March 2009 Archives

Some readers of the Zohn are ticked off with me because I made fun of Barry Zito's Twitter gibberish. I'm supposed to leave the guy alone, people tell me.

Why?

When someone writes something and aggressively puts it out there for everyone to see, I, among others, am entitled to ask: What is he saying? Is this a worthwhile use of my time and my brain? Has the writer put a moment's thought into what he's doing? Does this degrade the concepts of writing and thinking?

I asked those questions and I reached the conclusion that, for me, Zito's Twitter is a waste of time, pure filler, superficial -- going on about his suntan or his shoes or wanting to feel like a child.

I think it and I write it just as people comment on my writing all the time. If I can take it I assume Zito can -- otherwise he should surrender his Twitter.

Barry Zito Twitters. You can read his Twitter on Twitter. I read his Twitter and here are some examples. I leave his spelling and grammar as is.

is wearing yellow corderoy short shorts to the pool vintage or cheesy? hmmm

feeling recharged after a day in LA. I love how the city buzzes with creativity and the courage to follow "unrealistic dreams"

just pitched and it's getting hot in AZ. Destination sun tan!

eating taco's at dos gringos!

So, here's what I want to know. Do you find Barry friendly, deep, shallow, goofy? Do you Twitter? And what is Twitter? To read my column on Barry Twitter Zito click here.

Last night Iggy and I went to the movies and saw the Watchmen. I heard it's the best graphic novel and we were eager to see it. But, after serious discussion we give it a low "C."

The special effects were terrific but the story was hard to follow and we never could figure out what point the movie was trying to make -- or even if it was making a point. We called it "phony profound." Also the acting was no big deal. Compare it to "Dark Knight" and there's no comparison.

Iggy and I leave Arizona in a few hours. I hope I entertained and informed while down here. I'm taking the weekend off and will write again on Monday. Have a great weekend.

I spoke to Jason Giambi the other morning, before he got into his uniform and went to work. Here is what we talked about.

Cohn: Do you feel like an Oakland Athletic?

Giambi: It's where I started my career and grew up and became the player I became. I feel like a rookie again. Aside from Chavez I haven't played with anyone. It's nice. It keeps you young being with youth.

Cohn: How good is the team?

Giambi: There's a lot of talent in this room. I'm seeing Buck develop like I saw Chavez and Tejada. This team will surprise a lot of people. Hopefully I can accomplish things I missed out on when I left. When we talked about coming back to the A's Billy said 'I want to win this year.' So he brought in Nomar and Holliday and me. Billy made us feel a big part of what he's doing. So we buy into it. He'll give me choices: "Who will fit in better?' He asked me about Nomar and Cabrera. This team is offensively as good as any time I've played on, very well balanced.

Cohn: Have you changed?

Giambi: I was the youngest. I hung out with Eck and Rickey and Steinbach. We developed together. With Stairs and Hudson, Mulder and Zito we had fun and were tight knit. If you don't have a huge payroll you better get along with each other.

Cohn: What kind of player are you now?

Giambi: I take walks and hit home runs, score runs and create situations. Billy really preaches this stuff. I'm his prototypical guy. I had that relationship with Billy. Billy and I love to talk about the game. This was home. To read my column on Billy Beane evaluating the A's click here.

To read my column on Eric Chavez click here.

Brett Anderson, the top A's pitching prospect threw 4 1/3 today against the Chisox in Glendale and gave up two earned runs, seven hits and struck out 4. I believe he will start the season on the big league team.

He is a smooth lefty, very mature for 21 years old.

Afterward he was asked if he thinks he'll make the big club and he said he takes it one day at a time. I wish players didn't always say that, although I admit it is a deep kind of wisdom I'm still trying to learn.

Anderson: If it happens it happens. I can't really think about it when I'm on the mound.

Cohn: Do you think about it when you're not on the mound?

Anderson: (Trevor) Cahill and I kid each other. We're kind of the kid pitchers left.

Cohn: Would you be disappointed if you start in the minors?

Anderson: No. Hopefully I could go donw there and show them. I'm still only 21 years old.

A couple nights ago the Cohn Zohn had dinner with a couple of the voices of A's baseball - Marty Lurie and Ken Korach. Marty set up the dinner at a nice Japanes restaurant in Scottsdale, a Beni-Hana type place. It was lovely.

The loveliest part however was listening to Ken Korach's voice, which I would describe as honey dripping over a belgian waffle. It's luscious. Just listening to him order off the menu was wonderful. I would listen to Ken read his laundry list. Having a conversation with him made the dinner feel important, as if his words could transform any occasion into a big league atmosphere. I felt like I had to rise to his level of discourse, like I needed to be his color commentator for the dinner. It was thrilling to be the guy that talked after Ken Korach stopped talking, if that makes any sense.

On top of all that, Ken Korach is a real nice guy. He even got his start in Santa Rosa. So he's got that going for him too.

Billy Beane told me a story this morning in his office. He used to have trouble sitting through A's games - he would get so nervous and he'd try to find ways to divert himself. It was the fifth game of the American League Division Series in New York and Beane got an interesting idea. Here's his narration:

"We had Game 5 in '01. Mulder was pitching in Yankee Stadium. He started the game, and I remember thinking, 'I'm not going to sit here and watch this game.' So I went out and got on the subway. I figured I'd just ride the subway for a couple of hours. But I went to one point and came back because I wasn't so familiar with the subway. I took the 4 Train going into Manhattan. I thought, 'I better not get too creative on my time killing here.' I ran the risk of actually getting lost. So I said, 'All right. This isn't going to work.' So I went back to the park. I got back in the middle of it and we were up 2-0 and I said, 'Oh, I've got to watch this whole thing.' We ended up losing that game."

Maybe he should have stayed in the subway.

Arizona is very different than California. I go to school in LA, and there politeness is measured by your ability to ignore other people. You walk into a room, people look at you, then they go back about their business as if you don't exist, and that's supposed to be courteous. It's like, at least they're not telling you how they really feel about you.

In Arizona, everyone is happy and pleased to meet you all the time. It sort of feels like Arizona has taken on all the edenic qualities California is supposed to have but really lost decades ago. People feel blessed to be in the sun, and they just want to share their good mood with everyone. Spring training is a nice microcosm of this attitude.

You walk up to the stadium - a small, quaint stadium that fits ten thousand fans maybe - and you're greeted by a smiling usher, someone from Chicago probably, who says something like "Howdy." Who doesn't like a sincere howdy?

Then when you get in, all the fans are in heaven. Every seat is a great seat, and autographs and foul balls are easy to come by. The players even seem different. Usually, baseball players are the rudest, most ornery professional athletes. Here, they're like little leaguers again. The sport actually feels like a game - what a concept.

Even the old-time baseball guys, the ones that have lost the joy of the game long ago, can't help but lighten up here in Arizona. Here's what I mean. After the Giants lost to the Mariners two days ago, I got to walk on to the field with my dad for the post-game interview with Bruce Bochy. We walked to the dugout, and Boch was sitting at the end of the bench by himself, wearing a hat and sunglasses, looking tuned out and irritated that he had to deliver probably his millionth post game interview. His whole demeanor felt very big league-esque, certainly not in the spirit of Arizona.

But as the interview went on Boch warmed up. It was as if the Spring Training Vibe took ahold of him despite his best efforts to ignore it. He took off his hat and sunglasses, ran his fingers through his hair, crossed his legs, and relaxed. He even chuckled a little bit with the reporters. He showed us a side of himself that probably only exists in Arizona. I doubt those reporters will get the bare-faced cross-legged version of Boch in San Francisco.

As you know I went to the A's minor league camp this morning and that reminded me of Jose Canseco. It was early in spring training in 1997 and the major league club was still training at the minor league facility -- it's big and has 4 fields and accommodates lots of players. The A's had just signed him after an absence of 5 years and the media was waiting around for him to show up. He walked in wearing a pair of black boots with zippers. The zippers stick in my mind as a fashion statement.

They held a press conference to re-introduce him and in the conference someone asked if Canseco was still a fast runner. Canseco said he was and challenged the writer to a foot race. The writer said sure he'd race. Canseco said he wanted to bet on the race to make it worth his while. The writer said how much do you want to bet. Canseco said 25. The writer said 25 dollars? Canseco said 25,000. As I recall the race never came off.

Spoke to Brian Sabean the other day about all things Giant. Here is what he said about Barry Zito. I'll link to my full column later in the day.

Cohn: What are you looking for from Barry Zito?

Sabean: Our hope is that with (Tim) Lincecum and adding Johnson and having Sanchez as a fifth starter, Zito can be one of the guys and not think of himself as the No. 1 or the No. 2 starter. As that pitching staff developed in Oakland he was one of the guys. In fairness to Zito and (Matt) Cain the runs scored for them were horrific the last two years. Everybody is optimistic Zito will have a better start. He doesn't traditionally have a strong first half. That's got to change. In his offseason conditioning he and Wilson worked together. He feels better about his arm strength vs. the last two years. To read my column on Sabean's thoughts on the Giants click here.

It's Day Two here in Scottsdale for the Cohn Zohn proper, that is, my dad and me. Since there were no games in town during the day, we decided to go for an interview. I have a friend from high school, Tyson Ross, who is in minor-league camp for the A's. We met him at a quarter to nine at Papago Baseball Facility. This was the first interview of my life.

