The Arizona Diamondbacks are in

San Francisco for a four game set

against the Giants.

A very important homestand for

the Giants continue,after splitting

series of two with Colorado. They

get Bill Mueller back in a deal with

the Cubs

By Amaury Pi-González.For the Giants, this is it !

No more hamstrings,back trouble or

tired arms. You have to play in

September if you still looking

to play in October.

The San Francisco Giants opened

thier longest homestand in September

and next to last, with two against

Colorado, four against Arizona and

three against Los Angeles. Two

of the three teams on top of the

Giants.

It might all come down to the seven

games left this month against the

Los Angeles Dodgers, as both,

Giants and Dodgers are fighting

for the wild card in the National

League.

September for the Giants only have

three weak teams, Colorado,

Milwaukee and San Diego. The

Giants also play Arizona,Los Angeles

and Houston.

On this four game series against

the World Champion Diamondbacks

the Giants will see Curt Schilling in

game one but they’ll miss Randy

Johnson. Last week the Giants beat

both in Arizona, something that is

usually not done with any regularity.

This is the last stand for the Giants

with this Dusty Baker team, with a

real great probability(if they do not

make it to Playoffs)as the last time

we see Dusty managing the orange

and black. As well for G.M Brian Sabean

who looks more and more like he

would be packing for New England

next season.

Bill Mueller’s return makes it

clear that the Giants organization

realize that signing Jeff Kent to a

long term multi-million dollar contract

after this season is not going to

happen. Mueller can play third and

second. Giants can now play Mueller

at third, Aurilia at short, Bell at second

and Kent at first in these last 23

games remaining. With Snow

and Minor in between at first base.

The return of Mueller was a good thing

for this team. Mueller is one of the

great guys in baseball, a hard working

professional who was extremely happy

to be leaving the Cubs and returning

to the Giants. That is at least like

leaving hell for purgatory !! In any

case a better deal ! This could

have been the “last deal”for G.M Brian

Sabean with the Giants.

After this homestand the Giants leave

for four in San Diego, four in Los Angeles

and three in Milwaukee before returning

home to close the regular season with

two against the Padres and three against

the Astros.

As of today the Giants are only 2 1/2

games behind the Dodgers for the

wild card spot in the National League

and with 23 games remaining(only two

days off this month, the 23 and 26)the

Giants have to played with all they’ve

got. Rich Aurilia said recently: “This

is the time of year that If you still have

a chance you have to play over injuries”

Bonds,Santiago and Sanders are healthy

and the Giants pitching staff have been

doing very well. There is no reason to

believe the Giants cannot catch and

pass the Dodgers. At any rate Dusty’s

boys control their own destiny, they

are facing the teams they have to

beat to play in October.

Attendance is on the way to over 3 million

again. Recently in a two-game series

against the Rockies attendances

were of just over 30,000, which for

Pac Bell Park is something relatively

new. Giants are averaging close to

40,000 per game, which have kept

them atop the National League all

year in attendance and a solid second

behing teams like the Mariners and

the Yankees in all of baseball..

If the Giants win the wild-card spot,they

will have to travel to Atlanta, team with

the best record in the National League,

that would be the first few days in

October. Atlanta has the best statistics

for pitching in all of baseball and without

a doubt the best bullpen. It will not be

easy, but the main thing is to get there

and then worry.

So, Play Ball Giants ! Let’s see the

metal of this veteran team in their

real last stand of the 2002 season.

————————————————————–

Amaury Pi-González is on his eight season as Spanish Radio Play By Play announcer

for the S.F. Giants on KZSF 1370 AM

(La Caliente). Amaury is on the LBC

staff (Latino Broadcasting Corp)for the

Postseason for the US and Latinamerica.

Also,the Caribbean World Series

each February for the Fox Sports Net

in English as Play by Play man.

Amaury articles can also be found

on www.latinobaseball.com

He is V.P of The Hispanic Heritage

Baseball Museum. A non profit

organization founded in San Francisco

is 1999.