Mailbag: Is Felix still a rookie?

02/06/2006
I was wondering if Felix Hernandez will be considered a rookie for the 2006 season. I know he made his Major Leauge debut in August, but I'm not sure if he had enough appearances to be a rookie last year. So does Felix have a chance to be Rookie of the Year? -- Jonathan I., Bellevue, Wash.
Felix has the stuff and the makeup to win a lot of awards before his Major League career is done, but Rookie of the Year will not be one of them. Here are the qualifications for rookie status: Hitters are considered rookies if they had less than 130 at-bats in any previous season, and pitchers are rookies if they haven't pitched more than 50 innings in a previous season. Also, if any player spent more than 45 days on a team's active roster, he cannot be considered a rookie. Felix not only spent more than 45 days on the Mariners' active roster last year, but he pitched 84 1/3 innings. That mean's he's not a rookie in 2006.
Was Bret Boone invited to any training camps, or is his career over? -- Stacey H., Kent, Wash.
The career of "The Boone" is definitely not over yet. A month ago, the three-time All-Star and four-time Gold Glove winner signed a Minor League deal with the New York Mets and will compete for a role with that team in Spring Training. If added to the Mets' 40-man roster, Boone, 36, would get a $1 million salary and the chance to make $500,000 in performance bonuses. Boone hit .221 with seven homers and 37 RBIs last year.
"I look at this as a tremendous opportunity," Boone said in a statement released by the Mets after the signing. "Last year was a season I'd like to forget. The Mets have given me a chance to revive my career, and I plan to make the most of it."
Have the Mariners set the date for a Dan Wilson appreciation day yet? I've heard it's to be in April but nothing further. -- Ellen B., Long Beach, Calif.
They have, and it'll be called "Dan Wilson Farewell Night presented by FSN" on Saturday, April 8, at Safeco Field against the Oakland A's. Keep in mind that this will be a special 6:05 p.m. PT start.
I think Ichiro could help the team more if he hit third in the lineup. What do you think? -- Kurt H., Yakima, Wash.
I think you raise a very intriguing idea, and one that hasn't been ignored by the Mariners, including manager Mike Hargrove. In a perfect world, if the Mariners had a dynamic leadoff man other than Ichiro, it would make a lot of sense to move him to the No. 3 hole, because Ichiro's phenomenal bat control, speed on the basepaths and ability to crank out hit after hit and even provide power from time to time would make him a world class run producer, the type of guy who could easily put up over 100 RBIs in the right offense.
Then again, the Mariners don't have that other leadoff guy right now, and unless Jeremy Reed, Yuniesky Betancourt or Jose Lopez show that they can have an excellent on-base percentage and do all the little things a leadoff hitter is supposed to do, the Mariners are going to stick with Ichiro in that spot.
What is Lou Piniella doing these days, and is he any closer to managing again? --Jim F., Port Orchard, Wash.
"Sweet Lou" has been taking some deserved time off this winter while figuring out what he wants to do in the future, with the only certainty being that he'll add to FOX baseball broadcasts as an analyst during the 2006 season. Piniella left the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the end of 2005. He was approached by new Cincinnati Reds CEO Robert Castellini in November, and Castellini offered to hire Piniella, who managed the Reds to their last World Series title (1990), as a special advisor. Piniella turned him down, telling Castellini he was "tired" and needed a year off from the front-office rigors of the game.
Piniella has said he would like to be a general manager, so maybe he'll get that chance in 2007. There also have been rumors out of New York that he'd be a natural candidate to take over the Yankees' managerial job if Joe Torre decided to retire.
What effect do you think Corky Miller will have on Rene Rivera's chance at backing up Kenji Johjima? -- Tanner W., Kalispell, Mont.
A lot of that will depend on what happens in Spring Training, but as of right now, Rivera should still be considered the favorite for the backup job based on his age -- he's only 22 -- and the fact that he impressed the team during a brief big-league stint last year. But don't count out Miller, a non-roster invitee, who will turn 30 during the spring and has had big-league experience in parts of each of the last five seasons. Miller's best year came in 2002, when he was the primary backup catcher for the Reds and played 39 games, hitting .254 with three homers and 15 RBIs. The presence of Miller and another non-roster catcher with some big-league experience, Andy Dominique, should make for a decent competition in Peoria for the backup spot.

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