EDITOR'S NOTE 7:30PM: I just noticed this FanPost and am certainly intrigued.  If Hall were released I'm curious where he signs and for what.  Like whether he gets a deal through the end of the season or tries to get a long term deal.  I wouldn't want to invest much in him, but as a one year deal I'd be intrigued.  Of course, the other problem is working him into the defense over halfway through the season.  If the team thinks they can win the division I see reasons for it, if they're starting to look forward I don't.  Thoughts?  Aside from the fact that Al Davis is clearly going crazy.

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I am pretty sure he is overrated but he stands to be an upgrade over Walt. Why the Raiders are releasing him I don’t really know. Has he had a bad year? Are they really that hard up for cash? Is Davis f-ing crazy. Well, yeah he is crazy.

 What do you guys think? He is expensive but he adds talent to a not so great secondary.  Pick him up? Yes or yes? I say yes.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3683124

Espn is reporting that Daunte is thinking about coming out of retirement. Evidentially the Chiefs have contacted him. He has not been very good for a while but he could be an upgrade for the Niners. Is it worth taking a flyer on him if he is relatively cheap?

I am not sure that he would help but I am in the “throw shit against the wall and see what sticks” mode with the Niners now. Let him be a place holder till the Niners can find a QB through the draft or free agency.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3659901

According to the Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune, the Twins may dangle Young after the emergence of Denard Span.

Yes the Giants have tons of outfielders but Young could be a superstar. Would the Giants be willing to deal some of their young talent to land Young? Obviously his stock has dropped. So what would it take to get him? Is it worth it?

I am thinking Sanchez + lesser prospect.

Is that too much?

Oh and Matt Cain for Prince Fielder!!!!!

[ducks]

Here is the link.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/30471924.html?page=3&c=y

It wasn’t long ago that calling the Giants’ farm system barren and devoid of Major League talent was as accepted as… well something that is widely accepted. Everybody in the system was seemingly old for their respective levels and the Giants tendency to punt draft picks for old past-their-prime players was only adding to the ineptitude of the organization. That, seemingly, has changed.

Enter the off season of 2008-2009 and we will see a Giants farm system with a new influx of talent at a number of positions and some once forgotten prospects that have crept their way back into prospect hounds’ collective consciousness.  I give you a smattering of the best the Giants have to offer.

C- Buster Posey (Unsigned)- If he signs he has the chance to be the Giants’ top prospect without even playing an inning of professional ball. He is polished behind the plate and should pick up game calling rather quickly. His bat, which some people are not sure will provide much power, is maybe the best I have seen in college baseball. His swing is short and compact, he doesn’t strike out all that much and it is terribly difficult to argue with his career line at FSU. 398/.493/.626, 33 hr, 127w/101k.

C/ 1b- Pablo Sandoval (AA)- Once he looked like another Giants prospect who couldn’t walk and struck out too much but no things have changed a bit. After tearing up the Cal League, a hitter’s paradise, he moved to the Eastern League and to Dodd stadium, the place where hitting prospects go to die. Well, in his short time there the portly switch hitter has killed AA pitching and resurrected his prospect status. He now figures to have a shot at backing up Molina in 2009 if not this September.

1b- Angel Villalona (A)- I won’t bore you rehashing all the talk of his enormous potential but I will say that a kid who is nearly 3 years below the average age for his league and who is holding his own while flashing crazy power is nothing to sneeze at.

1b- Travis Ishikawa (AAA)- The Giants once had high hopes for the smooth fielding left masher but after a number of injuries and a million strikeouts his chance seemed all but gone. This year, however, he has been healthy and cut down on his strikeout while hitting the cover off of the ball in Connecticut and Fresno. Is he for real? I am not sure but if he is it is like finding a $20 in the pocket of some old jeans.

OF- Nate Shierholtz (AAA)- Much has been made of his inability to lay off bad pitches but he has hit well in Fresno and has been doing well against international competition for Team USA. The Giants don’ exactly have a dearth of outfielders but if Nate can hit for similar average and power in the bigs he may make Winn expendable.

SP- Madison Bumgarner (A)-  Young for his league. Mowing down SAL hitters. May be promoted to San Jose before the season is out. One of the best pitching prospects in the game.

SP- Tm Alderson (A+)- See Bumgarner.

Others of mention: Connor Gillespie (unsigned), Brandon Crawford (unsigned),  Eddie Martinez Esteve(AA), Henry Sosa (A), Raphael Rodriguez(instructional league soon), Wendell Fairley (AZL).

I know many of you non-Giants fans probably feel differently about these players. I would love to hear why I am wrong. So where do these players put the Giants in the grand scheme of farm systems?

