Category Archives: Mariners

Posts dealing with the Mariners

by | November 2, 2010 · 11:30 am

Hot Links

Read a few things that caught my eye today. 

  • With Jake Locker out, take a look at the possible future with UW QB commit Joseph Gray.  Not a ton of info here, but his team is 8-0 and he’s put up some massive numbers this year.  He was lightly recruited until he committed, but word is that lots of teams were/are starting to take an interest.  Maybe the biggest knock on Gray is lack of size, as he stands only about 6′.
  • I’ve always felt bad for Kevin Riley, who has been a good QB sometimes, and a horrendous one occasionally.  His season and career are now over after an injury last week at OSU, and Ted Miller has a really nice little article.  Best of luck to Riley in the future.  I wish he could have gone out better, like getting beat by the Huskies!
  • If you’re a Mariner fan and don’t already, you should just read Lookout Landing every day.  If you don’t yet, start with this.  It’s kind of hopeful.  I wouldn’t have any problem with the Mariners getting rid of Lincoln and Armstrong, but I fully disagree with anyone who says the Mariners can’t win as long as they’re here.  They might make it harder, but what wins games is talent on the field, not ownership.  If you haven’t noticed, the Mariners need better players.  Speaking of which…
  • Prospect Insider has a post about potential shortstop solutions.  I looked at the shortstops on the Mariners roster recently and proclaimed the situation pretty bleak.  Jason Churchill doesn’t make many predictions, but he brings up a few names I hadn’t thought about.  Jose Reyes, anyone?  Not likely, but what is the offseason for if not a chance to dream?

-Matthew

2 Comments

Filed under Huskies Football, Mariners

Tagged as , , , , , ,

by | November 1, 2010 · 4:04 pm

Our Expectations

This wasn’t the way this Husky football season was supposed to go.  But, that phrase has become normal in Seattle over the past couple years.  We had the Seahawks in 2009, while the Mariners and Huskies put up surprising, yet still mediocre, seasons.  This year we said that about the Husky basketball team, before they took off on a run.  The phrase never ringed more true for this years Mariner season and now we have a Husky football team that is spinning out of control.

With so many disappointments, we have to ask the question, ‘Did we set our expectations too high?’  You can’t clump all these teams together so let’s take a look at each team.

  • The 2009 Seahawks:  I’m not going to pretend to know a ton about the Seahawks, I don’t, but I think it’s fair to say that expectations for this team were reasonable.  Most fans would have accepted a 7-9 or 8-8 record, that seemed reasonable given the personnel on the team.  You could argue there were liabilities all along the offense and the team was plagued by injuries.  If you take those into account, we could add another loss to the record.  So let’s say 6-10 was a bare minimum for this team.  I’m not taking into account the weak division they play in.  The team finished 5-11.  Not only did they finish below expectations, they weren’t very competitive in many of their games.  I think Seattle had their expectations right for this team but the Seahawks failed to meet them.
  • 2009-2010 Husky Basketball: The Huskies were coming off their first league championship in decades and expectations were very high.  There was talk about repeating as league champions and making a run to the final four.  Then, the season started slowly.  The team didn’t gel and was extremely inconsistent.  The Huskies couldn’t win on the road but looked as if they could beat anyone at home.  At times it looked as if they let the expectations get to their heads.  Of course, the Huskies turned it around and made one of the most thrilling runs in their history, all the way to the sweet 16 after looking like they wouldn’t make the tournament.  The expectations for the final four might have been a little high for this team, but they did show they had the talent to do that, from time to time.  Thankfully, a team is judged by how they finish so this team met expectations in my mind because of their late run.
  • The 2010 Mariners: In case you’ve forgotten (or just tried to erase this from your mind) their was actually some buzz about the Mariners this year.  They were everyone’s sleeper pick to make the World Series.  An overachieving 2009 team combined with some sneaky acquisitions and one huge trade (Cliff Lee) by Jack Z had fans thinking playoffs for the first time in almost a decade.  Then, the season started.  The Mariners were terrible, so terrible that there’s no point in retelling how bad they actually were.  But, were the expectations justified?  Partially.  It was unreasonable to think that the offense would be good.  On the other hand, it was unreasonable to think that the offense would be that bad.  So, dreams of a World Series were probably unrealistic but dreams of the playoffs or a team in contention?  That wasn’t that far out of the question.  Needless to say, the Mariners failed completely.  The fans weren’t wrong in this instance.

