Funny Bone hits M’s
Jay Buhner arrived at the Mariners’ spring training camp and immediately got hit upside his shiny head with a dose of 21st century ballplayer chic.
Ichiro Suzuki was wearing a tight pink T-shirt with glittering silver designs on it, plus camouflage patched jeans, shiny silver shoes and a small, matching bag that Buhner called a “man purse.” It was the same outfit the six-time All-Star was wearing on his first full day in camp last month, when Suzuki announced he was intrigued with free agency.
Buhner, the star slugger and lovable clubhouse character with the Mariners from 1988-2001, looked at Suzuki and just shook that familiar bald noggin.
“Aren’t you precious?” Buhner said to the man who replaced him in right field six years ago.
“I was all over him,” Buhner said Monday, the 1996 All-Star’s first day of instructing hitters and outfielders.
Former closer Norm Charlton is here working with the pitchers and retired Dan Wilson is tutoring the catchers this week. Two weeks ago, Edgar Martinez came down to mentor the hitters, especially new designated hitter Jose Vidro.
“I hear Edgar was great,” Buhner said, seeming daunted by having to follow his former teammate’s lead.
Suzuki, the major league’s hits leader in 2006 and the first player in league history with 200 hits in his first six seasons, doesn’t need much of Buhner’s tutoring. But he’s getting his ribbing – whether he needs that or not.
“He said to me, ‘Bye, Bill.’,” the laughing Buhner, 42, said. “Today, he comes in and says, ‘Hi, Bill.’ He thinks my name is Bill.”
Buhner’s injection of life and comedy didn’t work. The Mariners dropped to 0-5 this spring with a 6-5 loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Prior, Wood return for Cubs
Mark Prior and Kerry Wood, the two former Chicago Cubs aces coming back from shoulder injuries, made their spring training debuts against the Seattle Mariners, with dramatically different results in Chicago’s victory.
Prior, struggling with control and short of his normal velocity, started the game and pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and walking two.
Wood, who is converting to the bullpen this season to ease the workload on his shoulder, pitched a 1-2-3 inning on 12 pitches, striking out one.
While not satisfied with the results, Prior, a right-hander, viewed the outing as a step forward. “It felt good. I was just off. I wasn’t finishing my pitches,” he said. “It’s been almost 2 1/2 years since I wasn’t more worried about my arm than batters. …”
Lester feeling good in return
Jon Lester pitched in his first game since his last cancer treatment just 2 1/2 months ago.
His mechanics were good and his command was outstanding as the Boston Red Sox left-hander retired all three batters he faced on grounders.
“It’s great. Just to get back and be normal again is awesome, just to get back on the mound and throw the baseball and not worry about other things,” the 23-year-old said. “So it’s good, and I enjoyed it and, hopefully, we just build from here.”
Lester underwent chemotherapy after being diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma late last season. He’s now cancer free and has regained much of the weight he lost during the treatments.
Murcer remains optimistic
Bobby Murcer is in great spirits and remains determined to return to the New York Yankees’ YES Network broadcast booth this season.
Murcer is recovering from surgery on Dec. 28 to remove a malignant brain tumor. He has been a Yankees broadcaster since he retired in 1983.
Hamilton off to good start
Josh Hamilton’s comeback is going very well.
The outfielder has been one of the Cincinnati Reds’ best hitters in the first week of spring training games, showing his skills haven’t deteriorated during years away from the game caused by his cocaine addiction.
In Cincinnati’s first five games, Hamilton has gone 9 for 16 (.563).
Marlins’ pitching takes a hit
The Florida Marlins’ injury-plagued pitching staff had another setback when right-hander Ricky Nolasco was scratched from his first scheduled spring-training start.
Nolasco, who threw two scoreless innings of relief last Wednesday, had back spasms on Friday.