MLB FanHouse

Barry Zito Shows How Anemic the Dodgers' Offense Is on Saturday

Will Brinson — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, MLB Fans, San Francisco

If you are failing to thrash Barry Zito when he faces you on the mound, you should feel ashamed. If you are getting absolutely dealt on by Zito, well, life's not good for you. The Dodgers got toasted by Barry on Saturday, in what was his best start of the 2008 season.

The Giants snapped the Dodgers' four-game winning streak and moved four games back of National League West-leading Arizona. The bigger story line, however, seemingly always is the fate of the $126 million man.

Zito was as aggressive in the strike zone as he has been all season, pouring in 73 strikes in 109 pitches, hitting a season-best 89 mph on the radar gun and locating a late-breaking slider throughout. After a first-inning hiccup that had the fans booing, he was dominant from the second to sixth innings, facing the minimum, allowing only one hit - which he erased with a pickoff - and striking out eight.

"Sometimes you want to make the fans happy, but you can't want it too much or you'll start pressing," Zito said. "You just have to let things happen, be yourself out there and not try to be anything more."

Zito went seven innings, striking out ten Dodgers as the Giants picked up the win. Is Zito back? I doubt it. I really do. But the game log is kind of looking up, no? Sure, he got smacked around by the Cubs but his start against the Indians (one earned, no walks) looked similar to the Dodgers outing.

As mentioned earlier, the Giants already have a trio of K-balling young pitchers and a decent bullpen; if Zito can manage to pitch at even a mediocre level, they could somehow backdoor the playoffs this year and maybe save Brian Sabean's job, which would be both good and bad. As well as humorous.

They'll need offensive help, sure, but Zito getting back to anything remotely close to his Oakland form would be a pretty large step towards winning a pretty mediocre division.

Barry Zito Shows How Anemic the Dodgers' Offense Is on Saturday originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: For Those About to Rock

Mullet — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, San Francisco

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (44-43) at Colorado Rockies (37-51) - 3:05 PM ET

As if 18-17 wasn't enough, the Rockies and Marlins played a 12-6 game proving once and for all that ~~the humidor is dead~~ Coors Field can still play host to some Nintendo games ... and that the Marlins pitching staff needs to step it up if they're going to hope to remain in contention for the N.L. East. The Marlins turn to Mark Hendrickson, who started out the season pitching like their ace but has been positively awful his last seven starts (37 earned runs in his last 34 innings). Not the guy you would expect to bounce you back from giving up 30 runs in two games. As for the Rockies, hey ... if they have another run in them, they're only six games back in the N.L. West so that division can still be had. Speaking of which ...

Los Angeles Dodgers (42-45) at San Francisco Giants (39-49) - 4:05 PM ET

Nice of the Arizona Diamondbacks to not make their early season party an exclusive one, as they've pretty much let everybody back in the race, including these two teams. A team like the Giants, at ten games below .500, has no business being in a divisional race. Yet they're four games back of the N.L. West lead making this rivalry game between them and the Dodgers even more important, as Frisco has a great chance to move to within three games of the lead with Matt Cain headed for the hill.

New York Mets (41-46) at Philadelphia Phillies (52-34) - 1:35 PM ET

The question, as always with the New York Mets when Oliver Perez's turn comes up in the rotation is this: which Oliver Perez will rear his head? The one that went seven innings giving up only one run in his last start against the Yankees? Or the one who can't get out of the second inning (13 combined runs in two innings against the Giants and Pirates)? New pitching coach Dan Warthen made some adjustments with Perez;s delivery before his last good start ... let's see if Perez can finally put his immense tools to good use for a few starts in a row.

Everyone else:

Nationals at Reds 1:15 ET
Rangers at Orioles 1:35 ET
Astros at Braves 1:35 ET
Royals at Rays 1:40 ET
Athletics at White Sox 2:05 ET
Pirates at Brewers 2:05 ET
Indians at Twins 2:10 ET
Cubs at Cardinals 3:15 ET
Blue Jays at Angels 3:35 ET
Padres at Diamondbacks 4:10 ET
Tigers at Mariners 4:10 ET
Red Sox at Yankees 8:05 ET

On Deck: For Those About to Rock originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Shame That the Giants Young K-Ballers Are Surrounded by Geriatrics

Will Brinson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, San Francisco, MLB Milestones

Interesting tidbit -- tonight, after Matt Cain struck out 10 batters en route to a win, the Giants, for the first time since they moved out to the Bay Area, have three pitchers to record 100 strikeouts before the All Star Break. Joining Cain are Tim Lincecum and Jonathan Sanchez.

