Oakland A's notebook: Hitters set to face woman in batting practice

PHOENIX -- Justine Siegal will turn a run-of-the-mill springtraining workout into an intriguing spectacle Wednesday morning.

Siegal is scheduled to throw a round of batting practice againstthe A's at Papago Park Baseball Complex. She pitched to ClevelandIndians hitters Monday, becoming the first woman to throw battingpractice to a major league team.

Siegal, 36, was an assistant coach for the Springfield (Mass.)College baseball team from 2007-10. A Cleveland native and lifelongIndians fan, Siegal is also the founder of Baseball For All, anorganization that aims to expand opportunities for women inbaseball.

A's bench coach Joel Skinner, who coordinates the team's springtraining schedule, said Siegal likely will face minor leagueprospects as opposed to established veterans.

Woe to the player who lets Siegal sneak a fastball by him. He'llsurely hear some razzing. But center fielder Coco Crisp said hewouldn't shy away from hitting against a woman.

"If she can pitch, she can pitch," Crisp said. "A lot of womenout there run track, and most are faster than me."

Indians hitters came away impressed with Siegal's stuff,according to a Cleveland Plain Dealer story.

"I saw a couple of pictures on the Internet," Skinner said. "Itlooked like she had good arm action."

-- Reliever Michael Wuertz said the right shoulder soreness thatforced him to leave Monday's workout is not serious and typical ofthe discomfort he gets early in camp. After Wuertz tried throwingthrough pain last spring -- eventually starting the season on thedisabled list with shoulder tendinitis -- he said the plan is to nipthe problem in the bud. "I'll take three, four, five days (off),whatever it takes to get it done," he said. "It's nothing like lastyear."

-- Trevor Cahill will start Sunday's Cactus League opener againstthe Chicago Cubs, manager Bob Geren confirmed. Based on the currentthree-day throwing cycles, Dallas Braden would pitch Monday againstthe Los Angeles Angels and Brett Anderson and Gio Gonzalez would goTuesday against the Cincinnati Reds. "... Geren said fifth-startercandidate Brandon McCarthy had better command Tuesday afteradjusting his positioning on the mound. "... Sunday's game will airon KTRB (860-AM). All exhibitions not on radio will be broadcastonline at mlb.com.