Geoff:
For a guy that keeps repeating in the same article that you have no agenda--you sure keep repeating your same arguments.

No agenda? Vidro, Ibanez, Buhvasi, McLaren - sent to Seattle by the baseball gods. Those who oppose this decree are idiots. All those fan sites you write off are filled with fans who've endured decades of frustration, thank god the mighty blog oracle is here to show us the light!

Interesting article Geoff. Agree with most of it. Wish you were covering a play-off bound team also. This will be an interesting off season around the league. Hopefully the M's will join in on some of the action.
Thanks for what you do Geoff. Has been a great way to follow the team. Who knew some of those Coasty's could get so rilled up over the local ball club? But you got some of them goin'

we finally have something to look forward to next year. but please get rid of mclaren and get a real manager. he's the guy that should be sitting at the end of the bench with a dunce cap.

Geoff, you couldn't be more correct about the Vidro trade. I'd say about 99% of the vitriol was due to Snelling being included in the trade, and nothing more. There are a couple of people on another website who have a very strange and abnormal attachment to Snelling, and they have a lot of readers/followers. The truth is, we got Vidro for nothing. Personally, I prefer more power from a DH, but that's my only complaint about the trade. Well, that and the fact that Vidro is the 3rd DH that Bavasi had traded for in less than a year's time, but you get that with Bill Bavasi. The fact is, the Vidro trade is the best trade that Bavasi has made for a major league player. That point isn't arguable.


Jose Lopez has been a favorite of mine since his initial callup, but I think he needs to sit for the rest of the year. Something is wrong, and he needs to get that taken care of, off the clock. If the solution is packaging him with 3 or 4 minor leaguers to get a true #1 starter, I'd go for that too. Some may think that he wouldn't have much trade value, but a lot of teams would covet a young infielder with one All-Star appearance already. Not to start any rumors or anything, but Craig Biggio is retiring after this season, and Mark Loretta isn't getting any younger.

hahahaha Bases loaded. 0 outs. Guillen strikes out. Broussard DP. hahahaha Typical. Isn't is the same story all year long. Someone should ask Jeff Nelson again if he thinks this offense is good enough to win games.

The FO had better not sign Guillen to that rumored 3 yr deal. There's no one in this lineup that teams fear. They need to dump Guillen and combine that $10M yr and use it on an up & coming star.

This organization is a joke. They have one of the highest payroll in baseball and yet they're mediocre.

Geoff, I think your arguments are sound, but I think they fail to address the core issue. The question is not, "Jones v Ibanez v Vidro," or "Vidro v Lopez." I think those are interesting debates, and you certainly lay out your position well.

The issue is that the Mariner's roster and its player development practices are simply unsound and illogical.

Now, as you say, you can't advocate for the removal of Bavasi. That's fine. But the rest of us can.

The issue is that for the past 4 years the Mariner's front office has been out thought, out witted, and out played.

Our roster is full of holes because of decisions Bavasi and the rest of the Front Office have made.

Just a few of these include:

- Morrow losing a season of development as a starting pitcher because Bavasi created a hole in his pen when he traded away Soriano.

- Of course, Bavasi then created a hole in his lineup when he acquired Ho Ram for Soriano. (BTW, Soriano hasn't given up a hit since August 11th while Ho Ram can't get an outs.

- The acquisitions of Ho Ram and Weaver then put our pen under tremendous strain which made the lost of Soriano all the more painful.

- Then, Bavasi tried to fill the holes with Parrish and White who were complete disasters.

- And as the Times pointed out today, Bavasi limited his trading chips last year when he shipped off Asdrubal Cabrera to Cleveland for a guy who is currently knocking them dead on Baseball Tonight.

This just scratches the surface of Bavasi's incompetence. So, yeah, Jones v Ibanez v Vidro is an interesting argument, but all we are doing is re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Blame for this disaster rests on the shoulders of the guys in the Front Office who keep making the same poor decisions. And until the Front Office changes, then your dream of writing about a playoff team will continue to go unfulfilled.

Geoff, I think the blame game started last winter with the Horam for Soriano trade, and really never let up, except when the team got hot in June. So really, this is nothing new, folks here have said much the same as you in recent weeks. What's key is to develop a plan for next year. Part of the strategy HAS to involve playing kids for the rest of the year, and of course the rest will happen as the winter meetings and free agent signings occur. I'm far more interested now in how can this team be improved than going over all the old tired arguments.

Should Vidro come back? What's the best way to dump Sexson? What do we do with Guillen, Ibanez, Lopez and Broussard? Which youngsters could be packaged in a trade for a starter? Are there even any starters available? What would it take to get Santana? (Johan, not Carlos). Can we send McLaren to Venezuela too (one way ticket)?

I think this team might need some blowing up and starting over. Lots to think about...

Vidro's an ideal #2 hitter, maybe not an ideal DH but better than what the M's have had lately. Raul's my favorite player - I'm glad he's getting the job done. That said, this season is over and Jones needs to be playing every day starting right now. I said from the beginning to not resign Guillen. Use the money saved and give Schilling what it would take to get him for a year or two. Trade Broussard and sign Mighty Matt Stairs.

I thought Sean Green was good? Oh, I forgot. He is the worst pitcher in the Mariner bullpen. Put him in and it's automatic runs for sure — runs for the other team.

God, he's awful.

Washburn pitched BAD enough to lose this time. My only consolation now is that a complete and utter collapse is the only thing that might get rid of the Four Stooges. In a way, it's like the football fan who's hoping for the 1st pick in the draft

Great article. This blog is great, even when (especially when?) I don't agree with it.

Great article. This blog is great, even when (especially when?) I don't agree with it.

Looks like the clock struck midnight for Sean Green. Bavasi's decision to not trade for a real set-up man also had a lot to do with this historic slide. Bavasi should stay away from the subjective fan blogs and start consulting some scouts. Most people knew that Green wasn't the real deal.

Mariners can still win this... with a touchdown and two point conversion.

Turn out the lights, the parties overrrrr
Wasn't willing to give upon em' before this home stand. But I think that todays loss seals it. Good ride through the summer. Looking forwad to next spring.

With Jose Lopez struggling so badly, it makes you wonder if the Mariners made a mistake in reassigning Rey Ordonez before the season to make room for Jason Ellison.

The teams future depends on young prospects like Adam Jones and Jose Lopez not end of their career veterans.

Bavasi has an abominable track record.

Its Managements approach which is hard to fathom.

Hiring 'on the job training' managers for the team.

Using only 21 roster spots. What competitive team does that?

