Game 161, Rangers at Mariners
For the second time, Happy Last Felix Day!
Hernandez vs Millwood, 1:05 pm.
Felix is on a 6 inning limit, and since he knows it, I’d expect we’ll see him going balls to the wall from the first pitch. I’m guessing we’re going to see Max Effort Felix today, with lots of 98s and 99s. Of course, that’s not necessarily a good thing – Max Effort Felix often falls behind in counts, misses up in the zone, and gets frustrated when a fastball gets hit 500 feet. However, there’s a real tangible improvement shown in most pitchers when they know they don’t have to save their strength, so we could easily see a 6 1 0 0 2 10 performance as well.
Anyways, copied and pasted from the last post when it was Felix’s last start of the year:
King Felix has been at times frustrating and inconsistent, and while he may not have performed at a level we expected following his amazing debut last fall, today, he’s going to cap off one of the best seasons a 20-year-old pitcher has ever had. He stayed healthy, he improved as the year went on, and based on the things that a pitcher has significant control over, he’s been one of the best pitchers in the American League.
There’s not a pitcher alive I’d trade Felix for in a one-for-one swap. His future now is brighter than it was 12 months ago. For the last time in 2006, all hail the King, long live the King.
Comments
107 Responses to “Game 161, Rangers at Mariners”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
What does Grover do if Felix has not allowed a Ranger to get on base through 6? Not likely or probable, but I wonder nevertheless.
You let him go. And then forefit the last game of the season so it ends on a high note
Sounds like a plan to me. It would also keep Michael Young from catching Ichiro! in the race for most hits. That would tick off Showalter, which is always a good thing.
There’s a possibility that he’ll finish in the top five in the AL in Ks with a solid performance today. It’s dependant on who is starting tomorrow, but Javier Vasquez is fifth right now with 177, and Felix, with the strikeout in the first, is at 172. Given his age and level of experience, yeah, I’ll take that.
All Hail the King.
Hey,
Scott Spiezio is OPS’ing a very health .839 with St. Louis this year, at least 200 points above his best season in Seattle. While park effects have something to do with it, Spiezio joins a long list of players to hit rock bottom in Seattle and then bounce back with another team. Is this a real effect, or selective memory? (for example, after OPSing .555 and .552 for the M’s, he’s OPS’d .800 and .779 with Milwaukee)
Felix is awesome. I can’t even imagine how great it’s going to be to watch him in the upcoming years.
5. Is it any coincidence that the guys who “turned it around” have gone back to the National league?
Scott Hatteburg is having a career year with the Reds, that should tell you everything.
(for example, after OPSing .555 and .552 for the M’s, he’s OPS’d .800 and .779 with Milwaukee)
Who did that? It wasn’t Spiezio based on the stats and Milwaukee, but I don’t know who you’re referencing or if it’s just a hypothetical person.
8. He’s talking about Cirillo, who’s had a combined 440 ABs the last two seasons in Milwaukee.
It’s a shame that the only baseball game I’ve wanted to watch on TV in the last 45 days isn’t televised.
Thanks, DKCecil.
I think everyone drank too much last night…..
Ichiro!
He may have stolen 39 straight bags, but they haven’t been Money BagsTM
Swung on and Beltred!
Beltre! He’s really picking ut up!
Is the streak still intact? And what’s the ML record? I believe he set the AL last week right?
Sigh, and Gameday’s been OOS for the last 15 minutes.
Anyway, Go Go Beltre!
Vince Coleman with 50.
I do really so love Good Adrian.
Oh my god no.
21 ???
Top 4TH B:0 S:1 O:1
Injury Delay.
I hope this wasn’t what I think it is.
Yea Ducks!!!
So going into today you have
Millwood, 5/$60M : 33 starts, 209IP, 152K, 53BB, 21HR, 105ER
Washburn 4/$37.5 : 31 starts, 187IP, 103K, 55BB, 25HR, 97ER
Seems to be a bit of a wash, really. Millwood’s going deeper into games and getting significantly more strikeouts and a somewhat lower walk rate…and a lower HR rate, despite his home stadium, yet is still giving up more runs. Frankly, while these guys are great innnings eaters I can’t say either one of them is worth the money. Then again, with pitching contracts they way they’ve been and promise to be this offseason, nobody’s worth the money…which may eventually make these guys bargains. Sigh.
Re 21, 23:
It wasn’t.
25 – He’s not giving up more runs (at least earned) per inning, though. I agree though that neither one is worth the money, though I’d take Millwood with contract anyday over Washburn and his. Only if given no other choice. Millwood would be very respectable out of Texas, but still not a great choice for the money, IMO.
Things that are good.
