Circling the Wagons

Anyone who knows about me as a Mariners fan knows I have one player who I particularly hate (along with many others): Scott Spiezio. Not only was it a horribly boneheaded signing from the start, but he had to be one of the worst Mariners in history. I'm serious, look at his numbers his last season here: 3 hits in 47 ab, .064 avg (this coming off an epic .215 10 hr season for us).

Well, it all comes full circle.

The day has come

Appearantly Bill Bavasi loves my reading, and took my threat to stop writing about the M's until Jones was called up seriously, as he made the move the same night! Coincidence? I think not. So of course the big news is that he's finally here. And of course its ruffling some feathers, as Guillen says hes "pissed off" about it. No news there, if you watch Jose, as he seems pissed off about everything. He's doing the good teammate thing and sticking up for his fellow vets, which I have no problem with, but I would like to see him go a little easier on a 22 year old rookie. Maybe help him out a little instead of attacking him. He says he doesn't understand this move right now, which makes no sense, as Adam shoulda been here at least a month ago. We'll see how he can perform with the pressure of a playoff run AND the vets having it out for him.
Now onto what WOULD have been the big news had AJ not been called up. Ben Broussard appears to be in a platoon (FINALLY!) with Sexson. This move has definitly come a month or two too late, as Ben has been one of our better hitters this season. How does he respond? 1-3 with an RBI, as opposed to Richie (who pinch hit for him) going 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and a tapper to the pitcher. Seriously Richie? 3 at bats and the farthest you hit the ball was to the pitchers mound? So much for a power hitter. But to be honest, I feel badly for the guy. He IS trying out there, and hes a local guy, so those boos from his hometown people gotta be hurting him. I understand he deserves the boo's (.197 as a full time player is... well pathetic doesn't even describe it) but he is still on the hook for $15 mil NEXT year, so there is no point in just breaking the poor guys confidence. We'll see how this plays out, but with Ben in we have a productive RBI guy back in the middle of our lineup.
And about that game last night... WOW. Felix almost killed by Broussard, makes one bad pitch really all night (hanging change that Anderson hit for a 2 run bomb) and went 8 innings in our biggest game of the year. That is the Felix we all hope shows up for the years to come. Unfortuanltly it looks like Matthews Jr is back on his HGH. 3 hrs this series, including the game tying 2 run bomb off JJ last night (8-12 with 3 hrs in his career against JJ, he owns him). He should be drug tested immediatly. Willie Bloomquist some heads up baserunning (taking third) and then left hung out to dry by Lopez (who I know is a great bunter, but LET HIM SWING!). I was suprised by the bunt call, especially with Matthews JR playing the role of a 5th infielder. That leaves Garret the gimp Anderson and Vlad to cover the entire expanse of Safeco's outfield. A simple pop fly ends the game, so I don't see why you risk sending Willie there. Oh well that's McLaren for ya. and Yuni, who had some AMAZING plays at SS came through with the game winner, against the 5 man IF again. This had to be one of the craziest games I've ever watched. Both pitchers were under fire all game and that neither got hurt is amazing. Balls were being scorched so much that the defenses were booting and rushing plays. Both teams wanted this and the M's came out on top for once. Gameball goes to the bullpen too, as Green, Sherrill, Morrow, and Eric 'the win vulture' O'Flaherty bent, but didn't break in shutting down the Angels. So much for needing bullpen help, there are 5 guys we could send out there that wouldn't worry me (NOT including Putz, the 5th being Lowe) and honestly I like RRS is the long roll. With Rietsma gone, there isn't a single bullpen pitcher that scares me. How nice of a luxury is that?
Well, Adam is up, the bullpen is settled, and we're 3 games out the West, 1 game out of the wildcard (cleveland won today). Boston comes here (where we have owned them of late) then onto the road to Baltimore and Chicago. This is a good chance for the M's to pick up some games, and I for one am pumped to see how Adam does this second go around. Go M's!

Links (08/07)

Back by popular demand! Links!

• Please just shoot me.
• Finally, someone figured out the point of having sex.
• You think Bush is crazy? Obama says hes going into Pakistan!
• Mike Vick better watch his back...
• Cracked shows us the future of drugs.
• Guess who likes to party? Brady Quinn!
• Must be 18 or Older to click this link...
• Wiki teaches us about marijuana.

On to other news:

• As much as I loved JJ Putz, he took it to a whole new level with this quote: "I heard the Royals wanted Jones for (reliever Octavio) Dotel," closer J.J. Putz said before Tuesday's game. "When you hear something like that, it's just ridiculous." Amen
• Uber Prospect SS Carlos Triunfel went 6/6 the other night. hes now batting at a .340/.366/.402 clip.
• Mariners only deadline deal: Julio Mateo to Philly for 26 yr old AA SS Jesus Merchan. Now Philly has not one but TWO wife beaters in their pen (Myers). Merchan is a hispanic Willie Bloomquist, although only 17 k's in 270 + ab is nice, especially with 23 walks. He walks more then he K's, which is taboo for any mariners hitter it seems.
• Saw not 1 but TWO Mariners wins in person this week. It was nice... Very nice...
• I've put off any Mariners updates until they finally wisen up and insert Adam Jones into the outfield and Ben Broussard anywhere (hopefully 1B). So until then...

Sigh

I could sit here and write a bunch of words on what is ailing the Mariners, what needs to be done, blah blah blah, but it would just be an effort of futility. I won't waste mine or your time writing it because, well its all been said. Seriously, just scroll down, and you'll see everything I wrote in the preceding weeks that HASN'T been done. Oh sure, Bavasi has his scouts everywhere trying to find a deal. Hey heres a thought, send some of those scouts to Tacoma, and they'll come back saying "hey! theres these two good OF and a good lookin young catcher down there... maybe we should work a deal for these guys!" Tacoma could go along with it and "trade" us those good lookin youngsters. Sounds dumb? I say just dumb enough that Bavasi could fall for it. Also, I'm not as mad as I've been because I've finally come to the realization that this is NOT a playoff club, and that we simply over achieved. Now with a few minor moves we could have increased our chances, but hey why would McLaren start Broussard, who in 200 less at bats has 2 more bombs then Vidro, and one less then Raul. He also plays 1b and LF, and wouldn't ya know it? Those are our two weakest areas! and I know, I know, Ben is abysmal in the OF, but then again so is Raul, and at least Ben would be hitting.
My honest outlook now is hoping that this 7 gm losing streak becomes 10 or 15, and pushes us out of the playoffs. That would stop Bavasi from trading away our future, it would allow us to finally give those kids a shot, and it would [Hopefully] mean the heads of Bavasi and McLaren. McLaren is nice enough, but he has no clue whats going on, maddingly refuses to put a lineup out there with a chance to win, and is the worst manager of a bullpen I have ever seen. I never thought I would see the days when I prayed for Hargrove to be back killing our arms. At least he always put the best guy out there. And now, thanks to a post on Lookout Landing, I can find a little peace in watching the Mariners. When Raul strikes out to kill a rally, I'll try laughing instead, because it is kind of funny to know whats going to happen. I'll laugh everytime we face a right hander and I see Ben Broussard chillin on the bench. I'll chuckle to myself everytime McLaren passes on Sean Green to bring in Reitsma in the 8th to get torched. When I see that Wlad or Jones hit ANOTHER bomb in AAA, I can smile because I'll know that they'll probably be traded soon and then will finally get there chance to shine in the Bigs. Welcome to Mariners baseball.
My shirt Idea (tossed it out on the USS Mariner boards to some good response):
Mariners Mantra: If it doesn't make sense, DO IT!
We could even have it be a monthly shirt give away, each one with a different Mariners mistake. Some of my favs would be:

