By Tim Clinton
SPORTS EDITOR

The journeyman professional baseball career of Travis Ishikawa has taken him right back where he started from -- the San Francisco Giants organization.

Ishikawa, who was originally drafted by the Giants in 2002 out of Federal Way High School and won a World Series ring with them in 2010, is back in San Francisco after stops with four other Major League Baseball teams.

Ishikawa started off the year with the Pittsburgh Pirates before being designated for assignment by that team and signing with the Giants' Class AAA farm team in Fresno on April 25. He had his contract purchased by the Giants and received a promotion July 27.

The 6-foot, 3-inch first baseman who weighs in at 220 pounds hits and bats left-handed and is known for his defensive prowess.

Ishikawa was drafted in the 21st round by the Giants and he made his Major League Baseball debut with them in 2006. He became a regular with the squad from 2008-2010 before spending the entire 2011 season in the Minors.

He signed on with the Milwaukee Brewers and spent 2012 with them, then made brief appearances with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees in 2013.

That led to his signing with Pittsburgh and his subsequent return to the Giants' organization starting with most of the year with the Fresno Grizzlies of the Pacific Coast League.

Burg in Jacksonville

Alex Burg, a 2005 graduate of Mount Rainier High School in Des Moines, is playing for the Class AA team in Jacksonville and recently hit a walk-off home run for the squad.

Area grads with WSU

Two Burien-area graduates are now freshmen with the Washington State University football team.

Cole Madison was signed as an offensive lineman by the Cougars out of Kennedy Catholic, while Highline High School graduate Erik Anderson is a backup quarterback who had to make the regular squad as a walk-on.

The Cougars will be playing in Seattle at CenturyLink Field at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28 against Rutgers.