Torres not resting in quest to stay speedy

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- An hour before the Giants begin their workout, Andres Torres starts his.

The compact (5-foot-10, 195 pounds) yet powerfully built outfielder fully realizes that he needs his speed to stay productive. So he does everything he can to enhance his mobility, employing a regimen that includes agility drills and stretching exercises to maintain his lower body. Torres usually can be found toiling by himself at the auxiliary field adjacent to Scottsdale Stadium.

A sprinter on the track team in high school and college, Torres rejected the notion that because he's 35, he's bound to slow down.

"Age doesn't matter," he said Thursday. "If you keep training and doing the right stuff, you'll be fine. I saw [British sprinter] Linford Christie when he was 35 and he was still running 9.9 in the 100 meters. People say, 'The older you get ...' But I don't believe that, because you see all these athletes, they take care of themselves and they have the tools."

And Torres intends to maximize the tool that has brought him to the Majors.

"Teams like speed," he said.