WAS THERE A FIGHT? KNBR would like to thank Mr. Hunter Strictland of the SF Giants for providing a day's worth of talk-show fodder for the boys. Final analysis: boys will be boys and fans will be fans. The booster club had a field day and night with Knibber's tonsils.
*Finally a real fight ... The usual baseball bs fights are about as violent as a Simi Valley wedding.
Ho hum.
*If you think you're happy about the Warriors' NBA Finals participation (and probably win in six games) try KGO-TV which will net about a million bucks for each telecast. That's a lot of prime rib round ball if you know what I mean.
*I was sick of the Southwest Airlines commercial with the Black Woman singing about a month in--now I'm having mini-convulsions --I mean, every two minutes I have to watch this? The woman singing is Really HOT but the song sucks and the bright-eyed White Guy looks like an utter fool.
He needs to be arrested and the SWA commercial needs to be aborted.
*I was a mere lad of eight years old in 1970 the first moment I heard Ken Ackerman's great pipes on "All News 74" KCBS. I just found out the 50-year CBS radio alum has passed --RIP to a great Bay Area news broadcaster.
*KGO Radio on its way to becoming the KABC of the Bay Area. Thanks Cumulus.
*More insufferable by the moment: KCBS' horrid weather maven Roberta Gonzales --god, she's getting worser. Bring back Mike Pechner immediately.
*It was nice to hear Giants PBP guy Duane Kuiper essentially tell KNBR morning moron, Brian Murphy to go stick it.
*Speaking of insufferable: Jon Miller.
*People in need: KNTV (NBC Bay Area) news guy Raj Mathai had to do the sports segment Monday Night. Ah, the rigors of big market TV News.
To use a Kuiper-ism: Murph's act is TIRED. And yes, so is that Southwest Airlines' "unstoppable today" commercial.
ReplyDeleteMurph seems to try to egg on Kuip into a controversy. And yes, the SWA commercial is obnoxious and will probably be around for the rest of the summer.
DeleteI thought Murph handled Kuiper well. The more we hear
DeleteKruk and Kuip, the more we realize that Larry Baer is pulling their strings. Murph was not going to let Kuip
get off the hook with the "company line" BS.
Dude . . .
ReplyDeleteDidn't stop all the Warriors hype on The Commercials Leader. You'd think they still carried the games.
I actually held my nose and listened to that fat, pant-load Radnich this a.m.
ReplyDeleteNow I remember why I quit listening to him and what's his name.
The guys before him are even "worser".
I can't recall...who won this year's NBA Championship?
R_P
6:42--I pitched in Little League...Pony League...and College (D-III...but, hey, it was still ball)...with a few American Legion/travel teams.
DeleteAt every level, my catcher(s) always knew to protect "HIS" pitcher at every time. If a batter so much as stared at me funny, my catcher(s) would immediately get up and get between the batter and me...or if it was pretty tense, get in the batter's face. Typically, our first baseman would then come running over to help.
Posey did an unthinkable thing for a catcher: He didn't intervene.
I guarantee you: His stock took a major hit among his teammates--especially his pitchers.
The Giants catcher...Buster Pussy...pussed out by not even trying to stop Harper from charging the mound.
ReplyDeleteYou are 100% accurate Ben. Kuiper is a total shill.
DeleteDuring postgame yesterday, he said he "commended"
Posey for not getting involved in the fray -- that he might have rolled an ankle. Listen to the KNBR interview with former A's catcher, Mike McFarlane today. He said
anyone that messed with "his" pitchers would have to go through him. He said that Albert Belle once kicked his ass while he was trying to protect one of his pitchers.
At least he acted like a man -- more than Buster did.
McFarlane also said that Posey could have possibly diffused the whole situation if he intercepted Harper before he charged the mound. Today, Kruk said he felt that Posey might be under orders from the team not to get involved in anything in which he might get hurt.
McFarlane said he had never heard of anything like that in MLB before and said it was a bad look for the face of the franchise.
I believe that was by design.
DeletePosey is a former Rookie of the Year, Batting Champion, and MVP. He is considered to be a superstar, and he is a key player on a slumping team in desperate need of his presence. Joining Bumgarner and Pence on the DL wouldn't have been a bright move.
