If there was any remaining doubt, the issue has been cleared up this weekend. Without argument or debate, let the record show...
The greatest baseball player over the past 20 years is Ken Griffey Jr.
Drink it in. Long live The Kid.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Back In Action!!
Football is over, and that is a good thing. That superbowl was not good for any Seattle fan. Lets hope that this year, 2009, will be better than 2008. It has to be right? Look at what went down in 08'
The mariners trade away their top offensive prospect in Adam Jones, a highly touted young arm in Chris Tillman and just to salt it up a bit more they toss in George Sherrill who ended up having a very solid season as the birds closer. Now I was for this trade when it happened. Bedard was a front end lefty starter who in this park I felt could really explode. That didn't really happen as we all know. I would like to think he just was hurt and that against the teams better judgment hid this injury for longer than he should have. I want to believe that, I need to. But the fact remains this guy is just a pain in the ass. I listen to a lot of his interviews and I just don't get how he can act the way he does. Listen up Eric your getting paid millions of dollars to play a game for a living. Giving interviews is PART OF THE DEAL. If you don't like it your more than welcome to come back to the real world and work a 9-5 job in front of a computer all day where you don't have to have conversations with random people about how your fastball felt today.
Sexson went even further into the tank and ended up being released. People really gave him a hard time and I was one of them. But he did have a few decent years here before he just "lost it". That happens to players and its sad to see it go, we here in Seattle have seen it however all too much.
Both Manager and GM were asked to leave. Bavasi made some bad moves, but hind sight is 20-20. I don't think there were many of us out there who were not ecstatic over the Sexson and Beltre Signings. I remember when mike and I met Bavasi at a steak house after a spring training game in which both beltre and sexson played. My exact words to him "You have made two life long M's fans so happy!"
Those signings where huge at the time. Mcleran is a nice guy and a great coach, I don't know if Manager fits him, but we gave it a shot and he just couldn't control the club house. Oh and lets not forget that they still ahve yet to sign Josh Fields, who by many accounts is Major League ready and we may have traded our closer......
Anyway as we all know the Mariners had a rough year, battling it out for the top pick which they had locked up until for whatever reason they decided to win like 3 of their last 4 games, yeah great job.
But this is all the past lets look to the Future.
Jack Zduriencik is awesome, I had no idea who he was when he was hired but man I love what he is doing. Stock piling young left handed arms that remain under team control for foreseeable future. Also revamping the defense, so far it would appear that not many balls are going to get down in that outfield and that will be a nice change.
My concern is where will the offense come from. I love the front half of our potential rotation in Felix, Bedard, and Morrow. I'd love it if Rowland-Smith made the 4th spot and let the two pieces of garbage, Washburn and Silva, battle it out for the 5th spot. How about Don Wakamatsu flips a coin each 5th day, heads Washburn starts tails Silva.
Anyway with the front half being so good its fair to say we could see a lot 4 run games or less from them. The challenge will be how will this team score more than 4 runs on any given night let alone a run at all? This needs to be addressed and I don't know how. In fact I don't see how this year. Good thing this is a re-building year.
I'll end with this, everyone hope and pray for Bedard. I want us all to will him to a dominating 1st half. Then if the mariners can dump him for 75 cents on the dollar of what they gave up.... Just remember who the Marlins got for Josh Beckett...........Hanley Ramirez. We can only dream though.
Just a few thoughts as we are only days away from Pitchers and Catchers reporting to camp!
The mariners trade away their top offensive prospect in Adam Jones, a highly touted young arm in Chris Tillman and just to salt it up a bit more they toss in George Sherrill who ended up having a very solid season as the birds closer. Now I was for this trade when it happened. Bedard was a front end lefty starter who in this park I felt could really explode. That didn't really happen as we all know. I would like to think he just was hurt and that against the teams better judgment hid this injury for longer than he should have. I want to believe that, I need to. But the fact remains this guy is just a pain in the ass. I listen to a lot of his interviews and I just don't get how he can act the way he does. Listen up Eric your getting paid millions of dollars to play a game for a living. Giving interviews is PART OF THE DEAL. If you don't like it your more than welcome to come back to the real world and work a 9-5 job in front of a computer all day where you don't have to have conversations with random people about how your fastball felt today.
Sexson went even further into the tank and ended up being released. People really gave him a hard time and I was one of them. But he did have a few decent years here before he just "lost it". That happens to players and its sad to see it go, we here in Seattle have seen it however all too much.
Both Manager and GM were asked to leave. Bavasi made some bad moves, but hind sight is 20-20. I don't think there were many of us out there who were not ecstatic over the Sexson and Beltre Signings. I remember when mike and I met Bavasi at a steak house after a spring training game in which both beltre and sexson played. My exact words to him "You have made two life long M's fans so happy!"
Those signings where huge at the time. Mcleran is a nice guy and a great coach, I don't know if Manager fits him, but we gave it a shot and he just couldn't control the club house. Oh and lets not forget that they still ahve yet to sign Josh Fields, who by many accounts is Major League ready and we may have traded our closer......
Anyway as we all know the Mariners had a rough year, battling it out for the top pick which they had locked up until for whatever reason they decided to win like 3 of their last 4 games, yeah great job.
But this is all the past lets look to the Future.
Jack Zduriencik is awesome, I had no idea who he was when he was hired but man I love what he is doing. Stock piling young left handed arms that remain under team control for foreseeable future. Also revamping the defense, so far it would appear that not many balls are going to get down in that outfield and that will be a nice change.
My concern is where will the offense come from. I love the front half of our potential rotation in Felix, Bedard, and Morrow. I'd love it if Rowland-Smith made the 4th spot and let the two pieces of garbage, Washburn and Silva, battle it out for the 5th spot. How about Don Wakamatsu flips a coin each 5th day, heads Washburn starts tails Silva.
Anyway with the front half being so good its fair to say we could see a lot 4 run games or less from them. The challenge will be how will this team score more than 4 runs on any given night let alone a run at all? This needs to be addressed and I don't know how. In fact I don't see how this year. Good thing this is a re-building year.
I'll end with this, everyone hope and pray for Bedard. I want us all to will him to a dominating 1st half. Then if the mariners can dump him for 75 cents on the dollar of what they gave up.... Just remember who the Marlins got for Josh Beckett...........Hanley Ramirez. We can only dream though.
Just a few thoughts as we are only days away from Pitchers and Catchers reporting to camp!
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Baseball's back!
Is there a better day than Opening Day? I don't think so. Especially when you're in grad school and don't have class until 4:40 PM and can watch real and fantasy baseball all day. I think when I do get a job again I'm taking Opening Day off every year.
I won't write a recap of Game 1. Go to Lookout Landing for that. Most important thing to take from Jeff's writeup:
Bedard will be fine. The offense? That's going to be painful to watch at times this year. But, I did like that they drew seven walks and that Jose Lopez had the big hit. If the M's want to contend for anything, Lopez is one of the guys that needs to step up.