Now, we’re on the brink of losing another season.  Jake Locker will be out against Oregon, and potentially more, and the Dawgs will need to win 3 of their last 4 to make it to a bowl game.  Going into the season, a bowl game was the minimum expectation and 8-4 seemed like a popular record that most people were picking.  Was expecting 8-4 too much?  Probably.  There were too many holes in the lineup that faced a tough schedule.  But, 7-5 or 6-6 was and is completely reasonable.  A senior quarterback with all kinds of talent, an offense filled with weapons, and a defense that seemed to improve at the end of the year gave us reasons to think this season would be better than it is.  I don’t think we were that wrong in our expectations.

We definitely weren’t wrong in expecting a competitive team, and we haven’t seen that the last couple weeks.  That’s the disappointing part.  I still believe in this coaching staff, but this team is getting worse.  It felt like during the Ty years that the team didn’t bother practicing during the week, it’s seemed like that’s the same case the last 2 weeks.  We, as fans, deserve more than we were given against Stanford.  Our players and coaches were not even close to the standard we should expect.  That’s whats frustrating.  I’ve put up with losses, and they’re bad in their own right, but Saturday’s loss was different.  It was embarrassing for players, fans, and coaches.  Of course, the Huskies could turn their season around just like the basketball team did.  They could win their last 3 games and salvage their season.  But, things are looking grim right now.

In short, we need to have expectations.  We need to expect more than what the Mariners gave us this year and what the Huskies and Seahawks gave us this weekend.  If we don’t, there’s no pressure to get better.  Hopefully, those teams have higher expectations of themselves.  If not, this is going to be another long couple years in sports.

Leave a comment

Filed under Huskies Basketball, Huskies Football, Mariners, Seahawks Football

by | October 29, 2010 · 12:17 pm

Your 2011 Mariners- Catcher

I guess I’ll get this position over with so we can look at some slightly less depressing spots on the roster.

Catcher

On the Roster

Adam Moore- Not having paid much attention to the last couple of months of the season, I busted out Moore’s monthly splits.  I was under the vague impression that his bat was a little better after he returned to the Mariners.  I was wrong. He did show a little more power, with three homers from August on, but that’s the extent of anything promising.  His best stretch of the season was for about three games right before he got injured.  Lots of rookies struggle, especially if they’re catching, but it’s not looking good for Moore.  I’d be curious as to how his defense looked by the end of the year.  Any thoughts?

Rob Johnson- Just going to move on.

Contract is Up

Josh Bard- Technically, Bard is a free agent, but I’m sure the Mariners could resign him if they want to.  Bard was probably the best catcher on the roster, but that’s not saying a lot.  He’s a decent backup, which is all he should be.  Unfortunately, in 2010 he was frequently the best option to start that the Mariners had. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Mariners

Tagged as , , , ,

by | October 28, 2010 · 10:55 am

Thank You Freddie Garcia!!!!!!

There is something very unique about being a Seattle sports fan. For me, the best way I can describe it, is that even in the rare moments of greatness, I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s like finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk, and after picking it up, you’re just waiting to get jumped. I guess that’s just how it is when you’ve yet to see your team hoist a championship. I’m fairly certain my local teams have lowered my life expectancy. And so, I’d like to offer a glass 1/2 full thought, which I for one could use, especially following an evening of flipping between the painful World Series (Lee vs. Lincecum) and the torture chamber that was the NBA opener for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

So, ever wonder how the M’s landed Felix Hernandez? Well here’s the jist, thanks to the always reliable Wikipedia-

Felix Hernandez was first spotted by Luis Fuenmayor, a part-time Mariners scout who saw him pitching at age 14 in a tournament near Maracaibo, Venezuela. Fuenmayor recommended Hernández to fellow scouts Pedro Avila and Emilio Carrasquel, who were impressed with the youngster who could already throw 94 mph. The Mariners continued to follow Hernández for over a year, but baseball rules prohibit teams from signing players to contracts until after they have turned 16.

