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KSTW chat
Dave · September 4, 2007 at 7:29 pm · Filed Under Mariners
One last reminder – I’m going to be chatting over on KSTW.com right about now, so surf over there and check it out.
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31 Responses to “KSTW chat”
msb on
September 4th, 2007 7:45 pm
my little computer does not like their fancy flash-ridden chat format.
Sorry Oly – I didn’t pick the questions or type the answers, so I did the best I could…
kenshabby on
September 4th, 2007 8:04 pm
Nice chat. Dave, my 2nd question of the chat was regarding which free agent starting pitcher you’d most like to see the M’s sign this offseason. The most realistic possibility, ideal candidate, whichever.
Teej on
September 4th, 2007 8:08 pm
I didn’t pick the questions or type the answers
I was wondering about that, because there were some odd spellings. When the person asked about whether the M’s had any sleeper prospects, the answer was, “Yeah. Carlos Triunel.”
lailaihei on
September 4th, 2007 8:10 pm
I had another question, too, that apparently didn’t get asked.
Do you think Balentien is Major League ready? And what do you see his role being over the next 2-3 years?
90% of the world says Troon-fell, but when I asked him how to say it down in Peoria in March, the i was definitely in there. Like Tree-oon-fell, but with a very quick change from i to the u. So, basically, say Triunfel really fast, and you’ll be close.
Teej on
September 4th, 2007 8:20 pm
Tree-oon-fell is what I suspected, since the Dominican name should follow standard Spanish pronunciation rules. Good to know.
But yeah, I’m sure I’ll just gravitate toward saying it so fast that I can’t be called out for getting it wrong. Seems safe enough.
kenshabby on
September 4th, 2007 8:22 pm
Dave – which free agent starting pitcher would you most like to see the M’s sign this offseason – realistically or otherwise?
jlc on
September 4th, 2007 8:23 pm
Fortunately, I missed the game tonight, so your chat gave me my shot of Mariners without the agony. Nice job, Dave.
msb on
September 4th, 2007 8:23 pm
it was all gone by the time I finally got any where near the chat, so thanks for posting it.
msb on
September 4th, 2007 8:42 pm
the free agent pitcher list is very depressing.
John in L.A. on
September 4th, 2007 8:56 pm
Well, that chat depressed me. Not because of the quality of the answers, not at all.
Just the information. Vidro and McLaren and Bavasi back… that’ll get me revved up for opening day.
cgmonk on
September 4th, 2007 8:02 pm
RickWhite: Dave do you think the Mariner vets can turn it on to win the Wild Card?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I think they can… I’m not sure if they will- they certainly have a chance. There’s enough games left; I think tomorrow’s game is BIG.
RickWhite: Dave do you think Guillen will be back next year or will Jones take his spot?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I’m pretty sure Guillen will be back, Jones will probably play left with Ibanez moving to first or DH.
JohnJ: Were you surprised that the King Felix nickname that originated with USSM caught on with the media?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah, somewhat. We didn’t expect it to take off like it has. But we’re happy that Felix likes it and he certainly wears it well after games like yesterday’s.
lailaihei: Dave, why is Adam Jones so amazing, yet plays so little?
Dave_USSMariner_com: (laughs) John McLaren likes guys over the age of 30, and Adam Jones is not over the age of 30.
mark: so what does that mean for vidro? (follow up: about
Dave_USSMariner_com: If they give up on Jose Lopez and Vidro or Ibanez moves to first… either way, they’ll move guys around to get Jones into LF. Ibanez and Vidro should still be around.
yohnhimself: Is McLaren going to be back as manager next season?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I would say 90% likely… if they fall apart in the last month of the season it may hurt, but I would be shocked if they didn’t bring him back.
circlejtp: Dave, having spoken to Bill Bavasi, do you think he is open to trading Sexson and/or Vidro for pitching? (Someone actually trading with them is another story)
Dave_USSMariner_com: Sexson yes, Vidro no… I don’t think Sexson will be back next year. Vidro will come back. Pitching might not be much of concern, they just might be looking to dump Richie’s salary.
