"Evan Longoria had heard all the stories, so he wasn't sure what to expect, either.

But after spending a good portion of his offseason working out with Manny Ramirez in Arizona, Longoria is now among those anticipating good things, and good behavior, from the dreadlocked one.

"It was good; it was fun," Longoria said. "He hasn't been 'the' Manny - he still jokes a lot and he loves to have fun and he's fun to be around, but he hasn't been that guy I've seen in the past where he's all joking around."

Longoria was impressed by what Ramirez has been doing, too.

"I've seen the way he's been working out, and his intensity and his intent, and I think he's right where he needs to be," Longoria said. "He looks great, and he's driven.

"He doesn't have any 'proving' to do, but maybe for the skeptics that are out there that he doesn't have it anymore, I think he's determined to prove them wrong."

Add in the consistency that LF Johnny Damon brings, and the intimidation factor Kyle Farnsworth adds to the bullpen, and Longoria likes the feel of the retooled team."