Author Archives: Andrew Long

by | July 23, 2013 · 11:57 pm

Mariners Kick This Year’s Slogan To The Curb

In March (or February or whenever it happened), the Mariners announced the slogan for their upcoming 2013 campaign.  Ever since the “Believe Big” catastrophe of 2010, each year’s slogan had become a source of ridicule; a target for Mariner fans to throw their sarcastic darts at.  If there’s one thing the last decade has taught us Mariner fans it’s how to make passive-aggressive, sarcastic comments about the team.  So, anticipation for this year’s slogan was, err… umm, high.  Then it was here:

“True to the blue”

What?  Maybe if I read it again.

“True to the blue”

Yes, that really clears it up.  Since ‘Believing Big’ the team’s slogans had become more and more vague and less and less challenging of team’s play.  2011 brought ‘Ready to Play’ (Chone Figgins didn’t get the memo) and 2012 brought ‘Get After It’ (although ‘Let’s not kid ourselves’ was a champion around the blogosphere).  In 2013 they clearly were just trying to make a sentence that no one really understood.

Photo Credit - Dean Rutz

Photo Credit – Dean Rutz

Then, the season started.  Our M’s hovered around .500 early in the season.  Then they had to go to Cleveland.  Ichiro’s own personal Hell was where the season came completely unraveled.  The Mariners were never to even peak at .500 again.  They were running out lineups with Endy Chavez, Jason Bay, and Raul Ibanez in the outfield.  At times the infield would run out Robert Andino, Brendan Ryan and Michael Morse.  I have nothing against any of these players, well except Andino, but they weren’t the future that we were promised as fans.  Yes, the minor leagues looked bright but the Tacoma Rainiers can’t win a World Series.  It felt like the fans and the organization were stuck in a tunnel during road construction.  We’d eventually get through construction, but there was no guarantee that the sun would be out when we hit the open road. 

That’s when it clicked.  These Mariners were true to the blue.  They were true to the same navy blue and northwest green that I had watched for the last decade.  The Mariners sucked because that’s who they are.

That was before the season changed.   Continue reading →

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by | July 17, 2013 · 10:22 pm

These Aren’t Your Older Cousin’s Mariners

Younger Cousin:  “Hey man, have you been keeping track of the Mariners lately?  It seems like they might have finally turned the corner.”

Older Cousin:  “Yeah yeah, I’ve heard that at least once every year since 2003.  Aside from a little luck in ’95 and a crazy 2001, us old-time Mariner fans have heard this every year since 1977.”

YC:  “You were born in 1985… Also, do you read much about this team?  Watch any games?  The team is based around a young core who is actually playing well.  It seems like Jack Z’s process is actually coming together.”

OC:  “We’ve heard that about prospects for the last 10 years.  Have any of these players, Felix aside, been here for more than 5 years?  Much less, have any of them succeeded?  Face it, little cuz, this team will always be in the bottom.”

YC:  “5 years ago, we were coming off one of the worst trades in franchise history.  We lost our top prospects for a pitcher who couldn’t stay healthy.  We had just finished running out Jose Vidro as an everyday DH.  Sure, Yuni got fat, Jose Lopez got braces and it turned out that Jeremy Reed was bad but what other young players did we run out?  Their wasn’t any talent.  Now look!  Justin Smoak is a good everyday first baseman.  Kyle Seager is a star.  Brad Miller and Nick Franklin are hitting, walking and playing defense.  All of those guys are under contract until at least 2017.  The future is even more exciting than the present and the present has our hometown nine going 8-5 against 4 of the hottest teams in baseball.”

OC:  “They are all on hot streaks.  Seriously?  We’re still trying to talk ourselves into Justin Smoak?  That is so Mariners.”

YC:  “That’s the thing, they aren’t all on hot streaks.  Mike Zunino and Dustin Ackley still aren’t playing near their potential.  Sure, they are showing signs of progress but I don’t call hitting under .230 a hot streak.  As for Smoak, I’m not trying to talk myself in anymore.  I’ve bought in.  He’s been good for almost a calendar year now.  Sure, he had a rough April but most players have a bit of a rough stretch.  Shouldn’t we be encouraged that he worked his way out of it?  Kyle Seager has been good for 2 years, I don’t call that a hot streak.  Maybe Nick Franklin or Brad Miller flame out, but they aren’t showing any signs of that right now.  They aren’t just hitting, they’re walking and playing defense at prime positions.  Even Zunino and Ackley seem to be getting on base once a game and are showing definite progress.  If one of the other guys struggles, another player picks up the slack.  We haven’t even gotten to Michael Saunders yet.  It seems like he’s turning it around again and becoming a quality player.”

