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Evaluating Defense Evaluating Pitcher Talent
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Game 29, Mariners at Indians
Batista v Byrd. 4:05.
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Twittah
Let go Mariners! Let’s go!
I mean.. Let’s go Mariners! Let’s go!
Let’s hope Byrd is the fuel for our fire tonight.
How about Clement? Is he starting?
Woo Hoo for Clement.
Ouch for our bench.
Nevermind. I just answered my own question. Let’s go, JC!
He’s our starting catcher and #7 hitter Sentinel.
Vidro to start because of his ‘Matchup Success Against Byrd’ (per McLaren). Tango would be proud. /wink
does Byrd continue his inexplicable early mastery against the Ms, or do last year’s results hold true?
Thanks, Ollie.
hopefully our young guns can do some damage.
Thankfully the joy of seeing “J. Clement c” and “W. Balentien rf” outweighs the sadness of still seeing “J. Vidro dh”.
Buzzie Bavasi has passed away at 93.
Condolences to Bill and rest of the Bavasi clan.
Condolences as well. A nice guy, knowledgeable of the game, but, unfortunately a primary influence on his son’s philosophy as General Manager.
Good news in the short term: today is the start of a two-game winning streak.
Good news in the long term: today is Day 2 for the Mariners’ newest phenoms. We get to watch potential become promise become burgeoning success become All-Star. Anything more is gravy, as they say.
Is Batista’s “groin injury” supposedly healed?
I imagine his “strained skillset” won’t really heal, a lot like Wilkerson’s…
I’d love to get an expert’s take on what defensive impact can be expected from Clement’s presence at catcher. There must be an adjustment period, especially with a rookie catcher making his first major league start at that position. I’m guessing not too much with Batista tonight, but tomorrow in Yankee stadium catching Felix, I think we are adding some significant variables to the equation.
Tomorrow is Bedard
17. Expect many attempts at stolen bases on the part of the Indians.
I’d think the rookie catcher thing would be more important with young relievers, especially if they’re not on their game.
18 – I stand corrected. I forgot he was back in the rotation. Don’t know how I could make that mistake.
Ichiro due for a 4 for 5 game any time soon.
someone did tell him it was now May, right?
It’s bad enough they insist on getting Vidro in the lineup, but why 5th. Clement/Vidro need to switch spots in the batting order.
Why the fuck is Raul stealing?
What was that?
I hope Beltre missed the hit and run, or our players can’t possibly overcome this brilliant managerial strategery.
WTF??? Who ever sent him should lose their job.
Dear Raul: you know how you’re not as fast as you think you are in the outfield? Well, that applies on the basepaths too.
Vladimir Guererro eh?
Some new outfielder we have!
Just noticed that Hafner is moved down to the 6th spot.
Indians fans, I feel your pain.
Batista walking guys – must be the lack of a veteran catcher and rhythm.
Dammit Blowers, it’s “Rays”, not “Devil Rays”.
Since this whole “Professional” hitter thing isn’t working can we get some more amateur hitters please.
Clement: 2PA, 2 Pitches seen…
Hmmm. Guess he wasn’t with the club when Mac handed out his pitch count memo.
To be fair to Clement they both looked like fastballs right down the pipe and he smoked one of them. I just hope he can take a few pitches if need be.
Clement’s minor league record indicates that he can take pitches. If he’s jumping on first pitch fastballs and smoking them, that’s a good thing.
Even Edgar Martinez, God of Plate Discipline, used to take a rip at the first pitch from time-to-time. Keeps pitchers honest.
What has happened to Travis Hafner?
I know the offensive upgrade Balentien over Wilkerson has been well established, what about defense? Is he actually an asset in the outfield now?
There’s no better way to set up future nibbling than by being aggressive.
The spike in LD% for this year tells me that his power is disappearing.
His line drives are up and they aren’t falling in. GBs and FBs are in line with his career number, but the FBs aren’t going for home runs. The drop in HR/FB last year too may mean that his power is gone.
Hafner’s BABIP should be about a hundred points higher, but he’s not supposed to be a line drive hitter.
Another interesting thing to note is that his walk rate has dropped heavily from ‘05 and his strikeout rate took a big spike. So not only is his power gone, but so is his plate discipline.
