November 2016
Posted by jschario on 11/29/16
Posted to blog
1 Comments
Just when fans might have thought that this team wouldn't lose another game this season, just when we thought that the offensive lines issues were solved, just when we thought that our running game was going to get back to the level we were accustomed to seeing... the Seahawks lay an egg.
While we can't blame the loss on solely on Thomas Rawls, the offensive line or Darrell Bevell we can point out that this is the Hawks' third game without a touchdown. This third one would not be as alarming if it came maybe two weeks ago against a team like New England, but it is alarming because it came... Read More
Is La Liga better than we think?
Posted by jschario on 11/27/16
Posted to blog
With Barcelona in a bit of a slump of sorts (at least by their standards), it becomes the latest of the big three Spanish clubs (Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid being the others) to fall into a funk within their domestic schedule. Atleti have been struck the worst, as they find themselves in fourth place and in a nine-point hole. Real is on a winning streak at the moment, but just last month themselves ended three consecutive matches in a draw.
Which raises a question: is the rest of the league better competition than originally thought?
With their draw, Barcelona are level on points with... Read More
One last hurdle in the Pac-12 title game
Posted by jschario on 11/25/16
Five. That's how many consecutive Apple Cups the Washington Huskies have taken home after Friday's post-Thanksgiving feast on the Palouse. I say feast because the Huskies absolutely ate the Cougars alive in front of their own home crowd.
This was supposed to be one of the best Apple Cups we've seen in years, maybe decades. Both teams came in with prolific offenses, ranked in the top 25 and with the winner punching their ticket to the Pac-12 championship game. In the end however, only one prolific offense put their skills on display, and that was Washington.
Despite all the intensity that... Read More
Sadaharu Oh sez, Let the pitch arrive at its own pace, and be there to greet it
Posted by jemanji on 11/25/16
Posted to blog
55 Comments
.
Jean Segura's swing reminds you of Adrian Beltre's. Minus a bit of "oomph" and followthrough. It's quiet, sudden, compact and its "keeps weight underside."
In fact it's "sudden" enough that you have a hard time pausing the tape for the right screenshots. But here is the video we got the captures from. In the first pic, his hands are in the most relaxed launch position possible (sometimes his hands are a little lower than this). You see a loose and neutral body position and you can see the "keep weight underside" effect in the way his armpits are anchored to the dirt:
.
.
In the 2nd... Read More
not exactly a Carter Capps extension there, keed
Posted by jemanji on 11/25/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
.
G-Money's initial squib had been, in the Napoli thread,
.
Zac Curtis is a short lefty who has destroyed the minors with his 4-pitch repertoire and is basically fearless. He's a lefty who might not be a LOOGY, but I'm not sure he has the stuff to treat the bigs like he treated the minors. It'll be fun to find out though.
Essentially this was Walker for Segura, and Marte for the 2 others. How you feel about the deal is probably predicated on how you feel about Segura. It's definitely bold, though. DiPoto isn't scared of risk.
.
ROAR SCHACH, Dept.
Zac Curtis is a compelling riddle and a bit... Read More
THAT quote precedes some heavy trade talx, that we can tell you
Posted by jemanji on 11/24/16
Posted to blog
9 Comments
.
Say WHAAAAAAaaaaa? Dept.
Grizzly points out the obvious:
.
One statement from DiPoto stuck out to me. Talking about the starting pitching depth:
“We are going to look at the free agent market,” he said. “We are certainly not opposed at potential for trades. We still feel like in the big picture that we are 10-11 deep with guys that we feel secure in starting a Major League game. We are comfortable with that group, but we’d like to augment it."
10-11 deep? With guys he would be "secure" in starting MLB games? Is he just glad-handing here? I'm not sure I'm secure with the top 5.
.
Bringing a... Read More
11 players sat out practice yesterday
Posted by jschario on 11/24/16
Posted to blog
1 Comments
If I may, I'm writing this on Thanksgiving obviously, and I'm watching the Lions and Vikings square off. I'm not sure if I've seen a Sam Bradford pass travel farther than 6 yards all game. This guy was a no. 1 pick, and the Vikings just sold off their future farm basically to make a deep run this year with him under center. Right now, that move looks like the worst decision all year because Bradford is showing he is barely more than a capable back up at this point.