RickWhite: Dave, with McLaren studying under Piniella all those years wouldn’t you expect him to know and use his bullpen a little better?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I don’t think Piniella was all that great with the bullpen… so I’m not that surprised that McLaren hasn’t picked up much.
jpa77: if the mariners DON’T make the playoffs, but DO finish with 88 or 89 wins, how hot is bavasi’s seat next year?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Not hot at all. I think with more than 85 wins, everyone comes back for next year. It wouldn’t be as hot as this year’s- call it a ‘lukewarm’ seat.
Lavalamp: Assuming we make the playoffs, which of the AL contenders do you think the M’s match up best against?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Probably Cleveland… but Boston and New York are the two best teams, and I don’t think we match up with the Angels at all, so definitely Cleveland.
JohnJ: Would baseball be better without guaranteed contracts?
Dave_USSMariner_com: No. I think the NFL and their lack of guaranteed contracts just leads to holdouts- it’s good that we don’t have that in baseball, so I think baseball’s better off with guaranteed contracts.
circlejtp: Can Morrow be transitioned to a starter for next year? Or does he hang out in the minors for a year first?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I think the team will try and make him a starter next year; I don’t think he’s ready to be a starter- I would send him to Tacoma and let him pitch for a year and get more comfortable with his fastball.
robbbbbb: So, Dave, you’re given free reign to run the Mariners next year. What’s the one move you want to make in the offseason to improve the team?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I don’t want to say get pitching, but that’s the awnser- get another starter. They need someone for the #2 spot behind Felix.
Joe: How much time do you spend in a given week operating and maintaining USSM?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Between our group, we probably spend in excess of 30 hours per week.
millville: do you think some of the recent bullpen struggles has to do with being overworked, or due to their inexperience?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Overworked, potentially- although that doesn’t apply to JJ Putz. Relievers are naturally inconsistent, it’s not unusual for them to have ups and downs. So, it’s not a case of inexperience.
kenshabby: Now that the rosters have expanded, which M’s call-ups should receive priority regarding playing time?
Dave_USSMariner_com: None of them are going to play- except in blowouts. They’re here to watch and learn. Adam Jones would be the priority in that case.
Jared: dave, what lineup would you trot out for tomorrow’s big game
Dave_USSMariner_com: Jones in left field; Ibanez as DH; Vidro gets the day off.
JohnJ: What effect if any, does a mouthful of chewing tobacco have on a player’s ability to pitch, run or field?
Dave_USSMariner_com: None. But it’s really gross.
robbbbbb: Chien-Ming Wang put on a clinic today. What the heck makes him such a good pitcher? He seems to only have one pitch, and his K rate sucks.
Dave_USSMariner_com: 95-mph sinker. Ground balls are a pitcher’s best friend.
niems: Do you think that the mariners would have three long losing streaks this season with someone like Joe Girardi at the helm?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I’m not convinced that Joe Girardi’s a great manager, and I’m not going to blame the losing streak on John McLaren. The team’s just inconsistent.
Jared: Dave, anything could happen but the m’s are behind a better, by run differential, and more competently run team. How do the Angels & A’s look to stack up next year. If the Angels grab A-rod or another first tier slugger it may not matter much what the m’s do over the off-season.
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah, the Angels are scary, they’ve got a good young team and they spend a lot of money and as you said, they’re well run. I think the A’s are in for a down year, however, I could see them coming in last next year.
Joe: Jeff Weaver is a free agent at the end of the season? Do you bring him back?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Nooooooooo. You can find another pitcher of that quality for a lot cheaper.
gk91: Whats been the benefit of having Morrow in the pen this year vs the cost to him of missing a year of starting in the minors?
Dave_USSMariner_com: He’s pitched well in stretches for the Mariners and helped the bullpen keep this team in contention. I think there were positives and negatives; I’d rather have him in Tacoma.
circlejtp: If someone wanted to get into the stat side of baseball, where is a good website to learn?
Dave_USSMariner_com: That’s a good question… baseballprospectus.com has a ‘understanding the basics’ series. That’s a good place to start.
RickWhite: Dave, do you think Feierabend can take HoRam’s or Weaver’s spot next year?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Probably not. I don’t think the organization is super-high on him. He’ll be in Tacoma next year.
Manzanillo: Do we have a sleeper prospect in our system that scouts are talking about?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah. Carlos Triunel… 17-year old shortstop; he’s really good.
nfreakct: How short a leash is Jose Lopez on?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Pretty short, the organization has a history of giving up on guys like Lopez who are frustrating. I wouldn’t be shocked if they traded him.
