Saltzman Says...1 Year Anniversary brings back memories

November 1, 2010.

1 year ago today the Giants won their first championship in San Francisco.  At 7:29pm, Brian Wilson struck out Nelson Cruz and the Giants beat the Texas Rangers 3-1.  Edgar Renteria's home run was the clincher and Tim Lincecum's 8 inning masterpiece gave the Giants a long awaited title.

Here's to the 25 men who forever changed Bay Area history with an unforgettable championship run.

Saltzman Says...Shutterfly Book at McAllister & Hyde

Click here to view this photo book larger

Saltzman Says...Edgar to get his ring

Saltzman Says...Come out to AT&T today and give a standing ovation to the man that helped us win the 2010 World Series.  Edgar Renteria, last year's World Series MVP, will be coming to town to play a four game weekend series against the Giants.

Saltzman Say...Buy your own World Series Ring

Here's your chance to buy your own World Series Ring

Saltzman Says...Ring Ceremony takes the cake

Sergio Romo shows off the 2010 Championship ring

'It's going to be my best day in professional ball,'' said Bruce Bochy, San Francisco's fifth-year skipper. ''It's going to be one of the greatest days in a lot of these players' careers to get a ring. It's going to have very special meaning.''

The very first ring went to longtime equipment manager Mike Murphy, who has been with the club since starting as a bat boy in '58. Sabean was next, followed by Bochy.

''This is one you'll want to wear,'' Bochy said. ''I'll wear it all the time. I don't wear jewelry so to speak, but I'll wear this with a lot of pride.''

The rings are primarily white gold. The top features the team's ''SF'' logo set with round diamonds encircled by a bezel of yellow gold flanked by two round diamonds. One side of the ring says 2010 with a yellow gold tower of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. The other side features the recipient's name in a ribbon over the World Series trophy.

Within the top of the trophy is one mandarin orange spessartite garnet stone representing San Francisco's title with five diamonds below the trophy's base for the five Giants titles won in New York.

Saltzman Says...The Final 27 outs

November 1, 2010 - Game 5 of the 2010 World Series.  The Final 27 outs.  The 1st World Series title in San Francisco.  Enjoy.

Chris Haft Says... Arbitration to boost payroll

Giants' payroll likely to climb after arbitration

Ross, Sanchez among six players in line for salary increases

By Chris Haft / MLB.com | 01/04/11 3:52 PM EST

SAN FRANCISCO -- The expense report for the Giants' World Series triumph will soar as they enter salary arbitration season.
Significant pay increases are virtually assured for six players, whose 2010 salaries are in parentheses: Outfielders Cody Ross ($4.45 million) and Andres Torres ($426,000), left-handers Jonathan Sanchez ($2.1 million) and Javier Lopez ($775,000) and right-handers Santiago Casilla ($400,000) and Ramon Ramirez ($1.155 million).
Not only are they eligible for arbitration, a process that generated an average 107 percent raise for such players last year, but each of them also helped the Giants surge to their first Series conquest since 1954.

 

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Players may file for arbitration between Wednesday and Jan. 15. Each player and his respective club will exchange a proposed figure for a one-year contract on Jan. 18. Those unable to reach agreements will proceed to a February hearing in which an arbitrator will select either the team's or the player's proposal.

Teams can limit payroll increases by negotiating settlements. No matter how many compromises the Giants strike, their total payroll is bound to exceed $120 million, up from approximately $96 million last season. The Giants still would like to exercise as much control as possible while avoiding potentially adversarial hearings.

"Everybody wants to find common ground," Giants vice president of baseball operations Bobby Evans said. "I'm sure both sides will make an honest effort."

Under ordinary circumstances, the Giants probably would try to forge a multiyear agreement with Sanchez, whose salary skyrocketed from $455,000 in 2009 to $2.1 million last season, his first year of arbitration eligibility. Sanchez also earned an additional $75,000 in performance bonuses by pitching 193 1/3 innings.

Barring poor performance, Sanchez will continue to receive handsome pay hikes this year and next through arbitration. A mainstay of San Francisco's starting rotation at age 28, he finished 13-9 with a 3.07 ERA and held opponents to a .204 batting average and 6.61 hits per nine innings, both Major League lows.

