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Still The Ace: King Felix
Felix Hernandez is one of the most dominate pitchers in Baseball and is the face of the Mariners Franchise.
Click here for all of King Felix’s stats.
Player SNAPshot
Position: Right Handed Pitcher
Origin: Venezuela
MLB Experience:
2012 Salary: $18.5 Million
Awards: AL CY Young 2010, All Star 2009 – 2011
Video: Mariners 2011 Line ups timelapse
Wedge mixed things up a lot this season with the Mariners. It seemed there wasn’t two consecutive days in which the fans knew would be playing. Part of this was the fact that the M”s brought in 18 different rookies over the course of 2011. This is a video of the line up cards posted by the Mariners on twitter over the season. A habit they didn’t really get into until June. Still it is interesting to watch and remember what was.
Mariners Injury Updates
The Mariners have four games left and they are hoping that with all the injuries they have a team left for the final game. Here’s whats going on.
David Aardsma.
The M’s closer hasn’t pitched a single inning this season with multiple surgeries keeping him out for the count. Nothing like paying a guy NOT to play. Aardsma underwent hip surgery in the off season, then as he was about to make his return spontaneously needed the infamous “Tommy John” surgery. With Brandon League more than shouldering the responsibility as closer, at this point, Aardsma may have nothing to return to.
Danny Cortes.
The M’s pitching prospect appeared in only 10.2 innings before a bizarre hand injury that happened “off-field” surface. There are concerns about Cortes’s off-field behavior. The speculation is that the hand is broken because of an altercation. Not a good time to fall by the wayside when the management is holding auditions for next season’s spots, but maybe Seattle isn’t the right spot for him anyway.
Chone Figgins.
Everyone was hoping that Figgins’ would end up on the DL, so that the management wouldn’t be tempted to play him. That being said Figgins has no chance of improving himself if he doesn’t have any playing time. We want him to improves so that he either helps the team or increases his trade value. I think at this point he will still have a starting job next season, but I’m not sure as to why.
Franklin Gutierrez.
Guti has been a injury time bomb this season, with his gut issues and now with his most recent injury cause by overswinging his bat. Franklin only had 322 at bats this season so he never got to really get into “the swing” of things. His injury could prevent him from starting on opening day, merely because the M’s need consistency in the outfield.
Adam Moore.
Moore has been said to be a great prospect, but he has played so little that it is hard to access. He has been out since the beginning of the season and I think the Mariners will be shopping for catchers this off season. The future is not bright for this guy.
Brendan Ryan.
Titled as the unsung hero for the Mariners this season – he has definitely been great at the shortstop. However when he gets injured they seem to be strange things. It’s like the Cardinals have a voodoo doll attached to the guy and are bitter he is doing well in the northwest.
Casper Wells.
Aquired in a trade that M’s fans were not that confident in Casper Wells quickly turned the unsure feeling around. Until he was hit in the face by a ball, then the elbow. And now he is having unknown issues inside his face. Rough start. There has to be a bright side to this next season.
Louis Rodriguez
L-Rod was spiked in the hand and is doubtful to return before the end of the season. This make Kyle Seager the M’s only short stop option for the final week of the season. Seager is proving to be more versatile and consistent than the veterans which could give him regular playing time in 2012
Position SNAPshot: Second Base Timeline For The Mariners
On the first day of the Mariners existence as a Major League team on April 6, 1977 the man standing at second base was playing his first major league game. His uniform number was 14 and name was Jose Baez, well I suppose it still is his name. If you are a real fan you should know his name… He delivered the first Mariners hit…Ever.
Baez hit .259 for the M’s that first season, and was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and was replaced by another 1977 rookie Julio Cruz. Cruz would become the Mariners regular number four infielder for the next seven season, secured by his phenomenal base stealing record (290 steals for the M’s, 343 Career, 115 base stealer of all time). “The Cruzer” (#6) would hold the franchise record for steals until Ichiro passed his record in 2008.
After Cruz was traded to the White Sox, the Mariners placed Jack Peronte who they had received in trade from Cleveland into his spot. Peronte would sport the same uniform number as Baez (14) and would carry on of Mariners second basemen as being formidable opponents on the base paths. He finished both the 84 & 85 season in the top 8 American Leaguers in steals.
Peronte, however, was released when the club brought in number one draft pick (#2 overall) from the 1980 draft and slap the number 18 on him. Harold Reynolds lived up to the expectations that fans had for him prior to his arrival. Being from Eugene, Oregon Reynolds was virtually a home town hero for the young Seattle ball club. During his reign he achieved three gold gloves (88,89,90), the Roberto Clemente Award (91), All Star Status (87,88), Mariners MVP (87) and claim the title of number 1 base stealer in all of the AL (87).
