Not such a good 20

During the Mariners historical run in 2001, there were a few times during the season when I looked at their record and said "Wow." I don't remember most of those records, but one that sticks out for me is 20-4. I don't know what it was about that record, but that was just incredible to me. Maybe it was the first time I started to think about the pace they were on. But, I think it was that number 20. Something about the number 20 has always intrigued me. Barry Sanders was my favorite football player for a long time, and I think a big part of it was because he wore the number 20. It's like, you know, double the first double digit number. And with that record, 4 just looked so small next to it.

Something tells me I'm not going to be remembering the most recent 20 in Mariners history. That 20 would be today's loss. Number 20 on the season. To go with 13 wins. Oy. Another good start from Washburn is negated by the ineptitude of the nine men who swing bats. I guess I'll take solace in the fact that, somehow, despite all the crappy baseball they've played, the Mariners are still only 4.5 games out of first place. That's with Tampa Bay coming up next, and then two intra-divisional series in a row. So, anything's still possible. (Although, this isn't your father's Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Or, I guess, more like your older sibling's. More than likely your father's Tampa Bay Devil Rays are yours too. Unless of course you're under the age of 8. Which you probably aren't because if you're 8 you don't bother yourself with stupid things like this blog that is dedicated to a hapless baseball team. If you are 8 or younger, let me give you some advice-do not decidate yourself to any one team. Be the biggest frontrunner of all time. Root for whatever team is winning, always. It will save you all sorts of pain and suffering.)

In other news, Guardado is trying to make himself useful by mentoring Putz. Maybe since the M's are going with a closer by committee approach, they should do a mentor by committee thing too. You know, have a different mentor for each young arm in the bullpen. Play the matchups too. Maybe have the fiery (how the hell do you spell firey by the way?!?!!) Guardado work with a low-key guy. Or the grumpy Moyer work with a real eager, young puppy like guy. Wow, am I reaching for material or what? Go Mariners!

WARNING: This next item will put you in an excellent mood for 4 minutes and 15 seconds. Then you'll take a 13-second emotional trip from the highest of high to the lowest of low as you realize how far removed the Mariners are from these types of moments. But, if you think it's worth it, check out this youtube clip that highlights the M's-Yankees series from '95.

That is all. Keep hope alive! Or, invite a time machine that will make it football season.

@##$%$%^

If Eddie Guardado closes another game for the Seattle Mariners and Mike Hargrove isn't sent packing immediately after he blows another game for the team....I'm not sure what I'll do but it will definitely involve throwing something and cursing. Mike-get it through your head, the guy can't close anymore. He doesn't have the same stuff he used to and his arm is about to fall off. I got myself all fired up with the comeback in the 8th, only to have Eddie do it again. Add last night's performance to this one against Texas, this one against Boston, and this one last week against the White Sox, and you've got a trend. Turn those three losses into wins and the M's are a game above .500

Forget his grit, toughness, clubhouse presence, blah blah blah. Eddie Guardado isn't very good anymore. Putz has been lights out this year. Give him the closer's role. This isn't like those teams in the 90s in which the entire bullpen was a ticking bomb. There are other options. It's time for the Mariners to take the Boston route. They realized that Foulke couldn't get it done anymore and gave the closer role to the young stud.

4.5 games back. The Rangers have been hot but no one's running away with the AL West yet. The problem is fixable. Take action Mariners.

I LOVE JOSE LOPEZ!!!

Just singled in the 8th to tie it!!!

Sometimes I just don't know what they are thinking

Ok so a while back we were all excited about the Matt Thorton trade. found here

Well today the marlins Claimed Joe Borchard off waivers from the mariners. Borchard was who we traded thorton for. SO essentially we gave thorton away now without even really giving Borchard a look. Well he is gonna get a look in Florida. I’m not so much pissed that thorton was given away I didn’t want him but the fact that they just give up on the guy they got for him so soon is absolutely insane. With the struggles in Center Field that they have had this year don’t you think trying out Borchard made just a tiny bit of sense? Even if it was just for a week?

The santana wall

I for one didnt expect a victory going against the likes of Santana who is I must admit a personal favorite of mine. The game started off looking solid in the Mariners Favor. They started off with 3 hits, a triple and 2 singles, all were hit hard. Then however Santana settled down and pitched like the ace that he is. It was pretty much over after the 1st inning. It's all good though lets focus on the next two game set in Chicago. I think this is shaping up to be a pretty nice road trip. I really love Yuni by the way he is simply a wizard out there.

Good weekend

Well I'd love to do an extended recap of the weekend in Baltimore, but the parents have been in town, and we've been busy saving Darfur, so it's been tough for me to find a chance to get to it.

But, I was at Friday and Saturday's games in Bmore with the fam and some friends. Friday was no good. It was just one of those games that had nothing special about it. The M's were never really in it, and never really out of it. The Meche jersey obviously didn't work. Plus we were surrounded by Red Sox fans, who are have gladly taken the baton from Yankee fans as the most obnoxious in baseball. They were actually doing a "Yankees suck!" cheer at the game. Are you kidding me? Maybe those two teams should just join their own league so they can play each other every day and be really childish and obnoxious with each other.

Saturday was much better, although it didn't seem like it at first. Felix was struggling pretty badly, but still showed flashes of the brilliance that is going to make him a dominant starter for years to come. His ability to induce the ground ball is uncanny I say! I even found myself hoping Ramon Hernandez would hit a grand slam at one point because it would help my fantasy team and I figured there was no way the M's were going to win anyway. But, the bats exploded. And Beltre homered!!!!

I didn't see any of the game yesterday as we were in DC rallying to stop genocide, but....nice! Two series in a row is swell.

I've decided I can't let myself get too high about wins or too low about losses at this point in the year. On the one hand, the M's have looked terrible at times. On the other, they're 2 games out of first place. It's too early to be super negative, and too early to be overly positive. I just can't get a read on this team. I can't figure out how good or bad they can be. Let's see what May brings.

Ready to go.....

We're here. We're ready to go. I've got the Meche jersey on. Heading to Camden in a few minutes. Let's go M's!!!!!

What a difference a day Makes

I was at the end of the proverbial rope with this team yesterday. I felt there was no way they could pull a series win out of the white soxs. It was actually funny, my roommate and I head to a local watering hole close to home on Wednesday’s for Happy hour, which by the way offers 1/2 off wine. Roomy called me saying he was leaving from Kirkland at 5:30 mid rush hour and there was a mariner’s home game so he was going to be a while. I jokingly said not to worry no one goes to the Safe anymore anyway traffic will be fine. Which in many ways is true. Anyway taht was just compounding my disappointment in this squad.

That being said Washburn is this years Ryan Franklin. Not in skill level, washburn appears to be vastly superior but in lack of run support. Last night he got 5 which was nice but Mr. Washburn has pitched well enough for more wins than he currently has. He is showing that he indeed was a nice addition although I am still not sold on the price.

The main thing of this post is a topic I wanted to get others to chime in on. Raul Ibanez. Over the past 2 seasons or so has there been a more consistent guy? Sure he’s numbers are not to die for but they aren’t bad ether. He doesn’t really ever seem to slump, just is always around 300 with moderate HR and moderate Rbi's. He is a guy who I think could take the ropes and lead this team since it seems to me that Sexson doesn’t want to, beltre is to bad too, ichiro doesn’t want to unless he is playing for Japan in the WBC. I think Raul might be a good source. I think I brought this up last year only to be shot down but after taking some time to reflect has anyone’s opinion changed?

Oh and its time to put Soriano as closer and move Eddie to set up, its not that I don’t have faith in Eddie, it is wavering a bit but soriano is so nasty its almost hard to see any other spot for him.

And lastly I dont want to jinx anythign but could alst nights series win put a spark in tehse guys for the road trip? Get ready mike they are coming your way like a runaway train.

Pounded

Seattle
Pineiro 4.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 HR
Livingston, B 1.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR
Woods 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 2 HR


Ouch.

A win. Yay.

Living on the East Coast can be difficult if you're a fan of a West Coast team. Games start at 10pm and don't end until well after midnight. It's not for lack of dedication to a team, but staying up that late every night wears on you. So, I don't do it. Usually what I do is I put on my XM headphones and fall asleep to the soothing sounds of Rick Rizzs. Most nights I'll wake up at some point, quickly check on the score, put the radio away, and check the final in the morning. Last night was no different. This time when I woke up, it was 2-2 in the 8th inning. Moments later, Raul Ibanez hit the HR to give the M's the lead. I decided I'd listen to the top of the 9th. Then Eddie came. His suckage continues. After he gave up the HR to Brian Anderson....BRIAN ANDERSON....I went to sleep. Grumpy.

But, hey the M's won! Yuni! Of course, it would have been nice to have taken it in the 9th so Putz and Mateo wouldn't have had to get work. But, whatever.

A couple of things....

USS Mariner points out that the M's struggles can be summed up in one word: IchiBeltrxson. There've been some trade rumors too. I'd love to say trade Eddie now, but what value are you going to get for him at this point? He was throwing the hardest he has all year last night, so maybe that's a good thing. If he can get in a few good outings, his trade value will increase. But, it could also get worse and he might become untradable.

