglie! HMB decided not to run the Niner Report and prediction on Friday in the fleeting hope that it would induce another victory like the one over the Rams, but instead the Niners did their best impression of the Raiders. It's hard to pinpoint just one area to be worried about because the entire team player terribly. The offensive line couldn't open a hole or keep the Cheifs' defenders--the Chiefs!--off of Alex Smith. Smith played like he did last year, missing open receivers everywhere, and making ill-advised throws into coverage. The defense? Well I think the fact that there is a rumor floating around that Nolan is going to fire the defensive coordinator speaks for itself. Nolan dismissed the rumor hastily, but the defense has struggled stopping legitimate offenses. It's pretty tough to put this all on Billy Davis because the defense really lacks playmakers. As a result, the chances that the Niners go defensive in next year's draft probably just increased exponentially.

Viewer discretion is advised: here is a report card from over the weekend.

Kevin Lynch suggests that Antonio Bryant speak his mind a little more. I don't know how much Lynch drank after the game, but I have no idea why you would ever want a player wearing #81 to ever speak up for the Niners. Ever. Again.

Basically what I think it comes down to is that this team will struggle to win games against teams with any semblance of a good, balanced offense. Against the Rams, the Niners were able to blitz the crap out of Marc Bulger and slow down the St. Louis passing game. This is probably due to the fact that the Rams were playing in only their second game learning a new offense, but so what? The Cardinals racked up 34 points in the opener against San Francisco, despite Kurt Warner's incompetence. The Eagles torched them for 38 points by barely breaking a sweat. So when the Niners go on the road against a somewhat good team--offensively or defensively--they stand little chance. They are just too young and inexperienced, and lack the natural talent to overcome those deficiencies. We'll just have to hope that they go away. At least the Raiders are coming to town.

Speaking of the aforementioned opponent, it should be a pretty ugly matchup. Unfortunately, Aaron Brooks will be missing the party. If you're looking for any type of silver lining, the Niners are favored for the first time all year. Sportsbook.com lists them as 3.5 point favorites as of posting time. We'll be back Friday with more (optimisitc) news and a prediction. Though HMB missed a prediction for the Chief game, we would have picked the result. But since we already used one mulligan, we can't use two, and we'll chalk it up as a N/A, leaving us at 3-0 for the season.

#1: A Ticket to Game 5

2006-09-30T14:48:00.000-07:00

"Here comes Bell, rounding third, heading home....here comes the throw.....IT'S OVER!!"

We could watch this video all day. It's a perfect combination of game footage, amateur filming and a killer soundtrack (and you thought Enya couldn't enter into your daily routine). Ollie Fu's creation begins with Santiago's game four-winning home run, a rare chance to see a baseball player pretty much close his eyes and swing as hard as he can...and actually connect. If you don't get chills watching this video then you should be banished across the Bay Bridge where you can watch a baseball team outscore your football team every Sunday. The expressions of pure, unfiltered joy running through the stadium and on the field are magnified by Enya and Jon Miller, whose call of Lofton's immaculate single shows why he is the marquee voice in baseball announcing.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Number One Bay Area YouTube clip:

#2: THE BAND IS OUT ON THE FIELD!

2006-09-29T17:50:00.000-07:00

Best finish to a game. Ever.

I do not think that is an overstatement.

The 1982 Big Game.

The kickoff is at 4:50, but I would encourage you to watch John Elway's scoring drive.

You will also probably want to watch the hit on the tuba player at least twice.

Coincidentally, it was number #6 today in ESPN.com's top ten jackass moments:

6. Stanford band rushes onto field … gives new definition to term "band geek"
Moen to Rodgers to Garner to Rodgers to Ford to Moen & and THE BEARS HAVE WON!! THE BEARS HAVE WON!! OH, MY GOD!! THE MOST AMAZING, SENSATIONAL, DRAMATIC, HEART-RENDING, EXCITING, THRILLING FINISH IN THE HISTORY OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL! CALIFORNIA HAS WON THE BIG GAME OVER STANFORD!

For a complete transcript, go here.

Honestly, there is something incredibly wrong with you if you can watch this clip and not get chills...

Unless of course you're a Stanford Fan.

#3: The Catch

2006-09-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

Despite our today's earlier proclamation, we here at HMB respect our elders, and, by extension, the predecessors to 49er greatness. For our third-rated clip in the Bay Area YouTube Hall of Fame, we go back to the play that started it all. Joe Montana would become the most clutch performer in NFL history, Bill Walsh became a genius, and Dwight Clark will forever top NFL Films' list of "Top Ten Greatest Catches of All-Time". We bring the drive that led to the Catch, that led to five Super Bowls.

Web Watch: Adonal Foyle

2006-09-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Athlete: Adonal Foyle
Webpage: http://www.adonalfoyle.com

The Skinny: In all honesty Adonal manages to put together a pretty comprehensive page here, even though it's hard to get over the fact that it's Adonal Foyle. I mean come on, he's a below-average, overpaid center. What works here is that his NBA career is not really the reason he has this virtual space. He uses his resources and (semi-) celebrity to redirect the spotlight on other aspects of his life including community development, poetry, and even villa rentals courtesy of Adonal Foyle Enterprises.

If you don't know the Warriors center, he's actually very well read and eloquent. Apparently Foyle also holds poetry contests, posts essays he's written on everything from being named the all-time leading Warriors shotblocker to his thoughts on NBA players as role models.

("An athlete of 19 years, who has done nothing to better his community, does not deserve the honor of being called a role model. Charles [Barkley], like myself, wanted the word role model to be reserved for people who deserve it.")

Did you know that Foyle's favorite movie of all time is Crash? And coming in at number four is Brokeback Mountain.

Ever wanted to hear what Foyle thinks of the break-up between Jennifer Anniston and Brad Pitt? You can find it here. ("They were such a great couple.")

Overall a fairly impressive site, but then you remember he is holding your team hostage with three more guaranteed years on his six-year, $42 million contract...

#4: Super Bowl XXIX Scores

2006-09-28T08:33:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, HMB was so caught up in the TO attempted suicide/allergic reaction to painkillers story that we missed our posting for the Bay Area YouTube Hall of Fame. Shame on us. I guess it was the prospect of all Niner fans wishes coming true--that TO would forever be out of our lives--that captivated us so, but we're back and ready for a morning/afternoon doubleheader.

As you may have realized, we at HMB are more partial towards recent Niner and Giant history (unfortunately, there really isn't anything to celebrate in the past couple of decades regarding the Warriors). We know that the Niner teams of the '80s were great and created the dynasty that we enjoyed and eventually watched crumble in the '90s and '00s, but we didn't watch those teams daily (or remember it well enough) to appreciate them as much as we did the teams from the '90s. So as one would expect, we tend to give our props to more recent history.

That would be one of the reasons that we selected this highlight reel at #4 in our Bay Area YouTube Hall of Fame. The 1984 and 1989 Super Bowl champions blew out their opponents in a similar fashion, but since HMB did not get to experience the victory quite like the 1994 dismantling of San Diego, we aren't as inclined to celebrate the team as fanatically. Consequently, we are more attached to the likes of Bar None, Timmy Mac, Deion and Merton than Keena Turner, Freddie Solomon, Wendell Tyler, and Dwight Clark. Of course everyone loves the stars, but it's those background guys that really make you remember--and love--your team.

Another reason why this clip is in the Top 5: it is the only succinct highlight of all the scores of a Niner Super Bowl on YouTube. All the others appear as segments of the game, while this clip is just uncensored domination, the kind you only see on websites that require you to be above the age of 18 to view. The smackdown the Niners put on the Chargers was really only akin to the beating Montana laid on the Broncos in '89, but there remains no evidence of it on YouTube. The ease with which this offense dominates San Diego is uncanny, and if Dan Dierdorf is dumbfounded, then what the hell are we all supposed to do? Plus, who doesn't love seeing Steve Young finally get his due, and remove that Irish monkey off of his back?

Stay tuned for the afternoon clip.

Giants release 2007 schedule

2006-09-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

Because the Giants will undeinably start racking up meaningless, we'll try to keep our Giants coverage limited to important stuff, most notably, next year.

Most importantly, the 2007 schedule came out (pdf). Highlights obviously are the weekend series at PacBell/SBC/ATT against the Yankees (June 21, 22, 23) and a weekend series at Fenway Park (June 15, 16, 17).

Yes, the Giants did win last night. Matt Morris pitched surprisingly well and Moises Alou provided the winning blow, a two run walk off shot.

Back to next year, early word this morning is that Bonds fully intends to be back next year.

"Barry's going to play in 2007," Jeff Borris of Beverly Hills Sports Council told the paper on Tuesday. "I've had many discussions with Barry and he's going to play. My intentions are to see to it he's in a big-league uniform next season. Those are my marching orders."

Contract talks with the Giants could begin next week.

Bonds will undergo elbow surgery after the season ends.

Niner Report: Learning Things The Hard(-a-)Way

2006-09-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

The loss against the Eagles this past Sunday exposed some of this team's inadequacies that have been overlooked, ignored or glossed over because of the frisky start to the season. First and foremost: youth. Despite the optimism everyone feels when rookies or second-year players succeed, you have to keep in mind that these guys are young and inexperienced, and are going to make mistakes and learn some hard lessons. Gore's maddening fumble habits (eerily reminiscent of Dexter Carter) may force him to relinquish his goal line duties to rookie Michael Robinson.

It was also evident from watching the game that the Niners really have some problems in the defensive secondary; they can barely cover anyone. This is partially a result of the fact that the Niners are forced to blitz to make up for a weak pass rush, thus leaving the secondary a bit exposed. But the fact remains that the team needs more players back there, a problem the Eagles easily capitalized upon.

While the coaching staff has done a great job of getting its players prepared to play, head coach Mike Nolan is still experiencing a learning curve. Evidence: the infamous punt at the end of the first half. Nolan has defended his decision--even remaining a bit stand-offish--but to the casual observer the decision really wasn't even one: go for it! The team was down 21, in Eagle territory, and had a good drive going. The reward outweighed the risk, but Nolan chose the ultra-conservative approach. Obviously, the backlash to his decision will affect his coaching henceforth, but as Tim Kawakami writes, maybe the criticism is a good thing; at least we aren't making excuses for Nolan and Alex Smith anymore.

Overall, Nancy Gay really hits the nail on the head: the Niners just aren't ready for the big boys of the NFL yet.

Not only was Gore's game-deciding fumble awful to watch, its reprecussion were downright apocalyptic. Yes, the Truth will be out for about a month. HMB will be opening a support group by Friday. The only good news is that at least there is depth at tight end.

Blasphemy

Other random HMB observations:

Michael Robinson looks like a load at running back. Normally, I'm 100% against this whole "draft a former college quarterback and switch his position" new fad (i.e. Rasheed Marshall, Arnaz Battle), but Robinson is looking like a perfect fit in his new role at running back.
Antonio Bryant is walking a thin line. This guy might be even more insane than 'The Player", so I guess that it's fitting he's wearing 81. But his antics make him seem so combustible that I wouldn't be surprised if a sideline altercation took place. And, yes, it gives me a near-aneurysm every time.
It's official: Alex Smith is a fantasy quarterback. Join HMB in congratulating him.
The next draft needs to focus on defense. Now I'm not sanctioning a Mario Williams over Reggie Bush here (which is looking like the most egregious draft decision since Darko over Anthony/Wade/Bosh/Hinrich/entire draft class), but it is becoming blatantly obvious that this defense is in dire need of playmakers in the secondary and along the defensive front. Knowing Nolan's defensive background, I'm pretty sure we're in good hands with this one.
My favorite non-Niners in the NFL are Chris Henry and Odell Thurman, respectively. I'm speechless, really.

That does it for this edition of the Niner Report, stay tuned for Friday's game preview and prediction.

#5: A Tribute to Joe Montana

2006-09-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

From pupil to master, we go from Hall of Famer Young (yesterday's video) to Hall of Famer Joe Montana, whose tribute below comes in at number five.

Take a second and look at Montana's Hall of Fame credentials if you can't already recite them from memory and experience--his profile and reputation is littered with superlatives. There's no one I would rather have under center down late in the 4th quarter than Joe Cool, who notched 31 fourth-quarter comebacks in his career. Some of today's QBs (or even coaches) can't even get 31 Ws on the board before they get sent out the door. Nothing I say about Montana will be enough, so without further ado:

Game, Set, Season

2006-09-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

There's a fine line between ignorance and faith, and while it's probably true that this year's team, had they made the playoffs, wouldn't have gotten very far, I like to hold by the maxim that anything can happen in a five-game series. At least this year we won't have a playoff run boil down to a dropped fly ball by Pedro Feliz. Yes, it has been a while. In a best case scenario the Giants will knock the Dodgers out of the playoffs while using those same games to help answer the many off-season questions that loom.

The Giants--individually--have shown very little fight since their playoff hopes evaporated. I discount the team view because a significant portion of the team is now solely playing for contracts next season. Durham hit a solo home run in a rare loss by Schmidt against the Diamondbacks, continuing to make a case as a DH or for a team badly in need of an offensive upgrade.

Keeping in line of looking to next year, a tentative 2007 schedule was released today. Highlights include a visit to Fenway Park and a visit from the Yankees. In 2004 the Giants took two of three from the Sox in San Francisco, and as you all know Boston would later go on to win the World Series. Bay Area fans will be treated to a 163rd game next season, with the All-Star game coming to AT&T Park. Remember folks, this time it counts...

#6: Steve Young Montage

2006-09-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

The sixth-best Bay Area sports YouTube clip is fueled by the lyrics of Rod Stewart and the voice of Joe Starkey. There really is no introduction necessary for Steve Young, one of San Francisco's most beloved athletes. Of all the great plays, memories, comments, and commercials that came from his career, I think the lasting image I will have of the Young era will be his joint elation with Jerry Rice as both hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after defeating the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX with Brent Musberger grinning in the backgroud like a maniac. Oh, how I miss the DeBartolo regime, gambling debts be damned. Enjoy the following highlight montage of Young and his greatness, aptly named "Steve Young: The Forever Young".

#7: T.O. on The Catch II

2006-09-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

The Catch itself is amazing, especially considering Owens' terrible game up to that point and the fact that he manages to hold onto the ball despite getting sandwiched by two Packer defenders. But this video is about more than just the event--finally sending Favre and the Packers home for the season rather than the other way around--we love that it gives us an "unplugged" perspective on The Catch II, although one could just as easily argue that the real Owens is the one we see now donning a Discovery Channel uniform while sitting out another off-season practice.

It's strange and discomforting to see a younger T.O. acting more mature than now, eight years later and playing for the Dallas Cowboys. He takes personal responsibility for his subpar game ("I was stinking up the game") and even shows appreciation (multiple times) for his teammates, who in this instance got on his case for dropping so many balls but still supported the precocious receiver. When you watch this video you can't imagine Owens ever wanting to leave this team; you feel like being a 49er means something to him. Maybe he just tricked us like he did so many others, but the sentiment seems genuine at the time.