On to the real story, the banged up Seahawks. Reports said that 11 players sat out practice Wednesday, including Richard Sherman... Read More
if you're not willing to go large for Tom Wilhelmsen, that is
Posted by jemanji on 11/24/16
Posted to blog
10 Comments
.
MLB Trade Rumors sez,
.
As for the lost rotation depth, Dipoto expressed confidence that the organization has enough remaining talent to survive a full season, but he also acknowledged that he’ll pursue additional help. “We are going to look at the free agent market,” he said. “We are certainly not opposed at potential for trades. We still feel like in the big picture that we are 10-11 deep with guys that we feel secure in starting a Major League game. We are comfortable with that group, but we’d like to augment it.”
While the trade market offers a limitless number of avenues for upgrade,... Read More
Let's see, 86 + 7 equals ... fill in your own punch line, Arte, Sosh
Posted by jemanji on 11/24/16
Posted to blog
32 Comments
.
Well, +5.7 if you're using baseball-reference.com. 5.0 if you're using Fangraphs. Meanwhile in 2016 the M's real-life shortstops had, on the green grass of Safeco Field, -1.2 WAR as a group:
.
.
So we are looking at +7 WAR upgrade at one position. That's a little bit like trading Seattle Sports Insider for Bill James Online.
.
DEREK JETER (NON-) LITE Dept.
Segura racked up 7.1 runs per 27 outs last season, as compared to Robinson Cano at 6.5 and Kyle Seager at 6.2. In fact in terms of RC/G, Robinson Cano has never had a better season than Jean Segura just had. (Well, he got 7.3 twice... Read More
Posted by jschario on 11/23/16
Posted to blog
Whenever an international break comes about for Real Madrid, it is truly a test of the team's depth and the manager's savvy. That is because when you go out and bring in the world's best year in and year out, every break 90% if not 100% of your team will be sent out on internaitonal duty, even your bench.
It especially does not help your team regain or maintain fitness or stave off fatigue when your first match back in the cross-city derby and 72 hours later you have a Champions League match that could secure your passage to the knockout stages.
Such is life for Madrid though, and they came... Read More
if you don't come get me Jerry I'll pull this arm out of its socket.
Posted by jemanji on 11/23/16
Posted to blog
17 Comments
.
What do these two things have in common?
Sponge-painting the wall, after a wisdom tooth / gall bladder extraction, but before the Nitrous wears off
Jerry Dipoto assembling "young, athletic" rosters out of spare Dae-Ho, Danny, and Napoli parts
Never mind. We'll get back to it later. But both experiences are both overrated and underrated at the same time, or so we have observed in others.
....
Jerry Dipoto's off-the-record surrogates (let me read those two terms again) swore on Ouija boards that Valencia meant the M's were way, way OUT on Mike Napoli. However, Jim Bowden now says that the... Read More
handfuls of impact talent out there in TRADE
Posted by jemanji on 11/22/16
Posted to blog
7 Comments
.
They are discussing "McCutchen to the Mariners" at Brock and Salk. Huard sez,
.
“I hope everything is on the table,” Huard said. “They don’t have, I don’t think, a ton of money to spend. This is not a rich free-agent class with lots of difference makers. Andrew McCutchen, you would be getting a little bit low off of his career numbers. Last year he was way down. I don’t think it’s the end of Andrew McCutchen.
I think it is very difficult predicting those things but I hope they are entertaining conversations (about White Sox All-Star pitcher) Chris Sale. … I hope they are entertaining... Read More
never a dull moment in post-election 2016
Posted by jemanji on 11/22/16
Posted to blog
24 Comments
Excellent comment from Seattle Sports ... [not sure the last word in the screen name!]
.....
I'm traveling right now so please excuse this comment in he wrong article/place, for some reason I couldn'5 find the original post.