OK Mariners. Please win more than one in a row. I'd like to see a team that's playing well come to Baltimore this weekend.

whats up with eddie

When have you ever seen Eddie walk 4 hitters in one inning? When have you seen him walk in the go ahead run? Something is up with him. After the game Eddie said he didn’t know what was going on. He feels good and his pitches are not terrible. He just isn’t the Eddie from before so far this year. This was a big one two, thats two blown opportunities, I realize last night was not a save situation, in less than a week.
Is it time to start the conversation of moving Eddie to set up and soriano or putz to closer? I keep telling myself its only week 3, but from the looks of things 85-90 wins is going to win the west and dammit I think this team can win 80 plus so every game counts!! Discuss............

Comeback Win....Special Guest Writers Neddy Ballgame and Maaaah

Yes, boys and girls, there is life in these Mariners...maaaah! and I were there last night---with a few (very few) thousand of our closest friends---many of those few bailed out well before the fireworks in the bottom of the ninth...and what a ninth it was...but before we got there it was looking like another painful evening at our favorite outdoor restaurant(guy behind us was screaning at Grover for letting Blalock hit with first base open and of course old Hank gets a base knock and then Julio strikes out the next batter!))....

Millwood was on (44 pitches through 4 innings) and Jamie was getting out of jam after jam but a couple of things saved our heart--Ichiro broke through the Mendoza line with a 4 for 4 night (Everett broke through the night before) and Adrian got his first extra base hit and RBI (that caused a sensation in our area ..high fives all around)...our boys kept chipping away and JJ Putz did not give up the extra run looming on third base ( his breaking stuff looked quite good and he wasn't afraid to go to it )..

Then to the 9th(maaaah! made me turn my hat into a Rally CAp --and it worked !!)--I went ballistic when Frankie Cordero hit Ichiro then our man Jose ( he is exceeding all expectation so far in the 2 slot)..thought Raul's high sac fly could have made it out (wishful thinking since it was about 5 feet short of wall) then Ritchie came through to tie it (got to see Matt Lawton as pinch runner) and Jo Mama kept it going --we now have only one out and Buckie boy in the Rangers dugout is gettting nervous so he finally pulls his ace freakin' closer for a leftie who has pitched a total of 1/3 inning to turn my boy ( yes ,I know I was the biggest detractor of this Bavasi signing !) Carl Everett around ( high percentage play since he was hitting even lower righty than lefty ) aad then "Good Bye Baseball" as he walks off and hits the KOMO 1000 sign with a rocket that you knew was gone the second it left the bat -

The Safe goes nuts --almost like a plyoff win--strangers high-fivin', I've lost my voice..what a difference 2 days makes--losing by a walk off on Monday then turning it around last night ...what a great win ..everyone smiling and laughing even the security guy broke out into a smile.

And here is maaah's take:

Is there anything greater than baseball? Until the last 5 seconds of last night's game I thought the most entertaining/memorable thing was going to be the 4 yokels in front of us or maybe mr. baseball encyclopedia behind us catching the fly ball. But in the bottom of the ninth I was reminded of the moments leading to Griffey's rounding the bases in '95. For the 2 thousand of us left watching...cheering our hearts out, Carl the dino didn't disappoint. You would have thought we'd won the world series. That's just how starved we poor Mariners fans are for a winning season...heck...just a win! There is for sure something different in this team from the last 2 years. The one thing that makes a game or a season worth participating in...players with heart. Is there anything greater than baseball?

King less Kingly again

Felix, lets go bud!! You’re better than this. You look at his line and its not terrible but he is leaving pitches out over the plate and they are getting CRUSHED!! Chalk it up to being young and what not but the king has struggled. I think he will get it together and hopefully soon.

There isn’t much to say about last night to be honest it was a game lacking intrigue which is interesting to say since Felix was on the mound and I always was interested to see those games.

Something I want to address is Sexson strike out totals. He seems to be doing it more and more of late. Now I know we were aware of this prior to the signing but over the past few games it just seems like he is doing it alot. A couple games in Boston come to mind where he struck out with less than 2 outs and a runner on third. I am not sure what can even be done to remedy this I just would like to see him put the ball in play more often and get out that way rather than Strike out. Maybe its lofty thinking.

Grover Grover Grover. I know people will tell me its early, and mike would suggest that Managers have little to do with the team in actuality. I personally think its time for him to go. I realize they are not going to cut him loose mid year but at the end I think this is Grover’s last ride or at least I hope it is.

This is a pointless post due to just the lameness of the game last night! Hopefully today will bring something more to the table.

6-8, that's fine

Because of the wonders of XM Radio, I was able to listen to the game this morning as we drove back to Baltimore from Ohio. I screamed at the top of my lungs when Mark Loretta hit the walk-off HR off Eddie G. I was so mad. How great would it have been to split the series in Boston? We'd be 7-7 after a brutal schedule over the first two weeks. But, I didn't stay mad for long. Why? Because I think there's a lot to still be excited about.

For starters, 6-8 against LA, Oakland, Cleveland, and Boston isn't all that bad. The M's took two of those series. Even if the Angels beat the Oreos tonight, they'll only have a 1.5 game lead for first place. No one is running away with the divison. And take a look at who each of of AL West bretheren have played:

Angels (6-6): @ Mariners, Yankees, Rangers, @ Orioles
A's (6-7):Yankees, @ Mariners, @ Twins, Rangers
Rangers (5-8): Red Sox, Tigers, @ Angels, @ A's

The M's? Angels, A's, @ Indians, @ Red Sox. I think it's fair to say we've had the toughest schedule.

The Red Sox series could be a great experience for down the road. Even though they lost 3 of 4, they played TOUGH against one of the best teams in baseball, in one of the most hostile environments, with their top two pitchers throwing. Manny and Ortiz were shut down until today. There is no way the teams of the last two years could have done that.

OK I know this post is sort of turning into a rant, but whatever.

My biggest concern at this point is the rotation. The only one of the starters that can truly dominate is Felix, and even he is going to be shut down after a certain number of pitches and innings. So that means we should only expect to get 5-7 IP a night from whoever takes the hill. This means the bullpen is going to get a lot of work. The bright side is that the bullpen is looking like an absolute strength. Sherrill, Putz (Michigan grad-gotta give credit when he's doing well), and Soriano are just plain filthy. Woods and Mateo are decent enough. I'm not ready to give up on Eddie, but so far he's been the shakiest. My concern is they're going to wear down. We'll have to keep an eye on that. I wonder if we'll see Foppert, Harris, or even Blackley or Nageotte getting some apperances down the road.

Switching gears. Again. Now, I'm of the mind that managers don't really make that much of a difference in baseball. I think for the most part, it's all about who's on the field. But, Hargrove made a decision that really confused me today. It was a 5-5 game in the top of the 9th and Keith Foulke was pitching. Beltre was on first with on out. I thought for sure we'd see Reed, Petagine, or Lawton pinch hit. But no. Willie Bloomquist stayed in to bat. I couldn't believe it. I really can't understand the logic there. Betancourt was coming up next, and he was ultimately pinch hit for. But, why did Hargrove do it that way? Clearly you have to leave at least one of Bloomquist or Betancourt in to play short in the bottom of the ninth. Betancourt's better defensively, and pretty comparable offensively. Why not bring in a better hitter with less outs so he can get the big hit? Beltre was on first and isn't scoring unless someone hits a HR or a deep double. Reed, Petagine, and Lawton are all much more capable of doing that than Bloomquist. You risk him hitting into a double play, or not advancing Beltre. Plus, all those pinch hitters are lefties. I really am having a hard time writing coherently about it, so I'll just hope you all get what I'm saying. Lucky for Hargrove, Wee Willie got a hit. Then Petagine knocked in Beltre so it all worked out. But, still. Am I crazy to question that decision from Hargrove? When it happened, I was thinking that when I made the post there would be swearing involved. So I'm proud of myself for that. I guess this is why Petagine or Lawton might be traded. The M's need another infielder on the bench. If they had that, then both Bloomquist and Betancourt could have been pinch hit for. I know a lot of people don't like Hargrove (and I'm not a fan), and there's been some fire Hargrove talk in the blogosphere, but I don't really see the point of doing that right now. They're playing pretty well (maybe despite the manager but whatever), and I don't know if it would really do a lot of good for the team. I'd like to hear people's thoughts on that.

Felix tomorrow! Two very winnable series against the Rangers and Tigers this week.

Back to .500 and my first Sportscenter appearance

When I found out that the M's would be in Cleveland while I was on my Easter break visiting Ohio with my wife, I was excited. When I found out that Felix would be pitching at the game I was going to, I was even more excited. When Felix looked like crap, the M's were down 4-0, Indians fans were going nuts for Travis "Pronk" Hafner, and drums were being beaten, I wanted to stop being a baseball fan.

But then my wife and I said it: "You know where he keeps that power right? Mmmmm hmmm. In his back pocket." Ichiro goes yard. 4-3. The Tribe adds another run to make it 5-3. But it was in the top of the 6th that my life changed for....a day or two.

When Jose Lopez ripped that home run, it was coming straight at me. And fast. In my mind I'm thinking, "Yes. Good. But....oh....oh my God it's coming right at me. I really wish I had my glove." I made a lame jump for it, but luckily it was too far over my head and the kid behind me (who did bring his glove) caught it. I've never been so glad to not catch a home run ball. There's no way I would have caught that ball, and I would have looked like an ass in front of all those Cleveland fans. Which would have been especially bad since it was college night at Jacobs Field and there had already been fights and other nonsense between Mariners and Indians fans.

A few minutes ago I turned on ESPN, and when the game highlights came on, I saw my lanky self on TV! Tee Vee!!! Couple this with the fact that Moira linked us this week on her P-I blog and I feel like a Z-list celebrity.

