SF Giants Press Clips Wednesday, March 22,...
Transcript of SF Giants Press Clips Wednesday, March 22,...
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SF Giants Press Clips
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
San Francisco Chronicle
Giants Barry Bonds together again
John Shea
The Barry Bonds era is returning to Third and King streets.
The Giants’ icon with the tarnished resume is no longer the organization’s forgotten man. Or
forbidden man, if you will.
He’s now the forgiven man.
After a long and rocky hiatus, Bonds and the Giants reunited Tuesday with the announcement
that the home-run king has been named a special adviser to the CEO.
He’ll report to Larry Baer, at least technically. He’ll really be paid to be Barry Bonds. Except with
the new role, he’ll be in a more public venue as he represents the Giants for the first time in 10
years.
This opens the door for things that didn’t seem possible when Bonds last had a job in the
organization as a player. That was 2007, when Bonds was under investigation in the BALCO
steroids case and about to be indicted on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction
of justice.
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He was booed in visiting ballparks, condemned by columnists and talk-show hosts, and shown
the door by the Giants.
What a difference a decade makes.
Bonds’ obstruction of justice conviction was overturned in 2015, ending an intense pursuit by
the federal government that lasted years, cost millions of dollars and put Giants employees on
the stand. His Hall of Fame candidacy has experienced a spike, thanks to newer voters focusing
more on numbers and older voters softening their stances on drug users.
And he was back in baseball full time last season as the Miami Marlins’ hitting coach. Now he’s
returning to more familiar turf.
Bonds always was welcomed by AT&T Park fans, who stood and cheered every time he
appeared at a game and was shown on the scoreboard — or threw out a ceremonial first pitch
— but he wasn’t fully acknowledged.
If indeed it’s the House That Bonds Built — he helped revitalize the franchise in the ’90s leading
up to the stadium groundbreaking — you wouldn’t know it by walking around the place.
There’s very little in the way of reminders that Bonds hit 586 of his record 762 homers as a
Giant.
Or won five of his seven MVP awards as a Giant. Or led the Giants to four postseasons,
including the 2002 World Series.
That will change. A ceremony will be held this season to include Bonds on the team’s Wall of
Fame, and his number — the same 25 worn by his father, Bobby, a Giants star in the late ’60s
and early ’70s — will be retired at a later date.
And eventually … a statue, though nothing is set in bronze.
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The Giants’ stance has been that only Hall of Famers get their numbers retired and larger-than-
life likenesses unveiled. But times have changed. Bonds is viewed differently by the game and
its keepers, and the Giants are on board welcoming him back to the fold.
Bonds will do community events, the Giants say. He’ll visit minor-league teams to teach hitting.
He’ll be all things Barry, and that’s a far cry from the fall of 2007 when team executives Peter
Magowan and Brian Sabean held a news conference to sever ties with the homers king even
though Bonds wanted to play one more year.
This was at the height of Bud Selig’s commissionership, and there was talk that the owners of
the 30 teams blackballed Bonds on Selig’s command or at least as a favor to a pal, a Milwaukee
guy who was bummed that his friend Hank Aaron’s home-run record fell.
That seems like eons ago. Nowadays, Bonds is perceived in a different light by more people and
might be destined for the Hall of Fame, having secured 53.8 percent of the vote in the last
election. He has five years to reach the 75 percent required for Cooperstown induction.
In his new role, he’ll be in the company of Hall of Famers because no team does nostalgia like
the Giants.
On any given day, Willie Mays is in the clubhouse shooting the bull with players. Up in the press
box, on the broadcast level, Willie McCovey is closely monitoring the on-field action. And
Orlando Cepeda sits with friends behind the plate, taking in the sights and sounds.
All have statues, as does Gaylord Perry. Along with Will Clark, Jeffrey Leonard and Dave
Dravecky, all are assistants/advisers/ambassadors, and now along comes Bonds to join the
party.
The Bonds era is back.
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San Francisco Chronicle
Giants’ Will Smith out indefinitely; Morse has hamstring injury
Henry Schulman
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A baseball season, even in spring training, leaves no time to mourn
injuries.
Reliever Will Smith could be destined for Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow,
and Michael Morse might have lost his chance to make the team out of spring training because
of a hamstring injury.
Management took a few moments to absorb the news, then continued the daily business of
evaluating players on the field, forced to view the potential 25-man roster from a new angle.
Smith’s injury is the bigger blow. The left-handed setup man was diagnosed with a sprain of the
ulnar collateral ligament and a strained elbow muscle. He flew to San Francisco on Tuesday to
meet with team orthopedist Dr. Ken Akizuki.
The typical result of this injury is the Tommy John operation, which would cost Smith the 2017
season and perhaps some of 2018. If the injury is not that severe, Smith could try rest and
rehabilitation.
“The player has to make the call,” said manager Bruce Bochy, who already has replacements in
mind. He said left-handers Steven Okert, Josh Osich, nonroster invitee Michael Roth and
even Ty Blach could pick up Smith’s innings and role.
Blach was to fight Matt Cain for the fifth rotation spot, but the lefty could be more valuable in
the bullpen. Bochy had him relieve Madison Bumgarner in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory over the
Padres. Blach pitched three innings and allowed one run.
Far from sounding forlorn at the thought of relieving, Blach flashed an I’ll-do-whatever-they-
want smile and expressed confidence that he could succeed out of the bullpen, as he did at the
end of 2016 in the regular season and playoffs.
Okert has had the best spring among the lefty relievers. He has not allowed a run in his seven
innings.
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The Giants acquired Smith in an Aug. 1 trade with the Brewers. He was a key contributor down
the stretch last year and ended the regular season with a 18 straight shutout appearances.
He was primed to assume a larger role in 2017 but missed the first three weeks of Cactus
League games with what was described as elbow inflammation. He was making his second
appearance Monday, against the White Sox, when he reinjured the elbow and had his second
MRI exam, which confirmed the UCL damage.
