The signs are there. The AL West has entered the building.

This year’s Mariners are showing they are not as infallible as last year’s team, but the real story is the rest of the division.

Take a look.The A’s are moving along at a steady pace. 16-11, sure beats last year’s 9-18 mark through 27 games.

What impresses me about the Athletics is they know how to play the game. They very rarely beat themselves. When they do, they know it, and come back the next day with a purpose not to let it happen again.

This is progress.

Three years ago, A’s bench coach, Ken Macha (who will manage a major league team next year), told me that the A’s were not a good defensive team.

He demonstrated his point this way.

Baseball in the majors is played at a pace of 90 MPH. Defense must measure up and play at the same pace. Three years ago, the A’s played defense at 70 MPH. Today, they are in the fast lane, cruising along at 90.

Double plays are turned, topped rollers are fielded and thrown accurately to first, pitchers hold runners on base giving the catchers a chance to throw out a base stealer, the outfielders throw to the right base, and the shortstop makes all the plays.

You cannot win a pennant without major league defense.

The A’s have made the jump.

Never underestimate the importance of a good fastball. Erik Hiljus blew the Yankees away last night with a rising heater. He has now pitched 15.3 innings against New York in three starts with 24 punch outs.

He does give up homers, he is a fly ball pitcher, but when he needed the fastball last night it was there. I would throw it more often. It’s good. Too many pitchers mess around with off speed stuff. Old number one works just fine.

Let it fly.

Seattle is struggling to score runs. This is what we all thought would happen last year, but the Mariners had career years from so many hitters, they avoided long droughts at the plate.

Ichiro is still fabulous as a leadoff hitter.

The number two hitter Mark McLemore is reverting back to his mediocre form. Ichiro has been intentionally walked six times already this year.

Unheard of for a leadoff hitter. Guess why?

McLemore is hitting a paltry .267 in the two hole, not enough to protect Ichiro. Expect Carlos Guillen to move into the two spot any day.

Mike Cameron and Bret Boone are off to slow starts. Jeff Cirillo has not been an effective hitter. Lou Piniella dropped Cirillo into the ninth spot in the order where Cirillo is hitting .240.

Lack of offense is driving Lou batty.

Joel Piniero was rocked in his first start Tuesday. Ryan Franklin lost last night in the rain in Comiskey Park. I’m sure the elements played a part, but these two were mainstays of baseball’s best bull pen and now they are starters. Piniero tries to build up his arm strength with a start this Sunday in Yankee Stadium.

This is an experiment. Not what you expect from a team that won 116 last year.

The Mariners have scored 18 runs in their last 7 games, with only one home run, a disturbing trend to say the least.

Seattle’s trouble has coincided with the awakening of the Angels and the Rangers.

Anaheim is built on pitching.

They are now pitching. The Angels have won six in a row. They have outscored their opponents 61-19. The starters have gone into the seventh inning in 6 of the past 7 games.

They have closed the gap between themselves and the Mariners from 10 1/2 to 5 1/2 games.

Plus DH, Brad Fullmer who went homerless in April, is hitting. He has raised his average 40 points and last night hit a triple and double to pace the win over Cleveland.

Righthander Kevin Appier goes tonight against the Tribe who have lost ten straight to right handed starters.

Anyway, the Angels think they are back in the thick of the AL West.

They sure have an interest that they didn’t have ten days ago.

Now, the team that may be the most surprising. The Texas Rangers.

We all know they can hit. A Rod in the four spot and Rusty Greer in the three hole have made the offense click.

All of a sudden, they are pitching late in the game, too. Their starters have been solid all year going five innings or more in 24 of their 26 games. The rotation is 10-8 with a 4.07 ERA, third in the league.

I know they are beating up on the soon to be Buck Martinez-less Toronto Blue jays, but the starting pitchers have gone 4-0 with a 1.61 ERA over 28 innings pitched, during their four game winning streak.

The Diamondbacks should trade for Texas starters Kenny Rogers or Ismael Valdes right now.

Todd Van Poppel, Rudy Seanez, and Hideki Irabu are doing the job from the seventh inning on, until the cavalry shows up ( Jay Powell and Colby Lewis) sometime this month.

Texas now trails Seattle by 6 1/2 games after being so far back that the Tigers and Royals were their best friends.

It’s only May 2nd and Seattle hasn’t run away with the race, in fact, Lou Piniella’s squad is allowing the rest of the division to think this could be one interesting summer.

Rob Bell goes for Texas tonight, Cory Lidle, weather permitting, for the A’s, Appier for the Angels, and James Baldwin for Seattle.

This race will be tighter after tonight’s action.

When Art Howe told me last Sunday that the Mariners were mortal I looked at him with disbelief.

Now, I realize he knew what he is talking about, once again.

Smart man.