Beltre: 5 HRs in the last 9 games
Sexson: .369 in September
Doyle: not injured
Too bad there is no day after tomorrow.
28: I would add
Felix: not injured
Yeah, Sexson has been on an absolute tear. And we’ve been treated lately to several innings where Ichiro gets on and then Beltre hits an HR. Can you imagine how much better this team would seem if that just happened a little more regularly throughout the season?
55 pithes through 5. Please let him work past the sixth if his pitches are down. Are 8 innings and 88 pitches any different than 6 innings and 92 pitches?
Are 8 innings and 88 pitches any different than 6 innings and 92 pitches
Yes?
Propaganda Machine calling this Felix’s rookie campaign.
I hate the way Rizzs says “one out for the Rangers” — that always sounds to me like the Rangers are pitching and got one out against the M’s. Outs are for the pitching team and against the hitting team. It’s one out “against” the Rangers or “on” the Rangers, not “for” them. Or am I being completely nonsensical?
Felix is done. Good Felix pitched 6 innings, striking out 3, inducing 10 groundballs outs to 4 flyball outs, and inducing 3 more groundballs that found holes.
Oh and….
I LOVE GOOD BELTRE!
Ahhhh, Rizzs faking the call. I missed that.
Beltre! That’s his second home run today.
Rizzs, once again trying to pretend the HR is just happening, despite the cheering fans in the background. Stupid “I Am A Mariner Fan” commercials.
Speaking of which, I’d have no problem with Port Orchard being renamed Port Bloomquist. They should be held responsible.
I was wondering if that fake call was as obvious as it sounded.
Apparently so.
I would have loved to have replaced Hargrove with Frank Robinson. I’ll spare everyone a long argument, but that could have worked out really nicely.
I would have loved to have replaced Hargrove with Frank Robinson. I’ll spare everyone a long argument, but that could have worked out really nicely.
If for nothing more then just to have him harrass Mike Sciosia and, specifically, Brendan Donnelly.
I’d like to point out that no one has made fun of me for my pre-season “man-crush” comment about Johjima for about five months now. I consider this as total a vindication as I’m likely to get.
Nice AB by Johjima.
A .786′ish OPS from our catcher I will take everytime.
Peh. Pedro’s done.
Pedro Martinez torn rotator cuff surgery, out 8 months.
I don’t recall a lot of people disagreeing with you on Johjima, Derek.
What has gotten into Beltre? I Haven’t looked up the numbers, but hasn’t this guy his almost a third of his 2006 HR’s in the last couple weeks? Crazy.
Beltre wants to stay on this team…
Beltre is the ultimate streak hitter.
What’s the point of a firm limit if you’re willing to change your mind at the last minute?
I don’t recall a lot of people disagreeing with you on Johjima, Derek.
Not here – I meant in meatspace. I should have been clearer.
Felix!
King Felix said unto the peasant Hargrove:
“I wanna pitch more.”
And so it was done.
And then he gives up a HR.
Nice job, King.
pull him now
Why is Broussard hitting off a lefty?
Bloomquist pinch-hitting for Snelling. Why doesn’t Hargrove just come over to my house and punch me in the nose? It’d probably be less painful.
He could have used Morse.
Maybe Dudley watched you on Q-it-up Sports after all, DMZ.
wow, I just stated paying attnetion, looks like it was a great start for the King and Beltre is trying to get to 30 HR before sunday night.
Pineiro pitching – are you f***ing kidding me?
It could be worse, he could have brought Joel in…oh, never mind.
Maybe someone even reads USSM to him. Dudley pay back to all of us!!
It’d be awesome if they used sock puppets to do the comments.
Well, you have Mr. Bill…..
Dudley could be Sluggo
Hey, it’s aversion therapy theater! “This ain’t no prison”? No, it’s more like “rendition,” complete with torture…
It would be hilarious if various M’s luminaries actually lurked here at USSM, posting occasionally only to be corrected by all and sundry.
If Showalter is indeed gone after this season, you know what that means: Texas Rangers, your 2007 World Series Champions…
Could Corcoran really be Howard Lincoln?
I guess Hargrove used Bloomquist to pinch hit for Snelling because then he’d have him in RF as a defensive replacement.
Because, you know, he is uniquely qualified to evaluate young talent.
Jump back to this point last year, think about where everybody was, and then think about this season. Who would you say has had a more surprising 2006: Ibanez or Putz?
You know, I was actually going to suggest Corcoran for Lincoln. But then I got to thinking he might actually be Hargrove.
I think Putz.
Corco posts too much during games to be Hargrove.
And he’s smarter than Grover.
Ibanez.
