Cameron shaping up 'other' stats

KIRBY ARNOLD, FOR THE OLYMPIAN

Originally published Monday, April 8, 2002

SEATTLE -- Mike Cameron's team-leading .400 batting average may raise some eyebrows, but two other statistics seem even more surprising to those familiar with Cameron's history at the plate.

Cameron, the Mariners' strikeout king last year, has walked eight times and fanned just twice in 20 at-bats.

"He's been improving every year and I expect big things from him this year," hitting coach Gerald Perry said. "I feel good when he's at the plate. He is driving the ball to all fields, and even his outs are hard. You can tell he has a lot of confidence."

The knock on Cameron has always been his strikeouts. He fanned 155 times last year, including 26 straight games with at least one strikeout that was the longest such stretch in the major leagues since 1975.

"Everybody always talks about his strikeouts, but he's a patient hitter," Perry said. "He got a lot of called strikes on him; it wasn't from him being a free swinger. He has a real good eye and he knows the strike zone. A lot of people might think that he doesn't because of the strikeout total, but it's just the opposite."

After one week this season, Cameron's patience translated into more walks than anyone on the team and fewer strikeouts than Ichiro Suzuki.

"He's been aggressive in the way I like," Perry said. "He looks for a pitch in a certain zone and lets it go right away."

- HEEEEERE'S JOHNNY! Left-hander John Halama returns as a starter on Tuesday for the first time since July 16 last year, and the bullpen had better be ready.

Not because anyone expects Halama to be a flop when he pitches at Anaheim, but because it's as sure as the sunset that he won't last more than six innings.

"He was stretched out to 66 pitches in spring training and it's reasonable to expect 80 on Tuesday," pitching coach Bryan Price said. "That should get him five or six innings."

Because of Halama's expected short start Tuesday, the Mariners knew they had to be careful with how they used their long relievers -- Joel Pineiro and Ryan Franklin -- Sunday and again today.

It's probable that one of those two will follow Halama on Tuesday.

- LEAVE IT OPEN: Anybody who wondered why the Safeco Field roof remained open despite threatening skies on Sunday needed to look at Tim Hudson's pitching history.

The Oakland starter entered Sunday's game 11-0 with a 2.01 ERA in 13 career starts in domed stadiums with the roof closed.

Temperature at game time was 53 degrees, just a degree warmer than it was Saturday when the roof was closed despite no rain.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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