Stan Conte signs with Dodgers

Conte now Dodger Blue

Will the circus truly ever end?

In a surprise move, Stan Conti has been named the Dodgers head trainer after 15 years in the Giants organization.

While it is evident that the hiring had much to do with Ned Coletti, the former Giants assistant GM, it begs the question, who will be leaving next...

Giants hire Bochy: Mediocrity continued

Botch(y)ed

n. Definition.
1. The art of plugging a hole.
2. The world's worst philosophy.

Learn to love it Giants fans. It looks like we've got another era of sub par baseball, or at least for the next three years. The Giants will formally announce this afternoon that Bruce Bochy has signed a three year deal for an estimated 6 to 7 million.

Somehow Magowan continutes to allow Sabean to follow the same path over and over again. Forced once again into hiring a manager whose managing experience made him a top candidate, Sabean has chosen to look at the two N.L. pennants of the past two seasons as opposed to the fact that Bruce Bochy has a career record under .500 (951-975) and a notoriously poor rap for managing in the playoffs.

As Giants fans know, this sort of move is not new.

I can imagine what Brian Sabean might do if he hadn't had the monetary success he has had in baseball. Rolling around in his '94 Accord trying to save some money, Sabes would have been sure to have a problem or two with his ride. He's a loyal guy so it would be likely that he went to the same shop every year with some new problem.

The handyman, a loyal friend, would say to him, "Hey Brian, every year you come back with something new that is wrong with this car. Last year the breaks, two years ago the exhaust and now, the bleed valve is out. With all the money you've spent, you might as well just get a new car".

Without a second thought, Sabean would look at his friend with a grin and say, "Why throw it out when you can patch it up--good as new".

Bruce Bochy is the new breaks. He makes the car driveable but the handyman knows like everyone else, soon enough it will break again. The former Padres manager has not seen real success since 1998, the last N.L. pennant he won in an actual competitive division.

The truth is, Brian Sabean simply lacks the courage to buy a new car. Longtime Giants bench coach Ron Wotus and the highly respected Bud Black, who has a World Series ring to his resume, were more than viable choices. They could have been the face of the new younger Giants that we are constantly reminded of by management.

This was Sabean's opportunity to start fresh and get out from the strangle of mediocrity. Instead, he hired its poster boy.

Was Bochy the right move?

Is Bochy the right man for the job...

...or did Ron Wotus deserve a shot? Bud Black?

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Why not Wotus?

SAN FRANCISCO - Lou Piniella, Jerry Manuel, and now Bud Black have been named as possible replacements for the recently departed Felipe Alou. There's one Giants fan here however who is wondering why not Ron Wotus? Coaching behind both Dusty Baker and Felipe Alou, his successes have far outweighed his failures. If you take a look at his managerial career, there is no doubt that the longtime Giants bench coach has earned a shot for the position.


Major League Career
11 professional seasons
Appeared in 32 games for Pittsburgh in '83 and '84

Experience
19 seasons in the Giants organization
9 seasons on the Giants staff
Two time Minor League Manager of the Year
554-412 record (.574) in minors

Previous Interviews
Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005
Pittsburgh Pirates in 2000

What others are saying:

"Oh yeah, he's got my endorsement. He knows the organization inside and out. He's well known. There is no doubt he is a great baseball man, and usually a good baseball man makes a good manager. He has people skills, he knows the game well, and he is on top of what happens or may happen in a game. He is a very studious person. And I know from when I took over in Montreal, it helps when a manager knows the organization"




"His knowledge of the game is second to none."




Asked if he was surprised Wotus' name had not come up earlier when Los Angeles showed interest last season, Sabean said: "I'm perplexed. Maybe it has something to do with our low profile in how we conduct ourselves as an organization. We don't go around beating our chests. But all you have to do is look at Ron's résumé.''

Girardi back on the market

SAN FRANCISCO - Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Girardi has just become a top candidate for the San Francisco Giants position (and every other open managerial position for that matter). Long assumed that he would take the reigns in Chicago, several reports show that Lou Piniella will be the new manager of the Cubs.

Looking to redefine the team by getting rapidly younger, there can be no better fit for the position than Girardi. After a 78-84 season with a Florida Marlins ballclub that was certain to lose 100 games, the former catcher managed to have the team in playoff contention in September. This was a spectacular feat given that the Marlins had baseball's youngest team and lowest payroll at $15 million.

