Mariners 2008 World Series Run
Ichiro51fan
Posts: 379
in Sports Talk
Hopefully I'm the first to post this
All indications are that the Bedard deal will FINALLY be consumated today. With that deal done, I think the Mariners are looking really, really strong for 2008! The only real hole they had was their starting pitching and they seem to have closed that as well as could be expected (actually better, considering M's management). The 1-2 combo of Felix-Bedard will be among the most potent in the league. Bedard has been impressive thus far while pitching in the band-box that is Camden Yards. Now, just think what he can do in the worst hitter's park in the AL! I don't think it's stretching it to say that, if he remains healthy, he could put up 20 wins and a sub-3.00 ERA. And, if Felix can come out the way he did last year and maintain even close to that pace... watch out. And, one of the great benefits of having these 2 guys at the top... it moves everyone else down in the rotation. So, all of the sudden, your 3 other average starters don't look that bad at all in the 3-5 slots in the rotation.
The bullpen should still be among the league's best, despite the loss of Sherrill... a top-notch set-up guy. Putz is one of the top 3 closers in the game, but the M's still have a lot of other really good arms in the pen, even without Sherrill.
Defensively, the M's should be right up there among the top teams. In the OF, Ichiro speaks for himself (only 1 error and highest range factor of any CFer last year). LF & RF will be ok, but not stellar with Ibanez & Wilkerson. But, they don't have to be stellar because Ichiro can get to a lot of balls they cannot, covering from CF.
The infield is rock solid. On the left side... probably the best in the league with Beltre & Betencourt. Unmatched range and huge arms... if Yuni can cut down on the errors just a bit, he should be a gold glove contender. The right side is not quite as good, but Lopez is no slouch and Sexson does save a lot of throwing errors with his solid glove.
At catcher, Johjima is a great defensive presence! Last year, he made only 2 errors, had just 5 passed balls, and threw out an impressive 40 out of 86 (47%) of baserunners attempting to steal.
The offense was really good last year (for playing 81 games in Safeco), despite Richie Sexson having an absolutely horrible year. If reports are true, that was mainly due to nagging injuries, so hopefully we will get back into the swing this year. 1B appears to me to be the biggest risk area, closely followed by RF with Wilkerson. I would have liked to see Guillen back again in RF because he had a very solid year in 2007. Ibanez in left should be better (more power) than last year as injury really had a negative affect on his HR total (usually good for 20-25). In center, you've of course got the best of the best... Ichiro. No reason to assume anything less than a .330-.360 BA with about 40 SB's and 100+ runs scored... a great lead-off man and ignitor for the team yet again to be sure. Beltre appears to have gotten a lot more comfortable in the AL, so I look for a good year for him (although not expecting Dodger-like numbers by any means). Yuni & Lopez are still young and should continue to blossom at the plate. I just hope that Lopez can keep it together becaue I DO NOT want to see DH Vidro "trying" to play 2B very often (if at all). Vidro is a solid DH, although people critized him last year for lack of power. I propose that if Sexson and Ibanez go back to normal HR wise, this shouldn't be much of a consideration. A continued good average and nice clutch hitting from Vidro should be well enough if the other power guys are producing. Finally, you've got Johjima, who has proven to be a very, very solid hitter. Good average around .290 in both of his seasons so far, with nice pop for a catcher... should be right around 15 HR's again this year.
So, there you have it. Assuming no major health issues, I think the Mariners will challenge the Angels and take the West on their way to a stunning 2008 WS victory! To me, I think the major concern at this point would be Sexson. If he can even come close to his 2005-2006 numbers, I think the M's have a great chance to get close to 100 wins. If he suffers like last year, there could be trouble if the M's don't make a move quickly and get somebody decent in there for him. Even so, i think the bolstered pitching alone gets the M's to 90+ wins. However, that probably won't be good enough to get to the playoffs, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the 1B situation.
All indications are that the Bedard deal will FINALLY be consumated today. With that deal done, I think the Mariners are looking really, really strong for 2008! The only real hole they had was their starting pitching and they seem to have closed that as well as could be expected (actually better, considering M's management). The 1-2 combo of Felix-Bedard will be among the most potent in the league. Bedard has been impressive thus far while pitching in the band-box that is Camden Yards. Now, just think what he can do in the worst hitter's park in the AL! I don't think it's stretching it to say that, if he remains healthy, he could put up 20 wins and a sub-3.00 ERA. And, if Felix can come out the way he did last year and maintain even close to that pace... watch out. And, one of the great benefits of having these 2 guys at the top... it moves everyone else down in the rotation. So, all of the sudden, your 3 other average starters don't look that bad at all in the 3-5 slots in the rotation.
