Happy Horsebleep

April 30

Nothing is more fun than the once-a-year events where we get to sound like experts on sports we rarely cover. The Indy 500 is one. The Boston Marathon is another. And, of course, the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown races.

Based on my many years covering the Sport of Kings for the Daily Racing Form, including my prediction that Pass Catcher would ruin Canonero II’s bid for glory in 1971, here’s what I’m looking for tomorrow between the Twin Spires for the 136th Derby.

I like these horses to finish in the money:

The 10-horse, Paddy O’Prado. He’s been a juggernaut in training sessions, and he’s peaking. He is the first horse to have a posse since, well, posses. Some 340 people are at Churchill Downs in support of P O’P. The forecast is for rain and they’re loving it, because he ran a 58 and 2/5 in the mud last Friday. I’m jumping on this 20-1 longshot like many of our listeners would jump on Kim Kardashian. Hey, have at her … in the mud if you like.

The 4-horse, Super Saver. This beauty has taken to the C-Downs track like Jamarcus Russell takes to a buffet line. One of three Todd Pletcher entries at 12-1, a smart money bet in my considered opinion. Why? His jockey is Calvin Borel, who loves the rail and who took Mine That Bird to the roses. In the 4th post he’s not far from the rail.

The 1-horse and favorite, Lookin’ at Lucky. The inside gate is usually the kiss of death but this Bob Baffert horse is expected to be in the mix despite the mud, the rail, and 19 other nags. He can smell the finish line like John Daly smells home brew. The 2-1 favorite is a winner, and has had good workouts.

Just on the outside looking in …

#20 Sidney’s Candy, part of the Jenny Craig heritage. His training runs have been indifferent, overall. He’s normally a front-runner but in the slop he might need to pick his way through traffic, much as I do through the Bay Bridge toll plaza Fastrak lanes at 10:05 a.m. First let me get around this idiot blue truck who is backing up Fastrak traffic as he cuts back into the cash lanes.

My dark horse …

The 14-horse Mission Impazible … another Pletcher entry at 15-1. Sleep on him and you could be shocked like Ovie and the Caps were this week. He’s had great workouts in Florida and Kentucky, much like Joslyn James.

You can thank me on Monday. Unless I’m not there because I’ve retired off my winnings. Or left the country.

A White Knuckler

April 30

Fasten your seatbelts, folks, this is going to be spicy.

The Sharks hung on for a Game 1 second round win over the Red Wings at The Tank in a solid 4-3 effort. You get the feeling this is not only going to be a series, but a spectacle. Two very skilled, closely-matched teams, although the Sharks went without an ailing Patrick Marleau. ( I know, how is that different from the first round ? )

Before I go for the obvious, can I sing the praises of the Sharks’ defensive effort ? It was terrific against a very dangerous team, allowing just 23 shots. You have to love the job they did on Henrik Zetterberg, although Pavel Datsyuk was his usual pesky self. Does he have stick-em on his tape ?

Once again, Little Joe had the biggest goal. Joe Pavelski’s early third period goal during a 5-on-3 turned out to be the game-winner, going five-hole on Jimmy Howard. That gave him two for the game, and seven postseason goals, and gave the Sharks a 4-2 lead.

The Sharks sprinted out to an early 3-0 lead with a rapid-fire fusillade of first period goals. The Red Wings had just won a Game 7 in Arizona less than 48 hours before and were having trouble getting traction in the early going, although Coach Mike Babcock claimed that was not an issue. The Sharks got the early jump, but it never really looked like it was going to be a blowout.

In fact, you know what feeling I get? Every time the Red Wings have the puck, they’re going to score. What an awesome front line they have, filled with world-class players. It’s like watching Moscow Dynamo or the Red Army team. Not only because of the skill and puck-handling, but there is that touch of arrogance, as if they own the ice and you’re just skating on it.

The Red Wings have reason to be confident against the Sharks. They’ve broken San Jose’s heart a couple of times in recent years, and are damn near unbeatable vs. the Sharks at Joe Louis Arena. That’s why it was so important to win Game 1 and maintain home-ice advantage. The Sharks also broke a string of four straight playoff series-opening losses at home, a very bad habit indeed.

If the Sharks are scared, they didn’t show it in Game 1. Despite the Red Wings’ flash and dash ( and occasional slash ) the Sharks bring some good things to the table as well, and after getting over the first-round willies, maybe they’re ready to take the next step. The Red Wings will now have three days to prepare for Game 3, though, and a team with this pedigree will make adjustments.

