Thursday, September 04, 2003
BULLCRAP!!!
Big kudos to the Mariners for really stepping it up today after Oakland lost. YOUR SEATTLE MARINERS: COMMITMENT TO "COMPETITIVENESS"!!
I don't know how many times the Mariners have faced Pedro Martinez this year. Yesterday he took the form of Doug Waechter. Tonight he was Jorge Sosa. And one thing never changes, the Mariners never beat him.
Before I start ripping, Ryan Franklin will be the only one not getting the blame tonight. He's had some good outings and some bad outings, but HE WAS THE ONLY ONE SHOWING ANY HEART TONIGHT. Ichiro doesn't get any direct blame tonight, but for the last two to three weeks...let's just say there's a sick correlation between Ichiro sucking and Oakland getting hot, and I really don't like it.
This team absolutely sucks. I thought maybe that big inning last week would do something for these guys, but it didn't. It was a total aberration.
Lou Piniella is laughing tonight. Hard. The Mariner brass never got him the bat he asked for since the day Alex Rodriguez left, and the Devil Rays absolutely STUCK IT TO THE MARINERS ORGANIZATION. Take your Stand Pat, take your untouchable prospects, take your tight payroll, and FRIGGIN SHOVE IT.
KJR's Dick Fain once analogized the Mariners farm system strategy in football terms. It would be like owning a football team and drafting or recruiting nothing but defensive players. Linemen, safeties, corners, linebackers -- that's it. Needless to say, such a strategy is bullcrap because the offense is obviously neglected. The only points this fictional football team would score would be on fumble recoveries, interceptions, etc. Now convert this to baseball terms -- sure sounds uncannily like the Mariners, doesn't it? I mean, Edgar was a position player at one time but not anymore. That leaves Willie Bloomquist as the only position player on the Mariners 25-man roster that was homegrown by the farm system. That's friggin pathetic. Homegrown talent is the way to get around any need for free agency. What the Mariners have been doing is stockpiling the arms, so they have a good rotation. Then they have to depend on free agency to get bats. Why is this a bad idea? You're trying to woo hitters into SAFECO FIELD. Bill Krueger once made the point that the Safe in some ways is a lot like Yankee Stadium in that the ball is more likely to leave the yard in right field. So the Yankees build the team around their park. How? Left-handed hitters with pop. Over the years, Paul O'Neill, Jason Giambi, Bernie Williams, Nick Johnson, Jorge Posada, etc. Now who do the Mariners have for lefty hitters with pop? Olerud doesn't hit for power anymore. Ichiro's not a home run hitter. So...they're not taking advantage of that, and that's the reason why you hear rumors to get Raf Palmeiro to DH after Edgar retires. He's perfect for the park.
A caller named Cameron called in to KJR and said "does anybody miss Buhner?" He then waxed nostalgic about Buhner's grit and how the Mariners could use it right now. I kinda miss Nelson too. It's great that Howard Lincoln has basically made the organization Communist by stamping out all opposing views within the organization. Just great.
David Locke brought up that if this is Edgar's final year in baseball, it's really sad that he has to bow out with this sad sack of a team. Another caller said he hoped that Edgar would come back next year, get traded, and at least have a chance to get to the World Series, a la Ray Bourque in the hockey world.
Locke is on fire tonight. "I'M AS OUT OF CONTROL AS [the Mariners] SUCK BAD!!!!"
One quick note here, Lou Piniella was basically playing with a 24-man roster last year because Gillick had some sick infatuation with Mr. Rule V, Luis Ugueto, who was couch-surfed (a Sandmeyer buzzword) the whole year on the Mariner bench just so they could keep him and send him to San Antonio this year. This year, it could well be said that Melvin had an identical problem for a prolonged period because Sasaki and Cirillo were on the roster when they weren't anywhere near 100%.
Another point brought up was that once all the guys in the lineup either retire or leave, the Mariners will be left with all those young arms. Result? I say GET READY FOR SOME 85-WIN BASEBALL!! The radio people are giving them 90, but I think that's asking a little much.
And some people hate to hear it, but you know there had to be some people in that locker room on July 31st that were anticipating some decent help from the brass, that extra boost, and they got NOTHING.