The bullpen should still be among the league's best, despite the loss of Sherrill... a top-notch set-up guy. Putz is one of the top 3 closers in the game, but the M's still have a lot of other really good arms in the pen, even without Sherrill.
Defensively, the M's should be right up there among the top teams. In the OF, Ichiro speaks for himself (only 1 error and highest range factor of any CFer last year). LF & RF will be ok, but not stellar with Ibanez & Wilkerson. But, they don't have to be stellar because Ichiro can get to a lot of balls they cannot, covering from CF.
The infield is rock solid. On the left side... probably the best in the league with Beltre & Betencourt. Unmatched range and huge arms... if Yuni can cut down on the errors just a bit, he should be a gold glove contender. The right side is not quite as good, but Lopez is no slouch and Sexson does save a lot of throwing errors with his solid glove.
At catcher, Johjima is a great defensive presence! Last year, he made only 2 errors, had just 5 passed balls, and threw out an impressive 40 out of 86 (47%) of baserunners attempting to steal.
The offense was really good last year (for playing 81 games in Safeco), despite Richie Sexson having an absolutely horrible year. If reports are true, that was mainly due to nagging injuries, so hopefully we will get back into the swing this year. 1B appears to me to be the biggest risk area, closely followed by RF with Wilkerson. I would have liked to see Guillen back again in RF because he had a very solid year in 2007. Ibanez in left should be better (more power) than last year as injury really had a negative affect on his HR total (usually good for 20-25). In center, you've of course got the best of the best... Ichiro. No reason to assume anything less than a .330-.360 BA with about 40 SB's and 100+ runs scored... a great lead-off man and ignitor for the team yet again to be sure. Beltre appears to have gotten a lot more comfortable in the AL, so I look for a good year for him (although not expecting Dodger-like numbers by any means). Yuni & Lopez are still young and should continue to blossom at the plate. I just hope that Lopez can keep it together becaue I DO NOT want to see DH Vidro "trying" to play 2B very often (if at all). Vidro is a solid DH, although people critized him last year for lack of power. I propose that if Sexson and Ibanez go back to normal HR wise, this shouldn't be much of a consideration. A continued good average and nice clutch hitting from Vidro should be well enough if the other power guys are producing. Finally, you've got Johjima, who has proven to be a very, very solid hitter. Good average around .290 in both of his seasons so far, with nice pop for a catcher... should be right around 15 HR's again this year.
So, there you have it. Assuming no major health issues, I think the Mariners will challenge the Angels and take the West on their way to a stunning 2008 WS victory! To me, I think the major concern at this point would be Sexson. If he can even come close to his 2005-2006 numbers, I think the M's have a great chance to get close to 100 wins. If he suffers like last year, there could be trouble if the M's don't make a move quickly and get somebody decent in there for him. Even so, i think the bolstered pitching alone gets the M's to 90+ wins. However, that probably won't be good enough to get to the playoffs, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the 1B situation.
Jim G
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
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Comments
But I would note that losing Sherrill in the bullpen hurts. That dude was sick from the left hand side. Downright filthy.
Sadly, I sort of expect a simliar season from old Sexson. His bat seems to have slowed down. Hope I'm wrong, but last year he was being overpowered.
Overall, I'm excited about the season, and I also think they can win the West.
W.S.? Ah....no....
Dave
Hard to replace the numbers Escobar put up last year
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
<< <i>Yeah Good luck with Silva... Is he up to 3 bills yet? >>
lmao... yeah, dude isn't exactly svelt! I wasn't thrilled with the guy when he was potentially being considered the #2 starter, but I could totally get with the fatman in the #3-4 slot.
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
<< <i>The best thing that happened to Seatlle this off season and improved there chances of winning the division was the Angels Escobar going down with arm trouble. Already written off for the beginning of the season.
Hard to replace the numbers Escobar put up last year >>
Well, I don't think it will hurt Seattle having Escobar down for a while, but that's hardly the best thing that's happened to the M's. Bolstering their staff with a true #1... and probably the 2nd best possible guy available (next to Santana) is gonna be huge... wait and see!
