Carlos' Corner: 'Some will like me, some won't'
Peña shares details of strange run-in at Phoenix Muni
By Carlos Peña
Special to MLB.com

Carlos Peña, a 23-year-old rookie, was acquired by Oakland during the
offseason 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 didn't play Friday against the Giants, and before the game he
told of his first not-so-playful interaction with a fan at Spring
Training.

PHOENIX -- This happened to me the other day after practice, and it
served as an important reminder that no matter how nice you try to be
with the fans, you're never going to be able to please everyone.

I was leaving the dugout, with only a few people left in the stadium,
and an older couple asked if I would come down to the other end of
the dugout to meet them and sign something. They had waited a long
time, and it was the man's birthday and he wanted to meet me, so of
course I'm going to go down there.

So I go do my thing and have a nice chat with them. They were the
only people in the stands except another man, who was standing a
little ways away from them. When I finished with the couple, I
started talking to one of the grounds crew workers. He was on one of
those carts that drags the infield, and I was asking how fast it
went. He told me to get on and he'd show me.

So we're on the cart, and when we pass where that other man was, he
spits at us. I said, "What are you doing?" He spits in our direction
again and starts yelling at me: "You're arrogant! You've got your hat
on backwards, you talk to them and you won't talk to me. You're
arrogant!"

Then he starts walking away to leave, and I say, "Hey, where are you
going? Come back. I didn't even know you wanted to talk to me. You
didn't say anything." But he just yelled something else at me and
kept going. So all I could do was laugh.

That's the only unfortunate part of dealing with fans. I try to be
very accommodating with everyone, but you know what? I could spend 30
minutes or an hour signing for as many people as possible, but if at
some point I absolutely have to go and I leave someone with something
unsigned, that person might think I'm a jerk.

That's just the way it is. Some people will like me, some people
won't. All I can do is be myself.

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