Game 151, Mariners at Royals
RRS v Meche.
It’s a little funny that the day after we find out Bedard is going under the knife to correct a shoulder problem that’s probably made pitching close to agonizing, the Mariners will face Gil Meche, who the team overworked and operated on a couple of times. The M’s and many fans felt that many of Meche’s post-first-operation problems were due to his general lack of testicular fortitude, right up to and past the point where it turned out his shoulder would need surgery again. No one ever went back and apologized for telling him to pitch through the pain, or for saying he was a coward for complaining of pain when he’d go deep into games. And in Bedard’s case, we’re seeing the same thing — faced with evidence that they didn’t know anything about what was going on with him and they should have refrained from making character judgments, you can head over to other blog comment sections and see people doubling down on Bedard-as-wimp.
I look forward to the day when we’re past this kind of thing and pitchers can be honest about what they’re experiencing and their health, and teams and fans will listen to them.
Comments
31 Responses to “Game 151, Mariners at Royals”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I still am bewildered that the M’s didn’t move Meche during the 2006 season. He was 3-0, 1.60 in June that season, and the club never showed any interest in keeping him.
The 2009 schedule is out. Season opener is at Minnesota April 6. Home opener is against the Angels on April 14.
Did we ever find out what Batista was injured with?
Lack of talent.
The AL Master Schedule is also available as PDF.
Season opener is at Minnesota April 6.
Think about that for a second. Now fast forward to 2010, when that game is being played at the brand new Target Field (yes, that’s what it’s going to be called) which is an open air stadium. Outdoors. No roof. In Minnesota. In early April.
Remember that Cleveland series last year?
Yeah.
16 game winners don’t turn into 16 game losers…
In other news, Kenji checks in at #4 on ESPN’s “Back to the Drawing Board All-Stars”
Of course they could’ve filled the whole list with Mariners and ex-Mariners (where is Sexson these days anyway? A guy that big doesn’t just disappear — no matter how much we wished for it the past couple of years)
That’s a good question – what is Sexson up to these days?
Man, the Rays are sticking it to the Sox, 8-3 going into the 4th.
The schedule actually looks much saner than last year’s, in part because we’re playing the NL West and thus won’t have to make cross-country trips for Interleague. But they bunched a lot of the road trips logically (e.g., Detroit/Cleveland) rather than bouncing us all over the place, and there’s no outdoors snowbelt trip until Chicago at the end of April.
my, Blowers is feeling feisty tonight
hanging out, playing with the kids?
Collecting a fat paycheck…
not just blog comments– on the radio last night and today…
I didn’t hear whether Furness took back his pre-announcement “Bedard quit on his team” rant, or not …
Seattle Times reporting the obvious–that they’ve shut down Washburn for the year.
I do love the quote from Wash, talking about the trainers explaining the decision to him,
The attacks on Bedard for being a “quitter” made me angry all year. And people wonder why Bedard doesn’t want to talk to the press. He should spit in their faces.
oh, Yuni.
Bedard has had issues with his ability to pitch for some time now. How long do you suppose he has suspected he has issues? Yet he went forward with a very convenient multi-year multi-million dollar contract. Maybe he knew, maybe he didn’t.
Let the buyer beware!
I also look forward to a more honest time.
Slaughter Roy hasn’t been hisself of late.
tired? worried about the folks at home?
huh? are you talking about last year?
Bedard had issues with the press from day one here. Who knows how his communication skills are with the coaches and trainers. It was another stupid McLaren thing to anoint him as a ‘number one’ starter also. That put more pressure on him with the media I think.
Ichiro!
and he hit where they ain’t.
You do know that Bedard isn’t signed to a multi-year contract, right? He’s arbitration-eligible for next year (his final year before free agency), but is not under contract for 2009 as of right now.
and in fact turned down the chance of a multi-year multi-million dollar contract with the O’s, who offered him an extension last year after his oblique injury.
last year Bedard had gone 9-0 in 12 starts, & had been unbeaten since June when he got hurt; in late August he had two sub-par games, and admitted he had been trying to pitch through a sore side … as you may recall, by that point, he was about the only experienced pitcher the O’s had left in the rotation.
He was sent for an MRI, and before the exam O’s manager Dave Trembley was quoted as saying: “he wants to pitch again before the season is over,” Trembley said. “I wouldn’t expect anything different from Bedard. A class act.””
as the Baltimore Sun put it, when the FO decided to DL him:
“An MRI exam revealed a strained right oblique muscle. Bedard has not yet ruled out returning this season, but with three weeks left and Baltimore in the midst of a terrible skid [it was that horrifying 30-3, 11-3, 15-8, 10-0, 17-2 loss stretch] it seems pointless. “I don’t know how long it would take for him to start resuming his throwing program and being able to pitch,” manager Dave Trembley said. “Obviously, there comes a point in time where common sense has to take over.” The injury could cost Bedard a shot at the AL Cy Young Award. The left-hander is 13-5 with a 3.16 ERA and 221 strikeouts in 182 innings. Opponents are batting .212 against him.”
Having Miguel Batista in your bullpen is like being allowed to place a bet on the Strasburg Sweepstakes after the horses are on the backstretch. If I were a fan of the Nats or Pads I would petition the Commish to void all games in which the Mariners use Batista for creating an unfair advantage.
I grew up in the Twin Cities, within bicycle riding distance of the old Met stadium. One big difference between Cleveland and Minneapolis is that Minneapolis does not get lake effect snows in March and April as does Cleveland and other Graet Lakes Cities.
Nope, in April Minneapolis gets real snow, the stuff the comes down from the Canadian praries.
7 in a row…
Give Pinch Hitter Miguel Cairo some credit, though – he almost got that ball out of the infield.
yeah, I’ve wondered about that no-roof idea.
wonder if Ichiro! decided he’d rather get the record in KC, than in Oakland, where it might not be quite so appreciated …
Unfortunately, I think skipping the retractable roof was probably the only way the deal was gonna get done in Minny (which, inevitably, will make for rather harsh playing conditions early in the season at times). At least they have a thermal-heated field (a la Coors) to melt the snow, though.
I agree on the Oakland point, too, MSB. For some reason, Ichi still gets booed way worse there than he does in NY or BOS.
Well said, I too am tired of gutless wonders like JR Richard, stealing the owners money, cheating the fans, and complaining about phantom injuries like a “dead arm”.
RRS, on the other hand is a gamer.
Re JR Richard, I wonder if circulatory problems related to high blood pressure might’ve qualified as a “phantom” injury?
Hey, along with the good news about Ichiro’s record-tying performance, it was very nice to see Shannon Drayer handling his post-game interview for FSN. How long has she been back?
sadly, she’s just filling in for Brad Adam on the road trip
Thanks, msb…but that’s a bummer Shannon isn’t on permanently.