Game #161: Athletics at Mariners
Jeff Harris makes his first start since September 20, nearly two weeks. It could very well be his last in a Mariner uniform.
The Mariners face right-hander Joe Blanton. One could make a good case that Blanton should rookie of the year, but that won’t happen. According to VORP, he leads all rookie pitchers.
The Mariners have seen Blanton three times this year. April 30 the M’s chased him before the end of the fifth inning with 8 hits, scoring 4 times. June 29 Blanton dominated the Mariners, surrendering only an Adrian Beltre home run. September 5 he took the loss in a pitching dual against King Felix.
As I type this, both the Indians and Red Sox seem to have decided to let the Yankees have a playoff spot. Crap.
Comments
66 Responses to “Game #161: Athletics at Mariners”
Wouldn’t it also be fair to note that NY reigns as the most expensive team to ever fail to win a World Series? Or to even reach the World Series, for that matter?
Oh, no question. It’s just that when people talk about a “high payroll team” and “buying your way into the postseason” they’re usually talking about the Yankees. Heck, before last year you often heard Boston fans saying exactly that. But now you have to lump them both in the same category, which was my point. Of course if the Mariners keep pushing towards $100M and win a WS in the next few years, everybody can say that about them, too. Which would be fine with me 😉
+ But now you have to lump them both in the same category, which was my point. +
If so, it’s not a good point. The salaries of the top ten most expensive franchises in the ML range from about $90 million – $115 million or so, followed by the Yankees at $200+ million.
I don’t see any way you’d lump the number 2 salary team with the Yankees, who have almost twice the salary, rather than with #’s 3-10 who all have gaps of no more than a small number of millions between them.
The Yankees are an outlier. They don’t have the same constraints as everybody else. There’s no way to twist that such that it ain’t so. If the Yanks win the most games in the league by fewer than three, their management has done a bad job given the relative resources available in a zero-sum talent pool (in the short run). No other team faces that situation.
The Red Sox have roughly the resources that the Mariners do. This has been true for the last five years or so. Think about that for a minute when looking at how things have been going lately.
If so, it’s not a good point.
Thanks. I think when you consider the Competitive Balance Tax (a.k.a. “Luxury Tax”), the Yankees are actually flirting with a quarter-billion dollar payroll this year.
On the other hand, Boston’s luxury tax bill will be small change, on the order of what the M’s paid Bret Boone this year to not produce, if not less. In exchange for three-year playoff contending team (and that World Series title), paying a token tax doesn’t seem to be such a bad deal.
notsure if M’s fans know..but i didnt know this..both Harden and Zito were drafted by the M’s coming out of hs but obviously didnt sign..harden/felix/zito..man that would’ve been great..oh well, good fo the A’s
Jeez Ray, there must be something better on offer in Japan than the bitter taste of witsfull baseball daydreams.
This just out (and destined for a different thread):
Cubs sign closer Ryan Dempster to a three year, $15.5 million extension.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2177957
Does this encourage the M’s to pick up Eddie’s $6.5 million option? I hope not. I’d rather they spend it on hurricane Katrina charities. The PR boost would be offset any small difference between Eddie’s likely performance and JJ’s or Raffy Soriano’s.
And no team as unlikely to contend as next years Mariners needs a $6.5 million closer.
I know no one will read this but just in case. That “ray” post is not mine. You’d think someone could at least be more original. And yes, there is more in Japan. The Hanshin Tigers won their division and everyone in Kansai is going crazy.
#56 no. that is a ridiculous deal. they are paying near top dollar, in closer terms, for at best a B list closer.
Colm, here’s an interesting look at everything that Jim Hendry has done since he’s been a GM, with the exception of anything done so far this year.
http://www.all-baseball.com/cubreporter/archives/014963.html
Although this particular writer’s opinon is that almost all of Hendry’s moves have been stellar (except for the Bellhorn trade), I have to say that I think that considering the lengths of the contracts and money he’s extended to some of the free agents is weird. Greg Maddux was considered to be a huge coup for the Cubs, but a lot of other people, including myself, questioned whether or not Maddux was still good enough to warrant 9 million / year. Indeed, his numbers are down severely these last four years, only two of which have been with the Cubs.
