Backup catcher Burke revels in pitching debut

Jamie Burke's last appearance as a pitcher came more than six years ago. That didn't deter the Mariners backup catcher from taking the mound when his manager asked him to Sunday.

A day later, the 36-year-old Burke was still beaming about the moment even though he was charged with the decision in Seattle's 15-inning, 2-1 loss to Detroit.

"It was an exciting moment for me to be able to go out there," Burke said Monday prior to the Mariners' game against the Oakland Athletics. "I just focused on throwing strikes. I know it's a joke me going out there but it's the competitive edge, it's what you want to do."

The Mariners and Tigers were tied at 1-1 through 14 innings when manager Jim Riggleman was forced to make a move after Carlos Jimenez pitched four shutout innings, extending Seattle's bullpen's scoreless streak to 16. Riggleman, who took over the interim manager's job after John McLaren was fired on June 19, had few options.

Jimenez was the fifth reliever Seattle used against the Tigers on Sunday, depleting a staff that was already without closer J.J. Putz (hyperextended right elbow) and missing left-hander Arthur Rhodes, who woke up sore after sleeping wrong on his pitching arm.

Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey was Riggleman's first choice but the durable righty was coming off a 105-pitch outing against the Tigers on Saturday.

"If that situation was up there in September and we were two games out of first, he'd have been in there," Riggleman said. "I wouldn't have felt good about it but he'd have been in there. But where are right now, I said, you know what, we're going to look back on that and say why'd we do that. So I just didn't want to do it."

Several players approached Riggleman about pitching before his decision to go with Burke.

"Dickey offered to pitch, Ichiro (Suzuki) offered to pitch, (Adrian) Beltre, (Willie) Bloomquist, a lot of guys offered to pitch," Riggleman said. "Burke was the guy that came to mind for me, and when he said he had done it a number of times in the minor leagues I just felt safer doing it that way."

One player Riggleman ruled out immediately was Ichiro, the Mariners' All-Star center fielder.

"That," Riggleman joked, "wasn't going to happen."

Burke made two relief appearances while in the minors, pitching four shutout innings, but hadn't pitched at all since 2001. He had trouble early against the Tigers, allowing a leadoff double to Miguel Cabrera before uncorking a pitch that went over Marcus Thames' head and hit the backstop.

Cabrera took third on the wild pitch and later scored on Thames' sacrifice fly before Burke settled down to get Ivan Rodriguez to ground out and Edgar Renteria to line out.

"I was excited, I wasn't scared or anything," Burke said. "When I was going to throw a slider or curve I was nervous because I couldn't hold the ball."

Even though he was charged with the loss, Burke was greeted warmly by his teammates afterward. Later that evening, Burke's voice mailbox was full and his inbox for text messages was overflowing, though most of the well-wishers didn't get a response.

Burke simply didn't have time and was on a plane headed for Oakland to get ready for a four-game series against the A's after becoming the first Seattle position player to pitch since John Mabry did so against Tampa Bay on May 28, 2000. Burke is also just the third position player in the majors since 1969 to pitch and take the loss.

"A lot of guys were excited for me," Burke said. "There were a lot of hugs and high-fives. Even though we lost, we battled and battled."