After the 1992 season Reynolds would be granted free agency and would leave the Pacific Northwest bound for Baltimore. The Mariners would begin to search for a long term solution at second base filling the time with Rich Amaral, Bret Boone, Wally Backman, Greg Litton, and Fernando Vina. Torey Lovullo & Luis Sojo until finally settling on Joey Cora in 1995 and holding on to him through 1998. “Little” Joey Cora became a dependable man #4 in the field and #1 in the batting order. He hit .293 during his time with the M’s and was all in to win the 1995 season. When they didn’t win. He cried which kinda gave the rest of us permission to do the same.
From 1999 to 2000 the front office again found themselves with a hole in second bag slot until in 2001 former Mariner Bret Boone rejoined the club and the magic began. Bret would use 2001 to have the best season by a second baseman in AL history. Overall Boone would become a gold glove winner (02,03,04), M’s MVP (01,03), Silver Slugger (01,03), All Star (01,03), and be one of the league leaders in RBI’s, hits, average and home runs.
Boone would be traded to the Twins in 2005 and replaced by Jose Lopez, which seemed like a good idea at the time, but Lopez never really achieved to the level the Mariners had hoped. Although he was made an All Star in 06 and 3rd in the AL in hits for 08 with 191 during that time. Lopez was moved to 3rd for the 2010 Season when Jack Z brought in Chone Figgins who disappointed fans greatly with both his defensive and offensive production at second.
In 2011, Veteran Short Stop Jack Wilson was the M’s regular starter at second biding time until hot prospect Dustin Ackley would be called up from the farm system. Although Ackley was now drafted as a second baseman he was moved to the position to fill the need the Mariner had for a reliable bat. There was major concerns as to if he would be able to perform as competent defensive option at second. So far he has more than exceeded expectations. It will be exciting to see what comes of his career. We could be looking at the next Harold.
What it feels to be a Mariners fan
Your wife screams “Call a plumber!”
Of course you don’t listen because, you’re a man that:
A. Believes in your ability to get the job done despite your total lack of training
B. Can’t admit defeat
C. Doesn’t want the plumber to see whatever you have done to make the problem worse.
Eventually though, when your wife leaves to get groceries so you have the opportunity to call the plumber without losing your dignity in front of her.
When he arrives you say… “Can you believe the mess my wife caused? Women should never attempt plumbing. I would have fixed it myself but I hurt my back while working with the St. Louis Rams practice squad.”
He takes one look around and says… “this is going to be expensive.”
Try to stop in that moment.
The stomach sinking to your shoes.
The realization that your are about to part with your money and your pride.
If you can truly capture that moment you will have a glimpse of what it has been like to be a Mariners fan.
For years it is like the Mariners have been run by negligent home owners. Albeit home owners with good intentions. No one actually WANTS their house to fall apart. So after projects such as laying new laminate over a rotten floor or trading away the farm system base for a one hit wonder, they finally brought in a professional GM, Jack Zduriencik.
Having a background in scouting Jack Z. the work he has been doing is starting to show.
That is why 15 of the 33 men on the Mariners roster are rookies. He believes in digging in to the root of the Mariners problems and doing a complete renovation of the franchise.
Some people are upset with the Mariners at the end of this season, but like any home renovators you have to look past what is… and see what could be after all the work is done.
And from my point of view it looks like a winner.
3 Reasons Why The Mariners Haven’t Been Consistent
Baseball is about consistency.
Consistency in Routine.
Consistency in Rhythm.
Consistency in Focus.
Consistency is something the Mariners have sorely lacked all season.
Figgins, who held the hottest bat through spring training and even homered during the season opener has been cheered on by fans only when it was announced he was going to be put on the DL.
Jack Cust, a power pick up was finally DFAed after hitting only 3 home runs the entire season.
And then there was Ichiro. The one player that the Mariners could always count on to hit over .300 is still floating just over .270.
Eric Wedge seems like he is a guy that can get the job done for the Mariners. But he is like a professional carpenter that is asked to build a house with a plastic hammer. However through the season he has slowly been filling his pouch with the tools he needs to get the job done. However he is still missing a few key parts to get to a place where he can work on becoming a consistent team. Watch for him to hold auditions in the last few weeks of the season for who will be the 2012 Mariners.
1. Pitching: Both the starting rotation and the bullpen took some serious hits through the July trade deadline. Look for Wedge to let some of the unknown youngsters get into trouble to see if they can hold up to the pressure of the big leagues.
2. Left Field: Unlike others I don’t think Ichiro is washed up. So he will be back in Right Field. Gutierrez is still the favorite in center despite his injuries and illnesses. Left field has a lot of contenders which should be worth watching. Saunders, Wells, Robinson, Peguero, Wilson, Carp, Halman. I’d put my money on Wells or Robinson at this point.
