Marlin fans... don't get worked up over the stadium name

The Marlins new ballpark is coming along around the site of the old Orange Bowl.
What's it going to be called?

According to Big League Stew, one of my favorite reads on line, some Marlin fans are worried about the name sounding too corporate. Or perhaps even worse taking on a name that would make everyone think of a foreign conglomerate.

Let me say something very clear here, Marlins fans.
WHO CARES?

Listen to me and listen well. (I think that was grammatically correct.)

Would you rather have a stadium that SOUNDED great or that was a great place to see a ballgame?

The worst era of baseball stadiums gave us some of the best names for parks in history.
And the current crop of stadiums have decidedly mediocre or cold and corporate sounding names.

Let me show you what I mean.

Take Philadelphia for example.

The Phillies used to play in Veterans Stadium.

That is a great name for a sporting venue. Honoring the military, it had a nice rhythm to its name and a cool nickname as well.

"The Vet."

And it was an awful cookie cutter park. It was dark and ugly and unappealing.

But it had a cool name. MUCH cooler than Citizens Bank Ballpark.
Which is a better place to play?

Two of the greatest stadium names EVER were Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.


Both were perfectly tailored to their cities. The Ohio River was the lifeblood of Cincinnati and its stadium name reflected that.

Pittsburgh was formed at the meeting points of the Ohio Monongahela and Allegheny rivers, and the stadium name paid tribute to all three.

Look at the two pictures above. Quickly... which one is which? Chances are you have to look at the surroundings of the stadium to figure out which one is in Pittsburgh and which one is in Cincinnati instead of looking at the stadium itself.

The names didn't make the stadium.

Jack Murphy helped bring big league sports to San Diego and the stadium honored him... and was a dull dull dull stadium.

Compare that to the corporate named PetCo Park, which is a fabulous stadium in the heart of the city.

It is a stadium that would make Jack Murphy proud.



I would say few ballpark names were better than Candlestick Park.

It had geographic relevance. It was descriptive of where in San Francisco it was located.

Calling it a Park instead of a Stadium was a nice touch. And it had a wonderful nickname, "The Stick."

And as someone who went to many games there, I can tell you "The Stick" sucked. It was cold. It was ugly. It was poorly designed for baseball and equally ill fitting for football. It was freezing in August and there was one road leading in and out which meant traffic jams even if the game had a tiny crowd.

Compare that to the coldly corporate sounding AT&T Park. Its name reflects corporate take overs as it was originally Pacific Bell Park, then SBC Park and finally the Death Star's stadium.

And it is the most beautiful, most fan friendly and unique new ballpark in the country with fascinating features and the greatest new tradition in baseball: The boats in McCovey Cove.


It's not all in the name, Marlins fans.
You guys are finally getting a baseball only stadium and who knows? Miami might become a destination spot for free agents. Fans can come out to the game and not be baked or rained upon. And the core of players are talented. It might be a glorious time for a franchise that has a World Series title in each of the last two decades.

So who cares if it is called Blackwater Stadium?

It's a potentially great new place where all new memories of terrific and possibly sustained Marlins teams can grow.

Names are irrelevant.

Take a look at the current Marlins stadium. I think it changed names twice since I started writing this blog post.

I honestly thought it was still called Dolphin Stadium.

Evidently it is called Sun Life Stadium... not to be confused with Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium and Land Shark Stadium.

If the new park changes its name as often as the old one did, it won't matter. The PARK will be where you will be happy, no matter what it is called.

I am jealous of my dad

He is currently sitting at AT&T Park watching the Defending World Champion San Francisco Giants take on the Cleveland Indians.

Late afternoon game... Madison Bumgarner on the mound... have fun dad.

Giants tickets are the best value in all of baseball

There might be cheaper tickets.
There might be tickets closer to home plate.

But when you buy a baseball ticket, you are basically expecting to see a 9 inning game.
With the Giants, inevitably you will more than 9 innings and inevitably a walk off win.

