Dodgers Win Franchise-Record 106 Games!

Today was the last day of Major League Baseball's 2019 regular season, and the Dodgers won their franchise-record 106th game!

Clayton Kershaw pitched a scoreless inning in relief, although his earned run average remained above 3.00 (he would have needed to pitch 3 scoreless innings to get below 3.00), after a Major-League-record 10 consecutive seasons with an ERA less than 3.00. (The number 10 depends on a certain minimum number of innings pitched, so one can quibble with exactly how one should count things.) The second-largest consecutive streak, by Greg Maddux and at least one other, encompasses seven straight seasons.

It was a very nice touch when Madison Bumgarner, in possibly his last game as a Giant, had a pinch-hitting appearance against Clayton Kershaw in the 5th inning.

Also, today was the last game in Bruce Bochy's managerial career. He had announced long ago — before the beginning of the season, I think — that 2019 would be his final season. He'll be entering the Hall of Fame as a manager.

Hidden Giant Art in the Wilderness of Copenhagen

This hidden giant art (and its implementation) is so awesome!

(Tip of the cap to Christopher Dempsey.)

Krukow and Kuiper

Giants broadcasters and former Major Leaguers Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper are the second-best broadcasting team in Baseball right now. (The only one better is Vin Scully, who is only the best sports broadcaster ever.) I often make it a point to listen to them, and I have frequently chosen to watch Giants games over other non-Dodgers games in order to listen to them. They are excellent, and here is an interesting article about their friendship and about the significant physical challenges that Mike Krukow is facing because of a rare disease.

"Batkid"

The Batkid story is really cool! It's nice to see something like this. (Seriously. Take a look at the link.)

(Tip of the cap to Zach Rosenfield for suggesting a googling of "Batkid" on Facebook.)

Update: OK, this story has gotten even cooler! In fact, it is now particularly awesome, as the US Justice Department is now playing along in a very cool way. As you can see, "The Riddler" and "The Penguin" have surely done some hideous crimes, though I think that their attempt to convert Lou Seal into a Los Angeles Dodgers fan is not only forgivable but even laudable, and I would therefore encourage the Justice Department to give them leniency because of that redeeming bit of behavior amidst what were otherwise heinous crimes. (Another hat tip to Zach for the link to the Justice Department website above.)

Health Insurance and 'Grilled Cheese Happiness'

And, sometimes, two advertisements are placed near each other in such a way that it completely messes up the parsing.

This is how an advertisement pertaining to health insurance (Blue Shield) gets associated with 'grilled cheese happiness'. Yeah, it's all happiness until you have a coronary... (More money for the insurance company!)

I See That My Work is Done Here.

I just got a nice e-mail from one of my (British) former undergrads. (I really like hearing from my former students!) Part of his e-mail reads as follows: My current housemate is a massive baseball fan from California. He's a Giants fan and he's really got me into baseball. Though the Giants are having such an awesome season, I can't help but side with the Dodgers, and that's your fault.

I see that my work is done here. :)

Play Ball!

I am listening to the first Dodgers Spring Training game of the year! We're playing the Giants.

Vin Scully isn't announcing yet --- he doesn't announce much in during Spring Training --- so I am listening to Giants broadcasters Jon Miller and Duane Kuiper, who are (a) excellent and (b) much better than Charlie Steiner (who is announcing for the Dodgers today).

Giants band together to score run

On his blog today, Rob Neyer linked to a hilarious article in The Onion entitled San Francisco Giants Band Together To Score Run.

It's a short article, so I'll just reproduce the text below:

MILWAUKEE—The San Francisco Giants put aside their differences Sunday night, working together as a team in a common effort to score a run in a baseball game. The scrappy nine-man crew overcame daunting odds to cobble together the run, as each player used his individual strengths and skills to help string together an unlikely series of events—including a walk, advancement on a wild pitch, an infield single, and perhaps most selfless of all, a ground into double play—that ultimately resulted in a Giant crossing home plate. "This just shows you what a team can do when they put their mind to it," said Giants first-baseman Dan Ortmier, who was swarmed by his celebrating teammates at home plate after scoring the run. The Giants lost to the Brewers 12-1.


(Granted, we're not exactly doing better at the moment, but the article is nonetheless awesome.)

Worst projected Major League regulars

Courtesy Rob Neyer's blog, here is Dayn Perry's list of 2008's worst projected Major League Baseball regulars.

The left fielder is none other than Juan Pierre, though I beg to differ with his assertion that "As long as Pierre's in center field, he is mediocre enough to tolerate." I call bullshit! If he were in center field, I think he'd be the worst player at that position too!

If the Dodgers are smart, we'll just eat Pierre's contract and let both Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier play every day in the outfield. That would improve the defense slightly and improve the offense considerably!

I am heartened, however, that three of the four infielders projected to be the worst at their position are geriatric Giants. That is a team in serious decline, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. (Now I just need to be able to say that accurately about the Yankees as well...)

Headline: Bonds does not tie or break the record against the Dodgers!

Although the Dodgers are losing to the Giants 3-1 today, there is nevertheless some excellent news. Namely, Bonds has not hit a homerun today and Fred Lewis just pinch-ran for him. Today's game is the last of the series, so bonds will not be tying or breaking Hank Aaron's homerun record against us. Dude! That is just so bloody awesome!

I am reconciled to the fact that Bonds will get the record. I just didn't want it to be against us. And it's not because of the steroids (and it's certainly not because he's ornery because I have both sympathy and empathy for that); rather, it's because he's a fucking Giant and I hate the Giants.