SeaTown Goes to Fenway Park!



On July 4th, there didn't seem to be a more appropriate place than Fenway Park, the oldest baseball stadium in the majors. Every baseball fan with functional hearing has heard stories of this Park's history, its lore, and the teams and players who have occupied its walls. If one had never seen it, one would think it would be the prototypical ballpark.

Except it isn't.

Fenway Park has a greater effect on the game than any other park. Doubles become singles. Singles become triples. Balls that even threaten to leave the yard in a normal ballpark do, and vice versa. The ballpark's unique history and annoying quirks are always at war with each other in judging the park.

Only one thing is clear. For better and for worse, Fenway Park is different.

First, to the game. It was the type of game that casual spectators would find incredibly boring but one that die-hards would find extremely enduring. It was a duel between defenses, with lady luck guiding each bullet. Neither pitcher really dominated, and neither offense really struggled, but the score remained low. Some highlights:

  • The weather was spectacular, with plenty of sunshine but enough clouds to provide the occasional shady moments. This is in contrast to the weather in the Bronx, which delayed the game for an hour.
  • Curt Schilling delivering Lou Gehrig's famous farewell speech, in honor of the speech's 70th anniversary. The Boston crowd went wild, at least until people realized he was wearing a #4 Jets Jersey.
  • The National anthem, where a giant American Flag was draped over the Green Monster. The subsequent jet flyover was a nice touch as well.


  • Watching the unimposing 5'9 Dustin Pedroia walk to the plate to the song F*** wit Dre Day by Dr. Dre (I couldn't stop laughing).
  • Franklin Gutierrez's fantastic catch in center field.
  • Seeing the Mariners escape from a bad situation (runners on the corners and no outs) by getting Rocco Baldelli in a rundown between third and home and getting the next batter to ground into a double play.
  • Watching as the whole stadium went nuts in the bottom of the eighth as David Ortiz came to the plate, and celebrating as his line drive into right field was caught by Jose Lopez due to the incredible shift by the defense.
  • Seeing three Mariners walk in one inning (!), and watching Pedroia dive unsuccessfully in an attempt to catch Chris Woodward's bases loaded blooper.
  • Loudly announcing my thanks to all Red Sox fans for David Aardsma immediately after his save, and trying to remember who we gave up for him (I had to look him up - Fabian Williamson).
  • Somehow managing to go to New York and Boston wearing full Mariners gear and loudly cheering for them, and still not getting stuff thrown at me.
As for the park, I will try not to judge it as much as trying to describe it, because I think whether somebody loves or hates Fenway really depends on what type of fan they are. First, it feels really small, mainly because it is. The lack of real left field bleachers makes sure of that, and thanks to the wall, every fly ball to left looks like an extra base hit.

Even in the concourses Fenway looks more like a large minor league park than a major league stadium. The concourses are exposed to the open air, and the boundaries of the park are more artificial, like it was designed so that people could just walk right in.

It's been said before, but the Boston fans in New England are different from those that pack every stadium they play in other than Fenway, even though they both identify with "Red Sox Nation". The fans who pack Safeco are mostly jerks. Many of them are drunk, many of the are not well versed in baseball, they chant and yell nonstop, and rarely are they from Boston.

These fans are authentic.

They hail from New England, they are mostly decent people (At least those I talked to), and surprisingly, while they chanted much more frequently and loudly then Yankee Stadium, were on the whole quieter and better behaved than their mutant coast-to-coast counterparts. Sure, they do tend to think that the whole world revolves around them, but other than that they aren't so different from fans of any other team.

However, I still can't stand "Sweet Caroline" as an anthem. I will give Boston fans one thing: the whole town is all about the Red Sox. I haven't seen such uniformity in sports. Still, part of me wants to see if the town would be that into their Red Sox if they had a season like ours last year.

