A Stanford alum, Adams was first spotted in the A’s clubhouse during the strike-riddled spring training of 1995, reading Oliver Sacks’ “The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat.” A number of solid starts in 1996 earned Adams a chance at a permanent spot in the A’s rotation in 1997, but he struggled early and was sent to Triple-A in late May. Adams had trouble throwing strikes early, an unexplained malady that prevented him from becoming a reliever. Chronic shoulder problems eventually forced him out of Oakland’s pitching plans.