New Giants additions providing immediate spark after roster shake-up originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO — Nowadays, there are two different meanings to the term “Giants Legend.”
First, in reference to a player who, unequivocally, is a ‘legend’ in every sense of the word, a la Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, Willie McCovey, Juan Marichal, Buster Posey, Will Clark, etc. You get the idea. The second, is the tongue-in-cheek version of the term that players like Daniel Johnson and Dominic Smith earned this week.
Think of it as an earning-your-pinstripes-esque term of endearment. But not to be taken literally.
If you’re new to the Giants and you do something impactful right away, especially when the team is struggling, you’re an instant folk hero for 48 hours or so.
On Wednesday, it was Johnson, a Bay Area native, who introduced himself to Giants fans with a two-hit game and a run-saving catch in San Francisco’s 6-5 win over the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park. On Thursday, it was Smith, who collected three hits, including a go-ahead two-run double in the Giants’ 3-2 win over San Diego in the series finale.
The signing of Smith and the promotion of Johnson from Triple-A Sacramento came in a series of roster moves before Wednesday’s game, where longtime first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. and backup catcher Sam Huff were designed for assignment. It was a bittersweet day on Wednesday, but it didn’t take long for both to provide a spark for a team that desperately needed one.
“These guys that we’ve brought in have been impactful,” Melvin said of Johnson and Smith postgame. “[Andrew] Knizner too caught the entire game, guys he didn’t know. I know he caught [Camilo Doval] in winter ball. He spent the entire game with Robbie [Ray] last night talking about the game plan. So it’s pretty cool to see these guys come in and contribute right away, it makes them feel like part of the team that much quicker.”
Knizner, the 30-year-old catcher and six-year MLB veteran, was 0-for-3 at the plate on Thursday, but caught all nine innings behind the dish and was in sync with Ray, who he met for the first time approximately 12 hours before the game.
“Nothing,” Ray said postgame when asked what he does to adjust to a new catcher. “Shake his hand, say ‘Let’s have some fun today.’ That’s kind of what I told him going into the game. I feel like we had a really good game plan going into today, I felt like he stuck with it really well. We had some moments where he called a pitch and it was exactly what I wanted to throw, so it was almost like he had been here the whole time.
“I felt overall it was a great performance by him today.”
Baseball is a business, and while Wednesday’s roster shake-up might have been difficult for many in the Giants’ clubhouse, Smith and the other newcomers have had no trouble fitting in.
“It’s a professional group,” Smith said of his early impression of the Giants’ locker room. “Bob has been around for a while and he knows how to conduct a locker room and keep the guys together and they’re pretty straightforward and honest. I think when you understand the message as a player from the organization, it’s easier to go out and play and I think this team just wants to win.”
“This team, since I came in, they’ve welcomed me with open arms and they’re making it fun to go out there.”
Smith might have further cemented his temporary “Giants Legend” status by changing his walk-up song to Mac Dre’s “Feelin’ Myself,” a decision he made to pay respect to the Bay Area.
“Come on, I have to pay my respects,” Smith said. “I’m an LA kid, but I have a ton of respect for the Bay, for the culture out here. Like I said, I’ve been a fan from a far. It’s been a surreal last few days being here and I just want to be a part of this organization not just for now, but for a while.”
This guy knows what he’s doing.
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