Double Pump! Rizz almost popped an artery. I wish I was watching…
It’s pretty strange for a player to go from a power hitter with good plate discipline to line drive hitter who strikes out a lot. You is what you is, as they say. The splits seem a little weird to me. His GBs spiked last year and have come back down, but his IFFBs have doubled. Maybe he’s just slumping. If so, those fly balls will start getting to the outfield and going over the fence.
Oops – I am shamed indeed. Love the auto-correction feature!
Also, upon closer inspection, his line drives were at 21.2% in ‘06.
Yeah, Dave Sims just did…
Which was alright, because it sounded like Rizzy was about to pee his pants over Byrd’s “old school” windup.
Maybe it is just a slump, but all the red flags are there–Hafner will be 30 in a month, and has the classic “old player skills.” So if he really is losing his power and batting eye, then he’s going to fall off the cliff fast.
Ichiro just passed Shannon Stewart with 1623 hits. He’s tied for #444 on the all time list with Don Money.
Fun fact from last night: Wlad’s RBI total in one game: three. Wilkerson’s RBI total all season: five. (Three is 60 percent of five.)
Wow. 5 strikeouts already for Batista.
My sympathies go out to Bill and his family. RIP Buzzie.
Gotta love that ’secret weapon’! Any word on what it is?
But the decline of old player skills hitters typically involves a more pronounced three-true-outcomes type profile. Bat speed goes, so the player cheats more (resulting in more Ks) and takes more walks. This player can still hit the ball over the fence, but can do so with fewer and fewer pitches. Hafner has a .394 career OBP, so I can’t imagine him all of the sudden forgetting how to draw walks.
Wlad is better than Wilkerson now and especially in the future, but that’s not why.
The Cleveland broadcasters are making fun of Adrian for appealing to the first base umpire. The color commentator: “I’ve never seen a hitter do that.”
Fucking Vidro, ruining our streak of 2 out singles. That is just selfish play right there.
One might even call such hitting unprofessional.
Thought that was kinda funny, too.
You think our wonderful broadcasters could begin the inning with something other than “Our builtgreen.net score, there is no score?’
Batista looks like he is letting go of the ball almost behind or next to his head. Has he always done this, or is this new release point some part of his new secret?
The commentators are talking about the release point, and that without the arm extension you can’t get a good look and it could throw timing off.
Batista’s no hitter, ruined!
Just the other day I was watching the Rockies and Todd Helton made a play on a ball exactly like that. I said to myself there is no way Richie makes that play, guess I was right.
57. He hasn’t had a lot of time to adjust his approach, considering his skills seemed to have started tanking during last year.
No hitter just broken up. Sad is it not?
That was awesome.
Ichiro!
Ichiro!!!
great catch by ichiro
Hopefully this isn’t the time that Pronk discovers how to hit again.
OMG, Batista nearly gave up 2 hits, we need to come out of the dugout to talk to him.
Burned.
I totally take that back.
Stupid line drive hitter! More power and that would’ve hooked foul.
Uh-oh…hope we didn’t anger the baseball gods by wondering what happened to Hafner!
Ichiro!!!
Whew!
Why, oh why, do people continue to run on Ichiro? Didn’t they learn yesterday?
He managed to walk 102 times last year, so it seems like he’s adjusting to his hypothetical decline just fine. My point is that his numbers don’t line up in a way that says he’s undoubtedly over the hill. 2006 was his high-water mark, but I don’t think his current performance necessarily represents his current skill set.
It’s okay to take a pitch, Clement.
The Mariners seem to be trying hard to keep Byrd’s pitch count low.
I agree.
The poor guy’s 37 and has, by now, figured out that HGH isn’t going to work, so a little mercy is in order.
in the Battle of The Crap Offenses, I think the indians may be winning.
87 – Batista looks good though.
Someone should tell the Indians’ announcers that Barcelona is in Spain, not Brazil.
Thumbs down for the attempted hit-and-run. Thumbs up for not attempting it with Raul again.
Is that really a Mariner I see on second base?
So I guess the plate discipline approach was just the theme for April then?
And another 12-pitch inning for Byrd.
Wow, Blake really dug that ball out of the ground.
I really like Beltre, but I wish he’d quit doing that. It’s embarassing.
Didn’t the Ms watch the playoffs last year? Byrd beat the Yankees, because they were aggressive early in the count. The Red Sox, though, waited him out and made him look like the mediocre back of the rotation guy he is. He wants you to put his stuff in play, because he sure as hell isn’t going to strike too many batters out.
