The Mariners are on the verge of being  by swept the Washington Nationals, in Safeco Field.  I understand the Nats are a young team that might have a bright future, but not quite yet.  Their pitching against a team, other than the Mariners, is just dreadful.  I've tried to remain optimistic, but this is just ridiculous!  Mariner fans it's time to unite and boycott.  I guarantee McClaren will be axed by Monday, and Bavasi should be in the unemployment line with him.  Ownership should have never let it get this bad.  Bedard was a nice pick up, but an extra power bat was just as necessary.  It's time to cut ties with fossils like Vidro.  Underachievers like Jarrod Washburn.  We have arguably the best 1,2 pitching combo and leadoff hitter in the game.  How are we not competing?  As a diehard M's fan, I can only hang my head in shame.  Time to call the Dodgers and inquire about Matt Kemp, if he is truly available.  I hate to say the word "rebuild".  I prefer re-tool, but it's looking like it's time to rebuild from scratch.  The building blocks will be youngsters like Felix and Brandon Morrow.  Begin!

With a record of 22-41, the Mariners season appears to be over.  The '95 M's couldn't even dig themselves out of this hole.  The season held so much promise with the upgrade of the starting rotation (Bedard, Silva) that no seem to realize how little the offense had improved, which given the loss of Jose Guillen to free agency, it didn't.  The goal was the playoffs.  Then it became trying to have a winning record.  Then playing .500 ball.  Then cutting some players (Norton, Wilkerson), and trying to integrate some younger ones (Clement, Balentien) by calling them up from AAA.  Then the manager goes on a verbal tirade, after another heartbreaking loss, in a close and winnable ball game.  It seems like collective failure, from top to bottom, management and players both.  Since the season is lost and morale continues to lessen, as the defeats continue pile up.  Decisions about the '09 season, and future seasons need to be made.  Here's a few of my ideas. 

First:  Waive players like Jose Vidro and Jaime Burke.  Burke is a good backstop, but is another catcher blocking the path of Jeff Clement, besides Kenji Johjima.  The Vidro at DH experiment clearly hasn't panned out.  He's a solid hitter, but not an HR & RBI producer that the DH position is usually accustomed to having.  Maybe even waive Arthur Rhodes, but he's a decent late inning, lefty option, plus the guy is well liked for when he played for the winning Mariner clubs of the past.  You know what, throw Willie "Boom Boom" Bloomquist in the mix as well.  I hate that guy.  Not to mention Miquel Cairo.  Other than Burke and Rhodes, none of these other guys should have even made it past spring training, but we can thank our wonderful GM for that.

Second:  Trade some of the veteran players that can get you some potentially solid and youthful talent in return.  I don't think rebuilding is the answer, but re-tooling seems like a decent approach.  Try to get rid of some bad contracts in the process.  Some players might look attractive to competing ball clubs, like Raul Ibanez, Kenji Johjima, Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista.  I hate to say it, but let Richie Sexson play out the rest of the year. 

Third:  Give some young guys a shot.  Why not?  The season is totally ruined anyway.  Start playing Jeff Clement at catcher and DH.  Call up Bryan LaHair to split time at first with Richie Sexson.  Add Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow to the rotation, and see what they can do in that role.  I think both could be more productive then expected, especially Morrow.  Boston gave some young pitchers a shot, and they won a World Series by doing so.  That's the kind of ball club every team should model theirs after.  These youngsters are capable, but need the oppurtunity.  Might be an oppurtune time to fire manager John McClaren and GM Bill "I got Fleeced again" Bavasi, who tend to prefer playing veterans.

Fourth:  Start working on contract extensions with players that are detrimental to the the future success of the team.  Sign Felix, Bedard, Yuni, and Adrian Beltre to contract extensions.  Maybe try to deal for a superstar that can consistently drive in runs and put fear into opposing pitchers.  Perhaps, a guy like Matt Holliday, who isn't necessarily a lock to return to Colorado, or a guy like Travis Hafner, who is struggling, but still a solid player.  The M's need a power bat.  Clement could be that guy, but it would be nice to have more than one.  Try to reassure Ichiro that signing a long term contract was still the right thing to do.  Integrate the youngsters with good veterans.

