Why are there no AA teams out here? Only A and AAA.

Well, let’s look at the names of the AA leagues:
Southern League
Eastern League
Texas League

And let’s look at the name of the short-season league out here:
Northwest League

I think you’ll find your answer in the names of these leagues.

Okay. I’ll rephrase my question: Why is there not an AA league out West?

People say this kind of crap about every quiet great performer. They said it about Tim Duncan before he won championships. They’re saying it about Greg Oden now. It’s yet more of the human desire to reduce complicated human interactions to simple storylines and morals. The world doesn’t work that way. The Mariners don’t need Ichiro to be in anyone’s face; they need to be better.

Remember when Jack Clark got in Tony Gwynn’s face and called him out for being selfish? That did a lot of good, didn’t it? Was Clark being a leader? I don’t think so.

Art Thiel is right; not just for the reasons he states, but for another reason too.
Even if we’d lost, had we submitted a reasonable bid–one of about the $30 million that many had thought would win–ICHIRO would have realized that the Mariners were serious about winning, and probably would have re-signed with them.
Now, there is little chance of his re-signing with the Mariners.

Well, let’s look at the names of the AA leagues:
Southern League
Eastern League
Texas League

And let’s look at the name of the short-season league out here:
Northwest League

I think you’ll find your answer in the names of these leagues.

But what I’m saying is to take some vocal leadership on the team now rather than sitting back silently. Maybe he does and we just don’t hear about it. But for all his talk about passion for wanting to play on a winner…I’d sure like him to call out a few players of his own! For example:

Leader: Derek Jeter and Jason Giambi (everyone knows this and sees it). I’ve seen these guys be vocal and call people out.
Careful to say things the right way to protect his image: ARod

Which does Ichiro more resemble?

I understand I don’t know jack about what happens in the clubhouse and you’re right…I can only go off what I read. You can also say I don’t understand his culture and that’s not the way they do things. But, it just seemed to be a different Ichiro for the World Classic than we see day to day with the M’s.

Um, who’s puting up the better numbers? And isn’t it a truism that a bad team blames its stars for not doing more and not themselves for getting better people?

So how much does it take to own the Aquasox anyway? Did Buhner and Rossi kick in a few thousand bucks or a few million? Personally I think it would be nice to be able to claim to be a part owner of a baseball club (even a minor league club) – so long as it doesn’t cost too much.

This leads to a question I’ve had a long time. What does it take to start a minor league team somewhere. I’ve always dreamed of having a AA team in, say, Olympia area. AA’s my favorite level. Why are there no AA teams out here? Only A and AAA. And it’s only short season A. Is it just the weather?