=== SIZZLERS Setup Hitters ===

First inning and right! off!  the bat!, Ichiro is on base and Feldman gets over-absorbed in his battle with Mr. 100 walks.  Ichiro gleefully exploits the lapse in concentration and takes off even before Feldman begins his delivery. 

2B standing up.

Ichiro is as alert as any player in baseball.  Fans get frustrated with him for not running "when we need a stolen base."  But Ichiro does not run based on when he wants to run; he runs when the base is available. 

This is similar to chess:  you don't attack the King because you feel like attacking the King.  You attack the King (or the Queenside, or the isolated pawn, or whatever) when your opponent has not defended it well.  Ichiro runs bases the way Grandmasters play chess:  according to windows of opportunity.  Ichiro aims his tiger-paw strikes at soft tissue.

Pitchers are going to find themselves upside-down in counts with Figgins, turn to deal with him, and Ichiro is going to be exactly the man to sense that the pitcher has dropped his lead glove a bit.

Score one for the Figgins-2 lineup.

.

=== SIZZLER Figgins' Glove ===

The man is a waterbug out there.  As is Jack Wilson.  I don't remember the last time I watched a DP combo with two such sudden players.

In the Baker interview, James had some interesting observations on Figgins, recommending against a McLemore-style bop around the diamond.  James thinks Figgins should be left at second base all year, without, say, putting Tui at 2B and Figgins at 3B on days Tui plays.

Get to that later...

.

=== FIZZLER Kotch-Man ===

Two hits, both of them medium hoppers that made it through the infield.  Had sixteen AB's, in just this one game, all of which were topped.

Ssiiiiigggghhhhhhhhh.   In Safeco, I'll say .290/.350/.410.   Which would be nice from, say, Jack Wilson or Endy Chavez.

.........

It's true, he's 28 and could have his best year.  And we did see him take a mighty rip at a 1-0 pitch -- also known as the "Earl Weaver At-Bat," hit normally unless it's 1-0 or 2-0.  We'll be watching the age-28 Kotchman for Earl Weaver AB's.  If he deliberately swings from the keister on 1-0 and 2-0 like he did Wednesday, fine, we'll issue a new stock call.  Upgrade from "stay far clear" to "no opinion."

.

=== SIZZLER Junior ===

Not hitting yet, but that's just timing.  Was noticeably lighter-n-tighter.  Following Dr. Naka's Theorem of Bodyfat-Batspeed Correlation ... slap me silly if the bat didn't look lighter in his hands.

He also took bigger rips at the ball, his head turning around the face the dugout... google up some vid from 1994-1997.  Junior would jump out of his shoes at every pitch, spinning around like the Tasmanian Devil when he missed.

A lot of those pitches he left on the warning track in 2009, he just didn't swing hard enough at.  Maybe that kind of followthrough twisted his knee?

Lashed one 89 fastball foul into the stands that took 0.23 seconds to travel 150 feet.  At age 40, fitness matters, that's a fact.  Junior's fit.  So, that's good.

.