Felipe Alou Year Quotations

I believe that the DH rule is going to be in effect, so Bonds will probably just hit. I think it will be good for him to get those at-bats without having to be in the outfield like he did when he came back late last year on that knee and at least sharpen his swing, which really don't need a whole lot to be sharp, but it will be a help for him and to the Giants and to the tournament, to the U.S. team.

Barry played in the outfield during practice today and looked pretty good. Barry is having fun again. He didn't have any fun last year because he was hurt.

He was a strong pitcher when he left the game. That wasn't a fact last year at this time. It was a very encouraging outing.

He gave me the best at-bat I've seen this year in the first at-bat. I'm not talking about this team, I'm talking about any team.

He gave me the best at-bat that I have seen this year in his first at-bat. The 11-pitch at-bat right out of the hospital.

I said last year that our guys would be a year older. Well, they'll be another year older next season. And we have all those day games.

Winn is a heck of a player and heck of a man. He might be entering the peak of his career right now. The extension is well deserved. He made a tremendous impact on our fans last year and also his teammates.

We want starting pitchers to be able to pitch (in the spring), even if they're going to give up runs. We want to get away from the trap we were in last year with a lot of three- and four-inning starts.

We said last year the Giants were coming up with position guys who are respectable big-league prospects. These guys are swinging the bat well. Elly is hitting the ball. (Todd) Linden is getting hot. (Steve) Finley looks like he's getting two hits every time he plays. Overall, the hitters are looking pretty good.

We've been much healthier. We are all a year older, but we have gotten a year healthier.

We've got to be a lot more careful. Barry himself has to be a lot more careful. I know in 2004 there were many times when I didn't intend to play him. And he came over and said, 'Hey I want to play.' And then he played. I believe that this year that he and I will talk a lot more about when he's going to play and especially the day game after a night game, but I'll take anything over 100.

I'm not waiting on his swing. I take that for granted. The thing is running the bases. He ran better than in spring training and in the last month of last year. At this time last year, he was limping and complaining about the knee. It's much, much better than a year ago, or in spring training.

He told me he feels very, very good. Bonds is having fun. Last year he didn't because he was hurt.

It's an entirely different atmosphere than last year when he was limping and had to go back to California. Everything seems to be all right. But it's so early.

There were many times last year that I had to wait until the eighth inning to get him that fourth at-bat and get him out of the game.