April 2016
A great place to catch the game
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/30/16
Have you ever experienced a Seattle Thunderbirds game from the exclusive group seats of the Les Schwab Tire Centers Ice Box? If you think that the 2 for Tuesday deal is a steal, you have to try this package. When you watch the game from the Ice Box, you get great seats plus dinner for just $38, a real bargain for any hockey lover. Most inclusive tickets like this cost much more for other teams and franchises, so it is something to really grab when you have a few extra bucks and want to treat yourself and your fellow Thunderbirds fans.
To get the Ice Box seats, you do need to have a minimum... Read More
How training is going with the team
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/30/16
We already know that a few Seattle Storm players have been waived following spring training. As much of a bummer as that is, it is news to be expected, given how many women were on the team to begin with and that it’s a given during any year. The fun part of training, however, is to follow the players while they train and see how well they are doing and find out where the strength of the team will be coming from for the season.
Right away the team found out that Breanna Stewart was the star player that she’s always been, blocking, running and scoring, showing that she really is the number one... Read More
Doggy in tropical (AL West) paradise
Posted by jemanji on 04/30/16
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Thanks Moe! Will kick the soccer ball down the field on the 3-v-2 breakaway here, just cause we all got our quot-urs to quaff.
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FELIX HERNANDEZ
Rumor #1: The King is dead! The King is dead!! The King is........Oh!........Never mind! - See more at: http://seattlesportsinsider.com/blogs/rumours-you-might-have-heard#comme...
Classic Felix game. Quick look at the first three hitters of the night, remembering that:
The 1st inning is the only one in a ballgame that is guaranteed to have the best hitters at the plate, and
The book on Felix now is to try to get fastballs early in the game... Read More
per usual
Posted by jschario on 04/30/16
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Another draft, another yawn when it comes to the Seahawks draft class. Not since Pete Carroll and John Schneider's first years in Seattle have they made anything resembling waves come draft day. That year remember they had two first round picks, picking Earl Thomas and Russell Okung.
Sure, they have made some very good picks; just look at Richard Sherman, Russell Wilson and Kam Chancellor. But none of those picks caught anybody's attention, save for maybe Wilson, although he was a mere third round pick.
This year, they traded down to the 31st overall pick after holding the 26th pick until... Read More
(Don't believe 'em all)
Posted by moethedog on 04/30/16
13 Comments
A great album, back in the day. It was easy to have some lustful thoughts about the ethereal Stevie Nicks, wasn't it? If you were there, you remember.
But let's change Rumours to Rumors (being Yanks, and all) and go from there:
Rumor #1: The King is dead! The King is dead!! The King is........Oh!........Never mind! (Miss Emily Litella would be proud of those folks) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjYoNL4g5Vg
Rumor #2: Rumors of the batting renaissance of other our King (of Spalding) are perhaps overstated. 5-45 since April 11th, over his last 14 starts. Oh, 18 K's to go along with... Read More
Get your tickets on May 3
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/29/16
They did it! The Seattle Thunderbirds are advancing to the WHL Championship after defeating the Kelowna Rockets in all four conference games. This was after being the Prince George Cougars all four rounds as well, giving them a pretty impressive record. During the second round, the Birds only lost one game to the Everett Silvertips, advancing after winning 4-1. The first game of the championship is coming up next Friday, May 6, but it will be in Brandon. If you have the time and cash to travel and see the game in person, the Birds would surely enjoy the support.
On Friday night, the Brandon... Read More
Download or print it for the match
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/29/16
Whether you are attending Saturday’s Seattle Sounders match against the Columbus Crew SC or just following along from home, you can go ahead and download your match day program now to find out all of the details about the game. The match begins at 1:00 PM on the Century Link field, but coverage starts at 12:30 if you want to start tuning in from home, work or wherever you will be while the match is on. There are several places you can watch or listen to the game, from JOEtv and ROOT Sports or KIRO 97.3 FM and El Rey 1360AM.
Is it your first time using the digital PDF program? It runs 33 pages... Read More
Seattle is going to the Olympics
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/29/16
It’s not the entire Seattle Storm team, because that would just be wishful thinking. But Seattle is definitely going to be represented in the Olympics this August in Rio. We have not one but TWO women from the Storm playing on the Olympic team this year! Both Sue Bird and Breanna Steward were selected to play on the team. Another cool part is that the newest Storm player, Stewie, actually first saw Bird play basketball during the summer Olympic games in 2008, and now she will be playing alongside her this year. We almost had a third player on the Olympic team this year, but sadly Jewell Loyd... Read More
Everything you need to know about Saturday’s match
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/28/16
Saturday’s match is quickly approaching. Are you ready to see the Seattle Sounders take on the Columbus Crew on April 20 at the Century Link Field? The match starts at 1:00 PM PT but officials say that it is a very good idea to get there early due to traffic and festivities if you want to make sure you don’t miss a minute of the match. That is one piece of news that fans should keep in mind as they prepare to don their Rave Green and head to the field this weekend.
Something else they should think about, however, is that Sounders Captain Brad Evans will be notably absent from this match.... Read More
Team down to 17 players
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/28/16
Yesterday we discussed how the Seattle Storm is currently culling players while the team proceeds with spring training before the season begins next month, as all of the WNBA teams are doing right now. This week we saw Nneka Enemkpali leave the Storm and put on waivers. Now the Storm has announced that Davellyn Whyte, too, has been released to waivers. Whyte, a guard, was the 16th overall selection in the 2013 WNBA Draft, picked by the San Antonio Stars and playing for the team for two years before sitting out for a year to recover from an injury.
Whyte played for the Arizona Wildcats where... Read More
The Thunderbirds did it!
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/28/16
If you were anywhere near the ShoWare center on Wednesday night, your ears were probably ringing with the sound of cheering. Chances are you were part of the cacophony while celebrations of the T-Birds winning against the Kelowna Rockets carried on well through the night. The Birds have consequently won the entire Western Conference Championship and will be heading to the WHL Finals after a game that was full of nail-biting and overtime. The close game ended with a score of 5-4. The Birds ultimately won 4 out of 4 games against the Rockets during the entire series.
During the first period of... Read More
would you kare for a Kind bar with that
Posted by jemanji on 04/28/16
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Bill James has a list of the 100 hottest batters at any moment in time. 72 degrees is room temperature. The Mariners have three in the top 100, those being a guy near the top of the list, one in the middle of the list, and one towards the bottom:
90 degrees - Ketel Marte
83 - Robinson Cano
77 - Adam Lind
And that's despite Marte hitting into some hard outs. First two AB's we saw last night were 1) a nice cut-swing fliner to the opposite field, caught by the LF, and 2) a screaming line drive that held up too long and was caught by the CF. We didn't see the next three AB's, which were... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/28/16
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Actually it is axiomatic that Fortune 500 companies have "cultures." Here's a sample link amigos: http://www.ceo.com/leadership_and_management/can-you-change-your-corpora... It's a primer on the definition of culture, shared beliefs, ways of doing things, work environments.
You never worked for a company that was a good one? Or a bad one?
That cute little list that Forbes puts out about Best and Worst companies to work for, what's that all about?
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When Chuck Armstrong and Jack Zduriencik phone down to Eric Wedge to demand extra infield for injured players, that's an example of... Read More
Birds beat the Rockets once again
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/27/16
Fans across the Northwest region are cheering once again as the Seattle Thunderbirds won the third Western Conference Championship game against the Kelowna Rockets, putting them one step closer to that trophy. There were 5,878 fans celebrating at the game on Tuesday night when the Birds beat the Rockets with a score of 3-1. They could win this whole title in one more game if they win on Wednesday.
Byran Albee scored the first goal of the night as well as the only goal during the first period. Jerret Smith and Nolan Volcan had the assists. Kelowna scored the only goal of the second period... Read More
Would you like to be a member?
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/27/16
Have you or someone you know ever wanted to be a member of the Sounders FC Alliance Council? Established in 2008, the Council members “will serve as a liaison between Alliance members and the ownership group and represent Alliance members in matters impacting their match day experience.” The duties do not require a huge time commitment every month, but they do demand time management skills as well as the ability to be discreet about sensitive and confidential matters within the council that may not be available to the public.
You can only nominate a person for council if you are a season... Read More
Seattle Storm numbers dwindle down
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/27/16
They may have just signed her on again in February, but the Seattle Storm has recently decided that Nneka Enemkpali is not a fit with the team. During training this week, they let her go, waiving the 6’1 forward from the team. She is now free to sign with another team, which can be difficult at this stage of the game. The Draft is over and all of the teams are already deep in practice, culling their extra members and planning the season. Cuts at this point can often mean not playing in the franchise during the current season.
If you recall, Enemkpali is the star who made it big after her... Read More
Posted by jschario on 04/27/16
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It's almost as if we have seen this played out before, and that is because we sort of have. Both of Madrid's top soccer teams looked impressive in their Champions League semifinal firt leg matches this week, although only one comes away with an aggregate advantage.
Playing in their friendly confines of the Vicente Calderon on the banks of the Rio Manzanares in the Spanish capital, Club Atlético de Madrid played as anyone would expect them to. They closed the gaps on Bayern Munich, who altough maintained possession for a majority of the match, found little chances to score. Diego Simeone has... Read More
sincerest thanks to Yamauchi-San for his magnanimous gift
Posted by jemanji on 04/27/16
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Mojician with a well-reasoned cross that establishes the fact that many sports owners are disliked. See the Shout Box for that point and several other convincing points from The Counselor. We all enjoy his fair-minded and affable reminders of the nuance in these issues.
