I was able to go to the Mariners game on Friday night. The stadium was full of buzz as Cliff Lee was set to make his debut as a Seattle Mariner. He certainly did not disappoint as Rangers hitters looked seemingly lost against the Cy Young winner. He finished the night after pitching 7 innings of 3-hit ball with 8 strike outs and no walks. If any of you have the opportunity I say go see this guy live. It's really amazing to watch him work.
But for all the happy feelings I had from my first Cliff Lee experience, the joy was quickly ruined by the Mariners anemic offense and some questionable decisions from our manager Don Wakamatsu. Let me begin by saying I like Don Wakamatsu. I think he's done an unbelievable job not only bringing a clubhouse together but also performing his duties as a field manager. Unfortunately, on Friday night he made some decisions that I just can't agree with and regardless whether or not they led to a positive outcome, I had been questioning.
1) I believe it was in the tenth inning, but with the bases loaded and one out, Jack Wilson was stepping up to the plate. Jack Wilson is not a very good hitter but I have faith in him that he could at least avoid hitting into a double play. All he had to do was hit the ball into the outfield and we could go home happy Mariners fans excited about the prospect of our new pitcher. Instead Wakamatsu pinch hit Wilson with Mike Sweeney. The significance of this switch is two-fold; Sweeney, like Wilson, does not hit the ball well and once Wilson is out of the game we don't have a major league caliber backup shortstop. Sweeney immediately hit into a 6-4-3 double play and the threat was over. That next inning, Matt Tuiasosopo took over for Wilson at shortstop and actually factored in the outcome of the game as a 12th inning throwing error put the a Ranger runner on 2nd base.
2) After a leadoff single in the 11th inning by Ichiro Suzuki, Chone Figgins beat out a sacrifice bunt for a single. Runner now stood on 1st and 2nd with our best hitter, Franklin Gutierrez stepping to the plate. I thought a sacrifice bunt was possible, however considering the absolute lack of offense from anyone not hitting in the 1st or 3rd spot in the order, highly unlikely. Sure enough Wakamatsu had the sacrifice in effect and Gutierrez took two quick strikes before striking out. If any other batter had been at the plate I would not have thought twice about the decision, as it is, nobody on this team, outside of Ichiro and Gutierrez are even hitting the ball. Let's watch Guti excite the Safeco crowd.
This is only one game, and like I mentioned earlier, I'm a fan of what Wakamatsu has done with this team. But I'm hearing increasing rumblings about his mis-use of the bullpen and how he builds his lineups. Wak has one of the most difficult jobs in the majors, every day he has to decide who is going to DH and often that decision is between Griffey and Sweeney. There's obviously no reason to panic, but I'll definitely be keeping my eye on how Wak manages the lineup a bit more as games continue to be played.
Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seattle. Show all posts
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Friday, August 14, 2009
Every guy's worst nightmare
So...um...yeah...Adrian Beltre doesn't wear a cup. I mean, he only plays a position in Major League Baseball that has the hardest hit balls hit to. No biggie. But in the extra inning thriller against the Chicago White Sox, Beltre took a hard grounder straight to the nads off the bat of Alexi Ramirez. Ryan Divish at the Tacoma News Tribune does a better job explaining it than I can cause...let's be honest, I just don't have the stomach to even read about it...let alone describe it with words. Oh...Beltre played 5 innings following the injury and scored the game winning run. Unfortunately, on the downside, his testicles now bleed.
So, for all those little leaguers who somehow miraculously read The Bush Leagues without their parents knowing...this is why we all wear a protective cup...well except Beltre apparently.
So, for all those little leaguers who somehow miraculously read The Bush Leagues without their parents knowing...this is why we all wear a protective cup...well except Beltre apparently.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Apparently the M's almost traded The King
Per Baker, the M's were close to a deal that would have sent Felix Hernandez to Boston in a three team trade involving the Red Sox, San Diego Padres and Seattle. Of course this hasn't been confirmed and never will, but according to one of Baker's "sources" the deal would have netted the M's first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, pitcher Clay Buchholz and a couple other prospects (probably similar to the ones gained in the Washburn deal).