But, back to the game. What a great win. Really. How great was George Sherrill when he mowed down Hafner and Broussard in the 7th? And Putz too!

So, I had this great idea for the blog that was shot down by both my wife and Travis, but I'm going to tell the Magic faithful about it anyway. I thought it would be fun to give a game ball out to the player or players who we felt like were the most important to the M's that night. I thought we could take it a step further and, staying with the magic motif, give out a game wand! It was called "chincy", "over-commercialized", "corny", "hokey", and a littany of other unpleasant adjectives. Fine then. So, without further ado, tonight's game ball/wand goes to George Sherrill. I think you'd have to actually be at an Indians game to understand how just annoying their love of Travis Hafner really is, so you may not have gotten quite the devilish pleasure that I did at seeing "Pronk" get mowed down. Regardless, it was freakin sweet.

Boston's next. This first 2 weeks for the M's is absolutely brutal. Two series wins so far which I'm very happy with.

The question is-how good can this team be?

The streak ends and The M's look to win their Second Series

After all the bad from that A's Series our boys are poised to win their second series! 2 of the first 3 series would be an excellent start to the young season. A few things to note from last nights game. I missed the early portion due to a doctor’s appointment, and basically tuned in to find our boy Gilbert struggling as usual. 49 pitches were thrown in the 1st two innings. That my friends are more than Florida marlin Serigo Mitre threw in 5. Who is Mitre? Unless you’re me you probably don't care lol.

The point being Gil is no better in the early part of the season than he was all of the past two. I don't want to jump off his wagon to early but how long are we going to go with this guy in a starting roll. Rolls like what Ryan Franklin had when he was good think 2001.
The offense woke up which was great to see, well all but Beltre who did single and steal a bag but 1 for whatever is not something I want from one of my franchise players.

My favorite thing of last night was when the Indians walked Raul to get to Sexson with the bases loaded. Richie wasted no time in reacting. The first pitch to him was absolutely crushed to deep left field. Raul has been walked to face Richie twice now and in both cases Richie has homered. Are teams gonna learn that walking Raul to get to Richie pisses richie off??
I am a bit concerned with Eddie, he looked rusty again. Let’s hope that it is just early season rust and that he can get into form here.

One last thing to bring up is how big a stud Kenji is. Not only is he hitting and playing defense well, he is so Clutch!! That double had me jumping out of my chair, I thought it was gone. A scaring moment in the 8th I think it was where Kenji on his throw back to the mound hit is hand on the bat of an Indians batter, I forget who was at the plate. Luckily it didn’t look serious and he remained in the game. The last thing he needs is a injury to spoil his fire!!
Tonight is the King as they go for the series win!

Oh and props to Ichiro for breaking outta his "Slump". And of course Raul needs some love for his 4-4 4rbi night. He is Mr. consistency!

Travis Hafner = Seattle Mariners

Lovely quote from The Seattle Times this morning:

Two strikes later, Travis Hafner hit his fifth homer of the season, which tied the Mariners' team total until Jose Lopez smacked a two-run shot an inning later.

This whole sucking thing is getting old.

Start hoping for the Wild Card

Prisoners at Guantanimo Bay can consider themselves lucky. At least they weren't Mariners fans this weekend. 27 innings without a run. 27. As a team. And the first one came how? On a bases loaded hit by pitch. That was brutal.

It's pretty clear that the A's are the class of the AL West. They made the Mariners look silly in every possible way. And let's be honest, the A's were just toying with us when they allowed the M's to get back in the game yesterday. The M's played the Angels tough, but the A's were just on another level. Remember in 1995 when the M's started to get hot but were still 12 back of the Angels? Remember how Jay Buhner said "forget the Wild Card, we want the division" (and then punched someone in the arm)? Mmmmm, not so much in 2006. I say our best hope is the Wild Card. It's fitting that the Indians and Red Sox, two playoff/Wild Card contenders are next on the schedule. Could be an interesting week. Next Monday it may be time to start hoping for .500, or start hoping for a good trade, or start hoping that it's August and there are good football teams to follow.

By the way, I'll be at the game in Cleveland on Thursday. Everybody sing along (to the tune that Wayne and Garth sang "We got five thousand dollars!" in Wayne's World)....I get to go see Felix! I get to go see Felix!

The other day, Travis and I talked about whether or not it was premature to call Beltre a bust. We sort of came to the conclusion that it probably was. But, the grumblings have started. Ted Miller at the P-I says he's "on the brink" of being called a complete bust. There was some discussion at Lookout Landing as well. I've only been listening to the games, but he's striking out, grounding out, popping out, not hitting good pitches, all of the same crap he did last year. But, it's early. Let's give it some time and we'll leave it at that.

Bad Game

Last night's game was a punch to the collective guts of the Mariner Nation. Everything was going so well. Our best pitcher was going and it looked like we were going to make it 4 in a row. But, no. Felix was rusty, the bats were non-existent, and the pitchers walked 11 A's. I would have much rather had this game happen for Meche's start. At least then we would have been expecting to lose anyway.

2 hits? 2. Off Joe Blanton and Justin Dooocheererer. I was thinking that Blanton had done this before, and he did dominate the Mariners last June 29th. But not nearly at the same level as last night.

You know what? There's no point in writing anything else about that game.

This is the beauty of baseball. We've got another one tonight. Moyer vs. Zito. Go M's!

Fairly vs. Rizzs....Round 1 to Rick

Did anyone else hear this exchange on the radio broadcast last night? This isn't verbatim, but I thought it was hilarious.

Scene: SafeCo Field press booth. 2nd inning, 1 out. Jeremy Reed on 3rd. Betancourt at the plate

Fairly: Jeff Pentland has been work with Betancourt on going the other way.This would be a good spot for Yuniesky to do that. He's got a better chance of lifting a ball to center or right than if he tried to pull it. He's more likely to roll one over if he tries to do that.
Rizzs: (cornily-but do I even need to say that with Rizzs?) What about a good old squeeze play? (uncomfortable laugh like he's kidding when he'd actually crap his pants if it really happened).
Fairly: (irritated) It's too early for that. Too early. He should try to lift a ball and get Reed in.
Rizzs: (again with the strange laugh) Well Red the only reason I say it is because third base coach Carlos Garcia just whispered into Jeremy Reed's ear.
Fairly: (sharply) Well, that's a decoy. That's so in case this situation comes up again in the ninth they can do the same thing and the A's won't be expecting it.
Rizzs: (still laughing-you can tell he's dying for the squeeze) Well.... (with unbridled fervor and emotion) ASJSFJ AND THE SQUEEZE IS ON OH MY GOODNESS BUT HE FOULS IT OFF!!!
Fairly: ......

You know Rizzs wanted to rub Fairly's face in that.

Gilbert and Jurassic Carl

Don’t look now but the Mariners are 3-1 and in sole position of 1st place in the AL West. That’s right folks so far the hot start that we all had been clamoring for is currently underway. Last night it was more of the same from the prior two wins. Our Offense scores early and give our pitching staff room to work and actually kind of takes some pressure off.

I was unable to catch anything other than the 9th inning yesterday (due to some Russian Vampire movie (Nightwatch) I went to see, very unique I must say) so most of my account comes from papers and a bit of sports center.

From what I read Meche gave up a solo run in the first on a substantial amount of pitches something like 30. Not a great start but he came back to a better balance later. The mariners came back in the second and put up a 3 spot highlighted by a Jurassic Blast to right. I am going to call every vital Carl Everett HR a Jurassic Blast. I think that is awesome!! But ya he turned on that pitch.

Reed followed up with a gap triple. You know that is the type of hitter I want reed to be. A guy with moderate gap power who can leg out double s and in this case triples. He later would score as well. Something to note, as the Seattle times did, Grover put the Squeeze on only to have Betencourt foul it back.

But the point is they are truly more aggressive this year on the base path and I for one am very happy with that. You don’t just see that in this play but the other night richie tried to stretch a double outta a single, and ibanez advancing to second on his rbi Single when the throw went home. Things of this nature are good to see in this club.

Meche continue into the 6th inning making the Mariners starting rotation 4 for 4 in 60 inning starts. I called into KJR yesterday as Softy had an open segment and I wanted to talk M's. I brought two things tot the table. A.) Kenji is a complete stud so far AND B.) if the rotation is going to give us 6-7 innings a start and 2-3 runs. Man this team is going to be good!!

Wow what a great time it is in mariner land. Let’s keep it going. The king goes tonight!! Could we be looking at a 4-1 start????

New links

Just a couple of changes/additions to the "Baseball Sites" on the right. First, Mariner Housewife has gone big time and is on the P-I's site now. Congrats to Moira. Also, I finally got around to putting up a link to Marinerds. I really like Deanna's perspective and she brings some great knowledge about Japanese baseball to the table. Keep up the good work ladies!


2-1!

Game 3: Washburn Goes 7

Ladies and Gentlemen the mariners win the series!! Well the opening series that is but this was no joke. They took 2 of 3 from the vaunted LA Angels of Anaheim. This was the team that won the west last year. How did a 90-loss team pull this off? Pitching defense and a vastly improved offensive unit. In the series each Start pitched into the 7th inning, most recently Washburn who completed the 7th. Washburn Struck out the last man he faced with a battle cry as he left the mound. It was good to see some fire out there!

