Chris Snelling had more surgery to repair cartilage in his wrist.
Rotoworld unofficially declares that he will be out for a few months.
I'm off the Snelling wagon.
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
I was inspired by Gareth Owen to calculate some confidence intervals and such, until I realized that I don't know how to do that with baseball statistics. Gareth, if you're out there, remind me.
Anyway...
6-8
Franklin continues to boggle the mind. His strikeouts are down from last year and his walks are up, but he's still keeping people away from home plate, as he's only allowed seven runs through 20 innings. His early-season BABIP is down 40 points from last year, to .210, despite our defense being considerably worse overall.
So, what's the deal?
I wish I had the answer. This is just one of those things that we'll have to examine as more time passes. As is, Franklin's only had three starts, two of which came against a weak Oakland lineup and the third against a Glaus-less Anaheim team. While I'm certainly not rooting against Ryan, I find it next to impossible that he keeps this up, and so every time he takes the mound I expect him to hit the wall. God bless you, Ryan Franklin, for serving as a constant reminder that people will occasionally succeed despite having seemingly disastrous habits (is that a good thing?).
...which brings us to Raul, a textbook example of why individual early season statistics are as worthless as a third-party vote (). On April 16th - less than a week ago - Ibanez was the proud owner of a .242/.316/.364 line. Five days and four home runs later, that's up to .261/.364/.609, with an ISO that reminds one of Albert Pujols. Not only that, but a lot of his damage has come versus lefties, against whom Raul has five hits and two homers in 13 at bats. You love to see the guy do well, particularly in areas we all thought were hopeless, but there isn't much long-term good to Raul's strong start. He's going to stop slugging the ball one of these days, but Melvin will remember Ibanez' little streak long after the home runs are a thing of the past. If you didn't get enough of Edgar Martinez hitting fifth, then you can probably look forward to much more of that in the future as Melvin decides that Raul is our main power threat.
We're scoring 4.07 runs per game and allowing 4.57. Over a full season that equates to a -81 run differential and a 72-90 W/L record. Our offense has managed a .255/.317/.382 line and is on pace to barely surpass the 2003 Mets in terms of run production. We're also hitting well above the mean with RISP (.301/.396/.416), a line that should lower as the season progresses until it and our overall numbers meet somewhere in the middle - or, at least, approach each other (teams have hit a few percentage points better with runners in scoring position over the last few years than they have overall).
One can only imagine how poorly off we'd be if not for Ibanez these last few games.
Before the year started, there were rumors flying around that Ichiro was going to start learning how to take pitches. So far so good, I guess; he's facing 3.93 pitches per PA, as opposed to last year's 3.50. However, he's only on pace for 34 walks, and his patience may have resulted in a power outage. Ichiro's managed just two extra-base hits (both doubles) out of 19 hits in all - 10.5% - which is well below last year's 23.6% mark. Looks like Raul snatched up the entire lineup's power and used it all for himself.
Randy Winn needs to remember how to hit. And field. Preferably soon.
How about that ballgame last night? We drew four more walks. Harden was throwing strikes all game, but we managed to coax a handful of free passes from him anyway, and all of a sudden we're not last in the majors anymore (now we're 22nd, 31 walks behind the league-leading Yankees). While the walks haven't directly led to an increase in runs, over the course of the season we have significantly better odds of scoring 5+ runs a game when we're drawing a walk 3.5-4 times every game than when we're drawing one or two. Aggressive hitting? Fine. Just make sure you're swinging at strikes.
John Olerud also needs to remember how to hit.
Congratulations to Ben Davis, again. Just days after he made sure not to be the last Mariner to reach base, he also made sure yesterday that he wouldn't be the last Mariner to get a hit. That honor belongs to Jolbert Cabrera, who is 0-10. Our bench of Cabrera/Davis/McCracken/Hansen/Bloomquist is hitting .215 on the year, with a .246 slugging percentage. Good times. Even better, four-ninths of our starting lineup has an OPS of .662 or lower.
It's a good thing early statistics don't mean much. Bring on Tim Hudson!
I'll probably regret saying that.
Anyway...
6-8
Franklin continues to boggle the mind. His strikeouts are down from last year and his walks are up, but he's still keeping people away from home plate, as he's only allowed seven runs through 20 innings. His early-season BABIP is down 40 points from last year, to .210, despite our defense being considerably worse overall.
So, what's the deal?
I wish I had the answer. This is just one of those things that we'll have to examine as more time passes. As is, Franklin's only had three starts, two of which came against a weak Oakland lineup and the third against a Glaus-less Anaheim team. While I'm certainly not rooting against Ryan, I find it next to impossible that he keeps this up, and so every time he takes the mound I expect him to hit the wall. God bless you, Ryan Franklin, for serving as a constant reminder that people will occasionally succeed despite having seemingly disastrous habits (is that a good thing?).
...which brings us to Raul, a textbook example of why individual early season statistics are as worthless as a third-party vote (
We're scoring 4.07 runs per game and allowing 4.57. Over a full season that equates to a -81 run differential and a 72-90 W/L record. Our offense has managed a .255/.317/.382 line and is on pace to barely surpass the 2003 Mets in terms of run production. We're also hitting well above the mean with RISP (.301/.396/.416), a line that should lower as the season progresses until it and our overall numbers meet somewhere in the middle - or, at least, approach each other (teams have hit a few percentage points better with runners in scoring position over the last few years than they have overall).
One can only imagine how poorly off we'd be if not for Ibanez these last few games.
Before the year started, there were rumors flying around that Ichiro was going to start learning how to take pitches. So far so good, I guess; he's facing 3.93 pitches per PA, as opposed to last year's 3.50. However, he's only on pace for 34 walks, and his patience may have resulted in a power outage. Ichiro's managed just two extra-base hits (both doubles) out of 19 hits in all - 10.5% - which is well below last year's 23.6% mark. Looks like Raul snatched up the entire lineup's power and used it all for himself.
Randy Winn needs to remember how to hit. And field. Preferably soon.
How about that ballgame last night? We drew four more walks. Harden was throwing strikes all game, but we managed to coax a handful of free passes from him anyway, and all of a sudden we're not last in the majors anymore (now we're 22nd, 31 walks behind the league-leading Yankees). While the walks haven't directly led to an increase in runs, over the course of the season we have significantly better odds of scoring 5+ runs a game when we're drawing a walk 3.5-4 times every game than when we're drawing one or two. Aggressive hitting? Fine. Just make sure you're swinging at strikes.
John Olerud also needs to remember how to hit.
Congratulations to Ben Davis, again. Just days after he made sure not to be the last Mariner to reach base, he also made sure yesterday that he wouldn't be the last Mariner to get a hit. That honor belongs to Jolbert Cabrera, who is 0-10. Our bench of Cabrera/Davis/McCracken/Hansen/Bloomquist is hitting .215 on the year, with a .246 slugging percentage. Good times. Even better, four-ninths of our starting lineup has an OPS of .662 or lower.
It's a good thing early statistics don't mean much. Bring on Tim Hudson!
I'll probably regret saying that.
Minor League Wrap-Up:
Tacoma defeated Las Vegas, 4-1. Clint Nageotte picked up his third victory (3-0), and JJ Putz got his second save. Las Vegas could manage just three hits all day. Notables:
Clint Nageotte: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
JJ Putz: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Justin Leone: 2-3, 2 homers (finally)
Jose Lopez: 1-4
Hiram Bocachica: 1-3, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 0-3
Leone also had an error.
San Antonio lost to Midland, 6-2. Chris Buglovsky got the loss by allowing four runs - all unearned - and Allen Levrault made another appearance out of nowhere. Notables:
Dustin Dellucchi: 1-3, 1 BB
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4
Greg Jacobs: 1-4
Cristian Guerrero: 0-3
Inland Empire lost to Lancaster 6-4, allowing three runs in the ninth. Greg Wear gave up four runs in 1.2 IP for the loss. Melvin Pizarro pitched again. Notables:
Rafael Soriano: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Melvin Pizarro: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Juan Gonzalez: 0-5
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 homer
Matt Hagen: 1-4
Rene Rivera: 2-3, 1 double
Michael Garciaparra: 0-3, 1 BB (.194)
Wisconsin vs. Burlington was postponed.
Recap of last night's game to come later, when I find some time.
Tacoma defeated Las Vegas, 4-1. Clint Nageotte picked up his third victory (3-0), and JJ Putz got his second save. Las Vegas could manage just three hits all day. Notables:
Clint Nageotte: 6 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
JJ Putz: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Justin Leone: 2-3, 2 homers (finally)
Jose Lopez: 1-4
Hiram Bocachica: 1-3, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 0-3
Leone also had an error.
San Antonio lost to Midland, 6-2. Chris Buglovsky got the loss by allowing four runs - all unearned - and Allen Levrault made another appearance out of nowhere. Notables:
Dustin Dellucchi: 1-3, 1 BB
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4
Greg Jacobs: 1-4
Cristian Guerrero: 0-3
Inland Empire lost to Lancaster 6-4, allowing three runs in the ninth. Greg Wear gave up four runs in 1.2 IP for the loss. Melvin Pizarro pitched again. Notables:
Rafael Soriano: 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
Melvin Pizarro: 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Juan Gonzalez: 0-5
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 homer
Matt Hagen: 1-4
Rene Rivera: 2-3, 1 double
Michael Garciaparra: 0-3, 1 BB (.194)
Wisconsin vs. Burlington was postponed.
Recap of last night's game to come later, when I find some time.
Tuesday, April 20, 2004
What do you get when you ignore the Mariners in favor of some astonishingly exciting playoff hockey? A 14-inning victory over our principal rivals, that's what.
There are so many positives from the game that I don't know where to start. Ibanez went deep of a lefty for the second time in two days. Freddy Garcia had a brilliant start and didn't once get flustered by a jam. Mike Myers came in and retired three batters - including a righty - in order. Quinton McCracken scored the winning run after reaching via a single. Eric Chavez didn't homer. It goes on.
What can you say about Freddy? The guy didn't allow a runner beyond second base for the duration of his start, and only put five men on base in total. He also fanned seven hitters, upping his season total to 18 in 20 innings (8.1 K/9). Has something clicked inside that flaky head of his? Too soon to tell. What we *do* know, however, is that he's capable of rebounding from a shaky start and pitching well. Look no further than the seventh inning in last night's ballgame: Garcia pitches well to Hatteberg, but Spiezio makes an error and he winds up on base. Then, after retiring Bobby Crosby, Freddy threw a wild one with Melhuse at the plate, allowing Hatteberg to advance to second. Last year's Garcia would have wilted, but this 2004 edition stood in there, struck out Melhuse, then disposed of SKOOTER-oh on a foul pop-up to end the inning. Impressive, and uncharacterisitic to boot.
In the 8th, Myers came in to face Mark Kotsay, Eric Byrnes, and Eric Chavez (the first and third of whom are lefties). Whether by design or happenstance, Myers did the job, retiring a struggling Kotsay, a right-handed Byrnes, and perennial enigma Eric Chavez on 15 pitches. Letting him pitch to Byrnes was a risky move; Byrnes has been on fire this year, and Myers hasn't exactly owned righties over his career. But rather than go with Guardado to finish off the eighth, Melvin decided to stick with his guy and the move paid off. Let's hope that this does not portend the future...man, it'd be nice to have a reliable southpaw like Arty Rhodes in the bullpen.
Guardado, pitching for the third consecutive day, allowed a leadoff home run to Dye that tied it in the ninth. This apparently caused a horde of fans to get up from their seats and leave the stadium, a phenomenon heretofore labeled as Dodgers Syndrome. Eddie finished the ninth, but the damage was done. He most certainly will not be available to pitch tonight, unless Melvin takes Guardado's popular nickname literally.
What else can we take from the game?
Shigetoshi Hasegawa needs to stop putting guys on base. The hits are palatable - we expected him to allow quite a few more than he did in 2003 - but the five walks in 7.1 innings needs to stop. As an indication of just how meaningful (or meaningless) that number is, though, he's also struck out seven hitters, so perhaps we can chalk it up to bad luck and a missed call or two.