For Owens' emotion, his perserverence in the game and well, for giving us another classic 49er memory, we present the number seven Bay Area YouTube video:

"You can't script this bullshit"

2006-09-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

(Perhaps the best summary of this road trip, courtesy of Todd Greene).

Barry might be back to normal--slugging home runs and sitting near the top of the league in many offensive categories--but the Giants certainly are not, even by this year's lowly standards. Having dropped three in a row to the Brewers and given up about 200 runs on this recent road trip, Bonds & Co. can't wait to return to 24 WMP and distance themselves both physically and emotionally from this trainwreck. Barring a monumental collapse by the multitude of teams ahead of the Giants in the division and Wild Card, the best the team can hope for is to spoil the playoff dreams of the Dodgers, who finish the season in San Francisco.

In other news Dr. Art Ting is back in our lives, after a tumultuous three-round bout last season with Barry's knee, the surgeon will attempt to remove bone chips from the left-fielder's left elbow.

#8: Shawon Dunston Cries

2006-09-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

OK, you're just going to have to give this clip a minute or so.

Shawon Dunston was never a great baseball player, always a guy you wanted around for his intangibles and presence. He was free-swinging, a mediocre fielder, and by the time the 2002 season rolled around was pretty much over the hill. Throughout the playoff run to the World Series, Dunston played a minimal role and slipped to the background as Bonds, Lofton, Kent and others shined on the game's biggest stage. But he still remained the consummate professional and team player, and proved it in this clip with his selfless words and tears.

But Dunston wouldn't remain in the background for the whole playoffs, stepping up in what, for seven innings, looked like the game the San Francisco got the monkey off their back. Unfortunately, Dunston's Game 6 homer didn't make him a household name; Scott Speizio's late-game heroics made Sand Frog one. This clip, thoiugh after the NLCS, proved too much for his composure, and serves as a sobering reminder for all Giants fans of what almost was.

#9: Jerry Rice Tribute

2006-09-22T16:25:00.000-07:00

A tribute to the greatest wide receiver to ever play the game. Even though it feels like you're watching a preview for Varsity Blues, you can't help but get chills from this video. Simply Jerry at his best: not flashy at all, but his ability to separate from defensive backs (if they're still in the picture) is uncanny. There might not ever be another receiver like him in a long time.

We here at HMB wonder what fantasy football in the late 80's and early 90's was like. Was Montana-Rice the most dominant QB-WR combo ever? Or did it never really happen because Montana, Young, and Rice all went in the first round all the time? Could there be any more of a year-in, year-out lock than Niner QBs and Rice (minus the knee injury year) for fantasy football?

In any case, enjoy.

The First Test

2006-09-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Forty-Niner Nation is still basking in the glow of last Sunday's victory over the Rams. While last-season's opening victory against those of the Land of the Arch felt more like God throwing the Niners a bone after the saddening death of Thomas Herrion, the win at Candlestick this go around has much more substance behind it. Not only are the local papers and--I'm assuming--talk radio heads optimistic and praiseworthy, but to the observing eye of the average fan this team seems like they get it. They run hard, hit hard, and genuinely care. If the talent level was as high as the achievement level, we'd easily be looking at a playoff team. Regardless, the start to the season has some people mentioning Mike Nolan's name and the word savior--gasp!--in the same sentence. Unfortunately, that wasn't Kevan Barlow's breath. The season is only two games old and there is still a long way to go, but Nolan clearly has the ship headed north in the standings.

Apparently, the front office was so pleased with the progress of the new team that it felt that it had to shell out some contract extensions. Offensive lineman Adam Snyder was inked, and Shawntae Spencer also received a deal--not a small feat for a holdover from the Terry Donahue era. In today's NFL it is always prudent to sign your assests to extensions early so as to avoid cap issues and pay a lower-tier salary before the player inevitably holds-out. But I applaud the signings (especially the Walt Harris); it shows the Niners see that they have some good players, want to keep them in Red and Gold, and are willing to make a commitment to win. Now if HMB can only get the Giants and Warriors to start making prudent signings...

Adam Snyder celebrating his new contract with Frank Gore

Another guy playing inspired football and probably deserves, at least, his own website at this point, is Frank Gore. A quick synopsis of his career: enrolls at the U as a bally-hooed recruit with hopes of following in the footsteps of Edgerrin James and become the next great Canes running back. After averaging nine yards per carry during his freshmen campaign, he blows out his knee, misses the national championship victory over Nebraska, and has to watch as Willis McGahee dominates the competition while he is out. After a year of rehab, Gore becomes the feature back only to blow out his other knee and misses the remainder of the season. In his third time around, Gore remains healthy and immediately enters the NFL draft and is selected by the Niners. We all know what has happened since he's been here. And don't forget about his great high school career; Frank sure doesn't. Gore's determination and development have been impressive, and he is officially a good fantasy play for all you Gore owners out there.

This week the Iggles come into San Francisco reeling after absolutely blowing a sure victory against the New York Football Giants. Not only did they lose the game, but Jevon Kearse is out for the year and the underrated secondary has collectively checked into the infirmary. Without a doubt, this is the game that the Niners will be measured by. Da Birds are far and away the best team the Niners have played, and there is extra incentive to repay the Eagles for 42-3 ravaging they gave this team a year ago. In addition, Jeff Garcia will be in da house for a bittersweet return to where it all started, and for all intents and purposes, ended. I always liked Garcia despite the fact that he had a lavish lisp, had the worst receding hairline I have ever seen, and pissed off the star receiver (well, that really wasn't his fault, Owens is insane). No matter how you stack it, the Niners need to put on a good show.

While the Eagle offense put on a three quarter clinic before going on cruise control for the fourth quarter, Brian Westbrook is ailing, Donte Stallworth and Reggie Brown aren't game-breaking receivers, and they lack a punishing run game. It's obvious that this Niner defense will likely struggle against teams that throw well--like the Eagles--because of their lack of top-end cover corners, and getting a pass-rush is imperative. In Week 1 they couldn't muster much of anything and lost; last week they could and won. Donovan McNabb is no longer the running threat he used to be but is a much more polished passer. I don't see him replicating his five touchdown performance of a year ago, but he should have success.

Offensively, the Niners are up against their toughest test. Though the Eagles have injury concerns, they are still loaded on the defensive side of the ball, and coordinator Jim Johnson, who already loves to blitz, will probably bring the freakin' house at Alex Smith. Smith will really be under fire and has the most to prove. Through the first two games he has looked good, but accuracy issues remain, and will be under serious pressure all game. Gore should be able to run but he needs to worry about ball security. Look for the Truth to be a factor, as he took a backseat on the first-round rookie hype machine after Manny Lawson's two sack day last Sunday. If the Niners want to have any chance, Davis and Antonio Bryant will need to make big plays. The offensive line, which played so well last week, will be under the same microscope as Smith. To win, they need to keep the white jerseys out of the Niner backfield.

The Niners also need to be wary of fightin' mighty-might David Akers!

Cry you little bitch.

As good as the Niners have been this season, I have a hard time believing that they will beat one of the better teams in the NFC. Fortunately, the Eagles are coming off a tough loss to an archrival, but I'm not sure if that is a good thing. The game will be close, but I can't see the Niners offense scoring enough points to the win. It will be another one of those "moral victories". I hate those.

Prediction: Eagles 27-17. The silver lining: no TO.
Season: 2-0.

More Dog Days

2006-09-22T08:37:00.000-07:00

Now we know that it wasn't just a humidor-less Coors Field or a potent St. Louis offense that caused the recent Giants skid...the rotation just can't get it together. Matt Morris now shares the league lead in losses with 15 as starters just can't find their rhythm, or even the right tune. The former St. Louis ace has fallen a long way from his mid-90s fastball, looping curve days. Nevertheless as many have pointed out his clubhouse presence helps to justify (somewhat) his lofty contract.

It's nice to see Shea and Alou go yard, but when you give up nine runs early to the Brewers (!) those round trippers don't really mean much. In Hillenbrand's short tenure in San Francisco he has shown some signs of life and I certainly wouldn't mind his return next season. Maybe we can finally close the book on Feliz, who has essentially run out of excuses now that he is an everyday player at a consistent position.

Sanchez pitches tonight, continuing to audition for next year's rotation. It seems like he has yet to establish any type of middle ground--he either brings it or he doesn't. If the Giants want to depend on him as a starter down the road he needs to learn how to get by when his stuff isn't there. He's still an exciting player to watch though.

#10: Bonds' HR Tribute

2006-09-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

The final 10 begins. It's time to get serious, so no more silly introductions. Besides, since we started this I feel like Frank Thomas has had 60 RBIs and the A's have not lost.

Many of you may have noticed a severe dearth of Giants clips. Unfortunately, MLB clips have simply not penetrated the YouTube as frequently as NBA and NFL clips. This is because of a vareity of reasons mostly related to MLBtv and MLBAM.

Regardless, there are some Giants gems out there and this is one of them. There may be no more of a universal San Francisco moment than a Barry Bonds HR and this video traces all of his special ones, including the ones from Pittsburgh.

For whatever, my personal favorite has to be #500. It was a Tuesday night, early in the 2001 season, right before Bonds went on his epic and historic (for a number of reasons) home run binge. Jon Miller is on the call and I just love the wording of "Number 500...It's into the water!"

Big ups to Joe Angel as well.

Enjoy.

Counting Down the Days

2006-09-21T13:43:00.000-07:00

What, you may be wondering, are the chances that this version of black and orange play in October? Let me give you the answer: 100%. Don't get too excited; the Giants close the season out on October 1 against the Dodgers at home--not exactly the October we San Franciscans hope for. But while this season may be lost, at least the Giants saved face last night by avoiding a grotesque sweep at the hands of the Rockies.

More news on the whole steriod source saga. I am still conflicted about this whole thing. At the moment, I am reading Game of Shadows and remain at heart confused. Initially, I was tearing through the thing like a Swimsuit Issue but now am slowly coming to the depressing conclusion. While the book is exceptionally researched, the writing is only so-so and you can lose interest quickly unless you have something more than just a story invested in the book--something like all the recent great memories of your career as a Giants fan. As dishonest and immoral it is for ballplayers to take steroids, I saw some unbelieveable things in the last six years as a Giants fan, for instance the team actually appearing in a World Series. I don't care how many players were juicing that season, the feeling of leaving a rockin' Pac Bell Park after a 16-4 victory over the Angels in Game 5 will never have an asterisk near it for me. I enjoyed every single one of Bonds' bombs, even to this very day. Does that make me a steroid apologist? Supporter? I don't pretend that Bonds didn't cheat; the evidence is between extremely overwhelming and there isn't a chance in hell he didn't take performance-enhancing drugs. But just because Barry lacks morals does it have to tarnish every fond memory I have as a Giants fan? I say no, and reserve the right to still cheer him. I can't just rescind every memory Bonds has created for me (trust me, the list is extensive). Of course, I don't condone his illegal actions. See what I mean? Confusing.

Things right now aren't that confusing: the Giants must win nearly every game from here on out or the season is done. Even so, it may be anyway. They take on the Brewers tonight.

Odds and the End of an Era

2006-09-20T14:30:00.000-07:00

I mean it. We can sadly close the chapter - for perhaps the 13th time, on the 2006 Giants - bean balls and all.

What a strange book this season has been. We'll have a complete analysis of the 2006 season - probably too comprehensive for the stomach to take - iin the upcoming months, but this was a team that drastically changed over the course of the season from Tyler Walker to Jeremey Accardo to Shea Hillenbrands and his adpotion. In short, this team needs to develop an identity independent of Barry Bonds, Felipe Alou and most importantly, some silly marketing scheme revolving around the all star game. Develop a farm system, maybe?

New goal for the rest of the season: Beat LA!

With the Giants ostensibly cashed, we must turn our attention to more interesting and exciting developments.

First, a huge HMB welcome back to Peter Gammons. I strongly recommend reading his inspiring piece. He also manages to point out how bad the Matt Morris signing was.

Deadspin has a preview of the Warriors. Is the season really about to start with the same warriors roster?

From yesterday's chronicle: Walt Harris is an absolute beast, and no I do not mean the deranged Stanford football coach.

Get pumped up for this weeked, as they say in Philadelphia: N-I-N-E-R-S....NINERS!

#11: Steve Young Gets the Monkey Off His Back

2006-09-20T10:20:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the introduction, for the month of September HMB is counting down the Top 30 Bay Area sports YouTube clips. It's pretty simple: one per day for the entire month, excluding the Oakland A's and Raiders because, well, we don't like them and from their attendance figures, it doesn't seem that many people do either.

Steve Young's celebration after the 1995 NFC Championship game with commentary by Pat Summerall and John Madden. Summerall desperately tries to keep the show rolling but Madden can't stop talking about the elated QB. The expression on Young's face, his hall of fame fist pump, combined with the momentous occasion put this video at number 11 here on HMB. Also, you have to love the desperate cameramen trying to follow Steve around when he's celebrating. One of them totally eats it too.

What makes this video all the better to watch is that we all know what happens in the following game, too.

A quick side note: Steve Young sat in the first row of a Giants game in late August and when they put him on the jumbotron the whole place went nuts. Makes you long for a time when San Francisco sports teams could make the postseason...

#12: Montana to Taylor Beats Bengals

2006-09-19T16:35:00.000-07:00

I know this is cliche and overplayed, but the collective cool on the entire 49er team is impressive. Not one player makes a bonehead mistake like we see today (um, the Cedrick Wilson fiasco of a couple years back), and everyone knows their role in the two-minute drill. Conversely, in every shot of Sam Wyche it looks like he might crap his pants.
One of my favorite things to do when feeling depressed about current Niner football (which may not be the case much longer if the sun keeps shining in the right places...) is watch old Niner footage to see just how methodical, disciplined, and freakin' good the past teams were at executing offensively. Seriously, this final drive is a clinic. They mix draws, short sideline passes, out patterns, and go over the middle when they should. This offense used to be a legitimate machine under Montana; it's uncanny.
I love the big pass play to Jerry Rice that he nearly breaks for a TD. First of all, the Niners were backed up to 2nd and 20 after a penalty on Randy Cross and the Bengals showed some excitement for the only time on the drive. Montana then ripped their collective hearts out with the rope to Rice. The other detail I love about this moment--and an example of why I love John Taylor so much--is that after Rice is tackled near the 20 you can see Taylor slamming his hands on the ground because he couldn't finish off his block to let Rice walk into the end zone. Now you'd see some idiot running around celebrating and sauntering even though he blew what should have been a touchdown. Taylor didn't, but he'd get his revenge.
The Bengals literally make no defensive plays on the entire drive. Montana isn't pressured on a single play.
The cut-away shots to Boomer Esiason, Wyche, and #91 and his Tom Selleck-esque mustache get me every time.
Bill Walsh went out on top and didn't come back to taint his legacy ten years later. Some things are just meant to end the right way.

