SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — That’s not a Chinook wind swirling around Scottsdale Stadium. It’s Febreze. With Barry Bonds gone, a refreshing aroma exists in the clubhouse. No more walking on eggshells or bumping into national reporters.
The San Francisco Giants are again a team, no longer Big Head Barry and the Munchkins.
San Francisco is committed to changing its identity from the home run to getting runs any way it can. It’s why the Giants hired former Rockies minor-league coach Carney Lansford as hitting instructor. They want contact and professional at-bats.
It sounds good, even as scouts snicker that San Francisco will be lucky to score 700 runs or win 70 games.
“We’ve got a bunch of young guys that nobody’s seen. We are definitely going to bring a different style of baseball to San Francisco this year,” ace pitcher Matt Cain said. “We will be stealing bases, bunting and going back to the basics like they did in Chicago (in 2005) when the White Sox won it all.”
Looking to change the culture from greedy to gritty, the Giants added center fielder Aaron Rowand on an $80 million deal.
He will help, but the offense, on paper, appears overmatched. Catcher Bengie Molina might hit cleanup. That will leave the rotation to keep games close. It’s not a stretch given the talent of Cain, Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito.
