Mariners salvage finale

07/19/2006
NEW YORK -- By the time Gil Meche emptied his arsenal of pitches on Johnny Damon on Wednesday, the Yankees leadoff hitter was still standing in the batters box, looking none the worse for wear.
Already 10 pitches into a vexing at-bat in the sixth inning at Yankee Stadium, Meche had no luck in running a fastball past Damon, nor did he have much success in trying to tempt Damon with a tantalizing slider, either.
It almost got to the point where Damon was simply flipping his bat at pitches he was not keen about, fouling them off until he got something he wanted.
"Your mind goes a little blank," Meche said. "When you throw seven, eight, nine pitches to a hitter, you don't know what to throw next. You get to a point where you just throw it down the middle."
So that's what Meche did, he floated a changeup right down the middle that Damon didn't get much of as he flew out to left for what would become an important out in Seattle's 3-2 victory over New York.
Meche's trying sixth inning -- where he threw 36 of his 112 pitches -- became the perfect metaphor for the team's six-game road trip through Toronto and New York that ended the same way it started, though there were plenty of hurdles in between.
Seattle (45-50) went 2-4 against the Blue Jays and Yankees, though all four of the losses were decided by two runs or less. To make matters worse -- or better, if you want to see how close the Mariners were to going, say, 4-2 -- three losses were extra-inning setbacks.
Much like Meche's duel with Damon, nothing came easy for the Mariners, who return to Safeco Field on Friday but not before enjoying a day off that will give Mariners manager Mike Hargrove's bullpen a much-needed rest.
Hargrove squeezed 2 2/3 innings out of rookie Mark Lowe, Rafael Soriano and his closer J.J. Putz to get Seattle its 45th victory of the season. Lowe -- who continues to impress by the minute -- got the last two outs of the seventh for his first Major League victory.
Soriano and Putz -- both who threw the day before in the Mariners' 5-4 loss in 11 innings -- weren't even going to pitch, but Hargrove needed them desperately to finish what Meche started.
"It was a game when you're on the edge of your seat the whole game," Hargrove said. "This has been a tough road trip. One break in any of those games and we could have won four of six. But these guys showed up. After last night it was good to see them show up."
It wasn't easy. The loss Tuesday -- well, early Wednesday morning -- came roughly 13 or so hours before the start of Wednesday's afternoon game on another hot day in the Bronx.
What the Mariners needed most was for Meche to work deep into the game. The way that the right-hander started, it looked like Seattle's relief corps might get the whole day off.
Meche -- who hasn't lost since May 30, a stretch of five victories and four no-decisions -- retired the first 13 hitters that he faced. He showed good command of his fastball, slider and changeup even though his best pitch, the curveball, worked infrequently.
"He came out throwing 95 and kept that up the whole game," Hargrove said of Meche, who was denied a chance at his 10th victory. "I started to go out there in the sixth ... to give him a breather. Sometimes, you have to let guys go. He didn't back down."
Meche allowed his first run in that sixth inning when Derek Jeter ripped an RBI single to center field to score Nick Green, who walked to start the inning.
Meche started the seventh inning, but departed quickly after allowing an infield single to Alex Rodriguez on a ball that glanced off his glove and then an RBI double to Andy Phillips to tie the score.
Hargrove went to his bullpen for left-hander George Sherrill, who got the only batter of the inning he faced out when pinch-hitter Miguel Cairo dropped down a sacrifice bunt that put runners at second and third base.
Enter Lowe, the unflappable rookie from Houston who, with now four games of Major League experience, struck out pinch-hitter Bernie Williams and got Kelly Stinnett on a routine fly ball to right-center field to end the inning and preserve the tie.
"My job is to get two outs and leave that guy at third," said Lowe, who started the season at Class A Inland Empire before making his way quickly through the Mariners' Minor League system. "That's what I did. I just focus on making good pitches and getting batters out."
Lowe's brief but successful outing, coupled with Soriano and Putz's work, gave the Mariners' offense time to chase Yankees starter Randy Johnson in the eighth inning, not that they had too much luck before then.
Johnson, the former Mariner, allowed solo runs in the first and fourth innings -- the last on Richie Sexson's 19th home run -- but little else, as the left-hander struck out 11 and walked one in eight innings.
It was in the eighth inning when Seattle scored the go-ahead run using what amounts to the polar opposite of Sexson's moon shot of a home run.
Enter Ichiro, who had two hits to that point, both clean singles. Facing Johnson, Ichiro topped a ball about four feet out in front of home plate that looked like a routine out in the making.
But Ichiro is no ordinary runner, as the legged out an infield single as Stinnett's throw to first base arrived a split-second late. Ichiro then stole his second base of the day and went to third base when Stinnett's throw skipped into center field.
Left-handed hitting Raul Ibanez then got enough of a Johnson fastball to send it out to left field, far enough for Ichiro to tag-up and scoring the go-ahead run easily.
"He's explosive. He really is," New York manager Joe Torre of Ichiro. "He does a lot of things to distract, make the catcher hurry the throw. Good arm. He's the full package, there's no question."

