PEORIA, Ariz. -- There is controversy erupting again about Giants slugger Barry Bonds with the publication of excerpts in a soon-to-be-published book alleging performance-enhancing drug use, but his teammates are staying on the sidelines.

Veteran infielder Mark Sweeney said the media blitzkrieg on the issue was hardly unexpected.

"It's attention you know is going to happen," said Sweeney. "It's easy to go about our business every day and do our job. It's not a big deal. But the atmosphere here is good -- hopefully this turns into a story of us doing well."

Bonds was not in camp Wednesday, instead attending a custody hearing in the Bay Area, and he has yet to have an at-bat this spring. Bonds may play sometime this weekend and has said his workouts have gone well, with no setbacks.

The megastar is not rushing rehab from his thrice-repaired right knee which cost him all but 14 games last season, and Sweeney says there haven't been any distractions for the veteran squad.

"I've been around some really special players, but not to this extent," he said, saying attention could, in the long run, may be good for the organization.

As for Bonds working out on his own, it doesn't matter.

"You realize he can basically do what he wants because he's earned it," said Sweeney.

Seventeen-year player Steve Finley said, "Bonds is our teammate and we embrace him," while decrying release of the book, "Game of Shadows," with the World Baseball Classic starting its inaugural tournament and Spring Training barely under way.

Schmidt's outing: In his second outing of the spring, right-hander Jason Schmidt struck out five batters and allowed two runs over three innings in the Giants' 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners in Peoria on Tuesday.

Fair enough. But the big news is Schmidt feels stronger than ever following a disappointing 2005.

"I remember last year saying I felt I didn't have any legs under me," said Schmidt. "My arm honestly felt good last year -- I'm not going to lie about that. But something was just not there. It could have been body fatigue from the previous two years, it could have been lack of strength, who knows?"

Now Schmidt feels a big difference in overall strength after winter workouts, and manager Felipe Alou sees it.

"He's definitely stronger in the legs," said the skipper. "He was throwing uphill a lot last year, but not once here. Everything is downhill, good."

Schmidt had trouble initially against Seattle, explaining the baseball felt slippery, which he called "typical Spring Training. It felt really slick."

Schmidt gave up a two-run double in the first inning to Matt Tuiasosopo following a single, wild pitch and walk, then he settled down and dispatched the Mariners easily over his final two frames.

"I felt rusty, and I was going a little quick," said Schmidt. "No excuses -- I just wasn't quite ready to go. I had to get focused. Sometimes you take Spring Training for granted. I joke around, then I'm in a jam and,'OK, I have to get going, pick up the pace.' "

Schierholtz's homer day: Rookie Nate Schierholtz slammed two homers on Wednesday -- a mammoth shot atop the right-field berm against Seattle in Peoria, plus an earlier batting-practice ball that crashed through a woman's apartment window way past right-center on Field 2, adjacent to Scottsdale Stadium.

"We settled -- I signed a baseball for her," said Schierholtz. "I put 'Heads up' on the ball. But she was pretty rattled -- it went through a window while she was on the computer. I think she thought it was a gunshot. I don't know how I snuck it through the window."