by | April 1, 2011 · 5:09 pm

Opening Day Quick Hits

– Jack Hanahan starts at 3B for Cleveland. Jose Lopez starts at 2B for Colorado. These statements are surprising, but I should probably point out that Hanahan was 3-5 today with a homerun and 3 runs scored, while Lopez was 2-5 with a homerun, 2 RBI, and a stolen base.

– Seattle’s odds of winning the divison are about the same as the odds of Jack Cust hitting a home run. If the M’s fate this season came down to one at bat, in which Cust had to hit a home run, our odds would be slim, but I would definitely watch to see what happens. This is why I will watch the Mariners this year, and I hope you are encouraged to as well.

– In case you missed Jeff Sullivan’s post on SB Nation, here are the 5 worst team slogans for 2011.
(5) Toronto Blue Jays: Hustle + Heart (2.0)
(4) Seattle Mariners: Ready to play
(3) Houston Astros: We are your Astros
(2) Florida Marlins: Catch our moves
(1) Kansas City Royals: Major League moments-
The Mariners set modest expectations when they promised that their players would be ready to play baseball, but this is setting expectations as low as expectations get. All this slogan does is confirm that the Royals play Major League Baseball, and that over the course of their season there will be moments that take place during their games. It doesn’t say anything about whether those moments will be good moments or bad moments, memorable moments or forgettable moments. It just says that there will be moments.

– The Mariners are a 1/2 game back in the AL West. If they are to get out of last place, they had better start playing some games.

– I was browsing on USS Mariner today and I stumbled across a March ’09 post. The entertaining part was the comments section, as it often is. Some comments are stupid when they are written in present day, and the stupidity is often multiplied 10 fold as time passes. Here was the one that caught my eye-

Wait about 2 more years when Tui, Carp, Moore, Olson, Fields, and (most importantly) Aumont get called up among others and are more polished as major leaguers, along with the young guys we have now on the roster such as Jeff Clement that haven’t broken out yet but should at some point

I don’t know what to say about this, other than, yikes.

– Finally, opening day is refreshing for a number of reasons. For me, it signals the end of winter, though looking outside does not exactly back up that statement. But another refreshing part for me is that for the next 6 months, I can sit back and watch the most pure sport there is. Oh sure some will argue baseball is far from pure, and when it comes to balls and strikes, and safe vs. out, mistakes are made. But how often does a game end and one thinks, “boy, the umpires cost us that game.” In football, soccer, and basketball, refs drive me nuts, and there are times where I blame them for a part of my team’s loss. This rarely happens in baseball, and it is refreshing. No more Pac-10 officiating!

-Dan

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by | April 1, 2011 · 2:31 pm

Remembering Dave

Note:  Matthew touched on this in a quick little post last night, but I’d been working on a draft of this for a while so I decided to put it up anyway.  Make sure to check the Macklemore’s video Matthew posted that I’ve referenced in here.  I’ve held off on writing about Dave until now because when it happened, there were a slew of amazing posts around the blogosphere and today there aren’t as many.  That’s not to say people have forgotten, no Mariner fan has, but it’s not in the forefront as much.  But, on this Opening Day, I feel the loss is more evident than ever.

It was a little less than 5 months ago, now.  I remember getting a text from Dan and then feeling a bit of shock.  No one was ready for the loss of Dave Niehaus, especially us fans here in the Northwest.

Then, came the amazing support from a city who had lost a loved one.  There were masses outside of Safeco Field crying, leaving flowers and reminiscing about the legend.  A city became a family, and the family had just lost it’s dearest grandfather.  That’s what it felt like.  There were services and events held at Safeco Field to help fans through the grieving process.  The Mariners organization did a wonderful job in putting these things on for fans.

In the midst of all of this, a song by the rapper Macklemore was released.  I was skeptical when it first started popping up on blogs; I’m a music junkie and think songs that try to tie in sports usually turn out cheesy.  Once I finally got around to listening to it, I was proved dead wrong.  The song bought me to tears the first few times, and still gives me goose bumps to this day.

After while, it was time for pitchers and catchers to report to camp and the first Spring Training game rolled around.  I turned my car radio to 710 and couldn’t make it through 2 innings of the game.  It was the first of many tough stretches that this season will bring.  The performance on the field may be tough to watch at times, but it won’t compare to the loss we’ll feel in the radio booth.

