Adrian Beltre wants more evidence before he decides whether to go to the World Baseball Classic.

That means the Mariners third baseman wants to play in a few games with Seattle before determining whether to join the Dominican Republic team or not.

The Mariners don't want him to play in the WBC, Beltre badly wants to, but he knows coming off surgery to his left shoulder and thumb he may not yet be ready.

So, he's asked the team to help him decide by letting him play.

He's not in the lineup today. He might play tomorrow.

"We're going to work him out today and he's going to have to tell me he's ready before we put him on the field," manager Don Wakamasu said.

Here's the earlier story on Beltre than ran in the paper today.

Here's the rosters for all 16 teams

As Larry posted earlier, the Mariners have several players that will participate. But besides the seven players that would be on the 25-man roster: Adrian Beltre (Dominican Republic); Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima (Japan); Felix Hernandez, Carlos Silva, Endy Chavez and Jose Lopez, there are also several minor leaguers participating ..

P Phillippe Aumont, Canada
IF Alex Liddi, Italy
OF Greg Halman, Netherlands
P Manuel Campos, Panama
IF Anthohy Phillips, South Africa

There are also some former Mariners players or farmhands playing including closer J.J. Putz, who made the U.S. Team.

Also Travis Blackley and Chris Snelling are playing for Australia. Snelling, who is still a free agent, will use the WBC as an audition.

Alex Rodriguez is playing for the Dominican Republic. Phil Barzilla, who pitched for the Rainers, will compete for Italy, while Jorge Campillo will pitch for Mexico.

Also Ashley Scott, who plays locally for Tacoma Community College will suit up for South Africa.

The Seattle Mariners made it clear to third baseman Adrian Beltre that the decision whether to play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic was all his – though they had their preference.

On Tuesday, Beltre was placed on the 28-man roster for the Dominican team, but the Mariners still hadn’t heard Beltre’s decision. Being on the roster doesn’t necessarily mean the player has agreed to play.

“We give them our opinion, and we’ve discouraged him that from a health standpoint to make sure he’s 100 per cent,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “He feels awfully good. He’s judging whether it’s going to help him or hurt him. My discussion with him was to be awfully smart.”

Coming off season-ending injuries and surgeries to his left thumb and shoulder, Beltre came to camp aching to play in the WBC. Just as clearly, the Mainers wanted him not to, but didn’t force the issue.

“I would prefer that he stays in camp because of the injuries he had last year. It’s important that he take it a little bit slower,” Wakamatsu said. “I prefaced it with ‘This is going to be your decision.’ From a managing standpoint, as someone who cares about his health and his future, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Beltre was listed on the WBC roster released today, along with seven other players on the 40-man roster – Ichiro Suzuki, Kenji Johjima, Endy Chavez, Carlos Silva, Felix Hernandez, Jose Lopez and Greg Halman.

That will put a serious dent in the depth chart beginning March 1, when the non-Asian WBC teams begin working out.

“We’re trying to bring the club together a little bit and create the work ethic,” Wakamatsu said. “You always like to be able to conrol your on destiny and with them not here I think they’re a little bit removed from that.”

For now, the team is scrambling to find out what Beltre has decided. They may not know until he shows up for work Wednesday morning.

TNT file photo

Baseball America has released its annual top 100 prospects in baseball list. And the Mariners placed four players in the list - outfielder Greg Halman (57th), outfielder Michael Saunders (65th)(pictured above), shortstop Carlos Triunfel (89th) and pitcher Phillippe Aumont (93rd).

Greg Halman

Their top prospect is Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters with Tampa Bay lefty David Price No. 2. And just to note, right-hander Chris Tillman, who the Mariners gave up in the Erik Bedard trade, is ranked No. 22.

Here's the complete list.

To some it may seem a little odd to see Halman and Saunders ahead of Triunfel, who many people consider to be the top prospect in the organization. But remember these lists are based on a person's opinion and projection. ESPN's Keith Law had Triunfel at No. 22 and Halman at No. 98 in his top 100 list with Aumont and right-hander Juan Ramirez just missing the top 10. Baseball Prospectus also released a top 100 list earlier and has Halman at No. 42, Aumont at No. 61, Saunders at No. 75 and Triunfel not in the top 100.

Carlos Triunfel

Not on any of the lists was catcher Adam Moore, who most of the Mariners organization was raving about earlier this season.

Halman, Saunders and Moore will most likely all start the season off at Triple A Tacoma, and may get late seasons call ups, but really are a year or two away from being big league ready. Triunfel will probably head to Double A West Tennessee and Aumont, who recently said he plans to throw for Canada in the WBC after saying he wasn't going to a month ago, will be with one of the Class A squads.

Bryan LaHair spent an entire off-season working to strengthen his core muscles in order to deal with a herniated disc in his back, and has come to spring training with the thought of winning a job.

A first baseman by trade, he’s found the field a crowded one.

“Everywhere I look, there’s a first baseman,” he said, and laughed.

He wasn’t kidding. Russell Branyan, Mike Carp, Mike Sweeney, Chris Shelton, Jose Lopez and Mike Morse have all played the position, and the Mariners are getting a first basemans glove for catcher Jeff Clement, too.

It’s a position where the competition is deep, and LaHair – despite a new-found power swing – is down the depth chart a bit. He’s impressed hitting coach Alan Cockrell and infield coach Bruce Hines, but with all those other first basemen, making the opening day roster is a long shot.

That’s the situation at other positions, as well.

There are plenty of outfielders, infielders, catchers and relievers in camp. Too many starting pitchers. And it was designed this way – that’s why there are 63 players in camp, with outfielder Wladimir Balentien yet to report.

“We want competition for every position,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said. “We want options, we want depth within the organization, we want versatility.”

They’ve got it, and it’s going to make for tough decisions in another month or so.

Mike Morse and Balentien, for instance, are out of minor league options. If they don’t make the 25-man roster, they go on waivers for any team to claim. Morse is a right-handed hitter who can play the first base, third base, shortstop and – in a pinch – the outfield.

There are more candidates for utility jobs than there are first baseman.

So even though it’s early in camp, there are players looking around and doing the math. More than 35 players here won’t be heading for Minnesota when Seattle opens the regular season.

LaHair knows the odds. Morse knows them, too. So do Jamie Burke, Rob Johnson and a half dozen relievers. Jobs are scarce, competition considerable.

“We all have the opportunity,” LaHair said. “All you ever want is that chance to show them you can help the team now, and everyone here has that. It’s not supposed to be easy. I’ve gotten stronger in the off-season and lost weight. I’m quicker at first base and strong enough to hit for power.

Can he make this team?

“I think so,” LaHair said.

Ok, my shift as the Reader Representative mercifully came to an end on Friday. Hopefully, I can post a little bit more. But it's tough to do much since I'm not in Arizona yet, and hopefully that will change in a week or two, and Larry and I can double up on the coverage.

But something that needs to be cleared up now for further reference. The pointless sniping at Larry or myself or other posters needs to stop. A little bit of ribbing or teasing in good humor is fine, and I welcome it. But, I think we all know what I am talking about here. And some stuff has moved beyond anything good-natured. Look, it's one thing to have complaints about something we write or didn't write, but if you do, voice them with a fair amount civility or just e-mail us privately. I assure you, your concerns will be taken into consideration.

Either Larry or I would be the first to admit that we are different in many ways as we approach the beat and the blog. We have different levels of experience, different writing styles, different senses of humor and different approaches to how we do things. I think those differences bring a nice variety to the blog and dual voices and points of view to often the same subject.

Maybe Larry's posts aren't what some people want, and perhaps others find my consistent use of sarcasm and sixth-grade humor juvenile. We each have our fans and our detractors. But we are consistent in who we are or what we do. This blog is about the Mariners and baseball and giving readers a forum to get news and discuss it - passionately, but rationally.

But with that said, we are not above being criticized. It's something we signed up for when we got into this business. We understand it well, and we accept it. Beyond criticism, we are always looking for ways to improve the blog. We'll gladly take suggestions to make this product better. Neither of us are ignorant to the fact that it's become a major element to the expected beat coverage of the Mariners. So any improvements to it to help readers are important.

Specifically, Snydro, you know I love your passion for the Hawks, the Mariners and the TNT. You're loyal to all the things we do. You've also been a big supporter of mine for quite a while, and I appreciate it. But at the same time, let's not go around calling people out about losing their jobs. I'm not looking to replace Larry or anybody else on staff. I certainly would never want to see anyone forced out of the business before they are ready, myself particularly. Yet, it's happening to people I know at the P-I, and it's horrible. I can't begin to fathom what it would be like to be them.

I could be my usual self and use the Rodney King quote of "Can't we all just get a long?"

But this isn't a request. It's a demand. You expect a lot of us, and in turn we want to expect a certain level of respect from you.

And now that I've done my best impersonation of Sister Angela - my grade school principal - let's get to a few links.

Here's Larry's story on Mark Lowe finding out that he's diabetic.

The Associated Press' Gregg Bell had this story on Endy Chavez. And yesterday, he had this story on Ken Griffey Jr.

The NY Times had this story on Junior and Jason Giambi returning to the organizations where they started their careers with.

Let's go around baseball ...
Bellarmine Prep grad Jon Lester is helping the fight against cancer.

Indians outfielder David Dellucci told reporters that he had been bitten by an alligator, and they believed him.

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton has given up chewing tobacco this season. It's not an easy task to do.

Former Mariners shortstop Omar Vizquel is now with the Rangers and mentoring young prospect Elvis Andrus.

The A's believe they are gaining on the Angels.

The A's also halted plans on building a new stadium in Fremont.

Columnist Ray Ratto checks in with his thoughts on the situation.

Yankees outfielders Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady and Mets first baseman Carlos Pena are having trouble with their finances because of a scandal in the firm where they invested their money. Damon says he can't pay his bills.

The blog "Big League Stew" has some team-by-team previews of the World Baseball Classic.

Two days after being released to make room on the 40-man roster for Ken Griffey Jr., the Seattle Mariners have re-signed outfielder Mike Wilson.

Wilson, 25, was the team's second-round pick in the 2001 draft, and is a power hitter in a minor league system without many of those.

Slowed by injuries the past few seasons, Wilson hit 27 homers and had 84 RBI in 119 Class AA games last season.
He'll be back in camp today.

Three minutes after they'd finished stretching, the Mariners began an offensive drill - with third base coach Bruce Hines calling out the hitting situation and then flashing signs.

Ken Griffey Jr., in his second day of camp, hadn't seen the signs yet. Mike Sweeney filled him in.

Stepping into the batters box against a pitching machine, Griffey took that stance Mariners fans have seen for two decades.

Hines called out the situation - runners on first and second base - and sent in the sign for a hit-and-run.

The machine coughed up the pitch, and Junior lined it down the right field line hard enough to reach the fence on a roll.

"First swing?" asked Russell Bryan.

"That's all you need," Griffey said.

Both men laughed. Everyone on the field smiled.

After less than a week on the field together, the Seattle Mariners will begin playing games today.

Trying to get the team into shape for the Cactus League, manager Don Wakamatsu will oversee a pair of intrasquad games today and tomorrow aimed at getting pitchers work and players on the field.

"Intrasquad games are mostly for the pitchers, to let them face hitters for the first time," Wakamatsu said.

Ken Griffey Jr. probably won't play in either game as the Mariners let his legs work into shape, but lots of other players will.

Figure a pitcher per half inning and the team will use 11 today in 5 1/2 innings and another eight tomorrow in a four-inning contest.
Today's pitchers: Carlos Silva, David Aardsma, Denny Stark, Shawn Kelley, Justin Thomas, Miguel Batista, Mark Lowe, Jason Vargas, Randy Messenger and Stephen Kahn

And, in news of the former Mariners, consider this:

Travis Blackley, trying to catch on with the Diamondbacks bullpen, overslept and was two hours late for a workout. Oops.

Shawn Estes hopes to make the Dodgers rotation and says, if he doesn' make the opening day roster, he'll retire.

