March 2016
T-Birds win game four
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/31/16
In round one of the playoffs this year, the Seattle Thunderbirds went four for four, beating the Prince George Cougars in every game. Their victory was narrower on Wednesday night than it was during the previous game’s shutout, with a final score of 4-3, but it was a victory all the same.
Nolan Volcan had a great night, scoring the winning goal during overtime on Wednesday night. Landon Bow saved 21 of 24 shots from the Cougars. The T-Birds heavily outshot the Cougars and Edmonds made 35 saves on 39 shots during the entire game.
Scott Eansor scored the first goal of the night during the first... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/31/16
Posted to blog
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Vidal Nuno has been named the M's "lefty setup man," which kind of sets the tone for our entire bullpen experience. You can't say we are horrified, but certainly we grok as cartoon dizzy with spiral eyes.
To be fair, a cost-cutting bullpen is to be expected when you've feasted on $4M catchers and first basemen ... hold it. :: he stops short :: Our bullpen isn't all that cheap, is it. Ah well. Take it out of the M's $117M profit last year.
... where were we. ... that nobody ELSE has a lefty setup man standing 5'10" tall with an 89 fastball, 85 slider and four pitches. If you have to... Read More
What is your stance?
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/31/16
Plenty of athletes are demanding that the rims used in the WNBA be lowered. The theory is that if they are lowered to a height more reflective of the athletes’ height-to-rim ratio of the NBA, it will be fairer for women who play since the average woman is shorter than the average man. One of the most notable supporters of the idea is none other than Elena Delle Donne, forward for the Chicago Sky and three-time WNBA all-star. Fans who support Delle Donne say that it makes sense. After all, the basketballs used in the WNBA are smaller in order to provide the same hand to basketball ratio, since... Read More
you're in my plans, kid, you're in my plans. Not the ML plans, admittedly
Posted by jemanji on 03/31/16
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On March 31st, Scott Servais called Donn Roach THE surprise of spring training. Of course, this followed Dr. D's own such pronouncement on Mar. 24th and followed Jerry DiPoto's desperate last-second deal to get Roach off the roster. "We go by track records, not by spring training," they said on Mar. 1. They weren't kidding.
And there was an SSI Denizen or six who wanted to know, on Mar. 16th, why Donn Roach wasn't on the Mainframe radar yet. But do not distract us with naive questions. We've got our "Tomorrow's News Today" time warp up to six days here.
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There are groundballers and... Read More
U.S. Team Files Action
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/31/16
Did you know that there is a huge difference between the amount of money that the U.S. women's national soccer team and men’s team make? You could argue that there are glaring disparities between all men and women’s sports; the NBA versus the WNBA is a huge example. But according to USSF's 2015 financial report, the women’s team actually brought in a whopping $20 million more than the men’s team. Yet the women continue to make four times less than the men.
For example, if the women’s team emerged victorious after 20 friendlies, they would make $99,000. For the same work, the men’s team would... Read More
Truth or Consequences ... for the Orcs, that is
Posted by jemanji on 03/31/16
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Do NOT google "sports illustrated" in front of your wife unless you're prepared to talk fast. That's point A.
Point B: Bob Dutton on Twitter pointed out this super-fun Sports Illustrated article. It's from rival scouts. Rival scouts of the Mariners or of the Seahawks?!
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Lineup & Defense
There's a lot here to be excited about.... When you sign the type of contract Robinson Cano did, I don't care who you are: The pressure still applies. This guy is one of the best second basemen in baseball, so I expect him to bounce back and have a good year. As long as Nelson Cruz is batting... Read More
Real Madrid is 10 points off the lead, but it does have more than pride to play for
Posted by jschario on 03/31/16
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The second edition of El Clasico for the 2015-16 season is coming up this Saturday between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, but with Barcelona up 10 points on third place Madrid, and nine poinits clear of second place Atletico Madrid, does this match mean anything? Is Real Madrid playing for anything more than pride?
The answers are yes, and yes.
For the first question, this edition is the first for Zinedine Zidane as the head honcho for Real Madrid. Therefore Saturday will be crucial for setting the tone for the rest of his tenure as manager of Madrid and to test his practices against the... Read More
The Storm says goodbye to an incredible athlete
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/30/16
Seattle Storm fans, if you had fantasies featuring Lauren Jackson rejoining the team eventually and pairing up with Sue Bird to make the ultimate unstoppable force in the WNBA again—well, you are out of luck. Today Jackson announced her retirement, just one day after her visage was highlighted as one of the Storm’s top draft picks in history. Fans are beside themselves; even though she’s had some injuries and many thought that she would retire soon, there is a big difference when you hear it’s official.
Jackson, a three-time MVP, won two WNBA championships and was an 8-time all-star. She... Read More
Bow pulls it off again!
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/30/16
On Tuesday night at the CN Centre, the Seattle Thunderbirds were on fire as they took on the Prince George Cougars for the third game of the first round of playoff games. It was the Birds’ third win in three playoff games, but this was also another shutout in which Bow blocked all 27 shots by the Cougars, earning his first playoff shutout in his career. The offense, in turn, ended the game with a score of 5-0. As you know, the Birds only need the best of seven games to win against the Cougars, so one more game and they win the series.
Nick Holowko made the first goal of the evening during the... Read More
Plus a big win over Guatemala
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/30/16
Not only did the United States National Team have a huge victory over Guatemala in a CONCACAF World Cup qualifying match at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, but that victory was massive. The final score was 4-0, much to the celebration of U.S. fans. Sounders fans were especially excited to see this match because Clint Dempsey made his 14th career goal in World Cup qualifying matches, an historic goal scored during the 12th minute of the match.
What Seattle fans are especially excited about is that Dempsey’s goal puts him even closer to the all-time high for the USMNT. He has a... Read More
This year's Cinderella
Posted by jschario on 03/30/16
Who said Husky basketball is dead? Not the women's program that is for sure.
Despite entering the tournament as a seven seed, they have ridden a wave of momentum all the way to the Final Four of the women NCAA Tournament. They are joined by fellow Pac-12 member Oregon State, Syracuse and the storied program that is the UConn Huskies. Kevin Neighbors and company will be facing the Syracuse Orange in their first step towards the championship game and a chance at the national championship.
They very well could face the Oregon State Beavers in the championship game should they get past the... Read More
any room in that pen for the league's best cut fastball?
Posted by jemanji on 03/30/16
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Q. The general consensus is grokking Vincent to be a decentish middle reliever who may be fading. Is Dr. D bullish or bearish, relative to this consensus?
A. Fairly bullish.
Compared to a big name 8th-inning reliever, such as Joaquin Benoit, Darren O'Day or any of the Royals' closers, Nick Vincent is very "meh," yes. He throws an 89-91 fastball, a little cutter, looks kind of blocky ... not a very 'sexy' bullpen add.
But! Compared to any reasonable MIDDLE reliever, say Mayckol Gauipe or Blake Parker, then Nick Vincent is standing on a perch looking down. Vincent is a high-quality... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/30/16
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Klat has an upgraded chat room v3.0 almost ready for launch. Which is a little confusing to Dr. D, because the upgraded chat room v2.0 is already slick. jemanji is in there now, as of 3:02 pm, in case anybody wants to say Hi, or wants to hold Dr. D "accountable" the way the Libyans held Khadafi accountable, or wants to tell us all who the Vincent PTBNL is.
v3.0 will be mobile friendly, we unnerstan', meaning that we can sit in the 3rd deck during games and kibitz Taijuan's pitch selection. For now, I'll probably have a second window open while writing (or, preferably, reading!) SSI.
And... Read More
International spot opens up
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/29/16
The Seattle Sounders announced some big news today. Tyrone Mears, the English professional footballer who is a right back on the Sounders team as an international player, is no longer such a player. He now has a green card. Mears started in 33 games for the Sounders last season, scoring a single goal and making three assists. He has made 35 appearances on the team in all. Although he was born in Stockport, England, he is no longer considered an international player on the team—which means that the Sounders now have a spot open for another international player.
So the question is, who will... Read More
16 Days Left
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/29/16
1 Comments
Fans of the Seattle Storm are eagerly anticipating Draft Day in April, and with only 16 days left to go they are starting a countdown commemorating the previous first draft selections during the 20 years of the WNBA. This year, the Seattle Storm has first draft pick again and while many of us think that they will choose Breanna Stewart as their selection, we won’t know for sure until Draft Day is upon us. As we count down toward that day, it is fun to look back at the past top choices.
Today the Seattle Storm shared a photo on their Facebook page of two-time WNBA winning champion Lauren... Read More
How are you taking part?
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/29/16
Live update:
It’s 14:48 on the clock, during the second period and the Birds are leading 3-0! We may have not only a sweep but another shutout game, folks! Keep cheering the Birds on and keep checking social media or tuning in to the game—it looks like we may be there soon! And if you missed it, you must head to Twitter to check out True’s power play tonight. They were NOT kidding when they said that he had his game face on tonight. He is in it to win it for sure! Bow’s in it again as well, saving everything that comes at him.
The Seattle Thunderbirds are gearing up to take on the Prince... Read More
Number 25s thoughts on ejection rule and more
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/29/16
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Following the announcement of a new 2016 rule change, Richard Sherman had plenty to say in regards to the new proposal.
That proposed rule is the old-fashion 2 strikes and you are out rule. This will make it an automatic ejection if a player gets two personal fouls in a game. It would be the first real black and white ejection rule besides the rare hitting of an official.
This occurance too will be a rare event, and probably will not occur in 2016. Last year, for example, there is only one such incident of a player getting 2 personal fouls.
Despite this,the ex union player rep, who has got a... Read More
Check out the gallery of Storm uniforms
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/28/16
Remember back when all home game uniforms were white? You really don’t have to think back very far to last season, of course. Well, those traditional uniforms of yesteryear are gone and the Women’s National Basketball Association is commemorating its 20th year with yet another big change: a change in uniform colors. The changes and celebrations just seem to keep on coming, and while it’s been pretty exciting already, the season hasn’t even started yet and fans are already having mixed feelings.
All 10 teams will have new uniform colors this season courtesy of the WNBA and adidas. They will... Read More
50th Eastern and Western Conference All-Star Teams announced
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/28/16
In the middle of the excitement occurring over the last few days, with the Seattle Thunderbirds beating the Prince George Cougars twice in the playoffs and all, you may have missed some more cool news. Two T-Birds have been named Western Conference First-Team All-Stars: Center Mathew Barzal and defenseman Ethan Bear!
Let’s face it—their selection is not unexpected given their track records this year, but you do wonder why a few other notable Birds didn’t make the selection. Barzal was 11th in the league in scoring as well as voted the team’s MVP. His stats included 27 goals and 61 assists for... Read More
Cano and Cruz will be pleased with the adulation toDAY
Posted by jemanji on 03/28/16
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The Mainframe has grokked an amazing thing. Are you sitting down?
