Broadcaster analyzes Giants’ recent trends
Q: Tim Lincecum is trying to keep this great season going and the Giants have four in Cincinnati. Let’s talk a little about (Wednesday): Some scoring opportunities wasted ... you kick yourself a little after that one? A: You need to take advantage of (Astros pitcher) Samuel Deduno, their long reliever, and they didn’t. They had him on the ropes, they had (Brett) Oberholtzer on the ropes to start the game and you need to take advantage of that. They had opportunities galore to add on and they didn’t add on. And then you find out a little about Houston Astros baseball as two guys hitting .200 hit home runs. That’s the Astros; they’re gonna swing and swing hard.
Q: I don’t know if that formula for the Astros will succeed in the long-term. Last night, (Matt) Duffy started at second, (Casey) McGehee at third and we talked about Duffy’s versatility keeping him in the lineup. Is ( Joe) Panik OK or were they just sitting him against a lefty? A: No, he’s fine. He’s dinged up a little bit but he can play. I think this is just a reward for Duffy. There is a lefty on the mound, so you can give Panik a rest and reward Duffy and hopefully get McGehee on track; it’s a win-win for everybody. If Duffy is going to keep having terrific at-bats, then Duffy is going to play. With the ability he has to hit with runners in scoring position, it’s hard to keep that bat on deck. Q: Finally, end this on a positive note; this Monte Irvin story is so great. Larry Baer and Bobby Evans drove out 96-year-old Monte Irvin — if people don’t know, Monte Irvin, the first African American player to play for the Giants, second in the National League after Jackie Robinson, the Giants give him a ring and then invite him to the White House to meet (President) Obama. Kuip, just gratuitous praise for the Giants, but they do it right ... A: Well, look, they really do it. This guy has been so special to the Giants’ organization. He hasn’t been that visible like (Willie) Mays and (Willie) McCovey, and he doesn’t come out as much because of his health, so the Giants do it right and go to him and they make a strong effort to make him feel like he was a part of last season. And was he a big part of last season? No, he was not, but he’s been a huge part of this franchise going all the way back to New York, and not only that, he’s a gem. He’s a treasure. And I’ve been looking forward to going to the White House again — this will be my third time — and every once in a while, there is a little added reason to why you’re looking forward to it a little bit more, and now we have it. We have it because Monte Irvin has never met the president and he needs to meet the president for a lot of obvious reasons, and I can’t wait to see that happen. It’s gonna be terrific.