This year, they will all have at least this much in common: The new Mariners coaching staff is going to work with each man, one through 60 - and not just on the field.

"You don't limit coaching to guys who'll make the club," manager Don Wakamatsu said. "One of best ways to develop somebody is to take them in and tell them all the things they're accountable for, then cover those things one at a time.

"We won't just tell players what they're expected to do, we're going to tell tem why. You can't cover it in drills. A lot of our time will be spent coaching before or after the workout."

Spring training '09, then, will be more than a rehash of fundamentals mixed in with batting practice and bullpen sessions.

Coach Ty Van Burkleo will run the camp, and he says there will be no shortage of ground balls and pop-ups and bunting drills. He said there will be a slightly different method to the madness that can become six weeks of training camp.

"There is no drill that teaches winning, it's communication," Van Burkleo said. "We're going to tell them what we want accomplished and why. The by-product of the process is wins - not 95 games, but what we're trying to accomplish in every game, and this is why.

"You tell them before games begin, this is the situation we'll hit-and-run in, this is why we'll run in certain situations. You explain what you see in a certain opposing pitcher and why you'll attack him this way.

"Do that enough, explain why you're doing something, and once games start, there should be no surprise when the hit-and-run sign or the squeeze sign goes up."

Coming off a 101-loss season, the Mariners open camp with a largely new-look roster and a completely new coaching staff. The plan is to open the 2009 season with a fresh outlook.

To do that, Wakamatsu said, he and his coaches will have to reach all 60 of those players.

"We're in the business of instilling belief," Wakamatsu said. "We want them all on the same page, philosophically, not just technically. The biggest surprise with players can be what they don't know.

"You learn a lot once you stop playing, and that's what we have to bring to these guys. We have to convince them that we're here for them, that helping them develop is our job and our passion."

It won't be a camp in which players roll in leisurely for the same workout day after day.

"Individual work, that's where you can make a difference. Work one-on-one with players," Van Burkleo said. "We'll have early work every day for one group or another. Coaches are free to use their own creativity. Maybe the outfield coach sees something he wants to work on. Maybe another guy wants to sit down and have a talk with the catchers.

"And if a player wants extra batting practice, we'll be there every day before workouts to give it to him. If he wants more work on his backhand, we'll be there for that, too.

"Part of spring is about forming relationships, becoming a team of people with the same goals."

There will be, Wakamatsu said, a lot of time spent in the batting cage and the classroom.

"We expect our players to grow, to learn how to play and play together. If we can get each one to be ready for 162 games by April, that's the right direction," he said. "I want the feeling to change on this team. I want to get them to want to come to the park, to learn the game, to play hard and want to come back for more."

Van Burkleo knows the enemy in any camp is the mundane - guys standing around in the outfield during batting practice. Fifty guys watching 10 others take part in a drill.

"There are a lot of things you simply have to get done during camp, but we're going to try to freshen it up a little," he said. "You can combine drills to involve more guys. Instead of just working on your baserunning, combine baserunning with defense, for instance. Simulate game situations for both sides at once, have a faster pace."

And day after day, Wakamatsu said, teach the game as well as practice it.

"Once the season starts, you want to do everything the right way, for the right reason," he said. "A big part of that is knowing why you do things, having them make sense to you."

There will also be a tone set in camp.

"We're going to teach professionalism," Wakamatsu said. "We'll lay down the ground rules. You get them to understand they can't be late if a coach has asked them to be there for an early workout.

"You do that in February so they're not late for a meeting in June. You eliminate land mines down the road. That's part of our job, too."

blogs.thenewstribune.com/Mariners

- - -

Feels like spring

Pitchers and catchers report to the Seattle Mariners' spring training facility Friday. A closer look:

? New management: This is the team's first spring with general manager Jack Zduriencik, manager Don Wakamatsu and the coaching staff.

? New players: CF Franklin Gutierrez, 1B Russell Branyan, INF Ronny Cedeno, OF Endy Chavez, LHP Garrett Olson, RHP Tyler Walker, RHP David Aardsma, DH-1B Mike Sweeney, LHP Tyler Johnson.

? Former players: LF Raul Iba?ez (Phillies), RHP J.J. Putz (Mets), INF-OF Willie Bloomquist (Royals), OF Jeremy Reed (Mets), RHP Sean Green (Mets), RHP R.A. Dickey (Twins).

? Key dates: Pitchers' first workout is Saturday. Position players report Feb. 17 and the first full-squad workout follows Feb. 18. First spring game, the annual charity game vs. the Padres, is Feb. 25.