Morse strained his left hamstring a few innings earlier while running out a flyball. On Tuesday,
Morse walked through the clubhouse with the hamstring wrapped. He walked without a limp
and sounded upset about a report that this injury had cost him a chance to make the team.
“I’m good,” Morse said. “I’m not good-good. I’m lower-case good.”
But Bochy said Morse will be out at least two weeks, and the season opener is a week from
Sunday.
“If it was bad, I would have packed up and gone home,” Morse said. “If this happened earlier in
camp, it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but it’s crunch time.”
Morse also faces a decision. On the first day of camp, he said if he did not make the team, he
would retire and go home to Florida. Now there is a third option: rehabbing his injury and going
to Triple-A Sacramento to get at-bats. He was not ready Tuesday to commit to that.
Bochy said he hopes it happens.
“He was playing really good ball, seeing the ball well, doing what he needed to do to make the
club,” Bochy said. “It’s not just the way he swung the bat. He was playing a good first base. We
put him in the outfield. He was moving around good. He was in good shape. That should show
him he’s got some baseball left — good baseball.”
Morse believes that and liked the way he has played.
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“It just sucks I had to get hurt,” he said. “I always thought I wasn’t done. I always thought I
could still play. I’ve just been dealt some bad cards the last couple of years. I proved to myself I
can still play.”
Morse’s good friend Hunter Pence also wants to see Morse get healthy, saying, “He’d be a big
help with the bat and in the clubhouse. I hope I get a chance to play with him.”
The left-field reserve options are slim. Mac Williamson is out of consideration for Opening Day
because of a quadriceps injury, and Justin Ruggiano has played terribly in all facets.
Nonroster invite Chris Marrero picked a good day to hit his sixth homer of the spring. The 28-
year-old former Washington National has played his way into contention for a job.
The Giants also could go with a utility player such as Aaron Hill, a career-long infielder who
looked like a natural when Bochy stuck him in left field Monday.
Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
Giants 5, Padres 3
Notable: Catcher Nick Hundley hit his first two homers of the spring, accounting for four of the
Giants’ five runs. He hit a solo shot against starter Trevor Cahill and a three-run drive
against Kevin Quackenbush. … Madison Bumgarner pitched two shutout innings, then
completed an 85-pitch day in the bullpen, by design. He wanted to face San Diego’s lineup just
once because he pitches against the Padres in the regular season April 8. Bumgarner’s final
spring start will be Monday against the Reds, giving him an extra day’s rest before the April 2
opener at Arizona.
Quotable: “I didn’t have anything else better to do and it’s spring training. Why not?”
— Denard Span on tagging and taking third on a fairly shallow fly to right by Joe Panik. Span
was safe because of a wild Hunter Renfroe throw.
Wednesday’s game: Giants vs. Brewers, at Maryvale, 1:05 p.m.
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San Francisco Chronicle
Giants hire Barry Bonds as special assistant
Henry Schulman
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Barry Bonds is finally coming home.
The Giants on Tuesday made a long-anticipated announcement that they have hired baseball’s
all-time home run leader as a special assistant to Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer.
Bonds will arrive in camp Wednesday to work with players over the final six days. During the
season, he will serve as a team ambassador, alongside other Giants greats of the past, then roll
up his sleeves and travel to the minors to teach prospects how to hit.
Moreover, as part of the agreement between Bonds and the club, he finally will be added to the
Wall of Fame on the King Street side of AT&T Park in a ceremony this season, with the date to
be determined.
The Giants also plan to retire Bonds’ No. 25, regardless of whether he is elected to the Hall of
Fame, the club’s historical threshold for that honor.
“That’s one of the things on the table,” Baer said by phone. “We’ve discussed it. It’s on the
table for coming attractions.”
Bonds and the Giants have not discussed a statue outside the ballpark, however.
Bonds said in a statement that he was excited to join the Giants in an official capacity.
“San Francisco has always been my home and the Giants will always be my family,” Bonds said.
“I look forward to spending time with the team, young players in the system as well as the Bay
Area community.”
This agreement comes 10 seasons after Bonds played his final game. His penultimate contract
with the Giants included a 10-year personal-services contract to be honored after his
retirement, but Baer said the arrangement announced Tuesday is new.
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It also is long overdue, but like everything involving Bonds, the process was complicated.
Bonds still wanted to play in 2008 and beyond and did not officially retire. The Giants also were
reluctant to hand him an role while he faced federal perjury and obstruction of justice charges.
His lone conviction was overturned on appeal in 2015.
Bonds then wanted to be a major-league hitting coach, which the Giants declined to offer
because they had one in Hensley Meulens. So Bonds became the Marlins’ hitting coach last
season. He lasted one year before he was let go.
All of which led Bonds back to San Francisco.
“Sometimes it’s not a straight line,” Baer said. “It takes a while or it’s a bit circuitous. But I think
it’s the right outcome. It seemed the time was right for both sides.”
Bonds will attend team functions such as the Play Ball Lunch and take part in ballpark
ceremonies. He might spend some time with the big club, like other former Giants such as Will
Clark, but his main focus will be instructing prospects.
“It’s something he’s interested in and something we’re interested in, conveying his knowledge
of hitting,” Baer said. “I don’t think anyone would argue with the fact that he’s a hitting genius.”
Bonds joins his godfather, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda and others as Giants
ambassadors. Mays has been at Giants camp but will leave Wednesday morning and not be
there when Bonds arrives.
Baer would not divulge the length of Bonds’ contract but said, “We don’t see this as a one-year
relationship. We see this as we do with our Hall of Famers, that he’ll be around for quite a
while.”
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San Jose Mercury News
Brandon Crawford scores winning run to send USA to WBC final
Daniel Mano
Brandon Crawford crossed the plate in the eighth inning Tuesday to give the United States the
go-ahead run in an eventual 2-1 win over Japan to make the World Baseball Classic final.
Crawford and fellow Giants star Buster Posey each singled in the semifinal, plus Giants closer
Mark Melancon made his WBC debut Tuesday as the U.S. reached the tournament’s final for
the first time ever.