That's about all I can think of. There are a multitude of YouTube clips featuring this drive so I have picked two to post here. The first is our official selection (the drive in its entirety) but I couldn't resist the other one just because it is a pretty sweet dramatized version.

Um...Mercy

2006-09-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

If only such a rule existed in Colorado. Some dignity could have been salvaged.

Everyone's calling it now. After the Rockies matched the 49ers score last night, hopes for a Giant postseason become all the more grim. Come on, 20 runs? That's utterly embarassing even when you take into account the venue and a bad start by Lowry. Suddenly the starters can't get out of the first inning and in the case of last night the bullpen only put up one zero in nine chances. But until that last Sunday (or maybe Monday) we refuse to put out a season summary or hand out any yearly awards yet. A week ago we were scoreboard watching and riding a modest Giants streak, only to arrive in St. Louis and succumb to the baseball gods once again, who seem to have this team destined for an 81-81 finish (if they even need to play Sunday's rainout).

There's not much to say about the remainder of the season. Cain must right the ship tonight, and the rest of the starters must pick up the momentum. Speaking of the youngster, who thought back in May when he was walking six in five innings that he would be the stud of the rotation? With his recent success the Giants are thinking about campaigning for his honor as NL Rookie of the Year.

What, Exactly, Do We Have Here?

2006-09-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Regrettably, HMB did not post its usual Friday Niner blotter with news, notes and a prediction, but if that omission serves as a harbinger for victory we'll by all means stop running the feature.

A team that no one really gave a shot in the preseason has really begun to come into its own in the beginning of the season. While I still have guarded optimism--I don't want the expectations to get wildly out of hand--this team has played with intensity, purpose, and confidence. In other words, they are playing nothing like the teams of the past three seasons. In defending the Candlestick turf against the rival Rams, the Niners showed toughness and an ability to balance the run and pass while converting crucial third downs. Maybe the most relieving aspect of the early season success is the development of Alex Smith into a seemingly bona fide big-play quarterback. While there is still reason for skepticism (low completion rate and sometimes happy feet), if Smith continues his recent trend, he should become a legitimate fantasy sleeper by Week 4.

A look at the development of the young players would only bring smiles to the faces of Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughlan. Manny Lawson answered some critics by registering his first two sacks Sunday, in a game that turned out to be somewhat of a coming out for the defense. If the Niners can disrupt the pass like they did Sunday, the questions about the defense will begin to sudside. Though Frank Gore fumbled again, he came back and delivered a big day. Gore's success had a lot to do with the play of the makeshift offensive line, which was missing both of its starters on the left side. As each game passes and Gore proves himself to be a worthy NFL starting running back, the happier I am at the thought of Kevan Barlow toiling on the New York Jets. Antonio Bryant continued to assert himself as a brash playmaker much like his #81 predecessor did. Don't think this doesn't cause nightmares here on HMB. Ray Ratto has something to say about Gore and Bryant. Be aware of pretentious writing; you were warned here.

The Niners may have the Rams' number but this is no longer the Greatest Show on Turf. Good freakin' riddance.

Nancy Gay with another piece on Bryant Young, this time detailing his trench battles with Rams guard Adam Timmerman over the years.

In other good news, TO is hurt! and the Raiders are looking increasingly pathetic.

Though there was no post Friday, I did predict in my season preview that the Niners would beat the Rams at home. I think it is fair to stick with that predictions. That brings HMB to 2-0 this season. Stay tuned for the prediction this Friday.

#13: Joe Montana and Ronnie Lott for Tivo

2006-09-18T10:25:00.000-07:00

Standard Late Season Rain Delay East of the Rockies

2006-09-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

Typical:

For the third time since 2002, the Giants have a potential Monday-after-the-season game hanging over their heads. Should they finish a half-game up or a half-game out in either the division or wild-card races, the Giants would have to fly back here for a makeup.

Specifically, lets talk more about this makeup? Like, say, what if the Giants have been eliminated but St. Louis needs to settle some sort of home field dispute with the Mets?

If so, the Dodgers might be in trouble, for as one Giant said as he looked around the room at Bonds, Durham, Alou, Vizquel and other veteran players, "If the Cardinals need that game for home-field advantage they're going to get it, because a lot of guys in here are not going to be on that trip."

Kevin Frandsen learned "a lot" from playing with a Broken Jaw. Armed with such knowledge, it will be interesting to see whether or not Durham returns.

#14: Run TMC

2006-09-17T18:01:00.000-07:00

Yet another warriors clip as they are clearly well represented by GSoM and others in the online video community.

Set against the most fitting of music selections, this clip takes us back to a far away land in which Chris Mullin was dunking baskets (strangely enough) instead of head coaches. I've got no jab to make at Richmond or Hardaway, but its painful to fathom so many good players on one team with the net result amounting to nothing...except for this great montage.

A Weekend of Firsts

2006-09-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

For the second straight game the Giants couldn't escape the first inning unscathed. Yesterday Matt Morris gave up a 4-spot in the first, just as Brad Hennessey did the night before. The team needed to at least show some fight in the series, especially while the Dodgers and Padres duke it out, but so far it has merely tested the faith of its fanbase. Yesterday's loss put the Giants back at .500 and each one from here on out will further shift the scope from October to April, and, according to Scott Ostler, life without Barry.

Originally seen as a pillar of strength for the Giants, the starting rotation (minus Cain) has put the team in early holes that Alou believes the offense can't climb out of. And since the All-Star Break Morris has been a shell of his former self, losing seven of his last nine decisions and no longer oozing the confidence he once did as a redbird. Simply put he looks defeated; his post-game sound bytes used to carry an air of bitterness toward an inconsistent offense, but as of late the burden falls exclusively on his shoulders, and he knows it. Mentoring youngsters in Cain, Lowry, and Sanchez is all and good, but Morris and Schmidt might need to step back and rethink their own approaches to the game.

#15: Mike Dunleavy Freaks Out

2006-09-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

Sigh

2006-09-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

New Park. Same Story.

I'm not quite sure what has happened to Brad Hennessey, but his demise over the past month has been quite costly for the Giants hopes for playoff greatness. Hennessey will most likely return to form next year once his role stabilizes, but for now he's suddenly turning into William Van Launching Pad.

Hopefully Schmidt makes his next start and Hennessey returns to being an out machine out of the bullpen.

Quite possibly the saddest development in recent Giants Memory since Dave Dravecky: Mike Matheny's career is over and he knows it. I urge MLB and all of professional sports to take a long hard look at these new masks and make sure that we are not jeopardizing the careers and lives of other athletes.

Jose Vizcaino might be a spy. Not surprising.

Matt Morris has a enormous start today and if the Cards put up a crocked number in the early innings, the Giants faithful might be put on suicide watch.

#16: Jerry Rice's Record TD Catch

2006-09-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

How Many Puns Cain We Think Of?

2006-09-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was exactly the kind of game the pre-All Star game Giants would have lost: an afternoon contest (already a warning sign) that followed an ugly, high-scoring loss the night before. Actually, you might just say the outlook was grim because the Giants were playing the Rockies, against whom they have had difficulty this season. While Cain's performance last night (and as of late) was spectacular, the biggest difference in the past few weeks is the confidence. This team expects to take rubber matches and win these three-game series.

But the rest of the rotation is full of question marks, from Schmidt's back to a recovering Lowry and to just Morris himself. Although Jonathan Sanchez was not tagged with the loss on Tuesday, he has shown similar inconsistency that can't make Felipe Alou's job any easier. With 16 games remaining, these are the kinds of issues that should more or less be ironed out by now. That's one mark of a bonafide playoff contender.

For those who can't get enough of the NL Wild Card implications of the coming weekend, Ray Ratto breaks it down for you. The conclusion: either the Dodgers or the Padres needs to sweep. The implied conclusion, as always, is the Giants need to win.

#17: JT Snow Montage

2006-09-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the introduction, for the month of September HMB is counting down the Top 30 Bay Area sports YouTube clips. It's pretty simple: one per day for the entire month, excluding the Oakland A's and Raiders because, well, we don't like them and from their attendance figures, it doesn't seem that many people do either.

Before I left the cozy confines of the West Coast this summer to return to the East Coast (and their bias), I had the treat of attending one last Giants game, the typical San Francisco send-off that always makes you want to come back, and feel very relieved when, in fact, you know you will. Of course, the Giants won and everyone went home happy, and I was left with the feeling that maybe, just maybe, this year's team could make one last push.

That was back on August 26, a 4-1 victory over the Reds. Three or so weeks later, I remember little about the game; no play or performance really stuck with me. But there is one thing that I will take from that game and remember for quite sometime: seeing JT Snow at a Giants game not in uniform. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Jumbotron began to flash some vintage highlights of ol' #6 making beautiful defensive plays and gathering clutch hits. I figured they must have dipped into the "Giants Vault" a little earlier than usual. When the highlight reel finished, the camera panned toward Larry Baer's unfairly sweet seats, and there was JT sitting in a black shirt, shorts and shades. The crowd exploded in an uproar; within seconds, everyone was one their collective feet cheering one of the most beloved Giants of our era. Being the class act that he is, JT acknowledged the crowd multiple times before sitting down. Funny thing happened: no one stopped cheering. The applause lasted into the first at-bat of the inning before the euphoria ended. At the game the previous Monday, Steve Young was in attendance sitting in the same seats and was treated to the same every-person-in-the-building-on-your-feet ovation. And even though JT was a far less accomplished Bay Area athlete, there was something more behind the crowd's aduration. It wasn't merely praise; JT knew he was good and so did everyone in the attendance. It was an appreciation with a hint of desperation. It was as if the entire crowd was simultaneously acknowledging what JT meant to this organization, while also wishing he could still be suiting up for the orange and black. And the best part was that JT knew that everyone wanted him on the field that moment, scooping poor throws from Feliz as if were nothing, and displaying his calming and professional influence on the team. We all miss JT and from what I saw, he missed the Giants too. And that's all you can hope for as a fan.

The following video is one our favorite montages of JT and his San Francisco days. Yeah the song is cheesy, and the clips are mainly recent, but it still does the job. It includes his save of Darren Baker (for whatever that was worth), but regrettably does not include his incredible homer off of (unfortunately) Our-Mando in the bottom of the ninth against the Mets in the 2000 playoffs.

Web Watch: Pedro Feliz

2006-09-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

Athlete web pages. A trend that's starting to pick up, but probably not the way those superstars (and even superstar hopefuls) envisioned. They see dollar signs and sponsorships; we see over-inflated egos and perfect heckling material. Is it possible to have one of these without coming off as a pompous, self-involved tool? Every Thursday, until I can't find any more, we'll look at a (sometimes ex-) Bay Area athlete's site to find out...

Athlete: Pedro Feliz
Website: www.pedrofeliz.com

The Skinny: See I don't understand why a guy like Feliz has an apparently was written by a twelve year old. On the other hand it is nice to know you can contact Feliz (Pedro@PedroFeliz.com) and maybe tell him to stop swinging at the first pitch after two batters before him reached on four-pitch walks. True Pedro fans will enjoy the official t-shirts coming soon. On the front is a headshot with a signature, but strangely on the back it says official website. Not only that, but it brings pretty much nothing to the table other than some awkward photos and a bio that "Caribbean" and not "Feliz."

Best Quote: (from his bio) "As a child, Pedro Feliz always dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player. He started playing baseball at the age of five on the porch of his mother's house. They would take a sock, wrap it in rubber bands, and make a bat out of a stick play. Pedro's dream came true, when in 1994 he was signed by the San Francisco Giants."

#18: J-Rich's Contest-Winning Dunk

2006-09-13T10:29:00.000-07:00

This Really Doesn't Concern Us, But...

2006-09-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

I couldn't let this piece of information go: Jerry Porter is a fucking asshole. Here is more coverage of the incident. I'm sorry, but when Randy Moss is the voice of reason there is something seriously wrong. Nancy Gay ponders the obvious: what the hell are the Raiders coaches doing? This question becomes even more pertinent after the Monday night debacle. The point here is to rest easy, Niner fans. At least our malcontents (paging Kevan Barlow) are shipped out of town so they can't cheer against our team on our own sidelines. Sorry, I just can't get over this.

No, No, No....Yes! Yes! YES!

2006-09-13T07:23:00.000-07:00

After Sunday night's national TV disaster, when young Jonathan Sanchez spotted the Rockies to a 4-0 lead in the first two innings, it would of not been unreasonable to give up right there. The team simply cannot afford to lose games to Colorado at home in that sort of fashion at this late point in the season.

Something magical happened in the bottom of the second and hope is now springing more eternal than ever. Here are some reasons why:

Sanchez: He may not have pitched that well or received the win but the nine consecutive outs he earned after the Giants six-spot in the second were monumental.
Correia: The man has done it all this year and its because his stuff is consistently electric. His line from last night says it all: W, 3.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K. Nice.
Winn: His bat was so crucial to last year's September fake-out resurgence and if he can some how re-channel that form the offense which is performing like quite the machine, could carry the team into the playoffs.
Mando Mania: It seems to be officially over and while Mando may have been able to contribute in some form, it's probably for the best. His presence makes everyone cringe at this point and it is best to simply shut down the big fellow and place him on an exercise bike until spring training. I did my job!

Big news on the obligatory coin flip front from Henry Schulman. With so many teams, this could certainly loom large

Heads or tails: The Giants won some and lost some of the coin flips to determine where tie-breaking games will be played. Should they need to play the Dodgers for the NL West or the Padres for the wild card, the Giants would travel to Los Angeles or San Diego. If the Giants and Padres tie for the division title, a separate coin toss would be held to choose the site. If the Giants tie Philadelphia or Florida for the wild card, the Giants would host the playoff.

Noah Lowry takes the mound tonight to continue the Felipe Alou great grandchildren pitching series as this long strange journey continues.

#19: Boom-Dizzle Backcourt

2006-09-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

Looking Ahead at Life Without Papi

2006-09-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

The Giants hope they have found their fifth starter in Jonathan Sanchez, who starts tonight and is coming off a solid performance (1 run in 5 2/3) last week against the Reds. Brad Hennessey returns to the bullpen, which currently lacks right-handed options. In what could be interpreted as a subtle slight to Our-mando (and I'll take anything to get another rise out of the WC Papi if not for sheer entertainment value), Felipe Alou had this to say about current closer Mike Stanton:

I don't recall him blowing any games. If he did, it was not a dramatic event. He relaxes his teammates. Even if he does not throw a 1-2-3 inning, everybody believes he's going to get the guy out.