Felix tonight which makes me happy. What does not make me happy is that it doesn't start until 10 PM on the East Coast and I have to get up early tomorrow.
1-0! First place!
I won't write a recap of Game 1. Go to Lookout Landing for that. Most important thing to take from Jeff's writeup:
Jim Joyce's strike zone wasn't helping matters, either. But this is the take-home message: on an off-day during which he struggled with his command, Erik Bedard allowed one run on five innings. He got a bunch of swinging strikes, kept the ball on the ground, and wasn't letting the hitters get good swings. This was an off-day. If for whatever reason you're still kind of skeptical about what Erik Bedard's going to bring to the team, get over it and hop on the wagon.
Bedard will be fine. The offense? That's going to be painful to watch at times this year. But, I did like that they drew seven walks and that Jose Lopez had the big hit. If the M's want to contend for anything, Lopez is one of the guys that needs to step up.
Felix tonight which makes me happy. What does not make me happy is that it doesn't start until 10 PM on the East Coast and I have to get up early tomorrow.
1-0! First place!
Friday, February 08, 2008
Bedard
It's been a long time folks. A long time. I wanted to wait until this trade was official, and it finally looks like it is. Erik Bedard is a Mariner. And I think that's cool. But, I don't think I like this trade. I know
Lookout Landing doesn't, and I know USS Mariner doesn't. And I know they know more about baseball than I do. But, I don't need an expert understanding of the game to see why this trade wasn't a good idea. Erik Bedard is awesome. He's filthy. Nasty. Sick. Pitches well. But not worth your best prospect, best left-handed reliever, and three other prospects. And even if he is worth all of that, he's not worth it to the M's. This trade has been hashed and rehashed, prehashed, then hashed again so I don't want to go on and on about it. But, here are my reasons, in brief, why I'm not a fan of this trade:
1. The Mariners aren't an Erik Bedard away from competing with Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, or Anaheim. This isn't like the Sox trading Hanley Ramirez to get Josh Beckett. The lineup is terrible, the outfield defense is going to be bad, and now the bullpen takes a hit. Plus, the rest of the rotation is mediocre at best.
2. The timing makes no sense. Why trade Jones now? One thing Bavasi has done pretty well is build up the farm system. Jones is ready, Clement and Balentin are close, and Morrow is at least contributing in the bullpen. So why send away all this young talent when it's on the verge of makin an impact? I didn't like Stand Pat Gillick's non-moves in the summers 2001-2003, but I think this is the other end of the spectrum.
Ok, that's really it. It's not that I don't like Erik Bedard. I think he's the best player Bavasi has signed or traded for. I think Bedard and Felix at the top of the rotation is going to be amazing. If the M's find a way to make it to the playoffs, Bedard and Felix with Putz waiting in the bullpen? Incredible, no doubt. But, I just don't think they're going to make it that far. Unless, of course, they decide to move Morrow, Clement and Balentin to get a big bat or two. I hope I'm wrong and Bedard and Felix are co-MVPs of the World Series this year, but we'll see.
Don't get me wrong. I don't hate the trade. I mean Bavasi's done worse. A lot worse. And I'm really excited that we have Erik Bedard on our side. But, I'm not sold on this as being a good idea.
Thoughts loyal three readers?
Lookout Landing doesn't, and I know USS Mariner doesn't. And I know they know more about baseball than I do. But, I don't need an expert understanding of the game to see why this trade wasn't a good idea. Erik Bedard is awesome. He's filthy. Nasty. Sick. Pitches well. But not worth your best prospect, best left-handed reliever, and three other prospects. And even if he is worth all of that, he's not worth it to the M's. This trade has been hashed and rehashed, prehashed, then hashed again so I don't want to go on and on about it. But, here are my reasons, in brief, why I'm not a fan of this trade:
1. The Mariners aren't an Erik Bedard away from competing with Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, or Anaheim. This isn't like the Sox trading Hanley Ramirez to get Josh Beckett. The lineup is terrible, the outfield defense is going to be bad, and now the bullpen takes a hit. Plus, the rest of the rotation is mediocre at best.
2. The timing makes no sense. Why trade Jones now? One thing Bavasi has done pretty well is build up the farm system. Jones is ready, Clement and Balentin are close, and Morrow is at least contributing in the bullpen. So why send away all this young talent when it's on the verge of makin an impact? I didn't like Stand Pat Gillick's non-moves in the summers 2001-2003, but I think this is the other end of the spectrum.
Ok, that's really it. It's not that I don't like Erik Bedard. I think he's the best player Bavasi has signed or traded for. I think Bedard and Felix at the top of the rotation is going to be amazing. If the M's find a way to make it to the playoffs, Bedard and Felix with Putz waiting in the bullpen? Incredible, no doubt. But, I just don't think they're going to make it that far. Unless, of course, they decide to move Morrow, Clement and Balentin to get a big bat or two. I hope I'm wrong and Bedard and Felix are co-MVPs of the World Series this year, but we'll see.
Don't get me wrong. I don't hate the trade. I mean Bavasi's done worse. A lot worse. And I'm really excited that we have Erik Bedard on our side. But, I'm not sold on this as being a good idea.
Thoughts loyal three readers?
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
At the break....
Up until I was 17, my best and favorite subject in school was math. I owned math. It was never hard, it was fun, and it all made sense. But then came my senior year in high school. That's when I met AP Calculus. I had done well in math every year and assumed it would continue. In fact, I figured my major in college would have something to do with math. And for the first month or so of that class, things remained the same. I remember understanding limits really well and I'm pretty sure I got an A on the first test. But then things abruptly changed. We had to write a paper in math. The rest of the semester when something like C on that paper, and nothing above a D on anything else. My final grade for that semester was a D. For the first time in my life I had to drop a class because it was too hard for me. Sure, senioritis had something to do with it, but I was really just in over my head.
I'm hoping the second half of the 2007 baseball season isn't to the Seattle Mariners what AP Calculus was to me. They've had a great first half, and every time I think they've come back to reality, they've proved me wrong. Two and a half out in the West, and a game and half back in the Wild Card. I think they can stay in it, but I also thought I could handle AP Calculus.
Let's check in on what I said at the beginning of the season:
3 REASONS FOR HOPE
1. The King-Well, he's been amazing, injured, and inconsistent. But, thanks to the power of blogging, he has looked much better lately. The M's are going to need him to be an ace in the second half.
2.Infield Defense-
Did I really say that?
3.A pretty solid lineup
The M's third in the AL in batting average, sixth in OBP, eighth in runs scored, eigthe in SLG, tenth in HR, LAST in walks, and LAST in strikeouts. Hmmm. Looking at that, the M's offense hasn't been all that impressive.
