Game 138, Mariners at Yankees
DMZ · September 5, 2007 at 3:29 pm · Filed Under Game Threads
4:05 Seattle time, FSN. Washburn v Hughes.
M’s give us the standard+Broussard lineup.
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I just got this from KFFL:
“ESPNews reports New York Yankees 3B Alex Rodriguez (ankle) was seen limping around the team’s clubhouse Wednesday, Sept. 5. The team has ordered Rodriguez to have an MRI.”
However, A-Rod is in the lineup tonight.
Kind of hoping to see Green instead of Lopez.
arod is in lineup, he is the DH, the original card had him penciled in as 3B. posada is now out, giambi is now in.
#2 – apparently MRI doesn’t mean Must Rest Injury…
Go Washburn! Here’s to more 500 ft foul balls than 500 ft HRs today. You were close in Toronto!
seattlemariners.com:
“Ibanez’s community involvement has earned him the Mariners’ nomination for the Roberto Clemente Award for the second straight year. “
7: Does that include uniting the blogosphere for a Jones callup? He did really nice work on that one
and Moyer nominated for the Phillies; didn’t know you could (possibly) win it twice.
The Official Cartoon of the Seattle Mariners?
or maybe Moyer was the only Philly they could find to nominate ….
#11 – I would guess that neither Brett Myers nor Julio Mateo were eligible to be nominated.
yay! Damon’s back in left field!
So, Torre decided to match our slow-footed “LF” with his noodle-armed “LF.” Why do I have the feeling that C. Garcia will have last night’s Beltre debacle in the back of his mind and be overly cautious about sending runners home. I hope that someone gives Mr. Garcia a scouting report on the Yankee OFs arms.
one of the closest plays I’ve seen in a while
Is Raul’s arm that much better than Damon’s?
So what’s the deal with Hughes? 90-92 MPH fastball and what else? Highly rated?
17: Dave says he’s the best pitching prospect in the game.
Is Guillen not moving out of the way, is that why he keeps getting beaned?
Yeah, definitely the top pitching prospect in baseball right now. And the fastball’s faster than 90-92 when he’s healthy.
It’s really annoying when Beltre does that.
It’s more annoying when he does that.
Elaboration? What does he throw? Partly, I’m just trying to put a finger on what I’m seeing on Gameday.
Broussard has actually looked pretty good at first base lately.
23- THT has done some very in depth work on him.
Jarrod, more of those types of innings…plz!!!
It’s amazing what some regular playing time will do to keep players sharp. Lou understood this fact which is apparently completely lost on both Hargrove and McLaren.
OK, so Rodriguez is playing on a gimpy ankle.
But Matsui and Abreu are on the bench.
Anybody know if Duncan in RF any good or are the Mariners getting a slightly less formidable Yankee lineup then usual?
30 pitches for Hughes! Love it!
KENJI! Taking four whole balls! (Please do something like that more often.)
Did the earth quit rotating on its axis or something? Kenji walked and Lopez took two pitches in a row!
I’m not familiar with everything he has, but I think his four-seamer’s around 90-94 with a good slider. He’s a big dude (6-5, 250 or so?) with the body of a young power pitcher. He’s been great at every level in the minors and has great control to go with good stuff. I’ve seen his throwing mechanics and good use of his body compared to that of Roger Clemens.
That’s my half-informed synopsis. Take it with a grain of salt.
I wish plenty of success for the young fellow. Starting next season. And to be combined with failure on the part of a bunch of other Yankees.
somebody tell Yuni that Hughes is having trouble throwing strikes. argh.
OK, looks like the 90-92 fastball is usually in the 91-96 range. The THT article I found from July 30 says he throws a hammer curve which must be the 72-ish pitch with huge break. I guess the 78-80 pitch is a slider? Oh, and apparently the big thing is his control. Feels like he’s got what Felix lacks, and vice versa.
Oh, and my Gameday is now messed up, with Johjima and Lopez’s ABs disappearing into the void.
Betancourt bats like he’s got a fire to go fight or something
I see the guys are hacking away again. Hughes might well have another bid for a no-hitter at this rate.
(jinx, jinx)
23: Hughes has a real hard biting slider in the mid eighties that moves a good 12-15 inches across the plate in on lefties, away from righties. He also has a 12-6 curveball in the mid to upper seventies. This in addition to a classic fastball-changeup mix. His fastball, prior to going on the DL topped out at 95-96 and he can get it to run in on righties with some late movement. Right now it’s 91-92 as he’s regaining leg strength.
As far as the best pitching prospect in baseball, that’s total balogna. Tim Lincecum, Clay Buchholz, Homer Bailey, and Andrew Miller are just four other starters who I think compare at least favorably, if not far superior to Hughes.
M’s getting baserunners, but not doing anything with ‘em.
38: What else is new?
Shit, come on, Washburn.
Duncan looks like the Sniper from Saving Private Ryan.
wow….there’s a nice strike zone out there tonight.
Thanks all for the Hughes responses. It helps a lot with my enjoyment of this game sans TV.