Papago feels kind of like Bruce Wayne's secret karate academy in the Himalayas in Batman Begins. It's isolated in the desert, and inside there's hundreds of aspiring major leaguers working hard. We arrived at 8:30 and there were already people in the batting cages, on the infield, and in the weight room. Tyson was at his locker, and after I wound my way through the other big bodies, Tyson spotted me and gave me a hug.

Tyson has always been one of the nicest, most polite baseball players I've ever met. When I played baseball at O'Dowd, there were so many good players that everyone wanted to do the little things to stand out to the coaches as real ball players. This meant assuming the "baseball player persona." That included chewing tobacco, being loud and obnoxious, and sucking up the coaches. Tyson never had to do any of that because he was better than everybody else. He didn't have to try to stand out because he was a 6'5" phenom. For him, baseball came naturally and he didn't need the baseball persona. In fact, I always felt he made strides to stay normal, despite being on the national team, despite being voted "most likely to be famous" in the yearbook his senior year.

Back to Papago. After putting on his A's uniform, Tyson met my dad and me at a picnic table outside the facility, a table where my dad interviewed Mark McGwire years ago. Here's the interview:

Iggy: What do you do in minor-league camp?

Tyson: I'm working on basics, getting my body back into the daily grind of things, getting ready for the season.

Iggy: Where will you be playing?

Tyson: Stockton. It's high "A."

Iggy: The whole season?

Tyson: Hopefully not. I'd like to move up.

Iggy: How does it work?

Tyson: Pretty much I have to put up numbers and if there's an opening.

Iggy: Where would you go after that?

Tyson: Double-A Midland, Texas.

Iggy: Is this exciting for you?

Tyson: Awesome. Every day is fun.

Iggy: What do you still need to learn?

Tyson: I've got to get experience under my belt, doing it every day, go out there and get my innings in. Just all about experience really.

Iggy: Are they tweaking your motion?

Tyson: No. They messed with me a little early on and now it's just little things. They realize who I am. My motion is kind of unorthodox. At first they wanted to change me and put me back into traditional mechanics. But now they realize I'm going to throw a little more upright. They just want to get me a little bit further out front. Use my legs a little more just to protect my arm so I don't end up blowing it out at some point.

Iggy: Do they project you as a starter or a reliever?

Tyson: Yes. So far they have me in the starting rotation. I'm getting my pitch count up there. I think I'm throwing five innings on Friday.

Iggy: What was it like meeting Billy Beane?

Tyson: It was awesome. First time I met him they had me come down and throw a pen in Oakland before a Yankees game. Then I see him all around. He's pretty cool. He knows me on a first-name basis. That's pretty cool. He's just a real cool guy. he doesn't seem like he's the boss or anything. He's out here. He's getting his workout. He talks to me about soccer - he knows my sister plays soccer. He's a big soccer fan.

Iggy: What famous A's players have you met so far?

Tyson: I was in big-league camp the first three weeks of camp. I met Giambi and all those guys and the entire pitching staff. At no point did they ever make me feel like a rookie. I just came into camp and was just one of the guys.

Iggy: Do you feel like you're famous now?

Tyson; (laughs) It's kind of weird every now and then. I took my girlfriend to an A's/Giants game last week and guys asked for autographs. And at the airport someone said hey I know you. As I was driving off he said hey that's Tyson. It's kind of funny. I'm still getting used to it.

Iggy: Have your parents come down here?

Tyson: Yes, about two weeks ago. They came in on a Saturday morning and got to see me pitch in a big-league game that afternoon. I think I got the save that day.

Iggy: What pitchers in particular did you like in big-league camp?

Tyson: Dallas Braden in particular is a good guy. He's from Stockton and he's just a real funny guy. He just "reps" Stockton like you wouldn't believe. He has 209 (the Stockton area code) on his cleats, glove, everywhere.

Iggy: What was it like meeting Nomar?

Tyson: I didn't actually get to talk to him. he showed up my last two days there. Another guy I really like was Gio Gonzalez. He took me under his wing at first, gave me some good insight on things.

Iggy: What about Giambi?

Tyson: Yeah, he's cool, real cool. We've got the same agent.

Iggy: (trying to come to grips with the concept). You have the same agent as Giambi?

Tyson: Yeah. Giambi just works his ass off. He's out there early busting his ass. Takes extra time for the fans. It's really good to see.

Iggy: Do you feel like the same person you were at O'Dowd?

Tyson: Yeah. Nothing's really changed. I'm still playing ball. The only thing different is I don't have school every day.

Iggy: Did you get to see (O'Dowd friend) Jeremy (Simon)?

Tyson: Yeah, he's out here. The other night he came out and hung out with us all.

Iggy: If I turn out to be a sportswriter would you hate me?

Tyson: No. Of course not.

Lowell jumps in: Is being in this camp what you expected it to be?

Tyson: I get to put on an A's uniform every day.

Lowell: You feel proud to be in the A's organization?

Tyson: Definitely. Everything's worked out perfect so far.

Lowell: When do you think it's realistic to expect you'll be a big leaguer?

Tyson: Hopefully sooner than later.

Lowell: You don't put that pressure on yourself?

Tyson: No, no. You just go out there and do your thing every day and try to get better.

Lowell: In the offseason where do you live?

Tyson: In the offseason I went back to Oakland, was living there.

Lowell: With your folks?

Tyson: Yeah. And then I'm probably going to go back next offseason and get a place somewhere with a couple of the guys.

Lowell: In Oakland?

Tyson: Yes.

Iggy and I just returned from the A's minor-league camp at Papago Park. We went to see pitcher Tyson Ross who will start the season in Single-A Stockton. Iggy and Tyson were schoolmates at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland. Tyson, a year ahead of Iggy, attended Cal and was All Pac-10 in 2007 and 2008. He was a second-round A's draft choice.

I'm going to let Iggy write up his interview with Tyson and that will be coming to you a little later today. For now I want to say something about the minor-league park. It is the true grassroots of baseball, all those hundreds of guys learning their craft. Some will make it and some won't. Players were working out in the weight room at 8:30 this morning. The place is all eagerness. And it's beautiful. Outside there are four fields and the complex is on a plain surrounded by red rock mountains. All around you see desert plants and different varieties of cactus.

On the fence near one field you see the name Jim "Catfish" Hunter. In the weight room they've put up plaques for famous A's including Jason Giambi and Terry Steinbach and the whole message is: These guys made it to the majors and now it's your turn to try.

After today's game I asked Bruce Bochy to name the Giants starting pitching rotation in order. Here it is:

Tim Lincecum

Randy Johnson

Matt Cain

Barry Zito

Jonathan Sanchez

A few explanations. First of all this is a potentially good rotation although, get this Sanchez, Zito and Cain had losing records in 2008. Johnson was 11-10, barely a winning record. Only Lincecum dominated. Bochy is putting Johnson second because he wanted righty, lefty, righty. You read it in the Zohn. To read my column on the Big Unit click here.

After today's game Giants skipper Bruce Bochy named his starting third baseman.

Insert trumpet fanfare here.

It is Pablo Sandoval.

Asked why, the skip said, "He's comfortable over there. He has a good arm. His instincts are pretty good. He has a good first step."

To give further credence to this view, the manager added in his laconic style, "He got hit in the mouth and got right out there and showed you how tough he is."

Reminder. Sandoval got hit in the mouth by a ground ball a few days ago and they had to pull his lips from his braces and he refused to take pain killers. That's what the manager meant by tough guy. Meet your starting third baseman.

This is what Randy Johnson said after he came out of todays' game.

How did you feel?

I felt pretty good. I'm a little rusty. I haven't pitched in 10 days. Overall it was better than what I could have expected. It was a good thing after three innings I felt I had gas left. Righetti didn't want to push it. My next start I'll get back to where I want to be, four to five innings.

When will you throw 100 pitches?

My next start is kind of pivotal. It's important to do it now, to condition myself so when I have to do it it's easier. I feel like I just have a little tired arm. Overall I'm feeling like I'm in a groove again. Today I felt a little rusty. I'm glad I came back as early as I did. When you don't throw in 10 days you can be erratic, throw the ball in the ground.

Sitting here in the top of the fifth. First thing that stands out about Lincecum in comparison to The Unit is The Mariners frequently swing and miss against Timmy. It didn't look to me like Johnson was fooling anybody. It seems like the Mariners' approach to Lincecum is to try to hit fly balls and let the dry air carry the ball out. So far they've just been popping it up.

Lincecum looks like he could be a half-way decent pitcher this year.

Top of the third and the Unit is walking to the mound for what I believe is his final inning today. He is very tall and thin. His look is unique and I imagine he is confusing and intimidating to the average hitter. It will be fascinating to see if he can compete at 45. I don't see why not. Here goes:

Rob Johnson: Crashes double on one hop to left field field

Pitcher Chris Jakubauskas: Unit calls Molina out. He talks behind his glove. Pitcher bunts but the runner stays at second. Huh? So it was no sacrifice. Your basic out 2-4.

