Every player begins the season hoping to extend his season into the playoffs.

Right-handed reliever Randy Messenger is no different, but he has no qualms whatsoever about being with the Mariners in Anaheim instead of being with the playoff-bound Tacoma Rainiers, the Pacific Coast League North Division champions.

Without Messenger’s 25-save contribution, the Rainiers probably would not be starting their best-of-five playoff series against the South Division champion Sacramento River Cats at Cheney Stadium tonight.

“You always miss playoff  baseball, but when you are higher up, it’s a lot easier to be away,” said Messenger, who was promoted on August 22. “I have watched them every night to keep tabs on everybody.”

He was a busy man on Monday, texting his congratulations “To everyone that I had their phone number.”

“I helped them out and they reminded me of that, but it’s awesome what they did.”

The Rainiers were 7 1/2 games behind first-place Colorado Springs with 17 games remaining. A 9-0 road trip catapulted them back into the race and the hot finish was capped by Monday afternoon’s division-clinching victory.

The message from Messenger to his former teammates is: “Congrats and keep it up.”

“I’m here now and don’t want to go back, unless I absolutely have to,” he said.

In the meantime, he’ll watch the Rainiers’ progress the best he can.

Back here in Anaheim, the Mariners took one on the chin last night, dropping a 3-2 decision to the Angels in 10 innings.

Speaking of taking one on the chin, Sei Shimoda, a Yomiuri Shimbun reporter covering Ichiro’s pursuit of 200 hits was assigned the seat next to me in the Angel Stadium press box.

It was not a lucky seat for him. Late in the game — Ichiro was 0-for-4 at the time — a ball was fouled straight back.

I saw the ball coming and it was coming fast. Jeff Evans of the Mariners P.R. staff, was sitting in the front row, ducked and put his hand up to either attempt to make a sensational one-handed catch, or defelct the  ball out of harm’s way. He did neither. The ball hit his index finger and continued its unimpeded flight to the second row.

I yelled “heads up!” and the guy next to me, who was typing, looked up — just in time for the ball to hit him directly in the jaw. An inch higher and it hits his nose and glasses. An inch lower and it hits his throat. Anyway, the ball ended up between our computers, so I picked it up.

Both Jeff and I were stunned that the direct hit didn’t knock the dude out. I mean we’re talking light’s out for awhile. In almost 40 years of covering baseball, I have never seen a fellow scribe get nailed that flush with a foul ball, but the writer with an  iron jaw just shrugged it off, though he did spend the remainder of the game with an ice-pack on his chin. He departed later with the baseball as a souvenir.

Yeah, I gave him the ball — but for a reasonable price.

— Jim Street

It is about 3:30 p.m. and Angels Stadium is full of Angels.

The AL West leaders — and soon-to-be division champs for the fourth time in five years — are taking batting pracice. Standing just inside the right field line, though, is a player dressed in dark shirt, gray pants and his legs are going this way and that way.

It really hurts to watch Ichiro stretch, but he’s so darn limber at age 35.

Some of never could do some of the things he does.

The press box has playoff atmosphere. Most stations are occupied — by Japanes-based reporters. There must be a thousand of Far East scribes here. Well, maybe not that many, but I barely have room for my computer and scorebook.

The Japanese press are really friendly. Not sure they are talking to me, but they are saying “Hi” a lot.

Anyway, time to go down stairs to the clubhouse and catch up after being away from the team for the past four days.

— Jim Street

It is late afernoon here in Anaheim and I just checked MLB.com’s Minor League site (MiLB.com) and saw that the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers beat the socks off the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, 11-2, to capture the Pacific Coast League North Division championship.

Kudos to manager Daren Brown and his club, which went on a 9-0 road trip on its last trek to climb back into the PCL title hunt.

Left-hander Gaby Hernandez, acquired last year in the trade that sent Arthur Rhodes to the Marlins, won his sixth consecutive start in Monday’s winner-take-all game at Cheney Stadium. He tossed six solid innings for his seventh consecutive win overall.

