February 2008 Archives

3 P.M. UPDATE: Durham had four at-bats as DH today, so his shoulder can’t be too sore. Other notables from today’s split-squad action: Eddie Martinez-Esteve, back from the dead, hit a home run off Shingo Takatsu, who has had a bit...
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The Giants are thinking about starting the year with 11 pitchers, according to today’s reports. In addition to giving the team a head start on the Spinal Tap post-game concert promotion, the decision would allow the Giants to carry three catchers and pinch-run...
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In yesterday’s comments I was ribbed for leaving Joe Crede out of my revised post-Vizquel-injury lineup. Everyone seems to find it inevitable he’ll be a Giant come opening day; I’m not as sure, though I concede that if Vizquel’s injury proves...
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Omar Vizquel is having knee surgery and will miss four to six weeks. According to this report, Bruce Bochy says Kevin Frandsen will see action at shortstop. Assuming Vizquel is out beyond opening day, here’s a likely early-season lineup: 1) LF...
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In honor of the Giants’ golden anniversary in San Francisco, I asked a few weeks ago for memories of your earliest Giants games. Feel free to add to that list, but I’ve got another question for you. Writing yesterday about Angel...
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Hooray! First spring training game is Thursday vs. the Cubs. Whatever happens with young pitchers traded or not traded, or the competition for outfield spots, the loudest buzz could surround someone in the minor-league camp, and with no surprise: Angel Villalona is...
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A couple posts ago I revised my bullpen outlook once I learned Merkin Valdez was out of options. Here’s an explanation from ESPN’s Rob Neyer of why some guys got ‘em and some guys don’t, plus a primer on other rules....
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First Rickey Henderson, now Fidel Castro. Good God, who’s retiring next? Julio Franco? Castro was reportedly looking forward to spending the summer at Pro Player Stadium watching the Marlins, but then he heard that because of America’s crypto-colonial system of imperialistic...
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Someone deep in the bowels of my comment threads requested that I examine the first-base competition this spring. ¡A sus órdenes, jefe! Unfortunately, this type of examination isn’t much more fun than the bend-over-and-cough variety, but I’ll dutifully put on...
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Here’s Ray Durham, in today’s Chron: "I think we have the makeup here to scare some people in the West." Well, if that doesn’t scream for a silly picture, I don’t know what does. I searched Flickr for “scary makeup”...
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In my haste to dash off a post before going off-grid for a couple days, I missed a couple bullpen contenders. As comments to the previous post mentioned, veteran Scott Williamson has received a non-roster invitation from the Giants. Since...
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Now that the Giants are in camp with their "My G.M. Went to Nashville and Used Up His Rollover Anytime Minutes and All I Got Was This Dumb Camouflage T-shirt" T-shirts, we can start to read comments, Kremlinology-style, to see...
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Quick question: what’s the over/under on how many days it takes a Giant player or other employee to come right out and say, “I am soooo glad Barry Bonds isn’t here”? Matt Morris nearly said something similar — “I wish...
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Following yesterday’s post on the Giants, urban development, and economics, here’s another question to throw into the mix: What’s the status of the Giants stadium debt, and how has it been affected by the five-mile pile-up in the debt markets? The...
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The S.F. Business Times reports this week that the Giants lead the bidding to develop the parking lot across the creek from Mays Field. It’s technically known as “Seawall Lot 337,” it’s just out of view to the right of...
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As my old friend Jimmy used to say, “Ahhhh yeah.” Maybe he still does, but from what I hear he spends most of the day battling the Governator, which doesn’t allow a man much time to kick off the Chuck Taylors, fire-start...
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Kevin Correia avoided arbitration and signed for $1.075 million, with some incentives sprinkled in. Also, the Chron is reporting this Sabean quote about the Giants' young(er) outfielders, perhaps the nicest thing I've heard him say in a couple of years:...
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Last year the Giants blitzed us with the All Star Game and Barry Bonds’s home-run pursuit. This year’s marketing distraction is the team’s 50th anniversary in San Francisco, a fine milestone that reflects a rich history but is marred...
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Only time for a bit of passing fancy today. My network partner Depressed Fan asks a fun question: “What’s the difference between Bonds and Clemens?” Perhaps a little background on each guy will help us with the answer. ...
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One arb case down, one to go. Vinnie Chulk has signed for $837,500. The guy’s got great stuff — mid ‘90s fastball and wicked slider — but he seems to suffer from the one-bad-pitch syndrome. He’ll be mowing guys down,...
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I wish I could limn upcoming spring training battles with headlines that brim with verve and drama: “Sensational Phenom Farmhand Joe will push Still-Productive and Much-Beloved Veteran Bob for the right field nod.” But unless something hits us out of...
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I was in L.A. this weekend for family matters, and after rubbing my face in the stinky mess the Giants have made on the carpet, my Southland relatives all wanted to know this: Where’s Barry going to play this year? I...
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"Pedro [Feliz] is an above average defender who will provide some overall balance to our lineup." – Philadelphia assistant GM Ruben Amaro. It always helps to balance out the guys like Chase Utley and Ryan Howard whose on-base percentages are too...
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