Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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?

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 ..."

Memories of '08 fade in the glow

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October 5

Tacoma News Tribune

"A year ago, the final game couldn't be over fast enough. Sure there were postgame handshakes and well-wishes, but when the 2008 season came and went, the Seattle Mariners were glad to get away from each other. They were 100-game losers and a splintered group at that. This year, the Mariners acted as if they never wanted the season to end. On Sunday at Safeco Field, the Mariners wrapped up an improbable turnaround season with a 4-3 win over the Texas Rangers. They may not be going to the postseason, but they weren't losers. Handshakes couldn't convey the feeling. Instead, there were 30-some hugs for 30-some people, and a few more for good measure. Two years, two different seasons, two very ..."

The most improbable Mariners story of all: Griffey

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October 5

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

columnist Art Thiel

"Until some archive-diver proves otherwise, the Mariners Sunday set the major league record for hugs, third-place team (four-team division). It was man-crush unbound at Safeco Field, from the group grope on the post-game field, to the stealth ice-cream facial for the manager to the beer shower for the coaches. A wondrous thing, really. Imagine the party someday for a division title: Rapture times the final Beatles concert. The man of the day, and the season, Ken Griffey Jr., was carried on the shoulders of his teammates for part of a victory lap following a 4-3 win over Texas that ended the season. He had a single Sunday, perhaps in his last career appearance, finished the year at .214 in ..."

M's use stats to reveal gems, such as Franklin Gutierrez

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October 4

Seattle Times

"Gutierrez is a prime example of the type of hidden gems the Mariners are hoping to uncover with their fledgling department of statistical analysis. The department is overseen by Tony Blengino, and it has one full-time employee, four seasonal interns and two outside consultants. Weeks before the new Mariners regime pulled off its first blockbuster trade last December, front-office assistant Tony Blengino ran some numbers for his boss. The Mariners were figuring out who to pinpoint as potential trade targets and Blengino, a special assistant to general manager Jack Zduriencik, had his eye on an outfielder he'd been monitoring since the prospect was in the Dodgers' system several years back. ..."

Bullpen provided lots of relief for Mariners

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October 4

Tacoma News Tribune

"They broke camp with closer Brandon Morrow and a bullpen full of uncertainties, no one thought the Seattle Mariners relievers would be one of the strengths of the franchise. By mid-May, David Aardsma was a closer who'd never saved a game prior to 2009, and his setup men were two pitchers Mariners fans either didn't trust or didn't know – Mark Lowe and Sean White. "There were times this season I'd have put those three up against anyone in baseball," manager Don Wakamatsu said Saturday. White went down with shoulder inflammation three weeks ago, while Lowe (75) and Aardsma (72) are second and fifth in the American League in relief appearances. Is that too many games? "We plan on playing ..."

Junior's blast leads Mariners

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October 4

Tacoma News Tribune

"The high-volume, postgame beer shower has become a happy routine for the Seattle Mariners this season – celebrating everything from first home runs to career milestones – but Ken Griffey Jr. had been handing out the showers all year. After the team's 84th victory, and Junior's 630th career home run, Junior got the shower. "They had some fun," Griffey said of his teammates, laughing. "There was beer and orange juice and cold water and maybe a little chocolate sauce. It was all good. It's been fun here from day one." With fabulous pitching and a pinch of offense, the Mariners beat the Texas Rangers, 2-1, in front of a Safeco Field crowd of 24,391 in the team's next-to-last game of the season ..."

Mariners have a tough decision to make with Jack Wilson

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October 3

Seattle Times

"Two months ago, Jack Wilson arrived in Seattle brimming with excitement. His upbeat mood was only uplifted when he literally walked into Safeco Field as Ken Griffey Jr. was hitting a game-winning double in the seventh inning to beat Toronto. It seemed a match made in baseball heaven, and Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik reflected the Mariners' optimism in a news release announcing the trade with Pittsburgh that brought Wilson and Ian Snell. "This was an opportunity for us to acquire a veteran shortstop, a former All-Star player, with leadership qualities and above-average defensive skills," Zduriencik said. "As we move forward over the next few years it is nice to know that we have ..."