Last night, Kevin Jarvis pitched. He wasn't the last option, either, as Villone was certainly available. Ron threw an inning in the previous game, but given Guardado's usage we may be sure that Melvin doesn't have anything against using a reliever in back-to-back (-to-back-to...) games. Why does Jarvis keep getting thrust into games in which he has no right to participate? The world may never know.
Julio Mateo likes to live on the edge, loading the bases in the 11th and putting the first two on base in the 12th. He hasn't allowed an unintentional walk yet on the year, though, and his strikeouts are still up there, which is good news. He also threw 49 pitches last night, suggesting that he's more than available as starting rotation depth, should the need arise.
Eight walks. Need I say more?
The only real bad news that you can get from last night's game is that McCracken played a critical role in the victory, as he came around the bases to score after reaching on a single. However, for every successful McCracken at bat yesterday, there were six putrid Dan Wilson plate appearances, so maybe this team will realize the uselessness of certain players before too long.
I'm through with this prediction thing, it's giving me a headache. For the second straight night I'll be paying attention to hockey instead of baseball, so hopefully it works out as well as it did yesterday.
There are so many positives from the game that I don't know where to start. Ibanez went deep of a lefty for the second time in two days. Freddy Garcia had a brilliant start and didn't once get flustered by a jam. Mike Myers came in and retired three batters - including a righty - in order. Quinton McCracken scored the winning run after reaching via a single. Eric Chavez didn't homer. It goes on.
What can you say about Freddy? The guy didn't allow a runner beyond second base for the duration of his start, and only put five men on base in total. He also fanned seven hitters, upping his season total to 18 in 20 innings (8.1 K/9). Has something clicked inside that flaky head of his? Too soon to tell. What we *do* know, however, is that he's capable of rebounding from a shaky start and pitching well. Look no further than the seventh inning in last night's ballgame: Garcia pitches well to Hatteberg, but Spiezio makes an error and he winds up on base. Then, after retiring Bobby Crosby, Freddy threw a wild one with Melhuse at the plate, allowing Hatteberg to advance to second. Last year's Garcia would have wilted, but this 2004 edition stood in there, struck out Melhuse, then disposed of SKOOTER-oh on a foul pop-up to end the inning. Impressive, and uncharacterisitic to boot.
In the 8th, Myers came in to face Mark Kotsay, Eric Byrnes, and Eric Chavez (the first and third of whom are lefties). Whether by design or happenstance, Myers did the job, retiring a struggling Kotsay, a right-handed Byrnes, and perennial enigma Eric Chavez on 15 pitches. Letting him pitch to Byrnes was a risky move; Byrnes has been on fire this year, and Myers hasn't exactly owned righties over his career. But rather than go with Guardado to finish off the eighth, Melvin decided to stick with his guy and the move paid off. Let's hope that this does not portend the future...man, it'd be nice to have a reliable southpaw like Arty Rhodes in the bullpen.
Guardado, pitching for the third consecutive day, allowed a leadoff home run to Dye that tied it in the ninth. This apparently caused a horde of fans to get up from their seats and leave the stadium, a phenomenon heretofore labeled as Dodgers Syndrome. Eddie finished the ninth, but the damage was done. He most certainly will not be available to pitch tonight, unless Melvin takes Guardado's popular nickname literally.
What else can we take from the game?
Shigetoshi Hasegawa needs to stop putting guys on base. The hits are palatable - we expected him to allow quite a few more than he did in 2003 - but the five walks in 7.1 innings needs to stop. As an indication of just how meaningful (or meaningless) that number is, though, he's also struck out seven hitters, so perhaps we can chalk it up to bad luck and a missed call or two.
Last night, Kevin Jarvis pitched. He wasn't the last option, either, as Villone was certainly available. Ron threw an inning in the previous game, but given Guardado's usage we may be sure that Melvin doesn't have anything against using a reliever in back-to-back (-to-back-to...) games. Why does Jarvis keep getting thrust into games in which he has no right to participate? The world may never know.
Julio Mateo likes to live on the edge, loading the bases in the 11th and putting the first two on base in the 12th. He hasn't allowed an unintentional walk yet on the year, though, and his strikeouts are still up there, which is good news. He also threw 49 pitches last night, suggesting that he's more than available as starting rotation depth, should the need arise.
Eight walks. Need I say more?
The only real bad news that you can get from last night's game is that McCracken played a critical role in the victory, as he came around the bases to score after reaching on a single. However, for every successful McCracken at bat yesterday, there were six putrid Dan Wilson plate appearances, so maybe this team will realize the uselessness of certain players before too long.
I'm through with this prediction thing, it's giving me a headache. For the second straight night I'll be paying attention to hockey instead of baseball, so hopefully it works out as well as it did yesterday.
Minor League Wrap-Up:
Tacoma vs. Tucson was postponed.
San Antonio beat Midland, 5-2. Emiliano Fruto got the win in relief of Troy Cate, and Jared Hoerman nailed down his fourth save despite owning a 5.68 ERA. Notables:
Troy Cate: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Dustin Delucchi: 1-4, 1 BB
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4, 1 homer
Greg Dobbs: 2-4, 1 double
Greg Jacobs: 2-4
Inland Empire lost to Lancaster, 6-5. A four-run eighth was not enough, as the 66ers surrendered the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom half of the inning. David Viane got the loss by allowing two unearned runs. Notables:
Bobby Livingston: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Juan Gonzalez: 2-5
Ismael Castro: 2-4
Rene Rivera: 0-3, 1 BB
Michael Garciaparra: 1-4
Wisconsin allowed six runs in the seventh as they fell to Peoria, 8-3. Michael Hrynio did his part in contributing to the loss, allowing four baserunners (all of whom scored) while retiring just one batter. Notables:
Josh Womack: 0-5 (.163)
Adam Jones: 1-4 (.216)
Wladimir Balentien: 1-4
Nobody in yesterday's starting lineup has a BA over .250, and five are below .200.
Tacoma vs. Tucson was postponed.
San Antonio beat Midland, 5-2. Emiliano Fruto got the win in relief of Troy Cate, and Jared Hoerman nailed down his fourth save despite owning a 5.68 ERA. Notables:
Troy Cate: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
Dustin Delucchi: 1-4, 1 BB
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4, 1 homer
Greg Dobbs: 2-4, 1 double
Greg Jacobs: 2-4
Inland Empire lost to Lancaster, 6-5. A four-run eighth was not enough, as the 66ers surrendered the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom half of the inning. David Viane got the loss by allowing two unearned runs. Notables:
Bobby Livingston: 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR
Juan Gonzalez: 2-5
Ismael Castro: 2-4
Rene Rivera: 0-3, 1 BB
Michael Garciaparra: 1-4
Wisconsin allowed six runs in the seventh as they fell to Peoria, 8-3. Michael Hrynio did his part in contributing to the loss, allowing four baserunners (all of whom scored) while retiring just one batter. Notables:
Josh Womack: 0-5 (.163)
Adam Jones: 1-4 (.216)
Wladimir Balentien: 1-4
Nobody in yesterday's starting lineup has a BA over .250, and five are below .200.
Monday, April 19, 2004
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Minor League Wrap-Up:
Tacoma fell to Tucson 2-1, in 10 innings. Scott Atchison got the loss in relief. Notables:
Bobby Madritsch: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Ramon Santiago: 0-5
Hiram Bocachica: 1-3
Jose Lopez: 1-3, 1 BB
Wiki Gonzalez: 1-5, 1 homer
Justin Leone: 0-3, 1 BB
San Antonio defeated Midland, 3-1. Jared Hoerman picked up his third consecutive save. Juan Done got the start and the win. Notables:
Dustin Delucchi: 1-3, 1 BB
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4
Greg Dobbs: 2-4
Cristian Guerrero: 0-3
Inland Empire had a doubleheader today, after yesterday's game was postponed, and took both games. The first was a 6-2 victory over Lake Elsinore. Ryan Rowland-Smith picked up the win. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-4, 1 BB
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 BB
Rene Rivera: 2-3, 2 doubles
Michael Garciaparra: 1-4
The 66ers took the second game, 4-3, in seven innings. Juan Sandoval got his second victory, and Darwin Soto picked up his second save. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-2
Ismael Castro: 0-3
Michael Garciaparra: 1-3
Matt Hagen: 2-3, 1 double
Wisconsin lost to Peoria, 7-5. Rough day for Eric O`Flaherty, who couldn't last through the fourth. Kenly Chang got the loss. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-5, 1 homer
Adam Jones: 0-3, 1 BB
*yawn*
Tacoma fell to Tucson 2-1, in 10 innings. Scott Atchison got the loss in relief. Notables:
Bobby Madritsch: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Ramon Santiago: 0-5
Hiram Bocachica: 1-3
Jose Lopez: 1-3, 1 BB
Wiki Gonzalez: 1-5, 1 homer
Justin Leone: 0-3, 1 BB
San Antonio defeated Midland, 3-1. Jared Hoerman picked up his third consecutive save. Juan Done got the start and the win. Notables:
Dustin Delucchi: 1-3, 1 BB
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4
Greg Dobbs: 2-4
Cristian Guerrero: 0-3
Inland Empire had a doubleheader today, after yesterday's game was postponed, and took both games. The first was a 6-2 victory over Lake Elsinore. Ryan Rowland-Smith picked up the win. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-4, 1 BB
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 BB
Rene Rivera: 2-3, 2 doubles
Michael Garciaparra: 1-4
The 66ers took the second game, 4-3, in seven innings. Juan Sandoval got his second victory, and Darwin Soto picked up his second save. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-2
Ismael Castro: 0-3
Michael Garciaparra: 1-3
Matt Hagen: 2-3, 1 double
Wisconsin lost to Peoria, 7-5. Rough day for Eric O`Flaherty, who couldn't last through the fourth. Kenly Chang got the loss. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-5, 1 homer
Adam Jones: 0-3, 1 BB
*yawn*
4-8
Joel Pineiro survives a rocky start to pick up the win, and Eddie Guardado throws a 1-2-3 9th for his second consecutive save. Today's stars:
I'm still concerned about Pineiro, because he's put 34 men on base in just 16.1 innings this year and his control is all over the place. That said, he had a rough April in 2003 as well, walking 17 in 31.1 innings, so this is nothing new. Joel's always had trouble in the early innings of a game, so why should the overall year be any different? He only allowed four baserunners after Young's two-run single in the second, and that's pretty encouraging. Pineiro hit a groove in the middle innings; it's amazing what can happen when you start at bats with strikes.
As for the offense, where'd those homers come from? Surely it couldn't have been the Mariners, the proud owners of just four home runs combined through the first 11 games. Ibanez finally came through with a longball, and it's very, very nice to get some offense from third base. Also, Boone continues to slug the ball, although he's making a lot of outs.
Ichiro needs to hit some more doubles and triples.
The way Ryan Drese was going, this looked like another Park-like shutout in the making. His final line isn't particularly impressive - 7 hits and 8 baserunners through 5.2 IP - but he started well before running into trouble in the fifth. He hit the wall around the 70 pitch mark, consistent with his career splits. The Mariners forced him out of the game, and Ibanez hit a surprise home run off a lefty reliever to push us into the lead. One can only wonder what the outcome of the game would have been if Drese had a little more endurance.
Wee Willie slapped his way to a .296 batting average, a number achieved via a hit collection replete with singles. Again, it's nice that he contributed, but these kinds of games just give Melvin more reason to use him, and that's the last thing we need. I want to see Aurilia and Spiezio in there as often as possible, and all we need is a few 0-4's from Bloomquist to make that happen.
Decent game, and we've won two in a row. I'd add a little more, but the puck is about to drop in Ottawa and I need to divert my attention to the TV for a few hours.