Speaking of the Bill James article with his view of the election - I personally see his statement of the slipping away of toughness and the rise of sensitivity to an extent. However, I sent this article to a friend and her response was quite different. Paraphrasing: this author (with no idea who Bill James is) is complaining about people complaining, that Trump... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 11/21/16
Posted to blog
10 Comments
.
Dr. D had missed Sunday's memo. It notified us that Ben Gamel is the Opening Day left fielder. Compared to Andrew McCutchen, getting this news is not unlike finding the prize in a box of Cracker Jacks: you expected them to spend 1c or 2c and find out they actually spent, quite literally 1/20th of one cent.
But:
1) Ben Gamel is a AAA Player of the Year
2) Danny Valencia is here precisely so that Jerry Dipoto has the option of trading for an impact corner outfielder
3) The Mariners have, in fact, discussed a trade for Andrew McCutchen
Here's the Nov. 20th MLB Trade Rumors article that... Read More
that's about $20M per WAR, according to Steamer
Posted by jemanji on 11/19/16
Posted to blog
13 Comments
.
From MLBTR:
.
The four-year, $30.5MM deal the Cardinals and left-hander Brett Cecil agreed to Saturday is a “market changer,” multiple executives and agents have told Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan, who expects relievers to continue raking in big money this offseason as part of a weak free agent class (Twitter links).
.
So $7-8MM per season, for a lefty specialist who has 7 WAR in 7 seasons, and "Steamer" projects to 0.3 WAR next season in 65 innings. Four years coming off an injury! Bill James' Ten Words for the 2015 season was "Mets' young pitchers are exciting; Royals fantastic bullpen... Read More
Posted by jemanji on 11/19/16
Posted to blog
19 Comments
.
POPULAR VOTE vs ELECTORAL COLLEGE
What do we make of YET ANOTHER candidate who gathered more votes but didn't assume office? It proves absolutely that America remains closely divided. James did an "election year in 10 words" shtick last week; for 2016 he came up with "Two flawed candidates divide the country, center against the coasts." That's what James thinks they'll be saying about 2016, long after you and I are gone.
:: brilliant! guinness ::
But, are baseball games scored by "Runs" or by "Hits" or "Total Bases" or something else? It was stipulated before the election that... Read More
handy for stadium placards, neck tattoos, or baseball flame wars
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/16
Posted to blog
9 Comments
.
In 10th grade, Dr. D wished to impress his friends and so boned up on his Latin phrases. It didn't make him as cool in the hallways as he thought it might. In pace requiescat, foreign-language Fonzie catchphrases.
Nothing much has changed since then; Dr. D is still trying to impress his friends and still coming off more like Wayne Knight than Dennis Miller. That won't prevent you from taking a selfie, next April 4, with one of these handy SSI in-the-know saber slogans. You probably know more Latin than you thought you did, eh?
.
REDUCTIO AD ABSURDUM "reduction to the absurd" refers to... Read More
hey, we've had TV people in the Oval Office before
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/16
Posted to blog
52 Comments
.
Dr. D learned a new acronym this week: BLUF
Bottom Line Up Front. Was it Mike Pompeo who brought this up? Anyway: I got to thinking "what is a Trumpster?" And settled on, "Somebody who would drive 50 miles to go to a Donald Trump rally."
Which is, to me, a politically and emotionally neutral way to describe the term. Why would somebody rally for Trump? Didn't commit either way on that little gem.
.....
TJM cracked me up with this line: "I was an altar boy plus two years of Sister Mary Honora's Latin class and had to look [ceteris paribus] up. I find that kinda of erudition . . .... Read More
Posted by jschario on 11/18/16
Posted to blog
This weekend promises to be an exciting one in soccer to say the least. In almost every European league there is a major derby taking place.
Germany, England and Italy all have their biggest clubs squaring off in what promise to be star-studded affairs.
However arguably the most evenly matched and intense derby happening this weekend will be taking place in the Spanish capital, as Madrid’s two biggest clubs, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, play in another edition of their cross-town rivalry.
