Mariners Update
Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, July 25, 2001
Opponent: Kansas City Royals
Where: Safeco Field, Seattle
When: 7:05 p.m.
TV: FSN (cable)
Radio: KIRO (710 AM)
Probable pitchers: Seattle right-hander Joel Pineiro (0-0, 0.79 earned run average) vs. right-hander Dan Reichert (8-8, 5.61 ERA)
Charlton update: The Mariners are expected to add relief pitcher Norm Charlton to the active roster before tonight’s game. Charlton has been on the disabled list since June 22 with a pulled groin muscle, an injury that had put him on the DL earlier in the season.
Charlton, a 38-year-old southpaw, made a rehabilitation appearance for the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers on Tuesday night and “threw the ball well,” Seattle manager Lou Piniella said. “He had no reoccurrence (of pain) at all.”
The Mariners already have 11 pitchers on their active roster, and they will stay with 12 when Charlton is activated, Piniella said. Barring a trade (always possible in the final week before the trading deadline), that means one of their 14 position players will be sent to the minor leagues, most likely reserve outfielder Scott Podsednik.
Martinez update: While Charlton is expected back tonight, the return of designated hitter Edgar Martinez might take longer than expected.
Martinez, who went on the disabled list on July 16 with a strained left quadriceps muscle, did some running in the outfield before Tuesday’s game, “and he felt it,” Piniella said. “So it might be a little longer (than initially hoped). But we still have another week.”
The team had planned to activate the 38-year-old Martinez for the start of next week’s road trip, which begins Tuesday in Detroit.
A kinder, gentler Lou: If you think Piniella has mellowed in his years with the Mariners, you’re right. He is less fiery on the field, and he doesn’t endure the same burning stress off the field as he did in his younger managing days.
Dealing with baseball’s daily ups and downs “is something I’ve learned to handle much better than when I was younger,” Piniella said.
Still, he added, “managing is a stressful job, period. I think the hardest thing about managing for me is getting away from the game. That’s the hardest part. I’m talking about getting up in the morning and not thinking about it.
“Baseball is not like football where you only have one game a week, or like basketball where you may have three games a week. There you can get away from it for a couple of days. But in baseball there’s a game every night. And you think about it.”
Job stress, though, doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of managing, particularly this season, Piniella said. “I enjoy watching the kids play hard every day,” he said. “And I enjoy watching the brand of baseball we’re playing.”
Bang, bang: It may be the most exciting play in baseball. An outfielder pegs a throw to the plate, and the ball and a baserunner arrive at almost the exact instant. When it happens late in the game with the lead on the line, it just doesn’t get much more dramatic.
It occurred in Monday’s game at Minnesota, as Seattle center fielder Charles Gipson tossed out Chad Allen in the eighth inning. Allen was trying to score from second base on a single, but was retired on Gipson’s perfect throw to catcher Dan Wilson. The throw and tag preserved Seattle’s eventual 3-2 win.
Close plays at the plate “are definitely exciting,” Wilson said. “That’s part of the fun of catching, is defending the plate.”
Allen slammed into Wilson, knocking him onto his back, but Wilson shrugged off the impact. “It didn’t hurt,” he said. “As far as collisions go, that one was pretty benign.”
Wilson has seen several replays of the collision. His reaction?
“It was just an outstanding throw,” he said. “That throw was right on the money. It was right where it needed to be.”
New papa: Mariners center fielder Mike Cameron is a proud daddy once more. His wife, JaBreka, gave birth to their third child on Tuesday night. Mekhi Matthew Cameron was born at 7:40 p.m., weighing in at 7 pounds, nine ounces. Mother and son are fine, and Cameron was back in the starting lineup for Wednesday’s game.
Two thumbs up: Ever wonder what major leaguers do in the idle minutes before they take the field for pregame batting practice?
Well, several of the Kansas City Royals spent the last half-hour before Wednesday’s batting practice seated in front of a big-screen TV in their locker room, watching the movie “Blazing Saddles.” Other players, passing through the clubhouse, saw the movie and veered over to see a few scenes.
They laughed in all the right places.
Tomko wins again for Rainiers: The Tacoma Rainiers hit 10 doubles in support of pitcher Brett Tomko as they beat Omaha 10-4 Wednesday. Tomko (7-3) won for the sixth time in his last seven appearances. In seven innings, he allowed five hits, two of which were infield hits, and struck out nine.
Rich Myhre
