tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60727292011-04-21T20:25:35.368-07:00<i>No matter how cynical you get, it's impossible to keep up. - Lily Tomlin</i>Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comBlogger6001100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1103369242539115442004-12-18T03:22:00.000-08:002004-12-18T03:27:22.540-08:00

It's time now. It's probably past time. But it's definitely time. This is the last post at Mariners Wheelhouse. I’ve been delaying the inevitable. I've known that I can't put the time in that I've done in the past. But when I read Brian’s comments at Redbird Nation, I knew it was the end. Brian's situation is virtually identical with mine, but he expresses it much more eloquently than I

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1103368911484445912004-12-18T02:43:00.000-08:002004-12-20T06:57:08.896-08:00

I got out of the car and looked around as my eyes adjusted from the tinted car interior to the bright outside sunlight. I saw what I was looking for - five chairs set up on the grass, about 50 feet away. Then I looked further to the horizons. It was a fine early September day in western Minnesota. It was actually cool for the week after Labor Day, and a bit breezy, but the sun was shining

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1100128378326080642004-11-10T15:11:00.000-08:002004-11-10T15:12:58.326-08:00

Reds sign infielder A.J. Zapp to minor league deal, invite him to camp

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099689141597710202004-11-05T13:08:00.000-08:002004-11-05T13:15:10.993-08:00

The fired manager of a 99-loss team gets hired to turn things around for a 111-loss team. Only in the good old U.S. of A.! Could a D'Backs trade for Willie Bloomquist now be in the works?

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099675066764713762004-11-05T09:13:00.000-08:002004-11-05T12:19:35.240-08:00

Dodgers Have an Interest in Radke Thanks to Rob at 6-4-2 blog for the link to this LA Times article. Added note: I forgot that that LA Times requires soul-sucking registration. Thanks to Grant's note for mentioning that. The gist of the article is simply that DePodesta has apparently contacted Radke's agent. Also, although the Angels are also looking for starting pitching, they have not

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099633377620353312004-11-04T21:27:00.000-08:002004-11-04T21:42:57.620-08:00

Over at Dodger Thoughts, Jon Weisman posted an excerpt from The Dodgers: 120 Years of Dodger Baseball by Glenn Stout and Richard A. Johnson. Jon's excerpt is the entire Chapter 14, covering the years 1967-1976. It's an interesting read, with intriguing parallels between the Dodgers of the late 1960's and the current Mariners situation. And for both teams, the manager was named Bavasi. If you

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099629067573779672004-11-04T20:24:00.000-08:002004-11-04T20:31:07.573-08:00

I updated links in the right sidebar. I removed cobweblogs, and added a few active blogs that I should have added before.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099625673222905232004-11-04T18:56:00.000-08:002004-11-04T19:34:33.223-08:00

Adrain Beltre is one of the free agents the Mariners are likely to pursue. At various fans sites I've seen comments questioning whether the Mariners will be able to compete with the Dodgers for Beltre, the premise being that the Dodger's are a big market team that can easily resign him. While the Dodgers are a team that operates in a big market, the Dodgers' capitalization is a financial house

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099580436806101802004-11-04T06:57:00.000-08:002004-11-04T07:00:36.806-08:00

From today's Kitsap Sun: It got so bad this year that he could barely push off his back leg when he swung the bat. An exam revealed the cartilage damage and he had surgery on Sept. 16. After six weeks on crutches, doctors cleared Jacobsen on Monday to put all his weight on his right leg and continue building strength in it. "I'm not at full speed, but I'm at ahead of schedule," he said. "The

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099577842669329722004-11-04T05:57:00.000-08:002004-11-04T06:17:22.670-08:00

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Mariners have expressed strong interest in Brad Radke. The PP also indicates that a deal for Radke is likely to be at least two years and $15 million, or $8.5 million per year if the second year is not backloaded. A contract such as that would use up most of the $13 million that Seattle Times writer Bob Finnigan claims the Mariners have available

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099362369271959282004-11-01T18:21:00.000-08:002004-11-01T18:26:09.273-08:00

As expected, the Mariners declined their $6 million option on Eddie Guardado for next year. Guardado is now free to sign with another team if he wishes, or he can exercise his option to the return the Mariners for $4 million, his salary last year. If there is another team out there willing to pay more than $4 million for Guardado, they can probably pick him up. Given the Yankees bullpen

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1099326918339637202004-11-01T08:04:00.000-08:002004-11-01T08:35:18.340-08:00

Grazing through all of the sites speculating about Mariner moves this off-season, I have two principal reactions: Many fans are focusing too heavily on the free agent market. The Mariners have money to spend, and money is at least as valuable in trades as in the free agent market. I expect that the Mariners will make a strong and early push for the free agents they most want. If the Mariners

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1098941799131238552004-10-27T22:27:00.000-07:002004-10-27T22:36:39.130-07:00

