NEWS CLIPS February 21, 2011

Last updated February 20, 2011 12:35 p.m. PT Vargas, Fister expected to be part of M's rotation By TIM BOOTH AP SPORTS WRITER

PEORIA, Ariz. -- For a couple of guys who've never enjoyed much job security, the start of the 2011 is a bit different for both Jason Vargas and Doug Fister.

Instead of a year ago when they were a couple of back-end expected to be part-time fill-ins of the Seattle Mariners pitching staff, Vargas and Fister enter this season almost assured of being in the Mariners rotation.

"You still have to go out and throw well, but it's nice when you've got people that are counting on you to do what you've done in the past," Vargas said.

Neither Vargas or Fister were statistically superior in 2010, but then again, neither were the Mariners sans AL Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez. Yet each proved a viable and valuable member of Seattle's rotation, appearing to cement their spots moving forward.

Vargas set career highs in nearly every statistically category. The most important were his number of starts and pitched, finally proving he was fully recovered from surgery to remove a bone spur his pitching elbow in October 2007, followed by surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left hip in 2008 that all but ended his two- year career with the .

Vargas finished last season making 31 starts and throwing 192 2-3 innings, 101 more than he'd ever thrown in a major league season. The fact Vargas finished with only nine wins was more a result of Seattle's weak offense and a lack of support. In six starts last year, Vargas pitched at least seven innings and gave up three or fewer earned runs and came away with either a loss or a no decision.

He had a 3.78 ERA to go along with his 9-12 record, his success thanks largely to a deceptive change up that counters the number of fastballs he throws. One of his tasks during is working on a breaking ball that Vargas eventually hopes will be another reliable option.

"The focus is to keep my strengths my strengths but also build on that," Vargas said. "If that means developing a breaking ball that I can count on for a strike when I'm behind in the count or I can throw for a first pitch strike then yeah, I think that's something that needs to be worked on."

Fister's first full major league season was defined by his stunningly hot start and then the struggles that followed after he went to the disabled list in June with shoulder soreness.

Before the problems started in his right shoulder, Fister's had an ERA under two. He flirted with a no-hitter in his second start of the season and came away with the win in three of his first seven starts.

His shoulder issued first flared on May 31 in a loss against Minnesota, his second loss in three starts. He didn't return to the Mariners rotation until June 26 and the rest of the season was a struggle. In his final three months, Fister three times allowed 10 or more hits and three times gave up six or more earned runs. While he was

Page 1 of 31 chewing up innings and still finished the year with a 4.11 ERA, Fister's 6-14 record and the problems of the final few weeks led to an offseason of reflection.

"I kind of went over things myself," Fister said. "Went over some of the things I had written down previous years and kind of thought about how I've put together some things and where I'm at and realize where I'm at in my life, where I'm at in and what's gotten me here, what's going to keep me here and who I need to rely on."

Fister looked back on journals he's kept through his minor league travels, as a way to remind himself of issues to focus on when he arrived at spring training.

"Whether it be a quote I remembered or a mechanical point, I go back and read those and say 'All right, is that still important to me? Is that still something I need to work on?'" Fister said.

New says he views the pair similarly considering last season was their first significant time pitching in the majors.

"When you look at big league innings versus minor league innings its much more of a workload, because of everything else that comes along with it," Wedge said. "I've looked at them pretty closely and I'll have a good eye on them early on."

Notes: Wedge said on Sunday that the position will be an open competition with and the likely candidates. Wilson is coming off an injured filled 2010, while Ryan was acquired in a trade with St. Louis. ... Rain threw a wrench in the Mariners plans on Sunday as batters were limited to hitting in covered cages and there was no on-field work done aside from a little throwing. ... Pitchers will begin throwing live practice on Monday.

Stop the presses! Wedge says all spots still open LARRY LARUE; Staff writer Published: 02/21/1112:05 am The Tacoma News Tribune PEORIA, Ariz. – It’s been a week without major headlines in Eric Wedge’s first spring camp with the Seattle Mariners – though he almost wrote one Sunday.

“Jack Wilson is going to take some reps at second base,” Wedge said, “and Brendan Ryan is going to get the bulk of his time at shortstop.”

Stop the presses!

Or not.

“I want options,” Wedge said. “Ryan will take ground balls at second and third base, Jack will take grounders at short and Josh Wilson, and Dustin Ackley will take reps at second base, too.”

Is it possible the Mariners could open the season with Ryan at shortstop and veteran shortstop Jack Wilson at second base?

“It’s possible – but that’s a bit of a reach,” Wedge said.

Page 2 of 31 The issue may be Jack Wilson’s inability the past two seasons to stay healthy. Given that, at the least, the Mariners need someone prepared to step in at shortstop. Ryan can do that and play elsewhere.

Wedge said the promise he made to open spots to competition remains, and that the rest of camp will be all about who plays the best.

ADRENALINE RUSH

Mariners hitters and pitchers will get their first adrenaline rush of camp today when, barring more bad weather, they face one another.

That’s right – live batting practice returns today.

“We’ll have our pitchers on the mound facing hitters for the first time and, after facing coaches for two days, our hitters will see live pitching,” Wedge said.

There’s no argument with the reasoning: exhibition games begin Sunday and, on Friday, the Mariners will play an intrasquad game.

SHORT HOPS

Rain and soggy fields forced the Mariners into a shortened workout Sunday. No bullpen sessions were planned, so hitters took batting practice in the covered cages and pitchers stretched indoors. Everyone played a little catch – cautiously – and called it a day. … Turns out, one week into camp, the only invited to work with Charlie Haeger is Miguel Olivo. “I’m taking one for my boys,” Olivo said, pointing down the row where other sat. Adam Moore fist-bumped him. … Veteran Jamey Wright on pitchers getting a couple of down days after throwing three times in the bullpen: “It’s a good break, and guys are strong already. The days of pitchers coming to camp and having to work themselves into shape are long gone. Guys come in now ready to throw, and they just get stronger and gain command in camp.” … Social media 101: Following the lead of teammates Felix Hernandez and Josh Lueke, Shawn Kelley signed up on Twitter. Two hours later, he had 206 followers. … The team begins filming its annual commercials today, starring Wedge and his players.

Want to wear out opposing pitcher? Just count on Cust LARRY LARUE; Staff writer Published: 02/21/1112:05 am The Tacoma News Tribune

PEORIA, Ariz. – Every day during spring training last year, Jack Cust focused on opening day and the pitcher he and his Oakland teammates were going to face – Felix Hernandez.

“I wasn’t swinging the bat well at all, but all I was worried about all spring was facing Felix on Day One in Oakland,” Cust said. “Then, I wasn’t facing Felix.”

That’s because, on the last day of camp, the Athletics sent Cust to the minor leagues. At 31, he was back in -A.

Today, Cust is in camp with the man he’d hoped to face last April, and he’s been signed by the Seattle Mariners to serve as the .

His role? Inject a little offense. Show teammates the value of a patient approach at the plate. Page 3 of 31

“I take a lot of pitches, borderline pitches. I don’t really expand the strike zone,” Cust said.

So patience has helped him at the plate?

“My first couple of years I’d think, ‘That’s not a strike, I’m not swinging at it.’ But my dad would be like, ‘They’re going to call it, swing at it.’ ” Cust said. “I’m saying, ‘I can look at it on tape and I know it’s not a strike, why am I going to swing at it?’

“My and walk numbers were ridiculous – like 190 and 120 walks. Three hundred at-bats without putting the ball in play.”

Cust has put up intriguing numbers throughout his career. Take, for instance, 2008 with Oakland. He walked 111 times, struck out 197 times and 33 home runs. With Triple-A Portland in 2006, Cust walked 143 times in 138 games.

Walking and striking out are a big part of the game Cust plays.

“Every year I’m gong to walk 100 times and strike out over 160 times,” he said. “Every year I go in hoping for 80 walks and 130 strikeouts. If I did that I’m sure I’d probably hit .300

“A hundred-thirty strikeouts may seem like a lot, but for me it’s not.”

After playing 33 minor league games last season – walking 33 times and striking out 33 times – Cust was called up to Oakland and proceeded to hit .272 in 112 games.

This year, that bat, that patience and that approach will be in the heart of the Mariners’ order, most probably at cleanup.

“The lineup they put together this year is pretty good,” Cust said. “Any time you’ve got Ichiro (Suzuki) and Chone Figgins hitting in front of you, that’s a fun thing. Two fast guys who get on base a lot and score a lot of runs, there’s a lot of chances for RBIs.”

Cust is a big man – at 6-foot-1, he weighs about 250 pounds. He doesn’t go to the plate with a big man’s approach, though.

“When I was young I just tried to hit home runs and open eyes, but now, you’re here for a reason and they know you can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” he said.

“I’m never trying to pull the ball in batting practice, because that just gets you in bad habits. I’m just trying to start my swing on time, stay opposite-field for the most part. When I’m going well I’m just trying to hit the ball to left field.

“If I catch it deep in the zone, I hit it to left. If I catch it out front, I hit it to right.”

And once games start? Cust brings the topic back to the top of the order, to Ichiro and Figgins.

“They’re guys who can steal bases, which disrupts the pitcher’s rhythm. Sometime with guys on first and second base, teams play the shift on me,” Cust said. “If you play the shift with Figgy or Ichiro on second, they can take third pretty easy. And it opens up the field more if they play traditional .

Page 4 of 31 “Obviously, when you’ve got fast guys on base, you’re going to get more fastballs, and I’m a fastball hitter.”

What Cust has learned, however, is not to expect that fastball when a pitcher falls behind him in the count.

“They’re not going to give you a 2-0 cookie, so they’re going to throw a change-up or take a little off the fastball and get you to roll it over,” he said.

“There would be time in the past when I’d be struggling and I’d get 2-0 and think, ‘Here it is, here comes the homer, it’s going to get me locked in.’ But if I’d take that single that at-bat, you’re 1-for-3 and you keep yourself above water until you get hot. And then you can start trying to get into some balls and start driving them.