Sanchez, who was named the National League Player of the Week on Monday, said he and Lincecum made a friendly bet as to who would have more strikeouts at the end of the season. Sanchez said it was more of a joke, but now it appears a dark horse has entered the race with Cain on the verge of getting his 100th strikeout.

"We're all having fun," Sanchez said. "[Lincecum] strikes out a lot of people, but I'm close. I have to strike out 12 more, but he's going to start again before me."

Again, quite a shame that the Giants didn't have the foresight to, you know, not raid Shady Acres for the rest of the roster; they could actually be pretty freaking good if they had some offense (-43 run differential).

Still though, they're somehow only five games back (I know, right??) of the lead in the NL West and as long as they have pitching this stout, it's kind of hard to count them out of it. Then you remember that they employ Barry Zito. And you start to count them out. Fun story though.

Shame That the Giants Young K-Ballers Are Surrounded by Geriatrics originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barry Bonds's 756th Home Run Ball Won't Be in Cooperstown

Josh Alper — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Hall of Fame, San Francisco

Barry Bonds's 756th home run has been celebrated by some and denigrated by others but visitors to the Baseball Hall of Fame won't be able to see the ball he blasted into the stands either way. Talks between Marc Ecko, the clothing entrepreneur who bought the ball at auction, and officials from the Hall have come to an impasse, leaving one of baseball's most infamous artifacts without a place in Cooperstown.

The problem lies with Ecko's reluctance to hand the ball over on a permanent basis, according to a statement released by the Hall.

"The owner's previous commitment to unconditionally donate the baseball has changed to a loan. As a result, the Hall of Fame will not be able to accept the baseball. Should the owner choose to unconditionally donate the ball to the museum at a future date, we would be delighted and of course, accept his offer."

The vast majority of items in the Hall's collection were donated for perpetuity. The Hall already has Bonds's batting helmets from the record-breaker and only makes exceptions when nothing else is available.

Originally, the Hall was queasy about the plan to put an asterisk on the ball. If it were so branded, though, it would help tell the full story of Bonds and the home run record. Regardless of what you think about Bonds, the ball and the homer are a big piece of baseball history and should be exhibited in the game's museum.

Barry Bonds's 756th Home Run Ball Won't Be in Cooperstown originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Subway Santana

Mullet — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Minnesota, New York, Oakland, Yankees, Twins, Athletics, Mets, Brewers, Giants, San Francisco, Milwaukee

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

New York Yankees (43-37) at New York Mets (39-40) - 3:55 PM ET

Now that the dual stadium doubleheader is done, the Yankees and Mets can go back to the normal over-hype that the Subway Series entails, and not have to worry about the added pressure of police escorts between stadiums and such. But here's some worry: Johan Santana, who matches up with Andy Pettitte today, is 7-6 with a batting average against of .249, and a WHIP of 1.22. Not bad. But consider that Santana has never had a half a season, whether it be before the all-star break or after it, where his BAA and WHIP have been nearly that high. So even by Santana's first half standards, it's been an off half-year for Johan. Stuck near .500 after 79 games, the Mets could use the second half Santana to make an appearance at Shea today.

Milwaukee Brewers (43-36) at Minnesota Twins (44-36) - 7:10 PM ET

Santana's old team, the Twinkies, are on one of their famous rolls where nobody really knows how they're doing it, but they're doing it. Minny's tenth straight victory last night against Milwaukee put the White Sox squarely in the cross hairs, as the Twins are now only a half game behind Chicago for the division lead. The first nine wins of the streak came against two last place teams (Washington and San Diego) and a slumping first place team (the .500 Diamondbacks), but hey, ten in a row is ten in a row.

San Francisco Giants (34-46) at Oakland Athletics (44-35) - 9:05 PM ET

The Athletics have been dominant in this geographical interleague rivalry. Last night was the seventh straight win for Oakland in this matchup. They've also won ten of the last 11, and 15 of 19. If the Giants are going to break the hex, tonight's the night with Tim Lincecum (8-1, 2.54) on the mound. But going against Justin Duchscherer (8-4, 1.99) isn't going to be a picnic for the Giants either. Duchscherer not only has given up only five runs in his last 29 and 1/3 innings, he's also been getting a ton of run support in those four starts. A mere bushel full of runs is usually enough for any pitcher.

