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Game 67, Mets at Mariners
Glavine vs Meche as the M’s go for the sweep.
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191 Responses to “Game 67, Mets at Mariners”
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Twittah
Why’s Bloomers in for Beltre?
Because it’s 11 to 5
I’m surprised Daubach is still in the game. The Mets’ bench must be as crappy as ours.
#153 — Yeah, pretty much.
Marlon Anderson’s a nice bench player, but he’s starting since Matsui’s so bad. Chris Woodward, same thing, starting because Cameron’s hurt. And that’s basically all they’ve got.
jason
Shiggy throws his usual assortment of slop and gets away with it.
With the brass finally realizing that Bret Boone is an awful baseball player, I hope that they will figure out that Willie Bloomquist is also an untalented ballplayer; here’s to seeing Shin-Soo Choo as the M’s fourth outfielder relatively soon.
In regards to the game, I think this shows that the youth movement is WORKING! Hopefully, with seven of the next ten games against the Oakland Athletics, the Mariners can pick up some games on both the Angels and the Rangers; 2005 isn’t over yet . . .
Wow, only 5 games below .500. That’s the first time since, what, early May?
Well done, boys, well done.
My friend the Mets fan now owes me three venti iced americanos over this series, one per victory.
jason
Could the team finally be getting hot? Will it contiue? Is it just a bad joke? I’m so confused.
Sure the rookies are going to even out, but they have been a heck of a lot of fun to watch. Getting that kind of prduction from the bottom of the order keeps the game intresting. I love it.
It is a bad day for Mets fans. I bet we’d take 2 games, then double or nothing on the sweep! Now I have a dollar to my name.
Hope that FSN replays this game later this evening as they do many of the day games. This is one that actually enjoy viewing again.
Krueger for permenant status.
I can’t wait to see what these guys will do to the A’s pitching staff…
Kruger’s not bad. It’s nice to have a sort-of recent major leaguer with Dave who can articulate better than our current phalanx of recent Major Leaguers. I don’t even mind so much his “bitchin'” comment in the third inning. I hope he’s able to do more color on the TV broadcasts.
Part of me is scared that folks might start expecting us to compete for the division. While I can appreciate the enthusiasm, I think we should probably wait and see if we’re going to get anywhere close to catching the Angels. I don’t want to see our younger guys traded away for veteran talent just so we can compete this year, only to have us fall apart because we just aren’t ready or are overperforming right now.
Well, I’ll just sit back and wait and see. 2005 was the rebduiling year for 2006. I just hope everybody remembers that.
#164 – I think everyone on here knows that. But while we are rebuilding, we might as well be as good as possible. Make it enjoyable to be a fan.
I’m just worried the team won’t pull the proper deals/signings to make this team a contender next year. We need one more good bat and some solid starting pitching.
#164 How does one “sit back and wait and see?” If you’ve been following this team since 1977, that’s a lot of sitting and waiting and not much enjoyment. It’s okay to be a fan, even if the “blogma” says they aren’t supposed to win until next year. Can’t wait for the consternation that will unfold if they don’t hit the marks set for them in 2006. They’re basically playing next year’s lineup now, so if it is winning, why “sit back,” whatever that means? Let’s hope they win as many as they can this year, challenge if possible, and add that pitcher or two (Felix?) next year.
Three kids hitting over .400
Also I never quite understand the big dislike of Raul. He is doing his job this year and last. He and Everyday Eddie should not be on the trade-away list for this year.
I am tired of the guys saying “Boonie will turn it around”. We heard that about Olerud last year. Eventually everyone gets too old (except Julio Franco) and they diminish without rebound.
Long live the Lopez/Morse middle infield.
#164,
If people want to be happy about this baseball team right now, let them. Yes, some of us realize that this team may not contend this season. But after last year’s 99-loss season, I think Mariners fans are allowed to hold their heads high right now. I know damn well that the fans couldn’t hold their heads high last year until the final weekend of the season. Obviously, the 2005 season up to this point beats the hell out of 2004.
The youth movement was long overdue for this ballclub. I can only hope it’s a springboard for bigger things to come. That’s what we all want, right?
Sue me and a few fans for feeling a little enthusiastic. Life’s short. Wear a f**cking helmet. (Thanks, Denis)
For all the grammar policemen out there, I meant to say f*cking, not f**cking.
Thanks for clearing that up. I thought you meant flocking(?).
What is it going to take for Thornton to get DFA’d? I thought he was toast after that last performance, coming in after Shiggy had done a good job of sucking all by himself (giving up a bunch of runs and walking the bases loaded in a tied game) and sucking just as badly – walking the first two hitters he faced, to force in two runs.
I don’t care if he’s a lefty who throws 95. Let someone else suffer the process of training him.
What is it going to take for Thornton to get DFA’d?
I guess he fills out the “LH long reliever with no control” spot in the 7 man ‘pen…
167 It sounds like 2006 might well be Lopez (2B) and Betacourt (SS) but for now, Morse is doing a nice job of getting on base. He (Morse)is out-performing expectations based on his Tacoma and 2004 record would suggest. It might be a struggle to find a good place for Morse once Betacourt is done wowing at each level below Seattle.
I think it’s interesting how things are starting to get exciting for fans to pencil in future players instead of discussing “when” Boone is going to turn around his season. In a way, Seattle has a real opportunity to make up the middle infield slots the right way instead of being hamstrung by a contract for 2006.
#167 Both Ibanez and Eddie have trade value. We also have guys who can take their places. Although I wouldn’t trade them for anything I wouldn’t say no to any trade that gets us a prospect or two for either one of them.
Soriano/Sherril can take Eddie’s spot, when they are healthy. And Doyle can take Ibanez’ spot right now.
