Mariners believe character just as important as talent

PEORIA, Ariz. — At the beginning of spring training, new Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik addressed his players about what character means in team sports.

Zduriencik wanted to impress upon them that talent and character go hand-in-hand for winning clubs, almost like two sides of a pyramid. He told them to imagine a pyramid and began sliding both his hands up and down diagonally across what would have been its sides.

The hand on one side was eventually kept higher than the other, showing players that the talent side of a team could often be strong while the character level on the other side was lacking. Or, he added, slowly sliding one hand higher and lowering the other, sometimes it's the character of a team that's strong, while the talent is inadequate.

"What you should be striving for as an organization," Zduriencik added, bringing the fingertips of his hands together and pointing them toward the sky, "is to meet at the top, where the talent is at the top and the character is at the top."

That message wasn't lost on Mariners first baseman Mike Sweeney, one of a core of veterans who has taken to altering the goings-on inside the Mariners clubhouse. The trio of Sweeney, Ken Griffey Jr. and Adrian Beltre have worked hard this spring to lay down a new clubhouse order.

"The main thing is accountability," Sweeney said. "You hold guys accountable. If guys are not adhering to the rules or guidelines of this clubhouse, you point it out. It's simple. There are no official rules, but if you're doing things that are detrimental to the team, then you're going to get called out on it, whether you're a 10-year veteran or a rookie.

"It's called accountability," he added. "If you don't have that, then you're not going to have, No. 1, a team. You're not going to have unity. The days of, if you blow a game, hiding in the trainer's room, those are over. It's being held accountable."

And that means, in theory at least, that a new clubhouse environment should await right fielder Ichiro and catcher Kenji Johjima on Thursday when the pair reports to Mariners camp. Both played for Japan in the World Baseball Classic and were the target of team anger, jealousy and possibly some scapegoating during Seattle's 101-loss season in 2008.

In Ichiro's case, there were complaints that despite his big numbers, he sometimes fails to do the little things to win games. With Johjima, it was claims that he doesn't hit or communicate well enough with pitchers to justify the $24 million contract extension he got last year.

Whatever the validity of such arguments, Sweeney, a 15-year major-league veteran acquired as an offseason free agent, insists clubhouse backbiting won't be tolerated.

"I saw it playing against these guys last year," Sweeney said. "I thought, 'They don't seem like a team.' It didn't seem like they had any unity or togetherness. I could see that just from seeing guys communicate on the field, guys not picking each other up. I could sense that from the other dugout."

He was briefed more in detail by Zduriencik and Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu. "They said: 'We're not going to dwell on last year, but these are some issues. It's a veteran's job to police the clubhouse, and we need you to do that.' "

Griffey was told something similar when he signed.

Sweeney insists he's yet to see a flare-up of those problems and that he, Griffey and Beltre — the team leader from last year — are working to foster a more-together clubhouse. Griffey and Sweeney have organized "team parties" where a rotating group of players — anyone from veterans to minor-leaguers — have breakfast at a local restaurant.

Griffey has also taken a handful of players out to dinner, or gotten them together on off days.

Zduriencik said in an interview Wednesday that some people mistakenly refer to team "chemistry" when they mean "character." And the latter, he said, is no joke.

"At the end of the day, it does get down to the character of the players," he said. "It does get down to players trusting each other. It's a very important ingredient."

Sweeney said that after Zduriencik's pyramid speech, three World Series winners — Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista and Tyler Johnson — agreed their championship squads had "magical" character and "would fight tooth and nail for each other."

That's why Sweeney and the others plan to make sure the concept of team unity goes beyond breakfast and golf outings.

"What makes a clubhouse good?" Sweeney said. "It's considering that the other guys in the clubhouse are more important than yourself. That's it. If you're held accountable and you consider other people more important than yourself, then you're going to be a good teammate."

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com