The San Francisco Giants drafted Brandon Belt — a 6’5,” lefthanded first baseman — in the 5th round of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft.  Making a stop at each minor league level in 2010, Belt posted a 1.075 OPS that included 43 doubles, 23 home runs and 112 RBI.  Also impressive is the fact that he drew 93 walks while only striking out 99 times in 492 at-bats.  If the Giants are unable, or choose not to resign veteran Aubrey Huff, then Belt could be the Giants new 1B as early as 2011. In case you have not seen him absolutely rake, here is a video of Belt taking batting practice before an Arizona Fall League game on November 1st:

The Beard makes an appearance on national television…other than that whole World Series thing:

If this video is either not working or taking forever to load, you might have better luck viewing it on The Tonight Show’s official website.

The Golden Sombrero presents Rookie Card Corner: Bruce Bochy 1979 Topps

Fun Fact: Bochy is known for having one of the largest cap sizes in Major League Baseball at over size 8.  When he joined the Mets in 1982, they did not have a batting helmet that would fit him, and they had to send the ones he was using in the minors.

Dear Edgar Renteria,

As a Cardinals fan and admirer of most of your work in St. Louis, I want to take the time to congratulate you on winning the World Series and MVP honors.  You’ve had a tough career recently, what with your struggles in the American League and the recent trips to the DL.  But you came through for your team when it mattered most, and I respect that.  However, something has been bothering me the last few days, and I hope you don’t mind if I give you a short history lesson which isn’t in chronological order (otherwise it ruins the punchline, so just go with it), followed by a very simple question.

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The Golden Sombrero presents Rookie Card Corner: Matt Cain 2002 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects

Fun Fact: On October 28, 2010, Cain — who was nicknamed “Big Sugar” in high school — pitched 7 2⁄3 scoreless innings to become the fifth pitcher to pitch at least 20 innings in the postseason without allowing an earned run.