Game 12, Mariners at Red Sox
DMZ · April 15, 2006 at 10:06 am · Filed Under Game Threads
10:20? What kind of a game time is that? I like to get my sleep on the weekends, it’s much easier on the constitution (I learned that from the Beastie Boys).
FSN.
Pineiro v Wakefield… Junkballer v Knuckleballer. In Fenway. This should be amusing.
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David Wells has been put on the DL, so for the Monday game at 8:30am (aka the Patriots Day game) the Sox will apparently be starting former President Martin Van Buren.
Go Mariners!
So we get to see Rivera today… I wonder how he will handle Wakefield.
Fortunately, I don’t think he has to catch Wakefield.
It’s an early game so Jason can watch for two hours before going to work.
my bad. Jermaine Van Buren.
Yeah, unless they changed some rules during my nap yesterday.
Martin van Buren would have been awesome.
Van Buren is a one-inning guy. Expect to see Lenny DiNardo on Monday.
This week’s really been weird.
Good: Felix Day!
Bad: Felix was wince-worthy
Good: Got to see a lot of M’s games on TV
Bad: Re-acquinted with burning hatred of color men
Good: Found a great place to buy super-high-quality cycling gear at low prices
Bad: Can’t get a good ride in with this weather.
…
and now I’m up at 10:20 to watch a game… with Joel Pineiro in Fenway.
Easy outs in today’s Red Sox lineup: Cora, Snow, Bard, Gonzalez.
Valle: The knuckleball… not a power pitch, but it dances.
Wow, Dave, that’s the kind of insight that makes you so valuable. Wait… no.
Found a great place to buy super-high-quality cycling gear at low prices
Inquiring minds want to know….where?
If we didn’t have the Beltre/Everett hole in our lineup, would we actually be a decent team?
14: Yes, except for the starting rotation.
It’s Team Sales Cycling — http://www.tscyclingusa.com/
They’ll sell direct if you call them up, and their prices on this stuff is…. drool drool drool. And their customer service is not to be believed.
14: I have a novel idea…separate those two so the black hole isn’t as wide
Black dots instead of a hole?
#9: Expect to see Lenny DiNardo on Monday.
Well, expect to hear him, since the M’s won’t let us watch that game on TV.
And no, Dave Valle, Pineiro’s success against Tek has nothing to do with Bard’s catching Wakefield. Tek never catches Wakefield.
Black hole: referring to the enormous amount of gravity that no rally can escape
I’ve got no doubts that the Mariners broadcasts are trying to appeal to the casual fanbase. For example, my grandparents don’t miss a broadcast but they learn quite a bit from the dumbed-down commentating. You can’t really please everybody.
My dad really likes Joe Morgan becuase he knows baseball a bit more, but definitely not the calibur that we speak of around here. But you’ve gotta realize that people do benefit from these guys, and that’s a wider audience than the sabermetrics geek crowd.
FSN seems not to have brought a radar gun to Boston.
I understand that the team views the broadcasters as marketing and little more. I just wish their were other options. I’d pay to subscribe to someone doing intelligent broadcasts, or even to listen to the stadium audio feed without commentary.
The gun! Finally!
3/4 first pitch balls…Joel get ahead in the count man
The fact that that ball dropped is very obnoxious
Joel has become Ryan Franklin – albeit with a better ground-ball/fly-ball rate. He can get a strike or two on a guy because they’ll usually watch one or so, but then the batter just fouls off five pitches before getting a hit. It’d be nice if he could figure out how to get swinging strikes again.
Tired of grounding out to the third baseman, Beltre gives the catcher a try.
He couldnt look worse at the plate if he tried
Maybe we should tell Beltre just to not swing. At least he might get a walk once and awhile.
When will Grover realize “this” isn’t working? Does he go watch another game in the clubhouse when Beltre walks to the plate
He move Johjima and Reed up in the order and move Beltre and Everett down.
