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Genuine question, does USSM have any access to actual Mariner front office staff? DC frequently seems to posit all sorts of theories about what the M's are thinking and how they make decisions. Is there any substance to this based on his having interactions with the people on the M's? Or is it just his take. Because, he sure likes to demonize the M's and criticize their very premises and level of intelligence, not just make critiques of their specific moves.
E.g.:
"A few years ago, the Mariners were focused on adding value in any form they could find it; today, the Mariners are focused on scoring more runs. It’s an understandable reaction to the offensive struggles of the last few seasons, but it’s regrettable at the same time, and the focus on simply improving the team’s run scoring instead of their run differential is going to make it less likely that the team is competitive in 2013."
One - can it be possible for any sentient human, let alone a highly decorated blog "expert", to have watched the M's put up a couple of literally the worst offenses ever in the past few years, and walk away somehow thinking that improving offense is not a critical priority? Two - in any case, is there any reality to this description of the M's "focus"? I find it impossible to imagine Jack Z could be that simplistic in his strategic thinking.
I hate to always be piling on the guy, I'm sure he's a good dude in real life, but I just always walk away so unimpressed by his thinking and writing - and struggle to understand why he is so popular. I guess a lot of people like the illusion of certainty, and feeling of moral-intellectual superiority.