In the past it used to be more of a friendly get together, as Real Madrid dominated the match up... Read More
go west, young man Dept.
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
.
Like Dr. D, you probably just now put MSNBC on pause to dash in and check for anything new on SSI. As y'know, we live to serve, even in the iciest couple of weeks of the Hot Stove tundra.
I/O: Zoom is VERY confident that the M's will grab an impact player, way beyond Cozart, this winter. He's got a friendly wager with SABRMatt who takes exactly the opposite view ...
.
Last I checked, the M's had a new ownership thing. Leader of that group, a Mr. Stanton, may be wantin' to make a splash and find some more money to back the roll of the dice. I'm thinking the ownership group will open up... Read More
Dr. D may be exasperating, but at least he's self-aware
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/16
Posted to blog
8 Comments
.
Zoom also refers us to this week's chatter on the Rule 5 draft. Bob Dutton had cast this as a 4-to-make-3 decision, with the 102-MPH Thyago Vieira having the inside track and (presumably) D.J. Peterson close behind. Zoom sez,
.
So, David Rollins was claimed by the Cubs.
In a column earlier this week, Jonathan Mayonews of MLB.com listed four Rule 5 eligible qualifiers among the top 30 prospects of the M's. So the 40 man roster now includes 36 names.
Will DJ Peterson, Paul Fry, Ty Smith, and Ty Marlette (I guess two ties make a double knot). be added to that 36. or some other lower... Read More
we can raise the floor HOW high, Igor?
Posted by jemanji on 11/18/16
Posted to blog
8 Comments
.
I/O: M's have a good offer in for Zack Cozart ...
CRUNCH: ... but aren't going to get held up by the Reds. It sez here the chances for a deal are not bad a'tall.
Dutton's column was to the point on the quotes:
.
Reds general manager Dick Williams made it clear last week that Cozart is available by telling USA Today: "It’s something we’d have to consider. We’ve shown the willingness to trade guys who have been with us if it helps us get better."
Several major-league sources cited the Mariners as the most-likely fit for Cozart, who batted .252 this season with 16 homers and 50 RBIs. He is... Read More
Will Prosise continue to perform?
Posted by jschario on 11/16/16
Posted to blog
A 5-4 record, buried at the bottom of their division and a rookie quarterback under center who has struggled as of late might read like the Seahawks have it easy this week. Add to the fact that they are hosting an east coast team at home, and you have to bet on the Seahawks, especially based on their performance the past two weeks.
However Hawks fans can't look past the Philadelphia Eagles quite yet. Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz is talented, even with his play falling back down to Earth. Not only that, but the Eagles feature an offense that ranks third in points against, giving up only 17.... Read More
Talent wins out on Saturday
Posted by jschario on 11/16/16
Husky defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski talked about how talented the USC Trojans were, and how much of a handful they would be on the offensive side of the ball. And a handful they proved to be, on both sides of the ball.
Saturday in Montlake it was like the Trojans were issuing payback on the Huskies for when they dashed a Pete Carroll-led USC's dreams of a national championship. While USC still had the aura of a national powerhouse - a la Alabama today - they were dealt their first shock as a Jake Locker led Washington squad upset a highly ranked USC squad.
While on this visit the... Read More
again the M's brain trust holding our Stars & Scrubs hopes hostage
Posted by jemanji on 11/16/16
Posted to blog
25 Comments
.
It wasn't worth a Konspiracy Korner, but we read some guy claiming that Russian despots have alternated being "Balds" and "Ted Dansons" eight times in a row. Not eight men in a row; eight pairs of men in a row.
Among them, Lenin into Stalin, Kruschev into Brezhnev, Andropov into Chernenko, Gorbachev into Yeltsin into Putin ... Dr. D can counter, though, that all Russian chess Grandmasters have Mufasa-level manes of hair. Boris Spassky, a dead ringer for the young Josef, is merely the guy whose picture you might recognize. They all look like that...
