Mariners 4, Orioles 3 (two)
SLOPS TO MICHAEL SAUNDERS' LINE DRIVE DOWN THE RF LINE:
Dr. D has nothing against pull hitters. Juan Gonzalez pulled everything.
But this is totally ridiculous. Ted Williams' first rule for a struggling hitter is to take the ball up the middle. I don't even know if Michael Saunders can line a ball up the middle.
He's got to catch the ball so flush on the clubhead, in such a tiny little window, that it's impossible. ::Scotty:: I kinna change the lawz a physics, Keptin! I've got! to have! a contact window!
Saunders, Figgins, and Peguero at the bottom, that's nine full AB's flushed down the gutter.
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PROPS TO JACK CUST GETTING TWO MORE HITS TODAY:
Don't know why we didn't notice it before, but Cust does the same thing that Kennedy and Saunders do: he finishes with his racket low.
On his single, he had excellent topspin and on two hops the ball juuuuuusssssssst ticked off the leather* of the 2B going into CF.
Now I get the BABIP. (Does anyone know why they stopped shifting him? Because it doesn't work anyway?)
............
His best shots are still on the warning track, and I still don't like a super-slow .270/.370/.425 slugger with 40 runs scored and 50 RBI, full season.
You know how many R and RBI Cust has, in this smoking-hot May? ... 6 R and 7 RBI. ::blarrgghh::
The Oakland A's would cut Jack Cust for his "hot" May.
...........
But! I've changed my mind some about Cust's upside in Safeco. He can OPS+ an empty 110 here, and as such his problem is not a priority.
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SLOPS TO THE KENNEDY AND ACKLEY SITCH:
The problem has crystallized. Adam Kennedy is one of two (2) good hitters we have right now.
The presumed third good hitter, Dustin Ackley, plays exactly the same position as 2 does. That's probably why he's still down.
You knew that already, you say? No, it wasn't evident until this week that Adam Kennedy will get 500+ AB's for the 2011 Mariners. Adam Kennedy is now apparently a fulltime player --- > for the duration. That's the "crystallization" part.
........
Ackley is still hot. No, scratch that. He is still too good for the PCL. Last ten games again, he's gotten on base 20 times and slugged .667 again. His .603 May SLG does not translate to .400 in the big leagues, gentlemen.
Here, let's run his May results:
- .355 AVG (not freakish; the whole month is skill, not luck)
- 13 doubles + triples (70 prorated)
- 5 HR's (30+ homers prorated)
- 19 walks
- .440 OBP, .603 SLG
There isn't any reason at all to project Ackley to slug less than .500 in the AL, except that he doesn't look that big. And maybe Safeco.
.......
As we all know, Kennedy and Ackley can play together if each takes one of the following positions:
- DH
- 2B
- 3B
- LF
You and I can see the permutations as well as Zduriencik can. At the moment, here are my choices, in order:
- Kennedy 3B, if the M's could shed Figgins (or at least jobshare him to LF/3B)
- Kennedy LF, if the M's didn't sweat the defensive risks, which they probably do
- (Kennedy DH, except it's impossible to do Cust that way)
- Oakland-style 5-to-make-4 at 2B/DH/3B/left field backup
Only the last one is politically feasible, it seems ... and the M's evidently don't want Ackley in a jobshare.
One thing I wouldn't do, is play Ackley in the outfield; it could ruin his groove at 2B. Apparently the M's agree; if Ackley were being considered for the OF, he'd have played there a game or two in Tacoma.
It's confusing, man. It will be *fun* to see how Zduriencik solves it. Should be something dramatic.
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Cheerio,
Dr D
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