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Many M's fans, since August 2001, have argued "don't be ridiculous. Of course Lincoln and Armstrong want to win. Every owner wants to win." True, but if you move beyond a simple input-output I/O paradigm, you advance to the land of Priorities. Every politican, business owner, sportswriter, and indeed athlete has a... Read More
the most interesting predation this year, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/27/16
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24 Comments
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NATE KKKKKKARNS
"Trusting your stuff," as a motto, is:
(1) Overused
(2) Completely devoid of original thought
(3) Trite
(4) Banal
(5) Critical to MLB(TM) success
(6) Seldom a factor in MLB(TM) games
(7) A phrase nobody understands, especially the broadcasters
(8) All of the above
(9) None of the above
But Karns showed us the occasional (5) that you'll see sometimes in big league games. He had an attitude of, "Here it is, hit it," and if they went yard on him fine. But he was going to pitch from 0-1 counts. As he threw more "challenge" pitches, his fastball gained life. Rather than being... Read More
An important part of player recovery
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/26/16
Gone are the days when players were expected to be back on the field immediately following an injury and a couple of rounds of physical therapy. Today professional athletes are given much better care before, during and after the season, with extra care for recovery from injuries. From cleaner, leaner diets to Eastern-inspired workouts, many athletes have a whole body and mind connection as a goal while they tone up and heal. Everyone from LeBron James to Patrick Peterson swears by yoga as a healthy part of a fitness practice.
The Seattle Sounders, for example, are now known for their yoga... Read More
don't buy in, feeb? No wonder you're back of the line
Posted by jemanji on 04/26/16
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If you just joined us, there are some behemoth, Carrier-class Opening Day starters who are taking their lumps this April. You thought it was just Felix :- )
Shelby Miller has four starts, totalling 14 innings with an 8+ ERA and more walks than strikeouts.
Jered Weaver's "fastball" is averaging 81.8 MPH. Yes, a few pitchers have scuffled for a year or two at 80-83 MPH, but they were all lefthanders. Weaver's on the brink of becoming something you feel guilty watching, like those predator YouTube videos. Especially the insect laying eggs ones.
Scott Kazmir's ERA is 6.62, though that's... Read More
let the record show who's the best
Posted by jemanji on 04/26/16
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7 Comments
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The American Revolutionaries gave their very lives for a future in which every man would have the right to --- > max out credit cards at Disney, to "go out" for dessert, to measure the gains in "inches" rather than centimetres, and to occasionally see a Seattle Mariner fulfill his den-sity. Dr. D is starting to think the Mariners could win a pennant in his lifetime (no hyperbole whatsoever attached).
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SLOPS to the Mariners' 2-for-19 on balls in play Monday. GameDay described six of those outs as "Chris Iannetta lines out to center field," "Kyle Seager tears third baseman's mitt off,"... Read More
Posted by jschario on 04/25/16
Spring practices might have wrapped up on the gridiron for the Huskies football program, but the play on the other fields on Lake Washington are flying high nonetheless. On the diamond, both the baseball and softball programs have continued their stellar play, winning their respective series over the last weekend. Not only that, but both have players picking up individual accolades.
Starting with softball, the Huskies took two of three from the Oregon State Beavers on the road in Corvalis. All-world shortstop Ali Aguilar Washington take the rubber match in a big way, knocking two balls out of... Read More
not that soccer is huge in Wade's redneck country
Posted by jemanji on 04/24/16
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If you just joined us, Dr. D is redneck himself. At least, he's got the honorary 8th-grade graduation. He too hates putting his Mariners' blog down and getting himself presentable to the Wal-Mart greeter. Yes, really.
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WADE MILEY
"Big Six" broker Detecto -- clandestinely working out of his garage -- is still advising his investor constiuency to HOLD on Wade Miley. He reasons that Miley has been inflicting Death By Rapid Fire Tennis Ball Machine with exactly the same serves for some years now. Okay, a batter or four has guessed exactly right early. Miley's ERA will come south of 5.00... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/24/16
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SETH SMITH
His terrifying rampage through the 2016 landscape has reached Orcish proportions. And in a far more affable way, might we add.
Seattle blogs campaigned for six years that we deal for Seth Smith, and for the only time in $500M stadium history, the Mariners complied with the saberdweebs' wishes. Then, he puts up a great season and we all tried to swap him out for a Quacking Bush. Thanks for the intervention, Grizzly (?).
Friends don't let friends put Franklin Gutierrez into a fulltime job, however noble be the fight Guti is waging against his earthly tabernacle. Right now... Read More
Team works with Washington Green Schools
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/24/16
While the Seattle Sounders may have suffered a loss this past weekend in terms of a bust of a match, they did happen to score a win for the environment. As a part of Impact Seattle, “a collection of events that focus on supporting the greater Seattle community,” they hosted the MLS WORKS Greener Goals Week of Service. All 20 teams in the US are working together to help make their communities more sustainable and environmentally-friendly, and the Sounders started in on the project this past weekend.
Working with Washington Green Schools, the Sounders worked on planting at B.F. Day Elementary... Read More
Both work to promote women’s health
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/24/16
As the 20th anniversary of the WNBA is upon us in full swing, the franchise has been partnering up with lots of organizations and nonprofit groups to help highlight not only women’s basketball, but other important causes as well. One of those causes is the health of the citizens in the Northwest region. To help highlight this important facet of life, the Seattle Storm has decided to partner up with Swedish Hospitals, making them the official medical provider of the team. The team has even decorated their jerseys with the name of the health provider.
Swedish Medical Group consists of more than... Read More
Smith gets the nomination
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/24/16
All of the young men of the Seattle Thunderbirds are well known for their hard work for the community, participating in numerous community service projects and events throughout the year. Many even donate their time during the off season months. Every year, the Doug Wickenheiser Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Humanitarian of the Year Award goes to a special player who is known for giving his time and energy to a cause that is important to his heart. The Western Hockey League announced that this year, Seattle Thunderbirds captain Jerret Smith has been nominated for the honor. Lethbridge... Read More
revenge is a dish best served blue, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/24/16
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We enjoyed AI-Rick's little metaphor that we "talked him off the ledge" when the M's were 2-6. Sunday, Nelson Cruz and Seth Smith provided him a warm blanket and a medicinal shot of Glenfiddich in the post-crisis ambulance. The M's have whisked up four road series in a row that followed, more or less, the same Bearnaise Sauce recipe:
TEXAS - Cano and Cruz played Long Drive Championship in 10-2 and 9-5 wins. Afterwards, Lone Star Ball questioned the ballclub's March preparation, its 2016 future, and the meaning of life and Robinson Cano.
NYY - The M's crushed the Yankees like a pop can, 7... Read More
As Barcelona control their own fate
Posted by jschario on 04/24/16
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Another weekend in the books in Spain, and only three matches remain in the season. The final month or so of the 2015-16 La Liga season is one of the more competitive and dramatic in recent memory, with three teams all within a point of each other, something not too common in Spanish soccer.
Adding to the excitement in the Iberian Penninsula is the fact that the Spanish captial features two teams still in the hunt for Europe's top prize, the Champions League. Of course, both will begin the first leg of their semifinal round this week, with hopes of arriving in Milan next month to hoist the... Read More
Seattle is well on its way toward the championship trophy
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/23/16
The Seattle Thunderbirds celebrated another victory over the Kelowna Rockets for the Western Conference Championship, knocking out the second game in the same number of victories for this round. The final score against Kelowna was 3-2. It was another exciting evening that left fans on the edges of their seats as the Birds and Rockets had tied up the score until Scott Eansor whizzed in with less than four minutes left in the game and made a last-minute goal to seal it for the T-Birds.
Landon Bow saved 28 out of 30 shots, ending in his 10th playoff victory and further securing his spot among... Read More
Final score is 3-1
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/23/16
The Seattle Sounders took on the Colorado Rapids at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado on Saturday and lost. Although Jordan Morris was able to score his second goal of the season and his career, the team failed to score again and lost 3-1 to the Rapids. Morris’s goal occurred during the 63red minute of the game. The Sounders are now 0-2 for on the road games and back to losing after just winning or drawing for their past four matches for the 2016 season.
Two of the Rapids’ goals were scored by Jermaine Jones and Luis Solignac. The former scored in the 20th minute... Read More
Posted by jschario on 04/23/16
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This next week will prove to be a formidable test for the Spanish league’s top three teams. All three are playing match midweek and over the weekend, testing their fitness just in time for the stretch run.
For Madrid’s top two teams Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, adding to their fitness challenge will be their semifinal Champions League matches against Manchester City and Bayern Munich respectively.
The team they are both chasing, Barcelona, somewhat fortunately do not have to worry about another competition, especially after they have had fatigue issues of their own in recent weeks.... Read More
the greatest pleasure in life is doing what they say you cannot do, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/23/16
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3 Comments
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Dr. D mentioned that he is failing to perceive Martin's defensive generalship. Readers quite reasonably replied that Martin's jump on the ball must be DiMaggio-like. Yes, no doubt. Dr. D is saying "hey, I can't see it!" in the spirit of the boy at the ending of Polar Express unable to see Santa, or like the mom at Safeco (my kids' mom) can't see Hisashi Iwakuma's deception.
