I guess Aubrey Huff knows where he stands in the universe. Brian Cashman said yesterday they’d be interested in Derek Lee, Scott Rolen, Chipper Jones and, in keeping with the “old guys who really don’t play anymore” thing, likely kicked the tires on Charlie Hayes. But not Huff:

“Out of curiosity, asked if the Yankees had reached out to Aubrey Huff. Answer: "No." So there is that.”


(hardballtalk.com)

When Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira went down with with a sprained wrist, Aubrey Huff’s name was tossed about as a possible fill-in, but that is not going to happen.

“I’m pretty much retired,” Huff just said by phone. He had hoped to get a spring-training invite but got no calls over the winter. He is 36 and coming off two poor seasons, a knee injury, back issues and a battle with depression.

Huff said he “absolutely” was fine with not playing.

“I have no regrets,” he said. “I love it. I’m having a great time with my wife and kids. I don’t even have an itch to pick up a baseball bat. I wondered if I’d feel that desire when everybody reported to spring training, but I didn’t.”

Huff is due a second Giants World Series ring. He said he has not been invited to the April 7 ring ceremony, but he would be just as happy to get his jewelry in the mail if the Giants do not call.

“It’s just one more flight I don’t have to take,” he said.


(sfgate.com)

Aubrey Huff, the consistent power producer and 2010 Giants hero derailed by an episode of panic attacks in 2012, is looking to make a comeback in 2013.

"He wants to play,'' Huff's attorney Ed Hayes said by phone. "He's working out. It's not a matter of physical issues. Nor is it a matter of mental issues, which he's addressed.''

According to Hayes, Huff, who has 242 career home runs, had an issue with panic attacks on one occasion, sought treatment and has no lingering issue.

"Medication is an amazing thing," Hayes said.

(It should be noted Zack Greinke, who had a similar issue, signed the most lucrative contract this winter, his $147 million deal with the Dodgers.)

Huff's situation is very much like it was three years ago, when the Giants picked him up off of the scrap heap and he wound up having such a productive season, he finished seventh in MVP voting in 2010 and subsequently signed a two-year, $22 million deal. Hayes said Huff intends to prove that last year, when he hit an uncharacteristic .192 in 78 at-bats, is in the past.

Hayes has talked to a few teams, but they know the reality is Huff may need to wait to see what happens with Lance Berkman first. Berkman is ahead of Huff in the pecking order, but the same American League teams could make sense for Huff, provided they can overlook his one rough year.

Texas is one team eyeing Berkman, and that's a team that would presumably interest Huff, a Fort Worth product. The Rays, Orioles, Indians and Red Sox are among other teams who could add a hitter.

Said Hayes, "We're keeping our fingers crossed an opportunity will open up."


(cbssports.com)

Jack Magruder of FOXSports.com hears that the Diamondbacks have “made contact” with free agent Aubrey Huff. He’s apparently a target as the club looks for a backup corner infielder.

Huff, who turns 36 next month, batted just .192/.326/.282 with one home run and a .608 OPS in 95 plate appearances with the Giants this past season. He missed a lot of time with a knee injury and also took a brief leave of absence from the team due to anxiety issues. The Giants declined his $10 million club option about a month ago and paid him a $2 million buyout.

Huff’s production has dropped off the table since he was a major contributor on the Giants’ World Series team in 2010, so given his age and health concerns, it’s likely he’ll have to settle for a minor league contract this offseason.


(hardballtalk.com)

Like a lot of refusals to decline options, this one is not really news. But the way it is stated by Andrew Baggarly is Tweet of the Day-worthy: Nothing official, but Giants will decline $10 million option on Aubrey Huff and choose $2 mil buyout.



(fantasysp.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Manager Bruce Bochy's satisfaction with first baseman Aubrey Huff's mobility proved to be a primary factor in the shaping of the Giants' Division Series roster.

Bochy noted that Huff ran adequately when he started a Sept. 30 game at San Diego.

"He's not hobbling," Bochy said.

Bochy wasn't suprised, noting that Huff received a painkilling injection in his right knee a few days earlier.

Huff cemented his place on the roster by rapping six hits in his last 13 pinch-hit at-bats. Due to his inclusion, the Giants were forced to go without a fleet baserunning specialist, such as Francisco Peguero or Justin Christian. Bochy said that infielders Joaquin Arias and Ryan Theriot would handle pinch-running responsibilities if necessary.

"Obviously, we haven't done much game play on it, but just running around in practice it feels twice as good as it did [before]," Huff said. He jokingly added, "I feel pretty confident that if I hit a ball in the gap, I can get a triple."

Employing a 12-man pitching staff also prevented the Giants from keeping an extra position player. Bochy said that he liked the "coverage" that a 12-man staff afforded. An ominous interpretation: Bochy believes he needs more relief help to address concerns about the starting pitching.

San Francisco used an 11-pitcher contingent throughout the 2010 postseason, but Bochy pointed out that the club temporarily operated with a 13-man staff during the regular season, so 12 actually represented a belt-tightening of sorts.

One challenging pitching-related decision involved keeping rookie George Kontos over veteran Clay Hensley to bolster the supply of right-handed relievers.
"Really, he has been consistent all year, and I like the way he has been throwing lately," Bochy said of Kontos, who has held opponents scoreless in 14 of his last 17 outings.

Bochy said that Kontos' dramatic strikeout of Los Angeles' Matt Kemp in the next-to-last regular-season game didn't seal the decision to keep the 27-year-old.
"But it certainly helped," Bochy said. "... It probably helped validate taking him."

Peguero, Hensley, catcher Eli Whiteside and right-hander Jean Machi will remain with the team through at least the Division Series in case the Giants need an injury replacement.


(mlb.com)

The Giants were blowing out the hapless Rockies late last week, completing a four-game sweep and putting the Dodgers so far back in the standings, you couldn't read their license plates.

San Francisco's September sky was doing its usual impression of a perfect spring day when Ol' Aubrey Huff walked up to the plate in the sixth to pinch hit.
You remember Huff. The redhead with the red thong. The heart and soul patch of the 2010 champs.

Yup, Aubrey's still fighting as his career winds down, hobbled by personal problems and a balky knee. He has taken a couple of major breaks in the schedule as a result this season. But now that the division's clinched, and the regulars are getting a rest, it's time to think about Huff and his postseason status. It's time to remember what this man did for the team last time it reached the postseason.

The fans at AT&T Park sure remember. They gave him a nice hand when he strode to the plate Thursday. And he made manager Bruce Bochy look smart when he pulled a liner past the first baseman. As Huff limped up the line, the ball rattled around in the bullpen corner, looking more double-ish by the second.

Huff turned it up a notch as he rounded the bag, hesitated awkwardly, then continued to second. He was looking over his shoulder the whole time, clearly afraid he'd get nabbed at second. The crowd seized on the moment, rising to cheer him.

At 35, Huff isn't half the player he was two years ago. More quarter-Huff than half-Huff.

He finally arrived at second base, safe, if not sound. As Bochy quipped after the game: "Huff did a great job turning that double into a double. For a second there, I think he thought it was illegal to go to second."

Upon his arrival, a standing ovation erupted as Huff stood on the bag. A pinch-runner was dispatched post haste, and Huff jogged into the dugout, showered in applause.

"What great fans; what a great atmosphere," said Huff, after the game. "What is it? A Thursday afternoon day game? The place was absolutely packed. This place is amazing."

The savvy denizens of AT&T remember what Huff did for this town and this team two years ago. That appreciation isn't lost on the first baseman in the waning days of his career. By any measure, it has been a fabulous ride for Huff. He was the stitching on a team that won it all. He did so with his best buddy from college, Pat Burrell. And he did it all wearing a red, satin thong.

The fans' recognition of Huff was a touching, insider moment. They were acknowledging a man on his last leg who was still fighting. It has been an odd finish for Huff, who had to leave the team in April because of a bout with anxiety. He then hurt his knee celebrating Matt Cain's perfect game in June.

All that was forgotten as Huff stood on second, soaking in what might be one of his final ovations.

Beyond the good feelings and nostalgia, Huff is hoping the final chapter is still unfolding. And who knows? Maybe he has another big hit in his bat this postseason.

"I'm just trying to get my timing down. Trying to make an impression down the stretch here so that I can get a playoff roster spot," said Huff, who should get some more at-bats now that the Giants have clinched. "I played a big role in 2010, and I hope to play a role again this year."

He has gotten Bochy's attention, among others. Before the crack about his baserunning, Bochy talked about the good swings Huff has been taking. "He's getting a few hits here," said Bochy, referring to Huff's pinch-hitting duties. "His experience as a DH in the American League has helped."

Indeed, Huff is 5-for-9 with two walks since coming off the disabled list Sept. 1. That's a nice rebound from what has been a rough year for Huff, who's batting .200 in only 70 at-bats.

My colleague and Giants beat writer Henry Schulman says the playoff matchup will play a big role in Huff's inclusion or exclusion from postseason play.

Every championship team could use an experienced lefty bat to face late-inning relievers. But Cincinnati, a possible first-round opponent for the Giants, features a lefty setup man and closer, which does not bode well for Huff's chances. Washington and Atlanta have multiple left-handed starters but use righty closers.

And that's when the Giants might need Ol' Aubrey one more time.


(sfgate.com)

SAN FRANCISCO – Brandon Crawford wore a puzzled expression as a reporter approached him Sunday afternoon.

“I didn’t play today,” he said.

Well, sure he did. He pinch-ran for Aubrey Huff. There’s a special kind of pressure and preparation that comes with that, isn’t there?

“I only had a minute to prepare,” Crawford said. “But even if I didn’t have a minute, I’d still be faster. You can quote me. I’m sick, unprepared and with a semi-tight hamstring, and I’m still faster.”

When it comes to comedy gold, Huff’s balky running is 24-karat. He wears a T-shirt under his batting practice jersey that says, “FASTER THAN ____.”

He turned another double into a single Sunday, hitting a shot off the right field bricks in the ninth inning.

But no joke: There's little doubt Huff would be on the playoff roster if Giants manager Bruce Bochy had to pick his 25 guys today.

“Well, you have to like his at-bats,” Bochy said of Huff, who is 5 for 9 with two walks and just one strikeout as a pinch hitter since coming off the DL on Sept. 1. “He’s doing a great job with that. It’s so valuable for a club to have a good left-handed pinch hitter, especially against a closer with the game on the line.”

The Giants don’t have to make decisions until they know their opponent in an NL Division Series, and that will have some influence. The Cincinnati Reds have a left-handed closer in Aroldis Chapman, as well as a left-handed setup man in Sean Marshall.

Then there is the question of a pinch runner. Huff might require two roster spots, since his knee – which he injured June 13 when he tripped over the dugout rail in the immediate wake of Matt Cain’s perfect game -- continues to be an issue.

“There may be times I don’t pinch run for him,” Bochy said. “But we have a nice quality at-bat when he goes up there, and that’s something we’ll have to think hard about.”

The Giants know better than to give up on a gimpy veteran. If they ever happen to forget, Edgar Renteria can haul out his World Series MVP trophy as a reminder.


(csnbayarea.com)

The Giants and Dodgers opened a crucial divisional showdown in San Francisco on Friday night, and the excitement in both dugouts was understandably high. After Marco Scutaro's tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh inning, Aubrey Huff celebrated with an exuberant slap to the rear end of Ryan Theriot.

But judging from Huff's pained reaction (20 seconds into the video), Theriot may be a dedicated Greg Smithey disciple. The best part is how Theriot doesn't appear to react at all as his gluteal muscles are wreaking savage harm to Huff's unprepared hand.

Huff's enthusiasm is great, though he does seem to have a predilection for celebration-related injuries. Earlier this season he landed on the DL for a knee injury caused when he jumped over the dugout railing at the conclusion of Matt Cain's perfect game.


(mlb.com)

As Monday's walk-off celebration unfolded, Aubrey Huff did not attempt his Renaldo Nehemiah act leaping over the rail.

"I waited until everyone cleared out and I walked with my cane up the steps," said Huff, who had a hand in the comeback against Arizona that preceded Marco Scutaro's game-ending single.

With the Giants down 7-4, Huff opened the seventh with a pinch single, which led to a run. What might seem like one measly single to some was huge for Huff, who had only nine hits in a season marred by emotional issues and a knee injury sustained during the celebration of Matt Cain's perfect game. Huff had no hits since June 10.

"I felt so dislodged from the team the last three months," Huff said. "I felt terrible that I wasn't able to do more. I just wanted to stay out of the way. To be able to be out there and feel part of it felt great."

Huff is playing what are likely his final weeks with the Giants, completing a two-year, $22 million contract that brought the team very little after he was a huge part of the 2010 championship team. He still believes he can help, though.

"If I could go out there and get some big hits down the stretch, it would be huge," he said.

Huff struck out looking as a pinch hitter in the fifth inning Tuesday.


(sfgate.com)

HOUSTON -- Aubrey Huff hasn't appeared in a game for the Giants since July 30. He has made eight plate appearances since June 5. Obviously, the man feels restless.

"This is boring as hell, I've got to tell you," said Huff, who likely will be reinstated from the disabled list Saturday when active rosters can be expanded to 40 players.

Huff knows that he probably won't occupy a prominent role in the stretch drive. But he shares manager Bruce Bochy's hope that he can contribute as a pinch-hitter or late-inning replacement.

"It's a tough time of the year to go out there and try to find some timing," the first baseman said Thursday. "But, in the end, if you get the adrenaline going, none of that is going to matter."