DeleteMcFarlane was a solid player, but not quite the caliber of Posey. And if "Tough Guy" McFarlane thinks he is helping the team by incurring an injury (and ending up on the DL) in a mound charge situation, he is an idiot. Watching the game from the dugout, unnecessarily beaten up and inactive, isn't too manly!
Nobody is questioning Posey's awards, accolades, or superstar status -- just his guts, backbone, character, and leadership.
DeleteI just read that Posey was ordered by field and front office management to stay out of scuffles, as he has a history of concussions and post-concussive symptoms. His compliance with that directive demonstrates all of the positive character traits you mentioned. He is a lot smarter than Michael Morse (out with concussion symptoms; was needed as a pinch hitter last night), Hunter Pence (chronically dinged and of no use to the team while on the bench; what the hell was he thinking), and Byrce Harper (superstar, now suspended).
DeleteLOL Mike McFarlane gets more attention criticizing Posey than he ever did as a player. Sounds like an envious wannabe.
DeleteIf Posey is that fragile, 11:53 AM, he shouldn't be on the field. Where exactly did you read that? You state
Deleteit as fact.
Certainly, Posey can be that "fragile" and still make a valid contribution to the team where it really matters: winning ball games. The fact that he is that fragile, and is still playing through multiple symptoms (at the toughest position on the field) is evidence of the man's toughness. They don't pay the guy $21.4 million dollars a year (through 2021) to play MMA goon wannabe who eventually ends up as a spectator and rehab burden with Pricey Pence ($18.5 million per, through next season), Morse (who can't pinch hit or platoon from the pine), and Bumgarner (the $11.5 million staff ace). And I suspect that most of the paying customers would rather see Posey in the starting lineup, and not journeyman Nick Hundley.
DeleteMy "sources" were a link on the KNBR website from a few day ago; discussions on that radio station; a report on a local sportscast, and an interview with Bochy himself. I give credence to said gleaned information, given the premises that I used in the last paragraph. Am I in the meetings with Posey and his team's management? No, and neither are the sportswriters, sportscasters, and other folks who are giving their opinions in mass media.
Exactly. No proof. You choose to give "credence" to
Delete"gleaned information" without any foundation for truth. I did hear Kruk speculate on KNBR. You took it as truth. Kruk is a shill, looking for an excuse for Buster's inaction. Also, since when is protecting your pitcher classified as a goon wannabe? Most of the fans that I know want a more demonstrative Posey -- not the passive one we saw vs. the Nationals.
What "foundation" do you have that Posey "could have possibly defused the whole situation... ?" An opinion from Mike "I got my ass kicked by Albert Belle, and that makes me a good teammate" McFarlane? In McFarlane's subjective world, that foolishness is more valuable to a team than Posey's multi-award winning production. McFarlane was not in Posey's league as a player, period. To infer that he was more of a man and a better teammate because he was willing to get coldcocked (or worse) is just sad. McFarlane should keep his yap shut, be proud of a serviceable major league career (when he wasn't hurting his team by getting into fights), and get over his Chuck Wepner complex.
DeleteFirst of all, you should probably read what is said and by whom before asking me this question. It was McFarlane that said Posey could possibly have diffused
Deletethe situation -- not me. That being said, Posey did absolutely NOTHING, so we'll never know. You also keep citing Posey's awards. They have nothing to do with this discussion. Who said McFarlane was in Posey's league as a player? Not me. I am, however, stating
(not inferring) that McFsrlane is more of a man and a better teammate than Posey.
Citing Posey's on-going high-level production, status with the team, demonstration of fortitude while playing injured, and remarkable career accomplishments, is most certainly relevant with regard to courage and his stature as a teammate. Posey is in his 9th season in the bigs, and I have yet to hear/read any derogatory reports re: his character (except for McFarlane's nonsensical opinion, and some related comments in this thread). Your "statement" that McFarlane is more of a man, and better teammate, is absurd. Buster's vital contributions (and yes, toughness) during those three championship seasons were remarkably manly, and his teammates lauded his efforts. McFarlane? Empty claims, ringless digits, and a few wires that were knocked loose by Albert Belle!
DeletePosey's production, status with the team, career accomplishments, etc. are not at all relevant -- a
Deletesimple smoke screen to cloud the fact that Buster wimped out. Also, please cite when Posey played injured. Empty claims from McFarlane? That's the absurd part. The GREAT majority of catchers would
agree with him. Protect your pitchers!! Sadly, Buster
gave his middle digit to his pitcher. Even the arthritic Bochy made it to the fray before the remarkably manly Pansy.
