July 2013
Trade deadline ... shmade shmedline!
Posted by Spectator on 07/31/13
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I made a strategic decision this morning to do a trade deadline post instead of a recap.
As Rick Perry once said ... "Oops."
So here's a late and abbreviated version.
But good things on the way! Like "Can Dominc Leone defeat the human brain?"
AAA -- Omaha 4, Tacoma 1 -- Box
Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2) can be vexed by Ben Broussard just like the rest of Mariner-dom.
The Man For Whom We Coughed Up Shin-Soo Choo doubled and scored as Omaha got four earned runs off Walker: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K.
Jesus Montero got his first Tacoma homer, but the rumors of pending suspension are... Read More
Felix being the "Gamer" variety
Posted by jemanji on 07/31/13
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The Front End of the Analysis or the Back End?
At Bill James Online, the latest article is "Tough Games, and Not So Tough." Bill scored every start of a pitcher's career on a 1-5 scale:
5 = On the road against playoff-caliber teams
4 = Good teams on the road, and playoff* teams at home
3 = .500 teams at home, bad teams on the road
2 = Bad teams at home, terrible teams on the road
1 = Terrible team at home
It doesn't matter that the scale is less-than-precise. It sorts historical SP's into gaps so wide that the conclusion is inevitable. This is related to James' quasi-"fuzzy logic"... Read More
A totally appropriate song title. Unless it's not.
Posted by Spectator on 07/30/13
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The Mariner buzz on Trade Deadline Day is ... well ... not exactly buzzing, but here's a place to share/discuss whatever happens.
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Mike Morse
The only "new" development seems to be a tweet from Joel Sherman of the New York Post indicating that Morse is "very available," but "no serious talks" were going on between the Mariners and Yankees.
Of course, they just cut Jason Bay in order to put Morse back on the roster, so Sherman's info may not even be accurate (not that Bay was a huge sacrifice, but if you were expecting to trade Morse for a prospect wouldn't you figure out a way to keep... Read More
Broad Brush Victims, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 07/30/13
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Q. Um... wait. Who is on the "corrupt" side of this argument?
A. Scott Boras, for one. He charges that the current system of draft-pick compensation is deliberately set up to make sure that free agents don't see the bidding wars that they should be seeing. "Corrupt" is the word he uses.
Last week, the Seattle blog-o-sphere suggested that the Mariners extend Kendrys Morales a "qualifying offer" this winter -- and proposed that if the M's did that, Morales would be more-or-less prevented from signing anywhere else.
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Q. Why would Morales be prevented from signing elsewhere?
Q. Let's... Read More
Looks like he's an M, boys
Posted by jemanji on 07/30/13
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Q. Good game today.
A. Yeah, man. First inning, Franklin on 2B. Some young righty flamethrower fired a ball into the RH batter's box. Kendrys leaned out like Ichiro and rifled a Kendry-ball back up the middle. 1-0 M's.
Saunders, then got (1) squeezed by the ump and (2) minced by the Sox, in that order. Which is the way it's going without Zunino. Sigh. There went our little run, out the door along with one headshake-inducing young rookie catcher pheenom.
But another day, another coupla hits for Big Ichiro. And he missed a Pesky Pole HR by ten feet or so.
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Q. Is Kendrys Morales... Read More
8 K in 5.1 IP for Elias ... Zokan. Fear. Kinda. ... A. Wilson heating up ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/29/13
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Minor news note (really minor, from my point of view): Joseph Dunigan recalled from the disabled list and assigned to Jackson. Denny Almonte placed on disabled list.
AAA -- Reno 7, Tacoma 6 -- Box
A back-and-forth affair finally decided when Reno scored in the bottom of the 9th on a fielding error by first baseman Jesus Montero. It was his second fielding error of the game, actually.
Franklin Gutierrez had a double and a single.
Carter Capps threw 2.0 IP of scoreless relief with one strikeout, after Hector Noesi gave up 4 ER in his 5.0 IP of work.
And while we're on the theme of guys... Read More
Of heavy hands and body blows
Posted by Gordon Gross on 07/29/13
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In boxing, there are fast hands and there are heavy hands. You either generate your power via speed, or that undefinable “something” that comes from technique and muscle. Very few have heavy, fast hands, but Nick seems to – the Sugar Ray of his weight class. And his knockout power is gonna start to scare people away from that inside part of the plate. As a lefty it’s a perfect mix of a beautiful swing AND great hand-and-wrist control (which again, few hitters have). Seager has a simple swing that lets him get the bat to almost everything. Ackley has a long, wristy swing (that is causing... Read More
Can Franklin get lost at sea like so many other Ms prospects?
Posted by Gordon Gross on 07/29/13
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We’ve been here before. In the summer of 2011, Dustin Ackley came up and was clubbing balls everywhere. He and Kyle Seager were the new additions that were gonna take us places. Well, mostly Ackley would take us places and Seager would ride his coat-tails.
Since then, it’s been a different story. One player has grown into a central piece in the future contending years of the Mariners, and the other is Ackley.
But to see an interesting beginning…
Ackley, year 1: .273/ .348/ .417/ .766, .5 batting eye, 21% K rate
Seager, year 2: .259/ .316/ .423/ .738, .4 batting eye, 19% K rate... Read More
Eddie cruises again ... Tenbrink battles ... Kivle-fans enjoy ... Victor a bit off ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/29/13
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AAA -- Reno 6, Tacoma 5 -- Box
Nate Tenbrink (26intheMix) may be watching the grains of sand dwindle in his MLB hourglass, but he's not going down without a fight. The Kansas State prospect's three-run blast in the 3rd gave Tacoma a short-lived 4-3 lead. He also added a single and a walk.
Ty Kelly had four singles, and Brandon Bantz had three.
It was a rough outing for Andrew Carraway (Watch List): 5.0 IP, 6 ER.
AA -- Huntsville 7, Jackson 2 -- Box
The Generals were generally not so great on Sunday, but James Jones (Watch List) managed a hit, two walks and a stolen base.
Tyler... Read More
Pax suddenly eating innings ... Leone unfazed by AA so far ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/28/13
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AAA -- Reno 1, Tacoma 0 -- Box
"Puzzling Pax" be gone!
Could it be? Super-talented lefty James Paxton (Talk40 #3) appears to be (knock wood) back in the kind of groove in which he finished 2012 (thus earning that #3 business).
Satruday was his fourth straight game going at least 6.0 IP:
8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 K.
Obviously, he got no offensive help. Carlos Peguero (Watch List) went from six hits on Friday to just one on Saturday. But it was a double.
AA -- Chattanooga 8, Jackson 5 -- Box
A Chattanooga reliever named Garrett Gould somehow struck out 10 Generals in just 4.2 IP. ... Read More
Banner night for C-Peg: 6 hits including HR ... Pagan remains perfect as a pro ... Julio leaves the schoolyard ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/27/13
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Not much time to get this done today. Sorry 'bout that.
News: Probably well known by now, but Mike Zunino (Talk40 #1) to the disabled list with broken bone in his left hand. No need to dip into the minors for his replacement, since journeyman Humberto Quinero was signed from the Phillies organization, where he had been DFA'd on Wednesday.
So much for the 9-man no-black-hole offensive scheme (for six weeks anyway).
AAA -- Tacoma 9, Reno 7 [12 innings] -- Box
The Big Club went into extras late into the night, and so did the Rainiers.