3. DH. We don’t want another Jack Cust problem and so I think the Mariners may look to fill this spot with a high profile name during the off season. There is money to play with since Milton Bradley won’t be taking a check. There are some strong feelings emanating from those in the know that the M’s will try everything in their power to flirt with Prince Fielder into making a move to Seattle in his free agency. Question is… Could he be consistent moving into a strictly DH situation? Because we know what it’s like to watch a player lose consistency. Isn’t that right Figgins?
You say goodbye and I say HELLO. Hello. Hello.
The 2011 Trade deadline has come and gone with the Mariners making significant moves. While these trades did not grab the same media attention as the Cliff Lee deal there are some reason to see a potentially well thought out plan for the future of the ball club.
The Mariners have enjoyed some of the greatest pitching in the Major Leagues for the past several season, however, without the power aspects the again find themselves in the basement of the A.L. West. With the potential of adding another team to their division next season, the Mariners will have to contend with 4 other teams instead of three, so they better be looking into the future.
I can’t help but watch the Yankee’s games and notice that being behind by 6 runs doens’t seem to phase them while Mariner’s fans lose hope if the team is down by two runs in the first inning. Pitching can only get you so far. Power keeps you in games. I think it was for this reason that the Mariners were willing to part with a few of their successful pitchers from this year. They said good bye to starting pitchers Erik Bedard and Doug Fister as well as releif pitchers David Pauley, Some unknown AAA player known only as “Fields”, Outfielders Ryan Langerhands and Jack Cust.
Meawhile they say hello to some proven power in Wily Mo Pena, who will serve a minor league contract. This is likely for training younger players how to have better batting habits. The M’s have a new handful of prospects in Outfielders Trayvon Robinson, Chih-Hsien Chiang, Casper Wells, Thirdbaseman Francisco Martinez and LHP Charlie Furbush.
While all of these players are still unproven, there seems to be a common trait. They are capable of seinging bats. You can’t help but see the M’s are trying to improve their game with stocking up power in the outfield. These trades didn’t make me super excited about the rest of 2011, but the next few years should be interesting to see.
Doug Fister Pitching Mechanics
Doug Fister
It seems that Fister may be on the auction block as the Mariners are looking at selling some of their hot 2011 players for the potential of gaining prospects for the future. Here are some things you should know about the way good old Doug approaches his game.
Fister starts off his approach by standing on the third base side of the rubber. This positioning allows him greater ability to work the entire range of the plate. Watch as he brings the ball from chest height and over his head as he making his turn to face toward third base. The ball drops rapidly and if you watch the clip carefully you can see the balls low appearance behind his leg. He makes a relativity high leg kick and snaps his hip around as uses his body to sort of catapult the ball around himself and toward the batter. There is a lot of movement in his mechanics and my philosophy is the more moving parts there are the more of a likelihood that something will go wrong. Doug is a great pitcher that has a varity of pitches and seems to mix them around well. 56.4% of what he throws this season are fast balls, 14% sliders, 17.9% are curves,and the remaining 10.9% are changeups. However in the past few years of watching him, Fister has show that he can be a bit unpredictable. This could be improved with some adjustments to his delivery to eliminate some of the excess movement. Wouldn’t it be great to more of what we’re getting from our number 3 starter?
I bet Figgins doesn’t speed.
Up the street from my house they have installed a traffic calming system. With a series of curbs, speed bumps and digital signs the experts say that people will slow down. I suppose I am not employed by said experts because I had a much different vision.
In my head all I saw was the 16 year old kid in their dad’s Honda seeing the digital read out of their speed posted in plain sight with a speed bump that offers the potential of recreating a scene out of the Dukes of Hazzard.
Truth be told Chone Figgins was supposed to be that 16 year old kid that didn’t think about the kid running through the park zone, or the dented fender caused from side swiping the parked car on the landing. Instead he has become the old lady that thinks the speed bump requires a dead stop and before attempting, a nap half way through and a smoke afterwards. Incidentally I always get stuck behind this lady when I am already late for work.
I know that my own lead foot was exchanged for an aluminum one after several accidents and some fines that would put small countries into centuries of indentured servanthood. In a sense it was responsibility that destroyed my ability to have fun. Now as a man, in my mid 30’s in my eco-friendly family vehicle, I get a call from the testosterone center tell me that the record speed for this stretch of road indeed needs to be broken. Of course, many of you realize the estrogen producer that lives at home would ceremonially remove said testosterone injectors if it would be found out. So I ignore the call.
The problem really is that if you continually ignore the call the friendship withers and dies… and well… becomes Chone Figgins. I’m not buying tickets to see millionaires care about the future. I pay to see them perform in the moment. Someone tell Figgins to stop thinking. Stop worrying about his place in the line up, Stop listening to the booing crowds, stop trying to impress and simply rev up that engine and try to get some air.