 

Have your team look more like this:

SP:  1.  Hernandez  2.  Bedard  3.  Silva   4.  Rowland-Smith  5.  Morrow

RP:  JJ Putz  Sean Green  Eric O'Flaherty (only if he can throw strikes) Mark Lowe Roy Corcoran  Ryan Feierabend  R.A. Dickey

Lineup (in no particular order)

SS Yuniesky Betancourt

2B Jose Lopez

3B Adrian Beltre

1B  Bryan LaHair / Decent lefty or switch hitting player like Mark Teahen of the Royals

C Jeff Clement

DH Power bat like a Hafner 

LF All-Star player, could be anybody.

CF Ichiro

RF Wladimir Balentien / Jeremy Reed

UTIL Mike Morse

I seriously doubt the team will follow my lead, but I'd like it if they did something along these lines.  This is a capable team with the some decent role players in place, but they need to develop their youngsters and have some punch in the lineup.  If anything John McClaren should be axed since he can't win with the current talent and continuously makes bad decisions late in ball games.  Bill Bavasi should be let go, before he makes any more disastrous trades.  I read some where that reporter thought the M's should deal Erik Bedard, which would be a huge mistake and admitting failure.  The gave up enough to get him, they might as well try to get the best out of him.  Mac pulled him out at the bottom of the 6th, when he was absolutely dealing.  Fire Mac and Bavasi.  Re-tool the offense and rotation.

The 2008 Seattle Mariners.  A team in shambles.  2009 Seattle Mariners.  "At least it couldn't get any worse! "

 

 

1.  The Mariners improved a rather pedesterian rotation over the offseason, by adding Erik Bedard and Carlos Silva.  The only problem:  I can't say the offense has been terrible.  It's been non-existent.  The M's are 14-23 right now.  I'm still optimistic, but predicting them to win the Wildcard now, just seems foolish.  That being said, JJ Putz is still my favorite non-closer.  Ichiro will hopefully still start for the American League at the All Star Game in NY.  Raul Ibanez will eventually start being the only guy that knows what an RBI is and how to get one, again.  Yuni, Beltre, and Lopez will remember how not to commit such costly errors.  Felix will get his swagger and velocity back.  Erik Bedard will get a much deserved contract extension, as I still think trading for him was the smartest move of the offseason, plus he has the best curveball I've seen since Barry Zito, in his prime.  Jeff Clement will start to hit, what could be many, deep bombs over the center field wall.  Wladimir Balentien will be getting the necessary numbers to win the Rookie of the Year award.  Kenji will show us why he didn't deserve to get a 3 year contract extension.  Jose Vidro will become older and more useless than ever (They should've signed The Big Hurt, while they had the oppurtunity)  Richie Sexson will retire from baseball, opting to join the UFC.  John McLaren will continue to get run from the game, in the first inning, Sweet Lou Style.  The M's brass will realize that Mel Stottlemyre is too good of a pitching coach for this organization, that Ken Griffey Jr. needs to be retained via trade, to boost the extremely low morale of the team, and that Bryan LaHair is the future at 1st base.

2.  The Minnesota Twins are kickin' butt and takin' names!  I couldn't have been more wrong about them.  Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young, but especially Gomez, are going to be great players for years to come.  I'm stunned that Francisco Liariano hasn't returned to top form yet.  I still don't think they have the rotation to win the Central, but they definitely have the lineup and bullpen too.  Cleveland is still my pick though.  Again, sorry Twins fans: You were alright for bashing me about my prediction, regarding the Twins. 

