Familiar face, new place

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants fans will remember 1986 fondly, a season following a dismal 100-loss campaign when the new theme was "You Gotta Like Those Kids."
One was a scrappy 24-year-old second baseman named Robby Thompson, who along with kidmate Will Clark and master manager Roger Craig and his famed "Humm Baby" credo helped propel San Francisco to the National League West division title in 1987.

And two years later to the Earthquake World Series against the Oakland A's.

On Friday, Thompson returned to the Bay Area as new bench coach of the Cleveland Indians. This, oddly enough, was his first day on the job after being hired last Saturday to replace Buddy Bell, now the Kansas City manager.

"Yeah, it was kind of nice," said Thompson. "I flew in yesterday and landed about 6:30 and saw the fog rolling over San Bruno -- yep, memories came back quickly. It's nice to be back and start it off here."

It's only a 3 1/2-month opportunity for this former "kid" -- now 43 with graying hair and teenage children of his own -- and he's not sure what the future holds.

"I think we'll [finish the season] and move on from there," said Thompson, who stayed at his Tequesta, Fla., home this week while son Drew, a shortstop, was drafted by the Minnesota Twins, the 80th player overall.

"I've also got twin 15-year-old boys (Tyler and Logan) coming up and I've committed to them, so I'm not looking to next year at all," said Thompson, still trim and in good shape.

"There are all kinds of memories, starting that first day at Candlestick and all the friends I've made," said Thompson. "It's just nice to be back and reminisce. No complaints."

Thompson has been a special assistant to the Indians' baseball operations department since 2003 and also was the team's bench and infield coach in 2002.

Foppert stars: Right-hander Jesse Foppert had a strong outing at Class A San Jose on Thursday night, giving up only four hits over seven innings with eight strikeouts.

The 25-year-old, who had Tommy John surgery in 2003, was flown to San Jose while his Triple-A Fresno teammates flew to Salt Lake City. He has been gaining strength with the Grizzlies, and the Giants wanted him nearby in case he was needed to pitch.

Manager Felipe Alou said Friday that Foppert will not make the trip to Minnesota and Detroit next week.

"Those seven innings were a sign of good health," said Alou. "No. 1, he's healthy and throwing the ball well."

Bonds throws: Rehabbing outfielder Barry Bonds threw for several minutes near the Giants' bullpen on Friday night to trainer Dave Groeschner. He had little zing on the ball, but was throwing effortlessly.

On deck: Giants starter Jason Schmidt will try to snap out of his doldrums when he faces the Indians in a 7:15 p.m. PT contest Saturday at SBC Park.

Over his last eight outings, he is 1-2 with a 7.02 ERA and being hit at a .312 average.

"I do expect Schmitty to have a good game every time he goes to the hill," said Alou. "There's nothing wrong except location. He's still throwing 94-95 mph."

Balls and strikes: Closer Armando Benitez played long toss with Groeschner at the ballpark Friday as he continues to rehab from a torn hamstring. He's reportedly progressing well. ... OF Ben Copeland, the Giants' first-round pick in Tuesday's draft, will be in Scottsdale, Ariz., soon for workouts and evaluation with other selections. ... Fresno hurler Matt Cain was ejected from the Grizzlies' game at Salt Lake City on Thursday night in the team's 15-5 loss after only one-plus innings. He allowed four runs and two homers before being ejected for throwing behind a Stinger batter.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Schmidt unable to stop Indians

SAN FRANCISCO -- Felipe Alou says Jason Schmidt is pitching better.
Jason Schmidt says Jason Schmidt is pitching better.

The box score says Schmidt gave up six runs in five innings and the Cleveland Indians withstood a late Giants rally to beat San Francisco, 7-6, on Saturday night.

It was the Giants' 13th loss in the last 15 games and put San Francisco (25-35) 10 games under .500 for the first since it finished the 1996 season 68-94.

"I know it sounds funny, but after the last two starts, I feel like I'm really getting there," said Schmidt. "The results don't show it, but the breaking stuff is there, the changeup is getting better, the location with the fastball is getting better."

The Giants' ace right-hander began the year in fine fashion, allowing just two earned runs in his first two starts to go 2-0.

Then he started struggling and went on the disabled list through the middle of May for what he called a "dead arm."

Schmidt won his first start back, but in the next two, against San Diego and the New York Mets, he gave up six runs and didn't last through the fifth inning each time.

Then came Saturday's game against the Indians.

Schmidt walked leadoff batter Grady Sizemore in the first, and Sizemore eventually came home on a groundout.

To lead off the second, Schmidt threw the 3-2 changeup he wanted to Ronnie Belliard, but Belliard, who went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, launched it into the cheap seats in left.

Then Schmidt found a groove, if only briefly. He struck out the last two batters in the second inning, and all three he faced in the third.

"I feel my arm strength is building up," said Schmidt, who mixed a low- to mid-90s fastball with an effective curve and a biting slider to rack up those five straight strikeouts. "I'm feeling stronger. It's just a matter of when it's going bad, it's going really bad."

Take, for example, the fourth inning.

After a walk to lead things off, Jody Gerut lofted a line drive toward center. Jason Ellison misjudged the ball, initially coming in a step, then slipped as he tried to recover.

That was the first of three run-scoring doubles that put Cleveland up 6-0 midway through the inning.

Jason Schmidt / P
Born: 01/29/73
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R

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"Where I'm getting beat is on stupid pitches where I say, 'I know where this guy's hot zone is; I'm going to stay away from there,' and then I end up throwing it there and getting burnt," said Schmidt. "It's a combination of a couple different things.

"I think when you're struggling, you're not really thinking about the task at hand as much."

Still, Schmidt was somewhat encouraged by part of his outing, as was Alou.

"I saw some good things," Alou said. "The strikeouts, good breaking balls and even some good fastballs in the 94 mph range, but he is still struggling with location.

"His stuff was good, but the direction wasn't."

Alou was also encouraged by the way his team kept plugging away.

The Giants in their fourth-inning turn trimmed Cleveland's lead in half with RBI singles from Moises Alou, Ray Durham and Ellison but were unable to score again off Indians starter Jason Davis (3-2).

Davis needed just 76 pitches to get through seven innings -- compared to 106 for Schmidt in five innings -- before the Cleveland bullpen took over and things got really interesting.

Reliever Bob Howry set down Omar Vizquel, J.T. Snow and Alou in order in the eighth but gave up three straight hits to start the ninth.

Ray Durham and Pedro Feliz each singled to right before Ellison drove a double to right-center that scored Durham.

