August 2014
But what Dr D wants to know: how do you get a HAT that high
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/14
Posted to blog
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There was a big fat hairy redeeming feature to Monday morning's ballgame. After the A's turned Chris Young into a strawberry jelly smear on the rubber, enter Taijuan Walker, Seattle Mariner. They warned us that his motion had been re-tooled, and they didn't tell us the half of it.
Pitched from the stretch, almost
Tiny ... actually nominal ... rock step
No dip of the back shoulder to CF; no load at all to speak of
Surgeon-precise down the centerline, Mike Marshall style
Nice still head and eyes
Easy, powerful throughstroke and decel
Erasmo!
It was still a tadbit stiff and mechanical, not... Read More
The "new violence" in the Mariner bullpen
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/14
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2 Comments
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"Nothing is ever solved by violence." - Army student
"On the contrary. Most of history's greatest problems, such as Adolf Hitler, were solved by violence." - Army officer, Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers
"You call me a bad baseball face one more time, I'm gonna rip your lips off." - Carson Smith
.....
So we got our first look at Carson Smith. His performance, that is, not his baseball face.
The bullpen has become a stark raving embarrassment. McClendon yanked his starter in the FIRST inning, and his junior varsity his frosh squad locked down the A's for 8+ innings, one run. Like,... Read More
The Johnny Damon of the '10's?
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/14
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6 Comments
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In baseball terms, Ackley is still developing: this was his age-25 season, and he was an NCAA player. Not benefitting from the rigors of long-season pro ball at ages 19 and 20. The issue of the metal vs wooden bats added to the consternation.
A recent Hey Bill:
....
Re Wally Joyner "not being an early peak sort of guy": His career highs in runs, RBI, home runs, OPS, OPS+, slugging percentage, total bases, and even walks and sacrifice flies all came in his second season. His second-highest homer and RBI totals and third-highest runs total came in his first season. His only MVP votes and... Read More
We were swept. Then came Dustin'
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/14
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23 Comments
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Maybe you're getting tired of talking about Dustin Ackley? You'll eat it, and like it. As long as this dude keeps swinging like this, it's All Ack All The Time Bab-eh.
Silent Panda had pointed out, brilliantly, that Ackley's 2014 funk had lasted --- > only an alarmingly short time. He started the season, in SSI's judgment, by driving his "ki" in the correct direction about 2/3 of the way.
Giddy with success, he got greedy again. But this time around, he popped back into form -- and this time even more sharply -- after only about 5 weeks' adjustment:
Time frame
AVG
OBP
SLG
Remark
Mar... Read More
Refuse to Lose, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/14
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GameFlow
There was a great old black-and-white Conan comic that Dr. D remembers, 30 years on. Our hero was stuck in a cave, battling a ginormous spider, trying to keep a wench safe behind him.
The spider -- it made Shelob look like a daddy longlegs -- couldn't be harmed (much) by Conan's little blade. It would lunge, take a piece out of the Barbarian, who would flail away and nick it here and there. Then he'd scramble back, set his feet again, and raise his blade in defiance again.
There was one drawing -- wish I had it now -- showing Conan about to die, sweaty but unbowed, with the... Read More
We're All Gonna Die, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/14
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GameFlow
Dr. D had to double-take, check whether this was the best team in the history of Washington D.C., if not the history of baseball. We thought we were going to see a very good team. We didnlt know we were going to get buzz-sawed by the best team the Mariners had played all season. Them and the early Oaklands.
As it turns out, there was a D.C. team as good as this ... in 1924 the Washington (AL) Senators won the World Serious, led by some dude named Walter Johnson, who that season won exactly 5% of his career 417 games.
Ninety years on, Stephen Strasburg provided a taller, less-... Read More
Nats 4 homers sink FELIX?
Posted by jemanji on 08/30/14
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1 Comments
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A team's never as good as it looks on its best behavior, or as bad as it looks when not. Like Robby says, "they trashed us. Nothing you can do." Take two Robby-isms and call Dr. D in the morning.