Ok, I retract the naughty, naughty curse word as a sign of (momentary) esteem. Go JW!
Stupid question here, but I was in colorado for over a week, and have not followed the mariners. Did broussard finally win the job over y?
39: Touché.
46: Stephen, I’m just in a foul mood. I spent the last 4 days in a hospital with acute appendicitis and I have to come back and watch THESE mariners. This season is getting to me!
37 — I would also put Gallardo at or near the top of that list.
45: RS is hurt.
Jordan: Richie strained his hamstring or something like that, about a week ago.
Phantom Tag!
Jeter COMPLETELY missed the tag.
There should be a rule that if Ichiro argues, the call should be automatically overturned.
Thanks guys!
We have been burned by that play to many times. They call it when we miss the tag, but they dont call it when they miss it.. FRUSTRATING!!!
#10 (msb)
It does look kind of like Jeff Weaver on the mound in that cartoon.
completely? ok….take a 90 degree angle (which is where the umpire is supposed to be), put it in fast motion, and he maybe missed him by less than 1 inch). The throw beat him by 5 feet. He’s out.
I’m still not sure the glove didn’t tick him (and that’s all it would take), and I’ve seen the replay 3 times now.
47: LOL! I hear you… These M’s would put anyone in a foul mood. Feel better!
Was that a botched hit and run?
54: The other day when we missed the tag it was by a good 6-8 inches….this one was maybe an inch…if he did miss him.
Good inning for Mr. Token Golden Glove, Derek Jeter.
Jose Lopez got benched for making the exact same play that Derek Jeter, King of Fundamentals, just made.
56: you either make the tag, or you miss the tag. Jeter MISSED the tag. No doubt about it. YES had like 17 different replays of it. He flat out missed the tag.
46: Stephen, I’m just in a foul mood. I spent the last 4 days in a hospital with acute appendicitis and I have to come back and watch THESE mariners. This season is getting to me!
It’s true then. They’re playing so bad they are literally making their fans sick. I’m glad I had my appendix out years ago. Unless… Funny, my liver seems to be acting up. Probably nothing.
Raul!
Well, that makes up for it. Almost.
Base hit – Ichiro scores and it’s 1-0… oh never mind
Raul we hardly knew ye.
Raul funk blast.
RAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLL!!
U
The real question about the phantom tag is, who wins the argument tomorrow on Around the Horn.
Rauuuuuuul! Nothing like a 2-0 fastball to hammer!
that ball was smoked!
Wooooooo!!
Ra-as-many-U’s-as-he-wants-l!
Raul took his frustrations out on that meatball – jeez
56 – No, he did, in face, completely miss it. By a mile? No. Completely? Yes. It was a non-tag. It was a dead parrot.
Way to go, Raul.
I hope there aren’t very many instances in this game where the outcome is contingent on umpire “judgement” calls, because I have the feeling that Someone Up There (higher up in baseball) really wants the Yankees to win this series.
(thank you Raul Ibanez, that was a no-doubter, non-umpire-judgement-call type of situation)
Umpire cost us a run because he’s too much of a coward to make the right call against Jeter in Yankee Stadium. Disgusting.
As far as the best pitching prospect in baseball, that’s total balogna. Tim Lincecum, Clay Buchholz, Homer Bailey, and Andrew Miller are just four other starters who I think compare at least favorably, if not far superior to Hughes.
Those guys are comparable, sure. Those are some of the top young pitchers in baseball. But if you look at BP, Baseball America or pretty much anyone else who focuses on ranking prospects, Hughes is the top pitcher on every list. I’m no expert, so I’m taking the experts’ advice and calling him the top pitching prospect in baseball.
It seems like the other guys you mention all have something working against them when it comes to predicting their success (i.e. Bailey and his control issues, Lincecum and his mechanics that people worry may lead to injuries, etc.). Hughes seems to be closer than any of them to a sure thing. But I agree that there are definitely pitchers close to his level, and perhaps on it.
Did we seriously just give up a homer to Jose Molina, I’m going to go bang my head against a wall for the next two hours.
I seem to remember a game at a certain yankee stadium where a certain gritty player of our was called safe stealing second when he was clearly out. That call was the difference in the game. Maybe they are making up for that call.
I never saw the Lopez missed tag, but given the way the umps call them, I hope to holy heck that wasn’t the primarty reason that he was benched.
I once heard that major league infileders covering on a steal are taught to move their glove in a “V” – catch it, stick it down where the runner is sliding, then pull it out before the ball can get knocked away. I imagine the way umps call them has something to do with that.
Or, as Ron Fairly used to say, “Ball beats runner; runner out.”
lefthand, there isn’t one single Yankee fan who doesn’t remember that Bloomquist call. In fact, they whine about every other day on a couple of Yankee fan blogs & message boards about it, like it’s the difference between having the WC sewed up in early September, or not.
not unlike the “If Edgar says it’s a ball, it’s a ball” rule.
did the YES guys think it was an example of Derek’s gritty Derekness?
what’s hughes’ pitch count?
yoohoo! man on third, here!
