Game 122, Mariners at Twins
Weird 4:37 start time. RHP Felix Hernandez v RHP Kyle Loshe. Given past usage patterns, this means we’re probably going to start experiencing site slowness… real soon now. The joys of being a non-profit. Please be kind with the reload button, folks.
To catch up on transactions: Gil Meche went on the 15-day DL (knee), Spiezio’s on waivers because you have to put someone through waivers before granting them their release, and Greg Dobbs was called up from Tacoma.
Best quote I read today was Bavasi on putting Spiezio on waivers for purpose of granting him his unconditional release: “We have wrung the rag of opportunity dry.” Heh. Did the tattoo do the twist while you were wringing Spiezio out? Because that would be amusing.
Bavasi also had the second-best quote, when talking about the reputation for grit/etc Spiezio was partly signed for: “I don’t think his desire changed, but nobody slides head-first into the dugout. I don’t think he has lost his grit, or his desire to play.”
That’s a good joke.
Spiezio, displaying a remarkable ability for self-deception, claimed that he’d gotten off to a decent start and then failed, which is… wow. Not really, no. Sorry.
In a twist worthy of a double-take, today’s lineup is essentially the same as we’ve seen every day for a while, but with Greg Dobbs playing DH. Yes, they released Scott Spiezio so they could get Dobbs time at DH. Dobbs does, however, have that great-looking swing. Have you seen it? It looks great.
Also, Miguel Olivo hit his 9th HR of the year for the Padres today.
Comments
354 Responses to “Game 122, Mariners at Twins”
At least we finally put a good defense behind Felix.
BIG!!!!!!! start for him today, on turf and facing a team second time around we’ll get to see a glimpse of his staying power.
I always hate to be the guy who says “the link needs fixing,” but you’ve got a spare “ussmariner.com” in your photo link.
That’s the first time I’ve seen the tattoo. Holy GEEZ. “I know, honey… we’ll distort your face a little and have you pulling your panties down.”
As the arms atrophy from lack of use, his girlfriend will shed a few pounds. NICE.
Geeeez. That tattoo is awful. And seven painful hours for THAT?? Speez needs to get his priorities straight. More BP, less tatts.
Spiezio, more like Sleazio
I’m sorry. Prepare for the savior!
Maybe Spiezio meant the decent start he got off to last year. You know, those two weeks when we thought he might purge the ghost of Jeff Cirillo. As opposed to the year and a half of injuries and utter ineffectiveness we’ve seen since.
So Meche to the DL: the obvious candidate is Harris, depending on how they can work the roster rules and if they can avoid the 10-day issue.
However, I don’t think this is really all that huge a deal. Even if they can’t start Meche, Meche has been so bad that the impact on the bullpen’s negligable. You could start Thornton/Hasegawa and figure you’ll get 3, maaaybe 4 innings out of them, swap out with the other, then depending on where you are, you try and bridge to the end of the game with other guys. That’s not much worse than having Meche go 3 or 4, giving up 4 runs.
Before switching over MLB.tv to the game at hand, I just watched Griffey line a single to right. Sweet.
jason
Anyone else getting a “DirecTV” logo and “Cat Scratch Fever” where the M’s game should be?
jason
n/m; game’s on. Go Felix!
jason
JMB wow, you must have really done something to piss them off to get the Nuge.
No kidding; they know I’m a Zeppelin guy. Geez.
jason
Good lord Dobbs even has the same stupid facial hair as the Spez. Ugh.
maybe olivio is going to turn into a a decent catcher after all. nonetheless, i’m not sorry we traded him.
Should I get the replica Hernandez jersey for $99 or the authentic Hernandez jersey for $199. Anyone who has purcahsed a Ms jersey want to chime in on whether throwing another $100 towards Spiezio’s salary is worth the upgrade in jersey quality?
I just don’t know how they could even conceive of bringing up Dobbs when Bucky is healthy enough to even look at a bat. I guess they just want to slowly work him back up but…damn.
Harris started for Tacoma last night, 6-2-1-1-1-7, so he would be right on schedule if he takes Meche’s spot. You can disregard the 10-day rule to replace an injured player, can’t you?
The only thing is whether they want Nageotte or Kida for a couple days to bolster the bullpen (is Mateo available again yet?) before they have to fill the rotation slot.
You can disregard the 10-day rule to replace an injured player, can’t you?
I believe that’s the case, yes. And it’s not as if Harris showed he couldn’t pitch in the majors while he was up.
jason
I wonder if Spiezio is completely done. Lots of guys we release can clearly still help out other teams in a bench role for very little money (Olerud, Boone, Aurilia, even Cirillo). All Spiezio can hope to be is a really bad Dave Hansen, who isn’t in all that much demand to begin with.
Thanks to that tattoo, I am no longer hungry..
Wait…what’s this bull about him hitting .333 since he’s been playing regularly (they said July 1st as about the start of that)!
He hit .319 in July, and .278 in August. I don’t see any way they can fudge the math to make that claim work.
Oh, and “he” would be Bloomquist.
