WHY MONTERO IS EMBRACING HIS NEW ROLE

The best part about living in Arizona is Cactus League baseball, and this is the time of year when I come out of hibernation. I got lucky this weekend, the Mariners were playing a split-squad game and by luck of the draw I picked the right Mariners game to go see. I was determined to see Jesus Montero, if I can’t watch him in pinstripes then I will find some other way to make it happen….and I did.

In a game full of “up and comers” for the Mariners, Montero looked comfortable and he looked like a veteran. This wasn’t the same Montero who was competing for a backup spot last Spring as a Yankee, this was a player with stride and confidence. He looked very comfortable at the plate, like he always did. His first time up at the plate he hit a double driving in two runs proving that the power we know he has is still there. After seven innings he had three RBI’s but that wasn’t what stood out the most for me.Montero’s situation was different with the Yankees, he was the new kid on the block trying to make a team filled with veterans. Now that he is with the Mariners he has a roster spot on a team that is rebuilding and looking for direction. As exciting as it was to watch Montero connect with the ball, I was more interested watching him interacting with his team, especially the pitchers. There were only a handful of Mariners pitchers I recognized, the majority of them were kids from the AA squad and between each inning he went out to the mound and talked to all of them. His advice must have been good because all of these young pitchers had Diamondback superstars like Chris Young and Justin Upton swinging and missing at the plate. Montero is starting to build relationships with his team, which is going to be vital for a team that is rebuilding.

When Montero wasn’t behind the plate he was still involved in the game, you could see him standing and watching in the dugout, and talking with his teammates. The way he interacted with everyone made it easy to forget that he has only been with the team for a couple of months. As important as first impressions are, the last one is too. After the Mariners beat the Diamondbacks 7-1, Montero was the first player out of the dugout. He walked out to the middle of the field and was ready to congratulate everyone.

It is only spring, and even though I know that one game does not give any indications for the season I believe that Montero is comfortable here. As much as it sucks to see a player from our own farm system contribute for another team, I am still cheering for him. Montero showed signs of a leader, and in two or three years we could be competing with a much stronger, young team lead by Montero himself. We miss you Montero, but we wish you well.

--Jeana Bellezza --BYB Writer and Editor

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