Mariners Notebook: Garcia not expected to be a 'No.1 No. 1'

"We had been talking about Freddy being not just a No. 1 starter, but a No. 1 No. 1," Price said in describing the extremely high regard the Mariners had for Garcia, a career 72-49 pitcher. He was 12-14 last season.

"Freddy had a lot of success his first 4 1/2 years. It was almost as if we set it up to become a crash. When the turnaround came, he'd never failed before, and he didn't know how to deal with it.

"This year, his responsibility is just as same as any of the others. Maybe he just wasn't ready to be a No. 1 No. 1."

Garcia, who led the AL in ERA in 2001 at 3.05, had a career-worst 4.51 ERA last season, and he needed to go 1-2 with a 1.97 ERA in September to get his ERA under 5.00.

He thought he'd be traded or not offered a contract over the winter, but he agreed to a one-year deal for his 2003's salary, $6.875 million.

"I thought it was 90, 95 percent that I was gone," Garcia said. "I wanted to be here, and I've always felt that I'll be where I'm supposed to be.

"And here I am."

CLOSING VIEWS: Price said he expects to see a much different look in the ninth inning this year.

And it's not just because former closer Kazuhiro Sasaki is right-handed and new closer Eddie Guardado is a lefty.

Guardado is verbose and outgoing, one of the Mariners' most vocal players.

Sasaki, who opted to return to his native Japan last month, was never that.

"I think Kaz was hurt because of the language differences," Price said. "That had to be difficult for him.

"Eddie is more affable and is a more extroverted personality."

The difference will be evident on the mound. Sasaki took his time before making his pitch; Guardado gets the ball, sets and throws.

Either style can be effective -- Sasaki is the Mariners' career saves leader with 129, and Guardado saved 86 games the past two seasons with the Twins.

RHODES AND THE A'S: Arthur Rhodes, who spent the past four seasons with Seattle, showed up in the Athletics' camp yesterday, having signed a free-agent deal with Oakland over the winter.

Rhodes, who will be the A's closer in 2004, had 3 1/2 great seasons in Seattle, then struggled during the second half last year with a 2-2 record and a 4.96 ERA. He was 1-1 with a 3.82 ERA in the first half, and for his Seattle career, pitching in set-up relief, he was 26-15 with a 3.07 ERA and 289 strikeouts in 261 innings.

If there were any bitterness from Rhodes after last season ended, there was no sign of it as he talked to the Oakland media yesterday.

"It was a great time in Seattle," Rhodes said. "I owe them a lot."

HEAVERLO DAY-TO-DAY: Rookie right-handed pitcher Jeff Heaverlo has felt some discomfort under his right shoulder, so he's being held out of throwing for the time being.

"It's nothing real big," said Heaverlo, who grew up in Moses Lake and has been working his way toward the major leagues since the Mariners drafted him in out of the University of Washington in 1999.

"The doctors just told me to pace myself and not do more than I should."

SPLISH-SPLASH: The Mariners' second full day of workouts was played with the threat of rain and clouds over Peoria. Except for a couple of sprinkles, the wet stuff stayed away.

Manager Bob Melvin said he'd heard there are forecasts calling for rain in 13 of the next 15 days.

"This is similar to what we had last year," Melvin said. "But the five years before that, there wasn't much. We're expecting the rain to start (today).

Mariners pitchers can throw at the team's six-pack -- six mounds and home plates, each end covered by a roof. And hitters can work indoors at a batting cage next door. But conditioning work, base running and defense are difficult to do in the rain.

"The most important thing is that we can get our pitchers to get their throwing in."

NOTES: Reliever Rafael Soriano reported to camp as scheduled yesterday, then was sent home early because of the flu. ... The Mariners still aren't sure when catcher Pat Borders will report, but they expect him in the next day or two if he has overcome an illness. He'd been held back by a 103-degree temperature. ... Catcher Ben Davis is an avid hunter, and he said he bagged a couple of deer during the off-season. "One I got with a bow and arrow," he said. "The other one I got with my truck."

P-I reporter John Hickey can be reached at 206-448-8004 or johnhickey@seattlepi.com

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