If Babcock is any indication, the Wings are salty. He labeled “crap” and “embellishing” Devin Setoguchi’s face-first collapse on the ice after taking a stick to the face during a power play. That set up the 5-on-3 and Pavelski’s game-winner early in the third.

Setoguchi clearly took a blow to the face, and Babcock might be trying to light a fire under his team, but it sounded like sour grapes to me. At the same time it’s fair to say the Red Wings appeared to have the edge at even strength. Their weakness has been on special teams, and that’s been a strong point of the Sharks.

The Sharks will hopefully get Marleau back Sunday — will he make a difference or will he disappear in this galaxy of stars? I think he must make an impact for the Sharks to win this series. The Sharks must also continue to do the little things, like winning face-offs, and keep getting the puck on net — if Jimmy Howard is still in goal, there are rebounds to be had. On the other end, Evgeni Nabokov dealt with a lot of traffic in front of the net but did a decent job.

This playoff series looks like a sports car compared to round one vs. the Avalanche, but there is one stat to bear in mind, which also played a big role vs. Colorado. The Sharks out-hit the Red Wings, 38-21. Unlike previous playoff teams, this team is a bit more physical and unafraid to grind things out. If the Sharks keep hitting, it could take its toll the way it did in Round 1, although the Red Wings will be a tougher egg to crack.

Maybe this will end up being a bloody knuckler, but Game 1 was a white knuckler. I can’t wait for Sunday. Oh yes, we’re at the next level now.

The Line Forms To The Right

April 30

That would the second-guessers line.

Wednesday was a perfect example of why we love baseball. We love to guess along with, and second-guess, the managers. We argue about strategy and usually our hindsight is 20-20.

The Giants’ 7-6, 11-inning loss to the Phillies was like cannon-fodder for fans. Their favorite, Tim Lincecum, was in peak form and took a game into the 9th inning for the first time this season. He was making the Phils’ formidable lineup look foolish. Then the fun began.

The Giants were up 4-1 when Greg Dobbs led off the top of the 9th with a hot grounder on a pitch Lincecum hung. Travis Ishikawa backhanded it and flipped to Lincecum at first. It looked like Timmy was going to take it to the house, with a limp.

The next batter, Shane Victorino, walked on four pitches, all up in the zone. That was a sign of fatigue and that was it. Bruce Bochy came out and went to a rested closer Brian Wilson, who hadn’t thrown since Saturday. With a day off Thursday, Bochy wanted his closer sharp, and apparently felt Lincecum was tiring. In fact, he barely hesitated to make the move and it didn’t shock me at all.

What happened next was bizarre theatre that opened up Bochy to the second-guessers. Wilson got Placido Polanco to fly out, but then made his first bad pitch to Chase Utley, who whacked a single to right field. The Giants were not going to let Ryan Howard tie the game so Wilson pitched around him, opting for the slightly more preferable scenario of facing the right-handed Jayson Werth with the bases loaded.

It so happened that Werth had one of the best at-bats of the season. He laid off a couple of very close pitches, both slider and fastball, that many hitters would have chased — or some umpires not named Dana DeMuth would have rung up. Werth battled his way to a 3-2 count and blooped a fly ball that landed on the right field line, then kicked away from Nate Schierholtz for a three-run double.

Cue the macho cliche machine. You’ve got to let your big horse finish the race. You’ve got to let the big dog finish the job. You’ve got to let your ace take it home. F*** the pitch count.

There is no doubt that Lincecum wanted to finish the job, and that’s certainly part of what makes him great. Bochy WANTED to give Lincecum that chance by letting him start the 9th inning, and although Lincecum had thrown 120 pitches the game before, he was barely over 100 this time. I don’t think the pitch count influenced Bochy so much as the eye test — Lincecum looked like he was losing it after an uncharacteristic four-pitch walk. If there is anyone who has f***** the pitch count, it’s been Bochy, but not this time, and I didn’t have a problem with that..

On top of that, Wilson had been lights out all year. He wasn’t bad today, either. He was victimized by a little bad luck, a slightly shaky strike zone, and a great battle by Werth. It’s automatic that fans will look for something to blame in this situation, but how about giving Werth credit for a tremendous at-bat?

Bochy probably had information about Lincecum that no fans who booed him possessed, and what are the Giants paying Wilson for? Precisely for these situations. Bochy had every confidence Wilson would shut the door, and it just didn’t happen. And you know what? He’ll blow a few other saves this season. Sometimes the manager makes the right move and it doesn’t work out.

