Game 128, White Sox at Mariners
Jeff · August 27, 2005 at 6:46 pm · Filed Under Game Threads
Anyone else notice that Dave Niehaus pronounces Orlando Hernandez’ nickname like “El Dookie,” which I believe is Spanish for “The Album that Made Green Day Big”?
It’s a good thing Jose Contreras doesn’t have a nickname that Dave can turn into a homonym for poop. And speaking of fecal matter, Joel Pineiro … nah, that’s too easy.
Oh, and one other note: evidently, getting knocked around by the Mariners earns you a ticket to the minors these days. Hard to argue with that, either.
Confidential to Peter C.: Don’t think I didn’t notice that you left the game last night just before Eddie served up the game-winner. You’re lucky the Jeff-man has a loving heart, and is not superstitious.
Comments
187 Responses to “Game 128, White Sox at Mariners”
El Dookie, heh. That makes Franklin the “American Idiot.”
Strong gets the start in CF.
Joel is “re-emerging”. You are write, these jokes write themselves.
Son of a…right, not write.
“Dookie” was one of my favorite albums when I was 12 years old. Man, the year in music of 1994 was just awesome. I can go on about that, but I won’t.
“American Idiot” is probably the best album that I’ve heard this decade. And who would have thought that Green Day would make an album as good as “American Idiot”? Simply amazing.
“A little bit of confidence wouldn’t hurt Pineiro.” – Ron Fairly
A little bit of talent wouldn’t hurt, either.
I am watching the game on WGN from North Carolina, and it looks like there is a pretty good crowd out to watch a pitcher against whom the league is batting over .300.
After coming close to quitting in frustration a couple of months ago, Lou seems to have the D-Rays playing pretty well. Better than the M’s anyway.
So who’s dumber … Hargrove for batting Bloomquist second, or Ozzie Guillen for batting the out-tastic Timo Perez leadoff?
Joel got through an inning without a run!
No way 40K people were there last night. The upper right field area was basically empty.
9. Bloomquist drove in two runs batting second last night, so I guess it would have to be Guillen.
Hargrove is actually arguing a call.
If I were the Grover, I’d hit Jamal Strong 2 hole, and Bloomie 9, if he absoultely has to be in the lineup. Of course, he doesn’t.
September cannot come fast enough, so Jose Lopez can play daily at 2B with Betancourt at short. Give Morse ABs in LF and DH.
Reed makes that play
Owwwwwwwwwwww
Touchdown Seahawks.
That’s the Piniero I know. The really bad thing about last night’s game is that the only reliever we didn’t use is Thornton (I think), so we will probably see him come in to relieve Joel.
No, Shiggy is “fresh”.
Harrelson is going on and on about how great Felix is.
19. Oh, right. Thanks for the comforting thought.
For Joel, that 1 ground-ball out, 5 fly-ball outs. That’s a sure recipe for a four-digit ERA.
Fly ball outs aren’t by themselves bad.
Joel, however, is.
I was about to write that Beltre’s plate discipline had really improved until that pitch
Henderson pimping the “Singles Night” promotion is hilarious. He’s trying to sound so smooth while stumbling over the copy, like he’s asking out a girl he’s nervous around.
This has the makings of an exquisitely boring game.
Yeah this game is pretty bad.
Dear Mr. Bloomquist,
Please note that Betancourt, who plays short, is really good. Please be prepared for him to make defensive stops that you would not make were you at that position.
Thank you for your future increased attention.
Derek
I would pay for a service that would text message me whenever the game got remotely exciting.
How much? Because we could probably automate something that would send you text messages from any game thread containing at least three capital letters and four exclimation marks. Such as “ICHIRO!!!!!!!!!”, which is a pretty common post in the game threads.
Where are the scissors?
Cops is in Pierce County right now.
Maybe if Pineiro lobbed it underhand he could miss some bats.
Let’s turn Pineiro into a lefty. He can’t possibly do any worse with his left hand, and then he’ll have at least a little trade value, in contrast with the zero or negative trade value he now has.
Contreras has to be the most maddeningly inconsistent pitcher with good stuff in MLB. Tonite he is in his good mode, unfortunately.
