SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) —
The San Francisco Giants say they’re ready for a fight in the boardroom or the courtroom to keep the Oakland A’s out of the South Bay.

For months, the A’s have been pushing forward with plans to move to San Jose. But, with the winter baseball meetings in two weeks the giants are reminding everyone that they own the territorial rights to the South Bay and they are not about to give them up. Despite the high profile dispute, the issue is not on the agenda for the owners’ meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.

(Copyright ©2011 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

There is the quick update of the day.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—The San Francisco Giants signed backup catcher Eli
Whiteside to a one-year deal Saturday after declining to offer him a contract
Monday, avoiding arbitration and making him a free agent.

Whiteside will receive $600,000 if he is on the major league roster and
$175,000 if in the minors. He provided key innings for the 2010 World Series
champions this past season after reigning NL Rookie of the Year Buster Posey
went down with a season-ending leg injury in a May 25 home-plate collision with
Florida’s Scott Cousins.

The 32-year-old Whiteside batted .197 with four homers and 17 RBIs in 82
games. It’s unclear where he will fit in considering San Francisco also has
capable catchers Chris Stewart and Hector Sanchez on the roster.

Giants general manager Brian Sabean has now retained much of the roster from
a team that finished second to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West last
season. He is committed to winning with a talented pitching staff again.

The club has agreed to terms with reliever Guillermo Mota on a $1 million,
one-year contract to bring him back for a third season, pending a physical.

In late October, San Francisco gave left-handed reliever Javier Lopez an
$8.5 million, two-year contract and also picked up the $5 million contract
option for fellow lefty reliever Jeremy Affeldt.

On Monday night, the Giants tendered contracts to two-time NL Cy Young Award
winner Tim Lincecum, fellow starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong and relievers Sergio
Romo and Santiago Casilla.

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

SAN FRANCISCO — The San Francisco Giants fan nearly beaten to death on opening day has spoken on camera for the first time since the attack.

In the video clip aired on San Francisco’s NBC affiliate, Dr. Nancy Snyderman of the NBC news magazine show Rock Center introduces herself to Bryan Stow, who is sitting on a bed.

Stow asks Snyderman “How are you?” after she introduces herself. She says she’s doing well, and Stow replies, “That’s good.”

Rock Center released the video to preview its full report on Stow’s recovery at an undisclosed rehab center scheduled to air Monday.

The paramedic and father of two spent months in a medically induced coma after being beaten outside Dodger Stadium last year.

He was moved from the hospital to the rehab center in October as he continues to recover from a traumatic brain injury.

Stow’s family has chronicled his recovery on their blog. Last month, they reported Stow was still showing signs of confusion and frustration as he works to regain his ability to move and speak. They say he does recognize friends and family, whom he joined last month for Thanksgiving.

Louie Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30, were arrested and charged in the attack following a Los Angeles police investigation. Investigators describe the assault as the culmination of a string of confrontations they had with randomly selected Giants fans at the stadium.

Sanchez and Norwood both have pleaded not guilty to mayhem, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, and battery with serious bodily injury.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

Gotta run!.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—The San Francisco Giants were working Wednesday to
finalize a $1 million, one-year contract with free agent reliever Guillermo Mota
to bring him back for a third season.

The sides had agreed to terms and were waiting to complete a physical and
final paperwork. Giants general manager Brian Sabean is committed to keeping his
talented pitching staff intact—and not just aces Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain,
who he hopes to lock up in long-term deals.

Mota, a 38-year-old right-hander, has become a reliable option for manager
Bruce Bochy. He went 2-2 with a 3.81 ERA in 52 outings last season for the NL
West runners-up.

Mota’s 80 1-3 innings last season were his third highest in 13 big league
seasons and most since 2004, when he pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the
Marlins.

Mota made one appearance against Texas during the 2010 World Series, when
the Giants wrapped up the franchise’s first championship since moving West in
1958.