A note for those faithful few readers still visiting the Wheelhouse after this long hiatus. Due to pressing personal issues, I've needed to discontinue blogging almost entirely. This situation will likely continue for at least several more months. If I do get some time, there are comments I would like to make about what I expect from Bavasi and the Mariners this offseason, some reactions to

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1096562546986149972004-09-30T08:51:00.000-07:002004-09-30T09:54:40.970-07:00

Last night Bobby Madritsch threw 133 pages in a game that is meaningless to the Mariners in the standings. As David Cameron notes at USS Mariner, Madritsch is averaging 110.4 pitches per start, 4th highest total in the majors. Only Jason Schmidt, Livan Hernandez, and Carlos Zambrano are averaging more P/GS than Mads. Madritsch’s 138 pitch effort last night (ed note; it was actually 133 pitches

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1096385660266729332004-09-28T08:30:00.000-07:002004-09-28T09:21:08.200-07:00

So the Dark Lord of Mordor called his minions, the terrible ringwraiths, a collection of nine once noble All-Stars turned awful by greed and hatred. Go to Batgirl for the rest of Lord of the Rings: Part One

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1095704470434598792004-09-20T10:31:00.000-07:002004-09-20T11:22:19.793-07:00

Time demands are still forcing me to cut down on blogging, but this simply cannot pass without mention. According to this item from Ken Rosenthal, Bavasi thinks it would be a good idea to make Madritsch a closer because of his mentality. Here's the full item from Rosenthal's column, including Rosenthal's quote of Bavasi: "Whitey (Herzog) always said to build a staff from the back -- start with

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1095455125121753622004-09-17T13:29:00.000-07:002004-09-17T14:06:29.530-07:00

From the Daily Southtown (Tinley Park, Illinois) last Wednesday after the Twins beat the White Sox 10-2 and went up 11-1/2 games on the Sox with 18 to play. Yes, the American League Central Division title has all but been conceded to Minnesota for a third consecutive season, as a 10-2 Twins victory the Metrodome just about put the final nail in the Sox coffin. However, several Sox players said

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1095143769270309482004-09-13T23:27:00.000-07:002004-09-14T07:45:56.416-07:00

Batgirl gives us a Legovision lesson that when a stoppable force (Terry Tiffee) encounters an immovable object (Pudge Rodriguez), life is better if you are the immovable object rather than the stoppable force. Tiffee has a separated shoulder, and is out three to six weeks according to the AP game recap. Since this little encounter will bring up bad memories for Tiffee, Batgirl nees to ensure

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094939994406798272004-09-11T14:56:00.000-07:002004-09-11T15:57:16.553-07:00

If it didn't suck, would it not then suck? And if it did suck, would that not mean it didn't suck?

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094938194380355352004-09-11T14:21:00.000-07:002004-09-11T14:29:54.380-07:00

I had mixed emotions watching Masao Kida pitching last night. I never like to see the Mariners get pummeled. But since Kida was picked up, I've had a nagging fear that the Mariners are considering him as a possible addition to next year's bullpen. Veteran experience, and all of that. Seeing Kida get lit up gave me more hope that Kida will be nothing but end of season roster filler. I hate

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094762228103360792004-09-09T13:34:00.000-07:002004-09-09T13:37:08.103-07:00

Check out the third picture from the top in this real estate ad.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094745507904949092004-09-09T08:53:00.000-07:002004-09-09T09:00:47.313-07:00

Peter over at Mariner Musings has a nice post today on Bucky Jacobsen's strikeout rates, with some interesting comparisons with some "valued" Mariners who strike out nearly as often but with far less offensive production. It's another brush stroke in the emerging picture that shows this season has not caused the Mariners Front Office to recalibrate much of their thinking.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094721029311017212004-09-09T02:10:00.000-07:002004-09-09T15:34:16.293-07:00

We get a double whammy today from Mariners Notebook in the P-I, by Andriessen and Hickey:The Mariners already have had left fielder Raul Ibanez working out at first base. The plan was to work him in some at first base in the next week or so, but the timetable might be moved up without Jacobsen available. Ibanez, who has caught and played third base in the past, has played left and right field

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094659281361206072004-09-08T08:44:00.000-07:002004-09-08T09:01:21.363-07:00

Despite the callups from roster expansion, Melvin announced that they wouldn't play much, because, We owe it to the league and ourselves to put our best team on the field against teams fighting for the postseason. Isn't that interesting? Makes me wonder what else is going on Melvin's mind these days. For two years now we've watched Melvin not put his best team on the field. What's suddenly

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094355310252190342004-09-04T20:34:00.000-07:002004-09-04T20:37:02.470-07:00

Ichiro is torrid right now. He's so locked in that he's in the "hit bouncing pitches" mode, which he showed us on one foul ball today. After going 5 for 5 today, Ichiro is at 223 hits for the season, with 35 games left to play. I think Ichiro is on a mission to show that he can play ball on a totally different level from anyone else. At this point, I think he will easily pass George Sisler's

