sign in sign up
<<
Home , Felipe Alou, Johnny Cueto, John Shea (baseball), Pace of play, Pitch clock, Vindicated (book)

SF Giants Press Clips Sunday, March 4, 2018

San Francisco Chronicle Former Giants Matt Duffy in familiar position with Rays John Shea

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Matt Duffy knows what it’s like to replace a productive and popular third baseman. He succeeded Pablo Sandoval in 2015 and enjoyed a fabulous rookie season, hitting .295 and winning the Willie Mac Award as the Giants’ most inspirational player. This time, he’s trying to take over third base for , which would complete a string of events extending from San Francisco to St. Petersburg, Fla. Shipped to the Rays in the Matt Moore trade in August 2016 — shortly after the Giants began their season-and-a-half collapse — Duffy is Tampa Bay’s projected third baseman in the wake of December’s trade that sent Longoria to the Giants. “He’s a solid defender and puts together great at-bats,” Longoria said. “I just hope for his sake, he’s healthy.”

That’s the knock on Duffy, who had two heel surgeries, missed all of 2017 and now says the foot is fully healed. However, a back spasm shelved him the past few days.

Longoria, 32, and Duffy, 27, were infielders at Long Beach State but didn’t get to know each other until becoming Rays teammates. Duffy played 21 Rays games in 2016 before his heel injury shut him down.

1

“I know he grinded a lot last year with his health,” Longoria said. “It’s hard enough to play this game when you’re healthy. When you’re trying to battle through injuries and just work to get yourself on the field every day, it’s kind of tough to focus on the other stuff.”

The Rays’ projected is Duffy at third, Adeiny Hechavarria at short, Daniel Robertson /Joey Wendle (both former A’s prospects) at second and Brad Miller /C.J. Cron at first. Former Giants infield prospect Christian Arroyo is trying to earn a spot somewhere. Speaking of ex-Giants, Denard Span is playing left, and Sergio Romo is in the . Duffy had an upbeat nature as a Giant, the first rookie to win the Willie Mac Award, and Longoria said his fellow Dirtbag (Long Beach State’s nickname) remained positive while dealing with all the health issues.

“He’s the same way, as good as you could be,” Longoria said. “I think mentally, it was a real tough year for him. He did his best to get on the field and probably (pushed) himself through a lot more than he should have to force himself to be on the field. But yeah, when he’s around, he’s always positive and a great clubhouse guy. He did about as good a job as he could.”

Duffy would be the Rays’ first third baseman other than Longoria since 2008, when manned the hot corner. All-Star lineup: It was a spectacular day in Scottsdale on Friday. The cool weather finally moved along, and warmth arrived just in time for a festival of Giants legends. There were no ceremonies, no announcements. But for different reasons, several franchise cornerstones were in attendance.

Willie Mays was entertaining players and reporters in the clubhouse. Willie McCovey, in his first appearance since 2014, paid special attention to the rounds of practice. was signing autographs on the concourse for charity. And was giving interviews and doing a signing for his new book, “Alou: My Journey,” a powerful and honest look at his life on the field and off, a must-read that’s not just for baseball fans. One noticeable absence was , who continues to make daily progress after being hospitalized Feb. 19. Radio man Marty Lurie spoke with Cepeda on Saturday and

2 reported he “sounded strong and clear,” outstanding news in Scottsdale and throughout the baseball community. A’s quiet: When the union filed a grievance against the A’s and three other teams for allegedly not spending their revenue sharing appropriately, the other teams did a far better job defending themselves. The Pirates issued a 59-word statement from president Frank Coonelly explaining their revenue- sharing receipts decreased seven straight years while their payroll doubled and investments increased in scouting, player development and facilities. In Marlins CEO Derek Jeter ’s 48-word statement, he said he’ll continue to “build a foundation for sustained success and improve this organization.” Rays owner Stu Sternberg took questions from reporters and said his team is “beyond what compliance is.” The A’s? Their only response was short with no name attached: “We support ’s statement on the matter.” MLB had stated the grievance has “no merit.”

Crickets from ownership, as usual. It’s not Billy Beane ’s job to respond. It’s John Fisher ’s or someone on the business side. The A’s had a chance to connect with their fans and provide economic insight, and it was an opportunity lost. Attention for Ohtani: Shohei Ohtani pitched in one of the most heavily attended B games in history. Not many fans showed, but a couple of hundred Japanese media did — plus, it was televised live in Japan even though it was 2 a.m. in Tokyo. In a controlled setting, the Angels’ -hitter faced Brewers minor-leaguers, and all eight of his outs came on . Catcher Rene Rivera told the Los Angeles Times afterward that Ohtani’s two-way impact could be compared with ’s. Hitting is more of a hobby for the Giants pitcher, but for Ohtani, it’ll be a regular occurrence. The previous biggest crowd for an Angels B game (50 media) featured pitcher Jim Abbott .

3

San Francisco Chronicle Giants’ hot news from hot corner: Evan Longoria uses glove, hits homer John Shea

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Evan Longoria doesn’t mind the rule, so long as he’s not the DH. He won’t have to worry about that anytime soon after moving of the , where he spent his first 10 big-league seasons.

Longoria made his defensive debut for the Giants on Saturday, playing four at third base and going 2-for-2 with his first home . He had played three previous games as a DH and got one .

“You’re just into the game a little more,” said Longoria, referring to playing the field instead of DHing. “The flow of the game is a little easier. I’ve never been a consistent DH. Guys who DH all the time get into their own kind of routine, and I just don’t know how to do that. I feel it’s much easier for me to focus when I play the field.”