That sent Howry packing, and on came closer Bob Wickman, who let the inherited runners score on a groundout by Yorvit Torrealba and a sacrifice fly from pinch-hitter Edgardo Alfonzo.

Wickman then walked Michael Tucker, who stole second before Vizquel walked.

The two baserunners then stole again to put the tying run 90 feet from the plate and the winning run in scoring position, but Wickman struck out Snow to end the threat and pick up his 16th save.

"A loss is a loss, but I want to see those guys start doing what they did in the ninth inning," Felipe Alou said. "There are restrictions when you are trailing, but you can't stop doing what you need to do to win a baseball game, and the guys didn't stop playing."

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Taschner brought up

SAN FRANCICO -- Jack Taschner is going from watching "The Mask of Zorro" to staring in at the mask of Mike Matheny or Yorvit Torrealba.
The 26-year-old lefty was in a Salt Lake City hotel room watching Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas emote through that Hollywood remake in the wee hours of Saturday morning when the Giants called to tell him they had purchased his contract from Triple-A Fresno.

To make room for Taschner, San Francisco designated right-hander Al Levine for assignment.

Taschner, the Giants' second-round pick in the 1999 First-Year Player Draft, joins a Major League roster for the first time. His progress from stardom at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh to SBC Park has been delayed by a litany of injuries.

In 1999, he suffered a torn labrum. Two years later, he had surgery to repair ulnar nerve damage. Then in 2002, it was Tommy John surgery keeping him out for the entire season.

"Especially in 2003 coming off surgery, at that point I was questioning if I had any future in this game," Taschner said.

His numbers that year at Double-A Norwich (0-6, 5.71 ERA) and the next split between Norwich and Fresno (a combined 5-8, 5.74 ERA) make that a valid question.

But the Giants still extended an invitation to Spring Training this year, and manager Felipe Alou was very impressed.

"I saw a slider that never stopped breaking," Alou said. "With that kind of pitch from a lefty, sooner or later, he'll get big-league hitters out with that pitch."

That slider, plus a low 90s fastball and a changeup, certainly worked against Triple-A batters this year. Taschner, generally working no more than an inning each game, went 2-0 with three saves and an 0.95 ERA.

He held opponents scoreless in 24 of his 26 outings and struck out 35 while walking 13.

"The biggest thing is my command is coming along," Taschner said of his success this year. "I've been able to put the ball where I want to put it and for the most part, most of my velocity is coming back. Everything just feels a little sharper."

As for Levine, if no team claims him off waivers, the Giants have 10 days to try to trade him, release him or assign him to the Minor Leagues. Levine as a veteran has a right to refuse that assignment and become a free agent.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," said Levine, who was winless in nine appearances with the Giants and leaves with an ERA of 9.58 after giving up five runs on six hits while getting just two outs Friday night. "I'll just pack my bags and see what happens."

More coming? A look at the Pacific Coast League leaderboard suggests the callup of Taschner won't be the Giants' last.

Through 60 games, outfielder Todd Linden leads that circuit in homers (18), RBIs (56), extra-base hits (40) and runs (54) and sports a .319 batting average.

"He'll be here," Alou said.

The questions remain when and where?

Linden is a corner outfielder, but the Giants think pretty highly of their current right fielder (Moises Alou) and the left fielder they're waiting to bring off the disabled list (Barry Bonds).

"The talk we had with him in Spring Training ... we told him, 'We don't want you to be on the team because we don't want you to be a utility outfielder,'" manager Alou said. "He's too good for that.

"When he comes up, he's going to play."

Bonds update: Once again, the injured slugger (knee) was on the SBC Park field before batting practice, going through a few agility drills.

Barry Bonds / LF
Born: 07/24/64
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 230 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: L

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Giants trainer Stan Conte said he's "99 percent certain" Bonds will not hit the road with the Giants when they visit Minnesota and Detroit next week.

Alou said he doesn't think Bonds will be healthy enough to DH when the Giants play in Oakland the last weekend of this month, and that the idea hadn't even been discussed in the team offices.

"Until I see him taking batting practice the way he was in Scottsdale, then I'll say I'm encouraged," Alou said.

The lineup shuffle: Alou had Pedro Feliz playing third base in place of Edgardo Alfonzo, and Torrealba catching in lieu of Matheny.

Alfonzo was getting a routine day off, Alou said, and the switch at catcher was made to see if it might help starter Jason Schmidt, who has surrendered at least six runs in each of his previous two starts while not making it through the fifth inning either time.

Looking ahead: Kirk Rueter (2-4, 4.65 ERA) gets the start on the 12th annual Until There's a Cure Day on Sunday.

The event, a team tradition that promotes AIDS awareness and raises funds for AIDS education, features the creation of a human red ribbon in center field and a pregame ceremony at home plate.

The first 10,000 in attendance will receive a commemorative pin sponsored by Esurance, McRoskey Mattress and the Giants Community Fund.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Giants fall to Indians' sweep

SAN FRANCISCO -- Less than two hours before Sunday's game, manager Felipe Alou and general manager Brian Sabean both said they were looking for one of the starters to go at least six innings and give San Francisco a decent chance to win.
They got half their wish.

Kirk Rueter (2-5) did last six innings, but he gave up all the Cleveland runs in a 5-3 Indians win that finished off a sweep of the Giants.

The loss was San Francisco's 14th in the last 16 games and capped off a season-worst 1-5 homestand.

The bitter icing on the day was the news that reliever Jim Brower, one of the more popular players in the clubhouse, was given his outright release to make room for starting pitcher Jesse Foppert.

It was the second time in two days the Giants let go a veteran to bring in a younger player -- Saturday, the team designated reliever Al Levine for assignment and called up reliever Jack Taschner.

Since the team has come out on the losing end of five straight series and is 11 games below .500 for the first time since 1996, the move didn't come as too much of a shock.

"It happens to every team," said Michael Tucker, who collected career hit No. 1,000 with a pinch-hit single in the ninth. "You can't do much about it but just go out there and play.

"If there are moves to be made, they're going to make them."

Asked if the recent transaction sparked a sense of urgency among the Giants, Rueter said, "I think the standings do that."

Those show the Giants solidly in fourth place, 10 back of the front-running Padres, four games in front of last-place Colorado, but 7 1/2 behind the second-place Dodgers and 6 1/2 behind the Diamondbacks.

Flip the page to the stat sheets, and the numbers show the Giants sorely in need of better starting pitching.

