She's A Gamer

There are a lot more important things in life than baseball... I just haven’t found out what they are yet.

[shesagamer]

Oh, I'm ready for it. Come on bring it....

I can hear the faint bells of Spring Training... can you?

Updates coming soon.... I promise!

[shesagamer]

Welcome to San Francisco Angel Pagan.

[shesagamer]

San Francisco cuts ties with Tejada, Rowand

Rumors have been circulating around the possibility of San Francisco negotiating a deal before the waiver deadline this afternoon, but instead of finding a bat they’ve decided to clear out the garbage in their line-up.

The Giants have designated for assignment two of their most unproductive veterans, Miguel Tejada and Aaron Rowand. This comes after another disappointing loss to another below .500 team. While Tejada and Rowand are just a few players in a long list of guys not making the cut, these two have seen their playing time greatly diminished.

Tejada, who signed a $6.25M deal last off-season, lost his everyday playing job after missing 25 games with a lower abdominal strain. Even though his replacements, Mike Fontenot and Orlando Cabrera, are not any better at the plate, their range is slightly better. Tejada leaves the Giants having only batted .239 with 4 home runs and 26 runs batted in.

The release of Aaron Rowand is something that’s been a long time coming, for both sides. Rowand is in the fourth year of a 5-year, $60M contract, but has been riding pine since the Giants acquired outfielder Carlos Beltran and allowed prized Rookie Brandon Belt to play regularly. While saying that he hasn’t helped the Giants win a few games is rubbish - he did have that fantastic catch at the wall to save Jonathan Sanchez’s no-hitter- he has failed to meet the expectations the Giants had for him.

I am sure the Giants clubhouse will miss these player’s greatly, but their releases have made way for others to get a chance to shine. The Giants purchased the contract of outfielder/1rst baseman Brett Pill and reinstated fan favorite Pat Burrell off the disabled list.

Pill, who has spent the season at Triple-A Fresno, will hopefully produce big numbers for San Francisco. Playing for the Grizzlies this season, Pill has compiled a .312 average, with 36 doubles, 25 homers and 107 runs batted in. He currently leads the Pacific Coast League in five different categories.

The Giants have been playing pretty bad as of late, and well I’m not sure that eating almost $14M on these releases is economically sound, it may be what they need to kick start their offense. After all, they did release players with hefty salaries so it’s clear they do not factor in money when it comes to whether you stay or if you go….

Unless you’re Barry Zito, cause who can afford that contract.

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If all goes right, on September 6 Stephan Strasburg will take the ball in a major league game for the first time in over a year.

Strasburg, a  right-handed pitcher for the Washington Nationals has been recovering from a Tommy John surgery that has sidelined him since August of his 2010 rookie season. Considered the "ace" of the Nationals rotation, Strasburg will make one more start at Double-A Harrisburg before heading to D.C. 

[shesagamer]

Oh, you pessimistic son-of-a-gun

After lasts nights horrific loss to the Cubs, my grandfather came into my room and declared ” Those Giants aren’t worth a poop! Their season is over, I’m moving on..”

Now if there is one thing you should know about my  grandfather is that he’s a lunatic. He says the exact same thing every time the Giants lose. He seems to lose faith in the team he’s cheered for all his life, simply because he can’t understand why it is they are incapable of self improvement…

Now it's no secret the Giants are playing horrible baseball. They don’t have a consistent power bat, their speed is limited, veterans who should be leading the squad are sulking in corners and it seems like a new person gets hurt everyday. Not to mention they cannot execute routine plays and almost everyone looks lost at the plate.

For most teams, players and coaches recognize these flaws in their game and work on fixing them. But the Giants don’t seem to do that.

The batters swing at the same bad balls, which the hitting coach should help correct. The middle infield is breaking down on every play, but it’s nothing that couldn’t be solved with extra field work.

I know these players are working hard, but sometimes you have to work a bit harder to reep the benefits. And sometimes you gotta fire or demote someone who’s not getting the job done.

Until the Giants fix all their problems -which includes the mental side of the game- they are gonna sink further and further out of contention.

But while it seems like any hope of a repeat is slowly fading away, I hope Giants fans continue to stand by their team. Things can change in a moments notice: you never know if a team your chasing suddenly hits a 10 game losing streak.

