Did Giants Lose Shirts to Get Sock?

Having recently traded for Joe Carter and Jose Mesa, the San Francisco Giants continued to bolster their wild-card aspirations by beating the deadline to acquire outfielder Ellis Burks from the Colorado Rockies for Darryl Hamilton--a price some Giants seemed to question, even though Burks brings needed power.

“It gives us a right-handed hitter, I guess, but we’re losing a good man in Darryl Hamilton, our leadoff guy and a big asset to our club,” second baseman Jeff Kent said. “I don’t know if this is what we need, but I’d better not say anything more.”

Burks, who is eligible for free agency and is simply being rented over the remainder of the season, has 16 homers and 54 runs batted in. Hamilton is hitting .290 with 65 runs and the third-best on-base percentage among National League leadoff hitters.

“We obviously acquired a bona fide bat in the middle of the lineup,” General Manager Brian Sabean said. “Obviously, we felt we need to do something about run production. Getting runners on base has not been a problem. Getting them in has been. It’s my belief that our biggest need has been addressed.”

Some would argue that starting pitching represents the Giants’ biggest need. Sabean said he pursued it but was held ransom.

Burks and Carter might help the offense--seventh in the league in runs--compensate for the starting void.

“Everybody has been hollering that we need more sock,” Manager Dusty Baker said. “We’ve now got more sock.

“Unfortunately, you have to give up something to get something.”

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The Giants reacted facetiously to recent comments by Manager Bobby Valentine claiming that the New York Mets would emerge with the wild card and by interim General Manager Tom Lasorda that the Dodgers would.

“I’ve heard there’ll be two wild cards this year,” Baker said. “Where does that leave us and the rest of the teams?”

Said Kent, suggesting that if the Giants don’t make the playoffs, neither will the Dodgers:

“Did Tommy say something stupid the other day? Well, if we don’t make the playoffs, I’ll be eating dinner with Lasorda during the playoffs. I’ll even buy the guy dinner.”

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Nothing unusual about Tony Gwynn getting three hits in a game, but the San Diego Padre right fielder took delight in the three he collected off Hideo Nomo in New York on Tuesday night.

“Since he’s sued us,” Gwynn said of Nomo’s lawsuit against his wife, Alicia, for using his name in her sports apparel business, “I’m like seven for 12 against him. He’s probably forgot, but I haven’t.”

Gwynn is 10 for 20 off Nomo with two homers. He’s batting .583 against the former Dodger since the lawsuit was filed.

“Don’t think that lawsuit didn’t cross my mind,” Gwynn said of his most recent three hits.

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In moves that may have escaped attention, the Mets and Chicago Cubs gave up on two young players once thought to be can’t-miss stars.

The Mets sent injury-riddled pitcher Bill Pulsipher to the Milwaukee Brewers for Mike Kinkade, and the Cubs sent third baseman Kevin Orie to the Florida Marlins for relief pitcher Felix Heredia. The Cubs, in the thick of the playoff hunt, may have made two of the most important and least hyped moves of the week, bolstering their bullpen with the addition of Heredia and Matt Karchner from the White Sox.