The United States will play Puerto Rico at 6 p.m. Wednesday, with MLB Network providing the
coverage from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Crawford’s one-out single to right field started an eighth-inning rally, with Ian Kinsler doubling
and Adam Jones getting Crawford home with a ground out.
In the bottom half of the frame, Melancon entered with the 2-1 lead. He struck out one and
allowed a hit and a walk over 2/3 innings of work.
Several Giants not playing took to Twitter immediately after the win to celebrate.
San Jose Mercury News
Giants Notes
Andrew Baggarly
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Madison Bumgarner wanted to face big league hitters. Giants pitching
coach Dave Righetti didn’t want the San Diego Padres, Bumgarner’s opponent in his second
scheduled start this season, to get multiple looks.
So they devised a compromise. Bumgarner pitched two innings and then went to the bullpen to
build up to 85 pitches.
“I was still going through their lineup,” Bumgarner said. “I just happened to not give up a hit in
the bullpen, and I struck everybody out.”
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Bumgarner will have just one more start in the 12 days before he’d pitch the April 2 opener at
Arizona’s Chase Field. The Giants had a tougher time than usual lining up the rotation this
spring, since there were two off days. They’ll have another day off April 3. So Bumgarner will
end up pitching with an extra day of rest each of the next three times he takes the mound.
Not that anyone is suggesting he needs more work.
“He’s ready to go,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. “We feel we got him where we need
him.”
Bumgarner struck out three in two innings and has a 2.50 ERA this spring. He has been as feisty
as ever, and exchanged some words with plate umpire Ben May when he didn’t get the call on a
curveball.
What if Bumgarner had been ejected? Would he have been allowed to go finish up in the
bullpen?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I could have gone out to the back field, probably.”
—
Left-hander Ty Blach followed Bumgarner in the Giants’ 5-3 exhibition victory over the Padres,
and allowed a run in three innings. Blach has a 5.02 ERA and allowed 19 hits in 12 1/3 innings,
but he’s also struck out 11 and issued just one walk.
Even if Matt Cain opens as the No.5 starter, there are many scenarios in which Blach makes the
team as a reliever – and those scenarios multiplied after left-hander Will Smith sustained a
significant injury to the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow.
“I feel comfortable doing that, and I had shorter stints in the playoffs,” said Blach, who was a
difference maker in September when he outdueled Clayton Kershaw in the final regular-season
series and then picked up a win in the Giants’ 13-inning victory in Game 3 of the NL Division
Series. “It’s just staying mentally prepared for any situation.”
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Blach said his curveball has been slow to come around this spring, but he threw some good
ones against the Padres.
“The last couple outings, the timing of everything has felt better,” he said.
—
Catcher Trevor Brown will miss a few more games and is wearing a walking boot after spraining
his ankle away from the field on last Thursday’s off day.
—
Right-hander Bryan Morris will be sidelined for several weeks after he fractured his foot when
struck by a line drive while throwing live batting practice.
—
Nick Hundley hit his first home run of the spring, and five innings later, he connected for his
second one. The backup catcher got off a slow start but has played well in recent days, and is
also making better throws to bases.
—
Shortstop Jimmy Rollins made two nice defensive plays, including a long run to snag a basket
catch in shallow left field. But he also was 0 for 3, he’s batting .094 and he might be holding
onto a locker only until Brandon Crawford returns from the World Baseball Classic.
—
Right-hander Cory Gearrin pitched for the first time since March 8 because of a cracked middle
fingernail on his right hand. He allowed a run on two hits in one inning.
—
Right-hander Derek Law continued his impressive spring while recording the save.
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—
In case you didn’t see it elsewhere, the Minnesota Twins have granted Ryan Vogelsong his
release so he can pursue other opportunities.
—
Maybe Denard Span heard those whispers from a national reporter that he has lost a step. He
hit a double, then challenged Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe by tagging up on a medium fly
ball. Why did he go? “I mean, I had nothing else to do …” Span said, smiling.
The throw would have beaten him, but it was too high. Span said third base coach Phil Nevin
told him that he was lucky, because Renfroe had the best right field arm he’d ever seen. “He
called it an 8.5 on the 2 to 8 scale,” Span said.
San Jose Mercury News
Giants hope to persuade injured Michael Morse to continue his career
Andrew Baggarly
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Michael Morse had proven himself to the Giants. Before he strained his
left hamstring in a game on Monday, he had done enough impressive and improbable things
this spring to gallop his way onto the opening day roster. Now the Giants are hoping that Morse
proved enough to himself, too. They hope he will forego his pledge to retire in the event he did
not make the club, and instead put in the time to rehab the injury before working his way back
at Triple-A Sacramento.
“This should show him he still has some baseball left – some good baseball,” Giants manager
Bruce Bochy said. “So my hope is that he’ll rehab it.”
The Giants clubhouse had a different feel on Tuesday, after players learned that the MRI on
Morse’s hamstring showed the kind of strain that doesn’t get better in a week or two. The 2014
postseason hero, who negotiated his spring training invitation in a spontaneous conversation at
Hunter Pence’s wedding in November, has buoyed the club with his wide-eyed energy.
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“He worked so hard to get here and made such a big impact and showed what he could do,”
Pence said. “For the body to take a blow after all that, it’s tough.
“I love the guy here and we accomplished some amazing things in the year that we played
together. We have a friendship that will last a lifetime. So who knows? I don’t know what he
wants to do, but I’ll be there for him.”
Morse grabbed his hamstring after he strode aggressively into first base Monday in a game at
Camelback Ranch. A day later, he jumped on a chair in the clubhouse to show that he already
was doing better. He said he felt “good – lower case good,” and didn’t want to rule out being
ready for opening day. He wasn’t prepared to say what his future plans might be.
“If it gets to that point, I’ll think about it,” he said. “But right now, it’s about how I feel every
day. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself.”
Morse, who hit .265 with three home runs this spring, acknowledged that he might have
surprised himself while playing for the first time since the Pirates released him in April of last
year.
“I thought I’d do either really bad or, you know, really good,” he said. “And I thought I played
pretty good. It just sucks I had to get hurt. I don’t think this is something that’s going to stop me
from getting a shot at playing.”
