Saturday, Dec. 31

SAN FRANCISCO — When the Giants traded Andres Torres to the New York Mets, a friend recalled my declaration that I would weep if the cheery outfielder ever left the ballclub.

I didn’t need my buddy’s reminder to be so moved.

We who cover sports for a living grow emotionally attached to the athletes we meet at our own peril. The most obvious danger of this lapse is unprofessionalism. There’s also the simple fact that athletes don’t care about us as much as we might care about them. Another pitfall is the ache that remains when a well-liked player leaves. This is why many athletes resist befriending teammates, to insulate themselves from the shock of a trade or personnel move.

Though I pride myself on my professionalism, maintaining emotional distance occasionally challenges me. I completely failed in that regard with Torres. I’ve been fortunate to know numerous players who I’d welcome to a backyard barbecue. Luis Gonzalez, Sean Casey, Aaron Boone, Dmitri Young, Dave Roberts and Rich Aurilia are among the dozens who come to mind. But Torres was different. He simply was the most endearing ballplayer I’ve met. He made himself exceedingly easy to root for without even trying — though he tried so hard at everything else.

The timing of this almost embarrassingly self-revealing piece may seem strange, because the Giants traded Torres more than three weeks ago. Other writers already have weighed in on his merits. I admire their alacrity. I felt compelled to hold onto my thoughts, like a pitcher rubbing up a baseball and assessing its nearly imperceptible lumps, before unleashing. But I didn’t want the sun to set on 2011 without saluting Torres.

Few players — few people — are as genuine as Torres. His attachment to the Giants literally flowed from him as he sobbed when manager Bruce Bochy telephoned him after the trade became official. An athlete’s attempt to express loyalty to his team can fall flat; too often, he’s actually reaffirming his bond to his paycheck, not his city or teammates. But Torres’ desire to excel for the Giants was sincere. I was agog in August of that charmed 2010 season when Torres professed his dedication to the team. It wasn’t so much what he said as how he said it, with each word dripping emotion:

“I need to respect the organization for giving me this job. I want them to know I’m going to work hard, try to get better and help the team win.”

We all know why Torres felt this way. The Giants gave him a chance to thrive after he spent most of 11 pro seasons toiling thanklessly in the Minor Leagues. So he channeled his energies toward being the best Giant possible, ceaselessly delivering maximum effort.

My favorite statistic of the 2009 season was Torres’ total of eight triples in only 170 plate appearances. Even players who hit a lot of triples need close to three times as many plate appearances to accumulate that figure. Torres himself had eight triples in 570 PAs in 2010. Regardless, if he drove a pitch anywhere near a gap, he was virtually guaranteed to reach third. Usually he prompted hilarity as he did so, unintentionally amusing teammates with his sprinter’s style of running with a rigid upper body and furiously pumping arms.

But Torres the ballplayer didn’t engage me as much as Torres the person. He was unfailingly friendly, saying hello to everyone he encountered each day. Though his conversational repertoire wasn’t broad, it was heartfelt. He must have asked me a hundred times, “How’s your family?” So I’d tell him.

Then, late last season, I had the privilege of bringing my daughter Samantha to a game. We started to exit AT&T Park through the corridor leading past the Giants clubhouse. We came upon a nattily dressed gathering of players and their wives, about to leave for some sort of meet-and-greet function with sponsors or fans. Torres, who was among the group, burst forward to introduce himself to my daughter. All those times he inquired about my family, he truly cared.

My identification with Torres was partly forged by a third party. Tim Flannery, the Giants’ third-base coach who’s a superb singer-songwriter, dedicated “Right Or Wrong,” a song from his new CD “The Restless Kind,” to Torres. The tune includes the lyrics, “It’s never too late to be the person you were meant to be.” All of us who feel incomplete — yet not inadequate — can relate to Flannery’s articulation of Torres’ resilience, fortitude and perseverance. If you believe you still can reach your tantalizing goals, you can appreciate Torres’ story.

I kept hoping last season that Torres would escape his yearlong slump, but it never happened. Angel Pagan, who the Giants acquired from the Mets for Torres, appears to be a more consistent performer. The Giants did what they had to do by engineering the trade.

It doesn’t matter. Torres has entrenched himself in my “interior stadium,” to borrow the title of one of Roger Angell’s finest works. Some players I’ll remember for their excellence; others I’ll cherish for their personality. Torres will stick with me for many reasons, but mostly just because I felt lucky to know him. Yes, Andres, my family is fine. And in a way, you’ll always be part of it.

– Chris Haft

Nov. 4

SAN FRANCISCO — The people who run the Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals are smart individuals.

So it’s difficult to fathom why none of them has seen fit to offer Giants bench coach Ron Wotus an interview for their managerial vacancies.