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094346006292298432004-09-04T17:51:00.000-07:002004-09-04T18:00:06.293-07:00

Someone (Joe Morgan? Buster Olney?) needs to teach Ozzie Guillen the proper way to play baseball. Teams win by putting the ball in play, sacrificing and making productive outs, and putting the game in motion. The White Sox aren't doing any of those things tonight. How do they expect to win the game? Aren't we all glad the Mariners brass built this team in Spring Training to play the game

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094270431490583862004-09-03T20:53:00.000-07:002004-09-03T21:02:01.506-07:00

Sometime today the site hit counter said Mariners Wheelhouse had it's 100,000th visitor. I started this little endeavor last November mostly as a respository for some posts I was making at the P-I blog about what the Mariners could expect to get for Freddy Garcia if they traded him before the arbitration deadline. I sat on it for a couple of weeks, then decided to become more visible right

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094241803242780662004-09-03T13:49:00.000-07:002004-09-03T13:13:25.756-07:00

Batgirl, the Mariners Wheelhouse officially endorsed blogger for the Minnesota Twins (the Mariners Wheelhouse officially endorsed #2 team) is gallivanting in the nether regions of Newfoundland. Batgirl is, if nothing else, a creature of refined sensibility and utmost sensitivity. So far be it from her to leave her dear readers bereft of Batdroppings, Batmusings, and other assorted sass.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094100110963719802004-09-01T21:31:00.000-07:002004-09-01T21:41:50.963-07:00

It was Be Kind to Your Geezer Night at the Metrodome tonight. Gardie couldn't wait to get Borders in the lineup, so he had Borders catching in Mulholland's start tonight. That may have been the oldest battery combination in the majors this year. It worked, for one night anyway, as Mulholland held the Rangers to two runs and eight hits over six innings. Not dominating, but it kept the Twins

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094068436358537312004-09-01T12:52:00.000-07:002004-09-01T12:54:14.740-07:00

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094065527821452882004-09-01T12:04:00.000-07:002004-09-01T12:05:27.820-07:00

Corey has broken his silence! Welcome back, Corey.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094064870847883732004-09-01T11:50:00.000-07:002004-09-01T11:55:09.533-07:00

In my post on Mariners Pitching Medicine Mess last January, I listed Mariners pitchers I was aware of who have had majaor arm injuries in recent years. That list came from my memory banks and a bit of googling. Below is an update to that list. Please add a comment or send me an e-mail if you are aware of any changes that should be made to the list.Gil Meche Ryan Anderson Roger Salkeld Jeff

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094058268867392092004-09-01T09:35:00.000-07:002004-09-01T11:56:02.460-07:00

USS Mariner mentioned yesterday that Blackley apparently is the latest Mariner pitcher to go down with a serious arm injury. Blackley may be going under the knife for a rotator cuff repair. I've previously discussed Mariners pitching medicine. In that piece I mention the 3-D video analysis of pitchers motions that is done at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham. In this

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094053754414935962004-09-01T08:44:00.000-07:002004-09-01T10:32:46.366-07:00

In Boston last night, Curt Schilling went 7-2/3 innings, giving up three runs. Mike Timlin finished the 8th, facing two batters and allowing one inherited runner to score. Boston had a 10-3 lead, setting the stage for one of the worst performances of the season by a pitcher not named Kevin Jarvis. Francona tapped Mike Myers to pitch the ninth inning for Boston last night. Here is a summary of

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094020739125016052004-08-31T23:36:00.000-07:002004-08-31T23:38:59.126-07:00

Five wins in a row. Time for the Mariner Optimist to emerge from hiding and return to his home base. Waitin' to hear from you, Corey!

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094020416799336202004-08-31T23:21:00.000-07:002004-09-01T09:15:43.896-07:00

In the Mariners half of the 8th inning, Jacobsen showed again why he's fun to watch. Ligtenberg was following the scouting reports, giving Bucky slow breaking balls low and away. So with two strikes Bucky reached down and tapped the ball to right field with an easy, half arm swing. It was the kind of swing that for most players produces a lazy fly ball if they get under it, or a weak sinking

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1094019486896712422004-08-31T22:54:00.000-07:002004-09-01T09:15:02.086-07:00

In case there was any remaining doubt, today Randy Winn again showed why he is not a center fielder. In the 7th inning, Delgado was on first after singling. Hinske hit a fly ball close to the warning track in right center. Both Winn and Ichiro had an easy play on the ball and Winn took over, catching it as he was drifting to his left (toward right field). When Delgado saw that Winn was

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1093984840891429832004-08-31T13:35:00.000-07:002004-08-31T13:40:40.890-07:00

Reports are out that the Mariners have traded Pat Borders to the Minnesota Twins for B.J. Garbe, a former Twins No. 1 pick from Moses Lake. No problem with this trade. Garbe is pretty close to being a total bust, so the Twins didn't really give up anything to get Borders. And Borders has little value to the Mariners at this point, so it's worth dealing Borders for the slim hope that Garbe

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1093858255381492502004-08-30T02:28:00.000-07:002004-08-30T02:30:55.380-07:00

Blogging here will be sporadic for at least the next several weeks due to overwhelming work and personal demands. You'll just need to get your pessimism elsewhere, I guess. One more win, though, and the Mariner Optimist should come back to life. I hope the team comes through for you, Corey!

