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EVENTS AD PARTNERS
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1999 Recap: There was no quit in the Giants last season, but they were not a team of "Dustiny." April was a nightmare, third baseman Bill Mueller broke his toe on Opening Day, then Barry Bonds went on the DL and missed 47 games. But Dusty Baker's crew pulled together, postinging a winning record (25-22) without their leader, and led the NL West at the All-Star Break. But when the pitching collapsed in late July, the team swooned. Personifying the 1999 Giants was closer Robb Nen, who saved 37 games, but also lost eight games and blew 10 saves. Nen denied there was anything wrong at the time, but he underwent surgery on his right elbow in October. 1999 Highlight: On Sept. 30 the Giants bid farewell to Candlestick/3Com Park. Giants Hall of Famer Juan Marichal throws out the ceremonial first pitch, The Greatful Dead sang the national anthem, and over 60 former Giants appear in a two-hour postgame celebration. The festivities feature the introduction of players and managers of different eras, Willie Mays throwing a ceremonial final pitch to godson Barry Bonds after the crowd counted down from Mays' uniform No. 24 and concludes with past and present Giants taking a lap around the field. 1999 Lowlight: On Aug. 11 the Marlins beat the Giants 6-5 in 10 innings, completing a sweep of the three-game series. The Marlins win all three games by one run after overcoming four-run deficits in each game. The loss ends a 3-9 road trip for San Francisco as Arizona extends its lead from 1 1/2 games to 7 1/2. Manager: Dusty Baker (558-512 in seven seasons with San Francisco) Coaches: Gene Clines (hitting), Dave Righetti (pitching), Robby Thompson (first base), Sonny Jackson (third base), Juan Lopez (bullpen), Ron Wotus (bench) Camp Site: Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale, Ariz. Reporting Dates: Pitchers & catchers on Feb. 17; full squad on Feb. 22 Additions C Bobby Estalella, 3B Russ Davis Subtractions: RHP Chris Brock, IF Charlie Hayes, C Brent Mayne, LHP Rich Rodriguez, INF F.P. Santangelo, C Scott Servakis, RHP Jerry Spradlin, RHP Julian Tavarez Spring Cleaning: The Giants are confident their young pitching staff is ready to win consistently and that a healthy Barry Bonds, along with Jeff Kent, Ellis Burks and J.T. Snow, and Rich Aurelia, will provide ample run support. San Fran's key starters -- Shawn Estes, Kirk Reuter, Livan Hernandez, Russ Ortiz and Joe Nathan -- are all under 30. Recognizing the potential of the staff in coming years, the team made a serious commitment to Ortiz and Hernandez, signing both to four-year deals. What Dusty Baker could use is defensive improvement up the middle. The Giants start the season with a catching tandem of Doug Mirabelli and Bobby Estalella. Together they make one great catcher, as Mirabelli is superb defensively and a great handler of pitchers, while Estalella can hit for power. On the infield, shortstop Rich Aurelia must cut down on his errors -- he committed 28 last season and that was with four-time Gold Glover J.T. Snow at first base -- while Jeff Kent is primarily in the lineup to hit. The Giants will settle for whatever plays he can make. In center field, Marvin Benard has great speed and will need it to cover the extra ground to his left, as Pacific Bell Park has a power alley of 420 to right center, and with gimpy, 35-year-old Ellis Burks in right, well, you can see the problem. Baker's also counting on his 30-something core -- Bonds, Kent, Burks and Nen -- to stay healthy. That said, Kent suffered a pulled rib-cage muscle lifting weights a week before spring training started. Key Acquisition: The Giants didn't feel the need to make a lot of off-season moves, but signing former Seattle third baseman Russ Davis to a minor-league contract was a wise one. Incumbent third sacker Bill Mueller has hit for average and fits nicely in the two slot, but, should the Giants decide they need more muscle from their third baseman, Davis could pay off. If Mueller does the job, Davis fortifies the bench by adding another power hitter. Pivotal Player: Barry Bonds may be 35 and coming off off-season knee surgery for the second straight year, but he's certainly not scaling down his expectations. To the contrary, the Giants left fielder is upping the ante, talking about surpassing Willie May's home run total of 660. Bonds starts the year with 445 and has never hit 50 dingers in a season, but who knows what a motivated Barry Bonds is capable of? Especially in the new ballpark that's 307 down the right-field line. The Future is Now: RHP Joe Nathan threw seven shutout innings in his pro debut on April 21 and posted a respectable 7-4 mark with a 4.18 ERA in his rookie season. However, he had trouble finding the plate at times, as his 54/46 strikeout-to-walk ratio will attest. Nathan was sent to the minors three times during the summer, but the Giants have big plans for the 25-year-old, so the fifth starter's job is his to lose in 2000. Prospects to Watch: RHP Kurt Ainsworth, C Giuseppe Chiaramonte, RHP Jake Esteves, OF Calvin Murray, 3B Tony Torcato
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