Game 55, Angels at Mariners
Pineiro vs Vargas, 1:10 pm.
News item of the day: Doug Fister goes on the DL, and Luke French is recalled from Tacoma to take his place. I doubt this has as much to do with Fister as it does with the M’s current situation. The last two days have taxed their bullpen pretty heavily, and they head into 100 degree temperatures in Texas tomorrow, where the ball flies in the summer. With Fister a question mark for his Thursday start, and probably unlikely to go deep into the game regardless of whether he made it or not, the M’s were going to be short-handed for the Rangers series, and realistically, those four games could determine the fate of their season. So, they’ll live without Fister for another couple of starts in order to have a chance to gain ground on the Rangers.
That brings us to today’s game. The M’s need a win something fierce, so Vargas needs to really bring it today. Pineiro has pitched much better than his ERA would indicate, so don’t expect a lot of offense (not that you ever do). If the M’s lose today and head into Texas at least eight games out of first place, their season could be just about over. These next five games are huge. They really need to win at least three and preferably four of them. Any less than that, and it’s probably time to punt 2010.
Ichiro, RF
Figgins, 2B
Gutierrez, CF
Lopez, 3B
Bradley, DH
Josh Wilson, SS
Kotchman, 1B
Alfonzo, C
Saunders, LF
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Thanks for the info on the Angels crew. To be honest, I haven’t even actually heard a game called by LAA’s broadcast team in quite a while…so I’m not sure how Gubicza and Rojas are handling the reins there — though I’ve seen one or two folks mention that they didn’t think they were the greatest. I just remember the “Wonder Dog” being a little on the annoying side at times behind the mic. I see Mark Langston’s also doing color for the Angels these days, too…though I’m assuming that’s on the TV side.
As for the M’s team aside from Niehaus, I largely agree. People used to complain about Ron Fairly and his stories of days gone by, but at least he didn’t constantly dwell on the 1995 season the way somebody else on the Mariner broadcast team does (not mentioning any names here, but I think we all know who).
In regard to Jon Miller, he is, simply put, one of the best in the business — and certainly worthy of HOF honors, IMO.
Oh, and I have to admit to something.
I got the tickets for free, and the only reason I went is because I thought Cliff Lee was pitching, and I was thinking this could be his last start as a Mariner in Seattle. Sadly, I added wrong in my head, and went to this travesty.
We have two seasons worth talking about. And most of the 2001 team is still in the league right now.
My condolences, sir.
Actually, I may tune into Softy’s show on KJR tomorrow just to hear if he says the same thing, too.
Amazing. Figgins got the double play except this time it was with his mouth. Glad Wak got his moneys worth.
Can we put Josh Wilson in the 2 hole yet.
Actually, I’ll give them three — since 2000 was pretty damn exciting, too, for the most part.
Oh, by the way, the score on Saturday:
Seattle Sounders 3, Seattle Mariners 2
True, the Chicago series was great.
But the ALCS was awful. By the time the M’s had scored their 6th run, the series was basically over.
Come to think of it, is there anything stopping Tui from going to UW and playing football. He would have to leave his MLB contract, to get his amateur status back. But has he already earned too much money to do that?
Either that, or I’m sure he’d be a good electrician or something valuable like that.
I agree, Henry. Though Chicago had a decimated pitching staff that year by the time the M’s got them in October, they were still a very dangerous team offensively…and the M’s just took it to them.
As for the ALCS, I will go to my grave believing that Lou screwed up that series in Game 2 by not going just one inning longer with John Halama — who was tying the Yanks in knots in that game with his off-speed junk and left the game after the sixth with under 100 pitches. Moral of the story: When you have a chance to go up 2-0 against the Yanks in their building, never settle for a freaking split — go for the juggular!
Eh?
OUT:
Wilson
Olerud
Boone
Bell
Martin
Edgar
McLemore
Javier
Lampkin
Sprague
Gipson
Buhner
Vazquez
Sanders
Kingsale
Borders
Sele
Abbott
Halama
Paniagua
Sasaki
Nelson
Charlton
Tomko
Stark
IN:
Cameron
Ichiro!
Podsednik
Garcia
Moyer
Rhodes (!)
Fuentes
Pineiro
Franklin
Hey, maybe Tui could take over for Bill Krueger on FSN — that studio floor must be getting pretty slippery during that post-game show by now from all the Grecian dripping off his hair. 🙂
Rhodes has a 0.38 ERA?
That was kind of made as a half-joke, Islets.
But I also think you should put a (!) next to Moyer.
This season is sort of reminiscent of a group of oblivious people sinking in a cruise ship. They walk past their life preservers and secondary boats while handing out party hats and hors d’oeuvres (bobbleheads) like nothing is happening.
The biggest annoyance is the ever-optimistic announcers. May we hear just an ounce of frustration?
I always thought the 2001 lineup overachieved, but in light of the 2010 lineup- that lineup looks all-star caliber. Ichiro, Mclemore, Boone, Martinez, Buhner, Olerud, Cameron, Wilson and Javier. All those batters were peak performing at the time, too.
There is a strong correlation between having Norm Charlton on the roster and having a magical season.
Scott19 – 100% agreed on the Pinella/Halama boner in the 2K ALCS. I’ve been seething about that move every year since.
After that game, Yankee Chuck Knoblach said the Yankee dugout was in mortal terror that they were about to go down 0-2 in Yankee Stadium, and then breathed a collective sigh of relief when Halama got yanked, for an exhausted Rhodes. Halama was just the right foil for an aging, juiced-up lineup with the likes of David Justice, not a power thrower running on fumes.
It kills me that we didn’t make the WS that year, since any AL team could have throttled the hapless Mets.
darthbuhner — I think that series pissed me off in a way even more than ’01’s did — especially given that the M’s had a ton of momentum going into it after sweeping the White Sox and the Yanks just barely survived Oakland. For the record, I’m still glad we got that matchup in any event — I think the A’s would have destroyed us that year in the ALCS, as they did all year — but throwing Rhodes out there against a great high-in-the-zone hitter like Justice (who seemed like he hit about 9.000 career-wise against Rhodes) was just suicide, IMHO. But NY *finally* got their stupid “Subway Series”…the TV networks got their ratings cash-cow…and the rest, as they say, is history.
Cool handle, too, BTW!
Sweeney to the DL.
Never like to see people hurt, but this is awesome news.
Over the past few weeks I have found it eye-opening that there are a non-trivial number of fans who either a) don’t care how a team does as long as they can see players they’re emotionally invested in; or b) have such a poor grasp on the fundamentals of baseball that they truly believe Junior was still good and Tui is benefiting the team.
I can’t think of any other explanation for why people would be so vitriolic towards LaRue and/or Wak regarding Junior’s retirement and the apparent support for Tui’s continued presence on this team.
Seriously, can anyone provide an alternative explanation?
“Bloomquisititis” – a common affliction of the casual fan in the Northwest…
Funny you should mention that…when the Canucks were playing the LA Kings during Round 1 of this year’s NHL Playoffs back in April, there was one particular game in that series in which goalie Roberto Luongo was getting lit up like a Christmas tree largely due to shoddy defensive play in front of him. By the second period, LA had scored four unanswered goals in a row — which prompted veteran Canucks broadcaster Tom Larscheid to blurt out something to the order of “Can anybody on this team stop a puck?!”
After LMAO at that outburst, my next thought was: If only we’d ever hear something like that out of Rick Rizzs — just once!!!