Former Star helped Seattle rise to new heights in AL

Thursday, March 28, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

PEORIA, Ariz. -- One of the most poignant moments of last year's postseason came at the end of the American League Championship Series between the Seattle Mariners and the Cleveland Indians.

After the Indians had clinched the league title with a 4-0 victory in Game 6, a national television audience watched Mariners second baseman Joey Cora weep into a towel while teammate Edgar Martinez tried to console him.

Despite that heartbreaking end to a thrilling run by the Mariners, Cora harbors nothing but fond memories of 1995 as the Mariners prepare to defend their American League West championship.

"That definitely was the most fun I've ever had playing baseball," said Cora, the former Las Vegas Stars second baseman who will be in Las Vegas Friday when the Mariners meet the Toronto Blue Jays at Cashman Field. "The way that everything fell into place last year, the way you saw this team grow over the year was great.

"It's fun when you win because when you win, it means everybody is doing their job. It was real fun because everybody felt like they were a part of it."

It was an especially good season for Cora, who hit a career-high .297 during the regular season and .316 in the Division Series against the New York Yankees. Cora stepped up his game a notch when Ken Griffey Jr. broke his wrist and was out of the lineup for 73 games.

"When Junior got hurt, it changed everybody's role all of a sudden," Cora said. "You had more responsibility last year -- and it wasn't only me, it was everybody. It made me a better player and everybody else here, too."

As Mariners fans learned during the off-season, success does not come without a price. To keep its team intact, Seattle was looking at a payroll in excess of $40 million this year -- too high for a small-market team like the Mariners.

The Mariners were unable to sign free-agent pitchers Andy Benes and Tim Belcher and were forced to trade first baseman Tino Martinez, third baseman Mike Blowers and relief pitchers Jeff Nelson and Bill Risley.

When Cora reported to camp this spring, he found that he was the only returning starter in the Mariners infield, and the prospect of repeating their 1995 run seemed somewhat less realistic.

"If we would have kept the same players, maybe it would have been like (last year)," Cora said. "But we had so many changes since last year, I don't think people are counting on us to do it again. People think we cannot do it because Tino is gone and Blowers is gone.

"I don't think we're going to sneak by anybody. We're not the last-place team we used to be here in Seattle every year ... but I don't think we're the favorites, either."

Despite the Mariners' overhaul -- they added infielders Russ Davis and Paul Sorrento and pitchers Sterling Hitchock and Edwin Hurtado in an attempt to fill some voids -- Cora said he doesn't sense an air of resignation in the Seattle clubhouse.

"You appreciate what Tino and Blowers and Risley and Nelson did for us last year, but you can't dwell on it and try to do the best you can with what you have -- that's the way it goes."

Cora pointed out the Mariners still have Griffey and Jay Buhner in the outfield and Randy Johnson in the starting rotation. Who Seattle sends out after Johnson, Cora said, will determine how far the Mariners can go in 1996.

"I think the biggest concern right now is the pitching," he said.

"We have the best pitcher in our league in Randy Johnson and I think we're going to have a very good bullpen. Whoever comes after Randy is going to be the key to our season."