There Are No Knocks On Woody These Days

Woody Woodward swings a golf club more often than a baseball bat these days, but as the Seattle Mariners opened the first American League Championship Series in franchise history, the general manager looked back at a season in which he went 5 for 6.

“This team was due for a little good luck,” Woodward said. “We’ve got good baseball people, and this season we had a little luck, too.”

Consider that beginning in spring training, Woodward and Co. added six players to the Mariners team - and five of them had a significant impact on getting Seattle into the postseason.

The six: second baseman Joey Cora, utilityman Doug Strange, pitcher Tim Belcher, outfielder Vince Coleman, pitcher Andy Benes and catcher Chad Kreuter.

All but Kreuter paid dividends in 1995.

“I’ve had deals with bigger impact, like acquiring Randy Johnson,” Woodward said, “and I’ve had deals that were mistakes, like the Kevin Mitchell trade. I don’t know that I’ve ever gone 5 for 6 in one season before.”

Cora, signed as a free agent in April, batted .297 in 120 games, stole 18 bases and had 39 RBIs.

Strange, signed late in March, hit .271 in 74 games and batted .313 as a pinch hitter.

Belcher was acquired in a May 15 trade with Cincinnati for pitcher Roger Salkeld and was 10-12 in 28 starts.

Benes came in a July 31 trade with San Diego for Ron Villone and Marc Newfield, went 7-2 in his 12 starts - and the team went 10-2 in those games.

Coleman arrived in the trade of Jim Converse to Kansas City on Aug. 15, batted .290 with Seattle and helped the Mariners to a 28-15 mark over the final six weeks.

Kreuter, a reserve catcher signed when Seattle decided not to make an offer to another free agent - Mickey Tettleton - batted .227 in 26 games and finished his season in Class AAA Tacoma.

“Given the fact we won the division in a one-game playoff, it’s pretty obvious we might not have gotten here without any one of those guys,” manager Lou Piniella said.

“One thing you’re never certain of when you add five players in how they’ll work into the team’s personality,” Woodward said. “All our guys fit in beautifully.”

Walking wounded coaches

The Mariners got to the ALCS in good health, but the coaches are dropping one after another.

After the 11-inning victory Sunday, third-base coach Sam Perlozzo - who waved home Ken Griffey Jr. with the winning run - strained a calf muscle in the ensuing celebration. He’s undergone two days of treatment and still walks gingerly.

Batting coach Lee Elia is worse. An off-day series of tests Monday found a tear in Elia’s right rotator cuff, and if he wants to throw batting practice again he’ll need off-season surgery and months of rehabilitation.

All of the coaches are signed through Nov. 1 - none has been officially been asked back. None has had a raise in their three years in Seattle.

A fun job

Outfielder Jay Buhner was asked what it was like to be in the postseason, at last.

“Is it fun to come to the ballpark? Hell, you get home and hurry to sleep because you can’t wait for the chance to wake up and come play another game,” he said. “All of us have been coming early and leaving late. Nobody can get enough of this.”

Turn it up

The starting pitcher tonight for Cleveland is hopeful Kingdome fans will make as much noise today as they did Sunday night when he watched them on television.

“I love the noise,” Orel Hershiser said before the game Tuesday. The volume turns it into an almost peaceful feeling, like an ocean, a roar that lets you be with yourself and really concentrate.”

Noise is supposed to rattle visiting players, but Hershiser has been through more trials than most big-league players - from championships to potential career-ending surgeries. He said he’d be more uncomfortable pitching in front of a small crowd.

“It would bother me to pitch in Pittsburgh before 3,000 fans when that guy above the dugout is right in your ear and you hear everything he says,” Hershiser said. “This kind of noise is good, it all blends in together.”

Hershiser is impressed with the outpouring of support shown by Seattle fans in recent weeks. But he says, it still doesn’t compare with Cleveland.

“I think baseball for this city (Seattle) might have been saved this year because of what’s happening with the Mariners, the wild card race and them winning the A.L. West,” Hershiser said. “It’s just fantastic to see these fans come out in droves the last few weeks.

What you’re seeing in the last three weeks has been happening in Cleveland for the last two years. For Seattle to think that they are overtaking Cleveland in any way as far as fan support, I think they’ll have to do it for a little longer time.”

Pop-ups

Mike Blowers had gone 3 for 18 in the Division Series against the Yankees, but it wasn’t the first time he’d homered against Cleveland. On July 27, Blowers had two home runs and five RBIs against Cleveland in a game that Tim Belcher went the distance in a 11-5 Seattle victory. Prior to tonight he had three homers and nine RBIs in the nine games against Cleveland.

Though much was made of the Mariners’ starting 22-year-old rookie Bob Wolcott, outfielder Vince Coleman put the matter in perspective. “He’s no kid, he’s a man,” Coleman said. “He can vote. He can drink. He can pitch, too.”

When Boston lost its division series to Cleveland, Jose Canseco and Mo Vaughn were a combined 0 for 27. “If Junior and Edgar Martinez go 0 for 27, we won’t win, either,” Piniella said.

Good omen? On the day the Mariners began their first ALCS, former Seattle catcher Scott Bradley and his wife had their second son, Kyle Abbott.

This is the 26th American League Championship Series since play began in 1969 when Baltimore beat Minnesota in what was then a five-game series. The Mariners and Indians are playing in the 10th anniversary of the seven game ALCS format, with the West having won six of the series.

Prior to the game Tuesday, the Mariners had won 16 of their previous 19 games in the Kingdome.

The single by Cleveland’s Manny Ramirez in the third ended an 0-for-13 skid in the postseason.

Even by watching the Division Series between the Mariners and New York Yankees on television, Indians manager Mike Hargrove could tell the Kingdome was extremely noisy. “I was here one time as a player when they had ‘Beach Towel Day,’ Hargrove said. “The place was jam-packed and I was at the plate when they were doing the wave with these big, white beach towels. I think this is a very big advantage for the home team here because of the noise, the energy and the enthusiasm that the fans bring to this ballpark, just like our fans do at our ballpark.”