The Seattle Times just released a "Where are they now?" feature on Seattle sports newsmakers of 2010. Included in this series was a piece by Geoff Baker on former Mariners fan favorite, Ryan Rowland-Smith. After telling us about Smith's new contract with the Houston Astros, Baker drops this piece of bombshell information on us:
Passing the physical should be the easy part of Rowland-Smith's offseason. He's been in intensive mixed martial arts training in California, with professional fighter Cooper Gibson and NFL commentator Jay Glazer overseeing his daily workouts. Rowland-Smith planned to continue as much of the training as he could in Australia, while also working out with his celebrity fitness trainer father, Rob, at a backyard compound.
You probably have no idea who Cooper Gibson is (never heard of him myself), but I'm sure you have heard the name Jay Glazer. Yes this is the guy who's Twitter profile picture looks more than a little intimidating. Jay Glazer, the guy who broke the Brett Favre un-retirement story and the guy who told us Randy Moss was being traded by the Patriots, this is the same guy that is "overseeing" Ryan Rowland-Smith's workouts. Weird. I'm just surprised we haven't seen any awkward interaction between the two on Twitter yet.
no comments
"Dave Niehaus' voice would echo throughout the yard, I couldn't have been older than ten but to me and my friends that voice on the other end might as well have been God's"
Yesterday, local rap artist Macklemore released a new song, "My oh My" as a free download on his website at bengalyucky.com. As a local sports fan and an avid listener of local hip-hop, this song brought two of my passions together as I listened to it. Not only is it an above-average rap song, it is a fitting tribute to the late Dave Niehaus. Thank you Macklemore for capturing the essence and spirit of Mr. Niehaus and what it means to be a Mariners fan. I felt like a kid again listening to this song.
Download it here.
You can view the video here.
no comments
This was a busy weekend not only for the Mariners, but for me as well, so let’s briefly recap this weekend’s happenings.
- The Mariners traded Jose Lopez to the Colorado Rockies for 24 year old AAA pitcher Chaz Roe. The only reason that this was surprising is that it was previously announced that the M’s wouldn’t offer Jose a contract, meaning he’d be a free agent. Apparently the Rockies think enough of Lopez that they didn’t want him to become a free agent. He should do far better in Colorado simply because he’s moving from Safeco, which destroys hitters like Lopez, to Coors Field, which is known as a hitter’s park. Regardless, the Mariners were clearly tired of Lopez’s sloppy play and with Ackley coming up soon Lopez’s Mariner days were numbered anyway. As for Roe, he’s pretty much what you would expect in return for trading somebody you didn’t want. He was once a first round pick, but he has never lived up to it. He has an inconsistent curve which could be a nice pitch, but that’s about it.
- The Mariners also decided not to offer a contract to Ryan Rowland-Smith, meaning he becomes a free agent. This is really only significant in that RRS was a fan favorite who has a reputation of being a really nice guy. As much as people want him to succeed though, he was arguably the worst starting pitcher in baseball last year. The report is that the Mariners were willing to give RRS a major league deal but he declined the offer. Maybe a change of scenery would be best for both parties.
- The Mariners resigned Erik Bedard, despite Bedard not throwing a single pitch last season. This time, the contract is non-guaranteed, meaning that Bedard could be cut in spring training for no loss if he gets hurt again. While Bedard has been very frustrating as a Mariner, it might be worth noting that, according to him, he was offered guaranteed contracts for more money but chose to stay with the organization. Maybe not the most exciting move to most fans considering that we’ve been through this before, but still a nice low risk-high reward move.
- Mariners president Chuck Armstrong has gone on record as saying that the player budget will not decrease from last year’s 94 million dollar mark. This is meaningful in that the team might have a little more money to spend in the market this year than we thought, but even with that most of that money is tied up in the current roster. Next year, when Milton Bradley and Jack Wilson come off the books, the team should have a little more to spend.
- Today the team announced the signing of 17 year old Dominican infielder Esteilon Peguero, who some list as the top ranked international free agent this year. The Mariners paid Peguero 2.9 million dollars, which ranks as the biggest bonus the team has ever paid to a Latin American player and the fourth biggest of all time for an international free agent. It’s hard to speculate about a player who might be five (or more) years away from the majors, but I think it’s fair to say that this is great news for the 2019 Mariners.
