G-Man Comes With G-Force Big, Strong Hill Plans On Becoming Permanent Left Fielder For Mariners
Glenallen Hill demonstrated his attention to detail as he examined eight new bats, all painted black, and put them on a food scale.
How much each weighs determines how it will be used. Some become game bats, others are destined for batting practice.
But whether any of them are in the bat rack at the Kingdome for the regular-season opener on March 31 depends on how many hits each produces during the Mariners’ Cactus League season, which begins Friday.
The powerfully built Hill, with massive arms, broad shoulders and a thick chest, is the leading candidate to become the Mariners’ starting left fielder. If successful, the “G-man” will become the 53rd player to man the position since Ken Griffey Jr. became the everyday center fielder in 1989. Only twice since 1987 has the same player started and finished a regular season in left field.
None of that concerns Hill.
“I don’t care about the history of left field,” he said defiantly. “I’m here trying to be the left fielder when the season starts.”
Mariners left fielders have come and gone at a staggering pace the past 11 years. The long list includes Greg Briley, Marc Newfield, Ken Griffey Sr., Jeffrey Leonard, Vince Coleman and, more recently, Jose Cruz Jr.
Cruz was supposed to fill the position for many years. But he joined the alumni list last July when the Mariners, in dire need of bullpen help, traded the heralded rookie to the Toronto Blue Jays for relievers Mike Timlin and Paul Spoljaric.
Many Mariner fans still consider the dealing of the former No. 1 draft choice a huge blunder by the front office.
Perhaps Hill, 32, can make everyone forget about Cruz.
And the others.
The right-handed hitter arrives in Seattle after big-league stops in Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago (Cubs) and San Francisco, toting a resume that includes a .263 career batting average, 188 home runs and 415 RBIs in 821 games. His best season was in ‘96 with the Giants, when he batted .280, hit 19 home runs and drove in 67 runs in 98 games.
Watching him rocket baseballs into the gaps and over the fence during batting practice here makes you wonder why Hill has had so much difficulty finding a home.
“I will take him back any day,” Giants left fielder Barry Bonds said Monday in Scottsdale, Ariz. “Just look at him. His body speaks for itself. G-man is so strong he’ll hit the back wall of that Dome a few times. He is going to be just fine in Seattle.”
Added Giants hitting coach Gene Clines: “I don’t think Glenallen has a clue as to how strong he really is. The people in Seattle are going to see him hit some line drives they’ll be talking about for a long time.”
Giants fans mostly talked about Hill’s shoddy defense last season. An erratic glove - nine errors and league-low .947 fielding percentage among outfielders with at least 150 total chances - cost him his starting job with the Giants and led to baseball’s unemployment line.
Hill blames the Candlestick Park playing conditions, and others agree.
“It might have been unfair to Glenallen to take him out of the lineup,” Giants manager Dusty Baker said, “but playing right field at Candlestick is unfair for anyone.”
A blinding sun during day games and swirling winds at night caused Hill to lose confidence in his defensive ability - not to mention fan favor.
“He played a lot better defensively on the road than at home,” Baker said. “Once you mess up at home, fans get on you and you become apprehensive and nervous. It was tough.”
Despite a strong offensive finish, batting .312 with nine doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs in the final 60 games, Hill’s glove and $1.7 million salary made him expendable after three years in San Francisco.
Three teams made offers and Hill accepted the Mariner proposal, a $320,000 one-year contract and an invitation to spring training as a non-roster player.
“Jackie Robinson didn’t play for money,” Hill said of the $1.4 million salary cut. “I know that’s probably not a popular attitude, but I have played this game long enough to take care of my family financially.
Taking care of himself on the field became more important.
“I had a chance to go to other clubs,” Hill said. “But Seattle had a spot open, and I’m not ready to play part time. It came down to where I felt I fit in the best.”
Going into the Cactus League games, manager Lou Piniella says the left field starting job basically is Hill’s to lose.
“Spring training will tell us what happens in left field, but I envision Glenallen starting the season out there and batting seventh in our lineup,” Piniella said.
The Mariners have two backup options. If Hill stumbles, Rich Amaral and Rob Ducey can share the position on a platoon basis, or rookie Shane Monahan can win the job if he has a productive exhibition season.
But first impressions this spring have been favorable for Hill.
“He’s always been a big, strong kid, and I’m impressed with the way he works,” Piniella said. “He really has been working hard and is quicker than I expected. It’s going to take some work to make the adjustments necessary for moving from right to left.”
Lee Pelekoudas, M’s assistant general manager, said the scouting reports on Hill indicate he has gone backward defensively. But whether the reason is Candlestick Park or diminishing talent is subject for debate.
Either way, Mariners outfield coach Sam Mejias says he will do what is necessary this spring to make Hill a better outfielder.
“Being from the other league, I don’t know about his history,” Mejias said. “I’ll watch him for a few days and see where he needs help, then sit down and talk to him about working on certain areas. Whatever has to be done, we’ll do it.”
Mejias has been successful turning mediocre defensive outfielders into steady defenders. Cruz, for example, needed a lot of work last spring. Amaral, a converted second baseman, was even more of a challenge.
“The first two weeks after we put Richie out there, we had our doubts,” Mejias said. “But now, he’s a very good outfielder.”
The outfield coach says the biggest adjustment is reacting to the ball coming off the bat - the spin is different for a right fielder - and a left fielder has less time to react.
Bonds says playing defense in the Kingdome should be much easier than at Candlestick.
“I would tell him to play on the warning track and catch everything in front of him,” Bonds said. “He’s not that bad of a fielder, but he got a bad rap (in San Francisco). I have seen a lot of guys lose fly balls in right field.”
Until Hill proves he can do a decent job in the field, Piniella says the plan is to insert either Amaral or Ducey late in games for defensive purposes.
While he’s in the Mariners lineup, Hill definitely will add punch to an already potent offense, Bonds promises.
“We’ve had a pretty good lineup, but he is going to be in a lineup even better than ours,” Bonds said. “With guys like Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Ken Griffey Jr. around him, G-man could put up some big numbers.”
Training camp notes
The rains blew into the Peoria, Ariz., camp and shortened the Mariners’ workout, though it didn’t affect Photo Day. All batting practice and pitching took place in the covered cages as the grounds crew scrambled to get tarps on the main practice field.
The first game of spring will be an intrasquad affair that begins today at 11 a.m., although most regulars won’t be in either lineup. While the game is going on, players like Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Dan Wilson and Dave Segui will take extra batting practice on another field.
More than a dozen photo crews were on hand before workouts began to get shots of the 1998 Seattle Mariners - and they got all but three players in camp. Non-roster invitee Jarod Juelsgaard, a 29-year-old right-handed pitcher, was sent home sick and missed the session. Griffey, who had posed just once in the past three years, passed. And Randy Johnson declined to participate - showing up well after the sessions began and just before he was due on the field…. Expect the first cuts of camp to come by midweek next week, and cut the in-camp total from 58 players to about 46.
MEMO: Cut in Spokane edition