Giants notes: Sandoval's collision leads to talk with Posey, etc.

SAN FRANCISCO -- In what amounted to a skull session on what-to-dowhat-not-to-do if the Giants All-Star catcher ever finds himself in such a homeplate collision situation again, manager Bruce Bochy and Buster Posey watched video Saturday of Pablo Sandoval's Friday night hit of Houston catcher Chris Snyder."If it came up, would you do anything different?" Bochy said he asked Posey. "It's part of what we do."Those are two big boys there and that's a play that's part of baseball. He was right there at home plate, trying to get a handle on the ball, and those (collisions) are unavoidable. The one with Buster is a little bit different and that's the pedestal I got on, that Hey, as long as the (runner) is going for home plate, instead of the catcher, that's when, I think, a guy is more susceptible to injury."You always feel for someone when they get hit there at home plate, and I think especially since I caught, and anybody's that caught, you realize that. There's a lot of force and mass coming in there and if you're not in somewhat good position, you're very susceptible to getting hurt."After Posey's ankle was shredded and his season ended by his collision with the Marlins' Scott Cousins last May, Bochy in particular and the Giants in general were very vocal in there displeasure with homeplate collisions.So you could imagine the more cynical waiting for the Giants brass to complain about Sandoval's hit of Snyder. Keep waiting.For his part, Sandoval said he emerged from the scrum no worse for the wear, physically or mentally."It's part of the game; you don't have time to think about it," Sandoval said. "It's really reaction and the intention is to score a run. It was clean. All I was trying to do was score. It's part of the game."I'm glad we're OK and that no one got hurt so that's why I think it's clean."And the ball popping free?"That," Sandoval said with a smile, "makes it even better."Bochy said there's an art to a catcher taking a hit and said Snyder successfully shielded himself by turning, making himself a smaller target and taking Sandoval's hit at an angle."Sometimes it's hard to get in a good position because the throw will dictate that," Bochy said."If I thought my runner went at it the wrong way, sure, I'd talk with him about it."Despite reports that Tim Lincecum would be on a short leash Saturday against Houston, Bochy said he would not address the topic until after the game.Hector Sanchez was in the starting lineup to catch Lincecum for the fifth straight outing, though Bochy said calling Sanchez a "personal catcher" would not be accurate. Same for Sanchez for Barry Zito, despite his catching him most of the season.In fact, Bochy said Posey would catch Zito in his next start, at Atlanta.