3 REASONS YOU'LL BE COUNTING THE DAYS UNTIL FOOTBALL SEASON
1. The gruesome foursome. Eh, not bad I guess. Weaver was atrocious but has turned in around. Batista has his moments. But they still need another pitcher if they are going to stay in this.
2. Mike Hargrove and Bill Bavasi. Mike Hargrove quit. That was weird. Bill Bavasi-well Jose Vidro as "DH" hasn't really worked. The pitchers have been okay. But, I'll judge Bavasi based on what he does at the deadline.
3. Jose. I'm fine with Guillen and Lopez, but Vidro has to go.
So, now what? I don't think the Mariners are good enough as they are right now to keep up with Boston, Anaheim, Detroit, and Cleveland. So, some changes need to happen. I'd like to hear what the loyal 4 readers have to say about that.
Check out Dave Cameron's suggestions. They mkae some sense and can all be done without bringing anyone in from the outside.
I'm hoping the second half of the 2007 baseball season isn't to the Seattle Mariners what AP Calculus was to me. They've had a great first half, and every time I think they've come back to reality, they've proved me wrong. Two and a half out in the West, and a game and half back in the Wild Card. I think they can stay in it, but I also thought I could handle AP Calculus.
Let's check in on what I said at the beginning of the season:
3 REASONS FOR HOPE
1. The King-Well, he's been amazing, injured, and inconsistent. But, thanks to the power of blogging, he has looked much better lately. The M's are going to need him to be an ace in the second half.
2.Infield Defense-
Did I really say that?
3.A pretty solid lineup
The M's third in the AL in batting average, sixth in OBP, eighth in runs scored, eigthe in SLG, tenth in HR, LAST in walks, and LAST in strikeouts. Hmmm. Looking at that, the M's offense hasn't been all that impressive.
3 REASONS YOU'LL BE COUNTING THE DAYS UNTIL FOOTBALL SEASON
1. The gruesome foursome. Eh, not bad I guess. Weaver was atrocious but has turned in around. Batista has his moments. But they still need another pitcher if they are going to stay in this.
2. Mike Hargrove and Bill Bavasi. Mike Hargrove quit. That was weird. Bill Bavasi-well Jose Vidro as "DH" hasn't really worked. The pitchers have been okay. But, I'll judge Bavasi based on what he does at the deadline.
3. Jose. I'm fine with Guillen and Lopez, but Vidro has to go.
So, now what? I don't think the Mariners are good enough as they are right now to keep up with Boston, Anaheim, Detroit, and Cleveland. So, some changes need to happen. I'd like to hear what the loyal 4 readers have to say about that.
Check out Dave Cameron's suggestions. They mkae some sense and can all be done without bringing anyone in from the outside.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
Let the Buerhle rumblings begin...
Okay, maybe not technically begin. I'm sure it's been brought up before. But, Dave at USSMariner has brought up the Mark Buehrle trade talk. And I'm pretty sure I agree with him. Buerhle had a rough year in 2006, and I was thinking he may be on the decline, but, as Dave points out, he's bounced back this year. Maybe he's playing for contract and will regress again next year, but whatever-the M's probably won't re-sign him anyway.
By the way, does re-sign need to have a hyphen? I think so, because otherwise it becomes resign. Mike Hargrove resigned from his position as Mariners manager. Will the Mariners re-sign Ichiro? AAAAAAAANYWAY....
The most important point that Dave makes is this:
If you're worried about giving up prospects for half a season from one guy, the draft pick compensation from those lost prospects should make you feel a little better. And the fact is, you never know what you're going to get out of prospects. I was pretty excited about the Freddy Garcia trade when it went down, but it's turned out to be a complete flop. The M's won't trade Adam Jones, so I say go for it.
Plus, I just made a trade to get Buerhle on my fantasy team, so making him a Mariner would give me double reason to root for the guy.
Thoughts on Buerhle from the 4 loyal Magic readers?
By the way, does re-sign need to have a hyphen? I think so, because otherwise it becomes resign. Mike Hargrove resigned from his position as Mariners manager. Will the Mariners re-sign Ichiro? AAAAAAAANYWAY....
The most important point that Dave makes is this:
The Mariners wouldn’t be trading a package of prospects for three months of Mark Buehrle. The Mariners would be trading a package of prospects for three months of Mark Buehrle and another package of prospects.
If you're worried about giving up prospects for half a season from one guy, the draft pick compensation from those lost prospects should make you feel a little better. And the fact is, you never know what you're going to get out of prospects. I was pretty excited about the Freddy Garcia trade when it went down, but it's turned out to be a complete flop. The M's won't trade Adam Jones, so I say go for it.
Plus, I just made a trade to get Buerhle on my fantasy team, so making him a Mariner would give me double reason to root for the guy.
Thoughts on Buerhle from the 4 loyal Magic readers?
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Alright, Alright
I'll post already. The M's keep winning, telling me I need to write about them. The blog has been pretty slow as I was moving from here to here I realize the only people still reading this blog are the administrators, my parents, and hopefully snave, but there's too much to talk about.
When a team has three crapbag seasons in a row, and comes into the season with Jeff Weaver and Horacio Ramirez as anchors of the rotation, it's hard to be optimistic. And then when a team is winning games but Jeff Weaver has a quadruple digit ERA, Felix Hernandez is hurt/struggling it's more of a "okay, when are they going to lose 6 games in a row?"
But, when they bounce back from that, win a couple series, sweep the new evil empire (sorry Dad), and keep going strong even when the opposing pitcher is eleventy billion times better than ours, it starts feeling like we have a good baseball team on our hands.
I made it pretty clear that I wasn't overly optimistic about this team coming into the year. And, even though the M's kept winning, I was still skeptical. Weaver was awful, Felix couldn't pitch anymore, the bullpen was being worn thin, Sexson and Ibanez were doing nothing, etc. But, the recent winning ways have shown me some things that have me pretty excited about the rest of this season:
1. JJ Putz is the best closer in baseball. By far.
2. There are no holes on offense. Ichiro is the only superstar, but every one else in the lineup can contribute. And that includes the bench players. That's the kind of team that stays in the hunt through September.
3. Jeff Weaver and Miguel Batista can pitch. Sort of. They are the kind of pitchers you hope to get 6 solid innings out of, keep you in the game, and let the offense and bullpen win it for you. They've shown that lately, and I hope it keeps up.
4. Mike Hargrove can make a good decision or two. He's managed the bullpen very well this year. He uses Putz in high-leverage situations instead of saving him only for save situations. I'm still not a big fan of his, but this is an optimistic post.
Sure, there are concerns. Felix is pitching like a 21-year old, Putz's arm may fall off, and the rotation still needs help. But I'll stick with being excited for now. I'm hoping they can win today against Toronto, then take or split the series with KC and Oakland, then get rested up for the big series against Detroit after the break.
Let's go M's!!!!!
