Simple answers to questions
Baker on Sexson, and whether they should have pinch-hit for Sexson:
They have to hope he emerges from his sub-.200 slump by June instead of July or August and that’s simply it. You can’t chuck him now and rebuild the plan because Broussard as a full-timer is not going to get it done. Disagree? Then why aren’t teams lining up boatloads of prospects to acquire the low-cost Broussard?
Broussard’s paid $3.5m+ this year, for one, and there’s no need to give up quality prospects to find a cheap, reasonably effective 1B. Part of it’s that the teams where there was a need this off-season and spring, where Sexson might have been traded, found solutions, so there aren’t competitive teams with holes at first or DH looking to make an upgrade anyway. But moreover, it’d be like trading good prospects for a crappy DH – it’s not a move smart teams make.
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98. Ooooh. Good one. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but we DID get all the best years out of Junior, which makes me pretty sad.
#99 Sorry, I didn’t know the article was that old. My bad.
> boatloads of prospects
I wonder what that looks like. Is that anything like the Voyage of the Damned, where a bunch of young frightened baseballers are afloat on the ocean but no country (or team) will accept them?
Yup, Griffey left Seattle, had one decent year, and has been the butt-end of many an injury-prone-player joke ever since. He’s been a pretty good hitter when he’s been healthy, but not “The Kid” good (and not a for-real center fielder either).
#103, just ask Betancourt.
It’s inconceivable that Griffey wouldn’t go in as a Mariner. He’s never played a full season in Cincinnati, even. He’s only got one 24th-place MVP vote there.
#100– unless JR is in Cincy a bunch more years, with 2005-type numbers, I assume that the HOF would choose the Mariner cap. RJ is prob. a D-back, and if Alex stays in NY putting up the numbers, I’d guess he’s going in a Yankee … if he leaves for another team, who knows.
(I mean, he’s only got MVP votes once in Cincinnati: 2005, when he finished 24th. He was in the top ten in MVP voting seven times as a Mariner. He’s also never been to the postseason with Cincinnati.)
in answer to the Managerial Hot Seat question, Ken Rosenthal weighs in that Mike’s seat isn’t as hot ….
Well, as much as Hargrove needs to go, he hasn’t hurt this team nearly as bad as Bavasi did this last offseason.
110, yeah but…
Hargrove at least will keep having interesting drafts and hanging onto the really potentially-huge-impact prospects, which might be enough. If Hargrove will actually play them.
Bavasi was a poor fit in a lot of ways, but I’m not sure he’s the end of the world. As much as I disagree with people who come here and complain about Snelling and Soriano being injury prone, it is worth mentioning that he’s been pretty good with the marquis talent. So if some more of our pitching prospects really emerge in the next few years and he can make a decent signing or two…
Well, I’m not convinced we’re doomed to losing with him at the helm. And while I agree people like Antonetti would be a lot better, I would be pretty sad if Antonetti coming in meant blowing up the roster again.
Re: 109
The amazing thing with this team is that even with throwing in the towel for 6 Weaver starts and even with the offense sucking on a regular basis with bouts of occasional mere competence we’re doing OK (i.e .500).
So yeah, the hot seat that was is now the merely warm seat. An 0-10 streak would change that, but mostly the problems we’ve had are seen as beyond the HBD’s control.
Suppose Wladimir Balentien keeps hitting at a .954 OPS with half his games in the hitting suppressing environs of Cheney Stadium. I don’t know what the Tacoma to Seattle translations are, and I know Wald isn’t much better than Ibanez in the field, but at what point would it make sense to have him start taking at bats away from Ibanez, Sexson, and Vidro? (Like by moving Ibanez to first or DH)
We’re stuck for their salary either way, and we all know Hargrove’s attachments to veteran grit, but if his 150 at bat pattern continues it seems this would be a real upgrade at some point.
“…Hargrove’s attachments to veteran grit”
Which is killing us, but unfortunately it’s the one thing he will never get fired for.
FWIW, assigning the monicker “Human Brain Delay” does not equate with character assassination. Intelligence and character are independent attributes. And the nickname is so much more clever than “Box of Rocks,” to boot.