Morse was able to maintain his sense of humor, though.
“I had to prove to myself I can still play,” he said, “and I proved to myself yesterday that I’m not
really a fast runner.”
Morse isn’t the only right-handed hitting outfield candidate knocked out of the competition by
a leg injury. Mac Williamson’s strained quadriceps is no small matter, Bochy said, and is likely to
keep him out a minimum of two weeks.
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Although Aaron Hill, Gordon Beckham and Jae-gyun Hwang have played some left field this
spring, the injuries to Morse and Williamson likely opens the widest opportunity for non-roster
invitees Justin Ruggiano and Chris Marrero.
Ruggiano can play center field in an emergency, which might give him a slight advantage. But
Marrero continued to outperform almost everyone in camp. He hit his team-best sixth home
run Tuesday.
“I just think being aggressive in the zone is keeping me on pitches,” said Marrero, who last
appeared in the major leagues in 2013 but is coming off an impressive season for Triple-A
Pawtucket. “I think they knew I could hit, but being in the National League, you’ve got to play
defense. I’m doing all my early work in the outfield and showing I can be out there without
them having to worry.
“I’ve run the bases hard. You have to do all the things it takes to help this team win. It’s not just
about hitting.”
MLB.com
Bonds joins Giants as special advisor to CEO
Chris Haft
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Barry Bonds made his seemingly inevitable return to the Giants on
Tuesday, when the organization announced that it had hired baseball's all-time home run
leader as a special advisor to club president and chief executive officer Larry Baer.
Bonds is expected to discuss his role on Wednesday, when he's due to arrive at Spring Training
camp to help provide instruction for a week. A Giants news release said that Bonds also will
represent the organization at various community events in San Francisco and will tour the
team's Minor League system to work with prospects.
Until now, Bonds never officially worked for the Giants since they declined to offer him a
contract following the 2007 season. His one-year stint as the Miami Marlins' hitting coach
ended when the team dismissed him immediately after the season ended.
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Meanwhile, casual fans and club insiders alike continued to assume that the Giants eventually
would employ Bonds in some capacity. He gained widespread popularity in the Bay Area during
his 15 seasons with San Francisco, winning five of his seven National League Most Valuable
Player awards and being named to 12 All-Star teams during that span.
The lingering cloud of performance-enhancing drug use that formerly enveloped Bonds legally
evaporated in Aug. 2016, when his conviction of obstructing justice during a government probe
into steroid use was overturned by a U.S. appeals court. That further cleansed the atmosphere
for a Bonds-Giants reunion.
"I think this was something everybody thought would happen as time wore on, that he'd be
part of the organization again," said former shortstop Rich Aurilia, one of Bonds' Giants
teammates for 10 years (1995-2003 and 2007). "There's one place where he's beloved and he'll
always be beloved. It's San Francisco."
Entire generations of Giants stars served the franchise in various capacities after retiring as
active players, from Mel Ott, Bill Terry and Carl Hubbell to Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and
Orlando Cepeda.
Said Aurilia, referring to Bonds, "Look at the names in the history of this organization. He's at
the top or second on that list." Aurilia's unspoken implication, that only Mays conceivably could
supersede Bonds, was clear.
"We are delighted to welcome Barry back home to the Giants," said Baer in the news release.
"As one of the greatest players of all-time, Barry's contributions to our organization are
legendary. He joins Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda and other distinguished
alumni who help advise the club and we look forward to working with him again."
Said Bonds in a statement, "I am excited to be back home with the Giants and join the team in
an official capacity. San Francisco has always been my home and the Giants will always be my
family. I look forward to spending time with the team, young players in the system as well as
the Bay Area community."
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MLB.com
Hundley homers twice, Bumgarner solid in win
Chris Haft
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Nick Hundley, whose hitting skills the Giants coveted, belted a pair of
home runs and lifted San Francisco to a 5-3 Cactus League victory Tuesday over the San Diego
Padres.
Hundley's three-run homer off Kevin Quackenbush in the seventh inning erased San Diego's 2-1
lead. Hundley also homered in the second inning for San Francisco's lone hit in five innings off
Padres starter Trevor Cahill.
Giants general manager Bobby Evans specifically cited Hundley's power as one of the backup
catcher's strengths when San Francisco signed him as a free agent in late January. Hundley hit
10 home runs in each of the previous two seasons with Colorado.
Another notable slugger was non-roster invitee Chris Marrero, who has a team-high six home
runs (including the March 8 Puerto Rico exhibition). Marrero homered in the eighth for the
Giants' final run. Marrero said that despite his power, a quality the Giants lack, he knows he
must master the game's subtler facets, such as defense, to make the team. "It's (part of) being
in the National League. You've got to play defense," said Marrero, adding that he also has
worked on sharpening his baserunning.
Meanwhile, Cahill strengthened his bid for a spot in San Diego's starting rotation while walking
two and striking out seven. Cahill entered the game with a 5.79 ERA, contrasting his opponents'
.216 batting average.
"I've felt pretty good all camp," Cahill said. "It's nice to get a good one under your belt and sit
down and get back up five different times. So I feel like I'm close [to being ready for the regular
season]."
Giants starter Madison Bumgarner worked only two shutout innings against the Padres before
retreating to the bullpen to increase his workload under controlled, simulated conditions. Ty
Blach, competing for the No. 5 starter's spot, worked three innings and allowed one run
on Erick Aybar's fifth-inning RBI single.
Padres Up Next: Jered Weaver will make his third start of the spring Wednesday when the
Padres head to Surprise to face the Royals at 1:05 p.m. PT on MLB.TV. He will be looking to
work up to five innings. Brandon Maurer, Ryan Buchter and Brad Hand -- the trio expected to
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anchor the back end of the Padres' bullpen -- are also scheduled to pitch.
Giants Up Next: Matt Cain, striving to remain in the Giants' pitching rotation as its No. 5
starter, will confront the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday in a 1:05 p.m. PT encounter. Albert
Suarez also is expected to pitch for the Giants.