Compared to the clean professional look of Yankee Stadium, Fenway looks dirty and cheap. Still, Fenway's defenders manage to turn this into a selling point, emphasizing the game's tradition. Still, the field itself bends the game so much that it looks like a different game at times. Pesky's pole, the green monster, the lack of foul territory deep, these things can alter the outcome of games, and they give the Red Sox a huge home field advantage. These quirks would not be allowed to remain in a new stadium.

Whether one can overcome this is the main factor in their appraisal of Fenway. I liked it: I've grown up with too much baseball history not to be wowed by Fenway. But I can understand those who wouldn't, which is why, while I personally loved it and would watch games there again, I can't call it baseball's best stadium or use some other piece of hyperbolic language to describe it. Fenway is just different, in both the good and bad senses of the word
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Late Night Seatowning 7/5/09, Dave Sims Has a Stylish Hat


Mariners
+Mariners sign a prospect from the Dominican Republic, 16-year old, Guillermo Pimentel [NSS]
+Kouzmanoff interest heating up? [MLB Trade Rumors]
+F-Gut more valuable than Adam Jones? [Seattle Times]
+Yuni to 2nd base would help with Beltre's absence [USS Mariner]

Local
+Mead, Seattle Prep, and King's are All-Sports High School Champions [Prep Blog]
+Gary Bell Jr. Scouting Report [Slipper Still Fits]
+Pac-10 Basketball Recruiting Breakdown [SLAM]
+The Cougars landed ex-Nevada commit, Steven Bjornstad [CougCenter]
+2009 Seahawk Jersey Buying Guide [Dave Krieg's Strike Beard]
+No excuses for Houshmanzadeh [Scout]

National
+The art of stealing home plate [SI]
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SeaTown Sports: June 2009

Happy July 4th!

Below you will find some of SeaTown Sport's most popular posts the past month, June. Check' em out!

Ichiro is Having a Good Time- A statistical look at Ichiro's success this season

UW Basketball: 2010 Recruiting Update- Besides Josh Smith, who else is Romar recruiting?
Russell Branyan: All Star?- Evan makes the case for Branyan being an All Star this season
Quaker Summer Slam Report- Taking a look at Brett Kingma and other players in the State
High School Basketball: Early look at Players and Teams- Who are the top teams for next year?
Evaluating Don Wakamatsu- James grades Wak's time as M's head skipper 
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Top 10 Former Active Mariners: No.5 Adam Jones



How the Mariners ended up with him:
The Mariners drafted Jones in the 2003 draft with pick #37. He was drafted as either a shortstop or a pitcher, and many thought the Mariners would use him as a pitcher.

However, he wanted to play in the field, and when the Mariners acquired Betancourt, they converted Jones to an outfielder. He was called up in 2006.

Why we miss him:
Jones played two incomplete seasons with the Mariners, only playing in 73 games. He put up decent numbers, but more importantly he was the brightest prospect on the Mariners roster. Jones has flashed tons of potential at the plate as he shows power and speed, but he can also get things done in the outfield, making fantastic catches and displaying his speed in the gaps.

He is a young centerpiece and a star in the making that a team can build around. Jones would give the Mariners another solid bat in the lineup, as well as complete what would be a ridiculously talented defensive outfield.

Where he is now:
After the 2007 season, Jones was traded to the Baltimore Orioles along with George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, and two other prospects for Eric Bedard. This trade has been called by many a mistake, as Bedard has been a major disappointment with injuries.

Jones is having a breakout season this year, as he is batting .300 with 12 home runs and 44 RBIs. Jones is on the rise and will continue to improve toward a promising career.




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Scouting Sarkisian's Class of 2010: Chris Young

We took a look at Nick Montana earlier and now we move on to Chris Young, another recruit from Sarkisian's Class of 2010.


Chris Young is a local product that hails from Auburn High School in Washington State. Young stands at a modest 6-1 and weighs in at 215lbs. Scout.com lists him as a four-star recruit, he is the 15th best rated outside linebacker in the country from the Class of 2010. 

However, it looks like Young will end up in the secondary for the Huskies. He is "expected" to "grow" into a linebacker, but if he is to make immediate contributions it would be best if he started out in the secondary.