Byrd has thrown, what, 30 pitches this game?
Just 9 pitches this inning. He was throwing strikes to Sexson, though.
What’s Sexson going to do? Hit it? Hah.
sigh.
to answer my own question, I think the Ms are back to being inexplicably baffled by Byrd.
Hafner: “I’m going to draw a walk now just to prove Benne wrong! (sticks out tongue)”
Beltre’d!
Mr. Amazing!
Beltre shows off his Gold Glove qualifications.
A pitchers’ duel between Miguel Batista and Paul Byrd? Both lineups oughtta be ashamed of themselves.
woohoo! a walk!
We have a Boom Boom sighting. I take it Johjima will be catching now?
Hooray for plate discipline. Maybe Clement will have an effect like Fukudome in Chicago.
Starting now.
Willie planning on getting thrown out by 3 feet again? Hoping for a lucky call.
Maybe it’s just me, but shouldn’t we use Cairo to run here, in case we have to replace an outfielder later?
Damn, Wlad took some ugly hacks there.
Wlad bunt? Way to know your players Mac.
Why pinch run if your not going to run? Clement can stand on first just fine on his own.
Wlad definitely took a couple of nasty hacks. Great to see some plate discipline by Clement though. Can’t wait to see him uncorked.
You knew that was going to happen.
God, I hate stealing with 2 outs in a high-leverage situation.
Great job Princess
McLaren sucks at calling steals.
Say what you want about WFB, but damn it’s nice to have a guy like that running the base paths. it just creates so many opportunities for us!
William Bloomquist, Pinch Runner Extraordinaire, with the caught stealing!
Wow…how do you spell rally killer?
WFB?
Out by 10 feet?
Jeez…
So who will replace Clement? Johjima? He probably won’t get to bat as it is.
wtf? Why are you stealing second with 2 outs and Ichiro up?
You know, for a 1-0 game, this sure is not very exciting.
I’m pretty sure the graphic they just showed had Sizemore in 3-2 counts as 1-8 with a HR and 8 BB. By my maths that is about a .500 OBP.
Sims describes this as: “not efficient.”
I love how Blowers said it was smart to run Willie because it didn’t matter if he got thrown out since Ichiro would lead off the 9th…. No understanding of run expectancy at all…
btw, Burke is catching tomorrow, per McLaren
Hopefully that means Clement will be the DH and not Vidro…
So, Clement at DH then? I hope so…
Don’t make Jose bunt, don’t make Jose bunt…
Betancourt is uncomfortable with being a closer. That is not his role, says Eric Wedge.
Advantage: Mariners.
Lopez bunt…
Cleveland could have had Perez face Ichiro there, but I guess the “closer mentality” means that they had to use Betancourt for the entire inning!
Ichiro on first in the ninth. Lopez at the plate. This situations sounds familiar….
Well the Mariners seem to be uncomfortable hitting. So I guess it evens out.
If he decides to steal, it is better to steal with 1 or 2 strikes on Lopez.
Just saw this on the box score refresh on my computer. Please tell me Lopez isn’t bunting here. Or I am going to be very upset.
Earn some U’s!
1 out and a LHB up to bat – not a good time to steal.
Which means he will probably get sent…
Which means he will probably get sent…
Which means he will probably get sent…
That helps…
Finally, down to second.
At least the double play is off now.
moot.
now steal 3rd! Ibby can get the ball in the air.
Hooray for crappy defense!
OK, I take it back. This inning is actually interesting.
Oh to be lucky.
Man, I was going to suggest looking to steal …
what happened?
…but I wasn’t going to suggest he go unless he was pretty confident. But whatever, it worked out.
Bwahahahahah! Screw your shutout Cleveland.
Ichiro tried to steal 3rd, the throw was going to be in time but Blake tried to apply the tag before he had the ball. The ball glanced off his glove and went down the LF line, and Ichiro was able to score.
Wow, it must suck to be watching this game as a Cleveland fan right now. Wild pitch, “steal”, error. Haha.
Offense, thy name is Ichiro. As you go, it goes.
Ichi tried to steal, lloked like he would have been out, but Blake tried to snatch the throw too quickly and it went by him. Ichi scored.
When did Borowski get off the DL?
You can’t make that suggestion. Ichiro is God in these parts.
