Game 160, Angels at Mariners
King Felix vs. CJ Wilson, 7:10pm
The baseball playoff races could all be decided tonight, or we could continue to bask in chaos for another few days. The Angels essentially need to win out, as the A’s sweep of the M’s means they’ve got more of a shot at passing the Rangers than they do of being caught by Anaheim. This would all be thrilling for the general baseball fan, and enjoyable for those who hate the Angels specifically, but its hard for many M’s fans to summon much emotion right now.
The team has essentially played spoiler by getting shut down by the Angels and A’s in succession. Its bullpen, one of the remaining interesting things about the 2012 team, is limping towards the finish line. The offense picked itself off the canvas and made a run at being merely ‘below average’ after 2.5 years of being hilarious. But a succession of close, winnable games against good teams makes the real improvement feel a bit hollow.
There have been signs of progress, and the team could surprise next year with a solid pick up or two and some luck, but the best farm system in baseball can’t make late-September baseball featuring a last-place team watchable. You know who can?
I feel all of us lean on Felix’s transcendent talent as a reason to watch/care, but in our defense, have you thought about how special his multi-year run is? Felix needs no projection. Felix doesn’t need luck to even out. Felix doesn’t need a veteran presence, he doesn’t need protection, he doesn’t need to make a few simple adjustments. He’s essentially the only part of this organization that doesn’t need more time. For that, Felix deserves every accolade he gets from M’s bloggers, writers, fans and even opposing batters. Tonight’s the final King’s Court of 2012. We’ll talk about 2013 tomorrow. Tonight, go to the game and yell. Watch it and remember what it feels like to care.
The line-up:
1: Ackley
2: Wells
3: Seager
4: Montero (DH)
5: Smoak
6: Saunders
7: Olivo (C)
8: Robinson
9: Ryan
SP: King Felix
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95 Responses to “Game 160, Angels at Mariners”
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I hate you Angels, guess what, you will be done with the season in 2 days just like us 😛
I’m rooting for Oakland to beat Texas tonight so the Angels are eliminated before tomorrow’s game. 😀
Oakland is about to pull within a game of the division lead tonight. Amazing.
Pujols with a very pedestrian 80 XBH’s this season.
He will probably “bounce back,” though.
Jumping back a bit – I expect Cabrera is going to win the MVP. And he’ll be a deserving winner – we’re picking at nits in debating him or Trout.
I’m at least 90% sure Cabrera will win, judging by how the baseball voters do things.
I expect so, too, and “Cabrera MVP” will replace “Jim Rice Hall of Fame” as the sabermetrician’s favorite bete noir. Everyone needs someone to complain to.
I hope (for their sake) that Carp, Liddi, Peguero, Thames etc etc etc are only renting, cuz rosters are tight and Miggy and Figgy will be back.
Etc.
I’m still not over Raffy Palmiero’s Gold Glove, Breadbaker.
I have to say that keeping Figgy on next year’s roster makes me think less of Zduriencik. If he doesn’t understand the theory of sunk costs, this should have taught it to him.
Different voters. Gold Glove is managers and coaches. MVP and HoF are writers.
Figgy’s locker should be kept completely lined with press clippings about Nishioka’s walking away from his final year contract.
If he removes them, someone should put up new ones.
Was that the Palmeiro over David Segui GG award debacle – or some other debacle?
Two PED guys – chasing the gold glove award. I loved Segui, but I hate what he did.
I was talking about the year Palmiero won the Gold Glove having started all of 21 games at first base. He was mainly a DH that year, and he hit really well – so they gave him a GG.
He must’ve had a really amazing 21 games.
I think he “won it” over Segui that season – if memory serves. 21 games, though … What a joke. Why not, Jeter won a GG a couple years ago.
Wells!
I’m just hoping Ryan wins it this year.
I mis-reported… it was 28 games, not 21. Makes all the difference in the world. (yes that was sarcasm)
Segui was our main guy that year until we traded him. Raul got a lot of ABs at first, too.
I can pretty much guarantee Ryan doesn’t get close to winning the gold glove.. It is a shame..
Great job going the other way, by Smoak.
Good Time for #20, Michael.
Man, Bourjos is fast too!
Oh boy, we broke the “1 run scored when Felix pitches” rule.
Hey, forgot about this. It’s pre-Olivo 2.0, but his 1.0 performance turned out to be predictive – surprise, surprise.
Mariners Catchers Throughout the Years
Well, he should. Per Fangraphs UZR he is on another planet. Jhonny Peralta is second at 12.0. Ryan is at 18.2.
All right guys!
Of course we have to score more runs AND stop the Angels from scoring – but still.
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Brendan Ryan absolutely should get the Gold Glove. I have no idea if he will, though.
After they recently voted Jeter for Gold Glove, I wouldn’t expect them to get it right.
And I don’t get why the Angels always move Trout to left. He should never leave CF in my opinion.
Bad break for Triunfel. I assume there will be no outrage over Wedge wasting Thames’ game appearance.
He’s still got Jaso available for later. Allegedly
A’S WIN!!
ANGELS ARE OUT!!
The Mariners PA announcer should do something classless now, a la the Angels’ “Congrats to the Seattle Sonics” slap.
Maybe “Congratulations to the Oakland Athletics” or something similar.
What was the “Congrats to the Seattle Sonics” thing? I missed that.
Please tell me they did. I only logged into the game thread to ask.
When the OKC Thunder made the NBA Finals earlier this season, the M’s were playing in Anaheim and the PA announcer congratulated the “Seattle Sonics” on the feat.
Wow, very classless.
Yeah, it was a really class-less slap at Seattle.
Now there was some qual’ty defendin’!
Or – even better – the PA guy should wish the Angels a safe flight home at the end of the series.
Hehe, just saw this old comment (on mlb.com) about the Anaheim class act:
“Isn’t their logo appropriate? A big “A” and a hole.”
Number 20 NOW, Michael.
Whelp, I feel better. Thanks Oakland!
There we go Mariners, secure that top 10 draft pick!
This was my third and final attempt to see one last win this season.
Sorry, Waco. I doubt anyone expected Felix to be that off…
It’s after runs like these last five starts (4 bad starts and one so-so start) that I’m tempted to go ahead and pull the plug on a big Felix for a couple of studs that can help the team through offense on a daily basis trade.
^Right, because he’s proven to be so inconsistent throughout this year?
Despite September not going so well, his overall numbers for the season were real impressive. There’s no reason to pull the plug on him. Especially when the rotation already has question marks for next year and the biggest hole(s), the outfield, can likely be filled via free-agency.
Until Ackley, Montero, & Smoak show that they can be consistent, big-league hitters, I will consider their positions pretty big holes as well.
Felix had two extended slumps this year. It’s not that I’ve given up on him though. The point is that he has the value that could bring two or more players that can do more to help the team win the other 137 games where Felix wasn’t pitching well or at all.
While I’m end-of-the-year venting, Ackley and Montero are my two biggest disappointments this year. I’ve not seen anything from them to make me feel real confident that they will improve next year. They both swing at far too many bad pitches. Ackley is particularly adept at taking strikes and swinging at balls. Seager and Saunders have both done things to make me believe they can climb another notch on the ladder next year. But I’m not at all certain 1 or 2 new outfielders will be enough to significantly lift the outcomes over this year.