Sports_on_a_Schtick: If it were up to you who would manage the Mariners next year?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Larry Dierker- a smart guy, he knows stats really well. He understands the analytical side of the game.
millville: Any chance McLaren comes back next year after all of the bad decisions he has made since taking over for grover?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah, I think he’s back next year barring a huge collapse.
Will: Jimerson looks like a good ballplayer. Will these be his only year as a Mariner?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Uh, yeah, probably. He’s a career minor leaguer and a fifth outfielder. Good backstory- his mom’s a crack addict and he got a walk-on scholarship at Miami, and ended up a college World Series MVP when the starter got hurt: he hit a grand slam to win the college world series for the ‘Canes.
gwangung on
September 4th, 2007 9:05 pm
Vidro and McLaren and Bavasi back…
More depressingly, Armstrong and a lot of the other F.O. types….(though Mattox’s authority is sharply curtailed….).
The problems with the Ms extends to further than the GM and manager…
I sure noticed a lot of USSM types. Not much point to that if it was only us.
jlc on
September 4th, 2007 10:14 pm
Dave, I forget to say especially I liked the humor (Ibanez’ chew dripping) and the Jimerson story. Those kinds of things help move the perception that people who use stats are all geeks who wear glasses taped together, never watch a real ballgame, and hate actual people.
Oly Rainiers Fan on
September 4th, 2007 10:23 pm
My comcast was giving me fits, or maybe it was the kstw site itself or maybe that I’m a mac user. I never know. But basically, it would just go dead, or seem to, for long quantities of time, then a couple times I got booted off entirely. That was the part that was anticlimactic, plus, I’ve heard you talk in person. I know you could have answered way faster, and way more questions 🙂
cgmonk on
September 4th, 2007 10:25 pm
Before it was over, I counted about 27 or 28 people in the chat room.
Oly Rainiers Fan on
September 4th, 2007 10:31 pm
I did want to ask (one of the questions I tried to ask) was essentially what Nick said in the other thread (I didn’t know he had said it there; I don’t know which of us said it first).
But –
about whether the Ms give youth a chance or not…
Felix, Betancourt, Lopez, Johjima are all playing their 2nd season in the major leagues this year. Not veterans in my mind. Add to that O’Flaherty (appeared in like 15 games last year), Feirabend, Rowland-Smith, Morrow….
It seems like the Ms are giving youth a chance.
So I’m curious as to how/when you make a distinction between youth and veteran.
(I tend more toward the Geoff Baker ‘if they’re getting the job done, why replace them’ approach. I mean, my water heater will eventually give out, but until it does, why would I replace it? In this particular example, I would need to add the disclaimer that my water heater is perfectly fine, but around the end of its alleged lifespan and I’m in the middle of having a fine new on-demand water heater installed. so perhaps I should think of Adam Jones as that fine new on-demand water heater?)
John in L.A. on
September 4th, 2007 10:48 pm
23 – Lopez took his first at bat in the big leagues 4 seasons ago, 3 for Yuni.
Just for some giggles, I added up the service time for the normal starting line-ups (no pitchers) for Seattle and then for the three division leaders. I counted years in Japan (minus four partial years for kenji and Ichiro), but not counting this year.
Boston – a total of 68 years of big league experience in the starting line up.
Cleveland – 45(!) years.
Anaheim – 58 years.
(just for fun, given DMZ’s post, Atlanta – 42(one less player – no DH)
Seattle – 78 frigging years. Seven-eight. Nine guys with an average of almost nine seasons each. Ridiculous.
Our outfield plus designated hitter has one less year of experience than Cleveland’s starting nine.
gwangung on
September 5th, 2007 12:03 am
I tend more toward the Geoff Baker ‘if they’re getting the job done, why replace them’ approach.
“It’s better to trade a player a year too early than to trade him a year too late.”
You retain control of when and how to replace-and that’s generally a lot less trouble and a lot less expensive.
Anyway, what if your water heater isn’t all that, but you’ve just kind of got used to it, and aren’t even really noticing that it’s not what it used to be?
Dave, thanks for chatting. I’m a little surprised that you didn’t assign McLaren at least some blame for the losing streak, since you’ve been willing to do so here.
