Mariners Reassign Griffey’s Brother And Pitcher Suzuki

All Mac Suzuki wants to do now is to pitch a full year without pain.

“It doesn’t matter where I pitch,” the 20-year-old right-hander said Monday. “I just want to keep throwing and keep healthy.”

Virtually unable to pitch the past two baseball seasons because of tendinitis in his right elbow and shoulder, Suzuki was among five players cut by the Seattle Mariners.

“I think he’ll be a fine major-league pitcher, but I can’t give you a time frame,” manager Lou Piniella said. “He has the size, the makeup, the work habits and good physical ability.”

Suzuki was optioned to Triple-A Tacoma along with left-hander Sal Urso and catcher Raul Ibanez.

Craig Griffey, Ken Griffey Jr.’s younger brother, was reassigned to the Mariners’ minor-league camp and right-hander Dean Crow was optioned to Double-A Port City.

In addition, the Mariners placed starting pitcher Greg Hibbard on the 60-day disabled list. Hibbard, 31, is recovering from 1994 rotator-cuff surgery on his left shoulder and did not pitch last season or this spring.

Griffey, 24, became a switch-hitter last season and hit only .177 in 96 games in Port City. In three spring games, he batted .125 (1 for 8) with one RBI and three strikeouts.

He said he expects to rejoin his six-time All-Star brother in the majors, but he doesn’t know when. He said his older brother was more disappointed by the demotion than he was.

Piniella pointed out Griffey had been a football player first.

“He’s improving,” Piniella said. “Remember, he didn’t play high school baseball. Now, he needs to get into a situation where he gets a lot of playing time.”

Griffey played football at Ohio State before signing with the Mariners in 1991, when he was picked in the 42nd round of the June draft.

He said it was hard playing in his brother’s shadow.

“I want people to come up to me and say Craig, not Ken’s little brother,” he said. “But actually, I don’t think that’s going to happen.”

Monday’s cuts and the move of Hibbard to the disabled list left 39 players in the Mariners’ spring camp. They still must trim 14 players by their March 31 opening night game against Chicago in Seattle.

Mariners 5, Cubs 4

In Mesa, Griffey Jr. had an RBI double, scored a run and made a diving catch in center field to lead Seattle past Chicago.

Griffey’s double tied the game during a four-run seventh inning in which the Mariners rallied from a 3-1 deficit against Tanyon Sturtze.

The Cubs got a run in the bottom of the ninth on a homer by Brian Dorsett against Salomon Torres. But Torres retired the side for the save.

Mariners starter Randy Johnson allowed three runs in four innings.

Ryne Sandberg was 1 for 2 with an RBI double for the Cubs.