Ron, over what period is Bloomquist hitting “right around .333″? His last three at-bats? After his “hot” July (sub-.800 OPS) he’s hitting .278/.284/.347 this month. That’s an empty batting average if ever there were one.
jason
I know that we need pitching help badly, but are there are possible transactions that will bolster our offense on the horizon?
This bottom-rung lineup will improve next year IMHO, but not enough.
Lew Ford……Nice friggin job. Great catch.
Screw Lew!
jason
…and the Metrodome looks like the absolute worst place to play baseball ever.
Well Felix SHOULD have the lead
Robbed of a 2 run dinger in the first, would have taken some pressure off of Felix’s shoulders.
I don’t think that ball was out, I think it would have hit the wall.
That .333 crap has to stop. They first said that referring to a period of about ten days or two weeks or something…. and somehow in their irrationally biased minds they still think it’s true.
At no point was his average anything but empty… and unimpressive even by itself. Why on earth do people think this guy is good? A great mystery to me.
Heeeeeere we goooooo…
jason
29- You never know, it could have bounced off of his head and over the fence for a homerun.
Uh oh. I think the demon inhabiting Gil Meche may have decided it didn’t want the vacation.
Gotta love the power-pitcher, groundball specialist combo. The great thing is that he doesn’t have to blow it by people to be effective.
Uh-oh, Felix looks out of whack mechanically … overthrowing.
Did anyone hear about this? – Quoted off the fox sports gamecast (the only cast that’ll auto-update on my mac).
“After giving up a homer in the first inning, Ryan Franklin and pitching coach Bryan Price had to be separated by several players in the dugout last night. “[Franklin] was in the dugout, so Bryan told him to relax,” manager Mike Hargrove said. “Ryan’s comment back at him was, ‘I just bleeping care.’” Price apparently took exception to that comment and things went from there.”
How low can we go… next thing we’ll be having player’s parents threatening to beat down the ups in the parking lot after the game.
dude, where have you been?
Um, that was a strike, blue.
c’mon Badass!
Yup.
jason
Looks fine to me, getting squeezed just a bit/just a tiny bit off the zone.
Good god this strikezone is tiny.
Seems to me like he’s getting squeezed a lot, not a little.
The second pitch to the third batter was all over th plate.
But it’s Gary Darling, so what do I expect?
Wow, that was one nasty patch (the curve for strike 2).
Felix is pitching fine. Given an umpire who actually wanted to call strikes, you know, strikes, this inning would have been over long ago.
I can only get it on gamecast, but he seems to be keeping the ball down. Hopefully he can get this third out and escape without damage.
Pick the kid up and get him some runs.
GOD I HATE THIS SERIES
Outside and low and Beltre didn’t swing.
Damn, 0-1 and right back to the fastball against LeCroy. If he throws only curves and change-ups there is a tiny chance he would’ve gotten a hit.
Felix is on again, and this umpire favors the hitters no doubt.
Its still early in the ballgame. Felix has stayed composed in ball games before. If he can get some calls and keep it close, the M’s have ample chances to come back.
” the M’s have ample chances to come back”
Yeah, they’ve proven they’re real good at that
The Twins announcers just informed us that Dobb’s homered in his first major league at-bat.
Neihaus is so ungodly bad at calling pitches
Man, his swing sure looked pretty striking out, didn’t it?
Sweet Swing
Welcome back Dobbs
Wow, Lohse is getting way more calls than Felix.
I want to choke every twin fan yelling LEEEEWWW!!!
Ok. After just one and a half innings, I’m about to get seriously irked at Gary Darling. His strike zone is neither reasonable or fairly called. A combination that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think… but sucks a lot when it does.
Maybe he’ll settle down.
#52. I’m well aware, but one of these days…
Being an optimist from game to game hurts, real bad.
This ump must not like rookies
If the ump won’t call a strike, I guess Felix is going to have to get a ton of swinging strike threes.
I was also noticing that Felix threw several pitches that inning right down the center of the plate. As if to say, “Call that a ball, amigo.”
54. Save electrons. Neihaus is so ungodly bad. Period. But he’s bad in a charming way, and the M’s wouldn’t be the M’s without him. He’s one of those things in life that you love to hate, like rain in Seattle or Steinbrenner in Noo Yawk.
I like Neihaus.
to be fair, two of those balls against Ichiro! were pretty clearly (to me) strikes
Kyle Lohse, king of the 400 foot flyout to center field. If you don’t believe in the necessesity of defensive indpendant statistics, I present tonights game as example A.
I think the M’s should petition to be able to skip the first inning of all their games.
#68:
That’s precisely the problem. They already do.
Game cast says Willie screwed up again. Is this the case?
What was Betancourt doing? Anyone?
good series for Darling, after his steller work in the field the first game…. wasn’t it Darling who filed suit against Piniella for defamation back in the Reds days?
Has anyone reminded the Ms this is Kyle Lohse?
What the heck does Brent Abernathy think he is doing?
Can we have Lopez back soon?