Texas Rangers clinch second place with win over Mariners, 7-3

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October 3

Dallas Morning News

"There are no playoffs for second place in the American League West, but the Texas Rangers will finish in that spot for a second consecutive season. Texas secured second by beating the Seattle Mariners, 7-4, Friday night. It did so by showing a glimpse of what could be on the horizon in 2010. Catcher Taylor Teagarden, who was mired in an early-season slump, broke a 4-4 tie with the winning single to right field with two outs in the ninth. Teagarden's hit capped a 2-for-5 night. He's hitting .341 over the last 12 games. Rookie of the Year candidate Elvis Andrus then broke the game open, following Teagarden's single with a two-run triple to left. Julio Borbon, making his first start in ..."

Mariners look for more wins

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October 2

Tacoma News Tribune

"With five games left at the time he was asked, what did Seattle Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu hope to accomplish this week? The obvious, of course - win as many games as possible. But Wakamatsu also wanted to see a group of the organization's young players at least one more time: "I'd still like to get (catcher) Adam Moore playing, get Matt Tuiasosopo another game," he said. "Michael Saunders is playing in left field (Wednesday) and I'd like to get him one more before this year's out." There are also players Wakamatsu doesn't need to see again. Like pitcher Carlos Silva. "If the game dictates it, we'll give him another inning or so. He has committed to play winter ball," Wakamatsu said. ..."

Morrow magic gives Mariners their 82nd win

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October 2

Tacoma News Tribune

"Ken Griffey Jr. did it again, hitting his second three-run home run in 26 hours as the Seattle Mariners had fun early in jumping out to a 6-0 lead over the Oakland Athletics. From there, the heavy lifting was done by Brandon John Morrow, a 25-year-old whose career as a starting pitcher had largely been one of potential, not performance. For once, Morrow's right arm was as good all night as the Mariners believed it could be, and he one-hit the Athletics through eight innings Wednesday, getting the 7-0 win that was Seattle's 82nd of the season. Yes, the Mariners now have a winning season in 2009. And they'll have a different image of Morrow. "That's going to be a fond memory for all of us ..."

Anderson done in by error

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October 2

San Francisco Chronicle

"In 2006, the A's used the Mariners as a springboard to the division title, taking 17 of 19 games between the teams. Since then, Seattle has turned the tables, going 37-20 against the A's, including taking eight of nine at Safeco Field this year. Adam Kennedy gave the Mariners a hand Thursday with an error that led to three unearned runs in the fifth inning of Seattle's 4-2 victory. Brett Anderson, the budding star among Oakland's rookie starters, finished up his season with an 11-11 mark, with his four-game winning streak coming to an end. Thursday's loss was no ordinary loss, however - he allowed only one earned run, on a homer by Adrian Beltre in the second, in five innings. "He's going ..."

Buck tries to cash in on shot

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October 1

Contra Costa Times

"A's right fielder Travis Buck picked a heck of a time to work his way back into the lineup. The A's had no answer for Seattle right-hander Brandon Morrow, a Santa Rosa native who allowed just one hit over eight innings as the Mariners blanked the A's 7-0 at Safeco Field on Wednesday night. Morrow, who starred at Cal after leaving Rancho Cotate High, allowed Rajai Davis' fourth-inning infield single, the A's only base runner through the first seven innings. Morrow also walked two in the eighth. Buck had one of those walks in an 0-for-2 night. He drew just his second start since being recalled Sept. 19 for his third stint with the A's. He started in place of regular right fielder Ryan ..."

Wilson done; Branyan may play again

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September 30

MLB.com

"Mariners fans who want to get one more look at slugger Russell Branyan might get a chance. The same cannot be said for Jack Wilson. Branyan, out since late August with lower back pain, has been taking batting practice in hopes that he can make at least a token at-bat or two in appreciation of his fine work this season. But Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said Tuesday that Wilson's bruised right heel will likely end his abbreviated 2009 campaign with the Mariners. Wilson was scheduled to meet with team doctors about an hour before Tuesday's game against the A's, but Wakamatsu said the shortstop, acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh on July 29, was "still hobbling around pretty good. The ..."

More at-bats ahead for Branyan this year?