Also, I'm not convinced the Angels are going to be that great this year. Several guys had career years last year and I just don't know if they'll be able to recapture that magic. I mean, does anyone believe that Figgins is gonna hit .330 again? I haven't kept up on all the free-agent signings... did they pick up anyone good? Oh, I just saw they got Hunter... but doesn't that give them 4 OFers? Or is Anderson gonna DH? Anyway, the main thing that scares me with them is Weaver can get his form back from 2 years ago when he bascially looked unhitable.
Anyway, we'll see what happens...
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
As for the M's & Halos... we'll see a lot in the first 2 weeks of the season when they play each other 6 times!
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
Please remember that the majority of the Angels starters spent at least 2 weeks on the DL, (Kotchman)with the majority a month, (Matthews, Figgins, Anderson, Kendrick, Napoli) and Rivera almost the entire year and Vlad playing hurt the last month of the season and play-offs. Having these guys back and healthy will add a half dozen or more wins. And don't tell me injurys are part of the game, because I know that. But this many was out of the norm.
How many M's starters spent time on the DL.....NONE......Maybe Sexson and that's because he's a head case..I seriously doudt the M's can have back to back injury free seasons
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
Any ways Softparade, what are you doing commenting on anything west of the Mississippi?
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
Hey... pitchers and catchers reported today! YEAH!!!
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
I don't see 100 wins for the Mariners this season, but I would think something in the 86-90 range is realistic. I can see the Angels in that same range. Both teams will benefit from the unbalanced schedule which allow them to play the A's and Rangers so much. If the A's go ahead and trade away Blanton now after they've traded Haren, you can bet that they will be looking at a 60-win season. And Texas is still Texas and still doesn't scare anyone.
Here are the main weaknesses I see with the Mariners in '08: I don't like the Wilkerson signing. He's a guy I used to draft in the final rounds of fantasy drafts for his potential. I won't be doing that again. I think his .234/20 HR/60 RBI season last year in Texas is probably the best you can hope for in Seattle. Also, as already discussed, Sexon is not a very good option at 1B, which is typically a spot rich in offensive production. Even if he gets back to his '06 numbers, his average is still too low and he strikes out way too much. And finally, my gut tells me that Ibanez is going to start coming back down to earth after several very good years. He's going to be 36 this year if I'm not mistaken? My guess is he starts playing more like a 36-year-old.
Just my .02. Good luck M's fans.
The M's had the 2nd highest BA in the AL last year and finished in the middle of the pack in runs scored.
The M's had the fewest walks of any team in the AL.
The M's grounded into the most DP's of any team last year.
The M's pitchers had the 2nd highest BA Against last year.
Even with these negatives, they still managed to eek out 88 wins and finish 6 GB. If they repeat this trend, they'll be lucky to finish above .500. So I say again, as a result of their 88 wins it supports the fact that they played above their heads last season.
Treetop ... you are right! What the hell am I doing in this thread! Answer ..... I like the M's direction combined with Bedard and Hernandez and a nice closer. Say what you want but I am confident that NO team will want to come into a series with the M's facing Bedard and Hernandez
ISO 1978 Topps Baseball in NM-MT High Grade Raw 3, 100, 103, 302, 347, 376, 416, 466, 481, 487, 509, 534, 540, 554, 579, 580, 622, 642, 673, 724__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ISO 1978 O-Pee-Chee in NM-MT High Grade Raw12, 21, 29, 38, 49, 65, 69, 73, 74, 81, 95, 100, 104, 110, 115, 122, 132, 133, 135, 140, 142, 151, 153, 155, 160, 161, 167, 168, 172, 179, 181, 196, 200, 204, 210, 224, 231, 240
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
TheVon... you made some great points and I cetainly echo your concerns in regard to Sexson & Wilkerson. I wish the M's would have resigned Guillen... I'd rather have him again than Wilkerson, but we'll see how he does. Sexson simply killed the M's last year. I'm telling you, they would have had a real good shot at winning the west if they would have benched him after his horrid April. I was assuming that we still had Broussard, but I just saw that he's on Texas now. Man... that freaking sucks! I was planning on having him there to fill in for Sexson if he starts slow again, but geeze... now they have no proven player to fill that role. Man, that's a big risk if you ask me!
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
Also, I've been reading a little bit about their other OF prospect Wladimir Balentien. Any idea how long before they give him a shot? CBS compares his hitting to that of Andruw Jones.
I have mixed feeling about Ichiro moving back to RF. The guy really showed something is CF last year. I beleive he had the highest Range Factor in the majors while only making 1 error (and that was very late in the season). I think that he can save more hits/runs in CF than in RF, but he gets more chances to throw out guys at the plate in RF, and that's one of the most exciting things in baseball, imo.