With Mota returning, Bochy has much of his bullpen intact. In late October,
San Francisco gave left-handed reliever Javier Lopez an $8.5 million, two-year
contract and also picked up the $5 million contract option for fellow lefty
reliever Jeremy Affeldt.

On Monday night, the Giants tendered contracts to two-time NL Cy Young Award
winner Lincecum, fellow starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong and relievers Sergio
Romo and Santiago Casilla.

Thanks for reading! .

Shortstop Mike Fontenot #14 of the San Francisco Giants tags out Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros as he tries to steal second base in the seventh inning on August 20, 2011 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)

Comment Below!.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

Brian Sabean’s office is connected to the San Francisco Giants’ clubhouse, only a matter of feet from where manager Bruce Bochy prepares for games. The close proximity makes for regular planning meetings, before first pitch and often well into the night after the final out.

CEO Larry Baer is committed to maintaining that continuity with his club, and took a step Tuesday by giving both the general manager and manager contract extensions taking them through the 2013 season with club options for 2014.

”They work exceptionally well together. That’s a key relationship,” Baer said. ”I strongly believe Brian and Bruce are the best at their craft in the game, and their track record shows that.”

The 55-year-old Sabean is the longest-tenured GM in baseball and has said he would like to stay put in San Francisco for the rest of his career. He became the Giants’ GM in 1996 after three years in player personnel. He was in the Yankees organization from 1985-92 as a scout, scouting director and player development director.

Sabean has a busy stretch ahead before spring training begins in February. On Wednesday, his wife, Amanda, is scheduled to give birth to the couple’s second son – the sixth son for Sabean. Then, baseball’s winter meetings begin next week in Dallas.

The top priority is upgrading the offense while leaving enough payroll flexibility to lock up star pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain for what Sabean hopes is the long haul.

”Anything we’re going to do has to fit into a certain price point and give us enough flexibility to do other things,” Sabean said. ”Pitching is our gold standard and we’ll do all that we can to take care of that commodity first.”

Bobby Evans, the team’s vice president of baseball operations and Sabean’s right-hand man, said there have been preliminary conversations with the pitchers’ representatives that he categorized as ”an exchange of ideas and numbers.” Evans said he expects Lincecum, the two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, to be open to a long-term deal beyond two years.

”I don’t know how productive it is to get into specifics,” Evans said. ”I don’t thinks he’s closed off to anything short or long, per se. I think he’s very comfortable with short, but don’t think he’s closed off to anything long. I think he’s still open to that.”

Sabean hired the 56-year-old Bochy away from the rival San Diego Padres in 2007 to replace Felipe Alou.

”I think we have a mutual respect. We listen to each other, Brian for me is always available,” Bochy said. ”We communicate so much during the course of the season. We stay in the same building. There’s never any kind of distance or separation.”

Yet there wasn’t immediate success when Bochy arrived, and both men received harsh criticism along the way for moves they made and those they didn’t.

That all changed when they led the club to an improbable World Series championship in 2010 with a band of ”castoffs and misfits” as Bochy called them.

Baer had expected to get deals done during the offseason to keep both men around for the near future. Sabean and Bochy were instrumental in the team’s World Series title, the first for the franchise since moving West in 1958.

”I don’t take anything for granted. I’m thankful for their renewed commitment,” Bochy said.

The Giants went 86-76 for second place in the NL West and missed the playoffs this year, when they dealt with devastating season-ending injuries to 2010 NL Rookie of the Year catcher Buster Posey and second baseman Freddy Sanchez.

Baer recently assumed top decision-making duties from outgoing managing partner Bill Neukom, saying, ”Brian has seen the operation through all sorts of environments.”

That included the challenging days with home run king Barry Bonds and the move from Candlestick Park to the waterfront spot at 12-year-old AT&T Park.

”I don’t take the extension lightly,” Sabean said. ”Baseball’s a tough game to succeed in. I’m really thankful that I’m one of the original employees of the ownership group and as the ownership group changed or morphed, they recognized our commitment and hard work.”