"We just need good games," said Rueter, who gave up those five runs on six hits and four walks tempered by two strikeouts. "Other than one really bad pitch, I felt great out there."

That one bad pitch came in the fourth inning, and it resulted in a three-run homer by Casey Blake that put the Indians up 5-0.

A leadoff triple by Jhonny Peralta in the third led to Cleveland's first run, and Jose Hernandez delivered an RBI single to make it 2-0 two batters before Blake's blast.

Kirk Rueter / P
Born: 12/01/70
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: L

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"It was a slider," said Rueter, who couldn't say exactly where he missed with it until reviewing the tape, "but it stayed where he could hit it."

In all five losses of this homestand, the visitor has scored first. And in both defeats this weekend, the Indians had at least a 5-0 jump by the middle of the fourth inning.

"You expect to have to battle back on the road, but not at home," Alou said. "It's like they're the home team, scoring early and putting the pressure on."

The Giants finally got on the board against Cleveland starter Cliff Lee (7-3) in the sixth inning, thanks to two errant throws by shortstop Peralta.

First, Jason Ellison hit a grounder to short that Peralta sailed into the Indians dugout, and two batters later, Ellison scored on Lance Niekro's sacrifice fly.

Then, after a Moises Alou double, Ray Durham hit a two-out chopper to short, and again Peralta overthrew the ball into the dugout, allowing Alou to score.

Mike Matheny launched his sixth homer of the year just over the left-field wall in the seventh inning to finish the Giants' scoring.

Cleveland's Bob Wickman closed out the game for his 17th save.

As for 2005 being effectively finished for San Francisco, the Giants don't seem ready to concede that point.

"I've seen teams turn things around," Tucker said. "We're not even at the All-Star break yet.

"There could be a stretch where you win 18 out of 20. I've seen it happen. If we get nine wins, one loss and nine or 10 more wins, we'd have a totally different conversation."

Tony Kuttner is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Foppert to start Tuesday

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants on Sunday released right-handed reliever Jim Brower, called up right-handed starter Jesse Foppert and announced Foppert will start Tuesday against the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game series.
Earlier Sunday, before the Giants lost, 5-3, to the Indians, Giants general manager Brian Sabean said the team would be making two moves, one involving a pitcher and the other a callup for a position player.

But in the eighth inning Sunday, third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo strained his left quad muscle while running out a grounder. Now the Giants won't make the second planned move until they see the results of an MRI scheduled Sunday evening for Alfonzo.

Trainer Stan Conte said Alfonzo's injury "appears significant," a phrase which generally indicates at least a few days without baseball. Conte also said a trip to the disabled list is possible for Alfonzo.

Manager Felipe Alou said the team still plans to call up one position player from the Minors before starting the series in Minneapolis.

For Brower, the timing of his outright release couldn't have been worse. Brower grew up in Minnesota, attended his home state's university and still keeps a home in a suburb of Minneapolis, and before he knew of his release spoke eagerly about pitching in front of his hometown fans.

But Brower's less-than-stellar numbers this year -- he was 2-1 with a 6.53 ERA through 32 games, with 15 walks in 30 1/3 innings pitched -- made him the odd man out as the Giants looked to bolster their starting rotation.

"We know he is better than [his ERA suggests]," Alou said. "It is one of those things where you need to start making the moves, and if you are not getting the job done, moves will be made."

"I didn't expect it to happen, but I knew the way were playing, things weren't going to stay as is," Brower said.

"I did all I could from my end, but the results weren't what I wanted."

Brower, a six-year Major League veteran who joined the Giants before the 2003 season, has been a workhorse for San Francisco, pitching long relief, short relief, closing and even making five spot starts for the team his first year here.

In 2004, he tied the franchise record by appearing in 89 games and went 7-7 with a 3.29 ERA.

"I'm not making any excuses," he said. "This year, I had trouble finding a groove. I struggled early, but the last month I felt good, but the fact is the results haven't shown."

For Foppert, the results have shown, at least in the Minors. After going 8-9 in 21 starts in his rookie campaign in 2003, Foppert underwent Tommy John surgery on Sept. 16 that year.

He recovered ahead of schedule and pitched one scoreless inning of relief in the 2004 season finale against the Dodgers. In nine games with Triple-A Fresno this year and one with Class A San Jose, Foppert was 4-1 with a 3.78 ERA.

The immediate impact: Foppert's arrival means the rest of the rotation will get pushed back a day, with Noah Lowry (2-6, 5.53 ERA) going Wednesday and Brett Tomko (5-8, 4.07 ERA) on Thursday.

Plus, lefty Jeff Fassero will assume the long relief role that had belonged to Brower.

That leaves the Giants with four lefties -- Fassero, Jason Christiansen, Scott Eyre and Jack Taschner -- in the bullpen, but Alou is not concerned

"This game belongs to those who are getting the job done, even if that means having 10 lefties," he said.

The big picture: Alou and Sabean had a protracted meeting prior to Sunday's game to discuss potential changes in the team.

"We're looking for a way to play better and have a chance to be respectable, which means we start winning some series," Sabean said before the Giants lost Sunday. "There are not going to be releases en masse.

"Anything we can do to tweak the roster on a daily or weekly basis, we're going to do that."

Both Alou and Sabean said the first priority was getting more out of the starting rotation.

"The decision we're trying to make now is find three or four guys a week who can go more than five innings," Sabean said, noting that the staff has had a starter pitch more than five innings just three times in the last 15 games going into Sunday.

"I don't believe offense is a big issue here," Alou said. "Given an opportunity, this offense can be useful, but the offense is not getting many opportunities.

Todd Linden / LF
Born: 06/30/80
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 210 lbs
Bats: S / Throws: R

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"It is hard for the offense to come from behind day in and day out."

Sabean on Sunday echoed what Alou said the day before, that Todd Linden, who leads the Pacific Coast League with 18 homers and 56 RBIs, would be better served by remaining in Triple-A, where he can play every day.

The GM also said he's been engaged in some trade talks, but the team is not looking for immediate offensive help.

"It would be longer term," he said. "The likely deals we're looking for would be to address the future."

Sabean cautioned against misinterpreting that to mean the Giants are willing to give up on this year by dumping veteran talent and handing the team over to youngsters.

While managing the Expos, Alou worked for a front office that often followed that philosophy, but doesn't see San Francisco as ready to start cleaning house.

"The Giants aren't that kind of team," Alou said, then mentioned the recent deal that brought LaTroy Hawkins in from the Cubs and sent David Aardsma and Jerome Williams to Chicago. "We just got a guy, a setup pitcher; Montreal never did that."