I grew up listening to Mariners games.  We didn’t have cable TV, so aside from the occasional game on Fox and trips to my Grandma’s house, we were left listening on 1280 KIT Yakima.  In a lot of ways, Dave taught me about baseball along with my dad and brother.  He taught me about the legends and taught me that there was a flow to the game of baseball.  Later, I learned that there isn’t necessarily a flow to the game, but it was Dave who made the game flow smoothly with his words. Continue reading →

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by | March 31, 2011 · 7:46 pm

My Oh My

This season doesn’t promise much, but take this last night to imagine everything going right:  Felix winning his second consecutive Cy Young; Pineda and Ackley the top two rookies in the league; Milton Bradley vanquishing his personal demons and leading the league in OPS again.  I see a dream run to the top of the division and Felix shutting out the Yankees and Red Sox in the playoffs.  Reality starts tomorrow at 7:00.

********************************************

Hopefully, everyone’s seen or heard this by now, but I can’t think of a better way to start the season.  Macklemore is also performing this at the home opener, which was the no-brainer move of the season that I didn’t think would happen. 

Whatever the season brings, there will certainly be something missing.  We miss you, Dave Niehaus. 

-Matthew

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by | March 31, 2011 · 3:30 pm

Well, This is Depressing

As you might have seen by now, Isaiah Thomas has announced that he will leave the University of Washington a year early to enter the NBA draft.  I didn’t really expect this, and when I first saw the news, I thought he would just test the waters and change his mind.  His press conference today made it pretty clear that’s not the plan, however.  Maybe he’ll change his mind, but I’m not betting on it.

Before this past year, IT was a guy I liked having on the team, but he wasn’t my favorite player by any means.  There was no reason why not, just no connection there.  Then, this past year he matured as a player and person before our eyes and became one of the most enjoyable players I remember.  He could dominate, he was a leader, and he played with a passion and intensity that he always managed to control and put to use.  He wasn’t perfect, but he was so much fun to watch, and so easy to cheer for.

I was really excited to see what next year would be like, with Isaiah running beside Ross and Wroten and Gaddy and Wilcox.  It would have been a fast, crazy team.  I don’t know how good they would have been, but it could have been great.  Now, it feels like UW is starting over.  They still have lots of talent, but they need to establish a new center of the program.

Best of luck to Isaiah, and I hope he proves everyone with doubts about his height wrong.  I won’t be a bit surprised when he does.  If he decide to change his mind in the next month, I’ll be incredibly grateful.  UW basketball won’t be the same without him.

-Matthew

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by | March 31, 2011 · 3:29 pm

Ranking Your 2011 Mariners

The big news today is basketball related, with Isaiah Thomas announcing, rather unexpectedly, that he will indeed forgo his senior season at UW. He’s off to the NBA, which sucks for Husky fans. Time will tell whether this is a wise decision by IT, but I’m happy for him. Next year’s expectations will be lower now, and it could very well be our last year watching Terrence Ross, but the team should still be good, and contend for the conference yet again.

With that news, I’m officially closing basketball talk on the blog, until at least the draft in June. Why? Because today is opening day! As Andrew noted, things have been dry on here lately, but nothing like some M’s baseball to stir conversation. In case you have not heard, the 25 man roster is official. Looking over the team last night, I started ranking guys in my mind, and that’s what this post is all about. In addition to ranking the 25 man roster, in terms of most valuable to the team in 2011, I’m also throwing 3 more guys into the conversation: Ackley, Gutierrez, and Aardsma. The latter two are on the DL, and Ackley will probably be up sometime in June, so they belong on this list too.

    Ranking the Roster (Most Valuable to Least Valuable)

1- Felix Hernandez—He is the King of Seattle, and the best pitcher on planet Earth. Yes, Felix is the Mariners’ most valuable player. Go away trade rumors!
2- Ichiro—The team’s best hitter and most valuable everyday player. Also, the coolest Mariner ever.
3- Justin Smoak—I want to fall in love with Justin Smoak, and so does this city, but he has a lot to prove. IMHO, this guy is the lynchpin to the M’s offense in 2011.
4- Franklin Gutierrez—I fear for Guti’s long-term health with every day that passes without an explanation, but assuming this mystery stomach ailment gets treated, Guti is the team’s best defender, and a top 5 hitter, a valuable asset indeed.
5- Milton Bradley—Depending on which Milton shows up, batting 3rd, Bradley could easily lead the team in production this year. But can he stay healthy AND out of trouble? I wouldn’t bet on it.
6- Erik Bedard—Hard to argue that a guy who did not pitch last year could hold much value, but IF healthy, Bedard provides huge value to this team. And IF his spring performance is an indicator of what’s to come, his worth is as high as a #2 starter.
7- Chone Figgins—This guy had better bounce back, and I expect he will now that he’s back at 3rd and settled into Seattle. The M’s should be annoying to play, and Figgy leads that annoyance.
8- Jason Vargas—I still don’t think of Jason Vargas as a #2 starter, but he earned this spot after last season. Can he provide an encore?
9- Jack Cust—Batting clean-up for your Seattle Mariners…Jack Cust. Really? You better believe it! He will strike out a ton, but I gotta think he is an upgrade at DH, and he is an awesome interview.
10- Miguel Olivo—The team’s main acquisition this winter, Miguel can’t be worse than our catchers last season, but he must improve on his first go around in Seattle if he is to win over the fans. Continue reading →