The upcoming series against the Rockies is followed by a trip through St. Louis, Colorado, and Milwaukee. You can find a comparison of remaining schedules among wild card contenders here. The beginning of the road trip is especially huge not only to get started on the right foot, but because the Padres open a four-game series in Los Angeles at the same time.

Yorvit Torrealba, who has hit well against his former team, will be sitting out this series due to a shoulder injury. The Rockies look to Chris Iannetta for bat flips and exaggerrated fist pumps in the meantime.

Hope is Justified

2006-09-11T14:18:00.000-07:00

All things considered, you couldn't really ask for much more. Alex Smith looked liked a poised NFL quarterback, especially when leading the team down the field in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. He and Bryant looked in sync (most of the time), particularly in the fourth quarter when the Niners almost completed a furious comeback. Smith looked so good that--dare I say it?--he even resembled a possible fantasy quarterback. The Cardinals took notice of the new and improved Smith and gave him the cheapest of cheap shots in the second quarter. Though there was a case of fumble-itis in the first quarter, the team played hard until the finish; the Cardinals seemed to be relieved that the game was over.

For the most part, the young guys played well. The Truth scored his first NFL TD, but also made some expected mistakes. If Frank Gore continues to produce at his current rate (without the fumbles, of course), he can rightfully take his place alongside the great former University of Miami running backs in the league. Look at this list: Edgerrin James, Clinton Portis, Willis Mcgahee, and the defecating Najeh Davenport, a personal favorite. My boy Marcus Hudson--who I hyped up a month ago--got some burn and recovered the onside kick.

But for all the good that came out of the game, there remain issues. The pass rush struggled and the defense couldn't get the Cardinals off the field on third down. There were missed opportunities and dumb mistakes, but it is all part of the learning process. Another reason to proceed with caution and tone down any outrageous thoughts: last year the Niners opened with a win and proceeded to finish 4-12. Granted this team looks infinitely more competent than last year's rag tag bunch, but just remember to proceed with caution. If this game is a precursor for things to come, then it is clear that the team is going in the right direction. And for once it is not just us at HMB saying it: there is hope.

Nancy Gay wrote a praising piece of Bryant Young who remains the single most respected Niner of my generation. Yeah we all loved Steve, Jerry, Joe, Ronnie and the whole gang, but has there ever been a negative thing said about--or by--Bryant since he joined the team thirteen seasons ago? The guy practically owns the Len Eshmont Award to the point that it will probably be renamed the Bryant Young Award. He will easily go down as one of the greatest Niners ever, and is in my hallowed group of players you just love having on your team, which includes but is not limited to: JT Snow, Ellis Burks, Kirk Reuter, Robb Nen, John Taylor, Jesse Sapolu and Tim McDonald. Sadly, I can't think of any Warriors. That's not the whole list, but only a start.

We'll revisit the Niners on Friday with more news, info, updates, and of course, a predicition.

#20: Ronnie Lott Tribute

2006-09-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

I wanted to look crazy. I wanted people to feel that I was gonna try and hurt them.

There really isn't enough you can say about Ronnie Lott, but Bill Walsh, Cris Collinsworth, and some others try and squeeze their sentiments into this video. A crushing hitter with 63 career interceptions (leading the league in 1986 and 1991), Lott anchored a 49er secondary that built its reputation based on intimidation and swagger. The result? Four Super Bowls and enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some great sound bytes in this clip, especially by Bubba Paris (with a huge smile on his face):

He hits people so hard that if somebody hit my son like that I'd probably come to the game with a shotgun and shoot him.

Yes, you read that correctly. And I'm not sure what the rest of Paris's kids look like, but if they take after him like daughter Courtney does, then I'm not even sure Lott could hit the Paris progeny that hard.

The Reincarnation of Mark Gardner

2006-09-11T07:42:00.000-07:00

Matt Morris has seemingly done just enough to make Giants paradoxically, simultaneously love him and absolutely despise him. Morris was an abomination last night and the timing could not have been any worse.

Even Alou conceded that:

After the loss, he said, "I'll take two out of three. You can't expect to sweep. We beat up that team practically all year. Now, turn the page and let's see what we can do with our next visitor."

Rightly put Felipe. The Giants probably do need to sweep the Rockies in the series that starts Tuesday, though. Felipe has "his children going": Sanchez, Lowry and Cain, who are more likely to be his great-grand children considering they are a combined 147 years younger than Felipe.

This recent surge in play has most Giants fans already looking towards next year. I found myself looking at Ray Durhman's stats last night, (which are absurd: AVG .300, HR 23, RBI 86 ,OBP .364m, SLG .545 ) and Kevin Frandsen's Robby Thompson-Phantom-of-the-Opera mask and realizing that Durham might just have to stay. Mr. Magowan is mum on all fronts, particularly Bonds, and I do not blame him. Sabean will have to complete the biggest overhaul of the team since 1997 and there is no point in starting with two weeks left in September.

What's going to happen with Mando Mania? Is arthritis in the knee really code word for Mike Stanton-itis?

Congrats down on the farm to the Salem Kaizer Volcanoes champions of the California League. Tim Lincecum continues to impress in San Jose.

#21: Goal Line Stand against Bengals

2006-09-10T14:23:00.000-07:00

And You Thought ESPN Came Full Circle...

2006-09-10T07:10:00.000-07:00

The key to the Giants season thus far does not don an orange and black uniform; he actually plays for a cross-state division rival: the San Diego Padres. Terrmel Sledge has bookended what may be the one of the most improbable turnarounds of the season. Sledge has two homers this year, the first coming off Our-mando on July 23rd that tied the game, one the Giants eventually lost in 11. What happened next? The Giants lost 16 of 19 and slid from the top of the NL West to its cobwebbed, moldy, somewhat hellish cellar: representing (statistically) the worst team in the worst division in the worst league in the majors.

Yesterday Sledge hit his second homer of the season, a two-run shot off of Schmidt in the 7th. This time his round-tripper came in a win (also in the 11th) for the major's hottest team. Yes, the Giants are 18-7 in their last 25 games, better than any other team (even the scorching A's...but if a baseball game happens and nobody is there to see it, does it count?).

A lot has changed since late July: the bullpen can slam the door (even if it sometimes takes five to push the door and one to put the latch on), Bonds has regained some strength in his legs and is even poking balls out of the park when he is out in front, and the team seems to have more starting pitchers than spots to put them.

By the way, in addition to picking up pointers from Matt Morris, Matt Cain must be sipping some hardcore pickle juice because his numbers are off the charts.

Final game is on ESPN tonight (as if there wasn't enough to watch today). Stay tuned for today's YouTube clip also.

#22: Tim Hardaway Mix

2006-09-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

Less than Peaved

2006-09-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

The Chronicle's Giants blog puts it best: "Danger: Optimism alert." All year this team has toyed with our emotions to the point where we expect to hover around .500 with a series of 8-2 / 2-8 streaks. Do we reserve our excitement? A little over 20 games left...it's time to get pumped.

But is anyone else feeling like a playoff berth would be slightly bittersweet? Not sure how Sabean will react to a somewhat "successful" .523 season, but there is always a chance he might keep stacking vets, especially since Bonds is creeping closer to Aaron.

Regardless in the short term games like last night's, simply put, are fun to watch. When this team realizes (read: hides) its true potential (read: age) the Giants look like a respectable ball club. Jake Peavy, who traditionally handles the Giants very well (6-3, 3.31), couldn't keep up with Matt Cain, who flirted with a no-hitter and combined with Correia, Kline, and Stanton for a two-hitter. The bats are still inconsistent but as of late the Giant arms have been exceptional, throwing up zeroes and closing out games.

Schmidt will take on Wells in today's matchup, while Morris goes up against Williams tomorrow.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start your Engines

2006-09-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some football?

While we here at HMB are clearly obsessed and primarily concerned with the Giants, we are just as pathetically attached to our beloved Niners. In the post-Terry Donahue era of Niner football (which I contend somewhat resembles post-WWII Germany), happiness and satisfaction has been a fleeting feeling. After last season's ineptitude, a renewed sense of optimism is abounding around Monster Park these days, and much of has to do with the Nolan's new crew. Chief among the early surpises has been the impressive play--and character--of rookie Michael Robinson. The former star QB/RB/WR at Penn State has displayed the skills of a powerful inside runnner, and has likely locked up the primary backup duties behind Frank Gore. Speaking of Gore, he is priming himself for a big season with the departure of now-maligned Kevan Barlow. With the emphasis on young talent and promise, there is only one conclusion and for once I'm not the only one making it: Mike Nolan is doing a good job.

While most of the so-called "experts" pick the Niners to finish last in the NFC West and among the league's worst teams, there remains hope. Deadspin has all the important NFL season forecasts for the NFC West. They remain the only one not to pick the Niners last, and even think they could become a chic pick for next year! While I won't even go that far out on a limb, at least the Niners are looking a little better nationally to some. For what it's worth, I'll give you my prognosis for the upcoming season:

I forecast another 4-12 season. Let's put it this way: it will be very difficult for a young team with a young quarterback to win on the road, especially when the road schedule is tougher than the home one. Before the Week 7 bye, the Niners have three winnable games: at Arizona, and home against the Rams and Raiders. I think they'll win the two home games, only because the Rams probably won't come together until midseason under the new coach, and the Raiders could be extremely inept. Among the final ten I think the Niners will take down the Packers and Cardinals at home, and could up-end Detroit on the road. So you are basically looking at 4-12, possibly 5-11, and no better than 6-10. You can view the whole schedule here.
The offense will be better than people think. Behind a new and improved offensive line, the running game should thrive and Alex Smith should be upright most of the time. But it will still become apparent that the team is lacking a #1 game-breaking option. While Vernon Davis could become that, a great receiver could make this offense explosive. If the Niners have a top-5 draft choice, do they succumb to temptation and take dazzling receiving talents in Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson or USC's Dwayne Jarrett (both juniors) despite glaring needs at defense? Time will tell.
The pass-rush and secondary will be the team's Achilles' heels. I'm really not going out on a limb here; the cupboard is nearly bare at both spots.
Robinson, Delanie Walker, Marcus Hudson and the two-first rounders will prove with their play that they belong in the team's future plans. From the preseason it appears that Nolan has drafted well. I believe the regular season will only reinforce what we have already seen.

From what you see, I have guarded optimism; the young guys will have learning curves, but at the same time show that they do belong in the NFL. Unfortunately, most of the pressure falls onto Smith's right shoulder, and it is still unclear whether he possesses the mettle to become a good NFL quarterback. This season will be vital in his development in the eyes of the organization and fan base.

This week: at Arizona. The Niners try to prove that they weren't a gift for the Cardinals to open with a win at their new stadium. While this should serve as motivation, the talent on the Cardinals, though rarely fully realized, should do the Niners in. Though the addition of Edgerrin James finally gives Arizona a proven commodity in the backfield, it is the receiving tandem of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin that will defeat the Niners. Despite expecting a heavy dose of James, the lack of reliable corners and a pass-rush will allow the Cardinals to throw at will. The offense should move the ball, but it has always had trouble punching it in, especially on the road.

The prediction: Cardinals win, 27-9.

#23: Garrison Hearst's 96-yd TD Run in OT

2006-09-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

You're excited? Feel these nipples!

2006-09-08T06:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the crude reference, but simply put, only the great Bob Costas could properly explain the sort of excitement the Giants have created heading into this weekend.

Frankly, none of this should be surprising. The Giants seemingly always have some sort of late kick this time of year, if only to convince Sabes to hold onto veterans for one more final-last gasp-ride into-the-sunset try. Also, with so many veteran free agents - including but not limited to Ray Durham and his 84 RBIS - this team has huge financial incentive to play well and literally earn their next pay check.

The Giants already have clinched the season series against the Padres this year, ahead 10-6. With only twenty two games left, anything less than two out of three will be hugely disappointing. The match-ups are intriguing:

Sep 8, 2006	SD (Peavy) @ SF (Cain)	10:15 PM ET
Sep 9, 2006	SD (Wells) @ SF (Schmidt)	4:05 PM ET
Sep 10, 2006	SD (Williams) @ SF (Hennessey)	8:05 PM ET

It should be interesting to see how Cain and Hennessey react to the intensity that will be on display in San Francisco. We can only hope there is some sort of thunderstick or rally towel promotion.

In other news, Mike Matheny is a finalist for Man of the Year!

The bullpen is throwing well and its unclear whether or not Sanchez will take Lowry's next start.

The Chronicle ran a piece on Eliezer Alfonzo. They failed to make one of my all time favorite jokes, though:

Q: How do you say Eliezer Alfonzo in English?
A: Brian Johnson

Hopefully, Eliezer will have some Brian Johnson heroics this weekend.

The Table is Set

2006-09-07T15:10:00.000-07:00

Today provided an appropriate off-day for baseball's most mysterious team. After defeating the Reds in a pivotal rubber match, the Giants head into San Diego for a series of such importance, I'm not even going to try to put it into a single word. The G-Men are sitting 3.5 games back in both the Wild Card and Division races. Linden continues to impress with his glove and credited the entire team with the victory. Maybe most importantly--for the present and future--was the performance of Jonathan Sanchez. The southpaw threw 5 2/3 of three-hit, one-run ball and composed himself well. Assuming that Sanchez's performance was not an aberration, the future rotation holds promise. Lowry and Cain have proved themselves of being very competent pitchers at some points this season, and though inconsistent for much of the year, the talent is there. Sanchez seems like another good option, and Brad Hennessy will always be a decent 5th starter. If Schmidt doesn't return, there will be a glaring hole at the top of the rotation, however.

With the season-long resurgence of Ray Durham, GM Brian Sabean will have some tough decisions to make regarding the second-baseman's future. Additionally, Bonds and Hillendbrand have put on hitting clinics recently and will make this off-season the most scrutinized--and important--of Sabean's tenure.

But we're going to keep our minds off of that steaming issue here at HMB and try to enjoy the remainder of this maddening season. Stay tuned this weekend.

Web Watch: Barry Bonds

2006-09-07T14:37:00.000-07:00

#24: 1994 NFC Championship Highlights

2006-09-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

To shake that damn thing and win this game and to see all the San Franciscans and all the 49er fans, it's special ... I couldn't be more proud to be a San Franciscan than I am right now, believe me.

With a team this stacked carrying unbelievable momentum, the Chargers never had a chance.

#25: Jason Richardson Mix

2006-09-06T10:46:00.000-07:00

Singing the Bronson Blues

2006-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Grammy Award winner Bronson Arroyo, pitching on three days rest, blanked the Giants last night. Matt Morris struggled in the first, but became his own long reliever and surrendered no more runs in what turned out to be a quality start.

Because Noah Lowry is fighting off some soreness in his elbow, rookie Jonathan Sanchez will get his first major league start in the decisive rubber match tonight.

