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San Francisco Giants general manager Brian Sabean…

vanyparty — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 09:12:43 +0000

DALLAS — There was only one juicy rumor involving the Giants on the opening morning of baseball’s winter meetings Monday, and general manager Brian Sabean gleefully squashed it.

“We did not bid on the Japanese shortstop,” said Sabean, deflecting a report that suggested the Giants submitted a posting bid on Hiroyuki Nakajima of the Seibu Lions. “Did not. N-O-T. Enough said.”

What about players on this side of the Pacific?

“We’ve made a few bids in this country,” Sabean said. “That’s not going too well. The bidding in general is not going very well.”

That was a running theme. Sabean reiterated he has little maneuverability under his $130 million payroll after budgeting arbitration raises to Tim Lincecum and others. Forget big-ticket items such as Prince Fielder or Albert Pujols. Turns out Sabean doesn’t have the scratch to get Michael Cuddyer or Josh Willingham.

What of Carlos Beltran and Cody Ross? Sabean said the “window could be closing” on re-signing either of those players, too.

“The window could be closing on a lot of opportunities,” said Sabean, responding to a question about Beltran. “You have to make do with what the blueprint presents itself to be financially. That’s what we’re trying to do. We’re trying to be creative within that. We only have so much money to spread, and you have to play with 25 guys.”

The Giants are even frustrated on the free-agent front for a right-handed hitting infielder to protect

young shortstop Brandon Crawford. Clint Barmes and Willie Bloomquist got two-year deals with other teams. On Monday, the Dodgers finalized a two-year contract with Jerry Hairston Jr.

“We could be leaning to the trade route,” said Sabean, who spent most of Monday talking with other clubs.

While it’s unlikely the Giants would move left-hander Jeremy Affeldt despite a lot of interest, right-hander Ramon Ramirez could be deemed more expendable.

The rest of the discussion in the Giants’ suite was about shuffling their internal options, and that movement could be considerable. Manager Bruce Bochy repeated what he told KNBR last week, that catcher Buster Posey is likely to play at least part time at first base to keep his bat in the lineup while he comes back from a catastrophic leg injury.

Bochy has told Aubrey Huff to expect more time in left field and is satisfied with the veteran’s efforts to whip himself back into shape this offseason. If Huff becomes the everyday left fielder, Bochy and Sabean sketched out first base as a mix where Posey plays against some left-handers and Brandon Belt competes with Brett Pill for the bulk of at-bats.

There’s one other offshoot to Posey at first base. It would mean an expanded role for the backup catcher, and with young switch hitter Hector Sanchez leading the Venezuelan winter league with a .376 average, club officials aren’t ruling out beginning the season with him on their roster.

Bochy offered positive reports on second baseman Freddy Sanchez, who began throwing Monday for the first time since his right shoulder surgery in August. Closer Brian Wilson is expected to begin his throwing program after Jan. 1. Both players should be ready for spring training.

And while it won’t be a focus during these meetings, the Giants’ other major goal of the winter is to lock up Lincecum and Matt Cain to long-term contracts. Giants vice president Bobby Evans touched base with Lincecum’s camp as a courtesy on Monday, but talks were not substantive. Discussions with Cain, who will be a free agent after making $15 million next season, haven’t begun in earnest and could be best handled this spring.

Bochy responded to a tricky question the only way he could, saying he’d be comfortable with the offense as is. Sabean wasn’t so tactful.

“Until we get a team on the field and start the season and score more runs, you’re never comfortable with the offense we have, given what our low water mark was last year,” he said.

Last in the N.L. in runs? That’s more like a desert.

For more on the Giants, see Andrew Baggarly’s Extra Baggs blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/extrabaggs.

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San Francisco Giants Celebrate World Series Win at…

tattoo_mixa — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 17:54:38 +0000

[unable to retrieve full-text content]By Michael Stainbrook – In the heat of debt ceiling negotiations and another pennant race, President Barack Obama and the San Francisco Giants met at the White House Monday to celebrate the Giants’ 2010 World Series championship.

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Giants bats held in check by Nationals’ Zimmermann

blatusscjzbprqa35 — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 11:00:38 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants couldn’t come back this time.

A day after posting one of their most stirring victories of the season, the Giants offense went flat against Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann and couldn’t do anything against a pair of relievers, either.

Even the defending World Series champs can hit a bump in the road now and again.

“Of course we have the confidence to come back, but we weren’t able to do it tonight,” second baseman Freddy Sanchez said. “We’re not going to be able to do it every night. They were able to close the door on us.”

Zimmermann pitched seven impressive innings and drove in the tiebreaking run with a safety squeeze in the fourth, Ian Desmond had an RBI single and Wilson Ramos added two hits as the Nationals rebounded from Monday’s frustrating 13-inning loss to win despite stranding 11 runners.

Washington benefited from an erratic outing by San Francisco starter and loser Jonathan Sanchez.

Sanchez had six strikeouts but walked five and pitched with runners on base in all five innings he worked.

“I don’t know how the game was that close,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We were in trouble for the first five innings. It was a tough go for Sanchez. He battled and did a pretty good job having to pitch with so much traffic.”

Sanchez (4-4) kept it close despite his shaky control and pitched out of a pair of bases-loaded jams before getting lifted for a pinch-hitter in the sixth with his team trailing by a run.

“I had to work hard out there,” Sanchez said. “I had bases loaded twice and I got out of it twice. I just didn’t go deep in the game, that was it.”

