Editing Aaron Rowand (section)

====2008====
Rowand signed a five-year, $60 million contract with the San Francisco Giants on December 12, 2007, becoming the team's primary offseason free agent signing.<ref name="giant">{{cite news |last=Schulman |first=Henry |title=The Giants, in their first significant move to shape a... |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=December 12, 2007 |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/12/12/SP4ETSURO.DTL |access-date=August 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018163427/http://articles.sfgate.com/2007-12-13/bay-area/17274100_1_tim-lincecum-general-manager-brian-sabean-matt-cain|archive-date=October 18, 2010}}</ref><ref name="winners"/> In the face of dismal expectations for the team's 2008 season, Rowand proposed in January that the Giants could win the [[NL West]] "if guys have some good years".<ref name="winners">{{cite web |first=Chris |last=Haft |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080109&content_id=2342884&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb |title=Rowand says Giants will be winners |date=January 9, 2008 |work=MLB.com |access-date=August 3, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306022549/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/2342884|archive-date=March 6, 2016}}</ref> He had three RBIs apiece in back-to-back games against the Marlins on May 23 and 25, the first an 8–2 victory and the second an 8–6 loss in the first game of a doubleheader.<ref name="2008 Rowand">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=rowanaa01&t=b&year=2008|title=Aaron Rowand 2008 Batting Gamelogs|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref> In the latter game, he hit his 100th career home run, against [[Mark Hendrickson]].<ref name="homerun">{{cite web |work=Baseball-Reference |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/event_hr.cgi?n1=rowanaa01&t=b |title=Aaron Rowand Career Home Runs |access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref> Rowand had one other three-RBI game, which came on August 6 in a 3–2 win over the [[Atlanta Braves]].<ref name="2008 Rowand"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280806126|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220404152209/https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap?gameId=280806126|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 4, 2022|title=Giants top Braves as Lincecum wins for first time in three weeks|work=ESPN|date=August 6, 2008|access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref> He batted .342 in his first 54 games (through June 2), but his average was only .233 from June 3 through the rest of the season.<ref name="2008 Rowand"/> On August 13, he had a season-high four hits and scored a run in a 5–4 victory over the Dodgers.<ref name="2008 Rowand"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN200808100.shtml|title=Los Angeles Dodgers at San Francisco Giants Box Score, August 10, 2008|work=Baseball-Reference|access-date=March 8, 2021}}</ref> The Giants did not win the division, struggling to a 72–90 finish.<ref name="2008sfg">{{cite web |work=Baseball-Reference |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SFG/2008.shtml |title=2008 San Francisco Giants Batting, Pitching, & Fielding Statistics |access-date=August 3, 2009}}</ref> Rowand himself did not come close to his 2007 numbers with Philadelphia, as his [[on-base plus slugging]] percentage dropped from .889 in 2007 to .749. In 152 games (549 at bats), he batted .271 with 57 runs scored, 149 hits, 37 doubles, 13 home runs, and 70 RBI. Defensively, he had the highest [[range factor]] among NL outfielders per game (2.81) and per nine innings (2.95).<ref name="brstats" />