Norton tries to make dream reality
PEORIA, Ariz. – Greg Norton dreamt this off-season that he’d be playing for the Mariners. Making that a reality will be difficult, but the switch-hitting infielder and pinch-hit specialist is giving it a shot.
With a logjam of players in front of him on Seattle’s depth chart, Norton, who signed a minor league contract with Seattle on the first day of spring training, hopes destiny is in his corner.
“It sounds corny but I had a dream in the off-season that I played for Seattle,” Norton said. “I’ve always wanted to play for Seattle. I love the city. Who knows what’s going to happen?”
For the past five seasons, Norton has been one of the best pinch-hitters in the majors, something that has enabled the 35-year-old veteran to extend his career.
This past off-season, however, even he began to wonder if it was time to retire. Norton hurt his knee in spring training last year with Tampa Bay and later injured his left elbow trying to make a tag. Both injuries required surgery, and although he healed well enough over the winter, he wasn’t getting any offers from potential employers.
A phone call to his agent didn’t yield much, either.
“I told him, ‘I want somebody to tell me I suck or I’m too old or I’m hurt,’ ” Norton said. “(We) just weren’t getting any answers. It was the unknown that was tough for me. Guys were signing really late so you didn’t really know where you stood.”
Norton hit a career-high .296 with 17 home runs in 2006 while with Tampa Bay and was an integral part of the Devil Rays’ offense. Then he hurt his knee and elbow and wound up on the disabled list for the first month last season.
Norton struggled upon his return and was played in just 75 games. Only a strong finish in August (.345) and September (.293) salvaged his season.
The Devil Rays didn’t pick up the option on his contract, though, leaving him a free agent.
Seattle manager John McLaren, who previously had coached Norton in Venezuela, figured it was worth a shot to invite his former player into camp.
“I’ve liked Greg a lot over the years,” McLaren said. “I remember one game he hit two home runs off Randy Johnson in Chicago. He’s got some pop off the bench. He brings a little different dimension for us.”
Norton’s 27 pinch-hits since 2001 are the second-most in baseball while his 10 home runs and 46 RBIs rank third and fourth, respectively.
Ball just misses Ichiro
Seattle center fielder Ichiro Suzuki narrowly missed getting hit by a ball that bounced off a cement sidewalk less than two feet in front of him as he walked to the Mariners’ clubhouse Saturday afternoon.
The All-Star outfielder had just finished taking part in the team’s annual FanFest celebration at the Mariners’ spring training complex in Peoria and was walking with interpreter Ken Barron and some of his teammates when the incident occurred. A ball hit by an unknown Seattle player taking batting practice at a field next to the clubhouse sailed over the outfield wall, hit the cement just in front of Ichiro and bounced away.
Ichiro let out a loud gasp when the ball hit, but was unscathed.
The same couldn’t be said of the fans who lined up in the aisles at Peoria Stadium to get Ichiro’s autograph. Several people were pushing and shoving and holding pictures and baseballs out for Ichiro to sign, and a female fan found herself getting crushed up against the railing before security stepped in.
It was an otherwise uneventful day for the Mariners, who went through a scaled-down workout because of the FanFest. The players worked on taking high pop-ups in the bright sky and took batting practice in front of a few hundred fans.
Tough to catch
Pitcher Miguel Batista brought a pair of first basemen’s gloves to camp with him this year in anticipation of playing catch with teammate Felix Hernandez. Turns out it was a good move.
Less than two weeks into spring training, one of the gloves is already broken, courtesy of the hard-throwing Hernandez.
“One thing is breaking in a glove (and) one thing is destroying a glove,” said Batista, showing the tear in the webbing of his broken mitt.”
Clearing the bases
RHP Anderson Garcia played catch but the Mariners aren’t certain when he’ll return to the mound. “We’re not going to rush him,” McLaren said. “Usually you see how they feel the next day and see if there’s any stiffness or soreness.” Garcia has been sidelined with biceps tendinitis. … McLaren held off saying who Seattle’s 3-4-5 pitchers will be in the rotation.