It was from the Mariners, who informed him that he had placed on waivers and claimed by the Pirates.

Major League teams faced a 9 o'clock (PT) deadline for setting their 40-man roster heading into the Winter Meetings next month and Jakubauskas was not on it.

He was told that it was unfortunate, but to protect another player, he had to be put on waivers.

"The game is what it is," Jak said. "It's a numbers game and my number is one that didn't get called. It was kind of shocking. I didn't see it coming. I guess bittersweet is the best way to describe it. I still have a job, but it's tough when you develop so many friendships with another team and then have to leave."

Jakubauskas, a product of Independent Leagues, reported to Spring Training last February as a non-roster invitee and a tiny chance of earning a spot on the Opening Day roster. But he kept getting hitters out and landed a spot on the 25-man roster. He spent most of the season with Seattle, posting a 6-7 record and 5.32 ERA in 35 appearances, including eight starts.

His knowledge of Pittsburgh and the Pirates is limited, so Jakubauskas said he already has placed a call to former Buc shortstop Jack Wilson to get some information.

"It's kind of an interesting way to start a weekend," he added.

The Mariners will announce later today the updated version of the 40-man roster.

-- Jim Street

I just returned from a couple of days in Peoria to watch and talk to the seven Mariners' prospects who played for the West Division champion Javelinas and came away with a strong impression of the 22-year-old outfielder from Chicago.

Dunigan, selected in the fifth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft, was one of 55 players in the AFL this year that never played higher than Class A, and he shined big-time.

The left-handed hitter batted .280 with three home runs and 14 RBIs in 75 at-bats, finishing among the team leaders in home runs and RBIs. Javelinas manager Kevin Bradshaw, a skipper in the Tigers organization, said Dunigan was the most improved player on his team, which will play for the AFL title on Saturday in Scottsdale.

Oh, Dunigan still has plenty of work to do before he's MLB-ready -- he made six errors in 22 games -- but he seems to have a bright future.

Dunigan had a breakout season at Class-A High Desert last season, batting .294 with 30 home runs and 104 RBIs. He, Alex Liddi (.345, 23 home runs, 104 RBIs) and Carlos Peguero (.271, 31, 98) were the offensive stars on a team that went 83-57.

Dunigan said competing against older players, many with Triple-A and even some Major League experience, was a great experience.

"I don't think the mechanics of my swing are any better, but my approach is much better," he said. "What I have learned more than anything is the importance of the neck up. I go up there with a better approach, knowing that the pitchers are not going to throw a first-pitch 'cookie' down the middle just to get ahead in the count."

I also talked to pitcher Josh Fields, who had a terrific AFL season. A story on him will be posted on the Mariners' website later today and on Sunday, there will be a story on Bradshaw's take on the seven Seattle prospects that played in the highly-regarded development league.

-- Jim Street

Carrera was one of seven players the Mariners received in a three-team, 12-player swap that also landed Seattle center fielder Franklin Gutierrez from the Indians and left fielder Endy Chavez, along with Carrera and first baseman Mike Carp, from the Mets.

Carrera, 22, of Guiria Sucre, Venezuela, led the Southern League with a .337 batting average and a .441 on-base percentage,  becoming the first player in Diamond Jaxx history to win a league batting title.

He started the season on a tear, batting .357 in April and .344 clip in May before being sidelined with an ankle injury for the remainder of the month. Carrera returned to the lineup June 19 and shook off the rust quickly, batting .316 in 11 June games. On July 8, Carrera injured his right thumb and missed 18 games but returned on August 1 and batted .361 the remainder of the season.

-- Jim Street

So I pulled out the official list of free agents produced by the Major League Players Association (via the Elias Sports  Bureau) and Sweeney is not a Type A or Type B free agent.

Only Adrian Beltre and Erik Bedard are ranked, and both are Type B free agents.

-- Jim Street

But he agreed that the right person won the American League Manager of the Year Award.

The voting results were announced today and Wakamatsu finished fourth behind the AL division winners - Angels skipper Mike Scioscia, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and the Yankees Joe Girardi.

"There's no doubt that Mike deserved it," Wakamatsu said. "Teams that win, those are the guys that ought to be rewarded. 'Scios" got my vote. (The Angels) had a lot of things happen, injuries and the tragic death of (Nick) Adenhart.

"I can only imagine how difficult it would have to be handling something like that. But he held that club together."

And that was one of the main reasons he voted for the Angels manager.

It was interesting that three of the top five vote-getters were from the four-team AL West. Rangers skipper Ron Washington finished right behind Wakamatsu.

