N.L. West

Sporting News, The, June 28, 1999

C Doug Mirabelli has been one of the organization's biggest puzzles. He has mastered catching major league pitching but never hits well enough to earn a job. Over the next few weeks, Mirabelli will get a chance to prove he belongs. He was recalled from Class AAA Fresno to replace C Servais, who dislocated his fight thumb after being hit by a foul tip last week. Mirabelli will form a catching platoon with Brent Mayne. Before the season, when Mirabelli was one of the team's final cuts, manager Dusty Baker told him he needed to work harder in the minors on hitting. Mirabelli listened. A career .276 hitter in the minors, Mirabelli hit .346 with 10 homers, 17 doubles and 36 RBIs for Fresno before he was recalled.

WORKING PLATOON: CF Marvin Benard will continue to platoon with F.P. Santangelo despite a surge in Benard's offense. Baker has decided the team is best served with Benard, a lefty, playing against righthanded pitchers. Santangelo, a switch hitter, will play against lefthanders. Santangelo always has hit about 40 points higher from the right side. Benard went 9-for-18 with eight RBIs in the four games after he was called into Baker's office for a pep talk last week in Denver. Benard occasionally needs to be reminded he's a leadoff hitter and his main job is to get on base, not drive in runs. Benard is at his best when he bunts, takes a lot of pitches, slaps balls into the outfield and walks.

A DIFFERENT GAME: Barry Bonds' surgically repaired left arm has grown weaker as the season progresses. At the same time, he can't fully extend his elbow, so he and rehabilitation coordinator Stan Conte have come up with a possible solution. Bonds will cut back on his heavy schedule of batting practice to reduce the fatigue, and he will use an unusual technique to help extend the elbow. Bonds will use a sledgehammer to simulate pounding stakes into the ground, which should help break the scar tissue without using the muscles required for hitting.--Henry Schulman

GRADING OUT

OFFENSE B

They're hitting at home as if they're still in the Kingdome or at Coors Field.

PITCHING A

Starters keeping team in every game, and the bullpen is finishing the job.

DEFENSE B

Would have been an "A" if not for a Rich Aurilia error that cost the team a game.

                               GIANTS

                 AVG    G    AB    R    H    HR

(*)Mirabelli    .429    2     7    2    3     0
Mayne( )        .320   52   147   21   47     1
(*)Delgado(#)   .310   16    29    3    9     0
Javier(#)       .309   62   207   38   64     3
Mueller(#)      .307   30   114   15   35     1
(*)Rios( )      .305   47    95   20   29     4
Aurilia         .302   64   235   35   71    12
Snow( )         .293   69   246   38   72     8
Kent            .290   68   252   42   73    11
Bonds( )        .288   21    73   16   21     5
Santangelo(#)   .284   50   102   23   29     2
Benard( )       .281   63   242   40   68     4
Hayes           .180   53   161   17   29     2

                RBI    OBP    SLG   SB    K   BB     E

(*)Mirabelli      2   .500   .571    0    2    0     0
Mayne( )         23   .389   .442    2   29   17     2
(*)Delgado(#)     1   .394   .345    0    4    3     1
Javier(#)        20   .366   .415   12   31   19     2
Mueller(#)       16   .419   .386    0   12   21     1
(*)Rios( )       19   .383   .464    5   22   11     1
Aurilia          40   .365   .498    1   31   21    14
Snow( )          46   .393   .463    0   53   40     3
Kent             47   .373   .512   10   51   34     8
Bonds( )         17   .416   .575    3   10   16     1
Santangelo(#)    12   .448   .422    5   19   27     0
Benard( )        25   .353   .413    8   39   27     4
Hayes            29   .272   .255    3   30   21     7