Certainly not saying, and don't believe, that outfielders need to dive for balls to win Gold Gloves. My thing is to sit in section 339 and watch for marginal balls, one another OF *might* not have caught. I have... Read More
where did you say you saw it?
Posted by jemanji on 04/23/16
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6 Comments
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This time, happy circumstances landed us in a (Los Angels) Tony Roma's with an ... Angels game on. Well, it wasn't on when we walked in; we started to ask "Um, can we ..." and the Los Angelino replied crisply, "You want the Mariners game on up there?" That is precisely what the man said. I don't know for a fact he meant it like, "You want the LeBron game on?" but why rule out the possibility.
When the Mariners win a game, I wanna go wallow in a postgame read, bask in the victory. Particularly the pesky rodent Angels, we need a quiet spot from where the blood can be licked and savored. ... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/23/16
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whooop! Running out of spare time! (You're never busier than when on a vacation, are you?) The briefest of M's celebrations, whereupon Moe Dawg and Tacoma Rain might just develop the stub into something worthwhile
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HISASHI IWAKUMA
- Excuse please, Iwakuma-san. You do not mind less rest, do you? Can you throw perhaps just eight innings?
- Eight innings was my relief day in high school. But I must with respect decline to throw more than 700 pitches this weekend.
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Iwakuma wasn't as much of a L.A. hero on Friday as he might have been if he'd done it with the Dodgers, but even they... Read More
T-Birds fly past Kelowna in Western Conference Championship
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/22/16
The Seattle Thunderbirds are well on their way toward winning the Western Conference Championship. On Friday night at Prospera Place, the T-Birds soared past the Kelowna Rockets during the first championship game, ending in a victory of 2-1. Landon Bow celebrated yet another victory, saving all but one shot with a rate of 23 of 24 shots blocked. Bow’s playoff record now stands at an impressive 9-1. The next game will be on Saturday at 7:05 at the same location.
No scoring occurred during the first period of the game. It took a while before anyone scored—almost 40 minutes. There was a holding... Read More
Kids do good to meet their heroes and celebrities
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/22/16
If you live in the Seattle area, in several major US cities, Canada or the UK, you might already know what WE Day is. It is an event that began as a single chance for kids to improve their communities by identifying issues that need to be addressed and creating solutions for those problems and is now a multi-city, international event that excites over 200,000 youths worldwide about volunteering and making a real difference in their lives an communities. The goal of the program is not only to get youth engaged with volunteerism and community service, but to also help them develop confidence,... Read More
I mean where is the mean?
Posted by moethedog on 04/22/16
8 Comments
15 games into the season do we know anything we didn't already know, batting-wise?
Let's see where we are:
Cano and Cruz: Big guns, as expected. Of course, there are large-sized career samples of them being big boppers and the last few months of '15 indicated nothing different. Neither do the first few weeks of '16, as it turns out. Both are good enough to carry a team for a while. We might need that: see below.
Smith: Beating up RHP for a living since 2009: .321-.459-.464 this spring. You know what you'll get with Smith. In the small sample of '16, he has 7 BBs and 6 K's. His... Read More
No, I have not lost my mind...
Posted by Tacoma Rain on 04/21/16
4 Comments
YES… JERRY DIPOTO is a GENIUS!!! Perhaps even a miracle worker! Or maybe he has the ability to grant wishes!?!?!
I know I know… It is just another 2 game winning streak by the Mariners… and the game was far from being perfect. And yes the Mariners have not won 2 games in Safeco this year, let alone 2 games in a row. And even if they had, none of this would make Dipoto popular, let alone someone who could be Knighted in King County.
So what has Jerry done to be called a Genius???
How about the 10-4, 10-4, and 8-5… given that those numbers last year were 68-76, 57-81, and 46-93!!!
Still... Read More
Rookie makes his rounds
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/21/16
Over the past week, Jordan Morris has been making his rounds around the community, being seen and heard as a new Seattle Sounders player while meeting his fans. On Wednesday morning, for example, he spent some time at the KeyArena celebrating WE Day Seattle. WE Day is an annual celebration that highlights how local youths make a difference in their communities though volunteerism, community service and other projects, and this year he was accompanied by WNBA legend Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm team.
More than 15,000 teachers and students were in attendance during the event on Wednesday when... Read More
Some say yes
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/21/16
As the excitement over Breanna Stewart joining the Seattle Sounders continues to grow, some facts are arising that are making her acquisition even more exciting than we had originally thought. As Storm Basketball points out, Stewart has been to the White House more times than any other athlete during President Obama’s two terms. Just let that sink in… In a nation full of talented and promising athletes both young and old, rookies and vets alike, Breanna Stewart has met the president more than any of them.
There is no doubting that Stewart is a pretty special player. According to Storm... Read More
the kid learning to trap some of those roundhouses coming at his chin
Posted by jemanji on 04/20/16
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1 Comments
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Whoa! Dr. D's boat blown miraculously ashore by a perfect storm of --- > kludgy hotel computer, restaurant that improbably had an off-market baseball game on, and a staticky internet connection. So understand first that you're talking on a 1951 military walkie-talkie, barely able to make out the voice on the othe end, but badly in need of legit intel. In other words, another day in the life of an SSI denizen.
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TAIJUAN
Threw like 60 fastballs, 45 of them strikes, and less than 10 put into play. (Remember the static. First guy who looks it up and complains gets -Nam style justice... Read More
a scan of the M's BABIP x RISP reveals ...
Posted by jemanji on 04/20/16
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Keep in mind the staticky radio. You might only be able to make out every third word, but what price can you put on accurate intel when you're in the drop zone? That's right, baby. In the jungle there's only one thing more priceless than your six-pack of 84-degree coke. That's knowing what's going to happen next.
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STEVE CISHEK
What's going to happen over the next month, is that batters are going to keep hoping for that one thigh-high fastball that ties the game up.
His curveball results are off the charts, because it's a good one and because of the above. His fastball at 92 MPH is... Read More
Bow is up for the recognition
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/20/16
Landon Bow of the Seattle Thunderbirds has had a pretty exceptional season. It started off in unknown territory early on in the season when he was transferred to the T-Birds after they decided to give Logan Flodell a bit of competition to amp up their game, getting rid of Taz Burman in the process. More representative of the loss of Taz than the acquisition of Bow himself, the fan acceptance of Bow was very slow to grow among many fans. In fact, it wasn’t until just recently that fans started to really cheer him on without reservation.
It was Bow’s first transfer to a new team and it did take... Read More
How Seattle is stacking up for this weekend’s match
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/20/16
The Colorado Rapids are on a roll this season. At third place, they outrank Seattle by five, which is a pretty big turnaround from last year when Seattle was in a more successful spot while Colorado trailed behind. Will this weekend’s match help Seattle move a bit forward?
Seattle Sounders Head Coach Sigi Schmid says that Colorado is pretty self-assured right now. They’re a team obviously that’s very confident right now. They’ve won all their home games, so they’re a team that’s very confident. They’re at a different end of the table than they’ve found themselves over the last couple of years... Read More
Storm women have been busy
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/20/16
You know how teachers often work during summer months as summer school instructors, tutors and other similar positions? That’s pretty much how a lot of athletes work and the women of the Seattle Storm are no exception. They have been extraordinarily busy during this year’s off-season. Every single Storm player, with the exception of Sue Bird, played internationally this year. The team is running a fun recap to give you an overview of what they’ve been up to lately.
Firstly, you probably already knew that Abby Bishop was back to the Australian team, the Canberra Capitals, but did you know that... Read More
Will you be there?
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/19/16
The first two games of the WHL Western Conference Championship will be held in Kelowna, so you may not be able to be there in body, but many of us will be in spirit: the Seattle Thunderbirds will be facing off with the Kelowna Rockets for the championship, news that we just learned after the Rockets beat the Victoria Royals in their second round of playoffs. They won their series with a tighter margin than the T-Birds did against the Everett Silvertips, a total of 4-3 during the playoffs.
In fact, the Rockets had to go into overtime to win their last game of playoffs, making it even more of a... Read More
Catch her interview on video
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/19/16
Newly drafted WNBA member of the Seattle Storm Breanna Stewart made an appearance on Good Morning America this week, much to the excitement of her fans at both UConn as well as the Storm. She told the press that she could not have imagined a better WNBA draft than the one that she experienced last week. You can catch the whole interview online.
Stewart called the event “an unbelievable experience,” saying, “To be able to share it with my family and my friends, they were all so excited… And to be able to hold up that Seattle Storm jersey, I couldn’t have pictured it any better.” Stewart said... Read More
Plus Roldan Meet and Greet
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/19/16
Have you earmarked at least five Sounders matches to attend this season? If you have, why not use a discount and get each ticket at a cheaper rate than you normally would? There are 5 Match Packs on sale at the Seattle Sounders website now for just $125. That is only $25 per game, which is a big steal! All of the games take place at the CenturyLink Field.
The 5 Match Packs do have some minor restrictions. For example, you are limited to six tickets per purchase, so if you buy more than that, you will not receive the discount. You are also limited to one order per person, so you will have to... Read More
Could another LOB member be on the way out? Plus other roster moves
Posted by jschario on 04/19/16
Posted to blog
The Seahawks made a few roster moves official Tuesday, most notably the return of one of the original members of the Legion of Boom, Brandon Browner. Now 31, he may be on the decline. Although it's hard to tell if last year was a trend or aberration as he claims he was never 100%. If he was anywhere near 100% he may be out of here faster than Cary Williams because Browner was abysmal last year.
