Random Thoughts (and I do mean random): NLDS

Given a few hours to catch my breath and look at the Braves series via the rear view mirror, here are some random musings:

-- Eleven runs in four games. That should have been the kiss of death. I "scored" more in high school. Heck, the highest single-game total for the Giants was four, and that's the game they lost! The series was won by four guys, Messers Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez and Bumgarner. There were some timely hits, most notably from Cody Ross, but the starting pitchers were the stars. The offense handed the winners just seven runs total, but they surrendered only five.

-- Why wasn't TBS selling ad space to Pepto Bismol, Alka Seltzer, Paxil, Prozac and Jose Cuervo? Thanks to four one-run games, all were prominent in The Ranter's household  over the past week. Note to Madison Avenue: The Ranter is not a paid endorser of any of thse products...but could be.

-- Regardless of the final outcome, Job One in the offseason has to be to get a couple of solid middle-of-the-order bats. Put a decent offense with these guys (just 4-5 runs a game) and this pitching staff could log 110 wins.

-- I missed Kruk and Kuip. Hey, Dick Stockton has been around for a long time and Bob Brenly is an old Humm Baby, but that doesn't mean I enjoy listening to them. Now we get to endure that Fox-induced Hell of Buck and McCarver -- a tandem just this side of Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck on the annoyingly-moronic scale. I need a techno geek.  How hard is it to sync up a DVR with the KNBR audio?

-- Speaking of Dick Stockton, during Game Four the man authored what may be the single stupidest non-Jerry Coleman remark ever uttered during a sports broadcast. In discussing Juan Uribe's success at the plate with the bases juiced, Brenly recited the 2010 stats: four-for-seven with two home runs. Added Einstein Stockton, "and those two home runs were grand slams." Jeez, thanks for the news flash, Poindexter. I was wondering if those BASES LOADED round trippers were grand, or just above average. Stick to NFL games and sucking face with Leslie Visser. Save me, Kruk and Kuip!

-- Since we're on broadcasters, am I the only one who suddenly thought Comcast Bay Area's Amy G was really hot! I guess it's true, winning makes EVERYTHING better.

-- On more than one occasion I've (almost) joked that an umpire appeared to be flipping a coin on ball and strike calls. After seeing TBS's "PitchTrax" feature, I'm thinking the coin might be more accurate. Either the technology doesn't work and TBS's needs to ditch it, or MLB needs to turn the job over to the machines because the on-screen graphic made it abundantly clear that one or the other doesn't have the first darned clue. When you see the circle show up in the same place three times and the count is 2-1, there's a problem. The rule book defines the strie zone. Having umpires with their own definition may be traditional, but so was letting your kids ride in the back of a pick-up. Both are equally stupid.

-- Based on how the games went, I can't say there were any mistakes evident in the creation of the Giants 25-man roster -- unles you count Sergio Romo. Whether they keep the same group for the NLCS is a mystery -- some decisions were obviously made specifically with Billy Wagner in mind. But if the Giants do tweak it, I'd love to find a way to get Darren Ford on the slate. If the Giants lacked anything (besides offense) it was speed off the bench. He's a burner, and Herb Washington isn't available.

-- Brian Wilson may be the best interview in baseball. This is a guy who could leave Norm Crosby asking "What did he say?"  By the way, there's no way that beard color is real.

-- Speaking of interviews, someone please tell Aubrey Huff that the current location of the rally thong isn't always a matter that should be publicly discussed.

 -- I didn't know Tim Lincecum was so fluent in, uh, French -- or something that starts with "F". Yeah, that's what it was...French.

It is Saturday yet?




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