• Scott Spezio
• Rich Aurilla (we could even have Carlos Guillen on there to show how dumb that move was)
• Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek for Heathcliff Slocumb!
• David Ortiz (yes THAT David Ortiz) for Dave Hollins
• Soriano for HoRam! Weaver for 8 mil!

The possibilities are endless, and if anyone has other ideas feel free to leave a comment or email me. Also, to Travis, who asked why Morse is in the AZL, he was doing well in AAA (batting over .300) but ESPN has him listed as *O (out) with NO other information as to why. His last AAA game was June 26, and before that the 15th so there must be an injury somewhere in there. He will never have a place on the Mariners, as he can actually HIT the ball and theres no need for one of those. and he had that whole steroid extravaganza so they want no part of him in the big leagues. Oh, and I think Johnny could do a comparable job to Chris Reitsma, who is just horrible. Now, just like the Sopranos, or our season, whichever you like, I will fade to black....

ED

The Mariners offense reminds me of those Viagra commercials. They have ED, and every once in a while they pop a viagra and go crazy, but otherwise we are limp. Now if we could be like Levitra and have a window where we could choose when to blow up, that would be nice. But sadly this is real life baseball and there is no pill that can help us. (Well there is an experimental pill called AdamJonesavitra that Bill Bavasi is utterly afraid of). When talk of what could help us arises, there a couple schools of thought:

• The Mariners need a right handed power arm to help us get to Putz. FALSE
• The Mariners need to add a Starting Pitcher. FALSE

The bullpen argument is the most laughable. If people weren't so enamored with the radar guns, they would notice that Sean Green is doing a tremendous job. Toss in Sherrill as the lefty option and we are set there. If you need a fireballer, we have Morrow and Reitsma (neither of which I would trust in the 8th inning), and if your worried about using our lefty specialist in the 8th, we still have O'flaherty who has done well. If we are really that worried about our bullpen, we should instead look within the Org. Mark Lowe will be back soon, and if one is worried about the long relief we still have Julio Mateo doing well in AAA. There is absolutely NO need to trade for bullpen help.

Now when I said false to the second school, the one saying we need a starting pitcher, I am not saying that we couldn't use a better starter or two. I am merely saying there is no pitcher available that will improve us THAT much, and to mortgage the future for someone like Dontrelle Willis would be foolish. Now this one could change, and if a better option becomes available for the right price, by all means we should go for it. But I do not want to see us send off some good prospects for some rent a pitcher. Thankfully there has been so little SP available that Bavasi hasn't overpayed for it.

Now what needs to be done is a revamping of our offense, and it is something that theoretically could all come without need for a trade. Raul and Richie are KILLING the team, Richie to the tune of 4-27 (.148) since the break and one rbi in all of July. Raul is a double edged sword as he is murdering us in the lineup (batting third!!) AND in the feild. So what to do? Glad you asked. As I (and everyone else) have been saying for some time, bring up Adam Jones. But thats just beating a dead horse, so a few other things could be done. I love Jason Ellison and his heart, but hes just not cutting it. His job is to play D and run the bases, and he only does one of those well. Bring up Jeremy Reed to be our fourth OF (we know he can play D with the best of em, and honestly I trust his bat more then Ellison's). Broussard should start somewhere (LF, DH, 1B) everyday against righties. This would give us more pop in the lineup, better D and hitting on the bench, as Raul, Vidro, or Sexson would be available off the bench depending on lineups. If we want to get drastic, we could even bring up Wlad to do some DH, which would give us some more power. Most of all though, I just want to see SOMEBODY in the middle of the line-up not named Sexson or Ibanez. The ball is in Bill Bavasi's court, and I don't know bout the rest of you but that worries me....

Updates

Some of the kids we've been talking about in the Mariner's Farm System:

• CF Mike Saunders (A+High Desert): followed up a grand slam Tuesday with another HR last night, his 14th on the year. Over his last 5 games he's batting .421 with 2 doubles, 2 runs, 2 hrs and 8 rbis.
• SS Carlos Triunfel (A+High Desert): Has an 8 game hitting streak, including 6 straight with an rbi.
• CF Charlston Jimerson (AA West Tennessee): went 2-3 with his 17th hr of the season. Currently has a 14 game hitting streak, during which he has batted .404 with 13 r, 5 2b, 4 hr, and 15 rbi.
• RHP Johnny DuRocher (Rookie League): 1.0 ip, 2 h, 0bb, 2k. On the season he's 2-0, 4.20 ERA, 15.0 ip (9 g), 8 r, 7 er, 2 hr, 3 bb, 13 k, opp. avg .224. If you took out one outing in which he gave up 6 er in 1.0 ip, he has allowed 1 run in 8 other outings.
• RF Wlademir Balentien (AAA Tacoma): Batting .373 with 26 r, 4 2b, 3 3b, 9 hr, and 27 rbi (13 multi hit games) since June 15 (If Seattle makes a move Wlad is the most likely candidate to be traded)
• CF Adam Jones (AAA Tacoma): Had the game losing error in the 12th inning last night. Still though is batting a robust .389 with 9 r, 3 2b, 1 3b, 4 hr, and 10 rbi in his last 8 games. Went 5-5 the night before, and the only question remaining is when will he finally get another shot in the Bigs.
• Wife Beater Julio Mateo continues to plug away in AAA. Not sure what the M's are waiting for in regards to recalling him, unless they plan on moving him or releasing him after the season. More info when it comes.
• Clay Bennett reopens talks with Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels about the Teams future in Seattle.

