by | May 11, 2011 · 1:55 pm

So Long, Milton

A few days ago the Mariners cut ties with Milton Bradley (he was DFA’d on Monday).  While some say that Bradley was too much of a cancer in the clubhouse, the reason Milton was let go was because of his performance on the field.

Bradley came to the Mariners a year and a half ago in a trade that involved Carlos Silva.  The move seemed brilliant at the time and gave fans even more hope that the Mariners could make a deep run in the playoffs.  Now, the move is far from glamorous.  Silva was released early in Spring Training this year and Bradley is now gone too.

The last year and a half with Bradley has been a roller coaster.  Except, this roller coasters had more sudden drop offs then normal, so it was filled with a few more lows than highs.  I don’t like roller coasters very much but I like Milton Bradley.  Milton didn’t hit like the Mariners had hoped he would and wasn’t the best outfielder (far from it, really).

Milton didn’t cause many problems here off the field, in comparison to everywhere else.  He flipped some fans in Texas the bird and left the team for a few weeks last year to seek some help last year.  This year he wore ear plugs and was ejected twice, not a huge disruption.

Milton isn’t really liked around baseball, but I thought he was going to find a niche here in Seattle.  He was away from the pressure and playing in a mellow media market.  He probably would have found a niche here if he would have been more productive.  Outside of the first week of the season though Milton couldn’t hit and that’s what cost him his job.

I’m going to miss Bradley for a few reasons.  He always had that potential of being good, and the Mariners offense isn’t good.  The Mariners offense doesn’t really have much potential to be good.  Milton gave a little hope in that light.

Far greater than that though, I’ll miss Milton’s antics on the field.  Bradley taught me that major league baseball is about entertainment more than anything else.  This goes for all sports.  Us as fans will say we tune in to watch a good game, and for some folks that is true, but more often than not we’re waiting for something to blow us away.  That can happen in a game with a no-hitter or some great other feat or it can happen as a sub-plot to the game, such as a brawl.

Kobe Bryant is one of my favorite basketball players (some of my fellow good guys probably threw up in their mouths at that statement) for the same reason that I love Milton.  When I watch Kobe, I’m entertained.  He’ll make an amazing jumper or he’ll taunt the fans (not as much anymore now that he’s matured some).  One of those things is considered pure in the game, one of them not, but they’re both entertainment.  Bradley generally did the thing that we’d consider not pure in the sports world, but it was entertainment.

I was as big of a Milton Bradley supporter as there is in this city and I will continue to be.  I hope he goes and finds help to fight his personal demons because for as entertaining as the man is, I’d rather see a man who is continually enjoying life.  We’ve seen flashes of him enjoying it, but maybe he can turn the corner.  Bradley didn’t serve us the purpose we’d hoped here in Seattle, but he left a mark on anyone who followed the team closely.  For better or worse, Milton Bradley won’t be forgotten here.

Andrew

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by | April 25, 2011 · 3:11 pm

Sorry For This…

It’s Monday, I’m sick, and a little bitter about sports. The M’s, and specifically Chone Figgins, are on my nerves. So to are the “Don’t feel sorry for Seattle” comments Skip Bayless made regarding the Sonics, and I’ve heard one too many callers bash on Locker. And then comes this lovely article from Jon Paul Morosi, in which he updates us on Jeff Clement.-

Clement was the No. 3 overall pick that year — right after Upton and Gordon, right before Zimmerman, Braun, Romero and Tulowitzki. The Seattle Mariners took him. There was a lot to like: He was a handsome, hardworking kid who set the national high school home run record while starring for the Marshalltown (Iowa) Bobcats. He won the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top collegiate catcher during his final season at USC.

Clement checked three boxes where the Mariners were deficient: catcher, power, left-handed hitter. The Seattle scouts were smitten by Tulowitzki, too. Tulowitzki told FOXSports.com contributor Tracy Ringolsby that Seattle had planned to take him until the night before the draft.

What changed?

“They said they had a shortstop in the organization, but no catchers, and therefore that made the pick easy,” Tulowitzki said.