But, my goodness, what a game for Carlos Peguero (... Read More
Twin bombs for The Mayor ... DJ HR OK! ... brilliant outings from young arms Huijer & Flores ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/26/13
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If you only count the domestic leagues, it was a sweep for the organization ... including the Big Club, of course!
AAA -- Tacoma 6, Tucson 5 [10 innings] -- Box
We know that Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2) won't be able to defy the Laws of Time and Space every time out. Just mostly. So Thursday was a slight misfire: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.
But the offense bailed the Rainiers out.
Mostly Rich Poythress (26intheMix), who hit two clutch homers, including the game-winner in the 10th, and added a double and a walk. The Mayor was in dire jeopardy when he got sent down to Jackson as part of... Read More
Gnolls.com go paleo on the Twinkies' menu
Posted by jemanji on 07/25/13
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gnolls.com is a hilarious diet site. Die biting the throat, babe. And the American League isn't having a lot of luck hunting down and exterminating the M's little imps.
The M's had 8 RBI on Thursday. That's a lotta RBI. They came from:
Nick Franklin, rookie 2B (three of 'em)
Brad Miller, rookie SS
Mike Zunino, rookie C
Ackley
The backup catcher
Actually Franklin, Miller and Zunino aren't really rookies. They need like fifty more AB's each to qualify as rookies, don't they? Some of those guys could be rookies NEXT year if they left the building before it was too late.
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Officer Nick... Read More
Shame we didn't cough up him and Taijuan for Upton
Posted by jemanji on 07/25/13
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Comps
If you just joined us, the original Bill James concept was "which two players could you trade for each other, without affecting either team?" He used to consider SS's and 2B's as interchangeable for the purposes of that discussion. You know, like "The most-comparable player to Nick Franklin is actually a teammate, Brad Miller. And the second-most comparable is another teammate, Kyle Seager."
..........
For the purposes of this section we'd better assume that everybody is a DH and runs the 40-yard dash in 7.0 seconds.
At .265/.333/.459 and with his EYE ratio, Franklin has been... Read More
WBC-san reverts
Posted by jemanji on 07/25/13
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Our Story to Date
On July 9th, Iwakuma had his 5th consecutive dubious game. Well, number five wasn't dubious; numbers one, two, three and four were dubious, and number five was an early KO (six earnies to Boston in three innings).
This was unsettling to most, because it meant that he'd started 35 games and had 5 bad ones ... all of which were the previous five.
We kid ... only a little. In his first 30 starts, Iwakuma had thrown 27 lockdowns, and in the other three games he'd given up 4-5 runs. Now, bam, 5 starts, all five of which were the kind of March 2012 performances that had '... Read More
Twin-Jabari Attack is now fully operational ... Petty accelerates ... pitchers go wrong direction ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/25/13
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I know that Ryan Divish reported that Bobby LaFromboise (Talk40 #34) had been designated for assignment, but I am almost certain that's wrong.
Indeed, LaFromboise pitched for Tacoma on Tuesday night, which would not have happened had he been DFA'd. Moreover, there would be no need to make that move, since Erasmo Ramirez was already on the 40-man roster. So no 40-man moves were being made.
So unless we hear otherwise, LaFromboise is still in the organziation and at Tacoma.
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Of course, we reported the first few dominos yesterday: Daniel Paolini (Talk40 #26) and Steven Proscia (... Read More
Maurer, Elias & Anderson all strong ... Jones & Almonte advance their cause ... Diaz a tad wild ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/24/13
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All kinds of moves, up and down, that we'll cover in a separate News post.
Thoughts and prayers to Eric Wedge and family.
AAA -- Tacoma 5, Tucson 3 -- Box
So where does Brandon Maurer (Talk40 #9) fit in going forward? Is it still a Big Four? or back to a Big Three? or down to a Big (Tai)One? The rest of this year will tell a lot.
Wednesday was one in the "Big Four" column: 6.2 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 8 K.
Maurer was helped by a huge night at the plate from Abraham Almonte (26intheMix): 3-for-4, double, triple.
Franklin Gutierrez got three RBI by driving in Almonte, and Nate Tenbrink... Read More
Special Royal Baby Shower Edition!
Posted by Spectator on 07/24/13
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We had fun with this last year, so I'm brining it back on this royal occasion.
It seems like this kid has a long time to wait before he finally gets to be King (unless he goes all "Richard III" on his family ... and what cable network wouldn't bid for that reality show?) ... but wait!
In a magical place called Clinton, Iowa, any kid can be a king ... a LumberKing! That's probably cooler anyway!
And for only $12, you can also get the iconic Louie the LumberKing plush toy.
AAA -- Tucson 8, Tacoma 4 -- Box
Prince Fielder ... drafted by Jack Zduriencik
Prince of Wales ... NOT!
But he can... Read More
A POW-erful promotion ... Peterson promoted too ... but wrong direction for Proscia ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/24/13
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Dominos falling ...
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Of course it was pretty obvious that Erasmo Ramirez was back on the Big Club, since he was out there on the mound in the victory over Cleveland.
And no major surprise that Bobby LaFromboise (Talk40 #34) returned to Tacoma to make room. We love "the raspberry" but he's had a rather unpleasant 2.2 IP of MLB experience (16.88 ERA; 3.38 WHIP). But, rest assured ... 3.05 xFIP. I'm not sure if that makes him feel better or not.
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This one is official: Daniel Paolini (Talk40 #26) to Jackson and Steven Proscia (26intheMix) back to High Desert.
That's an awesome... Read More
Keep Pushing Play, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 07/23/13
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GameFlow
Emotionally, the game felt like a P90X workout like three P90X workouts, back-to-back-to-back. There wasn't a single moment of it that was truly enjoyable ... well, there was one pitch I liked, the one that Nick Franklin turned into a whirling dirvish of a double play that saved the game.
There is a GameFlow to a P90X workout, or a 10K run, or 24 sets' worth of personal bests in the weight room:
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(1) In the first 5 minutes, you're not loose yet, but you know you got 55 minutes left. There is a certain part of your head that is seriously considering quitting, and going... Read More
K-Pax strong again ... Corey in the house ... Sanchez solid in loss ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/23/13
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Jackson was rained out again!
AAA -- Tacoma 4, Tucson 2 -- Box
KKKKKKK-Pax! Does this make three consecutive non-puzzling starts for James Paxton (Talk40 #3)? Yes!
6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 K
A corner being turned? Well, it happened at the end of last season, but the consistency was gone again this spring.
Rehabbing Mike Morse homered on his first at-bat, and Jesus Montero had a double and a single.
Stephen Pryor took care of the 7th, but Carter Capps gave up a run in the 8th.
Low-A -- Great Lakes 7, Clinton 1 -- Box
The Loons got off to a slow start against Victor Sanchez (Talk40... Read More
Cleveland 131 pitches, Kendrys 1, call it a push
Posted by jemanji on 07/22/13
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Kendrys Goes Off the Cafe
398 feet. We've had the pleasure of being in there when a batted ball goes off the glass, and it's a Life Bucket List item. Well, it makes the #101-200 list. Provided you've got that raspberry chocolate cake in front of you and it's a game situation.
