The trade deadline looms Saturday. Contenders seek to upgrade their lineups for a postseason push; and, sellers are look to jettison salaries and unload expensive veteran components to buyers in exchange for prospects that may help their chances at making a postseason run in the future.
The Mariners’ premiere trade chip this season was Cliff Lee. As expected, he was dealt earlier this month with Mark Lowe to the Rangers for Justin Smoak, minor league pitchers Blake Beavan and Josh Lueke, and minor league infielder/outfielder Matt Lawson.
Who else may be moved before the July 31 deadline, or the August 31 deadline (when a player must clear waivers prior to being traded)? Let’s take a look at some of the grumblings, by position:
1B:
Casey Kotchman—many have speculated that Kotchman could be traded to a contender seeking to shore up its infield defense, and what better late-inning defensive replacement than the owner of the most consecutive errorless games played at first base? I have not come across any specific teams reportedly interested in the Mariner first-baseman, however.
Russell Branyan—a Chicago newspaper reported (7/24) that the White Sox were hoping to scout Branyan; but, they were not able to get a real good look because he was out with back issues at the time. Evidently, the Mariners sought White Sox prospect Brent Morel in exchange in a Branyan deal; in other Branyan news, the Tigers have indicated (7/28) they are “not pursuing” the slugger at this point.
SS:
Jack Wilson—throughout July, rumors circulated that the Tigers were scouting Jack Wilson. The Tigers have been interested in acquiring Wilson for the past few seasons, so this new interest in the slick-fielding shortstop comes as no real surprise.
2B/3B:
Jose Lopez—Lopez was linked to the Phillies (7/2) after both Chase Utley and Placido Polanco went down creating serious holes in the Philadelphia infield. But, Lopez seemingly has not dazzled scouts, and while he was dangled to the Giants in a deal that would have also included David Aardsma for Pablo Sandoval, the Giants turned down the offer.
RP:
Brandon League—the Giants are “investigating” Brandon League as a potential addition to their bullpen; also, the Reds (7/29) are reportedly also asking about League.
David Aardsma—many teams looking to bolster their bullpen have shown interest in the DA. Interested teams include the Red Sox (7/29); the Giants (7/28)—who reportedly asked for Aardsma, only to have the Mariners counter by offering Jose Lopez and the DA for Giants corner infielder Pablo Sandoval, the deal was rejected by the Giants; the Tigers (7/21) have also been linked to Aardsma; furthermore, rumors spread earlier today that the Twins were interested in the DA, though they may no longer be interested after acquiring closer Matt Capps from the Nationals this afternoon; and, back in June, the blogosphere (6/2) was abuzz that the Reds may have had an interest in the DA.
SP:
Jason Vargas—the Mariners reportedly told Jon Morosi of Foxsports.com that they do not plan on moving Jason Vargas.
While these names have been the ones that have popped up with the most frequency prior to the deadline, the possibility always exists that a deal may arise featuring a different player. And, Jack Z has made it clear that he would not hesitate to discuss different names if in the context of the right trade deal for the Mariners. In the current economy, most baseball followers recognize that teams are hesitant to take on extra money; as a result, more teams may wait until August to make a trade. It will be interesting to watch the Rumor Mill continue to churn out new reports daily.
Photo Credit: AP
Sick's Stadium
Site of Professional Baseball in Seattle for 38 Years. Home to the Rainiers, Steelheads, and Pilots Among Others.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The D.A. could bolster a contender's bullpen.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Erik Bedard's Mariner Tenure Should Continue Into 2011
In April 2008, when Erik Bedard was scratched from his second scheduled start in a Mariner uniform, he commented to the media, "I don't like to miss starts." At the time he had no idea how frustrating the next three seasons of his Mariner tenure would be.
In early February, 2008, the Mariners sent five players to the Orioles in exchange for left-handed starting pitcher, Erik Bedard. By the time Bedard arrived in Seattle, he’d already developed a lengthy injury history. He’d already undergone Tommy John surgery, which forced him to mist most of the 2003 season rehabilitating his elbow; eventually, he climbed his way all the way back up to the MLB level in 2004. In 2005, he missed two months of the season with a sprained knee. Then, in 2007 Bedard missed a start due to a neck injury, and then on August 26, 2007 he suffered a strained oblique and was placed on the DL, ending his season prematurely.
In early February, 2008, the Mariners sent five players to the Orioles in exchange for left-handed starting pitcher, Erik Bedard. By the time Bedard arrived in Seattle, he’d already developed a lengthy injury history. He’d already undergone Tommy John surgery, which forced him to mist most of the 2003 season rehabilitating his elbow; eventually, he climbed his way all the way back up to the MLB level in 2004. In 2005, he missed two months of the season with a sprained knee. Then, in 2007 Bedard missed a start due to a neck injury, and then on August 26, 2007 he suffered a strained oblique and was placed on the DL, ending his season prematurely.
A premier southpaw when healthy.This track record should have tipped the Mariners off: Erik Bedard was not going give the ballclub 220 innings per season. Not every pitcher is an innings-eating “horse.” Mariner fans were spoiled for 25 years, watching left-handed aces Mark Langston, Randy Johnson, and Jamie Moyer consistently put up 200+ inning seasons. Simply put, Erik Bedard is not that type of pitcher. He’s always worked deep into counts, primarily because he is now known as one who pitches to contact. When he’s healthy, his swing-and-miss rate is among the best in baseball. Bedard’s track record, however, was never a point of discussion—at least publicly—by the Mariner front office or the media, who seemingly, expected him to hoist the franchise onto his shoulders and carry it to the postseason.
