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Here's what we got for Fonzie

Finley Has Found His Place With Giants in Clubhouse, on Field



May 25, 5:27 PM (ET)

By JANIE McCAULEY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - One minute, Steve Finley is providing examples of veteran leadership even his fellow old guys admire. The next, he is the epitome of youthful exuberance as he sprints out a triple or makes a great running catch on 41-year-old legs that move as if they belong to someone half his age.

In his first season with San Francisco, Finley is a big reason the Giants' clubhouse is more cohesive this year. Only weeks into his first spring training with his new club, he called a team meeting to tell his new teammates they needed to stand by Barry Bonds amid further accusations of steroid use by the slugger.

"That was a good move, no question," catcher Mike Matheny said. "It was the right thing to do. A lot of guys didn't know how to handle the situation, so it was good for a veteran like Steve to get out and say something. It's neat to see a guy take the initiative to get things going."

For Finley, it wasn't that difficult. He endured one of the toughest years in his 17 big league seasons in 2005.

"Chemistry's great when you're going good. Chemistry's easy then," Finley said. "It's harder whenever you're struggling."


He played in only 112 games for the Los Angeles Angels last season - his fewest in a non-strike season since his second year in the majors with Baltimore in 1990 - and was limited by a strained right shoulder that required a stint on the disabled list for the first time since 1997.

When the Giants traded third baseman Edgardo Alfonzo for Finley in December, the outfielder had no idea how much he would play this season. San Francisco already had three starting outfielders in Bonds, Randy Winn and Moises Alou.

Yet Finley relied on manager Felipe Alou's word that he would get his share of at-bats, even if it meant an occasional game at first base. Alou's plan all along was to use a four-man rotation in the outfield to keep everyone fresh.

"Naturally I was concerned," Finley said. "I've been an everyday player my whole career. It weighed on my mind a little bit but I had also talked to these guys and they said everyone was going to get a lot of at-bats. I relied on that."

Finley hasn't played first base yet. He has been too valuable as the Giants' fourth outfielder, which lately has meant starting every day in center field while Alou is sidelined with a sprained right ankle.

And Finley leads the majors with eight triples.

"You only believe he's 41 if he told you and you check his birth date," Felipe Alou said. "He looks like 31. He runs and plays center field like 31. His behavior, the look, is that of a man 10 years younger."

He is batting .275 with one home run and 21 RBIs and has scored 24 runs for the Giants, who will watch Bonds resume his pursuit of No. 715 to pass Babe Ruth for second place on the career homers list Friday night against the Colorado Rockies.

Finley has shown that Bonds is not the only 41-year-old - Bonds turns 42 on July 24 - making a huge impact for this club.

He has revitalized his career in a pitcher friendly ballpark where his knack for hitting triples has been a bright spot. Finley has his most triples since hitting 10 for Arizona in 2003 - some of which might be home runs elsewhere.

"Things always have a way of working themselves out," he said. "Last year it was just my shoulder was hurt. I made the mistake of trying to play with it instead of resting it right out of the gate. This year I feel great. You're still going to have your ups and downs, but I feel like I can do a whole lot more this year than I could last year."

Bonds has noticed a difference with the additions of Finley, Mark Sweeney and Todd Greene.

The slugger is being more sociable, playing cards or chess with his teammates or trainers before games.

Bonds wasn't there that day Finley pulled the players together, having returned to the Bay Area for a child custody hearing. Yet Bonds has sensed a greater support system in his own locker room.

How did he know?

"Because you guys ask the questions and I read their statements," Bonds said. "That's how I knew the support was there. ... I wasn't at (the meetings), so I don't know. Well, that's good. I'm glad."

Finley also questioned the timing of the release of excerpts from "Game of Shadows" right before the start of the season. The new book, written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, details Bonds' alleged longtime regimen for using performance-enhancing drugs.

With everything Finley has shown already this season, Felipe Alou is convinced he can keep playing for years.

"That guy could play like (Julio) Franco," Alou said of Atlanta's 47-year-old player. "He can call his shots. Everybody wants to have him around for a long time."




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