The only time Earl Weaver was ever cheerful, was when he was talking about the home run. ... when the M's went down 1-0, and trotted back to the field empty three different times, I'm thinking: in a one-run game, this team is going to hit home runs and cover the gap.
Earl used the home run as more than just a... Read More
Starting to go after his pitches?
Posted by jemanji on 07/22/13
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Zuuummball
Zunino blasted a long double AND hit a long home run on a swing so short it made Richie Sexson look slow. After he hit it, Blowers praised him highly for his ability to abuse Safeco's upper deck in batting practice -- if you live out of town, lemme tell ya, Safeco's LF bleachers are a mile away and real high.
A picture's worth 1,000 words. Zunino took a real short swing, got on top of an 0-2 fastball and showed you that he's talking 30 homers some day.
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His OPS+ has been in the 70 range, roughly what Miguel Olivo would give us. We remarked, in the first week, that... Read More
M's unlikely to ever lose again
Posted by jemanji on 07/21/13
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In the 1980's, there was an NBA game on TV one weekend... The Bird Celtics, and Magic Lakers, were going at it hammer-and-tongs. Bill Russell was doing "color," and doing it with his usual complete lack of interest in the game. He remarked laconically, "if ANY other team in the NBA were on the floor right now, it would be behind by 20 points. To either team."
Which was quite a visual, since the score was tied ...
You can win 12-1* for a lot of different reasons:
Maybe the ball just fell in for you. Two doubles kicked up chalk, a HR landed in 2nd row, etc
The opposing pitcher walked... Read More
A tale of Nine Justin Uptons
Posted by jemanji on 07/21/13
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Still Brad Miller has not witnessed an MLB game in which his team scored fewer than 3 runs! I'd like to see a historical stat on that. When did a rookie ever come up, parachute into a lineup, and go his first three weeks without his lineup ever being stopped? Miller literally has not seen an MLB lineup fail. Well, not his, anyway.
True, the "success" against Bedard was based only one hit. Still, they hung in, got him out of the game, came up with 4 runs, and won the game. We're not saying the M's have won 19 blowouts in a row; some of the successes have been greater than others. But... Read More
D.J. is OK (or at least nothing's broken) ... keep an eye on Pagan ... more and more Tylers ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/21/13
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While groovin' on the Big Club's "Brick Frankller" offense ...
Hey, I just made that up!
[19 games (team totals): 41 doubles, 4 triples, 32 HR ... .276/.354/.488/.842 ... whoa!]
[Games played by Mike Morse during said period: 0]
[Gosh, if only they had a way to shore up the back end of the rotation ...]
***
News (though already covered in the Shout Box):
D.J. Peterson left Sunday night's Everett game in the 1st inning after being hit by a batted ball in the field. His wrist was X-rayed at a Boise hospital, but the results were negative for more than a "contusion" and he is "day-to-day."... Read More
Who's your audience?
Posted by jemanji on 07/21/13
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A Lookout Landing author asks,
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Seriously, though: one of my few SSI pet peeves is that the conversation is always in terms of OPS and OPS+, which to my mind are pretty clearly inferior to wOBA and wRC+...
.........
Which is a happy accident, because I have a pet peeve here too. ;- ) The above is a fair question, and it's coming from a good guy. Let's discuss.
In this USSM article, anchored in the left sidebar, the blog author tells his readers which stats they will be using. He specifies the correct and acceptable "tools" for "serious analysis." We notice that a USSM reader... Read More
Lars levels Boise ... Poy-power, Pow-power, Austin-power ... Pike and other Tylers ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/21/13
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AAA -- Tacoma 11, Fresno 5 -- Box
The Rainiers busted out of a six-game losing streak in a big way, and it was the big bat of a big guy leading the way:
Rich Poythress (26intheMix): 3-for-5, 2 HR (his eighth and ninth), triple
Hey Bulldog! (He's from Georgia.) He has a .274 BABIP, which keeps his .257/.344/.459 line from looking as good as is (31 XBH and 35 BB). But he's still losing ground on the pecking order.
And there was the evidence right in front of him. Poythress was at DH while Jesus Montero played first.
Montero had two hits and two walks.
And on the mound was a guy in a... Read More
At long last...
Posted by jemanji on 07/20/13
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The 1950's Braves managed to parlay Hank Aaron, Eddie Matthews and Warren Spahn into one championship and a long series of excuses. The Seattle Mariners appear to have outdone them. -- Bill James, ca. 1999
...........
SABRMatt captures the issue in mathematical terms:
We are now seeing, in one season, incontrovertible evidence...
The Mariners have now run two different ball clubs out there in one year that absolutely proves to my satisfaction that having more than one hitting black hole has been the primary source of our team's offensive struggles, both with runners in scoring... Read More
Assembly-line baseball
Posted by jemanji on 07/20/13
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Mo' Dawg and others have talked about the 1970's Dodgers, who had a 10-year infield, albeit no Big Boppers. Gordon finally spoke for the (bored and annoyed!) crowd, asking who the 1970's Dodgers were ;- )
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So are those Dodgers the team we look like?
It was well before my time, so I have no reference really. Going forward, who is this team? I mean, how many teams have a 3B / SS / 2B trio looking like 110 OPS+ players, or more - I mean how high could those three go? If Smoak is also now for real, our entire infield is full of offensive forces, except for catcher - oh, wait, isn... Read More
Over his last 162 games, Daniel Paolini is hitting .301/.394/.537 with 32 HR, 91 BB & just 102 K
Posted by Spectator on 07/20/13
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First things first. It's PAY-o-lini. It's not pow-lini.
But I love the POW! business so much, and it's so fitting, that I couldn't give it up.
So don't be shocked when you start hearing announcers saying PAY-o-lini.
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I'm not down on Stefen Romero, I've just never bought in to the extent that others have.
Nor am I down on Julio Morban, though I've always known he'd have work to do.
But I'm ready to annoint the Mariners new top outfield prospect. (And I think he'll end up an outfielder.)
POW!
***
As I mentioned in passing the recap, not more than a year ago, Daniel Paolini was a... Read More
Tai! ... Kiv! ... Pow! ... Deej! ... Tank! ... Dominant Dominic! ... and more!
Posted by Spectator on 07/20/13
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AAA -- Fresno 3, Tacoma 2 -- Box
Of course, we have to start with Walker, Seattle Mariner NOT Texas Ranger!
5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
As noted in the Shout Box, he only threw 79 pitches, so he was probably pulled just to keep his workload light. He also had the cross-country travel this week to throw an inning in the Futures Game.
Unfortunately for the Rainiers, Logan Bawcom (Talk40 #31) gave up two runs in the 6th and 7th and that was enough for Fresno. Stephen Pryor pitched a scoreless 8th in his AAA return.
The offense came from solo shots by Abraham Almonte (26intheMix) and Carlos... Read More
Brad Miller has yet to witness his MLB team score less than 3 runs
Posted by jemanji on 07/19/13
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June 28
Brad Miller parachutes into Seattle. He doesn't hit in this game, but he looks like he gets a couple of hits. Come to think of it, he did draw a walk, and steal a base, and drive in a run. One of your all time great debut 0-fers, man.