It has found that a baseball fan's subconscious mind is affected by the world into which he was born. American schizophrenics hear voices that are dark, scary, and threatening. Kenyans hear voices that are playful and innocent (yes, really). In related news, Mariners fans believe that Ketel Marte will hit .191 this year, that Dae-Ho Lee has three weeks to "live" (in MLB lingo) and that James Paxton is a mental "midget."
Dr. D can blame the fans for none of this. We do not choose the voices in our heads. Hot mustard... Read More
Rematch on Tuesday
Posted by jschario on 03/27/16
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With leagues around the world taking a break for World Cup qualifiers, a fair share of big time national teams stumbled against supposedly inferior opponents.
Starting close to home, the US Men's National Team lost to Guatemala in a World Cup qualifier for the first time ever. Right out the gate, the Americans were not as sharp as they needed to be, allowing two goals within the first 15 minutes of play. After that they were never able to recover and ended up losing by those two goals, 2-0.
Somewhat luckily, the US immediately have another shot at Guatemala, with a rematch set for Tuesday... Read More
Thunderbirds beat Cougars 4-1
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/27/16
Seattle Thunderbirds fans, you can rest easy tonight. Your favorite junior hockey team has sailed through the first round of playoff games with flying colors, more specifically beating the Prince George Cougars with a score of 4-1 on Saturday night! Did anyone think this was going to be possible in December or early January when the Birds were struggling to form a cohesive team? It’s almost hard to believe that this is the same team. This confident, talented group of young men seems able to take on any team and come out victorious.
5,092 people turned up at the ShoWare Center to see the... Read More
Posted by jschario on 03/27/16
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The Seahawks have enjoyed a recent run of success that is unprecedented in franchise history. After their win in Super Bowl XLVIII, many had them tabbed as the next NFL dynasty. Since then they have gotten back to the Super Bowl, losing to New England (we don't need to rehash that), and making the playoffs last year before running into the NFC champion Carolina Panthers.
The past few years we as fans have gotten used to seeing some talent go other places, in search of bigger contracts no doubt and most offseason loses are softened by incoming big names. However this year it seems that there... Read More
Dawgs move toward the Final Four
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/27/16
If the Washington Huskies women’s basketball team is any indication, this is going to be THE year for Seattle Sports. The Seattle Storm is raving about the women’s team on social media and for good reason: they are rocking it right now. In fact, they are headed toward the Final Four next after making it to the Elite Eight just days ago.
How’s your bracket challenge going along? Did you have the Dawgs in your final brackets? If not, there’s still a chance that you’re pleased about this development! Some fans are saying that the Storm needs to take note of Kelsey Plum and plan on drafting her... Read More
there IS a consolation somewhere here for Dr. D
Posted by jemanji on 03/27/16
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11 Comments
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Shame that it didn't pan out for James Paxton this March; the M's seem to have been rooting for him, but he just hasn't gotten his act together yet. Could be that he's adjusting to Stottlemyer's view of him as a curve ball pitcher, which could be good, like a golfer having a couple of bad rounds before his new swing jells. Alas, the Paxton AAA scenario does have its advantages.
Such as the fact that Nate Karns doesn't have to face the idea of having a Michael Pineda rookie season and then getting powerflushed back to the minors. Hey, in 2015 Karns had the equivalent of a 30 HR, 100 RBI... Read More
enough dogma to make your head spin
Posted by jemanji on 03/27/16
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5 Comments
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RockiesJeff had a crisp little comment about baseball dogma. Care to list any of your faves, he axs? Yeah, everything sabermetrics ever discovered... j/k Jeff.
Merrill pointed out that the TNT emphasized, again, that the M's just can't afford to have their #6 starter unready to step in when needed. Ergo, the need for 6-7 IP starts at Tacoma so the ballistic missiles can be launched on 90 seconds' notice, maxium.
A nice little synchronicity there, what say? :- ) Here we go again, with a good many baseball men arguing that the Mariners not only should, but virtually MUST, put their #6SP... Read More
Plus more qualifier news
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/26/16
On Friday, the U.S. Under-23 team took on Colombia for the Olympic qualifier and the match resulted in a draw. Seattle Sounders rookie Jordan Morris started in the game and put in 90 minutes on the field. The draw ended with a score of 1-1. Morris did not make the only US goal, however; that was scored by former Real Salt Lake midfielder Luis Gil. Juan Quintero put Colombia’s point on the board in retaliation with a penalty kick. On his Twitter page, Morris said, “Proud to be part of this team. Huge result last night! One more game to qualify for Rio.” The U.S. has not made it into the... Read More
T-Birds win first playoff game against Cougars
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/26/16
They had to go into overtime to do it, but the Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Prince George Cougars during the first round of WHL playoffs. It was a close game with a final score of 3-2.
No scoring occurred during the first period, with Seattle outshooting Prince George 12-9. Prince George was the first team to put any points on the board when Jesse Gabrielle made a power play, scoring a goal. Assists were made by Brad Morrison and Jansen Harkins. Donovan Neuls tied the game up 1-1 during the same period. Alexander True and Andreas Schumacher made the assists. True gave the T-Birds the lead... Read More
What's beyond linkage? Readage, of course ...
Posted by jemanji on 03/26/16
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Dr. D's fave reads from last week being:
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Fangraphs has a detailed interview with Nate Karns. Lots of juicy stuff as to the way Karns looks at the game when he's on a "B" day, when he's in rhythm, and when he's hot as a firecracker. No chance whatsoever that you will read this and fail to gain optimism on Karns.
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The Shout Box was a better read as to the 25-man roster than were the beat writers. :- ) Notably Mo' Dawg and Grizzly. Dr. D seriously loves the Shout Box when it gets rolling. You guys is awesome. Last thing I'm gonna say.
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As Tacoma Rain pointed out at the D-O-V... Read More
Seahawks options come April
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/26/16
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Then draft will be upon us before we know it. It feels like it was just yesterday that the Hawks were defeated by the Carolina Panthers...narrowly missing a third straight trip to the big game. Now the team looks to build on their next Superbowl hopeful squad of 53.
Many mock drafts have been processed, and here are some of the names the "experts" feel will be called for the Seahawks first pick (#26 overall):
*experts used loosely as these mocks rarely hit matches much past the first few selections.
NFL.com staff
Chad Reuter - Sheldon Rankins. DT. Louisville
Lance Zierlein- Le'Raven Clark. OT... Read More
Fab freshman leaving campus
Posted by jschario on 03/26/16
Well Lorenzo Romar's job just got a whole lot tougher next year. In a somewhat unexpected move depending on who you are, fab freshman Dejounte Murray and Marquese Chriss are jumping to the NBA.
It may be unsurprising as both are considered to be first-round picks, Chriss being more widely considered for the lottery while Murray may be included in that group depending on what mock you read. Dawg nation had been hoping at least one of the two would stay for their sophomore season, especially as both put up big numbers for freshman this year as secondary options behind Pac-12 scoring leader... Read More
did you see that baby just Quiver in the air
Posted by jemanji on 03/25/16
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1 Comments
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LEONYDAS KING OF SPALDING
Was going to say, his early-game lineout was the best swing I've seen from him this spring. 3-2 pitch, looked fastball, got fastball, stayed up the middle and scorched a 4-iron at the CF's mitt. Only 91 MPH and center-cut, but still. At least he didn't swing out of his shoes.
Then, that became his second-best swing, after the HR. ... really don't want to sound like I'm married to the anti-Leonydas position, but ... that one was also a 91 fastball, thigh high, slightly inside of center -- in other words the one pitch his oversized driver is forged to cold-clock... Read More
Birds won 45 games this season
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/25/16
Even though fans of the Seattle Thunderbirds are getting excited about the upcoming playoff games that are rapidly approaching this weekend, they can’t help but be saddened that the regular season is already over. The Birds played their final game on Sunday night, winning against the Portland Winterhawks with a score of 4-1. At this point, it’s pretty much just showing off as they have already secured their place in the playoff games and have proven over and over again that they are a team to contend with during the past few months.
As we near the playoffs, we can take a step back to see just... Read More
Team breaks the Internet with cute dog pics
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/25/16
Every now and then you have to laugh at the goofy antics of our favorite athletes. It’s no surprise that the men of the Seattle Sounders love their dogs; Brad Evans is even well known for his deep love of animals. He and his wife are big animal welfare enthusiasts. Evans himself hosts the Putts for Pets benefit each year to benefit Seattle Humane, which won him the Humanitarian of the Year Award last year.
On National Puppy Day, the Sounders took to social media to celebrate their love of furry four-legged creatures. They did the same thing last fall during National Dog Day, but these are all... Read More
President condemns remarks made regarding women of WTA
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/25/16
If anyone needed further proof that sexism still exists within the athletic community, Indian Wells CEO Raymond Moore rose—or sank, rather—to the occasion on Monday. Moore made the comment that he would like to be a member of the WTA in his next life because “they ride on the coattails of the men. They don't make any decisions, and they are lucky. They are very, very lucky. If I was a lady player, I'd go down every night on my knees and thank God that Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal were born because they have carried this sport. They really have.” He has since resigned from his position.
To say... Read More
Griffin signs with Browns
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/25/16
Posted to blog
Robert Griffin the third burst onto the NFL scene, but quickly fizzled into the background.
A promising career cut by injuries looked to have hit a brick wall last season, but now will have a new place to call home. With it, hopefully, a fresh start and a repeat of his fantastic rookie season...but it will not come easy.
RGIII was drafted by the Redskins and got off to a hot start. In fact, the quarterback broke the NFL record for QB rating in his rookie season. The hot start showed that the Redskins may have been onto something when they sold the farm for him. The team traded away 3 first... Read More
Sizzler: Steve Cishek
Posted by jemanji on 03/25/16
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4 Comments
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STEVE CISHEK
Came into the Wednesday game and showed his 35+ save form. With a double underline.
His slider was a real Nintendo pitch, 79-81 MPH from a weird arm slot ... actually it was pretty Jeff Nelson-ish. Also, he threw it a lot, close to a 50-50 mix. Don't cut your fingers on it.
His fastball was a good 90-92 MPH, which is excellent from a sidearmer, and he consistently painted with it. Technically, he gets more drop on the pitch than Roach does, even. IFF you get the above two pitches together, you've going to be Dan Quisenberry or Kent Tekulve or Brad Ziegler or... well, Steve... Read More
from SSI zero to hero in one TV inning pitched
Posted by jemanji on 03/25/16
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9 Comments
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Q. So when are you going to stop riffing about March players before you've ever seen them.
A. If Dr. D ever does it again, STOP HIM. Next March just go "Have you seen this guy yet?" ... and of course he'll Pshaw out of it, but still.