Bonds update: Barry Bonds, recuperating from two knee surgeries, met as scheduled Sunday with Dr. Robert Armstrong, Conte said, to go over the results from a recent blood test, an MRI and an X-ray.

Conte said Armstrong recommended Bonds complete the final two days of the antibiotics program he is on to combat a postoperative infection, but further medication is not called for.

Armstrong also recommended Bonds go without significant impact exercises for two more weeks, but Conte said that was only a recommendation and it may change after Bonds meets with his personal physician, Dr. Art Ting.

Looking ahead: The Giants will get to use a designated hitter this week while in Minnesota and Detroit, and Alou said he plans to have that job rotate depending on matchups.

Against the Twins, San Francisco hitters will face first left-hander Johan Santana (7-2, 3.31 ERA), then righty starters Kyle Lohse (5-4, 4.43) and Joe Mays (3-2, 3.70).

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Batting Around with Scott Eyre

The Vitals: 6-1, 217
DOB: May 30, 1972 in: Inglewood, CA

Childhood Heroes: "I was a big fan of Orel Hershiser when I grew up a Dodgers fan. My dad (Bob) was always a fan of (Dave) Righetti's. I don't remember watching a lot of him. But when he did pitch, my dad made me watch when he was on [laughs]."

Nicknames: "Hmmm...Air Head is usually one of 'em."

Hobbies/Interests: "I like to fish, model cars. Anything to do with my kids."

Favorite Movie: "'Star Wars.'"

Favorite TV Shows: "That's a tough one, probably Seinfeld."

Musical Tastes: "Country."

Early Baseball Memory: "I was a pitcher on the field for my first year of organized baseball. I was eight years old. I got the final out of the game when we won the championship -- pop up caught by our first baseman to end the game. I remember running in to my dad's arms."

First Job: "Grocery story bagboy -- Albertson's. (Where?) Utah."

First Car: "1987 red Toyota Celica."

Pre-Game Feeling: "I usually listen to music before the game -- Linkin Park. I like country but it doesn't really get you motivated for the game, a lot of it. I'm pretty easy, I watch the game, I walk around, I got my little pre-game thing I do every day. But not a whole lot goes through my mind, just listen to music. Same music, pretty much every day."

Favorite Meal: "Pizza."

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: "Fruity Pebbles."

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Vanilla -- with lots of chocolate."

Greatest Sports Moment: "My first win. No. You know what? I actually take that back. Probably pitching in the World Series. Running in for my first game in the World Series I ever pitched in. In 2002."

Most Painful Moment: "Losing [laughs]. Losing when we had the lead in the World Series, and we lost in seven."

Funny Baseball Memory: "I ran into the umpire trying to cover, backing up second base. And basically got knocked down on my butt in A-ball, Charleston, SC in 1993."

Favorite Uniforms: "I don't know. I like this one. Because it's not white, it's not plain. It's not the plain old white jersey, we got the off-cream color so."

Favorite Ballpark: "Besides our own [laughs]? Geez, that's tough...Seattle's pretty nice."

Closest Baseball Friends: "Chad Bradford probably. Probably Ray Durham."

Funniest Player Encountered: "Jason Schmidt's right up there. Just for the pranks."

Toughest Competitors: "Albert Belle. Barry. And who else...maybe Jeter."

Favorite Vacation Spot: "Don't have one. Nothing I've been to more than once."

People Qualities Most Admired: "People that have fun. Laughter. Enjoy life."

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Alfonzo, Grissom placed on DL

MINNEAPOLIS -- It appears the Giants of the future are already here.
At the start of the season, the San Francisco lineup featured a host of All-Stars and Gold Glovers in their mid-to-late 30s and outfielders Marquis Grissom, 38, and Moises Alou, who'll turn 39 in a few weeks.

On Monday, with the club preparing for a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins starting Tuesday night, the Giants placed Grissom and third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain and a left quadriceps strain, respectively.

They recalled hot-hitting Triple-A Fresno outfielder Todd Linden -- currently tearing up the Pacific Coast League -- and purchased the contract of outfielder Adam Shabala.

It's been a rough season for Grissom. He was activated off the DL with a right knee contusion on June 4, and has been suffering from the chronic left hamstring problem for about six years.

The center fielder is hitting only .213 with 14 RBIs and had just begun to catch fire the past week before being shelved. The emergence of rookie outfielder Jason Ellison as an electric defensive force and .300 batter soothes the loss of Grissom.

Alfonzo, having a good season, batting .307 with 30 RBIs, suffered the quad strain on Sunday against Cleveland at SBC Park. It's believed left fielder Pedro Feliz will take over third base -- his natural position -- in place of Alfonzo.

Giants officials said over the weekend they didn't want to bring Linden up unless he became an everyday outfielder, but that's the case now.

Demoted to the Minor Leagues during Spring Training, the 24-year-old Linden revved up his game with some stance tinkering. He's hitting .326, is tied for the PCL lead in homers (19), leads all batters with 58 RBIs and boasts a .692 slugging percentage.

Linden is also considered a great defensive corner outfielder.

Shabala, 27, is another fast outfielder. He's hitting .287 with seven stolen bases, nine homers and 22 RBIs.

The Giants will start 24-year-old right-hander Jesse Foppert against the Twins on Tuesday night at the Metrodome. He took the roster spot of veteran reliever Jim Brower, who was released Sunday.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Top pick Copeland has overcome much

SAN FRANCISCO -- Putting it bluntly, Ben Copeland wasn't exactly a high school baseball prodigy.
At the small, hilly Pennsylvania town of Bradford (Pop. 6,000) -- timber, not athletes, is the main product -- Copeland was the last guy you'd project to be a Major League team's first pick in the 2005 draft ... oh, say the Giants in the fourth round, with the 132nd selection overall.

Copeland was a relatively scrawny singles hitter with great speed, but played in a league where fastballs topped out at 70 mph, breaking balls were non-existent unless there were gusty winds and -- much worse -- Copeland dislocated his shoulder as a member of the football team in his junior year.

Three games into his senior baseball season, he slid into second and ruined his shoulder again.

So much for his diamond career. College recruiters crossed him off their lists. But as anyone in Bradford will tell you, Copeland was determined to play at a four-year school, and after excelling in a summer league, amazingly enough, a University of Pittsburgh scout liked the athlete's potential.

