by Gregg Pearlman
"By and for annoyed Giants fans" indeed.
The Giants were 1-0 in March, 14-13 in April, and 0-1 in May. So far, they seem to win a few games in a row, then run into a buzz-saw -- like, say, Kevin Brown or the Braves, and meanwhile the Padres just roll on, like the mighty Columbia. Right now the bullpen seems to be shouldering the load, but how long can that last? Shawn Estes just got his first win, but we'd gotten nothing from him previously, and we've gotten nothing from Orel Hershiser at all. He and Danny Darwin seem to wait until it matters most before giving up the long ball, and Mark Gardner's been spotty at best, too.
Every time I think Barry Bonds has come out of his funk, it seems to last maybe one or two games, and then it's back to the drawing board. Jeff Kent and J.T. Snow are still woefully out of it, though each man homered in Estes' 2-1 victory over the Pirates last week. Bonds at least has hit his six home runs in a fairly short period, but the runner up on the team in home runs is... Charlie Hayes, with three. Anybody else scared? Kent and Bill Mueller have two apiece -- Mueller hit both in Estes' 3-2 loss to the Diamondbacks. The catchers have a home run apiece. The outfielders, except for Bonds, have one among them. That's 17. And we're in Atlanta right now, where we've helped the Braves to their current home run total of 44.
The Giants have run into some bad luck in terms of wind-hindered fly balls -- Rich Aurilia has lost four or five home runs this year to wind in Candlestick and Milwaukee, and Jeff Kent has lost at least two the same way, but that still isn't saying much. What we're mostly seeing, in addition to the power outage, are terrible slumps by Kent, Snow, and Brian Johnson, who hasn't gotten a hit in eons. We're getting killed by double plays, and the umpires haven't helped much, either. We're almost lucky to be 14-14. The Dodgers lost a bunch of games early on -- but we're behind them in the standings now. Blecch. More joy on the way when Mark Gardner faces John Smoltz in Atlanta. Sigh.
The results lately:
The absence of Tom A. in this list can be explained somewhat by the fact that Tom Austin, a member of the Big Bad Baseball Annual authorship group, has poured his heart out in a terrific piece called "The Dangerous Joys of Bill James Classic Baseball," accompanied by three related copies of the Denver Picayune. (For all this, see "A Place for Tom's Stuff."
In addition, Richard Booroojian has earned a page of his own.
Well, that's depressing enough, actually, and the Peterson's tone might be more appropriate a couple of months from now, but that's beside the point.
"The Giants," Tim I. tells us, "seem to define 'leadoff hitter' as the following, all of which are necessary: A center fielder who currently has or formerly had a lot of speed."
It's almost as though, for all those years, Willie Mays just got in the way of that philosophy. Speedy to be sure, but what about all that annoying power?
"More often than not, with the exception of Brett Butler, that definition also includes an OBP of .350 or less," says Tim. "Out of all the leadoff center fielders the Giants have had over the last 20 years, only Butler has really been a consistently solid leadoff man who really fits the leadoff mold: good speed, good hitter, high OBP with lots of walks."
Agreed. However, the point was made a long time ago on the Giants newsgroup that we, as fans, are asking a lot out of our leadoff hitters, and generally (except for Lewis, or ridiculous hitters such as Johnnie Lee LeMaster) the Giants' leadoff hitters are generally right around average in terms of OBP.
This doesn't make me want a good leadoff hitter any less, though.
"I'd be interested to see what percentage of games the Giants have played since the mid-1970s (Bill North in center) where the center fielder did not lead off," Tim says.
Same here. A fair share of leadoff time has been given to guys like LeMaster and Robby Thompson -- but then, even before the mid-'70s, when Bobby Bonds was our leadoff hitter, we still didn't have particularly good luck in that spot.... I mean, Bonds was a fine player, but should've batted fourth or fifth.
(This is where I bring up that story where Sparky Lyle says, in The Bronx Zoo, that the reason Bonds hit leadoff is that (a) he couldn't handle the power spots, and (b) because managers worried so much about his strikeouts, they hit him first "to get him out of the way." Yeah, Spark.)
Peterson, unabated by our ceaseless interruptions, continues: "They were wrong, of course. By Father's Day they were so desperate for another bat they ran out and signed Darryl Strawberry. The strike prevented us from finding out how that grand experiment would turn out."
Well, one of the silliest experiments was Lewis.
"Yeah," says Tim, "especially since Strawberry is looking like a bona fide AL Comeback Player of the Year candidate (though if the season ended today, I'd give it to Bret Saberhagen). D-Lew? Please. Speed and defense alone aren't enough to keep him in the lineup as a leadoff guy."
Except on the Giants for a while....
"Fortunately, Boston seems to have found a home for him in the number-seven slot, which to the extent that he belongs in a lineup, is about where he should be."
Well, what the hell? Good luck to him. At least he didn't ruin us as a member of the Dodgers last year.
Peterson points out that "In the past three seasons [J.T.] Snow has batted .289, .257 and .281. He has hit 24, 17 and 28 homers. He drives the ball batting left-handed and dribbles it hitting righty. Which is the real J.T.? The Giants better hope it's not the guy who is at .190 after going 0-for-3 Saturday."
Anybody else getting tired of hearing how he's hitting in bad luck?
Tim says that the people who feel this way "are usually the people who insisted that Snow's performance last year wasn't a fluke."
Well, I don't know that I think it was a fluke. Far above expectations, certainly, but also "very reachable goals" for him.
"[Stan] Javier opened the season with an RBI flurry and is tied for the team lead with 14," says Peterson. "But he has no homers and scares no one."
Key statement: He scares no one.
"Which is probably why he's hitting well," says Tim.
And our earnest ragging has paid off a bit, that's for damn sure. Especially if you look at his ninth-inning, game-tying home run against Doug Jones last Sunday.
"Pitchers aren't pitching around him; it's easier to get good pitches to hit when they don't fear you."
Good point. This is probably why Bonds usually gets extremely hot after being extremely cold. However, we'll have to wait and see on this one.
"Javier is the quintessential "great fourth outfielder." He's done an admirable job as a starter, but he really is ideally suited as a fourth outfielder and I'd like him much better in that role."
This is pretty much what I said early on, though I couched it more negatively -- something like, "As the starting right fielder, he'll show us why he's more suited to be the fourth outfielder."