Almost as soon as Bedard had been introduced as a Mariner, then-manager John McLaren declared him the Opening Day starter. Prior to his scheduled start on Saturday, April 5th against the Orioles, Bedard was scratched after feeling discomfort in his hip while playing catch in the outfield. Bedard said he “just woke up in the morning with [the hip inflammation],” and his start was postponed until April 8th—a game he pitched through the discomfort and beat the Rays. But, the hip inflammation did not subside, and the Mariners placed Bedard on the 15-day DL on April 15.
Bedard came back from the DL and made each of his next eleven scheduled starts over the next two months. Of these eleven starts, in eight of them Bedard lasted at least five innings and allowed three runs or fewer. But, during the final week of June, the Mariners postponed Bedard’s scheduled start because he was suffering back spasms. He finally made that last June start on June 29, picking up a win against Jake Peavy and the Padres (5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER); then, he made one last start on July 4, when he beat Kenny Rogers and the Tigers (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER). But, after going 99 pitches in that July 4 start, Bedard complained of shoulder stiffness. He was placed on the 15-day DL. His shoulder discomfort never seemed to improve, though, and the Mariners, already well behind in the AL West, shut down his season. On September 26, Bedard underwent exploratory surgery on his left shoulder. No labrum tear was found, though a cyst was removed from his shoulder and a minor labral debridement was performed. Medical experts figured he would be ready to go by Opening Day 2009.
And, by Opening Day 2009, Bedard had fully recovered from his September surgery, despite suffering tightness in his posterior, which forced him to miss some time during Spring Training, and made his first six scheduled starts, going 2-1 and accumulating a 2.53 ERA. But, the Mariners were forced to scratch Bedard from his scheduled May 16 start. Earlier that week, in his first inning of work against the Twins, Bedard had tweaked his hamstring. Unwisely, however, rather than taking himself out of the game as a precaution, he pitched with the discomfort into the fifth inning, according to Don Wakamatsu, “because of the adrenaline.” But, when he went to work out between starts, he still felt the tightness. So, he skipped his May 16 start and instead next started May 21. And, each of his next four starts, he worked at least five innings and allowed two runs or fewer.
But, on June 13, Bedard was scratched from his scheduled start with what Don Wakamatsu described as shoulder inflammation. He’d felt tightness in his shoulder in his previous start on June 7, and the discomfort continued to linger. He was initially only supposed to skip one start, but after throwing on flat ground during a workout June 16, Bedard still felt discomfort. He was then placed on the 15-day DL June 17 with shoulder inflammation.
A June 18 MRI on Bedard revealed no structural damage in his shoulder; and, Bedard returned to the active roster on July 7, making four more starts—never throwing more than 93 pitches in any one of those starts. But, during his July 25 start against Cleveland, Bedard did not look right. He struggled through three innings (81 pitches, 6 K, 4 BB), pitching at lower-than-usual velocity, through apparent pain, and the next day was placed on the 15-day DL yet again with more shoulder inflammation. When he played catch on August 2, Bedard felt well enough that the Mariners scheduled him to throw a bullpen two days later. After that bullpen session, however, Bedard felt more discomfort in his left shoulder, and the team had him undergo another MRI, which ultimately led to him having another exploratory surgery on his shoulder on August 14. But, this time, the exploratory surgery revealed severe structural damage in his shoulder—an inflamed bursa sac and a torn labrum. Bedard has not pitched at the big league level since.
Major labrum surgery is to the shoulder what Tommy John is to the elbow—arguably the most significant injury a pitcher will face. The injury is career threatening, and the recovery process is long and painstaking. Prior to the 2010 season, the Mariners took a gamble and signed Bedard again to another one-year, incentive-laden deal with the hope he would return to the rotation mid-way through this season—possibly as early as late May. But, as one may expect, particularly knowing Bedard’s history of physical ailments, the recovery from the surgery has not been entirely smooth. Bedard has made great strides, pitching in a Rookie League ballgame as well as making a rehabilitation start for AAA Tacoma on July 1, 2010. But, after that start in Tacoma, in a bullpen session preparing for his 2010 Mariner debut originally slated for July 6, Bedard again felt shoulder stiffness. An attempt to play catch on July 15 was cut short because he still felt discomfort in his arm.
Almost as soon as Bedard had been introduced as a Mariner, then-manager John McLaren declared him the Opening Day starter. Prior to his scheduled start on Saturday, April 5th against the Orioles, Bedard was scratched after feeling discomfort in his hip while playing catch in the outfield. Bedard said he “just woke up in the morning with [the hip inflammation],” and his start was postponed until April 8th—a game he pitched through the discomfort and beat the Rays. But, the hip inflammation did not subside, and the Mariners placed Bedard on the 15-day DL on April 15.
Bedard came back from the DL and made each of his next eleven scheduled starts over the next two months. Of these eleven starts, in eight of them Bedard lasted at least five innings and allowed three runs or fewer. But, during the final week of June, the Mariners postponed Bedard’s scheduled start because he was suffering back spasms. He finally made that last June start on June 29, picking up a win against Jake Peavy and the Padres (5.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER); then, he made one last start on July 4, when he beat Kenny Rogers and the Tigers (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER). But, after going 99 pitches in that July 4 start, Bedard complained of shoulder stiffness. He was placed on the 15-day DL. His shoulder discomfort never seemed to improve, though, and the Mariners, already well behind in the AL West, shut down his season. On September 26, Bedard underwent exploratory surgery on his left shoulder. No labrum tear was found, though a cyst was removed from his shoulder and a minor labral debridement was performed. Medical experts figured he would be ready to go by Opening Day 2009.
