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Dr. D was quite taken aback Monday night, when the M's took over the game and the national TV color guy started whining about the lefty hitters.

SSI thinks that this was more than a throwaway comment.  Like, when Peter Gammons called Brad "Logo" Miller the best player nobody has heard of, I think that was more than just a throwaway comment.  Behind that comment is a "buzz" among the industry's scouts, that they are seeing something really special in Miller.  (So is Dr. D.  and so DID Gordon and Spec.)

Before Opening Day, we had done a 30,000-foot view courtesy of BaseballHQ, and warned y'all "Hang on, hang on.  The prospectus is kinda scary for the league's RHP's here."

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SSI thinks that the ESPN color guy was seeing what we all did.  Now that they're throwing punches in anger, that 1-8 in this lineup, the batters are now looking like one whale of a rough ride for a right hand pitcher.

It's like a 9-man box in football.  You better be able to throw the slant.  

And the antidote is obvious, even to Soccer Mom:  the left hand pitcher.  Of which there are a few in the American League:

• C.J. Wilson, LHP Angels
• Tyler Skaggs, LHP
• Hector Santiago, LHP
• Scott Kazmir, LHP A's
• Martin Perez, LHP Rangers
• Joe Saunders, LHP
• Brett Oberholtzer, LHP Astros
• Chris Sale, LHP ChiSox
• John Danks, LHP
• Jose Quintana, LHP
• Drew Smyly, LHP Tigers
• Jason Vargas, LHP Royals
• Danny Duffy, LHP
• Bruce Chen, LHP
• Wei-Yin Chen, LHP Orioles
• Jon Lester, LHP Red Sox
• Felix Doubront, LHP
• CC Sabathia, LHP NYY
• David Price, LHP Rays
• Matt Moore, LHP
• Mark Buehrle, LHP Jays
• J.A. Happ, LHP

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The Initiative, in Chess and in Life

Look, there isn't much question about it.  The Mariners' lineup can NOT, you'd think cannot, look that terrific against LHP's.  The question is whether they will look okay.  Or is it?

In chess, the "intiative" is the capacity to make threats, to force your opponent into being reactive.  All NFL defenses are predicated on the attempt to "sieze the initiative."

To a chessmaster this emotional feeling is very familiar:  you have the White pieces, you're flying high.  You've got a nice advantage, even on your way to the tourney hall.  You've got the initiative.  You want to win that day.  

The opener of the Oakland series, with a RHP on the mound, Dr. D will feel like the Mariners have the White pieces.  That 8-man lefty thing is a load.  (Or at least we hope so.)

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But you have the Black pieces, you're trying to gut out a draw.  You start by trying to neutralize the problems, trying to straighten out your weaknesses.  You're starting with rope-a-dope, trying to fight your way up to a 50-50 prospectus.  

Compare home-and-road in the NBA, or in soccer.   Sometimes, the game has just now started, and your problem is how to establish Ground Zero.  That is the way tonight against C.J. Wilson.  If and when the moment arrives, when it feels like either side could win the game, the M's will already have achieved a lot.  When you feel like the game has gotten to a true 50-50 tonight, savor it.

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Against LHP's, the M's have the Black pieces.  Will they be okay?  That's what we're watching for tonight.  And it's an acid test:  of the American League's 22 lefty starters, there are six aces, and Here We Go Amig-O.

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The Constants

Four hitters are constants from Monday to Tuesday, and these four hitters can't possibly hit as well against LHP's as they do against RHP's.  We've got the whole infield, the 3B - SS - 2B, along with Dustin Ackley, who can't be changed.  These four guys, as a group, WILL be attempting to combine for a 100 OPS+ this year against lefties.

Brad Miller, last year, did what most smart LH do in that situation.  He kept his AVG and OBP the same, and sacrificed SLG to do it.  All things considered, if Ackley looks tough tonight, the M's infield might achieve that 100 OPS+ as a group.

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The Righties

Thusly:

What's it all add up to?

Surprisingly, the M's have the prospect of --- > no glaring weak link against LHP's.  They could conceivably get 9 (not 8) players chipping away at the LHP, and their hope is that --- > Corey Hart and Stefen Romero fill the "money bat" role that Robinson Cano fills against RHP's.

This was the situation that we were hoping for against RHP's before the season started (although now we're hoping for much more against RHP's).  7-8 okay bats, and a Straw that Stirs.

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Beane Count, Dept.

Because McClendon is willing to play 9-to-make-5, precisely because he is willing to Earl Weaver the best bats in there every day, without veteran MLB(TM) Entitlement, it looks like the Mariners have some possibility of that occurring.  

Funny thing:  none of these guys are famous, but they all sneak up on you, and they're all being put in positions to succeed.  None of them are being given anything, except Cano, and all of them are having fun.   One game in, we have an idea of what it must feel like to be an Oakland A's fan.

Let's see what Hart and Romero look like against CJ Wilson.

Enjoy,

Jeff