M's Notes: Oh's cancer jars Japanese M's

NEW YORK — When Kenji Johjima was back in Japan last week, to see his newborn son Keita for the first time, he also made a special visit to a Tokyo hospital.

At Keio University Hospital he saw Sadaharu Oh, his manager and mentor for years with the Fukuoka Hawks, who had been diagnosed with stomach cancer.

"I was alarmed when I first heard Mr. Oh was ill," Johjima said Tuesday through interpreter Antony Suzuki. "But when I spoke with him I felt much better. I was relieved when he had reassured me that all would be well."

Oh underwent surgery Monday, and doctors announced they had gotten all the cancer without complications but had to remove his entire stomach to do it. Reports from Japan said Oh was up walking 24 hours later.

Not only did Oh's illness affect Johjima, but it also shocked Ichiro, who is ranked next to Japan's all-time home-run champion in international recognition and played for Oh on the WBC championship team this spring.

"I was surprised," Ichiro said. "But it was not just me, I think all Japanese people were surprised to hear that Mr. Oh was ill. Somehow, you felt he was one man who would never get sick."

Ichiro has been touched by cancer among his mentors. Last year, he lost Akira Ogi, the Orix manager who had put him in the lineup when he took over the Blue Wave, helping Ichiro become the hitter he is today.

Johjima said the shock in Oh's case comes from the idea that Oh was larger than life to the Japanese people, including his players.

"He was a giant, so much that you felt somehow he was invincible," the catcher said. "To hear he was ill shook us up."

The news hit Johjima hard because of his unique relationship with Oh.

"Our relationship was not just manager and player," he said. "Over our years together we had a special bond. He is definitely more than just a hero or manager to me."

Wrong Soriano

Despite reports linking the Mariners to Washington outfielder Alfonso Soriano, sources say Alfonso is not the Soriano whose name comes up most in trade talks these days.

One man said that a lot of clubs are inquiring about Seattle reliever Rafael Soriano. While the Mariners have not been actively shopping the hard-throwing right-hander, other teams see Seattle with J.J. Putz as its closer and know that Soriano has closer stuff.

"If some team offered enough," a Seattle source said, "you'd have to look into it, at least."

As to Alfonso Soriano, Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi, as is his policy, refused to comment on reports that his club has an interest in the Nationals' All-Star.

However, another source supported the previous suggestion that the rumors were coming from the Nationals "and are nothing but that club trying to heat up a market for players they want to move."

Notes

• Third baseman Alex Rodriguez was not in the Yankees' lineup, having gone for X-rays of his left big toe, struck by a foul ball Monday. New York manager Joe Torre said he had been told X-rays were negative and that Rodriguez, who popped out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and struck out in the ninth, "is sore."

• M's outfielder Adam Jones had his first two big-league hits, singles in the seventh and ninth, before Willie Bloomquist replaced him in center in the bottom of the ninth.

• The Yankees, with first baseman Andy Phillips going to second and center fielder Johnny Damon to first, got a break — or a non-break — when Yuniesky Betancourt fouled a ball that grazed catcher Jorge Posada on his throwing hand. Posada was New York's last catcher and was able to stay in the game.

• Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is 23 for 24 in career save situations against the Mariners and wound up with the win in the game in which he blew the lead, Aug. 23, 1997 at the Kingdome. His all-time line vs. Seattle: 27 innings, 14 hits, 3 earned runs, 9 walks and 26 strikeouts.

• The M's are 8-5 all time in games in which both teams combine for seven or more errors. Monday was the 13th time it has happened.