HOME

The A's Report to Spring Training with Hopes of a Repeat

The popping sound of baseballs hitting catchers mitts has started in the Athletics spring training camp. Pitchers and catchers have reported. As the A's prepare to defend their HH World Series title, here is a look forward at the 2002 Oakland A's.

ROTATION

Last season the starting rotation got off to a great start but struggled with consistency down the stretch. This years staff has questions to answer if they are going to repeat. Tim Hudson is coming off another great season (19-6, 2.45) and is the anchor of the pitching staff. Look for Hudson to be among the Cy Young candidates again this year. Things get more dicey after that. Barry Zito (17-8, 3.27) showed flashes of greatness, but struggled with control and consistency, especially in the post season. Look for Zito to be better in his second full season of starting. Corey Lidle (6-6, 5 saves, 3.67) will get his first shot at the rotation after spending a season going between starting and long relief. Lidle takes the spot vacated by Gil Heredia, who was traded to Milwaukee for lefthanded reliever Matt Williams. 39 year old Jeff Andrews (17-7, 3.03) surprised many by returning to the A's for another season. Many expected the future Hall of Famer to retire, but after discussing his role with the team he decided to give it another go. Andrews had a solid first half, winning 11 games and making the All-Star team, but faded in the second half and barely pitched in the post-season. However, Andrews has looked sharp early in spring training, prompting the A's to make the Heredia trade. Mark Mulder will get another shot at the rotation after a disappointing season. The highly touted prospect has yet to prove it in the big leagues. With Oakland blossuming farm system, Mulder is running out of chances. Justin Miller will be ready and waiting in the event of an injury or poor performance. Miller was 15-2 with a 2.56 ERA at AAA Sacramento before being called up. He was 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA in four games for the A's, including a complete game shutout on the last day of the season. Miller will start the season in long relief.

BULLPEN

The Athletic's bullpen had the opposite problem of the rotation. After getting off to a bumpy start, the bullpen jelled and became a strength for the team down the stretch. Jason Isringhausen (3-3, 3.51, 5 saves, 5 bs) started the season as the closer, but after several blown saves manager Art Howe went to a closer-by-committee and waited for someone to emerge with the job. That someone was Jim Mecir, who saved 23 games in 27 attempts while going 3-2 with a miniscule 1.39 ERA. Isringhausen will get a chance to win a set-up job. He will battle other righthanders Jeff Tam (7-3, 3.40, 3 saves), TJ Mathews (2-0, 2.76, 2 saves), and free agent Tom Gordon. Oakland must find someone to replace the retired Mike Magnante (2-2, 3.42, 1 save, 1 bs) as one of the lefthanded set-up relievers. Matt Williams, who was acquired from Milwaukee, will get the first shot. Mark Guthrie (4-4, 2.76, 7 saves, 1 bs) will return to handle the other half of the lefthanded duties. Justin Miller is expected to start the season as the long reliever. Don't be surprised if the A's keep 12 pitchers as they did for much of the season last year.

LINEUP

There shouldn't be too many changes between the line-up that finished the season last year and the one that will start this year. Johnny Damon (.276, 13 hr, 105 runs, 28 sb) will once again play leftfield and lead off. The A's would like to see Damon walk more (.372 obp). Last seasons Rookie of the Year Jose Ortiz (.273, 12 hr, 68 rbi, 72 runs) will get another year in the two spot. First baseman Jason Giambi carries the big bat in this lineup (.324, 43 hr, 122 rbi, 100 runs), but Oakland needs to find consistency in the cleanup spot. Last season the team acquired catcher Brook Fordyce for that (.258, 24 hr, 84 rbi) role, but Fordyce was injured and lost for the season soon after arriving in Oakland. One of the questions the A's will face this year is whether Fordyce is healthy and can he duplicate last year's career best numbers. Jeremy Giambi started last season in a platoon role in rightfield. Giambi (.253, 23 hr, 82 rbi) will be given the opportunity to win the job outright with Adam Piatt out for much of the beginning of the season. If Giambi fails to grab the job, look for switch-hitting Eric Byrnes (.283, 2hr, 38 runs) to see some time in the outfield. Byrnes will be the 4th outfielder to start the season. Miguel Tejada (.252, 23 hr, 76 rbi, 78 runs) continues to emerge as one of the to offensive threats at shortstop and will hit 6th. The team would like to see third baseman Eric Chavez improve his offensive numbers (.268, 23 hr, 78 rbs, 74 runs) and move up in the lineup. Terrance Long had a disappointing season last year (.233, 18 hr, 64 rbi) and will probably feel pressure from Byrnes also. John Jaha (.281, 15 hr, 33 rbi) will start the season as the DH, but don't be surprised if Jayson Hart doesn't start seeing significant time there after starting the season at AAA.

NEWS AND NOTES AS CAMP BREAKS...

As spring training breaks here is an update on the A's as they get ready for opening day.

-T.J. Mathews lost the battle for a righthanded setup job. Mathews was traded to the Dodgers for future considerations.

-Jeremy Giambi had a solid spring training, prompting Art Howe to announce that the rightfield job was his. Howe also said that Eric Byrnes will see significant time at DH when he wasn't in the field giving one of the starting outfielders the day off.