Mariners
Notebook: Cabrera capable of helping almost anywhere

By Greg Bishop
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Jolbert Cabrera calls them baby steps, but at least they're in the right direction.

When the Mariners acquired Cabrera in April from the Los Angeles Dodgers for pitchers Aaron Looper and Ryan Ketchner, manager Bob Melvin knew little about his newest utility player. But after nights like Friday, when Cabrera went 3 for 4 with a run scored against the New York Yankees, it seems the Mariners are catching on.

"The more we see him out there, the more we learn about him, the more confidence we have in him," Melvin said. "He certainly swings the bat very well. I can play him anywhere and know that offensively we aren't going to lose a whole lot."

And when Melvin says anywhere, he means, well, almost anywhere. Cabrera played all four infield positions and all three outfield positions for the Dodgers last year, hitting .282 with six home runs and 37 runs batted in in 128 games. He started at second base on Friday when Bret Boone took the night off to rest a sore back.

Asked yesterday if he has a position preference, Cabrera nodded and offered only one word, "Playing."

Cabrera is hitting .286 in 13 games this season, with three doubles and three RBI. If he continues to play this well, Melvin said, the Mariners will have to find more opportunities for him.

"It's up to them," Cabrera said. "All I can do is continue to produce and find ways to help the team win games. When I've been healthy, over the years I've been pretty consistent. They're starting to see that now. (Melvin) has a better idea of what I'm able to do on the field."

Boone back

Watching Friday's win over the Yankees from the bench didn't feel right, Boone said.
 
A sore lower back sidelined the Mariners' second baseman, but not for long. He returned to the lineup and hit third in the order last night.

Boone wore a weightlifting belt around his waist in the clubhouse to cut down on the back pain. Asked how his back felt yesterday, Boone said, "I feel OK. It doesn't feel bad."

Speaking of back problems ...

Infielder Willie Bloomquist says his back is improving. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive last Sunday with a strained lower back.

Both Bloomquist and Boone started feeling pains in their backs shortly after the Mariners returned from a road trip to Detroit, prompting Bloomquist to joke that "it must have been the beds or something."

"I feel pretty good today," Bloomquist said. "If I wasn't on the DL, I could play. I have to be careful, though, make sure I don't come back too early. I just need to take it easy for a couple days, ease back into it."

Boo-birds

Like everyone else at packed Safeco Field on Friday night, several Mariners took note of the fans booing Alex Rodriguez every time he poked his head out of the dugout. And several — like Boone, who was booed in Cincinnati — remembered what that felt like.

Which isn't to say that they felt bad for Rodriguez. They saw it as a sign of respect for a player Melvin called "one of the best in the game."

"As a player, I have no problem with it," Boone said. "People have their reasons. They're mad because he left. The fans pay to get in, so they can do whatever they want. I just don't understand it."

Notes

• Quinton McCracken started in center field and hit ninth in the Mariners' lineup last night, his first action since pinch-running against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

"Q is here for a reason," Melvin said. "We need to get him in some games, and we try to get him in against some guys he's had success against. He's done well against (Yankees starter) Mike Mussina, so you try to get him in there against a guy he's had success against."

• When Edgar Martinez notched his 500th double on Friday night, he became just the 39th player since 1900 to reach that number and the 41st overall. With one more home run, Martinez would become the sixth player in major-league history to record 300 home runs, 500 doubles, 1,000 walks, an average above .300 and an on-base percentage over .400. The five other players are in the Hall of Fame.

• Frosty Westering, retired Pacific Lutheran football coaching legend, threw out the first pitch.

• The Tacoma Rainiers, rained out for the second straight day yesterday, will make up the games with Salt Lake by playing two doubleheaders — today at 1:35 p.m. and at a date to be determined during their series June 14-17.