Wotus has managed successfully in the Minor Leagues, reaching the playoffs with all but one of the seven teams he piloted. He has gained an encyclopedic knowledge of the National League while becoming the longest-tenured coach in Giants history (OK, maybe his NL-centric background excuses the Red Sox a little bit). At 50, he’s still relatively young.

Some might suggest that Wotus’ managerial aspirations have been hampered by staying with the Giants through his entire managerial and coaching career, as if being with only one organization for so long limits his breadth of experience. On the contrary, the fact that Wotus has worked with three different Giants managers — Dusty Baker, Felipe Alou and Bruce Bochy — reflects his value to the ballclub. Alou and Bochy, in particular, easily could have replaced Wotus with one of their own cronies upon becoming manager. Yet they recognized Wotus’ assets and kept him aboard.

It’s also worth mentioning that Wotus reached the World Series with Baker (2002) and Bochy (2010) and coached on a team that won 100 games under Alou (2003). He has done more than just go along for the ride all these years.

When you figure out why Wotus continues to be overlooked, please give the Giants’ front office a call. Because the Cardinals, Cubs and Red Sox haven’t.

*****

Open bidding for free agents began Thursday with apparently limited activity by the Giants. “Apparently” is the key term, because many agents avoided speaking specifically about their interactions with teams. Nor did the Giants themselves advertise their strategy — which only made sense, since that keeps opponents guessing.

Wise folks believe that little or nothing will happen in free agency until a new Basic Agreement is reached between management and players. This could happen as early as next week. Once that’s finalized, club owners will know what their revenue sources are for the next few years. At that point, they’ll feel more comfortable turning their baseball operations people loose in the open market.

*****

The career of the late Matty Alou served as a reminder of how challenging it was to hit at Candlestick Park. Alou batted .248 there, compared to .315 everywhere else — including .332 at Forbes Field, which became his home ballpark when San Francisco traded him to Pittsburgh before the 1966 season.

Joe Amalfitano, the Giants special assistant and former infielder who played with and against Alou, described the 1966 NL batting champion’s approach at Forbes Field, where the outfield was spacious: “He’d hit balls in the gap and run for two days.”

Should Alou have tried to score on Willie Mays’ two-out, ninth-inning double in Game 7 of the 1962 World Series with the Giants trailing, 1-0? Though that remains a subject of some debate, it’s instructive to listen to the national radio broadcast of that game, which was anchored by George Kell. “[Alou] would have been out at the plate,” Kell said matter of factly and without hesitation as he recapped the play. As a Hall of Fame  third baseman, Kell spoke with an accomplished ballplayer’s perspective. Sending Alou would have been foolish.

*****

I’ll confess to being a little bit of a homer. That said, it’s ridiculous that Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong didn’t win one of the three Comeback Player of the Year Award votes in which he was a candidate. I guess escaping oblivion to make the NL All-Star team and finish fourth in the league in ERA doesn’t count for much anymore.

– Chris Haft

Wednesday, October 19

ST. LOUIS — About 25 minutes remain before the first pitch of Wednesday night’s World Series opener between St. Louis and Texas, so I had better file this fast.

The smart money says that the Rangers will do what they couldn’t accomplish against the Giants last year and shall win the Series. Yes, they can hit. Yes, they can run. Yes, their bullpen is deep and overpowering.

Check ESPN.com. All but four of their 25 baseball “experts” picked the Rangers to capture the Series. Who am I to argue with those guys?

But I believe that home-field advantage and Tony LaRussa’s managerial acumen could help the Cardinals overcome at least part of whatever theoretical disadvantage they might face. St. Louis also has Albert Pujols, the National League’s top player and maybe the best in all of baseball. That counts for something.

So, here’s my prediction: St.Louis in six games.

 – Chris Haft

Wednesday, Oct. 5

SAN FRANCISCO — Even if you think Brian Wilson became more of a celebrity and less of a ballplayer in 2011, his new commercial probably will still make you laugh.

Wilson is featured on Taco Bell’s latest advertisement, which will air Thursday during the Tigers-Yankees Division Series telecast. It will continue to air through the postseason on the networks airing League Championship and World Series  games.

A publicity release said that Wilson’s spot is a follow-up to last year’s commercial with Yankees close Mariano Rivera and manager Joe Girardi, in which Girardi has to call in Rivera to finish a customer’s XXL Chalupa because it’s too big.

What’s unintentionally funny is that the health-conscious Wilson probably wouldn’t eat Taco Bell products if he had a choice. But one must cash in on one’s fame while it remains possible to do so.

– Chris Haft

Monday,  Sept. 5

SAN DIEGO — Fully aware that this has nothing to do with the Giants’  present-day issues, I’m compelled by the calendar to share this reminiscence.

