Game Twenty-Eight Recap
Dave · May 6, 2010 at 9:58 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Boo, 11-17.
You don’t need a recap of that. Hyphen sucked, the offense sucked, the defense sucked, Snell sucked, and the weather sucked. So, why should the recap be any different? They get the recap they deserve. When they play like a major league team, they’ll get written up like one. Until then, they get this.
My wife asked me the same thing and I told her “They’re not really this bad. They’re just in a bad slump. They’ll get better”.
She told me denial was not a river in Egypt…and I laughed.
It’s hard to regress to something you’ve never actually done.
Please let the team do something tonight so I can bring myself to attend a game this hopefully nice weekend…
My wife asked me the same thing and I told her “They’re not really this bad. They’re just in a bad slump. They’ll get better”.
She told me denial was not a river in Egypt…and I laughed.
You know, it wouldn’t even be so bad if they could at least compete. This is just horrible to watch, but you know what they say about train wrecks. 🙁
Ichiro trying to get on base 280 times this season in the leadoff spot is the very last thing fans should be complaining about. Seriously. You might as well say Guti isn’t hitting well enough or Fister doesn’t belong in the rotation.
Guti and Ichiro are sadly the only ones on the field I come to watch these days.
The pitching is good but it’s just depressing when you know as soon as that 1 goes up on the board we are screwed.
I am also curious about Ichiro batting third. Maybe Figgy first and Kotchman 2nd with Guti in cleanup.
The rest can “do their best.”
Many teams won’t go after a guy unless they find they are in the playoff hunt in July. Many GM’s won’t offer their max until they see they can’t pry loos3e a comparable player from somewhere else cheaper.I wouldn’t advocate shopping Cliff until at least mid-June. However, if JZ’s phone rings with a GM on caller ID, he’d damn well better take the call.
I just dont know how much longer I can take this team. I’m overweight as it is, and watching them fizzle out every day on offense is enough to get the blood pressure up. Add to that the constant 1 run games and it just gets worse. Throw in Sean White in those 1 run games and I’m going to just go dig a grave to watch the games from…
Yep I think it’s time to take a sabbatical and put myself on the restricted list from watching this team for a week or so.
So the bases are loaded with two outs. Johnson, a hero for even being in the lineup, takes ball four at least three inches inside and it’s called strike three. Imagine Lou was managing this team. Think that ump would have survived? Instead we get Mr. Polite, who blends perfectly with the typical Seattle crowd. Be nice now. I grew up watching the Tigers in Tiger Stadium and the Red Sox at Fenway Park. When I brought my style of loud commentary to the Mariner games it quickly became clear that I was too rude for the polite Seattle fans. So I don’t go to Safeco Field anymore. Not real baseball, not real fans, not real emotion. How can you let an ump take you out of an inning like that and not say something?
I gotta say, it looks to me like the M’s have been more than a little unlucky.
They could have, should have, whatever you wanna say won 2 of the 3 against Texas, win those two and the M’s sit at 13 and 15. They were a sacrifice fly and or a botched squeeze play away from being 12 and 16 and are only 3.5 out at 11-17 so let’s not pack it in yet; being 3.5 out at the beginning of May isn’t insurmountable.
Everyone knows the Rays are a great team playing great baseball, historic road baseball in fact and the M’s had to face both Garza and Shields. They would have been doing well to get 1 of the 3 against Tampa.
Call me hopelessly optimistic but there not dead yet and don’t have to play Tampa every game. Even a modest return to norm will keep them in race in the AL West.
That’s why the time to panic is not this morning, but Sunday evening after the M’s, God absolutely forbid, get swept by the reeling Angels. If we win this series, all is not lost. If we go 0-9 on the homestand, I think it’s advisable to freak out. Logical, even.
Not really. If your goal to squeeze every last drop of pulp from your lineup, the best hitters should be in the #4 and #2 spots, followed by the #1. #5 and #3 are next, and if I remember correctly, #5 edges #3 due to higher leverage RBI situations. #6, #7, #8 and #9 should be in descending order.
amnizu, your point about the close games is correct, but that’s sort of how this team is constructed.
This team is built around run prevention and supposedly average run production. A team like that will naturally be involved in lots of low scoring games, wich will naturally lead to lots of games decided by 1 or 2 runs.
Games with small margins of victory are as much about luck as they are about skill. Sure, some of the plays will go the M’s way this year but some of them won’t.
That’s one of the effects of a team constructed like this and it’s just something we’re going to have to get used to this year.
God, I love this blog.
I was thinking that perhaps some of our higher BABIP guys could smack the OBP guys around the bases.
Hell, someone on this team needs to get smacked, I’m sure.
If the Mariners play dead for the Angels like they did the for the Rangers and Rays this could be the end of their season. Statistically they will still have a chance, but the powers of observation suggest this team is not good enough to make up a significant deficit. I wish I could share your optimism, Amnizu.
