Tom Ontis's San Francisco Giants fan blog

The day we baseball fans wait for for five months is upon us again!  Can't wait for April 7th, when I settle into my seats at ATT Park for Opening Day...Opening Day is special:  The bunting is out, the dignitaries are out, pretending they care about the Giants, and the fans are rarin' and ready to go.  Even at 55, I still get goosebumps...Now that Tim Lincecum is the staff ace,  Barry Zito should benefit.  If you remember, he was the #3 guy in Oakland and he did AOK...Looks like a rotation of Lincecum, Randy Johnson, Matt Cain, Zito and Jonathan Sanchez.  For the immediate future, Noah Lowry is out of the picture.  We may not see him again...Two moves this spring: Dave Robertswas released a couple of weeks ago and Jack Taschnerwas traded to the Phill

Continue reading "The bell is about to ring!!! Giants vs. Brewers April 7th!"

Spring has sprung for the Giants and the other teams in Arizona and Florida.  Though the games don't count, I like watching the progress of the team...A couple of guys are fighting for a spot on the 25-man roster, where just 3 spots may be available...Dave Roberts and his huge salary did not fit into the teams' plans.  The Giants still have to pay him though...'Lights out Lincecum' has pitched the equivalent of one game, nine innings and has given up just two hits.  He walked three in his last outing last week...Giants again led the league in walks: Yikes!... Big Unit keeps them in awe.  At 45 he still pitches as well as ever.  No back problems this year.  I see his 300th win about June 1st...Barry Zito has struggled a little, but is in the best shape of his l

Continue reading "Wow! Spring has Sprung!"

The Giants Spring Training is just around the corner, as the pitchers and catchers report on February 14th, (we know what that date is guys.)  Position players report a few days later, with the full squad scheduled for workouts around the 20th of the month.  This is the earliest report date in recent years.  Guess the teams want to get the most out of all the money they are paying these guys...The addition of Randy Johnson could only help.  Though he has a history of not being a leader in the clubhouse, he says that he is going to do more of that, as this will probably be his last year.  He is a lock for first ballot Hall of Fame, so here he comes in 2014!...The Manny-stakes:  No, from this corner!  Yes he could provide the bat they need, but he is a cancer in the same way Bonds was a cancer.  With a talented young team, they do not need a grumpy old man in the clubhouse.  And the loser would be the multi-talented Freddie Lewis.  If Lewis can settle into the fifth position and cut down on his strikeouts, he will be OK.  I'm still waiting for his inside-the-park-homer.  Maybe this year...Barry Zito has got to bounce back to his A's-like performances this year.  Since he is not the ace any longer, (How about that Tim Lincecum?) he may be more comfortable.  If he can get 13-14 wins, OK. Barry and his contract are not going away and he is not going to give any of the money back...There will be a fight at second base, but odds are on Emmanuel Burris being the starter.  He started slow last year, but ended up with a .280 average.  No pop though, but Jeff Kent was an exception.  And, he is a speed burner!...That's all for now.  Good reading.  January 17th, 2009

Continue reading "Giants Spring Training Just around the corner!"

Dear Readers (All 10 of you...)Yes it has been a while since I posted.  As a looooooooooooongtime Giants fan, it is becoming more difficult to find something good to say about the team this year.  There have been some moments of glory, but most of the season is a stinker, to put it into polite terms.  The brightest spot all year has been Tim 'The Franchise' Lincecum , who at 12-3 is the only pitcher with double digit wins.  And the way it is going, only Matt Cain will even have a  chance to come close.  Timmy still leads he league in K's and he should top 200 this year.  Cy Young?  Not for a losing team on the west coast, though Steve Carlton did win one yar when he won over 20 of the team's entire total...Matt Cain; We are starting to

Continue reading "It's been a while..."

Dear Readers (all five of you,) It has been a while since I have posted.  With the state of the Giants, there is not much to post, but...Barry Zito went 8 innings of shutout ball last night (8/2) against the San Diego Padres.  But remember, they are worse than the G-men...Having won 3-2 in 10 innings on Friday night, today (8/3) they are seeking a sweep this afternoon...After today, they are back home to the Atlanta Braves and the hated Los Angeles Dodgers...With just one-third of the schedule to go, the Giants aren't going anyplace, except 2009...General Manager Brian Sabean took a lot of heat for not pulling off any trades except Ray Durham before the July 31st deadline.  Other teams still want Cain and Lincecum, and that ain't going to happen.  In one trade rumo

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A funny thing happened to the Giants and their fans at At&T Park on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday:  Not only did they sweep the series against the Nationals, Matt Cain pitched a four hit shutout on Thursday, striking out four and NOT ISSUING ANY WALKS, which has always been one of his biggest problems: Too many pitches cause too many walks...Cain now stands at 130 K's for 4th in the National League, but...Cain used a little more off speed stuff, striking out one batter with a 69 mile per hour pitch.  I might be able to hit that!...Go Matt...The Giants three baby pitchers are still in the Top 10 with K's:  Lincecum 2nd, with 143; Cain and Jonathan Sanchez at 6th with123...Note:  BIG CC Sabathia tops the league with 154, but most of those were with Cleveland. 

