Into Spotlight, Rodriguez Now Casts His Own Shadow

You still can get a laugh by suggesting that shortstop Alex Rodriguez could one day mean as much to the Seattle Mariners as his star teammate, Ken Griffey Jr.

Rodriguez has played in the shadows for all of his professional career, and nothing is likely to change in the near future.

But you could say Rodriguez, who won’t be 21 until July 27, is moving along just as fast as Junior, now a sage veteran at 26.

How so? Well, Griffey was a No. 1 draft choice in 1987 at the age of 17 and became a regular outfielder for the Mariners in his third season. Rodriguez was selected right out of Westminster High School of Miami in the first round of the 1993 draft. Today he is considered one of the anchors of the Mariners’ future.

Fittingly, he bats in the No. 2 slot, just ahead of Griffey.

“I feel very fortunate to be in this organization,” Rodriguez will tell you without much prompting. “After all, not too many organizations would bring up a 20-year-old in a pennant race. I’ve learned. I’ve had a pretty good minor league career. Now I’m looking forward to a good major league career.”

Rodriguez was to start at shortstop tonight against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

He made his major league debut on July 8, 1994, at 18. One day later, Rodriguez collected his first major-league hit and stole his first major-league base, off Sergio Valdez. The Mariners knew he wasn’t ready, though, and sent him back to Triple A a month later. But they’d seen enough to be convinced of his future.

For sure, Griffey had more raw talent in his third pro season. Growing up in the major league parks where his father played gave Griffey a natural edge. But that is not to say that one day Rodriguez, a first-team high school All-American and USA Baseball Junior Player of the Year, could not be just as productive in his own way.

Rodriguez is still lean at 6 feet 3 inches, 190 pounds. He still lacks experience, though playing 48 games last year for Seattle after hitting .360 at Tacoma did a world of good for his confidence.

After just 27 games, Rodriguez already has more home runs (8) and runs batted in (31) than he had in the 48 games last year. He got into only two games during Seattle’s dramatic 1995 postseason run, but he showed enough promise in the closing months of the march to the American League West title and then again in spring training to convince manager Lou Piniella he could be the man for all season.

Now before you get to the powerful middle of the order - Griffey, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and Paul Sorrento - there is a quick bat in the lineup, a guy who stole 90 bases in 100 high school games. His rapid development is much appreciated by those who follow Rodriguez in the order.

“Now that they have put him second, he’s going to get pitches to hit,” said Griffey. “Right now he doesn’t know what he can hit, what he can’t hit, what he should lay off. But he’ll learn. He just has to go up there swinging.”

The man behind all this is Piniella. He has no fear of using young players.

“Rodriguez can play,” said Piniella. “He’s the most improved kid we’ve had here in recent years. From about the middle of spring training, he’s really turned it on, and now he looks like a major-league hitter. He performs like a major-league hitter. A little experience, a little maturity and finally something sticks in.”

The Mariners wanted to use Rodriguez in the No. 2 slot last year, but with Griffey out for 2-1/2 months with a wrist injury, the club was in a pinch for runs, so Piniella went with veterans Vince Coleman and Joey Cora at the top of the order. Coleman did not return for the 1996 season. Cora is hitting under .220. Rodriguez totes a lofty .347 average into Fenway, but Piniella thinks he needs to see more good pitches to hone his skills.

“Actually, the No. 2 spot is a good place for young hitters to learn to play baseball the winning way,” said Piniella. “There you’ve got to do a little of everything - power, hit-and-run, work the pitcher, etc.

“Still, I look for him one day to hit in the middle of the lineup.”

Rodriguez is mindful of the challenge that awaits him. After trading veterans Tino Martinez and Mike Blowers, the Mariners are not deep, and he must stay healthy. He earned his chance through hard work, and he knows he must keep it up if he and the Mariners are to be successful.

“It’s almost night and day from when I first came up in 1994 and now,” said Rodriguez. “I’ve tried to be more mature at it. I want to be somebody who can do the little things and help the team win.

“Last year was probably the most significant part of my maturing stage. To go through the playoffs and be a part of it was great. Even though I didn’t play that much, being there watching playoff intensity kind of showed me how to prepare myself for the games and what it really takes to win.”

Rodriguez freely admits he’s a long way from being the player the Mariners think he can be. But he’s working on it.

“Junior and Edgar and Jay have helped me out tremendously. They’re in my ear every day letting me know that everybody is going to be OK. We’re all part of a good nucleus of young players and veterans, many of whom are signed to long-term deals. We’re all growing together. I feel happy to be one of those guys.”