Young is one of the three four star recruits for UW's Class of 2010. Young is arguably the best defensive player in the state of Washington, this is a huge grab for Sarkisian as he tries to rebuild the program. Young was also drawing interest from WSU, Oregon, Oregon St., and UCLA. 
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Top 10 Active Former Mariners: No.6 Omar Vizquel



How the Mariners ended up with him:
Omar Vizquel signed with the Mariners as an amateur free agent at the beginning of the 1984 season.

Why we miss him:
Playing five full seasons as a Mariner from 1989-1993, Vizquel became consistent producer at the plate, and more importantly defensively out at the shortstop position. In 1992 he put up a respectable line of .294/.340/.352. Although he lacked  power in his offensive capabilities, Vizquel developed into the top defensive shortstop in the Major Leagues.

He earned his first gold glove in 1993 and would go on to earn nine consecutive gold gloves from 1993 to 2001. If there was no such baseball player named Alex Rodriguez, Omar Vizquel would be the most adequate short stop to fill in the Mariners' current weakness. Vizquel's glove would do wonders for a middle in field defense that continues to be a major hurdle for the team.

Where he is now:
In the the offseason after the 1993 season, Omar Vizquel was traded to the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Felix Fermin and Reggie Jefferson. Fermin played two years for the Mariners and then had two stints with the Yankees and Cubs in 1996, he was subsequently dropped by the Cubs in 1996 and never picked up a baseball again.

Jefferson ended up playing a year for the Mariners and then played five seasons with the Red Sox where he ended his career. Oh yea, this is supposed to be about Vizquel, right?

Well after being traded to the Indians, Vizquel's career took off from there. His reputation as a defensive wizard was made evident by his ability to make the All-Star three times based solely on his glove work in 1998, 1999, and 2001.

He is a potential Hall of Famer. Vizquel is currently on the division rival Texas Rangers, but he is seeing sparse playing time. Old age is catching up and it is likely he will retire within the next couple years.

Previous: 

No.7-Jose Guillen
Photo Source: Left Coast Bias
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Aaron Bright from Bellevue has

Update 8:41pm 6/2---There is no truth to the Aaron Bright transfer. A family member has contacted us and this rumor is erroneous. I apologize.

Aaron Bright from Bellevue has transferred to Bothell High School along with O'Dea star Dominic Ballard. Sources close to us have confirmed.
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SeaTown Goes to the Bronx



Hello from the City that Never Sleeps. The Mariners are in a three game series in the Big Aplle and I was lucky enough to be there at the same time, so I went. While I've been to several ballparks other than Safeco, I had never seen the M's as the away team. Plus, having been to the old Yankee Stadium (and hating it), I wanted to see if the New Yankee Stadium was improved.

The game itself was pretty disappointing. It was delayed for 45 minutes because of the rain, and the Mariners never held the lead, though the game was tied as late the the eighth inning. At least it was competitive enough so that I didn't get embarrassed. A couple more notes about the game before I get to the stadium.

+One of the things I heard from the Yankee fans near me was disbleif of seeing Cedeno and his sub .150 AVG in the lineup. This was before Cedeno's homerun went fifteen rows into the right field seats. Never heard anything about him again. Revenge is sweet.

+Gutierrez was easily the mariners MVP for the game, continuing his hitting tear with three hits but also making more sweet plays in center. My seats were in left-center field, and I can truly say that his greatness can be appreciated much more fully up close. The man is simply one of the best outfielders I have ever seen.

+Griffey is as bad in the field as Gutierrez is good, possibly worse. The Mariners were lucky that he only had one ball hit hard near him, though that ball, easily catchable by a competant fielder, ended up a ground-rule double. The Mariners would be well served to take his glove and set it on fire.

+Chris Woodard should never play third base again ever.

+Kenji Johjima gets a lot of crap for his defense for some reason, but he was amazing tonight. Not even Morrow knew where his pitches were going tonight, and that Kenji didn't allow any passed balls is a miracle. For his first day back he got a workout.

