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

Before Thursday's game, Peña talked about how nice it is to be reunited with Eric Byrnes, who was called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Yesterday was a great day for me because one of the first people I saw when I walked into the clubhouse was my good friend Eric Byrnes. It made me so happy to see his name above a locker near mine and to know that he's back with the team.

Eric was one of the last guys sent down during Spring Training, and when he left I was crushed because he's become one of my best friends. We played together in the Dominican Republic winter league this year, so we really got to know each other very well. We'd ride to the park together, hang out after the games -- we did a lot of things together. And more than that, we went through very similar experiences.

The Dominican fans are very passionate about their baseball, and that means they can be rough on you. Both of us got a taste of that this winter.

"Eric Byrnes is electrifying, like 'The Rock.'"

-- Carlos Peña

I had an awesome first month, and because I'm from the Dominican that made them love me even more. But as soon as I went into a slump, they hated me. Absolutely hated me. Brutal. I swear, one day you're the most loved player in the country, and the next day you're nothing.

Well, Eric got to see that first hand. He was the MVP of the league during the regular season, and everybody loved him. Eric Byrnes this, Eric Byrnes that. But when he didn't have the same success in the playoffs, he was a bum.

It's tough, but it's a cultural thing. You can't take it personal, because Dominicans are just passionate that way. But that doesn't make it easy. Eric and I helped each other out during times like that, just supporting each other and picking each other up.

I'm just so happy to have him as a teammate again. It makes me even more comfortable, because this is someone I've known for a while. And beyond that, I love what he gives to this team.

Eric Byrnes is electrifying, like 'The Rock.' He brings an energy to the game that I love. Like last night, he comes into the game late and right away hits a ball into the right-field corner. It was awesome. You watch him run around the bases -- he's so fast -- and then he's three feet in the air, diving into third base.

That's Eric. Pure energy. I'm excited to have him on the team and hope he stays here for a while.

Carlos Peña's diary appears as told to Mychael Urban, who covers the Oakland A's for MLB.com and can be reached at murban@oaklandathletics.com. This story was not subject to approval by Major League Baseball or its clubs.