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July 19
The Mariners drop 3 homers, 2 doubles, 11 hits, and 10 runs on the Astros. In the 16 games since Miller arrived, they have:
Scored 3+ runs in every game
Homered in every game
Been held to 3 runs only the twice
Scored 95 runs, an average of 5.94 runs per game
This coming against CIN, TEX, LAA, BOS and CHC
I think they're on a streak of 23... Read More
... tip of the cap to MLB.com on that one
Posted by jemanji on 07/19/13
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Miller Off the Hit It Here Cafe
... albeit Houston's cafe. By a neat coincidence, the family sitting in the second deck was a Mariners family. They cheerfully swapped Miller back his HR ball for, we hope, something good.
Spectator has been insisting, in his understated way, that the Mariners now have:
3B = Seager, v1.0
SS = Seager, v2.0
When Miller got a 2-0 fastball from Bud Norris, in one delicious swing I finally understood what Spec was talking about.
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It was 415 feet, with an apex of 118 feet -- enough to clear the facing of an 11-story building. (Visualize, for a moment, a... Read More
He's going to hit like a bat-first SS, but will he field like one?
Posted by jemanji on 07/19/13
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One thing we hadn't gotten a triangle on yet: Miller's defense at shortstop. Heeeeeere's Johnny ... Johnny First Facts, that is:
Miller's UZR is +18 runs per year, in his first two weeks
His rep was for sloppiness and lazy errors, but ....
... he has only 1 error thus far. Must be the adrenaline
His rep was "good around the bag" and "questionable in the hole" ...
Early on he has looked average-solid going into the hole. He gets there quick
He looks nimble, pretty blinkin' Gumby-like, and able to throw from angles
His physical technique is (like Brendan Ryan's) inconsistent, sloppy,... Read More
Triple triples in two places ... Kiv & Joe D. busting out? ... Greetings, Fontaine Family! (so far, so good) ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/18/13
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On the field: triples! We love 'em!
Off the field:
Jesus Montero returns to Tacoma after rehab assignment in Arizona where he hit .267/.351/.304 in eight games.
Franklin Gutierrez joins Tacoma for his umphteenbazillionth rehab assignment.
Stephen Pryor also joins Tacoma for a rehab assignment after one outing for Everett.
AAA -- Fresno 8, Tacoma 7 -- Box
Montero went right into the starting lineup at DH, and another Opening Day Mariner was on the mound: Brandon Maurer (Talk40 #9), who continued his OK-but-not-quite-impressive Tacoma outings. His line: 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.... Read More
The HIT tool, the way you draw it up on the chalkboard
Posted by jemanji on 07/18/13
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Had we talked about Brad Miller's topspin swing? Just f'r instance, his bases-clearing double off Allen Webster ... here is the video file. Enjoy.
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ence to have their own personalities.
Hey, hang on...
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Classic beauty in sport
Posted by jemanji on 07/18/13
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Is that feasible? Could Miller and Franklin aspire to be as good as Whitaker and Trammell? Sure, I think so -- Whitaker and Trammell were very fine ballplayers whose legend is based on longevity. A lot of teams have had a DP combo as good, for five years at a time.
If you start ticking off the similarities between the M's DP combo -- in its potential, anyway -- and the Tigers' combo -- you'd find quite a few things, I think....
The two men were very similar to each other
Both had solid, to good, to excellent, defense
Both had unusually balanced games -- defense, and AVG, and PWR, and... Read More
Gordon's thread a classic "deep-sea dive"
Posted by jemanji on 07/18/13
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Q. What is a "Think Tank"?
A. It is a policy institute with the following characteristics:
Diverse experts are brought to bear
Info exchange is synergistic (expression of "incorrect" ideas is genuinely encouraged)
Research collides and is sharpened
30,000-foot-view strategies are consolidated
Typically, the "Think Tank" then goes out and advocates a position
Gordon lights up the PowerPoint projector and displays his research, proposing that the Morrow-for-League trade be evaluated as neutral. This presentation could indeed occur at a Fortune 500 steering committee -- Lessons Learned are... Read More
Correcting errors -- vs -- Correcting thought patterns
Posted by jemanji on 07/18/13
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Gordon's thread on Brandon Morrow evolved into a discussion of high draft picks in general.
JPax kicked it off by rueing the day Bill Bavasi was ever given any authority over the amateur draft. Gordon rewarded that comment with this devastating factoid:
.............
Whenever I'm writing about draft snafus. Morrow was definitely '06, the sequel that wasn't quite as terrible but still pretty bad. Nothing's gonna top 2005:
1 - J. Upton: 15.3 WAR
2 - A. Gordon: 20.9 WAR
3 - Clement: -1.2 WAR
4 - R. Zimmerman: 32.2 WAR
5 - Braun - 35.5 WAR
6 - Romero - 9.8 WAR
7 - Tulo - 30.2... Read More
E-RAM supercharges Everett ... Kivlehan goes deep twice ... Tank keeps rolling ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/17/13
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Short Season-A -- Everett 7, Vancouver 6 -- Box
This game goes to the top because of the starter: once and future Mariner Erasmo Ramirez.
5.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Yeah, I think he handled the younger guys all right.
Shannon Drayer reports that e-RAM The Electric Supercharger will be back in the MLB rotation next Tuesday.
But the bullpen struggled and so the Aqua Sox needed some offensive punch to preserve a winning cushion, and it was Justin Seager helping deliver it with a home run (his second), plus a walk.
High-A -- Lake Elsinore 10, High Desert 8 -- Box
The Mavericks couldn'... Read More
Victor's vector is nearly perfect ... hey, now, you're an all-star (did I really just use that as a headline?)
Posted by Spectator on 07/17/13
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Low-A -- Clinton 1, Lansing 0 -- Box
What's Your Vector, Victor? Allllllllmost perfect!
Victor Sanchez (Talk40 #12) was very close to a perfect game, but still came out with one of the best performances you'll see from a pitcher:
9.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
Sanchez hit a batter in the 1st, and the Lugnuts got a couple of baserunners on errors in the 8th, but that was it.
The 18-year-old, of course, is the youngest player on the LumberKing roster, and pitching on the Felix/Taijuan kind of advanced schedule.
But obviously he's taking it all in stride with just eight walks for the entire... Read More
overblown and inaccurate
Posted by Gordon Gross on 07/17/13
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19 Comments
The draft of 2005 was pretty painful for me. It wasn’t like the Clement draft where we passed on every great hitter available to take the one flop… but it wasn’t good. Anytime you pass up a local pitching phenom who becomes a Two-time Cy Young award winner and world champion to draft a diabetic pitcher with a spotty starting history in college with the #5 pick, things could probably be better. I was thinking Lincecum / Scherzer / Kershaw at the time in order of preference, but it was not to be.
Morrow it was. And we bullpenned him for a couple of years, then tried to let him start, then... Read More
Missaki surfaces ... Hobson's choice is to to pitch well ... Eddie gets more Ks ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/16/13
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As noted yesterday, the higher-level clubs are on their All-Star Break as well.
High-A -- High Desert 1, Stockton 0 -- Box
Another Cal League pitchers' duel! Then again, it's Stockton.
Per minorleagecentral.com:
High Desert park factor: 125
Stockton park factor: 95
[San Jose is the lowest at 86.]
But not to take anything away from Cameron Hobson:
6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 9 K
Hobson was in the original 2012 "26intheMix" but dropped out after lukewarm results last year. The lefty is still trying to get over the Cal League hump, but performances like Monday's will be a big help.