OC:  “Yeah, but…”

YC:  “I wasn’t finished.  Shannon Drayer made the point the other day that the Mariners aren’t riding one player during the last few weeks.  Yes, Ibanez is hitting quite a few dingers.  That’s what he’s supposed to do.  Kendrys has had a few good games but he’s hitting below or right at most of his career averages.  All the young guys are playing right about where you’d expect, or want, them to.  Smoak isn’t hitting .400 with a dinger every day.  He’s hitting consistently for a month as a good first baseman.  The young guys are carrying this team and they aren’t going anywhere.”

OC:  “Well, the rotation sucks still…”

YC:  “Aaron Harang is bad.  Yes.  He won’t be here next year, or maybe even in 2 weeks.  Joe Saunders has been better as of late.  Erasmo struggled his first time up but he’s been good for a year in major league baseball.  If he can stay healthy, he’s a great 4th starter.  We have Taijuan Walker tearing up Tacoma and he should be ready next year.  If Hultzen can get healthy, he could be in the rotation by the middle of August.  Paxton and Maurer could be solid rotation guys.  I haven’t even gotten to the lower minors guys.  Pitching help is on the way, just like the position players were.”

OC:  “Okay.  They still suck.  They are still the Mariners.”

YC:  “Did I mention that they could have about 40 million dollars to spend in the off-season?  An outfielder, hopefully named Choo, another starting pitcher, this team is finally in place to add quality pieces instead of trying to fill gaps.  For once, the promise finally looks to be reality.”

OC:  “I’m still not buying it.  Did I mention that I’ve been following the Red Sox lately?”

YC:  “Oh.  See you later!”

– Andrew

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by | July 7, 2013 · 11:26 pm

Pac-12 Alumni Teams – USC, Utah, UW, WSU

Last week, I started our quest to predict a Pac-12 alumni basketball tournament winner.  In case you missed it, I’m taking 10-12 of the best alumni each Pac-12 schools have and placing them on a hypothetical basketball team.  These teams would be playing today, so there aren’t  any old legends in them.  Most of the players I’m placing on the teams are playing professionally somewhere.

Today, we are assembling the last four alumni teams (I’ve gone in alphabetical order).  After this, the fun will begin and we’ll start our hypothetical tournament.  So, let’s get to the teams.

Utah:

C Andrew Bogut – Bogut was drafted in 2005 as the number one pick.  He is the last Ute to be drafted into the NBA.
G Andre Miller – Miller was drafted in 1999 and is still in the league.  Bogut and Miller are the only Utes still in the NBA.
F Britton Johnsen – Johnsen retired about 2 years ago after playing a few years in the NBA and overseas.  He is still only 33 and currently runs basketball camps.
F/C Hanno Mottola – Mottola is 36 but is still playing in a Finnish league.  He spent a few years in the NBA before going overseas.
G Carlon Brown – Only in a hypothetical tournament can you have a guy play for two teams! Brown also attended Colorado (he was a Ute longer).  Brown is currently in the D-league.
G Luka Drca – I still have to find four more guys.  Luka graduated from Utah in 2010 and now plays for  a Serbian professional basketball team.  All of these countries have basketball.
G/F Will Clyburn – I found another transfer! Clyburn had a good junior season at Utah, with 17 points/game.  Clyburn just signed with Sacramento as an undrafted free agent.  He’s probably the 4th best player on this team…
G Josh Watkins – Watkins was kicked off the team in 2012 while leading them in scoring.  There is no way the school would invite most of these guys back.  Not that it will matter as far as them winning games.
C Jason Washburn – Washburn graduated this year after a successful career at Utah.  He’s hoping to sign with an NBA team for summer leagues but hasn’t as of the time I published this.
C Luke Nevill – Nevill brings another huge guy to this Utah roster. Nevill currently plays for the Townsville Crocodiles in Australia (Australia and the NBA D-League are battling it out for best mascots).

Utah overview:  Aside from having 5 guys that are almost 7 foot (or over 7 foot), Utah is not good.  There aren’t many scorers here and, aside from Bogut and Miller, the talent is really lacking.

USC:

F Nikola Vucevic – Vucevic was drafted in 2011 and played for Orlando last year.
G O.J. Mayo – Mayo was drafted in 2008 and played for Dallas last season.
G DeMar DeRozan – DeRozan was drafted in 2009 and played in Toronto last year.
F Taj Gibson – Gibson was also drafted in 2009 and played in Chicago last season.
G/F Nick Young – Young was drafted in 2007 and is currently a free agent in the NBA.
F Brian Scalabrine – Scalabrine is the veteran of the group (35).  He retired from the NBA in 2012
G Desmon Farmer – Farmer finished at USC in 2004 and has bounced around since then.  He played for the Reno Bighorns last year (D-League).
G Gabe Pruitt – Pruitt was drafted in 2007 but has been in the D-League since.  In the past year he decided to go overseas and play in Greece.
G Jio Fontan – Jio graduated this year.  He went undrafted but is hoping to sign somewhere.
G Dwight Lewis – Lewis now plays in Spain after finishing at USC in 2010.
C Alex Stepheson – Stepheson finished at USC in 2011 and now plays in Europe.  This USC team was in need of a center and Stepheson fills that role.

