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New USSM logo
DMZ · January 9, 2008 at 5:55 pm · Filed Under Site information
Thanks, Graham!
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Twittah
Love it but…. Isn’t the pony supposed to be on top?
Man, don’t I even get any credit for the pony idea?
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
My Little Pony…My Little Pony
What will today’s adventure be?
My Little Pony…My Little Pony
Will there be exciting sights to see?
Where will you wander? Hither and yonder
Letting your heart be your guide
My Little Pony…My Little Pony
I’ll be there right by your side
I’ll be there right by your side
Thanks also to Bretticus, who found me a shoe.
Is it me or is his leg amazingly short?
Greatest sports related logo ever!
I’m feeling happier already.
Now we need an official song like LoL has!
could you really shrink that for a bookmark tag? Id love to have that in my RSS feed slot
I nominate “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” by Erick Idle
Some things in life are bad
They can really make you mad
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you’re chewing on life’s gristle
Don’t grumble, give a whistle
And this’ll help things turn out for the best…
And…always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the light side of life…
If life seems jolly rotten
There’s something you’ve forgotten
And that’s to laugh and smile and dance and sing.
When you’re feeling in the dumps
Don’t be silly chumps
Just purse your lips and whistle – that’s the thing.
And…always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the light side of life…
For life is quite absurd
And death’s the final word
You must always face the curtain with a bow.
Forget about your sin – give the audience a grin
Enjoy it – it’s your last chance anyhow.
So always look on the bright side of death
Just before you draw your terminal breath
Life’s a piece of s**t
When you look at it
Life’s a laugh and death’s a joke, it’s true.
You’ll see it’s all a show
Keep ‘em laughing as you go
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.
And always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the right side of life…
(Come on guys, cheer up!)
Always look on the bright side of life…
Always look on the bright side of life…
(Worse things happen at sea, you know.)
Always look on the bright side of life…
(I mean – what have you got to lose?)
(You know, you come from nothing – you’re going back to nothing.
What have you lost? Nothing!)
Always look on the right side of life…
Wow. Really Graham? Could you have picked a more feminine representation of the Mariners? And the Pony doesn’t make it any better.
I like, I like. But you forgot to add the Grit. The pony needs some dirt on its dress from its hard slides into second.
#3, I usually roll my eyes when I see this type of response, but…
ROFLMAO!!!
Did DMZ actually attend the My Little Pony show at the Tacoma Dome this afternoon or is it just “ironic”?
Uh oh…this logo on top of the news that Triunfel and Jones maybe heading East along with GS5? and maybe even Tillman..I’m not a happy camper, even with the logo
#35: If that happens I’m seriously quitting being a Mariners fan until we have new management. =/
Why support a team that does nothing but shoot themselves in the foot.
Hopefully the Reds will step up their offer or something stupid and take Bedard.
That should be #14, I have no idea where 35 came from…
#13
and here is the link
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7656588
16,
Read the article closely. It’s fluff.
17,
It just sounds like its getting closer to being done (the only thing being talked about in baseball right now in the trade realm) and by simply stating names, it makes me nervous that Bavasi is getting ideas…I’m just uncomfortable right now. Bill under pressure does not make me feel ok
I know, but three places now (here, LL, “offical” seattlemariners.com forums) have linked this article and caused a veritable @#*%storm as a result. I’m just trying to keep people sane and remind them that until something official comes through, it’s garbage.
Wait… so if we trade Jones, what are the options for a RF?
re:#20
I’m hoping Mike Cameron’s name is coming up. But Bavasi better go ahead and make this deal soon or just give it up, because the options for a decent outfielder via Free Agency are thinning precipitously.
Well, Bavasi said he wouldn’t play 2 rookies in the OF… Wlad is still only 1.
There’s always Brad Wilkerson or Kenny Lofton or… hell, Bloomquist or Cairo could play right, for some vet’rin grit.
Oh snap, Luis Gonzalez is a has-been. I’d put my money on him.
So next time the threads get too negative we can just ask everybody to “pony up”?
The logo needs this.
24,
Neigh!
I question the widsom of this logo.
When I was joking about ponies, I had no idea about this.
I swear.
This logo has just added thousands of little girls to the Mariner fan club. Probably the same ones who will think Willie F. is McDreamy.
