We recall another big mistake made by Doc..David Aardsma. I don't say that Aardsma is a bullpen ace ferrealz ( :) ), but he definitely got two decent-value years and saved a bunch of games...we don't need League to be the next greatest thing...we just need him to have some solid value as a set-up man.
I think...EVENTUALLY...that the Mariners have the right arms to have an OK bullpen.
Kelley, BTW, to answer an earlier question, is probably out til at least June...he just had surgery again a couple of weeks back if I remember correctly. But in the short term, it would line up like this for me:
1) Lueke (SUR)
2) League (SUR)
3) Pauley (Halama/Tomko class SWING)
4) French (SUL - he, I think is a better lefty reliever than he is a lefty starter)
But I'm not wedded to this order...and there are other guys who might eventually line up and kelp us out...Aardsma will be back near the end of April, Kelley may be back in June, and you have several prospects to try out and hope for a splash.
=== Fizzler: Felix Hernandez ===
Looks noticeably flabbier than in 2010.
15 extra pounds around the middle, that throws the balance off.
Am not alarmed, exactly, but ... almost all pitchers have UP and DWN years. Could easily visualize Felix having an 'inexplicable' down year ... the winter after his big bucks rolled in.
Hope not, but am watching it. Don't mind me - nothing to see here.
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=== Sizzler: Erikkk ===
Last September, how confident were you that come March 20 --- > he'd look like he does right now?
8 strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched, a 1.29 ERA.
We're just saying: the Seattle sports beat spent the winter saying, "Hey, if we can get 80% of Erik Bedard, that will mean a couple games..."
The Mainframe insists. There is no such thing as 80% of Erik Bedard.
He's like an old Soviet SS-18 nuclear ICBM. It might fizzle, pop, start smoking slightly and sputter out just as you're contemplating your last 30 minutes of life ... but if it does light up at all, somebody's going to be very sorry. That somebody being your enemies.
..........
Supposing that Bedard starts around 27-30 games, as he very well might after so much rest, for this year it is as though the Mariners just spent $100M on a superstar.
If they'd done that, everybody would be re-doing their stock projections. But they have. Maybe.
...........
My joy in watching this man pitch knows no bounds. He's like Randy Johnson, except brainier. I flat love to watch him.
A bush man from Canada (heh) wrote that sometimes, when he's 100 miles from any other person, and walks out into the snow in the morning, and the peace and beauty are total, he feels like jumping up and down to endure the delight...
Bedard, when he's right, starts cutting up helpless ML All-Stars with straight razors and Ph.D's and I .... well, you know the rest.
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=== Sizzler: Michael Pineda ===
::hug head to chest:: there, there, Michael. If nobody else in CyberLand gets you, we get you. It'll be okay.
We imagine you're conversant with what SSI has been saying about Pineda.
Did you think we'd get to camp and SSI would advise you that Pineda is better than it thought he was?
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BABVA,
Dr D
Comments
Your quoted stats didn't include yesterday's outing obviously...Erik becomes the first Mariner to go five complete innings...he pitched his way to a nice W, 5 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, (the one run he allowed came via longball). He looks fine and dandy. I expect he'll at least be healthy at the start of the year...how long it lasts is anyone's guess.