USC Overview:  USC is sneaky good.  They have a lot of guys who can score and six guys in the NBA.  All the other guys play professionally somewhere else.  They have a lot of long, athletic guards and a few good post players.  This team will be a tough out.

Washington:

G Nate Robinson – Nate was drafted in 2005.  He played in Chicago last year and is currently a free agent. 
G Isaiah Thomas – I.T. was drafted in 2011 and has played in Sacramento the last few years.
G Tony Wroten – Wroten was drafted in 2012 and played in the NBA and the D-League last year.
F Terrance Ross – Ross was also drafted last year and plays for Toronto.  
C Spencer Hawes – Hawes was drafted in 2007 and currently plays for the 76ers. 
F/C Jon Brockman – Brockman played for a few different teams in the NBA before playing overseas last year.  He is currently playing for the New Orleans summer team.  He was drafted in 2009. 
G Will Conroy – Conroy finished at UW in 2005 and has hopped between the D-League and the NBA ever since.
G Justin Dentmon – Dentmon, like Conroy, has hopped between the D-League and the NBA since he finished at UW in 2009.
F Quincy Pondexter – Pondexter was drafted in 2010 and now plays for Memphis.
F Justin Holiday – Holiday graduated in 2011 and has played in the NBA and D-League ever since.
F Brandon Roy – While Roy has retired, and will coach the Huskies once Romar is done (you heard it here first), I believe that he would be one of the better players on the court if he only had to play a few games.  He was drafted in 2006. 
C Matthew Bryan-Amaning – MBA is the only guy on the team who hasn’t made it to the NBA.  He currently plays in Serbia after finishing at UW IN 2011.

UW Overview:

This team is as deep as anyone in the league.  They may not have as much star talent but there are plenty of scorers.  They have depth at every position.  It was hard to decide on the 12th guy because there are a few that could easily be on the team (Tre Simmons and Bobby Jones, most notably).

WSU:

F/G Klay Thompson – Thompson was drafted in 2011 and currently plays for the Golden State Warriors.
C Aron Baynes – Baynes finished at Wazzu in 2009 and played overseas before joining the Spurs this year.
G Kyle Weaver – Weaver was drafted in 2008 and now plays in the D-League.
F Brock Motum – Motum graduated this year and is playing with the 76ers during the summer league.
G Derrick Low – Low finished at WSU in 2008 and currently plays overseas.
G Taylor Rochestie – Rochestie (Joe’s favorite guy) finished school in 2009 and now plays in an Italian league.
F Ivory Clark – Clark currently plays in an Israeli league after finishing at WSU in 2007.
F DeAngelo Casto – Casto finished at Wazzu in 2011 and has played in Turkey and South Asia leagues since.
G Marcus Capers – Capers graduated in 2012 and now plays in Finland.
G Faisal Aden – Aden has played for a D-League team, Italian team, German team and signed a contract with a Belgium team (who he never played with) after finishing at Wazzu in 2012.

WSU Overview:

Wazzu has the star but the supporting cast isn’t the best.  There aren’t many guys in the NBA but they are all playing professionally somewhere and they are relatively young.  WSU isn’t the best team in the tournament but they could surprise some people.

The tournament starts soon!

Andrew

 

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by | June 25, 2013 · 2:50 pm

Pac-12 Alumni Teams – Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford, UCLA

Yesterday, I started our quest to predict a Pac-12 alumni basketball tournament winner.  In case you missed it, I’m taking 10-12 of the best alumni each Pac-12 schools have and placing them on a hypothetical basketball team.  These teams would be playing today, so there aren’t  any old legends in them.  Most of the players I’m placing on the teams are playing professionally somewhere.  

I assembled the first four teams (alphabetically) rosters yesterday.  Today we have Oregon, Oregon State, Stanford and UCLA.  Once we’re done with all of the teams rosters, we will make a bracket and go from there.  Let’s get to it!

