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[Mike Freeman]

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From: Mike Freeman
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Subject: Mariners Notebook: Piniella offers advice


 SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER
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Mariners Notebook: Piniella offers advice
Manager says McLaren should seize moment

Last updated March 28, 2008 11:38 p.m. PT

By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER

LAS VEGAS -- Lou Piniella said Friday that his friend John McLaren 
should enjoy his managerial experience much more this time around.

McLaren, the Mariners manager, and Piniella, the Chicago Cubs manager, 
have been friends for the better part of two decades, most of those with 
Piniella a manager and McLaren a coach.

But with the decision by Mike Hargrove to retire in the middle of the 
2007 season, McLaren moved into the managerial ranks in Seattle. He 
inherited a team he knew, but a team that in many ways wasn't completely 
his.

"Now he's going to, along with the general manager, put a roster 
together that's his roster," Piniella said before the Cubs and the 
Mariners squared off Friday night in the first of two weekend games at 
Cashman Field.

"It's just an easier situation," Piniella said. "I went through that 
once in New York where I came in in the middle of the year. And at the 
end of the year I got fired."

McLaren's team was 43-41 while he was at the helm and 88-74 overall, so 
he was welcomed back in Seattle for 2008, his first full season as a 
manager.

And while the winnowing of his roster will go down to the last minute, 
McLaren is helping to put together a roster that is very much his. And 
Piniella appreciates how important that is.

"It's the way you want to be judged," Piniella said, "how you do with 
the kind of club you want."

Piniella has his own issues with the Cubs roster, with Chicago coming 
into Friday needing to make a couple of roster moves.

But he's taken the time to look at McLaren's club, which used to be 
Piniella's club (1993-2002), and he likes what he sees.

"They brought in two good pitchers (Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva), and 
that's going to help," Piniella said. "It was a big move. It was the 
kind of move I wished they'd made when I was there. But looking at 
Seattle, it's a nice club with some nice talent."

VIVA LAS VEGAS: While the ball was flying out of the park for the 
Mariners, Seattle starter Carlos Silva showed the value of throwing a 
good sinker.

Silva allowed just three hits in five innings against Chicago, giving up 
just one run on Alfonso Soriano's homer. Only one other runner made it 
past first base against him as Silva guided the Mariners to a 10-2 
victory over the Cubs in the next-to-last spring game of the season.

While Silva was basically keeping the ball in the park, the Mariners 
unloaded six homers on a breezy night made for power displays. Jose 
Lopez and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning and Seattle 
got homers from four other hitters -- Raul Ibanez, Mike Morse, Kenji 
Johjima and Brad Wilkerson -- en route to the win.

"It's a good position to be in," Silva said of having the wind blowing. 
"Most pitchers don't like the wind blowing out. I like it; it helps keep 
the ball down."

Silva, who will start Wednesday in the series finale against Texas, said 
he's ready to go even though he pitched only five innings because 
Seattle wanted to give its relievers some work.

"I'm feeling very good, and I feel very good about this team," Silva 
said. "I threw some cutters, and they worked good. I got a lot of 
groundballs, and got two double plays when I needed them.

"You always want to get out of spring training with a fresh mind. It 
really helps your confidence going into the season."

WAITING ON REITSMA: The Mariners continue to hope that reliever Chris 
Reitsma will call and say he's coming back.

So far, that call has not come.

Earlier in the week, Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes, two relievers coming 
back from difficult arm surgeries, were told they wouldn't be making the 
team immediately after spring training.

Both were asked to stick around on the minor league contracts they'd 
signed during the offseason, continue on with their injury 
rehabilitation and let the club make an evaluation in three weeks or a 
month.

There are those in Seattle's clubhouse who think Reitsma was only two or 
three weeks away from being able to throw hard enough and long enough to 
make the Mariners consider him for a job in the bullpen.

But Reitsma, 30, opted against waiting and, apparently, drove back to 
his home in Calgary to think about what his future holds. His only 
option if he wants to continue to pitch is to do what the Mariners 
request, because he's not eligible for free agency.

