m0ng0 wrote:Jack Z is on Brock and Danny right now, pretty interesting stuff.

Like what? Wedge is going to be out for most of the season (a la Chuck Pagano) and this team is going to rally behind him and make the playoffs?

yes and they are making a deal breaking run at Alphonso Soriano, going to trade for Adam Jones so they can right the wrongs of the mariners past, all tickets are free until the end of the year and the big unit is coming out of retirement.

Man, Saunders is gawdawful today.

Welp....It was a good streak. Start the next one tomorrow with Kuma on the bump.

Sweeping Cleveland would have been cool (I'm still holding out hope)... but MIN in town should easily be a 3-1 or sweep series.

Bring out the sWeEP, people... ...

No sweep but I'll always take a 2 out of 3 series win, especially against a team the Ms have struggled to beat in the past few years.

They had to lose sometime. I was impressed with Z at catcher. He saved a run yesterday and has looked very good.

I'll take 2/3 the rest of the year. Go 40-23. 88 wins might not get us in the playoffs, but that's amazing.

It's a tough task to essentially play .666 ball the rest of the way, especially against teams in the hunt for the pennant, and considering if we hover around 7-10 games back in the AL West / Wildcard standings we are more likely to have some late-season rookie call-ups (which usually do not equate to more wins). But who knows. This season could have easily gone the way of the past few, where the word "playoffs" was only a fabled story we'd tell our kids of 2001, 1997, 1995. But seemingly now, we are taking on the shape of a ballclub with playoff berth potential, if not this season, then next. Assuming an infield of 2-Zunino, 3-Smoak, 4-Franklin, 5-Seager, 6-Miller, at the start of next season, that is one hell of a talent pool to build from.

What late season call ups? Maybe Walker, but most of them are already up in Seattle now.

Paxton might come up. I thought that Walker was close to being shut down because they are trying to nurture his arm.

It's too bad that Hultzen is hurt again. I would have loved to see him up here.

Seattle is putting a hurtin on the twinkees

dayummmm give me some green eggs and hammm

We are second inning killers

Nice to see the M's bounce back from a big loss (albeit a series win) with a big win, instead of starting a losing streak. Against the Twins for three more games, the M's have a chance to make a run at .500. Which almost always ends in catastrophe (seriously, I don't think I've seen the M's make .500 late in the season since 2009, and then they lost 14 in a row to avoid the playoffs). Great to see Ackley get 3 hits in a game, as well, nevermind Smoak's actually super respectable line.

CPHawk wrote:What late season call ups? Maybe Walker, but most of them are already up in Seattle now.

I was listening to Z on Brock & Danny and he had lots of positive things to say about Abraham Almonte whom we aquired from the Yankees for Shawn Kelley. Depending on what happens with our outfield I could see him coming up towards the end of the year.

**edit** I was just reading up a little more on this guy and noticed this little tidbit
Acquired by the Seattle Mariners from the New York Yankees for pitcher Shawn Kelley on Feb. 13, 2013. ... Signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2005 ... Compiled a 34-game hitting streak in 2011 ... also reached base safely in 36 consecutive games to finish the campaign ... Played 17 games in 2010 before undergoing surgery to repair a torn right labrum.

And on cue, Zunino is put on the 15 day IR.

Zunino is out 6+ week with broken bone in his hand/wrist, needs surgery. I say shut him down for the year unless an act of God puts us in the race by Labor Day.

That's really too bad. He was good defensively and was learning on the job.

Is Sucre healthy again yet? Can we trade Morse to Oakland for Jaso? No, wait he's hurt too.

They were not going to make the playoffs and we got a taste of his ability at least. He looks promising for '14


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anyone with realistic expectations did not think they would make the playoffs, Zunino called a good game behind the plate also, that is an aspect of catching most people forget. Hopefully the replacements can keep the pitching staff on point

same old sorry mariners

Are we on the cuff of another heart-breaking losing streak right when they were building up momentum? Please tell me no.

falcongoggles wrote:Are we on the cuff of another heart-breaking losing streak right when they were building up momentum? Please tell me no.

Sorry. Same old sorry M's.

Losing Zunino was huge. Fuuuuuck!

Losing Zunino really hurt.

Nick Franklin is putting in work today, though.

Put one on DL, put another on the team to prove himself.

Morse called up, Bay is DFA.

I expected a little more from Jason Bay, but those expectations were a little lofty.

CALIHAWK1 wrote:

falcongoggles wrote:Are we on the cuff of another heart-breaking losing streak right when they were building up momentum? Please tell me no.

Sorry. Same old sorry M's.

Radish?

At least they got the split witn the Twinkies. Need to play .500 on this east coaster to have a chance at finishing the season at the same mark. A shame about Zunino but damn is Franklin looking like the real deal or what? I am am starting to feel a little bit of optimism on the future of this franchise. A little bit is all I'll allow myself at this point, but still....

Franklin is legit. Sorry Ackley - but there's a very good reason he is now a (gulp) center fielder. I had high hopes for Ackley coming out of college. Those hopes have since perished but oh so happy to have a legit MLB-caliber 2nd baseman on the club now (although Seager was just fine... had we found a decent 3B).

No trades announced before deadline. If there are any waiting for league approval, should hear within the hour.

Hoping we can dump Morse, and if we can get anything for Ackley, Saunders, Perez, I'd be ok with that too.

Whelp....steady as she goes. No trades. This is unfamiliar territory for the M's.

CrimsonWazzu wrote:Whelp....steady as she goes.

Very good...

CrimsonWazzu wrote:This is unfamiliar territory for the M's.

