Gathered in the San Francisco Giants locker room early Thursday morning, reporters listened to words of wisdom from … Bengie Molina?
Yes, it’s a new day and a new look for the Giants with the departure of Barry Bonds.That new look includes Molina, 33, stepping into the fourth spot in the lineup.His career numbers — 103 homers and a .275 batting average — won’t line him up for enshrinement in Cooperstown, N.Y.But he’ll have to do.“I have to stand up at the plate and look for my pitch and hit it hard somewhere,” Molina said moments before the Giants’ pitchers and catchers took the field for their first workout at Scottsdale Stadium.“It doesn’t mean I’m going to try to hit more home runs or less home runs, I’m just going to be myself ... just drive in runs with a base hit.”
“We’ve got to get a lot of hits.“That’s it. If you’re not going to hit many home runs, let’s get a lot of hits.”That will be the team’s motto, too, in the absence of the larger-than-life Bonds, who owns the major league career record for home runs.
“It’s going to be different. We’ve known this, really, since September,” manager Bruce Bochy said, pointing to the large media entourage that always came with their longtime left fielder. “But we’ve moved on. Our focus is with this club right now.”Without Bonds, pitcher Matt Cain pointed out, “It’s a younger group this year. We have a lot of excitement.”Bonds “was such a key part of our lineup,” Cain said. “We built it around him. There’s no way to look past that.”On the plus side, “We’re probably going to be a little quicker. We’ll have different abilities.”
Few people are picking the Giants to accomplish much this year.Molina, though, is thinking big.“We need to get to 95 wins. That’s what’s going to get us to the playoffs,” he said.Molina is hoping the Giants can succeed playing much like his old Los Angeles Angels team played in winning the 2002 World Series over the Giants.“We weren’t a big power team either. We killed people by getting a lot of base hits and stealing bases,” he said.“I’m expecting the same thing.”
SHORT HOPS: Bochy picked Barry Zito over Cain as the Giants’ opening day starter.Zito, who carries a $126 million contract, is coming off a disappointing season (11-13, 4.53) in his first season with the Giants, though Bochy said he pitched well late.“It’s a great honor,” Zito said. “It’s nothing I take for granted.“Last year was a tough year for me. I’m appreciative they’re giving a chance to the No. 1 guy.”Bochy said, “He’s accustomed to it. It just makes sense to send him out there.“They’re completely different pitchers. Both we think of as No. 1 guys. Neither one has an ego.“It wouldn’t have mattered to them whether they were going No. 1 or No. 2.” Bochy didn’t name the rest of what is expected to be a strong rotation but it’s likely to include Tim Lincecum, Noah Lowry and Kevin Correia.
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