Giants v. Padres, Giants v. Marlins

Greetings to all of our friends who love the two-time World Champion SF Giants! The G-Men are now 35 and 31, 1.5 games back in 2nd place

It’s a time of year during which we are still trying to figure out this team.  Yes the Giants are playing .530 ball (below the .570 they need to assure taking the division) but the entire NL West is struggling. Being a game and half back at this time of year is not a cause for serious concern or panic.  We won’t have a good handle on this division until the All-Star break at the earliest, and maybe not even then. One day it’s a struggle and the Giants are being shut out and the next day they are blowing out the best team in baseball.  All we can do is watch and hope that there are no more injuries.

The Pirates series was a microcosm of the season.  Two bad losses (one with 20 runs scored in the game by both teams) and then a 10-0 blow out before heading out to Atlanta.  If the Giants win today they will finish this particular road trip at .500 or above; that’s pretty sweet against the teams they have played (2 out of 3 from the Snakes, 1 of 3 from the Pirates and so far 1 and 0 from the Braves).

The Positives

The offense is the best that we’ve seen from the Giants since the early 2001 and 2002 teams of Jeff Kent and Barry Bonds.  They are toggling between the best and second best batting average and the most runs scored in the NL.  That hasn’t even been affected by the rash of injuries (see below), which is awesome.  The defense is tightening up (we may have the 4 best defensive fielders in baseball, between Torres, Blanco, Pence and now Perez – they cover a lot of ground) and Brandon Crawford is beginning to look like a lock as an All-Star shortstop (besides hitting at a current .294 clip with power). Buster Posey is once again looking like the league MVP, batting .313 with 8 dingers (and yesterday’s three doubles) and looking like Carleton Fisk behind the plate. Hunter Pence has played in every game, is batting .299 and has 11 home runs. These guys are for real.

On the pitching side Cain and Bumgarner have righted the ship and have had back to back shut out games (against the Pirates and the Braves) and we haven’t seen much of Romo because the G-Men have either been so far ahead, or so far behind, that he hasn’t been needed. Gaudin is pitching today against the Braves, and so far he is solid as he has been in his first two starts since taking over for Vogelsong after he went on the DL with a broken hand. There has been a lot of movement up and down from Fresno and it’s been effective; Perez for Pagan, Abreu for Scutaro and a succession of catchers. On the good news side Casilla is looking he might be back next week. He’s needed with Kontos being ineffective and being sent down to Fresno. On top of that when Kontos does come up he has to serve a 3 game suspension for plunking Andrew McCutcheon in the Pirates series.

Can something be both a positive and a negative?  Case in point is Barry Zito, with a 1.78 ERA at home and a 10.94 ERA on the road.  It’s too bad that it can’t be arranged so that Zito only pitches at AT&T.

The Negatives

The injuries that are piling up. Scutaro and Vogelsong out with hand injuries, Pagan with a hamstring that won’t heal and the Panda (overweight by 70 pounds) with a bad foot. Pablo is due back for the Padres series and Scutaro might also be back. Pagan remains a question mark.

We are all wondering if Scutaro will pull a Ronnie Lott and just cut off his little finger that has a bad tendon (it’s called mallet finger – Lott had the same thing before the 1985 playoffs and just cut off his finger so he could continue to play).

The Giants are rumored to be in the market for a starting pitcher because they need Gaudin in the bullpen, and Lincecum continues to be ineffective (and might be demoted to the bullpen himself). Leading the pack of speculation is Bud Norris from the Astros, Ricky Nolasco from the Marlins and Mark Buehrle from the Blue Jays. The G-Men don’t want a rental and each of those three guys are under control of their club for at least the next two years.

The Series to come

The Padres are in 4th place and with the injuries to the Rockies (Tulowitski being on the DL with a broken rib being the worst – he’s out for six weeks at least) they are expected to move up and challenge the Giants.  The Padres are 33 and 34, 2 and half games behind the G-Men so this series could very much result in a major NL West shift. The Friars have historically owned the Giants. This will be an important set of games.

The Marlins, on the other hand, are in last place in the NL East 18 and half games out.  If Nolasco is pitching watch to see how well he does at AT&T.  This will be a tryout. Can the G-Men take the Marlins?  Don’t be too sure.  The Giants have a bad history against last place teams (look at what happened against the Blue Jays in Toronto – they got pounded and then got pounded again at home).

