After letting Bobby Evans go as the General Manager of the San Francisco Giants, the team knew that they needed a leader who was a proven winner.
Giants President and Chief Executive Officer Larry Baer looked to the rival Los Angeles Dodgers for his new head of baseball operations, and it is Dodgers General Manager Farhan Zaidi, who spent the last four years down south.
“We set out to find one of the best minds in baseball and Farhan’s many accomplishments and expertise exceeded our expectations,” said Baer. “Farhan is widely viewed as one of the top executives in our industry and we are thrilled to have him lead the next chapter of Giants Baseball.”
Zaidi is now the President of Baseball Operations for the Giants, who also has ties to the Bay Area, as he spent 10 seasons across the bay with the Oakland A’s, where he started as a baseball operations analyst in 2005 before he was promoted to director of baseball operations in 2009. His last position with the A’s was as assistant general manager/director of baseball operations.
While with the Dodgers, the team won four consecutive National League Western Division Championships, making the National League Championship over the past three season and the World Series over the past two years. The Dodgers went 379-270, a winning percentage of .584 during those four years, the second highest winning percentage in Major League Baseball.
As you may already know, the Stanford Cardinal lost its last two games on the road to No. 8 Washington State and No. 25 Washington, respectively. So the Cardinal are looking to snap out of a losing skid, but more importantly, get set for Senior Day. The soon-to-be Stanford alumni have a lot to celebrate in the coming weeks, including this football game. Congratulations to the Class of 2018!
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game vs. Oregon State:
By the numbers
Stanford Cardinal (5-4, 3-3)
Oregon State Beavers (2-7, 1-5)
Nov. 10, 2018 at 6:00 pm PT
Stanford Stadium (50,424) in Stanford, Calif.
Television
Live national broadcast on Pac-12 Network with Guy Haberman (play-by-play), Chad Brown (analyst) and Camryn Irwin (sideline).
Radio
Live coverage on Stanford’s flagship station–KNBR 1050 AM–with Scott Reiss ’93 (play-by-play), Todd Husak ’00 (analyst) and John Platz ’84 (sideline). The broadcast begins one hour before kickoff with the Cardinal Tailgate Show and concludes with the postgame Cardinal Locker Room Report. The game can be heard on Stanford student radio–KZSU 90.1 FM–and online at kzsulive.stanford.edu.
1 • Stanford is 5-0 this season when forcing at least one turnover, and 0-3 when not forcing a turnover.
1 • Junior Kaden Smith ranks first in the nation among tight ends in receiving yards (601) and receiving yards per game (66.8). He is second in the country—first among Power 5 tight ends—with 44 receptions (only San Jose State’s Josh Oliver has more receptions with 49).
3 • Stanford football players have conducted interviews in three foreign languages this season—JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Spanish), Jesse Burkett (Japanese) and Osiris St. Brown (German). All other Stanford football interviews this year have been done in English.
4 • Stanford’s four losses this season have come against the AP’s current No. 3, No. 10, No. 20 and No. 26th-ranked teams in the nation (Notre Dame, Washington State, Washington, Utah). Those four teams have a combined record of 30-7 (.811) this season.
5 • One of the most disciplined teams in the nation, Stanford has the fifth-fewest penalty yards in the nation this year with just 37.00 per game–also the fewest in the Pac-12.
7 • Don’t expect many points immediately after halftime. Stanford has allowed just one touchdown and never more than seven points in the third quarter this season. The Cardinal has only allowed 25 third-quarter points in its first nine games (2.78). The only touchdown allowed was vs. Washington State.
8 • Stanford has won eight in a row against Oregon State.
8 • Smith has produced three games with 8+ receptions and 100+ yards this season (Utah, Washington State and Washington). The rest of the tight ends in the country have combined for five such games. He is the only tight end to do it more than once and has done it in back-to-back games. Smith is the first tight end to accomplish that feat three times in a season since Texas Tech’s Jace Amaro in 2013 (Baker Mayfield and Davis Webb were the Red Raiders’ quarterbacks).
