Seattle (32-34) @ San Diego (29-36)

[Bulltalk]

About a week and a half ago, I concluded that the Mariners had to make an upward move above .500 ball during an upcoming 18 game stretch (9 games at home, 9 games on the road) against a series of weak opponents, Minnesota (3), Baltimore (3), Colorado (3), San Diego (3), Arizona (3), and San Diego (3). If they didn't, then I believed that the Mariners' upper management could only conclude that the team could not hope to compete for the division title in the American League West, however slim such prospects in reality may have been.

The Mariners next 16 games stretch (9 games on the road, 7 games at home) would be played against tougher opponents, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and Rangers among them, and one couldn't realistically project the M's doing any better against such competition.

The M's entered this 18 game stretch with a record of 26-28, and so far, after 9 of these 18 games being played, the M's have a record of 4-5 in them, and a record now of 30-33. To end this 18 game stretch even one game above .500 (37-35), the M's would have to go 7-2 in the remaining 9 games. This remains a possibility, but certainly looks like a dubious proposition. They would need to put together a couple of short win streaks, or one longer winning streak. They just seem far too inconsistent to be able to do such a thing.

A record of 36-36 or worse at this point I believe would be the impetus for upper management to kick into high gear as concerns unloading some of their vets in an effort to obtain a few prospects, Bedard, Washburn, Beltre possibly topping the list. Z seems like quite a reasonably calculating GM to me. If I'm right in my analysis here, I think we're soon going to hear trade talks heating up involving the M's.

This 18 game stretch ends on June 25th, and the trade deadline this year is on July 31st. My guess is that if the M's aren't above the .500 mark on June 25th, we'll see some player movement not long after.

Anyway...here is our upcoming series against the San Diego Padres:

Tue June 16th Hernandez (6-3) vs. Correia (3-4)
Wed June 17th Olson (1-1) vs. Gaudin (2-5)
Thur June 18th Morrow (0-3) vs. Geer (1-2)

Pretty much now or never for the M's, IMO.

[slaterbug]

I think we will sweep the Padres

[slaterbug]

King Felix doing his thing.

M's up 1-0.

[slaterbug]

Beltre homer! 2-0 up.

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

Complete game 2-hitter for the King.

*bows down*

He's amazing.

[slaterbug]

Complete game 2-hitter for the King.

*bows down*

He's amazing.

Amen

[Bulltalk]

Can we please tear up his contract this off-season, and sign him to a long term deal. If we do that, we can pay him more than anyone else near term, and then keep him around for 5-6 years.

[jumanji]

About a week and a half ago, I concluded that the Mariners had to make an upward move above .500 ball during an upcoming 18 game stretch (9 games at home, 9 games on the road) against a series of weak opponents, Minnesota (3), Baltimore (3), Colorado (3), San Diego (3), Arizona (3), and San Diego (3). If they didn't, then I believed that the Mariners' upper management could only conclude that the team could not hope to compete for the division title in the American League West, however slim such prospects in reality may have been.

The Mariners next 16 games stretch (9 games on the road, 7 games at home) would be played against tougher opponents, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and Rangers among them, and one couldn't realistically project the M's doing any better against such competition.

The M's entered this 18 game stretch with a record of 26-28, and so far, after 9 of these 18 games being played, the M's have a record of 4-5 in them, and a record now of 30-33. To end this 18 game stretch even one game above .500 (37-35), the M's would have to go 7-2 in the remaining 9 games. This remains a possibility, but certainly looks like a dubious proposition. They would need to put together a couple of short win streaks, or one longer winning streak. They just seem far too inconsistent to be able to do such a thing.

A record of 36-36 or worse at this point I believe would be the impetus for upper management to kick into high gear as concerns unloading some of their vets in an effort to obtain a few prospects, Bedard, Washburn, Beltre possibly topping the list. Z seems like quite a reasonably calculating GM to me. If I'm right in my analysis here, I think we're soon going to hear trade talks heating up involving the M's.

This 18 game stretch ends on June 25th, and the trade deadline this year is on July 31st. My guess is that if the M's aren't above the .500 mark on June 25th, we'll see some player movement not long after.

Anyway...here is our upcoming series against the San Diego Padres:

Tue June 16th Hernandez (6-3) vs. Correia (3-4)
Wed June 17th Olson (1-1) vs. Gaudin (2-5)
Thur June 18th Morrow (0-3) vs. Geer (1-2)

Pretty much now or never for the M's, IMO.

It's sort of fools gold even if we do beat the weak sisters of baseball. Fact is they still arent a team capable of scoring runs as it is made up and just about anyone and everyone(probably about 3 or 4 exceptions) should be available by the trade deadline if it will improve the ball club.