Oly Rainiers Fan on
September 5th, 2007 7:17 am
scraps: the water is still hot and I’ve already made the monetary investment.
however, my new water heater will also heat water and it will do it more energy efficiently which means that while I’m plunking down some cashola (let’s just call it a signing bonus for the new water heater) initially, the ongoing power bill will be less because my new water heater will heat water when I need it, and not just heat it up and store it (you know, like…veteran experience) in case I need a whole bunch of it at once for some reason. You know, if I need my water heater to be ‘clutch’ in a tight situation….
My new one will heat water as I need it – which yes, does involve a certain amount of trust on my part. Trust in ‘new’ technology, trust that it really WILL heat enough of it fast enough to fill the tub, etc., willingness to take that risk and believe that the reward is there.
Sometimes you buy stuff and it turns out the product was vastly overhyped, which makes you all the more hesitant to fall for it again. Remember that young pitching surplus we had (names like Nageotte, Johnson, Blackley ring a bell)? Remember Reed and Olivo?
Hard to know whether the Ms are just in recovery, working up to taking another chance – or whether their fundamental assessment of WHO/WHAT to take a chance on is flawed. Or…both.
But here’s the thing, Oly – you’re not in a Most Efficient Home competition with your neighbors. If you were, you’d look at this scenario differently, and you’d be trying to figure out whether your new water heater would give you a chance to have a more efficient home than the ones next to yours.
The Mariners are in a competition, and their competitors are better than they are. The status quo is not good enough. The old water heater is “broken” in that sense.
Karen on
September 5th, 2007 11:13 am
#24, John in LA, what about the Yankees? I’ll bet their service time for their normal starting line-up is about the same as the Mariners’. And if you WERE to include the pitchers, it’d be about 140 years… 🙂
John in L.A. on
September 5th, 2007 12:28 pm
29 –
I didn’t do the Yankees, but I’d bet they are the same or more as the Mariners, you’re right. But for them that’s actually a strategy – outbidding everyone for the top veterans, and never having to let their superstars leave. We sort of do the worst of both worlds.
But, yep… the yanks are old, too. But they sure as hell wouldn’t be old with the players we are.
Oly Rainiers Fan on
September 5th, 2007 6:57 pm
Actually Dave, I do sort of compete to have a most efficient home. It’s why I drive an ’87 Honda etc. I compete so I’m not spending money foolishly and therefore have plenty left over for vacations and season tickets 🙂
Yes, other teams ARE better than the Ms, but while they could focus attention on how to get AJ more playing time, and yes that would have some marginal improvement, their big bang for the buck is gonna be in dealing with their starting pitching, which they didn’t choose to deal with. Kinda like choosing between buying a new sofa that you have to throw a slipcover over, or replacing a leaky and rotting roof.
I think they’re fundamentally flawed not only in their methods in evaluating talent, but also in their choices as to … priority.
my little computer does not like their fancy flash-ridden chat format.
I came in a little late, so if someone could grab the full transcript and post it later or something…
Dave’s reaction on whether to resign Weaver was hilarious.
That chat thing, very anticlimactic. (which is saying something, given the game I just watched).
Sorry Oly – I didn’t pick the questions or type the answers, so I did the best I could…
Nice chat. Dave, my 2nd question of the chat was regarding which free agent starting pitcher you’d most like to see the M’s sign this offseason. The most realistic possibility, ideal candidate, whichever.
I didn’t pick the questions or type the answers
I was wondering about that, because there were some odd spellings. When the person asked about whether the M’s had any sleeper prospects, the answer was, “Yeah. Carlos Triunel.”
I had another question, too, that apparently didn’t get asked.
Do you think Balentien is Major League ready? And what do you see his role being over the next 2-3 years?
Joe did the best he could – Triunfel doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.
Very true. I still have to look it up half the time I write it. And I’m pretty sure I can’t pronounce it, either.
90% of the world says Troon-fell, but when I asked him how to say it down in Peoria in March, the i was definitely in there. Like Tree-oon-fell, but with a very quick change from i to the u. So, basically, say Triunfel really fast, and you’ll be close.
Tree-oon-fell is what I suspected, since the Dominican name should follow standard Spanish pronunciation rules. Good to know.
But yeah, I’m sure I’ll just gravitate toward saying it so fast that I can’t be called out for getting it wrong. Seems safe enough.
