David Burcham
New Castle News
NEW CASTLE —
Dealing with a baseball season gone haywire in Seattle, Jack Zduriencik relished an opportunity to get back on home turf.
Zduriencik, the general manager of the Mariners and a former Major League Baseball executive of the year, was in town Wednesday morning to address more than 500 teachers, administrators and other staff during the New Castle Area School District Kickoff Day at Cascade Park.
A 1969 graduate of New Castle High and a former teacher, Zduriencik said he couldn’t pass up the chance to tell his audience, which included some former coaches and teammates, that the education he received here helped take him to the top of his profession.
He said traits that assist him with the daily challenges of running a professional sports franchise were developed long ago in New Castle.
“Character, tenacity and competitiveness of people like Don Ross and Lindy Lauro,” said Zduriencik, who grew up on the South Side where his father operated a barber shop. “But they also had our best interest at heart.”
It’s been a trying time for Zduriencik’s Mariners.
Seattle and the San Diego Padres shared the same spring training complex in Arizona, but it was the Mariners who were being touted as a possible contender in the American League’s West Division while the Padres were expected to be non-factor in the National League West. Things have certainly played out differently as San Diego is headed for a division title while the Mariners have floundered.
Seattle’s win total improved by 24 from 2008 to Zduriencik’s first season in 2009. Then he added former Cy Young winner Cliff Lee to a pitching staff that included Felix Hernandez and infielder Chone Figgins to an everyday lineup that featured Ichiro Suzuki.
“We thought we had some good pieces in place,” Zduriencik said.
But the only law governing the Mariners in 2010 has been Murphy’s Law.
Lee was traded to Texas at midseason, Figgins was a minor disappointment and the Mariners’ experiment with slugger Milton Bradley, currently on the disabled list, failed. Manager Don Wakamatsu was fired last month after public feuds with Seattle legend Ken Griffey — who unceremoniously retired — and Figgins.
Zduriencik described the season as a group struggle from the beginning that began to snowball.
But he said there have been bright spots, especially at the minor league level, where one team is in first place and leads in home runs, which the Mariners desperately need.
“The foundation is being built,” he said.
Prior to arriving in Seattle, Zduriencik was successful in Milwaukee, building the Brewers into a playoff team in 2008. In recognition of that success, Baseball America made him the first non-GM to receive its Major League Executive of the Year Award in 2007.
“This is a job of challenges and our goal will always be to get better,” said Zduriencik, who admits to having some sleepless nights this summer. “I have a vision for the Mariners and I know what it’s going to take.”
“There’s always the human element. Sometimes players will break your heart and others will surprise you.”
Mark Elisco, a former sandlot teammate of Zduriencik, believes his friend will accomplish the mission of restoring the Mariners to prominence. “His track record is proven over the years and no matter where he goes, the teams win.”
Zduriencik arrived in New Castle late Tuesday after a flight from Boston, where the Mariners were playing the Red Sox. He planned to visit with his mother and other family members before flying back to Seattle.
(In Thursday’s newspaper: New Castle teachers react to Jack Zduriencik’s inspirational message.)