So don’t throw in the towel just yet Grandpa, there’s still plenty of baseball left for the Giants to make a comeback.

[shesagamer]

The Philadelphia Phillies have released their own "It gets Better" video featuring Chase Utley and Hunter Pence, among others.

Congratulations Phillies. I knew there were some good guys under all those ego's. 

But seriously, good job.

[shesagamer]

San Francisco: There's No Cheering in the Press Box...

This saying has been said many times over and I totally understand it: you are not supposed show any kind of biased towards a specific team and/or player.

But I'm not subject to those rules and I'm gonna cheer as loud as possible today because...

The San Francisco Giants are throwing rookie Eric Surkamp out on the mound to face the Houston Astros!

With Jonathan Sanchez and Barry Zito on the DL with an ankle issues and a lack of confidence in reliever Dan Runzler, the Rookie southpaw will take the ball for Bruce Bochy and try to keep the Giants in the game.

Surkamp, 24, was San Francisco's sixth-round pick in 2008 (177th overall) and has put up encouraging numbers for Double-A affiliate, the Richmond Flying Squirrels. In 23 appearances (22 starts) Surkamp has posted a 10-4 record with a 2.02 ERA, 165 K's and 44 walks. Not too shabby for one of the Giants top pitching prospects.

Everyone is hoping for smooth sailing in Surkamp's ML Debut as he joins an illustrious list of home-grown starters currently in the Giants rotation, most notably Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain. But overall, Giants fans can't wait to see the farm talent the front office was so confident in when they traded away #1 pitching Prospect, Zack Wheeler.

I have to say I love Major League Debuts. There's something about little kids dreams coming true right before your eyes that melts my heart. Not to mention I've watched these players come through the San Francisco organization. I am an avid Minor League Baseball fan and have seen many of the Giants stars pitch in San Jose and Fresno. Surkamp himself played in San Jose last year, helping the Giants to win their 2nd consecutive Cal League Championship.

I've heard scouts say Surkamp doesn't have the best stuff: he's not overly powerful and his top speeds trail off around the high 80's. But he is said to have one of the best changeups and has passed that point of just being a hurler and has evolved into a pitcher. He may not of had a start above Double-A before but neither did Pablo Sandoval and Giants fans are happy about how that turned out...

[shesagamer]

Don't Mind Me...

My Queue is messed up.

My posts from my phone are in Limbo.

Things are coming late that were supposed to be posted ages ago.

I think I need to stop using a beta app that has bugs.

That is all.

[shesagamer]

I bet sitting behind the dish in the A's blowout loss to the Yankee's was not what catcher Anthony Recker had in mind for his Major League debut. But unfortunately that's what he got as Yankee hitters blasted three home runs and charged six different Oakland pitchers for 22 runs.

It causes one to think if the Yankees were stealing signs from the rookie catcher or if the A's relievers are just that bad. Either way it is another horrendous loss on a season that should have turned out better for the green and gold. The A's have tremendous pitching and hitters that have the power to hit a big fly or two, but unlike teams who are also pitching heavy and (occasionally) offense bare, the A's just can't seem to garner wins to keep them in the mix.

The A's need to put together better winning seasons if they hope their fans will follow and support them in their push for a new stadium. If they don't... well even the faithful give up on a team that can't return their devotion to the franchise.

[shesagamer]

The Giants have claimed Heath Bell off waivers from the San Diego Padres... but there is just about a snow balls chance in hell that they'll be awarded the claim.

San Diego would never in their right mind trade a significant arm like Bell's to a division foe like the Giants, let alone to the team that squashed their chances at post-season glory just last year. If anything, the Padres move of Bell to the waiver list was just a trick to see how much attention he would garner in the off-season when he reaches free-agency.

Additionally, the Giants more than likey put a bid on Bell just to stop any other team from getting him. Once a team has put a claim on a player the teams have 48 hours to reach a deal otherwise the player will be pulled back and cannot go on waivers again.

While I would love to see Bell in the Bay, he will not be heading to AT&T. Plus he already tweeted no.

