fringe

must be roid rage....

can folks really remember that far back?

Lots of holes in that swing. Start him early and often before AL pitching gets wise.

well, he said Bonds gave it to him. and we all know bonds didn't know what it was so it hold true that shef didn't either. it's all very simple, i don't know why people are always looking for the negatives

50% of baseball from 1991-2003. (thee other half were on amphetamines)

wow, when you put it that way maybe we should always deal our 1st round pick.

He's not better than Collins and its not a start. To me it means Andrew Walter by game 7 which is not a bad thing.

This may help too: Niekro opening eyes with spring play First baseman's strength, adjustments fueling strong showing By Rich Draper / MLB.com "It's going well, but I have to keep working hard," said Lance Niekro about his strong spring. (SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- There's been some big changes for Giants first baseman Lance Niekro this spring -- in body, in confidence, in swing and in power. Bulked up by some 15 pounds over the offseason -- all muscle -- the 27-year-old Niekro has impressed coaches with a dynamic work ethic, a .400 batting average over his first 14 Cactus League games, a team-leading 11 RBIs and what backup first sacker Mark Sweeney calls an unmistakable presence. "He's a hard worker and he's got that quiet confidence that's much needed," said Sweeney, a 12-year veteran. "He's been around the game a long time, growing up with his dad and uncle [Major League pitchers Joe and Phil Niekro], but sometimes you have to get your feet wet in this game and continue to grow and grow." Niekro's experiences as a rookie in 2005 were exactly that, a mix of batting turmoil -- facing premier pitchers on a consistent basis and struggling through an extended funk after initial success -- but getting invaluable playing time and learning the nuances of first base from none other than Gold Glover J.T. Snow. This should be Niekro's breakout year. "It's going well, but I have to keep working hard during practices and take that out into the game with me," said Niekro, hitting .424 over his last 12 games. "I'm trying to be more selective and find a pitch in the zone." It's working, but Niekro, whose Minor League career has been fraught with injuries -- right shoulder surgery, fractured radius in left hand, high ankle sprain -- has missed two games with a right shin splint, although it's not considered serious. "He's been battling it for a week to 10 days," said trainer Stan Conte. "We don't anticipate it being a big issue. If this was the regular season you wouldn't even know about it. With an off-day and everything, we could afford to give him some rest." Still, Niekro also had leg problems last season, and the Giants are hoping to see a full season from the infielder. "We just have to keep him on the field," said Sweeney. "Injuries are a part of it. I've been around a lot of guys who are very good players, but not being on the field is tough. It's weird -- some guys are snakebit about that but hopefully this is one of those years he stays on the field." If Niekro can stay whole, watch out. He has altered his stance this spring, his weight centered, and hitting coach Joe Lefebvre says the strong Niekro is terrifying pitchers now, not being fooled by we-know-your-weak-spot offerings. "One of his problems was he had too much weight on his back foot and he couldn't put his front foot down in time and he was collapsing," said Lefebvre. "Now he's staying over the ball better, and it's a much quicker path to the ball with a lot of power." Niekro's been a hitting star since winning the league batting title in 2000 with Class A Salem-Keizer (.362), and he had his best season at Triple-A Fresno in 2004 with a .298 average, 12 homers and 47 RBIs. He hit .297 and 10 homers before the All-Star break in 2005, but those leg problems cut his playing time, then his average took a .186 tailspin the second half. Overall, he hit .324 vs. left-handed pitchers and .206 vs. righties. Lefebvre said he wasn't surprised at Niekro's early success, but was a bit shocked the rookie couldn't extricate himself from the slump. "We expected a lot and he put pressure on himself also," said the coach. "At the end of the day, he didn't finish up the way he wanted but he showed a lot of promise. He's stronger now and that's given him confidence. When you're weaker you have a tendency to lose your mechanics quickly." Niekro admitted he tried desperately to get his swing back, but it didn't happen. "Last year it wasn't that I couldn't hit [right-handers], I was just in a funk," said Niekro. "Hitting is hard, and it never went through my mind about lefties or righties. There were a couple of pitches they were getting me out on, even lefties, and once they found that spot they started attacking me." Now Niekro is counterattacking. He's hit safely in 10 of his last 12 games, going 14-for-33 (.424) with two doubles, a triple and homer. And if the bigger-in-multiple-ways Niekro can stay healthy, he's hoping that trend will continue through the regular season. Rich Draper is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major

Well, he came out of the gate last year on fire. But he couldn't hit righties. Sweet compact swing, he looked like he could improve. He'll get a shot at every day 1st base. If he can't cut it, he'll platoon with Sweeney. Potential for 25HR's 80-90RBI's, (Bonds is always on base in front of him) maybe .270 BA. Decent fielder (does that matter?) but not a JT Snow. We'll be hearing a lot of 'JT would have had that' this year.

u mean with his baserunning?

