Mariners
Notebook: Garcia's tipping may be cause of struggle
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? After having tried a handful of remedies for Freddy Garcia's troubles the past two months, the Mariners learned this weekend he may have been tipping his pitches all along.
Raul Ibanez, who earned a reputation with Seattle as someone who picked up such things, did not see it in the two games Garcia pitched recently against the Royals.
But others have, including two major-league scouts who have followed the Mariners the past few weeks, and Seattle pitching coach Bryan Price.
Price studied film of Garcia's delivery. "We noticed a few things, inconsistencies in his windup from one pitch to the next," he said, "and we quickly went out to rectify them."
Said one scout, whose club is yet to play Seattle, when he heard: "Drat."
Price took his big right-hander out for a bullpen workout early yesterday.
"It went well," he said. "We worked on some things to make it easier for Freddy to repeat his windup for all pitches."
Sometimes, a pitcher will inadvertently get in a habit of holding his glove different ways for different pitches, or move his arm or hand a certain way for one pitch, or even bring his arm back at a different angle.
Garcia said he would try the changes.
"I have to do something, and it felt good," he said. "We'll see how it goes."
Ibanez, asked by Seattle coaches if he had noticed anything, said he had not.
"I actually wish I had, it would have helped me," the former Mariner said with a smile. "And after he pitched against us, I'd have told them. But I didn't see anything."
While with Seattle, he was able to spot when a pitcher was tipping pitches.
"That's when I was spending a lot of time on the bench, trying to make myself useful," Ibanez said. "Now, I'm playing and I don't have the opportunity to watch like I used to."
Ichiro 'a little tired'
After going hitless in his last 11 at-bats and 5 for 37 over nine games, Ichiro got a day off yesterday and admitted what scouts had noted for some time, that he is tired. As he put it, "I can play, but yes, I am a little tired."
He later entered the game and was hitless in two at-bats with one run batted in and two intentional walks, which give him 24 for the year, one shy of Ken Griffey Jr.'s team mark.
Charlton a little stiff, but OK
Reliever Norm Charlton said his back and side felt a little stiff after his simulated game Saturday, from extending to deliver pitches.
"It's not that bad," he said, "and the important thing is my shoulder feels fine."
Note
? Right-hander Joel Pineiro, whose start was pushed back, reported his sore hip felt, "excellent," after a bullpen workout Saturday.
Notebook: Garcia's tipping may be cause of struggle
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? After having tried a handful of remedies for Freddy Garcia's troubles the past two months, the Mariners learned this weekend he may have been tipping his pitches all along.
Raul Ibanez, who earned a reputation with Seattle as someone who picked up such things, did not see it in the two games Garcia pitched recently against the Royals.
But others have, including two major-league scouts who have followed the Mariners the past few weeks, and Seattle pitching coach Bryan Price.
Price studied film of Garcia's delivery. "We noticed a few things, inconsistencies in his windup from one pitch to the next," he said, "and we quickly went out to rectify them."
Said one scout, whose club is yet to play Seattle, when he heard: "Drat."
Price took his big right-hander out for a bullpen workout early yesterday.
"It went well," he said. "We worked on some things to make it easier for Freddy to repeat his windup for all pitches."
Sometimes, a pitcher will inadvertently get in a habit of holding his glove different ways for different pitches, or move his arm or hand a certain way for one pitch, or even bring his arm back at a different angle.
Garcia said he would try the changes.
"I have to do something, and it felt good," he said. "We'll see how it goes."
Ibanez, asked by Seattle coaches if he had noticed anything, said he had not.
"I actually wish I had, it would have helped me," the former Mariner said with a smile. "And after he pitched against us, I'd have told them. But I didn't see anything."
While with Seattle, he was able to spot when a pitcher was tipping pitches.
"That's when I was spending a lot of time on the bench, trying to make myself useful," Ibanez said. "Now, I'm playing and I don't have the opportunity to watch like I used to."
Ichiro 'a little tired'
After going hitless in his last 11 at-bats and 5 for 37 over nine games, Ichiro got a day off yesterday and admitted what scouts had noted for some time, that he is tired. As he put it, "I can play, but yes, I am a little tired."
He later entered the game and was hitless in two at-bats with one run batted in and two intentional walks, which give him 24 for the year, one shy of Ken Griffey Jr.'s team mark.
Charlton a little stiff, but OK
Reliever Norm Charlton said his back and side felt a little stiff after his simulated game Saturday, from extending to deliver pitches.
"It's not that bad," he said, "and the important thing is my shoulder feels fine."
Note
? Right-hander Joel Pineiro, whose start was pushed back, reported his sore hip felt, "excellent," after a bullpen workout Saturday.
