New Giant Jackson gets message after wardrobe mal function
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. » Unlike most Giants players, Austin Jackson is comfortable wearing blue on the baseball diamond.
He wore navy during stints with the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Cleveland Indians and appeared in “classic” blue for a 29- game stretch with the Chicago Cubs. On his first day of spring training, Jackson even strolled into the home clubhouse at Scottsdale Stadium wearing a shade resembling Dodger blue. Never again. At the top of Jackson’s locker hangs a note scrawled out in marker with capital let ters: DON’T WEAR BLUE.
After arriving in midFebruary for spring workouts, Jackson made his Cactus League debut for the Giants in their 11- 4 loss to the Angels on Thursday.
A start in center field offered Jackson his first chance to develop chemistry with fellow Giants’ outfielders. Andrew McCutchen f lanked him in right field and Austin Slater started in left. After he was removed, Jackson stressed how important communication is for a successful defense, and implied he planned to set the tone with a particularly vocal approach.
“Everybody has to be vocal and speak up,” Jackson said. “You can’t be shy to call anybody off if you’re confident that you can catch the ball. Just go for it and make sure they can hear you.”
On day one of the spring, Jackson’s teammates didn’t need to use their voices to communicate with the well- traveled outfielder. When he strolled in with a blue shirt, their facial expressions said it all.
The blue, Jackson realized, had to go. He penned the note, and it’s hung in the upper left corner of his locker ever since.
The Giants are Jackson’s sixth team, and over the course of his career, he’s fulfilled a variety of roles. Once a young center fielder on a Detroit club that lost to the Giants in the 2012 World Series, Jackson said he took daily pointers from Hall of Famer Al Kaline. In Cleveland last year, Jackson became the jack- ofall trades utility man, offering advice for up- andcoming Indians outfielder Bradley Zimmer.
“I told Zimmer if you can get to it, it’s your outfield,” Jackson said. “With him being a little younger, sometimes I think he didn’t want to step on my toes. But I told him, ‘ Hey, you’re the center fielder.”
This offseason, Jackson inked a two-year deal with a Giants club that doesn’t have a determined role for him.
Jackson could win a part-time share of an open center field job, or provide depth at all three outfield positions. He has nearly 700 games of experience as a leadoff hitter, but on Thursday, manager Bruce Bochy slotted him into the fifth spot in the order.
“( Jackson) is bigger than you think,” Bochy said. “He’s stronger than you think. He’s led off so much you think he’s going to be a pesky leadoff hitter, but he’s got some pop.”
Jackson authored a famous catch at Fenway Park last summer when he tumbled over the right center field wall for a highlight- reel snag, but he also spent a considerable amount of time learning how to play the corners.
At 31, his versatility is key for a team with an aging outfield, and his ability to fulfill multiple roles will help determine whether the Giants have enough depth for a postseason push.
Though the Giants’ outfield arrangement and lineup are far from settled, Jackson insists that’s not a problem. In fact, his experience suggests he’ll be a critical part of a solution.
“Being ready is the most important thing no matter where I’m at,” Jackson said. “That’s something that over my career I’ve learned.”
• After debuting against the Dodgers on Saturday, right- hander Chris Stratton faced 11 Angels’ hitters, notching three strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one walk.
A contender for one of the final two spots in the Giants’ rotation, Stratton was pleased with his results Thursday but unsatisfied with his feel for a curveball that ranked among baseball’s elite last season.
“That first inning I definitely had to get a better feel for the curveball and that second inning, it came around,” Stratton said. “The first one was a little tough, but I just had to mix it up.”
• Bochy said Buster Posey is unlikely to play catcher until after the Giants’ off day on March 6. Posey is dealing with a left ankle tweak but caught Madison Bumgarner’s first spring start last Sunday.
• Catcher Hector Sanchez has a mild right hamstring injury and will miss one-to-two weeks.
• Infielder Ryder Jones is recovering from a hamstring injury and will likely miss at least 10 more days.
• Hunter Pence could return Saturday after dealing with f lu- like symptoms throughout the week.