I'm not quite sure what I would have felt if the M's made this trade, if it was in fact under consideration. Let's take a look at what the entire trade would have looked like.
Boston gets:
Felix Hernandez (From Seattle)
Seattle gets:
Adrian Gonzalez (From San Diego)
Clay Buchholz (From Boston)
Minor League Players
San Diego gets:
Brandon Morrow (From Seattle)
Philippe Aumont (From Seattle)
Carlos Triunfel (From Seattle)
Prospects (From Boston)
Now, according to the story, the reasoning for declining the trade was Jack Z felt he could have leveraged a similar package for Felix next year and because of that, felt there was little need to pull the trigger. Here's what I think, the players in the deal didn't absolutely wow Z like they would need to in order to deal Felix. Don't get me wrong, Adrian Gonzalez might be the most dominant young left-hitting first baseman in the majors. But he's the only player who has proven himself in the majors. Buchholz, while good, does not have the experience to guarantee he won't bust.
Not to mention...look at what the Mariners would have been giving up to get Gonzalez and Buccholz. Two 1st round draft picks and the top prospect in the M's organization in Carlos Triunfel. Would this have helped the organization in the longer term? I don't think so, we would have given up three of our most prized pitching prospects. That would have killed our pitching staff for 2011. Now, who's to say whether this same deal won't get made next year, cause it could very much happen. But at this moment, I'm glad Jack held off on this one.
I'm not quite sure what I would have felt if the M's made this trade, if it was in fact under consideration. Let's take a look at what the entire trade would have looked like.
Boston gets:
Felix Hernandez (From Seattle)
Seattle gets:
Adrian Gonzalez (From San Diego)
Clay Buchholz (From Boston)
Minor League Players
San Diego gets:
Brandon Morrow (From Seattle)
Philippe Aumont (From Seattle)
Carlos Triunfel (From Seattle)
Prospects (From Boston)
Now, according to the story, the reasoning for declining the trade was Jack Z felt he could have leveraged a similar package for Felix next year and because of that, felt there was little need to pull the trigger. Here's what I think, the players in the deal didn't absolutely wow Z like they would need to in order to deal Felix. Don't get me wrong, Adrian Gonzalez might be the most dominant young left-hitting first baseman in the majors. But he's the only player who has proven himself in the majors. Buchholz, while good, does not have the experience to guarantee he won't bust.
Not to mention...look at what the Mariners would have been giving up to get Gonzalez and Buccholz. Two 1st round draft picks and the top prospect in the M's organization in Carlos Triunfel. Would this have helped the organization in the longer term? I don't think so, we would have given up three of our most prized pitching prospects. That would have killed our pitching staff for 2011. Now, who's to say whether this same deal won't get made next year, cause it could very much happen. But at this moment, I'm glad Jack held off on this one.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Welcome to Seattle Wilson and Snell!
So the rumors about Jeff Clement were true. Seattle traded SS Ronny Cedeño, C/1B/DH Jeff Clement and three minor league pitchers for SS Jack Wilson and minor league RHP Ian Snell.
Link
Jack Wilson will replace Cedeño as the starting SS for the M's. Wilson is signed through 2009 and has a club option of $8.4 million for 2010 which according to Buster Olney, the Pirates were not going to pick up. Since 2006 Wilson has had the fourth highest fielding percentage among major league shortstops.
Ian Snell is a 27-year-old talented right-handed pitcher who was sent down to AAA Indianapolis at the beginning of the year. During that time he has started six games going 2-2 with a 0.96 ERA striking out 47. Snell recently fell from the graces of heralded prospects in the Pirates organization. Snell was quoted as saying he would rather play for Indianapolis than Pittsburgh and when asked about Snell's contract extension Pirates GM Neil Huntington was quoted saying he made a huge mistake.
