TAMPA, Fla. (AP) – At Scottsdale, Ariz., San Francisco Giants manager Felipe Alou said he understands there will be even more attention on his team this spring because of the steroid suspicion surrounding Barry Bonds.

“If you’re good, you’re good – whether it is the era of the steroids, or the cigars, or the hot dog, or the beer, or the amphetamine, or the red juice, or the whiskey,” Alou said as his team reported. “He’s been through the death of Bobby, his dad, along with the steroid stuff. I expect for him to just show up and swing the bat and hit.”

In Mesa, Ariz., Cubs manager Dusty Baker said he reached out to Sammy Sosa after the outfielder was traded to Baltimore, seeking to understand why his relationship with the All-Star came apart at the end of last season.

“I got hold of him and we had a short conversation. I wished him well. I did ask him, I said, “Hey, man, I’m still bewildered about what happened and why,’ and he didn’t really have an answer,” Baker said Thursday before Chicago’s first workout of the spring.

“He said, It’s in the past, good luck and God bless you.’ And that was the extent of the conversation.”

In Viera, Fla., the new Washington Nationals held their first workout for pitchers and catchers following the team’s move from Montreal. Players more or less used to performing in a vacuum are having every throw filmed by seven television cameras.

“It was a little strange during stretch seeing everybody out there,” reliever Joey Eischen said. “Being an Expo, being here a long time, I’ve never seen that. I’ve been in a lot of other camps. I’ve been with 11 other pro teams. It would equate a little bit with the Yankees.”

In Peoria, Ariz., new Mariners manager Mike Hargrove didn’t like his cap as he watched his team work out for the first time.

“The hat’s killing me,” he said with a laugh. “The person who designed these hats should be drawn and quartered, but the Seattle colors are nice. That part, I like.”

A day ahead of the New York Mets first workout, new manager Willie Randolph said his team has the right mix following the additions of Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran.

“It’s not all about players. It’s about changing the mind-set, changing the culture of what’s been going on here,” he said.

In Surprise, Ariz., Kenny Rogers took part in the first workout by the Texas Rangers but didn’t pitch.

“Kenny was scheduled to throw today, but he needs to have an orthopedic exam first,” manager Buck Showalter said.

All-Star closer Francisco Cordero, who set a team record with 49 saves last season, felt soreness in his pitching shoulder. The right-hander will take a few days off.

“It’s just a precaution,” Cordero said. “I first felt this two weeks ago while warming up for a game in the Dominican League.”

In Lakeland, new Detroit Tigers closer Troy Percival was the first player to report, at 6:30 a.m. The Tigers also learned that reliever Ugueth Urbina would not be in camp until at least early next week.

Urbina’s mother disappeared Sept. 1 from her home in Urbina’s native Caracas, Venezuela. A senior Venezuelan senior police official has confirmed news reports that the amount of ransom demanded was about $3 million.

Urbina left the Tigers last September for Venezuela following his mother’s disappearance. He has declined to comment on the case.