M's Notebook | Feierabend to start today against Reds

There is one immediate advantage the Mariners gain from becoming this year's first team to boast two 21-year-old starting pitchers.

They can rest assured the Cincinnati Reds will know next to nothing about left-hander Ryan Feierabend when he takes the mound tonight. Feierabend admittedly knows nothing about the Reds, but these situations usually favor pitchers the first time around.

"I'll just go over a game report and stuff like that ... and prepare for the game," Feierabend said after it was announced Thursday that he'd be taking Cha Seung Baek's spot in the starting rotation.

It's rare for a team to have even one 21-year-old starter. But Feierabend, who turns 22 in August, isn't even the youngest member of Seattle's rotation. Felix Hernandez, who pitched Thursday, is almost eight months his junior.

"Sometimes, it's time to give kids a look," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "We certainly think that Ryan has a bright future ahead of him. And that it may be close to his time."

Feierabend had worked in long relief since being called up from Class AAA Tacoma on June 14 and joining the Mariners in Chicago. He tossed two shutout innings against the Astros on Sunday, but says he's stretched out enough to start.

"I feel like I'm ready to go," said Feierabend, who earned his first major-league victory by tossing 7-1/3 innings against Texas on June 3 before being sent back to Tacoma the next day. "When I got sent back down, I made a start down there and I threw 104 pitches."

Feierabend added: "I ended up throwing a bullpen session [Sunday] in Houston, the day that I pitched. So, it worked out where I threw 60, 70 pitches that day. So, it almost worked out to where I threw in a game situation."

Baek was in the bullpen for Thursday's game. He's taking the spot of Sean Green, who has left the team to be with his ill grandmother and isn't expected back until tonight.

Once that happens, Baek could be on his way to Tacoma. Mariners manager Hargrove said he still envisions Baek as a starter, but that the team likes its chances better with Feierabend.

"He throws strikes ... gives you a different look — he is left-handed," Hargrove said. "We feel that he's one of our bright young prospects and has a chance to be real good. He gives us a chance to win on maybe a more consistent basis right now."

The addition of Feierabend raises some questions about what will happen when Horacio Ramirez rejoins the team. Ramirez still needs to go out on a rehabilitation assignment and is a few weeks from returning.

But that would mean three of the team's five starters would be left-handed — another situation quite different from the major-league norm.

"It doesn't bother me," Hargrove said. "We could start five lefties. As long as they're getting people out, I don't care.

"I think the composition of your rotation," he added, "the ability for them to pitch deep into the game and get people out, is more important than having a balance of three righties and two lefties, or three lefties and two righties or four lefties and one righty."

The only way the team would go that three-lefty route is if one of the current starters falters to the point where they would be dropped. Otherwise, it could come down to a battle between Ramirez and Feierabend for that final rotation spot.

Wiggin' out

Mariners right fielder Jose Guillen drew some laughs during batting practice when he donned a 1970s-style afro wig under his cap. Guillen had worn the wig while shooting promotional pictures for the team's "Turn Back the Clock Night" next month.

At one point, Guillen strode up to the dugout and announced: "We should put this on Mike Hargrove to look different in the dugout!"

The stoic manager cracked a brief smile and managed a retort, but didn't put the wig on his head.

Prospects picked

A pair of minor-league outfielders will represent the Mariners at the annual All-Star Futures game on July 8 in San Francisco. AAA outfielder Wladimir Balentien and Class A prospect Michael Saunders were selected.

Current Mariners who've played in the game include Yuniesky Betancourt (2005), Felix Hernandez (2004) and Jose Lopez (2002).

Note

• The return of Ken Griffey Jr. to Seattle tonight will help raise funds for Children's Hospitals in three cities — Seattle, Cincinnati and Orlando, where Griffey resides in the offseason.

Griffey has signed 1,000 commemorative baseballs that will be sold for $100 apiece this weekend, starting tonight at the Safeco Field team store and souvenir locations throughout the ballpark. By Saturday, limited numbers of the baseballs will be sold at all team stores in the Seattle area.

The balls will carry a commemorative logo to mark the event that reads: "Griffey Returns, Safeco Field, June 22-24, 2007."

Geoff Baker: 206-464-8286 or gbaker@seattletimes.com. Read his daily blog at www.seattletimes.com/Mariners

For the record

Streak: W2

Home: 19-14

Road: 18-18

vs. AL West: 12-10

vs. L.A.: 2-7

vs. Oakland: 4-1

vs. Texas: 6-2

vs. AL East: 9-7

vs. AL Central: 9-7

vs. NL: 7-8

vs. LHP: 14-6

vs. RHP: 23-26

Day: 10-11

Night: 27-21

One-run: 10-9

Extra innings: 2-0

Home attendance

Thursday's crowd: 22,950

Season total: 948,480

Biggest crowd: 46,181 (May 13)

Smallest crowd: 16,555 (May 2)

Average (33 dates): 28,742

2006 average (33 dates): 26,251