PEORIA, Ariz. – Freddy Garcia says it.
Bryan Price sees it.
Both the pitcher and pitching coach are convinced that Garcia’s mind and body are in the best shape possible to help the enigmatic Mariners of 2003 become a force in 2004.
“I’m feeling more ready,” Garcia said. “I feel stronger. I’m more focused.”
So far, the proof has been in the performances.
Garcia, a notoriously mediocre pitcher in spring training (2-2, 6.30 ERA last spring), has been the Mariners’ best starter this month.
He’ll make his third exhibition start tonight against the Colorado Rockies with a 1-0 record, 2.00 ERA and just four hits and four walks allowed in nine innings.
“Ever since I’ve been here he hasn’t had a good statistical spring,” Price said. “What I like with Freddy is that he’s taking the games a little more seriously and using them as a springboard to the beginning of the season.”
Garcia has good reason to get it together this year. He will become a free agent after the season and stands to make some significant money over a longterm period if he stops the pattern of inconsistency that developed the last two years in Seattle.
He’s 28-24 the last two years, including 12-14 in 2003 when he went 4-6 in the first two months, 5-0 in June and 0-4 in July.
The Mariners tried to trade Garcia in the offseason but, when nothing serious developed, they signed him to a one-year contract worth $6.875 million, close to what he made in 2003.
“Freddy should bounce back,” general manager Bill Bavasi said. “He’s got too much talent to have two years like that in a row.”
Garcia hasn’t come close to pitching like he did in 2001, when he went 18-6 with a league-leading 3.05 ERA and received serious consideration for the American League Cy Young Award.
He has, however, always taken the ball. He pitched 200 or more innings in four of his five seasons with the Mariners, including each of the last three.
What the Mariners have seen at spring training this year is a more focused pitcher who has gone about his work with a diligence beyond what he has shown in the past.
“His work in the weight room has been outstanding,” Price said. “His bullpen effort has been much, much better. It’s not just a big year for us in how he pitches, it’s a big year for him.”
Price has little doubt that Garcia will return to his old excellence this year. It’ll be interesting, Price says, to see if Garcia maintains it once he’s settled into his next contract.
“What I think is going to be a telltale sign is next year,” Price said. “This year it’s obvious. There’s very easily explained motivation in that he gets to be a free agent at the end of the year.
“He’s coming off a tough year and he’s motivated to show baseball that he’s the Freddy Garcia who we remember as an All-Star. But he’s also got a big payday sitting on the table if he can put his talents out there and represent himself and his ability.”
Sloppy day: The Mariners lost 3-2 Monday to the Diamondbacks in Tucson when they failed to execute offensively in the ninth inning and the D-backs did.
The M’s had runners on first and second in the top of the ninth when Pat Borders failed to advance the runners with a bunt and Willie Bloomquist was thrown out trying to steal.
In the bottom of the inning, Hiram Bocachica misplayed a fly in right field that was ruled a double, Borders and pitcher Terry Mulholland let a bunt popup fall between them and a sacrifice fly pushed home the winning run.
“A sloppy game,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We didn’t get runners over, we didn’t get them home with outs and it cost us the game.”
Under the lights: The Mariners will play their first night game of the year tonight against the Rockies in Tucson and, yes, after three weeks of day games, there is an adjustment.
“It’s a different look and the ball looks a little quicker the first time,” Melvin said. “You can pick up spin a little better during the day.”
Tonight’s game also breaks the monotony of a spring training camp that hasn’t wavered from its daytime schedule since players reported in February. Today they’ll follow a schedule more common with the regular season, with a pregame workout about two hours before the first pitch.
“The guys get up for the night games a little more, especially after you’ve been playing day game after day game,” Melvin said.
The Mariners have one more night exhibition, April 3 against the Padres at the new Petco Park in San Diego.
“It’s nice to get a few night games, especially one late,” Melvin said.
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