Its not our scoop, so I’ll let Jon break the news shortly, but we’re hearing there is actual life to the Griffey rumors this time. Stay tuned.
On Mariner ads:
One of the things the team likes to do is keep the ads focused on guys who are unlikely to be traded or blow out. Having to pull an ad with Jeff Nelson after he’s traded means a tighter rotation of ads or new ads, and new ads are expensive.
“Hey now, get all of it” — what the heck is that?
With that in mind, here’s the team’s relative attatchment to their players, drawn from this year’s family-friendly, happy-go-lucky ads featuring those great guys the Mariners:
Ichiro, Boone
Franklin and Shiggy
Ibanez
Edgar
Pineiro
Spiezio
Melvin
Price
Wilson, Olerud
Moyer
Davis
Meche
Aurilia
(seen but not heard)
Moose
Soriano
Winn
McCracken (slides into home)
And I think I’m missing someone from the poker game, but anyway
So, players who can be easily traded without anyone ever noticing:
Willie Bloomquist
Freddy Garcia
Yup, you heard it here first. Freddy Garcia last year had his own ad, this year doesn’t get squat.
What’s really sad about this is that every year Griffey seems more crazy. Maybe that’s the way the press is covering him, but…
Early in Mariners career: happy-go-lucky Kid
Late in his Mariners career: counting fan signs, disappointment when anyone else got more signage than he did, organization covering for his increasingly petty clubhouse whims
The trade: weirdly played by everyone, the M’s trying to trade him where he doesn’t want to go after he narrows his list of acceptable teams, which actually should have been “Cincy” instead of a list…
With the Reds: injuries, betrayal and rejection by the organization and fans, SI interview (was it SI?) where he thinks he’s being followed constantly, expresses sort-of-paranoid thoughts about his family.
Now: belief that he’s going to be traded soon, and to the Mariners because Nike sent him teal shoes.
I was worried about him before this, but now… he’s friends with Buhner, can’t he talk to Griffey, make sure the Kid is doing okay? We’re to the point now where I half expect Griffey’s next interview will have him talk about how he was abducted by UFOs, sits in a pyramid for an hour every evening, and wears one of those magnetic bracelents to help him stay healthy.
Aaaaah!
Griffey rumors just won’t die!
I spent my weekend doing home renovation stuff (new house of older vintage*). I finally get online to discover there are rumors floating around that the M’s may trade Soriano for Soriano, and play Soriano 2 in center. (clarification update, Monday — when I say “floating around” I mean “someone asked me about it and someone else emailed us to comment on it” — this is not reliable sources or something the M’s, as far as I know, are talking about)
I think I speak for all of us here when I say “nooooooooooooooooo!!!”.
Alfonso Soriano is a useful baseball player. His defense is bad but it’s not the absolute disaster it’s sometimes made out to be, and as long as he hits as well as he has, he’s a net benefit there. The problem is that it’s generally been made out that Soriano’s young, talented, and flawed, and a good bet to get much better. Except that he’s not — turns out he’s two years older than everyone thought, and what we’ve seen may well be as good as Alfonso can possibly get.
The other issue is whether he’s well-suited to center, and I don’t see it. Position switches, especially large ones, tend to defy stathead-type analysis: a quick-reflex soft-gloved strong-armed player might make a great third baseman but if he can’t track flies very well and isn’t fast on the run, outfield’s not his place to shine.
I don’t see Soriano’s talents making him a passable center fielder… but we’ll see.
The M’s should not trade for him, though. He’s not as cheap, young, or talented as the Soriano we already have.
* what in the world have I gotten myself into?? Wait, I have an idea **
** The U.S.S. Mariner is now accepting applications for “interns”. Interns can be high school or college students of any kind. Interns will be given research and writing tasks suitable for future careers in sports writing and long-term wise-acre and layabout. Qualifications include ability to hang sheet rock, do complicated electircal wiring tasks, refinish hardwood floors, diagnose and fix roof problems, fix mortar and brick issues, perform large-scale plumbing tasks, kitchen remodeling, and other tasks as assigned. Other required traits include “ability to keep mouth shut about actual work performed on internship” and “unwillingness to give up boss to authorities”. This is an unpaid internship position.
You kids today with your being sick, chef training, and other cool personal stuff I want to mention but am not sure if you’re disclosing! When I was your age I would have loved to be sick instead of discussing lineups!
Reading the posts then, it looks like you were starting a new job.
Also, doesn’t moustache-less Jayson Stark
Look like Swingers-era Jon Favreau?
I must have been sick that week, because I don’t remember it.
Jason, didn’t we already hash out batting orders here? Everyone in the blogosphere spent like a week on it.
Not that, uh, I don’t repeat myself anyway.
Ewwww.
I don’t know how I missed this, but apparently Raul Ibanez is going to hit fourth this season, dropping Edgar Martinez to fifth.
If there’s one certainty in baseball, it’s that Edgar Martinez is going to post a .400 OBP until the day he dies. Moving him down in the order not only gives him few plate appearances, it means worse hitters behind him to drive him in once he’s on base.
At this point you’re probably saying, “So then, smart guy, how would you set the batting order?” I’m glad you asked.
vs. LHP
RF Ichiro (L)
CF Winn (S)
DH Edgar (R)
2B Boone (R)
SS Aurilia (R)
1B Olerud (L)
3B Spiezio (S)
LF Ibanez (L)
C Davis/Wilson (S/R)
Ichiro leading off is a given. Winn has hit lefties well the past three seasons, and showed a willingness to work the count and take walks last season when hitting second. The next two are pretty clear — Edgar’s your best OBP man, Boone your best power hitter. Sadly, Aurilia’s the next-best option against lefties. Olerud vs. Spiezio was a tough call; Olerud can’t hit lefties, but at least he still walks against them. Spiezio hits them a bit better, but isn’t at all patient. Ibanez’ struggles vs. LHP are well-documented, and the catching tandem hits ninth until they show us they deserve not to (though Davis has mashed lefties in limited at-bats).
vs. RHP
RF Ichiro (L)
1B Olerud (L)
DH Edgar (R)
2B Boone (R)
LF Ibanez (L)
3B Spiezio (S)
SS Aurilia (R)
CF Winn (S)
C Davis/Wilson (S/R)
Again with Ichiro. Olerud hitting second is unconventional to be sure, but c’mon, the guy gets on base like crazy against righties and it’s not like you’re wasting his “power” up there. Edgar, Boone, you know the drill. Ibanez slots in 5th; he can hit RHP. Switch-hitting Spiezio gets the nod over right-handed Aurilia. Winn, who doesn’t hit righties that well, drops to 8th until he shows otherwise. Catching duo rounds out the order.
Kevin Jarvis was shelled again yesterday, which I think has to be considered good news. The worse he pitches, the greater the chance the M’s will simply release him and eat his salary for 2004. Neihaus mentioned on the radio yesterday that Jarvis was throwing nothing but junk, and that he still doesn’t appear fully recovered from the elbow surgery that cost him the first two months of the 2003 season. Elbow surgery or no, he’s not a good pitcher. The M’s would be better off carrying a second lefty, or one of the young guys like JJ Putz or Aaron Looper, than Jarvis.