Fiers Ready to Move on as A's Fans Show a Little Love

Athletics' veteran right-hander Mike Fiers is perfect in his first spring start, but talk of his outing of the Astros in the 2017 sign-stealing scandal hasn't faded away yet

It seems as if the entire offseason has been about the Astros’ sign-stealing of 2017 and about the whistleblower who brought it into clear focus, A’s starter Mike Fiers.

It wasn’t classic Hot Stove League, but it’s what there was, and baseball writers, pundits and fans all seemed to go with it.

That was fine for then. But if you listen to Fiers, who made his first start of the Cactus League season on Sunday, it’s time to move on, time for a new narrative.

Fiers threw 19 pitches, 12 of them for strikes, retiring all six San Francisco Giants’ batters he faced in the process. It was a good start for a first time out.

“I try to put it behind me,” Fiers told the A’s assembled media. “We have to focus on 2020. Our season is coming up pretty quick, so we need to focus on baseball and get ready.

“In the past, we’ve started off slow and it’s halted us later in the year. The earlier we can get ready, the better off we’re going to be.”

That attitude will work with A’s manager Bob Melvin, who was effusive with his praise for Fiers after his first Cactus League game.

“He looked really good,” Melvin told the media. “He used all his pitches. First time out, a little against the grain. He had a good changeup and a good feel for where it was going. Two quick innings. That was nice to see.”

The A’s lost to the Giants, 5-3, and coupled with a 7-3 split-squad loss to Diamondbacks, Oakland is off to an 0-3 start to the season.

The HoHoKam Stadium fans were more than aware of what Fiers’ off-season has been like, and most of 6.017 fans on hand showed their appreciation with a solid round of applause, both when he was announced at the beginning of the game and later when he left the field after his two scoreless innings.

“Our fans know what he’s going through,” Melvin said. “They’re very aware.”

Fiers, meanwhile, just focused on the immediate road ahead.

“I feel really good; I felt a little of schedule this year,” Fiers said. “I threw a little more, started earlier in the offseason, and I think it’s paying off.”

Asked more about the impact of the Astros’ cheating, Fiers let it slide for the time being.

There will be plenty of time to address that in, say, every city the A’s visit this season.