I know its off-topic and Im sorry, but does anyone know why Emiliano Fruto was placed on the temporary inactive list down at Tacoma.
He looked really good on Tuesday, and….
Alright that’s enough for Rene, bring in Capt. Clutch next inning
32: Instant creation of 1-2 more runs a game…I agree whole-heartedly
#32: Why not down and out of the lineup for Everett, to be replaced by Petagine?
I’m just tired of hearing of ‘NINETY FIVE! YEAH!’ during every game. That was 11 year ago, duders, and we didn’t win the American League Championship or the Series.
I’m just tired of hearing of ‘NINETY FIVE! YEAH!’ during every game. That was 11 year ago, duders, and we didn’t win the American League Championship or the Series.
When were they talking about ‘95?
It’s Team Sales Cycling
Thanks…that looks like a really cool place to get gear…
“Instant creation of 1-2 more runs a game”
Adding 1-2 runs per game would equal 150-300 more runs in the season, which is equal to about 15-30 wins. There’s no way that shuffling a few guys around in the lineup could do that.
Now THAT’s an AB for Bard.
awesome
If I’d known that Joel was going to lay a twelve pitch walk on Bard, I would have showered and shaved.
I sense a grand slam coming here.
What was that earlier about a strike looking and then a bunch of fouls?
40: I disagree…If you compare the differences in OBS between Jo and Reed with Everett and Beltre thus far, the run creation is there…While 2 runs would be far fetched, 1 run isn’t far off when you throw all production from the 1-4 guys out the window when those two come to the plate. I would enjoy seeing Grover give the lineup a week to see what difference there is if any
“Now a double play, anbd he gets out of it.”
WE wish.
A SWINGING STRIKE!!!
And Pineiro has pulled a Houdini.
Wow.
But I have to say, I don’t have confidence that Joel can continue to strand runners.
That’s a lot of pitches. I sense the impending return of the 12 man pitching staff.
Also, Fruto is on the temporary inactive list, not the disabled list. i didn’t even know there was an inactive list. what is it? i would imagine it’s the list for family emergencies or something?
I understand that the team views the broadcasters as marketing and little more. I just wish their were other options. I’d pay to subscribe to someone doing intelligent broadcasts
Unfortunately, that would fall under the “accounts or descriptions” section of the MLB Copyright.
I wish there was a Questec for broadcasters.
#21 I don’t, and I don’t think most here, have a problem with announcers that appeal more to the casual fan… Niehaus, for example, is widely loved. It’s more just bad announcing that is disliked. At least by me.
*I was mildly surprised to come back from getting my coffee to see that Pineiro had loaded the bases with no one out in that brief time. I was positively shocked to watch him get out of it with no runs scored.
If Beltre doesn’t get an extra-base hit or an RBI by the end of this series, I’m gonna go f’ing nuts.
Switch him and Johjima already.
sarcasm – Pineiro sure knows how to pitch if he can get out of bases loaded no outs
Youkilis has looked pretty good with the glove this series.
Wily Mo on the other hand….
Must be some bad glare out there today… go Raul!
Nice stop by Youkilis followed by an absolutely terrible looking play by Pena.
36. I agree.
That’s the third bad read by a center fielder this game… losing the ball in the fog?
W/r/t the announcing, if they’re going to do those annoying fox graphics/sound, i’m thinking that it should at least be amusing.
like when Dave says ‘Yuniesky Belliard’, the little graphic could shoot across and say ‘no, he really means Yuniesky Betancourt’. Put those graphics to use, baby.
I feel sorry for Josh Bard. He’s clearly no Doug Mirabelli. And it’s making me remember all the passages from Ball Four, where NOBODY wants to catch a knuckleballer.
And now here comes the dead zone in the lineup.
Typical Beltre at bat.
I think something is wrong with Beltre’s vision sorta like ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn. It’s like he has no clue how to read the pitch whatsoever.
