His first request was for uniform number 911 because that was what Americans dialed when in need of help. As a late-inning relief pitcher he constantly would be coming to the rescue.
Instead, the Seattle Mariners gave Makuto “Mac” Suzuki No. 96, which matches the speed of his fastball.
Suzuki has been the biggest story in the Cactus League and responsible for a huge media crush. But it shouldn’t be compared to the White Sox doings in Sarasota, Fla. This is the more traditional spring training story: an 18-year-old pitcher trying to win a spot in the Seattle Mariners’ bullpen.
But there is a hitch. If Suzuki succeeds, and there is a 99 percent probability of success, he would become the second Japanese-born player to play in the major leagues. The first was Masanori Murakami, a soft-tossing pitcher who put in two undistinguished seasons with the San Francisco Giants in the mid-1960s.
“He’s not here for a media play,” explained Mariners manager Lou Piniella. “He’s here because he can make our club.”
Wherever Suzuki goes, a Japanese media horde follows.
“There have been a lot of distractions,” Piniella conceded, “but Mac handles it pretty well.”
Born and raised in Kobe, Suzuki doesn’t speak much English. He functions with American reporters through Don Nomura, who is his agent and interpreter. With Nomura’s help, Suzuki hit the jackpot last September when the Mariners gave him an $800,000 signing bonus. It wasn’t the best offer. The Toronto Blue Jays offered $1 million.
Moreover, it seems likely the Mariners got a bargain.
In his spring debut Saturday, he pitched two scoreless innings against the San Diego Padres. He faced seven batters and allowed one hit with no walks and one strikeout.
“He has very good mechanics, the best mechanics I’ve ever seen,” said Greg Hibbard, the former Cubs left-hander who is now among Suzuki’s teammates.
“He has a very easy motion, and the ball comes in at 95 miles an hour,” Hibbard said. “It’s not fair. He’s 18 years old, and he’s already got a Roger Clemens fastball.”
Bobby Thigpen, the onetime White Sox reliever, is also here in the Mariners’ camp. Thigpen is equally impressed.
“Very smooth, an effortless delivery,” Thigpen observed. “And he gets it up there pretty good-fastball in the middle 90s.”
Suzuki has only one full season of pro experience-last year with San Bernardino in the Class A California League. He appeared in 48 games, all but one in relief, and finished with a 4-4 record and a 3.68 earned-run average.
The statistics are deceiving; they do not reflect Suzuki’s late-season improvement. In his final 30 appearances, he had 77 strikeouts in 67 innings, a 2.93 ERA and 10 of his 12 saves.
“He has a tremendous arm,” said Gary Mahlberg, who managed the San Bernardino club. “He’s a power pitcher with a good breaking ball.”
Mahlberg was going a bit overboard.
Suzuki has a below-average curveball. His only other pitches are the fastball and changeup.
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“He’s going to have to improve his curveball,” said Ron Fairly, a former big-league first baseman who is with the Mariners’ broadcasting crew. “Once he has a good curve, he’ll be dynamite.”
Otherwise, Suzuki may be ready for the big leagues, according to Chris Bosio, a former 16-game winner with the Milwaukee Brewers.
“The kid has everything,” Bosio said. “And he’s not afraid to come inside. He’ll knock you down if you hang over the plate.”
Suzuki is listed at 6 feet 4 inches, but may be closer to 6-2. Still, he is an imposing presence on the mound.
Some Japanese fans are already upset with him because, unlike Murakami, he didn’t begin his career in Japan’s professional leagues. Murakami didn’t join the Giants until he was in midcareer.
Suzuki insists the overwhelming majority of Japanese fans are “cheering for me.”
Suzuki admits one of the reasons he signed with the Mariners is because the club is owned partially by Japanese interests. There is also a strong possibility the Mariners will be allowed to travel to Japan and open their regular 1995 season against an American League opponent with a three-game series in Tokyo.