There is something else fans need to consider. Bochy not only has to manage for one game, but for the long run. Does he want to ice his closer for nearly a week, with a day off Thursday? Does he want Lincecum to put himself in jeopardy of losing his own game? Does he want to stretch him out in April?

Consider this as well: some fans argue that Lincecum might have served up a double-play ball to Utley. If they can argue that, I can rightly argue that Utley would have gotten a hit off a tiring Lincecum, too. Then, do you want Brian Wilson entering the game with TWO runners on? A rested Brian Wilson was a better option than a tiring Lincecum with just one runner on, and with a 4-1 lead.

There will be a time, very soon, when Lincecum willl “take it to the house,” or “reach the finish line.” He’s done it before, he’ll do it again, and that’s one reason to love him. San Francisco fans are very emotional about Tim, because they hold him to their bosom the way they used to hold Barry Bonds. Facebook friend Marty astutely pointed out to me that fans might not have been so emotional if Barry Zito or Jonathan Sanchez were pulled. They are winning fans over but have not achieved icon status as Lincecum has.

I WILL second-guess Bochy for leaving Eugenio Velez in left field instead of John Bowker in the final two innings. I also might have preferred to have Bowker hit instead of Velez, if you aren’t going to have Velez bunt. Bowker is just as capable of moving runners over, and while he is no Gold Glover, he isn’t the circus in the outfield that Velez has become.

Velez didn’t seem to know how much room there was on the warning track as he chased after Wilson Valdez’s long drive in the top of the 11th and slammed into the wall in the left field corner. It appeared that he could have caught the ball if he left his feet. Instead, the go-ahead run came in and the Phillies led 6-5. And by the way, as with Manny Ramirez, reliever Sergio Romo served up a spinning slider to Valdez. With two outs and a 3-2 count, he needed to pitch to Valdez with Shane Victorino coming up; the right move, the wrong result.

After that, Velez flat-out dropped the fly ball. He might have been thinking of the previous play, or thinking about the weather in Fresno. With Aaron Rowand about to be activated Velez will probably find out this weekend. The Phillies broadcasters tried to make an excuse for him by saying left field is tricky at AT & T in the afternoon, but Velez should have had it.

The dropped fly ball brought in what turned out to be the winning run. Velez couldn’t knock home the tying run from third in the bottom of the 11th, as he hit a chopper to Ryan Howard. The big man wheeled and threw wide to the plate and Brian Schneider made a nice sweeping tag that convinced DeMuth — Juan Uribe was called out at the plate. Replays shed doubt on that call, but it was a bang-bang play, and usually when a throw is waiting for a runner, the umpires will call the runner out on principle.

Now, the bright side. The Giants went 4-2 against two divisional leaders, with the Rockies limping into town this weekend. The Giants’ starting pitching is in better shape than any other NL West team; witness the Rockies, who just put Jorge De La Rosa and Jason Hammel on the disabled list. There are still problems to work out on offense but the Giants put together some quality at-bats in the Phillies series.

Fans almost compulsively second-guess Bochy, although his handling of pitching staffs is usually pretty good. His handling of the bench could be questioned today, but I still think he is doing a good job overall. The Giants are probably right where they should be. The Padres are not. Calm down fans, it’s still only April.

The Next ….

April 28

We’ve just finished with one draft, time to get ready for the next.

You’re thinking NBA, perhaps? No. June 7th is the baseball draft. As with football, I will not prepare a mock draft. It makes even less sense to do so when there are 50 rounds.

I won’t belabor the fact that I called the Giants’ selection of Buster Posey a few years ago. That’s water under the bridge. But I can tell you who the #1 pick of the Washington Nationals will be this year, barring a dispute over money.

Last year, they snagged a premier pitching prospect in Stephen Strasburg. This year, they will take the most-hyped position player since Alex Rodriguez. He’s been called the Lebron James of baseball, the “Chosen One,” as detailed last year in a Sports Illustrated cover story. Bryce Harper, meet Clint Hurdle and Bruce Hardy.

Some say Bryce will be the Todd Marinovich of baseball, a one-dimensional young man who has been groomed by pushy parents since he was a toddler to play ball and make lots of money. He IS just 17. Will history repeat itself, or are some critics overdosing on Hatorade?

Bryce is finishing his first season as catcher for College of Southern Nevada. You might not have seen him play yet, and your eyebrows are already raised. 17, in junior college? 17, and eligible for the baseball draft? How can this happen?