A supposed leak has revealed the AL and NL starters for the allstar game and our boy is not the starter. Instead Arizona Diamondbacks' starter Brandon Webb will be the starter.

I have to admit that I am a bit disapointed that Timmy won't be starting the game but I am more upset that apparently wins count more than anything else when determining quality of pitchers. Here are the stats and you tell me if this is a smart decision.

Webb-  12-4  3.34era  118ip  100k 31bb

Lincecum- 10-1 2.49era 115.2ip 122k 44bb

I don't personally see how you can justify that decision. What about you?

http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/25546896/

So... umm... Matt Downs. Yeah small sample size in the PCL. Yeah it was the Cal League before that. I know... but he has mashed at every level. He is young (compared to me). What do you guys think? Could he be a real deal starting 2b  with good pop. I can haz wun plz?

Plus- His name is Matt. Two Matts. Two Tims. We should only draft players with those first names.

Your 2015 San Francisco Mattims!!!!1!!!

I don't mean to step on Steve's Minor Lines for the day but I noticed that Noonan, Culberson, and Villalona were not in yesterday's lineup.

Did the Giants hold them out because they are getting promoted or are they just resting them up for the championship game against the AZL Mariners?

It seems strange to me that they would take the three best guys out of the league the day before the championship (assuming that is what they have done).

I have seen his name tossed around a few times here but after yesterday he has undoubtedly raised his trade value (if in fact the Jays are going to be sellers this summer). What do you guys think about him?

He is 26, doesn't walk much and strikes out a fair amount. He is also 6'5 and looks like he will fill out and increase his already good power.

Do you guys like him enough to give up some valuable chips or should the Giants focus on other players?

I guess this probably doesn't warrent a totally seperate diary but Lewis has been (imho) a good player in his breif stint in the majors.

He has been hitting for average, has great speed, decent defense, and a great attitude. He had a couple of rough games but seems to have a short memory when it comes to those things (me like).

Is it still early enough that we can call this a fluke or does he have he tools to make it?

Sub question:

I really like his stroke and it seems as if he could hit for pretty good power if he sticks with it. What do you think?

The following is a collection of emails that Dave and I have exchanged over his comment that the Giants have not won a pennant with Bonds.It is a little long so forgive me.

12/16/2006
Mr. Del Grande
I just wanted to know if you actually do any research before you write your columns. I mean saying something like " over the past 14 seasons, San Francisco's pennant-less ballclub..." would be a great insight if it were true. Unfortunately for you and your case, the Giants actually won the NL Pennant in 2002. You can see how saying something like this might make Giants fans and fans of journalism a bit peeved. I would suggest in the future that you take pride in you job and realize that you are a reflection of the journalistic community. Many journalists came before you and many will come after and it is important to them that you respect your craft.
Sincerely
Cameron Wood

1/3/2007
This is Dave Del Grande. There is no pride in a National League pennant. It has been the inferior league for most of Bonds' 14 years. It would be like me saying Castro Valley High hasn't won a basketball pennant in 14 years and you claiming I was wrong because it won a JV title four years ago. Thank you for "editing" my column. I look forward to reading your stuff someday. What I've read so far isn't so hot.
Dave

1/4/2007
 Wow! Your professionalism astounds me. Regardless of whether you think the NL is inferior or not, it still has a pennant and that pennant is legitimate. I did not write you to get into an argument about the legitimacy of the NL pennant. I merely wrote you to tell you that you are in fact wrong when you contend that the Giants have not won a pennant under Bonds' tenure. I continue to use the word pennant because that is what we baseball fans call that little flag that you get when you are the representative of your league in the World Series. I am not sure how you can defend a statement that is so obviously wrong and equally idiotic. The Giants went to the World Series in 2002 and thus won the 2002 NL pennant. That is not analogous to a JV championship and you know that. Was the Cardinals' NL pennant this year the same as Castro Valley High's JV championship? I hope as a sports columnist you can see the difference. Davey, think about it. In the time it took you to reply to my email you could have been looking all this stuff up and then you wouldn't have looked like such an ass.
Cameron Wood

1/4/2007
My point simply was: With the greatest player of all-time manning left field on a daily basis, the Giants have failed to win a championship the last 14 years. If Giants fans want to take pride in having made it to ONE World Series in that stretch, well, you have to rest your hat on something. You're right. Technically, "pennant" was not the correct word. "Championship" would have been better. But then I'm guessing nit-picking Giants fans would claim they've won several (N.L. West) "championships" in the last 14 years.

Anyway, good luck this season.
Dave