Around The Horn -- The 1997 Mariners

Lee Tinsley, left field: In his second stint with the Mariners after being traded to Boston in the spring of 1994. . . . Will back up every outfield position. . . . Might platoon with Rich Amaral in left field. . . . Was Oakland's first draft pick in 1987. . . . Underwent surgery to repair an injured thumb that limited him to a .245 batting average last year. . . . Possesses a nice combination of power and speed.

Rich Amaral, left field: What he lacks in power, he makes up for with excellent base running. . . . Versatile, can play five positions. . . . Could see significant playing time platooning with Joey Cora at second base and Lee Tinsley in left field. . . . Has good hands; recently delivered baby son as wife gave birth.

Ken Griffey Jr., center field: Known as "The Man" of the Mariners. . . . Holds team records in virtually every batting category, and trails only Edgar Martinez with a .302 career batting average. . . . Hast hit 40 or more home runs three times, and has driven in 100 or more runs four times. . . . Is the seventh youngest player to hit 200 home runs. . . . Has won seven Gold Gloves in center field. . . . A seven-time All-Star, he was the most valuable player of the 1992 All-Star Game in San Diego. . . . Griffey and his father, Ken Sr., rank fourth in combined home runs by a father and son. . . . Is active in the Make-A-Wish Foundation and in BAT (Baseball Assistance Team).

Russ Davis, third base: Looking to establish himself as a front-line third baseman. . . . Suffered broken left fibula in July and missed rest of the season. . . . Batted .203 against right-handers, but hit .306 against left-handers last year. . . . His Alabama drawl helped earn the nickname, "Gump."

Alex Rodriguez, shortstop: Shortstop is the complete package at 21. . . . Named Sporting News player of the year, he had a historic 1996 in his first full season. . . . Ranked among American League leaders in 11 offensive categories. . . . Set five major-league records for a shortstop, and six Mariner records. . . . His .358 batting average was the third highest by a shortstop in history. . . . Drafted No. 1 overall by Seattle in 1993. . . . Created Grand Slam For Kids educational program.

Reserve infielders

Mike Blowers: Returns to Mariners after spending 1996 with Los Angeles. Former Washington Husky will platoon with Paul Sorrento at first base. Suffered torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee July 17, had surgery Aug. 2 and finished with a .265 average and just six home runs. Had 24 homers and 96 RBI for Seattle in 1995.

Brent Gates: Signed two weeks ago after he was released by Oakland. . . . Switch-hitter could bat right-handed in platoon at second base. Can also play third base or shortstop. . . . Suffered fractured left tibia in June and missed the rest of the the season. . . . Batted .354 against Seattle pitching from 1993 to 1995. . . . Was a teammate of catcher Dan Wilson at the University of Minnesota.

Andy Sheets: Has quick, sure hands and can play third base, second base or shortstop. . . . Needs to improve hitting. . . . Batted .344, .293 and .358 in his past 2 1/2 years in Class AAA.

Dave Silvestri: Utility infielder was claimed after being waived by Montreal. . . . Once considered the shortstop of the future by the Yankees. . . . Hit 45 home runs in two seasons (1993-94) at Class AAA Columbus. . . . Has been solid during spring training. . . . Played shortstop on the 1988 United States gold-medal team.

Randy Johnson, ace: The back injury he suffered in May had the biggest impact of any injury in baseball in 1996. . . . The most dominant pitcher in the game. . . . He leads all pitchers with 1,554 strikeouts this decade. . . . Has struck out 10 or more batters 68 times in his career. . . . Has career average of 10.11 strikeouts per nine innings, best in history. Nolan Ryan is second at 9.59. . . . Left-handed hitters have .189 career batting average against him with only six home runs. . . . Performed photography for Pinnacle baseball cards while he was injured last year.

The rotation

Jeff Fassero: Opening Night starter as Randy Johnson continues to recover from back woes. . . . He allowed 11.19 base runners per nine innings, fewest among National League left-handers last year. . . . Has sinking fastball in low 90s and outstanding splitter. . . . Limited left-handers to a .292 on-base percentage. . . . Hasn't allowed a home run to a left-hander since June 30, 1994, against Barry Bonds.

Jamie Moyer: Left-hander will start Mariners' second game. . . . In 11 starts since coming to Seattle July 30, he had seven quality starts, earning a two-year contract. . . . Can cut, sink and spot his fastball and has a good changeup. . . . Is tough on right-handers, who hit .223 against him last year. . . . Walked two or fewer in 20 of 21 starts, only 16 in 70 2/3 innings with Seattle. . . . His wife, Karen, is the daughter of Digger Phelps, former Notre Dame men's basketball coach.

Norm Charlton: Closer. . . . One of baseball's toughest players, he has been on the disabled list six times and had elbow surgery in 1993. . . . Former Cincinnati Nasty Boy. . . . Left-hander has one of the best forkballs in the major leagues, but often does not throw it for strikes. . . . When slumping in July, he told Manager Lou Piniella to take the closer job from him. . . . Returned to register six saves near the end of the season.

The bullpen

Bobby Ayala: Lead setup man. . . . Right-hander had his problems in 1996, including a 5.88 ERA. . . . His breaking ball has been effective in camp, accompanying a 90+ mph fastball and fine split-finger fastball. . . . He seeks return to form of 1995, when left-handers batted .229 against him; they hit .304 against him last year.

