Free at last!!! Richie Fired

Zyme · Post #1 » by **Zyme** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:18 pm

Thank the f'n lord It sure took you three years too long. We have the bedget, but we really nee to gut this team and begin to rebuild from the ground up.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3481747

Post #2 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:26 pm

Damn you and your quick fingers. I thought I was on top of this.

Great news, even though we have exactly no power bats on the team now, unless Clement stops sucking giant ass at the plate.

Also, what's your major at UO? I've been meaning to ask.

Post #3 » by **Sweezo** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:27 pm

Why Sexson over Vidro? Who's going to play first base?

Post #4 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:38 pm

Sweezo wrote:Who's going to play first base?

Depends. Who's Cleveland playing there now?

Zyme · Post #5 » by **Zyme** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:01 pm

PhilipNelsonFan wrote:Damn you and your quick fingers. I thought I was on top of this.

Great news, even though we have exactly no power bats on the team now, unless Clement stops sucking giant ass at the plate.

Also, what's your major at UO? I've been meaning to ask.

Env Studies. I'm living at Chase village this year.

Unfortunantly, with Gullen leaving last year we lost our major source of power in the middle.

Missing link in the 5 hole
Ichiro: can be but doesn't (if you watch him in BP compred to the game it's amazing. four word: Hit it
here cafe)
Lopez: Solid player (great on my fantasy team btw...)
Beltre: Good power, wish he'd bring it every night
Ibanez: Steady and out only consistant 100+ rbi guy
5? (where's our power DH/OF)
Clement: Give him time, execeptonal skill that should develop (2 year learning curve IMO)
7? (see 5, we need that 2nd half clean up guy Giullen would have been perfect here or at 5)
Vidro/ M. Cairo: good tool guy that can get on base
Bettencourt (bad spelling): could be upgraded, but decent to good for his position. great speed and end of lineup guy, why not use it (like stealing)?

I see 2 major holes in our lieup, and as you said, both are power. Someone like Dunn would be great in the 5 hole. That or a power 1st base (Todd Helton maybe?) We need that power OFer/DH too, I dont mind a contact DH but there is a reason that 90% of the AL uses a power DH.

PhilipNelsonFan wrote:
Sweezo wrote:Who's going to play first base?

Depends. Who's Cleveland playing there now?

No, what are you talking about? who's on second. :wink:

Post #6 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:38 pm

Nice. I'm a business major living on the campus side of life.

According to the ESPN article, Tug Hulett was called up. This ought to be interesting, as he supposedly crushed AAA pitching of late.

jenn_gp · Post #7 » by **jenn_gp** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:51 pm

It's about F'n time.

Maybe Jamie Burke can play 1st...I heard he was pitching the other day :roll:

.

Zyme · Post #8 » by **Zyme** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:52 pm

PhilipNelsonFan wrote:Nice. I'm a business major living on the campus side of life.

According to the ESPN article, Tug Hulett was called up. This ought to be interesting, as he supposedly crushed AAA pitching of late.

Sounds like a guy you should give a chance to.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/ ... lett.shtml

He looks like a 2nd-3rd guy. Would you slot him in the DH and see how he does or try him at 1st and hope for the best.

Post #9 » by **Sweezo** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:24 pm

Zyme wrote:
Env Studies. I'm living at Chase village this year.

Hey, I used to live right by there, and had a friend who lived in Chase so I was over there constantly.

Post #10 » by **Sweezo** » Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:26 pm

jenn_gp wrote:Maybe Jamie Burke can play 1st...I heard he was pitching the other day .

I was lucky enough to witness that performance firsthand. I can't think of a non-Felix M's moment from this season that I enjoyed more.

Ex-hippie · Post #11 » by **Ex-hippie** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:44 am

Wonderful, they've disposed of the scapegoat for all of their troubles. Sexson has been bad, but has plainly not been the worst player on the team. Why did they release him before they released Vidro, Bloomquist, Cairo or Burke? I will never understand why Sexson was such a huge lightning rod. And now they have clearly downgraded the first base position by giving more at-bats to the aforementioned wastes of roster spots.

Ex-hippie · Post #12 » by **Ex-hippie** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:47 am

And right after posting that, I checked out Rob Neyer, who had this to say:

Yippee! Sexson wasn't released because he can't, you know, play baseball. He was released because the manager didn't want to deal with him anymore. Which can be a legitimate reason, too. But Miguel Cairo and Jose Vidro? Kenji Johjima?? Really???

