=== Ryan Garko ===

A lot of Mariner Central threads are meaty, but this one even more than most.

It seems every time a job-specific bench opportunity comes up, the howls start afres h about how feebleminded it is to have an Ichi-tickler on the team.  I wonder if anybody watched 2009, when Junior and Mike Sweeney ran the entire marathon with the M's.

Look, kiddies.  Don Wakamatsu is willing to take the extra effort to make a specialized bench work.  It's not a problemo.

........

I've always had a fascination with guys who murder LHP's.  If I can get a guy who hits .300/.400/.600, in 20% of the games we play, I'd love to have him.

Problem is, Garko hits only 300/390/490 against LHP's, and I don't call that a lefty-masher.  It's just not enough of a pinball bonus for me.  Give the AB's to Tuiasosopo or somebody important.

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=== Jack Hannahan ===

Another MC discussion, as to Hannahan being the middle infielder, in the same thread.

PRO:  I can't tell you how thrilled I am, that the Mariners are not encumbered by formulas, by how outside-the-box they are.  Most baseball orgs are encumbered because of a cover-your-backside mentality.  When things mess up, you don't want to leave yourself open to heat.

Zduriencik and Wakamatsu were rookies.  It's simply amazing how secure they are in what they do.

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PRO:  I think that UT is a great place for creativity.  Your SS and 2B are everyday players anyway.

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CON:  Wilson's health issues.

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If Jack Wilson were a 155-game type of guy, I'd say great.  But Jack Hannahan is EXTREMELY likely to have to play a month straight at SS.

In chess terms this is the fatal flaw of "inconsistency" -- invest two moves on a kingside attack, and then change your mind and isolate the queen pawn.  The result is that you're two moves behind in the race to impose your will on the position, and you lose.

Jack Hannahan, SS, is inconsistent with the pitching-and-D fanaticism they've been showing.  Shortstop is very important.  Having a butcher at everyday SS is liable to make the whole plan not work...

We assume that, when Wilson is out for 30 days, that the M's will call up a Rainier to play shortstop every day.  Who would that be?

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SUM:  I like outside-the-box.  We won't call this brainless, but it is definitely daring.   A third baseman backing up a lace-china shortstop?  

And Hannahan doesn't even hit well.  What is the deal with Hannahan?  They like his personality?  That's not a knock.  It seems to me like Hannahan is The New Willie.

I wouldn't do it, 3B-behind-Jack-Wilson, but it is interesting.

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=== Jonny Gomes ===

You might remember Jon Paul Morosi as being the guy who, on page A-1 of the P-I, plagiarized the articles that Dr. Naka and I wrote about Ichiro and Mike Hargrove.   Shortly afterward, Morosi wasn't at the P-I any more, though his career in baseball is still solid.

Morosi, a few hours ago, Tweeted that the M's remain interested in Jonny Gomes.  Again people say you can't do it with Griffey here, and again SSI points out Mike Sweeney 2009.

Gomes is a guy that I like, a virtual replica of Russell Branyan from the other side.  Here's our POTD on him.

My $0.02,

Dr D