And, by Opening Day 2009, Bedard had fully recovered from his September surgery, despite suffering tightness in his posterior, which forced him to miss some time during Spring Training, and made his first six scheduled starts, going 2-1 and accumulating a 2.53 ERA. But, the Mariners were forced to scratch Bedard from his scheduled May 16 start. Earlier that week, in his first inning of work against the Twins, Bedard had tweaked his hamstring. Unwisely, however, rather than taking himself out of the game as a precaution, he pitched with the discomfort into the fifth inning, according to Don Wakamatsu, “because of the adrenaline.” But, when he went to work out between starts, he still felt the tightness. So, he skipped his May 16 start and instead next started May 21. And, each of his next four starts, he worked at least five innings and allowed two runs or fewer.
But, on June 13, Bedard was scratched from his scheduled start with what Don Wakamatsu described as shoulder inflammation. He’d felt tightness in his shoulder in his previous start on June 7, and the discomfort continued to linger. He was initially only supposed to skip one start, but after throwing on flat ground during a workout June 16, Bedard still felt discomfort. He was then placed on the 15-day DL June 17 with shoulder inflammation.
A June 18 MRI on Bedard revealed no structural damage in his shoulder; and, Bedard returned to the active roster on July 7, making four more starts—never throwing more than 93 pitches in any one of those starts. But, during his July 25 start against Cleveland, Bedard did not look right. He struggled through three innings (81 pitches, 6 K, 4 BB), pitching at lower-than-usual velocity, through apparent pain, and the next day was placed on the 15-day DL yet again with more shoulder inflammation. When he played catch on August 2, Bedard felt well enough that the Mariners scheduled him to throw a bullpen two days later. After that bullpen session, however, Bedard felt more discomfort in his left shoulder, and the team had him undergo another MRI, which ultimately led to him having another exploratory surgery on his shoulder on August 14. But, this time, the exploratory surgery revealed severe structural damage in his shoulder—an inflamed bursa sac and a torn labrum. Bedard has not pitched at the big league level since.
Major labrum surgery is to the shoulder what Tommy John is to the elbow—arguably the most significant injury a pitcher will face. The injury is career threatening, and the recovery process is long and painstaking. Prior to the 2010 season, the Mariners took a gamble and signed Bedard again to another one-year, incentive-laden deal with the hope he would return to the rotation mid-way through this season—possibly as early as late May. But, as one may expect, particularly knowing Bedard’s history of physical ailments, the recovery from the surgery has not been entirely smooth. Bedard has made great strides, pitching in a Rookie League ballgame as well as making a rehabilitation start for AAA Tacoma on July 1, 2010. But, after that start in Tacoma, in a bullpen session preparing for his 2010 Mariner debut originally slated for July 6, Bedard again felt shoulder stiffness. An attempt to play catch on July 15 was cut short because he still felt discomfort in his arm.
Bedard has been frustrated by injuries throughout his career.On July 20, Bedard had yet another MRI on his plagued left shoulder, and it revealed more inflammation. This week, Bedard is flying to New York to get another opinion.
As of today, Bedard has not thrown in weeks and it does not appear the southpaw will be back any time soon. I cannot help but feel for the guy. Any competitor absolutely hates to stand in the dugout and watch while his team is out competing every day. Some have questioned Bedard’s mental toughness; but, those detractors are misguided. The guy pitched through pain in the past, and it came back to hurt him in the long run; so, a fairer argument would be that he has allowed his mental toughness to prevail over prudent decision-making at points in the past. Moreover, he has suffered very legitimate injuries since becoming a Mariner. To a pitcher, shoulder pain is not something one can (or should) pitch through. Every time he picks up a ball to work out—every throw, warm up toss, or pitch he makes—is more pain.
As Mariner fans, we know what Erik Bedard will bring to the table if he can ever come back healthy. When he was pitching with a fraying/torn labrum and a cyst in his shoulder the past two years, he was still a reliable starter, in that you could count on him for five to seven innings of solid baseball. After all, it is apparent that in his Mariner tenure, Bedard’s most troubling adversary has not been opposing sluggers, but instead his left shoulder, as he has gone 11-7 with a 3.24 ERA and 162 K in 164 innings in his time with Seattle.
The last thing the Mariners want to do now is rush Bedard back to play if he’s not healthy. And, realistically, at this point in the season, with the Mariners now twenty games out in the AL West, there is absolutely no reason to push his rehabilitation. Of course, it would be great if he were able to pitch this year, pain-free. But, that seems less and less likely with each passing day. 2011 seems more likely.
I, for one, have no problem with the Mariners offering Bedard another one-year, incentive laden contract with an option for 2012, very similar to the one they offered him last season. If the team was willing to make that gamble last offseason, one would think that this offseason, another year removed from his major labrum surgery, that the team may be likely to make the same gamble. It is a low-risk, high reward move in an industry where no move is guaranteed to be worth the cost.
More than anything, though, I want to see Erik Bedard healthy again—preferably wearing his familiar #45, for the Seattle Mariners.
Photo credit: AP-Tom Olmscheid; Seattle Times-Rod Mar.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Figgins/Pierre: Are they the same player?
On the WGN Chicago broadcast of tonight’s Mariner game, “Hawk” Harrelson and Steve Stone remarked that Juan Pierre and Chone Figgins are essentially the same player—they were both part of the Rockies organization at the outset of their careers where they roomed together and developed very similar baseball skill-sets and began similar MLB paths.
