Diamond Notes-

- Day brought more work for pitchers as they took on the duties of throwing live BP. It’s definitely fun watching teammates face each other, even if it’s just practice. Zito and Lincecum headlined the session on the main field both facing Pablo, Huff, Schierholtz, Posey, and possibly a couple others.

- The only homerun I saw during live BP was from Uribe off of Sergio Romo. I think he knew Romo was working on the fastball as he launched it to the trees. They both had a little laugh.

- Although I don’t have any pictures of them, Bumgarner and Cain have been training together almost all the time. Looks like Madison replaces The Big Unit as Matt’s throwing partner.

- You’ll probably start to notice that all the photos are shot from the RF line. That’s because the stadium is on lock down from access to other areas. The 75 year old lady security guard in RF will take you down to Chinatown if you cross her. I like the use of my legs so I stay within the regulated areas.

- I don’t know if Huff has ever faced Lincecum before but he didn’t do anything. Initially I tweeted he struck out, but looking over the video, I can’t tell if a count was being kept. Plus he rolled over a pitch for a ground ball to 1B.

- The major players in the F.O. were at the yard today. Larry Baer, Bill Neukom, and Brian Sabean took in some of the practice from the dugout. I snapped a photo of Sabean and realized something, this is the exact same pose I see of him everywhere, even holding the coffee. Sorry, I didn’t follow him to the parking lot to see if he kicked his tires before driving home…

CLICK HERE for full gallery

The first day of full squad practice is in the books and baseball is officially back.

Diamond Notes:

-Today’s practice started a little late due to “Ice on the Field.” We have been having some interesting weather out here with the last three days raining. Despite the delay, today ended up being just picture perfect for baseball.

-As far as the actual workout goes, the team was divided among the two full size fields, the infield practice area and the bullpen. Unfortunately, access to the bullpen and infield areas is closed off which means I was able to see the main field and to look through the netting on the left field line of the practice field.

The groups are as follows - Most of the position players on 40 man roster were together on the main field, invites on the practice field, and pitchers in groups rotating between all four areas.

There were two BP sessions, along with bunting/infield hit fielding practice, outfielder charging practice, and pop flies.

- Zito was the main pitcher to throw within sight and his arm is looking good. His delivery is also very fun to shoot, very “Praying mantis” like. We need to him start this season where he left off last year.

- Aubrey Huff kind of looks like a skinny dude to me. I know there was mention of him losing weight, but he didn’t look the pudge to me at all. Maybe it’s the black jerseys. He spent a lot of time J.T. at 1B

- Todd Wellemeyer is a freaking linebacker, literally with pads on. I think he had shoulder problems in the past, but this guy’s delts are insane. Check out the pic.

- Freddy Sanchez was running some sprints on the warning track. I’ve got to hand it to him, he’s doing what it takes to get back fast.

- The main field and the practice field together was almost like a time machine. Current Giants and the Giants of the future.

- Not a whole lot else to mention, practice doesn’t warrant the best action shots but as long as it’s Giants baseball who cares.

- Lastly, you know it’s Spring when you get to see Murph at the Yard walking man’s best friend.

Some decent shots today, CLICK HERE for the full gallery

Dravecky’s uniform from Montreal that had to be cut off of him in the hospital after breaking his arm on the mound

Although there wasn’t any practice coverage today, I did get to help out at the Spirit of the Game event out here in Surprise. The event was put on by Tim Salmon and Dave Dravecky shared his testimony. Jeremy Affeldt also came by and did a quick Q&A on what it’s like to be a MLB player and still hold fast to faith in Christ. Other past Giants greats included Russ Ortiz and Jason Schmidt making an appearance.

I don’t know about you but I was 8 years old when Dave Dravecky came back to pitch and I still remember that game and the game in Montreal pretty vividly. The scoreboard at the ‘Stick with a huge “Welcome Back Dave.” He was a great inspiration to me as a kid and it’s always a pleasure to hear him speak. Here are a couple pics from the event.

Then there was this kid who reminded me of a certain CY Young award winner

Do you see it now?

Looks like there is projected rain for the next three days out in Scottsdale. Unsure how this will affect the workout schedule, but it helps me out as I won’t have access until Tuesday anyway. I may have some exclusive shots from a friend if they do end up practicing on the fields but won’t know until later.

As promised, here are some shots from the first official workout.

Not a whole lot was done today other than some stretching exercises, agility drills, some bp, and jogging. Bumgarner was doing some fielding drills from the mound as well. If you haven’t already surfed over there, CSN’s Mychael Urban has some “Home Videos” that fill in most of the day for you. Starting Tuesday the coverage will have more detail as to what exactly was being work on, player pairings, commentary, etc.

