SAN JOSE GIANTS
Defending Champions Prepare for a New Era

For the San Jose Giants, 2008 is expected to be another banner year both on and off the field. The defending California League champions, in their 21st year as an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, will field an exciting team this season with a new manager and several top prospects.

Last year the Giants rallied to the league title, winning three straight games over the Lake Elsinore Storm to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-five championship series. It was San Jose's ninth overall championship and fourth in the last 10 years. Additionally, the Giants set a franchise attendance record with over 182,000 fans enjoying games at historic Municipal Stadium, an average of nearly 2,500 per contest.

The San Jose Giants welcome a new manager this season as Steve Decker takes over. Decker, one of the all-time great San Jose Giants players and a former major-league catcher, previously managed the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes of the Short-Season (Class A) Northwest League. Decker enjoyed tremendous success with Salem-Keizer, notching a 157-71 record for a remarkable .689 winning percentage during his three seasons at the helm. Decker led the Volcanoes to back-to-back Northwest League championships in 2006 and 2007 with last year's club earning minorleaguebaseball.com Team of the Year honors.

In each of the last two seasons, Salem-Keizer set a Northwest League record for victories in addition to finishing with the best winning percentage in all of minor league baseball. Many of the players from Decker's championship teams will be suiting up for the San Jose Giants this season.

Shortstop Emmanuel Burriss and catcher Jackson Williams are both former first-round draft picks and current top prospects in the San Francisco organization. In his first two professional seasons, Burriss has logged a .288 batting average and a whopping 103 stolen bases; the speedster should provide a spark at the top of lineup. Williams is considered the top defensive catcher in the farm system and will provide excellent leadership from behind the plate.

Center fielder Mike McBryde features above-average speed and the top throwing arm of any outfielder in the Giants minor leagues. McBryde hit .276 with Augusta (a low Class-A affiliate) last season and is the expected anchor of the San Jose outfield corps. Meanwhile, pitcher Clayton Tanner, an East Bay native, is just 20 years old and a former third-round pick. The southpaw recorded a 12-8 record and 3.59 ERA in Augusta last season as one of the youngest players in the South Atlantic League.

For more than 20 years, the San Jose Giants have been providing fun, affordable family entertainment in a traditional baseball environment at Municipal Stadium. Fans enjoy some of the best food in baseball at Turkey Mike's BBQ while being close to the on-field action. Kids and kids at heart have a ball at the Family Fun Zone's Bounce House, speed-pitch, T-ball, inflatable slide and batting cage, while adults enjoy drinks on the Beverage Deck and Martinelli's VIP Deck.

In recent years, the Giants introduced a brand-new video board, the Clubhouse merchandise store and a kid's batting cage, and welcomed the Giants' new mascot, Gigante. This season, be sure to check out the new barbecue bullpen area, along with new box seats and bleachers.

The San Jose Giants will feature promotions throughout the season, including KRTY Country Thursdays, KFOX Family Fridays, KFRC Saturdays in the Park and Alliance Credit Union Kids Eat Free Sundays with a coupon from the Mercury News. Additionally, the Giants have continued their partnership with Comcast to present Free Movie Nights, when classic family films can be watched on the video board from the outfield.

Join the San Jose Giants tradition at Municipal Stadium this summer! Tickets start at just $6 for children and seniors, and $9 for adults. Or bring your group out to the ballpark for "Baseball and BBQ," where they'll receive one ticket, drink and mouth-watering food from Turkey Mike's BBQ (groups of 15 to 1,000, prices $13-$21 per person).

Be sure to keep up on all the latest San Jose Giants news and promotions. Visit sjgiants.com or call (408) 297-1435.