Depending on which blog you visit, the Mariners are either dead (Hotdog & Friends), five days from death (USS Mariner), or 11 games from death (Lookout Landing). Honestly, it's all a lot bit premature for a team that's just six games under .500 on May 7th. The 2007 Yankees were six games under .500 on June 6th--they won 94 games. The 2006 Twins were six games under .500 on June 12th--they won 96 games. The 2005 Astros were six games under .500 on July 1, they won 89 games and made the World Series. This team could tread water for a month and still be well within striking distance. Chill! Onto the news...
Miggy Batista: Only Hillary Clinton had a more disappointing night...
Batista's awful start was eerily similar to one he made four years ago this month for the pseudo-contender '04 Jays, writes Geoff Baker. The game was played in front of a record-low Safeco crowd.
The M's tried to back away from comments Chuck Armstrong made about acquiring Junior, since they could be construed as tampering, writes Baker.
Also in that notebook, Jarrod Washburn, who heard a "pop" when pitching on Monday, will make his next start, even though he may have a torn ligament: "It's one of those ligaments you really don't need, so it shouldn't be an issue."
NCAA releases academic performance rates...
Wazzu football docked eight scholarships for poor academic performance.
UW didn't lose scholarships in any sport.
Ernie Kent's Oregon hoops team had the highest Academic Performance Record of any team in the Pac-10, yes, even higher than Stanford. John Canzano, who's been calling for Kent's firing, changes his tune after reading this news.
Oregon State football was just one point away from being penalized, but scored a 926--the penalties come at 925. All other Beaver programs were fine.
Cougar safety Xavier Hicks, the guy who put rubbing alcohol in his teammate's contact lens case, pled guilty to two gross misdemeanors. He was back on the team for spring practice--tight ship you're runnin' there, Paul Wulff!
Kevin Costner's band (?!) will play a benefit for the University of Oregon's fledgling baseball team May 30 and 31.
Former Husky Dan Howell signed with the Bengals, Marcel Reese was released by the Dolphins after (surprise) not being able to catch. Both bits for info reported here by Bob Condotta.
In other news...
Bobby Engram left a note for Holmgren containing his request for a raise, writes Jose Miguel Romero. Over at Field Gulls, John Morgan argues convincingly that Holmgren's slot receivers always have big numbers, and that the Hawks can easily replace Engram's production.
Rob Sims is out six weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery.
Judge Marsha Pechman denied Clay Bennett's motion to decide potential monetary damages in the June trial. So, if Bennett won, there'd have to be a second trial to negotiate monetary damages. Steven Pyeatt at Sonics Central thinks this means that there's no way the Sonics could move before this year, as Bennett would have to wait out this second trial--but as the P-I's Greg Johns points out, the team could simply move and negotiate financial damages from afar.
Bellevue's Libby Ludlow, 26, retired from the US Ski Team, writes Ron Judd. She's been recovering from microfracture surgery.
The Storm's Janell Burse will miss the whole year: "This just happened to be the time that my body just said 'No' to me," she told Jayda Evans.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Northwest Sports: In the Morning
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Griffey: M's Picked A-Rod Over Me
Via everywhere, Ken Griffey Jr. finally reveals why he left Seattle.
He left not because of money or because he wanted to be closer to his family, but because he felt disrespected by the organization:
When it became clear the Mariners were going to have difficulty re-signing both Griffey and Alex Rodriguez, a team official approached Griffey and asked, "Who should we trade?""I refused to answer," says Griffey, who declined to name the official. "That was not my job. So they went and asked the next person."I got traded. He stayed one year. Then he left too."
Let's assume that Griffey's not talking about the Butch Huskey trade. He's talking about Alex Rodriguez.
So, if you believe Griffey, Alex Rodriguez told the team he'd stay if they kept Griffey, then took the money and ran. Hmmmm. Not out of character, obviously. Griffey adds that the M's offered him more money than he eventually got from the Reds.
I'm not sure I do believe Griffey, and I sort-of hope he retracts what he said. Many of the people who were in the Mariner front office then are in the Mariner front office now, and they probably aren't going to like Griffey making them look stupid. I want Griffey back in a Mariner uniform, and talk like this is not going to help.
Griffey's ready to go, saying: "I want to be in position to win a championship. I'm not strong-arming anybody, but that's the way it is."
Ah well...that would seem to rule out the Mariners.
M's President Chuck Armstrong had this to say about Griffey possibly returning: "I think everybody in Seattle would like to see him retire in a Mariners uniform. He was born a Mariner. And I'd like to see him finish up as a Mariner. I can't say much because he is property of the Cincinnati Reds, but he always will have a special place in my heart, and everyone here in Seattle."
