Sandoval continues to impress Giants at the plate

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. " The San Francisco Giants already liked what they had in Pablo Sandoval after he hit .345 as a late-season callup last season.

A 14-pitch at-bat in a spring training game only reinforced their belief. After falling behind 0-2 against Milwaukee's Carlos Villanueva on Sunday, Sandoval worked the count full while fouling off nine pitches. He then lined a single to center field.

"Those at-bats, you just don't see at any level, even if it was spring training," San Francisco general manager Brian Sabean said.

"It is indicative of a guy who is completely comfortable in the batter's box. I don't think he cares who is pitching or how hard they are throwing. He competes, pitch to pitch. He is going to find a way to get on base. And then, with two strikes, he is going to try to put the ball in play. He is not going to try to eke out a walk or take a third strike. He has a hitter's mentality. He's not worried about the extraneous stuff."

Sandoval, 22, said he is simply following the advice of Hall of Famer Willie Mays who told him simply that if "you see the ball and you hit it."

"If it's in the zone, I'm swinging," Sandoval said.

Sandoval has made it work so far, compiling a short but impressive resume. He made a whirlwind rise to the majors last season, starting the year at Class A San Jose and stopping at Double A Connecticut before playing the final six weeks with the Giants, where he hit three homers, 10 doubles and drove in 24 runs in only 145 at-bats.

Sandoval had 48 doubles, three triples and 23 home runs in 593 at-bats combined. He continued his productivity in the Venezuelan winter league, hitting .396 with 12 homers in 52 games to earn winter league player of the year honors from Baseball America.

Sandoval is projected as the Giants' third or fifth-place hitter this season on a team that could use a big bat.

The Giants were 29th in the major leagues with 640 runs last season. They didn't have a single player hit more than 16 home runs all last season and had just 94 for the season. That was the fewest homers for a team in non-strike season since the expansion Florida Marlins also hit 94 in 1993.

"First and foremost, he is very mature, baseball-wise, the way he is comfortable on the field and the way he reacts to game situations," Sabean said.

"He is young to be taking on the job of hitting third or fifth in the majors. But he knows how to hit a baseball. No question, he is going to have power from both sides."

The switch-hitting Sandoval said he does feel the weight of expectations following his success last season.

"I don't have any pressure," he said. "I just play for fun. I love the game. I like to show the fans how I love the game. I just do my job. It doesn't bother me. I will have my mind right for the season."

Sandoval, who signed with the Giants at 16, began the 2008 season as a catcher but also played first base and third base, and he entered spring training with the third base job to lose. With veteran Bengie Molina and 2008 top pick Buster Posey on the roster, catching no longer appears an option.

"I like the position," Sandoval said of third base. "I like the corners. I'm going to see. I can tell you at the end of spring if I feel comfortable."

The Giants would like to see Sandoval, an agile 5-foot-11, trim his weight from 246 pounds, but believe a steady spring diet at third base will help. His only error last season came at first base.

"There will be a learning curve," Sabean said. "Shedding pounds will help his range and his ability to play four, five, six days in a row. The last thing you will evaluate is how much range he has. He can catch and throw the ball."

Notes: LHP Randy Johnson will face Arizona in his second exhibition start on Wednesday. Johnson pitched the previous two seasons with the Diamondbacks. "It's no big deal to me. It's just spring training," Johnson said. The D-Backs offered Johnson a one-year, $2.5 million contract before the free agency period began last winter, but he dismissed that offer before signing a one-year, $8 million deal with the Giants. That deal also includes $5 million in performance and incentive bonuses. ... 1B Travis Ishikawa has hit safely in all four games he has played this spring, with two homers and four RBIs. ... Bench coach Ron Wotus managed the Giants in their 14-5 loss to Kansas City on Monday while manager Bruce Bochy underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder in San Francisco. Bochy is expected back Tuesday.