It can happen because Bryce got his GED, allowing him to skip his final two years of high school in Las Vegas, and he went straight to Junior College. His father said high school was boring him. Welllll, welcome to the club, kid. Bryce had a ticket out because of his baseball talent, and it is true that high school baseball wasn’t enough of a challenge for him anymore.

Thanks to Sports Illustrated and ESPN, Bryce’s legend already looms large.

He hit .626 as a sophomore in high school, the first soph to be named an All-American by Baseball America. He has been known to play up to 170 games a year with various teams. He hit a 502-foot home run during a showcase last year at Tropicana Field, a record for that stadium. He hit it with a composite metal bat, but it was still eye-popping for a teen. The ball would have gone farther, but it hit the back wall of the dome above right field.

Harper has been clocked as a pitcher throwing 96 miles an hour, but is primarily a catcher. At that position he has been videotaped throwing out would-be base stealers at second base from his knees. He sounds like the second coming of Sid Finch, except now we have YouTube and ESPN to verify.

If all that doesn’t get your attention, how about his JC stats at College of Southern Nevada so far this season? Against players two or three years older, he is batting .410 with 21 home runs in 47 games and, oh yes, 15 stolen bases. Sid Finch? Feh!

You can go online and find numerous tapes of Bryce, doing the things I just talked about. Here’s the one thing that really stands out: his bat speed is unbelievable, the best I’ve seen this side of Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield. His swing has been honed from the time he was three. Sounds almost Tiger-like.

His mom and dad don’t come across on camera as stage parents, but their focus is clear. They have enabled him to get out of his final two years of high school, and they haven’t turned away from national attention, although I give them credit for passing on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” when he made the SI cover. Who’s to say how any of us would handle this scenario if we had a child this talented?

Bryce’s dad Ron says anyone who goes to the “stage parent” card doesn’t know them. The family does appear to be pretty close. In a wise move, they had Bryce’s older brother transfer from Cal St. Northridge to mentor him at CSN.

It all seems too good to be true, doesn’t it?

Bryce has his GED and will have a partial JC education, and in a few months might have $10 million, the first position player to reach that plateau for a signing bonus. Then, the story really begins. It remains to be seen how he will handle the pressure of being a professional, and being the #1 pick. We’ve seen “can’t miss” prospects, well, miss before.

As with other prospects, he’s only an injury away from being a memory. Discounting that for now, Bryce has impressive physical tools. He is listed at 6′ 3″ and 205 pounds but is probably larger. That’s imposing for a 17-year-old, but what will his physique be like at 25? Joe Mauer? Justin Upton? Adam Dunn?

Bryce seems to be aware of the blessing, and curse, that comes with being the possible #1 pick. He’s also aware that whenever he plays, people expect him to launch 500-foot jacks. When he failed to do so at a tournament in Oklahoma City, one fan could be heard to call out “overrated,” and he has even heard boos. He didn’t ask for any of that. and he isn’t getting paid yet.

Are there legitimate red flags? Two, possibly.

First, he is being “advised” by Scott Boras. Loosely translated, he is ready to soak baseball for all he’s worth before he even plays a pro game. Will Boras be willing to go below the Strasburg bonus of $15 million for a position player, even if he’s just 17? Remember, Bryce could easily return for another year at JC and re-emerge next year as an 18-year-old, and even more in demand. That is, barring injury.

Second, there are some troubling scouting reports on his personality. Bryce hasn’t begun compiling a rap sheet and seems to have a stable, albeit unusual family life. But Kevin Goldstein wrote in Baseball America that it’s hard to find any scout who doesn’t dislike the kid. Words such as “arrogant”, “jerk”, and “the anti-Joe Mauer” are tossed around. If that’s true, is it a problem? Only if it translates on the baseball field. Was it a problem for Barry Bonds?

If Bryce becomes uncoachable, unwilling to work on improving his considerable skills, it becomes a problem. However, if his attitude is simply baseball’s version of supreme confidence with a touch of cockiness, it is not. A kid this good, who has gotten the attention he’s received, probably thinks deep inside he is special. Not many JC players are signing autographs. That’s part of the deal in a society that idolizes singers, actors, celebrities,and athletes.

If he can’t respond well to adversity down the road, it’s a problem, but the national spotlight has already found him, with both positive and negative attention — and his awesome JC stats serve as a partial answer to how he might respond. In interviews, he doesn’t strike me as an arrogant kid, but there’s a quiet confidence that some can misinterpret. That could actually serve him well as he goes through the ups and downs of a pro career.

Obviously the scouts know him a little bit better than I do, but anyone who has studied Bryce even just a little can figure this much out — this kid absolutely loves baseball. That should also serve him well.