Much thanks goes out to a friend of mine who was able to bring you these shots. I love this first one…

Nothing like a 1.5 hour traffic filled drive across the Valley… Apparently there was a mix up with access starting with today’s practice through Monday’s. Anyway, here’s the deal. We will still have coverage today, just not directly from me. Stay tuned for a post later today, with some shots, and hopefully a brief recap.

Got confirmation that the first day for access will be this Thursday, with photos available Thursday night on the site.

Also, if you happen to be in the Phoenix area this Saturday, there is a great event called “Spirit of the Game” at Surprise stadium that I will be covering. Dave Dravecky will be speaking and current and former MLB stars will be putting on clinics for kids and signing autographs. You can check out the site here. Spirit-ofthe-game.com

Baseball is back everyone! Have a great President’s Day, go outside and play some catch and I’ll see you on Thursday.

Tickets are in, batteries charged, and fields are prepped.

We are only a month away from Spring Training and I know most of you are counting the days. This post is to explain how coverage is going to work and to provide you with a schedule of what you can expect.

1. I will be starting coverage from when Pitchers and Catchers report in a couple weeks. The actual start date is still uncertain as I haven’t got word back when they will actually open the gates to watch.

2. If you followed the site during Fall League, the same upload process will be in place. Basically, late evening of the day of the event a recap of the game/diamond notes, and a gallery of shots will be uploaded.

3. I will be at every Giants home game and every away game with the exception of Friday 3/12 and Sunday 3/21 as those games are in Tucson.

4. I may cover some of the MiLB workouts and games if scheduling permits but most likely coverage will be limited to MLB camp.

5. S.T. is a little different than Fall League, in that most games are packed, meaning there isn’t a lot of freedom to get different angles. For the most part, the majority of my shots will be coming from right above the Giants Dugout in Scottsdale, and then from a variety of different locations on the road. Don’t worry though, we’ll get creative to get the most action possible.

6. If you are coming to watch a couple games during S.T. definitely let me know! Would love to converse with some of you if you follow the site, and it’s always fun to talk baseball.

As I have said before, this year’s camp is one of the best group of invites I’ve seen in a long time. It’s going to be a great month filled with showcasing some talent in our system and of course keeping tabs on Tim, Panda, and the rest of the squad.

Keep checking the site though, as we will be continue to report as usual until P/C’s.

Humm Baby.

Here are a couple shots from the game.The gallery on Flickr is live. I know he’s not really Giants related but figured people would be interested in the potential #1 pick. He had a decent game. Not sure on the scoring because of possible errors but Harper had at least 2 hits with a couple RBI’s. His swing is a little interesting, seemed like an awkward motion to me, but he generates a lot of power with it.

Quickly here’s how it breaks down.

Pitchers:

Denny Bautista, Santiago Casilla, Rafael Cova, Steven Edlefsen, Eric Hacker, Osiris Matos, Tony Pena Jr., Felix Romero, Dan Turpen, Craig Whitaker, Craig Clark, and Clayton Tanner.

Catchers:

Steve Holm, Johnny Monell, Hector Sanchez, and Jackson Williams.

Infielders:

Ehire Adrianza, Brandon Crawford, and Nick Noonan.

Outfielders:

Wendell Fairley, Roger Kieschnick and Thomas Neal.

Names in BOLD have been covered here exclusively. This is going to be a great ST, with the inclusion of this class of prospects. Probably, one of the best classes I’ve seen.

We’re back this week with another installment of our interview series “Due Diligence.”

I had the privilege to speak with 2009 Draft Pick Gus Benusa, about the first year of professional ball what it’s like to join the Giants straight out of high school. Gus is going to be a great player for the Giants as you can tell by his work ethic, his drive for success, and his love for the game. You’ll want to keep tabs on him as he rises through the system.

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AZG: Gus, thanks again for spending some time answering some questions for the site. To start, You absolutely tore it up in high school batting .638….638?!! What was your approach in hitting, and what was it like to have scouts following you every game?

Benusa - I never worried about my average during the season. I went up to bat with the mind-set that there wasn’t a single player on the other team that was going to get me out. Other than that, I would just relax and see the ball. There’s not much too it. The first time I saw a major league scout was halfway through my senior year. I’ve never seen a pro scout before then and playing in front of them made me kinda nervous. By the end of the season, I was used to seeing all the strangers with clipboards watching my every move.

