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.
The Giants this year (so far anyway) are playing it safe for the fans with a 25% occupancy limit at the stadium, mandatory covid vaccinations (or negative tests), masks required and isolated seating groups (including a special vaccinated fans section). Charter season ticket holders have priority, so we have four seats for the May home games in our traditional section 118, but our historic two and two seating in rows 25 and 26 is now a four in line in row 27 right behind home plate. We can all live with that. June will be different, how different we will know at the end of May.
2021 – A Rebuilding Year? Really?
The pre-season prognosis was the Giants are in a rebuilding year in a tough division against the WS champion (the team with the blue uniforms) and the resurgent Padres (who spent a fortune on improving their roster). That is why starting the month of May in first place, as of today at 17 and 11 with a tie for the best record in baseball, and ½ game in front of LA, is such a pleasant experience. Most of the baseball world does not expect this run to continue (the MLB pundits are twisting themselves into pretzels trying to figure it out) but those of us who wear orange and black know better – April was a great month, every game felt like the G-Men were getting better and this is a good team. It’s feeling like 2010.
April featured solid pitching, good defense, timely hitting (even though most of the team is hitting barely above the Mendoza line, and just got off the interstate in the last two weeks, the hits have been at the right time) and good decision making by a GM, an experienced manager and a coaching staff better than anyone anticipated. I must give props to Farhan and Gabe – they are making good moves (including the early season Wandy Peralta for Mike Tauchman Yankees trade – Mike had the two run HR that set the table for the 7-1 victory over the Padres yesterday) and the analytics during the game are paying off so far. Players are being shifted around like they are on a chessboard being played by Beth Harmon, but it’s working.
What does the team look like so far - one month into the season?
As prognosticated last month this is a group of good-looking players playing well. One or two guys go down (Yaz and Solano, for example) and the rest of the team picks them up. Posey is playing out of his mind (taking last season off helped it appears) with a .359 average, 9 RBI’s, 14 runs and 6 dingers with stellar defense. Longoria is batting .275 with 12 RBI’s and 4 HR’s, Slater is playing like a star (fast and fearless) and Yaz (on the 10-day DL getting healthy) is expected back in May. Where to put him with Slater and Tauchman playing so well will be the question. The mystery is how well the team is doing regardless of the team batting average being well under .250. 34 home runs in April account for a lot of the victories but defense and pitching count just as much. My take is that it’s the old guys (Posey and Longoria) playing like their MVP seasons. If both keep this up for the season the G-Men will be a hard team to handle.
The starting pitchers are playing like this is a stretch run – with confidence, power and cunning (although a lot of that could be a rejuvenated Buster, and his super backup Casali). The starting pitchers ERA’s are hovering around 2.0, Kevin Gausman is nails, Alex Wood is rejuvenated, and Webb and DeSclafani are confident. Johnny Cueto is on the DL and when he comes back getting his spot in the rotation back may be difficult. The bullpen has had a few meltdowns but is doing the job well – especially Tyler Rodgers, who is channeling vintage Sergio Romo.
What do we have to look forward to in May?
This month will be a good test, with games against the Padres, Dodgers, and the Rangers on tap at home, and the Rockies, Reds, Snakes and Pirates on the road. We still haven’t seen the G-Men against the NL East but that will happen in June.
On the board ready to be picked up are:
Ciao, and GO GIANTS!
The Czar
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 usually has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. Covid will change the protocol month by month but real life may reappear for the August and September stretch run. 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.