Ok, we just off the conference call with Joey Cora, who interviewed for the open Mariners managerial job this morning.

No, he didn't cry.

Actually Cora admitted that he didn't think he was done talking with Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik yet.

Anyway, Cora said all of the right things. One thing he mentioned was bringing back the "Mariners' way." He tried to explain, saying "there's got to be a pride in the way you play the game. How to be resilient and relentless. We don't want to worry about the other team, we want the the other teams to be worried about us."

Obviously, this season when Cora was with the White Sox as a bench coach, they probably weren't too worried about the Mariners.

"When we played the Mariners, we knew we had to worry about Ichiro and we knew we were going to see (Felix) Hernandez at least once," Cora said.

But he didn't say much after that about things they worried about with the Mariners.

"In spring training, the team looked great," Cora said of Seattle. "I don't know what happened after that. Obviously they have talented players."

But even Cora admitted that talent players aren't enough.

"It's about being a team," he said.

Cora wouldn't list any specific issues he saw, but he didn't deny they were there.

"They have some problems," he said. "If they didn't have problems I wouldn't be here."

As for working with Ozzie Guillen over the last five seasons and the things he's taken away from the experience, Cora pointed to Ozzie's relationship with his players.

"The way he communicated with the players, sometimes that gets lost in the shuffle with the way he talks to the media," Cora said. "Players want to play for him. They know he cares for real."

Cora also said he was a differing voice for Ozzie to bounce ideas and decisions off of.

"I'm the one that gives Ozzie a different perspective," Cora said. "I'm very different from him and maybe he sees the other side of the coin from me."

As for his time spent in Seattle, Cora doesn't know if it gives him as an advantage, other than the fact he knows what Seattle fans want.

"I know the town, I know what the town wants - a world series title," he said. "I don't know if that's an advantage. Seattle sports have been a little down this year with Sonics leaving and the Seahawks struggling. It was fun here when I played and we were in contention every year I played here. I know how great it can be here when things are going well."