An article in the Seattle Times brought up a good point on the Browner signing, being that when signing a veteran corner, veterans don't have a good track record adopting Seattle's philosophies a la... Read More
Lose sole possession of first place
Posted by jschario on 04/18/16
Posted to blog
Just when you thought Barcelona might be facing the perfect opponent for getting back on their feet, they went from on their knees to lying flat on their faces. Facing a team that is crawling out of a downward spiral of their own in Gary Neville's Valencia, the Catalans gave up three points, losing 2-1.
Not all was negative, as Lionel Messi ended his scoreless drought by scoring Barcelona's only goal. Fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano turned in a fine defensive performance, although it was not enough to keep a cross from deflecting of Ivan Rakitic's foot and into goal. Messi scored his 500th... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/18/16
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3 Comments
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Rick sez,
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Sun 7:30pm: guestdccoicnk Jeff: Want would Bobby Fischer say about the Mariners this season, assuming that he actually cared. Rick
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Well, he would start by complaining bitterly about every ball-strike call that went against him. (Fischeresque conspiracy "jokes" withheld per Dr. D's better judgment!) And after the second Oakland loss, he'd have booked three flights out of town, intending to take them all if the umpires weren't changed. But once the ballgame started, he would go into a trance of objectivity and in-game awareness to make Gandhi ashamed.
Still, let's assume... Read More
Shouts resonate at SSI
Posted by jemanji on 04/18/16
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3 Comments
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Mon 4:06pm: MtGrizzly Also note that Sueng Hwan Oh, the "Final Boss" that we all wanted, has been the best reliever in baseball thus far and it's not even close. 42% contact rate is just...ridiculous. That slider is just savage and he knows how to use it.
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Here is the October 2015 POTD on Oh and his "stoneball." the Think Tank gingerly slid Oh into the category of "probably the right decision." The M's didn't, not that we blame them especially. We're sure they've evolved way past the MLB(TM) conceit that used to hold NPB relievers as huge gambles.
There have been 43 pitchers who came... Read More
M's fans definitely feeling the bern on Adam Lind
Posted by jemanji on 04/18/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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When Dr. D was at the UW in the 1980's, the Psych department was in Metal Gear Solid mode on one agenda: People's memories can't be trusted. What they meant by that, of course, was that other peoples' memories can't be trusted. Dr. Loftus herself was only too happy to testify in court when the opportunity presented itself.
And Dr. D can confirm from personal experience this little anti-prosecution theorem, because it seemed such a vivid dream that Kyle Seager could hit more than .119. It turns out that he can't. And the entire M's roster has congealed into North and South Poles of good... Read More
Dr. D presses on with his hyper-objective assessments of the AL West
Posted by jemanji on 04/18/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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At 2 wins and 6 losses, SSI denizens were disinclined to produce a 2016 Mariners calendar featuring Adam Lind and Ketel Marte. After three nice wins and a return to the middle of the pack, they're still not grabbing 16-game plans with both hands, but at least we can hold a grudging conversation.
Feeling untrimmed by any likely outrage from the denizens, Dr. D's mighty beard hungers for Mariner hope. Thusly:
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45-45 - Mariner runs scored and runs allowed
112:99 - Mariner advantage in strikeouts gained and strikeouts lost
35:38 - Mariner disadvantage in walks gained and walks lost
16:11... Read More
Reunites original Legion of Boom
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/18/16
Posted to blog
On Sunday the Seahawks went out and got their old crew member back to their elite secondary.
Brandon Browner signed a one year deal with the team, which along with Sherman, Thomas, and Chancellor...bring the original Legion of Boom cast reunited.
Just how Browner will fit into the defense will be up to how things play out at camp. It is fairly safe to say the team will have a roster spot for him, but not entirely the case. He may also not be an automatic starter after Lane was resigned on a 4 year deal.
As mentioned though, it is possible he may not get a spot on the roster at all. Browner... Read More
Seattle is off to the Western Conference Championship
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/17/16
It happened! The Seattle Thunderbirds beat the Everett Silvertips once again, winning Game 5 of the second round of playoffs with a final score of 3-2. This was their fourth win in five games against the Tips and you know that that means! It secures their spot in the Western Conference Championship tournament.
Saturday’s game at the ShoWare Center was another exciting game for T-Birds fans. Seattle scored the first goal of the night when Scott Eansor made a shot. Donovan Neuls and Nolan Volcan had the assists. Nick Holowko made the second goal of the first period as well as his second during... Read More
How do you think the Storm fares?
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/17/16
It has been several years since the Seattle Storm only drafted two new team members during the WNBA Draft. This year we welcome the new faces of rookies Breanna Stewart, the 6’4 forward from UConn and Lexie Eaton Rydalch, the 5’10 guard from BYU. Stewart was the first draft pick and Eaton Rydalch was second pick during the third round, making her the 26th overall. In most previous drafts, however, the Storm chose at least three new members, if not more. Let’s take a look.
Last year, we had Rookie of the Year Jewell Loyd join the Storm; like Stewart, she was a #1 pick. In addition to Loyd, the... Read More
A second solid victory for the season
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/17/16
The Seattle Sounders celebrated a big victory on Saturday. The match was against the Philadelphia Union and it took place at the CenturyLink Field. The final score was 2-1. Nearly 40,000 fans were in attendance of the match. Chad Marshall scored again and fans were just as ecstatic about the goal as they were the previous match. Rookie Jordan Morris also successfully scored his first MLS goal and was beside himself with excitement over the momentous day in his career. Philadelphia’s single goal was made by Sebastien Le Toux.
When asked about his first big moment on the team, Morris said, “I’m... Read More
Talia Walton selected in WNBA Draft
Posted by jschario on 04/17/16
As the 2015-16 collegiate athletic year heads into its final stretch run, the spring sports races have started to heat up. Plus, the University of Washington's women's hoops team keeps supplying good news for fans after their Final Four run.
Husky fans will be thrilled about the baseball team's ability to continue their success from last year as they currently sit in third place in the Pac-12 standings and only a game and a half out of first. Utah is in first, although they have played less games and sport a subpar 13-18 overall record. Cal sits between the UW and first place as well, and... Read More
Enjoy your next match in style
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/16/16
Have you ever been a Sounders FC full season suite owner for a match or even a full season? There are so many perks to be had by when you choose premium seating at a Seattle Sounders game. Fans cite the great views of the game as the main reason why you should purchase suites, but there are lots of other reasons why, too. You get complimentary reserved parking passes, which means you don’t have to leave early to get the best spots like most fans have to do. You also get exclusive club level access as well as the lofts and your own private entrance to your suite.
Suite owners get invited to... Read More
Mariners celebrate Storm #1 draft pick
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/16/16
Are you looking forward to meeting Breanna Stewart up close but can’t wait until the new season starts? You are in luck! Stewart will be throwing out the first pitch at the Seattle Mariners game on April 30 at 6:10 PM. The Mariners will be taking on the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals, so it will be an awesome game and the perfect opportunity to see Stewart in Seattle.
Dubbed Storm Night, the game has tickets for sale at $29 for Main Level tickets, which typically run for $40. The deadline to purchase tickets at this great rate is April 29 at 5:00 PM. It is also only... Read More
Dr. D again advises, Take two wins and call him in the morning
Posted by jemanji on 04/15/16
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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FELIX
His fastball is indeed down a good notch, as any F/X chart could tell you. If the elbow snaps, I guess we're going with Donn Roach in the 5 slot. James Paxton has two starts and has been scattering the popcorn vendors behind home plate.
But until and unless Felix' elbow goes, and he does not look like he is in the least pain, I'll take Felix and his 0.69 ERA. Is Felix still tough at 90 MPH? We've discussed that a time or six. You fret if you like. I'll sign him to a big contract right now. One thing is, though, I wouldn't go pressing him past 100 pitches even if the game was... Read More
Birds beat the Tips again
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/15/16
23 out of 23. That is how many saves Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Landon Bow made on Wednesday night, resulting in not only another win for the Birds over the Everett Silvertips but also a shutout game. It wasn’t a slow night, either; the T-Birds were able to put 5 goals on the board for a total score of 5-0. That makes two wins out of five for the second round of playoffs for the Birds. The Silvertips have still won a game, too, but there are two left, assuming that we won’t need extra games, and even though the Birds are in the lead, it is still very much anyone’s win.
We will take this... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/15/16
Posted to blog
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GAMEFLOW
For once we get a nice smooth victory that felt like ... ? ... maybe like, not running out of hot water in the shower. Relaxed, mellow, and hopeful that I-167 may be cruising at 10+ MPH. Last time we had a nice smooth victory, Lone Star Ball was for sale and Kreuger was trying to figure out how Jerry DiPoto fixed the M's so easily.
The gameflow was Sweet Lou's favorite. He loved to --- > get a two-run lead and then play for one run at a time. The ten or fifteen times a year it actually worked like that, those were just about the only times he didn't look one ump's call away... Read More
Welcome to the Storm
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/15/16
Although pretty much everyone knew that the Seattle Storm was going to pick Breanna Stewart for their number 1 draft pick this year, no one was 100 percent certain—and no one was sure at all about who else the team might choose for the 2016 season. When Lexi Eaton Rydalch’s name was called, she was just as surprised as everyone else. Eaton Rydalch was selected in the third round of the draft this week, the 26th pick overall. She stands at 5’10 and attended school at Bingham Young University after growing up in Mapleton, Utah.