A caller is bringing up that Brian Sabean and the Giants brass bet the house to get Sidney Ponson and THEY STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN STADIUM BECAUSE IT'S PRIVATELY FUNDED!!! I would LOVE to be a Giants fan right now. Great baseball, great fans that actually know something about the game, and a management that REWARDS the fans. Don't reward me with bobblehead dolls, B2K, Sara Evans, free shirts, or free posters. GIVE ME A TEAM THAT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO WIN A WORLD SERIES. You can't tell me that you actually expected this lineup on July 31st to win the World Series. The same caller also points out that the Mariners organization is the same organization that announced they would not re-sign Randy Johnson ON THE SAME DAY that Ken Griffey Jr won the MVP Award. This organization has no tact at all.
So even with all that is said about the lack of deadline moves, this lineup STILL should have been able to take a series from the damn Devil Rays. There is blame all around. Owners, players. But I can't help but think a move would have really helped. You think A's fans were glad they had gotten Jose Guillen when Mulder went down?
TO THE GAME...
Offense--
The Mariners went 1-2-3 in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 7th.
I will only remark about their two scoring chances.
In the 4th, Sanchez led off and drew three straight balls from Sosa before the count work full again. He laced a double. Runner in scoring position with nobody out. Objective: move the runner. Carlos Guillen comes up. Swings at the first pitch. Lazy fly ball to the centerfielder. Not deep enough to move Sanchez to third. More importantly, NOT ON THE GROUND, and NOT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FIELD. And on the FIRST PITCH?!! COME ON!! So then Edgar grounds out and Sanchez moves to third with two out, so Rey can't score on an out. I like my chances with a runner on third and Bret Boone up to at least get a sac fly to tie the game at that point. Boone whiffed, though, and hasn't been able to catch up to fastballs at all the past two nights.
In the 8th, the Mariners absolutely blew the game. Winn doubled on the second pitch. Tying run IN SCORING POSITION with NOBODY OUT!! Even skeptical me liked the Mariners' chances at this point. Then Sosa throws three straight unbuntable balls to McLemore. Maybe the walks might actually catch up to Sosa?!!?! McLemore walks!! Two on and nobody out!! The go-ahead run is on first! And the Mariners' best bunter is at the plate!! First pitch, Wilson jabs at the ball, which wasn't too close to the plate, and fouls it off. You know what they teach kids when they first learn to bunt? Catch the ball with the bat. Don't jab at it. Second pitch, the ball was well off the plate, and he does the same damn thing. Third pitch was a breaking ball up in the zone, and Wilson MISSES THE DAMN BALL!! CHOKE!!!!!! How bad is it for this team right now if even their best bunter makes a huge gaffe? Goodness knows Wilson wouldn't have gotten a hit in that situation, so the one sure-fire way in which he could contribute was to bunt the runners over, and he couldn't even do that. So instead of two RISP with one out, it's still 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Next hitter is Cameron who hits a deep fly to Baldelli, far enough to move Winn to third. Hey, Wilson, know what happens if Cameron hits the same fly ball with a runner on third? I might still be watching the game right now, or celebrating a Mariner win. Sanchez then flew out to left to basically end the game.
In the 9th, Guillen flew out with another lazy fly ball, this time to left. Then Edgar reached when Rolls dove and stopped the ball near third, but couldn't come up throwing. A double down the line would have been nice, but the Mariners had a runner on 1st with one out instead, and the fleet feet of Jamal Strong would be that runner. Perhaps Melvin should have green-lighted Strong to run, even with the quick delivery and Toby Hall's arm? Match your best against their best? Not like you're getting any hits at all. At the same time, you still have to like your chances with Boone, even though he's cold lately. And that way he would stay, as he struck out yet again and got the hat trick (3 whiffs). Olerud then lined out to Travis Lee at first to end it.
I could rant about the pitching, but I'll just say that the Mariners wasted one of Franklin's top 5 best outings of the year (here's his game-by-game stuff). Two things this team couldn't afford to do ended up happening to them. They hit the skids when Oakland got hot. And sans the winning streak, they've wasted some good starting pitching (except Garcia last night) by not scoring enough runs. It's sickening.
As another caller said, I'll inevitably be back again tomorrow, because it's like a sick addiction. We keep going back for more, but it's friggin frustrating as hell to get nothing out of it. Another caller said he was afraid the Mariners would become the Cubs of the AL. I've heard that before, but does it really seem that far-fetched? Just think of how this team with this management will be in four years. It may scare you, but it probably won't surprise you.
And one last thing, can everybody stop talking or even THINKING about calling Boone and definitely Ichiro as MVP candidates? Boone isn't doing much for this team down the stretch, but Ichiro isn't doing a damn thing. This team does not have your AL MVP right now, that's for damn sure.