When a team has three crapbag seasons in a row, and comes into the season with Jeff Weaver and Horacio Ramirez as anchors of the rotation, it's hard to be optimistic. And then when a team is winning games but Jeff Weaver has a quadruple digit ERA, Felix Hernandez is hurt/struggling it's more of a "okay, when are they going to lose 6 games in a row?"
But, when they bounce back from that, win a couple series, sweep the new evil empire (sorry Dad), and keep going strong even when the opposing pitcher is eleventy billion times better than ours, it starts feeling like we have a good baseball team on our hands.
I made it pretty clear that I wasn't overly optimistic about this team coming into the year. And, even though the M's kept winning, I was still skeptical. Weaver was awful, Felix couldn't pitch anymore, the bullpen was being worn thin, Sexson and Ibanez were doing nothing, etc. But, the recent winning ways have shown me some things that have me pretty excited about the rest of this season:
1. JJ Putz is the best closer in baseball. By far.
2. There are no holes on offense. Ichiro is the only superstar, but every one else in the lineup can contribute. And that includes the bench players. That's the kind of team that stays in the hunt through September.
3. Jeff Weaver and Miguel Batista can pitch. Sort of. They are the kind of pitchers you hope to get 6 solid innings out of, keep you in the game, and let the offense and bullpen win it for you. They've shown that lately, and I hope it keeps up.
4. Mike Hargrove can make a good decision or two. He's managed the bullpen very well this year. He uses Putz in high-leverage situations instead of saving him only for save situations. I'm still not a big fan of his, but this is an optimistic post.
Sure, there are concerns. Felix is pitching like a 21-year old, Putz's arm may fall off, and the rotation still needs help. But I'll stick with being excited for now. I'm hoping they can win today against Toronto, then take or split the series with KC and Oakland, then get rested up for the big series against Detroit after the break.
Let's go M's!!!!!
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
5 in a row!
I too am excited about the promise this team is showing. It was this time, however last year that Mike and I were sitting in a bar in kirkland watching the mariners crush the Diamondbacks. I am taking this streak with a skepticle grain of salt. The bullpen ahs been incredible and teh offensive attack is really vastly superior than what I ahd expected. The main question I still have revolves around our rotation. Felix needs more time to get abck to wehre he was at the start of the year. Washburn appears to be in a rut. Baek should ahve been in the rotation at the start of the year, and his alst start was disappointing but cleavland is a very strong offensive club. I still hate that they insist on trotting weaver out there, admit you F-d up and jsut chaulk it up to a 8 million dollar mistake. Call up fearbin and let him roll in the 5 spot he gave you a chance to win.
There is a lot of time left but Raul is coming on like a house of fire and with his bat to an already hot offense i think this year could be a really exciting one up to the end. They need to decide what route they wish to take with Ichiro. I personally think you sign him, he is the best elad off hitter in the game bar none. However if they want to sign him do it now do not wait for him to hit open waters where you will be compeating agains tthe likes of the yankees and red soxs for his services. That is a mony game i do not want.
Tonight its Miguel. The bullpen really is in dire ened of a strong outing by one of our starters here. And by strong I am talking 7 or 8 innings. They are overworked and if the trend continues there will be no arms left for the push in late summer. The offense needs to come right out of theg ates and puta 4 spot up to give miguel some room and then just go to work.
Go M's 9 games over 500 for the first time in years!
There is a lot of time left but Raul is coming on like a house of fire and with his bat to an already hot offense i think this year could be a really exciting one up to the end. They need to decide what route they wish to take with Ichiro. I personally think you sign him, he is the best elad off hitter in the game bar none. However if they want to sign him do it now do not wait for him to hit open waters where you will be compeating agains tthe likes of the yankees and red soxs for his services. That is a mony game i do not want.
Tonight its Miguel. The bullpen really is in dire ened of a strong outing by one of our starters here. And by strong I am talking 7 or 8 innings. They are overworked and if the trend continues there will be no arms left for the push in late summer. The offense needs to come right out of theg ates and puta 4 spot up to give miguel some room and then just go to work.
Go M's 9 games over 500 for the first time in years!
Monday, June 11, 2007
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
WOW WOW WOW
Up yours Dice-K.
I love stats. I really do. I'm no sabermetrician, but I'd rather hear about stats than grit. But, not tonight.
Felix. Hernandez. He did things tonight that trump any statistical measurement. He took Dice-K, ESPN, obnoxious Red Sox fans, and the entire nation and slapped them across the face. Then he stole their lunch money and ran away with their girlfriends. Then he dropped out of school and started his out business. And that business was dominance. Then he took dominance public and became the richest man ever. Then he bought the world and sold it to himself. Then he put the world in a little box and carried it in his coat pocket. Right next to his monacle. Then he had God paint a portrait of himself while he ate the world like a grape. Then he beat the Red Sox.
The Mariners are going to contend this year. And Felix Hernandez is why. He takes all of Jose Vidro's badness and farts it onto his recliner while playing NCAA Football 2007. I don't care how garbage-like the rest of the pitchers are. You can't be a professional athlete on the same team as F-F-F-Felix and not step up your game. and if you don't, go amateur.
I'm fired up!
I love stats. I really do. I'm no sabermetrician, but I'd rather hear about stats than grit. But, not tonight.
Felix. Hernandez. He did things tonight that trump any statistical measurement. He took Dice-K, ESPN, obnoxious Red Sox fans, and the entire nation and slapped them across the face. Then he stole their lunch money and ran away with their girlfriends. Then he dropped out of school and started his out business. And that business was dominance. Then he took dominance public and became the richest man ever. Then he bought the world and sold it to himself. Then he put the world in a little box and carried it in his coat pocket. Right next to his monacle. Then he had God paint a portrait of himself while he ate the world like a grape. Then he beat the Red Sox.
The Mariners are going to contend this year. And Felix Hernandez is why. He takes all of Jose Vidro's badness and farts it onto his recliner while playing NCAA Football 2007. I don't care how garbage-like the rest of the pitchers are. You can't be a professional athlete on the same team as F-F-F-Felix and not step up your game. and if you don't, go amateur.
I'm fired up!
Monday, April 09, 2007
How about some baseball?
For the sake of all that is good and holy can the Mariners please play a baseball game?
Sunday, April 01, 2007
2007......
It's been three seasons since our favorite navy and teal baseballers finished the year with a winning record. Three seasons since they kept our interest past June. And I'm finding myself inching ever so closely to that dreaded place that all sports teams want to keep their fans out of: indifference. Even though the M's have stunk for the last three seasons, I was excited about something going into the season. In 2004, they had just finished winning 90+ games for the fourth year in row. In 2005, the front office finally opened up their pocket books and signed some big bats. Even last year, I was excited to see what young guys like Felix, Betancourt, and Lopez could do and if Beltre would rebound. But this year is different. This is the least excited I've been about the Mariners in a long time. And I don't like that. But, without further ado, here are my thoughts going into the 2007 season. Let's do this in threes:
3 reasons for hope
1. The King. Felix was pretty inconsistent last year, but some of his underlying numbers were still pretty good. Most importantly, he seems to have a new focus and is ready to take the hill tomorrow. And he's only 21. We could see him develop into the top 5 pitcher that we all hope he can be.