And on and on and on

The results speak for themselves

The fans are totally fed up

Geoff, I really enjoy your blog. I only have a certain amount of time each time to read about the Mariners, I have chosen your blog as the Mariner blog I follow. From my perspective the other blogs you mentioned was about 80% bashing the GM or Manager and very little insight. However, I would enjoy your blog more if you spent less time defending how you want to run your blog. It appears a lot of key strokes are spent by everyone commenting on the comments. I personally could care less of Person A does not like Person B's comments on Issue X. I want to read you have to say. You mentioned that the newspaper has columnists... Is it my imagination or since this blog started this season, it appears that there have been less commentary columns written about the M's. Great job Geoff, keep up the good work.

Fine, one game a week against a leftie is too much for Ibanez to sit.

Does he really have to bat 3rd/4th, too? The middle of the lineup? Or does ever changing the batting order shatter his fragile psyche?

Vidro did exactly what was asked of him, and very well from July forward. Ibanez is a run producer and was from Day 1 of the season. But they are "losers" in some eyes because they didn't hit home runs. Ah, those sexy home runs. Much more fun than base hits. Gotta get over the shallow stuff, folks. Runs are what count and both Vidro and Ibanez did their respective jobs. Vidro hit in the #2 spot for much of the year. His job is to get on base. He did. Enough on Vidro. Ibanez hit for average AND drove in a lot of runs, ususally leading the team in RBIs.

What happened in late August and continues into the present has all to do with the starting pitching and little to do with the offense and/or bullpen. What did you expect from a bullpen being asked, virtually night-in, night-out, to come in during the 5th inning to bail out the starters who seemed to think that if they pitched 4.2 innings, they had done their job? Let's ask a guy like Norm Charlton about that kind of performance. He'd be the first to tell you 4 or 5 innings from a starter ain't anywhere near enough. The bullpen, with a lot of young guys not used to pitching as many innings over as many months, just tired out. You CAN overuse your 'pen and the Ms did this season in order to try to cover up the woeful starters. It all came home to roost in late August.

Really, look back at the Ms starting staffs for, say, the last 10 years. Have you actually seen a starting five that bad and with such few innings pitched overall? I can't recall a starting five this bad. I mean, when? Starters set the table for all other phases of the game. Even a decent starting staff would have covered for Sexson's failures and Lopez's mid-season disappearing act. It ain't about vets v. pups or one player v. another player. It's all about the starting staff. If you want to point fingers, probably Bavasi is the guy since he cobbled together this current group. But somebody "upstairs" had to agree on spending the $$ or confirming the trade (HoRam for Soriano). It'll be quite the off-season.

If you didn't like Snelling being traded, wait until you see Balentien and Clement (among other good AAA players near ready for MLB tryouts) traded in order to pry decent starters from other teams.

Geoff, as always, I enjoyed your analysis, and I love this blog (even though I also love the Evil Empire's blog, too). It's been apparent that some readers don't know what a journalist's job is, from other calls for you to force McLaren or Bavasi to answer for what he does, or to make him understand why he absolutely has to do X or Y.
I'm amazed that you're still willing to put so much time into the blog, given how nasty it sometimes gets, even toward you personally. But I'm glad you do. It's made the season much more interesting and enjoyable, especially since I spent the whole time waiting for them to tank. I've learned things this year and changed my mind about a few things based on your and other peoples' comments. That can only be good.

Are you going to keep blogging through the playoffs? Doing any traveling to watch the games? I hope so. Thanks for the year and I hope we get many more of you.

Tampa Bay is clearly a better team than the M's. And that's all that needs to be said..

If not for their respective schedules, Oakland would pass M's for 2nd place, but I see the M's hanging in there for second place with a "solid" .500 record, possibly even an 83 win season, which for this team is a Big victory. Assuming they close strong at 5-9 to go 83-79, that would be a blistering .278 pace (45 win pace) over the last 36 games of the year, the final 22% of the season when the clutch step up and teams like the M's average 2 runs per game. This just shows how much they over performed the first 3/4 of the season. Is it over yet..

Last thought, if Sexson is on this team next year I'm not going to watch anymore.

As Disgusted As Possible

I certainly understand Geoff, as an employee of the Times, you cannot advocate the firing of McLaren and Bavasi. Welcome to your first season under the Bavasi regime. It's real easy to laugh at fans who have endured misery since 2004. Seattle residents had to pay out of their pockets on taxes to fund Safeco Field. So you better believe there is an emotional attachment to this team.

But you are sure committing a double standard when you constantly list examples to support Bavasi and McLaren's decisions, yet now come out of the closet that you aren't a fan of the team and claim you won't point fingers.

In your last article you basically apologized for Mclaren by showing examples of Terry Francona. Now today, you list a 28-year old Shelly Duncan and try comparing him to a 21-year old Adam Jones an absurd defense for Bavasi. Billy blocked Adam Jones instead of benching Richie Sexson. That's the real issue, not Vidro and his split OPS.

Who cares about Vidro. The team allowed Sexson to kill the offense all year. They should had played Raul at first, then played Jones in left, benching Sexson.

And yes, I would mortage the house that Adam Jones would have put up better numbers than Richie Sexson this year if allowed to play.

But, hey this is your blog. It's a refreshing read when your not catering to the sabermetric community and giving us inside information.

Ibanez is hitting .282 with 18 HRs and 95 RBIs. Guillen is hitting .287 w/20 HRs and 90 RBIs. Over the course of a season, I'll take that from those guys anyday. Are they going to hit a HR and drive in an RBI EVERY frickin' game? No. Neither will Vlad G. with LAA.

Vidro's only "problem" is he isn't Edgar. Folks want their DH to hit HRs and drive in 75-90 RBI. Vidro doesn't, didn't but wasn't assigned that role. If he was playing 2nd base, healthy, mobile and putting up his DH numbers, you'd be tickled to death. Get past the "DH" crown and look WHERE he hit in the lineup most of the time and what THAT guy is supposed to do for the team.

Sexson will be back unless he chooses not to return. It would be a very high-stakes gamble for ANY team to take him and even a bit of his salary on the assumption he just had a bad year.

What I'm not seeing from the FO is any creativity in terms of what it takes to contend deep into September. The biggest dogs in the free agency pool (all pretty much in the shallow end this off-season) are not always the best investment. The Ms need to think about how to best maximize their field advantage and manufacture runs. Just hitting HRs is not the answer.

Dr, the only problem with your argument, is that Vidro was slated to be our #3 hitter at the beginning of the season, and failed at that first. I don't think that Bill Bavasi had "#2 hitter" high on his wish list at the beginning of the year. We already had two guys who proved to be more than capable in that position.

I'm sorry a DH with an ISO of .086, 32XBH, 56 RBIS's, 75 Runs, for a year isn't going to convince me that he's needed at the DH position.