"The GREAT majority of catchers would agree with him (McFarlane). Protect your pitchers." To follow your M.O., do you have evidence to support that claim? Did you take a poll, or read/hear it from a credible source (repeat, credible, as in not McFarlane)? And if it is supposedly true, then why is it that "baseball fights are extremely rare...the great majority of MLB players go through their entire careers without being involved directly in an on-field fight," as you wrote on June 5, at 5:04 PM? I detect some inconsistency there.
DeleteI'm going to make an educated guess now that Posey is the only catcher that NEVER MOVED when a batter charged the mound. Since when is McFarlane not a credible source -- because YOU disagree with him? Did you play MLB? No inconsistency whatsoever. Baseball fights are rare, but when they happen, you show your true colors. Buster's was yellow.
DeleteIt still cracks me up when you mention Roberta. She's been insufferable for many years, but for a while you didn't want to hear it and were a big supporter. My complaints have been there usually isn't much to do when you are a Bay Area weather reporter, but she's often off reporting moon phases and other stuff instead of even providing the basic weather report. When she was on in the evenings I NEVER saw her do anything except the immediate Bay area, i.e. anything more than 60 miles away was never mentioned. She's way too old to keep playing up how cute and sexy she is in her own mind. I see her now and automatically start cringing!
ReplyDeletethe return of ''basebrawl'''. anyhow, what does it say about a station that when Tolbert and lund come on the air it's almost a relief from the previous guys?
ReplyDeleteI am backing up the GIANTS! 100% GIANTS FAN in the Bay Area.
ReplyDeletePosey had a concussion earlier in the year, knew better than to suffer another long-term one as a catcher, not to mention only the Willies Mays & McCovey have higher significance in the Giants' San Francisco history. This fight is all about Strickland's elevator not exactly going to the top. Plus, right now, it's the Nationals and not the G-Men that has the best chance to derail the Blue Bums.
ReplyDeleteYes, KGO-TV loves all the NBA Finals money, especially with the Warriors participating. Amazing that only 22 of the last 49 NBA Championships have been won by the Champions' fans, by 9 franchises. The Warriors' two won on the road were aired by KPIX and KGO, respectively when their networks had the contracts.
Speaking of elevator not going to the top (and only the jet does), the ad makers responsible for that SWA ad need a Moe job (as in Ow! Ooo! Ow! Why you little...numskull, knucklehead)
I barely remember Ackerman. Great voice indeed.
Uh oh. Is Bay Area Radio turning into Fake Hollywood?
Sad that whatever struggles off the air Gonzales has had may have carried over to the airwaves.
Yay! Kuip issued a criticism! Very rare in Giantland under Lockstep Larry!
So Miller sounds too pampered?
Good for Mathai to flashback to when he was the Sports Anchor, and a good one at that. Of course, we know that juggling News and another segment isn't that uncommon. Which, thanks to many, many posts on the 415 blog, is unfortunate in Rich's view (Think PIX on the Weekend, which is Mr. Lieberman's big gripe, and we're not talking about the beautiful lady he has praised frequently.)
Sorry to disappoint...
ReplyDeleteKABC Radio has NEVER been an LA institution. Not even during the Ken and Bob days. Plus the signal has always been crap.
Couldn't agree With you more about Roberta. How much longer is her contract?
ReplyDeleteBetween Ackerman, Bob Safford, Al Hart and Don Klein - KCBS had some great pipes in its day.
ReplyDeleteAll Southwest commercials use actual employees. If they have a SW uniform, they are employees. The AA woman is employed by SW. Just a bit of trivia for the day.
ReplyDeleteRaj Mathai was an excellent sports reporter before moving to the anchor desk. I'll bet he enjoyed a brief fill-in at the sports desk.
ReplyDeleteWould any of you tuff guy people calling Buster a pussy, please let me know your stats of when you played MLB and how many times you stopped batters from charging the mound?
ReplyDeleteMy bet is most of you never went beyond Sr League or hi school or played slo-pitch softball with a bunch of other beer bellied guys.
The So/West commercials are getting as annoying as the Kontos Fireworks ad.
R_P
Guessing that you never played a sport of any kind.
