Look out! Sandoval can see now

New goggles should make Panda even more dangerous at plate; Jennings reports to A's camp

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Tim Lincecum is the Giants' resident freak, but Pablo Sandoval's legend is burgeoning, too.

As if hitting .330 and finishing second in the NL batting race in his first full season weren't impressive enough, it turns out that Sandoval was squinting at the blackboard, too.

A vision exam in November determined that he was nearsighted in his left eye. He began wearing sports goggles in the Venezuelan winter league and prefers hitting with them instead of contact lenses, which dry out his eyes.

"It's so clearer," said Sandoval, grinning broadly. "I can see the ball better."

Catcher Bengie Molina joked that Sandoval might hit .500 this year. Giants manager Bruce Bochy just shook his head in amazement.

"He's an incredible athlete," Bochy said. "I've known just one great hitter who didn't have great vision, and that was Tony Gwynn. It shows how good he is. Your most important muscle is your eye, so hopefully this makes Pablo even better."

Sandoval, who doesn't plan to wear the goggles while playing third base, said the mild correction should help him pick up the rotation on pitches. Last year, when he used a vision training device that shoots numbered tennis balls at high speeds, he could only tell if the digits were black or red. Now he calls out the numbers.

The Giants still are keeping after Sandoval in the hopes he'll reach an opening-day weight of 250 pounds, but from the looks of his boiler, it's not going to happen.

Sandoval was listed at 5-foot-11 and 246 pounds in last year's media guide. He's listed at 262 pounds in the media guide bios that were released Friday. A club official described the weights as "pretty accurate."

CAIN ON A MISSION -- Matt Cain has built a pretty good résumé working in the shadow of two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.

In 2009, a breakout season for Cain, he was 14-8 with a 2.89 ERA and eight complete games. It was his third straight season off logging at least 200 innings -- in '06 he had 190º innings and finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

All those innings make it seem like Cain has been around longer than he has, but he is only 25.

There is no particular secret to his success -- just simple, hard work.

"I try to keep my body in good shape," said the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Cain.

He took about a month off after the end of the 2009 season before resuming workouts, and started throwing again in January.

Now Cain is heating up again for real. He has looked strong in bullpen and during batting practice sessions, and is expected to get his first Cactus League start against Colorado on Friday.

One of his primary goals this spring, "is cutting down on my walks. I'm trying to be a more consistent pitcher.

"I think one of the keys is to try and stay relaxed, stick to your routine, not get too excited when you're out there," he said.

Eli Whiteside caught a handful of Cain's starts last season, and was impressed by the pitcher's approach.

"He's just got that mentality where he goes right after the hitters, says 'Here it is,' " Whiteside said. "He is smart out there. He is able to adjust as the game goes along."

Part of that adjustment comes as the result of communicating with the catchers in between innings.

The Giants expect a minimum of six or seven innings out of Cain each time out, Whiteside said, "and that's usually what you get. He keeps you in the game, and that's all you can ask."

JENNINGS JOINS A'S, at Phoenix -- Jason Jennings and Brett Tomko agreed to minor league deals with the A's on Saturday, and less than 24 hours later Jennings was getting ready to play catch at A's camp.

Also, Ben Sheets threw live batting practice for the first time and impressed the coaching staff with his velocity.

"He threw the first pitch right by somebody," A's manager Bob Geren said.

Tomko, who finished the season with Oakland last year, will continue to rehab an irritated nerve in his right arm that ended his 2009 season prematurely. He'll report to the minor league camp and is expected to be ready to pitch by May.

Jennings, the 2002 NL Rookie of the Year, pitched for the Texas Rangers last year and was eager to get started this spring.

"I packed a couple of suitcases last night and caught a 7 a.m. flight (from Dallas) this morning," Jennings said minutes after arriving at Phoenix Muni on Sunday. "It's been crazy. I've been working out at home trying to keep up with everybody else in spring training waiting for an opportunity."

Jennings, sporting the number 77, braved a light drizzle to play catch with A's pitching coach Curt Young in the outfield. He hopes to throw a bullpen session today.

"I want to jump into some kind of routine," he said. "This is the healthiest I've felt since 2005."

Jennings endured elbow problems the past three years as he pitched for the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers. He was converted into a relief pitcher with the Rangers last year and was 2-4 with a 4.13 ERA in 44 appearances.

"He's experienced, he's a former Rookie of the Year and he had some great years for Colorado," Geren said. "He pitched well for the Rangers last year and he's healthy. We're happy to have him."

The A's plan to stretch him out as a possible starter or long relief.

"He's been a starter so we know he's a multiple-inning guy," Geren said. "We want to get him slotted in somewhere and get him going."