Mariners News

Phillies focusing on third base
Comment
November 19
ESPN.com
 columnist Jayson Stark
"Third base appears to be the Phillies' first order of business once the free-agent negotiating period starts. But they don't seem to have a clear-cut top choice among Mark DeRosa, Placido Polanco and Adrian Beltre. DeRosa is a great fit in many ways, but there are concerns that he's never played 75 games in any season at third base. Polanco has sent signals he's open to playing third for his old team, but he has started only 38 games at third base in the last seven seasons combined. And while Beltre is probably the best pure baseball fit, he figures to want a longer contract than the Phillies are interested in offering. So this hunt could still move in a lot of different directions. Pedro ..."
Free agency lite? Mariners prepare
Comment
November 19
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"An offseason that has seen the Seattle Mariners sign Ken Griffey Jr. and Jack Wilson will heat up considerably Friday, and not just because teams on that day can begin making offers to free agents other than their own. While all teams have zeroed in on players they'd love to acquire in that pool, the Mariners and the 29 other big-league teams will start shopping from another list. One that includes 536 minor league free agents. Tony Blengino, an assistant to Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik and the team's resident sabermetrician, has been gearing up for Friday for weeks. "I've got 15 pages of minor league free agents, and some will be significant major league players next year," ..."
Joe Dunigan making progress in Seattle Mariners system
Comment
November 19
Chicago Tribune
 
"It's an undeniable truth of the 21st Century: The window to a man's soul is his Twitter account. So when Joe Dunigan tweets that "Law Abiding Citizen is possibly the movie of the year," he's saying he's a normal 23-year-old just trying to enjoy life. When he tweets "good Halloween ... another win for first-place Javelinas, a bomb and two knocks," the Mariners prospect is saying he had a good day with a home run and two hits in the Arizona Fall League. And when he tweets "love Sundays, but this one isn't so great ...what in the world are the Bears doing?" Dunigan is saying he's just like us -- a long-suffering Chicago fan. Actually, he's not just like us. Dunigan is a muscular 6-foot-1, ..."
Washburn could draw big interest
Comment
November 18
Foxsports.com
 
"Jarrod Washburn was one of the most coveted starting pitchers on this year's midseason trade market, before the Mariners dealt him to the Tigers. But he was a disappointment in Detroit, going 1-3 with a 7.33 ERA in eight starts. Only later did we learn that a painful left knee — one that required surgery in October — was largely to blame. Now, the 35-year-old left-hander feels healthy. And if teams believe he's capable of replicating this year's first-half success — 6-6, 2.96 ERA — Washburn could become one of the more attractive free agent pitching options this winter. "The surgery on the knee wasn't real extensive," Washburn told FOXSports.com in a Wednesday e-mail. "Dr. (Lewis) Yocum ..."
Royals' ace Greinke beats out Mariners' Hernadez for AL Cy Young
Comment
November 18
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"For just the fourth time, the Cy Young Award went to a pitcher on a last-place team, as Kansas City Royals ace Zack Greinke easily beat a field of elite pitchers that included Seattle's Felix Hernandez. Greinke got 25 first-place votes to two for Hernandez, and both men finished ahead of Detroit's Justin Verlander and New York's CC Sabathia for the American League honor in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. By virtue of his 16-8 record, major league-best 2.16 earned-run average, 229 innings and 242 strikeouts – all for a team that went 65-97 – the shy Greinke was selected his league's best pitcher. "In that way, it's kind of like a negative for me," Greinke said ..."
Four more years, Felix, and then ...
Comment
November 18
Tacoma News Tribune
 columnist John McGrath
"A few weeks after Felix Hernandez was snubbed by his major league peers – he didn't rank among the top three American League pitchers in the Players Choice awards – the Mariners ace got what he deserved Tuesday. He finished second in the Cy Young Award voting, behind Kansas City's Zack Greinke. And though Greinke won in a landslide, accumulating 25 of 28 first-place votes, at least Hernandez was in the conversation for the most prestigious of pitching trophies. The baseball writers did more than identify Hernandez's breakout season as Cy Young-worthy. They dispelled the myth that players on the cusp of superstardom can't gain national attention outside such major markets as New York, ..."
Felix Hernandez finishes second in Cy Young voting
Comment
November 17
Seattle Times
 