Chavez: fly out to center

Betancourt: Double to right, but Randy Winn seemed confused. Ball carried farther than he thought. So far Unit has been hit hard 3 times. Inning ends with Betancourt caught stealing at third.

Unit gives up 2 runs in his stint. Not great. Not a big deal, though.

The Giants pitching is so much better than in 2008. They have the Unit. They have Lincecum who pitches next today. They have Matt Cain. Zito no longer has to be the lead guy -- he's not equipped for it. Without the pressure -- and with better arm strength -- he could be improved. And the Giants have a 5th starter -- Jonathan Sanchez -- and they didn't have a 5th at the start of last season. And they have an established closer Brian Wilson, something else they didn't have last year.

Is Rowand a disappointment?

I'm not sure. But it's certainly a discussion. Yesterday he batted 7th and today he bats 5th. He just grounded out to short and it's safe to say he faded in the last half of last season. The Giants will rest him more this year and hope his power numbers increase. Perhaps the Giants put too much pressure on him. He was one of the guys in Philly. In SF they wanted him to be The Man. Some guys can't be The Man. Zito is another example of someone who's better as one of the guys..

Giants go into top of 2nd leading 1-0 on Pablo Sandoval's big blast over the right field fence. Here goes the Unit vs:

Mike Sweeney: Pop out to 2nd

Wladimir Balentien: Home run on 2-0 fastball.

Franklin Gutuierrez: Fly out to right

Matt Tuiasosopo: grounder to Unit that Unit caught in glove. He turned around and transferred ball to bare hand and threw the guy out. Fancy Shmansy.

Gives up one run.

In the top of the first Randy Johnson got Seattle three up three down.

He's coming back from a sore biceps but you wouldn't know it. He threw easily and hard and precisely and although he's 45 he knows his craft. So I ask you this -- Would you like to stand at the plate and have the Unit throwing a ball to you? I'd be scared.

Hi, Iggy here:

Here are some notes on The Unit provided by The Giants:

• Will make his fourth spring start this afternoon against Seattle.
• Returning from minor case of biceps tendinitis.
• Has not pitched since March 8th.
• In first three appearances allowed one run, six hits, in 8.1 innings and 12 strikeouts.

I just flew in this morning and I'm eager to see him work his three innings.

Fascinating game at Scottsdale Stadium at 1:05 pm today. Randy Johnson starts against Seattle and is scheduled to pitch 3 innings. He's coming back from a sore bicep so he's a little behind schedule.

Tim Lincecum will pitch the next 6 innings if all goes well. That's two Cy Young Award winners. I plan to write a column about the Unit and to blog about him during the game. The Giants' strength is their pitching and we should see it today.

Right now I have to drive to Sky Harbor Airport to pick up my kid Iggy, who will spend the next five days with me blogging about spring training before we return home late Friday afternoon. Talk to you in a few hours.

Giants lost 10-9, not that it matters.

Afterward Bruce Bochy talked about the wind. "It wreaked havoc out there. Balls on both sides coudln't be handled."

Although Jonathan Sanchez said Jason Kendall's home run was a wind homer, Bochy said "Kendall hit his pretty good."

Tomorrow, Randy Johnson will start for the Giants and go three innings against visiting Seattle. Tim Lincecum comes next and if all goes well will finish the game. Interesting day of pitching for the Giants.

To read my column on  the return of Ken Macha click here.

Just spoke to Jonathan Sanchez in the visiting clubhouse. He said, "any fly ball it's going to go out."

That's a pretty fair statement. The wind here is unbelievable. He gave up 2 dingers. The first by Rickie Weeks was legit. Sanchez said he left a fastball out over the plate. But Jason Kendall's homer, he thought would be a routine fly ball. No argument there.

So maybe after all Sanchez was merely getting in his work, but wind or no wind, he must do better. The Giants' pitching is crucial because they are not a long-ball hitting club.

By the way, it's the bottom of the 6th and the score is tied 8-8. It goes on.

What is Jonathan Sanchez made of? He has to recover from his shaky 3rd inning, but he gets to face the bottom 3rd of the Brewers batting order.

Duffy. Strikeout swinging. (I accidentally wrote "swining" but fixed it.)

Kendall: Jason Kendall has no power but just hit a homer to straightaway center. It went over a yellow line on the wall. So it was a combo of Sanchez not doing so well and the wind launching the ball.

Villanueva: 3 unassisted.

Weeks: Bochy just took Sanchez out. Fans applaud. Bochy can't be too thrilled.

Osiros Matos in to pitch to Villanueva: Before pitching in 20 games for the Giants last year Matos, a Dominican, was a 7-year Giants minor leaguer. He just K'd Rickie Weeks.

Official line on Sanchez: 3 2/3 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs all earned, 2 walks, 5 strikeouts, 2 home runs. 

I may stop giving game bulletins now. It gets to be garbage time after the teams take out their starting hurlers. I know the teams need to see other guys. But it gets kind of sloppy. I'll get back to you after I speak to Sanchez. I just hope he doesn't say, "I was trying to get in some work."

Please don't say that, Jonathan.

Driving in Arizona is nerve wracking. Not because there's a lot of traffic. It's not as bad as L.A. or even SF in that regard.

It's that they have cameras watching you all over the place. If you speed on certain streets or certain parts of the freeway a camera clicks you and you have to pay -- my friend said 180 bucks. And your insurance goes up.

I am not advocating speeding, believe me, but I hate Big Brother looking at me. I try to drive conservatively down here but I'm afraid sometimes my mind may wonder and I'll creep over the limit for 5 seconds and I'll owe 180 big ones.

Bottom 3rd. Giants lead 8-0. They crushed Brewers hurler Carlos Villanueva in Top of 3rd. I love writing words like hurler and skipper and moundsman, never would use them in my column. But this blogging is informal.

Villanueva leads off vs. Sancez: Pitcher walks

Weeks: Home run to left center on 1-1 pitch. Home run doesn't describe it. Ball launched like a rocket. Someone next to me just said it went like 460 feet. Balls will travel down here. Sanchez needs to pay attention.

Hardy: Triple down left field line. Still nobody out.

Is this a meltdown inning? Sanchez needs to show his poise right now. Dave Righetti is at the mound talking to him.

Hart: Get this. Hart pops out to first -- actually shallow right. Hardy tags and scores. So it was a sac pop fly. Very strange goings on here today.

Fielder: Scorches a line double to right. Fielder moves fast for a chunky guy. Sanchez is looking shall we say vulnerable. Not good. So far the Brew Crew has three runs in the third and still just one out.

Hall: (Sanchez dangles his left arm like Zito when he looks in at the catcher for the sign.)  A friend just came up with a mathematical formula for today's game: high temps plus high winds plus high pitches equals high scoring. Strikeout swinging at ball in dirt, nice block by Molina. Molina by the way is a good catcher and a good hitter and he's real competitive.

Two out.

Cameron: ground out to third

So after going temporarily insane, Sanchez found himself and gave up just 3. Could have been worse. 8-3 SF after 3.

In top of 2nd Sanchez faces Prince Fielder. Routine fly to Fred Lewis in left. Lewis makes the grab but sun is so intense he falls down after catching ball.

Bill Hall: Single to right

Mike Cameron: Walk

Chris Duffy: Now Bengie Molina is walking halfway to the mound and saying something to Sanchez. Runners at first and second, one out. Sanchez just blew Duffy away, struck him out looking. The Giants have an interesting pitching staff with lots of intriguing parts.

Jason Kendall: Smash grounder to Pablo Sandoval at third. Great catch going left. Cameron forced at second.

Giants still lead 6-zip.

Aaron Rowand just hit a two run homer. He's batting 7th. When the Giants signed him did they expect him to bat 7th?

Sanchez just struck out. He may be the worst hitter in the majors.

The Giants scored 5 in the second and one in the first and lead 6-0 after 1 1/2. This Brewers pitcher DiFelice is a candidate to be a middle reliever for the Brewers. Oy. On the other hand, the Giants who couldn't score when I first got down here are beginning to hit. Does that reflect reality?

Windy here. Real windy. They say this ballpark is in Maryvale but it's really west Phoenix. Another lovely place -- all blue and white -- and beyond the outfield fences people sitting on grass hiills, sitting on blankets and leaning back and enjoying. These little parks remind us that baseball is human scale, just men playing ball with men. At the major league parks you sometimes lose sight of that

Randy Winn led off the game with a homer to right off Brewers starter Mark DiFelice -- may have been helped by the gale force winds, well not quite a gale. Brewers manager Ken Macha will have to contend with a pitching staff that lost C.C. Sabathia and Ben Sheets. On the other hand he has seven hitters who can hit 20 or more home runs. It's rewarding to see Macha managing again. He deserves this gig.

Sanchez' first. Reminder. He's a stylish lefty who figures to be a fixture in the Giants starting rotation. They sure need him if they will win with pitching a defense.

First up, Rickie Weeks: I want to say routine fly ball to right fielder. But right fielder Corey Hart ended up running into center and passing center fielder Mike Cameron for a not so routine out. Wind.

J.J. Hardy: Strikeout looking

Corey Hart: Strikeout swinging.

