Mike Cameron has been back to Seattle, but the last time he set foot in Safeco Field as something other than a Mariners opponent was September 28, 2003. He went 2-for-3 with a walk as the Mariners swept the A's in a pointless three-game series. I guess he might have gone in on a later day to get his things. September 28 was the last time he was on the field. Unless he went to the field. To be honest I don't know as much about Mike Cameron's historical day-to-day agenda as you might think that I do.
But Mike Cameron will set foot in Safeco Field as something other than a Mariners opponent again. As fanshotted below and as first reported by Greg Johns, Cameron's going to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Mariners' home opener on April 13. In this way, Mike Cameron gets to do something baseball-related in Safeco without having to hit in Safeco, which is perfect for Mike Cameron.
It's a neat thing, obviously. The ceremonial first pitch a year ago was thrown out by Marilyn Niehaus. The ceremonial first pitch the year before that was thrown out by Randy Johnson. It's just a ceremonial first pitch, but it's an honor, and it's an opportunity for a big crowd to show its appreciation for someone who represents something very meaningful. Cameron was a very popular player at a very good time, and now that the people who were frustrated by his strikeouts haven't been frustrated by his strikeouts in years, he might be even more popular than he used to be. The bad memories are dwarfed by the good.
The pitch will be thrown a little over 12 years after Cameron made that one catch, and if you're there in attendance, you can expect to see a lot of replays of that one catch. If you're just watching on TV, you can probably expect to see a lot of replays of that one catch. It was a hell of a catch. Given that the Mariners are playing the A's on April 13 replays of that catch might be the most exciting part of the night.
I don't know what else to say. I'm writing this from an almost obnoxiously sunny Arizona backyard so my brain isn't what it usually is. Mike Cameron, ceremonial first pitch, Mariners home opener. It feels right. It feels like the best decision, and I hope that Cammy's ears ring for days.