Notebook | Seattle Mariners declare nut-free sections at Safeco

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack?

Not in sections 311 and 312 at Safeco Field on Aug. 5 versus the Twins and Sept. 9 against the Rangers. The Mariners announced Wednesday that those sections will be peanut-controlled zones on those days, meaning that two staples in the song "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" will be taken out of the ballgame, at least in two places.

The sections will be cleaned thoroughly the night before and all peanut products will be banned on those games. Peanut products will not be sold at nearby concessions. Tickets will be $10 each.

It is estimated 12 million in the U.S. have food allergies, about one-quarter of them children. The incidence of peanut allergies among children doubled over the five-year period from 1997 to 2002, according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

Walk, don't run

Boston's Manny Ramirez was absent from Wednesday's lineup with a sore right knee that not only surprised his manager, but provided an avenue for a little humor.

"Jaywalking, do it right, you won't hurt your knee," manager Terry Francona said.

Ramirez got an earful from a traffic cop Monday night outside Safeco Field after walking across South Royal Brougham Way against the officer's signal. The officer did not know who Ramirez was. He asked if Ramirez had attended the game, gave him a brief lecture and no ticket.

Ramirez was in a jovial mood before Wednesday's game, singing along to music from his iPod in the Red Sox clubhouse, a magazine rolled up in his hand as if it were a microphone. He even asked a reporter to sing along though the lyrics were in Spanish.

Ramirez said his status is day to day.

Knuckling under

First, Tim Wakefield offered a hand to R.A. Dickey, helping the Mariners pitcher to his feet after he was stretching on his back. Then Wakefield offered an ear as the pair of pitchers talked on the field for 15 minutes before the Mariners took the field for optional hitting practice.

It's a camaraderie that comes from being the only pair of major-league practitioners of the knuckleball.

"There's a bond, kind of an unwritten code among knuckleballers," said Dickey, who pitched Tuesday against Boston.

Wakefield plays a mentor-like role for Dickey, who said he's done everything from calling Wakefield the night before a start to standing behind Wakefield and watching him throw a bullpen session.

"He's just a first-class guy, and he's been real instrumental in my development," Dickey said. "He understands what I'm trying to do and how hard it is to do. It's very difficult to stand up there and throw a 70 mile-an-hour pitch to big-league hitters over and over again. I mean, they're trained to hit balls out of the park."

Notes

• Red Sox shortstop Jed Lowrie had a dozen or so fans on hand sitting 20 rows or so behind home plate. Lowrie is from Salem, Ore., and was called up earlier this month when Julio Lugo went on the disabled list.

• The Mariners played the 5,000th game in club history while Boston is at 16,752.

• Mariners broadcaster Dave Niehaus, who will be inducted Sunday into the Hall of Fame in New York, was given a standing ovation at Safeco Field in the middle of the fifth inning.

• David Ortiz hasn't completely recovered from a wrist injury that has sidelined him since May 30. He walked and grounded into a double play Wednesday for the Class AA Portland Sea Dogs in his final rehab game. The slugger is expected to rejoin the Red Sox on Friday for a nine-game homestand that begins with a series against the Yankees.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.