Mariners Morsels - aka "Free Adam Moore and Rich Poythress! (George Sherrill is FREE!)"

Modeling a new uniform, sportin' the goatee again. And still the brim isn't bent...




(Courtesy of the Baltimore Sun)

Labels: bad decisions, George is awesome, George Sherrill

So Jack Zduriencik made his first big splash as a GM. Yeah, signing Branyan and giving Shelton (Branyan's potential platoon mate) a minor league deal happened first, but this move's obviously more recognizable to the common fan.

I'm not a huge fan of defensive metrics, and assigning individual dogmatic values to them, but I do really subscribe to the theory that an above-average defender with an ~average bat is a very valuable player. I'm excited to see what Gutierrez will bring to the table, defensively, and if he's got any sort of bat at all.

Of all these four:


...I think I'm most sad about losing Little Luis. That's not really an area of depth the M's have -- Valbuena was the most likely internal option to replace Lopez or Betancourt were one of those guys to be traded. Putz is my son's favorite player, but I've always been unfairly biased against him (anyone remember the Pützenbömber??? I do, and I'm sure marc w does...).

I do like this trade for the Mets and for the Mariners. And I'm really curious what the Indians see in Valbuena. The fact that they wanted him as sort of a centerpiece in their side of the deal somewhat confirms my affinity for Luis.

While it's a blockbuster, and a decent deal, it's certainly only barely earth-shattering. The M's pitching staff likely will have their ERAs drop somewhat noticably -- even if they pitch virtually the same way. That's not a bad thing. Now I wonder about the offense.

Labels: blockbuster trades, hot stove league action, j.j. putz, Jack Zduriencik

Officially tomorrow, the M's will introduce former Brewers' executive Jack Zduriencik as their Vice President and General Manager.

Here are my thoughts on this selection.

1) Presuming Bob Engle and Bob Fontaine are retained, the M's have pretty much established a trinity of scouting geniuses at the top. This is a good thing. While the new era of baseball has introduced statistical analysis as a valid form of evaluating players, scouting absolutely cannot be sacrificed in the process of implementing stats-analysis.

2) Milwaukee Brewers fans seem to be very disappointed by their loss -- but happy for Zduriencik at the same time. I imagine an equivalent reaction would be felt if, say, Bob Engle were hired away by some other team as their GM. I know I certainly would be in shock and would see the M's suffer if they lost Engle.

3) Zduriencik seems like a safe pick. Enough of the status-quo to not rock the boat TOO much (like a neo-modern saber-GM would) but enough change to appease many of the cynics. I'm not at all surprised that CHowArmLinStrong would pick him.

4) He's very, very, VERY good at analyzing players. A lot of stuff I've discussed with my friends who are more knowledgeable (and more connected) than I am has really affirmed that he will be an asset to this team.

5) Evaluating players, however, is only part of the equation. These players, if they're drafted or picked up on the IFA market, need to be developed. The M's have had some very questionable player development recently, and I really hope this is one area where Zduriencik improves this club. Building a front office around him, too, will be very, very important. While Zduriencik may not have stats-analysis as his strength, I have no idea how friendly he is to the concept. To help the M's get the most bang for their buck -- in building a deep club with cheap backup options for when your plans A, B & C fall through for whatever reason -- they really need to become value-oriented in the stats-analysis sense. Tapping into the scrap heap and freely-available talent pool much, much more frequently rather than spending tomorrow's money just to fill a slot you need to fill with a guy who may not be the best option.

Overall, I'm a little disappointed that the M's didn't completely change direction and hired a more new-school GM. I have a few concerns about Zduriencik that I won't publish on my blog, but they're really trivial. But, considering Lincoln and Armstrong were primarily responsible for this choice, I think Zduriencik was the best the M's could've hoped for. Having a supercharged scouting department (again assuming they keep Fontaine and Engle) will help infuse some much-needed talent into this system. Once the remodelled ProspectInsider is launched, I'm sure Jason will keep busy watching all the players under this new regime.

I'm just curious how quickly this move will translate into success at the MLB level because I'm one of many, many people who are absolutely tired of this franchise being a complete joke...

Labels: Jack Zduriencik, New GM, regime change, tough decisions

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Labels: this season sucked., this team sucks

Thanks, Brandon! Thanks for bringing some excitement back into Marinerville tonight. Seriously, thanks a ton!

While it would've been the most incredible pitching accomplishment I've seen in a long, long time had Morrow completed the no-hitter, I'm actually almost equally happy with the fact that he didn't get it. See, it gives us a lot to talk about. Lots to say "What if?" to.

Isn't that one of the more entertaining things about sports in general anyway? I mean, if you're given the carrot all the time, it's not quite as fun, and the carrot starts to taste like crap. You gotta keep things exciting by dangling that carrot just out of reach most of the time...

What if, though...

What if Brandon had gotten that third out. With a pitch count preference of 90-95 for Brandon established by the coaching staff before the game, would they have let him go out there after having thrown 106 through 8? In the post game show, Riggleman hinted that he might've. I wouldn't've disagreed with that decision. While Morrow was starting to show signs of tiring, he still was doing a pretty good job of keeping his form. He seemed to be mostly in a good pace, and might've been able to benefit from a few moments of rest between innings to gather the adrenaline to start the 9th. I would've had Putz warming up and ready to go, and given Morrow a "Go get 'em" kick in the ass to start the ninth. It's the end of the season, and it's not like you're counting on him to carry you into the playoffs. While he may not have been ready and stretched out enough to go further, it's not like he's pitched a lot of innings this year either. When a guy's throwing like that all game, still showing his velocity, and in that big of a zone, sometimes it's OK to throw caution to the wind.

What if, too, they would've moved him down to Tacoma to begin his tutelage and preparation for becoming a starter a few weeks earlier? Yeah, there's a risk that he could've been more fatigued coming into this start. But there's also the possibility he's built up his conditioning even more, and when combined with the adrenaline rush of making his MLB starting debut, he cruises easier through the 8th, and has the stamina to stay in that zone that he was in pretty much all night.

There are probably a lot more "What ifs" that could be discussed, too. But for tonight, Brandon won me back as a fan. He showed that there's some definite promise for the future. You know what I'd like to see tomorrow? Ryan "Hyphen" Rowland-Smith going out there and not necessarily trying to 1-up Brandon (it'd be nearly impossible for him to do so), but making a statement in his own right. I suspect with Hyphen's ultra-competitive spirit, he's probably itching to take the mound after Brandon's performance. He doesn't quite have the stuff that Morrow has, but he almost makes up for it with his bull-doggedness.

