JetHawks to get tutoring from Bosio

Chris Bosio, an 11-year major league veteran pitcher, has taken a job as a roving pitching instructor for the Mariners

This season Bosio is working as an assistant to the Mariners minor league pitching coaches as a special assignment pitching coach.

"Basically, I get together with all the coaches and all the pitchers and I get a good look at the starters," Bosio said of his new position. "I'm here to help out as much as I can and in the same breath stay out of the way as much as I can."

Bosio was fairly sure that after his successful career was over, it would eventually lead to coaching.

"It's something I've always wanted to get into," Bosio said. "I have a baseball academy in Sacramento and in my three years since I retired, I've given close to 2,000 lessons.

"We have the the academy, aquatics programs, kid and adult programs all through my wife and mine's business."

And to keep extra busy, Bosio uses his name to help raise money for local non-profit groups.

Bosio and his wife feel that some very deserving groups get looked over in the hunt for state and federal grants.

"We try to help out the groups that are not frequent recipients of government money," Bosio said. "The usual soccer, baseball clubs, volleyball clubs.

"They don't always have the money for new equipment and that's where we step in to fill in those holes for the groups."

In his new position with the Mariners Bosio hopes to meld his pitching career with his more recent work to help the younger pitchers in the organization.

Conversely, Bosio sees the experience as one from which he himself can grow and learn.

"There is no ceiling as far as learning is concerned," Bosio said. "Even with me and all my major league experience, there is always so much to learn." Mirror to the past

Next to the door that leads to the Seattle Mariners' minor league coaches locker room is a photo of a grimacing young pitcher in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform. Underneath the photo is the simple caption, "another hanging slider."

The pitcher is none other than Valley son Jim Slaton in his rookie season with the Brewers.

"Some of the other guys saw that photo of me in a book from (photographer) Ron Modra," Slaton said. "They thought it'd be funny to put it up there with that caption."

Modra served on the photography staff of Sports Illustrated for over 20 years and his new book "Reflections of the Game," chronicles his career in sports.

Uploaded March 27, 2000