PI bit, other good stuff
How many runs do you need to win?
And, as always — if you want these columns to keep going, or if you’d like to see this stuff in print, a totally random passer-by offered places you can write to express your opinions.
In the PI notebook, Boone is trying to lay off the high cheese.
“It’s been an Achilles’ heel for much of his career,” Hargrove said. “Now he’s trying to stay off high pitches. When he does that, the pitches he’ll get to swing at will be better.”
Woooooo!!!
Also as part of their fine draft coverage, Baseball America has the Mariner team draft up.
It’s cool to just browse through. Clement, five pitchers (one out of high school), two college 3B, a Puerto Rican OF… of their 48 picks, fully half were college players.
Take a Mulligan
We’ve all written things we’d like to have back. Being wrong is part of the opinion-proferring gig.
I’ll speculate that at season’s end Jon Paul Morosi will not be happy he wrote this, his piece of a week ago about how Aaron Sele has turned the corner. Of course, this was written before Sele’s last (poor) start, and I almost posted something then, but I think an examination of the emerging narrative is still worthwhile.
The article makes the case that Sele’s slower delivery has been helping him out. It also makes a bit of an excuse for him when we’re told that Sele’s worst starts have been against hot-hitting teams. This is not strictly true, but it helps to advance the narrative that, even when he’s been off, Sele hasn’t been as terrible as our eyes have told us.
This is my favorite part, though. Later in the article we advance the “Pat Borders, Miracle Worker” plotline that has been filling broadcast airtime ad nauseum.
Though the sample sizes are small, the statistics are telling:
When throwing to Borders, he is 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA in two starts.
When throwing to Miguel Olivo, he is 2-2 with a 5.58 ERA in six starts.
When throwing to Dan Wilson, he is 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts.
“Anytime you can have someone with 20 years of experience as your direct working partner, it’s a great support,” Sele said.
But … but I thought Sele’s bad starts were the result of pitching to Angel and Yankee hitters, not the absence of veteran savvy from that whippersnapper Dan Wilson! To J.P.’s credit, at least he throws Danny Boy under one bus tire and Miguel Olivo under the other instead of leaving Olivo lonely.
We’re all thrilled when the Mariners get an effective start out of one of their pitchers. We’re all rooting for Sele. Let’s not get wacky and say that three good starts in ten or eleven chances mean he’s figured it out. By contrast, whenever anyone asks Mike Hargrove if the team’s turned the corner, he gives words to the effect of “ask me in three weeks.” Would that it were otherwise, but at season’s end, Morosi may wish he’d taken a similar tack in the paper.
For those of you who think I’m just posting this now in a craven reverse-jinx attempt to jump-start Sele’s mojo for his start tonight, I’ll just say this: I don’t mind being wrong.
Game 57, Mariners at Marlins
RHP Gil Meche v LHP Dontrelle Willis. 4:05, ESPN2 and FSN.
Local writer called out in today’s press notes:
Did you know that six NL teams have not yet visited Safeco Field?… can you (Larry Stone) name them?… that’s right: from tne NL Central Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Milwaukee (that’s sort of a trick answer) and from the NL East New York, Philadelphia and Florida have not been to the house that Beinfest (helped) build…
Soriano, Pokey on the mend
With the Mariners in the midst of a three-game winning streak, it may be an overdose of good news to note Rafael Soriano’s progress. Too much positivity is a rare problem these days, though, so it’s worth noting. Soriano is throwing 90-94, and hopes to be ready after the All-Star break.
Pokey Reese is also healing, and looks to be on a six- to eight-week timetable. How he fits into the lineup depends upon what happens during that stretch.
The Attrition War, Brewers
Part of a continuing series, follow-ups to the initial post detailing the Mariners history over the same period.
Do the Mariners, in comparison to other teams, suffer a higher rate of injury to their pitching prospects than other teams? Here, I look at the Brewers.
Game 56, Mariners at Marlins
RHP Ryan Franklin v RHP Brian “Scuffy” Moehler.
No matter which way Hargrove goes with the lineup tonight (sitting Ibanez or Winn or someone else) it seems certain that during this roadtrip to NL parks we’ll likely see both sit at least once, leaving the consecutive game demolition derby to Ichiro! (who rocks) and Boone (who does not).
Jeff Clement
Here’s a rundown on the Mariners first round selection Jeff Clement.
6’1, 210 lbs, bats left, throws right, catcher, University of Southern California
Tools Ratings (20-80 scale)
Hitting for Average: 50 (present), 60 (future)
Hitting for Power: 70 (present), 80 (future)
Throwing: 50 (present), 65 (future)
Fielding: 40 (present), 60 (future)
Running: 35 (present), 35 (future)
Strengths:
Extremely strong, powerful hitter with serious longball potential. Has a great eye and an approach at the plate. Can hit in the major leagues very soon. Improved defensively this year. Works hard. Smart kid.
Weaknesses:
Can be too selective at the plate. Isn’t extremely agile. Just average release. Not a great athlete. Doesn’t cover the entire plate as well as he could.
Overall:
If all goes well, he’s a middle of the order masher, Jason Varitek with more power offensively. The comparisons to Piazza are over the top, as baseball’s never had a catcher hit like Piazza in the history of the game. He’s not considered a great defensive catcher, but most people expect him to be able to stick behind the plate. Catchers are high risk selections, but the payoff could be huge. It’s a high risk, high reward selection, but the M’s have to be hoping that Clement is fighting for the team’s starting catching job by spring of 2007.
Draft Coverage
The M’s will be selecting in approximately three hours, so this post will be continuously updated throughout the day as we hear things.
1:08 pm
Jeff Clement is the M’s pick.
1:08 pm
Gordon to KC. Darn.
1:07 pm
Upton #1 to Arizona.
12:30 pm eastern
At this point, all indications lead to the first two picks being Justin Upton and Alex Gordon, with the M’s then choosing between Jeff Clement or Troy Tulowitzki with the third pick.
10:30 am eastern
Having talked with two members of the Diamondbacks organization and getting input from several others who have as well, there seems to be almost no chance that Arizona passes on Justin Upton. He’s a pretty near lock to go #1.
9:45 am eastern
Baseball America has projected the M’s to select Jeff Clement, a catcher from USC, with the third selection, after Justin Upton and Alex Gordon go #1 and #2 overall. Clement has gotten a lot of late buzz, as the M’s ideally would love to have a power hitting left-handed catcher, and Clement’s power is nearly on par with that of Gordon’s. However, there is wide disagreement in the game as who the third best player in this draft is, and the M’s have certainly not locked themselves into Clement. They’re hoping and praying that Upton or Gordon fall, but it appears that Clement has an edge over Tulowitzki as the consolation prize. Nothing is concrete at the moment. No one is certain what Arizona or KC are going to do, and there’s still a non-zero chance that the M’s get one of the two highest ranked players on their board.
Oh, good
Interleague play is back. When did that happen?
Draft coverage from the News Tribune
The Tacoma News Tribune’s got a nice Corey Brock piece up on the draft worth checking out.