A look at their numbers shows how similar their careers have actually been. The Rockies drafted Figgins in 1997, Pierre in 1998. Interestingly, the Mariners drafted Pierre in both the 1995 and 1995 amateur drafts; but did not sign. Figgins was traded to the Angels in 2001, and both Figgins and Pierre primarily played centerfield early in their careers. The Angels eventually had Figgins playing both third base and second base, and by 2007, the Angels had all-but converted him to an infielder (only 11 starts in OF in 2007). Pierre played centerfield throughout the early part of his career with the Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, and Dodgers (the Dodgers moved Pierre to LF, until they acquired Manny and all of a sudden didn’t have room in their outfield to start Pierre).
Figgins and Pierre have similar career batting averages (Figgins .286; Pierre .298), on-base percentages (Figgins .360; Pierre .346), and slugging percentages (Figgins .378; Pierre .367). Also, both have been consistent stolen base threats throughout their careers, with Pierre’s career numbers exceeding Figgins’ (Pierre 493; Figgins 304).
A look at their numbers shows how similar their careers have actually been. The Rockies drafted Figgins in 1997, Pierre in 1998. Interestingly, the Mariners drafted Pierre in both the 1995 and 1995 amateur drafts; but did not sign. Figgins was traded to the Angels in 2001, and both Figgins and Pierre primarily played centerfield early in their careers. The Angels eventually had Figgins playing both third base and second base, and by 2007, the Angels had all-but converted him to an infielder (only 11 starts in OF in 2007). Pierre played centerfield throughout the early part of his career with the Rockies, Marlins, Cubs, and Dodgers (the Dodgers moved Pierre to LF, until they acquired Manny and all of a sudden didn’t have room in their outfield to start Pierre).
Figgins and Pierre have similar career batting averages (Figgins .286; Pierre .298), on-base percentages (Figgins .360; Pierre .346), and slugging percentages (Figgins .378; Pierre .367). Also, both have been consistent stolen base threats throughout their careers, with Pierre’s career numbers exceeding Figgins’ (Pierre 493; Figgins 304).
Mirror Image: Chone FigginsFinally, and most important to Mariner fans, both are having underachieving 2010 seasons, relative to their career norms. We all know how disappointing Figgins has been this season (.229/.330/.268), particularly in comparison to what the Mariners expected. Pierre is also down (.258/.327/.289) from his averages, though his drop-offs aren’t nearly as pronounced as Figgins’.
Finally, this season, the first of a four-year $36 million deal signed this offseason, Chone Figgins is slated to earn $8.5 million in 2010. Pierre is to earn $7 million, as he is in the fourth year of a five-year, $44 million deal he signed with the Dodgers after the 2006 season.
Mirror Image: Juan PierreUltimately, Figgins and Pierre have shared similar paths through the major leagues. Both have had long, fairly successful careers; and both are suffering down years thus far in 2010. Undoubtedly, both will hope to recover next season, as it will be Pierre’s contract season and a second chance for Figgins to prove to Seattle fans that he is worth his contract.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Acquiring Former Angels
I spent this weekend watching the Mariners take on the Angels at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. In the sea of red that is Angel Stadium, I noticed fans wearing jerseys of popular Angel players from the past few seasons.
As I saw these fans wearing jerseys of many players who have since moved on to other teams, I realized that the Angels have a pretty good track record of letting guys walk away at just the right time. I saw a few John Lackey and Chone Figgins jerseys over the weekend, and neither of those players is having quite the season the Red Sox or Mariners had hoped each of them would have when those teams signed these players to long-term free agent contracts this past offseason.
I took a look at recent Mariner rosters to see which players we acquired as free agents from the Angels, and at least three players did not really pan out like the Mariners had hoped.
Chone Figgins—2009 (w/Angels): .298 AVG, .395 OBP, .393 SLG, 5 HR. 2010 (w/Mariners): .230 AVG, .325 OBP, .269 SLG, 0 HR. He has three and a half seasons now to improve on his current numbers, though.
Jarrod Washburn—1998-2005 (w/Angels): 75-57, 3.93 ERA; and in five seasons with 25 or more starts, he won at least ten games four of those seasons. 2006-2009 (w/Mariners): 31-49, 4.17 ERA, never pitched more than 200 innings in a season, and won double digit games only once (2007, 10-15). He was ultimately traded to Detroit in 2009 after a very impressive first half.
Scott Spiezio—2000-2003 (w/Angels): .268 AVG, .341 OBP, .446 AVG and a World Series hero; 2004-2005 (w/Mariners): .198 AVG, .272 OBP, .324 SLG. He was released in 2005.
One Mariner acquisition, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, did put up better total numbers in his four-year tenure with Seattle, after spending the previous five seasons with the Angels.
And, when the Angels signed Aaron Sele after he’d been a solid starter in the Mariner rotation in 2000 and 2001, throwing more than 200 innings each of those two seasons. He spent the next three seasons with the Angels and never again logged more than 160 innings in a season
The Angels, particularly in recent years, appear to have their business in order. For the most part the Angels, under the tutelage of the player-friendly Mike Scioscia, play fundamentally-sound baseball, and their blueprint for success would be a strong one after which to model the Mariners.
As I saw these fans wearing jerseys of many players who have since moved on to other teams, I realized that the Angels have a pretty good track record of letting guys walk away at just the right time. I saw a few John Lackey and Chone Figgins jerseys over the weekend, and neither of those players is having quite the season the Red Sox or Mariners had hoped each of them would have when those teams signed these players to long-term free agent contracts this past offseason.
I took a look at recent Mariner rosters to see which players we acquired as free agents from the Angels, and at least three players did not really pan out like the Mariners had hoped.