Bad Times

This will be a short one as I'm a little hungover and don't feel like doing any research or finding anything. I do however have one thing that is bothering me to no end. Went to the Mariner's game last night and saw King Felix lose, but worst of all I saw the pathetic excuse for a fans that the Seattle fans are. They are a bunch of yuppies who are just happy to be "out" and to get to watch a "baseball game." They don't care much about the outcome, and only go to games because the team is winning this year. Brian Roberts would be booed in any other city if he had blown a save for that teams closer in the ASG. Fans shouldn't have been happy when Jay Gibbons CRUSHED a Felix pitch for a 3 run bomb and the lead, but who cares about the mariners? he hit that far! Only one dorky kid in the section we were by knew who Adam Jones was, and it just shows that true fans dont get good seats, only people with money do. It disgusts me to be a part of a group of fans like we have here in Seattle. and to make matters worse, when I went to buy a Felix jersey, I found out that jerseys there cost $175!! What the fuck is that about? Who can afford that shit? Not the family that walked in ahead of us, not I, and not the group behind us. I guess those are only for rich Asians or something but thats just insane. Needless to say the only thing that saved my trip to Safeco last night was the large amount of beer I drank and the heckling of Baltimore fans and bullpen coaches. Stupid Snider and Arias... but I digress. Something needs to be done, a large scale intervention with "seattle fans" because its getting out of hand.

Great Link

Saw this great article on J.J. Putz, thought I would pass it along
Also, be on the lookout for the daily Carlos Triunfel update.

Last night (07/16) : High A High Desert: 2-5, R, RBI
~Side Note~ Michael Saunders, who represented the M's in the minor league all-star game, went 3-5 with a double, 2r, 2rbi, and 2 sb (no. 24 and 25 on the year, only 7 CS). Hes a .298/.395/.480 hitter who takes alot of walks but somehow also manages to strike out quite often. Hopefully he can work on his plate discipline as he progresses but he has a bright future. Another one to watch for.

Smoke and Mirrors

So there are basically two camps after HoRam's (Horacio Ramirez) start last night. Those that are impressed, and those that say it was just a lucky game. Final line: 7.0 ip, 5h, 2r, 0bb, 1k, 1 hr, 83 pitches ( 56 strikes) Also, this was his first start coming off the DL after more then a month of inactivity. Now many will claim that he WAS facing the Orioles so this should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't care if this was the rookie team for the O's, 7 innings of 2 run ball with ZERO walks is impressive at any level. HoRam got ahead of hitters and threw a ton of strikes, something that has no correlation to the oppenents. Maybe Markakis - Millar isnt exactly Sheffeild - Ordonez, but he pounded the strike zone and the hr he gave up could have been an out if we didn't have Raul roaming LF. Of course there were a few things HoRam didn't do well, including putting hitters away. He got ahead 0-2 in many counts, and then would nibble at the plate and let the batter back in, but a few times it was the result of the ump calling a tight zone. And as said before it was his first major league start in more then a month so there was some rust to be expected. All in all I see him in the Jamie Moyer mold in that hes a soft tosser who relies on location rather then power. That scares some people, but as Morrow has shown, power doesn't neccasarily mean production. While I would like to see him face a better line-up, I think that if he can exhibit the control he did Monday evening then he should be a valuable lefty in our rotation. and if worse comes to worse, we start him in home games ala Ervin Santana. (Horam, like santana, has MUCH better home splits then away).
Whats being said about ol HoRam? Well USS Mariner says, and I quote, "I’m encouraged that we won a game where we started one of the worst pitchers in baseball." Ouch. The Seattle PI is a little more impressed to say the least. Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times also liked HoRam's outing, and also pointed out an interesting statistic. Seattle has lost FOUR starters to the DL for a month or more (Felix, Weaver, HoRam,Baek), tied for most with the Yankees (although of the yankees four only hughes and pavano would actually be in the rotation, and thats being generous to Pavano). Teams like Cleveland (2), Boston (1), Detroit (1), Angels and Twins (0) that we are competing with have all fared much better. This stat brings up two points:

1. The M's have not only been resilient in dealing with those injuries and still being where we are, but it shows the depth we have at our supposed weakest position.
2. Rick Griffin and his training staff have been doing a wonderful job of not only rehabbing our guys, but getting them back to full strength and sometimes better then before injury (although I will never forgive Griffin for lying to my face about Gil Meche 5-6 years ago)

Now some will say what depth are you talking about in SP? Feierabend was SHELLED unmercifully in a couple starts, and Baek wasn't exactly lighting things up. The fact remains that we still have lost FOUR rotation guys to injury for a month or longer and still are only 2.5 out of the division and 1 back in the wild card. I wouldn't bet on that luck to hold up all season but it's gotten us to the all-star break, and with guys getting healthy and comfortable now we should be in pretty good shape. Add in the inevitable call-up of AJ and I think the M's look set for the stretch run, especially with Green and Sherrill (GS52) as the right-left set up guys for Putz.

*UPDATE*: Just in case something happens to HoRam or any other starter, the M's signed some insurance in the way of Tomo Ohka to a minor league deal. He started last night for AAA Tacoma. His Final Line:

IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA

5.1 13 10 10 2 1 2 9.13

HoRam's start looks even more impressive now...

On another note, HAPPY FELIX DAY! I myself will be in attendance tonight to see him for the first time this season. Of everything we have talked about with the Mariners, from AJ to the bullpen and possible trades for starters, Felix is the key to the playoff run. He is the Staff Ace, and if he pitches like he is capable of down the stretch, the Mariners will be a VERY dangerous team, especially with the ability to pitch him 2-3 times in a 7 game series. Happy Huntin Felix.

Links (07/16)

Crazy Sunday. Some good sports on in the afternoon, and a good game of cards in the evening. And since I'm sure all my faithful readers out there are tired of seeing a bunch of writing, so I'm going to shake things up today and try something new. We'll do a good, bad, and the ugly theme of points. See you on the other side...

THE GOOD:

• The Mariners, fresh off an Ichiro extension, are said to be ready to extend fellow OF Jose Guillen, whom the team has an option for 2008.
• J.J. Putz became the Mariners consecutive saves leader with 28 in row, passing Everyday Eddie (27). Putz is also a perfect 26/26 in save opps on the season, and is becoming a reliable TWO inning closer ala a young Mariano. Very good feeling knowing he's back there in the bullpen.
• Mariners spilt the Detroit series 2-2. A big series as far as seeing whether this team can hang with the big boys, and this was a good start. M's 3 back in the west, two back in the wild card.
• Wasn't sure if this is filed under the good or bad, but Horacio Ramirez comes off the DL to start tonight...
• Bruce Bowen doing what he always does, this time against little kids.
• Presidential candidates finally figure out what gets the voters! Hot women!
• Linsdey Lohan is sober! For real! she just left rehab totally clean! I really mean it this time! she even has an "alcohol detector" on her ankle, which I would really like to know how it works...
• Jeff Green finished off his summer league with 32 and 13, going 10-18 from the field and 10-14 from the line. Durant finished with 28.
• The New Tacoma Narrows is open!
• Wlademir Balentien and Adam Jones both homered again in Tacoma's 10-9 win over Fresno. They now have 21 and 23 on the season respectively.
• The MLS could be coming to Seattle in the near future...