DeleteDoesn't matter the sport or the level. You ALWAYS have your teammates' backs when needed. Heard the Giants are
trying to create another Buster rule -- no catcher can leave the home plate area at any time during an altercation.
2:12,
DeleteWayne Gretzky is generally considered to be the greatest hockey player of all-time. They paid him to pass and score, and no one did that better. They paid Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley to act as designated henchmen. That formula created a dynasty in Edmonton.
Sandy Koufax is one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, and his efforts were key in the Dodgers' multiple championship efforts. He was passive, however, when it came to fighting and "brushing" hitters off the plate. Don Drysdale and John Roseboro were the team's goons, yet Koufax (like Gretzky) was still well-respected in-house and throughout the league.
So, 2:12, you're classifying Gretzky as passive?? Poor
Deleteanalogy. Not the Great One that I remember. You don't have to brush hitters off the plate to be a good teammate, but you sure as hell should be able to count on your catcher to have your back if you do hit a batter. Roseboro was far from being a goon -- actually a far better defensive catcher than Posey, and he had
the backs of EVERY pitcher on the Dodger staff. Buster wimped out.
11:50,
DeleteClearly, you don't remember Gretzky well. How often did you see The Great One mix it up in a fight? He taunted; Semenko and McSorley did the enforcing. Gretzky wasn't a banger, either. He was brilliant at digging the puck out in a scrum, but even in those situations he usually used his guile and superior instincts. And let's face it, Gretzky wasn't built for the physical game. He was smart, stayed out of the physical fray, and let the big boys handle the rough stuff. He wasn't any less of a "man" for doing so, and his coaches, teammates, and fans appreciated his prudence.
Roseboro, far from being a goon? Irrespective of his defensive abilities, Roseboro assumed the goon role, and he had the body type and disposition for the task. Your claim that he "had the backs of EVERY pitcher..." confirms that. So does his role in the Marichal incident in '65. And a "far" better defensive catcher? Roseboro was a solid Gold Glove winning defensive catcher, as is Posey.
Again, Posey's history of playing though injuries is evidence of his toughness. But unlike some of the more idiotic types, he realizes that real contribution manifests in the form of production. Ruining a career because one decides to get in the middle of two brawling fucktards is not the stuff of greatness. A lessen one of those "superstar" fucktards, Harper, should learn.
You do not get it 1:08. First of all, hockey fights are ho-hum. They happen often. Baseball fights are extremely rare. Another poor analogy. The great majority of MLB players go through their entire careers without being involved directly in an on-field fight. Yes, I've heard of the term "hockey goon", but
DeleteI've never heard of anyone using the term, "baseball goon". Roseboro defends his pitcher and he's a goon?
Moronic. Posey is not now, nor ever been in Roseboro's class defensively. Also, please cite the injuries that Posey has played through? In 2011, when Cousins ran into him, he was out for the season. BTW, the Giants'roving minor league catching instructor at the time, Steve Decker, said that the injury was the fault of Posey because he was out of position. Surprised that Decker isn't coaching in Siberia after that observation. Posey also sat out this year because of the concussion. Where is his history of "playing through" injuries? Finally, also cite the number of times a baseball brawl has resulted in the ruining of a career. No one said defending your pitcher was the stuff of greatness -- just the "right stuff."
Ask Bill "Spaceman" Lee about the risks associated with pointless baseball fights. The results of his brilliant involvement in this fray are revealed at 1:49 of this video:
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohQaOO_mTzs
Some other notable incidents:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/basebrawl-notable-injuries-baseball-fights-article-1.1315512
I strongly suspect that the above list is not all-inclusive. Considering the nature of the activity, one is put at unnecessary risk for a potentially career damaging or ending injury. And I put particular emphasis on the word "unnecessary." Definitely not examples of the right stuff, and a good reason why baseball fights are relatively rare.
I had Sharks' season tickets for years, and I assure you that hockey fights are not ho-hum!
Please explain the basis for the following comment: "Posey is not now, nor ever been in Roseboro's class defensively." Roseboro was certainly noteworthy defensive catcher, and he was also a tough guy who had a classic catcher's build. Posey was accomplished enough defensively to beat out an all-time great, Yadier Molina, for last season's Gold Glove award. BTW: Inciting a fight with the other team's pitcher (yes, Roseboro started the threats), while said pitcher (Marichal) was in the batter's box, was goonish behavior. Hence Marichal's over-the-line overreaction.