Sanchez looked sharp and now I have to admit something. In this park the press box is where it should be -- behind home plate. In Glendale it's down the third base line. Anyway, here I can see the pitches real well and when a pitcher throws a breaking ball I can't always tell if it's a curve, slider or split-fingered. On the TV and radio the announcers are always so certain. I'm not. Are you?

I'm in Maryvale -- a neighborhood in Phoenix. I'm at the Brewers home park. I just interviewed new Brewers skipper Ken Macha and will write my column about him for Monday. And I'll blog about Jonathan Sanchez who's starting today for the Giants today. But I can't get this Singletary gag order out of my mind, how he won't let his coaches, grown men, talk to the media.

Some readers of the Zohn tell me the Niners have people who leak to the press and Singletary is trying to stop that.

That's not how it works. A leaker does not tell a writer stuff at the practice field or in his office. It would be too dangerous. Leakers phone writers -- or vice versa. That way no one knows. Believe me that's how it works. So Singletary's ban is irrelevant to leaking.

As far as Singletary not wanting his coaches to be bothered by the media because they have so much work to do -- well that is lame. Are these coaches mental deficients? You mean they can't coach, walk off the field and chat a few moments. This whole thing is phony baloney and I fear Singletary is a control freak, someone who won't wear well. I do admit if his team is a winner none of this Mickey Mouse stuff will matter.

I find it interesting and discouraging that some readers are defending Singletary's news blackout. Sure, you may not like me  and think it's fair he's keeping his assistants from talking to me, a bigmouth columnist. But what about great reporters like Matt Maiocco and Matt Barrows? They did nothing wrong. They are fairminded. They are ethical and professional.

It's a sad commentary that Singletary is trying to hide things from them that never should be hidden. He's supposed to be a tough guy.  What's he so afraid of?

I'm down here in the desert covering baseball but just read Matt Maiocco's blog about Mike Singletary who always does the wrong thing.

He put the muzzle on his assistant coaches, told them not to talk to the media. For a bright man Singletary is such a dope.

A coach cannot treat his assistants like children. It breeds discontent. Assistant coaches are educated men. They are sophisticated. You assume they know their jobs and they know how to talk and they are discreet. Singletary is treating them as if they're morons.

It's worse than that. He is acting as if he has something to fear -- like maybe he's insecure. He's acting like he doesn't trust his coaches to watch his back and he's acting as if the media is his enemy. That's the fastest way to make the media his enemy. Singletary came to this job with great goodwill. He is throwing it away as fast as he can. This latest dictatorial decree makes me wonder if he knows what he's doing. It also makes me wonder if he's even a nice guy.

Here is the last section of my Sunday column which will get posted later today. It is the scene of Trevor Cahill talking to the media after his terrific outing vs. SF. Here goes:

After his six innings Cahill met the media in the clubhouse. He is a large hulking guy with a shaved head and he sat at a table while we asked questions. He answered politely in few words and he stuck to technical issues - what he was working on, etc. After the other writers left I mentioned that (A's director of player personnel Billy Owens) had called him a quiet assassin. What does that mean to Cahill?

Cahill stared at me. "I try not to show my emotion out there and I'm shy," he said. "The first part means I'll surprise you."

What about assassin?

He thought it over. "When guys get in scoring position I really focus in."

I said that was an answer of sorts but it didn't explain assassin. He didn't say anything. I said Cahill seems self-effacing and that is strange for someone who's been good at what he does for so long.

"I had a losing record in high school," he said. "I was never a top prospect until my senior year when I started throwing harder."

I said he sounded almost apologetic about himself.

"I'm shy," he said.

 "You'll get over it," I encouraged him.

 "I don't want to be shy."

 "I can understand that."

 "Shy people don't want to be shy," he said.

A's ahead 3-1 in top of 5th.Will this be Cahill's last inning? He looks awfully good. If the other two kid pitchers are as good as this guy the A's are on to something.

Bowker: Fly out to center.

Posey:  Fly out to right

Velez: 3 unassisted.

No hits, no runs.

The great Jeff Fletcher, sitting next to me, said Cahill is done for today -- one run in five innings. I think Jeff's clue was when the A's started a pitcher throwing in the bullpen.

A thought: The A's did not sign a big name pitcher in the offseason. Could be they think Cahill, Anderson and Mazzaro are so close they didn't need to spend on a veteran.

A's now lead 3-0.

Schierholtz: Line single right field.

Aurilia: 543 DP. Giambi makes nice grab on the relay throw, tags out Aurilia coming up the first base line.

Ishikawa: Dinger deep right into the bright afternoon air. Ishikawa looks OK.

Rohlinger: 57.

one run.

I sit in the press box at Phoenix Muni and look toward the outfield. Nearby I can see the cars driving by on Van Buren St. Beyond that two large hills loom past left field. One is a regular hill -- dirt and patches of green growth. Next to it, though, is something strange, something you see in Arizona. A red rock -- really a little mountain -- with holes in it, almost caves, rises from the ground. It looks like something deposited by an older civilization. But it's merely a deposit of the Earth itself. I sit here and watch spring ball and I'm reminded how amazingly old is the world.

Top of the third. A's lead 1-0. Garciaparra drove in the one with a liner to left and the bases loaded.

Cahill takes the mound:

Eugenio Velez: K, flailing

Andres Torres: Pop to short

Renteria: 63

A's director of player personnel Billy Owens spoke to me about Cahill before the game. I asked him to describe Cahill. "He's kind of a quiet assassin," Owens said. "He has an 88 to 92 mile per hour devastating sinker. He will be a good major league pitcher. It's a matter of when."

Top of the second:

Rich Aurilia: 63

Travis Ishikawa: Single up the middle

Ryan Rohlinger: Double to left field wall on one hop. Runners second and third, one out.

John Bowker: 13. Runners stay put

Buster Posey: 53

No runs score. Cahill pitches out of trouble.

The A's Trevor Cahill is throwing his warmup pitches from the mound. He is one of what people are calling the A's Little Three -- Cahill, Brett Anderson and Vin Mazzaro. The A's hope they turn into a Big Three, Zito, Hudson Mulder.

Andres Torres: K looking

Edgar Renteria: 43

Nate Schierholtz: 3 unassisted.

Bruce Bochy whose Giants are here playing the A's in a split squad was just now sitting in the visiting dugout. So I asked him about wine because I know he's a wine guy. I asked about Sonoma County wineries  and he said, "Can I name Napa ones too?" I said sure.

Here's his list of wineries he's visited and bought from.

Jordan

Silver Oak

Hourglass

Quintessa

Tudal

Luna

Pride

Switchback Ridge

He has three wine coolers at home and likes big cabs but also drinks merlot, pinot noir, pinot grigio. He drinks wine with dinner but only if the Giants win. "So we're hoping to go through all the wine this year," he said.

He also likes fine dining. Loves Cyrus in Healdsburg, also the French Laundry, Redds in Yountville. He's stayed at the Jordan Winery. He wanted to mention one more restaurant. He could picture it right on the main street in downtown St. Helena. French place. But he couldn't recall the name for the life of him. He pulled out his cell phone and phoned his wife Kim but she also drew a blank. As I left he said, "I'll probably remember the name in the third inning."

Right now Keith Olbermann is leaning agains the fence in front of the home dugout talking baseball. That Keith Olbermann. Remember, he used to be a sports guy.

He's wearing jeans and sneakers and looks like a guy. When I went over to him he was friendly. He said he was in L.A. and had to fly back to N.Y. but stopped in Arizona to see his first spring game here since 1987. A lot has changed.

He is a baseball fan but doesn't root for a particular team. Tomorrow he's going to Glendale to see Joe Torre. I guess they're friends. He's also friends with Red Sox manager Terry Francona who's always asking Olbermann to sit in the Sox dugout -- I don't think he has yet.

Olbermann's casual presence down here is proof once again that spring training is the great melting pot.

I'm at Phoenix Muni, the A's ballpark -- which a long time ago was the Giants park. I got here around 9:00 a.m. and it's clear dry beautiful day, typical for this time of year in the desert.

In the locker room Jason Giambi, Travis Buck and Bobby Crosby were playing cards. Crosby had dead fish eyes. He used to be a rising star and he was rookie of the year and now he's a utility player and the A's don't seem to care if he stays or goes. That will give a guy dead fish eyes.

The A's are what writers call "loose." They've always been that way. Lots of laughing in the clubhosue while guys ate cereal and waffles. Giambi has a beard, said he's happy to come back where he began. Chavez had done a workout -- shirt sweat-filled -- he admits to worries. He knows he can field but can he hit? His right shoulder got hurt and he's had surgeries and hasn't been productive and he admits he doesn't know if he'll ever be the player he was supposed to be.

I'm planning to write my column today on starting pitcher Trevor Cahill who just turned 21. The organization is thrilled with him. In fact, the A's has three potentially amazing kid starters -- Cahill, Brett Anderson (21) and Vin Mazzaro, 22. You can see where this is going. Billy Beane is hoping he's discovered the next generation of Zito, Hudson and Mulder.

After he came out of the game today Barry Zito spoke to the media. Some of the writers asked his opinion about the battle for the 2nd base job between kevin Frandsen and Emmanuel Burriss, who by the way are friends -- so it's a friendly competitioin.

Zito looked at us and said, "Is that it, a battle between them? Is that what it is?"