“Last year I felt like I got better at that. I guess that’s maturing.”

Manager Eric Wedge considers Cust a thinking hitter, a man with an idea at the plate who – until there are two strikes – is looking for a certain pitch and won’t chase anything else.

Even though Cust’s totals have dropped in each of the past three years, from 33 to 25 to 13, he gives the Mariners a little left-handed power in a park that rewards it.

In 1997, the year he signed his first professional contract, Cust opened the Jack Cust Baseball Academy in Flemington, N.J., and, with his father and brothers, made it available to everyone from Little Leaguers to minor leaguers.

“It gave me something to do in the offseason, teaching hitting lessons. I had about 10 kids the first year when they got done after school,” he said. “We had a couple of cages and it was a place where I could hit in the offseason and talk to kids about hitting. Teach them the kind of stuff my dad taught me.

“It has grown since then. Now, we’ve got eight fields and numerous cages. Indoor we’ve got about 10 cages.”

Every offseason, Cust teaches hitting – and learns a bit more about the art.

“I’ve been around a while. Last year was the first time I really started figuring out the league,” said Cust, who has played with the Athletics, Padres, Rockies, Orioles and Diamondbacks. “I’m an older guy but I’ve only got about four full seasons in the big leagues.

“Now, I’ve faced the pitchers so much in this league that I feel comfortable knowing what they’re trying to do to me and knowing how I’ve got to attack them.”

Will there be pressure on him to produce for a team in desperate need of production?

“I’m sure at some point I’ll feel pressure when the situation warrants it,” Cust said.

For now, he’ll maintain the patience at the plate that began when his father coached him in Little League.

“Other kids are swinging at balls over their head and in the dirt, and I would just take and take and take until I got that pitch,” Cust said. “It worked. I always hit for power because I would swing at good pitches. If you swing at pitches you want to hit, you’re going to hit them harder than if you swing at pitches the pitcher wants you to hit.”

It’s worked for Cust – usually. Page 5 of 31

“Last year I was good enough to get sent back to Triple-A, that’s how good I was,” he said. [email protected] blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners

Ichiro spouts Zen wisdom LARRY LARUE; Staff writer Published: 02/20/1110:37 am | Updated: 02/20/1110:38 am The Tacoma News Tribune PEORIA, Ariz. – The workout ended just before noon, and didn’t address the media for another 21/2 hours – but Jack Cust waited.

In a Seattle Mariners clubhouse that slowly emptied, Ichiro did his post-workout routine, keeping that 5-foot-11, 172-pound body limber and strong.

Cust, all 6-foot-1, 250 pounds of him, waited.

When Ichiro had dressed and called in the media, he was wearing tight jeans, rolled to mid-calf, a red belt that matched his baseball cap and high-top tennis shoes. With the interview in progress, Cust appeared.

Dressed in baggy jeans – rolled to mid-shin – and ugly high-tops, he sat across from Ichiro and waited. A moment later, the perennial All-Star began laughing.

No two men on the team look less alike, and Ichiro was asked what he thought of Cust’s look.

“I’m the good sample, he’s the bad sample,” Ichiro said. “It’s like in those magazines that have good and bad fashion. I’d be on the good side.”

It was the first full-squad workout of the spring for Seattle, Ichiro’s first full day in camp, and a blustery, rainy, cool workout at that.

Ichiro said every “first day” brings hope for teams, even those that lost 101 games the season before. He talked about the new faces in camp, the old teammates he hadn’t seen since October.

And then Cust made him laugh.

Opening his 11th big-league season next month, Ichiro said his offseason preparation has changed each year, that his body tells him what he must do to be ready, to stay at the level he wants.

Asked if he might be feeling his age at 37, Ichiro stared through dark glasses at a group of reporters surrounding him.

“Looking at the media, I feel the age,” he deadpanned.

Ichiro liked new-manager Eric Wedge’s first state-of-the-team address, and the man himself.

“The skipper has a strong heart,” Ichiro said. “He will come right after you, which is what this team needs. He has a big picture in mind. He’s a different type of manager.”

Speaking through a translator, Ichiro dropped a few, well, Ichi-isms.

Page 6 of 31 “I don’t just think with my mind,” he said at one point. “My body is a sensor. It tells me what I must do.”

And then there was a question about his golf game, taken up this offseason. How was it? Ichiro answered in English.

“Sucks,” he said.

On a team where no one but Ichiro batted as high as .300 last year, that same word was often used about the Mariners’ offense. Ichiro hit .315, piling up – yawn – 214 hits and stealing 42 bases.

Will the 2011 Mariners be a better team?

“I don’t remember bad memories, that’s how I operate,” he said of 2010. “We have a new team compared to last year.

“We must find what it is we need to work on, we must find where we need to go.”

Someone asked Ichiro’s thoughts on the first 10 years of his career.

“It doesn’t feel like I’ve played too long,” he said. “Let’s say I’m halfway to where I want to be.”

WEDGE IMPRESSED

Asked what he remembered about Ichiro from the opposing dugout in Cleveland, manager Eric Wedge laughed.

“I know it seemed like he came up seven times a game,” Wedge said. “He was just a complete player – at the plate, in the or on the bases. The level of preparation he maintains is remarkable.”

SHORT HOPS

Wind made outfield drills a challenge, although Ichiro and Franklin Gutierrez made it look effortless. Without the same style or grace, designated hitter Cust ran down fly balls, too. Told he’d looked good, Cust deadpanned: “Yeah, that’ll last until my glove remembers who I am.” … manager Daren Brown is in camp and staying in touch with his four-month-old first child, Chloe Lynn, and wife Cindy via Skype on his laptop. At home in Texas, Cindy puts Brown up on their 50-inch television so Chloe can see her daddy. When she’s talkative, he says, they’ll stay on for 45 minutes. … Erik Bedard threw his scheduled bullpen session without event. “He’s been fun to watch,” Wedge said. “I’m very pleased with what we’ve seen in his first three bullpens.” … Historic workout: Under Wedge, the Mariners put all seven fields on their complex to use on the same day – the first time that’s ever happened. … Tough day for those who loved Dave Niehaus. Saturday was his 76th birthday. [email protected] blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners

Published: Monday, February 21, 2011 Welcome to Cust's world For the Mariners' new DH, 80 walks and 130 strikeouts is a good season By Kirby Arnold, Everett Herald Writer PEORIA, Ariz. — When Jack Cust explains what would define a good season for him as the Seattle Mariners' new designated hitter, get ready to squirm.

Page 7 of 31 “Every year I go in hoping for 80 walks and 130 strikeouts,” Cust said. “If I did that I'm sure I'd probably hit .300.”

In the name of Richie Sexson, when is 130 strikeouts a good thing?

It's not only that in Jack Cust's world, it's a goal.

“A hundred-thirty strikeouts may seem like a lot, but for me it's not a lot,” Cust said. “Every year it seems I'm going to walk 100 times and strike out over 160 times.”

Signed this offseason as what the Mariners hope will become their much-needed power producer, the left- handed-hitting Cust has shown he's capable. He hit 33 home runs three years ago with the Oakland A's, and for a Mariners team lusting for quality at-bats, Cust has a .378 career on-base percentage in 603 major league games.

The robust Cust — he's 6-feet-1, 247 pounds — does seem to walk back to the dugout almost as often as he reaches first base. Three times in his minor league career he led leagues in strikeouts and walks in the same season, and he made that mark in the majors with the A's in 2008 when he rang up 197 strikeouts and 111 walks.

“My strikeout and walk numbers were ridiculous,” he said. “Three-hundred at-bats without putting the ball in play.”

So just what kind of hitter have the Mariners signed?

Cust, a 32-year-old with four-plus years of big-league experience, describes himself as someone who has learned the strike zone, and the pitchers along with — most importantly — himself.

His father, Jack, would set up a batting cage in warehouses back home in Flemington, N.J., when he was a kid and father would work with son. Later, they built a baseball training facility near home that has expanded over the years to include five full-sized baseball fields and two youth baseball/ fields, giving New Jersey kids serious about baseball a place to develop their game.

In the winter, one full-sized is covered by an air-supported dome. That's where Cust takes his hacks in the offseason.

“We've had a lot of kids come through the program who are big-league players now,” Cust said, naming Andrew Bailey and Vin Mazzaro in particular. “But I let everybody know I'm the best guy from Jersey.

“I was lucky enough that my dad knew I had to hit all year-round to get good at it. I played other sports but I always hit, and by the time baseball (season) came around I'd always be a step ahead because during the winter I'd always worked real hard on my mechanics and my swing.”

A little older and wiser than he was early in his pro career, Cust spends spring training much the same way. He doesn't worry so much about numbers as he does with how comfortable he feels at the plate this time of the year.

A veteran tends to get that kind of free pass at spring training.

“That's what I thought going into last year and I found out that's not the case,” he said. “Last year I was good enough (at spring training) to get back to Triple-A. It was kind of surprising when they sent me down. I wasn't Page 8 of 31 swinging the bat well at all, but all I was worried about all spring was facing Felix on Day 1 in Oakland. Then I wasn't facing Felix.”

With that humbling demotion to Class AAA Portland still fresh in his mind, along with his desire to start well with the Mariners, Cust feels some urgency to start well this year.

He said he enjoyed hitting at Safeco Field when he was with the A's (he's a career .237 hitter there with five home runs, 41 strikeouts and 19 walks in 117 plate appearances) and he's eager to hit in the middle of the lineup behind Ichiro Suzuki and Chone Figgins.

“I was talking about it last year with my dad, that I'd like to get over there because I think the field would open up a lot with just those two guys,” Cust said. “When you've got fast guys on base you're going to get more fastballs, and I'm a fastball hitter.”

He isn't exactly a pull hitter, though. He likes to keep the ball up the middle but says he'll need to adjust in order to take advantage of the home-run alley to right field at Safeco Field.

“I'll certainly do what I do and stay up the middle most of the time,” he said. “But when given the chance I'm going to hit something to right.”

