The Seattle Mariners’ pitchers and catchers won’t officially report to spring training until Wednesday, but their complex in Peoria, Ariz., already was busy today on a cloudless 75-degree afternoon.
At the entrance to the players’ parking lot, nearly a dozen autograph seekers lined the railings hoping to snag signatures as players drove in and out. That’s a pretty good indication of the star power on this team, because in recent years only a couple — if any — autograph hounds were on those rails in the days before camp began.
There was more activity inside the Mariners’ clubhouse, and a definite sense of enthusiasm among the players..
Newly acquired Cliff Lee and Brandon League had moved into their lockers along pitchers row, with Lee at the first spot next to the exit that was occupied the past two years by Miguel Batista. No signs of any leftover Kenny G paraphernalia, although Lee might want to spray the area just in case.
Lee said his left ankle was improving well after he had minor surgery 10 days ago to remove a bone spur. The procedure will keep him from normal baseball activities for another week or two, but Lee said it won’t affect his preparation for the season.
League, the hard-throwing and well-tattooed Hawaiian, shared a few high school memories with Antony Suzuki, the Mariners’ Japanese interpreter. They both attended St. Louis High School in Honolulu. League, acquired from the Blue Jays in the Brandon Morrow trade, was especially thrilled to be wearing a Mariners uniform.
“This is a great opportunity for me and I’m really excited to be with this team,” he said.
Ryan Rowland-Smith, who figures to have a spot in the middle of the starting rotation, was back in his corner cubicle smiling as always and talking about some of the surfing he did over the winter near his home in Australia.
Reliever Chad Cordero, trying to resurrect his career after labrum surgery in his right shoulder nearly two years ago, had his biggest smile yet. He’d just thrown off the bullpen mound and said his arm feels better now than at any time since the surgery.
“I finally found my arm slot,” he said, raising his right arm to about a three-quarter height. “Last year, all I could do was up here (throw almost straight overhand) because I couldn’t get it any lower.”
Matt Tuiasosopo is gearing up to be perhaps the busiest Mariner at spring training this year. He said he has lost some weight in order to help his mobility as he prepares to work out at third base, second and the outfield to make himself as versatile as possible. Tui started six games late last season at second base.
“I want to do everything I can to break camp with this club,” Tuiasosopo said. “I’ve gone from having two gloves to five, and my new gloves haven’t even come in yet.”
What that means is he’ll spend a lot of time the next six weeks breaking in all those gloves. He’ll have help, because Tui said relief pitcher Mark Lowe can make a great pocket, and he’ll often take other players’ new gloves into the outfield during batting practice and work them into shape.
Tuiasosopo, of Woodinville, spent most of the offseason working out in Everett with two other local major leaguers, Jackson High School graduates Travis Snider of the Toronto Blue Jays and Brent Lillibridge of the Chicago White Sox. They worked out together at the Rage Cage, a popular baseball and softball training facility in south Everett.
Along catchers’ row was an image of the sweat and toil those guys go through, along with one of the sweetest moments I’ve seen in a big-league clubhouse.
Adam Moore was the sweat and toil, reaching up for a handshake with a bloody right thumb. He said he was nicked by none other than Roger Hansen, the Mariners’ popular but hard-driving catching coordinator, during a blocking drill.
“He got a little scrape on his finger and decided that it was a bloody mess,” Hansen joked. “He loved it, though. It made him look like he was a tough guy.”
The sweetest moment?
Nineteen-year-old catcher Steven Baron stood in front of his locker and held his cell phone high, taking photos that he planned to email to his family in Florida. Baron has taken part in the Mariners’ mini-camp for minor league prospects since Feb. 1, but moved his belongings into the major-league clubhouse today.
The Mariners drafted Baron with the 33rd overall pick in the supplemental round last June and are very high on him.
“He’s going to be a very good major league catcher,” Hansen said. “He just needs to have fun and see what the big-leagues is all about in spring training. He’ll talk to older players and see how Ken Griffey Jr. acts a certain way as a big leaguer. It’ll help him mature a little bit.”
In the coaches’ office, bench coach Ty VanBurkleo and new third base coach Mike Brumley worked on their spring training planning, although VanBurkleo proudly showed off video of the sailfish and mahi-mahi he and his family caught on a fishing trip to Mexico this winter.
Pitching coach Rick Adair and bullpen coach John Wetteland also were there although Wetteland’s black Lamborghini, a low-slung high-pitched fixture at spring training, wasn’t on the premises. It was in the shop back in Texas.
On Tuesday, the coaches will meet all day with manager Don Wakamatsu, who was flying in late this afternoon, to finalize their plans for camp.
It all starts officially on Wednesday with physical exams for the pitchers and catchers, and they’ll be on the practice fields for the first time Thursday morning.
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