11 • Senior wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside ranks second nationally–and first among Pac-12 players–with 11 receiving touchdowns. That’s the second-most in a season in Stanford history and the most receiving touchdowns for a Cardinal in 38 years–Ken Margerum had 11 in 1980, while James Lofton set the school record with 14 in 1978.
13 • In addition to his 49 receptions and 754 receiving yards this season, Arcega-Whiteside has drawn 14 penalties this year–12 pass interference and two holding calls for 190 penalty yards (1.6 penalties/game and 21.1 penalty yards/game).
15 • Sophomore cornerback Paulson Adebo ranks second nationally with 15 pass breakups and fourth in the NCAA with 16 passes defended. He ranks atop the Pac-12 in both categories.
20 • Junior quarterback K.J. Costello ranks among the Top 25 nationally in completion percentage (18th), completions per game (19th), passing efficiency (22nd), passing touchdowns (17th), passing yards (13th), passing yards per game (17th) and yards per attempt (21st). He leads the Pac-12 in efficiency (153.1) and is second in the conference in passing yards (2,512) and yards per attempt (8.46).
37 • Sure-handed senior wide receiver Trenton Irwin has at least one reception in 37 consecutive games, a streak that ranks seventh nationally.
100 • Smith is the first Stanford tight end with back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Alex Smith did it in three straight games in 2004. Smith had 112 against Washington State and 107 against Washington. Smith is also the first Cardinal tight end since Zach Ertz with three 100-yard receiving games in a season. Smith’s career-high 120 yards receiving against Utah (Oct. 6) were the most by a Stanford tight end since Zach Ertz’s 134 vs. Cal in 2012.
249 • Stanford made a school record 249 consecutive extra-point attempts between Oct. 26, 2013 to Nov. 3, 2018. During the streak: Colin Riccitelli–2-2, Jet Toner–79-79, Conrad Ukropina–108-108, Jordan Williamson– 60-60.
1000 • Smith is the fourth Cardinal tight end with 1,000 career receiving yards (1,015). He joins Coby Fleener (1,543), Zach Ertz (1,434) and Alex Smith (1,291).
#1 San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens, needless to say, great outing last Thursday. How is his prognosis to be the starter against the New York Giants next week?
#2 For Mullens, a great Thursday night last week. 16 passes, 22 attempts, 262 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
#1 The Oakland A’s are just a couple months away until the big announcement for their plans for a new ballpark.
#2 The A’s made it no secret of their first choice where they want to have their new permanent site at Howard Terminal at Jack London Square.
#3 Amaury has had a chance to speak with Oakland A’s team president David Kaval about the new stadium. He says the team makes it no secret leans towards Jack London Square.
#4 Kaval did say until the A’s get the deal the team has to keep it’s options open and could settle for the Coliseum.
#5 Will a Howard Terminal location be a better place that will draw more fans?
Oakland- The Golden State Warriors won their eighth game in a row and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 117-101 Monday night at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies, who lost a tough game Sunday night to Phoenix, played an excellent first half. They did not let the Warriors get into any kind of rhythm in the first twenty-four minutes of play. The Grizzlies played well on defense and kept Steph Curry well in check. Grizzlies’ coach J.B.Bickerstaff seemed to have an answer for everything the Warriors tried to do. The Warriors fell behind early in the first period and were not able to get the lead. The first period ended with Memphis in the lead 31-29.
It was more of the same in the second period. Klay Thompson scored the first basket in the quarter to tie the game at 31. Memphis responded and regained the advantage. The Warriors tied the game at 45, but Memphis went ahead by six 53-47. Steph then made a four-point play. The Warriors tied the game again at 55, but Memphis refused to wilt and led 58-55. Klay Thompson connected on a three-pointer, and the first half ended with the score even at 58. The story of the first half was the Memphis bench. Dillon Brooks, Wayne Seldin, Shelvin Mack, and Marshon Brooks outscored the Warriors bench 30-10. Memphis’ starters Marc Gasol had 6, and Michael Conley added 7. The Warriors were led by Klay Thompson with 18, Kevin Durant 16, and Steph Curry 10.