After graduating from high school, Hernández finally agreed to his first professional contract. Mariners director of international operations Bob Engle signed Hernández as a nondrafted free agent on July 4, 2002. Hernández received a large signing bonus of $710,000, although he said the Mariners were not the highest bidder. Other teams trying to sign him included the New York Yankees, the Atlanta Braves, and the Houston Astros, with the Braves reportedly offering the most money.

One reason Hernández chose the Mariners is because his idol, fellow Venezuela pitcher Freddy García, was pitching for the team at the time.

Much has been made of the Mariners drafting Brandon Morrow in 2006, rather than picking the hometown boy, Tim Lincecum. A lot of fans count to this instance as another example of the curse of Seattle sports. I agree that watching Lincecum pitch stings a little, but keep in mind, 9 teams passed on him that in the 2006 draft, Seattle of course was one of the teams. But how do the Orioles feel picking Bill Rowell just before Lincecum? Or how about the Rockies selecting Greg Reynolds in front of Evan Longoria!

Actually, I find the 2005 draft much more painful as a Mariners fan. Seattle took Jeff Clement with the 3rd pick overall, and the next 4 picks were Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Ricky Romero, Troy Tulowitzki. Wow! But hey, that’s baseball. It’s easy to remember these instances, and forget how we came to have studs like King Felix and Ichiro. Without having Freddie Garcia on our roster, it is very possible that Felix would have taken higher money and landed in New York, Houston, or Atlanta. So maybe we do catch some breaks! And that, is my glass 1/2 full thought today.

-Dan

3 Comments

Filed under Mariners

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , ,

by | October 26, 2010 · 11:57 am

Your 2011 Mariners- Shortstop

Shortstop is currently in the worst shape of any position on the Mariners roster, outside of maybe catcher.  There’s a bright star in the minors, but the next couple of seasons are going to require some creativity if Jack Zduriencik wants to improve the position.

Shortstop

On the Roster

Jack Wilson– Wilson brother #1 will receive $5 mil. in the last year of his contract.  I don’t even know what else to write.  I can’t see any way they could trade him at all, much less get any salary relief or anything good in return.  He can’t stay healthy, and if he is on the field, he can’t hit.  He’s still a slick fielder, if not quite at his previous level.  The Mariners hope has to be that he’ll revisit the retirement thoughts he had briefly this season, but that’s pretty doubtful as well.  Despite all that, I’d say the odds are 50-50 that he’s the opening day shortstop.

Josh Wilson- This is so depressing.  Wilson #2 is pretty much like #1, giving away some defense for durability.  I guess I might prefer Josh to Jack, but does it really matter?  At least he’s cheap.

In the Minors

Nick Franklin– Finally, some hope.  Franklin, a 19-year-old 2009 first rounder, put together a huge season at Low-A Clinton this year to jump into the discussion of the top shortstop prospects in the minors.  Viewed as a switch-hitting baseball rat with a good bat but little power, Franklin proved all that true expect the power.  He started hot and ended with 23 homers and a .485 slugging percentage.  His defense doesn’t sound elite, but it shouldn’t be an issue to stay at the position.  He ended the year at Double-A to help out in the playoffs, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he stayed there in 2011, skipping High-A altogether.  There’s been talk that he’ll be in Seattle at some point next season, but that’s pretty premature.  Not impossible, but I’m not planning on anything before 2012, and even that might be too soon.  He’s entering just his second full season in the pros and has issues to work on with his swing from the right side, but his future is extremely bright.

Carlos Triunfel– Carlos, the perpetual prospect.  I’m not going to rehash his whole story, so here’s the short version: been around forever because he started playing at 17. Looked like a mega-star in the making. Injuries and a lack of production have taken the tarnish off.  Has great contact ability, but can’t take a walk and the power hasn’t come around.  Not likely to stay at shortstop long term.  Still time, as he’s only 20 and lost a whole year to a badly broken leg, but he needs to show big improvement this year or the system’s going to pass him by.

