To any other rookie, the prospect of replacing Jason Giambi wouldn't just be a challenge, but a burden to the point of paralysis. Imagine being asked to fill a 38-home run deficit, drive in at least 120 runs and hit .330 or better.

Talk about pressure. Talk about panic. How many veterans, let alone first-year players, could live up to Giambi's standard?

But Carlos Pena is hardly a typical rookie -- practically as unique as the situation he's being forced to embrace. Pena, only 23, has already been deeded first base by the A's, and to hear him tell it, he fully expects to exorcise Giambi's ghost.

	Carlos Pena First Base Oakland Athletics Profile
	2001 SEASON STATISTICS - AAA GM HR RBI OBP SLG AVG 119 23 74 .408 .550 .288

Not next year or even next month. Pena means today.

"I want to be a superstar player, an impact player like Giambi and I believe I have the talent to do that right away," Pena said the other day. "I know experience is important, but it can also be overrated. I don't want to use a lack of experience as an excuse for not performing. I have goals that I'm striving for."

Pena is full of such powerful proclamations and if you listen long enough, you realize it's not just rhetoric. The rookie, who was acquired by the A's from the Rangers in the offseason, has an enormous reservoir of self-confidence, an important weapon in the cruel, cold world of major-league pitching.

Still, it's a fascinating curiosity: can Pena really be as good as he says? Oakland general manager Billy Beane recently said, "I love his potential. I think he's going to be a great first baseman. I have a lot of faith in him."

So much faith that the A's say they have no deep regrets over the way they pursued -- or didn't pursue -- Giambi during free agency. Club officials knew they couldn't outbid the Yankees, so they began making alternate plans as soon as it became obvious Giambi was looking for a bigger stage.

First Basemen On The Spot

ESPN analysts tell us who's on the hot seat: Dave Campbell Mo Vaughn, Mets. He needs to replicate the big years he had in Boston and Anaheim. Many Mets fans are excited about his presence -- but his return to full health cannot be assumed just yet. Tom Candiotti Jason Giambi, Yankees. Is Giambi ready for the Bronx Zoo after leaving his small-market comfort zone in Oakland? Yes, he will shine bright. Rob Dibble Carlos Pena, A's. Pena is young and loaded with talent but it won't be easy replacing MVP Jason Giambi -- on or off the field.

The A's aren't reckless enough to base their 2002 hopes on Pena -- not when they still have Barry Zito, Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson in their starting rotation -- but awarding Giambi's job to a rookie is consistent with Beane's trust in younger talent.

The A's were so impressed with the left-handed hitting Pena -- especially after he hit .299 with 28 homers and 105 RBI for the Rangers' Double-A club in 2000 and followed that up with 26 homers between Triple-A and the majors last season -- they traded away four prospects to get him, including pitcher Mario Ramos and first baseman Jason Hart. Oakland isn't worried about replenishing its almost-ready-for-prime-time talent pool. The A's have seven of the first 39 picks in the upcoming draft, as compensation for losing Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen to free agency.

But that still doesn't cushion Pena from the core-question: will his talent match his charisma and self-confidence?

If spring training numbers mean anything, Pena's education has been somewhat tougher than he anticipated. Through Thursday, he was batting a mere .162 (6-for-37) with one extra-base hit and rumors have started that he may begin the year in the minors.

Still, Pena remains unperturbed.

"I can see even now, in spring training, pitchers are trying to find weaknesses in my swing," Pena said. "There's definitely been different patterns in the way I've been pitched -- sometimes they'll work me away, then inside, just to see what gets me out.

"As long as I remain focused on my goals, I'm going to be all right. People constantly ask me about Giambi, but I try not to let it bother me. Focus is the big thing for me."

Those who know Pena say this poise comes not just from his athletic background, but from his upbringing, as well. When he was 14, Pena's parents moved from Santo Domingo to Haverhill, Mass., near the New Hampshire border.

It was culture shock: new friends, a new language, a new climate, even. But Pena more than adapted -- he flourished. He quickly mastered English and came within a year of obtaining a degree in computer engineering at Northeastern before becoming a first-round pick of the Rangers in 1998.

Even so, Pena's climb to the big leagues started at the very bottom. As a high school player, he attracted so little notice from Division I programs, he sent out more than 100 letters in an attempt to generate some buzz. Only three schools replied.

It wasn't until Pena finally succeeded in the Cape Cod League -- the prestigious college summer league that serves as an open audition for big-league scouts -- that Pena finally glimpsed his future.

"That's when I had the proof that I was going to make it," Pena said. "I had the confidence all along, but now I could tell people, 'See. I really can do it.' From that point on, I felt good about my chances."

Today, Pena's horizon is virtually limitless. First base is his, as is Oakland's trust in him. If performance equals belief, Pena's summer will certainly be worth watching.

Five other first basemen to watch
1. Tino Martinez, Cardinals. He was an RBI machine with the Yankees (he averaged 115 during his six years in New York), but he also benefitted from hitting behind Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams. Is he the player who hit .280 with 34 home runs last year or the one who hit .258 with 16 home runs in 2000?
2. Mo Vaughn, Mets. Moves over to NL after missing all last season. Says he's primed for a big year.
3. Wes Helms, Braves. Atlanta added Gary Sheffield to help their lackluster offense, but will Helms provide enough offense for first base?
4. Fred McGriff, Cubs. With the ageless Crime Dog hitting behind Sammy Sosa for a full season, Cubs fans are thinking this is the year.
5. Mike Sweeney, Royals. The Royals traded Johnny Damon after the 2000 season and Jermaine Dye at the 2001 trade deadline. Is Sweeney next?

Bob Klapisch of The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) covers baseball for ESPN.com.