Tony DeMarco

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Barry Zito occupies the clubhouse locker previously filled by Barry You-Know-Who, and a couple of remaining players in so many words have said, 'good riddance'.

The national media that converged for the first full-squad workout in the new era have dispersed to other camps — not likely to reappear — and resident quipster Steve Kline joked about how he finally can get a parking space around the ballpark.

Ready or not, the San Francisco Giants are forging a new identity.

“We've known since September that Barry wasn't coming back,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. “It's going to be different when you lose a core player who had a dominant personality. But we've all moved on. We've all moved forward. We aren't thinking about it.''

Added Dave Roberts, who will take Bonds' spot in left field:  “(The media circus) was warranted. He was the face of the franchise for a long time. But this spring is about guys getting opportunities. We can't be waiting for No. 25 to be doing something.''

The surprising good news is the Giants averaged 4.7 runs per game without Bonds in the lineup last season, and 4.0 with him. But the bad news is they were last in the league in slugging percentage with Bonds and also-departed Pedro Feliz. And Aaron Rowand is the only player of significance added to a lineup in which Bengie Molina — in reality a No. 6-7 hitter — will be batting cleanup.

More bad news: The Giants were 53-63 (.457) with Bonds in the lineup last season, and 18-28 (.391) without him, and they finished 15^th in the league in batting average, home runs and slugging  percentage and 14^th in on-base percentage. So where are the runs going to come from now?

“It's fair to say we're not going to be a power club, or a club that tries to slug it with anybody,'' Bochy said. “We have to get production from everybody in the lineup. We're just going to have to execute on offense. Whether that's putting guys in motion or bunting, that's my job to do whatever it takes to put ourselves in situations where we can score some runs.

“We're going to look at our veterans to bounce back and have normal years. Some guys had down years (in 2007), but it's a new year, a new slate. And we're going to be counting on our young players to come through and deliver for us.''

The Giants also are counting on a different mindset and camaraderie taking hold in the clubhouse. That's part of the reason they gave Aaron Rowand a five-year, $60-million deal that likely will exceed his on-field production, especially in the latter years.

Rowand already has grabbed the leadership role and run with it, doing everything from organizing team outings to suggesting the club deal for Joe Crede. Bochy can't help but notice and be impressed.

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“Any time he plays the game, anything he does, on the field and in the clubhouse — he does it the right way. He plays with intensity,'' Bochy said. “That's contagious. Every time he shows up, he gives you everything he's got.''

But already this spring, problems have arisen. Forty-one year-old shortstop Omar Vizquel, who — surprise! — enters this season as the game's active hit leader at 2,598 — will miss up to a month after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

Kevin Frandsen temporarily has made the move over from second base, where he was going to compete with veteran Ray Durham for playing time. Durham also hurt his shoulder and underwent an MRI, but already is back in the lineup.

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Durham remains in the mix mostly because the Giants could find no takers for his $8-million contract. Roberts has two years remaining on his deal, making it tough to move him, and Kline is back for another year at a pricey $4 million.

So Bochy is left to the tough task of dividing playing time between fading veterans and young and inexperienced players who never have been big favorites of the Baseball America/prospect watching set.

Dan Ortmeier is getting an opportunity to establish himself at first base. He has accumulated only 191 big-league at-bats at age 27, and is learning the nuances of first base from the master — guest instructor J.T. Snow — after playing mostly outfield in the minors.

“He is making the transition as well as you can expect,'' Bochy said.