WAITjustaMINNIT. Jerry Dipoto has a... Read More
Looked as good as ever
Posted by jschario on 11/14/16
Posted to blog
1 Comments
Coming in to Sunday night's game in Foxboro, a rematch to match the Seahawks and Patriots last meeting in Super Bowl XLIX did not seem likely. Sure, Russell Wilson was coming off a good game against Buffalo, but he was still not 100% (supposedly) and Michael Bennett was still out for Seattle.
Niether tam got the memo though, as again the game came down to the goal line with time running out. This time however, it was the Pats how couldn't complete their pass play. Kam Chancellor played as good a game as ever in his first game back since suffering a groin injury that kept him on the sidelines... Read More
Smack Macedonia 4-0
Posted by jschario on 11/13/16
Posted to blog
For years, Spain's national soccer team played some of the most attractive soccer around the world, ushering in a dynamic passing scheme known as tiki-taka. This while also winning every signifcant trophy available from 2008 - 2012.
They fielded the best midfield in the world, with enough top talent to fill multiple national squads. Xavi and Iniesta were a duo that was able to perfectly conduct a masterpiece of an attack that resulted in vicotry more times than not. Lately though, as the golden generation of La Roja has aged themselves into the sunset, now former Spain manager had trouble... Read More
pictured below: typical intersection of Valencia x LHP
Posted by jemanji on 11/12/16
Posted to blog
18 Comments
.
Gordon linked us up to the Mariners-A's swap. As the MLB.com article notes, Valencia was the A's starter at 3B in the first half, switching to a Ben Zobrist role in the second half.
Patch his A's two-year stats together and you get .288 with 28 HR and 88 RBI in 177 games. The big story is that Danny Valencia is baseball's most extreme platoon hitter, or a very reasonable facsimile thereof. You get a lefty out on the mound that day, and Valencia has demonstrated a 140 bat that lines right up with Cano's, Seager's, and Cruz's.
In fact as Valencia ages into his early 30's, he's got... Read More
Dr. D is not exactly used to this kinda cuisine at a campfire
Posted by jemanji on 11/12/16
Posted to blog
1 Comments
.
Ryan Divish does a particularly good job on this 'Stove piece. As y'know, we live to serve. Exec Sum:
...
(1) The new owners are sick of being laughingstocks and see little problem with raising the payroll by $10, $15MM for next year. Plenty of freedom to do what he wants ta do, sez Jedi.
It's a funny thing. In 2001-12 I talked about nothing else. But now that the owners are kewl, I barely mention 'em. That's on me. But! How sweeeeeeeeet a 'tis.
...
(2) Hadn't realized that Mike Napoli comes without a draft pick. Say what? The Indians didn't want to give 1/$17M for a 30-100 man? ... Read More
Posted by jschario on 11/12/16
Posted to blog
Team USA looking beyond the US borders for its coach for the very first time five years ago, bringing in arguably the biggest name to ever stroll its sideline in Jürgen Klinsmann.
Klinsmann, a legend for West Germany back in the day, and guided the German national team to a third place finish at the 2006 World Cup finals. After that tournament Klinsmann became one of the most sought after coaches in the world. Thus is seemed a natural fit for him to manage Bayern Munich, Germany's biggest club and one he scored 31 goals for in the mid-90's.
However the union ended up being annulled the... Read More
Dr. D eager to re-load on a certain KKKKKarnsian tee shot
Posted by jemanji on 11/11/16
Posted to blog
6 Comments
.
This particular Greg Johns column is pretty good, you ask me. Johns does a nice job generally, but this mailbox had a handful of to-the-point questions. One with respect to the rotation:
.
Do the Mariners stick with the five or six guys they have for the rotation, or do they look to upgrade this winter?-- Derek B., Norman, Okla.
I know GM Jerry Dipoto feels pretty good about having six returning starters in Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, James Paxton, Taijuan Walker, Ariel Miranda and Nathan Karns. And he's also pretty high on prospects Andrew Moore and Ryan Yarbrough, who both had big... Read More
we'd like him to work a bit harder on getting his face sandblasted, though
Posted by jemanji on 11/11/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
.