When we ask "What if..." we tend to look at the past. Certainly, though, the M's have some bright spots moving into the future. It looks as though Brandon Morrow is one of them. I'm REALLY glad they made the decision to move him into the rotation.

The only regret they might have would be that they didn't do it sooner.

Labels: awesome pitching, Brandon Morrow, starting pitching, tough decisions

I have been completely slacking off and neglecting this place. Yes, Mariners Morsels is still alive. I do want to keep writing about the Mariners and baseball.

Honestly, though, what more can be said?

The Mariners have sucked me into apathy. I'll still watch the occasional game, but I'm finding myself not really caring much if I miss the game. I did see Beltre hit for the cycle yesterday and that was pretty darn sweet! Other than a few moments, the lure of baseball has been pretty un-strong for me for many reasons this year. I'm definitely spending more time posting in non-baseball-related FanPosts (Diaries, dammit!) over at LookoutLanding than I am posting in the game threads over there. And I went to more R's games this year -- though still not nearly as many as I'd hoped -- than I'll likely have gone to M's games.

The regime that has run the Mariners since the early 90's has sucked any sort of hope for the future out of me. I'm tired of being disappointed by Chuck and Howie. Come October, when this season is finally finished, and the M's are moving forward towards 2009 and beyond, if those two are still part of the picture, I'm not sure how things will change. Yeah, sure they'll get some new faces in -- but let's be clear, does anyone think those two have the knowledge and desire to completely overhaul the entire organizational philosophy the way it really needs to be done? I can't -- and won't -- trust them to right this ship. They have the money to do so, sure, but this administration (Chuck and Howie, specifically) are very likely to recieve the scarlet letter of becoming the first franchise to spend $100 million on a 100-loss club. If that's not enough to get ownership's attention, then really what will?

I've also spent a lot of time doing non-baseball things with my family. It hasn't just affected baseball -- I've also neglected my photography blogs. I'm still taking photos, but writing just hasn't been my thing this summer. Having also spent a lot of time with Churchill this summer, I can totally relate to his recognition that there's more to life than baseball, and see why he'd want to "retire" from ProspectInsider. I think Munchausen (rest his blog identity) would be proud :-)

Since the impact of this little blog isn't anywhere close to the impact of ProspectInsider, LookoutLanding, USSMariner, etc., I'm not as concerned about neglecting it. Obviously the other "authors" around here haven't had much to say here either, and it's honestly not that big of a deal to me. This place ultimately exists for those times when I want to jot some thoughts down that may not fit anywhere else I hang out in the M's blog-o-sphere. And the same goes for the others I've partnered around here with. MarinersMorsels is more of a sketch pad than a full-fledged art gallery. A Post-it Note, etc.

If the subtle backchannel chatter does come to fruition, though, and the M's ownership changes hands, you better believe I'll be inspired to write again. Even still, really, baseball has fallen a few notches down in the priority list.

And, honestly, I think I'm fine with that.

I'm still gonna root for George. And Adam. And Austin. I'll write more on all three of them very soon. I just have to finish sifting through the 2000+ photos my assistant and I took at a paid wedding gig. And a few other things, too.

Labels: Beltre is Awesome, future, neglect, writer's block

Unlike many other hardcore baseball fans, I didn't really grow up listening to baseball. I didn't pay much attention at all to the Mariners, really, until about 1986. But when I discovered baseball, I really learned to enjoy it every time I listened to Niehaus call the game on the old white AM radio my dad had. We'd have the game on when my dad was working on the car -- and Niehaus' rosy rhythms and smooth droll provided some interesting counterpoint to my father's terse cursing preceded by the clink-clank of the greasy tool falling into a nearly-impossible-to-retrieve gap, along with that only nut that would fit the last bolt holding onto whatever it was my dad was fixing.

But as I dove into baseball, I grew to really appreciate the game thanks to Dave's skillful game-calling. In 1991, when the M's were winners for the first time ever -- after almost 15 years of being losers and the butt of jokes around the league -- I thought of Dave and how long he'd suffered with the team. And then Dave brought a whole lot of current Mariners fans into the fold with "the Double" and, really, the excitement that drew folks into the team as they made the playoffs for the first time.

Now, as the Mariners revisit the "glory" days of the 1970s and 1980s, on pace for a 100-loss season, and Dave's better days are behind them, the team owes it to him and to all of the long-suffering fans to right this ship and get back to the playoffs, and hopefully giving Dave the opportunity to call history in the World Series.

Labels: Dave Niehaus, Ford C. Frick award, Hall of Fame, memories

(borrowed from BaltimoreOrioles.com)

A couple of quick observations from the ASG tonight:

• First thing I noticed was the 3-day goatee making a subtle appearance. I laughed at George's rebellion.
  
• I timed it perfectly -- I was outside doing yardwork and getting the house ready to sell and came in just as George came out from the bullpen, into the game.
• Leave it to the AL to play like the Mariners and not score the runner from 2nd when no one was out. It was bittersweet that George did his thing and didn't get the victory or the save. Man, what if...
• Twenty-five pitches, 18 strikes. 'Nuff said.
• Definitely deserved consideration for the MVP. Coming in with the bases loaded and getting a 3-pitch strikeout? Awesome!

What a great way to handle the spotlight.

Labels: All Star Game, George is awesome, George Sherrill, Incredible

From LOOGY to All-Star, practically overnight.

Not bad for a guy who wasn't drafted out of college and who had to fight his way into MLB.

I'm sure someone at the ASG can teach you how to bend your brim...

Congrats, GS52! Awesome. Just. Awesome!

(Kudos even further to Deanna who made the above photo, one of my faves of GS52 in the M's blues)

Labels: All Star Game, Bend yer brim, George is awesome, George Sherrill

In the early days of the Morsels, I mentioned that I didn't grow up as a baseball fan. My first love in the professional sports world was the Sonics. I vividly remember the Sonics BOOM! era, with Bob Blackburn, Downtown Freddy Brown, and the Fat Lady singing, long before Kevin Calabro. Who could forget the Band-Aid twins (Johnson & Johnson). It's safe to say that I hated Wes Unseld much more than I dislike Howard Lincoln and Chuck Armstrong today. I loved Freddy Brown and Jack Sikma as much or more then as I like George Sherrill and Adrian Beltre today. I cried when I heard Dennis Johnson died.

I still have the LP where this MP3 came from. I saw the Sonics play in the Kingdome. And long before Key Arena was renovated to become Key Arena. My dad was watching a Sonics game when I noticed our trailer caught on fire in the driveway (and Sonics games on TV were very rare in that day). When the Seahawks were invented, it took us a few years to pay much more than passing attention to them, and again, I paid even less attention to the Mariners (seeing my first game in the mid-80s and finally paying SOME attention in 1986).