Omar Vizquel can't do everything he once did, but the Texas Rangers want him to mentor their young infielders - and he almost certainly will win a job as a reserve.

And in Yankee camp, where pitchers were signed bv the case this off-season, guess who will start New York's exhibition opener? Brett Tomko.

By 7:30 a.m., Ken Griffey Jr. was in the Seattle clubhouse doing at least one thing that hasn’t changed with age – talking.

Sitting on a wheeled trunk near his locker, Junior talked to Russell Branyan, who sat nearby. He talked to clubhouse attendants and trainers, reporters and front office excecutives. He chatted with pitchers and outfielders, and never seemed to lack subject matter.

“I’ve got my kids lives all planned,” he said at one point. “Trey is going to North Carolina on a football scholarship. Taryn is going to North Carolina on a basketball scholarship. And I’m going to college with Trey and (wife) Melissa is going to school with Taryn.”

And what about six-year-old son Tevin?

“We’ve got that planned, too,” Griffey said. “When he goes to college, Melissa and I both go with him and get our Masters degree.”

Junior chatted with rookies and veterans, players he knew and a few he’d never met. Guys coming out of the training room stopped to listen. Executive walking through the clubhouse stopped to listen.

Almost all of them got a laugh for the effort.

On the field, Griffey shagged with his fellow outfielders and took part in pop-up drills. At one point, after he’d made a play in left and the pop-ups were aimed at other areas, he trotted over to the left field foul line and straddled it.

“There’s Junior, guarding the line,” Mike Sweeney yelled.

Griffey hit more line drives than home runs in batting practice, and talked about form and pitches with those in his group – Adrian Beltre, Sweeney and Branyan. At one point, between drills, Junior wandered to another field and stood with pitchers near the mound, encouraging them as they fielded ground balls.

Clearly, he’s having fun. Just as clearly, he’s a carrier. Everywhere he goes, there’s a burst of laughter every few minutes. Just as clearly, he knows his role. When changing fields, for instance, Griffey jogged while others walked.

Often enough, they’d move a little faster after he passed.

Games won’t begin for another few days and opening day is more than a month away. So far, so good.

Don Wakmatsu is almost always the first one at the Mariners complex each morning – show up at 5 a.m. and that’s almost always going to beat everyone else.

The past two days, however, he’s been beaten by a small group of older women who refer to themselves as ‘The Old Bats.’ After asking the Seattle manager how early he reported for duty each day, they promised to beat him to the park.

And they have.

“I showed up a few minutes after 5 a.m. yesterday, and they were already here, waiting at the entrance to the parking lot,” Wakamatsu said. “They were yelling ‘We told you we’d beat you.’

“So today I thought I’d surprise them and get here a few minutes before five – and they were waiting for me at 4:52 a.m. They had this little cardboard scorecard with innings on it, and the score was ‘Old Bats’ 2, Wakamatsu 0.’”

The ladies also knew a secret: It’s Wakamatsu’s birthday today, and they showed up with treats.

“They’re sweet ladies and big Mariners fans,” Wakamatsu said. “But 4:52 a.m. and they’re already at camp? That’s a little over the top.”

Yes, he's here.

Ken Griffey Jr. is in the house, if not yet in uniform, and his stream-of-conciousness riffs are making everyone around laugh.

The tougher news for one Mariner, outfielder Mike Wilson, is that he was released to make room for Griffey on the 40-man roster. Seattle would love to resign Wilson, but his future is up in the air now.

As for Griffey, he is - as always - a magnet. From front office executives to clubhouse men, people kept walking up, shaking hands or getting a hug.

Junior had something to say to everyone.
Press conference? Oh, he'll have one about 1:30 p.m. (MST), then work out for coaches and Don Wakamatsu.

And tomorrow, he's just one of 62 players in camp. It just so happens that 61 other players want to see everything he does.

Carlos Silva is slimmer, stronger and in a better mood than when Seattle Mariners fans last saw him, but what about his sinker?

“My first bullpens down here, my focus is just keeping the ball at the knees or lower,” Silva said. “Until you face the first hitters, you don’t see as much movement. You throw differently when someone is standing at the plate.”

It’s a philosophy you hear from all pitchers in camp: Bullpen sessions help you focus on control and mechanics and strengthening your arm. Games, with real hitters, get the adrenaline flowing – and that’s when you see what your stuff is doing.

“Every spring, the sinker comes around, but it’s never the same time,” Silva said. “Right now, my focus is throwing fastballs and changeups. I’ll start throwing my breaking ball a little later.

“I’m trying things a little differently this year. I’m trying to stay calm in my mechanics, hit my spots with pitches. You have to get a feel for everything all over again in the spring. It comes together for every pitcher at a different pace, but once you start facing hitters and see how they react to your pitches, it’s just about getting stronger and working on control.”

Oh, and there's one more thing. Silva is having fun, joking with teammates and coaches even during tough work outs.

My last day as Reader Representative for the News Tribune. One quick note from my reader rep duties, a nice lady called this morning at 5:15 a.m. and left a message to rant about how bad it was for the Mariners signing a "washed-up, over-weight outfielder that left the first time around." She went on for a good few minutes, saying "if they are so bad to resort to signing Griffey, then they must be really terrible and I'm not paying one cent to see them."

She didn't leave a number to call her back to discuss, but if I did I would have two questions:

1. "Why in all that is normal are you reading the paper at 5:15 in the morning?"
2. "How the heck did you get it delivered so early?"

Anyways, let's get to some links for your Friday afternoon.

First of all, here's the link to Larry's daily story.

Columnist John McGrath checks in with his thoughts on the Griffey signing.

Gregg Bell of the AP, checked in with his daily story from Peoria.

Bell also has this nice story on Mariners prospect Nick Hill , (pictured above/AP) who is having to serve out his time with army before joining the team.

AUDIO: Junior's agent Brian Goldberg was on with Softy today on KJR outlining how the signing process went.

ESPN's Keith Law offers his feelings on the Griffey signing - using the word shortsighted. Law also debuted his MLB draft blog and has a link to Prospect Insider's Jason Churchill in his first post.

Let's go around baseball ...
Further proof that Jose Guillen is still insane - he ripped his own ingrown toenail out of his foot.

Jon Paul Morosi of the Detroit Free press has this story on Carlos Guillen.

Here's a profile on Yu Darvish - the latest Japanese pitching phenom - is not related to Ryan Divish, unfortunately.

Federal Way's Travis Ishikawa (pictured left/AP) would be the starting 1B for the Giants if the season opened this week, but he isn't taking it for granted with so much time left till opening day.

It wouldn't be a day without some steroid talk.
The NY Post's Phil Mushnick took commissioner Bud Selig to task for his role in all of this.

One of the drugs that A-Rod said he got in the Dominican Republic, isn't actually sold there.

I have no words for the headline of this story on Barry Bonds, just see for yourself.

Not baseball related, but still interesting...
From Buster Olney's blog: I don't like snakes. I hate them and the picture and this story frightens me greatly.

And finally, >rapper Lil Wayne got the ESPN logo tattooed on his arm since he's now blogging for the world wide leader. I know Larry has an assortment of tattoos, similar to that of Dennis Rodman, but I don't know that he has the News Tribune logo tattooed on him. I will also pass on getting a Mariners Insider tattoo in script across my back.

All teams fear the same thing in spring - an injury to a key player - and the Mariners got a bit of a scare today.

Tyler Walker, the big right-hander who's a candidate to close, felt his right quad tighten up during a fielding drill and immediately headed for the training room.

“It’s not bad, and five years ago I’d have kept going and it would have gotten worse,” Walker said. “I think I caught it in time, and I’d like to throw tomorrow on schedule, but we’ll see.”

It may be nothing more than tightness, but leg injuries tend to linger in spring, when players are trying to get into game shape.

There are plenty of candidates to close - from David Aardsma to Roy Corcoran to Mark Lowe to Miguel Batista.

Walker has as much experience closing as anyone. This could be nothing or it could be a setback.

We'll find out tomorrow.

One of things that you want to avoid when doing this blog is becoming a propaganda outlet for the M's, but at the same time, you do have to post a few things here and there when you think they are relevant or necessary.

This is one of those times. In these economic times, lots of people are looking for work or supplemental earnings and the Mariners do have some opportunities for summer employment. Will you make as much in one summer as Erik Bedard gets paid to pitch in one game for the Mariners? Not even close. But if you are looking feel free to check the information below.

MARINERS HOST JOB FAIR TO HIRE SAEFCO FIELD STAFF FOR 2009 BASEBALL SEASON 150 positions open for part-time, seasonal jobs

The Seattle Mariners are preparing to host a job fair to hire approximately 150 people to perform a variety of jobs at Safeco Field on game days. The positions start at $8.55 or more an hour for 10-20 hours of work per week from April through September.

Positions range from seating hosts, elevator operators, ticketing staff, parking attendants, Team Store clerks and ballpark security. There are also a number of openings in the Fielders program specifically for high school and college age students. The work for all positions is primarily nights and weekends during Mariners home games.

Beginning February 24, those interested in applying for a job at the ballpark must call the Safeco Field Job Hotline at 206-346-4006 to set up times for interviews. The interviews will be conducted March 10-11.

"Jobs at Safeco Field during the Mariners baseball season are perfect for retired folks, teachers, college students, anyone with nights and weekends available during the season," said Marianne Short, Seattle Mariners Vice President Human Resources. "These are all customer service positions and we are looking for people that enjoy being at the ballpark and are motivated to provide the high-level of customer service our fans have come to expect at Safeco Field."

Set your clocks: Ken Griffey Jr. is scheduled into camp Saturday, will hold a 1:30 p.m. news conference - that's Mountain Time - and then work out with coaches and manager Don Wakamatsu.

Of course, if you set your clock on Junior Time, you'll likely wait a bit. It's not that he's late on purpose, it's just that the trip to anywhere he's trying to go is constantly interrupted by people along the way. A word here, a word there - he's 30 minutes late.

Griffey is one of those personalities that draws attention without trying. And this much is certain. Once he's in camp, the clubhouse will get louder. More teasing, more joking and a lot more laughing.

After that, we'll see what he's got left on the field.

Some of you may not have heard - perhaps if you were in a cave in Siberia for the last 24 hours - but Ken Griffey Jr. has returned to Seattle, signing a one-year contract.

Lots of links on the development so let's get to them.

Here's Larry's story, which ran on the front page of our paper.

Columnist Dave Boling offers his thoughts on a season that just got more interesting.

News Tribune multimedia guru Joe Barrentine has put together this slideshow. Griffey looks so young in those photos. But then again weren't we all back then.

The Associated Press' Gregg Bell had this story on Griffey's return.

MLB.com's Jim Street filed this story.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick also has a story. There's also video in this with Crasnick commenting. (I will say I find that the automatic video that starts playing on most ESPN stories is annoying).

Let's head down south to Atlanta where the news surrounding the deal wasn't quite as enthusiastic.

Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Dave O'Brien filed this early story saying the deal was done. Then he had to write this story for the paper when Griffey decided to sign with Seattle.

This whole development didn't make O'Brien to popular with some Braves fans. This blog, Talking Chop, isn't big fans of his.

And even on O'Brien's AJC blog, there was plenty of commenting - both positive and negative - so much so they had server issues. If only the Braves got this type of enthusiasm from its fans based on attendance.

But instead of politicking or getting upset, O'Brien came out and wrote about the whole situation.

MLB.com's Mark Bowman filed his story about the signing. And the AP had this story.

AUDIO: KJR has a slew of audio clips, including Chuck Armstrong talking about the situation.

Before we get to A-Rod stuff (which I'm putting at the bottom), let's check up on some former Mariners ...

Raul Ibanez arrived in Clearwater, Fla. for Phillies spring training.

The New York Daily News' Bill Madden catches up with J.J. Putz to talk about his role on the Mets.