This game is seriously making me go bald
70 – no screw up
That was sad. Yuni thought Willie was taking it.
Another freakin’ infield single! What the f is going on? I wish I could see the game
70/71
It was Bentancourts fault, he went to field it, stopped, then went after it again
I like Niehaus too. But you are right that he no longer has any clue what pitch has been thrown. He just makes one up, I think. He probably can’t see very well anymore.
Alot of balls are getting hit hard.
50 pitches through 3
Yuni thought Willie was charging the ball, you can see him check off Willie. When Willie stopped at the bag (not saying Willie shouldn’t have) Yuni jerked back into action and ran the ball down a few feet down and left of second.
I think any other M’s pitcher would have allowed the runners to score.
69. LOL
I read somewhere recently that Neihaus claims that he uses a monitor to call pitches. This means that he sits in the press box and call the game from the television feed.
Thanks 80. I think this is more proof that Willie should not be at 2B. We need a pair of guys that will mesh well together and Willie is not the future 2B man.
Someone needs to tell the Beltre that home plate is not three feet wide.
Pretty textbook Bad Beltre AB.
If the M’s can’t win this one behind Felix’s pitching then I predict another sweep.
84. To be fair to Willie, (which is not popular here) it takes a while for a 2b-SS combination to develop a good working relationship. The fact that Hargrove sometimes plays Yuni at second doesn’t help.
Seeing the stats and understanding that the offense is bad is one thing. But, watching it will make you lose your from mashing so hard.
Sorry “lose your teeth”
I love that pitch
I went Googling for Niehaus’ age a couple moinths ago, and it is conspicuousluy absent from any biographical info anywhere online. The last time I remembered it being mentioned was when he had his heart problems years ago. I finally found an article from that period, which was 1996. He was 61 then, so he’s 70 now.
K #5!!!
How many years will it take to turn the rotation into a top 5 in the AL and the offense into a top 5 in the AL?
To be clear, my explanation was not meant to blame Willie, I don’t know who was at fault.
I’m just saying that it seemed clear he thought Willie was going after it and he stayed back to back up the play. Then charged when he realized Willie wasn’t going for it.
It was ugly and I don’t know who to blame.
Nice play by the Ignitor
nice play WFB.
It also looked that Yuni could not get a clear look through the Ump.
I’m cracking open my last beer in hopes that will change the M’s fortunes.
Not to criticize a guy who just went K, K, groundout for a perfect inning, but he’s throwing too many fastballs. His breaking ball is unhittable, and his command of his FB is his big weakness, and we’re seeing about 75 percent fastballs right now.
Throw more offspeed stuff, Felix.
RickL… “to be fair to Willie(which is not popular here)…”
Come now. I don’t think very many people aren’t “fair” to Willie. I think most are more than fair, if anything. He is a mediocrity.
How is deflating completely irrational hype unfair?
I have bashed Willie repeatedly, but never once unfairly.
King’s ERA = 1.44
That Best Buy commercial is giving the Vehix and MoneyTree commercial a run for their money in most annoying commercials of all time. Ugh.
100. Hopefully Ryan cares enough to suggest that to Felix
Looking at some of the Games in the Gameday losting. Is there any possibility that the Mariner’s get Matt Morris in Free Agency. And, is there a reason he would not want to come here and be the #1.
Nearly halfway through the game and we just crossed 100 comments. Not as many people in today as for prior King starts.
Then again, 75 degrees and cloudless in Seattle. I suppose there are other things to do than watch a last-place, getting-worse team.
Reed’s damn lucky he didn’t get thrown out at third.
Anyone know what Reed’s August numbers are? he seems to have improved with the bat lately.
Just imagine if Bucky were the DH instead of Dobbs… I guess it’s only a dream
RickL… Reed has a .787 OPS for August. Much better for him. .288 average.
Maybe someone told Felix he should be afraid of becoming like Freddy Garcia, who fell in love with his change and used it too often, particularly as an out pitch.
100. Can we lay that on the catcher?
See, Jim, I think Freddy was at his best when he used the change as his out pitch. It was his best pitch.
According to the Splits on ESPN – Reed for August
Avg OBP SLG OPS
.264 .350 .340 .690
Have we left someone in scoring postion if every inning?
109 What is Bucky hitting at AAA?
Oops. Torrealba K’s. I was just thinking that he’s been quite respectable at the plate lately, that he might actually be a reasonable #1 catcher for a few years.
And don’t talk to me about Jeff Clement. I’m not counting on him being the M’s #1 catcher in 2007.
114. Thanks for looking that up. I guess he hasn’t improved that much.
I can read the headlines: “Lohse pitches a brilliant game! Almost pitches a no hitter!”
Felix isn’t shaking off YT, is he? He’s a rookie. So blame YT or Hargrove for pitch selection.
According to MLB.com Reed is .288/.787 in August. There’s a big discrepency btw that and ESPN.
FWIW, Matt Morris is a FA after this season to whomever commented about him.
Reeds OPS for August is .787, not .690. Not sure when ESPN was last updated, .787 is MLB numbers as of right now.