2. Infield defense. No, seriously. The M's management took the approach of signing groundball pitchers this offseason. The reason? One of the best defensive infields in all of baseball. Beltre and Betancourt just may be the best left side of the infield in the land. If those groundball pitchers (Felix included) can keep the ball on the ground, there could be a lot of easy outs this year.
3. A pretty solid lineup. If that sentence doesn't tell you why I'm having a hard time getting excited about this team then nothing will. The lineup is what it is, but what that is is pretty good. How about that sentence? Dave from USS Mariner puts it nicely when he says,
3 reasons you'll be counting down the days until football season
1. The gruesome foursome. After Felix, the rest of the rotation is.....uh....suspect. I didn't want the M's to join in the spending madness that was this offseason, and I'm glad they didn't sign Meche, but Washburn, Ramirez, Batista, and Weaver are all back of the rotation starters at best. If the M's had a more potent offense or top-notch bullpen, they may be able to survive with that. But, methinks no.
2. Mike Hargrove and Bill Bavasi. Hargrove for everything he does that sucks, and Bavasi because is either extremely unlucky or a poor evaluator of talent. Now that Jeremy Reed has been sent to AAA, it seems the Freddy Garcia trade was a complete bust. Not to mention Jesse Foppert being released, making the Randy Winn trade worthless. Plus the Vidro and Ramirez trades, the Batista signing, Beltre, and, you get the point. I've been pretty patient with Bavasi because I think he was handed a crappy situation when Gillick left, but that patience is wearing thin.
3. Jose. All three of them. Vidro as a DH? Guillen as a teammate? Lopez's second half? Those three could make or break a lot of 2007.
Overall, I don't really know what to think. They don't look awful, but they don't look amazing either. The AL West isn't much of a division, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that if a lot of things break a certain way, the M's could be playing meaningful baseball in September. Let's hope that's true.
Other (aka better) previews:
Seattle Times
USS Mariner
Also, read this hilarious tribute to Dave Henderson at Lookout Landing.
Baseball!!! Yay!!!
3 reasons for hope
1. The King. Felix was pretty inconsistent last year, but some of his underlying numbers were still pretty good. Most importantly, he seems to have a new focus and is ready to take the hill tomorrow. And he's only 21. We could see him develop into the top 5 pitcher that we all hope he can be.
2. Infield defense. No, seriously. The M's management took the approach of signing groundball pitchers this offseason. The reason? One of the best defensive infields in all of baseball. Beltre and Betancourt just may be the best left side of the infield in the land. If those groundball pitchers (Felix included) can keep the ball on the ground, there could be a lot of easy outs this year.
3. A pretty solid lineup. If that sentence doesn't tell you why I'm having a hard time getting excited about this team then nothing will. The lineup is what it is, but what that is is pretty good. How about that sentence? Dave from USS Mariner puts it nicely when he says,
The opening day line-up is going to have Jose Lopez and Yuniesky Betancourt batting 8th and 9th in some order. Both are projected to be nearly league average hitters, and they’re filling out the last two spots in the batting order. What the offense lacks in thump, it attempts to make up for in balance.
3 reasons you'll be counting down the days until football season
1. The gruesome foursome. After Felix, the rest of the rotation is.....uh....suspect. I didn't want the M's to join in the spending madness that was this offseason, and I'm glad they didn't sign Meche, but Washburn, Ramirez, Batista, and Weaver are all back of the rotation starters at best. If the M's had a more potent offense or top-notch bullpen, they may be able to survive with that. But, methinks no.
2. Mike Hargrove and Bill Bavasi. Hargrove for everything he does that sucks, and Bavasi because is either extremely unlucky or a poor evaluator of talent. Now that Jeremy Reed has been sent to AAA, it seems the Freddy Garcia trade was a complete bust. Not to mention Jesse Foppert being released, making the Randy Winn trade worthless. Plus the Vidro and Ramirez trades, the Batista signing, Beltre, and, you get the point. I've been pretty patient with Bavasi because I think he was handed a crappy situation when Gillick left, but that patience is wearing thin.
3. Jose. All three of them. Vidro as a DH? Guillen as a teammate? Lopez's second half? Those three could make or break a lot of 2007.
Overall, I don't really know what to think. They don't look awful, but they don't look amazing either. The AL West isn't much of a division, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say that if a lot of things break a certain way, the M's could be playing meaningful baseball in September. Let's hope that's true.
Other (aka better) previews:
Seattle Times
USS Mariner
Also, read this hilarious tribute to Dave Henderson at Lookout Landing.
Baseball!!! Yay!!!
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Dustin' off the old blog
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Still here.....
Now that the Seahawks are done (thanks to a kicker Penn State fans know as The Wedding Singer), and the Sonics blow, I suppose it's time for Seattle sports fans to start thinking about the upcoming baseball season. Yay! And how can you not be excited after this offseason? I mean, Miguel Batista is a Mariner! For three years!
You know what? That's all I really have to say right now.
You know what? That's all I really have to say right now.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Sorry Bill
So, I was wrong about Miguel Batista's contract. And it looks like he is more excited than Vidro about joining the M's. I was holding out hope when I read the paper on Saturday, but I guess the Jose Vidro trade actually did happen.
The interesting part of the Batista article was Bavasi seeming to get defensive about his horrible moves:
Asked if he was concerned about negative fan reaction, general manager Bill Bavasi replied: "I'm the one dealing in the market. I know what the market is. I know what's available. The reaction is probably a whole lot different if I drag you with me for a month, and you see what it's like."
You think the Magic is getting to him? I'm sure that Bill Bavasi knows more about baseball than me. But, what do you think his response would be to Keith Law? Law, after all, worked in the Toronto front office, so I assume that he knows what he is talking about. Yet, his reaction to the trades for Horacio Ramirez and Vidro (scroll down for the Ramirez deal, you can't miss the headline) were only slightly less restrained than ours. And he writes for ESPN.com, so I would assume that he has to be a little more diplomatic than we do. Here are some of Mr. Law's choice comments (and you really should take the time to read the whole thing; they aren't very long) on the Vidro deal:
I have no idea what the Mariners were thinking. None. I had to take two ibuprofen tablets after I learned about the deal so that I could write this analysis.
And on trading Rafael Soriano:
The Braves picked up their probable future closer in exchange for a player whom they almost certainly would have non-tendered next week. The Mariners made themselves worse for no apparent reason other than fear.
This is an outside observer with no rooting interest.