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Feeb-Lix
What was so disconcerting about watching Felix get fricasee'd over the fires of Styx?
Diving into a deep bag of possible explanations ... personally I hadn't realized to what extent Felix' dominance relies on his COMMAND.
You watch Felix strike out a leadoff hitter on MLB.com, and he'll throw 6 pitches -- none of which are strikes. He does it again and again: a 93 fastball right... Read More
August and September games that matter? Do you care?
Posted by jemanji on 08/29/14
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3 Comments
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The M's president sez, via Bob Dutton,
SEATTLE — Somewhat lost Tuesday in his comments regarding a contract extension for general manager Jack Zduriencik, club president Kevin Mather revealed the Mariners’ strategy prior to the trade deadline.
“We are trying to get into the playoffs,” Mather said. “We would like to make the playoffs. This town, this community, they’ve been very supportive. We’d love to get into the playoffs.
“That said, the wild card is different. The new collective-bargaining system, it’s tough for wild-card teams to win now. They’ve got it stacked against you.”
“We weren’... Read More
They look great … after the fact
Posted by jemanji on 08/29/14
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3 Comments
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"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where –" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.
"– so long as I get somewhere," Alice added as an explanation.
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
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Based on these statements by Kevin Mather -- he's the team president, or something -- the Mariners are not just happy with Jack Zduriencik; they are thrilled with him.
How do you evaluate a GM? Dr. D has no idea, but he... Read More
Now THERE's a Lefty
Posted by jemanji on 08/29/14
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Rick sez,
How's the leg plant looking, Doc?
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In the mind's eye, Paxton's finish had been (1) not my favorite way of finishing a pitch, but (2) a non-issue.
Looking back at the videos, he is indeed landing more heavily on the front heel (ugh!) than we remembered. The knee locks out too, but it does not hyperextend and he's not "impaling" himself on his femur. His decel does unbalance him a little bit, but not nearly the way it used to.
Quick aiki fix would be a little owie stuck into his shoe on the plant heel, teaching him to land a little more on the toes of the front foot.
The overall... Read More
Fail, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/29/14
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Mt Grizzly sez,
We should probably wait to pass judgement until all the facts come out.
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That'll do for us too. It is point A, and it is point B, and it is point C. The recent Michael Brown situation should be more than enough reminder on that...
On a rather less serious scale, we have the ongoing Jesus Montero melodrama.
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CS sez,
An M's cross-checker screams vaguely racist taunts at a player and then sends him an ice cream: A) This isn't some nobody, he oversees a region of the US and chances are we've heard of this guy. B) ...Fire that guy immediately. I think Montero is justified. C... Read More
Desert pigs supplanted by plants ... but the D.J. & Kiv Show moves to Arizona in October
Posted by Spectator on 08/28/14
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Arizona Fall League preliminary rosters are announced, and the Mariners ... are no longer part of the Peoria Javelinas!
And, after way too much time pondering same, we move on to the actual players:
The power-hitting tag team of D.J. Peterson and Patrick Kivlehan
Catcher John Hicks
Rising starter Stephen Landazuri
This year's relief phenom Matt Brazis (see Carter Capps, Carson Smith, Dominic Leone, etc.)
And Matt Anderson
No mention of Danny Hultzen, who had earlier been mentioned as possible for the fall.
Full article here.
Home page here.
We assess his tenure and give thumbs up to the extension
Posted by Spectator on 08/27/14
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We had a bit of a hiatus there due to work on a big project to "expand our toolbox" (coming eventually) and some family and work obligations, but here we are with an assessment of ...
Saber-Z who got snowed under by the initial "Tony Blengino has solved Safeco" euphoria, only to ride that horse right into the "team ISO of .103" ditch.
Scout-Z who knew that the pipeline was the whole ball of wax right from the beginning and eventually deposed the "defense-and-OBP" crowd at the major-league level.
