PEORIA, Ariz. - Mike Sweeney knows making the Seattle Mariners this spring is nearly an impossible task.
He's up for the challenge, though.
"This year, on paper, there is no spot for me," the 36-year-old Sweeney said. "But I would rather come to camp and give it my all and have (manager Don Wakamatsu) call me in on Easter Sunday (April 4) and say, 'Sweeds, it's not going to work. We don't have a spot for you.' Then I can go on.
"It's going to be a tough pill to swallow but I would rather do it that way and never look back and wonder 'what if,"' he added.
Sweeney, a 15-year veteran with a .298 career average and 207 home runs, signed a minor league free-agent deal just days before camp opened. A year ago, he also was a non-roster invitee but made the team out of training camp. He hit .281 with 15 doubles, eight home runs and 34 RBIs in 74 games, serving mostly as the team's right-handed DH.
But this spring is different. The Mariners signed or acquired several players including Ryan Garko, Eric Byrnes and Brad Nelson. The club also traded for Milton Bradley, who will play left and DH.
"The reason I'm here is because I still feel like I can play," Sweeney said. "One thing my parents instilled in us eight kids growing up is try your best, never quit and a motto my father lilked to tell the boys, 'have no regrets.' With those principles, I've always worked hard, I've never quit and I don't want to live with regrets."
Sweeney and Ken Griffey Jr. were credited with completely changing the clubhouse atmosphere. The two veterans with upbeat personalities helped the Mariners improve from 61 wins in 2008 to 85 last season.
Sweeney, who had fought through three knee operations and various disk problems in his back during his career, hit .381 with 11 runs, six doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs over his last 25 games. His average from Aug. 20 through the end of the season was the second-highest in the majors. It's one reason why Sweeney still believes he has something left and why the Mariners are curious to see if he does.
Sweeney said he there will be only three outcomes for him this spring. He will either make the team, he would accept a trade or he will retire and return to his wife and three children in San Diego. He doesn't want to coach, as the Mariners have offered, and he won't return to the minor leagues.
"If I don't break camp and don't go to Oakland to open the season and this team goes to the World Series this year," he said, "I will still feel I had my fingerprints on this team. I may only be here for six weeks as part of spring training, but my goal is to have an impact. So far I believe I'm doing that."
NOTES: The Mariners are not backing off their staff ace Felix Hernandez as much as they are slowing him down a bit. "I thought his first bullpen was 100 miles per hour," Wakamatsu said. "That's not what we want to do. Let's play catch and make sure you are built up. It looked like he was ready to pitch for the season in his first bullpen." The club already had determined that it wants to reduce the spring innings for Hernandez and Cliff Lee. Hernandez threw long toss Sunday and will have a bullpen session Tuesday. He is penciled in to make his first start March 9. ... Wakamatsu said he continues to be impressed with the swing of newcomer Milton Bradley. "He looks good. Throwing it to him, boy, it comes off his bat. It's neat to watch because you see all eyes are glued on him. Other guys are watching him," he said.
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