Ask The Mariners -- Rules Have Cora Pinned

Got a question for your favorite Mariner? Send them to: Ask the M's, Seattle Times Sports, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. If you prefer, fax 464-3255 or e-mail: askms@seatimes.com)

Q:To Joey Cora: What were those two pins on your hat? (Darby Wong, Seattle)

A:"I wear the Puerto Rican flag to honor my country. I wear the rooster because that's what my close friends call me back home in Caguas: `Gallo,' which means rooster."

Q:To Joey Cora: Where did you get that chicken pin on your hat? What does it symbolize? (Claire Albertson, Snohomish)

A:"It's a rooster, not a chicken. You eat chicken; roosters fight."

Q:To Joey Cora: Why aren't you wearing pins on your hat anymore? (Karie, Renton)

A:"I was until the league and the Players Association called and told me I couldn't because they aren't part of the approved uniform. They threatened to fine me $200 a day. When I kept it up for a while, they said they could suspend me. I stopped, but tried it one day a couple of weeks ago and they called me again. They are watching closely, I guess."

Q:To Rich Amaral: Who was your favorite baseball player growing up? What qualities made that player stand out to you? (Jennifer Rea-Smith, Sharon Graddon)

A:"Pete Rose. I liked his intensity."

Q:To Alex Rodriguez: Who is your closest friend on the Mariners? (Sperling, Bainbridge Island)

A:"Two: Joey Cora and John Marzano.'

Q:To Dan Wilson: Do you talk a lot of trash to batters - and what do other catchers say to you? (J.P. Villanueva)

A:"No, I don't, and other catchers say very little to me."