Mariners notebook: Lloyd McClendon would like to have more players like Kyle Seager

DETROIT – The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association has announced Kyle Seager as the Mariners 2015 Heart and Hustle Award winner. The final MLB winner will be announced November 10 at the Annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York.

“It’s something that I don’t take lightly,” said Seager, who took the award for the second time. “I remember guys in the past that got it, and it’s definitely good company to be in.”

While appreciative of the honor, the low key Seager had an air of “what’s the big deal” & ndash; playing the game the right way, with heart and hustle is who he is.

“I don’t think anybody sets out in the game to kind of win this kind of stuff. You play to win the game, if this happens then that’s kind of gravy,” he said.

While Seager was hesitant to talk about himself, his manager had no problem singing his praises.

“He’s a throwback,” said Lloyd McClendon. “He’s an old-school type of player. He comes every day, he gets dirty and he leaves it all out on the field. He tries to get better every day. He comes to beat the other team, he’s a great teammate. He epitomizes everything that award is all about.

“I wish I had more.”

Any manager would take a team of Seagers. What we see on the field goes beyond baseball, according to McClendon.

“I am sure it had a lot to do with his upbringing, probably more to do with life than baseball,” he said. “How he went about his business as a youngster, certainly the way his parents brought him up, it just carried over to the baseball field.”

A well-deserved honor.

Lineup!

Austin Jackson, CF
Kyle Seager, 3B
Nelson Cruz, DH
Robinson Cano, 2B
Seth Smith, RF
Dustin Ackley, LF
Brad Miller, SS
Logan Morrison, 1B
Mike Zunino, C

Taijuan Walker, RHP

Jackson finds success on base paths

Austin Jackson is back on the plus side in stolen bases after successfully swiping two last night. McClendon and the coaches would like to see him steal more and have been working with him on his technique and reads.

“It may be a surprise but he’s still learning,” said McClendon. “Now he’s fast, but the art of stealing bases, he’s still learning. The one thing we are trying to get him to understand, if you are going to be a successful base stealer, a guy that can make a difference in games, you got to throw fear out the window. That’s what he is trying to get over right now.”

Jackson is aware that at times his hesitance to take off has hurt him.

“It’s kind of like anything else that you do in the game, hitting throwing, pitching, sometimes you have got to take all of the thought process out of it and and just do it,” he said. “You can’t be scared or timid just because you have been thrown out. You have to keep trying and making that attempt and that’s really all you can do. You can talk about the leads and the running technique but at the end of the day you really have just got to go and trust that you can get there. You just got to go. Get a good jump and try to get there.”

Notes

• Despite the fact that lefties are hitting .349 off Tigers starter Shane Greene, Brad Miller has been dropped from the leadoff spot to seventh. Seeing just five pitches in four at-bats Monday night might have something to do with the move.

• If Nelson Cruz has a big night tonight, McClendon will not be surprised.

“He probably got a little fatigued 10 to 12 days ago. The hands started to drop. I suspect he will break out of it any day now. It may come back tonight, it may come back with a bang tonight. I saw some swings last night that were real close.”

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