Meanwhile, our leadoff spot is still in disarray. If Hamilton doesn't play today -- and there's nothing to indicate that he will -- it'll be Benard leading off. Against Denny Neagle the other day, it was Alex Diaz... and yet we have the nerve to wonder why we're not scoring runs.
"Ted Robinson's age symbolizes the flan, and his rudeness is the Swedish Bikini Team," offers Grant. "Leave your wife, Gregg. Your subconscious has spoken."
Suddenly I'm relieved that my wife doesn't read EEEEEE!
Richard, probably signifying the one-track-mind nature of the Giants newsgroup as a whole, says, "I defer to Freud. It must have something to do with sex. Did you see any baseball bats in the conference room? How about a pitcher's mound?"
Oh! Oh! I got it!
Unfortunately, the dream probably tells the reader way more than he or she needs to know about me....
But sex is a safe guess, if you're looking for a fallback position.
In either case, by virtue of providing the only entries in this contest, both Grant and Richard have tied for the Big, Exciting, Thrilling Prize, which is being mentioned here. Congratulations, men.
And tough darts.
That was the day, by the way, that Brewers starter Jeff Juden threw behind Marvin Benard, emptying the dugouts for the standard No Punching Dance. Well, clearly this is something Juden shouldn't have done, because not long afterwards... boom! Grand slam for Barry Bonds.
According to Olson: "Sometimes, you eat the bear. Sometimes, the bear eats you," Juden said. "It was just one of those days."
"Is this the stupidest quote of all time?" says Grant. "I demand a vote."
One thing that makes it stupid is that it's kind of a mishearing of what I think is a Catfish Hunter quote: "Sometimes you grab the tiger by the tail, and sometimes the tiger has you for lunch."
Juden said," Then I had to face Barry Bonds the (expletive) hero of the day. Whatever."
It's one thing to be mad at yourself, and that's fine. This guy always sounds sour-grapey. (Grant's comment: "He wines a lot.") I don't think it's any accident that he's so roundly disliked by the Giants broadcasters, I tell you what.
Olson writes, "'I've got to thank Tavarez for getting him tired,' said Benard, who was friends with Juden during the right-hander's brief tenure with the Giants in 1996.
"'Tavarez puts up that great at-bat and Juden starts yelling at him. He ought to be embarrassed striking out the pitcher like that and then talking crap like he did.'"
He probably ought to be embarrassed anyway.
What happened was this: "With two out in the sixth inning, Juden delivered a pitch that sailed several feet behind Benard's legs. Juden said the pitch was in retaliation for a breaking ball that Rich Rodriguez threw behind Jeromy Burnitz's head."
Funny how a lot of the papers utterly failed to mention the fact that Juden had hit Brian Johnson on the hand before Rodriguez threw behind Burnitz. Not that I'm condoning that, either. Not by a mile.
"Benard took several steps toward the mound but stopped as both benches and dugouts cleared. Order was soon restored."
This next part's a hoot"
"Asked if he thought Benard was going to charge the mound, Juden said: 'I wish he would have. I wish he would have shown me what kind of man he is.'
"A short, short man," Grant guesses. I'm guessing a short, short, angry man who would've wanted it more than Juden.
"Benard, informed of Juden's comments, said: '(Expletive) his punk (expletive). Tell him I said that.'"
The quote in the Chronicle also has Benard mentioning that tiny John Cangelosi pretty much took Juden out last year. When's he gonna stop threatening little guys? We know he won't be trying to take on any big guys.
Olson says, "Juden said he harbored no animosity toward San Francisco, which is one of his six former clubs.
"'They're just another team,' he said. 'No big deal.'"
I don't believe him... but it ain't my call. Still, the Giants are the only team that waived him instead of trading him, so I can understand a bit of hostility.
"With the Internet's capabilities, the technology should be in place to have that last sentence constantly updating itself, like those Lotto billboards," Grant says.
Wait till next week.
When I was in grade school, these two kids used to flip off the bus as it drove away. The littler kid -- who, as it turns out, grew up to be a very good friend of mine -- used to extend his index finger.
That's Jeff Juden. (Though my buddy would cringe at the comparison.)
In any case, the teams will next face each other in Milwaukee on May 19-21, and Olson points out that there is a good chance that Juden will pitch one of the games.
"That is, if he hasn't already moved on to another team," says Clayton.
The thought occurred.
Clearly the guy can pitch, but I keep wondering why teams keep going after him, when it seems built in that he'll piss everybody off and have to move on.
"I won a $1 bet with one of my friends that Juden was going to throw at someone," says Grant. "He didn't pay up after Johnson got hit, because he said that wasn't intentional. I had confidence in ol' Jeffy, though."
I don't know that it was intentional per se, but I have the feeling that the philosophy was, "I'm coming inside. If it hits him, too bad." As for Benard... different story.
But in the end, it was an insanely great victory, one which actually had me whooping and jumping around like a ninny when Hayes hit his bomb. Juden's a goof at best, and he just couldn't resist throwing at a Giants hitter. Just couldn't. Two hitters, really, though I suspect he'll deny it in both cases. And the best part is that hitting Brian Johnson was the wake-up call.
I'm really glad Juden isn't the guy who won. I really wonder about this guy anyway; he's kind of like a less talented, more obnoxious Rob Dibble.
Dusty Baker summed up the game best. Mark Kriedler of the Sacramento Bee quotes him as saying, "We needed that game badly. We certainly didn't want (Juden) to get the victory."
"Yes," says Jonathan, "[but] the brother is now Javier Valentin, the Twins' backup catcher. He changed his name to avoid confusion. On the other hand, it's not like guys on the Twins and Brewers are ever going to be on the national highlights anyway, so it probably was overkill to change the name."
"He's going to 'Uribe Valentin' next," says Brian.
Either way, evidently these guys' father is George Foreman.
By the way, Bobby Bonds has (or had -- I'm not sure) a brother named Robert. Go figure.
I was sure Sanchez would be nailed at the plate when they showed him rounding the bases -- he looked terribly slow -- but Snow... well, he'd have been out. Or held at third.
Jonathan considers the use of Sanchez an "automatic move: no credit to Dusty." I don't know. I sat there wondering who'd play first base in the tenth... then realized it'd be Kent, so I relaxed a little. I didn't think it was a real no-brainer, though. And the play wasn't nearly as close as I was sure it was going to be, not that I mind.
The funny part -- well, to me, anyway -- is that after the throw home was late, Kendall threw the ball past third... and I'm screaming, "Yes! Yes!" like the gal in the Herbal Essence commercial... and then started swearing when some idiot Pirate had the nerve to be backing up the play.
