Ishikawa proving himself, Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer

Ishikawa proving himself
Henry Schulman, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

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(03-18) 04:00 PDT Scottsdale, Ariz. -- Two weeks before the Giants head north, most of the important position competitions remain wide open, although one decision seems to be clear: Travis Ishikawa looks like the Opening Day first baseman.

"Ishikawa has played enough now that you can see that he's going to be the first baseman and it will remain to be seen how much latitude he'll be given against left-handed pitching," general manager Brian Sabean said. "We've got time to find that out, too. He's very determined, and we're all impressed by how he's handled things."

Sabean was less committed to Pablo Sandoval as the everyday third baseman, saying, "It's tough to evaluate Sandoval yet because we're not at the point where you're playing guys two or three days in a row. That's when you get a better read."

Not clear is what would happen to Sandoval if the brass decided he could not be an everyday third baseman and not the first baseman. The Giants need Sandoval's bat in the lineup every day.

Elsewhere, Sabean and manager Bruce Bochy seem happy with the choices they have.

Second-base candidates Emmanuel Burriss and Kevin Frandsen both are playing well. Burriss has helped his cause by hitting from both sides of the plate.

"The biggest thing I've done is be more consistent," he said. "I ended up with a good average last year, but I want to be more consistent. It'd go .270 one month then .240 and back up. So far this spring I think I'm doing a good job, but you can't let up."

Burriss and Frandsen are getting looks at shortstop now so the team can decide whether they could spell Edgar Renteria. Nonroster invitee Juan Uribe was signed with that chore in mind, so his fate might rest on the final grades Burriss and Frandsen receive at short.

A key player in the final roster makeup is Eugenio Velez, who is showing he can be a super-utility guy at second base plus all three outfield positions.

Velez's versatility could create an opening on the bench to reward one of the camp surprises and add some right-handed pop.

That could mean Jesus Guzman, the 24-year-old infielder the Giants signed away from the A's this winter. Guzman is hitting .400 and slugging .943 after he crushed what might have been the longest homer ever at Scottsdale Stadium on Tuesday to break a 5-5 tie and give the Giants a 7-5 victory over Milwaukee.

Guzman's issue is defense, and the Giants are playing him at third, first and left to see where he can help.

Another nonroster invitee with a shot is Andres Torres, a speedy switch-hitting center fielder who is hitting .455.

"Seemingly we have more depth than we have in the past in all areas," Sabean said.

That includes the bullpen, where three or four jobs are up for grabs and could be filled by some combination of Brandon Medders (no runs allowed in seven games), Merkin Valdez, Luis Perdomo, Justin Miller, Jack Taschner and Alex Hinshaw.

This depth does not guarantee the Giants 90 wins but does mean Sabean will not have to search for players to complete his roster. All a GM wants at the end of spring training is good choices.

GUZMAN ... WOW: Ryan Rohlinger hit an inside-the-park home run to take the team lead in homers (four), yet he was upstaged by Guzman's game-winner in the ninth. With Rich Aurilia aboard after singling, Guzman hit an 0-1 pitch from Carlos Villanueva over the 35-foot-high fence in center field, which stands 430 feet from home plate.

"I think that's the longest one I've hit in my life," Guzman said, and that is saying something. Sandoval, a teammate in Venezuela this winter, said Guzman hit some monster shots there, usually when it mattered.

"He hit like five walk-offs," Sandoval said. "Every time there was a man on base and he came up I said, 'It's over.' "

Bochy's reaction: "Oh my goodness. He got every bit of that. That's the longest ball I've seen hit here. He got every ounce of it. He's made a lot of noise in this camp."

BRIEFLY: Velez turned his ankle during workouts and was not available. He is day-to-day. ... Pat Misch, summoned from the minor-league camp to start, pitched three shutout innings. ... A Giants lineup of mostly regulars mustered one hit in five innings against Jeff Suppan, whom they will face Opening Day. He got 11 of 15 outs on the ground.