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Q. What's your excuse?
A. The mainframe grokked only a 1-in-20 chance that Roach's actual pitches would defy his performance. But that's like when my 20th-level D&D paladin had a save at +6 to avoid disintegration. 2-20, live. 1 in 20, die. You can guess the dice roll.
If we cannot fail those "roll 2 on a d20 to live" saves, we wither and die... Read More
Awards ceremony after Portland shootout
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/24/16
If you were at last Saturday’s awesome game against the Portland Winterhawks, you already know that the Seattle Thunderbirds also had their annual awards ceremony following the game. Many of the awards were not surprising, although some may have been more interesting than others.
The Humanitarian Award was given to Jerret Smith, while Scholastic Player went to Matthew Wedman. These awards are not necessarily representative of skills on the ice, but they still play an important role in other aspects of being a great team member. Smith, for example, has had some great game moments this year,... Read More
Hercules Gomez is back
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/24/16
Seattle Sounders fans, who remembers Hercules Gomez? He has not been a player in the Seattle area for 13 years now, so the younger fans may not recall the player. He has played for 13 clubs, including international clubs in Canada and Mexico. Gomez is celebrating his return with fan photos, social media exuberance and lots of fun, which Seattle can frankly use right now after a series of losses.
Gomez sounds pretty excited about being back on the team. He says, “It’s good; it’s nostalgic. I was 20 last time I was here.” Well, this does seem to be the year of nostalgia, so maybe he is just... Read More
Do you have your Storm tickets?
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/24/16
The beginning of the 2016 WNBA season is rapidly approaching and it’s time to nab those suite tickets while they are available. Suite seats are the best seats in the house for any game, and a Storm game is no different. Suites have the best seating, with extra-wide spaciousness and cushioned padding. There are HDTV screens in each suite to see the game as well as mini kitchens to help you enjoy snacks or a meal while you watch. Food and beverage options do cost extra.
From March 21 through March 26, the Storm is even offering a “Suite 16” deal to help you get the best bargain when you buy... Read More
but there's plenty of poison in the truck, b'lee DAT
Posted by jemanji on 03/24/16
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2 Comments
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As you can see from the paint job on the truck, sometimes the Big Bugs overrun your position. Karns' box score Wednesday was a hideous 2.1 IP with 8 H, 9 R, 7 ER, 2 BB and 4 K. Neverthless, the Mainframe gave him a solid B or B+ for the outing. In fact, it was a best-case situation for Dr. D personally, since it positioned James Paxton for the starting nod and did very little to take Karns' stock down.
There are times a guy pitches bad, and there are times he's a victim of circumstance. On another day, Karns might have thrown exactly the same pitches, left after 6 IP 1 ER, and had us... Read More
7 new Rules for the 2016 NFL Season
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/23/16
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The 2016 NFL season is quickly approaching.
Currently the off-season is deep into free-agency. The NFL combine has taken place in Indianapolis with college players getting put through the ringer. With that comes the NFL coaches and upper management anxiously awaiting who they will pick in the upcoming draft in April to get their team to the next level.
With that being said, make sure as a fan you are prepared to watch those players perform under some new rules.
Because besides the players having off-season, so too did then owners who each year meet to discuss rule changes. In all, 18 rules... Read More
magic 8 ball, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 03/23/16
Posted to blog
9 Comments
Thus Saith the Shout Box:
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SABRMatt - Grade 3 flexor mass muscle strain in his pitching arm - Carson Smith is probably not going to come back until after the AS break...d'oh!
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Reply - MtGrizzly - 3/22/16 5:09pmWow.
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Reply - jemanji - 3/23/16 12:15amDidn't I TELL you that was a good move?
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Reply - anonymous - 3/23/16 12:36pmThe Carson Smith trade was hard to stomach. It is feeling a little bit better.
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MASSIVELY better :- )
Still not giving DiPoto a totally free pass. 11-strikeout relievers were being traded for bricks of Colombian Gold this winter and the market is only... Read More
Final score is 4-3
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/22/16
On Saturday night, the Seattle Thunderbirds finished their regular season with another win under the team’s collective belt. For once, it was touch and go for a while; the team was behind by three goals but managed to catch up to score a victory of 4-3 over the Portland Winterhawks. The crowd was sold out during the game, reflecting just how much Seattle loves its athletics.
Seattle Thunderbirds head coach Steve Konowalchuk says that the Hawks had the jump on the team at first. “They definitely were out of the gates ready and we weren't. Then we got in penalty trouble to give them more... Read More
Men go down in NIT, women pull of amazing upset
Posted by jschario on 03/22/16
2 Comments
Since about mid-January the two University of Washington basketball programs have been on divergent paths, both arriving at the postseason, although at differing levels. Both did make the second round of their respective tournaments. Although that's as far as the men's program would get before running into the San Diego Aztecs.
Traveling down to San Diego, the Huskies could not overcome Winston Shepard's 20 points and 10 rebounds, with Trey Kell adding 16 points to lead San Diego State to a 93-78 victory. The Aztecs came in the favored squad, and understandably so, they had made seven... Read More
attack speed, keptin
Posted by jemanji on 03/22/16
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14 Comments
LL has a(nother) great read up, this one on pitchers' velocities so far this spring. Usually you don't want to make tons of soup off this oyster, but there are a few things that grabbed me, at least.
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MIKE MONTGOMERY
The data shows that Montgomery's velo is up a good bit in the pen. On TV it hadn't looked that way too much, 'cause I thought he threw fairly hard last year .... :: hmmmmmm taps chin :::: Less' take a look. He averaged 91.3 last year, and he's got 94.7 this year based on a very few 21 fastballs.
Well, let's see. Here are the 2015 velocity graphs. Yeah, the 2015 Montgomery... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/22/16
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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Dutton relays that James Paxton did go 5 IP for Tacoma. Fanned 8, walked one. Including the fact that he ripped off 6 K's his first time through the lineup; you know what that looks like from the CF camera. In the quotes, K-Pax basked in his own glory. We'll letcha click through to Dutton for it.
The thesis here is that the Mariners, annoyed a bit at Paxton's kludginess early, lowered the bar a bit for him. Throw some strikes kid, they say in exasperation. So he did that this time; he's got two starts left. If he's decent-to-solid there, hopefully he goes in Game 5 and we get Nathan... Read More
Final score is 2-1
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/22/16
Even though the Seattle Sounders were once again the team to dominate the field for most of the day on Saturday, and even though it seemed as though the match was easily in their hands, they lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC with a 2-1 loss. As close as it was, it ain’t horseshoes, and no one is pleased to report that it’s the third match in a row that they’ve lost, resulting in a pretty dismal start to the season.
Sigi Schmid is in the front of the line of disappointed people. “Not pleased with the result. I thought we controlled the majority of game. I thought we were the team that was on... Read More
WNBA President addresses fans
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/22/16
It’s her first day on the job and Lisa Borders is not missing a beat. She took to social media today giving an inspiring and welcoming message to fans new and old with a video. The Storm shared the message on their Facebook page for fans to see.
In the video, Borders says that she is thrilled to join with the fans and community on her first day of work, today, as the new WNBA president. She called this period an exciting time in the history of the association; fans may remember that this is the 20th anniversary of the WNBA. She went on to praise the skills and athleticism of the players on... Read More
the old guys don't think they need the algebra
Posted by jemanji on 03/22/16
Posted to blog
7 Comments
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Wm. F. Buckley DISCLAIMERS, CAVEATS and QUID PRO QUO's Dept.
When it comes to Opening Day rosters, it's totally possible for a front office to --- lean left and then --- > zig hard right on cutdown day. Happens all the time. They get into the conference room and it gets down to brass tacks and they Just. Change. Their. Minds.
That, and on a much more unlikely front, it could also occur that Dr. D is wrong about his guesses analyses of the situation. Happens with very extreme rarity, but you see the section header.
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PUTTING YOUR OPPONENT ON A HAND, Dept.
Last week, Dr. D slid the... Read More
All night? you say that like it's a bad thing
Posted by jemanji on 03/21/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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Geoff Baker has another interesting article on the M's payroll decisions. He continues to press a point that we've batted around :- ) since about 1998. This point being that player performance-per-dollar should not be calculated to three decimal places, not when you have a bigger picture that big FA contracts result in --- > bigger payroll caps that expand to dilute the impact of these contracts.
It's like saying I paid $38 for Miguel Cabrera when the math projects him to be worth $32.47, so you're going to ream me out for it. But hey! If I sign that deal, my $260 allotment goes to $... Read More
Real Madrid able to close gap
Posted by jschario on 03/20/16
Just when you were wondering whether or not FC Barcelona would drop points in the final 2 months of the Spanish domestic league season, Villarreal come in and take a point away.
Playing on their home field, Villarreal were able to to battle back from a 2-0 halftime deficit, ending the match in a 2-2 tie. Ivan Rakitic and Neymar's "Panenka" penalty kick gave the visitors an early lead, but Villarreal battled back with a goal from Cedric Bakambu. Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu shot himself in the foot so to speak, allowing Villarreal to tie the game by committing an own goal.
Villarreal have... Read More
and here's to Occam's Razor
Posted by jemanji on 03/19/16
Posted to blog
16 Comments
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Felix is a threat to have his best year. The Mainframe logic is simple and transcends the need for eight regression charts. True things are usually easy to convey. This logic may be reprinted and disseminated for non-commercial purposes:
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Argument Block Type
Idea
Premise 1
Red Pitch = 3.75 ERA
Premise 2
Yellow Pitch = 2.99 ERA
Premise 3
Orange Pitch = 0.89 ERA
Premise 4
Pitcher said, "I will throw more orange pitches now"
Conclusion
Pitcher will have a lower ERA
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As Ken Shih complained, "Your style is most inelegant."* Jim Kelley grinned widely. "But efFECTive."
Dr. D, you come right... Read More
and here you thought 'mad scientist' meant 'crazy scientist'
Posted by jemanji on 03/19/16
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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KING LEONYDAS
Has looked exactly like we thought he'd look. Really bad, and worse than that, beyond hope.
Ever golf with a guy who uses the 1-wood no matter how tight the trees or how distant the brook? Who slices it OB three times a round, and three times unleashes a string of displeasantries, exactly as though it's the first time that OB ever happened to him? Leonys could have 2 strikes on him with a man on 3rd, 1 out, for the pennant, and he would grab the 1-wood with a couple fingers off the handle.
Hand-eye coordination looks iffy from here, too. Swings way under high heat, tops 88... Read More
Hawks lose mainstay
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/19/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
The Seahawks have been busy in NFL free agency thus far. Some big losses have occurred including Bruce Irvin to the Raiders and NT Mebane.