Longoria, acquired from Tampa Bay in December, is a .270 career hitter spanning 1,435 games. He has been a DH in 87 games, hitting .235.

“I like the DH,” he said. “It’s definitely a different kind of game. It adds a lot more length to the lineup. Some of the like Madison (Bumgarner ) can really hit, and you’ve got an advantage when you’ve got a guy like that. “But most of DHs are hitting 30 home runs nowadays. When you’re able to insert another guy into the lineup who has that much power, it makes it that much tougher for the pitcher.

“I know there are both kinds of fans, and a lot of people love to see the pitcher hit. I’m not saying one’s better than the other. Just a completely different style of play.”

Cueto’s debut: pitched two innings in his Cactus League debut and is envisioning a healthier season and possibly 200 innings. “Of course it’s important. I’d like to throw 200 innings,” said Cueto, who was limited to 1471/3

4 last year because of injuries. He surpassed 200 in 2016, his first year as a Giant.

“We’ll be smart about it,” said. “It’s not a goal we’re going to push them to get 200 innings, but if he’s throwing the ball well, that happens naturally.” Cueto threw mostly cutters, one and no curves. His first batter, Delino DeShields , doubled, and Shin-Soo Choo followed with a homer on a floating backdoor cutter. Two more Rangers reached off Cueto, one of whom he picked off. Briefly: Bochy said (finger sprain) will debut at shortstop within three days. He was a DH on Saturday. ... New lefty Tony Watson is to debut Sunday. ... Closer Mark Melancon threw on the side, and his next assignment will be in a game. John Shea is The San Francisco Chronicle’s national baseball writer.

Giants 9, Rangers 4 Giants 13, Indians 4 Notable: Giants leadoff men went a combined 10-for-11, including Joe Panik ’s 2-for-3 (homer, ) in the win over Texas in Scottsdale. “We’ll start dropping ‘Rickey’ on him,” manager Bruce Bochy said. replaced Panik in the leadoff spot and went 2-for-2. In Peoria, Austin Jackson was 2-for-2, and Eury Perez went 4-for-4. … Mac Williamson had three hits and leads the team with 10 RBIs. ... Gregor Blanco : .556 (6-for-11). ... Gorkys Hernandez homered; he was homerless in 310 at-bats last season. … started against Cleveland and gave up one hit (a homer) in three innings. Quotable: “It’s better than what it was last year, isn’t it?” — Bruce Bochy on the Giants out-homering their opponents 23-8 after their nine-homer split- squad day. Last year, they were out-homered 182-128.

San Francisco Chronicle Gants’ shortstop Brandon Crawford rallies after devastation Ann Killion

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — You can see the change in Brandon Crawford this spring.

The man who prides himself on being a professional every day was miserable last year. He

5 carried the burden not only of the Giants’ terrible season and a personally rough first half at the plate, but also the devastating year his family was experiencing off the field.

His wife Jalynne’s sister Jennifer died of an asthma attack just a few weeks into the season, leaving behind a husband and two daughters. Jalynne suffered two early-term miscarriages, one shortly after her sister’s death.

And another older sister of Jalynne’s, Jamie Dantzscher, was a leader in one of the biggest sexual abuse scandals in sports history, the first Olympic gymnast to break her silence.

“It was a crazy year, that’s for sure,” Crawford said, with typical understatement.

Now there is a new baby on the way, a boy due in mid-June. A new house in North Scottsdale. Though the loss of Jen will never go away, the passage of time is helping.

And Dantzscher has been vindicated as hundreds of other victims have come forward and their abuser, Larry Nassar, will spend the rest of his life in prison. The ordeal has been more stressful without her older sister by her side.

“From Day 1, she was so supportive of me,” Dantzscher said. “It’s been really difficult to go through this without her.”

Difficult doesn’t begin to describe what the family has gone through. The baseball part seems almost trivial: Brandon Crawford had a magical first five years of his career: two world championships, a reputation as one of the game’s great defensive shortstops, three Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger award.

“You’re definitely going to have some down years, but I don’t think anyone expected that bad of a year,” Crawford said. “I think stuff just snowballed.”

Off the field, it was an avalanche of devastation.

Dantzscher was a 2000 Olympian at 18. The team won a bronze medal (awarded years later,

6 after the Chinese team was ruled ineligible). Dantzscher stood out in Sydney because she vocally opposed the controlling policies of team director Bela Karolyi. She went on to an All- America gymnastics career at UCLA.

Jalynne remembered her sister’s reaction when she learned about a reunion for gymnasts in San Jose, during the 2016 team trials prior to the Rio Olympics.

“I remember she was really sick to her stomach,” Jalynne said. “I didn’t really understand at the time.”

Finally, after holding the secret inside for almost two decades, Dantzscher told her family what had happened to her. That from the ages of 13 to 18, under the guise of “treatment,” she was sexually abused by Nassar.

“We all told her, ‘We support you, we are so proud of you,’” said Jalynne, who also was a competitive gymnast. “The Dantzscher girls are strong.”

In August of 2016, Rachael Denhollander, a club-level gymnast from Michigan, filed a police complaint against Nassar. Shortly after, Dantzscher filed a lawsuit against USA Gymnastics and Nassar. Both women spoke with the Indianapolis Star to describe the abuse. Dantzscher remained anonymous, but enough of her details — bronze medalist from the 2000 Olympics — were revealed that people figured out who it was. And another form of abuse began on social media.

