SEATTLE -- The Mariners will be halfway through a four-city road trip when the non-waiver trading deadline expires Saturday night, leaving one to wonder how a couple of veteran players are handling what could be their final days with the team.
Well, it's business as usual for left-handed pitcher Ron Villone and pinch-hitter/first baseman Dave Hansen.
Ron Villone / P
Born: 01/16/70
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 245 lbs
Bats: L / Throws: L
"It's kind of nerve-wracking," Hansen said Sunday. "But whatever happens, happens. I've never been traded before the [non-waiver] deadline, so this is all new to me. All I can do is focus on my at-bats and not worry about all that stuff."
With a .297 batting average in 56 games and 74 at-bats this season after homering in the second inning on Sunday, Hansen could be an important acquisition for a contending team. He ranks as one of the game's best pinch-hitters and is 6-for-33 in that role this season, with one home run and six RBIs.
Villone, meanwhile, is a seasoned veteran when it comes to the trade deadline.
The Mariners sent him to the Padres on July 31, 1995, for right-handed starter Andy Benes and exactly one year later, the Padres sent him to the Brewers.
"I guess this could be a weird week, but it depends on how you look at it," he said. "The way I look at it, this is going to be a long road trip and I packed for a two-week road trip, which is no different than if it was April or May."
The Mariners play three games in Oakland, four in Anaheim, three in Baltimore and end the trip with a three-game series against the Devil Rays in St. Petersburg.
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Ron Villone / P
