Tag: san francisco giants

2014 Spring Training: Day One Was a Dust Up

On By In Write FieldIn Baseball, Sports Photography, Spring TrainingLeave a comment

It’s that time of year again: Major League Baseball Spring Training in Arizona. The new season brings a new camera lens for me, which is proving a little unwieldy so far. For starters, when it’s attached to my camera the entire ensemble weights more than six pounds. I got cramps in my arm, and a blister on my zooming thumb. Tomorrow I’ll rub some desert grit on it, and get back in the mix.

It was a beautiful Scottsdale day: hot of course, with breezes that kept us cool while kicking up a lot of dust. Unfortunately, it wasn’t pretty for the San Francisco Giants — or Matt Cain who gave up seven runs to the Oakland Athletics. The Giants lost 8-1.

Matt Cain
Scottsdale Stadium
Buster Posey
Matt Cain casts a long shadow.
Hunter Pence warms up before hitting a home run — the only run the Giants would score.
Santiago Casilla
Sergio Romo
Will the Thrill Clark charming fans
Jeremy Affeldt

For Timmy, It Takes Two

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Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs 7/28/13There once was a righty named Tim
San Francisco’s Big Time Timmy Jim
Would fans be deprived
Of our 55?
The odds he’d re-sign here seemed grim.

His fastball had lost some velocity
Of wins, there had been a paucity
He’d pitch in the dirt
And walk guys ’till it hurt
Giants fans cringed, and groaned audibly.

Then came a night last July
When the baseball fates seemed to comply
With the will of “The Freak”
And his wiry physique
A no-no for this girl’s favorite guy.

So this week, in a bit of a coup
Tim re-upped not for one year, but two!
While some baseball scholars
Chose to balk at the dollars
It’s next season fans look forward to.

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Game 162: Parting Ways

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San Francisco Giants pitcher Barry Zito prepares to take the mound at AT&T Park, September 29, 2013
Barry Zito

Tonight the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Texas Rangers — thereby earning an American League wild card spot, and the distinct privilege of playing the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.  And so, I am closing the book on regular season baseball.

It has become a tradition for me to attend the San Francisco Giants’ final regular season home game each year. It’s usually a day game, and the weather is always exceptional. That’s how I spent Sunday afternoon: at AT&T Park, switching between photo taking in the fabulous fall light, and monitoring the Indians game against the Twins on the scoreboard. If the Tribe had lost, they would have had to play a tie-breaker of some kind — a crushing outcome I could not accept.

Never fear, the Indians won, and made the postseason for the first time since 2007 — at which point I gave the game in front of me my undivided attention.

The Giants did not disappoint, rallying from a five-run deficit for a walk-off win, courtesy of their $90 million man (for the next five years, at least), Hunter Pence. Barry Zito also took the mound for his long-awaited curtain call. Classy and gracious as always, he tipped his cap to the crowd and later gave a sweet good-bye speech.

It hasn’t always been pretty, but we’ll miss you Barry.

Each year, I feel a little melancholy during my final afternoon at the ballpark. Will my favorite players be back next season? Is there room in me for one last bratwurst? When do pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale? (Answers: probably not, always and 139 days from Sunday.)

So as I took in my last regular-season game, I decided to have a little fun.  I snapped photos not just of players, but also of some of the colorful characters I encountered at the ballpark. I had to be sneaky of course.  If some camera-shy fan got angry with me, I doubt I could have run very fast after all that bratwurst.

Now I have the Cleveland Indians to cheer for, with the Oakland Athletics as my back-up team should misfortune befall the Tribe. And there is so much blogging to do… once I remember what I blogged about, before baseball season started.

Suggestions are welcome!

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Tim Lincecum: Here Today…

On By In Write FieldIn Baseball, Sports Photography4 Comments

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum enters the dugout at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA. September 9, 2013.Monday was probably my last chance to celebrate Lincecum Day at AT&T Park in 2013.  Tim Lincecum is scheduled to pitch at home just once more, against the dreaded first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, but I have no plans to attend the game.  I decided the odds for a positive outcome were better against the Colorado Rockies, and I was right.  While the San Francisco Giants offense didn’t come through in time for Timmy to get the “W”, we beat Colorado in a 10th inning walk-off thanks to a single by Brandon Belt.

Despite the win, the Giants were officially eliminated from the National League West pennant race on Monday.  For some reason, this development was not announced over AT&T’s P.A. system.

Will Tim Lincecum wear a Giants uniform next season?  I hope so.  Yes, I have a soft spot for the guy that obviously biases me — but if we fail to keep Timmy… who will we replace him with?  His 4.67 ERA is disappointing, yet Matt Cain’s 2013 ERA is 4.53 and Ryan Vogelsong’s is 4.88. And please, let’s not talk about Barry Zito!