Again Mr. Lopez was a hitting start, he may really be coming into his own here folks. If he could put up Ronnie Belliard numbers I would consider him heaven sent! Last night Mr. Lopez went 3 for 5 with a RBI and a run scored. In his AB in the 7th, while he didn’t get a hit, he did hit a slow grounder to second that advanced Ichiro to second and scoring position. What happened next was a Raul single scoring Ichiro in what was a vital run. So far this year Lopez is hitting a cool .462. While this of course has to balance out I'm fired up for this kid.

Big richie doubled in 2 more runs and seems like he hasn't lost a step from last year. What a tremendous signing he has turned out to be. Sexson along with Kenji, I am just in love with Kenji, he is a general out there. I have to wonder how many games a week he is going to be behind the plate is all. Hopefully he will get a few days off from that, but keep the bat in the lineup.

Congratulations go out to Mr. George Sherrill in obtaining his first career Major League Save. It wasn't picture perfect but it was a save none the less.

Overall though yesterday's game was a solid performance. They have another tough test coming today in the form of Oakland. Many have picked the A's to win the West this year, and that just turns my stomach, I hate the A's. Last year I would have gone into this series thinking if we can get one................But as Hendu said on the broadcast yesterday "Come out and support these guys are on fire" Its 3 games hendu but I love the enthusiasm!!!

Win #1. Hopefully the first of many

I'm glad I went to bed when I did last night. I listened to the first few innings of last night's 10-8 win and checked out when it was 6-0. I figured if they were going to lose I didn't want to hear it anyway. But...holy Johjima!! And that bottom of the order produced a 5-run second. Looking good 7-9! (I'll refrain from mentioning our third baseman's performance at the plate.) Like Moyer the night before, Joel pitched decent enough I suppose. 97 pitches through 6 1/3 isn't too bad. I'm sure Lookout Landing or USSMariner will have a post about how he was really a lot worse than it seemed. Putz and Guardado sucked but right now let's take the win. And for the Mariners, they better hope it's the first of many. Here's why....

Thanks to USSMariner, we know that only 20,051 showed up for the game last night. The worst second-game attendance since Safeco opened. And that was following the worst opening night since 1995. I admit I've been impressed that the Mariners have been able to keep high attendance over the last two years. Seattle fans don't get much more fairweather (notice all the Seahawk fans coming out of the woodwork), and two 90-loss seasons are hard to deal with. But it looks like they've had enough. The dancing groundskeepers and Zombie Nation aren't going to keep those turnstiles....uh...turning (can't think of a better verb). The only way to get the Safe hoppin' again is to win some ballgames. I think this team can do that. I like Washburn against his old mates today.

.500! Woo!

Opening Day Blues

0-1. Boo. I listened on my XM (best invention ever) today. That was tough loss (let's make it clear JJ Putz went to Michigan), but I'll take a few positives:

-Johjima's HR. Freaking sweet.
-The bottom part of the order. This is a much better lineup top to bottom than the last two years.
-Soriano throwing 96. (Organ music, angels singing, etc.)
-Petagine! There's your left-handed sock Bavasi. Huge addition to have that pop off the bench.
-Moyer pitched decent enough.
-Fairly said something truly hilarious. After Petagine's HR, Niehaus said the last pinch-hit homer for the M's was by Scott Spiezio against Toronto last year. Fairly says, "I think that was his only hit of the year right?". I LOLed.


Remember 2004? When the Angels came to Safeco and whipped the M's around? Not quite this time. This is a solid ballclub folks. Good lineup, solid bullpen (despite JJ Putz-Michigan grad) Of course, Piniero, Washburn, and Meche are throwing for the next three days so I may be singing a different tune come Thursday.

Here's the recap.

Pinero for Wilson --> Rumors and Speculation

Over the past few days there has been some reports that a trade was looming in the form of Joel Pinero for Craig A Wilson of the pirates. I have read some reports on this and it is my personal belief that this is just in fact a rumor and is not something the mariners are interested in. Or so I hope and pray. Seriously what sense does this make for the Mariners. I can understand the pirate’s interest in Joel the pirates need pitching, but what role does Wilson play on the mariners? OF? Nah the only place to put him would be in place of Raul, and is he any better than Raul? No way. Well he can also play 1st............... but we have 55 million tied up there. Well a few years back Wilson was a catcher........Well we just invested some nice money into a catch and our future catcher is only a few years out. So are the Mariners thinking of trading there #2 starter for a bench guy? The trade just doesn’t make any sense to me so I am glad this is just a rumor lets hope and pray it stays that way.

This is why it's fun

As much respect as I have for the analysis and conversation in the M's blogosphere, at time it's hard to ignore a level of cynicism that overshadows the pure fun of following a baseball team. The "fluff" articles of the spring are ribbed (and often deservedly so), and eyes are rolled at grit, hustle, and other "intangibles" that baseball people are enamored with. See: Willie Bloomquist. Loved by managers, ripped by statheads. Does that make statheads wrong for pointing out the obvious that Willie Bloomquist has no business being an everyday player? Absolutely not. And it's good to have that kind of conversation. But, there are times to just sit back and enjoy it all. Now is one of those times.

Which is why I've really enjoyed reading The P-I's season preview. Take a look at it. All of it. Get excited about the 19-year phenom that's going to win 20 this year, the double play combo that's this generation's Vizquel-Alomar, the Japanese catcher that's going to solidify a position that has been a black hole for two years, the big-name sluggers that are going to bring back memories of the homer-happy teams of the 90s. This is when we're supposed to hope for a pennant race, not an 80-win season. So do that! Enjoy it. It's baseball. It's back. And the M's are going to win the World Series!!!!!!!!!

5 days to Opening Day

Or 4 if you don't count today and Monday. Or even 6 if you do count today and Monday. OK, 4 to 6 days until Opening Day. And the stories are....not interesting. The lead story on the M's site? The battle for the backup catcher.

Arizona was a great time. Joe Borchard's 460-foot HR was definitely the highlight of the game we went to. As far as the fantasy draft? I dominated and Travis took Garrett Anderson way too early.

Watch out Peoria

Felix before he hit the bigs last year.

Big Daddy, Mike L and Magic faithful Chris are coming to town. We'll be at the game against the A's on Saturday. So if anyone is there, look on the lawn for lanky guys in the Griffey (me) and Charles Gipson (Chris) jerseys, Big Daddy rockin' the baby blue Buhner. We're heading down to take in a game and have our fantasy baseball draft. I'm all over Betancourt in Round 1!

Hmmmmm.....

In the P-I today, Betancourt is being looked at to hit second. Strange. Let's put a free-swinging, low-OBP, light hitting guy right up at the top of the order. But, it gets better:

Willie Bloomquist, who batted second Wednesday night against Kansas City in Surprise, Ariz., might be the man -- if he winds up as the starting second baseman.

The fact that Bloomquist is even being considered for either of those spots (batting second and playing second) is alarming. I think Willie Ballgame is a good guy to have come off the bench with his defensive versatility and good baserunning skills. But, take a look at his numbers while batting 2nd from last year. (You have to scroll down a bit, but in 118 ABs he hit .264/.280/.364 with 20 strikeouts and 3 walks. By the way, who knew Willie went to ASU?) I had forgotten how often Hargrove had put Bloomquist in the 2 hole. That's where he had the bulk of his ABs last year. Now, take a look at Reed's numbers. Hitting second he was .226/.310/.310 with 23 strikeouts and 19 walks in 155 ABs. Not very good, but that OBP and walk rate is more of what you'd like to see out of your #2 hitter. (Interestingly enough, Reed seemed to have the most success hitting 6th last year.) Plus, Reed is a lefty, is younger, and is basically a better hitter. 2005 was his first full year in the bigs, so I think it's fair to say he should improve.

The Betancourt idea is odd, but the Bloomquist idea makes even less sense. Is Lopez really that lazy? Is Hargrove really that obsessed with Willie? I'm not a Bloomquist hater, but come on.

Ugh.

The new Ichiro

Jeff Passan did a nice piece on Ichiro's rebirth over on Yahoooooo! I like to see Ichiro getting fired up. Even in 2004 when he had all those hits, I never got the sense that he was having a lot of fun. In fact, it seems like ever since Cameron left, he hasn't quite been as happy. I'm not sure what that scream Passan is referring to was, so if anyone saw it fill us in. After Ichiro's comments this off-season about things like playing cards in the clubhouse, it's nice to see him loosen up a little bit. Part of what makes Ichiro great is his work ethic and focus, but for those that are a fan of fire and passion (and I'm not talking about romance novels), this is a side of Ichiro you'll be happy to see in 2006.

So the WBC may give us a confident Beltre and a passionate Ichiro. I'll take that.


Edit: Jim Caple also noticed Ichiro's newfound emotions.

Matt "I can't Find the Plate" Thorton is gone

After giving up the cycle, in his most recent spring training game, the Mariners have traded Matt Thorton to the Chicago White Soxs for OF Joe Borchard. This by all accounts is a really good move. If memory serves Joe Borchard was a much-talked about part of the Freddie Garcia trade a few years back. At the time the white sox's did not want to part with Borchard, largely in part to where they took him in the draft, the 1st round, and for his 5.5 million dollar signing bonus. He apparently hasn’t panned out they way they would have liked, however many feel there is some potential there. I personally feel anything you could get for Thorton is a positive so I am willing to take a gamble on Mr. Borchard.
This also frees up some room in the bullpen for guys like Foppert and Sherill who in my estimation are vastly superior pitchers. Cheers to the M's for pulling the trigger. The ussmariner has an excellent take on this trade found HERE

My Thoughts on Jesse Foppert

From the looks of it, and mind you it is still really early, but it seems like Jesse Foppert might be the real deal. Yes he was highly touted and yes he ahs had a little major league experience. That being said he is still young and a lot of times these guys who have Tommy john not only return and still be able to pitch, but they return and are better than before. It’s like what Eddie Johnson, former sonic great, said in a recent interview: "Surgery doesn’t just fix things it makes them better!" I think this could be the case with Foppert. He has looked very good this spring. Posting the following numbers through, mind you, 3 games. He has started all 3 games going a total of 7 innings. In that time he has allowed 2 hits and 1 earned run. He struck out 3 however he has walked 6. Those numbers are solid though.

