PHOENIX -- The Giants included a neat stat on the front page of their game notes: If Emmanuel Burriss were to get the nod at second base, the Giants would field their first fully homegrown starting infield on opening day since 1993.
Oops.
Giants manager Bruce Bochy spoiled the fine work of his PR staff. He told KNBR this morning that Ryan Theriot would be his starter at second base against Arizona right-hander Ian Kennedy.
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Theriot is 3 for 9 against Kennedy, but the move probably has more to do with Burriss' late-spring cooling trend. It also has to do with Brandon Crawford's consistently strong showing at the plate. Bochy had planned to bat Burriss seventh in the hopes he could get on base and Crawford could move him over. But the Giants are confident enough in Crawford's ability to drive in runs that he will begin in the No.7 spot.
Also, the Giants do not have an additional backup infielder because Joaquin Arias didn't make the club. Burriss is seen as more of a true backup than Theriot, who really struggled on the left side of the infield.
All perfunctory caveats apply: This is just opening day. One out of 162. No, this doesn't mean you can mark down 600 at-bats of Ryan Theriot this season.
One other news item from Bochy's appearance on Murph and Mac: He said Buster Posey will catch all three games in the Arizona series. Count on Hector Sanchez catching Barry Zito on Monday at Coors Field.
San Francisco Giants
Getting back to that infield note, the Giants in 1993 featured catcher Kirt Manwaring, first baseman Will Clark, second baseman Robby Thompson, shortstop Royce Clayton, third baseman Matt Williams and pitcher John Burkett.
Here are a few more nuggets from the game notes that aren't completely irrelevant:
--There are just 13 players on the opening-day roster who were active for the Giants on opening day in 2011.
--On today's roster, 15 players are homegrown. Last year, just 10 were homegrown.
--Tim Lincecum is 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA in three opening-day starts. With his fourth assignment, he's second only to Juan Marichal's 10 lid-lifting starts.
--Yes, it's required that all beat writers work in the term "lid lifter" at some point today. That's one item checked off, and it's not even noon. Swell!