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1093728236522440372004-08-28T14:22:00.000-07:002004-08-28T14:23:56.523-07:00

On Bucky's home run in the 4th inning, you could clearly hear the THWACK of the bat before Niehaus' call. I knew right away Jacobsen had connected and the ball was gone if it was fair and had air. I don't recall ever hearing the sound of bat hitting ball that clearly and sharply on a radiocast.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1093500441845736962004-08-25T21:32:00.000-07:002004-08-26T11:49:10.450-07:00

The table below shows Ron Villone's monthly splits for this season along with his season to date and career to date numbers. Period ERA BAA WHIP K/9 K/BB ------ ---- ----- ---- ---- ---- April 4.80 0.241 1.53 6.00 1.11 May 2.55 0.186 1.10 5.76 1.38 June 2.57 0.200 1.29 7.07 1.38 July 2.13 0.213 1.31 6.45 1.38

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092696618025710932004-08-16T15:39:00.000-07:002004-08-16T15:50:18.026-07:00

Walked in the door from a beach visit just in time to catch the women's eight rowing event. Got to see the US team, which includes family friend Anna Mickelson, set a new world record in the preliminary heats. Cool!!!

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092213273212422552004-08-11T01:29:00.000-07:002004-08-11T01:36:27.040-07:00

Blogging will be less frequent the next couple of weeks as the Wheelhouse sets course for two weeks on Kaua‘i. I intend to sit on a beach, drink rum-POG, and enjoy some Anne Ursu, Sara Paretsky, and V.S. Naipaul. And collect my thoughts on Edgar's retirement announcement.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092212401788799312004-08-11T01:18:00.000-07:002004-08-11T01:21:25.026-07:00

During last night's game we also learned that Soriano has a torn elbow ligament and will probably require Tommy John surgery. Meanwhile, Guardado has a torn rotator cuff. It could be worse, I suppose. When Guardado was diagnosed with "dead arm", I figured he had dreaded Meche disease, the torn or frayed labrum. I've said pretty much everything I think I can say or need to say about the

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092212305673191062004-08-11T00:57:00.000-07:002004-08-11T10:26:16.760-07:00

Regular Wheelhouse readers know that my heart has been stolen by a Batgirl (the Mariners Wheelhouse officially endorsed Twins blogger). Several weeks ago I lamented that she didn't even know I existed. Now, though, not only has she noticed us peering at her through our scope, she even semaphored back. It's enough to make us drop our sextants. Batgirl has often helped us weather the stormy

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092211044820683462004-08-11T00:50:00.000-07:002004-08-11T01:43:28.190-07:00

I think most of us are simultaneously awed by and envious of those people who continually do the exact proper thing at the precise opportune moment. We see those people, and content ourselves knowing that we have seen the best at their finest. So it is with Edgar. His first at bat after announcing his retirement. Standing ovation from the crowd. Two-run jack to give the Mariners a lead in

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092178239023239102004-08-10T15:20:00.000-07:002004-08-10T15:50:39.023-07:00

Apparently Baek is being sent down, and Bocachica is being recalled. David Cameron (USS Mariner, first post on August 10) notes that Baek was not up long enough for this to count as an option year for Baek. Winn continues to show he is a center fielder in name only, with his latest gaffe giving Tampa Bay an extra run in the sixth inning of Sunday's game. With Tino Martinez on second, Upton

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092079774135257432004-08-09T12:26:00.000-07:002004-08-09T21:22:47.163-07:00

Edgar will make a "major announcement" at 2:30 this afternoon. Update: Edgar does announce that this will be his last season. I need several days to think about this before I post about it.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1092061006668298282004-08-09T06:59:00.000-07:002004-08-09T07:16:46.666-07:00

As Rick Rizzs and Dave Hendu-Valle like to remind us, Scott Spiezio is one of the top clutch hitters in baseball. Never mind the batting average, Spiezio gets his hits when they are most needed. Well, let's check Spiezio's hitting in various situations this season to see: SituationAVGOBPSLGOPSNone On0.2290.3070.3470.654Runners On0.1790.2480.3310.579None On and None Out0.2340.3370.3250.662None

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091735501195111312004-08-05T12:49:00.000-07:002004-08-05T12:51:41.196-07:00

Spider-Man 2 - in Legos

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091734528338179422004-08-05T12:32:00.000-07:002004-08-05T12:35:28.336-07:00

From the San Diego Union-TribuneBochy said Cirillo "wanted his release," and Loretta, who spoke with him, said Cirillo wasn't dejected. "I don't know if this spells the end of the road or not," Loretta said.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091683481279135522004-08-04T22:23:00.000-07:002004-08-04T22:25:19.596-07:00

Explain to me again why the Mariners didn't move Myers for anything they could get?

