Sports

Giants Get Win Behind Big Third Inning

Published

9 years ago

September 17, 2016

San Francisco, CA – The Giants canceling batting practice might be something they should consider everyday. They scored six runs in the third and chased rookie pitcher Luke Weaver off the mound.

San Francisco’s 8-2 victory over the Cardinals keeps them ahead in a tight wild-card race.
The Giants have won back-to-back games at home for the first time since Aug 18th-19th against the New York Mets.

It started off as a pitcher’s duel for the first two innings. Matt Moore scattered two hits over three frames allowing no runs. Weaver struck out the first four batters before giving up single to Brandon Belt in the second.

Brandon Crawford followed by hitting into a double play to end the inning. But by the third, Weaver unraveled.

“Really, when you think about it, that’s the name of the game in the playoffs, too: see who can make the fewest mistakes and take advantage of them,” Belt said in regards to Molina’s error.

He loaded the bases with a walk to Denard Span. Moore reached first safely after a throwing error by Yadier Molina. And that’s when San Francisco’s offense took advantage of Molina’s mistake. Angel Pagan was issued a free pass to load the bases with one out. This was the first opportunity the Giants had with runners in scoring position. Joe Panik’s sacrifice fly scored in Span for the 1-0 lead.

“He makes that play 99 out of 100 times,” said St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said of Molina (who declined to speak to media after). “We’ve seen him do it. We want him aggressive trying to make the best play he can make. We had a great chance of getting out of there without the top of the order coming around.”

Buster Posey drove in both Moore and Pagan with a bloop single over second baseman Jedd Gyorko. Hunter Pence followed with a single and Belt’s two-run double extended San Francisco’s lead 5-0. Crawford continued the hits and knocked a single to right field. Stephen Piscotty threw home to tag Belt out at the plate.

Home plate umpire, Cory Blaser ruled him out but the Giants challenged the tag play. After further review the call was overturned and Belt was safe at home to make it a 6-0 game. The Cardinals ran back on the field after heading to the dugout after the initial call. Weaver was replaced by Miguel Socolovich.

San Francisco lost an earlier call they challenged in the second. Aledmys Diaz was ruled safe at first despite Crawford making a throw to first base for the out. Socolovich gave up back-to-back walks to both Eduardo Nunez and Span before striking out Moore to end the threat. The Giants continued to make it difficult for St. Louis bullpen by adding on two more runs.

“Sometimes you can’t put your finger on it,” Posey said. “There seems to be a really good energy in the dugout… And I sound like Hunter Pence right now. But hopefully it’s something we can carry with us for the remainder of the season and through the postseason.”

Jaime Garcia replaced Socolovich to start the fourth. Garcia walked Pagan to lead off the frame and Posey followed with a two-run homer to make it a 8-1 game. It was Posey’s first home run in two months snapping the longest homeless drought of his career. He is now 7-for-9 in this series with a double and a home run.

The Cardinals scored their first run in the fourth with a RBI single. Moore got himself into a jam in the fourth but managed to get out of it without too much damage. He walked the leadoff batter then gave up back-to-back singles to Gyorko and Molina. Moore then forced Johnny Peralta to fly out, struck out Randal Grichuk and Tommy Pham leaving three stranded.

But a rocky fifth inning sent Moore to the dugout for good. He lasted five frames allowing seven hits, two runs walked two and struck out four. Moore loaded the bases again by giving up two singles and walked another batter. A free pass to Molina, walked in St. Louis next and final run. That was the finale for Moore and the bullpen took over.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy canceled batting practice yesterday so the team can get a break from the field. The decision came down after the team lacked hits in the previous series against the San Diego Padres. Well, it worked! Last night Johnny Cueto tossed a complete game to help San Francisco beat the Cardinals 6-2. Not only did it put them four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.

But it also keeps them ahead of the Cardinals who now trail behind two games in the wild-card spot. And the New York Mets who are now behind by one game. Call it superstition or just a good feeling. But Bochy canceled BP again today in hopes that his team can pull out another win and they did. He announced no BP for Saturday’s game either.