PLEASE tell me why VIDRO is a good DH and how him being the DH in the M's lineup makes the team a serious contender in the A.L.

I guess Vidro's been a good DH when it counts in big series where his good hitting skills were needed most.

SLG .300 / OPS .658 vs. ANA this year
SLG .333 / OPS .667 vs. CLE this year
SLG .315 / OPS .615 vs. NYY this year
SLG .220 / OPS .620 vs. BOS this year

I mean this doesn't mean jack right, the series' with these teams didn't mean much right? No it'
s okay for your top of the Lineup hitting, clutch veteran leader, liked in the clubhouse, key professional hitter DH to put out performances like he did against those teams right?

Maybe if Vidro just didn't disappear so much when the M's offense needed him the most I would cut him slack, but the guy isn't the picture of consistency you paint him out to be.

Let me ask this one question, WHAT IS JOSE VIDRO?

Is he the good "HITTER" like Pujols, Cabrera, Ramirez in his prime and not injured?

Is he a viable Defensive option to start a fielding position for the whole year?

Last is the DH position something to laugh at and write off?

The way I see it, the Division leaders all have one thing in common, the DH position putting out offensive productions and putting up RUNS.

Once again an ISO of .086, 32XBH, 56 RBI's, 75 RUNS for the year as the top of the lineup hitting DH doesn't cut it in my book at least.

It's over!! Let the kids play!!!! MORE WLAD!!!!

I was wrong about Jose Vidro. He's been Bavasi's best trade ever. The obsession for Snelling was a circus created by USSM because of Snelling's patience at the plate and they ignored his body was made out of glass.

Then again they also believed Jack Cust wouldn't last long after being acquired by Oakland to replace Snelling due to holes in Cust's swing. Well, it goes to show you when you mix poor scouting with sabermetrics your asking for trouble.

When I listened to Terry Ryan's retirement he stated his patience with prospects was his greatest weakness. That is a trait that is sorely needed in Seattle.

Dustin, my fellow Oregonian, I couldn't agree more. I loved watching Jimerson get his HR today.

This team will be lucky to finish .500. WHat a huge downer to a mostly fun season. So disappointed.

This team will be lucky to finish .500. WHat a huge downer to a mostly fun season. So disappointed.

I don't believe this team simply just tries to hit home runs as the Dr. stated. The absence of speed makes it appear that way. Although if your team is void of power, it's not a good thing in this modern day of baseball. That's why it weakens your club to have no power at the DH position. We really miss having a big bat in the line-up and Sexson ain't it.

I personally would like to see Ichiro get 60 steals next year, Beltre get 30 bags, Betancourt nab 20, although unlikely. The M's need to utilize speed more, maybe after firing every coach on payroll they can hire a Tim Raines to teach these guys how to steal a bag. It's not all about speed, just a part of it.

GEOFF, you outlined your argument very well, especially why Vidro and Ibanez deserve more credit for keeping this team in the race for as long as we were in it, and for the oft repeated problem with pitching.

However, there are some key factors you conveniently neglect to mention about the choice of McLaren to use Rick White in that tie game against Cleveland.

First, this was a critical game to stop a five game skid.

Second, this was solely an ingame decision by John McLaren, not something directed from above, (such as you must play the $15 million first basemen no matter what).

Most importantly, you fail to acknowledge that JJ Putz had not pitched for FIVE days. This was NOT about a tired bullpen. Our great closer was well rested. Considering how many times Putz had been used in the eighth, there was no excuse not to put him in to give our offense a chance to win that game, even if it went against conventional baseball protocol for how a closer is used on the road. Weighing the confidence McLaren should have had for JJPUTZ over the shakey WHITE is a no brainer. Winning that game, arguably, may have changed the complexion of that horrendous road trip.

GEOFF, why Bavasi brought in White and Parrish to bolster our bullpen made sense. Yet, the manner in which White was used in that game was McLaren's biggest single screw-up of the year. It came at a time when we desperately needed a win. You don't have to be a fan to be objective about that colossal managerial blunder.

Look, Geoff, I totally disagree with you about a few things.

For starters, I agree that Chris Snelling didn't deserve the unabashed admiration that he received by certain folks at USSMariner, as it was foolish in several ways; yet, that notwithstanding, the trade in which he and Emiliano Fruto were dealt for Jose Vidro was a piss-poor transaction by Bill Bavasi.

Vidro, who's owed $6 million by the Seattle Mariners next season -- as the Washington Nationals will compensate $2.5 million of his $8.5 million salary -- is an overpaid, overvalued commodity. During the upcoming off-season, he -- along with the likes of Miguel Batista (2008: $9 million; 2009: $10 million), Richie Sexson (2008: $14 million), and Jarrod Washburn (2008: $10 million; 2009: $10 million) -- should be dealt to any team that's willing to absorb the remainder of his contract. It's time to dump the deadweight.

Anyway, as a designated hitter, some of Vidro's peripheral statistics (IsoP: .086; HR/F: 4.4%) are unacceptable in my book. In fact, those are horrific numbers for anyone other than a reserve middle infielder.

Furthermore, it's irritating that a talented player such as Carlos Pena (.276/.397/.607/1.004; IsoP: .331; HR/F%: 28.2%) -- who, without question, was a proven performer through every step in the minor leagues -- could've been signed to cheap, cost-efficient contract (e.g., one-year, $1 million) in lieu of the Vidro trade.

On another note, there's no arguing that Raul Ibanez's defense (RZR: .808) is atrocious -- especially in comparison to Adam Jones (RZR: .875) -- plus, he can't hit left-handed pitching (.259/.295/.354/.649) to save his life. At this point in his career, Ibanez should play as a designated hitter against right-handed pitchers; that's it.

Lastly, Batista (ERA+: 92; xFIP: 5.13; GB%: 44.2%; K/9: 6.13; K/BB: 1.60) and Washburn (ERA+: 96; xFIP: 5.35; GB%: 37.0%; K/9: 5.23; K/BB: 1.64) are both over-the-hill has-beens who are on the downside of their respective careers. In essence, starting pitchers need to be either proficient at striking out batters (e.g., Erik Bedard, Jake Peavy, Johan Santana, et al.) or inducing ground balls (e.g., Fausto Carmona, Tim Hudson, Brandon Webb, et al.); however, neither Batista nor Washburn can effectively do those things.

All right, I'm done venting about this stuff.

Jeff,

I have enjoyed reading your blog since the All Star break. However, for the last couple of weeks, it has been very tiresome reading your scorn and disdain towards the Seattle fans.

Would you consider that maybe the fans that whine and complain the most may not represent even the majority of the folks that read your blog? Would you consider for a moment that some of the fans that are writing criticisms are venting and don't have the vitriol that it seems you are trying to fight back? Or maybe that there are people out there that enjoy your blogging and don't read all the other stuff coming at you?