Nomar Garciaparra is bonafide failure of a signing. A 1 year, 8.2 million dollar contract to a suspect player (health wise) who will end up playing in only 62 games. This is as much Garciaparra’s failure as anybody else’s. He wanted to use this year to prove to everybody he could still play. Well, he’s gonna have to work on that more. (61 G, .283 / .321 / .456)
Jeremy Burnitz was also a questionable call this year when he was signed. However, Hendry did this one right by only giving him 4.5 million dollars. He’s basically outperforming Beltre and is comporable to what Beltran did, for quite a lot less (.258 / .323 / .436).
But, of course, you also have his genius trades. Like acquiring Derek Lee (.337 / .421 / .666!, 7.6 mil) and Aramis Ramirez (.302 / .358 / .568, 8.2 mil) for (basically) nothing.
So I guess the point is sometimes Jim Hendry gets a little odd with the money (Garciaparra, Maddux, Dempster) and sometimes he manages to underpay guys who should be paid more (Lee, Ramirez).
As for Dempster, I’m a firm believer that your bullpen can be hashed from 325,000 a year prospects. The one closer that can get it done I don’t think should be paid that kind of sickening money. This includes Guardado, who I actually hope is GONE before next season begins.
Me (8/28/2005):
http://ussmariner.com/?p=2934#comment-64396
http://ussmariner.com/?p=2934#comment-64421
Steve Kelley (10/2/2005):
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002534234_kell02.html
Well, it is probably not a good thing when I, an incessant rambler, am able to come up with an idea — which, mind you all, is pretty much mine, given that I was the first one to mention on this website the possibility of the Seattle Mariners acquiring outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr. from the Cinicinnati Reds for a package that includes starting pitcher Joel Piñeiro — that is used as the basis of a column, written by Steve Kelley, published in a widely circulated, reputeable newspaper such as the Seattle Times.
In addition, as amazing as this is, my commentary concerning the above topic was more in-depth than Kelley’s article in regards to both Junior and Piñeiro’s respective salaries. Why is that the case? Hell, I’m an amateur, while Kelley is a professional; he should be better than me! Nevertheless, that notwithstanding, Kelley is still not as inept as his counterpart, Jim “The Go 2 Guy” Moore, who, for the most part, writes nothing but vacously inane columns for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Anyway, in other news, it’s too bad that the M’s brass didn’t go after Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (.286/.353/.568) sometime during the first three months of this year, which was when he was reportedly on the trading block. At any rate, though, Howard would have nicely filled Edgar Martinez’s shoes at designated hitter. Yet, as the old adage goes, “hindsight is only 20/20” . . . then again, however, foresight is a completely different matter.
#60–Ah, but Steve Kelley beat you to the punch, as he floats the Jr trade idea annually and done so pretty much since Griffey got on the plane to Cincy … he usually waits until the sesason ends, however.
re: Howard– there have been trade rumors about him since the 2004 deadline; Ed Wade (who will talk to anyone) still hasn’t moved him….
Yes, but one has to chuckle at Steve Kelly’s assumption that the M’s wouldn’t have to play Junior in CF all the time, even though he’s still able to make Reed’s tough catches in his back pocket……because……not only Reed, but RAUL……could fill in at CF for him.
RAUL??????? I don’t even want to think about what he’d look like in CF. I can handle him in LF part time…..but filling in as a backup CFer…….just goes to show how out of touch with reality Steve Kelly is when it comes to baseball.
well, just ignoring the central thesis that Jr doesn’t WANT to move back West and train in Arizona again, and is now a 10/5 guy again makes it a futile speculation on Kelley’s part…
he apparently has a list or 3-4 teams who would accept a trade to, and I’m just guessing Seattle isn’t on it.
In case anyone wants to know what happened at the end: reader, I married him.
A preposterous piece by Kelley. (Raul in centerfield? Come again? What, a lefty-lefty platoon with Reed? What?) The difference between a journalist and his readers is that the journalist is supposed to get off of his ass and actually do the research the reader doesn’t have time to do. Instead, Kelley shows only the ability to throw a sop to fans and keep a readership content with barstool fulminations. Remember, Kelley was all upset that Gary Payton was traded, and Payton went into steep decline from that point while the team finally found the means to get better. He’s just not serious, but he sure has a cushy perch from which to flatter fans and inflame their fantasies. Wonder what Stone thinks of such rubbish.
Ibanez looks overwhelmed in CF on MVP Baseball. I’d hate to see it in person.