Figgins finally joins hit parade

PEORIA, Ariz. – It can’t be a bad spring when you haven’t yet had a hit but your on-base percentage is .478.

Chone Figgins was having that kind of spring until Friday, when he banged a two-run triple against the Kansas City Royals for his first hit of spring. He didn’t feel he had a choice.

“(Ken Griffey) Junior got his first hit earlier in the game, and I knew if I didn’t get one, too, I’d hear about it,” Figgins said. “Now I feel part of the team.”

In his first five games, Figgins didn’t have a hit but walked seven times in 16 plate appearances and scored four times. The Mariners could probably live with that OBP even if Figgins never hit.

“He’s just a focused hitter, a patient hitter,” manager Don Wakamatsu said. “I love him hitting behind Ichiro, and I like playing them together in spring games.”

Ichiro and Figgins have become close in the past few weeks, and when someone asked Figgins if he was going to Tucson for the Sunday-Monday Mariners trip, he turned and asked Ichiro.

“Are we going to Tucson?” Figgins asked.

“Hell no!” shouted Ichiro.

“There’s your answer,” Figgins said, and both men laughed. “The good thing about having a veteran on your side is that he gets to call the shots and I just follow behind him.”

As Figgins attempts the transition to second base – he’s still feeling his way – and he made an error in Friday’s 6-6 tie with the Royals on what appeared to be a double-play ground ball.

“It’s different. Turning double plays and things like that, it’s a lot shorter field at that side,” said Figgins, who played third base last year with the Angels. “Today the ball got to me and I was already turning before I could turn it. Things like that I’m not used to doing. You can work it but once you’re in the game, it’s a different speed.”

And his hitting?

“This spring, I haven’t been getting hits, but my pitches per at-bat are going up, and that’s good for me,” Figgins said.

Fun with Junior

No one has more fun teasing teammates than Griffey, and, conversely, his teammates enjoy tormenting him every chance they get.

Mike Sweeney dug up a poster of Junior swinging as a rookie, and was showing it around the clubhouse. When he held it up in front of Ichiro, the outfielder stared at it, then at Griffey.

“George! What happened?” he asked.

Once on the field, the team began baserunning work, running out singles, then doubles, triples and, finally, home runs. Griffey ran each with the other position players but, after one particular run, had a question for manager Don Wakamatsu.

“Are we there yet?”

Short hops

Closer David Aardsma made his first appearance in a week and felt no pain in his strained groin muscle as he threw 20 pitches. He gave up a hit, a walk and a run in two-thirds of an inning but was healthy. The Mariners will take that. … Jack Wilson singled home his first RBI of the spring, ... At last: Griffey doubled for his first hit in his seventh spring at-bat, although he had drawn two walks. When Griffey had the ball thrown into the dugout, Sweeney caught it – and threw one he’d palmed into the stands. ... Former Washington Nationals closer Chad Cordero had another impressive inning, striking out one without allowing a baserunner. “His fastball command is improving,” Wakamatsu said. “For a guy who’s missed most of the last two years, he’s getting closer and closer.” … Milton Bradley picked up his first outfield assist, throwing out Scott Podsednik at second base in the first inning.

On tap

Seattle plays at San Francisco, a 12:05 p.m. (PST) game that will not be broadcast on radio. Probable starting pitchers: Doug Fister vs. Kevin Pucetas.

larry.larue@thenewstribune.com

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