116: Bucky has started slow but he would be a much better option than Dobbs and the possibility of a homerun or double increases with Bucky.
7 through 5.
So much for that old saw about seeing the pitcher for the second time. Felix is bamboozling them. That’s fun to watch. Strikeouts from a Mariner pitcher! Woo!
He really does have better command of his change and curve than his fastball. At least tonight.
Come on Ichiro, lets get things started.
Who is this Ump? I can’t believe he called that a strike.
Felix innings 2-5:
4IP, 2H, 0R, 0BB, 6K, 56 pitches, 39 strikes (70%)
Felix, since the first inning:
Strikeout, strikeout, groundout.
Flyout, infield single, infield single, flyout, groundout.
Strikeout, strikeout, groundout.
Strikeout, flyout, strikeout.
His final line won’t be as awe-inspiring as his first three starts, but he’s still unhittable.
I am counting on Bucky arriving in September, after the Tacoma season ends at the worst.
Does Hargrove like Hansen’s guitar playing? That’s the best reason I can think of to keep him around.
We’re having the same old argument in my newsroom about how Willie, despite hitting .270, isn’t really doing a good job as an everyday player, particular in the two-hole. They just look at me when I talk about low OBP and SLG like I’m speaking Farsi. What’s a good, short, layman-friendly way to make clear that Willie isn’t what he’s appeared to be over the past month-plus?
The Ignitor!!! (I posted this just to piss you off, John)
127, look at the early part of the thread. It’s Gary Darling.
If he relys completely on off-speed pitches he’ll be effective, but he won’t improve his fastball command. And with the way his fastball tails it could become his best pitch in time, and it’s already very good.
His curve and change are so good though, it’s tough to watch someone sit on his fastball and drive it when he could’ve just made them look silly.
But, in the long run, he needs to work off of his fastball…that will make him that much harder to hit in the long run.
Bucky’s numbers as of 19 Aug.
AZL Games 3 AB 13 OBP .500 SLG .538 Avg .308
Inland Em 6 21 .655 1.095 .571
Tacoma 5 17 .333 .235 .176
Three of his 12 HRs at Inland Em were HRs.
Maybe he would benefit from a couple more weeks in Tacoma to groove his swing. I would look for him coming up in Sep.
Is Lohse the Ryan Franklin of the Twins but with more success? He pitches to contact and doesn’t strikeout a lot. If so it certainly works against the M’s.
Try using the opposite of on base percentage: out percentage. In other words, since Willie’s OBP is .300, explain that makes an out 70 percent of the time he comes to the plate, and even during his “hot streak”, he’s making an out about 67 percent of the time. Explain that most “good hitters” only make outs 62 percent of the time or less, and that guys like Edgar, in his prime, made outs 50 percent of the time.
If they can’t understand that, punch them in the nose.
131. You could just tell them he’s a wiener.
117: Torrealba does look serviceable as a stopgag until Clement arrives, but if not, Ramon Hernandez is a FA.
I saw Felix pitch twice at Tacoma. Both times his change and curve were perfect and his fastball was erratic in location. This is nothing new for him, it’s just backwards from most pitchers.
The tattoo is scary, his mother must be so proud.
Is it possible that Feliz can surpass Moyer as the K leader on the team by season’s end?
140… his mom is taking HER panties off on his other arm. So, you know, she’s okay with it.
see #135. Sorry it should read: 3 of his 12 hits were HRs.
Thanks, Dave. I’m cracking my fist knuckles as we speak … then preparing to run like a nancyboy.
135. Thanks for looking that up. I love Bucky and hope he can come up and play as well as he did last year before he got hurt.
Way OT, but “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” is, in my opinion, one of the funniest movies ever made.
Was a double play possible?
Mauer just gets sent back?
142. LOL
#131 your stats. arguement gets a little tougher when the other people in the newsroom look at the M’s through 6 innings box score and see that Willie has 2/3 s of the hits for our team. Also steals are left our of he Billy Beane evaluation system, not because they are not important, but because he doesn’t put a high value on them. It’s like the story about the statistician drowning in a river with an average depth of 18 inches-he just found a 6′ hole. Same with Willie, he adds value to a poor team, so sit back and enjoy what he brings to the table and don’t hung up on the nerdy numbers.
Jones had no chance there.
Are there any miracles left in the offense to comeback and get the win for Felix?
#150 what value does a guy with no power who gets on base at a below average clip bring exactly?
Sexson!
Big Sexaaaaaaaaaay!
Ford ain’t getting that one.
Come on offense, two more
Nice. How many Sexson HR’s have gone to right-center??
152: Yep.
Beltre! w00t!
i’ll be damned…back-to-back
Beltre!! Having a good August too.
And this is what we were supposed to be buying this offseason!
Hey, $114 million pays off!
THAT’S what we pay them for.
BELTE!!
BACK TO BACK
1 MORE!!
Smacketty!
Oh Yeah!! So beautiful!
