Archive for the 'Seattle Mariners' Category

There’s only a little space for non-Olympic sports in the current issue of Sports Illustrated, but that little space includes a nice bit of recognition for Felix Hernandez.

In a survey of 20 MLB officials (GMs, scouts, etc.), Felix was the top-listed pitcher on the question, Who would you pick first to build a franchise around? As you see from the image at right, Felix was #4 overall and the highest pitcher listed. Only Hanley Ramirez got more 1st-place votes.

Nice to see some confirmation of what we all know: Felix may not be the best pitcher in the big leagues (yet), but with his combination of youth and skills, he’s more desirable than anyone else.

As we inch closer to the trade deadline, everyone in baseball knows that the Mariners are selling. Raul Ibanez is on a lot of teams’ watch lists, as is Adrian Beltre and Erik Bedard at minimum. Those three — and many other Mariners — are strong candidates to be wearing another uniform on August 1st. Only Jim Riggleman doesn’t see it that way. The manager says injuries (not ineptitude nor lack of talent) has been the problem, and wonders how good the team could be if everyone was healthy:

“It would really be interesting to see what we could do if we have the whole group,” Riggleman said. “It’s been that way since April, and I don’t think we really know what we have this year until we get it all out here. You hate to abandon it too quickly.”

That’s a nominee for the dumbest quote of all-time. We all know what we have this year. We have the worst team in baseball, a team that hasn’t suffered enough serious injuries to be able to use that as an excuse.

Maybe he’s just saying that to be nice to his players. I don’t know. But he’s treating Mariner fans like a bunch of idiots if he thinks we’re gonna believe a word of it.

Holmgren says MattHass and Shaun A. are game-time decisions Sunday. That’s the word from Mike Sando on the T-N-T blog. “Both players practiced extensively today,” he writes, but he’s not allowed to say who took the most reps with the starters.

Baseball’s GM meetings are over, and the Mariners are still talking to what seems like almost everyone out there. Bavasi tells Larry LaRue in the T-N-T today that there’s plenty of interest in Beltre and Sexson, but “nothing remotely close” has been offered.

Go figure out Sonics’ coach Bob Hill for me, would ya? Frank Hughes writes in the T-N-T that Hill sat down to chat with frustrated PG Earl Watson and reassured Watson about his role on the team. Then, when asked about Watson’s public complaints last week, Hill’s head spins around 360 degrees, fire and smoke come out of his nostrils, and he bit–slaps Watson like this:

“This is all a waste of time. He knew he was going to be a backup when he came here. We talked about it when he first got here. It is a waste of time to talk about not liking his role.”

Yikes. Careful, Bob. Try the decaf…. Anyway, Gary Washburn writes in the P-I about the same situation, with comments from Hill predicting a good game from Watson tonight. Well, 6 points and 6 assists in 18 minutes is not too bad off the bench. But the Sonics lost another at home, 118-109 to Utah.

Oh, yeah, what’s this about an “Apple Cup”? My 8-year-old is excited. He’s a Husky fan, “because dogs are cooler than cats.” Me? Couldn’t care less at this point, but I do root for both teams when they’re playing well, reaching bowl games, etc. We’ll watch the game, but I’ll be much more interested in Ohio St.-Michigan.

So, Matsuzaka costs Boston $50+ million just for a chance to talk about a contract … and that’s just one sign of how crazy the pitching market is this winter. Larry LaRue has some great info. in his T-N-T article today. Like, two teams want to trade for Joel Pineiro? Whoa. And then this:

Just how thin is pitching – and how great is the need? Consider this: left-hander Sterling Hitchcock, who hasn’t pitched in two years, came off the voluntary retired list and filed for free agency just to get into this market.

Seriously, if that’s how it’s going to be, the Mariners are probably better off sitting out. We don’t need to sign a loser to some huge contract that ends up making Jarrod Washburn look like a bargain.

But my opinion is worth squat. Turns out the Mariners have already contacted every pitcher on the market. Or so it seems.

Apple Cup at the beginning of the year? How bizarre would that be? I know some other rivalry schools do it — I think Colorado and Colorado St., but not positive — but it just seems strange to think about having the Apple Cup every year in the warm glow of late summer. Weird or not, the two schools are talking about it.

Kenji Johjima took 4th in the AL Rookie voting. Justin Verlander of Detroit took top honors, and it’s hard to argue with the three guys who finished ahead of Johjima.

Meanwhile, if you’re ready to really look ahead to the Mariners’ future, a site called TopProspectAlert.com has its list of the 2007 Top 10 Mariners Prospects.

Staying with the M’s for a moment, Dave at USS Mariner details why he thinks Richie Sexson should be traded. It’s a convincing argument, but when he says

He turns 32 next month, so he’s likely at the end of his prime and entering the decline phase of his career.

… well, that’s what USS Mariner (and most everyone else) said about the Raul Ibanez contract, too.

A very different Dave, this one at Blazers Edge, is keeping a chart to track Brandon Roy and other NBA Rookie of the Year candidates.

And finally, there’s a new Seattle sports blog waiting to be read: Buzzer Beater, by Mike Seely of the Seattle Weekly. The tagline says it all: “Seattle Sports (but mostly just basketball).”

Of all the stuff going on, the most important is this: Alexander, Hasselbeck still out for Seattle. In fact, Holmgren hopes both of them, and Bobby Engram, too, will be ready by the 19th (against SF).