R.A. Dickey shares his story with the Minneapolis Star Tribune

Brad Wilkerson, who was only Mariner for less than a half of a season, is still kicking around, signing a one-year deal with the Red Sox, who will be without Mark Kotsay for a while.

Miguel Cairo is still around too. He signed a minor league deal with the PHillies.

AP Photo

We'll wrap up the former M's segment with the saga of Joel Pineiro, who is unhappy and pulling out of the WBC because he was told that he wouldn't be in the starting rotation.

The St. Louis columnists had fun with this. Jeff Gordon told Pineiro to stop pouting and pitch. While Bernie Miklasz tells Joel to worry about pitching for the Cardinals.

Here's some links on some Washington players
Bellarmine grad Jon Lester wants to do more this season.

Grady Sizemore is ready for big things this season.

Centralia's Lyle Overbay hopes to have an injury free season.

Elsewhere around baseball ...
Here's an interesting story on a Nationals prospect who is not only a few years older than they thought but actually has a different name.

Nats president Stan Kasten wasn't too thrilled about the news.

The Cubs are hoping Kosuke Fukudome will come back stronger this season - they won't know for a while since he's playing in the WBC.

The Phillies and Mets are having some trash talking in the press.

Kendry Morales will have unenviable task of trying to replace Mark Teixeira.

Red Sox owner John Henry wants a salary cap for baseball. At what? $175 million?

I didn't want to do it, but here's some A-Rod links.

MLB investigators want to meet with him.

The identity of A-Rod's cousin has been made public.

Of course, Derek Jeter had to endure a session with the press to talk about A-Rod.

Here's a column ripping A-Rod and another.

Raul Ibanez wonders why A-Rod would do it?.

Jamie Moyer wasn't quite as kind to A-rod.

For anyone wondering what Ken Griffey Jr. returning to the Seattle Mariners will mean to the Mariners, consider this.

In the clubhouse at 7 a.m., where dozens of players were preparing for early conditioning work, there was quite literally a buzz – excited conversations, most of them about Griffey.

What Junior can bring to this team on the field, with his bat and yes, occasionally his glove, remains go be seen. What he brings a team with only one high-profile player is, well, a second high-profile player. And one who teammates in Seattle, Cincinnati and Chicago agree can keep a clubhouse loose, single-handed.

Griffey has always played the game with passion and a childlike sense of fun. His joy on the field is obvious, and he’s a carrier.

One of the players who figures to benefit most from Junior’s return? Ichiro Suzuki.

The two men bonded when Ichiro first visited Mariners camp years before coming to Seattle. Their relationship remained close, and Ichiro seemed to light up whenever the two crossed paths.
Griffey in a clubhouse means a little less daily focus on Ichiro – something Ichiro would treasure – and a lot more smiles. No one is certain what Griffey can do at the plate in 2009, but bet this: Ichiro will be a happier player, and that might kick his game up a notch.

There are those who don’t buy what happens in a clubhouse impacts a team on the field, in part because it cannot be measured.

If signing Griffey can get a bunch of players waiting to run pumped up at 7 a.m., that’s a factor this team has lacked for years.

Imagine what it might be like when he shows up.

Ok, it took awhile to get this conference call translated. It was a long one, almost 30 minutes. Also the transcription was tough because the reception caused by Zduriencik's phone made it sound like he was calling from outer Mongolia, not from Peoria. It was tinny and echoing and a constant static at times, for which he profusely apologized. (Most of the questions are summarized to the main point)

Anyway some interesting stuff in here ...

Opening statement:
We are very excited and ecstatic that Ken has chosen to come back. Certainly he’s a first ballot hall of famer. His legacy in Seattle was extremely important to him. It was a very difficult decision for him simply because of his family ties in Orlando, the proximity to spring training that he would have and certainly between Atlanta and Orlando would have been much easier route for him to go.

AP Photo

In his heart of hearts, it was important for him to come back to Seattle for the fans. It was important to come back to Seattle because of his love for this city. And as we talked through this thing over the last week or so, his relationship with Chuck Armstrong was also a critical factor. He looks at Chuck as a favorite uncle. So all these things together was a baseball decision that was made and at the end of the day the love that Ken has for the city for the Seattle and the fans swayed him to come in this direction and we’re extremely excited to add this left-handed bat to our lineup.

How many levels of up and down did you go through in the last 48 or 72 hours?
Well, when the reports came out a few days ago about him signing with Atlanta, you never know really what to believe as that unfolded and it turned out not to be true. We were holding out hope and had on-going discussions with him. And Chuck was very instrumental in having conversations with him. And (Griffey's agent) Brian(Goldberg) and I carried on many conversations. We met with Ken and his wife here this past Sunday, he had chance to sit down with Don and myself and it was very, very positive. At the end of the day, he’s coming home.

Talk about Chuck Armstrong's influence and role he played
Chuck was extremely important in this whole decision of Ken’s. As I said earlier, his relationship with the Ken from the years gone by and his friendship with the Griffey family was very, very important. I think that there’s a great admiration that Chuck has for Ken and Ken has for chuck. There’s a tremendous amount of respect there. In fact when Ken made the decision, Brian Goldberg informed me of it and Ken called Chuck. I’m sure it was a personal decision on Ken’s part as well as a baseball decision. And from our end, it was a strictly a baseball decision. We think he can come in and help this ball club.

If it was only baseball decision could they have acted sooner?
We've been working on it for about three weeks, but some of the things that were obstacles were exactly on the baseball end of it. We were coming to a determination of where we were going to be as a ball club. As you well know, there were a few deals that were made here recently. As we were getting through those couple of trades and couple of acquisitions, we were trying to figure out what kind of club we were going to be putting on the field to give us exactly the direction we needed.

And then as we talked about it a little more, about Ken and the injuries he had were a factor as well for us to make sure we had the medical information. So to gather all that stuff, and then finally when we looked at this club, and how important it would be to get a veteran leader here - it was very important. And we said all along we were looking for another bat, and preferably a left-handed bat, so it all come together. We’ve been pursuing for a few weeks and it’s come to a head and we’re ecstatic he’s going to be a Seattle Mariner again.

What are the plans for when Griffey will show up to Peoria?
It’s a little bit up in the air. He’s trying to tie up loose ends with his family in Orlando. We expect him to be here sometime over the weekend. As (Mariners media relations director) Tim Hevly said, he’ll probably be here for the workout and we’ll probably hold a press conference after the first workout. When that is exactly going to be it’s yet to be determined. It could be Friday, Saturday, it could be Sunday.

What was the meeting like with Ken and what was discussed?
In terms of the meeting, Ken left the Pebble Beach came here with Melissa and we sat here for almost two hours. And then he went to his physical afterward. The doctors waited around so we could get our hands on his physical and then he went through MRI and x-rays.

It was a cordial meeting and I think more than anything else, it gave him a feel for myself and for Don and hearing about the direction of the ball club and what we’re planning to do short term, long term, our vision for the organization, how he fits in here, why it was so important of him to be a part of this ball club and why we thought that he would be very important to us. We talked a lot of personal thins. It was a nice meeting. He has lovely wife. I was a very impressed with Melissa. I heard a lot about his families and his kids and his desire to spend as much time with them as he can. That’s about in a nutshell, in a rather nutshell.

How is his overall health, particularly the surgically repaired knee?
Our doctors checked him out and gave him a good bill of health and felt that he was healthy enough certainly to play. The surgery he had was successful so we’re anxious to get him out here, get him on the field and watch him.

What is Griffey’s role with the club going to be, DH, LF or both?
It’ll probably be a lot of that. It depends on how he feels physically, I think that will all be determined, I think it works to his advantage that we have a designated hitter. I think that was something that Don expressed to us when we sat here and talked.

How much did he have to be convinced or nudged to bring Griffey back to Seattle?
In no way at all. It was a baseball decision. Chuck and Howard have left that up to me and given me full autonomy to make these decisions. When I sate with Chuck and Howard and told them what I wanted to do, they were extremely supportive. It was a baseball decision to bring him back.

Was there any thought given to level of ticket sales he might generate?
That was not a factor at all on my end of it. My decision was strictly: Can this guy help this ball club, can this guy come back to this city and be rejuvenated. After it was all said and done, we’ve all came to the same conclusion that it would be great to have Ken Griffey back in a Seattle Mariners uniform and helping this ball club return to its winning ways.

Was there a point in time where you thought he was going to the Braves?
I’m optimist so I never really put myself in that position, I just thought he would make the right decision regardless of what it was. Obviously, I had my own personal view of what the right decision was. He certainly had his point of view of what the right decision was and you have to respect Ken Griffey the man and I did that.

As we were going through his process, there were some reports came out that he was going to Atlanta. Certainly there were emotions that were tied into in many of the discussions we had internally here. At the end of the day, this is somewhat like a negotiation that goes on. There will be a decision made and you only control one side of the equation. The person at the other end controls the side. In this particular case, Ken wanted to come back to the city that he loves. He wanted to come back to the city that he loves and I think his legacy was important to him. I think he’s going to be very excited to see the fans of Seattle and I know they are going to be very excited to see him.

If there is any special provisions in the contract a la Roger Clemens with the Astros?
No, I think Ken Griffey wants to be a part of this ball club. He’s a very proud individual and he should be with his talent level and what he’s done in the game. What he’s excited and happy about I being here and getting us get back to the winning ways and restore this franchise to greater heights to where it was years ago and even beyond that.

Are there any attendance clauses in the contract?
I wouldn’t speak to anything regarding the contract. My decisions are based on him being on the field and that’s what my concern is is him becoming asset to us on the field, in the dugout and just being around our ball club.

Was he aware of the fans recent response to him coming back and did it make a difference to him?
You’re talking about arguably the greatest athlete that’s played in the Northwest. Certainly the greatest athlete that’s ever played in Seattle Mariners history and probably the best athlete that’s ever played in the city of Seattle. I think Ken at the end of the day loves the fans in the city of Seattle. He expressed that to us. He knows what they mean to him. He knows what a motivator that it’s going to be to him. And I think it was huge factor in him wanting to come back here.

There was some turmoil with last year’s club, was there some thinking that he can stabilize the clubhouse and bring in leadership and reach out to Ichiro?
There were a lot of thoughts about a lot of things. When you’re talking about a guy that’s a first-ballot hall of famer, a guy that’s done what he’s done in the game, a guy that’s been the type of player that’s he was, the day that he walks into the locker room, there’s just a respect. The fact that we are revitalizing this franchise, I think he brings something to the table there. I think the years in the game are going to be very important to younger players. His experience in the game is going to be very important to younger players. He said to me, “I’ve been there done that and there isn’t much I haven’t seen, and anything you can ask me, I’ve been there and done it.” I think he understands what his role is going to be. I think he’s going to come here and be an integral part of this ball club. And just by his presence, he’ll bring leadership. We’re excited about that aspect not only the left-handed bat, but the aspect of what he’ll bring in the dugout, around the ball club as well as what he’ll bring to the field.

(AP Photo)

Sorry this is so slow to be posted. My laptop was apparently infected with spyware, malware, viruses and whooping cough.

Here is Larry's story from the website.

There will be conference call/meeting with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik about now (7 p.mish) and Griffey will probably meet with the media tomorrow. More updates when I get them. (I'll try and get a full transcript of it for you guys).

From the official press release ...

“This is a great day for the Mariners”, Mariners Jack Zduriencik said. “It is rare in this game when you get an opportunity to reunite a player and a team in a move that works for both. We spent a lot of time this winter doing our due-diligence on what the best baseball move for this franchise on-the-field was. By last week, we were confident the best fit for this club, on the field, was Ken Griffey Jr. After Don and I sat down with Ken and talked with him about our goals for the 2009 team and this franchise, it was even more clear that he would be a fit with us.”

