Today’s M’s action
DMZ · March 19, 2009 at 10:59 am · Filed Under Mariners
Sure, the M’s-Cubs game at one is probably where most starters will be, but the nightcap against the hated Padres at seven is where we get to see if Griffey’s knee is so healthy he might exceed defensive expectations, because he’ll be in left! Also, there may be a sighting of some dude we’re unreasonable fans of.
Alas, that nightcap game on FSN will be competing with both the first-ever home opener for the Sounders and Yet Another Korea-Japan National Honor deathmatch (albeit this one for “seeding” to see who gets to face the US and who gets to face the South American Mariners).
Looks like I need more TVs. Will have to find a sports bar that doesn’t have all its TVs tuned to random National Boringball Association games….
DOYLE!!!!!
joser: It also will be competing with the nightcap of the first day of NCAA March Madness. At least that you can watch free on the Web…freeing up your clicker for baseball.
This evenings broadcasts are truly a marvel of mediocrity. I think the Sounders game takes the cake, although the only thing more boring than the NBA is American soccer.
By the way, does it bother anybody else that the USA has played Venezuela three times (two times in meaningless fashion) and Korea has met Japan four times with an equal number of moot competitions. I support the WBC, but this format rivals the BCS as far as sheer stupidity goes.
you gotta forgive me for this, but every time I see that name expressed that way, in my mind it’s yelled by “Lt. Mitch Kelleway” (Peter Reigert)
who probably borrowed it from “Sgt. Vince Carter” (Frank Sutton)
either way, good stuff.
You know, I thought about that but once I verified the Huskies’ game would be over by then I dropped it — forgetting that a bunch of other games would still be going on. I just don’t get March Madness. At all. It’s about as exciting as a golf tournament to me. Honestly, I was more interested in the Canadian Ladies Curling Championship up in Victoria a couple of weeks ago. Seriously.
Actually, I’m looking forward to the Sounders game and I’m not much of a footie fan — but my neighborhood bar is full of ‘goooooaaaaaal’-heads (almost all of them native-born, FWIW) and I expect it will be a fun group to watch the game with. (Plus I’m sure I can get them to put the M’s game on the backup screen unless some crazed NCAA brackethead gets there ahead of me).
Yeah, I half-heartedly tried to defend that last game of each round a few days ago but really, it’s just lame. It’s anticlimactic, nobody cares, and we still have to worry about people getting hurt. They should just fall back on runs scored – runs against or whatever to determine the seeding and skip that game.
I’m hoping that the look on Junior’s face as he struck out is indicative of him realizing he’s not going to be a leftfielder this season. He looked, charitably, winded.
Your boy is in the game now, playing in right field.
My selected highlights from Junior Night: Junior circling in left field like Raul until he finally got under the first ball hit to him. And then there was the bobbled pick up of a routine hit…and his gracious exit, with our on-air talent asking, “Is he limping?”
This is going to get old, fast. (No pun intended.)
Oooo…Phillipe Aumont sighting…and a rough inning that ends better than it could have.
Looks like he’s gotten a great tan down there, though.
Sprinkles the typing monkey!
I love Mariners baseball!!!
I was at both games today, flew in from Norfolk, VA on Monday night…but i’ve most impressed with the play of Mike Wilson and Tyson Gillies.
Come on Guys, take a night to dig it!
ZAGS! WOO!
SOUNDERS! WOO!
THE M’S HAVE A TEAM THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY DO SOME DAMAGE THIS YEAR! WOO!
We’ve got the next 6 months to argue with each other and analyze the M’s, why not have a little fun before Opening Day?
Or give the team that didn’t have to go through the losers bracket the higher seed. Seems like there should be some reward for winning both your games.
Mike Wilson has looked good; but is this just “spring training numbers†or is there a decent chance he’ll end up > 0.5 WAR (that he’s projected on the Future 40)?
I was looking at Wilson’s numbers after looking him up on the Future 40. I can see why he is only 0.5 WAR. He has struck out a lot, doesn’t make much contact, and last year when he had a somewhat decent BA in AA, his BABIP was unsustainably high.
If he learns to be a little more selective (where have we heard that before relating to a Mariner?) maybe he could develop into a low average but high power guy who would be useful. He might need two years at AAA though.
Maybe arguing with each other and analyzing the M’s is HOW we have a little fun? I sit back and let the game wash over me (except for the occasional tactical dispute about bunting strategy or relief pitching), but I’m sorry: I can’t spend the other 21 hours of the day sitting around with my brain off like a drooling houseplant or clapping at everything like a trained seal. And if that’s what I wanted, there are plenty of places to get it — I wouldn’t be here at USSM.
I watched the Sounders game in a bar full of fervent futball fans — it was as crowded, and as noisy, as it was during the Superbowl. Lots of fun. (And we even had the Japan-Korea game up on the other screen for a couple of us die-hards). Afterwards, we switched over to the M’s game just in time to catch Griffey’s last, unproductive at-bat. The contrast between the aging and ineffectual former “Kid” and the sensational and charismatic new one — Fredy Montero — made the night feel like a real changing of the guard.
Check out our new base-stealing threat — Russ Branyan! Woo Hoo!