Baseball on Labor Day always shall mean one thing for me: Sept. 3, 1973. The Giants beat the Dodgers, 11-8, overcoming an 8-1 deficit. This game reinforced some basic baseball truths — how momentum can be so fickle and inexorable; why leaving a ballgame early is never a good idea; and how the improbable can become commonplace when the Giants and Dodgers meet.

Moreover, it was simply an unforgettable game.

The Dodgers, who led the National League West by one game over Cincinnati at the time, led 8-1 after five innings. This prompted an older couple to gather their blankets (I should have mentioned that the scene was Candlestick Park) and head for the parking lot. Asked by a neighbor (apparently I was sitting amid a flock of season-ticket holders) why they were leaving so soon, the departing gentleman simply shook his head in disgust.

I wonder how those two felt a few hours later.

The Giants had only three hits through six innings — OK, I looked it up on baseball-reference.com — but roused themselves to score six runs in the seventh inning. That, I recall without fact-checking. I don’t remember much about the particulars of the rally, which included two-run singles by Dave Rader and Tito Fuentes (thanks again, baseball-reference). I do remember that though the Giants still trailed, 8-7, I was absolutely convinced that they’d proceed to win.

The ninth inning validated my belief. After striking out Willie McCovey, Chris Speier and Dave Kingman in a perfect eighth, Dodgers reliever Pete Richert walked Gary Thomasson to open the ninth. Baseball-reference says that the next two hitters, Rader and Mike Sadek, recorded sacrifice bunts and reached base safely. My memory tells me that the Dodgers botched both plays, but detailing how this happened would require deeper research.

The Dodgers summoned their best reliever, left-hander Jim Brewer, to face Bobby Bonds, the Giants’ best player and quite possibly the finest in the entire NL at that  juncture. Though the bases were loaded with nobody out, the Dodgers seemed to have a decent shot of escaping the threat. Brewer’s formidable screwball made him tough on right-handed batters as well as against lefties.

But when Bonds performed at the height of his skill, nothing else mattered.

He drove a pitch to left field but hit it so high that I figured it was just a fly ball. Watching Bill Buckner stand helplessly at the fence as the ball disappeared into the seats told me otherwise. Giants fans in the relatively sparse audience of 15,279 — those who remained present, that is — were euphoric. The Giants never seriously threatened the Dodgers or Reds in the division race through the rest of the season. But, for one night, their followers felt as if the team had reached the World Series.

Bonds and the Giants thus issued an essential reminder: Never, ever give up.

Maybe this recollection isn’t so irrelevant after all.

– Chris Haft

Friday, Aug. 19

HOUSTON — With Eli Whiteside still feeling the effects of his rough slide Wednesday, the Giants are expected to recall catcher Hector Sanchez from Triple-A Fresno before Friday night’s series opener against the Houston Astros.

The Giants have not yet officially announced the move, which was initially reported by a Venezuelan news source. But industry sources confirmed that was imminent — and necessary. It’s anticipated that Whiteside will go on the seven-day disabled list with a concussion. Whiteside plowed hard into second base with a headfirst slide on an unsuccessful stolen-base attempt at Atlanta, with his head absorbing much of the impact.

Sanchez, 21, appeared in three games with the Giants in a brief Major League stint earlier this season and went 0-for-3. He was hitting .261 with one home run and 26 RBIs in 46 games for Fresno after batting .301 with eight homers and 46 RBIs in 42 games with high-Class A San Jose.

– Chris Haft

Sunday, Aug. 7

SAN FRANCISCO — Brian Wilson’s 34th save, which he recorded Sunday, took a while to develop. Nine days had passed since his last save opportunity, July 28 at Philadelphia. Since then, Wilson had appeared just twice, absorbing the decision in the 13-inning loss at Cincinnati on July 29 and receiving an inning of work Friday against the Phillies.

But the scarcity of save chances didn’t bother Wilson, who came up with the day’s best line when he was asked about it. “I’m not on commission,” he said.

*****

You may remember that Tim Lincecum refrains from icing his right arm after he pitches. That’s one of the many aspects which makes him unique.

So it seemed a little strange on Sunday to see Lincecum with an icepack strapped to him. But it was applied to Lincecum’s right knee, where he was struck by Chase Utley’s thrown bat in the eighth inning.

To his credit, Utley apologized to Lincecum immediately (then singled to right field on the next pitch). Said Lincecum, “After I kind of gathered myself, I stood up and I could hear him say, ‘Man, I’m sorry. You gotta know I didn’t mean to do that.’ “

*****

Something to keep in mind: Of the Giants’ 47 remaining games, 37 are against teams with below-.500 records.

Trouble is, they’re only 32-26 against clubs with losing marks.<p/>

The Giants’ only games left against teams that currently own winning records are at Atlanta (Aug. 15-18) and against Arizona (Sept. 2-4 in San Francisco and Sept. 23-25 on the road).<p/>

– Chris Haft