THE BAD:

• America is no longer the tallest country in the world.
• Brandon Morrow couldn't hit the ocean from the beach. The flame throwing youngster who at one time was an important set up man for us, has 35 bb in 34 ip. He's been demoted to a roll in the bullpen where he can pitch in games that don't matter so that he doesn't have to throw strikes. Love his potential, but he needs more work (preferably in the minors where it won't be hurting the M's)
• Ichiro took a 96 mph fastball from Justin Verlander right in the knee. x-rays were negative and hes listed as day to day, although he was limping badly and had to leave the game.
• Art Thiel says Seattle is falling off the sports map.
• Bed bugs are making a comeback in the Pacific Northwest.
• Generally if someone is killed at your house, and you happen to be harvesting large amounts of pot, you MIGHT try and hide some of it...
• As stated earlier, the M's split the Detroit series 2-2. Good for the standings, but the Mariners were thoroughly outclassed according to USS Mariner.

THE UGLY:

• The Seattle Sonics went 0-5 in Summer League, even managing to lose to the Blazers, who were without Greg Oden.
• In 126 minutes of summer league play, Kevin Durant grabbed a whopping 8 rebounds. A lanky three point shooter who doesn't rebound... remind you of anyone?
• Kasey Kahne finished 32nd at Chicago, and it 24th in the standings. This just one year removed from making the Chase and leading all of Nascar with 6 victories.
• US Men's National Team, (USMNT Soccer) couldn't even make it out of the group stages in the Copa America, and the U-20 lost in the quarterfinals of the U-20 World Cup to underdog Austria.
• Kam Mickolio threw 19 balls to only 17 strikes in blowing Ryan Feierabend's first start back in AAA. The M's need just ONE of their young flamethrowers to learn how to throw a strike.
• Chuck got Wasted, Rashid and Jeff got angry, Leo got a little gay, Screech got a Dawgs VHS, Dean got bored, and I lost money in cards. At least we drank a lot of beer...

LINKS:

• Some good info on Wlademir Balentien, and the man who discovered him.
• Beckham 101
• John Edwards has some interesting new policies...
• Free concerts around the Seattle area...

Ichiro

There has been much talk since the all-star game about Ichiro's supposed $100 million dollar contract. Is he worth $20 mil? I said yes, even before the official announcement came out stating that it was worth only $90 mil over five years. Is there really much a difference between $100 and $90 million? Not too much, just $2 million per season, but in the minds of many people it is a huge difference. He no longer is a $20 million per season guy, but rather $18 mil per season. This is a huge coup for the Mariners, as this is not strictly a baseball deal. Ichiro is one of the classiest athletes in the majors, is very respectful and represents the team and community very well on a daily basis. He is a veteran, and other then reports of his disagreements with Mike Hargrove, has never had any issues in the clubhouse. Add in the fact that Ichiro fills the seats at home AND away, sells merchandise, and draws in an inordinate amount of money for the club, and one could see his contract being paid off easily with the money he brings in. As sports these days have become more then just teams, but also businesses, both aspects must be looked at in any deal. This deal makes sense in baseball terms, but even more so on the business side. Let's also not forget that Ichiro will enter Cooperstown with a MARINERS hat on. I think $90 for a future hall of famer and marketable player is a steal, especially seeing that Rashard Lewis could get $126 from the Magic (You can't even believe how happy I am that we didn't give him that. That might be the worst sports contract in history). AND for the naysayers that spout off with things like "Ichiro is a singles hitter, you gave $90mil for a singles hitter!" or "his game is based on speed and he's only gonna get slower", I say you need to watch Ich hit BP. Now I know ANY major leaguer can go deep in BP, but Ich puts on a show. I believe as he gets older and slower he will hit for more power as his role changes from table setter to a more run driving in role. Ichiro keeps himself in world class shape and is the consummate professional, so I see nothing but good coming from this. And c'mon, we got him for ONLY $10 mil more per then Jeff Weaver, and a good $7-8 (could be 11-12 soon) less per then A-Fraud. Money Well Spent.

• In case anyone missed it, Florida Marlins President David Samson went on the Dan Lebatard show and had this to say about Ichiro's new deal:

“I would say its the end of the world as we know it. If Ichiro is worth 20 million a year I am speechless by that contract. I am hoping that report is false. Ichiro who has led his team to nothing, I hope your wrong Dan. It’s unbelievable"

To which Mariner's GM Bill Bavasi said:

“My mother always taught me that if the only thing you have to say is, ‘(Expletive) Dave Samson,’ then don’t say anything at all,” Bavasi said Thursday. “So I’m not going to say anything at all. Is my mother the greatest or what?”

For once our GM showed someone up! Bout time. Also, Memo to Miguel Cabrera. Start looking for real estate somewhere other then Florida because the Marlins are not gonna come CLOSE to giving him the money he wants. I'm guessing that Samson fashions himself to be somewhat of an expert since he has won a world series, but I hardly think building a winner then dismantling it as fast as possible to save money is the way to go, as evidenced by the fact that his teams draws a couple thousand fans and the Mariners draw in the 20-30 thousand range consistently and toss in a few 47,000+ sellouts. The Marlins are happy to feild a minimum wage team and collect the shared baseball revenues, and should keep their mouths shut. as M's GM Chuck Armstrong pointed out, "I can think of about 12 to 15 other contracts that I would qualify as beyond the pale." I would tell Samson to shut his trap, but really does anyone even pay attention to him?

Links (07/13)

LINKS:

• Free-Insider article from ESPN writer Keith Law: Something's brewing in Seattle...
• Further reason why illegal immigrants have NO place in America and don't deserve our money or hospitality....
• Please make sure soon to be mothers know not to drink with a baby....
• IMPORTANT: If you plan on getting drunk around alligators this new study is a must read...
• Wearing cutoffs and being a jackass are just a few things you can do in a bar if your rich, as Mark Cuban shows us...
• Big time marijuana operations have been shut down in Seattle and surrounding areas...
• Proof that alcohol can cure any problems...
• Thanks to Cracked again for compiling a list of the craziest on screen girlfriends...
• Ever want to know how long your going to live? Heres your chance...