Everyone else:

Braves at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
Cubs at White Sox 3:55 ET
Reds at Indians 7:05 ET
Rays at Pirates 7:05 ET
Red Sox at Astros 7:05 ET
Rockies at Tigers 7:05 ET
Diamondbacks at Marlins 7:10 ET
Cardinals at Royals 7:10 ET
Orioles at Nationals 7:10 ET
Phillies at Rangers 8:05 ET
Mariners at Padres 10:05 ET
Angels at Dodgers 10:10 ET

On Deck: Subway Santana originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Giants Announcers Mock Bald Fan on Air

Will Brinson — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Fans, MLB Media Watch, MLB Video, San Francisco

Unfortunately for the Giants fan in this clip, "not burying your head in your jacket like an ostrich" outweighs "not acting like a professional while in the announcing booth" in the scale of things things you don't do at a baseball game. So instead of chastising Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper for mocking a fan, it's probably best to embrace their artistic creativity with the teleprompter.

Unless, of course, this was a Barry Zito start. Then the fan would be totally excused for attempting to hide his face/smother himself with his jacket.

H/T: SBB

Giants Announcers Mock Bald Fan on Air originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Still Relevant in Florida

Mullet — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Miami, Oakland, Orioles, Rays, Athletics, Marlins, Pirates, Giants, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Tampa Bay

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Florida Marlins (36-31) at Tampa Bay Rays (39-28) - 6:10 PM ET

All right, so I'm having a conversation today with a buddy of mine and we're discussing the fact that it's June 14th, and both the Marlins and Rays are still relevant in the conversation of baseball. I'm sure that neither of these teams are content with just being in the hunt in mid-June. But the question is, are either of these teams capable of being in the race all the way through? Could both teams be there at the end? Regardless of what your feeling is on this, it will be fun to see a Florida interleague game with some juice ... even though both the Marlins and the Rays have more intense rivalries out there.

P.S. If I had to choose one team there at the end, my money's on the Rays. But that's if you put a gun to my head.

Oakland Athletics (36-31) at San Francisco Giants (30-38) - 9:05 PM ET

One team was supposed to be too young ... the other: way too old. But while we're on the subject of relevance, the fact that this was supposed to be a rebuilding season for Oakland and they're 36-31 is cool enough. But I'm more impressed by the fact that the Giants aren't nearly as putrid as I thought they were going to be. Even though they're 30-38, there seems to be some hope around the corner for the Giants thanks to, among other things, Tim Lincecum pitching like the prospect he once was, and Aaron Rowand proving that last season wasn't merely a product of playing in a hitters' park. But does he really lead the team with only eight home runs?

Rowand may stay at eight with today's pitching matchup: hard throwers Rich Harden and Matt Cain ~~battle to the death~~ hook up.

Pittsburgh Pirates (33-35) at Baltimore Orioles (33-33) - 7:05 PM ET

Neither of these two teams were supposed to be any good either, but alas, both teams are either at or near .500 this season. That's reason enough to watch ... but I just wanted to go on a rant about how cool it would be to see both these teams wear their colorful jerseys from 1979, when they played each other in the first World Series I ever saw and Willie Stargell won his way into my heart and became my one of my first favorite players. But coincidentally enough, the Orioles actually did wear their throwback duds on Friday night ... and forgot to tell the Pirates about it. So even though the O's advertised that the Bucs would also be wearing the pillbox hats and bright uniforms from '79, they never did. Awkward!

Everyone else:

Phillies at Cardinals 3:55 ET
Cubs at Blue Jays 1:07 ET
Red Sox at Reds 3:55 ET
Dodgers at Tigers 3:55 ET
Twins at Brewers 7:05 ET
Yankees at Astros 7:05 ET
Padres at Indians 7:05 ET
Rockies at White Sox 7:05 ET
Rangers at Mets 7:10 ET
Royals at Diamondbacks 8:05 ET
Braves at Angels 9:05 ET
Nationals at Mariners 10:10 ET

On Deck: Still Relevant in Florida originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Further Proof That the Giants Are Old as Dirt

Will Brinson — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Injuries, San Francisco

I understand that temperatures were at record highs this weekend. So, taking some time off of work or finding the shade was a good thing for everyone. But that doesn't make the Giants needing time off to rest their old bones any less humorous.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy will likely give some of his veterans a rest for Sunday's afternoon game with the Nationals since Washington's extreme heat and humidity will be a factor.

