Carlos' Corner: 'The idea is
to be complete'
Peņa focuses on agility in conditioning
By Carlos Peņa
Special to MLB.com
Carlos Peņa, a 23-year-old rookie, was acquired by Oakland during the
offseason in a six-player trade with Texas. Expected to replace Jason
Giambi as the A's starting first baseman, perhaps as soon as Opening
Day, Peņa is considered one of the top prospects in the game and is
providing for MLB.com an exclusive daily diary for the 2002 season.
The A's played the Rockies in Tucson on Tuesday, but Peņa was among
the players who stayed behind in Phoenix. After a group workout
followed by a solo session with strength and conditioning coach
Clarence Cockrell, he discussed what he tries to get out of such
days.
PHOENIX -- Other than our off day, this was the first day of Spring
Training since games started that I didn't actually play in or watch
a game. So these are the days that I want to push it extra hard at
practice and get as much conditioning work in as I can.
What Clarence and I focus on is primarily agility, which helps your
speed and quickness and flexibility. I'm not trying to be Rickey
Henderson or anything like that, but if the team needs me to steal a
base or score from third on a popup behind first base, I want to have
that ability. Or say a ball is hit far to my right or left and takes
a strange hop that I need to adjust to at the last second. I want to
be able to make that play, and that takes agility.
The idea is to be complete. I want to be as complete as I possibly
can, and to be that kind of player, I have to really push it on days
like these. That way it will seem easier to do things in the games.
It's like in basketball, if you were to practice dunking on a 12-foot
rim and could do that, when you play on a 10-foot rim, it will seem
so easy. You'll be doing 360s and all kinds of crazy stuff.
So, for instance: When I'm taking ground balls, I'll ask for a round
of easy ones first. Right at me, nice and loose. Then I'll ask for
some that move me around -- to my left, right, in, back, whatever.
Then, with the last set of balls, I want shots. I want to try to make
plays that I can't make.
I want to push myself to try to do things I couldn't do before.
That's where true improvement takes place.
Carlos Peņa's diary appears as told to Mychael Urban of
OaklandAthletics.com.