+Morrow still has zero command and needs to go to AAA right now. His offspeed pitches need a ton of work too, though he threw a couple good curveballs.

+Aside from the mistake pitch to A-Rod, Jakubauskas looked great. His curve really is a thing of beauty, and when its on it almost unhittable.

+My seats were in the first row overlooked the M's bullpen. Apparently they take thier spartan helmets on the road.

The Stadium itself was great. It's not as good as Safeco, but its an astronomical improvement over old Yankee Stadium and is something to be proud of.
  • As I mentioned before, the game was delayed my rain. Coincidentally, the game I saw in the Old Yankee Stadium was also delayed by rain, so I can draw a good pregame comparison. In the old stadium, the concourses were really tiny cement hallways with no natural lights. If your seats weren't one of the few under cover, you were forced into there with 50,000 others, not a fun experience. The New Yankee Stadium is much improved in this way, with a much wider Safeco style concourse which allows fans to see the field from all around the stadium (except center field). With televisions everywhere for some entertainment and guardrails to lean on, it was a much better place to complain about how any new stadium, especially in a place that rains fairly often, would even consider not putting a retractable roof on the place.
  • If you didn't know, it may take you awhile watching on television to realize that the Stadium is any different. The inside looks just like the old. The only real differences are the elimination of the black seats in center field, the move of Monument Park from left to center field, the shrunken backstop, and the new jumbotrons. Otherwise, it looks like Old Yankee Stadium with a fresh paint job.
  • The food is the best I have ever seen at any stadium. In addition to multiple sit-down restaurants, there are many varieties of food availiable (before the game I ate some fresh pineapple from a fruit stand). The food is overpriced, but no more than the food at Safeco.
  • I was wearing all Mariner gear, and I was prepared to get insults, trash, etc. thrown at me throughout the game. I was plesantly surprised though: the vast majority were polite and kept to themselves. That's not to say that there weren't jerks: there were a couple foul-mouthed idiots in my row, and one drunk guy ten rows behind me that kept taunting me for standing up, but I was happy to see that the idiots and drunks were in the minority. Sure, Yankee fans still think that the league only has two teams, but at least they were polite about it.
  • The other side of that, however, was that the Stadium was really quiet most of the game. This may have been the most surprising aspect of the trip: the old stadium was as loud as a Seahawks game, if not louder. However, the fans at Yankee Stadium were really quiet, even when they scored. Safeco gets louder most of the time. Additionally, after A-Rod's homer in the seventh, literally a quarter of the fans left. It was a two run game in the bottom of the seventh, and yet everywhere I looked there were empty seats where there used to be people. I thought Dodger fans were supposed to be the ones that did that.

That's all I have to say about that. Saturday, weather permitting, I'll see the Mariners at Fenway. I'll have another writeup then.
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Top 15 High School Basketball Players in Washington--5/23/09

Here are our latest High School basketball player power rankings since March. Like the previous rankings, these will not include departing seniors like Peyton Siva or Abdul Gaddy. With a lot of spring basketball played we have had a chance to evaluate a new crop of players. The grades listed for players on this list will reflect their grade for the 2009-10 season. 

As always, let us know your opinion on the list in the comments.

These are who we believe to be the top 15 players in the state regardless of class or position

1.
 Josh Smith 
(Sr.) Kentwood-PF/C--Has not improved much, but is still the dominant player we all know.  He is a little overweight at 280lbs, and he still has a lot of areas that need developing. Once he loses some weight he will be more effective in the post. Right now it seems as he is a little limited, he will not be able to just bully his shot into the basket at the D1 level.

2.
 Tony Wroten 
(Jr.) Garfield-PG-- It's been hard for me to know whether people consider Wroten a point guard or a shooting guard. Either way, it looks like his passing skills are beginning to become more impressive than his scoring ability. Scouts have all noted his willingness to dish the ball and find the open man. Wroten does get a little too flashy at times and would benefit from sticking to a fundamentally sound game. View a more complete profile of him here.