I don't know how many times the Mariners have faced Pedro Martinez this year. Yesterday he took the form of Doug Waechter. Tonight he was Jorge Sosa. And one thing never changes, the Mariners never beat him.
Before I start ripping, Ryan Franklin will be the only one not getting the blame tonight. He's had some good outings and some bad outings, but HE WAS THE ONLY ONE SHOWING ANY HEART TONIGHT. Ichiro doesn't get any direct blame tonight, but for the last two to three weeks...let's just say there's a sick correlation between Ichiro sucking and Oakland getting hot, and I really don't like it.
This team absolutely sucks. I thought maybe that big inning last week would do something for these guys, but it didn't. It was a total aberration.
Lou Piniella is laughing tonight. Hard. The Mariner brass never got him the bat he asked for since the day Alex Rodriguez left, and the Devil Rays absolutely STUCK IT TO THE MARINERS ORGANIZATION. Take your Stand Pat, take your untouchable prospects, take your tight payroll, and FRIGGIN SHOVE IT.
KJR's Dick Fain once analogized the Mariners farm system strategy in football terms. It would be like owning a football team and drafting or recruiting nothing but defensive players. Linemen, safeties, corners, linebackers -- that's it. Needless to say, such a strategy is bullcrap because the offense is obviously neglected. The only points this fictional football team would score would be on fumble recoveries, interceptions, etc. Now convert this to baseball terms -- sure sounds uncannily like the Mariners, doesn't it? I mean, Edgar was a position player at one time but not anymore. That leaves Willie Bloomquist as the only position player on the Mariners 25-man roster that was homegrown by the farm system. That's friggin pathetic. Homegrown talent is the way to get around any need for free agency. What the Mariners have been doing is stockpiling the arms, so they have a good rotation. Then they have to depend on free agency to get bats. Why is this a bad idea? You're trying to woo hitters into SAFECO FIELD. Bill Krueger once made the point that the Safe in some ways is a lot like Yankee Stadium in that the ball is more likely to leave the yard in right field. So the Yankees build the team around their park. How? Left-handed hitters with pop. Over the years, Paul O'Neill, Jason Giambi, Bernie Williams, Nick Johnson, Jorge Posada, etc. Now who do the Mariners have for lefty hitters with pop? Olerud doesn't hit for power anymore. Ichiro's not a home run hitter. So...they're not taking advantage of that, and that's the reason why you hear rumors to get Raf Palmeiro to DH after Edgar retires. He's perfect for the park.
A caller named Cameron called in to KJR and said "does anybody miss Buhner?" He then waxed nostalgic about Buhner's grit and how the Mariners could use it right now. I kinda miss Nelson too. It's great that Howard Lincoln has basically made the organization Communist by stamping out all opposing views within the organization. Just great.
David Locke brought up that if this is Edgar's final year in baseball, it's really sad that he has to bow out with this sad sack of a team. Another caller said he hoped that Edgar would come back next year, get traded, and at least have a chance to get to the World Series, a la Ray Bourque in the hockey world.
Locke is on fire tonight. "I'M AS OUT OF CONTROL AS [the Mariners] SUCK BAD!!!!"
One quick note here, Lou Piniella was basically playing with a 24-man roster last year because Gillick had some sick infatuation with Mr. Rule V, Luis Ugueto, who was couch-surfed (a Sandmeyer buzzword) the whole year on the Mariner bench just so they could keep him and send him to San Antonio this year. This year, it could well be said that Melvin had an identical problem for a prolonged period because Sasaki and Cirillo were on the roster when they weren't anywhere near 100%.
Another point brought up was that once all the guys in the lineup either retire or leave, the Mariners will be left with all those young arms. Result? I say GET READY FOR SOME 85-WIN BASEBALL!! The radio people are giving them 90, but I think that's asking a little much.
And some people hate to hear it, but you know there had to be some people in that locker room on July 31st that were anticipating some decent help from the brass, that extra boost, and they got NOTHING.