You are a talented guy and I appreciate your insight into the team, but now that the team is struggling, it seems that you are starting to turn your analysis toward the fan. An occasional rebuke may be helpful, but the continual mantra that I am reading is brutal.

If I may suggest...a cold refreshment at Conor Byrne's and back to your excellent analysis of the Mariner's?

Thanks,

TT

Jeff,
I am kind of in agreement with your outlook on the position players. Though I would have sat Sexson and Lopez down much earlier and would have tried to get regular playing time for AJ by trying Ibanez at 1st and DH. Vidro is really the only option in the 2 hole.

All this blog talk about who plays where is the same as shuffling deck chairs on the Titanic - nobody wins with this pitching staff.

I completely disagree on Bavasi. He has a pretty long track record here and in LA and it is abysmal. If the M's lose out this will be his best finish ever.

With his team in contention he went out and got Davis, Parrish and White - all the worst arms on their respective teams- that alone should be grounds for dismissal.

The pitching staff is Bavasi's and it is at best the second or third worst in MLB - and he has a big budget.

I think we would all agree the HoRam/Soriano trade was the disaster most web sites and publications thought it would be.

This team is not young, not fast, not very good defensively but expensive. There is not a lot of help (especially pitching) in the minor league system.

Bavasi's big checkbook has allowed him to make some good free agent signing - along with a lot of bad ones. The Vidro "trade" - (more a salary dump by the Nat's) is the only trade that he has made that resulted in the M's acquiring Major League talent.

I guess my question is; What has Bavasi done to earn another contract?. What in his history - here or in LA - suggests to you he will be successful here?

I am kind of ambivalent on McLaren maybe his good days are in front of him. I am certainly not impressed but nobody wins with this pitching staff in this division. Who else is available?

This team is a house of cards and BB has been the architect for too many years.

Yeah, what RG said.

I don't like Vidro as the DH, but it's not his fault he's in that role. Bavasi brought him into it, so that blame is there. To Vidro's credit, I think he's doing exactly what he was hired to do.

The other person I think gets knocked because of a preordained reputation is Felix. The whole King Felix thing is silly, but I think Felix showed real growth this year (look at which pitchers have won the last four or five games). I don't think next year he'll be a shut-out-the-lights ace, but I do think he'll be a solid #2 type starter, and that's pretty darn good for a 22-year-old who has the potential to be a devastating pitcher for many, many years.

Thorough analysis, Geoff. My major criticism would be the excessive salaries of over the hill types and letting veterans with just a year or two left block youngsters and/or force their trade for more over the hill types. The proposed signing of Guillen for three years is a perfect example. Balentien or Jones would be far more valuable at much less cost over the next five years. Retaining Sexson at the expense of Morse would be another. Finally, I wonder how much interference Mac is getting from upstairs. I can't imagine a field manager not realizing the need to make a drastic, paridigm shift when a team repeatedly blows game after game as they've been doing for almost a month.

Geoff,

Raul Ibanez has played 135 career games at first base. In 2002, Ibanez played 49 games as the Royals first baseman and had a career year until his aberation last season. So no I don't think playing first base would have hurt Raul offensively at all.

I'd like to see the same USSM saberheads that rip Vidro's isolated power, rip Ichiro for his isolated power at CF. Geoff is right. The saberheads only use sabermetrics when it benfits their personal agenda.

Centerfield is a position of power now in the modern era, from Griffey to Cameron, Beltran, Hunter, Sizemore, Matthews jr, Jones, Rowand.

Resin, for me, the difference between Vidro and Ichiro in terms of power is that Vidro plays no defense, so his only contribution to the game is offense. Ichiro plays stellar defense and contributes to the team by keeping runs from scoring.

I don't read everything here, but it seems from what I have read that no one has really said much about Willie Bloomquist. Here is a guy who was one of the hottest bats (if not the hottest bat) coming out of spring training, had just been signed to a nice, well-deserved contract, then..... nothing. Seldom used and probably could have been given how poorly Jose Lopez has performed. Willie brings his lunchbox to the park every day and could provide a lesson or two to anyone who loses a competitive edge for any length of time.

I don't read everything here, but it seems from what I have read that no one has really said much about Willie Bloomquist. Here is a guy who was one of the hottest bats (if not the hottest bat) coming out of spring training, had just been signed to a nice, well-deserved contract, then..... nothing. Seldom used and probably could have been given how poorly Jose Lopez has performed. Willie brings his lunchbox to the park every day and could provide a lesson or two to anyone who loses a competitive edge for any length of time.

C'mon davtra, your last name bloomquist?

C'mon davtra, your last name bloomquist?

I know I've said it before, but I really hate the NYY. (Now ahead of BOS 4-1 in the 8th.)

I happen to believe the DH position is a legitimate position in baseball regardless if you don't field.

Great news, Tony LaRussa could decline a return to St.Louis meaning he could land in Seattle. I watched LaRussa last year and came away extremely impressed with his strategy unlike the horrible Terry Francona who just left Curt Schilling too long in the game (8th inning) and did absolutely nothing in the Red Sox championship run other than watch his team win.

LaRussa in '08
Balentien in '08

Good luck to Bob Melvin and Louuuuu managing in the playoffs! Good luck to John McLaren and Bob Bavasi with their resumes!

Geoff,

Thanks for the detailed blogs throughout the year---as my enthusiasm wanes for the M's, doubt I'll be spending my lunch breaks checking up on happenings much longer. Before I go a question, you said: "It's been written here before and bears repeating: I am not a fan of the team, in particular, only a fan of baseball."

I do enjoy your writing/analysis of the game, but WHY would the Seattle Times pick anybody to blog the team who is NOT a fan of the M's??? We all dig baseball, yet most of us dig the M's in particular (and that means a special kind of BIG letdown this season). Why not go back to Canada and cover the team you have been a fan for? Nothing against you, but I'd rather read the perspective from a REAL M's fan.

Of course, I don't have to read this either. And maybe you need the job...

Thanks anyway and again --- why write for a team your not a fan of???

Geoff,

Thanks for the detailed blogs throughout the year---as my enthusiasm wanes for the M's, doubt I'll be spending my lunch breaks checking up on happenings much longer. Before I go a question, you said: "It's been written here before and bears repeating: I am not a fan of the team, in particular, only a fan of baseball."

I do enjoy your writing/analysis of the game, but WHY would the Seattle Times pick anybody to blog the team who is NOT a fan of the M's??? We all dig baseball, yet most of us dig the M's in particular (and that means a special kind of BIG letdown this season). Why not go back to Canada and cover the team you have been a fan for? Nothing against you, but I'd rather read the perspective from a REAL M's fan.

