Howard Lincoln keeping it cool on tough talk

PEORIA, Ariz. — No more hot seat, OK? Howard Lincoln is done with it. Never again will he talk so tough, poke his chest out so far. He's more likely to encourage the re-signing of Jeff Weaver than to make such bold remarks.

More than a year ago, after Lincoln granted then-manager Mike Hargrove and general manager Bill Bavasi a reprieve, the Mariners' chief executive officer pointed out that the men were still "on my hot seat." He thought he could make a patient decision, chase it with a pointed declaration, and all parties would be satisfied. Instead, he only created a speculative cloud that, in some ways, still hovers over the franchise.

So no more hot seat, at least in public.

"That hot-seat comment took on a life of its own," Lincoln said. "So I decided to bury that comment and not use it anymore."

That's not to say that everyone in the organization should purchase green bananas, but Lincoln wants to harness all the innuendo. The Mariners appear to have a real chance at success now. After four years that produced three last-place finishes and an embarrassing late season collapse in 2007, the hyperventilating can stop.

"That was a very difficult phase," Lincoln said. "Three losing seasons in a row was very difficult for people in our organization to accept. The end of last season was very difficult to accept. We had a lot of critics, a lot of people down on us. But I am very happy with how we've turned things around."

It took one big move to spur the Mariners' joy. Sure, the signing of pitcher Carlos Silva was an important (and pricey) decision, but the Erik Bedard trade dominated and defined this offseason. Furthermore, it will provide a definitive answer to a most passionately argued question: Were the Mariners right to be patient with Bavasi?

Even now, after pulling off a trade that may resurrect Bavasi's career, many fans would rather see the guy unemployed. Lincoln stands on the other side of the debate. He's been pleased with his general manager lately. And he sounds a little defiant toward public pressure now that Bavasi is succeeding.

"Any fool can fire a general manager," Lincoln said. "It's a very easy way out. It makes some of the fans feel good. But it's not how I look at it."

Lincoln stops short of declaring Bavasi the Mariners' GM until death do them part. It's likely that Bavasi will forever be another last-place finish from losing his job, but then, does anyone have job security in sports these days?

For the moment, life is fabulous. Lincoln sits on a bench just outside of the third base dugout and disappears into spring training.

He talks about having two "losing-streak stoppers" in Bedard and Felix Hernandez, and after faltering late the past two seasons, the Mariners need as many losing-streak stoppers as they can get. He says the Mariners now have one of the best starting rotations in baseball. He senses an energy already building around the team because it knows the postseason is a legitimate hope.

At the same time, having witnessed the franchise collapse after Lou Piniella's exit, Lincoln doesn't want to get carried away with promise. Expectations are one thing. Performance is another.

Back in the good ol' days, Lincoln remembers Piniella telling him before the 2001 season that "we'll likely have a losing season." Then the Mariners won 116 games. Little is predictable in this game, for sure.

Although John McLaren, who took over after Hargrove resigned last season, has yet to fully establish himself as a manager, Lincoln expects the manager's style to work well with this team. Before the Mariners announced they were retaining McLaren, there was much speculation that they might pursue a more high-profile manager, but Lincoln said McLaren was the guy all along.

"I don't think there was very much of a discussion," Lincoln said of the decision. "Certainly, his performance warranted his remaining as the field manager. It's not to say he didn't make mistakes, but he's a hard worker, dedicated, loyal and a good baseball man. And he has put together an incredible coaching staff to complement his skills."

So the Mariners are as blissful as a baseball team can be — for now. You wonder what would happen if this team tripped into, say, a 10-20 start, but that's talk for another day.

The full squad will step onto the field for the first time today and start the long trek to legitimacy. The M's can function knowing that they are finally building something, rather than controlling damage.

No more hot seat.

Lincoln is watching with pursed lips this time, imagining the possibilities. He's done making public evaluations. Now we'll see if the team can perform well enough to keep him mum.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com. For his Extra Points blog, visit seattletimes.com/sports.