I have many fond memories of the Sonics. Again, they were my first team. I'm so disappointed in the news that they're leaving, but my apathy for the NBA was well-established a long time ago. Yeah, there's a chance that Seattle will get another NBA team, but you know what? I honestly hope they don't. I've switched from apathy to hatred for the NBA.

Good-bye Sonics! Don't come back. Unless, of course, another professional basketball leagues is formed after the mess that the NBA has become. You're dead to me. The NBA is a bigger bunch of losers than the Washington Generals. It's almost as big of a kayfabe, at the very least...

Labels: NBA sucks, other sports, sadness, Sonics

Yep. George Sherrill T-Shirt night in Baltimore on July 1st.

Amazing, isn't it. Wish that shirt were blue, though...

Labels: Baltimore, George is awesome, George Sherrill

The M's just got swept -- SWEPT -- by the worst team in the worst league. Seriously -- we all kid about the NL being a place for second-class players, and the M's just got swept by the team in the cellar of that league.


"I Built This Team!"


"My Oh My, Bill -- yes you did!"


"Can you smell it? That's your 2008 Mariners..."

Edit: Wow. That was uncanny. I had no idea that move would happen today...

I've utmost respect for Bavasi the person. I didn't like him as the GM of the M's, but let's make one thing clear -- Bavasi's not an idiot. He's an incredibly awesome person who just wasn't able to make things happen as a GM in Seattle. See ya, Bill! Good luck with your future -- I'd still buy you a drink and sit at the table with ya any day of the week.

Bring Horacio along, okay?

Labels: fire everyone, I don't care anymore, losers, terrible, this team sucks

Here's something to ponder. Will George get to his first ASG this year?



As of today, he's second in the AL in saves. Considering that the O's are in last place, he's not getting many save opportunities (as expected, really). Of course, GS52 almost has as many saves vs. the Mariners (5) as J.J. Putz has saves vs. everyone (6).

Now, I recognize that saves aren't everything. But they do count for the person who's racking them up, and they give something to sportswriters and agents to talk about. He has fewer walks than Putz (in 14 MORE Batters faced (BFPs)) and K-Rod (in 2 fewer BFPs). I never said George would be a dominant, lights-out closer, but I've always thought he'd handle the role very well. Not bad for a shy kid from the Memphis area who plowed through major obstacles, taking the road less-travelled to the big leagues.

With Putz struggling mightily, and with the M's believing they actually have more than a snowball's chance in Gehenna of making the playoffs (and therefore are unwilling to move Morrow out of the setup spot and into the rotation), wouldn't it be nice to have George around? Of course he's probably a lot more respected where he's at, and is actually coming into games for more than just one LH batter...

Labels: All Star Game, George is awesome, George Sherrill, GS52

So nice of you to show up.



Please, stay for awhile. Have a cup of coffee.

Labels: awesome pitching, Erik Bedard

There have been some interesting discussions around the blogs lately about how utterly bad this team has been to watch. I think it's sort of comical, really. It's brought up something, though, that has to be mentioned. I present three lessons.

Lesson #1
In 2004, a lot of us were clamoring for the departure of Bob Melvin. While the team was terrible, and really, 2004 was the start of this mess, we'd hoped the Mariners would can his butt and hire a better manager. Well, he did get fired, and certainly few of us thought Mike Hargrove could be worse. Whoops. Fast-forward to 2006, where all of us had grown tired of Hargrove, and were clamoring for him to be fired (and we practically threw a party when Churchill and others were hearing reports that he was about to be canned). Surely anyone -- anyone -- would be better than him. So, when Hargrove left on his own terms in 2007, it was sort of bittersweet.

And then we got McLaren. Now, I'm not saying that the current M's woes are his responsibility -- he's not the one up at the plate, serving meatballs and not making the fielding plays. But he's not entirely innocent either.

Lesson #2
In 2006, a lot of us were glad to see Gil Meche and Joel Pinero leave. Then, in 2007, their replacements -- Jeff Weaver & Horacio Ramirez were comically worse. Surely as bad as they were, things had to improve.

Can you believe that Jarrod Washburn and Miguel Batista have been worse, so far, than Weaver & Ramirez?

Lesson #3
A lot of people complained about Pat Gillick destroying the farm system by sacrificing draft picks to compensate for signing veteran non-superstar free agents. And at the same time, for "standing Pat" at the trade deadline (i.e. holding onto other prospects -- that in the end didn't pan out for the M's). So they were glad to see him go, and
Bavasi brought in to salvage the farm system. However, I'd argue that in spite of helping build the farm system by actually using the draft again, Bavasi has been a worse GM than Gillick.

So, if Bavasi is fired -- it can't get worse, right?

Hmmmm...

Labels: bad decisions, bad luck, lessons

As I mentioned in my previous post -- I'd really honestly prefer the M's sign Barry Bonds over trading for Griffey. Recognizing that they likely wouldn't do that, my second choice would be to sign Kenny Lofton, who's defense would help the Mariners and whose bat probably wouldn't be that much different than Griffey's (sacrificing some power for fewer outs and a bit more speed).

Here's some perspective. Griffey's MLB career started in 1989 -- here's a list of things that were going on back then:

• The Berlin Wall was still intact. I know, I was there in 1989 -- it came down only 6 months after I wrote on it (and after Griffey had been in the league for one season).
  
• The Exxon Valdez oil spill happened
• It was still the 80s.
  
• Paula Abdul's "Forever Your Girl" was a #1 single. Madonna's "Like a Prayer" was, too. Deborah Gibson was known as Debbie, and topping the charts. New Kids on the Block, Milli Vanilli -- need I say more?
• Rain Man was the Best Picture
• Wrestlemania V: Hulk Hogan defeats Randy "Macho Man" Savage
• Sega Genesis & Nintendo GameBoy released
• Pete Rose's lifetime ban begins, the Skydome in Toronto opens
  
• The Simpsons and Seinfeld debut on TV
  
• Joe Jonas, Sanjaya Malakar, Michele Wie, Jordan Sparks, and Lil Mama were born
• Ted Bundy, Ayatolla Khomeni, Salvador Dali, Lucille Ball, Bart Giamatti, Ferdinand Marcos, Graham Chapman, Bette Davis, Joe Collins, Irving Berlin, and Mel Blanc (aka Bugs Bunny/Daffy Duck/Porky Pig/Barney Rubble, etc...) all died.
  

But let's dig a little deeper.