This did however spark some speculation from fans and the media on if this claim of the Padres closer had any indication on the Giants health status of their bearded one. Closer Brian Wilson was recently put on the Disabled List for the 2nd time this season, and while the  real prognosis has been kept hush-hush, the lack of information has led people to believe the injury is worse than what San Francisco is letting on.

[shesagamer]

San Francisco: Burrell to start Rehab Stint

Giants Outfielder Pat Burrell will begin a rehab assignment today with the Single A club, the San Jose Giants.

Burrell has been on the Disabled List since July 15th and will test out his injured right foot by DH'ing the next 2 days. This assignment will determine the decision Burrell's been contemplating for awhile: whether he can still contribute to this team or if it's time to call it a career.

Doctor's have reportedly told Pat Burrell that the injury to his foot would require surgery that could possibly end his career. But like in true "Machine" fashion, he was not having that.

So begins the rehab and the chance to see if he can contribute as at least a pinch hitter for the Giants down the stretch.

I am really hoping this goes well for Burrell, not just because he is one of my favorite players, but because you can tell just by seeing him in the dugout cheering on his teammates how much he hates not being on the field. Hopefully his time in San Jose is productive and he can make his way back to the team in September

If not, well than...

[shesagamer]

Does this player need an ego check or do these fans need to learn the whole story?

Texas Rangers Ace CJ Wilson ruffled the feathers of quite a few people this week when he criticized the stadium and fan base of the Oakland A’s.

In an after-game interview CJ Wilson let it be known that he does not like pitching at O.Co stadium and he isn’t too fond of their fans, or rather lack thereof. “I hate pitching there,” Wilson said according to ESPNDallas.com. “The mound sucks, the fans suck. There’s no fans there.”

Those are some pretty harsh words for a guy who seems like a genuine player of the game. Even as a fan of Wilson I was pretty taken back by his remarks. I do not understand why he would take his opinion of the A's to that level; especially since reporters only asked Wilson about his next start (which would be in Oakland). To say such things in an interview, regardless of how you feel about a player or a team, is unnecessary. To me, there is no room in professional sports for such ignorant criticism.

However, while I don't believe that Wilson should had versed his disliking for the Rangers division rivals in that way, the next part of his statement (which did not get reported in full by some media outlets), is something A's fans cannot deny.

"There’s no fans there. It’s too bad, because the fans that are there are adamant, they’re really stoked on the team, they wave flags and play drums. And that’s cool. But there are 6,000 people there and it’s kinda sad because it’s a major league team and there are guys who are pretty good players.”

Wilson also commented on the Atheltics push for a new staduim, something he believes will get people to enjoy rooting for this team again.

Now isn't that something A's fans can relate to?

The Athletics have a good fan base: devoted and as spirited as they come. But their numbers have never been very significant, even when the team was a winning franchise. Part of that reason is due to the location and current state of the Colosseum. It is after all a football arena that has had to withstand the beatings of boisterous Raider fans. So one can understand why people do not want to show up to games. No one wants to see a below .500 team in a stadium that smells like old gym socks. But if the front office ever succeeds in building a new stadium, that should be the jump start the players and the fans need to rebuild  their championship team.

While CJ Wilson's comments were an unnecessary response to the battering of reporters questions, they were not totally off-base. Still, I understand the hatred A's fans now have for the native Californian. They can rest assure that Wilson only comes into town a couple times a year and they never have to worry about Billy Beane (Head) signing Wilson as a Free Agent. Not only does he hate pitching in Oakland, but apparently he's convinced the A's players hate him as well.

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In the end A's fans, don't hate CJ Wilson for hating you. Instead feel sorry for the fact that he obviously has a "the worlds out to get me" superiority complex and relies on the pity of others to sustain his hipster life.

[shesagamer]

"I didn't feel like I did anything. I just went out there to protect my pitcher, I know I may have looked a little crazy jumping around out there, but other than that, that was my intention -- to protect Ramon. I'm happy with the outcome."

San Francisco Giants catcher Eli Whiteside after receiving the news of the punishment for his part in the skirmish between the Giants and Phillies.