Huff, 35, sprained his right knee June 13 as he tried to scale the dugout railing to join the on-field celebration following Matt Cain's perfect game. He also has been bothered by patellar tendinitis in the same knee. Huff said that he's currently in much better shape than he was when the Giants activated him from the DL on July 28. Four days later, he was on the DL again.

"I think the first time I tried to rush and push it a little bit, and I set it back," said Huff, who's batting .148 (9-for-61) with one homer and six RBIs in 34 games. "We did a lot of work on it this time around -- not that we didn't the first time, but we just took a little more time to do more stuff for it. It seemed to work out a lot better."


(mlb.com)

Giants manager Bruce Bochy indicated Tuesday that first baseman Aubrey Huff will be activated when rosters expand Saturday, according to CSNBayArea.com's Andrew Baggerly.

Though Huff has played five games in left field this year, he will be limited to a bench role and possibly play a little first base when he returns.

Huff has played just two games since June 10 after reaggravating his knee injury at the end of July. He has hit .148/.284/.246 in 74 plate appearances in 34 games.


(cbssports.com)

Update: Huff (knee) was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday, the Giants' official Twitter page reports.

Recommendation: Huff will land on the disabled list for the third time this year, four days after being activated from it. The 35-year-old has been battling knee tendinitis, and appeared to aggravate his injury during Monday's game. Hunter Pence, who was acquired from Philadelphia on Tuesday, will take Huff's spot on the 25-man roster.


(rotowire.com)

Aubrey Huff left Monday's game against the Mets in the sixth inning with an apparent leg injury.

Huff pulled up lame while trying to leg out a double-play ball. Mets second baseman Ronny Cedeno bobbled the ball, so the go-ahead run scored on the play. Matt Cain replaced Huff as a pinch-runner. If the injury requires an extended absence, one wonders if this could be his last appearance in a Giants' uniform.


(rotoworld.com)

The most vexing question facing the Giants at the trade deadline this year: What to expect out of Aubrey Huff down the stretch?

Just nine days ago, the Giants seemed content to let the deadline pass without a major shake-up. They’d opened the second half with a 7-1 record and were leading the Los Angeles Dodgers by 2½ games in the NL West standings.

But then Pablo Sandoval strained his left hamstring, the Dodgers traded for three-time All-Star Hanley Ramirez and the team dropped three in a row at home to the Boys in Blue, concluding with Sunday’s 4-0 loss. Now, the Giants are tied with L.A. for first place and the lineup suddenly looks like it could use some more pop.

It would be easier if the Giants had a single, glaring hole to fill. Brandon Belt has slumped at first base recently (he’s batting .172 in July), but the Giants aren’t going to give up on him completely. The new outfield has been a pleasant surprise, but Gregor Blanco and Angel Pagan’s current struggles raise questions about their stamina.

That’s why the Giants need a left-handed bat that hits for some power, and is comfortable playing first base or platooning in the outfield. Do you know anyone like that?

Of course, the Giants did when they signed Aubrey Huff to a two-year, $22 million contract in December 2010. During the World Series run, Huff provided exactly what the Giants are missing right now (.290, 26 HRs, 86 RBIs).

If he could regain his strut (Huff was activated from the disabled list Saturday), Brian Sabean could focus his trade efforts on acquiring an arm for the bullpen.
But the Giants don’t know what they’ll be getting with Huff. He’s 35, and returning from a stint on the disabled list (knee) after leaving earlier in the season because of anxiety issues. Redemption could be right around the corner, but so could his last big league at-bat.

Huff’s departure in late April would have been catastrophic for the Giants if Pagan hadn’t batted .375 through May, Cabrera wasn’t having an MVP-type season and Buster Posey hadn’t bounced right back from last year’s season-ending knee injury. But unexpected contributions from guys such as Blanco, Ryan Theriot and Hector Sanchez masked the void until Sandoval went down last week in the midst of slumps from Belt and Pagan. Now, a problem that’s been brewing since April is starting to bubble over.

To make matters worse, there isn’t an obvious player the Giants can rent for the last two months of the season to plug this hole. The names that are being tossed around — Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino and Justin Morneau — aren’t very appetizing. Pence is in the prime of his career, but he has two years left on his contract and that would impact the Giants’ ability to re-sign Cabrera; Morneau has the power, but he hasn’t been the same player since he suffered a concussion more than two years ago; and Victorino is a multitooled player, but he’s battled through his own slumps this year.

Like Huff, each of these players has the potential to swing a big stick or go ice cold. So why waste a prospect when you can gamble with the guy sitting at the end of your bench?

(sfexaminer.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Aubrey Huff has been working out with the Giants since he left his rehab assignment on July 19 with tendinitis in his sprained right knee, and manager Bruce Bochy said the veteran first baseman is close to returning to the team.

"We're probably going to make a call on him the next day or so," Bochy said. "Possibly Friday we'll know exactly what we want to do with him."

Bochy said the decision the team makes with Huff's status could potentially be affected by Pablo Sandoval's condition, who strained his left hamstring in Tuesday's game.

Huff sprained his knee while celebrating Matt Cain's perfect game on June 13, and has been batting .155 this season in 58 at-bats with one home run and five RBIs.


(mlb.com)

An MRI showed patellar tendinitis for Aubrey Huff. He will rest this weekend and be reevaluated.





(rotoinfo.com)

PHILADELPHIA -- First baseman Aubrey Huff has aggravated his sprained right knee and will return to San Francisco for an MRI to determine the extent of the setback, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Friday.

Huff's MRI revealed patellar tendinitis in his troublesome right knee, the Giants announced Saturday.

Bochy confirmed that the Giants were seriously considering activating Huff from the disabled list on Monday, as general manager Brian Sabean said during a television interview on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. Obviously, Huff's latest injury foils that plan.

Giants management has grown increasingly impatient with first baseman Brandon Belt, who entered Friday hitting .244 with four home runs and 31 RBIs in 79 games and was batting .164 (9-for-55) in his previous 20 games. Huff hit .155 in 32 games earlier this season for the Giants, but Bochy indicated that the 12-year veteran would have provided an alternative to Belt.

"We wanted that option to help out Brandon," Bochy said.

Bochy said that Huff, batting .154 (2-for-13) in four games with Triple-A Fresno, would have spent this weekend playing first base for Class A San Jose to prepare him for rejoining the Giants.

"He hadn't had that many at-bats or time at first base," Bochy said of Huff, who also had hit .250 (4-for-16) with a homer in five games for San Jose.

Huff reinjured himself early in Fresno's 10-9 loss Thursday at Las Vegas. He originally hurt himself as he tried to vault the dugout railing to join the on-field celebration following Matt Cain's perfect game against Houston on June 13. Huff last appeared in a game for the Giants on June 10.


(mlb.com)

Huff (knee) will return to High-A San Jose on Friday and won't travel with Triple-A Fresno to Salt Lake City, Alex Pavlovic of the Bay Area News Group reports.





(fantasysp.com)

Aubrey Huff leaned on a railing at AT&T Park on Thursday and quickly drew smiles and jokes from teammates and staff. Huff's last experience with the home dugout's railing sent him to the disabled list, but he finally could be close to a return.

Huff has missed 23 games since spraining his right knee while hopping the railing in the celebration after Matt Cain's perfect game on June 13, but manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday that Huff could rejoin the team next week.

Huff is scheduled to continue his rehab assignment this weekend, likely with the San Jose Giants. If all goes well, he could be activated in time for Tuesday's game in Atlanta.
"He's getting what he needs right now, which is playing time and at-bats," Bochy said. "His knee is doing a lot better. I think he can help us; I know he can."

Huff is 1 for 8 with the San Jose Giants with a homer and two walks. He took part in the San Francisco Giants workout Thursday.


(mercurynews.com)

Aubrey Huff (knee) reinjured himself Wednesday while playing in his first rehab game with High-A San Jose.

Huff, out since June 11 with a sprained right knee, pulled up lame while running the bases after his first at-bat. He's scheduled to meet with a doctor on Thursday, after which the Giants will make a determination about whether to end his rehab stint.


(rotoworld.com)

Aubrey Huff’s road back to the majors will begin Wednesday in San Jose.

The first baseman, who sprained his knee during celebrations of Matt Cain’s perfect game, will begin a rehab assignment with the class-A San Jose Giants.

Huff has appeared in just 32 games this season due to two stints on the disabled list. He first went on the DL in late April due to what the Giants called an anxiety disorder. That caused him to suddenly leave the team before an April 23 doubleheader with the Mets.

Huff then fell hard on his knee while attempting to jump over the dugout railing to celebrate Cain’s perfect game on June 13.

The 35-year-old has struggled in his limited time this season, hitting just .155 (9-for-58) with one home run and five RBI.

The San Jose Giants begin a six-game homestand against the Modesto Nuts and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Wednesday.


(csnbayarea.com)

SAN JOSE, CA - The San Francisco Giants have announced that first baseman Aubrey Huff is scheduled to begin a rehabilitation assignment with the San Jose Giants on Wednesday, July 4 at Municipal Stadium. The Giants begin a six-game homestand against the Modesto Nuts and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes with first pitch on Wednesday set for 6:30 PM.

Huff, 35, is recovering from a sprained right knee injury sustained in mid-June. A member of San Francisco's 2010 World Championship team, Huff owns a lifetime batting average of .278 over 13 major league seasons. During the World Series, Huff batted .294 with four RBI's, two doubles and a home run.


(oursportscentral.com)

San Francisco Giants 1B Aubrey Huff (knee) hit in the batting cage Tuesday, June 26, and is in a very good mood as he nears a return. He understands when he returns, it will be in a reserve role. "(1B Brandon Belt) is doing a great job. If I'm on the bench, that's fine. I'll get ready to get a big hit," Huff said.


(kffl.com)

Aubrey Huff used an interesting word to describe his 2012 season. "Delirious," he called it.

He struggled to hit, went on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder, and then, just as he was about to get a bunch of at-bats as the designated hitter in interleague play, he sprained his right knee trying to leap the dugout railing to celebrate Matt Cain's perfect game.

In his first interview since the mishap, Huff was asked if he thought about going home and calling it a career. He said no.

"I've never been a quitter," Huff said. "I've always tried to finish something I've started. I don't want to raise my kids thinking it's OK to quit. You never know what can happen. You can get to the playoffs and you can get a big hit at the end. Look at what (Edgar) Renteria did after his 2010 season."

A variety of injuries limited Renteria to 243 at-bats. He was a target of fan scorn until he hit the three-run homer off Cliff Lee that propelled the Giants to their clinching victory in the World Series.

So, how does an athlete injure himself in a celebration? By colliding with another athlete.

Huff said that as he tried to leap the dugout railing, he bumped into Nate Schierholtz. Huff was jostled, his legs did not clear the railing, and he fell onto the warning track hands-first. As he landed, he slammed his right knee onto the ground.

He continued to the mound on adrenaline, feeling the pain later that night.

"I was so pumped up for Cain," Huff said. "It's been a long time since the playoffs when you got pumped up for a game like that."

Huff is taking batting practice and throwing. Though his knee feels much better, he has not begun to run and will not be near ready to return when eligible to be activated Thursday.


(sfgate.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Aubrey Huff returned to the Giants before Monday's game against the Dodgers, and manager Bruce Bochy said the 35-year-old Huff will work out in the weight room and is close to returning to the team.

Huff has been sidelined since Matt Cain's June 13 perfect game, when Huff sprained his right knee when he fell during postgame celebrations.
"I talked to him a little bit today, and he's doing a lot better," Bochy said. "He's getting close, and he's able to do some stuff now. He's making a lot of improvement."

Counting Monday's game, Huff has missed 11 games since being placed on the disabled list with the knee injury, and Bochy said a Minor League rehab assignment will be likely.

"We really haven't talked about it, but I do think it'll be a good idea for him because he's missed so much time," Bochy said. "That's something Aubrey and I need to talk about."

Huff, who was also on the DL earlier this season with anxiety disorder, is batting .155 this season in 58 at-bats with only four extra-base hits and five RBIs, but Bochy said Huff will continue to have a role as a left-handed bat off the bench.

"That's the plan right now -- have him available for the occasional start, have him come off the bench and bring experience," Bochy said. "Being a [former] DH gives him experience coming off the bench and being a pinch-hitter. It also gives us depth, and if something happens where he's swinging well, we'll have another proven bat to put in the lineup."


(mlb.com)

ANAHEIM -- Giants outfielder Aubrey Huff, who has been on the disabled list since June 15 with a right knee sprain, is up and walking around well, manager Bruce Bochy said.

"He's doing better. We'll see him Friday, but he's walking around well," Bochy said. "I can't say when we're going to activate him, but he's making the type of progress we thought."

Huff incurred his injury after jumping over the dugout railing while celebrating Matt Cain's perfect game. It's his second stint on the DL this season, as he missed 13 games in April and May with an anxiety disorder.

In 58 at-bats this season, the 35-year-old has a .155 average with one home run and five RBIs. He has started just 14 games in 2012.


(mlb.com)

Aubrey Huff was placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Giants on Friday after he sprained his right knee during the celebration for Matt Cain's perfect game against Houston.

The Giants also purchased the contract of Justin Christian from Triple-A Fresno.


(denverpost.com)

It wasn't as grisly as the injury suffered by Kendrys Morales two years ago and let's hope it's nowhere near as costly, but the Giants' Aubrey Huff will undergo an MRI after he hurt his knee in Wednesday night's celebration of Matt Cain's prefect game.

Huff, 35, tried to leap over the railing to join the celebration on the mound, but fell to the ground instead, and hurt his knee. Here's a gif of the fall.

Bruce Bochy told reporters that Huff could be headed to the disabled list, the San Jose Mercury News reports. Huff was scheduled to DH in American League parks during interleague play.


