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San Francisco Giants News

Buster Posey uncertain how ankle will respond to playing again
February 4
San Jose Mercury News
 
"So many questions await Buster Posey this spring. They hover in the air like a series of foul pops, subject to the whims of wind and spin. Will his repaired left ankle respond when he hops out of his crouch to throw? How will it feel when he wakes up the following day? Will his timing at the plate be an issue after the longest layoff of his baseball life? Will he be the ebullient rookie of the year who led the Giants to a World Series title in 2010? Or will Posey's career be more about concessions than celebrations? "I guess questions like these are just hard to answer without playing, you know?" he said, squinting a bit. "Without being back in the action." It's the thought of being back"
Posey looking good; Bochy, Sandoval discuss weighty subject
February 4
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The No.1 question on the minds of most Giants fans is "How's Buster?" Well, Buster Posey was looking good on Friday and several teammates commented on the confident gleam he had in his eye. Still a lot of uncertainty at what his workload will be this spring, and how he will respond from his major injury, though. There will be more on Posey in a feature story I'll write for tomorrow's paper. Pablo Sandoval said he's put on a few pounds and he definitely looked thicker, but he claimed it was nearly all muscle. Manager Bruce Bochy wasn't so sure, and he said he had a productive talk with Sandoval about staying diligent. "He knows he has some work to do," Bochy said. General manager Brian"
Cain not making any promises about his next contract
February 4
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Giants made their roster available to the media on the eve of their annual FanFest, and no, there wasn't a surprise news conference to announce a long-term extension for Matt Cain. The Giants certainly hope to convene such an event soon, though -- perhaps even before pitchers and catchers report on Feb. 18. As for Cain, he's playing it down the middle. "We've talked ... and it's a process," Cain said. "We'll see what's going to happen. We're definitely here for this year." It's been reported that Cain would accept a hometown discount. If true, he's smart enough to know you don't come out and admit that in public. When asked about that possibility, Cain gave a cagey answer. "That's"
Lincecum not cutting out In-N-Out burgers, he's just not eating as many
February 4
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Tim Lincecum said the two-year contract he reached with the Giants is where he and the team "found the most common ground" and he fully expects future conversations about a longer term contract that would buy out his free-agent years. Lincecum ended last season at 187 pounds and shockingly, got up to 197 in November, which is double-chin territory. So he scrawled that number on a white board and recorded daily weigh-ins while challenged himself to drop 25 pounds. He did it by swimming every day in a current pool, doing the frog stroke. He's down to 175 now. Lincecum also cut out those well publicized meals of three In-N-Out double-doubles. "Just make sure you don't pick up the third one,""
Pablo Sandoval drops weight, again
February 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Giants showed a lot of faith in Pablo Sandoval by giving him a three-year, $17.15 million contract. That does not mean they are going to stop leaning on him about his weight. Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that he had a chat with Sandoval during a minicamp in Arizona last month about some weight gain. "He knows he's got a few pounds to lose," Bochy said. "He did it last year. He looks better now than when I saw him two weeks ago." Sandoval told several reporters that part of his extra weight is muscle from his winter workouts in Arizona. He did not look hefty as he sat in a suite at AT&T Park, and Sandoval insisted he has learned his lesson after struggling through the 2010 season,"
Future is now for SF Giants aces Lincecum, Cain
February 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Since Tim Lincecum signed his two-year, $40.5 million contract, a lot of folks have taken the liberty of speaking for him. Lincecum wants to be a Yankee, they say. He wants to sell himself to the highest bidder the minute he is free and collect $200 million. He's giving management two years to field a better offense, or he's gone. Lincecum spoke for himself Friday and said none of that played into the brevity of his new deal. Echoing his agent, Lincecum said that two years was the "common ground" that the two sides found to avoid an arbitration hearing that Lincecum did not want, and that anybody who reads more into it is reaching. "Just because I signed a two-year deal doesn't mean it"
Dodgers want Bryan Stow claim thrown out of bankruptcy court
February 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"The Los Angeles Dodgers asked a federal bankruptcy judge Friday to reject claims for damages filed by the San Francisco Giants fan who was beaten in a Dodger Stadium parking lot on opening day of the 2011 season. In a 44-page motion to U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Gross in Delaware, attorneys for the Dodgers argued that neither the team nor other entities in the baseball club's corporate structure have any liability for the March 31 assault that left Bryan Stow in a coma for months. Stow and his two children sued Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and 13 other Dodger-related companies in May, alleging negligence and poor security arrangements at the ballpark. Two men, Louis Sanchez and Marvin"
Sources: Playoff expansion has issues
February 1
ESPN.com
 