"For whatever it's worth, our division had the most wins," Wak said. "Everyone knew the Angels would be good and the Rangers were in striking distance for a lot of the season."

The Rangers were in sole possession of first place from May 6 through June 23, and either led or shared the stop spot with the Angels until July 11 when the eventual division champions took over first place for good.

"The bottom line is that if you win, you deserve the award, and if you don't, you did a nice job," Wakamatsu said.

In case you were wondering, Lou Piniella is the only Mariners manager to be selected as Manager of the Year. He won the award in 1995 and in 2001.

-- Jim Street

The 26-year old Greinke was named first on 25 ballots and second on three ballots of the 28 total ballots cast by two writers in each American League city.  He received a total of 134 points, based on the 5-3-1 tabulations system for first, second and third-place votes. 

-- Jim Street

Wak talked to Wetteland about an hour earlier and said, "He is doing great. There was a domestic dispute and things got blown way out of proportion."

Wetteland and his wife, Michele, (as most couples occassionally do) had an argument and the coach's blood pressure increased. Michele called police. Before long, the police and helicopters, along with neighbors and media were at the Wettleland house.

Wakamatsu, who also lives in the Dallas area, returned home late this morning after watching several Arizona Fall League games.

-- Jim Street

It would be Ichiro's ninth consecutive selection, moving him within one of the franchise record held by Ken Griffey Jr. -- 1990-99.

If I had a vote --  the managers and coaches are the voters-- center fielder Franklin Gutierrez would get a Gold Glove, even at the expense of Ichiro. Gutierrez was, day-in and day-out, the best center fielder not named Torii Hunter in the AL this past season.

But only three outfielders are selected and having two players from the same team is rare. The last time it happened in the AL was in 2001 when Ichiro and Mike Cameron were selected. 

The Mariners also had two outfield Gold Glove winners in 1996, when Junior nabbed his fourth straight and Jay Buhner got his first (and only) Gold Glove. It was the first time teammates struck gold in the same year since 1981, when Dwayne Murphy and Rickey Henderson of the Athletics were awarded Gold Gloves for the defensive excellence.

I believe third baseman Adrian Beltre's run of Gold Gloves will end at two straight seasons, although in my book he still ranks near the top among hot-corner defenders. The Rays' Evan Longoria could get the nod, however. It probably didn't help that Beltre, who did not wear a protective cup until it was too late, went on the disabled list after suffering a severely contused right testicle when hit by a bad-hop grounder.

Moving right along, ace right-hander Felix Hernandez figures to finish  behind Royals right-hander Zack Greinke in the AL Cy Young Award race -- primarily because Greinke was good from Opening Day through the entire season, while Felix faltered coming out of the blocks. He was just 4-3 with a 4.13 ERA in mid-May.

My guess for AL manager of the year is Angels skipper Mike Scioscia, with Don Wakamatsu running a close second. Granted, the Angels had a better team on paper than the Mariners, but the horrible loss of pitcher Nick Adenhart, who was killed in a traffic accident several hours after pitching six shutout innings against the Athletics in Anaheim, gave Scioscia a challenge that (thankfully) no other skipper had to face.

Wak deserves kudos for taking a team that lost 101 games in '08 to an 85-win team in '09.

-- Jim Street

"My body feels great and I have the blessing of my wife to continue playing," Sweeney said, adding that he would like to return to the Mariners. "Last year was the most fun I've ever had and it would be great to come back.

"But if they decide to go in another direction, I could understand it."

Sweeney batted .281, hit eight home runs and drove in 34 runs while splitting the designated hitter duties with Ken Griffey Jr., whom Sweeney calls "June-bug" -- don't ask me why.

"If Oct. 4 was my last game in a Mariners uniform, it will be an unforgettable day," he said. "To watch Felix win his 19th game, (David) Aardsma get his 35th save and Junior to get a hit in his last at-bat, and to be a part of the celebration on the field after the game was special."

Sweeney might be the classiest guy in the Major Leagues and, along with Junior, turned a divided clubhouse the previous season into a virtual romper room, where players of all nationalities developed a strong chemistry.

While the 36-year-old Sweeney proved late last season that he still has game left, batting .354 with three home runs in September.

The fact Sweeney hasn't heard from the Mariners suggests that he doesn't fit into their 2010 plans, but he said the team still has two weeks for exclusive negotiating rights and he still might get a call.

If not, he's prepared to move on -- but never forget the '09 season.

-- Jim Street

The last time the two sides talked was during the final weekend of the regular season in Seattle. Griffey has had a bone spur removed from his left knee.

