Sports Radio Service


		Michael Duca on A's and Giants By Michael Duca June 28, 2010

	Sportstalk: The Giants won a ball game on Friday and the Sox won game two on Saturday the series even, for the Giants Juan Uribe is hitting, Aaron Rowland and Edgar Renteria are not consistent, and they finish the homestand with the Dodgers. With the hitting being suspect of late how do you see this series coming up? It's the Giants and the Dodgers. Form sheets get thrown out the window. The Giants have better pitching on paper, but that just got thrown out the window, remember? The Dodgers have been in free fall lately, but that also gets thrown out the window. It will be competitive, it will be fun, too much beer will be drunk, too many fans will be drunk, fights will break out in the bleachers, and a good time will be had by some. It's a rite of summer, and I wouldn't miss it. Sportstalk: Monte Irvin had just had his uniform number 20 retired by the Giants on Saturday. Irvin had to wait until he was 91years old for the honor. He was noted to be a pioneer but gave that honor to Jackie Robinson. All in all has baseball really improved its hiring of minorities; was Irvin's uniform retirement more of a gesture for propaganda or was it authentic from the heart of the team, because it sure took long enough? I don't know their motivation; I'm still trying to figure out if it was a coincidence, or shrewd planning, to do this tribute while the Red Sox were in town, guaranteeing both huge crowds, and the opportunity to honor Irvin in front of the last team of the original 16 to hire a black player (Pumpsie Green, a graduate of El Cerrito high school in the East Bay.) I just know Monte Irvin deserves it, but I wouldn't take the team to task for "taking so long" -- have the A's retired the number of THEIR first black player? The Yankees? The Red Sox? The Giants do a better job of history than just about anyone, so I'd cut them a little slack here -- they also have hired more minority managers than any team in any sport. Sportstalk: The A's dealt infielder Eric Patterson in exchange for Red Sox minor league pitcher Fabian Williamson Saturday the Sox say this shores up second base since Dustin Pedroia is on the 15 day DL. Patterson .204, four homers and nine RBIs, joined the team on Saturday from Oakland who is hosting the Pirates and the Sox are in San Francisco. Williamson is 4-3 with a 3.72 ERA with Sox class A Salem. Who got the better end of this deal? Nobody got the better end of this deal. There IS no better end of this deal. The Red Sox have acquired a player hitting .204 to replace a former MVP in the lineup -- a guy who didn't play second base for the A's when Mark Ellis was hurt. The A's picked up a pitcher who is 3-4 years away from big league skill, if ever.