For those fans wanting Wakamatsu to get fired up and clamoring for Lou-like behaviour… Try to think of a fiery manager who has won the World Series in the last 20 years. Bobby Cox is probably your best example, unless I’m not thinking of somebody.
Most managers seem to be more even-keeled and diplomatic rather than kickers and screamers.
Well, if I must, how about the 1990 Reds, managed by, wait for it…
Lou Piniella.
Unfortunately, I think both the “Wak needs to yell more” and the “we’ve just been unlucky” arguments are grasping at straws.
The bottom line is the offense sucks. It doesn’t suck because they’re unlucky, or because Wak is a calm guy. It sucks because it sucks.
(How’s that for in-depth analysis? 😉 )
Why did the Mariners cut payroll and not sign the 2 big bats they needed in order to hope to contend?
Why is nothing being written of this? What is going on with the financing of the Ms? They turned an (official) “profit” last season, yet cut payroll @ $10mill??!!!! Is there some Enron/Lehman Brothers accounting going on over at Safeco?
The current offensive disaster was predictable once the FO did NOTHING after the Lee coup.
How the hell do they hope to turn their finances around with a non-existent offense and 15,000 spectators a game?
I am beyond disgusted. What a dumb tragic waste of good pitching. Goodbye contending for another few years. . . .
The current (final?) post count of the game thread may be telling.
This would bed true if the Mariners were an NL team. However, the M’s play with a DH (albeit not very good ones) and so your lineup should look like this in terms of best hitters #3, #4, #1, #5, #2, then 6 as a guy that can hit for extra bases but also kinda sucks(Lopez), 9 as a second lead off type hitter(Ja. Wilson), 7 and 8 are a tie for shittiest (moore/johnson, griffey/sweeney)
We’re actually down to 0.5 WAR on our offense. That ties us with the Orioles and puts us barely above the Pirates.
In 2001, the team motto was “Two outs? So what?”
A few years later, it was “Two on? So what?”
Now we don’t even get to the “Two on” part.
i was at the game and thought the same thing but checked the pitch on mlb.com. it showed it right on the line of the strike zone. granted, if it’s close you should swing but i don;t think there was anyway he was getting to that pitch (and i do truly dislike johnson as our catcher).
i don;t think it is you are too loud, it probably has more to do with you being a red sox fan. 🙂
i always voice my displeasure about situations during the game. i don;t really care what the crowd around me thinks. most people find it entertaining.
Actually, there is a difference between being a hothead manager, Sweet Lou, and being a manager that plays the part of sticking up for your players. Both Terry Francona and Joe Girardi routinely come out of the dugout in their players’ defense. Not to to scream and shout, but to atleast create a team oriented atmosphere. Last time I checked, both those guys have rings to wear when they go somewhere fancy.
If people want to ask for statistical anaylysis to prove that arguing with umpires helps to change future calls and subsequently win games…there isn’t any. However, as a former ball player and a lifetime sports fanatic there is a lot to say for a manager that argues in your defense, even if it doesn’t help change anything.
I realize the M’s stink for a ton of reasons and in no way am I blaming this season on Wak. I have tremendous respect for the guy. I also realize that if we were winning, his quiet demeanor would be heralded. I’m just saying I wouldn’t mind seeing someone express their frustration around here, besides on the blogs.
I think the current motto is “two on? What’s that?”
“Try to think of a fiery manager who has won the World Series in the last 20 years.”
Ozzie Guillen says hello –
MY NEW LINEUP (GRANTED I DONT HAVE MUCH TO WORK WITH)
ICHIRO
LOPEZ
KOTCHMAN
GUTIERREZ
SAUNDERS
WILSON
LANGERHANS
MOORE
FIGGINS
Puts Figgins in the leadoff type position after the first inning without ruffling someones feathers. Saunders and Langerhans alternate on DH/LF. Lopez goes back to pushing the ball through the right side and at least he will make contact. Let the youngins play. Moore full time.
When we get Berkman he can take over 3rd in lineup and DH and Langerhans drops out and hole is filled by Kotchman.
Great ideas in this thread…I am going to write a letter to the FO and request some emotional assistance for me during this time of personal difficulty.
On Rob Johnson’s strikeout with the bases loaded, here is the side by side of Brooks Baseball and FSN’s tracer. What is a clear ball for TV viewers is a borderline strike on the web.
2010 Mariners offensive motto:
2 on, what now?
Isn’t Berkman a little old and starting to decline?
Oh, do I hate the “Seattle fans aren’t real fans” argument. That somehow those days you spent at Yankee Stadium throwing batteries at the heads of opposing outfielders(*) somehow makes you a real fan… Grrrr.
This team was built with a very slim margin of error (concentrating on pitching and defense to prevent runs, with the hope of manufacturing just enough small ball runs to win games)…yet they bought into (and based their marketing on) the hype that there should be high expectations for the year.
Injuries and underperformance have erased that margin entirely.