As most of us are probably aware, Griffey has 10-5 rights -- he's been in the league for 10 years and has been with the same team for 5 years. This allows him the right to veto a trade and/or a waiver claim, even without having a no-trade clause in his contract.

The important question becomes, then, would Griffey consent to a trade to the Mariners -- and if so -- why?

During his heyday, Griffey was definitely a leader in the clubhouse. He and Jay Buhner were particularly close, and both of them helped drive Lou Piniella insane. Remember this commercial? Of course, Junior was a LOT younger then, and most of those teammates have retired, except RJ and a few others. But John McLaren was around then, and he was beloved by Junior.

Yeah, Junior probably has a sense of nostalgia and would like to finish his career where it began. I believe his words -- and it wouldn't surprise me at all if he wanted to stick around longer than the 1-day contract that's been discussed in the media.

The thing is -- Griffey probably wants a ring more than he wants nostalgia. I'm not sure if he's got the energy or the desire to carry this woeful team on his shoulders to dig them out of the deep hole they've found themselves in. It's a ridiculously deep hole that sacrificing outfield defense won't help. While I don't necessarily assent to the validity of defense stats and measurements, I'm comfortable enough with their reliability when looking at a team's rating/valuation, even if I'm not 100% sold on the cost/benefit to the win/loss record. I am not at all surprised that the recent analysis shows the M's as having the worst defense, in terms of plays below average. While Wlad Balentien has been helping tremendously, he caught the sucktitis virus going around the team tonight. Moving him out to move Griffey in would definitely not help this.

I mention defense because if Griffey does consent to be traded back to Seattle, it won't be as the DH. At FanFest this year, Jay Buhner -- arguably one of Griffey's best friends to this day -- mentioned that while Griffey would probably be best suited as a DH (saying his days as a great OF'er are long behind him), Griffey isn't quite ready to give up his spot on the field. And even if they move Raul from LF to DH (or 1B), the upgrade probably isn't very significant. I can't imagine Griffey being too anxious to be platooned and/or moved around the field. Even if it's probably best for all parties involved. Except, of course, the M's current DH -- Jeff Clement (who really should displace Kenji Johjima at the catcher's position).

And I really don't want to get into my fears of what Bavasi would give up to get Griffey back.

While the nostalgic part of me would like to see Griffey come back and put some energy into this woeful team, I also recognize that the older you get, the less motivated you get to "go all messiah". While the 1990s Griffey could definitely help the M's right now, the Griffey of today would just be another symptom of the problem.

The M's are too focused on the past. They're content to completely ignore defense. The M's value experience and reputation much more than they value talent. Trading for Griffey at the cost of someone like Adam Moore or Juan Ramirez, and the development of either Wlad or Jeff would be a terrible decision.

That's completely why I expect it to happen...

Labels: Griffey, memories, roster building, tough decisions

I know they'll never do it. I know the blog-o-sphere has overstated this. I'm still going to say it.

Now, more than ever before, the Mariners need a bat. They need some attention. They need a guy who can distract them from spiraling completely out of control. Yes, it's cold outside and it's still spring (and the kids are still in school) -- but that's only a minor reason why attendance is plummeting.

Apathy, I'd say, is probably the biggest reason.

To cure this apathy they could a) start winning; b) get someone in there to draw some attention in or c) do something drastic (and stupid) by clearing house completely. Since a) isn't about to happen, and c) isn't about to happen, that leaves us with b) -- however remote THAT even is.

A lot of talk lately has centered around bringing Griffey home. Yeah, that might be interesting. But considering that Griffey is on the downhill slide of his career arc, and would require giving up talent, he shouldn't be the first option. I just don't trust Bavasi with his trading track record.

So, really, that leaves us with Barry Bonds as the next logical option. Yes, he too is on the downhill slide of his career.

But.

Barry Bonds at age 44 is a better hitter than Griffey at age 38. Yeah, yeah -- PEDs and all that crap. I discussed this nearly two years ago. There's news that the union is looking into possible collusion, with how Barry Bonds has been treated in free agency.

I hate Barry a metric ton. I don't care, though -- I love the Mariners more than I hate Barry. This team needs a kick in the ass. Barry's about the only guy around who can do it.

To a lot of people, Howard Lincoln doesn't have a soul to sell. Well, it's time for him to sell whatever's left of it to make room for one of the best hitters of all time, even if he skirted unspoken rules (PEs, of course, not being banned by MLB during the time Barry Bonds was likely to have taken them).

This is getting absolutely ridiculous.

I really am starting to hate this team.

Labels: Barry Bonds, Howard Lincoln, Needs more Bonds, roster building, woeful offense

With Brad Wilkerson actually having a decent day, John McLaren decides to pinch-hit Willie Bloomquist for him in the 9th. Yes, the M's had just taken the lead on an Adrian Beltre 3-run bomb. And Richie walked ahead of him. McLaren put Cairo in to pinch run for Sexson, and then unexplicably pulled a heating-up Wilkerson for a woeful Willie Bloomquist. Seriously -- I realize Wilkerson's having a tough start to the season, and I'm on the bandwagon for replacing him sooner rather than later, but Bloomquist as a pinch hitter? At that moment in the game -- yeah, the M's had a 3-run lead already built up, and they still had outs to spare in the 9th -- with the way the 'pen has been shaky lately, a 3-run lead didn't feel comfortable. There were better options.

Greg Norton was on the bench, having just had a couple of successful games. He could've hit for Wilkerson if you REALLY want to ignore Wilkerson's reverse platoon splits. Then, with the lead, stick Willie in RF for defense.

You know things are bad when your manager pinch hits WFB for you. Vidro had some important hits, too, including an RBI double. Maybe the news that Clement and Balentien were not in the Tacoma lineup and that McLaren said they'd both be up "sooner than later" actually helped wake them up. I still think Wlad and Clement are better options, but whatever.

GS52 Watch:

Walked B.J. Upton, but got the save to push Baltimore into first place in the AL East.

Labels: bad decisions, Beltre is Awesome, John McLaren, Lucky wins, Squinty, stupid managing, WFB

This might very well be the first photo of George in an Orioles' uniform with his brim bent! Yeah, I know, it's only a spring training/batting practice cap, but hey -- it's a start.

I had the time of my life at the game. It was definitely bittersweet for me going to the enemy bullpen and seeing a friend. Thanks to the awesomeness of George Sherrill (and, of course, Sid too), I got to sit 22 rows up from home plate for his return to Safeco Field. I've said it before, and I'll say it again -- my fandom of George goes well beyond his status as a Mariner player (of course, now being a former Mariner).