I’m not ahead of the curve on this one. The hype machine is already in second gear. Despite the possible red flags, Bryce’s talents will probably compel the Nationals to draft him and deal with Boras — after all, they have some experience in this area. Those negotiations will be fascinating, but not as interesting as what happens when the kid starts riding buses every week.

Beat The Best

April 26

The way Roy Halladay pitched in his first four starts with the Phillies, it didn’t seem like he would ever lose a game this season. The way the Giants offense had been going the past week, it didn’t seem likely they would awake from their slumber anytime soon. Certainly not against the Phillies’ ace. Never mind beating Halladay, just stay in the game.

A funny thing happened at A T and T Park tonight.

The Giants not only stayed in the game, they got to Halladay early, and beat him 5-1. April wins are worth as much as September wins but are rarely considered as important. This one was important. The offense not only woke up, but it woke up against the best pitcher this side of Tim Lincecum. The Giants banged out ten hits in seven innings against Halladay, capped by an Eli Whiteside home run off the left field pole.

Halladay features an assortment of pitches with tremendous movement, including a sinking fastball, cutter, curve, and changeup. He throws a lot of strikes and gets batters to roll over and hit ground balls. His pitch count is usually low and he usually throws at a quick pace.

I thought the Giants had to show patience to beat Halladay tonight. By patience, I didn’t necessarily mean trying to get walks — but at least make Halladay work a bit more, lay off that sinker early in the count and shorten up and foul off pitches if you get to a two-strike count. The Giants felt they had to reach him early, hit the first fastball they saw, and give Jonathan Sanchez some early run support.

The Giants did reach Halladay early, but the key at-bat in the first inning was the result of a grind-it-out approach, and not surprisingly it came from a veteran, Mark De Rosa. He worked a 3-2 count, and as he put it himself after the game, he “stayed back” on a curveball and spanked it through the 5 1/2 hole for a two-run single. The Giants took a 2-0 lead and seemed to relax.

Baseball players and fans know that slumps can be contagious. Slumps can also be self-sustaining, because each hitter tries to do too much, and becomes putty in the hands of a pitcher who can change speeds and work corners. A hitter on a slumping team tries to do too much all by himself, and ends up doing nothing. DeRosa might have helped snap that slump by not trying to do too much.

Halladay hit his stride after that, so getting to him early certainly was a key. Meanwhile, Sanchez battled through five stressful innings without his best stuff, but did enough to get the win — and beat the best. Sanchez was clearly miffed at plate umpire C.B. Bucknor’s wandering strike zone on top of that, but held it together — something the old Sanchez would not do. It’s another step forward for a talented young pitcher.

It makes me wonder what was the bigger story tonight — the Giants offense getting after Halladay, or Sanchez winning a game he wouldn’t have won even a year ago? Either way, it is a big win. The Giants beat the ace of the National League champions and get a win before their struggling #5 pitcher, Todd Wellemeyer, goes Tuesday night. Then, Tim Lincecum goes Wednesday.

One of things I mentioned before the homestand against the Cardinals, Phillies and Rockies is that the ballpark tends to neturalize their formidable batting lineups. Ryan Howard could have told you that in the first inning, when a long drive to center was caught by Andres Torres on the warning track. Another reason why premiere sluggers avoid San Francisco like Ebola.

The Giants offense will remain on ongoing concern. We knew at the start of the season that they would have nights where they would struggle to score. I just didn’t think they’d go into weeklong slumps — but remember, this is a lineup missing Aaron Rowand, Juan Uribe, and Freddy Sanchez. Hardly a Murderer’s Row, but the kind of bats that can at least cause a little more wear and tear on a pitcher.

In addition, Bengie Molina wasn’t in the lineup tonight. Eli Whiteside was a more than capable replacement, and in fact might have had his finest game as a major leaguer. He doubled and homered off Halladay and kept Jonathan Sanchez focused in a couple of tight squeezes. He is Sanchez’s personal catcher and should stay on the squad, Buster Posey or no.

Some wins are more important than others during a season. Some April wins are more important than others. This is the kind of win that can give the Giants a boost of confidence, if they learn the lesson of tonight — you can do more by doing the little things.

Tebow Tempest

April 24

I wish Tim Tebow well. I really do. I admire him for his convictions, and he has found a soulmate in Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, who clearly doesn’t care what the critics say and knows what kind of players he wants.

That being said, I just don’t see it.