Naturally, it all goes back to Yuniesky Betancourt.

Again, I’m really sorry for that.

-Dan

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by | April 22, 2011 · 12:54 pm

The Missing Piece: Prince Fielder

Prince Fielder will hit the open market this winter, and I can’t help but wonder what a difference he would make to the Mariners offense. With Prince Fielder, the M’s could roll out an opening day line-up next year mirroring something like this-

RF-Ichiro
2B-Ackley
1B-Smoak
DH-Fielder
CF-Gutierrez
LF-Saunders/Peguero
C-Olivo
SS-Ryan
3B-Figgins

That is a major league line-up right there, and one capable of winning 80-90 games. It’s amazing what happens when Jack Cust and Jack Wilson are replaced by Prince Fielder and Dustin Ackley.

Now, signing Prince will be no small task. Remember, he turned down 5/100 from Milwaukee last year, and he and Pujols will be the stars of the free agent class following this season. He is a Boras guy, only 27 years old after this season, and in his past 4 seasons, the guy is averaging 40 HR and 111 RBI.

What other teams might be interested in Prince? Let’s make some educated guesses through process of elimination. First, for money reasons alone, forget about Pittsburgh, Florida, Arizona, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, Milwaukee, and also the New York Mets will likely not be in the mix given their financial turmoil and the emergence of Ike Davis. We’re down to 20 teams.

Next, let’s assess team needs, and eliminate those NL teams who don’t have a 1B hole to fill. This is where the Reds, Phillies, Nationals, Rockies, and Giants are crossed off. In the AL, the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Twins, and White Sox already have a lot of money tied up at 1B/DH.

So who is left? 10 teams. Seattle, LA Angels, LA Dodgers, Baltimore, Texas, Houston, Toronto, St. Louis, Atlanta and the Cubs. One of these teams will sign Pujols, so really there will be 9 teams that have the money and need for a guy like Prince. Of course, some of these teams will prioritize pitching or other positions above 1B/DH. Atlanta, Houston, Baltimore, and Toronto strike me as teams that for various reasons will likely weed themselves out.

Thus, the top competition to sign Fielder, in my eyes, are the M’s, Rangers, Angels, Dodgers, St. Louis, and the Cubs; plus, whoever gets Pujols is off this list. Rumors are that Boras will be seeking 200 million for Prince, but in reality I see bidding starting around 7 yrs, 150 million. The M’s will need to have the highest offer on the table to lure Fielder, that much I am certain of, given the losing culture and location. He is a west coast guy having grown up in LA, but selling Prince on playing DH in Seattle could be tough. Jack Z drafted him and I think that’s a definite X factor.

So, assuming these facts are correct, would you like to see the M’s break the bank to the tune of 150+ million, and overpay for a guy who will play DH? I say yes, because we can’t contend without that big bat, and I don’t see his talent diminishing in the next 5 years. Oh, and the Felix clock is ticking…

-Dan

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by | April 18, 2011 · 3:59 pm

Milton Monday

A couple of days ago a fan post came up on Lookout Landing entitled “Milton Bradley Appreciation Day.”   Naturally, I was drawn to the thread.  If you don’t have time to go look at it, the premise for the idea is that a few true Mariner fans are sick of Milton Bradley getting heckled and booed when playing at home.  Tonight they are planning to go and sit in left field and have a few Milton Bradley signs and jerseys on.  They will try to show support for this guy.  This isn’t a huge thing, but I’m fully in support of this idea.

Milton Bradley is one of my favorite baseball players.  It started last year when he was the guy who came over for Carlos Silva.  That was reason enough to like him.  Then, at the start of last year, Milton was booed vigorously in Oakland in the season opener.  Of course, Oakland fans boo everyone for some reason but the trend continued for Milton everywhere he went.  He was booed in Texas in the next series.  By the way, Milton had his best two years in the majors while in Oakland and Texas.

Bradley brought a different kind of baseball to Seattle.  I think a correct term would be “Angry Baseball.”  Yes, sometimes it set people off, but it was entertaining.  Sometimes we forget that baseball is entertainment, and on a team that was so boring, Milton added an edge.