It terrifies me that, from reports, the Mariners are offering Jones, Triunfel, and Sherril and still aren’t quite to getting Bedard; Baltimore wants more, and Bavasi may give it to them. Jones, Truinfel, Sherril, and extra for Bedard? /gag
I think our best hope is that Baltimore asks for too much and Bavasi walks away.
About the logo – I see Derek finally found a solution to that winter commute problem he mentioned in the previous post…
No he wont. If he really was that eager to give up the farm for Bedard, he’d have done it already. There’s a reason why the deals keep hitting “reported” snags.
The only thing more depressing than the past few August – Septembers have been the offseasons following them. Even the rumors make me want to be a Yankees fan. Or a Red Sox fan. Or SOMETHING.
Here is an email address for anyone who’d like to put in a word for not trading the farm system for Bedard. Be nice, be cordial, and just express that not every Mariners fan is an impatient idiot who can’t wait a year or two for these players to develop. While it probably won’t make much difference in the end, emailing can’t hurt (unless your tone is mean-spirited or condescending). Cheers!
fanfeedback@mariners.mlb.com
Sorry Boom Boom, but that type of relationship is illegal in Washington State. You can thank your good buddy Ken Pinion and the city of Enumclaw for that.
33 – You have a level of optimism (or is it naive?) that I envy.
You can’t blame those of us who are sitting here biting our nails hoping this deal doesn’t happen. It’s not like Bavasi has a track record of smart moves that can settle our nerves.
35-
i actually just sent them an email…not that it will matter…
raul has been taken off the official site’s banner…it’s now JJ, Ichiro, and Felix with the slogan “Mojo Risin’”
can this hopefully mean the end of “face of the franchise” ibanez?
#39, if Angelos were still running the O’s then maybe you would be on to something
Finally a worthy mount for Princess Willie.
35, Thanks for the link. Here’s my letter:
Dear Mariners,
Please do not trade for Erik Bedard. He is not worth it. I am one of the many fans who will be very upset if we lose some of our best prospects for 2 years of a pitcher of questionable sturdiness. We need outfielders (Jones, Wlad). We need left-handed power (Clement). We need quality pitchers under long-term club control (Morrow, Tillman). We need George Sherrill in the 8th, and Carlos Triunfel in 2011! I hope the rumors I’ve heard are not true. They probably are false, but I just thought I should say so, as a loyal fan who wants to be excited about the future.
I will be very excited about 2008 without Bedard!
Thanks for listening. I feel much better.
I didn’t think there was any point in analysis, right? Just show them I care, and I would be disappointed. I’m sure it won’t make a difference, but it’s just like voting – everyone has to do their part, no matter how small.
42 – Short and sweet. I think you speak for most of us here at USSM with that letter.
this Official Site of the Seattle Mariners headline also added to my cheerfulness this morning. Almost as much as The Pony.
“Mariners are power-packed at the corners”
msb -
Unfortunately, “Mariners are power-packed at the corners†is likely a light form of propaganda to show fans that there is “so much depth” in the outfield, that losing Adam Jones ain’t no thang.
this is what i sent to the offices:
“Being a loyal and enthusiastic Mariners fan for the last twenty years has been tough. We have had ups and downs that we have had to endure as fans that we really have no control over. We have no control in what the team management decides to do, but I am hoping this email finds someone’s desk that can make a difference.
The team had a great season last year, but rather than sacrificing the next generation of talent that the front office has done a great job assembling for a two-year rental in Erik Bedard, I know that most of us loyal and passionate fans would rather let the kids blossom and become champions in Seattle and not Baltimore or elsewhere. This especially rings true with Carlos Triunfel and most importantly Adam Jones.
Adam could be the next home-grown superstar in the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Junior. Losing him could cripple the franchise for years to come.
This may have no affect on what happens. I just wanted my voice heard.
Thank you for your time.”
#42, I think you are underestimating Bedard. He’s a stud pitcher under control for two years and any team in baseball would be lucky to have him. If Bavasi could get him without giving up Jones then it would be huge. However, if Jones is going the other way then it is questionable, but still at least we would be getting a quality piece back.
If Jones goes the other way, it isn’t questionable, it’s a bad trade.