"Baseball commissioner Bud Selig continues to talk confidently about expanding the baseball playoff field in 2012. But sources tell ESPN.com efforts to make that happen remain bogged down, all because of one thorny little complication: the details. Wednesday was supposed to be the day the commissioner's office finished a proposed schedule for the 2012 postseason and shipped it to the players' association for consideration. But sources told ESPN.com that deadline wasn't going to be met -- not because talks have broken down, but because fitting two extra wild-card pieces into the postseason puzzle has proven to be more involved than the commissioner has been willing to acknowledge. The new"
Burrell, No. 1 overall pick in '98, calls it a career
January 30
MLB.com
 
"Pat Burrell is retiring after a 12-year Major League career, according to multiple reports that surfaced on Monday afternoon. Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors first reported that the 35-year-old outfielder was hanging up his cleats, and FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal confirmed the report, according to Rosenthal's Twitter account. Burrell spent the bulk of his career with the Phillies, winning a World Series in 2008, then most recently with the Giants, where he got his second World Series ring in 2010."
Giants sign veteran infielder Ryan Theriot
January 28
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Even if shortstop Brandon Crawford's bat proves as capable as his glove and second baseman Freddy Sanchez stays on the field for the whole season, the Giants lacked a right-handed hitter for the middle infield. They added one Friday, agreeing to terms with veteran Ryan Theriot on a non-guaranteed major league contract that will pay him $1.25 million if he joins the club. Theriot's deal is expected to become official once he passes a physical, Giants officials said. Although Crawford enters the spring still holding the title of everyday shortstop, the club wants to take as much lineup pressure as possible off the 25-year-old defensive whiz. Theriot gives manager Bruce Bochy another option"
Ryan Theriot gives Giants' infield righty bat
January 28
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Giants' infield could be ragin' with Cajuns in 2012. With Mike Fontenot already in the fold, the team agreed Friday to a one-year contract with fellow Louisianan and former LSU teammate Ryan Theriot, who could be a right-handed-batting complement to second-year shortstop Brandon Crawford. Theriot still must pass a physical. The Giants also announced that Tim Lincecum passed his physical and his two-year, $40.5 million deal is official. Given Emmanuel Burriss' presence, Fontenot and Theriot, who are old friends and former Chicago Cubs teammates, might compete for one job in spring training, though manager Bruce Bochy said by phone that he would love to have both. Fontenot ($1.05"
Selig expects two one-game playoffs for this fall
January 28
Chicago Tribune
 
"Baseball appears ready for an extra round of wild-card playoffs by this fall, according to commissioner Bud Selig. "I really believe we'll have the (extra) wild card for this year," Selig said Friday at SoxFest. "Clubs really want it. I don't think I've ever seen an issue that the clubs want more than to have the extra wild card." The extra round would be one-game elimination in both the National and American Leagues to the teams who would have missed the playoffs as they are set up now. Some have argued for a best-of-three, but that appears impossible with the scheduled all but set for 2012."
Theriot, Giants agree on one-year contract
January 27
MLB.com
 