Immediately after that he asked, "Is Renteria starting at short?"

I have been in Arizona only three days and I know Burriss and Frandsen are fighting it out for second. How come Zito doesn't know? I also know that Edgar Renteria is the starting shortstop -- that's the whole idea behind acquiring him.

So, is Zito that clueless? And when he asks about Renteria is he asking about a fact or is he saying slyly that Renteria is not a good fielder? I don't know.

Anyway, Zito pitched well and it was good to see. The Giants need him and for his own pride you don't want people to call him a bust a loser or a bum.

Giants lead 6-3 in top of the 6th. By the way Emmanuel Burriss is 3 for 4 and I believe leads Kevin Frandsen in the battle to be the starter at second. 

Zito, who's doing well, faces:

Dye: ground out to short.

Thome: Strikeout swinging

Konerko: Single to center.

Betemit: Strikeout swining. Nice.

Zito looked like a real pitcher today. Had a bad second inning and came back with four scoreless innings. Consistently threw his ball over the plate -- didn't nibble, didn't fall behind, walked only one guy, gave up no home runs, one earned run. Very encouraging.

Top 5th. 5-3 Giants. Zito pitches to:

Brent Lillibridge: Strikeout, Zito's first.

Brian Anderson: Single to left on 3-1 count.

Ramirez: Foul pop to catcher.

Quentin: Fly out to center. Inning over. No runs.

Bottom of the 4th. Giants lead 5-3, executed a double steal in top of fourth.

Thome: Ground out to second.

Konerko: 31, diving grab by Ishikawa and throws to Zito covering.

Betemit: Single to left.

Chris Stewart: Liner to Guzman at third, nice play to his backhand side. No runs.

Baseball people have issues with this park, which I wrote is beautiful and it is.

But the visiting clubhouse is way down the third base line and to get to the field players have to walk along the back wall and down to the field. The dugout is not connected to the clubhouse. Also the press box is along the first base line -- a rare place it's not behind home plate. Odd.

Zito starts the third score tied 3-3.

Brian Anderson: 4-pitch walk. 4th pitch high high.

Alexei Ramirez: Forces Anderson at 2nd.

Carlos Quentin: Bloop single to center. Runners first and second one out.

Dye: DP 543. End of inning no runs.

Zito is holding his own.

Going into the bottom of the second the Giants lead 3-0. Chicago starter Jose Contreras is all over the place and the Giants are clobbering him, their best hitting by the starting lineup in days.

Zito is warming up and he looks fluid, has a beautiful lefty motion.

First batter up is Jermaine Dye: Gets to first on throwing error by Jesus Guzman who threw the ball way high. If he makes the team it won't be because of his fielding.

Jim Thome: Hit by pitch. Men on first and second.

Paul Konerko: This will be interesting. In the past when things went badly for Zito he crumbled. Let's see. Well, on the second pitch Konerko crashed a ball to the left field fence for a double. One run scores.

Wilson Betemit: 0-2 to Betemit. Zito dangles arm, takes time. Betemit steps out. Drives ball through middle. Another run scores. Runners at first and third no one out. Ouch.

Chris Stewart: Hits into 643 DP. Another run scores. Game tied at 3.

Brent Lillibridge: No one on base. 53. End of inning. Two of the runs were unearned.

Bottom of 1st, Zito pitched easily and confidently. 3 up 3 down.

Giants lead 1-0 after one. Had bases loaded, no out in first, scored once.

The game between Giants and White Sox in Glendale starts in 15 minutes. Barry Zito is the starting pitcher for the Giants. He has pitched four times in spring. His record is 0-1 and his ERA is 7.24. In his last start against KC he gave up six runs in five innings.

He has been more willing to throw the ball over the plate this spring -- a good sign. He often tries to be "too fine," his phrase. And that means he often falls behind the count and has to come in and gets tagged. In his last start he did get ahead of the batters but got tagged anyway. It will be interesting to see how he does starting in a few minutes.

I just arrived at the White Sox Park in Glendale where the Giants are playing today -- Barry Zito pitching. This is quite a place, just opened this year for the Sox and Dodgers. Imagine, sharing a stadium.

In the old days -- hey, I'm old enough to say old days -- well, in the old days not so many teams played in Arizona and the parks were rickety and funky. Now they are little palaces. This place even has luxury suites and a second deck, but there aren't man seats in it. It's all intimate but the facade looks like weathered copper -- very stylish -- and you can see beams flying off into space and the whole impression is of a house at Sea Ranch that won an architectural prize.

Being here I understand yet again baseball is such big business. But in the spring venues the big merges with the small and here the result is charming. They're currently playing jazz over the public address system. LIfe is great.

More bad news for Giants pitcher Noah Lowry. He didn't pitch last season because of forearm surgery. Now he has stiffness in his back and shoulder and they put him on the DL. He won't be ready for opening day.

The main question obviously is this: Will a guy who's had multiple medical procedures on his arm ever be ready?

I'm taking off for Glendale in about an hour where the Giants play the White Sox at 1:05 pm. Barry Zito is pitching. Stay tuned.

Finally, I want to impose a personal note. When Matt Cain came out of the game today, the Giants invited the media to speak with him in the clubhouse even though the game continued. This early access is one of the delights of spring training. Three sportswriters approached Cain at his locker. He looked at us in surprise. He wanted to know where the others were.

But there were no others. Well, one guy for an internet site had to run over to the White Sox and a writer for the Associated Press had another duty. But I'm talking about actual newspaper writers who write for made-of-paper newspapers -- three of us.

I won't give you the spiel about the demise of newspapers and how bad that is for America. You've heard it all and it may not even be true. I'm talking about newspapers and baseball and I'm saying they go together.

Both are American traditions, swarms of newspaper writers hanging around players and knowing them and writing from intimate knowledge and informing you and putting you in the clubhouse and on the field and in the players' minds. And I'm saying sportswriters used to arrive in armies to these delightful tiny Arizona ballparks, and it was a one-of-a-kind scene, a carnival of colorful writing about baseball.

And I'm saying Matt Cain was standing there in a T-shirt and his long johns, a typical ballplayer after a game, and he was ready to talk and he wondered why there weren't more people to talk to. He felt the emptiness and he heard the silence and he knew something had changed even if he didn't know what.

Still 3-0 Sox after 5. Giants can't hit.

Lovely scene here in Scottsdale Stadium. Wish you could be here. I'm looking toward center field. In the stands they've put up yellow and blue umbrellas and past that you can see the palm trees tall and lonely against the pastel blue sky. In the distance -- the orange/red mountains. Wonderful place to be this time of year -- a combo of festive and relaxing. The warmth feels good -- may help me get over this Northern California cough I can't shake. People in the stands feel they're at a party, and they are.

Cain still in to pitch top of 6th.

Strikes out Jermaine Dye swinging.

Paul Konerko hits homer to left on 3-2 pitch.

Alexei Ramirez pops to third.

Josh Fields walks.

Bochy comes to mound, takes ball from Cain. Cain is done. Lefty Alex Hinshaw in.

Cain's pitching line on a Thursday in Arizona: 5 2/3 innings; 4 runs all earned, 5 hits, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 2 homers.

After three innings it's White Sox 3, Giants nothing. The Giants had two runners on in bottom of 3rd, couldn't score. Out of the corner of my eye, I'm watching Cal lose to Maryland on a press box TV set. Things don't look so good for the Bears.

For Cain, four up three down. No runs allowed.

Cain started off the inning by giving up a whopper homer to left to Carlos Quentin on a 3-1 count. Then Jermaine Dye hit a blast that center fielder Andres Torres caught near the wall. So far Cain is not over-powering. When Lincecum didn't do well on Wednesday it was because of bronchitis. Maybe Cain has bronchitis too.

After 2 1/2 White 3, Giants still in search of...

Still two to zip, White Sox. The Giants so far have had one baserunner and he got eliminated in a DP. The Giants' pattern this spring is that the starters don't do well vs. the opponent's staring pitcher. After the no-names come in the Giants do better.

The Giants need to upgrade their hitting. You think?

The Giants didn't score in the bottom of the first. Randy Winn was on first with a single, but Rich Aurilia, batting third, hit into a double play to end things.

Cain got the first two guys out then walked the pitcher, John Danks. Walked the pitcher? Maybe he lost his concentration and his location and his sense of place and maybe he had an existential crisis. Or maybe he just missed the strike zone. Jerry Owens hit a weak fly ball to left to end the inning. No harm.

I'm trying to watch the game through the mist -- it has a dreamlike quality.

Cain gave up two runs in the top of the first. He gave up two doubles. Jermaine Dye hit the first double. It would have been a single but Nate Schierholtz in left dove for the ball and it went past him. Not a diver. Paul Konerko hit a double off the right field wall. The ball just kept carrying -- the dry air here, I guess. Not a great inning by Cain. Then again, it doesn't matter.

Maybe I'm jumping the gun here but I think my chances of talking to Sabean are out the window. The game starts in about 15 minutes and I don't imagine us getting together. If I'm wrong I'll let you know.