That said, Bedard’s studly awesomeness can’t really be overstated.
i would love to get bedard, as long as adam and carlos don’t head over there…
47, I don’t think I am. I think he would be very good pitcher. I could easily see him winning 16-18 games (more, if the defense behind him were better), at least one of the two years. If I could pick him up as a FA, I wouldn’t hesitate, I would spend that money. But the names that are being thrown around are important players, too. I’d rather keep them, and see some of them pan out, rather than watch Bedard for two years with a otherwise-unremarkable team.
I think Bedard will probably be great (barring injury, which he certainly has a history of). But I still don’t want him at this price for this long.
Actually, the main problem is that most people seem to be underrating Adam Jones.
51 –
I agree. I can’t believe how much our own fans don’t know about Adam Jones. If we don’t even realize what we’ve got, there is no hope.
It terrifies me that, from reports, the Mariners are offering Jones, Triunfel, and Sherril and still aren’t quite to getting Bedard; Baltimore wants more, and Bavasi may give it to them
Wouldn’t it be nice if Baltimore would trade Bedard to Seattle without the Mriners having to give up most of their prospects in return? And wouldn’t it be even nicer, if Baltimore would throw in a pony for every Mariner fan?
Well, it’s a combination of underrating Adam Jones and several other things, like not really understanding how good the current roster is, a failure to look at the long term rammifications of a trade, and an insistance that starting pitching is the only way to improve the team.
Also, I’m not convinced that anyone pro-trade is doing any sort of analysis beyond ‘hey Bedard is awesome’.
Oh, Graham, don’t you know anything? “Pitching wins championships.” Period. This is the mantra of the casual fan.
Ah. My bad. We don’t get casual baseball fans where I’m from, so I’m far more free to ignore them than many of you.
I can see the case for the pro-trade crowd. A team doesn’t get the chance to add a pitcher like Bedard very often and he would instantly be our number one starter. With him added to the rotation, we are very strong 1-5.
On the flip side, AJ has a world of potential. It would be awesome to watch him develop as a Mariner. I keep hoping by some miracle that Bavasi convinces the O’s take Morrow instead.
#48, Getting Bedard for AJ isn’t the true definition of a bad move. A bad move is giving up a valuable piece for something that is less valuable (Soriano for HoRam, for example). What this trade means is the front office think AJ’s value is at the highest it will ever be and it’s time to turn him into something their perceive as more valuable. It’s a gamble trade, not a bad one.
But really, let’s assume the deal goes down as reported. Bavasi better already have a plan in place that will bring back a respectable outfielder. Wlad isn’t ready and the free agent market doesn’t have the answer.
Graham, DMZ,
Thanks for the new background to my computer…at least I will get to smile at work more often now…
Graham,
Oh, how I envy you. The debate raging over at Geoff Baker’s blog will just about break your heart. I participated for a while, but those guys forget your argument two seconds after they’ve read it. Very frustrating.
Here’s a classic quote from ‘Mr. X’:
lol.. A “stat” that figures in “areas of responsibility” of all things. Worthless. Ever heard of strategy, shifts, playing in, hitter tendencies, bloops, rockets up the middle past the pitcher? I could go on.
Wow.
Alaskan- Yeah, I’m reading through now. Kudos to you for trying. Apparently some posters don’t care much about defense.
re 53
“And wouldn’t it be even nicer, if Baltimore would throw in a pony for every Mariner fan?”
See the Verizon commercial that was running before Christmas –
“Does it bite?’
“Yeah”
Defense is really difficult for the average casual fan to understand how to evaluate.
All of the metrics are complex and of variable utility; there isn’t one easy number they can attach to it in their minds, like with ERA or batting average.
So, all they can base it on is things they see, which are always going to be anecdotal; and, sadly, what they’re told about defense by various members of the media, which is often even less valuable than their own anecdotal observations.
Your average baseball fan thinks that Derek Jeter is a great defender, mostly because ESPN tells them so and shows highlights of him diving for a ball that would be a routine play for the vast majority of shortstops.
Oh god. It’s awful. I recommend everyone head over to Baker’s blog and just read through. Alaskan and a few others fight the good fight but, oh man…
and what is really sad is that, often, the Baker blog comments are heads and tails above the PI blog comments…
Yeah, thanks Alaskan. I’m about pulling my hair out over at the Baker blog. These are arguments people on the boards were having 10 years ago! I cannot believe such a large swath of Internet blog readers do not understand basics of player valuation, defensive importance, and minor league statistical translations. I mean, Rob Neyer went mainstream with this stuff how many years ago?