I mean it seems like every other Giants win is a furious 9th inning comeback capped off with a walk off hit in extra innings and Krukow and Kuiper losing their voices.

Folks, extra baseball at no extra cost?
That's a great value!

And even if the Giants LOSE in extra innings, you get to see something memorable... like Buster Posey's career being on the line.

In these tough times, you can NOT beat that.

Jealous of my dad

The Giants just won a come from behind game against the Rockies.

It was a great game...

And my dad, the huge Giants fan was as thrilled as any fan for the 8th inning game winning rally.

Where did he watch the game?


Club level at AT&T Park!

Hope you had fun Poppy!

Awesome overload at AT&T Park

There will never be a night like this again in San Francisco.

Oh there might be another ring ceremony by China Basin.
And there will no doubt be another "down to the last strike surreal walk off win" for the Giants. So far they have had two in two home games this year.

But there will never be a first ring ceremony again.
Never again will there be a night where Hall of Famers Willie McCovey and Gaylord Perry get their first ever World Series rings. (Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda got rings, but those were their second rings. Willie won in 1954. Cha Cha with the 1967 Cardinals.)

And to combine that with the surreal ending and Miguel Tejada basically saying "I want a ring too!" and you have a night that will never be replicated.

The great things about the Ring Ceremony is that it gives the previous championship a final exclamation. Everyone who got a ring (including Barry Zito) never has to wonder if they will ever reach the top of the baseball world. So many Hall of Famers played long and wonderful careers and never got that.

I wonder if the Madison Bumgarners and Buster Poseys, who spent part of 2010 in the minor leagues and won as a rookie, really understood what Perry and McCovey's rings meant.

They each played 22 seasons and never won a Series (although if McCovey's line drive eluded Bobby Richardson, then it would have been a different story.)

So 2010 is over. Focus on 2011.
And if the first few games are any indication, it is going to be nuts.

A great day for three Yankees with bad timing

The Giants and their coaching staff got their World Series rings yesterday. And for three members of the coaching staff it was especially sweet.

Dave Righetti, Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens and Roberto Kelly were all supposed to be big parts in a revamped Yankees team in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Unfortunately for them, the Yankees were dreadful when they played for them.

Had they played for the Yankees for a few more years, they may have had a chance to win a World Series (or 4) with the Joe Torre led squad. Instead they went through their playing career without a ring.

I am sure watching the many Yankee World Series ring celebrations over the years put a little bit of envy into them.

Now they've got rings of their own.

As I wrote last October, Yankee fans should have rooted for the Giants in the post season.
Now I hope a few Yankee fans are happy for some of the representatives of some not as lucky times in the Bronx.

The Giant Alternative - A Sully Baseball Video

In my latest video, I question what MLB has done to appeal to younger fans and ask why they aren't marketing the World Champions more.

Filmed on location at AT&T Park... camera work by my lovely wife.

You are damn right Giants fans should cheer Barry Bonds

Barry threw out the first pitch yesterday afternoon in San Francisco, and no doubt people will fret over it... wondering what message it will send the kids.

Funny, the other night when Andy Pettitte pitched a wonderful game against Cliff Lee, I don't remember people saying how disgusting it was that he was playing.

He used the stuff.

He followed Clemens from New York to Houston and back again.

He denied it at first, and then after getting caught was hailed as a great man for saying "Yeah I used it... like one time. The fact that I was crossing country back and forth with Clemens was a complete coincidence."

Nobody seems upset that Alex Rodriguez has been playing this post season... another guy who used it and denied it left and right until he was cornered.

Those guys are playing in the PLAYOFFS.

Is anyone upset that Mark McGwire, the man who could have done so much good if he were honest but decided to not talk about the past, is a hitting coach for a contending Cardinals team and giving players tips? Maybe some pointers... like one to inject into your butt.

Bonds got applause from the fans and threw a ceremonial first pitch.

And the fans know, as I wrote earlier, that Bonds saved baseball in San Francisco... BEFORE his body ballooned up.