I'm just glad I didn't wake up my kid.
"This scene was played out in my house, too," says Jonathan. "Mine didn't wake up either. I didn't start swearing, though; just felt sheepish for a second, then realized it was appropriate to celebrate."
Yeah, but I wanted that victory now!
The next day, Shawn Estes finally got it together, retiring 15 straight at one point, and getting his first win, 2-1. His control deserted him, though, and he left in the seventh, bequeathing a one-out, bases-loaded jam to Julian Tavarez -- who threw to one batter and got a line-drive double play.
Snow and Kent homered, and Robb Nen picked up the save -- but not before allowing several baserunners and a run. Pirates shortstop Lou Collier hit a bloop to center which Stan Javier grabbed on the run to end it, and the Giants had won four in a row.
"I almost got an ulcer when Mayne and Mueller let that foul pop-up fall in the ninth," says Ben F. "Then Jon Miller says, 'The Giants are self-destructing right in front of our eyes!'"
"I thought I'd pass a kitten," says James R. "After I heard Miller's call, I knew it was a whole litter. And let me tell you, those claws hurt!"
"Perhaps Miller himself needed to supplicate before the Baseball Gods in order to close out the victory," says Seth. "Thankfully, he didn't have to pull out all the stops and mention David Green on the air."
That would just be cruel.
Despite the score, there was plenty of action. Pirates starter Francisco Cordova threw high and tight to Estes, who started yelling at Cordova. Pirates catcher Jason Kendall got into it as well -- and so did Pirates batting coach Lloyd McClendon, for some reason. Then Barry Bonds got involved, yelling back at McClendon.
"I predict that the local and national media will again use this to portray Bonds as a hothead with a score to settle with his Pittsburgh ex-teammates," says Nelson. "If it had been Tony Gwynn or Lenny Dykstra, of course, it would be then portrayed as their leadership in trying to protect and cheer on his teammate."
Of course. But the media doesn't hate these guys.
Jeff C. reminds us also that "Nen put one off Jason Kendall's nugget to open the ninth. One could say that it was in retaliation, but it almost backfired."
"I think the real moral of this story is: How the hell is Lloyd McClendon a hitting coach?" says Michael S. (My guess: on the basis of having gotten the crap kicked out of him as a pitcher in the Little League World Series several hundred years ago.) "I mean, he was a decent hitter with the Cubs and Pirates, but he never played 100 games, never had 100 at-bats in a season, has a career OPS just above .700, and Total Baseball has him at -9 Adjusted Batting Runs. To his credit, he played great in the postseason."
He's no Gene Clines, that's for sure....
"Two words, says Tim: "Charlie Lau. Explain that one." (Hell, explain Walt Hriniak, a Lau protégé and clone who was even a worse hitter than Lau.)
What's interesting is the various takes of the two teams' beat writers. Paul Meyer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says, "In the third inning of yesterday's game between the Pirates and Giants, Francisco Cordova's first pitch to the Giants Shawn Estes -- a sinking fastball -- zipped a bit inside and a little up. Estes jerked his head back, then acted as if Cordova had thrown at him.
"'It wasn't even close,' Pirates catcher Jason Kendall said disgustedly. 'Why would we want to hit the pitcher? He's the easiest guy to get out. He over-reacted big-time.'
"Estes stared at Cordova. Kendall rather colorfully told Estes to get a grip."
Pretty mild -- and this probably doesn't happen were it not for the previous day's comeback. In any case, here you have the Pittsburgh writers treating this pitch as though it was a strike on the inside half of the plate or something, while the Associated Press calls the pitch a "brushback." And then there's Ron Bergman of the San Jose Mercury News, who says, "Maybe Cordova was looking at [Estes' .500 batting] average on the scoreboard when he knocked down Estes with a pitch at his head in the third." So, gee, maybe Estes didn't overreact big-time. Who's right?
Greg L. theorizes that despite Kendall's protests of Estes' "overreactions," that was probably exactly the result they were going for: "Hoping he'd lose his cool and start pitching poorly. Don't insult our intelligence by reminding us he's the easiest guy in the lineup to get out. We're aware of it."
Meyer quotes McClendon as saying, "(Bonds) was jawing back and forth, hollering at (Cordova). "Hey, you just play the game the way it's supposed to be played. No way Cordova was throwing at (Estes). You have to respect the game. I was always taught that when you play the game between the lines, you don't have to apologize for what you do. When things are not done the right way, then I get (upset).'"
Was he reading this from an index card at the time he said it?
"'It's no big deal,' Bonds said. 'It's over with now. (McClendon's) still my partner. I like the guy. We played together. I just don't appreciate that stuff.'"
Meyer uses the phrase "some unnecessary theatrics from Shawn Estes and Barry Bonds," which I guess means that McClendon's theatrics were necessary.
Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review says that "Kendall vowed Cordova (3-2) wasn't seeking retribution for allowing a solo homer to J.T. Snow one inning earlier, the first time in six starts Cordova had been taken deep."
Why even ask a question like that? I mean, retaliation for a solo homer in a 1-0 game? Please.
The Giants lost Thursday's game 6-0, and Paul Newberry of the Associated Press says, "I don't see Orel [Hershiser, as opposed to Orel Filipowicz -- GP] getting down,' manager Dusty Baker said of his pitcher, whose ERA climbed to 5.35. 'If you get shut out, you don't have a chance to win.'"
Giving up a three-run homer when you're already losing doesn't help your chances any, either.
"Atlanta went ahead in the third after Giants catcher Brian Johnson bobbled [Braves' starter and winner Denny] Neagle's sacrifice bunt in front of the plate for an error. With the bases loaded and one out, Keith Lockhart's sharply hit grounder bounced off the chest of second baseman Jeff Kent, who managed to flip to second for a forceout. But Aurilia's relay throw skipped to first and Lockhart barely beat it out."
Terrible.
"'The big inning has hurt me,' Hershiser said. 'That's something I have to work around. The thing I have to do is cut down on the walks and the home runs.'"
That would be a marvelous idea.
"Kent, who agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract extension prior to the game, went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts."
Gee, I guess this means the Giants were morons for agreeing to that deal.
I hate that. It's like saying, "Jeff Kent immediately showed why he cannot live up to his new contract." (Of course, this is what Barry Bonds hears every time he doesn't homer.)
