SEATTLE -- One of baseball's many unwritten rules: Don't talk to a starting pitcher on the day he's pitching. But that rule didn't apply to Franklin Gutierrez during his visit to Safeco Field.
"And here is my best friend right here, Felix Hernandez," Gutierrez said as he embraced the Mariners' starter for Saturday night's matchup with the Yankees. "He's gonna win today."
Gutierrez returned to the stadium he called home for seven of his 12 MLB seasons to throw out the first pitch as part of the Mariners' Salute to Latin American Béisbol Night, but first announced that he'll be playing winter ball in Venezuela for Leones del Caracas and attempting a big league comeback.