Oregon:

G Malik Hairston – Hairston was drafted in 2008 and currently plays in Spain.
G Luke Ridnour – Ridnour was drafted in 2003 and is playing for Minnesota currently.
G Aaron Brooks – Brooks was drafted in 2007 and plays for Houston. 
F Luke Jackson – Jackson was selected in the 2004 draft and played through last year professionally.  He accepted a coaching job in a small college in Oregon.
C Tony Woods – Woods graduated this year from Oregon and hopes to catch on to an NBA team.
F Arsalan Kazemi – Kazemi graduated this year and hopes to get drafted.
F E.J. Singler – Yet another guy from this year who is hoping to catch on in the NBA.
G Tajuan Porter – Porter plays in the NBA D-league after finishing at Oregon in 2010
F Joevan Catron – Catron finished at Oregon in 2011 and plays in a Japanese basketball league.
C Michael Dunigan – Dunigan finished at Oregon in 2010 and is playing in the Philippines and has been very successful there.

Oregon Overview:  Oregon has a decent group here.  There aren’t a ton of NBA guys but there are a bunch that are very close.  The Ducks have one of the youngest teams that has been assembled so far.

Oregon State:

G Jared Cunningham
F/C Joe Burton
F Roeland Schaftenaar – Schaftenaar played his final season at OSU in 2010 and is now in a European league.
G Calvin Haynes – Haynes graduated in 2011 and has played in the D-league but is now in a European league.
F Marcel Jones – Jones graduated in 2008 and now plays in an Australia league.
F/C Sasa Cuic – Cuic graduated in 2008 and now plays in Europe.  He played in Morocco last year.
F Nick DeWitz – DeWitz played at Oregon State in 2006 and most recently played in a Portuguese league.  Yep, I’m really struggling to find guys here.
F David Lucas – Lucas graduated in 2005.  He has played everywhere and is currently in IBL playing for the Portland Chinooks.  Yeah…
F Omari Johnson – Johnson graduated in 2011 and is now playing a Canadian League.
G Gary Payton – Yeah, it’s come to this.  By far the oldest guy in the tournament, Payton was drafted in 1990 and is now 44 years old.  If anyone thinks there are better qualified guys, do the research and get back to me. 

Oregon State Overview:  We have an early contender for the number 12 seed here.  They aren’t particularly young, there is only one NBA player and there are basketball leagues here that I didn’t know even existed (Canada? Japan?).  This team has about three guards, and one of them is 44.

Stanford Cardinal

C Robin Lopez – Lopez was drafted in 2008 and plays for New Orleans.
C Brooke Lopez – This Lopez has had more success in the NBA and plays for Brooklyn.
F Landry Fields – Fields was drafted in 2010 and played in Toronto last year.
C Jason Collins – Collins was drafted in 2001 and is now a free agent (if he doesn’t retire).  He’s had a long NBA career and is another 7 footer on this team.
G/F Josh Childress – Childress was drafted in 2004 and played in Brooklyn last year.
F Josh Owens – Owens graduated in 2012 and is now playing in the D-league for the Idaho Stampede.
G Chris Hernandez – Hernandez finished at Stanford in 2006 and retired from professional basketball last year after winning a championship in Spain.
F Taj Finger – Finger graduated in 2008, and is most recently playing in Japan.  He also runs a basketball camp in New York during summers.
G Jeremy Green – Green was left Stanford in 2011 and is playing in Europe.
G Matt Lottich – Lottich graduated in 2004 and is now running a basketball camp.  The team is low on guards so Lottich makes the cut.

Stanford Overview:  Stanford doesn’t have the depth of some teams but they have a lot of talent.  There are three seven footers who are still in the NBA.  Stanford will pose some match-up problems for other teams.

UCLA:

G Russell Westbrook – Westbrook was drafted in 2008 and plays for Oklahoma City, currently.
G Shabazz Muhammad – Shabazz declared for the NBA draft this year, and is expected to be a first round pick.
F Luc Mbah a Moute – Mbah a Moute was drafted in 2008 and plays for Milwaukee. 
C Kevin Love – Love was drafted in 2008 and plays for Minnesota currently. 
G Malcolm Lee – Lee was drafted in 2011 and plays for Minnesota. 
F Tyler Honeycutt – Honeycutt was drafted in 2011 and played for Sacramento sparingly last year and also played in the D-league. 
C Ryan Hollins – Hollins was drafted in 2006 and now plays for the Clippers.
G/F Jrue Holiday – Holiday was drafted in 2009 and has played for Philadelphia.
G Darren Collison – Collison was drafted in 2009 and played for Dallas last year. 
F Matt Barnes – Barnes was drafted in 2002 and has had a long NBA career.  He played for the Clippers last year. 
F Trevor Ariza – Ariza was drafted in 2004 and played for Washington last year. 
G Arron Afflalo – Afflalo was drafted in 2007 and played for Orlando last year.

UCLA Overview:  The Bruins are obviously one of the most talented schools and always will be.  All of the guys listed above are or will be in the NBA.  The Bruins are definitely in contention for the top seed.  They also are pretty versatile in their positions.

That’s all for today.  If you have any different guys that I should add, put them in the comments and I’ll get back to you.  Thanks!