3
. Gary Bell (Jr.) Kentridge-G--Being strictly a scorer, Gary Bell is good at what he does. He starts along with Wroten and Smith on the premier Seattle Rotary team. He is a little undersized for his position at 6-2, but his athleticism and long arms help him overcome that. He also has improved his penetrating ability and would be even better if his passing skills improved.

4
. Aaron Bright (Sr.) Bellevue-PG--I wonder if Bright has topped out. It is doubtful that he will grow any taller and it seems like he really has nowhere else to improve, except for maybe his shot mechanics. Right now he is really inconsistent from the field, he can either get really hot or really cold. Although, when he is on fire it is one of the most beautiful things to watch. Defenders are left with zero options when he is draining his shots.

5.
 Patrick Simon 
(Sr.) Ephrata-SF-- Admittedly, I have yet to see him play. However, when you are committed to WSU that is enough evidence that you are a pretty decent player. He was out with an injury the whole past season.

6.
 Cole Dickerson 
(Sr.) Federal Way-G/F--Although he plays around the rim a lot, he is undersized at 6-7. He is a Brandon Roy type of player, he'll do a lot of things well, but nothing spectacular. He is not super athletic, but succeeds by playing a fundamentally sound game. His shot is not consistent yet, hinting that he still has a long way to go. Dickerson has a lot of upside, it will be interesting to see how much he improves over the summer.

7. Christian Behrens (Jr.) Tahoma-F--An under-the-radar player, Behrens averaged 20.5ppg as a sophomore. We'll be hearing his name a lot more next season. He's 6-8 and apparently still growing. If he gets taller, he could start gaining some serious notice from colleges if he hasn't already.

8.  Joe Harris (Sr.) Chelan-SG--Plays for Friends of Hoop along with John Gage and Aaron Bright. Dropped over 40 points in a state tournament game last year. A 6-6 frame with point guard skills. Tall frame will get him some serious D-1 college consideration.

9. John Gage (Sr.) Vashon Island-PF--I have not heard of Gage until some of my friends that play basketball mentioned dreading to play his team in the Spring. He has great size at 6-10, and more importantly he can make his free-throws.


10. Jaamon Echols (Sr.) Rainier Beach-PG--There is a rumor going around that Echols got kicked off the Northwest Panthers (can't confirm it), but for whatever reason, Echols needs to be ready by next November to play for the Rainier Beach Vikings. He really came out of nowhere and has become an entertaining player to watch. He has a very small frame at 5-10 and 155lbs. He'll need to bulk up this summer to receive some scholarship offers.

11. Brett Kingma (Jr.) Jackson-SG--Jackson isn't your ideal place to play basketball, but Kingma has raised eyebrows in his performances for the Emerald City Pioneers. We saw Kingma play in early June and he looked good. He will need some help from his Jackson teammates if he wants a shot to play in the state tournament. I'd like to see him be more aggressive in penetrating to the hole.

12. Ryan Nicholas (Jr.) Gonzaga Prep-PG

13
. Jerron Smith (Jr.) Decatur-G

14
. Anrio Adams (So.) Franklin-G

15. Tanner Riley (Sr.) Mount Si-F

Next 10 in: 
 Devante Williams-O'Dea, Ryan Rogers-Auburn Riverside, Andre Winston Jr.-Lakes, Deshea Bell-Kennedy, Lonnie Pearson-Rainier Beach, Dominic Ballard-O'Dea, Connor Hamlett-Meadowdale, Hakeem Stewart-Rainier Beach, Simi Fatemisin-Lynnwood, Glen Brooks- Garfield

Who's missing? Someone too low? Someone too high? Let us know...

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photo source: [seattletimes]
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Monthly Poll: Who is the Mariners MVP Thus Far?

In your opinion, which of the following players has been the most valuable to the Seattle Mariners so far?

Ichiro



Really, there could be no MVP debate without the consistently great Ichiro. Year in and year out he has put up outstanding numbers in an M’s uniform. This year is no exception. Ichiro leads the majors in both batting average, with an eye-popping .372, and hits, with 110. The man always seems to find a way to get on base, whether through a walk or an infield hit.

