SleeplessinSeattle's Sports

Baseball comes to the rescue just in time: Mariners: The Seattle Times

2007-02-15T18:51:00.000-08:00

Baseball comes to the rescue just in time: Mariners: The Seattle Times

Football's over. The Sonics suck, and the owner of the land that they want to use to build their new arena says that they have no interest in selling to them--not to mention the legislature isn't too keen on the $300 MM pricetag, either (translation: Hello Oklahoma City Supersonics, 2007-2008 season style). The T'Birds have clinched a playoff spot again this year, though barely by the skin of their teeth. The Huskies hoops team is on again, off again. The Zags won't be making it into March Madness this year..........in short, all is not well with the local sports scene, yet again.

What's that you say? Pitchers and catchers, and a few other early birds, reported to Peoria as of yesterday? The first workout is scheduled for this morning after (yet another) meeting?

Never mind that it's raining today, and supposed to snow again next week, if the Cactus and Grapefruit leagues are getting ready to fire up, can real spring be far behind? And, if the first exhibition game is on 1 March (the annual charity game with the Pads), can opening day be far after that? Indeed not.

Of course, the big question here is, after spending a record $100MM on their budget this year, will the M's be able to get the (rally) monkey off their back, and beat the A's at least once during the opening home stand? Do they have a winning April and come out of it with management still intact, or do they blow it (again) and start May with a new field manager and GM???

Frankly, I have an ongoing headache from thinking about it. Still, that doesn't mean that the radio isn't already tuned to AM 1000 and ready for the first broadcast on 1 March; that the TIVO isn't already programmed with a season ticket for the game broadcasts; or that I'm not planning to buy tickets and play hookey on opening day. No sir and ma'am, not a bit! They may win or they may lose, but I'll be right there to find out. I won't be making a lot of treks to the Safe unless my job situation improves drastically in a big hurry, but I will watch every game, win or lose.

At least they aren't the Pittsburgh Pirates (sorry Shooter) or the Kansas City Royals (why ever did you give Gilly that 5 year $55MM deal? You'll be soooooorrrrrrry...). Here's to a better year.....bring on the season!

Now it's Lincoln on the hot seat

2006-10-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Now it's Lincoln on the hot seat

As I've said more than once in the past, Art Thiel is a sportswriter that I don't often agree with. That said, I find this piece of sufficient interest to hope that Mr. Lincoln has finally gotten the message, at least a little bit, that he SHOULD be concerned about his position as the Mariners' CEO.

It is barely the first two days of the post-season and already five field managers have lost their jobs. Not among them was Mike Hargrove, nor was GM Bill Bavasi, as Mr. Lincoln notified the season ticket holders last week by mail that they would be retained for the 2007 season. He later clarified that to say that, while they would be returning to manage the team,, they would be "on the hot seat" from the beginning of the season.

Frankly, this did little to placate the more verbal members of the Mariners' fan constituency, not happy with paying anywhere from $2,500.00 to $25,000.00 per season for their tickets and not having any post-season tickets to show for it. Some of the more vocal were literally calling for Mr. Lincoln's head on a platter; most just grumbling even more than usual--especially since the football season in Seattle has gotten off to a worse start than hoped for, giving them less to focus on away from the baseball season.

I'm glad to see that Mr. Lincoln finally acknowledges in a public manner that he might just be, at least a little bit, accountable for what has, and has not, come to pass since the 116 win season in 2001. It is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, though, I am a skeptic, in a family of skeptics. I'm not going to lay out any money for season tickets until I see something positive happen before or during the winter meetings/GM's meetings; and I might even have a hard time pulling money for single game tickets out of my wallet when they go on sale early in 2007. I can sit at home and watch the same old losing ways at home for free and spend the $250+ per game on something more constructive, shall we say.

Here's hoping Messrs. Yamauchi and Kimishima, as well as Mr. Suzuki (he of the annual report to the majority owner) hold Mr. Lincoln's feet to the fire and make him live up to these latest comments. Until then, I'm outta here....WHL season started this past Saturday, and the (probably last)Sonics' season starts any day now. As for the Hawks...well, they had better get their act together during the bye week, too.

The Seattle Times: Mariners: Mariners improved? Don't buy the spin

2006-09-20T06:19:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Mariners: Mariners improved? Don't buy the spin

I had intended to write a post on exactly this subject within the next day or so. Now, more or less, I don't have to, because Steve Kelley has said almost exactly what I had intended to write. (Actually, I have BEEN saying almost exactly this for some months now--like from last season).

While I will go against him to the extent that I do think that there have been some improvements made, they were too little, too late, and did not meet the expectations of the non-bandwagon fan base (you know, those of us who REALLY care if the team wins or loses--not just go out to the Safe for the ambience of the place and to see and be seen).

Up until the inexplicable and sudden firing of Ron Hassey and Dan Rohn this past week, I had held out hope that this season and the disastrous 0-11 road trip just MIGHT spell the end of Messrs. Hargrove and Bavasi. Now it appears as if both are here to stay, at least into next season. It remains to be seen if that hold might be tenuous or not, if next season begins like this one is ending. While the dismissal of Hassey was said to be because of a "poor fit" with the coaching staff, no reason was given for the dismissal of Rohn, who was seen as a top contender for the management job if Hargrove was relieved of the final year of his contract; and might be seen as a means of ridding the team of a man who had been critical of recent management tactics.

