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Friday links! The difference between Friday links and other links is the word "Friday." True story!
Giants spring training day 35: Okert getting long look
WELL WELL WELL LOOK WHO'S STILL IN CAMP AND GETTING A GLOWING ARTICLE WRITTEN ABOUT HIM BY PAVS. THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S THE GUY WHO I PREDICTED WOULD WIN THE AWARD FOR BEST FIRST BIG LEAGUE CAMP. I'M SURE THE ACCOLADES WILL START POURING IN ANY DAY NOW. SURE YOU COULD SAY THAT HE HASN'T TECHNICALLY "WON" YET, OR IN METAPHORICAL TERMS, MAYBE THAT "EGG" HASN'T "HATCHED". BUT ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT IT WILL HATCH, SO I MIGHT AS WELL ALREADY COUNT IT AS A CHICKEN. SAVES ME SOME TIME.
Giants' World Series victory was a dream, then reality, for Santiago Casilla
Look, we've all suspected it for some time, and now that we have confirmation we can just put it out there in the open: God is working through Santiago Casilla. Casilla is but a humble messenger who throws baseballs very effectively, and he wants people to know that sometimes when he goes to sleep at night, his dreams turn out to be prophetic. It makes sense that Casilla would be literally #blessed. After all, someone who brought this much joy into the world must be a saint.
MLB manager rankings: Who tops Sporting News' list?
Gosh, which manager could be in first place here? Are there any managers in baseball who've won two World Series, or, heck, maybe even three, and are talked about as surefire Hall of Famers? Who might come in first . . . aw, there's no one like that in baseball. It's probably Maddon.
Houston Astros affiliate Fresno Grizzlies cancel 2017 ring promotion
I talked about this a little bit a couple days ago, when it was still supposed to happen, but now the Grizzlies have cancelled their 2017 Astros World Series ring giveaway, and I'm sad. That was a neat idea, and talk of jinxes aside, it would have been fun. But instead, the people of Fresno will either get no giveaway or one that has a lot less personality. Sorry, Fresno. At least you still have all those raisins to keep you warm.
Unsafe at home: MLB's Venezuelan stars fleeing country
With Pablo Sandoval leaving via a suddenly conflagrationy series of bridges, the Giants' Venezuelan contingent has grown a little smaller, but there are still several players left from Venezuela, and you have to feel for them that their country is going through such a hard time.