Also look for a chat/interview coming soon with Travis M (or Screech to those in the know) coming soon....

Carlos Triunfel

The question everyone has been dying to know: Who IS Carlos Triunfel? He's a 17 year old SS from the Dominican Republic whom the Mariners signed this last year for a reported $1.3 million dollar bonus (other reports say $1.6 mil). Considered a top 5 international signing from last year (Venezualan Catcher Jesus Montero to the yankees is considered the top signing) but really its a crap shoot this early... Also it seems that the Mariners are known throughout the league as being maybe the most aggressive in terms of promoting top batting prospects, and Triunfel is no different. While many of the other signings are still working in rookie league programs, the Mariners already promoted Carlos to Low-A Wisconsin where he hit .309/.342/.388, before moving on to high single A High Desert where he went 4-for-5 in his second start. Doesn't project to be anywhere near the majors soon as Yuni is holding down the fort, but don't rule out a move to third to replace AB towards the end of his contract. Carlos has had some trouble at SS (ala BJ Upton) and with a cannon arm, not to mention his expected growth, he would most likely project as a 3B or corner outfielder. and, as I said, hes a 17 year old kid just out of the Dominican, so there is not a whole lot of info about him yet and its much to quick to judge his future, but be sure to keep an eye on him as he grows.
A side note, it appears as if the Mariners Low-A system is chock full of talent, as discussed here, and here by the USS Mariner.

• Big news for you Mariner's watchers. Dave Sims has the week off so now's your chance to enjoy some good Mariners baseball without having to hear him (although there is some new kid calling the game right now, and he is HORRIBLE... I mean H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E) and it was nice getting to hear Rizzs again on TV. (Re-united with Dave Valle! Combine that with King Felix starting and I haven't been this pumped about an M's game in a while)
• *UPDATE* Apparently Sims is "under the weather"... which could mean he still takes a week or is day to day... lets hope for the former

Foiled

Well it appears I've quickly learned my lesson about posting things that may not be entirely true. (for those of you who don't know I posted a link yesterday and claimed that Adam Jones would be starting in RF today. apparently that report was a little presumptuous, although I would trust the Seattle PI to know more then the TNT but thats neither here nor there). BUT in my defense that move almost couldn't have been true because it would make FAR too much sense for Bavasi to do. He will most likely do it sooner or later but there won't be a better chance then now... Why do we have to have an incompetent GM? It literally makes me scared sometimes because you never know what hes gonna do to the team... The Seahawks front office is one of the best in football, and by all acounts Presti will do great things with the Sonics, so if the Mariners could PLEASE get a real GM I think I would rest easier... Well more will come later including some links and info on someone named Carlos Truinfel (who has been compared to your Lord Jesus Christ in some cirlces). It'll be a little late though I have a few appointments this morning... until then

Down on the Farm

It's time to take a look at what some of the kids down in the Mariners Minor League system have been doing this season, and see if any will be up to help us. First though I must comment on a few Ichiro related news items. Right as the All-Star game started it was reported that Ichiro and the M's have reached an agreement on a 5 year, $100 million dollar extension which would keep him in Seattle until 2012. I for one think this is a great deal, as it will more then pay for itself in the continued money we will receive from the Japanese, and lets not forget he'll still be getting $6 million less a year then Gay-Rod. Secondly this shows the team that the M's are committed to being contenders and now Ich can play the second half without worry of contract issues. (not that it hurt him much the first half with his .359 avg) Some seem to think this has nothing to do with the departure of Mike Hargrove, but I think it has everything to do. Ich and Mike had their differences, and one doesn't find it fishy that with Mike at the helm Ichiro said he would test free agency, and then within a week of him leaving he signs a new deal? Add in the fact that Ichiro and new skipper John McLaren get along well and it seems like Ich is finally happy again. Proof that hes happy? He did win All-Star game MVP last night with the first inside the park homer in ASG history (not to mention the first of his MLB career as he has no regular season inside the parkers). Also, mentioned on the radio was that if a save opp in the game arose then Trevor Hoffman would get the ball for the NL (said La Russa) and in the AL? Leyland said the ball would be handed off to Putz (who gave up 2 runs in the ninth and gave the save opp to K-Rod for the final out) but that just goes to show how good of a pitcher Putz has become. These are the reasons I think the M's have a very good chance of winning the west and making the playoffs, as they are strong up the middle (Kenji, Yuni, Jose, and Ich) and have the Hammer of God at the back end of the bullpen. Now, on to the farm...

BREAKING NEWS: It appears as if the Mariners have been listening, as reports are that when the regular season resumes on the Thursday, none other then Adam Jones will be starting in RF. Guillen will move to left, Raul to DH, and vidro to the bench, with a relief pitcher going down for Adam to come up (my guess is Rowland-Smith). This improves team speed, defense, batting, and bench. Bavasi, you finally get a gold star for something. With this call up there's not much to look at in terms of the minors, so I'll give you a couple of players to watch:

Best of the Rest:

• Wladimir Balentien OF: Batting a healthy .328 in 85 games, with 20 hr, 60 r, 66 rbis, and an otherworldly .993 OPS, oh and toss in 13 SB (3 CS). Will most likely compete in spring training next year for corner outfield spot opposite Ich and Jones (or late season call-up for injury or when rosters expand)
• Jeremy Reed: Yes he's alive, and yes he still plays for the mariners. batting .290 but 8 SB (compared to 7 CS) isn't gonna cut it, and his OPS of .783 isn't exactly inspiring. Only put on here as he has major league experience and great defense so could be in line to get the call up before balentien should a need arise.
• Jeff Clement C: His avg of .274 isn't eye catching, but an OPS of .883 shows that avg should come up a bit, and only 2 errors in 81 games shows he can play some defense. Also has belted 15 hrs so he has some pop in his bat. With the seasons that Kenji and Jamie Burke are having I doubt we'll see him too soon, but he should be our future catcher for some time.
• Mike Morse Util: batting .313 with a .864 OPS, which leads me to ask: why is he sitting in AAA when he could do the same job or better then Vidro? Maybe Bavasi's gold star will get demoted to a Silver one.
• PITCHERS: Justin Lehr (7-1 3.78) represented Tacoma (along with jones) in the AAA all star game. Jorge Campillo has been hard luck (6-5 despite a 3.48 ERA). The rest of the staff has been uninspiring. USS Mariner loves his Kameron Mickolio, but only 14 ip in AAA is not enough to get a read (although 15 K in 14 ip is nice), and don't look now but a familiar face is mowing down AAA batters. Yup, wife beating Julio Mateo has assumed closer duties in Tacoma and is pitching very nicely, 2-1 1.09 ERA, 9 sv, 0.85 WHIP and 20 k compared to just 2 bb in 24.2 innings. He should be called up anytime.
• AA: Only player of note is CF Charlton Jimerson. batting only .267, he does have an OPS of .878, but most notable is his 16 hrs, 50 rbis, and 25 sb (to 4 CS). Tuiasosopo isn't doing much batting .272 with not much else peripherals other then 14 errors.

