August 2015
The Logo catches a break
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/15
Posted to blog
13 Comments
.
Dr. D wasn't even clear about what an "International Bonus Slot" was, much less that it is a fungible commodity that can be swapped for baseball players ... Baseball America says,
.
The main number that matters for a team is its total signing bonus pool, which it is free to spend however it wants, with penalties in place for going over. Major League Baseball arrives at the bonus pools by giving each team a $700,000 base along with four “slot values,” which are tiered from No. 1 ($3,300,900) through No. 120 ($137,600).
.
So the Cubs give the Mariners a draft pick, as it were. We're not told... Read More
Posted by Cat5 on 08/31/15
The Seattle Storm came back from a 14-point deficit to beat the Washington D.C. Mystics 69-59 in front of 5,000+ fans on August 30th.
The game didn’t start out very promising, as the Mystics took an early 22-13 lead going into the second quarter. This was partially because they were beating the Storm at rebounding 13-6, many of those rebounds coming at the offensive end and earning the Mystics 4 second chance points. Throughout the first half, all the foul calls seemed to be going against the Storm (11-3 against the Storm in fouls called at 6:32 in the second quarter). Seattle looked slow... Read More
Dr. D isn't Bas Rutten; he just plays one on the interwebs
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/15
Posted to blog
2 Comments
ROBERT GRIFFIN III
Very seldom that Dr. D slows down to rubberneck something gruesome on the side of the road. But these QB kids who bowed in all four directions to the Subway Eat Fresh crowd, when they were yet rookies -- while Luck and Wilson were in the film room -- well, sometimes it's satisfying to see justice upheld.
Maybe that's a bit much. Of course, that's why you come to Seattle Sports Insider, to see rageous ideas stated outrageously. As y'know, we live to serve
.
EDGAR OLMOS
All in the world this guy has is: a grin-inducing two plane hammer, an easy 94 MPH from the left side,... Read More
... is not you, Taijuan, at least not yet
Posted by jemanji on 08/31/15
Posted to blog
.
... the #1 is Clayton Kershaw. Which he's been for a remarkable period of time. Interestingly, Zach Greinke is a clear #2; I hadn't noticed that he's 14-3, 1.61, on top of his previous body of work, of course. Dr. D knows jack about the National League, but he has heard that 1-2 starters are big in Dodger lore. DaddyO can help us out here.
SSI thoroughly enjoys the starting pitcher rankings at BJOL. Bill worked hard to lay out both sides of the rectangle, the height of "how vicious has this guy been just now" across the width of "how sustainable has his goodness been and for how long... Read More
of Rationality, Wingnuts and other RW's of the day
Posted by jemanji on 08/30/15
Posted to blog
1 Comments
.
Foreword: how worried is Dr. D about Wilson's (very) poor performance against the Chargers?
1. As a general principle, the sabermetrician is more concerned with Clayton Kershaw's last three years of K's and BB's than he is in two spring training games.
2. In this specific case, our Man On the Scene would be Pete Carroll. This man is delighted with Wilson's situation as we speak.
PS to Foreword: Dr. D never did mistake Russell Wilson for Joe Namath. (Or even for Philip Rivers.) The knock on Wilson/Carroll has always been the number of yards that they throw for. They're efficient, the... Read More
Lockett, Hauschka, Ryan & Co. should make up for slow-starting offense
Posted by ChrisCluff on 08/30/15
Posted to blog
The Seahawks' offense clearly is going to struggle early in the season as it develops its reworked offensive line, but fortunately football is a three-part game -- and the Hawks have the two other elements well covered.
This year, they might have the best special teams they have had under Pete Carroll and special-teams coach Brian Schneider.
On Saturday in San Diego, special teams accounted for all of the points in Seattle's 16-15 win as Tyler Lockett returned a punt 67 yards for a touchdown and Steven Hauschka nailed a 60-yard field goal with 16 seconds left.
Hauschka also hit two other... Read More
Posted by Cat5 on 08/29/15
The Seattle Storm beat the San Antonio Silver Stars in a decisive 83-69 victory Friday night.
