Sweeney warming up to A's

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Young outfielder already likes what he sees in new clubhouse

Ryan Sweeney has his share of reasons to be thankful he's in the A's Spring Training camp.

For one thing, he has a very good chance of making the roster as an outfielder, and in the A's young lineup, there are plenty of jobs and at-bats up for grabs if a player proves he can perform.

Sweeney, who was acquired in the Nick Swisher trade, was rated as the White Sox best prospect by Baseball America prior to last season.

Beyond the future possibilities, Sweeney is enjoying the present benefit of being able to train outdoors for the first time since the fall.

Sweeney lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the offseason, and a particularly cold, snowy winter in the Midwest cramped his training routine.

"We had a horrible winter," he said. "I got to play catch outside maybe twice."

Sweeney's drive down to Phoenix wasn't any better -- it took nearly 24 hours, including an overnight stay in Kansas and three hours sitting on the side of the road thanks to a New Mexico ice storm.

While Sweeney said he's contemplating spending future offseasons in a warmer clime, he's ready to compete for a role right away.

"I'm just going to go out and hustle," Sweeney said. "I take a lot of pride in my outfield work."

Sweeney has plenty of game experience at all three outfield spots and has the speed and arm strength necessary to play each of them well, a versatility that renders him valuable on a young team.

"After what we saw last summer, it puts a premium on guys with versatility," said manager Bob Geren, referring to all the club's injuries.

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Thats awesome to see,alot of reports I read he's nothing more than a fourth outfielder,so if thats the case good to see he's had time at all three spots