Andrew

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by | June 24, 2013 · 3:49 pm

Your Pac-12 Alumni Tournament

Yesterday, most of the Good Guys went to the Husky alumni basketball game.  It was a great environment and a great event for a school that has a growing history of fantastic players.  After the event, Joe, Matthew and I were talking and were wondering how the top players on the floor would fare against other teams alumni today.

Unfortunately, they aren’t going to have this tournament in real life.  That would really be something.  Instead, the Good Guys are going to bring it to you.  Over the next few days, I will be putting together each school’s alumni team.  If there are any oversights, please leave the players in the comments and I will add them to the team before we start bracket play.

Once the teams are assembled, we will make a bracket (with seedings) and put the teams up against each other.  The four Good Guys will vote on the winners of each matchup and will try to leave our bias out of it.  Again, these matchups are based on if these players were facing off against each other today.  There won’t be any UCLA legends in here because they are old and wouldn’t be able to play with guys from the last 10 years.  In fact, I plan to only go back 10 years in assembling the rosters (although I may make some exceptions).  Each roster will consist of 10-12 players.

Today, I’ll start with the rosters for the Arizona schools, Colorado, and California.  I’m just going in alphabetical order.  I’ll give a little explanation of what each player has done of late.

Arizona Wildcats:

F Chase Budinger – Budinger has played in the NBA since 2009.  He played for Minnesota last year.
F Andre Iguodala – Iguodala was drafted in 2004 and has been in the league ever since.  He played for Denver last year  
F Derrick Williams – Williams was drafted in 2011 (2nd overall) and currently plays for Minnesota.
F Solomon Hill – Hill in projected to be a late 2nd round pick this year in the NBA draft.
G Jerryd Bayless – Bayless was drafted in 2008 and played for Memphis last season.
F Jordan Hill – Hill was drafted in 2009 and played for the Lakers last season.
F Richard Jefferson – Jefferson was drafted in 2001 and played for Golden State last season.  He is one of the oldest players on this team.
C Channing Frye – Frye was drafted in 2005.  He retired last year, due to a health problem (I’m not sure if he should be included in this tournament or not, we may revisit this).
G Jason Terry – The oldest player on the team, Terry was drafted in 1999 but still plays in the NBA.  He played for Boston last year and has average double-digit points every season since 2000.
G Hassan Adams – Adams was drafted in 2006 and has bounced around different leagues ever since.  He currently plays in a Venezuelan league.
G Salim Stoudamire – Stoudamire plays on the same team in Venezuela as Adams.  He was drafted in 2005.
G Gilbert Arenas – Arenas makes the cut, as this team needs a few more guards.  He was drafted in 2001 and currently plays for Shanghai in the Chinese Basketball Association.

Overview of Arizona:  This team has a wealth of good forwards.  The guards aren’t as prominent but there are plenty of them playing professionally.  Overall, this is a very good team and one of the favorites.

Arizona State Sun Devils:

F Ike Diogu – Diogu was drafted in 2005 and now plays in a Puerto Rico league.
G James Harden – Harden is easily the best player on this team.  He was drafted in 2009 and is currently a Houston Rocket.
F/C Jeff Pendergraph – Pendergraph was drafted in 2009 and has been in the NBA ever since.  He has played with the Pacers most recently.
F Michael Batiste – Batiste played his last season with Arizona State all the way back in 1999 but is still playing with a Turkey league team and has done quite well overseas.
G Eddie House – House was drafted in 2000 and retired from the NBA last year after a long career.
F Tommy Smith – Smith was drafted in 2003 and has been around a few different leagues since.  This year he played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants (I’m not joking).
G Derek Glasser – The last thing I can find on Glasser is that he was playing in an Israeli league.
G Ty Abbot – Abbot seems to have played in a European league this year, after graduating in 2012.
F Richard Kuksiks – Kuksiks played for ASU until 2011 and now plays in Ukraine.
G Kevin Kruger – Kruger played for ASU and UNLV but we’ll count him because this team needs players.  He has played in a few different leagues and was in the NBA D-League last year.

Arizona State overview:  Arizona State has one of the best players, but is lacking after that.  To be honest, it was hard just to come up with 10 guys.  If you know of anyone else who is playing professionally from Arizona State please add them in the comments.

