THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: Saturday, January 16, 2016

Shawn O’Malley isn’t going to lead the Seattle Mariners in home runs this year.

Nor, will he be the guy driving in all the runs.

But if you were to ask him why not, it’s simple really.

That’s not his job.

THE JOB for the Tri-Cities native is to get on base — or maybe not — and make something happen so that players like Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager can do what they do best.

“Any way I can contribute to this team, I’ll be happy,” said O’Malley, who was in town with the Mariners Caravan on Thursday, visiting with students at Winton Elementary School in Coeur d’Alene. “I’m thinking big leagues, but things change and things happen. Whatever I can do to contribute to the big league team winning, that’s my job. I’m not here to be a superstar, or on the cover of GQ magazine. Me getting out, or hustling down the line and making the pitcher work in a count, that’s my job. Doing that might set up the guy behind me to do something. It might give Seager a chance to do something where he can get a pitch high in the zone and drive it out of the yard. I might get out, but if it helps us get the lead, or drives in a run, that’s all I can do.”

And for those kids sitting in the crowd watching Thursday’s assembly, O’Malley was once just like you — sitting, as players from the Mariners visited his elementary school (Ridge View, in Kennewick) years ago with their even more famous mascot — The Mariner Moose.

“I really enjoyed it and interacting with them,” O’Malley said. “I remember the Moose, running through the halls of the school. For the kids, seeing the Moose was the coolest thing ever. That was really cool and hopefully this will leave a lasting impression on these kids as well.”

O’Malley, a right-handed throwing switch hitter who is listed as an outfielder and infielder on the M’s 40-man roster, signed a minor league contract with the Mariners in 2015 after spending 2014 in the Los Angeles Angels organization and is familiar with new Mariner general manager Jerry Dipoto and manager Scott Servais.

“The nice thing about Dipoto and Servais is that from what I knew of them from my time with the Angels, is that they like (doing the little things) in a player,” O’Malley said. “They understand that busting it down the line and playing hard is big and that’s what they do for the other guys that are paid big bucks to do the damage. That’s my focus going forward to help this team win.”

O’Malley, 28, was selected in the fifth round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He graduated from Southridge High in Kennewick and made his major league debut on Sept. 7, 2014, pinch-hitting for Albert Pujols in a game at Minnesota. He spent most of the 2015 season at Triple-A Tacoma. In 42 at-bats last season with Seattle, O’Malley had 11 hits, one home run, seven RBIs and three stolen bases, finishing with a .418 on-base percentage.

“The fact that I’m here, and I’m playing at home is huge to me,” O’Malley said. “I was on the east coast for most of my career, so my family couldn’t make it out to many games. Now, they’re up there every weekend for games. It’s awesome and the fact it’s the Seattle Mariners — the team I grew up watching — makes it all that much better I think.”

Even if that means another stint in Tacoma or a full season in Seattle.

“Every year is a big year for me,” O’Malley said. “I want to perform well, do well and just want to have fun. I want to win and have fun this year. It’s a bigger yard, brighter lights and nothing changes, except the people you’re facing. With this team, everyone is fun, outgoing and I think it’s going to be a good year.”

SO NOW, about all these changes?

“They basically re-did the entire team,” O’Malley said. “I made it through, which is great because I’m still here. Hopefully I can make this team, contribute, and help these guys get back to the postseason and eventually win a World Series.”

Subtractions of James Jones in the outfield, as well as a handful of relief pitchers will have the Mariners looking a lot different in 2016. However, a few re-signings of a couple of veterans might have been the biggest moves of all according to O’Malley.

“Kuma (Hisashi Iwakuma) was a huge pickup for us,” O’Malley said. “Even getting (Franklin) Gutierrez back was big. I got to play a little bit with him (Gutierrez) last year at Triple-A and in the big leagues. He’s what I’d call a professional hitter. There’s something about him, he’s just spectacular. We’ve got all the pieces — Cruz, Cano, Seager — all of them are there, it’s just a matter if we can put it all together. Last year, the atmosphere in the clubhouse and dugout was the best I’ve been around. Everyone felt really close and there was no separation on the bench. I’m really looking forward to this season and see what we can do.”

Speaking of professional hitters, O’Malley is also looking forward to another year with Edgar Martinez, who enters his first full season as the Mariner hitting coach.

“He’s probably the right guy you want in the driver’s seat when it comes to hitting,” O’Malley said. “His resume is pretty outstanding when you look at it. He should be a Hall of Famer in my opinion. The fact that I get to work with him every day is an absolute blessing. The sky’s the limit for this team, especially with him driving the hitting.”

The weekend of Aug. 5-7, when the team retires the No. 24 of Ken Griffey Jr., in celebration of his Hall of Fame induction on July 24 will also be something special according to O’Malley.

“It’s going to be insane,” O’Malley said. “There’s no way around it. Washington has the best fans in sports, and you can see that with the Seahawks. I can only imagine what they’re going to do for a guy like Griffey, who has accomplished so much in his career. But I know the fan support is going to be absolutely ridiculous all weekend.”

Now back to the Moose, who traveled with the group to Coeur d’Alene.

“It’s pretty neat,” O’Malley said. “He’s definitely a big hit with the kids.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JEPressSports.