Of course, things went downhill.  Milton had some issues last year that caused him to miss some time and then he came back and played okay (by Mariner standards).  His season was shortened by injuries and many believed that he had played his last game in a Mariner uniform.

This season he’s come back and has been one of the best Mariner hitters, granted that’s not saying much.  At the home opener, there were several fans behind who booed Milton every time he came up to bat.  I didn’t understand why and I don’t understand why Milton is treated so poorly at home that he has to wear earplugs.  What has he done to our city?  Nothing.

The same fans that boo Milton Bradley are the same ones who give Chone Figgins a nice round of applause when he steps to the plate.  In reality, Figgins has been worse on the field and worse to reporters around.  I know Milton has some problems but I think us, as fans, need to treat players fairly.  We shouldn’t boo someone on our team just because they’ve had a few problems and appear to be mad.

Without Milton, this team would have an even worse record than they do.  So, today is Milton Monday and I expect to have a few of these throughout the year.  We love you Milton and we’re glad you’re a Mariner.

Nice Milton.

Andrew

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by | April 15, 2011 · 4:16 pm

NBA Playoffs preview

It’s that time of year, playoff time. The Stanley Cup quest has begun, and the NBA playoffs begin. Since I know vastly more about basketball than hockey, I’ll stick with the hardwood.

Western Conference:

#1 Spurs vs #8 Grizzlies – On the surface this looks like a major mismatch. The best record in the NBA taking on a young Memphis squad. But don’t be fooled. Memphis has a huge front line with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph that could very well wear out Duncan and Blair. Manu Ginobili will miss the beginning of the series, maybe longer, which is anhuge loss because Richard Jefferson is nowhere near the talent Ginobili is. Mike Conley has the quicks to stay with Parker. The teams split four games in the regular season, so the Griz are not afraid of the big bad Spurs. I still think the Spurs win because of their notoriously dirty tricks in the playoffs, but look for the Grizzlies to take it the distance. Spurs in 7.

#2 Lakers vs #7 Hornets – I honestly don’t see how New Orleans wins this series, let alone is competitive. Yeah the Lakers have struggled lately, but this is playoff time, it’s the Lakers time of year. LA’s front line will wear out the Hornets, and Kobe will, as usual, school his opponent. Chris Paul has a clear advantage over the Lakers guards, but that’s it. One man can’t do it all. Lakers in 5.

#3 Mavericks vs #6 Blazers – Ok, now we’re talking. I absolutely love this match up. Dallas is the odds on favorite, they did win 57 games this season for a reason. Jason Terry, Dirk and Kidd are elite level players leading the Mavs. But, I like Portland here. The Blazers are primed to make it past the first round. The past two seasons have been heartbreak city for Rip City, two 50+ win seasons coming to brutal ends in the first round. Not this year. With the addition of Gerald Wallace, the Blazers have that power forward to combat what Dallas can throw them up front. This leaves LaMarcus Aldridge free to focus on offense. I like Andre Miller in the back court, and Brandon Roy ain’t a bad sixth man. As good as Dallas is, I think Portland has the emotional and “chip on the shoulder” edge in this match up. They want out of the first round. Bad. Blazers in 6.

#4 Zombies vs #5 Nuggets – Screw you Clay Bennett. George Karl in 7.

Eastern Conference:

#1 Bulls vs #8 Pacers – The Pacers made the playoffs? No brainer, MVP Derrick Rose and the Bulls roll Indy. Bulls in 4.

#2 Heat vs #7 76ers – A lot of pundits are saying Philly can make this a series, and maybe so, but I don’t see it. The Heat have literally been waiting for this moment since last summer, to get to the playoffs and prove all the hype was worth it. The Sixers have some nice young players with Jrue Holiday at PG, and Speights and Young up front, with vet Elton Brand in the middle. They will compete and may steal a game or two from Miami, but the Heat with be focused and determined to win. Heat in 5.