Oh wow – back to back HRs and a tied game for King Felix. That’s downright heartwarming and almost exciting even.
YEE HAW
That was indeed Franklin like.
BACK TO BACK JACK!
jason
153: Bloomquist so far rates as above a replacement level player, and below an average player. So mediocre value.
Can Reed make it a triple?
I have a question….how many home runs did Felix give up in AAA this year?
When was the last time Beltre went opp-field for a HR?
And now for the third dinger, we have Bucky… uh, no, it’s Dobbs.
DMZ. I agree that Dobbs has a nice swing. But so far the results have been Spezio-like.
Felix is at 94. ANyone know his limit today?
Willie Bloomquist: “The 27-Year-Old Power Virgin”?
so, does felix come back? i believe he’s at his pitch limit
well, he’s putting his hat on…good sign
last inning for Felix, make it a good one.
This will be the King’s last inning.
Hey adam –
Just three homers in 88 innings.
Felix stats.
jason
World *darts* championships? Really?
jason
how about K, K, K for the last inning
i will make NO predictions for the bullpen. good gawd, if we take the lead then can guardado pitch two innings tonight?
It’s scary to look at this game and think this is the King without his A game going.
What do you guys think of Hunter Brown from Tacoma? He seems versatile in defense but his offense seems to be superior to Willie’s. I think he would make a better replacement for Willie.
185 How about three ground ball outs early in the count. I want to protect that arm.
#184 better than the world Rock Paper Scissors championships…
Thats two
kind of like watching Tiger without his A game
unfortunately I think Felix will suffer from Roger Clemens syndrome this year – he’ll pitch lights out but his overall W/L record will only be so-so because his offense stinks.
It’s great to see Felix still effective in his *second* start against a team.
I just read in the P-I that it was Gary Darling who called the Hidden Ball Balk, and that it was a matter of interpretation. So he double stinks.
So who will be our September callups?
 Jose Lopez: Yes
 Jeff Harris: Likely
 Scott Atchison: Maybe
 Rafael Soriano: Yes
 Cha Seung Baek: Probably not
 Rene Rivera: Maybe?
 Clint Nageotte: Probably
 Justin Leone: No
 Wiki Gonzalez: No
 Bobby Livingston: I’m leaning toward no
What do you think?
I get my wish. While I’m on a roll, I want a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Very, very impressive. Not his best, but very impressive.
jason
Come on offense, score some runs here so Felix has a chance for the win
Yeah, good call RickL.
jason
189: which is still better than thumb wrestling championships
One more time…is it me doesn’t seem like a large majority of Sexson’s HR’s go to right-center?
That’s pretty. 103 pitches and 70 for strikes.
Well, FSN just called him King Felix.
jason
is there any reason NOT to call up the maximum 15 on 9/1? Minor league season is over right? Are there financial considerations?
Nice JoeJessica.
Not the Crain guy! The M’s can’t buy a hit off this guy. Oh our bullpen vs. theirs = disaster for M’s.
Wow, you don’t often see Ichiro miss a bunt.
199: Yes, seems that way. Though his pull HRs are moon shots.
This kid really doesn’t have any flaws. You couldn’t dream of a pitcher this good.
Oh, yeah, and Bucky Jacobsen: Probably.
Ron Fairly Obvious is OBSESSED with hitting streaks. “Well, that’s a two-game hitting streak for the young man! He’s batting .500 in his last two at-bats!”
Sexson hit chart.
Y’know, I don’t mind looking this stuff up (like Felix’ AAA homers allowed), but the Internet is a wonderful thing. You guys can find stuff like this in less than a minute, honest.
jason
204 But we just did.
202. Tacoma could be in a the playoffs so maybe we won’t see some call ups till much later. Personally though, I’d like to see what Hunter Brown is like.
209. You nailed him!
Will he have Willie bunt here?
Ummmm…. Torrealba is the slowest creature ever. No pitchout needed.
Anyway — unfortunately, I can’t find an “all” split on those hit charts, they’re by ballpark. Of his 17 homers at home, only four have gone to right.
jason
If the Ignoitor was on the bench, he could pinch run for YT. But he isn’t.
Thanks JMB. No need for your explanation though. I would have looked it up if I wanted to. Just asking if anyone else noticed.
A rare WB walk! But he did swing at it.
Willie got lucky!
202, they won’t call the maximum 15 up because teams typically would rather have the AAA players actually play than sit on the bench in the bigs.
FCUK
crap there goes the chance for a much needed win for my fantasy team.
Mr. Intangible walks. OK Raul, you haven’t hit a homerun in awhile. Now would be a nice time.
Crap!
i think Willie gets lucky every night – and MUCH more lucky than he deserves
Ummmm……. I don’t like this.
damn, he’s back!!!!!!!!!!!
What are they doing? Felix should not be in there. That arm is precious.
If they kill Felix’s arm by pulling stunts like this I’ll ditch the Mariners -_-.
Kind of confirms Price/Hargrove’s opinion of the bullpen
Wow, back out there?
jason
WHY IS FELIX OUT THERE???!!!!
