An update on the possibility of a San Francisco Giants-Fresno Grizzlies partnership:

Chris Cummings, one of Grizzlies' partners, says the idea of the Giants organization buying a stake in the Fresno Baseball Club (the Grizzlies' owner) isn't far-fetched.

In fact, Cummings says, he and Bobby Evans, the Giants' vice president of baseball operations, were sitting together in the stands at a recent baseball game when they raised the possibility.

"We said, 'Wouldn't it be nice if something like that happened,'" Cummings says.

And that's all Cummings says of the conversation. He makes it sound as if the two men -- executives in a hardnosed business not known for beating around the bush when it comes to vital matters such as money -- were simply too modest to tackle the subject head-on.

Perhaps.

However, Cummings emphasizes that it's incorrect to characterize his talks with Evans and the Giants as "negotiations." They have not progressed to that level, Cummings says, nor is there any guarantee that they will.

Part of the challenge is timing -- the San Francisco Giants are still getting their hands around their new 25% ownership stake in the Class A San Jose Giants.

Another challenge is the Grizzlies' bottom line -- it's full of red ink, Cummings acknowledges.

Cummings doesn't say as much, but a substantial reduction in the Grizzlies' rent at city-owned Chukchansi Park probably would be viewed favorably by San Francisco Giants executives -- especially among those (should there be any) pushing behind the scenes for a Giants' investment in the Grizzlies.

Cummings says he and the Grizzlies "probably will bring up the subject [of a Giants-Grizzlies partnership] again next year."

Cummings says the Grizzlies want to see a revised lease proposal go to the City Council "sooner rather than later." The Grizzlies are asking for a $1 million reduction in their current $1.5 million annual rent. City officials said this week that any proposal would probably take another 45 to 60 days to negotiate.

Also, city officials confirmed this week that Bill Neukom, the San Francisco Giants' managing general partner and chief executive, met recently with Mayor Ashley Swearengin at Fresno City Hall.

City officials say the meeting was mostly a "get acquainted" event.

In light of the Grizzlies' many problems, and the franchise's importance to the future of both the San Francisco Giants and downtown Fresno, I'm guessing Neukom and Swearengin were no more likely to waste each other's time with small talk than were Evans and Cummings to abuse each other's patience with "wouldn't it be nice" day-dreams while munching on hot dogs at a ballpark.