When Jerry Dipoto was hired as general manager this past September, he set out to make the Mariners more athletic, better defensively and more adept at getting on base.
Not once did Dipoto declare, "We're going to be among the best teams in baseball at hitting home runs."
Good thing, too, considering his predecessor, Jack Zduriencik too often went after all-or-nothing sluggers that struck out too often and struggled to find success at Safeco Field.
"Safeco Field is a pitcher-friendly environment," Dipoto said at his introductory press conference Sept. 29. "It does require a degree of athleticism to cover the ground.