Don’t get this. What’s his pitchcount limit, 120?
Thank the baseball gods he is knocking them over quickly.
Hargrove can burn in hell >_
this is crazy, I don’t get it. . . we could look back on this and one day regret it.
He’s still pitching well, so hopefully the inning doesn’t take that many pitches and the difference between 100 and 110 doesn’t matter that much.
2 questions:
1) Wasn’t that the second double play Raul grounded into today?
2) Why is Felix out there? There is no reason to pull a Bobby! It’s not like the offense is so reliable as to get him a win!
Last hitter, methinks, regardless of the outcome.
jason
Thought I thought that about Abernathy, too.
jason
Mike “Frank Robinson” Hargrove: “Do you think if I ruin the kid’s arm, I can get fired? Look at how long it took them to fire Spiezio. I bet I could manage naked and make it through 06.”
Bryan “Dusty Baker” Price: “I’ll take 3-to-1 you’re canned by next July.”
MH: “Only if I get 2-to-1 that they overpay you this winter to stay as PC.”
you all are obsessing about 120 pitches? Excuse me but give me a freakin’ break. I know the history, I know all the arguements, I don’t care. Someone called “the King” better be able to throw 120 freakin’ pitches. GREAT move by Price/Hargrove.
I’ll get the pitch fork #235
Get him the heck out of there!
jason
let’s score some runs.
ps I love the KKKKKKKKKing Felix banners in the stands.
Dude.
#242, yup this game is way too important to worry about next year or an entire career for a promising pitcher.
242
So in other words you don’t care about facts.
ERA = 1.27
Yes, he’s an incredible pitcher….but he’s 19 friggin years old.
He shouldn’t have been out there, no question. And no, this one start won’t mean anything, unless this continues…that is what I’m concerned about.
#242 Your willing to gamble the greatest pitching prospect ever to come out of Seattle just to get one more inning in a season that doesn’t matter.
You sir, are an idiot.
242. Think about this.. what is the point of bringing him out again? What if one batter has a 15 at bat? Anyway, he doesn’t need to prove he can throw 120 in a losing season and on a losing team at this point in the season.
Wow. Um. I’m coming in late cos I stupidly missed the first part of the game. First: go Felix, I can’t believe they sent him out for the eighth. Second: dear God in heaven. Was that really Mary Kay Fuckin’ Letorneau in that Toyota of Kirkland commercial?!
Why don’t you guys cite something from the huge mountain of evidence that proves how 120-pitch outings correlate with pitcher injuries?
…
What do you mean you don’t have any evidence? I thought that’s what you were getting on Nick for!
Grover: Let’s see, let’s see. Denny’s is having a special until what time… Hey Price, until what time is the Denny’s special?
Price: Uh (Homer look)
Grover: (Under his breath) What an idiot. Ok, anyway, I’d better not take any chances. Hey Price, send out Thornton.
Price: OK
Grover: Good, this should be over soon. Denny’s here I come!
#253
LOL. That is exactly what I thought!
It looks just like her! That’s insane if it is. But googling produces nothing, so I guess it can’t be. That would be.. uh. extremely inappropriate.
Turns out it’s “Letourneau” with another U. oops.
254
It’s called COMMON SENSE.
Only a moron would send the future of this organization back out and risk injury.
So I guess that explains why Hargrove did it.
Wow. Get out the flame retardant suit, #242.
Honestly though, it’s not as if they let him stay out there and throw a 140 pitch slug-fest. He’d allowed what.. one base runner since the 3rd inning? Were he struggling to get people out, I can see yanking him. He wasn’t, he probably said he was feeling good. If he goes out for the 8th and lets a guy or two get on, you pull him. As it is, he threw 11 pitches or something; Doesn’t seem like a guy who’s having issues tossing the ball.
Grover: I said Thornton, Price!
Price: Oh sorry! They all look alike to me.
Grover: Price, one of these days, one of these days…. Pow, straight to the moon Price!
Price: huh (Homer look)!
Now that was the play of the day!
Damnit, I didn’t want to watch extra innings.
Sherrill looking like Yuni!
#263, he didn’t want Nelson following him.
the Big Pear has got a glove and he uses it
My darkhorse for a September recall: Jeff Heaverlo.
#242
I was thinking the same thing, as unpopular as that may make me. This organization has been amazingly careful with Felix – much moreso than many other clubs would have been – and I’ll trust that they know more about this than anyone posting here.
Let the kid pitch in a close game. We’re also trying to get the guy some experience, not just baby him.
Fire away . . . . .
Finally a really better hitter and base stealer than Dobbs.
Oh, I miss Bucky….
I agree that they should never have sent Felix out there for the 9th. I also wonder about how wimpy pitchers of today are. I remember Nolan Ryan (not that he was a typical pticher) throwing over 200 pitches in a game. Pitchers also used to pitch every four days, not every five. Cy Young (not that he was typical either) once made over 50 appearances in one 154 game season, pitching in relief between starts. I am wondering if pitchers today never learn proper mechanics, and so their arms fail if you have them pitch over 100 pitches.