(cbssports.com)

Aubrey Huff started for the first time since April 21 tonight. Though he went 0-for-3, he also drew a walk that preceded Joaquin Arias’ first big-league homer and hit two long flyballs to right, one of which was smoked. He also hit a dribbler to the pitcher in his final at-bat. Three of his four at-bats were very good.

I talked to Huff before the game, asking if he had a little rookie-type nervousness starting for the first time since his anxiety leave. To the contrary, Huff was more calm than usual, even serene. He said that therapy has helped him realize he’s playing a game and he can’t worry about the results.

After the game, when asked to assess his performance, he said, “I felt great, man. My whole goal was to go out and not be so results-oriented. Just go out and have good at-bats. I did except for one at-bat. I drew a good walk. The two balls I hit I just missed (home runs). I looked at balls and swung at strikes. It was a good, positive start.

“I felt like I could actually do some damage. It’s been a long time since I felt that way. I took some pitches I’ve been swinging at for the last year and a half.”

Manager Bruce Bochy made it clear Brandon Belt and Brett Pill will still get starts at first. Bochy is not handing the job back to Huff. In fact, Huff will probably sit today. But he is going to remain a viable alternative because of his ability to drive the ball to right field, and here’s where I’m revving up that mower. In two at-bats tonight Huff did what the Giants are desperate for Belt to do, which he isn’t doing. He jumped on hitable pitches and pulled them.


(sfgate.com)

Manager Bruce Bochy said he'll find a start or two for Aubrey Huff on the Giants' seven-game road trip through Milwaukee and Miami, and nothing happened to change his mind in Sunday's 6-2 loss to the A's.

Huff most likely will start at first base for Brandon Belt, who struck out three times Sunday. His last two strikeouts were of the looking variety, including one that came with the bases loaded in the fifth inning.

"We're striking out too much with runners in scoring position," Bochy said. "You've got to battle and find a way to put it in play. It's always been my theory: 'If you're going to go down, go down swinging.' "

Huff hasn't had many swinging chances since he was activated May 7, going 1-for-6 with a walk and a run scored since seeking help for an anxiety disorder. Bochy doesn't want Huff to get stale and has told him to concentrate on first base because Gregor Blanco, Melky Cabrera and Angel Pagan have been productive in the three outfield spots.

"He's ready," Bochy said of Huff. "I've been watching him, and he's feeling just fine. Now, it's just a matter of throwing him out there and letting him get three or four at-bats."


(sfgate.com)

Aubrey Huff has been off the disabled list since May 7, but has had five at-bats since then, all as a pinch-hitter late in games. Manager Bruce Bochy has said Huff is getting close to getting a start, but the fact that the players he’s had out there have been playing well complicates things.

“It’s getting crowded,” Bochy said of the Giants outfield. “He’s itching to get out there. It’s hard to break up that outfield right now.”

The emergence of Gregor Blanco has been a large part of that, as evidenced by his 3-for-4 night Monday that included hitting the game-tying home run and scoring the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.

And with both Brett Pill and Brandon Belt producing at first base, it seems unlikely Huff will get much time in the infield.

“When you get into a little bit of a groove you like to keep things somewhat set,” Bochy said. “But I’ll find a way to get [Huff] in there.”


(sfexaminer.com)

LOS ANGELES _ Aubrey Huff walked into Dodger Stadium with a wide grin on his face, often stopping to joke with teammates as he made his way into the clubhouse. It was a good day for Huff, who still is recovering from one of the worst days of his life.

Huff was activated from the disabled list Monday, two weeks to the day after he left the team while having a panic attack. Huff has been getting treatment for an anxiety disorder and said he's ready to play the game "with fun and let the chips fall where they may."

"This kind of puts more things in perspective," Huff said. "A little bit of pressure builds and it just gets to you sometimes. But this game isn't everything.

"I'm trying to keep myself in check and keep my mind positive."

Huff flew home in the midst of an episode of anxiety April 19, hours before the Giants played a doubleheader against the New York Mets. He's been going through therapy ever since and has been with the team for over a week as he prepared to return to the field.

Huff wasn't in the starting lineup Monday, but that hardly mattered to him. He was just happy to be back on the active roster and said he wasn't bothered by the fact that manager Bruce Bochy said he primarily will play left field.

"I've just got to come out and play_just go out there and have fun again," he said. "There's no doubt that if you look at my numbers the last year and a half, I just obviously haven't had fun. It was a tough year last year. In 2010 I was having a blast_I've got to get back to that.

"There was a lot of stuff on my plate last year and coming into this year. I just need to go out there and have fun again."

That hasn't been hard for Huff over the past week. He said the combination of spending time with his wife and two kids, as well as his teammates, has helped him recover.

Bochy researched anxiety issues when Huff was first put on the D.L. and said he's confident Huff is ready to return.

"I'm very happy for him," Bochy said. "This is a tough thing he has been through. I don't really know how he deals with it, but I'm sure it's not easy."


(chicagotribune.com)

Aubrey Huff was standing in his New York hotel room at 5 o'clock in the morning in the early stages of what would be an eight-hour panic attack. The Giants were to play a doubleheader against the Mets that afternoon and evening. Baseball was the last thing on Huff's mind.

"I couldn't breathe," Huff recalled. "I felt I was taking short breaths. Right then and there I thought I was having a heart attack. I told myself, 'I'll be damned if I'm going to be sitting in this hotel room and die of a heart attack. I've got to get out of here.' "

And so he did, starting the odyssey of a ballplayer who left the Giants two weeks ago to go home to Florida, where he had a second panic attack one day later and, finally, after insisting to the team that he had a "family emergency," phoned trainers and described what really happened.

Huff told his story for the first time Friday in a 20-minute conversation with The Chronicle at AT&T Park. He returned to San Francisco a week ago to work out with teammates and, for the first time in his life, see a mental health professional. He expects to resume playing in Los Angeles on Monday night, when he is eligible to come off the disabled list.

"Obviously I've been seeing somebody here in town to kind of work out some of these issues," Huff said. "It took everything I could to get up here from Tampa after I freaked out, if you will. But since I got here I've been fine."

Tough years
Huff, a 35-year-old who has played in the majors for 13 seasons, has had a difficult life. His father was murdered in Texas when he was 6. He acknowledged Friday that he has had marital problems that he caused and other issues in the past 2 1/2 years. His poor play in 2011 has weighed on him, too.

But Huff does not have the answer that he, his loved ones and many fans are seeking: Why a player known for his joie de vivre and goofy demeanor was so panic-stricken on the morning of April 23 that he left his team and flew home without permission. That's not done, and it was a decision that he said would seem "dumb" to a right-thinking person but logical to him at the time.

"Where this panic attack came from, I don't know," he said. "All I know is it was there. I can't explain it. I almost wish I had broken my leg than had that. I can control that. I know what's happening. This, I didn't know what was happening. You can't control it. It's scary."

Moved to second
Two days before, the Giants had lost to the Mets at Citi Field after manager Bruce Bochy asked Huff to play second base, for the first time in his career, in the ninth inning. He made a mistake that contributed to the 5-4 defeat.

The next day's game was rained out, with a doubleheader scheduled for Monday before the team flew to Cincinnati.

That morning, Huff recalled, he woke at 3 o'clock to go to the bathroom, and that's when it began.

He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, his mind racing with thoughts of struggles on and off the field. At 5 a.m. he decided to get up.

"I open the window and see the New York skyline," he said. "The sun is starting to come up. I see all the huge buildings. I just freaked out. I don't know what happened. I couldn't figure out what it was. The room felt like it was getting smaller, a claustrophobic feeling. I couldn't control one thought in my head. There were so many thoughts going through."

Got to get home
His overriding thought, "If I'm going to die of a heart attack, I'm going to at least try to get home."

Huff packed, put on a suit and took a cab to the airport, where he bought a ticket for Tampa and lay along a wall at the gate, crouched on his bag, comforted by having other people around who could help him if he lost consciousness.

"I was shaking, sweating," he said. "I was telling myself, 'Just get on the plane. Just get on the plane.' "

Aboard the regional jet, Huff turned the air vent on full blast and spent the entire flight, still panicked, with his suit coat over his head, wondering if he should write a note to his family in case he died on the plane.

Somehow, the pilot's voice announcing the landing at Tampa finally calmed him, eight hours after the episode had begun. He went home and surprised his wife, Barbara, who thought Huff was joking when he texted he was coming home.

Huff even thought to himself, "What the heck am I doing in Tampa?"

He slept "like a rock" that day, figured it was a one-time episode and booked a flight to Cincinnati the next day to rejoin the team. He planned to stick with the "family emergency" line and hope nobody would be the wiser.

It happens again
However, when the Town Car driver rang his doorbell the next morning, Huff had another panic attack and stayed home. After lying in bed a short while he felt better and thought to himself, "This is ridiculous. I've got to call the trainers back."

Huff finally told the team what happened and was referred to a doctor in Florida who prescribed medication that he continues to take. In San Francisco, he has seen a therapist twice, 90 minutes each time, and has his phone number in case of an emergency.

He has not had to use it.

"Since I've been here I've had good days and bad days," he said. "Today's a great day. Yesterday was a good day. The day before was crappy. I didn't panic, but I felt a little overwhelmed, a little not normal. All in all, seeing this guy I'm seeing has really helped me."

Family support

Huff's wife and children remain his support network and are in San Francisco. Although she filed for divorce in January, he said the proceedings have been "pushed back" and they plan to stay together.

"Having gone through this is weird, because everything in my personal life has gotten better in the last four or five months," he said. "I did get served, but the last three or four months my family life has been better.

"She's been there for me since Day One. I've put her through so much crap. She's an amazing woman, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life trying to make her happy.

"For me, the last three years, especially during the World Series, I've given my heart and soul to baseball. It seems like sometimes my personal life with my family, I haven't given as much to them as I have to baseball."

Huff hopes the help he has gotten and the stress he has released will help him relax more on the field and play better. He also acknowledged a newfound appreciation for people with mental illness.

"To be honest with you, I was always taught that people who had anxiety issues were just weak-minded people," he said. "Now that it's happened to me, you see you can't control it. To people this has happened to, there's nothing you can say or do on the outside to make somebody feel better because they haven't experienced it."


(sfgate.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Giants manager Bruce Bochy said there is still no decision regarding Aubrey Huff, who is eligible to come off the disabled list on Monday.

"We'll talk it over with him and make sure he's ready," Bochy said.

Huff went on the 15-day DL with an anxiety disorder after he suffered an episode while the team was in New York. He has remained with the team and been participating in baseball-related activities

Bochy said there is a chance Huff will play a couple of games in the Minor Leagues as a part of a rehab assignment.


(mlb.com)

Last Wednesday, the Giants placed outfielder Aubrey Huff on the 15-day disabled list with what the team described as 'anxiety'. It's now looking like there will be a rehab stint involved as well, once the 15-day period is up.

Giants GM Brian Sabean appeared on Chronicle Live Tuesday, and noted that he "anticipates there will be some rehab games involved to see how he handles the pressure of that," once Huff is activated.

Manager Bruce Botchy watched Huff take some swings in the cages on Tuesday and mentioned, "He looked pretty good. He looks like he's in a good frame of mind. He still has time on the DL but it's important he gets his works in so he's ready when he can return."

Huff released a statement last week, thanking the fans, media and the Giants for giving him a chance to get the help he needed. Hopefully the time off works wonders and he can get back onto the diamond.


(sbnation.com)

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he expects Aubrey Huff (anxiety) to return from the disabled list when first eligible.

Huff has already rejoined the team after dealing with an anxiety disorder, but he won't be eligible for activation until May 6. He's batting just .182/.300/.333 with one homer so far this season.


(rotoworld.com)

Less than a week after the San Francisco Giants put Aubrey Huff on the disabled list with an anxiety disorder, the first baseman released a statement to his fans.

Huff has been away from the team since last Monday's double-header in New York. On Monday and Tuesday, manager Bruce Bochy said that Huff was away on a "personal matter."

Bochy said Huff was getting treatment and would meet with the team Friday when they got back to San Francisco.

But before Wednesday's game it was revealed that Huff was suffering from anxiety. And just before the Giants' took to the field Friday, Huff released a three paragraph statement through the team:

"Thank you to the fans, media and Giants organization for the outpouring of support during this very difficult week," Huff's statement began. "I'm especially grateful for the texts and calls from my teammates, who are like my brothers and have let me know they're here for me.

"My goal is to get back on the field as soon as possible. To do that, I have to focus completely on getting well. I know I'm in a public job, and I've been one of the more open guys. But sometimes you have to pull back and work on things in private. This is one of those times.

"I appreciate your understanding and patience."

Bochy did not indicate whether the cause of the anxiety was personal or baseball related.  Huff has been in a hitting slump and was reportedly mortified that he was asked to play  second base against the Mets.

Huff, 35, was batting .182 with one home run and four RBIs in 12 games with the Giants.


(nbcbayarea.com)

The San Francisco Giants have placed first baseman/outfielder Aubrey Huff on the 15-day disabled list with an anxiety disorder.

"He's gotten some treatment and will continue to get treatment," manager Bruce Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle before Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Reds.

Huff, who is expected to rejoin the team this weekend in San Francisco, has had his ups and downs. In 2010, he was part of a rollicking clubhouse in San Francisco, becoming known for his red rally thong as well as his bat as he helped the Giants to a World Series championship.

"He keeps everyone loose in the clubhouse and he reminds us all the time to have fun," teammate Barry Zito told the Chronicle. " I'm not sure what to make of this."

