San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Giants week in review: Ramos, RZA, Rangers, Rhjelle
When I went camping a week ago, the Giants forgot how to play baseball. When I came back, they had a winning streak. According to my expert analysis, this means that you should give me money to pay for an actual hotel room the next time I leave my house. The next move is yours.
While I’m not going to recap this week and the week I missed on vacation, I might dip into the previous week, just to highlight some things that tickled my brain.
Sean Hjelle is going to pitch in the majors for the next 10 years
In the last game Hjelle pitched for the Giants, on June 5, he allowed a home run. He’ll do that more often than the typical sinkerballer if this season is any indication. Which it doesn’t have to be. Single-season homer rates are notoriously fickle. Either way, though, I’m here to spread the gospel of Sean Hjelle, and I’m happy to do it after he wasn’t at his best. He’s been excellent this season. Some might say that I’m spinning tall tales, and, well, they’re right.
Two things you might not have realized about Hjelle’s major-league career so far:
First, he’s added a bit of velocity over the years. Baseball America wrote that Hjelle “generally (sat) 90-92 mph” when he was drafted, but his command would be his calling card. Since then, he’s added at least a couple ticks to his fastball. Sounds great, except his command and control suffered after he started throwing harder. This isn’t unusual, as added velocity typically comes with wonkier command, at least at first. But then there’s a chance that the velocity and command reunite, possibly in a grassy meadow, as they dance around to their heart’s content. That’s sort of what’s happening to Hjelle right now, as he’s been better about spotting his sinker where it should be
I also think there’s a universe in which a team tries to focus on him extending his delivery and releasing the ball as close to the plate as he can, really pushing the limits of what his body is capable of. There’s roughly a 50-percent chance that, in this universe, every muscle and ligament in his shoulder ejects and hits the canopy, like Goose in “Top Gun.” And there’s another 50-percent chance that he’s one of the most dominant relievers in baseball. There’s no in-between.
Second, Hjelle was a bit unlucky in his previous seasons. In his first two seasons with the Giants, he had a 6.17 ERA, but he also had a 3.89 FIP. The first number was absolutely unplayable and untenable. The second number was something you could work with, especially if the increased velocity ever met the previously impressive command. Now he’s spotting the harder sinkers and sweepers. It seems like a winning recipe.
The year is 2034, and a 37-year-old Sean Hjelle takes the mound. I don’t know which team he’s on, and I don’t know the situation. My guess is that it happens, though. He’s a supremely rare baseball creature, and it seems like a lot of it is working.
Here’s the RZA holding a Giants jersey
In honor of Wu-Tang Night and in celebration of the first day of Black Music Month, the #SFGiants were joined by San Francisco artist @LarryJuneTFM, and founding member of the @WuTangClan, @RZA.
To showcase a moment of unity and respect, from coast to coast, and era to era,… pic.twitter.com/ELWhCmE2CR
— SFGiants (@SFGiants) June 2, 2024
I can’t express how much this makes me geek out. My first introduction to the RZA wasn’t the Wu-Tang Clan, but a Gravediggaz CD that a buddy burned for me around the time that “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” came out. He’s one of my favorite producers of all-time. I remember trying to parse the key changes in this song as a normie musician in 1997 and giving up.
It wasn’t meant for my brain back then. It was sent in a time machine to my future brain, which still isn’t quite sure what’s going on, but in the best possible way. This song also references Willie Mays within the first 24 seconds, so you know it’s great.
Because of the Giants holding a Wu-Tang night, we all discovered that the uncle of the RZA’s wife was John Rabb, who played on the 1984 Giants with Duane Kuiper, Mike Krukow, Dusty Baker, Bill Laskey, Chili Davis, Bob Brenly and Jeffrey Leonard. The list of formative Giants on that team is almost as impressive as the Wu-Tang roster.
Mostly, though, I wanted to point out that Kruk and Kuip are two degrees removed from the Wu-Tang Clan. All of them are on the short list of the people who have most improved my short time on this planet. They all rule.
The Prettiest Home Run of the Week™
It would appear that Heliot Ramos is on one, as they say in the biz. The last time I wrote one of these weekly recaps, Ramos was hitting .274, with a .783 OPS. Good for him! That was a positive development. If Ramos could do that sort of thing consistently, he’d have a long major-league career.
