=== Shannon Drayer ===

I/O:  Scores very high on the readability scoreboard with this post on the Mariners' mood.  It was "quiet" in Oakland -- does this mean loss of morale?  Nah, Junior says, it was the two late losses.

New city, re-set button, sez Junior, which is why everybody was chipper again.

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CRUNCH:  Jim Bouton, in Ball Four, wrote that "losing a ballgame so suddenly is like being punched in the stomach."  You've already chalked up a game against the teams that have lost, and then...

Which ... have you ever been punched in the stomach, hard and high above the navel, when you weren't ready?  Every baseball player has, at one time or another.  This is partly the reason that, in real life, "Closers" are more important than they are in Strat-O-Matic.

The M's did get gut-kicked twice, in Oakland, and then got gut-kicked about the 6th inning in the two followup games.   Disturbing trend, but that's what The Felix is for.

Survive the road trip, Felix wins, maybe steal the last game, you're back home, and all's well.

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=== ProBallNW ===

I/O:  Conor Dowley attended the Rainiers' opener.

Saunders played center field - cool - and Greg Halman was promoted from AAA.  Overthrew the third baseman from the RF fence (!).

Carrera, who is now belatedly acknowledged by SSI as a candidate to post >380 OBP's, has been promoted to start in LF.  So that's an exciting OF to watch.

Conor wasn't impressed by David Pauley, who has climbed the ladder to Safeco's #6-7 SP (not counting Lee and Bedard).

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CRUNCH:  A throw from the RF fence, over the 3B's head on the fly, is a throw I don't think I've seen before, other than once from Bo Jackson (in a different direction).

This goes along with the huge-hands-NFL-body mystique that Halman conveys.  (Was it G-Money or me who first compared Halman to Bo?)

The fact that the M's promoted Halman is nice, but there isn't really that great a difference between AA and AAA.  It's all the upper minors.  Maybe the M's just want to stay more connected with him.

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

SSI has given its first take on Pauley:  87-89 mph guy, moderate groundballs (1.8), who pitches with a lot of head and heart.   If PBNW was less than overwhelmed by Pauley's stuff, that shows you that they're on the stick back there.  :- )  He's definitely not a stuff guy.

Jack Zduriencik is more scout than saber, and he evidently likes Pauley's makeup. I'll believe it when I see it on Pauley, but if you're a Capt Jack Fanatic, you've gotta be eyes slideways on Pauley.

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Cheers,

Dr D