SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. � With wild hair that goes in many directions and tattoos on his upper arms, Brian Wilson looks like a member of a rock band. He moves to the beat of his own drum.

On the baseball field, however, the closer for the San Francisco Giants is a solid teammate. The only evidence of his independence is the shock of hair that peeks from the back of his cap.
The right-hander had 41 saves that earned him his first All-Star appearance in 2008, his first full season, and followed that up with 38 more in 2009. That earned him a hefty raise of nearly $4 million when he signed a one-year deal worth $4.437 million in January to avoid arbitration.
According to Giants manager Bruce Bochy, Wilson has earned every penny.
�Willie has emerged as one of the better relievers in the game,� Bochy said.
�He worked on a change-up last year. He�s gotten better. He�s a horse. This is a closer where I can use him an inning-plus. He threw two, even three (innings). He is strong and is working on his other pitches, too. That will make him even that much more effective. It�s great to have a closer like this, being able to use him as much as I did last year.�
That�s fine with Wilson, who will turn 28 on March 16.
He has thrown two bullpen sessions this spring and was to face hitters for the first time on Wednesday.
�Physically, mentally, I feel perfect,� he said.
As for having a closer �mentality,� he said that is a buzzword.
�People believe what they want to believe, but the fact is, every pitcher ultimately has to get three outs. It�s �rinse and repeat,� keep doing the same thing, whether it�s the first inning or the last.�
There are times when a closer will create even more trouble than he originally was called upon to escape.
�You have to eliminate those bad innings. If you�re going to give up a run, make sure it�s just one and not four,� he said. �You have to do whatever you can to not let the other team dictate how you pitch.�
He acknowledged there are occasions when he can get a bit too excited.
�He�s really intense. I go out and calm him down,� said catcher Bengie Molina.
Molina said the more Wilson pitches, the better he will become, that he is on the doorstep of becoming one of the game�s best.
�It is an honor for other people to pay attention to you like that,� Wilson said. �That�s why you play the game, to give the fans what they came for.