Cactus League Baseball

Spring training rosters are available from a number of on-line sources. The most comprehensive listing I've found so far is from USA Today. Unfortunately, very few of them provide uniform numbers for the complete Spring Training rosters, especially for the non-roster invitees.

You need a uniform numbers for field identification purposes, especailly when watching practices. As you can see, this list is sorted by uniform number. When players warm up before games they often wear mesh workout jerseys that have numbers but not player names. Print out the list, bring it with you, and you won't have to mutter to the guy next to you, "Who's number thirty-two?"

 #  Pos Player                 1995 Club
 1  OF  Glenallen Hill         GIANTS    
 2  OF  Mark Leonard           GIANTS, Phoenix    
 5  AM  Bob Lillis             GIANTS    
 6  2B  Robby Thompson         GIANTS    
 7  OF  Marvin Benard          GIANTS, Phoenix    
 8   C  Kirt Manwaring         GIANTS    
 9  3B  Matt Williams          GIANTS, San Jose    
10  IF  David McCarty          GIANTS, Phoenix, TWINS, Indianapolis (AAA)
12   M  Dusty Baker            GIANTS    
14  LP  Shawn Barton           GIANTS    
15  BP  Bob Brenly             GIANTS    
16  HC  Bobby Bonds            GIANTS    
17  1B  J.R. Phillips          GIANTS    
18  IF  Kim Batiste            Bowie    
19  IF  Jay Canizaro           Shreveport    
20  3C  Wendell Kim            GIANTS    
21  SS  Shawon Dunston         CUBS    
22  RP  Osvaldo Fernandez      Cuba    
23  IF  Steve Scarsone         GIANTS    
25  OF  Barry Bonds            GIANTS    
26  SS  Rich Aurilia           GIANTS, Phoenix, Shreveport    
28  OF  Stan Javier            A'S    
29   C  Steve Decker           MARLINS    
30  RP  Jamie Brewington       GIANTS, Shreveport     
31  RP  Mark Leiter            GIANTS    
32  IF  Brett King             San Jose    
33  IF  Bill Mueller           Phoenix, Shreveport    
34  RP  Scott Service          GIANTS, Indianapolis (AAA)    
35  RP  Carlos Valdez          GIANTS, Phoenix, Shreveport    
36  LP  Shawn Estes            GIANTS,  Shreveport, San Jose, Wisc.-Burl.  
37  RP  Chris Hook             GIANTS, Phoenix    
38  RP  Jose Bautista          GIANTS    
39  LP  Allen Watson           CARDINALS, Louisville (AAA)    
40  RP  Mark Dewey             GIANTS    
41  RP  Sergio Valdez          GIANTS, Phoenix    
42  OF  Keith Williams         Phoenix, Shreveport    
43  RP  Jeff Juden             PHILLIES, Scranton-WB
45  OF  Mark Carreon           GIANTS    
46  RP  Rich DeLucia           CARDINALS    
47  RP  Rod Beck               GIANTS    
48  PC  Dick Pole              GIANTS    
49   C  Tom Lampkin            GIANTS    
50  RP  William VanLandingham  GIANTS    
51  LP  Doug Creek             CARDINALS, Louisville (AAA), Arkansas  
52  LP  Ricky Pickett          Shreveport, Chattanooga    
54   C  Marcus Jensen          Shreveport    
55  RP  Steve Bourgeois        Phoenix, Shreveport    
56  LP  Andy Carter            PHILLIES, Scranton-WB    
57  RP  Julian Heredia         Vancouver (AAA)    
58  RP  Jeff Patterson         YANKEES, Colombus (AAA)    
59  RP  Doug Vanderweele       Phoenix, Shreveport    
60  OF  Chris Singleton        San Jose    
61  LP  Enrique Burgos         GIANTS, Phoenix    
62  OF  Jacob Cruz             Shreveport    
63  OF  Dax Jones              Phoenix    
64  OF  Dante Powell           San Jose    
65  RP  Steve Soderstrom       Shreveport    
66  RP  Andy Taulbee           Shreveport, San Jose    
70   C  Tommy Eason            Reading   
71   C  Jesse Ibarra           Burlington, San Jose
76  OF  Mel Hall               DRAGONS (Chunichi, Japan)    


Non-Standard Position Abbreviations:

RP  Right-Handed Pitcher
LP  Left-Handed Pitcher

 M  Manager
AM  Assistant Manager (Bench Manager)
AC  Coach
HC  Hitting Coach
PC  Pitching Coach
1C  First Base Coach
3C  Third Base Coach
BP  Bullpen Coach

This list is complete and accurate as of February 16, 1996

Players to watch:

Osvaldo Fernandez (#22)

The great Cuban hope for this shell of a starting rotation. Fernandez defected last year.

Shawon Dunston (#21)

I saw this guy when he was a rookie. He had the foulest mouth I'd ever heard, and I'd listened to Eddie Murphy's comedy albums. Dunston could somehow work the F-word four times into every sentence. And he was loud. The Giants signed him this year as a free agent.

Mel Hall (#76)

Mel spent the last three years in Japan. Ask him if he knows what "hanekuso" means!

Steve Bourgeois (#55)

This fella was a replacement player during last years' strike. He was also the Giants' most effective pitcher in the high minors last year. Will the other players give him crap or the cold shoulder? Probably. What's best for the team or its fans will not enter their thinking.

Deion Sanders (not!)

Thank goodness. If this dickweed was still on the Giants, I wouldn't be a Giant fan. And that was my thinking the moment the trade with the Reds was made. I never saw Sanders in a Giants' uniform.

Cactus League Spring Training Luncheon

Willie Mays to be luncheon speaker

Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays will speak at the annual Cactus League Spring Training Baseball Luncheon on Feb. 22 at the Embassy Suites Resort Pavilion, 5001 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale.

The kickoff event, sponsored by the Scottsdale Charros, will welcome the San Francisco Giants. Luncheon tickets are $17. Reservations may be made by calling the Scottsdale Charro office at 990-2977.

• San Francisco Giants Virtual Dugout the club's own official website
• San Francisco Giants Page by Dave Farmar...it contains comprehensive links for the Giants
• The Baseball Server taking you right to the Giants page
• The San Francisco Chronicle/Examiner local coverage
• The San Jose Mercury more local coverage but these guys are charging now
• Candlestick Park -- It's Really Cool And don't you dare call it by that other name.
• 3COM Park Ok, here's a site that calls it by the other name.
• San Jose Giants The A club in the California League.
• Giants Dugout at Palo Alto's Stanford Shopping Center
• alt.sports.baseball.sf-giants Giants talk on Usenet
• John Skilton's Baseball Links Links to every Web site associated with every Major League team! It basically renders this section redundant, so click this site for more.