Since then, Ramos has gone bananas. The Giants telecast over the last few days would show a graphic that compared Ramos’ June OPS to Aaron Judge’s June OPS, which is a good reminder that when Judge was the same age as Ramos, he was hitting .179 with 42 strikeouts in 84 at-bats as a rookie. Which isn’t to suggest that Ramos will hit 62 homers in an MVP season, but it’s a reminder that players take all sorts of different paths to the majors. He’s is just 24. That’s not old in baseball terms, and it’s not especially close. What Ramos is doing now is one of the most encouraging developments the Giants could possibly have in 2024.
But this isn’t a section to prognosticate about the future of Heliot Ramos. It’s a section to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of a specific home run. So look at this home run.
The traditionally pretty home run from a right hander is pulled. Think of José Canseco in the SkyDome, or Albert Pujols against Brad Lidge. I have a soft spot for the dead-center homers that take you a second to recognize, though. You can hear Duane Kuiper take his time to get to the “outta here.” We’re used to watching batted balls from a certain angle. And when someone hits a ball in that direction, it’s a fine line visually between a harmless pop-up to center and a blast over the highest and deepest center-field wall in baseball.
The batter knows, though. Ramos knew. He hit the everloving snot out of that baseball, and it’s one of the prettiest homers you’ll see all season.
The Rangers’ center-field camera is a gift from above
Look at the purity of this view.
You see the break. You see why a hitter would think it’s tempting. You see why he couldn’t hit it. (And you can definitely see the hop after a glove-side slider.) All weekend we were treated to this camera. It’s the perfect angle to watch baseball.
Here’s Michael Conforto hitting the second-prettiest homer of the week:
This is the perfect combination of a fastball going exactly where it wasn’t supposed to go and a pitcher reacting like, “Dang it! That fastball was not supposed to go there, heavens to Betsy, consarnit.” And the camera makes it all better.
Rangers fans get to listen to Bruce Bochy make Bruce Bochy noises and do his thing, which is pretty cool. But I’m most jealous of their center-field camera. It might be the best in the majors.
(Photo of Hjelle in his June 5 outing: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
This year’s annual Bay to Breakers — the event that’s as much as roving costume party as a 12 kilometer run — is being held on Sunday, May 17. While participants prepare their outfits for the event, San Franciscans prepare for the road closures that accompany the event. Transit officials recommend runners and spectators alike use subways and mass transit, especially on the day of the race.
Cross that big street
Major arteries like Market Street and Van Ness constitute mental borders for many drivers. If your destination is near a popular street, aim for the other side of it, where there’ll typically be more vacancies.
Stray uphill
Hills, too, create mental obstacles for people looking for parking. If you’re willing to walk up one of San Francisco’s many hills either before or after the show, you’ll find more spots.
Always check signs
Pay attention to posted time restrictions to avoid tickets. Some meters in San Francisco mercilessly run until 10pm. Also, street cleaning hours can start at 12am, before some shows get out.
Know when you’re beaten
Some neighborhoods are hopeless. North Beach, Nob Hill, Divisadero — forget about it. The sooner you accept this, the more inner peace you will find.
Trust your gut
I acknowledge that I am a 6’1” man, and not everyone feels as comfortable as I do walking alone at night. If you’re not a local, and you’re feeling unsure, read up on the neighborhood beforehand.
Realize the ‘right’ way can be painful too
If you’re tempted to suck it up and pay for a parking lot or garage, remember: after the show, you may be stuck for a long time in a parking-lot traffic jam as cars try to get out all at once.
Okay! On with my list, with suggested free parking areas marked red.
Where to find parking for Davies Symphony Hall, War Memorial Opera House, Herbst Theater or Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
East side of Gough Street, between Golden Gate and McAllister
Pro tip: Park on the left side of the street. Quick eats to go are almost nonexistent in the area, so pick up any pre-show provisions you may need at the Super Sam corner store.
Where to find parking for SFJAZZ, Rickshaw Stop or Mr. Tipple’s Jazz Club
North side of Oak Street between Buchanan and Octavia
Pro tip: The right lanes are almost always congested due to the upcoming freeway onramp. Watch for cars speeding down the hill behind you in the left lanes, and nose in rather than backing into the spot, if possible.
Where to find parking for the Castro Theater
Castro Street, between 14th and 16th
Pro tip: Separated from the Castro by Market Street, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. I found a cool old metal dustpan on the street here once. Still use it.
Where to find parking for the Chapel
South Van Ness Avenue between 17th and 21st
Pro tip: Parking in the Mission District can be maddening; find solace on either the east or west side of the main artery on the edge of the neighborhood. Say hi to Whiz Burger for me.
Where to find parking for the Great American Music Hall
Franklin Street between Ellis and Geary
Pro tip: I’ve also found Geary Boulevard, between Van Ness and Franklin, to usually have open spots. (Plus, you’re right next to Tommy’s Joynt for post-show eats.)
