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Highlights: Mariners manager Scott Servais on ‘Danny, Dave and Moore’

Scott Servais is heading into his first season as a manager at any level. (AP)

On Thursday the Mariners will hold their annual pre-spring training luncheon, where we will get to hear from a number of people from the organization. We got a little preview at 710 ESPN Seattle Wednesday afternoon as manager Scott Servais dropped by “Danny, Dave and Moore” and gave his thoughts on a number of topics as he gets ready to head to Arizona.

Listen to Scott Servais on “Danny, Dave and Moore”

We haven’t had much of an opportunity to get to know Servais yet so it was great to have the interview and have him in-studio as well. Here are some quotes of note, or thoughts that jumped out at me:

With so much new this year heading into spring training, Jim Moore asked if he was nervous at all.

Servais: “Everybody is. I think the fear for me is like players. What drives players, sometimes it is fear of failure. You’re always going to have a little bit of insecurities. I want to win really bad. I’m very competitive. It’s not what the winning brings you, it’s the competition. These are the greatest players in the world that play baseball against the most competitive people in the world that are in the dugouts and front offices. If you get to the point where you are sitting at the top of the pile, that you’ve won, that’s something to feel really good about.”

Who will be the leaders in the clubhouse?

Servais: “You can’t have one leader. I think it’s important that players realize it’s their team. It’s really about the players. They are the ones who are out there every day. We’re going to put them in the position to have success, give them all the tools to do it and then let them go play. It is their game.”

Young players he is excited about.

Servais: “Alex Jackson, I’m very excited about him. Very talented guy, very excited about his bat, but he’s a young player. He needs to learn the strike zone, have a little bit better feel and that usually comes with experience.

“Boog Powell, good center fielder, not a great physical talent but he is a good baseball player. There’s a lot of value in that. He probably doesn’t break with our club as we line up today but there is a very good chance he impacts us at some point this year. You have to have those young players that come up and give you that bolt of energy that you need in August or July or whenever he is called upon.”

On what they are teaching organizationally with the hitters.

Servais: “It’s not for everybody. Some players will not be able to make the adjustment. There will be a time when maybe this isn’t the best place for them to play and (general manager Jerry Dipoto) and our front office group will make that decision, but there will be a clear, clear, vision of what the expectation is.”

There is plenty more in the 22-minute interview and more to come tomorrow from the media lunch as well. Pitchers and catchers report in 23 days.

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