"I had never even watched a college baseball game," said Copeland, who adjusted quickly to 90-mph pitches and curves and was competitive with other Division I-bound players in that summer loop.

Goodbye, Bradford; hello, Panther, and Copeland would grow in stature, skill and confidence at Pitt, where he dramatically changed his game.

"I gained 20 pounds from my freshman year and didn't try to hit home runs -- [I] just let the game come to me," said Copeland. "I'd hit doubles and became a gap hitter with some power. A lot of it was confidence, with the coaches helping my approach at the plate."

As a junior this season, Copeland led the Big East Conference in batting average (.384), hits (84), runs (65), doubles (23), triples (10), stolen bases (29, in 37 attempts), slugging percentage (.703) and total bases (154). The 5-foot-11, 190-pounder also cracked nine homers and led the Panthers to their first appearance in the Big East final since 1995.

Pitt coach Joe Jordano said Copeland, "is a great kid, very humble," and plays with all-out gusto between the lines.

"He had a good idea of the strike zone as a leadoff hitter," said Jordano. "He developed the ability to take tough pitches. When he came here, he was a singles hitter, but developed his swing. He also did whatever he was asked to do -- stealing bases, moving the runners over."

Copeland said he loved to play center and thrived on turning triples into doubles, and doubles into singles with quick acceleration and a strong arm.

But nothing he did at Pitt prepared him for last Tuesday's draft, when the Giants picked him as their first choice.

"I was real excited," said Copeland. "I didn't have any expectations in the draft whatever. Frankly, my family was on vacation and we didn't even listen to it. It was about 2 1/2 hours after it started and I thought it was getting late -- then I got the call.

"My reaction was, 'This is great,' but my family really starting whooping and hollering,'" said the draftee.

Dick Tidrow, the Giants' vice president of player personnel, called Copeland "an all-around player" who would bat second or third in the lineup.

"Ben is a good defensive center fielder with speed," said Tidrow. "He's an offensive left-handed batter with pop and definitely a base-stealing threat."

Copeland said he'll have no problem signing with the Giants and is expected to go to Arizona for instruction and evaluation with other draft picks soon.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Bonds off antibiotics, getting stronger

MINNEAPOLIS -- With rehabbing slugger Barry Bonds now off oral medication for the bacterial infection in his right knee, the player is day-to-day to start baseball activities.
Trainer Stan Conte said Tuesday the swelling was down in his knee and is expected to decrease as the days go on. Dr. Arthur Ting, he explained, will examine Bonds on a regular basis to determine the next step.

Conte said Ting saw the player Tuesday morning and reported the knee looks sound and Bonds is stronger.

"Everybody should be pretty upbeat as Bonds continues to progress in his rehab," said Conte. "He continues to do range-of-motion exercises and strengthening the knee.

"Dr. Ting will look at it on a daily basis and will tell us when we can start progressing toward baseball activities," added Conte.

Bonds met with infectious-disease specialist Dr. Robert Armstrong on Sunday as scheduled to analyze the results of blood tests, plus an MRI and X-ray of the thrice-repaired knee.

It was recommended that Bonds complete the antibiotics program Tuesday.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Giants encouraged by Foppert

MINNEAPOLIS -- When you consider the traumas and travails Giants pitcher Jesse Foppert has gone through the past year and a half, his no-decision in the club's 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night seemed extraordinary by comparison.
Good medicine, a young arm and strength of character kept him whole -- in mind and body -- and the right-hander never had a setback in his long rehab from Tommy John surgery in September 2003.

"He's a fearless kid, well-liked and respected by his teammates," crowed manager Felipe Alou. "He's all business."

But nobody really knew how he'd fare in the big games at the big stadiums. Until Tuesday night.

In his first Giants start since Aug. 20 two seasons ago, the 24-year-old went 5 2/3 innings, giving up a homer to Michael Cuddyer in the fifth inning that was nearly caught by left fielder Moises Alou.

Foppert only allowed five hits and two earned runs in one of the more competitive games the Giants have had in this stretch of losing 15 of their last 17 games.

But the contest would prove pivotal at various stages -- early, middle and late -- with key plays that went the wrong way for San Francisco.

In the 11th, Cuddyear hit a broken-bat single off Jeff Fassero, reached second on a sacrifice, then Shannon Stewart hit a looping single off Tyler Walker.

"It was a slider down and away, executed a good pitch, and he hit it off the end of his bat -- game over," said a dejected Walker. "There's not a lot of room for error there. Hopefully we're getting all this out now.

"Jesse looked great today. It's a shame we couldn't get him a win today. It would have been nice to get him a 'W,' but it wouldn't have mattered who got it."

Still, if there was a consolation for the Giants, Foppert looked as breezily smooth and confident as he was two seasons ago. Now he's admittedly bigger, stronger and with a better delivery.

"I guess the result was decent, but anytime you walk five in 5 2/3 innings, you're asking for trouble," said Foppert. "That's at least 20 extra pitches I had to throw. The command wasn't that great tonight.

"But it meant a lot," he said of returning to the mound. "It was exciting to go against one of the best pitchers in the game [the Twins' Johan Santana] and we're in it until the end. I felt better as the game went on and got into a better rhythm."

It's been as equally long a wait for the Giants to see Foppert back in action, and Alou was delighted to see the youngster healthy again.

"That kid has a lot of heart and gave us a shot at winning the game," he said. "We know him very well. He goes after hitters, and tonight he mainly used his fastball -- the splitter, which is a real poisonous weapon, he didn't have good command of that.

"But we know," added Alou, "we have a pitcher now. We wish for the kid to put the surgery way behind him."

Several close plays cost the Giants dearly Tuesday.

Cuddyer's solo homer to left field flicked off the closed glove of outfielder Moises Alou above the wall in the fifth inning, with Alou frustratingly throwing his glove in disgut.

"I took my eyes off it a little bit," said Alou.

In the sixth, Torii Hunter was caught off base while attemping to steal. Foppert threw to second baseman Ray Durham, but Hunter raced safely back to first when Pedro Feliz just missed tagging him.

Moments later, Hunter came home from third on Justin Morneau's sacrifice fly for the Twins' second run. Minnesota scored again in the frame when Durham dropped a probable third out on a force at second.

Jacque Jones' comebacker under Foppert's glove in the sixth was also crucial.

"That could have ended that inning," said Foppert. "You give 'em extra outs and it hurts."

