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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

A Grip on Sports: Julio Rodriguez’s smile is still the M’s signature look nationally but Cal Raleigh’s consistently solid play has him closing fast

A GRIP ON SPORTS • Wander around T-Mobile Field during a Mariners’ home game and one thing is abundantly clear. Julio Rodriguez’s name is on the back of most younger Seattle fans. Understandably. But there may be subtle shift going on. The name “Raleigh” should start showing up more often.

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• Look at MLB’s individual stats this morning. In just about every offensive category, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge’s name tops the list, appropriate for a guy having not just a career year but an historic one. It’s a season to marvel about. To tell your grandkids about someday. To expect to end in the rarest-of-rare feats, a Triple Crown.

Except Judge isn’t alone atop the American League’s home run list. The M’s Cal Raleigh is tied with New York’s giant, both having hit 12 as we ease into May.

Yep, the Big Dumper, the guy known for his backside as much as for hitting the home run that propelled the 2022 M’s to their first playoff appearance in a couple decades, is reaching even higher heights.

And he’s Seattle’s, at least for the next six years.

Which is why there should be a run on Raleigh jerseys and T-shirts over the next couple months.

When Rodriguez exploded on the national scene with his 41 home runs in the first round of 2023’s Home Run Derby, he had already agreed to a 12-year, $209 million contract extension with Seattle, albeit a contract that has so many ins-and-outs it may not last that long. Still, under its terms, he won’t become a free agent until 2035.

Any parent worried about the long-term viability of a Christmas jersey for little Aaron or Erin could move forward with confidence the gift would keep on giving until adulthood. Julio’s last name became ubiquitous around T-Mobile and beyond, not just because of the financial aspect but also because of the centerfielder’s flash factor.

Raleigh may never be considered flashy. Nor cool. But his day-to-day performance, at the plate and in the field, has been better than his teammate’s. And deserved to be rewarded. It was in the offseason.

Raleigh, the team’s clubhouse conscience and baseball’s best catcher, agreed to a six-year, $105-million deal in March. It will keep him in the Northwest until at least the 2030 season, when he will be well into his 30s. And when the Raleigh jersey bought for your 13-year-old this summer is packed among other items they will take with them to college. After all, it will still be relevant.

Just as Raleigh is in a game, like Tuesday night’s 5-3 win in Sacramento, in which he’s not in the starting lineup. He is hitting at such a rate, especially in key situations, his presence is still felt – on the field, in the dugouts and in Northwest homes, where M’s fans kept waiting for the switch hitter to step into the box late and deliver a key hit.

He did. In the top of the ninth inning. With the M’s down 3-2, facing their first series loss in a month and a three-game losing streak.

Dan Wilson turned to his catcher with the game in the balance. One out. The A’s Tyler Ferguson, their backup closer, on the mound. Mason Miller, the franchise’s Andrés Muñoz, was unavailable, having pitched in two of the last three games. So Ferguson was the choice, even though he was on for the fourth consecutive day. And struggled with his command, loading the bases on a walk, a Rodriguez rope to left and a hit batter.

Raleigh is nothing if not cerebral. He saw Ferguson could get one pitch over consistently, his sinker. With that in mind, Raleigh looked for it, got a belt-high one on the outer half and pulled it into right-field.

Jorge Polanco and Rodriguez scored. The M’s led.

Dylan Moore, fresh off the injured list, added a sac fly, Carlos Vargas came out of the pen – Muñoz also was not available – to earn his first career save and, somewhere, a mom logged onto Amazon to order her daughter a Raleigh T-shirt.

They should be sprouting throughout the Northwest this summer like so much wheatgrass. And, hopefully, be just as hardy.

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WSU: Around the (current, old and future) Pac-12 and the nation, have we mentioned recruiting never stops? Especially in football. On the West Coast. … Neither does the search for the almighty dollar. The Big Ten found a whole bunch in the past year. … Back to recruiting. For Washington. Again. … Utah lost a key player to BYU in the offseason. But don’t shed too many tears for the Utes. Their coaches are well paid and the roster still has stars. … Colorado State will have a quarterback battle in the fall. … In basketball news, instead of transferring, a Colorado women’s player stuck around and trusted in her development to earn more playing time. … There were many reasons why Arizona’s newest men’s assistant moved over from Texas. … Finally, what do you think would be the reaction if a couple college basketball teams canceled a late-season nonconference game because it added too much travel stress for both? Ya, we know. It would never happen for a variety of reasons. But that’s the case for Oregon State and Portland today in baseball. The long-scheduled midweek game was canceled.

