Game 32, Rangers At Mariners
Dave · May 5, 2011 at 7:09 pm · Filed Under Mariners
Vargas vs Lewis, 7:10 pm.
Chone Figgins is sick, so Luis Rodriguez gets the start at third base tonight. I’m not one to wish illness on anyone, but, well, I’m okay with this one.
Ichiro, RF
Rodriguez, 3B
Kennedy, DH
Olivo, C
Smoak, 1B
Langerhans, LF
Wilson, 2B
Saunders, CF
Ryan, SS
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please don’t fuck this up for vargas…
thank you beltre!
I wish Beltre all the luck in his career, but that was sweet.
I did enjoy the deranged fan going on Rocky on us, “Andreeeeeeeee!!!”
Beltre’s allergy to hitting at Safeco continues.
Smoak is . . . smoking! (sorry had to pun)
smoak is on
Glad that Smoak and Ichiro! don’t suffer from it!
Come on League, let’s get a W
Wow!, crazy stuff right there by League!
Wow, this is the league we were hoping to get last year. throwing that split with authority
is it just me, or does League look like Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia?
I´d keep him as a closer for the rest of the season, or trade him in June for good prospects…
Congrats league, you are finally using your splitter
Anyone else want to walk up to League in a bar and say, “Miss Johnson?” just to see his reaction?
15-17!! We actually won a series against the Rangers!!!!
Great Splitter, good game,
That is plain nasty. Why hasn’t he thrown that the past year?
League is awesome.
Who needs the D.A?
So does League keep the closer job when Aardsma comes back?
Being able to go the other way is critical for right handed hitters at Safeco. Ichiro of course is LH and hits it to all fields, and Smoak is a switch hitter, and can hit it to all fields from either side of the plate.
Smoak’s 2011 splits (this is pretty incredible):
This doesn’t include his 3 hits tonight.
Brad Adam
“Come out here and do it with us, hopefully it won’t be too painful”
That was a fun game to watch!
No real argument from me to make in consideration of the statistical analysis you compiled … I just like Chavez better. He makes contact more frequently and can steal a base with a higher success rate. I also still appreciate the way he nutted up when Ichiro was out with his ulcer a couple years ago. He is more athletic than Langherhans and doesn’t try to lift every pitch out of the park. A singles/slappy who knows what he is and knows how to play.
I think there is no doubt he will keep the closer job when Aardsma returns. It is his job to lose now. Aardsma has even stated that he does not expect to be the closer upon returning. Aardsma says all the right things. If he does return to form, he will get chances to close games. but if it ain’t broke …….. Get Aardsma back to form and try to trade him (which was the offseason plan). Someone like a Betemit (if KC needs a closer).
M’s have a call to make when Aardsma comes back. League has been better than expected (and has gotten better as the year has progressed) but he also has trade value. Aardsma…probably doesn’t have much trade value just coming off injury. Question is, do we want to trade off League? Or do we keep both, maybe have Aardsma set up?
Yes it was. In part because there were fewer things to be disgusted by (no hip checks, rants at umpires or designated walking). Mostly, though it was just a great pitching performance by Vargas. Kudos to that kid!
Yes, I like walks too, but if that is your only skill and if you are allegedly a power hitter without any evidence of having any actual power, it’s time to be moved.
Aardsma is further along in arbitration years and would probably cost the team more. Plus, he only has 1 pitch and it is straight. He needs to get “back to form” to have any trade value, and if he does get back to form, he will have some trade value. The team controls League for 3 more years, so if he produces, they will keep him. He is making the Morrow trade look much better now … and GM’s like looking good and don’t mind reminding people of trades that they made that might make them look good … to help balance out the trades/signings that currently sting. League isn’t going anywhere for quite a while. He has more than 1 pitch and he is successfully closing games.
Aardsma might have more value than you would think if he can show anything when he gets back. Even for teams that don’t need a closer he would be an option as a setup man. And with what Soriano, Benoit, Jenks and others got, Aardsma costs somewhat less, and no long term commitment.
Jenks is injured and the Red Sox are hurting, Texas needs lots of bullpen help even after Feliz comes back. Detroit needs help too, but I don’t know if they can afford it.
The Cardinals bullpen has 9 saves and 8 blown saves for the season, 4 of them by Ryan Franklin. The White Sox have 4 saves 6blsv.
Ok so one cool and one interesting thing that I saw after tonight’s game. The Interesting one is that the only AB that Smoak made an out it was a SO, and I’m pretty sure that this is not the only game that this has happened. Don’t know what to make of it though.
The other is that he is now THIRD in OPS which is something to pretty excited about.
Here’s my proposition: Justin Smoak gets talked about in the same sentence as John Smoltz: a guy who was traded in a trade that gave the other team a single playoff appearance and then made them watch as his career goes on and on and on. Cliff Lee is better than Doyle Alexander, but he’s not a Ranger anymore either.
Good thing Miguel Olivo is still hitting in front of Smoak, what with his monstrous OBP(THE LOWEST ON THE TEAM) so he can get driven in…seriously, why the fuck isn’t Smoak hitting 3rd? Clearly our best hitter and he’s so far away from Ichiro in the lineup that he has zero chance of punching him through.
What is with these people!?
I’d wager a move up in the lineup for Smoak is not too far off. Maybe another month at the most but probably sooner IF he continues to rake.
If I’ve learned anything from Dave in the years I’ve been following this site, it’s this: when a player who projected to be good starts to be good, that’s an exciting and largely sustainable event. That doesn’t mean that the Mantle family should start preparing to attend M’s games when Smoak starts breaking career switch hitter records. But it does mean that Smoak is not going to turn into Chris Shelton of 2006. I’m glad we got him.
Miguel Olivo 2011 OPS: .537
Michael Saunders 2011 OPS: .542
Miguel Olivo 2011 UZR: -2.0
Michael Saunders 2011 UZR: +2.5
Yet the fanbase at large (along with the team’s announcers) seems to think Olivo is playing well.
BTW just for fun…
Rob Johnson 2011 OPS: .789
Rob Johnson 2011 UZR: 0.0
Westy, you promised “fun” … and this information isn’t fun. It’s funny, but not fun. I am not sure if you are trying to help point out UZR’s usefulness or if you are making a stronger and stronger case each day as to why it’s essentially useless.
It’s a background noise, highly flawed stat. It has some mildly useful tidbits along the way, but overall, it is tits on a tomcat time. White noise. Uncomprehensible chatter. Kinda like blogging.
Isn’t UZR still broken for catchers anyway?
My main reason for putting UZR on there was to preempt any “oh, but he’s been amazing on defense” rejoinders.
I think in this sort of sample size it can be argued UZR is about as valuable as ERA – it tells you what’s happened so far, but nothing more. For most of what people use UZR for, that can be equated with “essentially useless” – however in my post, “what’s happened so far” is the whole point.
We all know Saunders has been disappointing, yet somehow Olivo has put up a slightly worse performance while being raved about in some quarters as if he’s Johnny Bench 2.0.
Westside guy:
Yes, but Rojo’s only had 27 ABs.
Don’t worry, I wasn’t calling for his return! I think we all know Olivo is better than RoJo.
Not a LOT better, mind you – just better.
My main reason for putting UZR on there was to preempt any “oh, but he’s been amazing on defense” rejoinders.
He may not be amazing but at least League has enough confidence to throw his splitter