Negotiator-Z who's had mixed results, but seems to be getting the hang of it.
Full... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 08/26/14
Posted to blog
11 Comments
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Mr. T "Prediction? Paaaaiiiiiin," Dept.
The velocity of 1,000 burning suns notwithstanding ... Dr. D did not enjoy a single pitch during the first three innings. Grade "B" stuff? He needed a second pitch and a map of the strike zone to get up to Grade B stuff, brother.
Paxton threw 14 straight fastballs (!!) to start the game. Then he threw a first-pitch changeup for show, and then he threw another 11 straight fastballs. He threw 34 of 37 fastballs to begin, and he had no idea where those were going. Apparently, Dr. D's dream of a fastball/hammer whipsaw was going to have to wait... Read More
M's finding their inner At-Bat child now
Posted by jemanji on 08/26/14
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1 Comments
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Here's where the M's lineup stands, last 30 days, in terms of "Weighted Runs Created Plus." League average is 100, so a "110 wRC+" means that a guy created 10% more runs than league average.
Remember the James axiom: most of a player's value consists of being average. I think of "Austin Jackson" as being -- sabermetrically and especially in the actual batter's box -- as the model of league-average hitting.
To a living, breathing baseball GM, "average-solid" is a very good thing. Even if you're NOT in firm possession of a handful of Abraham Almontes and Corey Harts, casting about for... Read More
The Expression Remains the Same (even if the song doesn't)
Posted by jemanji on 08/24/14
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8 Comments
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Heard it on the X, Dept.
Bat571 sez,
Interesting point to ponder. We've seen with our own eyes how Ackley has turned things around. He's now at league average for the year after having a horrible first 100 or so games.
WHAT IF?
Smoak comes back on September 1st with his swing well and truly grooved and HE starts hitting like he has at Tacoma with production from both sides, but killing LHs. If he's hot, Lloyd will play him. Then, let's say Saunders comes back, initially platooning with Denorfia, and starts hitting like he was (.780 OPS). Ackley and Jackson are both ~ league average at the... Read More
And destiny blinks
Posted by moethedog on 08/24/14
7 Comments
In the late fall of 1969, NYC sportwriters Paul Zimmerman and Dick Schaap hurried out a book titled "The Year the Mets Lost Last Place." It recounted the wonderful '69 season of the NY Mets. It was a "miracle" season, indeed. I read that book, buying it early the next spring during my school's Book Order Week.
On October 14th, 1969, I had turned 12 years old. Also on that day, 3000 miles to the east in Shea Stadium, my New York Mets beat the Baltimore Orioles to grab a 2-1 lead in the World Series. Gary Genty (6.2 innings) and 22-yr old Nolan Ryan (2.1 innings) combined in a 4-hit... Read More
And yet he's still an outlier ... and that's good
Posted by Spectator on 08/18/14
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At first Chris Young was defying gravity.
Now, he's still defying gravity ... it's just that he doesn't depend on it anymore.
Young is the only qualifying pitcher to have more than 50% of batted balls result in fly balls, and he's at 58%.
Young is the only qualifying pitcher anywhere near 10% of batted balls resulting in popups (he's at 8.7%). Second place is 5.9%. That's 20-ish more "automatic outs" on balls-in-play than any other pitcher gets in a season.
That's why I dubbed him "Inverse Ichiro" -- he achieves an unusual amount of success by denying singles by inducing hitters to... Read More
The series wasn't close, kiddies
Posted by jemanji on 08/17/14
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10 Comments
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So the M's take on the Tigers in a playoff atmosphere, their building, and outscore them 17-7.
Destroyed them in Paxton's start
Got nipped, under weird circumstances, in Felix' start
Destroyed them in Chris Young's start
We outhit them 29-23 and, despite only 1 homer in the series, blew past them like they were the Astros.
