One Way or Another, Spiezio Will Rock You

Young players, young crowds, rock ‘n’ roll . . . why, of course. The ad agency charged with marketing the Oakland Athletics as young and hip was only too happy to discover that the second baseman also played in a band. Hey, Scott Spiezio, you’re gonna be on TV!

The commercial, aired last year, opens with Spiezio and pitcher Tom Candiotti sitting around a table.

Candiotti: “We need a fight song! Hey, Speez, you play in a band!”

Spiezio: “Hmmm, a fight song . . . “

Cut to a few seconds of your basic music video, with Spiezio singing and a band rocking behind him. Suddenly, the music stops, and Spiezio shrieks with every available bit of lung capacity: “HATE THE ANGELS!”

This year, of course, Spiezio plays for the Angels. So did Candiotti, through spring training.

“If I could have written it,” Spiezio said with a sheepish grin, “it would have been a lot nicer than that.”

As a utility player, Spiezio is something of a renaissance man: first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, designated hitter, singer, songwriter and guitarist.

He sings “Past Due” on Big League Rocks, a recently released collection of music featuring such ballplayer-musicians as pitcher-vocalist Jack McDowell, pitcher-guitarist Mark Langston, outfielder-guitarist Bernie Williams and outfielder-drummer Paul O’Neill.

Angel closer Troy Percival enters home games to the booming chords of “Delusions of Autonomy,” recorded by Spiezio and his band, Sandfrog. The two songs appear on Sandfrog’s debut album. So, Scott, here’s your chance for a shameless plug. Where can fans buy the album?

“We don’t want anybody to have it yet,” he said.

He’s not kidding. He and his bandmates consider their first effort a demo, something to play so that record producers can listen and offer suggestions. The revised, polished album could be released next year, although fans can sample it at the band’s Web site, www.sandfrog.com. Said Spiezio: “If people bother us enough, they can send us 10 bucks and we’ll mail it to you.”

You gotta like a band that has held two record-release parties without officially releasing a record. This is high-decibel music--think Alice in Chains, Black Sabbath or Metallica--by high-IQ people. The band, all high school and college buddies from Illinois, includes two electrical engineers, a computer programmer and an accountant.

“There are some smart guys in the group, not counting me,” Spiezio said.

Maybe so, but Spiezio is the one with the cool day job. He’s hitting .261 for the Angels, with a six-game hitting streak that includes two game-ending hits, a home run against the Texas Rangers on May 14 and a single Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.

“He has enough bat to play every day,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “If he’s knocking the cover off the ball, he’ll work himself into an everyday position over the course of his career.”

You can almost see Spiezio, 27, roll his eyes here. If he wanted to make more money, he could have signed to play in Japan. If he wanted to chase a World Series ring this year, he could have signed with other, better clubs as a utility player. But he wanted to play every day, so he signed with the Angels, who needed a second baseman.

Ten days before the season started, the Angels traded for rookie Adam Kennedy, who may be their second baseman for the next decade. Spiezio plays some at designated hitter, splitting the job with Edgard Clemente, and some as a reserve infielder.

“It’s not where I thought I’d be when I signed,” he said. “But I’m still getting a lot of at-bats.”

The Angels suggest Spiezio is not the world’s greatest second baseman. This could be because Spiezio is a third baseman. He played third at the University of Illinois and through the minor leagues. His father, Ed, played third base during a nine-year career.

In 1997, during spring training with Oakland, Spiezio was a rookie minding his business and backing up third baseman Scott Brosius. One day, he said, management asked whether he could play second base.

“I lied,” Spiezio said.

The next day, the A’s released second baseman Brent Gates.

“They told me I was the starting second baseman,” Spiezio said. “There was quite a shock, excitement and a little bit of fear. I really didn’t know what to do.”

He learned quickly, and well. He led American League second basemen in fielding percentage, led the A’s in games played and hit .243 with 14 home runs. He was sidelined for six weeks in 1998 after knee surgery, and he lost his job in 1999 after hitting .125 in May and .150 in June. The A’s, who acquired Randy Velarde from the Angels in July, did not offer Spiezio a contract this season.

As part of his utility role with the Angels, perhaps Spiezio could help with the marketing. How about this doubleheader: Spiezio plays for the Angels, then plays with Sandfrog in a postgame concert?

Great idea, Spiezio said, but not big enough. This could be bigger than Sandfrog. Langston could play his guitar, McDowell could bring along his band and sing . . .

Oh, yeah. The day job comes first.

“It’s every kid’s dream to be in the major leagues. It’s every kid’s dream to be a rock star too,” Spiezio said. “I’m happy to be in the major leagues.”