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AZG: You were selected by the Giants in the 8th round of last year’s draft. Knowing you were a highly touted prospect and could go anywhere at anytime, did you have an idea the Giants were going to pick you? When you got the call, what was your reaction?

Benusa - I knew the Giants were definitely interested in me and I’m glad they picked me up. It’s an honor to be apart of this organization. I was following the draft online and watched my name selected and called. It felt like I was in a dream for a good five minutes before I got a call from my area scout telling me it was true.

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AZG: How hard or easy was the decision to forgoe your scholarship to Duquense and sign with the Giants?

Benusa - I knew I wanted to be a professional baseball player. I can’t imagine doing anything else right now. Getting an education is very important but it can wait until I’m done.

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AZG: Having half a season and instructs under your belt, what is one thing about the Giants organization or MiLB that you have been impressed with?

Benusa - I was really impressed with the coaching. I’ve never had so much access to so many people with so much knowledge for the game. Talking and gaining knowledge for the game is even more important than working on your skills.

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AZG: Can you speak to the level of competition in the rookie league and the adjustment to playing baseball for a living?

Benusa - There’s no comparison between the level of competition in high school to the pros. It’s a completely different ballgame, especially coming from Western PA. As for the adjustment, I got used to it pretty quickly. I love playing baseball every day and getting better. I don’t think of it as a job.

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AZG: In June you got to put on a uniform with the name Giants across the chest, a feeling of accomplishment, surreal?

Benusa - Coming from a small town I’ve never known anyone in the pros. I’ve heard of a couple kids in my area getting drafted in the later rounds and not signing. So when I put on a jersey with the Giants name on it, I feel very accomplished; even though I haven’t accomplished anything yet in my pro career. I’ll really feel like i made it when I can put on my Giants jersey and walk out on the field in San Francisco.

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AZG: What kind of hitter would you describe yourself as?

Benusa - I feel like I’m still becoming the hitter I’m supposed to be. I’m constantly working and improving my swing and changing things. I’m a great all around hitter in the making.

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AZG: Last year, you batted over 100 points higher against LHP… you bat LH, is there anything to that or is it just a small sample size?

Benusa - Most likely it was due to a small sample size but I know most lefty hitters struggle with southpaws. I don’t feel like I have any less success against them. The ball’s gotta come across the same plate no matter where its thrown from.

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AZG: What was it like switching to a wood bat for you, is it a big adjustment for your swing?

Benusa - It wasn’t a big deal for me. I’ve been using wood in batting cages for a couple years so switching over completely wasn’t too bad.

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AZG: Was there anything specific in Instructs that you were trying to work on / train for?

Benusa - I don’t think there was one thing i didn’t work on in Instructs. Everything from training my eyes to watch the ball deeper in the zone by reading a number on a tennis ball shot at 120 mph, to working on my throwing mechanics in the outfield so my ball doesn’t tail. My first day at Instructs, we all were bunting and i deflected a pitch straight into my face knocking two teeth into the back of my mouth. A couple days later i was back on the horse and for the rest of the month I really worked on my bunting technique.

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AZG: You recently had a chance to fly up to SF and conduct a condition camp at ATT Park. Had you been to the yard before, and what was it like walking on to the field, knowing that the goal is to play on it?

Benusa - That was my first time being at AT&T Park and as soon as you walk in you realize why it’s the best park in all baseball. It’s insanely cool with the field right on the Bay. I knew if I could come to work everyday to this place I’d be the luckiest guy alive. Being in San Francisco really showed me what im working for.

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AZG: You play centerfield… Willie Mays is the best centerfielder in MLB history. Willie stopped by to talk to the players in SF. What was it like to meet him, and was there any specific advice for you?

Benusa - Meeting Willie Mays was surreal. I’ll never forget it. He’s the best player to ever play the game and he’ll tell you himself! No specific advice but it was great to meet a legend.

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AZG: The off season is here, what is the plan to get ready for spring training?

Benusa - The plan is to get in the cage everyday to work on my swing. On top of that I’m hitting the gym hard putting on weight while also working on my speed. Goal is to be around 205 and be even quicker than i was before.

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AZG: Is there anything you’d like to tell the fans?

Benusa - My real name is Karl but i’ve never been called anything other than Gus. I’m excited for the fans to get to know me and I’m going to work as hard as possible to get to San Francisco. Also, if any fans wanted to get to know me more or had any other questions I’d love to answer them, just look me up on Facebook.

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For more coverage of Gus, check out some of the shots from Instructional league over on the photostream in Flickr.