"Nah, its Kent's job to be the 'clubhouse cancer.'" says Brian. "Barry's still 'the guy who doesn't earn his pay.' Snow's the 'Gold-Glove first sacker.' And, of course, we have lots of the 'proven major leaguers.' Not too many 'rising stars,' though."
Actually, this is kind of fun:
"And don't forget Barry Bonds: the 'petulant superstar.'"
That one works. "Malcontent," too.
"I prefer 'selfish bastard,'" says Greg.
The one we've left out so far: "Choker." (Poor Bonds -- can't even get a break when we're giving him one....)
"The most fitting one, though, is 'Boy Do I Wish He Was On My Team,'" says Billy. "Bonds is known by that nickname all over the league. Hell, both leagues."
This is why I'm laughing at the Bonds-for-Bernie-Williams-and-"pitching" rumors. Why in the world would a team dump him unless they knew they couldn't win in a million years?
One reason I'm pleased to have Jeff Kent on the team is that maybe -- just maybe -- he'll start siphoning off the media attention....
"I think of J.T. Snow as either 'the guy who can't hit lefties' or, alternatively, as 'he who apparently doesn't bribe scorekeepers,'" says Tim I.
("One Who Whines"?)
"[But] I thought Kent was the Quotron machine in the clubhouse."
"Quotron" is good....
"What about the gruff but endearing sergeant?" says Grant. "The quiet religious guy who goes crazy? The token black? The Italian or Irishman? The electronics expert with a pacifistic streak? [I've] been watching waaaayyyy too many W.W. II movies."
But back to Thursday's game. Bill Zack of the Augusta Chronicle says, "Neagle, who loves facing the San Francisco Giants the same way Orel Hershiser used to enjoy beating the Atlanta Braves, boosted his winning streak to four years against his favorite team."
Ooh. Good line. That one hurts.
"Neagle allowed Barry Bonds' single in the first inning, then didn't yield another hit until Rich Aurilia's one-out double in the seventh. Along the way he received some outstanding defense from [Andruw] Jones, who threw out Charlie Hayes at the plate in the second inning."
He wasn't out by any more than 40 feet, though, so it wasn't all that spectacular.
The call on the radio was pretty interesting, because the tone in Ted Robinson's voice suggested that right off the bat, he thought it'd be deep enough... then a little doubt crept in... then it was clear to him that Hayes was on a suicide mission.
Meanwhile, Mark Gonzales of the San Jose Mercury News says, "A philosophical Hershiser pointed to the big rallies against him as his primary nemesis.
"'It's odd to have the league hitting (.226) but your ERA is over 5.00 (5.35),' said Hershiser, who surrendered a leadoff homer to Andres Galarraga in the fourth.'"
Henry Schulman's piece at least expanded on this quote -- something about the walks and home runs. I would think that should've been kept in by Gonzales, or his editor, because that's how to explain the low batting average and high ERA.
"It seems to me that he's suffering from Wilson Alvarezitis," says Grant. "A steam bath with Jerry Reinsdorf should do the trick."
I'm as suspicious as Grant is about Hershiser, but isn't it kind of excessive to wish this on him? I could see someone being sentenced to a steam bath with Reinsdorf, though. Like, for running onto the field during a game, or moving a team from one league to another -- that sort of thing.
"The only potential upside to taking a steam bath with Reinsdorf," says Seth, "is that you can leave the sauna first, rifle through his clothes, and snag his wallet."
And then whap him with it two or three or a hundred times.
Zack says, "Hershiser retired the first seven hitters he faced, then uncorked a pitch behind Andruw Jones' head in the third. The youngster wasn't intimidated; he responded by bouncing a single into left field...."
Did anybody think that pitch was deliberate? I sure didn't. I think Mike Krukow thought it was a curve, but it looked like it just slipped to me.
What Krukow said was, "When something like that happens, the first thing the players in the dugout [on the team of the guy who was nearly maimed] do is try to find out whether the pitch was a fastball or not. If it wasn't, they forgive quickly because they know it couldn't have been intentional."
"Still, deliberately throwing a breaking ball at someone's head is one way of making it look accidental....
"Yeah, that's insane," says Billy, knowing that I've been called worse. "What's the idea with that supposed to be -- pitchers aren't capable of putting a breaking pitch where they want it, therefore any pitch that hits someone has to be a fastball? Oh yeah, I believe that."
I dunno what it's about. Maybe some unwritten code of machismo says you can't throw "purpose breaking pitches."
"Was there some, uh, reason that Hershiser threw behind Andruw's head?" Billy says. "Particularly after shutting down the first seven guys he faced? Or was he just being a prick?"
Never know. But I just don't think it was deliberate.
"Seriously, though," says Tim, "Hershiser using the brushback pitch? I'll bet he really intimidates 'em with his 96 mph fastball."
After the loss, John Shea of the Examiner clearly made a beeline for Jeff Kent because he'd get some worthwhile quotes. "Jeff Kent, as usual, was the last player to leave the Giants' clubhouse Thursday night," Shea writes. "The team bus was long gone. The trainers were heading for the exits. The clubhouse security guard had checked out. But there was Kent, an ice pack on his right foot, a gallon of milk in his left hand and dry sweat and dirt stains covering his uniform.
"He was mad. 'I don't think I've been this mad all year,' he said long after the Giants were creamed 6-zip by the Braves.
"Denny Neagle pitched a complete game, and Andres Galarraga and Javy Lopez homered off Orel Hershiser. Despite having 18 million reasons to rejoice [i.e., a three-year, $18 million deal signed earlier in the day -- GP], Kent was taking it hard. He was upset about the loss, upset about his 0-for-3 effort at the plate, upset about his seventh-inning at-bat.
"'I'm absolutely pissed off,' he said. 'I had 'em. The 2-0 pitch. I guessed fastball out and over the plate, and he threw a fastball out and over the plate. Absolutely perfect pitch. I froze. Just watched it go by.'"
This guy is a joy to read. I'm so pleased they signed him, because his quotes are a blast:
"Indeed, the gritty second baseman truly seems different in that regard. He's believable when he says, 'I hate to lose more than anybody who plays the game -- well, at least as much as anybody who plays the game.'
"He added, 'Winning is the only thing that makes me happy. Ask my wife. I don't get happy about anniversaries or birthdays. I don't care about that. Just winning.'"
"Hmmm," says Jeff C. "Something tells me that Jeff logs a lot of time sleeping on the living room sofa."
Here's my favorite:
"The interview ended, and Kent turned and walked away. 'I'm going to go sulk in the shower,' he said."