3.  The Cardinals and A's are in 1st place, in their respective divisions.  Both teams are a real surprise this year, especially the A's.  I've never seen a rebuilding team play like a pennant winner, and do with a handful of players no one has ever heard of.  Dana Eveland? Daric Barton?  Greg Smith? Santiago Casilla (the next great closer)?  Emil Brown?  Actually I knew who he was, but not that he was that good.  The Cards are winning with an interesting rotation of American League has beens and guys I've never heard of.  I guess all Joel Piniero needed was a change of leagues.  Todd Wellemeyer?  Kyle Lohse is pitching way over his head right now.  Right, Twins fans?  Adam Wainwright is looking like a Cy Young candidate.  Skip Schumaker?  Guy sounds more like a jockey or a golfer than a baseball player.  Rick Ankiel and Albert Pujols are seriously raking.  That doesn't surprise me with one of them.  They've got some good starters coming off the DL, at some point: Mulder, Carpenter, Clement.  If they can hang in there til those guys are ready, watch out!  I still like the Cubs though and the Dodgers for the Wildcard. 

Those are the most glaring reasons that I'm an ####, and predictions can seem so foolish.  Go M's, 14-23 might seem like a mountain of adversity, but that's the way we like it! 

Keep in mind, I am by no means a Major League Baseball expert. 

American League

AL East Champion:  Boston Red Sox

AL West Champion:  Seattle Mariners (John Lackey's hurt, who knows, I'm probably being too optimistic)

AL Central Champion:  Cleveland Indians (Not the Tigers believe it or not)

AL Wildcard:  Toronto Blue Jays

ALCS:  Cleveland vs Boston

AL Champion:  Cleveland

National League

NL East Champion:  New York Mets (If they're healthy behind Santana, wow look out!)

NL West Champion:  Los Angeles Dodgers

NL Central Champion:  Milwaukee Brewers (I wouldn't consider them a long shot this year)

NL Wildcard:  Chicago Cubs (I could go with Braves or Phils here too, well maybe just ATL)

NLCS:  New York Mets vs Chicago Cubs (sorry Cubs fans)

NL Champion:  New York Mets (They have the pitcher's park, the ace, the offense)

World Series Champion:  New York Mets (though I think it will be a good series.  Mets will become my new Yankees/Red Sox and I will hate them for the rest of my life)

The Hardware: 

AL Rookie of the Year:  Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays

AL Manager of the Year:  John Gibbons, Toronto Blue Jays

AL Cy Young:  Felix Hernandez, SP, Seattle Mariners (He will have a chip on his shoulder the size of Mount Everest with the addition of Erik Bedard.  He'll be out to prove who's really numero uno.)

AL MVP:  Grady Sizemore, OF, Cleveland Indians (This guy is going to be great.  I also think Miguel Cabrera or Manny Ramirez could end up with the hardware here.  We'll see.)

NL Rookie of the Year:  Homer Bailey, SP, Cincinnati Reds (Maybe Fukudome wins here)

NL Manager of the Year:  Lou Piniella, Chicago Cubs

NL Cy Young:  Johan Santana, SP, New York Mets (This guy should dominate the NL.  Keyword: Should)

NL MVP:  Mark Teixeira, 1B, Atlanta Braves (In a contract year and then he celebrates by signing with the Yankees. Maybe one of the Mets.  David Wright?  I picked him to win last year)

 

My favorite division in baseball.  I wonder why?

1.  Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.   The Angels are a solid team.  They have a good rotation, headed by John Lackey and very good bullpen.  Bad Vlad Guerrero is a perennial MVP candidate every year and Torri Hunter is a nice addition to that outfield.  Mark my words, one significant injury on this team could really open the door for the Mariners.

2.  Seattle Mariners.  The addition of Erik Bedard will pay huge dividends this season, and hopefully for future seasons.  The M's had to give up a lot for Bedard, but he's a Cy Young candidate, who has the stuff that aces are made of.  Felix Hernandez will have a career year because of the presence of Bedard in the rotation.  Seattle has a nice 1 through 5 rotation, with some capable spot starters in the mix as well.   Ichiro will guide the offense, and hopefully guys like Richie Sexson can rebound.  The loss of Jose Guillen will hurt more than we think, but the potential of Wladmir Balentien should make up for that, long term.  If the Angels slip at all, the M's might have the ability to take advantage of it.

