The first comment you hear from coaches or scouts when asked about Giants second-string catcher Justin Knoedler never varies, and San Francisco manager Felipe Alou is no different.

"He has a rocket arm," said Alou of Knoedler's ability to throw out potential basestealers from behind the plate with that strong right arm, as befits a former pitcher.

Without that muscled slingshot, Knoedler -- pronounced kuh-NAID-ler -- would probably by toiling somewhere in the lower Minor Leagues rather than being on San Francisco's 40-man roster, backup to veteran Mike Matheny.

While it appears the 25-year-old Springfield, Ill., native will stick with the Giants in 2006 after they traded away Yorvit Torrealba to Seattle and outrighted journeyman Yamid Haad to Triple-A Fresno on Oct. 17, Knoedler isn't prepared to feed his Major League per diem to his piggy bank just yet.

Sure, he was on the Mesa Solar Sox in the elite Arizona Fall League campaign with other Giants prospects, but he knows his status could change in a hurry.

"I'm going to compete for a job in the spring," said Knoedler, who hit .226 with the Solar Sox but played well defensively, as expected. He batted .272 at Fresno last year and hopes to break out offensively during Cactus League action.

"It was a long year, but I always prepare myself to grind it out," said Knoedler. "It helped here [in the AFL] by not playing every day. I worked on things I learned from [Giants hitting instructors] Joe Lefebvre and Willie Upshaw last September, trying to find my comfort level.

"It's a game of adjustments -- to pitchers and to your swing. I'm trying to get consistent at the plate, and even if I don't get success right away and strike out, I'm keeping the same approach, the same swing. I've finally found the right slot for my hands."

Unless the Giants acquire another reserve catcher over the winter, Knoedler will enter Spring Training as No. 2, although he's not ready to take Haad out of the equation.

Haad had a difficult year with the Giants offensively, batting .071 in only 17 games, but threw out five of 10 runners and guided the pitching staff to a 2.51 ERA over nearly 90 innings behind the plate.

"I was with Haad in Triple-A, and I think he could use more time and at-bats," said Knoedler. "He did some awesome things in Fresno [.282 average with 10 homers] and he's a great player."

No question, however, Matheny is Knoedler's idol, and he pestered the four-time Gold Glover constantly after a Sept. 2 callup.

"He's a soldier," said Knoedler of the 35-year-old Matheny. "I have more respect for that guy than anybody. He played [134] games and I don't know if I can do that. He never complained, played like 20 games in September and was still blocking balls. He was fun to watch."

And learn from.

Matheny is a pitcher's catcher -- the man on the mound comes first -- and Knoedler was awestruck by the veteran's unselfish attitude and work ethic.

"I asked him about game-calling and why he called this certain pitch -- you can never ask a bad question," said Knoedler. "He tells me about his experiences and says everybody is the same. There are flexibility issues. He's a great blocker and more flexible than a lot of big guys."

Knoedler starred at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield and being named NCJAA National Player of the Year before attending the Miami University (Ohio), where he was converted to the team's closer in the second half of the 2001 season.

But his professional pitching career proved brief. In relief at Salem-Keizer, he was 1-1 with a 1.26 ERA, but has come on fast as a catcher the past four seasons, earning that prospect rating with a solid .274 average at Double-A Norwich (now Connecticut) in 2004.

Knoedler had only one at-bat for the Giants later that summer, but earned his first Major League hit with a pinch-hit single against San Diego on Sept. 12 this year.

Being named to the Solar Sox was a coup for Knoedler, and he felt the experience against top-flight prospects was a boon.

"My arm has gotten me where I am, and I worked on my strengths here," said Knoedler. "I also worked on my weaknesses -- I'm trying to be consistent and improve in all areas."

Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
If this is true, the Giants have one less worry this offseason.