When he played, Pete Rose was fearless, intense and focused, but now the word that best describes him is ‘tacky.’

In another bad decision, one that makes you want to shower after considering, the man banned for life for gambling on baseball is now selling copies of that ban – and doing so in Cesar’s Palace shop in Las Vegas.

Eww.

“My banishment from baseball is a major event in the history of the game,” Rose said in a statement. “The positive support from my fans has been overwhelming since my banishment, and I wanted to offer my supporters and …

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Never one to tip his hand, general manager Jack Zudurienck said today he will try to compliment a young Seattle Mariners team with a bit more experience this off-season – and add a bat, if possible.

When Prince Fielder’s came up, the conversation turned intentionally vague.

“The years of the contract are factors, the dollars are a factor and where you stand as a club is a factor,” Zduriencik said of pursing a free agent.

What about his personal relationship with Fielder, a player he’s known since Fielder’s high school days?

“These

…

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Acquiring a left-handed hitting reserve catcher is often the kind of move contending teams make as they round out an already-solid roster, though the Seattle Mariners weren’t in that position when they traded for John Jaso on Sunday.

For a portion of the fan base chomping at the bit for Prince Fielder, this was as disappointing as unwrapping a lump of coal on Christmas. It shouldn’t be.

No matter what general manager Jack Zduriencik does the rest of the off-season, one major trade or signing isn’t going to make the Mariners contenders. What will? Upgrades every chance he gets, at …

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In what may be indicative of the Seattle Mariners off-season intention to get better in many areas, the team traded reliever Josh Lueke to the Tampa Bay Rays today for left-handed hitting catcher John Jaso.

“John gives us a left-handed hitting catcher with some big league time who is still young,”  general manager Jack Zduriencik said. “His left-handed bat will be a nice compliment to our right-handed hitting group. He’s a tough kid with post-season experience and should be a nice fit with us.”

 Jaso, 28, appeared in 89 games with the Rays in 2011, collecting 15 doubles, one triple, …

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When Freddy Garcia burst into the Seattle Mariners rotation in 1999, he won 17 games and had a future as bright as his smile, and this week Garcia signed a one-year contract to pitch for the New York Yankees in his 14th big-league season.

An inspiration to fellow Venezuelan pitchers – Felix Hernandez, for instance, wears No. 34 in his honor – Garcia’s career has rebounded from disappointment, near ruin and injuy.

Garcia never seemed to max out his considerable abilities, and after a career-best 18 wins in 2001 never won more than 16 games in a year. A happy-go-lucky …

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Another day without the Seattle Mariners getting much done – hey, only a few teams have done anything significant so far – so we turn your attention to intriguing stories on the web.

The first is a long piece by Deadspin on super-agent Dan Lozano, set in motion by an anonymous mailing to Deadspin and other media outlets by someone who clearly doesn’t like Lozano. Read much of the story about the man who represents Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez and others, and you won’t like him, either.  In fact, after going through the tale of hired women, lies and …

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When you’re the second man picked in the major league amateur draft, as left-handed pitcher Dan Hultzen was last June, the baseball world has already taken notice of your talent.

Expected to challenge for a spot in the Seattle Mariners rotation next spring, Hultzen has added to his resume with his performance in the Arizona  Fall League, where managers and coaches named him to the Top Prospects list after dominating ther league.

Hultzen, who turns 23 next week, went 1-0 with a 1.40 earned run average, holding opponents to a .225 average – .118 for left-handed hitters – while striking …

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One day in spring training last February, I walked into one of those moments in the Seattle Mariners clubhouse that make you smile and wonder what’s going on.

Rookie outfielders  Greg Halman and Michael Wilson were hugging veteran Milton Bradley, their smiles child-like with delight. I asked Halman later what the occasion had been.

“Ah, man, we just love Milton,” he said. “He’s a great guy, he looks out for us, he talks to us. He’s not the guy you read about.”

That, I knew. Bradley and I had a relationship that involved actual talking most days, and I’d found him articulate …

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