In other words, it’s not as if pitchers with ERAs in the 2’s are just hanging around, waiting to be signed.  (In 2009, when he won his second consecutive Cy Young award, Timmy’s ERA was 2.48.)  I sometimes think San Francisco Giants fans are so spoiled by years of great pitching from Lincecum, Cain and Bumgarner, we have lost perspective.

So… here’s my humble, biased opinion on the best-case Lincecum scenario: The Giants resign Timmy to a two-year deal, while continuing to nurture prospects and shop for trades.  He threw a no-hitter once.  And he can ROCK the bullpen, based on his performance last October, so that’s an option if his performance as a starter deteriorates.

Let’s remember, Sabean, Baer and friends are businessmen, and Timmy draws crowds and puts cheeks in the seats.  Mine, to name just two.

As the baseball season enters its final weeks, enjoy these pics.  I’ll be on hand for the last Giants game of the season (fan appreciation weekend!), as is my custom.  Madison Bumgarner is slated to pitch.  Then… bring on the NBA!

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That Has a Nice Ring To It

On By In Write FieldIn Baseball, Sports Photography4 Comments
San Francisco Giants veteran first baseman Will Clark's World Series ring.
If I were a man with a World Series ring, I’d get no-polish manicures too. I’m just saying…

As the 2013 baseball season winds down, I’m taking in as many San Francisco Giants games as my schedule – and my budget – will allow.

I was on hand when the team played the Red Sox on August 20 (the only game the Giants were destined to win in that series), as well as Friday’s game two against the Pittsburg Pirates, which did not end so well.   The Giants lost 3-1, but there were several silver linings for me.

To start, I actually had two tickets to the Pirates game (long story), and spent the first three innings with my college friend Richard, who is British, and his two fantastic children who are spending the summer in San Francisco.  His daughter Chloe educated me on the similarities and differences between baseball and rounders (a game she apparently plays to some acclaim back home).  Thankfully, there was no quiz afterwards, because I think I would have been forced to cheat.  It’s complicated!

Richard’s son Dominic asked great questions that tested my knowledge of America’s pastime.  Our best conversation of the night went something like this:

Dominic: “Is Matt Cain pitching?”
Me: “Wow, you already know the Giants’ pitchers?”
Dominic: “He’s in an Audi advert near our house.  But what about the one named Tim or something?”
Me: (*sigh*) “Pull up a chair, young man.”

Second silver lining:  At the end of the third inning, I headed to my seat near the Giants’ dugout.  I plopped down in my usual graceful manner, before noticing a bit of a hullabaloo in our section. The gentleman sitting directly in front of me was allowing fans to photograph his massive bling-bling ring.

It wasn’t the Pope.  It was veteran Giants first baseman Will “The Thrill” Clark.   He stuck around until the fifth inning, signing balls and taking photos with fans – always with a gracious smile.  He works in the Giants’ front office, so perhaps he’s obligated to go to a few games each season to reward fans.  However, I saw him at 2013 Spring Training too, and am certain his generosity and enthusiasm are genuine.  The man loves baseball, and clearly feels blessed to still be part of the game.

There are only 32 games left in the season. I wonder if I can squeeze in one more Tim Lincecum outing, since San Francisco Chronicle beat writer Hank Schulman has (helpfully) pointed out that Timmy may only have two more starts in a Giants uniform.

No. Way.

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2013, or How Baseball Broke My Heart

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A cha cha bowl, courtesy of Orlando's Caribbean BBQ at AT&T Park. (Photo by The Travelling Hungryboy)
A cha-cha bowl at Orlando’s Caribbean BBQ courtesy of The Travelling Hungryboy.

Over the past week or so I’ve detected a whiff of fall in the air, which always makes me a little melancholy.  Days are getting shorter, and nights are becoming chillier… except in San Francisco, where the exact opposite is true.  Even so, in clothing chains all over town, corduroys and wool sweaters in warm autumn shades have replaced flip flops and linen shorts.  Where did the time go?

The end of summer 2013 is especially blue for me as a baseball fan.  The San Francisco Giants – currently occupying the cellar in the National League West – have no chance of repeating last year’s World Series run.  And the Cleveland Indians are seven games out of first place in the American League Central, which means my dream of a Giants/Indians October throw down will have to wait at least one more year.

Over the weekend, I caught two of three games in the Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Indians series across the Bay.  Unfortunately/naturally, the game I skipped was the only game the Tribe won.

It was fun to see the Indians in person for the first time since spring training, but it was tough to sit silently as Oakland fans celebrated being only .5 games out of first in the American League West.  Having spent 2010 and 2012 cheering the Giants to the World Series, losing smarted.  I did not enjoy it… but deep down I’m happy for the As.  They are a talented, scrappy, underrated, red-headed-stepchild of a baseball team, with a crummy, dilapidated ballpark.

Can someone please get that team a new ballpark?  The flawed sewage system in the restrooms should be reason enough.  (My advice to ladies visiting Oakland Coliseum – schedule your potty breaks before the 6th inning.  Otherwise… YUCK.)

