this is from angry asian man's blog

Just saw this funny ad for MLB 2K, starring San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum. The 24-year-old pitcher scored himself the cover of the video game after winning the 2008 National League Cy Young Award. This is just one of several Tim Lincecum-starring skits and videos related to 2K9. Watch them all here.

Lowell wins 4th boys title; Lincoln girls back on top

Lowell wins 4th boys title; Lincoln girls back on top
Will McCulloch, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, March 7, 2009

More...
(03-06) 22:57 PST -- Lowell High's Michael Yonemoto will remember the last 63 seconds of the Cardinals' 48-47 victory over Lincoln in the San Francisco Section championship game on Friday night as the defining moment of his basketball season.

His coach probably would point to a meeting in the middle of the season when Yonemoto wanted to talk about playing time.

"He came to me in the middle of the season and told me it was wrong to bench him," Lowell coach Rob Ray said. "That's all I was looking for. I just wanted a little more effort from a few of the seniors."

Ray got the effort, and Lowell earned its fourth section title in six years in front of a packed crowd at Kezar Pavilion.

With the score tied 43-43 and 1:03 remaining, Yonemoto, a 6-foot-1 forward, slashed through the lane for a basket off the glass, absorbed contact and then made a free throw. After Lincoln's Devin Koch missed a possible game-tying jump shot with 16 seconds left, Yonemoto made two free throws to seal the win.

"It was a wake-up call," Yonemoto said of the midseason conversation.

Yonemoto, who finished with a game-high 16 points, also excelled on defense. He limited De'End Parker to 14 points (6-for-17 shooting), which included a three at the buzzer.

Lowell (23-10), which led 25-19 at the half, got 14 points from Yuhki Sakai, two nights after he torched Marshall for 35 in a semifinal win.

Lincoln's Devin Koch had eight of his 13 points in the first quarter, but picked up his third foul in the first half and fourth early in the second. Lincoln senior Steven Tom came off the bench to score 10 points, including a steal and layup with 3:17 remaining to give the Mustangs (26-10) a 41-40 lead. But Sakai's three-pointer with 2:56 left put Lowell ahead for good.

GIRLS
Lincoln 48, Lowell 37:
Leading 25-23 with 3:15 remaining in the third quarter, the Mustangs used a 15-2 run (sparked by junior guard Vivian Ho's three-pointer, steal and score) to pull away from the three-time defending champion Cardinals in the San Francisco Section title game at Kezar Pavilion. ... It was the first section title since 2004 for the Mustangs, who were led by Stephanie Lu's 12 points. ... Ho added 11 and Maripousa Silifaiva chipped in 10 points for the winners. ... Lowell (27-4), which was led by Ashley Ong's 14 points, had 28 turnovers against Lincoln's pressure defense. ... Hallie Meneses added seven points and four assists for Lincoln, which lost 49-48 to Lowell on Feb. 6. ... Both teams move on to next week's NorCal Division I playoffs. ... Lincoln (27-4), which blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead in last year's title game with Lowell, led 19-17 after a sloppy first half in which the Mustangs made six of 21 shots from the field and Lowell made seven of 28.

- Will McCulloch

Giants release Roberts in youth movement Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer

(Lance Iversen / The Chronicle)

Giants release Roberts in youth movement
Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer

Friday, March 6, 2009


(03-06) 04:00 PST Scottsdale, Ariz. -- The Giants released outfielder Dave Roberts on Thursday because they believe Eugenio Velez or John Bowker might be a better extra outfielder. That the Giants will pay Roberts more than $6 million not to play for them suggests their commitment to youth is not merely an empty slogan.

Roberts' $6.5 million contract is believed to be the largest the Giants have swallowed in releasing a player. When general manager Brian Sabean was asked how hard that was to do, he said, "It's tough to answer because this is what we do for a living, and I was honest with him. I told him we're on a path to get younger and healthier. Right now, that's not on his resume.

"I think the longer we went not doing something would have been an injustice to finding out about our own kids."

By releasing Roberts now, the Giants also give the 36-year-old a better chance to find another big-league job before teams set their rosters. The Giants tried and failed to trade him, but once he clears release waivers any team can sign him for the major-league minimum of $400,000. The Giants would be on the hook for the rest.

Roberts was informed of the move before Thursday's 4-2 loss to Oakland and called it a "surprising blow."