So I'll fill you in on the game. Matt Cain is starting for the Giants. Really good pitcher. Hard luck pitcher. His spring record is 0-2 with an ERA of 7.59. This being spring those numbers are not cause for worry, unless and you're Barry Zito and your record is 0-1 and you have an ERA of 7.24. Zito has not earned the benefit of the doubt spring allows. Cain has.

Back in a bit.

Still waiting. Getting nervous. Sabean is supposed to be my column for Friday. Oh well.

As I sit here I'm thinking Lew Wolff, how he bashed Oakland and the A's fan base last week, how he was so grumpy and ill advised considering the A's will be in Oakland another, what, 4 years. Bad timing to put down the fans just before the season starts.

But it makes me think. He must be pretty confident he has options to say what he said re: Oakland. I think he thinks he's going to get San Jose for the A's. I think he thinks his pal Bud Selig will make the deal happen for him. When a man thinks he has it made he has the luxury of being rude and grumpy.

I'm waiting, waiting for Brian Sabean. He's elusive. Sometimes I think he can be a ghost.

So, here I am sitting in the press box, little, at Scottsdale Stadium, little.

Scottsdale Stadium is my favorite ballpark in life -- everything is human size and beautiful. And while I'm up here I'm looking at batting practice and I see Bill Neukom -- the Nuke -- the managing general partner etc. etc. He's wearing a Giants cap and a credential and he's leaning against the batting cage like a veteran. I don't know if he knows what he's looking at. But he looks important.

A guy in jeans and cowboy boots just walked over to the cage. I thought it was some celebrity. It was White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen sans uniform. He and  Bruce Bochy hugged although Guillen did most of the hugging and Bochy allowed himself to be embraced. Which is a typical Bochy moment. Nice guy. Pleasant. Ultimately unavailable.

I haven't written any A's yet -- they're playing far away today. And tomorrow I'm writing Giants again because Zito is pitching and it's a necessity to see him -- see what he is. You understand.

Talk to you later. Still waiting on Sabean.

Day 2 in the desert -- my first full day. Breezed by Pablo Sandoval's locker, the poor guy who was attached by a groundball yesterday in Mesa. Remember, he wears braces and the braces adhered to his lips after the ball hit him in the mouth.

Well, he was as happy as can be. Honest. He said he got no stitches. "I only got a fat lip and lost half my tooth," he said. He said he's available to play today although he's not in the starting lineup. "I don't know if they'll let me play. His  tooth looks OK, got fixed at 6 am today.

Will he be afraid to play 3rd now?

"Why? It's the way I play. If you hit me you have to hit me hard again."

Is this guy a baseball player or a boxer?

He continued. "I like it (getting mashed). I don't get frustrated. I know why. I'm 'duro,' tough."

He said they gave him a pain pill last night but he didn't take it.

Moving on. I tried to chat with Rich Aurilia, here on a minor league contract. He was between things and said he'd get back to me later. So I hope to have some Aurilia for you. Closer Brian Wilson walked by with a big mohawk hairdo. He looked like some kind of head banger -- I just learned the term head banger and I'm not sure what it means. Bengie Molina admired the mohawk. Wilson said Bengie should grow one. I hope to interview Brian Sabean later today. Often he looks out the window and shows me the back of his head when we talk. I'm used to it but I don't what it means.

The Giants beat the Cubs 8-6 although you shouldn't pay attention to spring scores. The big hit was a 9th inning grand slam by infielder Nick Noonan.

Afterward manager Bruce Bochy talked about Pablo Sandoval who got here in the mouth with a hard grounder at third. "Both his lips attached to his braces," Bochy said. He said (the trainer) "had to "pull his lips off. And he chipped a tooth. Both his lips were cut. He'll be pretty sore here the next couple of days and he'll need at least a couple of days off. The infield here is hard, like a lot of these infields in the desert. It just came up on him. They're taking him to the dentist right now."

Good luck to Sandoval -- tough injury.

I'll get to what Tim Lincecum said in a minute. First I want to tell you about Pablo Sandoval's fat lip. Joey Gathright hit a hard grounder to him at third. The ball took a bad hop. Sandoval tried to backhand it and it hit him in the mouth whereupon Sandoval fell down. They took him to the clubhouse and applied ice and the trainer seemed worried. Aaron Rowand explained why. "If it did get him in the mouth it's not good. He has braces."

Good luck to Sandoval.

Now to Lincecum. We met him in the visiting clubhouse here, one of the smallest rooms on Earth. This is what Lincecum had to say about his performance. "It was not a good effort. The walks, the hits, a lot of base runners. Pretty subpar for me."

He is getting over bronchitis and had skipped bullpen work and said he never felt right. On the other hand, this is spring. He doesn't have to be right.

Final line on Lincecum:

3 2/3 innings

7 hits

4 runs, all earned

4 walks

6 strikeouts

1 home run

It's like he did everything -- some good some bad. But he's durable and strong.

A word of caution on the Giants. This was their opening day lineup and they couldn't score a run in five innings against the Cubs starter. They do not have enough home-run threats. They do not have enough offense. Think about that.

Tim L is still in there starting the 4th. 3-0 Cubs.

Gathright leads off: Single to deep short. Renteria gets ball in hole, but throw not in time.

Dempster up. Looking to bunt. 2-2 count. Strike 3 foul pop bunt. Not a bunter.

Soriano up. K.

Theriot up. Gathright steals second. Grounder to short. Renteria doesn't handle it. Called it a hit. Borderline call. Gathright scores. Lincecum comes out for Taschner.

Interesting outing for Tim L. Clearly not sharp. Gave up 4 runs and 7 hits, but he battled and gave up no runs in 2nd and 3rd. He has a baby face but he's tough and there is nothing in this outing to make anyone worry.

LIncecum got the first two outs in the third. Then gave up a line single to Fontenot that almost took his head off. Then he walked Taguchi and after that Dave Righetti visited the mound. He K'd Bako and that was the inning.

Further thoughts while the Giants bat in top of 4th. Emmanuel Burriss looks good at second base. He smashed a single in the third and he fields well and don't be surprised if he wins the position.

To start off the second Lincecum just walked Joey Gathright. Tim L looks more like Barry Zito than himself.

He's getting over bronchitis and looks weak and has trouble finding the strike zone.

Pitcher Ryan Dempster is up. He just fouled off a bunt. Now he struck out bunting. Whatever happened to pitchers who can bunt? Lost art?

Soriano is up. He hit that monster homer in the first. 0-2 on Soriano. Scorches a line single past second, Gathright to third. Ooh.

1st and 3rd, Theriot up. Walks out of the box. with a one ball count. Tim L throws to first. (Hey, it's fun writing these words. I haven't written baseball words in a long time.) Now we're talking 3-1 count on Theriot.

Gathright just got caught stealing second, full count on Theriot. Ground out to third. Inning over. No runs.

After the Soriano homer he faces Ryan Thieriot: five pitch walk

Now he's facing Aramis Ramizez -- full count -- with Soriano on second -- he stole the bag.

He just walked Ramirez -- a bouncer in the dirt.

Thieriot out trying to steal third.

Lincecum just threw a wild pitch over Micah Hoffpauir's head.

Hoffpauir just hit a triple. It's 2-nothing Cubs. What's up with Timmy?

Mike Fontenot just hit a single up the middle scoring the third run. Tim L. has not yet retired a batter. He just did, Taguchi hits into force play. 2 out.

Paul Bako up. Count 1-2.

K on a changeup. Inning over.

3 runs 3 hits.

Ferguson Jenkins is talking in the press box right now. The Cubs announced they are retiring No. 31 worn by Jenkins and Greg Maddux. Kind of interesting. Jenkins said it will be retired on May 3. "They just kept saying, 'it'll probably happen.' Now it finally happened.

Jenkins looks great, fit, thin, happy. He's a hall of famer and now his number is being retired by the Cubs.

It was rainy and chilly when I left home this morning. It's currently 84 in Mesa. Real dry. Bright sun. Gosh, is this nice. People walk around in shorts in T-shirts and I had to bring sunscreen.

I haven't seen Lincecum yet, but I want to remind you he was supposed to pitch Monday but got the flu and was scratched. So he's pitching today instead of Randy Johnson whose bicep hurts.

Currently Cubs and Giants players are hugging each other near second base. In spring training everybody is best friends.

I lucked out today. Flew out of Oakland early this morning -- met Ray Ratto at Oakland Airport where he was on his way to KC for Cal NCAA hoops. I landed in Phoenix about 11:00, rented a car and drove to Mesa where the Giants play the Cubs at 1:05 at pretty HoHoKam Park. I was wondering what I would write about considering I didn't have a chance to talk to anyone and lo and behold. Tim Lincecum is the Giants starting pitcher today -- one of the most exciting pitchers in the bigs.

So, stick with me. I'll give frequent updates and observations about his performance. I'll be back in a bit.

Sorry to be so late with my posting today -- had to write a column on Mike Montgomery and the Cal Bears and than dashed to SF to tape a new TV sports show on Comcast hosted by Greg Papa. Today was a rehearsal -- it won't be broadcast -- but by the time I got home and ate dinner it turned into now, 7:58 p.m.

I'm not sure I'll even blog on Tuesday. It's the day before I fly to Arizona for 9 days of spring training, mostly A's and Giants. I'll be posting every day down there and at the halfway point my kid Iggy joins me and he'll blog too.

