Jr. - I'm in a Catch 22. No matter what I do it's 'OK that's him, that's what he is supposed to do.' Look at Michael Jordan's situation. Before he retired people would say, 'What's wrong with Mike?' if he didn't score 50 or make an incredible dunk in a game. I'm not saying I'm in the same situation, but I feel that if someone else was playing centerfield for Seattle, he'd be under a totally different scrutiny.

MM - Are you tired talking about Roger Maris and the home run record?

Jr. - I really don't worry about that. I can't worry about what the media writes, it's all hype anyway. You just have to put yourself in the situation to break all those records, then anything can happen. The media has a job to do and I have a job to do, but they can't bother me from 6:15 p.m. on.

MM - In this the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier, can you describe your thoughts about the man?

Jr. - Jackie Robinson means an awful lot not only to me and my family, but to everyone in baseball and all the other sports. He took an entire race upon his shoulders and carried that burden. From 1947 through today, Jackie helped everyone grow as a country and as people. Knowing what he went through, in terms of racial slurs and abuse, has to make all of us stronger. He not only changed the game of baseball, he changed the entire country.

MM - On Opening Night this year you met Jackie's daughter Sharon for the first time, what did you say to each other?

Jr. - We just talked about what her dad meant to us. Every now and then we pray for him to let him know that there are players in this era that look up to him and would like to say thank you.

MM - You worked a lot on your golf game this winter with Mark O'Meara and Tiger Woods?

Jr. - They have to give me a few more strokes, I only get 11. We have a lot of fun together. We have an opportunity to play when they're home or on occasion I catch up with them on the road and watch them. Last year when we were in Detroit, Jay, Norm, Alex and myself followed Mark, John Cook and Freddie Couples in the Buick Tournament. It was really exciting watching a tournament in person for the first time. That really helped me because I wasn't so nervous when I played in the Lexus Celebrity Challenge this winter in Palm Springs.

MM - After they beat you on the golf course, do you take them to a natural turf of some kind to get even?

Jr. - Oh yea! That's a given. We do other things as well, like play tennis. Also last year I took Mark out to the batting cage and I just laughed. I want to take Tiger out this year so I can really show him who's boss.

MM - Will Trey and Taryn have another brother or sister?

Jr. - Oh no, that's it. I think. Trey is taking pee wee karate and both of them are taking swimming lessons. Taryn just started and she really loves the water. I went to one swimming lesson last year and Trey was a little show off; jumping off the diving board and not listening to the instructor. So Melissa said 'That's the last time you get to go.'

MM - You spend a lot of time during the year with Make-A-Wish kids. What do you learn from them?

Jr. - That even though they know the inevitable, they never give up. And that's the attitude everyone should take. No matter what life throws at you, don't ever give up chasing your dreams. When I'm with these kids, I just want them to have fun at the ballpark so I give them everything I can. I can always get another jersey or another bat, but they only have this one chance. I do everything I can to make sure they have a great day.

MM - Off the field, you are involved in several business interests, including the All-Star Café. Do you enjoy hanging out with the celebrities at the restaurant openings?

Jr. - It is a lot of fun. We see each other a couple times so we have fun when we can. For once I get to ask a lot of questions of someone else. We talk a lot about our families, and our jobs. Plus I'm always looking for some acting tips.

MM - The Planet Hollywood opening was one of the biggest celebrity events ever in Seattle. What do you remember about the Planet opening?

Jr. - That most of my teammates were there and it was fun. It was a great event and the turnout was terrific. It took me a year to help get a Planet Hollywood in Seattle. Now we're talking about bringing an All-Star Café to Seattle soon.

MM - You and Jay Buhner have a very close friendship. How did that start?

Jr. - For about eight years now, we've gone through a whole lot of pitching changes. We would meet in rightcenter and that's how we became friends. We've gone through a lot together on the field and that's translated into spending a lot of time together off the field. Now we live next to each other and play golf. I beat him in golf and he beats me in fishing. So it's a trade off.

MM - The game of baseball has changed dramatically both on and off the field. Players today have a lot more say in what happens off the field. You have a pretty influential position here in Seattle. Do you enjoy that role on the team?

Jr. - We are all in this together. Most guys on the team will do whatever it takes to help the team. We always dream of going to the World Series and if management is thinking about trading for someone or if I feel we need to do something, then I have to say something. Sometimes they may not like it, but our goal is the same, to get to the World Series. I want to be the last player off the field and walk into the clubhouse and spray champagne on everyone.

MM - You have taken an active role in the design of the new ballpark, what were some of your concerns?

Jr. - I want to make sure the rightfield wall is brought in another 30 feet. It will be great. Dan, Norm Jay and myself went over to the architects and made a lot of suggestions about the laying field and the clubhouse facilities and the family rooms. We also made sure the visiting team has to make the long walk to their clubhouse instead of us. We make the long walks in their parks, so we just wanted to return the favor.

MM - Since this is the 20th anniversary of the Mariners and you have played the starring role in Mariners biggest moments, lets talk about a few of them. You had an incredible 1995 playoff against the Yankees. Were you in one of those zones at the plate in that series?

Jr. - I just wanted to hit the ball hard and contribute to the team since I was out for most of the season. I wanted to come back and help carry this team that had worked so hard without me. I just wanted to give the team whatever boost we needed.

MM - Take us around the bases with you in that 10th inning in Game Five.

Jr. - I looked at the left fielder and thought that if Edgar hits the ball down the line or in a gap, I have a chance to score. When he hit it I just took off and let the third base coach make the decision, but I tried to make it an easy decision by getting there as fast as I could.