#3 Celtics vs #6 Knicks – This series will have more media attention than probably any first round match up. The Knicks are back in the playoffs after many years, and the Celtics return yet again to make another run to the Finals. There is talk NY could pull this one out, especially after how uninspired Boston has looked the past month or so, and since the Knicks have looked solid during that same time span. Both teams have weaknesses. The Knicks struggle defensively and Boston struggles to score. So I think the C’s could break out offensively in this series. I think Billups could work Rondo here. Rondo hasn’t been playing well lately, and Mr Big Shot shines in the post season. The trade of Kenderick Perkins has left a gaping defensive void in the middle for Boston, so Amare will go off for some big scoring nights. I don’t see how this series doesn’t go at least six games. As much as I want NY to win, I like Boston’s experience. Celtics in 7.

#4 Magic vs #5 Hawks – I honestly have no read on this series. What I see are two underachieving teams with tons of talent who have been uninspiring all season. Atlanta is a flat out mystery to me. They have talent, but no heart. I don’t trust them. They’ve stunk down the stretch and they notoriously flop in the playoffs. Even though Hotlanta has dominated Orlando this season, I just can’t pick the Hawks. They represent a lot of what I don’t like about pro sports. Over paid clowns who get their coach fired even though he led them to the playoffs each year. Orlando has many flaws of their own, but I like their experience in the playoffs and Dwight Howard is a beast in the middle. Orlando in 6.

Further thoughts and remaining match up predictions:

In the west, I ultimately like the Lakers (I know, original huh?), but I’m not very enthused about the pick. I think they’ll start to find their way and somehow get past Portland in the second round, even though I think the Blazers can get them. In the conference finals it could be a war. They’ll play the Spurs or Zombies (I picked Denver above, but that was for show, I just can’t pick “the others”). Either match up will be a seven game series.

In the east, it’s much more wide open. Chicago, Miami, Boston, Orlando, New York, any of them could make a run. I think the Bulls cruise to the conference finals where they’ll get the Heat. I know, Boston has dominated them this season, but like I said above, this is what LeBron has waited for and I don’t see him failing, at least early on. The Bulls will beat Miami in the conference finals because I think Derrick Rose is the best player in the league right now and the Bulls play defense, they rebound, they are hot, I just love how they are built.

Finals prediction? It’s 1991 all over again!! Bulls vs Lakers, but this time it’ll go longer. The Windy City will be rocking. Bulls in 7.

-Joe-

**Postscript: This time of year without my Sonics is painful, especially considering how well the team has played since moving to the dust bowl. I hope someday we get a team back so I can actually enjoy, yet once again, playoff basketball in Seattle. Many of my fondest sports memories are Sonics playoff games. So, with that, I’ll enjoy this years playoffs from a distance, enjoying the best players in the world play the best game in the world, but all the while keeping my emotions in check, watching with some level of cold detachment…

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by | April 15, 2011 · 1:19 am

Bruce Chen-The Ultimate Journeyman

In beating the M’s yesterday, Bruce Chen notched his 50th career win, to go against 50 losses. He has a 4.6 ERA over 12 MLB seasons, and what’s more, he has played for 10 teams. Bruce Chen is not all that great, but he is fascinating nonetheless.

Now you know a little more about Bruce Chen, and knowledge, is power.

-Dan

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by | April 14, 2011 · 1:33 pm

5 M’s Quick Hits

None of these points deserve a full post, because full posts on goodguyssports.com typically involve hours of research, in depth analysis, and material worth publishing. I don’t think any of these fit that bill, but please read anyway.

1) We’ve yet to mention the unbelievable comeback on Monday night. In short, the M’s were down by 7 in the 7th, at which point they had about a 0.6% chance of winning. Craziness ensued and Seattle pulled out a miraculous victory. My first thought watching this was, this is what makes baseball great. In baseball, there is no clock. So even when the M’s were down 7 in the 7th, Toronto couldn’t just milk the clock, no, because in baseball you’re required to get 27 outs, no matter how long it takes. Baseball and golf are two of my favorite sports, and neither involve time. Maybe I’m oddly attracted to this aspect.