Chone Figgins—2009 (w/Angels): .298 AVG, .395 OBP, .393 SLG, 5 HR. 2010 (w/Mariners): .230 AVG, .325 OBP, .269 SLG, 0 HR. He has three and a half seasons now to improve on his current numbers, though.
Jarrod Washburn—1998-2005 (w/Angels): 75-57, 3.93 ERA; and in five seasons with 25 or more starts, he won at least ten games four of those seasons. 2006-2009 (w/Mariners): 31-49, 4.17 ERA, never pitched more than 200 innings in a season, and won double digit games only once (2007, 10-15). He was ultimately traded to Detroit in 2009 after a very impressive first half.
Jarrod Washburn: Great Tenure With the AngelsScott Spiezio—2000-2003 (w/Angels): .268 AVG, .341 OBP, .446 AVG and a World Series hero; 2004-2005 (w/Mariners): .198 AVG, .272 OBP, .324 SLG. He was released in 2005.
Spiezio: 2002 World Series HeroOne Mariner acquisition, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, did put up better total numbers in his four-year tenure with Seattle, after spending the previous five seasons with the Angels.
And, when the Angels signed Aaron Sele after he’d been a solid starter in the Mariner rotation in 2000 and 2001, throwing more than 200 innings each of those two seasons. He spent the next three seasons with the Angels and never again logged more than 160 innings in a season
The Angels, particularly in recent years, appear to have their business in order. For the most part the Angels, under the tutelage of the player-friendly Mike Scioscia, play fundamentally-sound baseball, and their blueprint for success would be a strong one after which to model the Mariners.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Shifting Goals
At the onset of the year, the Mariners had certain goals—winning 90+ games, taking the AL West, etc. The season has been a complete disaster, though. We have traded Cliff Lee, our other off-season acquisitions—Figgins, Kotchman, Bradley, Garko, Byrnes—have not, to date, panned out.
Now that we embark on the proverbial second-half of the season, it is time to set some new goals—of the scaled-back type. Mariner fans need things to be excited about. We need reasons to tune in each night. I’ve outlined three things that I’d like to see, things that would get me excited to watch Mariner baseball from here on out.
1. Felix Cy Young Run—I already enjoy watching Felix. But, in a season like the one we’re having now, if Felix can continue to throw the ball well and make a run at the Cy Young, we’d have added incentive to watch. Right now, Felix is 7-5, and even though he can’t control things like run support and blown saves, he’s still going to need probably 15 wins to be a serious Cy Young candidate. He is currently second in the AL in strikeouts (131, Weaver 137) and leading the AL in innings pitched (137.2). His ERA, 2.88, is seventh in the AL, and his 4 complete games is second to our old friend, Cliff Lee. Felix is capable of coming out and just dominating in the second half the way he did last season. If he were to do this, he’d become a prime Cy Young candidate, and it would give fans something to look forward to every fifth day.
2. Erik Bedard Pitches in 2010—Last August, Erik Bedard had major arm surgery, and recovery time for such a procedure typically takes at least 10 months. The Mariners re-signed Bedard in the Winter with the hope that he would recover on schedule and be able to help the team down the stretch, or at least be healthy enough to be traded by the deadline. He has experienced a series of setbacks at this point and hasn’t appeared in a Mariner game yet this season. He’s likely not to be traded by the deadline, either, at this point. But, as a fan, I would still like to see Bedard come back and be healthy for a few weeks going into the offseason. When he is healthy, he is one of the best left handers in baseball, and his swing-and-miss rate is among the league best. If he can finish this season healthy, perhaps the Mariners would consider re-signing him again for next year. It would be a shame for the Mariners to rehab him for a year and a half only to let him go this offseason, especially if he can come back healthy for a handful of starts late this season. Erik Bedard can be a contributor down the road for this team, and I’d consider it a victory if he were to get a few weeks of regular starts down the stretch here. Plus, I’d like to get a few more miles out of my Erik Bedard #45 Mariners jersey.
3. Emerging Young Talent—Being fifteen games out at the break should open the door for the Mariners to offer a number of young players considerable playing time. Guys like Michael Saunders and Justin Smoak are already getting at-bats with the big club, and they should continue to see time over the next few months. I’m excited to see if they will develop at the big league level, and I hope they can find some degree of success this second half—enough success to build on for next season. Other young players who I’d like to watch this season include Adam Moore, Michael Pineda, Luke French, Dustin Ackley, and Chris Seddon. Maybe these guys will become the next generation of Mariner regulars, and do the Mariners have anything to lose at this point? They can give us reason to watch, especially if they can put up some decent numbers and show that they truly belong in a big league starting lineup.
Nothing will save our season at this point. We’ve known that for some time now. But, it would be nice to have some reason to watch the Mariners down the stretch, whether it be to see whether Felix will throw a complete game, or if Erik Bedard will someday return to the front end of a rotation, or whether one of our young players will develop and possibly become an All-Star by next year’s break.
Now that we embark on the proverbial second-half of the season, it is time to set some new goals—of the scaled-back type. Mariner fans need things to be excited about. We need reasons to tune in each night. I’ve outlined three things that I’d like to see, things that would get me excited to watch Mariner baseball from here on out.