Designated hitter Brad Nelson, left fielder Prentice Redman and Moore each had two RBIs in the clincher.

Right-hander Brandon Morrow, who contributed five wins to the Rainiers this season, is expected to re-join the Mariners later this week Arlington to start against the Rangers.

The Rainiers begin a best-of-five series against PCL South Division champ Sacramento, an Athletics affiliate, beginning on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, all eyes tomorrow night — and beyond — will be on Ichiro as he pursues a ninth consecutive 200-hit season, which would be a MLB record. He needs just five more hits and figures to get No. 200 on the road for the seventh time.

— Jim Street

I was in manager Don Wakamatsu’s office for a little chat this afternoon and the subject of his lineup for today’s series finale against the Angels came up.

“Who’s on first?” I asked.

“No, Who’s on second,” he responded.

Funny man, isn’t he?

The man manning first base today against the Angels is Jose Lopez.

“With (Scott) Kazmir pitching, I want to get as many right-handed bats in the lineup as I can,” Wakamatsu explained.

OK, with Lopez at first base, who’s playing second?

“Guess,” he said.

“Josh Wilson,” I said.

“Nope.”

“Jack Wilson,” I said.

“Nope.”

“Jack Hannahan?”

“Nope”.

Before getting to Ichiro, I said “Bill Hall.”

Bingo.

For the first time since being acquired from the Brewers, but not the first time in his career, Hall will play second base against the Angels.

“I wanted to see Billy Hall play a little second base,” Wakamatsu said. “He’s turned into kind of a super utility for us. I know he’s played in the past and he’s done a nice job over there.”

Meanwhile, right-hander Carlos Silva said he felt good about the way he threw in his one-inning outing for Class-A Everett on Tuesday night. He allowed three hits and two runs (one earned).

His next outing probably will come Thursday night with Triple-A Tacoma, where he will pitch one or two innings.

Right-hander Brandon Morrow is scheduled to make his final start for Tacoma on Sunday, but has some tightness in his right forearm.

Meanwhile, a perfectly good conversation was interrupted by none other than Ken Griffey Jr. He walked into the manager’s office armed with the latest versions of the “Junior Tie”. One was a picture of Ichiro’s face that someone said was from the cover of GQ magazine and the other one (both white silk ties, by the way) was of Ichiro’s dog, Ikkyz. 

— Jim Street

When it came to the Major League’s “Blue Book”, which is full of rules and regulations, Lee Pelekoudas knew it like the back of his hand. Nothing got past him, and that’s one of the reasons he remained with the organization during the numerous general manager changes.

Going into the 995 American League Playoff Series against the Indians, he knew the rule that allowed a team to replace an injured pitcher with a healthy one, even if the healthy one had not been on the roster on August 31 — the usual deadline for post-season rosters. Because left-hander Greg Hibbard was on the disabled list, the Mariners were able to put him on the ALCS roster and then replace him with right-hander Bob Wolcott, who started Game 1 of the ALCS and defeated the Tribe.

Pelekoudas’ 30th year with the Mariners ended on Tuesday when he announced that he was leaving the organization to “pursue other career opportunties.”

He got a taste of what the life of a General Manager is like midway through last season, when Bill Bavasi was dismissed and Pelekoudas took over the GM duties on an interim basis. He made a couple of trades, sending lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes to the Marlins; dismissed then-manager John McLaren and — in perhaps his best move — released first baseman Richie Sexson.

I have known and worked with Lee for the past 23 years and he was among the most loyal employees in the building, both at the Kingdome and Safeco Field. That never changed. And neither did his hair — and that always amazed me. Same color, same shape, same lenghth as the day I met him.

Good luck down the road, wherever it leads.

