LATEST TEAM INFO

• BY JIM COUR
AP Sports Writer
June 11, 2002

SEATTLE (AP) -- Most of the St. Louis Cardinals got their first up-close look at Ichiro Suzuki on Monday night. So Taguchi was already very familiar with the Seattle Mariners star.
Suzuki and Taguchi, called up from the minors when the Cardinals placed center fielder Jim Edmonds on the 15-day disabled list Monday, were teammates with the Orix Blue Wave for nine seasons in Japan.
``We are good friends,'' Taguchi said before the game through a translator.
Edmonds has a sprained right wrist. Taguchi started in his place in center field and batted ninth as St. Louis and Seattle opened their first InterLeague series. He went 0-for-3 in the Mariners' 10-0 victory.
It marked the first time two Japanese position players have played in a major league game.
Taguchi, 32, and the 28-year-old Suzuki played together with Orix from 1992-2000. Suzuki signed with the Mariners before last season, and Taguchi signed with the Cardinals in January, but did not make the team in spring training.
Taguchi was Orix's first-round draft pick in 1991, while Suzuki was chosen in the fourth round.
Taguchi hit .280 with eight homers and 42 RBIs in his final season with Orix in 2001. Meanwhile, Suzuki was the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year, leading the league with a .350 batting average.
``I always wonder how he's doing,'' Taguchi said.
Taguchi said he wasn't surprised that Suzuki has become a star so quickly in the majors.
``I've seen the time he puts in baseball,'' Taguchi said. ``I know how much he's devoted to baseball. There's no reason why he couldn't be successful over here.''

• The Mariners BullPen Has Been On a Serious Hot Streak Of Vegas Proportion – No Earned Runs Allowed From May 15th to May 30th -- 9 Games and 31 1/3 innings – Before Shigetoshi Hasegawa Allowed a Home Run to Brook Fordyce to End the Superlative Stretch of ScoreLess BaseBall By the Seatte Pen.

• Since Reaching the .316 Plateau on April 10th, Bret Boone Has Seen His Average Drop 64 Points to an anemic .252. Boone Has Been Caught Looking Numerous Times this Season and Has taken to arguing Called Strikes on Numerous Occasions. Boone has Already Been Ejected Once for Arguing A Called 3rd Strike on a Phantom Pitch Inches off the Black. Look for Bret Boone and Numerous Other Major League Stars to Set Career Highs in Ejections in 2002

• The New York AP Reports Reigning MVP Ichiro Suzuki leads American League players in balloting for next month's All Star game. Suzuki, who won the MVP and Rookie of the Year for the Seattle Mariners last year, has 299,685 votes. Suzuki is batting a league-leading .384 Through 6/8/2002. Ichiro Went Hitless Against The Cubs and Mark Prior Halting his Hitting Streak at 15 Games. Suzuki Hit .476 -- 30 hits in 63 At Bats -- During his 15 Game Tear. Ichiro Followed His 15 Game Streak with a 1-12 Dry Spell Against the Cubs in their Brief 3 Game InterLeague Series. Ichiro Has Not Been Running With the Same Success he Found Early in May and Was Gunned Down on 3 of his Last 6 Stolen Base Attempts to End the Month.

• Cirillo spent almost an hour in manager Lou Piniella's office Sunday. Neither would get into specifics, but Piniella said he stands firmly in Cirillo's corner and wants to see the veteran start relaxing and playing to his capabilities. "We had a good long talk," Piniella said. "He's a fine young man. I told him he needed to relax and have more fun and not take everything to heart so much. I told him I'd like to see him do well as much as he does. I told him that I was the one who asked for him when he became available from Colorado. He wants to do well and I think he's trying too hard." Since Hitting Home Runs in Three Straight Games May 2-4, Cirillo Only Managed 2 Extra Base Hits the Rest of the Month, Both Doubles, to finish May with 19 hits in 80 At Bats and Only 5 Walks and a .237 Average.