Red's GM Wayne Krivsky, the man who will forever be know for his acquisition of Sun-Woo Kim, was also the assistant GM for the Twins when they acquired Boof Bonser and two other Giants pitchers. Krivsky praised Sabean, though, citing the Bonser trade as abberational. He should of used the fact that Jerome Williams, one of the many pitchers that Sabean traded, was just claimed by the Oakland A's off waivers.

Rich Draper reports that Kevin Correia may have finally found a niche.

Mark "I have the worst name ever" Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams hope they have found their niche and it does not involve jail time.

#26: Teague Hits Owens

2006-09-05T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Surge Back to Mediocrity

2006-09-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

The Giants have returned to .500 for the first time since July 27th when they were 51-51. Behind the power surges of Barry and Shea Hillenbrand, the team has put together a 7-3 record in their last ten games, in spite (or because?) of and injury to WC Papi himself. Bonds and Hillenbrand have combined for 10 HRs and 22 RBIs in the recent stretch. Bullpen anchor Mike Stanton has stepped up, finishing Benitez's 0.1 IP, 1 ER, 1 BB outings with the final 0.2. Unfortunately the recent string of W's has been more or less matched by the Dodgers and the Padres. Also, while the team has shown remarkable resilience to return back to the .500 mark, it has been equally inept at escaping the mark's gravitational pull.

As Henry Schulman points out, if Barry's two-week tear continues, the Giant front office faces an increasingly complex decision regarding the future of their superstar.

Also good to see that Alfonzo is okay. He may have plenty of 0-4 games under his belt flailing weakly at sliders that bounce ten inches off the plate but seems to come up with that clutch hit more often than not.

#27: Deion Interception Return vs. Chargers

2006-09-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the introduction, for the month of September HMB is counting down the Top 30 Bay Area sports YouTube clips. It's pretty simple: one per day for the entire month, excluding the Oakland A's and Raiders because, well, we don't like them and from their attendance figures, it doesn't seem that many people do either.

For the second YouTube clip of our morning-afternoon doubleheader, we bring you Deion Sanders! While this particular pick may not have meant as much personally to Deion as the dagger against the Falcons did, it is on a higher pedestal for HMB for a few reasons. One, it reveals his breath-taking speed and quickness a little better than the other video. It also showcases his unparalleled self-confidence and flamboyance: he slows down somewhere near midfield and sort of saunters for about 30-40 yards before high-stepping towards the end zone for twenty-five yards. Then he starts dancing at the five--classy guy. (Bonus because there is a replay of the dance and the cheerleaders are in the background). Having Madden and Summerall gushing over Deion also makes it seem more important. And finally, my man Tim Harris is in it!

Without further or do:

Bay Area Sports Report?

2006-09-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

With so much action this past weekend, I am beginning to feel like an overwhelmed FOX broadcaster on the now-defunct Bay Area Sports Report. It was a good run while it lasted, but I was getting pretty tired of listening to anchors who couldn't hold a candle to the insufferable Vernon Glenn. I'm not asking for much, just something better than Kevin Frazier. Enough foreplay, let's get into the action.

The Giants took two of three from the Cubs. While Bonds has led the recent offensive surge, Hillenbrand has finally started to hit. He hopes that it will bring him back next year. We at HMB do not share the same sentiments. There appear to be a myriad of choices for the most infamous Giant in 2007.

The Niners won! I realize that this doesn't make national headlines, but a win is a win. While the rookies have impressed, the first team offense has only generated one touchdown in the last three games. Still, Robinson and Walker look like keepers and it appears that Nolan may know what he's doing personnel-wise, Kevan Barlow be damned.

A lack of a pass rush may do the Niners in this year, writes Kevin Lynch. Lynch isn't the only one concerned.

Saturday day was also cut-day.

College football is back. The tradition! The rivalries! Good times for everyone. I'll tell you one thing: NCAA 2007 is a personal favorite in the Playstation. The dynasty mode is great if you have the patience; in a tour de force performance (in '05), I took Florida Tech from dormant SEC East school (replacing Vanderbilt, obviously), to national powerhouse in three years. The run included five straight national titles and only 20 losses in 12 seasons on Heisman difficulty--no big deal.

Unfortunately, Cal and Stanford started with a huge collective thud. Any national title hopes were pretty much dashed for the Golden Bears but the season is apparently not over. In my opinion, the worst aspect of the loss is that it can only reinforce any existing East Coast bias.

Oregon laid the smackdown on the Cardinal. If Trent Edwards wants to remain the "best quarterback no one knows", Stanford will have to improve its play dramatically.

All in all, an exciting weekend. The Giants are in serious wildcard contention and approaching .500. The Niners closed out the preseason at .500 for whatever that's worth, and the college football season finally started. Will be watching the 'Canes battle the 'Noles tonight at 8 because I'm displaced Back East.

#28: "We Are the 49ers"

2006-09-04T09:20:00.000-07:00

#29: Amare vs. Adonal

2006-09-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the introduction, for the month of September HMB is counting down the Top 30 Bay Area sports YouTube clips. It's pretty simple: one per day for the entire month, excluding the Oakland A's and Raiders because, well, we don't like them and from their attendance figures, it doesn't seem that many people do either. Today we are on Day 2 and video #29.

Despite our affection for the team, we enjoy poking fun at the Warriors because they have the NBA's longest playoff drought and never cease finding new ways to disappoint a loyal fan base. Of all of Chris Mullin's blunders as GM, the most inexcusable has been the hideous contract he gave to middling center Adonal Foyle. By all means, Adonal is a great guy; he is probably one of three guys in the NBA with a freaking degree--from Colgate, no less--and he has a book club! In retrospect, I guess it warrants a 5-year, $41.6 million contract. Nonetheless, Foyle has become a whipping boy for morbid Warrior fans, which now comprises the entire fan base.

Adonal basking in the glory of another four point, four rebound performance.

Clip #29 features classic Adonal: part defensive brillance, mostly unathletic incompetence. While most of the clip features uncensored facials from Amare Stoudemire, Foyle does have his moments. And those moments are what we live for. And pay $8,125,000 in 2006-07 for his services. The silver lining? That's only four million less than Amare.

#30: Nick Robinson's Halfcourt Heave Beats Arizona

2006-09-01T13:14:00.000-07:00

The setting:

The twelfth-ranked Arizona Wildcats sauntered into Maples Pavillion for a Saturday afternoon Pac-10 clash with the second-ranked Stanford Cardinal. The Wildcats were an athletic and supremely talented team; they were led by future NBAers Channing Frye, Salim Stoudemire and Andre Iguodala. Stanford was unbeaten and led by future lottery pick Josh Childress. Matt Lottich was on his way to becoming the 21st century Arthur Lee; relatively unknown on a national scale, but deified by the Cardinal faithful. And Rob Little looked awkward doing everything. In recent years, the rivalry had intensified because both schools were relevant on a national level. The clash even pitted iconic coaches in Lute Olsen and Mike Montgomery. The game was nationally televised and announced by the ABC A-Team of Brent Musberger and Dick Vitale. Hell, even Tiger Woods was in da house.

The game itself was a gem. Stanford raced out to an early first half lead but the Wildcats closed at the half and then stormed ahead in the second half. Childress tied the game with a three pointer in the final minute and the Wildcats set up for one final play and put the ball in the hands of Stoudemire, their best player. Despite the star power under the Maples roof, a little known bench player would end up being the hero and letting Dickie V verbally ejaculate on air.

Below is the Sportscenter clip of the game. A couple nice alley-oops and threes in this game and some hilariously corny Scott Van Peltisms. Oh yeah and there is also Nick Robinson's shot and the Maples crowd pouring onto the court. Good times for the Cardinal.

September Call-Ups? Boo-ya!

2006-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Ladies and Gentleman it's that time of year again. Please welcome back...

Brian "Beach Boy" Wilson!
Jonathan "Pepe" Sanchez!
Justin "Silent-K" Knoedler!
Jason "Francisco" Ellison!
Lance "Bass" Niekro!
Scott "Bowling-Ball-Sinker" Munter!

...and making his major league debut...Fred "no-relation-to-darren" Lewis!

As for Tim Lincecum and Merkin Valdez, wait till next year, though Lincecum has the club "doing back flips."

Expect to see some of the youngsters to get in soon, as the team has a viciously quick turnaround after avoiding the sweep against the Braves. Yes, the Giants did finally win in Atlanta, after using 18 players in a three and half hour game. Lowry is on the bump this afternoon against the Cubs.

Lots of talk about free agent pitchers today. Roy Oswalt's new and absurd contract likely means a pay hike for Jason Schmidt. Finally, Gwen Knapp states the obvious: the Giants should get Barry Zito.

Web Watch: Kevan Barlow

2006-08-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

Athlete web pages. A trend that's starting to pick up, but probably not the way those superstars (and even superstar hopefuls) envisioned. They see dollar signs and sponsorships; we see over-inflated egos and perfect heckling material. Is it possible to have one of these without coming off as a pompous, self-involved tool? Every Thursday, until I can't find any more, we'll look at a (sometimes ex-) Bay Area athlete's site to find out...

Athlete: Kevan Barlow
Website: www.kb32.com

The Skinny: Apparently Kevan goes by KB or "Showtime," an unquestionably appropriate nickname if the show he's referring to is The View. Probably needs to put a call in to his Web guy because the site doesn't reflect his move to New York, even though the news section does. If he weren't so disappointing as a running back the site, which features a fairly comprehensive bio and statistics, might actually be interesting. KB decided to add a calendar even though it's nothing more than the Jets schedule. I wonder where "alienate star FB" and "call coach dictator" go?

Best Quote: "Kevan enjoys touching the lives of people around him in a positive way."

Bay Area YouTube Top 30

2006-08-31T11:30:00.000-07:00

It is a site that has revolutionized procrastination. You watch it at work, you peruse it at home. It has changed the world of blogging as we now know it. And you have undoubtedly typed "porn" into the search field and come away disappointed. Yes, I am talking about YouTube, one of the greatest inventions of the 21st century. A couple of month's ago, Bill Simmons created a YouTube Hall of Fame (insider) for his readers to divulge. While a novel idea, Simmons' list left something to be desired, namely being unable to fulfill every sports fans' desire to see his own team's triumphs and memorable moments. This isn't his fault; it is impossible to placate everyone. And that's what we're here for, anyway.

Starting September 1, HMB will be counting down the YouTube Top 30 Bay Area sports moments. Each day we will post one video until we get to #1 on September 30. We are ranking the clips on a few criteria:

Coolness of the clip. Was it a big play in a big game? Is it an indelible historical image? Was it done by a Bay Area sports legend? Do you get goosebumps? Does it get a little dusty when the clip is shown? That kind of stuff.
Does the clip possess YouTube qualities? Montages with cool music make great YouTube clips; we love them.
Is it good quality? No one likes watching grainy old sports tapes taken off of someone's VCR.

There are other factors, but those are the main ones. Hope you all enjoy and we invite any type of responses. Looking forward to a good month! Here is a sample of what didn't make the cut.

And...

Alou Meets with Nelson

2006-08-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Chronicle erroneously reported that Felipe Alou visited his home in Miami Monday to prepare for Tropical Storm Ernesto. Reliable sources have told HMB that Alou was in fact meeting with new Warriors Coach Don Nelson to talk about a possible position with the organization next year. Dennis Erickson and Art Howe have been rumored to round out the rest of Nelson's brain trust next year. In one of the more promising developments, Avery Johnson has been in talks with Nelson to be the starting point guard.

All kidding aside, the signing of the Nelson needs a little more time to set in. My initial reaction was one-ringer. Nelson is 66 years old and the last time he coached in the Golden State seems to be over a decade ago. Montgomery was not great, but is Nelson even healthy enough to make it through an entire season?

The reality: Mullin 100% realized that this team needed change and because of some not so shrewd signings could not change the roster. Besides, Nellie is the last guy to take the Warriors Nation to the promise land of four (it was three back then) and out in the playoffs. Stay tuned.

Check GSOM for complete coverage.

Back to Alou and the Giants who started a litmus test type road trip yesterday. Despite the power surge supplied by Bonds and Hillenbrand, Schmidt pitched ineffectively and the team failed test one.

Sabean says not to expect any August deadline deals, and I think that is probably for the best. At this point, one waiver wire type player will make a negligible difference.

With Smoltz looming on Thursday, tonight's game is all but a must win.

Pray for Don Nelson.

Roller Coaster Ride

2006-08-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

I am simply tired of predicting or rationalizing the ups and downs of the Giants this season. Certainly, there have been many and each up is more cryptic and puzzling than the next down. I doubt that even the players themselves have any sense how the season will end up. One thing is for certain: no one in the NL is particularly good right now and the back door seems wide open for any team that shows the tenacity to pounce on in.

The Chronicle dubbed the most recent uprising, a race to decency. Frankly, the entire season could be dubbed that.

Ignoring the past and the deep sense of nine-game-losing-streak-uneasiness that every Giants fan must be feeling, the outlook is solid. Cain pitched brilliantly, the offense seems moderately poised to scores runs, and most importantly, the team is winning at home - something it has not done over the past season and a half. Even Barry Bonds is showing consistent signs of life.

Moises Alou wants to rejoin the lineup. Alou has to sense this could be his last stretch of professional baseball. I suspect if he can somehow stay somewhat healthy for the remainder of the season that he will be a difference maker for the team.

The pictures should get much more clear as the Giants travel to the South to face the Braves for what seems to be their yearly trip to Atlanta in August.

Shea What?

2006-08-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Giants continue their surge towards .500 and decency, discarding the Reds yesterday 4-1. Lowry pitched excellent again beating All Star pitcher and Grammy award singer Bronson Arroyo. The real hero of the day was Shea Hillenbrand who not only connected for another Home Run, but more importantly took eleven pitches in one at bat. Writes Henry Schulman:

Bronson Arroyo had a high pitch count, thanks in part to an 11-pitch encounter with Shea Hillenbrand that ended with a strikeout in the first inning.

For whatever reason, a bunch or articles on Omar Vizquel and the fountain of youth here and here.

If this last stretch of games has taught us anything its that the Giants aren't quite as bad as they give on and that the difference between the best and worst of the NL is miniscule. Seemingly everyone is a contender and a pretender.

JT Snow was back at the park yesterday to a standing ovation. Also, in what happened to be on of the more awkward moments of the year for the Giants clubhouse, Steve Scarsone showed up. No word as to whether or not any current giants recognized the former utility infielder from the mid-nineties.

We Shall Never Forget

2006-08-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

Assuming that last nights game was just some sort of aberrational event, I figure now is a great time to explain one of the many features here at HMB.

On the right sidebar, we have a list of every ex-Giant playing in professional baseball. Recently, we've added Jose Vizcaino and Jeremey Accardo. Of course, Vizcaino is yet to catch on to a major league team, but who couldn't use his services?

