After working 80 hours between Sunday and Friday, Saturday was a much-needed day off from work! So, I spent it in the best way possible...I attended Mariners' FanFest at Safeco Field with my father. We woke up, got ready and drove through Starbucks on our way downtown. It was pouring rain and we got soaked walking a block to the stadium, but once we were inside I warmed up with the sight of the field, the smell of hot dogs and the thought that Opening Day is right around the corner. We headed straight to the first base line, where they were having the Dugout Dialogue series on top of the Mariners' dugout. Immediately, I spotted Deanna, who was already with Positive Paul and his brother-in-law, whom I actually knew vaguely as a customer from my store. I introduced myself to Positive Paul and we all chatted for a few minutes until a few guys started walking on top of the dugout. The first group in the Dugout Dialogue series included Jeremy Reed, Greg Dobbs and Felix Hernandez. Now, the questions for these things usually aren't too good. People asked Felix what's the fastest he's ever thrown, Kenji Johjima was asked if he's been eating American food yet and someone asked Jeff Pentland, the M's new hitting coach, why Ichiro pulls on his sleeve before he hits. I know I'm sleeping better knowing that the answers are: 99 MPH, Yes - I love Red Robin, and Rick Rizzs answering for Pentland, "Hitters are weird." Felix certainly won the award for "pimpest attire worn under his Mariners' jacket." Check it out...

Next up was Mr. Bill Bavasi. I really enjoyed listening to him speak at the USSM/BP event this summer, but he seemed to be more distant at FanFest, which is to be expected. Positive Paul asked Bavasi about the M's possibly acquiring Jeff Weaver. Bavasi said that the M's were basically tapped out financially, but added that he liked Weaver, noting that Weaver had grown up and "isn't such a goofball anymore." After Bavasi was done, our little crew packed up and decided to head out to the bullpen. On the way, I checked out some of the booths along the main concourse. I got some pamphlets and trivia cards from the SABR booth (I can't wait for the convention in Seattle!), got a Moyer Foundation bracelet, picked up an Aquasox schedule, and we took our pictures in one of those silly things where you stick your face through a wooden cutout before finally making our way downstairs to the bullpens. I had never been in the M's bullpen before, so it was a really neat experience to be able to throw a couple of pitches in there. I tried a knuckleball first, but I pick my nails too much to get a good grip on the thing and it sailed over the catcher's head. So, for the second pitch (everyone gets two), I went with a straight four-seamer and I think it was actually a strike.

After we all had our turn, Deanna and Positive Paul decided to head upstairs to get some autographs. I didn't want to wait in line, so my dad and I headed back over to the third base line and waited in line to catch a popup in the outfield. I was a little disappointed that when you were catching the pop flies, you were facing the outfield wall - not facing the infield, like you would be if you were actually catching fly balls at Safeco. However, it was still a fun experience to be on the field. I had been on the field before - the first time was when my dad and I attended "Play Catch in the Outfield" day at Safeco, and I have also been in foul territory several times - reporting for the Grand Salami and at my sister's high school graduation. But, it's always exciting being on the field and I caught both fly balls that were shot my direction. After my dad and I caught a couple pop flies, we headed back over to the Dugout Dialogue series. Now, the section by the M's dugout was really packed - this is because next up was Kenji Johjima and Jamie Moyer. I could tell from the press conference that fans are really going to love Johjima (or "Jo" as he says his teammates are already calling him) and the Dugout Dialogue just cemented that idea. When Johjima walked onto the dugout, I gave him a thumbs up, and he gave me one back. He was beaming the entire time and seemed genuinely happy to be in Seattle. He was very upbeat, he had everyone laughing, and you can already tell that the language barrier won't be a problem for him. Moyer said that his favorite place to pitch is Yankee Stadium, which made me throw up in my mouth a little bit since Moyer reportedly rejected a trade to the Yankees last season. For the record: As a Mariner, Moyer is 4-2 with a 5.10 ERA at Yankee Stadium. Whatever...

Anyway, people really cleared out after Johjima got off the dugout, so I moved to a better seat because I was really excited for the next group. Up next was Benny Looper, the Vice President of Player Development & Scouting, and Greg Hunter, the Director of Minor League Operations. They seemed really cool, but I felt bad for them because there were only about 25 people sitting in the section and the questions they were getting were pretty bad. I asked about Anthony Varvaro, and they said they're expecting him to pitch this summer. I think drafting him was a steal for the M's and I'm excited to see him this summer - presumably in Everett. If you're wondering, here is what Hunter and Looper look like (Aaron definitely got his father's ears!):

After those guys, Jeff Pentland, the M's new hitting coach came out to answer some questions. Reed and Dobbs had already raved about the guy earlier, and from listening to him talk, you could tell that they were being sincere. They both said that he was really easy to talk to and had a ton of knowledge. I don't doubt that he has a wealth of information (he said that he's now been coaching for 34 years), and it was apparent that he would be someone that is easy to approach. This is an important quality for a coach, especially if the team has a lot of younger players. Pentland said that his main expertise is power. He talked about helping Barry Bonds in college and about working with Sammy Sosa on the Cubs. He also said that he expects Jeremy Reed to improve a lot this season. I asked Pentland whether controlling the strike zone and patience is something that can be taught at this level, or if by the time guys get to the Majors, it's either something they have or they don't. He said that controlling the strike zone and patience were indeed two of the most important things he'll be working with players on during Spring Training. He said that he believes - and this is similar to what he told Doug Miller on the M's official site the other day - that a lot of times when players struggle, it's not because of something they're doing mechanically, it's because they lack confidence. Pentland made it almost seem that what a hitting coach does for its hitters is more psychological than physical. I hope he's right and I'm excited to see what he can do for the M's young hitters this season.

After that, Dad and I decided to call it a day. He was cold and I was tired and hungry. We decided to drive back to Redmond for some Thai food. As we were leaving, we stopped and looked at the Mariners Care Silent Auction. They had some crap that was being sold for way too much money, but what caught my eye was tucked back in the corner - the Mariners Garage Sale. Here, they had about 30 autographed balls that they were just trying to get rid of. You didn't have to bid, you just had to be willing to shell out $15 - $30 for autographed balls from crappy ex-Mariners. $15 for an Aaron Taylor ball? Ha! The funniest thing though was the chart that listed all the prices had more errors than Mike Morse. Miguel Olivio? Yorvealt Torrealba? Grerg Dobbs? I'm not making this up. But, that was that. I wish I hung around a little longer. I wouldn't have minded watching more Dugout Dialogue sessions - notably the one with Howard Lincoln and the one with Jarrod Washburn and J.J. Putz. I also would have liked to meet "msb" with Deanna, hit in the Mariners' batting cage and participate in the trivia contest, but as I'm sure I'll be saying in September...wait 'til next year!