California Golden Bears:

F Ryan Anderson – Anderson was drafted in 2008 and currently plays for New Orleans.
Jason Kidd – Kidd is the oldest guy on any team, so far.  Kidd was drafted in 2004 and played last year for the Knicks.  He is now the coach of the Nets, but I think he’s still probably one of this squad’s top players. 
Leon Powe – Powe was drafted in 2006 and stayed in the NBA for about 5 years.  He now plays in a Puerto Rico league.
Francisco Elson – Elson was drafted in 1999 and played in Iran last year after spending most of his time in the NBA.
G/F Allen Crabbe – Crabbe may be the best player on this team and will be drafted this year, in the NBA draft.
G Jerome Randle – Randle finished at Cal in 2010 and currently plays in Belgium.
G Jorge Gutierrez – Jorge graduated from Cal in 2012 and played in a D-League last year.
C Max Zhang – Zhang played with Cal through 2010 and currently plays for the Shanghai Sharks.  He’s 7’3″ if you forgot.
F Harper Kamp – Kamp graduated in 2012(?) and is currently playing in Europe.
F Jamal Boykins – Boykin graduated in 2010 and plays in Europe currently.

California overview:  Cal is a bit depleted because of injuries to alums (Theo Robertson comes to mind).  This team doesn’t have many NBA players on it, but they are relatively young even if they have Kidd and Elson on the team.

Colorado Buffalos:

G Chauncey Billups – Probably Colorado’s most famous basketball alum, Billups is finishing up his NBA career after getting drafted in 1997.
G/F Alec Burks – Burks was drafted in 2011 and is still with the Utah Jazz. 
F Chris Copeland – Copeland graduated from Colorado in 2006 and played in D-leagues but made his debut in the NBA with the Knicks last year.
G Cory Higgins – Higgins graduated in 2011 and has played in the D-League since , with a short stint in Charlotte.
F Andre Roberson – Roberson declared for the NBA draft and is hoping to be drafted this year.
G Sabatino Chen – Chen graduated this year and is hoping to play professionally somewhere.
G Carlon Brown – Brown graduated in 2012 and is playing for the Idaho Stampede (D-League).
C David Harrison – Harrison was drafted in 2004 and has played on several D-league teams since then.
G Richard Roby – Roby played for Colorado until 2008 and now plays in Venezuela.  I’m really struggling to find these guys now.
G Marcus Hall – Hall finished at Colorado in 2008 and now plays in Europe.

Colorado Overview:  Admittedly, I don’t know much about Colorado because I didn’t grow up watching them.  If you come across this and know more please fill me in.  These were about the best 10 players I could find and this team is fairly guard heavy.  Some of them are combo guards so there is still some size on the team. 

That’s it for today.  If you have any quibbles with the rosters, please let me know in the comments!

Andrew

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by | June 14, 2013 · 2:05 pm

A Day With Coach Sark

This was all a dream.  It was one of the more in-depth dreams I’ve ever had, but it was still a dream.  Football season can’t come soon enough and my brain has apparently grown tired of the Mariners’ failure.  So, while the rest of me has been asleep, my dreaming has turned to Husky football.

“If I was only a little bit faster” I thought, as I had just finished stretching with the rest of the Washington football team.  We always finished with a sprint at the end of stretching and I, being the lowly walk-on among the receivers, always ended up coming in last.

But, after this bit of wishful thinking, I immediately turned to being grateful.  There I was, practicing on the field that I’d watched my favorite players and teams roam in years prior.  “There’s where Reggie Williams made his leaping grab against Michigan.  That is where Mason Foster made his interception against Arizona.  That is where Corey Williams made his game-winning catch in the Apple Cup.”  The memories continued throughout practice.  Needless to say, I wasn’t very good.  I was still in awe of how close the stands were and the new technology all across the new Husky Stadium.  The west end-zone looked unbelievable.  The north and south stands still held their triumphant positions.  Heck, the east end-zone, where I grew up, upgraded to permanent seats.  When I closed my eyes, I could feel the crowd noise wash over me.

Practice was wrapping up while I was still in a dazed amazement.  We finished our practice and a few members of the team, along with the coaches, were going to go over to see some fans that were watching a volleyball tournament in Hec Ed.  I somehow found myself riding along with the head coach, Steve Sarkisian, in a gator as the team followed behind.  I’m not sure why he let a walk-on like me ride with him but there I was.  Along the way, we were stopped by a few equipment managers for other sports.  They were saying that they wished they had the facilities that the football team had.  Sark just smiled and nodded.  He added in his thanks when he was supposed to.  It’s the same thing he did with the fans that we stopped to see.

Before long, we were back at the stadium.  We were up on the west concourse, looking down on the field.  The rest of the team had thinned out.  A few players were still tagging along, but mainly it was just him and me.  We stood there, looking out over the lake and the field.  Football stadiums aren’t supposed to be this beautiful.

Around this time, an older booster came by.  He was wearing a black suit and tie, asking about August 31st.  Our first game was coming up.  The older gentleman said, “I remember the days when going to see the Huskies was an event.  They were the top ticket in town and you made a day out of it.  You would tell all of your buddies you were going, just to make them jealous.  The crowd’s would be so loud that you could hardly hear the fly-over after the National Anthem.  Now, look at where we are.  They aren’t events anymore.”  I could feel my face start to get red.  “A lot of the time, I don’t even care about going to the games.  They usually start so late now.  Excellence doesn’t ooze out of the team like it used to.  What you have on August 31st, that is as close as we’ll get to an event like the old days but even that won’t come close.”

