Mays visits Nats clubhouse, plus notes on Lind and Blanton

SAN FRANCISCO - Having Dusty Baker for a manager carries some special perks. Like, for example, having Willie Mays show up in your clubhouse.

The Hall of Famer made an unannounced visit to the visitors' clubhouse at AT&T Park this afternoon, catching up with Baker (a longtime friend) and meeting Nationals players and personnel.

"They were kind of shy, kind of like little kids, when they see Willie Mays." Baker said. "And I feel like I'm very fortunate to have been with him for quite a few years, played against him for a while. He's one of the greats of the game, and he's still regular and like one of them. That's what I'm thinking makes it easier for the guys to come around and ask to take pictures. He's very, very approachable."

Mays, who played against Baker in the late 1960s and early 1970s and then became his friend when the latter managed the Giants in the 1990s and early 2000s, posed for photographs, signed baseballs and cracked jokes with everyone from veteran Ryan Zimmerman to rookie Brian Goodwin to bullpen coach Dan Firova.

The 86-year-old "Say Hey Kid" doesn't see as well as he used to, but he made a point to hold each visitor's hand tightly and perhaps get a sense of what kind of hitter or pitcher he is based on the grip and other characteristics.

"Back in the day, your hand strength was more important than your arm and your back strength," Baker said. "He'd always shake hands with you, because he had big ol' hands, huge hands. He used to get on me about trying to increase my hand strength. And I'm on these guys about hand strength. I'm on my son about hand strength. That's what starts and stops the bat."

There are players on the Nationals roster in their early 20s with parents in their 40s who never saw Mays play a game in the big leagues. The outfielder's name, though, still resonates with guys several generations removed from him.

"Their parents, their grandparents probably talked about Willie Mays," Baker said. "I even had one guy - not on this team - ask me if he really was that good. Cause you hear the legend of Willie Mays and Hank Aaron. I assured him that, hey man, they really were that good. Especially in that era, there weren't as many teams, so you were facing the aces more than you'd face them now. He was one of the greatest players of all-time."

* With Bryce Harper serving his suspension over the next three days, the Nationals are left with a 24-man roster and only three true outfielders: Jayson Werth, Michael A. Taylor and Goodwin. With that in mind, Baker said he plans to have backup first baseman Adam Lind focus on doing pregame drills in left field, with the intention of starting one game there this weekend in Oakland.

Lind has 225 games of outfield experience in the majors, but his start in left field last week was his first since 2010.

Baker plans to have Werth serve as designated hitter for one game, likely Saturday afternoon, requiring Lind to start in left field.

* Reliever Joe Blanton has been with the Nationals this week and today threw off the bullpen mound for the first time since he landed on the disabled list two weeks ago with right shoulder inflammation.