The 41-year-old Bonds went through some conditioning work indoors at Scottsdale Stadium, two days after making his first spring training appearance in two years in a loss against the Angels.

Bonds, facing further steroids scrutiny this week after the release of excerpts from an upcoming book detailing his alleged longtime use of performance-enhancing drugs, had said he hoped to play in left field for the first time Sunday against the San Diego Padres - but that could change if the field is soggy and there's even the slightest chance he might slip on his surgically repaired right knee.

The A's were expecting 7,500 people to pack Phoenix Municipal Stadium for the afternoon matchup, but instead were left to offer fans tickets to another exhibition game. With rain forecast for the entire day and into Sunday, there wasn't even a three-hour window to try to get the game played considering it would have taken at least an hour to prepare the field.

"It would have been a good day," Oakland team president and partial owner Michael Crowley said. "Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn't co-operate."

A's right-hander Joe Blanton signed autographs for the few fans who did come into the stadium and were holding umbrellas and one player tossed a ball into the seats.

So much for rebuilding. Before the season, the Athletics dealt frontline starters Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder in a pair of money-saving moves. General manager Billy Beane preached the wisdom of building for the future rather than making incremental moves to keep the major league team in contention.

When Oakland started the year with just 17 wins in its first 49 games, the season seemed over for all intents and purposes. But with huge contributions by rookies, the A's went on an improbable 58-24 run that vaulted them atop the American League West at the end of August. They faded in September but served notice that they'll continue to contend even while rebuilding.

Oakland's most prominent first-year player was Huston Street, who made the Opening Day roster after just 26 pro innings. He took over as closer for the injured Octavio Dotel in May and won Baseball America's Rookie of the Year award by saving 23 games with a 1.72 ERA. Other rookies who made substantial contributions were: Joe Blanton, who won 12 games and led the club with a 3.53 ERA; Nick Swisher, who replaced Jermaine Dye in right field and delivered 21 homers and 74 RBIs; and first baseman Dan Johnson, whose arrival in late May coincided with the start of the club's turnaround. Johnson homered 15 times in 375 at-bats.

The graduation of so much talent to Oakland has thinned out the farm system. The A's won't have much of a rookie influx in 2006, with the possible exception of top prospect Daric Barton, who could hit his way into a DH role. Most of the organization's top minor league talent came from the 2005 draft, when Oakland owned five of the first 101 picks.

After following their standard operating procedure by taking polished collegians Cliff Pennington and Travis Buck with their first two choices, the A's took three consecutive high school pitchers, a college senior and then three more prep arms. That's the risky draft demographic that fans of "Moneyball" rush to disdain on Internet message boards, but a direction Oakland felt it needed to take.

In the end, Beane doesn't care what is written or said about him or the A's—as long as they continue to compete. "We chuckle at everyone's perception of what we do and what we don't do," Beane said. "It's somewhat comical."

While the big league roster was going through turnover, so too was the club's ownership. In March, billionaire John Fisher and managing general partner Lewis Wolff led a group that bought the A's from Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann for $180 million. Despite ties to San Jose, Wolff insists he's committed to keeping the team in Oakland and trying to build a new stadium in the Network Associates Coliseum parking lot.

The new owners rewarded Beane with the first ownership stake for a GM in recent memory. Beane, who received nearly 5 percent of the club, also got a contact extension through 2012. Club president Michael Crowley got a slightly smaller stake in the club and an extension through 2008.

The A's nearly got a new manager as well. Contract talks between Beane and incumbent Ken Macha broke down after the season, and Macha walked away to pursue the same job with his hometown Pirates. When that didn't work out, Macha returned to Oakland nine days later.

The countdown on the MLB.com homepage said there were only 9 days, 13 hours, 53 minutes and 26 seconds until pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training.

At that very moment it became even more real, because Bill Cowher was being given a Gatorade bath on the Pittsburgh Steelers' sideline.

The Steelers' dramatic 21-10 victory Sunday night over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL meant that a long drought was over for one of the NFL's proudest franchises, and it also meant a metaphoric passing of the torch in sports.