I had heard enough, and thankfully the booster had stopped talking.  It was my turn to speak up, “Coach, for me Husky football will always be an event.  I’ve sat in those stands (pointing toward the east end-zone) for the last 15 years.  I grew up here.  Saturdays were a way to spend a day with my family.  We sat through an 0-12 season.  We sat through Casey Paus.  We sat through those awful, wet Oregon State games and I wouldn’t have changed any of it.  August 31st is an event.  Husky fans have been waiting for a game like this for 10 years.  I have no doubt that they’ll show up, in full voice that night.”

Sark thought for a moment before he began.  “For our football team, this isn’t an event.  It’s another game.  We have to stay focused on that, even though there are sure to be distractions.  For our fans, this will be a day to remember.  I wish I could be out there as everyone enters.  I’d like to see the looks on their faces when they see the new video board.  I’d like to see excitement in the zone.  I’d like to feel the energy as the band takes the field 22 minutes before the game starts.  This is a big day for our program and a day that I hope proves to be a landmark for when the program started to ooze excellence once again.”

Just like that, my day had ended.  77 more days, Dawg fans.

– Andrew

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by | May 24, 2013 · 2:13 pm

Some Minor Promotions

The Mariners roster is in disarray.  There are moves that have happened (Jesus Montero is in Tacoma), moves that might be happening (nobody knows what’s going on with Andino as of 1:50 P.M. today) and moves that should happen (Aaron Harang is still on the roster).  There is mass speculation on what the Mariners should do.  Some of it is intelligent, some of it isn’t at all.  Most people calling into radio stations aren’t, I’ve found in the last two days.

This paragraph should be a separate blog post but I wanted to throw it in anyway.  Form your own opinions on these Mariners roster decisions (and all decisions for that matter).  When you do, form the opinions after you are informed and read multiple reports.  There are plenty of statistics and a fountain of information a few clicks away.  Go make informed opinions.

I’m not going to add to the Mariner speculation mainly because there is too much of it right now.  Instead, this post is about guys down in the lower minors who may be promoted to a higher level in the next month or so, due to good performance.  I’ll start with the low minors and work my way up, picking a few guys from each level.

Clinton Lumberkings (One of the best mascot names)

Dylan Unsworth (SP) – Unsworth has put up great numbers in the minors in the last year and a half.  His K/BB ratio is 34/2 right now.  He’s pitcher 47 innings and has walked 2 guys.  He is right-handed and doesn’t crack 90 MPH so odds are against him but I’m interested in how his 2.49 ERA and one HR given up all year would translate in Jackson (AA) or High-Desert (high-A).

Grady Wood (RP) – Wood is the closer in Clinton.  He’s sporting a 2.78 ERA and has a 20/5 K/BB ratio.  He’s 23 and was drafted last year where he pitched for Everett.  I should state that Clinton usually favors pitchers while High-Desert heavily favors hitters.

Others worth considering:
Tyler Pike (SP) 38 IP, 2.37 ERA, 34/17 K/BB
Dario Pizzano (RF) .327/.396/.483 14 doubles and 3 HR

High-Desert Mavericks 

Ji-Man Choi (1B) – Choi is somewhat of a cult hero in the Mariners minor league system.  He has always put up good numbers but never seems to stay healthy.  This year he has been on the field and, surprise, he’s put up great numbers.  He’s gone through position changes and is at first base right now (although he has played a little bit of third).  Choi just had his 21 game hit streak snapped.  His slash line is .356/.449/.658 bringing his OPS to 1.107.  It’s not all High Desert, either.  On the road his OPS is still over 1.000.  The downside to Choi, other than the health issues, is that he doesn’t have a lot of home run power.  He’s hit 6 home runs (3 on the road, 3 at home) but he does hit a lot of doubles (21) and plays good defense.  He has 30 extra base hits in 40 games.  Of all of the guys I want called up to the next level, Choi probably tops the list.

Chris Taylor (SS) – So, who’s the Mariners shortstop of the future?  Chris Taylor is entering that conversation (along with Nick Franklin, Carlos Triunfel, and Brad Miller).  Taylor was drafted last year out of the University of Virginia (he was teammates with Danny Hultzen and John Hicks, also in the Mariners system).  Taylor has hit at every level, so far, and is probably the best defensive shortstop in the system.  Taylor is hitting  .342/.444/.522 with an OPS of .966.  His OPS on the road is .860, so he’s not solely benefitting from High Desert.  He doesn’t have a ton of power (19 extra base-hits in 46 games) but he has good plate discipline.  Brad Miller just got called up to Tacoma, so Taylor may be sent up to Jackson before this post is finished.  That seems like it’d be a good move.

