Defensive Work Keeps Buhner’s Chin Up

Through a rather rocky six weeks of baseball, two things have kept Jay Buhner sane this season - the occasional big RBI and his defense.

“I’ve driven in some runs in key spots, which is what I’m paid to do, and I’ve played some of my best defense, which is what I love to do,” he said. “I’d love to say I’m going to hit .300, but that’s not going to happen.”

In the first two games of the Angels series, Seattle’s right fielder had a little competition going with Anaheim right fielder Tin Salmon. Salmon robbed Buhner of a home run with a marvelous catch at the wall - and Buhner stole two homers from Salmon with similar catches.

“We joked about it, because he’s not going that well, either,” Buhner said.

“We’re probably the two guys who need hits the most.”

Stealing a home run is a rarity, Buhner said, especially for a right fielder.

“Look at right field in most stadiums, you can’t get up over the fence to take one away,” he said.

True enough. In the Kingdome, Metrodome and Camden Yards, the right field wall is impossibly high, and in Detroit, balls hit out usually land in the second deck overhang.

And Buhner says high fences aren’t the only reason he rarely steals a home run.

If there’s a home run to be stolen, Ken Griffey Jr. often is the man who gets there first, Buhner said.

“Between Junior and the stadiums, I don’t get the chance very often, but the last couple of nights, it was great,” he said. “I’m still going to hit 30 home runs and drive in 100. That’s what they pay me for. And I’m going to give them the best defense I can.

“Hitting .219 sucks, but it’s not like my lifetime average is .300. Expecting me to hit 40-plus homers with 140 RBIs is like expecting Alex (Rodriguez) to do exactly what he did last year. It’s possible, but not likely.”

Martinez plays first

Preparing for interleague play in National League parks, where there will be no designated hitter, Lou Piniella gave Edgar Martinez a start at first base Wednesday, put Mike Blowers at third and made Russ Davis his DH. It was the first start of the year for Blowers at third and Martinez at first.

Griffey legend grows

That 470-foot estimated distance on the 20th home run of Griffey on Tuesday? After talking to TV camera crews, the Angels redid the math. They say the home run is now estimated to have traveled 490 feet.

Coming up

Seattle has the day off today and begins a three-game series against the Royals in Kansas City on Friday.