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091680122249831282004-08-04T21:28:00.000-07:002004-08-04T21:36:08.566-07:00

Adam at Texas Rangers blog has a nice discussion of reactions to the trade deadline activities of Theo Epstein (Red Sox) and Paul DePodesta (Dodgers). The interesting thing about the deadline trades to me, though, we the different ways in which two of the major players -- the Boston Red Sox and the L.A. Dodgers -- were portrayed. … Strictly on a talent basis, the Red Sox got hosed, although

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091634461287891122004-08-04T08:42:00.000-07:002004-08-04T08:50:46.663-07:00

I think we can all agree that the Mariners truly suck this season. But, dear readers, set that aside for a moment and imagine that the Mariners completely turned things around for the rest of this season. Wave your magic wand, pluck your magic twanger, dream the impossible dream, and just suppose that, henceforth, the Mariners not only didn't suck, they actually became the total opposite of "

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091603644483085282004-08-03T23:55:00.000-07:002004-08-04T00:19:25.606-07:00

I've been very busy lately, not leaving much time for blogging. So on with some miscellaneous items I've been collecting. In today's second game, Bucky Jacobsen goes 3 for 4. Below is his line for this year, along with his MLE for last season (where he was in AA ball at Tennessee in the Southern League): YEAR AB BA OBP SLG OPS 2004 56 .321 .424 .661 1.085 2003* 447 .298 .379

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091252930148964022004-07-30T22:44:00.000-07:002004-07-30T22:48:50.146-07:00

A blogosphere welcome to House that Edgar Built, apparently the newest Mariners blogger. I guess thsre's nothing like desperation to roust that inner blogger hiding in all of us.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091176486675824392004-07-30T00:41:00.000-07:002004-07-30T01:34:46.676-07:00

Over at 6-4-2, Rob McMillin has his commentary on last night's game with the Mariners. Rob discusses the play in the bottom of the 12th inning, when Guerrero dropped a ball into center field in front of Randy Winn, with Garret Anderson on first base and no outs. Anderson advanced to third, while Guerrero got caught in a rundown between first and second. Rob offers two explanations for

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091052557921323472004-07-28T14:00:00.000-07:002004-07-28T15:25:43.320-07:00

Bob Melvin really knows how to play with people's heads. There we were in the top of the 9th in last night's game, Leone having hot a two run homer to get the Mariners back within one. But Sherrill gives up a homer to Chavez, and the Mariners are down two going into the ninth as Dotel comes in to close the game for the A's. Dotel promply hits Olivo leading off the 9th, and the Mariners appear

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091029518785453062004-07-28T08:31:00.000-07:002004-07-28T08:45:18.786-07:00

I'm sittin' here thinking just how sharp I am …If the Mariners want to salvage something from this season, they should immediately get in the market for Kris Benson, then make sure this woman sits in the Mariners wives section every night. Combine that with Mark Kotsay's Wife photo night, and that's a promo that would make even the most jaded Edgar bobblehead nod. Of course, since the Mariners

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091021099502737382004-07-28T01:58:00.000-07:002004-07-28T08:01:53.196-07:00

Corey Koskie got drilled three times in Twins-White Sox game last night. Maybe you saw the hightlights on Baseball Tonight, but you didn't see them in LegoVision. Complete with the brawl that the networks didn't show. Ben Davis gets it started, throwing slurs at both the Twins and Canada. The villainous Darth Thomas appears. Don Zimmer makes a cameo appearance. And we learn that Spiderman

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1091001966963129562004-07-28T01:02:00.000-07:002004-07-28T01:06:06.963-07:00

An interesting note from the Oakland A's this year is the emergence of Eric Chavez as a potent bat against left-handed pitching. Prior to this year, Chavez could be effectively neutralized by having him face a lefthander in critical game situatioons. The table below shows Chavez' lefty-rightly splits for the last three seasons. Eric Chavez Lefty-Righty Batting Splits vs. Left

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090997562276461712004-07-27T23:37:00.000-07:002004-07-27T23:52:42.276-07:00

A couple of days ago I posted Dan Wilson's batting statistics for the year, and surmised that we might witness an assault by Dan on the Cirillo line. But I completely overlooked another player who is also challenging the Cirillo Line - Scott Spiezio. And, unlike Wilson, Spiezio was signed specifically to bring more offense. So let's take a look at how our Spiezio is doing in comparison to the

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090886537546210782004-07-26T16:55:00.000-07:002004-07-26T17:59:31.893-07:00