Of course, I don't have to read this either. And maybe you need the job...

Thanks anyway and again --- why write for a team your not a fan of???

Resin, I agree that the DH is a legitimate, and extremely important, position in the AL. My only point is that I have a balance between offense and defense that I expect of players. I expect a lot less offense from a catcher than I do a LF because of the difference in their defensive contributions. You specifically mentioned Vidro and Ichiro, and in my opinion, a position that doesn't play defense should have a higher caliber offensive player. I've already said that isn't Vidro's fault. I think he's had a good year. It's just not the way I would construct the team. The plan was obviously to have Richie provide the power, but the team had no backup plan when that didn't happen.

hiker1, Geoff has said (at least half jokingly, I assume) that the only team he's a fan of is the Montreal Expos. It's not a knock on the Mariners. His job as a journalist is not to be a fan, but to keep some objectivity as he writes. The blog is an offshot of his reporting, not his main job. The Mariners already hire the FSN announcers, the newspapers provide a more impartial voice.

Sorry if I'm misquoting you, Geoff.

Yes, I am the devil; I am a Angel fan in OC. I started reading this blog right when the Angels traveled up to Seattle a couple of weeks ago; near the beginning of the end of the Mariners' 2007 season. But I'm not here to gloat; I have friends and family in the Seattle area; I think Seattle is a great place. And I will never forget the Angel's collapse of '95 and if you're a Mariner fan, you know what I'm talking about. But enough about history, I'm just writing here for one reason, and that is to give my two-cents about Jose Guillen. He was once an Angel and thank the lord above that was only for one year. When he played for the Angels, he was our big bat in the lineup to protect Vlad. But his horrible attitude on the field and in the clubhouse was a cancer to the team. Sure, he could play, but in baseball, team chemistry is vital, and Guillen's antics on and off the field were a total disruption to the team. I'm not sure what the Mariners are going to do in the off season, but they should, if possible, cut Guillen loose. Have you seen how many teams he has played of in 11-year career - EIGHT! This is not always an indication of troubled player, but in this case it is. Seattle has to get rid of this guy.

Good luck next year.

Like so many of us have said all year, all this handwringing about position player trades and decisions is a pointless academic exercise. This M's team was never good enough, because of their starting pitching. They overacheived to get to where they now are. There is no lineup in baseball that could win with our rotation. Given where things are, there is only one question that matters - What can be done to improve the rotation for next year? I'm not much interested in any question that doesn't have some significant bearing on that one. Even the Sexson problem, which is quite a conundrum, doesn't qualify, because I don't see any option for dealing Richie that frees up pitching salary. Nobody takes him unless we eat most of the money. Also, the emotional letdown and frustrations of Mariners' fans in previous years are sunk costs. They have no bearing on the future. Come Oct, the same will be true of this season.

I guess what I'm saying is that I find the blame game to be boring and pointless, beyond analyzing where we go from here. Clearly, the M's are flush with talented OF'ers and OF prospects, some of whom could supply some needed power. We have a great defensive infield, with some depth. We have a very good rotation that should get better with experience. How the hell are we going to improve our miserable rotation? Both Morrow and R-R are apparently going to Winter Ball, suggesting they are destined for the rotation pool in the Spring. Who else in house is legitimate starter material? I don't see free agency supplying the answer.

I think the main criticism of Vidro is that he is an incedribly slow player. The reason why Ichiro isn't blasted by USSM is because he is a lead off hitter with great speed and a superb ability to steal bases. Vidro has none of these qualities. To top it all off, Ichiro also plays a deffensive position better than almost all of Baseball. That's where all the criticism of Vidro comes from.

First off, the season was lost because Bavasi didn't assemble a pitching staff and bullpen built for the long haul, and didn't shore up the starters OR bullpen down the stretch when they still had a chance to salvage the season. The result was a losing streak and no fresh arms to bail them out. So that's why there will be no playoffs in Seattle in 2007. Like I've stated before, I see no rhyme or reason to his player evaluations for roster assembly. And for that reason alone a new GM would be a valuable off season move, and in October so the new GM has plenty of time to help the team for 2008.

But I think you miss the point on Adam Jones. It's not Jones vs. Ibanez vs. Vidro. I think they all should play. When Sexson went down, the decision was obvious. Play Ibanez or Vidro at first base, the other at DH, and Jones in LF. I laugh at your idea that Ibanez is too mentally fragile to handle playing a position he played regularly before 2006. But if that is the case then play Vidro, he's played there several times this year so he must be more mentally stable.

Reasons you play Jones instead of Broussard:

1. Broussard is a free agent and is not returning. Playing Jones also you to develop a young player and get him prepared for next season.


2. Broussard is a career .267 hitter with 20 Home Runs and no speed. All projections say that Jones should eventually exceed those numbers.

A near-perfect analysis with which I agree completely.

Resin:

Ichiro OPS: .826 (In Safeco)
Cameron: .770
Beltran: .889
Hunter: .858
Sizemore: .849
Matthews jr: .751
Jones: .729
Rowand: .898 (playing in a joke of a home ballpark)

Ichiro's the best base-stealer out of that lot, and I'd take his defense against any one of them. So he's plenty valuable.

Is it unfair to cherry-pick a stat like ISO to attack Vidro?? Sure. But he's still only at .792 in OPS for the year, in the middle of the pack for DHs.

Solid player? Sure. The type of player that should relegate a talent like Adam Jones to the bench? Heck no.

To "Mr. X": I do understand your point about the difference between hitting in the "3" hole v. the "2" hole. But Vidro really wasn't a HR kind of guy when Bavasi signed him. It seemed like what Bavasi was counting on was a spray hitter who would "spray" lots of doubles all over spacious Safeco as opposed to singles (we already have one of those guys). But I see your point. Plus, we don't need another SLOW guy. We need to add speed to the mix. A little Lou-ball, if you will.

To "Resin": I wasn't trying to say that the Ms tried too much to hit HRs. I don't think they did although I was happy to see Beltre break out more this year. What I meant in the previous entry was that a lot of folks expect HRs from the DH and HRs are how folks evaluate a DHer's performance. For years, we were spoiled with Edgar who could hit BOTH HRs and doubles. It seems like people here have been waiting/hoping for the next Edgar which may make the DH job hard for anybody coming in. Especially a guy like Vidro who doesn't have that kind of resume really.