Eaton Rydalch says that she had no idea what to expect. “I had been... Read More
Wear your gear to get free goodies
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/15/16
If you have visited the Seattle Sounders website this week, you know that there are all kinds of things happening. From charity events to excitement over the next match, there is news every day in the Emerald City. One piece of news that you may be interested in, especially if you are the parent of a soccer loving kid, is that Chipotle is offering youth who play soccer freebies this weekend.
On April 16, Chipotle is supporting the youth who love soccer across the country by providing them with buy one, get one free deals. All you have to do is have your child wear his or her team uniform to... Read More
The KKKKKKKarnivore dines on $200M worth of Bronx chum
Posted by jemanji on 04/15/16
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3 Comments
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NATE KARNS - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
The Good in tonight's game is subjective, we'll admit. But it is rooted in a newfangled (ca. 1977) theory that raw W, L, ERA, and RBI totals are not quite as important as the ... um, what's the term ... "component skills" that result in W, L, ERA, and RBI. There is a small but shrill group of us that prefer to look at 10 strikeouts per game rather than to look at 1 run or 5 runs in a single game.
Friday, Karns got 7 garbage swings and misses on his curve alone, and another 5 bad whiffs off his eye-popping swerve changeup. This leaves his... Read More
Plus Champions League thoughts
Posted by jschario on 04/15/16
Posted to blog
Spain's top three teams get back to work domestically this weekend, although leaders Barcelona were reluctantly forced back into focusing on their domestic trophy ambitions.
Luis Enrique still has the Copa del Rey and La Liga championships to motivate his men, after they lost their quarterfinal match up against Atletico Madrid, who sit just three points behind them in second. Things are on a downward trend around the Camp Nou, Lionel Messi has not scored a goal in five consecutive matches, and Neymar has been fairly pedestrian since he was included as a Ballon D'Or finalist.
Even so, they... Read More
Dates and times for the 12th man
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/15/16
Posted to blog
The Seahawks will have a busy schedule that includes 5 prime time matchups in 2016.
It also features a relatively easy path including a start of the season that has just one playoff opponent within the first 9 weeks. The matchups get increasingly more difficult in the second half however. So tough, in fact, that the team's overall strength of schedule ranks tied for fifth at .543.
Even with this strength of schedule though, the Seahawks were still voted by NFL.com to have one of the smoothest paths. Much because of that easy start, which provides no real big challenge until an Oct 23 game... Read More
Come celebrate game 5
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/14/16
The excitement is building as the Seattle Thunderbirds continue to take on the Everett Silvertips in the second round of playoff games. If you haven’t been to a playoff game, this weekend is your chance to catch game 5 after the Birds come home from facing the Tips at the Xfinity Arena in Everett during games 3 and 4. What makes the fifth game so special aside from its home game status, however, is that there’s going to be a big party before the game and everyone is invited.
It’s called the Party on the Plaza and it will take place at the ShoWare Center plaza. There is going to be all kinds... Read More
Brad Evans, Roger Levesque and Erik Friberg are up for the challenge
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/14/16
It’s that time of year again. Every spring, it’s time to get out your kilt and enjoy the weather, right? Well, maybe not for everybody, but this year Brad Evans, Roger Levesque and Erik Friberg are all entering the Men in Kilts charity event to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Western Washington and Alaska. One of the area’s favorite charity events, it runs from April 6 through 22, 2016.
To participate, all you have to do is vote for your favorite man in a kilt from all of the contests and donate $10 per vote. In addition to the members of the Seattle Sounders listed above, you... Read More
And the Storm selection is…
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/14/16
Did we ever have any doubts? Today the Seattle Storm announced that none other than Breanna Stewart, AKA Stewie, is their #1 draft pick for the 2016 season! It’s never a done deal until the announcement has been made, but it’s also been a bit obvious all season long, especially since Seattle Storm head Coach Jenny Boucek has not hidden her focus on Stewie at all. You can see a fun photo of Stewie in a Storm uniform on the team’s Facebook page. Stewie, who stands at 6’4, is a forward from UConn. She is, of course, famous for taking her team to the championship for four years in addition to her... Read More
talk about a gimme putt, amigo :- )
Posted by jemanji on 04/14/16
Posted to blog
1 Comments
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Odd to me that anybody is on the other side of this issue, but fortuitous. In the early days, James and Shandler got credit for genius when they used simple stats to make large, inescapable conclusions. Like, Joe Shlabotnik just finished 1982 with a 16-7 record but had 5k against 4bb ... Sidd Finch just finished with a 9-12 record but had 9k against 1bb. Hey, everybody! Finch will probably be better this year than Shlabotnik! "You're nuts..."
You're slow to come around on Nate Karns, power to you amigo. :- )
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Just from a sabermetric standpoint, Karns has 175 strikeouts in 176... Read More
not sure the M's needed a life preserver, but ...
Posted by jemanji on 04/14/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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At the News Tribune, they're selling Lee's walkoff as "salvaging a homestand - and maybe a season." At this site they've got the Korean broadcast of the blast (warning: one curse word in the article title if that's NSFW). That announcer sounds like he's about ready to start crying ...
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From an American scout's point of view there were three questions about Lee going in, one of them major and two of them more minor.
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"GOOD VELOCITY"
Lee was actually out in front of the previous pitch, 95 MPH. The one he hit was about 97 MPH. Here's a quick link to a video of the Joy In Mudville... Read More
non-destructive inspection reveals tight chassis on M's roster
Posted by jemanji on 04/14/16
Posted to blog
8 Comments
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Baseball is for fun. At least, it's more fun for Dr. D than explaining to his boss why the IRS is auditing. In order to be fun, there's got to be some hope. SSI has always insisted, therefore, in casting the searchlights about for reasons to keep da faith. If he wanted to impress audiences with his surgeon-cool objectivity, he'd write about Bernie Sanders ...
Dennis Miller had a funny throwaway line yesterday. OSU students would gladly move to Cuba if they didn't need a connecting flight to get there ...
Mariners fans would gladly watch 0-0 soccer draws if they could find the right... Read More
Both Madrid teams through to semifinals
Posted by jschario on 04/13/16
Posted to blog
Wow, what a turn of events in the Champions League and for Barcelona.
The defending cup champions and La Liga champions suddenly find themselves out of the runnings to defend their Champions League crown, and having to actually fight to defend their league title. In the last three weeks the only match Barça has won was the first leg of their Champions League match up with Atletico Madrid, an Atleti side that had only 10 men. And even then they did not look impressive.
On Wednesday Barcelona's dream of repeating a treble ended at Atletico completed their remontada and overcome a 2-1 deficit to... Read More
Along with ties to Seattle sports
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/13/16
Tonight the Golden State Warriors will try ands break the NBA all-time record for the best season ever in the sport...well at least men's basketball.
The current record is held by the Michael Jordan Bulls 95-96 team that ended their regular season with a 72-10 record. The Warriors have tied this at worst, but can stand alone with a win tonight.
The next step will be a pursuit of a championship. Something the Bulls made good on in 96.
You may have recalled this season in Seattle...as it was the year the Bulls beat the Super Sonics for the title. Ironically, it was the same year that the Sonics... Read More
Seattle and Everett now tied in playoffs
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/12/16
When we last saw the Seattle Thunderbirds, they were in the lead, fighting on the ice with this year’s arch rival and the only team to really give them a run for their money, the Everett Silvertips, during Game 2 of the second round of playoffs. We held our collective breath waiting to see if Matthew Barzal’s big goal during the first period, assisted by Scott Eansor, would hold up against the rival team, possibly leading in a victory to cancel out Everett’s victory during the previous game.
Well, Barzal did not lead a shutout. Everett did manage to slip one puck past Landon Bow. But that one... Read More
New media partnerships announced
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/12/16
One of the main complaints of WNBA fans (as well as anyone simply involved in the WNBA—whether they be a player, coach, staff or otherwise) is the lack of media coverage. Sure, you can look up general stats on a player and team schedules online, but you don’t see nearly as much coverage as you do for the NBA. The imbalance would be hilarious in terms of, say, the amount of ice cream flavors in a banana split, but it’s pretty infuriating when it comes to women’s sports.
Thankfully, Lisa Borders and co are working hard to ensure that the teams are given proper media coverage from here on out,... Read More
How did he do?
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/12/16
Could a pep talk from Head Coach Sigi Schmid have led to the big draw over the weekend? Fans are chalking it up to substitutions made in the middle of the game, but it sounds like Schmid had some choice words to use for the Seattle Sounders. “Halftime talk was just simply that we didn’t come out to play in the first half. We’re rested, we are fit … I said there was no reason not to put in the effort. I challenged them and obviously, as a team, they responded,” he said. Wow. I don’t know about you, but “I challenged them” sounds like “I let them have it!” To be a fly on that locker room wall…... Read More
In the first round anyway
Posted by jschario on 04/12/16
Posted to blog
With the NFL Draft barely more than two weeks away, the speculation over who will draft who when is rampant. "Experts" are constantly changing their projections and unnamed sources are becoming overnight celebrities with their indications as to which team is interested in who.
