Mariners Welcome New Faces Aboard, Get To Work

It was, Russ Davis, admitted, a lot like the first day of school.

“I showed up and didn’t know anybody,” he said. “I just want to fit in.”

Rookie Davis, acquired in an off-season trade, wasn’t alone Tuesday, when the Seattle Mariners held their first day of full-squad workouts - and more than a dozen players had to spend at least art of their day introducing themselves.

Youngsters like Shane Monahan and Jose Cruz Jr. and new Mariners like Davis and Paul Sorrento shook nearly as many hands as they took swings. It was a day for first meetings, broken bats and smiles, and manager Lou Piniella seemed to enjoy it as much as any of his players.

“After a week of just pitchers and catchers, things bog down a little,” Piniella said. “Getting everyone in camp brings the intensity level back up, and about the time it bogs down again, the games begin.”

Not quite 90 minutes after Piniella and his staff addressed the full team for the first time since October, position players were taking batting practice. And not against coaches - against pitchers who have had more than a week to get ready.

“I got two balls out of the batting cage,” Ken Griffey Jr. said, “That’s something to build on. Tomorrow I’ll get three out of the cage.”

Rookies like Cruz, Monahan and Andy Sheets hopped into the cage for their first hacks of the spring and found themselves facing Randy Johnson.

“I never faced anyone like this in college,” Monahan said.

For Piniella and his staff, this camp is about answering serious questions, and if Tuesday brought no solutions, at least it delivered the players upon whom the roster will be built.

“A year ago, there were trade rumors and we had to figure out who our shortstop was, who our left fielder was, who was in our rotation,” Piniella said. “This year there are more questions, but we have more potential, more choices. We had to give away jobs last spring. We won’t give them away this year.”

At issue this spring, he said, was whether Davis was ready to play third base every day in the major leagues; whether Sorrento would platoon or play every day - facing right- and left-handed pitching; the designation of a left fielder or a platoon system in left; the determination of the Seattle bench, rotation and bullpen.

“We’re strong in our first three spots in the bullpen: Norm Charlton, Bobby Ayala and Mike Jackson,” Piniella said. “We’re strong with our rotation if it’s Johnson, Bosio, Hitchcock and Wolcott. But beyond those pitchers, we’re open to see who wins jobs. And there might be a big surprise or two from a couple of our young kids.”

Medical update

Chris Bosio pitched 12 minutes of batting practice without problems from his surgically repaired right knee. “So far, so good,” Bosio said. “I’m trying to do everything everyone else does, the staff is trying to make sure I don’t overdo.”

Camp notes

Catcher Chris Widger signed a contract for the ‘96 season, leaving the Mariners with only six unsigned players. Seattle has said it will negotiate until March 2, and anyone unsigned by then will have their contract renewed at the club’s option. Dan Wilson and Bobby Ayala are the biggest names not yet on the dotted line; the others are Arquimedez Pozo, Edwin Hurtado, Salomon Torres and Bob Wolcott.