It was a... Read More
Yuciapa teammates reunite ... minors All-Star preview ... some moves ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/15/13
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2 Comments
As promised, a minor-league news update.
***
Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2) pitched the 2nd inning of the Futures Game for Team USA and gave up only a lone walk: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K.
He got Twins prospect Miguel Sano and Baltimore prospect Henry Urrutia to ground out, then gave up the walk to Tiger hopeful Jordan Lennerton before inducing a popup from Gregory Polanco of the Pirate organization.
Gameday had him maxing out at 97 and consistenly in the 94-96 range, with the curve coming in at 73-74 and with a 92-93 mph cutter.
His 21st birthday is August 13. Just need to find a trading... Read More
Heading into All-Star break with Blake ... Littlewood long ball ... Pike's BB rate starting to worry ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/14/13
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1 Comments
I'll do a separate news thread later with All-Star stuff and other items.
AAA -- Reno 4, Tacoma 0 -- Box
Blake Beavan came back from the Big Club and got the final start before the AAA All-Star break. He gave up 10 hits, but eight of them were singles: 5.0 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K.
But that gave the Aces a lot more offense than Tacoma got. The Rainiers got just five hits, and a double by Abraham Almonte (26intheMix) was the only one that went for extra bases.
High-A -- High Desert 8, Stockton 2 -- Box
The Mavericks were able to put together their share of offense at least.
Daniel... Read More
Choo, Butler, Konerko, Gordon, Swisher the targets now
Posted by jemanji on 07/14/13
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7 Comments
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Sgt. Wedge, Dept.
Justin Smoak with another big day on Sunday. He:
Took a 6"-outside changeup into LF for a single on a two-strike count
Fouled back a first-pitch fastball, and then took four tempting pitches for a walk
Rifled a 94 MPH fastball into his right-center power alley for a long double
Here's the walk.
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On the first pitch he was "ready to hit," and then despite being behind in the count 0-1 he laid off the kind of pitches that would have eaten him alive last year.
Eric Wedge said a few days ago that Brad Miller's best game to date was one in which he was 0-for-2 ... but... Read More
... and flexes the wrists
Posted by jemanji on 07/14/13
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8 Comments
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At this point, we're kind of piling on here ... all y'all have seen the same things we have. The guy looks like a hitting star now. We're simply waiting to see if he falls back into his old form. And man, it doesn't look like he's going to, does it?
Last post, we brushed up against the Tools Scouting camera angle and up against the Sabr scouting angle. How about a stop by the Aiki dojo?
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One thing that you'll notice, as Smoak gets ready to hit, is that he does the Kyle Seager "settle." He shifts on his thighs, sort of like a Sumo wrestler, "screwing" his weight into the ground... Read More
He takes on the Big Apple on ESPN2 Sunday
Posted by Spectator on 07/14/13
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In honor of Walker, Seattle Mariner NOT Texas Ranger! pitching today in the Futures Game on ESPN2, it seemed like time to create an official Taijuan Walker "Norris-isms" thread.
So let's go to the archives and see what we've got so far:
Taijuan Walker once struck out eight Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Then he got off the bus.
Taijuan Walker doesn't need offensive support. Opposing batters offer to score runs for his team.
When Taijuan Walker pitches, a "plate appearance" is when the batter asks the umpire if he may return to the dugout now.
Taijuan Walker can throw the solar system to the... Read More
Taijuan & Ji-Man are stars in Queens ... Leone for Bullpen! ... Pax & Luiz do well ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/14/13
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Thanks to an alert reader, we know that Dominic Leone (Talk40 #25) and Dillon Hazlett were promoted to AA Jackson. It turns out they arrived at the stadium just minutes before the first pitch.
Hazlett is a short-term replacement for our man Ji-Man Choi (Talk40 #19), who is in New York for the Futures Game. Leone is hopefully a more permanent promotion.
***
Meanwhile, two hard-throwing lefties were on display Saturday.
AAA -- Reno 4, Tacoma 1 -- Box
He got a bit dinged (three doubles and one home run), but James Paxton (Talk40 #3) went more than 5.0 IP for the second straight game (he... Read More
If I go crazy then will you still call me Superman
Posted by jemanji on 07/13/13
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3 Comments
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I took a walk around the worldTo ease my troubled mindI left my body lying somewhereIn the sands of timeBut I watched the world floatTo the dark side of the moonI feel there is nothing I can do, yeahI watched the world floatTo the dark side of the moonAfter all I knew it had to beSomething to do with youI really don’t mind what happens now and thenAs long as you’ll be my friend at the end
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This one is in the free area at Bill James Online, the last 30 days' worth of Hey Bills:
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Supposing Raul Ibanez finished the season, hitting about the way he is now -- .250/.300/.... Read More
Soccer maybe the best application of this discussion...
Posted by jemanji on 07/13/13
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Here there be sports-political commentary. Hey, why don't we just make a 'blog' for that, and then amigos can skip over these articles if so desired. A new use for the nested-blog paradigm!
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New poster BShaw writes,
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In soccer they refer to being "In form." Simply, it's playing above your average level of play, that's my understanding anyway. Players have described it as things just going right, passes hitting team mates perfectly in stride, receiving passes in control, scoring goals off of shins. On the other hand, being out of form means things just don't work,... Read More
More moves ... more games ... we'll keep you posted ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/13/13
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2 Comments
Erasmo Ramirez was so horrible that they sent him all the way down to Everett. No. That's not it.
They want him to keep pitching over the All-Star Break, which wouldn't happen at Tacoma, and going to Everett keeps him close.
Blake Beavan also comes down, but to Tacoma. Going up are Hector Noesi and Bobby LaFromboise (Talk40 #34).
With lefty relievers such as Oliver Perez reportedly on the trading block, LaFromboise (and Brian Moran (Talk40 #35)) will likely be part of the big club in the second half anyway. Plus, he was already on the 40-man roster.
Too many games on Friday to "do... Read More
Is Puig a .397 hitter? A .360 hitter? or what?
Posted by jemanji on 07/12/13
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3 Comments
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Right now at BJOL, the hottest debate is on Yasiel Puig.
The sabermetric "consensus," not to be confused with a scientific consensus, is that there is no such thing as a hot streak in baseball.
At BJOL, a reader asked --- > since baseball swings and pitching motions are so complex, what is so hard to believe about the idea that they could get out of whack? Or that a player could have a streak of being unusually in rhythm?
James replied, yes, there's a kernel of truth in that. He compared his own "athletic level," which is pool. (Heh.) On one day, he might clear a rack in 11-15 shots... Read More
You and I run hot and cold, every day, at EVERYthing
Posted by jemanji on 07/12/13
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3 Comments
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We don't think that Bill will object to our excerpting one paragraph from his subscription article, the "Hot Hand Question" ...
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Suppose that you take a player’s statistics, and re-organize his at bats at random. . . .or suppose that you take his Start-a-Madic, ASPC or Ethan Allen’s magic spinning wheel game card and recreate a thousand at bats for him. You will find, absolutely and without question, that there is just as much up and down variation in the random performance as in the player’s actual record. This has been studied hundreds of times. There is a very good... Read More
A day that was solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and ... then POW! ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/11/13
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3 Comments
A generous dose of pessimism administered on Thursday night. Ugh.
Plus I apparently offended our main man Bat571. Sorry about that!