Joel Pineiro survives a rocky start to pick up the win, and Eddie Guardado throws a 1-2-3 9th for his second consecutive save. Today's stars:
- Raul Ibanez: two-run homer that was the difference in the game
- Bret Boone: started the comeback with his solo shot
- Scott Spiezio: insurance homer in the 8th that made us all more comfortable
- Ichiro: three hits from the leadoff spot is always appreciated
I'm still concerned about Pineiro, because he's put 34 men on base in just 16.1 innings this year and his control is all over the place. That said, he had a rough April in 2003 as well, walking 17 in 31.1 innings, so this is nothing new. Joel's always had trouble in the early innings of a game, so why should the overall year be any different? He only allowed four baserunners after Young's two-run single in the second, and that's pretty encouraging. Pineiro hit a groove in the middle innings; it's amazing what can happen when you start at bats with strikes.
As for the offense, where'd those homers come from? Surely it couldn't have been the Mariners, the proud owners of just four home runs combined through the first 11 games. Ibanez finally came through with a longball, and it's very, very nice to get some offense from third base. Also, Boone continues to slug the ball, although he's making a lot of outs.
Ichiro needs to hit some more doubles and triples.
The way Ryan Drese was going, this looked like another Park-like shutout in the making. His final line isn't particularly impressive - 7 hits and 8 baserunners through 5.2 IP - but he started well before running into trouble in the fifth. He hit the wall around the 70 pitch mark, consistent with his career splits. The Mariners forced him out of the game, and Ibanez hit a surprise home run off a lefty reliever to push us into the lead. One can only wonder what the outcome of the game would have been if Drese had a little more endurance.
Wee Willie slapped his way to a .296 batting average, a number achieved via a hit collection replete with singles. Again, it's nice that he contributed, but these kinds of games just give Melvin more reason to use him, and that's the last thing we need. I want to see Aurilia and Spiezio in there as often as possible, and all we need is a few 0-4's from Bloomquist to make that happen.
Decent game, and we've won two in a row. I'd add a little more, but the puck is about to drop in Ottawa and I need to divert my attention to the TV for a few hours.
Four walks. About 1.2 more than our average per game, leading into today.
It was nice to see some patience out of this team for the first time all year. Maybe they learned something from the previous game's debacle - or maybe it was a fluke - but either way, Lewis was chased after five innings and 95 pitches (only 51 of which were strikes). Ibanez was surprisingly disciplined, as he turned two good at bats into walks. It was looking like another one of those inexplicably anemic games until the fourth, where the following took place with two outs:
-S Spiezio singled to center
-R Aurilia walked, S Spiezio to second
-R Ibanez walked, S Spiezio to third, R Aurilia to second
-D Wilson doubled to deep center, S Spiezio, R Aurilia, and R Ibanez scored.
Indeed, good things can happen when you draw two-out walks. It seems that Dan Wilson is determined to use up six months' worth of hits in two weeks, but tonight's three-run double was much appreciated, and turned out to be the difference in the game. Is Wilson going to hit .367 all year? No, but Ichiro and Edgar have nowhere to go but up, and they're going to jumpstart this offense a little bit as Wilson regresses. I don't think you're going to see many more situations where none of Olerud, Edgar, and Boone can advance Ichiro from third base.
What can you say about Spiezio's start? He wasn't really challenged defensively, but his offense was quite helpful, as he finished 2-4 with a double and two runs scored. He started our first rally with a two-out single (that broke up Lewis' early no-hitter) and he opened the sixth with a double off Ron Mahay. It appears that, for the time being, he's completely healthy and ready to contribute, something that Willie Bloomquist, for all his hustle, couldn't muster. I've been looking forward to Spiezio's debut this year, not because I think he'll be dynamite with the bat but because I couldn't stomach many more Bloomquist appearances. The difference between the two players is probably about two wins over a full season, and we're going to need those if we have any hope of contending.
Admit it: after the first inning, you were worried about Jamie Moyer. He was fresh off two lousy starts against Oakland and Anaheim, and he'd just barely survived a first inning in which he allowed a double and two very deep fly outs. Even the most optimistic of fans had to be concerned that Moyer had lost a little something over the winter and had become eminently hittable. Well, Jamie managed to put those fears to rest, as he got through a rough first inning and coasted through the eighth, finishing with a stellar line:
8 IP
3 H
1 ER
2 BB
5 K
He was throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters most of the game, and the Rangers' bats were struggling once they fell behind in the count. Nobody's going to score many runs when their 3-through-9 hitters go 1-22.
Ichiro got his first stolen base of the year, courtesy of a Gerald Laird airmail. Randy Winn also attempted a bunt single, so Melvin seems to be stressing the whole "be aggressive with your speed" strategy. I like having Winn and Ichiro back-to-back in the lineup, as getting Winn on base lends itself to all kinds of fun situations that take advantage of their footspeed and Ichiro's contact ability. Also, I'm liking Olerud in the second slot. Now if only Melvin would switch Boone to #3, so that we don't have to deal with Olerud and Edgar in sequence. Ibanez at #7 seems about right.
All in all, it was leaps and bounds better than the night before. Still some kinks to be straightened out, but Spiezio's return adds a lot to the lineup, and I'm feeling more optimistic already.
This prediction thing hasn't been going too well, as I've gotten the last four games wrong, but I'll still give it a shot. Tomorrow pits Ryan Drese against Joel Pineiro, who's been having difficulty this year. However, nobody knows bad pitching better than Drese, so I'm looking for a healthy M's win. 8-4. (I'm 7-4 on the year.)
It was nice to see some patience out of this team for the first time all year. Maybe they learned something from the previous game's debacle - or maybe it was a fluke - but either way, Lewis was chased after five innings and 95 pitches (only 51 of which were strikes). Ibanez was surprisingly disciplined, as he turned two good at bats into walks. It was looking like another one of those inexplicably anemic games until the fourth, where the following took place with two outs:
-S Spiezio singled to center
-R Aurilia walked, S Spiezio to second
-R Ibanez walked, S Spiezio to third, R Aurilia to second
-D Wilson doubled to deep center, S Spiezio, R Aurilia, and R Ibanez scored.
Indeed, good things can happen when you draw two-out walks. It seems that Dan Wilson is determined to use up six months' worth of hits in two weeks, but tonight's three-run double was much appreciated, and turned out to be the difference in the game. Is Wilson going to hit .367 all year? No, but Ichiro and Edgar have nowhere to go but up, and they're going to jumpstart this offense a little bit as Wilson regresses. I don't think you're going to see many more situations where none of Olerud, Edgar, and Boone can advance Ichiro from third base.
What can you say about Spiezio's start? He wasn't really challenged defensively, but his offense was quite helpful, as he finished 2-4 with a double and two runs scored. He started our first rally with a two-out single (that broke up Lewis' early no-hitter) and he opened the sixth with a double off Ron Mahay. It appears that, for the time being, he's completely healthy and ready to contribute, something that Willie Bloomquist, for all his hustle, couldn't muster. I've been looking forward to Spiezio's debut this year, not because I think he'll be dynamite with the bat but because I couldn't stomach many more Bloomquist appearances. The difference between the two players is probably about two wins over a full season, and we're going to need those if we have any hope of contending.
Admit it: after the first inning, you were worried about Jamie Moyer. He was fresh off two lousy starts against Oakland and Anaheim, and he'd just barely survived a first inning in which he allowed a double and two very deep fly outs. Even the most optimistic of fans had to be concerned that Moyer had lost a little something over the winter and had become eminently hittable. Well, Jamie managed to put those fears to rest, as he got through a rough first inning and coasted through the eighth, finishing with a stellar line:
8 IP
3 H
1 ER
2 BB
5 K
He was throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters most of the game, and the Rangers' bats were struggling once they fell behind in the count. Nobody's going to score many runs when their 3-through-9 hitters go 1-22.
Ichiro got his first stolen base of the year, courtesy of a Gerald Laird airmail. Randy Winn also attempted a bunt single, so Melvin seems to be stressing the whole "be aggressive with your speed" strategy. I like having Winn and Ichiro back-to-back in the lineup, as getting Winn on base lends itself to all kinds of fun situations that take advantage of their footspeed and Ichiro's contact ability. Also, I'm liking Olerud in the second slot. Now if only Melvin would switch Boone to #3, so that we don't have to deal with Olerud and Edgar in sequence. Ibanez at #7 seems about right.
All in all, it was leaps and bounds better than the night before. Still some kinks to be straightened out, but Spiezio's return adds a lot to the lineup, and I'm feeling more optimistic already.
This prediction thing hasn't been going too well, as I've gotten the last four games wrong, but I'll still give it a shot. Tomorrow pits Ryan Drese against Joel Pineiro, who's been having difficulty this year. However, nobody knows bad pitching better than Drese, so I'm looking for a healthy M's win. 8-4. (I'm 7-4 on the year.)
Minor League Wrap-Up:
Cha Baek is the hard-luck loser as Tacoma falls to Tucson 2-1. Phil Stockman allowed no runs on 1 hit in 5.1 IP, despite walking six. Notables:
Cha-Seung Baek: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR
George Sherrill: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Ramon Santiago: 0-3, 2 BB
Hiram Bocachica: 0-3, 2 BB
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-3, 1 double, 1 BB
Jose Lopez: 2-4
Wiki Gonzalez: 1-4
Justin Leone: pinch-runner (scored)
A four-run fourth wasn't enough as San Antonio lost to El Paso, 12-5. The Missions fell behind by five after two, and trailed for the remainder. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-5, 1 double
Dustin Delucchi: 3-4, 2 doubles, 1 BB
Greg Dobbs: 2-4, 1 BB (error)
Cristian Guerrero: 0-5
Inland Empire had the day off.
Wisconsin lost to Peoria, 7-2. Nibaldo Acosta had a rough start, allowing eight hits in 6.1 IP. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-4, 1 BB
Adam Jones: 1-4
Balentien didn't play.
Cha Baek is the hard-luck loser as Tacoma falls to Tucson 2-1. Phil Stockman allowed no runs on 1 hit in 5.1 IP, despite walking six. Notables:
Cha-Seung Baek: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 7 K, 1 HR
George Sherrill: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Ramon Santiago: 0-3, 2 BB
Hiram Bocachica: 0-3, 2 BB
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-3, 1 double, 1 BB
Jose Lopez: 2-4
Wiki Gonzalez: 1-4
Justin Leone: pinch-runner (scored)
A four-run fourth wasn't enough as San Antonio lost to El Paso, 12-5. The Missions fell behind by five after two, and trailed for the remainder. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-5, 1 double
Dustin Delucchi: 3-4, 2 doubles, 1 BB
Greg Dobbs: 2-4, 1 BB (error)
Cristian Guerrero: 0-5
Inland Empire had the day off.
Wisconsin lost to Peoria, 7-2. Nibaldo Acosta had a rough start, allowing eight hits in 6.1 IP. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-4, 1 BB
Adam Jones: 1-4
Balentien didn't play.
Saturday, April 17, 2004
Has anyone else noticed the numbers being put up by crappy catchers? It's not just Dan Wilson. Check it out:
Henry Blanco: .345/.486/.793
Paul LoDuca: .512/.542/.605
Michael Barrett: .313/.361/.688
Mike Matheny: .317/.341/.512
Brad Ausmus: .324/.359/.405
Charles Johnson: .407/.484/.889
Sandy Alomar Jr: .353/.353/.529
Toby Hall: .381/.417/.476
Brent Mayne: .292/.379/.500
Jose Molina: .296/.321/.556
Dan Wilson: .370/.414/.444
Gary Bennett: .375/.412/.625
This is beyond strange; it borders on the unreal. Those numbers are being put up over more than 370 cumulative plate appearances. Looks like we weren't the only ones being victimized by guys like Jose Molina over the first week and a half of the season.
Henry Blanco: .345/.486/.793
Paul LoDuca: .512/.542/.605
Michael Barrett: .313/.361/.688
Mike Matheny: .317/.341/.512
Brad Ausmus: .324/.359/.405
Charles Johnson: .407/.484/.889
Sandy Alomar Jr: .353/.353/.529
Toby Hall: .381/.417/.476
Brent Mayne: .292/.379/.500
Jose Molina: .296/.321/.556
Dan Wilson: .370/.414/.444
Gary Bennett: .375/.412/.625
This is beyond strange; it borders on the unreal. Those numbers are being put up over more than 370 cumulative plate appearances. Looks like we weren't the only ones being victimized by guys like Jose Molina over the first week and a half of the season.
