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INJURY BUGS CREEPY-CRAWL THE SIDES OF MT. OLYMPUS

Jerry Dipoto assures us that it's nothing more than some irritation in the forearm.  IFF that's true then (for me) it's the most benign injury a pitcher can have from his weapon shoulder down, including blisters and torn fingernails.

You might remember Felix' forearm strain as a rookie (?) right after he tore the Red Sox limb from limb in Fenway.  He was snapping in a little too much finger pressure.  Our resident "fizz" G-Money will probably confirm that tippy-end fingertips are connected to the forearm cords.

We fancy that Paxton's new motion on the yakker -- holding his fingers back in an "artificial" karate chop movement -- might be the proximate cause.  If so, then like Felix all those years ago, it's nothing more than a less-exaggerated finish to the pitch.

Or not.  In any case at least it's not an 8-weeks-plus oblique pull like Cole Hamels'.

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JACK BILLINGHAM DAY

In the meantime, you and I are watching for this exactly over the next 2-3 weeks:  a great, GRR-REAT offense and a 100-ish pitching staff.  It's frustrating but hey, lots of GM's figure out 95, 100 ERA's out of spare parts, duct tape and baling wire.  Billy Beane does it on a roughly Every Single Year basis.

Amazing to me that Yovani Gallardo himself might run a 100.  He came into 2017 with an enhanced performance, one that allowed a firm heater but one without location.  That's fine; Jerry Dipoto prefers the enhanced margin-for-error of a fastball thrown up and down the zone.  I'm wit' him.  If he does this, and the Rangers begin starting their bats Jump-ily, and then Gallardo drops the yakker and change, then next up is Dr. D's engraved apology.

But that won't mean Gallardo isn't still Jack Billingham to me.  :- )  Billingham ran some 92 ERA+'s and 19-10 records in front of his legendary teammates.

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Not so many things Denizens agree on.  But among them --- > the observation that Max Povse and Andrew Moore pitched best in March, among Mariner pitchers other than James Paxton.  The slow tracks they're on, ain't a question of "seasoning"; or why the deuce is Chase De Jong in there?

We conclude that Povse and Moore are SO valuable that it's a question of They Who Must Not Be Rushed.  If that's true then they are way out in front among rotation prospects.  If that's not true then Dr. D is getting well-and-truly fed up with the George Steinbrenner style grasping at roster straws every new series.

Who's up for Moore + Heredia + O'Neill + ? for Quintana and ?  Alternatively, Gamel for Jason Vargas?  :- )  Quick!  Before Gamel goes 1-for-17!

....

Anyway.  The goal is to get the pitching staff throwing somewhere around 95, 100 -- Ariel Miranda and Felix might help with that -- and then get Paxton's 15-ERA+ bonus added.  Later trade for Drew Smyly.  But we're sure a minor airplane crash will derail Plan F within a few days.

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OF MILLER HUGGINS AND 120 OPS+ OFFENSES

It's May 5, we face a great NPB pitcher, but we have a true Cinco De Mayo dream offense going.  This is exactly the lineup you and I would throw out there tonight ... and what we wanted as 12-year-olds:

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Darvish likes to throw breaking pitches that move outside the zone.  The Mariners are really, really good at checking swings on this.  Let's see how it goes.

BABVA,

Dr D