And Erasmo Ramirez got shelled at the MLB level as well. But at least Doc has a silver lining!
Also, in case you didn't note it, Carter Capps was demoted to Tacoma to make room for e-RAM.
***
[And there's all sorts of chain reaction -- that doesn't really fit with my grim theme -- Chance Ruffin (Watch List) to Tacoma to fill the e-RAM spot; Trevor Miller (26intheMix) to Jackson (well deserved); Matt Anderson to High Desert from Clinton; Rigoberto Garcia... Read More
One step backward ... well, you know the rest
Posted by jemanji on 07/11/13
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2 Comments
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Q. He got pummelled for seven earnies. That he lost a battle is clear. Any idea why he lost it?
A. His vaunted fastball command, wasn't. After five or six hitters, you had to watch through a grimace.
58 pitches in, he had 29 strikes and 29 balls thrown. You might get lucky against some teams; against the Red Sox, nada. It's not enough to be a good pitcher, said Seigbert Tarrasch; you also gotta pitch good.
Also, he threw only 10 changeups out of 100 pitches. Odd. It isn't like the Red Sox are shy on lefty hitters. So it's kind of like Hisashi Iwakuma was pitching without his... Read More
What's old is old again in Tacoma ... Marte continues intriguing hitting ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/11/13
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Everett and Arizona games in the "Spotlight" on guys named Tyler post.
Also news: Shannon Drayer reports that Stephen Pryor was throwing from the Safeco Field mound on Wednesday and "looked good."
AAA -- Tacoma 6, Tucson 5 -- Box
It's the "old look" Rainiers now that all the hotshots are done passing through.
Carlos Triunfel (26intheMix) had a single, a double and a triple.
Nate Tenbrink (26intheMix) contributed a pair of hits.
And the king of "old look" in Tacoma is Brian Sweeney, who first played for the Rainiers in 1999. Or was it 1899?
Sweeney filled in for Erasmo Ramirez (slotted... Read More
Now, all's I need's Taijuan
Posted by jemanji on 07/11/13
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Git yer game programs, five bucks, free scorecard. Git yer scorecard!
Published before the game today, so if Erasmo gets shelled, don't blame me. It is given to no mortal man to be assured of survival in the harsh, predator-infested jungle that is the American League (TM).
.............
In the article M's next playoff team in Safeco next WEEK, we celebrated the possibility that we are (at long last, after five years) seeing the M's next pennantwinner jell. If that's true, Erasmo Ramirez could very easily be a key to it. Can you imagine this guy as a #4 or even #5 starter?!
.............. Read More
Or not
Posted by jemanji on 07/11/13
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5 Comments
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Q. How bad has Iwakuma been, his last 5 starts?
A. 29 innings, 22 earnies ... 19 strikeouts, 5 walks. But, as you know, 10 homers in those five starts, and he got KO'ed in the fourth, last time out.
As bad stretches go, that one's not tragic ... every pitcher will have a 5- or 8-game stretch in which his ERA is seven plus. Iwakuma's overall ERA for the season is still much better than, say, Justin Verlander's. Verlander's ERA was 6.41 in May. Doesn't prove he's a meatball.
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Q. So MLB(TM) has caught up to him?
A. This is Iwakuma's first stretch of ANYTHING --- > [less than Maddux... Read More
Tyler too! ... Tyler three! ... Tyler more! ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/11/13
Posted to blog
Let's put some "Spotlight" on the low minors for a change.
And guys named "Tyler."
I already used the Tyler, Too! catchphrase for Tyler Marlette (26intheMix) -- since he was kind of lost in the shuffle among the many catchers in the organization.
And we have Tyler O'Neill covered -- he's The Tank!
So what do we do with Tyler Olson?
Is he Tyler, Also! [?]
We'll figure it out.
Short Season-A -- Everett 5, Eugene 0 -- Box
Call him what you want, Olson was crushing Eugene Emeralds into fine green powder on Wednesday:
9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K
So does Olson get the "college-pitcher-in-the-... Read More
Eddieeeeeeeeee! (but with disclaimer) ... looks like e-RAM after all ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/09/13
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5 Comments
It was fun speculating about whether Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2) was going to replace Jeremy Bonderman, but it sounds as if it's going to be Erasmo Ramirez and there's nothing at all wrong with that.
Trade deadline approaches for Mssrs. J. Saunders and Harang, so we'll see what happens.
Rookie -- Pulaski 10, Princeton 3 [11 innings] -- Box
This is such an unusual game that I'm going to lead with it.
First, there's Eddie Campbell, the lefty from Virginia Tech taken in the 15th round.
[Usual caveats apply. Major-college guy facing younger players. Past performance not necessarily... Read More
Smoak OPS 788 vs Morales 778 (already)
Posted by jemanji on 07/09/13
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11 Comments
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Smoak's OPS has already surged past Kendrys Morales'. As Geoff Baker points out. He posits that Justin Smoak may be in the process of making Kendrys Morales obsolete in Seattle.
Personally, I had no idea that Smoak's overall 2013 batting line had skyrocketed so far, so quickly. I figured his overall line had risen from like .204/.300/.350 to .250/.350/.380 or something. ;- )
No, actually Smoak's OPS+ is 126 on the year (!?) ... as Sandy points out, that park adjustment is skewed, because Safeco is now a much better offensive park and the adjustments haven't fully caught up yet. Still,... Read More
Gohara is pretty much unhittable ... Pike and Huijer also strong on the mound ... Blash Splash 16! ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/09/13
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4 Comments
Tacoma and Jackson recaps, and news, in the "Spotlight" post.
Rookie -- Pulaski 4, Princeton 2 -- Box
Luuuuuuuuu-iz!
Obviously the biggest mystery about the International Man of Mystery! -- Luiz Gohara (Talk40 #21) -- is "is he actually any good?"
So far he had one good outing, one bad outing and one brief outing suspended by rain.
Then came Monday:
5.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K
Yeah, OK, that'll do just fine.
[He won't turn 17 until July 31.]
Looks like we're on to something here.
And he got offensive help from Jeffrey Zimmerman (third home run, plus a single) and Oregon State product... Read More
Pax, Romero & Marder party like it's 2012 ... where y'all been? ... and "who's coming" to the rotation? ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/09/13
Posted to blog
Jeremy Bonderman was sent into DFA exile to make room for Lucas Luetge to shore up the MLB pen.
Leaving a space in the rotation for ...
Well, they aren't saying. But they are saying that Bondo was moved not because he was hopelessly mediocre [though he predictably was], but because of "who's coming."
We all love Erasmo Ramirez, but would Wedge talk this way about e-RAM?
"It's really more about who's coming versus that," Wedge answered [in terms of not giving Bondo more time]. I think when you talk about Bondo I think you really have to appreciate his effort and what he has done to get... Read More
Cloud finally lifts, Zduriencik's BABIP reverts to norm
Posted by jemanji on 07/08/13
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8 Comments
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Talking on TV about the release of Jeremy Bonderman, the skipper emphasized that it was "more about the guy we're bringing in" than it was about Bonderman. Which, sure, we can take that one at face value.
Odd that the M's would be so coy about the new pitcher's identity. Dr. D would like to kid himself that it could be Walker, Seattle Mariner (thanks Spec) or James Paxton -- who later that night threw a 9-IP complete-game shutout.