General manager Jack Zduriencik has refused to discuss any ongoing -- or otherwise -- contract talks, but mentioned during his end-of-the-season session with reporters that Griffey's contributions to the 85-win season were more than just the numbers -- a .214 batting average, 19 home runs and 57 RBIs.

"We thought he would be a somewhat of an offensive producer for us," Z-man said. "We needed a left-handed bat, but what he did in that clubhouse, and what he did with his presence, I think goes beyond what any of us expected."

As someone who has known Junior since he signed with the Mariners in 1987 and covered him through the 1998 season, the Griffey in 2009 was nothing like the Junior in those days. He could be moody at any given time on any given day, but he was an absolute joy to be around the entire '09 season and it rubbed off on everyone.

That reason alone seems to make it worthwhile bringing him back for at least one more season.

-- Jim Street

The former Mariners catcher has landed a four-year, $21 million contract with the Hanshin Tigers, which sure takes the sting out of forfeiting the $15.8 million remaining on the three-year, $24 million contract extension he signed on April 25, 2008.

There was no mention out of Japan whether or not Johjima has been guaranteed the full-time job as the Tigers catcher, but for $21 million (or 1,905,145,114.13 yen), you can be sure he'll be playing a lot.

By the way, Johjima was "concerned" last week when it was written that one of the major reasons he left the Mariners was because of the decreased amount of playing time he had received the past two seasons, which was caused by two things -- injuries and eroding skills.

But he wanted to make it clear, without a shadow of a doubt, that he has nothing personal against the organization and never complained about the reduced amount of playing time he received.

All that is true.

It's also true that the Mariners gave him a chance to become the first Japan-born catcher to play in the Major Leagues and his place in history is forever etched in stone. Now, he can return to his homeland, be close to family and friends and live happily ever-after.

Good luck to him.

-- Jim Street

"I got a phone call from my agent telling me about it," Adam Moore said from his offseason home in Texas. "If it opens a door for me, I'm ready for the opportunity."

Moore said he didn't have a clue that Johjima was considering going back to Japan. "It must have been a difficult decision. I like Kenji and wish him the best."

Moore was among the late-season call-ups from Triple-A Tacoma and impressed manager Don Wakamatsu with his defensive skills. Moore did not seem overwhelmed by the big-league surroundings.

"I expected to start maybe two games and ended up starting six," he said. "It was better than I expected."

Among the five hits in his 23 at-bats was his first big-league home run.

"I gave the ball to my mother and she put it in a little case," he said. "It's pretty neat."

Moore is working out and plans to check in to the Mariners' Spring Training facility in Peoria, Ariz., in early January.

Meanwhile, Rob Johnson, who shared the catching duties with Johjima this past season -- and actually moved to the top of the depth chart -- currently is en route, via car, to Arizona from Montana.

He'll soon begin a rehab program following the first of two hip surgeries. Johnson said he is "feeling great" and 100 percent confident that he will be completely healthy when camp opens in mid-February. The story currently is on the Mariners web site.

Johnson also was surprised by Johjima's decision, and said Kenji was a "good friend and taught me a lot about catching."

-- Jim Street

It doesn't seem possible, but at 5:04 p.m. PT on Saturday, it will have been 20 years since the earth shook in the San Francisco Bay Area.

A 7.1 magnitude earthquake brought the first (and only) Bay Bridge World Series to a stunning halt and it would be 10 days before the Series resumed. It ended two days later with the Athletics completing a four-game sweep.

My memories of that day remain vivid.

Tacoma News Tribune baseball writer Larry LaRue and I were staying in Alameda with a longtime friend of mine, the late, great Dr. Sebastian Russo, the team dentist for the Athletics and Raiders at the time. Around 2:30 that afternoon, with me behind the steering wheel, we headed for Candlestick Park, driving over the Bay Bridge shortly before 3 p.m., We arrived at Candlestick around 3:30, parked the car and found our assigned seats -- which happened to be in the football press box, which overhangs the facility between the first and second decks.

Everything was normal. The Giants and Athletics were preparing for that night's Game 3 of the Fall Classic and the stadium was filling up quickly for the first pitch.

I was talking on the telephone with Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sports Editor Glenn Drosendahl -- when all of a sudden the press box started to move. Having lived in San Jose for several years, I recognized the feeling of an earthquake and this one was similar to a couple of others that I had experienced. We continued our phone conversation, figuring out whether I should refer to the earthquake in my game story, or make it a separate story after the game. In the meantime, esteemed Chicago baseball writer Phil Rogers wanted in the worst way to get the heck out of the place and proceeded to scramble away from his assigned seat -- running on the top of the table, knocking everthing in his path out of the way. It was not one of his moments of glory.