Maybe we should get him some of those killer glasses…
Still, I gotta be happy eith that inning.
Oh my god… first the Beltre at bat then the stupidity of Everett
ugly stuff, Carl
That killer ‘aggressive baserunning’ we’ve come to know and love.
Carl Everett doesn’t believe in good baserunning, as it wasn’t mentioned in the bible.
also, you’d think those boston fans would be more grateful and not boo him. i mean, he HAS improved every team he’s ever been on, right?
At least we know to bat Everett when we face Wakefield, it appears he is someone he can hit.
Gives a whole new meaning to “heart of the order”
As soon as I saw Sexson turn for 3rd, I knew Everett was going to be out.
Along with the head problems, Beltre’s mechanics are getting worse and worse out there. He’s doing all the things they teach you not to do in little league. He’s striding far enough that he occasionally goes down to one knee, and he’s pulling his head every time he takes a swing – though both could be due to swinging really hard at a knuckleball that isn’t anywhere near the plate.
Paging Dr. Christian Barnard…
Paging Dr. Christian Barnard…
#62: Mirabelli was no Mirabelli when he started to catch Wakefield.
74. True true. I’ve never seen a major league hitter have such problems with balance at the plate. If he takes a healthy cut, he ends up falling into the plate or the knee thing, it’s pretty bad.
Joel just threw an 84mph fastball followed by one at 85.
Wait … isn’t Pineiro’s specialty to struggle in the first couple of innings and then settle down? Could we hope for that today?
If Beltre continues to hit like an underfed mouseketeer, will Hargrove start Willie at 3rd?
All hail the junkball!
Maybe there will be a fishwrap feature on WFB begging for Beltre’s PT
My wife (not a regular fan) happened to be in the room to see the last Beltre at bat and had this comment: “Looks like his bat’s not long enough.”
Amen, gude wyfe.
I always thought that Mike Blowers didn’t use a long enough bat. He stood so far back from the plate, he couldn’t even cover the outer half. In the playoffs one year everything was away, away, away because there was no chance of him actually hitting it.
That being said, Blowers is one of the better analysts the M’s have.
80. Willie would be a bit better with the bat, but Beltre is a much better defensive player. I don’t think Hargrove will make any changes until the end of April. He seems to believe in giving a person a chance to work through a slump.
69 mile an hour change!
86. Really? Looks like Joel is trying his hand at being the new Jamie.
It is amazing how many runs we have been scoring this year with Ichiro hitting so badly.
87. I agree. There are worse models to follow.
I thought Hargrove might sit Beltre against Wakefield. He’s messed up enough without introducing another element into it.
I endorse the idea of playing through the slump for Everett. The sooner we find out if he is worth anything the better.
I think Jose Lopez is my new favorite Ms player.
Alright, Joel. Maybe we can get 7 innings out of him today.
Pineiro: 9 GB outs, 2 FB outs
89 pitches in 5 innings for Joel. If this team is going to finish above .500 this year the starters need to get their pitch counts lower after 5.
93. 77 pitches, 50 for strikes for Piniero.
I think Jose Lopez is my new favorite Ms player.
I was slightly worried about him the first few games as he was just kinda throwing the bat at the ball and swinging really weakly. It’s nice to see him swing with some authority.
93: that is promising news…junkballer or not, if he can keep the ball down he will be relatively successful
Maybe Beltre should bat left handed. Or swing a cricket bat. Or wear batting mittens. Or stand wayyyyyy back in the box and swing for Bard’s glove.
This Designated Out inning brought to you by Futility Inc. – Where good ideas go to die.
Sorry. i ws relying on ESPN which is slow. 89 pitches, 57 for strikes.
I’ll take 5 innings of 89-pitch shutout ball
That Les Schwab ad with the hip granny is really disturbing…
anyone know how to get those god awful commericals, that come up during breaks in the game on espn gamecast, to stop?
That’s a play Bloomquist would never make.