Analysis

Not too be too dramatic, but the situation’s pretty dire.  Ideally, the team would find an average stop-gap they could sign for a decent price who would fill in until Franklin is ready.  Basically, what they tried to do with Jack Wilson.  I thought Hiroyuki Nakajima, a Japanese star, might be that guy, but reports differ on how good he is, if he can play short in America, and whether he’ll even be posted for major league teams.  Otherwise there aren’t a ton of options.  This position needs a massive upgrade, but I just don’t know if it’ll happen.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they go with the Wilsons again for next year until Jack’s contract expires, but I’m sure they’ll look everywhere possible for an upgrade first.  Jack Z., our prayers and hopes are with you.

-Matthew

1 Comment

Filed under Mariners

Tagged as , , , ,

by | October 25, 2010 · 12:22 pm

Your 2011 Mariners- Third Base

I’m not finding much time to write and even less I feel like writing about, but I’ll try to get through the rest of this series before free agency starts.  Enjoy the World Series.  It should be a fun one!

Third Base

Under Contract

Chone Figgins- Figgins is as big a mystery as any player currently on the team.  Defensively, he played a serviceable but not great second base last season, but popular opinion is he will move back to third base for 2011.  The big caveat there is that he may not be with the team, as I imagine the Mariners would be willing to move him if someone would give a good return or take all of his salary.  If he is back and at third, he used to be very good defensively there, and the hope is that the move back will get his bat going.  Who knows if that will happen, but he did finish the year hitting fairly well.  A rebound to even his career averages in 2011 might be the biggest addition the Mariners could make this offseason.

Matt Tuiasosopo- My hope has about run out with Tui.  He still has some offensive potential, but has shown no ability to hit in the majors.  His defense is scary at every position.  It might click for him eventually and he could be an average starter or decent utility man, but for now he’s just okay depth if you have a major injury. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under Mariners

Tagged as , , , , ,

by | October 16, 2010 · 12:42 pm

M’s Hire Branyan’s Big Brother

Eric Wedge, not Bobby Valentine, and not Joey Cora, will be the next manager for your Seattle Mariners. A lot of fan’s first reaction is probably that once again Chuck and Howard don’t want to pay what it takes to bring in a big name, thus we are stuck with a reincarnation of Bob Melvin or Don Wakamatsu. I’ll be honest, my first reaction was how similar this guy looks to Russell Branyan (see pic below). Fans can have whatever reaction they’d like, and no one is wrong. Seattle has seen 7 managers come and go since Lou left, so at this point, Joe Torre could have been hired and some fans would still react negatively. Personally, I think Wedge is an outstanding pick. Here’s why.

The Mariners made no secret about their desire to have an experienced manager this time around. No more rookies! In addition, it seemed safe to assume that a younger guy might be on their wish list, or at least someone who can relate well with young players, because the M’s will no doubt have a plethora of youth in 2011. Furthermore, following the Wak era, I’m sure Jack Z was looking for a manager that would not take crap from anyone (cough Figgy cough). Wedge meets all of these qualifiers, not to mention a nice track record of successfully taking over a rebuilding situation, as he did in Cleveland, eventually getting them to within 1 win of the World Series. At just age 42, Wedge has quite an impressive resume. In 2002, he was hired at age 35 by the Indians, and in 7 seasons he led the tribe to a .495 win%. Not bad for Cleveland.

Yesterday I listened to both Eduardo Perez (ex-player) and Tom Hamilton (Indians announcer), both give ringing endorsements of Wedge. The interesting point that both men made was that Wedge was fired following the ’09 season for the simple reason that Indians management wanted to turn the page, and enthuse the fan base with a managerial switch. It had little to do with Wedge, and in fact, GM Mark Shapiro fought to keep Wedge. Had Cleveland held onto Cliff Lee, CC Sabathia, Victor Martinez, Franklin Gutierrez, and Brandon Phillips, Hamilton noted that “we would not be talking about Wedge in Seattle, but rather, Wedge and the Indians in the ALCS.”

Continue reading →

3 Comments

Filed under Mariners

Tagged as , , , ,

by | October 15, 2010 · 12:59 pm

Eric Wedge to be named Mariners manager

SI.com is reporting the Mariners will hire former Indians skipper Eric Wedge. I am not too excited about this move. Wedge is another “yes-man” able to do what the upper management says. The problem with this franchise is Lincoln and Armstrong. With those two dinosaurs running things, the M’s don’t have a chance. Yawn.

Have a nice weekend.

-Joe

3 Comments

Filed under Mariners

Tagged as ,