A conga line of Giants approached Brandon Belt's locker to welcome the kid to the 25-man roster Wednesday afternoon. When Buster Posey arrived, he offered a handshake and just two words:
"Beller, congratulations."
Beller?
Perfect. Hey, Major League Baseball, make way for Buster & Beller. The B&B Boys. If Belt makes a splash in 2011 anywhere near Posey's in 2010, the rest of the National League West is in trouble.
The Giants made it official Wednesday, confirming what was expected earlier in the week. They made Belt their starting first baseman, and with a name like Belt, who really needs a nickname?
"I've been dreaming of this my entire life. It's come true now," said Belt, who cried when hearing the good news from manager Bruce Bochy and remained teary-eyed long afterward. "I feel like I'm going to have a heart attack. I want to cry at the same time. I don't know what to think right now."
Travis Ishikawa was designated for assignment because the Giants no longer needed a defensive-minded first baseman even though Ishikawa was at times a dandy pinch-hitter. Belt's game is all-encompassing. He's an above-average defender, and management obviously believes he is ready offensively.
Belt, who hit .352 with 23 homers and 112 RBIs in 136 games at three minor-league levels last year and finished spring training at .282 with three homers and 13 RBIs, will be in the lineup today when the Giants open defense of their championship at Dodger Stadium. Bochy said he has no reservations about starting Belt, probably as the seventh hitter, against Clayton Kershaw, a lefty-lefty matchup.
With a crowd at Belt's locker, a voice was heard from across the clubhouse:
"Hey, Belt, you crying?"
It was Aubrey Huff.
Belt: "A little bit."
Huff: "Why you crying? I'm the one who's gotta play right field every day."