From Ken Rosenthal at Fox Sports/Sporting News: Mariners righthander Joel Pineiro may have a torn elbow ligament that could require ligament-transplant surgery which would sideline him for 12 to 18 months, according to a source with knowledge of the pitcher's condition. Pineiro, 25, is expected to be sidelined for a significant period of time, but a final determination on his condition has not

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090679876388585232004-07-24T07:34:00.000-07:002004-07-24T07:37:56.386-07:00

Batgirl (Mariners Wheelhouse officially approved blogger for the Twins, the Mariners Wheelhouse officially approved #2 team) offers a non-violent way to address situations such as Vlad's coming unglued in last night's game. Pine tar. All you need is pine tar.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090646352161533302004-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:002004-07-24T08:01:38.556-07:00

There I was, all comfy in front of the TV, and hoping the best for Moyer. I had the added distraction of trying to figure out if Bill Krueger was any better than Ron Fairly. He doesn't spout any Fairlyisms, but he also suffers from Hendu-Valle Fawning Syndrome. Anyway, with all of those matters pressing on me, I completely failed to pay attention to the Mariners batting order in the bottom of

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090481107920726822004-07-22T00:24:00.000-07:002004-07-22T00:25:07.920-07:00

If this had happened at Safeco, he would have been wearing garlic fries.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090460380602744192004-07-21T18:36:00.000-07:002004-07-21T18:54:48.943-07:00

A quick take on the Mariners dropping Bocachica to add Madritsch.Toolsy outfielders, filling the fringes of a roster, are easily replaceable commodities and make a poor foundation for a contending team. Perhaps the Mariners have realized this? Given the condition of the pitching staff after the Boston series, the Mariners probably want to get an extra pitcher on the staff. If the rumored trade

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090309099425063282004-07-19T23:58:00.000-07:002004-07-20T00:38:19.426-07:00

Gad!! Are there any worse announcers in baseball than Rick Rizzs and Hendu-Valle? Besides the usual tortured inanities and banalities, tonight we are treated to:Effusive praise for Boone's hustle turning a single into a double in the sixth on a ball that caroms off of Arroyo's leg. Over and over we hear the praise for Boone's hustle and how it was a great heads up play. It was an idiotic play

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090285572274620712004-07-19T17:55:00.000-07:002004-07-20T23:26:58.156-07:00

Just the Usual Old Cameron Cameron steals Phils' hope: When the ball left Doug Glanville's bat, Al Leiter and the New York Mets thought it was big trouble. Suddenly, Mike Cameron swooped in and made a play that both teams were still buzzing about after the Mets' 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.After a dreadful May, when Cameron hit .169 / .258 / .313, Cameron hit .245 /

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090281710779433172004-07-19T16:54:00.000-07:002004-07-19T17:01:50.780-07:00

Taking inspiration from Raul Tavares of the Dominican Players blog, I light-heartedly suggested several days ago that Major League Baseball should replace the change the All-Star Game format from American League vs. National League to Dominican Republic vs. the Rest of the World. I guess I inspired James Crockett, of Just North of Wrigley Field, because, in his comments on my post, he put

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1090275390851532192004-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:002004-07-19T19:15:39.266-07:00

Well, this season has found the ever-patient and loyal Mariner faithful wandering aimlessly through the Wilderness of 2004. We've grumbled, we've complained, we've murmured, and we've moaned. Some of us, in desperation and misery, have even forsaken our team and started worshipping at other tabernacles. But perhaps the god of baseball, who knows our suffering, is merciful and has sent Bucky

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089996871956677972004-07-16T09:53:00.000-07:002004-07-16T09:54:31.956-07:00

A Wheelhouse Welcome to the latest addition to the Mariners blogosphere - Evening Perambulations.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089994988113937592004-07-16T09:19:00.000-07:002004-07-16T11:33:36.346-07:00

Batgate Revisited Thanks to Cleveland Indians Report for reminding us of the tenth anniversary of "Batgate". Batgirl Dreams I admit it - Batgirl has smitten my heart, but like the verse from a Roy Orbison tune or the subplot from a DC Comic, she doesn't know I exist. Sighhhh!!  So I just admire her from afar. Unrequited passion makes stronger drama, so it's better this way. It really is;

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-108998959661607862004-07-16T07:49:00.000-07:002004-07-16T07:53:16.616-07:00

Gil Meche started last night for Tacoma in Fresno.  So all of the trade talk rumors, including my previous speculations, were probably unfounded. Never mind …

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089961973570646052004-07-16T00:09:00.000-07:002004-07-16T00:15:04.770-07:00

I caught only the last three innings of tonight's game, and I'm very pressed for time.  So several quick comments. Congratulations to Justin Leone!  It sure is nice to see a Mariner put a ball in the second deck in left field.   In the portion of the game that I saw, I thought there was palpable difference in the atmosphere and attitude surrounding the club.  Leading into the All Star Break, it

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089883198701534632004-07-15T02:18:00.000-07:002004-07-15T02:19:58.700-07:00

