Game 47, Orioles at Mariners
DMZ · May 23, 2006 at 6:36 pm · Filed Under Game Threads
LHP John Halama v RHP Joel Pineiro.
Yay it’s Halama again! (pause, stare at hooves) Wait.
Bloomquist in center, too, for your enjoyment.
Batting ahead of Johjima:
Adrian Beltre
Carl Everett
Richie Sexson
I uh… at this point in the season, how can you defend this? I’m not saying batting orders are all that important, but Hargrove’s put three of his best hitters and then spiked the order so that there’s almost no way to string together a nice offensive sequence without ending the inning.
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How DOES Grover know who has a home run ready to give up? How? And how and when will we be rid of him and his kind of baseball?
Oh, and:
—Bilie Boomquist: the rose is definitely off the Bloom, he’s not hitting anymore. Way to take a HBP for the team though, I can get behind him on that. : ) Bloomers is a seriously terrible CFer. Two long shots hit to him, and he went back all twisty and swervy, and then pulled up short instead of going until he’s under the ball and then had to lunge up high when the ball still had some life and nearly carried over him. Terrible. Now, Willie never played in CF until Grover had the ‘brilliant idea’ to stick him out there last year, so it’s hardly a surprise that Boomquist plays the OF like a 2Bman going back on the ball. *Eeeek* And still, when Wiilllllie! came to the plate in the 7th with men on, he got a louder ovation than anyone except Ichiro. It was both outwardly touching and inwardly sad: Can’t this organization give us anyone better to get behind than this paper mache figure with cotton candy hair?
#262– the 11-Day pitching program AND they got him up twice before then and didn’t use him…
Richie has said he’s been tinkering with his swing because he’s been so crappy, but I don’t think it was his fault he’s been crappy. The umpiring on Richie has been abysmal all season.
So now he’s messed up his swing, too, so even when he gets a pitch he can’t do anything with it.
Thank you Bela, I enjoyed those posts more than anything of yours I have ever read.
ok, I thought it was bad enough to have JT the Brick come on after Curto, but now I know that it is much worse to have Rome come on while you wait for Curto.
Even, are you seriously blaming Sexson’s 200 average on the umpires?
Also at the game. I even stayed all the way until the end. Why? That’s an answer I will take to my grave, I guess.
I felt that Hargrove overmanaged the bullpen early on and then got stuck with Woods out there in the ninth and most of the bullpen burned up. But I am not going to fault him too much for thinking Putz would shut them down.
The Mariners lost this game long before the ninth. Joel should have been tagged for a lot more runs than he gave up. Bad Joel, at his finest. Err, worst. Whatever.
The offense had a lot of opportunities and failed in almost every case. That’ll happen I guess.
The low-point of the game, in spite of all this, was the Willie B. Montage, full of grit and hustle. It was played right before his HPB and I nearly puked up my Ivars. Its crap like that that plays a major part in the average fan’s “Why doesn’t WFB play every day — he’s awesome!!” mentality. I still felt sick when I went to bed.
Choo and Doyle both out of today’s Rainers game. Lame. Now I have to root for Garciaparra.
I’m blaming it partly on the umpires. I’m also blaming it on Richie and the coaches for failing to recognise that it was the umpires, and thus screwing him up further.
How can you seriously think Sexson is being persecuted by the umpires?
Ok. Let’s get serious.
It isn’t fun without taking some risks.
We all know the Mariners need to add at least one bat.
We know they have a good defense. The weakest spot is left feild. Let’s focus there.
Let’s find a bigbopper who can play left, prefereably well, but not a requirement.
Then move Ibanez (or the weakest LF) to DH. And release Everett. And call up Doyle.
A bonus goes to anyone who can also maybe fill in at third for our anemic hitting 3B.
Ok. Who’s out there, and on a team that isn’t contending and can take a risk?
That’s right, Miguel Cabrera, 3B/LF, Florida Marlins.
Remember, one must take risks once in awhile to please the senses.
Who do we trade? That’s right, King Felix.
Remember, young arms have a very, very low survival rate. Cabrera is as predictable as they get.
That’s the core of the deal, with some dressing round the side to fill it in.
I don’t know anything about contract status and the politics of a deal like this, so have at it.
Discuss.
304 – Bavasi would wake up with a horse’s decapitated head in his bed. Or possibly his own. What happens to the M’s rotation without Felix and with Moyer retiring shortly? Staff Ace Joel Piniero? Doom.
