Can Seattle shake the fog?

The Mariners bring back most of the starting pitchers that carried the bulk of the load for the club last season -- a year in which none of the seven pitchers that made at least 10 starts won more than seven games -- and are determined to turn things around in 2005.

"Coming off the year we had here last year, questions are legitimate and logical," incoming manager Mike Hargrove said. "I look at what happened with the starting pitching last year as an aberration. We have arms here that have been successful in the big leagues before."

And it wasn't that long ago.

"What a difference a year makes," pitching coach Bryan Price said. "A year ago we were talking about how underappreciated our rotation was after what they did [in 2003]." In 2003, the Mariners became the first Major League team since the 1966 Dodgers to use the same five starters for an entire regular season. All five of them -- Jamie Moyer, Freddy Garcia, Joel Pineiro, Gil Meche and Ryan Franklin -- won at least 10 games.

Take away Garcia -- traded to the White Sox last July -- and add Bobby Madritsch, and you get what could be the Mariners starting rotation for the 2005 season, which begins April 4 at Safeco Field against the defending AL Central Division champion Twins.