I'm more concerned with getting Ackley, Aumont and Fields up here as soon as possible.

[Bulltalk]

About a week and a half ago, I concluded that the Mariners had to make an upward move above .500 ball during an upcoming 18 game stretch (9 games at home, 9 games on the road) against a series of weak opponents, Minnesota (3), Baltimore (3), Colorado (3), San Diego (3), Arizona (3), and San Diego (3). If they didn't, then I believed that the Mariners' upper management could only conclude that the team could not hope to compete for the division title in the American League West, however slim such prospects in reality may have been.

The Mariners next 16 games stretch (9 games on the road, 7 games at home) would be played against tougher opponents, Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, and Rangers among them, and one couldn't realistically project the M's doing any better against such competition.

The M's entered this 18 game stretch with a record of 26-28, and so far, after 9 of these 18 games being played, the M's have a record of 4-5 in them, and a record now of 30-33. To end this 18 game stretch even one game above .500 (37-35), the M's would have to go 7-2 in the remaining 9 games. This remains a possibility, but certainly looks like a dubious proposition. They would need to put together a couple of short win streaks, or one longer winning streak. They just seem far too inconsistent to be able to do such a thing.

A record of 36-36 or worse at this point I believe would be the impetus for upper management to kick into high gear as concerns unloading some of their vets in an effort to obtain a few prospects, Bedard, Washburn, Beltre possibly topping the list. Z seems like quite a reasonably calculating GM to me. If I'm right in my analysis here, I think we're soon going to hear trade talks heating up involving the M's.

This 18 game stretch ends on June 25th, and the trade deadline this year is on July 31st. My guess is that if the M's aren't above the .500 mark on June 25th, we'll see some player movement not long after.

Anyway...here is our upcoming series against the San Diego Padres:

Tue June 16th Hernandez (6-3) vs. Correia (3-4)
Wed June 17th Olson (1-1) vs. Gaudin (2-5)
Thur June 18th Morrow (0-3) vs. Geer (1-2)

Pretty much now or never for the M's, IMO.

It's sort of fools gold even if we do beat the weak sisters of baseball. Fact is they still arent a team capable of scoring runs as it is made up and just about anyone and everyone(probably about 3 or 4 exceptions) should be available by the trade deadline if it will improve the ball club.

I'm more concerned with getting Ackley, Aumont and Fields up here as soon as possible.

I agree with you. Timing and perception, however, play big roles in such decisions. I doubt that Z wants to be perceived as a GM who threw-in-the-towel too soon. The Mariner fan base has shrunk the last few years, at least at the gate. I don't think the organization wants to alienate any more fans by creating the appearance that they are foregoing winning now for future success when it can still be interpreted by some fans as shorting their interest and excitement in the interim.

If the M's, for instance, run off 6 wins in a row here, or, say, 6 or 7 out of the next 8 games, they will end this stretch of games at 37-35 or 38-34, and possibly be only 2-3 games out of first place. This could put Z in a bit of a pickle.

On the other hand, Z has to be concerned with the longer term view as well. It actually might be best that the M's end this stretch of games at .500 or below, thus making it easier for Z to make such moves that improve our longer term fortunes.

I think that's what I was getting at in my post, more than anything else.

[jumanji]

^
You're probably in step with their thinking there but it's sort of the same mentality that blew the chance to get Strasburg (I do like Ackley). Personlly i think you can do both, continue to try and win and get rid of guys that arent the future like Bedard, Yuni and Beltre. Just my take.

[Bulltalk]

^
You're probably in step with their thinking there but it's sort of the same mentality that blew the chance to get Strasburg (I do like Ackley). Personlly i think you can do both, continue to try and win and get rid of guys that arent the future like Bedard, Yuni and Beltre. Just my take.

You can always be successful getting rid of Yuni.

[slaterbug]

Hoping for another win

[slaterbug]

Kouzmanoff homer, down 1-0.

[slaterbug]

Junior doubles and Branyan scores!

[slaterbug]

Boo ya!

Lopez 2 run homer!!

[slaterbug]

M's lead 3-1 now.

[Bulltalk]

It looks like the bullpen will have to come up big tonight. Leading 3-1 in the bottom of the 4th, and a bit of a precarious starting pitcher on the mound.

[Bulltalk]

That lead didn't last long.

[Bulltalk]

M's beat up on the Padres again, moving back to within a game of .500 at 32-33. In these two games, M's pitching has only given up 6 hits and 3 earned runs. The Padres suck almost as bad as us in the hitting department, but that's still pretty damn good pitching.

[Bay_Areas_Finest]

David Aardsma has been so amazing. Wow.

And Lopez has started hitting. Finally.