Gonzaga: We had a choice to make this morning. Link this story on Casey Legumina in the Mariners’ section or do it here, as a GU story. After all, the thrust of the piece is Legumina, who left the Zags after his junior season for the MLB draft, is back in Washington with the M’s. And doing just fine fulfilling his role within the Seattle bullpen. We decided to put it here because … well, just because.

EWU and Idaho: Around the Big Sky, the conference’s softball tournament, which was supposed to begin Monday in Greeley, had to be put off a day due to rain. Now Idaho State, Weber State and the others hosted by Northern Colorado will begin today. … Montana picked up two FCS lineman from football’s transfer portal. … Montana State welcomed in a men’s basketball transfer from Wisconsin.

Preps: It is May alright. Spring sports’ postseason is kicking in. League titles are being decided. Jim Meehan covers the ones handed out in the GSL for golf after Tuesday’s final rounds. … Cheryl Nichols’ handles everything else for the day in this roundup.

Chiefs: The WHL finals begin Friday in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Owen Martin will be there, wearing his Chiefs’ sweater. And ready to contribute, something he was not able to do for a long chunk of the regular season due to an injury. Dave Nichols covers all that in this story.

Indians: Spokane returned home Tuesday night, fresh on the heels of a six-game set in Pasco in which the Indians scored a total of 11 runs. With Vancouver in town, Spokane almost reached that total in one game, winning 9-2 last night at Avista. Dave was there and has this coverage.

Mariners: We linked the M’s game story above. And do so again here. … We also can pass along this Times’ story that ran in the S-R. It covers the M’s place in MLB power rankings. … With all the injuries, the M’s picked up a former Texas outfielder that had been let go.

Seahawks: Rookies are great. But they also have to find a spot, usually at the expense of a veteran. There are four of the latter who could see their roles change this fall. … Jalen Milroe will be following a similar training regimen Washington used for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels last season.

Storm: Before we get to the story of Seattle’s first-round pick practicing and dunking, we want to share the news concerning the franchise’s icon, Sue Bird, and her new job. She’s going to be in charge of our national women’s team.

Sounders: The game played on your television sets yesterday, a Champions League semifinal for the ages between Inter and Barcelona, and what plays out in the MLS is the same sport. In name. But, wow. There is a difference on the grass and in the stands. The level of play displayed in Inter’s 4-3 victory (and 7-6 aggregate semifinal triumph) was so incredible it makes one understand why the game is reverend around the world. … The Sounders’ Ryan Kent is more sure than ever he can help Seattle be successful.  

Horse racing: It may be time to rethink the Triple Crown schedule. Past time, actually. Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty will not be running in the Preakness, eliminating the chance of a Triple Crown champion this year. The reasoning? The races are two close together for the modern thoroughbred. OK then. Let’s adapt. And lock down all the records from the past, as they will never be broken. Run the Derby as it is now. Have the Preakness the first Saturday of June. The Belmont on July 4. Call it good. And if someone breaks Secretariat’s record in the latter two races? Good for them, but it has to have an asterisk. After all, they won’t be duplicating the same conditions the sport’s greatest champion competed under.

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• Let’s be honest. Julio is flashy. Exciting. Cool. Has, at 24, really yet to realize his potential. Raleigh is solid. Dependable. Sort-of boring. And, at 28, is seemingly at his peak. Still, like everyone else, 10-year-old Vince would have wanted a Julio jersey. Or maybe a J.P. Crawford one, because I was a shortstop back then. Twenty-four-year-old Vince? He would have wanted to interview Raleigh. Over all others. Mainly to talk about the art of catching. Trade war stories about broken fingers and battered thumbs. A jersey? Nope. Not in the cards. But I would still probably have whatever one my parents bought me when I was 10. Until later …