2) It feels like every time I watch a Miguel Olivo at bat, he swings and misses at least twice. I have not seen every one of his at bats, and sometimes you draw conclusions, but the stats don’t back it up. But in this case, Olivo really does swing and miss more than any player in baseball. SWSTR% is an advanced stat that measures the percentage of strikes that are swung at, and missed. Olivo leads MLB (eligible players) by swinging and missing an astounding 24% of the time he swings at strikes. Rod Barajas is 2nd in baseball at 19%. Olivo has dominated this statistic in recent years. In fact, he has led every year since 2007. How many guys can say the’ve led baseball in a stat category 5 years running?! Jack Cust is 2nd on the M’s in SWSTR%, at 12.4%. Cust sure seems to swing and miss a lot, but Olivo still has him beat by double the whiffs.

The bottom line is when you’re a big league hitter, and you swing at a ball in the stike zone, you should make contact around 90% of the time, even if it’s just to foul it off. I’d like to watch Miguel in BP sometime, because he probably swings and misses at every 4th pitch.

3) I just found out that when you see a bunch of “K” signs tracking how many strikeouts a pitcher has, a backwards K means the batter struck out looking. I thought fans just got lazy and put them up that way. Oops.

4) When Guti returns, in a couple weeks Lord willing, the team will have a decision to make, because unless an injury, trade, or major slump occurs, there is no obvious candidate to be demoted. Those on the block include Langerhans, Saunders, Bradley, Cust, Kennedy, Rodriguez, or perhaps a bullpen arm like Wilhelmson or Ray (don’t get me started on Chris Ray). I won’t get into the implications for each guy, but at this point, it’s hard to justify demoting or cutting any of these position players, for various reasons. These things tend to work themselves out, otherwise the M’s could have a logjam in the outfield/DH position.

5) Finally, this thought came to me yesterday as I drooled watching Justin Smoak’s opposite field homerun. Where would the M’s be had Ruben Amaro (Phillies GM) not called last winter and offered Cliff Lee?
Think about it. If we hadn’t landed and then traded Lee, we would essentially have Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and Juan Ramirez (none of which are past AA), instead of Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson, plus the immeasurable joy of watching Cliff Lee for 4 months! I doubt very much if an Aumont, Gillies, Ramirez package could have landed us the coup we got from Texas. And also, if we had 101 losses with Cliff Lee 1/2 the year, how many losses might we have had without him? Yikes, that’s a disturbing thought.

It’s off to KC for our 4-8 Mariners. Oddly enough, despite a poor record, the M’s have split their first 4 series, winning 2 and losing 2. This year is hardly about wins and losses, but I would be pleased if we could somehow scratch back to .500 at some point.

-Dan

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by | April 6, 2011 · 3:56 pm

Thoughts After 6 Games

Sorry, I’ve been having laptop trouble for the last couple days and couldn’t get anything up on the blog.  While having my laptop trouble, the Mariners decided to not postpone their games for me to write about so I have a bit of catching up to do.

After the first six games of the Mariners season, I’ve come away somewhat impressed by the team.  Yes, they’re 2-4 and had a little bit of help in those 2 wins but the team has played pretty well considering the competition.  There are some major concerns, I’m looking at you bullpen, but there are also things to feel good about.

It doesn’t help that the Mariners have played 4 of their 6 games against southpaws.  The Mariners will fair better against righties this season but haven’t caught much of a break in terms of pitching match-ups this week.  One of the right-handers they faced won 18 games last year and the other one was a guy hitting 95 MPH after 5 innings after never making a start before.  Not a lot of breaks in there.

Along with the pitching match-ups, the Mariners had to face Texas the last 3 games.  Not surprisingly, they lost all three.  Texas looks like they could go 162-0 right now.  There’s no way they’ll stay this hot all season but they are certainly hitting on all cylinders and demolished Boston far worse than they did us.  Yes, we should have gotten one of the games in that series with our 3 best pitchers on the mound, but we just couldn’t quite turn the corner.

Bullet points after the jump. Continue reading →

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