Bobblehead fever forces fans to remain at home

DMZ · April 21, 2006 at 10:02 am · Filed Under Mariners 

(hopefully they’ll recover in time to collect their swag)

Greg Bishop in the Times writes about crazy bobblehead fever. Looking at their picture, this may be the worst-looking likeness of Ichiro yet. That’s an old picture on the Times site: here’s the new one.

The Go 2 Guy, who generally doesn’t get much love or links from us, offers a gem today on the subject of low attendance:

“I never thought I’d see the day where there was less than 20,000,” said utility man Willie Bloomquist. “(Tuesday night) was the first time I’ve walked out for a game and gone, ‘Wow.’ It’s a little odd being able to hear conversations with fans.”

“Really?” I wondered. “What did they say?”

“You (expletive) suck, Bloomquist!” Bloomquist said.

That’s not going to be topped this season.

Comments

35 Responses to “Bobblehead fever forces fans to remain at home”

  1. pdb on April 21st, 2006 10:07 am

    this may be the worst-looking likeness of Ichiro yet.

    Apparently they had a warehouse full of old Randy Winn bobbleheads, and thought nobody’d notice if they slapped a full beard over the goatee and called it Ichiro.

  2. terry on April 21st, 2006 10:09 am

    That was me! I didn’t realize he could hear me from Cincinnati though… 🙂

  3. PositivePaul on April 21st, 2006 10:15 am

    Well, actually, considering where I was sitting, he probably DID hear my 4-year-old yell “Pinch Hitter!”

  4. eponymous coward on April 21st, 2006 10:20 am

    They are still getting shares of 9 on M’s broadcast? Wow. Apparently there’s quite the TV market for crappy baseball and Dave Henderson.

  5. plivengood on April 21st, 2006 10:23 am

    Re the bobblehead: I thought the bobble for tonight’s game was one of Ichiro running the bases — at least that’s what FSN has been plugging all week.

    On Bloomquist: maybe Willie’s getting reports through friends. Tuesday, I launched into my usual bitch about Hargrove using his only middle-infield back-up in a senseless CF platoon, as well as noting his less than optimal abilities as a hitter. The two younger people kept glaring at me like they were RELATED to the guy or something, and then left. Couple of days later, we see WFB’s Go2 quote.

    Glad to help Willie’s quest for self-knowledge, in any small (and probably imagined) way.

  6. Rain Delay on April 21st, 2006 10:31 am

    From what was on last nights post game and FSN Live. Ichiro has personally approved this one, they even showed a clip of him indorsing and say that this particular version is the best yet!

    Then again, I be the M’s PR department were directly off camera.

  7. seank100 on April 21st, 2006 10:34 am

    I attended an M’s game against Texas, on A-Rod’s first trip to Seattle since chasing the money, err, I mean chasing a championship. There was a guy sitting near me who stuck with “Hey, A-Rod, you SUCK!” All night, every time Alex was up to bat, “Hey, A-Rod, you SUCK!” in a sharp staccato. It got funnier as the game wore on. This guy wasn’t exactly creative, but I must say I began to appreciate the dedication he had to this particular insult.

    As for the bobblehead, I agree it’s bad. The Randy Winn comparison is apt. At first glance, I thought it looked rather African-American.

  8. chico ruiz on April 21st, 2006 10:43 am

    It’s kind of perverse to enjoy it, but I thought the PI headline of “Walker, Texas Ranger” was pretty good.

  9. Evan on April 21st, 2006 10:49 am

    That is totally Randy Winn. It’s actually quite a good likeness of Randy Winn.

  10. Alex W. on April 21st, 2006 10:54 am

    The article says they’re giving out the one of him running the bases, not the one you have linked.

  11. DMZ on April 21st, 2006 10:56 am

    Yes yes yes, that’s been corrected now that I’ve found a better picture.

  12. msb on April 21st, 2006 11:07 am

    I don’t think that old one is Randy Winn, I think it is former Tiger Tony Clark

    Everyday A Coronary Eddie had a fine quote today:
    “I wanted them just to hit the ball,” he said. “They couldn’t even do that because I was throwing so many [bleeping] balls.”

  13. msb on April 21st, 2006 11:13 am

    didn’t someone wonder in a previous thread what Kevin Mench’s head would look like on Ichiro’s body? I’m guessing ‘bobblehead’.

  14. Mike Snow on April 21st, 2006 11:29 am

    Don’t forget the Forbes report that shows the M’s are the 8th most valuable franchise in the game at $428 million.

    Alternatively, for the ownership spin on the situation, they had the slowest appreciation of any franchise (tied with the Rockies), with an increase in value of only 3% over the past year.

