FORMER LSU PITCHER BILLY SADLER JOINS SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

BATON ROUGE, La. - Right-handed pitcher Billy Sadler was promoted to the San Francisco Giants last weekend, becoming the 13th former LSU player to be activated at the major league level this season. In seven relief appearances this season with the Fresno Grizzlies, the Giants Triple-A affiliate, Sadler was 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA. He also recorded 12 strikeouts in 10 innings, while allowing just a .156 opponents batting average. "He`s improved a lot," Giants manager Felipe Alou said of Sadler. "He was wild in spring training - it looks like he`s made a move, though, to be a big-league guy." The 25-year-old Sadler, a native of Pensacola, Fla., also had 67 strikeouts in 45.2 innings for the Giants Double-A club in Connecticut. Sadler, a transfer from Pensacola Junior College, helped lead LSU to the College World Series in 2003, his only season in a Tiger uniform. He made a team-high 28 appearances (one start), recording a 1-2 mark, four saves, 57 strikeouts and a 3.89 ERA in 44 innings. Sadler was the Giants sixth-round draft selection in June of 2003. Two other former LSU pitchers made their major league debuts in 2006 as pitcher Brian Wilson was called up to the Giants in April and left-hander Shane Youman joined the Pittsburgh Pirates earlier this month. Ten other ex-LSU players have seen MLB action this season, including pitchers Paul Byrd (Cleveland Indians), Russ Springer (Houston Astros), Randy Keisler (Oakland Athletics), Roy Corcoran (Washington Nationals) and Brian Tallet (Toronto Blue Jays); infielders Todd Walker (San Diego Padres), Aaron Hill (Toronto Blue Jays) and Ryan Theriot (Chicago Cubs); and outfielders Brad Hawpe (Colorado Rockies) and Todd Linden (San Francisco Giants). LSU has produced 54 major league baseball players in its history, including 40 since 1985.