The M’s are really chasing that high fastball. Lay off guys!
I seem to remember Yuni being a patient hitter for about a week a short while ago. Those were the days…
Guy on third, one out.
Guy on third, two outs.
Guy on third, three outs.
Dead Guy Ale time.
Those were some crap ABs.
79: Glad to see you site “injury” concerns as the reason for dawging Lincecum. Is it me or did Phil Hughes spend some time on the DL this year?
Lincecum, Bailey, and Miller all have better stuff than Hughes, and I’d argue that Buchholz has better all around game, when you take into account command / stuff / mentality than does Hughes.
That being said, Michael Kay did throw up stats to show that Hughes having a bad first season wasn’t a big deal (which I’d agree it isn’t), but he went on and compared Hughees to Maddux, Clemens, Smoltz, Peavy and Bonderman. Gotta love YES!
what was yuni trying to do there, intentionally pop out?
Karen, why does that make me so happy to know that willie bloomquist holds that place in the hearts of yankee fans. Lets just hope we take the wild card over the yankees by one game, so we can know that the difference was that call.
Wow we’ve already walked twice? Amazing!
y’all see McLaren swearing up a storm as FSN went to commercial?
Hughes’ pitch count already at 71.
84 – Heh. The YES guys thought the ump blew it. But they pointed out that Jeter was completely blocking his view.
Glad to see you site “injury” concerns as the reason for dawging Lincecum. Is it me or did Phil Hughes spend some time on the DL this year?
You’d be hard-pressed to find a bigger Lincecum fan than me. My girlfriend’s about to leave me over it.
But to the point: Hughes hurt his ankle and his hamstring. That’s not even in the same universe as the injuries people are worried about with Lincecum. I’m talking elbow and shoulder, which can end a career. Phil Hughes’ arm is perfectly fine. Now I’m not saying Lincecum’s a HUGE injury risk, but when it comes to picking one guy for the next five or six years, there’s a reason Hughes is above Lincecum on everyone’s list.
My goodness. Did I really just watch the 3-4-5 hitters go 1-2-3?
Glad to see the umps miss another call here.
Ichiro is going to kill one of these umps by the end of the game.
I thought he wanted to be tossed.
Who thinks McLaren wishes he could yell at us like that?
way to go yankee umpires, two calls against ichiro and for jeter on plays where ichiro was clearly safe.
Maybe Ichiro will hit a homer later and he’ll be called out for “missing” third base. That’d be the trifecta and I’d make millions.
Aah, Blowers is explaining that the Fairly Rule was indeed the S.O.P. until recently.
Can someone please teach Jose Guillen to go with a pitch and drive it to right field?
Wow. Another one. I hope Steinbrenner forgets he ever owned the Yankess and dies in a pool of his own spittle.
Well, they ARE playing in Yankee Stadium. If the umps gave the M’s all the calls they deserved, the “fans” would storm the field.
Why do I put myself through this? According to the Yankees fans on IRC, neither of those plays “were even close,” and called correctly “clear as day.”
You wake up in a room with George Steinbrenner, Adolph Hitler and Osama Bin Laden. You’ve got a gun and two bullets.
You ABSOLUTELY use both your bullets to shoot Steinbrenner once in each eye socket, so if you don’t kill him, at least he’ll never be able to watch baseball again.
It’s a moral imperative.
Should have figured this would happen.
Apparently there’s some ‘Screw Ichiro Night’ promotion in the Bronx. Guess they had to come up with something after they started frisking for batteries.
#53– again.
How crazy was Ichiro yelling? Gameday says just “On-field delay”
I hope ichiro hits one right at the blue. Or ‘accidently’ throw it at him after a hit.
I gotta hand it to Washburn tonight, he’s hitting the outter half really well and most of his misses haven’t been bad. It’s quietly been a pretty good outting thus far. Could we coax in a few more runs for him?
Is there a rusty spoon in that room, bram?
so what is the way this is handled– does the 1st base coach gently point it out to the erring 1st base ump during the next inning change? Does Mac wander out during the half inning and chat with the Crew (I screwed up first) Chief?
One can dream, Karen.
and if Ichiro says the Magic Word to the ump in Japanese, can he get away with it?
OK, they got that one right.
I’m taking that second U back. You’re just Raul now.
Its sorta strange to be getting some good HOME plate umpiring that’s been helpful and get NO BREAKS from the field ones.
C’mon Raul, you HAVE to beat that.
Garcia coaching first now?
Raul is such an idiot.
Ye gawds. Of all the people to try to stretch a single into a double, you’d think a gimpy Ibanez would have better sense.
Call me greedy but I want a bunch more runs….
BTW, at what point does the powers that be acknowledge that Vidro, though he’s the penultimate professional hitter, is in a funk that is absolutely mauling the Ms playoff hopes?
If you’re gonna ride strikes shouldn’t you also hide from the bad ones?
On another note, do the Ms have to carry their reckless abandon at the plate onto the base paths as well? Just saying…
I hate the Yankees so. . .Fucking. . .Much.