The biggest of all losses just occurred this week, however, with the departure of long-tenured Left Tackle Russell Okung.
Okung has been acting as his own agent and apparently did so pretty well. A report by Adam Shefter of ESPN originally said it did not look too good for Okung a week prior. Fast forward just a smidge and it looks just fine.
At first, Shefter's report, did not come as too much of a surprise. With Okung unusualy acting in his own behalf... Read More
After Russell Okung's departure, where do they go from here?
Posted by jschario on 03/19/16
Posted to blog
Add another starter to the Seahawks' tally of free agent losses. As Russell Okung, a starter since being drafted in 2010 and a former Pro Bowl selection, signed a 5 year deal with the Denver Broncos for a reported salary of around $10 million per year. Anyone that follows the team should not be too surprised, as the Seahawks have very little wiggle room as far as cap space and Pro Bowl left tackles get big money offers when they hit free agency. It's science (Ron Burgundy voice).
Therefore the next logical step is to think about who will replace Okung? And another question arises: With JR... Read More
Plus details about the Thunderbird mentoring program
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/19/16
The Seattle Thunderbirds are taking on the Portland Winterhawks tonight at the ShoWare Center. The T-Birds are ready to go, but are you? Do you have your tickets? It is also Fan Appreciation Night, so make sure to get your tickets and head over to the game for some fun and prizes. If you can’t get tickets to tonight’s game, at least be sure to listen on the radio or check in via social media for the highlights. The puck drops at 7:05 tonight so you have plenty of time to rally up a crowd of friends and family to get together for discounted group tickets or to set up some snacks and enjoy the... Read More
Will you be there?
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/19/16
Today is the day: the Seattle Sounders are set to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps at the CenturyLink Field. While the Seattle Sounders have been posting videos about “moving mountains” on social media regarding today’s game against the Whitecaps, some fans sound pretty bitter and pessimistic about the game. On social media, some even told the team to not get too far ahead of themselves and to just focus on at least scoring once during the game. Ouch.
Others have taken to mocking Head Coach Sigi Schmid from the perspective of other teams, saying things like, “Oh, is Schmid still your coach?... Read More
Use this code to join today
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/19/16
1 Comments
Are you feeling the NCAA madness already? The Final Four is approaching very quickly. Teams will be taking each other on in Indianapolis on April 3 and 5. If you love fantasy football and other fun sporting games, you will enjoy the Bracket Challenge, where you can enter your own selections for the women’s (and men’s) tournaments and see how you do compared to the actual games. Then you can keep checking scores, starting on March 18 up until all of the games are complete. It’s fun for the whole family and you can join the Storm in this activity by using the password Storm! You can even set up... Read More
Playoff game details released
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/18/16
Most Seattle Thunderbird fans are still riding that glorious, victorious wave. The Birds are in first place in the US Division, prompting fans from all across the area to celebrate wildly. Seattle is proud of the team and happy to show it, highlighting the huge achievement online with championship computer backgrounds you can download for your desktop or phone. Fans are saying that they are the best team we have ever had, and while that may be a bit of an overstatement, the current lineup is definitely a talented group of young men.
Now that the Birds have a guaranteed spot in the playoff... Read More
Sounders team up with Special Olympics
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/18/16
Chances are that you know someone in your life that has a different set of abilities than you do. That does not make this person any less of an athlete than you are; in fact, many of the best athletes in the world today have disabilities, ranging from intellectual delays to physical impairments and many conditions that combine the two. Sports and fitness are for people of all abilities, shapes and sizes, and the Seattle Sounders are setting out to prove it this month.
The men of the Sounders are teaming up with Microsoft and the Special Olympics for a special event called Upgrade Your Game.... Read More
there is exactly one Mariner whose September does transcend his March
Posted by jemanji on 03/18/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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In the Karns vs Paxton thread, Billy Zoom pulls back the hammers on his side-by-side shotgun and blows Paxton off at the ankles. Heh! Good on him. We'll just link you to his comment without feeling any need to rebut.
Other than to say, if Billy is absolutely right about everything with Paxton, then still (1) yes. He is an unfinished product. Your point being? (2) As an embryonic lefty who fights his control, Paxton has BEEN perhaps a little better than your garden-variety Anthony Vasquez. He's got 30 starts with a 7.5 strikeout ratio, a skimpy 0.7 homer rate and a 3.16 career ERA. He... Read More
Try outs are a month away
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/18/16
Are you a huge fan of the Seattle Storm Dance Troupe? Do you have a child between the ages of 5 and 15 who is a fan and just loves to boogie? You’re in luck. The Seattle Storm is hosting auditions for its famous dance troupe next month on April 17, 2016 and your child could have the chance of a lifetime: to dance with the troupe in the Key Arena while supporting the Storm! Not only do members perform at all home games, but they also get to perform in lots of fun special events in Seattle, too.
During the tryout event, there will be a full day of activities. From 11:30 to 12:30 there will be a... Read More
Dr. D cares not a fig whether there is even 1 other person jazzed about it
Posted by jemanji on 03/18/16
Posted to blog
12 Comments
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Jim Moore is an old-school beatwriter and he's got an excellent piece up today. In it, he frankly admits that he personally is annoyed by the idea of giving a bullpen spot to the #6 starter.
More and more, I appreciate it when a "journalist" confesses the point of view from which he is coming. For far too long, media people have "reported" their opinion-slanted takes while trying desperately to convince us that any credentialed NYT reporter is by definition a completely blank slate. Per this little device, you've got America drowning under a river of propaganda pieces that the readers... Read More
Let's go small ball like Golden State. 5 SS's at once, amirite?
Posted by jemanji on 03/18/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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When DiPoto traded Ramon Flores for Luis Sardinas, I was completely disoriented.
It says here that (Jeff King?) traded Ackley for Flores and an RP at last year's trade deadline. In other words, Ramon Flores was not exactly a bag of balls and a Good Humor frozen treat. Flores didn't look tremendously different, then, from what Boog Powell looks like now. (Flores by the way is having a nice spring training as we speak, .375 OBP, competing for a starting CF job in Milwaukee.)
....
So then DiPoto came in and on Nov. 16 traded Wilhelmsen and (Kivlehan) for Martin, who Texas probably would... Read More
Are there any prospects the M's can afford to trade???
Posted by Tacoma Rain on 03/18/16
13 Comments
There has been a quite a bit of talk around here about trading for a relief or 5 the past week. Yes, one option is to trade Seth Smith... but there are other options.
Moe briefly brought up the idea of trading one of the middle infielders in camp - like Chris Taylor, Luis Sardinas or...?? Well as you will see, there are PLENTY of ??? on the M's farm.
In my prior post, I brought up the fact that the M's have at least 6 pretty good CF's in the system... and that was BEFORE the M's went ahead and signed Guillermo Heredia, who was just ranked in the top 30 M's prospects by John Sickels and by... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/17/16
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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RockiesJeff will kill me for this, but his son is tearing Junior College limb from limb and hitting 94 MPH on the gun. If I didn't know better I'd say that his son had the ML flame-flicker still going.
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Back channel, with the implicit understanding that Dr. D would not share this, Jeff linked us to a report on his son Jeremy Gwinn:
Jeff & Keith, I don't want to sound like a boasting father.....but had to share the latest on my son Jeremy. Here are the latest national Junior College stats:http://njcaa.org/sports/bsb/2015-16/div1/players?pos=p&sort=pkAnd an overview:
Date... Read More
Posted by jschario on 03/17/16
Both the Male and female Diamond Dawgs kick their seasons into high gear this weekend, as both the baseball and softball teams open up conference play.
Over at Husky Ballpark the Washington baseball team hosts the Arizona Wildcats to open up their conference slate. Lindsay Meggs and his men are in the midst of a 16-game home stand, the longest in school history. But do not expect the Wildcats to help the Huskies get comfortable at all, as they're coming in on an eight-game win streak and an impressive 12-4 record.
Although Arizona holds the edge in the series historically, 29-25, the Huskies... Read More
hellooooooooooo in there ..... [the 'pen of course]
Posted by jemanji on 03/17/16
Posted to blog
8 Comments
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OBF sez,
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Of course the Bullpen cough up 2 in the bottom o the ninth and the game ends with a tie :( :( :( :( OK, Moe, I am on board now.... Seth Smith for a reliever ANY reliever!!!!
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Mo' Dawg's track record is getting pretty scary, we gotta say. He's like 7-for-his-last-7, as is Seth Smith ... wait.
/reset
Cool Papa Bell's opinions are lamentably rare on SSI. On this one, his is that --- > he is sick and tired of 513 runs per season. "Give 'em a chance," growled Lou Piniella after one of his bullpens blew its third save of Week One. Cool Papa Bell would also like to see this... Read More
We are the champions, my friend…
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/16/16
Ladies and gentlemen, they did it! There were so many weeks of uncertainty, many weeks where we trailed behind the Everett Silvertips in particular, but the Seattle Thunderbirds pulled it off and beat the Spokane Chiefs on Tuesday night, securing the title and becoming the US Division Champions. The big win marks the 11th win in a row for the Birds and there were 5,707 at the ShoWare Center to witness this historic moment.
Landon Bow, already celebrated for his seven shutouts and status as Goaltender of the Week, nearly had another shutout notch during the game; he only allowed one goal to... Read More
WNBA and Verizon pair up
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/16/16
It won’t be long before WNBA fans start seeing new sponsorships on the team jerseys. Those images will reflect the new partnership between the WNBA and Verizon. The marketing plan will also feature the Verizon name highlighted in broadcasts and other marketing ploys. In exchange, the WNBA will be lending a hand in the production end of the WNBA Tip-Off, the WNBA Playoffs, and the WNBA Finals. They will also be featured in the WNBA Draft, the WNBA Inspiring Women Luncheon and other events.
Verizon will be creating a few new things for the WNBA to share as well. Some of these, like the WNBA Top... Read More
Seattle Sounders FC Academy is on a roll
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/16/16
All four Seattle Sounders FC Academy teams are on a roll lately. Perhaps their winning luck will rub off on the Sounders themselves this weekend and break their losing streak. So far, the teams have a combined eight wins and one draw for a total of nine excellent games played very well during this season. The teams are unbeaten so far and if they keep it up, many of them will end up becoming Homegrown Players someday and play for the Sounders FC MLS team.
The U-14 and U-15 sides are doing the best so far, with five wins in five matches, while the older Academy players have had three wins and... Read More
and Dr. D shootin' straight as an Aro with yer
Posted by jemanji on 03/16/16
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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10 days ago, Ryan Cook and Justin De Fratus were the two guys at the head of the line. No options, can't send 'em to Tacoma. The M's chatter was that the M's would have other guys -- those with options left -- pitching in Tacoma for lurking purposes. It is a very good sign that Jerry DiPoto will admit a mistake (sic) sooner rather than later and will plump for a Stefen Romero over a Justin Montero if that's what he deems beneficial to the M's won-loss record.