Granted, Anibal Sanchez might have thrown the ball a little better than did Rob Roy, the tasty Little League drink that quenched the M's thirst for 12-hit, no-homer victories. But hey. The M's now get 9 games against teams that feature pitchers similar to Rob Roy... Read More
K-Pax slaps Tigers silly, calls them Sharpay
Posted by jemanji on 08/16/14
Posted to blog
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Before the Game
They warned us that the Tigers were:
The best lineup in baseball
The most RH lineup in baseball*
In possession of Miguel Cabrera, this decade's Manny / Hurt / Edgar
In possession of a very good hitter (VMart) having a great year
A rrrrrrough ride for a left hand pitcher, baby
Well seasoned in "hot wars," whether occuring in August or October
A complete mismatch for a #4-5 starter
Playing at home
All of the above
None of the above
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As the Game Began
James Paxton went at least 4 innings before he threw a single curve ball for a strike. I don' care what the F/X says; his... Read More
Sincerity, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/16/14
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5 Comments
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A skosh of political commentary follows. If such would deflower your virgin internet ears, we've got the prophylactic links sittin' there on the desk for yer.
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DaddyO sez,
"I've been getting some things wrong. I should stop bothering people at SSI." Or somesuch.
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Talking not to DaddyO, but to Whom It May Concern ...
Maybe Dr. D heard you wrong :- ) but on the off chance you actually said that, I'm gonna tell yer something you already know. (Rocky father son speech)
The dumbest way to measure yourself is by the criterion of "flawlessness." :- ) "Hey, I read a speech for Toastmasters... Read More
But what I wanna know: is he in Bullpen A or B?
Posted by jemanji on 08/14/14
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4 Comments
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Dr. Grumpy sez,
Grumpy: At what point do we buy-in on Medina? I know he's had a shaky rep, but he's really been getting it done, and for a while now. He seems like a pretty valuable piece, either going forward or in a future trade.
...
I think his only shaky rep was with me :- )
Ya man, let's re-think for just a second. My complaint had been the 4 walks per game with non-remarkable stuff and ... he hasn't looked very impressive, to my eye. :: shrug :: We weren't throwing him under the bus - just wondering why he seemed to be ahead of Danny Farquhar and several guys who do look very... Read More
Although 116 wins might not occur
Posted by jemanji on 08/13/14
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13 Comments
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(The M's have already lost 9 more games than they did in 2001. You think Jeff Sullivan would explain his jokes for you? I think NOT.)
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Esto Es Mi Barrio, dept.
Bring a gold tooth and a sock fulla nickels, if you're going to wander into the AL West. The "Simple Rating System" at baseball-reference.com has these 3 teams as the best out of 30 teams both NL and AL:
1 = Oakland
2 = Angels
3 = Mariners
Would like to know when we saw the 3 best teams in the NFL, NBA or MLB all in one division.
Yes, Egbert, we know that the M's haven't exactly established themselves as the #3 team in all of... Read More
SSI camera angle on da game
Posted by jemanji on 08/13/14
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2 Comments
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Once we blogged with a guy who went on to a career in baseball, and before long he parted ways with us. "You take the style side; I'll stick to substance," he said dourly.
HEH
Sigh
We should probably try to work in a little postgame substance:
........
1. Yoervis Medina: my bad. He's a bit of an SSI whipping boy, but ... he threw two 95 MPH fastballs tonight that had the downward bite of Iwakuma's shuuto.
One of them fanned a lefty; another one bounced in front of home plate and drew a swing, also strike three, I think. You are talking about a 95 MPH spitball. And the fastball not his... Read More
It took us half of August to write it all up!
Posted by Spectator on 08/13/14
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3 Comments
I said on my site that I was going to do less daily stuff and more in-depth things, and here I come to prove it despite all good sense by blugeoning you over the head with in-depth things.
Now that everyone has pleasantly forgotton the torment of July ...
... a whole analysis of what exactly happened in July.
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Spoilers:
It wasn't singles, or doubles, or triples, or walks, or strikeouts.