"This comes as little surprise, but Zack Greinke of the Kansas City Royals today was named the runaway winner of the 2009 AL Cy Young Award. Felix Hernandez of the Mariners placed a distant second, beating out the likes of C.C. Sabathia, Justin Verlander and Roy Halladay. Greinke received 25 first-place votes from BBWAA voting members, while Hernandez had 2 and Verlander 1. Hernandez also received 23 second-place votes, the most of any pitcher. Greinke had three second-place votes and Sabathia the other two. In total points, Greinke had 134, Hernandez 80, Verlander 14, Sabathia 13 and Halladay 11."
Greinke gets one more win: AL Cy Young
Comment
November 17
Kansas City Star
 
"Zack Greinke’s sweep of the major awards is complete after being named the American League Cy Young winner by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Greinke won with 25 of 28 first-place votes, and 134 points, easily beating runner-up Felix Hernandez of Seattle, who received two first-place votes and 80 points. Detroit’s Justin Verlander received the other first-place vote. Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 229 1/3 innings, his breakout season becoming a needed point of pride in an otherwise dreadful Royals season. His ERA was more than a third of a run better than Hernandez, who finished second, and the AL’s best mark since Pedro Martinez in 2000."
Mariners show interest in Tigers RHP Jackson
Comment
November 16
Foxsports.com
 
"Count the Mariners among the teams interested in Tigers right-hander Edwin Jackson. The teams have spoken about Jackson and exchanged names, but the talks "are not all that serious," according to one source with knowledge of the discussions. Jackson, 13-9 with a 3.62 ERA last season, would be a strong complement to ace right-hander Felix Hernandez in the Mariners' rotation. The Tigers, sources say, are seeking minimum-salary pitching for Jackson, whose salary will rise from $2.2 million in arbitration. Mariners right-handers Brandon Morrow and Shawn Kelley both fit that description, and are the types of hard throwers favored by Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski. The Mariners, one of ..."
Jack Wilson signs 2-year, $10M deal with Mariners
Comment
November 14
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"Shortstop Jack Wilson, who was named the best fielder at his position last year by the Fielding Bible, knows the Seattle Mariners and their fans never got to see that fellow play in 2009. After signing a two-year contract on Friday, Wilson said his ambition was to remedy that. "I didn't accomplish what I wanted after I came to Seattle, and once the season ended, Jack (Zduriencik) and I had a mutual interest in my coming back. I'm happy to have the chance to show how I can play." Wilson, who turns 32 next month, played in just 31 games after being acquired from Pittsburgh in a July 29 deal that brought Ian Snell to the Mariners and sent Jeff Clement, Ronny Cedeño and minor leaguers to the ..."
Wilson "really, really excited to be back in Seattle"
Comment
November 14
Seattle Times
 
"Here are the contract figures for Jack Wilson: Two years, $10 million guaranteed ($5 million in 2010, $5 million in 2011), plus $250,000 in performance bonuses each year (mostly plate appearances) for a potential $500,000; plus the standard awards package worth a possible $450,000. Again, no option for 2012. The Mariners made two separate transactions today, declining Wilson's option (which required a $600,000 buyout), and then signing the new contract. Wilson was in Seattle yesterday getting a physical, but was back at his home in California today. A couple of things came through in Wilson's conference call with reporters: His frustration over last year's performance after he came over ..."
Mariners coach Wetteland at home after hospital stay
Comment
November 13
Miami Herald
 
"Seattle Mariners bullpen coach John Wetteland is resting at home after a hospital stay because of what Denton County officials called a "mental health issue." Wetteland released a statement through the team regarding the situation, which took place early Thursday afternoon. "Thank you for your concerns," Wetteland said. "My wife and I are very appreciative of the over and above care of our local officers and paramedics. The circumstances leading to my elevated blood pressure and heart rate have been addressed. I am currently resting safely at home." An earlier report on the team's website said police responded to a man who may have been suicidal. When officers got to Wetteland's home, he ..."
Police respond to suicide call at the home of former New York Yankees closer John Wetteland
Comment
November 13
New York Daily News
 