Oh. Also, Evan Scribner was one of the first three in line, owing to his 9,142:1 strikeout walk ratio. The mopup-pitcher... Read More
Where will you be on Saturday?
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/15/16
It has been a long, drawn out week already, but there are still three days to go until the next match for the Rave Green. Do you have Seattle Sounders tickets for this Saturday’s game? It will be against the Vancouver Whitecaps FC at the CenturyLink Field. The game starts at 7:00. You can get seats as low as $30 a pop in the 100 Level Seating. Club seats (with club access) are $71 per ticket and the family section is $43 per ticket. Remember that there is no alcohol allowed in this section. The 200 level seats also cost $48 and General Admission is just $39. Don’t forget that there are... Read More
Honor given to Bow during week of March 13
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/15/16
The Seattle Thunderbirds fans have been singing Landon Bow’s praises lately. With stats like 2-0-0-0 and a save rate of . 962, he is practically unstoppable lately. Bow has been in the WHL for four seasons now, but it’s only his first with the Birds. When he first joined the team in the fall in exchange for Taz Burman, most people were not happy about it. Taz had plenty of fans but they also just didn’t know what to make of Bow, who came from the Swift Current Broncos, at first. He was a bit of an erratic goalie, doing well one night and sinking the next. Some attributed it to his confidence... Read More
Barcelona, up 2-0 likely to get through Wednesday
Posted by jschario on 03/15/16
Posted to blog
This week marks the second week of the second leg matches for the Champions League round of 16. Real Madrid was the first Spanish team to get through to the quarters, with another 2-0 win over Roma, albeit an unconvincing one. Atlético Madrid won on aggregate after surviving a 0-0 draw against PSV Eindhoven Tuesday. Barcelona is the last team to play their second leg, but they have not lost a match since October, are up 2-0, and will be playing in the friendly confines of the Camp Nou. Basically, it's a done deal they will be joining the Madrid teams in the quarterfinals.
Real Madrid have had... Read More
Bird talks point guards and Steph Curry
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/15/16
As the months quickly give away to weeks until the WNBA 2016 season begins, Seattle Storm star Sue Bird can be seen just about everywhere. Recently she did an interview with the Nerd Conference Edition of the Lowe Post Podcast and today she did another fun segment with True Hoop TV. Right away, Bird was introduced as a point guard who was “one of the best to ever do it in a women’s game.” May fans were left wondering why a similar comment (“one of the best to ever do it in a men’s game”) is so sparsely used, if ever, and the look on Bird’s face shows that she knows it. It was just last week... Read More
The "5 Guys" brand is very bankable in Seattle these days
Posted by jemanji on 03/15/16
Posted to blog
18 Comments
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jemanji: Did you see Karns out there Sunday! You thought he was going to be a talented young club-controls #3, huh.
babakid29: You don't think so?
jemanji: No, I think he's going to be an Opening Day starter. Like John Lackey. The 2005-07 version, who was one of the five best starters in the league.
babvakid29: He does resemble Lackey, doesn't he? Same kind of tall-wrestler physique, and similar his motion. The way he gets his large muscles into the throw, kinda gangly on the backstroke and then comes down the centerline like oiled glass. Lackey did have a slider, though. We're... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/15/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Hey, seems to me that your outfield is paper-thin anyway; supposing you keep 5 OF's like they did in the good old days (like, circa 2011)?
If your bullpen were Cishek-Benoit-Zych-Karns-De Fratus and Montgomery-Nino ... not only can you swap guys out to Tacoma on 8 hours' notice anyway. The Rainiers are an "extended bullpen" as far as (say) a Tony Zych day off is concerned.
But aren't THREE of these starters? don't they need 3-, 4-IP stints anyway?
So your bullpen is scuffling from a bit of overuse. Then Taijuan Walker is behind 5-3 to Houston, and you take him out after five innings... Read More
Birds beat the Hawks 3-2
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/14/16
The closer we get to the playoff games, the more we think the Seattle Thunderbids will kill it this year. Every week we have more victories to celebrate and this past Saturday night was no different when the Birds took on the Portland Winterhawks at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and won with a score of 3-2. Not only does this give them a winning streak of 10 for 10, but it also gives them a total of 14 wins in their last 15 games.
Nolan Volcan scored right away during the first period. Scott Eansor and Donovan Neuls had the assists. Portland scored during the first period as well, with the... Read More
Luckily most are not very serious
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/14/16
After the many injuries that the Seattle Sounders have already suffered at the beginning of the season, this is not the kind of news you want to hear. And it’s especially distressing because it is none other than midfielder Erik Friberg with an MCL strain in his right knee. Most fans agree that the Rave Green is especially vulnerable in the midfield right now and this news just thins out what strength we have there already. His injury occurred during the 14th minute during last weekend’s match against Real Salt Lake during a tackle after Jordan Allen. Sometimes you have to wonder at a yellow... Read More
Who will it be?
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/14/16
Fans of the Seattle Storm, you have exactly one month now to find out who the team will select for their number one draft pick this April. The Storm Facebook page is hopping with speculation and excitement as fans predict who will be selected next. There is also a fun photo recap of the previous first draft picks made by the Storm over the last few years.
Back in 2001, the selection was Lauren Jackson. Jackson was a three-time MVP. In 2002, the number one draft pick was Sue Bird, a nine-time All-Star. We also know of her as an Olympic champion, winner of the gold as well as one of Seattle’s... Read More
Bench = Run prevention, flexibility or bats?
Posted by moethedog on 03/13/16
9 Comments
Hmmmmmm.......: Here's a MiLB SS conundrum:
A. Roster guy #1 has 462 career MiLB starts at SS, with a .961 Fld% and a 4.28 Rg/9.
B. Door #2 has 262 Milb SS starts with a Fld% of .950 and a Rg/9 of 4.48.
C. Dude #3 has 383 starts, .947 and 4.49.
Which one is Taylor, which is Sardinas and which is O'Malley ?
(Insert Jeopardy Theme Song)
Times up!! Alex, What is #1 is Shawn O'Malley, #2 is Chris Taylor and #3 is Luis Sardinas.
Correct, Moe, for $1000!
Which one of those guys has 0 spring training starts at SS? Well, that's too easy, O'Malley, of course. But Shawn O'Malley had 53 AAA... Read More
Was it a success?
Posted by jschario on 03/13/16
2 Comments
The Washington Huskies saw their 2015-16 season come to a close this past week with their loss to top-seeded Oregon in the Pac-12 conference tournament. There's no shame in losing to a top-10 team and possible no. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and they were able to at least advance ot the second round after beating Stanford, which is a positive. But they're conference tourney performance was a small chasm of their season as a whole: up and down.
If we harken back to the start of the new year, the Dawgs were riding high at the top of the Pac-12 standings, and then their youth showed. They... Read More
Plus the Birds’ ninth win in a row
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/12/16
Remember back when we were wonder if the Seattle Thunderbirds would ever beat the Everett Silvertips again? How about just a week ago when the Tips were saying that they were just having a bad night when the Birds beat them? On Friday night, the Thunderbirds took the Tips on again at the ShoWare Center and not only beat them again, securing nine straight victories in a row—but they also made it a shutout game with Landon Bow blocking every single shot. He is now the leading goaltender in the league with seven shutouts. Fans, even those who previously were wary of the ‘new’ goalie, are loving... Read More
Final score is 2-1
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/12/16
After losing their first home match of the season last week, the Seattle Sounders have another loss for the 2016 season under their belt as of today. Real Salt Lake took this victory at the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on Saturday, with Jamison Olave scoring the winning goal during the 85th minute of the game. RSL’s Sunny scored the first goal. Seattle’s only goal was scored by Osvaldo Alonso, and while many are asking why it took him four years on the team to score a goal, you have to remember—we used to have Martins and Dempsey doing the majority of that.
Would you agree that Dempsey is... Read More
Bird joins the Nerd Conference Edition of the Lowe Post Podcast
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/12/16
Sue Bird recently did a fun podcast interview on the Lowe Post during Nerd Conference. As she began to talk, she confirmed that she has been a slow to warm woman in the past, but she is more outgoing these days. She talked about circle dancing, doing the Robot and confidence in general.
Bird says that this is her second year serving on a panel of basketball analytics. She is passionate about keeping stats for women’s sports and is very interested in “bringing a female voice” to the discussion. Bird says that analytics help her out on the defensive end. Saying that she was never the quickest... Read More
Hawks look on to improving the offensive side of the ball
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/12/16
Posted to blog
After addressing many gaps on the defensive side of the ball, the Hawks are now making moves to address the offense.
Step one included getting a good discount price on receiver Jermaine Kearse. CHECK!
Kearse recently vowed to give no hometown discount to the team,and could have probably cashed in on a large contract with the league increasing the cap this season.
Instead, Kearse will make 13.5 million dollars in the next three years in Seattle, which he should be more than happy with. It helps to stay with a contender in an area he knows and loves. He also gives, recently newly engaged,... Read More
wait for ze creme, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 03/12/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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Jerry DiPoto has taken to calling his depth chart "layered." SSI approves of this lingo. Layers rock. The more layers you fold into shtreudel dough, the flakier and more tender it is out of the oven. The more layers a samurai folds into his blade at the firepit, the more easily it slices through a machine gun. And the more 25-man rosters you have, the less likely it is that your starting catcher will walk 21 times and strike out 132 times.
Rob Brantly is well worth a 25-man roster spot. But then, so are a lot of guys these days. The crunch on Brantly would be
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CURRENT HITTING
Dr. D... Read More
The T-Birds join in the celebration
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/11/16
While most WHL teams have been honoring the anniversary of the league throughout the year, the Seattle Thunderbirds joined in last week with awards presented to Patrick Marleau and Tyler Metcalfe. Marleau was given the Professional Alumni Achievement Award and Metcalfe was given the WHL Scholastic Alumni Achievement Award before the game against the Portland Winterhawks on Saturday night. Fans who missed the awards ceremony can tune in to the Seattle T-Birds website to see the awards take place.
Fans new to the T-Birds may not recall Marleau or Metcalfe. Marleau is a Canadian player who... Read More
Will she be on the Seattle Storm soon?
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/11/16
Breanna Stewart, affectionately known as “Stewie” by friends, family and fans, was recently selected as espnW’s Player of the Year. Stewart attends UConn, where she was always expected to make it this far by everyone who knows her. Now that she is expected to become the number one draft pick of the WNBA—a selection that just about everyone believes the Storm will select come April—people are only expecting more out of the rising star.