MLB.com
Protecting Bumgarner a wise move for Giants
Anthony Castrovince
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- It was a strange sight Tuesday, the kind of sight the exhibition schedule
tends to specialize in: Madison Bumgarner left a start after just two innings.
Because we're so close to Opening Day, this would ordinarily be a siren-summoning situation
for Giants fans -- especially on a day when the club was already dealing with injuries to lefty
reliever Will Smith and Michael Morse. But in this case, the abrupt scoreless outing, in which
he allowed two hits while striking out three in the Giants' 5-3 win, was a byproduct of
Bumgarner's desire to see some Padres hitters before ceding some innings to Ty Blach and
throwing the rest of his pitches in the bullpen at Scottsdale Stadium.
"I was still doing innings down there and going through their lineup," Bumgarner said. "I just
happened to do it in the bullpen. I struck everybody out."
We'll have to take Bumgarner's word for it on those imaginary outcomes. But what we know is
that the Giants have gotten creative with his schedule in this Cactus League season. Bumgarner
made this brief start on five days' rest. He'll make his next two -- including Opening Day at
Chase Field on April 2 (though San Francisco still hasn't blared the trumpets and made that
obvious announcement just yet) -- on five days' rest as well.
Exactly 1,500 innings into Bumgarner's big league career, counting both the regular season and
his epic Octobers, a little March manipulation makes sense.
"He's been carrying a heavy workload," manager Bruce Bochy said. "We want to take care of
him."
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A question that has arisen often is whether the Giants will take care of Bumgarner financially.
Not that he's strapped for cash, but his current contract -- an extension reached in 2012 --
currently rates as one of the most team-friendly pacts in baseball. Bumgarner will make $11.5
million this year, with two more club options of at least $12 million a season for 2018 and '19.
He can make a little more based on how he fares in the Cy Young Award voting, but still, that's a
bargain.
"In my mind, I wanted to outperform it anyway," Bumgarner said. "I'm not a big gambler. That's
why I did that."
Because the luxury tax is calculated based on the average annual value of in-house contracts
and not the exact figures for a single season, San Francisco could not extend Bumgarner's
current deal at the going market rate -- in the case of an elite starter like this, you're talking
somewhere in the neighborhood of $30 million per year -- without it affecting its current
burden at a time when the club is already aligned to pay a 50-percent tax on every dollar north
of $195 million.
That's probably the best explanation why a new deal with the Giants does not appear
imminent.
So what you have instead is a typical spring for Bumgarner. It's the same unique arm angle --
that long, straight arm coming at you at three-quarters angle and then whipping across his body
-- and the same strike-throwing, batter-challenging "let's see what you got" mindset, albeit with
some slight schedule tweaks of late to make sure the workhorse will be ready for his workload.
Every starter in every camp claims to be training to throw 200-plus innings, but only 15 guys
were on that increasingly elusive list in 2016, and Bumgarner has been on it each of the past six
years.
There is an art to the way Bumgarner approaches his craft and earns his outs. At a time when
intel is seemingly everything, this guy goes into his outings without a specific approach in mind
for how to attack a given lineup on a given night.
"You just adjust," Bumgarner said. "If your stuff's different or you're not able to make a pitch,
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you've got to figure out what you have to get through the lineup that day. That's why I don't
have a game plan when I go out there. I just try to read the situation and see the hitters. If you
have a set plan, a lot of times you miss that stuff and you just get dialed into what you wanted
to do and you end up sticking with it, whether it's working or not."
Bumgarner has said this spring that his mechanics were actually off-kilter the past couple years,
years in which he nonetheless notched the two best strikeout rates of his career. The 2016
season -- when he had a 2.74 ERA, a 149 ERA+ and 251 K's while facing a league-high 912
batters -- was his best yet.
Asked to explain what, exactly, was off, Bumgarner said the answer would require a three-hour
sitdown. So again, let's just take his word for it and assume he knows his body best. Let's also
assume that if Bumgarner performs as well and feels as well in the real games as he has in this
camp, the high standard that is a typical Bumgarner year is on tap.
"He's ready to go," Bochy said.
Even for just two innings, it's an awesome sight to see.
MLB.com
Giants bracing for bullpen without Smith
Chris Haft
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- After experiencing an almost idyllic Spring Training that was mostly devoid
of controversy or adversity, the Giants suddenly must confront injuries to three key performers
who could be sidelined for prolonged periods.
Left-hander Will Smith, considered potentially the top setup reliever for closer Mark Melancon,
has both a sprain and a strain in his throwing elbow that may require surgery.
First baseman/outfielder Michael Morse, who was cheerfully overcoming the odds against him
as he tried to make the Opening Day squad as a non-roster player, injured his left hamstring
while rounding first base Monday and will be shelved for at least two weeks, Giants manager
Bruce Bochy said.
Outfielder Mac Williamson, who was competing with Jarrett Parker for the left-field vacancy,
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also is expected to miss at least two weeks as his injured left quadriceps heals.
Smith's health is a primary concern, given the possibility of surgery and his unique position on
the club. The Giants' mostly young and relatively inexperienced bullpen has no obvious
candidates to perform setup duties besides Smith, a five-year veteran.
Smith, who was sidelined with inflammation in his left elbow earlier in Spring Training,
interrupted what was only his second Cactus League appearance Monday against the White Sox
when he felt discomfort and walked off the mound. Bochy pointed out that a re-injured area
typically requires more recovery time than usual. The Giants' medical staff continued to
examine Smith on Tuesday.
"I see [Smith] being down for a little while, but it's hard to say exactly how long until I find out
what's going on," Bochy said.
Smith's misfortune alters the Giants' left-handed landscape. Rookie Steven Okert, who has not
yielded an earned run in six appearances, almost certainly will make the team. The same goes
for Josh Osich (despite his 7.11 ERA). Ty Blach, a contender for the No. 5 starter's spot, could be
tried in relief. Blach's 5.02 ERA is deceiving, particularly given his 11-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Bochy also mentioned Michael Roth, a non-roster invitee who has big league experience with
the Angels (2013-14) and Rangers (2016).