Strong is soooo lucky! Nice!
STRONG!!
No way Strong should have one for three. Is Dave Myers back as the third base coach?
Wow. Karmic payback for that linedrive DP of Ibanez back in the 8th.
This is why Strong should be our guy and not Dobbs! Go Strong, steal home!
tougher lineups 270.
Yuni!!!
Yeah baby! YUNI!
Risking the future of the best pitching prospect ever to come out of Seattle? Umm no, I wouldn’t do that. What I would do is let a young pitcher who has worked hard go out there to throw one more inning as long as he’s not looking tired, overthrowing and still ahs his velocity. If he DOES have that one batter that has a 15 pitch AB…something we HAVE NOT seen a single batter do over 4 starts, then I’d go out there and get him after that AB.
115 pitches is NOT a ton of pitches. I don;t think your “risking” anything at that point that you don’t risk when you send him out there for any given start. I mean what, should we not send him out there for the rest of the year to “protect” him? As one other poster said, show me the mountain of evidence that say 115 pitches is too many.
Torealba is a national leaguer, so he can bunt.
I think I’m developing a little crush on Betancourt, similar to batgirl’s boyfriend-of-day.
Hey baby. I like the way you… field.
Man, Morse and Betancourt acting like far better hitters than they were billed as. Nice to see the reverse of what usually happens for us.
BETTY!
wouldn’t a suicide squeeze have been fun? ala the Cards
Um: as soon as they showed Eddie on the screen, btw, I just remembered that I dreamed last night that Eddie got killed. No idea what my subconscious is up to.
Yea! Yuni! Mr hits-only-in-the-clutch, but I’ll take that every time! Go Yuni!
Why? He’s been choking at the end of games. lately.
disrespecting the Ignitor!
I’m sure he’ll respond. Or not.
270 – they didn’t send him out there for the 9th….they sent him back out for the 8th.
Sorry “Why, walk Ichiro? He’s been choking at the end of games. lately.”
I want at least another run for safety– Eddie is going to be amped like crazy to be closing in the Dome again….
Can WFB get some like like he did against the Royals — a dive and a miss!
The IGNITOR!!!!!!
where were games like THESE all friggin year long?
Well, Willie is not getting a day off tomorrow.
keep them coming.
Lets go back to back again.
you know, after watching Boone at second all year, an empty .280 hitter out there actually looks like an all star.
Putting Raul on to pitch to Sexson?
Well, hell. I’m sure not going to win any Willie Bloomquist arguments today.
YEEEEESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
Walk Raul to get to Sexson… oh I don’t know what they are thinking!
IM HALFWAY THERE TO BEING PSYCHIC!!
okay, HOLY CRAP!!!!
YES! That is my Ignitor! So wonderful.
GRAND SLAM RICHIE!!
Richie-licious!
GRAND SLAM
Richie – my fantasy team thanks you immensely.
BIG
SEXY
and they’d just popped the graphic up showing he had 7 grand slams and I was thinking, hmm, 7 is a lot…..
GRAND SALAMI!
Atta boy Richie, I knew he was a good FA signing.
The books still out on Beltre though.
Yeah, Ron, about that “walk Ibanez” strategy . . . . . .
They should have pitched to Ibanez.
coooooooool
Sexson’s tied w/ ManRam for 2nd in AL home runs, only 4 back of A-Rod
#270. I agree and many of the pitchers, not just the superstars, of the 50s. 60s and early 70s, pitched 7, 8, 9 innings and over 100 pitches every four days. The pitchers were more durable then. And I am not sure about better lineups either since this was before the expansions. IMHO many of todays players would not get past AAA in those days (WFB comes to mind). Of course this is an old argument and I don’t expect any resolution.
Back to the game 8 to 2 why couldn’t the offense explode like this when Felix was still in there?
I hope Eddie gets to pitch the bottom of the inning, even with the big lead. I want to see how any fans left in the Dome greet him.
Double. Sexy.
I like this scoring lots of run in the 10th business.
Not to by picky, but this stuff couldn’t have come an inning earlier for Felix?
So what’s the pool on Sexson’s total for ’05? I vote for 45.
That’s why you don’t pitch to a guy who has 90 rbis on the season. Excuse me, 94 rbis.
Fortunately, i’m out of my mind on a combination of Schedule 3 drugs, everclear and sterno.
Try it. It allows you to listen to Ron Fairly… he almost makes sense. Cliches become profound.
Keep the ball down…Ah, right Ron…
Lew Ford reminds me of (forgotten player from the seventies)…me too Ron…
Richie Sexson is gonna hit a lot of home runs…That’s what we pay him for Ron…
Time for more sterno…just wring that puppy out…
Im on fire, Im on fire!
Too bad that Felix doesn’t get the win with that performance, but at least he doesn’t get the loss. And I’m happy for Sherrill. Especially after that fancy glove work.
Dammit, I KNEW I shoulda driven down for the game tonight. Crud.
