A Tougher Road

I'd like to say the Mariners are going to sail through the upcoming season, be the "best team in baseball" again and win the World Series, but I can't yet. Like Lou Piniella, I don't want to look too far ahead. "I'm not worried about the Yankees," he said. "I'm worried about the three teams in our division."

The AL West will be a tougher challenge this year. The teams have fortified themselves to be able to compete better against the Mariners. Anaheim has bolstered their pitching with Seely and Appier. Texas now has Juan Gonzalez, Carl Everett and Rusty Greer to complement A-Rod on offense. Even though Oakland lost Jason Giambi, their pitching staff is as formidable as ever.

The M's, though, have also strengthened their position. Offensively, Cirillo, Sierra and Davis have shown us, so far, they can be more productive than their predecessors-Bell, Martin and Lampkin. Cirillo is a good line-drive hitter who hits well with runners on base. There was a question about Sierra until Saturday's exhibition game at Safeco Field, but he showed he is back and can still hit for power. As for Davis, he seems to find a way to slap the ball into a gap and get on base. I'm impressed.

On defense these same three players can hold their own. Cirillo went 85 straight errorless games for the Rockies and can set a Major League record if he extends it 14 more games into this season. Don't expect Ruben Sierra to be a superstar in left field (McLemore will spell him often), but if he hits homers on a regular basis, do you care? As a catcher, Davis has experience and talent plus a great mentor in Dan Wilson.

The team needed a new fourth starter. They got a strong one in James Baldwin. "I think he's really the key to our team," Lou said. (In the end it all comes down to pitching, as the saying goes) The bullpen will be about the same except for the absence of "The Sheriff". If they really need another lefty, maybe Lou can grab Fitzgerald out of AAA or make a trade later.

The Mariners have also strengthened their flexibility on their bench with Relaford and Ugueto. Now Olerud can actually get a day off as they put Ugueto at third and move Cirillo to first.

Even though Lou doesn't want to worry about the postseason, he must have a certain expectation, because I heard him on the radio talk about Monday being the beginning of "a championship season". It will be a tougher road than last year, but I think the Mariners are up to the challenge. They are tougher too.

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