Because you know Erasmo will be up soon, also. I'd rather have a #3 and a #4 starter than just a #3 starter. I'm a deep thinker.
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Miller,... Read More
Umps get wit' da program
Posted by jemanji on 07/08/13
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1 Comments
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I haven't seen a game like that in a long time, man. Franklin and Miller have grabbed that Entitled Vet (TM) shtick and stuffed it in a shaft under second base, never to be seen again.
The Boston Red Sox (TM) came into Safeco having won 9 of 12 and 54 of their last 90. Jon Lester was throwing aspirin tablets, 95-96 MPH with regularity, a hellacious changeup and a power slider that was buckling the M's knees.
True, the M's had Felix on the mound. If you hadn't noticed, that hasn't usually done the M's a whole lot of good. Except for the 2009 season, Felix had come into this season with... Read More
Make our Day, you Boston feebs
Posted by jemanji on 07/08/13
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6 Comments
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The M's hit 157,000 crucial line drives on Monday. This coming from an all-lefty lineup, battling a 96 MPH lefty who could wrap his slider around a tree?
A few of Dr. D's fave "Hard RBI" Monday:
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1. Brad Miller picks a bad hop. Forget what inning. He had to charge a slow hopper which, just as he got there, nipped the edge of the grass and took a high hop.
Miller yanked his glove up, glommed the ball in the palm of his glove, and flourished the mitt on up to shoulder high. Then he tossed a contemptously slow ball over to Smoak at 1B.
Has Miller made an error yet?! He had a... Read More
Difference between ACE and "#1 guy" or "Opening Day Starter"
Posted by Gordon Gross on 07/08/13
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16 Comments
I was actually working on something for Justin, but Doc's post is a great jumping off point for a discussion about offenses. Sandy opines (correctly, IMO) that Smoak is NOT a traditional MOTO hitter and will never be. A clip:
But, numerically, true MOO hitters, they drive in 25-30 runs in a month when they get hot, which helps offset the 10-12 when they aren't. Smoak drives in 17-18 *when he's on fire*.
In order for Smoak to become a real MOO hitter ... he would have to *NEVER* have a bad month.
Don't get me wrong. I think Nick Johnson is a valuable commodity to have. Yeah, it would... Read More
I'm so excited, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 07/08/13
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One of the things I love about having Gordon in the house: the respect he commands. He could come in with, "D.J. Peterson is a top-25 prospect" and the worst he'd get from the lurkers would be, "Huh. That's intriguing."
In his sparkling Smoak vs MOTO post, he brought this move into the paint:
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I would take this offense again next year, if I could get it. Morales and Morse with this infield? Yes, I would take that, along with expected pitching upgrades, and call it good. Maybe that's settling, and it's certainly not getting me a straw that stirs the drink, but I would... Read More
It ain't like he weighs 175 lbs
Posted by jemanji on 07/08/13
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5 Comments
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Q. Are you saying that Justin Smoak has arrived?
A. No, no, no ...
Obviously, I concur with Mo' Dawg that the hope delivered by a steelhead stream is the finest-quality Light of Elendil hope that will be enjoyed by mortal man...
The hope delivered by Messrs. Seager, Franklin, and perhaps Miller is of a level only a few notches below that...
The hope delivered by Smoak now, AFTER his .577 SLG "rampage," is of a level several notches below that again...
We as Mariner fans would be derelict, though, if we were oblivious to the technical and sabermetric leaps that the man has attained. Look... Read More
Ty & Tai for Tacoma ... Diaz is dominating again ... good Goon Squad action ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/07/13
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9 Comments
AAA -- Tacoma 6, Salt Lake 4 -- Box
Ty upstages Tai? Yes!
Ty Kelly won't keep this up. (Trust me.) But it's a fun ride: 4-for-4, double, walk.
Kelly the Oriole: .283/.389/.382
Kelly the Mariner: .545/.615/.955
I don't think it has to do with preferring teal accents to orange. But maybe.
Meanwhile, it was time again for Walker, Seattle Mariner!
When Taijuan Walker pitches, "relief pitchers" are the ones on hand to administer first aid to the opposing batters.
Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.
It was his first earned run issued at AAA. His overall Tacoma line... Read More
Desmond Tutu on baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet
Posted by jemanji on 07/07/13
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9 Comments
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In 2001m, an interviewer asked Desmond Tutu: "How do you remain optimistic in the light of all the problems in South Africa?" Tutu replied: "I am NOT an optimist. I have HOPE. I think that is far better."
You get it?
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In America, we noodle around trying to put the finishing touches on social justice. It's hip to manufacture outrage over social problems that -- in reality -- pale in comparison to what most human beings face. On Monday, July 8th, 2013, only 1 out of 25 babies in the world will be born in America. That American baby will grow up with the ability to choose her... Read More
.308/.390/.577 since bouncing from AAA
Posted by jemanji on 07/07/13
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11 Comments
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After Sunday's game, the MLB.com article gave
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Although Franklin's shot was the only run scored in the first, the Seattle bats made Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo labor through the inning, as the 36-year-old right-hander threw 32 pitches in the opening frame.
"You can't just lay it in there against guys you don't know anything about," Reds manager Dusty Baker said of falling behind in the first inning. "After you learn something about them -- they've already homered off of you. They've got a good, young bunch of guys. They're going to be something to deal with in the next... Read More
El Cubano Elias stays strong ... Gaby, Nephew of Vlad, heating up ... finally Kristian Brito? ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/07/13
Posted to blog
The Everett game is part of the "Spotlight" post.
AAA -- Salt Lake 5, Tacoma 0 -- Box
Brandon Maurer (Talk40 #9) got the start, and it was not a thing of beauty: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K.
Most of the damage was late, however. He gave up two runs in the 6th, and then another in the 7th. And he left a baserunner inherited by Jonathan Arias (Watch List), who promptly allowed him to score on Maurer's tab.
The Rainiers never got any offense going either, though Ty Kelly stayed hot with a double and a single.
AA -- Jackson 3, Pensacola 0 [7 innings] -- Box
AA -- Jackson 5, Pensacola 0... Read More
Arrivederci Alessandro ... D.J. is Zuninonian (again) ... Fear the Zokan (for real) ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/06/13
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Alessandro scambiato a Baltimora.
That's what Google Translate says is Italian for "Alessandro traded to Baltimore."
But we all know that "Liddi" is Italian for "Slugger"!
(Not really; it's just our cheesy chatchphrase.)
Alex Liddi (Talk40 #29) had been designated for assignment, so we knew he would be traded to Baltimore eventually. (OK, not the Baltimore part, but it seems to be going that way -- after Trayvon Robinson and Eric Thames.)
Liddi was traded for an improved international signing slot. Obviously, now a team can trade players for improved international signing slots. Who knew... Read More
How much ink is in that well, anyway?
Posted by Gordon Gross on 07/06/13
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5 Comments
After watching a bad start get drowned by worse bullpen work tonight, I wanted to take a closer look at the pen. We have a plan to replace all the BOR starters with high-quality pitching talent, but is our build-from-within bullpen the way to go to make sure those guys don't take a bunch of hard-luck no decisions while the Ms take the loss?