State of the Mariners

It's the All-Star break, which also serves as the unofficial halfway point to the season (despite not truly being halfway) as it is I'll take this break in action to offer my State of the Mariners. Of course we must first say congratulations to Ichiro and J.J. Putz who will be representing the M's in the mid-summer classic, and both are very deserving. Also there will be some points that are either borrowed from or mirrored by other Mariners writers, such as the USS Mariner and Geoff Baker's Seattle Times blog.

First off the tale of the tape:*

• Record: 49-36 (.576) 27-15 at home, 22-21 on the road, 2.5 out of the AL West (LA Angels) and 1.5 out of the Wild Card (Cleveland Indians). Their 49-36 record is good for 5th best in the AL, but interestingly enough would be the best record in the NL (SD is 49-38 and Mil is 49-39)
• Stats:

{BATTING} (Team)

• 8th in runs scored(424), 9th in runs allowed(407), 10th in home runs (78), 3rd best average (.283), 6th in On Base Percentage (.337), least amount of Strike Outs with 417 (2nd is Min: 447), dead LAST in walks 219 (2nd is LA with 254), 10th in Stolen Bases, Tied 2nd in caught stealing with 15 (lowest total times caught)

{PITCHING}

• 10th in ERA (4.47), T2nd in Complete Games (4), T1st in Shut Outs (8), 11th in Opponents Batting Average (.274), Tied for least stolen bases allowed (33), 9th in runners caught stealing (16), 4th in Errors (least) 51

* - Rankings are against American League only (14 teams)

Some of these stats are pretty surprising to me, the most glaring being the amount of team strikeouts. To not only lead the league, but by a healthy margin (30) from a team that currently bats Richie Sexson (avg 157 k/p season) and Adrian Beltre (avg 103 k/p season) somewhere in the middle of the lineup is somewhat of a feat. But that also helps explain the high team batting average, as the team is striking out less and thus putting the ball in play and increasing ones chances of reaching base. While I don't see that trend ending any time soon with good contact players such as Ichiro, Kenji, and Yuni Betancourt, I'm worried about the fact that the Mariners are dead last in bases on balls by a rather wide margin. It is odd that the team with the "best eye" would also be the team with the "worst eye." If the team is not taking bases that means that

1. They are not making the opposing pitch throw pitches thus allowing them to go farther into games
2. They are not getting onto base as often for all those balls being put into play
3. Sooner or later the low amount of walks will lead to an increase in strikeouts and thus a drop in average

Sexson leads the team with 34, which is good for 63rd in the majors. Ichiro has 31 but for walks are not as much a factor for him as he gets on base plenty anyways. Worrisome to me is the fact that Yuni has 11 bb, Jose Lopes 15, and Kenji just 9 on the season. They all are batting for avg (.271, .284, and .292 respectively), but eventually some of those balls hit are going to become outs, and the amount of walks will become even more magnified. Yuni is the only one of the three fast enough to leg out infeild hits like Ich, but he has the lowest OBP of the three (.297). Hopefully John McLaren can preach some better plate discipline to the team. More walks would also help the mariners on the basepaths, where new Manager McLaren has promised to be more aggressive and running more. Already Jose Guillen responded with 2 sb (1 cs) in the Oakland series (although I think I might even be able to steal a base off Jason Kendall). This approach should suit the M's perfectly, as while they lack good speed outside of Ich and Yuni (and to some extent Adrian) they make alot of contact and with runners moving this could lead to extra bases being taken and (hopefully) more runs (although I think the Mariners should be much more aggressive on the basepaths, as runners whom I thought had a good chance to score were held up at third).

As for the pitching, this is where we encounter the teams biggest strength and biggest weakness. The bullpen has been amazing this season, With JJ slamming the door in the ninth (24/24 on save opps, 0.88 ERA and a microscopic 0.59 WHIP). Of course the gentlemen getting the ball to JJ from the time our starters leave (which is usually quite some time) have been almost as amazing. Our lefties have been lights out lead by George Sherrill (1.29, 0.64) and Eric O'Flaherty (2.08, 0.96), and the righties haven't been too shabby either, as Sean Green has pitched well (2.53, 1.59) and Brendan Morrow has shown he has dominant stuff (although 33 bb in 32.0 ip is not good). Now the only problem is the guys getting the game to the bullpen. The starters have been horribly inconsistent, showing up at times and disappearing at others. Washburn has been the steadiest, going 8-6 with a 3.72 ERA. This is the major weak link of the team, and even a modest improvement from the rotation would be a huge boost to this team. The defense behind them has been good, as we've committed the fourth lowest amount of errors. The two main culprits have been Yuni (19!) and Beltre (9). AB is about where he was last year when he committed 15 total, but Yuni is WELL ahead of his pace from last year, when he committed 20 total on the year. It is not his glove that is betraying him, but rather his throws, which he has been losing control of. He seems at times to rush his throws which makes them off target, but I think more then a few have been from him trying to show off. While I love the way he plays the game, errors like those can be killer in a pennant race. I expect him to be much better in the 2nd half and especially when hes healthy.

Now, what to do with this team? Being as we are contenders, we will be buyers in the trade market instead of sellers. But what to buy, and how much do we pay? While there are a few holes on this team, I think that most if not all could be addressed in house. First order of business is to bring up Adam Jones and start him immediately in Left Field. This would allow us to move Raul to the DH, and relegate Vidro to a pinch hitter. I see no way at all how this wouldn't be an upgrade, as jones would improve the LF defense markedly, and Jones Ibanez is a better batting combo then ibanez vidro in my eyes. Jones offers more power then vidro and much more speed, something the M's are lacking a bit. Also, Vidro being a veteran hitter would probably give him a better chance of being a good pinch hitter then someone like jones who would be better off starting then trying to come in and hit in a pressure spot. Our bench would improve with this move also, as we would have two hitters off the pine (Vidro and Broussard [who I would put at DH over Vidro if Jones is NOT called up]) and two speed/defense players in Willie and Jason Ellison (who is the man for going 4/4 against then punking Joe Blanton), not to mention The Man Jamie Burke. Next move I believe we should make is to send down Morrow for Mark Lowe (of course when he has built up his arm strength again). This would allow Morrow to get some time in the minors where he could work on a breaking ball and gaining better command of fastball. This would also allow us the option to add a power arm to our bullpen for a pennant run after the trade deadline has passed. As for the starters, there is not much I think we should do other then to let our rotation get fully healthy and work out some kinks. Weaver has been much better of late, and Batista should continue to improve as he gets more comfortable. Also, there is not much starting pitching available through trade, and I do not want to mortgage the future for a rent a pitcher (NO Matt Morris).