I really thought it was only old-school sportswriters still spewing the “Pitching wins championships” mantra, not the majority of people “advanced” enough to be reading Baker’s blog. Alas, I was mistaken.
As long as this post remains at the top of the page, it will make me happy, because it will mean that a Bedard trade hasn’t occurred.
Whee, a pony!
I know. My Total Baseball from ‘93 has a big chapter on ’sabermetrics’ and even includes things like Runs Created and PRO+. James has been writing stuff more well more than 20 years. It’s not as if this is fringe lunatic stuff. Good grief.
This is a good time to thank all you guys for the education the last several months.
Thanks for taking up the cause Alaskan. What really boggles my mind is that these pitching wins championships people can’t grasp the concept that defense makes your pitchers look better. I mean it’s pretty basic, guy hits ball, ball goes out towards defenders, good defenders get guys out so runs don’t score, which is then reflected in the PITCHERS ERA. (Not to put value in ERA but obviously that is what these people look at.)
Now sure a good pitcher will cause them to hit balls that are easier for the defenders to field more frequently, but throughout the course of a season less runs will score if you have better defenders. And in this particular case you’re looking at decreasing your ability to prevent runs every day. In exchange you prevent a few more runs every 5th day. And even that 5th day is going to suffer some from the loss of range in right field. Sorry to preach to the choir but man this makes me want to vent somewhere.
59 – How much do you wanna bet “Mr. X” = “Mr. Bavasi” or “Mr. Armstrong” or “Mr. Lincoln” or even “Mr. Hargrove” from beyond the baseball grave.
if rumored trades go through, we may need a Flying Unicorn My Little Pony.
Yeah, I jumped back in today at Baker’s House of Horrors (I think I’m done now), and I think tone makes a huge difference. If you are patient, don’t talk down to them, and try to better explain yourself when they laugh at you, you can make a difference. I threw in a Bill James reference, just to nudge them in the right direction. Maybe I can bring up Curveball next time.
Our greatest hope to have Bavasi make better decisions is if the fan base clamors for them, and knows when to call ‘BS’. Call me a hopeless dreamer. I think I should be on the pony, my arms wrapped around Ballgame’s waist.
Or, we invite a bunch of ‘em to Teddy’s and have an intervention.
Not to be negative on this positive thread, but are we allowed to use WFB’s image?
Assuming we give up Jones and others for Bedard, what are the chances that the FO has someone in line to insert into the outfield? Any recommendations of who that could be?
Not much.
(Well, actually, Bavasi probably does, but the folks above him don’t care….)
i’m sure they have a back-up plan, but it is probably terrible…
now i know this probably would never happen because the O’s are trying to bring in young talent rather than giving it away, but could we live with losing jones if we got markakis along with bedard?
Hey, one day with the pony on top and the site sells another add. And it’s even Baseball-related.
75
There is virtually no chance the Orioles deal Markakis. Maybe Jay Payton or Rocky Dennis, but not Nick the Stick.
71 Alaskan – I find the usefulness of arguing on Baker’s blog is to ignore the people you’re arguing with and try to explain for the benefit of the people who read but don’t post. After all, Mr. X doesn’t believe in global warming. Changing his mind on the intracies of valuing players is beyond hope.
speaking of Willie F., Lookout Jeff had an entertaining note the other day …
um, here.
jlc, I’m sure your approach is better for your blood pressure. But I’m sure a lot of the silent readers are thinking the same thing as Mr. X, so I want to respond to his ‘arguments’ the best that I can. The silent readers are probably less beligerent, and more open to what I have to share. Also, responding helps me flesh out my arguments more – I’m not very good at getting it all out in one clear statement. I just wish I was better qualified – there are many folks here who know how to make these arguments better than I.
Anyway, when it comes down to it, I enjoy debate. That’s probably the real reason I do it.
Speaking of Markakis, does anyone know how he projects defensively?