All-Star slugger Pablo Sandoval is still deciding whether to spend a short stint in his native Venezuela, where Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos was abducted earlier this month and then rescued. Sandoval is training for a second straight offseason in Arizona after losing close to 40 pounds last winter.

That’s all for today guys, i’ll be back to blog you tomorrow.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Brian Sabean’s office is connected to the San Francisco
Giants’ clubhouse, only a matter of feet from where manager Bruce Bochy prepares
for games. The close proximity makes for regular planning meetings, before first
pitch and often well into the night after the final out.

CEO Larry Baer is committed to maintaining that continuity with his club,
and took a step Tuesday by giving both the general manager and manager contract
extensions taking them through the 2013 season with club options for 2014.

“They work exceptionally well together. That’s a key relationship,” Baer
said. “I strongly believe Brian and Bruce are the best at their craft in the
game, and their track record shows that.”

The 55-year-old Sabean is the longest-tenured GM in baseball and has said he
would like to stay put in San Francisco for the rest of his career. He became
the Giants’ GM in 1996 after three years in player personnel. He was in the
Yankees organization from 1985-92 as a scout, scouting director and player
development director.

Sabean has a busy stretch ahead before spring training begins in February.
On Wednesday, his wife, Amanda, is scheduled to give birth to the couple’s
second son—the sixth son for Sabean. Then, baseball’s winter meetings begin
next week in Dallas.

The top priority is upgrading the offense while leaving enough payroll
flexibility to lock up star pitchers Tim Lincecum(notes) and Matt Cain(notes) for what Sabean
hopes is the long haul.

“Anything we’re going to do has to fit into a certain price point and give
us enough flexibility to do other things,” Sabean said. “Pitching is our gold
standard and we’ll do all that we can to take care of that commodity first.”

Bobby Evans, the team’s vice president of baseball operations and Sabean’s
right-hand man, said there have been preliminary conversations with the
pitchers’ representatives that he categorized as “an exchange of ideas and
numbers.” Evans said he expects Lincecum, the two-time NL Cy Young Award
winner, to be open to a long-term deal beyond two years.

“I don’t know how productive it is to get into specifics,” Evans said. “I
don’t thinks he’s closed off to anything short or long, per se. I think he’s
very comfortable with short, but don’t think he’s closed off to anything long. I
think he’s still open to that.”

Sabean hired the 56-year-old Bochy away from the rival San Diego Padres in
2007 to replace Felipe Alou.

“I think we have a mutual respect. We listen to each other, Brian for me is
always available,” Bochy said. “We communicate so much during the course of
the season. We stay in the same building. There’s never any kind of distance or
separation.”

Yet there wasn’t immediate success when Bochy arrived, and both men received
harsh criticism along the way for moves they made and those they didn’t.

That all changed when they led the club to an improbable World Series
championship in 2010 with a band of “castoffs and misfits” as Bochy called
them.

Baer had expected to get deals done during the offseason to keep both men
around for the near future. Sabean and Bochy were instrumental in the team’s
World Series title, the first for the franchise since moving West in 1958.

“I don’t take anything for granted. I’m thankful for their renewed
commitment,” Bochy said.

The Giants went 86-76 for second place in the NL West and missed the
playoffs this year, when they dealt with devastating season-ending injuries to
2010 NL Rookie of the Year catcher Buster Posey(notes) and second baseman Freddy
Sanchez(notes).

Baer recently assumed top decision-making duties from outgoing managing
partner Bill Neukom, saying, “Brian has seen the operation through all sorts of
environments.”

That included the challenging days with home run king Barry Bonds and the
move from Candlestick Park to the waterfront spot at 12-year-old AT&T Park.

“I don’t take the extension lightly,” Sabean said. “Baseball’s a tough
game to succeed in. I’m really thankful that I’m one of the original employees
of the ownership group and as the ownership group changed or morphed, they
recognized our commitment and hard work.”