As noted in Mr. Kelley's article, attendance has been down considerably this season, and could/probably will fall still farther (unless, of course, there are a lot more people out there disguised as empty seats that I had previously thought). This has to have an effect on the bottom line,, that figure which has been so precious to the present regime in the executive offices. If the bottom line continues to fall, how can payroll not follow? And, if payroll drops, can we not look forward to being treated to a Northwest version of a Marlins fire sale? And, if there is a fire sale, can we not look forward to a return to the dark days of the 1980's (yes, I know I was not here then, but I DO know my Mariners' history)?

I'm not just a one sport person. Sure, the Hawks are looking to be at least reasonably good again this year, once Deion Branch gets onto the field and the O line solidifies as well as the D line has, but I want to be able to enjoy my baseball, too (I'm going to ignore the Sonics for the time being, because I STILL think they will be in OKC by this time in 2008), and that's going to be a little hard to do if we have only a fourth season of slight (or no) improvement to look forward to.

Everyone who complains to themselves and their fellow fans on the local Mariners' forums needs to expand their complaints to at least the extent of e-mailing the club's fan feedback mailbox and letting them know that we agree with Mr. Kelley's sentiments and asking for either concrete action to improve the team this offseason (up to and including a few heads rolling) or a PLAUSIBLE explanation why that cannot/has not been done (no more "we tried, but just weren't able to get it done"). I'll be sending them another e-mail this morning myself. How about the rest of you?

The Seattle Times: Mariners: Analysis: Patience trying for M's, fans

2006-08-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Mariners: Analysis: Patience trying for M's, fans

As a parting shot on the day of his retirement after 25 years of covering the team, Bob Finnigan offers up this analysis of what is wrong with the Mariners. Most of what he says is not particularly surprising to anyone that has been around town for the past three seasons, of course.

Somewhat more surprising, perhaps, is his criticism of Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre and Ichiro for failing to have become the natural leaders of the team in the clubhouse; and the failure of the team to have traded any or all of the above at the deadline this year, though there were offers on the table for at least Beltre and Ichiro. He also takes majority owner Hiroshi Yamauchi to task for being more or less insistent that Ichiro remain with the team.

It remains to be seen whether or not either Mike Hargrove and/or Bill Bavasi will remain on the payroll after the season is over.

Not much has been heard from the Howard Lincoln quarter about the current losing streak, or the status of the team in general, this season; unlike the past two years when the Chairman was rather more verbal in his lament of losing and promising to do more in the upcoming season to restore the team to a better record and playoff contention.

In and of itself, this is a little concerning, especially in light of the continued decline in season ticket sales and attendance, and the effect that has to have had on team revenues. Does it mean that we can expect the Mariners to become Florida Marlins West this offseason? If so, and in tandem with the likely departure of the city's two professional basketball franchises after the 2007 season, what does this mean for Seattle sports fans?

It's too early in the football season to be able to tell if the Seahawks will suffer from the typical post-Super Bowl depression that the second place teams seem to have in the season after their losing game. While the Husky football team is sure to be at least a LITTLE better than last year (they couldn't be any worse, could they?), and Husky basketball will be Husky basketball (which is to say that they should make it to March madness again in 2007), a return to small market professional baseball would be a big letdown to a city that had finally started to come into its own in terms of national recognition of the sports scene here.

After a dismal 0-11 road trip, the M's have managed to beat three 200+ game winning pitchers in a row in Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and David Wells. The youngsters are starting to mesh well together, and should be even better after next spring training. Maybe it is time for ownership and upper management to start a little "man in the street" campaign and go out to find out what the average fan wants from the team for next year. Yes, season ticket holders are important, but they are not the only ones who have a stake in what happens. The Mariners' television deal is one of the most lucrative in all of MLB, and the demographics remain high even in losing seasons. Come on, Howard, take a walk down First Avenue and ask a few people what they really think of the Mariners and what needs to be done to make them better. I challenge you to do it.

Even Die-hard M's Fans Have Thrown in the Towel

2006-08-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

Even Die-Hard M's Fans Have Thrown in the Towel

I mean, I guess it's good to know that I am not alone in my frustrations about this, but it's kind of sad, too.

What this really means is that fewer and fewer people will be willing to be vocal enough to keep up the pressure on ownership to do what is right for the baseball fans of this city. Declining attendance and support will mean that Seattle is likely to become Kansas City in truth, rather than just in spirit. Decreased revenues will lead to decreased payrolls, which will lead to an even worse team on the field, which will lead to an even more vicious cycle than the one that "we" are in now.

Angry or apathetic? Apathy is ALWAYS bad, anger not necessarily so, if approached rationally (I know, that is an oxymoron, but it is true).

Be angry enough to keep letting Howard Lincoln and those above him that what has gone on for the last three years is unacceptable. Send e-mails to the fan feedback e-mail. Keep making your blog posts and posts in the fan forums. You might just be surprised who reads them. Keep making those calls to KJR and the other sports talk shows. You might be surprised who is listening to them.