The Mariners have made no secret of the fact that they want to assemble a killer bullpen on the cheap. Using a few decently-high draft picks, some trade pieces and scrap-heap additions, they are attempting to make a lock-down pen full of 95 MPH arms... Read More
E-RAM uncharacteristically wild ... McGruder characteristically getting on base ... Ty Kelly again ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/06/13
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1 Comments
AAA -- Tacoma 7, Salt Lake 5 -- Box
Hello, again, Ty Kelly. The newly arrived ex-Oriole had a home run and a double, after getting on base four times on the 4th. As part of the Mariners he's hitting .429/.529/.929 in four games.
Stefen Romero (Talk40 #11) had three hits and Carlos Peguero (Watch List) contributed his 14th home run.
All of which helped get the win for Erasmo Ramirez despite an uncharacteristically wild outing: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 4 K.
Given his career walk rate of 1.6 BB/9, that's a shocker.
High-A -- High Desert 6, Rancho Cucamonga 3 -- Box
Cameron Hobson solved... Read More
Hello, Ty Kelly ... D.J. has fun 4th ... Landazuri survives explosive game ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/04/13
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2 Comments
AAA -- Salt Lake 7, Tacoma 3 -- Box
Tied 3-3 in the 9th, and then Josh Kinney loaded the bases. He gave way to Bobby LaFromboise (Talk40 #34) who gives up a walk-off grand slam. Not a nice way to lose.
And former Rainiers Jarrett Grube and Chad Cordero were among the pitchers keeping Tacoma at bay.
A huge bright spot, though, was newcomer Ty Kelly, who certainly had an explosive 4th: home run, two singles, walk (3-for-3).
AA -- Pensacola 2, Jackson 1 -- Box
The holiday crowd in Pensacola didn't see much offense. Jackson managed only two hits and a walk and struck out eight times.... Read More
What was that little pill Bradley Cooper took in Limitless?
Posted by jemanji on 07/04/13
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29 Comments
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In the second inning of Wednesday's game, Derek Holland started Dustin Ackley with a slider away, pitch #1 below. Ackley spun like a top, leaning leaning LLLEEEAAAAANING into the RF stands, and missed badly. His batting glove actually whip-snapped out of his hip pocket and landed in the on-deck circle. Well, it should have.
Pitch two, Holland wasn't letting up. Fastball low-away. Ackley jerked himself into the RF stands, but checked his swing. The ump ripped him off. Ackley was ticked about that.
Third pitch, slider, low-away. All right, friends, if you haven't gotten the basic... Read More
Next up: throwing hands with 80-year-olds
Posted by jemanji on 07/04/13
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3 Comments
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Well, "Pedro-Mean," or if not that, at least a little more aggressive with his fastball, anyway. We're taking our traffic cues from Euro soccer blogs.
One thing that you can count on, though: Felix Hernandez is a better pitcher right now than he was one year ago. Who was, in turn, also a better pitcher than the one who won 19 games, went 19-5, 2.49, back in 2009.
A few stats, not that these are the end (or beginning!) of the discussion, but just to get loose:
Year
K
BB
CTL
xFIP
2009
8.2
2.7
3.1
3.37
2012
8.7
2.2
4.0
3.20
2013
9.5
1.7
5.4
2.60 (!)
That might not look too radical, but... Read More
Pike has another strong outing ... McGruder is sizzling ... Hultzen update ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/03/13
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Many of the parks had fireworks displays but the most sparkling performance on the field came from Tyler Pike (Talk40 #14). Unfortunately it lacked a grand finale.
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The always-valuable Ryan Divish reports that Danny Hultzen (Talk40 #4) will be shut down for another 10 to 14 days before throwing again. He quotes General Manager Jack Zduriencik as calling the latest event "a minor setback," and that everything is "structurally fine" and "no surgery."
But it means he won't be heading to Seattle anytime soon. So now it looks like Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2) is the only one of the Big Three... Read More
Gilheeney & T. Miller turn in strong starts ... Wilson getting on track? ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/03/13
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AA -- Jackson 3, Birmingham 2 [15 innings] -- Box
James Gilheeney took a no-hitter into the 6th, but unfortunately was dinged for a two-run homer in the 8th and left with the score tied at 2-2.
It stayed that way for a looooooong time.
Finally, in the bottom of the 15th, Julio Morban (Talk40 #15) singled, got to second on a passed ball, and came home on a single from James Jones (Watch List).
Morban and Jones had both doubled earlier. Chris Taylor (Talk40 #28) had two more hits and a walk.
Gilheeney's line, by the way: 7.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.
High-A -- Lake Elsinore 1, High... Read More
Hultz hurtz again ... Choi to Futures Game anyway ... Rainiers welcome Ty Kelly with win ... etc.
Posted by Spectator on 07/02/13
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With so many games going on, we'll sometimes break one or two out for "spotlight." And news.
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Of course, the "news" is not good with respect to Danny Hultzen (Talk40 #4). Hultzen was scratched after experiencing similar shoulder tightness to what sidelined him in April. Tacoma interim manager John Stearns didn't seem too optimistic: "We hope it's not too serious."
Even though the Hulzen "medical school" story has been proven to be a myth, at least he seems to be good at self-diagnosis and not being the "tough guy" who goes out a shreds his own shoulder.
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There'll be Choi Joy at... Read More
FireBavasiBlog starts up again IFF ...
Posted by jemanji on 07/02/13
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10 Comments
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At the Times blog, and on the radio, Geoff has been leading with this debate strategy. It's a very tough one to break down:
.........
001 Axiom 1. This is the 5th year of Zduriencik's tenure, sufficient time to make an evaluation.
002 Axiom 2. The GM + MGR Team is failing this year, and has failed in the aggregate 5 years.
003 Definition 1. Failure is incurred when the on-field product is a laughingstock, whatever the profit margin.
004 Definition 2. If the Mariners are failing in 2013 due to lack of talent, then the GM is failing.
005 Definition 3. If the Mariners are failing in... Read More
A tale of two GM's
Posted by jemanji on 07/02/13
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14 Comments
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The 2013 season is gone, up in smoke, so far as Dr. D is concerned. If you've lost count, this is season #5 in Jack Zduriencik's rebuild plan.
A quick comparison:
GM
Seasons
W
L
%
W per 162
Bavasi, M's
2003-08
322
395
.449
73
Zduriencik, M's
2009-13
323
407
.442
72
Bavasi, LAA
1994-99
434
491
.469
76
Bavasi, career
756
886
.460
75
The fact is that the Mariners' on-field product is no better under Zduriencik than it was under Bavasi. There is a mitigating factor to consider here: Zduriencik has piled up a huge flotilla of under-25 talent.
Bavasi had done exactly this in Los Angeles. ... Read More
There are no Mariners prospect bloggers, only people that Taijuan Walker allows to write about him
Posted by Spectator on 07/01/13
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4 Comments
If you missed it in the Shout Box, our man Ji-Man Choi (Talk40 #19) came in fourth in the Futures Game voting. So ... with Brad Miller (Talk40 #6) promoted and Choi failing to make the team, it appears at the moment that Taijuan Walker (Talk40 #2) will be the only Mariner representative.
As for Luiz Gohara (Talk40 #21), he pitched 2.0 IP and gave up two runs on two hits and two walks. He also struck out two. But the game was suspended.
AAA -- Tacoma 4, Colorado Springs 1 -- Box
Speaking of Walker, Seattle Mariner NOT Texas Ranger ...
Taijuan Walker once struck out eight Colorado... Read More