  1. The California Cash and Credit Laws: Moving to Mandatory Electronic Fund Transfers Between Wholesalers and Retailers on January 1, 2026 – Cash is no longer Legal Tender
  2. Passage of Title Based Sales – Is it Right for You?
  3. BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS BEWARE! THE DRUG TESTING REGIME STARTS ON JULY 1ST AND YOU MUST BE READY!
  4. Strategic Exit Planning: Positioning Your Alcohol Beverage Business for Successful Acquisition or Investment
  5. New California Alcohol Laws for 2024 – a Mixed Bag of Privileges, Punishments, Clarifications, and Politics
  6. TTB Speaks up on Social Media
  7. Alcohol Trade Practices Update
  8. President Biden just made a big cannabis announcement... what does it mean?
  9. The Uniform Law Commission – Encouraging Consistent State by State Definitions, Protocols and Procedures
  10. San Francisco to the Governor - Review the RBS Program and Delay Implementation. Problems must be Corrected.
  11. TTB and Consignment Sales – Is There a Disconnect Between Policy Development and Business Reality?
  12. RBS ADDENDUM – THE LATEST FROM THE ABC AS THE AGENCY PROVIDES MORE INFORMATION ON THE CALIFORNIA ABC’S MANDATORY RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVER PROGRAM
  13. THE STATE OF TO-GO BOOZE IN CALIFORNIA
  14. BOOZE RULES SPECIAL EDITION – THE RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE PROGRAM FACTS AND REQUIREMENTS
  15. Competition in the Beverage Alcohol Industry Continues Under the Microscope – Part 3
  16. Competition in the Beverage Alcohol Industry Under the Microscope – Part 2
  17. Competition in the Beverage Alcohol Industry Now Under the Microscope
  18. Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 5: Looking Ahead
  19. It’s Time for a Regulatory Check-Up: Privacy Policies for email marketing and websites
  20. Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 4: Who’s responsible for ensuring legal drinking age?
  21. Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 3: Follow the Money
  22. BOOZE RULES 2021 – NEW CONTAINER SIZES APPROVED FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: KEEPING TRACK OF THE TTB’S ATTEMPTS TO REGULATE CONTANER SIZES
  23. Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 2: Collect sales tax from marketplaces or comply with alcohol guidance?
  24. Alcohol Marketplaces 2.0 Part 1: Solicitation of sales by unlicensed third-party providers
  25. Federal Cannabis Legalization Fortune-Telling
  26. BOOZE RULES – THE DIRECT SHIPPING WARS
  27. California ABC provides additional Covid guidance on virtual events and charitable promotions
  28. Hot Topics for Alcohol Delivery 2020
  29. California Reopening Roadmap is Now a Blueprint for a Safer Economy
  30. The Hospitality Reopening Roadmap to Success
  31. Salads Not A Meal in California, Says ABC
  32. Delivery Personnel Beware – The ABC is Coming for You and for the Licensees Hiring You to Deliver Alcoholic Beverages - This Time Its Justified
  33. Licensees Beware – the Harsh New ABC Enforcement Rules Are Effective Right Now
  34. Part 2: LEGAL FAQS ON REOPENING CA RESTAURANTS, BREWPUBS, BARS AND TASTING ROOMS
  35. John Hinman’s May 22, 2020 interview with Wine Industry Advisor on the ABC COVID-19 Regulatory Relief initiatives and the ABC “emergency rule” proposals
  36. Booze Rules May 21 - The Latest on the ABC Emergency Rules
  37. Part 1: Legal FAQs on Reopening CA Restaurants, Brewpubs, Bars and Tasting Rooms
  38. The ABC’s Fourth Round of Regulatory Relief - Expanded License Footprints Through Temporary COVID-19 Catering Authorizations, and Expanded Privileges for Club Licensees
  39. BOOZE RULES – May 17, 2020 Special Edition
  40. ABC ENFORCEMENT - ALIVE, ACTIVE AND OUT IN THE COMMUNITY
  41. Frequently Asked Questions about ABC’s Guidance on Virtual Wine Tastings
  42. ABC Keeps California Hospitality Industry Essential
  43. ABC REGULATORY RELIEF – ROUND TWO – WHAT IT MEANS
  44. Essential Businesses Corona Virus Signage Requirement Every Essential Business in San Francisco Must Post Sign by Friday, April 3rd
  45. Promotions Compliance: Balancing Risk and Reward
  46. The March 25, 2020 ABC Guidance: Enforcement Continues; Charitable Giving Remains Subject to ABC Rules; and More – What Does it all Mean?
  47. Restaurant and Bar Best Practices – Surviving Covid 19, Stay at Home and Shelter in Place Under the New ABC Waivers
  48. Economically Surviving the Covid Crisis and the Shelter in Place Orders: A Primer on Regulatory interpretations and Options
  49. Booze Rules – Hinman & Carmichael LLP and the Corona Virus
  50. Booze Rules: 2020 and the Decade to Come – Great Expectations (with apologies to Charles Dickens)
  51. The RBS Chronicles: If Your Business serves Alcoholic Beverages YOU NEED TO READ THIS AND TAKE ACTION!
