It’S All Ahead Full For The Mariners

We’re not the only ones who have discovered there’s life after Ken Griffey Jr.

The ESPN Web site Tuesday quoted a veteran advance scout who said: “You don’t hear people talking about them. But if I had to pick one team that I’m sure will get to the ALCS (American League Championship Series), it’s the Mariners. They can throw a good arm at you every day, they catch the ball and they have enough offense.” In other words, we can believe our eyes as we see manager Lou Piniella’s club 17 wins over .500 and in first by four games (as of Wednesday morning). General Manager Pat Gillick and Piniella have taught us that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. And, while Griffey is back home in Cincinnati suffering through a subpar season averagewise, Seattle continues to be a fun team to watch.

Many credit Seattle’s success to its acquisitions: first baseman John Olerud; outfielders Mike Cameron, Ricky Henderson and Stan Javier; catcher Joe Oliver, second baseman Mark McLemore, and pitchers Aaron Sele, Brett Tomko, Arthur Rhodes and Kazuhiro Sasaki. Certainly, the M’s wouldn’t have the second best record in the American League without the newcomers. But the most important move of all was hiring Gillick.

Everything’s coming up roses now for the Mariners. But it wasn’t that way last October when Gillick accepted his job. He inherited two superstars in Griffey and Alex Rodriquez who were entering the final year of their contracts, and a team that had finished 11-1/2 and 16 games out of the first during the previous two years. His first order of business was to see if he could re-sign his stars. When Griffey balked, Gillick shipped him to Cincinnati for the only deal he could get - and wound up with four players, including Cameron, another centerfielder who dazzles with his defense.

While steering the M’s safely through Hurricane Griffey, Gillick managed to lure former Washington State players Sele and Olerud back home. The deal that attracted Sele epitomizes the new-look Seattle management. When Baltimore hesitated at the last minute to give Sele a $29 million contract over four years, Gillick was waiting in the wings with an appealing two-year offer. Faster than you can say, “My, oh my,” Sele was a Mariner. His 11 wins to date have been crucial to Seattle’s success.

The previous management team, headed by Woody Woodward, wouldn’t have had the guts or backing to pull off such a deal in so short a time. Twice, Gillick has been named Major League Baseball’s executive of the year. Twice, he helped lead Toronto to World Series titles. Fans can expect he’ll get that big bat the M’s need for this summer’s stretch drive.

Beyond that, Seattle fans can be confident that their club finally is in good hands.