To Dye for

A's slugger still hurting as season opener approaches

PHOENIX, Ariz. -- It has come down to this for Jermaine Dye. This week will tell whether Dye, an absolutely critical part to Oakland's chances of making the playoffs this season, will begin the season in the batter's box or on the shelf.

At this point, it doesn't look good. It doesn't look good at all.

"I'm not going to do anything," says Oakland manager Art Howe, taking the long-term approach to his hopefully short-term problem, "until the trainers say it's a 'go.'"

It has been 5 ½ months since Dye fouled a pitch into his left leg in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, breaking his tibia and short-circuiting any chances the A's had of beating the New York Yankees. He's worked out fervently in Phoenix since then, faced "live" batting practice, played in simulated games, been on-track, it seemed at times, to be back at cleanup for the A's on Opening Day.

But soreness in the leg has persisted. He still limps. It is painful, almost impossible, to run. And so the A's wait to see when their right fielder can return.

Jermaine Dye has yet to recover from a broken left leg sustained in last year's postseason. AP

It's very possible, maybe even likely, he could start the season on the disabled list, though no one on the A's wants to face the possibility.

"Jermaine being out would mean a lot. He's that big right-handed bat in the lineup," says outfield mate Jeremy Giambi, "and that's really important with all the left-handed pitching in the West."

Dye was traded from the Kansas City Royals last season and played in 61 games for the A's, hitting .297 with 13 home runs and 59 RBIs. He provided some important protection in the lineup for former A's first baseman Jason Giambi. The A's, who won 102 games and the American League wild card, were 48-13 with Dye in the lineup.

The A's signed him to a three-year, $32 million contract extension in the offseason expecting him to help make up for the loss of Jason Giambi, who signed with the New York Yankees.

For the most part, Dye has looked pretty good in batting practice this spring. "He faced live pitching a couple of times out at Papago [the training site for the A's in Phoenix] and he wore them out," Howe said. "If we could only get someone to run for him."

Until then, Dye simply won't be ready to play. He could very well start the season on the disabled list or, at best, be available for pinch-hitting or designated hitter duties, though Howe said Monday it would be a "small miracle" for Dye to be the team's DH on Opening Day.

Howe also has ruled out Dye playing in the outfield early on. Without him in right field, Jeremy Giambi figures to head to left field and David Justice will roam right. Terrence Long remains in center.

"I'm doing whatever I can to get in that lineup," Dye told the San Jose Mercury-News late last week, "but your body tells you … slow down, it's not healed quite enough yet."

For Dye and the A's, the sooner that happens, the better.

Happy campers

The scene at the Seattle Mariners' training camp in Peoria, Ariz., is what spring training should be all about. Happy fans. Happy players. Both groups feeding off each other.

On an outer field at the Peoria Sports Complex, special guests of the club press against the fence and sit on metal bleachers, shouting out encouragement to the M's during batting practice.

"Hey, Edgar," one woman yells to the team's quiet designated hitter, Edgar Martinez, "did you lose some weight? You're looking really good."

Martinez shrugs and smiles. "Thank you," he said.

Ichiro Suzuki comes to the cage to shouts of people trying to speak Japanese, John Olerud smiles meekly for a fan with a camera and waves and all the while, the master of BP ceremonies, Mark McLemore, plays to the crowd.

"Hey, Mark, can I have your wristband?" a young fan intones.

"Nooooo," McLemore says.

"Then can I have some of your hair?" the fan asks.

"Look, I have very little left," he says.

Fans don't often get to see the nitty gritty of things like batting practice, certainly not this close up. And players often are not in the mood for fans that cheer pop-ups and grounders to short during these workout sessions. But the M's and their fans seem to have struck a nice balance. Much of it is because of McLemore.

"I've always liked the fans," McLemore says before wading into the throng to give out autographs. "I think a lot of people just don't know about ballplayers. They turn on the TV and we're in the box, then the next time they turn on the TV, there we are again. It's like we never move.

"This gives them a different perspective on major league ballplayers."

Camping out

When you go to an exhibition game during spring training, you take your chances. During a game in Scottsdale over the weekend -- in front of a sellout crowd of almost 12,000 people -- the San Francisco Giants played a starting lineup that will look almost nothing like the one they'll have on Opening Day. No Barry Bonds, no Rich Aurilia, no Tsuyoshi Shinjo, no Reggie Sanders, no almost anybody. And the Giants didn't even have to travel. The visiting Chicago White Sox decided not to bring Frank Thomas or Magglio Ordonez or Paul Konerko, but they were traveling more than 90 minutes from Tucson, so there's some reason there. For the fans, the only lesson is this: You pay your money, you take your chances …Arizona reliever Matt Mantei wants to return to the mound from last June's elbow surgery before the All-Star break, but manager Bob Brenly isn't counting on it. First he'd like to get him some regular work, build up his arm strength and then see if he's ready. Brenly refuses to put a timetable on when he expects all that to happen. "Until then," Brenly says, "he's just rehabbing." … Brenly on an overlooked part of getting ready for the season: "Sometimes," he says, "you just need to be on your feet for three hours." … With Opening Day officially around the corner, it's a tad interesting to note that the team with the most Opening Day wins is not the Yankees but the Chicago Cubs. Their 69 wins puts them four ahead of the New York/San Francisco Giants … Long for the quiet old days of spring training? The Mariners had two record-breaking crowds in Peoria last week, first when they hosted the Diamondbacks and two days later when the Cubs came to town. Both games drew slightly more than 13,000 fans … The White Sox's Konerko is at a sizzling .500 (32 for 64) after going 3 for 3 Monday … Cleveland's Charles Nagy gave up 12 hits in five innings Monday, and the pitching, remember, is supposed to be the strong suit of the Indians … Brady Anderson, whom the Indians would love to wrest away a job as the leadoff hitter, went 0 for 4 in the game and is hitting .224 this spring … We can't say it's a no-brainer, but considering Hank Blalock is leading the Grapefruit League with a .361 average (through Sunday), we're thinking Texas manager Jerry Narron is making the right call in going with the rookie at third base.

John Donovan covers baseball for CNNSI.com. His Spring Training Buzz will run each Tuesday and Thursday until Opening Day.

 

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