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Tim Lincecum was cited by the state police in Washington for possession of marijuana this week. The pot was found in his car after he was pulled over for speeding near the Oregon border on Oct. 30. It was a small amount, and the police determined that Lincecum was not intoxicated while driving, so he's been cited for misdemeanor possession. After his hearing on Nov. 23, that will likely be the last we hear of this particular incident.

Andrew Baggarly, the San Jose Mercury writer who wrote the blog entry linked above, guesses that this incident won't be much more than an embarrassment for Lincecum and that it's unlikely to affect his potential arbitration hearing early next year. He's probably right that it'd be wrong for the Giants to accuse their superstar pitcher of being a dirty hippie for having a few grams of pot in his car, but that's a funny mental image I'm stuck with and now I hope you are, too.

The San Francisco Giants announced today that they've come to terms with second baseman Freddy Sanchez on a two-year deal. Terms weren't announced, but with the Giants holding an $8 million option on Sanchez, it's probably safe to assume that the cost for them per year will be less than that. T

That option would've vested for Sanchez on its own if he'd reached 600 plate appearances, but a shoulder and knee injuries limited him to just 25 games in a Giants uniform after he was traded to San Francisco from Pittsburgh. The shoulder's been a nagging problem for Sanchez for some time, but when healthy Sanchez has been one of the best hitting second basemen in the NL over the past few seasons, being named to three of the last four All-Star teams and winning a batting title in 2006.

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 "

Should it have been easy?

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.

The Giants will have a pretty big decision to make this offseason regarding Tim Lincecum. Do they sign the insanely talented righthander to a long-term contract extension to buy out his arbitration years or do they let him go to arbitration and continue going the one-year contract route to avoid being on the hook for big money if something untoward happens to Lincecum's arm?

You'd imagine they'd opt for the long-term deal, so his answer to a question about a willingness to sign an extension was likely met with some smiles.

Yes," Lincecum said Thursday. "I definitely like San Francisco. I've seen nothing but positive things as far as my personal experiences. It's where I see myself being for awhile."

So the deal's getting done, right? Sadly, it won't be quite that easy for the Giants.

Angel Villalona, a highly-touted prospect in the San Francisco Giants' system, is the prime suspect in a killing.

The Associated Press is reporting the 19-year-old has turned himself into authorities in the Dominican Republic. He is a suspect in the shooting death of a 25-year-old man, Mario Felix de Jesus Velete, in a La Romana bar.

Villalona could face up to 20 years in prison, if he's found guilty of the crime. He will have a court appearance Monday.

Villalona first signed with the Giants when he was 16. This past season, in advanced Single-A, Villalona hit .267 with nine home runs, 42 RBI and a .704 OPS in 74 games.

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the White Sox may be out of the playoff race, but Jake Peavy still gave them something to get excited about. Peavy made his much-anticipated White Sox debut, pitching five effective innings to beat the Royals.

Peavy gave up three runs and his command was shaky, but he consistently threw his fastball in the low 90s. He threw 73 pitches, only 20 in his last two innings.

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Hours before the Giants and Rockies met on a baseball field for the final time this regular season, Rockies manager Jim Tracy was comparing the matchup to a bout with a couple fighters slugging away at each other.

Lots of blood, but no knockout.

The game on Wednesday night fit right in with the pattern, although the Giants are now perilously close to being down for the count. The Rockies' 4-3 victory, a game that ended only after the Giants had scored three times in the ninth and put the tying run on third, gave the Rockies a 3 1/2-game lead in the National League wild-card race.

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the Yankees are still fired up despite their large lead in the AL East.

After two Yankees pitchers hit Blue Jays batters in Tuesday's game, Toronto's Jesse Carlson threw behind Jorge Posada in the bottom of the eighth.

Posada glared, benches briefly emptied, but there were no punches. Yet.

Instead of letting it end there, or charging the mound, Posada waited until he walked and then scored a run to give Carlson a shove after he crossed home plate.

And then it was on.

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SAN FRANCISCO -- Randy Johnson, who has been out for the past two months with a torn rotator cuff, was activated by the Giants after Tuesday night's game. Johnson will join the Giants bullpen.

"It's a golden bullet for us," starter Barry Zito said. "We're excited."

The Giants had not planned to active Johnson until this weekend, at the earliest, but they changed course on Tuesday because right-hander Justin Miller was still bothered by a sore elbow. Miller was placed on the 60-day disabled list, ending his season.