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THWIP - McClendon didn't like having to swap out Alias Smith for AKA Leone.  From Shannon Drayer

"As a manager you have a certain amount of loyalty to players, particularly when they pitched so well for you. It was just such a rough spring we had to make this move," he said. "I think the world of the young man, he just wasn't throwing very well. He's got to get some things straightened out. In good conscience I just couldn't take him north with me."

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THWAP - After years of Hargrove-style entitlement, the M's are making real strides toward Beane Counting.  

10-to-make-7 works if and only if --- > the 7 know that you care more about winning than about you do about them.  They must be well aware of this.  (No word as to whether Action Jackson's playing time is captured under McClendon's concept.)  Mike Hargrove hated the idea of a veteran being disrespected having once earned his role in the game.  Oh, he just hated it.  Subsequent Mariner GM's were not noticeably different.

A rival GM once summed it up neatly:  "You think Lou Piniella gives a rat's patootie whether his players LIKE him?"  Lloyd McClendon is scoring long with SSI here, boys.

...

So we get Smith, who wasn't throwing super great either.  Neither was anybody else, other than Tyler Olson and to a lesser extent Tom Wilhelmsen.  Rodney had 7 walks in 8 innings; Farquhar had 6 in 11 and his velo was down; tick down the list.   Which concern is exacerbated by the fact it was spring training.  Hey, come to camp ready to dominate can'cha.  Taijuan did.

The M's have live arms out there, but it is hardly a bullpen full of Andrew Millers.  In 2014 McClendon made them look better than they were.  HE'S AT IT AGAIN!

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THWIP - Danny Hultzen fired 3 effective innings Saturday.

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THWAP - Dr. D has sprained his eyeballs rolling them at the constant propaganda that Hultzen will have to aim for 2016.  Recently, Zduriencik conceded as much, for public consumption.  Quoth Z, if Hultzen is the best pitcher in AAA as we get to late June, he's up here.

And I'm blinkin' lookin' forward to it.  So.  Take the long way home, LrKrBoi29 :- )

The Seahawks have Jimmy Graham; you and I have Taijuan and K-Pax.  But, they weren't drafted where Danny Hultzen was.

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THWIP - Pete Carroll's "rugby tackling" crusade is taking football by storm.  "More impressive than his Super Bowls" say many, including Dr. D icon John Madden.

THWAP - Don't wait for Randy Johnson to retire or, ahem, ditch the M's before you really see him.

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THWIP - Fascinating thread about The Blame Game.  Spec made it a data-rich environment for yer.

THWAP - The dysfunctional Lincoln Lawyer crew have had their way with the loss column.  All resemblance to serious baseball have been coincidental.  Two brief interruptions have occurred:

• They partially deferred to Lou Piniella and, wholly, to Pat Gillick for a few years
• Some draft hits (Seager, Zuum, Taijuan, Paxton etc) have coincided with short-term "new TV deal" money (Cano, Cruz, Rodney, Felix' deal) for a few years

But hey.  Far be it from me to criticize a baseball owner who has never seen a baseball game -- contrast Paul Allen's deep enthusiasm for victory.  We do stipulate:  Yamauchi-san's original intent was indeed very gracious.

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THWIP - Colin O'Keefe with a smile-inducing question about the Mariners taking over America.

THWAP - I think we can safely say that the tone of yesteryear is gone around here.  You have a blank check to ---- > enjoy your team.  The Seattle blog-o-sphere is about baseball.

The expectations of the Angels' chances against us are diving like Taijuan's spikeball. Is it perception or is it reality?  Baseball teams have a range of about 20 wins.  Last year the expectation was 60-80.  This year it's 80-100.  

A few reasons you think 80

• JA Happ (at the moment)
• Bullpen will have nooooo problem blowing +10 more wins than 2014, if it so desires
• hmmmm ... now we're going to reach
• James Paxton is likely to go about 0-2, 5.50 before he grooves in
• 50 games against the Angels
• Jackson's PX
• Chris Young's magic sparkle dust is gone from 2014
• Felix is unlikely to run a 16-5, 2.14 hydro again
• WBC-san is year-to-year actually, month-to-month for his career
• Y'know they did lose 17 games this spring

A few reasons you think 100

• Right now Taijuan Walker probably IS the next Michael Pineda
• Was it Spec who came up with the term "Zuumball"?  Fess up
• 2 WAR is the new 6 WAR
• Is James Paxton still top 10 ever for ERA after 17 starts?  He's great
• Big Pic:  Last year's ballclub was a +100 runs* team, and it added a whale of a lot of talent

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Personally, I'm feeling a little skittish, a bit like the post-87 win Wakamatsu season that was a little lucky.  But this ballclub has a 102-win scenario.

Your friendly neighborhood shtick-slinger,

Dr D