Baseball Guru
02-24-2005, 09:07 AM
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/baseball/10973551.htm
JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Manager Felipe Alou wasted no time announcing San Francisco's pitching rotation - selecting Jason Schmidt as the opening day starter following the Giants' first full-squad workout Wednesday.
Schmidt will be followed by left-hander Kirk Rueter, right-hander Brett Tomko, lefty Noah Lowry and righty Jerome Williams.
"We haven't done that in three years," Alou said Wednesday of his fast decision. "We have five guys and we want them to know exactly what we want them to do."
Schmidt, an 18-game winner last season despite starting the season on the disabled list, said when he arrived in camp last week that he's feeling better than he has in years. It was great news for the Giants.
"Our ace is healthy," Alou said. "He welcomed the early responsibility, early announcement."
Schmidt, an All-Star and top-four finisher in the NL Cy Young award voting the past two seasons, hopes he stays healthy and can actually pitch against the Dodgers when the Giants open at home April 5.
"I think I've had five opening days and I've made one of them," Schmidt said, referring to his health. "Hopefully I'll have No. 2. ... Right now, I'm not thinking about opening day. But it's the game to kick start the year. It should be fun."
Rueter has always said it doesn't matter when he pitches as long as he gets to take the mound every fifth day.
"Nothing hurts, so I feel ready to go," he said.
The soft-throwing lefty didn't reach 10 wins last season for the first time in eight years. At 9-12, it marked his first losing season since he combined to go 6-8 with the Expos and Giants in 1996.
Alou isn't worried.
"We want to show Rueter we really respect him as a winning guy, as a veteran left-hander," Alou said. "We are doing that by pitching him second."
Williams is coming off elbow surgery in August. He finished 10-7 last season but was limited to 22 starts because of the injury.
Alou acknowledged that Williams could be a No. 3 starter, but that the club wants to monitor him carefully this spring.
"I'm fine with that," he said. "As long as I have a chance to pitch, that's the main thing. I'm in the rotation. It's just a number."
Tomko went 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA over his final eight starts last season as the team's most reliable starter down the stretch along with Lowry, who went 6-0 after moving into the rotation full time Aug. 3.
JANIE McCAULEY
Associated Press
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Manager Felipe Alou wasted no time announcing San Francisco's pitching rotation - selecting Jason Schmidt as the opening day starter following the Giants' first full-squad workout Wednesday.
Schmidt will be followed by left-hander Kirk Rueter, right-hander Brett Tomko, lefty Noah Lowry and righty Jerome Williams.
"We haven't done that in three years," Alou said Wednesday of his fast decision. "We have five guys and we want them to know exactly what we want them to do."
Schmidt, an 18-game winner last season despite starting the season on the disabled list, said when he arrived in camp last week that he's feeling better than he has in years. It was great news for the Giants.
"Our ace is healthy," Alou said. "He welcomed the early responsibility, early announcement."
Schmidt, an All-Star and top-four finisher in the NL Cy Young award voting the past two seasons, hopes he stays healthy and can actually pitch against the Dodgers when the Giants open at home April 5.
"I think I've had five opening days and I've made one of them," Schmidt said, referring to his health. "Hopefully I'll have No. 2. ... Right now, I'm not thinking about opening day. But it's the game to kick start the year. It should be fun."
Rueter has always said it doesn't matter when he pitches as long as he gets to take the mound every fifth day.
"Nothing hurts, so I feel ready to go," he said.
The soft-throwing lefty didn't reach 10 wins last season for the first time in eight years. At 9-12, it marked his first losing season since he combined to go 6-8 with the Expos and Giants in 1996.
Alou isn't worried.
"We want to show Rueter we really respect him as a winning guy, as a veteran left-hander," Alou said. "We are doing that by pitching him second."
Williams is coming off elbow surgery in August. He finished 10-7 last season but was limited to 22 starts because of the injury.
Alou acknowledged that Williams could be a No. 3 starter, but that the club wants to monitor him carefully this spring.
"I'm fine with that," he said. "As long as I have a chance to pitch, that's the main thing. I'm in the rotation. It's just a number."
Tomko went 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA over his final eight starts last season as the team's most reliable starter down the stretch along with Lowry, who went 6-0 after moving into the rotation full time Aug. 3.