Where to find parking for the Regency Ballroom
Franklin Street between Post and Bush
Pro tip: Separated from the venue by Van Ness, and up the hill a little, most people don’t think of parking here. Aim for the left side of this one-way thoroughfare, where parking is usually more open. Pour one out for the closed Walgreens.
Where to find parking for Mabuhay Gardens or On Broadway
Leavenworth Street between Francisco and Chestnut
Pro tip: Trying to find parking in North Beach is like repeatedly hitting yourself in the face with a hammer for a half hour. I park an entire mile away, and enjoy the walk along Columbus, which is teeming with action on weekends.
Where to find parking for the Midway
Illinois Street between 23rd and 25th
Pro tip: Do not be seduced by the road leading toward Pier 80; it looks wide open, but is full of private parking, and Pier 80 itself will be closed off.
Where to find parking for Chase Center
16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut
Pro tip: For concert parking, the Chase Center garage currently charges $75. Ahem. I think you’ll agree that a nice 10-minute stroll down 16th Street is a better alternative.
Where to find parking for the Bottom of the Hill
16th Street between Carolina and Connecticut
Pro tip: Parking’s not nearly as plentiful as it used to be here; be aware of the new-ish protected bike lanes on 17th and the many time restrictions. (Also, bring presents for the excellent staff at one of the city’s best clubs before it closes at the end of the year.)
Where to find parking for the Fillmore
Geary Boulevard between Divisadero and Scott
Pro tip: I agonized for years driving in circles on neighborhood streets until finding this wonderful stretch of Geary, down the road and on a slight curve, where no one thinks to park.
Where to find parking for the Warfield
Folsom Street between 7th and 6th
Pro tip: This one’s tough, being close to both Union Square and the Tenderloin. I shoot for the less-populated area south of Market and walk up 6th Street, home of harm-reduction services, pizza-by-the-slice joints, SROs and Tú Lan.
Where to find parking for the Brick and Mortar Music Hall or Public Works
Gough Street between Market and McCoppin
Pro tip: This is on an odd little diagonal block that’s off of most people’s radar, on the other side of a freeway overpass. It’s never let me down.
Where to find parking for Oracle Park
Harrison Street between 3rd and 4th
Pro tip: Optimal ballpark spots used to change each year. In a coincidence that I won’t overanalyze, I’ve had luck parking on this block ever since Buster Posey left the Giants in 2021.
Where to find parking for the Masonic
Van Ness Avenue or Franklin Street between Sacramento and Pine
Pro tip: Sorry, man. You will not find parking on Nob Hill. You can try driving up California while looking for a spot, but likely, you’ll have to head back and make the five-block walk.
Where to find parking for August Hall
Mission or Howard Streets, between 5th and 6th
Pro tip: The “park up the hill” trick doesn’t work here, since the nearby hill is Nob Hill. If you strike out on Mission or Howard, Folsom is often open.
Where to find parking for the DNA Lounge
Treat Street between Florida and Alameda
Pro tip: Luckily the DNA is surrounded by a pretzel of strange, short, wiggly streets, good for finding parking; head south of the freeway overpass to this hidden curve. (It’s where I parked when I saw Prince at the tiny club in 2013; yes of course I am bragging.)
Where to find parking for Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands or Hardly Strictly
Clement Street between 34th and 38th
Pro tip: The best way to get to these festivals is to throw a bike in the trunk, park near Ocean Beach, and ride in past the bison to the free bicycle parking area. Barring that, your other best bet is to park up the (very) steep hill, near the VA hospital.
Where to find parking for the Cow Palace
Geneva Avenue between Stoneridge and Carter
Pro tip: I don’t really have a pro tip for this one. I just want to say that there should be more concerts at the Cow Palace, which is cool as hell.
Where to find parking for Stern Grove
Portola Drive between San Fernando and Santa Clara
Pro tip: Park across the major artery of 19th, and up the hill a little bit. And, since Stern Grove concerts always take place on Sundays, there are no two-hour parking restrictions to contend with.
Where to find parking for the Independent
Divisadero Street between O’Farrell and Turk
Pro tip: You’ll have to go back in time to when you could park at the DMV lot, because this neighborhood is impossible now. I go down the hill a ways, and usually find a spot north of Primo Pizza.
Where to find parking for the Black Cat
East side of Van Ness Avenue, between Turk and Ellis
Pro tip: Aim for Van Ness, the west boundary of the Tenderloin. For a major thoroughfare, Van Ness often surprises me with open spots, especially on the east side heading north.