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/

Fans can donate equipment Saturday

07/20/2006
SEATTLE -- If the amazing weather forecast for this weekend isn't enough to get baseball fans to attend a Mariners game, there is one other reason to attend Saturday's contest. And it's for a good cause.
Prior to Seattle's game against the Red Sox at 1:05 p.m. PT, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund will be accepting donations of new and used baseball equipment. All donations will be given to the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County.
To add to the donations by fans, the Baseball Tomorrow Fund will also award a grant of $5,000 to the local non-profit organization. Since it was founded in 1999, the BTF has given more than $9.5 million that has benefited almost 111,000 youths in more than 200 baseball and softball programs. The United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia have all benefited from the BTF.
Last season, Equipment Days across Major League Baseball raised $118,000 in new playing equipment and 5,000 used equipment items. Those proceeds were dispersed among 30 youth organizations.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of King County, one of the largest branches in the nation, includes 12 full-service Clubs and 28 before- and after-school program locations. Annually it serves more than 18,000 youth members.
Presenting the check to the B&GC of King County will be BTF Executive Director Cathy Bradley. That ceremony will take place before Saturday's game.

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/

Perez mentoring younger Mariners

07/20/2006
SEATTLE -- When the Mariners acquired Eduardo Perez from the Cleveland Indians on June 30, it was with the express intent he would serve the team as a right-handed hitting designated hitter.
In short, the Mariners wanted production from his bat -- not his mouth.
But following Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees, Perez has but 10 at-bats since joining the Mariners.
But that's not to say the well-traveled infielder hasn't made an impact on this new team -- it's just not where most people can see Perez's other value to the team: his presence inside the clubhouse.
In his short stint with the Mariners thus far, Perez has already become a de facto mentor to a handful of young players in the Mariners' clubhouse, like rookie center fielder Adam Jones, shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt and second baseman Jose Lopez.
Make no mistake, Perez wasn't brought to Seattle to mentor these 20-something players who are still cutting their professional teeth and doing it in the Major Leagues no less.
And no one sat Perez down after the trade and explicitly asked him to watch over these players, help guide or impart the wisdom that he's gathered during his career that started when he joined the then-California Angels in 1993.
Instead, Perez does all this on his own, offering a sympathetic ear to any player who is interested in talking or offering his opinion to anyone who wants to listen.
"I think this is my role," Perez said inside the clubhouse at Yankee Stadium earlier this week. "It was the role veteran players took with me when I came up to steer me in the right direction."
Perez, 36, is the first to admit that his situation is a little different, mostly because, unlike any of the players in the Mariners' clubhouse, he has a rich baseball pedigree.
"It was different for me, because I grew up in a clubhouse," said Perez, the son of Hall of Famer Tony Perez, who played in the Major Leagues from 1964-86 and later served two stints as a manager. "I grew up watching veterans take care of the young guys. When I came to the league, guys did that for me."
Perez counts former teammates Chili Davis and Barry Larkin as players who influenced him early in his playing career. Said Perez: "Every team needs guys like that."
Seattle has that in Perez, who recently sat down and talked with Jones -- the 20-year-old rookie -- in Toronto after Jones misplayed two fly balls that led to a big inning. Perez sat with Jones during an entire game in Toronto and talked. And he listened.
"Eddie Perez has been great," Jones said. "He's played for a long time and he knows the grinds about the game. He told me to have fun and that you can't win a game on one at-bat. Do what you do best and let everything else settle in."
One of the primary points Perez shares with young players is that mistakes are a part of the game, and that you can't be tentative because of them.
"I tell the young guys they do belong here and that they will make mistakes," Perez said. "But you have to learn from them. That's the key. No one is perfect. The more baseball you see, the more they learn from their mistakes. That's what I want them to learn."
Because his playing time has been infrequent for Perez -- he shares the designated hitter duties with Carl Everett, who gets the bulk of the playing time because he plays against right-handed pitchers -- Perez will often float around during a game to talk to players.
"I'm 36, and since I don't play every day, I have time to help Adam [Jones] or Betancourt," Perez said. "I guess I'm just trying to help them realize this is a tough league and to help them make adjustments.
"Sometimes guys don't want to hear the truth. But these guys are good. This is a good clubhouse."