It was an awesome game -- Guthrie matched Felix pretty well, and I was very very surprised to see Trembley leave him in there after 100 pitches. I turned to a family friend of the Sherrills (with whom I had the pleasure of spending most of the pre-game with, to which and gave a guided tour of Safeco) and said "Here comes Walker to face Ibanez -- he's terrible against lefties!"


Well, the decision to leave Guthrie in to intentionally walk Ibanez came back to haunt Trembley -- after walking Beltre to load the bases, I was the lone voice in a sea of Orioles friends and family members (okay, there were some M's fans to the side of me -- but I was sitting in the O's players' seats) chanting "Fra-ank Tho-mas (clap clap, clapclapclap)!" when Vidro came to the plate (in the spirit of good ol' Lookout Landing mockery).


Needless to say, I was quite happy that the M's didn't have to face George tonight in my presence. After all -- my cell phone LCD display got smashed somewhere along the way tonight, and I could barely dial Sid's number a few innings earlier. It would've been tough to try and put the "Hey -- don't call Sid when George is pitching" jinx, whether or not my cell phone actually was working.

And this night was even made more awesome by the fact that I was able to take my son along with me and share a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It was fun for him being able to talk to George in the 'pen, I'm sure, and getting to hang out with one of Brian Roberts' relatives (a 4-year-old close enough to his age -- the only kid I've met that actually could keep up with my son's energy level and not be put off by his crazy silliness).

I heard in the post-game show that Felix had caught that nasty bug going around the clubhouse (and, well, my house, too). He got off to a slow start, but found the strike zone and while not nearly at full kingly strength. It was good enough and -- like Bedard's Opening Day start -- he showed his aceness by being able to pitch through adversity when he didn't have his greatest stuff.

I sure felt like a king being there...

Jeez. It's late. I'll have many more pictures in the coming days. I may not ever get to experience a baseball game like that one again. What a night!

Labels: former players, Game reviews, George is awesome, George Sherrill, Photography, priceless moments, Safeco Field

It's early in the year, but the Rainiers rotation certainly looks impressive so far. Robert Rohrbaugh got his first start of the new season last night and threw 6 shut-out innings, allowing only 3 hits, no walks and getting 5 Ks. A fly-ball pitcher, Rohrbaugh might be expected to do well in April in the spacious confines of Cheney Stadium. But the wind was blowing out last night (or out to right center), but the Grizzlies simply couldn't get solid contact off of him.

Even the outfield fly balls were pop-ups, with Wlad calling off Chen for one and Hulett making the catch in front of Brent Johnson on another.
Ivan Ochoa was the only Grizzly who had a couple of good swings - he picked up a couple of singles on the night. Scott McClain squared up a couple of pitches on Rohrbaugh, but had a line-out and a fly out for his efforts.

Rohrbaugh is basically Ryan Feierabend if you take away 3 MPH on his fastball. As Feierabend's 'stuff' is not exactly eye-popping, that should tell you something about Rohrbaugh. The guy isn't just another in the long line of Jamie Moyer clones the M's drafted, he's trying to get guys out with Jamie's arsenal. Seriously. His FB was varied last night, but he threw one of them at 82 MPH. Moyer himself might throw faster than that in the 8th inning. He generally worked between 84-86, but got up in the high 80s occasionally and hit 90 one time.

All of this is to say that the reason Rohrbaugh is not well thought of in prospect circles is... valid. If Feierabend has little room for error, Rohrbaugh has none. And yet, the guy's been successful at every stop so far. My guess is that if he wants a real shot at the majors, he'll have to improve his command a bit. It's tough - get too much of the plate with an 84MPH fastball, and you'll get annihilated. Walk too many with an 84MPH fastball, and people will encourage you to explore different career options. He's been in the 2.5-3BB/9IP range historically, but last night's no-walk performance may be a great harbinger of improved command as he settles in at the AAA level.

A lot of people like to make fun of the Grizzlies line-up, and given that these are the guys who couldn't make the SF Giants MLB roster, there's a grain of truth there. But while the line-up isn't exactly littered with great MLB prospects, it's clearly not a bad AAA line-up. Scott McClain hit 31 HRs at this level last year, and hit at least 28 HRs in AAA five times (for four teams). He also hit 39 HRs for the Seibu Lions in NPB. You all know that Justin Leone's a quality AAA slugger, and OF John Bowker's coming off a year of .307/.363/.523 in the Eastern League last year (he's the closest they've got to a prospect). On paper, they may be a better AAA line-up than the Rainiers. The best on the Rainiers are better than the best on the Grizzlies, and clearly have better MLB prospects, but the Grizzlies have fairly impressive depth.

I mention this to give added context for Cesar Jimenez's jaw-dropping performance. Jimenez came in to start the seventh and promptly struck out the side on 12 pitches. He faced the heart of the order, and got Leone, McClain and Brett Harper (.296/.350/.500 last year in the eastern league) easily. He started the eighth by striking out Eliezer Alfonzo, then K'ing Bowker. Bowker was the only player to work the count and foul off a couple of pitches, but in the end he couldn't lay off a nasty change. Julio Cordido was the last man to face Jimenez, and actually managed to put the ball in play... a meek pop-up to 1B Bryan LaHair.

The left-handed Jimenez faced 4 righties and 2 lefties - the fact that his change-up is as tough on righties as lefties may actually hurt his chances of making a return to the majors; Jimenez isn't a LOOGY. He's done fine versus lefties so far, but he's not a George Sherrill or Arthur Rhodes type of pitcher. If he makes it, it'll have to be as a set-up guy who can get righties or lefties (sort of the role Ryan Rowland-Smith finds himself in...finally... for Seattle). With Eric O'Flaherty struggling, he may get a chance this year. Arthur Rhodes may be one place ahead in the queue, but Rhodes' health at this stage is always a question.

Jon Huber finished the game out by allowing a run on a hit, a walk and a wild pitch.

The offensive 'star' of this 2-1 victory was Wlad Balentien, who followed up his grand slam on Wednesday with a 2-4 performance last night. He knocked in the first run with a line drive smash double to left. He actually hit the ball so hard that he was very nearly thrown out at second; a neat slide helped him avoid the tag, but the ball beat him to the base handily. Wlad's going to be fine, and his slow start wasn't all that concerning to the R's.

Matt Tuiasosopo, on the other hand, continues to look a bit overmatched. He went 0-3, and is now 1-19 on the year. He struck out twice and popped up on the infield. I know Churchill at Prospect Insider is still high on him, so perhaps there's no need for panic, but as someone who's been a bit circumspect on Tui for years, uh, yeah, I'm a little worried. He's still young, but without some power, and without a better showing against high minors righties, it's going to be tough to stick as a corner defender. One thing he's shown in his MiLB career is a willingness to listen to coaching and a real aptitude for learning and improving. He's not someone who's gotten frustrated by some seriously frustrating spells in AA, and he's improved each year (particularly in plate discipline). I'm sure he'll get better, but he's got a long way to go.

