The Giants' farm system used to inspire "Grapes of Wrath" references. Now there's fruit clustered on the vine, and some of it will be sampled at AT&T Park this season.
Five homegrown players are expected to be in the opening day lineup Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park — by far the most in 13 seasons under General Manager Brian Sabean.
Young infielders Pablo Sandoval, Travis Ishikawa and Emmanuel Burriss made solid contact in the Cactus League and played with moxie to lock down starting jobs. Fred Lewis is the everyday left fielder. And you might be familiar with the skinny kid on the mound — reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
It's the biggest bumper crop since the 1995 opener also featured five homegrown Giants — a group that included Matt Williams, Robby Thompson and Royce Clayton.
And it's an unprecedented shift for Sabean, who typically has built teams by patching complementary veterans around Barry Bonds. In 12 previous opening-day lineups during the Sabean era, only seven homegrown Giants had their names on the card: Bill Mueller, Shawn Estes, Marvin Benard, Armando Rios, Pedro Feliz, Lance Niekro and Brian Bocock.
With most of the Bonds-era veterans finally off the roster, youth will be served this season. And hitters such as Sandoval and Ishikawa must be poised and productive over 162 games if the Giants hope to contend behind their Cy Young-studded rotation in the National League West.
Five homegrown players are expected to be in the opening day lineup Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers at AT&T Park — by far the most in 13 seasons under General Manager Brian Sabean.
Young infielders Pablo Sandoval, Travis Ishikawa and Emmanuel Burriss made solid contact in the Cactus League and played with moxie to lock down starting jobs. Fred Lewis is the everyday left fielder. And you might be familiar with the skinny kid on the mound — reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum.
It's the biggest bumper crop since the 1995 opener also featured five homegrown Giants — a group that included Matt Williams, Robby Thompson and Royce Clayton.
And it's an unprecedented shift for Sabean, who typically has built teams by patching complementary veterans around Barry Bonds. In 12 previous opening-day lineups during the Sabean era, only seven homegrown Giants had their names on the card: Bill Mueller, Shawn Estes, Marvin Benard, Armando Rios, Pedro Feliz, Lance Niekro and Brian Bocock.
With most of the Bonds-era veterans finally off the roster, youth will be served this season. And hitters such as Sandoval and Ishikawa must be poised and productive over 162 games if the Giants hope to contend behind their Cy Young-studded rotation in the National League West.
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