Some topics I'll pursue:

Where is the Giants' cleanup hitter?

How is Jason Giambi fitting in?

Ditto for Nomar Garciaparra?

What's up with Barry Zito and will he ever be a good pitcher again?

How does Aaron Rowan like being a Giant?

Do the A's have enough starting pitching?

Who will be their closer?

What's up with Eric Chavez?

Anything else you'd like to know, please leave a comment on the Cohn Zohn and I'll do my best to find out.

Lew Wolff, front man for the Oakland A's, has a knack for bad timing. On Friday he released a statement telling Oakland to kiss off, yet again, saying the A's can't stand playing in Oakland and will seek their fortune somewhere else in "Northern California."

The baseball season starts in a few weeks and this is a charming way of alienating the A's fanbase not to mention the entire city of Oakland. The A's have an exciting team -- may have an exciting team -- but how can fans get excited when the managing partner gives them the raspberry?

When he talks about locating in Northern California he's almost certainly talking about San Jose. A lot of people live in San Jose and that's good for the A's, although in this economic climate it's hard to imagine anyone building a new stadium anywhere. But if Wolff can get the coin and if he get the Giants to agree to his plan -- the Giants and Major League Baseball consider San Jose part of the Giants' sphere of influence -- well if Wolff can get all that, good for him.

Until then, he just should have kept his mouth shut.

Next week Al Davis and Lane Kiffin give depositions in their ongoing spat -- whether Al should pay Kiffin after he fired him and before Kiffin got hired by U of Tennessee. An arbitrator will adjudicate this dispute in June.

When Davis fired Kiffin a lawyer told me Kiffin did not seem to have committed a material breach of his contract. That doesn't necessarily mean Kiffin will win this dispute. There is no way to predict the outcome.

It recently came out that Davis had his lawyer send a letter to the President of U. of Tennessee after Kiffin got hired. The letter is interesting, among other things because it is Attempt No. 2 to ruin Kiffin with a letter -- the first was the famous letter on the overhead projector caper.

In this letter Davis stressed 2 things I want to mention. He said Kiffin laughed at the Raiders and called them dysfunctional at the press conference announcing Tennessee hired him. Well, it's never been a crime to laugh at someone, thank goodness. I can't square my image of Davis -- tough guy -- with this sensitive man who gets his feelings hurt when someone laughs at him. In Brooklyn, where Davis grew up, you would call him a man who can dish it out but can't take it.

Davis also objected that Kiffin called the Raiders dysfunctional. Kiffin is hardly the only person to call the Raiders dysfunctional.

In the letter to Tennessee Davis' lawyer alleged Kiffin tipped off Raiders' opponents about the Raiders after he got fired. Really? Kiffin no longer worked for the Raiders and owed them nothing legally or morally as far as I can see. Plus Davis wouldn't pay him and called him a flat-out liar. Kiffin would have been a wuss NOT to talk to Raiders' opponents.

This argument between Davis and Kiffin gets curiouser and curiouser. To read my column about Kiffin and Davis click here.

This is what Jamal Crawford had to say about Don Nelson's insistence he leave the Warriors after this season.

I told Crawford before the game Nelson said he wants Crawford off the team. After the game Nelson praised the way Crawford played point guard in the 4th quarter. Does Crawford find this confusing?

Crawford: Coach is a genius. I can't really question whatever's going on in his mind. I just have to be ready when my number's called. I really have enjoyed being here. I can tell you that from the bottom of my heart. I love playing here. I think they wanted me because they traded for me. I want to finish out the year strong but I really enjoyed being here.

Cohn: That's a really diplomatic answer and I appreciate it.

Crawford: No, I really mean it.

Cohn: Do you expect to be here next year?

Crawford: I don't know. I know a lot can happen in the summer and I just have to be professional and try to end the season strong.

Cohn: When you say Nelson might be a genius, do you mean his thought pattern may be beyond what a normal person could understand?

Crawford: Yeah. You hit it on head. I can't get inside his head. He usually sees things before I do. I told him when I first got here he would call plays and he would know they were going to be open before any of the players knew. I told him I'll steal some of his stuff when I start coaching. I'm not going to question the coach. I just want to be the best I can be while I'm here.

Here's the exchange I just had with Don Nelson, a few hours before the Warriors play the Nets. Nelson is quite honest about his disagreements with Jamal Crawford and Monta Ellis. Ellis still maintains he left the team because of his mom, and Nelson says, not true - Ellis had stiffness in his ankle in addition to issues with his mother. This stuff is fascinating.

Cohn: I've been reading about Monta and Jamal and there seems to be some disharmony on the Warriors. Is it a standard amount for an NBA team or is there more with this team?

Nelson (looks at me like I just spoke Greek): I don't know. I don't know how to answer that. What's the chaos?

Cohn: I read you indicated to Crawford that he shouldn't come back next year and I also read that Monta said he didn't take time off because of his ankle. It was for personal reasons. There seem to be a couple of stories floating around and it seems like stuff is going on. So, is there more stuff going on with your team than regular NBA teams? (After I said that I realized I indicated the Warriors aren't a regular NBA team, which I hadn't meant to do. But are they?)

Nelson: I mean I don't know what's going on with other teams. Monta complained three different times that he had soreness in his ankle. So he missed five games or some number of games (actually seven) and then he was supposed to see a doctor and come back. Then he went to visit his mother. I don't know what's happened. That's fact. There was pain in his ankle or stiffness or something. Or he would have continued to play, would he not? You need to talk to him to get what he says. I'm telling you what was. That's the reason. What was the other one, about Jamal? You want me to address that?

Cohn: If you'd like to. Will you?

Nelson: Sure, now that it's public. It was a private conversation. It didn't come from me. There are only two people involved, so it's either he or his friends that broke the story. Not me. I don't mind a story getting out as long as it's a true story and that's a true one. We did meet. I did tell him. I've always been very open and honest with my players and I did tell him he probably would either opt out or we would move him next year. That's a fact and I just don't see that that's going to work. I'm loaded in the back court. If I'm going to move Jackson into the backcourt now I'm really overloaded. I think he's too good a player to be a 10 or 15 minute player, as a backup player. Wherever Jack plays there's not many minutes left. Wherever Monta plays when he's healthy there won't be very many minutes left. Those positions should be backed up by somebody making less than 8 or 9 -- or whatever his contract is -- million dollars a year. So he makes too much money as a backup player so being open and honest with my player I don't know if it's criticism or what but that's the way it is. I'm that way with all my players all the time. I get criticized sometimes for it. So be it.

Cohn: Final question, and you're doing great, is morale on your team at a level that is acceptable?

Nelson: It's acceptable when you consider the kind of year we've had. We've won 21 ballgames and we've worked hard to keep the attitude and the morale good. I can't say it's been perfect but overall it's been very good - one of the few things we've done well this year.

I'm going to the Warriors game tonight. Things change so fast with that team it's hard to keep up. In the past week I've read he told Jamal Crawford to take a hike after this season. I also read Monta Ellis said he did not hurt his ankle which means the Warriors' explanation of why he missed games is untrue -- or Ellis is not being truthful.

During this season I have come to associate the Warriors with turmoil and strife. That's a bad combo. I get the feeling Don Nelson is a strife producer, but maybe I'm giving him a bad rap. I hope to find out the straight stuff tonight.

I also wonder what's going to happen after this season. Chris Mullin will be gone. That's what I think. So who becomes the general manager? The Warriors need someone who can manage Nelson -- I don't think Larry Riley is that guy. I think Nelson needs managing, otherwise he spins out of control. No?

Sorry to be so late and so brief. I spent all day doing my taxes because I go to spring training next week for 9 days and had to get the taxes out of the way. And in a few minutes I have to dash to SF to teach my class.

I'm glad the 49ers are keeping Alex Smith because he seems to be a decent guy and given the chance and with some growth he may be a good QB. I admire his guts in sticking it out with the Niners. But I also know the 49ers tried to get Kurt Warner, one of the best, and didn't get him. Now the competition for the Niners' starter is between two questionable QBs -- Smith, a total unknown, and Shaun Hill who does many things well but can't throw long. These guys are a far cry from Warner. So what's going on? To read my column on Smith click here.

Last year I was Billy Beane's biggest critic in the Bay Area. I criticized him for putting a crummy team on the field and for never making a serious run at the division.

Now I'm here to praise him. The A's still need better pitching but this team will  hit -- Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi, Orlando Cabrera, Nomar Garciaparra, Jack Cust. This team will hit. There will be exciting, dramatic significant at-bats at the Coliseum this season, something we haven't seen in a while. And the A's will be fun to watch and I believe they will matter.

So all credit to Beane for getting back to business and putting a product on the field fans can care about. Beanophiles rejoice! To read my column on the A's grocery story click here.

The thing about T.O. is that he can be likeable. He has several different personalities -- competing personalities -- and one of them is as nice as it gets.

Nice T.O. has a lovely smile and he speaks engagingly and warmly and he's quite intelligent. He is someone you like.

The first time I met him was at 49er training camp and we sat down for an extended interview. He was generous with his time. He told me he'd had a troubled childhood, said his grandma made him go to bed early. It was still light out and he could hear the kids riding their bikes in the street. As I recall he teared up at this point of the story.