[...]Bochy said it's likely that Omar Vizquel and Ray Durham will sit while Burriss and Travis Denker should get a shot at starting while the older guys take a break.

By all means, sit them down. The last thing we need is someone collapsing on the lawn at AT&T. Still, when you consider Brian Sabean's penchant for inking veterans, it becomes pretty hysterical that his team has to sit several players because it's too hot for baseball. Which is played every year ... in the summer.

(Karmic aside: I should probably mention that the air conditioner just broke in my office. But you're still old, Giants.)

Further Proof That the Giants Are Old as Dirt originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bengie Molina Still Miffed About Brian Sabean's Comments

Will Brinson — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:15:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch, San Francisco

Brian Sabean, ever tactful, made an error in judgment following this year's MLB draft by pointing out that Bengie Molina, enjoying one of his best offensive seasons for the surprisingly not terrible San Francisco Giants, was on his way out. Or at least he used a statement about sunsets that reflected on Molina's contract status and made the catcher upset.

Sabean said that [Buster] Posey 'is on the fast track and Bengie's clock is winding down.' On Friday, Sabean clarified he was referring to the end of Bengie Molina's contract after 2009 and the uncertainty of the free-agent market, not on Molina's career. Still, Molina did not like to hear that.

'I respect whoever they pick,' said Molina, who turns 34 next month. 'I understand they don't have too much catching down in the system. I'm not upset or anything like that. The only thing that really hurt my feelings was when he said my clock was running down.

'It hurt my feelings because I came here to work hard every single day. I give them everything I have. I've got to talk to him first and see what he meant before I say anything else. I'd like to know, because if I'm not in their plans for the future, then what am I doing here?'

To say that something like this out of Giants camp, and stemming from Sabean's mouth, is surprising would be a lie. Particularly when you consider his obsession/affinity with veterans and how poorly Posey really fits into his long term gameplan for the Giants organization.

You know, because of his upside and potential and everything.

Bengie Molina Still Miffed About Brian Sabean's Comments originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bonds Files 'Not Guilty' Plea, the World Shrugs

Matt Watson — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Police Blotter, San Francisco

While some panicked fans in Boston are making a desperate call for Barry Bonds, today marked a reminder why he's yet to garner any interest around the majors. He appeared in court today to officially file his "not guilty" plea to 14 counts of perjury and one obstruction of justice charge. None of this is new, but the first time the prosecution presented their charges against Bonds, the judge ruled the charges were too vague, ordering them to go back and be more specific.

If you're already tired hearing about Bonds and his legal problems, well, I have some bad news: this is just the beginning. We're now one step closer to an actual trial, and there's a good chance we'll still be complaining about all of this come 2009.

Until then, Bonds is apparently still working out in hopes that some team out there will be desperate enough to sign him. You can't rule it out, but if it hasn't happen yet, I'm guessing there's probably a better use for his time. I've heard knitting can be fun.

Bonds Files 'Not Guilty' Plea, the World Shrugs originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 14:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Meet the NL West Draft Picks

Mullet — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:30:00 EST

Filed under: Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Dodgers, Padres, Giants, San Diego, San Francisco

Now that the exciting action of MLB's amateur draft has completed it's first round, it's time to take a look at our country's next millionaires. Find out which team drafted the son of the former offensive lineman pictured here and peruse our quick glance at the NL West first round selections.

San Francisco Giants (5) Gerald "Buster" Posey, Catcher, Florida State: Posey was supposed to go number one to Tampa Bay, but a little matter of money nudged the Rays off the scent, and Buster Posey went to the other side of the country to join the San Francisco Giants. Posey's asking price of $12 million wasn't enough to scare the Giants off ... although $12 million has to be nothing to a team who's paying Barry Zito a gazillion dollars to go 1-9 for them. Posey has only been a catcher for two seasons after converting from shortstop, but has been a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award as the nation's best collegiate catcher.