The Mariners have acquired other hitters over the years hoping to ramp up their run production only to have them struggle under the burden of trying to carry the team. Cust knows what he's here for, but so far he doesn't feel the pressure.

“Being on this team with some youth coming in and some experienced guys who've done well in the game, I just feel like I'm in the best place that I've been in a long time,” he said. “I'm excited because it's a new organization and I'm excited to start new. I've been wanting that the last couple of years, and I got it this year.

“I don't feel any pressure. I've been through a lot my whole career as far as ups and downs. I'm sure at some point I'll feel pressure when the situation warrants it. But right now it's spring training and everybody is excited. We've got a lot of good players in here and if everybody plays up to their ability, I think we'll be fine.”

Read Kirby Arnold's blog on the Mariners at www.heraldnet.com/marinersblog and follow his Twitter updates on the team at @kirbyarnold.

Mariners notebook: Middle in flux By Kirby Arnold Everett Herald Posted February 20, 2011 at 8:31 p.m.

PEORIA, Ariz. — PEORIA, Ariz. — A relatively slow day at spring training for the Seattle Mariners because of rain ended Sunday with some interesting discussion by manager Eric Wedge about his middle infielders.

Jack Wilson and Brendan Ryan will get a lot of time at shortstop in drills early in camp, and both worked out there in the team's only full-squad workout. The logic is that with Jack Wilson's history of injuries it's wise to give Ryan plenty of reps at shortstop, which is his more natural position.

However, Wedge added another dimension to the middle infield equation: In order to give him plenty of lineup options, Wedge plans to try Wilson at second base with Ryan at shortstop.

Page 9 of 31 Any chance they could line up that way in the regular season?

"I'd say that would be a bit of a reach right now, but it's still possible," Wedge said.

Possible enough that he spoke with Wilson about it.

"I told him, 'I'm not sure how it's going to play out yet. I'm going to take a good look at the Ryan kid. Both of you will be somewhere," Wedge said.

Of course, that's as long as Wilson remains healthy. He has played only 92 games since coming to the Mariners in a midseason trade in 2009.

"Jack's had some issues staying healthy and he's got to show us we can count on him physically," Wedge said. "I don't know how it's going to play out, but I want to have options. I think if Jack's healthy and out there doing what he's capable of doing, we'll be in good shape with him. If Ryan shows what we believe he is, he'll be a good option for us, too. I'm not ready to make that call yet.

"The first thing we have to do is look at Ryan and Jack at shortstop and go from there. I don't want to pigeon- hole myself here early on until I see them. Whether they like it or not, I don't know. But that's what we're going to do."

Wedge stressed that his goal now is to see that every middle in camp — Wilson, Ryan, Josh Wilson, Adam Kennedy, Sean Kazmar, Luis Rodriguez and Dustin Ackley — gets a good look. He not only needs to see who fits best in the shortstop and second base positions, but also who can back up Chone Figgins at third and Justin Smoak at first.

Ryan will play some third base in spring training, and Kennedy not only will play second but also first.

Short hops

Coaches have thrown batting practice since spring training began, but that will change today when the pitchers throw live BP for the first time. The grounds crew had the practice fields in good shape early Sunday morning after overnight showers, but a hard rain less than an hour before the Mariners were scheduled to go outside wiped out their workout. Instead, the hitters took batting practice in the covered cages. Sunday was photo day, with players going from station-to-station to pose for mug shots and read scripts that will appear on the Safeco Field video board this season. Today, crews will be in Peoria to begin three days of shooting for the team's annual set of TV commercials. There will be five commercials this year.

Mariners open shortstop competition Wilson ready to compete with Ryan, spend time at second By Greg Johns / MLB.com | 02/20/11 5:00 PM EST PEORIA, Ariz. -- Jack Wilson has both a new glove and a new challenge this Spring Training, with the Mariners throwing open the shortstop competition and letting him know he might be asked to play a little second base for the first time since his freshman year at Oxnard Junior College in 1997.

New manager Eric Wedge said Sunday that Brendan Ryan, acquired by trade from St. Louis, will battle with Wilson for the starting shortstop job. Both will also see some time at second, where Adam Kennedy and top prospect Dustin Ackley are in the mix.

Page 10 of 31 The presumption had been that Ryan would start the season at second until Ackley is deemed ready, but Wedge indicated Ryan's primary focus will be at shortstop "I want Jack Wilson and Brendan Ryan to be over there and watch them both," Wedge said. "And we'll go from there. Obviously Jack has had some issues staying healthy. He needs to show us we can count on him physically.

"I think if Jack is healthy and out there doing what he's capable of doing then we'll be in good shape with him. If Ryan shows us what we believe he is, he'll be a good option for us, too. I'm not ready to make that call yet."

Wilson, 33, said he'll play second base if asked, but feels he still has the skills to play shortstop and is eager to show what he can do this spring now that his hamstrings are healthy and he's lost about 15 pounds.

He understands his position being thrown open, given injury woes that allowed him to play just 61 games last season and 92 since being acquired by trade from the Pirates on July 29, 2009.

"The bottom line is I haven't been able to do my part of the deal, and my part is being out there doing what they wanted and expected," Wilson said. "I have to earn it like everybody else, especially after missing half the games last year. I'm the last person to say I deserve anything. You have to go out on the field and have good games and that's something I haven't been able to do."

That said, Wilson feels if he's healthy, he can make a difference. In nine years in Pittsburgh, he hit .269 and was regarded as one of the game's premier defensive . That hasn't translated to Seattle, where he's batted .240 and struggled to stay on the field.

Thus, Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik brought in Ryan during the offseason and now the club is going to let him compete. Wedge noted Adam Kennedy, Josh Wilson, Luis Rodriguez and Sean Kazmar are also in the middle-infield mix.

"It's not just about those two guys," he said.

But clearly Ryan and Jack Wilson are the front-runners in the starting shortstop derby.

"I know when Jack is healthy and moving around good, he's a heckuva shortstop," Wedge said. "And Ryan here, in the short term, has proven he's a pretty good shortstop, too. A lot of it has to do with me looking at Ryan as much as seeing where Jack is at."

Ryan, 28, is an excellent glove man as well. He hit just .223 last year in St. Louis, but was hampered by a wrist injury. The Mariners are hoping he's to the .292 hitter from '09, which certainly would make him an attractive option on a club searching for offense.

"I like his energy," Wedge said. "He's got a little hop in his step."

Wilson worked out with Ryan over much of the offseason as they live 25 minutes apart in the Los Angeles area. Now he'll work with him this spring and see what happens.

"There's competition," Wilson said. "Brendan Ryan is a fantastic shortstop. I loved watching him at St. Louis coming up. I'll help him whether it's at short or second or whatever and then they'll have a decision in the end. We'll just enjoy it and play our butts off and see what happens."

Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of or its clubs. Page 11 of 31

Mother Nature plays havoc with Mariners camp By Greg Johns / MLB.com | 02/20/11 7:30 PM EST PEORIA, Ariz. -- Mother Nature played havoc with the Mariners on Sunday, as heavy morning rains washed out most of the second full-squad workout of Spring Training.

Mariners position players, who reported on Friday and hit the field for the first time on Saturday, were relegated to working in the covered hitting cages. Pitchers, who've been in camp for a week now, weren't scheduled to throw bullpen sessions on Sunday, so they didn't miss any major work.

"If there's going to be a day where you can't get out there, it's always good if it's a day you're not throwing anyway," first-year manager Eric Wedge said. "All things considered, we were fortunate in that regard. And they were still able to get some work in the cages. Hopefully it's better tomorrow."

The skies were already clear by Sunday afternoon and forecasts called for Monday to be partly cloudy with a high of 64. No rain was expected the rest of the week, with temperatures expected to climb back to the 70- degrees range.

The Mariners had planned to have coaches throwing batting practice on Sunday to give pitchers a day off. Now they'll just jump straight to live batting practice on Monday with half the pitching staff scheduled to throw.

Other than hitting in the cages, position players were limited to playing catch in the wet outfield on the chilly morning.

"You do what you can," said veteran shortstop Jack Wilson. "Probably every team in had to deal with this today. You do what you can with individual work, doing your own thing because practice is shortened. But no big deal. At some point, you end up going through this once every Spring Training. We'll just get ready for tomorrow."

Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Wedge still tinkering with lineup By Greg Johns / MLB.com | 02/20/11 7:30 PM EST PEORIA, Ariz. -- One week before the Mariners' first Spring Training game, manager Eric Wedge hasn't settled on a . At least he's certainly not ready to share his thoughts on the topic quite yet.

"I can give you the first two, Ichiro [Suzuki] and [Chone] Figgins ... in that order," he said. "We're good there."

And after that?

"I've doodled around with it," he said. "I think you really have to really give it some time. I have an idea, but I'm not going to let you in on it just yet. I've got an idea what I'd like to see play out. Not specific players, but groups of players in certain areas. ... There's always pie in the sky, but it doesn't always play out that way."

The Mariners' biggest challenge will be coming up with middle-of-the-order hitters. New designated hitter Jack Cust will be in there, but there aren't a lot of other power hitters outside of switch-hitting Justin Smoak. And Wedge has said he's reluctant to throw the youngster in the heart of the order too quickly.

Page 12 of 31 "I'm anxious to see him," Wedge said. "And I don't mean just this spring. Let's see what happens there. Both sides of the plate with some power? Pretty good."

Wedge said the cleanup spot is usually the most difficult to assign for any team. Milton Bradley has some experience hitting in the middle of the order, but it's not certain whether he'll even be in the regular lineup.

"It seems to me that more people get caught up in that four-hole," said Wedge. "It's just a different spot in the lineup. You have to have the right guy in that spot, for whatever reason. But I try not to get too caught up in that. Fans, press and even players, to an extent, get caught up in that. I try to just talk about one through nine. For me, I want to get to a point of regardless of where we are in the lineup, we've got an opportunity to do something."

Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Cust wins over Ichiro with fashion attempt By Greg Johns / MLB.com | 02/20/11 7:30 PM EST PEORIA, Ariz. -- Mariners designated hitter Jack Cust made an instant friend with Ichiro Suzuki when he tried to imitate the unique fashion style of his new teammate by rolling up the bottom of his jeans to expose his beefy calves on Saturday while sitting at a nearby locker in the clubhouse.

