Notes: Tightening the Beltre

[Porter]

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre reported to Spring Training on Friday morning looking lean.

He arrived in camp wearing a tan jogging suit, a smile and minus more than 10 pounds.

"I've lost about 12 pounds, and it wasn't easy for me," he said. "I'm not good at dieting."

After being periodically hampered by a sore left hamstring last season, Beltre returned to his Los Angeles home and started eating "mostly chicken breasts and salads, no carbohydrates."

Beltre also spent a lot of time on a treadmill, and the end result was a more chiseled look and fewer pounds his legs have to carry.

"He looks a lot leaner and skinnier than he did last year, but his upper body is bigger and he probably will be stronger," Mariners trainer Rick Griffin said. "It's only going to help him to have eight or 10 pounds off."

At 216 pounds, Beltre is close to his playing weight in 2004, when he had a career year with the Dodgers -- a .334 batting average, 48 home runs and 121 RBIs. That season landed him a five-year, $64 million contract with the Mariners.

For whatever reason, he added almost 15 pounds and reported to his first Mariners camp with a lot of weight on his shoulders -- among other places.

"He was not out of shape, or fat," manager Mike Hargrove recalled, "but we felt he would be better served [by losing some weight]. It makes it easier to move, and is easier on your joints."

Beltre gave his full support to shedding a few pounds this winter.

"We would never do something the player was not in favor of doing," Griffin said. "He was very eager to do it. I called him three or four times during the offseason, and the first thing he wanted to tell me was how much he was running and how hard he was working."

Beltre was willing to try just about anything to improve on what many regarded as a poor first season with the Mariners. He batted .255, hit 19 home runs and drove in 87 runs.

He also missed five games in mid-June because of a nagging left hamstring, and easily could have missed several more games, but talked his way into the lineup. He wants to play every inning of every game.

There could be more games and more innings this spring, as Beltre is also preparing to play for the Dominican Republic in next month's World Baseball Classic.

When asked where he might hit in the star-laden Dominican lineup, he said, "I'll just be glad to be in the lineup. I have no idea and don't really care. I will be happy just to be on the team."

Beltre, born and raised in Santo Domingo, has never played for his country on an international stage.

He will spend about two weeks at the Peoria Sports Complex and then join the Dominican WBC team in Kissimmee, Fla., on March 3.

"It's important for him to be here," Hargrove said. "It allows us to get some work in and get him started in the right direction before he goes. We want to get enough work done here to give him a good base so that when he comes back, he can pick it right up and not lose a lot."

Will Beltre improve on last years debacle at all. I think hell be better but can he get any worse?

[Providence A's]

I think he'll be better, not 2004 good, but better. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if he reproduced last year's results.

[Element]

I think hell be better but can he get any worse?

If he isn't better, than the Mariners might as well forfeit all their games this year, because they will be going no where.

If he does better, well then we have a shot for 3rd.

[love_that_reefer]

Beltre might do better getting used to the AL pitching. That's about it. Most of us knew he wouldn't come close to his 2004 numbers.