Ronny Cedeño was falling out of grace with the Mariners. He is currently stuck in a 0-25 slump and his only saving grace is his defense, which while good, is not spectacular.
Jeff Clement did not have a position on this team. He stopped catching for Tacoma early in the season and when you look at the AAA and MLB roster, there are plenty of left-handed 1B/DH types.
This trade makes sense all-around for the Mariners. Although they don't have any pitching depth in Single-A Clinton as all three minor leaguers are from there. But remember, Jarrod Washburn is still on the team. It will be interesting to see if that's still the case come 1:00 on Friday. Look for another middle infielder possibly?
Link
Jack Wilson will replace Cedeño as the starting SS for the M's. Wilson is signed through 2009 and has a club option of $8.4 million for 2010 which according to Buster Olney, the Pirates were not going to pick up. Since 2006 Wilson has had the fourth highest fielding percentage among major league shortstops.
Ian Snell is a 27-year-old talented right-handed pitcher who was sent down to AAA Indianapolis at the beginning of the year. During that time he has started six games going 2-2 with a 0.96 ERA striking out 47. Snell recently fell from the graces of heralded prospects in the Pirates organization. Snell was quoted as saying he would rather play for Indianapolis than Pittsburgh and when asked about Snell's contract extension Pirates GM Neil Huntington was quoted saying he made a huge mistake.
Ronny Cedeño was falling out of grace with the Mariners. He is currently stuck in a 0-25 slump and his only saving grace is his defense, which while good, is not spectacular.
Jeff Clement did not have a position on this team. He stopped catching for Tacoma early in the season and when you look at the AAA and MLB roster, there are plenty of left-handed 1B/DH types.
This trade makes sense all-around for the Mariners. Although they don't have any pitching depth in Single-A Clinton as all three minor leaguers are from there. But remember, Jarrod Washburn is still on the team. It will be interesting to see if that's still the case come 1:00 on Friday. Look for another middle infielder possibly?
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
At the break...
Here we are at the All-Star Break. We're a little past the half-way point of the season and to say that the Mariners are playing better than expected would be an understatement. At the beginning of the year I think I pegged them to be out of contention in mid-June.
We're in mid-July and the M's see themselves only 4.5 games behind division leader Los Angeles. I fully expected Erik Bedard to be playing for an east coast team that has visions of making the playoffs. I did not expect to see Russell Branyan close to being the league leader in home runs. And I sure as hell didn't see the M's sporting a record of 46-42.
So what's going on here? The truth is, this team is playing just as that...a team. When Beltre and Lopez struggled, Ichiro and Branyan stepped up. When Ichiro and Branyan cooled down, Lopez and Gutierrez got hot. This team is fun to watch because any given night a new hero steps forward. I went to the Texas Rangers game on Saturday night, and of all the people in the lineup...Rob Johnson hits a three-run homer to put the M's up for good. That kind of production from the bottom of the lineup is necessary for a team looking to contend for the playoffs.
On a side note...in that game Branyan hit probably one of the farthest home runs I think I've ever seen while at Safeco. His shot off the Las Vegas sign below the Hit It Here Cafe was nothing short of phenomenal.
But I digress...this team feeds off each other. They have each other's backs, they're accountable for their own mistakes and they're buying into the system. These are all things that weren't present with last year's ball club. The transformation this team has gone through in just 10 short months speaks volumes of the job that General Manager Jack Zduriencik and Field Manager Don Wakamatsu have done.
I'm not willing to jump whole-heartedly on the idea that this Mariners team is a playoff contender...yet. There are still some moves to be made before the end of July that will determine that. But half way through the season, I am more than impressed with this ball club and uncharacteristically hopeful for the second half and years to come.
It's been a great ride so far and can only get better from here.
We're in mid-July and the M's see themselves only 4.5 games behind division leader Los Angeles. I fully expected Erik Bedard to be playing for an east coast team that has visions of making the playoffs. I did not expect to see Russell Branyan close to being the league leader in home runs. And I sure as hell didn't see the M's sporting a record of 46-42.
