Today
Opponent: Oakland A’s
When: 7:10 p.m.
Where: Safeco Field
TV: FSN
Radio: ESPN 710 AM
Probable starting pitchers: Seattle left-hander Luke French (3-3, 3.83 earned run average) vs. left-hander Gio Gonzalez (4-4, 5.78).
Give them a microphone
You’ve heard of Il Divo, the four opera singers who’ve sang around the world since they formed an act in 2004.
Now, there’s a new group called “L. Ben Show” right here with the Seattle Mariners. They get together every night before the Mariners play, although nobody has ever heard a note. Probably for good reason.
The brainchild of Mariners DH Mike Sweeney, L. Ben Show consists of the non-starting position players each day. As the National Anthem performers step to the microphone behind home plate and the Mariners line up in front of the dugout, the non-starters form their own lineup as close as possible behind the Anthem performers.
“We get behind them and sing backup,” Sweeney said.
Well, not really. But it is another quirky form of togetherness that’s become a mark of this year’s team.
The pregame suspense Tuesday centered on whether Ichiro Suzuki, sidelined with a sore calf, would join his new bench brethren. He was the first one out of the dugout, followed by Ryan Langerhans, Rob Johnson and Josh Wilson.
Why L. Ben Show?
It couldn’t be as simple as calling themselves “The Bench.” So Sweeney came up with “el banco” and tweaked it to the Spanglish “el bencho,” then twisted it some more to “L. Ben Show.”
And yes, Sweeney had T-shirts made up for his boys.
Ackley, Aumont, Fields on Fall League roster
The Mariners will have some healthy representation in the Arizona Fall League this year, including their first-round selections from the past three drafts.
Outfielder Dustin Ackley (2009), pitcher Josh Fields (2008) and pitcher Phillippe Aumont (2007) will play for the Peoria Javelinas, along with four other prospects from the Mariners’ minor league system. The others are shortstop Carlos Truinfel, left-handed pitcher Nick Hill, right-handed pitcher Anthony Varvaro and first baseman Joe Dunigan.
Dunigan is playing with Class A High Desert. Ackley will report to the instructional league next month and the others are with Class AA West Tennessee. Truinfel is coming back from a broken leg suffered in the second game this season and may play the final few games with West Tennessee before going to the instructional league, and then the fall league.
“There have been many kids who have gone there, been successful and boom, all of a sudden they are in the big leagues,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said. “That’s what our hopes are. All of these guys are talented guys who we think of a lot of and they have all earned the right to go there.”
He said Ackley, limited to first base during the college season because of Tommy John elbow surgery a year ago, will play the outfield. Dunigan is listed as an outfielder but probably will get most of his playing time at first base.
Every major league team contributes players to the six teams in the fall league, which runs from Oct. 13-Nov. 21. Stephen Strasburg, drafted first overall by the Washington Nationals this year, will pitch for the Phoenix Desert Dogs.
Around the horn
Ichiro Suzuki told manager Don Wakamatsu his tight left calf felt better Tuesday, although the skipper wouldn’t speculate on when Suzuki would return to the lineup. Wakamatsu said he doubted the right fielder would play today. Suzuki worked out and took a few swings in the batting cage Tuesday afternoon. … Zduriencik said Ackley would be at Safeco Field next week and work out with the Mariners before going to Arizona to begin preparation for the instructional league and fall league. … Reliever Chris Jakubauskas said his right shoulder felt good when he threw off the bullpen mound, and he’ll probably throw in the pen today before joining the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers.
Kirby Arnold, Herald writer
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