Rangers @ Mariners

Post #1 » by **BlackMamba** » Tue May 6, 2008 3:06 pm

4 games and yesterday the M's won.

i think this series could bring some light and could calm the waters.

also, the M's will play this 4 and the next 3 games at home.

Bay_Areas_Finest · Post #2 » by **Bay_Areas_Finest** » Tue May 6, 2008 4:49 pm

Said it in another thread, but Wlad the Impaler hit the sh*t out of that homerun. Damn that dude has some pop in his bat.

Nice outing by Washburn.

Post #3 » by **Sweezo** » Tue May 6, 2008 8:42 pm

So far, Balentien's basically doing what Wilkerson was supposed to do: Swing and miss a ton, but hit the hell out of the ball when he connects. I'll take it.

Offense looked alot better last night, but it's just one game...there's a long way to go yet.

Post #4 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Wed May 7, 2008 7:36 am

Hey, Seattle fans are starting to pay attention...

Seattle lost for the sixth time in seven games before the smallest crowd in Safeco Field history to move back into a last-place tie in the AL West.

The bad vibe in Seattle is spreading beyond the clubhouse. Just 15,818 showed up on a 53-degree night. That was one night after the third-smallest home crowd inside nine-year-old Safeco Field, which welcomed an average of more than 36,000 per game as recently as 2004.

Seven of the 10 smallest crowds in stadium history have come this year.

Good job, Mariners fans. Hit the Nintendo bastards where it hurts.

Post #5 » by **BlackMamba** » Wed May 7, 2008 5:58 pm

the M's are owned by nintendo?

Post #6 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Wed May 7, 2008 8:36 pm

Not the corporation, per se, but a bunch of Japanese businessmen with serious stakes in Nintendo, from what I can tell.

Bow2Yao11 · Post #7 » by **Bow2Yao11** » Thu May 8, 2008 5:50 pm

Felix on the mound tonight.

If we don't win this one...

Post #8 » by **Sweezo** » Thu May 8, 2008 6:35 pm

Unless Felix learns how to hit, we're going to lose. Bedard pitched great last night, and it meant nothing as the M's were completely overmatched by Vicente Padilla. After the same thing happened the night before at hands of Sidney Ponson.

Bay_Areas_Finest · Post #9 » by **Bay_Areas_Finest** » Thu May 8, 2008 8:39 pm

I can't even watch this team anymore. I literally did LOL last night when going into the 7th or 8th inning, our idiot announcer said "Well the M's will have the heart of their order up" and I told my brother at the time "yeah, our 3-4-5 really sends chills up other teams spines".

We're sad offensively.

Post #10 » by **PhilipNelsonFan** » Fri May 9, 2008 7:05 am

If there is a God, Bud Selig will suspend Richie 15 games. I can only imagine how terrified Kason Gabbard must have felt.

In the meantime, SI.com made a grave error by anointing the Padres the worst offense in baseball. If we see them in interleague play each game will be 1-0 in 17 innings.

Troy McClure · Post #11 » by **Troy McClure** » Fri May 9, 2008 7:59 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZGuJzYozmY

Post #12 » by **BlackMamba** » Fri May 9, 2008 1:36 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl4AJ5wOKRI

way to go mariners... 2nd worst team in the whole league...

Post #13 » by **Basketball Jesus** » Fri May 9, 2008 1:47 pm

Well, if there's any silver lining to this, it's that Ben Broussard was DFAed by the Rangers yesterday.

TheUrbanZealot · Post #14 » by **TheUrbanZealot** » Fri May 9, 2008 4:17 pm

PhilipNelsonFan wrote::rofl2:

If there is a God, Bud Selig will suspend Richie 15 games. I can only imagine how terrified Kason Gabbard must have felt.

In the meantime, SI.com made a grave error by anointing the Padres the worst offense in baseball. If we see them in interleague play each game will be 1-0 in 17 innings.

15 games? I hope he suspends him for the ENTIRE SEASON. Oh my god, what a pussy move by Sexson. If there is ANYONE on our board defending Sexson in that scenario, you should be suspended too lol...

Granted, we are not in Richie's head/eyes and can't tell how he interpreted the pitch- but the announcer for Texas pretty much said it best. The announcer said he was a FORMER good major league player. If I were Seattle, I'd grant him his unconditional release. I'm sick of Mendoza line batting w/ the occassional pop that still doesn't count at the end of the year.

The time has come to completely dismantle the franchise. I really feel bad for people like Ichiro too- he deserves to be on a contender. For 6 years he's been our most consistent asset, and now he has to deal w/ this? If I am him, I'm demanding a trade to Boston or the Yanks..

Seattle is about as horrendous position you can be in for a franchise: high payrolll, old team with veterans who simply aren't good, pitchers that are ridiculously unreliable/inconsistent, and even worse- a weak farm system.

I will be willing to bet you within the next year you will hear rumblings of the team trying to be sold again. This franchise had 2 fluke years, 95' and 01', and outside of that, really hasn't done s--t...

