Genentech Wants to Strike Out Cancer

The people at Genentech, a leading biotechnology corporation, are smart when it comes to research. It makes sense, what with the company's primary work being genetic research, but what I'm talking about is baseball research.

This Major League Baseball season, the company is taking part in the sixth annual Strike Out Cancer program, which raises money to help support those with cancer and their loved ones. Genentech will donate money based on the number of strikeouts pitched. So, which team do you think they happened to partner with?

I'll give you a few hints. The team is currently leading the National League in strikeouts. It has a starting pitcher (Tim Lincecum) who has the most strikeouts of any pitcher. Randy Johnson, who has the second-most strikeouts in MLB history, is also one of their starters. And five of the team's starters are currently ranked in the top 30 in strikeouts in the National League.

For those of you who aren't baseball fans (and didn't take the picture as another hint), the team I'm talking about is the San Francisco Giants, a team that finished second in total strikeouts last year -- and didn't have Randy Johnson on their team. So this year, whenever a Giants pitcher records a strikeout at a regular season home game, Genentech will donate $200 to The Wellness Community, a nonprofit organization providing support for those with cancer and their loved ones.

Since 2004, Strike Out Cancer has raised more than half a million dollars. This year, Genentech's partnership with the Giants should raise more than $100,000. I may be a Detroit Tigers fan, but now I can feel good about cheering for the Giants, too.

Until the World Series, that is.

(Photo CC-licensed by Flickr user SD Dirk)