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/

Baseball has a long history in Seattle

07/20/2006
SEATTLE -- The history of professional baseball in Seattle is a far-reaching and rich one. Sure, everyone knows about the Mariners and their recent success. But how many people know about Dan Dugdale, a man who has been referred to as the father of Seattle baseball?
Many other people know about the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. What those people may not realize, though, is that the world-renowned research center was named for a man who was named the Minor League Player of the Year by The Sporting News in 1938. Hutchinson, or "Hutch" as he was referred to by many, won 25 games at the age of 19 for the Seattle Rainiers that year.
Just recently, the Mariners on July 9 honored a team of Seattle's past -- the Pilots, a team that spent one ill-fated year in the Major Leagues. But that wasn't the first taste of big-time baseball for Seattle, and Mariners fans know it certainly wasn't the last.
The following is a brief look back at the teams, people and events that have helped to shape the game of baseball in the city of Seattle as it is known today.
Much of the information for this article and all of the historic pictures in the accompanying photo gallery were provided by the David Eskenazi Collection and can be found in a book titled Rain Check: Baseball in the Pacific Northwest. The photo gallery also includes photos of the current status of the sites of home fields of Seattle's baseball past.
PRE-SEATTLE RAINIERS
To tell the story of professional baseball in Seattle prior to the Seattle Rainiers is to tell the story of Dan Dugdale.
Although pro ball officially entered the city in 1890 with a team called "the Seattles," Dugdale's ties to baseball began six years before that in his hometown of Peoria, Ill. From 1884-95, Dugdale used his above-average talent as a catcher to play for 20 different teams in 13 different states.
In 1898, Dugdale arrived in Seattle seeking fortune from the Klondike Gold Rush. It only makes sense then that the first team he helped to build was the Klondikers. Later called the Rainmakers, Clamdiggers and Chinooks, the Klondikers were one of the pioneering teams in the Pacific Northwest League that became fully functional in 1901.
Keeping a baseball league in business at that time was no small feat, especially when there were other leagues competing for players and popularity. Dugdale was bought out in 1904 by the Seattle Siwashes of the Pacific Coast League and agreed to manage the Portland team in that league.
Then in 1907, Dugdale returned to Seattle and aligned the Siwashes with the Northwestern League. He also built Yesler Way Park on the corner of 12th Avenue and Yesler Way that year. While playing in that facility, the Siwashes were renamed the Turks and won the league pennant in 1909.
After another renaming, this time to the Giants, Dugdale again invested in a new stadium. Dugdale Park was located in Rainier Valley and was the first double-decker stadium built on the West Coast. The ballpark opened its gates in 1914.
In all, Dugdale's teams won five pennants and produced many future Major League players.
Then, in 1919, the Pacific Coast League returned to Seattle and formed a team called the Rainiers. The team was renamed the Indians two years later and won the first PCL championship for the city of Seattle in 1924.
Tragically, Dugdale Park was burned by an arsonist in 1932 on the Fourth of July. The act forced the Indians, who had previously called that park home, to move to Civic Stadium. Located where Memorial Stadium stands today, Civic Stadium was known for its concrete-hard infield and large wooden light poles that were in play if struck by a ball.
The next few years were tough ones for baseball in Seattle. It wasn't until 1937 when a man named Emil Sick came along that things started to turn around again.

