STAR IN MAKING: Giants not rushing hot prospect Brown

The most-heralded player in the Giants farm system says he tried "tokeep the blinders on," ignoring the buzz that grew throughout theseason. Still, Gary Brown heard things. "Mostly through the grapevine," said Brown, who spent thisseason with the Single-A San Jose Giants . "I'd hear something on theradio or my host family would ask me, 'Did you listen to what BrianSabean is saying about you?' " As San Francisco fought a losing battle to stay in playoffcontention, a frustrated fan base grumbled for the organization todo something, anything, to save the season. That included thedesperate notion of finding out if the kid roaming center field atSan Jose Municipal Stadium might be an answer.