When the gate guard to the Mariners’ parking lot is holding an umbrella, wearing gloves, a jacket, cap and wrapped in a serape, you know it’s a cool, wet morning in Peoria. And when the Mariners’ practice fields are more suited to ducks than ballplayers, it’s a safe bet there won’t be a full spring training workout.
The Mariners decided about 9:30 this morning to scrub any on-field drills and accomplish whatever work they can in the covered batting cages. Pitchers weren’t scheduled to throw bullpens anyway, so nothing lost there.
Despite off-and-on rain since Saturday afternoon, the grounds crew had the fields in decent shape by 8 a.m. today. Less than an hour later that rain was on again, and much heavier.
One guy who seems oblivious to the rain is bullpen hopeful Tom Wilhelmsen.
Every day, he rides a bicycle two miles from his apartment to the complex rain or shine (which, in Arizona, is mostly shine). Saturday afternoon, while some players scurried to their cars as though they might melt in the rain, Wilhelmsen didn’t hesitate to pedal home after the workout.
“I love the elements,” he said as he wheeled away.
Wilhelmsen said this morning that he rides his bike everywhere and doesn’t let a little rain stop him. Saturday was his first wet ride down here, but he said it really wasn’t too bad.
“The only thing that really got wet was the back of my shirt,” Wilhelmsen said.
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