Seattle Sports Star of the Year is a Rattler

The Post-Intelligencer has named their Sports Star of the Year for Seattle and you may have heard of him.

In a roller-coaster 2007 season, the Mariners had one thing they could always count on: J.J. Putz.

In the first season of his first multiyear contract, the closer gave the Mariners more than their money's worth and earned a little something extra, as a Seattle P-I Sports Star of the Year award winner.

Putz, 30, converted 40 of 42 save opportunities last season, a dominating force as Seattle went 87-1 in games it led after eight innings.

Had it not been for the Mariners' late-season collapse, Putz, who didn't get a save opportunity between Aug. 24 and Sept. 13, would likely have broken the club's season saves record of 45 held by Kazuhiro Sasaki. Putz had more saves (40) than hits allowed (37) and limited opponents to a major league-low .202 on-base percentage (minimum 50 innings).

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Though he's been the closer for less than two seasons, Putz's 86 saves place him third on the club's career list. He needs just 13 to catch Mike Schooler for second and 43 to catch Sasaki for No. 1.

If Putz's 2008 is anything like his 2007, don't bet against him being on the top of that list a year from now.