Los Angeles Dodgers (15) Ethan Martin, RHP, Stephens County School, (GA): Scouts took note of Martin after his performance in the LaGrange Invitational, where he struck out 12 hitters and gave up four hits in a 6-4 Stephens County win over American Heritage ... a game where Martin hit 99 on the gun four times. Martin can also get hitters out with a power breaking ball and a splitter. Here's your Ethan Martin oddity: Remember that incident where the pitcher and catcher conspired to hit the home plate umpire in the face with the pitch? The pitcher was Cody Martin ... Ethan's brother. Ethan played in that game at shortstop, and had vehemently argued with that umpire after striking out, which came just before the incident.

San Diego Padres (23) Allan Dykstra, First base, Wake Forest: Dykstra is a huge, huge man at 6'5" 240, who put up some sick numbers at Wake Forest. Dykstra hit .323 and had an OBP of .515 this past season at Wake with an incredible 62 walks. He did also strike out 45 times in his 186 official at-bats (can anyone say Adam Dunn?) But the Pods are intrigued by his power potential in the spacious Petco Park (and for a team that is scoring-challenged like the Padres are, why wouldn't they be?) By the way, Dykstra has no relation to former Met and Phillie Lenny Dykstra. Lenny's son is actually Cutter Dykstra, who went to the Brewers in the second round.

Colorado Rockies (25) Christian Friedrich, LHP, Eastern Kentucky: Friedrich put up nice numbers during the previous season at EKU, going 5-1 with a 1.78 ERA in ten games while opponents batted .142 against him. Friedrich is a soft tosser who scouts compare to Angels lefty Joe Saunders, but those scouts also noticed some control issues to go along with four pitches that project to be average. Average pitches + Coors Field = disaster, so good luck Christian.

Arizona Diamondbacks (26) Daniel Schlereth, LHP, Arizona: By now you've probably figured out that this is the player related to the man in the above picture: former Broncos and Redskins OL (and current television personality) Mark Schlereth. No wonder that scouts noticed a football mentality in the lefty reliever that they compare to J.C. Romero of the Phillies. Schlereth had 76 K's in 54 and 2/3's innings in relief for U of A and batters hit at a .163 clip off of him. Schlereth has already had Tommy John surgery in high school, so you can either worry about his long term health or be glad that he got it out of the way.

Meet the NL West Draft Picks originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The San Francisco Giants Continue Bucking for the Early Bird Special

Josh Alper — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:15:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, San Francisco

We've long known that Brian Sabean subscribes to the theory that you can't trust anyone under 30 but it's a bit disheartening to see that his views are coloring the local scribes as well. The San Francisco Giants, scuffling along at 20-31 today, refuse to play anyone with a future that might include the next decent team by the bay. That should be something they catch hell for but, alas, it's not to be.

Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks that he's discovered a conundrum at play with the Giants roster. It centers on the continued existence of Randy Winn, Ray Durham and Rich Aurilla in the everyday lineup.

For fans who believe that everything the Giants do on the field in 2008 should set a foundation for 2009 and beyond, manager Bruce Bochy's lineup decisions are maddening.

On the other hand, how can Bochy bench the older guys when they are playing so well?

I'll bite. Because they aren't playing all that well.

Schulman uses their May numbers to "prove" his point but when you take both months of the season into account, it's not looking quite so smart. Winn has the highest OPS at 773 and gets on base at a good clip which is okay unless you're a corner outfielder who should provide power as well. He'd be a much more defensible choice if the Giants didn't have Nate Schierholtz slugging .503 in AAA.

Durham and Aurilla, combined age 72, offer very little outside of those veteran intangibles Sabean loves so well. The team should be giving younger players John Bowker and Emmanuel Burriss long looks in their stead. Neither one may amount to much at the big league level, but the Giants aren't winning with the veterans so, really, what's the downside?

The silliest part of Schulman's argument is that sticking with the older players is going to help the team at the box office. Losing teams don't sell a lot of tickets, regardless of the age of the players, and the ideas that the turnstiles will be flooded with Aurilla backers is a laughable one.

The Giants still act like a team that has Barry Bonds's bat in the middle of the lineup. The time is long past due for them to move onto the next phase of team building. Every minute they stay with mediocre veterans means they're that much further from actually becoming a contender.