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September 30

Tacoma News Tribune

"Russell Branyan probably won't start another game at first base this season for the Seattle Mariners. He's admitted as much, and so has manager Don Wakamatsu. However, Wakamatsu still hasn't given up hope that he can get Branyan at least one or two more at-bats before the Mariners wrap up their season Sunday against the Texas Rangers. The Mariners activated Branyan from the disabled list before Tuesday's game against Oakland. "We would like him to be back for what he's done, to get at least a day in the lineup, but we're not going to force that," Wakamatsu said. Branyan, sidelined since Aug. 29 with a herniated disk, has been continuing his rehabilitation as if he was hoping to get back ..."

Mariners throttle Cahill, A's

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September 30

San Francisco Chronicle

"Oakland's hopes of a non-losing season and finishing higher than last place evaporated on the same night. The A's needed to win each of their final six games to remain at .500 for the season, and they had to sweep Seattle to have a shot at third place, but Trevor Cahill had his first real off night in seven weeks in Oakland's 6-4 loss to the Mariners and Cy Young Award candidate Felix Hernandez. Oakland will finish with its third losing season in a row. In his final appearance of the season, Cahill gave up eight hits and six runs in 42/3 innings, the first time the rookie right-hander had allowed more than three runs in a start since Aug. 6. He said he was struggling with his best pitch, ..."

Is second - or Seattle - Lopez's home?

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September 29

Tacoma News Tribune

"A man needs goals, and when Jose Lopez and the Seattle Mariners play the first of their final six games of the 2009 season tonight, both he and the team will still have the chance to reach a few. The team wants a winning season, which means at least two more victories. Lopez would love to finish with 100 RBI, which would require picking up eight more in those six games. Those ambitions are hardly exclusive. On a team where runs are at a premium, only four Mariners have driven in as many as 50 runs this season - and one of those, Russell Branyan, has been on the disabled list since Aug. 28. "The fair question to ask is where this team would be without Jose and his offensive production this ..."

Weary M's return home still looking to clinch a winning season

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September 28

Tacoma News Tribune

"Once they'd won the first game on their last trip of the season, the Seattle Mariners had 79 victories for 2009 with five left before flying home. And after winning the first game of their four-game series in Toronto, the Mariners were sitting on 80 – one short of locking up a .500 season. Win just one, then go home and pile up a few more wins in front of the home crowds. What followed wasn't just agonizing baseball for the Mariners, it was losing three consecutive winnable games, the last one Sunday's 5-4 defeat at the hands of the Blue Jays. "What happens to one of us happens to all of us," closer David Aardsma said of the Seattle bullpen. "As a unit, we haven't helped much on this trip. ..."

Branyan's finished, but he may be back

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September 28

Tacoma News Tribune

"Russell Branyan, who wanted to finish the best season of his career on the field with his Seattle Mariners teammates, will watch the final six games of the year from the bench. "If I'm not feeling 100 percent, it doesn't make sense to try to force it and play," Branyan said Sunday. "I've swung the bat and my back feels pretty good, but I haven't taken a ground ball yet. I haven't really run hard yet. "I tried to rush it back, but it's not looking like I can finish the season on the field. If I rest and do the right exercises, I should be like anyone else next spring." Branyan played 116 games this season before going on the disabled list with a herniated disk, batting .251 with 31 home ..."

Mariners blow another late lead to lose to the Blue Jays

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September 28

Seattle Times

"The Seattle Mariners hit the end of the road Sunday with a flurry of solo home runs but still took a 5-4 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays before a crowd of 39,052 at the Rogers Centre to complete their away schedule. It was the second straight comeback victory by the Blue Jays who took the four-game series 3-1 as the Mariners again failed to win their 81st game to assure themselves of a .500 record after going 61-101 in 2008. The Mariners hit three home runs in the fifth inning against Blue Jays left-hander Brian Tallet to take a 3-0 lead, including a major-league first by Matt Tuiasosopo that followed Kenji Johjima's ninth homer and Franklin Gutierrez's 18th. Tuiasosopo's homer meant ..."

Look who's being mentioned as a managerial candidate in Cleveland!

