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Teammates relish Wilson's role in Mariners' victory

When Dan Wilson crossed home plate with the go-ahead pinch-hit home run yesterday afternoon in a 7-5 victory for the Mariners, the one man with a bigger smile than Wilson was teammate Tom Lampkin. That would be the Tom Lampkin who'd gone 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles in the first six innings to raise his batting average to a robust .306, only to be yanked by Lou Piniella in the seventh when the manager chose to play the percentages and give Wilson a shot after Toronto changed pitchers. That would be the Dan Wilson who'd gone hitless in his previous 18 at-bats and was htting just .182. That would also be why these Mariners are succeeding as a team. There is no pouting, no playing-time demands, no clashing egos. Just a group of men who care as much about each other as their own statistics, led by a manager willing to use every available asset in an effort to win ballgames. ``I couldn't have been happier,'' Lampkin said of seeing his fellow catcher bust out of his slump with his 406-foot blast that just cleared the fence and the glove of Blue Jays center fielder Jose Cruz Jr. ``You hate seeing anybody struggle. But when he's your friend and he works as hard as Dan works and cares as much as Dan does, that's when you hate seeing it even more. ``It hurts me to watch him go through tough times,'' said Lampkin. ``But he's a big boy and he can deal with it. He's not going to give up, I guarantee you that. It's like he said the other day, there's a solution out there. Sometimes you just need to work a little extra hard to find it. And I really hope he did with that hit today.''
In this Mariner season where a different hero seems to emerge every night, none seemed less likely for the starring role yesterday than Wilson. Benched by Piniella as the manager looked to instill some life into the bottom of his lineup, Wilson got word in the top of the seventh that he'd be going into the game if the Jays brought in a left-handed reliever. ``I'm grateful Lou gave me an opportunity in that situation,'' said Wilson. ``Something like this is a ray of hope. It gives you some confidence. Hopefully this is something now where I can get going a little bit and get my swing back.'' Getting Wilson's groove back would be a welcome boost for the Mariners. A career .262 hitter with a best of .285 and 18 home runs in his All-Star season in 1996, Wilson fell to .235 with five homers last year and sits at .193 this year with a whopping 17 strikeouts in just 57 at-bats. Yesterday's blast was his first hit since April 21 and his first home run since last September. That's not so much a slump as a permanent slumber with the lumber, which is why Wilson has been exhausting every avenue in search of answers. Wilson said he's primarily hunting for a consistent approach at the plate that works for him. Piniella had his own explanation yesterday. ``This is Cinco de Mayo isn't it,'' Piniella said with a grin. ``I don't what that has to do with it, but ...''
It's as good an explanation as any for how batters sometimes snap out of slumps. ``Sometimes you stumble across it,'' said Lampkin. ``Sometimes you're sitting on the bench talking to the hitting coach, or maybe you're walking through town and you think of something. Sometimes it's a little broken-bat hit that helps. So much of it is mental. This game is a test of your mental stamina as much as your physical. If you have the mentality that you won't give up no matter how things are going, then for the most part your talent will finally come through.'' Though Wilson is the last man to talk about his own triumphs or tribulations, his teammates know what he's going through. ``He just needs a little bit more luck,'' said veteran outfielder Stan Javier. ``It's a long season. Nobody will remember May. This was great for him today. He deserves it. He plays so hard and is such a professional. We all have great respect for him as a player and a human being.'' Which is why yesterday's win was doubly special. Not only did the Mariners come back from a 4-2 deficit, they did so with an unexpected boost from a favorite power supply that had gone dry. ``Danny's been working real hard,'' Lampkin said. ``This was a perfect reward for him.'' And the perfect example of how a winning team works together and every player can be called on at any moment. ``It's different coming in cold like that,'' said Wilson. ``But when you're able to deliver, it's a great feeling.'' For Dan Wilson. For Tom Lampkin. For an entire team.

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