Game 85, Mariners at Angels

DMZ · July 8, 2005 at 6:09 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

Crafty left-hander Jamie Moyer versus sneering left hander Jarrod Washburn.

“I backed into your Prius? Heh.”

7:05 our time, FSN and KOMO.

This game GUARANTEED to feature RED HOT Willie Bloomquist. You can’t keep this guy out of the lineup!

I also want to say that I don’t hate Bloomquist. I really don’t. Back when he was hanging around Tacoma, he came off badly, as a talentless coach’s pet and a preening lady-killer, but who cares — at that age, a minor league baseball player, there are far worse things.

And since then, I haven’t read an unkind word about him personally. While I don’t know him, by all accounts he’s matured into a pretty good guy I probably wouldn’t mind having a beer with (um, as long as he didn’t punch me out).

So there are conflicting feelings at work:
– He’s demonstrated in his major and minor league careers that he’s not a good player, and justifies a roster space for versatility, pinch-running, and whatever else, but not as a project or a future anything
– I hate that the Mariners have loved him so much for so long, as a symptom of their organizational blind spot for scrappy athletes (like Dobbs) who can’t hit but look like players
– I’m tired of the amazing near-worship I see from some fans who like to dog on useful, contributing players like Randy Winn, and I’m tired of being subjected to constant supplication to Bloomquist by the broadcast crew (“Bloomquist is the best centerfielder on the Mariners… — Dave Niehaus”)
– I’m so happy he’s been smoking the ball while I’m watching the game, because this team needs hiiiiits like mad, and yet…
– I worry this is going to be like the original September call-up, where a short super-hot streak justifies retaining him and fawning over him for the next five years.

Anyway, with a lefty on the mound, it’s almost certain he’ll start again. Good luck.

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Comments

192 Responses to “Game 85, Mariners at Angels”

  1. Christopher Michael on July 8th, 2005 9:49 pm

    #150 Yeah, I loved that comment.

  2. lauren, token chick on July 8th, 2005 9:50 pm

    I can’t help but notice that NELSON IS STILL IN.

  3. Christopher Michael on July 8th, 2005 9:50 pm

    I just noticed… we left Nelson in? Why scare me like this?

  4. RickL on July 8th, 2005 9:51 pm

    Mateo time

  5. lauren, token chick on July 8th, 2005 9:52 pm

    This guy at the plate looks oddly like a hispanic Scioscia.

  6. Goose on July 8th, 2005 9:52 pm

    #152/153

    Because we have to up Eddie’s trade value by making it a save situation.

  7. The Artist formerly known as Ryan Anderson on July 8th, 2005 9:52 pm

    I was hoping we would be seeing Julio Mateo tonight. “If I go in and strike out the side, thats ok. If I go in a give up a grand slam, thats ok too. I just do what they tell me to do.”

  8. Christopher Michael on July 8th, 2005 9:54 pm

    I like Putz a lot more when he starts off an inning.

  9. RickL on July 8th, 2005 9:55 pm

    JJ time. That could make things interesting.

  10. RickL on July 8th, 2005 9:56 pm

    158. He is way better when he comes in in the beginning.

  11. RickL on July 8th, 2005 9:59 pm

    Too many fastballs. Eventually, this goes against you.

  12. Paul Molitor Cocktail on July 8th, 2005 9:59 pm

    That was… interesting.

  13. Goose on July 8th, 2005 9:59 pm

    That was awsome.

  14. Tikistone on July 8th, 2005 9:59 pm

    Good throw Morse!

  15. MSH on July 8th, 2005 9:59 pm

    Back to realtime just in time for *that* play! Wow.

  16. RickL on July 8th, 2005 10:00 pm

    Nice play by the steaming remains

  17. The Artist formerly known as Ryan Anderson on July 8th, 2005 10:01 pm

    Borders sold that tag well…not sure I want to see that replay in slo-mo close up.

  18. What Would Vada Pinson Do? on July 8th, 2005 10:01 pm

    Textbook, baby … absolutely textbook!

    Decoying the Angels by making TWO horrific throws, and still getting the out, was like throwing chum in the water … that’s how you play the game!

    I hope no small children were watching.

  19. Shoeless Jose on July 8th, 2005 10:02 pm

    You know, if every AL West game was like this I wouldn’t really care about the M’s record. This is far too entertaining.

  20. LB on July 8th, 2005 10:02 pm

    #167: I wathed it in TiVO during commercial. Safe. Tough call, but safe.

