"I've got some numbers in my little black book," Johjima said.

Lesser things have caused divorce, though Johjima is not worried that his wife, Maki, will leave him any time soon. She knows his black book is full of numbers that pertain to his job as Seattle Mariners catcher and the names attached to them are of the teammates whose games he calls.

Already this year's book is filling up. Johjima might have the most difficult task of any catcher this spring: He must learn the whims of the Mariners' three new starters, Jeff Weaver, Miguel Batista and Horacio Ramirez, coddle Felix Hernandez as he tries to mature from prospect to ace and help Jarrod Washburn justify the $37 million free-agent contract he signed two years ago.

"No catcher in the major leagues is more prepared," Mariners closer J.J. Putz said. "He knows the hitters inside and out. He knows his pitchers. And I think once guys establish communication and keep an open dialogue with him, the better they are."

For Johjima, that starts with his book, a small notepad housed inside a zippered black leather case. He has filled pages for 11 years now, ever since he joined the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (now the SoftBank Hawks) as a 19-year-old.
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