Yankees top hits chart

Not even one week of spring training gone, and the storylines already are flying fast and furious.

Right on cue, the Yankees are full of turmoil, with Mike Mussina calling out Carl Pavano, Mariano Rivera hinting he might walk after this year, and owner-designate Steve Swindal getting arrested on DUI charges. And to think, Alex Rodriguez hasn't even shown up yet.

We've already had our first freakish injury (Kerry Wood slipping in his hot tub), and the first unexpected retirement (Keith Foulke). The breathless coverage of Daisuke Matsuzaka's arrival in Boston camp will be topped only by the breathless coverage, perhaps Monday, of Barry Bonds' arrival in Giants camp.

Even the Mariners contributed to the spring noise when manager Mike Hargrove gave a spirited response to the inevitable question about his placement on "the hot seat," a crowded locale that includes most of the club's front office.

In his pre-emptive strike, Hargrove made it clear, in colorful terminology, that he doesn't want to hear the term "hot seat," or any of its derivatives (such as "scalding chair," "roasting couch," or "boiling La-Z-Boy"), until the day he is unemployed.

But Hargrove isn't the only one fighting for his job or reputation this season. Here are five others who also have their posterior squarely in the seat of heat:

1. Jim Hendry, Cubs GM. After spending the gross national product of a small country on free agents this winter, Hendry still managed to saddle Lou Piniella with an underwhelming starting rotation behind the already-disgruntled Carlos Zambrano. If this team doesn't win, Hendry has a lot of explaining to do.

2. John Gibbons, Blue Jays manager. While Hargrove tops every "first-to-be-fired" speculative piece, Gibbons usually ranks second. A lame-duck for a team with a rising payroll in a division dominated by New York and Boston, Gibbons could be scapegoated if the Jays falter early. Colorado's Clint Hurdle is another endangered skipper.

3. Gil Meche, Royals. Meche has become the poster boy for runaway salaries. It might be June before the mention of his name isn't followed closely by "five years, $55 million." The Royals aren't exactly saddled with high expectations, but Meche will be scrutinized closely.

4. Bud Selig. Now that Bonds has officially signed his Giants contract, it seems inevitable he will surpass Hank Aaron at some point this year. And that will be a multi-faceted nightmare for Selig. Not only will it re-focus the spotlight on the steroids era, but Selig will have to figure out the proper response to what most will view as the tainted ownership of sport's most glamorous record.

5. Pavano, Yankees. Rarely is a player as openly disdainful of a teammate's heart as Mussina was in speaking last week about Pavano, who has been injured constantly since signing a four-year, $40 million contract. "When one guy is out there playing through [injuries] and another is not, that's how teammates get a bad taste in their mouth," Mussina said. Despite a hastily arranged meeting between the two to clear the air, it has gotten so toxic the Yankees might have to eat most of the $20 million remaining on Pavano's contract just to ship him somewhere else.

Jersey No. 11 awaits

Edgar Martinez is so busy running his business ventures it's hard for him to find time to make a desired trip to Arizona for Mariners spring training.

"I'd like to just visit with guys and get reacquainted," Martinez said in a phone interview Wednesday. "I still miss it."

Asked if he would don a uniform once he gets there, Martinez laughed and said, "If there's one for me, yeah."

It's safe to say the M's would scrounge up the revered No. 11 jersey for Edgar, who is entering his third season of retirement. The club announced recently he would become the fourth member of the Mariners' Hall of Fame in a ceremony June 2 at Safeco Field.

Meanwhile, he remains immersed in his business ventures — he is CEO of a merchandise company in Redmond called Branded Solutions by Edgar Martinez.

Martinez also is contemplating enrolling at the University of Washington to take business courses. Before signing with the Mariners in 1982, he attended college for a year and a half in Puerto Rico.

"I was in a class last weekend just to see if I can do it," he said. "I talked to people there. It was fun. It's something that can be beneficial. I'd love to be able to get a degree, but the main thing is just to get the knowledge. It was very stimulating to be in class."

Notes and quotes

• The Giants' staff met at the outset of camp to discuss the best utilization of Tim Lincecum, their hotshot right-hander out of UW.

Though many believe Lincecum, 22, would be a dynamite closer — and that job could be open with the possible trade of Armando Benitez before the start of the season — the decision was made to keep Lincecum working as a starter.

The likeliest projection is for Lincecum, drafted in the first round last June, to open the season in the rotation at Class AAA Fresno. But with washout Russ Ortiz and untested left-hander Jonathan Sanchez the combatants for the Giants' No. 5 starter, Lincecum could make a tempting case for himself in camp.

• The White Sox were just 22-26 last year against left-handed starters, which helps explain their late signing of former Mariner Eduardo Perez.

Perez has a reputation for crushing left-handed pitching, and indeed did so last year — until he arrived in Seattle.

After joining the Mariners from Cleveland in exchange for minor-leaguer Asdrubal Cabrera on June 30, Perez hit .200 against lefties (13 for 65) with just one extra-base hit (a homer) and seven runs batted in. For Cleveland prior to the trade, Perez hit .330 (29 for 88) off southpaws with eight homers, eight doubles and 21 RBI.

That explains why the Mariners didn't retain Perez, a popular clubhouse presence.

• Here's the rationale of Jay Blunk, new marketing director of the Cubs, on the decision to sell advertising — specifically, for Under Armour apparel — on the gates in left-center and right field that break up the outfield ivy at quaint old Wrigley Field:

"Yes, it's a Norman Rockwell painting everyday. But that Norman Rockwell painting takes millions of dollars each year to maintain and keep at the standards we like to keep."

• Philadelphia's Pat Burrell, who has never quite reached the superstardom expected from him, was upset over comments by Dallas Green, the Phillies' senior advisor. Green wondered whether Burrell's hard-partying lifestyle was having a negative effect on his performance.

"I've always thought that anything that doesn't apply to the game is personal and shouldn't be talked about, let alone by people in the organization," Burrell told reporters. "My time is my time ... If you want to talk about what goes on on the field, that's fine. I think personal things remain personal."

• Indians general manager Mark Shapiro and manager Eric Wedge are both entering the final year of their contracts, but the word out of Cleveland is that both men are safe. Shapiro is expected to get an extension soon, and he has been a strong defender of Wedge.

Larry Stone: 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com