SAN FRANCISCO — When Pablo Sandoval walked into the trainer’s room in the Giants clubhouse on Friday afternoon and found Brandon Crawford, his longtime teammate pointed out that it was a gathering of two position players who share the franchise record for lowest ERA. As he walked onto the field a few minutes later, Sandoval laughed and offered a correction.
“I threw more innings,” he pointed out.
Sandoval was all smiles on Friday as he returned to Oracle Park for the first time since his playing days ended. After playing in the Mexican league last year, Sandoval is enjoying life at home in Miami with his family. He said his body and mind feel great.
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“I don’t have to worry if I strike out or if I don’t play,” he said. “I’m healthy. It’s good.”
Sandoval is back in town for an autograph signing and said he was “happy and excited” to see some old teammates and a lot of veterans he played against. He also spent some time chatting with rookie outfielder Luis Matos, a fellow Venezuelan who grew up watching Sandoval.
“I know who he is, too. He’s young, I follow him,” Sandoval said. “He’s got great talent.”
Sandoval hung out by the cage during batting practice and spent a while catching up with manager Gabe Kapler, who still has fond memories of his brief time with Sandoval in 2020.
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“I’m glad Pablo is here,” Kapler said. “One thing about Pablo that was really refreshing was that even at the end of his career he still wanted to play all the time. He wanted the big moment, he was always prepared in the cage. It’s hard to be a veteran player and maintain that youthful enthusiasm about playing baseball.”
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Asked about his favorite Sandoval memories, Kapler smiled and brought up how much cologne Sandoval wore.
“This is a compliment: You could always smell Pablo,” Kapler said. “He was very intentional about his scent. Walked in the dugout, you knew Pablo was there, it smelled good, you’re ready to play baseball.”