#102: probably my least favorite ad that’s always on during M’s games.
It’s great that AB’s offensive woes haven’t affected his defense…
Ibanez…showin’ off that range.
10-3 GB-FB I like this
Beltre just saved a hit. That is as good as getting a hit in my book. Which makes him more valuable than Everett.
no matter how badly Beltre is hitting i still love watching him play defense.
Is there a better infield defense in the league? That’s an honest question.
Rivera. Once again, his MLB average is better than his minor league average.
Man, if he keeps getting better as the baseball improves imagine how he’d be in the playoffs…
‘Cause that’s how it works, right?
Another stranded runner after a man on 2nd w/ no outs. Oh well Joel is sharp today I really think the WBC did him well. 1st post here. GO M’S.
I’ll take 6 shutout innings from Joel anyday.
Do I hear 7?
No way. This is how he gives up runs! Leave well enough alone, I say.
two words: short leash
What has Joel been touching on the gun? Is he mid to high 80’s or low nineties? Obviously, I am not watching the game……just wanted to see if he is indeed only a junkballer…..thanks.
120. Mid to high eighties. But his curve has been about 74, and he threw a 69 mile an hour change. So the 84 mile an hour fast ball looks faster, as with Jaimie.
111, with one out and two on. Take ‘im out!
Damn, I jinxed him.
I love it when we bring in Putz in homer happy situations. Good luck my Mariners.
I hope Putz decides to mix in the spliter if they bring him in. It seems like he sometimes thinks he can just throw heat by anyone as if it is the minors.
Come on J.J., let’s save Joel’s line.
Had him looking outside corner, threw it inside, that’s what a pitcher is supposed to do, right?
Yes, get him out of there.
Two effective performances by starters in Boston not named Felix. Certainly not pretty, but nice results.
Sigh. It’s so pointless to put him in for another inning. We see this all the time: he just racks up the pitch count, puts men on base and eventually gets yanked. More than likely he’ll get docked for a couple runs too.
Rivera has been doing a great job of blocking a lot of pitches in the dirt. I remember something someone said on this blog about Johjima not having his glove positioned properly to block a low pitch. Rivera’s is.
Putz has been looking good lately.
Whenever Putz comes in I think of Mark McGwire’s line on that Simpsons episode:
“Now who want to see me hit some dingers?”
Hoo-ah, good job J.J.! One more!
Putz’s 92 mile an hour fastball must look blazing after Piniero’s 84.
three pitches? I’ll take it.
#125, you are right – but Stern is a AAAA player, so it worked.
And inning over.
Niehaus back on radio on the playbyplay. I like Dave. He’s a gem. Yay JJ.
If we have the best infield in baseball, does Boston have the worst outfield (defensively)?
Ok, I’m watching this at work. Could they NOT put two mystery runs on the board for the opponent? I just figured I missed a two-run dinger.
I can’t believe Pineiro pitched nearly seven innings of shutout ball. I don’t care if he looked shakey at times that was awesome.
It’s also nice to see some strikeouts. According to ESPN, we are 3rd in the American League in k/9 with 6.87.
Yeah, but oour BB/K ratio isn’t so hot.
Yeah, Detroit is #1 in K/9 and #2 in K/BB.
Meanwhile, Ichiro is fast approaching the Mendoza line.
Yeah, but you gotta think he’ll be OK in the long run.
Ichiro IS at the Mendoza line.
I meant to mention that I WANT JJ OUT OF THERE when Papi hits!
Sit down, Ortiz.
K’s him on the fastball???? Ok, I’m sorry.
Wasn’t he approaching the Mendoza line from the other direction not too long ago?
(and what do you call .100? The Carl Everett line comes to mind, but surely there’s some old grizzled catcher, like Bob Uecker, that it’s named for already)
That was gutsy, throwing a high fastball to Ortiz. But it worked.