Although Putz was certainly not as lights out as he’s been this year, he did a pretty good job filling in for Sasaki as closer a couple years ago. So I wasn’t completely shocked by his emergence. I don’t know of anybody who predicted Ibanez to become as good a hitter as he’s become.
One parallel between Corco and Grover is that Grover manages like he’s drunk sometimes.
I’d say Ibanez, too.
Grover’s spiking his Gatorade with Monarch vodka.
I seem to recall that at the beginning of the year one of the administrators here at USSM mentioned that they thought Putz was due for a breakout year.
I’d say Raul has surprised me more. I always thought JJ was good, not great like this year, but good enough to be a solid set-up man.
Raul has had a career year, honestly if the M’s were going to the playoffs he might be an MVP candidate.
I guess neither team was exceptionally interested in prolonging this game. Not even one base on balls, and only 200 total pitches in 17 innings combined.
Tomorrow’s game looks to be a total yawn.
I think for the amount of improvement it’s Putz, but for the age/part of career (and factoring in both) it’s definitely Ibanez.
Raul looks nothing like an MVP candidate. Ignoring pitchers, he’s something like the 20th best candidate in the AL (25th by VORP, 20th by EqA).
The MVP should go to Santana, this season.
#84: Are you serious?
Tomorrow is one of the biggest games left on the Ms schedule!!!!!!!
It’s absolutely huge….they have a chance to ensure they aren’t the only team in their division with a losing record….
high leverage stuff baby….
86- If the M’s were going to the playoffs I bet you would hear his name tossed around. He wouldn’t win it, but I don’t think he is 20th on the list.
Is anybody listening to the Bavasi interview on the radio? It’s a tour-de-force performance. He implied they’ll be looking to replace Meche without saying that they wouldn’t make him an offer (you could interpret it as him saying they planned to replace Meche with Meche, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what he meant). Asked about this off-season’s free agent pitching class, he noted there wasn’t anybody without some “warts” and then said “One way to look at it is that it’s a class that Meche stacks up pretty well in…” Absolute genius: he’s saying one thing to the ‘casual’ fans who are forever thinking Meche has turned a corner, and something else to those of us here who generally have, uh, a differing opinion. Brilliant. If he ever gives up baseball, he should consider politics…
You know, some of Grover’s in-game decisions could be explained if he was distracted by posting as Corco…
#66– sock puppets reminds me of the old Ms commercial with puppets made out of air-sick bags….
nice game– felt like September out there, but a hot Felix and Joel & his frightening new do kept the Rangers off the basepaths.
Is anybody listening to the Bavasi interview on the radio? It’s a tour-de-force performance. He implied they’ll be looking to replace Meche without saying that they wouldn’t make him an offer (you could interpret it as him saying they planned to replace Meche with Meche, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what he meant). Asked about this off-season’s free agent pitching class, he noted there wasn’t anybody without some “warts†and then said “One way to look at it is that it’s a class that Meche stacks up pretty well in…†Absolute genius: he’s saying one thing to the ‘casual’ fans who are forever thinking Meche has turned a corner, and something else to those of us here who generally have, uh, a differing opinion. Brilliant.
Bavasi is not stupid, unlike what many online people think. He knows that the total audience he has to play to is composed of several segments. He can talk to the more sophisticated fans while still soothing the fears of the more general fans. That’s part of the job.
Yeah, I definitely realize it. But you rarely see it done that well. There are career diplomats who aren’t that adept at speaking out of both sides of their mouth.
It was really an excellent interview, and he said quite a bit of substance without insulting or offending anybody (with the possible exception of some of idiots you see elsewhere on the net, or hear call in from time to time).
Going back to the beginning of this thread (posts 5,7,8,9) regarding Messrs. Spiezio and Cirillo, they were busy today.
The Cards played Milwaukie in a big game for St. Louis. It was scoreless until the 7th, when Cirllo pinch hit and singled in 2 runs. Undaunted, Sandfrog Scott smacked a bases-loaded pinch hit triple in the bottom of the eigth and the Cardinals prevailed, 3-2.
At lease our current 3B had a big day as well.
88 – Ichiro would be a better selection than Raul.
Same here, reprising posts 5,7,8,9 and 94:
The game recap for today’s Cards game has this offering by Tony LaRussa….
“He just had a couple of years where I don’t think physically he was himself,” manager Tony La Russa said. “Since the first day he showed up in spring training, he’s been very impressive.”
I wonder just who Spezio really was, if he wasn’t “himself”?
95- Oh yeah don’t get me wrong I don’t think Raul is a candidate at all. I was mainly trying to get my point across that Raul’s season has surprised me more than that of J.J. Although both have had outstanding years.
