Mays Field

We're still here!

After a year on the D.L., suffering from a mislocated enthusiasm muscle and a torn energy tendon, we've undergone the Bill James operation and are back at our old stand.

Sort of.

The deal is still pretty much as described in the last post, "Mays Field seeks Steward." It remains evident, or at least arguable, to Allen Gunn and me that the Mays Field meme is not dead but dormant. If the laddies do well (and if Pablo continues to hit .457 how can they not do well?), then a bounce returns to the step of Giants fans and they start looking for ways to express their inherent feistiness. And what better way than by starting to make some Mays Field noise, of one sort or another.

However, Gunner and I continue to be busier than is compatible with giving this site the attention it deserves. It is clear that there is at least a residue of traffic here, good times or bad. I get lots of emails offering to trade links. What is needed is someone who wants to make a go of it per the last post. Please write to me at maysfield@gmail.com if you'd like to discuss further.

Yes, there are t-shirts ($15) and bumper stickers (free with a S.A.S.E.) still available. Just email me.

--Daniel Ben-Horin

Maysfield Website Seeks Steward!

So here's the deal regarding the Mays Field website.

We set it up  a couple of years ago as part of our quixotic effort to spread the Mays Field  meme. The idea was always one part consciousness raising, one part goofing around and one part, who knows, getting someone  in power somewhere to see how much BETTER it would be to name the park after a human.

The Mays Field campaign has gotten a fair amount of press and circulated a pretty popular petition and I'm always surprised how people I encounter sometimes up and say, "Mays Field" as if it's the natural name of park. At the same time, no one's really had the time to actively push this along and the offical name is still what it is.

My own sense is that if the Giants are winning, this kind of campaign gets a big gust of wind at its sails. Then it becomes more fun to go to the ballpark and when people are having fun, Mays Field just springs to the lips. When Ray Durham's hitting less than Barry's weight , it's not so much fun.

In the meantime, there's this website and it could use some attention. Some posts. Some discussion. Some energy. Neither Ed Batista, nor Allen Gunn nor I can provide what it needs right now. Does anyone out there want to take over?

If you are interested, why don't you send a note to the google group, MaysField@googlegroups.com. Introduce yourself, communicate whatever you want about your vision for the site, see if anyone has anything to say in response.  Maybe a few people will surface and you can collaborate (and it's not like Ed, Allen or I are disappearing. And it's not like the Giants will *never* win again (is it?). So this is just about trasnferring formal control and technical responsibility in an orderly way.)

On a technical level: The MaysField.org site is currently maintained on TypePad.  It's possible to export the site content from TypePad, but it's not clear how easy or difficult it would be to recreate the site on another platform.  If you would like to take over management of MaysField.org, we recommend that you open a TypePad account--a Basic account costs $50 per year--if you don't already have one.  The MaysField.org domain is registered with GoDaddy.  To make it as easy as possible to transfer management of the domain, we will require that you have a GoDaddy account. If you have questions, we'll sort them out.

Any takers to be steward of Maysfield.org during the Fabulous Lincecum Era?

Updates

I've notice that the vim and vigor of this Mays Field campaign ebbs and flows with the Giants' ebbs and flows. Mainly ebbs. But what goes down must come up and with a hopeful view to the future, here are some tidbits:

First, Gunner has posed this question:

Date: Tues 14 Aug 2007 11:36
From: Allen Gunn 

Hey,

Might I be the only one who sees the "Bill Walsh Field at Monster
Park" as a harbinger/toe hold towards "Willie Mays Field at ATT Park"?

peace,
gunner

Here's an answer from today's Bruce Jenkins column in Chron:

Nice idea to christen the playing surface as Bill Walsh Field at Candlestick. Perhaps it could start a trend; around China Basin, Mays Field sounds just about right.

****

Here's news from Tom of a Willie Mays song (cool lyrics):



I thought you guys might enjoy the wonderful lyrics and
song that Rob Mehl sings about Willie Mays...

http://robmehl.com/music-10.html

Rob sang this at a concert in Bremerton Washington the Saturday before
Willie showed up on every TV in the nation (congratulating Bonds).  When Rob sang that song on Saturday, every guy in the house stood up and cheered!

Enjoy!

