Notes From The Nat has been giving the Oakland A’s a lot of writing time as of late, and why not?  Their spring training schedule has started, going 1-1 heading into Saturday’s match-up against Barry Zito and the San Francisco Giants, and all signs are pointing to a better season in 2008.

Today, as Oakland hits the road, LHP Greg Smith will take on the former Athletic ace, and you can listen to that game here, at 12:00 pacific time (Listen Live is in the top right corner).  Players scheduled to pitch later in the game are Gio Gonzalez, Arnold Leon, Jay Marshall, Ryan Wing and Brad Ziegler.  None of these players have stopped in Vancouver, but yesterday 2005 Canadian Jeff Gray suited up for the A’s, allowing a run in his only inning of work.  Dallas Braden, as we mentioned yesterday, got the start for the A’s and ended up picking up the win, allowing a run and three hits in two innings.

But, what about the minor leaguers?  The players that we have watched at Nat Bailey for seasons, upon seasons.  Most of them, will report in the next week.  Pitchers and catchers on Monday, and position players on the 7th.  That being said, some players (who I will not name out of respect), will be going to extended Spring Training which opens on April 4th. 

What is minor league spring training like?  Well, for starters Papago Baseball Complex is their home for four weeks.  All day they train, scrimmage and do drills with the A’s minor league staff, before playing games against other organizations, midway through their Arizona stint.

The way the minor league games work, is that the four A’s teams (AAA, AA, High-A, Low-A) will play the same organization each day, with two of them at one team’s complex, and the other pair at the home complex.

That means that if you’re a minor league baseball fan heading down to Phoenix to watch the future of the organization, each day (aside from intrasquads on March 14, March 16 and March 23) there will be baseball to watch at Papago, in Phoenix.

This is your chance to see Trevor Cahill, Henry Rodriguez for the first time, as well as being able to watch Justin Sellers, Corey Brown and Richie Robnett again.  I’ve never personally been to a Minor League ST Game, but I know that when I’m in Phoenix later this month, Papago Complex will be my hotel-away-from-hotel.

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Where are they now?

Today, with Oakland taking on cross-town rival San Francisco, a pair of former Vancouver Canadians are drawing into Oakland’s lineup.  Kurt Suzuki will be leading off, and fellow ‘04 Canadian Gregorio Petit will bat 9th playing SS.  Both playeres are hitting .667 this spring.  The rest of the A’s lineup includes Jack Hannahan (with Eric Chavez sidelined for another couple of days), Emil Brown, Jack Cust, Mike Sweeney and Daric Barton.

Facing them will be Dave Roberts, Randy Winn, Ray Durham, Rich Aurilia and of course the ever mighty Barry Zito.