That move cracked up Ichiro, as well as a group of reporters interviewing the Japanese star at the time. On Sunday, Cust said he'd never really met Ichiro outside of on the baseball field while playing for West-rival Oakland.

But he has heard plenty about Ichiro's fashion.

"Guys just said, 'Wait and see.' And that, 'You haven't seen nothing yet,'" Cust said Sunday. "So, I guess I'll wait and see."

The 6-foot-1, 247-pound Cust told Ichiro he'd go buy the same thin red leather belt he was wearing, but by Sunday that hadn't taken place.

"I'm not quite sure where you even buy that stuff," said Cust.

Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Originally published Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 6:13 PM Ichiro reveals himself in TV interview: Ordinary and extraordinary Ichiro touches on a wide range of subjects By Brad Lefton Special to The Seattle Times TOKYO — On the field, it's Ichiro's ability to express himself with his body that wows fans, with an unprecedented 10 consecutive seasons of 200 hits, not to mention spectacular defense recognized by 10 straight Gold Gloves, 17 in a row if his Japan years are included.

But on the studio set with a very different challenger in 62-year-old wordsmith Shigesato Itoi, a celebrity in Japan as the longtime creator of popular commercial jingles and advertising blurbs, Ichiro dazzled television viewers as well as the host with a similar aplomb for expressing himself verbally. Page 13 of 31

"Ichiro is a skilled conversationalist," Itoi concluded. "Just like a baseball player is supposed to be able to hit whatever ball is pitched to him, conversation requires a similar ability. We went back and forth using our minds and our hearts to hit each other's toughest pitches. It was a fabulously exhilarating experience, but it also left me thoroughly exhausted because there was never a lull. The ball was lively and in constant flight."

The show, "Ichiro, My Chosen Road," broadcast on the NHK network, was billed as a commemoration of Ichiro's 10 years in American baseball, but the unscripted, two-hour New Year's Day program often strayed far from the diamond, like when Ichiro offered his advice on love. He insisted the right time to propose is midday because that's when the mind is most rational, not in the romantic darkness of night when it's compromised by other persuasions.

"Ichiro was getting at the importance of rationality over emotions with that remark about proposing in the afternoon," Itoi said, laughing, in admiration of Ichiro's ability to explain it so colorfully. "You're entering into a longterm contract with someone and the propensity for success is greater when it's thought through rationally rather than emotionally. You can see this thinking in his baseball when he's standing out at second base after a big hit and refusing to reveal his satisfaction. We know he must be ecstatic, but he doesn't want to reveal that to his opponents because it's more hurtful to make them wonder, 'What's he thinking out there?' "

Actually, Ichiro's not as stoical as he'd like to be. Elsewhere in the program, he revealed to Itoi how he admires cats for their coolness and stoicism, but thinks of himself more like a sorry dog that is always panting for people's affection.

Certainly, he earned an entire nation's affection by leading Japan to the championship in 2006 and again in 2009. Japan has yet to stop celebrating those titles, which are overlooked in America. Not surprising, then, they receive significant treatment in the program.

In a recorded interview, his manager from the 2006 tournament, Sadaharu Oh, put into perspective Ichiro's appeal to the nation.

"He's the only Japanese player to go to America and be completely accepted by Americans," Oh said. "He's accomplished what so many Japanese players have only dreamed of doing for decades but never been able to do themselves."

The comment is powerful, coming from Japan's career home run king, often compared to Hank Aaron during his career but who never wore a baseball uniform outside of Japan until he managed that 2006 WBC team.

Itoi, a baseball fan himself, eagerly directed the conversation to another of Ichiro's WBC moments, his 10th- at-bat in the 2009 championship game against South Korea.

Ichiro had struggled mightily to that point, hitting just .167 with three RBI in the eight games before the final. He came up with two out and runners on first and third in the 3-3 game.

Here's an abbreviated excerpt of Itoi exploring Ichiro's mind-set as he walked to the batter's box.

Ichiro: "I was having such a poor tournament that honestly, as I approached the plate, I said to myself, 'Please, just walk me.' "

Itoi: "Oh my. Had you ever experienced such a thought before?"

Page 14 of 31 Ichiro: "Never. In my entire career, I had never stooped to such thinking, but here I was begging them in my mind, 'Just put me on.' It was simply to spare my pride. The guy hitting behind me, (Hiroyuki) Nakajima, had had such a great tournament that even if he failed to deliver with the bases loaded, he would be forgiven. In my case, though, if I made an out, everything I had accomplished to that point, 262 hits (the MLB season record, in 2004), 3,000 hits (America and Japan combined, reached in 2008) would be rendered irrelevant. My entire career would be defined by that one at-bat. I've always prided myself in not reveling in past accomplishments and focusing on future achievement, instead. That's been my career motto, yet here I was fretting about how this at-bat might eradicate my past accomplishments. It was such a contradiction to my very being."

Itoi: "So you were encountering an unfamiliar you for the first time?"

Ichiro: "Yes. Such thoughts simply didn't make sense to me and I couldn't recognize where they were coming from. But then, suddenly, just as quickly, everything changed. The instant the catcher crouched down to begin my at-bat, all those frivolous thoughts just evaporated. I had no choice but to face reality and with that, my mind then shouted, 'Hey, bring it on. Don't even think about walking me, pal.' Now, I was determined to get it done."

Itoi: "So the defining moment was when the catcher squatted? First, you couldn't recognize yourself, but as soon as he squatted, the old you reappeared?"

Ichiro: "An even stronger me appeared. One more determined and confident than the one I had known before."

With the title on the line, the emboldened Ichiro delivered one of the most celebrated hits in Japanese baseball history. After fouling off four pitches in a row, he drove the eighth pitch over the pitcher's right shoulder into center field for a two-run single, the difference in Japan's 5-3 victory. The moment unmistakably defines Ichiro in Japan today.

For Itoi, too, the moment defines Ichiro, but in a very different way. He was impressed by how Ichiro so openly confessed the fear and even pettiness he experienced as he approached that at-bat. Such honesty, Itoi said, gives the average fan empathy for Ichiro.

"Despite the levels of success he's attained," Itoi explained, "he has retained the sensibilities of ordinary people far more, actually, than I would have imagined. Through this experience with him, I came to appreciate how he's actually made an effort not to embrace the ordinariness that we all have. When you achieve success like he has, that's something you only retain if you make a conscious effort to retain it. For people who become superstars or idols, there must be a great sense of enjoyment in becoming larger than life, but what I learned from Ichiro is that when he's not performing in a baseball uniform, he's made it a priority to retain very down- to-earth sensibilities."

That part of Ichiro's personality helped create the program's most touching moment. Toward the end, acquaintances were renewed with Pete Drochleman, perhaps better known to Mariners fans as 's grandson. Along with his mother, Frances, and three other family members, he attended the game Oct. 1, 2004, at Safeco Field when Ichiro broke Sisler's long-standing season record of 257 hits.

In a recorded segment from his home in St. Louis, Drochleman acknowledged how the original misgivings he had that summer about Ichiro's pursuit of Sisler's 84-year-old record slowly turned to acceptance. By the time he arrived at Safeco Field, he had discovered Ichiro's dedication and humility, qualities he felt his grandfather would have appreciated.

Once fearful his grandfather would be forgotten in the aftermath of Ichiro's record, Drochleman now appreciates Ichiro for keeping his memory kindled. He knew that Ichiro took time to visit Sisler's gravesite during the 2009 Page 15 of 31 All-Star Game in St. Louis, but for the first time he was shown a photo of the moment. He got choked up seeing Ichiro in a posture very different than he had imagined.

"The fact that he's kneeling down, saying a prayer maybe, that's moving," Drochleman said, fighting back tears. "Anytime my grandfather is remembered in any way, I'm overjoyed, and the fact that Ichiro would remember my grandfather says a lot for Ichiro."

As the segment returned to the studio with a close-up camera shot of Ichiro, he, too, is nearly tearful. But instead of Itoi drawing out the silence and forcing Ichiro's tears, he quickly lobs a question. Asked why he didn't go for the drama, Itoi explained.

"That was enough. More than enough. When the only thing Ichiro can say coming out of that piece is, 'I'm not good at this,' what more could you possibly need? Most superstars are not going to admit to that so easily. They're going to try and feign bravado, but not him. He's in touch with his feelings and honest in expressing them to us. We empathize with him because at this moment, as I was saying earlier, he's not superstar Ichiro, he's simply ordinary guy Ichiro. He's big, but not too big to retain his ordinariness."

Finally, Itoi, who has crafted countless jingles and ad copy over a prominent career, was asked to create a jingle for the man he has long admired and whom he had just interviewed extensively.

"The name 'Ichiro' encompasses everything about the man," he offered as he began formulating his copy. "The 'ichi' in Ichiro means one. It also means first, as in first place or as in the best or even as in the . It also means singular, unique.

"The person we know simply as Ichiro has encompassed all those things from the moment that name was given to him. Then one day as an unknown professional, his manager, (Akira) Ohgi, had the inspiration to take this person heretofore called 'Suzuki' and change the way we address him to 'Ichiro.' And with that, he was offered the grand stage for his performance.

"If I had to create a jingle for Ichiro, I could do no better than simply 'Ichiro.' He is his own jingle."

Brad Lefton is a St. Louis-based, bilingual journalist who covers baseball in Japan and America. He interviewed Itoi in Japanese for this article and worked on the television program.

Originally published Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 9:18 PM Justin Smoak makes sense of dizzying big-league orientation By Jerry Brewer Seattle Times staff columnist

PEORIA, Ariz. — Among the multitude of crazy challenges heaved at young Justin Smoak last season was the need for a small, comical regional adjustment.

The Southern sugar fiend couldn't buy any sweet tea in the Pacific Northwest.

And he never quite grasped that air conditioners are superfluous treasures around here, either.