Years ago, when Tony La Russa was still managing in Oakland, he continually praised Girardi, who was then catching for Chicago, for his baseball intellect. La Russa knew he would make a quality manager long before he took over a ballclub.

With both Piniella and former Giants catcher Bob Brenly dropping out as candidates, that leaves Giants bench coach Ron Wotus, Manny Acta and Jerry Manuel as the other candidates Sabean has publicly shown interest in.

From the desk of Peter Magowan

This letter was written by Peter Magowan to season ticket holders:

Dear Chris

First off, let me thank you for your ongoing support and loyalty to the Giants organization. While our season did not turn out the way we had hoped, I want to let you know that I share in your frustration. Our performance over the last two seasons has been unacceptable, and I take responsibility for our failures.

As many of you may have heard in the media earlier this week, the Giants are going to take a new tact in building our club. The Giants’ mission this winter is to develop a team that relies less on veteran stars and more on players who are younger, healthier, have productive track records and have bright futures. We believe that this approach will enable us to build a strong team for many years to come.

Given this new direction, we believe it is imperative to have a manager with whom we could have a long-term commitment. As such, we decided not to renew Felipe Alou’s contract. This was a difficult and emotional decision for the Giants. Felipe is a man of unquestioned integrity who has a wealth of baseball knowledge and experience. His contributions to the Giants have been invaluable and we hope that he will remain with the organization as an advisor to Brian Sabean.

At this time, Brian and his staff are putting together a short list of managerial candidates. We will be working diligently to hire a new manager as soon as possible. I ask for your patience as this process may take some time, since some of the potential candidates are still involved in the post season.

As you know, the Giants have 11 potential free agents this winter, so we have quite a complex puzzle to put together. We again ask for your patience, because it’s quite likely that the construction of our team will not be complete until after the first of the year.

I am sure the burning question in most of your minds is what will happen with Barry Bonds. His contributions to the Giants and his impact on the game are unparalleled. He has been the cornerstone of what has been one of the greatest eras of San Francisco Giants baseball. We have literally watched history unfold with Barry over the last 14 years and we will always appreciate what he means to the Giants and to the game.

Given our new direction for the club, I frankly cannot tell you right now whether or not Barry will be a Giant in 2007. However, I assure you that this decision will be made only after considerable thought. As with all of our free agents, we will carefully evaluate Barry’s role in fielding a winning team.

Moving forward, we are determined to develop a strong and competitive team every year. As has been the case in the past, we will commit the resources necessary to achieve our goals. This will allow us to add players through free agency and trades to bolster a strong core of players we intend to develop from within our own minor league system. Our recent signing of Angel Villalona signals that the Giants will sign the top amateur talent from around the world.

Again, I want to thank you for your loyalty to the Giants over the years. In many ways, you are the San Francisco Giants and are the cornerstone of any successes we have shared in past years. I realize that our performance has tested that loyalty over the past two seasons, but I assure you that our main focus is returning the Giants to their winning ways.


Sincerely,


Peter A. Magowan
President and Managing General Partner
San Francisco Giants

Ratto: Bonds has upper hand

Columnist Ray Ratto raves the Giants need Bonds

Sporting Green columnist Ray Ratto recently wrote:

So, Peter Magowan says, and we swear he really did, that Barry Bonds is no longer going to be the centerpiece of the Giants....I mean, who's he kidding? If Bonds comes back, he is by definition the centerpiece...What Magowan meant to say was, "I like him around despite everything, but I don't want to pay him very much." But because when he speaks, he tends to lead with his pancreas, it came out like, well, absolute nonsense...Bonds is coming back unless someone offers him more money, pure and simple.

But let's be honest here, as much as it may pain them to try it. The only way not to make Bonds not be the centerpiece of the team is to get rid of him, and since we know that isn't going to happen, we'd all be better off if Magowan didn't try to run out laughable arglebargle like "He is no longer going to be the centerpiece of our team."

Once again, Ray Ratto makes two large assumptions and based his argument around them, rendering his writing, to use his own words, "absolute nonsense".

The first assumption is that Magowan needs Bonds more than Bonds needs him. Are you kidding? Barry Bonds will forever be a baseball legend (to what degree we will keep out of the discussion), however the Giants franchise will be around forever. There's a reason they have the saying, the name on the front is more important than the name on the back.