But I still think this team, with Vidro, could have contended a lot further into September if we had even a mediocre starting staff. Felix will get there and, by default, was the best of the lot. But his ERA was still 4.00+. I really hope he continues to improve and will give him the benefit of the doubt. Washburn, however, is not, IMHO, going to improve. We've seen his "best" in past years. He's pretty much a 6 inning pitcher on a good day and just ineffective on way too many others. Each year he slips to another rung down the ladder. But he's either a #4 or #5 guy (on a good starting rotation). Batista may well have overachieved. Who knows? And I don't like his "I pitched great today" denial song when everybody saw him stink up the place on any particular outing where he gave up 6 or more runs in 2 innings. I guess we keep him since it's hard to revamp everybody on the starting rotation. However, Weaver and Ramirez should never see the Safeco mound ever. Ever.

So, we're really back to how best to improve the starting pitching for next year. And, maybe more critically, can we actually do that with the current FO, including whoever is above Bavasi who ultimately evaluates his performance? I just don't have confidence in Bavasi. We need a fresh perspective. And, finally, does anybody feel that McLaren will be a different manager next year when he comes to spring training with a team that will be HIS team? Won't have to worry about the whole "good coach/bad coach" thing? If not, then I don't think he's right for this team, either. When he gambled, it was without any sense that he understood the gamble he was taking. Beyond that, he just seemed dazed and confused at times. I dunno.

Vidro this, Jones and Ibanez that...with all the finger pointing...why is no one mentioning how Washburn is raping this franchise of 10 mil a year??? Why does he get a pass?? 9 wins?????????? little over 1/1 mil per win....not bad work if you can get it. Besides Sexson, Washburn is the biggest bust on the entire team

Geoff, you've asked so many variations of the "how could Jones get any more playing time with the way Ibanez and Vidro have been hitting" question that I'm done with it. But it's a good question. Only it says something about the team you haven't mentioned. Every other team with a talent like Jones has found him playing time. The M's couldn't because - veteran fetish or not - their roster is too inflexible to make room for a talent that pretty much any other team would've loved to have in their lineup.

The biggest problem with the Vidro trade is that it made an already inflexible roster even worse.

Raul Ibanez is one of my favorite players, but age and injury have slowed him down and he is a defensive liability in LF. As a left-handed power bat (one of only two on the team), he needs to be in the lineup on a regular basis. The only two positions he can play at this point in his career without being a serious defensive liability are 1B and DH.

Likewise, Vidro's legs are too banged up to be an acceptible middle infielder. He was a gamer and went out there a few times, and I'm actually fine with him getting a day at 2B every month or two, but his days as a regular middle infielder are over. If his bat's going to be in the lineup, the only positions he can regularly play are 1B and DH.

Richie Sexson can only play two positions, 1B and DH.

Ben Broussard (the second left-handed power bat, who - given Safeco - should've had far more ABs this season) can play only two positions without being a defensive liability - you guessed it, 1B and DH.

That's four guys for two positions. The two easiest positions to fill with good hitters, by the way. And Jose Guillen's defense is begining to succomb to age and injury too, and probably ought to be getting at least a third of his ABs as the DH. So the real problem with Vidro is he just adds to the logjam at 1B/DH. Because of that logjam, one guy (Ibanez) was playing out of position, and a second guy (Broussard) was wasting time on the bench. Then Jones comes along, and there's no way to make room for him, so you have three guys (three and a half if you agree Guillen should DH a couple of games a week) mis-used because of inflexibile roster construction.

That lands on Bavasi's doorstep.

Couldn't agree more with you, Mike. Guys like Washburn and Sexson are the reason why we need to see what our farm system has to offer. Let's see what some of these AAA guys can do while looking to next year. With less than 15 games left, what's left to lose?

The construction of this team was mismanaged during the offseason starting with Bavasi. Hargrove overworked the bullpen and didn't hold pitchers like Weaver and HoRam accountable for their poor outings. McLaren has effectively carried the torch. Loyalty to the veterans is noble, but as we've found out, has resulted in the demise of this team.

If Bavasi has effectively restored our farm system, then it's about time to start seeing it through--start playing some of these guys--give them some experience--create some spark, some fire--let's see what they have...

I too think Bavasi and McLaren should be replaced. I think a good choice for manager would be Joe Girardi/ Love the job he did in Fla. and now with Lou in Chicago he might be available. Ryan would be a good choiice for GM.

Girardi would be a good choice but he's not making a move until Torre's status becomes clear. If Torre gets canned and the Yanks choose Mattingly than maybe Girardi makes the move way out west. At least with the Mariners he wouldn't have to worry about getting into an argument with the owner during the game.
Maybe Dusty Baker? If he wants to manage again , I have to believe his 3 million + annual salary demands have come down. It's not like he's in demand anymore. Maybe now it's 3 years 5 million and a lifetime supply of toothpicks.
Bobby Valentine? It would take alot to get him but I believe he feels he still has something to prove in the majors. Not sure if Ichiro could coexist with him though.
Tony Larussa would be interesting if he leaves St. Louis.

Tampa may have the worst record; but they are far more exciting than the Mariners....if they had any fan support and played in the A L West they would have a better record....They have speed to burn....they have a young ball club...they have a guy who the mariners could have had for a $$ million who has hit 40 HRs...what do we have; complete boredom....a ballpark that is so big that we are 10th in the AL in HRs, with 4 supposed power hitters...we have the most overrated player in the game....he slap hits .350 and has an on base percentage of .351 and steals about half the bases he is capable of.....their supposed "king" mopes around like Freddie even when he gets 6 or more runs to work with...we have Larry and Moe running the team....This not only a mediocre team, with poor management; it is a team with a definite cure for insomnia....the only thing the management will listen to is empty seats...start showing them a few....do not waste your $$ on a bunch of losers and owners who only care about the bottom line!!!

Geoff, I enjoyed reading your blog today. I'm not suggesting you shorten it as all the details make me think and sometimes understand better.
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The one paragraph seems to sum it all up:
"There are peaks and valleys to every season. The one constant this season, from the negative side, has been starting pitchers unable to win when it matters, or deliver innings, and Richie Sexson not hitting the ball. On those two fronts, the team deserves all the criticism it gets. Maybe even job-costing criticism."
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Like the gal in the state to the south, I wonder if you will follow the playoffs? It is also interesting to follow the trades and changes during the warm stove league.
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Later...
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byebyeSexson

Way to go Geoff, you're really proving that you are nothing but a tool of the Mariners front office. In the midst of a completely disasterous implosion by this team are you seriously going out of your way to give Bavasi a pat on the back for the Vidro trade? Talk about taking your eye off the ball.

I like Vidro on this team. He's a patient, switch-hitting guy who hits .300 and can play more than one position in the field, plus DH. What's wrong with that? Vidro as DH is the least of this team's problems.