"John Wetteland, the Yankees' All-Star closer who was the MVP of the 1996 World Series, spent time in a Denton, Tex., hospital Thursday, but the circumstances of the visit were unclear. Police officers who were summoned to his home Thursday said they responded to a call about a man contemplating suicide. The Seattle Mariners, for whom Wetteland is bullpen coach, said late Thursday night he was suffering from an elevated heart rate. Wetteland, who was discharged from the hospital Thursday night, said in part of a team statement, "My wife and I are very appreciative of the over and above care of our local officers and paramedics." According to the Denton County Sheriff's office, a woman at ..."
Former Texas Rangers pitcher Wetteland taken to Denton hospital
Comment
November 13
Dallas Morning News
 
"Former Texas Rangers pitcher John Wetteland was taken to a Denton hospital Thursday afternoon after police were called to his home over concerns about his mental health, Denton County sheriff's Sgt. Roger Griggs said. But Wetteland, now a pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners, attributed the police call to his elevated blood pressure and heart rate. "My wife and I are very appreciative of the over-and-above care of our local officers and paramedics," he said. "I am currently resting safely at home." Wetteland was taken to Denton Regional Medical Center after meeting authorities outside his Bartonville home and saying he "needed help," Griggs said. He showed no signs of physical ..."
Anywhere else, Griffey's signing might be ridiculous
Comment
November 12
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 
"Ken Griffey Jr. -- mascot. Ken Griffey Jr. -- World Series champion. Those are the extremes against which the debate can be framed for one of the oddest roster maneuvers a major league baseball team has ever made. What club locks up the 25th roster spot for the new season -- in early November? Only the Mariners. Only for Griffey (then again, only the Mariners would still owe $24 million to Carlos Silva). By now, even the most casual fan knows that Griffey spread happy dust over the 2009 Mariners like Richard Simmons on crystal meth. His final seasonal moment had to have been unprecedented in baseball history -- a superstar in rapid decline who batted .214 gets carried off the field in his ..."
Ken Griffey Jr. will be a Mariner in 2010
Comment
November 11
Seattle Times
 
"It's official: Ken Griffey Jr. is coming back to the Mariners in 2010. The outfielder, who will be 40 on Nov. 21, has reached a one-year agreement to play his 22nd year in the major leagues, as first reported in The Seattle Times. The Mariners made the announcement this morning. "This is where he belongs," Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu said from Peoria, Ariz., where he is watching M's prospects in the Arizona Fall League. "I'm happy. He was a joy last year." The contract figures are expected to be similar to last year, when Griffey earned $3.15 million in a contract that included incentives for attendance and playing time. His base salary in 2009 was $2 million, but it's likely the base ..."
M's GM may be keen on lefty Davis
Comment
November 11
Foxsports.com
 
"Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik is familiar with free agent left-hander Doug Davis, from their time together in Milwaukee. The two have a good relationship, one source said today, so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Mariners viewed Davis as a good fit for pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. Jarrod Washburn (in Seattle) and Kenny Rogers (in Detroit) are similar lefties who have thrived in big home ballparks. With Franklin Gutierrez in center and Ichiro Suzuki in right, the Mariners have the makings of a very good outfield defense. That would make Davis a more attractive option."
Branyan declines Mariners' one-year offer
Comment
November 11
MLB.com
 
"Free-agent first baseman Russell Branyan has rejected a one-year offer from the Mariners and though he still hopes to return to Seattle next season, he said he would rather test the market than settle for anything less than a two-year deal. "I'm not a bad guy, not a selfish guy," he said from his offseason home. "I don't know if there is a two- or three-year deal out there for me, but I would like to have more than a one-year deal. I don't want another one-and-done [contract]." Branyan signed a one-year, $1.4 million contract with Seattle last December and responded with a career year, leading the team with 31 home runs and had a single-season high 76 RBIs before a herniated disk in his ..."
Russell Branyan passes on Mariners' offer
Comment
November 11
Seattle Times
 