Dave – which free agent starting pitcher would you most like to see the M’s sign this offseason – realistically or otherwise?
Fortunately, I missed the game tonight, so your chat gave me my shot of Mariners without the agony. Nice job, Dave.
it was all gone by the time I finally got any where near the chat, so thanks for posting it.
the free agent pitcher list is very depressing.
Well, that chat depressed me. Not because of the quality of the answers, not at all.
Just the information. Vidro and McLaren and Bavasi back… that’ll get me revved up for opening day.
RickWhite: Dave do you think the Mariner vets can turn it on to win the Wild Card?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I think they can… I’m not sure if they will- they certainly have a chance. There’s enough games left; I think tomorrow’s game is BIG.
RickWhite: Dave do you think Guillen will be back next year or will Jones take his spot?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I’m pretty sure Guillen will be back, Jones will probably play left with Ibanez moving to first or DH.
JohnJ: Were you surprised that the King Felix nickname that originated with USSM caught on with the media?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah, somewhat. We didn’t expect it to take off like it has. But we’re happy that Felix likes it and he certainly wears it well after games like yesterday’s.
lailaihei: Dave, why is Adam Jones so amazing, yet plays so little?
Dave_USSMariner_com: (laughs) John McLaren likes guys over the age of 30, and Adam Jones is not over the age of 30.
mark: so what does that mean for vidro? (follow up: about
Dave_USSMariner_com: If they give up on Jose Lopez and Vidro or Ibanez moves to first… either way, they’ll move guys around to get Jones into LF. Ibanez and Vidro should still be around.
yohnhimself: Is McLaren going to be back as manager next season?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I would say 90% likely… if they fall apart in the last month of the season it may hurt, but I would be shocked if they didn’t bring him back.
circlejtp: Dave, having spoken to Bill Bavasi, do you think he is open to trading Sexson and/or Vidro for pitching? (Someone actually trading with them is another story)
Dave_USSMariner_com: Sexson yes, Vidro no… I don’t think Sexson will be back next year. Vidro will come back. Pitching might not be much of concern, they just might be looking to dump Richie’s salary.
RickWhite: Dave, with McLaren studying under Piniella all those years wouldn’t you expect him to know and use his bullpen a little better?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I don’t think Piniella was all that great with the bullpen… so I’m not that surprised that McLaren hasn’t picked up much.
jpa77: if the mariners DON’T make the playoffs, but DO finish with 88 or 89 wins, how hot is bavasi’s seat next year?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Not hot at all. I think with more than 85 wins, everyone comes back for next year. It wouldn’t be as hot as this year’s- call it a ‘lukewarm’ seat.
Lavalamp: Assuming we make the playoffs, which of the AL contenders do you think the M’s match up best against?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Probably Cleveland… but Boston and New York are the two best teams, and I don’t think we match up with the Angels at all, so definitely Cleveland.
JohnJ: Would baseball be better without guaranteed contracts?
Dave_USSMariner_com: No. I think the NFL and their lack of guaranteed contracts just leads to holdouts- it’s good that we don’t have that in baseball, so I think baseball’s better off with guaranteed contracts.
circlejtp: Can Morrow be transitioned to a starter for next year? Or does he hang out in the minors for a year first?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I think the team will try and make him a starter next year; I don’t think he’s ready to be a starter- I would send him to Tacoma and let him pitch for a year and get more comfortable with his fastball.
robbbbbb: So, Dave, you’re given free reign to run the Mariners next year. What’s the one move you want to make in the offseason to improve the team?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I don’t want to say get pitching, but that’s the awnser- get another starter. They need someone for the #2 spot behind Felix.
Joe: How much time do you spend in a given week operating and maintaining USSM?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Between our group, we probably spend in excess of 30 hours per week.
millville: do you think some of the recent bullpen struggles has to do with being overworked, or due to their inexperience?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Overworked, potentially- although that doesn’t apply to JJ Putz. Relievers are naturally inconsistent, it’s not unusual for them to have ups and downs. So, it’s not a case of inexperience.
kenshabby: Now that the rosters have expanded, which M’s call-ups should receive priority regarding playing time?
Dave_USSMariner_com: None of them are going to play- except in blowouts. They’re here to watch and learn. Adam Jones would be the priority in that case.