(H/T Baseball Musings)

The San Francisco Giants Continue Bucking for the Early Bird Special originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 27 May 2008 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omar Vizquel Sets Record, Can Retire Now

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:07:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, San Francisco, MLB Milestones

San Francisco Giants shortstop Omar Vizquel isn't playing in that many games this season, as he's only partaken in 14 of the Giants 51 games on the year. This after playing in no less than 144 games in the last 13 years (save for 2003 when injuries limited Omar to 64 games). It says a lot about Omar that he's been able to play in that many games throughout his career, and after playing on Sunday, there's nobody in the history of Major League baseball that can say they've played in more games at shortstop than Vizquel.

On Sunday, the 41-year-old established a new record when he played in his 2,584th contest, surpassing fellow Venezuelan Luis Aparicio for most MLB games ever played by a shortstop. Aparicio's record dates back to 1973.

"This is truly big and amazing," Vizquel said. "I'm proud of my accomplishment, considering that it was done against all odds. No one believed that I would play for so long, perhaps because I'm so short, or maybe because I didn't have a good throw, or simply because my offensive performance was not up to expectations. Today, however, we are here talking about records and history, which makes me feel truly proud of myself."

Omar should be proud of himself, because he's had a very good career in baseball. He's won 11 gold gloves in his career, second only to Ozzie Smith's 13, and he has the highest fielding percentage of any shortstop that's played in 1,000 games at .984 (though this does nothing for Joe Maddon). He's also been a lot better hitter than he's generally ever been given credit for, as he has a respectable .274 career average and an on-base percentage of .340.

Of course, now that Omar has broken Aparicio's record, I think it's safe to say that his 20th season in baseball will be his last. He's 41 years old, and shortstop just isn't a position many people can play well once they get into their forties.

Omar Vizquel Sets Record, Can Retire Now originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 26 May 2008 15:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On Deck: Love of the Game

Mullet — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, White Sox, Angels, Braves, Marlins, Diamondbacks, Giants, San Francisco

On Deck is FanHouse's look at the day's most intriguing baseball matchups.

Arizona Diamondbacks (28-19) at Atlanta Braves (26-21) - 7:35 PM ET

This is a game where you can forget the records. Forget the place in the standings. And for Arizona, you can even forget the fact that they just came from Miami where they were swept by the Florida Marlins. Because tonight, Doug Davis returns to the mound for the Snakes. Davis, you remember, was the guy that found out he had thyroid cancer, yet still made his next two starts for Arizona before going in for surgery (and returned to the dugout mere days after the surgery). If there is a more accurate definition for the term "love of the game" than that, I'd like to see it. You hear all the time about life putting baseball in perspective. Davis grabbed cancer by the throat and used baseball to put life in perspective. I don't know how you don't root for a guy like that.
San Francisco Giants (19-29) at Florida Marlins (27-19) - 7:10 PM ET

Barry Zito's season is a train wreck. He's been a train wreck all season, but now at 0-8, he becomes one of those train wrecks that people aren't going to be able to look away from too much longer. It's an embarrassment for somebody who is being paid the amount of money he's being paid ($14 million this season or ... just under 2/3's the salary of the entire Marlins roster). Even a .500 record for Zito would have the Giants on the fringe of the race for the N.L. West crown. But imagine the growing pressure on Zito if he goes to 0-11 ... 0-12 ... 0-13 ... luckily for Zito, he's not even one-third of the way towards Anthony Young's record of 27 straight decisions that begin with "L".

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (28-21) at Chicago White Sox (26-20) - 8:11 PM ET

Maybe the White Sox hired Carlton Fisk as an ambassador to try to pry Chone Figgins out of Los Angeles ... er, of Anaheim. Hey, why not? Figgins just returned from the disabled list last night, and has posted some good numbers this season with a .306 average and a .423 OBP, so Figgins gets on base often enough not to worry about having to steal first base. It's something the White Sox will have to think about as they take on the Angels in this (drum roll) battle of division leaders. (I just got chills saying that.) The pitching matchup isn't exactly chopped liver either, with the 7-1 Joe Saunders going against Gavin Floyd.