Q. Lot of smoke around this fire. Think the M's are serious?
A. Dipoto has been saying a lot of nothing, which is fine. "We'll continue to refine based on the parameters we set in place last offseason..." meaning what? Continue to drive a stake through the heart of any possible corner OF defense? Take a special interest in 282-lb. "athletes" based on their wives' baseball faces? Use twenty or thirty fairly-promising relievers in a systemic rotation?
Dipoto uses whichever of the top 100-200 James Themes applies at the moment. Of course, he should. That's what a chessmaster does. ... Read More
if they ain't gonna put up a Plexi screen, I'll take care of it myself
Posted by jemanji on 11/11/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
.
Dipoto has really only acknowledged the need for lefty relief pitching and righty offensive balance. Along with perhaps a "tell" that Dae-Ho Lee is a longshot and a 12-AB kid in Tacoma isn't the first choice.
MLB Trade Rumors sez, Thursday,
.
The Mariners have expressed some early interest in free agent lefty Brett Cecil tweetsJon Morosi of the MLB Network, and the M’s are also likely to take a look at southpaw Boone Logan in free agency, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times tweets. Morosi notes that the Mariners are “determined” to add a lefty reliever, although that much has been known for... Read More
tremendous baseball face for a vet catcher, man
Posted by jemanji on 11/11/16
Posted to blog
.
From the M's website:
.
The club did add a piece on Monday when it acquired veteran catcher Carlos Ruiz, 37, from the Dodgers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Vidal Nuno. Ruiz will serve as the backup to Mike Zunino.
"We feel very confident that Carlos Ruiz both provides a good backup and provides someone that in the instance that someone goes down for a period of time, he can step in," Dipoto said. "We feel like between Mike and Carlos, we have two start-worthy type of guys, which is uncommon in today's game."
.
This has long been a point of fascination with Dr. D, the late-30's... Read More
Morning-After sitdown with the Founding Father (no, not THAT father)
Posted by jemanji on 11/11/16
Posted to blog
5 Comments
.
Charles Krauthammer said on Monday night, or was it Tuesday ... if you were a Republican, your life went on during eight years of Pres. Obama, didn't it? And if you were a Democrat, your life went on during George W. Bush, correct?
We're fortunate and blessed to live in a country with many checks and balances. Those checks and balances are theoretical, yes, but also in practice they have worked stunningly well for over 200 years. Whichever party you favor, your workday on Friday is likely to be very similar to the one you had last Friday. There are a lot of places around the world where... Read More
Ground game shows no signs of coming back
Posted by jschario on 11/10/16
Posted to blog
This Sunday as you may have heard, the Seahawks will be traveling to Foxboro, Mass. to play the New England Patriots in what will be a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX. It would be a perfect chance for the Seahawks to avenge their epically tragic loss two years ago, even if they say they're past it, but with the way the team is now it just is not realistic.
First, there's the fact that the Hawks are playing the Patriots of all teams. They have lost only one game all year, and have looked anything but beatable since Tom Brady came back. Now that you mention Brady, he is playing as well as he ever... Read More
Huskies in at no. 4 in the CFP
Posted by jschario on 11/09/16
The south might not have helped in some sort of important election that took place Tuesday, but Saturday Mississippi State helped out us liberals in Washington by beating previously fourth-ranked Texas A&M, enabling the Washington Huskies to slid in ahead of Ohio State for the fourth and final playoff spot.
The Huskies headed into Berkeley to play Cal and take on one of the conference's top QB's and offenses and came out roses. What's more the offense put up another night of basketball like numbers, not to be outdone by their neighbors in Pullman who hung 60+ on Arizona the same night.... Read More
Big week of big time extensions
Posted by jschario on 11/06/16
Posted to blog
1 Comments
Not that it deviates from the trend, but Real Madrid laid out big time cash for some big time players this week.
Perhaps in search of salvaging a rough start to their week, the Spanish club announced the contract extensions for stars Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo within days of each other. The announcements came soon after the richest club in the world settled for a draw in Champions League play against Polish club Legia Warsaw in Warsaw on Wednesday.