Everything changed in the third quarter. As the Warriors have done so many times in the past, the offense came to life as they outscored the Grizzlies 34-15. The Warriors defensive leader, Draymond Green, did not play as he suffered a foot injury and was sent to the locker room. Damian Jones picked up his fifth personal foul early in the quarter, and he sat out the rest of the game. Warriors’ head coach, Steve Kerr, inserted Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Bell, and Alfonzo McKinnie to stop the Memphis offense and di they ever do the job. Not only did they excel on defense, but they also helped the Warriors go on a 27-8 run to finish the scoring in the period. Kevon Looney made four key baskets. Alfonzo McKinnie hit a key three-pointer, and Klay and Steph also played well. The Warriors led 92-73 after three-quarters of action.
Kerr had Klay Thompson on the floor with Quinn Cook, Jereko, Bell, and Looney. Cook made four 3-point shots, and the Warriors coasted to their tenth win of the year.
Game Notes and Stats. Klay Thompson led the Warriors with 27 points. Kevin Durant recorded 22 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Steph finished with 19. McKinnie had 14, Cook,13, Looney 9, and Jerebko 7.
Jaren Jackson, Jr had 15, Marc Gasol 8, Garrett Temple 13, and Michael Conley 9. Dillon Brooks had 18 coming off the bench.
The Warriors improve to 10-1 and Memphis falls to 5-4.
Shaun Livingston did not play as he is recovering from a foot injury. Andre Iguodala had the night off. Draymond Green did not play in the second half and was diagnosed with a contusion on his foot.
The Warriors meet the Milwaukee Bucks Thursday night. The Bucks are off to a great start and have the same record as the Warriors 10-1 The game will be at Oracle Arena and will start at 7:30pm.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — There’s something about the second period for the San Jose Barracuda (9-1-0-1). They scored three unanswered goals to defeat their NorCal rival Stockton Heat (4-6-1-0) 5-2 at SAP Center on Monday evening. It was the fourth win in a row for the Cuda.
The Heat didn’t waste much time taking advantage of Jeffery Truchon-Viel’s slashing penalty to draw first blood five minutes into the first period. Glenn Gawdin sent a pass to the net from the left slot where Kerby Rychel was camped in front of the crease. He collected his own rebound and jammed the puck past Cuda goalie Antoine Bibeau (4-1-1) into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season at 5:01 mark.
Dylan Gambrell came a few inches of evening up the score with 20 seconds left in the frame while the Cuda were on the power play. Showcasing his speed and skill, he skated around two Heat defenders and was all alone on Heat goalie Jon Gillies (3-4-1), but his shot just sailed wide of the net.
Despite outshooting Stockton 13-7, San Jose heading into the first intermission down 1-0.
San Jose tied it up on the power play halfway through the second period. Gambrell sent over a pass to the point where Jeremy Roy rifled a shot that hit the left pad of Gillies and into the back of the net for Roy’s second goal of the season at the 9:23 mark. Vincent Praplan received the secondary assist.
The Cuda seized the lead just 17 seconds later when captain John McCarthy won a battle along the left boards and skated in on goal where his shot was stopped by Gillies. Truchon-Viel crashed the net hard and jammed home the rebound past Gillies for his second goal in two games at the 9:40 mark. Evan Weinger received the secondary assist.
“We’ve been playing together for a few games now,” said McCarthy about his gritty line. “I think we play a simple game, a straight ahead game. We get on the forecheck, that’s how we scored our goal tonight. That’s our strength.
“He brings so much, the little details,” said Truchon-Viel about his experienced linemate. “It’s so good for young guys like me and Evan (Weinger). For him to be on our line (makes it) even better.”
Matt Fonteyne completed the scoring in the second period off a nice cycle play by the Cuda. Alexander True fed Nick DeSimone, who then fed an open Fonteyne, who skated in and slammed the puck past the five-hole of Gillies for his second goal on the season at the 12:31 mark.
“We answered back with a power play goal,” said head coach Roy Sommer about his team outscoring their opponents 5-0 in the last two second periods. “Next shift Johnny Mac and Viel get their goal and then we’re kind of rolling. Kind of smelt a little blood and just kept going.”