Morse, meanwhile, was batting just .258 but had compiled an .859 slugging percentage. The
Giants envisioned him as a much-needed source of power off the bench and as a right-handed-
hitting complement to Parker, the left-handed hitter who's likely to be San Francisco's primary
left fielder.
Asked whether he'd consider trying to play himself back into game shape at Triple-A
Sacramento after rehabilitating his injury, Morse told reporters he's not sure. "I don't know. I
don't want to think about that yet," said Morse. "If it gets to that point, I'll think about it, but
right now it's [about] how I feel every day. I don't want to get ahead of myself."
Morse's likely stretch of inactivity widens the opening for other non-roster position players
seeking bench roles, such as Aaron Hill, Jae-gyun Hwang and Chris Marrero.
Williamson, who hasn't played since last Wednesday, is batting .324 with two home runs. Only
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recently has the Giants' staff begun to comprehend the severity of his injury.
"Mac's a little ways away," Bochy said. "He did a pretty good job with that quad."
By "pretty good," Bochy meant that Williamson is hurt pretty badly, which has dampened some
of the enthusiasm of the Giants' spring.
CSNbayarea.com
Barry Bonds joins Giants front office
Alex Pavlovic
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants announced Tuesday that Barry Bonds has joined the
organization as a special advisor to president and CEO Larry Baer. Bonds will join Giants camp
on Wednesday.
Bonds will represent the organization at community and organizational events in San Francisco
and will spend a week in camp. During the season, he will visit the organization's minor league
teams to work with prospects.
"I am excited to be back home with the Giants and join the team in an official capacity,” Bonds
said in a statement. “San Francisco has always been my home and the Giants will always be my
family. I look forward to spending time with the team, young players in the system as well as
the Bay Area community.”
Baer said the Giants are "delighted" to make this move, which had been in the works for awhile.
”As one of the greatest players of all-time, Barry’s contributions to our organization are
legendary," Baer said. "He joins Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda and other
distinguished alumni who help advise the club and we look forward to working with him again.
”
Bonds spent the final 15 seasons of his career in San Francisco, hitting 586 home runs for the
team. He won seven NL MVP awards and made 14 All-Star teams. He spent last season as the
Marlins' hitting coach.
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CSNbayarea.com
Giants spring training day 37
Alex Pavlovic
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- There is no doubt at this point that Jarrett Parker will face Zack Greinke
and the Arizona Diamondbacks on opening day. What the Giants do for the leftover left field at-
bats early in the season remains a mystery.
Michael Morse is out at least two weeks. Mac Williamson is also out at least two more weeks
with a quad strain.
"Mac's a ways away," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He did a pretty good job on that quad."
A month ago, Justin Ruggiano would have been the heavy favorite to pick up the slack. But the
veteran lefty-masher is batting just .194 this spring, and even a recent uptick has included some
plays that bothered the coaches. Ruggiano was twice thrown out on the bases Monday and on
Tuesday he double-clutched before making a late throw after a Padre was caught flat-footed
between first and second. The door to a roster spot is wide open, and another right-handed
hitter is trying to charge through it.
Chris Marrero had two more hits Tuesday, raising his spring average above .300. He hit his sixth
homer, and it's no fluke. Marrero slugged 23 homers in Triple-A last season for the Red Sox
affiliate.
"This guy has had an impressive spring," Bochy said. "He plays first base, outfield, he's a right-
handed bat. Mike (Morse), with his injury, it obviously shortens the competition up a little bit.
Chris is just doing all he can. It's been a great spring for him."
Marrero said he comes to the park every day with the idea of leaving the staff thinking, "Look
what Marrero did today." So far, so good.
"I'm just trying to go out there and be aggressive," he said. "I know (the opposing pitcher) is
trying to get ahead, especially late in games. I think being aggressive in the zone is keeping me
on pitches. I think (the staff) knows I can hit. But being in the National League, you've got to
play defense. I'm out there early working in the outfield and showing them that I can do that."
It's hard to tell what the Giants will do at this point. Morse was pretty close to a lock, but it's
wide open now. There are surprises every spring, and with a week left in Scottsdale, it looks like
Marrero might just be that guy in 2017.
ICYMI: A very busy, busy morning down here. The big early news: Barry Bonds has returned to
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the organization. He'll be in camp Wednesday.
"He's been here before, this is not something that's new to us," Bochy said. "He'll help out just
like the other guest instructors, (currently Will Clark and Rich Aurilia) and those guys. We could
put together a pretty good team with all the instructors. More than anything, he'll work with
Bam Bam and the hiters. We welcome him here."
There are no firm plans yet, but it's expected that this will open the door for a Wall of Fame
ceremony, number-retiring, statue and all that in the coming years.
TRAINER'S ROOM: The Giants will know more about Will Smith on Wednesday, but the early
diagnosis is not good.
FAMILIAR FACE: Ryan Vogelsong was granted his release by the Minnesota Twins. Per their
beat writers, Vogelsong asked for the move. This gives him a few extra days to try and find a
rotation slot elsewhere.
FLASHING THE LEATHER: Jimmy Rollins made the play of the day, running deep into left field
for a basket catch of a flare that came one batter after a similar ball dropped in right-center.
Rollins has proven over the past month that he can still play shortstop. He’s also hitting just
.094.
GAME RECAP: Nick Hundley hit his first two homers of the spring, driving in four runs. He's
batting .323 ... Cory Gearrin (cracked nail) returned to the mound and pitched an inning ...
Madison Bumgarner pitched two innings and then went down to the bullpen to get up to 85
pitches for the day. That was the plan created by Dave Righetti so Bumgarner wouldn't have to
face an NL West lineup three or four times. He'll see the Padres the first weekend of the
season. When he was down in the bullpen, Bumgarner pretended he was facing all the hitters
who were in the San Diego lineup on Tuesday. "I struck everybody out," he joked.
