Guess Who's Back

Excuse me for the call back to our favorite Caucasian rapper this side of Vanilla Ice (who indeed is back in his own, peculiar way), but after a hiatus, I am back.

Three games into the regular season.

But I implore you to look to the due diligence of our glorious inaugural year here at Orange Black and Blue, and be assured that that level of output will once again commence. Particularly with a 2009 club that is immensely more likeable than some of the clowns that made up last year's opening day roster.

And, more pragmatically, we're putting the finishing touches on a massive site upgrade. So please stay tuned and be assured that we'll be around, better than ever, in short order.

As if you needed any more reason to be happy now that the good guys have won two more games against the Brew Crew than they did in all of 2008.

(And don't forget to wish Dr. Spaceman luck for his first start tonight!)

Comment! So how freaking exciting is it that I'm back?

Slop Hackers R Us

Jon Heyman reports that the Giants have have inked infielder Juan Uribe to a minor league deal.

I honestly could not envision a player that would shorten Brian Sabean's trouser legs more than Uribe. He's versatile, having played extensively at short, third and second, and has a career .295 OBP. And, boy, does he like striking out.

Truth be told, it's hard to work up too much frustration over a low-impact signing that essentially serves as insurance at any of the infield spots, all of which remain in flux, with the exception of shortstop. Also bear in mind that it appears Sabes has learned from his laughably tragic mistake of not addressing the backup shortstop position that led to Brian Bocock, 2008 San Francisco Giants Opening Day starter.

Note that the San Francisco 49ers franchise is an entirely different matter: I haven't been this worked up since Scott Spezio. But that's neither here nor there.

Yeah, But Can He Bat Cleanup?

While the Giants front office hasn't been exactly hitting on all cylinders in recent years, the one thing the team does well is celebrate its past. From Mays Plaza to McCovey Cove, the team cherishes whatever glory it may have once achieved which, for many of you, predate your births.

So it was great to see the Giants bring back Nuschler himself to a front office role. For those of us who came to fan fruition during the Humm-baby years, Will Clark and Matt Williams were synonymous with Giants baseball, and Clark's flair for the dramatic (homering of Nolan Ryan in his first at bat, the 1989 NLCS) captivated me and I'm sure many other young'uns alike.

I always wonder what would have happened if Clark could have stayed healthy and remained with the Giants passed that imperfectly glorious 1993 season. A Bonds-Williams-Clark heart of the order would have been a wonder to see for any extended length of time. It sure would have beat the illustrious stylings of Todd Benzinger.

(Then again, the jerk store would have had nothing on that Giants clubhouse.)

Giants Show Interest in Escuela

Having shored up an already solid rotation, Brian Sabean is moving to address a weak lineup, and has exchanged contract proposals with infielder Chico Escuela, OBnB has learned.

Citing a report in which one of Sabean's colleagues observed that the Giants are "one hitter from being a real good team," the Giants GM indicated he was monitoring the developing Escuela market.

Although his talent is undeniable, Escuela is equally known for his amazingly bizarre antics throughout his career, which has alienated teammates and fans alike. While his behavior has been justified by others as Escuela being naïve and idiosyncratic, he finds his list of suitors dwindling in no small part due to his reputation.

Escuela, however, has won in every stop of his career, and his disarming islander attitude can charm even the most skeptical of fans.

It remains to be seen if the Giants can work out a deal for what might be Escuela's last contract, but it's clear that an Esceula-led Giants squad would be berry, berry interesting to watch.