Carlos' Corner: Gameday routine
Peña details a night at the park, from start to finish
By Carlos Peña / Special to MLB.com

Carlos Peña, a 23-year-old rookie heralded as one of the top
prospects in the game, was acquired by Oakland during the offseason
in a six-player trade with Texas. He's the A's starting first
baseman, and he's providing for MLB.com an exclusive daily diary for
the 2002 season.

Before Friday's night game against the White Sox, Peña accommodated
an e-mail request from Mark Raney, a 14-year-old from Danville,
Calif., by detailing his game-day routine at the ballpark.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- This is for Mark. He wants to know my routine on
game day, so here it is:

On days like today, when we have 7 p.m. game, usually we have to be
here for stretching by 4:10. So I like to get here at about 3 or so,
and what I do in that hour or so before stretching is just relax and
ease into the day. I'll listen to music, talk to the guys, get
dressed. Basically just take my time -- I hate to be rushed -- and
clear my head so that when it's time to work, I can play in a free
way.

It's important to back off a little bit sometimes, because I have a
tendency to think a lot, and when you think too much, that's when
things get complicated.

When we go out onto the field for stretching, I try to have as much
fun as I can. Stretching is about getting loose, and I use that time
to get loose mentally as well as physically. So we'll joke and play
around as we do our exercises, just trying to get as comfortable as
possible.

After that we play catch and go into batting practice. There are four
groups during batting practice, and I always hit in the third. It's
loosely based on the batting order, and I'm in the lower third, so
that's when I hit during BP.

When the first group hits, I go out into the outfield and shag some
balls. It's good to run around a little, get your legs going, get
your blood flowing. So that's what I use that first group to do.

During the second group, that's when my serious pre-game work starts.
That's when I go to the infield and take ground balls at first base
and get into my aggressive mode. I don't want anything about that
time to be easy. I want hard ground balls, and I go after all of them
with one hand. Always one hand. If I miss it, I miss it. If it hits
me in the face, it hits me in the face.

I try to make everything as difficult as it can be, and I want the
pace as fast as possible. That way, during the game, everything will
seem easier and slower for me.

The third group is my hitting group, and all I focus on is seeing the
ball as well as I can. I don't focus so much on mechanics as I do on
simply seeing the ball and working on my mental approach. That's why
you see me using the whole field. I know that I can hit a lot of
balls into the seats if I want to, but you don't see me doing that
because all that does is satisfy your ego. You have to take your
pride out of batting practice and just get your work in.

During the fourth group, I'll go into the dugout and get a drink of
water and then run back to the outfield. That's when I start to ease
back into a relaxed mode. I'll talk to some guys about hitting, joke
around, whatever.

After BP we have about an hour or more before the game starts, and
that's when I'll treat myself. I love corn flakes, so I eat a bowl in
the clubhouse before the game, and then I'll either go into the
whirlpool or take a hot shower. The idea is to make it seem like
you're starting over again. No yesterday, no tomorrow, just today.
Just now.

Then the game, of course, and after the game it's very simple. I come
back to my locker, talk to the media if they want me, then change
into my shorts and head straight for the weight room.

That's pretty much it.

Carlos Peña's diary appears as told to Mychael Urban, who covers the
Oakland A's for MLB.com.