Jared: dave, what lineup would you trot out for tomorrow’s big game
Dave_USSMariner_com: Jones in left field; Ibanez as DH; Vidro gets the day off.
JohnJ: What effect if any, does a mouthful of chewing tobacco have on a player’s ability to pitch, run or field?
Dave_USSMariner_com: None. But it’s really gross.
robbbbbb: Chien-Ming Wang put on a clinic today. What the heck makes him such a good pitcher? He seems to only have one pitch, and his K rate sucks.
Dave_USSMariner_com: 95-mph sinker. Ground balls are a pitcher’s best friend.
niems: Do you think that the mariners would have three long losing streaks this season with someone like Joe Girardi at the helm?
Dave_USSMariner_com: I’m not convinced that Joe Girardi’s a great manager, and I’m not going to blame the losing streak on John McLaren. The team’s just inconsistent.
Jared: Dave, anything could happen but the m’s are behind a better, by run differential, and more competently run team. How do the Angels & A’s look to stack up next year. If the Angels grab A-rod or another first tier slugger it may not matter much what the m’s do over the off-season.
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah, the Angels are scary, they’ve got a good young team and they spend a lot of money and as you said, they’re well run. I think the A’s are in for a down year, however, I could see them coming in last next year.
Joe: Jeff Weaver is a free agent at the end of the season? Do you bring him back?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Nooooooooo. You can find another pitcher of that quality for a lot cheaper.
gk91: Whats been the benefit of having Morrow in the pen this year vs the cost to him of missing a year of starting in the minors?
Dave_USSMariner_com: He’s pitched well in stretches for the Mariners and helped the bullpen keep this team in contention. I think there were positives and negatives; I’d rather have him in Tacoma.
circlejtp: If someone wanted to get into the stat side of baseball, where is a good website to learn?
Dave_USSMariner_com: That’s a good question… baseballprospectus.com has a ‘understanding the basics’ series. That’s a good place to start.
RickWhite: Dave, do you think Feierabend can take HoRam’s or Weaver’s spot next year?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Probably not. I don’t think the organization is super-high on him. He’ll be in Tacoma next year.
Manzanillo: Do we have a sleeper prospect in our system that scouts are talking about?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah. Carlos Triunel… 17-year old shortstop; he’s really good.
nfreakct: How short a leash is Jose Lopez on?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Pretty short, the organization has a history of giving up on guys like Lopez who are frustrating. I wouldn’t be shocked if they traded him.
Sports_on_a_Schtick: If it were up to you who would manage the Mariners next year?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Larry Dierker- a smart guy, he knows stats really well. He understands the analytical side of the game.
millville: Any chance McLaren comes back next year after all of the bad decisions he has made since taking over for grover?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Yeah, I think he’s back next year barring a huge collapse.
Will: Jimerson looks like a good ballplayer. Will these be his only year as a Mariner?
Dave_USSMariner_com: Uh, yeah, probably. He’s a career minor leaguer and a fifth outfielder. Good backstory- his mom’s a crack addict and he got a walk-on scholarship at Miami, and ended up a college World Series MVP when the starter got hurt: he hit a grand slam to win the college world series for the ‘Canes.
Any idea how many people attended?
I sure noticed a lot of USSM types. Not much point to that if it was only us.
Dave, I forget to say especially I liked the humor (Ibanez’ chew dripping) and the Jimerson story. Those kinds of things help move the perception that people who use stats are all geeks who wear glasses taped together, never watch a real ballgame, and hate actual people.
My comcast was giving me fits, or maybe it was the kstw site itself or maybe that I’m a mac user. I never know. But basically, it would just go dead, or seem to, for long quantities of time, then a couple times I got booted off entirely. That was the part that was anticlimactic, plus, I’ve heard you talk in person. I know you could have answered way faster, and way more questions 🙂
Before it was over, I counted about 27 or 28 people in the chat room.
I did want to ask (one of the questions I tried to ask) was essentially what Nick said in the other thread (I didn’t know he had said it there; I don’t know which of us said it first).
But –
about whether the Ms give youth a chance or not…
Felix, Betancourt, Lopez, Johjima are all playing their 2nd season in the major leagues this year. Not veterans in my mind. Add to that O’Flaherty (appeared in like 15 games last year), Feirabend, Rowland-Smith, Morrow….
