Pat Burrell Activated, Excited to Rejoin Giants

SAN FRANCISCO -- Brett Pill spent his first day in a Major League uniform Wednesday, but 12-year veteran Pat Burrell cherished the afternoon just as much.

Burrell, who missed 43 games with a strained right foot, rejoined the active roster from the 15-day disabled list as outfielder Aaron Rowand and infielder Miguel Tejada were designated for assignment -- moves that corresponded with Pill's contract being purchased from Triple-A Fresno. It was difficult to tell who was the rookie and who had appeared in his 1,629th big league game after the Giants' 4-0 triumph over the Chicago Cubs.

"It was fun," said Burrell, who beat out a grounder for a pinch-hit single in the eighth inning. "I felt like I was 10 years old today. There's a difference between being in the dugout and knowing you can't help as opposed to being in the dugout and knowing you have a chance."

Burrell's availability heartened manager Bruce Bochy, who repeated that his slumping Giants missed Burrell during his absence. Bochy explained himself by enumerating Burrell's traits as a ballplayer, including his being a "positive" and "calming" influence and providing an example with his patient plate approach.

"He's a winner," Bochy summarized. "We saw what he did last year when we acquired him. ... I think he did change our lineup a little bit [when he went on the DL]. We lost some power; we lost some presence a little bit. It's good to have him back."

Bochy added that he plans on starting Burrell in left field Friday night when the Giants open a critical three-game series against National League West-leading Arizona.

Don't expect Burrell to become a fixture in San Francisco's lineup, though. His foot has improved enough for him to resume playing, but it likely won't allow him to perform regularly.

"I don't like putting [Bochy] in a position where he has to see how I'm doing. But that's kind of where it's at," Burrell said. "If he wants me out there, I'm going to be out there. That being said, I have some limitations."

Bochy also envisions Pill as a part-time player. He'll pinch-hit and, as a right-handed batter, might start occasionally against left-handed pitchers.
Pill, 26, didn't learn of his promotion until 9:15 a.m., when Fresno manager Steve Decker conveyed a happy order by telephone. Pill had to jump on an 11 a.m. flight from Reno, where the Grizzlies were playing a series.

"It's probably better that it happened so quick because I really didn't think about it," Pill said.

Pill hit .312 with 25 home runs and 107 RBIs in 133 games for Fresno in his first season after being removed from the 40-man roster. He indicated that his reduced status actually helped him by "not thinking about being here."

Said Pill, "Last year, being on the roster, when you don't get a hit, you think, 'I'm not going to get called up in September.'"
Now he really can stop worrying.


(mlb.com)