3.  Texas Rangers.  The rotation is still a little shaky.  Kevin Millwood isn't an ace and neither is Vincente Padilla.  Their bullpen does impress me, particularly CJ Wilson and Joaquin Benoit.  Both looked good in the closer role, last season.  The addition of Josh Hamilton is a good one, as he should drive in some runs, but they need a rebound from guys like Hank Blalock to make any real noise.  I think Jarrod Saltamacchia? or Salty and Ian Kinsler are going to turn into a really good baseball players, so their future looks bright.  I think they have enough experience in the rotation to be better than the rebuilding A's.

4.  Oakland A's.  It would be difficult to be a fan of the A's, because it seems like they're always in a rebuilding mode.  They've let some great players walk away over the years, Tejada, Zito, Damon, but in Giambi's case, he basically just sold out.  Rich Harden needs a healthy season under his belt, to prove he's an ace.  The verdict is still out on that one.  Joe Blanton is an innings eater, but after those two, the rotation is full of question marks.  I'm guessing the next players to be dealt will be Eric Chavez, Huston Street, and Joe Blanton.   When looking at the roster there are a few familiar faces, but who the heck are the rest of these guys?  I should get my facts straight, because they're probably a bunch of really good prospects that will become stars, in Oakland and then sign with another team when they become free agents.  Can we really consider Billy Beane to be a genius anymore?  

Starting Rotation:  Seattle Mariners

1.  LHP  Randy Johnson (Named the Big Unit for his intimidating 6'10" frame.  The most dominant pitcher in Mariners history.  Acquired in the Mark Langston trade from the Montreal Expos, Johnson was easily the most popular Mariner pitcher ever.  His pitches had the kind of velocity that few pitchers ever have, and he had one of the nastiest sliders in the majors.  In 1990, he threw a no-hitter against the Detroit TIgers, and was the first pitcher ever to strike out Hall of Famer Wade Boggs 3 times in one game.  His blazing fastball allowed him to have six 300 plus strike out seasons.  Randy was especially dominant during the '95, but more importantly in the post season that year.  During the midseason trade deadline, in 1998, Johnson was dealt to the Houston Astros, who were in the thick of a pennant race, for Freddy Garcia, Carlos Guillen, and John Halama.  The Mariners management traded a player they thought was on the decline.  A 5 time Cy Young award winner, World Series MVP, World Series Ring, and a perfect game later, the Mariners look foolish for trading him.  He was the kind of pitcher you would want pitching in a Game 7. )

2.  LHP Jamie Moyer (Jamie Moyer was the polar opposite of power pitchers like Randy Johnson, Roger Clemens, and others who dominated during the late '90s.  The Mariners acquired Moyer during the '96 season from the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Darren Bragg.  He went 6-2, in that half of the season, and would improve with 17 wins the following season, and had 20 wins during the 2001 116 win season for the Mariners.  He was the winningest pitcher in Mariners history, was loved throughout the community for all of the charity work he and his did, still do, and was comparably dominant, but less heralded as players like Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, and Randy Johnson from '97 to 2004.  He was traded during the season to the Philadelphia Phillies for a couple of Single A pitching prospects.  Jamie was best known for his off speed pitching style, with a fastball that tops out a 83 mph, and a great combination of curveball and circle change up.  He wasn't a highlight reel pitcher, but he was effective.  Without pitchers like him, the 2001 season wouldn't have been possible.)

3.  LHP Mark Langston (He wore a Mariners uniform from 1984-1989, but had a tremendous impact for the Mariners.  He was an all star and a league leader in strike outs for 3 seasons, had 2 Gold gloves while with the Mariners.  Langston was the lone all star pitcher on some very underachieving, historically awful Mariner teams, in the mid '80s.  And is highly regarded as having one of the best pick-off moves, in Major League Baseball, of all time.  He is second, only to Kenny Rogers, in this category.  He was traded to the Montreal Expos in 1989 for Randy Johnson and Brian Holman.)

