By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – Stan Javier says he isn’t an emotional guy, but the tears streaming down his cheeks created an unforgettable image of Wednesday’s postgame memorial march by the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners had decided that they would not celebrate their American League West Division championship in the traditional way with a wild pileup and the spraying of champagne.
They marked the occasion with a postgame prayer and a walk around the bases that honored victims of last week’s terrorist attacks and recognized the Mariners’ fans and the team’s division title.
It left several players in tears, especially Javier, the veteran outfielder who will retire after this season.
“My career just flashed in front of my eyes. I started realizing that it might be my last time,” Javier said Thursday afternoon, getting misty-eyed again. “There were a lot of feelings going through me. Some of them were sad, a lot of them were happy.”
He thought of his 21-year pro career and the World Series championship he won with the 1989 A’s. He thought of the terrorist attacks last week and especially the tragedy in New York, where he broke into the majors with the Yankees and where he has relatives.
“It’s so hard,” he said. “None of my relatives was affected with injuries, but they were emotionally. Anybody’s family could have been on those planes. Anybody’s family could have been in those buildings.”
Javier is finishing his 15th season in the major leagues and this has become his favorite. Not just for what the Mariners have accomplished, but also for the unity the team has developed.
As they knelt for a prayer around the pitcher’s mound Wednesday night, Javier said he looked to his left and saw team video coordinator Carl Hamilton crying. Then he looked to his right and teammate Edgar Martinez was blubbering.
“Edgar was the one who got me going,” Javier said. “Then when I stepped on that infield dirt, it hit me. It was the joy of winning, playing on this special team and that this will be my last time to be around it.
“It was a special moment that I’ll remember the rest of my life.”
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