..................

Okay, this play's over, where's the next signal from the coach already?!

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Ticking the list off on your fingers:

DUSTIN ACKLEY - James says, 60-90 games to become completely adjusted, just in terms of the clubhouse, daily routine, etc.

Ackley's played exactly 90 games.  He's gone home, spent the winter knowing he was the incumbent 2B.  He's going through spring training as one of the established locals at Diamond Lil's. He should be all.  systems.  go.  in April 2012.

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KYLE SEAGER, JUSTIN SMOAK - these guys may or may not be actually developed.  The "acclimation" principle applies only assuming that development is complete.

Still:  Justin Smoak is the very definition of a post-hype sleeper.  People have gotten bored and lost interest, because it's been a fairly large number of at-bats without payoff, and most roto owners are thinking that the adjustment period is over and that he's failed (to be a star).

James' comp for Smoak was Carlos Pena, who was also a post-hype sleeper and who hit .286/.411/.627 once he jelled.  Whether that's this year, or 2015, for Smoak, we'll see.

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VINNIE CATRICALA - He would be dealing with the Diamond Lil's syndrome, no doubt about it.  Especially with regard to his nerves at 3B.  You can only have a couple of Vinnies, pure rookies with nerves, on your club.  

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JESUS MONTERO - No Diamond Lil's syndrome for him at the plate, we're guessing.  But as to his catching and his role generally, as the Mariners' savior, he's definitely got a poker syndrome to sweat.  You see why Eric Wedge is speaking in terms of 30-40 games at catcher.  Wedge is buffering the Diamond Lil's syndrome for Montero.

A lot of times we, as baseball fans, underrate the value of what Montero did in September 2011.  If Montero had come in a true rookie, 0 games played in the majors, his situation would be utterly different.  Passing that first test in the majors... well, that's the single most important test of his career.

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JAMES PAXTON - It's a little different for pitchers, as you might have noticed in watching Michael Pineda.  They hold the ball, and a guy like Paxton is well aware of the weapons that he is deploying. "They seem to have a hard time with it," he smiled about his curve ball.  He knows exactly how good he is, and how good he's going to be.  Would expect nerves to be a minimal factor.

DANNY HULTZEN - This guy I'd worry more about.  If he made the club in April and May, then SSI would predict that his nerves would be a huge factor.

TAIJUAN WALKER - The question is moot, I guess, but he has some of the "prodigy mentality" going for him.  A 12-year-old chessplayer, going against a Grandmaster, is praised win or lose.  The 12-year-old knows this, and he lets it fly, playing a joyfully aggressive game.  Taijuan, if he were in the M's rotation, would be doing the Junior shtick, we're guessing.

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2012 M's - The M's have fully two lineups' worth of position players, and the four main players (Ackley, Montero, Carp, Smoak) are all inexperienced.  But the unusual thing is, they're all acclimated.  The first three are all around 1/2 of one season, and Smoak (who is slower-developing) is around 1 and 1/2 seasons.

It's a fascinating point in the timeline for the key position players.  Not often that you see four or five "rookies" all begin a season together having had juuuuuuust enough time to get comfortable.