Although the beginning of the first quarter saw the two teams neck and neck, the Storm finished the quarter 25-16 with a 12-2 run behind 10 points (4/4) from Sue Bird. The Storm maintained about a 10 point lead throughout the rest of the game.
The Storm outrebounded the Stars 37-27, although that's probably because San Antonio didn't have a lot of boards to clean up (comparatively) as they were outshot by the Storm 46.8% to 38.5%. It seemed like there were a lot of fouls called for not a lot of... Read More
avalanche pending
Posted by jemanji on 08/29/15
Posted to blog
1 Comments
.
Q. What's the bottom line?
A. He's healthy, and he's learning. He's already effective, and he's got Astronomical Units' worth of upside left to him.
On March 31, 2015, we all thought the M's would win 95 games* if Nelson Cruz slugged .550. But all of us, no matter how optimistic, thought it unlikely that Taijuan would string 26 consecutive starts and be going stronger at the end than at the beginning. So, the bottom line is, the M's have a healthy young star-quality SP who is gathering momentum like a freight train.
His arm is a bit more to the side and his shoulder looks less pinchy... Read More
A new day's breakk-innnn'... it's been so lonnnnggg since I felt this wayyy
Posted by jemanji on 08/29/15
Posted to blog
5 Comments
.
I was shocked during the game last night. Lloyd McClendon looked like a different man. Miles happier and more relaxed. The "about to retch or cry" facial expression was gone and in its place was content, relaxed assessment.
Could have had something to do with it, that Mather called McClendon "fine" for next year --- > and that could be right. Could be much more than just an admirable propping up of a beleaguered coach. When Gillick came in, he inherited Piniella and had nothing to say about it. The precedent is important because that situation, and this, both include Howard Lincoln... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 08/28/15
Posted to blog
18 Comments
.
Q. So Dr. D won't back off his opinion that Ketel Marte is good for 7 WAR per season?
A. Dr. D has said that --- > as non-prospects go, Ketel Marte turned out to be a whale of a tough 21-year-old out. That's all he said. Drive home safely.
Slap me silly. Ketel Marte is a point of interest, in a non-interesting August. Nobody is selling Marte as an All-Star. SSI has not wheeled out the Best Bet sticker. What do I have to do, write it in blood?! ... wait ...
.
Q. Is it reasonable to cap Marte's ceiling at "backup"?
A. No, it is reasonable to install his floor there.
At age 21,... Read More
It's really quite simple once you see it
Posted by jemanji on 08/28/15
Posted to blog
.
OK, something really weird happened. And by "weird" we mean, like, why did it take 5 days to get water to the SuperDome, or why would Hillary compare June Cleaver to Al-Qaeda, or even worse, why would Lloyd McClendon be manager today instead of The Edgar.
... When something really weird happens, the tinfoil hats find it easy to state a Unified Theory of Everything. The people got no help during Katrina because G.W. Bush doesn't like poor people. Hillary compares June to Osama because she's a reptilian alien. And Lloyd is still here because we're really into viewing that good old "just... Read More
We're not sure exactly where we went wrong, but ...
Posted by jemanji on 08/28/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
.
Two real-life anecdotes, and then some source material. Then, the happy ending. Relax your shoulders and jaw. Baseball is for fun. We insist :- )
......
Roenis Elias wound up and fired the first pitch at 10:41 PM last night, DVR time. Dr. D's shoulders and jaw clenched. That can't be. ... Elias wound up and threw again. Same thing: he both fell off toward third base, and didn't finish the pitch, and had the body language of a guy who had just fought with his wife for two hours. About what happened to the money that was here the other day.
Elias didn't fall off the mound like Bob... Read More
You Want Me To Spot You HOW MANY Games?
Posted by DaddyO on 08/28/15
4 Comments
(this post was too big for shout, so I made it an article instead)
* * *
This morning I noticed perhaps the saddest statistic of this sad season for the M's.
After all, one might convince oneself that the M's are better than what they've shown, that a big factor in their frustrations has been bad luck. BABIP, batted ball velocity, all sorts of stuff might be marshaled to do the convincing.