Now here are the scenario’s I see for Foppert over this season. The mariners basically can go two routes. I think they would like to keep him a starter and as it stands now there is no room for him in the rotation. S if they want to start him then obviously he will go to Tacoma and start there. That does not mean of course that he will be there all year but it is a good spot for him. Plus being so close it is a quick call for him to come up for a spot start at home here and there.

Ok say he remains this good all spring and the mariners decide he is too good to keep off the roster. Well in this case it seems to me that he would fill the Ryan Franklin mold of 2001. He would be our long guy out of the pen. I know how valuable that is for a team But I would rather that go to a older guy who is serviceable and let Foppert continue to get stronger and mature in AAA.

I also see that Third scenario which I like but I am almost 99.9% convinced that the mariners would never do it. That is make Jamie Moyer a at home starter where he, lets face it, is near Cy Young Caliber, and let Foppert take Jamie’s starts on the road. TO keep both guys in shape they can throw simulated sessions on their prospective start days if they are missing one or two. In Fopperts case whose to say when your home for a long home stand you don’t send him down for a couple starts at triple AAA just to keep his arm alive. I really like this scenario as I see it not only taking home pressure away from Foppert, but it benefits the team in letting him get some serious Big league experience while only improving your pitching staff at the same time. Jamie is a pitcher that I love in spacious ballparks. But when the mariners take that first flight down to Texas……that will scare me.

Perhaps if Mike and I see Mr. Bavasi this year at Spring training I’ll present this idea to him or at least maybe try to get some insight as to why this would or wouldn’t work for them.

Lee Seung-Yeop

If you've pay paying attention to the WBC, you'll notice that Korea is going nuclear (I couldn't resist) on their opponents. Dontrelle Willis sucked again yesterday when the U.S. got beat down yesterday. The star for Korea has been Seung-yeop Lee who has 5 homers in the tournament right now. So would he be a good fit for the M's?

In 2003, Mike Thompson thought so at the old P-I blog. That year, Lee visited the M's, Dodgers, and Angels. He set the Asian single-season home run record with 56 in 2003, and signed with the Chibe Lotte Marines in Japan without an offer from an American club. Right now, he plays for the Yomiuri Giants and could sign with an MLB team as a free agent for 2007.

But, I looked up his numbers. They're not spectacular. He's got some serious pop, that AVG and OBP are pretty weak. Apparantly he was available this year too, but the Giants swooped in. Here's my question, and I know I don't know enough about Lee or the situation, but wouldn't he have made a little more sense than Carl Everett? He would have come much cheaper, he's younger, might like dinosaurs, and it's always cool to bring in foreign stars.

Just thinking out loud here.

Tuesday.....

Beltre's belt is back. Moohaha. I would love to write headlines for a living. I'm very excited about what Beltre has been doing in the WBC. He's been smacking the crap out of pitchers from Carlos Zambrano, Javier Vazquez, and Jorge Julio. But, Beltre himself made a good point in the article in that a big reason he's getting some good pitches to hit is because of the guys around him. Regardless, he's taking advantage of it and I like to see that. Jeff Pentland was pretty convinced a lot of Beltre's problem last year was mental. This is good stuff. Very good stuff.

Speaking of someone with mental "issues", Meche is throwing his two-seamer and keeping Ron Fairly happy by keeping the ball down. Hmmph. Woopie.

Foppert's on the hill today.

Griff

I don't care what people say about Ken Griffey, Jr. I understand why some people are bitter about him. I understand why a lot of people think trading him away was the best move Pat Gillick made as GM. I understand why people don't want him back. But, George made the Mariners relevant, and was my first baseball hero. For that, I will always be happy to see him be successful. So, yesterday when he hit 2 home runs in a meaningless game, I got excited. We love you Junior.

That's it yo.

Worst.....columnist.....ever

How is Steve Kelley still employed? I've been reading this guy's work since I was about 10, and even then I understood that most of what he said had zero substance to it. He really drove that point home today with his column on Jarrod Washburn. So you don't have to suffer throught the whole thing, I'll let you know now that it was about.....it's coming.....no not yet.....it's too exciting.....how Washburn isn't afraid to speak his mind.

The highlights? Kelley sets several records for cliche use with these zingers:

On the field and in the clubhouse, the Angels do things the right way, and every player expects every teammate to play to these high standards.

Jarrod Washburn learned how the game was supposed to be played

This staff is looking for leadership.

Washburn comes from a place that knows how to win. And it's his job to pass it on.

Washburn uses many words to say nothing:

"They knew how to put a fire under you and teach you the way the game's supposed to be played. It's a great benefit to have guys like that on a team."


Oh, and the best part? Kelley uses the word bequeathed.


Blaggity blah blah blah. This isn't the first time Kelley has annoyed Mariner Magic. Remember when Travis ranted about his Ryan Franklin column?

Good and bad

Yesterday was a mixed bag of news for M's fans. So, do you want the good news first or the bad news? Personally, I'm a bad news first guy. Give it to me, I'll deal with it, then let's end on a positive note. So...

The bad news: Felix was flummoxed. Hehe. That made me giggle. Four hits, three runs, and two strikeouts in two innings. Not to worry though. Pitcher are getting pounded (more alliteration for you) all over spring training. Just ask the Nationals and Marlins. Felix will be fine. Help me out English majors, is that alliteration or consonance?

Now, the good news. Beltre went yard...twice! His second one went off the scoreboard in RIGHT-CENTER. Okay, I can't let myself get too excited yet. But that was really good to see.

Oh-and Jeff Clement homered off Derrick Turnbow. Sweet.

Kirbeeeeee Puckett

Hopefully Mariner Magic faithful Chris will stop by the blog today. Kirby Puckett was his favorite player growing up (he wrote a great argument in 1988 as to why he deserved the MVP over Jose Canseco). Regardless, Chris (and anyone else) this is your forum to talk about Kirby.

Groverisms.....

As I've read through the articles this spring, I've notice that Mike Hargrove says some weird things...

On Jeff Clement:

"Clement can swing the bat. Give me an easy chair and a glass of tea, and I can watch him hit all day long." What?

On Felix striking out the side yesterday:

"Three strikeouts. I don't know if he could do any better than that." Is he getting his material from Ron Fairly?

I don't know, this is strange. It's like he's trying to portray a manager in a movie.

Game 1 M's 2 Padres 2

Aaaaaaaaah yes. The M's played some ball today. Check it out.

My favorites:

Yuniesky Betancourt stroked a two-run single against Padres ace Jake Peavy.
Felix Hernandez struck out the side to open the game, getting Brian Giles looking.

Felix you are a delight.

WBC

Bud Selig's grand experiment starts tomorrow. Whether it will be as successful as Joe Paterno's remains to be seen, but I'm excited about the World Baseball Classic. For those of you unfamiliar with the format:
-It starts with four pools with 4 teams that each play each once.
-The top 2 from each pool advances to round 2 in which the teams from 2 of the pools are matched up.
-Two teams from each of those pools meet in the semifinals (which are single elimination and could be the most exciting part of the tournament)
-The winners of the semifinals advance to the championship.

Here is the full schedule.

Now, who's going to win? There are all sorts rules regarding pitch counts so it's hard to say. The USA looks to have the best bullpen and overall pitching depth. The Dominican Republic will have a nasty lineup even without Vladimir Guerrero. If I were to pick a team in a seven game series? I'd go with Venezuela. Look at that rotation. Johan Santana and Carlos Zambrano would get to pitch twice, plus you've got Freddy Garcia. Support that with a lineup that includes Bobby Abreu and Miguel Cabrera, and I think they'd be tough to beat. Japan could be a tough out with some of their quirky pitchers and their off-speed madness. (Note: those rosters are provisional and haven't been updated at the time of this post.

I'd pick the USA, but A-Rod is playing for us and we all know he's been cursed since he left the M's. So...I'll go with Canada. Jason Bay's an absolute stud, and our neighbors to the north could use a lift after their poor hockey showing the in the Winter Olympics.

The best sports month

March is here, and I couldn't be happier. For starters, January and February have been annoyingly cold in Baltimore. I like cold weather, but I like when it's accompanied by snow as opposed to the wind that almost knocks my lanky butt (it's Ash Wednesday so I won't use the other word) over. I also add another year to my life this Saturday. 26! Woot. But, I'm really excited about March because I think it's the best month for sports. You've got Spring Traning and the hope, beer, and sun that comes with it. But you also have March Madness, aka the best postseason tournament around. I think September (pennant races and the start of college football) and October (playoff baseball and college football kicking into high gear) are close, but March is the best.


So how does Scott Hanson of the Seattle Times start this wonderful month? By jinxing Richie Sexson. Thanks a lot Scott. Now why don't you go ahead and write an article annointing (yes I know I spelled that wrong) Felix as the savior of the franchise?