Garciaparra up with a man on and 2 outs! And. . . pops out on a 2-0 pitch.
I drove from Portland to watch that game.
On the bright side, I got my Brian Roberts all-star jersey signed, caught a BP ball for the first time ever, and got winked at by Bruce Chen. So.
I am also a big sucker and bought a Doyle auto-ed ball in the team shop. It was worth it for the ‘Yoda’ signed under his name.
It’s a question of probability for me. Cabrera has, let’s say, a 75% chance of playing full time for next next 10 years and delivering crushing stats, and Felix is at 20% of delivering. Even without the trade there is a good chance that we may wind up with little contribution from Felix.
Safeco feild is a pitchers park which means if you put the ball in play, there is a greater lieklihood of making an out, so a guy like cabrera is great b/c he doesn’t put his PA’s in play as much as others – either hit it out or walk.
Loading up with singles hitting, non-walking guys guys ain’t the thing to do, unless you are Ichiro.
That’s why I don’t like Ibanez. M’s need good feilding, power hitting, walkers, or freaks like Ichiro. He’s NOTA.
Exhibit No. 1 = 2001 season.
What’s fooling people is his BA, and even that is treading thin ice.
AS long as they can get ground ball, control pitchers, I think the M’s will be fine pitching wise. Hey, maybe the Marlins have a few to throw in?? Also, start Soriano and Mateo.
I know Bavasi can’t do these things which is why M’s will suck until better owner/management comes along.
They obviously don’t think like this.
304/307 — Since this is a game thread, I’m not sure this is the best place to dive into roster (de)construction debates.
I’m still somewhat stunned from the total collapse at the end of the game following on the heels of the M’s failing to score the runner from 3rd with no outs.
For some reason I’m more bothered by the ball that got by Morse than the error by Joh. Would Bettencourt have gotten to the ball that got over Morse? They had scored 3 runs before Johjima’s error and I think the next hit was the one over Morse’s outstretched arm.
The other thing that was painful was the patterson stolen base despite a pitch out and accurate throw from Joh. Does he take too long winding up to throw to 2nd? Did Patterson just have too good of a jump? Ugh. I’d expect to see the runner out in that situation, but it’s looking like teams are going to be able to steal 2nd at a fairly good percent on the M’s.
In any case, had we actually lost 5-4 instead of 14-4, it would have been depressing in a totally different way. Or if we’d tied it up at 5-5 and then lost, that would have been a whole different sort of wounding experience. At least by getting blown out it reduces the worrying about a run here or there as they all would have been moot anyway.
Hopefully we’ll get back on track tonight!
303 – I don’t think he’s being persecuted. I just think they’re doing a worse job this season.
Richie was always susceptible to a bad call on a low pitch – it was like the umpires would forget how high his knees were. It seems like it’s getting worse.
is it a uniform infraction if you paint the strikezone on your clothing?
“They obviously don’t think like this.”
I don’t think like that either, really. A legit Cy Young- caliber ace is the hardest thing not named Pujols to find in baseball.
I don’t think like that either, really. A legit Cy Young- caliber ace is the hardest thing not named Pujols to find in baseball.
It’s funny you should mention Mr. Pujols. Miguel Cabrera’s #2 PECOTA comparable is Albert Pujols, 2003. This whole Cabrera for Felix thing is nonsense anyway because of all of the second-guessing that each GM would open himself up to, but Cabrera is to Pujols what Felix is to being a future Cy Young-caliber ace.
Really, though, I’m just using this as an excuse to talk about Miguel Cabrera, because the dude is a manimal. It’s still early in the year to talk about season-ending averages, but so far, his average, OBP, and SLG are up from .323/.385/.561 last year to .327/.421/.570. And that is a beautiful, beautiful line–comparable in beauty to the lines I expect Felix to be putting up when he is a 23-year old.
Actually Cabrera’s current line is 335/432/599. I would think the Marlins would make that trade in a heartbeat.
Maybe they’d throw in Miguel Olivo. And Joe Borchard.
If the Mariners traded Felix now for anybody, I’d immediately go buy a pitchfork, and on the way home I’d swing by the library to find a book on how to make a torch.
For a rebuilding team with a huge shortage of pitching to trade the best pitching prospect since Doc Gooden would be beyond ridiculous.
Sure, you could put together absurd trade packages that might be worth it, but what’s the point? How about Pujols, Mulder and $50 million?
