Ellison to M’s: A joke come true

Published 9:00 pm Monday, April 2, 2007

SEATTLE – Seems like every time Jason Ellison makes a joke of something, it turns into a reality.

If that’s the case, the newest Seattle Mariner might indeed be changing his phone number.

One day after being traded from the San Francisco Giants, Ellison was in the Mariners’ clubhouse for opening day, making jokes about playing for his hometown team. The South Kitsap High School product told reporters that he got so many ticket requests during his first 24 hours as a Mariner that he might have to take drastic measures.

“I’m going to change my phone number, I think,” he quipped.

Instead, Ellison ignored all the requests and invited only his wife, Raelena, to Safeco Field.

The last time Ellison made a joke, he didn’t realize how serious he was. He and then-San Francisco teammate Lance Niekro were kidding around with manager Bruce Bochy on Sunday about which one of them would get the final spot on the Giants’ roster.

“We told Boch that it was going to come down to whose batting practice was better that day,” Ellison recalled Monday.

Niekro had the better session that day, and Ellison was sent packing.

“I had an idea that I might not be a Giant anymore,” said Ellison, who was acquired for left-handed pitcher Travis Blackley, “but to think I’d be a Mariner was kind of a stretch.”

That brings us to another light-hearted prediction that came true.

When Ellison and South Kitsap teammate Willie Bloomquist were growing up together, they used to joke about playing for the same major league team. As of Sunday’s trade, that too became an unlikely reality.

“You always say stuff like that as a player,” Ellison said, “but for it to actually happen was a huge surprise to me. And a very pleasant one at that.”

Bloomquist also was understandably excited.

“As far as the team standpoint, I thought it was a good move because it gives us more flexibility and more speed off the bench,” Bloomquist said. “So from that standpoint, I was pretty happy.

“And on a personal level, I was obviously pretty ecstatic. We grew up together and had a lot of memories, so it’s a neat thing that we get to play together again.”

Ellison and Bloomquist will play similar roles for the Mariners, giving the team speed and versatility off the bench. Ellison can play all three outfield positions. Bloomquist has seen time everywhere but pitcher and catcher.

Ellison said that he was beginning to feel typecast as a pinch runner in San Francisco, so the trade gives him a fresh opportunity.

“I’ve been fighting to get out of that role for a while,” he said. “So it’s a good thing.”

Ellison saw his only playing time of Monday’s 4-0 win over Oakland as a defensive replacement, taking Jose Guillen’s place in right field for the top of the ninth inning. Bloomquist did not play.

No matter what happens on the field, Ellison is happy to be home. He and his wife, a Renton native, have a 14-month-old daughter, so there’s an added bonus in being closer to family.

“For a player, it’s great,” Ellison said of moving back to the Seattle area. “But for a wife with a kid, to be able to come to a familiar place is even more special.”

Ellison, who celebrates his 29th birthday Wednesday, is hoping that his homecoming turns out to be special both on and off the field.

“It’s pretty funny how things work out,” he said. “It’s a dream come true.”

Jokes can be funny too. But sometimes they also come true.