Comments on: The larger issues

By: Mike Snow

Mike Snow — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 04:22:52 +0000

Good news for joser, we can have some GM discussion. The AP has a story out about how Armstrong says the Mariners are going to be "color blind" and, significantly in this case, "gender blind" about bringing "some fresh thinking" into the organization.

By: joser

joser — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:05:42 +0000

Sorry. It just seems like this has been going on for days already. I realize that’s not really true, but other than the game thread this is the 5th post in a row related to the “somebody said somebody hates Ichiro” gossip cycle. I know it’s not going to go on like this for weeks; I’m just saying I won’t be reading much while it does. Hey, it is your blog and you’re not getting paid so it has to run on passion; whatever gets you motivated to write is what you should be writing about. This is just a topic that doesn’t interest me at all (I have a low tolerance for soap operas of any sort, real or fictional — it’s why I never watch reality TV or “The Office” or “ER” etc and it’s why I pretty much stopped reading fiction over a decade ago). I appreciate what USSM does, particularly when it deepens my understanding of some aspect of the game. But I realize sometimes you can’t do that because you have to react to what is going on in the Marinerverse, and sometimes those are things are going to be the soap opera side of the game. And I know that appeals to a lot of people (as the popularity of soap-ish programming reveals); I’m a bit of an outlier on this issue and I understand that. You write about what matters to you; I read what matters to me. Most of the time, the two coincide. This time, not so much.

So I was just registering a bit of displeasure at seeing so many posts in a row on the topic and a hope (however badly expressed) that USSM would soon be returning to the kinds of topics that kept me coming back over the past few years. And judging from Dave’s Bedard article, it already has.

By: BringUpBalentien

BringUpBalentien — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:57:00 +0000

Just looking at the title of this post, I thought it might be about the offseason, or the future in general, in which case the larger problem would definitely be Silva.

By: msb

msb — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:52:12 +0000

We’re a week away from the end of the regular season, and we haven’t read a good GM article in ages. Who’s on the list? Who’s available, and what other options are out there for candidates? That’s the kind of thing that’ll matter to the franchise.

coming next:
Part 4 | Saturday: The Ownership
Part 5 | Sunday: GM and manager

By: DMZ

DMZ — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:41:45 +0000

I’ll keep checking USSM every day but until I see articles like those described in DMZ’s penultimate paragraph, I’m not going to be reading much at all, I’m afraid.

Joser, I appreciate what you’re saying, and I’ve always taken your comments seriously. I don’t get this, though. Of all the content we’ve written this year, in all our years, this is a blip. Are you really afraid that we’re going to be talking about this continuously for a couple weeks, never to return to the kind of other content we do all the time?

I feel like we should have earned a little more faith than that.

By: scraps

scraps — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:20:58 +0000

Ichiro is very very respected in the clubhouse, yes as a player but most of all as a teammate. He is a class act, a true professional, and has so much respect for the game of baseball. Any player who gives you 200 hits every year, who is never on the DL , and who plays amazing defense is hardly selfish. And any teammate of a guy like that who has a problem needs to seriously step back and look at what they’re saying. I just can’t picture any one of my teammates feeling what was said in that article, and it is a real shame that the public has a reason to feel negative about a player like that . A guy who could never ever be replaced on any team.

That’s Ryan Rowland-Smith. I assume no one’s going to suggest this is more media-handling, what-do-you-expect-him-to-say stuff.

By: smb

smb — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:20:00 +0000

I noticed he used ass instead of arse. Americanized Aussie! RRS is a class act and I, too, hope to see him going deep into games next year and for many seasons to come.

Go Rays! Go Brewers!

Hear Hear!!

By: scraps

scraps — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:17:03 +0000

Nobody’s saying Baker made it up. Where does that come from?

By: joser

joser — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:15:57 +0000

Nice Pulp Fiction reference… The movie this is reminding me of is less Quinten Tarantino and more Lindsay Lohan. Seriously, between the supposedly professional press, the players, the bloggers, and the fans, this whole thing reminds me of nothing more the petty intrigues of prepubescent girls. I have nieces, I don't need to get this in my blog diet too, thank you. I'll keep checking USSM every day but until I see articles like those described in DMZ's penultimate paragraph, I'm not going to be reading much at all, I'm afraid. Fortunately there's real baseball being played elsewhere in the country, and that gives me something I want to pay attention to. Go Rays! Go Brewers!

By: bakomariner

bakomariner — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:55:13 +0000

RRS is quickly becomming one of my favorite Ms…great blog, great interviews, great on the field…

Really looking forward to him in the rotation full-time…hopefully for years to come…