Labels: Cesar Jimenez, Game reviews, MiLB Updates, minors, prospects, Robert Rohrbaugh, Tacoma Rainiers

The last three coming against our beloved Mariners.

See -- We told you George was good!

But it's not because of the brim. Bend it, dude, bend it!

(Photo from MLB.com -- Rob Carr/AP)

Labels: bad decisions, George is awesome, George Sherrill, GS52

Ryan Feierabend pitched one of his best games at the AAA level in yesterday's opening day game. 6IP, 0R, 4H, 3BB and 7Ks. Where'd this come from?

Well, it's not from any new pitches. He was his normal three-pitch self last night, with his FB just the same as it was last year - from 85 to touching 90, but mostly 87-88 or so. His change-up was around 78, which is what the pitchfx data shows.

So how does a guy with standard platoon splits shut down a decent line-up stacked with righties?


First, it looked like he used the change-up much more than the curve. That's actually pretty similar to his M.O. vs. righties in the big leagues, but it was noticeable that the curve was a show-me pitch that he'd leave off the plate. That willingness to work off the plate showed up both in his higher than normal walk total and in his very low SLG percentage against. Remember, this is the same guy who allowed righties to slug over .600 in the majors, and who allowed PCL righties to slug .463 against him in Tacoma last year.

So clearly, he was able to improve the deception on the change-up last night. It's either that or he's willing to use it a lot more. Ryan's pitchfx data show something interesting - he got swinging strikes (the type most likely to stay consistent from year to year) on 13.6% of his change-ups last year, and gave up a home run on only 1 of 206 pitches thrown. His fastball induced swinging strikes only 3.5% of the time, and he gave up 4 HRs in 352 pitches. He was in the strike zone about the same with both pitches - he threw called balls on roughly 34-35% of both FBs and Changes.

From these data, and from his experience giving up 9HRs in less than 50 IP, I'd say Ryan may be learning to trust his change-up a lot more, and to avoid giving the hitter a hitter's pitch even in 2-0, 3-1 counts. His FB isn't good enough to blow by people, and if he wants to be successful, he's going to have to use the change-up a ton, and he's going to have to put the FB on the corners. Sure, this is true for every pitcher. But Feierabend's start last night showed that he doesn't have to be a 2 BB/9IP pitcher to succeed; that approach may actually PREVENT him from succeeding. This isn't a case where he wasn't mixing his pitches before - he was. But the Cha Seung Baek path to (FIP) success isn't going to work here, so he's got to make a change (ha!). So far, so good.

The hitting star was Yung-Chi Chen, who put a charge into a Greg Smith pitch and pulled a double pretty high off the wall in left center. He also had a single and a successful-if-uneventful night in the field. I'm pulling for the guy. Nice photo of him in the Tribune's photo slide show here, and stay tuned here or at Prospect Insider for photos from last night - Positive Paul got some great shots.

Matt Tuiasosopo apparently looked great in BP, but looked absolutely lost in his first AAA AB (a strikeout). He came back with a couple of better ABs, but still looked a bit overmatched. I'm sure there was a lot of pressure on him as his parents and numerous siblings were in attendance - gotta be nice to play in Washington again for the first time since he was at Everett.

Labels: Cheney Stadium, minors, Opening Day 2008, pitching, prospects

I know, I know, we're all watching King Felix's 2008 debut, but since Opening Day at Cheney is fast approaching, it seems like a decent time to get to know the team this year.

As Mike Curto noted, the Rainiers (and new minor league director Greg Hunter) have signed a number of pretty solid minor league veterans in an effort to avoid 'rushing' prospects quite as much and to help the farm clubs actually win some games. This means that the Rainiers (and other teams) won't quite be the team that prospecters love (and everyone else hates); it means they're going to try and win a bit more.

Perhaps the best example is Kevin Witt, the long-time MiLB slugger who figures to split time at 1B with long-time Rainiers farmhand Bryan LaHair. Witt hit 36 HRs in back-to-back seasons in the Rays and Cards systems a few years ago, and made it up to Tampa for a cup of coffee in 2006. In 2007, he opted to try NPB and set out for Japan. Sadly for Witt, Japan kicked his ass. After 40 games of .174/.267/.348, it was back to the states to regroup. So: he's not exactly 'hot' right now, and he's got a lifetime .267 OBP in 146 MLB games. That said, he's a far sight better than the random MiLB first basemen the Rainiers have found in years past - Aaron Rifkin, Todd Sears, Andy Barkett, those guys. All in all, he's got a decent shot to equal AJ Zapp's production from 2004 and an outside shot to become the next Bucky Jacobsen-style quasi-prospect/folk hero.
Witt hits lefty, so he can't really platoon with LaHair. There's no doubt Witt is the more productive hitter, so either the R's want Witt to DH or they're starting to give up on LaHair and his brutal platoon splits.

The 2B slot should be manned by Yung-Chi Chen, the Taiwanese prospect who lost almost all of 2007 to injury. Given his performance in the Arizona Fall League, it's easy to be bullish about Chen's 2008. He's got gap power, makes contact and can play several positions on the infield. Many label him Willie Bloomquist's asian twin for his 'good at a few things, but not good enough to be, y'know, a GOOD player' style of game, but I think he could be poised to make a leap to MLB-quality hitter. Dave Cameron and others worry that his 2B defense won't be good enough to carry a so-so bat, and that's something to watch. Either he improves and becomes a .300/.340/.460 hitter in AAA, or Cameron's right and he's a future 24th-25th man on someone's bench.

The shortstop position was a killer for the Rainiers last year, and the step down from Asdrubal Cabrera to Oswaldo Navarro continues to be piss me off. Not only is Navarro's defense much worse than Cabrera's (I'm hoping it gets better this year, and some of his incompetence was bad luck. C'mon regression to the mean!), but he struggled to a .632 OPS at the plate. Not only that, but his OPS came UP to .632 thanks to a half-decent July and August. To push Navarro, the Rainiers went out and signed Mark Kiger who had been in the Mets org last year. Kiger isn't a big-time slugger, so don't expect an Andy Green-style breakout, but he's an extremely patient hitter whose ISO-patience is over .100 in 6 minor league seasons. That's key, as the Rainiers didn't figure to get too many walks from Chen/Navarro/LaHair or even Witt. Kiger also plays 3B, which leads us to the hot corner....

