Game 111, Rays at Mariners

August 9, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 123 Comments 

Kazmir v RRS. DH-0 Sweeney makes another baffling appearance… and at #4 in the order. Also, a Johjima sighting!

Game 110, Rays at Mariners

August 8, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 79 Comments 

Shields vs. Snell, 7:10.

For those who weren’t able to join us for the event tonight, I’m queueing this up early, so no lineups yet. Behave yourselves.

USSM Goes To Safeco, Final Reminder

August 8, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 18 Comments 

We’re about seven hours from the USSM event at Safeco tonight. Last minute details.

Suggested gathering time is 5 pm outside the home plate gate at Safeco Field. Just north of that gate, there will be a sandwich board with an arrow pointing to the door you will use for entrance to the pre-game Q&A. The event starts at 5:15, and it will take a little while to get everyone in the room, so try to get there a few minutes early if you can. Make sure you have your tickets, obviously.

Also, no audio/video recording will be allowed. If you were planning on bringing a device that allowed you to record the event, don’t. We’ll take it away from you and give it back after the Q&A is over if you bring it, but don’t make us hassle with that – just leave it at home.

Last minute questions, drop them in the thread, and we’ll try to answer them before we take off for the park.

Game 109, Rays at Mariners

August 7, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 99 Comments 

FELIX DAYYYYYYY!

7:05, vs Niemann.

More or less std Bloomquist II-catching lineup.

Also, from Baker, Bedard’s toast. Nice writeup here.

Fister replaces Vargas

August 7, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 6 Comments 

As was noted in various quarters last night, Doug Fister was pulled after one inning from his start for the Rainiers. Initially it seemed like this might be because Vargas was simultaneously getting shelled, so the team thought it would need an emergency arm to spell the bullpen. So when Wakamatsu kept Vargas out there for 7 innings, the urgency seemed to have passed.

Today, however, it turns out that Fister is being brought up anyway, with Vargas being optioned to Tacoma. Fister, a 7th-round pick in 2006, is tall but relies more on good command (just 11 walks this year) than velocity. As a righthanded groundball pitcher instead of a flyball lefty, he’s basically the opposite of the guys currently filling out the rotation. Nevertheless, he’ll likely have a similar career as a back-end starter or long reliever, although we don’t know yet in which capacity he’s to be used in the immediate future.

Griffey, comparatively

August 7, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 33 Comments 

In comments here, people sometimes compare Griffey to other recent DH occupants. So!

Griffey 2009, in 329 PA: .221/.331/.393
Vidro 2008, in 330 PA: .234/.274/.338 (and then was released)
Everett 2006, in 343 PA: .227/.297/.360 (and then was released)

See? It could be a lot worse.

Report From Burlington

August 7, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 17 Comments 

Last night, the M’s Appalachian league team from Pulaski squared off against the Burlington Royals in a double-header. With a chance to catch a couple of games at once, I headed over to the park to watch Gabriel Noriega, Jharmidy De Jesus, and Steve Baron and get a first hand look at some of the M’s younger prospects.

Noriega can really play shortstop. This isn’t news – all the scouting reports on him say the same thing. The kid can pick it. How he’s hit three home runs though, is beyond me – the swing isn’t conducive to power at all, and he’s probably 160 pounds with absolutely no upper body strength. The bat is still a big question mark for me, but the glove is legit.

Baron… read above. His footwork behind the plate was impressive, he’s got a really good catch-and-release, strong arm – the physical tools for him to be a top notch defensive catcher are there. But man, the swing… it needs to be overhauled. He won’t hit without a lot of work. He’s going to have to put in a ton of time improving his offensive game, because his glove is way ahead of his bat right now.

The pleasant surprise of the day was LHP Ricky Ortiz, a 21-year-old whose lower half probably weighs 200 pounds. He’s not going to win any sprint contests, but he’s got a decent fastball (90-92), a curve that showed good break, and good command of both pitches for his level of experience. He can move the fastball in an out, and he throws the breaking ball to both righties and lefties – it’s a good second pitch.

Overall, though, one guy impressed more than the rest. Clearly, the best guy I saw in Burlington was Carmen Fusco. He’s a little old for the league, at 56, but he’s got the kind of make-up that you just can’t teach. It’s pretty rare to find a five tool director of pro scouting, but Fusco oozes the confidence of an Italian and matches it with a keen eye and a sharp wit, plus the endurance of a true warrior. He’s easily the most promising Italian pro scouting director I’ve seen in the Appy League – I think he could be going places. Keep an eye on that Fusco kid – he’s a good one.

Game 108, Mariners at Royals

August 6, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 77 Comments 

Hey look, Bruce Chen is still in the majors. Well, I shouldn’t say still, he’s left-handed and just thirty-two, so odds are he could be around for a while yet.

In other Mariners-related news, Shelton cleared waivers and will be suiting for Tacoma shortly and Michael Saunders has a somewhat altered batting stance that he credits for his success this series. I credit facing the Royals without having to go up against Greinke or Meche, but that works too. It hasn’t helped him move up in the lineup though: he’s ninth again tonight.

Lineup:
RF Ichiro!
1B Branyan
2B Lopez
DH Sweeney
3B Beltre
CF Gutierrez
SS The Good J. Wilson
C Johnson
LF Saunders

Bedard and waivers

August 5, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 30 Comments 

Hey, Rule Monger Derek here. In Baker’s article about players likely to be moved by the end of the month, in talking about Bedard he mentions this:

I’d be surprised if the Mariners haven’t tried to put him through waivers already.

To add to that article: I’d be surprised if they had. Here’s why: you can’t request a waiver on a player until they’ve been on the DL as long as they have to be on the DL (ie, for a 15-day DL guy… yeah). Bedard went back on the DL 7/26, and we’re not past 15 days yet.

Then you have to guarantee that the player has recovered and will perform at their normal level, and there’s no way the M’s are going to do that yet (beyond which, what’s his accustomed level at this point – injured?).

Anyway, it’s all in Rule 10.

Game 107, Mariners at Royals

August 5, 2009 · Filed Under Mariners · 144 Comments 

Washburn 2 vs Davies. Can he out-perform Washburn 1? Shouldn’t be hard.

Bedard’s going badly, per Baker.

No lineups yet, which is annoying.

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