But the Giants possess little spare change. They already have more than $66 million committed to five players in 2012: left-hander Barry Zito ($19 million), right-hander Matt Cain ($15.333 million), center fielder Aaron Rowand ($13.6 million), first baseman Aubrey Huff ($10 million) and closer Brian Wilson ($8.5 million). The Giants also must factor in an eight-figure wage for Tim Lincecum, who'll be arbitration-eligible after earning $14 million this year.

Salaries for arbitration-eligibles tend to be based on comparisons of wages earned by players at the same position with similar Major League service time.

Torres, whose 2010 salary barely exceeded the Major League minimum, conceivably could triple or quadruple his pay. San Francisco's starting center fielder, whose compelling personal background has prompted a documentary film company to chronicle the story of his life, hit .268 with 16 home runs, 63 RBIs and 26 stolen bases a year ago.

Though the percentage of Ross' raise may not match Torres', the Most Valuable Player of the National League Championship Series (.350, three doubles, three homers and five RBIs) should command a salary in the $7 million range, at least. Ross hit .269 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs in the 2010 regular season.

As setup or situational relievers, Casilla, Lopez and Ramirez likely won't receive exorbitant raises, though their income will climb nevertheless. Casilla (7-2, 1.95 ERA) amassed 56 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings and stranded 41 of 47 inherited baserunners, the Majors' second-best ratio; Lopez (4-2, 2.34) held left-handed batters to a .162 batting average (16-for-99); and Ramirez (1-3, 2.99) yielded only two earned runs in 27 innings after joining the Giants from Boston in a July 31 trade.

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Willie Mays Gets a Giant Christmas Present