Don't give up. All that will do is bring back the pre-1995 days. Don't let Seattle become Kansas City or Tampa Bay.

The Seattle Times: Mariners: It's time for Mariners to grab a broom

2006-08-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Times: Mariners: It's time for Mariners to grab a broom

I am 100% in agreement with everything that Mr. Kelley has to say in this particular article, and have been for quite some time now. It's good to see that the local media are starting to come out and say it openly, as well.

The trade of Jamie Moyer leaves another hole in the pitching rotation and I, for one, hope that they are not silly enough to put Joel Pineiro right back into the rotation, after having just removed him for performance issues. Give one of the better pitchers from Tacoma a chance to show what they have or, as Mr. Kelley says, start to stretch out Lowe or even O'Flaherty.

Ichiro played center field for part of the game last night, making way for Chris Snelling to play in right, since he has no experience as a middle outfielder to speak of. Additionally he (Ichiro) has expressed a willingness to play center field on a regular basis if the team but comes out and asks him to do so. They should, and let Jones go back down for further seasoning, rather than continuing to rush him to the majors before he is ready. He shows promise and should be allowed to develop in an atmosphere that will instill confidence and sure-handedness.

This season is, for all intents and purposes, over but for the playing of the last 40 or so games. Getting rid of Hargrove and Bavasi now and letting Rohn take over on the field and some temp in the front office is the best thing that ownership could do for both the team and the fans. Please?

Wanted, Large Shopping Bag.....

2006-08-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

You remember yesterday? Well, yesterday was this.....

Today, on the other hand, is something else entirely. Gone is the frustration. After all, what good does it do to be frustrated over something that you can't control? Not much. (Anyone who believes that, raise your right hand high in the air......no takers, eh)?

After eight and a half straight losses by our local providers of baseball mayhem (OK, so it's only the seventh inning and they could come back from a 3-0 deficit (with two on base) and win this thing--yeah, right) and the inevitable comparisons to last year's Kansas City Royals and their 20 game losing streak, it's time to take another tack, to whit....

Move over anti-Millenites, the unknown fans of Seattle are about to join your "bag brigade." It's time to stop being the silent majority and start protesting openly (well, more or less, since it's a little hard to be completely open when you have a bag over your head, after all).
Stop dressing in those green tee shirts that make you look like empty seats and show up for the games with your trusty grocery bags in hand. The TV cameras come on about 10 minutes before game the game starts. Time your demonstration of public apathy to begin at that exact moment, and do whatever it takes to get the camera operator(s) to notice you. (Remember, you will have a bag over your head; so your friends, family and employer won't know that it is you--unless you tell them, of course).

You can even feel free to express yourself verbally on the front of the bag, as the fans did in Detroit, by customizing it with "Fire (or Trade) ______________--inserting the target of your particular removal desire of the day. Just think how much of a message would be sent by about 20,000 or so (since that seems to be the most that show up anymore unless the Sawx or that team from New York are in town) people accessorized with the latest in le sac d'epicerie (grocery bag for the non-French speaker).

I will if you will. Call me.......

Why Me? What Have I Ever Done to Deserve This? A Frustrated Rant......

2006-08-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

Joel Pineiro was demoted to the bullpen yesterday---about five or six weeks too late, if you ask me. Who's going to take his next start (never mind the ones after that)? A left handed middle reliever by the name of Jake Woods. Who is he starting against? His former team, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Azusa, Cucamonga and All Points East; for whom he pitched a grand total of 27 innings last year and not as a starter (OK, so he has pitched 57 innings this year, again not as a starter).

Will Gil Meche be the next one to receive this treatment? He has been woefully inconsistent this year (and last year, and part of the year before that). If so, who will take HIS place? Jamie Moyer needs to retire and Jarod Washburn needs some run support. Other than that, our pitching rotation is just fine thank you very much(sarcasm alert), If it sounds like four out of the five designated starters are in trouble, you are getting the picture quite clearly.

Then there is the offense (and offensive it is, too). Ichiro is in an awful slump (well, for him, that is), and everyone else is not far behind. In the past ten days or so, it has gotten even worse. There has been enough swinging and missing at pitches to provide air conditioning for the fans who are present to watch the games. As for the season series with the Oakland Athletics.......no, wait, we are not going to go there, we just aren't.

After two horrendous seasons (2004, 2005), this one has been better, but only marginally. This is not, however, to say that there are not rays of hope on the horizon. Yuniesky Betancourt and Jose Lopez look to be turning themselves into a middle infield with quite a bit of promise. Felix Hernandez (always assuming that they don't allow his arm to fall off from overwork--and that may be a BIG assumption given the Mariners' history with young pitchers) is the ace of the future. The aforementioned Messrs. Meche and Pineiro are both in their walk years, and it is reasonably doubtful that either one or both of them will be back. Mark Lowe has been nothing short of phenomenal since his call up from AA San Antonio, but he has already had elbow pain and been unavailable for a short period in the past few weeks.

What will it take to completely turn the team around? (I will avoid the obvious--get rid of most everybody who is here currently and start over, primarily because that could turn out with even more disastrous results). Ownership's publicly stated goal (like that of the vast majority of sports franchises nowadays) is the bottom line. They have promised, repeatedly I might add, to field a "competitive" team. They never promised us a winning team, though even I am intelligent enough to know that winning teams bring in more revenue than losing ones, but that is another issue entirely (and one I addressed in my early days here....see "What Howard Lincoln Could Learn From George Steinbrenner" ).