“People said really nasty things about her,” Jalynne said. “They called her a whore and a liar. You really see why girls stay silent.”

For a long time, Dantzscher and Denhollander were on an island by themselves. But police set up a tip line and calls flooded in. With enough evidence to conduct a search, they found 37,000 pieces of evidence on Nassar’s computer and indicted him on federal child pornography charges.

7

Dantzscher turned to her family for support, especially Jennifer, the oldest of the seven siblings. Dantzscher moved from Sacramento to Southern California to live with her, so she could help with her nieces and be around supportive family as she went through her battle against Nassar and USA Gymnastics.

She moved in on April 11.

Jennifer Pippin had suffered from asthma all her life. On April 12, the 38-year old had an attack and tried her usual tricks of controlling it. Nothing worked and she was in cardiac arrest by the time the paramedics came. Dantzscher was helpless. The Crawfords immediately drove to Southern California, joining their devastated family.

“You obviously don’t want to lose games, but it’s nothing compared to losing a family member,” Crawford said. “I don’t know if I subconsciously let her death affect me on the field. I tried not to let it. I thought that was my escape from thinking about it, on the .

“But I don’t know. It could have affected me.”

How could it not?

After the difficult season, Crawford immersed himself in family. Settling into a new home. Taking the kids to Disneyland and Hawaii. Spending time with his nieces, who are adjusting to life without their mother. Jalynne’s twin, Janelle, is also pregnant with a boy; the sisters are due just a week apart. Another sister, Joanne, had a baby last week.

Crawford heard the opinions that the Giants should tear it all down after last year, start from scratch.

“I feel like that would be tough to do with the guys we still have here, in the middle of our careers,” he said. “I’m glad we didn’t.

“There’s the confidence our front office showed in us, to go out and get these new guys… I

8 think we all learned from what happened.”

It’s a new season. Just as it was beginning, one part of the family’s trauma was resolved. Nassar was sentenced to a lifetime in prison. The case that Dantzscher had started has involved more than 200 victims, including some of the most decorated Olympians in recent history. It has brought down the leaders of USA Gymnastics and Michigan State. The fallout continued last week, when the head of the U.S Olympic Committee, Scott Blackmun, stepped down under pressure and gold medalist Aly Raisman filed another lawsuit against USA Gymnastics and the USOC.

“It definitely makes me feel like I made the right choice,” Dantzscher said. “It feels good that he’s going to be in jail for the rest of his life but it’s really just the beginning of a systematic failure. It feels liberating and almost surreal. It’s really important that people are finally listening to us. My main goal is to keep fighting for change.”

When things are difficult, people pull together. That’s what this family has done.

“It was a relief for Jamie, to get it off her chest,” Crawford said. “She wants to help protect girls and athletes for the future.

“We’re really proud of her.”

It was terrible year. The kind that puts everything in perspective. And can make you stronger.

MLBN.com Back at hot corner, Longo goes deep Chris Haft

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Evan Longoria started his initial Cactus League game at third base for the Giants on Saturday and hit a .

The events quite possibly were related.

View Full Game Coverage

9

Longoria, one of the Giants' most important offseason acquisitions, made three previous exhibition appearances this spring, all as a designated hitter, and went 1-for-7. Back in his natural habitat of the hot corner, he launched an opposite-field drive to right in the fourth to help pad the Giants' scoring in a 9-4 victory over the .

Spring Training: Info | Tickets | Schedule | Gear

"I finally was able to barrel the ball up," he said. "I've put some good swings on balls, but just underneath them or in front of them. It was nice to get the first one out of the way."

Neither the Giants nor Longoria had any reason for concern before Saturday. The does not employ the DH, and manager Bruce Bochy wanted Longoria and other Giants veterans to prepare for the regular season gradually. That explained Longoria's relative inactivity through early spring.

Nevertheless, of the nine home runs the Giants struck in Saturday's split-squad victories (also a 13-4 win vs. the Indians ), the most significant one belonged to Longoria, who'll be asked to play an important role for the Giants this season. They're hoping that he can start approximately 150 games, a total he eclipsed in seven of the previous nine seasons with Tampa Bay, and they expect him to hit authoritatively. The Giants had to be thrilled by how easily those two elements came together.

"He's a pro," Bochy said. "You saw what kind of pop he has."

The Giants had scheduled Wednesday as the date for his first 2018 assignment at third base, but the timetable was accelerated at the three-time All-Star's request.

"We talked about it yesterday," Bochy said. "He said that he was ready. Like I said, there was nothing wrong with him, we just wanted to know that he was good to go."

Longoria wasn't sure what to do with himself during his DH stints. He'd stalk from the to go pace the clubhouse, stopping to watch the game on the closed-circuit television monitors.

Longoria, 32, prefers playing infield to DHing. He has performed the latter duty in 87 of 1,435 Major League games.

"You're just into the game a little bit more," Longoria said. "The flow of the game is a little bit easier. I've never been a confident, consistent DH. Guys who come over to the American League or have been there for quite some time and are DHs all the time get into their own kind of

10 routine. They have a thing they do, and I don't know how to do that."

MLB.com Panda? Duggar has a tutor in Sandoval Chris Haft

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants don't list Pablo Sandoval as an assistant batting coach. But he has provided analysis and instruction for fellow hitters, particularly with rookie Steven Duggar .

A left-handed batter, Duggar quickly realized that he and the switch-hitting Sandoval have a similar "load" when the latter hits left-handed. That is, they coil their bodies and set up their swing in similar ways.

