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on the radio on Saturday talking to Rizzs: the Mariners were deciding between Noesi and Nova, and picked Noesi.
I was interested in Noesi, but now I'm intrigued and viewing has as more than a RH Furbush style tweener.  Not that Furbush himself isn't interesting.
And seriously, Snow looks like a Jeff Niemann type pitcher with more heat even, and I dunno what to think about that. 
Add that to the Aramis Ramirez impression Catricala is making on people, forcing them to consider his weak-ish glove at 3B simply because the man has a gorgeous swing and can HIT, and to Seager looking like he's adding power and a better approach to every at-bat...
BTW, what IS Seager with more power?  Ray Durham? Michael Young?
Can you get Aramis Ramirez, Michael Young and Chase Utley all on to the same team if you're not gonna let Michael Young play shortstop?
And have I drunk too much coolaid to imagine our possible lineup by then end of the year as the equivalent of:
DH/C: Miguel Cabrera
2B: Chase Utley
3B: Aramis Ramirez
1B: Justin Morneau
LF: Lyle Overbay
SS: Stephen Drew
UT: Michael Young
With us figuring out CF and RF from a pile of internal options, trade possibilities and FAs (like Carlos Quentin) going forward?
How sick is that?  Especially with Clayton Kershaw, Justin Verlander and Cole Hamels types nearing arrival from the farm?
I've had a dialogue with some people at P3 but it doesn't look like Dr. Elliott is granting interviews on his Mariners training methods or results (and potentially can't until the 3 year exclusivity period / gag order is up).  They've been nothing but polite, though, and also seem thrilled at the progress made by the Ms minor leaguers.  Maybe next offseason I can get the Q&A with them that would help shine a light on all the progress made by our players.
Whether it's the coaches training them, the scouts selecting them, the players themselves earning it, the program... It's working.  The synergistic approach to drafting the right kind of baseball rats, shaping them into baseball-specific athletes and letting confident young men dig in and do the work is definitely working.
I don't care as much if it happens perfectly THIS year.  It certainly looks like that crescendo is coming, inexorable as the tide.
The last time we rode a wave anything like this we forgot the pitchers and made RJ go it alone in the rotation with a small assist from Bosio (poor Dave Fleming) while backing him with Tino, Gar, Junior, Buhner, Vizquel etc. in the lineup.
It doesn't look like we've forgotten the pitching this time.  Hang in there Felix - we're almost there...
Gonna step away from the keyboard now.  The euphoria of Spring arriving and the Mariners possibly playing Real Baseball With Legit Players is obviously getting the better of me.
~G