And then you run into THIS simple fact. The Seattle Mariners are plus five to Pythagorean win expectancy. Let me say that again in case you missed it. Your Seattle Mariners are PLUS FIVE to Pythag. In... Read More
If you thought the offseason drama would end once the football started, we have a magic healing potion to sell you
Posted by ChrisCluff on 08/27/15
Posted to blog
3 Comments
The Seahawks are already in midseason form, clearly poised for another Super Bowl run.
How do we know? Because they're once again making more news off the field than on.
If you thought the offseason drama would end once the football started, we have a magic healing potion to sell you. Oh wait, that's Russell Wilson.
The Seahawks will never be on a training camp documentary -- they'll confine their hard knocks to the field, even if Kam Chancellor is not there -- but who needs a TV show when "Hard Hawks" is playing all across social media?
It's not really anything new for Pete Carroll's crew... Read More
I'll Take It
Posted by DaddyO on 08/26/15
2 Comments
As of about two weeks ago I dropped the habit of watching all or most all M's games. I mean, at all.
By mid-July once it became clear that this team was not going to go on the tear-that-was-expected-for-three-months-but-never-materialized, I was already in the mode of doing something else while having the game on in case it got fun or interesting. Now I only tune in briefly and then only if there's literally nothing else to do.
This phenomenon of utter and nearly complete disinterest is somewhat new for me and born of this year's evidence of the final failure of the Zduriencik regime, along... Read More
"One player you will no longer see this season is Byron Maxwell."
Posted by hawksinsider on 08/26/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
Since the pass heard round the world that fell into the hands of the Patriots and thwarted back to back championships for Seattle, luck has avoided the Hawks and their secondary. Following the game the news would soon surface that several of the feared legion of boom may be lost in free agency or suffered significant injuries. Much of this got lost in the confusion of the outcry that came when Beast mode did not get the ball just feet away from a TD, and Seahawks Superbowl victory.
First and foremost, you can not talk legion of boom without talking about the teams number one corner Richard... Read More
"Clearly Brady was bribing the man to deflate these balls for his personal gain, yet..."
Posted by hawksinsider on 08/26/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
Boy how I wish D'quell Jackson never intercepted Tom Brady in the AFC championship game. After dropping back in coverage he was able to jump a Tom Brady pass and intercept the ball for the Colts. Not much else happened positively from there for Indy, as the team lost 45-7 that day, but because that interception deflategate was born. This left me, and all NFL fans, the burden of the past 6 months hearing about psi levels in football.
You see, that interception Jackson made left him wondering why the ball felt so different. He then alerted officials who rechecked the footballs to find the had... Read More
"It was a really good first showing by the fellas"
Posted by ChrisCluff on 08/25/15
Posted to blog
Depending on how you look at it, the Seahawks either almost have their offensive line figured out or they're about to shake it up again.
Pete Carroll and Tom Cable were fairly pleased with the performance of the line in Kansas City after they made a couple of big changes last week, but the Hawks continue to look for veteran help because they have so many young linemen who are not yet ready.
On Monday, Carroll and Cable said they will stay with the five who started in Kansas City -- Russell Okung, Justin Britt, Drew Nowak, J.R. Sweezy, Garry Gilliam -- and see whether they can build on... Read More
Posted by Cat5 on 08/22/15
Once again, the Seattle Storm have shown that shooting 68% in the first half doesn't win you the game if you only score 9 points in the third quarter.
The game began with both teams staying relatively close in score. Alysha Clark made some fabulous moves in the post and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis hit a couple jumpers in the first quarter to keep the Fever's lead down to 3 going into the second quarter, while on the other end, Shenise Johnson scored 9 points for Indiana before being benched with 2:18 to go with two personal fouls. The second quarter saw the Storm actually pull ahead behind even... Read More
Fav One-Hit Wonders from my life, Vol. 2, 1965-69
Posted by DaddyO on 08/21/15
22 Comments
This is the second installment of a series, you can find the first post here: http://seattlesportsinsider.com/blogs/will-one-ders-never-cease
If you want to read about the intent and content of the series, they are explained in that initial post.
