Baseball Guru
11-03-2004, 08:14 PM
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-giantsmoves&prov=ap&type=lgns
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
November 3, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The San Francisco Giants took a big step toward keeping the nucleus of their team intact, exercising club options on center fielder Marquis Grissom, pitcher Brett Tomko and first baseman J.T. Snow on Wednesday.
Also, the Giants signed shortstop Deivi Cruz, the starter for most of the season, to a one-year contract and declined their 2005 option on left-handed reliever Jason Christiansen.
Giants general manager Brian Sabean said the day after the season ended that he planned to establish some continuity on the roster, and specifically pointed to Snow's solid season and Tomko's improvements in the second half of the year.
San Francisco missed the playoffs, but was in the thick of the playoff chase until the final weekend.
``Being able to bring the likes of Marquis, J.T., Brett and Deivi back into the fold certainly strengthens our roster for 2005,'' Sabean said. ``All of these guys were major reasons why we competed until the last day of the season with their professionalism both on the field and in the clubhouse.''
Last season, his second with the Giants, the 37-year-old Grissom batted .279 and had his second-highest career total for home runs (22) and RBIs (90) in 16 major league seasons. He batted .279. Grissom's best offensive season came with Atlanta in 1996, when he had 23 homers and drove in 95 runs.
Snow batted .327 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs, marking the first time in his 13-year career he's had a batting average above .300. After undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in May, Snow was sidelined for a month. Upon his return, the six-time Gold Glover hit .375 (84-for-224) with 46 runs scored, 24 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 51 RBIs in 70 games.
Tomko was the most consistent starter in the Giants' rotation at the end of the season, going 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA over his final eight starts. The right-hander signed with the Giants as a free agent last winter.
Cruz was signed late in spring training and eventually emerged as the starting shortstop, replacing Neifi Perez before Perez was released. Cruz batted .292, the second-highest mark of his career, with seven homers and 55 RBIs.
Christiansen went 4-3 with three saves and a 4.50 ERA in 60 relief appearances last season.
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer
November 3, 2004
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The San Francisco Giants took a big step toward keeping the nucleus of their team intact, exercising club options on center fielder Marquis Grissom, pitcher Brett Tomko and first baseman J.T. Snow on Wednesday.
Also, the Giants signed shortstop Deivi Cruz, the starter for most of the season, to a one-year contract and declined their 2005 option on left-handed reliever Jason Christiansen.
Giants general manager Brian Sabean said the day after the season ended that he planned to establish some continuity on the roster, and specifically pointed to Snow's solid season and Tomko's improvements in the second half of the year.
San Francisco missed the playoffs, but was in the thick of the playoff chase until the final weekend.
``Being able to bring the likes of Marquis, J.T., Brett and Deivi back into the fold certainly strengthens our roster for 2005,'' Sabean said. ``All of these guys were major reasons why we competed until the last day of the season with their professionalism both on the field and in the clubhouse.''
Last season, his second with the Giants, the 37-year-old Grissom batted .279 and had his second-highest career total for home runs (22) and RBIs (90) in 16 major league seasons. He batted .279. Grissom's best offensive season came with Atlanta in 1996, when he had 23 homers and drove in 95 runs.
Snow batted .327 with 12 homers and 60 RBIs, marking the first time in his 13-year career he's had a batting average above .300. After undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery in May, Snow was sidelined for a month. Upon his return, the six-time Gold Glover hit .375 (84-for-224) with 46 runs scored, 24 doubles, a triple, 11 home runs and 51 RBIs in 70 games.
Tomko was the most consistent starter in the Giants' rotation at the end of the season, going 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA over his final eight starts. The right-hander signed with the Giants as a free agent last winter.
Cruz was signed late in spring training and eventually emerged as the starting shortstop, replacing Neifi Perez before Perez was released. Cruz batted .292, the second-highest mark of his career, with seven homers and 55 RBIs.
Christiansen went 4-3 with three saves and a 4.50 ERA in 60 relief appearances last season.