Olerud is the current Mariner who departs to make room for Bucky Jacobsen. It's been obvious for quite some time that signficant changes to the roster were needed, and there's been a growing din among fans and in the local meadia for the team to do something, anything. In the face of the public reaction, the Mariners face has generally been remained impassive and detached, as they have done

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089852430304322122004-07-14T17:43:00.000-07:002004-07-14T17:51:41.316-07:00

Let's face it. Baseball's All-Star Game is not what it used to be. Fifty years ago, the players and leagues took the game seriously as a competition between the leagues. The leagues emphasized selecting the best players for the game, and position players commonly played the entire game. That's why Stan Musial was still in the game in the 12th inning in 1955 to win the game with a walk-off

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089841686247097182004-07-14T14:46:00.000-07:002004-07-14T17:47:32.763-07:00

Here at Mariners Wheelhouse we do occasionally use life in baseball to examine deeper social issues and philosophical questions. Last winter I recast the eternal paradox of "What would happen if an unstoppable force encounterd an immovable object?" as "What would happen if a player who can't hit came up to bat against a pitcher who can't get anybody out?". With that in mind, I asked readers to

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089786931515716062004-07-13T23:24:00.000-07:002004-07-14T10:07:01.896-07:00

One of the measures of a civilized society is the respect and dignity it affords to the weak and powerless in its midst. Base cultures regard their fringe members as fit objects for ridicule and personal gratification, but as most civilizations advance, they recognize a moral imperative to protect and defend those members with mental or physical limitations that leave them unfairly exposed to

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089763184355672882004-07-13T16:58:00.000-07:002004-07-13T17:01:39.046-07:00

I wish the Western Flip really were the latest moves of the Safeco grounds crew. David Pinto at Baseball Musings comments on the flip-flop in AL West between Texas and Seattle. Before the season started, I tried to do an analysis of each team using their core players (projected starting 9, starting rotation and closer) win shares. You can see the AL West here. This analysis had Seattle with the

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089727799611665042004-07-13T07:08:00.000-07:002004-07-13T07:09:59.610-07:00

The P-I's Answer Guy needs a better answer. From today's Answer Guy column: Q: Mary Jane Nader asks: "Have Seattle pitchers this season thrown more home run balls than pitchers for any other team in the majors?" AG: That's a natural supposition as the Mariners are on track to establish many "worsts," but it is incorrect. At the All-Star break, Mariners pitchers have given up 101 homers, tied

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089696430043954052004-07-12T22:26:00.000-07:002004-07-12T22:27:10.043-07:00

Bucky Jacobsen beat Justin Morneau of the Twins in the AAA Home Run Derby. Congratulations, Bucky. And a tip 'o the hat to Devin at Leone for Third for picking up the story.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089678980116377992004-07-12T17:35:00.000-07:002004-07-12T17:53:33.986-07:00

Beat this time: And Avkash thinks he's fast. I took him down by 80%! Here's the link: Fastball reaction Time

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089674709407189672004-07-12T16:09:00.000-07:002004-07-12T16:33:08.176-07:00

Jeff Shaw at San Shin and David Cameron at USS Mariner both discuss how dominant Bonds has been. The point for both of them is that there is no credible basis to not believe that Bonds is the Most Valuable player, by almost any reasonable criteria you would like to select. David mentions Bonds utterly insane OBP. Let's look at how incredible that OBP is. To do so, I'm going to look at what

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089668817973552362004-07-12T14:43:00.000-07:002004-07-12T14:46:57.973-07:00

According to Mike Thompson at the P-I blog, Thornton has been sent back down to Tacoma. No word yet on who wil go into the rotation after the All-Star break. As noted yesterday, Meche checked out of Tacoma on Saturday. At this point, Meche is likely to be getting recalled, although the circumstances of his departure Saturday night leave me wondering.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-108958952443309172004-07-11T16:35:00.000-07:002004-07-11T17:35:41.893-07:00

My first thought last night when I saw the posts speculating about a Meche trade was that it was BS. I figured that after Thornton's outing yesterday, Meche was just being called up to take over Thornton's spot on the roster. But as I thought about the situation more, it didn't make sense that Meche would leave in the middle of a game if it were just a callup. The only reason to have him leave

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089576891756643772004-07-11T12:34:00.000-07:002004-07-11T16:56:44.263-07:00

A couple of miscellaneous items: Late yesterday, speculation started on the Mariners fan message boards that Meche has been traded, with most comments indicating a trade with Minnesota for Cuddyer. As nearly as I can tell, the rumors started when Meche was seen shaking hands in the Rainiers dugout last night in the third inning, after which he gathered his belongings and left Cheney stadium

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089519740169437492004-07-10T21:17:00.001-07:002004-07-10T21:26:27.536-07:00

