er:Tom Seaver is walking behind me as Im goi

SEATTLE -- Lloyd McClendon is bringing an entirely new coaching staff to Seattle, although a number of his additions have ties to the Mariners organization. McClendon announced his coaching staff on Monday, with only two of his hires coming from outside of the club. Instead, McClendon is promoting a number of coaches from the minors and still holding out the possibility that one coach may return from the previous staff under Eric Wedge but in a different role. "Obviously, there is some advantage to having some guys from within the organization," McClendon said. "If you have the opportunity to promote from within, No. 1 its healthy for the organization, and No. 2 if those guys are qualified individuals it becomes an A-plus. ... All those guys fit that bill." Howard Johnson, the former New York Mets third baseman, will take over as Seattles hitting coach after serving in that role for the organization at Triple-A Tacoma last season. Hell replace Dave Hansen who was with the club for only one season but may return as Johnsons assistant. Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said Hansen has an offer to return as the clubs assistant hitting coach if he does not find another major league job. Rick Waits will move from minor league pitching co-ordinator to Seattles pitching coach, while John Stearns will be the third-base coach and Chris Woodward will be the infield coach. Stearns finished the 2013 season as Tacomas manager after Daren Brown was added to the major league staff, while Woodward was a roving minor-league infield co-ordinator. McClendon said he was impressed by Waits and his view of how a pitching staff should be handled. "He really blew me away from the interview process," McClendon said. "(He) represented everything I wanted in a pitching coach." McClendon is bringing in Andy Van Slyke (first-base coach) and Mike Rojas (bullpen coach) from outside the organization. Van Slyke has been out of coaching since 2009 when he left the staff in Detroit, where he worked with McClendon. He reached out to McClendon to express his interest in returning to coaching in Seattle. "He was excited for the opportunity to coach with me again," McClendon said. "Andy Is probably the most impressive practice coach I have ever been around." McClendon previously announced that Trent Jewett will serve as his bench coach. The team said that bullpen catcher Jason Phillips and Scott Budner (left-handed batting practice pitcher) would return, and Zduriencik said if Brown does not find another major league job he has already signed a contract for a minor league position in the Mariners organization. Toronto Raptors Jerseys . - Andrew McCutchen went 4 for 5 and finished a home run short of a cycle, and Jordy Mercer drove in a career-high four runs to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 rout of the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday. Patrick McCaw Raptors Jersey . Sami Vatanen had a goal and an assist and Anaheim used a four-goal first period to extend their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-Vince-Carter-Jersey/ .com) - The Utah Jazz look to put an end to their five-game losing streak when the Denver Nuggets visit Salt Lake City Monday night. Patrick McCaw Jersey .Y. -- It was as if Matt Moulson never left the New York Islanders. Kyle Lowry Jersey . Listen to the Rangers vs. Kings live on TSN Radio starting at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also stream the post-game press conferences live on TSN.NEW YORK, N.Y. - From the moment John Smoltz stood on a chair to place a cap atop 6-foot-10 Randy Johnsons head, it was clear this gathering of baseballs newest Hall of Famers was going to be different than those in past years.I just wanted to be funny, Smoltz said Wednesday at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Hes 6-10 and he was struggling with his jersey. I was trying to help him with his hat.The always canny Pedro Martinez greeted Craig Biggio with an apology of sorts.Im extremely honoured to be here with all of you. Craig. I know I brushed you back a couple of times. It wasnt intentional, he said.On this day, the fierce competitors were all teammates in jerseys with Hall of Fame in red script stitched across the chest.I still love you, Biggio said. Its OK.There was a lot of love, laughter and admiration among the largest induction class elected by the writers since 1955. Some of the highlights of the nearly hour-long news conference:WHATS A FEW INCHES AMONG FRIENDS?On his connection with former Braves teammates Gregg Maddux and Tom Glavine, who were known for pitching on the corners — sometimes getting a wider strike zone than usual:Everyone kind of assumes the three of us together and links us together, Smoltz said. Everyones feeling is we got 6 inches off the plate. I didnt, by the way. So dont believe that. I didnt. I didnt.Biggio answered Smoltz several minutes later: I agree with John. It wasnt 6 inches off the plate. It was more like 6 to 10.OLD GOATSMartinez on being elected to the Hall, where he visited when he was a young player with the Montreal Expos and had an immediate appreciation of the games history:I couldnt imagine how the game was. I could only wonder, but Im extremely honoured to be going back now, being part of it, being looked at as an old goat. Thats what we all became. We became old goats now. Theyre going to be like, Oh, look, thats Pedro, thats John. That was back then. So we all became old goats after yesterday.FAKING ITSmoltz got some good advice on how to put away batters:I learned it from Tom Glavine who never really showed any emotion, which is the reason why he won 300 games and was a Hall of Famer. I learned if you didnt have what you needed that day, fake it; dont let them know.Johnson had a different take on faking it:For me it was hard to fake. You either saw 95 to 100 (mph) or you didnt. ... The one thing I had going for me is I could throw really hard. I was kind of like that Sports Illustrated story that came out a long time ago (The Curious Case of Sidd Finch from AApril 1, 1985), a kid wearing overalls in a hay field, being able to throw a hundred miles an hour.dddddddddddd That was me. I was like Nuke LaLoosh in Bull Durham that hit the mascot. I was a combination of all that until it finally came together for me.MEMORABILIAAs an 18-year-old playing for the Dodgers rookie team in Great Falls, Montana, Martinez was called up to pitch for Class A Bakersfield in the playoffs, a little more than 100 miles from Dodger Stadium, where his brother Ramon was pitching. Martinez went to visit his brother and came across a memorabilia auction:As a kid, I remember watching Reggie Jackson. He was the only one that could pimp a homer back in those days. ... Ramons friend goes, You want that ball? Im like, Yeah, I would like to have it. You have the 250 bucks? All I had to do was reach in my pocket, pull it out. I knew it was 250. So I was handing it to the person, Here, buy it.No, no, no. You dont get it that way. You sign your name there. If it happens that nobody bets on it, then you get it. All 250 bucks, 1990, that I made in my last 15 days of work in Montana, I paid for a Reggie Jackson signed ball.Smoltz isnt so nostalgic:Im pretty bad at it, Ill admit. I never really asked for autographs growing up. Im better today, but Ive been known to play catch with my 200th win ball with my son. I dont know where a lot of stuff is.NEW YORK, NEW YORKJohnson made his first start after being traded from the Montreal Expos to the Seattle Mariners in the Bronx on May 30, 1989. It didnt take the University of Southern California pitcher long to meet a fellow Trojan — and baseball Hall of Famer:Tom Seaver is walking behind me as Im going into the clubhouse with my suitcase. I played for the legendary college coach Rod Dedeaux at USC. He called everybody Tiger. ... Its also a calling card that when you hear someone say Tiger to you. You know thats USC alumni baseball. Tom Seaver yelled out, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger, you cant be carrying your own bags. Youre pitching today. ... I went on to win that game. But more importantly someone of that stature, who Ive become friends with now since then, the great Tom Seaver, helped me with my suitcase on my pitching day in Yankee Stadium.Johnson ended up pitching for the Yankees from 2005-06, and he got to know several of the teams Hall of Famers:Im good friends with Reggie Jackson. He called me asking: Randy, how did you get more votes to the Hall of Fame than I did? I mean, who does that? Friends do. Reggies the greatest. I love Reggie. ' ' '