Willie Mays Gets a Giant Christmas Present

Courtesy of the Wall Street Journal
By JAMES S. HIRSCH

There were moments during the San Francisco Giants' final World Series game last month that Willie Mays could simply no longer watch. In his den, amid the framed magazine covers, the yellowing photographs, and the sturdy plaques that line his walls, he would lift himself out of his easy chair and take his poodle ("Giant Too") for a walk.
"He was a different Willie," says Jessie Goins, one of several friends who watched the game with Mr. Mays at his Bay Area home. He said very little, even during the most exciting moments. When Edgar Renteria hit the three-run homer in the seventh inning of the clinching Game 5, Mr. Mays's friends cheered, but, Ms. Goins recalls, "Willie showed no emotion."
Of course not. There were still three innings left, and Willie had been close before.
"I didn't think we'd ever win a World Series," he would later say.
Willie Mays, who turns 80 in May, is the greatest living ballplayer. He's also the link that connects the Giant championship team of today with its rich heritage in New York, a reminder of both the glory and the disappointments of the franchise. As a lifetime employee with the Giants, Mr. Mays now serves as an ambassador for the organization—visiting minor-league teams, hobnobbing with investors, or attending every home game at AT&T Park, which itself is a semi-shrine to the Say Hey Kid. The park's address is 24 Willie Mays Plaza, and a magnificent nine-foot bronze statue of Mr. Mays stands in front.
Willie won a World Series ring in 1954, when his signature over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 propelled the New York Giants to a championship over the Cleveland Indians. Other World Series triumphs would surely come, but not in New York. In 1958, the Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to California, with the media focusing on one player. "WILLIE MAYS GOES WEST," cried the cover blurb of Look magazine. (Winston Churchill appeared on the cover as well.) Mr. Mays's job was to sell tickets, win games and bring a championship to the West Coast. He did the first two, and a World Series trophy did come quickly to California—unfortunately for Giant fans, it went to Los Angeles, in 1959.
Mr. Mays got the Giants close, never more so than in 1962, when they played the Yankees in the World Series. Down by one run in the ninth inning of the seventh game, Mr. Mays doubled a runner to third. Mr. Mays stood 180 feet away from bringing a World Series to San Francisco, but the next hitter lined out to end the game.
Frustration only mounted in the 1960s when—despite having future Hall of Famers like Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry—the Giants always came up short. During one stretch, they finished in second place four consecutive years.
The Giants won their division with Mr. Mays in 1971 but were eliminated in the playoffs, and then Willie was traded the next year to the New York Mets. He retired in 1973, with only one World Series ring.
Ask Mr. Mays about any regrets in baseball or in life, and he waves off the question. He only thinks about the positives, a protective reflex that has served him well. "I had my time in baseball," he says, "and I enjoyed every single day of it." Not really. He had plenty of bad days, but he would no more acknowledge them than he would acknowledge a burden that he has carried all these years: San Francisco had counted on him to deliver a championship, but for all his heroic efforts, he had not delivered. Nor had any other team.
These days, Mr. Mays follows the games as closely as he can. He has glaucoma, so from his private box at the park, he watches the action on a television. He leaves early to avoid the onrush of fans and listens to the rest of the game on the car radio.
Mr. Mays is happiest when he visits the clubhouse before ball games, holding court with players young enough to be his grandchildren. He sits at a card table and asks the players to sign it, and he'll bring the table home as a souvenir. He doesn't care for the loud music, but he is nonjudgmental about the players. Asked if Major League Baseball is ready for an openly gay player, Mr. Mays says, "Can he hit?"
This past season, he particularly enjoyed catcher Buster Posey, who reminded Willie of himself. Like Willie, Mr. Posey was called up to the big leagues at the end of May in his rookie season, and Mr. Posey—in Willie's view—is a "thinking player." He attributed the Giants success to their unity. "There were no stars out there," he says. "They were 25 guys fighting together. Very simple."
Before Game 1 of the Series, Mr. Mays was supposed to throw out the first pitch, with several other Giants, but a bad cold forced him to stay at home, and he was still a bit under the weather when he shoved on his Giants cap and settled in to watch Game 5 at his home. According to people who were there, the volume was turned high, and Mr. Mays stoically watched the pitching duel with Giant Too on his lap. When the last out was recorded, Mr. Mays cracked a smile, and Ms. Goins rushed for the Mumm Champagne chilling in the refrigerator. But before she could return, Mr. Mays was gone.
He went into another room and stayed by himself for five minutes. When he returned, his eyes were red.
"Can I spray some Champagne on you?" Ms. Goins asked.
Mr. Mays said no—he doesn't drink—and he asked for some tea instead.
The telephone calls started to come from reporters. "Oh, man, I don't get overly excited about baseball," he told them, "but looking at these kids and how excited they were, I had some tears in my eyes."
His cold notwithstanding, Willie Mays slept well that night. San Francisco had its first World Series.
—James S. Hirsch is the author of "Willie Mays: The Life, the Legend."

One of the All-Time Greats shares a laugh with President Obama

Bleacher Report Says...10 Reasons for a Giants Repeat

Top Ten Reasons Giants can repeat in 2011
Written by Vinnie Cestone (Contributor)

10. The Machine

Who is this masked man wearing a bondage outfit? Is it Brian Wilson's neighbor? Is it Pat Burrell in his holiday party getup?
Whoever he is, he was present when the Giants won their first championship in San Francisco, so let's just say he was the Giants' good luck charm in 2010.
The Machine will probably be back for an encore in 2011 to bring the Giants more good fortune. Who knows what surprises he will bring forth.
The mystery that is The Machine will just have to continue into next year.

9. Bruce Bochy

Just like Brian Sabean, the Giants' manager, Bruce Bochy, was put on the chopping block. And just like Sabean, Bochy turned from goat to hero in 2010.
When given decent pieces to work with, Bochy can assemble a competitive team. In his first years as the Giants' manager, he was given little to work with as far as on-field talent and hence the losing records. However, once the starting pitching blossomed in 2009, and Bochy was given a strong bullpen with the acquisition of Jeremy Affeldt and the emergence of Brian Wilson, he somehow squeezed 88 wins out of the Giants' horrendous 2009 offensive team.
In 2010, the Giants gave Bochy his most-talented team as manager. He had versatility in the bullpen and with his position players. With hitters who could finally give professional at bats, like Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff, he was able to actually manage and win.
Another one of Bochy's strengths is that he knows how to develop and manage a bullpen, as seen by the 2010 playoffs. Since a strong bullpen is a necessary foundation for any winning team, this is extremely important.
Bochy's immense knowledge of the game should also be mentioned. In 2010, many learned that Bochy is a very sharp baseball man, as shown by the time he helped the Giants win a game at Dodger Stadium when Don Mattingly had to take out Jonathon Broxton because he made two mound visits.
Bochy will be given the same bullpen depth and position-player versatility in 2011. As a knowledgeable baseball man, and a former catcher, expect another well-managed season from him.