Griffey, 39, spent the first 11 years of his Major League career (1989-1999) in Seattle, after being the first overall pick in the June 1987 Draft. In 1,535 games in his Mariners career, he hit .299 with 320 doubles, 30 triples, 398 home runs and 1,152 RBI. He is either first or second in nearly every category in the Seattle Mariners record book, including home runs (1st), slugging percentage (.569/1st), RBI (2nd), hits (2nd), doubles (2nd), total bases (3,316/2nd), runs (1,063/2nd), games (2nd) and at-bats (5,832/2nd). Edgar Martinez, who played 18 seasons in Seattle, is first in the categories in which Griffey ranks second.

“Jack and I have talked a lot about adding a left-handed bat with some power to our lineup,” Mariners Manager Don Wakamatsu said. “Ken is a great fit for our ballclub.”
During his 11 seasons in Seattle, Griffey was a 10-time All-Star (1990-99), winning the All-Star Game MVP in 1992 and three Home Run Derby’s (1994, 1998, 1999). He was voted the American League Most Valuable Player in 1997 and voted to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1999.

Griffey also won 10 Gold Gloves (1990-99), seven Silver Sluggers (1991, 1993-94, 1996-99) and was six times voted the Team MVP by the Seattle Chapter of the BBWAA during his playing days with the Mariners.

Griffey heads into the 2009 season listed among baseball’s all-time leaders in home runs (5th, 611), intentional walks (4th, 244), multi-homer games (T7th, 55), extra base hits (10th, 1,152), total bases (15th, 5,092), runs scored (38th, 1,612), doubles (T45th, 503) and hits (60th, 2,680). He also ranks first among active players in hits, home runs, RBI, total bases and runs scored
Griffey split the 2008 season between Cincinnati and Chicago (AL). He combined to hit .249 with 30 doubles, 18 home runs and 71 RBI in 143 games while battling an injured left knee.
Griffey is a career .288 hitter with 503 doubles, 38 triples, 611 home runs and 1,772 RBI in 2,521 games in 20 big league seasons with Seattle, Cincinnati (2000-08) and Chicago (AL).

Mariners team president Chuck Armstrong said he has continued to talk with free agent Ken Griffey Jr., including a call this morning.

“He talked about his family, about spending seven months away from them,” Armstrong said. “I believe he’s honestly torn about what to do.”

Among the irones: radio talk shows in Atlanta seemed certain Griffey was coming to Mariners – and stations in the Northwest seemed just as sure Junior was going to Atlanta.

Bottom line: Another day without a decision.

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Luis Sojo was one of he heroes in that romp to the post-season in 1995, but when he came calling on the Seattle Mariners it was to recruit players for the World Baseball Classic – and he got away with four of them.

Felix Hernandez, Jose Lopez, Carlos Silva and Endy Chavez, Venezuelans all,will play for Sojo when he manages the Venezuelan team. The tournament will take players out of camp from March 1 until the team is eliminated or plays for the championship the final week in March.

The Mariners might have been hit harder than they were. Two other Venezuelan players, center fielder Franklin Guittierrez and infielder Ronnie Cedeno, could have played but chose not to. Sojo understood.

“It can be a hard choice for players, whether to represent their country or stay in a camp and play for their careers,” Sojo said. “A lot of guys trying to make a team can’t play. I’m recruiting a little bit, and talking to team management.

“Our first responsibility is to take care of the players who come aboard. We want to win, yes, but that comes first.”

The prize catch for Sojo was pitcher Hernandez, who threw to hitters for the first time Wednesday. Hernandez can’t wait for the WBC.

“I’ve been getting in shape for it since November,” Hernandez said. “I wanted to play in the tournament two years ago, but Seattle said ‘No,’ so I didn’t go. I’m excited to represent Venezuela. The last time I got the chance to do that, I was 12 years old and played in a tournament that we won.”

Lopez, the Mariners starting second baseman, is aboard, too.

“Luis talked to me when I was playing winter ball this year,” Lopez said. “I don’t know what it will be like, playing for my country, but I want to find out. I know all the players on the team, and it will be a lot like playing in the big leagues.”

The Mariners and manager Don Wakamatsu haven’t named their opening day starter yet – although there’s no real mystery. Sojo didn’t need to think long about it.

“Felix is our Game 1 starter,” he said.

Sojo broke up a group of media that surrounded him when one writer asked if he’d heard the speech of controversial Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who said it was every players “duty” to join the team.

“Who’s that?” Sojo deadpanned.

Another day, another roster move - and no, it didn't involve Ken Griffey Jr. this time, either.

While the world waits for Junior to decide his destination for 2009, the Mariners camp continues to grow.

Catcher Israel Nunez was brought in to help handle the 31 pitchers. Nunez is the seventh catcher on the spring roster, but the sixth who's actually here - Kenji Johjima remains with his Japanese World Baseball Classic team.

Nunez, 23, played in Class A last season, batting .224 in 59 games.

If you'e counting, that's 62 players in camp - including pitcher Luis Pena, catcher Jason Phillips, pitcher Josh Fields and Nunez, who have joined the team in the first five days here.

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Jamie Burke has caught hundreds of pitchers over the years, and 10 in the last four days in Mariners camp.

A thoughtful, studious fellow – all good catchers are – Burke watches every pitcher with a keen eye. So how are the Marines pitchers looking through two bullpen sessions each?

“You don’t evaluate guys throwing in the bullpen,” Burke said. “You try to learn their mechanics, their body language.”

Body language?

“Throwing in the bullpen, they’re relaxed, so you want to know what they look like relaxed,” Burke said. “That way in a game, if their body language changes, you know they’re tight and you deal with that.

“Until games start, you can’t evaluate pitchers. Throwing strikes in a bullpen, breaking off your pitches, that’s fine. But what you need to know is how guys throw with a hitter standing up there. That’s when you see what a pitchers can do.”

The bullpens, of course, are necessary. It’s what gets pitchers in game-shape, helps them work on everything from mechanics to new pitches.

What they do in games is what managers, coaches – and catchers – judge them by.

Josh Fields took walked out to a baseball diamond for the first time as a professional, and looked like a fawn stepping cautiously out of the forrest.

“He’s probably having trouble breathing right now,” manager Don Wakamatsu said.

Fields, the 23-year-old first-round draft pick last June, wasn’t allowed to throw a bullpen session. The Mariners want to make sure they take their time with a hard-throwing right-hander who hasn’t faced batters in eight months.

He did, however, get to play catch – and the photo above is of his fourth throw as a professional. Maybe that makes it a collector’s item.

When minor league camp opens March 8, Fields almost certainly will be sent there. The Marines want him to get his innings, and he will. Just not many of them in big-league camp. The last thing they want is Fields trying a little too hard to impress them after so long a hold out.

This is getting ridiculous. Now Ken Griffey Jr. is saying he hasn't chosen the Braves, and dispelling the earlier report today from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Here's the link ...

Thanks to reader Shawn Walli for the heads up ... I'm serving my duty as News Tribune reader rep this week so I might be a little slow on keeping up with stuff so feel free to shoot me an e-mail.

Every coach in baseball knows that once spring training begins, endless hours of throwing batting practice begin.

Some coaches throw hard, some throw through aching elbows and tender shoulders and no two throw exactly alike. Which why in Camp Mariner, bench coach Ty Van Berkleo has The Grading System.

The elite pitching group is Caviar.

The next best group – considered good but not great – is Calamari.

Struggle on the mound and you wind up in the third group, Chicken Wings.

And throw terrible, or not at all, and you’re … well … a Dog-Bleep Sandwich.

Without the bleep.

“He tells me I’m Caviar,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “But he could just be kissing up.”

Wakamatsu threw BP to the catchers Tuesday and almost every pitch was put in play. That’s one way to judge: How many balls are in the batting cage after you’ve thrown. The more that are there, the fewer strikes you threw.

Who’s on Van Berkleo’s list?

“Don and Pedro Griffol are Caviar, they’re just so smooth. Probably Beluga Caviar,” Van Berkleo said. “I’m Calamari, although on some days I throw like I belong with the Chicken Wings. Phil (Plantier) and Alonzo (Powell) are Calamari, too.”

A few of the older minor league coaches in camp are Chicken Wings. Who’s in the sandwich category?

“Well, Roger Hansen can’t throw at all,” Van Berkleo said. “And Tim Tolman can’t thow either. So they’re on the Dog-Bleep Sandwich list.”

And that’s after just four days of camp. As the spring moves on, things can change.

“A lot of Chicken Wings get worse, and some Calamari guys can fall all the way to the Sandwich level on any given day,” Van Berkleo said. “But Wak? He’s always going to be Caviar.”

Yes, Van Berkleo’s a character. And yes, he’s definitely kissing up

Atlanta Journal Constitution reporter David O'Brien is reporting that Ken Griffey Jr. has agreed to a deal with the Braves.

Nothing is finalized but that's what a source is telling him.

Ken Griffey Jr. has options now, something he hasn’t had all winter, and he continues to mull them over – Atlanta or Seattle.

This much is certain, it won’t come down to money. Junior has enough to buy Iceland. With absolutely no facts for support, here’s my thinking: Griffey will be a Brave within a day or two.

If it goes that way, it will be no reflection on the Northwest or the Mariners. He was certainly willing to come here. It will come down to other factors, some of them well-documented.

Griffey still wants to play in the field, not just DH.

Atlanta trains near his home in Orlando, Fl.

That’s no knock on GM Jack Zduriencik, who played his hand well in this game. The truth, however, is that the Mariners could have signed Junior at any time during the last few months. They didn’t. They let the market settle. They talked it over internally, and with Griffey’s agent, Brian Goldberg.

We won’t know until Junior makes his decision, but my feeling is that if Griffey signs with Atlanta, the Mariners won’t spend a moment second-guessing themselves.

If the team is on pace for a .500 season in July, for instance, it’s likely Zduriencik will trade veteran players who can bring a return of talent for the future. And playing on a .500 pace would be an immense leap from last year.

He hasn’t made up his mind just yet. But if he’s looking for a team that’s genuinely enthused about him, Atlanta is probably the right call.

Eight months after the Seattle Mariners drafted him, University of Georgia closer Josh Fields signed a contract and was invited to spring training.

His response?

“I’ll be there tomorrow,” he said Monday.

Fields, 23, was drafted by former GM Bill Bavasi and his staff, many of whom no longer work with the team. Then considered close to big-league ready with a power fastball and hard curve, Fields now is almost certainly headed directly to the minors.

“Let’s not set any false expectations,” GM Jack Zduriencik said. “It’s extremely unlikely Josh will break camp with us. He needs innings, and he’ll get them. He hasn’t faced hitters since the College World Series. Our goal is to have him ready to pitch in the minors his year.”

What held up the signing? Money, but not much of it – at least not by major league standards.

Fields and his agent, Scott Boras, demanded $2 million. The Mariners offered $1.5 million and there the two sides sat, all through the summer, through the off-season and three days into spring training.

In the end, Fields got $1.75 million, so he sat out eight months for $250,000. Probably not the best financial advice he’ll ever get.

But that’s done, and the kid now will show manager Don Wakamatsu and the rest of the team what he has. Last June, he might have signed and come directly to the big leagues with a bad Seattle club.
Now he’ll pitch in spring training and head for the minors.

Sitting in the press room, pounding out notes and stories, the media corps was astounded today – not an easy thing to do.

There, in a parking lot across the street from the Mariners complex, in full few of the media, Josh Fields and one of his representatives pulled up and parked. Then general manager Jack Zduriencik and assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas emerged from the complex, walked to the parking lot.

Handshakes and papers were exchanged as we watched through a window.

Then Fields, the team’s top draft pick last June, got back in his car and drove away. Zduriencik and Pelekoudas returned to their offices.

And nothing was finalized, they said, although that could come within hours. Or not until tomorrow.

So, no real news. Just a strange meeting in a parking lot.

Adrian Beltre came into the clubhouse a day ahead of schedule, shook hands with every player in the room and then was cornered by the media.

All things being equal, he probably should have waited until all position players report today. He wouldn’t have been the only guy who immediately was bombarded with questions about 2008.

There was, for instance, an interview with J.J. Putz in Florida insinuating unnamed players were more concerned with their numbers than with winning.