Everyone else:

Cubs at Pirates 7:05 ET
Twins at Tigers 7:05 ET
Mariners at Yankees 7:05 ET
Rangers at Indians 7:05 ET
Royals at Blue Jays 7:07 ET
Orioles at Rays 7:10 ET
Brewers at Nationals 7:35 ET
Phillies at Astros 8:10 ET
Mets at Rockies 9:05 ET
Reds at Padres 10:05 ET
Red Sox at Athletics 10:05 ET
Cardinals at Dodgers 10:40 ET

On Deck: Love of the Game originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 23 May 2008 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Omar Vizquel Does Not Care for Your Precious All Time Games Played Record

Will Brinson — Mon, 19 May 2008 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Media Watch, San Francisco, MLB Milestones

The San Francisco Chronicle's Giants Blog, "The Splash" is reporting that the club is making a big deal out of Omar Vizquel approaching the all time record for games played at shortstop. If they are -- and I can't see any evidence on the team's website, in any of the six front page slides -- that's a good thing.

Vizquel deserves some recognition for playing as long as he has. Although he apparently does not particularly care for it.

'Right now I don't see the importance of the breaking the record,' he said. 'I know it's an amazing feat and everything, but I don't really find it that exciting. I think the fact that my knee is still a little bit not 100 percent is probably why I'm not paying attention much to the record. I'm more worried about the knee and the things I need to do and get better.'

Sheesh. What a Debbie Downer, huh? It's his party, so he can say what he wants, but you gotta embrace that record a little more wholeheartedly. Sure, his time in the bigs is probably coming to an end, but that doesn't mean he has to take it so hard. After all, San Fran has treated most of the old timers with respect on their way out in recent years, so he should be good to go.

Omar Vizquel Does Not Care for Your Precious All Time Games Played Record originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 19 May 2008 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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William Neukom Named Giants General Managing Partner Following Magowan's Leave

Will Brinson — Sun, 18 May 2008 02:30:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Media Watch, San Francisco, MLB Biz

Peter Magowan expectedly announced his retirement following the 2008 season and the Giants have already decided on the man that will replace him, William Neukom.

Mr. Neukom is kind of a baller. Besides formerly being the top dog attorney with this little Microsoft company until he retired in 2001, with $107 million worth of stock, he is currently serving as the president of the American Bar Association.

Neukom's toughest task, of course, besides figuring out how to get rid of Barry Zito without eating his entire contract, will be deciding ~~how much it takes to buy out~~ whether to retain Brian Sabean.

Magowan answered some questions from the Chron -- which is a pretty funny read by itself, just for the Zito quote -- that shed some light on how Neukom feels about Sabean.

'He's certainly safe as far as I'm concerned. (New managing general partner) Bill (Neukom) has said he's got confidence in Brian. You can't say anybody's got a guaranteed job. I never had a guaranteed job. I've never operated my entire life with a contract. I hadn't had one in 16 years. Brian has one that has another year to go. People who are the bosses are free to do as they see fit.'

See, to me, that's nothing more than a classic "vote of confidence". Sabean is Magowan's guy, so there's little chance he would ever actually lob him under moving wheels. But at the same time he has to know that the moves the Giants have made recently, and their inability to succeed, falls squarely on Sabean's inability to either a) put a team around Barry Bonds or b) recognize the need to rebuild (or alternately, understand reality).

William Neukom Named Giants General Managing Partner Following Magowan's Leave originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 18 May 2008 02:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brian Sabean Is Saying Insane Things

Eamonn Brennan — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Media Watch, San Francisco

He's losing his mind. And I'm reaping the benefits.

If Brian Sabean isn't the worst GM in baseball, he's close. The Goog has made its spidery thoughts very clear on the matter. I'm not sure if "delusional" is also something you'd use to refer to Sabean; "worst GM" is probably enough. No reason to pile on. But If Sabo keeps saying things like he did today, people are going to start to wonder:

Sabean sees a San Francisco team that can contend. Not in two seasons, not next season, but in 2008. "As long as we've got a chance to stay in and around third place, why not?" Sabean said as he stood along the dugout rail and watched his players take batting practice. "Why wouldn't you want to think that way? These guys think that way. I don't think we're going to lose as many games as we did last year. If anything, we're going to be a second-half team."

Two possibilities here: Sabean doesn't actually believe this, and he's just saying it to keep fans happy and keep his job through a pretty ugly rebuilding situation. Every GM has to do it sometimes. Either that, or he actually believes what he's saying. I think we all know which scenario is more horrifying.

