Rowand ready to take lead
Henry Schulman-San Francisco Chronicle
It is not unusual to see a few position players hanging around the clubhouse on the day the pitchers and catcher report to spring training. It is more unusual to see a player of Aaron Rowand's caliber and income here six days early.
Rowand arrived Monday. On Tuesday, he was shagging flyballs with Nate Schierholtz. On Wednesday, he greeted the players who filtered into Scottsdale Stadium ahead of today's first workout.
"I've always liked to get to camp early," Rowand said. "I like to get out on the field and do some baseball stuff out here before you actually start. It's nice to get here early as well, being the new guy, getting a chance to know your teammates and hang out as people start trickling in, instead of all at once."
By word and deed, Rowand is stepping out front for the team that signed him for $60 million. As general manager Brian Sabean said of his 30-year-old center fielder, "He walks the walk. He said he was going to be as outgoing as he possibly could."
Rowand might be what manager Bruce Bochy had in mind in October when he said he wanted to infuse a "warrior spirit" into this team. That slogan, along with "Find The Swagger," appears on a camouflage-style T-shirt that was hung in each player's locker here. Are these mere platitudes? To skeptics who believe this team is sunk before Game 1, the words ring hollow. Rowand believes the sentiments are important if practically applied.
"We can have all the shirts we want, but if we don't go out and play that way, what's the point?" he said. "It's nice to have somebody like Boch to say that's what we want, and guys are going to go about accomplishing that."
The serious work has to begin in spring training, because teams that hope to win a lot of close, low-scoring games - in other words, teams without pop - have little margin for error. Bochy plans to drive home that point.
"Every year you come into a spring and you want to work on fundamentals," Bochy said. "We definitely want to raise the bar on how we execute offensively and defensively. That's the way we're heading now, more toward pitching and defense, and it's going to be vital that we not only pitch well and catch the ball, but offensively do the little things, whether it's getting a guy over or getting a guy in from third."
New reliever: The Giants' little-noticed signing of Scott Williamson to a minor-league contract could have big ramifications for the bullpen. If the right-hander makes the team, most likely as a middle reliever, he will bring 10 years of major-league experience and 55 career saves. He was the 1999 National League Rookie of the Year with Cincinnati.
Elbow trouble has derailed his career, starting with "Tommy John" surgery in 2001. Williamson said Wednesday he feels as strong as he has in three years and has shortened his delivery to reduce stress on his arm. Williamson picked the Giants over a similar minor-league offer from the Reds and will earn about $700,000 if he wins a job.
"I can't wait to go forward this year and throw about 60, 70 games and prove myself again," he said.
Opening Day: Bochy plans to name his Opening Day starter today. If he picks Matt Cain, Bochy will get no argument from Barry Zito.
"I just want to be the best pitcher I can be and let them make that decision," Zito said. "Cain deserves it. He had a better year. He pitched his ass off all year and I scuffled for two-thirds of the year."
Briefly: A Giants official confirmed the team offered $2 million, what would have been their third-largest signing bonus, to Edward Salcedo, a 16-year-old shortstop from the Dominican Republic represented by agent Scott Boras. Salcedo rejected the offer and is expected to sign elsewhere. ... Sabean, responding to a question about Noah Lowry possibly being traded for a hitter, said he had few inquiries about the left-hander over the winter.
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