A switch pitcher? Could he start every three days, alternating arms?
36: Nope, he would be forbidden to use his right arm, ever.
Amazingly, the White Sox have only scored three runs on their 74 hits.
Holding his hands up high during his windup must be helping Pineiro a lot. Normally he would’ve given up at least five runs by this stage of the game.
This is amazing. 559 posts last night, and 39 so far tonight.
Oh goody, Thornton is warming up.
40: I wonder if the identity of the pitcher last night (and the pitcher tonight) had anything to do with the different numbers of posts…
Nice catch by Ibanez
42 Ya think?
I think the USSM server(s) needed a rest tonite.
Dare I say that this has become a quality start by Joel?
Now if only we could get a quality swing.
Bryan Price must be extremely happy to see Felix performing so well. Kinda takes everyone’s mind off how crappy all the other pitchers are.
I wonder how close Price is to losing his job, though. At some point the pitching coach has to get it in the neck when the staff struggles for several years in a row.
Now if only we could get a quality swing.
Dobbs!
I am happy to be watching this game for a change. I get WGN here at work but the local cable company stopped FSNW this past winter.
They’re trying to jinx the Mariners from now to eternity by re-playing that Spiezio promo.
The Curse of Sand Frog.
Here comes the Run Fairy!
46. Six innings, three runs, that is certainly one of his better starts of the year. I guess one could live with a 4.5 ERA in a fifth starter.
# 47. Similar comments could be made about Baylor. The Ms consistently make average to mediocre pitchers look like Cy Young candidates.
Besides the young players who are still learning, do the hitting and pitching coaches actually have any effect on the results of the team? I would think that the veteran players already know what they are doing if they are regular major leaguers.
That first pitch swing was Willie igniting a come back.
I think the Pittsburgh Cinci game just ended on a triple play.
54: Yup, Baylor must also be sweating a little.
55: Nope, the coaches probably don’t have a huge effect, but they get blamed anyway. As for veteran players knowing what they’re doing, uhhh, not always. Spiezio sure didn’t.
Being the Mariner hitting coach is kind of like being the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts.
Two hits to start the inning. I feel a patented one-run frame coming on.
58. Nor did Cirillo, Aurillio or Boone and the list goes on ….
48. You called it.
Dobbs! Pretty swing.
Dobber!!!!!
Two runs! I’m shocked but pleased. Dobbs heading back toward the Mendoza line (this means he will keep hitting sixth, I guess).
Guillen seems to leave his starters in a little too long.
The serial killer episode of “The First 48″ is on. Excellent stuff.
Tying run in scoring postion for our best singles hitter.
Oops, I was so used to Torrealba batting ninth that I forgot about Yuni.
In the mid 1800′s if Yorvit gets hit in the back with the throw running to first, he’s out! I don’t know if that’s Baseball Rules evolution or whether intelligent design was involved in changing it.
70: Hmmm, I wonder how many brawls were sparked by that old rule.
And Yorvit was lucky Jose didn’t zing him in the back – he was running inside the baseline.
37000 showed up to see this game. I am amazed.
Wow, just look at all the options we have for throwing this game away. Thornton’s in, Nellie’s warming up, and Shiggy’s anxiously waiting for his chance.
Mariners make Contreras look like a Cy Young candidate (0 walks) and Dye an MVP (4-4, even a steal).
…or 2
And another. Dye steals off a lefty trying to keep him on, then goes for third. This is bad.
That was cool! Sometimes one moment makes it worth sticking around for a full 3 hours.
Now that was heads-up, major league baseball.
But Yu-Bet comes to the rescue. YOU BET!
77. Yes. That throw by Yuni was worth the price of admission.
Nice ball handling by the M’s.
If Felix can win the Rookie of the Year somehow, Yu-Bet has GOT to be seriously considered for the Gold Glove. Especially if Derek “None Too Deft to The Left” Jeter is the current standard-bearer.
Kid’s a keeper.
If I were a White Sox fan in this game, I would be screaming at Guillen to take Contreras, out.
Hakana Mutata Jamal-a!
