The 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.
We are on the edge of our seats
We have ten games left in the regular season. There is a lot of anxiety in the land of the Orange and Black, but hope is fading fast. The G-Men are in 4th place in the NL West, playing .500 ball, and are 2 and a half games out of the wild card behind the Mets, Padres, and (after losing 2 out of 3 to both LA and the Snakes over the last 6 games) the Snakes. Not only that, but the Giants lost the first game last night against the Dodgers. The Giants are further underwater than Jacques Cousteau.
The G-Men have given their fans a rush in 2025; a rollercoaster ride that has never been boring (especially since Buster took over), but we need to start being realistic and accept that between now and Sunday the 28th (the last day of the season) Buster will be evaluating his chess pieces for 2026 and we will be privileged to participate in the exercise. The front office has certainly not given up. I just received the email letting me know that I have a deadline for next week to get my playoff tickets. It's either optimism or a last shot at revenue – probably the latter.
The Last Series at home – Pitching and Hitting was a challenge
The team that shall not be named from south of Santa Barbara came into San Francisco this past weekend and did what they expected to do. After squeezing out just one run on four hits Friday, the best offense in baseball ripped San Francisco pitching to shreds in the final two games of a critical three-game series, banging out 35 hits and pouring 23 runs across the plate in an impressive display that Giants’ fans are unfortunately used to seeing. The pain may continue over the next 4 days as the G-Men take on Otani and his band at Chavez Ravine. Then again, maybe not. Hope springs eternal, and maybe we can help the Padres (4 games back of LA and heading into two difficult series against the 1st place Brewers and Arizona), and until we are mathematically eliminated, there is a glimmer of hope.
However, it was troubling that San Francisco’s two All-Star pitchers failed early as the Giants got sub-par performances from both Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. Both All-Stars gave Los Angeles too many opportunities by walking too many batters. And, while Justin Verlander seems to be getting stronger, it may be too late to make a difference.
What happened?
Consistency has been the big issue, and our guys need to break the bad habits that have plagued them for the last two-plus months. Mistakes and bad breaks characterized their play much of the summer and we got a painful reminder of it again in the LA series this last weekend.
Fortunately, there are 10 games left as of Thursday, including the last six at home against two of the league’s bottom dwellers; the young St. Louis Cardinals and the very vulnerable Colorado Rockies. But the slate of seven games this week, losing two out of three at Phoenix against the Snakes and now looking to four in Los Angeles, will probably decide the Giants' fate. Losing last night did not help.
What must happen to pull off a miracle finish (consider: Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs? Too soon??)
We need the big run producers, Rafael Devers, Willy Adames, Matt Chapman, and Jung Hoo Lee, to immediately start putting together some good at-bats. All four of those guys failed to get big hits when needed vs. LA last weekend, and unless they start stinging the ball again, it's not going to happen unless (unlikely) the team that shall not be named tanks.
LA has arguably the best lineup in baseball, headlined by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman. Good luck putting the clamps on them and the rest of their high-priced supporting cast later this week. With our two All-Star aces coming off shaky outings, it’s asking a lot of 42-year-old Justin Verlander and a couple of rookies to come through in pressure-packed games. But this is the big leagues, so it’s win or go home to face a long, cold winter of second guessing and looking for Buster to restructure and rearm for 2026 with new pitchers, Bryce Elridge and the slew of young players (including Drew Gilbert; you have to love the chest bumps) that are just now getting a taste of the show.
If this is the last Czar’s blog of 2025, it’s still fun, and the food and wine at Oracle (and in the Gotham Club) keeps improving. Regardless, I’m looking for company at fan appreciation day, which is always a hoot (and they give away a car!)
On the Board ready for pick up are:
MON 9/22 - 6:45 Cardinals [2]
SAT 9/27 – 1:05 Rockies [4] – Fan Appreciation Day
SUN 9/28 – 12:05 Rockies [2]– I’m going – Fan Appreciation Day
Let the torture continue.
Ciao, and GO GIANTS!
We use mail chimp so give permission for the blog to arrive in your mailbox if you want to receive the blog and participate in the fun. Past blogs can be found at www.beveragelaw.com at the Czar’s blog archive.
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 the 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 22 foul balls myself over 23 years and am looking for more. If we don’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 waitlist.
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.
Oh, and BTW, The Czar found the original Hinman & Carmichael brick from 2000 (after looking for it every year since 2000) and found H&C’s Gotham Club Founders Bat! If you are on the patio, or in the Club, look for the symbols of baseball!