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September 26

Seattle Times

columnist Larry Stone

"I don't think I've ever been as blindsided by a move as I was on that early July day in 2007 when Mike Hargrove stepped down as Mariners' manager. Didn't see it coming, not one tiny bit -- heck, the Mariners were on a seven-game winning streak (soon to be eight when Hargrove won his final game) and were surprisingly in the thick of the AL West race. In fact, I still can't say that I really understand it. I know there are a lot of sinister theories about what really happened to cause Hargrove to step down, and I have no doubt that there was more going on behind the scenes than we'll ever know -- or at least more than we know now. But in talking extensively to Hargrove, publicly and ..."

Felix Hernandez pitches Mariners to 5-4 victory

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September 25

Seattle Times

"It must be difficult for Felix Hernandez not to think about the American League Cy Young Award for which he's in the running. "Not really," said Hernandez after striking out a season-high 11 in eight innings in the Mariners' 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, reaching 200 strikeouts for the first time in his career. "I'm just trying to go out there and pitch my game. If it happens, it happens, you know." As well as he pitched Thursday - he allowed four runs, three earned, with Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells driving in all the runs with a three-run homer and a single - Hernandez needed Josh Wilson's two-out, two-run triple in the eighth to secure the victory. David ..."

Mariners, Morrow let it get away

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September 24

Tacoma News Tribune

"Sitting on the bench after the fifth inning, Brandon Morrow was a contented man Wednesday – he had shut out Tampa Bay on three hits, thrown only 64 pitches and was thinking he'd pitch seven innings. Nine pitches later, he was gone. Four innings later, so was a game Seattle had led 4-0, only to lose to the Rays, 5-4. What happened? "We gave up five runs from the sixth inning on," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "Michael Saunders led off the seventh inning with a triple, and with a one-run lead we've got to get him home." They didn't. And in the eighth inning, which Mark Lowe has dominated all season, a two-run single with one out gave Tampa Bay its only lead of the game. The Rays only needed ..."

Will Johjima still catch? Team to operate in open

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September 24

Tacoma News Tribune

"The Seattle Mariners have 10 games remaining and three catchers – Rob Johnson, Kenji Johjima and rookie Adam Moore – who need playing time. Johnson wasn't available Wednesday, still handicapped by a sprained ankle. But he made it clear he considers himself tonight's starting catcher. "I've got the chance to catch a Cy Young Award candidate, and he wants me behind the plate," Johnson said of Felix Hernandez "I'll be back there, and it will be a joy." Before he goes behind the plate for Hernandez, Johnson will have to show manager Don Wakamatsu he can do what he needs to do. As for Johjima, he'll catch because he's still part of the team. Beyond this season? That's another issue – Johjima ..."

Rays rally to beat Seattle

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September 24

St. Petersburg Times

"B.J. Upton is certainly putting together a memorable ending to an admittedly forgettable season. Upton, the Rays' much-maligned centerfielder, came through in a big way Wednesday night, sparking a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Mariners with a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth. Then, Upton made sure the lead stuck with a spectacular leaping catch in the ninth, ending the game by grabbing Bill Hall's fly atop the centerfield fence. "He's an unbelievable player that makes plays like that all the time," Hall said. "I guess I need to hit it out of his reach." Upton, who has three consecutive multi-hit games for the first time since August 2008, has five RBIs in his past two games ..."

Ken Griffey Jr. on target to get half his incentives

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September 23

Seattle Times

columnist Larry Stone

"When the Mariners signed Ken Griffey Jr. to an innovative contract that contained $3 million in performance bonuses, based primarily on attendance and plate appearances, president Chuck Armstrong said, "I hope I write those checks.'' Turns out the Mariners will probably owe Griffey only about half the amount that was hammered out with Griffey's agent, Brian Goldberg, during those hectic final days in February when Griffey was deciding between Seattle and Atlanta. According to details of Griffey's contract obtained by Associated Press shortly after he signed, Griffey's bonus schedule was as follows: Category 1: $250,000 each for 450 and then 500 plate appearances. Category 2: If the ..."

Lopez's eight-inning homer gives Mariners a 4-3 win over Rays

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September 23

Seattle Times

"Seattle flew across the country to Tampa Bay and - admittedly feeling a little stiff from the five-hour flight - showed plenty of resilience in a 4-3 victory Tuesday at Tropicana Field. The loss eliminated the Rays from defending their AL championship. "I really think the flight made some of the guys sore [see David Aardsma, who didn't throw because of a tight back]," Seattle manager Don Wakamatsu said. "I mean that [flight] can be a tough thing to [overcome]." None showed more fortitude than starter Ryan Rowland-Smith, who said he didn't have his best stuff, but allowed only one run through five innings. It wasn't until the sixth, after loading the bases with no outs on two walks and a ..."