The Giants signed Roberts to a three-year, $18 million contract before the 2007 season when they were short of outfielders. The price was steep, but Roberts had a similar offer from Milwaukee. Roberts had a decent first year in San Francisco, stealing 31 bases and playing a competent center field. He was supposed to move to left field as Barry Bonds' replacement last year but needed knee surgery in spring training.

He has not been the same since, and continuing knee issues contributed to the Giants' decision to cut him. Roberts said he was grateful the Giants did it now.

"They could have strung me along. It's just hard for me battling my knee injury. I couldn't be close to as productive as I wanted to be for this organization. That's a tough pill for me to swallow.

Briefly: The Giants also optioned 40-year-old Keiichi Yabu, a mainstay from last year's bullpen, to Triple-A Fresno. As with Roberts, Sabean said, the Giants have younger options and will try to trade Yabu. ... Pablo Sandoval was scratched from Thursday's game with a tight hamstring and will not play today either.

Giants part ways with Roberts

UPDATED: Giants release Dave Roberts, eat $6.5 million
POSTED BY ANDREW BAGGARLY ON MARCH 5TH, 2009 AT 11:21 AM | CATEGORIZED AS UNCATEGORIZED

The Giants released Dave Roberts, who is owed a guaranteed $6.5 million this season. They also optioned right-hander Keiichi Yabu and right-hander Kelvin Pichardo.

Roberts was supposed to be a fifth outfielder, but it was hard to envision him playing a meaningful role with the team — especially because the fourth outfielder, Nate Schierholtz, is also a left-handed hitter.

Roberts was typically classy in his comments, saying he was surprised by the timing and disappointed he won’t be part of the team this season. He thanked the Giants for the opportunity (and the millions) and said he wished he could have been healthier.

The Giants made the move now in order to give Roberts a chance to hook on with another club. Any team that signs him will only have to pay him the major league minimum salary of $400,000. The Giants are on the hook for the rest.

GM Brian Sabean said he shopped Roberts all winter and ths spring, hoping to move at least some of his contract. But it became clear that wasn’t happening, and the team needed “to start zeroing in on guys like (Eugenio) Velez and (John) Bowker,” Sabean said.

“It just didn’t seem there was a light at the end of the tunnel,” Sabean said. “I was honest with him and told him we were on a path to getting younger and healthier. Right now, those things are not on his resume. The longer we waited (without) doing something would have been an injustice to all parties, really.”

Don’t have time to research it now, but I have to think the $6.5 million is the biggest one-year salary the Giants have ever eaten with the release of a player. Sabea couldn’t think of another instance, and neither could other front-office staff. The Giants did eat more money, though, when they traded Armando Benitez to the Florida Marlins two years ago. (They’re still paying deferred signing bonus to Benitez, incidentally.)

Roberts was viewed as one of the leftovers from the Bonds era, but he actually played pretty well when healthy over the past two seasons. But he’s been limited by some knee soreness this spring, Manager Bruce Bochy said. It was the same knee he had surgically repaired last season.

“For whatever reason, he wasn’t right coming into spring training,” Sabean said. “We had to nurse him along to the point he could get in game condition. It was as frustrating for him as it was for us.”

Personally, the timing is a little strange … I was going to write a feature for tomorrow’s paper on the injuries in the outfield opening up more playing time for Eugenio Velez out there — and how his performance could be hastening Roberts’ exit.

I have to believe it’s pretty much a guarantee Velez makes the team now; Sabean agreed when asked if Velez’s chances were enhanced.

Regarding Yabu, Sabean sad he would look to trade the 40-year-old long man.

“Again, in his case, age is a factor,” said Sabean, who wants to give an honest shot to Rule 5 draftee Luis Perdomo.


SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants made their first major roster move of Spring Training on Thursday by releasing outfielder Dave Roberts, who was destined for a reserve role at best.

Roberts, 36, ranked no higher than fifth on the Giants' outfield depth chart. General manager Brian Sabean said that he tried to trade Roberts this spring and during the offseason but found no takers. Roberts' $6.5 million salary for 2009 -- which the Giants still must pay -- was almost certainly a deterrent to a deal.

Cutting ties with him this early theoretically enhances his opportunities to seek employment with another team, since he can be signed for the Major League minimum of $400,000.

Roberts weathered two injury-plagued seasons with the Giants after signing a three-year, $18 million contract before the 2007 season. He had bone spurs in his left elbow in '07 and needed left knee surgery last year. Those ailments limited Roberts to 166 games with the Giants, in which he batted .252. Roberts' health, combined with the Giants' desire to play Eugenio Velez and John Bowker more frequently in the outfield during Cactus League games, made him expendable.

