I'm watching a freaking Will Clark at-bat during a game in 1991 at the Stick.  I just finished watching fire-hydrant-roider Armando Rios hit a walk-off against the Rangers in 2000.

I say this because it's truly depressing to watch some of these players against the state of our current team.  Not so much the 91 squad but watching a telecast of a Giants game in 2000 is truly sad to watch.

The crowd roars.  Actually ROARS when something good happens.  It was sold out every night and Kruk/Kuip are contantly announcing Arizona scores (because we were in a race for first place, BTW - the game in question was played in June....). 

It's depressing because I remember putting such stock into that team in that year and it bums me out how quickly I forget what it was like, really like.  I went to a ton of games and watched every other game on tv.  That being said I could watch Giants Classic games ALL DAY. 

Was it really that long ago?

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080610&content_id=413393&vkey=news_milb&fext=.jsp

Four of San Jose's five representatives come from the California League's best pitching staff. The Giants' 2.96 team ERA is nearly a run better than that of Stockton and Modesto, and San Jose's nine shutouts also lead the league. Tim Alderson (6-2, 3.27 ERA), Jesse English (8-2, 2.84 ERA), Kevin Pucetas (7-0, 2.54 ERA) and Ben Snyder (6-2, 2.31 ERA) will all make the trip east. The four San Jose hurlers constitute half of the league's eight best ERAs, and English is tied for the league lead with his eight wins.

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This is a list that's being passed around this morning.
Some surprises, some not.
Interesting to see Pujols on there.
Rich Garces???  Say it ain't so!!  No Aaron Rowand.  We have that going for us Giants fans!!

Brady Anderson, Manny Alexander, Rick Ankiel, Jeff Bagwell, Bary Bonds,
Aaron

Boone, Rafaeil Bettancourt, Bret Boone, Milton Bradley, David Bell,
Dante

Bichette, Albert Belle, Paul Byrd, Wil Cordero, Ken Caminiti, Mike
Cameron,

Ramon Castro, Jose and Ozze Canseco, Roger Clemens, Paxton Crawford,
Wilson

Delgado, Lenny Dykstra, Johnny Damon, Carl Everett, Kyle Farnsoworth,
Ryan

Franklin, Troy Glaus, Rich Garces, Jason Grimsley, Troy Glaus, Juan
Gonzalez,

Eric Gagne, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Giambi, Jeremy Giambi, Jose
Guillen, Jay

Gibbons, Juan Gonzalez, Clay Hensley, Jerry Hairston, Felix Heredia,
Jr., Darren

Holmes, Wally Joyner, Darryl Kile, Matt Lawton, Raul Mondesi, Mark
McGwire,

Guillermo Mota, Robert Machado, Damian Moss, Abraham Nunez, Trot Nixon,
Jose

Offerman, Andy Pettitte, Mark Prior, Neifi Perez, Rafael Palmiero,
Albert

Pujols, Brian Roberts, Juan Rincon, John Rocker, Pudge Rodriguez, Sammy
Sosa,

Scott Schoenweiis, David Segui, Alex Sanchez, Gary Sheffield, Miguel
Tejada,

Julian Tavarez,Fernando Tatis, Maurice Vaughn, Jason Varitek, Ismael
Valdez,

Matt Williams and Kerry Wood

From ESPN: Here's another wrinkle in the third-base market: The Cardinals are shopping Scott Rolen. Heard on Thursday that the Twins and Cardinals are talking about a deal for Rolen, who is owed $33 million over the next three years; he makes a ton of sense for the Twins, as a right-handed hitter, as a defensive third baseman on the turf of the Metrodome, as a perfect fit for the Twins' clubhouse. The Cardinals presumably are asking for pitching in return, but because of the money involved and Rolen's injury history, they might not get a lot, because this is more of a salary dump.

If it's a salary dump it's not a bad temporary fit.  We need the power. Obviously health is a major issue. If the Cards take a large portion of his salary it might be worth looking at, maybe.