Damn straight. Make the deal! Thank you.
Henry Won't Come to Sounders (Yet...mwah ha ha).
Soccer legend Thierry Henry says he'll play for Barcelona next season, putting to rest a week's worth of rumors that he'd move to Arsenal, Chelsea, or even our beloved Sounders.
Henry told Le Parisien: "I do not want to leave. I still have three years left on my contract here and I will still be here next year."
That would seem to be definitive, though more rumors spread on the Interwebs that Italian side Inter Milan might want Henry's services.
With legendary international teams like these after Henry, it seems very unlikely that he'd want to play MLS (especially with the dollar where it is), but who knows.
If Henry had as bad a year with Barca last year as he did this time, maybe he'd consider spending the summer with the '09 Sounders, much as David Beckham joined the LA Galaxy in '07 after a full season with Real Madrid.
Meanwhile, Henry gears up for Euro 2008, which starts on June 7, and should be damned exciting.
Northwest Sports: In the Morning
I have to say, that while last night's M's win was nice, it left me wanting more. It was like a great meal with a terrible dessert. The M’s go up 7-0 in the fourth, the Rangers bring in Ryan Rupe, mop-up reliever. Now, if you are a mop-up reliever for the Rangers, you are really quite terrible. But the M’s didn’t do anything. In the fourth Raul Ibanez made a completely indefensible baserunning error, getting thrown out trying to go from second to third on a groundball to the shortstop. Then Richie Sexson—who’d been very patient earlier in the game in working Kevin Millwood—swung wildly at a succession of terrible pitches and struck out. I’m normally a very optimistic person, but the way these guys stop trying when they are ahead—there could be a reason our supposed veteran leaders have never won anything, I think. Onto the news…
The Mariners win a game! The Mariners win a game!
But it may have been a Pyrrhic victory--Washburn felt a "pop" in his calf, writes Larry Stone.
J.J. Putz, who once again looked very shaky, is gonna be ok, a grumpy Eddie Guarado tells Stone: "He'll be fine, bro. He's trying to get back in his rhythm after the DL. He'll find it. Unless something is still bothering him. You never know. J.J. is the kind of guy, he'll go out and pitch, not like these young kids now. They have a broken fingernail and they won't pitch."
There was a very creepy Ichiro impersonator in the stands: Lookout Landing has a screen cap.
M's pitchers are having trouble putting hitters away, writes John Hickey.
Jim Moore catches up with three former Mariners now exiled to Tacoma. Jeremy Reed sounds like he's not in the best place, mentally: "Asked if he still loved the game, Reed said: 'Most of the time. ... I don't want to hate the game. But the business side of the game can suck the life out of you sometimes. It's tough, especially here. You're 30 minutes from Seattle. That stadium, it's beautiful. Down here you realize you're not there.'" Yikes. Earlier in the day, the M's got one minor leaguer to the bigs, trading Greg Norton to Atlanta.
USS Mariner says rebuilding this Mariner team would be a bad idea.
In other news...
Danny O'Neil breaks down the Seahawks' kicker competition.
Turns out Isaiah Thomas' test score didn't quite qualify him--he still has to finish his semester of coursework. Writes Dan Raley: "Put it this way: Thomas now has a 20-point lead as he heads down the stretch to the final scholastic buzzer." Thomas and the Dawgs could face Nat'l Champs Kansas in the CBE Classic next season, writes Bob Condotta.
Part of Greg Nickels' deposition was included in a Sonics' court filing--Eric Williams of TNT has the documents.
Win a chance to play three-on-three with Nate Robinson.
Bobby Engram is staying away from Seahawks minicamp because he wants his contract renegotiated.
The Shaun Alexander tour moves to New Orleans.
Funny headline of the day: Piniella non-committal when asked about Pie.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Today's Target: Kevin Millwood
Matchup of '05 Free Agents: Thirty months ago, both of today's starters were free agents looking for long-term deals. The M's considered signing both of them, but ultimately chose Washburn. Speculation at the time was that Bill Bavasi balked at the five year contract Millwood wanted, and eventually ended up getting from Texas.
At the time, The Times' Steve Kelley argued that the M's should've signed Millwood. Art Thiel noted that the M's could've had Freddy Garcia locked up for a lot less. USS Mariner said they didn't like the Millwood contract, but given the choice, they'd have taken the Millwood contract over the Washburn one. Writing for Seattlest, I took my typical optimistic view, and argued that, overpaying or not, the move at least made the M's better.
Today, Millwood and Washburn battle on the mound. But let's compare them over the past two years and see if we can't come to some conclusions.