So now we have the Mariners on a downward spiral, the Seahawks who are on the verge of a downward spiral, and the Sonics who are just starting to get out of rock bottom from a downward spiral- but wait! we have Sheryl Swoopes! Ahh...what a great time to be a Seattle Sports fan....

Post #15 » by **Sweezo** » Sat May 10, 2008 2:47 am

TheUrbanZealot wrote:

The replays last night showed the catcher, who'd already been hit, calling for a fastball inside three times. Gabbard shook him off twice, and the third time threw him a high fastball. The catcher shifted himself inside towards Sexson in anticipation of that pitch.

So, detective, what do you believe the Rangers were intending to do there?

TheUrbanZealot wrote:The time has come to completely dismantle the franchise. I really feel bad for people like Ichiro too- he deserves to be on a contender. For 6 years he's been our most consistent asset, and now he has to deal w/ this? If I am him, I'm demanding a trade to Boston or the Yanks..

Well, I'm sure there's some people on here who would love to trade you to the Red Sox or Yankees Boards, so maybe we can reach a compromise...

The team's frustrating but it isn't complete garbage. The starting rotation is decent, the bullpen has been inconsistent but there's a workable group of personnel there. The offense is the problem...if you get a couple of effective batters in the lineup, the M's are a decent team.

And saying the franchise is likely to be sold is pointless fearmongering. Pointless.

The only times you ever post are to lodge long, rambling complaints...

TheUrbanZealot · Post #16 » by **TheUrbanZealot** » Sat May 10, 2008 6:03 am

[quote="Sweezo"][/quote]

are you implying that Sexson was justified in his charging the mound? Even Sexson finally came to his senses and issued an apology. Just because a catcher calls for a pitch inside doesn't justify a guy charging to the mound and throwing his helmet like a pussy. It's pretty apparent the disaster that is Sexson's frustrations of not meeting expectations and yet another dreadful season finally came to a head. He was looking for ANY excuse to charge the mound, he already had it in his mind Texas was going to retaliate.

You also alluded to the team basically not being garbage. Well let's see- 2nd worst team in baseball, a completely inept OLD non-offensive lineup, starting pitching that is overrated (outside of Bedard, who is really consistent?), and probably the worst farm system in all of baseball. Please tell me what website you are downloading all of your optimism from...

Post #17 » by **Sweezo** » Sat May 10, 2008 6:58 am

TheUrbanZealot wrote:He was looking for ANY excuse to charge the mound, he already had it in his mind Texas was going to retaliate.

...which is exactly what they tried to do, right? You ignored my question about what you thought they were trying to do.

If a player feels he's being thrown at, and believes the other team is throwing at his head, who am I to tell him what is an appropriate response? He acted out, he got suspended for a good chunk of time...what's to dwell on?

An old lineup? Alright, here's the nine players the M's have been trotting out there on a given night:

C: Kenji Johjima (31 years old)
1B: Richie Sexson (34 years old)
2B: Jose Lopez (24 years old)
SS: Yuni Betancourt (26 years old)
3B: Adrian Beltre (29 years old)
OF: Wlad Balentien (23 years old)
OF: Ichiro (34 years old)
OF: Raul Ibanez (35 years old)
DH: Jeff Clement (24 years old)

The oldest guy there is Ibanez, who's hitting. He sucks defensively, and is a natural DH...not his fault no one in power realizes that.

Next oldest? Ichiro, the guy you said you feel sorry for because others around him aren't producing.

Next up? Sexson. We all know you hate him. Many people do. And he's not the cause of all the team's problems.

The other starter over 30 is Johjima, and at this point I am not going to blame his rapid decline on age.

And the farm system? Well, it becomes more and more depleted when the team trades 3-4 of its top five minor league talents for a SP who won't change the team's fortunes any. Gee, weren't you a huge proponent of that deal? You have no business being upset about the offense (A. Jones), the reliability of the bullpen (G. Sherill), and the strength of the farm system (Tillman/Butler/Mickolio)...

Weren't you the same person who made a big deal about how homegrown talent doesn't stick, and that's not what championship teams are built on? Made a big deal about there not being a point about holding on to minor league talent when some of us were horrified at the idea of Clement/Truinfel/etc. going to Baltimore? You're advocating blowing the whole thing up when you were quite willing to mortgage the future to add one pitcher. My, how contrary of you...

TheUrbanZealot · Post #18 » by **TheUrbanZealot** » Sat May 10, 2008 4:13 pm

Sweezo wrote:

..which is exactly what they tried to do, right? You ignored my question about what you thought they were trying to do.