With expectations not being met…players are pressing, and it is exacerbating the problem. Normally sure-handed fielders are making errors, pitchers are trying to be perfect, discipline at the plate is wanting…
What is the hoped for response to a manager putting on a show and getting himself ejected? As entertaining that might be for the kind of fans who also like hockey fights, what’s the upside for the team?
What’s the best thing that could possibly happen from such a dog and pony show? The team could be motivated to “try harder”.
Try harder?!? I think that’s part of the problem, not the solution.
We saw glimpses early in the season of what this team was meant to look like. Excellent pitching performances, excellent defense…winning close games. Then, we lost a couple of close games–which I think we should have all been prepared for…but it seems like the team couldn’t properly react to… The offense, then the defense, then the bullpen…all cascading in pressure-related underperformance.
No help from the tickler/hugger pair, as they’re pressing pretty badly themselves, simply to try to justify their continued existence on the roster.
If you think that yelling at umpires, getting hot headed and playing with fierce emotion would inspire the team to play better–isn’t that what Milton Bradley was doing? Did it help?
As a fan, I’m disappointed…but I hadn’t bought entirely into the “Believe Big” hype, so I’m not crushed.
And I apologize if that’s not “real” enough for some.
(*)–anecdote purposefully chosen NOT to connect to anyone specifically, as it is the general idea of the argument that annoys me.
I symbolically partook in last night’s epic fail: Sitting behind 3b near the field, texting a friend about how I was enduring the misery only for the sake of the chance to catch a foul ball. Literally as I texted (it was during the Rays’ at-bat), a high pop foul came right to me, and I scrambled with cell phone in one hand, glove in the other. The ball missed my web and bounced off my glove fingers into the stairs, for someone else to snatch up.
Lets see what the M’s can do tonight. Not all hope is lost yet. If we lose the series to the Angels then my hope is lost.
Maybe next time we play the Rays down in Florida they will let us hit off the T??? Then at least we can pretend like we can play.
It’s hard to regress to something you’ve never actually done
Projections based on minor league performances are very close to as accurate as projections based on major league data.
darthbuhner, I was sitting about 50 feet further down the baseline from you. After you Noonaned that ball, I told my buddies I couldn’t believe the guy with the glove missed that can of corn. At least I know you have the excuse of texting during an AB. Wait a minute…
I’m going to show up to the game Sunday with a sign reading “Hits not hugs.” Look for me in section 152 row 32 above the left field scoreboard. 🙂
Diehard –
If you notice, he has taken Juniors place which is already an upgrade plus IF his knee comes back totally he still has a couple years left. High OBP and switch hitter with good power. Only two issues would be are we willing to pay the rest of his salary for this year and does HE believe we are contenders. This team has some excellent pieces: Guti & Ichiro plus Felix, Lee, & Fister.
Goods ones: Most of the bullpen, Lopez, Figgins & Kotchman. Who knows that wouldnt convince me!!
…If the bloody “Ichiro is selfish” meme has spun up again, then this season really is done.
Although i don’t subscribe to the Ichiro is selfishthing, I can understand why some think that way.
There was a game last year when we had the winning run on 2nd, and coming to the plate was Ichiro, the batter most capable of driving the run in–and he bunted.
Felix on the mound. Angels played a night game in Boston yesterday. If we don’t win tonight I’m reserving the room next to Milton at the loony bin.
Ichiro isn’t selfish. He has bought into his leadoff role 100% and is very effective in that role. But no player, in any sport ‘shows off’ skills in practice, then leaves them in the BP cage without some criticism.
The way I see it is the offense hasn’t been good since 01. Change is undoubtedly necessary and Ichiro shouldn’t be immune from changes. He is the best hitter on the team. Which means to maximize his abilities he will need to move
from the leadoff spot.
Although i don’t subscribe to the Ichiro is selfishthing, I can understand why some think that way.
There was a game last year when we had the winning run on 2nd, and coming to the plate was Ichiro, the batter most capable of driving the run in–and he bunted.
What inning was it? 3rd, or 8th?
How many outs? No outs? Going for a big inning?
Was it a slower runner who stood a better chance scoring from third on a hit? (see, Junior or 6-4-3)
How had Ichiro done against that pitcher in the past? Was he 10 of 23 against him, or 0 for 9 with 5 K’s?
Could there have possibly been a bad throw to first after the bunt allowing the go ahead run to score? Very possible on a good bunt and hurried throw.
Everyone looked so bad at the plate last night I actually started thinking of how much I missed a bopper like Balentien or Clements!!!! What I want to see is a team of guys hitting around 260 with Ichiro and Guti doing what they do. Is that too much to ask!!!!!
Last thought tonight – What is wrong with Figgins eyes??? This guy is supposed to be a contact hitter along with being patient. When he swings and makes contact it is a popup and the rest of the time strike three. Cant see how that much of a regression is possible. Get his eyes checked