Quarterback will always be the most talked about position at this time of the year, with any team with a top-10 selection linked to any and every quarterback that did anything in college. Luckily the Seattle Seahawks don't have anything close to a need at quarterback, and won't for at least another three years.... Read More
Holland tonight? ... brrrrr ....
Posted by jemanji on 04/12/16
Posted to blog
11 Comments
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DaddyO: DiPoto constructed this roster according to his offseason plans. He can't jettison them less than two weeks into the season. But (chuckles) he can in May.
Dr. D: If you want to /rant how bad the M's are, in the comments below, 'ave at it. :- ) No hard feelings whatsoever. But there are probably a few amigos here who wouldn't mind reading an optimistic take on the season. For those few:
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The M's were 0-for-16 with runners in scoring position against Oakland, 0-for-20 in their four losses before Monday. I don't know what they were Tuesday, but it wasn't good. Average with... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/12/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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DISLOYAL M'S FANS
Personally, if I were District Manager of Burger King Seattle? And it turned out that McDonald's, Wendy's, Jack in the Box and Frugal's 20-cent Greasebombs had much higher customer loyalty than I did?
I'd view Burger King restaurants as the cause of this effect.
There are times that monopolistic pro sports franchises show breathtaking insularity and arrogance. In many ways, the San Francisco 49'ers are a fundamentally different company than Del Monte or Charles Scwab. There are times I really resent the differences.
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GNATTO: Might need a Don't Panic article every day... Read More
It is long since we had hope, Sam
Posted by jemanji on 04/11/16
Posted to blog
22 Comments
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2nd-worst possible Monday morning text to wake up to?
FROM: BLUES
MSJ: attn human we have temporarily appropriated a selection of your body parts for study next msj soon
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Worst possible being?
FROM: BBEANE29 @oaklandathletics.org
MSJ: hey you guys looked really improved out there
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TOP 10 REASONS YOUR MARINERS VIEWING SHOULD PERSIST A SINGLE MOMENT LONGER
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10. A proper sense of respect for Sauron.
There are several iconic places for supervillains to lair. Under the rollercoaster tunnels in long-abandoned theme parks; anywhere that is underwater-based; and O.co Coliseum. Beane finds... Read More
way of harmony, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/11/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Tacoma Rain favors us with the following interesting "transcription." Thanks Rain.
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Pedro on Taijuan - VERY HARSH
I have not seen anyone comment on this, and my apologies for the tardiness of this...BUT...
After yesterday's game on MLB network, the round table had Pedro Martinez and Harold Reynolds on it... and they were commenting on the Mariners, which is mostly common basic stuff. Until Pedro is asked about Taijuan, and is there anything Pedro would like to see Taijuan do differently. Pedro went off. I do not recall EVER hearing Pedro giving such detailed and specific suggestions... Read More
Wide Receiver
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/10/16
Posted to blog
Golden Tate and his ex-teammate, Jermain Kearse, just took a little road trip to the Masters this weekend. There, the two probably had plenty to talk about during their time together in Seattle.
While the two caught up, some newer Seattle wideouts took the time to get better acquainted with their quarterback Russell Wilson. Tyler Lockett and Paul Richardson took a roadtrip, of their own, down to USC to cath some passes from the Seahawk's signal-caller. Both hope to be more involved in the Seahawk's plans in 2016.
Lockett is coming off an awesome rookie campaign that saw him catch 51 balls... Read More
The Seattle Storm presents a week of goodies
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/10/16
Do you love the Seattle Storm? Would you love to get your hands on some Storm goodies courtesy of National Event Pros? Right now the Storm is in the middle of five days of giveaways. From April 7 to 11, you can enter to win one of the goodies at the Storm website.
On April 7, the first night of giveaways, a pair of opening night courtside tickets will be given to one lucky winner. On April 8, the winner will receive a special birthday with Doppler, the beloved mascot of the Seattle Storm. The party will include a 4 in 1 bouncer and slide, a cotton candy machine, table and chairs—in other... Read More
Will they prevail?
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/10/16
As of half an hour ago, the Seattle Thunderbirds are leading against the Everett Silvertips with a score of 1-0. Matthew Barzal made the first shot during the first period of the game with a backhand shot into the net. The Birds simply tweeted, “BARZAL!!!!!” Bow is also deserving of praise today, saving every shot that he has faced. For a play by play recap of the night, be sure to follow the T-birds on Twitter. We’ll find out if they beat the Tips during this second playoff game very soon.
Remember how the Birds kept showing players with their “game faces” on when they took on the Cougars... Read More
Sounders squeeze in a goal at the last second
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/10/16
It’s not the best news, but we will take it: the Seattle Sounders tied with the Houston Dynamo on Sunday at the last minute, avoiding the impending loss that was surely looming over the day. Fans cheered on Chad Marshall’s final kick of the night, a kick that saved the game for the Sounders and made the score 1-1. It was Marshall’s first goal in 55 games.
The Dynamo’s point was scored by Giles Barnes during the 35th minute of the game. Seattle’s defenses were down to the point of some reporters even calling the team asleep during the moment. Most are also blaming the weak half of the game on... Read More
Barcelona loses again, has not won in 3 matches
Posted by jschario on 04/10/16
Posted to blog
What was once thought to be a done deal has now opened itself up to be one of the more exciting championship races in soccer. FC Barcelona had a stranglehold on the La Liga title race, with as much as a 10 point lead as recently as three weeks ago. They seemed unstoppable, carrying a 39-match unbeaten streak into last weekend's El Clásico match against rival Real Madrid.
But my, how things have changed.
In their domestic slate, Barça has not won their last three matches. They tied 2-2 with Villarreal before the international break March 20, then lost 2-1 to Real Madrid and lost 1-0 to Real... Read More
Tips shutout Birds during game one
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/09/16
It was bound to happen sooner or later. The Seattle Thunderbirds were on a winning streak so long and fantastic that it could not last forever. The Everett Silvertips just beat the T-Birds in a shutout with a score of 3-0 on Friday night at the ShoWare Center. It was the first game in round two of the playoffs, and the Birds will be facing the Tips again on Sunday at 5:05pm at ShoWare Center for the second game in the series.
No one scored during the first period, but it looked like a promising game at first. Seattle outshot the Tips 13-4, looking like they were much hungrier for this victory... Read More
Did Schmid’s changes ensure a win?
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/09/16
When a team wins a game, lots of different fans choose to thank different people. Some thank their god, just as several athletes are wont to do. Some thank the athletes themselves, who are the ones who actually scored and put in the defense for the game. But then there are those who want to thank the coaches for dreaming up a strategy that ensures a win, and that is what some fans are doing right now in regards to the Seattle Sounders’ first victory of the season against Montreal last weekend.
The thing is, the changes that Schmid made were not that wide at all. While sometimes the tiniest... Read More
Krystal Thomas added to training roster
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/09/16
Remember when Krystal Thomas was drafted by the Seattle Storm? It was back in 2011 and she was the picked in the third round, making her the 36th draft pick of that season, but she had a few detours in the WNBA since then. Well, she is back, signed on with the Storm and training with the team as we speak.
It’s no doubt that Thomas is a skillful player on the court, but she has also demonstrated a profound sense of strength and stability off the court. Thomas, who stands at 6’5, has overcome a lot of adversity in her life. Her mother passed away after battling breast cancer when Thomas was 16... Read More
Posted by jschario on 04/09/16
Posted to blog
Although the Seahawks fell short of a third straight SuperBowl appearance, and have now lost three starters on the offensive side of the ball there's no reason to fret. Yes, they lost JR Sweezy. Yes, they lost a Pro Bowl left tackle tasked with covering Russell Wilson's blind side. And yes, the Marshawn Lynch era has now come to a close.
Nonetheless, the Seahawks will have a more explosive offense come the 2016 season opener. You many ask how? Their offensive line play was atrocious last year, and now they lost 2 starters. While this is true, what are they really losing? JR Sweezy was not a... Read More
these Mariners Are. Not. For. Eating.
Posted by jemanji on 04/08/16
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7 Comments
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Franklin Gutierrez is batting 7th for Seth Smith, and Dae-Ho Lee is batting 8th for Adam Lind. It seems like every hitter offers us fans something interesting to watch: Whether Guti will maintain his 1 (off-field) HR per 12 AB's sthick, whether Dae-Ho Lee can offer the .500+ SLG that other Cubans and Asians have been racking up lately.
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A guest - undoubtedly a reg SSI denizen on mobile phone - sez "I really think it comes down to the starting pitchers plus the closer role. There is no reason this offense should not be pretty good. The personnel is there to be a good offense and it... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 04/08/16
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12 Comments
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RockiesJeff sends updates to a few of us back-channel. He certainly does not do it for the purpose of our re-posting it on SSI; Jeff has bigger fish to fry than a smidge of pub here. But we also hope he doesn't mind if we copy-and-paste a bit of his own summary.
On March 17th, we posted "Juggernaut In Junior College" when Jeff's son went to 45:3 (!) on the control ratio after five starts.