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/

Positive outlook drives Dobbs

03/03/2006
PEORIA, Ariz. -- In the winter of 2004, Greg Dobbs could have sat at home in Southern California feeling pretty good about his chances of making the following season's Mariners as a backup corner infielder.
He didn't, and it turned out to be a good thing.
The team unloaded $114 million on multiyear contracts for slugging first baseman Richie Sexson and third baseman Adrian Beltre, leaving Dobbs with an outside shot at the club that he took advantage of in Spring Training.
This year, Dobbs is even more of a longshot.
He's 27 years old, he's not on the 40-man roster anymore, and young hitting prospect Mike Morse has readied himself for more of a utility role, meaning Dobbs might very well start the season in Triple-A Tacoma.
But could that be a good thing, too?
"It might be," Dobbs says. "The way I look at the whole situation is that it has to be taken in a positive way. If I make the club, great. I want to be a part of the team here, because I think we're moving in the right direction.
"If I don't make it, I'll work hard, hopefully in Tacoma, to be ready if they need me."
That type of attitude has enabled Dobbs to help the Mariners when he's gotten the chance.
His stats with Seattle -- he hit .246 with one home run and 20 RBIs in 59 games -- weren't great last year, but he had a career-high 10-game hitting streak in September when given the chance to play a lot and had three doubles and five RBIs as a pinch-hitter.
"I feel like I bring something to the team that they can use," Dobbs says. "I'm a left-handed bat off the bench and I can play good defense."
Dobbs certainly has so far this spring.
While playing third base in last Saturday's intrasquad game, Dobbs drew applause across the diamond by bare-handing an excellent bunt by Willie Bloomquist and throwing out the speedy runner at first.
And in Thursday's charity game against the Padres, Dobbs started at third and made several tough plays look routine.
With Beltre having departed camp to join the Dominican Republic team for the World Baseball Classic, Dobbs has yet another chance to show the Mariners what he can do.
As he says, that's nothing new.
"This is the situation I'm in every year," Dobbs says. "It's always a challenge, and I'm always motivated. You just never know what happens in this game, the way rosters change, the way offseason acquisitions push guys out and move guys around.
"That's the nature of this business and I understand it. It gives me something to shoot for."
This year is a bit different, though.
Dobbs was designated for assignment over the winter, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Tacoma, meaning he had to secure a non-roster invitation to be with the club in Spring Training.
If he does start the season on the Triple-A team, he figures to feel pretty comfortable.
Dobbs hit .271 with eight homers and 31 RBIs in 67 games for Tacoma in 2004, then hit .321 with three homers and 22 RBIs in 50 games there last year.
"If I'm in Tacoma, I'll be able to play every day," Dobbs says. "I'll put up numbers down there and I'll be fresh and prepared to come help this team."
Hitting coach Jeff Pentland says that's the outlook Dobbs needs to have.
"Greg's a solid human being," Pentland says. "Obviously nobody wants to lose the opportunity to play in the big leagues, but all you can control is what you do on the field and how you handle yourself.
"And he's battling his butt off for whatever he can come up with."
With most of the Spring Training schedule ahead of him, Dobbs enters that battle with what he calls a positive frame of mind.
"My situation doesn't change my focus," Dobbs says.
"I still think I can play at the big-league level."