And who can forget the seven-time Gold Glove winner’s amazing defense, rounding out one of the top defensive outfields in the league. -Evan


Felix Hernandez




A couple of days ago, Prospect Insider's Jason Churchill tweeted the following: "Felix. 1.72 ERA on ROAD. League slugging .316 off him... 1.06 ERA in 5 starts in June. All-Star? Screw that. Cy Young". It seems like Felix is no longer transitioning into being a dominant front-end starter, he is that dominant front-end starter. 


The past couple seasons we have seen glimpses of his greatness, now we are witnessing it every time he takes the mound. Now that King Felix is on a team that is winning games, winning the Cy Young award does not seem so far off. The last pitcher that got me this excited to watch who was in a Mariners uniform was Randy Johnson.  -Kevin

David Aardsma



It was hard to see JJ Putz lose his status as one of the league's top closers. This past off season, the Mariners front office made it evident that they did not think Putz would be able to return to his 2007 form. Who was to replace Putz? It was a mystery toward the beginning of the season, especially after Brandon Morrow's failure to control his fastball.

However, Aardsma soon emerged and has suddenly become the consistent option to close out games for the Mariners. Since April 10th, Aardsma has converted 16 saves out of 17 opportunities. He has compiled a 1.49 ERA and has not allowed a single earned run since May 31st. -Kevin

Russell Branyan
seattle pi


I previously made my case for why Branyan is one of the best hitters in the majors. He has hit for both power and average on a team that desperately lacks offense. With 19 homers, he has nearly twice as many as anyone else on the team (Lopez has 10). 

Not bad, especially considered the man he replaced, Richie Sexon, only had 11 homers last year. Branyan was an enormous find and the most important addition to this year’s team. Without his bat, there is no way the Ms would be in competition this year. -Evan

Franklin Gutierrez




I regret sarcastically joking about the upcoming promotion of Franklin Gutierrez bobblehead night. Out of the all the bobbleheads I would want, Franklin's is my heart's sole desire. He has been brilliant. I will not bore you with his amazing defensive statistics. Just know that he is one of the top defensive players in the majors leagues if not the best.

He will be snubbed for a gold glove, unless the media starts to look at some valid statistics like UZR. Is it just me, or does F-Gut have some pop in his bat to go along with his stellar glove? It looks like he has shown increased power at the plate, it is only a matter of time when that power becomes more consistent. He's made the playoffs a legit possibility for the Mariners, and for that I am eternally grateful. -Kevin

Note: If you are viewing this through your email or through your feed reader, please visit the site directly to participate in the poll.





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Seatowning 6/30/09

Seahawks
+Seahawks Power Rankings [Seattle Times]
+I would like to order one Houshmanzadeh [Onion]
+Video: John Carlson talks Seahawks with [ESPN]

Local
+Griffey has no idea what lies ahead in the future for him [Yahoo! Sports]
+Jack Z. not only takes advice from blogs, but also fan chats! Yay! [The World of Issac]
+Nate Jaqua wins MLS Player of the Week [MLSnet]
+Cameron Dollar and his Seattle U Redhawks are getting some positive press from [ESPN
+Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson the two most under appreciated stars in Seattle [SLAM]

National
+Kobe pays his respects to the King of Pop [Ball Don't Lie]
+Could Yao Ming be out for all of next season? [Dime]
+Rumor: Adam Dunn to the Mets? [FakeTeams]
+Fact: Rich Aurilia is a winemaker [FanHouse]
+Read with me about Boston's public school athletic programs [Boston]
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Weekly Grades: Mariners Steal Two from Dodgers

Seattle Mariners: The Mariners had another good week last week, winning four out of six games. They won two of three to start off the week against the Padres, and later won two of three against the best in the majors, the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though they did not pick up any games on the first place Angels, who are riding a five game winning streak, they are still only three games out of first and are now three games over .500.