I have a hard time believing that the M's couldn't have gotten more for Soriano than they did. The rumors surrounding Mike Gonzalez involve the Pirates getting Melky Cabrera, who, along with Phillip Hughes, had previously been considered off-limits for trades. Soriano is younger and better than Gonzalez. How did the M's only get Horacio Ramirez?
Maybe the market is that bad. I mean, what do I know? Still, I'm no economist, but if the "market" was only allowing Bavasi to get less than fair-market value for good prospects, well, then maybe it was a good time to stay out of the market. The Ramirez trade could be justified by reasoning that the M's needed a starting pitcher to throw the ball every fifth day. So, I suppose there is an argument to be made that Bavasi was in a position where he had to take less than full value to get a starter to fill out the rotation.
But, is trading for an expensive, injury-plagued contact hitter to DH out of the second spot in the line-up really going to make a noticeable improvement in the team's offense? I can see not wanting to rush pitchers up from the minors before they are ready to take the full-load of a major league season, but why not just call up Jeff Clement to DH instead of getting rid of a young, talented hitter who just can't seem to stay healthy and a young, hard throwing pitcher who needs to work on his control? Those seem like the players that you gamble on. Why gamble $16 million over the next two years on Jose Vidro staying healthy at age 33?
It has been a frustrating week to be a Seattle sports fan. The Seahawks fell apart and failed to clinch against the 49ers at home. (For those who are reading this immediately after coming out of a coma that began in 1991: Joe Montana doesn’t play for the 49ers anymore.) The Hornets' owner announced that they are going back to/staying in New Orleans, leaving Oklahoma City without an NBA franchise. One would think that since the M's are not playing that they could at least avoid depressing their fan base. I guess that would be too much to ask.
The interesting part of the Batista article was Bavasi seeming to get defensive about his horrible moves:
Asked if he was concerned about negative fan reaction, general manager Bill Bavasi replied: "I'm the one dealing in the market. I know what the market is. I know what's available. The reaction is probably a whole lot different if I drag you with me for a month, and you see what it's like."
You think the Magic is getting to him? I'm sure that Bill Bavasi knows more about baseball than me. But, what do you think his response would be to Keith Law? Law, after all, worked in the Toronto front office, so I assume that he knows what he is talking about. Yet, his reaction to the trades for Horacio Ramirez and Vidro (scroll down for the Ramirez deal, you can't miss the headline) were only slightly less restrained than ours. And he writes for ESPN.com, so I would assume that he has to be a little more diplomatic than we do. Here are some of Mr. Law's choice comments (and you really should take the time to read the whole thing; they aren't very long) on the Vidro deal:
I have no idea what the Mariners were thinking. None. I had to take two ibuprofen tablets after I learned about the deal so that I could write this analysis.
And on trading Rafael Soriano:
The Braves picked up their probable future closer in exchange for a player whom they almost certainly would have non-tendered next week. The Mariners made themselves worse for no apparent reason other than fear.
This is an outside observer with no rooting interest.
I have a hard time believing that the M's couldn't have gotten more for Soriano than they did. The rumors surrounding Mike Gonzalez involve the Pirates getting Melky Cabrera, who, along with Phillip Hughes, had previously been considered off-limits for trades. Soriano is younger and better than Gonzalez. How did the M's only get Horacio Ramirez?
Maybe the market is that bad. I mean, what do I know? Still, I'm no economist, but if the "market" was only allowing Bavasi to get less than fair-market value for good prospects, well, then maybe it was a good time to stay out of the market. The Ramirez trade could be justified by reasoning that the M's needed a starting pitcher to throw the ball every fifth day. So, I suppose there is an argument to be made that Bavasi was in a position where he had to take less than full value to get a starter to fill out the rotation.
But, is trading for an expensive, injury-plagued contact hitter to DH out of the second spot in the line-up really going to make a noticeable improvement in the team's offense? I can see not wanting to rush pitchers up from the minors before they are ready to take the full-load of a major league season, but why not just call up Jeff Clement to DH instead of getting rid of a young, talented hitter who just can't seem to stay healthy and a young, hard throwing pitcher who needs to work on his control? Those seem like the players that you gamble on. Why gamble $16 million over the next two years on Jose Vidro staying healthy at age 33?
It has been a frustrating week to be a Seattle sports fan. The Seahawks fell apart and failed to clinch against the 49ers at home. (For those who are reading this immediately after coming out of a coma that began in 1991: Joe Montana doesn’t play for the 49ers anymore.) The Hornets' owner announced that they are going back to/staying in New Orleans, leaving Oklahoma City without an NBA franchise. One would think that since the M's are not playing that they could at least avoid depressing their fan base. I guess that would be too much to ask.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Farkin' Hell
So when I said this...
We'll see what Bavasi is made of.
I didn't think Bill Bavasi would proceed to make baseball moves that a learning-disabled ferret could make.
I was planning on my next post being a heartfelt goodbye to Gil Meche, but then shit happened.
The hardest part about living across the country from the teams (and parents-love you Mom and Dad!!) you love is not being surrounded by fellow fans and therefore not being able to share your joys and frustrations on a daily basis. My Mariners lunch box (complete with the old school trident) isn't noticed by my co-workers, and certainly the majority of people I run into in Baltimore don't give a rat's ass that the Mariners have gutted their future for mediocre players.
Mariner fans have seen some bad trades. Especially this combination of deals. But, at least those were in the middle of a pennant race. The M's won the AL West that year. And, they filled a need. I'm just not seeing what Bill Bavasi is doing this time around.
I think there are three kinds of bad trades in baseball. The first two are judged immediately, and the third is judged in the long term:
1. Giving away quality players to get lesser players in return.
2. Trading for a similar player that comes at a much higher price.
3. Giving away prospects for veterans to "win now", only to see the veterans not produce and the prospects go onto stardom.
The Soriano trade covers the first one. The Vidro trade may just cover all three of those. Seriously....
1. Snelling and Fruto combined are more valuable than Vidro. Snelling and Vidro have essentially the same issues (injuries), but Snelling is younger, cheaper, and better. Fruto, as Chris pointed, is not the type of arm you just give away. Oh wait, the Mariners do just give away those types of arms.
2. Even if you consider Snelling and Vidro about even, Snelling comes much cheaper.
3. Vidro is declining, and the Mariners aren't going to win the Sequim, Washington 12-year old All-Star tournament with the team they're throwing out there this year.
This f'ing sucks.
We'll see what Bavasi is made of.
I didn't think Bill Bavasi would proceed to make baseball moves that a learning-disabled ferret could make.
I was planning on my next post being a heartfelt goodbye to Gil Meche, but then shit happened.
The hardest part about living across the country from the teams (and parents-love you Mom and Dad!!) you love is not being surrounded by fellow fans and therefore not being able to share your joys and frustrations on a daily basis. My Mariners lunch box (complete with the old school trident) isn't noticed by my co-workers, and certainly the majority of people I run into in Baltimore don't give a rat's ass that the Mariners have gutted their future for mediocre players.
