THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: It's time to stop sleeping on the Big Dumper

Will the world keep throwing him strikes? 

“That’s the big Cal Raleigh question to me,” said Hall of Famer John Smoltz. “Pitchers might not be the smartest guys you’re going to find. 

“But they do have a survival instinct.” 

Smoltz’ view of the pitcher-hitter duel is pretty much as complete as anyone’s. 

He was a day-to-day starter for Atlanta for 11 years, took a season off to have surgery, and returned as a spectacular closer — racking up 154 saves in four years. 

Then. 

Smoltzie went back into the rotation for six MORE years. 

By now, this man knows pitching. 

And hitting. 

“Watching guys try to deal with Raleigh reminds me of Barry (Bonds),” Smoltz said. 

“Early in his career, Barry would swing at some bad pitches, because he really wanted to make contact. After a while, though, he would ignore pitches outside the zone. 

“That’s how he set all those walk records. 

“Then, eventually, he’d get a strike and hit it 5 miles.” 

For the record, Smoltz faced Bonds 90 times, and 23 of those plate appearances were walks. 

Bonds slashed .284/.467/.701 for an OPS of 1.168 against Smoltz, with eight home runs and 14 strikeouts. 

“He was just plain frightening,” Smoltz said. 

RALEIGH is starting to give pitchers those same cold chills. 

He had 32 homers by Monday night, and the phrase “MVP” was being heard after he bombed the Cubs for four long balls in three games at Wrigley. 

It’s been assumed since opening day that Aaron Judge would be the AL Most Valuable Player, and that’s still likely. 

But the smiling kid out in Seattle (where half the country sleeps through his games) is making a case that a genuine power hitter, a switch-hitting catcher who’s already won a platinum glove, might need a little attention. 

Not that the Big Dumper would ever ask for it. 

Last weekend’s explosion in Chicago seemed to jolt America’s pundit class. 

The gang is awake. 

Here’s an introduction from Chris Branch of The Athletic: 

“Time is the universe’s most powerful force. Time never stops. Time heals wounds. Time is constant, no matter the events of a day, month, year or millennia.  

“Wait, sorry. That was a little existential.  

“What I really mean is that time zones are also an immovable force, particularly in the sports world, where it doesn’t matter how many forms of media we have to consume. 

“If a certain player typically plays while half of the country is asleep, he or she is bound to be under-covered.  

“Or even, to an extent, unknown.  

“That’s Cal Raleigh.” 

For someone on the correct side of the Rockies, a fan or a media member who can watch the Mariners day-in and day-out, Cal is even better than the numbers and tales finally being exchanged back East. 

Catchers are continually exhausted. 

Physically, sure. 

But these guys are also running the game, and that extracts a mental and emotional cost. 

It’s like playing center on a pro football team, and somehow hitting 32 homers in between plays.

JUST TWO years ago, Raleigh gave an uncharacteristic speech after the final regular-season game. 

He was upset that Mariners ownership hadn’t done something, anything, to improve a team that missed the playoffs by one game. 

The gist of his rant: Go sign a difference-maker. 

Or two. 

A year later, they took Cal at his word and locked HIM to an extended contract. 

Now, it seems like the pieces are beginning to fall into place.  

The offense has shown signs of life, no doubt in part because teams are a little nervous about how they deal with the Dumper. 

Julio Rodriguez is seeing some strikes to hit. 

Ditto Jorge Polanco and Randy Arozarena. 

Luke Raley is back from the IL after missing a hefty chunk of the season, and promptly blistered a couple of home runs. 

Even Donovan Solano, who was hitting .131 at the beginning of June, has burst out with a cluster of three-hit games. 

Sigh! 

Maybe the M’s have just found a hot streak that will fade away presently. 

Maybe lifelong statisticians will scribble numbers on a chalkboard, thus proving that the Mariners are a cinch for reverting to the mean. 

Or maybe not. 

Either way, I’d bet on the Big Dumper to keep bashing. 

Email: [email protected] 

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens. 

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”