"Amid indications that finalization of Ken Griffey Jr.'s return is nearing, Russell Branyan has turned down the Mariners' one-year contract offer but remains hopeful of working out a deal to remain in Seattle. Meanwhile, Ichiro was voted an American League Gold Glove for the ninth consecutive year, while center fielder Franklin Gutierrez was passed over. Branyan said his offer from the Mariners included an option for a second year. He is seeking a guaranteed two-year contract. Branyan has filed for free agency, but the M's retain exclusive negotiating rights with the 33-year-old first baseman until Nov. 20. "I'm highly optimistic," Branyan said in a telephone interview. "I don't feel like ..."
Jeter and Teixeira Receive Gold Glove Awards
Comment
November 11
New York Times
 
"Derek Jeter, whose defense has been criticized in recent years through statistical analyses, won a Gold Glove award for his defense, joining Yankees teammate Mark Teixeira on the list of American League recipients released Tuesday. No other team had multiple winners. At 35, Jeter became the second-oldest shortstop to win the award; Luis Aparicio won it at 36 in 1970. Jeter has won four Gold Gloves, collecting the others from 2004 to 2006. "I've always taken a great deal of pride in my defense, and being honored with a Gold Glove is an accomplishment I will never overlook," Jeter said in a statement."
Ichiro, Hunter win ninth Gold Gloves
Comment
November 10
MLB.com
 
"The American League Gold Glove winners, unveiled on Tuesday, showcase the cream of the league's defensive excellence, the ooh-and-aah squad. The dive-and-spin, dirty-uniform parade began with Mark Teixeira, who earned his third Gold Glove -- but first since 2006 -- for an often-overlooked aspect of his game that was every bit as vital to the Yankees' drive to a World Series title as his 39 home runs and 122 RBIs. Teixeira made only four errors in 1,275 chances, to say nothing of the errors by other infielders he prevented with his wide-ranging scoops of errant throws. The Tigers' Placido Polanco earned the award at second base after it had been "borrowed" last year by Boston's Dustin ..."
Halladay more likely to go than Gonzalez
Comment
November 10
SI.com
 
"Baseball people seem to believe that of the two superstar players available in trade -- Roy Halladay and Adrian Gonzalez -- Halladay is more likely to be moved for a few important reasons, such as: 1) He's eligible for free agency after this year, whereas the Padres have Gonzalez for two more years. 2) He makes $16 million to only about $5 million for Gonzalez, who has $10.25 mil over two remaining. 3) He wants out of Toronto. In an especially weak free-agent starting-pitching market, Halladay, 31, would draw interest from several teams, and with a new GM in Toronto (Alex Anthopoulos replaced J.P. Ricciardi), the whole game could change. It isn't known how Padres GM Jed Hoyer or ..."
The Mariners are after their own
Comment
November 10
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"Unable to make offers to free agents from other teams just yet, the Seattle Mariners have been involved in talks with at least three of their own free agents - Jack Wilson, Russell Branyan and Ken Griffey Jr. - and made offers to two of them. Shortstop Wilson and first baseman-designated hitter Branyan have apprently been given contract offers, Wilson's a multi-year deal. Neither has accepted and negotiations continue."
Mariners in the market for punch at the plate
Comment
November 10
Foxsports.com
 
"The Mariners will at least "kick the tires" on free agent left fielder Jason Bay, one major- league source said, as they consider ways to stimulate an offense that finished last in the American League with 640 runs scored. Bay lives in the Seattle area, which enhances his appeal. But other right-handed power hitters — Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre, to name two — have struggled in their first seasons at Safeco Field. One way or the other, the Mariners seem likely to add an impact bat before Opening Day. Their budget is too big, and their need too great, for them to stand pat. The Mariners could also reconfigure their infield in an attempt to score more runs. The team hasn't ruled out the ..."
Harden could be good fit for M's
Comment
November 10
Foxsports.com
 