Nor is Bochy, who said he spoke with Huff on Wednesday, but could not say whether the anxiety was baseball-related or about personal matters. "I don't know if he knows. It could be both," Bochy said.

Huff's wife Baubi filed for divorce this Jan. 12. The couple has two young sons. Huff's father was murdered in Texas when he was six years old.
Huff, 35, was plugged in at second base for the first time in his major league career last Saturday by Bochy. He committed a damaging error late in a loss to the Mets, then reportedly left the team for his home in Tampa.

Huff was seventh in MVP voting in 2010 when he hit .290 with 26 homers and 86 RBI and drove in eight more runs in the postseason. But his 2010 season was sandwiched by off years in 2009 (.241, 15 homers) and 2011 (.246, 12 homers), after he re-signed a two-year, $22 million deal to remain with San Francisco.

It took time for Huff to get into shape in 2011. Despite a three-homer, six-RBI game in early June, his OPS fell 215 points to .676, last among MLB first basemen.

In 12 games this season Huff was 6-for-33 with one home run.

Huff is hardly the first major leaguer to suffer from anxiety. Jimmy Piersall's story was made into a 1957 film, Fear Strikes Out. More recently, 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke and 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto have been sidelined due to anxiety.


(usatoday.com)

We have our Aubrey Huff answer: The Giants placed Huff on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday afternoon because the veteran has had what manager Bruce Bochy called “an episode of anxiety.” Huff left the team Monday morning and has been getting treatment.

Bochy said he expected Huff to rejoin the team Friday in San Francisco. But to avoid playing shorthanded for further games, the club purchased the contract of Triple-A infielder Joaquin Arias and placed Huff on the DL.

Bochy spoke with Huff on Wednesday afternoon after days of exchanging text messages. Asked if Huff’s anxiety was related to personal or baseball problems, Bochy said: “I don’t know if he even knows. It could be both.”

“We are always going to do all we can to help the player,” Bochy said. “That’s the case with Aubrey.”

The immediate reaction that I saw on Twitter was, well, pretty snarky. I don’t think that’s the appropriate response here. Regardless of how much money someone makes or how famous they are, some people just can’t function when they go through something like this. I personally know several people who have dealt with anxiety issues — it can be a hard thing to go through.

It’s not unusual in baseball, either. The Reds’ Joey Votto left the team in 2009 because he was “totally overwhelmed” with grief and anxiety after the death of his father. Zack Greinke also has dealt with social anxiety disorder, as have many other big leaguers.

“Absolutely,” Bochy said when asked if this is easier to deal with than it used to be. “I’m sure it was there when we played but we probably weren’t as likely to talk about it openly. These players deal with different pressures of life, whether it’s home, personal or on the ball field.”

Bochy said he “thought this could be a possibility” when Huff left the team. But as the Giants took the field Wednesday (they have since retreated to the clubhouse because of rain), most the team did not know what specifically was wrong with Huff.

They’re finding out at the moment, I’m sure.

Bochy said he expects Huff to be with the team during his stint on the disabled list.


(sfgate.com)

In certain quarters, you’ve heard and read that Aubrey Huff shouldn’t be too severely criticized for his gaffe at second base the other night in New York. Hey, he’s a first baseman. Can’t expect him to make that play.

Total nonsense.

If you’re a baseball player and you’re suddenly at second base, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t played it before. You start thinking like a second baseman. It’s not all that difficult, especially when it comes to “what happens if there’s a grounder to short?” Please. It couldn’t be simpler.

Thank goodness the Giants’ broadcasters took the proper stance on this. “Unbelievable,” Jon Miller said on the KNBR airwaves. “Huff acted as if he’s never seen a big-league game. You would think that he would know he’s got to go cover second base on a ground ball to short.”

Mike Krukow wasn’t terribly critical at the time, on Comcast, but he unloaded this morning on the Murph & Mac show: “Come on, what the hell’s he thinking about? You can’t defend that. That’s a brain-dead play. Unacceptable. He’s a baseball player. Cover the bag.”

For some reason, clueless critics peg the Giants’ broadcasters as “homers.” Couldn’t be further from the truth. They’re enthusiastic as all hell, but they don’t try to cover up a ridiculous mistake. Appreciate the truth-telling.


(sfgate.com)

Brandon Belt and Brett Pill started the two games of tonight’s doubleheader at first base. Manager Bruce Bochy said Aubrey Huff was not with the team because of personal reasons. Bochy said Huff texted him this morning saying he leave.

“Something very, very important came up with his family, an emergency, and he had to go home,” Bochy said.

I know the timing of this seems odd. Huff is badly slumping and coming off the embarrassment of his play at second base in Saturday’s loss, but there is no evidence now to suggest this is anything but a family emergency.

Bochy said Huff is expected back in Cincinnati, by tomorrow, the manager hopes.


(sfgate.com)

NEW YORK -- Aubrey Huff found himself in an impossible position Saturday, and of course, the baseball found him there. Huff, a career corner infielder and outfielder, made his first appearance at second base on Saturday and wound up involved in a play that helped decide the game.

The Giants were one man short on Saturday due to the continued unavailability of infielder Ryan Theriot, and manager Bruce Bochy had scant choice in selecting a late-game contingency plan. He settled on Huff, largely because the 13-year veteran had a rich history at both first base and third base.

Huff took his position at second in the bottom of the ninth inning after the Giants had clawed back to tie it at 4 in the top half. And he made one putout -- at first base on a bunt -- before ending up in the crosshairs. The game situation was tense, with two men on base and one out, when Huff took center stage.

Pinch-hitter Justin Turner hit a grounder to shortstop Emmanuel Burriss, who immediately looked to second hoping to turn a double play. But Huff wasn't there, forcing Burriss to check his throw and go to first, where the umpire ruled that the ball arrived a half-second behind the runner.

For the Giants, though, the play was just an example of trying the make the best of a bad situation.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Bochy said following his team's 5-4 loss. "We were down, and we were going to try to get our best bats up there to tie the game or take the lead. Theriot's not here, and we talked about this yesterday that Huff would be the guy [at second base]. You're hoping it doesn't hurt you."

Huff, who had played in 1,640 games before his Saturday appearance at second base, said that he would gladly play wherever the team needed him and wherever the situation dictated.

"I'll play catcher if they want me to," Huff said. "I play for the organization. If they tell me what to do, I'll do it. It's not really something I can say no to."
And despite how the play looked, Huff may not have had much of a chance. He was shaded closer to first base, and he would've had to beat Ruben Tejada in a footrace to second base. Huff said he didn't have a chance to win that race because his first step -- and first instinct -- was to go toward first.

"It's just my natural instinct," he said. "My whole life, if the ball gets hit to my right, I'm going to first. That was my first move. I mean, I knew where I was, but that's just my natural instinct my whole career."

As Bochy noted, the Giants didn't have many options. They had shuffled their lineup to get in some pinch-hitters during the top half of the ninth inning, and Theriot was in transit to Citi Field due to an illness. That left Huff at second base, and it also left the Giants scrambling to make a play.

"Where he was playing, he had a long way to go," said Bochy of Huff's positioning at second. "We were hoping to just go to first. We didn't pick it up soon enough, but still, I thought [Turner] was out. That's what I was arguing. I haven't seen [the replay], but if you get him, you get him. He's out."


(mlb.com)

Aubrey Huff went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, three RBI and a walk in Friday's win over the Pirates.

Bruce Bochy's unwavering faith in Huff has been rewarded. He had an RBI single in the bottom of the first and connected for a two-run blast inside the right field foul pole in the eighth. Brandon Belt better get comfortable on that bench.


(rotoworld.com)

You will know if Aubrey Huff in left field backfires if Pat Burrell charges out there from the scouts' seats and draws another chalk outline of a No. 17 player in the grass.

The Giants' thinking is simple: If they could win a World Series with Burrell in left field during his last days, they can win with Huff there as long as he plays the outfield more like he did in 2010 than 2011.

Huff wants no guff from Burrell.

"I think I learned last year in right field, don't try to be a hero," Huff said after the Giants held a short workout at Chase Field on Thursday. "Don't try to be a hero. Catch the balls you're supposed to get to and if anything's tailing, sinking, just go into hockey mode and knock it down."

Manager Bruce Bochy said Huff could be a six- or seven-inning player. If the Giants have a lead, Huff will take a seat in favor of Gregor Blanco or Nate Schierholtz.

"He understands that," Bochy said.


(sfgate.com)

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Aubrey Huff was back in the Giants' lineup Tuesday after missing two days with a balky back. He was 1-for-3, hitting the ball to center in each of his at-bats.

"I feel fine," Huff said Wednesday. "It was just a one-day thing."

Manager Bruce Bochy gave him a day of rest when the team traveled to Goodyear on Wednesday and plans to use him in a pair of night games Thursday and Friday.

"With that back, I want to give him [Wednesday] off, then he'll go back-to-back," Bochy said.

Huff is in a three-way battle with Brandon Belt and Brett Pill for the starting job at first base. Huff is hitting .290 (9-for-31) with two homers and three RBIs entering play Wednesday. Belt was hitting .359 (14-for-39) with three homers and six RBIs and Pill was at .268 (11-for-41) with a homer and six RBIs.

"They're all doing a good job this spring," Bochy said. "I can't say there's any kind of separation. Belt's probably had the best spring up to this point swinging the bat, but Aubrey I think has been swinging it well, as has Pill."


(mlb.com)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- First baseman Aubrey Huff was a late scratch from Saturday afternoon's lineup against the A's because of lower back tightness, the Giants announced.

Huff took batting practice prior to the game but retired to the clubhouse ahead of the other players. The 35-year-old first baseman, who is trying to fend off Brandon Belt for a starting role, is hitting .286 (8 for 28) with two home runs in 10 games.

"I don't think it's serious," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He tried to get it loosened up and couldn't do it."

Bochy said he would be "shocked" if Huff were to play on Sunday, especially with wet weather in the forecast. The team has a scheduled day off Monday, so Huff wouldn't return until Tuesday at the earliest.

Huff has received 33 innings at first base and just five in left field, although Giants manager Bruce Bochy has vowed to give him more time in the outfield this spring. By contrast, Belt has played 36 innings at first base and 23 in the outfield (17 in right, six in left).

The Giants made one other lineup change, and it cost Brandon Crawford whatever he had planned for Saturday night. They shifted the shortstop to the other split-squad game -- a 7:05 p.m. contest against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Glendale.

It was a change the Giants were forced to make. The team fielded a complaint from the league office because the night lineup didn't have any forecasted starting position players, with the possible exception of Belt.

The league requires teams to have three anticipated starting position players in every exhibition lineup, and officials are enforcing it this spring. Teams get one warning and the Giants already burned theirs when they sent over a light lineup to Tempe earlier this spring.

Mike Fontenot replaced Crawford in the afternoon lineup and minor league third baseman Chris Dominguez replaced Huff at first base. Although Dominguez got confused in the second inning and didn't cover the bag on a grounder to the right side, he later redeemed himself by ranging to haul in two foul flies with over-the-shoulder catches.


(csnbayarea.com)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Aubrey Huff hit his first home run of the spring Monday night, which could be a hopeful sign as he tries to turn around a forgettable run in 2011.

Then again, Huff led the team with six homers last spring. That total was tied for most in the Cactus League, too. So choose your talismans carefully.

It’s more about the feeling than the result for Huff, and he says he’s feeling much more refreshed -- especially between the ears.

“Yeah, I feel great,” he told me. “Just let last year go and come out and try to have some fun again. Up there, I feel comfortable and relaxed. It’s spring training, but the goal is to bring that feeling into the season.”

Last year, Huff was the Giants’ only starting position player to remain healthy all season. Hard to believe, but he was the only Giant to post enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title.

Not that he finished anywhere close.

Huff’s average fell from .290 to .246. His on-base percentage plummeted even steeper as he drew barely half as many walks as the previous season. In 2010, his .385 OBP was the 10th best in the NL. Last season, his .306 OBP ranked as the eighth worst.

He was swinging at everything, and not to any positive effect.

“I wasn’t getting into a loading position,” Huff said. “My first movement was forward. I’ve been working on getting a nice load back. For some reason, I lost it.

“By midseason, I was making so many changes. It’s hard to get your front foot down when you’re doing all that in the middle of a season. I’m trying to work through that this spring, and so far, it’s working out.”

Huff's bat is looking quick so far. On Sunday, he hit what went down as a single in the box score -- but only because his line drive off the base of the right field wall was hit so hard.

Huff is off to a good start in his competition with Brandon Belt and Brett Pill, both of whom will get plenty of innings this spring to show their readiness.

In three games, Huff and Belt have started in the same lineup twice. Both times, Huff was at first base. Belt was either the designated hitter or played left field. Manager Bruce Bochy cautioned not to read anything into that, saying Huff will play plenty of left field this spring, too.

(Belt is swinging it well, too. He hit a shot Monday night that died in the cooler air and was tracked down by Milwaukee center fielder Jordan Schafer after a long sprint. The ball likely would've been halfway up the berm in the daytime.)

But while unspoken, it's clear the first base position is Huff’s to lose.

“Aubrey is part of this,” Bochy said earlier this spring. “We need him.”


(csnbayarea.com)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- A steady stream of veterans filed into the clubhouse at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday. Among them was Aubrey Huff, looking lean, rested and ready to put a miserable 2011 season in his rearview mirror.

"I'll have no regrets, good or bad this year," Huff said. "I'm coming out with a positive mind frame, and I'm ready to go."

Huff, 35, spent much of the offseason working out in Arizona and resumed Pilates workouts in an attempt to turn back the clock to 2010, when he had a .290 average and 26 home runs. Those numbers dropped to .246 and 12 last season, and with youngsters Brandon Belt and Brett Pill coming after his job, you might think Huff would spend more time than ever this offseason working on his swing.