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by | March 30, 2011 · 8:17 pm

Spring Football

There’s too much going on and too little time lately.  With all the sporting events to cover over the last few weeks (Husky basketball, the most interesting tournament I can remember, Spring Training, and Husky football) you’d think the Good Guys would be posting up a storm.  Unfortunately, it’s been a busy time and we haven’t got to cover all that we’d like to.

Of course, baseball season starts tomorrow.  To be honest, I didn’t know who played tomorrow night until earlier this evening.  When people asked, I just said that it was the Yankees and the Red Sox.  To my surprise, there are 6 games tomorrow and the Yankees and Red Sox don’t play each other.  There couldn’t be a much better way for the season to start than with a Verlander vs. Sabathia match-up and that’s what we’ll see tomorrow.  I’ll have more on the Mariners tomorrow and hopefully we’ll get some predictions for the season up here soon.

Getting to the actual topic of this post, the Huskies started spring football practice yesterday.  As usual, Bob Condotta has all the information we could hope for over on his blog, but I’ll give you a quick few thoughts on the spring because I get excited for college football of any kind, even if it is just practice.

First for a bit of news:

  • Johri Fogerson was out practicing yesterday with the team.  He had been arrested for being in possession and was suspended indefinitely.  Sark said that he still could be suspended in the Fall for a game, depending on what happens in his trial.  His trial date is set for June.
  • One of the most prized recruits of the 2011 recruiting class, Austin Seferian-Jenkins is now in school and practicing.  He’s expected to compete right away for a starting position at tight end, which was a weak spot for the Huskies last year.  He’s the only true freshman that enrolled early.
  • Chris Polk has lost about 10 pounds and apparently feels faster.  I don’t actually know if this qualifies as news, and is one of those things that is reported because a player is popular and fans are starving for news.  But, hey!  If Chris Polk feels even better, then sweet deal!

Here’s a few things that I’ll be looking for over the course of spring practice:

  • Price vs. Montana – Of course, this is on the top of any Husky fan’s watch list.  Keith Price will be dueling with Nick Montana for the starting quarterback spot over the course of this Spring (and probably into Fall camp as well).  There’s no clear front-runner and if there is someone ahead in Sark’s mind, us fans sure won’t know.  I’ll be getting a feel for each of these guys games.  Montana is more of a drop-back passer, while Price is more of an athlete who will use his feet more.
  • The Tight-End Position – With ASJ now in school and Michael Hartvigson returning from injury, we should expect to see a giant upgrade at tight end.  These guys are both freshmen, but they’ve come into school highly rated and provide a huge talent upgrade.  It’ll be interesting to see what Sark does to utilize the tight end position this Spring.
  • The RS Freshmen Offensive Linemen – Last year, the Huskies red-shirted 5 offensive linemen and then named them all scout team players of the year.  I’m thinking at least one or two of them will emerge and challenge for a starting job.  Keep an eye on Ben Riva, he was reportedly working with the starters in the first practice.  This could mean nothing at all or he may be a step ahead in the coaches eyes.
  • Linebackers – The Huskies have to fill in two spots at the linebacker position with the graduation of Mason Foster and Victor Aiyewa.  These are giant shoes to fill and may be even harder to fill than Jake Locker’s gap.  There are a few injuries here during the Spring, so we won’t have a clear picture until Fall but keep an eye on JC transfer Thomas Tutogi who looks to fill Mason Foster’s role.

That’s all for now.  I’ll be hoping to make it to a few practices and will have recaps from those.  Also of note, it was UW Pro Day today at Dempsey and Jake Locker had a very good day.  It looks like his draft stock keeps improving and let’s hope so.

Thanks for reading!  Tomorrow is baseball!  Go baseball!