View Full Game Coverage

Thus, Sandoval has been able to monitor Duggar and tell him when he's opening his front shoulder too much or striding too quickly.

"He's young, but he's smart," Sandoval said. "He likes to do the things that will make him better."

Spring Training: Info | Tickets | Schedule | Gear

Duggar, the Giants' No. 3 prospect and a legitimate candidate for the starting center-field job, added that watching left-handed swingers such as Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik also has helped.

"I'm just trying to pick up on little things they're doing and trying to implement things in my timing," Duggar said.

Until now, Sandoval had shown little inclination to coach, officially or otherwise. But his 10 years in the Majors have sharpened his knowledge and perspective.

"I want to win," Sandoval said. "I want all of my teammates to hit .300 with 25 home runs and 100 RBIs."

Cueto paces himself

11

Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto made no excuses for yielding Delino DeShields ' leadoff double and Shin-Soo Choo 's subsequent home run to open San Francisco's 9-4 split-squad victory over Texas. It was Cueto's first start of the Cactus League season.

"It's not the air," Cueto said through translator Erwin Higueros, citing a well-worn Cactus League explanation for wayward pitches. "I was just trying to throw the back-door cutter, and it just stayed there, floating. That's what I need to work on."

Injury update Crawford (jammed right thumb) soon should be able to resume playing shortstop. Crawford was 1-for-3 with an RBI as DH against Texas.

Up next The Giants entertain the National League champion Dodgers at 12:05 p.m. PT on Sunday for the only time this spring. San Francisco routed its NL West rival, 9-3, when they met Feb. 24 in Glendale. Right-hander is scheduled to start for the Giants, and the matchup will be available on MLB.TV .

The Athletic Spared from clubhouse sickness, feeling ‘well’ after second start Pedro Moura

Clayton Kershaw entered the Camelback Ranch clubhouse on Friday afternoon as Yasiel Puig exited. Wielding a plastic water bottle like a microphone, Puig moseyed up to the Dodgers ace and quietly asked a question. “I’m not sick,” Kershaw told Puig, first in Spanish, then in English. “I feel well.” Unscathed by the plague that tore through the Dodgers this week, Kershaw threw two scoreless innings in his second spring start Friday. Asked for tips on avoiding the bug, Kershaw cited his teammate Andrew Toles, who said on Sportsnet LA earlier in the week that “you can’t bunk with a bunch of dudes.” “That’s probably the best advice you can give,” Kershaw said. “Tolesy might be onto something.” The Dodgers have not yet identified patient zero, but the source of the spread is believed to be the team’s whirlpool, where nearly all of the affected players spent time. The pool has been sanitized, the facility scrubbed, and most of the ill have returned to camp with harrowing stories of violent chills and other ailments.

12

Now, the team must sort out when the pitchers who missed scheduled appearances can slot back into the rotation. Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda and Hyun-jin Ryu were all affected, though there is time to up before opening day. Kershaw was content with his on-schedule pitching performance, if not particularly pleased. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts again noted some sliders that lacked Kershaw’s traditional depth, like in his first start, but the ace left-hander said there were some good ones. Asked if his comfort with each follows the same pattern each spring, Kershaw provided an indication of his perspective. “I don’t want to give into a pattern because that means I’m just expecting things not to go well,” Kershaw said. “Yes, I could maybe venture to guess. But I don’t want to, because I don’t want to think about it.” In addition to their starting-pitching scheduling issues, the Dodgers may also need to replace reliever Tom Koehler, their most significant free-agent addition of the offseason. The 31-year- old right-hander exited a relief appearance Friday with an athletic trainer and was sent to undergo an MRI exam. A club official said his shoulder would be examined, but Roberts said Koehler reported feeling pain in his biceps on his last pitch. He called out catcher Yasmani Grandal, who called out Roberts and trainer Nate Lucero. Koehler, a longtime starter, signed for $2 million in December and agreed to pitch in relief, where the Dodgers have said they expect his stuff to fit. “He’s a guy that we were counting on for high-leverage situations, getting out righties and lefties,” Roberts said. “To lose him for any extended period of time, that’s a big blow.” Notes —The Dodgers announced they will present their 2017 pennant-winning club with National League champion rings before their third regular-season game, March 31 against the Giants at Dodger Stadium. —Closer Kenley Jansen, one of about 25 players and staff that became ill, took Friday off, as directed by Roberts.

13

The Athletic Giants Notes: Bumgarner looks sharp and so do the Giants, Duggar and Jensen flash more power Jimmy Durkin

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — In a week or two, nobody will be asking for warmer weather around Arizona. When the temperatures tick up, they don’t tick back down. But on Friday morning, long sleeves were still a thing and there was some chatter about finally being able to ditch jackets in the coming days.

In the glow of the desert sun, with a game-time temperature finally checking in at a pleasant 72 degrees, good baseball actually began to emerge for the Giants, who played -free ball in a 3-2 loss to the Reds.

“Hey, how about that, a kind of a normal game, huh?” manager Bruce Bochy said. “That’s our job today. We said we’re going to hold them under 10. We did a great job today. Pitching was really solid. Made some plays.” The Giants, now 2-5-1 in exhibition play, entered the game with a major league-leading 18 errors through their first seven games. While this was actually their third errorless game, the total has been skewed by some ugly performances. They committed five errors in Wednesday's 10-10 tie with Milwaukee, had four the day before in a 14-12 win over Arizona and six (!) in the spring Feb. 23. The Giants had also allowed 10 or more runs in five straight games before this one. The crisp day started with a crisp outing by a fairly important left-hander. Madison Bumgarner tossed three perfect innings in his second Cactus League start and continued to display the swing-and-miss stuff with four more strikeouts. After striking out five in his spring debut Feb. 25, he’s now fanned exactly half of the 18 batters he’s faced this spring.