8. Brian Sabean

The creator of FireSabean.com might want to issue an apology.
When the Giants' General Manager Brian Sabean is given enough financial flexibility, he does a nice job fielding a competitive team. How many teams can say they were in a pennant race in September for all but two years between 1997 and 2010?
The Giants were smack in the middle of one from 1997-2006 and 2009-2010. Yes, even when they finished well below .500 in 2005 and 2006, they still had a legitimate shot at the playoffs in September.
Although Sabean had some problems bringing in solid players in recent years, 2010 was a good year for him. When the Giants did not have a solidified bullpen, he brought in Javier Lopez and Ramon Ramirez mid-season to fill that gap. When the Giants were in desperate need of a professional plate approach and power, he acquired Pat Burrell and Aubrey Huff from free agency. Not to mention, he brought in Cody Ross for almost nothing.
Don't forget that he also had a hand in assembling the world-class pitching staff of Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, and Sanchez, along with drafting Buster Posey.
Sabean should effectively add pieces again in 2011. With the Giants' payroll expected to reach $120 million, he will have more than enough financially to improve the team if need be, regardless of Barry Zito's big contract.

7. The Giants Media Crew

It sounds crazy, but even the Giants' media crew had a helping hand in the 2010 championship season, and they should not go unnoticed.
The Giants' 2010 media crew (CSN Bay Area, KNBR, Marty Lurie, Mychael Urban, Amy Gutierrez, F.P. Santangelo, and even Ashkon's inspirational song) will be back in 2011. The mass media is pervasive, it's everywhere, and can rapidly spread information or break stories.
They not only reported for the Giants very well, but they also looked out for the Giants when they felt something was not right.
An excellent example was when Jon Miller and F.P. Santangelo broke out the story about the unregulated Coors Field humidor. Their investigations and opinions prompted Major League Baseball to investigate the issue, and they even sent someone from the MLB to regulate the humidified baseballs during a crucial series between the Giants and the Rockies.
If something is amiss in 2011, the Giants' media crew will surely be there to investigate.

6. Fan Support

It has been a tough road for Giants fans, waiting since 1958 for their Giants to win a championship in San Francisco, but it finally happened, largely because of their support.
In years past, it seemed like Giants fans just about gave up. Even when the rival Los Angeles Dodgers came to AT&T Park, the stadium would be seemingly half-full of Dodger blue, but 2010 did away with all that.
From the first pitch to the last out, Giants fans were always on their feet. They did not cheer after strike three happened, but they cheered before strike three happened. During the playoffs and the final three regular-season games of 2010, they waved their rally towels, blanketed the ballpark in orange, and roared in anticipation for their hometown Giants.
They made songs that encouraged the Giants and their loyal fans to "Don't Stop Believin," even when things looked bleak. They were even celebrities like Rob Schneider, Robin Williams, and Steve Perry.
Because of the fine efforts of Giants fans from all across the country, they gave a helping hand in this 2010 championship season and are expected to do the same in 2011 and beyond.

5. Team Chemistry

Some say team chemistry is overrated, but the Giants will probably tell you otherwise.
Even after tough losses, the Giants would come back the next night in high spirits, leaving behind whatever woes that happened the previous night. In baseball, this is extremely important. A player must have a short memory because he might just be out there the next night in a key a situation.
What helped the Giants keep their chin up from day to day?
Staying positive is much easier in a clubhouse where everybody is getting along. Like in any sport, a team that sticks together will prevail in the end. As cliche as it sounds, the togetherness of the Giants allowed them to bounce back after tough losses all season long. They had just the right juju to get them through 162 games.
With Juan Uribe gone to the rival Dodgers, a prominent clubhouse figure, the Giants replaced him with the best possible alternative, Miguel Tejada. The Tejada signing (and their attempts to resign the majority of the 2010 squad) shows that the Giants know the importance of clubhouse chemistry. Not only is Tejada a veteran leader, he also can have a prominent influence on the Latin players on the Giants, particularly Pablo Sandoval, who he said he was going to keep in contact with throughout the offseason.
With the 2010 championship team mostly kept in tact, expect a similar clubhouse vibe to last year.

