Today is anniversary day for the 49ers. Fifteen years ago today they won their last Super Bowl. Did any of us ever, in our wildest, think they wouldn’t be back for 15 YEARS????

No. Of course not. Back then we were spoiled. A bad season meant losing to Dallas in the championship game. An unthinkable season meant getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs. Not making the playoffs for SEVEN SEASONS?? Never entered anyone’s mind back then.

This anniversary is a special day for me.

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I haven’t been terribly impressed with the Giants offseason moves – though the injury to Freddy Sanchez (the Chris Brown of the new millenium?) makes some of their transactions appear more reasonable in context.

But I am happy about one move: bringing back Bengie Molina. I was in favor of giving him more than one year to keep him around. But the Giants were able to get him for just a one-year, $4.5 million contract.

It was kind of an afterthought transaction, born out of Molina’s willingness to turn down more money with the Mets. But it may prove to be the Giants most important move for 2010.

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Tim Lincecum had to pay $513 in a fine today in county court in Vancouver, Washington for his citation for possession of a marijuana pipe. But he also exchanged arbitration numbers with the Giants: he wants $13 million. The Ginats offered $8 million.

My prediction is that Lincecum wins arbitration. Ryan Howard set the record with a $10 million arbitration victory after winning the NL MVP.  But Lincecum has won back-to-back Cy Youngs. Isn’t that even more impressive, for such a young player?

I wrote about Lincecum for SI.com today. Here is a link to that column. Howard and Lincecum have been linked before: the Giants played the Phillies the day of Lincecum’s debut and Lincecum was cruising until the third inning, when Howard hit a two-run bomb.

The only thing LaRussa may be more passionate about than crusading for Mark McGwire is rescuing stray animals.  LaRussa raises money for ARF. Now he’s gotten McGwire a job as hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Which makes me wonder if LaRussa views the big slugger the same way – as a helpless creature who needs a loving home.

Even if it’s a really bad idea for his baseball team.

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