SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- As the Giants took the field for the first time in 2020, "Dreams" by Lil Wayne blasted through Scottsdale Stadium. Next came a song by Eminem.
Yes, life under Gabe Kapler even sounds different than during the Bruce Bochy years.
The Kapler Era officially kicked into the next gear Wednesday, when, after months of talking about plans, Kapler finally got to put on the orange and black and oversee a team workout. He said it felt natural, but he held back some of his full speech as he briefly met with pitchers and catchers in the morning.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE "There are so many messages that you want to send but at the same time you want to save those messages for the big group," Kapler said. "We tried to make it brief. For me, personally, the biggest day is when the entire camp is here."
That'll happen Sunday when position players report to a brand new clubhouse that is threatening to burst from the seams.
The Giants have a full 40-man roster plus Reyes Moronta, who is rehabbing from shoulder surgery and was put on the 60-day Injured List on Wednesday to clear a spot for Wilmer Flores. They have 31 non-roster invitees, including Trevor Cahill, who signed Tuesday and was out on the field Wednesday morning.
The room is so crowded that two sets of temporary lockers were brought in.
Then there's the 13-person coaching staff, which includes Alyssa Nakken, who quietly made history Wednesday. Nakken is the first female to be part of a big-league coaching staff.
Kapler said the majority of that staff was in the building by 6 a.m. There's plenty of work to get done, but the new manager doesn't seem capable of slowing down. About seven and a half minutes into his media session after batting practice, Kapler asked reporters if he could point out some positives from the first day on the field. Off he went ...
[RELATED: Giants' farm system ranked No. 14 by Baseball America]
San Francisco Giants
Find the latest San Francisco Giants news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
"I just want to touch on a few things that I found to be encouraging today. I thought (Jeff) Samardzija had a really good first (bullpen session). He looks like he's executing on both sides of the plate. It was good to see him come out with intensity and life in his body and executing his pitches on Day 1. I think it set a nice tone.
"Tyler Cyr also stood out today. Andrew Bailey came up to me and specifically called him out for the cutter that he's working on and the execution of his pitches in the bullpen today. That was excellent.
"One other dynamic that I thought is really going to play well for us is the way Buster led in the bullpen sessions today and in particular as our catching group was off to the side. Buster talked through his process, his setup, his most athletic positions, in the neighborhood of guys like (Chad) Tromp and (20-year-old catcher Ricardo Genoves). I think that's important because they're going to see Buster's intensity, his attention to detail, and they're going to naturally emulate that.
"I think over the course of camp, we're going to see some of the younger catchers -- including (Joey) Bart -- bear witness to Buster's intensity and attention to detail, and I think that's a good thing for all of us."
A few minutes later, Kapler bounced off the dugout bench and headed for the clubhouse. There were more meetings to take part in.
