Alan Schwarz, a contributor to ESPN The Magazine, is filing regular Pulsecards from spring training. Here's his first report.

There aren't too many sounds I want to be hearing at 7 a.m. -- certainly not the infernal siren of my hotel alarm clock, which tapped me on the shoulder this morning with the subtlety of a falling anvil. But soon after I crawled out of bed and drove to my destination, the sounds that met me made it all worthwhile.

"Pip!"

"Plap!"

"Pop!"

Nothing quite beats hearing pitchers and catchers throwing on your first day at spring training. The same way a basketball player's dribble, dribble, dribble ... swish has its own soothing monotony, the sound of baseballs hitting leather back and forth, back and forth, tells you, better than any groundhog, that spring is on its way.

Not all A's are here in Phoenix yet -- the Johnny Damon vigil continues -- but those who've arrived melt into the setting as the morning temperature rises. Backup catcher Sal Fasano wafts into the clubhouse with a crossword puzzle before breaking in a new mitt with a healthy slather of Walgreen's skin lotion. "It's got lanolin ... my secret ingredient," he beams. Jason Giambi arrives in a cutoff T-shirt with his furry Australian shepherd, Slugger, at his side. The atmosphere is so easygoing that I'm allowed to sidle up to the food spread to nab a few saltines and a Gatorade. Ah, the true breakfast of champions.

It is a workday, of course, one which begins a little early for pitcher Mark Mulder. "Man, after a winter of waking up whenever you want, we gotta get here at like 8 a.m.," he groans, running his fingers through his short hair. "Some guys just wake up, throw on a hat and drive here, don't even shower. But I need a shower to wake up." Soon, Mulder and the others are out throwing for one of the first times this spring, and later hitting the Nautilus machines stretching out their muscles more.

As Giambi hits the lat pull, Slugger follows dutifully and accepts a few head pats from other A's. Fasano whistles the Rocky theme in the background as Giambi begins his workout. Slugger lowers his head to the carpet, closes his eyes and falls asleep.