If they want the fans to start coming back to Safeco Field (and we/they have been staying away in droves this year (either that or they have been cleverly disguised as empty seats)) rather than staying home to support the team by watching on television, where it doesn't cost upwards of $200 per game to watch them lose, there needs to be a change of attitude in the upper management arena. Promise us a winning team, and mean it, and then PROVE that you mean it.

Non-tender or don't resign free agents to be that haven't been productive this year (and before, as indicated). Don't start a Florida Marlins type fire-sale in the offseason and cut payroll to Devil Rays levels. Convince Jamie Moyer that he either retires to run his foundation and/or becomes a pitching coach somewhere in the organization, but don't sign him to another one year contract. He just isn't the pitcher that he used to be, and it is hurting the team (and him). Protect the arms of the young pitchers. And get a good sports psychologist in to help out those who are left and yet to come, ,a la what the Seahawks did last year in their Super Bowl season.

Oh, yes, probably most importantly.....send Howard and Chuck packing and replace them with some real baseball men, and maybe we need a new GM, too (I am reserving judgement on that one, because no one knows for sure what Bill Bavasi could really do if he had free reign to make deals rather than having to live up to the higher ups expectations of a bolstered bottom line before baseball needs).

Does this mean that I am jumping off the Mariners bandwagon? No, not at all. I will continue to watch or listen to every game. I will just be doing it from home for the time being, because I have a lot of better uses for my ticket money while they are in this losing frame of mind.

Stick a Fork in Them--They're Done

2006-08-12T04:13:00.000-07:00

I think that the last two days have been enough to convince almost everyone hereabouts that the Mariners are done for this year. Any hint of contention for the division that they had prior to Thursday is pretty much gone.

Still, this is not to say that the team is not improved over last year--they certainly ARE. At 56-59 or three games under .500, they are still ahead of where they were at this time last year. Is this a miracle? No. Is it something to base hope for next year on? Certainly.

From a team that was one of the oldest in the major leagues just over a year ago, the Mariners are now the fourth youngest team in the majors, based on the average age of the players as constituted today. What does this mean? It means that it is going to be a learning curve for the balance of this year and into next spring training. The youngsters need to learn to play together and mesh into an effective playing unit, along with the veteran core that is left over from the previous teams. It also means that the team can be expected to be consistently inconsistent in their play for the time being (and there is no question whatsoever that they are absolutely that).

More worrisome is the rather prolonged slump that right fielder Ichiro Suzuki has found himself in. As of last night, he was batting .133 over the past two weeks or so. Of course, we all know that Ichiro has always been a streaky hitter, and that is not likely to change any time in the near future. It has been noted that he has been working with hitting coach Jeff Pentland, and all are hopeful that the slump will be broken soon.

All in all, it may be time to just sit back and enjoy what is left of the season, come what may, and start to look forward to next year, when things will more than likely be better.

Jose Who????

2006-05-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

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Surprisingly enough (or maybe not.....) the workhorse/powerhouse of the Mariners' offense so far this season has not been the $114MM man combination of Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre, who were signed before the 2005 season to fill that job description.
Instead, it has been a young man all of 22 years of age from Venezuela, second baseman Jose Lopez. While his batting average may seem somewhat "unimpressive" at .278, he is batting .432 with runners in scoring position. He has four home runs, 14 extra base hits, 26 RBI, and he has struck out only twice in the past 12 games.
This comes despite the fact that he was sent back down to AAA Tacoma last year for "more experience" and to improve his plate skills and discipline. At the beginning of spring training 2006 he was told that he would have to compete for the regular second base slot, which had been held for about half the year last year by now departed Bret Boone and by various others, including Lopez, for the balance of the year.
Fight for the position he did, and was successful in getting it when Fernando Vina, who had been brought in prior to spring training as a potential veteran every day second baseman, came up injured; and super utility man Willie Bloomquist was needed in his utility role.
Lopez has turned out to be quite the pleasant surprise. Hopefully he will continue to perform at this pace, and will be a part of an excellent double play combination (with shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt) for years to come.

And Now, For a Break From Baseball, Football...

2006-05-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

Now whyever would I want a break from baseball, you may ask? After all, there are still 122 games left to be played before the regular season is over and playoffs begin. I'm sorry, if you have to ask that question you haven't been paying much attention to how awful the Mariners are for the third year in a row. (Oh well, at least my second favorite team is doing well and my third favorite team is trying hard to do better).

The Seattle Seahawks announced recently that Head Coach Mike Holmgren has been signed to a two year contract extension, through the 2008 season. Terms of the contract have not been released, but it is thought that the last year of his current contract was reworked as a part of the new deal.

However, it is also generally believed that the contract also contains an "out clause" if Holmgren is offered a GM position by any NFL team during its run.