BTW, is it possible for Yankees fans to suck so bad yet make Yankees stadium such a “kick butt” atmosphere for a meaningful game?
127 – i’m guessing you mean streaks instead of strikes, and the answer is that the mariners still think Vidro is hot, because his batting average is over .300 for the year. What other information do you need?
We’ve got to be the least efficient team in baseball today. Outs from baserunning, not getting a guy home from third w/ less than two outs, swinging at crapola regularly, etc.
terry, it’s not greedy at all. You need infinite runs to be safe from the right field porch at Yankee Stadium. Just ask Arthur Rhodes.
Ibanez singled to deep right, Ibanez out at second.
So says Gamecenter. Somehow it seems a very literate phrase.
The YES guys saying how youth has helped them a lot this year. While the M’s wilt away in the WC with veterans.
The .300+ BA. Isn’t that the reason the Mariners picked up Al Martin back in 2000?
I dun hitted a ball hard in corner, therefor I shud git doubel. I show these young kidz vetren agressivennes.
he’s at almost 100 pitches, guys. sheesh.
Is it un-Christian of me to admit that every time I see Derek Jeter I want to put on some boots and kick that shit eating grin right off of his face?
We clearly won’t win this game w/ just two runs.
Lopez tagging and hitting makes sure of that.
LOPEZ, NO!
#138
At the very least, it makes you a true American.
Jose Lopez, meet the bench. You two should get accustomed to each other.
Heh, replay shows Lopez hiding the ball in his hand and tagging with an empty glove.
138 – No you are just speaking for most of us probably.
Fatlina wasn’t even hustling. That was frustrating.
138 – Can I join you with some spike heels for Roger Clemens?
#136. um, yeah.
so, Layne can make that call right?
135: Oh my gawd! “USC Strong Saftey” Al Martin flashback!! Brutal!
I want to strangle something. Luckily I value life, so I’ll have to strangle one of my sister’s Beanie Babies…
How could Nick Green be WORSE than Lopez right now? Not in general, but since the ASB?
#143. Catchers do that all the time, and some of the time they fool the umpire.
Jose is just going to have to work on his sleight-of-hand.
Swinging through a Jarrod Washburn heater, that’s gotta feel good.
woo, look at that 90 mph heat. Remember when Jarrod was considered a power pitcher?
Nick Green is terrible. If you’re going to bench Lopez (and I’d argue against that), you go with Bloomquist. Everyone knows I’m no Willie fanboy, but he’s clearly better than Nick Green.
Lets see if Jeter will be out by a step at first and be called safe…just to “even things out”
Throw at his head Jarrod.
c;mon mariners win this game!
That half-inning felt -GOOD-
Washburn at 84 pitches, do you pull him and bring in the bullpen?
I know this team is soooo Annoying some times, but God I love playoff baseball.
154
He’d have to be about the worst defensive second baseman of all time to match Lopez’s post ASB futility and still not be able to tag people either. The guy hasn’t shown he can walk, steal, hit for any power or really ANYTHING since the break…has he?
(I was sorta kidding fwiw, albeit in a frustrated way. I’m sure Green isn’t the answer. But geeeez…)
Let Washburn go 7, and then go to JJ at the 8th. I don’t trust anybody else in the pen now.
[Sims]
WHEW!
I was wondering, when are the coin-tosses for tie breakers this year?
Joba the Hutt buzzed Kevin Youkilis twice in the Red Sox/Yankee series last week, and got suspended 2 games for it. I hope he’s a little gunshy now…
#159
Only if the pitcher you replace Wash with isn’t named a) John Parrish or b) Rick “mother$*%!ing” son-of-a$(%&#” White
good thing washburn is a lefty cause the yankees are so lefty heavy.
JOBA THE HUTT!!!
Jose Vidro since Aug 23: .250/.316/.404
I hope we obliterate Joba’s shiny ERA.
159 Do we, or anyone with some sense that has watched Washburn pitch all year, yes. Does John McLaren, no, no he doesn’t.
Karen, I hope he buzzes Jose Guillen…and then Jose SHANKS him!!!
169 where’s Carrie Fisher in a metal bikini when you need her?
#173, carcinogen, That’s what we need Jason Ellison for. Can you see relatively midgety Jason standing up to Joba the Hutt?
What was the “injury delay” for those of us on Gameday?
#176
Lopez fouled one off of the catcher’s mask.
Rick Rizzs didn’t even stop his patter on MLB.com Radio, so who knows?
Thx
I like Joba’s swagger. Cracks me up.
Does anyone know why Yankee Stadium went to playing this Kate Smith recording for God Bless America instead of having Ronan Tynan do it live?
As much as I hate the Yankees and all that they stand for, that was the one redeeming quality of watching a Yankee game in the Bronx.
I think he is a punk rookie who has done nothing yet to earn a swagger. All he has showb me is that he is learning first hand from Roger Clemens how to be a dirty player.
McLaren better yank Washburn at the first sign of trouble.
He hasn’t in the past though, so why should I believe he’ll do it this time?
