M's Notebook: Team won't rush prize pitcher

Brandon Morrow throws fast, he signed fast, and now he hopes to be pitching in the major leagues fast.

"I don't want to rush it, obviously," said the Mariners' first-round draft pick, whose signing they announced Friday morning at a Safeco Field press conference. "Hopefully, maybe late next year or the year after."

Morrow, a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher from the University of California who was the No. 5 overall pick, has been clocked as high as 100 mph and, with some consistency, the upper 90s. In baseball's unspoken "slotting" system of draft signees, he is believed to have received about a $2.5 million signing bonus.

"This is a young man that we wanted," Bob Fontaine, Mariners vice president of scouting, said with conviction. "I think it'll be a great career."

Ironically, while Morrow seems to have the tools to move quickly through the minor leagues, it was assurance from the Mariners that he wouldn't be hurried that was important to him and his agent, Joel Wolf.

"We were concerned that Brandon would be able to move at his own pace," Wolf said. "A lot of times [high picks] move up whether they're ready or not."

Wolf says he has a long relationship with Benny Looper, Mariners vice president of player development and scouting, and trusted him and other longtime M's officials.

"We really liked what the Mariners had to say about Brandon," Wolf said. "They're not going to rush him because he was a high pick. He needs time to develop his pitches, to polish them."

The raw material is considerable. Stacey Pettis, the area scout who signed him, called Morrow's split-finger pitch "unhittable, when it's on." Pettis says Morrow's slider is comparable in quality to his splitter.

"His stuff is electric," said Pettis. "The ball comes out of his hand so easy. [But] it's going to take some time for him to develop, just to get used to pro ball."

Morrow is headed to the Arizona Instructional League, and then likely will begin his pro career with Class A Inland Empire of the California League.

"So many people downplay that first year," said Fontaine. "They shouldn't. In many ways, it might be your most important year — not just pitching and playing, it's getting adjusted to professional baseball.

"Every day you're on the field is a day closer to the major leagues."

Said Morrow, "I just wanted to get things rolling quickly. I don't think it's good for the relationship between me and the club to have any type of holdout."

As for whether he felt a need to outperform University of Washington pitcher Tim Lincecum, whom the Mariners passed over to draft him, Morrow said, "The Mariners know who they wanted. That's all that matters."

Pineiro stays put

M's manager Mike Hargrove said he and pitching coach Rafael Chaves conferred with troubled right-hander Joel Pineiro, but Pineiro will stay in the starting rotation, at least for now.

"If you're asking if he's still in the rotation, yes he is," said Hargrove.

Pineiro has had a miserable recent stretch that dropped his record to 5-7 with a 5.42 earned-run average.

Perhaps to change his luck, he showed up Friday with close-cropped hair, following his bleached look of recent years and a natural, bushy 'do before the haircut.

Old home week

A lot of old acquaintances were renewed before the game. Ex-Mariner Randy Winn traded hugs in the M's locker room with Ichiro and Raul Ibanez. Later, former Seattle shortstop Omar Vizquel did a series of interviews in the Giants' dugout.

Willie Bloomquist said he planned to get together with Giants outfielder Jason Ellison, a former South Kitsap High teammate. Another local product is Giants infielder Travis Ishikawa, who went to Federal Way High School.

Giants manager Felipe Alou, asked if he might start Ellison or Ishikawa, said he learned long ago not to promise playing time. In Montreal, a player named Shooty Babbitt hounded him for playing time. Alou finally caved in, telling him he'd start tomorrow.

Afterward, Alou learned the Expos were calling up a player they wanted to play every day, and he had to honor that order.

"They both might play," Alou said. "That's a promise."

How the runs scored Friday

Mariners first: Ichiro homered to right on a 0-1 count. Beltre singled to left. Lopez singled to left, Beltre to second. Ibanez flied out to right fielder Winn, Beltre to third. Sexson walked on a full count, Lopez to second. Morse hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Winn, Beltre scored, Lopez to third. Sexson stole second. Johjima walked on a full count. Bloomquist fouled out to catcher Greene. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 left on. M's 2, Giants 0.

Giants second: Bonds homered to right on a 2-1 count. Alou grounded out, third baseman Beltre to first baseman Sexson. Finley homered to left on the first pitch. Feliz struck out. Sweeney doubled to right. Greene struck out. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 left on. M's 2, Giants 2.

Giants third: Winn homered to right on a 2-0 count. Vizquel fouled out to first baseman Sexson. Durham flied out to center fielder Bloomquist. Bonds walked. Alou grounded out, third baseman Beltre to first baseman Sexson. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 left on. Giants 3, M's 2.

Mariners third: Lopez flied out to right fielder Winn. Ibanez doubled to left. Sexson flied out to right fielder Winn, Ibanez to third. Morse doubled to right, Ibanez scored. Johjima doubled to left, Morse scored. Bloomquist singled to left, Johjima scored. Bloomquist was out advancing, left fielder Bonds to third baseman Feliz to second baseman Durham, Bloomquist out. 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 0 left on. M's 5, Giants 3.

Giants fourth: Finley struck out. Feliz doubled to left. Sweeney doubled to center, Feliz scored. Greene walked on a full count. Winn grounded out, first baseman Sexson to pitcher Hernandez, Sweeney to third, Greene to second. Vizquel grounded out, first baseman Sexson unassisted. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 left on. M's 5, Giants 4.

Mariners statistics (through Friday)

The week ahead

SA - San Francisco

1:05 p.m., Ch. 13

RH Gil Meche (6-4) vs. RH Jason Schmidt (6-2)

SU - San Francisco

1:05 p.m., Ch. 11

LH Jamie Moyer (3-6) vs. RH Jamey Wright (5-6)

M - OFF DAY

TU @ L.A. Dodgers

7:10 p.m., FSN

RH Joel Pineiro (5-7) vs. RH Brad Penny (7-1)

W @ L.A. Dodgers

7:10 p.m., FSN

LH Jarrod Washburn (4-8) vs. RH Chad Billingsley (0-0)

TH @ L.A. Dodgers

7:10 p.m., Ch. 11

RH Felix Hernandez (7-6) vs.RH Brett Tomko (5-6)

F @ San Diego

7:06 p.m., FSN

RH Gil Meche (6-4) vs. RH Jake Peavy (4-7)

For the record

W/L streak: W-1

At home: 20-17

On road: 12-20

vs. AL West: 10-15

vs. Angels: 7-2

vs. Oakland: 1-9

vs. Texas: 2-4

vs. AL East: 7-7

vs. AL Cent. 11-15

vs. NL: 4-0

vs. LHP: 8-16

vs. RHP: 24-21

Day: 8-14

Night: 24-23

1-run games: 5-9

Extra-inning games: 3-2

Home attendance

Friday's crowd: 41,133

Overall attendance: 980,350

Season avg. (37 games): 26,496

Biggest crowd: 45,515

Smallest crowd: 16,102

2005 avg. (37 games): 33,678