From the Mariner site

There are plenty of good things at the Seattle Mariner home page.

First:
Rivera working hard to stay ready
Mariners backup catcher eagerly awaits starting role

Mariners catcher Rene Rivera has more than a year of Major League service time on his resume, and he's patiently waiting for his playing service time to increase at the same rate.

When that happens, he might not have to work quite as hard to stay in tip-top shape.

"It's harder to stay in shape as a backup than it is as a starter," Rivera said on Sunday. "It's easy when you play every day. You don't have to do a lot of extra stuff. As a backup, you have to do more running, more lifting weights and other side work."

Rivera watched another game on Tuesday, when the Mariners defeated the Brewers, 4-2, at Peoria Stadium.

Second:

Clement playing with more confidence

Jeff Clement experienced adversity last year for the first time since putting on a mask and chest protector as a kid, and came away from it with a lot more confidence.

Say what?

"I played pretty much every game for three straight years in college and never had injury problems," the Mariners' first-round draft choice in 2005 explained. "So I never had to deal with injuries. The adversity I went through last year actually was good for me."

The season started on a high note -- he went 5-for-5 in a game for Double-A San Antonio on April 30, but ended on a low note when he batted .189 for the Waikiki BeachBoys in the Hawaiian Winter League.

"I think I left there a better player than when I got there," he said. "I didn't play as well, or as much, as I wanted to, but I always try to take something positive out of a negative situation. It was another lesson in dealing with adversity, and, hopefully, the last."

Third:
Mariners show off their acting chops

Reserve catcher Rene Rivera has been a Spring Training fixture in the Mariners clubhouse since 2003 and never had a chance to show off his acting skills.

But that all changed a few weeks ago.

Rivera and 16 of his Mariners teammates, along with bench coach John McLaren and the Mariner Moose, are featured in the latest series of seven, 30-second commercials that debut on Thursday night during the Mariners' Cactus League game against the Giants at Peoria Stadium.

"I've always wanted to do one, and this year I got to do one with Felix," Rivera said. "It was fun. I haven't seen the finished product yet, but I want to, and I hope to get a copy of it."

Ex-Rattler JJ Putz (WI '00) is in a pair of commercials.

In one, called "Working the Zone," Putz introduces bullpen newcomer [Chris] Reitsma to the pitching prowess of a fellow teammate. As J.J. calls out locations, the "pitcher" responds with uncanny accuracy. As the camera pulls back, the "pitcher" is revealed to be none other than Ichiro Suzuki testing his arm from center field.

In the other ad, "Thinking Man's Game," relief pitchers have a lot of time on their hands, so Putz and Sherrill are seen whiling away the time in the bullpen lost in what may or may not be deep thoughts.

See the handiwork of the ex-Rattlers and all of the other Mariners.