Just when you thought it would end...
Calvin Pickering homered two more times today, in four AB's (he went 4-4 with a double, two homers, and 7 RBI). That means that he has 10 homers in 24 at bats on the year.
Most dominant streak for a hitter in baseball history?
Gotta be up there.
Calvin Pickering homered two more times today, in four AB's (he went 4-4 with a double, two homers, and 7 RBI). That means that he has 10 homers in 24 at bats on the year.
Most dominant streak for a hitter in baseball history?
Gotta be up there.
Another re-post:
Fire Bavasi(.) gear can be found here.
The selection is growing by the day, it seems.
Fire Bavasi(.) gear can be found here.
The selection is growing by the day, it seems.
Ah-HA!
Inland Empire did, in fact, defeat Lake Elsinore 3-2, in ten innings (contrary to what I said in my last post; the website had incorrect information). TA Fulmer had a very strong start, striking out eight and not allowing an earned run in six innings, but Cesar Jimenez eventually got the win in relief. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-5, 1 double
Ismael Castro: 1-5, 1 double
Scott Spiezio: 0-4
Matt Hagen: 0-4
Rene Rivera: 1-3
Michael Garciaparra: pinch-runner
Inland Empire did, in fact, defeat Lake Elsinore 3-2, in ten innings (contrary to what I said in my last post; the website had incorrect information). TA Fulmer had a very strong start, striking out eight and not allowing an earned run in six innings, but Cesar Jimenez eventually got the win in relief. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-5, 1 double
Ismael Castro: 1-5, 1 double
Scott Spiezio: 0-4
Matt Hagen: 0-4
Rene Rivera: 1-3
Michael Garciaparra: pinch-runner
Minor League Wrap-up:
Matt Thornton and Tacoma defeated Tucson 4-3. A three-run seventh put the Rainiers on top, and Scott Atchinson closed the door for his second save. Notables:
Matt Thornton: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Ramon Santiago: 1-4
Hiram Bocachica: 1-2, 2 BB
Jose Lopez: 2-4
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-3
Wiki Gonzalez: 0-3, 1 BB
Justin Leone: 0-3, 1 BB, 2 errors (still struggling, hitting .161)
San Antonio used a six-run second in defeating El Paso 9-8. Gustavo Martinez got the start and was effectively wild for four innings, and Emiliano Fruto picked up a rough five-out save. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-5
Greg Dobbs: 1-5
Cristian Guerrero: 2-4
Ryan Feierabend and Wisconsin limited Peoria to six hits as the Timber Rattlers won 5-1. Brian Stitt recorded the cheap save by recording a single out with the bases loaded. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-5
Adam Jones: 0-2, 2 BB
Wladimir Balentien: 0-4
Oswaldo Navarro: 3-4, 2 doubles
I'm tired of waiting for the Inland Empire box to be published. They beat Lake Elsinore 3-2, with the game-winning run coming in the bottom of the eighth. As soon as it's up, I'll let you know.
Matt Thornton and Tacoma defeated Tucson 4-3. A three-run seventh put the Rainiers on top, and Scott Atchinson closed the door for his second save. Notables:
Matt Thornton: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 1 HR
Ramon Santiago: 1-4
Hiram Bocachica: 1-2, 2 BB
Jose Lopez: 2-4
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-3
Wiki Gonzalez: 0-3, 1 BB
Justin Leone: 0-3, 1 BB, 2 errors (still struggling, hitting .161)
San Antonio used a six-run second in defeating El Paso 9-8. Gustavo Martinez got the start and was effectively wild for four innings, and Emiliano Fruto picked up a rough five-out save. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-5
Greg Dobbs: 1-5
Cristian Guerrero: 2-4
Ryan Feierabend and Wisconsin limited Peoria to six hits as the Timber Rattlers won 5-1. Brian Stitt recorded the cheap save by recording a single out with the bases loaded. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-5
Adam Jones: 0-2, 2 BB
Wladimir Balentien: 0-4
Oswaldo Navarro: 3-4, 2 doubles
I'm tired of waiting for the Inland Empire box to be published. They beat Lake Elsinore 3-2, with the game-winning run coming in the bottom of the eighth. As soon as it's up, I'll let you know.
Friday, April 16, 2004
You know you're officially an adult when you get summoned for jury duty. Good times. Anyway...
As I begin this post, the game's still going. It's 5-0 Texas in the bottom of the ninth, and Dan Wilson has just reached base for the fourth time on the same night than Chan Ho Park shut us down. Weird game. And there's Cabrera grounding into a double play that just about ends it...yes, Ichiro grounds out to first, and it's over.
Brilliant!™
2-8
It was never supposed to come to this. We were supposed to be worse, but not terrible, and every passing day makes it more difficult to pass it off as a fluke, as bad luck. After showing signs of life against Anaheim, you couldn't help but think that this team had turned the corner, but tonight's effort didn't only do away with that idea, it stepped on it and ground it into the dirt with such force that little pieces of Idea are forever embedded in the sole of the metaphorical shoe.
Who gets shut out despite putting 12 runners on base?
Only 59% of Park's pitches tonight were strikes. In past years, that rate has been 55.8%, 59.4%, and 60.9%. He threw a bunch of strikes in his first two starts this year, but he wasn't hitting his spots tonight. We helped him out.
Park faced 31 batters in the game. Those 31 batters waited on 51 total pitches before swinging. That's not so bad, right? Well, John Olerud was responsible for 15 of those pitches in 4 plate appearances. Take away his performance and you see that the other 27 batters waited on 36 pitches before swinging. In the first inning, Edgar swung at the first pitch after Olerud walked on four straight balls. Despite trailing by five runs in the fifth, Park needed just three pitches to retire Edgar and Olerud. In the seventh, Edgar again swung at the first pitch immediately following an Olerud walk. Six times Mariner batters swung at the first pitch of an at bat; when they didn't, 13 of those 25 "first pitches" were balls. Sure, we got eight hits off the guy, but we couldn't put a rally together because the team was generally undisciplined. Kudos to John Olerud for having the best plan going into the game; at least someone in the lineup was prepared (Wilson was good, too).
I don't know what Molitor is trying to do - make our best hitters more aggressive? - but it isn't working, and he needs to seriously re-think his strategy. I'm not one to place the blame at the feet of a hitting coach, but this is a professional lineup that should be drawing more walks than it is, and by swinging earlier in the count, we're limiting our opportunities at big innings. But I digress; this isn't the first time that Park has frustrated us.
So, what else? Well, Meche was bad. At least, for the first two innings (it must be difficult to pitch, knowing that allowing one run could mean a loss). He allowed two homers and four extra-base hits in all, a trend that needs to stop. His command came and went, but he was the unlucky victim of a big inning that ruined his outing. Still, these big innings aren't anything new for Meche, and you'd like to see the habit fade away over time.
Melvin brought in Kevin Jarvis to pitch the sixth. And the seventh. And the eighth. He didn't allow a run, but this raises a question:
Does Melvin think that Kevin Jarvis is actually talented, or does he believe that a 5-0 deficit in the sixth inning is too large a gap to attempt a comeback? Neither option is particularly rosy. Either Melvin likes Jarvis, and will pitch him often, or he has absolutely no confidence in his lineup's ability to score runs. Now, I don't think this offense will score five runs in the last few innings of a game very often this year, but I also don't think that such a deficit in the sixth inning is a blowout - especially against Chan Ho Park - so where was Ron Villone?
At least JJ Putz saw some action.
Did you know that Raul Ibanez is hitting .242/.316/.364, or that Rich Aurilia has a .300 OBP?
A very, very, very disappointing game, to say the least. Save for Olerud and Wilson, there were absolutely NO positives. Will things improve? There's nowhere to go but up. Still, until now, I didn't think I'd ever consider the possibility that we could be a worse team than Texas.
Tomorrow: Colby Lewis vs. Jamie Moyer. Given that I now have zero confidence in this team's ability to display patience against a wild pitcher, I'm going to predict that Lewis has a strong game and picks up the victory tomorrow in a 6-3 Ranger victory (I'm 7-3 on the year).
Up next: Minor League Wrap-up. Hopefully it will bring some good news to a terrible day.
As I begin this post, the game's still going. It's 5-0 Texas in the bottom of the ninth, and Dan Wilson has just reached base for the fourth time on the same night than Chan Ho Park shut us down. Weird game. And there's Cabrera grounding into a double play that just about ends it...yes, Ichiro grounds out to first, and it's over.
Brilliant!™
2-8
It was never supposed to come to this. We were supposed to be worse, but not terrible, and every passing day makes it more difficult to pass it off as a fluke, as bad luck. After showing signs of life against Anaheim, you couldn't help but think that this team had turned the corner, but tonight's effort didn't only do away with that idea, it stepped on it and ground it into the dirt with such force that little pieces of Idea are forever embedded in the sole of the metaphorical shoe.
Who gets shut out despite putting 12 runners on base?
Only 59% of Park's pitches tonight were strikes. In past years, that rate has been 55.8%, 59.4%, and 60.9%. He threw a bunch of strikes in his first two starts this year, but he wasn't hitting his spots tonight. We helped him out.
Park faced 31 batters in the game. Those 31 batters waited on 51 total pitches before swinging. That's not so bad, right? Well, John Olerud was responsible for 15 of those pitches in 4 plate appearances. Take away his performance and you see that the other 27 batters waited on 36 pitches before swinging. In the first inning, Edgar swung at the first pitch after Olerud walked on four straight balls. Despite trailing by five runs in the fifth, Park needed just three pitches to retire Edgar and Olerud. In the seventh, Edgar again swung at the first pitch immediately following an Olerud walk. Six times Mariner batters swung at the first pitch of an at bat; when they didn't, 13 of those 25 "first pitches" were balls. Sure, we got eight hits off the guy, but we couldn't put a rally together because the team was generally undisciplined. Kudos to John Olerud for having the best plan going into the game; at least someone in the lineup was prepared (Wilson was good, too).
I don't know what Molitor is trying to do - make our best hitters more aggressive? - but it isn't working, and he needs to seriously re-think his strategy. I'm not one to place the blame at the feet of a hitting coach, but this is a professional lineup that should be drawing more walks than it is, and by swinging earlier in the count, we're limiting our opportunities at big innings. But I digress; this isn't the first time that Park has frustrated us.
So, what else? Well, Meche was bad. At least, for the first two innings (it must be difficult to pitch, knowing that allowing one run could mean a loss). He allowed two homers and four extra-base hits in all, a trend that needs to stop. His command came and went, but he was the unlucky victim of a big inning that ruined his outing. Still, these big innings aren't anything new for Meche, and you'd like to see the habit fade away over time.
Melvin brought in Kevin Jarvis to pitch the sixth. And the seventh. And the eighth. He didn't allow a run, but this raises a question:
Does Melvin think that Kevin Jarvis is actually talented, or does he believe that a 5-0 deficit in the sixth inning is too large a gap to attempt a comeback? Neither option is particularly rosy. Either Melvin likes Jarvis, and will pitch him often, or he has absolutely no confidence in his lineup's ability to score runs. Now, I don't think this offense will score five runs in the last few innings of a game very often this year, but I also don't think that such a deficit in the sixth inning is a blowout - especially against Chan Ho Park - so where was Ron Villone?
At least JJ Putz saw some action.
Did you know that Raul Ibanez is hitting .242/.316/.364, or that Rich Aurilia has a .300 OBP?
A very, very, very disappointing game, to say the least. Save for Olerud and Wilson, there were absolutely NO positives. Will things improve? There's nowhere to go but up. Still, until now, I didn't think I'd ever consider the possibility that we could be a worse team than Texas.
Tomorrow: Colby Lewis vs. Jamie Moyer. Given that I now have zero confidence in this team's ability to display patience against a wild pitcher, I'm going to predict that Lewis has a strong game and picks up the victory tomorrow in a 6-3 Ranger victory (I'm 7-3 on the year).