“It’s all about bouncing back,” said Bochy. “You have no choice in this game and that’s what good teams do. You get frustrated come home and get swept. You can’t let that linger on…”

Notes – Gregor Blanco was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list today. He missed 22 games with right shoulder impingement. Blanco made 56 starts this season (18 in the left field, 13 in center and 25 in right). He’s 7-for-32 with a home run and three walks as a pinch-hitter this year.

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McClymonds High Names School Gym for Star Graduate, Basketball Legend Bill Russell

William “Bill” Felton Russell was born on Feb. 12, 1934, and died on July 31, 2022. He achieved fame as a U.S. professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA championships during his 13-year career.

Published

4 weeks ago

February 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Bill Russell and Brian McGhee in McClymonds High School Gym, 2011. Photo courtesy of Brian McGhee.

By Ken Epstein

West Oakland’s McClymonds High School, “the School of Champions,” this week named the school’s gymnasium in honor of one of its most famous graduates, basketball legend Bill Russell (class of ’52).

Russell is widely known as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2011, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civil honor, from President Barack Obama for Russell’s contributions to basketball and the Civil Rights Movement.

The McClymonds’ naming ceremony was held on Wednesday, the same day as Russell’s birthday. Oakland leader Bill Patterson, a longtime friend of Russell’s, was scheduled to cut the ribbon at the reopening of the gym, which had been closed for several months for renovation. Russell’s daughter Karen was scheduled to attend the ribbon cutting.

Russell’s name and signature are now printed on the gymnasium floor.

Patterson was working at DeFremery Park when he met Russell. “I befriended him as a boy and during his years at University of San Francisco” said Patterson. “We stayed friends for the rest of his life.”

Said McClymonds Principal Darielle Davis, herself a McClymonds graduate, “We are excited to honor Bill Russell for his sports accolades and because he broke color barriers. He is part of our legacy, and legacy is really important at McClymonds.”

Brian McGhee, community schools manager at McClymonds and former football player at UC Berkeley, said that Russell meant a lot to him and others at the school. “He was a beacon of light and hope for West Oakland,” he said. “He did a lot for sports and for civil rights.”

Starting in 2018, Ben “Coach” Tapscott worked with Patterson and other McClymonds grads, community members, and former coaches to encourage the Oakland Board of Education to endorse the naming of the school gym, which finally happened recently.

“We worked hard to make this happen,” said Tapscott. “He’s an important part of McClymond’s history, along with a lot of other famous graduates,” he said.

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OPINION: Politics, Football and Identity in Trump’s America

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

Published

4 weeks ago

February 17, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Emil Guillermo

Two Filipino American stories made headlines recently.

First, Nikko Remigio, the Filipino and African American kick returner for the Kansas City Chiefs, did not win Super Bowl LIX.

The other, Alameda’s Rob Bonta said no to running for governor. I don’t blame him. It’s not like a mass of people wanted him to run.

But I did.

Whenever there is a Filipino American in a place you don’t expect, I’m rooting for that person.

As California’s Attorney General, Bonta is probably the most active defender among Blue States pushing back against Trump’s Extreme-Right agenda.

I’d like to Bonta run for California’s top job, but he’s better off waiting in line. The Democrats need a spot for Kamala Harris, and Bonta not running obliges the hierarchy.

History can wait. Bonta’s just 52.

Harris has held off speculation of her next move, saying she just moved back to the state. But it seems governor is the path for her.

For now, Bonta needs to continue taking the fight to Trump in the courts.

Football and Identity Politics

My dad, whose birthday would have been Super Bowl weekend, came to the US in 1928 as a colonized Filipino, an “American National,” where he couldn’t be a citizen, vote, own property or even marry the person he wanted.

Not if they were White.

Still, he believed in America. He never gave up.

Sort of like Nikko Remigio.

My dad would have loved Nikko.

If you haven’t noticed, all Americans are engaged in an even bigger game that means so much more than the Super Bowl. Our democracy is falling apart.

You want to get passionate about Eagles and Chiefs?

Let’s be passionate about our Founding Fathers, too.

Nikko didn’t change the game. He touched it three times and provided more yards than all of KC’s running backs.