“I know he had five punchouts (in his first outing), but he said he didn’t feel he was really locked in with his command,” Bochy said. “But today, he was. Good work by him.” Bumgarner was tagged for four hits, three runs (two earned) and a homer in that spring debut, but never had to leave the stretch Friday while looking like he’s quickly rounding into form. “Felt good. Much better than the last time,” Bumgarner said. “Definitely still some room to tighten up, but yeah, that’s why we’re here. As long as we can keep improving and make sure we’re ready by the end of camp, that’s all you can ask for.” A year ago, Bumgarner had only one through his first two Cactus League outings. This year, only five of the 14 outs he’s recorded have been put into play.

14

It’s not the most important thing for Bumgarner. He’s not out there trying to strike everybody out. But he’s also never going to complain about a punch out. “It definitely don’t hurt,” Bumgarner said. “That’s not my main goal out there, but it definitely don’t hurt.”

Bumgarner's 42-pitch day was so efficient — especially by spring training standards — that Bochy sent him down to the bullpen for an extra eight pitches to get up to his planned 50-pitch workload. “He was sharp with every pitch. He was really good with his delivery today. I’m sure he feels good about that outing,” Bochy said. “He pitched efficiently, great command, did a real nice job.” A lot — too much, if you ask Bumgarner — is being made of the fact that last year's injury and subsequent lighter workload will allow the Giants' ace to be a little fresher this year. There's talk the Giants could ride Bumgarner heavily early, with the schedule setting up the possibility of starting him three times in the first nine games. But it might be best to keep those theories about the abbreviated 2017 season helping Bumgarner to yourself. “It makes for a good story, I guess,” Bumgarner said, “but honestly, knock on wood, I’ve felt pretty much the same since Day 1. Whether I was 20 years old or now, I feel fresh and I always have. Hopefully, that’s going to be one of those things that stays there for me. I work to keep it that way. I come in, take care of my stuff every day and take care of my body.” Bumgarner has no need to change his routine one bit after last year's dirt bike accident and feels right on track. “I’m not ready to throw 100-plus pitches yet, but besides that, yeah, pretty close,” he said.

The book on Steven Duggar is that he's got a major league glove with a bat that may still need some minor league seasoning. He showed off the glove during a busy first inning by flagging down three fly balls, but also impressed with the bat by yanking a solo home run into the right-field seats in the third inning. It's Duggar's second home run of the spring and he's slugging a robust .786 through his first 14 at-bats. That won't continue. He's not going to make his way onto this team by launching home runs left and right, but Bochy isn't ready to discount Duggar's power. “He’s quick,” Bochy said. “He’ll catch it up front too. He’s got power. Showed some range that first inning. He’s going to get playing time here. It’s good to see him get a lot of playing time. We’ll see what happens there. I think he’s handling himself very well.”

15

Duggar flew out to left field in his first at-bat on a ball former Giant Adam Duvall nearly lost in the Scottsdale sun, but Duggar was ready the next time when Reds starter tried to attack him with another high . “Homer got me out on the first at-bat with an elevated fastball,” Duggar said. “I had an idea; I wasn’t necessarily sitting on location, but I had it in the back of my mind that he might elevate again, so I just kind of set my sights up a little bit and was able to get some good wood on it.” Don't expect Duggar to start swinging for the fences on the regular. As for what he's hoping to do at the plate, he said: “I think it’s just trying to work on a few things and just stay in myself. Yeah, I got another one today, but I understand who I am as a hitter. I’ll run into one of those every now and then.” He's hoping to improve his timing against the off-speed stuff, which he expects to come around. But for a player who came to Arizona knowing that he's fighting for a potential Opening Day role, it's been a nice start and he's relishing some advice he received from shortstop Brandon Crawford. “It’s good. For me, it’s a day by day thing. I don’t try to get caught up in the results, good or bad,” Duggar said. “Craw said it best: 'What’s one thing that I can do a day to help the team win?' And if I can achieve that goal every day, then I’m helping the team ultimately to win.”

Notes — Kyle Jensen opened the scoring in the bottom of the second when he unloaded on his fourth home run of the spring, an absolute bomb out to left-center field. He's now 5 for 9 with those team-leading four homers and eight RBIs, plus a team-leading five walks. “I’m really impressed with what he’s doing,” Bochy said. “This guy’s doing everything with the bat. He’s got big power. He’s quiet too, he’s got a short swing and that’s why it’s impressive how much power he has. He’s not a guy who’s just up there hacking. He’s got a good idea of the and they make a mistake, he’s going to do some damage.” First base is considered Jensen's best positional fit, although he's also played the corner spots. There's not an Opening Day spot on this roster for him, barring some injuries, but Bochy indicated the Giants may need to get him some innings away from first base to see where else he may be able to help them. — As part of the crisp defensive effort, Gorkys Hernandez made a sliding snow-cone catch out in right field. But the best play of the day might've belonged to shortstop Kelby Tomlinson. He bare-handed a slow grounder off the hard Arizona infield to throw out the Reds' Phil Gosselin in the second inning.

