‘Randy Is Back’ After Solid Outing For Mariners
Coming off the field after the second inning, catcher Dan Wilson stopped to talk to manager Lou Piniella about the Seattle Mariners’ starting pitcher Saturday.
“Randy is back,” Wilson told Piniella.
Piniella beamed.
Looking sharp in his third appearance of the spring, Randy Johnson pitched three innings, and the line in the box score wasn’t nearly indicative of the performance: four hits, three runs, two walks, four strikeouts.
On a 55-pitch limit, Johnson held the Milwaukee Brewers scoreless for the first three innings, striking out four of the first seven men he faced and allowing one hit. Entering the fourth inning, Johnson seemed to tire. He gave up two hits, a walk and a run.
Johnson left, and both the runners he’d allowed to reach base scored a moment later when reliever Bob Wolcott gave up a three-run home run.
“This just confirmed what we already knew, Randy is healthy again,” Piniella said. “He was really letting the ball go, and Danny said it had life on it today. He got a little tired in the end, but he felt fine. He’ll get stronger and stronger from here on.”
Edgar Martinez homered twice as the Mariners defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 11-5 in a Cactus League game.
At the close of business hours on Friday, the Mariners had sold 1.63 million tickets for the ‘97 season, guaranteeing Seattle the sixth-highest season attendance in franchise history if no other tickets are sold. They even sold 835 tickets through the Internet.
Left-hander Greg Hibbard, who acknowledged last week his career was over, was placed on the 60-day disabled list Saturday - and will now be the team’s unofficial batting practice pitcher.
Brent Gates, a free-agent infielder following his release by the Oakland Athletics, was signed by the Mariners.
Gates, 27, a .272 lifetime switch-hitter, was cut by Oakland on Tuesday and cleared waivers Friday. He spent more than half of last season on the disabled list with a broken bone in his left leg after hitting .263 with 19 doubles in 64 games.
He has played second and first base and is viewed as a potential right-handed backup at second and third.
Black Jack’s back
The fastball still has pop. The splitter is diving like a wiffle ball.
Black Jack McDowell looks like he’s back.
The Cleveland Indians thought McDowell was the final ingredient they needed to win the World Series last year. They gave him $4.7 million, sent him to the mound and watched the worst year of his career unfold.
This spring, McDowell looks like his old self. He’s 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA, allowing 14 hits in 14 innings. Only strikeouts are missing; McDowell has only four.
Deion struggles in comeback
When the Cincinnati Reds’ leadoff hitter was introduced to the home crowd Saturday, Deion Sanders heard an undertone of boos poking through the cheers.
When he swung through Houston pitcher Darryl Kile’s first pitch, Sanders heard applause.
“I’ve been having a great time, really enjoying myself with the guys,” Sanders said Saturday, reflecting on his comeback. “Everything’s been great - except the fans.
Until the past few days, Sanders hadn’t done much to win them over. In his first 11 games, Sanders went only 5 for 30 (.167) with two walks and seven strikeouts and an onbase percentage of .219.
Fielder withdraws demand
Cecil Fielder withdrew his trade demand at 11:59 p.m. EST Saturday 1 minute before the deadline - and decided to remain with the New York Yankees and keep his $7.2 million salary rather than become a free agent.
Fielder, worried about playing time this year and wanting a contract extension, filed the trade demand following the World Series - a right given to veterans dealt during multiyear contracts.
Because the Yankees said they couldn’t work out a trade, Fielder would have become a free agent if he hadn’t withdrawn the demand Saturday.
Injury report
An Anaheim team already besieged with injuries took another major hit Saturday when Chuck Finley was struck below the right eye by an errant bat during batting practice at Tempe, Ariz. Finley, the team’s projected opening-day starter, was taken to Scottsdale Memorial Hospital, where a CAT scan revealed a broken bone below the eye. Nineteen stitches were needed to close the cut… . Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, who hadn’t played in almost a week, left Saturday’s game in the sixth inning after being hit by a pitch.