Masked Mariners: Seattle spends July 4 adjusting to new safety protocols in practice
Seattle Mariners’ manager Scott Servais couldn’t think of the last time he wasn’t involved in a baseball game on the 4th of July.
“I don’t think it’s ever happened,” Servais said in his early-morning press conference from T-Mobile Park on a Zoom call with reporters. “That’s a great question.”
The Mariners, instead, were in day two of their ‘Summer Camp’ practice session, ramping up for a return to a shortened MLB season amid the coronavirus pandemic toward the end of the month.
“I said to someone last night that it’s too bad we weren’t able to open up our season today,” Servais said. “I think it would’ve been awesome if it all could’ve come together and would’ve really been a rallying point for everyone around our country. It’s something we certainly need right now.”
Servais lamented the loss of family gatherings on this year’s bizarre Independence Day, the loss of cookouts, and of course, the absence of baseball.
“Around all those other things, baseball always weaved its way in there,” Servais said. “It was on the radio, watching a game on TV, how’s the local club doing? You’re playing as a kid, you’re at a youth tournament — baseball has always been weaved into the 4th of July. So luckily, we get to get out onto the field today and work out, but it’s not the same as playing a game.”
Friday marked the first day of the Summer Camp, which meant the first day of a ‘new normal,’ — players wearing face masks, social distancing, sanitizing, etc. For the most part, Servais said he thought things went smoothly.
“It’s a change,” Servais said. “It’s different.”
There were a few kinks to work out. Servais said he realized how many people were gathered closely around the batting cages at one point. With four or five hitters in a group, hitting coaches, video folks, it can get crowded quickly.
“Before you look up, you’ve got 18 people standing in an area that we shouldn’t be in,” Servais said. “So we have to make a few adjustments there. But I think the pitchers have done a good job with it. They all go in, get their three throwing balls that they’re going to throw with and get their long toss in. Everyone is making adjustments. We’ll probably feel better about it 10 days in.”
Servais said he feels the team and coaching staff are taking the situation seriously. With a 60-game season, staying healthy and continually testing negative for the virus is paramount to fielding a competitive team this season.
“I’ve addressed it with the team,” Servais said. “It’s really, really important — the personal decisions you make not only affect you, they affect your teammates. It’s about being a good teammate. And you affect that teammate’s family.
“You will see a few teams that will be severely affected by it and you can imagine, if you lose two or three of your starting pitchers, or a couple of your catchers, now you’re digging deep into that taxi squad and are playing guys that maybe don’t have much experience and aren’t quite ready to compete at this level.”
He has leaned on some of the team’s veterans — like third baseman Kyle Seager and pitcher Marco Gonzales — to keep the team’s rookies in check.
“I think the safest place right now is in the bubble at T-Mobile,” Servais said. “Once you walk in here, the protocols that are put into place — the masks, the sanitizers, how we’re doing everything is great. … But when you leave the ballpark, you have to keep the same mindset. Sometimes that’s hard for guys, but for myself, the coaching staff, I know Seager is talking to a lot of guys. Marco is on the same page. We have to do the right thing. Impressing on the younger players, pay attention when you leave the ballpark.”
OTHER NOTES
- Pitcher Justin Dunn threw a live bullpen session Saturday morning. With the Mariners planning to feature a six-man rotation this season, the 24-year-old right-handed pitcher will have a chance to make an impact on the big-league team this year.
“It’s a big year for Justin, like it is a lot of our young players,” Servais said. “He knows what’s ahead of him. I think the fact that we’re going to go with a six-man rotation frees him up to be a part of that rotation, gives him an opportunity to hopefully make 10 starts, stay healthy and we find out more about him and he finds out more about himself and the adjustments he need.”
- Mariners’ top prospect Jarred Kelenic looks to have put on some size during the time off.
“He looked great,” Servais said. “For anyone that’s been around Jared, they know how serious he is about his game and working to get better all the time.”
Along the same lines, Servais said he felt everyone looked in shape upon their return to T-Mobile Park.
“I think the way the ball was jumping out of the ballpark during some of these guys’ BP yesterday, they certainly have been swinging a lot,” Servais said. “They’ve been in the cages, they’ve been able to get outside a lot. Some of the guys have had multiple live AB’s against some pitchers they knew back home or whatever. Some of the guys are much farther along than I anticipated they might be.”
This story was originally published July 4, 2020 at 11:39 AM.