On that note, according to Mariners.com Raul was named team MVP, J.J. pitcher of the year (for the team) and the coaching staff voted Soriano as the unsung hero.
Re: #59, Derek, so I wake up, turn on the game, and get Felix in the 7th capping off a fine game. And I agree with Dave, nobody _in the game_ worth him in a one-for-one, uh-uh. Then, when Grover sends Bloomers to bat for Doyle, I can barely supress my gag reflex for the 2.7 seconds it takes me to reach the radio power button. End of my game experience.
Seriously, I _can’t_ take watching this kind of stuff for all of next year. I’ll have to watch the papers to see when Felix is pitching, and maybe tune in a bit then, but since the standings aren’t going to matter for several years to come, it’s pointless to follow game by game. What a balls up we’ve got for a team.
With Beltre, I think this season is about what we should expect, hitting .270 with 25(his 2nd highest season total)HRs, and approaching 90 RBI. I want him on this team next year.
Re: #69, joser, don’t look now, but I’m sure something to that effect has been long happening. Oh, I don’t think Bill B. or Howie would lower themselves _personally_ to bandy words with the sans culouttes. But I have a strong suspicion that organization flacks pop up from time to time and salt the threads with pablum and positive spin, particularly regarding controversial moves which are likely to or actually do generate serious negative verbiage. For example, in the Billy-and-Grover-come-back thread just a few days ago, a completely unknown guy pops up, and dumps like thirteen well composed, accurately puncuated, LOONNNNGG posts on why folks are over-reacting (not that he knows their long-term positions on the two), and how really things aren’t that bad at all with the team. Totally smelled like a crypto-provocateur to me. And that isn’t the first time, either.
Re: Putz or Ibanez. JJ just didn’t have that splitter last year, and he COULD not have had this season without the change. Hence, his season is not something that could be anticipated. Ibanez is having a career year, but it’s not wildly off his peak years at all. Only by putting excessive faith in aggregate projections of decline would one be genuinely suprprised as their are just too many outlier good seasons by guys in their mid-30s to see Raul’s year as something unprecedented. Unlikely, sure; unprecedented in the way that Putz’s breakthrough must be seen, no.
Re: #92, I agree that Bill Bavasi is _not_ stupid. It’s a shame that such a generally likeable and together guy who is quite polished as an exectutive is such a wash as a talent evaluator. Again, if he could be kicked upstairs to Chuck Armstrong’s comfortable chair by the fire, Bill would find his true calling. But as the talent chooser for my organization, sorry pal ten years of no-can-do is enough.
Thank goodness Felix’s last start was great.
#100
For example, in the Billy-and-Grover-come-back thread just a few days ago, a completely unknown guy pops up, and dumps like thirteen well composed, accurately puncuated, LOONNNNGG posts on why folks are over-reacting (not that he knows their long-term positions on the two), and how really things aren’t that bad at all with the team. Totally smelled like a crypto-provocateur to me.
Who, me?
No, I’m not with the Mariners, or a crypto-provacateur – I’m not well-informed enough for that. I’m just a lurker who was motivated to speak up for the first time.
If you’re serious about wondering about me, I have an established online presence – go to Google Groups and search for “Chris Hafner Sonics”. I’ve left a long trail of inanity across Usenet over the last 12 years.
Plus, JMB can vouch for the fact that I’m a real person. A moron, perhaps, but a real person – who has finished ahead of him (but, sadly, behind Dave) – in a fantasy basketball season, no less.
I actually did think people were overreacting and was amused by the idea that it’s that hard to be a Mariners fan over the last few years. I agree it’s not perfect, but try being a Sonics fan over the same period on for size. Being a Mariners fan looks pretty good.
Bottom line – all fans feel like they’re tortured. It’s part of the experience.
Forgot the smiley on the fantasy basketball part. No offense, Jason.
None taken. Thought I was probably robbed.
And with the Huskies up 21-3 at half (woo), I’m going to bed. Stupid 10pm ET kickoff…
Some of the people here were Mariners fans when the SuperSonics were winning a championship, and they’re still waiting until next year. Put that in your Jack Sikma tighty shorts and smoke it….;)
I personally believe that the Mariners will be the last MLB team to play in a World Series (not win, mind you, but play). Long after Texas and the Rockies have made an appearance, and yes even after the lowly Devil Rays have played (and probably lost), Mariners fans will still be waiting to one day hoist an ALCS banner… In fact, given the history of expansion teams like Florida and Arizona, I expect the Las Vegas and Portland teams to play in the World Series before the Mariners do.
And, speaking of the Huskies, SI rated them their 5th biggest surprise of the season.