Baseball fans everywhere were among the expected 90 million or so viewers who took one last breathtaking look at football on a cold winter's night before getting ready for the national pastime to take its time-honored position in our collective psyche.

It was that way on Jan. 12, 1969, when Joe Namath made good on his guarantee of a New York Jets Super Bowl victory -- followed that year by the Amazin' Mets' World Series victory. It was that way on Jan. 22, 1989, when Joe Montana led the San Francisco 49ers past the Cincinnati Bengals -- followed that year by a Bay Bridge Series won by the Oakland A's over the San Francisco Giants.

If you are a wishful Pittsburgh Pirates fan, then first of all you are probably a candidate to miss work Monday, and understandably so. The new champions in black and gold just won it all for the first time since the end of their dynasty in 1980's Super Bowl XIV -- finally winning that "one for the thumb."

Secondly, you probably have to wonder if the Pirates, likely to be an improved team in 2006 with new manager Jim Tracy and key roster additions, and surrounded by the excitement of the All-Star Game coming to PNC Park, might be worth some Steeler-size hope. The last time the Pirates won it all was with Willie Stargell and the "We Are Family" bunch, and that was the 1979 World Series, just months before that 1980 Steelers triumph.

As if to emphasize that point about this annual "handoff" from the guys in shoulder pads, those same Super Bowl viewers who live for the ads almost as much as the action saw a 30-second World Baseball Classic ad with 6:15 remaining in the fourth quarter. The spot, part of a comprehensive ad campaign for the inaugural March 3-20 event, featured seven Major Leaguers who will participate: Roger Clemens and Derek Jeter (U.S.), Andruw Jones (Netherlands), Carlos Delgado (Puerto Rico), Albert Pujols (Dominican Republic), Mike Piazza (Italy) and Ichiro Suzuki (Japan).

Yes, baseball was just ahead.

And on this night, pretty much everyone was a football fan. The game itself had a distinctive modern-baseball ring to it as well. The Steelers were trying to end a long drought, and the Seahawks were making their first appearance in the event. That was the storyline of the last World Series, when the Chicago White Sox ended their long drought by sweeping a Houston Astros team making its first Fall Classic appearance.

Just like that showcase event, this also was a case in which the losing team certainly could say that it had its chances. Super Bowl XL was remarkable for many things:

• Stevie Wonder and a magical Motown performance in the Sixties-style pregame show, and Aretha Franklin completely on her game the moment she joined Aaron Neville and belted out "... and the rocket's red glare ..." during the "Star-Spangled Banner."

• An electrifying pregame introduction of past Super Bowl MVPs. Great touch. OK, it would be kind of ripping off the idea at this point, but you have to admit that it would be pretty cool to see past World Series MVPs introduced and walking out to a baseline before the first game of a Fall Classic.

• Watching an ABC broadcast team that included a brand-new Hall of Famer. John Madden was one of several people who were announced during the weekend as upcoming members of the NFL's 2006 Hall of Fame class. Others include Troy Aikman, Reggie White, Warren Moon, Harry Carson and Rayfield Wright.

• The Rolling Stones in a three-song halftime set that just made you shake your head in amazement that age does not matter. When Mick Jagger launched into "I can't get no ... satisfaction," you knew it was just a matter of time before either those Steeler fans with their Terrible Towels or those long-suffering Seahawks fans were going to be able to get their long-awaited satisfaction.

• Jerome Bettis hoisting a Lombardi Trophy in his hometown, and very likely executing one of the hardest things to do in professional sports: Go out on top. "I'm a champion," he said at that moment. "I think the Bus' last stop is here in Detroit. It's official, like the referee whistle."

• Big Ben Roethlisberger becoming the youngest winning quarterback in Super Bowl history -- and showing the maturity to overcome his 1-for-5 start in a first quarter in which Pittsburgh could not manage a first down.

• Cowher getting that Gatorade bath as a glorious breakthrough in his 14th season as the Steelers' coach.

"I've been waiting a long time to do this," Cowher said to Steelers chairman Dan Rooney before handing him the Vince Lombardi Trophy. "This is yours, man."

