Cruz Won’t Be Left Out For Long
It may not come as soon as the next homestand, nor in the next few weeks, but very soon the Seattle Mariners will have a new left fielder - rookie Jose Cruz Jr.
When the Mariners needed an outfielder to replace the injured Lee Tinsley last week, they took Tacoma Raniers outfielder Rob Ducey, not Cruz, and part of the reason was motivational.
“I think it was a bit of a wakeup call for the youngster,” manager Lou Piniella said of the 23-year-old Cruz. “He’s hit a little more since we made the move.”
No move is imminent, and the Mariners say they will rely on the reports of the Rainiers to determine when Cruz is ready. But one of the reasons they want Cruz in Seattle sooner rather than later is to find out what they have - and what they might need the last few months of the 1997 season.
“If Jose is ready, great,” one coach said Saturday. “But if he’s not, and that’s clear, we have to find out soon so we can know whether we need to look for a veteran outfielder for the stretch drive.”
Two immediate problems prevent the move now. First, Cruz has improved recently but is hardly overwhelming Class AAA pitching, hitting .268 when play began this weekend. And second, there’s no room for him.
Still carrying 11 pitchers, the Mariners are considering going to a 10-man staff, keeping Ducey as a reserve outfielder and making Rich Amaral a utility man capable of providing versatility, speed and batting punch off the bench.
If the team doesn’t go with 10 pitchers, either Ducey or a middle infielder - possibly veteran Alvaro Espinoza - would have to be moved to make room for Cruz.
“If I could use a 26-man roster, we’d be in great shape,” Piniella said. “Everyone is doing their job, they’re filling roles, the chemistry is good. But we’re going to get the kid up here just as soon as he’s ready. He can’t be struggling, he’s got to be hot. But the time is coming.”
Notes
Joey Cora homered and doubled in his first two at-bats Saturday and tied the club record for consecutive hits (eight), shared by Harold Reynolds (1988), Darnell Coles (‘88) and Ken Griffey Jr. (‘89)… . Edgar Martinez singled to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, longest in the American League this season… . Griffey’s eighth-inning RBI was his 40th of the season, in Seattle’s 34th game… . Jay Buhner, struggling in the throes of a slump and batting just .217, was given the day off against Scott Kamieniecki - a right-hander against whom Buhner was 4 for 24 in his career. Buhner will start today… . With three more stolen bases Saturday the Mariners have stolen 26 bases this season in 34 attempts.
Coming up
Seattle and Baltimore conclude their four-game series with a 10:35 a.m. (PST) game to be televised on TCI cable channel 25. Probable starting pitchers: Dennis Martinez (1-2, 5.75) vs. Scott Erickson (5-1, 2.89).