LOCAL PERSPECTIVE

• Boone Has Made Numerous Defensive Plays to Save the Team Runs, and Has Continued to Play Gold Glove Caliber Defense Throughout his Season Long Hitting Slump. Boone and Other Mariner Players have Seemed to Lack Focus and On Field Awareness at times, However, Over-Looking Basic BaseBall FundaMentals Like Backing up Bases, Running with Intelligent Design, and Often times Failing to Make Play at Maximum Efficiency and Effort for the Duration; Characteristics that Made 2001 Such an Entertaining Exhibition.

RUMOR MILL

• Seattle has an Interest in Starting Pitching. Bartolo Colon, Jeff Weaver, and Chuck Finley All Possibilities. All the Aforementioned could be Available for the Right Price, with Finley Making the Most Fiscal and Intellectual Sense as the Mariners Need another Left Handed Veteran to Match up with Oakland, Anaheim, and New York in the Post Season. If Cleveland Continues to Falter Look For Colon and Finley to Be Dealt for Cheap Prospects.

INJURY

• The Seattle AP Reprted Tuesday May 18, 2002 That A Mariner Spokes-Person Confirmed An MRI Exam Revealed a Tear in Paul Abbott’s Right Pitching Shoulder. The Torn Labrum Will Require Surgery and 10 to 12 Months Of Rehabilitation Ending Abbott’s Season and Opening a Permanent Spot in the Rotation for Rafeal Soriano {or some other Addition} to Benefit From a Possible Surge in Offense That Could Occur with The Return of Edgar Martinez Following the National League Version of InterLeague Play. Abbott’s Surgery will be Performed June 27 by Team Doctor Larry Pedegana. The 34 Year Old Abbott went on the Disabled list May 7 with Pain in his Right Shoulder. Abbott Appeared in 7 games, Including 5 Starts, going 1-3 with an 11.96 ERA. Abbott Made 3 Rehab Starts for Double-A San Bernardino and Triple-A Tacoma, going 0-1 with a 3.95 ERA Before Learning of the New Diagnosis. Paul Abbott Reeled off 17 Victories For the Mariners in 2001, winning 10 consecutive decisions from May 28-Aug. 6.

QUICK VIEW

• The Mariners have been shut out three times this season. With all the Worry and Offensive Inconsistency, The Mariners Have Found a Way to Stay in Games and Manufacture Runs In the Middle Innings.

• For a Quick Look at all the Seattle Players and How they Fare Against Certain Teams, go to the Seattle Mariner Roster at Big Leaguers Fantasy Source.

2002 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL DRAFT

• Pick #28 – Mariners Select John Mayberry Jr. of Rockhurst High School, Missouri. The son of former big leaguer John Mayberry, The Seattle Brain Trust Have to be Enthused with the Mayberry Jr. Selection as he was Projected to Be a Top 10 Type Talent. Mayberry Jr. showed good power potential and defensive instincts playing first base for Rockhurst High School in Missouri. And of Course the Mariners have had good Success with Sons of Former Big League JourneyMan {Griffey Jr.}. HopeFully Mayberry Jr. Can Use the Knowledge Gleaned from a Life Around BaseBall and Utilize The Natural Tools He's Been Blessed With to Eclipse His Fathers Ability and Production at the Big League Level. Sons of Former Major League Ball Players Have a History of Developing Rather Quickly, So Mayberry Jr. Could See Action in the Seattle OutField Before the 2004 Season Concludes.

• Pick # 69 -- Mariners Select Josh Womack of Crawford HS, San Diego.

• Pick # 100 -- Mariners Select Eddy Martinez-Esteve of Westminster Christian HS, Miami.

TRADE

• Trade that #1 Dad T Shirt to Your Father for Some Really Good Merchandise. And Throw in the Mariner Home Run Towel For a Get out of Jail Free Pass. Oh, in case your Lost, The Mariners Decided to Hand out Goodies During Recent InterLeague Play Against the Cardinals. Too Bad The Team Missed the Chance to Promote a Free Give-Away Against Less Than Stellar Tampa Bay Series. I Caught the Tail End of The Tampa Series Last Year and I Believe The Organization Reserves that Home-Stand for Little League Appreciation Week, Offering Tickets to Local Little League BaseBall Teams at a Discount.

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