Francis Perron would put the game away for the Cuda in the third period with the team’s second power play goal of the evening. Lukas Ridal carried the puck into the zone and dropped a back pass for Perron who wristed a shot just to the inside corner of the goal past Gillies for his team-leading sixth goal on the season at the 9:07 mark. Jayden Halbgewachs received the secondary assist.
Andrew Mangiapane cut the lead in half on an odd man rush. He skated in from the right slot and wristed a shot on Bibeau that hit off his blocker and into the back of the net for his 5th goal of the season at the 14:24 mark. Curtis Lazar received the only assist on the goal.
Keaton Middleton immediately pushed down Mangipane after the goal and then exchanged fisticuffs with the Heat’s Anthony Peluso, who defended his teammate, in a long-spirited fight that sent both players to the showers for the night.
DeSimone closed out the scoring with an unassisted, empty-net goal with 56 seconds left for his third goal of the season.
Bibeau had another stellar outing in the net with 17 saves on 19 shots to earn the win. Gillies suffered the tough luck loss, making 33 saves on 37 shots.
“He made key saves at the right moment,” said Perron about his goaltender. “Every time we need him, we know he’s back there, he’s always (plays) huge for us.”
GAME NOTES: San Jose was 2/9 on the power play. Stockton was 1/4.
San Jose is currently 3-1 against Stockton on the season. Overall they are 26-11-2-1, including 13-6-0-0 at SAP Center.
Dynamic duo! Bibeau and Josef Kornear are number one and two in the AHL goals against average and third and fourth in save percentage.
San Jose is is ranked first in the AHL in goal differential with a +22.
The announced attendance was 1,894.
UP NEXT: The Cuda travel out to the Arizona desert to start a two-game series with the defending Pacific Division champion Tucson Roadrunners on Friday, November 9 at 6:05 pm PT.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — It’s obvious the San Jose State football team has been hapless, so let’s switch gears to the San Jose State men’s basketball team, who will tipoff the 2018-19 season on Wednesday night versus Life Pacific in the Event Center. The Spartans begin year two under second-year head coach Jean Prioleau. Spartan fans can listen to the broadcast by tuning into KLIV 1590 AM to hear Justin Allegri’s play-by-play call.
Game No. 1
Life Pacific at San Jose State
Wednesday Nov. 7 at 7:00 pm PT
Event Center (5,000)
San Jose, Calif.
A Spartan win would…
A win over the Warriors would give SJSU their third consecutive season opening win. It would also be the Spartans’ third-straight win over Life Pacific.
New Spartans
A total of nine newcomers are looking to make their San Jose State debuts. Prioleau added JUCO transfers Michael Steadman, Brae Ivey, Craig LeCesne and Brian Rodriguez-Flores to go with his freshman class that consists of Zach Chappell, Christian Anigwe, Kaison Hammonds, Seneca Knight and Trey Smith.
Returning starters
The Spartans will have a total of five lettermen return this season in Oumar Barry, Noah Baumann, Ashtin Chastain, Isaiah Nichols and Caleb Simmons.
Full offseason for Prioleau
Prioleau is entering his second season at the helm of SJSU men’s basketball and is coming off his first full offseason with the program. Prioleau was hired on August 4, 2017, and was given just three months to prepare for his debut. Now with a full offseason to prepare his team, Prioleau and his staff are excited about the Spartans’ potential.
Staff changes
Prioleau made some changes to his staff in the offseason. He brought in former NC State All-American Julius Hodge as an assistant coach and promoted director of operations Ryan Cooper to assistant coach.
More about Life Pacific
The Life Pacific Warriors are a member of the Golden State Athletic Conference and the NAIA. They opened the season with a 90-49 victory over Westcliff University before dropping their last game to Benedictine University 73-67. The Warriors are led by Tim Cook in his third season.
Tropical breeze
After two home games to start off the season, the Spartans will hit the skies for a very long trip east to Bimini, The Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam from Nov. 15-18. SJSU will face Weber State in their opening game at 8:30 pm PT on November 15.
San Jose State looks to rebound at No. 14/16 Utah State this Saturday. That’s not going to be an easy task for the Spartans, but hey, anything could happen in the crazy world of college football. That’s what makes college football one of the greatest sports in the world.
In case you missed it, check out Spartans head coach Brent Brennan’s press conference in the video below.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game.
