I wanted to say first that I'm excited because I got two tickets to Opening Day on April 7 at PNC Park, Cubs at Pirates. Afternoon game, Opening Day, all the pomp and pageantry...etc. I'm not a Pirates fan but I enjoy baseball and have six more major-league stadiums at which to see a game. I've been to all the others.

This will give me the chance to break out my Roberto Clemente T-shirt. The Pirates are one of my earliest baseball memories with the "We Are Family" team from 1979, with Stargell, Parker, Moreno, Don Robinson, Tekulve, Madlock, Garner and Rick Rhoden.

Attention Bubba Crosby fans: Crosby reported to minor-league camp but failed his physical, so his contract was voided and he's been released. You heard it hear from BubbaFan first!!! Nice going.

Adrian Beltre is back in the lineup after missing day with a sore lower thumb. So is Jose Vidro, who's been out since March 3 with a tender right elbow.

After today's game, manager John McLaren and a lot of players are off to Tucson to play in games there. Not all the regulars will go right away, however. It appears the team will bus down players for Monday's game, when Erik Bedard is scheduled to pitch against the Chicago White Sox, and some will come back that very same night.

Seattle's first split-squad games are tomorrow, with Miguel Batista coming off lower back stiffness from his last outing to pitch against Milwaukee at Maryvale, while Horacio Ramirez will start in Tucson against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Both are 1:05 p.m. games, with the Tucson game on the radio.

Here's the scheduled lineups for the split-squad games tomorrow:

at MIL
Ichiro
Jose Vidro
Raul Ibanez
Richie Sexson
Adrian Beltre
Wladimir Balentien
Miguel Cairo
Jamie Burke
Willie Bloomquist

at AZ
Jeremy Reed
Yuniesky Betancourt
Greg Norton
Brad Wilkerson
Kenji Johjima
Mike Morse
Jose Lopez
Matt Tuiasosopo

And now, the starting lineups for today's game in Peoria against the Oakland A's:

Oakland A's (6-3):
19 Chris Denorfia CF
28 Carlos Gonzalez RF
4 Emil Brown LF
5 Mike Sweeney DH
18 Rob Bowen C
12 Donnie Murphy 3B
66 Casey Rogowski 1B
62 Brooks Conrad 2B
2 Gregorio Petit SS
-----------------------------
58 Justin Duchscherer RHP

Others Pitchers:
71 James Simmons RHP
44 Santiago Casilla RHP
59 Andrew Brown RHP
13 Jerry Blevins LHP

Seattle Mariners (4-4):
51 Ichiro Suzuki CF
13 Miguel Cairo SS
3 Jose Vidro DH
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
6 Brad Wilkerson RF
50 Wladimir Balentien LF
39 Bryan LaHair 1B
15 Jamie Burke C
16 Willie Bloomquist 2B
-----------------------------
56 Jarrod Washburn LHP

Other Pitchers:
33 Chris Reitsma RHP
35 Brandon Morrow RHP
38 Jon Huber RHP
57 Mark Lowe RHP