"There just wasn't light at the end of the tunnel for him," Sabean said of Roberts, who was 1-for-6 this spring and had endured a recurrence of discomfort in his knee.

The Giants also optioned right-handed relievers Keiichi Yabu and Kelvin Pichardo to Triple-A Fresno. Yabu finished 3-6 with a 3.57 ERA in 60 appearances for the Giants last year but owned a 23.63 ERA in two spring appearances (seven runs in 2 2/3 innings).

TRANSCENDING - THE WAT MISAKA STORY

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San Francisco, CA

Date: February 14, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: JCCCNC
1840 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA
RSVP: 415-567-5505
Los Angeles, CA

Date: February 15, 2009
Time: 2:00 PM
Location: Aratani/Japan America Theatre
244 S. San Pedro St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012


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Salt Lake City, UT

Date: February 21, 2009
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Salt Lake City Public Library
210 East 400 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
Honolulu, HI

Date: March 7, 2009
Time: 8:30 AM & 1:00 PM
Location:Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i (JCCH) - Historical Gallery
2454 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 945-7633 or email: info@jcch.com


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Hilo, HI

Date: March 10, 2009
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: University of Hawaii, Hilo
Performing Arts Center
200 W. Kawili Street
Hilo, HI 96720
Brooklyn, NY

Date: Sunday May 3, 2009
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: The Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Cherry Blossom Festival
1000 Washington Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11225


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Boston, MA

Date: May, 2009
Details: TBA



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Giants' Ishikawa hits two home runs

Giants' Ishikawa hits two home runs
By Andrew Baggarly
Mercury News
Posted: 02/25/2009 08:09:39 PM PST
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — On the first "Happy Lincecum Day" of the Giants' season, Travis Ishikawa staged his own celebration.

After Tim Lincecum threw 18 pitches in a scoreless inning against the Cleveland Indians, Ishikawa went 3 for 3 with two home runs to earn an early but important designation from Manager Bruce Bochy.

"He's our first baseman right now," Bochy said after the Giants won 10-7 in their first Cactus League exhibition Wednesday. "Ishi's got a great look about him right now. He's confident. He looks like he wants to take this job and run with it."

Ishikawa's presumptive competition, John Bowker, has a minor league option remaining and could begin the season at Triple-A Fresno. The Giants do not have that flexibility with Ishikawa, who would have to clear waivers if the club tried to send him down.

Ishikawa's biggest competition isn't currently in camp. With a big spring, he could persuade management to hold its cards rather than shop for another corner infielder.

"Going in, it's my job to lose," Ishikawa said. "I can't promise you two home runs every day. I wish I could, but I just want to have quality at-bats and get good pitches to hit."

Both of Ishikawa's home runs landed down the right-field line; he hit a solo shot off left-hander Zach Jackson and a two-run shot off right-hander Edward Mujica.

Combined with his 2-for-2 day in Tuesday's intrasquad game, Ishikawa hasn't made an out thus far. He credited the hot streak to a tip from Aaron Rowand on where to focus as the pitcher releases the ball.


"I've really been focused on trying to see the ball longer," Ishikawa said. "I was looking at the top of the (pitcher's) cap and he said look more in front of his face. I've been able to see it better since then."

Rowand, who was packing his duffel bag a few feet away, piped up: "He just did it a little better than I did."

The pregame ceremonies lasted longer than Lincecum had figured, so he threw more warm-up pitches in the bullpen than usual.

The staff had him on a 25-pitch limit, so when he needed 18 to finish the first inning - 17 fastballs and one curve - Righetti decided to let Keiichi Yabu start the second.

Yabu allowed a three-run homer by Mark DeRosa.

Whatever Happened...to Ryan Kurosaki

Whatever Happened...
An update on past news


Wednesday, January 29, 1997

Ex-hurler Kurosaki
lives in Arkansas

What ever happened to Ryan Kurosaki, 1970 Kalani High School graduate who played Oahu Interscholastic Association baseball, then went on to pitch for the University of Nebraska and later the St. Louis Cardinals, the first American of Japanese ancestry to play in the major leagues.
Ryan Kurosaki, the first AJA to play in a major league game, in 1975, is a firefighter in Little Rock, Ark.

He helped Kalani High School win the state high school baseball championship in 1970. One of his teammates was Lenn Sakata, who went on to play 11 seasons in the major leagues and coach in Japan.