This will give the team a sense of some stability for the next few years, allowing them to see if they can bypass the Super Bowl jinx and do at least as well, if not better, this year than they did last. On the subject of jinxes, MVP Shaun Alexander has openly stated that he is not worried in the least about the Madden jinx, and QB Matt Hasselbeck has not commented on the Chunky Soup jinx (does he even know it exists? maybe he thinks that Roethlisberger, who signed first, will be the recipient of that one). Perhaps the third jinx is the charm and they will all cancel each other out (not superstitious at all, the author sits with fingers and toes crossed).

Holmgren is well known for his occasionally volatile temper (hey, Mike, would you like an offseason temp assignment? I know a certain baseball team that could use some of that motivation......) but says that he is trying to mellow out a bit as he approaches the end of his fifth decade. He also states that he is in good health, and is still well motivated to coach this team at this time.

The first mini-camp is nearly on the books, and it is just a matter of weeks until training camp opens. Here is to a productive season for all involved.

A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma

2006-05-27T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ichiro Suzuki is certainly the embodiment of Churchill's "riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma", at least to the Occidental fans of his game.

He has recently been criticized by some in the Seattle area, labeling him as selfish and "not a team player," and calling for his trade to another team "while his trade value is still high."
As he appears above, he is often quiet and brooding. He rarely speaks English anywhere that anyone but his peers can hear him (even though we all know that he speaks English, and Spanish, much better than he lets on). He embodies the qualities that many see as the traditional Japanese work ethic--total dedication to his craft, intense preparation on a daily basis, and a burning desire to excel and meet his own stringent goals for each season.
As he considers his duty, he returned to Japan in the offseason to report on affairs in Seattle to Hiroshi Yamauchi, who was the majority owner of the team through Nintendo Japan until he sold his shares to Nintendo America, but who remains active in team affairs. He also spoke with local Mariners management, informing them of some areas where he felt the team could improve. It is these meetings that have brought about the label of selfishness.

He has also been criticized by some for his failure to be an outspoken team leader, either in the dugout or in the clubhouse, during the recent three years of declining team performance. Critics point to the fact that he was very verbal and demonstrative during the recent World Baseball Classic, encouraging his teammates and pushing them to the performance that eventually led to Team Japan's winning the inaugural WBC; but has not carried those characteristics over to a 2006 Mariners team that is badly in need of leadership in the clubhouse.

Since arriving to join the Mariners during the 2001 season, Ichiro's accomplishments are the stuff of which legends are made. In 2004, he set the single season hits record at 262, breaking an 84 year old record held by George Sisler. He has 200 hits in all five of his MLB seasons. He has won five gold gloves. He has played in the All-Star game all five of his MLB seasons (although not as a starter in 2005). As of the end of the 2005 season, Ichiro had a .332 average with 52 HR's and 310 RBI and 1,130 hits in the majors. It has been suggested that, if his Japanese statistics are added to his US statistics at the end of his major league career, he is a candidate for admission to the Baseball Hall of Fame. All of this with his somewhat unorthodox ritual of stretching before each bat, and extending his bat like the traditional katana, or Samurai sword, before touching his sleeve and then slipping into his batting stance.
He has been typically close mouthed about what baseball goals he has set for this season, preferring not to mention them in public, rather just to pursue them single-mindedly until he reaches them.

As anyone who has watched him play up close and personal can testify, Ichiro is possessed of skills that are often nothing short of amazing, and mesmerizing. A perfect example of this was his catch in deep right field Friday night of a fly ball hit by Marcus Giles and immediately unleashing a laser beam throw to home plate, in an effort to throw Josh Barfield out. His throw, and countryman and teammate Kenji Johjima's catch and successful tag at the plate for the out, despite being hit by the speeding freight train that was Barfield, were simply spectacular. (Unlike Ichiro, however, Johjima is rather more ebullient and a totally different type of hitter--having evidenced quite a bit of power already this season).

I, personally, do not think that any talks for a trade of Ichiro to another team should be entertained at this time, unless he himself requests them. And this is something he is not likely to do before the time his contract runs out next year, for the sake of honor and duty. The riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma belongs right where he is, roaming Area 51 in Safeco Field for the Seattle Mariners. (And playing a murderer in a Japanese television show during the offseason, as he did this past year, if that is what he wants to do..........)

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On Being 20 Years of Age and Carrying the SEA Baseball World on Your Shoulders--The Felix Hernandez Story

2006-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Frankly, I'm glad that I am not Felix Hernandez right now. He is a (just barely) 20 year old from Latin America, and almost everyone who is a baseball fan in Seattle seems to be looking at him to be the second coming (of whom, though, I'm not exactly sure......Dwight Gooden? Nolan Ryan? Roger Clemens? All of the above? Some of the above? None of the above?)
He developed shin splints late in Spring Training and missed his last two spring starts. As a result, he seems to have developed a slight layer of rust, and has not looked quite his "King"ly self in his last three regular season outings--shaky control, quite a few walks, and a few more balls over the wall for the other side than we would like to see.
The Mariners signed him when he was a mere 16 years old in Venezuela, and he has been laboring in the organization ever since. There was quite the clamor to bring him up from AAA Tacoma even earlier last year than he actually was. (I will admit, I was one of the "clamorers", having lived through the last two "disastrous" seasons of our discontent, along with everyone else). And he did pretty well in his short stay with the big club last late summer/early fall.
Did those who begged for him to come up to the big club sooner than later do him a dis-service? Did management, by giving in and promoting him? Did he come back too early from his shin splints? Did he get enough rehab and time pitching something other than on the side before he came back for his first regular season game? And, most importantly, has he been done irreparable harm by any of this (physically and/or emotionally)?
Beginning in the Gillick era and beyond, the Mariners don't exactly have the best record with their pitching prospects. They seem to get injured, or they seem to develop "mental problems" (i.e. doubts about their abilities), or both.: Ryan Anderson, Gil Meche, Joel Piniero, Matt Thornton, just to mention a few.
It would be a shame to think that a youngster with all of the talent that Felix has would be wasted or misused. He is currently on a strict pitch and innings count, but does there need to be something more, in order to safeguard this treasure in the making? If so, Mariners' front office, please figure out what it is and do it, for Felix' sake primarily, but for all of your fans as well.