Eli did look a little funny jumping around in front of Victorino before "tackling' Polanco, but he was trying to put some distance between the Phillies centerfielder and Ramon Ramierez. Because I don't care what Victorino said, his movement out of the batters box towards the mound sure looked like he was going to charge it.

[shesagamer]

You know you're a RACIST when...

If you haven't heard about Tony Bruno's comments about Giants skipper Bruce Bochy's cowardliness or his 'illegal alien" intentionally throwing at a batter, well then considering yourself lucky.

After Friday's heated feud between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Francisco Giants resulted in the clearing of the benches, Philadelphia-based broadcaster Tony Bruno called out the Giants manager for being a corward and telling his illegal alien to throw at Victorino. Bruno took to his twitter to voice his obviously racist remarks but later deleted the tweet and some what apologized for the remarks.

While I have never liked Bruno's over the top biased reports of today's sports, I never expected him to say such vile, uncalled for remarks. Then again, what did I expect from someone who more or less trashes my favorite teams on the media stations that broadcast their games. I have seriously lost any shred of respect for Mr. Bruno that I may have had. Not that there was much to begin with.

I sure hope that KNBR and that buffoon Gary Radnich distance themselves from Bruno and his Racist views. San Francisco is far too liberal to stand for his prejudicial opinions.

[shesagamer]

The deal is done. Carlos Beltran is headed to San Francisco.

Beltran, one of the most coveted bats on the trade list this season, is about to put on the orange and black and help the Giants to another WS title.

Giants GM Brian Sabean has agreed to a deal for Beltran sending top pitching prospect Zack Wheeler to the Mets. Beltran is expected to provide middle of the order power for the struggling Giants.

Now it has to be determined who from the current roster will be dropped and who is gonna be riding pine. My guess is that Nate Schierholtz and Cody Ross will receive significantly lower amounts of playing time with Beltran expected to cover right field.

While I think that the Giants needed a strong bat to help them push for a playoff run, I'm not too keen on giving up Wheeler for a 3 month rental. The Giants are reliant on top pitching throughout their organization, and I guess by giving up their 2009 first round pick they are confident in the other hurlers on the farm.

I hope Beltran will come in and do what he was bought for and that the Giants don't regret dealing away Wheeler for him.

** Note to haters, this blog is run by a girl... the half-naked picture of Beltran is necessary. Chalk it up to female perspective;)

[shesagamer]

Derek Jeter was awarded the American League player of the week honors after hitting .370 with four doubles, a home run, and four RBI's. This week also included his storied 3,000 hit, a home run to put him at three for the year.

I guess this is why Jeter could not play in the all-Star game... his week does sound tiring.

And if you couldn't catch the sarcasm in that I feel sorry for you.

[shesagamer]

A big 3-Run Homer to left center by Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder helped the National League garner a win over their AL opponents on Tuesday. Fielder's Home Run, along with timely hits by LA Dodgers Outfielder Andre Ethier and San Francisco Giants infielder  Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval, led the NL to their 2nd consecutive win in the All Star Game series.

With all the controversy surrounding this game, i.e. all the lame Yankees bowing out of the festivities, it is easy to forget what these professional athletes are really playing for in the ASG: the fans, and home field advantage in the World Series. 

No one currently knows better than Giants fans how important it is for your team to have home field advantage in the World Series. After all, starting the series at home in San Francisco gave the Giants' offensively challenged team the confidence they needed to defeat one of the more stacked line-ups in baseball.

But besides the prize of the game for the players it is also important to remember that the ASG is an exciting match-up for fans of baseball to watch. There is no other game where you are able to see guys like Jeter, A-Rod, Utley, and Fielder take the same field. Fans of Major League Baseball vote these players into the game, and those fans deserve a good game in return.

During a press interview Fielder's teammate Ryan Braun said it best: "This game is for the fans, for all those who support us through the season. We want to give them a good show, it's what they deserve."

I personally think some players forget that; this game is for the fans. One would think that these over-paid athletes would all share Braun's sentiment and want to play or at least show up and give a tip of the cap in appreciation. Not to mention that most of these players receive incentives for being an All-Star, monetary bonuses mind you that are obtained even if a player does not attend the game.

But alas, some players are just to exhausted to care about the people who support them day in and day out as them play a game meant for kids on a playground.