1. Felix Cy Young Run—I already enjoy watching Felix. But, in a season like the one we’re having now, if Felix can continue to throw the ball well and make a run at the Cy Young, we’d have added incentive to watch. Right now, Felix is 7-5, and even though he can’t control things like run support and blown saves, he’s still going to need probably 15 wins to be a serious Cy Young candidate. He is currently second in the AL in strikeouts (131, Weaver 137) and leading the AL in innings pitched (137.2). His ERA, 2.88, is seventh in the AL, and his 4 complete games is second to our old friend, Cliff Lee. Felix is capable of coming out and just dominating in the second half the way he did last season. If he were to do this, he’d become a prime Cy Young candidate, and it would give fans something to look forward to every fifth day.
Can Felix Make A Run At the AL Cy Young?2. Erik Bedard Pitches in 2010—Last August, Erik Bedard had major arm surgery, and recovery time for such a procedure typically takes at least 10 months. The Mariners re-signed Bedard in the Winter with the hope that he would recover on schedule and be able to help the team down the stretch, or at least be healthy enough to be traded by the deadline. He has experienced a series of setbacks at this point and hasn’t appeared in a Mariner game yet this season. He’s likely not to be traded by the deadline, either, at this point. But, as a fan, I would still like to see Bedard come back and be healthy for a few weeks going into the offseason. When he is healthy, he is one of the best left handers in baseball, and his swing-and-miss rate is among the league best. If he can finish this season healthy, perhaps the Mariners would consider re-signing him again for next year. It would be a shame for the Mariners to rehab him for a year and a half only to let him go this offseason, especially if he can come back healthy for a handful of starts late this season. Erik Bedard can be a contributor down the road for this team, and I’d consider it a victory if he were to get a few weeks of regular starts down the stretch here. Plus, I’d like to get a few more miles out of my Erik Bedard #45 Mariners jersey.
3. Emerging Young Talent—Being fifteen games out at the break should open the door for the Mariners to offer a number of young players considerable playing time. Guys like Michael Saunders and Justin Smoak are already getting at-bats with the big club, and they should continue to see time over the next few months. I’m excited to see if they will develop at the big league level, and I hope they can find some degree of success this second half—enough success to build on for next season. Other young players who I’d like to watch this season include Adam Moore, Michael Pineda, Luke French, Dustin Ackley, and Chris Seddon. Maybe these guys will become the next generation of Mariner regulars, and do the Mariners have anything to lose at this point? They can give us reason to watch, especially if they can put up some decent numbers and show that they truly belong in a big league starting lineup.
Nothing will save our season at this point. We’ve known that for some time now. But, it would be nice to have some reason to watch the Mariners down the stretch, whether it be to see whether Felix will throw a complete game, or if Erik Bedard will someday return to the front end of a rotation, or whether one of our young players will develop and possibly become an All-Star by next year’s break.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Ichiro The All-Star
Tomorrow evening, Ichiro will be appearing in his tenth straight All-Star Game. This will be his ninth start. In 2005, he was not elected to start the game, but was instead selected as a reserve.
In 2007, Ichiro was elected the AL’s starting centerfielder for the All-Star Game in San Francisco. He put on a real show for the fans. After singling in his first two at bats, he hit the first inside-the-park homerun in All-Star Game history on his way to collecting the All-Star Game MVP trophy. Ichiro said of his inside-the-park homerun: “I thought it was going to go over the fence and when it didn’t I was bummed.” Rather, the ball caromed off the fence away from NL outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr., allowing Ichiro to round the bases and score.
Throughout his career, Ichiro has accumulated great All-Star numbers. In twenty-four All-Star at bats, he has 8 hits (6 singles a double and a HR), good for a .333 AVG. He’s scored three runs, driven in four, achieved a .385 OBP, and slugged .500.
Tomorrow night, Mariner fans will be watching Ichiro—the lone Mariner representative to the AL’s club now that Cliff Lee is a Ranger. AL Manager Joe Girardi has penciled him in as the leadoff hitter, and he will be the first lucky guy to step in against Rockies flamethrower Ubaldo Jimenez.
Fans can tune in to watch the 81st All-Star Game on Fox at 5 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, July 13th.
In 2007, Ichiro was elected the AL’s starting centerfielder for the All-Star Game in San Francisco. He put on a real show for the fans. After singling in his first two at bats, he hit the first inside-the-park homerun in All-Star Game history on his way to collecting the All-Star Game MVP trophy. Ichiro said of his inside-the-park homerun: “I thought it was going to go over the fence and when it didn’t I was bummed.” Rather, the ball caromed off the fence away from NL outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr., allowing Ichiro to round the bases and score.
Ichiro with his 2007 MLB All-Star MVP Trophy
Throughout his career, Ichiro has accumulated great All-Star numbers. In twenty-four All-Star at bats, he has 8 hits (6 singles a double and a HR), good for a .333 AVG. He’s scored three runs, driven in four, achieved a .385 OBP, and slugged .500.
Tomorrow night, Mariner fans will be watching Ichiro—the lone Mariner representative to the AL’s club now that Cliff Lee is a Ranger. AL Manager Joe Girardi has penciled him in as the leadoff hitter, and he will be the first lucky guy to step in against Rockies flamethrower Ubaldo Jimenez.
Fans can tune in to watch the 81st All-Star Game on Fox at 5 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, July 13th.
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Cliff Lee's Tenure as Mariner Goes Full-Cycle
Cliff Lee did not make a start until the last game in April due to the abdominal injury he suffered in Spring Training. At the time Lee came off the disabled list, the Mariners were still in the thick of things. Despite not having their left-handed ace, the Mariners had still managed to kick and scratch their way to an 11-11 record. They were only one game out of first place in the AL West.