Now he says he'll play left field: JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Alfonso Soriano took his spot in left field for an exhibition game Wednesday, agreeing to play the new position for the Washington Nationals two days after refusing to move from second base. "It's a relief for everybody, it really is," manager Frank Robinson said before the Nationals played the St. Louis Cardinals. "We get the distractions away from here and we can focus on baseball now and getting this ballclub tuned up and ready to go for opening day." Soriano led off the game and flied out. He was the last player out of the dugout for the bottom of the first inning, loping to his new post, and did not get any plays in the field. Before the game, Soriano did not comment on his move. He was all smiles as players stretched and took batting practice, and he also signed several autographs. Soriano was an AL All-Star the last four years at second base, and played there this spring for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. He has never played the outfield in a major league game. The Nationals got Soriano in an offseason trade with Texas. Washington already has an established second baseman, three-time All-Star Jose Vidro. Robinson said he gave Soriano the option of not playing Wednesday and making his outfield debut on Thursday for a home game. But he said Soriano wanted to get started now. "All I wanted to know from him was, was he willing to play left field," Robinson said. "He said he was ready to go, he wanted to get at-bats and get out there and play." Robinson said he considered the position move permanent to the point he doesn't even consider him the backup at second base. "We're doing it for the season," Robinson said. "We didn't ask him to do it for today, that's not the answer we wanted." Robinson said he'd be patient with Soriano if he struggles at his new position. All he wanted to see was effort. "Just knowing him for a brief period of time I feel like he's going to go out there and give it 110 percent," Robinson said. "We're not talking about a Gold Glove or anything like that, just go out there and do the best you possibly can." Robinson said Soriano never really took a "defiant" stand in conversations with the team. He said it just took time for the team's desire to sink in. "I told him you have to understand our side of it, and I think now he does," Robinson said. "It makes us a much better ballclub." Soriano had been scheduled to make his first spring appearance on Monday night against the Dodgers. But after being listed on the lineup card in left field, he refused to play. General manager Jim Bowden had threatened to put Soriano on the disqualified list, which would prevent him from playing, accruing service time and receiving his $10 million salary.

so......, you agree with my point.

wait, you say it isnt surprising that he struggled at 2nd because he moved from SS 3 years prior??? Gimme a break. He should love left field then.

Is she related to Jerry?

Baseball Teams who draw fans have some of the worst advertising campaigns I've ever seen. The ones who don't draw well seem to be more creative. Out in SF, the A's kill the Giants in creativity.

I don't know what his problem is. Left field is much easier, its not like he's a gold glove at 2nd base. Does anyone know his reasoning?

Will they take Ray Durham for him? You can convince Ray to play left.

Oh i really dont think they expect that much from thomas, but don't you think that billy beane puts such little stock in the manager that it can hurt them in the playoffs, not having an elite mgr., i mean?

Good move for both teams., Pena has a quick bat, I liked what I saw of him last year. He's a Red Sox type of player.

i concur with both sentences.

LT FOR COMMISSIONER, who's with me?

no i meant its not the A's of the past with a lot of 'on base percentage wins games' philosophy. they are built more traditional this year. Nothing wrong with thinking your team is going to win, spring is about eternal hope.

The A's are better this year than they've ever been. This is not a moneyball team. As Lorf, said, unbelievable rotation, great closer in Houston Street, fantastic defense (from 2ndbase to 3rd base, best d in baseball) They are even prepared now to go far in the playoffs. The only weakness is Macha in the playoffs is iffy. I think AZ improved to a .500 ballclub, which means they have to get their wins from someone in the division, so I had to do it to keep it consistent.

I guess you haven't looked at the Dodgers starting rotation.