Mariners keeping eye on Ichiro

  • By Kirby Arnold / Herald Writer
  • Tuesday, February 28, 2006 9:00pm
  • Sports

PEORIA, Ariz. – Ichiro Suzuki hasn’t exactly torn up the pitching in Japan’s exhibition games before the World Baseball Classic begins.

The important thing, as far as the Seattle Mariners are concerned, is that their right fielder hasn’t torn himself up.

Suzuki, who won’t show up for spring training with the Mariners until Japan is finished playing the WBC, went 2-for-11 in three exhibition games.

The best part is that he’s healthy.

Japan plays China at 1:30 a.m. Friday (Seattle time) in Tokyo in its WBC opener, and the Mariners will keep a close eye on Suzuki from both near and far. , ESPN2 will televise the game.

Mariners president Chuck Armstrong is attending the WBC games in Japan, and assistant trainer Takayoshi Morimoto has been with Suzuki for months monitoring his workouts. Morimoto was a trainer with the Orix Blue Wave when Suzuki played there before joining the Mariners.

Having Morimoto at Suzuki’s side is a comfort to the Mariners, who are able to get reports on his preparation despite the distance.

“Taka has been with him every day for the whole offseason,” M’s head trainer Rick Griffin said. “He knows Ichiro better than anybody.”

Two others on the Mariners’ major league roster will play in the WBC: third baseman Adrian Beltre for the Dominican Republic and pitcher Joel Pineiro for Puerto Rico.

The Dominicans open against Venezuela at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the first round of pool play, and Puerto Rico plays Panama at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Pineiro will pitch Puerto Rico’s second game at 4:30 p.m. next Wednesday against The Netherlands.

The top two teams in each of the four pools advance to second-round pool play from March 12-16 at Anaheim and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The winners and runnersup from each of the two semifinal pools play in a final four-style single-elimination bracket March 18 and 20 to determine the champion.

If Japan advances out of the first round of pool play, the team – and Suzuki – will work out near the Mariners at the Peoria Sports Complex to prepare for the semifinals in Anaheim.

Better baseball: In the time it took them to lumber through 3 innings of sloppy baseball Monday, the Mariners played a five-inning intrasquad game Tuesday that was much improved.

The squad managed by bench coach Ron Hassey beat the squad led by Tacoma Rainiers manager Dave Brundage 4-0, scoring twice in the second inning and twice in the fifth.

“The pitching was a little better,” manager Mike Hargrove said, comparing the game with Monday’s, when pitchers struggled with their control. “We still had some kids running into trouble throwing strikes. I thought the baserunning was aggressive and the hitting was, too.”

Right-hander Gil Meche pitched well in his spring training debut, mixing his pitches well with good control in his one inning. Matt Lawton hit a two-out single to center field off Meche before catcher Corky Miller threw him out trying to steal.

“I was able to make some pitches from the get-go,” Meche said. “In an intrasquad game, you try to mix in some things because you have only one inning. Instead of throwing fastball, fastball, fastball, I tried to make it a little different, like it was in the fourth inning, trying to change the hitters’ eyes.”

He also was able to throw first-pitch strikes and work the inside portion of the strike zone, two of his goals in camp.

“The biggest focus this year at spring training with me is to try and establish the strike zone early with the two-seam fastball and throw a lot of changeups,” Meche said. “Those are things I need to get down before we get into the season, establishing the inside (of the strike zone) early in the ballgame rather than late.”

How impressed was Hargrove?

“It’s the first day,” he said. “I was pleased with the fact that he threw strikes, but other than that you’d be spitting up a rope trying to evaluate first outings of the year. I don’t put a lot of stock into first outings. You want to give them a chance to get their feet on the ground before you start evaluating.”

Catcher Jeff Clement and left fielder Mike Morse had the big hits of the game, both smacking RBI doubles in the second inning off veteran right-hander Dave Burba. Matt Lawton and Oswaldo Navarro also had RBI singles in the fifth.

Jesse Foppert, Francisco Cruceta, Lindsay Gulin, Jeff Heaverlo and Rich Dorman each pitched a scoreless inning and held the Brundage team to two singles.

Health report: Second baseman Fernando Vina may skip practice for two or three days, Hargrove said, as he recovers from a strained hip flexor. Otherwise, the medical news is minimal.

Relief pitcher J.J. Putz threw from about 120 feet Tuesday and will do the same today, and he hopes to throw in the bullpen on Friday. Putz, who suffered back spasms last week, said he doesn’t feel any pain but has been careful in his throwing sessions.

Catcher Rob Johnson (back spasms) returned to the field Tuesday and, barring setback, should take part in full workouts later this week.

Of note: Outfielder Jeremy Reed, infielder Jose Lopez and pitcher Yorman Bazardo have agreed to contracts for 2006. … The Mariners play their annual golf tournament against the Padres today, and one pairing in particular stands out. Eddie Guardado, Kenji Johjima, Richie Sexson and Carl Everett are in the same foursome. “That’s an eclectic group,” Hargrove said. “It would be fun to follow that group.” … The Mariners begin today’s workout 30 minutes earlier than normal in order to make their 1:30 p.m. shotgun start for the golf tournament. … Hernandez, Kevin Appier, Matt Thornton, Marcos Carvajal, George Sherrill and Jake Woods are scheduled to pitch Thursday in the exhibition opener against the Padres.

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