The glum faces in the Mariner clubhouse reflected far more than a 4-1 defeat to Kansas City that snapped a six-game winning streak. The group depression stemmed from a serious ankle injury to Dan Wilson that could sideline the popular catcher for the next month. It's a major blow to a team that was just beginning to feel its way back into the AL West mix, cutting seven games off the division lead in July. "It's a huge loss," first baseman David Segui said. "Not only what he does defensively, but this homestand he was starting to swing the bat better than he has all season. It was nice to see because he had been struggling to put it all together - and now this." "This" happened in the third inning yesterday when a Jeff Fassero pitch bounced off Wilson's glove about 20 feet off the plate with a runner on third. Wilson pounced after the ball, but apparently caught his spike in a seam of the artificial turf and severely sprained his left ankle, tearing ligaments. He writhed in pain and had to be helped off the field. Team doctor Larry Pedegana said the ankle would be immobilized for at least a week before Wilson could begin rehabilitation. "We're probably looking three to four weeks before he's playable," Pedegana said. That leaves 35-year-old backup John Marzano, batting .184, as the probable frontline catcher. The Mariners likely will call up Class AAA catcher Raul Chavez, who had a brief stint with the team earlier this season, to join them tomorrow in Tampa Bay for the start of a five-game trip. Chavez was hitting .202 at Tacoma. The Mariners also are considering signing veteran Joe Oliver, who was released by the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Oliver, who played on Mariner Manager Lou Piniella's 1990 Cincinnati Reds team that won the World Series, is scheduled to clear waivers tomorrow. He was hitting .226 when the Tigers let him go.
The depth of the Mariners' catching corps was cut into last year by the trades of prospects Chris Widger to Montreal in the Fassero deal and Jason Varitek to Boston with Derek Lowe for Heathcliff Slocumb. Veteran Rick Wilkins began the season with the team but was traded to the New York Mets on May 12 while hitting just .195. "If we have no one else, we'll catch Marzy and Chavez," Piniella said. "I feel confident with that, also. They're good defensive catchers." Marzano, a career .242 hitter in parts of 10 seasons in the majors, hasn't caught regularly since 1995, when he hit .309 in 120 games for Oklahoma City, the Rangers' Class AAA affiliate. He is a well-regarded defensive catcher who recently has developed a niche as Randy Johnson's personal catcher. "The first thing I thought when Danny went down was, `Man, we're losing a lot,' " Marzano said. "We're losing a lot of offense, and we're losing a leader. It's an opportunity for me to play a little bit in the twilight of my career, but don't expect Dan Wilson." This is the first stint on the disabled list for Wilson, a remarkable achievement for someone who has put in more than 600 games at the demanding position. He drove in a career-high six runs against the Royals on Friday and was hitting .324 (22 for 68) over his last 19 games, raising his average from .233 to .254. He had eight homers and 40 runs batted in. "I rolled it pretty good," Wilson said. "This is as serious an injury as I've ever had, so I really don't know what's involved. There's never a good time to get injured, but right now things were picking up, so it's almost doubly tough." The Mariners, who finished an 8-3 homestand, certainly felt the sting of Wilson's absence, almost visibly wilting against the Royals. They had just three hits the rest of the game off winner Tim Belcher (9-8), Scott Service and Jeff Montgomery (22nd save). "This puts a black thought over this homestand," Marzano said. "Our spirits were a little down after Danny was hurt. You could see it in the clubhouse and a little on the field. This hurts the team, but we have to keep going." Piniella said: "This hurts us, no question. Anytime you lose a regular player, it hurts, especially a key position like catcher. Marzano, however, got a vote of confidence from Wilson. "He's been a stellar backup, and now he has a chance to come in and play a lot more, probably every day," Wilson said. "Hopefully, he'll keep the team right on track. Marzy has a been a big part of this team for the last three years, and now he has a chance to be an even bigger part."
The Roberto Clemente Humanitarian Team Award was bestowed on Dan Wilson, catcher for the Seattle Mariners. Dan graciously chose AGCI as the charity to receive a $2,500 gift given by The John Hancock Life Insurance Company. Jan, Ron, and Hannah were welcomed onto Safeco field to receive the check at a Mariners game. The gift will be used toward our Hannah’s Hope program in Guatemala. Thank you Dan!
NEXT PAGE
BACK TO MAIN PAGE