Alaskan,
Kudos on your approach. It’s too easy to get frustrated with M’s fans who refuse to see the light of day…I’m incredulous that every fan hasn’t connected the dots–the direct relationship between the organizational philosophies of teams like Boston, Cleveland, and Oakland with their apparent success, and then conversely our team’s and others’ archaic decisions with their rank mediocrity. Getting people to see the continuing sad waste of the M’s great financial resources should be a priority.
There has to be a sheen of appeal to the facts if the delivery is really going to change minds, so finding a positive way to sell the logic behind modern evaluative methods is essential. Maybe learn to shed a tear of passion at the term “veteran grit” while explaining that it doesn’t mean jack shit that we can quantify (ergo, use) on its own to build a championship-caliber baseball team. The proof is in the pudding.
Alaskan, There’s also the fact that as long as people like you are willing to take on the, shall we say, uninformed, I don’t have to. Kudos and thanks for that.
Seattle Mariners Re-signed pitcher Chris Reitsma to a minor league contract. Did not see that comming………..
How about a picture of My Little Pony riding Willie Bloomquist?
Leeeeet’s not go there.
Realism. Dave once said here that Lowe / Varitek for Slocumb was worse then Soriano / HoRam because of the philosophy behind it. This is another example. The philosophy of getting a legit quality player and having to give up quality talent for it is a part of how you make trades. You can’t trade crap for quality (unless you’re Beane). Be that as it may, I know that Bavasi thinks Adam Jones is quality; very very good quality. He knows that giving up Jones is nearly enough by itself to match value for Erik Bedard, so he’s trying not to give up much more then that. He does know that he has to give up more value in prospects for a proven talent then what actually matches because, again, that’s just how it’s done.
In that light, I’m not surprised he’s willing to part with Jones (the real value) and Sherrill (an easily replaced relief pitcher). The rest of the reports seem lazy and half true to me.
Yes I can. Until it happens, it hasn’t happened. Why worry about it?
Alaskan,
by the way, I’m Chip1010 on that board. We gave it our best, but I think I’m about done trying.
Great. More veteran leadership with the return of Reitsma.
Oh, and more blown eighth inning leads.
Reitsma coming back on a minor league deal means nothing. Last year he was still obviously not healthy and maybe completely broken. If he serves any purpose to us whatsoever and is even remotely valuable then it’s fine. If he doesn’t, it’s a minor league deal.
Basically he’s insurance as a potential late season callup to fill a hole (if any). What’s to complain about here?
Looks like we’re talking to Luis Gonzalez pending an Adam Jones trade!
How predictable is this team? (I called that one in post 24).
Ugh.
When I see the pretty pink horse, I know nothing bad has happened. Yet.
Frickin’ stopgap. No clue…
88 – Let’s hope for the benefit of my wanting to see a quality team, and your “realism,” that the trade doesn’t happen then.
Again, though, I’m not sure how you don’t think this particular GM is capable of making such a boob move.
Alaskan – I finally went and tried to read through the Baker blog. Ouch. My head hurts.
My favorite part was the guy who was discrediting defense and using ERA as a basis to prove that the 2002 Angels pitching won them a World Series. When you guys pointed out that their superb defense was key to the pitchers ERA, they laugh it off.
All I can say is.. wow. Fight the good fight, I suppose. But, I hope you packed a lunch.
Don’t make it sound like I agree with what they’re doing. Taking this from a rational and realistic approach doesn’t mean I approve. I’m merely trying to point out that Bavasi isn’t nearly as big a moron as we want to vilify him as.
Realistically any GM is capable of doing this, but I’ll be blunt:
Bavasi is not going to throw the farm at the Orioles to get Bedard. If he really wanted to do that, he’d have done it already. If there really was a huge sense of urgency from Bill or the Mariners FO to trump the other possible deals out there, they’d have done it already.
Bill is negotiating so he doesn’t have to give up too much, not because he’s just drooling and chomping at the bit to toss Jones, Morrow, Tillman, and Tiunfel to another ballclub.
I would just like to toot my own horn, and say that I delivered a royal smack-down to Mr. Baker’s Bedard defense this morning.
Yay, me! (That’s positive enough, right?)
This just in: Willie Bloomquist was described on the Official M’s Site as a “super sub.”
PONY!
RE: 35 and 42,
I’m sure we’ve all moved on from this, but I thought I would share the letter I got from ‘fancare’:
I was surprised to get any response at all, really, even if it is basically a form letter.