No! The proper phrase is "uncharted waters for the Mariners". Can't have one great nautical statement for a team called the Mariners and then follow it up with a non-nautical one!



On topic: I am very happy they STAYED THE COURSE and decided to BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES against any criticism about keeping this team intact. I like watching this team for the first time in a long time, even if the record is middling.

16 innings

Oh.

My.

God.

Felix deserves better than this.

I would just like to congratulate the M's bullpen on an absolutely special performance.

I mean God damn, it takes a really special kind of suck to blow that.

I actually felt sorry for Felix when they announced he re-upped with the M's. Gonna be the same ol BS til Lincoln and Nintendo guy is gone. I refuse to even watch til they're gone.

Tom Wilhelmsen will get the call.....

Just when you think they're turning things around, BLAM. Hit a new low.

-The Glove- wrote:I actually felt sorry for Felix when they announced he re-upped with the M's. Gonna be the same ol BS til Lincoln and Nintendo guy is gone. I refuse to even watch til they're gone.

and people wonder why seattle is the worst sports city in the country

I remember when the Mariners made history by losing a game in which they led by 12 runs with 3 innings to go. That game included a 5 run bottom of the 9th which forced extra innings, where they eventually lost. That loss was in 2001, and it would ironically be enough to cost them win #117.

I didn't think I'd ever see a bigger meltdown by a Mariners bullpen, but I think tonight takes the cake. They allowed 6 runs in the 9th, and it would have been at least a couple more had the final double been played out (it was in the air forever, and would have likely cleared the bases). There was just one out, too. Had Seattle led by 10, it's conceivable they might have lost even then. Stunning.

In fairness, I thought all three pitchers were getting squeezed horribly by the umpire, especially Medina who had a no-doubter strike 3 on the 2nd to last batter, who would later reach base. If the ump calls that strike, who knows how the rest of the game turns out. Seattle had a 1 run lead and would have just needed one more out to escape with the win. I'd bet that if the ump had called a better strike zone that inning, Seattle might have won comfortably. Wilhelmsen is so shaky that it doesn't take much for him to spiral out of control. He's kind of become the new Brandon Morrow as closer.

^^^ Well said. Brandon Morrow 2.0 ^^^

So much frustration harbored inside of me at this point, with Wilhelmson. Comfortable leads often and yet he struggles dearly to find his first-pitch strike ability. Ghaaahhh.

On the bright side, relievers are much easier to find than starters, the Mariners have three young starters nearing the big leagues, and their young hitting is starting to pick up....

Gotta find a bright side after that. Yeesh.

Pryor could be our closer once he gets back and hopefully stays healthy.

Isn't it so typically Mariners to play great for a couple weeks prior to the deadline, just to keep the team from trading away any of it's assets. And then to subsequently fall on it's face the minute the trade deadline passes.

I saw Chuck Armstrong today. I had to use every ounce of restraint to not walk up to him and scream uncontrollably.

I hate my baseball team. I look forward to the day it is sold to new ownership the same as I look forward to the Hawks winning a Super Bowl or he SuperSonics returning.

SeaTown81 wrote:Isn't it so typically Mariners to play great for a couple weeks prior to the deadline, just to keep the team from trading away any of it's assets. And then to subsequently fall on it's face the minute the trade deadline passes.


I hate my baseball team. I look forward to the day it is sold to new ownership the same as I look forward to the Hawks winning a Super Bowl or he SuperSonics returning.

Yup. Absolutely maddening. I dunno how Felix hasn't delivered a round of nutshots yet. He has to be getting sick of not getting any help. People at my work keep talking about firing Jack Z and starting all over. But nothing will matter until we get an ownership who cares about the team.

SeaTown81 wrote:Isn't it so typically Mariners to play great for a couple weeks prior to the deadline, just to keep the team from trading away any of it's assets. And then to subsequently fall on it's face the minute the trade deadline passes.

I saw Chuck Armstrong today. I had to use every ounce of restraint to not walk up to him and scream uncontrollably.

I hate my baseball team. I look forward to the day it is sold to new ownership the same as I look forward to the Hawks winning a Super Bowl or he SuperSonics returning.

Being a Mariners fan has got to be one of the hardest fandoms in the world. Right up there with being a Browns fan, IMO. Totally agree.

jkitsune wrote:

SeaTown81 wrote:Isn't it so typically Mariners to play great for a couple weeks prior to the deadline, just to keep the team from trading away any of it's assets. And then to subsequently fall on it's face the minute the trade deadline passes.

I saw Chuck Armstrong today. I had to use every ounce of restraint to not walk up to him and scream uncontrollably.

I hate my baseball team. I look forward to the day it is sold to new ownership the same as I look forward to the Hawks winning a Super Bowl or he SuperSonics returning.

Being a Mariners fan has got to be one of the hardest fandoms in the world. Right up there with being a Browns fan, IMO. Totally agree.

I don't blame the ownership. Sure, they care about having a profitable franchise, but that is true for all but a select few team owners. It's not like they're purposefully fielding crap teams, and up until the end of the Bavasi era they had no problem shelling out enough dough to make sure the M's fielded a top 10 payroll. You don't do that if you don't care about wins. Their biggest downfall is hiring idiot GM's. They aren't alone there. Even great owners with great intentions succumb to that pitfall.

Bavasi ran this team into the dirt. Jack Z isn't nearly as bad, but it's getting clearer every day that he's a scout, not a GM. He's turned one of the MLB's worst farm systems into one of the MLB's best. Hopefully after this season Armstrong thanks him for that and then hires someone who can translate that minor league talent into major league wins.