The rumor mill is churning, but UW coach Ty Willingham isn’t getting on. He does a pretty good job refuting the idea that he’ll coach Michigan State (his alma mater) next year:

“I’ve already done it,” Willingham said. “(I’ve coached) at Michigan State. I wasn’t a head coach, but I’ve already been back to my alma mater. … The only job that I am focused on is the one I have.”

Over at USS Mariner, Derek isn’t too thrilled about the idea of signing Jason Schmidt to a free agent deal this winter.

In the T-N-T, Frank Hughes write about Rick Sund’s newfound freedom now that Wally Walker is out of the picture. That sounds good, but given new owner Clay Bennett’s preoccupation with arena-related issues, it almost sounds like the Sonics are a ship without a captain.

Here’s what’s going on this fine Friday morning:

IN the T-N-T, Larry LaRue gives an overview of the Mariners’ off-seasoon wish list, with a couple interesting names in there, like Nomar Garciaparra (as a candidate to DH) and Greg Maddux. I’d be happy with the former, but not with the latter.

Since the Seahawks can’t find a running game the traditional way — i.e., with actual running backs — Clare Farnsworth reports that Seneca Wallace has more freedom to run this week against the Raiders.

“There have been times,” coach Mike Holmgren said, “where I’d say, ‘Hey, (count) 1, 2, then take off. Go ahead and take off. Put the pressure on the defense that way.’”

Danny Fortson, Sonics’ savior? That’s what Percy Allen says in the Times. Good article, and he’s right about how badly the team needs Fortson to step up and contribute.

Pac-10 media think it’ll be UW coming in at #3 in men’s hoops this year. They like Oregon at No. 4, OSU at No. 8, and the Cougars to finish dead last. UCLA, as expected, is picked to win the conference. Don Ruiz also points out a couple interesting rule changes coming this year:

The most notable new rule prohibits players from calling timeout while in the air or before they have complete control of the ball. Another change will encourage referees to call fouls on all players diving onto other players in a loose-ball scramble.

Romar thinks the rule that could have the most impact demands that players set screens while “in a natural stance.” The rule prohibits players from spreading their legs to trip defenders or from cocking their forearms to hit them.

Interesting feature in the latest ESPN the Magazine, where Buster Olney essentially writes a bunch of lists about many different off-season topics. Here are two that caught my eye:

5 Guys Who’ll Be Overvalued
1. Ted Lilly
2. Jason Schmidt
3. Aramis Ramirez
4. Alfonso Soriano
5. Carlos Lee

5 Guys Who’ll Be Undervalued
1. Moises Alou
2. Vicente Padilla
3. Mark Loretta
4. Dave Roberts
5. Jamie Moyer

I think Padilla is interesting. I was looking at the free agent list in today’s paper and saw his name, and thought he might be reasonably affordable and always seems to be good for 12-15 wins. I wonder if the Mariners will get in touch with him….

Deep down, I find myself wondering if this is just posturing and “playing the game,” as it were. Everyone expects the Mariners to be very involved in the bidding for Daisuke Matsuzaka, and the more teams involved, the higher the bidding price goes. So maybe they’re just blowing smoke to throw other teams off, lower the bidding price, and so forth.

But I just can’t see a wealthy Japanese businessman playing games like that. And the edict has come forth from owner Hiroshi Yamauchi that the Mariners won’t be going after Matsuzaka.

“A decision has been made by Mr. Yamauchi,” Bavasi said, “that we will not be participating in the bidding process, and it’s a decision that our baseball department concurs with.”

One factor — one large factor — that could have steered the Mariners’ interest away from making a run at Matsuzaka in the posting process might have been the anticipated asking price just to win the rights to negotiate with him.

The winning bid in the posting process for Matsuzaka is rumored to be in the neighborhood of $25 million and possibly as high as $30 million.

And that doesn’t include his annual salary, which Jeff Sackmann suggests on The Hardball Times could be another $10-$15 million per year. If so, no surprise the Mariners are backing out. That’s a helluva lot of money to pay for 20 wins.

You can yell at Mike Hargrove later for overworking Mark Lowe last season. For now, just cross your fingers and hope Lowe ever pitches again.

Larry LaRue shares the scary news in today’s T-N-T — Lowe’s recent elbow surgery guarantees he won’t be ready to start the season, and the injury may keep him from pitching again.

Lowe went on the disabled list with an inflamed elbow Aug. 20, after working a stretch of 172/3 scoreless innings – a Mariners record for a pitcher at the start of his career.

By late September, further tests revealed a more complicated injury, and when Dr. Lew Yocum performed surgery Oct. 6, he found more damage than anticipated in Lowe’s elbow.

“In essence, what they found was a bone-on-bone situation in my elbow,” Lowe said from his Arizona home. “They did a procedure that helps with the regeneration of cartilage. Now the only thing I can do is rest and let the healing process occur.”

A conservative timetable is six to eight months after surgery, but Lowe hopes to be able to begin throwing in spring training. That optimism, however, is curbed by the reality of his situation.

“If I hurry this, it could cost me a few more months of the season,” Lowe said. “If I try to come back too fast, it could be forever.”

There was a 22-day stretch in July and August last year when Lowe made 10 appearances and pitched 13+ innings. And then you add in other games in that stretch when he warmed up and didn’t get in the game. He was the Mariners’ best reliever over that period, but he was also just 23 years old, and probably not ready for all that work.