There wasn't much drama involved with the Giants decision to re-sign general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy, each of whom got two-year deals with options for 2012 on Tuesday. It was widely assumed that they would be back once the team established itself as a contender at midseason, and it was reported a couple weeks ago that it was a fait accompli.
In fact, managing general partner Bill Neukom said the decision "was fairly easy. The team played so well and the results were positive. It was clear the direct affect of the work and leadership of each of these people toward that record "
There was not much doubt that Giants general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy would be back next year, considering the team jumped into contention following three losing seasons, but the San Francisco Chronicle has reported that it is a done deal. An announcement could come sometime next week.
Managing general partner Bill Neukom, who is completing his first year on the job, has been complimentary of the jobs done by both men all season, but he insisted throughout that the Giants would not make any final decisions until after the season.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... That Ryan Howard is trying to challenge Albert Pujols for National League MVP.
Howard homered twice, doubled and drove in three runs Friday in the Phillies' 4-2 defeat of the Braves. Philadelphia now has an eight-game lead in the NL East.
"It makes you feel good when he starts hitting," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's amazing. He'll take two swings and not look too good, then all of a sudden he stays on a pitch and smokes it out of the yard. He's a tremendous hitter."
As Fletch reported yesterday, Noah Lowry's agent contends that the Giants misdiagnosed Lowry's arm issues, put him under the knife for the wrong surgery, assigned him the wrong rehab program, and jeopardized his career. The Giants are denying this. From Calvin and Hobbes, November 18, 1990:
CALVIN. Your foot hurts? What kind of stupid problem is that? SUSIE. You're the doctor! You're supposed to find out what's wrong with it. CALVIN. It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Wonderful coincidence as it would have been -- Randy Johnson winning No. 300 in Seattle -- it's not going to happen.
Johnson was pounded for seven runs in four innings on Saturday afternoon, taking the 9-6 loss against the the Mets and Johan Santana, so he'll still be on 298 victories when he makes his next start in an interleague game on Friday at Safeco Field.
Neither pitcher was sharp in this matchup of seven Cy Young Awards (five for Johnson), but Johnson definitely took the worst of it.
MLB Power Rankings:Where we care what you've done for us lately when we break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world each week.
It's been a while since a week of baseball was this sad -- we saw the tragic passings of Nick Adenhart, Harry Kalas and Mark Fidrych. And without waxing too sentimentally, it's the loss of these men that remind us exactly just how little sports matter in the grand scheme of things. RIP, gentlemen. Power rankings (that feel just a tad inconsequential, to be honest) after the jump.
LOS ANGELES -- Manny Ramirez came bouncing down the stairs, baggy uniform and dreads flapping, and Dodger Stadium erupted.
They had been waiting all winter, through months of contract negotiations that ended precisely where they began, to see this sight. The love affair between Ramirez and Los Angeles has picked up right where it left off.
When it comes to playing shortstop, there haven't been very many in the game who did a better job of catching the baseball throughout their career than Omar Vizquel. There's a reason the man has won 11 Gold Gloves in his career, after all. So how does he do it?
Well, a lot of baseball players spend their offseasons relaxing and recovering, while working out just to stay in shape. Some don't do anything and wait until the last minute before Spring Training to get ready for the long season. Then there's Omar Vizquel, who spends his offseason utilizing his ability to catch things, things like anacondas.
Omar Vizquel played for Bruce Bochy for two seasons in San Francisco before Vizquel signed a deal to play for Texas this season. His final assessment of Bochy as a manager is not so great.
"I don't think Bochy was my type of manager," Vizquel said when asked about his former field boss during a discussion of managerial styles. "I always went along with his decisions. I never said anything in the paper about him, but sometimes I wished he could be more aggressive with the moves that he made. But everybody has his style, and you can't change that."
And what better time to start talking about your manager in the paper than when he's not your manager anymore?
There wasn't much drama involved with the Giants decision to re-sign general manager Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy, each of whom got two-year deals with options for 2012 on Tuesday. It was widely assumed that they would be back once the team established itself as a contender at midseason, and it was reported a couple weeks ago that it was a fait accompli.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Wonderful coincidence as it would have been -- 
PHOENIX – Brewers manager 
When it comes to playing shortstop, there haven't been very many in the game who did a better job of catching the baseball throughout their career than 