"Free agent Rich Harden could be a fit for the Mariners, if they decide to upgrade their rotation. (Offense is their main priority.) Harden has had success in the American League West and was born in nearby Victoria, B.C. "He could commute on a seaplane," quipped one person in the industry. A number of teams could benefit from adding a power arm like Harden, but questions persist about his durability."
Free-agent market thin at first base
Comment
November 10
MLB.com
 
"Last year, the first-base class of free agents had a first-class front-runner in Mark Teixeira. This time around, it's more of a contender-by-committee situation, with talent available but no Type A headliner to pull in anything close to what Big Tex commanded on his joyride to the Bronx. Carlos Delgado was on the "A Team" a few years back, but after hip surgery and a down year in New York, he's Type B and a possible question mark in the areas of mobility and bat speed at the age of 37 (38 in late June). And speaking of question marks, Nick Johnson, another attractive free-agent option because of his high on-base percentage (career .402), just can't seem to stay healthy for a full ..."
Help on way for M's?
Comment
November 10
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"For a team that won 85 games and believes it can contend in 2010, the Seattle Mariners have as many holes to fill as any team in baseball – uncertainties at third base, left field and catcher, for starters. Can Seattle fill any of those spots or others from within using players from the minor league system? There are rookies the Mariners and their fans saw last year, players such as Adam Moore, Michael Saunders and Matt Tuiasosopo, who will come to spring training with the opportunity to win jobs. But what of the players Seattle hasn't auditioned yet? Are there possible surprises next spring who could – like pitchers Shawn Kelley and Chris Jakubauskas did last spring – come to camp as long ..."
The buzz on Felix
Comment
November 10
Seattle Times
 
"A few stories about Felix Hernandez are emerging from the first day of the GM Meetings in Chicago, and Jack Zduriencik is saying pretty much what he's said all along: The Mariners are fully intent on signing Hernandez, but they are keeping their options open. Here's one. Here's another, And another. And another."
Why I'm feeling better about Edgar Martinez's Hall of Fame chances than I used to
Comment
November 9
Seattle Times
 columnist Larry Stone
"I've written numerous columns over the years on Edgar Martinez and Cooperstown, and I promise I'll write many more, because the magic moment is coming: Edgar has had his requisite five years out of the game and will be on the ballot for the first time in December. Next month, in other words. Results will be announced in January. It will be an uphill battle for the reasons that we all know: Edgar was primarily a designated hitter, and a prejudice against DHs remains with some Hall voters; Edgar didn't get 3,000 hits, or anywhere close (largely because he didn't get a regular job until his mid-20s, an injustice that still haunts hard-core M's fans); and Edgar played in relative obscurity in ..."
Figgins a tough decision for Angels
Comment
November 8
Orange County Register
 columnist Mark Whicker
"On July 14, 2001, the Register reported the Angels had traded Kimera Bartee to Colorado for an infielder named Desmond Figgins. Desmond DeChone Figgins, to be precise. None of his three names seemed destined for fame. Figgins had spent two years in the Carolina League. He did have a fanciful 34 triples that second year, but he was in Double-A when the Angels got him. It was hard to imagine that he would ever be a tough decision for the Angels. He is now. Assuming that he files for free agency, Chone Figgins is fixing to find out how much he is loved and, more important, valued. He is one of the best offensive players in this class. Even the most critical Angels fans must admit that Figgins ..."
Beltre, Sweeney file for free agency
Comment
November 6
Seattle Times
 columnist Larry Stone
"Adrian Beltre and Mike Sweeney were among the 79 players that didn't waste any time and filed for free agency today on the first day they could do so. The Mariners still have exclusive negotiating rights with them until Nov. 20. Ken Griffey Jr., Endy Chavez, Miguel Batista, Russ Branyan and Erik Bedard haven't filed yet, but they have two weeks to do so. Also, the Mets have told J.J. Putz that they aren't picking up his $8.6 million option for 2010. Instead, they are buying him out for $1 million, making him a free agent. And Tim Lincecum is in a bit of trouble involving pot."
Mariners claim pitcher Yusmeiro Petit from Arizona
Comment
November 5
Seattle Times
 