Up next: Minor League Wrap-up. Hopefully it will bring some good news to a terrible day.
I don't know how I missed this eight days ago, but everyone should read Michael Wolverton's article on earned runs.
Replacing ERA with RA (or some similar, slightly more complicated metric) would only serve to improve things.
Replacing ERA with RA (or some similar, slightly more complicated metric) would only serve to improve things.
In case you ever needed more convincing that fielding percentage is a misleading and essentially worthless statistic, then here you go:
Kind of hard to believe, but the Mariners are the best defensive team in the AL, committing just three errors in 280 total chances in the first eight games, a .980 fielding percentage.
Kind of hard to believe, but the Mariners are the best defensive team in the AL, committing just three errors in 280 total chances in the first eight games, a .980 fielding percentage.
Oh, and before I forget, many thanks to Jon Wells of Grand Salami for sending me the picture of Leone that's the current header.
After Kennedy hit his homer off the foul pole, I thought to myself, "here we go again."
Well, the good news is that we came out of it with a win. In retrospect, though, I'd rather Franklin have had a rough day, because his surname lends itself to crappy headlines.
Franklin mints win for Mariners against Angels
*sigh*
This is probably what most of Franklin's wins will look like this year.
Indeed, this is what our five-run sixth looked like:
Error
Single
Single
(Fly out)
Single
Single (with error)
Single
(Ground out)
(Fly out)
This is a game that we wouldn't win very often, were it to be repeated 10 or 20 times. Franklin won't get by with one strikeout too much. Our offense won't put together five singles in the span of six at bats (not including the leadoff error). In other words, last night pretty much captured the strengths and weaknesses of the team in just a few innings: we have a good contact-hitting lineup with a little speed that will take advantage of extra opportunities, but we don't have any power, and our pitchers rely too much on an inconsistent defense. I feel bad for casting such a dim light on just our second win of the season, but I'd feel a lot better if we had four or five extra-base hits, and Franklin struck out seven batters.
I guess there are two ways to look at Franklin's line: 1) He's one of the rare breeds capable of maintaining a low BABIP, or 2) He got lucky. There isn't any middle ground, so it shouldn't be too hard for you to choose which one to believe. The rest of the season will lend us further insight, but I'm concerned that it will sway too far in favor of option #2.
Here's the good stuff, though. Neither Dan Wilson nor Willie Bloomquist played a significant role in the outcome. We scored six runs despite Ichiro going hitless. Rich Aurilia continued his strong start with a hit and a walk. Raul Ibanez smacked a single and a double. Eddie Guardado threw a shutout inning. We limited Anaheim's 3-through-6 batters to one hit in 13 AB's. See, I'm not always depressing.
Tonight, the Mariners look to stay on the winning side of things by throwing Gil Meche against Chan Ho Park. If ever there were a game in which patience is a virtue, this is the one; Park has had terrible control throughout his career (don't let his 2004 start fool you), putting up a 4.36 BB/9 ratio since he broke into the league. That's where he's vulnerable. Early on, he's picked up a good number of strikeouts by getting ahead in the count, but I'm not buying it; I'm guessing he's back to the "effectively" wild Park of old.
That's bad.
You see, our Mariners are last in the majors in walks drawn. This has all the makings of a maddening game. We can't afford to come out swinging like we did against Hudson and let Park get into his game, because Meche isn't going to shut out the Rangers, and we need all the baserunners we can get (see last night's game). It all starts with Ichiro; he needs to have a patient AB in the first to set the tone for the rest of the game. Making Park throw good pitches should be the game plan, not throwing an over-aggressive lineup out there and swinging and first-ball sinkers in the dirt.
Texas' bullpen has been strong so far, and our hitters don't match up very well with it. If we can chase Park early, then we'll get into the soft underbelly (read: Joaquin Benoit) and should put up a happy number of runs, but swinging early and often from the get-go will let Park work deep into the game and give way to better relievers. Prediction: 6-4, Mariners win. (Yesterday's prediction was wrong; I'm 7-2).
Well, the good news is that we came out of it with a win. In retrospect, though, I'd rather Franklin have had a rough day, because his surname lends itself to crappy headlines.
Franklin mints win for Mariners against Angels
*sigh*
This is probably what most of Franklin's wins will look like this year.
- Not many strikeouts
- Good fortune with balls in play turning into outs
- At least one home run allowed
- Supported by an offense that slaps a bunch of singles together
Indeed, this is what our five-run sixth looked like:
Error
Single
Single
(Fly out)
Single
Single (with error)
Single
(Ground out)
(Fly out)
This is a game that we wouldn't win very often, were it to be repeated 10 or 20 times. Franklin won't get by with one strikeout too much. Our offense won't put together five singles in the span of six at bats (not including the leadoff error). In other words, last night pretty much captured the strengths and weaknesses of the team in just a few innings: we have a good contact-hitting lineup with a little speed that will take advantage of extra opportunities, but we don't have any power, and our pitchers rely too much on an inconsistent defense. I feel bad for casting such a dim light on just our second win of the season, but I'd feel a lot better if we had four or five extra-base hits, and Franklin struck out seven batters.
I guess there are two ways to look at Franklin's line: 1) He's one of the rare breeds capable of maintaining a low BABIP, or 2) He got lucky. There isn't any middle ground, so it shouldn't be too hard for you to choose which one to believe. The rest of the season will lend us further insight, but I'm concerned that it will sway too far in favor of option #2.
Here's the good stuff, though. Neither Dan Wilson nor Willie Bloomquist played a significant role in the outcome. We scored six runs despite Ichiro going hitless. Rich Aurilia continued his strong start with a hit and a walk. Raul Ibanez smacked a single and a double. Eddie Guardado threw a shutout inning. We limited Anaheim's 3-through-6 batters to one hit in 13 AB's. See, I'm not always depressing.
Tonight, the Mariners look to stay on the winning side of things by throwing Gil Meche against Chan Ho Park. If ever there were a game in which patience is a virtue, this is the one; Park has had terrible control throughout his career (don't let his 2004 start fool you), putting up a 4.36 BB/9 ratio since he broke into the league. That's where he's vulnerable. Early on, he's picked up a good number of strikeouts by getting ahead in the count, but I'm not buying it; I'm guessing he's back to the "effectively" wild Park of old.
That's bad.
You see, our Mariners are last in the majors in walks drawn. This has all the makings of a maddening game. We can't afford to come out swinging like we did against Hudson and let Park get into his game, because Meche isn't going to shut out the Rangers, and we need all the baserunners we can get (see last night's game). It all starts with Ichiro; he needs to have a patient AB in the first to set the tone for the rest of the game. Making Park throw good pitches should be the game plan, not throwing an over-aggressive lineup out there and swinging and first-ball sinkers in the dirt.
Texas' bullpen has been strong so far, and our hitters don't match up very well with it. If we can chase Park early, then we'll get into the soft underbelly (read: Joaquin Benoit) and should put up a happy number of runs, but swinging early and often from the get-go will let Park work deep into the game and give way to better relievers. Prediction: 6-4, Mariners win. (Yesterday's prediction was wrong; I'm 7-2).
Minor League wrap-up:
Tacoma put on a show and did away with Las Vegas, 14-7. Another rough start for Travis Blackley, but the offense (without Justin Leone) came through in a big way. Notables:
Travis Blackley: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Ramon Santiago: 2-5, 1 BB
Hiram Bocachica: 2-4
Jose Lopez: 3-6, 1 double
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-6
Chris Buglovsky and the Missions held on to beat El Paso 2-1. Jared Hoerman picked up his second save. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-4, 2 doubles
Greg Jacobs: 0-4 (Now hitting .600)
Cristian Guerrero: 0-4
King Felix was spectacular as the 66ers defeated Bakersfield 7-1. A five-run seventh was the difference. Notables:
Rafael Soriano: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 HR
Felix Hernandez: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 10 K
Juan Gonzalez: 2-5
Scott Spiezio: 0-2
Matt Hagen: 3-4, 1 double, 1 homer
Rene Rivera: 1-4
Michael Garciaparra: 1-4, 1 triple
Wisconsin shutout Burlington 2-0, in a series marked by stellar pitching. Michael Moorhead picked up the victory with six strong innings. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-3, 1 double, 1 BB
Adam Jones: 2-3, 1 BB
Wladimir Balentien: 0-4 (4 strikeouts)
Tacoma put on a show and did away with Las Vegas, 14-7. Another rough start for Travis Blackley, but the offense (without Justin Leone) came through in a big way. Notables:
Travis Blackley: 4.2 IP, 10 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Ramon Santiago: 2-5, 1 BB
Hiram Bocachica: 2-4
Jose Lopez: 3-6, 1 double
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-6
Chris Buglovsky and the Missions held on to beat El Paso 2-1. Jared Hoerman picked up his second save. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-4, 2 doubles
Greg Jacobs: 0-4 (Now hitting .600)
Cristian Guerrero: 0-4
King Felix was spectacular as the 66ers defeated Bakersfield 7-1. A five-run seventh was the difference. Notables:
Rafael Soriano: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 HR
Felix Hernandez: 5 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 10 K
Juan Gonzalez: 2-5
Scott Spiezio: 0-2
Matt Hagen: 3-4, 1 double, 1 homer
Rene Rivera: 1-4
Michael Garciaparra: 1-4, 1 triple
Wisconsin shutout Burlington 2-0, in a series marked by stellar pitching. Michael Moorhead picked up the victory with six strong innings. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-3, 1 double, 1 BB
Adam Jones: 2-3, 1 BB
Wladimir Balentien: 0-4 (4 strikeouts)
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Calvin Pickering homered again.
That makes eight in 20 at bats.
Sadly, his one homer in three AB's today actually lowered his ratio on the year.
Good win tonight for the M's; more on that tomorrow morning, when I have some time to write. Franklin recording one strikeout on the night doesn't really please me much, but one run is one run, so kudos to Ryan for shutting down a good lineup.
That makes eight in 20 at bats.
Sadly, his one homer in three AB's today actually lowered his ratio on the year.
Good win tonight for the M's; more on that tomorrow morning, when I have some time to write. Franklin recording one strikeout on the night doesn't really please me much, but one run is one run, so kudos to Ryan for shutting down a good lineup.
Thanks to the Optimist for linking to this article. The cash considerations that we got in exchange for Terry Mulholland? A dollar.
Minnesota got bilked.
Minnesota got bilked.
ALERT
The name of this website will be changed within the next day or two from Fire Bavasi(.) back to the original LeoneForThird. There are a multitude of reasons for this switch, the most important being that the Fire Bavasi revolution has picked up so much widespread recognition and support that I longer feel that I should continue spearheading the movement. There are more than a dozen bloggers out there who are just as furious with our front office as I am, and so labeling myself as the leader is not only inappropriate, but incorrect as well. Besides, it's time I get back to my roots and remember the player who inspired me to begin blogging in the first place. Justin Leone, this one's for you, and may tonight's two-hit performance be a harbinger of what's to come.
My sincerest apologies for the inconveniece this may cause you other esteemed members of the blogosphere as you update your link. This is a one-time thing, I promise.
The name of this website will be changed within the next day or two from Fire Bavasi(.) back to the original LeoneForThird. There are a multitude of reasons for this switch, the most important being that the Fire Bavasi revolution has picked up so much widespread recognition and support that I longer feel that I should continue spearheading the movement. There are more than a dozen bloggers out there who are just as furious with our front office as I am, and so labeling myself as the leader is not only inappropriate, but incorrect as well. Besides, it's time I get back to my roots and remember the player who inspired me to begin blogging in the first place. Justin Leone, this one's for you, and may tonight's two-hit performance be a harbinger of what's to come.
My sincerest apologies for the inconveniece this may cause you other esteemed members of the blogosphere as you update your link. This is a one-time thing, I promise.