- The winter meetings are going on right now, which is when all the general managers meet in Orlando and talk about stuff. This is usually when we see the most rumors flying around, and there’s usually a couple of high profile moves (such as the Adrian Gonzalez trade and the Jayson Werth signing). Pay attention, but know that sometimes stuff doesn’t get done until after the meetings, such as last years’ Cliff Lee deal.
Though nothing will be official until after the Rule 5 draft tommorrow, the Mariners have come to an agreement with DH Jack Cust on a one year, 2.5 million dollar deal. Cust will probably take over the DH role full time this season.
Those looking for the Mariners to sign a big name might be disappointed by this, but considering what was avaliable this isn't a bad deal. Cust is a pure three true outcomes hitter, meaning that over half his plate appearances end in walks, strikeouts, or home runs. Cust should not be in the field at any time ever unless all the other outfielders are hurt to the point where their legs are separated from the rest of their bodies. Cust has a reputation as a power hitter, but his power numbers have decreased a little bit over his last few seasons. Should he be able to harness that again, this could be an even better deal for the Mariners. As is, it is a low risk deal for a guy who should be an improvement at the DH spot, even if he won’t be winning any MVP awards.
The one concern with Cust's bat is his ability to hit lefties. In the past two years he has hit only 4 HR off southpaws in 230 plate appearances. But a quick look at this graph shows us that this wasn't a problem until now. Being that Cust is now 31, it is tough to say if it is something he will recover from. If not, the M's will need to find someone to fill the DH spot against lefties.
The other notable thing about this deal is what it means for Milton Bradley. Bradley, who was brought in as a reclamation project but has failed miserably so far, will either be forced onto the bench, where his personal issues might resurface, or be released as a sunk cost.
If this move doesn’t excite you, it’s probably because it’s not very interesting. Given the high price of premium talent this year and the high level prospects (Smoak, Ackley) looking for playing time next year, this probably won’t be a very busy offseason for the Mariners this year. Jack Cust won’t get us to the World Series, but he might help us get back to respectability, I’ll take that for now.
no comments
A few days ago it was leaked that new Arizona Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers was at least listening to offers for former #1 pick Justin Upton, who at 23 years old has already asserted himself as an above average outfielder with the potential to be much better.
The Mariners have been rumored to be one of the (many) teams interested, and are one of the few teams who could conceivably put together a package of young players good enough to get him. After a season with so much disappointment there has been a lot of talk about a possible deal, so I may as well get my take before this rumor goes away, which I think it probably will.
The reason this trade seems just so ludicrous is because players like Justin Upton just don't get dealt. As fangraphs.com analyst Dave Cameron said, the vast majority of trades involve packing young players for an accomplished player, one team dumping a player in order to save money, or a change-of-scenery deal where a player goes to a new organization with the hope of performing better in a new environment.
This deal is completely different in that Towers want to package a young potential superstar for multiple young potential stars who in order to fill more needs. This is a pretty unique deal and there isn't really a past trade to look at as a baseline for cost. It would likely take multiple top prospects to land Upton.
In Mariner terms, that probably means dealing at least two of Justin Smoak, Dustin Ackley, and Michael Pineda, likely the latter two given that the Diamondbacks farm system is low on high profile pitching and middle infield prospects. Michael Saunders has also been talked about as a possibility given that he would be squeezed out of an Upton-Gutierrez-Ichiro outfield anyway. It is a heavy cost.
Smoak is penciled in to be the starting first baseman next year. Ackley, the #2 pick of the 2009 draft, just won the Arizona Fall League MVP by hitting an incredible .424/.581/.758. Having seen Pineda with my own eyes, I will attest that, if his elbow problems are behind him, that he could be a very good pitcher in this league. The scouts agree, ranking him as the #11 prospect in all of baseball as recently as July 2010, when Pineda was just starting his first stint at Triple A.