The second half of the sixties, though fed by the seeds of the first half, we far, far different as these one-hit wonder songs will attest.
This offering is much, much longer. By all means, let's proceed right to it.
* * *
1965
The Boy From New York City, The Ad Libs
Catchy.
Cast Your Fate To The Wind, Sounds Orchestral
The decade saw several... Read More
Fav One-Hit Wonders from my life, Vol. 1, 1960-64
Posted by DaddyO on 08/21/15
7 Comments
The following non-sports guest post is offered purely for your entertainment.
In the years 1960-64 I was between the ages of five and ten. I really didn't start regularly listening to music on my transistor radio until I was ten, but songs from these years were still played a lot as 1965 dawned, so my first-hand recollections of one-hit wonders start with these years. If you are old enough to have experienced and enjoyed this music, it may have some sentimental value. If you are not so old but have enough curiosity to venture into this time-travel-ish experience, welcome. If this is of no... Read More
Tomorrow is King Felix Day, y'know
Posted by jemanji on 08/20/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
.
Top image is from the Seattle Times. The marketing department was able to begin planning on a Nellie Nest out there in the upper deck, but they left out a buncha stuff:
....
1. Opportunity to squeeze an article out of a 7-2 loss while re-listening the classic One Hit Wonders on YouTube
2. Of all the baseball teams extant, Mariners are easily the most geographically convenient
3. Three words: Nationals are .500
4. "Honestly, Howard, we really just enjoy the nice evening air"
5. M's are to baseball what SSI is to world journalism
6. If you can pull a vast ocean of $30 suckers out of a... Read More
Dr. D's capacity for service knows no bounds
Posted by jemanji on 08/20/15
Posted to blog
12 Comments
.
KETEL MARTE
Dr. D is this close to picking a fight over Marte. He'll hold off for just a bit longer.
You've heard the phrase "see ball, hit ball." It sounds stupid, until you compare it to "GUESS ball, hit ball." We are here to tell you that Ketel Marte does the former. His OBP is therefore at .377 and SSI confidently predicts that it will never, ever drop a point lower.
More seriously, Marte has a "natural" shortstop arm -- and hands -- that Miller and Taylor can only dream of. He zings the ball effortlessly, hitting the first baseman shoulder high. Must we hear that EVERY Mariner "... Read More
Has been for a coupla years, we'd say
Posted by jemanji on 08/20/15
Posted to blog
.
Last year, Joel Corry wrote us the Cliffs Notes on holdouts ranging from --- > productive to suicidal and everyplace in between. It's a definitive read.
And it's a funny thing, because we fans think of agents and get images of 12-month-olds crying and banging their spoons in their high chairs. But, if you take a second to actually listen to them, they're usually quite reasonable. Hey, Microsoft isn't going to hire you as their representation if you just tell all their business partners "sit down quickly and write us seventy for your one hundred."
Let's excerpt his Cliffs Notes as... Read More
the black area = guys getting scared before being threatened
Posted by jemanji on 08/19/15
Posted to blog
3 Comments
.
Q. What is "presentiment"?
A. You can define it lots of ways. In the meta-study we're looking at here, it is "an unexplained anticipatory effect" in which human physiology predicts stimulus before they occur. People have shown the ability respond to threats before the threats even exist.
.
Q. This is documented, how?
A. Typically, scientists have used a protocol in which they show test subjects two kinds of images: pleasant images, and unpleasant ones. They monitored response such as pupil dilation, EEG activity, electrodermal activity, etc., in order to measure how fast people... Read More
Posted by Cat5 on 08/18/15
6 Comments
Despite Kayla McBride’s best efforts, the Seattle Storm managed to rally at the end of the fourth quarter Sunday night and beat the San Antonio Silver Stars. The low-scoring game culminated with a final tally of 72-63, unsurprising for the two teams that average the fewest number of points per game in the league (71.2 SA, 70.9 SEA). Both teams committed an unusual number of turnovers (15 SA, 16 SEA), 10 in the second quarter alone (all of them bad passes), so at half-time, given the level of play, it was surprising that the Storm were only down 34-35.
