Brian Wilson News

As anticipated, the Giants announced Saturday that they declined to tender first baseman Ryan Garko a 2010 contract, casting him into free agency.

I know you nerds know NOTHING about the real game of baseball, or any other athletic endeavor requiring teamwork under physical stress.

Buster Posey's fatigue means less rest for the Giants. Any catcher the Giants might obtain this offseason probably will begin next year as a regular while Posey continues his apprenticeship, probably at Triple-A Fresno.

The Giants clearly have rediscovered the benefits of building from within. Key figures in the Giants' resurgence last season were "homegrown" products who rose through their farm system.

This picture has nothing to do with this post, but it showed up in my AP photo feed.

This offseason is crucial to the future of the San Francisco Giants. While good moves and shrewd signings will undoubtedly make them viable threats in the National League West, a simple misstep or two could put them back below .500 in 2010.

I'm sure you know this but Player A was Carl Crawford and B was Jacoby Ellsbury.

They shared a hug, the 1989 National League Most Valuable Player and a possible future MVP, a Boogie Bear and a Panda Bear.

Though general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy sounded eager Monday to plunge into what seems to be a promising future with the Giants, neither has begun serious talks with the club's hierarchy about a contract extension.

Ryan Roberts has been around baseball a long time, and the 29-year-old infielder hopes he never loses the feeling of being "an old rookie." He made brief appearances in each of the past three seasons before earning the final spot on the D-backs roster out of Spring Training.

Brian Wilson isn't likely to match his 2008 save total. With 37 saves in 44 chances, he needs four more saves in the Giants' final five games to equal the 41 he recorded last year.

His fastball, voted third-best among all National League pitchers in a recent managers' poll, has lost none of its zip.

Five relievers picked up a shaky Barry Zito with 4 2/3 innings of three-hit shutout pitching and pinch-hitter Fred Lewis' speed manufactured the eighth-inning winning run Monday night as the Giants edged Arizona, 5-4. With their fifth win in eight games, the Giants moved within four games of idle Colorado in the National League Wild Card race.

Matt Cain hurled eight superb innings and Eli Whiteside doubled twice and drove in two runs, as San Francisco salvaged the finale of a four-game series with Chicago with a 5-1 win.

All bark, no bite: A peeved Justin Upton nailed down the team's 86th loss of '09. a At 10:13 last night, San Francisco Giants' closer Brian Wilson struck out Arizona Diamondbacks' slugger Justin Upton on a 3-2 pitch.

Posted by Anthony Stalter If this doesna t sum up the Cubsa 2009 season, I dona t know what will.

They were standing as one, for the first time all night. Even as the Baseball season seemed to vanish into the left-field bleachers, a home run too cruel to comprehend, they stayed on their feet.

Jeff Baker hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning and the Chicago Cubs staved off elimination in the NL Central for a day by handing the San Francisco Giants a blow to their postseason hopes with 3-2 victory Thursday night.

The Associated Press Published: 09.24.2009 PHOENIX a ' A member of the World Series champion Chicago White Sox in 2005, Juan Uribe is doing his best to get the San Francisco Giants into the postseason this year.

The Giants know they will have to fork out millions to Tim Lincecum when he's eligible for arbitration this winter.