Smith shocked to get start

SEATTLE — When Triple-A manager Ryan Christenson told Chris Smith he was going to start against the Mariners on Saturday, the A’s oldest minorleaguer was baffled.

“I honestly didn’t believe it,” Smith said. “He told me, ‘You’re not going to start Friday. We’re going to throw you on Saturday — in Seattle.’ I was like, ‘What? Seattle? No, wait: Do they know I’ve never started a game in the big leagues in my life? Are you serious? Ryno, I think you’ve got the wrong guy.’

“He said, ‘Hold on,’ and looked at his email and said, ‘No, it’s you, you idiot!’ I was like, ‘OK, let’s do it!’ and then just straight nervous, like, ‘Oh, God, what do I do?’ But what have I got to lose? I’m a 36-yearold stay-home dad.”

Smith’s mother, Theresa; his wife, Lisa; and his three daughters, Charlotte , 6, Abigail ,5, and Grace, 2, will be on hand for the game.

“They’re super excited — ‘Dad’s going back to the elephants!’ ” Smith said.

At 36, Smith will become the oldest A’s pitcher to make his first big-league start Saturday, topping Joe Pate, who was 33 in his starting debut with the Philadelphia A’s in 1926. “Oldest A — that’s a good record, right?” Smith said.

In June, Smith was part of a nice achievement at Triple-A Nashville, throwing six innings in the Sounds’ combined nohitter. If he does anything similar Saturday, manager Bob

Melvin will have a hard time prying the ball away from him.

“I don’t think I’d give the ball over now as much as I would a few weeks ago,” Smith said. “I think I’d keep on going. I’d run to the outfield.”

International signings: The A’s agreed to terms with 17 international prospects, all 16 years old: Outfielders Albert Avila, Jose Bonilla and Kelvin Garcia and shortstops Jhoan Paulino and Saul Sanchez of the Dominican Republic; shortstop Givaine Basilia of Curacao; outfielder Marshall Cantillo of Colombia; catchers Geykler Davila and Jose Mujica, pitchers Gabriel Delgado, Edwin Rojas and Carlos Leandro, and shortstops Jose Pastrono and Dereck Salom

of Venezuela; catcher Hansen Lopez of Mexico; outfielder Davonn Mackey of the Bahamas; and second baseman Joshwan Wright of Panama.