Stop swinging at Ball 4 Turbo.
thank you naviomela and G-man.
Isn’t it less useful to attempt to steal with two strikes and two outs? A runner will be successful a certain percentage of the time, but a pickoff or pitch-out has a negative affect on their chances. Since two strikes decreases number of outcomes that can result in the runner stealing or being out , while the chances of a pitch-out or pickoff remain the same, doesn’t having two strikes and two outs increase the chance of the runner being out because the chances of a pitch-out/pickoff are now larger in relation to the chance of a runner successfully stealing a base? Maybe it’s too small to make a difference, but in situations where the defense is protecting against a steal, it could be important.
The demand for Putz increases with every Cleveland blown save.
Can Bavasi call a mulligan and DFA vidro and recall Norton? Is that allowed in the CBA?
Grit R Done Rhodes!
Can someone tell me what the purpose of DFAing someone is? Couldn’t you just trade, demote or release someone without first giving yourself a time limit. I feel really stupid asking this but I don’t know the exact rule/reasoning.
Leaving in Rhodes vs. Martinez?
David, I’m sure there are a lot of variables to consider and you’ve hit on a couple. My thinking is that where a count makes it more likely for the pitcher to throw a ball (such as with 1 or 2 strikes), the increased likelihood of a ball that is not easy to catch (and throw) increases and the runner has a better chance of stealing.
naviomelo- Martinez is a switch hitter.
what is a better option, naviomelo? I’m sincerely asking.
although it is against The Book, I prefer to use your best pitcher in a tie game. Putz pitching the 10th and possible 11th gives the team 2 more innings to get a run.
167-
Takes the player off the roster immediately so they can be replaced, then the team has ten days to figure out how to handle the player. Team is still on the hook for the contract.
My mistake. I didn’t realize I was only looking at Martinez’s splits for 2008.
Has anyone noticed that Hafner’s OPS decreased from 2006 to 2007 and his OPS thus far in 2008 is below that of 2007?
What gives?
Sweet. Sexson, Joh, and Wlad. I guess we’re hoping for a two out rally.
Good time for #300, Richie…
DICK SEXSON!!! Can we please stop riding this guy? Let’s not do what we did to Shaun Alexander.
Sexson, you old bastard!
Damn!
That looked like legit bat speed from Sexy Dick. Been quite some time.
Perhaps there is still hope. Uncle Lee can fix anything fixable, just give him time.
Let’s see if JJ can throw a strike.
I propose a 1 month ban on Richie bashing. He has earned it.
So far, so good.
How about two games.. I can probably do two games. One month is a long time.
Wish we wouldn’t have put in Princess to pinch run.
Shaun did a lot more for Seattle sports than Sexson, in my opinion.
Great blast by the big guy, though.
And who was it that called that 4-for-5 night from Ichiro!. You were damn close.
No question, Shaun is in the top five Seattle athletes of all time. Easy.
I smell karma.
Love what Sexson did there, but it’s not worth more than a week.
Finish it, JJ!
What’s up with JJ? Velocity is down, can’t throw a strike…I am getting concerned.
Son of a bitch.
JJ must have been reviewing some old Bobby Ayala tapes while he was on the DL.
Why don’t we have infielders like Asdrubal Cabrera in our org?
Oh wait…
Pitcher’s best friend, please.
COME
On
GUY!
C’mon, JJ, find your mojo. Fight through it baby.
Dear Joel Skinner,
Please make another stupid call like last year.
Your pal,
PMC
BS number 2, but it could have been worse.
JJ ain’t right. Isn’t Norm supposed to notice stuff like that when he’s warming up?
188: NOT A CHANCE. Shaun had what, 1 1/2 good seasons?
here are just a few off the top of my head that have meant more!
1. edgar
2. griffey
3. the glove
4. nate mcmillan
5. largent
6. hasselbeck
I am sick of watching JJ Putz blow leads. I was there last Friday where he almost blew a four run lead, and now this. I wish Morrow had stayed in there. Walk in the tying run… you have to be freaking kidding me.
We can’t waste big home runs from Richie. They don’t come that often anymore.
I’m sorry.. it was Saturday. Oh, and I was there for the second game where he blew the lead. I think I might just be bad luck to him. What has happened to him?
From what I was seeing on MLB.com’s GameDay, it looked like Putz needed to warm up a little longer in the bullpen. Either that, or it’s still February weather in Cleveland.
