Game 46, Mariners at Athletics
Jakubauskas v Anderson. If you’re reading this, it means that I didn’t get back from my bike ride in time to post the lineups and open a beer before the game. I’m a little sorry.
Minor League Wrap (5/18-24/09)
I’ll be around for a little while to answer questions today, but I’m flying out to New York again in the afternoon, so if you’re asking later on in the evening, I won’t answer it until Tuesday at the earliest.
Game 45, Giants at Mariners
Order up! One favorable matchup for the M’s and it’s Felix Day against a lineup he should carve through, on a beautiful day in Seattle. Wooo!
Arrrrggghh!
#@$@#%!!!
#$@%#$^*&$%*((#$@%(@#!! *#$%! Re-$!@##!@-diculous!!
I still can’t believe that game.
Game 44, Giants at Mariners
“I was thinking, if we’re going to be judged on our performance, we have to be able to throw against our own team. It’s only fair.”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t want to go into contract negotiations next year and try to explain that my comparable pitchers got to face my team, while I’m out there getting hit around by the Rangers.”
“Absolutely. We do get the Angels and A’s, though.”
“Angels post-Vlad aren’t going to be Angels pre-Vlad. Lucky suckers who drew them early in the season. I’m saying, it should be adjusted or we should all be given a couple of extra starts against teams of our own offensive — sorry, hang on — what’s up, skip?”
“Washburn’s knee is bugging him. You’re pitching against the Giants tonight.”
“Woo-hoo!”
Game 43, Giants at Mariners
I’m posting super-early because yesterday’s got caught in “draft” and never went out, and that was bad.
It’s nice to see Randy back. And just to pre-empt trolling, here’s the link to “Refuting the Randy Johnson quit on us canard“. Vargas takes the start for the M’s.
Welcome Back, Randy
I don’t have time for a long, waxing, poetic post on the greatness of Randy Johnson. I wish I did, though, because he was the guy that made the Mariners of the 1990s both interesting and great. I was at his 19 strikeout game when McGwire hit the ball 600 feet at the Kingdome. I was at a lot of Randy Johnson starts, because every time he took the hill, it was an event.
I loved watching Randy Johnson pitch, and I hated watching him leave. I hope he gets a standing ovation tonight, and he pitches like its 1995 again.
Welcome back to Seattle, Randy. You’ll always be my favorite.
Game 42, Angels at Mariners
Saunders vs Bedard.
The newest Yuni rumor
Baker tosses out another Betancourt trade rumor, this time tying him to San Diego and throwing the names Chase Headley and Matt Antonelli out as potential returns.
I’ll just state flat out that there’s no chance – zero, zilch, none – that the Padres would trade Headley for Betancourt. That’s not happening.
Antonelli for Betancourt isn’t out of the realm of possibility, though. It’s at least feasible, assuming the Padres actually would be willing to give up something for Yuni. They’re a statistically oriented front office, so they’re well aware of his UZR, I’m sure. It’s hard for me to imagine that a team that employs Paul DePodesta would be trying to acquire Yuni, but perhaps he’s just getting overruled on this one.
As for Antonelli, he’s a third baseman trying to play second base, and not doing it very well. He’s a patient right-handed bat with gap power who had a miserable year in Triple-A last year and is off to a terrible start this year as well, suffering a leg injury in spring training that cost him the first month of the season and failing to hit in the last couple of weeks since he came off the DL. He’s the kind of player the M’s could use in their system, though – draws walks and plays the infield, but unfortunately, he’s right-handed. He’s a much better fit defensively at third than second, however, where his ability to turn the double play is highly questionable.
He’s a lower upside guy who could use another few months in Triple-A, but he’d be a pretty decent return for Yuni. Would the Padres make that deal? I doubt it, but you never know. Unlike with Chase Headley, it’s not totally ridiculous.
Yay, we won
Nice to see the defense, Yuni included, make some nice plays tonight. Effort is ridiculously hard to discern through a television (or, in my case, a laptop screen), but it sure seemed like he was running a lot harder than usual, both on defense and on the base paths. I couldn’t believe he got to that ball up the middle – he hasn’t been within a few feet of similar ground balls earlier this year.
Oh, and I just want to throw this out there, since I know that the team’s struggles with RISP will lead to some inevitable comments about the team not coming through with clutch hits and failing to “do their job” when they had men on base.
Ichiro, Griffey, Branyan: 3 for 9, 3 walks, .333/.500/.444 for the night
The six RHBs: 2 for 20, 1 walk, .100/.142/100 for the night
The three left handed bats in the line-up had no problems getting on base against Santana/Arredondo. The six right handed bats were useless.
I know it’s beating a dead horse, but if the Mariners want to score more runs, they have to replace one or two of Beltre/Lopez/Betancourt/Johjima/Gutierrez/Balentien with left-handed hitters. These guys can’t hit right handed pitching. Having six automatic outs in the line-up is going to lead to a lot of wasted rallies. Change the roster or change the expectations – there’s no reason to complain about these guys failing to do something they’re incapable of doing.