Full Mariners Squad Aboard As Team Gets Break From Rain
Spring training
The players and weather combined to make the opening of Camp McLaren a success.
All of the Seattle Mariners’ position players were present in Peoria, Ariz., on Thursday for the first day of workouts with the entire squad. Sunny skies in the morning allowed the Mariners to practice on the field for the first time since Tuesday’s workout was cut short by rain.
“We’ve been cooped up a little bit,” said bench coach John McLaren, who is in charge of coordinating the Mariners’ spring training camp for the first time.
“It was nice seeing everybody again. The field was a little damp, but I thought we got in a pretty good day.”
Seattle manager Lou Piniella said he was impressed.
“I was pleased with the way everybody reported in shape,” Piniella said. “So far everything’s running very well. It’s very organized. The players are adhering and working hard.”
The day began with a 9 a.m. meeting, in which the players were addressed by Piniella, CEO John Ellis and vice president of baseball operations Woody Woodward.
Piniella said he told the team “we have some unfinished business.” The Mariners won the A.L. West title last season, but were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Baltimore.
After warming up on the field, the Mariners first worked on infield drills. Jay Buhner was the star of batting practice, hitting several balls over the left-field wall, including one that nearly hit a delivery truck.
Negotiations take unusual turn
Two days after beating Jorge Fabregas in salary arbitration, the Arizona Diamondbacks surprised the catcher Thursday by giving him a $2.9 million, two-year contract.
An arbitration panel decided Tuesday that Fabregas would get $875,000 rather than his request for $1.5 million. Diamondbacks owner Jerry Colangelo then agreed to a contract that will pay him $1.05 million in 1998 and $1.85 million in 1999.
Joey Hamilton won his salary arbitration case against the Padres and will earn $3.25 million this season instead of the $2,375,000 San Diego had offered.
Pitcher’s auction delayed
Today’s auction of South Korean pitcher Sang-Hoon Lee has been postponed.
The 26-year-old left-hander showed up out of shape Wednesday for a showcase workout before about 50 scouts at Cerritos, Calif. The commissioner’s office announced that the auction had been put off indefinitely.
Umpire’s lawsuit thrown out
A lawsuit filed by a minor league baseball umpire who claimed he was fired because he is white has been dismissed because he waited too long to file the lawsuit.
Craig J. Compton should have filed suit against two minor leagues and the National League within six months rather than waiting 18 months to challenge his dismissal, a federal judge ruled.