"We sat and talked with Chris, with (general manager) Bill Bavasi, 
(pitching coach) Mel Stottlemyre and (bullpen coach) Norm Charlton," 
McLaren said. "I'm not afraid of picking up the phone and making a call 
to him.

"But I don't think there's anything I could say that he hasn't already 
been told."

INJURY ISSUES: Wilkerson, the right fielder, wasn't in the starting 
lineup Friday after having been hit on the right elbow Thursday night by 
a pitch from San Francisco starter Matt Cain.

Although it caught the fleshy part of the triceps, Wilkerson was feeling 
a little pain.

However, he came into Friday's game as a pinch hitter and slammed a solo 
homer for Seattle's final run.

EXTRA BASES: The Mariners have periodically come to Las Vegas the 
weekend before the season starts, but Ichiro Suzuki said you won't find 
him at any of the gaming tables. "I don't want to use up my luck before 
the season starts," he said Friday. ... Willie Bloomquist took some 
grief from his teammates before the game. He took advantage of Las Vegas 
to get a haircut after having his hair grow out all spring. "It's a new 
look for the new season," Bloomquist said. "I'm washing away spring 
training."

© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Manager says McLaren should seize moment

Last updated March 28, 2008 11:38 p.m. PT

By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER

LAS VEGAS -- Lou Piniella said Friday that his friend John McLaren 
should enjoy his managerial experience much more this time around.

McLaren, the Mariners manager, and Piniella, the Chicago Cubs manager, 
have been friends for the better part of two decades, most of those with 
Piniella a manager and McLaren a coach.

But with the decision by Mike Hargrove to retire in the middle of the 
2007 season, McLaren moved into the managerial ranks in Seattle. He 
inherited a team he knew, but a team that in many ways wasn't completely 
his.

"Now he's going to, along with the general manager, put a roster 
together that's his roster," Piniella said before the Cubs and the 
Mariners squared off Friday night in the first of two weekend games at 
Cashman Field.

"It's just an easier situation," Piniella said. "I went through that 
once in New York where I came in in the middle of the year. And at the 
end of the year I got fired."

McLaren's team was 43-41 while he was at the helm and 88-74 overall, so 
he was welcomed back in Seattle for 2008, his first full season as a 
manager.

And while the winnowing of his roster will go down to the last minute, 
McLaren is helping to put together a roster that is very much his. And 
Piniella appreciates how important that is.

"It's the way you want to be judged," Piniella said, "how you do with 
the kind of club you want."

Piniella has his own issues with the Cubs roster, with Chicago coming 
into Friday needing to make a couple of roster moves.

But he's taken the time to look at McLaren's club, which used to be 
Piniella's club (1993-2002), and he likes what he sees.

"They brought in two good pitchers (Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva), and 
that's going to help," Piniella said. "It was a big move. It was the 
kind of move I wished they'd made when I was there. But looking at 
Seattle, it's a nice club with some nice talent."

VIVA LAS VEGAS: While the ball was flying out of the park for the 
Mariners, Seattle starter Carlos Silva showed the value of throwing a 
good sinker.

Silva allowed just three hits in five innings against Chicago, giving up 
just one run on Alfonso Soriano's homer. Only one other runner made it 
past first base against him as Silva guided the Mariners to a 10-2 
victory over the Cubs in the next-to-last spring game of the season.

While Silva was basically keeping the ball in the park, the Mariners 
unloaded six homers on a breezy night made for power displays. Jose 
Lopez and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning and Seattle 
got homers from four other hitters -- Raul Ibanez, Mike Morse, Kenji 
Johjima and Brad Wilkerson -- en route to the win.

"It's a good position to be in," Silva said of having the wind blowing. 
"Most pitchers don't like the wind blowing out. I like it; it helps keep 
the ball down."

Silva, who will start Wednesday in the series finale against Texas, said 
he's ready to go even though he pitched only five innings because 
Seattle wanted to give its relievers some work.