“Some guys played different than how you’re supposed to play,” Beltre acknowledged. “Do the little things. If you have a guy on second, move him over. If you’re losing by two or three runs, don’t go up there hacking because even if you hit a home run you’re still losing. Play the situation game.

“If you’re winning by two or three runs and there are guys on first and second, hit the cutoff man.

“There are little things you can do. Take a walk if you need it. If you need a guy on base, bunt. If you can run, run. It’s the little things that make the team see that you’re playing to help the team win, not just to help your numbers,” Beltre said.

Someone immediately asked if he was referring to Ichiro Suzuki.

“I won’t single out anybody, but there are things you see as a veteran player that just don’t look right,” he said. “I think you guys are making a big deal of what it is. We haven’t started playing yet and we’re talking about this. My concern is that we all get on the same page and as a group try to get to be bexactly where we want to be. Get off to a good start and be competitive and compete for the West.”

Just about the time you memorize the roster of the Seattle Mariners spring roster, they change it.

For the second time in as many days, the Mariners made a player move, inviting journeyman catcher Jason Phillips to camp.

Why?

The Mariners are short-handed with catchers because Kenji Johjima is in Japan training for the World Baseball Classic, and Luis Oliveros is out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

That left four healthy catchers - Jeff Clement, Rob Johnson, Adam Moore and Jamie Burke - to catch the 30 pitchers in camp.

Now, there will be five.

Phillips, 32, has spent parts of seven seasons in the big leagues, playing for the Mets, Dodgers and Blue Jays.

Barring a train wreck involving all the catchers ahead of him on the depth chart, Phillips won't make the team. Consider him insurance and an immediate glove to help handle the pitching here in Peoria.

Denny Stark remembers better days, both his and those of the Seattle Mariners.

He was a raw rookie not long out of college when he first came to camp with Seattle in 1998. And when he looks back, it’s hard for him to believe he was part of it.

“Now, you realize there were three, four guys in that clubhouse who will be in the Hall of Fame,” Stark said. “There was Griffey and Randy Johnson and Alex Rodriguez, Edgar Martinez … I knew they were great players. I was happy to be in the same building with them.”

Stark pitched for the Mariners in 1999 and again in 2001, then was included in the trade with Colorado that brought Jeff Cirillo to Seattle. In his first year as a Rockie, Stark blossomed – he went 11-4 with a 4.00 earned run average.

Since then, his right arm has betrayed him. Injuries ravaged him and Stark wound up having not one but two ‘Tommy John’ surgeries to rebuild his right elbow. He didn’t throw a pitch for two years. He couldn’t.

Last year, Seattle brought him back as a minor leaguer, and after proving himself healthy in Class AA, he moved to Tacoma and made 10 appearances there, going 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA.

That got him an invitation to camp this spring as a non-roster invitee. There may be a happier man in the clubhouse, but he’d be hard to find.

“When you’re out of this game you know how much you miss it, how much you appreciated everything – from the kidding in the clubhouse to the competition on the field,” said Star, who’s now 34. “Being back here, it’s wonderful. I know how fragile your career can be. I know I wanted to come back and pitch, at least get the chance, and I’m getting that.”

Stark is so far down the depth chart he may not even register, but that hasn’t discouraged him. Major surgery? That discouraged him. Spending two years at home discouraged him.

“I’m in a major league camp with major league players, working with major league coaches,” Stark said. “Whatever happens, I’m pitching again. If I can make an impression, who knows? I’m certainly not going to worry about it. I’m getting an opportunity I wasn’t sure I’d ever get again, and I’m enjoying it. Beyond that, we’ll see.”

Under the theory that a team never has enough pitching, the Seattle Mariners and GM Jack Zduriencik added one.

Luis Pena, a 26-year-old hard-throwing right-hander, was claimed on waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers - the team Zduriencik left to join Seattle.

Pena was in the clubhouse shortly after noon and will begin working out with the team today.

Last year, closing for Class AAA Nashville, Pena had 15 saves, went 2-3 with a 6.93 earned run average in 52 games. He threw 47 innings, struck out 49 batters and walked 47.
Pena's a tall fellow - 6-foot-5 and listed at 200 pounds.

He becomes the 30th pitcher in camp, and that number will grow to 31 in a few days when Jarrod Washburn joins the club after an excused absence.

Ryan Rowland-Smith made the decision he’d been putting off for weeks, passing on the chance to pitch for Australia in the World Baseball Classic.

“We talked about it yesterday, and he said he’d pretty much made up his mind but wanted to sleep on it,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “We’d have supported him either way. Now, we can control his innings, get him ready for the season by actually having him in camp.”

Rowland-Smith, 26, broke into the Seattle Mariners rotation late last year and went 3-2 with a 3.50 earned run average in 12 starts. This spring, the WBC called to him and he spent much of the winter talking to family and friends about just what to do.

“They were more confused than I was,” Rowland-Smith said. “They could see the advantages of staying with the team all spring, and going to the WBC.”

The left-hander had hoped at one point that he could join Team Australia and pitch in games for them while still training with the Mariners – a logistical nightmare Seattle quickly eliminated.

“It wasn’t going to work,” Rowland-Smith.
On Sunday, he made the tough call. Stick with his team all spring and try to pitch himself into a crowded rotation that – beyond Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard – includes candidates like Brandon Morrow, Jarrod Washburn, Carlos Silva and Garrett Olson.

“We’re getting the first chance to put our eyes on a lot of guys in this camp,” Wakamatsu said. “The more you see them pitch, the more you know about them. I’m glad we’ll get to see Ryan all spring. I know it wasn’t an easy decision.”

Among the more excited – and exciting – pitchers in camp is 24-year-old right-hander Shawn Kelly, a genuine long-shot to make the team.

Unless you consider his arm.

Kelly is a high velocity reliever with the stuff to make hitters miss, the kind of pitcher every team covets. He’s survived ‘Tommy John’ surgery, and over the last two years he’s climbed steadily through the Mariners farm system.

Three stops last season, and along the way he saved 15 games. In high Class A, he made 12 appearances – and didn’t allow a run. That earned him 29 games in Class AA, and there he went 3-1 with a 2.11 earned run average and nine saves.

On the first day of camp Saturday, Kelly was one of the pitchers who threw a bullpen session, and believe it, he was closely watched.

“You don’t evaluate too soon,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “But Shawn looked good.”

Kelly was seriously pumped.

“I felt so good, and yeah, I had a lot of extra adrenaline,” he said. “I mean, you’re throwing in front of a big-league manager, a new pitching coach, a new team. When we got done, I called my wife. She was as excited as I was.”

Kelsey and Shawn Kelly have been together for about six years, married the last 18 months. And for a pitcher who’s gotten a lot of press in the past year, Kelsey has taken on the role of The Reader.

“She gets on the internet and finds the stories and will tell me a little about them but won’t let me read them,” Kelly said. “She keeps me level-headed, helps me avoid getting to pumped.”

But throwing on Day One of his first big-league camp?

“She was as excited for me as I was,” he said. “Usually, she’s like, ‘You’ve got to throw another session in two days,’ but this time she just enjoyed the moment with me.”

Whether Kelly pitches his way into the bullpen picture this spring or merely impresses and starts his season in, say, Tacoma, will be one of the stories worth watching.

For now, he’s one of a group of young players whose enthusiasm seems catching. Kelly's a reminder of why we love spring training.

A lot of media types around here have said that Ken Griffey Jr. signing a free agent contract with the Seattle Mariners is all but a done deal. He'll be in Peoria next week for physical and then be ready to re-don a Mariners uniform.

I'll admit to being one of those media types. I basically said as much when I was on with Ian Furness on KJR on Thursday and I said it again this morning when I was on with John Clayton.

And now I, and several others, could come out looking foolish (not the first time) with this Griffey thing.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick is reporting that the Atlanta Braves could be throwing a wrench into the Griffey-Mariners reunion party, by making a late play to sign Griffey themselves.

We had heard that Griffey's agent Brian Goldberg say before that a National League team was interested in signing him. But most thought it was just a typical agent posturing to make his client a little more wanted. But now it sounds like the Braves were that team.

Or it could be another case of an agent leaking some info to the media to make it seem like his client is coveted to enhance his positions in negotiations.

Pitchers, pitchers, everywhere.

The first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers is largely a one-sided event – there are five catchers in camp and 29 pitchers. That means catchers do a lot of squatting and a little hitting, and pitchers get the lions share of attention from coaches.

And pitchers in the news?

Right-hander Felix Hernandez, listed last year at 225 pounds, reported at 212 pounds in an effort to get stronger. Is he quicker?

“We’ll find out on the field,” he said.

Right-hander Luis Munoz arrived a day after his teammates, held up by visa problems in the Dominican Republic.

Left-hander Ryan Rowland-Smith is pondering the toughest decision of his young career – whether to stay in camp and fight for a spot in Seattle’s starting rotation or take the opportunity to pitch for Australia in the World Baseball Classic.

It’s unfair for baseball to put young players in the position of making that decision, but there are players in most camps facing it. If they choose to represent their country, they put their chances of making their major league team in jeopardy.

There’s 29-year-old rookie Chris Jakubauskas, who said he has forgotten how many times someone has asked how to pronounce his name (It’s jak-uh-bow-skus). “People just call me ‘Jak,’” he said. “If someone says ‘Chris,’ I don’t even turn around, any more. It’s just ‘Jak.’”

Oh, and Erik Bedard is in camp, wary of the media. I approached him and told him I wanted him in a photo shoot, and would he mind posing in his underwear on the bullpen mound.

“Yeah, I’ll be right out,” he said. “You go wait.”

Sunrise in Peoria, a beautiful thing on the first day of camp.

At precisely 7 a.m. – 2 ½ hours ahead of any scheduled work, Carlos Silva pulled into the team parking lot ready to do a little extra. He wasn’t the first player to arrive. And he certainly didn’t beat the coaching staff.

Manager Don Wakamatsu was here at 5 a.m.

Why?

“It’s the only time I can really work out,” he said.

Work seems to be the order of the day this spring, at least on paper on Day One. How long the fervor lasts will be one of the stories of camp. And how long Wakamatsu can continue showing up a 5 a.m. – after meeting with team sponsors and owners for dinner – may be a matter of biology.

At some point, the man must sleep. You think?

It looks as though Josh Fields may actually wear a Seattle Mariners uniform after all. According to a report on mlb.com, Fields, the Mariners No. 1 draft pick from last year, and the Mariners have finally agreed on a contract, according an unnamed major league source.

The report said that the deal was done pending Fields passing a physical.
Mariners representatives declined to comment when asked about the signing, following a club policy to wait until everything is finalized to comment.
If the deal is done, it will be the end of a long, unmoving standoff between the two sides.

The Mariners selected Fields with the 20th pick of the 2008 amateur draft, following a standout career at the University of Georgia.

As a senior, Fields helped lead the Bulldogs to the finals of the College World Series, where they ended losing a three-game series along the way. Along the way, he earned Southeastern Conference pitcher of the year honors and first-team All-American as the Bulldogs closer. Fields posted a 3-2 record with 18 saves and a 1.80 ERA in 37 innings pitched.

Fields was deemed close to being major league ready by the Mariners officials that chose to draft him. However, a contract squabble could never quite be solved. Reportedly, the Mariners offered Fields a signing bonus of $1.5 million, while Fields and his agent Scott Boras wanted $2 million. Neither side would budge on their demands, and the talks were dead for a period of months.

However, when Jack Zduriencik took over as general manager, he restarted the negotiations with Boras.

It’s uncertain whether Fields will be offered an invitation to major league spring training which starts next week. It’s usually a normal courtesy or negotiated into top draft pick’s contracts.

The emphasis this spring for the Seattle Mariners is one-on-one coaching, and manager Don Wakamatsu didn’t even wait until the team’s first workout to start the process.

On one of the fields in Peoria, catchers, a few outfielders and infielders took informal batting practice without coaches.

