Larry Stone's Notes: M's favorite, if only briefly, signs with Sox

He was a Mariners folk hero and then a Mariners discard, and now he's a member of the White Sox organization.

Bucky Jacobsen, who made an indelible impact in his brief Seattle tenure, on Friday signed a minor-league contract with Chicago. His agent, Joe Speed, said Jacobsen will report to the White Sox minor-league camp in Tucson, Ariz., on March 6.

While the White Sox are set at first base (Paul Konerko) and designated hitter (Jim Thome), Jacobsen seized the chance to show that he is over the knee injury that virtually wiped out his 2005 season.

He played in just 18 games for Class AAA Tacoma, hitting .136. The Mariners removed him from their 40-man roster in September and made no effort to re-sign him, allowing Jacobsen to become a minor-league free agent. Jacobsen's camp says he's healthy, fit and rarin' to go.

"The reality is that the guys starting in front of him are All-Stars," Speed said. "This is an opportunity for Bucky to go to spring training, play as hard as he can, and try to work his way back to the big leagues."

In 2004, Jacobsen finally made it to the big leagues with Seattle after nearly a decade in the minors. And he made an instant impact, hitting .275 with nine homers and 28 runs batted in in just 160 at-bats. His girth and outgoing personality make him an instant fan favorite.

The following winter, Jacobsen mused publicly about making the All-Star team, but his knee never cooperated. Eventually, he had surgery that sidelined him most of the year.

"In a perfect world, if we had known how the recovery would go, maybe he would have continued to play on it," Speed said. "But at the same time, we're looking at his career in the long term, not the short term."

Speed explored opportunities in Japan and even Mexico this winter before accepting the White Sox offer. He believes that Jacobsen, 30, will work his way back to the major leagues, though he is likely to start this season at Class AAA Charlotte of the International League.

"Bucky's mind is set — when he's healthy, he believes he can play in the big leagues," Speed said. "He proved that in 2004, and his goal is to get back to that level of play. That's what he's working toward."

To those of us of a certain age, Curt Gowdy will always be remembered as the voice of televised baseball. In those days, before the advent of cable, the Game of the Week on Saturdays was truly an event, and Gowdy, along with Tony Kubek, provided the folksy yet authoritative narration.

But what I'll really remember Gowdy for is his broadcasting work on a Mariners game — the M's against the Angels (incongruously played at Dodger Stadium) in the funniest extended baseball scene ever recorded on film, in the movie "Naked Gun."

Gowdy headed a seven-man announcing crew that included Jim Palmer, Dick Enberg, Mel Allen, Tim McCarver, Dick Vitale, and, of course, Dr. Joyce Brothers. Gowdy is an understated comic delight in that movie, a worthy addition to one of the most distinguished canons in broadcasting history.

Typo in the lineup

A couple of nice quotes emerged from Tigers camp.

Detroit reliever Todd Jones on getting chosen for the U.S. team in the WBC:

"When you go down the roster, and you see my name, it feels like a typo. It feels like one of those Christmas presents that a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan would get: someone superimposes your name on the Packers' Diamond Vision, and you pay $9.95 to get an 8-by-10 photo of it."

And new Tigers manager Jim Leyland, on why he doesn't fine his players, most of whom are millionaires:

"If I tell these guys they're fined $200, they're going to give me a tip."

Notes and quotes

• A long-standing Hall of Fame omission is likely to be corrected Monday when the results are announced of voting on 39 Hall candidates from the Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues. The 12-member voting committee is expect to elect Buck O'Neil, who has been an unwavering ambassador of the game for more than half a century. Another strong possibility is White Sox legend Minnie Minoso.

• Rockies coach Dave Collins on Colorado outfielder Choo Freeman, who is out of minor-league options as he tries to seize a roster spot: "He knows it's time to perform or go to the 7-Eleven."

• Speedy recovery to the Rangers' outstanding hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer and will undergo surgery in early March. Jaramillo, 55, has vowed to be back by opening day, April 3, against Boston. Former major-leaguer Brook Jacoby will serve as the Rangers' hitting coach during Jaramillo's absence.

• This a crucial camp for Phil Nevin, due to earn $10 million from the Rangers in 2006. With non-roster DH Erubiel Durazo pushing Nevin for a spot on the team, the Rangers may be prepared to dump Nevin if he struggles like last season (.182 in 29 games with the Rangers).

The Rangers, meanwhile, have all but given up on signing Roger Clemens. Like most others around baseball, owner Tom Hicks expects Clemens to re-sign with Houston if he doesn't retire. "He lives 15 minutes from Minute Maid Park, so that's a big advantage," Hicks told the Dallas Morning News.

• Brad Radke arrived in Twins camp and told reporters there is a better than 50 percent chance he'll retire after the season. Don't count on it, however. Radke is just 33, and as sincere as he may be, will be hard-pressed to give up a job that is paying him $9 million in 2006.

"It's not all about me," he said. "Family comes first. Baseball's just a game. It's just a small chapter of your life, and then you have the rest of your life with your family."

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