Continue reading "A funny thing happened...!"

It's tough to be positive when the Giants just keep losing.  They were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend at AT&T Park in San Francisco.  Scores: 7/18, 9-1; 7/19, 8-5; 7/207-4.  They were outscored 24-10!  'Lights Out" Lincecum did strike out seven and still leads the league with 143 K's; but took the loss nonetheless.  He is 2-2 since the SI cover three weeks ago.  He missed the All-Star game with the flu...Giants now stand at

40-58, their worst standing of the year...Ray Durham, a Giant for six years+ was traded to the Brewers, so he did not have to make a plane trip across the country to meet his new team.  Giants don't play the Brewers again this season, so he can't hurt them. Word is the prospects they picked up are major league material...Now that the Giants are sellers, we may see some other veterans go by the way and play the young guys, which is what the fans have hoped for all along.  As a season ticket holder, I have been hoping for that too.  Ray-Ray has provided the Giants a lot of excitement the past 6 years, except when he didn't.  He has chronic hamstring problems, (such is the affliction of an athlete.)...Rich Aurilia may the next to go and so may Randy Winn.  The Giants have always had a abundance of good young outfielders (think George Foster) and could nlot fit them i n to the lineup.  Nate Schierholtz is biding his time in Fresno...A few years back, Todd Linden was the next surefire star, but couldn't hit much.  Last I heard he was in Tampa (#1)...Giants have as lot of 'Punch and Judy' hitters, they need pop and no #25 will not be resigned after the September roster goes up to 40!...Zito is showing a little improvement.  He has been taken out of the 'staff ace' role to #3, a position he enjoyed in Oakland.  May help...Three with Washington next week, then the D-backs to wrap up a nine game home-stand...Good readin' and Good rootin' July 20th (Moon landing day-39 years ago.  I was at Candlestick Park when man landed on the Moon and Gaylord Perry hit a homerun)  

Continue reading "It's Tough"

Giants Win!  Normally that would not be such a big deal, but since it was the first time in over a week, it merits a big deal...No surprises that "The Franchise," Tim Lincecum was on the winning end of the proposition.  He climbed to 11-2, facing fellow All-Star Ryan Dempster, who also had 10 wins to his credit.  'Lights Out Lincecum' struck out nine, had the rythym going as was in complete control all the way....Timmy, as they call him in the clubhouse, because he really does look like a 14 year old batboy who has lost his way, is on his way as the team repesentative, with saves leader Brain Wilson (25), to Yankee Stadium for the All-Star game on Tuesday.  He may pitc h one inning.  Who knows if Wilson will see the mound on Tuesday...Lincecum was the fea

Continue reading "Giants Win! Giants win! Giants Win!"

Dear Readers...Sorry for the absence, but getting married, doing the honeymoon thing and coming back to the real world has left me little time to write.  But I am back and you will see regular posts again.  I promise.  Unless something unusual happens, I will be doing a series update, rather than a game-by-game update...Giants had a 7 home game mini-series with the Cubs, (4) and the HATED LOS ANGELES DODGERS (3)...Their record was 3-4, splitting with the Cubs, while the Dodgers took two of the three.  It's tougher as a Giants fans to have them lose to the HATED LOS ANGELES DODGERS, largely because it is your main rival and there are so many smug Dodger fans in attendance...The Boos and chants regularly erupt around AT&T Park.  BEAT LA is the most popular and th

Continue reading "Dear Readers..."

Hi readers, I'm back!!!!!...Spent the last week getting married to my now lovely wife and a honeymoon in beautiful San Diego.  Both were great!!!!!...Now, to the business at hand...Giants win 2 of 3 from the A's, taking back some of the boasting rights that they lost by being swept two weeks ago.  Pitching* was way better and so was the offense for the most part...Would it surprise you that TIM LINCECUM threw another great game on Saturday evening at the Colosseum, going 7 strong innings, and striking out 11.  Those K's gives him114 K's in 109.2** inn ngs.  His 9 wins ties him for fourth in the league and his ERA of 2.38 puts him near the top for the year... BENGIE MOLINA and AARON ROWAND continue to be among the tops in the league, with .307 for 9th and

.297 for 17th.  Not too far behind ROWAND is the ever present RANDY WIN N, at 21st with a .295 average...Now, what I really think: Randy Winn is the best of the everyday players on the team right now.  He has been around .300 all year, plays pretty much everyday and contributes all the time.  He needs to cut down on his strikeouts.  He may be trade bait the next month with the non-waiver deadline approaching.  Enjoy him while you can...JOHN BOWKER has come out of his month long slump and is producing again.  He has 8 homers...But my question is: How come the team gave up so early on Daniel Ortmeier, but installed Bowker at first base and stuck with him during his troubled times?  Only the Shadow knows...Giants still need a 3rd sacker that is not a last minute emergency.  Angel Vilona is still three years away...Hey, that commercial where the guy is standing over a skillet of frying eggs and says; "I don't know where a spatula is, but I know where the Giants are..." was made for me.  Ask my wife...

Continue reading "I'M BACK!!!!!"