2 pitching duel in a row at fenway!Hard to believe
Then there is the Spezio line at .050
If you can habeeb it, Everett has a higher average then Beltre at the moment.
Oh btw, sit down Ramirez.
4 batters, three strikeouts for Putz.
At the risk of jinxing things, this sort of perfomance by JJ is SWEEEET.
4 outs, 3 K’s inc Ortiz and Manny.
Remember, #125 started it – I nver really doubted JJ.
If Ichiro is at the Mendoza line, what is line is Beltre chasing?
I habeeb it
Coming into the game, Putz’s K/9 was 15.88 and he’s already struck out 3 in 1.1 innings here in relief.
Putz has turned into a K-machine with that splitfinger being mixed in.
last pitch was called 96 MPH by NESN announcer
Geez, what an at-bat.
Is this a great at-bat or what?
3 K’s. Who’d a thunk?
Doesn’t JJ have a s-l-o-w pitch he can toss up there?
Niiiiiiiice JJ!
Putz can throw mid to high 90s (94 – 98mph). We’ve seen it before. Nixon crushed a 98mph fastball for a grandslam last year. It’s not always velocity that matters, it’s movement and deception with your other pitches.
Oh btw, sit down Youkilis.
Yeah! Great, great job by Putz.
Five batters, four strikeouts including the Greek god of walks.
Splendid!
Putz apparently = unhittable….awesome.
Groom JJ and his splitter for the closing role and stretch out Soriano to start.
I hope Good Eddie is on today…
4 Ks, all Swinging!
Man, Youklis is a pain… stupid Walk-God
JJ Putz’s K/9 is now 19.89.
161. And it ended in a great way. I would feel more comfortable with another run here. The Red Sox have a great talent for scoring in the bottom of the ninth. But Putz got rid of the big names.
Can I dream a little…
Rotation:
1. Felix
2. Matsuzaka
3. Washburn
4. Soriano
5. Nageotte/Foppert/Livingston
I hope everett can be a guest on the Jim Rome show. I am sure Carl and Rome would share a laugh when Rome calls him Chris, or Chrissie
Too bad the Ms also have struck out more than any other AL team …
Wakefield doesn’t want to be shown up by Putz…
oh manny, flashin the leather.
Quick game, by the way. Not even two and a half hours yet.
Watching on Gamecast … was Rivera’s hit off the Monster?
Wow, I hope the Rivera whose minor league stats say is going to be sub-par never shows up. The one we have just hits doubles.
yeah
Rivera’s trying to slay the Monster — two doubles off the wall.
Did I hear Niehaus right? Is Ali G really trying to save this for the Mariners?
It’s Go-Go-Eddie Time
Did either of those doubles look to be HRs in another park?
hold on to your hats……heeeeere comes Eddie! i bet he walks the bases loaded and somehow gets out of it using his veteran guile and guts…….i’d prefer it if he used his brain and throwing arm instead…..
I’d prefer he didn’t allow a baserunner.
Mantra: Good Eddie, Good Eddie, Good Eddie…
me too #189, me too……..
Re: 187. Not to me. More like long fly outs.
@#(!#$I!_#(*$!_()#*$!_#()$*_@)#$(%$__(%^*@_+#(*)%@+!@_+$((
C’mon, Eddie, let your defense help ya…
ARGH!
Up by 3 = THROW STIKES
it’s nice to dream though…….
Did either of those doubles look to be HRs in another park?
The Green Monster usually only eats up line drive homeruns.
You know, last year I was looking at Beltre’s at bats and comparing them to the previous year in LA, and it looked to me like his LA stance was a little more open (whether that was because of the spur or something else, I have no idea). My theory was the open stance made that outside pitch look more outside, so he wasn’t tempted to go after it. And without that easy strike pitchers had to pitch to him more, and he ate it up. That was my theory last year. But I saw him in a couple of games in the WBC, and he had the same stance he’s always had with the M’s and he looked like a real hitter. And now he’s back with the M’s and he looks so completely lost. So my new theory is: he’s a headcase. I have no idea what the hell is wrong with him.