My Line-up for the 2nd half:

1. Ichiro CF
2. Lopez 2b
3. Ibanez DH
4. Sexson 1B
5. Jojima C
6. Beltre 3b
7. Guillen RF
8. Jones LF
9. Betancourt SS

Bench: Vidro, Willie, Broussard (platoon DH, LF, 1B) Burke, Ellison (may have to be sent down/waived to make room for Jones)

Other:

• Reader Travis M. asked me not to be so bitter about Rashard. In response, yes it came out bitter but i believe we have every right to be. The organization took such good care of him and the fans always backed him (including me who bought his F**king jersey), despite the fact that he was content to launch 3's and not rebound despite being 6'10. I also don't agree with your assertation that we are better off without him. I agree that we are better off not paying him that much money as he is not that type of player, but no team will ever be better off without a 6'10 swing forward who puts up 20+ a night and is a great 3 point shooter, not to mention still in his 20's. I just feel that he left us high and dry after everything we have done for him. and I still have to find a good use for his jersey, and I'm open to suggestions.
• Reader Rene G. has asked for more non-seattle sports topics. With the NBA and NFL not in season yet, and only the Mariners to watch right now it will be a mostly seattle sports theme for the time being. There will be a piece on US Mens Soccer coming up (I know you all are pumped for that). And sorry, but I didn't watch the worst Finals in years this season so I can't provide much insight on that.
• TOMMOROW: Down on the Farm: A look at the kids in the Mariners Minor League organizations

Links (07/09)

Wow kids its been a long time since I last posted but fear not faithful readers I have returned from an epic camping trip to give ya some links. First off though a few issues to address...

1. Rashard Lewis is a punk. We took him from the "green" room at the draft when he was crying like a bitch, we gave a chance to grow and become a star, we signed him to a fatty extension, and in the end what does he do? Turns his back on the organization that gave him his chance and treated him incredibly well. Earlier he had said if he did leave he would want a sign and trade so the sonics weren't left empty handed... and then he signs straight up with the magic. I am tired of professional athletes lying to the fan bases who have supported them. Guess the only use i have now for my rashard sonics jersey is an old dirty rag....
2. Did I miss a memo that the Sonics were affiliated with the Spurs? First we take their Ass. GM and now we hire their ass. Coach? I think PJ is gonna do a great job and i have the utmost faith in Presti, but I hope that they don't try to do things the "spurs way" but rather run the Sonics the Seattle way (wait, is that a good thing?)
3. M's are on fire, 2 1/2 games out in the west, 1 1/2 out in the wild card at the all star break. A new manager is in place and someone thankfully performed an exorcism on Jeff Weaver who has been fantastic lately.
4. Joe Blanton is a pussy ass bitch

Links:

• We bid a fond farewell to a great ESPN anchor and radio host...
• If you wanted to get your hands on a PS3, it wont cost you as much...
• A woman in Houston is not happy with the stage name a pornstar for vivid is using...
• Further proof that Clay Aiken is a bitch...
• Cracked took one of Screech's old League polls (Pierce County Alcoholics) and went in depth with it...
• This ones for Jon, who loves his Borat clips...
• This kid is having trouble gettin into a Catholic school due to his sweet ass name...
• This guy either watched too many cartoons or is an absolute genious...
• What was ok for us as kids is apparently becoming a problem for todays youths...
• Thank god we got this dude to rid the world of hobos...

Hargrove Update

Just watched the press conference, couple more notes:

• Jon McLaren, the bench coach, will resume managerial duties for the rest of the season
• As reader Jon T. pointed out, he just looked beat... The job and other things were obviously waying down on him...
• Bavasi and his big dome (sweet tie too) was there, and he said: "While we're not happy to see him leave, We're happy for him." umm, great work there Bill
• Todays game at home to the Toronto Blue Jays(1:05 pm PT) will be the last game for Mike, and as he said in the press conf. "I cannot see myself managing again, this will be my last job." If so, we wish you well Mike
• Mike had a career 191-210 record with the Mariners, which I will give him more credit then I have for doing well enough with such a young team.

We shall see what Jon McLaren will bring to the team, and now the Bavasi watch is on...

Hargrove Resigns!

In some shocking news today, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove will reportedly step down from his job today. The Mariners are 44-33, and on a 7 game winning streak which makes his timing quite suprising. Not to say I'm too sad, as I have never been a big fan. My hopes were that GM Bill Bavasi would be the first to go, and Mike would follow him out the door. I have no idea what this means to Bavasi's job security, or who a new manager would be (Joe Girardi anyone?). I have been saying for some time that I would like to see Hargrove go, for a couple of reasons:

1. I'm sick of him making All-Star 2b Jose Lopez bunt all the damn time...
2. He cannot set a line-up and stick with it, changing them almost daily...
3. His biggest offense to me is his blatant disregard for his bullpen, just tearing up young arm after young arm (thankfully one of his victims Mark Lowe will be back soon)
4. His mismanagement of games, making odd or wrong pinch hitting/running choices...

All in all he wasnt a bad manager, but when your manager is often being out managed AND hes killing the young arms on the team its never a good thing. I'll be watching the press conference in about 10 minutes (11:40 PT) to see what the "exact" reasons are for his departure.

Quick Links:

• Black people found a Leprachaun in Mobile, Alabama!
• Thankfully we got guys like this to protect us from vampires...
• Learn the newest, hippest dance around...

Links of the day (6/30)

Links for the day: (some old, some new)

• Now it all makes sense. Instead of building a good team, Isiah had a better way to win basketball games...
• In case you haven't yet seen it, check out OJ Mayo's final high school play...
• Joey Gathright hasn't proved much in the Majors yet, but as this video teaches us, hes the man...
• Gilbert Arenas shows us the difference between a player of his caliber, and someone like Deshawn Stevenson...
• If theres a sudden increase in people moving to New Mexico, this could be why...
• It might be time to pull the plug on this amusement park ride...
• Whats wrong with a place having vermin, foul odors, and a little E Coli, when the food is good?
• Brandon Kelley takes on the toughest of issues: Gays and their energy...
• OMG! The Iphone is here! See me with mine in about 3 years when i can afford it...
• For all those that don't believe the Sonics want to re-sign Rashard, read on...
• What to do when you have a rude drive thru worker? Just do what this guy did, Punch her in the face...
• So this is why old people are so popular in Colombia...
• If you ever thought it was cool to have super human powers, Cracked warns you to the downfalls...

