GLENDALE -- In his 62nd year in baseball, Joe Amalfitano still has great instincts. The longtime Dodgers third-base coach is now a special assistant for the Giants, and when the teams met up on Friday night, Bruce Bochy asked the 82-year-old to coach third for the first two innings. Amalfitano looked right at home, especially when the big bats came up.
“The only thing I was worried about was when Hunter Pence was hitting,” he said, smiling. “I was in the dugout, because he can pull it.”
Bochy said he wanted Amalfitano to get the experience because he knew Tommy Lasorda would be at Camelback Ranch for the game. Amalfitano, a former Giants infielder, was the Dodgers’ third-base coach from 1983 to 1998, with Lasorda serving as manager for the majority of that time.
“I had a good time,” Amalfitano said. “I saw Vin Scully. I said, ‘See if you can get Lasorda’s limo to take me to the (third base) box.'”
[PAVLOVIC: Cueto shines; Giants still consider keeping extra pitcher]
Amalfitano was announced over the PA system when he went out for the second inning. He saw little action as the Giants were blown out 13-0, but he had all the signs ready to go and animatedly pointed to the bag when Brandon Crawford was coming to third in the second inning. The inning ended a pitch later.
“It was nice of the Dodgers to do that,” he said of the announcement. “I enjoyed it. I didn’t get to do too much. I talked to Crawford. I was hoping to have a little more action, but it was very nice of the (Giants) organization.”
For the Giants, it was the rare highlight Friday night.
“I thought it would be a fun thing, and he could be honored,” Bochy said.
The Giants have been using Steve Decker at third this spring since Roberto Kelly has a calf strain. Triple-A manager Jose Alguacil replaced Amalfitano, who has little interest in an encore.
“That’s it for me,” he said, laughing as he walked off the field. “No more.”
ICYMI: From earlier, a story on Johnny Cueto and some clarity with the roster.
FAMILIAR FACE: Charlie Culberson made two very athletic plays at short for the Dodgers and had an RBI triple, but this was the familiar face moment of the night, and of the entire spring. The guy on the left is a catcher for the Dodgers, who still looks like that and pinch-hit tonight.
QUOTABLE: “He’s a controlled Peavy.” — Bochy on Cueto’s mound demeanor.