Baseball Thoughts on the Day Before Opening Day (Delayed Posting)

2006-04-20T07:59:00.000-07:00

So, for everyone but the White Sox and the Indians, tomorrow is opening day for the 2006 MLB Season. Like about 45,000 other people in Seattle, I'm taking some PTO to plop myself in a seat at the Safe and try to figure out if this year will be better (PLEASE) or worse than last year for the Mariners.
Matt Hasselbeck and a few of his Seahawks teammates will be throwing out the first pitch of the game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Azusa, Cucamonga, Victorville and all points north, south, east and west. Maybe a little bit of the Hawks' improving fortunes will rub off on the M's.
Bartolo "I don't believe in offseason conditioning regimens" Colon will be pitching for the Angels versus the Ancient Mariner himself, Jamie Moyer (do you all realize that, with the departure--however temporary or permanent it may be--of Roger Clemens, Moyer is the oldest active pitcher in the major leagues? Physically, he seems to have dodged the injury bullet, and his mental attitude is as good as ever, but his never very fast fastball has slowed down even more. What new crafty lefty tricks is he going to be able to come up with this year if he expects to "survive" the season?
Kenji Johjima shows every sign of being worth the money the team spent on him in the offseason--calls a pretty good game; communicates well with the pitchers in English and Spanish, given the amount of time that he has been here; and shows signs of being able to hit for some power (though just the fact that he will play half of his games in the Safe means that he is not likely to hit the 29 homers that he did in Japan last year).
As for the rest of the lineup, it is pretty much the same as last year, with the exception of the addition of Carl Everett as DH over Raul Ibanez (who will be the full time left fielder this year), and the addition of Roberto Petagine and Matt Lawton to the bench. For a 35 year old, Petagine had a monster spring--here's hoping some of it carries over. A 12 pounds lighter Beltre is starting to look better than last year, but still chases a few too many fastballs out of the zone.
Baseball players are notoriously superstitious, so they should be deliriously happy with the fact that the team finished with an 11-17 spring training record because, historically, when the M's have a winning spring training record they usually do poorly in the regular season and vice versa (NOTE: the only two teams in the AL who had a worse ST were----drumroll, please--the White Sox and the Red Sox--and who had the best spring training--the Royals, who had the worst regular season in 2005).
As for me, I will pull out my scorecard; pull up a comfortable seat in the Club; and watch the goings on to see how soon I might be expected to have to pull out the voodoo paraphrenalia THIS year (last two years it was before the middle of May).
More to follow after tomorrow........

The Future of Sports in America

2006-01-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

What you see here, gentle bloggers and other readers/viewers, is the future of sports--both as athlete and fan--in America: Our young people.
This particular one happens to be my 19.5 year old daughter. She dances, plays basketball, and plans to be an athletic trainer/physical therapist when she finishes her education. Her dream is to be the first female trainer for the Mariners. (Why they most likely won't let her is another post altogether).
Like her next oldest sister (out of three), she played rec league basketball from the time she was about 8, played varsity in junior high, and would have played in high school if she had not transferred to a charter school (her sister played in high school, as well). I coached both of their rec league teams at one time or another (both while they were coed and after they switched to an all female league), and helped the coach with her junior high team. Their oldest sister, now 25.5, was never into participatory sports, but has always been an avid spectator/fan (which is too bad, because she is 6'2" tall (the tallest of the three) and might have made a heck of a center).
I felt that it was important that they get involved in sports in some way, both for the health of their bodies and to learn teamwork at a relatively early age. Being a health care professional, I occasionally lectured my teams about drugs of all sorts, and why an athlete wouldn't want to put those into their body, and these kids listened and responded.
Now, they see the steroid controversy in MLB, see Congress getting involved, and the occasional commercial about the effects of performance enhancing drugs (which, BTW, are not graphic enough in my opinion but, again, that is a topic for another posting), and they see the bad sportsmanship of some individuals in the NFL, NBA and MLB, and they begin to get somewhat disillusioned with sports in general, and participating/spectating in particular.
What is our responsibility as parents, coaches and fans, so that our young people can learn the values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and enjoyment of sports even if they don't participate?
Number one, even if you do not play (either now or ever), take the time to watch your favorite sport with your kid(s). Explain the rules to them, tell them what is going on on the field, and how each of the players interact with each other. If they are interested, keep teaching them. If they are interested in playing and you think it is safe for them to do so, encourage them (girls as well as boys).
If they start playing, talk to their coaches. Encourage them to teach teamwork, not just the "me, me, me" attitude. Encourage them to talk frankly with the team about all kinds of drugs and performance enhancers, or find someone who will (local doctor, pharmacist, or whomever is appropriate). Encourage them to teach injury prevention techniques (or, again, find someone who can/will), so that they can play as long as they like with less fear of a long term injury. And, most of all, go out to their games and support them, win or lose.
And, of course, as parents, we all just KNOW that our kid has the talent to make it all the way to the pros. If they do, encourage them, but don't become a "stage parent" or "sports mom/dad". If they don't, still encourage them, don't disparage. Physical activity and sports are good for children and young adults. Most of all, encourage them and continue to teach them lessons about teamwork and "playing well with others"--these will carry with them throughout their lives and make them better coworkers and people in general.
If you take them to spectate at sports competitions, teach them to be passionate fans. But also teach them the difference between passion and being an "ugly fan." Don't demonstrate beverage throwing technique, non-family friendly language, or physical violence toward other fans or athletes.
By doing this, you will be ensuring the future of sports in America.

