Training's begun, and A's are headlining

Many recent events, including the possibility of a new stadium have brought the Athletics to the forefront of baseball news.

While it will take sometime to materialize, the new stadium has added a sparkle to the eyes of Lew Wolff, the team's current owner. "We're on track as much as we can be," Wolff said, as quoted in a recent AP article. "This is the slow period as we are doing the studies. We need the environmental impact statement approved by the city, hopefully this year." The new stadium will likely be ready opening day in 2012 0r 2013.

Not only did Wolff use the stadium to garner publicity, but also took advantage of the opportunity to visit his team during spring training. Wolff will spend a few days with the team before heading to San Jose, Cali. to work on a soccer-only facility for his MLS team, the Earthquakes. Wolff will then re-join his team in Japan to play the Boston Red Sox as part of the commissioner's international outreach agenda.

While the stadium has added sparkle to Wolff's eyes, becoming a full-time starting pitcher has added a glimmer to Justin Duchscherer's less than sparkling career. Duchscherer was involved in a traffic accident in Dallas the winter prior to the 2002 baseball season. As a result of the accident, Duchscherer pitched only 14 times during his first year with the A's. In the years that followed, Duchscherer labored to overcome injuries and stigmata created by his absences on the field.

The news of Duchscherer joining the starting line-up follows the retirement announcement of A's catcher Jeremy Brown. Brown cited personal reasons as his motivation for retiring, however, speculation continues as to whether his role and resulting fame from the book "Moneyball" is involved. Brown has been regarded as a shy man and since joining the major leagues and the subsequent release of "Moneyball" he's been in the spotlight. Regardless of Brown's underlying motivations, Billy Beane, the A's GM, maintains an open door for Brown's return.

The loss of Brown as well as Dan Haren and Nick Swisher has created a stir among fans who worry that this year's team may not be able to put a season together. Beane has not escaped critism after trading two of the teams noted players, Haren and Swisher, and filling the subsequent gaps with younger less experienced players. Wolff, however, remains supportive of Beane's decision and has expressed excitement for this season's team.

While it can take years for a youthful team to put together winning seasons, a flicker of hope remains for the World Series. The impact of a younger team could be a nastalgic throwback to the A's beginnings, when Catfish Hunter took the mound and threw out some impressive stats. It is the glimmer of hope that will with any luck ignite as the season commences.