Last weekend Jeremy had another 9 K's and Jeff provided a bit of a summary:
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I had to give you a quick summary of game this last weekend. It was billed as a ‘marquee matchup’ as Jeremy (#4 nationally in... Read More
Get your questions answered
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/07/16
Athletic injuries can be pretty confusing. The difference between a sprain and a strain, ACL injuries and other terms often sound terrible, but who knows what they actually mean? Some fans find themselves scratching their heads, turning to the Internet to look up the injuries to find out exactly what happened to their favorite players and how long they might be out of the game for due to their extent.
A cool project that the T-Birds have instituted to help fans decipher all of this terminology is their “Ask the T-Birds Doctor” promotion. Fans can submit their questions for the T-Birds’ team... Read More
Tiny tot sings Dempsey song to go to sleep
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/07/16
If you are a Seattle Sounders fan, you know the drill. Clint Dempsey scores a goal and what do you sing (or scream)? "Deuce upside your head, Deuce upside your head,” of course. We had a great reason to sing that song over the weekend when the Sounders broke their line of losses to finally win their first game of the season. The win also happened to mark Dempsey’s first goal of the season, inciting a round of the song. Fans across the country enjoyed the celebration, but some were smaller than others.
Case in point: tiny fan Taylor Hackmeister, whose parents caught singing as she fell asleep... Read More
Quanitra Hollingsworth Returns
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/07/16
Seattle Storm fans and general fans of the player herself, you are in for a treat: Quanitra Hollingsworth has signed on with the Storm again for the season! For new Storm fans, Hollingsworth plays center. She stands at 6’5 and weighs 200 pounds. She was born on November 15, 1988 and this will be her second year with the team, but her sixth year overall in the WNBA. Last season she averaged 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in the 27 games she appeared in. She is also no stranger to international teams, playing for Lithuania, Latvia and Russia.
Fans who are following Hollingsworth already... Read More
Seahawks match-ups filled with storylines
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/07/16
Posted to blog
I know what you are thinking...preseason, who cares!
Normally I would feel the same. A couple years ago, when they discussed adding regular season games and eliminating a couple preseason contest, I was beside myself. Unfortunately it was the same time the league was addressing concussions, and how to make the game and players more safe. Then addition of the two games went against this notion and quickly fell off the table.
This year, however, I feel much differently about these "meaningless" games. Most importantly, as I have wrote about and will continue to highlight, the offensive line... Read More
The search for Lynch's replacement
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/07/16
Posted to blog
Marshawn Lynch opitomized what it is to be a Seahawk. That is why when he went down last season you got the feeling the team would struggle to compete.
That was until undrafted free agent Thomas Rawls burst onto the scene...it then looked like Marshawn's days were numbered. Apparently they were, as the team now has to find the next Lynch following his iconic post SuperBowl retirement.
Apparently Rawls production was not enough to say he is the next back to get the torch passed to him. The team was unwilling to say the position was his shortly after the season. They have resigned Christine... Read More
choke way up. They'll never see you comin'
Posted by jemanji on 04/07/16
Posted to blog
5 Comments
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NORI AOKI
In Ichiro's first 10 years as a Mariner, he had the #4 WAR total in baseball. Check out this chart! Only Bonds*, Pujols and ARod were ahead of him. In 4th place with 53.1 WAR, he was miles ahead of the pack. Only 11 players in MLB even had forty WAR during that time.
Norichika Aoki plays exactly Ichiro's game, right down to the swing arc, the slaps through the left side of the infield, etc. But Aoki averages 1.9 WAR per season, not 5.3, so it's easy to think of him as "40% of Ichiro."
The thing is, in the batter's box with a 1-1 count against a tough pitcher, he is a lot... Read More
Will Hawks address gaps early in the draft?
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/07/16
Posted to blog
Up to this point, few people see the Seahawks using their 26th pick to address problems with the offensive line. Many of the names tied to the Seahawks are on the other side of the ball. The team has lost pieces on both sides, but glaring holes seem to be more evident on the offensive line than the known and revered Seahawk defense.
There may be many reasons for this defensive pick thinking, but reason number one is simple. Pete Carroll is a defensive minded coach with ties to defensive backs since his early coaching days.
This may be a key reason why draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. recently had the... Read More
First leg produces a (somewhat) unlikely upset
Posted by jschario on 04/06/16
Posted to blog
Wednesday is nearly over, which means that the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal round is in the books. With all teams having completed their games, all but one took care of business as expected.
That team would be Real Madrid. After winning in impressive fashion their La Liga match up with Barcelona in El Clásico on Saturday, they failed to show up on Wednesday in Wolfsburg. Or was the result to be expected?
Anyone who has followed this edition of Galaticos knows that they are prone to thinking their recognizable names win the match instead of their play. Therefore after... Read More
They all must fall, in the round the M's call
Posted by jemanji on 04/06/16
Posted to blog
8 Comments
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Just a quick stub, in case denizens wish to wallow in the M's division lead for a day and a half. :- ) The Astros are down 6-1 in the second as we type.
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LEONYS MARTIN
1. No, four base hits do not cause Dr. D to overhaul his evaluation of Leonydas. Admittedly, maybe it should be Dr. D's evaluation of Leonydas to go into dry dock, rather than Leonydas' swing. But that Martin would get four hits this year, Dr. D knew already.
2. That said, you gotta like the pitches that Martin hit, and the way he hit them.
His first three hits were on soft stuff away, and it takes really nice timing... Read More
Robby even rounded the bases like Junior on Tuesday
Posted by jemanji on 04/06/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
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Q. What was the HBP really about?
A. It was about the Rangers thinking that the Mariners were going to be their customers this season, and the Mariners trying to spit the bit. That's not speculation; that's stating the obvious.
Differences between Tuesday's HBP and some other less confrontational, much less an accidental, HBP:
1. The pitch was aimed below the waist (so as not to be dangerous) and slightly behind Iannetta, so as to be sure of actually nailing the batter.
2. It immediately followed an on-mound discussion with the pitching coach. Next pitch.
3. It followed a rally, not... Read More
moider da ump, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/06/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
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HISASHI IWAKUMA
Had to battle:
The fact that he hasn't built up his strength (gassed after 80 pitches; velo down; location iffy, especially late)
A tough lineup with star left handers
A dinky little park ...
... with the wind blowing 20+ MPH
The home plate ump (4 pitches well inside the zone taken away, never mind close pitches)
Sometimes a #2 starter cruises, and sometimes he shows his toughness. If Iwakuma didn't have the heart of a samurai, no way he gets out of there with 2 ER.
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Time and again the home plate ump botched calls that cost the M's dearly. For example, to lead off the... Read More
Get them while they’re hot
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/05/16
Watching the Seattle Thunderbirds rise, fall a bit and then rise even more steadily than before until they made it to Division Champions this season has been such an amazing experience. It’s always so much fun to watch the players learn and grow so much as they experience more challenges on the ice, adapt to playing with new players and really work hard to form a cohesive team together. This season as much as any other, we’ve been able to watch the young men come into their own as they grow in confidence and build their teamwork skills to really become a force to be reckoned with.
One of the... Read More
Some fans say yes
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/05/16
According to Paul Carr of ESPN, back in 2015, there were 90 red cards issued in total during the regular MLS season. But at the rate we are going in the current season, there will be 133 issued by the end of 2016. What gives? We know that the refs are trying to really crack down on abuse in the game and make a cleaner playing field, but are too many red cards being issued?
Many fans are saying that there are too many largely due to the fact that many of the calls seem as if they are blown out of proportion. When Oniel Fisher was issued one and taken out of the opening match for the Seattle... Read More
Lisa Borders discusses her role
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/05/16
Former Vice President of Global Community Affairs at the Coca-Cola Company, City Council president and member of the Duke Board of Trustee, Lisa Borders is now the president WNBA. She has been taking to social media, giving interviews and creating partnerships to make the 20th anniversary of the franchise its most successful yet. With her political and business experience, Borders knows how to get things done. Borders gave an interview with The Chronicle recently and discussed her plans for the WNBA.
Borders says that as far as the WNBA has come already, it’s still just the “tip of the... Read More
TALK spelled backwards, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 04/05/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Hey amigos,
Going to be in the Shout Box for the first pitch Tuesday (5:05 pm) if anybody wants to chat. See Dr. D call Nelson Cruz' two boomshots only seconds before they occur.
5:00 pm might not be the best for guys traveling home so we might be on at 6:05 for a few minutes to see who's there, again at 7:05, etc. Please let us know if you have a preference.
And Josh forwards a few heads-ups about the way the Shout Box worx:
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A bit about the features:
If you are NOT logged in, you can click the name for “Online As” and change it to anything you want. This will be beneficial to know... Read More
We only need 1.3 wins this series to equal the Rangers
Posted by jemanji on 04/05/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Yes, if you want to be a top-flight SSI denizen, you do have to watch the games. At least sometimes.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HISASHI IWAKUMA: When he's healthy he's a legit staff ace, about the #15 starting pitcher in the American League. He's healthy.
When last seen, in September 2015, he was death on a stick -- he had the 37:3 CTL ratio, a recent no-hitter and all the trimmings. In spring 2016 he was smooth as a sled on oiled ice. A few hits, but throwing the same pitches, groovin' himself in. No complaining about hits against him on minor league fields; just savor the fact... Read More
Somebody on the M's staff failed to show proper courtesy SOMEwhere
Posted by jemanji on 04/04/16
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5 Comments
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The 1977-2016 Mariners could be compared to Navi in the Zelda video games. A little light fairy follows you everybody with helpful information like "hit B to open the door." The first time it's instructive. On the 600th door you have long sinced wished for an ACME fairy crusher.