Last night, unrelated to Jewish Heritage Night, the two players who essentially sandwiched Vizcaino as starting shortstops for the Giants in the 90s, Royce Clayton and Rich Aurilia were in town. Neither shortstop had a hit but the Giants lost as the bullpen faltered and the offense went quiet after the early innings. On the positive, Brad Hennessey seemed to shake the demons of ATT park.

Evidently, Felipe Alou has no Crystal Ball.

Anyone else notice that ever since I wrote Barry Bonds off, he's been quite productive? Go figure.

Hottest Team in Baseball

2006-08-24T12:05:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, I went there. Having gone 8-2 in their last 10 games, the Giants join the Phillies as the hottest team in baseball. That sentence seems weird without an asterisk though, because the title comes in the weakest division of the weaker league. A lot was weird on Wednesday though, adding to the oddity that is the 2006 season:

The Giants performed their second sweep in three series
Pedro Feliz broke an 0-for-15 slump to tie the game in the seventh, exactly the kind of hit that will make most people forget about his hitting woes.
Eliezer Alfonzo hit a triple, a game-winning triple, and followed the three-bag sprint with an awkward and hilarious stomp on the bag. Alfonozo has been huge in this recent stretch and remains one of the feel-good stories of the season, even when he flails helplessly at a slider in the dirt.
Our-Mando, despite being yanked on Tuesday night and causing some ruckus in the clubhouse, recorded a save in a one-run game while converting a few boo-birds with a mid-90s fastball that surprised everyone. More shocking was the convincing manner in which Benitez retired the Diamondbacks in his 1-2-3 ninth. Given all the recent ineffectiveness, the bullpen maintains solidarity, maybe because the entire unit is equally inept at times.

The Inflatable Dibs Gimmick in action

Warriors Ramblings

2006-08-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

The good news: Jason Richardson's surgery was a success.

The bad news: Oh yeah, the Warriors have done very little this offseason to get us excited about anything. In case you need more reasons to feel frustrated over your Oakland-based franchise, check out this solid article from Warriorsworld.net on owner Chris Cohan. It's a great time out!

"You Don't Trade Me"

2006-08-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

If you read this blog or any 49ers news outlet, you know that RB Kevan Barlow was traded this past Sunday. What you may not have known, however, was his reaction to the trade. Barlow had some pretty pointed remarks about Coach Mike Nolan and the direction of the Niners. Here are some highlights:

[The trade] was dirty. He had no respect for me or the organization. He doesn't know about the 49ers way, and that's too bad because even his Dad [Dick] was coach of the 49ers. Bill Walsh set the standard here, and he ain't living up to it.

That's not even the best one. Check this out:

He walks around with a chip on his shoulder, like he's a dictator, like he's Hitler. People are scared of him. If it ain't Nolan's way, it's the highway.

OK, so Kevan's gripe was that Nolan was too tough, too authoritarian. Ignoring the fact that iron-fist regimes such as Bill Belichick's in New England and Bill Cowher's in Pittsburgh have become the class of the NFL, let's take a look at how the most recent non-demanding Niner coach fared, the player-friendly Dennis Erickson.

2003: 7-9. Niners lost numerous winnable games and missed the playoffs. I maintain that Mariucci easily would have guided them there.
2004: The 2-14 season that netted Alex Smith.

I tend to try to forget these two seasons because they were two of the worst and most disappointing in the history of the 49ers. The Niners had little sense of an identity, one of the worst characteristics for a football team. They made countless mental errors (paging Cedrick Wilson) and lacked discipline. Basically, they did not reflect any of the previous Niner playoff squads. How do you fix a team with attitude and disciplinary problems? Hire a hard-ass for a coach. He comes in, weeds out the problem childs and tries to impose his image on the team. Bill Parcells has done this. So have Belichick and Cowher. What do those three men have in common? Super Bowl rings and a place in Canton, Ohio when they retire. Nolan has started to do this to right the Niners ship. He won four games last season with far and away the least talented roster in the NFL. Things are getting better, albeit slowly.

Bye-bye baby

But Barlow isn't done, by a long shot. Here is my favorite quote, by far:

He calls all the shots. He needs somebody above his head. He doesn't know what he's doing. I respect [team owner John York] and everything he's done for me. He's made me successful. I'm still in my prime. You don't trade a guy like me.

Kevan, you're really making it too easy for us here at HMB. Everyone attributes John York with the downfall of the 49er dynasty. He fired Steve Mariucci for no reason, hired the incompetent Dennis Erickson, and severed ties with the Niner past. He is reviled by most Niner fans and many rue the day that Eddie DeBartolo lost control of the team. Barlow, by all estimation, has been an enormous disappointment since he became the feature back. Not only did he fail to produce on the field, but his attitude and commitment have always been issues. His clashes with FB Fred Beasley were part of the reason the resident Pro Bowler left the team. Maybe Kevan is right--why would the Niners want to trade a guy who rushed for 581 yards with a 3.3 yards/carry average?

Of course, Barlow has since apologized for his remarks. Big deal. TO did the same thing after Drew Rosenhaus' live rant to try to get back on the field and a year later he published a biography slamming the Eagles organization. Simply put, many NFL players are out of control. The Cincinnatti Bengals have run amok of the law; last year, it was the Vikings' sex boat scandal. These types of distractions can ruin a team's chances and the best bet is to limit them altogether. I hate to keep bringing him up, but Belichick and the Patriots have the best system in place for the present day NFL. As they like to say, the NFL is a copycat league--when one team has success, others will follow their blueprint. Nolan wants to win, and do it his way with his players. Frankly, I'm for it. The Niners play hard under Nolan and it seems like they all care. This team appears to be going in the right direction. And if takes getting rid of players like Barlow who are "still in [their] prime", well good riddance.

Gore in '06

2006-08-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

We've all heard the story before--an athelete with enormous potential constantly marred by injuries, finally overcomes all the physical setbacks to succeed on the field--yet we can't seem to get enough of it. Fellow 49er fans, we have the opportunity this year to witness another comeback of sorts. Five years ago San Francisco witnessed the remarkable return of Garrison Hearst from a broken ankle and the bone degeneration that followed.

This season's spotlight shines on Frank Gore, who suffered a torn ACL in 2001 at the University of Miami, causing him to miss the entire 2002 season, and again on his other knee five games into the 2003 season. True, Gore has been healthy for a while now, but a breakout season with the 49ers would firmly establish his place in the NFL and quiet all the doubters over his injury history.

Kevan Barlow (personal site), having passed the Jets physical, which at first glance seems like maybe it's harder than your average "cup-and-cough", has been traded to the Jets, leaving the starting job in the hands of Gore. Barlow failed to impress the 49ers in his six years with the team, never putting together a solid season and drawing doubts and criticism about his commitment and presence in the locker room. Gore's intensity and work ethic bring a welcome change to a position whose excitement has been dulled somewhat by inconsistency and injuries.

While most other teams have question marks at certain positions, the entire 49ers team can be characterized as one enormous unknown. Throughout the off-season we've found that some question marks tend toward pessimism (the entire defense), one or two tend towards optimism (Antonio Bryant), and a couple oscillate frustratingly in between (Alex Smith). Regardless, you can officially start getting excited for Gore, running in 2006, where the campaign is "Return to Glory (at some point)."

Running Back: the one position the Niners feel pretty confident about

I did my job!

2006-08-23T07:36:00.000-07:00

Mando Mania continues in the Bay Area. With Arizona mounting an offensive uprising, Mando, aided by Steve Kline, closed the door in the 9th, by allowing three runs and picking up the hold (to come into a game with his team leading and to leave the game without giving up the lead, but to not be credited with a win or save).

Henry Schulman had the call:

Armando Benitez, taking the mound to a cascade of boos, was removed after he
allowed a run on Luis Gonzalez's two-out single. Steve Kline then gave up a
two-run Chad Tracy double, but got his first save in two years, on his 34th
birthday, by getting Estrada to ground out.

Rich Draper from the Giants gives us the real inside scoop about our very own "Big Papi":

Alou and "Big Papi" had a closed-door meeting after sweating out a 7-6 victory
over Arizona on Tuesday night at AT&T Park, in which Benitez entered the
ninth with a four-run lead...

Aside from the bullpen mayhem, the Giants, backed by Matt Cain, put together another strong showing, against the Shawn-Green-less-Diamondbacks. So strong, that according to the Chronicle, the Giants refused to part with Moises Alou when the Mets inquired. My take: no way in hell Alou passes a physical.

Alou will most likely be gone next year. Could Eric Byrnes be taking his place? Also, early indications seem to indicate that Kevin Frandsen may be another year away from the show.

Felipe Alou might be headed for a different fate. Enrique Rojas wrote a superfluous piece for espn.com arguing that Alou should be in the Hall of Fame. To be honest, I know very little about Felipe's playing career, but was taken by surprise that he might be considered Hall of Fame caliber. Rojas confesses that "Although his playing career would not be considered Hall of Fame material, Alou did hit .286, with 206 home runs and 852 RBI in 2,082 games...."

Hmmm ya. Sounds like Eric Davis type numbers. Rojas makes a feeble plea that Alou's managerial career suddenly makes him HOF worthy. Granted, Alou has managed a lot of games and won a lot of games, but certainly would of never considered him a HOF caliber manager. It will be a bizarrely painful feeling if Rojas is correct and Alou is indeed inducted.

I imagine we'll never know that feeling.

Can't blame Mullin for this one...

2006-08-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Jason Richardson will be undergoing surgery to clean up his left knee, which has been bothering him since the beginning of last season. Here's hoping the problem doesn't turn out to be as chronic as Baron Davis's . Richardson is expected to return for training camp, which is good news, because if the Warriors hope to get anywhere this season they need their star backcourt to anchor the ship.

Brief Chronicle article here.

A Night for the Lefties

2006-08-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of days after the Giants paid tribute to Kirk Rueter, Noah Lowry honored his southpaw mentor in his own way. Yesterday began typically with internet browsing and lunch out at Marina Sub (best sandwich in San Francisco) but ended very atypically. Who else do I see at Subs but Lowry himself, the soon-to-be star of one of the best pitching performances of the year. I wished him good luck and blindly insist that my words of encouragement contributed to his performance in some way or other.

Like many other fans at the game, we knew he pitched very, very well, but this well? (Thanks to El Lefty Malo for bringing this up).

Frankly it feels good to finally get a win off Livo, who by the way looks like he inhaled about 300 Twinkies on the flight between Washington and Phoenix. Along with the extra padding around the face and the huge gut came his 65 MPH Eephus-like pitch, at times effective but very difficult to respect as a reliable weapon. When Juan Cruz entered the game it looked like he was throwing about 110.

Of course the game also featured an absolute bomb by Barry, who, despite his struggles at the plate, still oozes confidence and garners respect from his peers. Great to see him finally get one wet, his first of the season and since Sept. 18. This feat came at the heels of Barry's expressing a desire to return to San Francisco next year, but questions about his fielding, popularity outside the Bay Area, among others, loom.

Last night's game was missing the fragile Moises Alou, who is taking a "quick break" to heal up a bothersome hamstring. Can't say we didn't expect this with Alou, but having him day-to-day for the rest of the season won't help the team establish any sort of consistency down the stretch. The lesson, as always, is stay tuned.

"It's just the Pre-season"

2006-08-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here's the formula for reacting pre-season football games, especially for the 49ers who have had a Jekyll and Hyde performance last week against the Bears and this week against the Raiders: when the Niners win in convincing form, as they did against the Bears, walk around town claiming "Super Bowl contenders!", and when they lose, "Well, it was just an exhibition game anyway." The lesson: exercise caution.

It was a game with few San Francisco highlights: one possibly marking an on-coming apocalypse, as Warren Sapp hinted when his former teammate (Bucs) and current Niner backup QB Trent Dilfer was flagged with two personal fouls for taunting. Starting QB Alex Smith hardly impressed, but in the name of the scripted reaction, we just won't pay any attention because he can throw all the picks he wants in games that don't matter. Come September 10th in Arizona though, all those interceptions better be out of Smith's system.

Notes from the weekend:

The Kevan Barlow (personal site) trade to the Jets (rumored to be a 4th round pick that can improve depending on Barlow's performance) puts Frank Gore at the top of the depth chart. With a wealth of middle-round picks in the upcoming draft, 49ersnews.com has the Ashley Lelie rumor mill churning.
No, that's not John York trying to fool us into a sense of security over his management style. Jerry Rice is coming home to retire though, and the Niners will be retiring his number.
Cornerback curse? An already questionable secondary will miss Shawntae Spencer for the rest of the pre-season due to a pulled hamstring.

Solid Rice Montage, despite the Varsity Blues theme

Editor's Note: The draft pick has been confirmed as a straight up 4th pick

Saito Goodbye

2006-08-21T09:02:00.000-07:00

Unlike Saturday night, the Giants competed for more than two innings yesterday. A cameo by Barry Bonds was not enough to earn a much needed win against the Dodgers, who unfortunately have asserted themselves as the team to beat in NL west and possibly the entire NL – despite what Felipe Alou thinks.

Disregarding his lifesucking play this season, Barry Bonds wants to return to the Giants. Barry was a great Giant (and still kind of is) and arguably the greatest athlete the Bay Area will ever see. I’ll say it’s flattering that he wants to stay, but this team, put euphemistically, needs a new rally cry. Sadly, it should not include Bonds.

It's time to see just how far Angel Miguel Villalona can take us and how quickly Kevin Frandsen can get his jaw fixed up.

Too Much Reminiscing

2006-08-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Rough one last night. Not only was it painful to watch the Dodgers sprint out to a 10-0 lead in the second inning, but the way Hennessey served 'em up was very unsettling. He still looks like a serviceable starter that can help the Giants next year, but he has to figure out his problems at AT&T Park.

Great move by the Giants brass celebrating Kirk Reuter's career. Not only was Woody a great pitcher and teammate, he was the essence of a gamer. His competitveness is legendary among former teammates, and so is his luck. My lasting memory of Woody will always be the unfortunate Game 7 of the 2002 World Series when Reuter came in for Livan Hernandez and threw four shutout innings to give the Giants a chance. I still will never know why Dusty started Livan, the unquestioned goat of the game an d series. What would have happened had Reuter started, we'll never know. Looking back, I forgot how depressing the whole situation was. Actually, I didn't; I need you all to feel my pain.

