With free-agent signings, trades, and rapid changes to the MLB rosters, things are moving at an accelerated pace. The San Francisco Giants, the defending NL West champion, has not drastically changed their lineup.
Brandon Crawford, a veteran shortstop, said Tuesday that one of the key factors in helping us win two World Series earlier in our careers (2012 and 2014). “I feel like we kinda knew what success looked and we can build on that success last year with most of our group back, at the least from the lineup standpoint.”
Crawford, 35, just finished his fourth Gold Glove, third All-Star Season, with a.893 OPS and.298 batting avg., including 24 home runs, as the Giants won 107-55 to end the Dodgers eight-year-long streak of NL West Division titles.
Crawford stated, “The more you play together with guys, the more comfortable it is going to become, regardless of whether it’s ground ball or shallow pop-ups, you will have a pretty good idea where they are going,”
Evan Longoria, third baseman, said that it is unusual to see how many people are new to spring training. He said that “can go far.”
“You don’t feel like you need to learn tons of people… you don’t have to build camaraderie. Longoria stated that camaraderie is an important part of any winning team. “We had great relationships last season, everyone really got along, and that’s what made us so successful,” Longoria said.
This camaraderie and familiarity extends to Gabe Kapler, the third-year manager who took over for Bruce Bochy.
Crawford stated, “We are becoming more comfortable with Kap and this leads to even greater communication.”
Kapler stated that the position-players group has a good understanding of how to run an offense, how to use our bench and how to get guys on their feet. This familiarity is a great asset and something we can rely on as we head into the season.
The group is also tight off the field. Many players reside in Scottsdale during the offseason.
Longoria stated, “We share birthdays together.”
Crawford and Longoria increased their hitting in Longoria’s backyard cage after the Giants banned access for 99 days.
Crawford stated, “I feel good these last few days… with my swing.” I had a solid foundation to return to. It was so simple to return to the basics of things in these past years because we had simplified them so much.
Kapler was asked whether Crawford is ready for another season that surpasses his career averages at.727 OPS/.254 batting average. Kapler replied, “With Craw and all of our players, we really want focus on what we can control, such as how we practice, plan, and prepare for the difficult moments in the season. You should also have a plan for when things get difficult.
“We are confident that these things will result in good statistical outcomes, good win/loss outcomes, as well as good chasing postseason outcomes. ”