16

“That was real good, real nice,” Bochy said of Tomlinson, who has two errors so far this spring. “Tommy’s going to be fine. These guys got rushed into playing (in) four days. He’s coming from Oklahoma, it takes a while to get in rhythm defensively as much as offensively. … Takes me about four days to get my golf swing down.” — Bochy said Hunter Pence will be back in the lineup for Saturday's split-squad home game against the Rangers. He's played only once this spring, on Feb. 25, before getting sidelined by the flu. Pence also has dealt with a stiff neck, which caused him to miss the Cactus League opener. — Crawford could play shortstop on Saturday for the first time this spring. Crawford's been dealing with a jammed right index finger and has been the designated hitter for all four games in which he's played thus far. “We’re going to wait until he gets in, but he felt better throwing today,” Bochy said. — Pablo Sandoval will play first base in Saturday's home game, with sent off on the road to Goodyear for the split-squad game at Cleveland. Johnny Cueto will be the at home, followed by Derek Holland. Tyler Beede starts the road game.

The Athletic Giants Notes: Cueto cuts loose in spring training debut and Longoria finally settler in at third base Jimmy Durkin

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Three pitches into his spring debut, Johnny Cueto had allowed a double and a home run. Thrown into that context — plus the ever-present “spring training results don’t matter” attitude — his first appearance in the Cactus League was a success. “It was nice for his first outing,” catcher Nick Hundley said. “Used all his stuff to both sides of the plate. Thought he was aggressive. Thought he looked good.” And truly, once those first two at-bats are zapped from memory, Cueto had exactly the type of spring opener you would hope for. He worked two full innings, induced three ground-ball outs, and capped his day with a strikeout. He’s just a tick behind the rest of the Giants starting pitchers after reporting to camp dealing with the flu. Madison Bumgarner, , Tyler Beede and Chris Stratton all have made two starts and Jeff Samardzija will make his second Sunday against the Dodgers. Derek Holland, also in the mix for a back-end rotation spot, made his second appearance Saturday when he relieved

17

Cueto and went 2 2/3 innings. So Cueto has a little catching up to do, with plenty of time to do it.

His goal against the Rangers on Saturday was primarily to work on his cutter. Of his the nine batters he faced, Cueto said he threw only one changeup and no . “I just gotta practice,” Cueto said through interpreter Erwin Higueros. “That’s what these games are for, practice the cutter and that way when the season starts, I’m ready.”

Cueto was beat on a fastball up when Delino DeShields led off the game with a double. Then Cueto floated a cutter that Shin-Shoo Choo took out of the park on a day the ball was carrying plenty. The Giants hit four home runs of their own, plus five more in their other split-squad game at Goodyear. They've now got 23 home runs as a team in nine games.

One area of Cueto’s game that doesn’t seem to need much work is his move, which scored him an out to end the first inning. After he issued a two-out walk to Drew Robinson, Cueto nearly caught Robinson with a quick move that had him diving back into the base. Hundley called for Cueto to go right back over again and this time Robinson couldn’t escape Brandon Belt's tag. “The first one was very close, but then I told myself, ‘Ah, I’ll get him on the next one,'” Cueto said. “I thought Johnny was all right,” manager Bruce Bochy said. “He settled down (after the) first two hitters. Really seemed like that got him going, had better focus there. Nice pickoff, thought his command got better as he went.” The Giants obviously need a healthy and effective Cueto if they’re going to make any noise this year. Blisters bothered him last season and limited him to a career-low 147 1/3 innings. He went out just as Bumgarner returned from his three-month absence, meaning the Giants spent most of the season missing one of their top two arms. Cueto is determined to return to being a 200-inning horse. “Of course it’s important. I like to throw 200 innings,” he said. “The first thing is … make sure God grants me health and then I’ll take care of the rest.” While 200 innings isn't valued the same as that benchmark used to be with the increase in specialization, Bochy looks at his staff and see three guys at the top who he'd expect to get there if they pitch like they should. “You’ve got to have a guy or two like that on our staff,” Bochy said. “You look at our first three and they’re all 200-inning guys. It’s not a goal that we’re going to push them to get 200 innings, but if he’s throwing the ball well, that happens naturally.”

18

For Cueto, so long as he makes all his starts, there's no reason he shouldn't be in that range. He's pitched 200-plus innings four times in his career, including a league-leading 243 2/3 in 2014 when he won 20 games. And so far, Cueto says his blisters are a thing of the past. “Right now, nothing,” Cueto said. “I’m not even thinking about them right now. I just want to continue practicing and getting ready for the season.”

Evan Longoria has been a member of Bochy's slow-play club, the group of veterans the manager is slowly easing into action. On Saturday, the Giants finally took the bubble wrap off and let Longoria play third base.

Longoria played three previous games this spring as a designated hitter but said he struggles to adapt to the rhythm of the game when he's not playing the field. He had just one hit in seven spring at-bats as a DH, and the larger sample size of his career .235/.295./.418 DH slash line in the regular season backs up that thinking. So, while finally putting a glove to use Saturday, he also got the bat going. He worked a walk in the first inning, singled in the third and hit a first-pitch opposite-field home run in the fourth. “I always feel like my rhythm and attention to the game, I guess, is a little bit better when I play third,” Longoria said. “So especially in spring, it’s kind of tough to stay focused, pace of game slows down a little bit, so yeah, it’s much better to play third.” The plan had been to wait until Wednesday to get Longoria out on the field. But that plan was never too firm. As Bochy mentioned, there was nothing wrong with Longoria. The Giants were simply slow-playing him. “He said he just felt good last night. He let us know that he wanted to play third,” Bochy said. “He felt like he was ready to go and we had no reason not to play him. … We were holding him back, but like I said, there was nothing wrong with him. We just wanted to make sure and he let us know that he was good to go.” His home run off of Matt Bush in the fourth was some validation for Longoria — he's felt like he's had a good swing but has been lacking the results. “Just looking to get the head out,” Longoria said. “First couple at-bats of the game I had taken the first pitch, so I was just thinking and hoping he was going to throw something to get ahead and finally was able to barrel the ball up. I’ve been putting some pretty good swings on balls, but just underneath them or just out in front of them. It’s always good to get the first one out of the way.” Longoria also offered his contribution to baseball's attempts to speed up the pace of the game. When DeShields hit that double in the first, he didn't immediately get the attention of the third