The fans were sitting in beautiful AT&T Park, instead of miserable Candlestick Park... or Tropicana Field, because of the excitement that Bonds brought to San Francisco starting in 1993... the year after they almost moved to St. Pete.

Let's not get carried away over a first pitch, shall we?

For Christsake, they had someone dressed as Captain Morgan throw out the first pitch at some games! It's not a big deal!

The best pitching match up of the year!

Seriously... THIS is how you end the first 1/3 of the season.
The front front runner for the Cy Young Award, Ubaldo Jimenez, who leads the league in wins, ERA and WHIP... taking on the 2 time defending Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum who isn't far behind Jimenez in most categories and leads the league in strikeouts.

It's such a good match up that I want to stay inside all day and watch it instead of go out on this beautiful Memorial Day in Southern California.

(I will DVR it on MLB Network.)

The Giants have a new weapon for this match up.

Future Hall of Famer Buster Posey is now in the lineup!

How good is he? After 2 games he is on pace to bat .667 with an OPS of 1.556... and drive in 226 runs.

I think he will keep up that pace!

Consider me hooked for this game!

The Giants need to be creative

This Thursday Jonathan Sanchez pitched 8 innings, let up 3 hits and 1 run against the first place Padres.

The result?

LOSS.

The Padres came into San Francisco with a mere 1/2 game lead.

They left with a 3 1/2 game lead. The Giants scored a grand total of 4 runs in the whole series.

And Tim Lincecum was lucky to get a win out of the bullpen yesterday.

I know the Giants have climbed back to 1 1/2 games behind the Padres, but there's still stuff that needs to be done. The Giants need to shake some things up without blowing up everything.

I already talked about how they need another bat and a bullpen arm.

But let me throw a few more specific suggestions at the Giants.

1) Give Jermaine Dye a shot.

This idea is already being kicked around and it is all reward and no risk.
It wasn't that long ago that Dye was an All Star and an MVP contender.

Now all he has to do is outhit Mark DeRosa.

And if it doesn't work, it didn't cost the Giants any players.


2) And while you are at it, give Pat Burrell a shot.

Pat Burrell was dumped by Tampa and could be done. But then again, a player as talented as Burrell might be could get a jolt of incentive to show up his old employer.

Besides, he's only a couple of years removed from being a 30 homer guy.

And if it doesn't work, who cares? Tampa is paying the bills.


3) Just recall Buster Posey already!

It is insane that he is still in Fresno. The Giants have no offensive attack and they have a phenom batting .349 and a .999 OPS in AAA.

Look, he can hit. Why not see if he can hit big league pitching?

Oh yeah, he's working on his catching skills. Fine, stick him in the outfield or at first and have Bengie Molina take him under his wing. I am going to go out on a limb and say Bengie knows a thing or two about catching and could teach Buster... all the while the Giants, and not the Fresno Grizzlies, benefit from his swing.


4) While you are at it, recall Eric Hacker.

The guy is putting up terrific numbers in Fresno and yet at age 27 he's a little too old to be a prospect.

Why not throw him in the bullpen and see if he can get big leaguers out an inning at a time.



5) Make Madison Bumgarner the lefty out of the bullpen

Along with Posey, Bumgarner is the Giants top prospect. But he should be helping the parent club instead of toiling in Fresno.

Now Bumgarner is only 20 years old, so no doubt the Giants are going to baby his arm.

Well why not cut down his innings while facing lineups that don't know him yet? Lots of pitchers were broken in during the rookie year as relievers. before making the transition back to the rotation the next year. Jim Palmer, Jimmy Key, Orel Hershiser, Mark Buehrle, Adam Wainwright and Pedro Martinez all cut their teeth as relievers.

Bumgarner would love to have any of their careers (and so would the Giants!)



6) Consider trading top prospect Zack Wheeler for offense

I know you can never have enough pitching... but I think the 2010 Giants are in a unique position.

They have tons of solid young arms and they need a bat more than anything. And teams in the trade market looking for prospects want pitching more than anything.