"The Giants on Friday welcomed in Ryan Theriot via a one-year deal in a move that provides the club with added infield depth, a source confirmed to MLB.com. Theriot's veteran presence complements that of young shortstop Brandon Crawford and also offers insurance if the rehabbing Freddy Sanchez (right shoulder) is not deemed ready to play second base by the start of the season."
Giants sign Hensley, who yielded No. 755 to Bonds
January 27
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The pitcher who surrendered the Barry Bonds home run that tied Henry Aaron is coming home to the Giants. Right-handed reliever Clay Hensley and the team agreed Thursday to a one-year, $750,000 contract, pending a physical. He is well-known both to general manager Brian Sabean, who drafted Hensley out of Lamar University in 2002, and manager Bruce Bochy, who had him in San Diego in 2005 and 2006. The Giants traded him to the Padres in 2003 for Matt Herges, who saved 23 games for San Francisco in 2004. Hensley's contract is not guaranteed. As recently as 2010, Hensley had a 2.16 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP in 68 games for the Florida Marlins, who used him to close. A shoulder injury last year"
Tampa Bay Rays close to deal with reserve infielder Jeff Keppinger
January 26
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The Rays were looking for one more right-handed hitter to fill out their roster and have settled on veteran infielder Jeff Keppinger. The Rays and Keppinger are finalizing a deal, the Tampa Bay Times learned Wednesday, and, pending a successful physical exam today, an announcement is expected by Friday. Keppinger, 31, has played parts of seven seasons in the majors, splitting 2011 between the Astros, who traded him in July, and Giants, who let him go after the season."
MLB allows retired Tony La Russa to manage in All-Star game against Ron Washington
January 25
Dallas Morning News
 
"Tony La Russa will come out of retirement to manage the National League team for the July 10 All-Star Game at Kansas City. La Russa will go against Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington, who will handle the American League team for the second consecutive season. La Russa retired shortly after St. Louis defeated the Rangers in the seven-game World Series."
Tim Lincecum, Giants reach $40.5 million deal
January 25
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Tim Lincecum always has been a rare bird, from his windup to his hair to his demeanor, so who better to agree to that rare baseball contract that makes everyone a winner? The two-year, $40.5 million deal, which was completed Tuesday but will not be official until he passes a physical next week, is exactly what Lincecum said he preferred four months ago, when he told The Chronicle, "I just don't know how I'm going to feel five years from now, or three years. That's why I kind of like to take things step by step.""
Tim Lincecum, Giants agree on two-year, $40.5 million contract
January 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Tim Lincecum is expensive in arbitration. If he has two more superlative seasons, he'll be ridiculously expensive as a free agent. The Giants and Lincecum reached an agreement on a contract this morning, but it won't guarantee that the beloved, two-time Cy Young Award winner will remain a Giant upon hitting free agency when he's eligible after the 2013 season. Lincecum will receive $40.5 million over two years. The contract only takes him through his final two seasons of arbitration eligibility. The contract, which is pending a physical, will pay Lincecum $18 million this season and $22 million in 2013. He also receives a $500,000 signing bonus."
SF offers Tim $100M-plus but more able on Cain
January 24
CBSSports.com
 
"The Giants are talking to franchise pitchers Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain about multiyear deals, but while there are early indications they'll have a decent or better chance to lock up Cain into his free-agent years, the team seems to be focusing on deals of two years or one with Lincecum after he rebuffed an offer of at least $100 million for five years. Giants people are saying only that talks are "ongoing'' with Cain, but there is said to be a fair amount of optimism they can keep Cain on a longterm deal for under $20 million a year. Cain already took one long team-friendly deal, but Lincecum, who has so far gone year to year, seems more likely to wind up with a two-year deal now rather"
Closer Brian Wilson ready to start throwing
January 24
San Jose Mercury News
 
"There are plenty of baby-faced rookies attending the Giants' conditioning minicamp at Scottsdale Stadium. Then there is Brian Wilson. The black-bearded closer arrived in Arizona last week to get a jump on his throwing program; he'll take an important step in a few days when he throws off a mound for the first time since the club shut him down because of recurring elbow soreness last season. "He's always been a workaholic, always in great shape," Giants trainer Dave Groeschner said in a phone interview. "We're working on his range of motion in his lower body, his flexibility, and of course strengthening his elbow and shoulder. It's great he's here. It's easy for us to keep an eye on him.""
Cody Ross says hello, Red Sox fans
January 24
Boston Globe
 