4.  RHP Freddy Garcia (Acquired by the Mariners in a midseason deal for ace Randy Johnson in 1998, Freddy become a household name among Mariner fans.  He was a work-horse during his rookie season, pitching 201 innings and finishing with an impressive 17-8 record, while compiling 170 strike outs.  His last five seasons in he Seattle he had 18, 16, 12, 13, and 14 wins.  He too was a dominant fixture on the Mariners team that won 116 games, in 2001.  Nicknamed the "Chief" for his resemblence to the large Native American man in the movie One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, Freddy was a fan favorite.  He was his own worst enemy on the mound, because if he failed at something, often times he would come un-glued, and his performance would suffer.  In 2004, his last season with the Mariners, he didn't have those struggles, and in my opinion, had his most solid season with the Mariners during a contract year.  He was dealt to the Chicago White Sox during the 2004 season, and won a World Series with them in 2005.)

5.  RHP Felix Hernandez (It's difficult to say that Felix is one of the Mariners great pitchers, because he hasn't been as dominant, as I think he will be yet.  Felix, like Freddy Garcia, can get frustrated while on the mound, if he makes mistakes.  I saw this first hand when I watched a game against the Baltimore Orioles in mid July.  Felix took a 2-0 lead into the 7th inning, but gave up a couple of base hits, got upset at himself, lost his composure and then surrendered a 3 run homer to Jay Gibbons.  A month later, Felix was in a jam in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays.  The bases were loaded with 2 outs, and a 1-2 count on slugger Alex Rios.  Felix threw a perfect strike, right over the plate that froze Rios.  It was a thing of beauty, but much to the dismay of Felix, manager John McClaren, Kenji Johjima, myself, and any Mariner fan watching, the pitch was called a ball.  Felix was furious.  His next pitch was slapped in to the gap by Rios, and brought in a run.  He then faced Troy Glaus, who he had struck out twice earlier in the game.  Glaus crushed Felix's pitch for a 3 run homer, and it was all over for the Mariners after that.  With maturity, I think Felix will turn into the dominant, clear-cut ace that Mariner fans expect to be.  The one hit, complete game shut-out he threw vs Boston in Fenway, was one of the most awe inspiring games I have ever seen.  It is performances like this that let me know that Felix will develop into, perhaps, the best pitcher in Mariners history.  His fastball and slider are well developed, plus his change up is improving nicely.  All hail King Felix!)

SS NO LOVE FOR A-ROD!  I often forget that the man who signed the richest contract in Baseball history ever played for the Mariners, so that being said he won't make the cut.  Just another #### you to A-Fraud, courtesy of a loyal Mariner fan.

SS.  Omar "Little O" Vizquel (The only shortstop, who's excellent defense came close to that of the "Wizard" Ozzie Smith.  He didn't have the offensive game that he would later develop in his years with the Indians, but with the kind of defense he played, he didn't have to.  To think Butthead Bavasi damn near brought Little O back, a couple of seasons ago, which would have been a huge mistake.  Then again so was replacing Carlos Guillen (It pains me how good this guy is in Detroit) with Rich Aurillia made little to no sense either.)

Backup:  My brother would say Wilie "Boom Boom" Bloomquist, but he would fill my back up role as the team's super-utility man.  SS Yuniesky Betancourt (A star in the making, who many baseball still don't know about.  He is the Mariners current shortstop and forms a dynamic double play duo with last year all-star second baseman Jose Lopez.  This kid from Cuba, who's probably an old man, is the second coming of Little O, except he can consistently hit, makes me forget about the loss of Carlos Guillen.  The team has these two guys locked up for many years to come, and I guarantee they'll make regular appearances on ESPN's Web Gems.)

DH. Edgar Martinez, My personal favorite player in M's History (Edgar Martinez defined the position of DH, and may prove that it is Hall of Fame worthy.  He started the legacy that guys like David "Big Papi" Ortiz, as a player that could absolutely hit the stuffin out of the ball, but couldn't field to save his life.  The result, at least in the AL, the designated hitter.  Edgar was the best pure hitter I've seen since, my earlier baseball watching years, Wade Boggs, George Brett, and Tony Gwynn.  Edgar could hit the ball to any part of the field for a hit, and could hit with pop when necessary.  Still the greatest game I ever attended was Game 4 of the 1995 ALDS, where Edgar had seven RBIs to lead the Mariners to a series-deciding Game 5 (You know the one where Griffey slides into home and the crowd goes bananas?)  It was amazing how many doubles Edgar collected in his career, because he was never exactly a speedster on the base paths, more likely the complete opposite.)

