Iggy and I just returned from the A's minor-league camp at Papago Park. We went to see pitcher Tyson Ross who will start the season in Single-A Stockton. Iggy and Tyson were schoolmates at Bishop O'Dowd High School in Oakland. Tyson, a year ahead of Iggy, attended Cal and was All Pac-10 in 2007 and 2008. He was a second-round A's draft choice.

I'm going to let Iggy write up his interview with Tyson and that will be coming to you a little later today. For now I want to say something about the minor-league park. It is the true grassroots of baseball, all those hundreds of guys learning their craft. Some will make it and some won't. Players were working out in the weight room at 8:30 this morning. The place is all eagerness. And it's beautiful. Outside there are four fields and the complex is on a plain surrounded by red rock mountains. All around you see desert plants and different varieties of cactus.

On the fence near one field you see the name Jim "Catfish" Hunter. In the weight room they've put up plaques for famous A's including Jason Giambi and Terry Steinbach and the whole message is: These guys made it to the majors and now it's your turn to try.