4. Decent Defense

On paper, the Giants look less than spectacular on defense in 2011. In fact, one might say the Giants are full of defensive liabilities with Pat Burrell in left field and Aubrey Huff at first.
Although the Giants lack the range of a good defensive team, they catch the balls they can get to and make all the routine plays. In 2010, they made only 73 errors, the fourth lowest in Major League Baseball. For a pitching staff who led all of baseball in strikeouts in 2010, the defensive liabilities will become less exposed anyway.
The only three clearly above-average defensive players on the Giants are Freddy Sanchez, Andres Torres, and Buster Posey. Torres' speed and excellent range is a big plus at AT&T Park, especially with the big right-center field. Sanchez also picks it at second-base, as he showed throughout the 2010 playoffs.
Somebody who has really separated himself defensively is Buster Posey. With his cannon arm, and his impressive ability to handle a World Series-winning pitching staff, he will surely win his fair share of gold gloves.
It is no secret that Pablo Sandoval struggled defensively in 2010. However, if he continues to lose weight this offseason and gets his act together, he might be less of a liability at third base in 2011. The extra weight not only affected his range, but it had a clear effect on his throwing, compared to 2009.

3. Key Additions for an Improved Offense

The Giants' offense only needs mediocrity to win the West, but anything less will not get the job done. In 2009, the Giants' offense was abysmal, nearly the worst in baseball. Even so, they somehow won 88 games, but it was not enough to beat out the Rockies for the Wild Card.
In 2010, the Giants were closer to the middle of the pack in hitting, and they won the West with 92 games. Now that the Giants added Miguel Tejada, Cody Ross (mid-2010), Pat Burrell (mid-2010), re-signed Aubrey Huff, and a healthier Pablo Sandoval (who lost 15 pounds in San Diego so far), their offense is worlds better than in April of 2010. They also have a stronger bench, with Mark DeRosa returning in 2011. Don't forget Buster Posey, who just jolted the offense in July.
More than at any other time of the post-Bonds era, the Giants' lineup features some pop, and that's all they need to repeat as World Series champions. In 2010, the Giants brought the home run ball back to San Francisco, as they hit 162 team home runs, something they have not done since 2006.
Now that the Giants can enjoy a full season of Cody Ross, Pat Burrell, and Buster Posey, expect the Giants to surpass their offensive numbers from 2010.

2. Deep Bullpen

Perhaps the biggest reason why any team wins the World Series is because of its strong bullpen. Just look at what Mariano Rivera has done for the Yankees in both the regular and post-season when they were winning all their championships.
The Giants are not becoming one of those great bullpens, they are already one of them. In 2010, they posted a 2.99 ERA with a major-league leading 57 saves, even though closer Brian Wilson saved 48 of them.
What makes the Giants' bullpen so great is its versatility. Nearly all of the 2010 bullpen will be back in the orange and black in 2011, with the exception of Chris Ray. And the entire bullpen can come up big if they need to. Even Guillermo Mota, who the Giants shored up for the back end of their bullpen, can set-up or close games if Brian Wilson were to be out with an injury or is unavailable.
The Giants have a reliever for any situation it seems. If the Giants need to face one of the National League Wests' toughest lefties, there is Javier Lopez to sling a swooping breaking ball for a strikeout. If they need a flamethrower to strike out someone late in the game with runners in scoring position, Santiago Casilla can come out with his 96+ MPH fastball and blow away any hitter. If the situation calls for a key double play, Jeremy Affeldt can be summoned to get one (he induced the most double plays of all relievers in 2009).
Then there's Brian Wilson, the reincarnation of Mariano Rivera so far. In his 11.2 innings pitched in the 2010 postseason, Wilson was unscored upon, giving up only 5 hits and striking out 16, while saving 6 games. Although he has a flare for the dramatic, he finds a way to get the job done and makes quality pitches when he needs to.
Expect the same lights out bullpen in 2011.

