PEORIA, Ariz. — The only thing the Mariners can’t limit with Ken Griffey Jr. as he begins his return to Seattle is his humor — already in midseason form.
Baseball’s leading active home run hitter had his first practice on Sunday since signing a one-year contract with Seattle worth $2 million, plus incentives. His jokes were on his new Seattle teammates, former teammates — just about anyone near him.
“I feel like I’m on a darn high school recruiting trip,” Griffey joked as a trainer, a doctor, Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln, other team personnel and a half-dozen photographers followed him from a pop-up drill on one field to batting practice on another.
So far, his return to the birthplace of his stardom 20 years ago is a rebirth of the humor that made him a lovable leader on Seattle’s first playoff teams in the mid-1990s.
It’s the opposite of the dark end to his first stint with the Mariners in 1999, when he demanded and ultimately received a trade to his hometown of Cincinnati.
He cracked on former Seattle teammate Jeff Nelson for having a “Johnny Unitas haircut.” He cracked up the pitchers when he dropped in on their fielding drill.
He then cracked five home runs in his first batting practice
with the Mariners in 10 years.
“He’s telling me his legs are better, that he can use them on (low) pitches where he couldn’t last year,” Mariners rookie manager Don Wakamatsu said, referring to the knee injury the 39-year-old slugger played through last season before arthroscopic surgery in October.
“Offensively, I think he looks great. … He says his timing is off.”
Seattle has intrasquad games on Monday and Tuesday and opens exhibition play Wednesday against San Diego. Wakamatsu said Griffey likely will not play in any of those, and he’s not sure how soon Griffey will be in the lineup.
When he does start playing, Griffey will initially be the designated hitter — though he took part in outfielder drills Sunday and hopes to be Seattle’s left fielder when the season begins April 6 at Minnesota.
“We’re going to take it pretty slow,” Wakamatsu said, adding he wants to see how Griffey reacts to “moving around” in these first weeks. “We’re more concerned about him being ready for opening day.”
Some of his new teammates seem in awe. Men nearly half his age just stared from across the clubhouse as Griffey ate waffles at his locker before practice. Then they marveled while parading past Griffey’s pristine white Nissan GT-R on their way to the field. The space-age, 480-horsepower speedster (list price: about $75,000) specifically caught the eyes of pitcher Ryan Feierabend and infielder Mike Morse.
“Whose car is that?” Morse said. “It’s, like, a 2012.”
At the end of the workout, veteran Mike Sweeney called the team to the middle of the diamond to wish Wakamatsu a happy 47th birthday.
“And we got you a present,” Sweeney said. “Here he is!”
Griffey stepped forward and hugged his new manager.
Best present Wakamatsu has ever received?
“Yep, so far,” he said later of the man whose 611 home runs are fifth-most all-time.
“I think it’s important he feels comfortable here right away,” Wakamatsu said.
If Griffey’s first day back with Seattle is any indication, that’s not going to be a problem.
Notes: Closer Tyler Walker was present for fielding drills but was
limited for a second consecutive day by a tight quadriceps muscle. … C Jeff Clement, who has a chance to unseat starter Kenji Johjima this season, is taking some ground balls at first base. Wakamatsu said the idea is to develop some versatility if it’s needed during the season, though Clement is unlikely to play at 1B even in exhibitions. Clement, who played the position some at Marshalltown High School in Iowa at the start of the decade, had to order a first-baseman’s mitt because he doesn’t have one. He showed why the Mariners want his bat in the lineup when he sent a batting-practice home run over two fences and into the players’ parking lot — safely short of Griffey’s car, though. … SS Yuniesky Betancourt is still limited by a sore hamstring. … 1B Russell Branyan was taking batting practice again after being out two days with a stiff back.
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