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		Magowan’s partners asked him to step down By Ken Gimblin May 18, 2008

	SAN FRANCISCO--Media sources, who cover the Giants closely, have disclosed that Peter Magowan's work reduction from General Managing Partner of the team to just partner, stemmed from Magowan being asked to step down in light of the BALCO/Barry Bonds controversy, the failure which Magowan admitted to on Friday of Barry Zito's $126 Million seven-year deal and Zito's performance, who is now 0-8 with the team after chalking up another loss on Saturday night, and the biggest issue of forcing Magowan to step down which was discussed in a previous article, Magowan telling Senator George Mitchell in the MLB Mitchell report that Bonds had admitted to Magowan that he used steroids when Magowan asked him about it and then Magowan's lawyer called Mitchell the next day to say Magowan misspoke. Team partners saw these issues as the largest central core reasons in asking Magowan to step down. Also disclosed was that the team performance was a concern and that Magowan and team General Manager Brian Sabean did not enhance the club to get players to make the team competitive in the last few years. Some of the partners, which includes new General Managing Partner Bill Neukom, stated in board meetings that responsibility starts at the top and that Magowan and Sabean are responsible for where the Giants are today in regards to the team's reputation. Magowan's words and performance in the Mitchell report added to the Magowan evaluation, and Sabean's responsibility in the handling of steroid distribution in the Giants clubhouse after it was brought to his attention from former head trainer Stan Conte regarding Greg Anderson Bonds' trainer and Bonds. With all the negative publicity around the team despite Bonds' chase for the home run record in 2007, the pressure was on Magowan to get the team right. After a poor 2007 and his lawyer's call to Senator Mitchell to change Magowan's testimony that Bonds admitted steroid use to him and then to call back and say he misspoke, Neukom and the partners voted to make a change to replace Magowan. Neukom, in his press conference on Saturday before the Giants-White Sox game at AT&T Park, was also asked about keeping Brian Sabean as team General Manager. Neukom was non-committal and said that Sabean would be evaluated as well after this season is finished. Giants team Vice President Larry Baer who was moved up to team President will become the face of the team for management. Neukom has indicated that he will primarily be in the background and that Baer will run the team on a day to day basis which he has done all along for the Giants. Baer has played in the number two role since joining Magowan in 1993, but as team Vice President. Neukom and the partnership will be expecting big things from Baer, including taking the ball club to the postseason each year. This young team has a future: The Giants, in light of what was expected of them, are doing very well, considering that they are a young ball club. In general, the Giants have played extremely well and no one expected the Giants to go for the divisional title or the championship. It's not a knock on the Giants and the fact that they hustle, they're entertaining, and they do a far better job on the field as far as putting effort in than they have in the last few years. The Giants are fun to go and watch and they have a lot of young players that are putting out. The Giants have some bright future stars on the club but they aren't going to be in the category of an Arizona or L.A. Those are the two teams that will be battling it out for the divisional title right now and you might get some debate on this, Arizona might be the best team in the National League. So the Giants will not be measuring up to that level. The best thing for the Giants would be to get another bat in there; it will definitely help and the pitching has been pretty good, particularly when you look at Matt Cain or Tim Lincecum or some of the other ones. These pitchers have been very, very impressive and people have to remember under the circumstances that Noah Lowry went down, that certainly hurt the club. Zito is unfortunate; you hear all kinds of things from the scouts. Zito has the ability to come back and be respectable and that Zito has lost something off his fast ball which is no great secret. You have to be mentally prepared to play well in the major leagues; mentally, Zito is feeling down, but in general, the Giants are respectable. The Giants under Bruce Bochy's watch: I'm impressed with what Bruce Bochy has done and when you look at his record, he did a great job when he managed in San Diego. When the Padres brought in their new General Manager, the Padres wanted to hire their own people and that was one of the reasons why Bochy left for San Francisco. With Bochy, basically it went down to the Padres saying on his last year that they would honor his last year on the contract; as far as anything beyond that, the Padres said they weren't sure about Bochy’s future with the team. The Giants went after Bochy which was a very wise move. Bochy is a very good manager and the Giants offered him far more than that. So Bochy accepted the offer with the Giants. If you look at the standings now, the Padres were projected to do pretty well, but they have taken a real nose dive. The Padres record-wise could finish as the worst team in the National League West. Bochy is very happy in San Francisco from that standpoint and that he's not in San Diego. Bochy took a team that everyone selected for last place, but the Giants have been in every game and they have been competitive. Slowly but surely they're kind of falling behind Arizona, but overall, Bochy is doing a great job and the Giants are doing very well. Ken Gimblin covers Giants baseball for Sportstalk Radio.