Notes
Ride across America: Three hours before game time in the visiting clubhouse of Fenway Park, most of the Mariners were relaxing Tuesday – watching Jack Nicholson on the big-screen television.
Edgar Martinez watched, too, though he wasn’t on one of the couches or chairs scattered around him. Martinez watched while pedaling a stationary bicycle.
When someone asked him how far he’d gone so far, Martinez checked the bike’s mileage.
“I’m somewhere out near the back bay right now and about to turn around,” Martinez said.
There may be no man in major league baseball more familiar with stationary bikes than Martinez. He rides them before games, rides them after – and before every at-bat, spends three to four minutes getting his legs loose.
“There’s no way to run in the dugout or the visiting clubhouses, so I use the bike to stay loose, keep a little sweat going between at-bats,” Martinez said.
Just how much time has he spent on stationary bikes in the last few years?
“More than I’ve spent in bed,” he said, then frowned. “That doesn’t sound right. Well, more time than I’ve spent in the bathroom, how’s that?”
The best stationary bike in baseball, not surprisingly, is in the clubhouse at Safeco Field. The worst is in Cleveland’s visiting clubhouse.
“It’s one of those bikes where the front wheel is like a fan,” Martinez said. “I don’t like it much.”
Some parks don’t even have one in the visiting clubhouse. And in Fenway, Martinez can ride, but there’s no convenient spot to swing a bat – the other thing he does between at-bats at the designated hitter.
“There’s not really enough room in the clubhouse here, and there’s no room in the dugout or in the tunnel between the dugout and the clubhouse,” he said. “So I don’t swing until I get out on deck.”
All that may help explain why Martinez has a career average of .298 vs. Boston – as opposed to his .320 career batting average.
Not as bad as it looks: Seattle began the night with a 5-26 record in games they trailed entering the ninth inning, which isn’t good but isn’t nearly as bad as it seems. For perspective, consider this: the Minnesota Twins lead the majors with six wins when trailing after eight – and the Mariners record is the second best in baseball.
Fishing trip: A few of the Mariners went fishing off Boston harbor, and Ed Sprague and Tom Lampkin landed the biggest catches – a pair of striped bass at better than 35 pounds. It didn’t come easily, since Lampkin wound up seasick. Pitchers Arthur Rhodes and Aaron Sele were part of the expedition, too – and the fish they caught were brought in the clubhouse, cooked and shared with teammates before the game.
Super K: When Mike Cameron struck out in the third inning, he did so for the 24th game in a row, extending his own team record. Research shows no one has done that since 1975.
Larry LaRue
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
