Spring Training workouts started today, and the A's players toook the field to the roar of the crowd. The roar of all 9 people that were there to watch....
"Damn, where is everyone," Josh Reddick said aloud?
“It’s Oakland, dude,” replied Coco Crisp. “You get used to it. We have some great fans, but they don’t all show up on a regular basis.”
The A’s got the workout underway, playing catch and doing some light aerobics. Manager Bob Melvin strolled around, checking everything out, seeing which players looked in shape. Melvin was quietly optimistic about his team’s chances. New additions like Chris Young and John Jaso didn’t make the headlines like when the Angels added Josh Hamilton, but Melvin didn’t care. He liked the guys that didn’t make a ton of money, the guys that didn’t take their spot on the roster for granted. His pitching staff matched up well with the others in the division, and he knew that pitching wins championships.
Melvin walked up to outfielder Josh Reddick, who was doing some light jogging.
“Dude, you gotta shave that beard,” Melvin said.
“I didn’t think we had any rule like that,” Reddick responded.
“We don’t. But that thing is out of control. I want you to make headlines with your bat, not your facial hair. Tell you what, if we make the playoffs, you can grow it out and dye it green.”
“Ok, boss,” said Reddick. “It’s a deal.”
The manager of the Athletics turned around and looked at the rest of his team. There wasn’t one player who stood out, and that’s what Melvin liked. He wanted 25 guys working for each other. He was ready to see how these guys would do.