POST FALLS - Nick Franklin knew that to become a professional baseball player he had to D-R-E-A-M first.

Representatives of the Seattle Mariners organization, including second baseman Franklin, stopped at the Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County on Wednesday to deliver the kids a motivational message on how to succeed, and signed autographs afterward.

The D-R-E-A-M message stood for drug-free, respect, education, attitude and motivation.

Caden Brown, 11, was all smiles after receiving an autographed ball, photo and Mariners poster.

"I think it's cool that they came and did something for the Boys and Girls Club," Brown said. "We don't get big visitors a lot. The Mariners are one of my favorite teams and Nick Franklin is one of my favorite players.

"I didn't think he'd be here, but he is so that's awesome."

Brown said he has been to Mariners games before, but this was his first chance to snare an autographed ball.

"One of the biggest things for me growing up was to stay away from drugs," Franklin, who made his major league debut for the Mariners last year, told nearly 300 kids during the assembly. "If you have a positive attitude, you start to become more liked."

Mariners commentator Mike Blowers, who formerly played for the Mariners, Yankees, Dodgers and Athletics, and the Mariner Moose mascot also made the trip.

"All (your career goals) are going to take some form of education to get there," Blowers told the kids. "Education took a lot of pressure off of me and gave me a lot of options. If you work hard at it and get an education, you have something to fall back on."

In regard to motivation, Blowers posed a question to the kids that his dad asked him.

"What are you doing when no one is watching?" Blowers said. "Are you sitting on the couch or practicing? I sat on the couch a lot back then, but I figured it out. To be motivated, you have to do it by yourself."

Eighth-grader Madison Lahr said most of her family members are huge Mariners fans, so the appearance was special.

"I'm going to give some of the autographs to my grandma and grandpa and my dad," she said.