Location: San Francisco, Calif. | Ballpark: AT&T Park (41,777) | Spring Training: Scottsdale, Ariz.
Owners: William Neukom, Sue Burns | GM: Brian Sabean | Manager: Bruce Bochy | World Championships: 5
--2B Ray Durham could still go on the DL with a right hamstring problem, though the move didn't happen Friday when the Giants needed to remove someone to bring in SS Omar Vizquel. Instead, the Giants optioned SS Brian Bocock. Meantime, Durham hasn't started in a week because of a hamstring problem. An MRI confirmed he has a pulled muscle.
--INF Kevin Frandsen, who hangs out in the clubhouse a lot more than most injured players, had the cast protecting his Achilles' tendon removed and let it be known he was elated. His rehab from his Achilles' surgery is far from over, and it's possible he won't play again until 2009, but his goal is to get in some games in September -- if not in the majors, then in the minors.
--3B Jose Castillo, in his first year as the Giants' third baseman, went 0-for-3 to lower his average to .228. His predecessor, 3B Pedro Feliz, now a Phillie, played in San Francisco for the first time since leaving as a free agent over the winter and went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
--2B Eugenio Velez, whose error ended Sunday's loss in Philadelphia, made another costly mistake Friday. After fielding Carlos Ruiz's grounder in the eighth inning, he made a poor throw to the plate, and pinch-runner So Taguchi scored the tiebreaking run. The Giants had the infield in to prevent Taguchi from scoring, but Velez failed to finish the job.
--LHP Jack Taschner made one of the top two defensive plays of the game, coming off the front of the mound and diving headfirst to glove Shane Victorino's bunt. The other highlight-reel plays were by LF Fred Lewis, whose running, jumping catch robbed Victorino, again, and SS Emmanuel Burriss, who gloved a groundball into the hole, leaped and made a strong throw to get the out.
BY THE NUMBERS 0.52 -- Tim Lincecum's road ERA, lowest in the NL. Overall, it's 1.73.
QUOTE TO NOTE "It's a good time to take a good, hard look at how I've approached things and evaluate it. Sometimes in life, you have to make a change and adjustments. Sometimes, for whatever reason, you're stubborn." -- Pitcher Barry Zito, who opened the season 0-6 and was demoted to the bullpen.
Copyright (C) 2008 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
With the Yankees losing Posada, I would think Bengie Molina would be on their radar.
If they are interested, we should demand they take Zito and we would pay half his contract. If they are willing to take Zito, I dont care what we get in return.&nbs
MLB trade rumors reports the Giants have interest in trading for the Rangers 3rd basemen Hank Blalock. What do you guys think? Solid fielding, 30 HR pop, injured the last two years and this year but allstar before
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I know pitching is not a pressing need, but NY Yankee needs a SP badly after Wang got injured. I'm not sure if Yankee will bite, but I'd love to have this guy. Wang is currently on DL and probably will not be able to pitch until next yr. He's 28 and had won 19 games in the past 2 seasons. Our pitchers are so young, perhpas getting Wang will give us more exper
Sabean, nice job getting rid of Ray and his 7.5 million. Now we just need to dump Visquel and Roberts combined 11.5 million and we will really have something.
If we can rid ourselves of these salaries and not finish in the cellar it will be a good year.
Jack Tashener, Pat Misch, Backup catcher for Molina and Castillo for Greg Dobbs, I think that is his name, backup 3rd base for Feliz and one of the Phillie catchers