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...