#181. They probably got complaints from all 13 other AL teams and several NL teams for the length of time Ronan Tynan took to sing the song. Their 7th inning stretches were notorious for lasting about 7-8 minutes.
I just saw Rick White standing and pacing around in the bullpen. All I could think was “Sit DOWN!”
Uhhh McLaren. Washburn’s pitch count means he needs to be outta there.
God fucking damnit. I’ve called both of A-Rod’s homeruns this series. Why do we EVER pitch to him?
I just saw Rick White standing and pacing around in the bullpen. All I could think was “Sit DOWN!”
I think the better advice would be “stick your head up over the fence to talk to the crowd!”
…not shocked that that happened.
Washburn got took deep, but the question remains who can Mac go to and expect 3 outs?
Hey, surprise, Washburn gives up a lead in the seventh. Who could have seen that coming, other than everybody who has watched him pitch the last few months?
Is Nick Green really worse than Lopez?
Lopez can’t hit or run bases now he has begun to make silly errors on defense. I suspect the root of all of this is mental and something needs to be done ASAP.
Washburn got took deep, but the question remains who can Mac go to and expect 3 outs?
The guy they put in, for one. If Mac would stop using him as a LOOGY.
Question: why pull a lefty for a lefty to face a lefty after an error but not after a HR?
I’ve had enough of Jose this month. Dude is not right in the head.
I love Lopez!
I just noticed Jose Lopez only has a total of 7 errors on the season. Unfortunately 2 of them are in this game.
I am willing to bet that at least Nick Green would be mentally prepared to play baseball because Lopez looks like he is in la-la land all the time these days.
Sherrill’s fallen off a cliff.
Easy come, easy go, I suppose.
DP or season over?
George Sherrill has been really good lately. Oh wait, no he hasn’t. The entire bullpen collectively decided to collapse at the same time. Putz being the exception, but he hasn’t had to pitch a lot recently.
As I type Sherrill walks Giambi.
The thing is, “Better Man” isn’t about how some guy is the best at all. It’s like playing “Born in the USA” as a patriotic anthem, or “YMCA” or “Lust for Life” and pretending there’s no subtext
If you go just by their GameDay photos, the Yankees have the strangest-looking collection of players I’ve ever seen. Shelly Duncan, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui (who looks about 50 y/o), Wilson Betemit (who looks like a chipmunk), Mariano Rivera (who Red Sox fans kiddingly call Fruitbat), Edwar Ramirez (who looks like a famine victim), Chris Britton (who must top 300 lbs by now), Joba Chamberlin (a slightly thinner version of Britton) and Brian Bruney (a slightly thinner version of Chamberlin).
The Mariners have Rick White, so I guess we win.
202 you forgot the biggest tragedy. Fortunate Son being turned into a patriotic song by Wrangler.
A walk here is the beginning of the end. I mean afterall, Babe Ruth, uh I mean Jose Molina is on deck
DMZ don’t expect a sense of irony (or the ability to read song lyrics) from the Yankees organization.
Another walk for George Sherrill?
According to GameDay Sherrill was getting squeezed on half those pitches to Betemit.
That’s some managing for you. Senor Posada on to administer the coup de grace
to our season.
If pitch fx (gameday) is accurate, then why not let it decide balls and strikes?
According to GameDay, Betemit is a .225 hitter. WTF is he dicking around with those pitches?
Don’t let the average fool you. Betemit can hit.
Because AVG is a terrible way to determine a good hitter?
Oh, brother. Sherrill got closer to the plate with his pitches than Green has.
Betemit started out his Yankee career hot, and tapered off enough that he was about 3 for his last 30. Thus, the .225 average.
And now I’m really sure someone, somewhere, wants the Yankees to take this series. That second pitch to Posada was right down the middle of the plate according to GameDay.
Walks will kill ya.
Where is that squirrel tonight.
The second pitch to Posada was on the outside corner. Lots of movement breaking off the plate. I wanted the call but it’s one of those pitches that can go either way.
Start spreadin’ the news………
Let’s see some firings NOW. . .
Put Ichiro on the mound. He might as well get ONE dream fulfilled this season.
Tomorrow’s lineup:
CF Ichiro
2B Green
LF Jones
RF Balentien
1B Broussard
DH Clement
C Johnson
3B Bloomquist
SS Morse
By the way, how’s that career path for Morrow working out? He should be about ready to join the big club as a starter by now, yeah?
Rooting for the Yankees is a moral failure and a character flaw.
#22: Hey, I’d do that. Let’s send a message to a bunch of seasoned veterans that have lost 11 of 12 together.
We gave it a good ride this season.
I haven’t had hope for a post-season in what seems like forever, and this season gave me that. I’m thankful for that excitement.
Oh my god. This team is SO freaking DONE.
4 hits 8 runs and a 39 minutes inning. This just about puts the nail on the coffin for M’s 2007. It’s been fun, guys.