He said it's been the opposite.

"We've got a month and a half here to get the swing going," Huff said. "Sometimes you do too much in the offseason if you're hitting and throwing. You've got to give your body a timeout from those kinds of workouts."

Infielders Mike Fontenot and Ryan Theriot, former teammates at LSU and with the Cubs, also worked out Wednesday. Top prospect Gary Brown was among the minor leaguers to show up. Outfielder Melky Cabrera is the only projected starter who hasn't settled into the clubhouse yet, but he is expected to report Thursday.


(mercurynews.com)

(csncalifornia.com)

When I was a die-hard USF basketball fan as a kid, I was introduced to the concept of faking an injury to stave off embarrassment when seldom-used forward Erik Gilberg went up for a garbage-time dunk, came up woefully short, slammed the ball into the front of the rim, fell on his rear, then promptly grabbed at his ankle.

That scene popped back into my head Friday night when Ryan Howard went down in a heap after bouncing out to end Chris Carpenter's masterpiece.

Now we know that Howard wasn't pulling a Gilberg. He has a torn Achilles' tendon, and that's among the more devastating sports injuries.

It's also a potentially fantastic solution to what, at present, is a bit of a messy problem for the Giants.

Howard's injury is going to take a minimum of six months to heal, and that's an optimistic view. Eight months is more realistic, and depending on Howard's work ethic and the competency of his trainers and docs, it could be 10 months to a year.

Thus, they're going to need a first baseman. A good one. Someone who represents a threat in the middle of the lineup. Someone with a little clubhouse juice. Someone with a sense of accomplishment.

Know anyone like that who might be available?

Operator: Hello, you've reached the Philadelphia Phillies. How may I direct your call?

Brian Sabean: Ruben Amaro Jr., please. Brian Sabean calling.

Operator: Hold, please.

Elton John's "Philadelphia Freedom" plays while Sabean sits on hold.

Amaro: Sabey Sabes! What's happening?

Sabean: Well, tell you what. I was watching your game the other night. Bummer about Ryan, huh?

Amaro: Yeah. Slightly. I don't know what we're gonna do.

Sabean: I have an idea.

Amaro: I thought you might. Belt or Pill?

Sabean: Pfffhhhhhfffft! Sorry. You owe me a cup of coffee, Ruben. Just spit mine out. No, I mean Huff.

Amaro: Aubrey Huff?

Sabean: No. Michael Huff, the Raiders' DB. Yes, Aubrey Huff.

Amaro: Dude makes $11 milliion and stunk on ice this year. And you yourself said he was an offseason slacker!

Sabean: Right. But you have as much money as God, Aubrey is great every other year, and you know how motivated veterans are in their walk years. It's perfect!

Amaro: Hmmmm. Good points, all. But I need more.

Sabean: That's all I've got, Ruben. He'd be a nice band-aid for you, is all I'm saying. And hey, he's got this Rally Thong thing that matches your guys' color scheme!

Amaro: Sold. What do you want for him?

Sabean: Just get me that coffee you owe me at the Winter Meetings, OK? And take the thong. Please.



(csnbayarea.com)

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said Thursday that Aubrey Huff not do enough to get in shape for the 2011 season.

And it showed on the field, as Huff batted just .246/.306/.370 with 12 homers and a .676 OPS over 579 plate appearances. The Giants expect him to work harder this winter and have told him to be prepared to play the outfield. "Aubrey knows it’s going to be different," said Bochy. "That can’t happen again or you’ve got to make changes." Huff would likely be one of the worst defensive outfielders in baseball, but it could finally give Brandon Belt a chance to play everyday.


(rotoworld.com)

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he will not give Aubrey Huff any more starts the rest of the way.

Bochy wants to get a longer look at Brandon Belt and Brett Pill. Huff, who has already been receiving regular days off of late, has been a huge disappointment after signing a two-year extension last offseason, batting just .245/.305/.370 with 12 homers and 59 RBI over 519 at-bats.


(rotoworld.com)

The end of this season for the Giants hasn't been fun. But it's at least been about clearing up the issues that have plagued the Giants this year and, perhaps admitting some mistakes.

If you're not clear what I mean: Brian Sabean finally ponied up and dumped Miguel Tejada and Aaron Rowand.

Another mistake that's haunted the Giants this season? Aubrey Huff. Though Huff was indispensable -- from both a statistical, leadership and, um, fashion perspective -- down the stretch in 2010, there was really no reason to reward him with a monster contract.

The Giants did that anyway, for some reason. And Huff has played about as poorly as he possibly could given the deal he received. Don't worry, though. He knows he's helping sink this team.

"If I have anything close to the season I had last year, we probably wouldn't be sitting in this spot," said Huff said earlier in the week, per Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury-News."So I take a lot of blame for that. But at the same time, it's baseball, man. Guys have bad years. We've had injuries and bad breaks.

"Certainly I could've played better. I just didn't."

 So what to make of Huff's future with Brandon "Yo-Yo Giraffe" Belt seemingly prepared to start with the big-league club (again) in 2012? Well, ESPN's Buster Olney doesn't expect any mea culpas from Sabean on this one.

"The guess here is that San Francisco will not go into next year committed to playing Huff every day, as it did in 2011, while waiting for him to start producing," Olney writes Friday. "Huff is hitting .243 with a .301 on-base percentage with 12 homers and 55 RBIs in 544 at-bats in the first year of a two-year, $22 million deal."

"$11 million for 12 home runs" is always painful reading material. I'm not even sure why I wrote it again.

So it's good news if we don't have to hear it once again in 2012, as Olney suggests.

And while he swatted 26 home runs in 2010 and knocked a shocking 32 out of the park as recently as 2008, this is prime time for a skills decline, as we saw in 2011.

The odds of him justifying an $11 million deal are pretty low, even barring a big bounceback. Unfortunately, he's already locked into that deal, so there's not a whole lot anyone can do to change it, other than hope that Sabean doesn't bank on him being the third-best batter on the roster in 2012.

Again.



(nbcbayarea.com)

Aubrey Huff was in the middle of an interview, talking about his disappointing, exasperating 2011 season, when a small gift bag arrived from a fan.

"Ohhh no," said Huff, rummaging through the tissue paper. "Pretty sure I know what this is."

He pulled out the lime-green thong underwear and flipped it into an empty, adjacent locker.

"Oh jeez," he said. "Another one."

It's been tough enough for Huff to deal with a summer-long litany of lunging strikeouts and weak pop-ups with runners on base. The dozens of skimpy gifts from well-intentioned fans only serve as another reminder:

This is not last year. He is not the same hitter. And it's not as simple as snapping on a new incarnation of the Rally Thong, which worked so magically last September and throughout the playoffs.

"It's tough, man," said Huff, whose .673 OPS ranks dead last among all 20 major league first basemen with at least 450 plate appearances. "I was counting on coming in and having a good year like last year. They were counting on me. And it just ... hasn't happened."

Huff hit 26 home runs last year, drew almost as many walks (83) as strikeouts (91) and finished seventh in the N.L. MVP balloting, all of which earned him a two-year, $22 million contract.

But after a monster spring, he has 12 home runs this season -- a quarter of which he hit in one muggy evening in St. Louis. His on-base percentage has plummeted from .385 to .301. And with rookie hopefuls Brandon Belt and Brett Pill on the roster, the fans who once cheered Huff like a rock star, the thong clenched between his teeth at the victory parade, now are voting him to the bench with their boos.

Huff, 34, does not make excuses, nor does he skirt blame for contributing to the worst offense in the major leagues, which is likely to doom the Giants' brilliant pitchers from defending their World Series title.

"If I have anything close to the season I had last year, we probably wouldn't be sitting in this spot," said Huff, before the Giants fell seven games behind first-place Arizona with a loss Wednesday in San Diego. "So I take a lot of blame for that. But at the same time, it's baseball, man. Guys have bad years. We've had injuries and bad breaks. Certainly I could've played better. I just didn't."

Failure and acceptance. They can come dangerously easy when you've played a decade for second-division teams, as Huff did before joining the Giants last year. He also has an acknowledged history of following a Silver Slugger season with a stinker.

The difference this time: He isn't stinking it up for a team that expected to lose 90 games.

"We've talked about it," said Giants outfielder Pat Burrell, Huff's close friend going back to college. "We talk about it all the time. Let's be honest. I'm not trying to say anything bad about those other teams, but it's different here. There's a lot more expected, and with that comes pressure. That's difficult to deal with where he's slumping."

Last season, Burrell and Huff would sock each other in the chest to celebrate late-inning heroics. This year, Burrell is pulling no punches while trying to motivate Huff.

"The truth is, we didn't sign back with the Giants because we're friends," said Burrell, who is likely at the end of his career because of a chronic foot injury. "We signed up to win. Just because we're friends doesn't mean I won't give him my opinion. That's not easy, but you know, neither is this game.

"I've told him, 'You can't change yesterday. What you can do is take a different attitude the rest of the way.' "

That's what Giants manager Bruce Bochy hopes to see. Although Huff is signed for next season, the Giants will be desperate to acquire a big bat -- and the two biggest free agents (Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols) play first base.

Even if the Giants don't add another first baseman, they might have a logjam at the position. For all Buster Posey's insistence that he will be the starting catcher on opening day, there is a strong undercurrent in the front office for moving him to first base -- or maybe even third base, with Pablo Sandoval grabbing a first baseman's mitt.

So N.L. West standings aside, these final three weeks loom large for Huff.

"Nobody's owed a job no matter how much money they make," Huff said. "I'll have to come to spring training to prove something, sure."

Said Bochy: "If anything, it'll be a strong message he could send by finishing up strong."

Huff pledged to do his best down the stretch, but he's in too deep to expect a turnaround at this late hour. He isn't wearing the Rally Thong this year. But he's never felt so bare.

"I'm so bad I've just gotta go into the offseason and try and figure something out mechanically," he said. "There's got to be something mechanically, I just can't figure it out.

"You get so down and out it just feels like you're fighting yourself, tweaking things. Hitting is a feel and a comfort thing, and it's just never been there."

(mercurynews.com)

Aubrey Huff returned to action on Wednesday as a pinch-hitter, smacking a leadoff single in the eighth inning of a 3-1 loss.

But it was all for naught, as the pinch-runner for whom we was lifted was caught stealing moments later. Huff has been dealing with a sore back. With replacement Brett Pill off to a rocket start, it will be interesting to see whether manager Bruce Bochy stays with the hot bat.


(rotoworld.com)

Giants 1B/OF Aubrey Huff left Monday's series opener against the Padres due to a sore back. He was replaced on the bases by Darren Ford after taking a walk in the fifth inning and went 0 for 2 in the contest. Huff has gone 5 for 23 (.217) over his last seven games with one RBI and five strikeouts.



(fantasysp.com)

San Francisco Giants 1B Aubrey Huff was not in the starting lineup Friday, Aug. 26, against the Houston Astros, because he has been slumping recently. IF Mark DeRosa started in his place and Huff went 0-for-1 after entering the game on a double switch. It is uncertain if he will remain out of the lineup for several games. Huff is batting .083 (1-for-12) on the team's current homestand.


(kffl.com)

In Game No. 117 of the Giants' season Tuesday night, Aubrey Huff may have sent a significant signal that he is ready to come out of his long hitting hibernation.

Huff, the Giants' offensive leader last season with 26 homers and 86 RBIs, finally flashed some of his 2010 form at AT&T Park with three hits, including a run-scoring double and a solo homer, to lead the Giants past the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-0.

"I'm starting to get my timing a little bit better now," said Huff, whose big night raised his average to .249, the highest it has been since April 19. "Hopefully, we'll run off these next two months, and nobody will remember the first four."

Huff wasn't the only hero on a night when the Giants needed a victory to remain in first place in the N.L. West. Madison Bumgarner tossed seven shutout innings and struck out 10, and light-hitting catcher Chris Stewart slammed his first career homer in his 140th major league at-bat, dating to 2006.

But the breakout performance of the Giants' veteran first baseman was surely the most welcome sight for manager Bruce Bochy, who has been exceedingly patient in waiting for Huff to find his stroke.

With Carlos Beltran missing a second straight game because of a hand injury, it couldn't have come at a better time.

"We have a lot of baseball left, and even if you're still having your struggles this late in the season, you can't give up," said Bochy. "You have to keep grinding, keep working,and he's doing that."

Except for his three-homer game in St. Louis on June 2, Huff has failed to serve as much of a power-hitting run producer. Even though he had shown signs of life by hitting .327 over his previous 17 games, he had just one homer and three RBIs during that span. Worse yet, he had just three hits in 21 previous at-bats with runners in scoring position coming into Tuesday's game and was hitting just .233 for the year in such situations.

That changed in the fourth inning of a scoreless game when, one out after Jeff Keppinger's double to center to lead off the inning, Huff slammed an opposite-field double to left-center that brought home the Giants' first run.

Huff struck again in the sixth, when he whacked a 1-1 pitch from Pittsburgh starter James McDonald (7-6) into the right-field arcade. It was his 11th homer, but just his third at AT&T Park this year.

So what has Huff figured out of late?

"Just laying off bad pitches, getting myself in hitter's counts and giving myself a chance," he said. "In the struggles I've had, especially when we're not scoring any runs at all and our pitchers are going out there every night giving everything you got, you're going up there and just trying to do too much."

In between Huff's RBI hits was Stewart's personal milestone blast, a well-struck missile to left field leading off the fifth. It touched off a big party in the dugout because most of the players knew how long the catcher had waited to get his first homer.

