=== ProBall NW ===

Another sol-eed article up at ProBallNW, this one covering the handful of interesting SP prospects in the system.

Jon seems to peg the M's pitching resources as being at a low ebb.  In this, BaseballHQ sees and raises, calling the M's pitching system absolutely the #30 in baseball. 

SSI won't argue.  Any given org should have a couple-three Chris Tillman, RRS types in the upper minors, ready to compete at least for an ML job.  The M's have zero.

Which, I suppose, extenuates Jack Zduriencik picking Detroit's package on Washburn "because we got a pitcher who could help right away."

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

Conor and Jon say that French looks rejuvenated in spring training.  Dr. D will readily admit that if he'd seen Ryan Rowland-Smith during one of his dead-arm, 86 mph phases, he'd have written RRS off as harshly as he did French.

French's 2009 stuff was too mushy for AAA, much less MLB, and even at the time of the trade, baseball was aghast at the "dime-a-dozen lefthander" the M's selected.

But, absolutely.  If French comes out this March with a different arm, then it's a different subject.  And who can rule that out?  We haven't seen French over much of his career yet.

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=== Mariner Central ===

Dr. Naka always has something fresh to say.  In this case, he catches Wakamatsu cheerfully copping a Japanese refinement to bunt defense.   You would be surprised the recent Mariners managers who would resist an NPB way of doing things, just on principle -

One of the hallmarks of great leadership, as opposed to good business managing, is that the leader exudes a focus on success.  Even at the expense of comfort zones and egos.

Can't speak highly enough of Wakamatu's 21st-century-John-Wooden-type presence.  The man is as good a 1st-, 2nd-year manager as I have seen.

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=== Prospect Insider ===

Has a chat tonight at 7 pm.   Jason's information on the M's minors was always comprehensive, but these days the sheer number of players that he is familiar with, boggles the mind.

It's always possible to have our own opinions as to whether Matt Tuiasosopo or Carlos Triunfel are blue-chip prospects.  Where the PI chats really shine, is when you get interested in a lower minors player ...

The M's blog-o-sphere is remarkable.  Not only are there many robust blogs, but they delineate out into distinct, useful niches.

M's cyberspace is a great place to have a cup of coffee, ain't it?

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=== Section 331 ===

And here's the jazz section of the blog-o-sphere... or is that underground progressive section?  :- )  The author knows where to sit for a baseball game.  Today's article muses about whether baseball players make too big a deal out of it when "shown up" on the field.

Not sure what 331's position is on this - the article is more of a description of the issue - but it's amusing the difference between (say) NBA showing off and MLB showing off.  If a baseball player hangs on the rim after a home run, next up is a beanbrawl war. 

Has always been that way:  the pitcher who gave up Ruth's "called shot" in the 1931 (?) Series said that anybody who believed the myth was naive, because any self-respecting pitcher would have hit Ruth in the head for pointing at the bleachers...

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=== Big Finish Dept. ===

This LL article is hilarious even by Sully's standards.

We notice, BTW, that in the comments they were casting about a little bit to find an ML comp for Ackley.  It's going to be tough.  Like Ichiro, Ackley presents a strange combination of strengths and weaknesses.

A left hand Chuck Knoblauch, for lack of a better comp.  Check Knoblauch's age 26-27 seasons, and that would be what we're hoping for from Ackley.  But even there, we'd like to see more than 12 homers from Ackley.  And Knoblauch was an MVP candidate in his prime.

The young Rod Carew shared these attributes:

• Batting championships
• Speed
• 2B
• Lefty
• Gap power

But of course, Ackley has yet to play his first pro game.   It was the M's expansion season, 1977, in which Carew made his run at .400, finishing at .388.

Still, I'd say that Rod Carew is the logical ML comparable for Dustin Ackley.

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Gotta get to the radio,

Dr D