Most of all, it was just a gripping football game. It was not the most perfectly played game in Super Bowl history. The Seahawks seemed to invent one way after another to fail to capitalize on golden opportunities, and as the game progressed, one might have watched with a morbid curiosity over what squandering lay ahead next. Dropped passes abounded, and Seattle wide receiver Darrell Jackson actually took two touchdown receptions away from himself in the first half alone.

The most shocking moment of the night might have been when two monsters mated and a Baby Hummer was born on national television. And just like that ad, there were two shocking turns of event in the third quarter that decided this game.

Pittsburgh quickly made it 14-3 at the start of the second half when Willie Parker rambled for the longest touchdown run (75 yards) in Super Bowl history. Right after that Baby Hummer ad, Roethlisberger's pass into the end zone was picked off by Kelly Herndon, setting up a Seattle touchdown reception by Jerramy Stevens. Instead of 21-3, it was 14-10, and that is how the third quarter ended -- with Seattle trying to put together what would be one of the longest drives in Super Bowl history.

But that shocking swing of events was immediately matched at the start of the fourth quarter. Seattle's drive fell short because of an interception at the Pittsburgh 1, and the Steelers proceeded to go down the field and extend the lead on one of their renowned gadget plays -- a reverse pass thrown by ex-QB Antwaan Randle El for a TD to Hines Ward, who was voted the game's Most Valuable Player. That was the first Super Bowl TD ever thrown by a wide receiver, and instead of a 17-14 lead for Seattle, it was 21-10 Pittsburgh. One shocking swing after another.

"This is a tough pill to swallow," said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who was trying to become the first NFL coach to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises(also with Green Bay previously). "But we accomplished a lot this year. While you don't have a great feeling after a game like this, I want them to remember this feeling, so they can build on it."

It was a Super Bowl that was captivating in its buildup and its intensity, just like the World Series to which we have grown accustomed in this age. And in the end, it was the Steel Curtain's night in Detroit, the host city for last year's MLB All-Star Game.

"The Super Bowl is supposed to be a neutral setting," ABC commentator Al Michaels said during the game. "But if you looked around at the start of the game, this place was about as neutral as Lake Placid was when the U.S. team was in the 1980 Olympics." Well, he should know. After the U.S. hockey team beat the Russian team in the semifinals of that event, on its way to a gold medal, it was Michaels who asked: "Do you believe in miracles?"

Indeed, it seemed as if it was that kind of a home-field advantage Sunday night for the Steelers. But technically speaking, this was a rare case of an NFL team taking the full scenic route to get to football's promised land. The Steelers had to win on the road throughout the playoffs.

If you are wondering what the last Major League team was to win the title by taking the full scenic route, then you only have to go back to 2003. The Florida Marlins won the Wild Card that season and then beat the Giants on the road, ruined the Cubs' home-field advantage, and then clinched the title in Game 6 at Yankee Stadium after the American League's All-Star victory had given those Yanks the World Series home-field advantage.

In fact, the Marlins had it harder than these Steelers, because the Super Bowl is played at a pre-scheduled site. The home-field edge for Major League Baseball's showcase event goes these days to the victorious All-Star league. Thus, the 2004 world champion Red Sox had World Series home-field advantage despite entering the playoffs as a Wild Card. MLB's most recent champs, the Chicago White Sox, won with home-field advantage throughout the 2005 postseason.

The Super Bowl is a great segue for baseball fans -- one big party, and when it's over, those warm thoughts of Spring Training take over. Seattle fans were left without the big prize at the end of this one, but those same fans can take heart in knowing that the Mariners should be considerably improved and are expected to contend again in the compressed American League West.

Now it is time to prepare for pitchers and catchers in Florida and Arizona. Now it is time to prepare for the World Baseball Classic. Now it is time to prepare for another Major League season with dreams of drought-busters like the Steelers.

Beaming and looking healthy and trim, Frank Thomas held up his new Oakland A's jersey Thursday at the Coliseum, just the second major-league uniform he's ever worn.

