Carlos' Corner: 'I know my numbers aren't good'
Peña ponders possibility of being sent to minors
By Carlos Peña
Special to MLB.com

Carlos Peña, a 23-year-old rookie, was acquired by Oakland during the
off season 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, Peña is considered one of the top prospects in the game and is
providing for MLB.com an exclusive daily diary for the 2002 season.

Peña, who is batting .162 in Cactus League play, went 0-for-1 with a
walk and a strikeout Thursday against Seattle and is 1-for-17 in his
past seven games. Afterward he addressed the possibility of being
sent to the minors to start the season.

PHOENIX -- I was thinking about this today: I truly have no idea
what's going to happen to me out of Spring Training. I know that my
numbers aren't good, and I do understand there's the possibility of
being sent to Triple-A. But that's a decision I have no control over,
so I can't waste any of my energy worrying about it.

I still feel good about my spring, and I know some people won't be
able to understand that. All they see is that I'm hitting below .200,
so I must not be ready to play in the Major Leagues. But there's one
thing I know, and that's that I'm confident I can be a very good
player in the Major Leagues.

Now, if the A's come to me and say, "Carlos, we don't think you're
ready. We want to send you to Triple-A," that's cool with me. I can
accept that. But if they want to send me down and point only to my
numbers here, I don't think that's a good reason.

You have to understand that in a lot of these games -- tonight, for
instance -- you get two at-bats and you're done. And tonight I got
walked my first time up, and the second time I struck out looking on
a pitch way outside, a bad call. So two at-bats, and I hardly get to
swing the bat at all. It's somewhat difficult to get into a rhythm
that way. At least for me it is.

I think the A's know what I can do, so I hope they don't judge me on
my numbers this spring. But if they do, I will go to Triple-A and
work my way to the big leagues again.

Nothing has come easy to me in my life. Nothing. I've overcome a lot
of obstacles and met a lot of challenges, and I've always ended up
where I want to be. If I get sent to the minors, I know in my heart
that I'll overcome that, too, and eventually get to where I want to
be.

Carlos Peña's diary appears as told to Mychael Urban of OaklandAthletics.com.