Understanding Sanders Disappointed He Didn’t Pitch Better

Scott Sanders joined the Seattle Mariners in an off-season trade for Sterling Hitchcock and fully expected to make a big contribution to a playoff run.

Instead, having first not had much success as a starter and then being really homer-friendly to opponents out of the bullpen, Sanders was traded to Detroit on Friday.

“I didn’t really do what I expected out of myself,” said Sanders, who will move back to a starting role with the Tigers, starting Sunday. “I did everything they asked of me. I’m not happy with the way I pitched. I went out there every day they asked me to pitch and put what I had out on the line, some days that worked and some it didn’t.”

Sanders leaves with a 3-6 record and 6.47 earned-run average.

“I was hoping to do whatever I could to help this team get to the World Series,” he said. “I’ve felt good the last four, five, six weeks. I felt like I was just getting to the point where I could really help this team.”

Maybe the most help he could provide, though, was in trade value.

“I knew these guys were looking for some pitching help and I was one of the guys they thought they could give away,” Sanders said. “You can’t take anything in baseball personal. To me, they never got to see the Scott Sanders that I’ve been in the past. They saw they could go out and get two pitchers for me. If that’s what they think is going to take them to the next level, they’ve got to do what they think is best for the team.”

Sanders was expected to be the No. 4 starter when the season began, but mechanical problems caused him difficulties and the bullpen needed a boost.

“I’d rather be a starter, but Lou thought that for this team, I was better for the team in the bullpen,” Sanders said. “I respect that. I wanted to do everything to help this team move on and do whatever it took to get to the next level. I’m going probably in a backward step to Detroit. You’ve got to take the good with the bad. I’m going to go there and do everything I can to help Detroit to get the respect that the Seattle Mariners have in baseball.”

Coming up

Seattle native Glendon Rusch (3-5, 5.44 ERA) is the scheduled starter for Kansas City tonight at 7:05. He’ll oppose Bob Wolcott (5-4, 5.26). The game will be televised by Fox Sports Northwest.