Welcome to Czar’s blog #6 of 2019.
The available games, dates and number of tickets will be shown at the end of the blog before the rules. Remember when you email me back to identify the game, the date and the number of tickets you want. Please whitelist my email so you get the blog posts and ticket offers all season long.
Focusing on the Positives
The Gigantes have had a decent June. They have played 20 games and won 11, including taking three series (Brewers, Snakes and Padres) from teams on top of them in the standings. That’s better than .500 ball. If that trend continues through the summer by September they may be back in contention for a wild card spot. Climbing back into the standings after having stunk up the place so badly in April and May will be a challenge – but baseball is a marathon and not a sprint (at least not until September). Let's take one game at a time.
Is the Outfield Settled at last?
The outfield has been a question mark since spring training (as shown by something like 500 personnel moves made by Farhan in two months); and the outfielders are where the power bats usually reside. It’s obvious that the Giants bats have been underwhelming and is the principal reason they have resided in last place for most of the year. That could be changing.
Duggar is a very good player (although his injury – he just went on the DL - is troubling), Pillar (obtained in the trade with the Blue Jays) is showing his chops (and is the team leader in most offensive categories), Yaztremski (still hard to believe we have a player named Yaz) looks like a keeper (great defense, good bat and better attitude) and Alex Dickerson (9 RBI’s in the two wins in Arizona) is a stud hitter. These are young guys, and they are getting better every series.
This upcoming series at home will go a long way to proving that there actually may be some stability in the outfield.
The Starting Pitching is Coming Around and the Bullpen is Nails
We are looking at the future in Shaun Anderson and Tyler Beede. Both are gaining confidence and consistency but the Giants 25th ranked ERA (5.33) is nothing to write home about. The upcoming series at home will be important for the starters. Cueto is coming back from Tommy John, and Bumgarner is with us until at least the end of the month. Will Bum be traded? I am sure the discussions are hot and heavy but as a rental there may not be enough value to let him go, and his history with the G-Men is such that letting him go if there is the faintest chance of a September stretch run would be foolish.
The bullpen, however, is nails. Will Smith is a stud, Moranta reminds me of Shooter and if the G-Men can continue to score runs July will be a very interesting month.
The Upcoming Series
This is a division series, and the Giants are playing well against the rest of the division. Colorado comes into town first, followed by the Snakes. The weather is great, the beer is cold, the crab sandwiches are toasty, the Irish coffees (from Betty Sue at the pub right behind our seats) are awesome and there are tickets available (including for tonight’s game)
On the board ready to be picked up are:
MON 6/24 v. Rockies (7:05 -4). This game is tonight so jump on it if you want a game
THURSDAY 6/27 v. Snakes (6:45 – 4)
FRI 6/28 v. Snakes (7:15 -4)
SUN 6/30 v. Snakes (1:05-4) – Reversible Beanie?
That’s it!
Ciao, and GO GIANTS!
The Czar
THE PROTOCOL: the firm has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. These are awesome seats directly below the press box and 25 rows behind home plate on the left side behind the screen. It is foul ball territory for left-handed batters so bring your glove – I have collected 16 foul balls myself over 19 years, and I am looking for more (although since the screens were raised in 2018 it’s become tougher to get a ball). If we can't use all the tickets ourselves (or clients and friends of the firm don't claim them by calling me and reserving a game), then my next step is to give the tickets TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS BACK TO ME PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS. If you ask for the tickets and don't use them, you will be taken off the list unless there is a seriously good reason. There will be a wait list.
When there are four seats available (we split up a lot of games) we will allocate the tickets two and two if the first people back just want two tickets. You can also go for four and might get them. I'm the Czar, my call.