Bloomquist may have played his last game as a Mariner

Willie Bloomquist said good-bye to the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.

Maybe until next week. Maybe until next year. Maybe forever.

The past five weeks haven't been easy for Bloomquist, the versatile backup infielder/outfielder who brings speed, intensity and energy to every game he plays.

He batted .279 in 71 games this season and was enjoying a nice stretch of playing time when he literally crashed on Aug. 9 after trying to beat a throw to first base. He ran through the bag and crumpled to the ground with a strained hamstring.

At the time, it didn't seem possible that Bloomquist could get back on the field by the end of the season. But he had his own timetable and a determination to make it work, and lately he was feeling especially hopeful.

Then the Mariners decided to transfer him from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL, making that move in order to create room on the 40-man roster for non-roster minor league callup Luis Valbuena.

That's what officially ended Bloomquist's season, not the injury. At least that's how he sees it.

"I obviously wasn't real thrilled with it," he said. "Nevertheless, they made it. But I would like to have the opportunity to come back and play again. This could turn out to be the smart thing to do, but I would like to have had a part in the decision on whether I was healthy enough to give it a shot.

"When I first got injured, the estimated time frame was four to five weeks, maybe six at the longest. I busted my butt to prove them wrong and get back quicker."

Wednesday, while teammates celebrated a victory over the Texas Rangers and cackled at the half-dozen young players who were forced to wear clown outfits as part of the annual rookie hazing, Bloomquist's smile was a little forced.

How couldn't it be?

He grew up in Port Orchard as a Mariners fan, was drafted by the M's in 1999 and began his pro career that summer with the Everett AquaSox, then played six-plus seasons with the Mariners.

Say what you want -- and plenty have -- about his offensive impact, Bloomquist brought hustle and intensity to every game he played. If the Mariners needed someone to steal a base late in a tight game, he was never reluctant. That not always the case with the speedsters on this team.

Everyone who managed him would look at his career numbers, a .260-ish batting average and accidental power, and seem unimpressed. But they learned to love the spark he brought to an often bland ballclub.

Nothing measures up to being an everyday player, but Bloomquist knew his role and embraced it. Still, as he entered the last season of his contract with the Mariners, he couldn't help but think about the opportunities that may come with free agency this winter.

Bloomquist is intrigued by the chance to play in the National League, where versatile players like him are a valued commodity. But he made it clear throughout this season that the Mariners mean a lot to him.

That's why he didn't want this injury to end it all.

"I don't want to go out this way," he said. "But that could be the way it has to be."

And that's why the good-byes Bloomquist gave his teammates Wednesday, before they left on an 11-day, 10-game road trip, were much more than see-ya-laters.

While the Mariners prepared for their flight to Anaheim, Bloomquist packed up and headed for his Arizona home. He might come back when the Mariners finish their season in Seattle late this month, but he might not.

"A lot of guys were wishing me the best of luck if this is it," he said. "What the future holds, that's unknown. It's hard to say you'll never be back but it's hard to say you'll be back. A lot of different things can happen.

"If this is it, it feels weird. I have a lot of mixed emotions."

Kirby Arnold is The Herald's major league baseball writer.