MM - When you scored, what was going on underneath the pile at the home plate celebration?

Jr. - I started laughing at first. Then I realized I was the one who didn't need to be on the bottom because I had a broken arm. I tried to get up but couldn't. I just wanted to get to the locker room and celebrate there, but I'm glad we got to celebrate as a team because we did it as a team.

MM - Was that the most memorable moment of your career?

Jr. - No doubt. Playing with my dad was the most memorable. He stuck around and played all those years and proved to a lot of people that he could still play.

MM - As a kid did you ever dream about playing with your father?

Jr. - No, too many things had to happen. Luck, staying healthy, staying consistent and then have the opportunity. When it did happen, I was a little nervous even playing catch with him before the game. During the game, it was probably the most exciting time that I've had. Playing the outfield with my dad.

MM - What about the back-to-back home runs?

Jr. - After he hit his, I was watching him run the bases. When he crossed home plate, he said "That's how you do it Son!' and went back to the dugout. I looked at him and then after I hit mine, I couldn't wait to get to the dugout and say "That's how you do it Dad!' He waited until after I congratulated everyone else, then he gave me a hug and said you did it. That's something that will never be done again. Everyone else in the dugout was shocked and excited to see a part of history.

MM - Are there one or two great catches that stand out in your mind?

Jr. - I take a lot of pride in my defense, but I don't try to make great plays. If it happens, it's just a bonus. Two that stand out for me are the Jesse Barfield catch at Yankee Stadium and the catch I made when I broke my arm because I was able to hang onto the ball. The Barfield play was the first time I ever climbed the wall and robbed some one of a home run and I got teased by my teammates because I showed a lot of excitement. I heard it from our leftfielder and the guys in the bullpen were yelling at me so I turned around and started laughing.

MM - Are you more cautious going after balls at the wall now?

Jr. - I still approach it the same way. As an outfielder it's important to go out everyday and not be afraid to run into a wall to make a catch, to do what we have to do to help the team.

MM - What did you have to go through during the eight-game home run streak?

Jr. - I really didn't talk to the media that much. I said as long as the streak is alive, I wasn't going to talk about it. Everyone wanted to talk about it but me. After the streak ended I discussed it. My dad told me during the streak to pick one pitch and try to hit it hard.

MM - The 1995 season obviously was very memorable, but can you describe what Randy Johnson meant to the club in 1995?

Jr. - Randy is a very dominating pitcher. He's 6-10 and throws the ball in the low 100s when he wants to. He's got better control that what people think. The long hair, mustache and goatee are all a part of Randy. His personality in a game is completely different than in the clubhouse where he is joking around, having fun. On the mound he is all business. He is the one guy that if we lost a couple games in a row that year, we just knew we were not going to lose with him on the mound. His wins would then snowball with the other pitchers behind him. He makes my job a lot easier in the outfield. We just had to stand there.

MM - What do you remember about Randy's no-hitter?

Jr. - He threw the first pitch at 99 MPH and the last pitch at 99 MPH. As the innings went on, he got stronger and just dominated. It was a great game to watch.

MM - On the field, Jay looks extremely intense. Is that really the case?

Jr. - Jay is going to give you everything he has and expects the same out of everyone else, no question about it. Like every guy in our clubhouse, he wants to win in the worst way. The two games I remember most about Jay were: Game Three of the League Championship Series in Cleveland, when he came back after making a big error to hit the game-winning home run; and his cycle. He trippled to complete the cycle in the 14th inning, and after he scored the winning run, everyone else went out to congratulate him, but I went to third and pulled the bag out of the ground and gave it to him. I felt it was something he should have, being the only Mariner to ever hit for the cycle. It's something no one can ever take away from him.

MM - Are you surprised by Alex's quick rise to All-Star status?

Jr. - You could tell from day one what kind of a player he was going to be. Even before he was drafted, we saw films of him when he was still in high school and you could tell he was going to be a great player. He was up and down a lot in his first year. He became really comfortable and confident when he was moved to second in the lineup. It was the same situation with me when I batted second ahead of Alvin Davis and Jeffrey Leonard. I just told him to relax and have fun.

MM - What makes this Mariners' team so special?

Jr. - We are a very tight group. When someone is down, we try to pick them up. When people are up, we try to get them going and motivate them. But at the same time, we have fun. You need to have a loose club to go through these pressures everyday. That's something we do as a team. Hopefully we can throw some more banners up around the Kingdome and in the new ballpark. We all play this game to be on a championship team and hopefully that will happen within the next couple of years.

MM - What are your feelings about inter-league play? Are you looking forward to going head-to-head with your National League rivals?

Jr. - We play all of the National League West teams during spring training with the exception of the Dodgers, so we know the teams pretty well. Anytime you play against a Barry Bonds or a Tony Gwynn you always do your best. There are friendly bragging rights to be won. It's going to be a lot of fun because we all like to compete. This gives us a chance to go into different cities and for them to come into our town. With a team like San Diego, it's a chance for the fans to see the other league's MVP in Ken Caminiti and Mr. Batting Title in Tony Gwynn. Plus I get to return to San Diego for the first time since the All-Star Game there (where he won the MVP). Inter-league play is good for baseball and I'm looking forward to it.

MM - You faced Hideo Nomo of the Dodgers in Japan years ago, are you looking forward to a possible rematch?

Jr. - A pitcher is a pitcher, he has to adjust to me just as I have to make adjustments. It's been six years since I've faced Nomo. If we do get the opportunity to face him, you have to stay with the game plan, which is to lay off his forkball, but still be aggressive and take your cuts. If he gets the forkball over, you'll find yourself behind in the count and in trouble.