Where to find parking for Cafe du Nord or Swedish American Hall
16th Street between Guerrero and Sanchez
Pro tip: Once the daycare that’s just east of Dolores on 16th closes for the day, the white curb — which tends to scare off many drivers — is free for you to park at. Bonus points for the view of the Mission Dolores basilica, just a beautiful building.
The SF venues you don’t need my help parking at
San Francisco is having a civic nervous breakdown because the brother of President Donald Trump’s son-in-law is buying a minority stake in the Giants.
Not Donald Trump. Not Jared Kushner. Joshua Kushner. And not control of the team. A minority stake.
Apparently, that is enough to send parts of San Francisco’s activist and media culture into full panic mode.
One Giants employee posted a video from Oracle Park turning in their uniform and quitting because Kushner was buying into the team.
Social media lit up with complaints about “MAGA ownership” and Trump-world influence invading one of San Francisco’s most beloved civic institutions.
There is just one problem. Joshua Kushner is not exactly Steve Bannon in a Giants cap.
He has historically donated heavily to Democrats and has occupied a very different political lane than his brother Jared and the Trump orbit. But nuance never stood a chance here.
For some in San Francisco, the name “Kushner” was enough. That is the story.
The Giants are not some random expansion franchise nobody cares about. They are one of the oldest and most storied franchises in Major League Baseball history — with eight World Series titles and a lineage that includes Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, and Bruce Bochy.
Oracle Park is one of the great settings in American sports. Giants-Dodgers is still one of baseball’s defining rivalries. Generations of Northern Californians are emotionally attached to this team.
Which is precisely why the reaction has been so revealing.
Nobody was arguing about payroll. Nobody was debating the farm system. Nobody was asking whether this helps the Giants close the gap with the Dodgers in the NL West.
The panic was political from the first pitch.
That tells you where we are now.
Sports ownership used to be judged mostly by whether owners were competent, stable, and willing to spend money to win. Now it is an ideological background check.
Who donated to whom? Who attended what fundraiser? Whose brother married whose daughter? Who might show up in the owner’s suite?This is what happens when politics becomes religion. Everything becomes a loyalty test. Even baseball.
The irony is almost too perfect.
San Francisco is not exactly at risk of becoming a MAGA beachhead because a Democratic donor with the wrong last name bought a small piece of the Giants. But symbolic politics runs the city now.
In Democrat circles in San Francisco, politics is not just something people believe. It is something they perform. It is identity. It is status. It is social sorting.
So even indirect association becomes contamination. Joshua Kushner does not have to be Trump. He does not even have to be conservative. He just has to be Kushner.
That is enough.
To be fair, Giants ownership was already politically sensitive. Current owner Charles Johnson has drawn years of criticism for conservative political donations.
So this latest development landed on dry grass.
Still, the reaction says more about San Francisco’s liberal elite than it does about the Giants. The city’s activist class cannot even let baseball remain baseball.
A minority owner becomes a political emergency. A family connection becomes a scandal. A business transaction becomes a moral crisis.
This is not normal.
Fans used to argue about batting orders and pitching rotations. Now they investigate ownership family trees.
And the Giants are not being bought by Donald Trump. They are not being turned into a Trump campaign surrogate. They are not replacing team mascot Lou Seal with a MAGA hat.
A minority stake is changing hands. That’s it.
Yet for the loudest voices in San Francisco, even that apparently requires public anguish.
If this is the reaction to the brother of Trump’s son-in-law buying a minority piece of the Giants, imagine what happens if Donald Trump ever throws out the first pitch at Oracle Park.
Jon Fleischman, a longtime strategist in California politics and a lifelong baseball fan, writes at SoDoesItMatter.com.
-
Los Angeles, Ca5 minutes agoRip tides, high surf forecast for Los Angeles beaches this weekend
-
Detroit, MI29 minutes agoWhat time is Pistons Game 7 vs Cavs? Date, tickets in Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA41 minutes agoSan Francisco prepares for Bay to Breakers run
-
Dallas, TX47 minutes agoSouthwest lays off about 75 employees in latest restructuring move
-
Miami, FL53 minutes agoMark Matthews Announces Commitment – Chooses Between Georgia, Miami, and Others
-
Boston, MA59 minutes agoAliyah Boston Leaves Fever Game With Lower Leg Injury
-
Denver, CO1 hour agoNorthbound I-25 closed between Denver and Colorado Springs after fatal multi-vehicle crash
-
Seattle, WA1 hour agoHealth officials track fourth King County resident tied to MV Hondius Andes hantavirus