Do you get the feeling that

the San Francisco Giants

are playing with much more

heart than the Dodgers

or Diamondbacks in the

West?

You might be right.

By Amaury Pi-GonzálezLook at each team roster in

the Western Division of the

National League. It seems

that the Diamondbacks and

Dodgers have “on paper”

much more pitching than

the Giants, and yes it is

early but the Giants do

play with much more passion

than the other teams in

this division. Is it because

Felipe Alou is the manager?

Is it chemistry or is it just

that Bonds make everybody

coming into this lineup

much better ?

Look at José Cruz Jr, he might

be on his way to a monster

season not only at the plate

but also playing great defensive

rightfield. Or maybe is it because

it has been so long since the

Giants had a rightfielder,

Candy Maldonado ? That anybody

there looks good.

Brian Sabean put a team together

in the winter after they made their

appearance in the World Series.

Russ Ortiz with Atlanta might win

20 this season, the Giants again

might not have anybody with

20 wins but they are finally

giving a chance to great young

arms like Foppert and Ainsworth

and Jerome Williams. Wasn’t it

about time the Giants gave their

young and talented arms a chance?

How long have the Giants “survived”

with the Mark Gardner’s of this

world ?

The Giants are 11-4 on the road

and as they start a short homestand

of six games, 3 against Cubs and

3 against Reds they have a 7-2

record at home.

During April they have played

Padres,Dodgers,Astros,Pirates

and Phillies. Only Padres and

Pirates are not considered

contenders among these teams

and yet the Giants come home

to open this six game homestand

with the best record in the

National League 18-6 and second

best in Major League Baseball

only Yankees 20-5 are better.

Without Rob Nen the “closer by

committee”has paid dividends

for Felipe, but it is a known fact

that to make it to October you

must have a dominant closer in

todays game. Would Felix Rodríguez

take the step to become the

closer he wants to be ?

There is something about this

Felipe Alou team…something

I can’t explain. Yet, Edgardo Alfonzo

is batting .171, we know he is

going to be much better, Grisson

is around .260 and both catchers

Santiago and Torrealba are

hitting over .300. Their hitting

seems to be very good and

the posibility of getting better

with Rich Aurilia who should

increase hiss .250 average

as the season moves along.

I like this Giant team (although

I did not select them to win

the Division) what I have

seen so far has not surprised

me because Felipe Alou’s team

usually play to their potential

or close to it.

No manager demands more

respect that Alou and with this

veteran bunch of players the

Giants seemed to “get it”and

could be in the race all the

way into the end of September.

The Diamondback have some

problems early this season.

Curt Schilling, underwent

an appendectomy in St.Louis

April 20 is scheduled to start

this thursday againt the Marlins.

Needless to say, for the Arizona

team to be a contender they

have to have both their #1 and

#2 pitcher, Johnson-Schilling

at the top of their games.

The Giants (except Nenn)are

generally a healthy team. I am

looking forward Yorbit Torrealba

to take over as the #1 catcher for

this team by the All Star break and

guys like Durham to continue to

hit over .300 with José Cruz Jr

taking the place of Jeff Kent

in the lineup and contributing

almost as much as Bonds.

Dusty Baker is in town and he

still not happy with the way the

Giants treated him. I do not

blame Dusty. He never wanted

to carry the “company line”with

the Giants and had strong

disagreements with Peter

Magowan. Dusty just said

that the “problems”with the

Giants owner started in 1994

during a players strike and

continued one year later

when the team big trade

for Deion Sanders. According

to Dusty, Magowan was upset

he(Baker)didn’t really endorsed

the Sanders trade in a stronger

way back in 1995. It was the

ex General Manager Bob Quinn

who said early this Spring

Training that it was management

who gave him order to make

that deal to increase attendance.

At that time the Giants were still

playing in that cementery named

Candlestick Park.

Dusty Baker is home (he still lives

in the Bay Area)for a quick 3-game

set against Felipe Alou, one of

his favorite managers and these

3 games should be fun. By the way,

Dusty’s team the Cubs have some

of the most talented young

arms in all of baseball. Image If

Dusty takes the Cubs to the

World Series? Could happen…

I do expect people at Pac Bell

to welcome Dusty like a real hero,

regardless.

In this era of short memories

we should never forget that

Dusty Baker for ten years won

with Giants teams that really

didn’t have that much talent

compared to other teams in

the National League, yet he

made the Giants the strong

competitor they are in 2003.

It will be an honor as Vice

President of the Hispanic

Heritage Baseball Museum

together with President and

CEO Tito Avila Jr to induct

Felipe Alou to our Hispanic

Baseball Hall of Fame this

Saturday at our second annual

induction Gala at the Cathedral

Hill Hotel in 1001 Van Ness,

San Francisco. Doors open

at 6PM. On the main ballroom

at the mazanine level of the hotel.

Tickets are still available,

but you better jurry and

call this direct number

1-415-831-3407.

Latin pioneers Felipe Alou,

Preston Gómez and Cookie

Rojas will be inducted. Present

will Tito Fuentes, Orlando Cepeda

and other Latino players. There

will be food, induction ceremony

and from 9PM a great Salsa Band

to dance your feet off until

midnight. The Hispanic Heritage

Baseball Museum will also

give its First Annual Herb Fagen

Journalist Award to KRON’S weekend

anchor Marty González for his

service and involvement with

the Hispanic community of the

Bay Area.

————————————-

Amaury Pi-González is on his

9th season as Spanish Voice

of the San Francisco Giants

over KZSF 1370 AM for the

Bay Area. Starting this season

Amaury is also working for the

Seattle Mariners NEW Spanish

Radio Network carrying all

81 home games from Safeco,

and he travels during the summer

between Safeco and Pac Bell.