"Luckily I lifted weights this morning where that extra curl may have given me just enough to get it out," Stewart said. "I'd expect myself to be the happiest guy, but my teammates proved me wrong. There was a lot of excitement going, so it was fun to get back to the dugout and celebrate with everybody."

Those three runs of support were plenty for Bumgarner (7-11), who limited the Pirates to four hits and a walk over his seven innings. Bumgarner now has a 13-inning scoreless streaking from his past two starts.

Bochy said Bumgarner just keeps getting better as the season progresses.

"He's just getting smarter, and he'll continue to get wiser out there and pitch with more savvy," the manager said. "The thing about Madison is he's aggressive, and he's starting to use all four quadrants of the strike zone."


(insidebayarea.com)

Who can we get?" was a common question among Giants fans before Carlos Beltran was acquired, and it kept being asked after the trade deadline as the team piled up losses - as if some magical move could be made to breathe air into an unresponsive offense.

One of the common answers was "the 2010 Aubrey Huff," and that's exactly who emerged Tuesday night in a 6-0 victory over the Pirates - the Giants' third win in 12 games, which maintained their National League West lead over Arizona by a half game.

Huff, a .233 hitter with runners in scoring position, smoked an RBI double to left-center to score Jeff Keppinger from second base and also homered, but he wasn't the only man who filled the Giants' "haven't done it in a while" file.

Madison Bumgarner enjoyed his first scoreless outing since Game 4 of the World Series, striking out 10 batters in seven innings, and Chris Stewart hit his first home run since ... well, his first home run, period. At least in the big leagues, covering 140 at-bats.

Huff contributed so much more in the championship season than he has the year after. The team's 2010 leader in homers, RBIs and clubhouse pranks, Huff entered Tuesday's game hitting .244 with 10 homers and 49 RBIs, prompting some fans to wish for a Brandon Belt sighting. At the same time last year, Huff was at .304, 20 and 67.

He had hit safely in seven of eight games, but just one of the hits went for extra bases.

"The singles, last year I was lifting for doubles and homers," he said. "My swing has been so bad for so long. At least they're hits. Now I'm starting to get my timing a little better. Hopefully, we'll run off these next two months and nobody will remember the first four."

According to manager Bruce Bochy, Huff pressed early in the season. "Buster (Posey) and Freddy Sanchez went down, and he put too much on himself to carry this club," Bochy said. "You can't do that. I don't care how good you are. Hopefully, this'll get him to keep the line moving."
With Beltran shelved with a wrist injury a second straight night, Huff batted cleanup and had three hits, including an eighth-inning single that set up a three-run rally. A rare dose of situational hitting took place, with Huff moving Pablo Sandoval to third and Sandoval scoring on Nate Schierholtz's fielder's choice grounder to the right side.

Yes, the Stewart and Huff homers were solo shots (off James McDonald), but that was OK on this night. The Giants' last 18 homers have come with nobody on base - one shy of the major-league record set by the 1914 Phillies.

"I woke up this morning and did an extra curl," said Stewart, proudly displaying the home run ball at his locker, having given a signed bat to the fan who retrieved it. "I know I got all of it. If it didn't get out, I was going to start bunting every at-bat."

Stewart's homer made the score 2-0, and Huff's made it 3-0, giving Bumgarner and reliever Sergio Romo - whose streak of batters retired ended at 31 on Andrew McCutchen's eighth-inning double - some breathing room.

The game ended when Santiago Casilla struck out McCutchen with the bases loaded, clinching the Giants' most one-sided shutout victory since they beat the Dodgers 10-0 in L.A. for their first win of the season.


(sfgate.com)

CINCINNATI — The San Francisco Giants were concerned about how last year’s playoff workload would affect their splendid pitching staff this season.

Their arms haven’t lagged yet. But playing until Nov. 1 appears to be having an impact on some of their veteran position players — especially Aubrey Huff, whose struggles have been well-documented.

Bruce Bochy had planned to rest Huff in one of two games this weekend. But after Friday night’s 13-inning loss, in which Huff looked wiped out after scoring from first base, Bochy decided to rest the veteran for the remainder of the series in favor of rookie Brandon Belt.

Huff’s stiff back has been a recurring problem. He also has looked a step slower in the field and on the bases, and there’s plenty of chatter that he didn’t arrive in camp in the same shape he did the previous year.

Then again, Huff had never played in the postseason before last year. He made it through October on adrenaline alone. It made for a tricky offseason; his body needed rest and recovery, yet he also had less time to prepare for 2011.

"Oh, we talked about it," Bochy said. "Players who haven’t had to do it, and we have a few guys, there’s a lot they went through last year. Playing till Nov. 1 and having a short offseason, then having to get back into it — it does take a toll.

"It’s something that will test your mettle both on the mental and physical side."

As for the pitchers, Bochy said he was "thrilled to see how they’re throwing to this point in the season. We said we’d keep an eye on them, and they all seem to be doing well."


(bostonherald.com)

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said that Brandon Belt was called up because Aubrey Huff is dealing with tightness in his lower back.

Bochy said he wants to give Huff a few days off in hopes that he can put the back injury behind him. It sounds like it could be a short stay for Belt, though if he hits, he could certainly stay around. Hitting is something Huff hasn't done much of this season, as he's batting just .232/.286/.359 for the year.


(rotoworld.com)

Padres closer Heath Bell completed his sprint from the bullpen – no sliding this time – and his arm was dangling as usual.

The Giants were three outs away from losing 1-0, dooming Madison Bumgarner to the title of “best 10-loss pitcher in the majors” and beginning the unofficial second half right where they left off, with Bruce Bochy’s dentist telling him to cut back on the gnashing.

Then Aubrey Huff hit a home run. It was his first since his three-homer game in St. Louis on May 2, a span of 125 powerless at-bats, and that wasn’t even the most amazing part. Far from it.

It was the first homer Bell had allowed all season. He only allowed one in 2010 – and that came way back on April 19, when Juan Uribe took him deep. So we’re looking at 102 innings in 99 appearances scattered over 15 months since Bell had occasion to call for a new baseball as someone trotted around the bases. Both times, it was a Giant. How about that?

Huff didn’t hit a 3-1 cookie fastball, either. It was an 0-2 breaking pitch. He fouled off a pair with two strikes before Bell threw him a curve or slow slider.

All these descriptions are in the game story. But because the game didn’t end until the 12th inning, Huff’s comments are not. So I’ll include them here.

“I was looking heater,” Huff said. “You have to, 0-2. I’m sure he wanted to bounce it but he left it up and I was just hoping it’d stay fair. It’s been one of those years, you know, nothing’s been falling. I knew I got it, but I was thinking, `Please, please, stay fair.’”

Huff gave and received some mighty firm high fives as he returned to the dugout.

“Listen, when you’re younger, you’re playing on losing teams,” he said. “You’re playing for yourself. I’d been so crappy in the first half and I was coming off one of my better years. I just wanted so badly to go out and do the same thing I did last year. The break really helped me unwind and take the step back.”

What did he do?

“I did nothing,” he said. “I didn’t think about baseball. Not a damn thing.”

Huff said he felt good in his other at-bats, too. He hit a broken-bat flare to right field, where Chris Denorfia made a tumbling grab. Yet Huff knows you can’t pronounce yourself fixed after one game. There was that three-homer explosion in St. Louis, remember? That turned out to be one small RBI binge followed by another month-long fast.

“It’s one game,” Huff said. “There’s no doubt that this offense, if I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, it’ll get rolling a little bit better. I‘ve got to get going for us to get where we want to go.”

Huff’s break started a day early when Bruce Bochy sat him last Sunday. The manager said he saw better at-bats from Huff in the No.5 spot Thursday.

“I really think it’s going to be important for him to wash off the first half and just have good at-bats,” Bochy said. “That (home run) was a great at-bat. He’s just trying to hit a ball hard there with two strikes and he ends up hitting the home run that saves us.”

No jazz hands, though. That’s a Uribe special.

“I heard that,” said Huff, told that he and Uribe own the only homers off Bell in two seasons. “He’s so good – one of the best in the game. But he’s not immune to making a mistake. I’m sure he wants that one back, but hey, I don’t feel bad for him.”


(mercurynews.com)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Manager Bruce Bochy rested Aubrey Huff on Sunday, theoretically intending to lengthen the All-Star break for the first baseman who has continued to struggle offensively.

Huff, who entered the game batting .236, has not homered since his three-homer binge on June 2 at St. Louis. His drought has spanned 34 games and 125 at-bats.

Bochy hoped that the Giants' first-place status in the National League West will relax Huff, so that "he doesn't feel like he's let anybody down."



(mlb.com)

Aubrey Huff has continued his antics in San Francisco, where he has been a hit in the Giants clubhouse. His magical thong helped them make the playoffs last year and he had some big hits on their run to the title. He also enjoys crying after wins and showing off his moves from the dance club, which he did for Showtime's “THE FRANCHISE: A Season with the San Francisco Giants,” which will be like “Hard Knocks” for baseball.

I know Huff, who played for the Orioles from 2007 to 2009, thinks the Baltimore nightlife scene is horse manure -- well, he put it a slightly different way -- but it looks he got his moves at Power Plant Live or in Federal Hill.

It was the highlight that sparked a big question on Friday night. Why was San Francisco Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff(notes) crying in the team's postgame handshake line? Especially since they had just defeated the Detroit Tigers, 4-3?

Since most of us saw the clip without any context (or without any sound in restaurants and bars), there were a lot of questions to be asked. Was he upset over the death of the clubhouse water cooler after Brian Wilson(notes) took a bat to it after a blown save? Was he remembering the .567 OPS he posted for the Tigers during an ill-fated playoff push in 2009? Or just simply missing his retired red rally thong?

Given Huff's reputation as a prankster, I thought he was probably just hamming it up and joking for the entertainment of his teammates. It's a theory supported by someone close to the team, San Jose Mercury News reporter Andrew Baggarly.

From the Mercury News:

"Several folks have asked me why Aubrey Huff appeared to be wiping away tears in the handshake line. Not sure, but Huff has this mock crying performance thing that he does often, usually when he's talking about his batting average. He'll start laughing and end up crying. He's a showman."

That's not to say Huff doesn't have a sentimental side. The Stew was there last November when he cried and cried after winning the World Series. But given that Friday's game was just another during the grind of a season it's probably safe to say he was just messing around.

UPDATE: Huff confirms to Baggarly that he was indeed just joking around.

Huff said he was just clowning around, as he usually does. "I can't take this stress! That kind of thing," he said.


(yahoosports.com)

Barry Bonds hated being a designated hitter. Pat Burrell was terrible at it. Aubrey Huff loves it.

"DHing is as good as an off day, to be honest," Huff said. "The times you get tired are when you're standing around on the field. That's when you get worn down."

The Giants will need a DH for the three games in Oakland this weekend and three in Detroit at the end of the next road trip.

A week ago, manager Bruce Bochy said Huff would be a prime candidate to DH because of how many games he has played. He has started 66 of the Giants' 69 games.

On Thursday, though, Bochy said Huff likely will DH only once this weekend, partly because the Giants face three righties and have a day off Monday.

"I certainly wouldn't object to it," said Huff, who has a career average of .278 with on-base and slugging averages of .335 and .482, including 69 of his 237 career home runs, as a designated hitter.

Huff said the key to his success was not dwelling on his hitting between at-bats. He has seen DHs take hacks in the cage, run in the tunnel, watch video and generally drive themselves nuts during the downtime.

"I just watch the game and root for my team," he said. "If you're the DH, you've got to let it go."


(sfgate.com)

Aubrey Huff went 3-for-4 with two RBI as the Giants topped the Reds 4-2 on Sunday night.

Huff doubled in the Giants' first run in the fourth and singled in their last in the seventh. Hopefully this marks the end of his latest slump. He had been hitting .176 in 34 at-bats since his three-homer game on June 2.


(rotoworld.com)

Finally, after a 12-7 victory ended a stretch of 35 road games in the first 56 contests, the Giants flew back to the Bay Area on Thursday to start their first long stretch of home games. Twenty-four players tripped over one another to get to the airport, while Aubrey Huff chained himself to the Cardinals' mascot, Fredbird.

"We're going to make sure Aubrey gets on the plane," manager Bruce Bochy joked. And why would Huff want to leave the hot, humid heaven where his 2011 season was reborn?

When Huff lined a Brian Tallet slider over the right-field fence in the ninth inning, he had his first career three-homer game and six RBIs, which matched his career best. Huff homered four times in the Giants' first 54 games before hitting four in his final six at-bats of a series the Giants won three games to one.

Aubrey was not the only happy Huff.

"My wife, Baubi, it's her birthday," the first baseman said. "She wanted me to hit her a home run. I hit her three. That's brownie points."

The last Giant with three in a game was in the dugout as a coach for this one. J.T. Snow did it in Philadelphia in 2004 and freely admitted two of them were a product of matchbox-sized Citizens Bank Park.

As Huff addressed reporters, Snow walked over and said, "Way to take over the three-homer torch, dude."

When Huff asked if Snow really had a three-homer game, Snow said, "Hard to believe, huh?"

What might be harder to believe is that the Giants are back in first place in the mushy National League West. They stand 31-25 despite being tied with the White Sox for the most road games in the majors at 35.

Teams strive to be .500 away from home. The Giants are 18-17 after a winning trip (4-3) that seemed unlikely when they dropped two of three in Milwaukee.

"This was a big series for us," said Freddy Sanchez, who did something rarer than Huff. Sanchez drove in four runs, including a three-run homer, and was not the Giants' hitting star.