I believe he tells this story at every stop in his NFL career. I imagine he will tell it to reporters in Buffalo and they will feel sorry for him as I did, and they will wonder why T.O. always gets such bad press. I understand the position they are in because I was in it.

When T.O. tells of his sad youth -- I believe it's the truth -- he obviously is trying to get sympathy. But I think it's something more interesting than that. He's saying, in a way, "I am a jerk but please remember this nice part of me also exists." I feel he is a desperate nice/not nice man and that is sad.

He was right about Steve Mariucci. He used to stand in the locker room after games and criticize Mariucci's game plans with Mariucci nearby. T.O. didn't care. Mariucci is an over-rated coach and he was mediocre at offense and T.O. knew it. So T.O. was right. His mistake was taking on the coach in public time after time. He has no tact and no sense of what's appropriate. And when he went after Jeff Garcia, he was wrong and he seemed off his rocker. He is an obsessive criticizer of people. Sometimes he's correct, but a lot of times he's wrong.

You wonder why people like T.O. can't take a moment and think about themselves, ask why things always don't work out. Taking stock of yourself is what grownups do, but poor T.O. is still that little boy crying in bed while all the other kids get to ride their bikes.

The  Buffalo Bills signed Terrell Owens and they can have him. He is a great receiver and he improves the receiving corps of any team he's on. But his past history screams out to us that no team can stand him for long. He is that much of a pain, and what he gives a team with his play he takes away with his complaining and moping and childish behavior. A man like this should not be encouraged.

Bills QB Trent Edwards is a relative newcomer. It will be interesting to see how this Stanford-bred player deals with T.O., a real nut.

T.O. will make Edwards' life hell if the team does not do well. He might make Edwards' life hell even if the team does do well.

It's too bad the Bills signed T.O. As I say, he should not be encouraged to act the way he does.

The Contra Costa Times ran an interesting/depressing story saying Don Nelson told Jamal Crawford to opt out of his Warriors contract or the team will dump him. To read the full story click here.

Morale must be awful at the Warriors -- Nelson "resting" guys, guys missing games for personal reasons whatever that means, the Warriors seeming to be tanking games because they have no one to play. It's sad.

Nelson always said he's not interested in running personnel, but in trying to run Crawford off, he sure seems to be running personnel. There are a lot of strange things happening at the Warriors.

After this season when Chris Mullin leaves -- another sad thing -- owner Chris Cohan must bring in a strong general manager who can run the organization and mostly run Nelson. Someone needs to prevent Nelson from spinning out of control.

The 49ers' new pattern is to humiliate themselves about once a month. Here's a list of self-induced 49er humiliations and as you read them remember the Niners used to be a class outfit that players from all over the league wanted to play for.

Singletary drops pants.

Niners hire Singletary without searching for another coach.

Gruden and Shanahan become available.

Niners try to hire Scott Linehan as offensive coordinator. He visits Niners and his eyes must pop out of his head when he hears what their offense will be. He goes to, gulp, Detroit.

Up to 3 other potential OC's turn down Niners. Dan Reeves turns down their OC offer to become a mere consultant with the Cowboys. That job lasts a week and he leaves. So he turned down the Niners for a job than never happened.

The Niners get Jimmy Raye about whom we know nothing. Well we know he was the 4th choice.

The Niners allow themselves to be linked with that awful Michael Vick, saying they might consider him. A day later some underling issues a statement telling media to forget that.

Kurt Warner uses the Niners to sweeten his deal with Arizona. The 49ers allow themselves to be used.

The Niners woo Warner who plays from the shotgun formation, incompatible with Singletary's power running game.

Warner goes back to Arizona because, he says, God told him to.

According to Warner, God apparently loves Arizona more than San Francisco.

How humiliating is all this? To read my full column on Niner humiliation click here.

The Cowboys dumped Terrell Owens, the third time he's been dumped by a team for general crummy behavior and team busting. So will he go to the Raiders?

This is an interesting question for a lazy Thursday morning. T.O. seems a natural for the Raiders. Al Davis doesn't mind people with weird/obnoxious personalities and he salivates for talent and speed. T.O. has all of those things. And he would improve the Raiders' receiving corps -- he'd improve any team's receiving corps.

So, sure, T.O. could work at the Raiders. Just one thing. He's a pain in the neck. He always complains the QB doesn't throw the ball to him enough. And he complains he's not the center of the offense on every play. The Raiders are bringing along a young QB and T.O. could mess with JaMarcus Russell's head. He could mess with Tom Cable's head.

Davis has to weigh the advantage of getting T.O. vs. the disadvantage of getting him. It would be interesting to be in Al's head this lazy Thursday morning.

God loves Arizona more than San Francisco. It's a sad fact but it's a true fact. And how do we know God prefers Arizona? That noted theologian Kurt Warner told us.

Warner, who used the 49ers to get a sweeter deal with the Cardinals, explained in a press conference today how God is his personal adviser, his consigliere, his Tom Hagen.

"As you guys know," Warner self-righteously preached, "our faith is the most important thing so we went into it (the leveraging of the Niners) with the idea, 'Where does God want us? Thats' where we're going to be . . . I told my wife probably 45 minutes into it that I just felt God say, 'You're supposed to be in Arizona.' "

God not only wanted Warner in Arizona but he told the guy. Wow. This is humbling for the rest of us common mortals -- Warner's direct line to the diety. I find it fascinating how God speaks to the Arizona QB. I mean, those three guys are lost at sea and a lot of people are grieving. Is God out there looking for them? Not according to Warner. God was too busy being Warner's agent and financial adviser. It's nice to know God gets involved in human affairs. It really is. But excuse me for this sacrilege but I think the guys lost at sea deserve God more than Warner at this moment and I think people who can't pay their mortgages need God more.

I am not criticizing God because I don't understand how God works. But I am criticizing Warner for being self-centered and naive and most of all for reducing God to his pal. God is beyond being anyone's pal or consigliere.

I got back from Tom Cable's news conference about poor Marquis Cooper who certainly seems lost at sea. Cable did the right thing, talked about Cooper with respect and caring.

One thing struck me about Cable in his presser. Take a look at this quote from Cable and then I'll give my interpretation.

"His impact with this football team was tremendous and not just as a football player, but also with the type of man he is and what he brought to this team, this locker room in terms of leadership and what he is as a teammate."

Cable, for the most part, used the present tense -- "what he is as a teammate." It was a kindness to use present tense and it means Cable assumes Cooper lives and clings to hope. You have to like Cable for that. To read my column on Cable and Cooper click here.

I just read on ESPN.com that Kurt Warner went back to the Cardinals, told them the 49ers' offer and asked Arizona to come up with more dough. All this we expected. Warner is leveraging the Niners so he can get more from the Cards and stay with the Cards.

Is this unethical behavior?

No way. It is business and it is in Warner's business interest to do business. If the Cards make an attractive offer he'll stay in Arizona. He'd be nuts not to. The Cards have an offense better suited to Warner's talents and until further notice they are a better team than the 49ers.

It's encouraging that the Niners are taking a run at Warner. Sometime in the future we hope the 49ers become so attractive that marquee players want to play for them instead of merely wanting to use them for better offers elsewhere.

Let's see if we have this right. The A's signed Jason Giambi, Matt Holliday, Orlando Cabrera and they're talking to Nomar Garciaparra. Which means the A's have improved their hitting which means the A's are making a run at the division.

What have the Giants done? They got shortstop Edgar Renteria. That's a nice little signing. But they need a bat in the middle of the order. They've needed that bat for a long time. Someone in the Giants' front office needs to step up to the plate.

At this moment, I am told, Kurt Warner is eating. He's eating a hearty dinner with the 49er brass and they're involved in further getting-to-know-you discussions. At this point we all break into song.

Here's what I wonder. If Warner comes to the Niners -- although he could just be levaraging them -- will he just be handing off to Frank Gore? Mike Singletary said the Niners will be a running team.

It will be a waste of Warner to make him a hander-offer, Warner being a great passer.

Here's what I wonder. If Warner comes to the Niners will the Niners make the offense more complicated to match his passing skills?

Here's what I wonder. If they make the offense more complicated is offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye capable of a complicated offense?

Here's what I mostly wonder. If the Niners really want Warner why did they get rid of Mike Martz who taught Warner everything he knows, who developed Warner, whose offense is made to order for Warner? The Niners seem to do things in the wrong order, to wit: fire the right offensive coordinator, hire the wrong coordinator, hire the right quarterback. My brain hurts.

I just phoned Matt Maiooco, the Press Democrat's resident genius on the 49ers, and asked his advice on the column I'm going to write today. I said I want to write on Kurt Warner.

"What would you write?" he asked.

"Whether or not the Niners should sign him."

"That column idea has left the station."

I panicked a moment and then said, "Maybe I should write on another subject entirely."

To which Matt replied, "Warner is by far the most important sports thing happening in the Bay Area today."

"So what do you suggest I do?" (Frustration in my voice.)

"Wait."

"Wait?"

"Wait."

So I'm waiting. My deadline is 10 pm tonight and it's a dreary rainy day and I'm waiting. You want to know why I'm waiting? Matt said so and Matt knows.