Welcome to Czar’s blog #8 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.
Today’s offering includes some of our extra sponsor’s tickets to the Family Winemakers of California Tasting Event on Sunday August 11th in San Francisco. We have a few extra tickets to share with our friends and colleagues; it’s always an awesome event with outrageously good wines. Usual Czar’s rules, first ones back… https://familywinemakers.org/taste
Where has this team been?
First we had a good June (.500 ball) and then the Gigantes went on a hitting tear. They scored 94 runs in their last 11 games (a record) and yesterday they spanked the Rockies in a double header, including a 19 run game (a Coors field record for the Giants) sparked by 8 RBI’s from Brandon Crawford. They have won every series they have played this month and are two games back of the Snakes for 2nd place in the NL West. That, boys and girls, is looking like wild card territory. Yes they are still in last place but they should climb in the standings by the end of this week if they keep playing like this.
What Happened?
The team is jelling behind very good young hitters: Dickerson (.364, 4 HR’s in 18 games), Slater (.333, 3 HR’s in 10 games), Solano (.312), Yastrzemski (8 HR’s), and production from the seniors: Longoria (13 HR’s), Panda (11 HR’s), Pillar (12 HR’s), Belt (11 HR’s) and Crawford (9 HR’s and the SF Giants record – since Mays and Cepeda anyway - 8 RBI’s yesterday). Longoria went on the DL yesterday with a foot injury but the youngsters and the Panda have picked up the slack. Suddenly the Giants are feared by the other teams in the NL. That was not the case a month ago. In this league, with these juiced balls (yes, the balls are juiced), hitting is at a premium and ever since Dickerson arrived and solidified the outfield (followed by Slater finding his stroke and playing an outstanding RF) the G-Men are looking like a team that can go into September with what they have now.
Thank you Farhan… I am suddenly a believer. It took a while but I see the results on the field, and it is wonderful to behold.
The Pitching is Still There
Bum looks good, the White Shark is pitching late into games and the bullpen is nails (Will Smith has 28 saves for Pete’s sake). Who can ask for more?
Buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?
I will be disappointed if the G-Men are sellers, especially at this point. However, next week will tell the tale. If the Gigantes play like they can and take down the Mets and the Cubs we may be buyers (or at least keepers). Bum is a free agent rental for someone so unless the package offered (probably by a team like the Braves) is so overwhelming that it can’t be refused we will see the man in the Orange and Black in August and September.
The Series – The Mets and the Cubbies
The Mets are in fourth place in the NL East and looking lost (15 games out). Of course just when I say that Alonso (who won the HR derby) comes into town on a hot July day. Regardless, this is a series that the Gigantes should win. The Cubs are in 1st place in the NL Central (and are running away with the division). They have superstars galore (Kris Bryant and Javier Baez at the plate, Yu Darvish, Cole Hamels and Jon Lester on the mound). If the G-Men take the series from the Cubs we may be having an advance look at October.
On the board ready to be picked up are:
· FRI 7/19 v. Mets (7:15 -4)
· SAT 7/20 v. Mets (1:05-4) – Cable Car Replica (I want one!)
· SUN 7/21 v. Mets (1:05 -4) – Scouts Day
· TUE 7/23 v. Cubs (6:45 – 4)
· WED 7/24 v. Cubs (12:45 -4)
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.