Barry Bonds was in training camp for a week. Will that translate to improvements for the Giants on any level during the season?
We’ll know if Brandon Crawford gets a walkoff hit and credits Bonds with a mechanical fix. Or if Brandon Belt gets a key double down the right-field line and recalled what Bonds told him in spring training about inside pitches.
Hunter Pence, Michael Morse, Pablo Sandoval, Angel Pagan and other Giants hung out with Bonds and talked hitting, so it appeared constructive for the Giants to have the home run king drop by for a week.
We’ll see if it makes a difference in the season.
Bonds’ stint – which was well received but not without controversy, considering his history with performance-enhancing drugs and the legal system — wasn’t just a way for players to learn more about hitting. It was a way for Bonds to learn more about the hitters.
He called Morse, who plays Bonds’ position (left field) and signed as a free agent over the winter, “a big strong hitter,” adding, “He’s such a good hitter. He just needs to be consistent.”
As for Pence, who led the Giants with 27 homers last year, “He’s in the red zone all the time. That guy never slows down. He’s on high alert. But I love his strength, his power, his attitude, his mind-set.”
Batting coach Hensley Meulens wanted three of his left-handed batters to pay extra attention to Bonds: Belt, Crawford and switch-hitting Sandoval. Bonds mastered hitting at the Giants’ ballpark, which has vast real estate in right-center and a giant brick wall that Bonds cleared many times on his road to the homers title.
On Belt, Bonds said, “I don’t know if I can create power in anyone that already has it. Belt already has power. It’s how consistent can we make it? . . . And that’s the challenge.”
Neither Bonds nor the Giants said anything is imminent for an in-season visit of any length. But at least Bonds got what he wanted, a return to baseball. And the Giants seemed to get good hitting advice from someone who knows an awful lot about the subject.
“Each hitter’s different,” Bonds said. “I don’t try to analyze too much. I take what’s in front of me. I don’t have one philosophy, I don’t have one strategy. Every person’s built different, every hitter’s different and every teaching would be different.”
NOTES, QUOTES
–SS Brandon Crawford hit .248 the past two seasons, finishing exactly one hit shy of .250 in both 2012 and 2013. He wants to hit much higher than that in 2014. He was hitting .288 in June when he sustained a hand injury that didn’t go away quickly, and his average nosedived. “I think I’m a better hitter than that,” he said of hitting .250. “Hopefully, I can prove it this year.”
—RHP Tim Hudson hopes to add some hitting know-how to the Giants’ rotation. He was a star hitter at Auburn, not that it has translated into the majors. He’s a .170 career hitter. After a two-hit game in spring training, Hudson said, “I don’t even know what kind of hitter I am. I’m at the point I just try not to get hurt when I’m up there. The key is dragging your bat up there and acting like you can’t hit and look old so the pitcher feels sorry for you and throws you a lot of fastballs.”
–OF Juan Perez was involved in a play that led to manager Bruce Bochy’s first replay challenge. On a play at first, Perez was called out. Bochy challenged. The play was reviewed. Bochy won. Perez was safe. “There’ll be kinks we need to work out here,” Bochy said. “It’s going to be a fun little toy. I just hope it doesn’t get to the point you get challenges every game that aren’t conclusive, using it just to use it. It’s to take care of the important call that could change the game.”
–2B Marco Scutaro didn’t sound optimistic about being ready for the season opener. As of mid-March, he hadn’t played an exhibition game because of a back issue. “It’s hard to target it,” Scutaro said of opening day. “I could probably go out and play tomorrow, but what about the next day? I could go play right now with pain, but the next day’s going to be worse.” If Scutaro doesn’t make the opener, the likely second baseman would be Joaquin Arias with Ehire Adrianza (who’s out of options) as a possible utility man.
–Ex-Giant Jeffrey Leonard rejoined the team as “community ambassador.” He visited spring training, where Will Clark — his old teammate and sometimes nemesis — was a guest coach. Leonard signed on to help the Giants in community events, including the Play Ball Lunch, which comes on the eve of the season, and Breast Cancer Awareness Night on July 2. “He truly embodies what it means to be a Giant, and I can’t think of a better ambassador for our organization,” team president Larry Baer said. Leonard was the 1987 NLCS MVP despite the Giants losing the series to the Cardinals. He hit .417 with four homers and rounded the bases with his one-flap-down routine.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It became a zoo, like normal. If you want to get some TV time, just go near him,” – Matt Cain on the presence of Barry Bonds in training camp.