By the way, remember this guy? He was a Mariner, for a few days, before we cut him again. No, this isn't one of those "Well Player A would be a great addition to our bench" posts; I could make a living off doing those. Rather, I just wanted to bring to your attention how well he's doing in this early season for the AAA Omaha Royals:
17 AB
8 H
7 HR
4 BB
4 K
1 HBP
That translates out to a .471/.591/1.706 line.
I'm sorry, but seven home runs in seventeen at bats? That's ridiculous.
Someone needs to give this guy a major league job, pronto.
17 AB
8 H
7 HR
4 BB
4 K
1 HBP
That translates out to a .471/.591/1.706 line.
I'm sorry, but seven home runs in seventeen at bats? That's ridiculous.
Someone needs to give this guy a major league job, pronto.
Well, my friends, I'm afraid that I finally made an inaccurate prediction. The Mariners did not, in fact, win tonight (although they should have), and so I've fallen to 7-1. I'm not going to stop, though. Tomorrow's matchup: Ryan Franklin vs. John Lackey. Should be a high-scoring affair, and I see Anaheim coming away with an 11-9 victory.
Now for more encouraging news: minor league wrap-up!
Tacoma beat Las Vegas 2-1. A two-run fourth stood up, as Clint Nageotte racked up his second AAA victory. Notables:
Clint Nageotte: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
George Sherrill: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Jamal Strong: 2-3 (think he's ready to replace McCracken yet? What about now? What about now?)
Ramon Santiago: 0-3
Hiram Bocachica: 0-4
Jose Lopez: 0-4
Justin Leone: 2-4
The Missions scored eight runs in the final two innings to defeat El Paso 8-3. Allen Levrault, who snuck into this organization without letting me know, picked up the win in relief. Lance Cormier was the hard luck loser. Notables:
Troy Cate: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 K
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-5
Greg Dobbs: 0-5
Greg Jacobs: 3-4, 2 doubles, 1 homer. Hitting .818 on the year.
Inland Empire held off a ninth inning rally in beating Bakersfield 3-2. Bobby Livingston wound up with the win, and Greg Wear got the save. Notables:
Bobby Livingston: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Juan Gonzalez: 2-4
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 double
Michael Garciaparra: 0-3
Wisconsin beat Burlington 1-0 despite managing just two hits. This comes three days after being no-hit by the same team. Thomas Oldham picks up the win, with Brian Stitt recording his second save. Notables:
Josh Womack: 0-4 (Hitting .143)
Adam Jones: 0-4 (Hitting .190)
Wladimir Balentien: 1-3, 1 double
There's only one guy hitting on the entire team, and that's Wlad.
Now for more encouraging news: minor league wrap-up!
Tacoma beat Las Vegas 2-1. A two-run fourth stood up, as Clint Nageotte racked up his second AAA victory. Notables:
Clint Nageotte: 6.2 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K
George Sherrill: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Jamal Strong: 2-3 (think he's ready to replace McCracken yet? What about now? What about now?)
Ramon Santiago: 0-3
Hiram Bocachica: 0-4
Jose Lopez: 0-4
Justin Leone: 2-4
The Missions scored eight runs in the final two innings to defeat El Paso 8-3. Allen Levrault, who snuck into this organization without letting me know, picked up the win in relief. Lance Cormier was the hard luck loser. Notables:
Troy Cate: 6 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 K
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-5
Greg Dobbs: 0-5
Greg Jacobs: 3-4, 2 doubles, 1 homer. Hitting .818 on the year.
Inland Empire held off a ninth inning rally in beating Bakersfield 3-2. Bobby Livingston wound up with the win, and Greg Wear got the save. Notables:
Bobby Livingston: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Juan Gonzalez: 2-4
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 double
Michael Garciaparra: 0-3
Wisconsin beat Burlington 1-0 despite managing just two hits. This comes three days after being no-hit by the same team. Thomas Oldham picks up the win, with Brian Stitt recording his second save. Notables:
Josh Womack: 0-4 (Hitting .143)
Adam Jones: 0-4 (Hitting .190)
Wladimir Balentien: 1-3, 1 double
There's only one guy hitting on the entire team, and that's Wlad.
Oh, and admit it: when Wilson came up to the plate to hit for Davis against Percival, you shouted at your TV.
Not only was it an undesirable situation, but now we're left with Danny behind the plate trying to keep the running game in check. Now that Figgins is on first, I'm all but conceding him second base without a challege.
Not only was it an undesirable situation, but now we're left with Danny behind the plate trying to keep the running game in check. Now that Figgins is on first, I'm all but conceding him second base without a challege.
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
DAMMIT.
Another one of those comebacks.
Yeah, we tied up the game against Troy Percival. That's terrific. But it was thanks to Hansen, Bloomquist, and Wilson. Edgar, Boone, and Olerud (time to hang up the spikes...) all blew it with two runners in scoring position.
These games ensure that we will get quite a diet of Dannie McCrackquist well through September.
And Melvin leaves Hasegawa in to face Vlad in the bottom of the ninth. Fortunately, he walked him, which is just about the best possible outcome I could imagine.
Another one of those comebacks.
Yeah, we tied up the game against Troy Percival. That's terrific. But it was thanks to Hansen, Bloomquist, and Wilson. Edgar, Boone, and Olerud (time to hang up the spikes...) all blew it with two runners in scoring position.
These games ensure that we will get quite a diet of Dannie McCrackquist well through September.
And Melvin leaves Hasegawa in to face Vlad in the bottom of the ninth. Fortunately, he walked him, which is just about the best possible outcome I could imagine.
Soriano down, Putz up. Makes sense, as Soriano doesn't have his arm strength back yet. The minute it returns, he will too, so don't fret.
So I'm sitting here watching the Astros trounce the Cardinals. In the bottom of the eighth, with his team leading 8-1, Adam Everett dove for a ball behind second base and made the play to end the inning.
Now, in the top of the ninth, one of the announcers (Dibble?) can't say enough about Everett's impressive grit and hustle, that going all-out and giving 110% effort in blowout games is "championship baseball".
Maybe it's me, but I think that games like this reach a point at which it's just not worth the injury risk to go diving after hits.
Now, in the top of the ninth, one of the announcers (Dibble?) can't say enough about Everett's impressive grit and hustle, that going all-out and giving 110% effort in blowout games is "championship baseball".
Maybe it's me, but I think that games like this reach a point at which it's just not worth the injury risk to go diving after hits.
Anyone else getting used to losing?
I don't know what's going on with Pineiro and Soriano, but it has to stop, fast. When you put Darin Erstad on base all four times he comes to the plate, you're probably going to lose, because you can't afford to dick around with lousy hitters in front of Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson. Oh well, tomorrow (today?) is another day. Today's matchup:
Freddy Garcia vs. Ramon Ortiz
Prediction: 8-5 Mariners (Yesterday's prediction: 7-3 Anaheim. Score wrong, outcome right, I'm 7-0).
In what was hopefully more encouraging minor league news:
Tacoma rode a five-run fifth to victory over Las Vegas. Bobby Madritsch picked up the victory, with JJ Putz getting his first save of the year. Notables:
Jamal Strong: 3-4, 1 double, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 0-3
Hiram Bocachica: 3-5, 1 homer
Jose Lopez: 0-3
Wiki Gonzalez: 1-4, 1 double
Justin Leone: 0-4 (Brilliant!)
Bobby Madritsch: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 homer
JJ Putz: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K
AJ Zapp had a big day as well.
San Antonio beat Midland 8-7. An eighth-inning rally for the Rockhounds fell one run short. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-5, 1 double
Greg Dobbs: 2-5
Cristian Guerrero? : 1-5
This roster is a complete yawner.
Inland Empire continued the winning ways for our farm, taking down Bakersfield 7-0. It was a nail-biter until the eighth, when the 66ers exploded for five runs. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-4
Ismael Castro: 2-4, 1 double (hitting .364)
Matt Hagen: 1-3, 1 double, 1 BB
Rene Rivera: 2-4
Michael Garciaparra: 0-4
Melvin Pizarro: 0.2 IP
Finally, Wisconsin made it 4-0 for the farm yesterday as they beat Burlington 5-3. No no-hitter this time as Wisconsin managed eight hits, to go with two walks. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-4
Adam Jones: 2-4, 2 doubles
Wladimir Balentien: 1-4, 1 homer
I don't know what's going on with Pineiro and Soriano, but it has to stop, fast. When you put Darin Erstad on base all four times he comes to the plate, you're probably going to lose, because you can't afford to dick around with lousy hitters in front of Vladimir Guerrero and Garret Anderson. Oh well, tomorrow (today?) is another day. Today's matchup:
Freddy Garcia vs. Ramon Ortiz
Prediction: 8-5 Mariners (Yesterday's prediction: 7-3 Anaheim. Score wrong, outcome right, I'm 7-0).
In what was hopefully more encouraging minor league news:
Tacoma rode a five-run fifth to victory over Las Vegas. Bobby Madritsch picked up the victory, with JJ Putz getting his first save of the year. Notables:
Jamal Strong: 3-4, 1 double, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 0-3
Hiram Bocachica: 3-5, 1 homer
Jose Lopez: 0-3
Wiki Gonzalez: 1-4, 1 double
Justin Leone: 0-4 (Brilliant!)
Bobby Madritsch: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 homer
JJ Putz: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K
AJ Zapp had a big day as well.
San Antonio beat Midland 8-7. An eighth-inning rally for the Rockhounds fell one run short. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 2-5, 1 double
Greg Dobbs: 2-5
Cristian Guerrero? : 1-5
This roster is a complete yawner.
Inland Empire continued the winning ways for our farm, taking down Bakersfield 7-0. It was a nail-biter until the eighth, when the 66ers exploded for five runs. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 1-4
Ismael Castro: 2-4, 1 double (hitting .364)
Matt Hagen: 1-3, 1 double, 1 BB
Rene Rivera: 2-4
Michael Garciaparra: 0-4
Melvin Pizarro: 0.2 IP
Finally, Wisconsin made it 4-0 for the farm yesterday as they beat Burlington 5-3. No no-hitter this time as Wisconsin managed eight hits, to go with two walks. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-4
Adam Jones: 2-4, 2 doubles
Wladimir Balentien: 1-4, 1 homer
Tuesday, April 13, 2004
I leave the room to brush my teeth, with the Mariners up 4-2. I come back with the intention of shutting off the TV and getting to bed, but before I can reach the switch I get the pleasure of watching Ben Molina tie the game with a homer.
What is it with these Molina kids and our pitching?
And now Shane Halter gets a hit. I'm going to sleep before this gets out of control.
What is it with these Molina kids and our pitching?
And now Shane Halter gets a hit. I'm going to sleep before this gets out of control.
FUNDAMENTALS
Men on 1st and 2nd, none out in the first. Boone at the plate.
So Winn and Ichiro take off on a double-steal?
Ichiro, of course, was thrown out. What ever happened to "never make the first or third out at third base"?
And Boone didn't handle it very well, either, jumping way out of the batter's box. Anyway, being aggressive is fine; an attempted double-steal in that situation with one of the Dannie McCrackquist trio at the plate is justifiable. Not with Boone up there, though. Just ran ourselves out of a real nice situation.
Men on 1st and 2nd, none out in the first. Boone at the plate.
So Winn and Ichiro take off on a double-steal?
Ichiro, of course, was thrown out. What ever happened to "never make the first or third out at third base"?
And Boone didn't handle it very well, either, jumping way out of the batter's box. Anyway, being aggressive is fine; an attempted double-steal in that situation with one of the Dannie McCrackquist trio at the plate is justifiable. Not with Boone up there, though. Just ran ourselves out of a real nice situation.
GA's deal:
$48m/4yr, including a $3m buyout for the 2009 option. (Source.)
Looks like at least $10m too much, based strictly on the numbers.
$48m/4yr, including a $3m buyout for the 2009 option. (Source.)
Looks like at least $10m too much, based strictly on the numbers.
Re-post (get used to these):
If you dislike ol' BB in the front office, make a financial contribution to the movement.
Seriously, I didn't set that up.
If you dislike ol' BB in the front office, make a financial contribution to the movement.