The 1970 season launched Kurosaki into three years of pitching for Nebraska, where he was a big winner. The Cardinals drafted him and assigned him to their Little Rock farm team, where he quickly compiled a 4-0 record with four saves and no earned runs in 21 innings. He went up to the Cardinals and, on May 20, 1975, got called from the bullpen to shut down the San Diego Padres.

He came out of the bullpen seven times that season and pitched a total of 12 innings for the Cardinals. He had no decisions and no saves, and that was his entire major league career.

Kurosaki is now with a fire engine company in downtown Little Rock. He and his wife have three sons. Two play baseball.

Although the first AJA to play in the majors, Kurosaki was not the first person of Japanese ancestry to play in the majors. The first was Masanori Murakami, a Japan native who was a relief pitcher with the San Francisco Giants in 1964 and 1965.



Hawaii no minor
player in majors
Agbayani is the 22nd
Hawaii player to make it
to the 'bigs'

By Al Chase
Star-Bulletin

Benny Agbayani's five-season apprenticeship in the minor leagues culminated with his recent call-up to the major leagues by the New York Mets.

Although the former St. Louis School and Hawaii Pacific University standout made a return trip to Norfolk (Va.) in the International League after a week with the Mets, he was called up again last Wednesday.

Agbayani, a 5-foot-11, 175-pounder, was the starting left fielder for the Tides.

He is the 22nd player from Hawaii (played high school or college ball here) to make it to the majors.

The first was Johnnie "Honolulu Johnnie" Williams, who spent the 1914 season with the Detroit Tigers after three successful seasons in the Pacific Coast League.

Williams, a 6-foot, 180-pound right-hander, relied on a blazing fastball. He led the PCL in winning percentage (.708) in 1913 with a 17-7 record. After the season, the Sacramento Sacts sold his contract to Detroit.

Tony Rego, who was born in Wailuku and played ball on Maui before entering the U.S Armed Forces during World War I, had a two-year stint (1924-25) with the St. Louis Browns.

Henry "Price" Oana is the only Hawaii player to make it to the majors as a position player and as a pitcher. A minor league slugger, he first appeared with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1934. The 6-2, 195-pound right-hander then pitched for Detroit in 1943 and 1945.

There was a 22-year gap before the next Hawaii product made it to the majors, when Roosevelt High School's Mike Lum began a long career in the big leagues with the Atlanta Braves in 1967.

Since then, there has been a steady flow of Hawaii talent in the majors.

Prior to Agbayani's promotion, Scott Karl of the Milwaukee Brewers was the most recent player with 50th State ties to get the call (1995). Karl, a left-hander, recently signed a three-year, $7 million contract.


Hawaii's Major Leaguers

Player School Debut Team
Johnnie Williams St. Louis/Punahou 4/21/1914 Detroit Tigers
Tony deRego no high school 6/21/1924 St. Louis Browns
Henry Oana St. Louis 4/22/1934 Philadelphia Phillies
Mike Lum Roosevelt 9/12/1967 Atlanta Braves
John Matias Farrington 4/7/1970 Chicago White Sox
Ryan Kurosaki Kalani 5/20/1975 St. Louis Cardinals
Doug Capilla Kailua 9/12/1976 St. Louis Cardinals
Lenn Sakata Kalani 7/21/1977 Milwaukee Brewers
Fred Kuhaulua Waianae 8/2/1977 California Angels
Joey DeSa Damien 9/6/1980 St. Louis Cardinals
Scott Loucks Leilehua 9/1/1981 Houston Astros
Carlos Diaz Castle 6/30/1982 Atlanta Braves
Sid Fernandez Kaiser 9/20/1983 Los Angeles Dodgers
Glenn Braggs U. of Hawaii 7/18/1986 Milwaukee Brewers
Chuck Crim U. of Hawaii 4/8/1987 Milwaukee Brewers
Chuck Jackson U. of Hawaii 5/26/1987 Houston Astros
Mike Campbell U. of Hawaii 7/4/1987 Seattle Mariners
Joey Meyer U. of Hawaii 4/4/1988 Milwaukee Brewers
Mike Fetters Iolani 9/1/1989 California Angels
Bruce Walton U. of Hawaii 5/11/1991 Oakland Athletics
Scott Karl U. of Hawaii 5/4/1995 Milwaukee Brewers
Benny Agbayani St. Louis/HPU 6/18/1998 New York Mets