Seattle Sports Insider

Felix or Zeus on Opening Day?

come to think of it, this may be a P.R. call anyhow, eh

Posted by

2/6/18

Brent Stecker has a roundtable on this. If you just joined us, the question is Felix' MLB(TM) entitlement vs. James Paxton's ability to defeat Corey Kluber in front of 45,000 fans and all the buzz of Opening Day. The roundtable went something like this:

Mike Salk:

“It’s a hard one for me, because if I were (Mariners manager) Scott Servais I would be really, really tempted to go with James Paxton. He’s the future, he’s your guy, he’s supposed to be growing into being your horse, and it would send a message to Felix Hernandez that you don’t get to run this organization anymore. Things have changed.

I just don’t think that’s how you manage a baseball team. I think Felix has pitched in this organization and made sacrifices for this organization since 2005. If you do want to succeed this year, you can’t lose Felix Hernandez. And I think if you don’t start him for Opening Day and you embarrass him (by doing) what they did in 2008 when Erik Bedard started (Opening Day) – that team lost 100 games and it was torpedoed from the inside out. I can’t do it.”

Dr. D is juuuuuuust a tad confused here. If you are clear about what Salk just said there, please feel free to enlighten us in the CMS.

First of all, most of us are 40-something sports fans, if not more, and we're well aware that a modern sports star can and has ---- > developed a far bigger grudge over much less than this, and has --- > ignited a clubhouse revolt over just such a thing. In fact, as we speak, John and I are deriving most of our sports amusement from watching Cleveland Cavaliers games. If you don't know the story there, you probably don't want to. Suffice it to say when a team's superstar feels disrespected, that team is liable to see some very bizarre things happen during that season.

Anyway, Brock Huard sez:

“To me it’s a proactive deal and it’s TBD. My starter for game No. 1 against Corey Kluber right now is TBD. That’s not an insult and I’m sorry, but after the last two seasons, unfortunately they have been injury-riddled for (Hernandez). I would love to see James Paxton earn that opportunity to do it, (but) this is Felix’s job to lose.”

Meaning, Felix IS entitled, but March could shake out in such a way that it's obvious to all 25 men what needs to happen. It COULD shake out that way. That's Huard's perspective from behind the clipboard.

Danny O'Neil sez --- > what Salk sez, the 2nd time I think (?!) and Jim Moore sez --- > Felix is eligible for "disrespect" because he has not been that good an actor lately.

DR's R/X

All intriguing. The first thing that occurs to Dr. D is a team chess match: when it's my 5 against your 5, it is considered a huge advantage, and CHEATING, to play your #1 guy down on the #2 board.

This happened in the 1970 USSR vs World Match, when Bent Larsen talked himself onto first board and then Fischer, from the 2nd board, smashed Tigran Petrosian by a 75% score. Let me play my best guy at #2 and I'll do it every time. Not quite sure why the math works out that way, but it does...

So if the Mariners "do it the right way" and send Servais to Felix, "Listen, Felix, we've had some good starts from James and ...." but Felix sticks out his jaw and goes, "No, man, I got this!" then that's fine with GM Detecto.

FELIX' 2018

Tough to find a template to really compare the man to. If he could hit his spots he'd be a right-handed Jamie Moyer. But since his slowball is also a wildball, we're left with hoping he reports to camp tanned, rested, and refreshed... that he throws 55-60% secondary pitches and that the rest are caught by a blurry-fast outfield.

It could happen. He only had what, 86 innings last year and no WBC this year. He'll bounce back; by how much, you figure it out.

BABVA,

Dr D

Blog:

Dr's R/X

Tags:

Corey Kluber

Comments

co-sign Doc

Gotta agree with the R/X. Where is the problem with giving Pax the second game? I mean a win is a win ;) and either way the team is well positioned to go into game three with at least one win.

That said, there could be a problem if James feels disrespected and we end up losing him to free agency because he wants to go somewhere else and be the main man; this is where you either trust the front office to get the job done or you don't. But that just doesn't mesh with what I've seen from Pax over the years. He seems to be a good team actor and the org has done well to promote his "brand" which I expect will result in the undisputed title of team ace by the end of the season (provided no extended DL trips). Here I am getting stoked just writing it down!

With Boras at the helm for Paxton

I think the only way we get Pitch One from Zeus after 3 years is ---- > make them bet on their future right now.

If you offer some $$$$ beyond arbitration money, with 2 years of free agency stapled to the deal, you might force their hand. Suppose you offer them $50M for the next three years and $50M for the two beyond that, 5/100. What changes Paxton's life more, the next $100M or the following $200M?

Deal or No Deal ...

If I thought

That Paxton was ready to tear his way through the season with 240 innings, skipping other starters to get him to 35 starts I'd have to pitch him #1. If I thought the Mariners might use him that way even if it seemed arguably wise I'd suggest it would at least be possible that they'd do so.

James the Maypole has things left to prove. He'd be my pick but it makes plenty of sense to leave that opportunity for Felix. Changing up his preparation and working to figure out how he can be effective with what he has now might make a difference. It might not, at which point he's not in the conversation for me next year.

All that said I'd have to have discussions with the players involved before I could decide for sure and those wouldn't happen before spring training even started.

I thought Petrosian was the GOAT

I'd heard Petrosian was the hardest chess player to beat ever. Saw a few of his nutty games

Including this one against Fischer, and concluded that he must be the GOAT.

The thing about Petrosian, is that he seems to stretch the rules of chess past their breaking point and still come out roses. For example: In the four queens game, how is marching the King to the center of the board next to the opponents pawn fort a good defense for black? It seems to me there's some nasty mate on D5, or that is how this situation would work out in one of my games. A Petrosian king walk seems just par for the course.

Check this game. It's black's move. and Petrosian is White. He has moved his king to the center of the board again and apparently hates his G and H pawn. At my level, 1250ish, you disrespect pawns at your peril. The other guy resigned about 15 moves later due to some secret Petrosian plan I still don't understand.

Fischer, to my inexpert eye, seems like a solid King's Indian Attack player with some nasty checkmating ability. He seems like a worthy champion who used the strategies of his era. Fischer never jumped out at me as having any sort of distinctive style or any peculiar mark on chess like Petrosian or Morphy. All of the big players say that he does, so I will take their word for it.

Anyway, never heard that Petrosian was a "B" team guy. That must have been when he was old or something. Thanks, Doc for the interesting article. What do you think is special about Fischer as compared to all of the other great World Champs?

A Manager's Job

A manager's job isn't necessarily to field the best team night-in and night-out. 162 games is a marathon and that marathon is punctuated by grown men with the egos of grown men at the tippy-top of competition in tight, close quarters. By far, the biggest job a manager has is to ensure clubhouse harmony and singularity of direction.

If pitching Felix second jeopardizes that harmony, the alternative must be strongly considered. Same equation for Paxton. He's earned that.

This isn't a wins/losses question. Both'll pitch the same number of innings regardless. This is an organizational attitude and clubhouse chemistry issue. I have no especial insight into this and will trust the decision-makers who are closer to the pertinant variables to make the right decision. If they end up making the wrong one, fire 'em and find someone who makes the right ones.

More importantly...

I hate how the M’s run with Big Maple As a nick name for Paxton.

Gotta be Zeus, man.

Also, Brock sounds the most logical. This would be a case where the manager should get ahead of the story. Talk with both and publicly say it’s down to performance during spring training.

Maybe they both get hurt and it ends up being Darvish.