I looked up and saw the light standards swaying. I looked down and the players were coming out of their respective dugouts, trying to figure it all out, looking for their families.

It was still dusk and no one was sure about the immediate impact on Game 3 -- or beyond. When the shaking stopped, the fans cheared. I found that hard to believe. At first, we heard the start of the game would be delayed. But reports from the outside started coming in and  indicated that there had been some severe damage. Without electricty, we had no idea how bad it really was. Much later, I saw video of the Bay Bride and two-story viaduct in Oakland as to how much damage there was. The first thing that popped in my mind was that we had driven over that road just two hours earlier. What if the earthquake had happened about two hours earlier? It was a sobering thought, for sure.

Dusk turned to in darkness and the media was instructed by MLB officials to leave the ballpark.

We couldn't write our stories because there was no electricity. We couldn't dictate anything because there was no phone service. This was before cellphones.

So, out in the dark we went. Post-Intelligencer columnist John Owen had taken a cab to Candlestick that afternoon and had no way to get back to his hotel, so he, LaRue and I went to my rented car and inched our way out of the still-crowded parking lot. We drove away -- not sure how we were going to get back to Alameda, located on the other side of the Bay Bridge, which obviously was closed and even less sure how we would write our stories and get them to our respective newspapers.

As we left a darkened Candlestick, we took 101 towards the City, discovering along the way that there were no lights anywhere. While I drove, LaRue was in the front seat writing his story and Owen was in the backseat writing his column. The inside dome light wasn't the greatest, but it worked.

Thankfully, I had lived in San Jose for many years and realized that the best way to reach Alameda was to take 280 south from San Francisco to San Jose and then take the Nimitz Freeway north to Oakland.

As I drove south, we kept waiting to see some lights. And waiting. And Waiting. Finally, when we arrived in Palo Alto, there was light. So I drove to the nearest pay phone. Luckily, John had a penlight flashlight that was powerful enough for him to see his copy and read it over the phone to a P-I copy clerk, who typed the column. It must have been around 8 p.m. at the time. LaRue then dictated his story to his office in Tacoma. Meanwhile, I was in the car writing my own story.

Fortunately, the little flashlight had enough power remaining for me to dictate my story as well.

Mission accomplished, we climbed back into the car, drove to San Jose and on up to Alameda, arriving at around midnight. The good doctor was waiting for us, though not sure where we were or when (or if) we could get back.

The three scribes spent the night in Alameda and John returned to SF the next day via BART, which amazingly had not been damaged by the quake.

I remained in the Bay Area for several days, covering daily news briefings in San Franciso by then-Commission Fay Vincent, and writing "news" stories about the devastating quake that killed more than 60 people and injured more than 3,500 more.

Let me tell you, riding BART underwater was no picnic -- especially the first time.

After a few days, I returned to Seattle and waited for the Fall Classic to resume. It finally did and I returned to cover the final two games and this was one Series when people were satisfied that it lasted only four games.

Including me. Even 20 years later.

-- Jim Street

Royals right-hander Zack Greinke, figured to be Felix Hernandez's main competition for the American League Cy Young Award, surrendered four earned runs in six innings against the Twins earlier today.

That's as many runs at Greinke had surrendered in is previous seven starts put together and possibly opened the door for King Felix, who makes his final start of the season on Sunday against the Rangers.

Greinke finished the season with a 16-8 record and 2.16 ERA. Felix goes into his final outing with an 18-5 record and 2.49 ERA. Another strong performance figures to boost his Cy Young chances a whole bunch.

If he does win the award, he would join soon-to-be Hall of Fame left-hander Randy Johnson as the only Mariners to win the award.

-- Jim Street

All Ichiro did was become the first player in MLB history to have nine consecutive 200-hit seasons, reached the 2,000-hit mark in lickity-split fashion, made it nine-for-nine in All-Star Game selections and most likely will be awarded his ninth Gold Glove Award for defensive excellence.

Ichiro shared the award with Bret Boone in 2001 and won it outright in '04, and '07.

Ace right-hander Felix Hernandez was the overwhelming winner of the Most Valuable Pitcher Award -- his first.

He has an 18-5 record and 2.49 ERA going into Sunday's start against the Rangers and is among the leading Cy Young Award candidates.

Also, right-handed reliever Sean White, who started the season in the Minor Leagues but ended up making 52 appearances, was selected by the coaching staff as the Unsung Hero Award winner.

He posted a 3-2 record and 2.80 ERA before having season come to an premature end because of an injury.

Each of the award-winners received a plaque -- and a handshake.

-- Jim Street