Game 8, Mariners at Royals
Mariners (3-4) in another afternoon game against the Royals (3-4).
Sele v Greinke
11:10am game time, no television, KOMO radio. This road series is bizarre, both in scheduling (game, off, game game), in time of scheduling, and in that there’s no TV coverage at all.
Pineiro’s exepected to come off the DL on Friday to pitch in Chicago. This is a little earlier than we’d previously heard, but with Meche down for who knows how long, it makes sense. Who else is there, really, Campillo?
If something serious is wrong with Meche — and despite the team’s statements (see previous fine post by another USSM author) we’re all justified in being scared that it’s going to turn out to be more than mere discomfort — we’re still down to Pineiro-Moyer-Sele-Franklin-? with ? probably being Baek or Campillo for a while and, given rumblings that Madritsch is “out long-term,” possibly much longer.
And if my mood seems a little dark… my tax bill this year is depressingly unreal. The asset tag on my computer at work is a smaller number than what they want out of me.
Go M’s.
Comments
171 Responses to “Game 8, Mariners at Royals”
Aaron Sele: 1-0 with a 3.75 ERA so far. Maybe he won’t be a trainwreck, but a decent bottom of the rotation option for the year.
Which means, of course, we risk having the team sign him in the offseason to a 1 year deal with a mutual option (at different salaries) for a second year if he DOES go 12-9 with a 4.12 ERA…but hey, he doesn’t look totally craptastic so far.
http://www.fairtax.org
I can see that everyone hates that tax code as much as I do. We’re always going to have to pay taxes, but it doesnt have to be such a nightmare.
And yeah, at this point, I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop on Eddie.
#151 Definitely concerned about Meche’s ‘soreness’ and Madritsch’s shoulder but to have Sele and Franklin rise far above all expectations has been nice filler. Where do we go from here? Hopefully a little more offense, better defence and baserunning…a healthy Pineiro?
The Republicans in this room crack me up complaining about their taxes.
Honestly, I’d love to see Sele go 8-3 before the All-Star break and give the M’s something to trade in July for a couple of prospects to replenish the farm system.
Oh, and I know Derek (sort of) started this, but could we emulate his post in 133 and NOT turn this into a philosophical discussion of the US tax system? I have to bite my lip in restraint pretty hard when I start seeing people cite a national sales tax as “fair”, and I hate getting blood on my keyboard.
The Republicans in this room crack me up complaining about their taxes.
That’s the first time in my life I’ve ever been described as a Republican.
And yeah, let’s not get into the inherent fair/unfairness of the tax system. I only wanted to point out that’s why I’m in such a foul mood, and not start a huge flame war about progressive v regressive taxation methods.
I often describe you as a Republican.
If Sele goes 8-3 before the break, we’ll probably extend his contract. Even these first outings have probably bought him a get out of jail free card for the rest of 2005.
The trouble is, he’s not pitching that well. He’s allowed 5 walks against only 3 Ks, his WHIP is over 1, and his BABIP is an unsustainable .214. Sele’s still Sele.
Ahh, .500! After last year I didn’t know if I could feel this good ever again! Time to whip out the brooms, baby! Oh wait, the M’s are facing a pitcher for the first time tomorrow! There goes that idea.
#146 — I doubt the “closer” is going to go out of style very quickly. You saw how the Bosox were skewered in the press when it was even suggested that they didn’t need one of these mythical, fire-breathing gunslingers to close the door on a 3-run lead in the 9th inning. It’s a little bit like institutional investing as described by Michael Lewis in “Liar’s Poker”: people feel protected as long as they are doing the same dumb things everybody else is doing.
Which isn’t to say that having a really good reliever is dumb. But if you are a manager and you know that always going to the same guy may cost you a game but won’t cost you a job, while using a “bullpen by committee” approach will cost you the same number of games but you may also lose your job because management will see the lost games as potentially winnable but for your unorthodox bullpen usage pattern, which are you going to choose?
It’s going to take committed management, a committed manager, AND either a particularly knowledgeable fan base or instant success to change.
Derek,
I hear where you’re coming from, I sympathize, and I appreciate the difference between complaining, and musing over the sadness of “certain†topics such as death and, well, you know.
Make sure you’re considering any “points†paid on your mortgage, and pursuing business deduction of the portion of the house used in your business (presuming you do your free-lance work from home). See your tax professional.
FWIW, low interest rates have worked against the deductibility of a house purchase for the typical middle-class taxpayer. Given that people buy according to the payment they can afford, the (non-deductible) prices have risen as the (deductible) interest has fallen.
Ha! At Least Americans can deduct the interest on the mortgage.
#123-Jeff said: “Regardless, does anyone really think Eddie is healthy?”
dunno about his shoulder/hammy, but he actually was *not* healthy today– it was evident in the post-game that he has/had the crud currently running rampant in the clubhouse (re: Drayer, Jim Slaton got sent home with a fever of 102 this aft., and Nelson acted as bullpen coach during the game)
#146-Russ Queen said: “(and more folly still if that person is not named Gagne, Wagner, Hoffman, Rivera…not really that many others, eh?)”
and as we know, Hoffman & Rivera have both blown several saves this year; SI said yesterday that “there were 39 blown saves in 99 games through Monday, according to the Elias Sports Bureau”
Digressing into IRS issues. USS Mariner — a victim of its own success?
Wahahahahahaha not in that sense, no.
Favorite play: the 9-3 DP when Pickering ignored Ichiro’s insane instincts and took off from 1st thinking that the fly shot to RF would drop. Fool.
165 – Probably just with the mounting bandwidth bills.
re #149, Aaron – thanks for the specific number. But, the $1955 max on the carts doe not include the extra big ticket items you can take. Honestly, I don’t remmeber my base (but it wasn’t $1955, I can tell you that!) – I was just using $2000 as an example. I did, however, purchase a car last year ($800 or so sales tax), plus did a bunch of home maintenance, which can also be applied. There’s a page on the IRS website which explains which “extras” you can take. My total “Sales Tax deduction” worked out to be $2400 or so, if I remember correctly.
155 and others – I’m not a Republican, and I’m not whining about taxes. I pay my fair share, and am (relatively) happy to do so. Derek mentioned a tax situation – knowing nothing of the details, I offered a possible deduction that he might have missed. I love this site, and the work the USSM crew does for us, so I’m happy to offer suggestions where I think I may be helpful.
159 – You’re probably right about Sele’s success being unsustainable, but I was thinking best case senario, which of course includes eventually dumping him on someone else when his value is the highest.
Yes, I am a spammer.
I got home just after the Wednesday game ended, turned on the radio, and heard fifteen minutes of gloom from MIKE and TOM–mostly about VALDEZ’s imitation of FERNANDO VINA. I figured the Ms had lost; no sweep, maybe they don’t even win a series.
Then, just before the dynamic duo broke for a commercial, Tom casually mentioned that the Ms had won, 2-1.
Now I think that the broadcasting adage “You can never give the score too often,” should also apply to post-game analysts.
The HOF long-time Detroit broadcaster, ERNIE HARWELL, put it rather well (when he visited here). “You shoul never assume that you have the listener’s undivided attention. He may be mowing the lawn, grilling a hamburger, even reading a book. He may not have heard the score the last time you gave it.”
[End of vent.]