MARINERS NOTEBOOK: Riggleman answers for substitution

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CLEVELAND � The Seattle Mariners were throwing a four-hit shutout into the ninth inning Saturday when they brought in closer J.J. Putz � and sat down rookie catcher Jeff Clement, who�d called every pitch the first eight innings.

In Clement�s place, manager Jim Riggleman sent in veteran backup catcher Jamie Burke.

Afterward, a few players quietly asked why Clement wasn�t allowed to finish the game, why a young catcher learning the trade wasn�t given the chance to deal with the grit and tension of the ninth inning. Riggleman had an answer for them, and anyone else.

�There�s just no doubt whatever that Jamie is our most accomplished catcher,� Riggleman said. �Couple that with the fact Clement�s had a sore knee recently, and that Burke has the stronger throwing arm, it wasn�t a tough call.

�Teams make defensive substitutions in the outfield all the time. We just did it behind the plate.�

The question may have arisen because Putz blew the save in the ninth inning, his eighth of the season. Riggleman shrugged at that, and pointed out that the Mariners are carrying three catchers � Burke, Clement and Kenji Johjima � on their 25-man roster.

�If I don�t use Burke there, why is he here?� asked Riggleman.

TV crew but no TV

Among the oddities in Cleveland Saturday was the fact that there was a full compliment of television cameras and crew on hand throughout the game � but nothing was being broadcast live.

The reason was that when Fox decided not to televise the game, no one could because of Fox�s exclusive afternoon slot.

So why was there a full crew working the game?

Major League Baseball had to pay to have those crews working, because with baseball�s new instant replay rule every game must be televised live � otherwise, how would they get a replay to view?

So MLB paid for the full broadcast, then made it available to subscribers immediately after the game ended.

Now you know.

Short hops

Raul Iba�ez may not turn the calendar after today � August has been too good a month. The Mariners left fielder is batting .398 this month with seven home runs and 30 RBI. �If he�s not player of the month, somebody must be playing out of this world,� Riggleman said. � Ichiro Suzuki�s annual quest for 200 hits continues on a solid course. His three hits Saturday gave him 178 for the season with 27 games left to play. �At the All-Star break, the Mariners had a .254 team batting average � 12th in the American League. Since the All-Star game, with coaches Jose Castro and Lee Elia working with players, the team average has been .288 � second in the league. � Tug Hulett showed versatility in a start as the designated hitter. He homered in the third inning, then executed perfectly on a hit-and-run single in the seventh with Clement running.