The strikeouts drive me nuts, but I do enjoy watching this guy play. And this stuff just makes him more fun.
"And if Barry had said it," says Brian, "it would have been reported that he was sulking about his contract again."
And that he shoved the reporter.
Headline: "BONDS: 'I DON'T CARE'"
Thomas Stinson of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes Braves catcher Javy Lopez as saying, "It seems to me on this team, there is a new hero every day."
Oh, yeah? That just means nobody on the Braves is playing consistent ball. So there!
Sorry. I'm just ticked 'cause the rousing four-game win streak is so, so history....
Especially after tonight, when the Giants couldn't deliver a knockout blow, and Robb Nen coughed up the game-winner in the ninth after walking pinch-hitter Curtis Pride with one out (and standing by helplessly as, due to his slow delivery and new catcher Brian Johnson's injured hand -- thanks, Mr. Juden -- Pride stole second) and striking out Walt Weiss. Keith Lockhart then pulled a Nen delivery down the right-field line, and it was all over.
EEEEEE!
Well, we got a modicum of relief today in the sense that the Giants actually beat the Braves today, 12-8. Two hard-fought runs in the top of the first gave the Giants a lead that they managed to hold all the way until Chipper Jones hit a two-run homer off of Danny Darwin in the bottom of the first. But they retook the lead, and eventually they built up a 9-2 lead, largely on the strength of four hits for Rich Aurilia -- including a pair of home runs (instead of wind-hindered warning-track shots).
That's when Danny Darwin decided to try and give up the ghost. Couldn't get anybody out in the sixth, and the Braves made it 9-6, due in part to Michael Tucker continuing to be extremely annoying by hitting a ringing double. Rich Rodriguez pitched the seventh -- well, he started the seventh -- and gave up a two-run homer to Tucker, a ball on which Gary Darling, the first base umpire, blew the call: The ball was foul by a foot. I'm guessing that the Braves are just fine about this, however, since no doubt they felt awfully screwed by Darling in the first, when he called Chris Jones safe on an infield hit, although clearly he was out.
With Robb Nen warming up for the save, the Giants loaded the bases with one out, bringing up J.T. Snow, who, as I've said before, has shown this disturbing tendency to take strike three in such situations. But this time he hit a sacrifice fly for a very important insurance run. Brian Johnson then walked, and Stan Javier lined a pinch-single, making the lead 12-8.
No save for Nen -- more on that in a bit -- but he closed it out, and we're all the way up to 15-15. Amazingly, but not surprisingly, the Giants have outscored their opponents 128-112 this year, which suggests an "expected" winning percentage of .566, and thus a record of 17-13 -- which further suggests that we haven't had terrific luck. But that's just 30 games.
The more baseball I watch, the more I start to feel as though the "mystique" of saves is silly at best. Closers seem to resist coming into games where there's no save situation in order, and my opinion is that they don't concentrate -- Rod Beck seemed especially prone to this -- and that this holds true even in actual save situations, when the lead is two or three runs. I mean, come on, guys, you're making just dandy money, so you'd think you could stay in the game mentally, right?
Dusty Baker has brought in Nen in the occasional tie game, and Nen's gotten three wins out of it. Apparently Nen doesn't like this, and he's said he'd take a save over a win any day, which I believe is just plain foolish. Today Nen's appearance came after the save possibility vanished -- so what's Baker supposed to do? Hope the Braves score a run or two so he can bring in his closer just to turn over a digit in that all-important statistical column? As fans, are we suppose to wish that the Giants hadn't scored that twelfth run, just to keep the save situation intact? Is that what Nen had been hoping?
That's because he's injury-prone.
"'I'm getting very frustrated with this,' Hamilton said. 'I hate getting in a situation where I try to do something and people say he's always hurt. I'm getting sick of that. I'm busting my butt and getting a little frustrated.'"
I'm sure he is. I don't know that it's his fault, or anybody's, that he gets hurt a lot, but how can he deny it?
"It must be a depressing realization for an athlete to realize, a few years into his career, that he is the type of player that just constantly gets stupid little injuries," says Dan L. "Like Hambone, and like McGwire, Chris Brown, and Jim McMahon before him, these players just can't shake off the effects of playing with nagging injuries. Only Big Mac makes up for it on the field."
"Besides, if Hamilton has a busted butt, how can he ever expect to get back into the lineup?" says Carlos. ("Dammit, Bone, we're not payin' ya to sit" -- which would be awfully hard with a busted butt, I guess.)
Jonathan provides this list of Hamilton's stints on the DL over his career:
"Besides the one stretch on the DL," says Gunman "he also had various nagging injuries during the year, including a foot injury and a hamstring (late in the year)."
"No DL in 1995," Jonathan points out, "but he only made it into 112 games. Don't know why."
Well, the strike took away 18 games, but obviously that doesn't account for all of it.
Greg L. says, "Somebody out there places less importance on major league experience than we do? Probably a platoon situation."
Ben F. clarifies: "In 1995 Hamilton lost his job in September to Duane Singleton [due to] a major slump. I think Hamilton was not pleased with that so he signed with Texas in the offseason."
In any case, Brian says, "Looks like maybe he needs to stretch more in cold weather. Or leave him in extended spring training like the minor leaguers until about June 15."
What John Shea says in yesterday's Examiner is, "The Darryl Hamilton situation remains iffy. He was held back again because of soreness in his left heel, and he and Baker have stopped predicting when he'll return to the lineup. 'If I injure it the way I did the first time, I know I'll be on the disabled list,' said Hamilton, who has missed six straight starts."
Make that eight.
Prediction: He misses another game, maybe two. Then plays... but does injure it the way he did the first time and winds up on the disabled list. Which means we'll have played almost two weeks with a 24-man roster.
I'm starting to think that the possibility of Mr. Bone heading for the DL had a profound influence on the acquisition of Chris Jones. They said Hamilton would play Friday, but he missed the entire Braves series. So I could see him going onto the 15-day DL, retroactive to some time last week, and Jeff Ball coming back up. Or even Russ Ortiz.
"Could be," says Tim. "Of course, this could lead to something. Are we going to see a trade for a 'proven major leaguer' every time someone goes on the DL, with Ortiz and/or Ball going up and down like a yo-yo in the process [With Ball still never playing.... -- GP], or at least as long as they can get away with it without placing them on waivers?"
Well, they won't have to worry about waivers with Ortiz for, I think, three years. As for Ball, I don't know. I think they had to purchase him to add him to the 40, and I don't know what his status would be regarding options.