"I mean, other than that, the adjustment was easy," Smoak jokes.

He laughs because he's comfortable now. He laughs because he's understating the truth, too.

Page 16 of 31 The condensed version of Smoak's first year in the big leagues: Prized draft pick earns starting job at first base with the , starts off OK for a rookie, struggles, struggles some more, gets traded to the Mariners for Cliff Lee, abandons Southern living for the first time in his life, struggles again, accepts pride-punishing demotion to Triple-A, returns to majors in September, finishes season with promise.

Smoak crammed about five years of professional sports into one enlightening season. It turns out he wouldn't have had time to enjoy sweet tea and AC.

"Look at the history of him, and he had a lot going on last year," new Mariners manager Eric Wedge said.

Much of it was humbling. Smoak, the No. 11 overall pick in the 2008 draft, took a swift route to the majors. He was a prospect too gifted to slow down. How fast has he moved up the chain? Smoak hasn't played more than 70 games in a row in one place as a pro. A period of discomfort was inevitable.

Smoak doesn't like talking about last season, but he's open when asked.

"Of course, I tried to hurry up and get it behind me this offseason," said Smoak, a Goose Creek, S.C., native. "It wasn't the year that I would've liked to have, but it's a learning process, and I learned a lot last year. And hopefully, down the road, I'll look back and say it was a good thing for me."

There's no "hopefully" about it from the Mariners' perspective. He's the most important young player in general manager Jack Zduriencik's rebuilding plan. For a franchise suffering from a stunning lack of power, Smoak is potentially the middle-of-the-lineup big bopper that the Mariners haven't found elsewhere. Their best hope is to develop power hitters because the price is too steep to trade for or sign players who can hit 30 home runs and drive in 120 runs consistently.

By all accounts, Smoak has that kind of talent. His ceiling is supposed to be Mark Teixeira high. If he can become 85 percent of the Yankees' switch-hitting, slick-fielding first baseman, then Zduriencik will win the controversial Lee trade. If Smoak and other youngsters fail, Jack Z will lose his job.

To be certain, Smoak has miles to travel. The 6 feet 4, 200-pound kid — a hulking figure with puffy cheeks that serve as reminders of his youth — hit just .218 in 100 games last season. In 397 plate appearances, he hit 13 home runs and drove in 48 runs, but he struck out once every 4.4 at-bats, looking nothing like the disciplined hitter that he had always been.

After an offseason of introspection, Smoak knows where he went wrong. He identifies two major problems: He tried too hard to hit home runs instead of coming to the plate with a levelheaded approach. And he overcompensated out of fear that pitchers would jam him with inside pitches, which is one of the worst things a hitter can do.

Smoak returned to the big leagues on Sept. 18 last year, and in 14 games, he hit .340. Really, though, he had an extraordinary final week to skew those numbers. In the last eight games, he was 13 of 27 (.481 average) at the plate, including four multiple-hit games, three homers, nine RBI and seven runs scored.

Wedge has studied Smoak's 2010 season closely. He noticed a more confident player at the end of the season.

"If you even look at his eyes before and after, it was a different set of eyes," the manager said.

Every major-leaguer can put together a good week or two, though. Smoak must show he can hit regularly. He also must become the kind of steady defensive player that this Mariners front office demands. But now that his crazy first year is over, he should be able to get comfortable this season. Page 17 of 31

"I'm a simple guy," Smoak said in his soft South Carolina drawl. "I like to hunt and fish and play baseball. That's it. I learned a lot about baseball last year. I didn't really expect to get traded, and it happened. Overnight, it happened, and it was crazy. But it's part of it. I've learned. Now I'm here, and I'm excited about the future."

Once he finds a new favorite beverage, he'll really be able to relax.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or [email protected], Twitter: @Jerry_Brewer

Originally published Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 8:31 PM Ryan Rowland-Smith never found his confidence in 2010 Former Mariner trying his best to forget 2010 Larry Stone Seattle Times baseball reporter KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Ryan Rowland-Smith wants to get as far away as he possibly can from last season.

He has done that geographically by signing with the . He has done it visually by ditching his trademark goggles.

Most important, though, Rowland-Smith wants to distance himself mentally from the psychological rut he believes undermined his 2010 campaign.

Always brimming with confidence during successful previous seasons, Rowland-Smith found himself wracked with self-doubt as his year unraveled. He began the season as Seattle's No. 3 starter, but wound up suffering through a 1-10 nightmare that eventually resulted in Seattle not tendering him a contract after the season.

"I went back and looked at the day I was pitching, the lead up to that game, my routine, things like that," Rowland-Smith said of his postseason reflections on 2010. "I was looking at how I felt, the anxiety, the nerves. I had never felt being nervous like that, ever. It built up and built up as the season went on. I started off bad and never really recovered."

Simultaneously, of course, the entire Mariners' season was collapsing, making matters even worse. To Rowland-Smith, it was déjà vu all over again, reminding him uncannily of the Mariners' disastrous 2008 season. Both resulted in 101 losses and a managerial housecleaning.

"It was bizarre. It was from the get-go, early on, just like 2008," Rowland-Smith said. "We struggled, panicked and then just couldn't recover from it."

Rowland-Smith had no control over how the Mariners responded, but he decided the first step back for him was to begin working out at a Los Angeles gym that trains participants in mixed martial arts.

"It's physically demanding, but also you're competing every time you work out," he said. "I got into it, and I just found I was getting stronger just naturally, so much stronger, and I was competing again. I had lost that. I had lost that all season long.

"That's what I loved about it. Whether or not it's baseball specific, I know myself and my body pretty well, and I know going in there every day, I felt this is helping. I would leave every day just wrecked. I'd get home and just sit on that couch."

Page 18 of 31 Rowland-Smith said he believes he's in optimal shape, and that the Astros, who gave him a one-year, $725,000 contract, will be the beneficiary.

The Astros say they were not daunted by Rowland-Smith's 6.75 earned-run average, highest of any major- league starter with at least 100 innings. At age 28, he is seen as a strong bounce-back candidate.

"We think last year was an aberration because of what he's done in the past," manager Brad Mills said. "Being left-handed helps."

"Our scouts liked his arm, liked his stuff," added Houston's general manager, Ed Wade. "The feeling was, pitching in Seattle, he probably — in the perfect world — would have pitched No. 5 for them. By virtue of some things that happened, health issues in their rotation and other things, he probably got pushed into a role he was not prepared for.

"He's a big, strong left-hander and has good stuff, and we think to add him to the mix for the fifth-starter competition made all the sense in the world."

So does Rowland-Smith, who admits he was "shocked" when the Mariners non-tendered him, despite being intellectually prepared for just that. In fact, when he left Safeco Field after the last game, Rowland-Smith told his girlfriend, Amanda Aardsma — David Aardsma's sister — that it could well be his last game as a Mariner. But it still threw him for a loop when he was cut.

"That's all I had known," he said. " I had been there 10 years in the minor leagues and the big leagues. So I was shocked. I had that one bad year, and I understand that. Once I was a free agent, I was going on the Internet all of a sudden, looking at different teams, the cities. I was trying to do my best research. Houston seemed like the best fit."

He leaves Seattle with strong emotions, particularly about the unseemly end for Ken Griffey Jr.

"That really bothered me in the part that Ken Griffey, in that locker room, was huge as a teammate," he said. "Look at his career, and it really upset me, and a lot of other guys, that he ended his career and ended his time in Seattle that way."

He feels the "Sleepgate" revelation cast Griffey in an unfair light.

"I'm a starting pitcher so I go in and out of that locker room (during games). I'll tell you right now, he goes into the locker room and he watches the game," Rowland-Smith said. "He's a professional, and he's been doing it for 20 years and having success for 20 years doing it. That's the bottom line. It's not like he's in there chilling out.

"He and Mike Sweeney would go in that video room. I used to watch them, because I used to like to sit there and talk to Griffey and Sweeney on the bench if I'm not pitching. I'd turn around, and they'd be in the video room.

"If the guy was hitting .300 with 15 home runs, it would probably be a different story. To me, that was really disappointing. When you take away what the guy's done, what the guy's done for Seattle, it upset me."

As for himself, Rowland-Smith's goal for this year is simple: "I'm going to compete my butt off to make the rotation."

And put 2010 in his rearview mirror.

Page 19 of 31 Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or [email protected].

February 20, 2011 at 9:06 AM Ryan Rowland-Smith on the Mariners' 2010 collapse, the Griffey mess, his own brutal season, and his hopes for 2011 Posted by Larry Stone Seattle Times Blog I checked in today with Ryan Rowland-Smith in Houston Astros camp in Kissimmee, Florida. In 16 years of trucking around Florida for spring training, I've never before made it to Kissimmee, so now I can say I've been to every camp in the majors -- plus numerous ones that no longer exist (Plant City, Baseball City, Fort Lauderdale and Winter Haven in Florida; Yuma, Tucson and Chandler in Arizona, and Palm Springs in California, for starters).

Rowland-Smith looks like he's in fantastic shape after spending much of the winter undergoing intensive mixed martial arts workouts in Los Angeles. And when he wasn't in L.A., he was working out in his native Australia under the supervision of his father, Rob, who is a famous -- and famously demanding -- personal trainer down under.

After a brutal season in 2010 (1-10 with a 6.75 ERA, the worst numbers of any starter in the majors), Rowland- Smith felt he needed to rejuvenate himself both mentally and physically. He feels he did that working under the supervision of Jay Glazer, and being around MMA fighters like Randy Couture.

"It's physically demanding, but also you're competing every time you work out,'' he said. "I got into it, and I just found I was getting stronger, just naturally, so much stronger, and I was competing again. I had lost that. I had lost that all season long. That's what I loved about it. Whether or not it's baseball specific, I know myself and my body pretty well, and I know going in there every day, I felt this is helping. I would leave every day just wrecked. I'd get home and just sit on that couch.''

