2006 A's Spring Training Thread

[Bear]

A broken down pitcher and a box of toothpicks!

[Providence A's]

I hope not...the A's would like to keep Bynum, but there is no room...the Chone Figgins comparison scares me a little...I hope that he doesn't turn into to a Chone if we trade him! That would suck for us...that's what happened to the Rockies (they traded Chone).

[DirtyKash]

Athletics pitcher Esteban Loaiza had been slated to be the third pitcher in the team's rotation this season behind Barry Zito and Rich Harden. However, because of Loaiza's extensive workload for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, he will move down the rotation, MLB.com reports.

I don't like this move at all...

[A'sDiehard]

I don't like this move at all...

Why? I don't see it as a big deal.

[Providence A's]

Haren > Loaiza

Zito, Harden, Haren, Loaiza, Blanton.

[A'sDiehard]

Interesting stat:

Oakland DHs were last in the AL in home runs with 11, in 656 plate appearances (2005). As a DH with the White Sox last year, Frank Thomas hit 11 home runs in just 118 trips to the plate.

[Providence A's]

well, that's bound to improve

A's beat the Rangers today 8 - 3. Thomas had 2 SF. A's improved their ST record to 13 - 15.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

[Providence A's]

http://www.insidebayarea.com/athletics/ci_3650137

PHOENIX — Ken Macha woke up at 4 a.m. Tuesday with a lot on his mind. Specifically, how the A's manager will distribute playing time this season?

"You always have a short term, and you view that more than long term," Macha said. "In the end, I hope every player gets 450 at-bats, makes millions and millions, and we win the World Series. That's utopia."

The A's break camp today. It's clear Frank Thomas and everybody else will be healthy, and decision time is looming for Macha.

Thomas started Tuesday for the second time this spring, and Macha wrote out the same lineup in both games: Mark Ellis, Mark Kotsay, Bobby Crosby, Eric Chavez, Thomas, Milton Bradley, Jay Payton, Jason Kendall and Nick Swisher.

Macha hopes Thomas can play two of every three games. First in line when Thomas doesn't play is Payton. The tricky part comes when a lefty is on the hill. That's a prime chance to play fifth outfielder Bobby Kielty, but at whose expense?

Swisher is a switch hitter, but he struggled from the right side last year. Lefty Dan Johnson hit 11 points higher against lefties than righties. Payton's left-right career splits are fairly even.

"Swish is part of our future, and DJ is part of the future," Macha said. "That said, there's a big focus on winning this year. It's a delicate mix. I'm sure in April, a few guys will be worried about not getting as many at-bats as they (want). I know these players don't have as much patience as I do."

It's a good problem to have IMHO...I just hope the players realize what the A's can do this year if they all play their role even if that means less playing time than they would like...and from what I've read it seems they do.

The idea is to stay healthy all season and still make the playoffs...then go balls to the wall...everyone will get a chance to play since they will try to keep everyone healthy.

[DirtyKash]

Why does Swisher hit behind Kendall?

[Providence A's]

That's a good question...I don't think that will be the regular lineup as Johnson will be at 1B with Swisher in left and Payton riding the pine...My lineup would be as follows:

Ellis 2B
Kotsay CF
Crosby SS
Chavez 3B
Thomas DH
Bradley RF
Johnson 1B
Swisher RF
Kendall C

[Bear]

Providence A's...Man is that one tough line-up! I would not like to have to pitch to that group!

GO A'S!!

[Providence A's]

well, you're boys are going to have to for at least 6 games this year

[Providence A's]

Well, so far so good as the A's leave ST with the whole team healthy.

http://oakland.athletics.mlb.com/NAS...=.jsp&c_id=oak

[Providence A's]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/cubs/...t-kiley30.html

JUST A MAYBE: Rookie infielder Ryan Theriot will make the team unless general manager Jim Hendry makes a deal in the next few days. The Cubs have inquired about Oakland Athletics outfielder Freddie Bynum, but Bynum has played so well this spring that he might open the season with the A's.

We're going to keep him now? Who's going to leave then?

[Providence A's]

interesting followup article:

http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/...s/14220995.htm

PHOENIX - In February, the Times posed the five most pertinent questions confronting the A's as they prepared for spring training.

Many of them, if not all, have been answered sufficiently as Opening Night rapidly approaches. Most of the queries, not surprisingly, concerned injuries.

"Our biggest goal was to get out of here as healthy as possible," manager Ken Macha said Wednesday, the day the A's packed their bags and headed to Oakland. "It looks like we've got the green light on everybody."

Once again, the five questions -- and a best guess at the answers:

1. Will the Big Hurt stop hurting?

So far, he has. He started in back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday for the first time this spring. It was his third Cactus League game since he was cleared to play Saturday. The big man's rehabilitation -- he underwent a second surgery on his left foot in July -- received about as much publicity as the movie "My Left Foot."

"I feel really good," said Thomas, adding he'll be ready to play in Monday's opener against the New York Yankees. "I've still got to work on some things, but my foot feels good. I worked my butt off to get here."

Thomas said he's not surprised his foot has healed enough to allow him to play.

"It was just a matter of following the doctor's orders," he said. "I've always felt like I needed to be Superman. I was hard-headed. I always want to come back too soon. I just listened to the doctors this time. I didn't try to do too much too soon."

2. Will Milton Bradley make highlight reels more for his play than for his temper?

Whatever rap was given to Bradley by his three previous employers seems exaggerated as he's conducted himself professionally in the A's clubhouse. He's just another player, joking with teammates or playing cards with fellow outfielders Mark Kotsay and Bobby Kielty.

"It's just about baseball here," Bradley said.

His teammates have said Bradley is nothing like the man they've heard and read about. "He's a good guy," pitcher Barry Zito said.

On an off-day, Bradley came into the clubhouse with his 3-month-old son, Jeremiah, proudly showing him to Macha and others. Wednesday, Bradley pulled a reporter aside and showed him a photo of his son that had just been e-mailed to his cell phone.

So far, so good.

3. Can Rich Harden stay healthy?

Harden made two trips to the disabled list last year, interrupting what could have been a terrific season. He came to camp after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum on his left (non-throwing) shoulder. There were concerns as to whether he'd be ready to start the season, but those appear to have been alleviated.

"I'm feeling good, 100 percent," Harden said.

He had his doubts in January.

"I just knew how I felt after surgery," he said. "I feel great now."

4. Can Bobby Crosby stay healthy?

Shortstop Crosby played in just 84 games last season because of two injuries (fractured ribs, sprained left ankle). Then he came to camp with an injured right shoulder hurt lifting weights during the offseason.

"I'm fine," he said. "I knew it was just tendinitis. It was just a matter of time before it went away. It was a little scary at first because I've never had an arm problem. I was told by the trainers that everything would be fine. It's not an issue now."

How valuable is Crosby? The A's were 55-29 last season when he was in the lineup, 33-45 when he didn't play.

Macha has enough confidence in Crosby that he'll more than likely bat him third, despite the additions of veterans Thomas and Bradley.

"Crosby continues to do a lot of things a third-place hitter is required to do," Macha said.

5. Can the four highly touted rookies avoid the notorious sophomore jinx?

The team's highly publicized '05 rookie class -- Huston Street, Joe Blanton, Nick Swisher and Dan Johnson -- once again will be important ingredients to the team's success this season. They've done nothing this spring to indicate there will be an appreciable drop-off.

Street was last season's AL Rookie of the Year. In most other seasons, the other three would have been strong contenders for the award.

The A's are in good shape to make a serious run this year. Let's go A's