Batgirl gives an entertaining account of today's game between the Twins and the Tigers. I wonder what's going to happen next time the Twins and Angels meet. If Colon's around, the Twins might be missing another player off the roster. Post-game, the Twins might have to do a Colon-ectomy.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089518103776965732004-07-10T20:45:00.000-07:002004-07-10T21:28:07.006-07:00

After the game tonight, KOMO played portions of a pre-game press conference with Melvin. Melvin was more animated and articulate than I have ever previously heard him. He was forceful and animated, and you could actually detect anger in his words and tone. He said the team is going backward. He was emphatic that major changes were going to be made to the roster, and that players currently in

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089502210464489382004-07-10T16:26:00.000-07:002004-07-10T16:30:10.463-07:00

As Ibañez returns from the DL, Aurilia is released to make room on the 25-man roster. Immediate thoughts: This means Leone stays on the 25-man roster. Leone should receive significant playing time as the team assesses his future. This also opens a space on the 40-man roster. I think the M's will leave this spot open to create additional flexibility in making trades. If they fill the spot now,

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089482918056943382004-07-10T11:06:00.000-07:002004-07-10T11:08:38.056-07:00

Think you can hit a fastball? Try this.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089446542803072542004-07-10T00:53:00.000-07:002004-07-10T12:58:37.436-07:00

Both Melvin and Guillen stayed with their starting pitchers in the 7th inning of last night's game at junctures when many managers would have brought in a reliever. As the inning started, the White Sox were leading 3-1. Garland opens the top half of the inning by walking Martinez, then gets Spiezio to hit into a fielders choice. Aurilia singles, moving Spiezio to third and taking second when

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089443052526471762004-07-09T23:51:00.000-07:002004-07-10T10:59:56.700-07:00

When I was a lad, I don't think I was excessively cruel to sentient creatures. Ok, I did pull wings off of flies occasionally. And sometimes, on a sunny summer day we used magnifying glasses to focus the sun's rays directly on ants as they went about their business as ants. (We used to play "antball" - frying one ant at a time was a single, two was a double, three was a triple, four was a home

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089427986341667252004-07-09T19:52:00.000-07:002004-07-09T19:53:28.203-07:00

New links added to the right sidebar.Marinomics: The Dismal Baseball Science. Heavy, heavy, heavy on the stats and number crunching. Batgirl. A Twins blog I mentioned a couple of days ago.

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089392154385771972004-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:002004-07-09T10:16:09.623-07:00

The LA Times is reporting that, with Colon continuing ineffectiveness, the Angels may be interested in Randy Johnson. I think that would be splendid for several reasons:We would get more chances to see Johnson pitching in Safeco. The trade would remove prospects from the Angel's roster, enhancing the Mariners position in future seasons. Most importantly, Johnson wouldn't be going to the

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089390850735480472004-07-09T09:32:00.000-07:002004-07-09T10:23:57.316-07:00

Mike Berardino of the Miami Sun-Sentinel has an article on Josias Manzanillo, the former Seattle Mariner with an eternal place in team lore. And, the 25th anniversary of Disco Demolition Night is fast approaching. Mark your calendars. Since disco is pretty much dead, we need to pick another genre to trash. I suggest you celebrate by putting some Kenny G discs on a nice hot barbie. Friends

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089342910350267402004-07-08T19:55:00.000-07:002004-07-08T20:49:01.293-07:00

Toronto 10, Mariners 8 as Guardado can't hold a two run lead, giving up two home runs, includig a walkoff game winning 3-run homer to Delgad. AP game recap here. Has fatalism overtaken over the team during this losing streak? Prior to this road trip, I think they believed that things would turn around. Now the basic emotion reflected in many faces looks to me like resignation rather than

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089309733914668152004-07-08T11:01:00.000-07:002004-07-08T11:02:13.913-07:00

from the Sun-Sentinel (Miami), Beckett’s blistering heat is also his curse: Beckett's blisters come midway or later in games, meaning it takes a while for the skin to come undone. But when it does, it is the equivalent of the leader's tire blowing in a NASCAR race. Beckett is done, and not just for the night. Beckett is on the 15-day disabled list for the fifth time since the first blister

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089300268119084422004-07-08T08:22:00.000-07:002004-07-08T10:39:01.453-07:00

This morning it occurred to me that it's probably been at least two weeks since I've heard Rizzs tell us that Spiezio is "one of the best clutch hitters in baseball". Is this just because I'm actively minimizing my exposure to Rizzs, or is the absurdity now so obvious that even Rizzs doesn't believe it anymore?

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6072729.post-1089276972895525522004-07-08T01:55:00.000-07:002004-07-08T01:56:12.896-07:00

During Mariners games, Ron Fairly has repeatedly suggested that Mariners infielders should let a ball drop when the infield fly rule is called. The idea is to nab a baserunner who believes he is forced to go to advance because of the dropped ball. In the Twins game against the Royals on May 30, it happened, with exactly the result expected by Fairly. The Royals load the bases, with Beltran

Stephenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14180652627743955577noreply@blogger.com