Zimmermann scattered five hits to beat the Giants for the second time this season. The right-hander also won consecutive starts for the first time this year.

Nate Schierholtz doubled in San Francisco’s only run in the second.

The game was in stark contrast to Monday night’s 4 1/2-hour marathon in several ways.

Washington hit into three double plays and left the bases loaded twice but held on for the win by getting a solid effort from Zimmermann (4-6) and two scoreless innings from the bullpen.

Zimmermann, the 25-year-old righty who underwent Tommy John surgery on Aug. 19, 2009, went seven innings to match his career high and had three strikeouts and a walk. He also beat the Giants on May 1 when he pitched six innings and allowed two runs.

“He’s got good stuff,” said Sanchez, who went 0-for-4. “There’s not much else you can say. He throws a lot of strikes.”

The Nationals played without manager Jim Riggleman, who served a one-game suspension and was fined by Major League Baseball as a result of Washington pitcher Jason Marquis hitting Arizona’s Justin Upton with a pitch during Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks. Marquis received a five-game suspension but appealed and can keep playing until the process is completed.

Bench coach John McLaren managed the Nationals in Riggleman’s absence.

Aubrey Huff, who made an error in the first inning after colliding with second baseman Freddy Sanchez while chasing Desmond’s short popup, tripled leading off the second and scored on Schierholtz’s double to left-center to give San Francisco an early lead.

Zimmermann was dominant after that and didn’t allow another Giants runner past first base. It marked the sixth time in his last seven starts that Zimmermann has held an opponent to fewer than two runs.

“I had a good curve and a good fastball and I felt like I could throw (them) whenever I wanted to,” said Zimmermann, who scattered five hits to beat the Giants for the second time this season. “There were a couple hard-hit balls, a couple bloopers that could have fell, but we got good breaks on them.”

The Nationals’ bullpen, which gave up all five runs in Monday’s 5-4 loss to the Giants, made it hold up.

Tyler Clippard walked pinch-hitter Cody Ross leading off the eighth, then retired the next three batters. Drew Storen pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances.

Desmond singled home Laynce Nix in the third to tie the game but San Francisco starter Jonathan Sanchez struck out Ramos with the bases loaded to end the inning.

Washington took a 2-1 lead when Rick Ankiel doubled and scored on Zimmermann’s bunt in the fourth.

The Giants’ bullpen, which combined for eight scoreless innings Monday, blanked the Nationals over the final four innings.

NOTES: Giants LHP Barry Zito allowed two hits in 6 2-3 innings of a rehab assignment for Class-A San Jose on Monday. Zito, who had six strikeouts and didn’t walk a batter, will start against Modesto on Saturday and make one more start in the minors before the team decides whether to activate him from the disabled list. … 3B Pablo Sandoval homered in his rehab game with Triple-A Fresno. Sandoval will work out with the big league club in San Francisco on Wednesday before possibly rejoining Fresno. … … The Giants have sold out all 26 home games so far this season.

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NFL: Resurgent Westbrook leads San Francisco past Arizona

hetututututut — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:04:58 +0000

Former Eagle Brian Westbrook rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown in place of the injured Frank Gore and the San Francisco 49ers sent punchless Arizona to its sixth straight loss, 27-6, Monday night in a shower of boos from the Cardinals home crowd.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.

Free agent Uribe joins Dodgers: report

Acalecate — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 20:18:17 +0000

Shortstop Juan Uribe bolted the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants on Monday, agreeing to a three-year contract worth $21 million US, according to FOXSports.com.

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Posey earns Topps Rookie honor

BymnBaivy — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:35:00 +0000

Giants catcher Buster Posey continued to receive recognition for his impressive 2010 season on Monday by being named to the Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team.

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San Francisco Giants earn more than $317K for World Series

homejobn — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:39:30 +0000

A full World Series share for the champion San Francisco Giants was worth $317,631.29 this year, according to figures released Monday by Major League Baseball.

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Posey, Feliz picked as top rookies

VasiliyMolchanov — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:36:40 +0000

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz wound up together on the winning side Monday when they were voted major league baseballÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s top rookies.

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Posey, Feliz picked as top rookies

kylecatarn — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:36:40 +0000

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Posey, Feliz picked as top rookies

miha_tatu — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:36:40 +0000

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Giants’ Buster Posey NL rookie of the year

kylecatarn — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 08:20:04 +0000

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey topped Atlanta Braves outfielder Jason Heyward in voting announced Monday for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. Posey received 20 of 32 first-place votes and 129 overall points in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

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Belt playing for AFL title to cap huge year

Lumeseernibre — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:46:00 +0000

With three more hits, including a double and a triple, on Monday, Giants prospect Brandon Belt lifted his AFL average up to .392.

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Giants’ Posey, Rangers’ Feliz picked as Rookies of the Year

priorsViohors — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:01:13 +0000

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz met again Monday when they were voted the Rookies of the Year.

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Posey catches NL Rookie of the Year honors

premiumwp — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:33:00 +0000

Buster Posey, who contributed mightily to ending the Giants' World Series drought, broke another spell Monday when he was named the National League's Rookie of the Year.

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Posey, Feliz picked as Rookies of the Year

tattoo_mixa — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 19:22:17 +0000

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey and Texas Rangers closer Neftali Feliz met again Monday when they were voted the Rookies of the Year.

Running low on time today, i’ll be back tomorrow hopefully with some more news.