Wins and Losses, 2006-08
Millwood: 28-28, .500 (Rangers overall record: 168-188, .472)
Washburn: 19-33, .365 (M's overall record: 179-177, .503)
ERA, 2006-08
Millwood: 4.71
Washburn: 4.52
WHIP:
Millwood: 1.46
Washburn: 1.37
Quality Starts, 2006-2008:
Millwood: 40
Washburn: 35
It's a little mixed, isn't it? By W/L, Millwood is far superior, but Washburn's had the better stats. The Rangers' defense might have something to do with that, but so might Washburn's atrocious run support, 4th-lowest in the AL since signing with the M's.
I'd say Washburn's been the better signing--the Rangers were expecting (and needed) an ace, and Millwood certainly hasn't lived up to that. Meanwhile, Washburn's done about what the M's hoped--he's given them a reliable middle-of-the-rotation starter. Is he overpaid?
What Millwood Throws: Primarily fastballs--but he throws a variety of those--sinkers, cutters and a four-seamer. His m.o. is to get you to hit a pitch you didn't get a good swing at.
What the M's Can Do: The typical game plan against the Rangers should work--Make the starter throw lots of pitches so you can get into their bullpen, then wait for the Rangers to make one of their patented critical errors. Worked on opening day against Millwood, should work now.
Not that Sea Gals Ought to Read Football Outsiders, But...
Jim Moore continued his coverage of the drama that is Seagals tryouts over the weekend.
During a break in the action, he decided to quiz a contestant, one Janelle, on general football knowledge. Here's how Moore wrote it up:
Asked if she knew who the Seahawks quarterback was, Janell said: "Alexander, Shaun Alexander?"Well, they aren't hired to think, right? Yikes.
Asked how many points you get for a touchdown, Janell said: "Ten? I love football, but I don't know it. What's the right answer?"
Told 6, Janell said: "I was close."
Here are pictures: Photos of the tryouts, from the P-I. And headshots of all the 2008 Sea Gals, via the Hawks.
Northwest Sports: In the Morning
Mariner Observers Blame the Troops...
After a terrible weekend in New York, Geoff Baker suggests that these Mariner players may be part of a "culture of losing."
Steve Kelley--Don't blame McLaren: "The players are letting the manager down, not the opposite. The players, not the manager, aren't doing their jobs."
Dave Valle said something interesting on Saturday's postgame show. To paraphrase, he said that the Mariners talk about how things will get better, how it's early in the season, etc...but you can't talk about that stuff if you are a winning team. You have to play for today.
USS Mariner does that thing they do where they look at the winning percentage the Mariners will need the rest of the way to overtake the Angels. It's not pretty. But it never is. Every year, some team that "would have to play .600 ball" does just that. Like last year, when the Yankees had a 1.5% chance of making the playoffs on May 31.
Meanwhile, bigger problems at Lookout Landing as founder Jeff's Gmail was hacked.
From Disappointment to Promise...
Over at Seahawks HQ, they are in a diametrically opposed place. No games are happening, just scrimmages, and so every receiver is fast, every lineman looks good, and the whole season is filled with promise. Frank Hughes of TNT says the rookies are giddy.
Theirry Henry watch...
The latest gossip has him going back to England to play for Chelsea.
Other news...
Isaiah Thomas got a high enough ACT score that he'll be able to play hoops for the Huskies next year. Don Ruiz of TNT has Thomas' reaction.
Storm center Janell Burse may miss the year with a couple of injuries.
David Stern did an interview with Sports Business Radio, he didn't say anything new or interesting as the interviewer simply rehashed the old and already addressed issues of whether the Sonics leaving is bad for business. Said Stern: "My guess is that Oklahoma City is fine and may even increase revenues." Obviously, that isn't the issue, the issue is whether a sports league ought to be breaking leases and plotting to move teams out of viable markets--the interviewer didn't get to that topic, which is too bad.
A long piece in the Oregonian about Phil Knight's impact on UO athletics. I didn't see anything that anyone with any sense already figured out--that if Phil Knight says jump, the University of Oregon puts on Nikes and asks how high. The article shows how two people--the former AD and former track coach, were given big buyouts after getting on Knight's bad side. John Canzano says UO has sold out.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Always Bet on the Filly?
So Hillary Clinton spent the week trying to tie herself into the Kentucky Derby by telling Kentuckians to "bet on the filly."
The filly being Eight Belles, the only female in the race.
Well, in a development that you couldn't even make up, Eight Belles finished second, but broke both her ankles during the race, collapsed after the finish, and was immediately euthanized on the track.
I'm not even sure what to add to that. Someone in her campaign was feeling pretty smart for tying Clinton to the biggest event in Kentucky, now I'm sure they want to be euthanized themselves.
Some genius commenter over at Deadspin made the point much more succinctly: "Big Brown wins, and the filly is down."
