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April 01, 2005
Crosby "Good to Go" for A's Opener Against O's
SAN FRANCISCO – A’s shortstop Bobby Crosby was answering questions from reporters about his sore left hand before last night’s game when teammate Eric Byrnes, standing a few feet away, started chanting, "Johnny Franchise."
SBC Park shines as the Bay Bridge Series continued
In San Francisco on Friday night. Wireless photo by John Letzing.
Crosby, last season’s Rookie of the Year, rolled his eyes and quickly turned his attention back to reporters. He downplayed the recognition, but there’s no denying Crosby’s importance to the lineup.
The A’s have no other true shortstops and utility infielder Marco Scutaro, who played 16 games at the position last year and one in 2003, started at short in Crosby’s absence last night.
"I’ll be good to go Monday [the season opener in Baltimore]," Crosby said.
Results from an MRI taken Thursday showed no damage to the hand, hurt the day before when Crosby was plunked by a pitch thrown by Milwaukee’s Gary Glover. X-rays taken earlier Thursday were negative.
"I don’t think it will be too much of a problem," said Crosby. "When I first got hit, I was a worried. But knowing I could move my fingers, I was the happiest man in the world."
The tone when it came to right-handed starting pitcher Rich Harden was slightly more tempered. Harden has a blister on his pitching hand and was scratched from his scheduled start last night. Kirk Saarloos, battling for the fifth spot in the rotation, took the mound instead.
"It’s a precautionary thing," Manager Ken Macha said. "We don’t want him to go out there and rip a piece of skin off."
Macha left open the possibility that Harden might miss his first scheduled start of the season Wednesday against the Orioles. If Harden isn’t ready, there are a number of possible alternatives, including Saarloos, Seth Etherton or No. 3 starter Dan Haren.
"The rotation in April is in pencil," Macha said. "I have an eraser, too."
Giants notes: Regulars Omar Vizquel, Moises Alou and Mike Matheny all took scheduled nights off … San Francisco left Arizona with 17 wins, the most since 1992 … The Giants broke a team record for attendance average at Scottsdale Stadium, drawing 10,624 fans a game.
Posted April 1, 2005 10:09 PM