My ideal scenario would see Balentein have a monster spring and make the club. Keep Ichiro in CF... maybe do a platoon between Wilk & Balentein in RF. Plus, this would give the M's the option to use Wilk at first when and if Sexson struggles. However, I would settle for having a legit 4th OFer... not matter who it is... cuz that would essentially free up Wilk to play 1B when needed. I forgot about him being able to play 1B the other day when I started freaking out about the M's letting Broussard go.
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
It's really not any more complicated than that.
It's sad, because defensively he can really throw the leather around.
Dave
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
In other events, looks like the M's have 4 OFers competing for at max 2 spots on the roster: Morse, Balentien, Jimerson & Reed. Personally, I'd like to see Morse & Balentien make it. Morse has been tearing it up, leading the M's in hits, runs, TB & RBI, while Balentien is over .300 with 2 HR & 6 doubles. I think the M's could make great use of Balentien's power and Morse has a lot of flexibility position-wise, which would definately come in handy if and when Richie tanks or injuries appear. Reed is tempting but really only offers defense, and with Ichiro in CF, I'm not sure that should be a priority for the M's. Same type of thing with Jimerson... plenty of speed and D, but can he hit. We'll see how it turns out, but I would love to see both Morse and Balentien make the opening-day roster! Go M's!
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
I'm heading up to Safeco Monday morning to catch my first ever opening day in person! Should be a great experience, despite being a chilly 50 degrees
Before the season starts, I thought I'd chime in with some of my predictions:
1- Mariners win the West with a record of 98-64 (clinch date of Sept 21st).
2- Bedard & Felix both win 20+ and fight each other for the Cy Young award
3- Ichiro puts together another amazing season: 240+ hits, wins batting title, steals 60+ bases
4- Sexson gets benched some time in May due to another horrific start. M's move Wilkerson to 1B and Mike Morse gets the RF job.
5- JJ Putz continues his domination, saving 50+ games
Time will tell... Go M's!!!
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
thats very optimistic of you
I love bedard, Felix might have better "stuff" but bedard is the better pitcher.
Bedard wins 18 games, Felix wins 17, neither wins the Cy Young. Seattle should win the West, only because the Angels pitching staff is decimated.
The other thing to consider in the Cy Young race is that these guys pitch half their games in the worst hitters park in the AL. If you look at what Bedard did in the band-box Camden Yards, I don't think it's unrealistic to see an ERA under 3.00 from him. Personally, I think he's a lock for 20 wins... Felix may not get there this year but will probably be really close, barring injury of course.
Btw... did you catch that game against the Cubs yesterday? The M's put 6 HR's on the board! Hey, I know it's just spring training, but that kind of power always impresses! Hopefully they can bring that momentum into the regular season
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
Dave
I have to say, for not having his best stuff (mainly control issues), Bedard did one heck of a job pitching out of jams and only allowing the 1 run in 5 IP. In addition, I think he (and a lot of fans) really felt he was getting squeezed by the umpire. Admittedly, a good number of those borderline pitches could have easily been called strikes. BUT... the guy kept his cool about it and that kept the M's in it long enough to come back and win, and that's what it's all about. I give Bedard a lot of credit for that, especially considering M's pitchers in recent history (like Fredia Garcia, Joel Pinero, and others) who let bad/close calls get to them and the next thing you knew they had given up 6 runs.
The hitting looked ok for a 40 degree day. Mainly Beltre impressed as well as Lopez. Wilkerson didn't look very good... had some really bad looking hacks. And, after drawing a gift walk in his first AB (the 2-2 pitich looked to be right down the middle but was called a ball), Sexson proceded to pop up with 1st & 3rd and nobody out, strike out, and fly out. Again, his hacks looked typical of last year's debacle. My boy Ichiro didn't get a hit, but was on twice (1 IBB and 1 on an error) and scored 2 big runs. He also hit probably the hardest ball of the day for the M's but it was snagged on a shoe-string catch by the CFer, who was playing surprisingly short. 3 or 4 feet to either side and it probably would have went for a triple.
The bullpen also looked pretty good, giving up only 1 run in 4IP. JJ wasn't at his sharpest, but still got the job done without too much drama.
All in all, a pretty good game and a nice win to start off the season.
M's in first place by .5 games!
