The 2005 season won’t go down as Eddie Guardado’s best statistically. It was, however, his most gratifying.
“I was driving home from dinner last night with my wife, and you know how thoughts go through your head when you’re driving?” the Seattle Mariners’ closer said. “I told her, ‘You know, I wasn’t even supposed to be pitching this year. It turned out pretty good.’”
Guardado finished with 36 saves and a 2.72 earned run average, anchoring a bullpen that was one of the few bright spots of the team.
If he’d have listened to a doctor’s opinion, Guardado would have spent the season recovering from rotator cuff surgery.
“I’m a team guy and I don’t like to look at individual stuff, but for a guy with a torn rotator cuff, I’m pretty happy,” he said.
Guardado missed the final two months of the season last year because of shoulder fatigue, and the first doctor he saw recommended surgery for the tear in his rotator cuff. Guardado sought another opinion, and Dr. Lewis Yocum suggested rehabilitation.
While Guardado’s shoulder mended with rehab, his troublesome left knee didn’t. He underwent arthroscopic surgery Aug. 23, 2004, to repair a torn meniscus.
Guardado reported to spring training expecting to feel good, but he didn’t.
The knee was fine. The shoulder wasn’t.
“The first two weeks, my arm felt like spaghetti,” he said. “I’d never felt that way in my life.”
For a while, Guardado worried that he would need surgery anyway.
“I won’t lie. It was in the back of my mind,” he said. “But I consider myself a fighter and I tried to do my best not to have it.”
With that spirit – and a lot of work from the Mariners’ training staff – Guardado’s arm came around in spring training. Then his right hamstring barked at him.
He strained the hamstring during a “B” game at spring training and didn’t throw a pitch in any of the exhibition games.
“I thought, ‘Damn, somebody doesn’t’ want me to play,’” Guardado said.
When the season began, however, Guardado was ready. He blew his second save opportunity of the season, then reeled off 27 straight before blowing another on Aug. 10.
He finished seventh in the American League in saves with the fourth-highest single-season total in Mariners history.
“It worked out,” he said. “I’m fortunate.”
Guardado’s main concern now is returning to the Mariners. Both he and the club can activate options in his contract for next season, and Guardado clearly has eyes on remaining a Mariner.
“That’s what I hope,” he said.
Power player? Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said he believes shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, who hit his first career home run Saturday, will develop into a hitter who can deliver occasional power.
“I think the more at-bats that Yuniesky gets, we’ll see more power out of him,” Hargrove said. “His defense is what shines for him right now, but Yuniesky is not an out at the plate. This is his first year back after an entire year off from baseball. He’s done a tremendous job and he’ll only get better as he works at it.”
No funny feelings: Hargrove said the final day of the season always is emotional, but he doesn’t look at players anymore and worry that he won’t see them again.
“I used to, but I’ve gotten past that,” Hargrove said. “I used to see question marks on their heads that last day.”
Of note: Not only did Sunday’s loss keep the Mariners from winning 70 games for the season, they fell just short of winning 40 at home. They finished 39-42 at Safeco Field. … Sunday’s crowd of 35,300 gave the Mariners a final home attendance of 2,725,459, an average of 33,648 per game. It’s the smallest season total since the M’s drew 2,644,315 in 1998 at the Kingdome.
Kirby Arnold, Herald writer
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