1. Superb Starting Pitching

This should come to no surprise to anyone. Since the end of the Barry Bonds era, the Giants have shifted philosophies. Playing in the wide open spaces of AT&T Park, they realized that a lineup full of sluggers and aging free agents alone will not get the job done.
Hence, the star-studded young starting rotation of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, and Jonathon Sanchez were born and bred within the Giants organization. Add a former Cy-Young winner in Barry Zito as a fifth starter, and there lies the only starting staff that can match up with the Phillies' "Fantastic Four."
This Giants' elite starting pitchers from 2010, who were third in the major leagues with a 3.54 ERA, will be back for an encore performance in 2011. The 2010 starting pitcher ERA was even skewed with Barry Zito and Todd Wellemeyer's less than stellar 2010 regular season performances. Not to mention, the Giants' starting pitchers led all of baseball with 888 strikeouts and held opponents to just a .236 batting average.
For those who believe the Phillies' starting pitching will be the best in baseball in 2011, consider this: The combined 2010 ERA of Cliff Lee, Joe Blanton, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hammels was 3.45.
As for the Giants, the combined 2010 ERA of Lincecum, Cain, Sanchez, Bumgarner, and Zito was 3.40. Also, keep in mind that the Giants' 2011 starting pitchers are younger and have all pitched in the World Series with the exception of Zito.

Saltzman Says... To The 2010 San Francisco Giants

THANK YOU GIANTS!

Thank you for ending so many years of torture.  Thank you for giving me players to remember forever.  Thank you for not trading away your young talent for washed up veterans.  Thank you for finding the right washed up veterans.  Thank you for finding players that care more about winning than money.  Thank you for the parade.  Thank you for 2010, a year I will never forget.

Here is my pledge to the Giants for 2011:  Bring them all back
Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Pat Burrell, Edgar Renteria, and Guillermo Mota were all big parts of our locker room and should be brought back.  Aaron Rowand might be grossly overpiad, but we would stay a better team with him in the locker room.  Same with Mark DeRosa.

I know it might not make good business decisions, but I want to cheer for these guys.  I want to cheer for the guys that won the 2010 World Series.

Special Thanks to the Following People:
Andres Torres
Freddy Sanchez
Aubrey Huff
Buster Posey
Pat Burrell
Cody Ross
Juan Uribe
Edgar Renteria
Tim Lincecum
Matt Cain
Jonathan Sanchez
Madison Bumgarner
Brian Wilson
Javier Lopez
Jeremy Affeldt
Santiago Casilla
Ramon Ramirez
Sergio Romo
Nate Schierholtz
Travis Ishikawa
Mike Fontenot
Pablo Sandoval
Aaron Rowand
Guillermo Mota
Eli Whiteside
Bill Neukum
Larry Baer
Brian Sabean
Dick Tidrow
John Barr
Bobby Evans
Bruce Bockhy
Ron Wotus
Dave Righetti
Hensley Muellens
Tim Flannery
Roberto Kelly
Mark Gardner
Bill Hayes
Chris Ray
Dan Runzler
Darren Ford

Emmanuel Burris
Eugenio Velez
Ryan Rohlinger
Bengi Molina

Randy Johnson
Matt Morris
Brad Penny
Rich Aurilia
Randy Winn
Jon Miller
Dave Fleming
Mike Krukow
Duane Kuiper
Willie Mays
Willie McCovey
J.T. Snow
Will Clark
Ashkon
F.P. Santangelo
Marty Laurie
Brian Murphy
Paul MaCaffrey

Saltzman Says... To The year I Turned 30

Will this be the most memorable year of my life?

1. On January 9, the Cowboys hosted their first playoff game in Cowboys stadium, playing the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas won 34-14, breaking their 13-year playoff drought.
2. On July 24, I married the most beautiful woman in the world
3. On November 1, The Giants won the World Series

I will never forget my wedding day.  It was the most amazing day of my life.  And yet, my boyhood team that I have rooted for since I was 7 and have loved my whole life won the World Series.  How amazing is it when what you wanted the most in your personal life and what you've wanted most as a sports fan happens in the same 14 week span?  Where do you go from there?

No matter what happens for the rest of my life, I have the woman I love by my side and the team I love has a ring.  As Danielle and I look to start a family in the future, I can look back at 2010 and smile.