3B is a position in flux, as Matt Tuiasosopo figures to take over in the not-too-distant future. If Tui doesn't make the club to begin with, the Rainiers will go with a combination of Kiger and org vets Ronnie Prettyman and Brant Ust. The latter two have zero prospect value, but Ust is handy as a super-sub to play 1B, 2B or 3B as needed, and Prettyman has a funny name.


The outfield is where things get more interesting. Obviously, the big star and now one of the M's best prospects is Wladimir Balentien. The Curacao native figures to get some time at all three OF positions now that Adam Jones isn't patrolling CF, and since Charlton Jimerson is frozen in amber on the M's bench. Wlad's played CF before, and played some in spring training this season. This is obviously a huge year for Balentien professionally; most expect him to make the M's roster at some point this year, much like Jones last year. Balentien has cut his K rate dramatically thanks to improved pitch recognition. The days of 1K per 3ABs are long gone, and if Wlad's improvement continues, he make M's fans forget about losing Adam Jones.... a bit. Next to Wlad will be former Yankees prospect Bronson Sardinha. I've said it before, but Sardinha is what Matt Tuiasosopo sees in his nightmares - both were highly regarded prep shortstops, and both started out great in the low minors, flashing some power to balance out poor glove work. Sardinha moved to 3B in 2004, but promptly made 43 errors between A+ and AA, which necessitated a move to the outfield. While he's OK out there, the power that was so evident in the short-season NYPL never really translated to the high minors, at least not regularly. If I sound pessimistic about Tui, and I suppose I am compared to many, it's because I'm worried he may be a slightly larger Sardinha. Of course, Sardinha's only 25, so he's got time to get back on track. He clearly needed to get out of the Yankees org, where he's been bouncing between AA and AAA for 2 years.
Finally, there's the tragic figure of Jeremy Reed. We all know the story - lauded prospect, amazing plate discipline, sizzling MLB call-up in 2004.... and then a combination of meh batspeed, injuries and what have to be some confidence issues conspired to leave him as a potential bust struggling to revive his career at age 26-27. Reed played quite well in 2007, at least away from Cheney. If he's able to either improve his play at home or versus lefties, he'll still have a modicum of value. If not, well, welcome to the life of itinerant minor league free agent.

The catching spot is basically unchanged - uber-prospect Jeff Clement and org-fave Rob Johnson figure to split time behind the plate. Clement's down to work on his defense, but he's still got a bit to prove at the plate as well. Clement was very slow to start last year and had trouble with some pitchers, leading many scouts to doubt his batspeed. He appeared to assuage those concerns with his second half (and his away splits), but he'd make me a lot more comfortable if he can get his SLG comfortably over .500 and/or prove that his freakish reverse platoon splits weren't just a fluke. If he's really a dominant hitter versus lefties, and just got unlucky versus righties last year, look out. The entire M's fanbase is rooting for you, Jeff. Let's put ANY doubts about your hitting prowess to rest.

The pitching staff is a mix of old and new, but one thing the Rainiers *always* seem to have room for is the MLB vet who hasn't pitched in a while who's trying to make it back to the show. A few years ago, it was Kevin Appier. Last year, it was Jim Parque. Though the track record isn't any better for these guys than it was for Jesse Foppert, the Rainiers decided to make room for Denny Stark, who last pitched competitively in 2005 (and 'competitively' may be a bit generous, given his stats that year). Long-time Rainiers/M's fans may remember Stark from his 2001 season when he went 14-2 with a 2.37 ERA for the Rainiers (jeebus was that 2001 team good). The next season, he and Brian Fuentes were traded to Colorado for...Jeff Cirillo. Stark pitched quite well for the Rockies in 2002, going 11-4, though his poor command and lack of an out-pitch were clear red flags. Well, those peripherals matter, and Stark never really had success again, though injuries clearly did their part as well. We shall see.

The fan favorite will probably be R.A. Dickey, the rule 5 pick-up from the Twins. After trading Jair Fernandez for him to avoid losing Dickey when they couldn't find room on the MLB roster, the knuckleballer is back to the PCL, where he's the reigning pitcher of the year. He's been very good at this level and now moves to a severe pitcher's park. Clearly, he's someone the M's may look to if the big club suffers some injuries.

Ryan Feierabend is back again to try to learn an outpitch; he was solid for Tacoma last year, but was demolished in a major league call-up. He'll have to either reduce his BBs even more to try to have a Carlos Silva-style career or avoid the centered pitches and lower his HRs allowed. He'd be facing something of a make or break year if he wasn't so damned young (22).

Robert Rohrbaugh is another in a long line of soft-tossing control artists, but is slightly different in that he's a righty. Ergo, he's in the Jorge Campillo class of pitchers as opposed to the Moyer/Livingston/Feierabend group. The ex-Clemson tiger impressed in his half-season last year, though his BB/9 and K/9 are damned close to Feierabend, meaning the same sorts of caveats that apply to Ryan's arsenal apply to Rohrbaugh. Robert is also 2 years older than Feierabend, so...

The final spot in the rotation is most likely going to be filled by Philip Barzilla, the ex-Rice Owls closer who started 18 games for Round Rock last year. Barzilla's another guy who doesn't really get strike-outs, but walks a few more than Rohrbaugh and Feierabend, so... yeah. He's roster filler.

Still, he's somewhat valuable in that he'll allow Cesar Jimenez to move back to the bullpen, a role that he's had some success in both in the Venezuelan Winter League and in the low-minors. The M's tried him as a starter, but something about the longer outings didn't work so well for him. Not only were his strikeouts down significantly (along with his velocity), he was also much more of a fly ball pitcher. As a reliever, the lefty can increase his FB velo from 88 or so to 90, and hopefully use a moderately tricky delivery and a solid change-up to be a very poor man's George Sherrill for Tacoma. Despite being around for many years, he'll be 23 this season.

Sean White also pitched well in Venezuela, and figures to be a very solid right hander out of the bullpen. His velocity's a bit better than Jimenez's, and he's also a *severe* GB pitcher, so he's one to watch this year. If Sean Green ever goes down, the M's have his similarly-named twin in AAA. That said, White turns 27 this month, so if he wants to have an impact with the M's, he needs to take a step forward now - he can start by cutting down on the walks.

Thanks for reading this far. Watch as the M's shake up the minor league rosters and render this useless tomorrow....
I'll be at the game sitting right behind the plate, and my coblogger will be taking photos, so stay tuned!

[edited 4/2/08]
Churchill's got the official roster here, so I better add something about a couple of other players...