Then, Lee came off the disabled list a few days after throwing a very economical rehab outing in Tacoma. He opened a weekend home-stand against the Texas Rangers and was just as sharp as he would look the rest of the way as a Mariner. He went seven shutout innings, allowed three hits, struck out eight, and walked none—classic Cliff Lee. Mariner fans learned that Friday night—if they did not already know—that watching Cliff Lee ply his craft is a true treat for any baseball fan.
But, that same game that went so well for Lee ultimately signaled the beginning of the end for the Mariner’s season. The game went into extra innings after both teams failed to score, and most will remember that game as the one that witnessed Eric Byrnes draw his bat back on a failed suicide squeeze play—a blunder that has come to epitomize a blunder-filled Mariner season. It was shortly after that game that Lee’s agent shared Lee’s intention to test the free agent market after the season. These two revelations—that Lee wasn’t going to get any run support as a Mariner, and he sought a free agent contract at season’s end—demonstrated the reality of the situation, that Lee would not be a Mariner beyond this season.
That game was also the first loss in an eight game losing streak, and the team has not sniffed .500 since then. We all know how the season has played out since Lee’s debut. Things have not gone well, and many fans knew, even before Memorial Day weekend, that Lee would be dealt sooner rather than later.
The Lee sweepstakes became the talk of the trade rumor mill, and even after it had become a foregone conclusion that Lee was going to the Yankees in exchange for the Montero/Adams/McAllister package, circumstances changed. The Rangers seemingly made one final plunge, adding Justin Smoak to their trade package to seal the deal with Jack Z.
Now, Lee goes to the Rangers, the team against whom he battled when he introduced himself to the Mariner fan base back in April. Mariner fans will miss his tempo on the mound, his working ahead against opposing hitters, and generally, his professional approach to the game. We may see him pitch again in Safeco Field this year, albeit in a Rangers uniform. The Rangers will travel to Safeco two more times this season, for a total of six games. Fans will come prepared to applaud Lee, as he most definitely earned the respect of the Seattle faithful.
I want to thank Cliff for the memories this season. His outstanding month of June was one of the few highlights of the season, and the Seattle fanbase will recall his short tenure with the ballclub as an unfortunate, missed opportunity—just because he was so good, yet the Mariners have been so bad.
Then, Lee came off the disabled list a few days after throwing a very economical rehab outing in Tacoma. He opened a weekend home-stand against the Texas Rangers and was just as sharp as he would look the rest of the way as a Mariner. He went seven shutout innings, allowed three hits, struck out eight, and walked none—classic Cliff Lee. Mariner fans learned that Friday night—if they did not already know—that watching Cliff Lee ply his craft is a true treat for any baseball fan.
But, that same game that went so well for Lee ultimately signaled the beginning of the end for the Mariner’s season. The game went into extra innings after both teams failed to score, and most will remember that game as the one that witnessed Eric Byrnes draw his bat back on a failed suicide squeeze play—a blunder that has come to epitomize a blunder-filled Mariner season. It was shortly after that game that Lee’s agent shared Lee’s intention to test the free agent market after the season. These two revelations—that Lee wasn’t going to get any run support as a Mariner, and he sought a free agent contract at season’s end—demonstrated the reality of the situation, that Lee would not be a Mariner beyond this season.
That game was also the first loss in an eight game losing streak, and the team has not sniffed .500 since then. We all know how the season has played out since Lee’s debut. Things have not gone well, and many fans knew, even before Memorial Day weekend, that Lee would be dealt sooner rather than later.
The Lee sweepstakes became the talk of the trade rumor mill, and even after it had become a foregone conclusion that Lee was going to the Yankees in exchange for the Montero/Adams/McAllister package, circumstances changed. The Rangers seemingly made one final plunge, adding Justin Smoak to their trade package to seal the deal with Jack Z.
Now, Lee goes to the Rangers, the team against whom he battled when he introduced himself to the Mariner fan base back in April. Mariner fans will miss his tempo on the mound, his working ahead against opposing hitters, and generally, his professional approach to the game. We may see him pitch again in Safeco Field this year, albeit in a Rangers uniform. The Rangers will travel to Safeco two more times this season, for a total of six games. Fans will come prepared to applaud Lee, as he most definitely earned the respect of the Seattle faithful.
I want to thank Cliff for the memories this season. His outstanding month of June was one of the few highlights of the season, and the Seattle fanbase will recall his short tenure with the ballclub as an unfortunate, missed opportunity—just because he was so good, yet the Mariners have been so bad.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Who Are Mariner Fans?: Part One--"Mariner Fans"
Geoff Baker posed a really interesting question on his Seattle Times blog earlier this week: Who are Mariner Fans? He posted a follow-up today summarizing the responses he collected.
Mariner fans come in many different shapes and sizes. Fans have varying levels of interest and knowledge of the game of baseball, or goings on around the league. I am going to take a couple days to describe some different types of Mariner fans in detail.
The first type of fans are those I will describe simply as “Mariner Fans.” These Mariner fans, simply put, are those who enjoy the Mariners. These individuals are Mariner fans by default. They happen to live in the Mariner media market, and as a result adopt the Mariners as their team because that is the team plastered on the side of Metro buses, running commercials on the radio and tv, and otherwise generally visible.
They may or may not know anything about baseball, the team, the MLB, or anything Mariner related. But, they like to throw on their favorite Ken Griffey Junior t-shirt jersey or throwback Mariner gear and head to Safeco for the occasional game to have drinks with friends and yell to players during batting practice and at the end of innings to throw them a baseball.
These fans also get super excited for the various promotions at Safeco Field—whether it be Ken Griffey Junior bobblehead night, commemorative train car night, or Ichiro T-Shirt day, etc. These fans will post up in front of the Safeco Field gate in the mid-afternoon, in order to make sure they will be one of the first 20,000 fans through the turn style to collect their free promotional gift.
