Bucky’s back in baseball (plus today’s lineups)

There can’t be a better day for baseball than this, unless it’s mid-September and the Mariners are steering toward the playoffs. Until then, we have this: The Safeco Field roof is peeled back and it’s a crisp blue-sky morning in Seattle as the Mariners take batting practice.

Not a lot going on note-wise concerning the Mariners. Ian Snell is still feeling puny because of a touch of the flu but manager Don Wakamatsu says he’ll give it a go and start this afternoon’s game against the Tigers. With a fresh bullpen, there should be enough to pick up Snell if he wears out.

Nearly the same lineup as last night, except Milton Bradley was just scratched because of a sore right calf. Eric Byrnes will play left field.

Enough about those Marinier rabbits who are running, hitting the gaps, pitching, playing defense and, most important, winning a couple of series against good Oakland and Detroit teams.

We’re here to talk about Bucky Jacobsen. A lot of people who stumble across this blog don’t make it to the rest of The Herald’s site, where today we ran this story on Bucky

, the big, bald former Mariner who enjoyed seven weeks of pure big-league joy in the 2004 season.

Bucky is back at the ballpark this year, working the postgame show for KJR radio and doing, from what I’m told (unfortunately, I’m working while they’re on the air after games and don’t get a chance to listen), a great job with his analysis and opinion.

Bucky, 34 now, also has started a baseball training facility for kids. Bucky’s Baseball Academy is located in North Bend, and you can check it out on his web site at www.buckybaseball.com.

It’s been quite a baseball journey for Bucky, years spent in the minor leagues before he got his break with the Mariners in ‘04. And then a knee injury that wrecked it all, followed by dire financial issues that literally drug him into the mud because of a few jobs he worked after the Snoqualmie River flooding.

I gave Bucky a call last week figuring we’d talk about 15 minutes about memories of ‘04 and where he’s been since. It turned into a 45-minute conversation during which Bucky described the financiall mistakes he made and how his wife, Jennifer, stuck by him and worked two jobs so they could save the one thing that remained of their big-league exprience, their home.

Bucky isn’t completely on his financial feet yet, but he say he’s getting there and he’s working hard to make the baseball academy work.

And now, today’s lineups:

TIGERS

Austin Jackson, center field

Johnny Damon, left field

Magglio Ordonez, right field

Miguel Cabrera, first base

Carlos Guillen, DH

Brandon Inge, third base

Alex Avila, catcher

Scott Sizemore, second base

Ramon Santiago, shortstop