Young Unit Meets Big Unit

Not only does Seattle’s No.1 draft pick Ryan Anderson resemble Mariners ace Randy Johnson in height at 6-foot-10, and velocity with a 95-mph fastball, but he also has the intimidation factor down.

“I always stare down the batter when he’s walking up to the batter’s box,” said Anderson, who visited the Mariners clubhouse prior to Friday’s game at Tiger Stadium. “Most of the time, I’m sure it works. I don’t know what they’re thinking but if they’re trying to stare back, I give them a high inside fastball and that shows them what they should be thinking about.”

Anderson had time to visit the Mariners and Johnson Friday. He will be pitching for nearby Divine Child High School in the Michigan state high school regional playoffs Saturday. He has a 5-2 record. His two losses were due more to errors than his pitching, a 2-0 one-hitter and a 4-2 loss in which all four runs were unearned.

Johnson talked to Anderson for several minutes in the clubhouse and offered advice.

“He told me, ‘You’ve just got to stick with it and keep on working,”’ Anderson said. “And to keep in mind it’s not going to come to me because I’m a first-rounder.”

The “Big Unit” also had some other advice. Get a new nickname.

“Randy wants me to have a new nickname,” said Anderson, who was tabbed by scouts as the Young Unit. “He was quoted as calling me the Puppy Unit. I’m sure he was being a bit facetious.”

Anderson, who has made a oral commitment to the University of Michigan, says he fully expects to sign a professional contract after the high school playoffs.

“I expect, once I sign, to go to rookie ball in Peoria, get out of there as quick as I can, go to A, AA, AAA and hopefully get up here in the next year or two,” Anderson said. “Right now, I don’t know what’s going on. Hopefully we’ll get something done shortly so I can get going.”

Notes

The Mariners are 22-11 in games started by left-handers this year. … Seattle’s 14 runs Thursday equaled a season high. … The 17 hits against Detroit Thursday were the most the Tigers had given up in a game.

Coming up

Bob Wolcott (2-3, 5.95) matches up with the Tigers’ promising lefty Justin Thompson (5-4, 3.09) at 4:05 p.m.