Welcome to Czar’s blog #12 of 2019.
The available games, dates and number of tickets will be shown at the end of the blog before the rules. Remember when you email me back to identify the game, the date and the number of tickets you want. Please whitelist my email so you get the blog posts and ticket offers all season long.
The End of the Season, and Bochy’s Last Games
The reason to watch the Giants this week is to help celebrate Bruce Bochy; a world series winning manager with over 2,000 victories on his way to the Hall of Fame. Boch has given us good years and great games; including three world titles. There is nothing at stake in the games themselves except bragging rights and the pleasure of watching spring training in September. The guessing games now begin. Who will be the manager in 2020? No clue. Who will be the coaches? No clue. Will this be the last year the Giants play worse at home than on the road? I sure the hell hope so.
Watching the Young Guys and Guessing at the Roster Next Year
The enjoyable part about September baseball this time of year is watching the rookies and second guessing the brain trust (in this case Farhan) about who will be making the team out of 2020 spring training.
Right now there are two almost locks to make the team next year – Mike Yastrzemski for sure, and probably Mauricio Dubon. Both have shown big league skills, and big league hitting ability. Chris Shaw, Austin Slater and Alex Dickerson are right behind them. It was sweet to see the Giants farm clubs do so well this season (including the River Cats taking the PCL crown). On the pitching side, Tyler Beede has been nails but the group behind him (including Logan Webb and Derek Rodriquez) are on the bubble. In the bullpen Tyler Rogers (the side arm relief specialist) has been showing the best slider since Sergio Romo was young.
On the veteran side of the ledger, Buster, Crawford, Belt, Posey, Bumgarner and the Panda are the only players left from the glory years. I expect them back (please sign Bumgarner!) but expect less playing time and real competition in spring training from Joey Bart and Heliot Ramos. The other keepers are Pillar (he is awesome), Longoria (slower than in his prime but a good player off the bench, and some years left on his contract) and Vogt. Vogt can hit, catch and field, and is a pleasure to watch. Samardzija, Cueto and Bum would be the anchors in the rotation but there is plenty of room for competition. In the pen Will Smith is rumored to be pursued in the off-season by about ten teams: will be re-signed? I hope so.
What will Oracle Park look like next year?
This is a major question. The field will be rearranged to put the bullpens in the outfield, so the fences must come in. Will this help the Giants hit better in their own park? Farhan’s biggest off season challenge is putting together a team that can hit and play defense in a rearranged Oracle Park.
The Series Against the Rockies and the Dodgers
The Rockies are in last place in the NL West and looking at their rookies also. I have no clue who we will see in those games. The Dodgers are heading to the playoffs (they have locked up the division) and I’m not sure what we will see from Dave Roberts; either an unmotivated LA team looking to coast into the playoff’s or a team where the LA rookies are trying hard to make the team. Either way it’s always good to end the season against the Dodgers – as long as their fans stay home.
That’s it, Adios for another Giants season and look for the next Czar’s blog in February when baseball starts again and all’s right with the world.
On the board ready to be picked up are:
MON 9/24/19 – v. Rockies (6:45 – 4)
WED 9/25/19 - v. Rockies (6:45 – 4)
THUR 9/26/19 – v. Pirates (12:45 – 4)
SUNDAY 9/20/19 – v. Dodgers (12:05 -2) – with me for the closing game of the season
That’s it!
Ciao, and GO GIANTS!
The Czar
THE PROTOCOL: the firm has four seats in Section 118 (Premium Lower Boxes), Rows 25 and 26. These are awesome seats directly below the press box and 25 rows behind home plate on the left side behind the screen. It is foul ball territory for left-handed batters so bring your glove – I have collected 16 foul balls myself over 19 years, and I am looking for more (although since the screens were raised in 2018 it’s become tougher to get a ball). If we can't use all the tickets ourselves (or clients and friends of the firm don't claim them by calling me and reserving a game), then my next step is to give the tickets TO THE FIRST PERSON WHO GETS BACK TO ME PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE SERIOUS. If you ask for the tickets and don't use them, you will be taken off the list unless there is a seriously good reason. There will be a wait list.
When there are four seats available (we split up a lot of games) we will allocate the tickets two and two if the first people back just want two tickets. You can also go for four and might get them. I'm the Czar, my call.