M's Notebook | Betancourt might miss game for trial

Mariners shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt won't be joining his teammates on their charter flight to Cleveland on Thursday.

Betancourt instead plans to hop a flight to Miami after tonight's game against Oakland so he can be in court to testify at the smuggling trial of agent Gustavo "Gus" Dominguez. The latter faces up to 45 years in prison after being charged with 53 counts of trying to smuggle Cuban baseball players into the United States.

At least one other major-leaguer, Henry Blanco of the Chicago Cubs, has been subpoenaed to testify. The Mariners are off Thursday, and Betancourt plans to fly to Cleveland on Friday, but isn't certain whether he can make that day's game.

"I don't know if I can be there in time," he said. "For Saturday, yes, but I don't know about Friday."

Friday's game, the Indians' home opener, is a 1:05 p.m. PST affair. It will also feature the Mariners debut of groundball specialist Horacio Ramirez, which could require the team's infielders to be at the top of their game.

Mariners manager Mike Hargrove doesn't expect to know until just before game time whether he will have Betancourt available, or have to use Willie Bloomquist in his place.

"If he's there before game time," Hargrove said of Betancourt, "he'll play."

Been there, done that

New bullpen addition Sean White is an old hand when it comes to pitching at Safeco Field, despite the fact he is just breaking into the majors. White pitched at the park before any major-leaguer, in 1999 just weeks before the Mariners began using it.

The Pullman native was just a high-school senior, pitching for a Seattle-area summer-league team. There were only "a couple of hundred" parents and friends in the stands then as well, quite a contrast to the 46,003 who saw White introduced on the field before Monday's opener.

"It's a little different when you have the stadium packed and you're actually playing for a team you grew up watching," said White, whose parents, grandparents, two sisters, stepmother and girlfriend attended the game. "It was an unbelievable experience, unreal. Just a lot of fun."

White doesn't remember much about the one inning he pitched at the ballpark seven years ago.

He did get to take a tour of the soon-to-be Mariners clubhouse, where he now has a locker, though he insists he wasn't dreaming of things to come.

"Sure, I eventually wanted to play in the major leagues, but I didn't think it would be here," he said.

Not-so-friendly confines

Betancourt wishes the Mariners had closed the Safeco Field roof about an inning earlier than they did in Monday's season opener. The ball carries better that way, and Betancourt needed a few extra feet in the third inning when he uncorked a blast to left field.

At first, Betancourt and just about everyone in the building figured he had gone deep — as he had a surprising two times in spring training. Alas, the ball hung up in the air and was caught by left fielder Shannon Stewart before it even reached the warning track.

Betancourt didn't have to wait long for his first homer though, putting Seattle up 6-4 with his shot to left in the seventh inning Tuesday.

Spanish radio on horizon?

The Mariners are still hoping to get a Spanish-language radio broadcast of their home games up and running by April 13. The team had its games broadcast the past three seasons on local station KTFH — which has since changed its call letters to KDOW — but was unable to get a deal done in time for the first homestand.

Negotiations are under way with KDOW and a second station, in Portland. Color commentator Julio Cruz would return, but play-by-play man Amaury Pi-Gonzalez has taken a job with the Los Angeles Angels and would have to be replaced.

The team is still finalizing a broadcast deal with the Fox Sports Network that would see a 10-year extension added to its current television contract with the Mariners. A news report two weeks ago cited the deal as worth at least $300 million, but sources say the final package will be higher.

No save, no worries

Mariners closer J.J. Putz insists that, despite a four-run lead Monday, he wasn't using the outing as an extended spring-training session to work out the kinks in his arm.

"For me, it was just as much a save situation, opening day and all that," said Putz, limited to one Cactus League inning.

For the record

Streak: W2

Home: 2-0

Road: 0-0

vs. AL West: 2-0

vs. Anaheim: 0-0

vs. Oakland: 2-0

vs. Texas: 0-0

vs. AL East: 0-0

vs. AL Central: 0-0

vs. NL: 0-0

vs. LHP: 0-0

vs. RHP: 2-0

Day: 1-0

Night: 1-0

One-run: 0-0

Extra innings: 0-0

Home attendance

Tuesday's crowd: 25,287

Season total: 71,290

Biggest crowd: 46,003 (Monday)

Smallest crowd: 25,287 (Tuesday)

Average (two dates): 35,645

2006 average (two dates): 32,780