Although he was scheduled to take an 11 a.m. physical, Wakamatsu showed up – in shorts and a t-shirt – to watch about five minutes of batting practice. Jamie Burke, a non-roster invitee this year, took a dozen swings and came out of the cage.

Wakamatsu took two minutes to talk to Burke about his front shoulder, Burke nodding and trying a slightly different slow-motion swing.

After a few moments, Wakamatsu trotted off to take his physical and Burke returned to his cage wok. It was a moment that may be repeated all spring by different coaches and players.

Burke was charmed by the attention. Wakamatsu got a small point across.

It’s a start.

Greetings from Arizona where the air is warm the skies are blue and, did we mention, it’s warm?

Nothing scheduled at camp today except physicals, but that didn’t stop Don Wakamatsu and his coaching staff from showing up just after sunrise. Ty Van Burkleo, sporting a goatee, is taking abuse.

“He’s beautiful,” bullpen coach John Wetteland said.

Not surprisingly, catchers are here a bit earlier than their pitching counter parts. And, even though they’ll take a stress test as part of their physicals later in the day, catchers are going through a workout.

That’s what catchers do, work.

As for the daily – or hourly – update on Ken Griffey Jr.?

General manager Jack Zduriencik and agent Brian Goldberg will continue their talks, and Junior will continue playing golf at Pebble Beach as part of the Pro-Am there.

The biggest news, for those of us who left home with snow on the ground Thursday, remains this: It’s warm.

So we have Jerry Crasnick's story saying baseball sources have told him talk with Griffey have picked up.

And we have Jim Street's story saying the Mariners and Griffey's agent Bryan Goldberg are nearing agreement on a one-year contract.

Now whether it gets done today or not isn't a given. Junior is playing golf at Pebble Beach at the AT&T Pro-AM and I don't think he's going to leave the tournament to take what figures to be a fairly extensive physical (remember he had knee surgery in the offseason).

But it does appear that the deal is going to happen in the coming days, most likely some time next week.

Now I ask you, is this a good decision by the Mariners?

One thing about veteran managers and coaches – every spring, they go about the process of spring training professionally and inevitably get done what must be done.

None of them particularly love the six weeks of daily drills, then games in which minor leaguers play the last three innings. Yes, they evaluate young players. Yes, they serve up reminders on the fundamentals of the game.

And yes, they don’t really get pumped until the final few days of camp.

It has been true with Dick Williams, Lou Piniella and Mike Hargrove. It was true of Gene Mauch and Tony LaRussa and Joe Torre.

It’s not the case for Don Wakamatsu and his all-new staff with the Seattle Mariners this spring. These guys can’t wait to get started on Saturday, the first day pitchers and catchers work out.

Wakamatsu and bench coach Ty Van Burklro, who will run spring training, have laid out detailed plans – and left room each day for one-on-one early coaching.

“Every coach will be in charge of his group. Lee Tinsley will have the outfielders, I’ll have the catchers and so on,” Wakamatsu said. “And every coach will have the time scheduled for early work on whatever they want to stress.”

That might be a bit of batting practice in the cages of Peoria, work on turning two among infielders or discussions on how to call a game.

Wakamatsu said there will be large doses of ‘cage time and classroom time.’ He intends to talk to players not just about what they’re expected to do, but why. And if someone doesn’t understand, one coach or another will be there to go over it again.

As Van Burkleo said, if the Mariners explain in February why they might run more against a pitcher who’s a bit slow to the plate, no player will be surprised when the ‘steal’ sign is flashed come April.

It goes well beyond that, of course. Fundamentals will all get covered, as they do in every camp for every team.

Wakamatsu wants the ’09 Mariners to bond in spring training. To become a team in all senses of the word. If that necessarily includes a bit of instruction on how to be a professional, he’s up for that, too.

One of the intriguing stories of the spring will be whether Wakamatsu’s enthusiasm – and that of his staff – has the impact he’s looking for. A young Jim Lefebvre, for instance, lost his team in the first month of his initial spring.

Precisely what kind of manager Wakamatsu is will be determined in the months and years to come.

He is not Jim Lefebvre. And the Mariners will be better for that.

For more detail on what Wakamatsu and his staff have in mind this spring, read the full story here.

Are the Mariners on the outside looking in for the services of Bobby Abreu? Well, as it stands it would appear to be true. First of all, Seattle has yet to put together a trade of Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista (Carlos Silva is untradeable) to free up some money to sign Abreu to a one-year deal.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick mentioned in a story on Monday that the Mariners and Braves were maintaining contact with Abreu's representatives to see what happens.

UPDATE: Crasnick is now saying the talks are serious and something could be done in the next 24 hours.

But on Tuesday, Crasnick added a new team to the Abreu mix - The Los Angeles Angels.

And from there SI's Jon Heyman came out with a list of five teams of considering Abreu: the Angels, Braves, Mets, Reds and Pirates. The Mariners weren't on that list, but we know they have some interest.

But Fox sports Ken Rosenthal, mentions that interest might be waning. He lists the Angels as the favorite, while saying the Mariners are more focused on signing Ken Griffey Jr. or Garret Anderson.

So let's get this straight, the Angels dump Anderson and instead pick-up Abreu, while the Mariners, who also wanted Abreu, but didn't have the money, could then instead have to settle for Anderson?

It makes you warm and fuzzy thinking about the Chuck Armstrong-vetoed trade of Jarrod Washburn last season.

Let's get to some more links ...

Baseball prospectus came out with some season projections and has the Mariners finishing with a 70-92 record and finishing last in the AL West. The projections have the A's winning the league with an 82-80 record. You need a subscription to access more details on each teams depth chart.

I wrote about Ichiro possibly pitching in relief in the WBC. Here's some more video of a very young Ichiro pitching. He's got a nice little breaking ball in this video.

Here's a story out of Cincy about Junior waiting around to sign with a team. His agent believes something will happen in the next 10 days.

One time Mariner Ben Broussard, who blew a starting shot last year with the Texas Rangers, signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.

When I think of Broussard was his insistence that he could hit left-handed pitching if only given a chance, and that Raul Ibanez liked listened to his music. Broussard is a very accomplished singer and songwriter.

You may remember that Broussard was acquired from the Indians for outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, who will probably start for this year for the Indians after hitting .343 with 11 HR and 48 RBI after the All-Star break last season.

The Mariners did get infielder Tug Hulett in a trade when they sent Broussard to the Rangers. But having Choo competing for a left field spot instead might be more favorable.

Here's an interesting link that I got from my hourly perusal of www.mlbtraderumors.com (a must read for baseball fans). Anyway, D'Backs ace pitcher Brandon Webb refused to talk about his contract re-negotiations knowing what the economic climate is out there. Check out this quote:

"People are really hurting, really struggling. The last thing they want to hear about is someone's contract situation. I have never complained about what I make to play baseball and the reason we didn't come to an agreement last year had nothing to do with money. It's as simple as that."

And from that fresh comment, we now go back to the slog of performance enhancing drug stuff.

Shortstop Miguel Tejada has been charged with lying to congressional investigators.

Of course the A-Rod stuff is still raging strong.

Here's some local audio from KJR. Elise Woodward had former M's manager John McLaren, who was bench coach during A-Rod's days here in Seattle, on her show to talk about A-Rod. Earlier on Monday, Dave Mahler talked with Jeff Nelson about A-Rod.

Marinersfan51 commented about the level of questioning from ESPN's Peter Gammons during the A-Rod interview.

So too did Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News, who called Gammons a baseball apologist.

Former ESPN columnist and current SI writer Jeff Pearlman was also critical of Gammons, particularly for not pressing A-Rod after he called writer Selena Roberts a stalker during a mini-rant and ask follow up questions. Pearlman likened Gammons to Larry King.

Deadspin.com posted Pearlman's blog post and contacted Gammons for a response. Gammons did reply and was apologetic and regretful for not doing so.

Selena Roberts went on the Dan Patrick radio show to talk about A-Rod's comments.

A story about Alex Rodriguez.

One day in the visiting clubhouse in Cleveland, Alex called me over to his locker. His grandmother had died a day earlier, and he wanted to tell me how hard losing her had been. He had been close to her, he said, and was devastated by her loss.

Alex told me all this without showing emotion. I thought he might be trying not to, so I nodded and listened.

“The funeral is Sunday,” he said.

“Are you going?” I asked.

Alex looked genuinely surprised.

“No,” he said. After a pause, he told me he’d had a long talk with Lou Piniella, who’d asked him to play through the pain.

It occurred to me that day that Rodriguez might not be feeling anguish so much as wanting me to know he was – and to write about it. I didn’t, in part because I thought it sent too mixed a message and I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

I still do, but it has gotten harder.

Alex Rodriguez never said a spontaneous thing to the media. Ever. On one level, that could be seen as caution. But over the years around Alex, it became apparent he was that way with teammates, coaches, everyone.

Ask him a question he wasn’t prepared to answer, he’d first stall – ‘Why would you ask me that?’ he’d respond – and then produce an answer that seemed canned. Good question, he might say, he’d never thought of that.

I don’t know anyone who believes they’ve seen an honest emotion from Alex. When I watched his confessional interview with Peter Gammons and thought we might finally hear him level with the world.

Until he said he wasn’t sure what he’d taken, only that it was banned.

Alex took something for three years without knowing exactly what it was? Impossible. Alex didn’t get dressed without thinking of the impact he wanted to make with his attire. He never spoke to the press without knowing precisely what message he wanted to deliver.

And the steroid cocktail he is alleged to have consumed is not something he could have purchased over the counter at GNC – part of it can’t even legally be sold in this country.

What Alex did Monday was confess to as little as possible. He never said the word ‘illegal.’. Only ‘banned.’ He never said he’d injected anything, or been on a program.

Alex Rodriguez taking iinjections without knowing what was in the syringe or how would impact his body?

Alex took the time to explain it was the culture of the game in 2001, that the reporter who broke the story had tried to break into the home where his two daughters slept. That’s taking full responsibility, Rodriguez-style.

When you think you’re just a bit smarter than anyone who interviews you, things get said that are too easily checked. Alex’s grandmother story, for instance. I talked to then-manager Piniella a bit later in the evening, and asked if he’d counseled his young shortstop about the death in the family.

“I didn’t know about it,” he said. “Alex hasn’t told me.”

Now, Alex wants the world to know he’s sorry. That whatever it was he took in Texas because of the pressure he felt after signing that contract, he stopped taking when he went to New York – where apparently, there was no pressure.

At least this time, he left Piniella out of it.

AP Photo

Yep, the one pitcher that Mariners fans seemed to hate the most two seasons ago - well hate equally as much as Horacio Ramirez - is still pitching.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Jeff Weaver to a minor league deal on Monday. Weaver will get an invite to spring training and compete for a spot in the bullpen.

Weaver didn't pitch in the major leagues last season, splitting time between two different Triple A teams - Buffalo and Nashville.

The last time Weaver pitched in the big leagues was for the Mariners, and well, I won't go there. But the last time he had consistent success it was in 2006 with the Cardinals. So perhaps a return trip to the National League may help him. While it may seem ludicrous to Mariners fans to sign him, it's a low-risk move for the Dodgers.

Photo from nikkansports.com

The USS Mariner was the first to post this news locally, so all credit goes to them, but the Mariners star right fielder Ichiro Suzuki threw a bullpen session during WBC workouts with the Japanese team. Apparently he topped out at 91 miles per hour and can throw a forkball. The original post came from nikkansports.com and since I can't read Japanese (despite having a Japanese mother), I have no idea what the story says.

Here's some more photos from the session.

I e-mailed a couple of the Japanese reporters, who follow the Mariners during season, and Masayoshi Niwa, wrote back saying it was more of a "just in case" situation where Ichiro would be the last option for the manager. Masa also reminded me that Ichiro was a pitcher in his younger days.

From his wikipedia entry ...

Nagoya's Aikodai Meiden Kôkô, where Ichiro was primarily used as pitcher instead of an outfielder, owing to his exceptionally strong arm.