Towards the end of the third quarter,... Read More
Specials at the bar, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/17/15
Posted to blog
3 Comments
.
.... according to both BaseballProspectus and MLB.com. They've both got it at 2.2%, one in fifty. Dr. D continues to insist that any talented longshot has a better chance than that in real life. Of course, Jobu has not exactly been sending us birthday cards at the half-year lately.
The M's are -8 under .500 and the last WC spot is actually sinking ... the Angels are +3, Balmer +4, Texas +2 and those are realistically the teams to beat. Being 5-6 games behind the leaders in mid-August is not, objectively speaking, a situation in which you tip your King over and resign.
James... Read More
Seahawks' D-Line will clown all over your keister, bub
Posted by jemanji on 08/17/15
Posted to blog
6 Comments
.
Kenneth Arthur and John Fraley are the G-Moneyball and Spectator of local football. Arthur says,
.
[Fellow writer 'Rob'] compared Clark to Jadeveon Clowney, saying that the only real differences were his troubles with the law, and the fact that Clowney was the number one recruit in the nation coming out of high school. It’s not just pre-draft buzz that carries an athlete’s hype train, it’s pre-COLLEGE buzz. Clowney was a top recruit and then in his first two seasons, lived up to the hype. Clark had many of the same physical gifts and also performed in college, but if you didn’t closely... Read More
Not too early to sign 'em up :- )
Posted by jemanji on 08/14/15
Posted to blog
6 Comments
.
CHRIS TAYLOR
Jason Churchill has a real sharp article rat cheer. In it, he accuses Taylor of a "hitchy swing." He's right.
Batters who have an inside-out swing, you don't expect them to load too much, but ... it's not impossible. And even if you can't see a hand bob up-and-down, that doesn't mean his muscles aren't imperceptibly moving that way, in an aiki "moving without motion" sense. The irony is, this (if true, which it probably is) represents good news for Chris Taylor, since he would have lots of room to get crisper to the zone.
As Jason also points out, Taylor in 2014 already... Read More
Motto of the Year, dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/14/15
Posted to blog
2 Comments
.
I/O: Great image up there, Doc.
CRUNCH: That's exactly where the MEME'r would have been, you can bet your sweet patootie on that. However, the meme'r would do himself a favor to hit amazon.com and get a copy of the book.
.
I/O: Carroll thinks it’s “been a great camp for the 12s” (?!) and the Seahawks have done a great job “connecting” with them. He used the word “connecting” three or four times.
CRUNCH: You have to look back a couple times, blink your eyes clear, to be certain he's not satirizing here.
He isn't. In Carroll’s book, he makes a big fat hairy deal out of his pre-game... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 08/14/15
Posted to blog
29 Comments
There are three or four people you ever meet in your life … you go, “What a used-car salesman. I wish just once in a while he’d drop the veneer and be real with me.” And then you find out that it’s REALLY who he is. Those three or four people might teach you quite a bit.
Pete Carroll’s day-12 press conference is up. He uses the terms “compete,” “competitor,” and “competing” about ten or twenty times, as he always does. His book, written after USC and before the Seahawks, explains it. After about 20 years of coaching, he resolved to figure it out … coaching, that is, and life. He sat... Read More
He was okay to pass the time, till Hisashi Iwakuma came along
Posted by jemanji on 08/13/15
Posted to blog
24 Comments
.
Rembrandt, as far as Dr. D is aware, invented the device of "time transition" in still portraits. The four Philistines above represent the four phases of their attack on Samson - threat, grapple, bind, and blind. In related news, Hisashi Iwakuma re-invented the device of making Seattle baseball fun again. In the Shout Box, we've got guys talking wistfully about the standings again. Siii-iigg-ghhh-hhhh ...
.
Q. Where were you when they shot JFK? When Iwakuma did the impossible? When Colin Kaepernick threw his 11th straight training camp interception and NinersNation nodded sagely that... Read More
Where's the KFC when you really need it
Posted by jemanji on 08/12/15
Posted to blog
8 Comments
.
gnatto: I can actually see them moving themselves all the way up to one spot out of the #Wild card. No chance they pass the Angels or Yankees in the #Wild card spot though.