Backup.  Vince Coleman (A catalyst for success on the '95 team.  Not much room in the crowded outfield for Vince but he cannot be forgotten.  It isn't or never has been the Mariner's style to do many July 31 deadline deals, but in 1995 the M's traded for Vince Coleman, who was a Royal at the time.  The Mariners were making a serious run at the AL West Crown and AL Wildcard, needed a decent option in left field to complete that transition to winning.  Vince Coleman was there guy.  His ability to reach base but to also advance via a steal or two, really was the icing on the cake for what the team needed to be a championship contender.  Every great team has a good lead off hitter (Juan Pierre with the Marlins, John Damon with the Sox, Ichiro with the Mariners, and maybe one day Reyes with the Mets)

OF.  Ken Griffey Jr.  (It kills me that he even wanted to play for his hometown Reds over the surging Seattle Mariners.  Griffey was the sugar in the fan base's Kool Aid during the late eighties and early nineties to mid nineties.  He was one of those rare five-tool players that come around once in a generation.  My father had such players with Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays.  Jr.  had some serious pop, and I had the pleasure to see some of his greatest games, like the game winning walk-off upper deck HR against the Yankees, and the game where he made an unbelievable catch while breaking his wrist in the process.  The Kid almost single handedly kept baseball alive in Seattle instead of re-locating the team to sunny Florida.  It was a shame he only played one season in Safeco Field, because the field was built perfectly to the strengths of a power hitting, left-handed batter.  Oh well.  It was a blast watching him play in Seattle, while it lasted.  And his return this season was priceless, as I don't think he knew of how huge an impact he had on the Mariners and their fans.  He was the one player, who despite many freak injuries, could have made a fair, realistic attempt at Hank Aaron's illustrious record.)

OF.  Ichiro Suzuki (Some of you may scoff at Ichiro's latest contract, but whatever keeps him in Seattle works for me.  Ichiro took Seattle and the world by storm in his rookie season 2001.  He won the AL MVP, Rookie of the Year, and three outfield Gold Glove awards.  He also contributed heavily, if not the most, to the record setting win season of 2001.  He broke the single season hits record easily, and gets 200 or more hits a season.  His speed down the first baseline is still unparralled by anyone else in the Majors.  The only knock against Ichiro is that he doesn't hit for power.  He recently said he could probably hit 40 homeruns, but that he would probably hit .220 of he made a habit of swinging for the fences.  Ichiro and Jose Reyes showed the world, the importance of the lead off man during this year's All Star Game in San Franciso.  Ichiro made other teams salivate at the possibility of him joining their team via free agency, but the M's have been playing well enough to lock him up for years to come.)

OF.  Jay Buhner/Mike Cameron/Phil Bradley/Raul Ibanez (It will would be very hard to pick one of these guys.  Cammie excelled with the glove, and made a Mariner fan forget or not miss Jr's defense as much.  Bone had the canon for an arm in right field, and the occassional, but inconsistent HR power you look for in a corner outfielder.  Bradley with the ability to drive in runs, for terrible Mariner teams during the 1980's.  My pick, Mike Cameron.  He didn't need to contribute much offense, to bring importance to the team.  He was the slickest outfielder I've ever seen.  He could catch up with any line drive or fly ball.  He would hit 15 to 20 HRs a season, and keep his average around the .260 area.  He was one of those role players you really like.  Will Adam Jones find his way into this group one day?  Will Jose Guillen end up in Mariner colors long term and if so will he continue to produce good numbers?  As for Raul Ibanez is doing a decent job of manning left field and was excellent last season (an RBI machine, team MVP).  He is kind of slumping this season, but I expect he'll snap out it shortly. 

Next time it's all about the pitching staff.  5 SP, 1 CL, and the Righty and Lefty set up men

1B.  Alvin Davis (Mr. Mariner.  The first Mariner I liked as a kid, and the one of the only  players on the team I can remember being good at the time.)  Replaced and rightfully so by Tino, the other great Martinez in Mariner History.  Tino played a lot like Donny Baseball and eventually replaced Mattingly, who retired, and then the Yanks win the series. 

