M’S Find New Meaning In September Piniella Has Brought A Realization That Season Doesn’t End In August

He brought fire and passion and the credibility of a man who had won, but Lou Piniella brought the Seattle Mariners one more thing when he became their manager in 1993 - he brought them the month of September.

Not only had the month not been kind to the franchise in the team’s first 16 seasons, it had never really mattered.

“When the calendar flipped from August to September,” one team executive said this week, “the sports fans in the Northwest went from the Mariners to the Seahawks.”

And who could blame them? From 1977 through 1992, the club record for the month of September was 182-247 - 6-20 in 1992.

When the Mariners meet the San Diego Padres tonight in the Kingdome, they will take with them the knowledge that September has been their month under new management. Since that dismal ‘92 finish, the Mariners are 50-32 in the final month of the regular season.

“We used to play for the next year in September,” right fielder Jay Buhner said. “The last couple of years, September has been a lot more fun.”

What appears an endless stretch of summer baseball in April has now been whittled down to 24 games in the next 26 days - a sprint toward a possible American League West title and the chance to play in October.

“This is the time of year you wake up thinking about the game a little more,” pitcher Jamie Moyer said. “You feel a little more urgency.”

The Mariners’ charge from behind to their first division title in 1995 included a September that began with the team six games behind the California Angels. Seattle went 19-8 in the month to force a one-game playoff.

Last year, trailing Texas by 6-1/2 games on Sept. 1, the Mariners went 15-11 - and went home.

There is one significant difference for Seattle this season, because for the first time in franchise history, the Mariners began the month of September leading their division.

“The past couple of years, we’ve been in the position of chasing somebody,” Joey Cora said. “This year, they’re chasing us. Even when we won the last two years, we knew the team ahead of us had to lose or it didn’t matter. Now if we win, if we just play the way we can play, we don’t have to worry about anyone.”

One of the myths of baseball is that, in September, great teams pick up their games - play better than in any other month. It has happened, but not often.

“In my experience, teams can’t turn it on and off,” pitcher Mike Timlin said. “But what I’ve seen happen is that one or two players can do that, and when they do a whole team will feed off that.”

Entering September without their ace, Randy Johnson, who is sidelined by tendinitis in the little finger of his pitching hand, the eyes of Seattle fans naturally turn to stars like Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez and Buhner.

Griffey’s career average in September is .277 - his worst in any single month - but in the past two Septembers, he has combined for 17 home runs and 45 RBIs. And he’s certainly off to a nice September start this year, hitting two home runs and driving in four runs Monday in the Mariners’ win over San Diego.

Martinez is a .309 hitter in September, Rodriguez has batted .273 in the month and Buhner has a .252 batting average in September.

Toss the numbers, Piniella said.

“Every September is different, and what our players have done the last few years has made them better,” he said. “The first time you’re in a pennant race, it’s adrenaline. You learn how to handle the pressure situations, you find out what it takes.”

The Mariners have played all year for this final month of the regular season, for the chance to make a small division lead hold up and get a second chance at October.

“The race becomes more important, it’s in your mind every day when you come to the park,” said Timlin, who has been through pennant races in Toronto that led to three division titles and a pair of World Series rings. “The intensity increases, because there are fewer games left - you’re down to the last couple of weeks.”

The Mariners have arrived in September with the chance to prolong their year, and to a man they believe their manager will do whatever needs to be done to get them into October.

“This is the time of year where you check your ego at the clubhouse door,” Norm Charlton said. “If Lou needs you to work the fifth inning instead of the ninth, you do it. He’ll do whatever it takes to win, and you better accept whatever role he wants you to play.

“Look at the last week. We’ve tried a squeeze play, used three, four guys in save situations, run delayed steals, pinch-hit, pinch-run. When every game is this important, you do see them played a little differently.

“I think Lou’s attitude in September is ‘The hell with tomorrow, we’re going to win today and then worry about winning tomorrow.”’