Mariners sign first-round pick Clement

SEATTLE – At 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jeff Clement got nostalgic.

He talked about the batting practice Dad threw him as a kid at home in Marshalltown, Iowa, the homespun work ethic that helped him develop into an All-America college catcher at USC and the joy he felt five weeks ago when the Seattle Mariners drafted him with the third overall pick.

By 2:45 p.m. Tuesday, Roger Hansen got his hands on Clement and was bouncing balls in the dirt off the Mariners’ newest prize.

Let the development begin.

Hansen, the Mariners’ minor league catching coordinator, put Clement through a rigorous workout, just as he had years ago with two other former M’s first rounders, Jason Varitek and Ryan Christianson.

After nearly an hour shooting baseballs at Clement with a pitching machine, Hansen delivered some high, hard approval.

“This kid’s first day was probably the best of all of them,” Hansen said. “I like this kid a lot. He should catch in the big leagues, and now he just needs to put all the work in.”

The process will continue today in Everett, where Clement will join the short-season Class A AquaSox for what the Mariners hope will be a fast climb in the organization. They expect him to play only a couple of weeks with the AquaSox before he moves to a higher Class A club at either Appleton, Wis., or San Bernardino, Calif.

Clement, a highly sought left-handed-hitting catcher, agreed to a signing bonus believed to be about $3.4 million.

Both Clement and Benny Looper, the Mariners’ vice president for scouting and player development, said negotiations remained amicable. Clement said he never worried about sitting out the entire summer.

“If it looked like it was going to get to that point, to be honest, I was going to step in and something was going to get done,” he said.

When he met the media early in the afternoon, Clement introduced his father Brad, mother Diane, sister Carrie, brother Jason and grandmother Phyllis. Another brother, Mike, was en route to Seattle.

“I don’t think I’m anything special,” he said. “I’ve had great support from my entire family, and coming from a small town in Iowa, the community has been very supportive in everything I’ve done through baseball. I feel very fortunate to have grown up the way I did.”

He grew up in Chicago Cubs country in central Iowa, but became infatuated with Ken Griffey Jr. and the Mariners’ 1995 playoff run when he was 12.

“Ken Griffey Jr. was my hero growing up and that’s why I always wore No. 24,” Clement said. “I remember the (playoff) series against the Yankees. I was in bed when Griffey scored the winning run. I heard my brothers cheering in the living room and I jumped out of bed to see what all the commotion was about.”

Baseball has been a big part of the Clement family since he was little. His father was a high school coach in Marshalltown, and Jeff was his batboy.

In 1996, Clement played on the Marshalltown team that reached the Little League World Series. During his high school career, Clement hit 75 home runs to set a national record, and he led his team to the 2002 Class 4A state championship.

The Twins drafted him in the 12th round out of high school, but Clement chose USC, where he batted .348 this year as a junior. He made several All-America teams and won the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s best college catcher.

The Mariners scouted him heavily before the draft and didn’t hesitate to grab him with the third selection.

“Roger Jongewaard (the Mariners’ former scouting director) always told me that you can’t miss with left-handed-hitting catchers,” Looper said. “But, with any young guy, he needs to work on all areas of his game.”

Of primary importance will be Clement’s ability to receive and block pitches, learning to work with pitchers and recognizing how to work hitters. Scouts say his arm is average, but he can make up for it with better footwork.

Looper said the best place for Clement to begin that process is Everett.

“With any prospect, you want them in the place that’s best for them to develop,” Looper said. “Right now, we think Everett’s the best place for him to see the live pitching.”