Maligned M's hitters sticking it to doubters

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During Seattle's unfettered romp through the American League, the grasping for explanations has nearly always settled on the same theme: the Mariners are doing it with pitching and defense. It's become almost like a mantra - pitching and defense, pitching and defense, pitching and defense.

Somewhere along the line, however, the Mariners have managed to turn popular wisdom upside down.

Now, that's not to say that the pitching and defense haven't been magnificent. But the deep, dark truth is that the Mariners have been winning just as much with their offense. In fact, statistically, their batting has been more dominant than their pitching.

By production, in fact, it's the best offense in the American League; the pitching is merely ranked third. The Mariners, the team whose scoring ability was supposed to be its fatal flaw, entered last night's game against Tampa Bay having scored more runs, 310, than any team in the AL.

Yes, more than mighty Cleveland, with its .298 team average; more than Texas, with its weighty roster of big-name sluggers, including the one whose departure from Seattle was supposed to leave the Mariner attack bereft; more than Toronto with its cadre of big boppers and the Yankees with their stable of professional batsmen.

"We have a very, very good offense," said Bret Boone. "We're not the Texas Rangers. We do it in a different fashion. Up and down the lineup, of course they have a more talented offensive lineup. But we have a very patient offense. For the most part, you have to earn your outs against us."

That they have managed to turn such a potentially glaring weakness into a resounding strength is a testament to the virtues of execution, of patience, of unselfishness - of small ball elevated to a science and an art.

The Mariners' team average of .282 is knocking on the door of the franchise record of .287 in 1996, when Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez were at the full height of their talents. Griffey, Rodriguez and Jay Buhner (who unlike the other two is still present in body and spirit, but has yet to swing a bat this year) combined to hit 129 home runs in '96, a total this year's Mariners, en masse, won't surpass by too much.

"It just goes to show you don't have to just hit home runs to score runs," said Mariner hitting coach Gerald Perry. "We've been playing good situational baseball all year. We worked on it every day in spring training and it's paid off."

It has helped immensely, of course, that Ichiro has been such an outrageous boon at leadoff - and speaking of outrageous Boones, the Mariners couldn't have known when they signed Bret to play second base they'd be getting a run producer that would match the league's leading power men.

"To be honest, we had concerns coming out of spring training about the fifth spot and the protection (for Edgar Martinez and John Olerud)," Perry said. "That, to me, was the main concern, but Boonie's done a hell of a job. He said he felt good hitting in that spot. (Manager) Lou (Piniella) accommodated him, and it's paid off."

Edgar has been vintage Edgar, while Olerud seems on the way to one of those unconscious seasons he puts together every few years, like the .363 in '93 and the .354 in '98.

Mike Cameron has been solid, and Mark McLemore a godsend while Al Martin remains missing in action. Lately, the bottom of the order, source of great concern since Opening Day, has begun to pick up considerably.

But the Mariner offense has been greater than the sum of its parts. They have had an uncanny knack of hitting with men in scoring position, of drawing walks, of advancing runners with outs.

It all recalls the formula of a certain team from New York that has won four of the past five World Series.

"The Yankees are a special team - awesome - and I'm not about to compare us to them, but we're doing it in a similar way," Boone said. "When I played against them in the '99 World Series (for Atlanta), what stood out was how patient they were at the plate. No one had 40 homers, or even 30, but every count seemed to go to 2-2, 3-2, and that wears down a pitcher.

"A big reason for the success of the Yankees is their patience, and this lineup is similar. When we need a big at-bat, we've been able to get it."

The epitome of this year's Mariner attack may have been the 11th inning of last Sunday's win against Kansas City. After singles by Martinez and Olerud left runners on first and second, their leading RBI man, Boone, dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt, and Cameron delivered the sacrifice fly.

"Everyone on this team will be asked to bunt in certain situations," Boone said. "Well, maybe not Edgar. There aren't any egos here. And Edgar would bunt, too, if they wanted him to.

"It's a lot of fun right now. We're a very confident group, and we feel we have a good chance to win each night."

By arm, by glove or by bat.

Larry Stone can be reached at 206-464-3146 or lstone@seattletimes.com.