Camp Girardi is officially open for business

February 21, 200620 yr

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Josh Beckett's old No. 61 now belongs to someone named Reggie Abercrombie.

A.J. Burnett's No. 34 is worn by a rookie pitcher, Scott Olsen.

And wearing Carlos Delgado's No. 25 is the new manager, Joe Girardi.

There was a different look to the Florida Marlins on the first day of spring training Monday, when pitchers and catchers worked out and worked on learning each other's names.

"Fortunately we have names on the jerseys,'' said Girardi, one of many newcomers on a team filled with them. Seven everyday regulars and three top pitchers departed in a payroll purge, and the new manager began his search for replacements with a rigorous workout - at least by baseball standards.

The Marlins drilled for more than three hours in 85-degree weather, and Girardi professed himself pleased with the results.

"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.''

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.''

No one touts Florida as a contender, unless it's for baseball's worst record. But Girardi told his players to think big.

"The expectations are high,'' he said. "I told them today we're here to win the World Series. That's the bottom line.''

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.

The active, hands-on approach was in contrast to Girardi's predecessor, cigar-smoking elder statesman Jack McKeon.

"Joe probably can still play,'' Marlins left-hander Dontrelle Willis said. "He's probably in better shape than all of us.

"We're a young group, and even the coaching staff is young. We want to prove we can go out there and play with anybody.''

A 22-game winner last year, Willis is now the staff ace by default and has already been named the opening-day starter. He'll likely be joined by Moehler and young left-hander Jason Vargas in the rotation, but the other two spots are open, as are most of the bullpen jobs.

Among half a dozen contenders to join the rotation are Anibal Sanchez and Yusmeiro Petit, both 21, and Olsen and Josh Johnson, both 22. There are 33 pitchers in camp, and many have yet to play above Double-A.

"A lot of these guys are real quiet, so you have to go up and introduce yourself to them,'' said Moehler, 34. "They seem like good kids.''

With a laugh he added, "They're young.''

Position players report Tuesday, and the first full-squad workout is Thursday. The Marlins play their opening spring training game March 1 against Baltimore in Fort Lauderdale.

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