PEORIA, Ariz. -- Adrian Beltre knows there will be a period
of adjustment this season. New team. New manager. New league.
But he's ready for it.
"I'm not nervous at all," the new Seattle Mariners starting
third baseman said Monday after reporting for spring training.
"I'm just looking forward to getting to know everybody."
Beltre, 25, took his physical and then joined his new teammates
for a round of hitting, something he excels at and the main reason
the Mariners signed him to a $64 million, five-year contract in
December.
Playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2004, he led the majors
with 48 home runs while hitting .334 with 121 RBIss. He finished
second to San Francisco's Barry Bonds in the National League MVP
voting. Beltre and new Mariners first baseman Richie Sexson, who
signed a $50 million, four-year contract, are expected to
rejuvenate Seattle's offense after the team lost 99 games last
season. Mariners manager Bob Melvin was fired after the season.
New Mariners manager Mike Hargrove doesn't know Beltre well
because he's managed in the American League, while Beltre has
played in the National League. But Hargrove gave Beltre's shoulder
a squeeze Monday, almost as if to see one of the team's two major
power additions was for real.
"I didn't squeeze it very hard," Hargrove said. "It looks
like he's in great shape."
All the social aspects of Beltre's adjustment to Seattle aside,
Beltre is concerned the most about learning to hit against AL
pitchers.
"It's not going to be easy," he admitted. "It's going to take
time to adjust to it. I hope my new teammates are going to help
me."
Beltre isn't going to put too much pressure on himself, though.
"I'm here to help this team be in the playoffs and win a World
Series," he said. "I want to be a part of that. But it's not
going to be a one-guy team."
Hargrove said it won't take Beltre long to have a clubhouse full
of friends.
"As long as I've been around this game, the players who command
the most respect from their peers are the ones who play the game
hard," he said. "Special players do things to catch your eye."
Beltre talked to reporters briefly while clutching a bat and
looking at a clubhouse clock. He was anxious to get on the field
and do some hitting with his new teammates.
He said there was no remorse about leaving Los Angeles to come
to Seattle.
"I think I look better in this uniform," he said. "I'm happy
here."
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Notes: Hargrove thinks the addition of Beltre and Sexson to the
lineup will help Ichiro Suzuki's offense. But how much?
"Hopefully, it means he scores more runs than he did last year,"
Hargrove said. "But it's hard to take a guy who had 262 hits in
one season and make him a better hitter." In 2004, Suzuki
established the all-time major league single-season hit record,
passing George Sisler's mark of 257 in 1920. In his four seasons in
Seattle, Suzuki has scored 127, 111, 111 and 101 runs,
respectively. "I'd like to see him score more than 101," Hargrove
said. Suzuki reported to the Mariners for his physical on Monday.