Pablo Sandoval Consumes Mass Quantities

Pablo hits cleanup at the table

​Pablo "Kung Fu Panda" Sandoval is a baseball savant. Unfortunately, he's at risk of becoming a flash in the pan -- an empty pan, incidentally, because he ate every last goddamn thing in it.

Sandoval's weight gain has been alarming -- truly, the Panda has become a Hippo. His problems at the plate resulted in his average dropping from .330 to .268 this year. But it was his heft-induced immobility that made him a defensive liability -- and cost him a starting job in the playoffs.

So it's a bit disturbing that the local iteration of the restaurant Buca di Beppo -- a place best known for schmaltzy Italian decor and portions as ample as Sophia Loren -- sent the attached picture of Panda and family celebrating post-World Series.

Per the announcement:

Pablo's favorite dish is the Shrimp Fra Diavolo, sautéed garlic shrimp and a spicy rosa sauce with imported Italian penne pasta. In the photo below, Pablo and his family are enjoying the Colossal Brownie Sundae for dessert -- twelve decadent chunks of freshly-baked brownies layered with six scoops of vanilla bean and chocolate gelato, topped with caramel and chocolate sauces then buried in mounds of whipped cream.

Huh. Looks like Sandoval has amassed quite a scouting report at this particular eatery. Count us among the fans rooting fervently for Sandoval to revert to 2009 form -- as the Giants maintain 2010 form. And if Sandoval wants to live it up after a Series title, well, he's entitled.

But also count us as confused that a restaurant has chosen to use a guy most famous for getting too fat to do his job as its poster boy.

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