"The way we were able to regroup after Milwaukee and come here and take three of four against a great team like the Cards - that's not easy to do. A lot of guys stepped up. That's what we're going to need from here on out."

Though the season is barely one-third done, the Giants have played 43 percent of their road games. Their immediate reward is 19 of their next 22 games in the Bay Area, with the prospect of a hot first baseman.

Huff said Tuesday he would treat June 1 as his Opening Day and pledged to relax at the plate. As if on cue, he went 5-for-9 with the four homers and an important walk in the first two games of the month.

His three homers Thursday helped the Giants win a game they trailed 3-0 and came against three pitchers. Two of them, right-handers Lance Lynn and Maikel Cleto, were making their major-league debuts. The third came off Tallet, a lefty.

"I saw today in the paper where I had the third-most opportunities to drive in runs in the NL and I was hitting .180-something with runners in scoring position," Huff said. "I hadn't done anything the first two months. It's hard to have fun when you're so crappy. I just let it go."



(sfgate.com)

(06-01) 04:00 PDT St. Louis -- - Aubrey Huff is a shell of the hitter he was last season. With one-third of the season gone, nobody can say "it's early" anymore.

"He's searching," said manager Bruce Bochy, who sat Huff on Tuesday night and said he might keep Huff on the bench another day. "When you get this far into it, guys do look at their numbers and put pressure on themselves.

"With Buster (Posey) not here and Pablo (Sandoval) not here, he wants to be the guy, and it's not happening for him."

The numbers are stark.

After 54 team games last year, Huff was batting .297 with an .862 OPS, seven homers and 25 RBIs. After a soft lineout as a pinch-hitter Tuesday, Huff is hitting .218 with a .611 OPS, four homers and 23 RBIs.

Huff took early batting practice to attempt some mechanical fixes but welcomed the mental break.

Asked if he was overthinking on the field, he said, "Oh, Christ, of course. When you're hot, you don't think about anything. You just go up, see the ball and hit it hard.

"Right now, it feels like whenever I get in there, I'm worrying if my foot is down, where my hands are, what pitch is coming."

Huff's walks are down, too, not because he is seeing better pitches. He is attacking too many bad ones.

"I'm swinging at the rosin bag when I go up there," he said.

Huff said he would view the change of month today as the Opening Day for the rest of the season, putting the first two months behind him.



(sfgate.com)

It's so crazy, it just might work. Why not move Aubrey Huff to third base and recall Brandon Belt to play first?

The idea supposedly came up as a way to ignite the offense, and might gain more traction following a serious reinjury of Mark DeRosa's wrist Wednesday night. The staff has not broached the subject with Huff, which means it cannot happen right away because Huff has not taken any grounders at third.

He has started 344 major-league games at third, most recently in 2008 with Baltimore. He is open to the idea and said he would need about a week of practice.

"The fielding part is easy," Huff said. "It's the throwing. I've got to get used to throwing again, because I don't throw at first base. I went to the outfield last year. I made a lot of throws and my arm was getting a little 'eeeech.' Once I get the arm going, that's the thing."

Huff said he has not been asked by the Giants to be ready to play third base.

Huff has played 361 games at third in the majors and came up through the minors primarily as a third baseman, but he hasn't played there since 2008. He said that, if needed, he could get ready to play there with a week's worth of work, with the throwing being the biggest obstacle. The Giants aren't pleased with their third base play since Pablo Sandoval got hurt, so we can't rule out them giving Huff a shot there at some point.



(rotoworld.com)

The San Francisco Giants have been white hot lately as winners of four in a row, and turned to Jonathan Sanchez this evening to extend it to five. And after a laborious fight by the Sanchize, an Aubrey Huff Homer, and a big night from Miguel Tejada, the Giants took out the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second night in a row by a score of 4-3 at AT&T Park.

Sanchez (W 3-2) seemed to have some issues with the control of his fastball, but managed to claw his way for 6 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits with 2 walks and 7 punch outs. Skipper Bruce Bochy pulled out all the stops when it came to the bullpen, using Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, and Sergio Romo in 2 innings of combined perfect work. Brian Wilson continued his terrific homestand by recording his twelfth save of the season despite giving up a leadoff double in the ninth.

Aside from Huff’s homer in the fifth, his fourth or the year, the Giants got some great hitting from the slumping Miguel Tejada. Miggy was 3-4 including a double and an RBI, boosting his average up to .213 for the year now. Andres Torres had himself a great night as well, going 2-3 with an RBI ground rule double in the sixth. All of the starting positional players for the G-Men got a hit except for Aaron Rowand and Mike Fontenot, but Rowand still scored a run on a wild pitch by Armando Galarraga in the fourth.



(bayarea.sbnation.com)

San Francisco Giants prized rookie first baseman Brandon Belt might not be a first baseman come this weekend.

Because of shoddy defense in the outfield corners and with Cody Ross on the disabled list, Giants manager Bruce Bochy could flip-flop Belt and right fielder Aubrey Huff within the next couple days, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. With the Giants traveling next week to Colorado and its massive Coors Field outfield, the move seems logical.

Huff has been a statue in right while filling in for Ross. He has played singles into extra-base hits and is becoming a liability with his minus-3 defensive runs saved mark. Ross (strained calf) isn’t expected to be activated from the DL until late next week at the earliest.

Belt took fly balls during batting practice on Monday and Tuesday with Giants outfield coach Roberto Kelly. He was an outfielder before enrolling at Texas, and he played 14 games in the outfield in the minor leagues last season. He has said would be comfortable playing there again.

The consensus has been that Belt would go back to Class AAA Fresno once Ross is activated, which would put Huff back at first base for good. However, Bochy has said that he likes Belt’s approach at the plate despite his .158 average entering Wednesday's game.

It remains to be seen if Bochy’s love of Belt’s at-bats will be enough to keep Belt in the big leagues. It probably makes more sense to send Belt down and let him play every day rather than platoon him with Huff or Ross.



(aol.sportingnews.com)

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said he hasn't been tempted to move Aubrey Huff out of right field.

Top prospect Brandon Belt made the team out of spring training, but the bad news is that Huff was pushed to right field. To say he's looked below average defensively would probably be a bit generous. Things could get very, very interesting in this lineup once Cody Ross is ready to return from a calf injury.



(rotoworld.com)

We've never been a big fan of the designated hitter, but isn't it time for the National League to join the rest of professional baseball and add another hitter to its teams' lineups?

Watching the Giants' Aubrey Huff's adventures in right field against the Dodgers on Sunday – and seeing him diving, sliding, etc., over and over and over, thanks to ESPN – should make Giants fans long for the designated hitter.

Hey, we're not blaming Huff, who came to the Giants from the Tigers and played a key role in last season's championship. He's taking one for the team so can't-miss rookie Brandon Belt can play first base. The Giants figure Belt is the future at first – and Huff is, after all, 34 years old.
When Cody Ross returns from the disabled list to his spot in right field, where does that leave Huff?

The Giants need Huff's bat at the No. 3 spot in the lineup, so he'll likely get the majority of his starts in left, taking at-bats from Pat Burrell, who has hit two home runs in the Giants' first four games.

Good managing – no matter the business – is understanding your people's strengths and weaknesses and putting each in the best possible position to succeed.

To us, that means using Huff as the designated hitter.

Too bad, Giants fans, that the National League hasn't joined modern baseball yet.



(sacbee.com)

We all got a good chuckle when ESPN showed the clip of Pat Burrell(notes) (left) drawing a chalk outline around Dan Runzler(notes) (ground) in Dodger Stadium's right field before Sunday night's game. Pat the Bat's impromptu Banksy moment was designed to poke fun at the pair of exhausting diving catches that Aubrey Huff(notes) (inset) made during the San Francisco Giants' 10-0 win on Saturday.

Make no mistake: It was all in good fun. And in a vacuum, it was one of the funnier stunts we've seen in awhile. Huff was the Giants' first baseman until Cody Ross'(notes) injury pushed him out into the right-field pasture. A chalk outline perfectly portrayed the way he was splayed on the ground after the catches.

But as Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News wrote a few hours later, the pregame prank became a lot less amusing after Sunday's game, a 7-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers that dropped the defending world champs to 1-3 on the season.

Huff misplayed two balls during the only two innings during which the Dodgers scored. He couldn't grab Marcus Thames'(notes) tiebreaking triple in the four-run seventh (video) nor could he keep Jamey Carroll's(notes) low liner in front of him (video) during the three-run first inning.
"It was slicing, it was over my head, and I didn't know what the hell was happening after that," Huff said about Thames' triple. "I'm comfortable out there, OK? I'm going to make a routine catch."

That may be. But the unpredictable route he takes to get there will cause all Giants fans to hold their breath. They could also cause Brandon Belt's(notes) spot on the roster to be a little less secure once Cody Ross returns and hiding Huff's defensive shortcomings at first base again becomes a better option.

Also, as our pal Rob Iracane points out, Burrell's field graffiti was a little awkward for reasons other than the realities of Huff's defense. With a 42-year-old Giants fan remaining in a coma after being assaulted from behind by two Dodgers fans on opening night, the sight of Burrell's chalk outline — unintended as it might have been — was still a bit sobering.



(sports.yahoo.com)

LOS ANGELES -- Before Sunday's game, Aubrey Huff was given the chalk body outline treatment. He was the victim of some good-natured ribbing from his Giants teammates, who had a laugh as they opted to immortalize his clutch, albeit clumsy, diving catch a day earlier.

But by the end of the seventh inning, Huff was, ingloriously, a trending topic worldwide on Twitter, the laughs having turned against him as the Dodgers' fly balls seemed to be equipped not with heat-seeking but Huff-seeking technology.

Two were particularly perilous -- the Jamey Carroll liner that skipped under his glove and past his diving body for an RBI triple in the first, and the Marcus Thames deep fly in the seventh that turned him around nearly half a dozen times before bouncing in for an RBI triple as he crashed into the wall.

As the defending champs fell, 7-5, to finish off a disappointing season-opening set against the rival Dodgers, Huff looked completely miscast -- a first baseman moonlighting as a right fielder with results that would be comical if they weren't so costly.

Still, a little perspective was in order, and Huff was quick to provide it.

"Guys, those plays aren't easy," he told reporters afterward. "Let's be honest. You guys are going to act like those are routine plays, but they're not. I tried my best. I didn't catch them."

Perhaps Huff will catch on in time. It's important to remember that he saw very little time in the outfield this spring. It wasn't until the eve of the season opener that the Giants decided to keep hot prospect Brandon Belt aboard and install him at first base, prompting Huff's selfless, last-minute switch to the corner outfield.

"He's such a good team player," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's unselfish. It's not easy to make a move late like that. It's not that easy a position to play if you haven't been out there a lot. He'll get back into a groove out there with more time."

Certainly, the more innings Huff plays in right, the better his reads could be.

That being said, in spite of his tongue-in-cheek claims to be this team's fittest athlete, the 35-year-old Huff isn't expected to wake up tomorrow with a suddenly sharpened skill set. What you saw Sunday night very well might be what you get from Huff, who, it should be noted, logged 57 starts in the corner outfield just last year before settling in at first for the championship run.

And that brings us to the root of the issue, which is the decision the Giants brass will have to make later this month, when October legend Cody Ross makes his return from a calf strain.

In embedding Belt in the lineup, the Giants have accepted a tradeoff, in the form of the defensive downside that is Huff in right and Pat Burrell in left. When Ross returns, something will have to give. Either Burrell becomes a part-timer to accommodate Ross, or Belt heads to Fresno for his first extended look at Triple-A.

Ultimately, Belt should be the one who dictates the direction of the decision. And if his first weekend at this level is any indication, he'll give the Giants plenty to think about.

While the raw data -- a 2-for-13 showing in four games -- might not dazzle the eyes trained to behold batting average, Belt consistently put up solid at-bats all weekend. In addition to cranking his first home run -- a towering shot to straightaway center after working Chad Billingsley to a 2-0 count Friday -- Belt also drew four walks, a testament to his superior plate patience that is all the more impressive when you consider he was in Class A ball just one year ago.

So while it's easy to pile on Huff -- and the national broadcast crew assigned to Sunday's game sure took advantage of the opportunity -- Belt might have the bat that makes it all worthwhile.

Huff, though, has to hold up his end of the bargain. He can't afford too many nights like this one. And neither, come to think of it, can the Giants, for whom this opening set was anything but an artistic success. Huff's bat clearly has tremendous value in the No. 3 spot of the lineup, but the Giants proved this weekend that damaging defense can upend their superior starting pitching.

"I'm coming around," Huff said. "I'm going to make the routine plays."

Little was routine for Huff in this game. When Belt wept upon being informed that he had been added to the active roster, Huff had joked that he ought to be the one crying, given that he'd be stuck in right all year. That line took on added meaning on a night in which what happened to Huff in right bordered on cruel.

The Giants have a few weeks to evaluate Huff's glove and Belt's bat. And when Ross returns, they'll have to decide if the trade they've taken on is worthwhile.



(mlb.com)

It’s difficult to tell if Aubrey Huff is serious or serial. He comes across as two-thirds sarcasm, one-third smart-aleck, exactly the sort of ballplayer needed in any clubhouse and by any journalist.

You want comfort, stay on the other side of the clubhouse. With Huff nearby, complacency doesn’t have a chance. Neither does any form of self-satisfaction. He’s as abrasive as he has to be and as embraceable as he chooses to be.

Huff was the first baseman the Giants probably didn’t want — signing him in January 2010 because they couldn’t get anyone else  — but he became the first baseman the Giants wanted more than anyone else. Things like that happen when you win. Things like that are the reasons you win.

“This is the only place I’ve been happy playing baseball my whole career,” Huff said.