"I'm feeling very good, and I feel very good about this team," Silva 
said. "I threw some cutters, and they worked good. I got a lot of 
groundballs, and got two double plays when I needed them.

"You always want to get out of spring training with a fresh mind. It 
really helps your confidence going into the season."

WAITING ON REITSMA: The Mariners continue to hope that reliever Chris 
Reitsma will call and say he's coming back.

So far, that call has not come.

Earlier in the week, Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes, two relievers coming 
back from difficult arm surgeries, were told they wouldn't be making the 
team immediately after spring training.

Both were asked to stick around on the minor league contracts they'd 
signed during the offseason, continue on with their injury 
rehabilitation and let the club make an evaluation in three weeks or a 
month.

There are those in Seattle's clubhouse who think Reitsma was only two or 
three weeks away from being able to throw hard enough and long enough to 
make the Mariners consider him for a job in the bullpen.

But Reitsma, 30, opted against waiting and, apparently, drove back to 
his home in Calgary to think about what his future holds. His only 
option if he wants to continue to pitch is to do what the Mariners 
request, because he's not eligible for free agency.

"We sat and talked with Chris, with (general manager) Bill Bavasi, 
(pitching coach) Mel Stottlemyre and (bullpen coach) Norm Charlton," 
McLaren said. "I'm not afraid of picking up the phone and making a call 
to him.

"But I don't think there's anything I could say that he hasn't already 
been told."

INJURY ISSUES: Wilkerson, the right fielder, wasn't in the starting 
lineup Friday after having been hit on the right elbow Thursday night by 
a pitch from San Francisco starter Matt Cain.

Although it caught the fleshy part of the triceps, Wilkerson was feeling 
a little pain.

However, he came into Friday's game as a pinch hitter and slammed a solo 
homer for Seattle's final run.

EXTRA BASES: The Mariners have periodically come to Las Vegas the 
weekend before the season starts, but Ichiro Suzuki said you won't find 
him at any of the gaming tables. "I don't want to use up my luck before 
the season starts," he said Friday. ... Willie Bloomquist took some 
grief from his teammates before the game. He took advantage of Las Vegas 
to get a haircut after having his hair grow out all spring. "It's a new 
look for the new season," Bloomquist said. "I'm washing away spring 
training."

© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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Sent:
Saturday, March 29, 2008 7:35 AM
Subject:
Mariners Notebook: Piniella offers advice
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Mariners Notebook: Piniella offers advice
Manager says McLaren should seize moment
Last updated March 28, 2008 11:38 p.m. PT
By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER
LAS VEGAS -- Lou Piniella said Friday that his friend John McLaren should enjoy his managerial experience much more this time around.
McLaren, the Mariners manager, and Piniella, the Chicago Cubs manager, have been friends for the better part of two decades, most of those with Piniella a manager and McLaren a coach.
But with the decision by Mike Hargrove to retire in the middle of the 2007 season, McLaren moved into the managerial ranks in Seattle. He inherited a team he knew, but a team that in many ways wasn't completely his.
"Now he's going to, along with the general manager, put a roster together that's his roster," Piniella said before the Cubs and the Mariners squared off Friday night in the first of two weekend games at Cashman Field.
"It's just an easier situation," Piniella said. "I went through that once in New York where I came in in the middle of the year. And at the end of the year I got fired."
McLaren's team was 43-41 while he was at the helm and 88-74 overall, so he was welcomed back in Seattle for 2008, his first full season as a manager.
And while the winnowing of his roster will go down to the last minute, McLaren is helping to put together a roster that is very much his. And Piniella appreciates how important that is.
"It's the way you want to be judged," Piniella said, "how you do with the kind of club you want."
Piniella has his own issues with the Cubs roster, with Chicago coming into Friday needing to make a couple of roster moves.
But he's taken the time to look at McLaren's club, which used to be Piniella's club (1993-2002), and he likes what he sees.
"They brought in two good pitchers (Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva), and that's going to help," Piniella said. "It was a big move. It was the kind of move I wished they'd made when I was there. But looking at Seattle, it's a nice club with some nice talent."
VIVA LAS VEGAS: While the ball was flying out of the park for the Mariners, Seattle starter Carlos Silva showed the value of throwing a good sinker.
Silva allowed just three hits in five innings against Chicago, giving up just one run on Alfonso Soriano's homer. Only one other runner made it past first base against him as Silva guided the Mariners to a 10-2 victory over the Cubs in the next-to-last spring game of the season.
While Silva was basically keeping the ball in the park, the Mariners unloaded six homers on a breezy night made for power displays. Jose Lopez and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning and Seattle got homers from four other hitters -- Raul Ibanez, Mike Morse, Kenji Johjima and Brad Wilkerson -- en route to the win.
"It's a good position to be in," Silva said of having the wind blowing. "Most pitchers don't like the wind blowing out. I like it; it helps keep the ball down."
Silva, who will start Wednesday in the series finale against Texas, said he's ready to go even though he pitched only five innings because Seattle wanted to give its relievers some work.
"I'm feeling very good, and I feel very good about this team," Silva said. "I threw some cutters, and they worked good. I got a lot of groundballs, and got two double plays when I needed them.
"You always want to get out of spring training with a fresh mind. It really helps your confidence going into the season."
WAITING ON REITSMA: The Mariners continue to hope that reliever Chris Reitsma will call and say he's coming back.
So far, that call has not come.
Earlier in the week, Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes, two relievers coming back from difficult arm surgeries, were told they wouldn't be making the team immediately after spring training.
Both were asked to stick around on the minor league contracts they'd signed during the offseason, continue on with their injury rehabilitation and let the club make an evaluation in three weeks or a month.
There are those in Seattle's clubhouse who think Reitsma was only two or three weeks away from being able to throw hard enough and long enough to make the Mariners consider him for a job in the bullpen.
But Reitsma, 30, opted against waiting and, apparently, drove back to his home in Calgary to think about what his future holds. His only option if he wants to continue to pitch is to do what the Mariners request, because he's not eligible for free agency.
"We sat and talked with Chris, with (general manager) Bill Bavasi, (pitching coach) Mel Stottlemyre and (bullpen coach) Norm Charlton," McLaren said. "I'm not afraid of picking up the phone and making a call to him.
"But I don't think there's anything I could say that he hasn't already been told."
INJURY ISSUES: Wilkerson, the right fielder, wasn't in the starting lineup Friday after having been hit on the right elbow Thursday night by a pitch from San Francisco starter Matt Cain.
Although it caught the fleshy part of the triceps, Wilkerson was feeling a little pain.
However, he came into Friday's game as a pinch hitter and slammed a solo homer for Seattle's final run.
EXTRA BASES: The Mariners have periodically come to Las Vegas the weekend before the season starts, but Ichiro Suzuki said you won't find him at any of the gaming tables. "I don't want to use up my luck before the season starts," he said Friday. ... Willie Bloomquist took some grief from his teammates before the game. He took advantage of Las Vegas to get a haircut after having his hair grow out all spring. "It's a new look for the new season," Bloomquist said. "I'm washing away spring training."
© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Manager says McLaren should seize moment
Last updated March 28, 2008 11:38 p.m. PT
By JOHN HICKEY
P-I REPORTER
LAS VEGAS -- Lou Piniella said Friday that his friend John McLaren should enjoy his managerial experience much more this time around.
McLaren, the Mariners manager, and Piniella, the Chicago Cubs manager, have been friends for the better part of two decades, most of those with Piniella a manager and McLaren a coach.
But with the decision by Mike Hargrove to retire in the middle of the 2007 season, McLaren moved into the managerial ranks in Seattle. He inherited a team he knew, but a team that in many ways wasn't completely his.
"Now he's going to, along with the general manager, put a roster together that's his roster," Piniella said before the Cubs and the Mariners squared off Friday night in the first of two weekend games at Cashman Field.
"It's just an easier situation," Piniella said. "I went through that once in New York where I came in in the middle of the year. And at the end of the year I got fired."
McLaren's team was 43-41 while he was at the helm and 88-74 overall, so he was welcomed back in Seattle for 2008, his first full season as a manager.
And while the winnowing of his roster will go down to the last minute, McLaren is helping to put together a roster that is very much his. And Piniella appreciates how important that is.
"It's the way you want to be judged," Piniella said, "how you do with the kind of club you want."
Piniella has his own issues with the Cubs roster, with Chicago coming into Friday needing to make a couple of roster moves.
But he's taken the time to look at McLaren's club, which used to be Piniella's club (1993-2002), and he likes what he sees.
"They brought in two good pitchers (Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva), and that's going to help," Piniella said. "It was a big move. It was the kind of move I wished they'd made when I was there. But looking at Seattle, it's a nice club with some nice talent."
VIVA LAS VEGAS:
While the ball was flying out of the park for the Mariners, Seattle starter Carlos Silva showed the value of throwing a good sinker.
Silva allowed just three hits in five innings against Chicago, giving up just one run on Alfonso Soriano's homer. Only one other runner made it past first base against him as Silva guided the Mariners to a 10-2 victory over the Cubs in the next-to-last spring game of the season.
While Silva was basically keeping the ball in the park, the Mariners unloaded six homers on a breezy night made for power displays. Jose Lopez and Adrian Beltre homered in a three-run first inning and Seattle got homers from four other hitters -- Raul Ibanez, Mike Morse, Kenji Johjima and Brad Wilkerson -- en route to the win.
"It's a good position to be in," Silva said of having the wind blowing. "Most pitchers don't like the wind blowing out. I like it; it helps keep the ball down."
Silva, who will start Wednesday in the series finale against Texas, said he's ready to go even though he pitched only five innings because Seattle wanted to give its relievers some work.
"I'm feeling very good, and I feel very good about this team," Silva said. "I threw some cutters, and they worked good. I got a lot of groundballs, and got two double plays when I needed them.
"You always want to get out of spring training with a fresh mind. It really helps your confidence going into the season."
WAITING ON REITSMA:
The Mariners continue to hope that reliever Chris Reitsma will call and say he's coming back.
So far, that call has not come.
Earlier in the week, Reitsma and Arthur Rhodes, two relievers coming back from difficult arm surgeries, were told they wouldn't be making the team immediately after spring training.
Both were asked to stick around on the minor league contracts they'd signed during the offseason, continue on with their injury rehabilitation and let the club make an evaluation in three weeks or a month.
There are those in Seattle's clubhouse who think Reitsma was only two or three weeks away from being able to throw hard enough and long enough to make the Mariners consider him for a job in the bullpen.
But Reitsma, 30, opted against waiting and, apparently, drove back to his home in Calgary to think about what his future holds. His only option if he wants to continue to pitch is to do what the Mariners request, because he's not eligible for free agency.
"We sat and talked with Chris, with (general manager) Bill Bavasi, (pitching coach) Mel Stottlemyre and (bullpen coach) Norm Charlton," McLaren said. "I'm not afraid of picking up the phone and making a call to him.
"But I don't think there's anything I could say that he hasn't already been told."
INJURY ISSUES:
Wilkerson, the right fielder, wasn't in the starting lineup Friday after having been hit on the right elbow Thursday night by a pitch from San Francisco starter Matt Cain.
Although it caught the fleshy part of the triceps, Wilkerson was feeling a little pain.
However, he came into Friday's game as a pinch hitter and slammed a solo homer for Seattle's final run.
EXTRA BASES:
The Mariners have periodically come to Las Vegas the weekend before the season starts, but Ichiro Suzuki said you won't find him at any of the gaming tables. "I don't want to use up my luck before the season starts," he said Friday. ... Willie Bloomquist took some grief from his teammates before the game. He took advantage of Las Vegas to get a haircut after having his hair grow out all spring. "It's a new look for the new season," Bloomquist said. "I'm washing away spring training."
© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer