Faces have changed but expectations remain

SAN JOSE -- Brandon Belt had tabbed his first professional hit before entering the San Jose Giants' home opener Monday night. But for now, the hit is in something of a holding pattern. The defending California League Champion Giants opened their High-A season in Modesto last Thursday, and it took the left-handed hitting Belt four days to record a hit. He entered Sunday's game batting 0 for 8 on the year, but got a knock in his first at bat. Then, the rain came. The game was postponed in the third inning, and will be completed as part of a May 19 doubleheader. So, Belt has to wait a month before his first pro hit becomes official. "I've never seen that in 30 years of professional ball," San Jose manager Brian Harper said. As a result, Belt -- a fifth-round draft pick last year out of University of Texas -- entered Monday's home opener with no batting average. In the fourth inning, though, he generated one in style, hitting a majestic home run high into the evening sky of Municipal Stadium. Practically everyone in attendance knew the ball was gone the instant the lean but powerful 6-foot-5 lefty connected with the booming homer to left-center. Belt finished the night going 3 for 4. "That's pretty much a perfect swing when you hit the ball that far the opposite way," Harper said. Debuting in advanced A-ball, Belt is the highest on the ladder of any position player from last year's Giants draft class. The 21-year old -- he turns 22 next Tuesday -- certainly has the pedigree to fit with a perennial postseason contender. Last season at Texas, he was the leading hitter on a Longhorns team that advanced to the final game of the College World Series, only to lose to Louisiana State. He finished the year hitting .323 and performed consistently over his two collegiate years, posting a .321 career average with 14 home runs and 108 RBIs over 473 at bats. The native Texan says he's happy to be in San Jose. "As soon as we got off the plane, I thought: 'This is a really amazing area.' A nice place to play some baseball," Belt said prior to Monday's home opener. "I hear there's some pretty good crowds here. So I'm just kind of excited to get out here and get going." Belt is in a transitional phase with wood bats though, and as a result, is recalibrating his mechanics quite dramatically. So much, in fact, that legendary Texas head coach Augie Garrido said that Belt had an entirely new stance at the plate when he returned at the start of the 2010 season to play in the Longhorns alumni game. Yet the tools remain the same. "I think he has a very good top hand, and very good hand-eye coordination," Garrido said. "He had power then, but he has more now. I think he is a very good minor-league prospect and the Giants made a good choice by drafting him." The discrepancy between metal and wood bats is evident in Belt's collegiate performances. With Texas, he struck out 74 times over 473 career at bats. During his 2008 summer season with Harwich of the Cape Cod League, however, he struck out 43 times in 137 at bats. "He will catch on quickly," Garrido said. "He's a great learner." Although Belt is new to the pro ranks, Harper already concurs with Garrido's assessment. "He's similar to (Giants top prospect) Buster Posey in that respect," Harper said. "Tell him something (once), and he does it." San Jose's new manager After two years as a roving instructor with the Giants organization, Harper takes over as manager at San Jose, replacing Andy Skeels who was promoted to Double-A. Harper recognizes the expectations in San Jose, where the High-A Giants have been the Yankees of the California League, having won three league championships in five years. "The expectations for A-ball are awful high based on the success of the San Jose Giants," Harper said. "But I don't want to put that kind of pressure on these kids. I just want them to learn how to go out there and play the game the right way." Harper managed for seven years -- five in the rookie Arizona League and two in Triple-A -- with the Angels organization. Many of the players he coached, such as Kendry Morales and Jered Weaver among others, are now in the big leagues, as the Angels have one of the highest totals of homegrown players on their 25-man roster in all of baseball. According to Harper, though, the Giants farm system is just as good, "if not better," than the Angels system of which he was a part. As a roving catching instructor, Harper spent a lot of time in San Jose last year working with Posey, who incidentally is tearing it up at Triple-A Fresno with a .429 batting average. Was Harper an integral part of helping Posey skyrocket through the system last season? "I'd like to say yeah, but Buster is a good catcher. Good players make coaches look good," Harper said. New uniforms If you've wondered where Giants left-hander Barry Zito scored the sweet futbol socks he's worn in his first two starts this year, they are standard issue with the new San Jose uniforms, of which the home whites are identical to San Francisco's big-league uniforms. San Jose debuted its new look Monday night in a 9-7 loss to Visalia. And though the game-time weather was clear, intermittent rains muddied the field quite badly. Grounds crewman Sean Daulton spent a half hour prior to game time hammering away, and quite efficiently, at a small pond that had formed in right field. The conditions gave Belt a unique perspective on dawning the home whites for the first time. "You know, they're nice, and pretty, and white right now," Belt said. "So, I'm sure they'll be getting dirtier pretty soon. But it's just a pretty good feeling to put these on right now."