"I guess Ball was just an insurance policy earning two days of major league pay last time [Not to mention service time; I mean, you never know what that might mean in terms of pensions some day. -- GP]. I don't know if he can hit major league pitching, but (a) they do need more power off the bench (the only guy they really have for that is Hayes) and (b) some day this organization has to realize that they never will know if their AAA guys can hit big league pitching until they give 'em a real chance."
Agreed. Still, Hayes has made a decent early showing, in terms of power. Hell, he's our second-leading home run hitter.
Okay, everybody, all together, one, two, three:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
"I know Bonds has been slow to get on the horse, and there have been a few situations where he hasn't come through in the clutch, but is this how we treat our Gold Glove Franchise Player? I wonder if these people have been watching Bonds the last five years. Mind you, these same people cheered when he hit the grand salami against the Brewers, then booed him again, then cheered him again when he doubled home Mueller. I know the Giants fans aren't all the best fans in baseball, but I know quite a few great fans of the Giants and I usually don't see this kind of boorish behavior.
"Barry is not beyond reproach. It would be foolish to blindly follow anyone without comment. However, this kind of stuff really does a disservice to the team itself. I forgot to check cars in the parking lot for Dodger stickers, Budweiser cans, Fremont High parking badges, or 'I'd Rather Be Hunting' labels, but I bet they were in numbers."
It probably all boils down to people just generally disliking the guy. I mean, did people boo Robby Thompson during his last three years here? But I'm thinking that folks have just been waiting for Bonds to give them a reason to boo.
"Yep, just terrible," says Ken K., "Sure, his first at-bat was pretty miserable (two high pops that reached the seats and a bad swing and miss with a runner on third and one out), but you don't boo the guy for striking out.
"He should be booed for not hustling. There was a foul fly in the top of the third that I think he could have gotten to if he had really run. Of course he might have run into the low wall and broken a knee if he took off at full speed. Who knows?"
"And don't get me started on his base running (or lack thereof) in the last 15 games on '97."
"There are a lot of mixed feelings on this," says Tim I. "Some people defend Bonds, noting that it's not worth risking injury busting butt on a play that's 99% guaranteed to be an exercise (no pun intended) in futility.
"I'm not sure I agree, but I can understand the sentiment. I've had my own run-in with not hustling.
"Though I'm known on my softball team as a hustler, as a guy with limited natural talent who becomes a decent player through sheer hustle and desire -- sorta Lenny Dykstra Lite -- I did slack off once, many, many, many, many years ago, when I was only 19. With two out and no one on, I hit a comebacker to the pitcher. I stood in the box as he waited about five seconds, staring at me before throwing to first. Bastard."
"Anyway, as I got my glove to start the next inning, the coach told me not to bother. I was being benched for not running out the grounder, despite the fact that I was 3-for-4 on the day.
"And I'm glad he did it."
"It's to the point where Bonds grudgingly has come to accept a mediocre start," says Joe Roderick of the Contra Costa Times. "He can do little to change it now, so why try?
"'I don't defend it,' [Bonds] said. 'I don't do anything about it. It's the same old story: If we win, the team wins. If we lose, Barry loses it for the team. It's the same thing every year. Why should it be any different this year than any other year?'"
"Bonds exited spring training with a tender left shoulder and a tricky bulging disk that requires daily chiropractic care. Late in Sunday's game, the disk compressed and hit a nerve in his back, causing pain that would have ended his day if not for Charlie HayesÍ game-winning homer in the ninth.
"'If it wasn't adjusted, it would have been hard to even move,' said Dr. Nick Athens, the Giants' chiropractor.
"Those problems could be used as excuses, if Bonds desired. But those things are treatable, contained. He can't control the tricks his mind plays on him.
"'I think it's more psychological than anything else, mental,' he said. 'I don't know and I don't care. I'm hitting .250 right now (before Tuesday's game). That's good for me at this point. I'm not having the worst start, but not the best start.'
"Why would a player of Bonds' stature -- three-time MVP, seven-time All-Star -- get freaked out over the opening month?
"'Maybe I want it too much. Maybe I want to do so well in that month and I tense up. Same reason why I don't have much success during playoff time, maybe because I want it too much, want it so bad and try too hard. I don't know. I'm not crying over it. It seems to always turn around eventually.'"
"This much is clear: Bonds is just plain tired of hearing -- and explaining -- how much he struggles so much this time of year."
Roderick also discusses Bonds' little set-to with Danny Darwin, supposedly over a bad play in left field. "For whatever it's worth," says Woody, "I didn't see the play, and I know Bonds can enrage people for apparent or actual blasé play, but I think Darwin's a general yee-haw, and I particularly dislike his wimpish 'don't mess with me or I'll drill you in the box' act. Barry gets the benefit of the doubt in my book."
"Actually, for all the apparently selfish things Bonds does, I'd tend to agree with you here," says Greg L. "If there's one area I'd definitely cut Bonds some slack, it's on defense. He may occasionally dog it on the bases or admire his home runs a bit too long, but he pretty much gives it his all on defense and has saved many runs by positioning himself well and making accurate throws. Darwin ought to learn to stop giving up cheap gopher balls before complaining too much about Barry's play."
Mark Gonzales of the Mercury cites this as a "lost opportunity": "A leadoff double by Barry Bonds in the sixth inning that he said would have been a triple had he hustled. He was stranded at second."
If he'd gone all out, probably he'd have been stranded at third. But here's the interesting part:
"'I thought it was gone,' Bonds said of his drive in the sixth. 'It's just a bad habit. I told myself today I've got to break that habit and never could. When I hit it, and I feel it's gone... It's just always noticeable when Barry Bonds does it. It's not as noticeable when someone else does it. That's the only difference about it.
"'Unfortunately, that's how it is throughout my career. I had it even in my Pittsburgh days. I had it in my college days, too. (Deceased Arizona State coach) Jim Brock used to get on me about it all the time. "Why do you do it?" I don't know.'"
To me this all sounds like 50% public relations and damage control, 30% face value, and 20% complaining about his lot in life.
John Shea pretty much echoes Gonzales: "Had he sprinted on contact, Bonds could have gotten a triple, but his admiring eyes limited him to a double and maybe cost the Giants a game-tying run against a pitcher who makes runs hard to come by."