Seriously, I didn't set that up.
Last year, all people could do was complain about Jeff Nelson, and how it seemed like every time he came into the game, he'd allow a run or three. Indeed, he was lousy, as he was the fifth-worst ML reliever at preventing inherited runners from scoring and the #2 most overrated reliever. How could this happen, though, when he was among the best relievers in baseball just two years earlier?
Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out: Nelson had a career year in 2001, and he returned to being the normal Jeff Nelson in 2002. So why was last year's perception of Nelson so terrible? Because as a Mariner, he allowed 47.8% of inherited runners to score - significantly above his career total of 28.5%. It wasn't that Nelson was a bad pitcher (he was pretty much the same guy in 2002), but that he pitched poorly in crucial situations. With nobody on base, Nelson was a stud, with a .191 BAA and a .276 OBP. However, when somebody reached, he suddenly started allowing hits, and with runners in scoring position he turned into Dan Serafini; indeed, Nelson's OPS against jumped 376 points when pitching w/RISP, a number that screams "anomaly!" about as loud as anything. Peering through Nelson's career statistics show that he is, in fact, a slightly worse pitcher when there are guys on base, but not nearly as bad as 2003 would suggest. Because of this, I thought Nelson was a good pickup for Texas, as he should be able to lose that flukish inability to pitch with guys in scoring position this year.
Well, I've got some bad news: the Mariners are exhibiting similar traits so far this year. Not in a good way. You may wonder how a team that's on pace for 783 runs - only 12 down from last season - could have a paltry .691 OPS. Let me show you:
The team has hit very well when they get ducks on the pond this year, like nine Magglio Ordonezes. While they're not as bad as their numbers with none on indicate, they're not nearly as good as the others show - they're probably going to settle somewhere in the middle, which will result in fewer runs being scored (no, it won't balance out).
What about our pitchers, then? Surely they've been the early victims of some crazy splits as well, right?
Um...
No, not at all. Our staff has been getting beat up irregardless of the situation. Yeah, they're going to get better, but the things we've seen through the first week of the year haven't been flukes - they've been poor pitching against good hitting.
Sorry to start off the day on a depressing note, but given how we've looked so far, I'm not so sure that there's an alternative.
Well, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out: Nelson had a career year in 2001, and he returned to being the normal Jeff Nelson in 2002. So why was last year's perception of Nelson so terrible? Because as a Mariner, he allowed 47.8% of inherited runners to score - significantly above his career total of 28.5%. It wasn't that Nelson was a bad pitcher (he was pretty much the same guy in 2002), but that he pitched poorly in crucial situations. With nobody on base, Nelson was a stud, with a .191 BAA and a .276 OBP. However, when somebody reached, he suddenly started allowing hits, and with runners in scoring position he turned into Dan Serafini; indeed, Nelson's OPS against jumped 376 points when pitching w/RISP, a number that screams "anomaly!" about as loud as anything. Peering through Nelson's career statistics show that he is, in fact, a slightly worse pitcher when there are guys on base, but not nearly as bad as 2003 would suggest. Because of this, I thought Nelson was a good pickup for Texas, as he should be able to lose that flukish inability to pitch with guys in scoring position this year.
Well, I've got some bad news: the Mariners are exhibiting similar traits so far this year. Not in a good way. You may wonder how a team that's on pace for 783 runs - only 12 down from last season - could have a paltry .691 OPS. Let me show you:
| Situation | BA | OBP | SLG |
| None On | .230 | .254 | .336 |
| Runners On | .313 | .368 | .448 |
| RISP | .356 | .409 | .475 |
| Overall | .266 | .306 | .385 |
The team has hit very well when they get ducks on the pond this year, like nine Magglio Ordonezes. While they're not as bad as their numbers with none on indicate, they're not nearly as good as the others show - they're probably going to settle somewhere in the middle, which will result in fewer runs being scored (no, it won't balance out).
What about our pitchers, then? Surely they've been the early victims of some crazy splits as well, right?
Um...
| Situation | BA | OBP | SLG |
| None On | .333 | .397 | .514 |
| Runners On | .282 | .341 | .453 |
| RISP | .313 | .390 | .522 |
| Overall | .306 | .367 | .482 |
No, not at all. Our staff has been getting beat up irregardless of the situation. Yeah, they're going to get better, but the things we've seen through the first week of the year haven't been flukes - they've been poor pitching against good hitting.
Sorry to start off the day on a depressing note, but given how we've looked so far, I'm not so sure that there's an alternative.
Well whaddya know, Wisconsin was actually no-hit yesterday. Thanks to DC for pointing that out, and I'll try to be more observant in the future.
Tacoma beat Las Vegas 6-4. The Rainiers took the lead in the seventh and the bullpen managed to hold on, with Sherrill getting the save. Notables:
Cha Baek: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3 homers
JJ Putz: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
George Sherrill: 0.1 IP, 1 K
Jamal Strong: 2-5
Ramon Santiago: 1-5
Bucky Jacobsen: 0-4
Justin Leone: 0-5 (all or nothing...)
Hiram Bocachica: 0-2, 2 BB
Wiki Gonzalez: 2-3, 1 BB, 1 homer
ex-Mariner Brian Falkenborg pitched relief for Las Vegas and allowed three runs - two earned - in 4.1 IP. Another ex-Mariner, Antonio Perez, went 1-3 with a walk from the bottom of the lineup.
In Major League news, Rafael Soriano's heater is down, and it could stay there. Not hovering around 90 like it did in Oakland, but it could stick in the low-90s, a few notches below last September. Both Price and Melvin want their ace reliever worrying about location, rather than velocity, but each are also optimistic that he'll kick it up a little bit as he rebuilds arm strength. Keep an eye on this.
From the same article:
The first three home games of the season taught left fielder Raul Ibanez that he probably will have to "cheat" a little when the team returns home next Friday to play the Rangers at Safeco Field.
"I forgot how much space there is in the gap between left and center field," he said. "I always knew it was big, but not THAT big. I'm going to have to shade towards center more than I thought I would."
With our luck so far, the minute Ibanez shades closer to center, more balls will be hit down the left field line.
Tacoma beat Las Vegas 6-4. The Rainiers took the lead in the seventh and the bullpen managed to hold on, with Sherrill getting the save. Notables:
Cha Baek: 6 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 3 homers
JJ Putz: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K
George Sherrill: 0.1 IP, 1 K
Jamal Strong: 2-5
Ramon Santiago: 1-5
Bucky Jacobsen: 0-4
Justin Leone: 0-5 (all or nothing...)
Hiram Bocachica: 0-2, 2 BB
Wiki Gonzalez: 2-3, 1 BB, 1 homer
ex-Mariner Brian Falkenborg pitched relief for Las Vegas and allowed three runs - two earned - in 4.1 IP. Another ex-Mariner, Antonio Perez, went 1-3 with a walk from the bottom of the lineup.
In Major League news, Rafael Soriano's heater is down, and it could stay there. Not hovering around 90 like it did in Oakland, but it could stick in the low-90s, a few notches below last September. Both Price and Melvin want their ace reliever worrying about location, rather than velocity, but each are also optimistic that he'll kick it up a little bit as he rebuilds arm strength. Keep an eye on this.
From the same article:
The first three home games of the season taught left fielder Raul Ibanez that he probably will have to "cheat" a little when the team returns home next Friday to play the Rangers at Safeco Field.
"I forgot how much space there is in the gap between left and center field," he said. "I always knew it was big, but not THAT big. I'm going to have to shade towards center more than I thought I would."
With our luck so far, the minute Ibanez shades closer to center, more balls will be hit down the left field line.
Say your goodbyes to Ryan Christianson.
NOTES: The Mariners yesterday reacquired RHP Aaron Looper from the Dodgers in exchange for LHP Glenn Bott. To make room for Looper on the 40-man roster, the Mariners said they will request unconditional waivers on C Ryan Christianson, the Mariners' first-round pick in the 1999 June draft. Looper, son of Mariners vice president of player development and scouting Benny Looper, was traded to the Dodgers with LHP Ryan Ketcher on April 3 in exchange for INF Jolbert Cabrera. The Mariners optioned Looper to the Tacoma Rainiers. Bott, 22, made one start with San Antonio this season after going 7-7 with a 3.16 ERA in 31 games last year with Inland Empire. Christianson missed most of 2003 with right elbow tendinitis.
NOTES: The Mariners yesterday reacquired RHP Aaron Looper from the Dodgers in exchange for LHP Glenn Bott. To make room for Looper on the 40-man roster, the Mariners said they will request unconditional waivers on C Ryan Christianson, the Mariners' first-round pick in the 1999 June draft. Looper, son of Mariners vice president of player development and scouting Benny Looper, was traded to the Dodgers with LHP Ryan Ketcher on April 3 in exchange for INF Jolbert Cabrera. The Mariners optioned Looper to the Tacoma Rainiers. Bott, 22, made one start with San Antonio this season after going 7-7 with a 3.16 ERA in 31 games last year with Inland Empire. Christianson missed most of 2003 with right elbow tendinitis.
Monday, April 12, 2004
For more on Prior, here's Dusty Baker shooting down speculation. You have to register to read the article.
Today in the minors:
Tacoma's tied with Las Vegas at 3 in the fifth. More on that tomorrow.
San Antonio lost to Midland, 5-2. Tough to muster an attack when you rack up six hits. Two solo homers accounted for the Missions' two runs. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 0-2, 2 BB
Greg Dobbs: 0-4
um...Cristian Guerrero, maybe? 2-4, 1 homer
Our AA roster is full of yawners this year.
Wisconsin was shut out, 3-0, by Dusty Hughes and Burlington. Notables:
Josh Womack: 0-4
Adam Jones: 0-3
Wladimir Balentien: 0-3
Today in the minors:
Tacoma's tied with Las Vegas at 3 in the fifth. More on that tomorrow.
San Antonio lost to Midland, 5-2. Tough to muster an attack when you rack up six hits. Two solo homers accounted for the Missions' two runs. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 0-2, 2 BB
Greg Dobbs: 0-4
um...Cristian Guerrero, maybe? 2-4, 1 homer
Our AA roster is full of yawners this year.
Wisconsin was shut out, 3-0, by Dusty Hughes and Burlington. Notables:
Josh Womack: 0-4
Adam Jones: 0-3
Wladimir Balentien: 0-3
Hey, our network is back, for the time being...
And the first thing I noticed is that Mark Prior may need TJ surgery.
Hopefully this is the kind of thing that forces Dusty to become more conservative with his young arms.
Update: hooray for conflicting reports!
And the first thing I noticed is that Mark Prior may need TJ surgery.
Hopefully this is the kind of thing that forces Dusty to become more conservative with his young arms.
Update: hooray for conflicting reports!
So I'm a day late, but even so, yesterday's minor league box scores:
Tacoma fell to Tucson 11-3. The Rainiers fell behind early and the Sidewinders didn't relent. Notables:
Jamal Strong: 1-3, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 0-4
Hiram Bocachica: 1-3
Jose Lopez: 0-3, 1 BB
Justin Leone: 3-4, 1 double, 1 homer
Matt Thornton: 4 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
San Antonio vs. Midland was postponed.
Inland Empire fell 5-3 to Lake Elsinore. A four-run sixth put the 66ers behind, and a ninth inning comeback attempt fell short. Notables:
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 double, 1 BB
Michael Garciaparra: 1-5
Matt Hagen: 1-3, 1 BB
Rene Rivera: 1-3, 1 homer
Wisconsin had the day off.
On an ML note, I found this quotation funny:
"I hit a boiling point, and I can't remember everything I said. I pointed out what I'd seen and tried to keep it positive. We came off the field and I told 'em, 'Everyone sit down.' And then I let 'em have it."
– Manager Bob Melvin, in the Tacoma News Tribune, on calling a team meeting April 11
Yeah, I'm sure it got chaotic.