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/

Notes: Foppert impressive in start

03/04/2006
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Right-hander Jesse Foppert, most likely competing for a bullpen/sixth-starter spot, cruised in his first spring stint, a two-inning outing to start the Saturday afternoon game against the Padres.
Foppert didn't give up a hit, struck out two batters and walked one. For a guy coming off a season in which he recovered from Tommy John surgery, it was an encouraging showing.
"I feel great," Foppert said. "Compared to last spring, it's night and day."
Foppert, 25, came over to the Mariners last July in the Randy Winn trade and put up decent numbers for Triple-A Tacoma after he was cleared to throw following 11 1/2 months of rehab. He had a 2.57 ERA and struck out 13 batters in 14 innings.
This spring, he's been working on a new changeup to go along with his low-90s fastball, slider and split-fingered fastball, and he said he's been working with pitching coach Rafael Chaves on staying back longer and "standing a little taller" on the mound.
On Saturday, he breezed through the heart of the Padres' order, striking out Dave Roberts and retiring Brian Giles, Ryan Klesko and Khalil Greene in order.
"I was real pleased with how he threw the ball," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "He was down in the strike zone and threw well."
Also in the game: Despite the second straight lopsided result on the scoreboard, this one a 17-4 loss, there were some highlights for the Mariners on Saturday afternoon, mostly on the defensive end.
Center fielder Jeremy Reed made a nice catch against the wall in the second inning to rob Greene of extra bases. Mike Morse looked solid at third, running up the line to make an over-the-shoulder grab of a Doug Mirabelli foul popup in the second and snagging a hot liner off the bat of former Mariner Justin Leone in the fifth. Catcher Kenji Johjima got his first hit of the spring and threw out Leone, who was trying to steal in the third.
Hargrove also lauded the fact that the Mariners got 14 hits, although he said he felt the team could have scored two or three more runs. The Mariners left the bases loaded in the second inning, stranded runners on second and third in the third and left a man on third in the fifth inning.
"B" sides: The Mariners played their second "B" game in as many days, squaring off against the Padres on Field No. 1 at 9:30 a.m. MT for five innings. The Padres won, 4-0, with the Mariners only getting one hit, a first-inning single by Adam Jones against San Diego starter Woody Williams.
Otherwise, the most notable event of the game -- at least to Hargrove -- occurred with one out in the fifth inning, when right fielder T.J. Bohn caught a fly ball with the bases loaded and tossed the ball back in as if it was the third out.
The Padres scored two runs after the gaffe and Hargrove dressed down the team in the dugout, saying there's no excuse for not knowing how many outs there are and that Bohn wasn't the only one who was accountable.
Hargrove said it wouldn't be wise to read too much into the fact that shortstop prospect Matt Tuiasosopo played the B game at third base.
"It doesn't mean there are plans for him to move to third base," Hargrove said. "There was no motive other than I needed a third baseman."
Ichiro update: Right fielder Ichiro Suzuki, currently leading off for the Japanese team in the World Baseball Classic, went 1-for-4 with a walk and a run in Japan's 14-3 win over Chinese Taipei on Friday night. He's now 2-for-10 with three runs in two games, both healthy Japanese victories.
Meanwhile, Ichiro is officially coming to town. Japan and Korea are 2-0 and have clinched spots in the second round, and both teams will train in Peoria beginning next week, with Ichiro and Japan playing the Mariners in an exhibition game Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. MT in Peoria Stadium.
Mariners log: Reliever J.J. Putz (lower back spasms) is on target for a 40-pitch bullpen session Sunday. ... Catcher Rob Johnson (lower back spasms) worked out Saturday and could be in a game soon. ... Second baseman Fernando Vina is still being held out of workouts with a strained right hip flexor. ... Left-hander Cesar Jimenez has a mild strain of the left hamstring but played long toss Saturday. ... Outfielder Wladimir Balentien has a strained right hamstring but will continue to participate in workouts, although he's currently not available for games. ... Mariners Minor League camp will have physicals for pitchers and catchers Monday and will open workouts Tuesday. The first full-squad workout is next Saturday. ... Mariners announcer Ron Fairly collected his third career hole-in-one over the winter, acing the par-3, 185-yard third hole at Desert Horizons Country Club in Indian Wells, Calif. Oddly enough, it's the second straight winter that Fairly has aced the same hole, both times using a 5-iron.
Coming up: The Mariners will flip around Sunday and be the "visitors" in Peoria Stadium in another game against the Padres, who will be the "home" team. The game, set for 12:05 p.m. PT, will feature the spring debut of new Mariners left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who will be followed by righty Francisco Cruceta, Renee Cortez and Jeff Heaverlo.

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/

Foppert starts well in Mariners loss

03/04/2006
Padres at the plate: The Padres erupted for six runs in the sixth inning, putting away what was a relatively close game, and the big blow came off the bat of catcher Doug Mirabelli, who blasted a three-run home run off Mariners righty Scott Atchison. Mike Cameron was 2-for-2 with an RBI, Ryan Klesko had a single, a double, a run scored and an RBI. Josh Barfield hit a two-run triple in the seventh. Freddy Guzman had a double, a triple and three RBIs.
Mariners at the plate: Mike Morse, starting at third base, went 3-for-3 with an RBI double. Roberto Petagine, the first baseman, had three hits, including the hardest-struck ball of the game, a scorcher of a line drive that bounced off the Whataburger sign on the right-field wall and limited the not-so-fleet-of-foot Petagine to a single. Jose Lopez hit Seattle's only homer of the game, a solo shot to left off Doug Brocail in the sixth. Oswaldo Navarro added a triple.
Padres on the mound: Padres starter Brian Sweeney bent a little but didn't break, pitching 1 2/3 innings and giving up three hits and two walks but no runs. Sweeney was bailed out by Mike Thompson, who came in with the bases loaded and two out in the second and got Jeremy Reed to ground out.
Mariners on the mound: Starter Jesse Foppert looked good, pitching two shutout innings and not allowing a hit while striking out two batters and walking one. Atchison's first outing of the spring wasn't pretty. He gave up eight runs on nine hits in 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Cactus League records: Padres 1-1; Mariners 0-2.
Up next: The Mariners will flip around Sunday and be the "visitors" in Peoria Stadium in another game against the "home" Padres. The game, set for 12:05 p.m. PT, will feature the spring debut of new Mariners left-hander Jarrod Washburn, who will be followed by righties Francisco Cruceta, Renee Cortez and Jeff Heaverlo. The Padres will start Dewon Brazelton, and he'll be followed by right-handers Seth Etherton, Cesar Carrillo, Trevor Hoffman, Scott Linebrink and Clay Hensley.

Source: http://seattle.mariners.mlb.com/