With very little chance of going to the playoffs any drop off in performance won’t hurt the team and if anything it helps the FO by filling in holes for next season before this one is over.
Re 173, 174
I’m fine with trading Eddie and Winn, but not Ibanez. Snelling has been good but is still injury prone and not garanteed to have Ibanez’ power, while we have Putz and possibly even Soriano to take over as the closer. Also, if Morse shows that he’s a competent major-league hitter, i say we keep him and give him the starting job next year. Yuniesky Betancourt, even for being a better prospect than Morse, has earned nothing, and hasn’t quite shown as ML potential as a hitter. Morse at the moment is earning ML playing time, and he looks as if he’s not going to stop at the moment. I like the idea of Betancourt (with his apparently elite defense) as our backup middle infielder/defensive replacement next season, but with an offense that has struggled for almost 5 years to find consistent hitting, and beyond that power, Morse is a definite commodity as a hitter over Betancourt.
wow..sorry, that was a bad post grammar wise..
It might be a struggle to find a good place for Morse once Betacourt is done wowing at each level below Seattle.
Why Betancourt over Morse? I don’t think Betancourt’s minor league hitting stats are more impressive than Morse’s. Is his defense that good?
Betancourt is pretty smooth on defense impressing everyone who gets a chance to watch him. The job right now is Morse’s to lose. His defense has been adequate, and he hits well in the clutch. Betancourt needs another season and a half in the minors before he is ready to challenge, still he has hit the ball well so far in AAA.
I’m not sure I’d go with “hitting well”.
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Yuniesky%20Betancourt&pos=SS&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&did=milb&pid=435358
A .700 OPS in the high minors at 23 isn’t all that and a bag of chips- it likely translates into Ramon Santiago or Wilson Valdez-like stats at this point (what’s in Betancourt’s favor is he’s only 23 and maybe can build on that to something better).
Morse’s AA and AAA combined stats are considerably better.
http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/mike_morse.shtml
(through 2004)
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/milb/stats/stats.jsp?n=Mike%20Morse&pos=SS&sid=milb&t=p_pbp&did=milb&pid=434604
(2005)
Betancourt strikes me as maybe being Rey Sanchez if he works out well- lots of singles, no walks, not much power, a little speed, good defense. Mike Morse might end up like Miguel Tejada lite, with 25 HR power. Your defense has to be pretty crappy to be worth 20 home runs…
How about Bobby Crosby-lite.
If Mike Morse turns into Miguel Tejada lite, I’ll eat a hat. His 99th percentile projection would be something like Rich Aurilia.
Actually, Dave, Rich Aurilia was sorta what I was aiming for by saying “lite”- I coudn’t think of a better comparison.
Don’t see why it’s that improbable that Mike Morse might not turn out that well, but I’d livewith that as his ceiling…
You know, the Ms have had a ton of “bad luck” with pitchers. If Lady Luck wants to throw us a bone – and Morse turning into an everyday, top 10 SS would definitely qualify as an unexpected and happy surprise – I’ll take it.
BTW, if Morse does turn out to be a legit Major Leaguer, whom in the Ms management gets a gold star for seeing he could play? (And, yes, getting lucky counts as good management; the same way that bad luck counts as bad management.)
I gotta say that Bavasi, on the whole, has more positives than negatives so far.
BTW, if Morse does turn out to be a legit Major Leaguer, whom in the Ms management gets a gold star for seeing he could play? (And, yes, getting lucky counts as good management; the same way that bad luck counts as bad management.)
I hate this kind of “analysis”. Luck isn’t managable, and giving someone credit or blame for something unforseeable happening is a great way to draw a lot of bad conclusions.
“Luck is the residue of design.”
— Branch Rickey
I think what was meant is that good management puts you into POSITION to take advantage of good luck- but it can’t substitute for it.
As Branch Rickey said, “luck is the residue of design”.
You can give management credit for creating opportunities to get lucky — picking up promising prospects as throw-ins in deals (e.g. Morse), some of whom fail and some of whom succeed. You can give management blame for taking too many risks — drafting high school pitchers, for instance.
Great minds think alike.
Sure, and we gave management credit for picking up Morse at the time.
I won’t dump on the front office for the Beltre contract even if he never does turn into the productive player we thought we were getting, and I won’t give them extra credit if a marginal prospect turns into an all-star. Evaluate them on the merits of their decisions at the time.
That trade rocked. Garcia for Olivo, Reed, and Morse. Even with Olivo’s total flameout, still a great trade.
Re:165, 166, 168,
Whoa. Lemme clarify my stance here.
What I was saying, was that I don’t want management to try to push for contention this year; to the point where they go out and get a top named pitcher to rent for 3 months (or whatever), sacrificing one (or more) of our top propescts who would have been part of the plan for 2006. Something like that, going for the jugular prematurely, is not what I want to happen. If the kids alone manage to push this team towards contention, then I will be as happy as a clam watcing it happen, but I want it to happen on our own merits and terms.
I just don’t want to sacrifice the future plan (2006) for something that might potentially turn into contention now. Believe me, I am enjoying this just as much as you are. However, all the observations and scouting reports say that Rivera can’t keep this up, nor can Morse, or Sele, etc. I like what I am seeing, and it’s a nice feeling, but I am trying to keep myself grounded here. Lets let the season ride out on it’s own (ditching veterans like Boone whom we don’t need anymore), but keep our eyes on the prize.
AFLAC Trivia flub: the question was, name five players who were named all-stars for the A’s, and also played with the Mariners at some point. Answer was Bill Caudill, Dave Henderson, Ruben Sierra, Rickey Henderson, and . But they missed one: Steve Ontiveros, M in 1993, A’s all-star in 1995.