While the Mariners are certainly capable of putting together a package good enough to get Upton, should they? If Upton fills out all of his potential, then yes. though he has already amassed almost 8 war in his age 22 and 23 seasons, Upton still has a lot he could improve on. The most glaring issue is his contact rate. As Cameron points out in another article, Upton is the only player in baseball history to strike out more than 400 times before the end of his age 22 season. Upton's contact rate is pretty bad, and considering that his BABIP was pretty inflated this year, he would hard pressed to improve his batting line without making contact more often.
As is, Upton is a good player signed a long term deal below market value. If Upton could fix his contact issues, his mix of line drives, power, and defense could make him the next Griffey. However, that's a big if, and he could just as easily regress like his brother BJ has.
In the end, if a deal really is possible, it would be the defining trade of the Zduriencik era. As Geoff Baker wrote, The Mariners only have another three years with both Felix and Gutierrez on their current deals, and while I think I have more faith in our prospects than Baker does, Upton would probably speed up the rebuilding process. On the other hand, if we traded two of our top young players for Upton and we still stunk in 2012, It would cost Zduriencik his job. In the end, even if Upton is really available, I would be surprised to see the Mariners take on that much risk in one deal.
no comments
Congratulations King Felix, you deserved it, and you got it. Everyone have a Happy Felix Day!
no commentsEditor's Note: Here's a reader submission, a poem by Malcolm Friend, a good friend of mine from high school. Enjoy!
My Cy Young
by Malcolm Friend
13-12
Just how is that dominant?
I’ll tell you how
It’s putting your all into
Each performance, even though
It’s evident you’re going nowhere
It’s keeping back everything
Everyone knows you wanna say
About the nonexistent
Support you’re getting
It’s doing this for just under two-fifty,
More than anyone else around you
It’s having a 2.27 like you’re in a sitcom set in Washington, D.C.
Instead of a tragedy set in Seattle, Washington
It’s going out and mowing down
Man after man
’Til you’ve seen the letter K 232 times
It’s doing all of this
Despite knowing your effort goes to waste
So, for that,
For going out there and doing your job
When it would’ve been easier to quit,
I salute you, Gato,
El Rey,
I salute you,
Félix Hernández
no commentsEvery kid grows up with the dream of becoming a professional athlete. We see the
superstars of the sports we love, and dream about hitting that final shot, that walk-off homer,
catching that game winning touchdown. Not being particularly athletic, I had to face facts a bit
earlier than most kids my age that I wasn’t going pro in any sort of sport. As this dream faded
when I didn’t make the varsity team at St. Joes in sixth grade, I needed another aspiration that
followed my passion for sports.
When I moved to Seattle in the summer before fourth grade, it was baseball season. Back
then, baseball still dominated the Seattle sports landscape, and the Mariners were the talk of the
town that summer, coming off of their 116 win season. Anytime I turned on the radio or the TV
that summer and for the eight summers to follow, I heard the melodious voice of Dave Niehaus.
Dave was the greatest announcer in any sport I ever had the privilege of listening to.
No one could paint the picture of a beautiful summer day in Safeco Field quite like Dave. No one celebrated quite like him either. Anytime a Mariner would launch a homerun, the ball didn’t go over the wall or leave the yard; “this one will fly away” sounded over the radio, making the ball seem like a butterfly floating over the fence.
For Christmas of my fifth grade year, my parents got me and my brother a CD of Dave reading Christmas stories. A few years back, my parents bought a bottle opener that would play one of Dave’s signature calls to a Bret Boone grand slam. “Get out the rye bread and mustard grandma, its grand salami time” would play before my dad took the first sip of a beer on a summer evening.
But beyond the surface, it was the way Dave called a game that made him legendary. He
would notice the littlest, seemingly pointless things, but by him pointing them out, you always
understood the game better. Ordinarily, no one cares what pattern the grass is mowed in, but
with Dave, that always seemed almost as important as the score. Dave also was fantastic at
throwing little advertisements right into his broadcast as to not distract from the game and still do
the necessary work to keep the station funded.
Dave loved the Mariners, but he never failed to dish out criticism to players when they
deserved it. When Jose Lopez would make a baserunning mistake, Russell Branyan would strike
out, or even when Ichiro would make a rare mistake, Niehaus would be there to provide the fair
criticism traditional homer announcers don’t always supply. Perhaps the funniest quotes from
Dave in the past season had to do with how bad the Mariners were playing, because Dave had a
magical sense of when the criticism was warranted.