I don’t believe that Jeter’s ever won a Gold Glove, so he isn’t the standard bearer.
And I guess I would get my wish.
Hmmm … so maybe this would be a good time for Ichiro to hit one of those homeruns that he’s able to hit “anytime he wants to.”
Okay, it was a barely-single off an obviously gassed Contreras. But still.
Sherrill only faced one batter last night. Maybe he could pitch again tonight.
[deleted for extremely long text link which messes up comments]
Felix vs Unit? Wow.
This is a time to consider a double steal instead of a sacrifice.
$%@$%@#$%#$^@$^
I feel a patented Mariners tease coming on.
Another Will-icious at-bat.
Nothing pisses me off more in a baseball game than a screwed up bunt.God damnit willie!
Weren’t they just working on bunting the other day?? – I distinctly remember Grover rambling on about it in one of the pregame interviews.
Jeter made ESPN.com’s “All-Fundamental” team.
It’s an Insider link, so:
Shortstop: Derek Jeter
As loved in every corner of the far-flung Yankees’ empire as he is hated in the provinces, Jeter has become the face of the Bronx Bombers like only a precious few players ever to don their fabled pinstripes. Jeter’s limited range several years ago (very much better in 2004-05) caused a lot of controversy because he looks so good in the field that many people couldn’t believe he wasn’t perfect. One scout’s tribute to Jeter: “Very heady and instinctive. Never out of position defensively or offensively. Plays game according to the scoreboard.” Honorable mention: Miguel Tejada, Omar Vizquel.
Fuse got wet.
Wasting the speed on the basebpaths
99
Barf
I meant to add: Did Jeter’s range really improve in 04-05 or was it just the result of having A-Rod playing next to him?
Re the Gold Glove: it should be renamed “Most Popular Fielder Who Didn’t Make Too Many Errors At This Position”. That’s the only way Jeter could justify receiving a Gold Glove.
102: I know.
How can you possibly have a #2 guy who CONSISTENTLY bunts straight up in the friggin’ air?!?!?!?
101. Good point.
106. Not consistently. He got it down last night on the squeeze. But he has done it before.
Implosion 2/3′ds complete.
Sexson is beating the hell out of himself with foul tips.
#106: Gritty kid. Plays the game right. Gets his uniform dirty.
Or, has photos of GM in bed with either a live boy or dead girl.
@#$@#$@#%!%!$%!@$%%$!
Ouch
102 MPH
:whistles:
If only the bunt had moved the runners…
111. LOL
Dang. Maybe Ichiro! is slowing down.
I was surprised that Ichiro didn’t try to put some kind of juke on the catcher. It was almost as if he complacently accepted that he was beaten.
Tease accomplished.
I’ve had quite enough of Jermaine Dye tonight.
118
I doubt Ichiro would ever do that, he’s Japenese, it would be disrespectful.
ever=never
I was looking for some type of martial arts type collision with the catcher where Ichiro doesn’t get hurt but Pyrzeiski is wiped out.
(urge to post a lot of mindless profanity!)
123
That would be freaking awsome, Ichiro come flying in with a kick to the head.
117. Maybe. His batting average could indicate this. Under .300 again. Perhaps he is trying to hit for more power; he only has four fewer home runs than Beltre and is four behind Ibanez.
OR
Maybe a rest once per season would help.
I’m watching WGN’s version … they can’t pronoune anybody’s name right:
 Bloomquist is “Blumquist”
 Ichiro is “Itch Ere-o”
 Ibanez is “Eye-Ban-Ez”
So I’m guessing Brian Anderson homered off fastballs when he faced Felix? Tonight he’s proven he hasn’t a clue about hitting offspeed pitches.
Sorry, Ichiro is five homers behind Beltre.
121 I was at an Angels game on the 14th, and Ichiro executed a gorgeous little hop-step over a solid sweeping attempted tag by the catcher. He completely ignored the exhortations to slide, and just stepped oh-so-gracefully over the catcher’s outstretched arm. I guess it’s not disrespectful if you can do it beautifully.