It seems like the Ms are giving youth a chance.
So I’m curious as to how/when you make a distinction between youth and veteran.
(I tend more toward the Geoff Baker ‘if they’re getting the job done, why replace them’ approach. I mean, my water heater will eventually give out, but until it does, why would I replace it? In this particular example, I would need to add the disclaimer that my water heater is perfectly fine, but around the end of its alleged lifespan and I’m in the middle of having a fine new on-demand water heater installed. so perhaps I should think of Adam Jones as that fine new on-demand water heater?)
23 – Lopez took his first at bat in the big leagues 4 seasons ago, 3 for Yuni.
Just for some giggles, I added up the service time for the normal starting line-ups (no pitchers) for Seattle and then for the three division leaders. I counted years in Japan (minus four partial years for kenji and Ichiro), but not counting this year.
Boston – a total of 68 years of big league experience in the starting line up.
Cleveland – 45(!) years.
Anaheim – 58 years.
(just for fun, given DMZ’s post, Atlanta – 42(one less player – no DH)
Seattle – 78 frigging years. Seven-eight. Nine guys with an average of almost nine seasons each. Ridiculous.
Our outfield plus designated hitter has one less year of experience than Cleveland’s starting nine.
“It’s better to trade a player a year too early than to trade him a year too late.”
You retain control of when and how to replace-and that’s generally a lot less trouble and a lot less expensive.
Anyway, what if your water heater isn’t all that, but you’ve just kind of got used to it, and aren’t even really noticing that it’s not what it used to be?
Dave, thanks for chatting. I’m a little surprised that you didn’t assign McLaren at least some blame for the losing streak, since you’ve been willing to do so here.
scraps: the water is still hot and I’ve already made the monetary investment.
however, my new water heater will also heat water and it will do it more energy efficiently which means that while I’m plunking down some cashola (let’s just call it a signing bonus for the new water heater) initially, the ongoing power bill will be less because my new water heater will heat water when I need it, and not just heat it up and store it (you know, like…veteran experience) in case I need a whole bunch of it at once for some reason. You know, if I need my water heater to be ‘clutch’ in a tight situation….
My new one will heat water as I need it – which yes, does involve a certain amount of trust on my part. Trust in ‘new’ technology, trust that it really WILL heat enough of it fast enough to fill the tub, etc., willingness to take that risk and believe that the reward is there.
Sometimes you buy stuff and it turns out the product was vastly overhyped, which makes you all the more hesitant to fall for it again. Remember that young pitching surplus we had (names like Nageotte, Johnson, Blackley ring a bell)? Remember Reed and Olivo?
Hard to know whether the Ms are just in recovery, working up to taking another chance – or whether their fundamental assessment of WHO/WHAT to take a chance on is flawed. Or…both.
But here’s the thing, Oly – you’re not in a Most Efficient Home competition with your neighbors. If you were, you’d look at this scenario differently, and you’d be trying to figure out whether your new water heater would give you a chance to have a more efficient home than the ones next to yours.
The Mariners are in a competition, and their competitors are better than they are. The status quo is not good enough. The old water heater is “broken” in that sense.
#24, John in LA, what about the Yankees? I’ll bet their service time for their normal starting line-up is about the same as the Mariners’. And if you WERE to include the pitchers, it’d be about 140 years… 🙂
29 –
I didn’t do the Yankees, but I’d bet they are the same or more as the Mariners, you’re right. But for them that’s actually a strategy – outbidding everyone for the top veterans, and never having to let their superstars leave. We sort of do the worst of both worlds.
But, yep… the yanks are old, too. But they sure as hell wouldn’t be old with the players we are.
Actually Dave, I do sort of compete to have a most efficient home. It’s why I drive an ’87 Honda etc. I compete so I’m not spending money foolishly and therefore have plenty left over for vacations and season tickets 🙂
Yes, other teams ARE better than the Ms, but while they could focus attention on how to get AJ more playing time, and yes that would have some marginal improvement, their big bang for the buck is gonna be in dealing with their starting pitching, which they didn’t choose to deal with. Kinda like choosing between buying a new sofa that you have to throw a slipcover over, or replacing a leaky and rotting roof.
I think they’re fundamentally flawed not only in their methods in evaluating talent, but also in their choices as to … priority.