Backup:  John Olerud (Fans like myself were devastated when the team decided to part ways with Ole.  Still the best defensive first baseman I've ever watched, and he also had a really sweet swing.)

2B.  Bret Boone (Did Popeye forearms use performance-enhancing drugs?  Probably.  This guy was the king of the break out year followed by the slump year.  I liked Boonie for his pop, gold glove defense, but mostly for teaching Ichiro some curse words in his first season with the team.  I remember the PA annoucer in Oakland on opening day 1999, called him Burt Boone, and he replied with "You gotta be shitttin' me!"  It was a hilarious moment.

Backup:  Harold Reynolds (A Corvallis legend. He had a real knack for swiping the bases.  I would say he was the best base stealer not named Rickey Henderson or Vince Coleman in the '80s.  He also played excellent defense at 2nd.  He was another player the team cast away as he got too old.  His replacement:  A young Brett Boone, who was later dealt to Cincinnatti.  It was hard not to put Joey Cora in this group, but he didn't really have the numbers.  Boone was overlooked in favor of Cora by the team, regarding the thirty year anniversary.

3B.  Jim Presley  (The "Hound Dog" had seriously lethal power, but unfortunately it was wasted on terrible Mariner teams in the '80s.  He made the All-Star team in 1986, when he averaged career highs in HR (27) and RBIs (107).)

Backup:  Mike Blowers (A local product, who played college ball at theo University o f Washington.  He was one of many contributors on the '95 Mariner team that stunned the world.  He is currently a TV Analyst for the Mariners and created a promotional stunt called the "Rally Fries".  Fans with the most clever sign in the audience are rewarded with garlic fries from Kidd Valley Hamburgers.  Saddly he's probably more famous now, but some of us remember him only as "Blower Power")

C  Dan Wilson (He played for the Mariners from '90 to '05.  He was acquired from the Reds and rejoined manager Lou Piniella with the Mariners.  He was one of the best defensive catchers of all time.  He made the All-Star team in '96, where he had career highs in HR (18) and RBIs (83).  He made so-so pitchers like Joel Piniero and John Halama look like above average pitchers at times.  My brother saw him at a Seahawks game and wanted to give him a hug, but I talked him out of it.)

Backup:  Kenji Johjima (The first Japanese catcher to make it to the Major Leagues. There's no telling how good Kenji Johjima will be.  I think he has made prized prospect Jeff Clement expendable at present time, as the club is in playoff contention for the first time, after 3 losing seasons. He has excellent pop for a catcher.  I could tell after he hit two HRs against the Angels in his first two games that he was going to be an impact player for the Mariners, and so far he's been great.)

SS, Outfield, DH (Edgar Martinez) and pitchers next time. 

Ichiro is this week's big winner.  He wins the All-Star Game MVP trophy, turning in a fine performance going 3-3 with a 2 run inside the park home run.  Later upon arrival in the Emerald City (Seattle) he is deservingly inked to a five year 90 million dollar deal that will probably keep him in Seattle for the rest of his career.  As a Mariner fan, I think this is the best thing that could possibly happen to the Mariners this season other than making a possible post season trip.  The Mariners had a series split with the Detroit Tigers, and JJ Putz got a little revenge on Tiger's skipper Jimmy Leyland by picking up two saves in the series and striking out the side in one.  Justin Verlander proved that he was a chump with a bush league move, as he beaned Ichiro in the knee with a 96 mph fastball rather than face him.  Oh well. 

The other big winner is myself.  I get to go to the opening two games of the Mariners series against the Baltimore Orioles.  One of these games will feature Felix Hernandez making a start, who I'm really excited to see for the first time.  I plan on bringing my little kids mitt (I have tiny hands) with the fake Ryne Sandberg autograph on the palm of it.  Perhaps I can catch the first foul ball in my career, as I will be sitting in the second level on the third base line.