Tacoma fell to Tucson 11-3. The Rainiers fell behind early and the Sidewinders didn't relent. Notables:
Jamal Strong: 1-3, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 0-4
Hiram Bocachica: 1-3
Jose Lopez: 0-3, 1 BB
Justin Leone: 3-4, 1 double, 1 homer
Matt Thornton: 4 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 3 BB, 1 K
San Antonio vs. Midland was postponed.
Inland Empire fell 5-3 to Lake Elsinore. A four-run sixth put the 66ers behind, and a ninth inning comeback attempt fell short. Notables:
Ismael Castro: 1-4, 1 double, 1 BB
Michael Garciaparra: 1-5
Matt Hagen: 1-3, 1 BB
Rene Rivera: 1-3, 1 homer
Wisconsin had the day off.
On an ML note, I found this quotation funny:
"I hit a boiling point, and I can't remember everything I said. I pointed out what I'd seen and tried to keep it positive. We came off the field and I told 'em, 'Everyone sit down.' And then I let 'em have it."
– Manager Bob Melvin, in the Tacoma News Tribune, on calling a team meeting April 11
Yeah, I'm sure it got chaotic.
What the hell??
I guess Benny wanted his boy back. Aaron Looper is a perfectly serviceable right-handed reliever who could eventually slap together a few Steve Reed-like stat lines. Nice to have? Absolutely, especially when you've got Kevin Jarvis in drastic need of relief in the bullpen.
Worth more than this guy? I'm not so sure. A little over a week ago I remarked that Glenn Bott is eerily similar to Ryan Ketchner; I guess we really really really wanted to get rid of this group of soft-tossing southpaws with astonishing peripherals.
Odds are slim that we wind up regretting sending Ketchner and Bott to LA, but for as bad as I though the original trade was, now it looks even worse. After all, we've essentially created a situation where we're twice as likely to have given up on a successful lefty.
Was LA unware that Looper was on the 40-man, or was that Bavasi's doings?
I guess Benny wanted his boy back. Aaron Looper is a perfectly serviceable right-handed reliever who could eventually slap together a few Steve Reed-like stat lines. Nice to have? Absolutely, especially when you've got Kevin Jarvis in drastic need of relief in the bullpen.
Worth more than this guy? I'm not so sure. A little over a week ago I remarked that Glenn Bott is eerily similar to Ryan Ketchner; I guess we really really really wanted to get rid of this group of soft-tossing southpaws with astonishing peripherals.
Odds are slim that we wind up regretting sending Ketchner and Bott to LA, but for as bad as I though the original trade was, now it looks even worse. After all, we've essentially created a situation where we're twice as likely to have given up on a successful lefty.
Was LA unware that Looper was on the 40-man, or was that Bavasi's doings?
It looks like our network problems are worse than originally feared. That's bad news for this site, as it will be updated infrequently until we get some help, here. If any of you know how to renew about 1500 individual IP addresses onto a school network that refuses to cooperate, let me know.
I'm sure that didn't make a lick of sense. You can see how bad things are getting. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
I'm sure that didn't make a lick of sense. You can see how bad things are getting. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!
Sunday, April 11, 2004
Holy crap!
So, as I posted earlier, I can't get online from my dorm room. Could be down until Tuesday, although the "experts" assure us that it'll be back by tomorrow morning. That's not what's important. I've been watching ESPN (NHL playoff coverage) all afternoon and noticed on the Bottom Line that the M's were losing 4-0 in the fifth. Good times, eh? But wait! Two runs in the sixth and we're showing signs of life. Then, just as Nashville scores to put the nail in Detroit's coffin in Game 3, I notice something scrolling across the bottom of the screen:
Seattle 4 Oakland 4 Top 9th
I couldn't believe it. I had to run over here to the library to see what hapened. Yep, Arthur Lee blew it, the first of what many (not I) believe will be a plethora of blown saves for Rhodes this year. But that's the *good* news. There's a whole lotta bad that could come out of today. Just look at some of the names that show up in the game log during our rallies:
That's right, today's game all but assured that we get a nice helping of Dannie McCraquist over the next few weeks, as they did good things during our run-scoring efforts. Amazing how so much bad can come out of so much good. That Jarvis threw a shutout inning doesn't really help matters.
But really, this is no time to complain, because as of just now, the Mariners have a win.
Seattle 9, Oakland 4
Just the kind of game to get the guys off the slide and onto a nice little hot streak. Our 1-through-4 batters went 8-22 on the day with two walks, four runs, seven RBI, two doubles, and a homer. We're going to need Ichiro and Winn to have strong games if we want to score runs on a consistent basis. Also nice to see Ibanez continue his solid start with a two-hit day. While it's true that the less we see of Wee Willie, the better things are, it's nice to see him contributing when he has to. As for the McCracken sighting, it was the ideal Quinton Experience: pinch-running, with no at bats or outfield defense included. If Q is capable of doing anything right, Melvin found out what it is and used it to the fullest extent this afternoon.
Not a good day for Jamie. This whole "hittable" thing has got to stop, especially when facing a weak lineup like Oakland's that struggles against southpaws. I'm still confident in Moyer's ability to turn it around and have a good year, just like all the rest of you, but it might be time to temper our expectations a little bit and hope for a nice high-3's ERA. Five strikeouts today, so at least we know that he can still miss bats. Hasegawa fanned two in two innings as well, which can only be a good thing.
All in all, it's nice to end that nasty little skid of ours. More importantly, I correctly predicted the outcome of this game, meaning I'm 6-0 (5 games ahead of the Mariners) so far this year. Tomorrow's matchup: Joel Pineiro vs. Kelvim Escobar. Prediction: 7-3 Anaheim. Let's hope I'm wrong this time.
So, as I posted earlier, I can't get online from my dorm room. Could be down until Tuesday, although the "experts" assure us that it'll be back by tomorrow morning. That's not what's important. I've been watching ESPN (NHL playoff coverage) all afternoon and noticed on the Bottom Line that the M's were losing 4-0 in the fifth. Good times, eh? But wait! Two runs in the sixth and we're showing signs of life. Then, just as Nashville scores to put the nail in Detroit's coffin in Game 3, I notice something scrolling across the bottom of the screen:
Seattle 4 Oakland 4 Top 9th
I couldn't believe it. I had to run over here to the library to see what hapened. Yep, Arthur Lee blew it, the first of what many (not I) believe will be a plethora of blown saves for Rhodes this year. But that's the *good* news. There's a whole lotta bad that could come out of today. Just look at some of the names that show up in the game log during our rallies:
- Dan Wilson
- Willie Bloomquist
- Quinton McCracken
That's right, today's game all but assured that we get a nice helping of Dannie McCraquist over the next few weeks, as they did good things during our run-scoring efforts. Amazing how so much bad can come out of so much good. That Jarvis threw a shutout inning doesn't really help matters.
But really, this is no time to complain, because as of just now, the Mariners have a win.
Seattle 9, Oakland 4
Just the kind of game to get the guys off the slide and onto a nice little hot streak. Our 1-through-4 batters went 8-22 on the day with two walks, four runs, seven RBI, two doubles, and a homer. We're going to need Ichiro and Winn to have strong games if we want to score runs on a consistent basis. Also nice to see Ibanez continue his solid start with a two-hit day. While it's true that the less we see of Wee Willie, the better things are, it's nice to see him contributing when he has to. As for the McCracken sighting, it was the ideal Quinton Experience: pinch-running, with no at bats or outfield defense included. If Q is capable of doing anything right, Melvin found out what it is and used it to the fullest extent this afternoon.
Not a good day for Jamie. This whole "hittable" thing has got to stop, especially when facing a weak lineup like Oakland's that struggles against southpaws. I'm still confident in Moyer's ability to turn it around and have a good year, just like all the rest of you, but it might be time to temper our expectations a little bit and hope for a nice high-3's ERA. Five strikeouts today, so at least we know that he can still miss bats. Hasegawa fanned two in two innings as well, which can only be a good thing.
All in all, it's nice to end that nasty little skid of ours. More importantly, I correctly predicted the outcome of this game, meaning I'm 6-0 (5 games ahead of the Mariners) so far this year. Tomorrow's matchup: Joel Pineiro vs. Kelvim Escobar. Prediction: 7-3 Anaheim. Let's hope I'm wrong this time.
Rather than continue a redundant discussion, I'll point you to David's post from last night regarding extra-base hits and outfield defense.
For once, I'm not going to take him up on the offer to tie extra-base hits allowed to runs allowed. I think.
For once, I'm not going to take him up on the offer to tie extra-base hits allowed to runs allowed. I think.
By the way, congratulations to the Denver Pioneers for winning the NCAA men's ice hockey championship. They surprised everyone who was paying attention, as they were given no chance against UND, Minnesota-Duluth, or Maine. Anyone who withstands more than a minute of a 6-on-3 powerplay at the end of a 1-0 game deserves a hearty round of applause.
On a baseball note, here's hoping my room connection is back up by gametime, so I can resume voicing my rage in a public forum, rather than muttering to myself.
On a baseball note, here's hoping my room connection is back up by gametime, so I can resume voicing my rage in a public forum, rather than muttering to myself.
Well, Blogger wouldn't let me (or anyone else, apparently) publish new posts for a while yesterday, and as soon as they did my network went down and I couldn't get online. I still can't, which is why I came to the school library to check out what's going on. Bear with me; until my PC can get on the Internet again I won't be writing much.
Yesterday's minor league results:
Tacoma lost to Tucson 8-4. Not a very strong start for Blackley, as the Rainiers fell behind in the third inning and couldn't come back. Notables:
Travis Blackley: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Jamal Strong: 0-4, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 2-5, 1 double
Justin Leone: 0-5 (Argh)
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-4
Jose Lopez: 1-4, 1 homer (2nd on the year)
San Antonio beat Midland 3-2. The Missions scored a run in the top of the ninth to take the lead, and Hoerman held on for the save. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4, 1 triple (had an error)
Glenn Bott: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
San Antonio's roster is boring.
Inland Empire destroyed Lake Elsinore, 16-4. A four-run third inning gave the 66ers the lead and they didn't look back. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 2-5
Ismael Castro: 2-5
Rene Rivera: 1-4
Melvin Pizarro: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K (I love that guy)
Wisconsin fell to Clinton 10-3. Feierabend wasn't good. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-4, 1 triple
Adam Jones: 1-4, 1 double
Wladimir Balentien: 1-4
Today's matchup:
Jamie Moyer vs. Mark Mulder
Prediction: 4-2 Mariners (Yesterday's prediction: 7-2 A's. Score wrong, outcome right, I'm 5-0).
That's right, I'm looking for your 2004 Seattle Mariners to finally join the 29 other teams in the "Win" column.
Yesterday's minor league results:
Tacoma lost to Tucson 8-4. Not a very strong start for Blackley, as the Rainiers fell behind in the third inning and couldn't come back. Notables:
Travis Blackley: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
Jamal Strong: 0-4, 1 BB
Ramon Santiago: 2-5, 1 double
Justin Leone: 0-5 (Argh)
Bucky Jacobsen: 1-4
Jose Lopez: 1-4, 1 homer (2nd on the year)
San Antonio beat Midland 3-2. The Missions scored a run in the top of the ninth to take the lead, and Hoerman held on for the save. Notables:
Shin Soo-Choo: 1-4, 1 triple (had an error)
Glenn Bott: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
San Antonio's roster is boring.
Inland Empire destroyed Lake Elsinore, 16-4. A four-run third inning gave the 66ers the lead and they didn't look back. Notables:
Juan Gonzalez: 2-5
Ismael Castro: 2-5
Rene Rivera: 1-4
Melvin Pizarro: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K (I love that guy)
Wisconsin fell to Clinton 10-3. Feierabend wasn't good. Notables:
Josh Womack: 1-4, 1 triple
Adam Jones: 1-4, 1 double
Wladimir Balentien: 1-4
Today's matchup:
Jamie Moyer vs. Mark Mulder
Prediction: 4-2 Mariners (Yesterday's prediction: 7-2 A's. Score wrong, outcome right, I'm 5-0).
That's right, I'm looking for your 2004 Seattle Mariners to finally join the 29 other teams in the "Win" column.
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