Pre New Year's Musings From the Left Coast (repost from Fox blog)

2006-01-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

Art Thiel: More often than not he just annoys me. But just when I think that I can ignore his column once and for all, he writes one like this:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/thiel/253522_thiel27.html
I couldn't have said it better myself, Art. But now I'm going to add to it a bit, if you don't mind.
Things Seattle Sports Fans Could Use More of In 2006:
1. Mariners and Sonics GM's and CEO's going to Tim Ruskell for a few lessons in how to drastically improve their teams in a single offseason and then following up on what they have learned.
2. Geography lessons for out of town sports writers and broadcasters who don't have the faintest idea where Seattle is really located (i.e. not in Canada, not in Southern Alaska, and so on).
3. That same Microsoft deciding that buying out competitor (on the sports front) Nintendo America might not be such a bad idea after all (hey, who said you can't own a basketball, football AND a baseball team?),, doing it and surprising Seattle fans with a seriously winning team by 2007
4. A continued growing fan base for women's sports, i.e. the Storm and the Lady Huskies (volleyball especially). Women are legitimate athletes and should be regarded as such by more than just other women.
5. Athletes who really DO want to come to Seattle and play for something other than money, and then do just that.
6. A contract for Shaun Alexander, sooner than later.
Things Seattle Sports Fans Could Use Less of In 2006:
1. The rather widely held perception that Seattle sports fans are just coffee drinking Yuppies who don't know anything about the mechanics, rules or subtle nuances of the game(s).
2. Ticket price increases for a product that has decreased in value (I'm not naming any names here, but you know who you are).
3. Talking from the broadcast booth just to be talking. If you don't have something substantive to say, or if you are going to repeat yourself for the third time in the past 20 minutes, just let us watch the game in peace and talk when it really means something.
So, fellow bloggers, let's hear your 2006 hopes/dreams for sports fans in your cities!

Thoughts on Shaun Alexander Winning NFL MVP Award

2006-01-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Large, long and loud congratulations to Shaun on winning the MVP for the 2005 NFL season! Hopefully, this will get the Hawks fired up for their first playoff game next weekend in the divisionals (opponent yet to be named). He has been such a leader for the team this year, not only in statistics, but personally, that I--for one--would have been terribly disappointed if Peyton had won again over Shaun.
Of course, this also brings up the issue of what the Front Office will do vis a vis keeping the aforementioned Mr. Alexander here in Seattle for the 2006 season. He agreed to accept the franchise tag and its $6+MM contract for one year only, and that year is almost over (hopefully not for another month and 3 days, though).
Shaun and his representatives are "playing coy" right now about what stage contract extension talks might be at, and the front office's response is, typically, "no comment."
Let's face it, if they don't get the job done soon and he shines even more brightly in the playoffs, there will be a line a "mile" long outside his door as soon as the season is over, offering him plenty of money and other perks to play elsewhere.
He has indicated on numerous occasions that he would like to stay and play in Seattle for the foreseeable future, but WILL go elsewhere if that is what it takes to get what he is looking for.
Shaun is good for the community, providing a positive role model for young men through his Foundation's mentoring programs. He always has a smile on his face, and his faith is publically proclaimed and acted upon. In short, someone we should WANT to keep around for as long as he will stay.
So, once again I reiterate what I, and countless thousands of other Hawks fans, have been saying all season: Pay the man--NOW--or face losing him sooner than later. Todd Leiweke and Tim Ruskell, are you listening?