— Jim Street

I just walked into the press box at Safeco Field and the left section of the press box is jammed with the Japanes media that cover Ichiro and Kenji Johjima on a daily basis.

Being a “something-is-up” kind of reporter, seeing the Japanese media at the park this early told me something is up.

And sure enough, out there standing near the line in right field, is Ichiro, a trainer and an interpeter.

The Japanese writers are taking it all down. Ichiro jogs. Ichiro jogs a little faster. Ichiro slows down. Ichiro speeds up. Ichiro stretches. Ichiro is stretching his left leg, his right leg, and now both legs and doing something that I really can’t describe. But it hurts just watching.

It must be tough covering one or two players on the team. Meanwhile, Two cameras are whirling away, also following every move Ichiro makes. Film at 11, or later.

As you know, Ichiro has not played in five games because of a sore left calf and is not listed in tonight’s starting lineup. He remains 16 hits shy of the 200 mark, which would make him the first player in MLB history to have at least 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons.

We’ll check with manager Don Wakamatsu in about an hour and get back to you on Ichiro’s up-to-date status.

Meanwhile, first baseman Russell Branyan, who departed Friday night’s game with a sore back, is not in the lineup. Jack Hannahan will make his first start of the season at first.

The pre-game chat with Wak has ended and here’s an update on the Mariners’ walking wounded:

*Ichiro remains day-to-day but participated in pre-game batting practice. The Mariners want to make sure his calf is 100 percent before putting him back in the lineup. They are concerned if he comes  back too soon he could miss significantly more time if he reinjures it.

*Third baseman Adrian Beltre is pencilled in to play again next Tuesday night against the Angels.

*Ken Griffey Jr. got the night off to give his knee some rest. He could be back in the lineup for Sunday’s series finale.

*First baseman Russell Branyan had an MRI on his back earlier today and he’s listed as day-to-day. He has had various back ailments for much of the season and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mariners promote Mike Carp from Triple-A Tacoma in the next few days.

— Jim Street

The Boeing Classic is being played in Snoqualmie this weekend,and three of the players in the Champions Tour event are at Safeco Field for a closest-to-the-pin contest.

First up is Mariners pitching coach Rick Adair, a fine golfer, indeed — but not quite as good as his son.

Adair hit the first ball to the right of the pin, the second to the left of the pin and the third one just short of the pin. I have seen him putt and he would have had three birdies.

Andy Bean’s first shot was a little right of the target, the second one right at it, but long, and third one a bit left. His best shot was 8 feet 2 inches away. Closest so far.

Jim Thorpe is up next. . .and he skulled one..yikes!!! The second shot is sweet, reminding me of one of Kirby Arnold’s typical shots — majestic. Kirby, by the way, is old enough to be on the Champions Tour.

Now it’s Fred Funk’s turn. Short. Short. And a good one. But it’s 8 feet, 6 inches away and we have a winner — Andy Bean. For winning, Bean gets a green jacket — a slightly different shade of green than the one they hand out in Augusta.

The senior will be playing Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Snoqualmie.

— Jim Street

Among the good things about spending the off-season in Tucson (sunny days are nice) is the proximity to the Arizona Fall League.

A two-hour drive to the Phoenix area is a piece of cake and the AFL promises to be full of good stories this year. The Mariners are sending seven of their top Minor League prospects to the Peoria Javelinas and each one has their own interesting story to tell.

I am looking forward to seeing Dustin Ackley play in a game, seeing how right-handers Phillippe Aumont and Josh Fields perform in relief and also get re-acquainted with infielder Carlos Truinfel, who suffered a broken leg the first week of the regular season at Double-A West Tennessee, and young pitchers Nick Hill — the former Army Cadet — Anthony Varvarro and outfielder Joseph Dunigan.

Fans living in Mariner Nation could do a lot worse than take a quick trip to the Valley of the Sun and check out the next generation of Mariners. Crowds are small, the weather is great and most games are played at night, which leaves most of the day for such things as golf.