So what's going on here? The truth is, this team is playing just as that...a team. When Beltre and Lopez struggled, Ichiro and Branyan stepped up. When Ichiro and Branyan cooled down, Lopez and Gutierrez got hot. This team is fun to watch because any given night a new hero steps forward. I went to the Texas Rangers game on Saturday night, and of all the people in the lineup...Rob Johnson hits a three-run homer to put the M's up for good. That kind of production from the bottom of the lineup is necessary for a team looking to contend for the playoffs.
On a side note...in that game Branyan hit probably one of the farthest home runs I think I've ever seen while at Safeco. His shot off the Las Vegas sign below the Hit It Here Cafe was nothing short of phenomenal.
But I digress...this team feeds off each other. They have each other's backs, they're accountable for their own mistakes and they're buying into the system. These are all things that weren't present with last year's ball club. The transformation this team has gone through in just 10 short months speaks volumes of the job that General Manager Jack Zduriencik and Field Manager Don Wakamatsu have done.
I'm not willing to jump whole-heartedly on the idea that this Mariners team is a playoff contender...yet. There are still some moves to be made before the end of July that will determine that. But half way through the season, I am more than impressed with this ball club and uncharacteristically hopeful for the second half and years to come.
It's been a great ride so far and can only get better from here.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Bush Leagues, now on video!
Hey everyone,
Just as Nick eluded to earlier this morning, we have in fact evolved as a Mariners news source. We are now offering video of our blogcast so all of you can see our interactions with each other and exactly what goes on when we record. Although I must admit, we do exactly what it sounds like we're doing...sitting on a chair clucking like a couple of hens about baseball. Not a bad way to pass the time.
Apologies for the sound at the end but I'm kind of new to video editing and my audio didn't quite sync with the video the way I had hoped. Please be patient as I go through the growing pains of digital video editing.
P.S. Garbs' hat says, "Chicks lay better in the morning."
Just as Nick eluded to earlier this morning, we have in fact evolved as a Mariners news source. We are now offering video of our blogcast so all of you can see our interactions with each other and exactly what goes on when we record. Although I must admit, we do exactly what it sounds like we're doing...sitting on a chair clucking like a couple of hens about baseball. Not a bad way to pass the time.
Apologies for the sound at the end but I'm kind of new to video editing and my audio didn't quite sync with the video the way I had hoped. Please be patient as I go through the growing pains of digital video editing.
P.S. Garbs' hat says, "Chicks lay better in the morning."
The Bush Leagues from Noah Banning on Vimeo.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Rich Hill is the Greatest Pitcher in All the Land!
Well...Either that or he was just pitching against the Mariners and their anemic offense. Regardless, Rich Hill looked amazing last night, and given that he's a left handed pitcher who throws a low-90s fastball, a 12-6 curve and a change, I was pretty impressed he worked the M's to the tune of 7 IP, 0 runs, 2 hits and 7 Ks. This year the M's have held their own against this type of pitcher.
The thing I noticed about Rich Hill watching last night's game and was apparent by the way the M's hitters just looked confused was that he has a very similar throwing motion for both his fastball and his curveball. His release point is nearly identical and because of that you see the M's hitters watch a perfect strike 3 fastball go by or flail aimlessly at a 2 strike curveball in the zone.
This was a frustrating game to watch as the M's wasted another great pitching performance, this time by Jarrod Washburn, and especially on the heels of that Angels series where it looked like the bats might finally come around.
I guess we'll see what happens tonight against David Hernandez with Erik Bedard on the bump for the M's.
The thing I noticed about Rich Hill watching last night's game and was apparent by the way the M's hitters just looked confused was that he has a very similar throwing motion for both his fastball and his curveball. His release point is nearly identical and because of that you see the M's hitters watch a perfect strike 3 fastball go by or flail aimlessly at a 2 strike curveball in the zone.