"The Red Sox have not yet announced their deal with Cody Ross. But Ross is a member of the team as far as he's concerned. His Twitter feed certainly left no doubt."
Giants, Lincecum make progress toward a deal
January 21
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Giants and the agent for Tim Lincecum have made significant progress in the 48 hours after arbitration figures were exchanged Wednesday, and sources say both sides are confident of a resolution before a hearing would be scheduled to determine a salary for the two-time Cy Young Award winner. But both sides are remaining tight-lipped on the expected duration of the contract; Lincecum would hit the open market after the 2013 season and has been hesitant to let the Giants buy out any of his free-agent years. At least there appears to be plenty of common ground on the value of a one- or two-year contract that would take Lincecum through his final seasons of arbitration. Lincecum asked for"
Giants reach deal with reliever Sergio Romo
January 21
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Giants cleared their final potential arbitration case besides Tim Lincecum's on Friday when they reached a one-year deal with reliever Sergio Romo worth $1.575 million. Romo gets slightly more than the midpoint between his formal request of $1.75 million and the team's offer of $1.3 million. The Giants started the offseason with 13 potential arbitration cases, their most ever and most in the majors this year. They traded three (Jonathan Sanchez, Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres) and acquired two (Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan). They also let Jeff Keppinger and Eli Whiteside leave as free agents (before re-signing Whiteside) and settled with Romo, Cabrera, Pagan, Ryan Vogelsong, Santiago"
Lincecum case an intriguing give-and-take
January 19
MLB.com
 columnist Anthony Castrovince
"The Giants and Tim Lincecum's representatives had gathered in a hearing room two years ago, the chamber doors figuratively about to be locked shut and an impartial arbiter ready to hear their disparate claims as to the pitcher's monetary worth for the 2010 season. Mere moments before the hearing began, however, the two sides agreed to keep talking, and soon thereafter an agreement was reached without the need to get the arbiter involved. Two years, $23 million. And in the wake of a 2010 World Series victory and two finishes among the top 10 in National League Cy Young Award voting, it certainly looks like money well spent on the Giants' part. Now, Timmy and the Giants are at the"
Tim Lincecum's thinking good for SF Giants
January 19
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Bruce Jenkins
"From a financial standpoint, this has been a good offseason for the Giants. It's always a good offseason when you don't have to deal with Scott Boras and other agents whose sole function in life - aside from amassing great riches for themselves - is to turn baseball's salary structure into an unwieldy joke. Forget this "what's best for the client" nonsense. If that were the case, Prince Fielder would have signed by now with the team that best fits his desires. If you're dealing with Fielder, Albert Pujols or any other superstar on the free-agent market, you're going to be robbed, you'll commit to more years than common sense suggests, and you'll almost certainly regret the deal within"
Veteran infielder Cabrera plans to retire
January 19
MLB.com
 