OT, I think Terry Mulholland’s co-starring role is my favorite part of Batgirl’s musical “Oh Five”, with Lew Ford in a close second….
Man, oh man, what an inning.
#270 and #315 — the thinning-out from expansions has never been more than a blip; on the whole, the average level of talent has been rising pretty steadily for a long time (remember, in Babe Ruth’s day, Felix would never have left Venezuela; and Bob Feller would never have had to try to get Ichiro out). If you don’t believe me, go argue with Steven Jay Gould.
Or, for that matter, with Christy Mathewson, who told young pitchers they only needed to throw hard when they got in a jam–”save your arm for the tough situations” was the idea. You try that nowadays, even the likes of Bloomers will take your head off.
Ok put them down quickly Eddie and let me do other stuff tonight.
Lew Ford is driving me nuts.
I hate Ron Fairly. He said that the Mariner’s were gonna win tonight. Maybe its me but everytime he says something like that he kills us.
325. An interesting perspective. So you think they didn’t bring their full effort on every pitch like they do now?
Willie Ballgame has the dirtiest uniform in the park.
Rizzs once again referred to the Metrodome’s “teflon roof.” Can someone please slap him? It’s kevlar. Think bulletproof vests, not stickfree frypans.
Now, Eddie: 6 run lead, think you can hold on for the win?
328 – I have fond memories of Niehaus killing us with the phrase “…and the rout is on.” Hmmm.. two posts by me about Niehaus tonight, but it’s not a thing with me. Really. I can quit anytime I want to.
331. Even Nellie could do it.
329, back in the 20s and 30s, teams only had a couple of relievers and starters generally pitched the whole game. The pitchers did not throw their best stuff to every hitter.
Glad w got those insurance runs.
If Eddie gives up two more runs, is he eligible for a save?
Eddie! Shut it down, NOW.
Good night my friends.
Yes. Thank you. Good game at the end. Wish it could have good all the way through.
Just a thought on pitcher durability, then and now. We know about the pitchers who pitched games on back to back days or both sides of a double header… what do we know about the guys who never made it to the majors due to injury? Is it possible that for every durable pitcher who made it to the majors, several others suffered pre-TJ surgery injuries and left the game completely.
Thank goodness the M’s won’t get swept. And it was nice payback for out bullpen.
Huh? 8 innings of mastery by Felix wasn’t “good?”
Sorry. no slight intended toward Felix. I was talking about the offense.
At least we can say it’s always entertaining when the King pitches.
jason
Half of every inning was a joy to watch (physics-defying Kamakazi Kurves from the King) and half was the oh-too-familiar Mariner offensive ineffectiveness. I think 339 was referring to the M’s half of the endgame, when the bats woke up.
Another HR for Clement today.
A non-Felix comment here. In ESPN’s recap, they highlight Sexon’s power and use the following statistic to backup the fact that he’d lost his stroke…
Sexson had only nine homers in 23 games for the Diamondbacks in 2004…
Um… that’s 60+ over a full season… I’d take that…
aaaah, the first ‘why’d the Mariners let Olivio [sic] go? He just hit another home run for the Padres’ call to the postgame show….
Re #329 — I don’t think so, I know so, because Matty (and others) said so. If it weren’t so late (and if I didn’t have a sermon to finish), I’d dig up a quote or two; maybe tomorrow, if there’s a reasonable place to post it.
Jeff Clement had 5 RBI ‘s two days in a row and HR in each game. He is heating up.
#329 & 349: I can’t speak for pitchers in the 1930-1970s era (until they finally moved to a five-man rotation), but there’s definitely a difference between pitching effort in the dead-ball vs live-ball eras. I think it was Walter Johnson, in fact, who, in his autobiography, wrote that pitchers needed to be in good physical shape, because they’d sometimes have to throw 90, and even on occasion 100, pitches in a ballgame.
Heh! Went to my first Felix-is-pitching party/gathering. And to think I might still be going to such parties when I’m 65, or even older!
I’m surprised that no one noticed this, but Ron Gardenhire, a coach that is generally esteemed around the league, didn’t have his best reliever, Joe Nathan, pitching a tie game in the bottom of the 9th & 10th.
As we know, Mike Hargrove gets roundly criticized for not pitching Eddie in the 9th & 10th of a tie game at home. I don’t think much of Grover’s decision(s) to hold Eddie in reserve for some super duper extra important inning such as the 12th. But it’s also clear that other managers make this mistake, too. Joe Torre? Not so much.
Oh, and the postscript is… that the Nathan-less decision probably bit Gardenhire in the butt tonite. I wonder if any savvy reporter in the Twins postgame interview bothered to ask him why Nathan wasn’t pitching in that situation.
Oh, and the postscript is… that the Nathan-less decision probably bit Gardenhire in the butt tonite.
I’d say what bit him in the butt was walking Raul to get to Richie, although one could argue the game was already lost by then.
Question for Stat-Heads:Historically, what percentage of time does intentionally walking the bases full end up costing a run scored (either by the walked batter, or via a subsequent walk with no room to put him)?