Giants take field in Arizona, eager to put grim season behind them.
Eager to put 2017 aside, Giants’ old look is new
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In a corner of the Giants’ clubhouse, Willie Mays patiently signed his name to a dozen baseballs. Up in the broadcast booth, Jon Miller and Duane Kuiper set up for their first radio broadcast. In the pregame warm-ups — blessedly free of intrusive music — fans could hear the popand-crack sounds of the fine old game.
Exhibition baseball returned to the quaint and charming confines of Scottsdale Stadium on Friday, and this was no time for short-term memory. Last season is gone, an eternal blight on the club’s fine tradition. Spring is here, and all the old cliches — hope, renewal, invigoration — seem to fit.
It must be said that some
familiar elements are missing: blazing heat, suntan lotion, summery attire. It’s flat-out chilly here, with nighttime temperatures in the low 40s, and such has been the case for several days. It’s just a rumor, but someone said he saw Jack Frost and Santa Claus chatting between innings at the Charro Saloon. But the sun did make a few appearances during the Giants’ 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers and nary a complaint was heard. Nothing spoils the beauty of Cactus League baseball in the Arizona desert.
It would be nice if the Giants had a player even remotely resembling Mays, 86, the greatest of all ballplayers. It would be refreshing to see forecasts of World Series glory. That’s not reality for a team trying to bounce back from a 98-loss season with a roster decidedly short on youth. The goal is to win 80-plus games, keep the fans interested and, come September, have at least a chance to reach the postseason.
For now, when not a thing can go wrong, there’s a shift in Bruce Bochy’s demeanor. It was tough to get a smile out of the Giants’ manager as last season trickled down the drain. It usually took an off-color joke or something totally unrelated to the game. But Bochy is definitely among the invigorated. In a crazy offseason filled with tightwad spending around the game — some of the top free agents remained unsigned — general manager Bobby Evans and chief executive Brian Sabean worked hard to revitalize the roster, led by right fielder Andrew McCutchen and third baseman Evan Longoria, each a cherished, iconic figure with his former team (Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay).
The notion of the Giants being “too old” is complete nonsense. They are defined by players in their early 30s, but that’s prime time for athletes across the landscape. They will be too old if they don’t summon a fresh cavalry in a few years, but only a sequence of health issues could dampen the spirit surrounding this year’s lineup.
“The thing I’ve noticed right away,” said Kuiper, “is that everywhere you look, you see a big-leaguer. You stand around the batting cage, and there’s McCutchen. Look around, and there’s Longoria. And (center fielder) Austin Jackson. And you’re thinking, we could make a good, solid run at it with these guys. It’s changed the atmosphere, too.”
This is a different kind of spring for Sabean, who relinquished the GM job several years ago and was content to stay in the background, hitting the road for scouting and overseeing the important meetings. At management’s request, he’s back at the forefront in a dayto-day role, without question the final voice.
So there he was during batting practice, arms folded over the dugout railing, striking that familiar image of an underworld character. Just to look at him, you sense power and authority, maybe the hint of danger. Particularly when he dons the shades.
“It’s not a bad thing,” said Kuiper, standing nearby, “when you look at a guy and you’re halfway afraid of him.”
Sabean rarely raises his voice, and in those occasional moments of anger, he delivers a message the players won’t soon forget. The man is used to winning, big, and although he’s absolutely clear on the team’s preseason outlook, he makes no apologies for the Giants’ seasoned look.
“The game suffers from blanket statements,” he said, “and that’s one of ’em. Because nobody knows what the new normal is. The way I look at it, if you’re a good, above-average or great player in your early 30s, and you stayed off the disabled list, took care of yourself, it’s not about age. We’ve got all these new initiatives, like more off-days, sports science, rest and recovery, nutrition, first-class travel — tell me that doesn’t figure into perpetuating somebody’s career. We play in nice, cool weather, which helps everybody over the long season. We’re gonna be competitive, I’ll tell you that.”
Pablo Sandoval would dearly love to be competitive after becoming a local legend, signing with the Boston Red Sox and nearly fading out of baseball before getting another chance with the Giants in his familiar No. 48. Starting Friday’s opener at first base, Sandoval stepped up against an obscure right-handed pitcher in the sixth inning and blasted a towering home run that cleared the grassy hillside beyond the right-center-field fence and bounced into parts unknown, fans erupting into a raucous cheer.
Perhaps it meant nothing, but it was a moment. It was spring, a time when all things seem possible. Happy new year.