Oh, well, by the time the inning ended, his pitching looked hot…
202: Shaun Alexander is 13th on the All-time Touchdown list. Reggie Miller is 13th on the NBA scoring list, MICKEY MANTLE on the alltime hr list. Give me a break. Shaun is way better then Hasslebeck and mcmillian
Indeed, much worse Rick L…GO M’s!
So.. who do you think they’ll bring out next inning?
Well, JJ’s back, but he’s obviously not back. Damn this is a good game. Bring out Beltre the sketchy masseuse for the happy ending.
Nick Adenhart making his ML debut against Oakland right now.
Any idiot who thinks Alexander is not one of the Top 10 athletes in Seattle pro sports history needs his “fan license” revoked. Maybe not the toughest runner of all-time.
Perhaps there’s a reason the person who wrote he sucked is on a baseball blog.
How many really good starts have the M’s pitchers had that didn’t result in the starting pitcher not getting a win? Too many would be the answer.
sigh. so JJ struggled in his outing saturday, mostly due to the long lay-off.
He then sat for another 5 days.
If that was a fastball it would have been a strike. That’s where the two that the Cleveland announcers were complaining about were.
Shaun Alexander was a great, great Seahawk.
But calling him “way better” than Hasselbeck is silly, and shows no regard for how much harder it is to be a great quarterback than great running back.
What the hell is he doing.. goes 0-2 and then six straight balls?
[this is not a board]
This team frustrates me to no end. They seem to be finding a way to lose each of these games…. UURGGGGHHH!!!
Looks like we get to play bases loaded 1 out again… I am assuming they IBB to get them loaded.
Adam Jones wouldn’t have gotten to that.
218, that’s “John Clayton, Dammit!” to you
Curious… why would you not walk this guy to set up the double play?
Never mind.
Brian Bannister on the importance of throwing strikes and getting ahead of the hitter:
Question to myself: Does a hitter have the same BABIP in a 2-1 count that he does in an 0-2, 1-2, or 2-2 count? How does his batting average and OBP/SLG/OPS differ when he has two strikes on him vs zero or one strike?
These are the type of questions that I will come up with and employ in my starts to see if I can improve my outings. For example, here are my career numbers in the counts mentioned above:
2-1: .380 (19/50)
1-2: .196 (20/102)
2-2: .171 (18/105)
0-2: .057 (3/53)
DP, DP, DP, DP, DP, DP, Dp, DP, DP, DP, DP, DP, DP…
Because they’d rather get him 1-2 and hit him instead.
I really want to step outside for a smoke, but I don’t want to miss a single pitch either. This turned out to be a pretty good game.
On nights like this, I hate baseball. Sigh.
The good news is that the Angels are losing. However, the bad news is, that means the A’s are winning (4-0).
A double extra-large to go?
How frustrating would it be for Cleveland fans to have the bases loaded twice in a tie game and not score?
I am really starting to think that my heart can’t take this… seriously.
Never mind. The bull pen sucks.
Is the Indians “we just won” song This Is Our Country, seriously?
That’s a tough one to swallow.
That’s two losses, almost three, already this season, purely because of JJ Putz. How frustrating. If he keeps it up what do you think they’ll do?
puke
When the season started I was thinking “man, i don’t think this team is ever gonna lose a game” now it’s more like “wow I wonder who is gonna blow the game tonight” or “I don’t think i should watch the game, I’ll just get pissed off”
Meh. We got owned by Paul friggin’ Byrd. We didn’t deserve to win this game.
Please add Mark Lowe to the long list of graduates of the “Seattle Mariner School of Being a Good Prospect who CAN NOT handle The Show!”
Mark Lowe
Eric O’Flarhety
Travis Blakely
Clint Nageotte
Ryan Anderson
Anyone have some others?
In all of this drama, we shouldn’t overlook Vidro’s 0-4 performance.
Clement did okay as a catcher, from what I saw, which wasn’t the whole game.
Crazy thing. The Angels just came back from a 4 run deficit.
Your Seattle Mariners….Viva La Suck
So what now? We called up our two best offensive ready propects…..Our starting pitching is one of the best in the AL……
What else can the organization do? Maybe trade for the Angels AAA team that started the season 21-1?
Quick. Tampa Bay is in first place!
Someone remind me why we were supposed to be glad when McClaren took over for Grover?