ALL catchers who play regularly are subjected to the rigors of the job, and invariably play through pain/injuries. Many of those "dings" are not revealed by the team, for obvious reasons. In 9 seasons, Posey has been exposed to his share of attrition, and I have personally witnessed him take his share of foul tips and other physical insults. A HISTORY of concussions, the broken leg, and chronic thumb problems on his throwing hand have been the most noteworthy "reported" injuries. Re: the Cousins' collision, Buster made an unsuccessful attempt to field a bounce that scooted low and to his right. He swung hard and fast to his left, and IMO Cousins made a good, hard, legal (at the time), aggressive power move. Decker could coach in Siberia, as far as I'm concerned. But he doesn't have to go that far, as baseball's version of Siberia is in Oakland.
One other general point, in regard to playing through injuries:
DeletePosey's, or any other player's, concussive symptoms are not a minor issue. That condition prematurely ended the career of Mike "The Toughest Man Alive" Matheny, and it may have had a long-term negative effect on Mike McFarlane's logical thinking skills. The symptomatology can include a wide range of debilitating, miserable, and often lingering neurological and systemic effects. Playing with a concussion or post-concussive syndrome is not indicative of a "pussy" character trait, and anyone who is dismissive of that type of injury is just plain ignorant.
722 AM -- OK, now it's "risks", but on June 5th, you
Deletesaid, "ruining a career". I have news for you genius -- there is more risk of getting hurt in simply stepping into the batter's box or running into an outfield wall than there is in a baseball brawl.
Roseboro never backhanded pitches to his right. He got in front of everything. Both Posey AND Molina do this occasionally and it's lazy. You "personally witnessed
him take his share of foul tips and other personal insults". On TV? From the bleachers? Your point was that he played through injuries. He was out for the season after the collision with Cousins and he sat out after the concussion. Unless you're in the dugout or locker room, you have no idea how injured he is. The point about Decker and his comment that Posey was at fault for the collision is that I'm surprised Larry Baer didn't re-assign him to Siberia after his observation about the sainted Buster.
When one gets into the batter's box, runs into a wall in the outfield or foul ground, blocks a base, or makes any other PLAY that increases his risk for injury, he is doing so in an effort to WIN BALL GAMES and CHAMPIONSHIPS. IMO that is paramount, and a justifiable risk. He is not acting out some thug fantasy in a senseless brawl, and overstating the validity of that posture in the team chemistry scenario. Based on his fighting performance against Belle, blowhard McFarlane should have kept his focus on baseball. The Giants need Buster's focus on baseball, and not on a baiting situation that could land him a suspension or DL visit.
Delete"Roseboro never backhanded pitches to his right." Never? Did you see this on TV, in the bleachers at Dodger Stadium, and at the other ballparks in the league? How many games did they telecast in the '60s? I do agree that backhanding pitches can be the result of laziness (Bengie Molina was the worst I've seen at that). Today's game does have a large number of hard throwers, though, and Buster and Yadier have received their share of accolades for their defensive skills. I've seen Yadier and Buster nimbly and adeptly move in front of stray pitches, and also frame pitches well. La Russa recently said that Yadier is the best catcher he's ever seen. Other's have a high opinion of Posey's D:
http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/78264/what-makes-buster-posey-baseballs-best-defensive-catcher
With regard to not having any idea how injured a player is, that same premise can be addressed to you or any other fan. Many of us go on the opinions of the licensed health care professionals who treat, and then report on, the injuries. Those reports are usually conveyed to the press/public via non-medical team personnel. Not all reports are detailed, often understating severity in an attempt to disguise certain limitations. General syptomatological information is readily available these days, and eyewitness observation (even if you are not physically present on the scene) can provide an impression of the nature and severity of the physical insult. I've worked in the heath care industry, and I suffered injuries while playing multiple organized sports in school (and while engaging in other physical activities). So I know what it is like to "play through pain," and I've been around others who have done the same. Like many middle-aged people, I'm still playing through pain! Based on comments you've made, I surmise that you were an athlete as well. Those factors/experiences provide some reasonable perspective.
This tread is getting nested, this exchange could go on for weeks, I have non-internet issues I need to attend to, and we've significantly expounded on a subject that is not the primary focus of this site. Your arguments are strong, and we both have unwavering conviction on this matter. Neither one of us is going to change the other's mind!