.
:: broad smile :: Hey, they're -6 out of the Wild Card in early/mid August. MLB.com has their postseason chances at 3%. As Duke Leto the Sandworm told his gentle Hwi, "How sweet these last few sips of humanity are."
Why not enjoy the series in Boston? What's the penalty for doing so?
.
DaddyO: It was recognized back in June that August would be the M's best month to make hay. It will be a minor miracle for them... Read More
And spare the shock absorbers. Konspiracy Korners included
Posted by jemanji on 08/11/15
Posted to blog
17 Comments
.
Herein resides a small Konspiracy Korner. It's got little teeth in its mouth, too, so bring your spider-swatter and can of Raid. Alternatively, scan down to where you see Nelson Cruz' name. Either way, have a good one. - Jeff
...
At Hey Bill, the conversation took a turn for the (much) worse:
...
All the players being younger than you is no big deal. When the MANAGERS are all younger than you are...
Asked by: shthar
Answered: 8/10/2015
Most of the players now are about the same age as my kids. So the next step for me is the players being younger than my kids. . . .
...
Lloyd... Read More
NOW we're talking far-fetched, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/11/15
Posted to blog
6 Comments
.
Here's the rumor. Yes, we know it's a lonnngshot. And the rumor is really nothing more than a writer saying "This would make sense." That's just stating the obvious. Let's move on from the obvious, because 31 other NFL teams are at least thinking about the plusses and minuses here.
.......
First of all, Aldon Smith gets about a sack per game and it looks more like four sacks a game. The fantasy of watching him do this to the 49er's, as a Seahawk, and for the league minimum ....
It escapes Dr. D why NFL fans should be so enraged at Smith. He's not a wife-beater, not a murderer, not a... Read More
Although Lloyd probably wouldn't go for a bat flip just yet
Posted by jemanji on 08/08/15
Posted to blog
16 Comments
.
When we last left our hero -- our hero being Dr. Detecto, obviously -- he was exulting over Jesus Montero's promotion to the giddy heights of #5 in the batting order. Behind 2 Seager, 3 Cruz and 4 Cano. The only reason Montero wasn't hitting in Ruth or Gehrig's slot was because we have Ruth and Gehrig.
(Nelson Cruz is going to become the only Mariner to hit 40 homers, except Junior (!), ARod (!), and Buhner-in-the-Kingdome. Also, Cruz leads the AL in base hits, like Ichiro or something. Also, Cruz' OPS+ is 176. Also, Cruz' ability to trump Safeco makes him worth 2x double bonus pinball... Read More
Jn. 7:24, Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 08/08/15
Posted to blog
4 Comments
.
Ketel Marte was given a force out at 2B on the most blatant phantom tag we have seen in years. The Rangers, who of course believe in the spirit of the phantom tag and who of course use it themselves, were moved to protest. The way Some NL Team was moved to protest against Carter Capps' "Red Rover, Red Rover Send Carter On Over" pitching motion.
The umps held up the game, reviewed it, saw that Marte was a minimum of 3-4 feet away from any base in the stadium, and then sagely ruled Hamilton out. So why did they review anything?
Here's the deal. You see Hamilton's leg? That is a red card... Read More
Scott Bankhead lives on, baby
Posted by jemanji on 08/07/15
Posted to blog
12 Comments
.
At Ax Bill, they sez
.
Hey Bill, Jose Rijo was the first player younger than me to play in the majors ,and Jamie Moyer was the last older than me. Do you know who you're two were ?
Asked by: tbookas
Answered: 8/7/2015
Oscar Gamble and Charlie Hough, I believe.
...
The first 'significant' part-time Mariner younger than me was Edwin Nunez in 1983. So from 1977-1982 I was a kid looking up at the men playing baseball in the Kingdome. Then Nunez arrived, and it was downhill on a motor scooter. On a whale of a lot of levels.
