He Knew Sabean Was Creating a Giant

Skip Bayless of the San Jose Mercury News commenting on Tsuyoshi Shinjo, the San Francisco Giants’ new outfielder who was introduced at a recent news conference: “He appears to understand just enough English to perhaps wonder if General Manager Brian Sabean had the right guy. Sabean seemed to be describing a cross between Seattle sensation Ichiro Suzuki and former Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh.

“It was as if Shinjo was taking his place alongside the Golden Gate Bridge and Chinatown as San Francisco’s newest tourist attraction.”

*

More Shinjo: “No wonder [he] originally balked at being traded. He had eased into a part-time role with the [New York] Mets. Now he has to compete with Fisherman’s Wharf.

“‘I will be a tourist attraction,’ Shinjo said bravely.”

*

Trivia time: Who holds the UCLA single-game record for rebounds?

*

So, he did: The East Coast Hockey League suspended Toledo defenseman Chris Slater for 36 games for lunging at a fan during a game. A league investigation determined that the incident occurred after the fan, Bruce Downey, yelled, “Slater, why don’t you do something?”

Said Slater: “During the game, I think he said it a few times. That’s all it took.”

*

Role reversal: New Viking Coach Mike Tice played for George O’Leary in high school. Now Tice has hired O’Leary to his staff in Minnesota. This could be an awkward situation.

Tice recounted this conversation with O’Leary about the matter: “I said, ‘Coach, you know when you take the job, do me one favor. This is not Central Islip High School in New York. Please don’t yell at me in front of the players or the other coaches.’”

*

Dog discrimination: Lou Guerrerro has a show champion dog. But there’s a problem--it’s an Afghan hound.

“Now that 9-11 happened, I’m very careful where I go with my dog,” Guerrero said. “When people ask what kind she is, I just say, ‘She’s a hound dog.’ The only reason I do this is for fear of possible retaliation.”

*

Say please: ABC-TV’s Dan Fouts said it during the Pro Bowl: “[Tampa Bay’s] Keyshawn [Johnson] has a new book coming out.

“It’s called ‘Just Give Me a Damn Coach.’”

*

Another title: “If Michael Jordan saves his marriage,” Jerry Greene of the Orlando Sentinel asks, “will he be the comeback husband of the year?”

*

Trivia answer: Willie Naulls, 28, against Arizona State in 1956.

*

And finally: Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe on the Red Sox, who report to training camp today:

“There was a time when the Sox were the only team that mattered around here. Never out of season, never out of style, the Red Sox were a 24/7 entity. The Sox owned the market. They could be arrogant. And they were.

“No more. The Patriots have given us a taste of champagne. They have shown Boston that the last game doesn’t have to be a whopping disappointment. They have shown us that sometimes team supercedes individual achievement. It doesn’t always have to be about headache and heartache.”

Mal Florence