We all knew that the Ms could beat San Diego, but winning two of three against the Dodgers was a good sign. Their pitching again keyed the victories, as the M's gave up two or less runs in both wins.
If the M's are able to maintain their level of play and pitching through the rest of this road trip, they should do well. They travel to face the Yankees and Red Sox next week. However, they will have to do so without the hot bat and glove of Adrian Beltre, who has been hitting well but must have surgery to repair bone spurs in his soldier. He will be out six to eight weeks and will now likely not be tradable. However, with a good turnout against Boston and New York, hopefully the Mariners won’t be looking to sell come the trade deadline. So far on this tough road trip, it’s been looking that way. Grade: A

Freddy Montero and Nate Jacqua
: The two Sounders FC forwards keyed a 3-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids. Jacqua had two goals and assisted Montero’s goal, while Montero scored and assisted Jacqua on his pair of scores. The win gave the Sounders a four-point lead over the Rapids, who previously trailed the Sounders by just one point.

The game was a feel good win after a multitude of ties. Once again, veterans Keller and Ljungberg seemed to make all the right plays in the victory. But even more so, the win really highlighted the two forwards’ ability to play well together. Hopefully they will lead us into the playoffs, and maybe even to the MLS Cup championship. Grade: A

US Men’s National Team
: Yeah, yeah, I know… more soccer. SeaTownJunkie is probably writing his suicide note right now. But you know what? USA’s upset win over the No. 1 team in the world, Spain, was a big deal!

Never before has the US been in a final match for a FIFA tournament. Even though they lost 3-2 in the final of the Confederations Cup, at least they gave Brazil a run for their money, leading for most of the game. Their victory definitely proved that US soccer is not a complete failure. It made a major splash in the US, and perhaps will mark the time when American soccer began to catch up to their European counterparts. Grade: A-

NBA Draft
: This event was painful as the first draft without the Sonics in Seattle. I wanted to pay close attention, but then would be reminded of the Sonics’ absence. It just made me think about the excitement we in Seattle are missing out on.

The only reason I paid any attention at all was to see where local talent went off to. It was pretty exciting for me to learn that Jon Brockman would be heading off to my (current) favorite NBA team, the Trail Blazers, only to learn he was traded to Sacramento. Other local talent was taken pretty early, with Rainer Beach’s Terrance Williams going at No.11 and Gonzaga’s Austin Daye taken 15th. The influx of basketball talent continues to flow out of the Seattle area.

And man, I know it’s almost blasphemy, but that Thunder team is going to be good… Grade: C

Photo Source: Seattle Times
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Jim Mora and Roger Goodell Are Climbing Mt. Rainier

On July 5th, Seahawks Head Coach Jim Mora and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, will be climbing Mt. Rainier to raise money for United Way King County's Response for Basic Needs. Check out this website for updates as they climb, along with a link to donate money to the cause.
In a unique fundraising event, Seahawks Head Coach Jim Mora, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and United Way of King County CEO Jon Fine are climbing Mount Rainier.
This ragtag group is taking on a big challenge to raise funds and awareness around United Way’s Response for Basic Needs -- a fund that goes to help the people hit hardest by the economic downturn.  The goal of the climb is to be able to collect $500,000 through the “Climb for the Community”.
The climbers will be led by legendary mountaineers Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker (aka the guys who just came back from Climbing Mount Everest again.) and the rest of their group includes Tod Leiweke (Seahawks CEO), Molly Nordstrom (UWKC Board Chair), John Thelan (Costo Senior VP), Fred Kiga (Boeing VP), and Greg Bronstein (Wells Fargo Regional Managing Director).
The Climb for the Community page (http://www.uwkc.org/climb) is going to be updated regularly during the climb and it’s also where people can give their support.
Since November, United Way of King County’s Response for Basic Needs has put $2 million back into the community to help people hurt by the recession.  The money has been used to help 23 organizations deliver food, it has gone to help over 150 people stay in their homes, and has been used to sign over 1,000 up for public benefits.  We’ve really been able to react quickly and we’re hoping that this event will help bring even more money to the community.
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