Thomas, signed one day earlier to be Oakland's designated hitter, spent 16 seasons with the White Sox, putting up Hall-of-Fame type numbers, but he left Chicago on less than perfect terms. No one from the White Sox clued him in about their plans to let him go after the season. They never bothered to give him a physical to see if he might be able to play in 2006. And chairman Jerry Reinsdorf never called to say thanks and so long.

"They made their decision and I'm not going to be bitter," Thomas said after the A's news conference to introduce him. "I just think I deserved better, some closure, in Chicago. ... If they'd just said they were going in a different direction, it would be fine, but no one gave me any heads up about what was going on."

Thomas' agent, Arn Tellem, was under the impression the White Sox wanted to work something out with Thomas for 2006; instead, they bought out his option for $3.5 million and went after a high-priced free agent.

Said Thomas, "I was shocked when they brought in Jim Thome -- he was more injured than I was and they gave him all that money. I don't understand where they were going with that."

Thomas said he's moved on, but he is leaning against going to the White House when the White Sox are feted for their world championship.

Thursday was more about Thomas' new team, the A's, who have needed a big right-handed bat since Miguel Tejada left two winters ago. Thomas is a practically risk-free acquisition, with a one-year deal worth $500,000 (incentives based on health and plate appearances could move it up to $3.1 million), but when healthy, he is still capable of great damage -- he hit 12 homers in just 105 at-bats last year.

He also has a lifetime on-base percentage of .427, making him a Moneyball dream. A's general manager Billy Beane called Thomas "the Oakland A's offensive poster child" and added, "This guy probably represents nirvana for us from an offensive standpoint."

The question is Thomas' health after two breaks in different spots in the navicular bone in his left ankle. He isn't running yet, but Thomas passed a battery of tests before signing and he said he feels great, as if he could jump on the field and run now. The A's have the luxury of letting him take his time before the regular season, though, and he believes he'll be ready to go on Opening Day. He was about 70 percent when he was playing last year, he said, and hit a dozen homers; right now, he feels about 90 percent.

He also has dropped 12-15 pounds, he said, which will ease the load on his ankle. At 6-foot-5, Thomas weighs 270 pounds. "That's very light for me," he said.

He lost the extra weight by riding a stationary bike in the steam room, "which I don't suggest to too many people," Thomas said with a smile.

Thomas needs 52 more homers to reach 500, something he said is very important to him, though he believes he has Hall of Fame credentials even if he doesn't hit that milestone.

"I'd sure like to see him hit 52, too," A's manager Ken Macha said.

Macha hasn't settled on a spot for Thomas in the lineup, although it's likely he'd hit either third, ahead of Eric Chavez, or behind Chavez in either the fourth or fifth spot. Chavez has been vocal about wanting a right-hander with power behind him.

"I'd be happy to protect Chavvy," Thomas said. "I've been watching him, and I don't think he's fulfilled his potential yet. I think he's got something special there."

Bradley was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers with infielder Antonio Perez in exchange for Andre Ethier on December 13, 2005. He batted .290 with 13 home runs and 38 RBI in 75 games with the Dodgers last year in a season interrupted by injuries twice. The 27-year old Bradley has a .269 career batting average with 54 home runs and 233 RBI in 534 games in the Majors.

Calero made 58 relief appearances with the A's last year and was 4-1 with a save and a 3.23 ERA. He allowed a .216 opponents batting average and first batters faced hit .170 which ranked sixth lowest among American League relievers. The 31-year old Calero has a 2.97 ERA in 125 career appearances.

Bradley and Calero were among the five arbitration eligible players on the A's roster that had not signed for 2006. The remaining three are right-handed pitcher Juan Cruz, catcher Adam Melhuse and infielder Mark Ellis.

The Oakland A's Community Fund in 2005 supported these organizations through monetary contributions and donated auction items in an effort to support them in improving the quality of life for people throughout the Bay Area. Specifically, the A's gave money to fund endeavors to improve educational programs, aid the underprivileged, assist in crime and drug prevention, promote health awareness, and champion children and senior welfare.

