Another damp morning outside

You know what they say about the weather in the desert? Just wait a year or two and it’ll change.

After working out in temperatures near 80 the first two days of spring training — and experiencing nothing remotely close to bad weather a year ago — the Mariners lost their practice fields to a morning-long rain Saturday. When the players arrived this morning, there were puddles only ducks could love thanks to a series of overnight showers.

At 7:45 this morning, GM Jack Zduriencik and manager Don Wakamatsu again were huddling with bench coach Ty VanBurkleo, who coordinates the camp, to decide what work the team could do today. No official word yet, but with the condition of the fields it wouldn’t be a surprise if the schedule is the same as Saturday, with pitchers throwing off the bullpen mounds and the catchers taking their batting practice in the covered cages.

It’s actually turning into a sunny morning, and down here things dry out fast. But with the pitchers mounds and home-plate areas of the practice fields being tarped, the grass is wet and the dirt areas are holding standing water. Not exactly the best place to throw several million dollars worth of pitchers into with a bunt fielding drill.

“I’m always on edge about that,” pitching coach Rick Adair said. “We don’t need someone to slip and turn an ankle.”