Last year's struggles, Rowland-Smith has concluded upon considerable reflection, were mostly mental

"I've done plenty of reflecting,'' he said. "I've never in my offseason looked back on my year like I have this offseason. In a good way. I tried to pinpoint, watch film, this and that. As cliché as it sounds, it's nothing more than psychological. You could sit there all day and talk about mechanics. But you can look at '07, '08 and '09, there were flaws in my mechanics, the ball was up in the zone. I was missing pitches, I was hanging the curve ball, doing all that. But 2010, I went back and looked at the day I was pitching, the leadup to that game, my routine, things like that. I was looking at how I felt, the anxiety, the nerves. I had never felt being nervous like that, ever. It built up and built up as the season went on. I started off bad and never really recovered."

But Rowland-Smith also felt that he needed to get himself in better shape.

"After 2009, it's not like I was sitting in the couch eating potato chips all that offseason,'' he said. "But I kind of sat back and said, 'I'll do a bit of this and a bit of that' - like I got this figured out. After 2010, I haven't got anything figured out.

"It's such a humbling experience. I understood what that meant. I took a couple days off and got on the phone and called Jay Glazer and said I want to be a part of this program. I sat down with him and we had a really good conversation. It was one of those things where, I'm not living through that again.''

Page 20 of 31 Meanwhile, while Rowland-Smith was going through his own personal hell in 2010, so were the Mariners, en route to 101 losses.

"It reminded me a lot of 2008,'' he said. "It was one of those things, before 2008 there were these big expectations on the team. Then last year, I saw the same things happening. And there's nothing wrong with that. Obviously, you have to get excited about the team and have these expectations. But in April, it felt like the minute things started to go wrong, people started to panic and say, what's going on?

"And all of a sudden there's a lot of negativity. You can talk about this and that in the clubhouse, but if you look at certain guys, they had the worst year of their career. For whatever reason. Jose Lopez, he had the worst year of his career. Milton Bradley, he struggled. (Chone) Figgins. I'm not saying I'm in the same boat as them; they've been playing a lot longer than I have. It was bizarre. It was from the get-go, early on, just like 2008. We struggled, panicked and then just couldn't recover from it. All of a sudden everyone is disappointed, and it's a month into the season. It's not a good environment, because you've got five months to go."

And then, in May, the story hit about Ken Griffey Jr. napping in the clubhouse, and things really started to disintegrate. Rowland-Smith believes Griffey got a raw deal.

"That really bothered me in the part that Ken Griffey, in that locker room, was huge as a teammate,'' Rowland- Smith said. "Look at his career, and it really upset me -- and a lot of other guys -- that he ended his career and ended his time in Seattle that way. Whatever went on, and whoever said something, or whatever the conspiracy theory that was going on, to me it was just disappointing. That was a hard time, a tough time. For everyone. There was a lot of stuff going on for the coaching staff, the players, the front office. It was a tough thing to deal with. We're losing, everyone's disappointed, then you've got that on top of it. It was just, wow. It was tough to deal with."

"I'm a starting pitcher so I go in and out of that locker room (during games). I'll tell you right now, he goes into the locker room and he watches the game. He's a professional, and he's been doing it for 20 years and having success for 20 years doing it. That's the bottom line. It's not like he's in there chilling out. He and Mike Sweeney would go in that video room. I used to watch them, because I used to like to sit there and talk to Griffey and Sweeney on the bench if I'm not pitching. I'd turn around, and they'd be in the video room. That's what they'd do when they're in the clubhouse.

"If the guy was hitting .300 with 15 home runs, it would probably be a different story. To me, that was really disappointing. When you take away what the guy's done, what the guy's done for Seattle, it upset me."

Many have speculated that the Griffey fallout caused former manager Don Wakamatsu to lose the team.

''I don't know if you can say 'lost the team.' He was under a lot of pressure, too,'' Rowland-Smith said. "He's the manager, and when things go wrong, everyone is going to point fingers at someone. If that's what's going on, he's the one who cops it. He was under a lot of pressure from that standpoint, and everyone was trying to figure out, what's going wrong? It's this and it's that. Whether the team was lost or it wasn't or whatever, it was a difficult time for everyone."

Rowland-Smith signed a one-year, $725,000 with the Astros after being non-tendered by the Mariners, and will compete for their fifth starting job. He said he had some other opportunities but after doing some research decided Houston was the best place to revive his career.

"I just felt like here, from what I'd heard and they told me, they seemed excited to have me, so I felt like it was the best opportunity. I heard nothing but good things about (manager) Brad Mills and (pitching ) Brad Arnsberg. I was excited about that. Page 21 of 31

"I'm not exactly going to be like Cliff Lee in the offseason. It's not like it's broadcast live every day where I'm going. I wanted to go somewhere where I had the best opportunity over anything else. I'm going to compete my butt off to make the rotation."

February 20, 2011 at 1:11 PM Eric Wedge says Jack Wilson has to prove he can stay healthy Posted by Geoff Baker Seattle Times Blog Not much going on in camp today, with the rain washing out all but some indoor hitting by position players and catch sessions for the pitchers. We'll have Geoff Baker Live! coming up tonight at 6 p.m. PT.

The M's didn't have any pitchers slotted to throw bullpens today, so the rain wasn't as frustrating as it could have been. Group 1 pitchers, including Erik Bedard, are scheduled to throw live BP tomorrow.

I've been saving the video above for a rainy day. Ever wonder what a knuckleball looks like coming at you? Well then, take a look at Mariners non-roster hopeful Charlie Haeger as he throws a bullpen session a couple of days back.

As for today, M's manager Eric Wedge spoke to reporters after the altetred morning workout and a lot of the conversation was about the middle infield.

Wedge said shortstop Jack Wilson, oft-injured since his 2009 arrival in Seattle, will have to show he can stay healthy this season. If not, Brendan Ryan -- freshly arrived from St. Louis -- will be there to step in. The Mariners would clearly like for Wilson to stay healthy for at least half a season so they could flip him and his $5 million salary in a July deadline deal, sliding Ryan over to shortstop full-time as they prepare to promote Dustin Ackley to second base in the majors.

"i want him to spend the bulk of his time at shortstop early on and then go from there,'' Wedge said of Ryan's spring training workouts. "But he'll still have some reps at second base and third base, too, in that order.''

Wedge said the team will be in good shape if Wilson stays healthy and does what's expected of him. But he wants to keep the team's options open.

"I want Jack Wilson and Brendan Ryan to be over there and we'll watch them both,'' he said. "Jack's had some issues staying healthy. He's got to show us we can count on him physically. And Jack might even take some reps at second base.''

For now, Wedge isn't prepared to make a call on shortstop just yet. He said it would be "a bit of a reach" to suggest the team would go with Wilson at second and Ryan at shortstop. As we said, if Wilson stays healthy and does his job, he'll be at short. But if he starts coming up lame, like he did last spring, Wedge doesn't want to pigeon-hole himself into commiting anyone to the position just yet.

Wedge said he's taking reports of Ryan's clubhouse issues in St. Louis "with a grain of salt" and prefers to form his own opinions. There have been reports that Ryan had troubles paying attention during meetings and even showing up on time to them.

Wedge also said the team will be taking a close look at people like Josh Wilson, Adam Kennedy and, of course, Ackley, to see where they fit in the equation. Kennedy and Wilson will likely be vying for the backup infielder job and Wedge said Kennedy's intangibles and leadership are something that works in his favor. Page 22 of 31

Don't forget, also, that Josh Wilson's major league contract is not guaranteed, meaning the M's could cut him and only have to pay a fraction of his wage.

But first, of course, the players have to show something. Kennedy is getting up there in age and the big question will be whether he can still hit like he has in the past. If he can, he'll almost certainly get the nod in any choice over Wilson.

If he can't, then all bets are off. That's why they have spring training, to find stuff like this out.

Anyhow, the middle infield battle -- both for starters and backups -- figures to be one of the most interesting at camp, along with the left field and closer situations.

As for the lineup, Wedge immediately cut short any speculation that Ichiro might be asked to bat third, or Chone Figgins ninth. Wedge said he has some lineups in mind, but the only certainty right now.

"I can give you the first two,'' he said. "Ichiro and Figgins.''

There you go.

Could Jack Wilson really be headed to second base? Posted on February 20, 2011 at 5:07 PM Greg Johns Mariners.com Sunday's proclamation by manager Eric Wedge that Brendan Ryan will be working primarily at shortstop this spring in an open competition with Jack Wilson should come as no huge surprise, given the Mariners traded for the former St. Louis defensive standout to provide some depth there.

More surprising was Wedge saying Wilson would be working some at second base, given Wilson has played 1,219 games in his 10-year career ... and all have been at shortstop.

Wilson pulled a new 's glove out of his locker Sunday and said he's working her in. And, yeah, he said his gloves are always a "her," though he doesn't name them.

Wilson didn't sound thrilled about being asked to try a new position, but he's a class act and a team guy and if he gets beat out by a better player, he understands. He also gets why the Mariners aren't just handing him the shortstop job, given his injury struggles since his arrival a year and a half ago from Pittsburgh.

But Wilson also says he's feeling healthier than he has in a long while and he's lost a noticeable 15 pounds, which he thinks will help his hamstrings as well. So this one will be interesting to watch this spring. When healthy, Wilson is a very good shortstop, even if Mariners fans haven't seen much of that guy yet.

Wedge told Wilson he wanted him to take some reps at second just to provide more options, though he said it would be "a reach" at this point to envision Ryan at short and Wilson at second on a regular basis.

"I told him I'm not sure how it's going to play out," Wedge said. "I want to take a good look at the Ryan kid. Both of those guys are going to be somewhere and whatever is best for our ballclub is what we're going to do."

Adam Kennedy figures prominently in the plans and if the veteran hits well this spring, it's not hard to see him being the Opening Day second baseman and holder of that position until Dustin Ackley's eventual promotion. Unless Ackley makes the team out of camp, of course. Page 23 of 31

Wedge said Kennedy will work at second, first and third, in that order, and noted he played 51 games at first base last season for the Nationals. Most of that was as a late-inning defensive replacement, as he started just four times at first. But he could easily provide backup to Justin Smoak.

