Monday morning links — Oct. 3, 2011

Get over it, Dodgers fans.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of New York Giants manager Leo Durocher’s “signs stolen ’round the Polo Grounds.” (And you thought it was the “shot heard ’round the world.”)

Former Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca, who coughed up Bobby Thomson’s historic walk-off home run in 1951 has a new book out, called A Moment In Time. In it, he outs Durocher and tells a different side of the story.

Check out my newest book review here.

Now on to the Monday morning links, most of which focus on speculation surrounding off-season roster moves:

• Drew Shiller at CSN Bay Area wonders if Bruce Bochy might get a call from his old boss Theo Epstein about the newly vacated manager gig in Boston.
• Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who grew up in the Bay Area, ponders life in a Giants uniform. “If it happens, it happens,” the Oakland native told Randy Miller of the South Jersey Courier Post Online.
• According to Henry Schulman (SF Chronicle), the Giants won’t be going after free agents-to-be Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder. Instead, they’ll work on shoring up contracts for their stud pitchers Matt Cain (free agent after the 2012 season), Tim Lincecum (arbitration eligible), and Ryan Vogelsong (arbitration-eligible).
• There’s a lot of speculation that lefty Jonathan Sanchez‘s contract will be tendered this winter. He and Barry Zito will compete for the fifth spot in the rotation after Lincecum, Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Vogelsong.
• The idea that the Giants might eat the remainder of Zito’s contract was squashed by Giants GM Brian Sabean in last week’s press conference.
• Schulman is the first beat writer to throw Oakland A’s outfielder Coco Crisp‘s name out there. The Giants are in desperate need of a leadoff hitter and Crisp, who batted .264/.314/.379 with an AL-leading 49 stolen bases for the A’s in 2011, fits the bill to a tee. He turns 32 on Nov. 1.
• San Jose Mercury writer Andrew Baggarly says the Giants will give Cody Ross due consideration this winter. That’s a nice way of saying “we’re not going to publicly say we don’t want him back.”
• Baggarly also reports that Pat Burrell will give his chronic sore foot about a month to heal before he decides whether to hang up his spikes for good. If he does come back to play, Baggs says, it would only be for the Giants.
• Sabean labeled second baseman Jeff Keppinger “a luxury” and it looks like the Giants will not bring him back to back up Freddy Sanchez in 2012.
• Baggs likes the idea of signing free agent Michael Cuddyer, who can play second base.
• First baseman Aubrey Huff needs to mimic the Panda and get himself into an off-season workout program, according to Sabean and Bochy.
• Carlos Beltran will be free to talk to any team he wants to once he becomes a free agent, five days after the World Series ends. In the meantime, according to Schulman, the slugger is listening intently to any and all offers from the Giants.
• Assuming the Giants can’t afford Beltran, Bochy said that Nate Schierholtz will be his starting right fielder next season.
• After shuffling youngsters Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford between the big leagues and the minors this past season, Sabean acknowledged that he probably rushed those two guys. That likely means we won’t see speedy centerfield prospect Gary Brown until 2013, at the earliest.
• San Francisco is expected to bring back left-handed reliever Jeremy Affeldt next season.

Whether you buy the Durcoher scandal or not, one fact remains. Sixty years ago today, THE GIANTS WON THE PENNANT!