Seattle, May 6, 2003.

The Mariners just swept the Chicago

White Sox in Chicago, Seattle’s

first over Chicago since May 17, 2001

and ended their road trip

with a 4-2 record.

Tonight a 3-game series against

the New York Yankees is the

‘talk of the town here in the

Emerald City.

By Amaury Pi-GonzalezAfter spending most of

April here in Seattle for

a total of 16 home games

I am back for a 6-game

homestand tonight against

Yankees, the weekend

with the White Sox.

During the month of April

in like 20 days here It

must have rained at

least in 17 of those 20

days. but no fear here –

the games usually start

with the roof open but

99% of the time it is closed

by the 7th inning. It takes

9 minutes to close this

huge roof.

Edgar Martinez has a .325

career batting average against

the Yankees and the M’S

are going to need his bat

to win this series. Last week

the M’S lost 2 of 3 to the

Yankees in the Bronx.

Martinez at 40 years of age

still the “heart and soul”of

this Mariners team. He is

the man with the experience

(and with all respect to Ichiro)

Edgar is the most popular man

here in Seattle. Edgar has hit

his third-best career average

(.325)against the Yankees and

fourth highest career RBI total

(92)againt the Yankees.

Edgar Martinez owns a very nice

Restaurant in downtown Seattle

FANDANGO is the name, and there

he can be seen many times prior

to night games. Most games

here in Seattle are at night,

including Saturdays. One of

Edgar’s passions is food, no

matter what kind. He was born in

New York but his parents are

Puertorican, Edgar speaks

fluent Spanish and is one of

the real nice guys of the game.

Arriving at Safeco at least 4 hours

prior to each game he has

a daily treatment for his

aging legs and specially

hamstrings which have been

giving him lots of trouble

recently. But you would not know

it from seeing him hours prior

to each game, he is a real

pro, with a great attitude.

About this series againts

the Yankees Edgar smiles

and says: “I was born in New

York, the Yankees were my team

when I was a kid” and about]

his hitting against the Yankees

he says: “I cannot explain it,

they have as good pitching staff

as anybody around”. “I am lucky

against them…maybe”.

All 3 games have been sold out

for the greatest rivalry the

Mariners have ever had.

The M’S are all along here in

the Northwest corner of the

USA but when Yankees come

to town people in streets are

talking baseball like the M’S

were the Red Sox(the Yankees

biggest rivals).

May the best team win ! That

might be the Yankees, although

the Mariners are playing very good

ball and would be

very happy to take 2 of 3 against

Joe Torre’s troops.

————————————————

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez is in Seattle

this week to call the 6 home game

for the Mariners on the Mariners

Besibol Radio Network.

Next week he will be back in Bay

Area do to some more Giant games

over KZSF 1370 AM Radio

La Caliente.