M’s Notebook | Ichiro, Beltre get Gold Gloves
Ichiro was named an American League Gold Glove winner Tuesday - hardly earth-shattering news. After all, he has earned the fielding honor in each of his seven Mariners seasons. The fact that Ichiro was joined on the Gold Glove team by Seattle teammate Adrian Beltre was more surprising. Not only was it Beltre’s first Gold Glove - voted on by major-league managers and coaches - but it ended the six-year reign of Oakland’s Eric Chavez at third base.
Ichiro, 34, made the team in his first full year as a center fielder. He led all major-league outfielders - and set a club record - with a .998 fielding percentage (one error in 433 total chances).
McLaren had the pleasant duty of informing Beltre he had won a Gold Glove. Beltre, 28, said he thought his best previous chance was in 2004 while with the Dodgers, but the Cardinals’ Scott Rolen won that season in the National League for the fifth consecutive year.
“I wasn’t expecting it or waiting for it to happen, because there is a lot of competition in the American League,” Beltre said in comments released by the Mariners. “I was actually pretty shocked when John told me, but shocked in a very good way.”
Beltre is the first Mariners’ third baseman to win a Gold Glove. He ranked first among AL third basemen in total chances per nine innings (3.00).
The Mariners have had a Gold Glove winner for 21 consecutive seasons, longest streak in the majors.
The rest of the AL team: Minnesota pitcher Johan Santana, Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez (his 13th), Boston first baseman Kevin Youkilis, Detroit second baseman Placido Polanco, Angels shortstop Orlando Cabrera, Minnesota outfielder Torii Hunter and Cleveland outfielder Grady Sizemore, an Everett native.
The NL team: San Diego pitcher Greg Maddux (a record 17th), Dodgers catcher Russell Martin, Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, Arizona second baseman Orlando Hudson, Mets third baseman David Wright, Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins, and outfielders Andruw Jones (his 10th) and Jeff Francoeur of Atlanta, Carlos Beltran of the Mets and Aaron Rowand of Philadelphia. (Four outfielders were named because of a tie.)
Perlozzo hired
Former Orioles manager Sam Perlozzo was hired Tuesday as the Mariners’ third-base coach.
When Larry Bowa opted to join Joe Torre’s Dodgers staff in Los Angeles, McLaren turned to Perlozzo, who had been Lou Piniella’s third-base coach with the Mariners from 1993 to 1995.
“The key is you want to go somewhere where you’re wanted and where you’re comfortable,” Perlozzo said. “These people make it that way.”
Perlozzo, fired by the Orioles on June 18, still has a year left on his Baltimore contract. McLaren, who spent 2006 out of uniform after Piniella resigned as Tampa Bay manager, sensed that Perlozzo was eager to get back in the game.
“I think he was like me,” McLaren said. “He was going to have to sit the year out. We’re baseball people. Our passion is to win. I got the impression he wanted to stay in the game. He didn’t want to sit out. That tells you what kind of person he is.”
Perlozzo, 56, will work with the Mariners infielders in addition to coaching third.
Telecast contract
The Mariners and FSN Northwest announced Tuesday a long-term rights agreement extension that calls for at least 150 games to be telecast next season.
Under the new agreement, FSN Northwest will telecast all available games, which excludes only those games restricted by MLB national television agreements.
The agreement also calls for FSN to produce “significantly more Mariners games in high definition on FSN HD,” according to a joint news release by the Mariners and FSN.
FSN has also agreed to produce and distribute a Spanish audio feed of all home games.
According to industry sources, the new agreement runs through 2020. It appears to eliminate the farming out of Mariners broadcasts to KSTW (Channel 11).
All four of the Mariners’ primary announcers - Dave Niehaus, Rick Rizzs, Dave Sims and Mike Blowers - are under contract for the 2008 season.