The big loser of the week, besides me in my fantasy football draft, is my Portland Trail Blazers.  The Blazers decided to sign veteran (I guess) point guard Steve Blake much to the dismay of apparently just me.  I'm excited about next season with Brandon Roy and the expected heavy impact of twin towers Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge.  What doesn't excite me is that I have to watch roughly the same rotation of point guards that I had to see a couple of years ago, and instead of Sebastian Telfair we have Sergio Rodriguez and Taurean Green.  The team had a great draft, but the signing of Blake and the likely signing of Travis Outlaw have me crying in my beer.  That being said, I still intend to go to a minimum of 3 games this next season.

I don't have anything to mention about the Seahawks this week, other than I really looking forward to the season and I still miss DJack.  Congrats to Ichiro!  He's the new Mr. Mariner.  I shake my head in disgust, knowing that the Blazers have Steve Blake for 3 years. 

I'm waiting for my team to be drafted.  As long as I get Ichiro, Felix, Pujols, and some other good players, I'll be very pleased. 

My exclude list:

Robinson Cano

Alex Rodriguez

Derek Jeter

Bobby (I used to be a fan) Abreu

Jason Giambi

 

There's defiinitely a theme to this team, and all my fantasy teams.  No Lakers.  No Yankees.  No Cowboys.  No problem.

I get to go to Anaheim tomorrow, which should be fun.  Disneyland, family, and close friends await my arrival.  The part of the trip I'm really looking forward to will be seeing the Angels play the Rangers on Saturday.  I hate both teams equally and wish there was a way for both of them to lose the game so the M's can gain some ground in the West.  I saw the Angels last year, and Vlad Guerrero had 5 RBIs in the game.  He's almost as fun to watch in person as Ichiro, but not quite.

Anyway, it should be a great game and since I can't get to Seattle this summer to see my beloved M's, I guess the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim will have to do.  Ervin Santana is pitching for the Angels.

Prediction:  The Mariners will win the AL West.  Oakland will fade in the second half.  Texas may have Carlos Lee but still lack pitching, and The Angels would have greatly benefitted adding an extra bat to the lineup. 

Acquiring Ben Broussard, show me the Mariners may be serious about contending for the division title.  He brings a .320 AVG, 13 HR, and 46 RBI, to a team that has struggled in the DH department all season.  Everett had to be the scape goat because of his inability to hit left-handers.  All on all, this deal makes sense and I hope they plan on keeping Broussard beyond this season.  Now if they could find a temporary replacement for Jeremy Reed in center, as I see Adam Jones may need more time in the minors to learn the position. 

 

I'm glad to see that Ichiro and Jose Lopez are members of the AL All-Star team.  Ichiro is one of the best hitters in the game, and it's great to see him get voted into the starting line up.  It's even better to see Jose Lopez go from a prospect to an all-star after a couple of seasons of him really struggling offensively.  Boonie was correct in saying Lopez would one day be an all-star caliber player.  Too bad King Felix doesn't have a great win/loss record, because he would be there too.  That would be the icing on the cake but I'm not going to get greedy. 

Other AL All-Stars:  I think it's total bs that Pudge is the A.L's starting catcher.  Joe Mauer and Ramon Hernandez are more deserving, even Victor Martinez.  It's really too bad that fans get to decide who starts, but it's fun to be able to vote for players you like. 

Prediction:  The Mariners will win the AL West but it will come down to the wire, because Oakland has a great team too.  The Sox will win the AL East, and the Evil Empire will fade away into obscurity.  Is that a bad thing?  Would anyone really miss them in October?  The Other Sox will win the AL Central.  It will be a dead heat between the A's and TIgers for the Wildcard, with my money being on the A's.

The Mets will win the NL East (I really can't stand the big market clubs).  The Cards will win the NL Central, as well as the World Series.  It's too hard to predict who will win the NL West, but I'll give it a shot.  The NL West will be won by the Padres.  The NL Wildcard will be the Phillies, but I'm sure no one will agree with me on that one. 

The Mariners are a couple of minor adjustments away from being a really solid baseball team.  If Joel Pineiro and Eddie Guardado can be moved, the sky is the limit for this team.