First, Andy Baldwin will move up from AA and pitch in the rotation for Tacoma. Baldwin was acquired in the Jamie Moyer deal from Philadelphia, and pitched at Oregon State back in 2004. He's not had the best success in either org, but his walk totals are so low that they constitute a real skill. Similar to Cha Seung Baek, Baldwin's the kind of pitcher who won't wow anyone with his stuff, and he's given up a ton of hits both in the Florida State League and Southern League. In this ballpark, with this team, look for his stats (ERA, W/L) to take a step forward. He'll still be the same pitcher, and he's not that young (this'll be his age 25 season), but given the park and defense, his numbers *should* be better.

Mark Kiger is apparently NOT on the roster, so forget about his delicious OBP and replace that with Tug Hulett (who I really should've talked about before). Acquired for Ben Broussard from Texas, Hulett is basically the exact same guy as Kiger. He's got great patience and thus he's got a career MiLB career OBP of .398, but has no power (thus his career MiLB SLG of .384). If he can man the SS position competently, he'll add the on-base skills that the line-up needs.

Roy Corcoran will be the closer, or one of them, once he returns from taking JJ Putz's roster spot while Putz recovers from Costochondritis.
Corcoran closed for Albuquerque last year in the PCL, and though he gets more Ks than most of the other Tacoma relievers, isn't that special. He's got poor command, as evidenced by his 1:1 K/BB ratio in the majors. The best thing about the guy is his extreme GB ratio, which results in his freakishly low HR/9 ratio despite pitching in the bandbox that is Albuquerque. At nearly 61% GBs last year, Corcoran is another Sean Green clone - and another GB pitcher that Bill Bavasi simply couldn't say no to.

There shall be no waiting period at 3B, as Matt Tuiasosopo will be the third baseman for Tacoma. Tui is a great athlete, and was only 21 last year, but his lack of contact and power bodes.... poorly as of right now. Who know, maybe the guy will take a leap forward and put it all together. It's also possible that his home park will obscure even moderate progress. The M's spent big on Tui in the draft, and scouts still love everything about him from his physical frame to his approach. We'll see.

One more notable player - Joe Woerman will try and figure out what the organization wants him to do. Woerman, originally from Everett, was a great (if old for his league) reliever in the midwest league with K rates over 14, and manageable walk rates. The M's shifted him to the rotation at AA last year, and while he limits hits and can miss a bat or two, the results weren't great. I'd guess the M's are shifting him back to the pen, which makes a lot more sense. His arsenal is suited more to closing, and he may get a chance to close a bit with Corcoran in Seattle for the near future.

That's it - see you at the ballpark tomorrow.

No link yet, but Sid just mentioned that George will keep #52 while in Baltimore. Unlike a certain ~$50 million thief (yes, I'm still bitter), George actually respected his new teammate and decided against approaching Jon Leicester about taking #52, and has worn #51 during spring training instead. Today, however, Leicester refused his assignment to AAA and became a free agent, freeing up #52 on the Orioles' available jersey number list.

And George promptly made it unavailable again.

Now we just need to figure out a better Entrance Song than what they rarely played at Safeco last year. I like Sid's suggestion of a Clutch song. Like "The Mob Goes Wild!"

Labels: former players, George Sherrill, GS52

George Sherrill is FREE!!!

I can't put down in words how incredibly excited I am right now. These past four years have been intense, exciting, frustrating, and fun.

No, Mariners Morsels isn't finished. The design will change, sure, as soon as I get home.

But, finally, and officially, the Free George Sherrill campaign declares VICTORY!!!!

Congratulations, George! You deserve it. I just hope Baltimore has enough ninth-inning leads for you to protect.

Labels: "Free" campaigns, George is awesome, George Sherrill, relief pitchers, saves, the power of positive thinking, trades, VICTORY

As of right now, knowing what we know RIGHT NOW about everyone, here's the team I'd take with me to Seattle for Opening Day:

Starting Offense:

CF: Ichiro
LF: Wilkerson
RF: Balentien
1B: Sexson
2B: Lopez
SS: Yuni
3B: Beltre
C: Joh
DH: Raul

Bench:

1B/DH/2B backup: Vidro
MI/UTIL/Pinch-Runner: WFB
C: Burke
4^th OF: Jimerson
Pinch-hitter/Corner IF/EMERGENCY OF: Morse

SPs:

Bedard
Felix
Silva
Washburn
Tits

RPs:

CL: Putz
LHRP: Potatoes (Apostrophe/EOF)
LHRP: Hyphen (RRS)
RHRP: Morrow
RHRP: Green
#6 starter, Long RP: Dickey

Any thoughts?

Labels: lineups, roster building, Spring Training, tough decisions

Congratulations, Dave Niehaus! A very well-deserved and long-overdue honor.

Labels: broadcasters, Dave Niehaus, Ford C. Frick award, Hall of Fame

In honor of Pitchers and Catchers day and my gift to my fellow "lovers" (lovers of the Seattle Mariners, that is -- and yes, my wife borderline accuses me of cheating on her w/my passion for the Mariners sometimes...), here is a recent shot of Safeco Field perfect for use as a desktop wallpaper:



If you're interested, I'm selling prints. Send me an e-mail (paul*at*paulmphotography.com) to let me know what you want. I just printed a 13x19 of this shot, and I'm about to place a frame order, too. I'd be happy to order a few more frames!

Labels: Desktop wallpaper, Photography, Safeco Field, Spring Training

The trade, that is. Not my fandom of George, of course. Here's to hoping he can grab #52 away from John Leicester :-) And the closer's job. If not, then the Free George Sherrill campaign will continue.



You better believe I'll welcome him back when Baltimore comes to town.

Labels: bad decisions, George is awesome, Good-byes

A month ago, with the arrival of Carlos Silva and his subsequent thievery of George Sherrill's jersey number, I said good-bye to GS52. In the next day or so, he's evidently going to get a phone call informing him of his trade to Baltimore, and I'll be forced, once again, to say good-bye. I was hoping that phone call would be from Mr. Silva -- after all, he said he'd hook him up when I asked him at FanFest.

Honestly, the Free George Sherrill campaign will not come to an end. He may be leaving Seattle, but he's not shed of my fandom. It's quite possible that he's being banished to an even worse-run organization than the Mariners'. Also, with Boston and NY as well as a seriously up-and-coming Tampa Bay team in the same division, it's likely he won't pitch in the playoffs any time soon. I'm not sure, either, whether Baltimore would consider using him as their closer. So, with both of those things working against him, the campaign continues. Yes, my favorite player on my favorite team is about to be traded.

That doesn't mean my fandom comes to an end...

Labels: bad decisions, George Sherrill, Good-byes, trades