Mariners
Notebook: Putz attracts following

By Dana Wakiji
Special to The Seattle Times

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DETROIT — Don't tell rookie reliever J.J. Putz that you can't go home again.

Putz not only got to go home when the Mariners came to Detroit, he took advantage of the opportunity.

The Trenton, Mich., native had about 10 former University of Michigan teammates, along with several high-school friends and family members, in the stands yesterday at Comerica Park.

"It's always fun to come home," Putz said.

Putz said he has not abandoned his Michigan sports loyalties.

"We got to go over to Ford Field yesterday and run around and got a tour and got some Lions stuff," Putz said. "I live in Arizona in the offseason, and when the Red Wings came to town, I live right by Matt Thornton (from Three Rivers, Mich.) so we got Red Wings jerseys and went to the game."

During the NBA playoffs, pitcher Julio Mateo was rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I was like, 'Pistons are going to win it, I'm telling you,' " Putz said. "Even our bullpen coach (Orlando Gomez) was rooting for the Pistons because he likes their coach (Larry Brown). So we were kind of giving Mateo a hard time."

The 27-year-old said he's learned a lot this season, even with the team experiencing hard times.
 
"I've learned that I can pitch here," Putz said. "Having guys like Eddie (Guardado) in the bullpen teach you how to stay relaxed and have fun and when it's time, it's time to turn it on. With guys like Shiggy (Hasegawa) and Eddie, you can really learn a lot from their work ethic and the way that they study and what they're looking at on the hitters."

One thing Putz said he'll remember most about this year is playing with Edgar Martinez.

"What a privilege," Putz said. "I'll definitely be able to tell people that I was fortunate enough to play on the same field, share a clubhouse with a guy like that, one of the true professionals of the game. There's not too many guys that put up numbers like he does that are as humble as he is, so easy to approach and talk and ask questions to. He's definitely a special guy in this game."

Another homecoming

Mariners manager Bob Melvin also feels at home in Detroit, having played here in 1985 and coached here under Phil Garner in 2000.

"The guys that are over here, I played with Fields (Tigers hitting coach Bruce) in the minor leagues. I played with (Tigers bench coach Kirk) Gibson and (Tigers manager Alan) Trammell and (Tigers bullpen coach Lance) Parrish, came up behind those guys, literally learned how to play the game from those guys," Melvin said. "I've been close to them ever since. I've had two tours here, one as a player, one as a coach, so it definitely feels like a homecoming for me every time I come here."

Note

• Mariners SS Jose Lopez wasn't in the starting lineup for the first time since his major-league debut July 31. Ex-Tiger Ramon Santiago got the start.

"I didn't want Ramon sitting around too long after he'd gotten here," Melvin said.

Lopez did come into the game in the seventh inning as a pinch-runner and played shortstop after Martinez got a pinch-hit single batting in Santiago's spot.