19 base coach to try to pass off some of his protective equipment. So Longoria jogged out from third base to meet DeShields halfway and then helped deliver the equipment as it made its way to the dugout. “I’ll try to hurry the game up any way I can,” he joked. “Doing my part.”

Notes — Brandon Crawford was the DH again, but Bochy said he's getting very close to getting into a game at shortstop.

“He’s any day now,” Bochy said. “He’s throwing better since he jammed his finger. Could be within the next three days.” — The Giants went 10 for 11 out of the leadoff spot in their split-squad sweep, as they beat the Rangers at home 9-4 and took down the Indians, 13-4, on the road. Joe Panik was 2 for 3 with a home run and a double in Scottsdale and was followed up by Steven Duggar's 2 for 2 performance. In Goodyear, Austin Jackson went 2 for 2 with a double and an RBI and Eury Perez, up from minor league camp, went 4 for 4 as his replacement with two RBIs. — Mark Melancon threw his second bullpen session of the spring before Saturday's game and Bochy said it went well and his next outing will come in a game, assuming all checks out when Melancon comes to the park on Sunday. — Tony Watson is scheduled to make his Giants debut in relief on Sunday. — Retired ESPN sportscaster and noted Giants fan Chris Berman was a guest at Saturday's game and even wore a uniform (No. 83), sat in the dugout and joined in the celebratory handshake line.

ESPN.com What’s behind the decline and fall of the ? Buster Olney

Jose Altuve has hundreds of games to play before he reaches his 30th birthday, and he is among the most prolific base stealers of his generation. But as he waited for his turn in batting practice at the Astros' camp last week, he mentioned that he probably will again never come close to reaching his career-high of 56 steals, accomplished in 2014. Too much risk, he concluded. Altuve was referring to a specific concern he has, but he might as

20 well have been speaking more broadly, for the entire industry.

ADVERTISEMENT The number of stolen bases is generally declining. It might just be that this trend is part of another cycle in baseball, merely a precursor to a time when teams will again find value in players capable of taking 90 feet on the bases without the need for a swing of the bat. Or it might be that, in a sport in which risk assessment now drives everything from free-agent investments to the development of young pitchers, the base stealers have become the outlier, like motorcyclists without helmets.

The Disappearing Stolen Base YEAR STEALS 1987 3,585 1997 3,308 2007 2,918 2017 2,527 In 2017, there were only three players with 40-plus stolen bases -- Dee Gordon, Billy Hamilton and Trea Turner. There were also only three in 2015 -- Gordon, Hamilton and Charlie Blackmon. Before 2015, there hadn't been three or fewer (in any non-strike-shortened season) since 1967, when only Lou Brock and Bert Campaneris reached 40. Some evaluators chimed in with some reasons for the decline in stolen bases:

1. Generation Long Ball: Everybody seems to aspire to rack up home runs these days, from sluggers like Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge to pitchers like Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta. Last year, 117 players generated 20 or more homers; 29 had 20 or more stolen bases. In spring training this year, the Cubs, Rays and other teams are counseling their players on how to get the ball in the air, and are probably devoting more time to that concept than on getting a good break from first base. But the change is not only about the focus on the hitters -- it's also in the strategy used when there's a baserunner at first base.

"I don't think these [players] even want someone running on the bases ahead of them," one evaluator said. "I think their feeling is, you get on base and I'll go deep and drive you in."

In other words: It's easier for a hitter to focus on clubbing the ball if they don't have to concern themselves with giving a runner at first an opportunity to steal a base, or be distracted by the movement of the baserunner. And if the baserunner successfully moves to second, the pitcher and catcher might be more apt to work carefully to the hitter and be less apt to throw a meaty

21 strike.

For a lot of players, it has become less about taking the extra 90 feet and focusing on the 360 feet they can stroll around the bases if they blast a homer.

2. Injuries: Ask any big-time baserunner about Rickey Henderson and his 1,406 steals and they will marvel at Henderson's endurance, particularly for someone who slid headfirst. Despite his incredibly aggressive style, Henderson managed to mostly avoid the finger, hand and wrist injuries that all baserunners risk.

Altuve's moneymakers are his hands and wrists; he needs to do what he can to keep that part of his body healthy. The same is true for Mike Troutand Carlos Correa, who both tore thumbs running last year and missed many weeks. These days, teams prescribe and adhere to innings limits for pitchers to keep them healthy and productive over a longer period of time. MLB changed the plate-blocking rules in an effort to keep catchers such as on the field. For Altuve, for Trout and for a lot of front offices, the potential big-picture gain from a stolen base -- an additional 90 feet in one potential rally in one game of 162 -- might not be worth the increased risk of injury.