Oh and as of right now the Mariners are 10 games over .500, 5 back in the west and only 2 behind in the wild card...

Yi of little faith

Back again already due to high demand for more of my insight (at least that's what I tell myself) as it pertains to this years draft. some thoughts about the whole draft (not just about Seattle's)

• Who the fuck is Yi Jianlin? His reps had a list of "acceptable" cities that could draft Yi, mainly those with large asian populations. Milwaukee was NOT one of those cities, and wouldn't ya know it? They drafted him. Of course this could cause WWIII between the US and China, and most likely he will be traded (to GS, who badly wanted him, is a city he wants to play in, and made a trade [Jason richardson for Brandan Wright] that could lead to the move). But if he ends up playing for someone other then the Bucks, it will be a shame. The draft isn't about where a prospect wants to go, its about which team drafts the rights to sign him. We have already seen this in the NFL, when Eli made a mockery of it (who looks like an idiot now?). Yi needs to shut the fuck up, play basketball, and be happy that hes in America making millions instead of in communist China. (Would you be happy making millions to play some basketball for the Bucks? I sure would)
• Joakim Noah, who in the hell was dressing you? Or for that matter who the hell made that suit? and who the hell let him go to the draft like that? Usually there are more then a few crazy lookin suits, but this draft everyone was lookin pretty clean... I guess Joakim made up for it all by himself. Still can't believe that suit...
• Kudos to Portland, who not only rebuilt its team and image in one draft, but provided a first for a draft (at least that I have seen). Billionaire owner Paul Allen straight up bought the Sun's #24 pick, ESPN sayin it went for around 3 mil. Can anyone picture Paul sittin there and learning that he could just buy picks, and getting angy that no one told him this before? I mean 3 mil? He probably had that sittin in his pocket. If this becomes the new trend, I may one day have to see about buying a second round pick and getting someone for my pickup hoops squad...
• Boston... not even gonna go there. I do however need to say Thank You to Danny Ainge...
• The draft panel wasn't too bad, you know what your getting from Bilas (loves every college kid), from Stephen A (lots of yelling and hates any pick that HE didnt predict) and Marc Jackson (underratedly good). But Mike Tirico... Go somewhere with yourself
• Congrats to the spurs for pickin up more internationals that wont be in the nba for a few years
• Weirdest part of my draft night: My two favorite players in the Draft, Al Horford and Acie Law IV were BOTH selected by the worst GM ever, Billy Knight of the Hawks. For once I think the Hawks did a great job and got two really talented players. Look for my Acie Law Hawks jersey soon...
• Props to Rodney Stuckey from Eastern Washington, going to Detroit at #15, and to Marcus Williams who joins the defending Champion Spurs...
• I liked the Mavs pick of Nick Fazekas, as now Dirk has somebody to party with...
• One of my big draft winners was the Chicago Bulls. Noah at the 9 gives them flexibility to do something with Ben and bolsters their front line, along with second round picks Aaron Gray outta Pitt (how does a college proven 7 footer from a good conf. fall that far? is he really that much worse then Spencer Hawes?) and JamesOn Curry, who is tremendously talented when hes not busy selling weed in the bathroom to undercover cops.
• How does a First Team All American fall until the second to last pick in the first round? Alando Tucker to the Suns is a huge coup for them. and if anyone wonders how all these teams at the back end of the draft (playoff teams) stay so good, and why crappy teams at the top stay there, it's because those teams in the playoffs are better run with intelligent people in their front office. Tucker is the next Josh Howard (wilson chandler went to NY before tucker was taken, proving why Isiah is in lottery hell and the Suns were a few games from the Western Conf. Finals)
• As always, the Sports Guy's NBA Draft running diary is a must read.

2007 NBA Draft

Welcome to my new (and probably ill-fated) blog. It's my turn to act like I know more then others...
First things first, Welcome Kevin Durant. (and Jeff Green) In one draft the Sonics have comepletely rebuilt the team (and some would say made it easier to move, more on that in a few). The team is now younger, more athletic, and better defending. The three point shooting and points lost with Ray Allen will be replaced by Wally and Kevin (three pointers and scoring), not to mention the much improved defense added by Green and Delonte West. Factor in the money saved from trading Ray, which helps in the re-signing of Rashard. When Wally's contract expires in two years, that will only free up more money for a team who will be looking to add hopefully one last piece for a championship run. Another factor I like about this team is all of the front court scoring we have. Lewis, Green, Durant, Wilcox, and even Nick Collison can all get points inside, which takes some pressure off our guards. All in all I was very impressed with the moves and draft picks made by our front office, and I fully trust young Sam Presti and the rest of his front office to run this team correctly.

Also There has been alot said about the Seattle Sonics packing up and leaving town, since That Dousche Bag Who Owns Starbucks sold The Sonics (for a hefty profit) to Oklahoma City Businessman Clay Bennett. While Bennett has said he will look into moving the Sonics to somewhere like Kansas City or Oklahoma City, I believe he is blowing smoke. His threat of an October deadline to agree to build a new arena is just a weak attempt at forcing the Washington State Legislature to be called to a Special Session (the only one who can call it is Chris Gregoire) which wont happen. Reasons he wont leave?

1. Has a lease with Key Arena through 2010 which would be VERY expensive to get out of
2. Seattle is the 13th rated market, whereas KC and OkC are somwhere like 32nd and 41st
3. He would have to get approval from the city in question to either build a new stadium or move into an existing one (which wouldnt be any different really then Key Arena so why pay so much to leave something for the same thing?)
4. He would have to get approval from the NBA and its boards to move, and they do not want the team to move

In the end, he would have to pay way too much money to move to another city where he would not make as much as he would here in Seattle. More likely, Seattle will agree to a newer stadium down the road when the lease is nearly up in 2010.

Links:

• David Stern's thoughts on the Sonics and the first mentions of the Indian proposal
• Greg Johns offers insight into a possible new home for the Sonics, provided by none other then a local Indian tribe.
• A former Sonics Coach pops up again in the NBA, as the Maverick's newest assistant coach.
• British authorities find and disarm a car bomb in London, and another possible carbomb is being investigated in an apparent attack by Islamic extremists.
• And people say that we spread propoganda here in America?
• Ever wonder who were the greatest movie basketball players? Thankfully Cracked answered this question for us.
• They also tell us what we were supposed to learn from the best 80's cartoons.