I don’t see how Tebow becomes the kind of quarterback worthy of a first-round pick. His size, athleticism and leadership are great selling points, but it’s hard to envision him being an every-down quarterback. The Broncos maneuvered to get him at 25th overall, so they apparently disagree.

Tebow has allegedly fixed his throwing motion, but it’s amazing how one reverts to old habits in the heat of the battle. Beyond that, I don’t see him catching up to the speed of the NFL game. He was a man against boys in college, but this is a whole different game.

Owner Pat Bowlen and McDaniels must really like him, and right now, that’s all that matters. The Broncos have gotten rid of some bad apples, but have they replaced them with enought talent? They made some bizarre moves and passed up on some pretty good players Thursday in order to get Tebow.

They may have a package of plays in which Tebow can succeed. In the Wildcat Era, we could see even more wrinkles from the Broncos and other teams. Tebow could have a decent NFL career — if not at quarterback, in some hybrid position. Who knows, he might have a better career than #1 pick Sam Bradford, but the gut test and the eye test say something else.

Tebow has generated such a strong reaction because he is the most decorated college player ever, and because of his personality. He definitely has guts and he’s smart and willing to learn. Those are all very good things, and could carry him for a while — but at best he looks like a long term project. I’m no Gil Brandt, but many people who are experts say the same thing.

You will never hear me utter one joke about his faith or his reputed virginity. Good for him. He lives his beliefs. Others might criticize him for having a Jesus complex, but I think that’s media-driven and is not what he’s about. He is someone whose faith compels him to speak out about what he’s found, and use his fame as a platform to do some good in the world. So be it.

I really hope he succeeds. I will be the first to say I’m wrong, because I think his success would be a tremendous story. I just don’t see it.

Where’s The Beef? In The Draft.

April 22

Happy Earth Day. Or as the 49ers call it, Earthmover Day. Or, as Alex Smith and Frank Gore call it, Independence Day.

I’m not in the habit of doing NFL mock drafts, a) because the Oakland Raiders are involved, and b) last-minute trades can screw up everything. However, when Gary Radnich asked me about this several weeks ago, I said the 49ers would definitely take an offensive lineman. That was a crying need.

This is not an original take, but once the 49ers obtained Ted Ginn, Jr. it became a fait accompli that the ‘Niners would go unsexy. The question was, which guy? The 49ers had a very good idea who their top guy was, and they traded up two places to get him: Anthony Davis of Rutgers.

Davis is 6-5 and 323 pounds and could be a top-flight run-blocker, and nice bookend at right tackle to Joe Staley. His character has been called into question, but Davis told KNBR the 49ers “have nothing to worry about” and that he’ll have his head on straight. I have a feeling Mike Singletary will see to that.

Then at #17, the 49ers got themselves another three-bill lineman with a tinge of nasty: Samoan native, guard Mike Iupati. When you play at Idaho and you still become an Outland Trophy finalist, you’re something special. He’s the first Idaho All-American since 1957 and the great Jerry Kramer. He was the top-rated guard in the draft and best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson in 2001, according to “Sports Illustrated.” When was Hutchinson chosen? Number 17.

Here’s something else special about Iupati: his family came to America, “the land of opportunity” (Garden Grove, CA) when he was 14 and he barely knew any English. Guys like that aren’t likely to take their opportunities for granted.

Iupati’s level of competition was not a concern for the 49ers. All they know is he dominated. Add another 6-5, 335 pounds to the line — a guy who can be an effective straight-ahead run-blocker and very good pass blocker. Iupati could slide over and play tackle but is probably better-served at guard, probably on the left side.

There was some speculation that Oklahoma State receiver and game-breaker Dez Bryant could go to the 49ers with #17. I don’t think it would have been a bad pick despite concerns about his suspension last year for lying about talking to Deion Sanders. Maybe the 49ers were squeamish about picking another Ok. State wide receiver ( see Rashaun Woods ). He’s going to be much better than Woods, but he dropped to #27 and Dallas. Didn’t Deion used to play there?

Whether the 49ers were picking “best available” or for “need,” Iupati was probably the right call. Now the offensive line, once a weakness, potentially becomes very strong. It was new personnel chief Trent Baalke’s first big stamp on the team in his new role. The message is clear: we’re going to run when we damn well feel like it, we’re going to beat you up when we need to, we’re going to have time to throw when we want to, we’re going to play in bad weather when we have to, and we’re going to use this formula to get into the playoffs. That’s IF Davis and Iupati pan out.

You usually can’t judge the success of drafts for a few years, but at least on April 22nd, this looks like a sound draft strategy. The 49ers gave up 150 sacks in the last three years, worst in the league. They’ve done something to address that. Party at Alex Smith’s house ! Or, Alex is partying at Frank Gore’s house.