I was in attendance last night and in a justifiably annoyed mood. I had just watched the Dodgers send nine men to the plate and not register an out. They were winning 10-0 in the second inning. 10-0! We were between innings and someone in the Giants PA booth had the gall to show the Delta Dental Smile Cam. Look, I'm all for fans having a good time at a game--I'll be pimping the Kiss Cam during every half-inning at sometime on this site--but when your team is down by 10 to your hated rivals, there shouldn't be anyone smiling. At that point, the only cam I wanted on me was the Middle Finger Cam. Unfortunately, that's not family friendly. Still, there were people yukking it up everywhere, and I was a little incensed. I love everything about AT&T (except the name) and would never want to return the Giants to the 'Stick, but there are some things that I miss about Candlestick. No one would have the testicular fortitude to show the Smile Cam at the 'Stick if the Giants trailed the Dodgers by 10. There also wouldn't be any hacks not wearing Giants gear at the stadium. Seriously, it's the biggest rivalry in California and you're not going to wear a Giants hat or shirt? This, also, would never happen at the 'Stick. I also miss the bleacher fights that were a nightly occurrence during Giant-Dodger games. I guess that the point here is that as good as the new park is, Candlestick was unique. The diehards were there, and they knew the Ballpark Etiquette. You would never see the wave at Candlestick. Now it is almost expected. And it is sickening.

You'll always have a place in my heart

Sorry for the rant. Ray Ratto is actually reporting something. I didn't know that this was in his job description. Must be somewhere under "write bad jokes". Love the pic by the way.

Hoping the Giants aren't down by 10 after two...

Back on the Bandwagon!

2006-08-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Get back on the bandwagon.

It would have been simply too easy and too painless for the Giants to roll over and die. This is a .500 team and the team will do whatever it takes to end the season with a 81-81 record. Hell, it might even be good enough to win the division or even the wild card.

Schmidt pitched well, Hillenbrand homered twice, Vizquel stayed hot, and Mando Mania even slammed the door in the ninth.

There's more commentary about the Francisco Liriano incident. Sabean probably knew all about this when he traded him.

Props to the Giants for honoring Kirk Reuter before tonight's game. The team has posted a tremendous video tribute on its website.

It looks like the Giants might slow down Matt Cain. It should be interesting to see Sanchez start, if he indeed substitutes for Cain.

Hennessey goes tonight against Maddux as the Giants try to make it six in a row.

Bill Simmons, Do You Remember 1954?

2006-08-18T11:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Bill Simmons wrote a pretty spotty piece ranking the teams in the American League.
Two things stood out. First, his utter lack of disrespect for the A's. Second, and obviously more importantly, his complete disregard of the National League

It's as if he just really wants to have really bad karma:

I can't take the A's seriously -- no home-field advantage, not a single dangerous bat, no Rich Harden, a 1-2 punch of starters (Zito and Haren) who seem to get shelled every three weeks (only their statistics don't reflect this for some reason), and a good bullpen that's helmed by the exceedingly hittable Huston Street (trust me, he's on my AL-only team; even when he's shaking hands after the save, you're still waiting for something bad to happen). And did I mention the legacy of playoff losses? They're like the Memphis Grizzlies of the American League. Whatever.....
....I'd love to play the A's in October.

Emphasis obviously added. It's clear that HMB does not support the Oakland A's in any form. I must say, though, that the A's are a very dangerous October team and Simmons better be careful what he wishes for.

My next bone of contention:

Not only has the National League transformed into Quadruple-A, as far as I can tell the Dodgers and Mets are the only two NL teams capable of doing anything in October. And by "anything," I mean not "getting swept in the World Series."

So since our 2006 champion is almost definitely coming from the American League...

Simmons and the rest of the world are probably right, and an AL team will most likely win the World Series. After all, by every possible metric the AL is significantly better.

League domination is decidedly cyclical, though. Remember when the NBA East was absolutely atrocious? Two of the past three champions have come from the East, even though it's probably a worse league. Most importantly, strange things happen in October.

Future All Stars crumble.

Guys named Timo do amazing things.

Even though the season lasts 162 games, it only takes 11 wins to win a world championship. Anything can and will happen.

A couple years back, the Giants even won a World Series, even the odd were heavily against the team and their league.

The '54 Giants were huge underdogs -- "200-to-1," ...-- but swept the mighty Cleveland Indians, who won 111 of 154 regular-season games.

So here's to the possibility that the A's beat the Red Sox in the first round of the playoffs and the National League wins the World Series, albeit not the Dodgers. Bill Simmons will then be reduced to nothing more than a shadow of Chuck Klosterman and in some strange way the Giants will slightly closer to repeating their feat of '54.

Let This be the Last Streak

2006-08-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

After starting this recent road trip at 1-5, including a sweep by the Dodgers in three one-run games, the Giants have turned it around and salvaged a .500 road trip with a sweep of the San Diego Padres. Rookies Matt Cain and Kevin Frandsen, taking Ray Durham's usual spot at second base due to sore legs, led the charge in the final game, which featured an odd lineup due to some aches and creaks. Emerging victorious, manager Felipe Alou jokingly dubbed this starting group his "12:35 pm combination."

Frandsen showed a rare flash of power with three extra base hits, including his first big league round tripper. The rookie downplayed the milestone, despite some power struggles in his younger years.

Meanwhile the Giants' offensive outburst meant we didn't have to see Armando Benitez for the fourth straight game. He will return to San Francisco tonight the same way he left, with a blown save under the belt. Nevertheless, for the moment it seems the Giants' season has regained much-needed life; although that phrase has been uttered (and followed by a swift losing streak) that it carries less weight.

Some closing thoughts:

With two shutout innings in Wednesday's contest, relief pitcher Steve Kline believes he has established himself to right handed batters with a more aggressive approach.
Contra Costa Times columnist Gary Peterson wonders if Greg Anderson's loyalty might emerge as the bright spot of this steroid scandal.
If you're going to the game on Saturday be sure to get there early because the Giants are holding a retirement ceremony in honor of Woody himself.

Too Good to be True

2006-08-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

The setting was too perfect. In struts a giddy Armando Benitez in the bottom of the 10th from the PETCO bullpen (or should we just call it the cage?) with a chance to save his third straight one-run game against the team that started the Giants' epic plummet. It was a great game; the Giants' bats bailed out Noah Lowry, sent the game to extra innings and took the lead on two-out hit by Ray Durham in the top of the 10th. The stage was set. Enter Benitez and his renewed confidence. Heck, he even looked like he was having fun the last couple of nights. I could practically see West Coast Big Papi shaking his behind in the clubhouse. Unfortunately, reality set in, and with Benitez it is almost always the first batter. Ben Johnson homered on a 3-2 pitch to lead off the inning, and the game was tied at 5. I'm glad I was listening to the game instead of watching it, because my right fist would have probably been lodged somewhere deep into the screen, middle finger fully extended. Anticipating another heart-wrenching loss, I went to sleep. So many disappointments cannot be good for one's health.

Then the Giants did something they haven't done all year: they played like the Giants of 1997-2004. Relievers came in and shut the door. The team rallied for two in the top of the 13th and Mike Stanton saved the victory. It was shades of the good old never say die Giants. I felt like I was seeing Kenny Lofton or Marquis Grissom's (or, gasp, Ruben Rivera's?--highly recommended link) agressiveness behind Moises Alou's steal in the eighth; the clutch hitting of Rich Aurilia, David Bell or Jeff Kent in Durham and Eliezar Alfonzo's go-ahead singles. Even Barry knocked one out. I'm not sure if this three-game winning streak is a sign that the G-Men are going to climb back into things, but it sure is a relief that they are finally beating some of their NL West rivals. The wild-card isn't too far off, but Felipe isn't concerned. I guess that the NL West crown is still a possibility.

In more somber Giant-related news, here is an update on Greg Anderson, Bonds' infamous trainer. He looks like a porn star. Bonds' homer tied him with Willie Mays on the all-time RBI list.

The next Peter North?

Today's game will be crucial if the Giants want to bring momentum into a season-defining series against the hated Dodgers. Come out in full "Duck the Fodgers" force.

(Unfortunately, there is no more Lima Time.)

Truly Slim Pickings?

2006-08-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

In yesterday's Chronicle Kevin Lynch criticized 49er management, specifically formal general manager Terry Donahue, for making poor first round draft selections. Lynch points out that in terms of job security, it's actually better to be a late round pick, evidenced by the lengthy stays of Eric Heitmann (seventh round, '02) and Eric Johnson (seventh, '01), among others.

Rashaun Woods (first round pick in '04) didn't last long in San Francisco. (It's unknown whether his jersey had any karma left over from its previous owner.)

Some points of contention:

Lynch takes for granted the ability to draft star-caliber talent in the first round. Ask the Detroit Lions how they feel about quarterback Joey Harrington, or check in with the Baltimore Ravens about their recently drafted signal caller, Kyle Boller. The list continues: Ron Dayne failed to stick with the New York Giants, and Peter Warrick hardly made a lasting impression on the Cincinati Bengals. The NFL Draft is a gamble; some players pan out and stick, others don't and still stick because they represent such a large investment of money and pride (read: David Carr and hopefully not Alex Smith). The 49ers hardly seem cursed on the first draft day any more than other teams.

Comparing the tenures of first round and late round draft picks presents a number of complications. We pay more attention to the former and less to the latter, so when a seventh round pick stays, it's a story. Likewise for a first round bust. For every Heitmann there's a Julian Peterson, a shrewd first round pick that lived up to his lofty status. For every Arnaz Battle (personal site, beware you are entering the Battle Zone), a Bryant Young. Yes, I realize I'm delving into the history books a bit. There is also only one first round pick, while a slew of "later" round picks can fill potential holes, so the odds of either staying with the team even out somewhat. Nevertheless, human bias and natural interest skew the perception in favor of the news surrounding the early pick.

One problem in evaluating the current situation is that the typical 49er fan has been spoiled by a winning tradition. Those swagger teams were partly built on shrewd early-round drafting--Jerry Rice (personal site), Ronnie Lott, Dana Stubblefield, Harris Barton--but who can discount the contributions of Merton Hanks (fifth round, '91), Jesse Sapolu (eleventh, '83) and Eric Davis (second, '90) in bringing five rings to the franchise?

Highlights from the '94 NFC Championship Game (note: Davis and Sapolu are huge in this game)

Surprise. Success on the football field boils down to smart personnel decisions, whether in the draft or in the free agent / trade market. Recent 49er management has been poor, but the failure of the team can hardly be attributed solely to draft day; ineptitude bleeds to all facets of the team, from ownership down to coaching. Looking ahead, let's hope the Niners can count Smith and Vernon Davis (college profile) among their first round prizes. But don't forget about other late round draft "surprises" in Heitmann and Johnson and (hopefully) Frank Gore, also.

Sweet Mando?

2006-08-16T09:03:00.000-07:00

Despite the lack of offensive production, led by strong pitching, particularly from the (gasp!) closer position, the Giants have begun their inevitable climb back to .500 and a fair, just, and mediocre record.

Though this team has at times tested the bounderies of sanity, winning is always fun. Mando seemed to be holding back a smile in the ninth and the mood in the clubhouse after the win was noticeably upbeat. Writes Henry Schulman,

As bad as this journey started, the mere possibility of breaking even with a couple more wins here had the players giddy. With Mark Sweeney at the baton, the Giants serenaded reporters with a rousing rendition of "Sweet Caroline" when it came on the clubhouse stereo.

Shea Hillenbrand surely should have been singing. Forget his game winning hit in the ninth, for the first time in 80 ABs with the Giants he took 4 balls and walked to first base.

Every reported commented on the Giants youth movement. To summarize:

As displayed on Monday night, Hennessey is pitching with poise and competence.
Felipe Alou thinks Eliezar could start next year. Interesting opinion.
Linden, and to some extent, Frandsen are playing with purpose. While it's unlikely that either will become stars, they could be interesting, effective and cheap pieces for next years team.
Jonathan Sanchez is ready to start, and the team may go to a six man rotation to open up room for the left hander.
The young arms in the bullpen have been throwing well. Even with Brian Wilson demoted, Taschner, Chulk, and Correia have all been getting outs.

The team has two more with San Diego, before returning home for a much needed rematch with the DamneddDodgers.

Also, some judge ruled about something related to steroids. Who knew this was all going on?

The Warriors "Dutch Boy" Team

2006-08-16T06:53:00.000-07:00

A number of years back Dutch Boy Paint used to sponsor some NBA games, resulting in my favorite 4th quarter award, the "Dutch Boy in the Paint," given to the outstanding post player of the night. Rik Smits received this award so often (bonus points because he is actually Dutch) that in my mind it became synonymous with the Pacer big man, and therefore synonymous with the whitest of white NBA players. Because making fun of, or at least pointing out, professional white athletes is always good for a laugh, and it seems like the Warriors always have one of those Todd Fuller-types (big, awkward) or Vinny Del Negro-types (small, shooter, but not always hairy like Vincent "Of The Black") on the team, I thought I'd present to you the Dutch Boy Warriors.

Contestants are evaluated on skills and an arbitrary comedy scale.

G - Bob Sura ('01-'03). Statistics aside, how can you pass on the fake tan and bleached, glue-sprayed hair? Nothing more reliable than a frozen 'do on Sura.

G - Sarunas Marciulionis ('90-'93). Runner-up for sixth man award in '91 and '92. Averaged right around 18 ppg and 3.5 apg after settling into NBA life. Plus he has one of the greatest names ever in NBA history.

SF - Chris Mullin ('86-'97, '01). Just can't leave him off, even an off-color roster like this one. The defining Warrior of the 90's; now the GM. Averaged over 25 ppg from '89-'93 and member of the Dream Team. Reputation among Bay Area fans took a hit in the last few years due to some questionable roster decisions. Also, his trade to the Pacers in '97 began the Dampier era.

PF - Andrew DeCle rcq ('96, '97). Bonus points for the funky name, but more importantly, this description, courtesy of HoopsHype.com, says it perfectly:

A banger... Strong upper body... Can't do much with the ball in his hands.

C - Todd Fuller ('97, '98). Rounding out the frontcourt, which was neither impressive nor long-lived but for some reason sticks out in my mind. Classic white guy fade complicated by some early balding. Perfect softy face for the Dutch Boy team. A random note: Fuller almost averaged a double double his senior season at NC State.

It's That Time of Year...

2006-08-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

It is the middle of August and as every hack of a sportswriter or sportscaster would say: "We're in the middle of the dog days of summer!" Of course this has nothing to do with man's best friend; everyone knows that the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is roughly six months away. No, these creative pundits are talking about the time of every summer when the sports scene drags: baseball is the only relevant professional game being played (sorry, WNBA), the NFL is in training camp and preseason, basketball--other than this year's World Championships--sits in the back seat, and golf is golf. Let's translate that into the current Bay Area sports world (we'll eschew Oakland): the Giants are closing out a dreadful season, the Niners are coming off a good preseason start but are still far from serious contention, and the Golden State Warriors and Chris Mullin are likely thinking of new ways to sign unproven and underachieving players to hideous contract extensions. Not exactly the greatest state of sporting affairs. So where do you turn when your MLB team sucks, your NFL team doesn't have a realistic chance, your NBA team is run by a recovering alcoholic, and you--like any other heterosexual American--don't like hockey? That's easy: Fantasy Football, another staple of the Dog Days.