Ratto takes to the idea that the Giants need Bonds to sell seats, prompting the Magowan line, "He is no longer going to be the centerpiece of our team." Bonds sells seats next year. Winning sells them EVERY year. This is precisely what the owner was saying. If anything, it's sports writers like Ratto who twist it around and overthink it in an effort to be sell papers.

Everything begins with the contract. Whether Bonds will sign an incentive-laden contract is irrelevant. No team will want to touch the media frenzy that comes with him. They can completely distract a team. Ratto seems to think otherwise, "Bonds is coming back unless someone offers him more money, pure and simple".

Thanks for that other assumption you made--that there is another team. Who were you thinking? Oakland? Doubtful. Seattle? Not a chance. New York? They have enough personalities to deal with.

What do they all know? They would have to take a siginifant chance on a player that makes T.O.'s baggage look like carry ons.

Magowan does not want to pay Bonds like a centerpiece player because he no longer is one. It's that simple. If he comes back, the contract not only needs to detail how much he makes, but signify what his new role will be.

A reconstruction is taking place. Let's hope Sabean and Magowan have the guts to continue to follow that game plan. In the meantime, do us all a favor Ratty and start using facts before drawing conclusions.

Giants Official Press Release

Giants decide not to renew Felipe Alou's contract

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants have decided to not renew manager Felipe Alou's contract for the 2007 season, team Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Sabean announced today. The club has extended an offer to the longtime Giant to remain in the organization in an advisory role to the general manager and the baseball operations department.

Alou concluded his four-year stint at the helm of the Giants with a 342-304 record, that included a division title in 2003. A member of the original San Francisco Giants team in 1958, the former outfielder is sixth on the win list for SF managers. He became the first skipper in franchise history to make the playoffs in his first year at the helm (2003), while keeping his clubs in contention for the post season until the final week of the season each of the last three years. He also became just the second Giants pilot to win 100 games in his first season, when his 2003 charges became just the ninth team in Major League history to lead their league or division wire-to-wire.

"Tough decisions are always painful, and this one is especially painful," said Sabean. "Felipe (Alou) is a man of unquestioned integrity who has put his heart and soul into the Giants. He endured some injuries to key players over his tenure here and always kept the club in contention despite some difficult circumstances. The Giants were very fortunate to have a man of his stature at the helm of our club over the last four years and I personally thank him for his loyal efforts and significant contributions."

In 13 years as a Major League manager, the 1994 National League Manager of the Year posted a 1,033-1,021-1 ledger and became just the 53rd manager since 1900 to register 1,000 wins. The Haina, Dominican Republic native is the first manager of Latin descent to win 1,000 contests in the big leagues and only the second foreign-born skipper to reach the milestone (Harry Wright, England, 1,000-825).

A Dominican icon, Alou became the first Dominican-born manager in Major League history when he assumed control of the Montreal Expos on May 22, 1992. He was the fourth Latin American head man born in the Caribbean Islands, following Mike Gonzalez (Cuba), Preston Gomez (Cuba) and Cookie Rojas (Cuba). A true pioneer, Alou is just one of 11 managers in the history of Major League Baseball born in Latin America.

"The Alou name has been synonymous with the Giants for over 50 years and that won't change despite the fact that Felipe won't be our manager next year," said club President and Managing General Partner Peter Magowan. "Even though he won't be in a Giants uniform, Felipe will always be a Giant. With the help of his son Moises and the Giants Community Fund, the Alou name and the Giants will be forever linked in Felipe's hometown of Haina as we will refurbish four youth fields at the school he attended as a boy."

Concluding his 51st year in organized baseball, the three-time All-Star was the second Dominican-born player to reach the majors, following Ozzie Virgil (1956 with the New York Giants). Primarily an outfielder, his 2,101 hits are fourth all-time among Dominican players. He enjoyed a distinguished 17-year playing career with the Giants (1958-63), Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves (1964-69), Oakland A's (1970-71), New York Yankees (1971-73), Montreal Expos (1973) and Milwaukee Brewers (1974).

Alou is one of just six managers to have had the opportunity to manage his son, having Moises as a player with both the Giants and Expos. For the past two seasons, the two were reunited in Giants uniforms and on September 24 joined the Griffeys as the only father-son duos in Major League history to each have 2,000 hits.