Has Ichiro! ever been injured? – i.e. has he ever admitted being injured? Who knows, maybe he’s nursing something.
127: Well, I keep wanting to pronounce Blum as “Bloom,” so I guess that evens out.
Ibanez is “Eye-Ban-Ezâ€Â
Lou Piniella pronounced it that way, too. And he actually speaks Spanish.
128. The second homer was announced as being a curve.
130
I meant he would never bowl over a catcher.
I forgot about Putz in my list of ways the M’s can still flush this game.
this season means absolutely nothing, the players should enjoy the game and not hustle. take some off.
Here’s Beltre’s chance to go 6 homers ahead of Ichiro, tie the game, and make me stay up until two in the morning again.
135 Ah. Well, that’s something else, then. Personally, I’d cringe and clench in all sorts of unpleasant ways if Ichiro! ever tried something like that.
Bobby Jenks looks exactly what you’d think a guy named “Bobby Jenks” would look like … one large, round, ugly hayseed.
137: Right, they should slow down and get even more enjoyment out of losing.
#140: Perhaps so, but if he keeps throwing strikes at 100+ mph, he will soon be a rich, large, round, ugly hayseed.
Ichiro! is exempted from bowling over catchers. Rather let Bloomquist smash himself to pieces doing that.
143 Now that’d be gritty.
#140: Check out Jenks’ career numbers. His control record is just this side of Thorntonesque.
quote of the day.
Does Beltre’s hit count as a “ground ball with eyes?”
I never understood why players slide into first base, it slows you down.
Well, maybe he’s trying to get more infield hits than Ichiro
Decent bunt.
WHY, WHHHYYY is Dobbs on the 25-man?
Was bloomquist taking notes?
#145: What are they? All I see for career stats for Jenks on mlb.com are at http://tinyurl.com/d2ap8. Just this year.
I would rather have Torrealba than Reed up in this situation. But he tricked Guillen to taking out the 102 mile an hour pitcher.
At least Dobbs’ pop-up bunt was fouled out of play, as opposed to easy-pickin’s for the infield. And then he actually got one down. Although, is a bunt the best use of your “DH”?
Oh good, Hansen’s in the on-deck circle. How many weeks has it been since he did anything useful?
Correct me if I’m wrong, but this goes down as a quality start for Pineiro, does it not? So, was he quality, or is there something wrong with the “quality starts” standard?
I don’t want to see another extra inning game, so either win it or lose it here.
Darn. He had the bag swiped.
Bobby Jenks minor-league stats:
http://cbs.sportsline.com/mlb/players/playerpage/288962
Fairly
“Yeh know if Morse had the prescence not to swing at that, I think Beltre had that stolen”
Almost makes me wish he would of been thrown out.
#157: Call it a “dancing through the raindrops” quality start.
A mixed blessing. Now a double play ends the game.
For Pineiro, this was a quality start.
I never understood why managers bring in a left handed pitcher to face a left handed batter, when the other manager just brings in a right handed batter.
We all seen that DP coming a mile away.
sayonara
#163: I wish I had called it wrong.
Hendu thinks the Sox wouldn’t want to see Hansen pinch-hitting?? Why?
Bleh
I have to say that despite a lot of shoveling since last April, I’m losing hope there’s a pony in here anywhere.
#163 Wow…you are psychic
My relationship with the Mariners is much like my parents’ relationship with me when I was in high school.
I love them, even though all they ever do is make me cry.
Thanks to MacTarnahan’s Black Watch Cream Porter, I made it through this game. For the season? There’s not enough beer in the world.
#165: In this situation, Guillen just had to decide which matchup he liked more — Jenks vs. the LH pinch hitter, or Marte to face a RH pinch hitter.
If the LH pinch hitter is unlikely to hit for power against LH pitching (think Trot Nixon) and you can get the other manager to burn a quality bench player by making the move, it’s an easy case to make. Especially since everyone wants to carry a deep bullpen and a shallow bench these days.
and the fact that Marte always seems to pitch well against the Ms….
# 176 Who doesn’t?
another strike against Matt Morrison? That inane grin he wears when the red light goes on, no matter what the game situation….