For further info on the Arizona Fall League, which begins its 18th season on Oct. 13, check out the AFL homepage via MLB.com.

Speaking of Ackely, he makes his Mariners’ “debut” on Monday afternoon when he works out with the team at Safeco Field. It would be a nice gesture if the organization opens the gates a little earlier than usual so fans could watch the new kid on the block get take BP. Just a thought.

From what I have been told, Ackley probably will be held back for the final group of hitters, which begin their BP at 5:15. Gates open at 5:05, meaning fans can watch Ackley’s first swings as a pro.

— Jim Street

There is a unique drill taking place before my very eyes.

Infield/third base coach Bruce Hines is down on one knee hitting grounders to shortstops Jack and Josh Wilson, who also are on their knees on the grass in front of their position.

Each player catches the ball on his knees stays on his knees and throws to first base, which is occupied by Ryan Langerhans.

The drill has now changed. Everyone is on their feet — and the infielders apparently at not allowed to move their feet while catching grounders hit at them.

Gotta check that out and will get back to ya.

Just talked to Wilson — Josh, that is — and he explained that both he and Jack Wilson worked with Perry Hill in Pittsburgh and Josh with Hill in Florida and found the drill to be helpful.

“It’s a thing where you take your feet out of it and concentrate on working the hands,” Josh said. “You follow the ball much better and really helps you keep you eye on the ball. You have really focus and stay locked in.”

He said the infielders take from 10 to 15 grounders on their knees and another 10 to 15 while on their feet.

“This is the first time we’ve done that here. Jack wanted to do it and I did it a lot this season in Spring Training. I’ve been doing this drill for the last five or six years.”

The big news coming out of the pre-game was Ichiro. He’s not in the starting lineup because of a sore left calf and is listed as day-to-day. Ichiro has 184 hits this season and is trying to become the first player in MLB history to have nine consecutive seasons with at least 200 hits.

Franklin Gutierrez is batting leadoff in tonight’s game against the Athletics.

The lineup:

Gutierrez CF,

Russell Branyan, 1B

Jose Lopez, 2B

Ken Griffey Jr., DH

Bill Hall, RF

Kenji Johjima, C

Jack Hannahan, 3B

Jack Wilson, SS

Michael Saunders, LF

— Jim Street

 

The newest Mariner has arrived, but he’s not in the starting lineup for today’s series finale against the Tigers.

Bill Hall, acquired from the Brewers on Wednesday, checked into the team’s hotel headquarters outside Detroit in the wee hours of the morning and took the second of two team buses to Comerica Park.

He will will use his first official day as a Mariner getting acquainted with his new teammates and probably make his debut this weekend in Cleveland either Friday or Saturday. The Indians have left-handers scheduled to start the first two games of the three-game series.

As Hall comes in, left-handed pitcher Garrett Olson goes out. He was sent to Triple-A Tacoma to make room on the roster for Hall. The game plan is for Olson to become part of the Tacoma starting rotation and join the Mariners in September, when MLB rosters can be expanded.

Olson had a 3-5 record and 5.88 ERA in 24 appearances, including 11 starts, with Seattle this season.

While it wasn’t a big surprise that Hall isn’t in today’s lineup against former Mariners left-hander Jarrod Washburn, catcher Rob Johnson was not in the lineup as expected. Manager Don Wakamatsu said he liked the matchup “both offensively and defensively” with Joh behind the plate. That puts a major crimp on his plans to face his former batterymate, Jarrod Washburn, for the first time and get a different perspective of the “dolphin” pitch Washburn throws.

Kenji Johjima will start at catcher.

Wakamatsu also moved Franklin Gutierrez back into the No. 2 hole and moved Russell Branyan to fifth. Branyan has been scuffling and struck out four times in Wednesday night’s game.

Branyan has whiffed at least once in his last 11 games and 21 times overall in that time period.

— Jim Street