"According to numerous outlets, right-handed pitcher Yusmeiro Petit has been claimed off waivers by the Mariners. Not an earth-shattering move, but just another piece of pitching inventory being stockpiled by Jack Zduriencik. As the Arizona Republic story points out, Petit has allowed 1.96 home runs per nine innings, tied for the worst rate in major league history. Maybe Safeco Field will help with his longball problem. Or not. Lookout Landing and USS Mariner both weighed in on Petit, concluding, essentially, that it was a gamble worth taking, but don't expect too much. Here are his stats, and here he is in action. Here's his yearbook photo. OK, it's not really his yearbook photo. Petit ..."
Report: Tigers' Jarrod Washburn would like to return to Mariners
Comment
November 4
Detroit News
 
"Free-agent left-hander Jarrod Washburn, not likely to re-sign with the Tigers, says a return to the Seattle Mariners would be among his top choices. "Seattle definitely is toward the top of my list," Washburn told MLB.com. "I'll just have to see what happens when the free-agent season begins.""
Tigers' free-agent Washburn eyes return to Seattle
Comment
November 4
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Tigers this summer made an investment in pitcher Jarrod Washburn that didn't pay off. Now the lefty could be returning to the team that sent him to Detroit, the Seattle Mariners. Washburn, a free agent, told the Mariners' Web site that Seattle is among the teams at the top of his list. Washburn, 35, went 8-6 with a 2.64 ERA in 20 starts for Seattle before being dealt to Detroit for rookie left-hander Luke French. Washburn was AL pitcher of the month in July with Seattle. But soon after the Tigers acquired him at the July 31 trading deadline, a knee injury prevented him from pitching effectively."
Ex-Mariner Brumley now a coach
Comment
October 31
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"Mike Brumley, a former utilityman who has spent the last 12 years as a minor-league coach, manager and instructor, has been hired by the Seattle Mariners as a third-base coach. One of Brumley's eight big-league teams as a player was Seattle, for the 1990 season. Brumley, 45, has spent time in the Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, Angels and Diamondbacks organizations and overseen all aspects of baseball instruction."
Mariners prospect Carlos Triunfel is glad to be back on the field
Comment
October 30
Seattle Times
 
"A three-strikeout day isn't something top Mariners prospect Carlos Triunfel hopes to see a lot of. But the 19-year-old Class AA shortstop was pleased just to be back in the batter's box Thursday, making his Arizona Fall League debut after a serious leg injury. Triunfel missed most of 2009 after breaking his fibula and tearing ankle ligaments on his left leg in his team's second game of the season. He started at shortstop for the Peoria Javelinas on Thursday and wound up going 0 for 3, all strikeouts, and a walk. "I just got done speaking to him on the phone and I told him, 'So, I thought you told me you were ready?' " quipped Pedro Grifol, the Mariners' director of minor-league operations. ..."
Mariners jump into race to sign Cuba's Aroldis Chapman
Comment
October 29
Seattle Times
 
"The Mariners are jumping into the race to sign Aroldis Chapman, the left-handed pitching phenom from Cuba. The club has asked to meet with the 21-year-old Chapman and his agent, Edwin Mejia, in the coming week, according to a source. There are no details yet on a date or location of a potential meeting by Chapman with Seattle officials, but the source described the Mariners' interest as "serious." Chapman is being pursued by numerous teams, the Yankees and Red Sox most fervently, according to reports. Chapman had been scheduled to throw a bullpen session Wednesday at Fenway Park in Boston, but it was canceled because of the weather. The Tigers, Cardinals, Mets and Orioles also are linked ..."
Mariners' Ken Griffey Jr. has knee surgery to remove bone spur
Comment
October 27
Seattle Times
 
