Sunday, February 22, 2004
DOUBLE DOSAGE
Larry LaRue checks in twice in the Sunday Tribune.
First off is a short blip on Bob Melvin. We learn once again that he really really likes to throw batting practice, saying he learns a lot about his hitters this way. He also told all the young arms that there is a chance that they could head north with the team -- look at what Julio Mateo did last year.
The second piece is a peek inside the head of Freddy Garcia.
What Garcia remembers aren't the six wins in June, or a solid September in which he had a 1.95 ERA over five starts, though he won only once.
What he remembers most are three games pitched at Safeco Field - the booing that followed him off the mound in each.
[...]
"The fans at home booed me. I tried not to show it bothered me, and I even said after the game that it didn't bother me," Garcia said. "But I felt it. I was surprised, I guess, because it had never happened before."
[...]
Garcia was asked if he could sit down with a Mariners fan who booed him last year, what he would say.
"Nothing," Garcia said, shrugging. "They pay good money, they want to see a good game. They're allowed to boo. Maybe they don't know what we're feeling out there. Maybe they don't care. I can't tell them how hard I'm trying - what would that matter?"
I miss the awesome Freddy. I miss the days where I can see his name come up in the rotation and know he's going to give seven strong innings, maybe get into the eighth. I miss the Freddy that did so well in the playoffs, the one that beat the Yankees twice in the 2000 ALCS. It used to be that I'd worry when he thought he had to strike everyone out instead of using his repertoire to just get hitters out. Now I just want him to get his head back on straight.
Come back, Good Freddy. We Mariner fans will gladly let you into the little moving picture box in our homes for seven or eight good months. Just don't suck again. We need consistently good, not consistently erratic.
First off is a short blip on Bob Melvin. We learn once again that he really really likes to throw batting practice, saying he learns a lot about his hitters this way. He also told all the young arms that there is a chance that they could head north with the team -- look at what Julio Mateo did last year.
The second piece is a peek inside the head of Freddy Garcia.
What Garcia remembers aren't the six wins in June, or a solid September in which he had a 1.95 ERA over five starts, though he won only once.
What he remembers most are three games pitched at Safeco Field - the booing that followed him off the mound in each.
[...]
"The fans at home booed me. I tried not to show it bothered me, and I even said after the game that it didn't bother me," Garcia said. "But I felt it. I was surprised, I guess, because it had never happened before."
[...]
Garcia was asked if he could sit down with a Mariners fan who booed him last year, what he would say.
"Nothing," Garcia said, shrugging. "They pay good money, they want to see a good game. They're allowed to boo. Maybe they don't know what we're feeling out there. Maybe they don't care. I can't tell them how hard I'm trying - what would that matter?"
I miss the awesome Freddy. I miss the days where I can see his name come up in the rotation and know he's going to give seven strong innings, maybe get into the eighth. I miss the Freddy that did so well in the playoffs, the one that beat the Yankees twice in the 2000 ALCS. It used to be that I'd worry when he thought he had to strike everyone out instead of using his repertoire to just get hitters out. Now I just want him to get his head back on straight.
Come back, Good Freddy. We Mariner fans will gladly let you into the little moving picture box in our homes for seven or eight good months. Just don't suck again. We need consistently good, not consistently erratic.
/ Click for main page
