Mariners notes: Riggleman awaits his fate

By Larry Larue | The News Tribune • Published September 25, 2008

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SEATTLE – Back in spring training, when the Seattle Mariners were considered a good team, Jim Riggleman was the bench coach on a staff many considered the best in franchise history.

On June 20, Riggleman replaced manager John McLaren, and batting coach Jeff Pentland had already been fired.

Now four games from the end of a hugely disappointing season, Riggleman and the rest of the staff are wondering about their future with the Mariners, and on Wednesday the manager was asked his thoughts on the last few months and what lies ahead.

"We've done so poorly here that we've put ourselves into a position where we'll be judged by how the team did," Riggleman said. "Had we done better, we would have forced the issue and we'd all be back."

And now?

"I think everybody will keep their eyes and ears open about any position they might be aware of that might open up, if this doesn't work out here," Riggleman said.

Asked about managing, he grew more animated.

"There's nothing like being a player. The only other thing that comes close to it for me is managing," he said. "I've been a farm director, a field coordinator, a major league coach and managed in the big leagues. I've experienced a lot of things, but managing is the closet thing to playing.

"Managing is the closest thing to the excitement and the adrenaline.

"I do what I can do. There are some days when I say, 'I wish I hadn't done that. I should have pinch-hit this guy,'" Riggleman said. "And some of the 'I should have done this' and 'I should have done that' came from games that we won.

"It's all-encompassing. I love it. How I've done, that's for other people to judge."

When the season ends, Riggleman and the coaching staff will head home. Their contracts expire Oct. 31, and Riggleman hasn't even been asked to stay in town after the season long enough to talk about the team.

"It's just going to be a waiting process after the season," he said.

• Short hops: The Mariners still weren't certain Wednesday who would start today's game in place of the ailing Carlos Silva, but had narrowed the choice down to two pitchers – left-hander Cesar Jimenez or right-hander R.A. Dickey. No matter who starts, they'll likely both pitch in a bullpen game from start to finish. ... Raul Ibañez was the designated hitter for the second consecutive night. There's no injury issue, Ibañez is just getting the "semi-break" of DHing instead of playing in the field. ... After catching just six of 39 baserunners to start the season, catcher Kenji Johjima has thrown out 12 of the last 27 runners to test him.