Others Worth Considering:
George Mieses (RP) 23.2 IP, 4.94 ERA, 26/10 K/BB (ERA is tough to judge in High Desert).

Jackson Generals 

Taijuan Walker (SP) 52 IP, 2.77 ERA, 57/25 K/BB

Walker is still probably the top prospect in the Mariners system.  People say he’s struggling, but these numbers aren’t really showing that.  His walks are higher than everyone would like but a little bit of wildness doesn’t put me off as much as it does others.  His strikeouts are through the roof and opposing batters are hitting .197 against him.  Walker could receive a promotion once Harang is DFA’d or a few Tacoma pitchers are called up.  

Julio Morban (OF) 

Julio is like Ji-Man Choi or Franklin Gutierrez, if you’d rather.  He puts up great numbers while on the field but he can’t stay on the field enough.  When Morban is on the field he is easily their best outfield prospect.  Morban’s slash line is .344/.394/.563 making his OPS .957.  Morban has only played in 27 games this year though and that’s the real problem.  Having him healthy would be a big boost for the Mariners system.

Others Worth Considering:
Chance Ruffin (SP) 47 IP, 2.87 ERA, 33/10 K/BB (Yes, he was bad, but he seems to be doing well in the new starting role.  He could just be benefitting due to the lower level though.)
Carson Smith (RP) 14.1 IP, 3.14 ERA, 20/5 K/BB (Smith had a rough beginning to the season but has since calmed down and looked very good.  I mean, look at those strikeouts.)

As I mentioned, Brad Miller has just been called up to Tacoma to replace Triunfel.  As a hitter, think of him as Kyle Seager.  A few home runs here and there but more doubles than anything.  Although Nick Franklin is a popular target at this point, Miller could become just as popular in a matter of weeks.

Until next time!  Believe Big!

Andrew

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by | May 21, 2013 · 3:07 pm

The Looming Giant

IMG_0681

 Almost a year and a half ago, a renovation started following the Huskies losing yet another game to the Oregon Ducks.  The old stadium was in need of an upgrade and we are quickly approaching the result of that upgrade.  The track in Husky Stadium is removed.  The seats have moved down.  The east end-zone seats aren’t removable bleachers.  The south-side of the stadium has been redone.  The student section has been moved to a much improved west-side of the stadium.  There is no question that the renovation will be an upgrade.  In college football, teams usually have to build their own momentum.  Steve Sarkisian and his team catch a break in that a new stadium is a program-changer and could add a boost to the season.  Whether they can take advantage of this giant change to the program remains to be seen.
It’s easy to say that this year is just another year for Husky football.  That’s true.  Truthfully, no year is bigger than the next in sports.  We remember different seasons for the events they hold but, assuming your fandom stays on a steady level, all of the seasons should hold the same amount of importance.  But, those inside the program probably see things differently.  I think if you asked Sark and Woodward, off the record, they would tell you that this year is more important for the Huskies than any year in at least a decade.
Here are the University of Washington season tickets that were sold in the last few years.  These are final, but they are the best data I could find.
2012 — 40,482
2011 — 42,231
2010 — 44,109
2009 — 40,600
2008 — 43,497
2007 — 43,516
2006 — 42,598
So far this year, the school has already received about 44,500 ticket renewals.  Season tickets have just gone on sale to the public in the last few weeks so I’d expect that number to go up by a couple thousand before the season.  44,500 is already more tickets sold than any of the previous seven years.  If the Huskies have a successful season then sales will only go up in following years.  This would be a huge boost for the program and, as we learned from Oregon, the more money you have the better off you are.
Sark is entering his fifth year on the job and the Huskies record hasn’t improved the last two seasons.  Yes, it appears that the program is in better shape than two years ago but there isn’t a record to show for it.  As we all know, that is what’s really important.  If the Dawgs finish another year at 7-6, the calls for Sark’s job will grow louder.  Expectations keep growing, as they should, and it’s time for the program to take the next step.  Sark knows that.  The players know that.  Woodward knows that and the fans know that.  Another mediocre year wouldn’t kill the program but would clearly put it back a step.  Ticket sales for the following year would almost assuredly go down and the raucous crowds wouldn’t be nearly as raucous.
We’re still about three months away from the first Husky game.  There will be plenty of time to grow more excited and examine the chances of a Rose Bowl run.  Even with all this time until kickoff, it’s easy to see that this season will be an important one for the University of Washington.  The school has torn down and rebuilt a giant.  Now, as you drive across the 520 bridge you can see that giant looming.  Much like the giant season ahead.
Andrew

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