"Mariners designated hitter Ken Griffey Jr. had a bone spur removed from his left knee during arthroscopic surgery Monday in his native Cincinnati. The surgery was performed by Dr. Tomothy Kremchek and Griffey was released as an outpatient. Griffey, 39, a pending free agent, has yet to announce whether he plans to retire from baseball or return for another season in 2010. He endured numerous bouts of pain in his knee during a 2009 season that saw him hit .214 with 19 home runs, 57 runs batted in and post an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .735. Normal recovery time for this type of surgery is four to six weeks, according to the Mariners."
Mariners' Kenji Johjima opts out of contract
Comment
October 19
Seattle Times
 
"Catcher Kenji Johjima has told the Mariners he is exercising the out-clause in his contract, allowing him to opt out of the final two years of his deal. Johjima signed a controversial three-year extension in April 2008, a $24-million deal that paid him $8 million this past season and was to pay him $8 million in each of the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Instead, the 33-year-old Johjima will return to Japan. "After lots of very deep thought and deliberation, I have decided to return home to resume my career in Japan," Johjima said in a statement released by the Mariners. "I have had a wonderful experience competing at the major-league level. The last four years have been extraordinary, with great ..."
Mariners C Johjima opts out of contract, returns to Japan
Comment
October 19
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"The Seattle Mariners announced on Monday that catcher Kenji Johjima has decided to opt out of the last two years of his contract and return to play in Japan. The 33-year-old Johjima agreed to a three-year contract extension with the Mariners in April of 2008. Prior to coming to Seattle, Johjima was a seven- time Gold Glove winner, and a six-time postseason All-Star in Japan. He amassed a career .299 average with 211 home runs and 699 RBI in 11 seasons with Japan's Pacific League Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks. He was a member of three Pacific League Championship teams (1999, 2000, 2003), and won Japan League titles in 1999 and 2003. "After lots of very deep thought and deliberation, I have ..."
Mariners prospect Nick Hill understands the reality of his other job
Comment
October 17
Seattle Times
 
"Nick Hill knows that a rough first inning is merely a hazard of his job on the mound. The Mariners pitching prospect will gladly shake that off, as he did this week in his Arizona Fall League debut, realizing it's preferable to the hazards he could be facing with fellow graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Hill is now an inactive first lieutenant in the U.S. Army and benefited from a special program that let him fulfill military service obligations stateside in the offseason while pursuing a professional baseball career. His West Point classmates never had that choice and one of them, Michael Girdano, 23, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Aug. 1, 2008, just ..."
Mariners' Dustin Ackley shows opposite-field prowess in debut
Comment
October 15
Seattle Times
 
"Stop looking at Dustin Ackley's biceps or chest for his missing power. The No. 2 overall Mariners draft pick from June isn't exactly a Hercules body double. But anyone paying attention during a couple of at-bats in his Arizona Fall League debut Wednesday afternoon would see where Ackley's power lies. Move your eyes down Ackley's slender arms to the hands gripping the bat. Ackley twice flicked those hands and drove balls the opposite way to left field for singles in a 2-for-4 day that had Mariners officials smiling. "I was just looking to hit the ball up the middle [or] other way," Ackley said after his Peoria Javelinas were beaten 6-4 by the Surprise Rafters. "That's kind of the way I've ..."
Zduriencik's tasks start with Felix, end at Jr.
Comment
October 6
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"While the Mariners celebrated their season Sunday with an impromptu Love Boat parade around Safeco Field, it was easy to forget that the team that enjoyed such rare camaraderie in 2009 won't resemble the team that returns in 2010. Of the eight position players in Don Wakamatsu's batting order, I counted only two certainties for next season: Ichiro Suzuki in right field, and Franklin Gutierrez in center. And then there's the pitching - specifically, the unsettled future of ace right-hander Felix Hernandez. General manager Jack Zduriencik could fill several position needs by trading the Cy Young Award candidate, who's got two years remaining on his contract before he'll be eligible to ..."
Will Griffey get chance to write more history?
Comment
October 6
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"If Sunday was Ken Griffey Jr.'s last game as a member of the Seattle Mariners, maybe even as a baseball player, then it was a fitting celebration for the man who helped save a moribund franchise and turn it into the modern Mariners we know today. Whether it was the numerous standing ovations he received - the final one after he was lifted from the game after hitting a single in the eighth inning, causing him to bite his lip and fight back tears - the countless hugs that were given to him that did cause him to weep, or being carried on the shoulders of his teammates around Safeco Field, it all seemed perfectly surreal. "A whole lot of love," he said, his eyes still red from tears. "A ..."
Mariners, GM Jack Zduriencik, face challenging offseason
Comment
October 6
Seattle Times
 