Wait 'til next year: Rays are eliminated

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September 23

Tampa Tribune

"In most regards, the Rays' 4-3 loss to the Mariners on Tuesday night amounted to the same old, same old. Starting pitcher pitches well, but not well enough. Offense puts some runs on the board but probably should have had more. Bullpen gets some outs but not before giving up a backbreaking run. "We've played that script before," Manager Joe Maddon said. The difference this time was that the resulting defeat officially eliminated the defending American League champions from this year's playoff race with 11 games to go. No one in the home clubhouse was any more downcast than normal because of that final sliver of light fading away, as the ultimate outcome has been a foregone conclusion for ..."

Rays eliminated from playoff contention with loss to Seattle

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September 23

St. Petersburg Times

"The who and where and when were purely incidental, the Rays with Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Mariners officially eliminated from returning to the postseason. But the how was worth noting, the Rays losing like they did so often during the lost season: good-but-not-great starting pitching, inefficient and insufficient offense and the bullpen giving it up at the end. "We've played that script before," manager Joe Maddon said. "It just hasn't worked for us." The key scenes this time: Get a decent start from Jeff Niemann, waste early scoring opportunities, battle back to tie at 3 in the sixth, fall behind when Dan Wheeler gives up a one-out homer in the eighth to Jose Lopez, come up short at the ..."

Griffey rolls back clock, Yanks

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September 21

Tacoma News Tribune

"There was no planned promotion, no old flannel uniforms – just the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on Sunday. So Ken Griffey Jr. turned back the clock on his own. After taking the lineup to home plate for the first time all season, Junior made time roll backward, hitting a home run and a double and driving in four runs as the Mariners beat the Yankees, 7-1. Ian Snell got the win. Adam Moore got his first big-league hit. Mike Carp singled, walked and made a couple of fine defensive plays. None of them were professional players when Griffey broke into the big leagues in 1989 – and none had signed their first contract when he hit five home runs in October of 1995 to push ..."

Moore's solid effort demands an extra pie

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September 21

Tacoma News Tribune

"Adam Moore has started two major league games in his life: a 14-inning victory over the White Sox last week, and the 7-1 win against the New York Yankees on Sunday. Aside from calling a good game both times, Moore added his first big-league hit in Seattle's win Sunday, so not surprisingly he was asked afterward to appear on the postgame television show. Moore sat quietly listening to the question when teammates Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Sweeney double-teamed him – hitting him with two ice-cream pies, on camera. "Everyone has seen our one-pie attack," Griffey said. "It was time to break out something new, and Adam had a big game." More Moore hijinks After Moore's first career hit, the ..."

Mariners rough up Joba Chamberlain as Yankees get ruled in Seattle

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September 21

New York Daily News

"Joba Chamberlain pitched only three innings against the Mariners Sunday, but it had nothing to do with any rules. Seattle roughed him up for seven runs in the first two frames, and the Yankees suffered a 7-1 loss, failing to clinch a playoff berth after the Rangers' loss earlier in the day put the Bombers a win away from punching their ticket to October. Chamberlain called his outing "embarrassing," but seemed delusional when breaking down what went wrong for him during his brief performance. "It was all working, surprisingly," Chamberlain said. "You take away two pitches, maybe it's one or two runs." Considering the six hits and three walks he allowed, it was clearly more than one or ..."

Chamberlain, Still a Riddle, Is Battered by the Mariners

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September 21

New York Times

"As they left Safeco Field on Sunday, the Yankees dressed their rookies in costumes from the old "Batman" television series. Joba Chamberlain is not a rookie, but the Riddler outfit would have fit him. After 29 starts this season, how much progress has Chamberlain really made? Is he an ace-in-waiting, as the Yankees believe? Has his shifting workload adversely affected him? And, most important, can the Yankees trust him in the postseason? At this point, Chamberlain might as well wear a green suit with question marks all over it. The Seattle Mariners bruised him for all their scoring in a 7-1 victory over the Yankees. Chamberlain lasted only three innings and gave up six hits."

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