Andrew

 

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by | March 26, 2011 · 11:50 am

Mariner Roster Notes

Sorry for the lack of content here lately.  I can’t speak for the other good guys, but it’s been a really busy time for me.  Luckily, the best day of the year is just around the corner.  Baseball opening day is April 1st, with the Mariners in Oakland to start the year.  The home opener is a week later on the 8th against Cleveland. 

The roster is almost set, so I thought I’d give my thoughts on a few things:

  • The biggest surprise development of camp hasn’t been a good one.  The news came early that Franklin Gutierrez has been dealing with stomach issues that likely contributed to his poor second half in 2010.  Doctors thought they had a diagnosis and treatment plan, but three weeks or so later, Guti’s not feeling any better.  It now seems likely that he’ll start the year on the disabled list.  To be honest, I’m already writing him off for the season.  He might play, but I’m not expecting a breakthrough or anything.  I hope I’m wrong, but it doesn’t seem like a good situation at all.  On the field, there are two ways to look at this.  First, Franklin from 2009 is a huge loss.  Getting him back to or past that level would have been a huge improvement to the team.  That wasn’t a given no matter how healthy he is, though, so replacing 2010 Guti shouldn’t be that hard.  He’s still excellent defensively, but I think Michael Saunders and Ryan Langerhans can provide a reasonable facsimile in that aspect.  Looking at the other outfielders not named Ichiro… Continue reading →

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by | March 20, 2011 · 3:45 pm

This has to be a Joke

The Huskies lost today to North Carolina, ending their season.  The referees were not the reason the Huskies lost the game, late game turnovers were the cause, but the reasoning the officials are giving for not putting more time back on the clock are ridiculous.  Via Percy Allen’s blog, we have these lovely quotes:

From the head official, Tracy Wolfson:

“I had a chance to speak with Doug Shows, who was the official during that last game between UNC and Washington, and he blew the whistle on the final shot,” she said. “He said that Lorenzo Romar did ask for verification, he then went to the table and the official of the clock who handled it said ‘he does not need to go to the monitor.’ They said that the call was right because it’s not when the ball hit the ground, but it’s when the whistle blows, and because of technology there is going to be an obvious lag.”

Then we have this follow up quote from the National Coordinator of men’s Basketball Officiating, John Adams:

ADAMS: “Officials may go to the monitor in that situation, by rule they are not forced to go to the monitor. Tracy had it right, the clock operator is supposed to stop the clock when the official signals the violation, which would have been watching the ball hit the floor, blowing your whistle, in other words recognize the play and have some human reaction time…We have all sorts of resources here in Atlanta and have reviewed this play a number of times, probably come down on the side of the fact that the referee blew the whistle right around the .8, .7 tenth of a second mark.

“We’ve reviewed this with the alternate. They felt that the officials got it exactly right on the court at the time they blew the whistle. I guess in retrospect I would feel like given the resources we had available and checking everybody and everything we had to check, I am not sure that even if we had gone to the monitor, which they certainly could have done, that the technology is good enough to try to figure out one tenth or two tenths of a second and trying to place when that whistle blew and when the clock should have stopped.”

Again, let me say that this didn’t really matter.  The Huskies had lost the game by this point and it would have taken a miracle.  But, I have a problem with these quotes.  Everything they say is technically correct but it is also inconsistent with hundreds of basketball games that I’ve watched over the past couple years.

First of all, the ball landed out-of-bounds between 1.1 and 1.2 seconds on the clock.  I believe if they had gone to the monitor they would have seen this clearly.  Yes, you aren’t supposed to go by that, you’re supposed to go by when the officials arm comes up, but I’ve watched too many games where this has happened when it’s judged on when the ball comes down.  Also, shouldn’t we go by what we know is exactly correct instead of a human delayed reaction?  If they went by this rule, the official technically could have let the clock run out without putting his arm up and said that they got the call correct because his arm was never raised.

Secondly, don’t they think this game is important enough to go to the monitors.  I understand that one guy was looking at it, but it’s not worth another look?  This game sent someone to the sweet 16 and ended another teams season.  I would have at least felt a little better if they stopped the game and took a look, even if they didn’t change anything.

Lastly, John Adams said that the technology might not be good enough to try to figure out a couple of tenths of a second.  I couldn’t disagree more.  I could tell by sitting on a couch, watching from 20 feet away on a 30-inch TV.  The CBS guys had no trouble figuring it out after one look.

I don’t know what I’m looking for with this post.  I know that it wouldn’t have changed much.  The Huskies season is over and it’s not the officials fault.  I just would have liked to hear the referees say they got it a little bit wrong, because everyone, excluding them, saw that they did.

More on the Huskies later, thanks for reading!

Andrew

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