"The home run in the fourth to Carlos Pena, his 40th of the season, was "the only mistake I made in the whole game," Washburn said. "I thought I threw well, and I didn't have anything to show for it."" --- Washburn after 4 1/3 innings against the D-Rays
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I can't say how disappointed I am by this guy's quote. He sounds more like cRyan Franklin every day. Do some of these guys (i.e. losing starting pitchers with it-wasn't-my-fault attitudes) ever get it, or are they really that dillusional? Pena's home run may have been the most crushing mistake Jarrod made, but to say it's the only one is just plain pathetic. He made plenty, or else he'd have gone a lot further than 4 1/3 innings, giving up six hits. I couldn't care less how many guys he Ked.
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Do these guys just throw out quotes like this to have us believe they're not as bad as they looked.
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I'm really getting to the point where I feel all game recaps should be written without any quote whatsoever, from anyone, manager included. You can't believe anything they say. They'll just tell you what they want you to believe, or just try to cover up for somebody else. Let the reporter report as he sees fit, but spare us from the 'it wasn't my/his/our fault, I/he/we just didn't get any breaks' garbage. The fans/readers aren't all the fools those quoted would like to believe we are.
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It might be time to enter Wash into the "Sterling Hitchock Club", he of the "I pitched five innings, so I did my job" quote.

One more thing: Does anyone really think another team is going to pick up any of Sexson's (or Batista/Washburn/Vidro) contract just to get a guy that his own team doesn't want anymore? Only our GM would do something that stupid. If anything, the M's should pay someone to take Sexson off their hands, but we're not talking about the Rangers and A-Rod here.

"I'd like to see the same USSM saberheads that rip Vidro's isolated power, rip Ichiro for his isolated power at CF. Geoff is right. The saberheads only use sabermetrics when it benfits their personal agenda."

Or you know, maybe it's because Ichiro plays an important defensive position at an extremely high level, routinely turns singles into doubles, and has shown over the course of his career that he can sustain a ridiculous singles rate. Jose Vidro has done none of that. Making straight across statistical comparisons without puting those statistics in context is intellectually dishonest.

"Centerfield is a position of power now in the modern era, from Griffey to Cameron, Beltran, Hunter, Sizemore, Matthews jr, Jones, Rowand."

Yet Ichiro has a higher VORP than all of them. Vidro isn't Ichiro. He doesn't have anywhere near the same skillset. Not even remotely similar. You're comparing apples to bicycles.

"Get past the "DH" crown and look WHERE he hit in the lineup most of the time and what THAT guy is supposed to do for the team."

Argh... This annoys me more than anything. Since when are you supposed to settle for an inferior players simply because he fits some predefined role. You should be seeking to get the best player no matter where he hits in the lineup.

Put it this way. If Alex Rodriguez were hitting leadoff he would be the greatest leadoff hitter in the history of baseball. Why? Because he's a great hitter. Period. You don't assemble a team by finding players who skillsets fit into the lineup. You find the best players possible at each position, and then let the lineup sort itself out.

The problem with Vidro isn't that we traded Snelling and Fruto for him..and nobody is saying that's the problem. And the problem with Vidro isn't that he is a (mostly) singles hitter with no speed who can't play a defensive position (though that is definitely a drawback).

The problem with Vidro is that the team has a finite payroll and he makes $7.5M this year and $8.5M next year playing the most easily replaceable position -- DH. That's too much of the team's limited resources to plow into a one-dimensional player.

Suppose Broussard had played DH all year (or, say, Jack Cust who was available for nothing in the spring), and you instead put that money into pitching?

I find it astonishing that we are told that psyches of certain senior players are so delicate that any hint that they may be platooned threatens to ruin their "hot" hitting. Players or pansies?

Attended yesterday's game - what a disaster! The highlight was getting Mariners lunch boxes for the kids - they're quite happy with them. The biggest disappointment yesterday for me was the miserable offense. Scoring a few runs early once and awhile would make a big difference to the starting pitching. For way too many games this year the M's hitters have made some journeyman pitcher (i.e. someone I've never heard of) seem like Cy Young. I'm fed up with it.

Regarding FO, the highlight of the year was getting Ichiro signed to an extension. That was huge. The lowlight, if you will, was not letting Sexson go on that waiver claim (assuming that the rumor was accurate and that he was claimed, only to have the M's withdraw him from waivers).

Resin:

Ichiro OPS: .826 (In Safeco)

Exactly my point. Safeco Field favors left-handed hitters that pull for power. With a strong breeze from Elliot Bay blowing from left field to right field it's an advantage. That's why
Suzuki's Slugging Pct. is 33 points higher at home and that's why his OPS is higher at home.

And Ichiro's ISO is weak for a center fielder. That's the issue I have with saberheads trashing Vidro's isolated power and ignoring Ichiro's isolated power. Don't bring in other subjects to stray away from the main argument. USSM are homers for Ichiro, they don't care if he doesn't hit for power which justifies what Geoff stated about emotional attachments clouding sound analysis.

At least Geoff is man enough to admit when he's wrong. He did with Betancourt, now Vidro.

routinely turns singles into doubles, and has shown over the course of his career that he can sustain a ridiculous singles rate. Jose Vidro has done none of that. Making straight across statistical comparisons without puting those statistics in context is intellectually dishonest.

Ichiro does not routinely turn singles into doubles, he's a pure singles hitter. With his phenomenal speed he should be stealing 60 bags a year.

Who cares about Ichiro's defense! Here we go again. When a saberhead loses an argument they stray away from the main topic.

It's a fact, Ichiro Suzuki has a low isolated power for his position compared to the best CF'ers in the game. It's also a fact Jose Vidro has a low ISO in comparison to the best DH's in the game.

Stop running away from the truth, if your going to rip Vidro for lacking power, rip Ichiro for lacking power. Be fair, otherwise you sound like a USSM apologist.

"Ichiro does not routinely turn singles into doubles, he's a pure singles hitter."

Nonsense. His stolen base rate is among the best of active players.

"With his phenomenal speed he should be stealing 60 bags a year."

That's ignoring the fact that more stolen base attempts will equal more times getting thrown out. It's the percentage that matters, not the total amount of bases stolen.

"Who cares about Ichiro's defense! Here we go again."

Because making straight across statistical comparisons without puting those stats into context is dishonest, period. Why can Ichiro get away with having a low IsO? Because he hits .350, steals bases at a 90% clip, and plays stellar defense at an important position. You can chose to ignore that all you want, but that just shows you'd rather cherry pick statistics that support your argument while ignoring those that don't.

"When a saberhead loses an argument they stray away from the main topic."

No, I'm explaining why people don't criticize Ichiro for having a low IsO SLG. You just don't like the answer.

"It's a fact, Ichiro Suzuki has a low isolated power for his position compared to the best CF'ers in the game."

And it's a fact that he's still more valuable than almost all of them. Why don't you start looking at what Ichiro does instead of what he doesn't do.