Saturday football San Jose State at No. 14/16 Utah State
Saturday, November 10, 2018,
Merlin Olson Field at Maverik Stadium,
Logan, Utah, 1:00 pm PT
Facebook Live
San Jose State’s record 1-8, 1-4 Mountain West. Most recently, the Spartans lost at Wyoming, 24-9, on November 3.
Utah State’s record 8-1, 5-0 Mountain West. The Aggies made it eight consecutive victories with a 56-17 rout of Hawaii on November 3.
Series history San Jose State leads the series, 20-17-1. The Aggies have wins in the last seven meetings between these teams including a 61-10 victory in San Jose, Calif. a year ago.
The Spartans’ last win in the series was a 30-7 blowout in the 2008 season. San Jose State’s last victory in Logan, Utah was a 23-20 win in 2007.
Radio Coverage KLIV (1590 AM, San Jose) originates San Jose State football broadcasts. Justin Allegri calls the play-by-play. Kevin Richardson provides commentary. The Utah State broadcast begins at 12:30 p.m. (PT) with a pregame show.
Television Facebook LIve will provide play-by-play coverage of the San Jose State at Utah State game. Ari Wolfe calls the play-by-play. Max Starks provides analysis. Dani Klupenger is the sideline reporter. The live telecast is scheduled for 1:00 pm PT.
Weekly press conference The weekly San Jose State football press conference is in the Simpkins Stadium Center Gold Room on Mondays at 1:00 pm PT.
Last victory against a nationally-ranked opponent? San Jose State’s last win against a nationally-ranked opponent was a 62-52 triumph over No. 16 Fresno State on November 29, 2013. Since then, the Spartans are 0-4 against nationally-ranked opponents.
Positive turnover margin For the second time this season, San Jose State has a positive turnover margin of +2 after recovering two fumbles and not committing a turnover in the Wyoming game on November 3.
In the last three games, the Spartans have taken the ball away six times (three fumble recoveries and three interceptions) and lost the ball once on an interception vs. UNLV and a fumble at San Diego State.
After nine games this season, San Jose State lost the ball 14 times. A year ago after nine games, the Spartans had committed 31 turnovers (13 interceptions, 18 fumbles).
Love is in the air
San Jose State quarterback Josh Love, a Mission Viejo, Calif. native, is not related to Utah State signal-caller Jordan Love from Bakersfield, Calif. The two opposing starting quarterbacks are ranked 29th (Josh Love) and 36th nationally (Jordan Love) in passing yards per game. Combined, they account for 3,938 yards and 32 touchdowns.
100-100-100 When looking at a San Jose State football player’s helmet, the decal 100-100 stands for 100 percent effort, 100 percent of the time. Three Spartan seniors are nearing 100 career receptions.
Wide receiver Justin Holmes is the closest with 99. Wide receiver Tre Hartley is next with 95. Tight end Josh Oliver has 91. Since 1974 when Ike McBee became the first Spartan to catch 100 passes in a career, 27 additional San Jose State players have 100 or more career receptions.
Crawford stands out from the crowd For the third time this season, senior Bryce Crawford is the only FBS kicker nationally ranked in the top 25 in field goals per game (22nd tied) and punting average (24th).
Oliver continues to lead Since the beginning of the season, Josh Oliver is the leading pass receiver among FBS tight ends.
Oliver is tied 48th nationally in receptions per game. He is the only tight end listed among the FBS’ top 50 pass receivers in games played through November 3.
33 of Oliver’s 49 receptions this season resulted in a Spartan first down.
Monroe remains tied for third For the second consecutive week, Spartan defensive back Dakari Monroe remains tied for third among FBS players in passes defended with his 1.9 average. Monroe was the FBS national leader in games played through October 6.
