Giants looking for speed in the outfield

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- They are like fireflies buzzing around in a jar, waiting to be set free and provide a spark. Whichever players survive the final cut to become the fourth and fifth outfielders for the San Francisco Giants will be assuming a significant role. And their speed could play more of a role than ever before, particularly on the basepaths in the late innings. "We're in a bigger ballpark and we have to find ways to create runs," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "Baserunning is such an important part of it, bench speed. "We feel that's a need, we're going to be a type of club that you're going to see those types of moves late in the ballgame, putting a speed guy in there. It could be a major part of the decision-making (for the final spots)." Aaron Rowand (center field), Nate Schierholtz (right) and Mark DeRosa (left) are set as the starters. DeRosa also can play anywhere in the infield. That leaves the final two spots up for grabs between John Bowker, Darren Ford, Fred Lewis, Andres Torres and Eugenio Velez. If you are relying on pure speed, the 24-year-old Ford has the edge. The man who began his career in the Milwaukee organization blazed around the bases with a triple and scored the winning run on a sacrifice fly in a 5-4 victory over Texas on Monday. He was hitting .474 entering Tuesday's game. Keeping him might be too hard to resist. He has stolen 251 bases since 2005. His only drawback is experience. He has never played at a level higher than Class A. "I'm not going to worry about what happens. I'm just going to go out and give it my all," said Ford, a center fielder. "Speed is God-given. You can't teach it. I'm just going to do whatever the Giants want. I think I can hit and I can run." Velez, 27, also has above-average speed. He has range in the outfield to track down balls hit into the gaps, and he can play the infield. Torres, 32, has played in 164 big-league games, 75 with the Giants. He is hitting .294. Like Velez, he is a switch-hitter. Lewis, 29, bats left-handed and hit .258 with eight stolen bases in 122 games last season. He was hitting .257 with three home runs through Monday. He has 34 steals in 326 games with the Giants, going back to 2006, with a .277 career average. "If you're playing in the outfield, you pretty much have good speed," Lewis said. "I have taken pride in that, my defense, that I can play all three outfield positions. As far as my hitting goes, I let my bat do the talking." Bowker, 26, is a well-rounded athlete. He can play the corner outfield spots and first base. The left-handed hitter has hit .244 in 142 games with the Giants, and was hitting .267 with a pair of home runs and a team-leading 11 RBIs through Monday. A's notes Oakland left-hander Brett Anderson pitched five simulated innings against minor leaguers Tuesday after a stiff neck forced him to miss his scheduled start a day earlier. Anderson threw 80 pitches during the hour-long workout, mixing his fastball and curve with an increasingly efficient changeup that impressed A's pitching coach Curt Young. Anderson was supposed to start Monday's game against Seattle, but was pushed back because of a stiff neck that first began bothering the 22-year-old over the weekend. Oakland had a day off Tuesday, so Anderson got his work in at the team's minor league camp less than a mile away from the A's spring training facilities. He had seven strikeouts and walked one and allowed three hits. "I felt good, really good today," Anderson said. "I was trying to feature my changeup a little bit. My last couple of outings I want to incorporate more of my breaking balls like I would throw in a game, so my next outing will be key in that aspect." Anderson, who went 11-11 as a rookie in 2009, is projected to be Oakland's third or fourth starter. Ben Sheets and Dallas Braden appear to have the top two spots locked up while two-time All-Star Justin Duchscherer -- who pitched four strong innings against Seattle on Tuesday during his first appearance in 19 months -- and Trevor Cahill are also in the mix. The key for Anderson is the development of his changeup, which he's been working on all spring to complement his off-speed pitches. "Last year I used (a curveball) as a changeup, just something slower paced to righties," Anderson said. "I might use it a little differently this year because my changeup's progressing and I can throw it in those counts." Being able to pitch this week was key for Anderson, who slept in an awkward position over the weekend which led to him having a stiff neck, which postponed his usual turn in the A's rotation. "It was one of those fluke deals watching TV one day in the hotel kind of propped up," Anderson said. "I felt it a little bit but not too bad, then woke up the next morning and I couldn't even move it. I had to turn to talk to somebody." Notes: LHP Gio Gonzalez was also scheduled to pitch in a minor league game Tuesday but instead will pitch in relief against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. ... The A's play back-to-back night games against the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, a rarity in the Cactus League. ... Oakland manager Bob Geren took advantage of the day off and flew back to the Bay Area to visit his family.