Sports Loving Microbiologist Wanted

2006-01-04T11:01:00.000-08:00

Up here in the Great Northwest, we don't have a Babe Ruth or a Billy Goat to blame it on (see: Seattle, curse of), so it just HAS to be some kind of virulent superbug (Staphylococcus seattlesportendis?) that causes the yearly fall from grace of 95% of our sports teams hereabouts. They start off good, and get worse as the season progresses. If one team makes it to the playoffs (note that I did not say wins in the playoffs, because, other than the Storm in 2004, that has not happened beyond the first round in how long???????), the others immediately tank and never recover.
It could be spread by droplet, airborne or foodborne, but it has to be pretty specific to only athletes, because it doesn't cause massive pandemics like the avian flu or other similar organisms. I don't think it responds to any kind of normal antimicrobial, else all of those who have it would have gotten better any time they got treated for a cold or other minor bacterial ailment. The fact that it could be a virus rather than a bacteria hasn't escaped me, in which case we are in trouble, because we all know that antibiotics don't do anything for viruses and antivirals pretty much just make the symptoms better, not cure the underlying cause.
What we need now is a dedicated research professional to isolate the organism and come up with a prophylactic antimicrobial medication right away (would this weekend be too soon? After all, the Hawks have their first playoff game next weekend, and it would be a good thing to get them covered empirically for potential infection before that time, yes?).
Then we can medicate the Sonics--they fired Coach Weiss, but I don't think that is going to cure their defensive doldrums. They need to get rid of the superbug.
The T'Birds may be too far gone for this year, but certainly get them covered prophylactically before next season.
And the M's need superdoses of the medication (they may also need mass hypnosis from a sports psychologist, but that's another blog), since spring training starts in less than 6 weeks.
Oh, and the college teams, too, of course.
If you're out there, please let us know. We would like to see 2006 end the Curse of Seattle once and for all. Call me.....

Something Howard Lincoln Could Learn From George Steinbrenner

2006-01-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

Say what you want about George Steinbrenner (and I often do, though sometimes not in terms fit for mixed company or youthful audiences), he is passionate about winning and fielding a winning baseball team, although he sometimes goes about it in ways that others find questionable and/or amusing (see "$200MM+ payroll" and "a team of aging superstars that 'don't play well with others'," and a decimated/sadly lacking farm system). He has a stated goal of keeping his fans happy and providing them with a product that they will continue to come out, support, and--most of all--pay to see on a regular and ongoing basis.
On the other hand, Howard Lincoln--CEO of the Seattle Mariners--has publicly said that the organization's goal is to field a "competitive" team, but that the organization also has to consider the bottom line and ROI (return on investment) to the corporate partners, and not "mortgaging the future at the expense of the present". This has been frequently construed by the local fanbase (including myself on numerous occasions), and even some of the local media, to mean that being cellar dwellers is not the object, but neither is the World Series.
When I arrived in Seattle in mid-summer 2001, the city was in the throes of Mariner-mania, for lack of a better term. Everyone on the team seemed to be having a career year at the same time, the chemistry was sublime, and they were on their way to a record-tying 116 victories in the regular season. Were it not for that unfortunate Game 6 of the ALCS in New York City, I would not be writing this entry today, because they would have gone to the World Series (might even have won, you never know). As it is, they didn't and they didn't, and it has been downhill ever since--slowly at first, but downright cataclysmically the past two seasons.
One thing that George Steinbrenner KNOWS, that Howard has yet to find out, is that going deep into the post-season and (gasp) even to the World Series generates loads of revenue, and not just for the team, but for the entire local economy. For example, had the World Series chanced to come to town during 2001, my brother-in-law was prepared to pay more than I make in six months to obtain four field level seats to each game of the Series played in Seattle. And that would have been only the beginning, because he lives in Los Angeles County, so he would have enriched not only the Mariners' bottom line, but also Alaska Airlines, some hotel here in town, and other establishments like restaurants and so on. Multiply this by however many seats were available to non-season ticket holders and other VIP's, and you can imagine the positive effects that it would have had.
Mariners' fans have continued to come out to Safeco Field despite the two back to back 90 loss seasons, but in less numbers than the normal 3 million plus per season. I went to several games during the 2005 season, but not as many as I normally would have, figuring that I could save more than $200.00 per home game by sitting home and watching the team lose (again) on TV for free. And I was far from alone. If you pay attention to local bloggers, sports writers, and "men in the street" (and it is hard NOT to), there is going to be a lot more of that going around in the 2006 season, because--even with King Felix, Yuniesky Betancourt, and some of the other youngsters that are helping to rebuild the team--barring a miracle, we are looking toward at least one more losing season.
Why? Well, it's this way, my friends. According to Forbes Magazine (yes, Howard, it's that pesky Forbes article, yet again), the team is valued at $415MM (bought for by the current ownership group in 1992 for $125MM), which places them at #5 in the MLB, behind the Dodgers, Mets, Red Sox, and Yankees, all of which are major market teams (there is no consensus on whether Seattle is a small or mid-market team at this point), but ahead of all of the other teams. By my calculations, that is a 332% increase in valuation in a little over 10 years. The Mariners have one of the best TV contracts going in MLB, and they are the only franchise for the states of WA, OR, MT, AK, and HI, not to mention all of western Canada.
Could they afford to spend more money than the announced $92MM payroll and still make a profit? Undoubtedly. Will they? Not likely. Are they in danger of losing fans and, therefore, revenue, to staying at home to watch games on TV or--worse yet--not watching at all in 2006? Definitely.
So, Howard, here is what I am suggesting.I'm willing to chip in $2.00, and I'm sure a lot of other Mariners fans would be, too, to buy you a plane ticket to Tampa to talk to good ol' George about the profitability of winning for a change. (The old adage you have to spend money to make money is a true one more often than not). Call me.........