We played virtually the entire season without T. Gwynn, and won 76 games,'' he said. Towers likes the way Gwynn is moving. Up at Lake Elsinore he went for a ball in the gap and went from first to third on a hit. He didn't look particularly speedy when Barry Bonds threw him out at home in Monday's opener in the fourth inning. He hasn't done that yet.
Towers sees other pluses.
The team played without a consistent shortstop all last season, but a healthy Gomez beat out newcomers Alex Arias, Donaldo Mendez and Santiago Perez for the job. We have upgraded that position,'' said Towers. Towers' exhilaration extends to Hitchcock, who had just 11 starts a year ago before undergoing Tommy John ligament replacement surgery on his elbow. The MVP of the 1998 National League Championship Series might be ready next month. He'll pitch on a rehab assignment on Thursday for Lake Elsinore.