PEORIA, Ariz. – The first few days of spring training, expectations are a little low – in part because the Seattle Mariners are trying to get to know one another.
With so many new faces in camp, catchers are catching two and three pitchers in the bullpen each day.
Who did veteran Miguel Olivo catch on Day One?
“I caught the left-hander, Lucas Luetge, and that right-hander … ” Olivo said Monday, fighting to recall a name that wouldn’t come.
Similarly, some of the pitchers weren’t certain which catcher they’d thrown to.
“It’s like the first day of school,” catcher Adam Moore said. “You’re catching guys and you’re not sure what they throw or how they throw it, and they don’t know us yet, either.”
“It’s a learning process,” manager Eric Wedge said. “Everyone will get to know everyone else, then the position players will come in and we’ll have to start over a little.”
Someone mentioned to Olivo that there were more than 20 new pitchers in camp with Seattle this spring, and 16 of them left-handers.
“Tell me about it!” Olivo said, laughing.
LEFTIES START SLOWLY
A day after his first bullpen session, left-hander George Sherrill didn’t throw – not even playing catch before taking part in defensive drills.
Concerned?
“I’m fine, we’re just going to let me get ready a little more slowly,” Sherrill said. “There’s only so many bullets in this gun, so why waste them? I’ll take a few days off, throw again. I’m OK, really.”
Wedge agreed.
“He’s a left-hander who takes the ball, and with our veteran relievers, there’s no need to get them ready too soon. It’s different with starting pitchers – they need to stretch out, build innings.
“George is fine.”
As with Sherrill, 34, the Mariners are easing another left-hander, Hong-Chih Kuo, through early camp.
“He was dominant a couple of years ago, had some injuries last year and we’re going to take time with him,” Wedge said. “The main thing is to keep him healthy. He feels good and has a great opportunity here.”
KELLEY’S HIGHLIGHT
Shawn Kelley was delighted to see himself on television when ESPN ran footage of the Mariners, the only team to have opened camp so far.
“They were trying to get video of me in the bullpen, but they only got part of my head,” Kelley said. “They got all of Felix (Hernandez), but only because I kept moving too fast. I’m sure they were pretty disappointed.”
SHORT HOPS
Bullpen coach Jaime Navarro is feeling like a mother hen who’s lost her chicks. All last season, home and on the road, he roomed with pitcher Michael Pineda, who was traded to the Yankees. “Yeah, I miss him,” Navarro said. “He’s a great kid. We stay in touch. Everyone here wishes him the best, and living with him all last year, he was like family.” … Hernandez has been making sure to introduce himself to many of the young pitchers in camp, and was asked if he remembered veterans doing the same with him in his first spring. “Man, that was a long time ago,” Felix said. “Joel Piñeiro introduced himself to me first.” … Hisashi Iwakuma threw his first bullpen session, with Wedge and pitching coach Carl Willis watching closely. … When pitchers began fielding drills, covering first base on ground balls to the right side of the infield, they had real infielders helping out. Dustin Ackley, Nick Franklin, Justin Smoak, Mike Carp, Brendan Ryan and Kyle Seager got work at first base, fielding ground balls, then feeding the pitchers covering the bag.
larry.larue@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/mariners
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.