Thought I'd share a partially completed essayistic poem. Please forgive the inevitable pretension with any such thing.

Sound is important, but far less are meter and verse. As with all such things, I hope I haven't shot myself with the arrow into the wind, and been made fool by committing thought to word. It isn't finished, and I'm not sure I like it, but it is something enough to share.

10/21

the team that gets it.
And then doesn't.
But they do get you: this could be it
 that WTF beyond the empirical--enigmatic, incomprehensible,
but radiant and very, real, magic. 
'6damn2, 87, maybe '89, 199-damn 3, ^F@!UCK&*ING-game-six02 (add '03 on that, if you really need to count).

I could never be anything else; the colors imprint perception
itself; Memory made monad.
This year could be it. Maybe?

But I wonder; If such is what we are
what will be the team that does?
Is 'magic'  simply sustained,
or must Torture itself be fought?
(and only from within)?

Torture is no marketing word;
Being a personification, a caption
from a great teacher. Minted,
this year; could this be it? Posey's recaptiulation?
Time. aeternitas temporis terminus
in habitus.

The joint irritation of the Fox/Selig scam, and the giants's "offense", along with the chance to see some the little giants, has lead me to consider going to the game tonight. Late notice aside, Anyone else going, or thinking of doing so?

7:05 PM @ Banner Island Ballpark.

I may also go to one of the games next week, back at Muni in SJ. If anyone is going to any of those, let me know. I belive--though I could very well be wrong) that the last two against Lake Elsinore will be Alderson and Madbum starts.

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081010&content_id=3609965&vkey=news_sf&fext=.jsp&c_id=sf

I'm sure many of you have encountered this by now, but I've only seen Marcello's offhand mention of it, so far.

I just don't get it. It seems to me he would be worth a 40 man spot for next year: he's only 22, and it is possible (though not likely) that he might become half mediocre at defense. If not, they could always do this later. I'm not particularly high on Denker, but he isn't a throw away prospect, either. WTF.

I am now nervous about their middle infield plans, as they have also sent Ochoa packing. Not that I'll miss Ochoa much, but at least he can play both positions, and is not bocock bad at the plate. Does this mean they are trying to put Noonan on a rocket ship to the majors? Do they have strange FA machinations at SS (throwing the bank at oft injured furcal), having Burriss as backup SS and in the mix at 2b? Are we looking at Frandsen/Velez at 2b, and Burriss/ ?? at SS? And who on earth is going to be the backup SS, then? Dizzy as your rushed aaa/mlb 3B and 2B?

Seattle              57     98     .368
Washington     58     98     .372
San Diego        61     95     .391
Pittsburgh         65     91     .417

.......................................

Baltimore            67     87     .435
Atlanta                 69     87     .442
Kansas City       70     86     .449
San Francisco   70     86     .449
Colorado             71     85     .455
Detroit                  71     83     .461
Cincinnati            72     83     .465

.........

Oakland                74     81     .477

With 6-7 games to go for most teams, this is where everyone sits. I draw the line after Pitt, since it is highly unlikely SF would match Pitt's record.  It is also highly unlikely that the Giants would match Oakland. Thus we are looking at a range between 5th and 11th.

Baltimore has been playing wretchedly, so the 5th spot also seems out of reach. With the Giants having played well lately, and Lincecum set to make two more starts, it seems likely the Giants will end up between 9 and 11.

I figured it was a good time to post an update of the current standings, as far as draft position goes. Keep in mind that Washington will will have the 9th pick, and it is entirely possible that Hosmer and Alvarez will be available for this draft, with the 3rd pick being Pitt, and the 4th being KC.

Washington        56     90     .384
San Diego           57     90     .388
Seattle                  57     88     .393
Pittsburgh            60     86     .411
Kansas City         62     83     .428
Atlanta                   65     82     .442
San Francisco     65     81     .445     
Cincinnati             66     80     .452
Colorado               67     80     .456
Oakland                67     79     .459
Detroit                   70     76     .479

The Giants would currently be 7th, but that could turn into 10th depending on the Hosmer and Alvarez situation. I'm hoping that the Giants end up with a top 5 pick, as it is some what frustrating to go through a season like this, and not get a top 5 pick,  and the talent level (as far as we currently know it) isn't deep this year.

It seems that Was, SD, Sea, and Pitt will be battling for the top 4 (though KC could be a factor for the 4th). Atl or SF might 'overtake' KC for 5th, but that seems to be about as high as the Giants could end up--and they may well finish out of the top 10 altogether.

The DSL Giants have advanced to the DSL "la Gran Final' vs. the DSL Nationals, which commences tomorrow.  The semi finals (Giants vs Mariners), seemed to be a best of 3 game series; does anyone know if the final is the same? 

I do find it interesting that it is the Nationals who the Giants are facing, since the nationals (including Bowden and Rijo) are currently under federal investigation for 'skimming'--particularly in the Dominican. 

I wish we could watch these games, if only to see if some of these players are at least half as interesting as their names.

So far today, Burriss has turned in what may well be his best left handed at bats this year. With his run scoring liner (yes, a liner off his bat!), Krukow mentioned that not only have the giants been working with him on his swing, but he is now using a 'bigger' bat.  By 'bigger' I assume they mean heavier, and if indeed that is the case I am happy to see it (and I know Sharksrog is too). Both of us--along with others--have advocated his using a heavy bat as they did earlier in baseball, as it would likely improve his line drive ability, and perhaps give something of a threat of an extra base hit.  I'd like to find out how heavy a bat he is now using (perhaps we shall call for Baggs; in any case, a welcome direction

This topic may have been discussed here before, but not recently, I believe.

I am wondering why the Giants, via Augusta, aren't playing Villalona at Third, instead of First.

Though he is certainly big, he seems to move very well (in terms of quickness) around First. He also seems to have a strong arm, though I don't know about accuracy. He made 18 errors at third in rookie ball last year, which is a high amount, but not necessarily indicative of an inability to play third, given his age.

Did any of you happen to watch him play third last year (or encounter credible reports from those who did)?

As we all know, the Giants have an organizational black hole at 3B. We at least have something at 1B, and could always convert Villalona later if needed.

The reports I've read on his play at 3B is that he is raw, but didn't address whether it is 'raw: forget about it' or 'raw: give it time'. Any thoughts?

Caveats + secondary thoughts:

The giants sort of have Gillaspie at 3b, but he hasn't signed yet (though likely will), and he seems a safe bet to be a Mueller type, there is no guarantee he will pan out as such. Plus, the move to 1B for Villalona occurred before the draft, so Gillaspie certainly wasn't a consideration.

I presume the Giants have given this some thought and decided against it, so perhaps he played poorly, but it just isn't clear that is so. I have also heard that they are open to playing him at 3B, and are not thinking he is set at 1B. Yet, if this is so,  why not play him at 3B, as it is an organizational need and premium position. It might be because they want him to have experience at both, (moving him back to 3B after this year), so there is flexibility depending on how the next few drafts play out.

On another note:

He's had a nice July. I recently saw monthly splits, but can't seem to locate the information again. I believe he's .270 something for the month, and I suspect his SO have decreased, though they are still high.