Well, as you may already know, Monday was the big day for A’s pitchers and catchers to report to the team’s spring training camp in Phoenix. As usual, lots of other players chose to show up on Day 1 to join their pitching and catching comrades. The reporters covering the A’s beat showed up as well. And among the news trickling out on the first day of camp thanks to those beat writers…
*The team has reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with left-handed Japanese reliever Hideki Okajima that includes an invitation to the major league camp.
*Catcher Derek Norris has shed a few pounds and has also made some alterations to his swing.
*New shortstop Hiro Nakajima said that manager Bob Melvin told him not to worry about the Jed Lowrie trade, that he was his shortstop.
*Third base and infield coach Mike Gallego has apparently been working Nakajima out over the past week and is “pleasantly surprised.” He also noted that the shortstop has great hands, above average footwork and an average arm.
*Top prospect Michael Choice is ready to go after missing the second half of last season with a broken hand.
*Pitching prospect Michael Ynoa is still in the Dominican Republic suffering from a case of chicken pox.
*Coco Crisp arrived with a beatbox, and it wasn’t long before the ‘Bernie Lean’ music was blasting in the A’s clubhouse.
Here’s a sampling of photos from Day 1 of spring training camp from various A’s beat writers…
See what the A’s beat writers have to say in their Day 1 columns…
John Hickey/Bay Area News Group
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Hiro was born to play for these A’s, can’t wait to see his reaction after the first walk off happens.
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