FRESNO GRIZZLIES
A golden road through Fresno

Brandon Belt's banner year in 2010 earned him the status of the Giants' top prospect entering 2011. photo: Don Davis

For a pro baseball team, a record of just over .500, a second-place finish and a missed opportunity at a playoff spot might signal a disappointing season. But in many ways, the Fresno Grizzlies' 2010 campaign was arguably the greatest in the organization's history. The club promoted a pair of its top prospects to the Giants, both of whom were instrumental in the latter's late playoff push. In all, 14 of the 25 players on the Giants postseason roster were Grizzlies alumni, giving fans in Fresno plenty to be proud about when the Giants took home their first title since moving west in 1958.

If the theme of the 2010 Grizzlies was "The Future Is Now," the 2011 edition may well be defined by what — or more specifically, who — is next. Who will be the next great young superstar to rise through the final level of the Giants' minor-league chain in the Central Valley to become a hero in San Francisco? Who could match the magical performances last year of Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, who went from nothing more than highly touted prospects basking in the Fresno sun on Opening Day to celebrating the first World Series title in the Giants' San Francisco history by October? Brandon Belt may just be the answer.

While there may never be a Grizzlies class of prospects with as much talent, potential and accompanying media attention as the one led by Posey and Bumgarner, the lanky, soft-spoken Belt finds himself at the center of this year's hype machine. To this point, he has been even better than advertised. With his mature approach at the plate, which generates both a high on-base percentage and good power, the young first baseman is going to see his fair share of comparisons to Giants legend Will Clark. But the Texas native is also smooth and rangy in the field, drawing comparisons to J.T. Snow, who won six Gold Gloves at first base for San Francisco. Even if he starts the season in Fresno, it won't be long before he makes the three-hour trek north to the City by the Bay.

Likely joining Belt will be other homegrown talents like outfielders Thomas Neal and Darren Ford. And rising infield stars like Conor Gillaspie and Charlie Culberson are not far behind, meaning Fresno should continue to sport some of the system's top offensive talent this year and beyond.

The pitching figures to be a different story. Most of the Giants' top young arms are already rotation fixtures in San Francisco, and the remaining talent is still a few years away. That means a veteran crew will constitute the bulk of the Grizzlies staff in 2011, which is not necessarily a bad thing at the Triple-A level. Veterans like Ryan Vogelsong and Casey Daigle will likely join returnee Matt Yourkin in the rotation. Perhaps the top pitching prospect is promising sinkerballer Steve Edlefsen, who will be pulling up the back end of the bullpen if he doesn't crack the Giants' Opening Day roster.

Finding a way to mix all those ingredients together into a winning recipe will be manager Steve Decker, who returns for his second year in Fresno. Decker has notched a winning season in each of his first six years as a manager, including last year's 75-69 mark. While he didn't get the Grizzlies to the playoffs, it's worth noting that it was just Fresno's fourth winning season in team history, and only the second since 2000. With Decker's aggressive, hard-nosed style and a good mix of young potential and proven talent, the Grizzlies are primed for another competitive year in 2011.

Off the field, the team continues to shine as one of the most progressive promotional organizations in all of minor-league baseball. The Grizzlies' Twilight Night won MiLB.com's Theme Night of the Year, and was a finalist for Promotion of the Year. It marked the fourth straight season that Fresno has been nominated for that award, an unprecedented streak. There are plenty more fun and unique nights planned in 2011, including Harry Potter Theme Jersey Night and Fear the Beard Night, a tribute to the facial hair stylings of former Grizzlies Brian Wilson and Sergio Romo.

The Grizzlies will also continue to offer the best family deals in the valley, with value-laden midweek promotions. For Monday Madness, fans can get two field-level reserve tickets, two hot dogs, two sodas, two Wild Water Adventure Park passes, two rounds of mini-golf at Blackbeard's Family Entertainment Center and two unlimited-ride Fantasy Day passes to Storyland Playland, all for just $32. Two-for-Tuesdays offers fans two-for-one field box seats and unlimited Fun Zone access for children 12 and under. On World Champion Wednesday, the first 1,000 fans receive former-Grizzly playing cards, and one lucky fan will win a trip for four to stay overnight in San Francisco and see the Giants play at AT&T Park. Finally, the ever-popular Thirsty Thursday means 12-ounce Tecate and Tecate Light beer is just $1 through the fifth inning, and sodas are just $1 all night long every Thursday night. With Friday Night Fireworks and Saturday giveaways, there is always a great reason to come out and catch a game at beautiful Chukchansi Park.