Published: Sunday, July 26, 2009
Mariners notebook
Today
Opponent: Cleveland Indians
When: 1:10 p.m.
Where: Safeco Field
TV: FSN
Radio: ESPN 710 AM
Probable starting pitchers: Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.82 earned run average) vs. Indians left-hander Cliff Lee (6-9, 3.17).
In with Saunders, out with Balentien
Left field has been a position of great pain to the Mariners this year, and it goes beyond the season-ending knee injury suffered by Endy Chavez last month.
The Mariners tried Wladimir Balentien with little success. Balentien batted .213 in 56 games and struck out 43 times in 155 at-bats. They traded for Ryan Langerhans, who gave them a quality defender but also little offense.
Saturday, the Mariners decided their left fielder of the future needed to be their left fielder for the present. They called up 22-year-old prospect Michael Saunders, who was batting .310 with 15 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs at Class AAA Tacoma.
The club essentially gave up on Balentien, who was designated for assignment and could be selected by another club. Balentien was out of minor league options.
Manager Don Wakamatsu said Saunders would become the everyday left fielder, allowing the Mariners to move Langerhans into a fourth outfielder role.
Saunders batted eighth and went 0-for-4 Saturday, but stirred the crowd in the ninth inning when he hit a towering fly that Indians right fielder Chris Gimenez caught with a leap high against the wall.
“I don’t know how many fans were here, but I’ve never played before that big a crowd before and that was really exciting,” said Saunders, who began his pro career with the Everett AquaSox in 2005 after the Mariners drafted him in the 11th round in 2004. “It was a dream come true.”
The callup, of course, didn’t come without a bit of nervousness. Saunders was at his apartment in Tacoma after playing Friday night’s game for the Rainiers when his phone rang about 11:15. It was Rainiers manager Daren Brown calling.
“I thought maybe they’d either traded me or I was getting called up,” Saunders said.
Instead, Brown told Saunders he needed to get back to Cheney Stadium for some late-night work.
“He told me I hadn’t played enough right field, so they were going to turn on the lights and have me catch some fly balls,” Saunders said. “Then he told me I was heading north about 45 minutes.”
Clement to catch again soon
A sore left knee has kept Jeff Clement from catching so long this season that he has spent the majority of his time playing DH and first base. The Mariners aren’t ready to say they’ve given up on the thought that their first-round draft pick in 2005 is a catcher.
Clement’s knee is sound again and he has been cleared to begin catching. He caught a bullpen session last week and has worked the past few days with catching coordinator Roger Hansen.
Hansen said Clement will continue to catch bullpens and perform defensive drills with an eye toward catching games soon.
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
Opponent: Cleveland Indians
When: 1:10 p.m.
Where: Safeco Field
TV: FSN
Radio: ESPN 710 AM
Probable starting pitchers: Seattle left-hander Jason Vargas (3-3, 3.82 earned run average) vs. Indians left-hander Cliff Lee (6-9, 3.17).
In with Saunders, out with Balentien
Left field has been a position of great pain to the Mariners this year, and it goes beyond the season-ending knee injury suffered by Endy Chavez last month.
The Mariners tried Wladimir Balentien with little success. Balentien batted .213 in 56 games and struck out 43 times in 155 at-bats. They traded for Ryan Langerhans, who gave them a quality defender but also little offense.
Saturday, the Mariners decided their left fielder of the future needed to be their left fielder for the present. They called up 22-year-old prospect Michael Saunders, who was batting .310 with 15 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs at Class AAA Tacoma.
The club essentially gave up on Balentien, who was designated for assignment and could be selected by another club. Balentien was out of minor league options.
Manager Don Wakamatsu said Saunders would become the everyday left fielder, allowing the Mariners to move Langerhans into a fourth outfielder role.
Saunders batted eighth and went 0-for-4 Saturday, but stirred the crowd in the ninth inning when he hit a towering fly that Indians right fielder Chris Gimenez caught with a leap high against the wall.
“I don’t know how many fans were here, but I’ve never played before that big a crowd before and that was really exciting,” said Saunders, who began his pro career with the Everett AquaSox in 2005 after the Mariners drafted him in the 11th round in 2004. “It was a dream come true.”
The callup, of course, didn’t come without a bit of nervousness. Saunders was at his apartment in Tacoma after playing Friday night’s game for the Rainiers when his phone rang about 11:15. It was Rainiers manager Daren Brown calling.
“I thought maybe they’d either traded me or I was getting called up,” Saunders said.
Instead, Brown told Saunders he needed to get back to Cheney Stadium for some late-night work.
“He told me I hadn’t played enough right field, so they were going to turn on the lights and have me catch some fly balls,” Saunders said. “Then he told me I was heading north about 45 minutes.”
Clement to catch again soon
A sore left knee has kept Jeff Clement from catching so long this season that he has spent the majority of his time playing DH and first base. The Mariners aren’t ready to say they’ve given up on the thought that their first-round draft pick in 2005 is a catcher.
Clement’s knee is sound again and he has been cleared to begin catching. He caught a bullpen session last week and has worked the past few days with catching coordinator Roger Hansen.
Hansen said Clement will continue to catch bullpens and perform defensive drills with an eye toward catching games soon.
Kirby Arnold, Herald Writer
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