Durham was the Giants' chief offensive threat, slugging his third homer, doubling and scoring twice, while Omar Vizquel's single tallied Mike Matheny in the third inning off Santana.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Niekro hurts toe in BP

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Giants hope the little black cloud that seems to follow rookie first baseman Lance Niekro around will eventually go away.
It was back Tuesday night, when Niekro was slated to start at first base but fouled a ball off his left big toe during batting practice. He's listed as day-to-day after X-rays were negative.

That put the "play Niekro and see what he does" plan on hold.

Veteran first baseman J.T. Snow has platooned for several years with the Giants, as there were always younger -- or even older -- players playing as well, including Damon Minor, Andres Galarraga and Pedro Feliz.

But Snow, at 37 10 years older than Niekro, was called into manager Felipe Alou's office recently and informed he was a part-time player.

"He said 'they' -- whoever that is -- want to see if Lance can play every day," Snow said. "He'll get a lot of playing time this trip. But I'm just a player and I don't make decisions. If I'm in the lineup, I play."

Shock? Nope.

"It seems like an annual thing with me," he said. "That's just the way it goes. I hope for nothing but the best for Lance. He's going to be a good player. I'll root the team on the best I can."

Niekro, whose Spring Training campaign in 2004 was shortened when he suffered a slow-healing high ankle sprain, emerged as a solid hitter this year and was batting .308 with seven homers and 23 RBIs.

Feliz, originally slated to play third base, started at first, while Deivi Cruz was at third, where he hadn't started a game since 2001 while with Detroit.

Injury update: Third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo will be out at least four weeks with a Grade 2 strain of his left quadriceps, suffered Sunday at SBC Park while running out of the batter's box.

"It's kind of what we thought -- a significant injury," said trainer Stan Conte. "He felt a bad twinge and knew he was in trouble right away. He's had hamstring problems but never a quad problem. It happens."

Alfonzo remained in San Francisco under the care of trainer Dave Groeschner.

As for center fielder Marquis Grissom, his long-lingering left hamstring problem flared again and he was also put on the 15-day disabled list Sunday.

Grissom is back home in Atlanta, where he's seeing Braves team physician Joe Chandler for a second opinion on the injury, which the Giants recommended.

Grissom originally incurred the injury seven years ago with Milwaukee, and Conte said the problem was similar to what occurred with San Francisco closer Armando Benitez this season when he ruptured his right hamstring.

Treatment back then was fairly conservative, but long term it means chronic problems. Hence Benitez had the tendons surgically reattached to his pelvis.

Linden back: The past few road trips with the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies, outfielder Todd Linden figured he'd better pack a few extra clothes -- just in case the Giants wanted him.

And here he is at the Metrodome after offensive brilliance at Fresno, batting .326 with 19 homers, a Pacific Coast League-leading 58 RBIs, 56 runs and 42 extra-base hits.

Linden said he tightened his approach and tweaked a few things after being demoted in Spring Training. That move also lit a fire inside -- the 24-year-old realizing he wasn't showing his full ability.

Rookie ball: The Giants now have six rookies on their roster: Jack Taschner, Scott Munter, Jason Ellison, Adam Shabala, Niekro and Linden. Adding second-year players Noah Lowry and Jesse Foppert, this group averages only 25.5 years old.

On deck: Giants southpaw Lowry is 1-1 with a 3.80 ERA in his last four starts -- right on the heels of a five-game losing streak -- as he prepared for Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome.

Lowry struggled with his command and saw his great changeup sail high earlier but is beginning to find his rookie form when he went 6-0 last season.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Tucker, Vizquel boost Giants past Twins

MINNEAPOLIS -- It was a little bizarre in the Giants' clubhouse Wednesday night -- for a nice change.
There was noise. There was music. There was Yorvit Torrealba raising his fists like the new heavyweight champion of the world, and there was Deivi Cruz dancing a slow cha-cha by his cubicle.

If the players had been wearing mood rings, those babies would have been glowing like floodlights.

San Francisco broke a four-game losing streak with a resounding 8-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins at the Metrodome and won for only the third time in the past 18 games.

The celebration was as much a wave of relief as it was of victory.

As in whew.

As in pitcher Noah Lowry cracking the win barrier for the first time since May 22, as in Omar Vizquel slugging his first homer in a put-it-away ninth, as in outfielder Moises Alou -- wrapped in ice, he looked like a mummy from the King Tut collection -- hurting and achy, but deciding to play and going 4-for-4.

As in manager Felipe Alou pondering whether to use Michael Tucker as designated hitter, then doing so, with the veteran driving in three runs with a double and sac fly.

Finally, everything went right this time, and the bullpen of sinkerball specialist Scott Munter, Scott Eyre and Tyler Walker ended the game with a flourish of zeros.

"The bullpen came in and picked us up big -- there were a lot of encouraging things today," said Lowry (3-6), who got a big lift when the Giants scored four runs in the first inning and were up by five at the end of three frames. "We were swinging the bats really well and the pitching was good, and that's what it's going to take.

"It's been awhile for our team ... that blooper off the end of the bat [to lose in the 11th Tuesday night], that's been the kind of things that were happening, but tonight it went our way.

"Hopefully we've cycled out the bad, and hopefully we're cycling in the good," said Lowry.

In recent games, catcher Mike Matheny has stared at his cubicle wall, frustrated at the club's losing ways, but he was cheered by Lowry's effort and the positive aspects of Wednesday's triumph.

Winning can be good for what ails you.

"Noah's hitting his spots with his fastball now, and I didn't have to solely rest on his changeup," said Matheny, who contributed a run-scoring double in the ninth after a Jason Ellison two-bagger.

"Once he established working ahead with that fastball, everything fell into place," said Matheny. "He did a great job working both sides and using all his pitches."

Tucker has been hot lately, going 5-for-9 the previous three games, and he continued to rip the ball Wednesday, keying that big first-inning rally. That set the tone, then the Giants blew it open in the ninth.

"We haven't gotten the runs in in the first couple innings," said Tucker. "Today was one of those days we got off to a good start and we built from there. When you're ahead you want to keep adding on and put the pressure on the other team, but when you're behind it's uphill the whole time."

Alou could have easily begged off playing Wednesday, with all parts of his body sore and bruised.

But he told his father, Felipe, that he wanted to play.

"I made some nice plays last night and felt I should play rather than try somebody else out there," said Moises Alou, hitting .565 during his seven-game hitting streak.

"At the same time, if I was going to play in the field, it would help me stay loose and contribute to the team," he added. "I've been banged up for the past couple of weeks and looking forward to some DH games, but I've felt pretty good."