I come to bury the 2007 Mariners, and not praise them. Just think, on August 27, 2007, we were on the heels of the Angels, and now, after a 1-11 death spiral, we are 3 behind the Yankees with the season effectively over. This team’s heart, brains, and talent now come very much into question. We seemed so close, but, I guess we are still far away from being a championship caliber team. Two things: we need to rid ourselves of the black hole in the middle of our line-up (i.e.,Sexson), and take a hard look at “Lopey,” who seems to be just mentally out-of-it for much of this yearand has just completed his second straight vanishing act following the All-Star break. See you in Peoria, AZ next Spring.
actually, there is alot about the Yanks to praise and respect….
227 – Season, my friend. You meant season.
I said “team” because I’m hoping it’s seriously disbanded after this year.
I’m just sad that I can’t sit, drink, and be depressed for the M’s alone.
My girlfriend is getting home soon, and she was already unhappy about me being grumpy last night…time to put on the happy face…
If there was ever a time I could dispense with logic and believe in such things as willpower, poise, performing under pressure, “wanting it more” etc., it would be now.
Glad to see some of the early good byes… maybe the USSM server won’t be as slow for the rest of the playoff race….
#226: Don’t let Howard Lincoln let you hear that, otherwise Bavasi and McLaren will get to stay here.
See you all next year. I’ve said that a few times before.
Not surprised at the loss, but a little upset at the recent bullpen
meltdowns. That was supposed to be our strength!
Pathetic play all around from the fellas, and a really really
disappointing swoon.
Look at the bright side, folks. For the first time all season the M’s highlights will be the top story on SportsCenter… Course, it took giving up two dingers to A-Rod in the same freaking inning to do it, but let’s not split hairs.
Why didn’t McLaren go to his pen earlier? er…
Why didn’t McLaren try to sneak another inning out of Washburn? Fire McLaren!
Wow.
no wheels on our wagon…
#230. What, their ability to influence authority? Their effect on network bean-counters? Their filthy lucre lures to greedy ballplayers?
235 – What playoff race? *bitter laughter*
Let’s just hope the M’s get to .500. They have to win about 8 games in the next 25 days, don’t they?
Good part about telecommuting: can watch the M’s while working.
Bad part about telecommuting: can watch the M’s while working.
We must win! I just got my King Felix jersey in the mail!!
The old farts have had their turn… time to let the baby M’s play.
Hands off the wheel, McLaren!
The Yankees are like the neighborhood bully. If you stand up to all their mystique their bullshit, it robs them of their biggest advantage. To beat them, you have to be willing to fight them.
Lou Piniella understood this. But what disgusts me most about this series is that the M’s don’t have the balls to stand up to them. Somebody grow a pair, aim for the head, let the benches clear and then see how badass those Yankee scumbags and their toothless lumpen think they are.
The series and the season are over. Start a brawl to lay a foundation for the future.
I’ll still watch the rest of the games and cheer on the M’s regardless, but I can set my hopes on the shelf until next season.
Please let that be the end of Rick White.
Looks like Rick White just grew a pair. Whoda thunk it.
I do not think this will help us beat them, however.
#229
Your great insensitivity towards Lopez ranks second only to the team’s. As I posted in comments a couple of days ago, and Derek mentioned as a follow-up, Lopez’ tailspin can be tied quite closely in time to his brother’s death.
The fact that the team never sent him home (even if he would have missed the funeral) is unconscionable. Even if they asked him and he said no, they should have still sent him. After all, what’s a youngster 4,000 miles away from home in a strange country going to say?
bram: You might want to check your testosterone levels. Look what that shit did to Chris Benoit!
By the way? I hate the Yankees as much as the next person, and the Steinbrenner dying in his own drool stuff was still completely classless. In fact, you might have beat the Yankees at their own game.
Hell, I’ll say it: I kinda like the Yankees. I don’t root for them, really, but there’s a lot to respect.
And for the millionth time, I think we need to remind ourselves that there isn’t a salary cap in baseball. So assuming that one team is evil because it does whatever it takes to put together a great team every year is pretty sad. It’s the market of baseball. Get used to it, because it’s not changing.
But it’s not just money. It’s also a fundamental understanding of the value of plate discipline, finding players who fit your park’s strengths, etc. The organization knows how to win games. They find advantages and exploit them. Sometimes I wish I were lucky enough to have grown up around a team like that. Instead, I have the Mariners, who build a park that kills righty power hitters, and then they go sign a bunch of righty power hitters.
#247 – You’re kidding, right? Brawling with the Yankees is the answer? A brawl would not change the fact that the bullpen and our defense decided to simultaneously implode.
This loss is about “standing up” to anyone or anything. It’s about shitty relief and shitty defense. Oh, and having the ump squeeze our pitchers on a few crucial pitches.
And ladies and gentleman, we have seen what Bavasi has done with his 2nd chance to be the GM of this team. He constructs a club that loses 11 of 12 when it counts.
Fire his ass now before he does something else stupid.
247 – That’s silly, though. Brawling serves no purpose for us.
And after 1995, Lou’s clubs rolled over for the Yankees in
the playoffs again and again and again. What the hell kind
of blueprint is that? Give me a break.
