After the most productive and rewarding season of his five-year professional career, pitcher Shane Komine is eager to get the 2007 season going.

Just how eager? He's been training with 15 or so other Oakland Athletics players in Phoenix for more than a week before camp opens Saturday.

"Right now, I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I'm just going out there, work as hard as I can," Komine said in a telephone interview. "If there's a spot open, I'm going to do whatever I can to try and earn that spot on the team."

Komine, a 1998 Kalani High grad, got a taste of The Show when his contract was purchased in midseason. He made two starts for the Athletics. He had a memorable debut July 30, giving up a run in six innings in a duel with Toronto ace Roy Halladay at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland. The A's won 6-5, but Komine had a no-decision. His family and then-fiancee, Jodi Nakama, were there.

"It was unreal," Komine said of the big league experience. "It was my dream. To have my family and everybody out there, too, to be with me every step of the way was awesome. I got so much support from everybody that it really meant a lot to be up there and make Hawai'i proud."

But he wasn't as fortunate in his second start, allowing four runs in three innings. Although the A's won 7-6, again Komine was saddled with a no-decision. He was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, where he logged 140 innings, going 11-8 with a 4.05 earned run average.

Still, it was a productive season for Komine, drafted in the ninth round in 2002 out of Nebraska, where he was a three-time All-American. Combined with his nine big league innings, he worked 149 innings, his biggest load since 2003, when he totaled 157 2/3 between Low-A Kane County and Double-A Midland.

But it was what happened between those seasons that had Komine worried. After pitching 94 1/3 innings at Midland in 2004, Komine had Tommy John surgery performed by Dr. Lewis Yocum in July of 2004. He returned a year later, and was limited to 48 1/3 innings. The rehab process varies for each pitcher with some needing close to two years before returning.

"I was ahead of schedule," he said. "Knock on wood, I haven't had any problems with my elbow. I felt a lot stronger and it's a good feeling to go out there and not have pain. I went through the (last) season pain free. It was a really good feeling for me because the one thing that scouts, coaches and teams had been worried about was my health."

The Athletics told him to take it easy after the 2006 season.

"Basically, they wanted me to go home and rest because it was my first full year after Tommy John surgery," he said. "I threw 100 more innings than the year before, so it was good to see they were taking care of me, making sure I didn't overwork my arm and just come back with a positive attitude and ready to go."

For Komine, the rest could not have come at a better time. He spent most of the winter planning his wedding, which was on Jan. 6. Among those in attendance were fellow A's pitchers Esteban Loaiza and Rich Harden, as well as former Hawai'i pitcher Jeff Coleman, who is in the A's farm system. Coincidently, Maui's Kurt Suzuki (Baldwin 2001), also in the Oakland organization, married a week later and was unable to attend Komine's wedding. Meanwhile, Komine had left for Mexico for his honeymoon by the time of Suzuki's wedding.

"It's funny we didn't get to go to each other's wedding because (they were) so close," Komine said. "We were on our honeymoon (during Suzuki's wedding). When we got married, he was still planning his the week before. It would've been nice to go to each other's but it just happened they were a week apart."

Meanwhile, Komine is just enjoying the camaraderie with his teammates in Arizona before camp starts. Players he used to watch on TV are now his teammates.

"Now, I feel like I'm one of the guys," he said.

Reach Stacy Kaneshiro at skaneshiro@honoluluadvertiser.com.