Prior a Priority?

After recovering from multiple surgeries all of last season, Bonita's Mark Prior wants to sign with the Padres. If he does return, he'll probably have to sign a minor league deal.

Filipinos in the Majors... Two on the Giants?

Ever find something interesting while looking for something else?

While poking around the tons of baseball information on the internet, I came across a few things that were really interesting... to me anyway.

I had read about Filipino-American Bobby Balcena who played for the Cincinnati Reds in 1956. There was also former New York Mets outfielder, Benny Agbayani and current Florida Marlin, Chris Aguila. While poking around for some biographical info about either Jason Bartlett or Shane Victorino, I found an interesting article in the San Jose Mercury News. I had heard that San Francisco Giants pitcher, Geno Espineli, was a full-blooded Filipino-American (raised in Houston, Texas).

In an article titled, Giants Notes: Veterans want to stay.

Published 07/31/2008 by Andrew Baggarly.

"A television station from the Philippines arranged interviews with reliever Geno Espineli, who is believed to be the first full-blooded Filipino in the major leagues, and Tim Lincecum, whose mother is Filipino."

What? Tim Lincecum? The baby-faced assassin is Filipino-American? I couldn't believe it, so I searched a little more.

I found that Lincecum was also quoted in the Sacramento Bee, revealing that his maternal grandfather (who had just passed away) was Filipino.

Wow... 

World Series

Despite my hometown Padres finishing with 99 losses, I'm excited about the World Series. 

Former San Diego Padres farmhand (and Filipino-American) Jason Bartlett, is the starting shortstop for the Tampa Bay Rays. A native of Mountain View, California, Bartlett was drafted in 2001 by San Diego (in the 13th round) out of the University of Oklahoma. In 2002, he was traded to the Minnesota Twins (for Brian Buchanan). He's always been a very solid player who always seems to play the right way.

I'm also a big fan of Philadelphia Phillies centerfielder, Shane Victorino. A former Padre outfielder (Rule 5 Draftee - 2002), The Flying Hawaiian was born and raised in Maui - and with a name like Victorino, I wonder if there's any Filipino heritage. Even if he isn't Filipino, I was already a big fan after learning there was a brown-skinned Padre from Hawaii.

So... unless I can get a hold of the players or their respective agents to confirm their backgrounds... I can watch the fall classic and tell myself that there are a couple of Filipino-Americans playing against each other in the World Series. Might not be a big deal to anyone else out there.. but its a big deal to this Fil-Am who grew up playing baseball.