How close were those pitches? On Gamecast, they were all on the black…
0-2 again. Let’s try not to throw 4 straight balls again.
199 Not close
Eddie’s fastball is bad and slow, but not 83mph slow.
Shusssh…!!
How long till soriano becomes our closer?
The Mariner’s closer, brought to you by the antacid industry association….
204 Or Putz
All right … double play time
Someone tell Eddie we don’t want excitement, just want to win
204. According to Bavasi, that’s not a sure thing…
I think Putz has a better chance of being the closer than Soriano, who still has a shot at working into the rotation. Hopefully there’d be some arms in Tacoma to bring up for the pen if that happens.
I really want Eddie to do well so we can trade him high in July.
The pitch he threw with the 1-1 count is the one he needs to be throwing.
Come on, Eddie!
Back to .500
i’ll take 6 and 6 against the Angels, A’s, Indians, and Red Sox any day.
5 hit shutout!
Wow, a shutout at Fenway with Pineiro as the starter. How many had that penciled into their schedule?
Yay!
Sweet.
And 2 runs by the Red Sox in 2 games
Sooo, was that good Eddie?
This feels good. We’ve faced some pretty tough starters along the way too.
What is Rivera’s OPS?
A 3-0 lead in the 9th shouldn’t feel like a high wire act.
222- 1500
Sooo, was that good Eddie?
He didn’t give up any runs, did he?
It was ‘good enough’ Eddie, anyway.
(insert winkie thingie in my post #225…
225. It was semi-good Eddie. Walking the first batter was typical bad Eddie. Rivera just said (on the post game show) that Eddie likes to make it exciting.
Imagine what kind of a team we could be if Beltre was hitting like we thought he would when we picked him up, if Ichiro was hitting like he usually does, and Felix was dominating like he did last fall?
Oh, and if we replaced Everett.
Quote from Eddie, interviewed on the radio post-game:
“you’re gonna have shi… uhhh, up-and-down situations”
Hey, the Mariners have played twelve games against strong playoff contenders and are 6-6 (59 RS, 58 RA). I’d call that a pretty good start.
And that’s despite minimal contributions from Ichiro, Beltre, Everett (OK, to be expected), and Hernandez. Johjima is the only player who I would describe as overachieving.
Was he going to say “shituations”?
Kind of quiet from the Red Sox homers today.
230. That would be my first choice. Ichiro’s slump is more worrisome. Even though he started slow the year he broke the hit record too, he also didn’t hit that well in the WBC. Until the final game.
You should read the game thread over at SoSH. I posted once in it yesterday (I’ve been a member of SoSH since 2001), and got blasted by a bunch of recently-joined rubes. No more posting in game threads there, the tension was kinda high today…
Memo to the front office: PLEASE acknowledge your hideous mistake, and get rid of Everett!!
You have to be impressed with a shutout of the Bosox at Fenway, but, truth to tell, both Piniero and Guardado were erratic, similar to Moyer last night. The Sox just are going through one of those times when no one is hitting with runners in scoring position.
If we can go 6-6 without Ichiro or Beltre, that says a lot about our lineup.
237 – I’ll take an erratic shutout anytime………….
YOOOHOOOO we are at .500 after some tough games and King Felix has yet to hit his stride. I would be very happy if we are still in the race after the All Star break adn beyond so I can continue to watch MLB TV for real reasons rather then just rooting for fantasy stats.
Nice game by Joel and our bullpen has been money. Putz is starting to look like the real deal for the 8th inning setup with that spliter. And if Soriano gets his form we could be alright. I just hope Meche and Joel can hold up.
How about Lopez in the 2 hole? He has looked great and as posted above even though Beltre has not done anything at the plate yet his D is superb. I really do like our lineup 1-9 and think this team could suprose some people and maybe make a run at the West or wildcard spot.
