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Athletics camp report
PHOENIX -- Five things to know about the Oakland Athletics:
1. Oakland has pitched exceptionally well this spring, its 4.01 team ERA ranking second in the American League through midweek. Given the difficulty of pitching in Arizona's dry air -- tougher to grip the baseball and throw curve balls -- it's very impressive that Oakland's staff ERA was better than all eight AL clubs that train in Florida. Still, three-fifths of the A's projected rotation is returning from various 2007 ailments, including converted reliever Justin Duchscherer (hip), Rich Harden (shoulder) and Chad Gaudin (expected to be out until mid-April following surgeries on his hip, foot and esophagus).
2. Dana Eveland, the 24-year-old left-hander obtained from Arizona, has been the talk of camp, posting a 1.20 ERA in 15 innings over four starts. "He just goes after hitters with a good fastball," outfielder Ryan Sweeney says. "And he has a really good front-door slider to left-handed batters."
3. The cult of general manager Billy Beane is alive and well in Oakland. Following this winter's significant changes that resulted in a projected lineup that includes catcher Kurt Suzuki, first baseman Daric Barton, left fielder Emil Brown and a possible center-field platoon of Chris Denorfia and Ryan Sweeney (if one doesn't win the job outright in the final days of the spring), some of the remaining players echo management's optimism. "Billy's always finding ways to find young guys who can play," shortstop Bobby Crosby says. "Anytime anything is done, you figure Billy will make a move that's going to help us." Says pitcher Gaudin: "You just trust in what Billy does. He's got a good method and he usually comes out on top."
4. Whatever happens on the field this summer, give Beane credit for bringing a couple of brothers closer together. Hey Crosby, are you the kind of guy who sits home in the winter and tracks all the moves your club is making? "I don't, but my little brother follows everything and he text messaged me every time there was a rumor or trade," Crosby says.
5. Something late in the night: Oakland last season tied with Cleveland for the AL lead with 11 extra-inning wins last season, and since 2003, the A's are 52-24 (.685) in extra-inning games, including 32-11 (.744) in Oakland. But they didn't get much help last year from their pinch hitters, who failed to collect any extra-base hits. It was only the fifth time since 1974 that a major league team has gone an entire season without a pinch hit. Overall, A's hitters batted .175 (10 for 57) with no extra base hits, 10 RBI, six walks and 15 strikeouts off the bench in 2007.