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Q. So Taijuan threw 5 IP, fanned 10, and now he's not starting? What if he'd fanned 10 in the last Arizona game - would they have held him out then?
A. The Mariners explain this as wanting him to "get into the rotation and stay there."
Read: they want him to win his first game, and get on a roll, like Paxton did. They doubt he can do it, on the road, against Texas.
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Q. "In 4 months, we'll be glad the Mariners did this." How true is that statement, on a scale of 1-10?
A. Oh... maybe a 3.
Lloyd McClendon quite obviously led the charge to give Taijuan a soft landing, at least judging by the 'elan with which he sold the idea to the media.
Another thing about Lloyd McClendon: he is the guy who has never seen Taijuan pitch.
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Q. Is there an argument that maybe Taijuan would be tentative in Texas?
A. There were a lot of feebs who feared for James Paxton's life, before he got to the majors. The pitcher holds the ball, gumby. A pitcher who holds a "98 MPH fast" ball tends not to be as tentative as, say, Anthony Vasquez. I mean, if Taijuan loses one up-and-in, it's a race to see if the helicopter gets Choo to the hospital in time.
Or let's say Taijuan lost the game in Texas. Oh me, oh my. Why is he the one who can't afford this trauma?
.......
:: shrug :: It's not the worst thing in the world, to give the kid an "easy victory" to kick off his year. It's just that I don't see Taijuan in this lace-china mold, do you? Sometimes you just get to over-thinking things. That's when you over-coach things.
That's what this is, an over-coach'ing.
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Q. How can there be "internal discussions and divisions" over Taijuan's promotion, if that's the GM's job, and Zduriencik is a tyrant?
A. ....
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Q. How much will it break the M's momentum, their lace-china fragile 2014 confidence, to watch Blake Beavan get pulped in Texas?
A. Earl's Fifth Law. Once we get our varsity rotation in there, hopefully all will be forgotten.
One game, among 162, it's true that the one game will eventually get lost in the sand-slide. That said, we benefitted from our statement against the Angels, didn't we? We had them diving into first base at risk of life and limb, had them bickering with their press corps, had them in full-on retreat...
Lou used to shuffle his sked to start off the Rangers with Randy Johnson. He thought you wanted to establish an understanding with your enemy, that you were asking no quarter and giving none. I don't associate that attitude with "Blake Beavan," do you?
I don't see the value in taking lightly the season-opening 4-gamer in Texas. If it had been me, I'd much rather discuss things with them over a fine bottle of 98-MPH fastballs.
But hey. Taijuan will be ready to enjoy his Casual Tuesday against the Astros and after all'a that, we'll be good to go.
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Bah Humbug,
Dr D