SAN FRANCISCO -- The clubhouse clock read 6:14 p.m. as Lance Niekro -- baggage in hand -- entered the players' inner sanctum at SBC Park on Friday.

The infielder was in a rush. Here he was in civvies following a flight from Fresno to join the Giants and bat third and play first base in the game against the Colorado Rockies starting about an hour later.

Relief pitcher Jason Christiansen walked by and did a double-take, then Niekro was hugged by fellow rookie Tony Torcato.

"They called me about 1 o'clock this afternoon, so it's been pretty busy just packing up and trying to catch a flight," said Niekro, called up after outfielder Moises Alou was put on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right calf.

"It's a great feeling to be back up, but I didn't expect it to be this soon," said the 26-year-old Niekro, who had a good Spring Training, batting .295 over 28 games with 13 RBIs, one less than team leader Pedro Feliz.

"The main thing I've been trying to do is stay healthy, so I want to keep that going and help them win games," said Niekro, dogged by injuries in the Minors. "It was good getting a lot of playing time in the spring and showing them what I'm capable of doing."

Niekro said there's no extra pressure joining the club that's without both Barry Bonds and Alou.

"I'm sure the nerves will kick in in a little bit, but it's still a baseball game, only in a bigger environment."

The Giants' second-round selection in the 2000 draft played only five games with San Francisco in 2003, batting .200, but has averaged .313 over his Minor League career.

Manager Felipe Alou has long been a Niekro backer.

"We know he's a good hitter -- I knew that two years ago," said Alou. "He's been improving and is much better now. He's aggressive. He'll take his cuts, win or lose."

Orange Friday: Think orange, wear orange. That's the idea behind Orange Friday, a new Giants event every Friday night at home games. It kicked off at the Giants-Rockies game, with orange pom-poms, caps and sweatshirts dotting the stands.

Orange was the color of one Giants uniform top in the '70s, but since then it's been more of a stripe as black became the dominant color.

Fans can now be part of Orange Nation, with giveaways scheduled for subsequent Friday contests. The first 40,000 fans Friday received orange-colored pom-poms, while caps and rappers will also be featured during the summer.

An online contest on sfgiants.com, "Are You the Orangest SF Giants Fan?" will run May 6 to Sept. 1, with nine winners to be recognized during Fan Appreciation weekend on Sept. 30.

In 2003, when the Giants made the playoffs, "Orange October" proved a great success.

"It's always been a big part of our colors, obviously, orange and black, so this year we thought it'd be a great way to bring our fans together," said Bryan Srabian, the Giants' director of marketing and entertainment and the newly designated "chief officer of orange."

Fans spotted by members of the Giants organization wearing orange at the park or around town will also be recognized and presented a special "Your SF Giants" orange button. The concession stands will also feature orange beer cups and a new orange Giants 2005 schedule cup.

On deck: The physical and emotional hurdles have been jumped cleanly for Jerome Williams, who underwent elbow surgery last August then happily saw his father survive recent liver transplant surgery.

Now his focus is on taking the hill against Colorado at SBC Park on Saturday in his 2005 debut.

Williams appeared to gain arm strength over the spring despite a delay visiting his ailing dad in Hawaii, but he says he's a better pitcher now due to improved conditioning.