Mariner Spiezio Looking Ahead

Scott Spiezio’s departure was not made any easier by all the e-mails and letters he received from Angel fans, especially the one who thanked him “for one of the greatest moments in 40 years of following the Angels.”

But Spiezio’s desire to remain in Anaheim, which offered a two-year, $4-million deal with no playing-time guarantee, paled in comparison with Seattle’s three-year, $9-million offer that included the starting third base job, so Spiezio is a Mariner, his four-year career with the Angels in his rearview mirror.

“I wanted to be back there, and they wanted me back there, but it just wasn’t going to work,” said Spiezio, who singled twice in Seattle’s 5-3 exhibition loss to the Angels on Monday. “I was looking for an everyday role. I didn’t want to sit on the bench. Even though I loved being there, it was time for me to move on.”

Spiezio, a first baseman for much of his Angel tenure, hasn’t played third full time since 1996, when he was with Oakland’s triple-A team at Edmonton. His crash course this spring “is going OK,” he said. “I’m going to make mistakes. I have a long way to go. Every day I try to make it more automatic, get more comfortable.”

Angel followers probably will have a hard time this season rooting against Spiezio, a fan favorite for his consistent bat, his gritty defense and his home run that will go down in Angel lore.

With the Angels trailing, 5-0, in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series and eight outs from elimination, Spiezio hit a dramatic three-run home run off San Francisco reliever Felix Rodriguez in the bottom of the seventh inning. That sparked a 6-5, come-from-behind victory, and the Angels went on to win Game 7 and the Series.

“I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Anaheim,” Spiezio said. “That 2002 season was magical. It will be great to go back in 20 years and have a reunion.”

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Noted bad-ball hitter Vladimir Guerrero showed Monday how he got his reputation. The new Angel right fielder whacked a shin-high pitch from left-hander Matt Thornton deep over the left-center field wall in the Peoria Sports Complex for a two-run home run in the fifth.

“It was halfway between his knees and ankles,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “He’s a good low-ball hitter. I think [Thornton] was trying to throw the ball down the middle and missed his spot, and Vlad killed it.”

Jose Guillen, who started in place of the injured Garret Anderson in center field, followed Guerrero with a home run, and new pitcher Kelvim Escobar, who signed a three-year, $18.75-million deal, threw two impressive innings in his Angel exhibition debut, giving up one hit and striking out three.

Escobar had good velocity on his fastball and mixed in all of his other pitches -- sinking fastball, changeup, curve and split-fingered fastball.

“I think I have a lot of weapons, and my stuff is good,” said Escobar, 27. “I’m very happy because I’m getting to the point where I’m getting more mature and starting to understand the game.”

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Bengie Molina did not play for the third consecutive game because, as he put it, “My whole body is sore.” But Molina said his left wrist, which he broke in a home-plate collision Sept. 3, is fine and he hopes to play by Wednesday.... Francisco Rodriguez and Kevin Gregg each threw two scoreless innings. Shortstop David Eckstein had a double and a single and scored a run.