Ryan, meanwhile, will also get some work as third in order to provide backup to Chone Figgins.

Figgins, of course, got the shot at second base last year and his transition didn't go as smoothly as hoped. Which is why he's back at third now. Could Wilson handle the switch to a spot he hasn't played since his freshman year in college in '97?

"I've played around over there. It's kind of fun and different," he said. "But if it came down to switching, there would be a lot of work to learn that. It depends on the time frame they have if it becomes a reality. But it's one of those things they're asking you to go out and try. And you've got to do what your team asks."

Cust hasn't quite pulled off Ichiro look just yet Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:58 AM Greg Johns Mariners.com Jack Cust, who cracked up Ichiro as well as the group of reporters interviewing the Japanese star on Saturday by trying to imitate his unique Ichiro wardrobe, said he's never really met his new teammate before other than on the baseball field.

But he is aware of the fashion style of the 37-year-old outfielder.

"Guys just said wait and see. And that you haven't seen nothing yet," Cust said Sunday. "So I guess I'll wait and see."

When Ichiro was surrounded by media members at his locker on Saturday, the club's new designated hitter sat at his nearby locker and rolled up the bottom of his jeans to mid-calf level, mirroring Ichiro's look ... with some obvious differences in body type and style sense.

The 6-foot-1, 247-pound Cust told Ichiro on Saturday that he was going to go out and buy the same thin red leather belt he was wearing, then fistbumped him and headed out the door. You can read that full story here.

But, no, he didn't quite come up with a new belt by Sunday.

"I'm not quite sure where you even buy that stuff," Cust said.

Cameras aren't allowed in the clubhouse, so sadly there is no photographic evidence of the Cust or Ichiro outfits. But I will include the photo I got of Ichiro's first-day look when he arrived in Peoria and worked out on the practice field. And, no, this is not a look that Cust -- or many others, for that matter -- could pull off.

Rain pushing Mariners under cover today Posted on February 20, 2011 at 9:54 AM Greg Johns Mariners.com After dealing with 35-40 mph winds on Saturday, the Mariners got hit with another Mother Nature curveball on Sunday as rain is forcing some change in plans.

Page 24 of 31 The hitters will move into the covered cages for today's batting practice, though there is hope that things clear enough at some point to allow fielders to catch fly balls out on the main field.

Pitchers were already scheduled for a light day with no bullpen sessions planned, so they'll likely have a quick and easy day. Which is probably a good thing at this point, since they've been in camp for eight days now.

All pitchers have thrown three bullpen sessions and now are going to take it easy for a couple days before beginning to throw live batting practice. For the first couple days, hitters will work with coaches throwing BP before pitchers take over.

Then, of course, it's all about getting ready for the games to begin. The Mariners have an intrasquad game planned for Feb. 25, with the first Spring Training game on Feb. 27 with the annual charity game against the Padres.

February 20, 2011 Mariners' best-laid workout plan moves under cover because of rain By Kirby Arnold Everett Herald Blog When the gate guard to the Mariners' parking lot is holding an umbrella, wearing gloves, a jacket, cap and wrapped in a serape, you know it's a cool, wet morning in Peoria. And when the Mariners' practice fields are more suited to ducks than ballplayers, it's a safe bet there won't be a full spring training workout.

The Mariners decided about 9:30 this morning to scrub any on-field drills and accomplish whatever work they can in the covered batting cages. Pitchers weren't scheduled to throw bullpens anyway, so nothing lost there.

Despite off-and-on rain since Saturday afternoon, the grounds crew had the fields in decent shape by 8 a.m. today. Less than an hour later that rain was on again, and much heavier.

One guy who seems oblivious to the rain is bullpen hopeful Tom Wilhelmsen.

Every day, he rides a bicycle two miles from his apartment to the complex rain or shine (which, in Arizona, is mostly shine). Saturday afternoon, while some players scurried to their cars as though they might melt in the rain, Wilhelmsen didn't hesitate to pedal home after the workout.

“I love the elements,” he said as he wheeled away.

Wilhelmsen said this morning that he rides his bike everywhere and doesn't let a little rain stop him. Saturday was his first wet ride down here, but he said it really wasn't too bad.

“The only thing that really got wet was the back of my shirt,” Wilhelmsen said.

Olivo protects his boys from the knuckleball Posted By Larry Larue on February 20, 2011 at 8:16 am The Tacoma News Tribune Blog Along catchers row in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse, Miguel Olivo, Adam Moore and rookie Steven Baron dressed and waited for another wet workout today.

The conversation turned to the pitchers each had caught in the first week, and the movement they'd seen, the early command they'd observed - and the topic turned to Charlie Haeger, the man who throws the knuckleball.

Page 25 of 31 Who had caught him so far?

"Not me," Moore said, laughing.

"Not me," Baron said.

Olivo beamed. "I'm protecting my boys, I catch him," he said. "I drop a few, but I don't mind. I'll take one for these guys, any time."

How much has the knuckler moved?

"It's getting a lot better," Olivo said. "It's getting nasty."

Moore and Baron listened, then Moore fist-bumped Olivo for taking one for the catchers in Week One. Everyone will eventually catch Haeger, and neither Moore nor Baron is afraid to do so. In the first bullpens of spring, however, with Haeger still finding his control, neither was too bothered to have missed him.

Updated Feb 20, 2011 - 11:08 pm Looking back at week one 710 ESPN Seattle's Shannon Drayer MyNorthwest.com I thought it might not be a bad idea to do a week in review type of thing. Last week was a whirlwind for me and I wanted to take the time to give some further thoughts on the events and news of the week and what better time than Sunday night. So here goes.

First impressions of camp...So many people, everyone from readers to listeners to people in the organization have asked me what I got as the "feel" of this camp so far. It may seem odd but calm is the word that comes to mind. I think this comes with the relief of putting last year behind them and the expectations that have been laid down for them by their new manager. A lot of the guys have told me that with Eric Wedge it is all business and that suits them just fine. One person close to the team told me that it almost seemed like Wedge gave them a concrete focus and vision rather than had them running around chasing a "belief system". The "do it the right way dammit" is a rather stringent approach but it leaves no grey area. I think this is where the calm that I feel in that clubhouse comes from.

First impressions of Wedge with the team...Not at all what I expected. We saw the high octane, flashing eyes, go go go, version on several occasions in Seattle. He is not like that in the clubhouse or on the field which is a bit of a relief. I was wondering how he would keep that up and how that would be received on a day in day out basis in the clubhouse. On the field you have to look for him. Some guys are loud and you know where they are at all times. Not Wedge. Make no mistake, he got his message across to the team. They saw the passion and toughness and several have commented on it but he knows how to dial it down which you have to do in this game. The passion, the confidence comes through but it is quieter, not as in your face as you might think from what we saw leading up to spring training.

Griffey coming back...It blows me away that anyone would see anything negative in this. If you do then you don't know him and you don't know the situation and I am not going to go into it because I don't believe those who are intent on bashing Griffey are interested in hearing any other viewpoint other than their own. Who am I to tell them about someone they don't know?

I do want to say this though. When the "Napgate" story came down the dynamic that was already bad obviously got worse. I have written this before and I am not going to rehash the whole thing but the point is, it never had to come to this. Had there been communication about his role and the direction it was heading in, a lot of pain Page 26 of 31 and drama could have been avoided. Ichiro summed it up best in an off season interview when he said it hurt him to see his teammate in such distress. That is exactly what I saw at the time. Distress. Junior was in a situation he didn't know how to handle. His body was failing him, he couldn't do the things on the field he had been able to for years, he didn't know if he would be in the lineup, he knew he was near the end and his manager wasn't talking to him. He had always said that when he was done there would be no speeches, no press conferences. He would be gone.

Some fans think that he owes them an apology. I don't get this in the least bit. I don't believe that Griffey owes the fans anything. You buy a ticket, you buy a jersey, you root for the guy, that is your choice. If you were his fan he gave you countless good moments.

I get what it means to be a fan. I get what it means to be upset with your team. I can't identify as a Mariners fan but I can as a fan. For years I was a die hard Huskies season ticket holder. For ten years straight I attended every home game and traveled to at least two road games a year. Those were the good years. Then things went downhill. Midway through Tyrone Willingham's tenure I couldn't take it anymore. The games, the day of game experience, the prognosis for the future. To me it wasn't worth it anymore and I haven't been back. I get it. But I can't imagine asking for an apology from anyone over there for anything. It was my choice to make the investment I did. It was my choice to get out when I did.

To me, if Griffey owed an apology to anyone it was his teammates. I could understand if they thought he turned his back on them by leaving without telling anyone. I asked two of his teammates their thoughts on the matter. Here is what they had to say.

David Aardsma on if Griffey owed the fans or his teammates an apology..."I don't like putting my thoughts on to what a fan should think because they are all different. I don't want to say that he owes them an apology but a lot of things happened behind the scenes that the fans do not know and while he may have left and it might not have been the prettiest way to leave and the fairy tale it should be, there are a lot of things that happened. It's not that he wanted to take it out on the fans. He will always be a part of this. Even when he was with the Reds he was still a part of the Mariners. Did he owe anything to his teammates? I would say it definitely wasn't the way we wanted him to leave. We would all go through fire for him. At the end of the day we knew he had his reasons. We are not him and we don't know the exact reasons but we know he loved us as a team."

Jack Wilson's thoughts on Griffey leaving...For what happened, to have to hang up your cleats after that many years playing major league baseball I think a lot of emotions, you see emotions just from guys going on the DL, you saw it from me last year talking about retirement I was so down even though it was the furthest thing from my mind, you really can't know how that feels. I think with that kind of emotion, for me...I would...probably a nice long drive, you know? That is something that has to be in his heart and if he felt he had to do something...because I don't know how he felt, I don't know where he was at at that particular time, so in no way could I say I expect this or I expect that because that is a situation I couldn't even fathom. I know one day I am going be done and hang it up and I know that is going to be a pretty tough day. I know it is for any ballplayer. I can't even sit here now and try to think about it. I wouldn't have any idea how to feel. I know it would be very emotional. A lot of people have different ways in dealing with that emotion. Getting in the car and driving? It is something I would probably do too. The important thing is he is back with the organization he helped put on the map."

