Mariners Notebook: Method to their madness

PEORIA, Ariz. -- The Mariners make their living with their equipment. So why is Pat Borders on the floor of the clubhouse, beating the tar out of his catcher's mitt with a hammer?

"Just trying to soften the leather up," he said. "I'm mostly trying to break the leather down, but it helps with the pocket, too. They start out so stiff, it takes a long time to get it right to play with."

There are a lot of new gloves being broken in at spring training, and every player has his own idea on how to do it. They have access to all available baseball products and technology, but like Borders and his hammer, most take a decidedly low-tech approach.

"When I was younger, I saw a guy in the shower, pounding his fist into his glove," first baseman John Olerud said. "I tried that, and it's been the best way for me to break one in. Get it soaking wet and try to get the pocket the way you like it, beat on it, go out and play catch with it while it's wet. That seems to soften it and break it in easier."

Left fielder Raul Ibanez is more typical, preferring to let a glove wear in naturally.

"I just use it," he said. "I don't put anything in it. I'll beat it with a bat to help make the pocket, but we use it so much, they break in pretty quickly."

If the leather starts to dry out later in the season, Ibanez doesn't utilize any of the glove oils readily available in the clubhouse, opting for a little shaving cream. Many players never oil their gloves, but right fielder Ichiro Suzuki does so every day.

Second baseman Bret Boone, known for his defense, takes a full year to break in a glove for game use. He keeps one game-ready glove and uses a backup, which will be the next year's glove, for taking ground balls in practice.

"Some guys have certain gimmicks, but it's whatever they feel is right," Boone said. "For me, I don't mess with it. If you get in a situation where you have to speed up the process and you need to get a glove ready quickly, then there are things you can do to manipulate the leather."

Boone nearly found himself in such a situation in 2001. While signing autographs at Safeco Field before a game, he got carried away and tossed his glove into the crowd, thinking it was a fan's glove that he'd signed. The fan departed with the souvenir but returned it when hearing about Boone's gaffe.

"Unbelievable," Boone said. "That was my gamer, too. That could have been bad."

READY FOR ACTION: These are the dog days of spring. Since Feb. 19, players have been doing nothing but morning drills and fundamentals, and it's gotten a bit dull.

Today all that changes, at least a little. There will be a four-inning intrasquad game this afternoon, with left-handers Bobby Madritsch and Travis Blackley starting. Designated hitter Edgar Martinez and third baseman Scott Spiezio are the only projected big-league starters in the lineup.

Tomorrow is the annual charity game against San Diego, and Cactus League play begins Friday. As usual, expect to see a lot of young players as the coaches begin evaluating talent.

"You can't (evaluate) this time of year," Melvin said. "People are just getting their work in and getting ready to start games. Once games start, then we start evaluating."

The youngest player in the lineup today will be 18-year-old Adam Jones, Seattle's first-round pick in the June draft. Being in big-league camp just months after high school would be overwhelming for most, but confidence is not a problem for the San Diego native, who batted .303 in Peoria and Everett last fall.

"It's just another step in the process," he said of being in the lineup. "I don't put added pressure on myself -- just go out there and play. I'm not intimidated by these guys. I know you can't cross the line with them and they have some authority over me, but at the same time I know I won't be intimidated. You can't do that."

Jones hopes to open some eyes this spring, and his goal is to skip chilly Wisconsin, home of the Mariners' low Class A farm club, and play close to home at high Class A San Bernardino. Jones doesn't count on making much of an impact with the bat on his shoulder.

"If I see (a pitch) I know I can handle, I'm going to swing," he said. "For sure, I'm going to swing."

ON THE LINKS: Yesterday's workout lasted just two hours. Afterward, about three dozen players and staff boarded a bus for nearby Quintero Golf and Country Club for the annual golf tournament against the Padres, with whom they share the Peoria Sports Complex. Last year's outing was scrapped because of rain. Cool, windy, drizzly weather put a damper on things yesterday.

Boone and pitcher Ryan Franklin are among the team's top golfers. Melvin had a zero handicap until he became a manager, which robbed him of most his golf time. Ichiro plays some but didn't play in the tournament because "I'd need three dozen balls."

After golf, the fun was just beginning for Boone, Spiezio and others, who were headed by limousine to a Metallica concert.

NOTES: The Mariners agreed to terms on a contract with infielder Willie Bloomquist and reliever Rafael Soriano, the only players on the 40-man roster who had been unsigned. Bloomquist will make $325,000. The salary figure for Soriano was not available. ... Melvin, who had bone chips removed from his elbow last month, is scheduled to begin throwing today, two days ahead of schedule.

P-I reporter David Andriesen can be reached at 206-448-8061 or davidandriesen@seattlepi.com

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