3. Instant replay: The Nationals' Turner is among the best base stealers in the big leagues, and he mentioned an impact of replay discouraging for baseball thieves: Unlike previous generations of runners, Turner and his peers must now be absolutely sure to maintain contact with the base all the way through the end of the . Henderson was fast and powerful in how he took bases, slamming headfirst into bases -- and wayward fielders -- like a linebacker, and undoubtedly, there were times in Henderson's career when he would come off the bag as he zoomed over it.

You cannot do that anymore because of the managerial challenges and the many camera angles on slow-motion replay. For base stealers such as Turner, this means going into second base with a little more control -- and maybe a fraction less reckless speed, which just adds to the risk of getting caught.

Dee Gordon was one of only three players with 40 steals or more last season. Dylan Buell/Getty Images 4. The percentages: The Cardinals' Tommy Pham was incredulous as he shared in a conversation recently about a prolific base stealer of a bygone era who would sometimes get thrown out 20 or 25 times in a season. "You have to be at 80 percent," said Pham, who was at the edge of that line last year, successfully stealing 25 bases in 32 attempts (78.1 percent).

22

MLB spring training

• Complete spring training coverage » Pham is correct -- through the use of analytics, teams have determined that if you are below 80 percent in your success rate, then you probably shouldn't run. The numbers say it's just not worth the risk. Brett Butler stole more than 40 bases five times in his career, from 1981 to 1997. But if he played in the current era, it's possible that his front office would've ordered his manager to hold him rather than have him get thrown out 28 times in 66 attempts, which is what happened in 1991.

The players whose value is built on the volume of bases they steal seem to be going the way of the ace pitcher who throws complete games.

5. Pickoff manners have changed: When a visiting pitcher throws to first base, he'll draw loud boos from the home crowd, and the reaction only gets louder on a second throw, or a third or a fourth. There was a time when players responded to this more than they do these days; they felt some peer pressure to move the game along, and so they'd relent and throw the ball homeward.

But players and their bosses don't seem as concerned about this anymore, in the college game as well as MLB. Rather, they are more focused on the task at hand. If the best method for slowing a base stealer is to throw to first base over and over and over -- wearing out the runner physically and mentally -- they will do that, be damned. Pitchers will step off, they will look over, or maybe they'll just hold the ball, doing what they can to disrupt the base runner.

"If you've make up your mind you're going to stop a baserunner from going," one evaluator said, "you can do that, with only a few exceptions, like Billy [Hamilton]."

6. The slide step and streamlined deliveries: As pitchers work to make their mechanics more efficient, with less margin for error, some have refined their deliveries -- such as , who pitches without a windup even when there are not runners on base. In 2012, Strasburg gave up 14 stolen bases in 16 attempts. In the past three seasons, he has surrendered a total of 14 steals in 23 attempts. Not every pitcher is as good as Strasburg at slowing a running game, of course. Last year, the Braves' Julio Teheran gave up 26 steals, and opponents went 21-for-23 against the Phillies' Aaron Nola. But more and more, pitchers are perfecting their mechanics, aided by the new and improved technology. Fourteen runners tried to steal against Zack Greinke last season and only five were successful, and opponents went just 4-for-8 against the Cardinals' Carlos

23

Martinez. 7. The focus on catcher defense: Going back to the days of "Sandlot," the typical catcher was big, burly and powerful, probably chosen for the position because of a lack of speed. The prototypical catcher was someone like the Braves' Javy Lopez, who might have some defensive deficiencies but also contributed 30 bombs a year.

MLB Pitchouts Since 2007 YEAR PITCHOUTS 2017 129 2016 194 2015 257 2014 335 2013 309 2012 478 2011 554 2010 550 2009 478 2008 636 2007 790 But these days, catcher is mostly a defense-first position, with bodies like cornerbacks and safeties rather than O-linemen. Teams prefer catchers with quick feet, with the ability to move well behind the plate. Tall catchers, such as the 6-foot-5 Matt Wieters, have become dinosaurs. Catchers are now often former infielders, like the 5-foot-10 Austin Barnes -- and most of them throw effectively. Gary Sanchez is a throwback catcher, in his size and hitting power, but he, too, throws well. The fact is that the archenemies of the elite base stealers are better than they used to be. "I don't think any position has changed more in the last two decades than catcher," one executive said.

Maybe the art of stealing bases will be in vogue again in another couple of decades, if the go away, if pitchers are eventually required to work under the weight of a with runners on base.

Because of the decline in stolen bases and the heightened game planning that goes on for every pitch, the number of pitchouts has plummeted, with managers (and catchers and pitchers, perhaps) unwilling to swing a ball-strike in favor of the batter.

24

News from around the majors

One scout who walked away from the matchup between Justin Verlanderand Noah Syndergaard was deeply impressed by the progress of both. Verlander was clocked at 95-97 mph. "He looks like the old Verlander," the scout said. And Syndergaard hit 100 mph over and over in the first inning. The scout scoffed at the concern that Syndergaard was merely trying to ramp up his velocity and working to register three digits on the radar gun. "His delivery was in control," the scout said. "He didn't overthrow one pitch." • The Cubs' staff believes that the players have arrived in camp more focused this year on small tasks, on getting better. ... Gleyber Torresmight be the Yankees' second baseman of the future, and it's still possible -- but a long shot -- that the Yankees could consider a short-term option like Neil Walker at the position. But 23-year-old Tyler Wade could have a serious shot at holding down the position on Opening Day after hitting .310 with a .382 on-base percentage in -A last season. ... On the podcast last week, Red Sox president David Dombrowski talked about the process of chasing down free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez, and about whether he works to sell the idea of playing in Boston to players and their agents. And today will be better than yesterday.

25