Will it ever get back to normal?

By Rich Myhre

Herald Writer

SEATTLE – So much was the same – the beautiful ballpark, the brilliant sunshine on a late summer afternoon, and the crisp crack of a bat striking a baseball.

Overhead, there was the usual parade of jetliners on the flight path out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The Seattle Mariners, like the rest of us, are beginning to turn their attention from horrific tragedy to the routine of everyday lives. And for the Mariners, that means getting back to one of the most successful seasons in the history of major league baseball.

It will happen Tuesday night, when the Anaheim Angels visit Safeco Field for the opener of a three-game series. It will be Seattle’s first game since a Monday night contest in Anaheim – just hours before terrorists killed thousands by sending planes plunging into New York’s World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon in Washington, and a Pennsylvania countryside.

None of the Mariners knows what to expect for Tuesday’s game, and neither is anyone sure how the rest of the season will unfold. Certainly baseball does not seem as important today as it did a week ago, and no one is quite sure when it will.

“I don’t know if it will ever get back to normal,” said Seattle outfielder Jay Buhner. “But I do think we need to get back out there on Tuesday and get back into the swing of things. I think the time will be right by then.”

In preparation for Tuesday’s game, the Mariners went through a midday workout Saturday at Safeco Field. For over two hours, they took batting practice and infield practice, and several pitchers got in their first extended throwing in almost a week.

There was a somber air throughout the get-together, intermixed with occasional joking and laughter. The only overt reminder of the recent tragedy was the stadium’s large American flag in center field, fluttering at half-staff in a gentle wind.

In the locker room, though, the various televisions around the room were all tuned to news channels, not the usual sports broadcasts. And the players were watching, many of them intently.

Since this was only a workout, the stadium seats were empty. On Tuesday, though, a sellout crowd in excess of 45,000 is expected for what promises to be one of the most memorable games in Mariners history.

About all the team can do, said Seattle pitcher Joel Pineiro, “is start going step by step, and just trying to get things normal again. I think what’ll affect the fans will be when they play the (Star Spangled Banner) before the game. But maybe after that, we’ll just go out and get a win and everything will start going the right way again.”

Of all the Mariners, manager Lou Piniella seemed particularly subdued on Saturday. During the 1970s and ’80s, Piniella spent 15 years with the New York Yankees as a player, manager and member of the front office. In that time, he not only came to know the city and its landmarks, but he also became acquainted with police and fire officials who had occasional duty at Yankee Stadium. Some of them may have died on Tuesday.

“I’m sure I know people (who were involved),” Piniella said, meeting with the media in his office before the practice.

Asked what the atmosphere might be at Tuesday’s game, Piniella said, “I haven’t really thought about it. But it’ll be emotional.”

Later, he added, “It’s going to be difficult, it really is.”

Sports may seem frivolous in the context of human catastrophe, but the games can also provide a useful outlet for a nation that has endured so much heartache. The Mariners hope Tuesday’s game, and all the remaining games in Seattle’s season, have that effect.

“It should be an alternative to the kinds of things we’re seeing on TV now,” Buhner said. “When we start playing again, hopefully it will provide some entertainment and be somewhat of a reprieve for people.

“I think (Tuesday’s game) will be a way for everyone to kind of bond together and to show unity,” Buhner said. “At the same time, it will be a very emotional time, too.”