By Kirby Arnold
Herald Writer
SEATTLE – He says you can call him a long reliever, setup specialist or closer.
Shigetoshi Hasegawa also says you can simply call him “Shiggy.”
But any references to Bobby Ayala should, well, just don’t go there.
Manager Lou Piniella did on Thursday as he described the Seattle Mariners’ delicate pitching predicament at the team’s annual pre-spring training briefing with media at Safeco Field.
In his attempt to define Hasegawa’s relief role in wake of the season-ending injury to Norm Charlton, Piniella invoked a name from the days of Mariner bullpens gone awry: Ayala’s.
“Hasegawa has had more success the last four or five years against left-handed hitters,” Piniella said. “So with the loss of Charlton we can equalize it a little bit by using Hasegawa like we used Ayala.”
Then Piniella realized what he had just said.
“Hopefully,” he added, “with a lot more success.”
Pitching was the primary topic Thursday as the Mariners discussed the various scenarios to support their improved offense with a capable starting rotation and bullpen. A year ago, the pitching was complete and there were questions about the offense.
“Things have reversed themselves,” Piniella said. “This year we’re not concerned about our offense, we’re concerned about our starting pitching.”
After Freddy Garcia, Jamie Moyer and Paul Abbott, the rotation heads into the untested waters of Joel Pineiro as the fourth starter and an open audition for someone – John Halama, Ryan Franklin or Gil Meche – to claim the fifth spot. Piniella, however, likes both Halama and Franklin in the bullpen, and Meche hasn’t pitched since the 2000 season because of shoulder problems that have required two surgeries in the past year.
General manager Pat Gillick said the club continues to talk with free agent starters. Pitchers mentioned most prominently are right-handers James Baldwin and Ismael Valdez, both of whom are asking for more money than the Mariners are willing to pay.
“We’re still trying,” Piniella said. “If we can add one more experienced starting pitcher, I think we’d benefit from that a lot.”
Chances seem just as likely that the Mariners will fill the rotation from within the organization.
“It’s a concern,” Piniella said. “But if Meche goes to camp and he’s healthy and he steps right into the rotation, or if one of our young pitchers like Pineiro takes hold of a spot and pitches well, then there’s no concern whatsoever. If not, we’re a little thin.”
In the bullpen, the Mariners must decide how to overcome the loss of Charlton, who injured his rotator cuff and will miss the entire season. Charlton not only was effective against left-handers, he helped Piniella keep Arthur Rhodes rested and often forced opposing managers into pinch-hitting decisions.
The Mariners could use Halama in that role, although left-handers averaged .354 off him last year compared with .273 by right-handers. Jeff Nelson (.167 against left, .119 right) and Hasegawa (.221 left, .270 right) also are options that Piniella might play.
Nobody, however, is suggesting the team is headed back to the days of Ayala, who pitched on the Mariners’ division championship teams in 1995 and 1997 but is remembered more for the blown saves that essentially forced him from the game after the 1998 season.
Someone asked Hasegawa, a five-year veteran with the Anaheim Angels who became a free agent and signed with the Mariners earlier this month, if he’d ever heard of Ayala.
“I think I saw him a couple of years ago,” he said.
Hasegawa then stopped for a moment of thought.
“I don’t want to be like that.”
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