It’s been a long season in more ways than one for M’s rookies

SEATTLE – Any day off for a baseball player is a welcomed opportunity to relax and recharge, particularly on a Seattle Mariners team that’s had only eight days since spring training when they weren’t either playing or traveling.

It’s a schedule that wears on anyone, but it’s especially a grind for young players whose seasons ended in early September when they were minor leaguers.

Most of the 15 rookies finishing the season with the Mariners are playing at a time when they’d been hunting, fishing, golfing, working out and generally laying low.

“You’re definitely aware that it’s a longer season than we’re used to,” said 23-year-old third baseman Kyle Seager. “But at the same time, everybody’s got that rush of being here. This is all so exciting that I don’t think we’d feel it as much as we would if this was toward the end of the year in the minor leagues.”

Adrenaline definitely is a factor, but so is preparation.

“It’s more of a grind of being a longer season, but it all depends on how you prepare yourself in the offseason and how well you prepare yourself in the season,” said 22-year-old rookie pitcher Blake Beavan, who will start tonight against the Texas Rangers. “This year, counting the minor leagues and big leagues, I’ll total around 190-something innings.  But I still feel just as strong as I did at the beginning of the season.”

Mike Carp has 237 at-bats with the Mariners and, for the first time in his eight-year pro career, will get more than 500 at-bats (including his 251 with Class AAA Tacoma) this season. He also dealt with going back and forth from Seattle to AAA Tacoma.

“It’s probably the biggest learning year out of all the seasons I’ve had in my career,” Carp said. “I went from living my dream to being sent down never knowing when I would get back. Everybody knows it’s a process, that sometimes it’s not your time. You’ve got to wait.”