"Nothing in Chone Figgins' history says this should be happening. Nothing in his six seasons as a regular in the Los Angeles Angels' lineup suggests he should be struggling this mightily, this late into the season.

For six years Figgins has lasered line drives into infield holes and outfield gaps. He's a career .291 hitter, as dependable as high tide. He was an All-Star last season, when he hit .298 and walked 101 times.

He's a glue guy, the kind of player who can brighten a clubhouse during the bad patches and can light up a lineup when a team is on a roll.

Every team needs a player like Chone Figgins, and when the Mariners signed him last Dec. 15 for four years and $36 million, it looked like another genius move from general manager Jack Zduriencik.

Figgins was going to be another trigger finger at the top of the Mariners' order. On a team that wasn't going to hit many home runs, Figgins was going to get on base and put pressure on defenses.

He seemed perfect for Wak-ball. Low maintenance. High reward. A self-starter who could get his teammates started."