In all, the A's Community Fund donated approximately $500,000 to various community programs.

"It's pretty amazing all the community work the team does," said A's center fielder Mark Kotsay, who participated in several team programs and co-hosted an All-Star "Bowling Bash" with third baseman Eric Chavez to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "It's easy to talk about giving something back, but they really do it here. They do a lot of it."

One of the annual charitable highlights for the A's is their annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day, which on Sept. 25 raised more than $141,000 for the American Cancer Society and Northern California Cancer Center through the sale of special ticket packages, commemorative pins and hats, mystery A's autographed baseballs, an A's autographed quilt raffle, A's player autograph and photograph sessions and pledges.

Over the past seven years, the A's have raised more than $665,000 for breast cancer education and research. This year's Breast Cancer Awareness Day was presented by Longs Drugs Stores/Kimberly-Clark, and additional participating sponsors included AT&T, Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water, Contra Costa Times, Comcast, Diablo Magazine, Ghirardelli Chocolate, John Muir Mt. Diablo Health System, KFRC 610-AM, Ross Dress for Less, Wells Fargo and 24 Hour Fitness.

The team's "Step Up to the Plate for Education" program was a big hit, too, raising more than $160,000 for Bay Area and Northern California schools, with $57,770 going specifically to the Contra Costa County schools through the A's partnership with Mechanics Bank. Schools sold A's tickets to designated games, and the A's donated a portion of the ticket proceeds directly back to the schools.

The Community Fund Golf Classic, held June 27 at the Blackhawk Country Club in Danville, is always among the team's top fundraisers, and in 2005 it generated more than $125,000 through the tournament and silent and live auctions. A portion of the proceeds was donated to the Cure Autism Now Foundation. State Roofing Systems of San Leandro was the title sponsor of the event, and additional sponsors included Union Bank of California and Pepsi Bottling Group.

Another big benefactor of the Community Fund was Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland, which received $100,000 toward its newest clubhouse, the Anna Marie Whalen Branch. In addition, the A's donated a new basketball court floor in the Simpson Family Gymnasium that features the A's logo at center court. This clubhouse is one of three Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland branches and opened at the start of the 2004-05 school year; it will eventually serve up to 2,000 Central East Oakland girls and boys.

The A's went beyond the Bay Area to offer assistance as well. Spurred in part by the plight of third-base coach Ron Washington, a New Orleans native whose home was ruined by Hurricane Katrina, the club raised $103,153 for the American Red Cross Relief Fund to aid the victims of the disaster. The majority of funds were raised through fan donations, in addition to a contribution by the A's Community Fund, a live postgame dugout auction and the sale of A's autographed baseballs sold by A's player's wives.

The players took up a private collection for Washington, but they had plenty more to give wounded American soldiers through Barry Zito's "Strikeouts For Troops." Zito established the program to provide funds for U.S. military being treated at Walter Reed Army Hospital, Bethesda Naval Hospital and other military hospitals. He contributed $100 for each of the 171 batters he struck out in 2005, and similarly structured contributions from teammates brought the total to $54,815.

Some $51,700 was raised at the Sixth Annual MUG Root Beer Float Day on July 27, with proceeds benefiting the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Funds were raised through the sale of root beer floats, tips given in exchange for autographs and pictures with the celebrity scoopers, the sale of Chavez-autographed mugs, a silent auction of sports memorabilia, an online auction titled "Be a Celebrity Scooper," and the raffle of a 32-inch high definition television, courtesy of Pepsi. Over the past six years, the A's have raised over $180,000 for various charities through MUG Root Beer Float Day, which was sponsored by Pepsi and Comcast. The ice cream for the event was donated by Berkeley Farms.

Prior to the season, more than 24,000 fans attended the A's annual FanFest, the best fan turnout for this A's event to date. The A's raised more than $60,000 for the Community Fund and the Cure Autism Now Foundation through autograph and photo sessions, batting cage tours, clubhouse tours, and the sale of game-worn jerseys from current and former players. The 2005 A's FanFest was sponsored by 24 Hour Fitness, Aloha Airlines, Central Garden and Pet, Comcast, John Muir/Mt. Diablo Health System, McAfee, Pepsi, Plan-It Interactive, Ross Dress For Less and The Oakland Tribune. Other media sponsors included Action 36 Cable 6, Diablo Magazine and KFRC-610 AM.