  15. DMZ on April 21st, 2006 11:32 am

    OMG HOW DID THAT COME OUT WITHOUT ME NOTICING!!???

    Oh… it just came out. This’ll have a post momentarily.

  16. dirk on April 21st, 2006 11:40 am

    Never Ready Eddie….

  17. Tek Jansen on April 21st, 2006 11:42 am

    Willie will probably hear more shouts tonight. With Mike Maroth in pitching he is sure to get a start in CF. He has at least one of his three career HRs off of Maroth. If the majors were filled with pitching clones of Maroth, Rob Bell (another Willie HR victiom) and tonight’s M’s starting pitcher Washburn, Willie would be a hall of famer.

  18. TorturedSoul on April 21st, 2006 11:49 am

    For all of you able to go to the games, why not take advantage of the low turnouts and bring a big “Grover’s Gotta Go NOW!” sign.

    Our division’s shaping up to look like last year’s NL West, which means as bad as we are, we’re in last place but only a game and a half out, so why wait till we’re twelve back to fire the guy?

  19. Gomez on April 21st, 2006 11:53 am

    Derek… cut down on coffee, plz. It’s cool.

    That’s awesome, that Bloomquist got some first-hand feedback from the hometown fans, and just took it in stride. He should get more from the CF bleachers with Maroth starting tonight. But there’s not a platoon, Hargrove says. No way!

    I’m still thinking there will be bobbleheads left over after tonight’s game. I’d go but work’s got a party tonight, and I’m not turning down free food and drink to pay $10-20 to watch a yawner and another possible loss.

  20. TorturedSoul on April 21st, 2006 11:57 am

    A very-possible loss by a very-capable bunch. It’s getting difficult to watch.

  21. joser on April 21st, 2006 12:13 pm

    If the majors were filled with pitching clones of Maroth, Rob Bell, and Washburn, everybody would be a hall of famer.

  22. Corey on April 21st, 2006 12:16 pm

    I would hope Bavasi or anyone in the FO is on the phone to the Cubbies. With Derek Lee being out 2 months with a broken wrist, let’s package Petagine and, gasp, Bloomquist for something of value.

    Not that the Cubs are legendary for stocking their systems with the aforementioned ‘something of value’ comment.

    Sigh, oh well… 😉

  23. Adam S on April 21st, 2006 12:44 pm

    You think you could get something of value for Blommquist? To a team that already has 4 middle infielders (all of whom are better than WFB) on the major league roster?

    Petagine, hmm. Might get you a AA prospect going nowhere. Is he any better than the Cubs top AAA guys? I’d like to give him a chance to DH, but I wouldn’t trade a real prospect to rent to for two months.

  24. jtopps on April 21st, 2006 12:51 pm

    No way we trade Willie. Yes, Petagine might go, but if he does it would be so we can add Morse or another reserve infielder.

  25. Swungonandbelted on April 21st, 2006 1:14 pm

    I laughed so hard I damn near blew coffee out of my nose this morning when I read the WFB quote in Moore’s column.

  26. deltwelve on April 21st, 2006 2:22 pm

    #22

    The Cub’s already have a Boom Boom. They call him “Neifi.”

  27. eponymous coward on April 21st, 2006 2:27 pm

    PS: So, Jim Thomsen was at the game last night, according to Willie’s quote? 😀

  28. Dash on April 21st, 2006 2:30 pm

    I say we trade Willie for his perceived value versus his actual value. We should be able to get Felix Pie from cubs in a deal like that.

  29. Dave in Palo Alto on April 21st, 2006 2:34 pm

    i’m waiting for Kevin Menchiro bobblehead night.

  30. Mat on April 21st, 2006 2:53 pm

    The first player that comes to mind when I look at the updated pic is Nomar Garciaparra. It doesn’t seem like much of a tribute to Ichiro! when I think of someone else looking at the bobblehead.

  31. ChrisK on April 21st, 2006 3:00 pm

    28 – You meant an apple pie (not Felix Pie), correct? Willie’s perceived value outside Seattle is his true value – everyone knows that he can’t hit.

  32. John in L.A. on April 21st, 2006 3:05 pm

    Without my anti-Willie playing stance changing one iota…

    That quote skyrockets my estimation of him personally.

  33. Mike G. on April 21st, 2006 3:09 pm

    I second that, anybody who has a sense of humor about themselves makes them much cooler to me. Unfortunately for Willie that’s not gonna win him a starting roll on any team but…

  34. Mike Snow on April 21st, 2006 4:45 pm

    On this team, Felix Pie sounds like an Eddie Guardado prank.

  35. BelaXadux on April 21st, 2006 7:33 pm

    And the most dead-on aspect of that blurb is that Willie’s so self-absorbed you could actually imagine him having _that EXACT conversation_.

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