"Long-time utility infielder Orlando Cabrera announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Wednesday while a guest on a Colombian radio station. Cabrera, a 15-year veteran of nine different franchises, retires after hitting .238 with five home runs and 51 RBIs in 130 games in 2011, split between the Indians (91 games) and the Giants (39 games). The 36-year-old leaves the game having won one World Series with the Red Sox in 2004 and two Gold Glove Awards, with the Expos in '01 and the Angels in '07. Originally signed by the Montreal Expos as a free agent out of his native Colombia in 1993, Cabrera spent his first eight seasons in Montreal, including arguably his best year in 2003"
Arbitration - Charlie Finley's fears realized
January 18
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist John Shea
"The Tim Lincecum arbitration process, now in full swing, would have prompted a chuckle out of Charlie Finley. Of all the player-friendly language in baseball's collective bargaining agreement, the stuff pertaining to salary arbitration might be the player-friendliest. Finley knew it, and that's why the tightfisted A's owner tried to fight it in 1973 when owners granted arbitration to the players. It was a bid to prevent player holdouts but a concession that cost owners dearly. It wasn't so evident back when salaries were under $100,000, but it is today."
Giants give Pablo Sandoval 3-year deal; Tim Lincecum asks for $21.5 million
January 18
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Giants and Tim Lincecum might have grabbed baseball industry headlines Tuesday when they exchanged record-setting figures in arbitration, but the club made its most declarative investment of the day in All-Star third baseman Pablo Sandoval. The Giants signaled their confidence in the Kung Fu Panda's conditioning and commitment, agreeing to a three-year contract that guarantees Sandoval $17.15 million. The club offered Lincecum $17 million and the two-time Cy Young Award winner asked for $21.5 million -- both figures setting records for a player with less than six years of service time."
Pablo Sandoval, Giants reach $17.15 million deal
January 18
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"In a statement of faith that seemed so unlikely 14 months ago, the Giants agreed Tuesday to a three-year, $17.15 million contract with third baseman Pablo Sandoval that rewards not only his production on the field, but his dedication in the training room. After the World Series ended in November 2010, the Giants threatened a badly overweight Sandoval with a demotion to the minors the following year if he did not get into shape."
Giants, Sandoval reach three-year agreement that stands as a huge statement of faith
January 17
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Giants just announced they have reached a three-year deal with third baseman Pablo Sandoval that will buy out all three years of his arbitration eligibility and take him to free agency after the 2014 season. This is a remarkable turn of events considering that after the World Series in 2010, the Giants threatened to send Sandoval to the minors in 2011 if he did not get in physical shape. He did just that, and with this contract the Giants are saying they have faith that Sandoval will stay in shape. He is under team control for three more years. They did not have to give him anything more than a one-year deal."
Angel Pagan avoids arbitration with Giants
January 17
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"The Giants' arbitration docket got lighter Monday when they agreed to a one-year contract with outfielder Angel Pagan, whom they acquired from the New York Mets in a deal for Andres Torres last month. The Giants confirmed the deal, which the Associated Press said is worth $4.85 million. It leaves the Giants with six potential arbitration cases. The biggie is Tim Lincecum, who is expected to submit a record salary-arbitration request when teams and players exchange figures today. The Giants' counteroffer should set a record, too."
All quiet on Tim Lincecum contract front, but Giants say talks with Matt Cain have been "healthy, ongoing"
January 12
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Giants have Ryan Vogelsong under contract, but the heaviest case in their arbitration file is yet to be resolved. They still must come to terms with Tim Lincecum. The Giants and Lincecum's representatives have not spoken in over a month. Rick Thurman, the agent for the two-time Cy Young award winner, told me today via text message that he is "just preparing his arbitration brief" and has had no dialogue with the club since the winter meetings in early December. That's not necessarily a bad sign. In fact, the Giants and Lincecum will make two very big statements one week from today. That's when the two sides will exchange arbitration figures. After that, the strategy and expectations"
San Francisco Giants: Ryan Vogelsong agrees to two-year deal
January 12
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Ryan Vogelsong in 2011 authored one of the greatest comeback stories baseball has ever seen. At times, he admitted he pinched himself, wondering when everything would end. His dream just got a lot richer. The Giants avoided arbitration with Vogelsong on Wednesday, agreeing to a two-year, $8.3 million contract that includes a club option for 2014. "Really, it's the best of both worlds for me," Vogelsong said in a phone interview. "The second year gives me job security, and there's no better place for me to be than in San Francisco. I obviously have a great connection with the fans there, and I'm very comfortable with the manager and the coaching staff. ""
At 90, Alvin Dark still a Giant at heart
January 9
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"He was the Giants' shortstop and captain when Willie Mays made his miracle catch. He began the rally that culminated with the Shot Heard 'Round the World. He managed the Giants' first World Series team in San Francisco. He piloted the A's to the 1974 World Series title. Alvin Dark remembers all that stuff as if it were yesterday, even though yesterday was the day after his 90th birthday."
Aubrey Huff repentant, shaping up for 2012
January 4
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Aubrey Huff's employers called him out, publicly and forcefully, and he did not say a peep. He let the criticism of his conditioning hang in the air, like a curveball with no break, and refused to swing. Instead, he went to work. In his first interview since his disastrous 2011 season, Huff told The Chronicle on Tuesday that general manager Brian Sabean had a right to call him out. He also said he has worked diligently at a well-known training facility in Arizona since mid-November to prepare his body for 2012 to help him give the Giants the production they thought they were buying last winter with a two-year, $22 million contract."
Gap still exists in Giants/Lincecum talks
December 29
CBSSports.com
 
