Saturday, September 30, 2006

M's manager, GM on 'hot seat'
Mariners' Lincoln sets high bar for Hargrove, Bavasi

By GARY WASHBURN
P-I REPORTER

A day after announcing general manager Bill Bavasi and manager Mike
Hargrove would return to Seattle next season, Mariners chairman and
chief executive officer Howard Lincoln said both will be expected to
contribute to a dramatic turnaround in 2007.

Lincoln said before Friday's Mariners-Rangers game that Bavasi and
Hargrove are on a short leash to make the Mariners a winner. The club
has cinched its third consecutive losing season will post its third
consecutive last-place finish in the American League West.

"I don't want to leave any doubt in anybody's mind," Lincoln said.
"Mike Hargrove and Bill Bavasi are on my hot seat, and I expect that
they are going to work even harder than they're already working to
produce the results the fans and, I think, the ownership group
expects."

Lincoln's previous announcement, relayed Thursday in a letter to
season-ticket holders, gives the Mariners stability heading into a
potentially active offseason. Lincoln did not talk about the team past
next season, and expressed disdain that the Mariners did not win more
consistently this year.

The Mariners were emerging as a factor in the AL West before an 11-game
losing streak in August shattered their chances. Since then, Seattle
has been competitive.

Lincoln is not satisfied with gradual progress.

"I thought we would be further ahead this season than we ended up,"
Lincoln said. "And as I indicated in the letter, my patience is not
infinite. I know that our season-ticket holders' patience is not
infinite. Nevertheless, I'm pleased with many things that happened this
season, and I am optimistic about next season.

"It is my hope that we get this thing turned around in '07. I had hoped
that would occur in '06, and I am disappointed and frustrated it
didn't."

The Mariners are expected to be active in free agency, potentially
seeking two frontline starting pitchers. Seattle entered Friday ninth
in the AL in team ERA and 10th in batting average. The Mariners could
have one of the league's top bullpens next season with J.J. Putz, a
healthy Rafael Soriano and Mark Lowe leading the way.

"We've got a lot of things to do in the offseason," Lincoln said. "I
didn't say this in the letter, but if you are confident in the horses
you are riding and you're in the middle of the stream, you don't switch
horses. Cutting through everything else, having confidence in Bill and
Mike is the basis of this decision. There are a lot of things that have
already taken place, and I think there are opportunities for '07 and my
expectations are very high."

Hargrove, who was fired in Cleveland and Baltimore, will be in the
final year of a three-year contract in 2007. His confidence never
wavered this year, but his job security was something he pondered.

"I'd like to see this thing through," Hargrove said before the game
Friday. "I don't want to do all this hard work and somebody else reap
all the benefits. Like anybody else, until you know you wonder,but it
wasn't continually on my mind. We made a lot of progress this year. I
don't feel any different about the confidence that we're taking the
right steps. We accomplished a lot of things this year."

The first step perhaps is a contract extension for Ichiro Suzuki, who
will enter the final year of a four-year, $44 million deal next season.
Ichiro has told Hargrove he will play center field in 2007 so the club
can pursue a power-hitting corner outfielder.

Said Lincoln: "I really don't want to talk about individual players in
terms of contract negotiations, but obviously Ichiro is a very
important part of this organization, and he's been here a number of
years and I think very highly of him. So I guess the only thing I can
say is stay tuned."