San Francisco Giants

Jonathan Sanchez strolled into camp looking a bit different this year.

The 6'2" lefty is 12 pounds heavier than in 2009.

Normally that's a reason for face palms, mumbles, and grumbles from an already impatient fanbase.

Now if Sanchez weighed 245 pounds (ahem, Pablo Sandoval), that could prove problematic fatigue-wise down the stretch. The Giants need to stay fit in order to continue producing during September.

But Sanchez’s weight gain is meant to help, not hurt.

It is believed that his velocity and durability will improve thanks to his heavier figure.

There is a lot of skepticism concerning Jonathan Sanchez, and for good reason. While he threw a No-Hitter last season and was re-signed to a $2.1 million extension this offseason , a lot of Giants fans still question Sanchez's ability to pitch at the next level.

As it stands, the Giants No. 4 prospect is Thomas Neal, a California native who showed considerable promise in the minors last season.

With a strong performance down in San Jose, the San Francisco Giants have invited Thomas Neal to Spring Training to see what the fuss is all about. 

So what did he do last season down in Advanced Single A last season that warrants an invite? 

Just a few hours remain before San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The Giants enter 2010 with raised expectations after a 16-game improvement on their record. That was good enough to get GM Brian Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy sparkly two-year extensions.

Sabean stayed away from the big-name free agent hitters and instead decided to go with short-term solutions—something he has done time and time again in the past.

The probability of Tim Lincecum staying in San Francisco for the next 10 years is very high.

He is smart enough to understand that his quirky personality and liking for green substances is a perfect fit for the Bay Area, and seemed to have a good outlook on his relationship with the team’s front office before his scheduled arbitration hearing last Friday.

Speed kills, right? Well when it comes to MLB, that isn't always the case. In fact, six of the top 10 teams in base stealing in 2009 missed the playoffs.

And over the last few seasons, it is pretty much a coin flip on whether or not the top base stealing teams in baseball make the playoffs. But in particular, speed at the top of the order has proved more critical in the National League.

The NL had three of their four postseason participants from last season in the top 12 in the MLB in stolen bases.

Howard Jackson was an avid New York Giants fan.

Willie Mays is his favorite player, and Howard is easily upset when it is claimed that Mickey Mantle was better than Willie.

He merely refers to the great year of 1954.

Dear Randy,

The first thing I would like to do is to congratulate you on a glorious 22-year career.

If there was ever a player who is certain to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, you, sir, are the one. There should be absolutely no question in anybody’s mind that you rank among the best in history.

The San Francisco Giants announced Tuesday that infielder Juan Uribe will return for a second season by the bay, a one year deal worth 3.25 million dollars, much more then he made last season.

What does this mean you ask? It means that Uribe will see much more time on the field then he did last season, which makes the typical Giants fan like you and me jump up for joy.

Because of this, GM Brian Sabean deserves some applause. However, only Sabean knows how to screw up a good thing.