And...we're back

Well, the Giants played their first Spring Training game today. Man, it feels good to finally have baseball back up and running...Giants won, by the way. Beat the Diamondbacks by a score of 7-6. And while Spring Training records don't matter, it's nice to win. Always nice to win.

• People were complaining about the batting order, most notably -- Miguel Tejada batting third. I seriously doubt Bruce Bochy would do this in a regular season game, so let's wait to complain when he actually starts doing it. I think Tejada belongs in the seven or eight spot in the order, and I'm sure he'll find a home there. 
• If I was to complain -- and I won't -- it's that Andres Torres was the designated hitter. This doesn't even matter, because Bochy won't be needing to pencil in a DH (most of the time) during the regular season, but there's no reason why the best defender on the team -- heck, one of the best defenders in baseball -- shouldn't be out there on the field. A huge chunk of Torres' value is in his defense, and I hope Bochy understands that (I'm sure he does...).
• Tim Lincecum looked bad today. Buster Posey looked good today. None of this really matters though...I think Spring Training really matters for guys like Aaron Rowand and Mark DeRosa. It could very well determine the role they play beginning Opening Day, so I'll be watching these guys closely. Remember, John Bowker was the Giants' starting RF last year on Opening Day because he raked during Spring Training. I expect a similar phenomenon to occur this year -- that is, I expect Spring Training performance to determine the roles of certain players at the beginning of the season.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks have a pitcher named Zach Kroenke, who bares no relation to Zack Greinke...just thought I'd inform you this.
• Prospect watch: Gary Brown and Darren Ford each stole a base; Brandon Crawford, Thomas Neal, and Brandon Belt each failed to get a hit in their one at-bat. 
• Twitter is destroying objectivity for many Giants fans, including -- somewhat -- myself. I've come to be a huge fan of Thomas Neal, Eric Surkamp, and the rest of the tweeting Giants (Justin Fitzgerald, Zach Wheeler, and Pablo Sandoval, to name a few). These are players that care about fan interaction, and are making the fan experience that much better by actively socializing with fans through Twitter. 
• Grant at McCovey Chronicles lays out five things he's absolutely not worried about. I echo these sentiments. Brian Wilson's a professional, and I doubt that his off-the-field actions will have a negative impact on his performance. He's a gamer, and he'll maintain focus. Not worried about the rotation depth either -- Giants did what they could with Jeff Suppan, Brian Lawrence, Josh Banks, and it should suffice. I don't even care what the national media thinks anymore. And lastly,  I've said it before -- I think Travis Ishikawa's time with this team has come to an end. He's just not that necessary with Aubrey Huff, Pablo Sandoval, Mark DeRosa, Brandon Belt, and Buster Posey all having the ability to play first base. Maybe if he rakes during Spring Training, it will be a different story? But for now, I think Ishi's a goner. I'll always remember the role he played in bringing the Giants a World Series title (that walk he worked in NLCS Game Three was unforgettable). 
• Oh yeah, don't forget this: the Giants are defending World Champions. And we get to say this all year long.