Bloomquist promoted to AAA

By ED HARBOUR
Valley Press Staff Writer

"We definitely hate to lose a guy like Bloomy," Lancaster skipper Mark Parent said, "but I'm not here to hold anyone back.

"I would've loved to keep (Kenny) Rayborn and (Josue) Matos too but that's from a purely selfish standpoint. We're here to help these guys get better and develop. That window of opportunity is there and they need to take advantage of it."

For Bloomquist, this will be his second trip to Tacoma after he spent 10 days there on assignment in May, hitting .182 in a handful of appearances.

"As far as I know it's a permanent thing," Bloomquist said after Sunday's game. "If I stay within myself and do the things I do best, I think I'll be OK.

"I'm obviously looking forward to a new challenge. Triple A is a higher level of baseball than I've played on a regular basis but I'm ready for the challenge."

To start the season in a high Class-A league was apparently not challenge enough for Bloomquist in his first full pro season.

In 64 games, he hit .379, 40 points better than anyone else in the Cal League. He scored 63 runs and drove in another 51 with 19 doubles.

"I really enjoyed my time in Lancaster," Bloomquist said. "It's a great place to play baseball with a good level of competition. It's a fun place to play with great fans.

"No offense to the people of Lancaster but I hope I won't be back there."

For Bloomquist the seemingly permanent promotion is extra special because as a Washington native he gets to play in front of the people he knows at a high level of baseball.

"What more could I ask for?" Bloomquist said of going back to Washington state. "I'll be 20 minutes from my house, 20 minutes from the town I grew up in. I'm just one step away from the big dance now. It's exciting.

"I'm pumped, my family and people who haven't seen me play since like high school will be able to come out and watch."

Jumping two levels isn't part of the normal route to the Major Leagues, but Bloomquist may have had a friend in high places.

In spring training this season, Bloomquist was one of the final minor leaguers to leave big league camp as Seattle manager Lou Pinella reportedly fell in love with his ability and work ethic. Pinella even went so far as to try to talk the Mariners brass into starting him at Tacoma this year, 30 miles from the parent club.

Bloomquist, though, feels ready for the jump now after more than half a season in the California League.

"I'm not intimidated," Bloomquist said of the promotion and impending turn at the bigs. "I've played in pressure situations. I've played in the College World Series in front of 24,000 people. It's the same game just a little bit quicker.

"To start the year though, Lancaster was the right place for me to be."

The only question mark on Bloomquist in his two years with Seattle has been his health.

After a broken hamate bone in his left hand shortened his 1999 season, a bone contusion took several weeks away this year.

And as recently as last week, Bloomquist missed time with a banged up left knee but the former Pac-10 player of the year insists, to a point, he's healthy.

"I feel good and ready to go," Bloomquist said of his injuries. "I don't think you can talk to any baseball player and have them say, 'I feel 100 percent,' it's just not possible. But I feel good enough to go."

Uploaded July 17, 2000