All-Star slugger Pablo Sandoval(notes) is still deciding whether to spend a short
stint in his native Venezuela, where Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos(notes) was abducted
earlier this month and then rescued. Sandoval is training for a second straight
offseason in Arizona after losing close to 40 pounds last winter.

Subscribe to our feed!.

Published: Nov. 29, 2011 at 1:40 PM

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 29 (UPI) — Manager Bruce Bochy and General Manager Brian Sabean have agreed to contract extensions with the San Francisco Giants, the team said Tuesday.

Financial terms of the deals weren’t released, but the agreements will keep Bochy and Sabean under contract with the Giants through the 2013 season. The team has an option for 2014.

“Brian and Bruce are certainly two of the finest professionals at their respective positions in all of baseball,” Giants President Larry Baer said in a statement. “They have effectively built and fostered a winning tradition at all levels of our organization.

“I have no doubt that they will achieve continued success for the Giants in the coming years and beyond.”

Sabean has been with the Giants since 1996, making him the longest-tenured general manager in baseball. In 2010, San Francisco was voted the Baseball America Organization of the Year.

Bochy just completed his fifth season as the Giants’ manager. He is 409-401 in that span and won the World Series in 2010. He previously managed the San Diego Padres for 12 seasons. His overall managerial record is 1,360-1,376.

Subscribe to our feed!.

Published: Nov. 26, 2011 at 11:28 AM

Not much else going on in the MLB planet today.

SAN FRANCISCO —
The San Francisco Giants have declined to offer salary arbitration to free-agent outfielders Cody Ross and Pat Burrell.

The moves Wednesday mean the Giants will not receive compensation if Ross or Burrell sign with another team.

The Giants still could re-sign Ross, but Burrell has said he will likely retire because his troublesome right foot hasn’t healed. Burrell batted .230 with seven homers and 21 RBIs in 92 games last season.

Ross batted .240 with 14 homers and 52 RBIs last season. He won the NL championship series MVP in 2010 after being acquired off waivers from Florida late in the season.

The Giants also were unable to offer arbitration to outfielder Carlos Beltran under terms of his contract.

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

That’s all for today.

Feel free to leave your comments below.

SAN FRANCISCO — Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt is healing well from a season-ending hand injury sustained when he seriously cut himself trying to separate frozen hamburgers.

Affeldt said Wednesday he expects to be done wearing a protective brace on his non-throwing right hand soon, perhaps in the coming days. He will fly from his home in Spokane, Wash., to the Bay Area on Thursday to be examined by a hand specialist and physical therapist. They will gauge his progress and determine the next step.

Leave your comments on the news below.

SAN FRANCISCO, California – The San Francisco Giants fan who was severely beaten outside Dodgers Stadium was transferred to a rehabilitation facility Tuesday after nearly seven months in hospitals, doctors said.

Bryan Stow’s move into rehab is a step forward in his recovery after he suffered serious brain injuries in the March attack that had left him barely clinging to life. Doctors at San Francisco General Hospital, where he had been treated since May, predicted a long and rocky road ahead for the 42-year-old Santa Cruz paramedic.

“Bryan has been an extremely challenging patient,” said Dr. Geoff Manley, who is the hospital’s chief of neurosurgery and has been overseeing Stow’s care. “It has been a roller coaster, but he is young and strong and has made tremendous advances.”

Stow’s family recently reported on its website that he is speaking and moving his limbs again.

Manley said Tuesday that Stow is “starting to get up but not quite walking.”

The family requested that the name of Stow’s rehab facility not be released, according to Manley. The family released a statement saying, “We feel immense relief today, knowing that Bryan is ready to start the next chapter of his story.”

Louie Sanchez, 29, and Marvin Norwood, 30, have been charged in the attack, which police describe as the culmination of a string of confrontations they had with randomly selected Giants fans at the stadium during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ March 31 home opener.

Sanchez and Norwood both have pleaded not guilty to mayhem, assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, and battery with serious bodily injury in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Subscribe to our feed!.