GO M’s.
“one of those times when no one is hitting with runners in scoring position”
Or, as we in Seattle have come to call those times over the last two years, ‘the season’.
Heh. The FSN Ohio guys just said that Scott Spiezio was “the most proficient” pinch-hitting option LaRussa would have available on most nights… and as I started to crack up, Spiezio hit a home run.
#237 – 9 baserunners in 9 innings isn’t anything to write home about, especially when it was 5 hits (only one XBH – a double), 3 walks and a HBP. When you factor in they bunched 3 of those together in the 2nd inning and failed to score, getting shut out the rest of the way isn’t remarkable.
Contrast that with Seattle’s 9 hits, 0 walks – same baserunners, but of the 9 hits, 5 were doubles.
238, that we went 6-6 WITH Ichiro Mendoza and Carl Half-Mendoza, THAT says a lot about our team.
Hey gang, we’re tied for first again, at least until the Angels are done in Baltimore.
People dog everett because he had a rep coming in, but the facts are:
1) The season is just starting
2) So far he looks amazing in comparison to beltre
If you want to dog the offense start with the guy in the 5 hole.
Kind of quiet from the Red Sox homers today.
Dunno if I count, but check out post #11.
Okay, a little late with this one, but…
I’d pay to subscribe to someone doing intelligent broadcasts, or even to listen to the stadium audio feed without commentary.
I wholeheartedly agree with this, and there’s tons of bandwidth over cable to make this happen. Most of the time, I feel like shutting off the commentary, but then you lose the whole audio part of the game, so I would really love to just hear the stadium audio feed–the crack of the bat, thwack of the ball in the catcher’s mitt, and the roar of the crowd. Unforunately, this will likely never become a reality.
In Soviet Russia, game announces you?
I said it before: in an ideal world, there’d be (at least) five alternate audio feeds — home announcers in english and spanish, vistors’ announcers in english and spanish, and just the ambient game sounds including the field announcer and crowd — and you could switch between them whenever you like. For the M’s maybe’d you be able to get japanese too.
I’d pay extra just to never hear another Schick Shadel add on the radio.
But without Schick Shadel, how could we enjoy this?
My favorite Bill Bavasi quote from the recent Feed, on Scott Spiezio:
“That wasn’t an age issue. It was an a mental explosion issue.”
Wasn’t it implosion?
My notes say “explosion.” Are you sure you heard “implosion”? I’m planning to quote it in my column tomorrow.
So dating back to all of last year, Spiezio has three hits, all XBH?
100% of hits for XBH? Why didn’t we keep him? Guy’s got POWAH!
I have no idea. I don’t think it really matters.
“Implosion” makes more sense. “Explosion” is a funnier mental image. But making tough calls like that is why sports columnists get paid the big bucks.
Speaking of implosions…
AB: 42
H: 5
2B: 0
3B: 0
HR: 0
BA: .119
SLG: .229
OBP: .119
OPS: .348
Rich Aurilia looks like an all-star in comparison so far this season.
i am the good humor man
Anybody else at the feed hear “explosion” vs. “implosion”? I agree, it doesn’t really matter. But now I’m curious to know what others heard.
IF Beltre ends up never outperforming his 2005 numbers, where would his contract rank on the worst ever free agent signings list? What about on the Mariners’ worst deals list? Would this outrank Heathcliff?
14 million dollar gold glover.
#259: Aurilia:
Total: .219/.400/.200……
away from GABP: .154/.214/.231
I guess you could argue Aurilia is an upgrade but he’s also making a cool 1.3 mill this year….