90% of the hitters that produced 4.2 runs-per-game in June were there for the 2.9 runs-per-game July.
The new 10% was supposed to make things better. Hint: they didn't.
The was also bad luck, and a... Read More
A line seen on the bumper of DangeRuss' truck
Posted by jemanji on 08/12/14
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10 Comments
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Logan Morrison
The M's were down, 0-1, in the bottom of the 3rd. LoMo had singled sharply, and with Austin Jackson at the plate, LoMo took off - pretty much a straight steal. (His speed index is about ML average - which is good for a 1B.)
Jackson singled right at Colby Rasmus in CF. Rasmus, hurrying, had the ball bounce off him, about 6-8 yards away. He looked up, didn't see it, looked right, saw it, scrambled over to the ball in short CF. He picked it up and fired it back in.
Incredibly, LoMo was already roaring around 3B and forced a bad throw to home plate. M's were even on the... Read More
Thanks for coming down from BC, eh hoser
Posted by jemanji on 08/12/14
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See Why?
Poster BSR sez, "Is it just me, or does it feel like Felix has hit Unit/Pedro level?" It does, because he has. That's coming from a long-time Felix skeptic, as it were.
CY is the opposite. :- ) Every start, it feels like here's where it all turns into a pumpkin. Monday:
Leadoff walk, 4 pitches
Double, blasted into the power alley, 1-0 Jays
Jose Bautista -- who just tater'ed Felix last night -- up
And Dr. D started hitting the quintuple fast forward. Six runs, minimum. But you See Why this guy is tough in Safeco:
Three precision FB's, right on the black, to Bautista ...... Read More
Felix' UQS clock hits 16 … on its way to 56
Posted by jemanji on 08/11/14
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10 Comments
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Felix
BSR sez,
....
So has Felix finally hit the Pedro/RJ level at this point, where you just don't expect the opponent to have a chance to get more than a couple runs on the board unless he has a really bad day? It feels that way to me.
....
It does feel that way, and I was kinda wondering why, when Mike Blowers put his finger on it. The whole time, Felix has taken 4 pitches per game out the mound. That has been true of each outing in 2014, except the little "flu" period.
If you just joined us, a human being takes his fastball out to the mound, and then spends the 1st inning figuring... Read More
Cliff Lee's career ERA+ = 118
Posted by jemanji on 08/11/14
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14 Comments
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Diderot sez,
I like a pitcher who can get his ERA under 3 ... right now, the whole TEAM is under 3!
Has anyone done that for a whole season since they lowered the mound?
... answered my own question: Dodgers and Mets in 1988. Of course, pitchers batted in that league ...
Daddy O sez,
When the league ERA gets down towards 3, they do stuff like adding DH's and changing the mound :- )
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Dr D sez,
ERA+, for those who don't care about glossaries, adjusts for the park and for the league (and the DH). Pitching in a big park like Safeco, it's harder to get a good ERA+. Pitching against the LA... Read More
M's deserve a pleasant surprise
Posted by jemanji on 08/10/14
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6 Comments
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Q. Why not level 201 scan?
A. This is a first impression only. If Dr. D is crazy, who cares.
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Q. What is a KBIZLT swing, again?
A. Like Jeter, like Michael Young ... Taylor is smaller than both, though the swings remind. In this template, you'd be losing a bit of HR and gaining a bit of glove.
The main thing ... Taylor's swing Keeps the Bat In the Zone a Long Time (KBIZLT), he hits the ball anywhere, he "directs" the ball, he stays relaxed at the plate.
We're talking about a guy who hits the inside half of the ball -- he doesn't overextend his arms in a greedy fashion, trying to get... Read More
Lloyd's "golden era for M's" shtick is beginning to look good
Posted by jemanji on 08/10/14
Posted to blog
19 Comments
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Q. Why didn't the M's take 4 out of 4? This losing of 1-0 and 2-1 games is getting old.