QUOTABLE: There was a national story the other day noting that Denard Span hasn't looked
good. The Giants disagree (Alex Pavlovic does, too) and Span has certainly looked pretty athletic
over the past couple of weeks. He's running much better than he was a year ago, when he was
coming off surgery. It seems Span saw that story. He lined a double off the left-field wall in the
sixth and then tagged up and took third on a medium fly ball to right.
"It was my last at-bat, I was coming out of the game. I didn't have anything better to do," he
said, smiling. "It's spring training. Why not?"
A lot has gone wrong on the injury front the last few days, but most of the damage has been
done to the edges of the roster. The leadoff hitter looks to be much-improved, and that's one
positive to take away from this stretch of ball.
24
Yahoosports.com
Meet the unlikely hero who lifted the U.S. into the championship of the WBC
Tim Brown
LOS ANGELES – Maybe you hadn’t given a lot of thought to Pat Neshek, the journeyman reliever
whose appearances here have been weighty, if quite brief, and whose right-handed delivery is a
hiccup-y sidearm ballet.
“Yeah, I got called really late,” he said of his place on the pitching staff for Team USA. “I think a
lot of guys musta said no.”
He grinned. The U.S. will play for the World Baseball Classic championship Wednesday night
against the firebrands of Puerto Rico, undefeated darlings, flag-wavers and bottle-blondes of
the tournament. Twenty-four hours after Puerto Rico beat the Netherlands at Dodger Stadium,
the U.S. knocked off previously undefeated Japan, 2-1, with an eighth-inning run that was
followed by the most critical pitch for the Americans of the past two weeks.
It was a changeup. Neshek threw it at, oh, 69 or 70 miles an hour. Japan’s cleanup hitter –
Yoshitomo Tsutsugoh, for whom they sang songs from the left-field bleachers – hit it. As the
ball carried into the gloom toward right field, Japanese runners at first and second base
sprinted ahead, and catcher Buster Posey turned his head abruptly, and people in the seats
behind home plate stood with their hands in the air, and Neshek briefly considered his role
here.
“I haven’t really had much room for failure,” he said. “If they get a hit I’m the worst player
ever.”
Indeed, warming up in the bullpen during the eighth inning, Neshek had been told he’d face a
right-handed hitter. So he threw mostly sliders, which is his best weapon against righties. Got it
going pretty good, actually. Felt good. Summoned to the game with two out and those two
runners on base, a one-run lead to guard, the championship game close, he arrived at the
mound to a few instructions from Posey.
“I think changeups,” Posey said.
“I don’t really throw changeups to righties,” Neshek said.
Posey at that point notified Neshek the next batter – that being Tsutsugoh – hits left-handed.
Left unsaid, he hits a lot of home runs, too.
Neshek nodded and thought, “OK, now I wish I’d thrown more changeups.”
The best part of the WBC, or if not the best a really intriguing part, has been the themes of
unfamiliarity. Names that don’t register. Games that have gone un-scouted, or were scouted
once and let be. The tournament is in that way, and at times, an incredibly pure contest. The
night before, on this very field, Rick van den Hurk, Jair Jurrjens, Shairon Martis, Tom Stuifbergen
25
and Loek van Mil very nearly pitched the Dutch past the Puerto Ricans. If nothing else, the
tournament has been a reminder there are a lot of good ballplayers out there, and there’s
maybe an inch or two that separates the good ballplayer who stretches his budget to pay the
rent from the major leaguer, and the stuff that fills that inch or two may be luck or injury or a
tick of bat speed or a secondary pitch that just won’t come or who knows. But it’s there. Or,
more accurately, not there. And so they wait and hope and say yes to putting on a uniform and
playing in the WBC, because maybe somebody will notice and, if not, it’ll be a good time.
Now, Neshek has pounded out a nice career in the major leagues. He was an All-Star once. He’s
earned life-changing money, a couple times over. Then he stands on a pitcher’s mound in the
third week of March, his heart thumping, feeling the weight of the nation stitched across his
chest, staring in at the plate, wondering who the heck this guy is. And then where that ball’s
gonna land.
“Baseball’s a game where you kinda have to have the tools to stick around,” he said. “Then if
you have the tools you have to stick around for 162 games. A lot of guys can do it for a couple
weeks. A couple months.”
So you may drag your finger down a roster of names. From Colombia, say. Or Israel. Or Italy.
Even the Netherlands. Some of those names you know. Others, maybe not. And then you hold
that roster up against the U.S., the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and you shade that with
your own bias of who you know and what you know about the U.S. major leagues and, perhaps,
wonder how all these games got so competitive.
Because there are good players who can do this, because the difference between your favorite
player and a guy playing right field in, say, Mexico is barely noticeable to the eye. And, then,
over three hours or two weeks, that guy might actually be better. That happens in hardly any
other sports.
On the other hand, the two presumed best teams in the WBC – Puerto Rico and the U.S. – will
also play the last game of the WBC. On the other, other hand, this is the fourth WBC and the
U.S. has never before played for the title.
The bright and brassy commotions from the left-field bleachers lit an otherwise grayish Dodger
Stadium, darkened by a heavy sky and puffs of misty drizzle. Fans backed away from the field,
into rows protected from the elements by ledges overhead. Below them, the infield shined in
patches where the dirt began to hold water.
Meanwhile, the tiny band played. There were trumpets and horns and drums. A whistle or two.
Somehow, they filled the ballpark. Some of the musicians played from memory, others played
with one hand while holding sheet music in the other. They belted out their odes to this guy or
that, their heroes from Japan, while countrymen swinging flags of Japan sang along. It was part
WBC, part high school football game, part juke joint.
26
There had not been a rainout at Dodger Stadium since 2000, and the old place gamely slogged
through three hours of umbrellas, yellow slickers and the occasional hydroplaned grounder.
Andrew McCutchen singled home Christian Yelich with two out in the fourth inning. Yelich
reached on a two-base error, when his hard grounder skipped off Japanese second baseman
Ryosuke Kikuchi and into right-center field.
The U.S. led, 1-0, until the sixth inning, when the right-handed-hitting Kikuchi, listed at 5-foot-7,
152 pounds, drove a fastball from Nate Jones over the right-field fence. Dodger Stadium in early
spring does not yield many opposite-field home runs, and certainly not to many 152-pounders.