Also, if you get a chance check out this post over on Lookout Landing. It's a very interesting look at the many young Mariners pitchers that have had injury problems.

Busy Day

Lots to report from the M's intrasquad game yesterday. You can read anything from Kevin Appier's rough day to....okay there's really nothing going on. Although, I guess it's neat that Johjima's "catching" on quickly. Tee hee hee.

C level and....back it up you got it dna level C

Aaaaanyway. So Big Dadddy got me to thinking with his comments on this post about building the Mariners back into contenders the way Cleveland did it. To quote the Large Father:

"This team needs changes and I for one am a believer in the Cleveland model of dumping all the big names in turn for prospects. Cleveland went through like 2-3 down years and then broke out with all their young guys."

I have to agree that I'd much rather be a Cleveland fan right now, with young stars like Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, and Grady Sizemore providing exciting baseball, and the team is winning again. But I thought I'd take a look at how they did it, if the Mariners are on a similar track, and see if they really are a good model to follow.

The last time the Indians were in the playoffs, they lost in 5 games to YOUR RECORD BREAKING 2001 SEATTLE MARINERS!!!! I was at the 17-2 Game 3 debacle in Cleveland. I'm pretty sure I haven't left a game that early in my life. They finished 91-71 that year, they're seventh in a row with at least 86 wins. The next four years?
2002: 74-88
2003: 68-94
2004: 80-82
2005: 93-69

I think it's fair to say they've made their way back to being at very least a contender again.

Since we're comparing the Indians and Mariners, let's say 2001 is to Cleveland as 2003 is to the Mariners (stupid verbal SAT). The M's won 93 games that year, they're fourth straight with at least 91 wins. Since then? 63-99 in 2004 and 69-93 last year. If we were to continue the parallel to Cleveland, we would want to see a near .500 record this year, and be in a pennant race in 2007. Well, what did the Indians do since 2001 to get back to where they are? Since the inspiration for this post was the dump and reload philosophy, this doesn't include such major moves as signing Todd Dunwoody on 11/2/01. Thank you retrosheet for the following information:

2001-2002 winter:

-Traded Roberto Alomar and others to the Mets for Matt Lawton, Alex Escobar, Jerrod Riggan, Earl Snyder, and Billy Traber
-Traded Dave Roberts to the Dodgers for Christian Bridenbaugh and Nial Hughes


2002 season:

-Traded Russ Branyan to the Reds for Ben Broussard
-Traded Bartolo Colon to the Expos for Lee Stevens, Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore
-Traded Chuck Finley to the Cardinals for Luis Garcia. Coco Crisp was the played to be named later
-Traded Paul Shuey to Los Angeles Dodgers for Ricardo
Rodriguez, Terry Mulholland and Francisco Cruceta
-Traded Ricardo Rincon to the A's for Marshall McDougall.

2002-2003 winter:
-Traded Einar Diaz and Ryan Drese to Texas Rangers for
Travis Hafner and Aaron Myette.
-Signed Casey Blake

Those were basically the big ones. They also let Jim Thome go in free agency.

So, that's pretty impressive. Hafner, Sizemore, Cliff Lee, and Crisp (who they just traded for Andy Marte-a very highly touted prospect) all came through those trades.

How are the Mariners different? Well, the biggest difference is that after the 2001 season, the Indians realized they needed to rebuild. The Mariners, on the other hand, kept trying to win after 2003. And they didn't feel the need to overspend so they missed out on Miguel Tejada and Vladimir Guerrero that offseason. Then they went down the crapper in 2004 and had to make desperate moves, and then overpaid for Sexson and Beltre. I haven't given up on Beltre yet, but I'd much rather have Miggy or Vlad right now.

The M's trades have gotten them Reed, Morse, Olivo, Bazardo, and Foppert. Reed could still be good, Morse is at best a decent bench player, and we'll see about Bazardo and Foppert.

The M's dug themselves a huge whole after the 2003 season, and they are now digging out of it. Based on the Cleveland model, let's hope for 80-82.

Gil, Gil, Gil. Don't you dare

Back to Gil we go. The jersey goes up for this one. Why? Cause right now I'm not happy with Meche. This is a big year for the man I cursed. As he puts it in this article on the M's official site:

"It's huge," he said. "It's the most important year of my career, so far."

Why? Also from the article:

The Mariners' perplexing right-hander qualifies for free agency at the end of the 2006 season and has the kind of stuff that could make him one of the most attractive starting pitchers on the market. Or, he could wallow in mediocrity, where he has resided much of his Major League career.

I swear, if Gil finally has a big season, and cashes in on it, I will be PISSED. A few things could happen, and here there are order from greatest to least based on potentially pissing me off:

1) Gil has the year we've been waiting for. 18 wins, 220 innings, 3.20 ERA. Something like that. He then signs a 4 year, $40 million deal with the M's and goes back to sucking.

2) Again, the big year. Except this time he signs that deal with the Yankees and earns every penny of it, turning into a perennial All-Star.

3) See situation 2, but change "Yankees" to "A's".

4) See situation 2, but change "Yankees" to "Angels".

5) You get the point.

So basically the only good thing that can come out of a career year for Gil Meche is for the light bulb to have finally come on, he re-signs with the M's, and goes on to have a great career in Seattle. Or, he could suck again and my jersey will become a novelty item.

National Perspective

While it's clearly t0o early to know what's going to happen, it seems that some national media outlets don't have high hopes for the Mariners.

Sports Illustrated likes the A's in the AL West. It will take huge years from Beltre, Sexson and Johjima to get them close to .500. Yikes.

ESPN's first power rankings have the M's at 26th. Ouch.

My biggest concern? The AL West is going to be tough. Not tuff like in The Outsiders (you know, Elvis is tuff, Mustangs are tuff), but tough like the other three teams are good and the Mariners are at best mediocre.

Not exactly a cheery outlook, but that's why they play the games right?

Rafael Chaves-Visionary?

So it seems the M's new 38-year old pitching coach has it all figured out. He'll be taking a revolutionary approach to improve the M's staff. He's going to have the pitchers....wait for it.....throw strikes. Wow. Where has this guy been?

Just kidding Rafael II. I'm excited to see what he can do. There was something from that article that bugged me though:

Former Mariners pitching coach Bryan Price also was a stickler for throwing first-pitch strikes. But when he realized late last season that the congregation wasn't listening to the preacher, he decided to turn the job over to someone else.

I don't know if I buy the whole "they stopped listening to him" thing. You don't just stop listening to a guy. Either they never listened to him, or they actually suck. Are you telling me Leo Mazzone didn't say the same things over and over in Atlanta? Seemed to work there.

Our Boy

Last summer we loved him. Then he did this. But, check out this quote from Mike Hargrove about Mike Morse from this article in the News Tribune this morning:

“And Morse is huge now after working out all winter.”

I'm not going to accuse Morse of anything, but doesn't that seem like a strange thing for a manager to say about a guy who tested postive for steroids?

It's here!!!!

Today is the day! Pitchers and catchers report. The News-Tribune has the M's recharging their batteries. The Times and P-I? No report yet. The M's site focuses on new pitching coach Rafael Chaves.

For a lot of teams, this is the best part of the baseball season. Hope is alive, dreams have yet to be shattered. Hopefully, that won't be true for the Mariners.

Most teams have a lot of questions to be answered in the spring. Position battles, roster spots, etc. Usually the less question marks you have, the better your teams chance of contending. The Mariners are a little different this year. On the one hand, they don't look like a contender. However, they don't really have a lot of questions going into the spring. Why?

1) The rotation seems to be set. Moyer, Washburn, Piniero, Meche, Felix. That is what we want to see. Unless Jesse Foppert (or "Fopp" if USSMariner has anything to say about it) is incredible, the best case scenario would be for those five to be pitching well. Gil and Joel-step it up.

2) The bullpen looks good. Guardado will close, with Putz, Soriano as the main setup guys and Mateo, Sherril, and (gulp) Thornton in the mix as well. There are a few guys who could be fighting for a spot, but the 'pen is probably the M's biggest strength.

3) Oddly, the lineup is probably set too. Maybe:
Ichiro RF
Johjima C
Beltre 3B
Sexson 1B
Ibanez LF
Everett DH
Reed CF
Lopez 2B
Betancourt SS

While that lineup certainly doesn't wake up memories of the '97 team, there aren't a lot of position battles going into the spring. Wee Willie Bloomquist may challenge Lopez to work a little harder, but, with few tweaks in the order, more than likely that is your lineup.

Having said that, there are a TON of questions going into the regular season. But we'll address those after the spring. For now, GET FIRED UP!!! BASEBALL IS BACK!!!

Who needs King Felix?

Apparantly not Venezuela. They beat La Republica Dominica to take the Caribbean Series.

This is why the World Baseball Classic could be so much cooler. Look at the excitement it brought to those countries. Imagine if they stopped the MLB in the middle of the season when all the players were at their peak condition and had the WBC then. That would be very cool.

Moving On.

Oof. I didn't think it would hurt as bad as it did to see the Seahawks lose, but damn. In my mind this post was going to say something like "The Seahawks lost. O well, we knew that was coming." But, this is painful.

By the way, tread lightly around Big Daddy today. He's a little testy.

Anyway, pitchers and catchers report in 11 days. 11! So Seattle sports fans, wallow in your sorrows for a day or two, and then let's move on to baseball.

I don't feel like writing much else. We'll get into previews, predictions, etc. soon enough, but it doesn't feel right yet.