  21. Goose on July 8th, 2005 10:04 pm

    Tack on a few more?

  22. Drew on July 8th, 2005 10:04 pm

    #168 I don’t know what game you were watching, but Morse’s throw was outstanding… He was offbalance and fired it home

  23. colin_hesse on July 8th, 2005 10:05 pm

    145: Sorry, this comment is a tad late, but I can’t let a Futurama reference go without a “heh”.

    Not sure Borders got that tag down, but….

  24. LB on July 8th, 2005 10:05 pm

    Willie Bloomquist, Seattle’s own Derek Jeter, goes from 1st to 3rd on a single. Will the ballwashing ever stop?

  25. J.R. on July 8th, 2005 10:10 pm

    Ichiro!

  26. LB on July 8th, 2005 10:10 pm

    You can’t stop this Seattle offense; you can only try to contain it.

  27. Paul Molitor Cocktail on July 8th, 2005 10:11 pm

    Maybe we can take all those Ka-BOONE books, put a “Ka-BLOOMQUIST” sticker on them, and sell them at the gate.

  28. RickL on July 8th, 2005 10:12 pm

    It’s gotta be Baylor

  29. LB on July 8th, 2005 10:13 pm

    Seattle is now cast as the Tampa Bay of the West, and playing the part of the New York Yankees: the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of California.

  30. Shoeless Jose on July 8th, 2005 10:15 pm

    So… what — Baylor wasn’t around in April, May, and June? He was floating frozen in a vat with Ted Williams’ head down here in SoCal and they just got a chance to thaw him out?

  31. Tobin on July 8th, 2005 10:15 pm

    Why isn’t hasegawa out there?

  32. LB on July 8th, 2005 10:16 pm

    Anyone have any idea why the idiots at FSN cut the HD feed for the 9th? This has happened quite a few times.

  33. Shoeless Jose on July 8th, 2005 10:17 pm

    I think maybe the fumes from Boone’s hair gel have at last dissapated and everybody can finally see straight.

  34. LB on July 8th, 2005 10:17 pm

    #181: Eddie warmed up, so he might as well come in. For Hasewaga to come in, you’d have to warm him up in a hurry after the big inning in the top of the 9th.

  35. RickL on July 8th, 2005 10:18 pm

    I’m glad it’s not a one run game.

  36. John in L.A. on July 8th, 2005 10:18 pm

    Dave:

    “We’re another run from that stupid monkey showing up, I know that.”

    Sweet.

    Dave and Curto, man, Dave and Curto.

  37. Daniel Carroll on July 8th, 2005 10:22 pm

    I love that Dave just called them the California Angels to finish the ballgame.

  38. Pete Livengood on July 8th, 2005 10:24 pm

    LB – is the HD feed just over the air? Dish?

    I’ve got comcast digital, but if they have an HD channel, I don’t know where it is….

  39. LB on July 8th, 2005 10:38 pm

    #188: DirecTV channel 95.

    It’s the only way to get the M’s on HD in the Seattle area these days. Trouble is, the FSN studio feed for “what’s coming up after the game” is standard-def, and they often don’t go back to the HD feed from the ballpark after the tease for the postgame show.

  40. dw on July 9th, 2005 1:45 am

    Anyone tell me the last time the M’s scored hit double digits in consecutive games?

    Maybe my predicted final record of 75-87 will still come to fruition.

  41. Steve Thornton on July 9th, 2005 10:03 am

    As near as I can make out, it was June 29-30, 2003, at home against Detroit. We won 11-5 and 13-3 (and 4-0 to sweep the next day). Remember the Tigers lost 119 games that year, giving up 5.73 runs per game, so it’s not THAT impressive. But we were good that year. Seems so long ago. Who’s left from that team? Winn, Suzuki, Bloomer, Borders, Moyer, Franklin, Meche, Pineiro, Hasagawa, Mateo, Nelson, Putz.

  42. Jeff on July 9th, 2005 12:22 pm

    Speaking of the underappreciated Randy Winn, The PI can’t even manage to spell his name right….
    Seattle left fielder Randy Wynn watches his grand slam off of Los Angeles reliever Joel Peralta in the sixth inning.
    sorry, no link… But, my comment: is this the time that the super duper all star quality Randy Winn shows up a la last year when trade rumors started heating up and he went on a tear? Snelling might be just the sort of fire to get this guy started…