1 and freaking 8 in one run games!!!
Fine, Putz sucked through the first part of the 10th, but then he gets it together for two great strike outs to end the inning. So of course, take him out and put in Mark Lowe. Way to read the momentum of the game, Micky.
It must take a lifetime in baseball to come up with such brilliant managing.
Free Jeremy Reed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reed with another HR tonight for Tacoma:
.385 4HR 16 Rbi’s 1.100 OPS
2008 Jeremy Reed = 2003 Scott Podsednik minus Speed ?
Lineup:
CF Ichiro
2B Lopez
DH Ibanez
3B Beltre
C Clement
1B Sexson
RF Balentien
LF Reed
SS Betancourt
Reed in LF improves our OF defense. Everyone knows that 1.100 OPS isn’t sustainable, but I’m sure his bat would be some kind of upgrade over Vidro’s.
Y’know, JJ kind of came out of nowhere. It would be kind of fitting if (not saying he is though) he just fell off a cliff.
And then they fell behind by nine. Funny, who’d of thought that having a pitcher make his major league debut as a starter on three days rest was anything other than an inspired idea?
This game should a be slump-breaker for Jack Cust. His line is already better, if no less bizarre than before: .211/.417/.338.
1 and freaking 8 in one run games!!!
Go look at this year’s Pythag record. Compare and contrast to last year. Karma’s a bitch.
Fine, Putz sucked through the first part of the 10th, but then he gets it together for two great strike outs to end the inning. So of course, take him out and put in Mark Lowe. Way to read the momentum of the game, Micky.
You did notice how many pitches Putz threw that inning, right? And that his fastball velocity was down to 94 from his usual 96-98, and he couldn’t spot it (he was K’ing guys off of his split when he got a feel for it later in the inning)? Why would you think that the best way to handle someone looking a bit shaky off an injury is to REALLY overwork him?
That’s the Dusty Baker/Billy Martin approach.
boy – i really feel bad for the M’s … they really can’t get the job done. I hope Johnny Mac threw the post game food table or something…
The number of high leverage at-bats in the last couple of innings of this game was just craaaaazy.
Weird fact:
That wasn’t just Sexson’s 300th HR, it was also his 100th in a Seattle uniform. Despite sucking for over a year, he reached 100 HRs in just 463 games, fewer games than any other Mariner. It took ARod 470 games to hit 100 homers.
Also– outfield assist leaderboard, all players since 2001: Vlad 74, Beltran 73, Ichiro 70.
You’re rignt , they should have put in Mark Lowe. He’s so much more proven. Sorry, just don’t buy into the belief that playing a good pitcher more that one inning is OVERWORKING him just because he’s struggled. Yeah, he looked shakey, and then he buckled down and got results.
Regardless, I’m sure we both them to win, I just get frustrated with managers using the revolving door of the bullpen so much.
He didn’t come out of nowhere. He learned to throw a really good splitter.
Re: #s 121, 122, 124, 127
William Bloomquist, Pinch Runner Extraordinaire…!
Weren’t you folks listening when McLaren said that we’re going to run ourselves out of more innings than we did last
year ?
(Something like that.)
BTW, according to MB, Willie’s CS was the mother of “productive outs.”
However, I can certainly belive playing a good pitcher more than one inning is overworking him because he’s coming back from injury.
Hey, it could be worse. You could lead the entire game and then have your closer give up 3 runs in the 9th (in part due to misplays in the outfield) and end up losing 4-3, like the Cubs did against the Brewers. Not surprisingly, Lou didn’t take that well.
Please add Mark Lowe to the long list of graduates of the “Seattle Mariner School of Being a Good Prospect who CAN NOT handle The Show!”
When the season started I was thinking “man, i don’t think this team is ever gonna lose a game” now it’s more like “wow I wonder who is gonna blow the game tonight” or “I don’t think i should watch the game, I’ll just get pissed off”
Some of you need to get a grip on baseball reality. If you really were THAT jacked up about the M’s at the beginning of the year then…oof.
First off, Ryan Anderson never “made it at THE SHOW!!!!1111″ because he was injured. EOF and Lowe are good pitchers. It’s baseball, man, not the NFL. These guys play 162 games. 162. There are going to be peaks and valleys. Mark Lowe is not going play terrible all year (barring an injury), just like Ichiro isn’t going to bat .260.
[also off-topic]