The fantasy football movement has gained serious momentum in the past decade, and has rightfully assumed its place atop the male-bonding pyramid next to sporting events, Las Vegas/gambling expeditions, fraternities, beer, Minnesota Viking boat trips (ok, maybe not for all of us), and anything else that makes you and your guy friends feel closer without getting closer, if you catch my drift. Much like I can't imagine my life without sports or television, I can't imagine it without fantasy football (although this girl certainly can). First off, it is easily the best fantasy sport, infinitely better than baseball or basketball (check team once a week, one game a week, etc.). Secondly, as mentioned before, it is a great way to get a (mostly) friendly competition going amongst friends. Finally, it let's what many sports fans dream of but can never experience: managing your own team, much like an actual general manager. For all those reasons--and many others--the draft and subsequent season are always one of the year's sports highlights; no matter how bad your hometown teams are, at least you have fantasy to fall back on. That is unless you suck at fantasy sports. If that's the case, you have come to the right blog.

If by now you haven't realized that my draft is tonight and I am really just writing this out of pure excitement and anticipation, then you may as well stop reading now, because no amount of advice I could possibly give you could help. But for those who would like to venture on, here are my top five tips for the upcoming fantasy season:

1. Larry Johnson is not all he is hyped up to be. Before you hurl feces at the computer, let's get this out of the way: I am not disputing his talents. He is a good running back. But how much of Larry's success this past season was due to the Chiefs' offensive line? If I do recall, Priest Holmes set an NFL touchdown record behind that line, and I know from personal experience that a nobody like Derrick Blaylock was a decent fantasy player while filling in for an injured Holmes. All this is fine--Emmitt S mith (personal site) would have been nothing without those great lines in Dallas--except that KC lost two of its starting lineman in Willie Roaf and John Welbourn. The replacements? Kyle Turley, who has been out of the NFL for two years, and a bunch of journeymen. If LJ is going to trump last year, he won't do it behind one of the NFL's best offensive lines anymore.

2. Be wary of the returning from injury player. It is always said that players recovering from torn knee ligaments (ACL, MCL, PCL) take a full year of playing before they finally regain a comfort level, and will play like they did before the injury. Of course this is not always true; just ask Boobie Miles. This is especially true for a player who needs lateral movement and change direction (i.e. running back, wide receiver, defensive secondary). In fantasy verbatim, it takes a runner or receiver longer to regain their pre-injury form than, say, a quarterback. This year's list of players coming back from injury includes some big fantasy names: Daunte Culpepper, Carson Palmer, Javon Walker, Ahman Green, Kellen Winslow and Deuce McAllister, to name a few. I tend to stay away from any position player recovering from injury, and I would definitely hesitate taking Culpepper (who hasn't shown anything yet without Moss) and Palmer (tension surrounding Bengals). The safest bet of the aforementioned five? Probably Walker.

3. Rookie receivers never pan out--running backs do. No rookie receiver made a consistent fantasy impact last year. Save your Braylon Edwards sob stories. It has proven difficult for college wideouts (like Reggie Williams, right) to transition to the pro game in their rookie years, while runners have little difficulty. I do not see a single receiver from this year's class making any type of impact that would warrant a draft pick, but Reggie Bush, Laurence Maroney, DeAngelo Williams, and LenDale White could all be worth a pick. I'm not on the Joseph Addai bandwagon, however.

4. Get yourself a good tight end. The NFL has fallen in love with tight ends; Vernon "The Truth" Davis was the highest ever selected at that position in this past draft. In most offenses, the tight end is a focus in the red zone, always imperative. But more and more the tight end is being used between the 20s. Tony Gonzalez started the revolution, and many others have followed. While there are plenty of capable receivers in the NFL, tight ends are not as bountiful. Keep an eye on Chris Cooley, who will be playing the role of Gonzalez in Washington's new offense under former Chief's offensive coordinator Al Saunders.

5. The TO Situation. Now, I hate TO. Let's get that out of the way. I still have his damn jersey, as you might already know. Everyone has their eyes on Dallas to see how this whole situation will go down. Normally, I would say take a flier on Terrell Owens in this situation. Normally, he doesn't wear-out his welcome with his quarterback until after one and a half productive seasons, and then either sulks the rest of the way or gets himself booted from the team. However, he has never had to deal with a quarterback as maddening as Drew Bledsoe. While Bledsoe has as good an arm of anyone in the league, his decision-making can be sketchy, and we know that TO likes the ball all the time. However, Bledsoe has spent a good portion of his career pleasing prima-donna receivers (Terry Glenn and Keyshawn Johnson). So how will this work out? I can't say. I'm not going to touch this situation (and probably regret it), but I am hoping that TO does something to completely ruin the Cowboys' season.

(no links)
Potential Busts
- Owens
- Daunte Culpepper
- Philip Rivers
- Jake Plummer
- Steve McNair
- The Cincinnatti Bengals
- Joey Galloway
- Chris Simms

Sleepers
- Owens
- Mike Bell, Broncos (or anyone who starts in their backfield)
- Lamont Jordan
- Chris Cooley
- Ladell Betts
- Koren Robinson
- Greg Jennings (I know, rookie receiver)
- Drew Brees
- Brandon Lloyd
- Koren Robinson
- Reggie Brown
- LJ Smith
- DeAngelo Williams
- Kurt Warner

Could this be your big fantasy sleeper?

Stay Away From
- Aaron Brooks
- Edgerrin James
- Randy Moss
- Jacksonville WRs
- David Carr
- 49ers (unfortunately)

This advice is all that it seems to be: one humble man's take on the current fantasy season. Granted I have made the playoffs every year I've played, but who's keeping track, right? So if you're depressed because the most exciting thing in your sports life last night was Armando Benitez not blowing a save, well you should try out a fantasy team. It will help you get through those doggone dog days.

Dripping Faucet of Youth

2006-08-15T06:31:00.000-07:00

Nothing about the Giants' current funk said they would pull this win off. But then again, this was a different team, fueled by the energy of youth and not the pills and aches of a retirement community.

Last night's 1-0 shutout of the Padres was enjoyed by some fresh, if not battle-worn, faces. The Giants recalled Kevin Frandsen to replace the Jose Vizcaino, whom the team cut yesterday in an almost joyous split. Brad Hennessey started the game, putting up 5 (and two-thirds) zeroes on a night where the Giants could only score off a Todd Walker error. His strong performance unquestionably solidifies his place in the future of the Giants rotation. Regardless Eliezer Alfonzo's RBI single and Todd Linden's game-saving catch in the bottom of the 8th was enough to secure the victory.

And who else to secure it but Armando Benitez, an oft-mentioned member of this 2006 Giants team here on HMB. Once again lacking control but toying with a nice splitter at times, Benitez flirted with disaster and finally struck out Geoff Blum with two men on and after running the count to 3-2.

Some veterans may be on their way out, either through the waiver wire or merely proving to upper management they probably don't belong (read: Barry). The Giants hope with this youth movement they can pull a Dodger-like turnaround and find themselves back atop the division. But increasingly the attractive consolation is maintaining a solid core of players for 2007.

Either way, nobody's getting any younger.

All Quiet on the Niner Front

2006-08-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Not much new on the 49er front after Friday's impressive performance. The team did have a light practice on Sunday, but nothing significant. View Saturday's entry for all important info.

In other rather unfortunate news, the Niners lost center Jeremy Newberry for the year and possibly his career. The offensive line hopes to keep its mean streak without its fallen leader.

Scott Ostler has an interesting take on the Alex Smith situation, but his jokes remain, as usual, impotent.

Continuing with our Heath Shuler-politics theme from over the weekend: former Stanford Cardinal and NFL/MLB washout Chad Hutchinson has announced his political aspirations. You may remember Hutchinson as a successful pitcher and promising quarterback, but his pro career never panned out as expected. Hopefully Hutchinson's red hair and toothy-smile endear him to potential voters.

Expecting another Giants one-run loss, but holding out hope that the Raiders get blown out...

Updated (4:32 PM): John Clayton visited 49er camp for ESPN.com and examined the current regime, as well as observing (insider) the ongoings of camp.

Updated (4:43 PM): It appears that the Niners have struck another deal with the Redskins. This time San Francisco sends DB Mike Rumph to Washington for former University of Florida wide receiver Taylor Jacobs.

Blue Markets

2006-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Even the Giants PR machine has confessed that the roots of this atrocious stretch date back to an Armando Benitez's splitter that never split against Termmel Sledge. Including last night's painful, yet expected 1-0 loss to the Dodgers in front of the entire nation, the Giants have won 3 times in the past 3 weeks. Losing has become inevitable.

Put in different, but equally bleak terms: Imagine the Giants as a stock price. If they win the division they'll sell off at 100 and if the do not, they'll be worth zero. The better they play, the closer their value approaches 100. People actually do this at places like tradesports. The charts below are pretty telling. Notice the action (as if you could miss it) towards the tail end of the July.

In case you do not have a magnify glass, the Giants are trading down a point after the last night, to 2.5. Yup, 40:1 odds to win the division sounds just about right.

With odds like that, expect the youth movement to arrive sooner rather than later. With Winn and Vizquel possibly the only two sure to return to the lineup next year, the Giants must take serious looks at Hillenbrand, Linden, and Frandsen.

Similarly, Hennessey will start tonight, Taschner has been promoted and Sanchez continues to build up stamina to become a starter.

Shuler for Congress

2006-08-13T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, Heath Shuler, the number one pick from the University of Tennessee and below average quarterback for the Redskins and Saints, is running for US Congress in North Carolina, as a Democrat.

Shuler never once beat the Niners. Between 1994 and 1997, Shuler faced the Niners 4 times, losing all 4 by a combined 107 to 35.

Surprisingly, Shuler seems to be somewhat intelligent and competent and has a good chance to win the seat. He must overcome one huge obstacle, though, and it once again has to do with San Francisco.

His opponent, Chuck Taylor, has begun a series of attack adds against Shuler associating him with "latte liberal," Democratic Minority leader and San Francisco congresswomen, Nancy Pelosi. Taylor has even resorted to using a sports metaphor, albeit a stupid one:

"Rookie Heath Shuler is following the playbook of San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi," an announcer intones as the noise of a stadium crowd and marching band plays in the background of a 60-second Taylor radio spot.

America Needs Heath Shuler.

HMB will have the live coverage come November to see how this all unfolds.

Ignorance is Bliss; Preseason Opens Well

2006-08-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Maybe it only was the preseason, but these days the 49ers are looking for anything to provide a restless fan base with some optimism. Last night's victory over the Chicago Bears gave Niners fans plenty to be cheer about. Alex Smith finally resembled my Madden version of him; he commanded the offense with poise, confidence, and effiency. The defense looked sharp and swarming, forcing two early turnovers that led to 10 points. But it was the young guys, particularly Delanie Walker and Michael Robinson, who r eally showed something.

The 49ers most hyped rookies--Vernon "The Truth" (a nickname we are coining here on HMB) Davis and Manny Lawson--were relatively outshined by the other young players. Antonio Bryant looked good as well, but let's hope his interesting relationship with Mike Nolan doesn't bring back the glory days of Owens-Mariucci.

We can't get too excited because it is only the preseason. But you have to start somewhere. And at least the Bachelor played!

In other news, the 49ers are set to retire Jerry Rice's number, even if he does think that Alex Smith is going to blow.

Bryant making one of his five catches--five more than the number of words he has said to Nolan

Smell-A

2006-08-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Losing to the Dodgers sucks. Losing to the Dodgers, when Brett Tomko gets the win in relief, sucks beyond comprehension. The Giants wasted another solid performance from Noah Lowry. After an abysmal July, Lowry has pitched excellently in his two august starts.

A misleading 5.5 games out of first, the Giants have finally decided to yank Jamey Wright from the rotation. Hennessey will take Wright's next start in San Diego and will provide a glimpse of the rotation in 2007. Todd Greene will also no longer be Lowry's personal catcher.

Speaking of 2007, the Giants will be facing the AL east in interleague and the Yankees will make their regular season debut at Pacbell/SBC/ATT Park. In the second game ever in the park in 2000, Jorge Posada deposited the first non-Bonds ball into McCovey Cove. The Pitcher? Joe Nathan.

Jeremey Accardo pitched another scoreless inning last night. Francisco Liriano duped Ron Gardenhire.

2001? 2001? Great Scott!

2006-08-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

The Giants are old. In fact, even not factoring in their Methuselah of a manager, their average age is 32. Frankly, that seems young.

All this Chris Mullin talk got me thinking and I figured out what the Giants need: a time machine, or at the very least a flex-capacitor.

This seems stupid and obvious, but along with dreaming of images of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, I also had visions of this years Giants team, but five years earlier. The year is 2001: the golden age of BALCO, Armando Benitez is a Met and the Rally Monkey nonexistent.

One caveat, though. It’s only 2001 for the offense. Considering that Matt Cain might not of been able to drive in 2001, the pitching, which has done its best to keep the team in the bosom of mediocrity, must present.

Stay with me. Just Check out this lineup and at some off their 2001 stats and marvel at that fact that this team was still quite old five years ago.

Durham, 2B: 20 HRs for 29 year old with the chi-sox. Pre debilitating hamstrings, Durham steals 23 bases.

Vizquel, SS: Probably one of the few on this list that might not have been better five years ago. .255 Average, but can play one of the top short stops of all time at a spry 34.

Bonds, LF: Possibly the greatest single season – in the history of sports – 73 HR, 331 .BA, 137 RBI, 1.378 OPS. At 36, Bonds leads the league in nearly every category, but shockingly, not intentional walks. (In perhaps of the more tricky trivia questions of all time, Sammy Sosa had 37, 2 more than bonds).
Alou, RF: Post treadmill accident ("Who falls off a treadmill?") and 34 years old, Alou puts up great numbers. 27 HR, .331 AVG, and 108 RBIs. Hitting behind Bonds and facing more than his shares of Ray Kings, Mike Meyers etc, Alou does his best Jeff Kent impression.

Finley, CF: Had to give Finley the call over Winn, who was just in the beginning of his career. Finley does not have a great season - .275, 14 HR, 73 RBIs - with about two-thirds of that production coming against the Giants, ironically. Still a great outfielder and a great competitor at age 36.

The lineup goes somewhat downhill from here. A young Hillenbrand (.262, 12 HR), an offensively inept but gold glove and mentally sound Matheny (.218) and take your pick of a juvenile Feliz (.227, 7 HR), a mediocre Vizcaino (.277, 1 HR) and an unpolished Sweeney (.258, 3 HR) at the other corner infield spot.

How many games would this 2001-2006-Back-to-the-Future team win? Project out the rest of the pitching for this season and assume some form of the above lineup played every day. Using the nerdy baseball Pythagorean Theorem, the 2001-05-Time Machine Giants win 95 plus games.

One actual problem with my entire theory: 5 years ago, Felipe Alou is still 66.