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
Tuesday's game was a frustration. After Texas basically handed the game to the M's with shoddy defense, JJ Putz ended up giving up a 2-run blast in the 9th to lose it. Turns out the guy actually got injurred a few pitches before that, but honestly, he wasn't very sharp even before that. Felix pitched very well, allowing only 1 run (unearned) in 7 IP! Unfortunately, the bullpen wasn't up to the task in this game though. Yuni had a nice 4-hit game and Ichiro was on 4 times with 3 hits and a walk. Unfortunately, Sexson had another horrible game. He did get his only hit of the season so far, but it was a just a ground ball that happened to find a hole. In his other AB's Sexson choked in clutch situations (just like last year), striking out 3 times... once with the bases loaded and 1 out, and once with 1st and 3rd and no outs. While the bullpen tecnhically lost this one, I blame Sexson. Even an average fly ball in both of those situations and the Mariners likely win that game. Instead, they're saddled with the first Sexson-caused loss of the season.
Speaking of Sexson (or should I call him Suxson?)... the guy is already gripping and it's only 3 games in! He's got 1 measly, meaningles ground ball hit, in 11 AB's, 4 K's, and most troubling, 8 runners left on base (including 3 on 3rd with less than 2 outs). In addition, the guy as looked horrible in the field as well, muffing several easy balls already. I know it's only 3 games, but considering how bad the guy choked last year, I don't think this should be ignored. Yet, in typical fashion, the M's announcers and management appear not to be worried. Sure, give the guy 2 months to continue sucking before you pull the plug! Why not? I'm sure the M's can afford 10 more losses by then solely due to Suxson's choking. Look, they need to give the guy 1 more week at the most. If he's still choking, you sit him down, put Wilkerson at 1B and let Morse play RF. However, they should move the guy out of the clean-up spot starting tomorrow! Probably Beltre is the guy who belongs there, or maybe Ibanez. Sexson sould be batting 6th or 7th if they must play him.
Anyway, despite the Suxson debacle, I'm still pretty optimistic about the M's season so far. The starting pitching has been better than expected and despite Bedard not having his best stuff, the starters have given up only 3 runs (2 earned) in 19 IP! I'll take that any day... especially against Texas, perenially one of the best hitting teams in the AL.
M's tied for first with LA after 3 games.
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
Dave
Yesterday's game was a sick, sick loss. Felix was outstanding for 8 shutout innings, then the pen and defense blows it for him giving up 3 in the 9th! As bad as the pen was, I don't blame them 100% for the loss. First, what they heck is McLaren doing pulling Felix after 8 when he had been lights out and was showing no signs of tiring. The guy only had 97 pitches... what, his arm's going to fall off if he thrown 112? Sure, it's early in the season, but the M's really needed to lock down that win, not trust the shakey pen to hold a 2-run lead.
The other thing that was a killer in the 9th was that ground ball to Lopez' left. I couldn't beleive the guy couldnt field that ball. I was hit fairly hard, but he was actuall over the ball when it went through him (not like it was out of his reach). Thing is, that's like the 3rd or 4th ball like that so far this year that the guy hasn't even knocked down. Add to that Sexson's shotty defense so far and the right side of the IF is really a big hole defensivley right now. The M's cannot afford that to continue.
2-4 so far... and should be 4-2 with any kind of decent performance from the pen. Hopfeully that will improve when JJ comes back. Otherwise, having excellent starting pitching won't be enough.
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
It's early in the season, but Good Lord, where do we go from here?
Whoever the leader is in the M's clubhouse better start kicking some ars, and fast. This group is listless...
Dave
<< <i>Whoever the leader is in the M's clubhouse better start kicking some ars, and fast. This group is listless >>
When I watch the M's that's what I see as a glaring problem. There is no one with anytype of leadership abilities stepping forward. God bless Ichiro and all his talent, but its clear to me this guy is a liability in the cludhouse. I still think he was a main reason why your manager retired last year in the middle of a 9/10 game hot streak.
Plus you guys have about 30zillion dollars tied up in Sexson and Vidro and getting zero run production. You take away Sexsons 2-3 homers against the Angels in that one 3 game series and his power numbers are that of a 140lb switch hitting south american born shortstop.
M's will get some wins, but if they have any type of injury's, I don't think they have any minor leaguers (or bench players) left that could step up and do the job. The farm system is drained in Seattle
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
Bringing up Balentiene & Clement to replace dead wieght was definately the right move though, and Balentine has already shown great promise and nice power. Indeed, Sexson continues to be the main problem as far as hitting goes. Sure, he's hit some HR's and is off slightly better than last year, but it's still not nearly enough. He's still barely above the Mendoza line after all! Ichiro has went red-hot lately, but a lot of good it does when there is no truly-feared power hitter to pick him up in that 4-hole. Lopez, Ibanez and even Beltre are solid, but they just don't fill that true-cleanup hitter role, something that Sexson should be doing.