Ok, now I have absolutely no idea what you are implying. Just what are you trying to say? That the Rangers purposely tried to retaliate at Sexson, and Sexson was justified in charging the mound? Dude, the pitch was high, but it wasn't at his face. You have to be completely blind to think that the pitch was "near" his face. He overreacted like a dufus, plain and simple. Even if a player gets hit and the team tries to "retaliate", it's usually a) a lot closer b) just serves as a warning. Rarely is it going to escalate into a fight, and 99 times out of 100 it's because the player ACTUALLY GOT HIT. Sexson didn't have to duck, he didn't have to flinch, and the pitch still wouldn't have hit him. If you are condoning or even trying to reason with me that Sexson was still justified in charging the mound, well then I guess the frustration has morphed into downright lunacy for some fans...

An old lineup? Alright, here's the nine players the M's have been trotting out there on a given night:

1st off, Clement and Balentien JUST got called up. 2nd, let's look at the "core": Ichiro, Sexson, Ibanez, and Beltre. The M's supposed "star" players are on the downward turn of their careers. They aren't timely, and they aren't consistently productive. When they get down, they stay down. They can't comeback from a deficit. Outside of Ichiro, there is no speed. There is no consistent power. It's just a core that kind of punches the clock and punches out, all content w/ their huge contracts...

Next up? Sexson. We all know you hate him. Many people do. And he's not the cause of all the team's problems.

While he's certainly not the cause of ALL of the team's problems, he certainly is a major part of it. He was supposed to be the powerhouse that would help drive Ichiro home. He has been a huge bust by all accounts. He has hit a home run on occassion but he more than makes up for it with Mendoza line batting and woeful plate discipline. Adrian Beltre certainly isn't free from the guilt either, as he hasn't lived up to expectations as well. You have to be a huge Sexson homer to actually defend a guy that is one of the worst producing per pay players in the league!

And the farm system? Well, it becomes more and more depleted when the team trades 3-4 of its top five minor league talents for a SP who won't change the team's fortunes any. Gee, weren't you a huge proponent of that deal? You have no business being upset about the offense (A. Jones), the reliability of the bullpen (G. Sherill), and the strength of the farm system (Tillman/Butler/Mickolio)...

Yes, I was a huge proponent of the Bedard deal because Bedard is a proven commodity and has actually justified why some of us are so high on him. He has been our most consistent starter, and in order to have any remote chance of winning a pennant, you have to have that lock at #1. In baseball, because there usually is so much depth in talent, teams can afford to gamble if they are in a position to go from contender to champion. The Mariners, by all accounts, were a couple of good SP and a revived Sexson away from contending for the title. Unfortunately, no one could have predicted virtually every single mariner would be slumping like this...

Also remember, the farm system serves TWO purposes. One, to bring in homegrown talent. Two, to use farm players as bargaining chips for external talent. There is nothing wrong w/ trading away 4,5 prospects, teams do it all the time. The problem becomes moot when you realize that your farm system just isn't good, period. The M's top talent is not comparable to most teams top talent by far.

You speak of trading A Jones, and the 3 young pitchers- but I think you are forgetting a key component. IF these pitchers were deemed such blue-chippers, they wouldn't have been traded to begin with. I.e., if Felix Hernandez were being asked for, the trade would not have went down. The odds of all 3 pitchers turning out to be Bedard or even remotely Bedard quality is almost nill, so the risk is only relative to your understanding (or lack there of) to molding and dealing farm talent. Not to mention, Adam Jones has been called up the last 3 years- he isn't exactly lighting up Baltimore the way some bluechippers come out of the gates and do (A-Rod, Hanley Ramirez, etc). Matter of fact, I think A Jones is completely overrated...

With all due respect, I think you take more time to insult me than I do complaining on the Mariners. I understand you being frustrated about the team, we all are, but some of your logic right now is very very questionable (esp. the part about Sexson being justified in charging the mound). It's apparent all of us have varying opinion and outlet our frustrations in various ways, but constantly trying to insult or provoke a fellow poster is a rather pointless way of doing it...

Ex-hippie · Post #19 » by **Ex-hippie** » Sun May 11, 2008 2:59 am

Sweezo wrote:If a player feels he's being thrown at, and believes the other team is throwing at his head, who am I to tell him what is an appropriate response? He acted out, he got suspended for a good chunk of time...what's to dwell on?

I dunno, if there's one thing we all agree on, it's that Sexson hasn't been a master of pitch recognition lately. He can't tell what's a ball or a strike, and evidently he can't tell what's coming at his head and what's just a high pitch. Maybe he can use the time off for some extra batting practice.

Argyle · Post #20 » by **Argyle** » Mon May 12, 2008 3:18 am

I'm gonna have to side with Zealot here.

The team is crap. The fans have taken notice. Nobody is coming to Safeco anymore. Lowest attendance numbers ever.

Time to blow it up, Marlins style.

Trade Ichiro for everything you can. Keep Bedard and Felix. Dump JJ if he doesnt come around by summer. Let go of Sexson and Ibanez. Develop some youth. Do something. Make it look like you have either a short term or long term plan. Because right now, the organization is just mailing it in daily, from the players to the front office.