Chone Figgins, Daren Brown, and a jaded Dr. D (2)
For those who just joined us, Chone Figgins outdid himself in Wednesday's afternoon game:
- The Mariners were tied, naturally because the Sox hadn't scored yet, in the 6th inning.
- Single, lineout, single, walk and AAA pitcher David Pauley's 1-strikeout luck had run out. Coach to the mound to figure out how to escape Destiny.
- Adrian Beltre then hit a hard grounder that would have been a GIDP up the middle, except Pauley kicked it. Bases loaded, M's down 1-0.
- Do the M's fold here? Or do they cowboy up?
- Lowell hit a SF to Ichiro, making it 2-0. FIGGINS, DISGUSTED WITH ANOTHER DEFEAT*, QUITS ON THE GAME AND DOES NOT BOTHER TO COVER 2B ON THIS PLAY.
- Because nobody is covering or even taking a relay, David Ortiz (!) moves to 3B and Adrian Beltre moves to 2B. Two free bases.
- The next hitter, Daniel Nava, singles to Ichiro. Would Ortiz have scored from 2B? No, but since he's on 3rd, both he and Beltre score (Beltre running with two out). 4-0.
- The Mariners respond with 3 runs in the 7th. Because of the two extra runs, they remain behind, and lose 5-3.
For those of you who want verification: as Ichiro caught the ball and positioned himself to throw, Mike Blowers broke in with a startled voice, "Nobody covering second!", whereupon the TV camera then showed Ortiz and Beltre gamboling up leisurely into position for runs 3 and 4.
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Here's the question.
What, precisely, is Daren Brown going to do about Chone Figgins' with-these-teammates-whats-the-point quitting routine?
Not say about it. Do about it?
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If "nothing," what, precisely, is the argument for keeping Daren Brown in the manager's office? That's his skillset, right, getting 25 men on the same page?
No complaint against Brown here. I do not believe there is anything that he can do about Chone Figgins, or about anybody else. But me?, I'd say that this ballclub is one that needs a 600-lb. gorilla.
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Supposing the Mariners had to pay $1M per year more than anybody else, to get Bobby Valentine, or somebody like him. What's that compared to annually wasting $90M worth of payroll?
What's it worth to graduate out of the laughingstock category?
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=== Positive Finish Dept. ===
Felix' response to this season has been, well, the kind of stuff that would make a Cliff Lee proud. As the season becomes ever-more grim, Felix becomes more and more impossible. This kid is truly coalescing into his generation's Tom Seaver.
Ichiro, among very few other players, has played with pride and passion despite the stuff going on around him. The Times' questioning of Ichiro's payroll % is reasonable, but bear in mind that this is the one player who, season in and season out, gives the Mariners a dollar's play for a dollar's pay.
Russell Branyan, to the extent that his back holds up, is another fine competitor.
Pick your own warriors for 2011. Jason Vargas, for example. A ballplayer who refuses to quit, when it ain't fun, is a ballplayer who can play for me any time.
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Chone Figgins has proven, that in a fun context, that he can help a team win. The danger is that, if a ballclub is teetering on the brink in any given May, that he can sure be a part of its throwing in the towel, too.
Not sure how much you want to risk that for May 2001. That's the dilemma with a player like him. Given a context of the club turning itself around, he'd help.
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BABVA,
Dr D
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*my opinion. Correct.