John McLaren Exposes Mariner Infighting

It wasn't exactly a "Ball Four" type expose of a major league clubhouse, but the recently deposed John McLaren had some interesting things to say regarding the problems in the Mariners clubhouse which may have resulted in their bad record (and perhaps his own firing along the way).

"There is tension, friction and a little jealousy," McLaren said in the course of a 30-minute interview via conference call. "We (the staff) tried to deal with it, but they got to do it on their own."

McLaren said he wasn't trying to be critical but rather constructive.

"The tension and jealousy has been there, and crystal clear," he said. "The only reason I mention that, not to deter any criticism from myself, but to make this team better.

"If they can get in that room and work some issues out, they'll be better off. Sometimes we get caught up in own world (...) I am not calling anybody out. I'm not bashing them. Its hard to come to the park when you lose for gosh's sake. But we've had a divide, hitters vs. pitchers. On a good team, those things are overlooked. But (not when) you're losing."

Maybe that yellow strip of tape in the clubhouse that separates the hitters from the pitchers was the first clue that there was a divide. (I heard Felix Hernandez crossed it to get his shoulder taped and it wasn't a good scene.) Or perhaps it was that sign that reads "He-Man Pitcher Haters Club" over Richie Sexson's locker. Could all of those "how many hitters does it take to screw in a light bulb" jokes that J.J. Putz was telling lately have been a sign?*

*Hopefully you've figured out by now that none of this is actually true.