Just last night, someone asked me what's wrong with the Mariners. Nothing except Johjima getting 251 plate appearances (and counting). Actually, that's almost defensible, since before this season he'd actually been a decent hitter. But Vidro with 269 plate appearances? Willie Bloomquist with 120? Cairo with 95? All of these players might have a certain value in particular, limited roles.

But there is no excuse on earth for any team, let alone a team as bad as these Mariners, to waste so much playing time on so many players who aren't a part of the franchise's future. Dumping Sexson makes sense. You have to wonder, though, about an organization that employs a manager who actually believes that Jose Vidro represents "protection". I mean, that's so laughable that you wonder if Jim Riggleman is some sort of Bizzaro Manager who says exactly the opposite of what we know is true.

Exactly right.

Post #13 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 3:57 am

We traded for Craig Wilson too? Why? Hasn't he had all of half a good season in his career? Were there not better options? S**t, Saunders would've probably done more damage at the ML level.

Watch that PTBNL turn into Carlos Peguero, and we're f**ked.

Zyme · Post #14 » by **Zyme** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 7:01 am

Please tell me why we sent down Wlad? He has all the tools to be a masher in right or center, he even did well when he was up (for a rookie).

@PNF, About Wilson, sigh. I hate this team so much. It is such a painful team to watch. Any chance we could get KP up to seattle and turn this team around. I mean he's got at least an hour a day he could help out when he's not offering outlaw for wade.

Post #15 » by **BlackMamba** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 1:55 pm

good thing: sexson out

bad thing: cairo in?

even great or even worst: vidro is next.

Ex-hippie · Post #16 » by **Ex-hippie** » Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:29 pm

Zyme wrote:
PhilipNelsonFan wrote:Nice. I'm a business major living on the campus side of life.

According to the ESPN article, Tug Hulett was called up. This ought to be interesting, as he supposedly crushed AAA pitching of late.

Sounds like a guy you should give a chance to.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/ ... lett.shtml

He looks like a 2nd-3rd guy. Would you slot him in the DH and see how he does or try him at 1st and hope for the best.

Wow, I see his OPS is all the way up to 859. I checked on him like a month ago and I think it was in the 650 range, so he must have been mashing it lately.

Still, as a player who is playing his second year at AAA, at 25 years old, I wouldn't forecast great things for him. I see him being a serviceable utility guy on the level of, oh, let's say Tim Hulett, which would at least be a big upgrade over Willie Bloomquist. But at Hulett's natural position, second base, the M's have Jose Lopez settling into a comfortable level of mediocrity, meaning his replacement isn't one of the team's more pressing needs. I don't think Hulett's bat is going to be enough to play a corner infield position or DH... unless of course his last month turns out to be indicative of what he can do.

NateMustGo · Post #17 » by **NateMustGo** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 10:36 am

Ex-hippie wrote:Wonderful, they've disposed of the scapegoat for all of their troubles. Sexson has been bad, but has plainly not been the worst player on the team. Why did they release him before they released Vidro, Bloomquist, Cairo or Burke? I will never understand why Sexson was such a huge lightning rod. And now they have clearly downgraded the first base position by giving more at-bats to the aforementioned wastes of roster spots.

+1

Post #18 » by **Sweezo** » Sat Jul 12, 2008 11:40 pm

Meanwhile Vidro's playing first today, and not only did his fatass fail to run out a slow roller that may have been a basehit for...well, anybody else on the roster besides Ibanez...but he also made as bad a defensive play as I can recall seeing at first base by cutting off Lopez for a grounder, then hucking the ball behind Washburn who was running to cover. Most first basemen know to let that ball go to the person who is used to fielding grounders/throwing to first, or at least make a throw to the bag instead of throwing the ball at the person running to the bag as momentum carries them the other way. Complete nonsense. And that run just scored.

In one inning he stranded a runner offensively, and gave up a run defensively.

And Hullett's DH'ing today. Because you value Vidro's defensive skills, you have him in the field and a utility player DH'ing? Wha?

I don't understand. It doesn't make sense to me. What argument can be made to justify why this type of thing is being done? And I mean a legit argument that can persuade a person to change their opinion...something firmly rooted in logic and reason...

Ex-hippie · Post #19 » by **Ex-hippie** » Sun Jul 13, 2008 2:47 pm

Sweezo wrote:...something firmly rooted in logic and reason...

*sound of crickets chirping*

jenn_gp · Post #20 » by **jenn_gp** » Thu Jul 17, 2008 8:54 pm

Anyone surprised the Yankees picked up Richie today?

I wouldn't be surprised if he turned it around now.