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Those goofy relievers put their best foot backward

Published 7:14 pm Saturday, April 17, 2010

By Kirby Arnold

7:15 p.m. UPDATE: The Mariners have confirmed the item below on pitcher Brian Sweeney. He’s in uniform tonight for the Tacoma Rainiers at Salt Lake.

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I always try to take a break from the typing before a Mariners game and soak in the wonder of being able to work in a major league ballpark.

Usually, I do it about the time the Mariners’ relief pitchers high-five their teammates and begin their walk across the field toward the bullpen. More times than not, the relievers have marched in a fairly straight line.

Backward.

Yep, they often would back their way across the field until they reached the door to the bullpen, then disappeared into their haven for the night. Why backward? What deep meaning could there be?

“No reason, except that we’re idiots,” Mark Lowe said.

Sitting nearby, Sean White shook his head in agreement. “That’s right,” he said. “Idiots.”

So there you have it. I was all prepared for some deep message about the relievers never turning their backs on their teammates, or always facing the music, or who knows what.

Not so sure about the idiot part, but those guys are a treat to watch.

A few pregame notes after driving to the ballpark this afternoon against the flow of soccer traffic (Was it especially cold at Qwest Field today? Everyone was wearing a scarf. Also, I tried to high-five some fans after the Sounders’ big victory, but I guess soccer fans don’t use their hands.):

  • Milton Bradley is back in left field after being pulled from Friday night’s rout because of soreness in his left knee.
  • Ian Snell is dealing with the flu and may be send home early tonight, but manager Don Wakamatsu said he’ll make his start tomorrow.
  • Mike Curto, the Tacoma Rainiers’ play-by-play broadcaster and all-around great guy, has Tweeted that the Mariners have signed right-handed pitcher Brian Sweeney to a minor league contract. Name ring a bell? Sweeney pitched part of the 2003 season for the Mariners before they traded him along with Jeff Cirillo to the San Diego Padres. He pitched 37games for the Padres in 2006 before becoming a free agent. He was with the Nippon Ham Fighters in Japan the past two seasons.
  • Friday night was the 30th time in Mariners history that they scored 11 runs without a home run.

    • Tonight’s lineups:

    TIGERS

    Jackson, center field

    Raburn, right field

    Ordonez, DH

    Cabrerra, first base

    Guillen, left field

    Inge, third base

    Sizemore, second base

    Laird or Avila, catcher (Laird has a sore back)

    Everett, shortstop

    Right-hander Justin Verlander, starting pitche

    MARINERS

    Suzuki, right field

    Figgins, second base

    Gutierrez, center field

    Lopez, third base

    Griffey, DH

    Bradley, left field

    Kotchman, first base

    Moore, catcher

    Wilson, shortstop

    Left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith, starting pitcher

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