#158: Do extra innings seem worse than this now?
157
i think it was a pretty sucky start for joel. he missed pitches all over the place. and got lucky that some of his outs weren’t hits.
i’m reviewing the game in my mind and trying to remember if he was doing the glover over the head thing. is he still doing that dealie?
179
No, because at least we didn’t have to wait longer for them to lose.
Just got back from the game, and I believed I scored a victory. The family sitting next to me was from Port Orchard, and they were Bloomie fans. We fell into a discussion of what the hell was wrong with the Ms, and they allowed that they lacked Bloomie’s “spunk.”
I allowed that while, yes, he was spunky, one thing he wasn’t good at was getting on base. I took the time to explain what the on-base percentage is. After spending a few innings comparing the important % of the players, paying attention to the fact that Bloomie has yet to go yard, I took them as far as they were going to go: Bloomie was a spunky utility player. Then Bloomie bunted that ball up in the air, which took the air out of the inning.
At that point the light went on for my new friends from Port Orchard: the point of fielding a baseball team is to win games. And winning games means fielding a team of players who do the very little things like get on base consistently, and frequently do the big things like hit HR. Having a local boy is fine. Having a guy from a distant land who gets on base, e.g., Ichiro, is even better.
I closed our conversation by saying that a lot of people mistake “spunk” for success. But by that measure the greatest players (DiMaggio, Williams, etc.) would not be considered good because they made the game look effortless.
I just got back from the game too. That CS 2-4-3-6-5 rundown play on Blum/Dye made the entire game worth it, as I had just been spending about half an hour trying to make up examples of complex scoring situations for one of my friends attending the game with me. Then that happened, and I was just like “That’s better than anything I could make up!”
I wish Betancourt had gotten a hit so I could feel better talking glowingly about his fielding. The guy’s a shortstop, second baseman, and outfielder, all at the same time. It’s great.
James in CA/173:
HA! Best comment ever.
re shoveling and lack of a pony…
Dobbs and Bloomquist and Strong and Reed are all indicators of the state of the M’s farm system.
I think most posters here are hopeful that the explanation is that the M’s are clueless and if they just give the right minor leaguers a chance the M’s can turn things around.
It’s also possible that the real explanation is that the farm system is empty, or at least contains only .250 hitters with no power. Like Dobbs and Bloomquist and Reed and Strong.
Signing a couple of more free agents in the off season and having one of the minor leaguers come through will make the team better, but this team is several good hitters and several good pitchers away from being a .500 club.
It’s also possible that the real explanation is that the farm system is empty, or at least contains only .250 hitters with no power. Like Dobbs and Bloomquist and Reed and Strong.
Reed is having a rookie year that’s forgettable, but that is not that uncommon for rookies.
Everyone else you mentioned has never been considered a top-tier prospect by people on this blog. (Bloomquist, for instance, is 27- older than Albert Pujols, fer Chrissake. Can people PLEASE stop considering him a “prospect”?)
Lopez, Jones, Tui are not likely to all be Willie B. clones, for starters.
Your point is well taken, however, when looked at the context of the previous regime- the Mariner minors have produced nothing resembling a star player who’s spent significant time as a M since A-Rod. The players who’ve come out since Lowe and Varitek have been, at best, better than average but not All-Star players to downright who-cares organizational fodder (Ibañez, Marte, Piñeiro, Podsednik, Mateo, Meche, Bloomquist). Only one All-Star berth, net, out of that (Podesdnik)- and his All-Star year looks like a complete fluke in the context of his career (OPS by season: .667, .670, .822, .677, .682).
Felix is probably the first Mariner farm system product since A-Rod who will go to an All-Star game as a Mariner (not counting guys like Boone who we resigned as FAs). That’s a big reason why we’ve spent the last 2 years sucking- we have Baltimor Orioles disease, where we end up with sucktastic collapsing 30+ year olds littering the roster instead of people who have an upside.
I think the minors are starting to look better now…hopefully our draft choices and scouting will improve it as well.
Another game another loss. Lets just hope no one gets hurt before the end of the year. Be careful so we’ll have some players that can help another team.
Ernie