Mariner fans have seen some bad trades. Especially this combination of deals. But, at least those were in the middle of a pennant race. The M's won the AL West that year. And, they filled a need. I'm just not seeing what Bill Bavasi is doing this time around.
I think there are three kinds of bad trades in baseball. The first two are judged immediately, and the third is judged in the long term:
1. Giving away quality players to get lesser players in return.
2. Trading for a similar player that comes at a much higher price.
3. Giving away prospects for veterans to "win now", only to see the veterans not produce and the prospects go onto stardom.
The Soriano trade covers the first one. The Vidro trade may just cover all three of those. Seriously....
1. Snelling and Fruto combined are more valuable than Vidro. Snelling and Vidro have essentially the same issues (injuries), but Snelling is younger, cheaper, and better. Fruto, as Chris pointed, is not the type of arm you just give away. Oh wait, the Mariners do just give away those types of arms.
2. Even if you consider Snelling and Vidro about even, Snelling comes much cheaper.
3. Vidro is declining, and the Mariners aren't going to win the Sequim, Washington 12-year old All-Star tournament with the team they're throwing out there this year.
This f'ing sucks.
What's Goin On?
The text message I received from Mike this morning:
The M's are killing me with these moves
But, before I address the Mariners directly, allow me to comment again on Daisuke Matsuzaka. When I saw that he signed for six years and $52 million (and yes, as far as I can tell, that was the front page, above-the-fold story in the Boston Globe this morning), I did some quick calculations. Now, I used to teach third graders about estimating, so I am pretty well versed in the art of mental math, and it comes out to less than $9 million per season for Matsuzaka. Of course, the Red Sox will have shelled out around $103 million total for Matsuzaka, or an average of over $17 million per season, but he will see just over half of that. (When I opened the paper this morning, I saw that Thomas Boswell came to the same conclusion: Scott Boros might actually be in the right this time.)
This made me immediately think: Wait a second, didn't the Mariners just sign Miguel Batista for 3 years and $27 million? And doesn't that come out to an even $9 million per year? And doesn't that mean that after all of the hype around Matsuzaka that Miguel Batista will be cashing bigger paychecks for the next three years? And isn't Batista 36? At least he doesn't pitch with his birth certificate.
And, then: Wait a second, didn't Gil freaking Meche just sign with the Kansas City freaking Royals for more money and fewer years? So, five years from now, Gil Meche will have made more money than Daisuke Matsuzaka and have the freedom to sign with any team he wants to the following year?
Something is obviously wrong with this whole posting system when the Seibu Lions just got a check for more than triple their entire payroll. Workers of the world unite!
Anyway, back to the Mariners. Welcome Jose Vidro. I actually heard about this trade last night on the local news here in D.C. George Michael reported on a trade that the Nationals had just completed with the Seattle Mariners, and did not at any point during the report identify the two minor leaguers that the Nationals had obtained. He closed his report thusly:
So, the Nationals have traded Jose Vidro (with an inflection that indicated that he equated Vidro's worth as somewhere in the range of Honus Wagner - a living Honus Wagner that is) for two minor leaguers that you will never hear of . . .
At this point in his sentence, it seemed to dawn on Mr. Michael that these two guys were going to play for the baseball team that his network covers on a regular basis, so he added:
until they become huge stars in the major leagues. And it will happen, but it won't happen in my lifetime.
It reminded me of my mother complaining about George Michael's anti-west coast bias in his national "Sports Machine" broadcasts when I was young. (But, if you are ever in the DC viewing area, don't miss the local NBC news on George's account - though, to be fair, I actually think he is pretty good most of the time - because Jim Vance of NBC 4 is probably among the top five news disseminators of all time. He is really that good.)
So I checked this morning, and it turns out that the Nats will be getting Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto. I guess getting rid of Snelling could be justified: he can't stay healthy, and the M's have a glut in the outfield. And, it's not like the M's just gave away an electric bullpen arm. Why would they want to hold on to a pitcher like Fruto and his 55/21 K/BB ratio at AAA last year and his 9.9 K/9 IP combined between AAA and the show who is only 22 and now has some major league experience under his belt and has improved in his second year at each level through the minors? Dime a dozen.
Well, at least they got something good in return. What did they get? I guess that depends on who you ask. ESPN.com suggests that they got a 2B and that Jose Lopez would move to 3B, allowing the M's to trade away Adrian Beltre. The P-I notes that Vidro played some at 1B last year. So, are they implying that Sexson gets traded? Finally, the Seattle Times lets us know that the only reason that Vidro waived his no-trade clause is because he was promised to be able to DH so he could rest his oft-injured legs. Nothing ironic there? You traded for a guy by convincing him that he will have a chance to rest the chronic injuries that have put his career in decline? And you agreed to take on the bulk of his salary to get it done too? Bavasi should be a hostage negotiator.
At least Jose is excited about his new team. Here is what he had to say in today's Washington Post:
I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to go to the American League and play for a team that has a pretty good shot. They have a legitimate lineup, and they're going to sign some pitchers. It's looking very good.
I wonder if he thinks the M's have a really great sense of humor too. "Pretty good shot" at what? Do you think by "legitimate" he meant that they had a good chance of finding nine players to fill each of the spots in the lineup?
You think he got a promise that Miguel Batista and Horacio Ramirez weren't the end of the road? Or, maybe he just forgot that the M's had already signed a pitcher. I wish I could.
The M's are killing me with these moves
But, before I address the Mariners directly, allow me to comment again on Daisuke Matsuzaka. When I saw that he signed for six years and $52 million (and yes, as far as I can tell, that was the front page, above-the-fold story in the Boston Globe this morning), I did some quick calculations. Now, I used to teach third graders about estimating, so I am pretty well versed in the art of mental math, and it comes out to less than $9 million per season for Matsuzaka. Of course, the Red Sox will have shelled out around $103 million total for Matsuzaka, or an average of over $17 million per season, but he will see just over half of that. (When I opened the paper this morning, I saw that Thomas Boswell came to the same conclusion: Scott Boros might actually be in the right this time.)
This made me immediately think: Wait a second, didn't the Mariners just sign Miguel Batista for 3 years and $27 million? And doesn't that come out to an even $9 million per year? And doesn't that mean that after all of the hype around Matsuzaka that Miguel Batista will be cashing bigger paychecks for the next three years? And isn't Batista 36? At least he doesn't pitch with his birth certificate.
And, then: Wait a second, didn't Gil freaking Meche just sign with the Kansas City freaking Royals for more money and fewer years? So, five years from now, Gil Meche will have made more money than Daisuke Matsuzaka and have the freedom to sign with any team he wants to the following year?
Something is obviously wrong with this whole posting system when the Seibu Lions just got a check for more than triple their entire payroll. Workers of the world unite!