For the season, Monroe has four pass interceptions and 13 pass break-ups.
photo of front entrance of Il FornaioRistorante in downtown Sacramento located at the Wells Fargo Center at 400 Capital Mall
Cast: Michael Duca (Host), Morris Phillips (Cal Bears reporter), Charlie O (Sacramento Kings reporter), Jeremy Harness (PGA reporter), Jeremiah Salmonson (Kings reporter), London Marq (Kings Sports Headlines analyst) and Lee Leonard (producer). Podcasting from the beautiful Il Fornaio Ristorante in the Bolongna room at 400 Capital Mall at fourth in downtown Sacramento. Our thanks to Il Fornaio’s General Manager Patrick Diegelman, Sous Chef Rommel, Bartender Frank, Shift Supervisor Ashley, Assistant Manager Isaura Rosas, and Manager Ryan Nicholson.
You can cater your next event here at Il Fornaio in downtown Sacramento offering pick up and delivery catering services. Call (916) 446-4100 catering reservations within the next 24 hours. For banquets, Il Fornaio offers elegant and semi-private dining spaces with a wide range of specialized memos and services to match our authentic award winning Italian Cuisine for catering call 916-446-4139.
The topic on the show is the recent success of the Sacramento Kings, who are in second place and headed for first place, coming off their first victory in Atlanta since 2006 and added to their win streak at five straight. The streak ended on Sunday night against the Milwaukee Bucks who snapped their seven game win streak to the Boston Celtics. The Kings have been getting great help from De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III. Both have been able to run something the Kings didn’t see anything like this last season. Fox is expected to be the franchise player. Fox was the difference maker when he was at Kentucky. He wasn’t the three-point king, but he can handle the pick and roll just fine.
The Kings’ Willie Cauley-Stein has been great on defense, defending against the shot and getting some good defensive rebounds underneath, Buddy Hield has been the go-to on three-pointers during this successful run. Nemanja Bjelica has been able to get room on the floor to help on offense and great offensive assisting. Harry Giles and Skal Labissiere have not been getting very many minutes. Bogdan Bogdanovic has been recovering just fine from last season’s injury and head coach Dave Joerger has been resetting the plays and now may have found the right combination to move the Kings from their predicted 30th place finish to having a contending season. Although it’s too early to tell, but what a surprising turn around it’s been.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The title pretty much explained the question. But there’s three games left in San Jose State’s season and Spartans head coach Brent Brennan held his weekly press conference inside Simpkins Stadium Center on Monday afternoon to talk about what’s next for his team.
Here’s my Q&A with Brennan:
1. There was a little snow in Laramie, Wyo. Do you think the local weather played a role in the Spartans’ loss to the Cowboys? I do think we handled it well. I think there was more of a little bit of not a balance for us offensively and defensively throughout the game. It seemed like during the game, we played really good defense and we had trouble getting our offense going, and then in the second half, it kind of flipped.
But I give our kids credit. We don’t often get a first down on a fourth down play, and three plays later, (Jonathan) Lenard Jr. goes there and knocks the ball out of the hands to recover it and then go down to score, and all of a sudden, we score to make it a close game again and had the chance to win it. We needed a stop there and we didn’t get it done, so I don’t think it was much of the weather as opposed to us not playing good offense and good defense at the same time.
2. The Spartans recovered two fumbles, but were unable to do anything with one of them. Was this loss a matter of Cowboys quarterback Sean Chambers being that great or were the Spartans just that bad? I thought (Sean) Chambers was really good, but we scored a touchdown on the second fumble so I thought at that moment we did a nice job handling the sudden change and got some points in the fourth quarter.
3. Most, if not all, fans and media said that Josh Love deserves credit for his most recent performance. Do you agree with that opinion and do you think Love needs more playmakers around him? I think Josh (Love) has really come a long way and I’m really proud of him. It’s awesome to see him delivering the football and making the accurate throws. He had a couple of big-time throws on Saturday. It just kind of shows his progress and his development.
I think the guys have been making plays around him. I think we have a good group of playmakers there, and I think there’s gotta be some opportunities where it all comes together sometime to break down the offensive line. Sometimes, it’s a bad route or Josh (Love) gets moved off his spot because of pressure or he misses a block or a point of attack and Tyler (Nevens) can’t get anything out of it, so it’s a product of us continuing to grow and develop as a football team–especially as an offensive football team.
The Spartans experienced a tough battle against the Cowboys, but all they can do is move on. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s time for the team to learn so they can prepare for the next game at No. 14 Utah State.
