SEATTLE -- April has never been Mike Blowers' favorite month -- he has been a notoriously slow starter throughout his major league career -- but he's never had one that demanded quite as much patience as this one.
For the first time, Blowers is in a straight platoon role. He faces left-handed starting pitchers, -- Paul Sorrento faces all right-handed starters, and there haven't been many southpaws starting against Seattle.
Blowers has a career April average of .203, but in Seattle's first 20 games this season the Tacoma Kid has amassed a total of 14 at-bats and one hit, a home run.
"It's been an adjustment I'm still trying to make," Blowers said. "There was one stretch of eight, nine games I didn't play at all."
According to manager Lou Piniella and hitting instructor Lee Elia, Blowers has been taking extra work lately and, despite a chest cold, showing improvement.
"Mike was trying to make up for the slow start every at-bat," Elia said. "He made this team in spring but he still wants to show everybody what he can do. That's tough when you're not playing a lot."
On Tuesday, Elia set Blowers up in Carl Hamilton's video room to watch old tapes of Blowers hitting well, then spent 20 minutes in one-on-one drills before the team took batting practice.
The result?
"He looked great," Elia said.
"Watching yourself hitting well gives you more confidence," Blowers said.
And then the game started, and with right-hander Tim Belcher starting for Kansas City, Blowers went to the bench.
"I've got to stay ready to come off the bench and hit or, if anybody goes down, be ready to fill in," Blowers said. "But staying sharp in batting practice isn't the same as facing live pitching."
LaRue, Larry. "Blowers off to slow start again". Scripps-McClatchy Western. 23 April, 1997.
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