San Francisco Giants first to clinch 2021 playoff spot

[Auggie]

Well crap, someone had to post it ...

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Diamond_Dog]

1. Congratulations!

[Auggie]

2. Thank you, Diamond_Dog

For a while there I thought the Tribe had a shot.

[Diamond_Dog]

3. The Tribe? In what year?!?!

Glad you folks in SF will be enjoying some postseason baseball!

[Auggie]

4. Earlier this year, of course!

Before they lost 3/5th of their starting staff.

I do wish Cleveland would get a new batting coach. Naquin and Arroyo are producing for other clubs. Even Jake Bauers is doing better. Something isn't right. Is it sacrilege to suggest Francona has to go? Look at the difference Gabe Kapler made in San Francisco with a smarter approach at the plate. Longoria, Belt, Duggar, Slater and a lot of others struggled under Hensley Mullens, SF's old batting coach.

[Diamond_Dog]

5. We Tribe fans have been saying for several years now

Get a good batting coach.

And, I know it’s practically sacrilege, but I wonder about Tito, too. Granted, he’s had some health issues this year.

[Auggie]

6. It starts at the top and filters down

Bruce Boche could succeed with Muellens because he knew how to manage and coach a pitching staff. Duane Kuiper described those championship years as torture because so wins many were low-scoring, one-run victories (it was torture, BTW). SF was good at small ball too. It was enough to win three series until other clubs started employing metrics. Boche retired, Kapler brought in almost all new people, and in his second year he’s made history. Boche was great—don’t get me wrong. But baseball’s different now.

[Brother Buzz]

7. The Dodgers snagged their ticket tonight, too

Sixteen game left to determine the National League (West) winner.

[Capt. America]

8. I still have no idea how they did this versus Dodgers and Padres.

[Auggie]

9. Losing Kershaw and Bauers had a hand in it

Bauers is out but Kershaw will be back for the playoffs, albeit with a limited pitch count, I imagine. Scherzer and Kershaw -- an awesome one-two punch in a five-game series. That has to favor them.

I attribute the Giants success to better instruction, coaching, game management, and roster depth. Their late-season Achilles' Heel is starting pitching. They're vulnerable.