Mariner Baseball, May 22-May 29

Get out your barf bags people! It Mariners' Baseball!

Well... John Donovan of SI.com quotes Bob Finnagan of the Seattle Times as saying "If this keeps up, the Mariners will have to issue little white bags to fans attending their games."

It's not a real idea, however pratical it sounds. Yes, I'm a devoted M's fan, but that devotion is because of 90% accident of geography, 8% history, and 2% future. That leaves nothing to the present. Oh there are little things to love, such as when Ichiro throws baserunner out from way back in rightfield (Baseball is immune to grammar). But still what's there to love? The best pitchers are either too young or too old, Ichiro, Ibanez and Johjima, all of whom are missing puzzle pieces for contenders look worse the Yankees' utility players, as they being weighed down with the likes of Carl Everett or Adrian Beltre.

Who do we even have those guys? Safeco field is a pitcher's park with its far walls in the outfield, so why do we have these power-whiffing slugs? They're ruining the salt.

Why do I keep following these guys?

After all, I'm deeply in love with the St. Louis Cardinals and Albert Pujols. The Cards are a real team, deep with good pitching, and where starters are followed by relievers who know how to finish the game. It's filled with batters who don't look like tee-ball players who realize that their tee has been replaced live pitching. I would blog every day like the guys at deadspin, raptrously detailing the Red Birds latest attempt at greatness. No one would blame me; I wear my St. Louis hat every day, winners daily, contenders yearly, and I wouldn't have to worry about ineffectiveness of the Manager or the GM.

But still I will persist. There's still that 2% future, that maybe next year they'll great rid of their fat dinosaurs, Jamie Moyer and Felix Hernandez will be able to share their wisdom and youth, and that Mariners would play such great ball, A-rod and Griffey will be left weeping, wondering how they could have gone wrong leaving this team. That and watch Fraiser.

Pitching winners
J. Moyer
J. Washburn

Pitching losers
F. Hernandez
J. Moyer
J. Pineiro
G. Meche
E. Guardado

Batting stats (through the 22nd)
BA: 0.259
K's: 303
BB: 122
RBI: 217
HR's: 42
OBP: .314 (tied at 11th with the K.C. Royals)
SLG.: .392 (last)
OPS.: .706 (12th in the AL)


How did they reach these vaunted, vaulted heights of suckery?
After finishing a good series with the Padres they turned around and split a series with equally-sucky Orioles 8-6, 4-12, 7-4, 0-2. Then they ventured to play the crappy Twins for three game set and were swept, 1-3, 5-9, 3-4. And yesterday they lost to the Texas Rangers 0-2. Joyous. I don't really want to talk about them anymore for today. I've had enough for now, see you next week.

Week of Mariner Baseball, May 16-21

The Mariners got off to a terrible start this week, dropping three straight, 6-12, 2-7, 3-6, to the Oakland A's in Oakland. But they returned to the friendly confines of Safeco field for an interleague matchup with the San Diego Padres of the National League's Western division. They routed the Padres 7-4, 6-3, 10-8. Good news for the M's they defeated a team doing so much better than themselves.

Thsi week they're playing the Baltimore Orioles in a four game set and Minnesota Twins in three game set in the Twin Cities.


Pitching winners
R. Soriano
G. Meche
F. Hernandez


Pitching losers
F. Hernandez
J. Moyer
J. Pineiro

Batting stats (through the 22nd)
BA: 0.264
K's: 254
BB: 108
RBI: 198
HR's: 40
OBP: .319
SLG.: .405
OPS.: .724 (11th in the AL)

The M's pitchers are now pitching 4.59, which is 7th among AL pitching staffs, their lowest position since I've been keeping track of it.
The Mariners are now 3rd in the AL West and three games behind the division l,eading Rangers.

Here's a link to Sports Illustrated's John Donovan's MLB power rankings. Another link to the Oregonian's Brian Meehan and a column he wrote on how the M 's miss Mike Cameron. I was at Safeco field last summer when Cameron (who at the time was with the NY Mets) and he recieved a very warm greeting from the Mariner faithful.

Week of Mariners

Mariners started their week at home against cellar owners Tampa Bay Devil Rays. They won the first two, 6-3, 8-1 but dropped the third 0-1, after Old man Moyer balked with a man on third. Ridiculous.

Then they traveled to the City of Angels (of Anaheim) to play the Angels, which is a mediocre club that should be better than it plays. After the M's threw the first game 7-12, they proved the Angels's mediocrity with wins of 5-4, 9-4. The first victory coming in the thirteenth inning.

Pitching winners
G. Meche (2 wins)
F Hernandez
G Sherrill

Pitching losers
J. Moyer
J. Pineiro

Batting stats.
BA: 0.257
K's: 227
BB: 92
RBI: 158
HR's: 31
OBP: .313
SLG.: .391
OPS.: .704 (11th in the AL)

Mariner pitchers are throwing a collective 4.41 ERA, which is 4th in the AL.

Currently the M's are 3rd in the AL West, and 4 games behind the division leading Rangers.

Another Week of Mariner Baseball

When we last lef t the M's, they were a 2 1/2 gmes out of first in the AL West, and had come off a winning series against the O's. They were heading into a two game series with the woeful Twins.

They split that series: 8-2, 1-5, and then visited the champion ChiSox, and lost both games, 5-6, 1-4. Returning to Seattle they faced the Cleveland Indians, losing the opening and closing games, 4-9, 0-2, and winning the middle game 4-1.

Pitching Winners
J. Pineiro (2 games)

Pitching Losers
J. Washburn (2 games)
J. Woods
F. Hernandez
R. Soriano

Batting Stats through Sunday
BA: 0.254
K's: 194
BB: 84
RBI: 133
HR's: 21
OBP: .314
SLG.: .381
OPS.: .694, 11th in the AL

Mariner's ERA is 6th in the AL at 4.45

M's are 4.5 games out of first place in the AL West.
Ichiro is hitting .277, I think this is an improvement. I don't know.

Week in Mariner Baseball

Their first series of the week came against the World Series champion Chicago White Sox, so the worst could be feared. But good things happened. They won the first game 4-3, and won the third game 5-1, however, they did lose the middle game 3-13.

After this the M's journeyed to Baltimore to face the mediocre Orioles. They dropped the first game 2-5, but took games 2 and 3 by the scores of 8-6, 4-3, respectively. These last two games were the first wins of the season for Felix "Really Young" Hernandez and Jamie "Really Old" Moyer.

Pitching winners:
J. Mateo
J Washburn
F. Hernandez
J. Moyer

Pitching losers:
J. Vazquez
D. Cabrera

Team Batting Stats through Sunday:
BA: 0.219
K's: 159
BB: 72
RBI's:106
HR's: 19
OBP: .315
SLG: .365
OPS: .675

OPS (On Base Per. Plus Slugging per.) is the best stat to measure overall offensive performance, and the M's are 12th in the AL.

Meanwhile the Mariner's pitching staff is 5th in the AL with an ERA of 4.58. Obviously the pitching is playoff caliber, but the batters are still only swingers.

But the good news is they're only 2.5 games behind the AL West leading Rangers. So maybe there is some hope for us.