SEATTLE — As Cal Raleigh sat on home plate, breathing heavily and grinning sheepishly at his unexpected accomplishment, the Seattle Mariners dugout was celebrating and laughing like little kids.
They just saw a Little League homer — a triple with a throwing error — that allowed their burly catcher, whose nickname refers to the excessive size of his gluteus maximus, dive head first into third base, scramble to his feet and race home all the while a crowd of 20,860 roared in approval.
That familiar feeling of fun, often ignited by hits and runs, has returned to the Mariners for an extended period, removing the pressure-filled angst felt for most of May and early June.
