by Tim Lewis
Thu, July 3rd 2014 at 12:00 AM
Updated Thu, July 3rd 2014 at 5:00 PM
SEATTLE -- It's all about the hands when it comes to the Mariners these days.
Have you seen this yet? After a big hit, once the batter reaches base, they signal toward the dugout. They put one fist over the other and wiggle their fingers or crank their wrists.
"It's just a reminder to keep our hands loose on the bat," said Willie Bloomquist. "Keep the bat flowing through the zone."
That's how it started, but then it transformed into something more dramatic. Now several players put their fists over their head and start to wave them around.
"Some guys take it to a different level and that's okay," Bloomquist said. "We understand that. It's just the elation and the joy of hitting a double at the time."
It goes beyond doubles now as well. Sometimes players do both. They wiggle their fingers and lift their fists. The guys in the dugout do it right back.
"It's kind of passed along to everybody," said Kyle Seager. "It's just something to keep the dugout involved and grinding at-bats together, I guess."
The funny thing is, no one really knows when or how the hand gestures began. Seager thinks it started with one of the veterans, though.
"I don't know if it was Bloomquist or (Corey) Hart or (John) Buck. It was definitely one of those three," Seager said. "I think I picked up on it for the first time in Miami. I think that's when it all started but I don't know. It's weird."
The veterans, like Bloomquist, don't know how it started either.
"The jury is still out on that," said Bloomquist. "A lot of guys point the finger at me, but I'm not a guy that takes a lot of credit."
No matter who started it; it's working. The Mariners have scored 70 more runs than they've allowed so far this season. That's the second best run differential in all of baseball.
"The first person I saw do it was Corey Hart and it got everybody excited in the dugout," Seager said. "Now when somebody gets a hit or a double, you start doing it. It brings some excitement out there. It definitely gets the whole team involved a little more."
