Notes: Classic play igniting Ichiro

03/08/2006
PEORIA, Ariz. -- With Ichiro Suzuki in town as part of the Japanese team for the World Baseball Classic, it's only natural that Mariners manager Mike Hargrove would get a lot of questions about his relationship with his All-Star right fielder and leadoff man.
The answers have all been the same: Everything's fine.
At the end of last year, Ichiro and Hargrove met and Ichiro aired concerns about the direction of the team, which lost 93 games in 2005 and 99 in 2004. Hargrove said on Wednesday that the meeting was productive.
"I think it was a fair discussion," Hargrove said. "Both of us got to say some things we probably wanted to say for a long time, and none of it with any animosity."
Reports from the first round of Classic play in Japan said Ichiro was an animated team leader. Ichiro has been more of a reserved, lead-by-example player in his first five years in Seattle.
"Here, he jokes with his teammates on the field," The Associated Press wrote. "He yells encouragement, willingly accepts the spotlight. At times in interviews, his voice is hoarse from all the chatter."
On Wednesday, Hargrove said he would appreciate it if Ichiro brought that same type of fire to the field with the Mariners this year, but he also said he wouldn't try to force anything on him.
"I would hope he would do that, but that's up to him," Hargrove said. "I want him to be the player that he wants to be. I don't want to paint him in any negative sort of light at all. We've missed him when he's not been here.
"I think every club has a different sort of leadership, and I want Ichiro to be Ichiro. Just being Ichiro [means] being good for a long time. He's one of the stars of the game."
Meche on Monday? Starter Gil Meche, who last appeared on the mound in a Feb. 28 intrasquad game -- straining an oblique muscle on his left side in the process -- is getting closer to pitching in a game.
Meche played catch, did some long toss and simulated pitching on flat ground on Wednesday morning and reported no pain.
"It was smooth," Meche said. "I was able to use my normal throwing motion and let some pitches go. And I felt good doing drills after that, so I'm happy with it."
Hargrove said the plan now is for Meche is to throw a bullpen session on Saturday and get into Monday's game at home against the Milwaukee Brewers. Hargrove said it's possible that Meche will pitch two innings in that game and be on his way to getting ready to begin the regular season in the starting rotation as planned.
"If he stays healthy, we'll be able to get him back on track," Hargrove said.
Putz debuts: Reliever J.J. Putz, out since straining his lower back at the beginning of camp, threw a perfect inning in Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Putz, slated to be one of the Mariners' setup men, said he was especially encouraged by the fact that he felt fine, even after being forced to spring off the mound to cover first base on a grounder to second.
"Everything felt good," he said, "and it didn't stiffen up afterwards."
Putz said he's been working with new pitching coach Rafael Chaves to go with more two-seam fastballs that sink instead of relying on the straighter -- and faster -- four-seam fastballs. It worked on Wednesday, with all three outs being grounders.
Moyer masterful: Jamie Moyer breezed through his second spring outing, tossing three innings of one-hit, scoreless ball and striking out four Giants in the process. It was his first time pitching in a game to new catcher Kenji Johjima. Moyer said the two worked well together.
"He did a nice job behind me today," Moyer said of Johjima. "He was thinking. I was quite impressed. He's made the effort from Day 1 to fit in and to learn."
The highlight of the 43-year-old southpaw's outing came in the third when he froze his last batter, Jose Vizcaino, with a breaking pitch on the outside corner.
"I felt like my location was a lot better today," said Moyer, who gave up one run in two innings in his spring debut last week. "That's a plus."
Mariners log: The Mariners made their first cuts of the spring but also added a player to big-league camp. The team re-assigned right-handers Rich Dorman and Chris Jaile to Minor League camp and tendered a non-roster invitation to Major League camp to right-hander Sean Green. ... Second baseman Fernando Vina (strained hip flexor) took batting practice and fielded grounders on Wednesday. Hargrove said the team would look to get him into a game after the club gets back from Tucson on Saturday. ... Left-hander Cesar Jimenez (mild strain of left hamstring) threw a bullpen on Wednesday. ... Left-hander Bobby Livingston (stiff neck) played catch again and could appear in a game as soon as Sunday. ... Outfielder Wladimir Balentien has a strained right hamstring but will continue to participate in workouts, although he's still not available for games.
Coming up: The Mariners hit the road to the "Old Pueblo" on Thursday when they begin a three-day stay in Tucson. On Thursday, they'll play the World Series champion Chicago White Sox in Tucson Electric Park at 12:05 p.m. PT, with right-hander Jesse Foppert making the start and being followed by righties Scott Atchison, Yorman Bazardo and Renee Cortez.
Regulars in the lineup are slated to include Jeremy Reed, Yuniesky Betancourt, Raul Ibanez, Richie Sexson, Carl Everett, Johjima and Jose Lopez.

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