"Stop running away from the truth, if your going to rip Vidro for lacking power, rip Ichiro for lacking power."

If Vidro played gold glove CF, hit .350 and stole bases at a 90% clip I wouldn't criticize him. But guess what, Vidro does none of that, and as a result his lack of power becomes an issue.

I usually like what you right Resin, but this is one of the most intellectually dishonest arguments I've ever seen from you. You're better than this.

"Be fair, otherwise you sound like a USSM apologist."

Be fair? Or maybe you could stop cherry picking single stats, and taking them out of context. Ichiro isn't subjected to the same criticism because he excells in other areas of the game tha Vidro doesn't.

Faceplant- I'm not going to change your mind. The argument was very clear, if you want to call me a liar, that's your agenda. The facts are laid out perfectly clear.

I am well versed in metrics analysis. I think VORP is a complete joke just like most of Dave Cameron's scouting. I mean look at today how he is attacking Geoff. They lose a lot of respect from people when they constantly cry about getting their feelings hurt by Baseball Prospectus and now it's Geoff Baker. I wonder how old these kids are over there.

How about writing about who should play next year instead of harping on the same topic?

Love the blog, but you've been a one-trick pony for a while now, Geoff.

This season is over. Talk about the changes that could be made, and what we'll look like '08.

"I mean look at today how he is attacking Geoff."

Even though he clearly states that he likes Geoff a lot over and over again in the blog item, and mentions in the comments senction that him and Geoff E-mail quite regularly. Do you only see what you want to see or what?

"I'm not going to change your mind. The argument was very clear, if you want to call me a liar, that's your agenda. The facts are laid out perfectly clear."

And the fact is that you refuse to look at the entire picture and would instead look at only that which helps confirm your preformed opinion. I take issue with the fact that you try and make straight accross statistical comparisons, while refusing to present those statistics in the context of each players unique skillset.

"I think VORP is a complete joke just like most of Dave Cameron's scouting."

And anything that doesn't fit into your preformed opinions it seems.

As I stated before, I usually like what you write, but this is ridiculously dishonest.

Oh, and in case you didn't notice, in this last post it was Baker who first criticized the USS Mariner, and other likeminded fan blogs. Maybe you should take that into account next you go around criticizing everyone who doesn't agree with you.

Personally I read and respect all three of the big blogs ussmariner.com, lookoutlanding, and the Baker's blog. Maybe you should try and do the same.

Emotions running high! : - ) I like your stuff Geoff. I don't agree with all of it, but think its cool that you want to play devil's advocate to the blogosphere.

I thought your quote here was interesting:

"He didn't run down enough line drives to the gaps, you say? Well, point them out. Tell me which ones lost the game. I'd probably tell you the chances of winning would soar if the starting pitchers stopped yielding line drives to the gaps, but that's just me."

I had been thinking for a while now that someone should do just that. I'm in Alaska and only hear the games on the radio (hooray for xm!), but I do recall a number of play-by-play calls like "a drive to deep left, Ibanez goes back...can't get there! Its on a hop off the wall and that will clear the bases..." Each time I wondered if AJ would have made the play. Can't we do what you suggest? I believe that using mlb.tv you can look at every play involving a particular player. Sure, this would be an absurd amount of work for someone without a life, but hello, that is probably you if you're reading this. : - ) You could even have 2 or 3 people do it so you could have diversity of opinion as to which balls he didn't get that AJ **might** have gotten to. You mentioned 7 runs based on statistical models. I wonder what it was in reality, which can belie the stats in the short term. My biased guess is that his defense cost us more than that one game you mentioned. He isn't terrible, but going from mediocre to really really good D in left field is a big jump.

I think you're right that we fall into agendas sometimes because we really like certain players and we want them to succeed. We're fans. Managers do the same thing, starting players long after their skills have been surpassed by someone else who should be playing (No, i'm not trying to talk about the AJ controversy here again). Like lots of others I totally pull for Snelling and am certainly biased toward him.

Responding to another quote:

"So, what to conclude? I'll let you decide. But I am not about to write off 10 consistent weeks of top-level production by a guy as a "fluke" or a "hot streak". I've heard this same tune being sung for weeks now. It was a "hot streak" two weeks in, then four, then eight and now 10. At what point do we conclude that possibly, just possibly, the first three months of the season were a matter of Vidro adapting to being a full-time DH?"

This is a classic debate. The guy performing well above recent established performance and expectations. Has he learned something new? Healed in some way? Or is it doomed to fall apart anytime now? Anyone who has played much fantasy baseball has faced this dilemma. I remember one year I had Clint Barmes, and he was hitting .400 and leading the NL in RBI through the first 6 weeks of the season. In his case the numbers fell off the table. Brady Anderson's lasted a full season. I remember when Brian Roberts came out of nowhere a few years ago. Its a mixed bag, but isn't it demonstrably true that in general, careers do NOT make dramatic turns for the better like this? He is hitting .365 since the break--do you really think that is his true current ability? You pointed to his numbers from prior years mentioning his healthier legs at that time. So it seems that either (1) he is back to the old Vidro and will be a pretty darn good hitter for a second baseman, and a decent DH, or (2) he is going to have a rude awakening sometime soon. I'm just a thirty-something student and educator way up in Alaska so my opinion means ZERO, but I'm afraid it will not last. I'd trade him ASAP if I could just to take advantage of his current high perceived value. My strong belief is his performance next year won't justify his salary, regardless of who we gave up to get him. But hey, I thought he'd be much worse this year, so what do I know?

Last one:

"Real people get impacted by real things. In the conversations I've had with Ibanez the past two months, he's indicated to me how important it's been for him to shut out all of the outside distractions and concerns that can get into his head. He has dedicated himself to simplifying things as much as he can for himself on a daily basis. He doesn't even want to risk losing his focus by so much as getting into a detailed explanation to reporters about the changes he's made in his plate approach. That's how delicate a situation it is for him. So, with all of that going on, are you going to risk throwing it out-of-whack by making him play another position?"

Interesting. I think you're right that fans and stats people don't take into account the "head games" of players enough. I wish the players could be stronger (better concentration) and better (maturity and humility to accept what their manager thinks is best for the team) than that, but you've hit on something that is really true I think. If Raul would make playing first base an issue that affects his hitting, well, that would be a problem. He shouldn't, but maybe he would. I know there have been studies done on how players perform when switching positions, and overall, there is little effect. But he could be the exception. Interesting points Geoff. Obviously there is a lot of room for disagreement, but I think you're doing a good job stirring the pot. Regarding Raul and AJ, is anyone making a connection between AJ's callup and Raul's ascendancy? Correlated or unrelated?

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