There was a time when Mariners players used to live in the Seattle area and workout at Safeco Field in the offseason. On any given day through the winter months, you could hear a crack of a bat, a smack of a glove and weights clanking in the exercise room.
Not this offseason.
With most of the players living in other states, Safeco Field was very quiet throughout the winter.
That's all about to change.
Clubhouse manager Ryan Stiles and his crew will be loading up the moving truck this weekend with all things baseball as they get ready to embark on their annual spring trip to Peoria, Arizona. The truck will leave Safeco Field Tuesday, travel through Medford, Oregon, and Bakersfield, California, before reaching its final destination.
Among the bulk items being shipped -- 500 dozen baseballs, cases of sunflower seeds and bubble gum, and around 500 bats just to name some essentials.
Stiles says no one goes through bats faster than Nelson Cruz, who will use up to 100 bats in a season. On the flip side, Kyle Seager is among those players who are minimalists when it comes to lumber. They tend to make their bats last as long as possible through the regular season.
The one piece of equipment that rarely ever gets swapped out is a player's glove. Stiles says most players will use the same glove all season long, and they can start breaking those in as early as February 14 when pitchers and catchers report to Peoria.
