"The story went that Hall of Fame third baseman Wade Boggs was fanatical about eating chicken before every game.

A's first baseman Jason Giambi has his own pregame dietary ritual: yams.

Or sweet potatoes, if yams aren't available. They look similar, taste similar and serve a similar function as an energy provider.

They've been a staple of Giambi's diet since spring training of last season, when he saw then-Yankees teammate Alex Rodriguez munching on them.

"A-Rod's really dedicated about how he eats," Giambi explained. "I felt like one aspect of my playing that I could really clean up was eating well. (Rodriguez) would always eat sweet potatoes before the game because it not only fuels you but makes you kind of feel light."

A favorite meal is yams alongside a plate of turkey, which he usually enjoys right after batting practice.

Clubhouse assistant Brian Davis said Giambi is specific in his preference for Beauregard yams, dark in color on the inside and higher in natural sugar than other yams.

He even has several teammates eating them, including Matt Holliday, Mark Ellis and Nomar Garciaparra.

Draft news

The A's took Max Stassi, a catcher out of Yuba City High, in the fourth round of the amateur draft Wednesday, the first of 27 players they chose on the second day of the three-day event. Stassi hit .538 with 11 homers and 38

RBI as a senior. One major league scout who has seen Stassi projected him in the Jason Kendall mold."