The dedicated 5,000+

It turns out that some Seattle sports fans can actually walk and chew gum at the same time. While most fans are focusing their attention on the Seahawks (aka the team that hasn't played for a week and still isn't playing for another week), a throng of 5,000+ fans made it to Mariners FanFest this weekend.

I like this quote from that TNT article: "..most area sports fans stayed snug in their living rooms waiting for the Seahawks to shine next week on Super Bowl Sunday." Seriously, what does that even mean?

Anyway, nice work to those that showed! PostivePaul said he'd report over on
Mariner Morsels.

Yeah FanFest! I'm proud of those who went. Those who didn't, shame on you.

Meche is back

The man whose career I ruined (remember this?) avoided arbitration today. Gil Meche is back for another year at $3.7 million. I still like the idea of using him in the bullpen, but I'd assume he'll start. If so, the rotation could be:

Felix
Moyer
Washburn
Piniero
Meche

Gil is still only 27. I really don't think he's as talented as I originally thought. But, maybe he can be a reliable 4th or 5th guy for a while. Just like last year, a successful year from him and Joel could mean big things for the M's. I just wouldn't count on it.

Back to business

Yes the Seahawks stuff is cool, but this is a Mariners blog. So, a few snippets of info..

Johjima's in Seattle. He looks pretty fired up in that picture.

This is a couple days old, but Shiggy retired. He was very good for a couple years in Seattle, including an All-Star appearance in 2003, but he got old and the M's were overpaying for him. Thanks for the good times Shiggy.

From the optimism department, Beltre and Sexson are expected to produce big numbers. Yeesh. My guess? Sexson will get injured and Beltre will have a big year. I really have a bad feeling about Sexson this year, I don't know why.


Oh, and this article from USA Today. Apparantly the M's just needed some more attitude. Yep. That'll get you 20 more wins for sure. Hargrove was the guy who wanted Everett. Even more reason to dislike Hargrove, but we'll see how the season goes.

Mariners

OK I know this is probably breaking all sorts of blog rules, but I think the Seahawks deserved a post. That man is Curt Warner, my all-time favorite Seahawk. While I am a much bigger fan of the Mariners than the Seahawks, I have to admit that what's going on is a pretty special thing. Not just for the Seahawks and their fans, but for the entire city of Seattle.

Since I was a kid, Seattle has gone from cozy little lumberjack town to major international metropolis (slight exagerration but whatever, and yes I know I misspelled exaggeration so lay off chris and maah). But, as a sports town, Seattle has never been taken very seriously. This has probably been deserved, as no Seattle team has won a championship since 1979. Teams like the '94 Sonics and '01 Mariners certainly didn't do their part in helping to put Seattle on the sports map. Plus, Seattle fans have a reputation as being apathetic about sports. But this one is big. This is the Super Bowl. The most watched event in America every year. The most overhyped and absolutely American thing that exists. You want capitalism? Super Bowl. You want consumerism? Super Bowl. You want morons? SUPER BOWL. This is when we get to show the world how idiotic our society is. And Seattle is a part of it! Even with all the heartbreak that Seattle teams have brought us over the years, I really think just getting to this one is an incredible thing. Obviously I will be cheering for the Seahawks, and I may finally get that Sports Illustrated championship pack I've coveted for so long. But win or lose, the next two weeks will change Seattle's place in the sports world forever. Or at least a few months.

Go Seahawks. I really wish they'd go back to the old uniforms though. God those new ones are ugly.

Um...so

Freaking baseball is almost here. We're slacking. Hard. So here's something to read....Felix WBC status unclear.

Woo! Go Seahawks. Do it for Daryl Turner, Joe Nash, and Curt Warner (from?).

~EDIT Big Daddy

I couldnt resist, I got this from the seattletimes this pic makes me so happy!!

Neddy Ball Game at Fantasy Camp

We're all about the fan here. Magic Faithful Chris has asked for a post on Neddy Ball Game. You got it.

For those who don't know, Neddy Ball Game (aka one of the 3 regular posters here and Mike L's dad) has been at Mariners Fantasy Camp in Arizona the past few days. Dave Henderson is running the camp, and ex-Mariner "stars" Darnell Coles, Jeffrey Leonard, and Mike Moore are also there. Neddy is on Leonard's team, the Hac-a-Mores. They've won every game they've played so far.

Check out the site. Each day there are updates on all the action. This is a great way to wet our appetites for the real thing.

Turtle Power!

Mariner Magic's favorite ninja reliever, Rafael Soriano, is back for another year. I didn't even realize he wasn't under contract, but woo hoo!

I'm using a Mac right now, and because Mac's like to make everything more difficult, I can't put the article (that was e-mailed to me by Magic faithful Chris) in as a direct link, but here's the address if you wish to take a look:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/baseball/253999_mari30.html

Bavasi says they won't be doing anything until after the 1st of the year, but let's be honest. We all know nothing else big is happening.

Thoughts before the Holidays

Neddyballgame was in my living room last night and yelled up that the M's had signed Matt Lawton. We all know this by now.
Opinions are varied, but I think it's a decent move. Cheap, good bench bat. Much better than the Greg Dobbs and Scott Spiezio's than rode the pine last year.

A lot of people's first thought was that this means a Reed deal is imminent. That, of course, makes me cringe as I think of an outfield with Raul Ibanez and Carl Everett limping towards balls. But, it really has me wondering why the M's would even consider trading Jeremy Reed. You're talking about the only non-sucking, non-steroid using guy left from the Freddy trade. At the time, Reed was considered a top prospect. He didn't have a great year in 2005, but I don't see why the Mariners would be ready to move him. But, a couple of reasons come to mind (note these are from the Mariners perspective):

1) Bavasi needs to win this year. If moving Reed for a starter means the M's can win 80+ games, then Bavasi would have to think about it. I don't necessarily think that Reed for Clement or Arroyo would mean that kind of improvement, but if Big Bill feels that way, then he has to consider it. I can't imagine him surviving the winter if 2006 is anything like 2004-2005.

2) The Mariners think Adam Jones is the real deal in centerfield. If the M's think this is true, then Reed becomes expendible. They may not think Jones is ready for the big time in the spring, but are willing to get by with an outfield of Ichiro, Ibanez, and rotating Lawton and Everett. I'd have to think Ichiro would see some time in center with that group. Move Reed and have a rotation of Felix, Washburn, Clement/Arroyo, Moyer, Piniero. Survive with the guys you have, and wait until Jones is ready.

Reason #2 has me intrigued for sure.

Oh, and one more thing. I read that the White Sox are shopping Jon Garland for bullpen help. We definitely could provide some of that bullpen help. The only problem is that Garland is a free agent after this year so we may not get him back. Guardado for Garland?

So the offseason has blown so far, but I think there is reason to believe the M's will be better in 2006. Let's not forget that the 2005 M's had Bret Boone, Miguel Olivo, Scott Spiezio, Wilson Valdez, and Aaron Sele for half of the year. I'm excited to see improvements from Beltre, Ichiro, Reed, Betancourt, Lopez. A whole year from Felix too. Playoff contenders? Doubtful. .500 and hope for 2007? Maybe.

I'd expect things to be slow here at Mariner Magic until the new year with the Holidays and traveling and whatnot. So.....enjoy your respective holidays.

Moves.....

The Cubs get Jacque Jones. It's a three-year deal. I have to wonder whether the M's had an offer on the table. Regardless, it makes my decision to keep Derrek Lee on my fantasy team that much easier. Jones and Pierre hitting in front of him? Nice.

Buster Olney doesn't think Millwood is coming to the Mariners. Whatevs.

That's about it.

It gets better and better....

Jarrod Washburn for 4 years.

Why? Why? Why?

Crapola

It's official...ish USS Mariner is saying the Everett signing has happened. I really can't put it any better than they did, so check out the link.

I'm really interested to see how the M's management spins this. His numbers don't justify the move, he's no help in the field, you could find plenty of people who will give you his production for way cheaper, and he's a total jackass. What can they possibly say?

Update: It's official.

Here's what they're saying:

Bavasi-"Carl Everett is a clutch-hitting run producer with power. As a switch-hitter, he provides our lineup with added versatility. Carl is a winner, most recently as a member of the 2005 World Series Champion Chicago White Sox. His experience and intensity will be welcome additions to our clubhouse." My head is spinning from trying to count the cliches in that quote.

Hargrove-"Having him in my lineup gives us some of the left-handed sock and run production we were looking for." Everett hit .246 left-handed last year.

Mike L-"This move sucks."

Look at the stats that the official site brought up:
-He did not make an error over 22 starts in the outfield last year. OOOOH! Put him in center with those numbers!!!

-Everett is one of six switch-hitters in Major League history (and the only player to accomplish the feat in successive seasons) to record 100 RBI in each league (108 with Houston in 1999 and Boston in 2000). I'm dusting off my time machine as we speak.

Let's face it, the M's have signed a homophobic, dinosaur-hating, switch-hitting version of Bret Boone.

Not much going on....

But I don't like not having a new post for too long.

Matt Morris is going to the Giants. I know the Big Daddy is a fan, but I don't think he's worth what's he getting.

Tejada is now saying he didn't demand a trade. Hmmph.

Ok that's it.

Oh yes...and the Seahawks are ridiculous. 83-3 in the past 7 days. Wow. Shades of Warner, Largent, and Fredd Young.

Hmmmm....

Carl Everett's agent says the rumors are exaggerated. You'll notice in that same article that Boras is trying to get Millwood 5 years. Back away from the super-agent Mr. Bavasi.