This was a frustrating game to watch as the M's wasted another great pitching performance, this time by Jarrod Washburn, and especially on the heels of that Angels series where it looked like the bats might finally come around.
I guess we'll see what happens tonight against David Hernandez with Erik Bedard on the bump for the M's.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
5 hours later...
The Mariners just won another series today, but it took 5 hrs and 5 mins to wrap up the rubber match with the A's. Today was an amazing game, with the A's taking the lead, the Mariners tieing it up, and so on for 15 innings! A couple of things I want to address about today's win.
Testicular Fortitude.
This team continues to show the ability to come from behind, something we haven't seen in Seattle for a while. They were down by two in the bottom of the nineth today, and Kenji Johjima stepped up and hit his 1st HR of the year, tieing it up and sending the game into extra innings. In the top of the 13th, the A's took a 3 run lead after Batista faltered. But in the next half inning, the M's battled back to tie game, and eventually, won it in the bottom of the 15th.
Jose "Mr. Clutch" Lopez.
For the second time in three days, Jose Lopez ends up winning the game with a basehit. On Friday, it was a 15 pitch at bat that was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. Battling off questionable pitch after pitch, he literally just outlasted Oakland's Russ Springer, sending a liner into right field, and the M's to victory. Today, with the bases loaded, he parachuted one in front of the left fielder to lock up the win. Lopez is having a great season, leading the team in RBI's with 17, and proving he is a guy you want up in a clutch situation.
Bullpen comes through, one more time.
The bullpen really came through today, keeping the A's in check after Jak left after 4.1 innings, holding Oakland scoreless from the 6th on in to the 13th inning, before Batista gave up 3. Justin Vargas, who we got in the trade for JJ Putz during the winter, then came in and shut the A's down and ended up getting his first win as a Mariner. He looked extremely impressive with a low 90's fastball and a decent breaking ball. Just another example as to why I think this team is going to be dangerous if they get a shot at post season play down the road.
Wins like today and Friday are what we as M's fans have been waiting for. These are the games that we are talking about when we say, win or lose, this team will be exciting to watch. They have the talent and moxy to come from behind, and the more times they do it, the more confidence they will gain. Great to see us put some distance between us and AL West.
Go M's
Nick
Testicular Fortitude.
This team continues to show the ability to come from behind, something we haven't seen in Seattle for a while. They were down by two in the bottom of the nineth today, and Kenji Johjima stepped up and hit his 1st HR of the year, tieing it up and sending the game into extra innings. In the top of the 13th, the A's took a 3 run lead after Batista faltered. But in the next half inning, the M's battled back to tie game, and eventually, won it in the bottom of the 15th.
Jose "Mr. Clutch" Lopez.
For the second time in three days, Jose Lopez ends up winning the game with a basehit. On Friday, it was a 15 pitch at bat that was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. Battling off questionable pitch after pitch, he literally just outlasted Oakland's Russ Springer, sending a liner into right field, and the M's to victory. Today, with the bases loaded, he parachuted one in front of the left fielder to lock up the win. Lopez is having a great season, leading the team in RBI's with 17, and proving he is a guy you want up in a clutch situation.
Bullpen comes through, one more time.
The bullpen really came through today, keeping the A's in check after Jak left after 4.1 innings, holding Oakland scoreless from the 6th on in to the 13th inning, before Batista gave up 3. Justin Vargas, who we got in the trade for JJ Putz during the winter, then came in and shut the A's down and ended up getting his first win as a Mariner. He looked extremely impressive with a low 90's fastball and a decent breaking ball. Just another example as to why I think this team is going to be dangerous if they get a shot at post season play down the road.
Wins like today and Friday are what we as M's fans have been waiting for. These are the games that we are talking about when we say, win or lose, this team will be exciting to watch. They have the talent and moxy to come from behind, and the more times they do it, the more confidence they will gain. Great to see us put some distance between us and AL West.
Go M's
Nick
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