Game 89, Mariners at Los Angeles MikeTrouts

marc w · July 8, 2011 at 5:06 pm · Filed Under Mariners 

Beavan vs. Santana, 7:05

Peguero gets a night off (against a righty, no less) and Ackley’s up to the #3 spot in the line-up.

1: Ichiro
2: Ryan
3: Ackley
4: Olivo
5: Smoak
6: Cust
7: Gutierrez
8: Seager
9: Halman

On tap in the minors:
* Tacoma’s at home taking on Reno at 7. We’ll see if Carp is back in the line-up. Luke French vs. ex-M’s property Gaby Hernandez.
* Mauricio Robles moves up to AA Jackson and gets the start tonight. He had a rough go of it in High Desert, but he’s just building strength in his come-back from elbow surgery. Last night’s starter, Erasmo Ramirez, is officially on a cold streak. One of my favorite dark horses, Ramirez had a great April/May, but the Nicaraguan’s freakish control has left him at times, and he’s starting to develop a HR problem. Hey, it was an aggressive promotion and he’s not out-and-out bad. C’mon Erasmo!
* Taijuan Walker pitched last night for Clinton and gave up 1 hit in 6 innings, striking out 11. Tonight’s starter is not Taijuan Walker, but it’s ex-M’s prospect, then Orioles injury victim, now M’s reclamation project Tony Butler. It’s only a matter of time before we reacquire Chris Tillman.

Comments

107 Responses to “Game 89, Mariners at Los Angeles MikeTrouts”

  1. lamlor on July 9th, 2011 12:48 pm

    This offensive team stinks. It was the all-time worst offense last year and we improved it by adding Cust, Ryan, Olivo, and now 4 rookies.

    Sorry, I forgot Kennedy.

  2. Westside guy on July 9th, 2011 1:23 pm

    This offensive team stinks. It was the all-time worst offense last year and we improved it by adding Cust, Ryan, Olivo, and now 4 rookies.

    The offense does stink – but the three guys you mention were all upgrades over what we got from their positions last year.

    All DH, 2010: .297 wOBA
    Cust, 2011: .314 wOBA

    All SS, 2010: .262 wOBA
    Ryan, 2011: .285 wOBA

    All C, 2010: .250 wOBA
    Olivo, 2011: .280 wOBA

    So if your point was to say those weren’t upgrades, you’re obviously wrong.

    Here is a stat for you stat geeks. Last year of the 8 teams that made the playoffs, 6 were ranked in the top 10 in offense. Yes offense and not pitching.

    I’ve never heard anyone on this site – or any of the other SABR-oriented sites – claim you couldn’t win with a good offense. Are you claiming you can only win with a good offense? If so, the 2010 Giants would like to have a word with you…

    Incidentally, I haven’t heard anyone – stat-head or otherwise – claim the 2011 Mariners offense as a whole didn’t suck.

    I agree with your comment that the idea Wedge is “losing the team” is silly – but you seem to have a bad habit of picking a statement one person made and then attributing it to the group as a whole. You also seem to like making sweeping generalizations regarding what people on this site believe.

  3. Westside guy on July 9th, 2011 1:28 pm

    Of course that’s just kidding, but trying to find something, anything on the bright side, has Guti looked a wee better at the plate these past few games?

    I was thinking the same thing – but it’s only been a couple games, so it’s hard to separate “better” from “luckier”.

    I am HOPING Guti has turned the corner, of course.

  4. Auggeydog on July 9th, 2011 1:56 pm

    I would hope it is not everyone that believes Wedge has lost the team. It is though the next step in the Wedge sucks group though.

  5. samregens on July 9th, 2011 3:43 pm

    you seem to have a bad habit of picking a statement one person made and then attributing it to the group as a whole. You also seem to like making sweeping generalizations regarding what people on this site believe.

    Well said, Westy!
    I have also noticed this and it is indeed irritating because it’s a sloppy and stupid habit.
    And it’s not just lamlor, there’s another poster (otherwise nice), recently prolific, who likes hearing himself talk about his crusade against stats or Dave.
    I think most people here could care less (or maybe are irritated) about such noise.
    (I wish Auggey would just keep with the good parts).

    And on my part, I’ll shut up about the “losing the team” stuff, very sorry, it was stupid of me. It’s just that I’ve liked Wedge as a manager in general, and his insistence on trotting Peguero out there is disappointing, (and seems uncharacteristic for a manager who goes by merit), and I wish he would stop it by all means.

  6. Westside guy on July 9th, 2011 6:18 pm

    I would hope it is not everyone that believes Wedge has lost the team. It is though the next step in the Wedge sucks group though.

    I’ve complained about Wedge, obviously – maybe excessively – because the lineups drive me crazy. But, as I said earlier on this thread, given the current roster, it’s hard to make an argument (based on current performance, anyway) that, for example, Ryan shouldn’t be hitting #2. It drives me nuts, but I don’t have a compelling alternative to offer that doesn’t have its own drawbacks.

    As far as the tough-guy manly stand-up stuff that the average baseball player seems to care about when it comes to a manager, Wedge seems to have that down pat. I don’t actually mean that in a derogatory way, even if it looks like it – I just don’t know how else to put it. 😉 I think it’s overrated, but if it matters to the players then there is some value in it – it’s just a question of exactly what the value is. And the players seem to like Wedge in a way they didn’t like Wak (going by preseason interviews anyway).

    And on my part, I’ll shut up about the “losing the team” stuff, very sorry, it was stupid of me.

    I think you’re being a tad too hard on yourself. 😀 I do think you overreacted to the circumstances when you initially posted that comment, but then we’ve all been guilty of hyperbole at times.

    Excepting me, of course.

  7. lamlor on July 9th, 2011 6:46 pm

    All DH, 2010: .297 wOBA
    Cust, 2011: .314 wOBA

    All SS, 2010: .262 wOBA
    Ryan, 2011: .285 wOBA

    All C, 2010: .250 wOBA
    Olivo, 2011: .280 wOBA

    So if your point was to say those weren’t upgrades, you’re obviously wrong.

    No, what I am saying if you are dead last and you except these minor upgrades as good enough then the Mariners will satisfy you for years to come. I mean getting Bloomquist back would be an upgrade versus last years stats, but I not in a hurry to see that move any time soon.

    I’ve never heard anyone on this site – or any of the other SABR-oriented sites – claim you couldn’t win with a good offense. Are you claiming you can only win with a good offense? If so, the 2010 Giants would like to have a word with you…

    Apparently you didn’t actually read what was said. I said;

    You need pitching, but you also need balance and having the 30th ranked offense two years in a row will not get you anywhere

    Nice of you to paraphrase for me in order to make a point on a point that never existed. Not trying to argue because I really don’t care that much about the topic. Peguero sucks. M’s offense sucks. Offer a better option than the ones we currently have to Wedge and see what he says.

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