I was at the HR Derby and I was talking to a photographer for the Giants.  I mentioned something about how we should have signed Vlad when we had the chance (as he was hitting balls over the bleachers).  She said that Vlad wanted no part of playing in San Francisco.  The big reason was he didn't like Felipe.  Apparently they didn't like each other and were at odds in his last few years in Montreal.
I don't know if this made me feel any better.  Now I'm just more pissed at Felipe than anything.

Does anybody have anything to add to that story?  It seemed pretty interesting to me.

We all new it was coming. Since the average ERA for a 5th starter in this league is over a 6.00 I think this can work out for us.

It's better than Tomko.....

Link to the story

http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/sf/fan_forum/vote.jsp?partnerId=2006hp_clubpromo_sf_vo te&affiliateID=2006hp_clubpromo_sf_vote

I think Will Clark has this one in the bag.  Anyone else?  Does Kelly Downs have a shot?

I was scouring the Hot Stove out of pure boredom and ran into this.  Lincecum at #5.  Here's the link

 http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/hotstove06/columns/story?columnist=schwarz_alan&id=2728868

5. Tim Lincecum, RHP, Giants
Less than a year after being drafted, Lincecum has an outside shot to break camp in the San Francisco rotation and become this year's Justin Verlander. He's only 6 feet tall but has a big fastball and even bigger curve.

Am I crazy or should the Giants absolutely be doing this?  It seems to me that it's a win/win. For example, this is what the Yankees are doing with Ron Villone:

 Here's a no-brainer, for example: The Yankees should -- and will, I bet -- offer arbitration to Ron Villone. That way, if somebody else signs him, they'll get a draft pick as compensation, and if he accepts arbitration, they'll get him on a one-year deal, at a time when he would be a bargain at, say, one year and $4 million (This is a winter in which Jamie Walker got three years and $12 million).

On one hand, if accepted, we have him for one year at probably an inflated rate.  A one year deal is perfect in this place and it give us a legit #5 hitter compared to what else is out there on the market.  I'm sure he'll hit just as good if not better than the Matthews/Pierre combo.

On the other, if another team signs him then we get draft picks.  I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere here although I could have missed it.

From ESPN:

Giants could be in mix for Lugo
Nov 20 - While Boston, Toronto and the New York Mets have been mentioned prominently in Julio Lugo speculation, San Francisco is a potential sleeper team to sign the versatile middle infielder, reports ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick.
If the Giants fail to re-sign incumbent second baseman Ray Durham, Lugo could play the position next year for the Giants and eventually slide over to shortstop when Omar Vizquel retires. Mark DeRosa's three-year, $13 million deal with the Cubs virtually ensures that Lugo, a .277 hitter in seven seasons with Houston, Tampa Bay and the Los Angeles Dodgers, will be looking at a four-year contract.

From ESPN....

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2662062

or just this blurb...

* "The Giants, in the market for a center fielder, are moving along in discussions with Juan Pierre, the National League leader with 204 hits last season. The word in Naples is that Pierre could get a deal for three years and about $30 million -- if not from San Francisco, then somebody else."

Ummmm.  I'm all for speed in the lineup, but where is the power?  Winn in right and Pierre in center is slaptastic at best.  If we can get power from some other positions I can get behind this (but absolutely not for $10M a year)

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2640133

Son of a whore!  I guess we can start hiring young and fresh another time.

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060913&content_id=1661073&vkey=news_mlb &fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

It's about time....

1. The Giants staters get recognition for the best ERA in the NL.
2. Tim Kurkjian is big on the Giants getting into the playoffs.
3. Tino Martinez speaks like he's been on a three day meth bender.  Maybe he just quit smoking or something.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=mlb&id=2519879

It's about time.  We need the power.

In a related story, water is wet. Good riddance!

from Buster Olney: * Brett Tomko and Sandy Alomar Jr. had a difference of opinion as to who was responsible for the runs allowed in Pittsburgh; somewhere, A.J. Pierzynski, who had problems with Tomko, is smiling...

http://www.dailynews.com/dodgers/ci_3704701

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2392240

I'll take it.  If he continues to pitch like he did the last half of last year that is an absolute steal.

Did anyone suspect Robb Nen to come into Tony's hospital room and save him once they played "Smoke on the Water"?