Say they haven’t been playing well. Say they’re underachieving. Say the Seattle Mariners don’t have the stuff to make the postseason.
Just don’t imply it’s manager Bob Melvin’s fault.
In a Seattle clubhouse used to reading about the flaws of a struggling team, what outraged the Mariners was one line written in a Seattle newspaper Tuesday morning.
The line?
“If Bob Melvin survives his team’s staggering finish to manage them next year …”
The implication that Melvin’s job is in jeopardy surprised players and front-office executives on the trip, including general manager Pat Gillick.
“Absolutely ridiculous,” Gillick said.
Rookie manager Melvin has a two-year contract with a team option for 2005, and the Mariners are happy with his work. Most players shook their heads at the report.
“That’s just silly,” catcher Dan Wilson said.
Ichiro Suzuki went a bit further. Holding one hand high, the other low, Suzuki said there was a wide range of writers covering major league baseball.
“If someone wrote that, I would be surprised if it was from someone at the top end of the profession” Suzuki said.
“I’m on the inside, and if you want to criticize us, we can take that because it’s part of the business,” Suzuki said. “I don’t care what someone on the outside says because he doesn’t know. So I don’t read the papers.”
Implying that Melvin might not be back?
“Bob has created an environment that allows us to play well,” Suzuki said.
Melvin shrugged off the story and declined comment.
Cameron sits: Outfielder Mike Cameron started the game on the bench, in part to give him a break and in part to get John Mabry’s bat into the lineup against Texas starter John Thomson. Mabry had a .357 career average against Thomson with a home run and Cameron is in an 8-for-59 slump.
“He wants to play 162 games, but there are things he won’t tell you,” Melvin said of his center fielder. “Both his ankles and one knee are pretty banged up. Even so, there’s a good chance he won’t get the whole night off.”
All-time: When Edgar Martinez drew a walk Monday night it was the 1,218th of his career, moving him into 41st place on baseball’s all-time list.
No Cirillo: Jeff Cirillo has become a non-entity on the team. Batting .205 this season, Cirillo hasn’t played a game this month and hasn’t appeared in a game since Aug. 30, when he came in as a defensive replacement. Even little-used Chad Meyers has played more recently, stealing a base as a pinch-runner on Sunday.
Notes: Former Mariners minor league outfielder Jermaine Clark has traveled hard this year. Acquired by Texas in the 2002 trade of Ismael Valdes to Seattle, Clark opened this season with the Rangers then was claimed by San Diego on April 30. He played in the Padres’ minor league system, got in one game with San Diego and was reacquired by Texas in July, when the Rangers sent him to their Class AAA team. And now? Clark is back with Texas and started Tuesday in left field.
Larry LaRue, The News Tribune
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