I think the Giants can afford to part with a top pitching prospect if it means it can bring an impact bat to AT&T Park.

The Giants could sacrifice Dan Runzler, who looked good in early call ups. 23 year old Waldis Joaquin could also get some attention. But I thought dangling young Zack Wheeler could get the most back. The #6 pick in last year's draft was one of the top high school arms and has a big upside. And yeah, parting with a talent like that could bite the Giants in the behind a la John Smoltz with the Tigers.

But this could be one of those perfect storm years where the West AND the National League are both winnable and a pennant could be won. Sometimes a big prospect needs to be sacrificed to make the final push (think of the Red Sox parting with Hanley Ramirez and others to get Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell... they let go on a future MVP but won a World Series.)


Nothing I just wrote is outrageous and nothing involves tearing apart the rotation as it currently is set up.

Giants fans have waited 52 years for a World Series title.
This is a time to go for it.

Can the Bay Area reverse October 2, 2004?

There is a potential power shift in the western divisions that could be heading north... and this week could be a big week in the Bay Area baseball wise.

In the early 2000s, the Northern California teams were on a roll. The A's made the postseason in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003.

The Giants, who were division winners in 1997 and 1998, moved into their new ballpark and made the post season in 2000, 2002 and 2003 and narrowly missed in 2001.

Of course the only California team to win the World Series in that period was a southern California club, the Angels, who stunned my dad's Giants, but I digress.

And then, on Saturday October 2, 2004 it all came crashing down.

The Giants needed to win their last two games against the Dodgers to force a play in game for the Western Title. They took a 3-0 lead into the 9th knowing that a win would mean all they would have to do is win again on Sunday and there would be a winner take all Dodgers/Giants match up. Then the 9th inning became a bone crusher for Giants fans.

Dustin Hermansen could only get one out as he walked three and let up a single. Then shortstop Cody Ransom booted a grounder and Jayson Werth singled to tie the game. And finally Steve Finley hit a walk off, division clinching, Giants eliminating grand slam.

The Giants haven't made the post season since.

The A's went into the last weekend tied with the Angels and were hosting Anaheim (they played in Anaheim back then) for a three game set. They had Mulder, Zito and Hudson rested and ready to go and if they won two of the games, they would be the Division Champs.

Mulder got blown out of the first game but Zito pitched well on October 2nd as the A's took the lead into the 8th. If the A's could hold on, the last game on Sunday would be a winner takes the division de facto playoff game.

But the A's bullpen imploded as Darrin Erstad tied the game in the 8th with a double and Garret Anderson hit a 2 out RBI single to give the Angels the lead that they wouldn't give up.

Since then, the Western Divisions have been controlled by Southern California teams.

The Giants haven't made the playoffs since the Finley slam and the A's have only made it back once in 2006.

The Angels won the Division in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The Dodgers made the playoffs in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009.
The Padres won the division in 2005 and 2006, losing a play in game in 2007.

But now things are looking up in the north (and I am not just talking about my San Jose Sharks!)

The Giants could have the best starting rotation since Bobby Cox's Braves in the mid 1990s.

With a little help in the lineup and rotation, they could steal the division.

And this week they are playing the Padres three times... a team they trail by 1/2 a game. If they take two of three, the Giants will be in First Place by themselves.


And fresh off of Dallas Braden's perfect game, the A's find themselves in a big series in Arlington where they trail the Rangers by a single game.

If they take 2 of 3, they'll be tied for first. If they sweep, they'll be in first place all alone (of course the third game of this series won't be televised in Oakland... but that's another story.)

I know it is still relatively early in the year, but usually Memorial Day is when you start to see what teams are for real and which teams just had a decent April. And with the Padres overachieving and potentially ready for a collapse and the Dodgers a mess, the West is winnable for the Giants.

And you know the heat will wear down the Rangers pitchers, the Angels can't get out of their own way and the Mariners clubhouse is more tense than the island on Lost.

The Giants and the A's can do this. They can put October 2, 2004 WAY in their rear view mirror.

And the map to division titles could lead north again.