Tuesday, June 26, 2001
Ex-Red Cameron coming into his own
Griffey's replacement filling big shoes in Seattle
The Associated Press
SEATTLE — On defense, the Seattle Mariners feel Mike Cameron is as good an outfielder as there is in the majors. On offense, the Mariners think their replacement for Ken Griffey Jr., is getting better, too. That's his goal.
“The one thing I want to do now is become a better run producer,” Cameron said. “Hopefully, at the end of the season, I'll look back and we'll have about four or five guys with 100 RBIs, and I'm one of those guys.”
Cameron's outstanding defense in spacious Safeco Field is a key reason for Seattle's 55-19 record, best in the majors, and he's also helping with his bat and his speed on the bases.
Hitting leadoff Sunday for the first time this season because Ichiro Suzuki was given the day off, Cameron had a pair of doubles and two stolen bases in the Mariners' 7-3 victory over Anaheim.
That left him with a .273 (65-for-238) batting average, with 12 home runs, 46 RBI and 16 stolen bases.
The fans in Seattle haven't forgotten Griffey, their Gold Glove-winning center fielder traded to Cincinnati last year after 11 seasons, but they've taken a strong liking to Cameron, who came in that deal.
Cameron hit .267 with 19 homers, a career-best 78 RBI and 24 stolen bases last season, and was rewarded with a $15.5 million, three-year contract, including a $1.25 million signing bonus.
Cameron's glove is essential at Safeco, where the Mariners have emphasized pitching and defense following their move in the middle of the 1999 season from the cozy Kingdome.
“I think he should have won a Gold Glove last year and he's up there again this year,” said teammate Stan Javier, who sometimes plays left field alongside Cameron. “He's as good an outfielder as anybody. He's a great outfielder.”
Cameron finished fourth in the voting, missing a Gold Glove by one vote.
Cameron has emerged as one of the top center fielders in the American League, along with Torii Hunter of Minnesota, Kenny Lofton of Cleveland and Bernie Williams of the Yankees.
If it's between Cameron and Hunter, 25, Cameron knows who he would take.
“I guess I have a little more experience than he does,” said Cameron, who is not short on confidence. “They said we're the best, but I feel I'm the best. Who knows? That's the mentality you have to have.”
Like Javier, Cameron's teammates in Seattle are partial to him.
“I thought the best center fielder I ever played with was Andy Van Slyke, but Cammy has taken it to another level,” said Al Martin, who played in Pittsburgh, where Van Slyke was a five-time Gold Glove winner, from 1992-99. “He's as good as you can get out there.”
Sometimes Cameron's talent works against him, said Martin, who platoons in left with the Mariners.
“I don't think he makes the spectacular plays because he makes everything look so easy,” Martin said. “When he comes in on those line drives, those are spectacular. But he catches them standing on his feet.”
Cameron has made Griffey-like plays in Seattle. Mariners fans found out about his defense quickly last season when he climbed the wall in center at Safeco April 7 and robbed the Yankees' Derek Jeter of a home run in a Seattle victory.
“I think there's a lot of similarities to Ken and Mike,” said Seattle coach John Moses, who played center field for the Mariners in the 1980s. “They get good angles on balls, they go back on the ball well. They come in and charge the ball good. They hit the cutoff man. They throw to the right bases. I really don't see too much of a difference between the two of them.”
Cameron doesn't have Griffey's power, but he's a productive offensive player and he's getting better. He had a career-best 21 home runs in Cincinnati in 1999 after a trade with the White Sox.
Manager Lou Piniella has had Cameron batting sixth behind Suzuki, Mark McLemore, Edgar Martinez, John Olerud and AL RBI leader Bret Boone.
“He's doing real well,” Piniella said. “He's playing excellent center field. He's hitting in the .270 range with some power and some big home runs and some RBIs and some steals for us. He's a good all-around player, period.”
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