"After some more negotiating this winter, indications are that there's still a sizable gap in long-term contract talks between the San Francisco Giants and their ace pitcher Tim Lincecum. Neither side would speak directly about the specifics of the negotiations that have been kept remarkably quiet this winter, but it is thought the sides are still at least a couple years and tens of millions of dollars apart. The Giants had made locking up Lincecum and his rotation mate Matt Cain their top priorities this winter, priorities 1 and 1A if you will. The Giants are believed to have raised an offer they made this summer that was said to have been for four years and presumably about $80 million"
Nationals, Mark DeRosa officially agree to one-year deal
December 29
Washington Post
 
"The Nationals made official their signing of veteran utility man Mark DeRosa, a versatile 36-year-old who will serve multiple roles as part of a bench the Nationals are still assembling. The Nationals and DeRosa agreed on a one-year major league contract. DeRosa is an accomplished player whose production dimmed over the past two seasons as he dealt with a wrist injury. DeRosa appeared in just 73 games between 2010 and 2011 with the San Francisco Giants, hitting .235/.313/.279 with one homer and 201 plate appearances. Over the first 12 years of his career, DeRosa had a 97 OPS+."
Good time to adjust
December 23
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Gary Brown, the Giants' top hitting prospect, plans to treat himself to his first trip to Hawaii before year's end, and why not? He was a busy man in 2011, conquering the California League, then continuing a marathon first full professional season by playing in the Arizona Fall League. There, Brown struggled big-time, and the Giants could not have been happier. Brown was a stud in high school. He was The Man at Cal State Fullerton. After the Giants selected him in the first round of the 2010 amateur draft, the speedster torched pitchers for Class A San Jose in 2011 with just one bad 0-fer in June. Baseball is a failure-based game. Before Brown comes to the major leagues, to start what the"
Cardinals sign All-Star Beltran
December 23
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"All-Star outfielder Carlos Beltran finalized a two-year deal with the Cardinals on Thursday evening, a source familiar with the negotiations confirmed to the Post-Dispatch. The switch-hitting outfielder brings some desired depth to the Cardinals outfield while also restoring some sock to the middle of the lineup that will be without three-time MVP Albert Pujols. The total deal, which does not include an option, is worth $26 million. The contract includes a no-trade clause."
Cardinals' talks with Beltran intensify
December 22
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The Cardinals intensified their talks with the agent for switch-hitting outfielder Carlos Beltran late Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Beltran has been a target of the team since Albert Pujols signed with the Los Angeles Angels. The Cleveland Indians joined the handful of teams that are making bids for the free agent and former All-Star, according to two reports late Wednesday night and later confirmed by the Post-Dispatch."
Nationals nearing a deal with utility player Mark DeRosa
December 22
Washington Times
 
"The Washington Nationals continued their efforts to restock their bench, closing in on a deal with utility man Mark DeRosa late Wednesday night, according to a source with knowledge of the negotiations. DeRosa, who has missed much of the previous two seasons with a wrist injury, can play infield and outfield and will serve as a right-handed bat off the bench. The utility player has been a target of the Nationals all offseason, their courtship starting early in November when manager Davey Johnson called DeRosa to recruit him. Johnson, who managed DeRosa in the World Baseball Classic in 2009, speaks highly of the 36-year-old."
Bryan Stow interview on television Monday night
December 20
San Jose Mercury News
 
"In his first television interview, Giants fan Bryan Stow smiles, speaks and recognizes his mother, father and sisters, but it also becomes painfully clear from the NBC News report that he may never fully recover from a savage beating earlier this year at Dodger Stadium. "Sometimes he looks right at me," says a sister, Bonnie Stow, at the San Jose rehabilitation center treating her brother. "Sometimes there's no eye contact and you wonder." The report was set to air at 10 p.m. Monday on "Rock Center with Brian Williams." The network's chief medical editor, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, opens the segment with a sweeping view of the packed stadium in Los Angeles on opening day of the baseball season."
Bonds trial worth it despite lenient sentence
December 17
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Gwen Knapp
"Was it worth it? Barry Bonds' defense attorney declined to answer the question. So did his adversary from the U.S. attorney's office. Eight years into the BALCO doping investigation and four years after Bonds' indictment for misleading a grand jury, the slugger received a sentence of 30 days' house arrest and two years' probation, plus 250 hours of community service and a $4,000 fine. For a man who earned an estimated $190 million as a ballplayer and lives in a Beverly Hills mansion, the sentence was, in the words of prosecutor Matthew Parrella, "almost laughable." OK, subtract the "almost." But was it worthwhile for the government to pursue Bonds for so long, in return for so little"
Injured Giants fan Stow gives first interview
December 17
MLB.com
 
