First televised game of 2007 thread of awesomeness
Wooooo! M’s on television! Yayyy! I’m so excited I’m posting hours early!
Rumored M’s lineup, from the Times blog:
CF-L Ichiro
3B-R Adrian Beltre
DH-B Jose Vidro
LF-L Raul Ibanez
1B-R Richie Sexson
RF-R Mike Morse
C-R Jeff Clement
2B-R Jose Lopez
SS-R Yuniesky Betancourt
For the Giants: some guys. Who cares.
Edit: Also, Dave’s at the game, so if you see someone throwing rocks at Jose Vidro in the background, that’s probably me. Will have notes up late tonight. Brandon Morrow looked awesome in Mesa today, by the way.
From the Times blog:
Good thing the Cubs can fold their laundry and have a packed stadium come to watch, otherwise, the M’s would have some explaining to do
Hee hee hee.
USSM job-hunting
The last time I made a post like this, it was almost three years ago and it worked out really well, so I’m returning to the well — I quit my full-time Program Manager job to write my book in July. I finished writing the book and also cranked out 306 USSM posts (which works out to ~1.5 posts/day ). And I sold some fiction. Anyway – if you’re in IT or work someplace cool that’s hiring, read on. I’ll spare everyone else the rest of the post appearing on the front page.
Read more
Betancourt’s journey, Reitsma’s elbow
No M’s notebooks… slow news day.
Greg Bishop at the Times, on Betancourt’s emigration from Cuba, and his family.
In the PI, Chris Reitsma underwent surgery once and wants to pitch again.
Hickey says the M’s “won’t be making a play” for Benitez.
Local wants to make team, youngsters, Stone on Niehaus
PI: “Walla Walla lefty holds onto hope for spot in M’s bullpen”
Over at the Times, Stone waxes eloquent on Niehaus.
Bishop on teenage players.
Also, the team’s ads are out. Consume! Feel free to speculate on who the team feels is likely and unlikely to be traded during the season based on these snippets.
Now it’s time for the easiest part of any coach’s job…
…the cuts. Although I wasn’t able to cut everyone I wanted to, I have cut a lot of you.
— Homer
From the Times and PI blogs, here’s the news.
Reassigned to minor league camp
C Luis Oliveros
IF Matt Tuiasosopo (in the Times blog, this is “infielder Matt Tuiasosopo, a Woodinville native”)
LHP Jim Parque
LHP Travis Blackley
LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith
RHP Carlos Alvarado
RHP Jesse Foppert
RHP Juan Sandoval
Released
LHP Matt Perisho
Five Questions at THT
As part of The Hardball Times season preview series, they asked me to write and answer five questions about the team heading into 2007. Head on over and check it out.
Bloomquist has new swing, should start, Sexson gets hit
BLOOMQUIST SEEKS FULL-TIME POSITION WITH MARINERS!!!11!!
Oh yes, the article you’ve all been waiting for is here.
The best way, for now, for Bloomquist to state his case is to continue doing what he has been this spring — hit the ball. If he can find a consistent swing and raise his average the combination of his newfound stroke and his unmatched versatility could force his way into the starting lineup.
Uh huh. If I could find a consistent swing, learn to pitch 100+mph and mix in a great curveball, I’d be the greatest player ever. Small sample size! Bloomquist’s supposed turnaround’s happened before. He can’t hit!
“Its hard to keep guys out that hit,” Pentland said. “He’s been a classic .250 hitter his career and if he takes his walks and sees the ball better like he has been he hits pitches he never has before. He’s hitting changeups and curveballs. He’s always been kind of a dead fastball hitter and that’s kind of like hitting off a machine — you never have to make an adjustment.
If he takes his walks, which he’s never done, and hits pitches like he never has – wow, if the Moose could do it, he could play first! It’d be awesome! Wheeeeeeeee!
Given what we know about Bloomquist’s skill set, and his long history in the minor and major leagues, his performance when he’s played consistently, the evidence is overwhelming that he cannot effectively hit major league pitching. Players like that don’t start to hit for power this late in their career. They don’t start to recognize pitches. Bloomquist is unlikely to blossom.
Stone offers a notebook including such topics as Sexson asking for the ball after he ended his 0-18 streak.
Cult of Doyle update
Game-winning 3-run home run in the eight off Adkins to beat the Mets 9-6.
Stone blogs on Putz, Pentland instructs, swooning for Lincecum
Four weeks from now, my book, “The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball” comes out. I’ve been thinking about doing a USSM Feed/Book Bro-ha-ha mid-April, probably on a weekend, probably at Hales — if you’ve got thoughts on good locations, speak up.
In the meantime, you can pre-order:
The Cheater’s Guide to Baseball
And check out the modest blog.
Larry Stone puts up his first Times blog entry! Wooo! It’s about Putz feeling good. Stone winces at the possible Putz replacements, offering Reitsma and Batista for their prior experience.
Pentland’s trying to get Beltre and Reed to do opposite things. In one sense, that’s good news – we’ve had hitting coaches before giving the same advice to everyone, no matter what their need was.
The PI on Lincecum. The Times on Lincecum.
Weaver, LaHair, Blue Sky
The M’s won yesterday (yayyy!). What else has been going on?
Ted Miller of the PI considers Weaver’s up-and-down season and finds reason for hope. Greg Bishop follows up the next day for the Times.
M’s play two today: vs the White Sox, and @ SF. 1:05, but remember, we’re doing that pointless thing with the clocks.
And don’t flip out, but today’s the sneak preview of Wilco’s new album: 7-7 our time.