I fail at blockquoting.
[dupe, holy mackeral]
why would there be any debate about which hat RJ would wear?
(The extensions been mentioned in five or six comments, I think, over the last couple days. It wouldn’t make it more difficult to talk to him; no way Cleveland would prevent Antonetti from interviewing for a GM job.)
Johnson has more wins as a Mariner than as a Diamondback, but it’s not a lot more: 130 to 104, I think. And that’s going to get closer. And he won a championship with Arizona. Seems like an interesting case to me.
(apologies on the duplicate post for Antonetti)
I’d argue that the Mariners developed Randy more than the Expos. He was pretty raw when he came to us and it took quite a bit of time (relatively) before he developed into the force he is today.
Or rather, was…
#121-
130-74 record, one AL Cy Young awards, 1 300+ SO season, 1 20 W season.
103-49 record, four NL Cy Young awards, 4 (almost 5) 300+ SO seasons, 2 20+ W seasons, Triple Crown winner, 1 WS ring and WS MVP award.
msb: you forgot to mention the perfect game. Beats the no-hitter thrown with Seattle.
My wife’s comment on Sexon somewhere around the 4th or 5th inning Tuesday night:
He’s big and cute, but can’t we get someone in to pinch hit for him?
Oops, Sexson. Sorry, big guy.
“The team has the worst 2-3-4 hitters in baseball, and there’s not really anything they can do about it.”
No question there, but they could try moving Beltre or Lopez up and Vidro and Sexson down. Vidro in particular is a terrible choice to hit second IMO.
Ichiro/Lopez/Johjima/Ibanez/Beltre/Vidro/Guillen/Sexson/Betancourt, or something like that.
Uh, go look at Lopez’s OBP. He’s not a great choice to hit second, either.
I’d go with Ichiro/Johjima/Beltre/Guillen/Lopez/Sexson/Ibanez/Betancourt/Vidro, myself…
Looks good EC, except I’d switch Jo and Beltre.
129 – Good correction.
Griffey: 1,535 games for Seattle; 734 (+) games for Cincy. Or 398 HR for Seattle, 173 for Cincy. What was your question? Unless he comes back and plays some MVP ball for Cincy for another five years, with 400 more HR, he’s going as an M. His career as a Red isn’t even close to Hall of Fame quality in its own right.
Randy’s tougher. 55.7 IP for Montreal, 1,818.3 for Seattle, 84.3 for Houston, 1,419.7 (+) for Arizona, 430.7 for the Yankees. Seattle’s got the most but still under half of his career. The Diamondbacks innings were as a whole much better, too. Gotta be Arizona.
the Batista signing was the best of the three moves Bavasi made to the rotation this winter.
Damming with faint praise there.
But I agree, Bastista is not as bad as he’s been, and even though I think he’s a #4 guy horribly overpaid at 3/25, the M’s were desperate for starting pitching, so I’m okay with the move. Clearly, the other two acquisitions they made for the rotation are disasters. They needed three arms this offseason, and it’s hard to sign that many decent FA pitchers.
Which makes it all the more %$^&* infuriating that Morrow is up here as a setup guy instead of being fast-tracked as a ML starter.
So, the PTBNL for Jason Davis was announced today: 18-year-old RHP Gregorio Rosario. Any great loss?
From Scout.com:
“Rosario, who signed a contract in late 2004 just months after gaining the rights to negotiate – at an age where pitchers are typically raw in talent – the teen was tied for the league lead with a perfect 7-0 record. The unusual combination of youth and polish were part of what netted him the title of staff MVP, but he still has some distance to go. Giving up just 44 hits and 15 walks in 54 innings, striking out a batter per inning is great for most levels of the minor leagues, but in the Dominican, it means you’re just a little bit ahead of the competition.”
I think Rosario is far enough down the totem pole that it isn’t that BIG of a loss…though i could be mistaken….
He might turn out to be something, but someone so young?
Who’s the best PTBNL of all time? David Ortiz?
No, but I’d vote for David Arias.
He’s also the best player to be re-named later.
OK, what percentage of all PTBNLs ever throw or face a pitch in the major leagues? I’ll bet it’s a small number.