PEORIA, Ariz. – There wasn’t much that would pry the beefy new ring off Travis Blackley’s finger Saturday.
Tossing another line of zeroes on the scoreboard was one thing that did.
Blackley received his San Antonio Missions championship ring Saturday morning in a ceremony at the Seattle Mariners’ minor league complex. Saturday afternoon, Blackley had the Colorado Rockies wearing a big collar with three scoreless innings.
“I couldn’t get that ring off my finger before I went out today,” said Blackley, who led the Texas League with a 17-3 record and helped the Missions win the league title. “I wore it everywhere. I’ll probably wear it the next couple of weeks. It’s the most amazing ring I’ve ever seen.”
Blackley is proving himself this month as an amazing left-hander.
He allowed only a walk in three innings and he picked that runner off first base. It’s the only baserunner Blackley has allowed in the five innings he has pitched in two exhibition games.
“He’s been outstanding in both of his outings,” Mariners manager Bob Melvin said. “He’s a guy you could see at Safeco Field even as early as this year.”
Blackley probably will start the season at Class AAA Tacoma, which is fine with him. This is his first major league spring training camp and all he wanted was for someone to notice.
“I didn’t come here expecting to make the team or anything like that,” he said. “I just wanted to show that if they wanted to call somebody up that they could trust me to do the job. I’m not afraid to throw strikes up there. That’s my main goal, to leave a good taste in their mouth after I’m done.”
Melvin certainly has acquired that taste.
“You wouldn’t say he has overpowering stuff, but he has late movement on all of his pitches,” Melvin said. “His slider looks a lot like his fastball and he’s got good command of it. His changeup is a plus pitch and it looks just like his fastball.”
The Rockies played a split-squad unit that contained few of their regulars, but Blackley impressed right away with a changeup that struck out veteran Vinny Castilla.
“This is a guy who doesn’t believe anybody’s going to hit him,” Melvin said. “He’s got tremendous conviction out there and it’s not something you can teach. You either have it or your don’t.”
12-man staff?: Melvin took a look at the schedule and the number of quality arms in camp and said Saturday he may carry 12 pitchers to start the season.
“I’ve said before that we’re looking at 11 pitchers, but it’s not an impossibility that it could be 12,” Melvin said. “Early on, you want to keep as many good guys as you can, as many pieces as you think can help you out somewhere along the road.”
While 11 is a typical number – five starters and six relievers – Melvin said the first month’s schedule has him thinking about carrying an extra reliever. The Mariners play 26 games in the first 27 days of the season, including 20 in a row from April 13 to May 2.
If Melvin goes with 12, who’s likely to make it?
Besides the five starters, those certain to make the bullpen are Julio Mateo, Rafael Soriano, Shigetoshi Hasegawa and Eddie Guardado. That would leave four pitchers competing for three remaining spots: left-handers Ron Villone, Terry Mulholland and Mike Myers, and right-hander Kevin Jarvis.
Jarvis, acquired from the Padres in the Jeff Cirillo trade, hasn’t pitched well in spring training. His $4.5 million salary and his ability to pitch as a long reliever or spot starter may force the Mariners into the difficult decision of whether to keep him.
If they keep Jarvis, it would make one of the three other left-handers – Mulholland, Myers or Villone – the odd pitcher out depending on the team’s need.
Myers is a left-handed specialist who usually faces only a few hitters per outing. Mulholland is effective against left-handers and can fill the lefty specialist role, but also can pitch long relief and start. Villone also is suited for long relief and starting, although his career numbers have been better against right-handed hitters.
White knuckle time: If the man – and the performance – seemed familiar, it was.
The Mariners tagged Rockies left-hander Matt White for three hits and three runs in just 1/3inning, when they came from behind in the seventh to beat Colorado 7-4.
White was one of the Mariners’ numerous attempts at finding a second left-hander in their bullpen last year when they acquired him in a trade from the Red Sox. He sprained an ankle in his first outing with the M’s and wasn’t around much longer.
Heaverlo sent down: The Mariners optioned right-handed pitcher Jeff Heaverlo to Class AAA Tacoma on Saturday, trimming the major league camp down to 50 players. The M’s must be at 25 when the season begins.
Heaverlo gave up two hits, two walks and three runs Friday against the Chicago Cubs in his only exhibition appearance. He had been slowed by a muscle strain on the first day of spring training.
Opening-night catcher: Melvin has said Ben Davis will get every opportunity to win the starting job at catcher in a battle with Dan Wilson that’s still to be decided.
One decision already has been made, however.
Wilson will start the opener behind the plate, Melvin said Saturday.
The final B game: The Mariners will play their last scheduled B game this morning against the Rangers in nearby Surprise. Gil Meche will start for the Mariners and pitch three innings, followed by Ron Villone, George Sherrill and Julio Mateo.
Awards day: In addition to the championship rings given the Class AA San Antonio and Class A Inland Empire teams for winning their leagues in 2003, the Mariners presented their yearly most valuable pitcher and player awards on the first day of full-squad workouts at the minor league level.
Among the recipients were Everett AquaSox pitcher Felix Hernandez and infielder Nick Orlandos.
Two former AquaSox players, Travis Blackley and Justin Leone, received awards as the organization’s overall minor league pitcher and player of the year.
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