Reports back in the UK had Bale pegged as the highest paid player at Madrid, overtaking a mantle Ronaldo had a stranglehold on, and a title... Read More
pencil him in for at least 40 Safecos next year
Posted by jemanji on 11/05/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
.
In case you flunked SSI Prospect Class, there is a young right fielder who is the most promising hitter we've had since Shin-Soo Choo. Even at the AFL All-Star game, which is Arby Big Mountain Sandwich laden with top 100's, the 'casters were saying that the GM's were saying that Tyler O'Neill is a man among men.
Well, best since Shin-Soo Choo... maybe there was a Dustin Ackley type or somebody since Choo. And maybe the GM's didn't use the exact phrase "a man among men." And maybe SSI can get a little hypey once in a while. But there was Tyler O'Neill, batting #3 (!) in full view of the... Read More
but who needs information, when you have a captive baseball audience?
Posted by jemanji on 11/05/16
Posted to blog
3 Comments
.
Supposing we actually got a ROOT-quality look at ten pitches to Tyler O'Neill ... well, that wouldn't be much, but it would be ten more than we had. So, here is the video . Tragically, when O'Neill stepped up in the first there were no smoke machines, pyrotechnics, or dry ice under his cleats. But here are the impressions anyway:
1) The gentle reader can organize his thoughts with a comparison to the 2016, reduced-swing, Mike Zunino
2) Gets the front foot down nice and quick. By "front foot down" we're referring to the entire loading process
3) Holds the hands high, angles the bat... Read More
the key is in the eye action
Posted by jemanji on 11/05/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
.
Editor's Warning: there are no Mariners references in the following post. It's about baseball only. Sadly enough for people like me [hold the punch lines!] who don't even watch the World Series, but happily enough for purists.
........
There was a joke circumstance, or a Trump-sized twist of fate, or an unconscionable sense of self-importance operating on Saturday. First, Dr. D considered writing in to Bill James and asking him what a screwball is. Nowadays. In scout-speak. Whether there is any such thing as a Fernando Valenzuela any more, or whether maybe Fernando was simply... Read More
what - Weber's - fatal flaw might be, we're not too sure yet
Posted by jemanji on 11/04/16
Posted to blog
6 Comments
.
Are you kiddies too young to remember Steve Martin and Darryl Hannah in "Roxanne"? My fave scene is the one in the restaurant where the heavy calls him, sneeringly, "Big Nose." Now, the casting of Kevin Nealon as the heavy is a POTD all unto itself, a little bit like casting Jesse Chavez as the Mariner-killer, but let's not get sidetracked.
Last setup FOR the kids, Cyrano de Bergerac is a person who can do absolutely everything in the world well, but has a banana for a nose. Sort of one cup "Limitless" meets two tablespoons "Mask" with "Gandhi" liberally sprinkled on top. Percy... Read More
Dr. D is having a little trouble with his 8th-grade algebra
Posted by jemanji on 11/04/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
.
JUST THE FA'AX, MA'AM
Whoops. Kiddies here who stumble across the original Die Hard won't get the reference... actually check that. Cindy and I did a HELOC recently and the bank said we could bring in our printed ta'ax returns or ... fax them? ... ?! Like what, drive to Venezuela and get somebody to hook us up with the gear?
Brock Huard has a post up at MyNorthwest urging the M's to copy the Cubs' model. Never mind the flavor of the day shtick; last year it was three great relievers and this year it's invisible runs going first-to-third when the pitching is awesome. At least Brock... Read More
Just get to the playoffs is the goal now
Posted by jschario on 11/03/16
Posted to blog
It looks like it might be a long season for the Seahawks. Normally the epitome of health, with their holistic approach to player health setting the standard for how teams now take care of their players physically, the Seahawks find themselves in a perpetual state of recovery.
With all the injuries piling up, and the offense's struggles to get anything going it's hard to overlook that this year's Hawks have a better record than last year at this point in the season. However, it's hard to not have the same pessimism that existed in Week 8 last year.