"Jack Zduriencik correctly calls 2009 "a year of redirection" for the Mariners. But after all the hugs and pies and victory laps of Sunday, the big question is: Which direction do the M's head now? So many questions. So many mysteries. So many possibilities. The players are heading home to their various cities, countries and continents. Now it's Zduriencik's time. The offseason began Monday with a staff meeting to plot the future. How well Zduriencik navigates the awesome challenges of the winter of '09/10 will dictate whether this year is a breakthrough or a blip. It was Zduriencik's predecessor, Bill Bavasi, who once made the cogent point that taking a team from bad to respectable is ..."
A perfect ending to the season, and maybe a career
Comment
October 6
Seattle Times
 columnist Jerry Brewer
"For a kinda/sorta/maybe/not really/I don't know yet/ask me later/got a Magic 8-Ball? goodbye, it was quite touching. Chants of "One more year!" Chants of "Griffey! Griffey! Griffey!" Standing ovations for all four times Ken Griffey Jr., the greatest of all Mariners, stepped to the plate. And in the eighth inning Sunday, before 32,260 fans at Safeco Field, at 3:22 p.m. in the Year of Bliss, Junior delivered one of his classic, breathtaking moments. He wept. He lined a single to center field in his last - at least for now - at-bat and succumbed to the emotions he'd stifled all afternoon. Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu replaced Griffey with Michael Saunders after the hit, and the fans gave ..."
Griffey finishes as a singular sensation
Comment
October 5
MLB.com
 
"When he stepped into the batter's box for the final time this season, in the eighth inning on Sunday afternoon, the emotions were running rampant inside Ken Griffey Jr. "It was probably the most nervous and emotional roller coaster I have ever been on as a ballplayer," he said. "You never know when it will be your last." At the end of the day, after all the standing ovations, the curtain call, and the ride off Safeco Field on the shoulders of Mariners teammates Ryan Langerhans and Matt Tuiasosopo following Seattle's season-ending 4-3 victory over the Rangers, Griffey was not sure about his baseball future. His eyes were red as he spoke to the media. "I am going to go back to Florida, talk ..."
Sentimenal 2009 Mariners win one more for the road
Comment
October 5
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"There was no postseason to celebrate, no 2009 World Series, so the Seattle Mariners turned the end of their 162nd game Sunday into a celebration of Ken Griffey Jr. – not for what he'd done on the field, but for the team he'd helped make them. Once the Seattle Mariners had won their 85th game, once David Aardsma had saved a 4-3 victory over Texas that made Felix Hernandez a 19-game winner, manager Don Wakamatsu asked his team for one more thing. "He asked us to give back to the city, to the fans who'd believed in us," Aardsma said. "It was easy to do." What followed produced tears in the stands, and tears on the field – where the Mariners hoisted Junior atop their shoulders and paraded him ..."
One more amazing start ends Felix's magical year
Comment
October 5
Tacoma News Tribune
 
"Zach Greinke likely gets the memento, but Felix Hernandez got the moment. A day after Greinke, the Kansas City ace and Cy Young Award favorite, finished his season by working six difficult innings for a Royals team forced to serve as a doormat for the hard-charging Twins in Minnesota, Hernandez occupied a prominent place in the sun at Safeco Field. He held the Rangers to three runs – only two were earned – and three hits in a 4-3 victory whose aftermath could have set a Guiness record for most hugs exchanged in 30 minutes. While the possibility of Ken Griffey Jr. appearing in a Mariners uniform for the final time was the sentimental theme of the afternoon, the affection shown King Felix by ..."