Moving on. Bradley and Bedard...and about now I am starting to regret this idea to have my end of the week thoughts!...Okay, I am drinking the Koolaid here and I am surprised about that. I know the histories, I know the track records and I find myself pulling for these guys. Why? Because if healthy and productive this tandem could have a huge impact on this team this year. Yes, this year is about the young players but they are going to need some help. Bedard will not block a young player and can help them win games. I want to see a healthy and productive Bedard. The same with Bradley. Now even if Bedard is healthy I still have a hard time believing we Page 27 of 31 will see many innings from him, he has never been that kind of pitcher, but I would take 6 (okay, I know that is optimistic) per game from him. And Bradley? This team needs someone other than a kid who can hit 3rd or 4th and he could handle that. Bedard has thrown well in his pens. Yeah, I know we have seen it before but so far so good. As for Bradley? Let's see where he is in a couple of weeks. He showed up in better shape than last year and all that means to me is that he did a lot of work in the off season, that was a priority. How that translates to the field, we shall see.

Let's close this out with Ichiro...One commenter got on me for writing a fluffy article about Ichiro. Well I hope he sent the same comment to the rest of the Mariners writers because they all wrote about Ichiro's fashion and the interaction with Jack Cust. The fact of the matter is there are a lot of fans who want to know about that kind of thing. Ichiro interviews can be a bit of an adventure and you just have to try and go with them. Ultimately he is going to give you what he wants to give you, especially in the group setting. In a one on one in the right environment it can be different.

Then there were those who didn't appreciate that the interview was done through an interpreter as Ichiro does not do interviews in English. My thoughts on this? First and foremost Ichiro wants to make sure that his thoughts are accurately translated. This is very important to him, to the point where he has had his interpreters chase me down after interviews to make absolutely sure that I understood what he was trying to get across. If you have noticed his thoughts sometimes can be anything but conventional and very well could be tough to put into English. It is one thing to be conversational in the language, another to be able to accurately get across complex thoughts and philosophies.

There is another reason why I think he insists on the interpreter, and again this is strictly my thought, but I believe that this helps him keep control of the interview situation especially on the road. Everywhere we go there are requests for him to go on local television or radio or sit down with a print reporter. Ichiro already does more media than any other member of the team. He meets with the Japanese media after every game and is almost always available to the Mariners beat reporters if needed after games as well. He is there for us, just not in English. Ultimately I would think that the fans would rather Ichiro focus on his baseball rather than his interview skills.

Well that is it for this week's wrap up. Coming into this camp I thought if nothing else it would be interesting. I have not been let down so far in that regard.

Updated Feb 20, 2011 - 3:11 pm Middle infield not set in stone... 710 ESPN Seattle's Shannon Drayer MyNorthwest.com Yesterday I tweeted from the field that Brendan Ryan was taking his reps alongside Jack Wilson at short and not at second as expected. Not too much of an eyebrow raiser on the first day because Brendan Ryan is a shortstop. It didn't stick out as much as say seeing Jose Lopez at third on the first day last year. Is it too early to read anything into? We don't have to because the skipper as spoken.

"I want him (Ryan) to spend the bulk of his time at shortstop early on. He will have reps at second and third. I don't know how it is going to play out. I told both of them that both of you guys are going to be somewhere whatever is best for our ball club that is what we are going to do. A lot of it has to do with me taking a look at Ryan."

Does this mean the competition is on at short? Will Ryan be given the opportunity to win the position out of spring training?

Page 28 of 31 "I want to watch them both," Wedge said. "We will go from there. Obviously Jack has had some issues staying healthy. He has got to show us we can count on him physically."

Then the kicker.

"Jack might even take some reps at second base."

Unlike Lopez last year Wilson was given the heads up a few weeks before arriving at camp. He said it did not entirely take him by surprise. He talked about this development at his new locker which ironically enough was the one Lopez occupied last year.

"Bottom line is I haven't been able to do my part of the deal in being out there and doing what they wanted and expected me to do when I signed the deal so by no means am I coming in here and saying this is my job. I have got to earn it like everyone else. Especially with last year and missing half of the games. I am the last who will say that I deserve anything. You have got to go out on the field you have got to help your team. That is something I haven't been able to do."

Wedge says that while it would be a reach, it is not entirely out of the question that we could see Ryan at short and Wilson at second to open the season. For now both Wilson and Ryan will get the majority of their reps at short. Wilson will also play some second, Ryan second and third. Adam Kennedy, who took all of the reps at second yesterday will also get work at third and first. Wedge said that Josh Wilson, Luis Rodriguez and Sean Kazmar will also get looks.

The issue with Wilson is staying on the field. To his credit he devoted his off season to a routine that focused on keeping his hamstrings healthy and showed up in camp a noticeable twelve pounds lighter. Knowing that he could be competing for a position for the first time in years does not change anything.

"As long as you are out there and playing and you are healthy and doing your work, that stuff kind of takes care of itself," he said. "I don't worry about it. I know that just yesterday I was in a major league clubhouse for the first time. Being thirty-three and hopefully being able to play another 3,4,5 years? That it is going to be another snap of the finger and it will be over so I am going to appreciate every moment I can, especially being injured the last couple of years. You appreciate being healthy. being able to play being able to play this game."

Wilson suffered through some dark days last season after a recurrence of hamstring issues made him question, not just to himself but to the media as well, how much longer he would be able to play. He is sorry he let the moment get to him.

"Human beings, when we get frustrated things come out of our mouths that we regret. That is one of the things definitely I regret. It wasn't a matter of not wanting to play anymore. It is just frustrating not being able to do what you love to do and not being a part of a team when you can't do anything to help. It is tough but nothing more than straight frustration at that point. I don't see it (retiring) happening for awhile."

After spending nine years on a Pirates team that never posted a winning record, Wilson who points out that he has been involved in more losses than any active player says he has plenty to keep playing for.

"Winning is always huge but the thing is you can always take a positives from a negative. I could have gone insane a long time ago with the amount of Ls I have in my column in my career but it is a game. Even in the worst years you can try to teach something and you can try to learn something and you come in every day to the clubhouse and you prepare yourself to win and that is it. I would love to be here in this uniform and win and go to the playoffs and the whole nine yards. I have never felt it before at this level. I definitely want to but you want to do it with your current team. It's not something where I think I hope I get traded to a contender because Page 29 of 31 it is not the same. When you are here and you are out there battling everyday with the same guys and you go out there and win something, that is what you want to feel. That is what I am excited for."

Even if it is not at shortstop?

"I have taken balls over there before games and it is kind of fun. Kind of different, but if it came down to switching positions it would take a lot of work to learn that. We will see what happens. It just depends on the time frame on what they have if it becomes a reality. It is just one of those things they are asking you to go out and try and you have got to do what your team asks you to do."

News and notes...Rain in Peoria forced the M's to alter their plans today. Brilliant off day scheduling by Carl Willis ensured that the pitchers did not miss any work. Tomorrow group 1 will throw live arm batting practice to the hitters...A couple of weeks ago in a radio interview in St. Louis Ryan Franklin complained about Brendan Ryan's tardiness while with the Cardinals. There have also been reports that at times he acted a little young while with the team. I asked Eric Wedge if he had looked into this. He said he has not. "I'm going to judge for myself what is going on in the clubhouse. You need to make your own opinion. Judge for yourself, give them some time. nobody is perfect. Everyone was young at some point and time. I am not concerned about it. Either way it will be handled. I like his energy. He's got a little bounce in his step, he's going to be a gamer too. Those are all plusses for me. He's still figuring it out. He's still young and he's going to get better. I think we are getting him at a good time."...As threatened, Shawn Kelley has signed up for Twitter. You can follow him @shawnkelley23...

Originally published Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 8:47 PM Texas' Michael Young promises not be to a distraction to teammates By The Associated Press

SURPRISE, Ariz. — Michael Young had a message for his teammates before the AL champion Texas Rangers held their first full-squad workout Sunday and he took grounders at second base for the first time in several years.

"He said he wasn't going to be a distraction. That was it," manager Ron Washington said, relaying what Young said during a scheduled team meeting before the workout.

"I think that was what was talked about more than getting ready for the season and I thought it was unnecessary," Young said. "The guys know me well so I wanted to say a couple of things about it and move on."

Young had requested a trade last month, but with no deal done reported to camp on time Saturday and said he was focused on getting ready for the season. He said the offseason drama wouldn't affect his preparations for the season and a new role with the team.

"First and foremost I'm a baseball player. There's nothing to block out," he said. "For it to become public is regretful but I've got no regrets. Baseball is my life sport. It's my entire life."

The longest-tenured Ranger going into his 11th season, Young has a different role for the third time in eight springs. He is expected to be the team's primary designated hitter and utility infielder after the offseason acquisition of Adrian Beltre supplanted Young at third base, the position he played the last two seasons.

Notes Page 30 of 31

• captain Derek Jeter plans to enjoy his upcoming trip to 3,000 career hits.

The shortstop is 74 hits from the milestone entering the 2011 season.

"It's going to be a party the whole year," Jeter jokingly said. "I've always been one that tries to shy away from anything that's personal and not talk about it much. Couldn't wait for it to be over with because I really didn't like the focus to be on me. Now, I think, it's going to be more of enjoying every day."

The 36-year-old is the Yankees' all-time hits leader.

"It's something that's very hard to do," Jeter of getting 3,000 hits. "Not too many people have done it. Even though it's not a Yankees record, it's still a Yankee uniform."

• New manager Don Mattingly conceded he had some jitters about standing up to give the first speech to the entire team when the position players arrive in camp Monday.

"It's the first time. You're starting out and you're trying to create an environment and let the players know how you think," Mattingly said.

• Andrew N. "Drew" Baur, a member of the St. Louis Cardinals' ownership group, has died. He was 66. The team said he died suddenly Sunday morning. A cause of death was not given.

Page 31 of 31