Continuing to use his infamous "cannon-ball sinker" -- as Matheny put it -- is rookie right-hander reliever Munter.

Munter owns a 1.72 ERA over 18 games and hasn't yielded an earned run in 14. His heavy sinker has turned a mass of double-play grounders.

"He's learning how to pitch, too," said Matheny of the big rookie. "He's moving it around and using his offspeed. That sinker is one of those freak-style pitches that people look at, but can't do much about. It can be a devastating pitch."

Matheny rubbed his catching hand -- it was still stinging from the Munter monster sinker -- but for the first time on the road trip he smiled.

"Getting a win any way we can is a beautiful thing," he said.

First baseman J.T. Snow, hit by a pitch in the first inning, thought he "shattered the kneecap," but still stayed in until the next frame. His knee appeared OK, but if it's still sore he'll have X-rays taken Thursday.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Youngsters in awe of Santana

That was Minnesota Twins pitcher Johan Santana's reaction after the reigning American League Cy Young winner struck out Giants rookie Todd Linden three times on Tuesday night at the Metrodome.

Linden managed one foul tip in his first three at-bats before grounding out in the eighth.

The outfielder took some good-natured ribbing Wednesday by teammate Yorvit Torrealba, who fanned twice himself.

"I got two, you got three, we take it like a man," laughed Torrealba, as the Giants touched knuckles, Linden flexing his muscles in jest.

The 24-year-old Linden hasn't seen this kind of pitching since, uh, never, and realizes it was good experience if fruitless.

"When you go from 94 [mph] to whatever his changeup is [74 to 80 mph] it messes up your timing," said Linden. "I gotta remember to keep it in perspective, he's one of the best pitchers in the world.

"I obviously would have liked to do better, but it didn't work out that way," added Linden. "It was my first day up here. I'll take it for what it's worth. The guy puts his cape on after the game and flies home."

Linden says it's tough facing a guy like the 26-year-old Santana, and you hope to go 1-for-3 or 1-for-4. That would be a good day.

The switch-hitter, who wore out Pacific Coast League pitching this season, hitting .326 with 19 homers and a loop-pacing 58 RBIs, will get many more chances to produce on this road trip with center fielder Marquis Grissom out with a hamstring strain and outfielder Pedro Feliz back in the infield.

"I learned not to chase bad pitches," said Linden of his fairly dramatic turnaround in the Minors. "I just tightened things up and look for a good pitch to hit. It sounds so simple, but that's the key."

Big guys like Linden often try to power the ball over the walls, and the rookie said he discovered he did better "not swinging a sledgehammer but a sword, being quick and using your hands."

Shabala happy: Outfielder Adam Shabala lounged in the Metrodome's visiting clubhouse Wednesday, and he was savoring it. The 27-year-old joined the Giants for the first time in his 5 1/2-year pro career on Monday.

"I never knew what to expect -- they haven't told me what my role would be up there, but obviously with Linden playing every day they want to set me up for my role down the road," said Shabala, a left-handed batter hitting .287 for Triple-A Fresno this season.

Shabala will get his first Major League at-bat shortly and is expected to be part of an all-rookie outfield with Linden and Jason Ellison on this road trip.

"You can't beat showing up at a big league stadium every day," said Shabala. "It's amazing. It puts everything back in perspective for me. It's great to be playing baseball and hopefully we can turn this around, get some wins and get everybody happy again."

With veterans on the Giants, Shabala said at some point the club will have to clean house, and he'll be ready.

"Maybe that's why they're letting guys do what they do, maybe see what they have on a lower level and for the future," said Shabala. "It's like a test run."

Now kids ... Giants announcer Jon Miller will be the commencement speaker at the Half Moon Bay High School (Calif.) graduation ceremonies Thursday, when his son Alex, 17, gets his diploma.

What's his topic?

"I don't know," said Miller, who'll fly from Minneapolis to the West Coast on Thursday morning and return to radio/TV duties on Monday when the Giants host Arizona.

Back woes: Giants announcer Mike Krukow was hobbling around the Metrodome on crutches Wednesday due to a pair of slipped disks. He's had the problem for several weeks and hope to avoid surgery as long as he can.

On deck: Brett Tomko (5-8) hopes his great track record against the Minnesota Twins continues on Thursday night in the finale of a three-game series at the Metrodome. In four lifetime starts, he's 3-0 with a 3.60 ERA and is 10-4 in Interleague action.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Giants pelt Twins with seven-run ninth

MINNEAPOLIS -- Laughter is supposedly good medicine, and the Giants certainly got psychologically healthier Thursday night in a 14-7 runaway victory over the Minnesota Twins.
This was no small feat. San Francisco is now at 27-37 after taking two of three games from a club that's the reverse, at 37-27, and fighting for the American League Central title with the Chicago White Sox.

It's no small victory for a team that had dropped seven of eight games and 15 of its last 18.

Whether winning the first series after five straight defeats will make a real difference, there's no telling, but you know something is going right when a Giants starter throws 42 pitches in the first inning, gives up four runs on six hits and the club still comes back to win -- twice.

Brett Tomko wasn't happy about that. Not even close.

But there was solace and relief after seeing the Giants erupt for a season-high 18 hits and 14 runs, with shortstop Omar Vizquel going 5-for-6 and driving in four runs. Not to mention, Pedro Feliz and Ray Durham banged in three runs apiece.

"It was a good win for the team, coming back from a start like that," said Tomko, who would also yield a three-run homer in the fifth to Lew Ford. "The guys came out and picked me up -- they were hitting the ball well.

"It doesn't make it any better for me, seven runs is seven runs," said Tomko. "I'm not happy with the results at all, so it doesn't make it any easier for me."

The right-hander had been pitching well for the past month, but had some hard luck. On this night two gopher balls were especially troublesome, along with deep counts and 106 pitches over 4 2/3 frames.

"I came after the hitters at 3-2 and got hurt -- the homers, a ball off the wall," said Tomko. "After that I didn't change anything, just mixed it up better, then the last inning I got myself into a corner."

Earlier in this Giants stretch, the team might not have had the fervor to rally from any deficit, but this road trip has featured some pretty tense emotions on a consistent basis.

Maybe they knew time was starting to run out.

"No more joking around, saying it's early," said reliever Jason Christiansen (3-1), who got the win with a scoreless eighth inning. "I think we all got frustrated with the way we were playing and we weren't putting anything together.

"We weren't getting timely hits, weren't making good pitches at the right time," he said. "Watch what we did tonight -- I thought it was pretty special. Maybe this is a turning point for us, being down 4-0 in the first inning. Nobody let down."