During a Japanese all-star game, Ichiro was brought into a game to pitch against Hideki Matsui, but the opposing manager put in somebody else instead. Here's a video of it.

Ichiro always maintained that he could be a pitcher, he wanted the chance to pitch last season when the Mariners put Jamie Burke on the mound last season.

"Every time I see a catcher's glove I want to pitch," Ichiro said a few days after Burke pitched in the Mariners 2-1 extra inning loss.

Perhaps he will being closing games for the Japanese team.

If only we could check out the blood pressure readings of Jack Zduriencik and other Mariners execs upon hearing this news or seeing this picture.

It's just another indicator of the ridiculous amount of talent Ichiro has. While I think it's pretty cool that he can do that, if I was a Mariners' executive or fan, I don't know that having him pitching is the best idea.

But it does remind me of this ...

Obviously this on the front page of our sports section, which you can check out here.

Alex Rodriguez admitted to ESPN's Peter Gammons (there's video of the interview on the link) that he did indeed take steroids in the year in question.

In the interview, he still manages to deflect some of the responsibility, saying it was part of the culture at that time. He also said he didn't know exactly what he was taking, which is total, well, I can't write what it is. But if you're telling me that someone like A-Rod who is borderline obsessive compulsive about his body and appearance would just inject a random substance into himself without knowing exactly what it will do is ridiculous.

The clock begins ticking today.

New manager Don Wakamatsu and the all-new coaching staff of the Seattle Mariners fly into Arizona today from all points on the compass, and while spring training doesn’t officially begin until their first workout on Saturday, it’s already begun.

“I’ve been pondering this for the last couple of months,” Wakamatsu said. “Everybody comes to camp with an emphasis on fundamentals. For us, there are a few other things to focus on – can we get this team to become one?”

New GM Jack Zduriencik is already in Peoria, and he’s done much toward revamping the roster of a club that lost 101 games in 2008. He’s also rebuilt the franchise front office.

By and large, fans have withheld judgment on all that. Sure, there had to be a new GM, a new manager, a new front office, a new coaching staff. And yes, players had to go – even popular players like J.J. Putz.

Now, most Mariners fans couldn’t name the 25-man roster.

Wakamatsu and his staff today will start spring training in earnest, and before pitchers and catchers report on Friday, there will be an overview in place.

“We’ll formulate a plan for the first week and the sixth,” Wakamatsu said. “One thing we won’t do is limit our coaching to guys who’ll make the club. We want everyone to be on the same page, philosophically and technically.

“One of our biggest jobs as a staff is to get these guys to realize we’re there to help them all develop. One of best ways to develop somebody, is to take them in and tell them all the things they’re accountable for.”

This will be no small effort, turning a franchise around. For months, though, the new GM and his manager have spent few hours in the day not thinking about the next six weeks.

The clock begins ticking today.

It's late Sunday night and I'm still trying to process the appearance of Neil Diamond on the Grammy's and wondering if the show actually carries any weight or relevance anymore.

But while I was watching three-plus hours worth of strange duets and odd combinations of singers (Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder?), I also perused about four days worth of baseball news on the internet to get some links up for you.

Obviously, the news about Alex Rodriguez and steroids dominated most of the coverage and with good reason. I've read a few comments in Larry's first post not wanting to hear about this. You have good reasons, but I'm still going to post some links about him - for the moment - for four reasons:

1. He was a former top pick of the Mariners and a celebrated player during his playing days here.

2. Since he left to sign a free agent contract, he's become persona non grata with the bulk of M's fans. And anybody who's heard the booing he's received at Safeco, even last year, will understand.

3. Despite what you think of him - and my opinion is not positive - A-Rod is one of the most visible players in baseball and is on pace to shatter many offensive records in the game.

4. Besides Mariners-related and American League West-related links, I think it's important to offer some other news around baseball to keep everybody informed and offer different perspectives.

But in fairness to those who aren't interested, it's not something to dwell on and I am going to post the A-Rod links at the bottom.

So lets get to the links ...

The P-I reported a few days ago that Scott Boras is pushing the Mariners to take a look at Angels outfielder Garret Anderson.

AP Photo

Um, there's a reason why the Angels aren't hurrying to re-sign the their all-time leader in games played, at-bats, hits, singles, doubles, extra base hits, RBIs, grand slams, total bases and a few other records. He isn't anywhere near the same player that set those records. The Angels are going with younger, cheaper and probably more efficient outfielder in Juan Rivera. Manager Mike Sciscioa told Anderson he might have the a role on the Angels as a utility outfielder. But he wants to play in 145 games this season. It just doesn't seem like a move consistent with what the front office has been doing, unless they know something we don't.

Kirby Arnold of the Everett Herald has this story about how the area around the Peoria Sports Complex has grown and a spring training guide.

We don't usually link to the P-I or Times but since we did already, here's Larry Stone's story on the anniversary of the trade for Erik Bedard, all I can say about it is, "Happy Anniversary." For some, it's kind of like the anniversary of their wisdom teeth extraction.

Recently acquired lefty Garrett Olson talked to the San Luis Obispo Tribune about the trade after pitching a scoreless inning in the Cal Poly-SLO alumni game.

Let's go around baseball ...
George Sherrill avoided arbitration with the Orioles signing a nice one-year deal. Not bad for a guy that used to pitch for the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

One-time Mariner Rich Aurilia (something many fans would like to forget) re-signed with SF Giants as a right-handed option at first base. Aurilia will give the Giants a right-handed bat opposite the two lefties vying for the job - John Bowker and Federal Way standout and former TNT all-area player of the year Travis Ishikawa (pictured right).

Here's some notes from Randy Johnson's first meeting with Bay Area press.

Chico Harlan of the Washington Post has this story about Stephen Strasburg, who the Nats are expected to take with the top pick of this year's draft. M's fans need to get used to the idea that he's out of reach. It may save on pain.

The Philly Inquirer has this big feature story that looks deeper into Phillies manager Charlie Manuel and his life.

The Rangers have signed Andruw Jones to a minor league contract. The hope is that Jones can be something more than the bust he's been the last few seasons and allow the Rangers to move Josh Hamilton to right field to reduce wear and tear on him.

Manny Ramirez talked to LA Times reporter Dylan Fernandez about the on-going negotiations with the Dodgers and his thoughts about free agency.

Times columnist Bill Plaschke offers his thoughts on the situation.

Here's some Sunday columns from national baseball writers ...
People forget that Mike Hampton was once in the Mariners organization. Anyway the oft-injured lefty is the key for the Houston Astros' success, according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.

Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain news doesn't think the Rays can repeat last year's success.

Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo has his Sunday notes

Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune has his Sunday column.

WARNING: A-Rod links start here ...

Here's the always entertaining NY tabloids covers ...

If you read just one of these links, read this column by Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post in which he notes that now only Ken Griffey Jr. should be remembered as the greatest slugger of this era, because there was never a question about him using PEDs.

Well you should also read our own John McGrath's take on the news.

AP Photo

The Dallas Morning News' Kevin Sherrington adds A-Rod to the list of players on the 2003 Rangers team now linked to PEDs. The list includes Rafael Palmeiro, Pudge Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez and more.

Here's the story from the NY Times' Tyler Kepner where it leads with A-Rod's obsessive desire to succeed.

Also from the Times, the news of A-Rod brings up more questions about testing procedures. and a column by Jack Curry on the merits of apologizing.

Of course, players and former players all have reactions to the situation. Of course, Curt Schilling, who always seems to have an opinion to share, offered his, saying he wants to see the 103 names on the list of players that failed tests.

Teammates of Rodriguez on that Rangers team offer their thoughts.

Former Mariners pitcher and teammate of A-Rod, Jeff Nelson, who recently signed on with MLB Network offers some thoughts - mainly for A-Rod to keep quiet.

Newsday's Ken Davidoff said A-Rod's rights have been violated.

Sports Illustrated's legal expert Michael McCann offers some thoughts.

Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan believes A-Rod should learn from how Barry Bonds has handled the situation and not make the same mistakes. Someone who knows about Bonds is the SF Chronicle's Ray Ratto, who offers his thoughts.

Finally, here's some the clips of him denying steroids usage on 60 minutes.

Alex Rodriguez is falling from grace nearly as fast as his star rose.

Sports Illustrated.com is reporting that, according to four sources, A-Rod tested positive for anabolic steroid use in 1993 - and you can read their story here.

Rodriguez has had a tough time maintaining the image he first crafted in Seattle, going through a very public divorce after being photographed with a stripper and linked to Madonna. In the clubhouse, he left few friends in Seattle or Texas, and the Yankees have, indeed, called him 'A-Fraud.'

And now this?

When asked about his 2003 drug test, his only response was to tell the reporter to talk to the players' union.

Whatever happens, it's a story that makes you shake your head.

John McLaren is back in baseball, and anyone who knows him believes that’s where he belongs.

A major league coach for more than 21 seasons, McLaren managed the Seattle Mariners for less than a year, taking the job when Mike Hargrove left in July, 2007 – then being fired last June.

Today, he’s a special assistant to the general manager for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

“I’m going to be working with a lot of young players, spending time at the baseball academy in Venezuela,” McLaren said.

It’s hard to say McLaren got a raw deal in Seattle, but when the 2008 season opened he had a 43-41 record – only the second manager in franchise history with a winning mark. What happened last season was a disaster for the team, and McLaren was part of it.

Still, he was a man saddled with high-salaried players he was ordered to play – Richie Sexson among them – and lost his closer the first week of the season. When the Mariners went south, McLaren couldn’t turn them. Neither could the man who replaced him, Jim Riggleman.

The irony? McLaren would probably be a better manager with the team general manager Jack Zduriencik has now put together than he was with last years model.

Be that as it may, McLaren is back in the game. He’ll spend much of the spring at his home in Phoenix, and will likely stop by Peoria during camp.

If so, he’ll be welcome. McLaren’s time as a manager was short, but his love of the game – and a lifelong commitment to teaching it – are qualities baseball never has enough of.

Welcome back, John.

One of the joys of spring training is connecting with players you haven’t seen in awhile, former Seattle Mariners scattered across the landscape.

The Cactus League is full of them, from old war horses like Lou Piniella (Cubs) and Randy Johnson (Giants) to favorites like Mike Cameron (Brewers) and Omar Vizquel (Rangers) to youngsters who got away.

There will be a few of those in Arizona, too – players like Matt Thornton (White Sox), Brian Fuentes (Angels) and Shin-Soo Choo (Indians).

Throughout the spring, this blog and the News Tribune will bring you stories and interviews with former Mariners, giving you the chance to catch up. And Choo, pictured above, is one of the more intriguing stories.

Now 26, having recovered from ‘Tommy John’ reconstructive elbow surgery, the outfielder is expected to start in right field for Cleveland this year – and for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic.

Choo never quite got it going in Seattle, and was slowed in Cleveland by injuries, but last season got a career-high 317 at-bats and made the most of them. Choo batted .309 with 14 home runs and 66 RBI in just 94 games – and hit .343 with 20 doubles, 11 homers and 48 RBI after the All-Star break.

He still has two years of military service awaiting him in Korea, where he has a home. And in a baseball career that began with the Mariners in 2005, Choo now has played the equivalent of one full season, 159 games.

In those games, Choo has a .291 average, 40 doubles, 17 home runs and 94 RBI in 519 at-bats.

Yes, he’d fit nicely into the Seattle outfield this season. And no, the trade that sent him to the Indians in 2006 for Ben Broussard didn’t work out for the Mariners.

He’ll be a different fellow this spring than he was in ’05, when he asked me to introduce him to fellow Korean player Chan Ho Park – and he was stunned to learn that Park knew who he was. Choo was shy, polite, hard-working and a bit intimidated by then-manager Mike Hargrove.

Choo tried too hard in his brief chances in Seattle. Today, he’s a more relaxed player, and his talent is carrying him toward a breakthrough season.