Anyway, back to the Mariners. Welcome Jose Vidro. I actually heard about this trade last night on the local news here in D.C. George Michael reported on a trade that the Nationals had just completed with the Seattle Mariners, and did not at any point during the report identify the two minor leaguers that the Nationals had obtained. He closed his report thusly:
So, the Nationals have traded Jose Vidro (with an inflection that indicated that he equated Vidro's worth as somewhere in the range of Honus Wagner - a living Honus Wagner that is) for two minor leaguers that you will never hear of . . .
At this point in his sentence, it seemed to dawn on Mr. Michael that these two guys were going to play for the baseball team that his network covers on a regular basis, so he added:
until they become huge stars in the major leagues. And it will happen, but it won't happen in my lifetime.
It reminded me of my mother complaining about George Michael's anti-west coast bias in his national "Sports Machine" broadcasts when I was young. (But, if you are ever in the DC viewing area, don't miss the local NBC news on George's account - though, to be fair, I actually think he is pretty good most of the time - because Jim Vance of NBC 4 is probably among the top five news disseminators of all time. He is really that good.)
So I checked this morning, and it turns out that the Nats will be getting Chris Snelling and Emiliano Fruto. I guess getting rid of Snelling could be justified: he can't stay healthy, and the M's have a glut in the outfield. And, it's not like the M's just gave away an electric bullpen arm. Why would they want to hold on to a pitcher like Fruto and his 55/21 K/BB ratio at AAA last year and his 9.9 K/9 IP combined between AAA and the show who is only 22 and now has some major league experience under his belt and has improved in his second year at each level through the minors? Dime a dozen.
Well, at least they got something good in return. What did they get? I guess that depends on who you ask. ESPN.com suggests that they got a 2B and that Jose Lopez would move to 3B, allowing the M's to trade away Adrian Beltre. The P-I notes that Vidro played some at 1B last year. So, are they implying that Sexson gets traded? Finally, the Seattle Times lets us know that the only reason that Vidro waived his no-trade clause is because he was promised to be able to DH so he could rest his oft-injured legs. Nothing ironic there? You traded for a guy by convincing him that he will have a chance to rest the chronic injuries that have put his career in decline? And you agreed to take on the bulk of his salary to get it done too? Bavasi should be a hostage negotiator.
At least Jose is excited about his new team. Here is what he had to say in today's Washington Post:
I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to go to the American League and play for a team that has a pretty good shot. They have a legitimate lineup, and they're going to sign some pitchers. It's looking very good.
I wonder if he thinks the M's have a really great sense of humor too. "Pretty good shot" at what? Do you think by "legitimate" he meant that they had a good chance of finding nine players to fill each of the spots in the lineup?
You think he got a promise that Miguel Batista and Horacio Ramirez weren't the end of the road? Or, maybe he just forgot that the M's had already signed a pitcher. I wish I could.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
No Schmidt Sherlock
Or, as Fox put it-Schmidt happens.
So, it's Schmidt to the Dodgers. Interesting. Extremely interesting.
I wasn't a huge fan of signing Schmidt, but the M's absolutely have to bring in at least one quality pitcher. But, who? Zito has already been offered 6 years by Texas. No reason at all to give him 6 years. I don't even know if Johan Santana is worth a 6-year contract. That leaves Ted Lilly, who I like. Kinda. But, I worry about what he's going to demand on the market, especially now that Schmidt is gone. Meche? Um, no. Rumors have him gettin $10 million. Sorry, Gil, you know have a special place in my heart, but it's time to let go.
I commented on this in the other post, but I'm a huge fan of this this rumor. Essentially, it's Sexson and Soriano for Tim Hudson and Adam Laroche. Absolutely love that deal. Laroche is a good lefty power bat, and Hudson is not Gil Meche. If that goes down, the rotation would be:
Hudson
Felix
Washburn
Warm Body
Warm Body
Warm bodies = Woods, Baek, etc. I like the John Thomson idea as the #4 guy. That would be a pretty solid rotation. Not 95-win solid, but better than last year.
We'll see what Bavasi is made of.
So, it's Schmidt to the Dodgers. Interesting. Extremely interesting.
I wasn't a huge fan of signing Schmidt, but the M's absolutely have to bring in at least one quality pitcher. But, who? Zito has already been offered 6 years by Texas. No reason at all to give him 6 years. I don't even know if Johan Santana is worth a 6-year contract. That leaves Ted Lilly, who I like. Kinda. But, I worry about what he's going to demand on the market, especially now that Schmidt is gone. Meche? Um, no. Rumors have him gettin $10 million. Sorry, Gil, you know have a special place in my heart, but it's time to let go.
I commented on this in the other post, but I'm a huge fan of this this rumor. Essentially, it's Sexson and Soriano for Tim Hudson and Adam Laroche. Absolutely love that deal. Laroche is a good lefty power bat, and Hudson is not Gil Meche. If that goes down, the rotation would be:
Hudson
Felix
Washburn
Warm Body
Warm Body
Warm bodies = Woods, Baek, etc. I like the John Thomson idea as the #4 guy. That would be a pretty solid rotation. Not 95-win solid, but better than last year.
We'll see what Bavasi is made of.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Things happen on weekends
Especially when you don't have access to the Internet. Apparantly the Mariners have signed Jose Guillen. I like the signing for a few reasons I'll get into, but it inspired one of the funniest things I've read in a while from Jeff at Lookout Landing:
But, I do like the signing because it's low-risk and it shows Bavasi isn't getting sucked in by the this winter's insanity. Of course, there are plenty of crappy deals to be given to crappy players. Guillen can be flat-out nasty (both the good and bad) at times, but if he isn't (or is, depending on your definition), it's only a one year deal and the M's aren't stuck with him.
It looks like John Thomson is going to be a Mariner too. Again, I like the move for basically the same reasons as the Guillen signing. If the only crazy move the M's make this offseason is Jason Schmidt, I'll be fine with that. I can handle waiting until 2008 or 2009 to be competitive if it means avoiding this winter's insanity.
MLB.com owes me some sort of commission for the amount of links I just provided to their website.
I imagine a party with Jose Guillen involves Tecate by the gallon, militant graffiti, and at least one guy getting stabbed.
But, I do like the signing because it's low-risk and it shows Bavasi isn't getting sucked in by the this winter's insanity. Of course, there are plenty of crappy deals to be given to crappy players. Guillen can be flat-out nasty (both the good and bad) at times, but if he isn't (or is, depending on your definition), it's only a one year deal and the M's aren't stuck with him.
It looks like John Thomson is going to be a Mariner too. Again, I like the move for basically the same reasons as the Guillen signing. If the only crazy move the M's make this offseason is Jason Schmidt, I'll be fine with that. I can handle waiting until 2008 or 2009 to be competitive if it means avoiding this winter's insanity.
MLB.com owes me some sort of commission for the amount of links I just provided to their website.
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