First, I agree that he should've been running as though it may not be a home run. Second, this was very much like those two doubles in the playoffs last year. And third, like those two doubles, how can a writer -- or anyone -- say so blithely that if he'd been running, he would (or "could") have gotten a triple? It may be true, but how many left-field triples do you see in a year? Had he gone for it, he might also have been nailed at third.
"Maybe cost the Giants a game-tying run" is, I think, irresponsible on the part of Shea, who also says, "Two batters later, J.T. Snow grounded to the hole at short, which could have scored Bonds from third base. Instead, he simply advanced to third, where he remained as Stan Javier made the final out.
Equally irresponsible. Had Bonds reached third, you never know how Maddux would've pitched to the succeeding batters. Hell, Kent might've homered with Bonds on third -- are we to say that Bonds, by not going all out, "could have" cost Kent a homer, too?
Gee, if he hadn't been picked off in the first inning, Kent "could have" homered then, too, and then it "could have" been off-to-the-races time for the Giants, who "could have" put in motion their plan for utter world domination.
Shea continues: "'I didn't kick myself,' Bonds said. 'Did it make or break or win or lose the game? No.... Why do I do it? I don't know. Why do you guys feed on it and love it and write it all up and make it look like it's Barry Bonds' lack of hustle?'"
Shea, you'll notice, does not offer an answer. But some columnist will, soon enough.
"And ten bucks says that Bonds' candidness will be taken the wrong way," says Jeff C.
Can I get me some o' that action?
Shea eventually says, "The Giants scored only two runs on 11 hits in two games here, so nobody was blaming Bonds, the only guy with RBIs."
Nobody, huh?
But Grant: It's Alive. The Trade Chain, I mean. Jones is merely the latest link in the series of trades that began with Barry Bonds in 1974 (and Tito Fuentes in 1975). But this chain doesn't look like it's going to hold up for long, since the other remaining link, Dave McCarty, was traded before the season for a couple of I-Dunno-WhoÍs, one of whom, Jalal Leach, has since become a coach for Single-A San Jose.
But in case you'd been mystified by my previous mentions of the guy here, you should know that two days after Jeff Ball joined the team, Brian Sabean swung this deal, sending the not-promising-enough Pickett -- acquired in the Deion Sanders deal -- to the Diamondbacks, for whom Jones had been 1-for-12 as a pinch-hitter.
"I was somewhat of a Pickett booster, so I was hoping Chris Jones was a younger outfielder," Grant says. "One sentence on ESPN's Sportszone assured my initial reaction was valid: 'The 32-year-old Jones... has a .259 lifetime average in 493 games with Cincinnati, Houston, Colorado, the New York Mets, San Diego, and Arizona.' Blecccchh."
Yeah, I'm real stoked, too. Besides, the Giants have already had a player named Chris Jones -- immortalized in the second "Giants Tweaks" song (although, to be fair, he probably doesn't belong, because he only appeared in three games with the Giants in 1986, going 0-for-1 as a pinch-hitter and stealing a base; however, that one at-bat dropped his lifetime batting average below .200 forever: 5-for-26). I always get "Chris Jones I" confused with Chris Smith, who hit .328 in 1983 and then went to Japan. But, as usual, I digress.
"The one thing the Giants needed was a mediocre journeyman outfielder," says Grant. "Really."
"What follows will probably be one of the most entertaining things you will read about Chris Jones in a Giants uni (unless he gets invited to one of those 'parties')," says Ben H. "Baseball Prospectus '98 did him twice, once for Arizona and once for San Diego. He is projected to hit .265/.333/.458 in Arizona and .250/.320/.433 in San Diego. [That's batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage. -- GP] Of course, the park-neutral EQA puts him at .268 which is within 5 points of Javier, Hamilton, and Jake Cruz. [Don't even ask me to explain EQA. Ask Clay Davenport. -- GP]
"San Diego quote: 'Jones is your average fourth outfielder.' That about sums it up.
"Arizona quote: 'Jones is a good player to have. Solid bat off the bench to force a pitching change or pop a home run. Exactly the sort of player likely to get squeezed out as more and more teams decide to carry 11 or 12 pitchers....'"
"Note the Giants [often] carry 12 pitchers, but apparently he would only get squeezed of a team with a major-league right fielder.
"The only possible explanation [for the Giants making this trade] was that someone offered a bona fide major league outfielder for a Giants mediocre 28-year-old AAA reliever.
"So of course Sabean snapped it up like hot cheese on tuna.
"My last whinge (of the day, anyway): Could we have gotten a real player out of Seattle for Pickett?"
"No, you cannot," says Nelson. "Remember that he's not a magically endowed Major League Pitcher (TM)?
However, you might have been able to do it had you tried to give them Rich Rodriguez, for example."
But it's not all bad. First, Jones singled and doubled in four at-bats today, and drew a key walk in the ninth. Also, Gary Washburn of the Contra Costa Times says, "Newly acquired outfielder Chris Jones noticed something about last year's Giants.
"'Boy, it looked like they had a lot of fun winning,' said Jones, who spent last season with the Padres."
Great quote. Should be next year's motto. If we win anything.
The Giants have outfielders Jacob Cruz, Dante Powell and Calvin Murray at Triple-A Fresno," says Edvins Beitiks of the San Francisco Examiner, "but general manager Brian Sabean said none of them provides the experience of Jones...." So there's your explanation. Almost. As Jeff C. points out, Mark Gonzales quotes Dusty Baker as saying, "He's beaten us with a few pinch-hit home runs."
"Well, that explains why they got him," Jeff says. "I should've guessed."
"So are the Giants ever going to give their AAA players a chance in the majors or are they determined to trade every one of them for a marginal experienced major leaguer' who will never amount to anything more than a reserve?" says Tim I.
"That second thing," guesses Jonathan.
"Aren't Bill Mueller and Marvin Benard products of the Giants' farm system?" says Dan P.
"Remember," says Jonathan, "for Mueller to win the job all he needed was to wait for about five injuries, hit .330 for two months, and then compete with Mark Lewis."
I'm thinking, too, that Mueller was a very "accidental" find. As I recall, they brought him up just to fill some space on the bench because of injuries, and then the guy confounded them by going out and hitting -- at least when they brought him up the second time.
"Wait -- I always thought they brought him up because they were so sick of me and Steven R. clamoring for it in this group," says Jonathan. "Y'mean that wasn't right?"
Yeah, probably.
Seriously, I don't remember said "clamoring," possibly because I don't remember having even heard of the guy before his first call-up, and I was pretty active in the group at that time.