Tom



*****************

And here's what sounds like a book for the Willieophile in your life:

From: "Matt Johanson" <matt.johanson@sbcglobal.net>
To: <maysfield@gmail.com>
Subject: Giants book
Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:03:23 -0700

Dear Giants fans,

I'm the author of a new book about the Giants. It has a Willie Mays chapter, and I'm proud of the fact that it uses no corporate names to refer to the ballpark at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. Would you be willing to link to the book web site on your page? Thanks!

Matt Johanson

<http://www.giantsgamesbook.com/>www.giantsgamesbook.com

Mays Field in Korea

I've just had this nice exchange with Han, who is leading the Mays Field campaign in South Korea:

hi, daniel.

did you asked me how i feel about 'Barry+Barry' ?
i feel like 'Jessica Alba + Jessica Simpson' or 'Jennifer Aniston + Jennifer Love Hewitt'.

i mean, "SUPER. :)"

thank you for your rE-mail.
i hope to keep in touch with through <http://Maysfield.org>Maysfield.org or any other forums.
have a nice day.
Go Giants !

07. 1. 4¿œø° Daniel Ben-Horin <<mailto:maysfield@gmail.com>maysfield@gmail.com>¿Ã(∞°) ¿€º∫:

Hi Han, I haven't been checking this email account for a long time, but just wanted to thank you for this email. How do you feel about the Barry+Barry show next year?

/daniel

On 4/28/06, «—Ω¬»∆ <<mailto:hanshoong@gmail.com>hanshoong@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi,

the web site is awesome. i love that purpose.
if i live in U.S.A, i hope to join together "Mays Park" things, too. :D

actually, i'm a Korean and biggest Giants fan.
that's why i made <http://www.yourgiants.com/>www.yourgiants.com by myself, it's 1st Giants fan forum web site in South Korea.
i just glad to see you  -Giants fan-  and your immpresive web site.

after 1 hours later, Giants game will be start.
Enjoy the game and Friday night.
Now Korea, 10:02 A.M.

- from eastside.
Han.

Thus speaketh Bruce Jenkins

Here is  a wonderful Zito piece by
Jenkins where he says:

"Shea Stadium isn't Mays Field (the only name that seems to fit)"

and other apposite things

A Fitting Shot to End 2006

giants fans
Originally uploaded by artolog.

See y'all next year.

Great Minds Think Alike

Back in April Richard Van Zandt had a great article at Baseball Evolution proposing that the Giants stadium be renamed...Willie Mays Field at AT&T Park.

Outstanding idea.  We couldn't agree more.

Definitely check out Rich's article--he makes a passionate argument for honoring Willie Mays, but also provides a thoughtful rationale for the name change that takes into account financial reality.

Fireworks at Mays Field

fireworks
Originally uploaded by artolog.

Broken Bat at Mays Field

broken bat
Originally uploaded by artolog.

Shea Hillenbrand captured on film by artolog.

Rally Glove at Mays Field

DSC00556.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

The Twins at Mays Field

DSC00557.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Derek, the Maniac and the Twins

DSC00562.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

The Maniac and the Twins

DSC00568.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

The Crab on YouTube

Thanks to slideball.

Cotton Candy at Mays Field

double play
Originally uploaded by fotogail.

Lefty Roundup: First-Half Hardware

Just past the half-way point, the Giants are incontrovertibly mediocre. They've straddled .500 for most of the season and don't seem poised to reel off a hot streak anytime soon. Yes, they've got Moises and Barry back in the same lineup -- last night was only the 24th time they'd appeared in a game together. But it's hard to imagine both with a clean bill of health from here on out. Even if the disabled list isn't a factor, they'll each miss plenty of games due to age, aches and pains. It's absolutely crucial to find another big bat to complement the lineup if this team wants one last shot at the World Series with Mr. Bonds on board.

We fans scream about general managers and the trades they make or don't make, but few realize how bloody hard it is to pull something off -- let alone something that actually works. If you listen to sports talk radio (and if you do, for the love of humanity, please turn it off and instead go read a book, paint a picture, work on your tan....anything), you'd think that it was as easy as Brian Sabean hitting speed dial, asking, say, Pirates GM David Littlefield about the wife and kids, then getting that Craig Wilson-for-Kevin Correia swap done before dinner is on the table.

