ESPN's Tim Kurkjian wrote this story on Adam Jones for ESPN magazine.

Here's one of the quotes from the story ...

"[Former Mariners outfielder] Jay Buhner came up to me my first spring and said, 'Shut up and listen,' then he walked out of the room," Jones said. "John [Shelby] had nine years in the big leagues. Crow [hitting coach Terry Crowley] has been in baseball for like 50 years. They had finished good careers before I was even born. Why not listen? I'm a sponge for these coaches.

Look, every time I watch Franklin Gutierrez play, I jump a little more on his bandwagon, but if the Mariners could have kept Jones and Chris Tillman and still had everyone else to trade they could have done so much ... well, let's not think about that.

The Eyes Have It

Five games into the season, Ken Griffey Jr. has started four and is batting under .200 - but has a .471 on-base percentage.

Junior has walked six times already, and the rest of the Mariners roster as only five walks.

They'll have the chance to gain on him today, when he starts on the bench against Oakland. Endy Chavez, who has hit in each of the five games this season, is leaading off for the 3-2 Mariners.

It's Felix vs. Josh Outman.

Walks kill - or at least hurt

Felix has been wild through two innings, hitting one man and walking two others. The walks have caught up with him.

Walks to Jack Cust and, with one out, Mark Ellis - the No. 8 hitter - set up a two-run double to No. 9 hitter Lando Powell, and Oakland has mmoved ahead.

A sacrifice fly has pushed home a third run, and Hernandez is working far too hard to just be in the second inning. Forty-seven pitches, most under duress.

Not what the Mariners need after Ryan Rowland-Smith lasting only 3 1/3 innings a night earlier.

After two: Athletics 3, Mariners 0

Gone and then some

One out into the fourth, Russell Branyan left the building with extreme prejudice.

No one was on, but he an Outman offering - and isn't that a great ame for a pitcher, Outman? - way over the wall in right center field.

That's two home runs on the season for Branyan, one run for Seattle today.

To the bottom of four: Athletics 3, Mariners 1

Wak ball!

Ronny Cedeno walked, Yuniesky Betancourt singled and, after a bunt trickled foul, Endy Chavez grounded to first base - moving both runners up.

That's the way the Mariners played it small all spring, and it's worked again. Franklin Guttierrez followed with a two-run single to tie the game, and when Mike Sweeney singled, Seattle had chased Outman.
That's the kind of basics baseball that has the whole roster involved.

Guttierrez, trying to steal third, jumped too early and was caught in a run own - although replays showed he was never tagged.

Oops.

Oops again

Jack Cust homered to break the tie, a two-run shot made all the more aggraating because he shouldn't have batted in the inning.

Justin Giambi popped straight up over the plate, and catcher Kenji Johjima stared into the sky, then fell over and missed the ball.

Giambi then singled, and two outs later, Felix gave up the home run.

After five: Athletics 5, Mariners 4.

Balentien has to leave

Outfielder Wladimir Balentien left the game after hitting in the sixth with what was called a sprained left wrist.

The injury occurred in the first inning, when Balentien landed awkwardly, trying to make a diving catch of what became Orlando Cabrera's double.

He stayed in the game, went 0-for-2 with a walk. Balentien was replaced in the lineup by Ronny Cedeno.

If he's going to miss more than Sunday and the off-day Monday, Balentien could wind up on the disabled list.

Those scrappy Mariners

Time to pinch-hit with Griffey? Nope. Wakamatsu stayed with Jose Lopez, who doubled home two runs to tie, then stayed with Johjima, who singled home two more.

To the bottom of the eighth: Mariners 7, Athletics 5.

That ninth inning run put them up by three, and Brandon Morrow is in to close it out.

That brouht up Nomar Garciaparra as the potential tying run. Morrow struck him ou.
It's a final: Mariners 8, Athletics 5.