Stewart hails from Syracuse, New York. At 6’4, she has an obvious height advantage that is always great on the court, but her skill far surpasses height alone.... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/11/16
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Fun article by Jeff Sullivan on baseball dorking. The title's a little misleading - it's about the moments in a baseball game that geek you out, not about whether you and I are nerds (of course, we Are). We understand that OSU students self-identify as unicorns and stuff (yes, really). But do you, the SSI denizen, self-identify as a pitcher, hitter, or fielder type of fan?
Sully gives that he'd rather see a no-hit bid than a 10-8 baseball game. Hm. For all the time SSI spends on pitching mechanics, I'd much rather go to an "Arena Baseball" game. Tell me that my $27 ticket is going to... Read More
Buy tickets for the May game
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/11/16
Former Sounders midfielder Steve Zakuani is known for many things, but the annual Zakuani & Friends Charity Match is one of his most current achievements. Zakuani hosts the event at Starfire Sports. He says, "When I played for the Sounders, I loved playing at CenturyLink Field, but a game at Starfire was always special. It's a more intimate environment, the crowd is right there near the field.” That is one of the many reasons why fans should get tickets to the game, which will be occurring on Sunday, May 15 this year.
Another great reason to head to the game is to see the soccer stars you... Read More
Posted by jschario on 03/11/16
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While the Hawks lost three starters the first day of free agency, they also kept one and another player who could start or will play a vital role in the Legion of Boom. Wide receiver Jermaine Kearse and cornerback Jeremy Lane both elected to stay in Seattle, which is extra significant for Kearse as he has never played football for a team not in the Puget Sound area.
A Lakes High product and University of Washiington star, Kearse is a fan favorite. And why not? His game-winning catch in the NFC championship game against Green Bay and tumbling catch in the Super Bowl loss that put the Seahawks... Read More
Was Jase referring to Uncle Si or Dr. D?
Posted by jemanji on 03/11/16
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5 Comments
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WADE MILEY - FIZZLER
Wade "Jase" Miley wheeled his beard out to the mound in a little hand truck Thursday. The Mainframe went into "grok" mode, which as you and Dr. D's wife have been advised, has nothing whatever to do with "watching TV while throwing down Doritos." With the 32 motherboards cycling, we need only one of each pitch type to forecast "Jase's" season with pinpoint accuracy.
Unfortunately, having seen Miley's pitches "in rhythm" as it were, Dr. D was left wishing that his prognostications were known for less than pinpoint accuracy:
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Pitch
Remark
Fastball
Fine, except it wasn'... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/11/16
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"Top half" of the inning, Opening Day in Texas, of course. Offense. Batters. Today's groks being
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RUNNING GAME - FIZZLER
Thursday, two guys got on base early against Jon Lester. Sardinas and O'Malley was it? One via walk, the other via a hit ... oh yeah. Sardinas pushed a gorgeous 70-foot bunt at the 2B, couldn'a rolled it any better.
Two guys on against Jon Lester, 0 out, also known as A BEST CASE SCENARIO. Both of them took off for 2B. Both were thrown out, and thrown out =Easily. This 0 on, 2 out situation failed to make the Cubs less comfortable than standard issue.
We're here... Read More
Who is going?
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/10/16
Need tickets to the playoffs? They are on sale now! Tickets for groups of 10 or more are currently on sale via the Seattle Thunderbirds website, but you can also call a ticket representative to get your hands on a bundle of tickets. Game one, which will be versus an unknown as of yet opponent, will take place on Friday, March 25 at 7:35. Game two, which is also against a TBD team, will occur on Saturday, March 26 at 7:05.
If you’re going to any upcoming T-Birds games, be sure to take advantage of some of the specials left in the season. There isn’t very many promo games left to enjoy. On... Read More
Sue Bird discusses major differences
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/10/16
If you follow the Storm, you already know what an eloquent, inspiring woman Sue Bird is. Seattle loves her and it’s not just for her bringing home the gold: it’s because she is a role model both on and off the court. During her off court time, Bird writes for The Players Tribune, and this week she took on a pretty big topic: the disparities between the WNBA and NBA. The topic is even bigger this year because of the changes in tournaments, ESPN coverage and the 20th anniversary of the WNBA.
Bird discussed how, when searching for the player they thought led the WNBA in charges drawn with some... Read More
Sounders add in Tony Alfaro
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/10/16
Back in January, the Seattle Sounders announced that they signed on Tony Alfaro as their first MLS Draft pick. Alfaro, 22, the 27th overall draft pick of the season, is now being added to the team’s roster, playing center back for the Sounders. Sounders GM and President of Soccer Garth Lagerwey says that the move is a strategic one. “We’re pleased to add a talented player like Tony to our roster as the 2016 season gets going. He’s obviously a player we liked in the draft when we selected him and we’re looking forward to continuing his development.”
The team says that Alfaro’s center back... Read More
Posted by jschario on 03/10/16
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Day 2 of NFL free agency is in the books and the Seahawks were able to stay strong in some areas, and have gaps to fill in others, just like every other team in the league. Fact is, the Seahawks are one of the premier franchises in the NFL, and thus the rest of the league is going to covet their players and their winning pedigrees. And therefore, the Seahawks could be viewed as victims of their own success, losing three starters within the first day of free agency.
JR Sweezy signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Brandon Mebane went for sunnier pastures in San Diego with the Chargers and Bruce... Read More
Defensive losses and gains from 2016 free agency
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/10/16
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So far the Seahawks are off to a pretty rough start in 2016 free agency, but do have one bright spot moving forward.
Most notable are the losses of Bruce Irvin and NT Brandon Mebane.
Bruce Irvin left for a resurgent Raiders defense. His arrival could be very beneficial for the team that I believe will take the next step this upcoming season. Historically, this is no team to bet on. However, I will go out on a limb and say you will see them in the playoffs next season.
The combination of Irvin with a guy like Kahlil Mack makes for an energetic and smart defense that just went from good to... Read More
I find your attempt to hit me disTURBing
Posted by jemanji on 03/10/16
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5 Comments
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Q. Where did we leave this off, last September?
A. Taijuan en embryo was a fairly good #3 starter, using one pitch. His fastball was so explosive, and so well-commanded, that it more than tipped the balance scales against his two "slow fastballs," the 89 non-slider and the 89 non-changeup. Worse secondary stuff than that, you simply will not see on television. Not unless your TV is located in Perth, West Austrailia.
Which left SSI denizens wanting some functional offspeed, any offspeed, to launch the carnage. ... of course there was the odd single game last year where he had one. ... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/10/16
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What the hey. There were two major league teams, if not five, onsite Wednesday. All with cameras blazing and clipboards scrawling at each player's every move. No reason Dr. D can't publish the chicken scratch on his legal pad.
No, of course he doesn't really use a legal pad. ... Granted, the Mainframe Cluster may grok a few dozen motherboards, a few Tb of RAM, and a coupla hundred Intel cores. But even Dr. D's worst enemy will concede that he doesn't take baseball seriously enough to waste viewing time on notes.
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RIGHT HAND LINEUP
The M's spent three innings making the lefty Matt... Read More
Dr's prognosis: maybe the M's shoulda stayed in the hospital
Posted by jemanji on 03/10/16
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2 Comments
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If we could mosh off that "Mini Carlos Peguero" thought for just a moment?
...
1. Dr. D hasn't seen anything to dissuade him from his impression that we are talking about a 67 OPS+ for King Leonydas. Granted, he's only "seen anything" for like two at-bats. But as you know, two at-bats for the Mainframe is like a Lou Gehrig career's worth for a lesser computer. Even if those two at-bats occurred in the dead of winter.
1a. We did upgrade mightily in the offense, from Mike Zunino's 50 OPS+ to Chris Iannetta to Steve Clevenger. We can't just spit it all away with a 50 OPS+ in center field... Read More
Now they are just showing off
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/09/16
After half of a season without shutouts, the Seattle Thunderbirds sure know how to throw one down now. After 17 saves at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Logan Flodell led the T-Birds in another shutout over the Tri-City Americans with a final score of 4-0. This marks the team’s eighth win in a row. The Birds continue to maintain the first place spot in the US Division, their record standing now at 40-23-3-0.
Scoring occurred during the second and third periods, with two goals during the second and two more in the third. Players Donovan Neuls, Cavin Neth, Alexander True and Andreas Schumacher... Read More
32 billboards feature her face
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/09/16
At Seattle Storm Sports Insider, we love to go back to that moment when Jewell Loyd was seriously doubted by everyone from the media to her school and in between when she adamantly said she was going pro. That’s because in that moment, Loyd proved that her confidence and self-assurance was spot on. It was the moment that started a spectacular career, including Rookie of the Year honors and a lucrative Nike contract. We doubt that anyone tries to tell Jewell Loyd what to do anymore.
Right now, Loyd is making headlines yet again for being featured on 32 billboards in Times Square. Loyd is... Read More
Opener ends with score of 0-1
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/09/16
After weeks of nonstop buildup and buzzing excitement, Sunday’s loss was a heavy one for Seattle Sounders fans on so many levels. In eight MLS season openers, the Sounders have only lost three times, making it feel unlucky right off the bat. After defender Oniel Fisher was given a red card, the entire match just blew apart. The Sounders were able to stay in the game, giving it what they had to give, but Sporting Kansas City made the only goal of the day when defender Nuno Andre Coelho scored with a right-footed shot, winning the game for SKC during the 72nd minute of the game. He scored just... Read More
Posted by jschario on 03/08/16
As winter sports start up wrap up with the basketball teams starting their conference tournaments, softball and baseball charge into March and spring with the meat of their schedule awaiting. All around it was a week of highlights for the Husky athletic program, as many players were selected for individual honors.
Starting with men's hoops, as they gear up for the first round of their Pac-12 tournament against Stanford, four Huskies were selected for All-Pac-12 honors. Senior Andrew Andrews was selected for first team All-Pac-12, as he was the conference's leading scorer. Moreover, he was... Read More
Brad Miller vs Nori Aoki
Posted by jemanji on 03/08/16
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Not pictured: a pro athlete known for his narcissism
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Sometimes you argue for two hours, and can't quite figure out what the problem is. And then this little detail stops the show and all becomes clear. Take two guys in court, arguing in front of the judge "THE OTHER GUY SWUNG FIRST!" and the trial goes on four days ... you can't figure out what Silentpadna was doing in the brawl in the first place, but sure enough he was there.
Then one of the brawlers finally admits, as an incidental detail, "Well, I might have sat down in their booth and put my arm around his wife and said something... Read More
We will catch Houston's fly balls in the SHAAAAAADE
Posted by jemanji on 03/08/16
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2 Comments
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When it comes to defense in baseball? SSI pretty much trusts whatever the clubs say. They're the ones with the internal metrics. Especially that Statscast stuff that puts the player onto a little bow-and-arrow target and times his travel from crack-of-bat to fly ball intersection. I'll take that over UZR like I'll take a calculator wristwatch over a slide rule.