On offense the struggles are well documented... Read More
Kinsella, Cubbies and my buddy Jim
Posted by moethedog on 11/03/16
15 Comments
Back in the mid-80's, W.P. Kinsella, of Shoeless Joe/Field of Dreams fame, published a collection of short stories. One of them was a weird/wonderful quasi-apocalyptic tale titled "The Last Pennant before Armageddon." If you've not read it you should. Really.
As the Cubs zero in on a league championship and then on a World Series title, their grizzled manager becomes convinced that he is having reoccuring visions, sent from God, warning that a Cubs' Series win will signal and bring about Armageddon and the end of the Earth. What is a manager to do? End the drought and the curse or end... Read More
see what a single can do for you? yyyeaahhhh baby
Posted by jemanji on 11/03/16
Posted to blog
5 Comments
.
Hey Bill had two more interesting light bulbs this week. Just $3 per month for a historically-great baseball site.
1) James opined that it's NOT our place to ask "How good is this manager?" Rather it's our place to ask "What does this manager like to do?," meaning, does he shift more, does he yank pitchers quickly when they're struggling, does his use his AAA carousel a lot, does he like to use positive encouragement, is he flexible about young vs old players (all "YES" with Scott Servais).
...
2) James answered a question this way:
.
Regarding strikeouts, do the Major Leagues have a... Read More
Pictured below: people sharing Seth Smith's work ethic and people skills
Posted by jemanji on 11/03/16
Posted to blog
7 Comments
.
QUALIFYING OFFERS
The Tigers' SB Nation site has a celery-crisp little article that runs down the free agents and qualifying offers this winter. For those who need a refresher on the process -- that would be only me -- it goes like this:
1. Some players, a team can offer them $17.2MM for one year. If they accept, Deal! Which would be the M's dream on, say, Zack Cozart.
1a. This never happens. Players never want one year for $17M. What do you think this is, white slavery? (Adam Jones says there are too few blacks in baseball to wield any power.)
2. If the player does not accept,... Read More
Zeus has a few hidden bolts for the AL in 2017
Posted by jemanji on 11/02/16
Posted to blog
4 Comments
.
Lookout Landing has an article up on James Paxton. This creates three reasons to call EDITOR'S CHOICE on it:
(1) Anything about Zeus, very obviously
(2) Lookout Landing
(3) The intersection of Zeus and Lookout Landing
Mr. Novak starts out on the right track by noting that James Paxton was #5 in both leagues for WAR per start which means, if I understand the implication, that Paxton pitched good.
Pitched good LAST year. Novak then accelerates onto his correctly-grokked destination by declaring Paxton a "juggernaut." Myriad sabermetric analysis lines ensue. We encourage such... Read More
... but hey, Dr. D felt like a kid watching Lee play
Posted by jemanji on 11/02/16
Posted to blog
36 Comments
.
Now, you may be aware that it is part of Dr. D's (and Silentpadna's, and DaddyO's, and misterjonez', and I would guess Matt's) worldview that "Pride" is an UNhealthy thing.
If you'd care for a Konspiracy Korner exploring the subject, we're game. But I'm guessin' not. :- ) Suffice it to say that respect for self, sense of duty, sense of honor, humility, and other virtues do anything Pride can do for you -- only, without the calories.
(Alternatively, ask yourself how much you enjoy seeing the word TRUMP!!! on the side of airplanes and skyscrapers. As with many things you observe... Read More
either that, or it's an excuse for Dr. D to talk up Mesut Ozil
Posted by jemanji on 11/02/16
Posted to blog
2 Comments
.
CROSS-SPORT TRAINING, Dept.
If you like Euro football, or let's just say you like any sports that are incredible, like Secretariat at the 1973 Preakness or stuff like that, check out Mesut Ozil's goal in the Champions' League.
LINK HERE. You ought-er start at 3:45, but if you only want 10-15 seconds' worth of swoon, go to the LAST ten fifteen seconds. Which is the eighth replay or something.
(1) Start with the understanding that Tae Kwon Do is absurd. Against a dangerous enemy, you need your feet to ... move yourself around. Trying to do anything with your feet, while you are moving... Read More