But what I'm saying is that I have the feeling he was never a significant part of the big club's long-term plans... but then made himself a part of them. So I'm guessing that the Brain Trust maybe didn't like to have this wrench thrown into their plans, hence the reluctance to acknowledge that the dude's pretty good.
This is my expert opinion, based on nary a degree in sports psychology.
"I can't help but think that the Giants are afraid that Cruz is suffering from Phillips-Faneyete Syndrome, a common malady among PCL hitters," says Jeff Z. "They hit well in AAA, then mysteriously lose the ability to hit when promoted."
I dunno that you could say that Phillips ever hit all that well. Lots of dingers, sure, but tons of whiffs and a low batting average. (I'd guess low walks, too....)
"Of course, I don't know why let Cruz and Powell languish why Diaz gets at-bats," Jeff says, "let alone occasionally starts, let alone bats leadoff!"
All I can say is, he's made a couple of circus catches, but at least one of them was due to having misjudged the ball in the first place. (And I made this observation, by the way, before he did it again today.) Plus, he's had two key hits in late innings, which buys him some big-club time. Still, I see no need for him.
"If you aren't going to promote guys who kill the ball in AAA," says Jeff, "then who are you going to promote?"
Other guys who kill the ball in AAA, but only for two days?
"Well, look what happened when they promoted Ball!" says Gunman "Look at his numbers! He didn't hit for jack!"
The big wuss.
"Of course, his hitting would have required a PA, but numbermind that."
There you go. Hey, all we know is, the dude didn't even get a hit, f'cryin' out loud.
"I'm being annoying, but it frustrates me also."
No, and I agree.
"Need a righty bat with pop? Uh, Dante has one. He responded well when he got promoted last year. I'd rather see him start in center field than Diaz. Diaz, Jones--these are guys the team is going to release when the race gets serious. It's probably not a good idea to trade for one."
I still say that Hamilton's not gonna sit (when healthy), if for no reason other than his salary.
Among the other zillions of things I don't understand, I just don't get the trade for Chris Jones. I can understand dumping Pickett when you have no plans for him, and the team you're sending him to plays in a place where he's well known and popular? But why six outfielders? Why not just keep Ball and give the S.O.B. a chance?
Why the bun?
"Bun's neither meat nor cheese," says Greg L. "'Werd.'"
Tony Kuttner of the Oakland Tribune quotes Dusty Baker as saying, "It's not that we've forgotten about him. It's just that we've got to deal with the present."
I bet they have pretty much forgotten about him, at least in the dugout.
"Interesting comment," says Dave F. "It brings up the question, 'How much say does Dusty have on roster decisions?'
"Given Osvaldo's track record, and the fact that everyone seems to think he is much older than he claims, I doubt we'll ever see him pitch again for the Giants.
"As far as next year, the Giants either buy him out for $400,000, or sign him again for $1.4 million. If the Giants were to invite him to spring training next year, does that affect his contractual status. In other words, if the Giants keep Osvaldo all spring, then say 'Thanks, but no thanks,' is it still $400,000 to buy him out?"
This I don't know, but the papers have suggested that the buyout is the most likely scenario.
"Hey, I'm not taking the blame for this one," says Jeff C. "I specifically said KEVIN BROWN was supposed to have the Tommy John Surgery, not Osvaldo Fernandez. That's the last time I ever call that damn Psychic Hotline."
I picture the following scenario:
"The gardenias excrete the dew at dawn."
"Down through the chimney with good Saint Nick."
"The cockatiel shrieks at four-twenty a.m."
"Ala-ka-zoola, mitchi-ka-boola, bibbidy bobbidy boo."
"Tommy?"
"Bulldog?"
"Yeah."
"Report, Agent 55."
"First I demand the Cone of Silence."
"Very well, Agent 55.
[F/X: Cone of silence descends.]
"Well, Chief, everything's going according to plan. And I'm unfazed by losses."
"Good work, 55."
John Shea of the Examiner quotes Hershiser as saying, "I have 28, 29 more starts. If someone told me I'd lose three starts, I'd say, 'You're right.' It just happens to be at the beginning of the season."
"Well, if he does end up 28-3, I'll take it all back," says Richard. "Actually, I'm not that down on Orel, or at least not yet. Jon Miller mentioned on KNBR that Orel started slow the last two years in Cleveland and didn't really heat up until June. This is either very reassuring, or completely self-delusional. Probably the latter, but we can hope."
We must. We must.
Carlos has been tying the Giants' success -- or not -- to his own success in maintaining the health of Say Hey, his virtual cat, who he says now weighs 34 pounds and is 32 years old.
Now, that's one old cat.
Ancient Baseball Humor. Did you see what I did there? Didja? Huh? Huh?
"I don't understand," says Carlos. "Is this an Andres Galarraga thing? Or is that Larry Walker, I forget."
No. Really ancient. "Roots of Baseball" ancient. I'm gonna give this my best shot, so inaccuracies are bound to creep in:
"One Old Cat" was the name -- as I recall -- of a kind of "transitional" game between baseball and cricket. (I think, however, that baseball more closely resembles rounders, which I've neither played nor seen, than cricket, which I've neither seen nor played. (Well, I've seen a little bit of cricket.) I believe the Russians hold that baseball evolved from Russian 43-Man Squamish.
In any case, what I know about cricket comes from (a) reading a little about it -- it's confusing -- and (b) a "Test Match Simulator" game for the Mac which is kind of fun.)
With cricket there are two batsmen at a time -- only one of whom is actually being bowled to at the time. See, there are two wickets at opposite ends of the pitch, and the one not batting is like a baserunner. (So these guys are always batting not only with runners on, but with RISP.)
When the batsman hits the ball, he and the non-batting batsman each try to reach each other's wicket (generally). They can keep running back and forth till they throw up, I guess. But while they're away from their wickets, they're in danger of being put ("given") out.
If I remember right, One Old Cat is a lot like that, but the batter is pitched to. Also, I don't think anyone occupies the other base unless he's already hit safely.
It's the kind of game kids played, I think, when they didn't feel they had enough players for a four-base game. I can remember playing something similar with a friend in our back yard, which certainly wasn't big enough for four bases, or more than two or three kids playing ball at a time.
(By the way, Tom Austin wrote some good stuff about cricket in the current Big Bad Baseball Annual.)
Copyright ©1998 by Gregg Pearlman
Last updated 5/4/98 Gregg Pearlman, gregg@EEEEEEgp.com