A caller is bringing up that Brian Sabean and the Giants brass bet the house to get Sidney Ponson and THEY STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN STADIUM BECAUSE IT'S PRIVATELY FUNDED!!! I would LOVE to be a Giants fan right now. Great baseball, great fans that actually know something about the game, and a management that REWARDS the fans. Don't reward me with bobblehead dolls, B2K, Sara Evans, free shirts, or free posters. GIVE ME A TEAM THAT GIVES ME A CHANCE TO WIN A WORLD SERIES. You can't tell me that you actually expected this lineup on July 31st to win the World Series. The same caller also points out that the Mariners organization is the same organization that announced they would not re-sign Randy Johnson ON THE SAME DAY that Ken Griffey Jr won the MVP Award. This organization has no tact at all.
So even with all that is said about the lack of deadline moves, this lineup STILL should have been able to take a series from the damn Devil Rays. There is blame all around. Owners, players. But I can't help but think a move would have really helped. You think A's fans were glad they had gotten Jose Guillen when Mulder went down?
TO THE GAME...
Offense--
The Mariners went 1-2-3 in the 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 7th.
I will only remark about their two scoring chances.
In the 4th, Sanchez led off and drew three straight balls from Sosa before the count work full again. He laced a double. Runner in scoring position with nobody out. Objective: move the runner. Carlos Guillen comes up. Swings at the first pitch. Lazy fly ball to the centerfielder. Not deep enough to move Sanchez to third. More importantly, NOT ON THE GROUND, and NOT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FIELD. And on the FIRST PITCH?!! COME ON!! So then Edgar grounds out and Sanchez moves to third with two out, so Rey can't score on an out. I like my chances with a runner on third and Bret Boone up to at least get a sac fly to tie the game at that point. Boone whiffed, though, and hasn't been able to catch up to fastballs at all the past two nights.
In the 8th, the Mariners absolutely blew the game. Winn doubled on the second pitch. Tying run IN SCORING POSITION with NOBODY OUT!! Even skeptical me liked the Mariners' chances at this point. Then Sosa throws three straight unbuntable balls to McLemore. Maybe the walks might actually catch up to Sosa?!!?! McLemore walks!! Two on and nobody out!! The go-ahead run is on first! And the Mariners' best bunter is at the plate!! First pitch, Wilson jabs at the ball, which wasn't too close to the plate, and fouls it off. You know what they teach kids when they first learn to bunt? Catch the ball with the bat. Don't jab at it. Second pitch, the ball was well off the plate, and he does the same damn thing. Third pitch was a breaking ball up in the zone, and Wilson MISSES THE DAMN BALL!! CHOKE!!!!!! How bad is it for this team right now if even their best bunter makes a huge gaffe? Goodness knows Wilson wouldn't have gotten a hit in that situation, so the one sure-fire way in which he could contribute was to bunt the runners over, and he couldn't even do that. So instead of two RISP with one out, it's still 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Next hitter is Cameron who hits a deep fly to Baldelli, far enough to move Winn to third. Hey, Wilson, know what happens if Cameron hits the same fly ball with a runner on third? I might still be watching the game right now, or celebrating a Mariner win. Sanchez then flew out to left to basically end the game.
In the 9th, Guillen flew out with another lazy fly ball, this time to left. Then Edgar reached when Rolls dove and stopped the ball near third, but couldn't come up throwing. A double down the line would have been nice, but the Mariners had a runner on 1st with one out instead, and the fleet feet of Jamal Strong would be that runner. Perhaps Melvin should have green-lighted Strong to run, even with the quick delivery and Toby Hall's arm? Match your best against their best? Not like you're getting any hits at all. At the same time, you still have to like your chances with Boone, even though he's cold lately. And that way he would stay, as he struck out yet again and got the hat trick (3 whiffs). Olerud then lined out to Travis Lee at first to end it.
I could rant about the pitching, but I'll just say that the Mariners wasted one of Franklin's top 5 best outings of the year (here's his game-by-game stuff). Two things this team couldn't afford to do ended up happening to them. They hit the skids when Oakland got hot. And sans the winning streak, they've wasted some good starting pitching (except Garcia last night) by not scoring enough runs. It's sickening.
As another caller said, I'll inevitably be back again tomorrow, because it's like a sick addiction. We keep going back for more, but it's friggin frustrating as hell to get nothing out of it. Another caller said he was afraid the Mariners would become the Cubs of the AL. I've heard that before, but does it really seem that far-fetched? Just think of how this team with this management will be in four years. It may scare you, but it probably won't surprise you.
And one last thing, can everybody stop talking or even THINKING about calling Boone and definitely Ichiro as MVP candidates? Boone isn't doing much for this team down the stretch, but Ichiro isn't doing a damn thing. This team does not have your AL MVP right now, that's for damn sure.
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