A. Hey. Dave Neihaus told me as a kid. You can't sweep a 4-game series.
Think about it. Baseball is the game in which you can do things right, and not get rewarded for it. Something is going to go wrong in 4 games. The 1977 Mariners used to win 1 of 3, 1 of 4.
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Q. Is James Paxton now in the top 20 of 3,000 historical pitchers, for best start to a career?
A. It's scary: he was steering the ball last start. His hook wasn't fooling people. He is nowhere near the pitcher he's going to be.
And... Read More
Bullpens for Dummies, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/09/14
Posted to blog
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"Tom Tango" brought up a point, at Bill James Online, that led to a very pleasant baseball insight:
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Setting aside that baseball is perfect since its inception: 1. Do you agree that football is best played when a team plays the whole game with the same QB, or at the very least, even if he plays three quarters, that he's there to start and to end the game? 2. Similarly, do you think that baseball is best served if Felix and Kershaw et al are there pitching the whole game, and if their bodies can't handle it, then the structure of baseball should adapt to allow for it? 3. Would baseball be... Read More
...
Posted by jemanji on 08/07/14
Posted to blog
9 Comments
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The Shout Box Digest for August 7 has a dozen su-perb mini posts on Ackley. Also on August 6 there are several Shouts, including a neat one from DaddyO and the one from MtGrizzly, who kicked it off by saying tersely: "Ackley's streak has been going a good while now."
Yah. Since July 1, Ackley has hit 59 doubles and 22 homers per season, pro-rated. There's a real shortage of players who hit 58 doubles and 22 homers.
There's also a shortage of players who hit 39 doubles. (10 players in the league hit 39 doubles last season -- Trout, Cano, Longoria, Santana and Davis were the guys with... Read More
We're going to need a bigger server
Posted by mojician on 08/07/14
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12 Comments
I've read many times during my years of reading shtick that SSI has had too many or too few readers. Some say that it is difficult to find SSI. Other people remember the Klat servers melting down periodically from over use and aren't anxious for a repeat.
(The SSI server in 2013)
So: Is SSI hard to find? I ran a few experiments.
Experiment 1: Type "Mariners Blog" into Google:
Results: After searching for 14 pages, SSI does not appear,in any form. At no point would any person using the key words "Mariners Blog" ever find SSI.
Experiment 2: Type "Seattle Mariners" into Google:
Results:... Read More
Who's hot, who's frozen
Posted by Spectator on 08/06/14
Posted to blog
Hot:
Patrick Kivlehan: the Kivle-fans were right all along or so it seems (.318/.401/.521 at AA)
Marcus Littlewood: the Utahn has been on a 12-game tear (.356/.463/.600)
Dylan "Sharkie" Unsworth: finally figuring out the desert (46.0 IP, 59 K, 4 BB)
Trey Cochran-Gill: Picked from Auburn in the 17th round ... 23.0 IP, 0 R, 29 K, 2 BB
Not:
Gareth Morgan: 51 K in 29 games
Julio Morban: The Morbanwagon left its remaining passengers stranded
Luiz Gohara: Getting shelled in Everett (9.82 ERA)
Hitter article here.
Pitcher article here.
Home page here.
Is it Death? or is it Anton Ego?
Posted by jemanji on 08/04/14
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Toronto is +1.5 ahead of the James Shields-led, Wil Myers-less Royals and Masahiro Tanaka-less Yankee$, and +2.0 on our heroes.
Bob Dutton with a light rundown of the Mariners' SP intentions for the upcoming week. Thusly:
Day of Week
Opponent
SP
Tue
Atlanta NL
Felix
Wed
"
Chris Young
Thur
ChiSox
the Feisty Raft-Riding Cuban Rook LHP
Fri
"
WBC-san
Sat
"
James Paxton
Sun
"
TBA
Mon
Tor WC
Felix!