This spring, we’ll try to get you stories on Choo and other former Mariners training in Arizona. It would be lovely if all their stories were as happy as Choo’s.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik continues to stockpile arms for spring training. The Mairners signed left-handed pitcher Tyler Johnson to a minor league contract on Thursday, and extended an invite to major league spring training.

"Tyler is an experienced, left-handed reliever that gives us another option to look at for our bullpen," Zduriencik said. "He's had success at the Major League level, especially against left-handed hitters. Over the past several weeks, we've had Duane Shaffer watching him throw, and the reports have been very positive."

Johnson basically missed all of last season after being placed on the Cardinals 60-day disabled list March 31 with bursitis in his left shoulder. Johnson had shoulder surgery in 2007 and just never could get healthy.

In 2007, pitching with St. Louis, Johnson appeared in 55 games, and held opposing hitters to a .217 (31-for-143) batting average against. He had appeared in 56 games with the Cardinals in 2006, and limited left-handed hitters to a .221 (17-for-77) batting average against. He led all St. Louis pitchers with 10 appearances and 4 holds during the 2006 post-season, striking out 12 in 7.1 innings pitched.

Johnson is 3-5, 4.32 in 116 Major League games with the Cardinals (2005-2008), all in relief. He has tossed 77.0 innings, and allowed just 67 hits while striking out 65.

The Mariners now have 60 players reporting to Major League Spring Training (40 players on 40-man roster, 20 non-roster invitees). Pitchers and Catchers will hold their first workout February 14 in Peoria, Ariz., and the first full-squad workout will be held Feb. 18.

Ah, center field.

The Seattle Mariners have memories of Ken Griffey Jr. out there, ruling the position in the ‘90s. And, once he’d been traded, Mike Cameron – against all odds – won the hearts of fans at Safeco Field with his play in center.

Since Cameron, the position has been wide open.

Last year, for instance, the position was manned by an unhappy Ichiro, Wladimir Balentien, Willie Bloomquist, Miguel Cairo and Jeremy Reed. That added to a cast that’s included Adam Jones, Randy Winn, Joe Borchard, Matt Lawton, Jamal Strong, Quinton McCracken and Hiram Bocachica since 2004.

This year, the Mariners are bringing one legitimate center fielder to camp – Franklin Gutierrez – and another, Endy Chavez, who is said to be just as capable.

What can Mariners fans expect?

That will be one of the quieter stories to follow all spring. Gutierrez is far more of a question mark at the plate, where he has a .248 career average, than in the field. At 26, scouts say Gutierrez is an All-Star on defense, with marvelous range and the ability to make plays anywhere.

Think Jeremy Reed with more speed and a better arm. And, unlike the potential Seattle fans saw in Jones – along with the mistakes of a young outfielder – Gutierrez has experience.

Mariners fans have been waiting to fall in love with a center fielder again since Cameron left after 2003. Gutierrez isn’t going to hit 25 home runs and might not hit 10. He isn’t going to drive in 100 runs, either.

But in the field, the Mariners believe they’ve filled that gaping hole in center. If he can play the position and throw in a few dazzlers, Gutierrez has the likeable personality fans can embrace.

He’s a big piece of the ‘new’ Mariners. Let’s start him up and see how he runs.

The unemployment line in major league baseball today may be as stunning as any of those huge contracts passed out just two months ago.

And they say baseball doesn’t mirror real life.

Hard to believe this week that former Mariners like Brad Wilkerson, Jolbert Cabrera, John Parrish and Eddie Guardado have contracts and stars like Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez do not.

Of course, not many others on the unemployment list would turn down a one-year, $25 million contract, either. Manny did, but only after considering it for about 30 minutes. Who knew that Manny being Manny extended to the world of high finance?

Still, it’s a strange off-season when Willie Bloomquist signs a two-year contract and Ken Griffey Jr. still hasn’t gotten an offer of even one year. Junior’s not alone. There are more than 80 free agents still without deals, from reliever Eric Gagne to outfielders Bobby Abreu and Garret Anderson.

The game goes on, but is it better off? No.

Baseball has always needed players like Griffey, perhaps especially in their twilight years. Finding a better ambassador of the game is impossible – Junior’s play on the field and his love of baseball should be taught, not pushed aside.

Just as the game has always needed character like Griffey’s, it’s needed characters like Manny’s. A marvelous if one-dimensional player – Ramirez is as dangerous a hitter as there is – Manny is a moment-to-moment adventure on the base paths or in the outfield.

And he’s not above, say, charging the occasional teammate or manager in the dugout.

For some players, like Martinez or Frank Thomas, this off-season may be baseball’s way of saying ‘It’s over.’ For others, it’s been a large dose of humility.

Not having Ken Griffey Jr. on a big-league roster opening day, however, seems like a loss to the game.

Manny and his oily agent, Scott Boras, may still be negotiating with secret teams and trying to con the Dodgers. If so, there will be a sense that Boras has finally had his bluff called – and Ramirez was his victim.

That would almost be worth not having Manny in someone’s outfield come April.

Spring training looms ever closer, which means the hot stove league heats up - and rumors over the last week have had the Minnesota Twins interested in Jarrod Washburn. Again.

Turns out, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, that the Twins aren't interested. You can see their blog here.

Moving Washburn and his $10-million plus contract is a non-starter until or unless he begin to pitch well and someone has a need develop. The Mariners have no choice but to keep working the telephones. looking to move at least some salary.

But teams aren't foolishly tossingly money around, and what Washburn makes is more than what No. 4 or 5 starters are signing for now.

So, Jarrod remains a Mariner.

Last August, the Twins were willing to make a trade, but Seattle walked away from it. That's a mistake they'll have to live with.

A day after posting scathing comments about Ken Griffey Jr. by a talent evaluator, ESPN's Buster Olney now says much of Griffey's struggles last season was due to a knee injury that has now been surgically repaired.

Here's today's blog post

Also SI's Jon Heyman talked with Griffey's agent and has a similar story.

And the debate on bringing Junior back continues, what are your thoughts?

*** Also the White Sox offered Bobby Abreu a one-year, $8 million contract, so unless the Mariners can do something with Jarrod Washburn or Miguel Batista to dump salary, he may be out of the M's price range.

*** Here's a story from the Portland Business Journal (thanks to ArcticIce for the heads up) where Mariners president Chuck Armstrong met with Portland business leaders. He also mentions that the Mariners are interested in Griffey, Abreu and Garrett Anderson.

* Trying to find some more links for an afternoon post.

When Erik Bedard was told he’d been called a jerk by a Seattle columnist – and one talk radio host – he might have been expected to say something unkind in return Tuesday.

“Just a jerk?” he said, and laughed. “That’s not too bad.

“First impressions last, and when you’re hurt and don’t do as well as expected, that comes with the territory. When you don’t talk to the media, people can write whatever they want.”

Coming off a disastrous season for the Seattle Mariners, Bedard’s 2008 mirrored that of his team. He was hurt, stopped pitching in July and in September underwent shoulder surgery that removed a cyst.

And now?

“I’m feeling pretty good,” the left-hander said. “I’ve been throwing since mid-December, and I’m up to 12 minutes three times a week.”

How far is he throwing?

“The length of my garage, which is about 72 feet,” Bedard said. “It’s minus 10 degrees outside.”

Perhaps that explains a few things. Bedard is one of those goofy Canadians who actually enjoys sub-zero winter into which he was born and raised. He could easily move to Arizona or Florida and take up golf, like so many professional athletes do.

He hasn’t. And he won’t.

Asked if he’s read much about himself this off-season, Bedard said he hadn’t.

"Up here, it's all about hockey," he said.

But he had a fairly good take on what he’s missed.

“I know if you’re not signed to more than one year and you’re not on a contender, people talk about you being traded a midseason,” Bedard said. “That’s baseball, and it happens every where. I haven’t thought about it, but maybe if we were in July I would be, I don’t know.

“I certainly have no control over it. My goal this year is simple – stay healthy, help this team win. It’s the same one I had last year.”

He doesn’t know if he’ll change the perception of his being a jerk.

“I don’t think guys on the team felt that way,” he said. “I probably won’t do a lot more interviews this year than any other time. It’s just not me. I know I’m a lot more comfortable going to camp this year.

“Last year, I was the new guy and two days in I was named opening day starter. I thought that confused a lot of guys who’d been there longer than me – I know it confused me a little. But it never changed how I pitched. I just couldn’t stay healthy.”

We haven't had any "links" posts lately, or for that matter, any posts lately, as Marinersfan posted. Well, there really hasn't been a ton of stuff out there for a daily links look. But I combed the internet over the last two days to provide some.

OK, let's deal with a few Mariners things quickly.

The rumors of lefty Rich Hill possibly being acquired by the Mariners in a trade with the Cubs can cease. Hill was traded to the Baltimore Orioles earlier today for a player to be named later.

Also Larry Stone broke the news about Bobby Abreu and the Mariners looking at possibly a one-year free agent deal. The NY Times Tyler Kepner also checks in on the situation.

ESPN's Buster Olney caught up with a MLB player evaluator and asked about some of the free agents that are still on the market.

Here's what the evaluator said about Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr.: "He doesn't have power anymore; he can't defend anymore. For me, he's a spare outfielder. He can't catch up to a good fastball anymore. The only ball he can hit over the fence now is a breaking ball that comes into him. Even if he's cheating, he has trouble catching up with a good fastball. But he's a good person, and maybe you'd want him around your young players. One of the questions you'd have to have about him is this: If you bring him in and he can't play anymore, how messy would it be to release him?"

Jerry Crasnick had this column on Griffey coming back to the Mariners a few days ago.

Also Baseball America's Jim Callis did a chat with ESPN. One of the question asked about the Mariners draft this season, here's the response.

Mike (Seattle): Should the Mariners take Ackley, White, or Green? Ackley safest, Green highest upside?

Jim Callis: Seattle picks No. 2, and the assumption is that Strasburg will be gone. I'd take Green because up-the-middle athletes who can hit are very hard to find. Could be tempted by Ackley if he showed he could handle CF.

Green is USC shortstop Grant Green

Ackley is North Carolina first baseman Dustin Ackley

White is UNC right-handed pitcher Alex White

ELSEWHERE ...

One of the first things you need to look at is how much MLB commissioner Bud Selig made last year. This story from the Sports Business Journal said it's over $18 million.

According to this ESPN.com story, Selig made more than all but three players in the major leagues last year. Not surprising all three were Yankees - Alex Rodriguez ($23 million), Derek Jeter ($22 million) and Jason Giambi ($21.5 million).

Ask yourself this question? What did Bud Selig do last season to earn $18 million. What he has done over the last three years to earn $18 million? Don't think for too long on that, you won't come up with much and probably go cross eyed.

And speaking of money, here's something fun to play with a little bit.

ESPN has this program where you can compare your salary to players like Mark Teixeria and C.C. Sabathia.

Apparently, at my current salary (which is none of your business), it will take me 432.69 years to make what Teixeira will make this season. So I got that going for me, which is nice.

Speaking of money, let's get to some Scott Boras stuff. There seems to be an influx of stories on him in the last week.

Crasnick again has this story on Boras and how he's dealing with this slow spending offseason.

The Hardball Times, one of my daily websites to check out, had this story a few days ago on the truth about Boras.

Along those lines, The Baseball Analysts mention Boras in a post criticizing SI baseball writer Jon Heyman.

Another story that talks about money is this offering by the Boston Herald's Michael Silverman, who lists some outrageous contract perks for some baseball players. I believe Ichiro has few in his - an interpreter, a personal trainer, housing allowance of $32,000 per season, which goes up by a $1,000 each year. He also gets a new Jeep or Mercedes-Benz SUV each year. And of course, four round-trip tickets between Japan and the U.S. each year.

Let's stop talking about money and start talking more about baseball being played, live, today.

The Carribean World Series kicks off today in Mexico. It's a four-team round robin featuring teams representing Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. One-time Mariners midseason acquisition and all-around good guy Eduardo Perez is managing the team from Puerto Rico.

For those need to get their baseball fix, the games will be broadcast on the MLB Network. Here's the schedule.