Among the other 2005 highlights:

• The Community Fund, in partnership with the Good Tidings Foundation, renovated Bambino Field at the Greenman Field Baseball Complex in Oakland during the season. The primary user of the Greenman Field Baseball Complex is the Oakland Babe Ruth League, which consists of approximately 660 youth who range in age from 5 to 18 years old.

• The Community Fund held silent auctions of various sports memorabilia on all Saturday and Sunday home dates. The Community Fund donated more than $35,000 to designated charity groups, which received a portion of the proceeds as silent auction partners on selected dates throughout the season.

• More than 1,000 runners participated in the Macy's/Oakland A's 5K Fun Run on June 19, which raised $25,000 for the Family Violence Prevention Fund.

• More than 9,200 students in 74 Bay Area schools participated in the A's Home Run Readers program during the 2004-2005 school year. Fifty-nine schools reached their goals and received a visit from a member of the A's front office and the A's mascot, Stomper. Six of those schools received a visit from an A's player or coach. Students who participated in the program attended the game on Home Run Readers Day on May 18 as guests of the A's, Citation Homes and EMC2 Inc.

• The A's designed and distributed more than 24,000 "Mathletics" workbooks, which utilize simple formulas for calculating statistics of A's players and were distributed to students (grades 1-4 and 5-8) throughout Northern California in hopes to promote math skills among elementary and junior high school students. Both workbooks were also available online at oaklandathletics.com. Students who completed their workbooks correctly and submitted the answer sheet to the A's received two free tickets to "Mathletics" Day on June 4. In addition, one school that demonstrated outstanding participation in the program received a visit from an A's player. The "Mathletics" program is sponsored by Ross Dress For Less and FSN Bay Area.

• The A's Amigos program gave Hispanic children the opportunity to speak with an A's player about the importance of education, sportsmanship and hard work. In addition to the pregame visit, each child received a game ticket, meal and an A's hat. A's Amigos is sponsored by the Golden State ScholarShare.

• The A's Pitching Pals program allowed 120 aspiring young players in the Bay Area to receive inside tips from an A's pitcher during a pregame clinic, game tickets and an A's hat. A's Pitching Pals is sponsored by HealthNet, A Better Decision.

• More than 10,000 children from low- to moderate-income families were treated to A's games as part of the Little A's program. In addition to a game ticket, each child received a food voucher and an A's pennant. The Little A's program is sponsored by Krispy Kreme Doughnuts and supported by Clorox, Office Depot, the Men's Wearhouse and Union Bank of California.

• More than 4,000 A's tickets were donated to local charities and non-profit agencies by Kotsay, Jason Kendall and Chavez. The charities and non-profits included Big Brothers Big Sisters of the East Bay, Boys & Girls Clubs of Oakland, the YMCA Mt. Diablo Region, U.S. Marines Corps, Travis Air Force Base, Army Fort Hunter Liggett, Veteran's of Oakland, Army San Leandro, Hayward police department and Alameda County fire department.

• A's players and coaches attended the Monte Carlo Classic at the Diablo Country Club on April 30, raising more than $120,000 to benefit the Special Olympics East Bay Region.

• Members of the A's attended the Muscle Team Dinner and Auction on April 27, raising more than $116,000 to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

• In partnership with the A's, Anheuser-Busch donated $10,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund through the Budweiser Homerunazo Program.

• Kragen Auto Parts donated a car seat for every home run the A's hit during the regular season. A check for $5,800 was presented to La Clinica de la Raza, which distributed the 155 car seats.

• Over the course of a 14-year partnership with the A's, the Men's Wearhouse has provided more than $206,000 to the Oakland Zoo through the A's Double Play program.

"It's beyond cool that the team does so much," Zito said. "They definitely talk the talk and walk the walk."