You know, at least they had to curtesy to decide to punt the season the day before the NFL season starts. Here is to the hope my Saints and y’alls Seahawks can help stop the pain.
Parrish is now the seventh pitcher that the Mariners have used this game, even though Washburn went 6 plus innings.
253–new york has a ton more revenue streams than 2/3 of major league teams. based upon the current system, a team like kansas city or milwaukee has no chance to perennially compete. that is a flawed system. to respect a team that inexplicably has more advantages than another team doesn’t make much sense to me.
“The Yankees are like the neighborhood bully. If you stand up to all their mystique their bullshit, it robs them of their biggest advantage. To beat them, you have to be willing to fight them.
Lou Piniella understood this. But what disgusts me most about this series is that the M’s don’t have the balls to stand up to them. Somebody grow a pair, aim for the head, let the benches clear and then see how badass those Yankee scumbags and their toothless lumpen think they are.
The series and the season are over. Start a brawl to lay a foundation for the future.”
I can see it now. Rick White hits A-Rod in the knee; Joba hits Ichiro in the face. Way to lay a foundation.
253: Thanks for being rational.
Not sure which moniker I prefer – Rick “Oil Refinery” White, or “The Garbageman”.
#251–take a look at his pre- and post-All Star break splits over the last two years, and you will see a disturbing pattern of decreasing production. Facts are troubling things. If that is insensitivity, then so be it.
what the (Lauren) happened?!? It was 2-1??!!?
#261 – I’d prefer Rick “Ex-Mariner” White, personally.
And we are not pinch hitting now because . . .?
Rick “It Doesn’t Matter If I’m Black or” White
(because I’m trash either way)
#262 – While that’s true, last year his dropoff in production was closely tied to a thumb injury that he sustained (that he played through without complaining). I’m not trying to make excuses for Lopez by any means, but let’s present all the facts here.
I’d make some sort of incredulous comment about using a closer in a non save situation…but…I don’t have the energy anymore.
Wow, we get to face Mariano. Feel the drama.
urrggghh. . .
I love the Yankees’ line: 10 runs on 7 hits. W00t.
to respect a team that inexplicably has more advantages than another team doesn’t make much sense to me.
To disrespect a team for taking advantage of its good fortune doesn’t make much sense to me, either.
There are things the Yankees do very well, and then there are areas where the Yankees are simply fortunate (i.e. market size). To despise a team because it’s smarter, richer and luckier than your favorite team reeks of jealousy.
Argue about the market all you want, but it’s not changing. The Yankees aren’t a charity organization, and it’s not their job to maintain parity in baseball, so they’re not going to lose on purpose. I think we should accept that.
according to Yahoo’s scoreboard, the Mariners have used 6 pitchers, and given up just one run. I’m guessing that isn;t really true.
And… season over.
You know the most heartbreaking thing right now? I actually hope we get swept by Detroit because if we can’t have the wild card I don’t want the Yankees to have it either.
272 – Yahoo’s scoreboard, while neat ‘n’ tidy, is about the least reliable I’ve found. At least it isn’t horribly cluttered.
Well, Lauren, I’m sorry you feel that way, but I can’t help you.
I lived there from 1995 to 2000. I’ve had 15 off-duty NYPD try to kill me in Yankee Stadium because, oh, I don’t know, the 1995 post season exists. The Yankee organization has zero class. The whole thing is a myth. The only thing they understand is when you stand up to them.
If you find this distasteful, like I said, there’s nothing I can do for you. I was done apologizing a long time ago. I hope your grace and politesse is consoling as you watch the Yankees instead of the M’s in the post season.
Over-under on when Jim Bowden calls Bavasi about Lopez and offers Christian Guzman straight up?
Over-under on how many milliseconds before Bavasi accepts?
Over-under on the total number of household items DMZ and Dave break when they hear the news?
Regarding Lopez, I think it’s time for the Player A vs Player B game:
Player A:
Age 24 season: .257/.324/.396
Age 25 season: .259/.333/.355
Player B:
Age 21 season: .247/.282/.379
Age 22 season: .282/.319/.405
Player A has turned in 2 All-Star seasons since age 25 and has had an OPS+ well north of 100 in the last 4 seasons. Player A is Carlos Guillen. Player B is Jose Lopez from 2005 and 2006. Guillen didn’t have a slugging % of over .400 until his age 28 season. Lopez has already had one and he’s still only 23.
I’d say don’t throw the baby out with the bath water just yet.
So this is how it shall end. Not with a bang, but with a sad little whimper.
**whimpers to death**
274 I can understand the sentiment…plus it might lead to a chance in management.
Yeah right, but we have to hope for something at this point…and I can’t see Jeter getting caught in bed with a donkey and the Salt Lake City Boys Choir any time soon.
271- Please don’t start talking up the Yankees on a Mariners blog after we lose to them. It reeks of trolling.
278 to play that game you really need to consider the TB situation, and other nagging problems. I’m not giving up on Lopez, but throwing away Guillen was a monumental mistake.
