Giants Will Try to Fowl It Off

The San Francisco Giants, figuring that the National League is making a joke out of pitching around Barry Bonds, have decided to answer with a joke of their own. When the Dodgers visit San Francisco this week, the Giants will start selling orange rubber chickens called “Walk’er,” at $10 a pop, suitable for fans to wave whenever opponents intentionally walk Bonds. The team will donate the proceeds to charity.

“As long as we win, I don’t care if they sell 30,000 of them,” Dodger catcher David Ross said. “It would be awesome to raise that much money for charity.”

In 58 games this season, Bonds has drawn 51 intentional walks. In a 5-4 victory in April, the Dodgers gave him four intentional walks.

“You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to win,” Ross said. “If there was any way another team could get around us bringing [Cy Young Award closer Eric] Gagne into the game, they’d do it, right? He’s our lights-out guy. So, if we can take Barry Bonds out of the game, that’s what we’ll do.”

Dodger General Manager Paul DePodesta called the toy sale “clever marketing.” Asked whether he would buy a rubber chicken, DePodesta smiled and said, “No.”

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The Dodger clubhouse still was buzzing about the excitement of Friday’s victory, including the last out. On his final pitch, Gagne struck out Bernie Williams looking, on a curve that Manager Jim Tracy called “fairly paralyzing.”

Said Tracy: “It started somewhere on the 5 and made its way to home plate.”

Williams, speaking with reporters after the game, tipped his cap to Gagne.

“When he throws over 90 miles an hour and then throws a 70 mile-per-hour curve for a strike, it’s tough to adjust,” Williams said.

With his next save, Gagne will tie the record for Canadian-born pitchers. John Hiller earned 125 saves for the Detroit Tigers from 1965 to 1980. Hiller survived a heart attack in 1971 but returned the next year, leading the American League in saves in 1973 and making the All-Star team in 1974.

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Reliever Paul Shuey will begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment this week with the Dodgers’ rookie league affiliate in Ogden, Utah. Shuey is slated to pitch one inning Monday, two innings Wednesday and three innings Saturday, depending on pitch counts, then report to triple-A Las Vegas for an indefinite number of appearances. Shuey tore a tendon in his pitching thumb during spring training and has yet to pitch this season.

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In honor of Father’s Day, fans can play catch on the field at Dodger Stadium today from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission and parking are free, and no ticket is required for tonight’s game.