That’s all I needed to see.

He’s our Filipino guy.

Detractors may call it “identity politics.”

People don’t seem to understand the fight for visibility. To be recognized. To be seen. It’s all wrapped up in the big idea of Civil Rights.

I was nowhere near as good as Nikko when I played. But when you are blessed to play football, you play your hardest.

For me, that was when I was 12 and 13 playing Pop Warner football in San Francisco. I was MVP for my team as a running back.

But I was ashamed of my dad. He wasn’t like the other dads. And I remember going to the team banquet to retrieve my trophy alone.

I didn’t realize it probably meant more to him than I thought.

I wish I had shared my MVP moment with him like Nikko shared his joy with his dad, Mark, born in Seattle to two Filipino immigrants, and his mom, whose mixture of Black and White made Nikko the picture of diversity.

Filipino American and Black and White at the Super Bowl.

But don’t forget, there is one game bigger.

The Super Bowl for Democracy. We’re battling for it every day Trump pushes a cockamamie idea that shakes the foundation of our Democracy.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist and commentator. Watch his micro-talk show “Emil Amok’s Takeout/What Does an Asian American Think?” on www.YouTube.com/emilamok1 Or join him on http://www.patreon.com/emilamok

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Tina Thompson: Champion, Legend, and Pioneer of Women’s Basketball

Known for her signature red lipstick, Thompson displayed confidence and style on the court, becoming an icon both for her gameplay and her individuality. Her ability to score from anywhere on the floor, combined with her defensive prowess, made her one of the league’s most formidable players.

Published

2 months ago

January 5, 2025

Oakland Post

Tina Thompson at 2013 WNBA All-Star game at Mohegan Sun. 27 July 2013. Photo: Danny Karwaski/Wikimedia Commons.

By Tamara Shiloh

The establishment of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) in 1996 was a turning point for women’s sports, creating a professional platform for female basketball players to showcase their skills at the highest level. Among the trailblazers who helped launch the league, Tina Thompson stands out as the first African American woman drafted into the WNBA.

Tina Thompson was born on February 10, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. Raised in a basketball-loving household, she quickly developed a passion for the game. Thompson improved her skills on the playgrounds of South Central Los Angeles, often playing against boys, which toughened her game and fueled her competitive edge.

She attended the University of Southern California (USC), where she became a standout player for the Trojans. Known for her versatility, scoring ability, and relentless work ethic, she earned All-Pac-10 honors multiple times and cemented her reputation as one of the top collegiate players in the nation.

When the WNBA held its first-ever draft on April 28, 1997, Tina Thompson made history as the league’s first African American player to be drafted. Selected as the first overall pick by the Houston Comets, she joined a team that would go on to dominate the early years of the WNBA.

Tina’s selection was a historic moment, symbolizing the league’s commitment to showcasing diverse talent. As a Black woman in a pioneering role, Thompson carried the hopes of aspiring African American female athletes who dreamed of playing professional basketball.

Tina wasted no time making an impact in the WNBA. As a key member of the Houston Comets alongside legends Cynthia Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes, she helped lead the team to an unprecedented four consecutive championships from 1997 to 2000. The Comets’ dynasty became the gold standard for excellence in the league’s early years.

Over a career spanning 17 seasons, Tina established herself as one of the WNBA’s all-time greats. She retired as the league’s leading scorer, a record she held until it was broken by Diana Taurasi. She was a nine-time WNBA All-Star and was named to multiple All-WNBA teams, cementing her status as one of the sport’s legends.

In 2018, Thompson’s contributions to basketball were recognized with her induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The honor underscored her influence not just as a player, but as a trailblazer for African American women in sports.

After retiring from professional basketball, she transitioned into coaching, using her experience and knowledge to mentor young athletes. She has served as a head coach at the collegiate level, inspiring the next generation of players to pursue excellence both on and off the court.

As a role model and advocate, Thompson has consistently emphasized the importance of education, empowerment, and self-belief. Her story resonates with countless young women who see in her the embodiment of perseverance and success.

Tina Thompson is presently in her third season as an assistant coach at the University of Texas at Austin.