Certainly not the lanky left-handed reliever. Christiansen is unscored upon in 12 of his last 14 appearances and hasn't allowed a run over seven June appearances spanning 6 1/3 frames.

Big game for Vizquel
Giants at Twins, June 16
After going 5-for-6 with a double, a triple and four RBIs, Omar Vizquel is batting .302 (.382 with runners in scoring position) with 24 RBIs through June 16. A look at his plate appearances:
Inn. Count Result
1st 0-1, 0 Out Single
3rd 1-0, 0 Out Single
4th 1-2, 0 Out RBI triple
6th 1-1, 1 Out Popout
8th 0-0, 2 Out RBI single
9th 2-1, 1 Out Two-run double
Thursday's game was the third five-hit performance of Vizquel's career. His high is six hits, a mark he tallied in a 22-0 Indians rout of the Yankees on Aug. 31, 2004.

Of significance was the solid offense of Feliz, who had hit only .192 in his last 27 games but rapped three hits -- including a double to the opposite field -- and never pulled one of them.

That's huge, for Feliz has been working hard in the batting cage to try to go with the pitch after attempting to rip homers and smash balls down the left-field line all season.

He'll get his power stroke back, says manager Felipe Alou, but for now things are beginning to click, as Feliz's two-run single to center in the ninth proved the game-winner.

"I was looking to put the ball in play," said Feliz. "I've been trying to wait for the pitch and hit it up the middle. Like I said, you gotta go with the pitch.

"We were thinking of taking three-out-of-three," added Feliz. "But we wanted to get the series today."

Alou said he loved watching the Giants storm back after trailing earlier in the contest.

"They were like bees," said the manager. "After they took a 6-4 lead, same thing. There were mistakes and things, but the intensity was bigger than anything. They wanted to win the series more than anything."

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/

Snow back in action

MINNEAPOLIS -- Giants first baseman J.T. Snow has been hit by pitches nearly 60 times in his career, and they've all hurt in varying degrees.
When a Kyle Lohse pitch slammed into his right leg on Wednesday night, however, he thought his career was over, then and there -- and they'd have to pick up little pieces of his kneecap off the Metrodome turf.

So it was quite a relief to Snow and the Giants when the 37-year-old felt good enough for batting practice and was inserted into the starting lineup Thursday night against the Minnesota Twins.

"I got lucky," said Snow. "I was wearing a sliding knee pad and my pants were bunched up near the knee, so it caught a little bit of that. It cushioned it, and that saved me."

Snow says pain is something he can deal with.

"There is a difference between being injured and banged up," he said. "If you can do all the stuff you normally do, you should be out there playing. If you physically can't run, that's another thing."

There is no swelling, but it's a bruise. "It missed my kneecap by an inch," said Snow.

"Plus I knew my dad (ex-NFL star Jack Snow) was watching the game," the player laughed. "I couldn't come out of the game. I told him he never got hit by anything going 90 miles per hour."

No. 1 for Shabala: Rookie Adam Shabala had waited, well, 27 years for Thursday night, as he was slated for his Major League debut after nearly 5 1/2 seasons in the Minors.

"I'm a little excited, a little antsy for 7 o'clock to roll around," said Shabala. "I want to make this debut. I'm just trying to stay calm right now. I don't want to get too anxious where I'm making a fool of myself out there."

The outfielder was having a good season in Triple-A Fresno before being called up on Sunday.

"When I get to the plate, hopefully I can relax and the nerves will go away, but I'm sure I'll be fired up," said Shabala.

Munter metaphors: Rookie right-hander Scott Munter is a big guy with a big pitch, a heavy sinking fastball. Sportswriters and fans love catchy phrases, so how to describe Munter's monster ball?

Bowling ball, says Felipe Alou. Cannon ball, says sore-handed catcher Mike Matheny.

"I don't know," says the 6-6, 240-pound Munter.

Here are some suggestions: supersinker, megadrop, zonekiller, freak-a-sink, Munsterdrop, Munzilla, killasink, hard-rock drop, sudden death, stonecold sinker, bottomfeeder, great-ball-o-fire, down-and-dirty, sink-or-swim, grave-digger, etc.

"A lot of guys have it, some guys don't," said Munter of his batter-haunting fastball with that natural downward move at the very end. "Matheny wants it down and he wants it in the dirt sometimes. If it's up, it's flat and they'll hit it out of here."

But don't think Munter is a one-pitch pitcher. He has a budding slider and changeup and follows Matheny's advice religiously on when to throw what to whom.

"Every pitch has a purpose," said the 25-year-old, the Giants' 47th pick in the 2001 draft. "It's all about making adjustments."

All-Stars: Four San Jose Giants have been named to the California League All-Star team and will represent the loop against the Carolina League in the classic contest June 28 in Frederick, Md.

The players are catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, relief pitcher Joe Bateman, starter Jesse Floyd, and DH/outfielder Eddy Martinez-Esteve, and are the most from any Cal League squad.

Alfonzo leads the Giants and is third in the league with a .359 batting average. Bateman is 2-3 with a 1.96 ERA over 25 games, Floyd is 6-2 with a 2.97 ERA this season, and Martinez-Esteve is hitting .355 with nine homers and 54 RBIs.

San Jose trainer Rob Knepper will also represent the California League at the All-Star game.

Fundraiser: The San Francisco and San Jose Giants Booster Club will honor ex-Giants great Jim Davenport on June 26 at Lou's Villege in San Jose.

Among Giants players invited are Noah Lowry, Lance Niekro, Yorvit Torrealba, and Jason Ellison. Giants announcer Dave Flemming will emcee the event.

Davenport, a member of the original 1958 San Francisco Giants, has spent over 40 years in the organization. For info, contact Linda Pereira of the San Jose Giants at (408)297-1435 ext. 19.

Tomko art: On Thursday pitcher/artist Brett Tomko unveiled a drawing of Matheny squatting behind the plate, about to catch a strike. It will be reprinted and used in the Giants' upcoming "Strike Out Cancer" campaign.

On deck: Veteran Jason Schmidt's right arm has been the subject of much speculation this season, and he hopes his struggles vanish when he faces the Detroit Tigers on Friday night at Comerica Park in Interleague action.

Schmidt (3-3) has made only one quality start in his last nine outings with a 1-3 mark and 7.42 ERA. He is 1-1 with a 4.61 ERA lifetime vs. Detroit.

Source: http://sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com/