Redemption’s a hell of a drug.
In the eighth, Brandon Crawford singled and Ian Kinsler slammed a double to left-center field.
Crawford reached third base, only the third U.S. baserunner to do so. Adam Jones hit a two-
hopper to Japan’s third baseman, Nobuhiro Matsuda. Crawford broke to the plate on contact.
Even a decent throw and he was out by 15 feet. Instead, Matsuda dropped the grounder. It fell
in front of him. Crawford scored. The U.S. led, 2-1.
Mark Melancon, the San Francisco Giants’ new closer and a fresh addition to manager Jim
Leyland’s bullpen, got two out in the bottom of the eighth, but also left two runners for Neshek.
When the count was 1-and-2, Neshek threw that changeup, the one he likes against lefties, and
Tsutsugoh pulled it in the air. The music played. The crowd gasped.
“I really wasn’t worried,” Neshek said. “Then I saw people behind the plate stand up. I was like,
‘Wha…?'”
Tsutsugoh had put a good swing on a pitch he’d not seen before, against a pitcher he’d not
seen before. But the ball had crept a few inches toward his hands, enough to take the sting off.
McCutchen caught that ball in the middle of right field. Then he cast it over his head, backward,
into the bleachers. In the dugout, Neshek caught Posey’s eye. He smiled. He raised his
eyebrows.
“Yeah, yeah,” Neshek said, “it’s fun. We win tomorrow, it’s gonna be crazy.”
27
ESPN.com
WBC needs serious commitment or just get rid of it
Buster Olney
Adam Jones's robbery of Manny Machado's would-be home run and Machado's respectful
salute to his Baltimore Orioles teammate will be the highlight of the World Baseball Classic. But
there have been other indelible moments. Such as Javier Baez's no-look tag, as he pointed at
teammate Yadier Molina. Or Machado's seemingly daily series of web gems.
Or Nelson Cruz's home runs. Or the intimidating power of Wladimir Balentien. Giancarlo
Stanton denting Petco Park. The last outs in the surprising wins for Team Israel. The homeland
pride spilling out of the players and the fans in hugs and shouts and smiles. And if you want to
go full circle, Jones's hometown home run.
We wouldn't remember any of these plays if they happened in plain old exhibition games, a
reality that should inform about the potential that the WBC carries and inspire an industry-wide
conversation. The time has come for all sides to go all-in on the WBC or pack it in, because
unless everybody wholly embraces the event -- from the players to the union to Major League
Baseball -- it's never going to become what it could and should be: An annual celebration of the
sport that draws worldwide attention.
As it stands, there are just too many folks who are just half-in. Every four years, a primary WBC
storyline is which stars are skipping the event, mostly for the U.S. team. There is perpetual
conversation about how MLB needs to better market its stars, but in this case, some of the
biggest stars are declining the opportunity to participate.
Some of the teams cope with the WBC passive-aggressively, sending mixed messages to some
players that they aren't necessarily wild about their participation, with club staffers stewing
about how their best players are in somebody else's camps. Some players believe that Major
League Baseball needs to step up its commitment to give the participants the necessary support
they have grown to expect during the regular seasons and postseasons.
"It's like they're running a high school baseball tournament, instead of something special," said
one player.
So it's time for everybody involved to decide if they’re going to ante up with the World Baseball
Classic and forcefully construct something lasting. And if that's not going to happen, if there's
not going to be a full commitment, it's better to fold the event.
If the players association wants to create the best possible product, with the players benefiting
financially, there needs to be more leadership and a change in the culture. The players are full
partners with MLB in the event, taking one-third of the revenue; MLB gets one-third, and the
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last third goes to the World Baseball Softball Confederation and the federations involved.
If a player is coming back from an injury, hey, it makes sense that he would sit out the
WBC. Max Scherzer has been fighting a ring finger problem and he hasn't been fit to participate,
but a lot of stars have chosen to simply sit out -- and the event would be better if they
participated. If the WBC evolved from mediocre to something really good and lasting, all of the
players would benefit.
It's as if the union agreed to a tug-of-war and some of the biggest, strongest guys walked away
from the rope.
Major League Baseball needs to listen to what the players are saying about improvements in
the event -- how families are handled, transportation, medical treatment, security. Players who
leave their respective teams have to believe that MLB will make arrangements on the par with
what happens in the postseason. If a player is asked to participate and wants to participate, he
should be shepherded all the way through insurance issues, which didn’t happen universally.
The start times need to be more television-friendly, so that an extraordinary play like that by
Jones is seen by more than a small handful of fans.
And if the WBC is to continue and progress, the 30 MLB teams should embrace the
competition. When a player is picked, the teams should promote that the way they do All-Star
selections in July, and treat it as an honor, rather than a nuisance. There is injury concern, of
course, for all teams.
Maybe the teams have too much at stake, too much invested in the players to ever be wholly
comfortable with the WBC; and if that’s the case, well, then end it. But if the WBC is going to
move forward, then the teams need to buy in.
Because it could be great and could be used to fuel interest in the sport around the globe, much
in the same way that hockey is helped by international competition. And the WBC could inject
new life into the All-Star week events.
The bulk of the WBC could be played in spring training annually, with the semifinals and
championship games becoming part of All-Star week in July. On Monday, the Home Run Derby.
On Tuesday, the WBC semifinals. The All-Star Game could be played on Wednesday, with the
managers focusing on player participation, leading up to the WBC final on Thursday. Then the
sport takes a three-day weekend for rest. The players could get more rest in midseason,
something the union has requested. The sport would command the world stage, in what is
generally a sleepy sports week, and checks could be cashed by all sides.
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The players are in midseason condition at the All-Star break, and the WBC semifinals and finals
every July would presumably be at least as compelling as what we’ve seen in the event this
spring, from Jones to Machado to Stanton. If all sides double-down and the history and the
rivalries between the countries deepen year to year, the players and MLB could shape
something that lasts.