Girardi, Marlins hit the ground running

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Feb 22, 2006 by Associated Press

New Marlins manager Joe Girardi isn't wasting any time.

Girardi drilled Florida's pitchers and catchers for more than three hours in 85-degree weather Monday, then said he was pleased with the results from their first spring training workout.

"I was proud of how they worked," he said. "That's as hard a day as I've been in in spring training. They were moving all the time -- that was part of the schedule.

"I believe in work. Work is how you get better."

The Marlins also are working to get to know each other. Seven everyday regulars and three top pitchers departed in a payroll purge during the offseason.

"Fortunately, we have names on the jerseys," Girardi said.

A protege of New York Yankees manager Joe Torre, Girardi has tried to set a tone as a disciplinarian, even adopting a policy prohibiting facial hair. There were no violations of that rule from his fresh-faced team.

Girardi, a relative youngster himself at 41, eagerly anticipated the first day of his first camp as a manager.

"I woke up at 1:50 a.m. and thought it was time to go," he said. "Then I woke up at 3:30, and 5:30, and finally got out of bed at 6:15. I was pretty anxious today."

From behind wraparound shades, Girardi kept an eye on the pace of the practice. The former catcher instructed the six catchers in camp on technique, fed balls to a pitching machine and took the time to lug two armfuls of water bottles to his coaches.

Pitchers threw bullpen and catchers polished defensive fundamentals as groups moved from field to field.

"I was impressed with how smoothly things went," said Brian Moehler, one of the few veteran pitchers on the roster. "The coaching staff has a good grasp on how they want things to be run."

One day after contradicting reports that Barry Bonds was either ready to retire after the season or set to play 10 more years, the San Francisco star did not show up Monday on the voluntary reporting date for Giants players.

Bonds told the team last week through his agent that he would come a day or two later because he needed to get some "personal stuff straightened out," Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. The mandatory reporting date is Feb. 28.

In Tampa, Fla., Alex Rodriguez said he's unhappy with organizers of the World Baseball Classic for the way they handled his decision to play for the United States instead of the Dominican Republic. The New York Yankees third baseman took issue with reports that he vacillated between playing for the Americans and the Dominicans.

"Just to make it clear, I only spoke once and then I spoke again three months later," Rodriguez said after reporting to spring training. "All the garbage in between was Major League Baseball. I didn't go back and forth. I said once, 'I wasn't playing,' and then at the end I said, 'So, OK, I am playing.' "

Rodriguez wouldn't identify any officials he spoke with, opting to say only "central baseball."