Remember that for every player rumored to be on the trade block, there are several potential trade partners, all offering different things, all with different levels of seriousness. And the players aren't theoretical bundles of statistics; they're playing every day and subject to unforeseen problems:  slumps, pouts, injuries. A year or two ago, the Giants were said to be intensely interested in Colorado pitcher Jason Jennings...until Jennings broke his finger in late July. Today's hot pursuit can quickly hit a wall.

A GM's job in July is a Chinese acrobatic act, juggling plates, torches, chairs, and lemons all while balanced on the shoulders of a bunch of other clowns.

A few notable developments since I last wrote:

* Mike Matheny's concussion isn't getting better, and we all wish him a full recovery. Ask Steve Young: this could be very serious. The cold-eyed assessment, however, is that the Giants don't miss him much on the field. The pitching is doing fine, and the combined offense of Greene and Alfonzo more than compensates for whatever defensive gap lies between them and Matheny. This offensive abbondanza may be temporary: Greene is playing way over his head, OBP-wise, and Alfonzo never hit well above Double-A ball before his callup.

* With all the bullpen turnover and the home-field hatred for Armando Benitez, it's easy to overlook that Kevin Correia and Brad Hennessey, the two guys who lost the 5th-starter job to Jamey Wright in spring training, are having fine years in relief. One of them may become trade bait, or their success may give the Giants confidence to trade Wright to a contending team desperate for starting pitching (Boston, NY Mets, NY Yankees, St. Louis...the list is long).

In fact, in my most recent post over at El Lefty Malo, I name Hennessey one of the Giants' four first-half MVPs. (Curious resemblance to Henry Schulman's story in this morning's Chron is purely coincidental, unless Hank The Tank is a devoted reader.)   

Discuss: Who's your first-half Giant MVP, and why?

The Crab is Back!

I just got a message from the folks at Rehab the Crab:

The Crab actually TOOK THE FIELD tonight and sparred with both Lou Seal and the A's elephant.

On the TV broadcast, Krukow went on and on with Crab stories then they showed the old Giants Crab commercial (twice!).  It was awesome.

Does anyone have any photos or video?  If so, post them to Flickr and YouTube and tag them "maysfield"--then I'll re-post here.

Omar Vizquel Poster

mays-vizquel-small.jpg
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Noah Lowry Poster

lowry-postersmall.jpg
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Moon Over Mays Field

Originally uploaded by artolog.

Not Actually Willie Mays

DSC00471.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Rally Pumpkin at Mays Field

DSC00472.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Why Do Everyone Say It's 21st Century And The Date Is 2006?

That's the question that led at least one confused soul to this website.  (Type it into Ask.com's new blogsearch tool, and we're #8.  Put that in your SEO pipe and smoke it.)  I don't know if we answered the question, but for their sake, I hope they find the answer soon. 

Lefty Roundup: Your 2009 San Francisco Giants

May's gone so soon, the season is one-third over. Wasn't it just spring training? I'm not the first guy to notice this.

It's like watching your kids grow up. One day they're wearing footy pajamas, the next day they're balding accountants and menopausal boutique owners. You think, "Why didn't I appreciate them more when they were younger?"

Same goes for the Giants. In a few scant months there will be a massive changing of the guard. Likely out the door will be Barry Bonds, Moises Alou, Steve Finley, Jason Schmidt, and Ray Durham. Felipe Alou could ride off into a cream-of-wheat colored sunset, too. A few veterans will remain, but the next couple of years could be more youthful than any year since 1996, when the roster was full of new faces. Some would become familiar: Bill Mueller, Marvin Benard, Rich Aurilia, Shawn Estes. Some would become Desi Wilson.

