More guys the M's, and I, like more than does the madding crowd:

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 Shawn Kelley.  Although they should like him even more than they do.  :- )

They threw this guy right into the high-leverage situations with little ado, despite the fact that he was a big surprise in training camp.  Keen talent judgment, massive confidence in their own on-field scouting, and they reaped the rewards.

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Kao-Kan Attack.  This year's quasi-RH-Sherrill has been laying batters waste with his Funk Casts, and right now the M's are showing baseball how Rule 5's should be spent...

Kudos again to Pro Ball NW, who nailed the splits, nailed the video and broke the story.  :- )

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Lopez at 3B.   We've talked about this a bit, we think.  But notice how far the M's opened themselves to 2nd-guessing....

Chicken out on a chance to improve the ballclub, because afraid of criticism later?  That is not how Z and Wok roll, kids.

Beastie kind of silenced all criticism of the move by simply running a photo of Figgins standing in Lopez' shadow, edging nervously away lest Jose should accidentally topple over and crush him without any splatter.

Worst thing about the move:  Figgins has to move back later, anyway.

Best thing about the move:  your best ML-ready player, Matt Tuiasosopo, is now positioned to enter the lineup at his natural spot.

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Ackley at 2B.  No-brainer for SSI; no-brainer for Mike Fox at UNC; brainLESS to most of the baseball world.

How hard is it to go outside the box with a draft pick of this magnitude?  Once again, an illustration of the M's grim iron determination to win baseball games, and not mug for the gallery.

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Stars & Scrubs.  With the huge Cliff Lee trade, the 6-for-1 offer on AGone, and a general evisceration of Entitled MLB(TM) Vets like Branyan, Washburn, etc., the M's are remolding the 25-man roster after Captain Roto's image.

If they wanted to, the Mariners could, on May 1, very feasibly make changes at the following positions:

• LF
• DH/1B (in terms of AB's parceled out, Oakland-style)
• C (in terms of who takes the lead, or even whether a Zaun/Bard type takes over)
• SS/3B could see Tui take over in an injury or trade
• SP3
• SP4
• SP5
• CL (League)

Compare the years* when the M's ran 5 starters the entire season, signed #5 SP's to big contracts, had huge arguments about whether Jose Lopez was insulting veterans wanting to play...

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Mike Sweeney (and team chemistry).  He wouldn't be in camp for a lot of teams.  The Mariners contorted themselves to carry both Sweeney and Junior on the same bench in 2009, and if that don't tell you they like Sweeney more than other teams do, dunno what would...

SSI likes Sweeney -- and platooning -- so much that we want him back for 2010.   Word is the M's coaches are trying to finagle this very thing, if they possibly can.

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Ken Griffey Jr.  I think that, healthy and spotted correctly, he can still SLG close to .500.  One NL scout predicted that he might do exactly that, and be the key to an UP season.

Deserved part of Ichiro's paycheck last year, and will deserve part of Bradley's (and Ichiro's!) this year.

Cheers,

Jeff