Tue
"
Young
Wed
"
WBC-san
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You might guess that you --- > crack yourself in the post-orbital bar, using a mailed fist, by --- > "shuffling" a rotation that calls your #6 SP into the issue. ... Read More
… (well, you know the rest)
Posted by jemanji on 08/03/14
Posted to blog
10 Comments
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Awwwwww
There is exactly one (1) reason we're postgaming this one. Sometimes service requires sacrifice. Well, unless you're having Dinner-and-a-Disney-Movie, but then again, any resemblance between Disney movies and Mariner baseball is strictly coincidental.
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/ Gahhhhhh
Did you know some infinities are "denser" than others? Do you believe that the infinite series (1, 2, 3 ... etc) contains fewer numbers than the series (1.1, 1.2, 1.3 ... etc)? Matt could answer that, but for now just chill.
....
Dr. D read nothing about the game, as usual, so does not know the answer to this... Read More
His bat speaks a lingo we don't understand
Posted by moethedog on 08/03/14
4 Comments
Last December 11th the M's acquired Logan Morrison for an expendable relief pitcher (see K. Morales and C. Denofia) with a live arm. "Fleeced 'em again!" seemed to be the thought of the day around the SSI neighborhood. It was a fair thought. Morrison, after all, was once a quasi-Golden Boy, for a year or two. In his rookie '10 campaign he was an OBP hero (.390) who slapped 20 doubles and 7 triples in just 62 games. He only hit 2 homers, but except for one season in A -Ball (24 HR's, age 19, '07) he wasn't a homer guy down on the farm, either. His forte was doubles and OBP. From '08-'10... Read More
And who said that dogs were "supple", anyway
Posted by jemanji on 08/02/14
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11 Comments
Intro:
sup·ple
adjective, sup·pler, sup·plest
1.
bending readily without breaking or becoming deformed; pliant; flexible: a supple bough.
2.
characterized by ease in bending; limber; lithe: supple movements.
3.
characterized by ease, responsiveness, and adaptability in mental action.
4.
compliant or yielding.
I think "supplest" is a cool word. Bet you that Hisashi Iwakuma agrees.
...
Rick Griffin pointed out -- brilliantly enough so that the TV crew put him on screen -- that the Mariners have had 4 pitchers with major latissimus dorsi problems:
Stephen Pryor
James Paxton... Read More
Like a Tour de France biker 1 length back, "drafting"
Posted by jemanji on 08/02/14
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Intro: Nice to be -2 games back of one team, rather than five. You only need Toronto to have a bad week. Which they absolutely will.
...
1. In followup interviews, Jack Zduriencik stated ... um, clearly implied, at the least ... that Taijuan, K-Pax and D.J. Peterson "are our future."
This show-stopping little cliche' was not invented by Zduriencik. But is Dr. D the only one who chokes on this cliche'?
What are the 25 guys on the active roster, for example? And are there no drafts coming up? There is no international scouting, no free agent market? There are no other minor... Read More
We find a lot to like
Posted by Spectator on 08/02/14
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There are center fielders who hit a lot of home runs and center fielders who don’t. Austin Jackson is in the second category.
But among that group he is right in the pack with Coco Crisp, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dexter Fowler, Desmond Jennings and the bunch. But cheaper (than most).
And ...
the K-rate keeps creeping in the right direction
the drop-off from his 2012 peak/outlier season doesn’t seem to be decline as much as variation
Jackson is a guy (even though right-handed) who seems capable of running an above-average BABIP
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Home page here.
Slicing and dicing 'em
Posted by moethedog on 08/01/14
4 Comments
We picked up Kendrys Morales, a proven MOTO bat, for a RP with 32 MLB innings who was getting beat up in AA and AAA this year. We're renting a good bat and the cost was next to nothing. The interesting thing is that there wasn't a better offer coming the Twins' way. Pryor was the best guy dangled in front of them? Really? Was every team fearful that Morales' bat wouldn't come around, eventually? All the same, you have to look at this move as a feather in Jack Z's cap.
We picked up Austin Jackson for Nick Franklin. We brought in as much as we possibly could have in a Franklin trade,... Read More