Now tongue and cheek aside, here’s a serious comparison:
Reed’s major league numbers against lefties:
80 games, .195/.278/.265
#242: If you want to watch a Red’s game, you should do what I do…catch the video from FSN Ohio but turn down the sound and listen to the radio feed from 700 WLW…. the FSN Ohio guys are pretty much wastes of breath…. All it takes is hearing Marty Brenneman call one misplayed flyball to Dunn to become hooked on 700 WLW…
Re #259: how can you have a slugging percentage .110 above your batting average with no extra-base hits?
Beltre – a ground out/strikeout machine. Too bad these aren’t pitching stats:
Groundball: 45.7% | Strikeout: 31.4%
M’s still undefeated (now 5-0) with more than one hit in the first three innings….
Re: — the OBP and slugging numbers got transposed. But 800 or so more games with Beltre is starting to look like a really, really long slog. Surely unto God he’s got to at least get back to *last* year’s numbers pretty soon.
On the radio they were blathering on about how it’s impossible to sit Adrian down because only WFB can back him up, blah, blah, blah, and what if someone gets hurt… (obvious answer – you put AB in the game and move WFB wherever he needs to go), but the even more obvious move, that doesn’t involve sacrificing defense – dropping him down the order – was never even brought up. Idiots.
You know, when he’s using the splitter, Putz actually looks pretty damn good. 4 Ks in 1 2/3 probably helps that, but watching that thing drop, you can understand why all those guys are striking out.
#269 i was thinking it wouldn’t hurt him to spend some time in the 8 or 9 position. if he isn’t going to hit, treat him like a player who doesn’t hit.
besides, it will open some room for k-jo to move up.
From the ESPN player page for Kenji:
I was wondering what it’d be like to be a catcher while intoxicated
You could probably get to within a first approximation by going into a biker bar and making some comments about the biggest, hairiest guy’s momma.
The slower reaction time would suck…
Probably take many a ball off the coconut.
Getting hit in the coconut is almost as bad as getting hit in your cash and prizes.
Sheesh. The Rainiers have been rained out THREE straight nights now. In Fresno.
And on Todd Linden Bobblehead Night, yet.
I’ve noticed this with Pineiro over the past couple of years. When his velocity completely abandons him and he’s barely touching 86 mph with his fastball, he’s a much better pitcher.
I recall a game (I think in 2004) when Pineiro started the game with his usual low nineties velocity, and he had no control and he got hit. But within two innings the gun said he’d lost 10-15 mph off his pitches, and no one could hit him.
If Pineiro has a future, it’s as a finesse pitcher.
Say Jim T. in #255, my recollection is as Derek’s, Bavasi saying “implosion” at the Meet-’n'-Greet in Spiezio’s case.
And I think it was true, his divorce &etc. unscrewed his head, he quit his band, got fat. Plus I still think he screwed up his back in camp ‘04, and was never the same, either. Not that he was good, mind you, but all the wheels came off _and_ the radiator blew near simultaneously. Short of Dean Palmer, it’s hard to think of anyone else in years who made such a splash pattern on the way down the ladder.
BTW Jim, I’d trust your notes over my memory, and “explosion” would be a more natural quote from Bill B., but still my immediate recollection from the first mention in this thread was “implosion.”
I recall it being “implosion” as well. But I wasn’t taking notes, either.
I’ll go with “implosion.” Bill’s welcome to sue me for libel if he actually said “explosion.”
I went to the game in Boston…not gonna lie, kind of a boring game, but glad we came out on top. Lucky for us Boston decided to rest like half of its starters for this one, and we caught a few breaks in that 3-run inning. But Piniero looked pretty good once he settled down, and Putz looked REALLY good when he came in to relieve!
My word, is anyone else ready to see Everett cut? I, along with all of his teammates, hated this clown in Texas, Boston, and Chicago… why did Bavasi have to sign him? HE’S GARBAGE!
#285: Ehhh
Carl Everett is my favorite Mariner. He has edge.
“that’s insane..your stupid, you should sleep late..it’s much easier on your constitution.” – “but i don’t hang out with those guys, i have nothing to do with these dudes” – haha, classic Beastie Boys