SEATTLE — After a long and sometimes painful process to settle on a designated hitter against right-handed pitching, the Mariners seem to have decided on 31-year-old Mike Ford.
It's fitting because the process for Ford to get to this point has also been long and painful, but he says he's exactly where he needs to be.
That's why the timing of the All-Star break, while beneficial for some Mariners, wasn't as needed for Ford.
His timing at the plate had never been better.
"Taking some swings today, it's like, let's just find the groove again and doing what I did beforehand," he said before Friday's second half opener against Detroit.
Ford blasted six home runs in June, then was even better in the early stages of July.
He had a three-hit, four-RBI game against the Astros on July 7.
His birthday bash on July 4 in San Francisco was even more eye opening. He went 4-for-5 and was a triple short of the cycle.
Ford said the success was sweet for many reasons.
"That was my first Big League game on my birthday," he said. "I had been optioned twice on July 3. Special day for me and kind of like a full circle moment for me to be able to have that experience."
His entire season has been full circle.
He's settled with the team that's had an obsessive lukewarm interest in him.
"A long time coming to have some success here," he said.
This is Ford's third stint in the Mariners organization in two years.
Two of those came last year when he switched teams five different times.
"It was probably the toughest year of my career, some definite low points, a lot of cross country flights," he said.
But those long travels gave him lots of perspective, and Ford has seized the opportunity with the Mariners in 2023.
Part of the comfort he's felt in Seattle stems from his longstanding relationship with Mariners manager Scott Servais.
Ford played college baseball at Princeton, where he both hit and pitched, alongside Servais' son, Tyler.
Ford said that relationship has allowed him to build trust with the elder Servais.
"When Scott first texted me in 2018, he was still in my phone as 'Mr. Servais' instead of Scott. That's just going back to some pre-Draft stuff. Just having that comfortability and that longstanding relationship really makes you comfortable coming into that situation."
The road was filled with bumps for Ford, but through 90 plate appearances, he's proving the Mariners belief in him accurate.
"I definitely think that they believed in me multiple times and have kind of given me this shot and it's worked out for both sides," he said.