A World Series victory. A contract offer he couldn’t refuse. And fame as the man with the rally thong, which he displayed considerably during the parade in which San Francisco honored the Giants, and in a way, itself.

“That’s funny,” Huff said of his connection to a private undergarment that became very public.

He brought it to get himself and the team out of a slump.

“The whole thing was supposed to stay in-house and it never did,” Huff said. “It leaked out. I’ve had some great years in baseball in my life, and no one ever cared. Now I wear a thong, and that’s how I get my pub.”

Along with getting his hits and RBIs, leading the Giants in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.290) and home runs (26).

“It’s just stupid,” he said. “Whatever works, I guess. People think it’s lucky, then it’s lucky. It served its purpose, and now it’s hung up.”

Huff, 34, lives in Tampa, Fla. He played for the Rays when they were awful, then the Baltimore Orioles — and they’re still awful.

“People down there didn’t care the Giants won the World Series,” he said about Florida. “They’ve got their own baseball team. No, I wasn’t recognized by anybody. In general, the fans in Tampa don’t recognize anybody, which is what I like. We celebrated with some friends.”

Huff and his wife had planned to remain in San Francisco to absorb the post-Series excitement of a town that had waited more than a half-century for a baseball title, but they made a quick exit.

“We were going to stay for a week,” Huff said, “and just enjoy it. We found ourselves leaving in three days. It was that crazy. We couldn’t enjoy it, so we just took off.”

The Huff story was told more than once last season.

How when Aubrey was a boy in Texas his father was shot and killed trying to wrest a gun from an assailant. How Huff’s mother, working at a supermarket while attending Carlton State University, saved enough to buy her son a batting cage.

“While other guys were partying,” he has said, “I was taking swings.”

But not the verbal kind.

Painfully shy, Huff was brought out of his shell by the good-natured insults of University of Miami teammate Pat Burrell, who, as the fates would have it, was picked up by the Giants in the middle of last season and re-signed for 2011.

“The pieces are in place,” Huff said about the coming season. “We got a young, dominant pitching staff, if they stay healthy. I think the offense, all the guys we picked up last year contributed heavily. They’re here the whole year.

“I think the goal is just to get to the playoffs. Then the goals change to winning the World Series. But we’re not going to sneak up on anybody this year.”

Nor will Huff be sneaking out on a golf course this year or any year.

“I play a frustrating sport already,” Huff said about his refusal to join so many other ballplayers at golf. “I’m not going to add another one. And I hate watching golf. A guy’s in the middle of his backswing, somebody yells and everyone goes crazy.

“Concentration? We’re facing a ball coming in 96 [mph] with 50,000 people screaming at you. Come on, that’s real concentration, isn’t it?”

Anyone prepared to disagree?



(sfexaminer.com)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Right-hander Brandon McCarthy pitched scoreless ball until allowing two runs in the eighth inning on Sunday, and the Oakland A's survived Aubrey Huff's fourth homer in five games to subdue the San Francisco Giants, 6-4, in Cactus League play.

McCarthy (1-0), who recorded the longest outing by an A's starter this spring, walked none and struck out five, while lasting two batters into the eighth inning.

Trailing, 6-0, the Giants roused themselves to score four runs in the eighth, when singles by Brandon Belt and Ryan Rohlinger finished McCarthy. After Freddy Sanchez's bases-loaded groundout generated San Francisco's first run later in the inning, Huff launched a drive off right-hander Fernando Cabrera that cleared the right-field wall. Two of the runs were charged to McCarthy.



(mlb.com)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Manager Bruce Bochy said Friday that first baseman Aubrey Huff will appear in left field before the Giants break camp in Arizona on March 27.

Huff provided flexibility last year by starting 24 games in left field and 33 in right. Many of these appearances occurred before Buster Posey became the everyday catcher and ceased playing first base.

Of course, Huff, who's entering the first year of a two-year, $22 million contract, likely would play left if rookie Brandon Belt makes the team and occupies first. Belt grounded out in a ninth-inning pinch-hit appearance against the Dodgers on Friday, dropping his spring batting average to .277.



(mlb.com)

Now I think Bruce Bochy is just poking the cage.

Two days ago, Aubrey Huff played seven innings at first base – a rather long day for a veteran early in the spring – while rookie Brandon Belt started at designated hitter.

Belt hit his first homer in a Giants uniform that day, and Huff was quick to congratulate the kid in his own special way.

“Feeling good?” Huff said.

“Oh yeah. Exciting,” Belt said.

“Well, good. We’ve got to keep the rookies fresh around here.”

So this morning, when I looked at the lineup on the bulletin board, I immediately knew we were in for some rather loud, rather amusing complaints.

Huff was back at first base. And Belt was the DH.

When Huff saw this, he almost dragged Belt by the ear into Bochy’s office. Then he personally thanked the skipper for making sure the veterans were getting enough work in camp. That’s the blog-friendly version, anyway.

Yep, we’re in for another interesting year.



(mercurynews.com)

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Aubrey Huff's "rally thong" will spend its foreseeable future stashed with other underwear, in a sock drawer or wherever idle thongs go to rest.

Huff has placed his fabled thong on irrevocable waivers. The red fashion accessory that he wore late last season as the Giants accelerated their march to the World Series will not accompany him in his efforts to help the club defend its championship.

"That's in a bag. It's retired," Huff said of the thong Thursday before an informal workout at the Giants' Scottsdale Stadium complex. Position players are due to report Friday, with the first full-squad workout scheduled for Saturday.

Huff's thong attracted nationwide attention after word leaked that he wore it daily during the stretch drive. The first baseman/outfielder was enthusiastic about the garment then. But he indicated that it could be a distraction if he brought it back this year.

Huff said he intends to "just play baseball this year and try to keep the antics at home." That wasn't the case last Nov. 3, when Huff reached into his jeans and whipped out the thong while speaking at the ceremony following the World Series parade through San Francisco.

Huff said that baseball's Hall of Fame asked him for the garment to place in an exhibit. Brad Horn, the Hall's senior director of communications and education, cited the generosity displayed by Huff and other Giants who donated items to the shrine. But, Horn added, the thong was not among the requested memorabilia.

"That's one bare essential we do not need," Horn said.

Manager Bruce Bochy jokingly welcomed the thong's disappearance. "It wasn't easy on the eyes," Bochy said. "I can go in the clubhouse a little more now."

After batting .290 and leading the Giants with 26 home runs and 86 RBIs, Huff wants to experience the rush of advancing through the postseason all over again. That partly led him, during a brief dip into the free-agency pool, to spurn an offer from the Dodgers and sign a two-year, $22 million contract to rejoin the Giants. After spending most of his career with Tampa Bay, then a non-contender, and still-struggling Baltimore, Huff reiterated his appreciation for San Francisco's success.

"It's not about the ring for me," Huff said. "It's about the competition and getting in the playoffs and competing at that level with all the excitement. That was so much more fun than I can ever imagine. That's what you play for your whole life, getting in situations like that. I was starved for that for nine years. [I] never had an opportunity to taste that kind of competition in baseball."

Asked how the Giants can avoid complacency, Huff replied, "It's a good question. Throw everything out the window. My motto is, live in the now. I can't look to the future or the past. Try to get ready for this season. Everybody's going to be gunning for you. We're not going to sneak up on anybody this year."

If Huff believes some of his teammates need to adjust their attitude, he'll probably tell them. "He was one of our captains and leaders on and off the field," right-hander Sergio Romo said. Huff often worked in concert with left fielder Pat Burrell, his University of Miami teammate, to police the clubhouse and motivate teammates.

"If they had something to say, they said it," Romo said. "And it was usually productive."

When Huff needed to spur himself to exercise this offseason, he'd watch a DVD replay of the final out of the World Series. "Sometimes you don't want to work out, so I'd pop that on," Huff said. "Then I'd go get my workout in. It's definitely a rush, something they can never take away from you -- ever."

Huff's regimen included certain arm exercises to help his throwing. He started 57 games in left and right field last year, and could play outfield again if rookie Brandon Belt emerges as the Opening Day first baseman. Said Huff, "The old arm started barking just a tad toward the end. I did a little adjustment this year." Huff's outlook also has changed since last February.

"Yesterday, on the way here, I was thinking to myself how nervous I was coming here," Huff said. "But this year it's excitement. I've never been more excited to start a Spring Training."



(mlb.com)

If there is one thing the San Francisco Giants are experiencing in the 2011 season, it is a sense of accomplishment.

After winning their first World Series title after 50 years, the players look relieved and energised by their efforts. However, 2010 has long ended and Aubrey Huff is focussing more on their title defence challenge in the new season.

The Giants beat the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series to clinch the major title but the challenge for the top crown has reignited and Huff is ready for the game to kick off.

Huff recently signed a $22 million two-year contract extension with the club in the off-season period. The first baseman has a World Series ring but he is more tuned in to the opportunities in the new season.

“It's not about the ring for me. It's about the competition and getting in the playoffs and competing at that level with all the excitement. That was so much more fun than I can ever imagine. That's what you play for your whole life, getting in situations like that,” he said.

When Huff was asked about how to avoid complacency in 2011, he replied promptly.

“It's a good question. Throw everything out the window. My motto is, live in the now. I can't look to the future or the past. Try to get ready for this season. Everybody's going to be gunning for you. We're not going to sneak up on anybody this year,” said Huff.

Huff and Pat Burrell have been pushing the club in the right direction as well. They motivated the players in the organisation and gave them a target to achieve.

According to Huff’s teammate Sergio Romo, the only thing that matters towards achievement of targets is the right mindset. Romo also claimed that Huff would tell players on many occasions that they would need to adjust their attitude if he saw there was a tough situation on hand.

Huff went on to talk about his push towards working out and said watching the last out from the 2010 World Series would be enough to energise him.



(blogs.bettor.com)

Aubrey Huff didn't pack his red rally thong. He left it at his Florida home in a bag.

That's where he wants it to stay.

"We retired that thing," Huff said today. "Just play baseball this year and try to keep the antics at home."

Huff began wearing the thong with 30 games remaining in the regular season and suggested the Giants would finish 20-10. Well, they did, winning the NL West by one game. He didn't hide it, either, sometimes wearing it through the clubhouse with nothing else on.

"The Hall of Fame wanted to keep the thong for Cooperstwon," Huff said. "I thought about it and said there's no way. One day my kids will go to Cooperstown and see their daddy wore women's underwear. I'm sorry, that's just not going to happen."

The kids would know anyway, right? After all, Huff pulled the garment from his pants and showed the world at the victory parade.

"I'm sure they'll find out about it with all the Internet nowadays," Huff said. "So it doesn't matter."

Great story. But the Hall of Fame says it never wanted the thong. Brad Horn, the Hall's senior director of communications, said, "That's one bare essential we do not need."

They have wonderful senses of humor in Cooperstown.

Horn was quick to say Huff and the Giants were gracious in the moments after the World Series to donate items for the museum. In fact, because it was such a wild scene after Game 5, perhaps Huff misinterpreted what the Hall was requesting.

For the record, Huff did make a donation.

He was asked for his black spikes, and he surrendered one. And kept the other.

"It's very unique, and perhaps that captures the personality of the Giants' first baseman," Horn said.

In retrospect, Huff said his intention was to not let anyone outside the clubhouse know he was wearing a thong.

"It was supposed to stay in house, but it snuck out," Huff said. "We rolled with it."

All the way to the championship.

But that was last year.

Now the thong rests, and manager Bruce Bochy couldn't be happier.

"It wasn't easy on the eyes," Bochy said. "I can go in the clubhouse a little more often now."



(sfgate.com)

View more videos at: http://www.nbcbayarea.com.

(nbcbayarea.com)

The Giants head into spring training with Aubrey Huff tentatively penciled in at first base. However, the team will take a long look at prospect Brandon Belt, who could be ready for the majors. If Belt takes over at first, then Huff is likely headed to left field.



(fantasysp.com)

For Aubrey Huff, the difference between this off-season and last is sort of like the difference between boxers and that red thong for which he became famous last year.

This winter has been much more relaxed.

A year ago, Huff had trouble finding a job. He had been a tough out in the A.L. East for years but was coming off a poor season during which he hit .189 after being traded to the Tigers for the stretch run.

Only one team called, the Giants, and all they offered was a $5 million pay cut for one year. Huff accepted the $3 million deal.

"That was the only option I had," he says. "I don't know if it was a product of being on bad teams my whole career. You see a lot of guys who are good players but seem to be forgotten when they're on teams that never get much publicity or they don't win. I think that had a lot to do with it."
He admits his weak showing in Detroit did, too, but still "it was surprising more teams didn't want to take a shot."

Flash forward a year and Huff's career could not have worked out much better. In 2010, he led the Giants in runs, homers and batting average, won a World Series and re-upped for a guaranteed two years, $22 million.

Along the way, he attracted much attention for his stretch-run fashion statement. The infamous red thong that, if you're wondering, has spent the winter in his closet.

"At the time, winning 20 out of the next 30 would get us to 92 wins, which is usually what you need to make the playoffs," Huff says. "I thought it would be a funny deal to go in there with that and tell the boys, 'This is worth 20-10 and we'll make the playoffs.' We went 19-10 til the last day of the season and we ended up winning. It was kind of a funny deal."

Though he does not plan to don the thong in 2011, he still expects the good times to continue.

"I seriously hated baseball for the four years before San Francisco the way my career had gone," he says. "It definitely was a blessing to be able to go there. I wanted to go back. The Giants wanted me back. I've fallen in love with that city. And it was definitely a sigh of relief to get (the contract) done early."



(sportingnews.com)