We've been told, in the little 1977-2016 Navi dialogue box (scores), that talent isn't going to help the M's. Just because Felix Hernandez is one of the greatest Opening Day pitchers in major league history doesn't mean you, as an M's fan, are going to get a lot of sugar this morning. And whether you are a... Read More
Bow is honored again
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/04/16
Seattle Thunderbirds goaltender Landon Bow is no stranger to being nominated for awards. He has made player of the week several times this season, and it’s really no surprise, given that Bow has had the most shutouts in the league this season. Fans of the Birds, once wary of the new goaltender, are now hailing him at the team’s not so secret weapon, hailing him as one of the reasons why the Birds were able to move forward so far and so steadily during the second half of the season.
Now Bow, 6’5” and 208 pounds, is being recognized as the Vaughn WHL Goaltender of the Month for March 2016. The... Read More
Dempsey leads team victory
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/04/16
After losing three games in a row at the start of the season, the Seattle Sounders have finally chalked up a victory for the 2016 season. The victory, against Montreal Impact, occurred at the Seattle CenturyLink field on Saturday, April 2 at 7:00 PM. The final score was 1-0. It also marked forward Clint Dempsey’s first goal of the season. The goal was scored during the 79th minute of the match. Dempsey made it off a corner kick by Andreas Ivanschitz, securing the win for Seattle.
It may have been Dempsey’s first goal during a regular game for the season, but it was actually his third from all... Read More
PLAYER RATINGS ISSUE! YEAH BABY!
Posted by jemanji on 04/04/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
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Ozil doesn't dribble better than he passes. That's just plain careless.
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You've heard of MGL ratings - last year is weighted 3x, the year before 2x, the year before 1x. The Mainframe refines this basic concept to its correct proportions: Monday's game is weighted 3x, spring training is weighted 2x, and the rest of the player's career is weighted 1x.
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NORI AOKI: 9
Shooting left-on-left in the middle of O.K. Corral against one of the fastest guns on the planet, Aoki put in an All-Star leadoff performance. He took every single pitch he should have, and swung at every single pitch... Read More
Will she be as successful as Jewell Loyd?
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/04/16
Just before Jewell Loyd’s rookie season with the Seattle Storm last year, she left Notre Dame just before graduating to be drafted. She received constant criticism for her decision, ranging from general doubt to chastisement from the community for abandoning her education for her career. No one really doubted her talent—there’s no way you can deny a talent like Loyd’s—but they did doubt her ability to survive on a WNBA salary. Not only are members of the WNBA vastly underpaid when compared to NBA players, but they are even underpaid when compared to many international teams.
While people... Read More
Final Four run ends, spring practice begins
Posted by jschario on 04/04/16
1 Comments
The vibes are good around the University of Washington campus. Two men's basketball players are generating NBA Draft buzz, baseball is playing consistent baseball, the women just finished a run to the FInal Four and can't forget that the football program starting spring practice last week.
Let's start with the women's basketball program. Unfortunately their run ended a game earlier than they would have hoped, but to say they exceeded expectations would be an understatement. Unranked coming into the season, they bounced in and out of the Top 25 before getting into the NCAA Tournament as a... Read More
Proves Zidane's project is working
Posted by jschario on 04/03/16
Posted to blog
They may be down, but they are certainly not out. Real Madrid gets back into league play and make a statement to the rest of Europe.
That statement: They are for real and Barcelona is beatable.
That last part will be music to the ears of Madrid's other team, Ateltico Madrid as they prepare for a Champions LEague date with Barcelona on Tuesday at Camp Nou. Barcelona had carried a 39 match unbeaten streak into Saturday's Clasico, and had not lost to Madrid in league play since 2012.
The final score line was 2-1 with Real winning behind goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. Gerard... Read More
Path to the Postseason
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/03/16
We now know who the players are that will take the field opening day tomorrow. Now to take a look at the teams we will have to face to try and get back to the playoffs in 2016.
2016 SCHEDULE
Date
Opponent
Time
Mon, 4/4
at Rangers
1:05p
Tue, 4/5
at Rangers
5:05p
Wed, 4/6
at Rangers
11:05a
Fri, 4/8
Athletics
7:10p
Sat, 4/9
Athletics
6:10p
Sun, 4/10
Athletics
1:10p
Mon, 4/11
Rangers
7:10p
Tue, 4/12
Rangers
7:10p
Wed, 4/13
Rangers
12:40p
Fri, 4/15
at Yankees
4:05p
Sat, 4/16
at Yankees
10:05a
Sun, 4/17... Read More
The men that will make or break 2016
Posted by hawksinsider on 04/03/16
5 Comments
The Mariners open their 2016 season tomorrow in Texas. There, the team will play a 3 game series against the Rangers.
The team will bring along with it a new approach headed by a new regime. Beginning with their new manager Dipoto and a new GM Servais. Both hope to bring a new practical approach to the fans and city of Seattle. A fan base and town starving for success.
Here is a final depth chart breakdown of the blueprint Dipoto and Servais will put on the field in 2016...in order of their ranking to start at each position.
1st base. Lind, Lee, Navarro
2nd base. Cano, Sardinas
3rd... Read More
MLS Launches annual anti- discrimination campaign
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/03/16
The professional sporting world has been one full of diversity for many years, but it wasn’t always that way. It took years of struggle and major policy changes to level the field for equality to take place in most sports. Even today there remain disparities in sports, as has been demonstrated by the women’s national soccer team’s recent lawsuit for equal pay. Just for some perspective, the WNBA is only turning 20 this year; it has only existed since 1996.
To combat discrimination and create a more inclusive environment in the sport, the MLS has launched its annual campaign called Don’t... Read More
we'd Best Bet him if it weren't trite to do so
Posted by jemanji on 04/02/16
Posted to blog
6 Comments
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Q. What's a "solid" pitch, a "plus" vs a "plus-plus" pitch? What is the difference between a quality pitch and a "weapon"?
A. On a 20-80 scale, a "50" grade is major league average in the good sense. Then there are the groups distinctly better (worse) than average; they're plus (or minus). There's another group that is clearly better than the plus group, and they're plus-plus, like this:
18 homers per season = 50 PWR = Average = Kendrys Morales, Alex Gordon
27 homers = 60 PWR = Plus = Andrew McCutchen, Matt Kemp, Kyle Seager
36 homers = 70 PWR = Plus-Plus = Jose Abreu, Josh Donaldson... Read More
Round 2 single game playoff tickets are now available
Posted by SeattleHockeyInsider on 04/02/16
The Seattle Thunderbirds made the first round of playoffs almost look too easy. Looking at the recap footage of the games, it makes you wonder how the Birds could have ever been doubted, even during the shakiest weeks of winter when the Tips kept beating them. Now is the time to see the Birds beat the Tips again in the second round of playoff games and it will be a series not to be missed.
Tickets for the single games are now on sale. As always, you can get them from the Seattle Thunderbirds website as well as the box office, but they are selling faster than typical game tickets so it would... Read More
The Storm continues to celebrate Jackson’s career
Posted by InsideSeattleBa... on 04/02/16
A few days ago, Lauren Jackson announced that she would be retiring from the WNBA. Today people are still reeling from the news. Although Jackson’s had several injuries, including multiple knee surgeries, and many fans have already been speculating that she would not be returning to the game, most still believed that she would return at some point in time. Those individuals are the ones who are taking to social media so shocked by the news, fervently begging her to reconsider her decision. After all, in 20 years, she is arguably one of the best players in the WNBA.
ACFID President Sam Mostyn... Read More
Plus details on Saturday’s match
Posted by SeattleSoccerInsider on 04/02/16
Last week we had some great news regarding the Under-23 team. The draw the team experienced was great news in terms of moving forward toward Rio. Sadly, this week’s news was not as good—the Under-23 team will not be playing in the 2016 Olympic Games. Colombia will be advancing instead after beating the American team in a narrow victory of 2-1 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. This will be the second time in a row that the team will be missing the Olympic Games.
Seattle Sounders player Jordan Morris was a member of the team. Morris was able to log 62 minutes in the game but that was the... Read More
The hateful 8
Posted by jschario on 04/02/16
Posted to blog
Opening Day for baseball is Sunday, but baseball isn't the only thing kicking back up next week. After a nearly three week lay-off, Champions League soccer gets back at it.
In between we have some good soccer to tide us over, World Cup qualifiers, El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid and Leicester City chasing an improbable English Premier League title. However now we get back to the creme de la creme. Funny how the English league is the league that generates the most money and widely regarded as the best in the world, yet has only one team left in the final 8, Manchester City. The... Read More
three M's who would do better not to show up in Texas
Posted by jemanji on 04/02/16
Posted to blog
13 Comments
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NORICHIKA AOKI, CF
Don't get me wrong. Putting a dubious LEFT fielder out there into center field can be fun. But every rose has its thorn. Also, every 1-0 loss which is caused by a misread fly ball has a downhill roll through a blackberry patch.
I counted four balls hit to Aoki, one being the blundered popup to center. The other three of which he had "surrounded" from East, West, and North. Dr. D is hardly a defensive purist, but it's hard to believe this is the franchise that didn't believe Michael Saunders could play CF.
Obviously, Smith Cruz and Gutierrez are CF debit card swaps... Read More