Brian Sabean Is Saying Insane Things originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 15 May 2008 16:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Magowan Could Step Down as Soon as Friday

Will Brinson — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Gossip, MLB Media Watch, San Francisco

Rumors have been filtering out of the Bay Area that Giants managing partner Peter Magowan would be retiring potentially as soon as this year, but it appears it may be more imminent than that; the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants have called a special meeting on Friday. The likely outcome of this meeting would be the purchase of Magowan's shares, and him subsequently stepping down from his role as managing partner of the ballclub.

Sources tell us the real topic is the 66-year-old Magowan's planned retirement, which could lead to his ownership shares - estimated to be worth well over $70 million - being offered to fellow partners. The team overall is valued in excess of $500 million.

There was no immediate word on who might succeed Magowan, but the job is expected to go to someone already connected to the ownership group. The names mentioned most frequently are the team's general partner, former Microsoft general counsel William Neukom, and principal partner and business investor John Scully.

Now, it's possible that all of this is speculation. But it's more likely that Magowan is seeking to move on. He's 66, the Giants are in mid-life crisis in terms of which direction to take the franchise, and his second biggest signature signing, Barry Zito, is getting rave reviews when he eeks out a quality start and no decision after starting 0-7.

The other point worth noting is that Magowan recently gave General Manager Brian Sabean a contract extension; whether the new managing partner is willing to honor that or not remains to be seen. As the Chron notes, it is unlikely that whoever takes over as the face of the partnership conglomerate will be as vocal about their opinions on how to run the team. That does not mean they won't put someone they trust in charge though.

Magowan Could Step Down as Soon as Friday originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 14 May 2008 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Barry Bonds Charged With Some Other Stuff, but It's Really All the Same

PostmanR — Tue, 13 May 2008 23:11:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Gossip, San Francisco

So, lest we all forget, not only is Barry Bonds possibly got some collusion coming against him, but he's also got that whole indictment lying to a federal grand jury thing to deal with. Poor guy. If you remember the particulars of the indictment back in November, Bonds was charged with one count of obstruction and four counts of perjury.

Well, a new superseding indictment is charging Bonds with 14 counts of making false declarations and one count of obstruction of justice. So what does it all mean? Nothing much, it seems.

No new lies were alleged in the new indictment and Bonds wouldn't serve additional prison time if convicted.

"It's exactly the same," Golden Gate University law professor Peter Keane said. "It's two ways of saying it's lying and there's really no substantial difference between what he was charged with then and what he is charged with now."

So yes: it's pretty much the same thing. But the wording and charges are a bit different. Confusing? Perhaps.

This is why I never went to law school.

Barry Bonds Charged With Some Other Stuff, but It's Really All the Same originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 13 May 2008 23:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There Could Be a 'Giant' Swap in San Fran Ownership Coming

Will Brinson — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, NL West, MLB Gossip, San Francisco, MLB Biz

Peter Magowan has been the managing partner of the the San Francisco Giants since 1993. In other words, the Barry Bonds Era -- it's squarely on his watch. That means both good and bad things, in the sense that a lot of "history" was made, a new stadium was built and paid for, and the biggest free agent signings in the team's history (Bonds being the best and Barry Zito being the worst) went down. Of course, he is also the man that continues to employ Brian Sabean as General Manager.

But there's a possibility that he could be stepping down as acting owner (or general managing partner, if you feel like being quasi-technical about it) in the near future.

Neither Magowan nor his manager/cut man Larry Baer has chosen to respond for the record (a possible first in the history of this ownership). Neither was on hand to watch Tim Lincecum dismiss the Phillies 8-2 on Saturday, which is not that unusual. On the other hand, vice president for communications Staci Slaughter, referring to Magowan, told Our Team's John Shea the other day, "He's 66, and has thought about it from time to time, but no decision has been made at all. At this point, he has no decision on that.' In other words, an era in Giants baseball may be coming to an end. We think.

That's certainly far from definite, but it at least sounds like there's the possibility for change on the horizon. And the SF Chron estimates based on what the franchise is worth right now, it would take approximately $70 million to buy out his share of ownership.

As Rotto points out, there's no telling how new ownership would approach the team. But assuming Magowan does step down, you can bet his legacy will involve more talk of Bonds and Zito than Cain and Lincecum.

There Could Be a 'Giant' Swap in San Fran Ownership Coming originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 12 May 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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