Rafael Carmona: Setup man. . . . At 24 years old, right-hander is expected to continue to develop good fastball and slider. . . . Possible future closer. . . . Has added weight to his lower body to increase velocity. . . . His eight victories last year tied Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees for second among relievers. . . . After his debut in May 1995, his hometown of Comerio, Puerto Rico, held a carnival in his honor.

Edwin Hurtado: Right-handed long reliever. . . . He was the winning pitcher Opening Night last year. . . . Had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in July. . . . He was 39-5 in Toronto's system during his first four years, two of which were spent in the Dominican Republic.

Josias Manzanillo: Right-handed long reliever. Signed as a minor-league free agent Dec. 12. Missed all of last season recovering from elbow injury. Last pitched for New York Yankees in 1995, compiling a 2.08 ERA in 17.1 innings.

Greg McCarthy: Left-handed short reliever. . . . Spent 10 years in the minor leagues. . . . Has pitched for five organizations. . . . Finished last year in Tacoma, where he struck out 90 batters in 68 1/3 innings. . . . Has hard stuff and unveiled a changeup the Mariners didn't know he had. . . . Allowed runs in two of 10 games with Seattle.

Salomon Torres: Out of minor-league options and could be traded; several teams have expressed mild interest. . . . Right-hander might squeeze into the bullpen despite performing poorly during spring training. . . . Was 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA in September. . . . Possesses good fastball, good changeup and has worked to improve slider.

Bob Wells: Right-handed long reliever. . . . Strong performance last year might help him earn a spot despite a rough spring. . . . Voted team's most valuable pitcher in 1996 by Seattle baseball writers. . . . Was 4-1 with a 1.79 ERA when he joined the starting rotation in June, then won his first five starts. . . . His seven-game winning streak was the third longest in the American League last season. . . . Right-handers batted .248 against him. . . . Graduate of Eisenhower High School in Yakima.

Dan Wilson, catcher: Made All-Star team after batting .295 in the first half of 1996. . . . Solid receiver who calls an intelligent game. . . . Threw out 39 percent of base stealers, third best in the American League. . . . Nailed Kenny Lofton and Curtis Goodwin three times each. . . . Became the fifth Mariner to hit three home runs in a game. . . . Sponsors Assist For Homeless Children. . . . He and his wife, Annie, are on the board of directors for First Place in Seattle.

Reserve catchers

John Marzano: Capable backup last year. . . . Has a good arm. . . . Played eight years in the Boston organization and was considered Red Sox catcher of the future until arm problems limited him. . . . Played for United States' silver-medal 1984 Olympic team.

Brent Mayne: Signed as free agent. . . . Is competing with Marzano for backup duties. . . . Former starting catcher with Kansas City. . . . Had arm surgery last year. . . . Batted safely in 13 of 16 starts with the New York Mets last year.

Edgar Martinez, designated hitter: Best pure hitter in the American League. . . . Has amazing discipline at the plate, a fine combination of vision and power. . . . Has developed into a run producer, driving in 216 runs in the past two years. . . . Although he has 54 home runs in the past two years, he is known for his doubles, with 52 each of the past two seasons. . . . Batted .323 against right-handers and .339 against left-handers. . . . Owns an embroidery business in Redmond.

Jay Buhner, right field: One of Seattle's team leaders. . . . Is one of baseball's top run producers, averaging one RBI per 3.9 at-bats the past two years. . . . One of 23 players in baseball history with consecutive seasons of 40 or more home runs. . . . Steady, hustling right fielder with a strong, accurate arm. . . . Can vomit on cue.

Joey Cora, second base: An emotional leader. . . . Coming off a knee problem that reduced his stolen-base total from 18 in 1995 to five last year. . . . Switch-hitter batted .299 left-handed last year, .218 right-handed. . . . Will play against right-handed pitchers in platoon at second base. . . . Greatly improved defensively. . . . His brother, Alex, was the Dodgers' third pick in last year's draft.

Paul Sorrento, first base: Underrated run producer. . . . Was solid replacement for Tino Martinez in first-base platoon. . . . Batted .307 with 21 home runs and 82 runs batted in in 411 at-bats against right-handers. . . . Batted .313 at the Kingdome last year. . . . Along with catcher Dan Wilson, he gives the Mariners two former goaltenders.

The rotation

Scott Sanders: No. 4 starter. . . . A classic strikeout pitcher, the right-hander has 354 strikeouts in 345 innings the past three years. . . . His slider is deadly for right-handers, who struck out 108 times in 321 at-bats last year. . . . Needs to pitch inside to left-handers to be effective. . . . Recovered from elbow problem in 1995. . . . Has reduced base runners allowed per nine innings from 12.24 three years ago to 10.31 last year. . . . Started his pro career with Spokane in 1990.

Bob Wolcott: Competing to be No. 5 starter. . . . Had four good outings at start of spring training. . . . Won Game 1 of American League Championship Series against Cleveland in 1995. . . . Was 1-5 in first seven starts last year, 6-5 in final 21. . . . Walked two or fewer in 22 of 28 starts. . . . Pitched a perfect game for his Medford, Ore., Babe Ruth team at age 15.

Dennis Martinez: Potential No. 5 starter . . . With 240 career victories, he leads active pitchers. . . . Twenty-one-year veteran signed with Seattle during camp. . . . Right-hander is three victories from tying Juan Marichal's record for most by a Latin American pitcher. . . . Trying to come back from an elbow problem. . . . Was 0-4 against the Yankees last year, 9-2 in 16 other starts. . . . His son, Dennis Jr., 23, pitches in Cleveland's farm system.