By the way, for those who support the idea of waiting until next year's crop of free agent pitchers, Peter Gammons says the top guys in that crop are Barry Zito, Mark Mulder, and Kelvim Escobar. Personally, I like Escobar the best of that crew (for no real reason), but I like all three better than who's available this winter.

M's bring back Jamie for one more year.

Oh-and Tejada wants out of Baltimore. Bavasi said Betancourt's untouchable, but....come on. Tejada! He wanted to be a Mariner-let's grant his wish this time.

Most importantly, Paul Posluszny beat out the toolish Buckeye AJ Hawk for the Bednarik award. And Paterno won coach of the year.

World Baseball Classic

Amidst all the Carl Everett for Mickey Brantley trade rumors, something else has caught my eye in the baseball world. Next spring's World Baseball Classic is going o include some freaking good players.

Check out some of these squads:

Dominican Republic
Beltre, Colon, Vlad, Pedro, Big Papi, Pujols, Manny, Soriano, Tejada

Puerto Rico
Beltran, Delgado, Pudge, Piniero (where's Edgar?)

USA
Bonds, Buerhle, Chavez, Clemens, Crawford, Damon, Guardado, Halladay, Jeter, Peavy, Rollins, Teixeira, Utley, Willis, etc.

Venezuela
Abreu, Freddy and Carlos!, Mora, Santana, Zambrano

If all these players end up playing, this is going to be pretty sweet.

Millwood 4 for 44?

Thats the rumor I just heard. The Mariners have offered Kevin Millwood 4 years at 44 million. I dunno. Is he better than much of our staff from last year? Yes, is he the guy that makes you go Heck ya I am fired up...........Unquestionably NO. This of course is not offical but from what it sounds like it is likely to happen


************************************************************
EDIT 12/07/05

Larry Stone wrote in today's seattle times:
"With or without Moyer in tow, the Mariners are in hot pursuit of pitching help. But it turns out that the reports of a four-year, $44 million offer to Kevin Millwood on Monday were greatly exaggerated, if not outright fiction.
The truth is, the Mariners didn't even meet here with Millwood's agent, Scott Boras, until Tuesday afternoon — their first session with Boras since the GM meetings in Palm Springs, Calif., last month. While they remain interested in Millwood's services, the Mariners remain just as highly reluctant to go five, or even four years for a pitcher."

this sounds much more like the mariners to me than the above report of 4 for 44. I knew they were there somewhere.

Is it worth it?

The offseason has barely gotten going, but we've already seen some craziness. We already know about the insane deals for Wagner and Ryan, and today Paul Konerko signed back with the White Sox for at the hometown discount price of 5 years, $60 million. (Although, Steve Phillips thinks Konerko was the best free agent available this offseason. Maybe that's why Phillips is on TV instead of running a team. What the hell was with those mock press conferences by the way?)

We all know the Mariners have several holes to fill before they are going to contend for anything besides a top 5 draft pick. Pitching is the obvious concern. But should the M's get in on this market? No one out there is that exciting and it seems like everyone is going to be severly overpaid. I'd like to see Kevin Millwood or AJ Burnett in the Teal and Blue (hehe-teal), but at what cost?

If things keep going the way they have, I think the M's need to find some other, creative ways of improving the team. Johjima was a good start, but the best way to improve the team may end up being through trades and finding some hidden talent. Any good ideas? I know Snave is good for a trade proposal or two.

It's good to be a closer

BJ Ryan gets 5 years, $47 million.
Billy Wagner gets 4 years, $43 million.
Good lord. Looks like picking up Eddie's $6 million option was a bargain. Lesson? Teach your son two nasty pitches and he'll be set for life. If you can make him left-handed, that's even better.

Also, Billy Beane decided Esteban Loaiza was a good idea. 3 years, $21+ million. There are some within the Mariner nation who thought Loaiza would have been good to go after. I think of all the pitchers out there, that could be the cheapest deal we're gonna see. I'm not crushed by the M's not getting Loaiza, but if they don't get Millwood or Burnett, and have to overpay for some chump like Jarrod Washburn, losing out on Loaiza is going to look worse.

Scratch off Delgado

MLB.com says Delgado has been dealt to the Mets

 

But....now this is juicy....the Boston Herald says Manny Ramirez is interested in coming to the Mariners. I love that on so many levels:

 

1) Manny is a beast and wouldn't have to play LF in Seattle

2) We'd be denying the Angels a Vlad-Manny middle of the order

3) Manny is hours of entertainment even if he doesn't hit.

 

If the only reason the M's aren't interested in Manny is that he's right-handed, that would annoy me. He has his issues, but he is still an elite hitter and I don't think you can pass up an opportunity to get someone like him.

 

Back to the real world....the Denver Post brings up the possibility of the M's and Rockies swapping Yorvit Torrealba and Larry Bigbie. I like that idea. Bigbie would be a nice 4th OFer to have. He didn't hit much after being traded to Colorado, but he put up decent numbers with Orioles. Plus he's a lefty. Maybe coming back to the AL would do him some good.

 

The Hot Stove has been preheated....

OK now that the first big moves of the offseason have been made, it's time to start coming up with outlandish rumors, trade proposals, and scenarios. The Johjima signing has me excited, so what better way to spend my lunch break than building the M's?

 

I propose to you, the Magic faithful, two scenarios for the Mariners offseason. Whether either of these are realistic is beside the point. I'm not factoring in money, years, players in a trade, or anything else that would actually give this site some credibility. This is all hypothetical. I leave it up to you to decide which you would prefer:

 

Scenario #1 (aka "The Power of Carlos"):

 

Trade for Carlos Delgado

Sign Esteban Loiaza

 

Scenario #2 (aka "The Arms Race")

 

Sign Kevin Millwood

Sign Matt Morris

Sign Jacque Jones

 

In scenario #1, the M's would have a sick lineup, a nasty bullpen, and mediocreish starting pitching. Flashes of the 2005 Red Sox and Yankees?

 

In scenario #2, you're looking at a solid lineup, good starting pitching, that same filthy bullpen, and great defense. Slightly resembles the 2001 M's.

 

So....put aside any "that could never happen" biases you may have, and tell us which scenario you would rather see. I'll make my choice in the comments section.

 

It's official

Johjima is a Mariner! 3 years, $16.5 million.

 

I don't know why, but this signing really has me excited. I think it's a creative and ballsy move on the part of the Mariners to fill a hole at position that was garbage for the team in 2005. Most important, they didn't have to sacrifice any prospects or draft picks. I suppose the argument against this singing is that it's a lot of money to spend on a guy who hasn't played a day in the majors. But you know what, I don't think Bavasi would make a move like this if they didn't really believe Johjima was the real deal. Big Bill has to be feeling the heat after the last two seasons, and if he didn't think this was a signing that would have an immediate impact I don't think he would have done it. I like the out-of-the-box approach here and am interested to see what else Bavasi has up his sleeve.

 

2006 lineup as of 11/22/05 (as I see it):

 

Ichiro RF

Reed CF

Beltre 3B

Sexson 1B

Ibanez LF

Johjima C

Lopez 2B

Morse? DH -Eeeeew.

Betancourt SS

 

They need one more bat. I like the Delgado trade possibility, but I have my doubts about whether that will happen. I've heard some Brad Wilkerson trade rumblings, that intrigues me for sure. Jacque Jones would fit in well too.

 

Now the real question is....where would you take Johjima in your fantasy draft?

Kenji Jojima

The TNT (I'm dynamite!) is reporting the M's are close to signing Japanese catcher Kenji Jojima. The beauty of this blog is that even though USSMariner et al have already put this out there, I don't think our regular readers frequent those blogs. So it's like we're breaking big news or something. I don't know a lot about Jojima except that he's got some pop and plays good defense. The deal is for 2 years, $8 million.

His English skills are lacking. Kenji you need to learn the following terms by March:

"Hum babe."
"Hey Vladimir-I've got some good pictures of your sister."
"Stop being such a baby Gil."

What's this all about?

Rob Neyer wrote a little something about his experience in Arizona today. This is an Insider article from ESPN, so you may not be able to access it. Most of the article isn't all that interesting, but there was one line that raised my eyebrows:

"I'm contractually prohibited from revealing anything I learned that might be particularly interesting -- for example, the reason the Dodgers weren't all that interested in re-signing Adrian Beltre a year ago.."

Wonder what that reason is. That doesn't make me feel too good about Beltre going into next season.

Random Notes

Here are some goings on (all from the Times-mainly b/c the stories have little depth so there's no point in getting them from a better paper):

Kenji Jojima and Matt Morris look to have varied levels of interest in coming to Seattle.

AJ Burnett too.

Ugueth Urbina is insane.

Wow.........Team option picked up for Ready Eddie

I didn’t think this would happen but the mariners exercised their club option on Eddie Guardado. It’s a one-year deal for 6 million plus. I don’t know if this is a good thing. I love that Eddie is back but for 6 million? I just don’t know if that is a smart move

Stand Pat to Stand Alone in Philly?

Its rumored, well really pretty much fact that former Mariner GM Pat Gillick has been hired as the new GM of the Phillies. This really isn’t surprising to at least this mariner fan. Its no secret he wants to be on the East Coast. I thought Pat did a good job for the mariners in bringing them to power in the late 90's early 2000's. However he did not really build for the future and that is something the mariners are paying for dearly now.
I wish him the best of luck and I am sure he will do well in Philly.