I'd like to think that they will pick up the defense, but I'm still worried about the pen. Hell, even the usually lights out Putz has been anything but this year. I don't think he's looked good in any of his outings, either before or after his short stint on the DL. Bottom line, there's a long way to go and I am not writing them off yet, but they need to get things in order sooner rather than later! As for Ichiro's role in the clubhouse, he's hardly a problem! Just because he's not that vocal type of guy doesn't mean he's part of the problem. There are plenty of other guys that could do that so don't blame Ichi... hell, the guy's performance on the field should be all that anyone needs from him! As for the comment about him having something to do with Hargrove leaving, I don't know one way or the other. But, Hargrove was a cancer that needed to go, so if Ichiro did have something to do with it, that's another plus for him in my book. You want to talk about a non-inspirational dead-fish manager, that was Hargrove. The guy had no fire, didn't stick up for his players, and was simply not a good tactical manager... good ridance to him.
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
Edited to add: -1 for Sexson throwing his helmet at Gabbard. Why not fight like a man if you're going to do it?
<< <i>Edited to add: -1 for Sexson throwing his helmet at Gabbard. Why not fight like a man if you're going to do it? >>
Especially when your 6'-8" and weight in at well over 200lbs
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
<< <i>
<< <i>Edited to add: -1 for Sexson throwing his helmet at Gabbard. Why not fight like a man if you're going to do it? >>
Especially when your 6'-8" and weight in at well over 200lbs >>
That's the most contact Sexton has made in the last 2 years.
Mickey, I don't know what you're smoking man! Blaming the M's woes on Ichiro is like saying the Cavs just got knocked out of the playoffs due to Lebron's un-inspired play! Wake up man! Ichiro was top few in the league in steels even when you posted that ridiculous comment, and now he's freaking tearing it up! The guy now has 20 SB in only 45 games and has only been caught once! Just to help you out a bit, that is NUMBER 1 IN ALL OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!!! And, obviously you haven't been watching the games cuz if you had, you'd have seen Ichiro creating runs with his legs alone since most of the rest of the lineup can't be trusted to come up with a clutch hit. And yes, several balls were mis-handled by fielders since they knew they didn't have any margin for error due to Ichiro's speed. As for his OBP, Ichiro has never been a huge walk guy... he's a hitter man! The one year they tried to get him to walk more was his worst avg year. I'd rather have a hit than a walk any damn day! When you think about it, it's amazing he has so many steals already, considering he really hasn't started to hit yet at just .280. I'd be willing to bet he'll be over .200 by start of June and just up from there as usual. When he gets on base more, will even more steals come with it? Who knows, he may be able to push 80 SB's this year.
Anyway, the M's have certainly sucked so far overall. Ichiro, Lopez, Ibanez and Bedard have really been the only consistant performers all year. I do like Balentin a lot and hope they keep playing him. The bullpen had a horrible April but seem to have turned it around now. Unfortunately, the starters (excecpt for Bedard) have now started to suck, and oh yes, there's that huge Richie hole still in the middle of the lineup. Looks like Kenji has started to hit now, but they really need to get all the guys going to have a shot. 2 wins in a row against the Padres was a good start, let's see if they can keep it up against a really sub-par-to-date Detroit team.
All-time favorite athletes:
Steve Sax, Steve Garvey, Larry Bird, Jerry Rice, Joe Montana, Andre Agassi, Karch Kiraly, Wayne Gretzky, Ichiro Suzuki, Andres Galarraga, Greg Maddux.
"Make the world a better place... punch both A-Rods in the face (Alex Rodriguez and Andy Roddick)!"
3 w/Tigers away
3 w/Yankess away
3 with Boston home
3 w/Tigers home
3 w/Angels home
3 w/Boston away.
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
I can sense the end is near for John McLaren....very near. The clock is ticking. I can feel it in my bones.
It's a shame because McLaren is a class act, and a great guy. Maybe too great? Too nice? Maybe some guys are just not cut out to be the Man.
The M's are just not responding to him --- they're not even competitive anymore, against any team. The M's (especially the pitching staff) are hanging poor John out to dry. Very sad....
Dave
P.S. Bavasi needs to pack his bags.
Bingo!
"If I ever decided to do a book, I've already got the title-The Bases Were Loaded and So Was I"-Jim Fregosi
Dave