The M's first two rookie stars were Alvin Davis and Mark... Read More
Up, up and awaaaaaay .... on the age curve, that is
Posted by jemanji on 08/06/15
Posted to blog
1 Comments
.
Bill James just now wrote a fascinating article, with a good handful of takeaways for the longsuffering Seattle Mariner aficionado ...
...
Mike Trout has been The Best Young Player in Baseball for about four years now, a title that will pass away from him within the next year or so because, at some point, you’re no longer young. In fact, Mike Trout has probably held the title of The Best Young Player in Baseball longer than anyone else has ever held it. Joe DiMaggio didn’t hold it that long because, after three years, Ted Williams came along, and Williams was four years younger and... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 08/06/15
Posted to blog
5 Comments
.
Who knows where Brad Miller ranks among the top 25 Young Players In Baseball, or whether he does. BJOL doesn't post the stats. But the Logo is sure doin' good by Mariner standards.
He's now played exactly 300 games in the majors, and scored 5.5 WAR with them. In other words, he has been a 3-WAR player in his first two years, and his arc is pointing up. His batted-ball distance on fly balls is up 22 feet (!) from last year, as any Fangraphs uber-writer could tell you, but he's hitting in a certain amount of bad luck.
Actually at the end of June, he was tracking #26 in the American League... Read More
And who should get the bus ticket up I-5 from Tacoma
Posted by moethedog on 08/06/15
10 Comments
Man, could that image get any better, in relation to Rodney anyway? The guy in teal getting his block knocked off!!
Some numbers you probably know:
1. Since the end of April, Rodney has inherited 14 save situations; he has given up 0 runs only 4 times. He pitched exactly 1 inning in the 1st 13 appearances and then just 1/3 last night. So he's pitched 13 1/3 innings in save situations, beginning on May 1st.
2. Uh....he's been terrible. in 13.1 innings, he's given up 16 earned runs, 20 hits and 9 BB's. That's an ERA of 10.3 and a WHIP of 2.16. The horror! The horror!
3. He's had... Read More
We'll give up the comp pick and take door #3
Posted by jemanji on 08/03/15
Posted to blog
.
Not exactly a Monty Haul windfall this year. Others have characterized it as "replenishing the farm system." In the big picture, I wonder whether it added even 10% to the farm talent. But still.
Fangraphs provided interesting summaries on each of the M's new prospects -- none of which, we don't think, were even in the top 10's for the organizations they came from. But we'll follow on a bit.
....
Ramon Flores, LF, Seattle Mariners Ackley Trade (NYY)
Flores is 23, big league ready and has five fringy to average tools along with excellent plate discipline, so he’s a near lock to be a solid... Read More
M's offense #4 in baseball A.E. (anno Edgar)
Posted by jemanji on 08/03/15
Posted to blog
11 Comments
.
On June 21st, the Edgar assumed his Mt. Rushmore position on the top step. Gazing out at the field with a serene, optimistic chisel on his face. Granting ten days for his vibe to osmose, the M's offense has been #3 in baseball if you go by WAR. It's been #4 in baseball if you go by wRC+ (OPS+) or offensive WAR. It's gone from "Casey Kotchman - Endy Chavez" to "2015 Blue Jays" if you go by watching the games and reality.
Mike Zunino: from .155/.226/.295 to a ten-game hitting streak and a .525 slugging percentage the last two weeks.
Mark Trumbo: from .139/.171/.190 his first month here... Read More
Underestimate the Hobbitses as your PERIL, brother
Posted by jemanji on 08/03/15
Posted to blog
7 Comments
.
Pete Carroll had a radio interview yesterday that fired Dr. D up. Of course, everything Carroll says fires you up. The man seems to have mastered the Zen ability to systematically control his own attitudes.
You were always aware that Carroll is unique -- well, you were since he took over the Seahawks -- but there were two things recently that caved me in on him. First, was listening to him talk about how "thrilling" it is to have lost the Super Bowl on an interception (?!?). Because he dwells on the aniticipation of how his team will feed off it in 2015. Carroll seems to be able to... Read More