Have ta say, though, however quickly Leonydas can get from point A to points B twenty-seven point three yards distant, it hasn't been clear from the actual outs that have resulted on the green grass of AL baseball fields. Here's... Read More
There's baseball pepper and then there's DOCTOR pepper
Posted by jemanji on 03/08/16
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4 Comments
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Keeping the intrepid SSI denizen on top of things as the plots thicken ...
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Joel Peralta's stock is up the first week, as Dutton's quality report notes. He's throwin' good, while Scribner and Cook are dealing with injuries. A month ago we wrote a mini-POTD on Peralta, which bears no adjustment at this time.
Is SSI rooting for Peralta? It roots for Stars & Scrubs, which means that it is rooting for Danny Hultzen and Nate Karns in the same bullpen, behind the Big Three (choke, cough), Tony Zych and somebody. But man oh man, if Jerry DiPoto wanted to create "layers" to his bullpen,... Read More
Lisa M. Borders is a huge fan
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/06/16
By now, if you are a WNBA fan you already know that Lisa M. Borders was recently named as the new president of the association. But did you know that she is a huge fan of the game as well? Borders, the former Vice President of Global Community Affairs at the Coca-Cola Company, is the fourth president of the association and told interviewers that she is a self-described raving fan of the Atlanta Dream, a team that she helped put together when she was on the City Council. She’s such a die-hard fan that she admits, “Sometimes I’m literally screaming at players to box out, move their feet or... Read More
Barcelona scores 4, Real Madrid 7
Posted by jschario on 03/06/16
Posted to blog
None of the top three in La Liga faced each other this weekend, and they are all tuning up for another week of Champions League matches, this being their second leg. League leaders FC Barcelona showed no signs of slowing down with four goals against Eibar, second-place Atlético Madrid went down to Valencia and puled out a 3-1 win and finally Real Madrid started out the weekend fun with a whopping seven; with four coming from Cristiano Ronaldo.
Starting with the leaders Barcelona, who traveled to Basque Country to face Eibar. Eibar while traditionally a team with a small budget and swining... Read More
Yes hello, Kam is trying to buy our gym...
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/06/16
Posted to blog
Kam Chancellor is in the news again this off season. Thankfully, this time it is not due to a lengthy holdout.
The news initially was not too good after getting 911 called on himself. One article headline read like a transcript from the call in which he was called "trouble" by the caller. Reading ahead in nervous anticipation of Kam being the newest off-season legal trouble, I quickly was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Boy was I quickly calmed when the reason for the 911 calm was revealed, yet at the same time I was angered.
On a trip to Richmond, Washington Kam was looking into local gyms... Read More
How to get the goods
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/06/16
Whether you are planning on going to the opener today, you have season tickets for the entire year or you just want to make good on the one game you have tickets for, there are always Seattle Sounder promos to be had. If you want a deal on a pizza, haircut, French fries and lots of other things in the Seattle area, be sure to incorporate these fun promos with your ticket stubs.
At Great Clips, you can get a free haircut any time the Sounders score three goals during a home match. Make sure your location is participating before you try to bank in on the deal. Museum Quality Framing is offering... Read More
Playoffs spot is in the bag
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/06/16
On Saturday night, the Seattle Thunderbirds kept up their massive winning streak by beating the Portland Winterhawks 2-1. The win comes on the heels of the previous night’s victory over the Everett Silvertips, also a score of 2-1. The T-birds remain in the first place spot of the US Division, their stats now at 39-23-3-0. The Silvertips, who were just five points ahead of the Birds this side of two weeks ago, are now trailing by two points as we approach the 2016 Playoff games.
There are only seven games left until the Playoffs, folks. So even if we bomb the rest—and the odds are that we won’... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/05/16
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1 Comments
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Interesting TNT piece that says --- > Chris Taylor's trip North stands or falls with his ability to play a quality defensive 3B.
He's got to get the reps, man. He's got four weeks to learn how to play a really tough position. Bottom line is, the 25th man has to be able to play any position well on 5 minutes' notice. All that is fine, but might Dr. D point out
Kyle Seager played 161 games last year. 159 the year before that. 160 the year before.
Tacoma is 30 miles south of the M's ballpark. If Seager tweaks a hammy, you've got the entire Rainiers roster, the next night.
Any... Read More
And we’re back in first place
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/05/16
Ladies and gentleman, some fans said it couldn’t be done but the Seattle Thunderbirds just proved that line of thinking invalid! The T-Birds are back in the number one spot in the US Division, back where the team was in the fall before several sweeping changes were made. Blame it on the changes, bad management or coaching or the water, but the Birds are definitely back in the game and on their way to the Cup. Friday night the young men beat the Everett Silvertips 2-1. Seattle now stands at 38-22-3-0, which would be a tie with the Tips for points if they didn’t have more wins than Everett.... Read More
Extension granted for tournament
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/05/16
Fans are asking that there be some TV coverage for the events of the tournament, and while that wish remains to be granted, we did get some good news to share today: the Pac-12 Championship will still be held in Seattle at least up until 2019. The extension was granted for another three years and the tournament partners—including Force 10 Sports Management, LLC, the Seattle Sports Commission, and Seattle Center—have all agreed to sponsor the event again. The tournament will continue to be held at the KeyArena.
The last agreement occurred during 2012 and covered the last few years of... Read More
Tips, deals and Sounders info for season opener
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/05/16
Going to the big season opener tomorrow against Sporting Kansas City? It’s going to be at the Xbox Pitch at CenturyLink Field at 4:00 PST. If you can’t be there (and it WILL be the place to be tomorrow afternoon), rest assured that you can still listen live via a number of stations, including FOX Sports 1, FOX Deportes, KIRO Radio 97. 3 FM and El Rey 1360 AM. The Sounders have released a few tips for fans attending the game, including the advice to get there early!
Between pre-game festivities (the pre-party at THE NINETY, complete with wine and beer sales, will start at 1:30) and fans in... Read More
Posted by jschario on 03/05/16
Both the men's and women's Husky hoops squads come into their respective Pac-12 tournaments on opposite ends of the spectrum. One the one hand you have the men who ended the season on a high, with senior Andrew Andrews capping his Washington career by netting a career high 47 points against in-state rival Washington State. However they were swept the weekend previous on their road trip through Oregon.
On the other hand there's the women's side. Coach Kevin Neighbors and company ended the season 13-7 in conference play and started out their Pac-12 conference tournament with a bang, upsetting... Read More
History of the deeply missed Seattle franchise
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/05/16
The Seattle SuperSonics have been missed, to say the least, since the team left in 08 to Oklahoma City.
Founded in 1967, the Sonics played in three different divisions while in the NBA. Beginning with the Western Conference from 67-70 before switching to the Pacific division until 2004. They then ended in the Northwest division until leaving in 08.
The team also had several home stadiums during their reign. This included two stays in Key Arena, 8 years in the kingdome, and 94-95 in the Tacoma Dome. Home games were played at KeyArena, originally known as Seattle Center Coliseum, for 33 of the... Read More
Manning running out of options
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/05/16
Posted to blog
Peyton Manning is still expected to give Denver an answer in a matter of days... The question, are you retiring already man...?
Manning has went on record to say, if up to him, he would like to continue to play.
If up to him? That's a cryptic message. Reading between the lines, I can only imagine that means as a Bronco. A window that is all but shut after news today that the Broncos made "backup" QB Brock Osweiler. Surely it can not mean in the NFL as many teams would be glad to have him
Reportedly, a 12 million dollar a year offer was put on the table for Osweiler today. A number he can see... Read More
Nominated for goaltender of the week
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/04/16
1 Comments
With the Seattle Thunderbirds on such a fantastic winning streak lately, the team goalies were sure to get some recognition sometime. During the week of Feburary 28, 2016, goaltender Landon Bow was nominated for the Vaughn CHL Goaltender of the Week Award. This marks the third time this season that Bow was nominated for the award. His first nomination occurred during the first week of November when he was still playing for the Swift Current Broncos. He was also nominated during the first week of January while playing for the T-Birds.
During this nomination, Bow boasted stats of 2-0-0-0. He... Read More
Sounders announce the move to NY Cosmos
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/04/16
It’s not his first time, either. Jimmy Ockford was just sent to the New York Cosmos as a loaner for the season again from the Seattle Sounders. This will be Ockford’s third time being loaned to the Cosmos, leading fans to question whether he should just join the team. In some ways, after all, it seems as if New York has seen more of Ockford than Seattle has.
Cosmos Head Coach and Sporting Director Giovanni Savarese said that he was pleased about the loan. “His energy and competitiveness make him a great option for us defensively. Jimmy fit in well with this team a couple seasons ago, and we’... Read More
Storm Into STEM School Day announced
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/04/16
It’s no surprise when you hear about the Seattle Storm working in the community to better programs, whether they be educational, physical fitness related or simply for the beautification of the environment. This week the Storm announced that they will be sponsoring a Storm Into S.T.E.M. School Day. This will be the second year in a row that the Storm hosts this cool event for the youth of Seattle.
Storm President & GM Alisha Valavanis says that it is a very important day in the community. “To open the season with a focus on youth and education in the greater Puget Sound community is a... Read More
supafreak, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 03/04/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Marc W at USS Mariner has been pickin' em up and layin' em down his last sevvral pieces. In this one, he asks an interesting question. What does Taijuan Walker have that Wily Peralta -- the kid who faced off against Taijuan on Friday -- does not?
It's worth a few minutes' meditation before answering. Peralta does clock in with the same 94.3 MPH velocity that Taijuan does. He's also young. He also throws strikes. Marc W points to Peralta's high groundball rates and thinks of Felix Hernandez.
So, it's worth a few minutes' baseball meditation. What is the difference between a Peralta... Read More
Hawks ongoing yearly free agent decisions
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/04/16
Posted to blog
Nothing new to the NFL, but a growing problem for the Seahawks each year, is the issue of retaining team superstars.
A new cap space increase passed also increased available funds across the league for players this off-season, which will only add to this issue. This is something we are seeing across the board already with a lot of tough decisions being made by teams. Visa versa a lot of players are choosing the open market over their teams.
The most recent Seahawk this is hitting is star DE Bruce Irvin. Another staple on defense, along with Michael Bennett, who is looking to get a deal done.... Read More
... it's just a little farther, Nate
Posted by jemanji on 03/03/16
Posted to blog
9 Comments
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In the last 15 years, 2001-15, there have been fifteen American League pitchers who struck out 8+ men per game as rookie starters. So, one a year. Whether the league needs it or not, it gets one of these rookies every season.
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Rook SP
Year
K per 9 IP
Went on to do what?