These fans also play along with the hydro races and the hat trick games on the jumbotron. They pick their favorite, like the Oberto Hydro and cheer it on as it races through the game, only to be disappointed when it suddenly gets eaten by the orca at the last turn before the finish line. These fans also "get louder" when the Jumbotron asks them to, and will clap on cue when encouraged to do so by the stadium sound system.
Many of these Mariner fans aren’t super plugged in with what’s been going on with the Marines however. Most of these fans couldn't identify which Sweeney is which, and most couldn't tell you which players were integral to the last Mariner team that made the playoffs back in 2001.
Many of these fans come to the ballgames with a group of friends or their families—or they get tickets from work and don’t want to pass up the opportunity to sit in the great company seats for free. Sometimes you’ll find yourself standing by some of these fans in the bullpen beer garden, and when the opposing manager comes out to argue a call, these fans will be asking aloud what happened because they have no clue why the Texas manager would be arguing when Eric Byrnes missed the squeeze bunt, leaving the runner at 3rd base out to dry in an extra-innings tie game—that is, if they even notice that there is a game going on, because many of these fans don’t pay the closest attention to what is actually going on, on the field.
These fans are important to the sustainability of the franchise, because these are the fans who will still come out to the ballpark to watch the Mariners take on Cleveland on the Tuesday night in mid-September, as both teams sit two dozen games out in their respective divisions. But, because these fans don’t really actually care about the game itself, they still show up to the park and pay to attend games.
If you feel like this description characterizes your interest in the Mariners, thank you. You are a critical piece of the Mariner fan-base.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
A Fan's Interference
During last night’s Mariner game, with runners on first and third base and the Mariners down by two in the bottom of the 8th, Russell Branyan laced a double just inside the first base bag and down the right field line. The ball trailed off toward the stands and when it bounced up against the wall in front of the stands, a fan reached out and grabbed the ball from the field of play. Jack Wilson easily scored from third base, but Ichiro, who had just rounded second when the fan interfered with the ball, was awarded third base. Branyan was awarded second on the ground rule double.
Here is video of the play.
The fan was immediately removed from the ballpark for interfering with a ball in play. And, the Twitterverse and blogosphere were immediately inundated with discussion as to whether the fan’s interference cost the Mariners a run—the potential tying run.
Mariner third base coach Lee Tinsley told KJR’s Jason Puckett that, had Branyan’s double bounced cleanly off the wall in right field, he would not have tried to send Ichiro to score on the play. After the game, Ichiro told the media that he couldn’t see the play, and he would have taken his cues from Tinsley as to whether or not to attempt to score from first.
Some have argued that the fan is not to blame, so much as Ichiro is to blame for not trailing Jack Wilson, when Wilson stole third base earlier in the inning. Ichiro, who was on first base at the time, did not take second on the pitch. Had he trailed Wilson to second, Ichiro undoubtedly would have scored on Branyan’s double. Ichiro discussed his decision not to trail Wilson: “I wasn’t surprised by Jack going. I had that in my mind. But at the same time, it was a very tough jump for me because I didn’t get to read that situation as well as I could have. It was a tough play.” Fair enough.
Here is video of the play.
The fan was immediately removed from the ballpark for interfering with a ball in play. And, the Twitterverse and blogosphere were immediately inundated with discussion as to whether the fan’s interference cost the Mariners a run—the potential tying run.
Mariner third base coach Lee Tinsley told KJR’s Jason Puckett that, had Branyan’s double bounced cleanly off the wall in right field, he would not have tried to send Ichiro to score on the play. After the game, Ichiro told the media that he couldn’t see the play, and he would have taken his cues from Tinsley as to whether or not to attempt to score from first.
Some have argued that the fan is not to blame, so much as Ichiro is to blame for not trailing Jack Wilson, when Wilson stole third base earlier in the inning. Ichiro, who was on first base at the time, did not take second on the pitch. Had he trailed Wilson to second, Ichiro undoubtedly would have scored on Branyan’s double. Ichiro discussed his decision not to trail Wilson: “I wasn’t surprised by Jack going. I had that in my mind. But at the same time, it was a very tough jump for me because I didn’t get to read that situation as well as I could have. It was a tough play.” Fair enough.
But, for a Mariner team having difficulty scoring any runs this season, and with Ichiro running the bases, had that fan not interfered, shouldn’t the Mariners have tested DeJesus’ arm? After all, the chances are that the Royals wouldn’t have fielded the ball cleanly and executed the play at the plate. The Royals aren’t known for their ability to make the routine play. Just ask Jose Guillen, the Royals outfielder who recently said of his Royals, “Fundamentally, this is one of the worst teams in all of baseball.” DeJesus could have slipped on the Safeco Field grass, or the ball could have scooted away from him. Perhaps he would have gone to throw and come up with a poor grip on the baseball. Maybe he would have short-hopped Jason Kendall and he wouldn’t have been able to get the tag down.
We take for granted sometimes that MLB level players will make the routine play; yet, it only takes a slight bobble for a runner like Ichiro to score on that play down the line. With the fan interference, however, we’ll never know whether Ichiro would have headed home. My point, though, is this: that fan robbed the Mariners of the opportunity to fully realize their scoring chances that inning.
Though we now have hindsight—which reveals that Ichiro didn’t score later that inning—didn’t we actually know how things were going to play out with Jose Lopez coming up next? Ichiro’s best chance at scoring was on the Branyan double, and we all knew it—then and now.
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