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There was no AC/DC blaring over the loudspeakers or fancy big-screen entrance montage for J.J. Putz on Friday, July 18.
This was, after all, Cheney Stadium and not Safeco Field. And Putz wasn’t entering the game as a closer for the Seattle Mariners in the ninth inning to hold a lead, he was starting the game for the Tacoma Rainiers, with a 25-pitch limit, in what he hoped would be his last rehab stint before returning to the Mariners.
Still, Putz went about his work in precision fashion. With Mariners front office executives Bob Fontaine and Dave Wallace looking on, Putz cruised through an inning and two-thirds of hitless pitching against the Tucson Sidewinders and looked ready to return to the Seattle bullpen.
“Everything felt good,” Putz said. “I was able to throw all my pitches for strikes. I was able to get some ground-ball outs, it was nice.”
In all, Putz faced five hitters, striking out one, allowing three ground balls and a fly ball. He threw 17 pitches, 13 of them for strikes. Of the 17 pitches, nine were fastballs most hovering around 93 to 94 miles per hour and one at 95. Putz’s splitfinger came in at 85, and his curveball was right around 75.
More importantly to Putz, the feel and command of those pitches were better than they have been all season.
“I finally feel like I did last year where I could finally put the ball where I wanted to with all my pitches,” he said.
LAHAIR GETS A SHOT
Bryan LaHair wouldn’t allow himself to think ahead. When the news broke July 9 that Seattle Mariners had released first baseman Richie Sexson, LaHair fought the urge to let thoughts that he was going to the big league club even enter his mind.
Then again, the task was easy since at the time he wasn’t even able to get into the Tacoma Rainiers lineup.
At the time of Sexson’s release, LaHair, a 39th-round draft pick by the Mariners in 2002, wasn’t even playing for the Rainiers. He was sidelined with a nasty case of turf toe after injuring his foot on the concrete steps of the dugout at Cheney Stadium while making a tough catch on a foul pop.
“It was the first injury that I’ve ever had that kept me out for some games,” LaHair said. “It was just a little bit of adversity at the time, you just kind of deal with it.”
Still, the thoughts of: “Why did I have to get hurt at this time?” and “Am I missing my only shot?” crossed his mind.
Mariners manager Jim Riggleman confirmed that LaHair would have been Sexson’s replacement.
“If LaHair would have been 100 percent at that time, we would have brought him up then, but he wasn’t,” Riggleman said.
Instead, LaHair had to do what he’s been doing for the two years since he was promoted to the Rainiers — wait for his chance to show what he can do in the big leagues. The wait is over.
LaHair was at Safeco Field on Thursday for a post-All-Star break workout, and made his major league debut during Friday, July 18’s game. LaHair went 0 for 1. On Saturday, July 19,, LaHair went 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout.
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