  52. RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE ACT HEARING – OCTOBER 11TH IN SACRAMENTO – BE THERE!
  53. WHEN THE INVESTIGATOR COMES CALLING – BEST PRACTICES.
  54. RESPONSIBLE BEVERAGE SERVICE ACT PROPOSED ABC RULES 160 TO 173 – WHY THE RUSH?
  55. The TTB Crusade Against Small Producers and the “Consignment Sale” Business Model
  56. TTB Protocols, Procedures, and Investigations
  57. Wine in a 250 ML can – the Mystery of the TTB packaging Regulations and Solving the Problem by Amending the Regulations
  58. The Passing of John Manfreda of the TTB: a Tragedy for his family and a Tragedy for the Industry he so Faithfully Served for so Long.
  59. Pride in a Job Well-done, or Blood Money? The Cost of Learning the Truth from the TTB about the Benefits to Investigators from Making Cases Against Industry Members
  60. How ADA Website Compliance Works – The Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself, Your Website and Your Social Media from Liability
  61. Supplier and Distributor Promotional “Banks,” Third Party Promotion Companies and Inconsistent TTB Enforcement, Oh My!
  62. “A Wrong Without a Remedy – Not in My America” – The TTB Death Penalty for Not Reporting Deaths
  63. Is a 1935 Alcohol Beverage Federal Trade Practice Law Stifling Innovation?
  64. Decoding the BCC’s Guidance on Commercial Cannabis Activity.
  65. Prop 65 - Escaping a "Notice of Violation"
  66. TTB Consignment Sales Investigations - What is Behind the Curtain of the TTB Press Releases?
  67. Heads Up! The ABC Is Stepping Up Enforcement Against Licensees Located Near Universities
  68. Coming Soon: New Mandatory Training Requirements for over One Million “Alcohol Servers” In California – September 1, 2021 will be here quickly
  69. 2019 Legislative Changes for California Alcohol Producers – a Blessing or a Curse?
  70. A Picture (On Instagram) Is Worth A Thousand Words
  71. Playing by the Rules: California Cannabis Final Regulations Takeaways
  72. Hinman & Carmichael LLP Names Erin Kelleher Partner and Welcomes Gillian Garrett and Tsion “Sunshine” Lencho to the Firm
  73. Congress Makes History and Changes the CBD Game for Good
  74. Pernicious Practices (stuff we see that will get folks in trouble!) Today’s Rant – Bill & Hold
  75. CBD: An Exciting New Fall Schedule… or Not?
  76. MISSISSIPPI RISING - A VICTORY FOR LEGAL RETAILER TO CONSUMER SALES, AND PASSAGE OF TITLE UNDER THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE
  77. California ABC's Cannabis Advisory - Not Just for Stoners
  78. NEW CALIFORNIA WARNINGS FOR ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND CANNABIS PRODUCTS TAKE EFFECT AUGUST 30, 2018, NOW INCLUDING ADDENDUM REGARDING 2014 CONSENT AGREEMENT PARTIES AND PARTICIPANTS
  79. National Conference of State Liquor Administrators – The Alcohol Industry gathers in Hawaii to figure out how to enforce the US “Highly Archaic Regulatory Scheme.”
  80. Founder John Hinman Honored with the Raphael House Community Impact Award
  81. ROUTE TO MARKET AND MARKETING RESTRICTIONS - NAVIGATING REGULATORY SYSTEM CONSTRAINTS
  82. Alcohol and Cannabis Ventures: Top 5 Legal Considerations
  83. ATF and TTB: Is Another Divorce on the Horizon? What’s Going on with the Agency?
  84. STRIKE 3 - YOU REALLY ARE OUT! THE ABC'S STRICT APPLICATION OF PENALTIES FOR SALES TO MINORS
  85. TTB Temporarily Fixes Problem with Fulfillment Warehouse Tax Credits - an “Alternate Procedure” for Paying Taxes & Reporting
  86. CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE HAD ONE TOO MANY - THE FREE TRANSPORTATION DILEMMA
  87. The Renaissance of Federal Unfair Trade Practices - Current Issues and Strategies
  88. ‘Twas the week before New Year’s and the ABC is out in Force – Alerts for the Last Week of 2017, including the Limits on Free Rides
  89. Big Bottles, Caviar and a CA Wine Strong Silent Auction for the Holidays!
  90. The FDA and the Wine and Spirits Industry – Surprise inspections anyone?
  91. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: UPDATED REGULATORY AGENCY DISASTER RELIEF RESOURCES AT A GLANCE
  92. NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: REGULATORY AGENCY DISASTER RELIEF RESOURCES AT A GLANCE
  93. Soon to come to your Local Supermarket– Instant Redeemable Coupons of the digital age!
  94. The License Piggyback Dilemma – If it Sounds Too Good to be True, it Probably is
  95. A timely message from our Florida colleagues on the tied house laws, the three-tier system and the need for reform
  96. ABC Declaratory Rulings – A Modest Proposal Whose Time has Come
  97. More on FDA Inspections - Breweries, Distilleries and Questions
  98. WHY THE FDA IS INSPECTING WINERIES
  99. Senate Bill 378—The Proposed Demise of Due Process for Alcohol Licensees
  100. ABC Enforcement - Trends and Predictions