Today I picked up a couple of Giants tickets on StubHub, at bargain basement prices (relatively speaking).  Even though the team is zapping my strength, come October I’ll long for “summer” evenings at AT&T Park, wearing a ski parka and using a cha-cha bowl as a hand warmer.  I’ll fill the void with the NFL and the NBA, but I’ll really just be going through the motions – at least until the first winter storm drops buckets of cold rain on San Francisco.

Until then… some photos from my bittersweet weekend.

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Swept Up: San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs

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Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs 7/28/13I attended my first San Francisco Giants game in at least a month last Sunday, July 28.  By happy coincidence, my favorite Giant, Tim Lincecum, was on the mound.

Timmy pitched great — giving up just two runs in seven innings, and striking out 10.  He also went 2-2 at the plate. You know the Giants’ offense is in serious trouble when Lincecum is the hottest hitter of the game.  And so it was that the Giants were swept by (*gulp*) the Cubbies for the first time in 20 years.  Final score: 2-1.  It’s been a long season.

So let’s look on the bright side.  The weather on Sunday was spectacular, and I got lots of great shots of Timmy on base — which doesn’t happen very often.  (Sorry, Tim.)

During the plentiful lulls in the action, I took the opportunity to experiment with my aperture and shutter speed, instead of relying so much on automatic settings.  The outcome was respectable.  (I’ll spare you the underexposed shots, in which Lincecum looks like he’s pitching during a solar eclipse, as well as the overexposed ones that resemble X-rays.)

Let’s go Giants!

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Ode To Big Time Timmy Jim

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Buster Posey bear hugs Tim Lincecum after his no hitter, July 14 2013.
Photo courtesy of Lenny Ignelzi/AP

 

It’s been a tough year for the Freak

Some said that he was past his peak

He’d lost his mojo, so to speak

His pitches lacked location.

 

His Cy Young self seemed to have faded

His confidence was much degraded

If this kept up, would he be traded?

Or fall out of rotation?

 

As it turns out, the Freak was fooling

Gave his critics quite a schooling

No hitter: the official ruling

He lasted the duration.

 

His fastball started sort-of clocking

No one reached base, except by walking

Tim let his slider do the talking

A hardball demonstration.

 

Twelve dozen pitches were expended

Plus four more, his slump thus ended

Hugs from Buster, fences mended.

Giant celebrations!

Losing Lincecum

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Timmy exhalesSan Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum got roughed up again tonight, this time by the Atlanta Braves.  He walked five, and gave up two earned runs in six innings.   The Giants lost 3-0, and while there’s plenty of blame to go around (I’m thinking of Andres “Butterfingers” Torres right now), there is no denying that Timmy’s problems are not just a temporary funk.  His performance has not improved this season, even though he reportedly showed up to spring training in the best physical shape of his career.

I am a longtime, diehard Lincecum fan, and his downward spiral has been tough to watch.  Of course I hate to see the Giants lose and all, but what’s harder to witness is Timmy’s complete loss of confidence.  The swagger and fist pumps are long gone, and now he just looks lonely and lost out there on the mound.

I’ve only seen Timmy pitch in person once this season – against the Colorado Rockies in late May – and finally got around to going through my shots of that game this evening.  (I’ve been a little busy lately, for reasons I’ll blog about soon.)

His facial expression and posture are so different than in seasons past.  I can see this on TV, but was surprised by how obvious the change is in these photographs.

When scrutinizing the hundreds of photos I took, deciding which to edit and keep and which to delete, I probably saved more than made sense.  Each time I watch Timmy struggle mightily these days, I wonder how many more times I’ll get to see him start.  I also wonder how much longer he’ll wear a Giants uniform.  It’s hard for me to imagine the team without him.

These are just a few of the keepers, mostly of Timmy:

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Matt Kemp: Goodness, Gracious

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Los Angeles Dogers outfielder Matt Kemp warms up.
Matt Kemp

As I blogged yesterday, I attended the San Francisco Giants game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.  A grudge match, as usual.

One thing I failed to mention in my post:  After the game — which the Dodgers lost — a gracious Matt Kemp jogged over to my section and gave half his uniform to a young, disabled Dodger fan seated almost directly in front of me.  No hoopla or posing.  No cameras around, except for the personal iPhone of someone seated nearby that was used to shoot this video.  (Unfortunately, I had already stored my camera away by that point, and the encounter happened too fast for me to pull it back out.)

No exaggeration, you could have heard a pin drop in section 125.  Kemp, who gets booed with every at-bat in AT&T Park, left a number of us pretty choked up.  The young fan was at the game with an older gentleman — probably his Dad — who was obviously thrilled and touched beyond words.

I am not much for heckling opponents, so I was never among the Matt Kemp booers to begin with.  But going forward, I may manage some polite clapping, instead of stoney silence, when he’s at the plate. 

I’m not sure I could manage flat-out cheering, though.  He does, after all, still wear Dodger blue.