Affeldt a good pickup for Giants

BY DARRELL MOODY

Nevada Appeal Sports Writer

Kudos to the Giants for signing left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt at the beginning of baseball's free-agency signing period. Ahfeldt will be an improvement over Jack Taschner.

The Giants are said to be interested in getting both shortstop Rafael Furcal, who missed the bulk of the 2008 season, and left-handed starter C.C. Sabathia.

The Giants gave the job to youngster Emanuel Burriss, who hit .283 last season. I think the 31-year-old Furcal would be better because of his experience. Furcal can hit for average and steal bases. As for Sabathia, I think it would be a great fit. Sabathia grew up in Vallejo, which is a stone's throw away from San Francisco and Oakland. I would give both Sabathia and Furcal three-or four-year contracts. The Giants need a top-line pitcher, and Sabathia has shown he can eat up innings and win games. The addition of those two could put the Giants over the top next year in the National League West.

- I have to admit I liked my first look at the Nevada women's basketball team last week.

Jane Albright, Nevada's successor to Kim Gervasoni, has the Wolf Pack playing a slower-paced game. I thought Gervasoni's full-court pressing style of defense was entertaining, yet draining. Nevada was a very poor half-court team and often looked lost trying to run their offensive sets to completion. I think this team will be solid once it completely learns Albright's system.

Albright has a much calmer demeanor on the sidelines, which should pay some dividends as the season moves along. In Gervasoni's era, Nevada was always a bad finisher. In the last six games in each of Gervasoni's five seasons, Nevada never had a winning record. Twice Nevada went 3-3 in its last six games, but went winless down the stretch in both her first and last season. Part of that I think stems from Gervasoni's overbearing way of coaching during practice and games. I think it wore on players.

- The Nevada athletic department, in response to the downturn in our economy, will sell 100 tickets for $10 each one hour before most home games this season.

Fans will be able to purchase the tickets at the ticket office at Section 36 at the top of the main stairs on the south side of Lawlor Events Center, and fans also will enter the game at that gate.

The 100 stand-by tickets will not be available for the UNLV game on Dec. 6 or the North Carolina game on Dec. 31.

For more information about Nevada basketball tickets, call the Wolf Pack Ticket Office at 775-348-PACK (7225) or visit www.nevadawolfpack.com.

- A's owner Lew Wolff is suggesting that the first round of the playoffs be just one game instead of the traditional best-of-five. Lew, you've got to be kidding. Anybody can get lucky and win just one game. Teams work too hard to make the playoffs to have things decided in one day.

There are plenty of other ideas being floated around by baseball people. One "expert" proposed that the World Series be played at a neutral site like the Super Bowl, and that games are played seven straight days. That would be a mistake, too. The fans of the teams involved shouldn't have to fork out a bunch of extra money, especially in these troubled times when people are struggling to hold on to their jobs.

Let's just shorten the regular season. Make it 140 games and make sure the World Series is done by mid-October. And for crying out loud, start the games earlier. Make the World Series a family viewing/attendance affair.

- Contact Darrell Moody at dmoody@nevadaappeal.com or (775) 881-1281