By Josh Boyd
March 27, 2003

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--A few years ago, the Athletics farm system was rated among the game's elite with Top 10 lists featuring Mark Mulder, Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada. The system isn't in the same shape these days, but the A's still are excited about the potential of pitching prospects Rich Harden and John Rheinecker, shortstop Bobby Crosby and catcher Jeremy Brown.

Their college-oriented draft approach is bound to produce more sleepers, too. This includes players along the lines of Mark Ellis and Mike Wood. Ellis was drafted by the Royals, but epitomizes the type of skills-based player the Athletics covet. Wood, who ranks as the organization's No. 5 prospect two years after being selected in the 10th round, now draws poor-man's Tim Hudson comparisons after posting a 20-9, 3.01 career record.

Harden and Rheinecker will start the year in the Midland rotation, while Wood is headed to Triple-A Sacramento. "We feel Wood's sinker/slider style is better suited for success at that level now," farm director Keith Lieppman said.

Crosby, the 25th overall selection in 2001 out of Long Beach State, is being groomed as the successor to Tejada, whom the A's don't plan to resign. Brown, a supplemental first-rounder out of Alabama last season, resembles a righthanded-hitting Jeremy Giambi and has an outside shot at reaching the majors by the end of the season.

Righthander Ben Fritz, drafted five slots ahead of Brown with the final pick of the first round out of Fresno State, has been one of the more impressive pitchers in camp. "He's been dominant all spring," Lieppman said. Fritz caught, played first base, DH and closed games in college en route to earning Western Athletic Conference player of the year honors, but was exclusively used as a starter in his pro debut last year. He posted a 2-4, 3.18 record in 57 innings between short-season Vancouver and Class A Visalia.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder's fastball has been clocked up to 96 mph, but at this point in spring he was hitting 87-90 mph. But Matt Keough, a special assistant to general manager Billy Beane, says Fritz' plus changeup will make "the hitters tell you he's throwing 95." Fritz, who has quick, power arm action and throws across his body for leverage, also throws a nasty biting slider at 80 mph.

"Hitters' timing is all messed up against him," Lieppman says. Fritz does a masterful job at changing planes and speeds--inside and out, up and down, which Keough said is instinctive.

Lefty Andrew Dickinson, drafted 27 rounds after Fritz, also is effective at keeping hitters off balance, though his repertoire is much different. Dickinson works in the mid-80s, and mixes in a curve, slider and changeup with pinpoint command. "He's our jack of all trades," Lieppman said. "Guys just don't get good cuts against him because he throws so many pitches."

• Outfielder Marcus McBeth has a chance to be a special, high-ceiling player, but after hitting .231-10-39 in his pro debut last summer, he's being counted on for an improvement at the plate. McBeth, 22, was drafted in the fourth round out of South Carolina in 2001 and was affected by a shoulder injury throughout the 2002 season. Now he's healthy, and shows a much-improved, short and direct stroke with power potential. He drew 32 walks against 73 strikeouts in 264 at-bats last year, so his strike zone judgment needs to be sharpened.

"He likes the ball up in the zone," Lieppman said. "We're trying to get him to come down a little and narrow down the balls he wants to hit. He's making a lot of strides as a hitter, making better contact. He's showing what we expected he could do and he's eventually going to come into his own."

The A's continued stressing plate discipline to McBeth and all of their hitters this spring.

"We've shown three or four different Power Point presentations and shown a lot of video," Lieppman said. "Some days we have them take pitches early in the count just to get in the habit of seeing pitches and we work on the mechanics of seeing the ball."

• The A's have been pleasantly surprised by righthander Justin Lehr's development this spring. The 25-year-old, drafted in the eighth round out of USC in 1999, moved to the bullpen last year after spending the first three years of his pro career as a starter. He emerged in the second half for Double-A Midland, finishing with an 8-3, 4.05 record. But this spring, his velocity has climbed to 95 mph.

• Righthander Bert Snow was on the verge of breaking into the A's bullpen two years ago before he had Tommy John surgery, but he is struggling to regain the form that helped him punch out 98 in 68 innings for Midland in 2000. Snow was 86-88 mph yesterday, though he showed a plus 75 mph curveball with nasty late snap.

• The A's have been stung by a recent rash of injuries, including outfielders Steve Stanley (ripped the webbing between his fingers diving for a ball), Jeff Christy (broken finger) and Austin Nagle (shoulder).