Randomness
As I wait for something cool to happen in the game…
In the last day (and these numbers are all “known” numbers, there’s a huge chunk of visitors to the site we don’t get information on):
2% of our visitors were from Boeing
2% are from the University of Washington (and Jason and I say: woof!)
1 person was looking for nude pictures of Gabe Kapler (we’ve commented on this before, but there seems to be a weird, small group of people out there looking for naked pictures of Kapler and/or his wife
1 for Giovanni Carrara’s wife
1 for “yellow bracelets supporting neil armstrong” which, uh… not so much
1 person was looking for counterfeit live strong wristbands which is so low I can’t even come up with a reasonable description
Game thread, Mariners at Athletics, 9/29
Madritsch v Harden
Come see two guys who have been mentioned by different people as being closers of the future duke it out as their talents warranted — as starters.
Also… Ichiro: hitting machine
Ichiro! and the Hall of Fame
Ichiro started playing ion 1993 for the Orix Blue Wave. Between 1994 and 2000, seven years, he hit .353/.421/.522. Since coming over to the Mariners, he’s hit .339/.384/.444.
Warning! Rough stats ahead!
Assuming that he managed the same overall playing time (longer seasons here but labor disputes), using his Safeco rates, that’s about 4000 PAs, and you’d add to his career totals about 1,300 hits, 250 walks, another 50 HR.
Ichiro! would today have over 2,200 hits, over 400 walks (420?), and 87 HR. He’d break into the all-time leaderboard after his 2005 season at about… #90, 2006, #60 or so (asssuming no labor war again), 2007, #40, 2008, he could be in the top 20 for major league hits of all time. His 350 SB would have him sneaking onto that all-time leaderboard this year.
That’s not perfect, but it’s a starting point to think about this. Ichiro! would have played 100 games in 1994, say 145 in 1995. If you figure him for an almost full-timer but also grant him games off he missed in Orix, I come out with another hundred, hundred-fifty hits.
I think even that understates the case. Speed, like defense, generally declines much earlier in a player’s career than hitting talent. Given Ichiro’s general hitting style, I think it’s likely that he may done even better here early in his career than this gives him credit. And he’d almost certainly have won a number of Gold Gloves if he’d played here from 1994-2000 as well.
My point, though, is this — unlike Japanese players who put up tremendous numbers only in Japanese baseball, Ichiro! may well end up with, strictly speaking, two halves of a resume. He’ll have been outstanding in the first half of his career in Japan, and in the second half of his career here. If he’d played here his whole career, he’d be a shoe-in to be voted into the Hall.
But as it is, his accomplishments here only serve as proof that he could have been a HoF-level player, had he started here… but his career achievements here won’t seem to justify enshrinement.
I’d vote for him, but I think everyone here knew I’d write that. The question is… when Ichiro! decides to retire, given five years to mull on the question, will the Hall of Fame votering have advanced enough that he’ll be given due consideration? Should the Hall of Fame recognize great ability, even if all that the ability achieved is not within our borders?
And if that’s the case, doesn’t that open the door for Oh?
Free agent relievers
Since the bullpen seems to be the topic du’jour in the comments, here’s a complete list of relievers who will be free agents at years end. Good luck finding a power relief ace for $2-$3 million in this bunch.
RHP:
Troy Percival
Terry Adams
Curtis Leskanic
Ramiro Mendoza
Scott Williamson
Mike Jackson
Cliff Politte
Rich White
Bob Wickman
Danny Patterson
Ugueth Urbina
Alan Levine
Doug Brocail
Jeff Nelson
Jay Powell
Antonio Alfonseca
Steve Reed
Armando Benitez
Chad Fox
Billy Koch
Rudy Seanez
Dan Miceli
David Weathers
Paul Shuey
Dave Burba
Ricky Bottalico
Mike DeJean
Roberto Hernandez
Todd Jones
Jose Mesa
Cal Eldred
Antonio Osuna
Dustin Hermanson
LHP:
Mike Myers
Ron Villone
Kent Mercker
Jeff Fassero
Darren Oliver
Wilson Alvarez
John Franco
Rheal Cormier
Steve Kline
There are a few other guys who have team options that will likely be declined (Trevor Hoffman), but they aren’t the kind of relievers we need to be throwing money at anyways.
If the M’s want a dominating power relief ace next year, they’re going to have to trade for one.