"Bryan Stow, the Giants fan brutally beaten outside Dodger Stadium on Opening Day, spoke on camera for the first time since he was attacked. San Francisco's NBC affiliate released a short video clip in which Dr. Nancy Snyderman, from the show "Rock Center with Brian Williams," introduces herself to Stow as he sits on a bed. Wearing a Giants 2010 World Series championship T-shirt, Stow asks Snyderman, "How are you?" She responds that she was doing well, to which Stow says, "That's good." The brief video of Stow is part of a longer segment about his recovery and rehabilitation from severe brain trauma. The full report is scheduled to air Monday night on "Rock Center." The 42-year-old Bay"
Barry Bonds - 1 month house arrest for obstruction
December 17
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"A federal judge sentenced an impassive Barry Bonds to 30 days of house arrest Friday for obstructing justice during an investigation of steroids in sports, saying the slugger's grand jury testimony was evasive and illegal but did not warrant imprisonment. In rejecting prosecutors' request for a 15-month prison term for baseball's all-time home run leader, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston cited Bonds' years of low-profile work for charitable causes, his lack of a criminal record, and the home-detention sentences she had issued to cycling star Tammy Thomas and track coach Trevor Graham, both convicted of perjury in the same probe. "I think the jury got it exactly right here, that Mr. Bonds"
Buster Posey's injury can't persuade Joe Torre to consider rule changes to safeguard catchers
December 16
San Jose Mercury News
 
"Buster Posey will put on his customary helmet, shinguards and chest protector when he gets behind the plate in a few months. But he won't get any additional safeguards in the rule book. Although Giants officials remain in favor of a rule change that would protect catchers from being targeted in home-plate collisions, the matter didn't come up officially at the winter meetings last week in Dallas. It didn't get past Joe Torre, Major League Baseball's vice president for on-field operations. Torre heard out Giants manager Bruce Bochy in several phone calls over the summer but declined to recommend that the rules committee take up the matter. "Well, listen, I knew it was more emotional than"
Will sentencing be final word on Barry Bonds case?
December 16
San Francisco Chronicle
 columnist Gwen Knapp
"In court today, Barry Bonds should be sentenced to a year of TiVo, or maybe less. The judge, Susan Illston, has an uncommonly easy decision to make in the latest stage of a sports drug case that has become an endless Russian nesting-doll. The two defendants who were convicted in her court on similar charges, cyclist Tammy Thomas and track coach Trevor Graham, received six months to a year of house arrest. The court's probation office recommended roughly the same sentence for baseball's home-run king. The choices about Bonds' future won't be so simple for the Giants, Major League Baseball and the game's Hall of Fame voters, who will see Bonds' name make its inaugural appearance on the"
Judge could send Barry Bonds to jail Friday
December 15
San Francisco Chronicle
 
"Bicycle racer Tammy Thomas lied to a grand jury about her use of steroids, then fought perjury charges in court. Convicted, she was sentenced to house arrest. It was the same story for elite track coach Trevor Graham, who lied to a federal agent trying to unpack the BALCO steroids scandal: Found guilty, he too was put under house arrest. On Friday in San Francisco, the same federal judge who showed mercy to those sports figures must sentence a far more famous athlete convicted of equivocating about banned drugs: Barry Bonds, the former Giants left fielder and holder of baseball's career home run record."
San Francisco Giants will find it expensive to keep their aces in fold
December 14
San Jose Mercury News
 
"The Giants are done building their 2012 roster. That was the easy part. Now comes their toughest task: Reaching long-term contracts with Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, the two load-bearing pillars in their Neoclassic rotation. There was never an illusion of ease with Lincecum, a specially accomplished ace who is expected to set salary records in each of his final two arbitration years. But Cain has every reason to play hardball, too. This newspaper has learned that when the Giants extended Cain's contract back in the spring of 2010, the original agreement called for a $16 million salary in 2013. The club yanked the final year off the table at the last instant, spooked by loose bodies that"