#304: Thats great and all but if you release Everett, you’d be releasing one of the M’s more productive hitters thus far….where would the M’s be without Everett this season? Sad statement isnt it?
Re. #303:
Felix Hernandez is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best young pitcher in the game. Why, under any circumstances, would you want Hernandez to be traded elsewhere?
On the other hand, though, I’m getting sick and tired of Richie Sexson’s lumbering swing. At this point in time, Bavasi should attempt to deal Sexson’s albatross of a contract (2006: $13,000,000; 2007: $14,000,000; 2008: $14,000,000) to the New York Yankees for starting pitcher Philip Hughes, who’s currently playing in the Yankees farm system for the Trenton Thunder (AA).
In addition, Hughes, 19, is rated by Baseball America as the #39 prospect in the minor leagues.
Furthermore, with regards to Sexson (.198/.272/.355), Roberto Petagine (.235/.381/.471) would be a better option at first base; thus, there shouldn’t be any reservations about trading Sexson.
How do you manage to deal a contract with roughly $35 million on it, when it’s attached to a .202 hitter with a history of major shoulder injuries for a upper tier prospect without throwing in something valuable yourself, or eating a bunch of money. I don’t see this happening simply because the M’s have taken it in the shorts the past couple of years with releasing Cirillo, Aurellia, Boone while still owning them money. Besides, I have more faith in Richie coming around, than I do for Albatross Beltre…
Maybe you bench Sexson in favor of Petagine for a month but unless he’s playing permanently hurt, there is *no* reason to believe he’s not going to return to historical performance numbers (such as the ones he produced last year). In that case dumping him out of frustration for a really really bad slump is tossing out not only the baby with the bathwater but probably momma and the dog as well.
And don’t forget that Petagine, while a capable player, is 3 and 1/2 years older than Richie. Given the kind of player skills Sexson has, we may well see one of his career years before the end of the current contract (he turns 32 in December) — and that would be a year worth watching, IMO. I don’t think you can say the same about Petagine — and I don’t want to imagine watching him playing first base in 2 years when he’s 36-37 years old (Petagine turns 35 in 3 weeks)…. By way of comparison, John Olerud was 35 when he went to the Yankees and was 36 last year when his career ended. There’s only so many years you can do some of this stuff.
The Yankees might have some interest in Ibanez, given their OF problems, but I can’t see them having a lot of interest in Sexson.
Trading Ibanez is problematic, since he’s one of the few consistently productive hitters on the team, but he might be the only guy who it’s practical to trade. And he would make room for Doyle.
The weakest spot is left field? Maybe defensively, but Ibanez happens to be the #2 on the team in most offensive categories and that’s after a 3-18 slump.
In 47 games the M’s have scored 218 runs and allowed 240, last year they scored their 218th run in game 52 but had only allowed 243 runs. Basically it continues to be about the pitching. The M’s continue to give up runs at a faster rate than their abysmal 2005 season. That’s what spells doom for this season.
Re. #318:
Well, considering the fact that Andy Phillips is currently on New York’s 25-man roster, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees traded for a guy like Richie Sexson. Hell, the Yankees just signed Erubiel Durazo to a minor-league contract, so they obviously need of a 1B/DH type player to compliment Jason Giambi.
Yet, that notwithstanding, Philip Hughes may be too much for New York to give up in return for Sexson — especially since Hughes might, perhaps, be traded later in the season to garner a starting pitcher like Barry Zito or Dontrelle Willis — nevertheless, someone such as third baseman Eric Duncan, who’s currently playing for the Columbus Clippers (AAA), could possibly be acquired for him.
Duncan, 21, is rated by Baseball America as the #86 prospect in the minor leagues; yet, for whatever reason, he isn’t performing too well this season (.209/.279/.255).
Thats great and all but if you release Everett, you’d be releasing one of the M’s more productive hitters thus far….where would the M’s be without Everett this season?
The same place they would be with Petagine as their DH?
Saying that Everett has been one of the M’s more productive hitters is like saying GWBush is one of our country’s best presidents of the 21st century.
Say there, Ralph Malph, I’m glad something in my blurb gave you a chuckle. Now, I used to write like that all the time, it was automatic, but health issues the last several years really took the edge off. Those seem to be clearing up now, and I have the sense my knack is coming back, so maybe I can get on with my life, career, & etc. Still, I write things like that for the fun of it.
#324: Except saying everett has been one of the M’s most productive hitters can be backed up with stats……