Francisco Liriano
2006
11.0
Was going to be Johan Santana+ before DL
(Yu Darvish)
2012
10.4
exceed Iwakuma's salary
Gio Gonzalez
2009
9.7
3-5 WAR last six years in a row
(Masahiro Tanaka)
2014
9.3
exceed Iwakuma's salary
Lance McCullers, HOU
2015
9.2
...
Matt Moore
2012
9.2
Make Trump money after 9 IP
Colin McHugh, HOU... Read More
go with Rizzs or Drayer? decisions, decisions
Posted by jemanji on 03/03/16
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7 Comments
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Jim Carrey's on-screen son asked him, "Is it true that if you make a face, your face can get stuck that way?" Carrey was truthful. "Some people make a handsome living that way."
SSI makes a handsome living Reading Between the Lines, as do SSI's readers. Between the 9,000 of us we can usually figure out that when Rick Rizzs gives us a March 3 eulogy for Chris Taylor, he's tipping his bosses' pitches. Talented young kid like Taylor needs a full season's worth of swings, don'cha know. Read: hit .450 in Arizona or go back and Re Establish Val Ue, keed.
That may be true. Dr. D is not... Read More
Does it matter?
Posted by jschario on 03/03/16
Posted to blog
NFL free agency is less than a week from kicking off, and ESPN's Adam Schefter already has the scoop around the league. Schefter's latest scoop relates to the Seattle Seahawks and one of their free agents in particular. However the scoop isn't about Bruce Irvin or Russell Okung, rather it's on former undrafted free agent Jermaine Kearse.
The Seahawks' wide receiver reportedly told Schefter that he does not expect to come back to the Seahawks for the 2016 season. Last season the 26-year-old recorded a number of career highs, catching 49 passes for 685 yards and found the end zone five times.... Read More
Plus two hat tricks
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/03/16
One hat trick? Try two. That’s how the Seattle Thunderbirds rolled on Tuesday night when they beat the Tri-City Americans at the ShoWare Center with a final score of 7-2. The overwhelming victory led the team to improving their stats to 37-23-3-0, which puts them just one point behind the Everett Silvertips for first place in the U.S. Division. They’ve teetered over the five point gap for months, sometimes flirting with a three-point gap, and now they are so close it is almost theirs. The Birds are on a roll and they are rapidly proving that not only they are able to work together, but that... Read More
Oalex Anderson joins the team
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/03/16
Remember when Seattle Sounders Head Coach Sigi Schmid and company cut a huge chunk of the team last year to go leaner and meaner? Well, maybe not so much leaner and meaner, but definitely younger and hungrier. Well, the Powers That Be are continuing that trend as they scramble to meet the salary cap requirement following the sudden departure of Oba Martins. They have selected Oalex Anderson to join the team. Anderson, 20, signed on with S2 and is now joining the MLS just six days before the big home opener on Sunday.
Born on November 11, 1995, Anderson is from St. Vincent and the Grenadines... Read More
Welcome to Seattle
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/03/16
Yesterday the Seattle Storm announced that the team had signed on two new guards for the 2016 season. One of the guards is Laurin Mincy; the other is Davellyn Whyte. Whyte is a more seasoned player, drafted during the 2013 WNBA Draft, while Mincy was drafted just last year. Whyte was the 16th overall draft pick during her rookie year. She was drafted by the San Antonio Stars, for whom she played two seasons. An injury kept her off the court for the 2015 season but she is back and ready to play for the Storm this year. During her WNBA career, Whyte has averaged 4.2 points per game. She also... Read More
it's a little late to talk, after you've already done it
Posted by jemanji on 03/03/16
Posted to blog
8 Comments
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I thought this was going to be a MATCHUP!? It's a MIS Match! >:- [
Let's see, by my count there are 32 preseason games on this sked rat cheer. Counting the one Wild Card game in which Felix at last does anything to earn his $27M per, that means that the 200th game of 2016 will be the last one before the ALCS. 200, man. That's a lot of baseball, especially putting on our blog pants one leg at a time every morning.
But if the M's get practice reps, why shouldn't we? The Times embedded 7 minutes' (!) worth of video from the game, which include twelve batted balls > 100 MPH (by the... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 03/03/16
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5 Comments
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A year ago today, James said
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Seriously, I wonder if you could say what's not to be impressed about a current active NFL player (John Urschel) publishing a paper like that, although I have to admit that my own impressment is somewhat limited by not having any idea what cascadic multigrid algorithms and Fiedler vectors and graph Laplacians are.
Asked by: MarisFan61
Answered: 3/24/2015
One shouldn't be impressed by things that are done to impress you. A single mother raising three kids and keeping them all on the path toward successful lives is impressive. A football player publishing... Read More
Seattle squeezes out a narrow victory
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/02/16
If Saturday’s game was an amazing shutout that made the game look easy, Sunday’s victory proved that the Seattle Thunderbirds know how to work together and win a solid victory. Seattle took on the Kamloops Blazers at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia. Both teams were tired, having played three games during three consecutive nights, with both teams winning all previous games; but both teams were in it to win it, playing hard throughout the game to attempt to secure that victory. Ultimately it was the Birds, however, who won by just one point, with the final score at 4-3. The win... Read More
New guard signed on to the Storm
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/02/16
The Seattle Storm has announced another two new players just before the draft begins next month. One of the new guards is Laurin Mincy, a six foot two, 13.5 points per game winner who helped her team make Final Four appearances year after year as well as take the tournament title. Mincy may have a history of injuries, such as the time she tore her left ACL, but she was also her team’s star senior (her teammates called her Grandma) with a plethora of awards and honors under her belt that will hopefully continue into her career.
Mincy was the 27th pick during the third round of draft selections... Read More
The 2016 season begins on Sunday
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/02/16
Fans are feeling a bit blue rather than rave green today due to the Sounders loss in Mexico earlier today. Some are wondering where, exactly, the focus went, while others are woe is me-ing it up over the lack of Oba Martins, who just left the team a week before the season begins. Yes, we lost 3-1 in a matter of moments, but we did hang in there and the team was able to show off its new format, which will hopefully become a refined and well practiced move well before the end of the season.
And speaking of the season, there is something to look forward to around the corner. On Sunday, the... Read More
Some former Huskies impressed
Posted by jschario on 03/02/16
You know we have truly hit the NFL's second season when the NFL Scouting Combine gets underway. Just like during the season when from week to week we overreact and overhype every little move, non-move and everything in between gets blown up. The goings on at the combine are the same way. Every 40 time, vertical jump and interview can propel an NFL-hopeful into the first round, or drop them out of the draft all together.
Luckily for former UW lineback Travis Feeney, he won't be falling into the latter category. On Sunday, Feeney generated quite a buzz around Indianapolis with the performance... Read More
... as take any grokkables out of Mar. 2 news
Posted by jemanji on 03/02/16
Posted to blog
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Nuthin' against the beat writers. They'll sell papers to anybody with six quarters to spare. But it doesn't make Dr. D's job any easier. :: draws heavy sigh :: Recent articles:
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Robinson Cano likes it that Chase Utley isn't allowed to take his knee out this year. The SSI reader who seeks info-tainment in this piece has Dr. D's blessing to try. One takeaway: the "phantom tag" of the base now gets overturned on replay. Huh. I liked it the old way. "I coulda touched it; I just didn't want to sacrifice my meniscus to the umps."
But. That'll make it a different game to watch. Kind... Read More
Long ways to truck yet
Posted by jemanji on 03/02/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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HOORAY FOR THE TIMES! paid for by Newspaper Lives Matter
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M's add Efren Navarro. Does this mean that the 'loser' of the Dae-Ho Lee / Jesus Montero staredown ain't gonna be around long?
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Hey! The Times had coverage of a baseball game! I din't know they played today! REALLY hooray for the Times, boys. And 6-0 M's in the sixth. Chris Iannetta hit the first of what will be many, many homers. Franklin Gutierrez hit another in what has been a long, long string of homers. James Paxton tossed 2 scoreless but his K-B ratio was only 19-15. Must be the umps can't call 3-foot curve balls the... Read More
One of those go crazy, folks, go crazy moments
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 03/01/16
When you hear the word shutout in regards to the Seattle Thunderbirds, it isn’t a big surprise. The Birds have led a number of one-sided victories this season, with Logan Flodell making the first shutouts of his career. But when you hear it was against the Everett Silvertips, you kind of have to do a little dance and get down tonight because it’s a big deal. Everett has been smashing the Birds over and over again, but during the last game we had hope; the victory was by a very narrow margin and at the very end of the game, so Birds fans were left wondering—will we do it next time?
Yes indeed... Read More
How you can help the Sounders
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 03/01/16
The Seattle Sounders are not only loved for their prowess on the field, but also their heart. They are huge philanthropists and inspiring members of the Seattle community, but that generosity extends much farther than Seattle. While many fans enjoy how the team uses Seattle Street Soccer, among other programs, to benefit the community by engaging with and aiding homeless youth in the Seattle area, they may not be aware of the fact that the team participates in similar programs outside the country to continue the inspiration and support.
Sounders Director of Community Relations Roger Levesque... Read More
Seattle Storm gears up for 2016 season
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 03/01/16
On Saturday, February 27, the Seattle Storm kicked off the 2016 season with the annual Winter Warm Up. More than 300 fans present were able to participate in various activities, not the least of which was a Q and A session with Seattle Storm Head Coach Jenny Boucek, Storm President and General Manager Alisha Valavanis and Storm co-owner Dawn Trudeau some hard-hitting questions.
In addition to the big championship changes and the ESPN coverage we’ve already heard about, Valavanis told the crowd that there are even more changes coming soon. “On the business side, we have some exciting things... Read More
Seattle Thunderbirds lengthy history
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/01/16
The Seattle Thunderbirds roots begin in Canada where they started as the Vancouver Nat's. This team played from 71-73 until they moved to British Columbia as the Kamloops Chiefs.
It was not until 77 that the team moved to Seattle, but were known as the Seattle Breakers. The Breakers began playing their games at Key Arena. The historic venue has remained a Seattle staple since the 60's but provided some unique difficulties in the area of hockey games. We will dive a bit deeper into these issues later though...
Fast-forward to 1985 when the Seattle Breakers officially became the team we now... Read More
Brief history of Seattle's most successful franchise
Posted by hawksinsider on 03/01/16
In 1962 Seattle hosted the world's fair. Besides the Space Needle, the next best well-known landmark built for the fair was the Washington State pavilion or coliseum. (Depending on who you talk to)
At the time, they could not imagine that nearly 40 years later professional woman's basketball would be played in the venue. However, that is the case as the now named Key Arena host all Seattle Storm home games.
The dream started with an ABL team with another weather related play on words for a name. The Seattle Reign reigned from 1996-98 in the area. Durimg this time the WNBA would be developed,... Read More