#276 – With all due respect (and I am sorry you had a bad experience at Yankee Stadium), your issue/beef does not lie with the Yankee players. It lies with their police department. I guess that helps us to understand the hatred towards NY and the Yankees, but it still doesn’t explain what starting a brawl with the Yankees would really prove.
#276– so, exactly what was this ’standing up to the Yankees’ that Lou did?
Please don’t start talking up the Yankees on a Mariners blog after we lose to them. It reeks of trolling.
I’m just trying to post a reasoned, thought-out response to all the “I hate the Yankees because they’re good” nonsense that’s so rampant among M’s fans. And I’m here at USSm nearly every day and have been an M’s fan since I was 7, so you might save your accusations of trolling for someone else.
#282 – That’s exactly my point, though. Guillen suffered through personal and health problems and it’s clear that he was given up on far too soon. Not every player develops in a nice, perfect, statistically appropriate arc. Are there tendencies and can projections be made based upon them? Of course. I just think it’s far too soon to think about giving up on Lopez, especially when there’s not exactly anyone knocking down the door to play 2B in the minors.
271–you’re saying that the yankees are good because the system benefits them. so give credit to the system, not the yankees. they didn’t do anything other than create a team in what turned out to be a lucrative market, which is responsible for much of their recent success.
i agree that the yankees have been successful at taking advantage of the unfair playing field that is major league baseball. but that’s all i agree with.
Teej, you really want reason at a time like this? Wait a few days.
I hate the Yankees because they’re good. Is that so shocking? People hate teams that continually beat other teams (and theirs).
268 Sidi – Glad you thought about our closer too. We were screaming at the TV but the suggestion didn’t quite make it to NY.
283: Yes, I hate the Yankees. No, I don’t hate New York. I chose to live there and had a great time everywhere except Yankee Stadium. Even Shea.
It’s not rational. Being a fan isn’t rational. It’s psychological gamesmanship. In 1995, Randy Johnson threw at Jim Leyritz and the M’s had the psychological upper hand the rest of the season. It’s the only time the M’s ever sent the Yankees home.
Part of the Yankee ethos is intimidation. It begs to be exploded.
you mean like when Clemens threw at Alex in 2000 and Lou retaliated and the Yankees went on to take the series?
For the record, I know this is Don Cherry thinking, and I don’t advocate this approach with any other team. But when it comes to the Yankees, by any means necessary.
292 – The M’s didn’t get off the mat after Clemens threw at Alex, did they?
I just don’t care whose sensibilities it shocks. The Yankees are bullies, and if you puch back, you have a much better chance to win, especially in their park.
In these pages this season, people have said far worse things about members of the Mariners organization, esp. McClaren and Bavasi, than I could dream of saying about the Yankees.
I take out my frustrations on the opponent and that makes commenters turn against me. I guess I just don’t get this place.
“Don Cherry thinking”
Now there’s an oxymoron if ever there was one.
Gee, bram, maybe not every conflict can be solved by brawling in the alley, hmm?
Oh wait, you’re not really Dick Cheney, are you?
I’m blame the M’s bullpen implosion, and team implosion, squarely on the starting pitchers, and thier lack of being able to stay in the game longer than 3 or 4 innings lately. (with few exceptions) And with the brutality of the schedule, all the extra innings they’ve had to cover, and the travel to boot, it’s a wonder they can barely stand, much less throw a strike across the plate!
It’s hard to keep the faith at this point, but I’ll try.
On the bright side, they still went farther this season than anyone expected them to, they gave us hope for the first time in a few years, and for that, Thanks M’s!
I don’t really care so much about the “hey, let’s have a brawl” thing. But celebrating the idea of an ugly, cruel death for an old man (unpleasant though he may be) who already seems to be struggling with mental issues is beneath my relatively low standards.
Now, that’s the spirit.. if anyone had told us in April that there would be meaningful games for us into September, we’d've been thrilled.
Yes, we could’ve gotten further with competent management and less use of flammable pitchers (nice Gas Can/Parrish exacta there in garbage time).. but we were in it past the first week of May for the first time in four years.
For that, I’m thankful.
That doesn’t mean that I don’t want a manager who knows how to handle pitchers, though, and the Gas Can must go..
297
c.f. 293: Far from every conflict. I’m actually a peace-loving, tree-hugging, tea-sipping pussy. Except when it comes to the Yankees.
299
My paternal gradmother died of Alzheimers. It’s heartbreaking. Probably the only fate worthy of Steinbrenner.
Well, I hope the lopsided score yesterday that pumps up the Pythagorean win percentage for the Yankees is just a bunch of hot air that gets their fans’ hopes up in vain.
(sorta like ours the past couple of months
)
I hope Detroit climbs up off the mat and makes a hard charge in this last few weeks (is Sheffield back in the lineup YET???), and the Yankees get dumped. I’d just as soon it happened before the end of the season instead of after (in the 1st round of the playoffs). No need to give Yankee fans any reason to crow “we made it to the playoffs AGAIN!”
Go Tigers!