Dave was rightfully inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008 after receiving the
Ford Frick award given for lifetime achievement in broadcasting. To quote Dave’s longtime
broadcast partner Rick Rizzs: “He meant everything to Mariner baseball. Everything. He was not
only the voice of the Mariners, he WAS the Mariners. He was the face of the franchise. When
you turned on the radio, everything was right with the world when you heard Dave's voice.”
Dave inspired my love for sports and my love for broadcasting. The fact that a man could
inspire such passion with his voice and so accurately depict events to an audience that couldn’t
see them has always amazed me and caused me to admire him. Rizzs is correct; everything was
right when I heard Dave’s voice. For a few hours, I could forget my troubles, forget how bad the
Mariners were going into the game, and listen to the master storyteller recount the game as it
happened.
More than anything, Dave will be remembered by three short, special words that
could tell you more about his love for the game and the game itself that any average announcer
could tell in an entire broadcast: “My, Oh My.” My, Oh My, what a career, what a life, and what
a man. Rest in peace.
Every year as the MLB playoffs begin and the days begin to get colder and shorter, a group of prospects heads down to the warmth and sun of Peoria, Arizona. They are there to participate in the Arizona Fall League, a league of six teams comprised of a handful of prospects from 5 MLB organizations. There are a handful of reasons for a player to be sent down to the AFL. A player could have had an injury shortened season and the organization wants them to get them a full season of games. A player could have a specific facet of their game to work on, or the organization may just want to get a better look at a player.
The Mariners’ prospects suit up for the Peoria Javelinas. This year, Dustin Ackley (2B), Nate Tenbrink (OF), Matt Lawson (IF), Maikel Cleto (RHP), Josh Fields (RHP), Josh Lueke (RHP) and Tom Wilhelmsen (RHP) made the trip down south.
The general atmosphere is very loose and the players, while taking the game seriously, seem to enjoy themselves on the bench. The Javelinas have adopted a similar system to the Texas Rangers claw/antlers celebration, except they flap their arms and squawk like a goose. The first-base coach of the Mesa Solar Sox wrestled the starting second-baseman during their warm-up. Matt Lawson, an infielder, was the first-base coach for an inning. The players know that they are playing for a paycheck, but at the same time they are still enjoying themselves.
Without further adieu, check out some notes and projections for the seven prospects playing for the Javelinas after the jump!
no commentsThe Mariners sent this email out to fans, they will be holding an informal open house this Saturday from 12:00pm to 3:00pm.
Safeco Field, the home away from home for Dave Niehaus, will be open on Saturday, November 13, from noon to 3pm so fans can gather and share their memories and reflect on the life and career of the Seattle Mariners Hall of Fame broadcaster.
Also, this Saturday at 12pm, 710 ESPN and 97.3 will be broadcasting game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series in tribute to Niehaus. no comments"We know how important it is for our fans to have a chance to come together and share their grief and their memories of Dave Niehaus. He was invited into fans' homes every day for 34 baseball seasons and many of us are feeling this loss as if it were a member of our family. Plans are being made for a formal Celebration of Dave's life, but we felt it was important to have this opportunity for fans to reflect on Dave's life and career now," said Chuck Armstrong, Seattle Mariners President.
"I spoke with Marilyn, Dave's wife, earlier today, and she asked me to express on behalf of the family their sincere thanks to everyone for the outpouring of love and support. They are truly touched," said Armstrong.
Plans are still pending for a formal celebration of Dave Niehaus's life. Information about the ceremony will be released as soon as all details are confirmed.
The Saturday open house will be from noon to 3pm. Fans may park for free at the Safeco Field garage and enter the ballpark through the Home Plate Gate.
Fans will be invited to sign pages that will be bound into a book of remembrance for the Niehaus family.
Fans will also be able to go down onto the field where memorabilia from Dave's Hall of Fame career will be displayed at home plate, including his scorebook from the Inaugural 1977 Seattle Mariners season, and his 2008 Ford C. Frick Award. The Frick Award is presented each year by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for major contributions to baseball broadcasting.