Big Ben and Giant Problems

April 21

Big Ben is getting a six game suspension because he’s a social moron who apparently doesn’t know the meaning of the word “no” from a woman. He isn’t getting more because the aforementioned can’t be proven in court. Yet. He could end up with four games if he’s a good boy. Place your bets.

It was a raging controversy on Gary Radnich’s show today on KNBR. Will the Steelers unload their two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, or will they give Ben Roethlisberger one more chance? Because he’s one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, I’m betting he’ll stay in Pittsburgh unless the Steelers get an unbelievable deal. I’m not saying it’s right, I’m just saying it’s a reality.

I told Gary that for Big Ben, it’s “three strikes and you’re out.” I wasn’t thinking of his motorcycle accident, which was certainly a stupid act and can be put in the “Dumb Ben” file. I think the Steelers view that separately from the two alleged incidents with women. Those are moral issues in which someone else is allegedly getting hurt, and they’re on a different level from the bike crash. Two is a pattern. Three ? Time to cut ties.

I’m not optimistic his suspension and NFL-mandated therapy will become a wake-up call, although I always hope that even a dolt like Big Ben can learn and improve. If I’m the Steelers, I’m nervously counting the days until the next time he’s in a bar, has too much to drink, and something bad happens. That’s why the Steelers extended Byron Leftwich’s contract through 2011, just to cover all contingencies.

There have been numerous reports that Big Ben is trade fodder, one of which includes the Raiders. In a football sense it wouldn’t be a bad move for the Raiders to get a legitimate quarterback for a first-round pick, but Donovan McNabb, who is almost as good as Roethlisberger, went more cheaply. He was sent to the Redskins for a second round (37th) pick.

It always sounds plausible to include the Raiders in such a trade rumor because they’re the last refuge of the NFL scoundrel. That includes the owner. But Stubborn Al will probably ride the Jamarcus horse to the ground, and I don’t think other teams will be willing to give up a top ten for Big Ben, especially considering his off-the-field exploits.

The Steelers have a lot to lose short-term if they deal him away, but perhaps even more long-term. There may come a day, very soon, where they can’t unload him for a 5th rounder and a bag of Funyuns. It could be that teams are waiting out this little drama to see if that happens, because one team’s moral dilemma is another team’s cheap ticket to the playoffs.

***

I am again resisting the temptation to claw my eyes out as I watch the Giants take on the Padres in San Diego. Todd Wellemeyer came very close to spontaneously combusting on the mound in the second inning, walking four in a row. He walked in a run with the bases loaded and as of this writing the Giants trail, 4-1 in the 6th.

Despite a decent spring, no one expected Wellemeyer to be a miracle worker. He’s had some bad matchups as a #5 starter against the opponents’ #1 or #2, but his resume doesn’t suggest he’ll be anything more than a five or six-inning guy who gives up three or four runs an outing. It also doesn’t suggest he’ll be a starter all season — long relief is probably his best role, and the sooner the better.

In case you’re wondering, Madison Bumgarner’s latest start in Fresno Monday night vs. Portland was his first solid outing of the year. He gave up one earned run and three hits with three strikeouts in six innings and his fastball was clocked as high as 94 on the stadium radar gun. If that’s an accurate reading, it’s very encouraging news.

Wellemeyer is probably on a short leash. The Giants will need to find an alternative and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bumgarner return. Catcher Buster Posey should join him, and I’d like to think the Giants will forget about his free-agency clock and call him up before June if the need arises.

Guess what? The need has arisen, Posey is batting .354 and he has nothing left to prove in the minors. You find a place in the lineup for a good bat.

Oh look. Aubrey Huff just popped out on the first pitch from Jon Garland with two runners on and nobody out. Then Bengie Molina grounded into a double play. Just unbearable.

Highs and Lows on 4/20

April 20

I did watch the Sharks and Giants, and they were who I thought they were.

On 4/20, the Sharks gave Bay Area fans a natural high — after putting them through the ringer. For the Giants, 4 for 20 would be a good day in San Diego. They managed to give up just one hit to the Padres and lost. The same Petco horror movie, replayed.

Hold on, Elizabeth, I’m coming. *

We wrote Tuesday afternoon about the need for the Sharks to create traffic in front of the net. Douglas Murray, who is conveniently built like a truck, was a one-man rush hour who carried a couple of Avalanche defenders into their zone in overtime. He provided an impressive screen for Joe Pavelski, who ripped home a glove-side winner past Craig Anderson for a 2-1 Sharks win.

