It's a longer than usual spring training this year, although Jeff Clement's time to make a lasting impression with the Seattle Mariners may be less than most.
With No. 1 catcher Kenji Johjima playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic, Clement is getting plenty of playing time early in camp. That will change when Johjima returns later this month, making the next couple of weeks Clement's best opportunity to prove he belongs on the team.
Wednesday, he finally made the most of it.
Clement went 2-for-3 with a single and a double in the Mariners' 9-2 loss to the Kansas City Royals. It ended a difficult early stretch after he had gone 1-for-14 with four strikeouts in his first six games.
"The other day when he got a hit, I think it loosened him up," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "I thought his whole presence was better. He didn't have any anxiety and he looked pretty comfortable."
Comfortable? Or is a member of Timber Rattler class of '05 relaxed?
"This is the most relaxed I've been for a spring training," he said. "This is the first time I've felt like I'm a part of it. The last few years I got some at-bats but I knew where I was going. This year I've got a shot at making the team and being a contributor. I was a little tense up there but I don't think it's because I was putting too much pressure on myself. I don't feel I was seeing the ball real well early and that's why I was a little jumpy."
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