Here are the players currently on the 25-man roster who are also under contract or in the Giants' control for 2007: 

C: Matheny
1B: Niekro, Sweeney
2B: Frandsen
SS: Vizquel
3B: ?
OF: Winn, Ellison
RP: Benitez, Worrell, Accardo, Wilson, Sanchez, Correia, Hennessey
SP: Lowry, Morris, Cain

Here's the same list for '08:

C: ?
1B: Niekro
2B: Frandsen
SS: ?
3B: ?
OF: Winn, Ellison
RP: Accardo, Wilson, Sanchez, Correia, Hennessey
SP: Lowry, Morris, Cain

The only place the Giants seem well-stocked for the next couple of years is the bullpen, even if  Hennessey or Correia, or perhaps both, are given a chance to start. (With Matt Morris looking ominously ready for the roasting fork in only the first year of a 3-year contract, the starting rotation could provide ample opportunity to update a famous baseball rhyme: Lowry and Cain and pray for rain.)

So when you're out at the yard this summer, don't just pray for Barry's knees. Watch Accardo, Wilson, Frandsen and Sanchez in the same way you would watch your own kid as he takes his first steps, mashes his peas into his hair, and bumps his head against the one corner of the table you forgot to pad.

When they're all grown up and testifying before grand juries, you'll be glad you paid attention in the early days.

For more discussion of the state of the Giants farm system and upcoming youth movement, check out these posts on my leftymalo blog:

Sanchez So Soon?
Temperance Movement

and to keep tabs on Giants' prospects, read Steve Shelby's "Minor Lines" daily diary on the excellent community site McCovey Chronicles.

McCovey Cove at Mays Field

McCovey Cove
Originally uploaded by reveritas.

Outstanding shot, reveritas.

More on 715

barry's #715
Originally uploaded by petebeck.

Barry Hitting 715 at Mays Field: The Conclusion

Barry Bonds hugs his son at home
Originally uploaded by fotogail.

Bonds Hitting 715 at Mays Field

Barry Bonds hitting 715
Originally uploaded by fotogail.

Nice shot, Gail.

Donna, Terry and the Maniac

DSC00278.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Mays Field Maniac and Tyler Snyder

DSC00276.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

I can't agree with Derek and the Maniac here--nothing wrong with Snyder keeping the ball (worth at least $70K, according to what I've read) and hating Barry. Life's full of contradictions. Invest that money wisely, young man.

Pujols at Mays Field

DSC00282.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

The Mays Field Maniac, Dr. Gustavo Montan'ez and Son

DSC00287.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Dr. Montan'ez and his son drove 9 hours from Zacatecas, Mexico to Mays Field. First baseball game ever for Montan'ez fils.

Jens @ Mays Field

Jens @ Mays Field
Originally uploaded by jordan klein.

Chris and the Mays Field Maniac

DSC00274.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Accardo Across the Bay

DSC00254.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Looking in at Mays Field

Originally uploaded by whileseated.

Happy Mother's Day from McCovey Cove

maniac mothers day 3.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Happy Mother's Day from Mays Field

Mike and 2 sons and another guy.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Happy Mother's Day from the Mays Field Maniac and ABC 7's Noel Cisneros

Maniac w Noel Cisneros.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Mays Field Maniac and ABC 7's Noel Cisneros

Maniac w Noel Cisneros 2.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Anyone have the audio?

Happy Mother's Day from Derek and the Mays Field Maniac

  Maniac Mothers day.JPG 
  Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Happy Mother's Day from Arcade Section 152

Arc 152 maniacs.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Dodgers Suck!

maysfielddodgerssuck.jpg
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

A universal sentiment at Mays Field.

Happy 75th, Willie Mays!

DSC00180.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Another shot of Willie in the Mustang, courtesy of Derek.

Happy 75th, Willie Mays!

DSC00179.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Willie's actual birthday was last weekend, but the Giants celebrated it last night at Mays Field. Love the orange Mustang.

Mays Field Maniac and Mike Hardeman

DSC00171.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Mike's VP of the San Francisco Port Commission, and he and the Maniac agree: Dodgers Suck!

Jason Schmidt

schmidtmaysfield.jpg
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

As modified by Derek. Gotta love that ad campaign.

Guerilla Marketing

mays field att some big company park
Originally uploaded by fotogail.

Mays Field Maniac and Fox Radio

  DSC00136.JPG 
  Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Anyone catch the broadcast?

(The Maniac was en fuego yesterday!)

Mays Field Maniac and Visa

DSC00128.JPG
Originally uploaded by thinkderek.

Priceless.

Oh, wait, that's MasterCard.

How about, "She's everywhere you want to be."