Series even 2-2, back to San Jose for game 5. Both teams gasping for air in the Mile High City, no relation to 4/20. Happiest man on the flight back? No question; it’s Dan Boyle.

It wouldn’t be fair to call it “redemption,” but it was certainly poetic justice that Boyle scored the first goal of the game on a power play from the point in the first period. He also came up with a key block that might have saved the game in overtime. It won’t completely make up for Sunday night’s flukey gaffe, but it helps a great deal.

The game was another demonstration of the Sharks’ mental toughness. We saw a hint of that on Friday night at the Tank, and we saw it again Tuesday night as they bounced back from the worst kind of loss. That doesn’t mean they’re out of the woods, they’re just even, and they can’t separate themselves from the Avalanche. Expect another airing of “Hostel on Ice” Thursday.

How huge was this win? As huge as Game 2. Until the next huge game. An early Sharks playoff exit is still possible and still means house-cleaning in the front office and the possible departure of impending free agents such as Evegeni Nabokov. In other words, complete upheaval.

The Giants, meanwhile, starred in a repeat performance of “Little Petco Shop of Horrors.” In this little drama, there is no venus flytrap imploring to “feeeed me.” Instead, there is a Giant with a bat saying “choke me.”

There was the combination of an unknown quantity, the talented Padres starter Mat Latos, and continued anxiousness at the plate. The Giants without Aaron Rowand and Mark De Rosa are hitting like it’s 2009. If I had a dollar for every time the Giants came through with a runner at third base and less than two outs Tuesday night, I’d have … nothing.

As for Jonathan Sanchez, he clearly failed to do his job. He needed to repeat last July’s no-hit performance in order to win, and instead gave up one hit. This kind of generosity will not go unpunished at Petco; the Padres’ Chase Headley parlayed a fourth-inning single into the only run as – hello – Scott Hairston had a good situational at-bat, a sac fly to right with one out.

San Diego, where I’m sure you can find cool buds and tasty waves, is instead the Port of Pain for the Giants — on 4/20 or any other day. Watching the Giants play at Petco makes me want to claw my eyes out. Thankfully I resist the temptation — so I can watch more ghastly baseball Wednesday.

(*) — Fred Sanford, feigning a heart attack on “Sanford and Son.”

I Can’t Watch, But I Must

April 20

It’s one of those nights where I can’t bear to watch, but will be forced to do so out of necessity. Damn sports talk job! It’s so hard sometimes …

The Giants are close to unwatchable at the Little Petco Shop of Horrors. 2010 Giants, meet the 2009 Giants. At Petco, the Giants can barely move over a runner much less score a run. Awful at-bats, swinging at pitches out of the zone, poor situational hitting.

We’ve seen this movie before, and we’ll see it again, and again and again. It’s like when my wife complains that I’m watching “Casino” for the 43rd time. You know that Nicky is going to put the guy’s head in a vice, and Ace is going to survive the car-bombing, but you watch anyway.

Petco is a nice-looking park, but it’s the most awful place this side of Houston. While the makers of Minute Maid Park threw in everything but Candyland, Petco is a Calvinist’s delight. There will be no pleasure, only workmanlike 2-1 games in which there will be no fireworks, unless you’re David Eckstein. You think A T & T is a pitcher’s park? Petco makes it seem like Coors Field circa 1997.

Sharks playoff hockey is equal in its ability to torture, and yet you can’t turn your eyes away. It’s like “Hostel” on ice. New ways are constantly found to inflict pain, although I doubt the Marquis de Sade could find anything worse than Game 3 Sunday for the Sharks.

The Sharks always seem one step away from disaster, and then they take the final step. Disappointment is always just a slap shot away — theirs or the opponents’. Of course, that’s what makes playoff hockey great, in the same way that the old “Condor” ride at Magic Mountain was great. Nothing like spinning around 500 feet in the air. It’s horrifying yet irresistible.

The Sharks are clearly the better team, but that doesn’t matter in hockey if the other team’s goalie is wearing a Patrick Roy costume. The Sharks have been peppering Craig Anderson with shots, but they need to create more chaos by creating traffic in front of the net. That means you Patrick Marleau. Patty? Patty?

That’s going to be a must, because the Avalanche probably aren’t going to take the pucks out of the humidor anytime soon.

The Sharks are also beating up the Avalanche, and you’d like to think eventually that’s going to take. Hopefully, “eventually” is not too late. After Game 4 tonight would be too late.