I think it is safe to say that Sunday can be put in the win column

Wow, that's terrible news. We still have a chance to win with Silva on short rest, but Washburn? You might as well play your bench and rest your regulars, that one will be over early.

I just read that Joe Guillen's suspension is being permanently recinded by Big Bud Selig.

HA! Nice move Mariners. You got rid of him because the heat was on. Now what do we got?

Bad move.

At least Raul plays Left Field well at Yankee Stadium.

http://pics.livejournal.com/gomezticator/pic/001z201q

Hey, why not sweep the Yankees! It's possible if the guys play up to their potential. And, oh, how that would aggravate our good ole' nemesis!

Yikes! Vidro is hitting third tonight.

Wow, snisk. You're a perfect fan. Undying devotion to your team, and no memory to speak of.

Geoff, if you get the opportunity, when you get the explanation (about Felix's calf) can you ask about any discussion on replacing Washburn in the lineup? He's the worst-performing pitcher in the rotation this year. If anyone deserves to sit, it's him.

"Tony Pena does know how to manage. Won a lot of games with a lousy Royals team in 2003."

This game should be considered an interview for Pena. Because we have a lousy team that wants to win a lot of games.

Well, the rotation shakeup I was expecting was RRS getting inserted... but that's been bandied about already, so this must be bigger than that.

Then again, Geoff, you don't come out and say Felix is part of the shake-up, only that he has a sore calf. So perhaps Felix... ?

Intrigue.

So there being careful with felix's sore calf, and pushing him back a couple of days. But he's allowed to go golfing while they were in detroit according to kjram.

Is it really a sore calf or is he suffering from nightmares of the last time he pitched in NYC?

snick-Sweep the Yankees....Om My God thats the funniest thing Ive heard in a while we cant sweep the floor let alone the Yankees and not a very good Yankee team at that, the only thing we need to be sweeping is the management of this team right out the damn door, Sweep the Yankees, thats funny right there. Dag gum. Heres a news story for you

Redmond WA-In a unprecedented name change , Nintendo of America has announced they have changed the name of the Seattle Mariners to Wii Suck.

Does it even matter anymore? Felix misses a start or two - he's the future of the franchise, so his long term health is way more important that Saturday in Yankee Stadium.

Remember when the starting rotation was the STRENGTH of this team? With an eye toward the previous thread, I don't think McLaren has the attention of this team the way Pinella did for most of his stay here. Understand, Lou had his faults (drained our farm system, damaged confidence levels of young pitchers, whined to the press when it suited him). But Pinella had "street cred" at the MLB level. Hitters listened to him; players wanted to perform well for him. I'm not at all sure our current crop of players feel that way about Mac. I'm not saying they don't like him - Mac's way too much of a "players' manager" for that. But I don't think he inspires his troops who, unfortunately, need inspiring in order to play well.

Earlier, Geoff said he didn't think this was a bad Ms team. On paper, if the players had "average" years based on their historical data, I'd tend to agree. Not bad. Not good either. And mediocre just isn't going to cut it. Betancourt hasn't played up to scout/insider expectations and may never do so; Lopez remains an enigma - does he really want to play or what? Sexson will never recover from his "trauma" of fans booing him. Vidro just ain't a DH....and he's slower than Edgar ever was (which is saying something). Balentien is young and will struggle until he either "gets it' or fades. Ditto Clement. He clearly can hit AAA pitching, but he may need a year or more to learn MLB pitchers, if he ever does. Remember, Raul never hit much during the Pinella years, was let go and eventually became a very good everyday hitter. It amazes me how many folks on this blog put a big ol' hate on him. Good God, he's the most productive hitter on the team and gives great effort each day - something you cannot say about many of the other guys. Yes, he ain't gonna win any Gold Gloves, but you don't toss this guy away like some would do.

If this season plays out like I think it may, then Bavasi should forfeit his job. He's the architect. MacLaren, too. He's the shepard. The "losing" culture has to be stopped. This team has been trying to "reload" since 2002. Now, in 2008, to the average fan's eye, it appears the Ms are a worse team than they were back then. When you can't point to much, if any, true progress, it's time to re-think just what the "game plan" ever was for making this team a post-season contender. Today, this team looks/feels like the teams of the early 90s. A team where no self-respecting rising star player would ever voluntarily go. That was what Pinella reversed. Because of his "cred" and his outrageous competitiveness, good players wanted to play...for him. Somehow, we've got to get back to the future with that kind of leader. Because, before you know it, the contracts of Bedard and Hernandez wil be up, and they will be gone. Then what do we have to show for all the sacrifices made by this team and its long-patient fans?

Regarding your previous post, Geoff, where you stated that firing Lincoln and Armstrong is not going to happen because they have made a lot of money for the team's owners.

I thought baseball team owners already had a boatload of money (otherwise, how could they own a team?). Owning a team should be about WINNING. If you don't care about winning the WS, you shouldn't be an owner. Steinbrenner, as much as I dislike him, spent whatever it took to win. And guess what, a winning team puts fans in the seats. Remember how many game sellouts the Mariners had in 2001 when they won 116 games?

The fans have it right. The fans want to win. Go M's.

Washburn & Silva taxed? You've got to be kidding!
Neither one went 100 pitches last time out!
Get their butt out there.....show the Mariner nation that Washburn is done(could be a pitcher to pitch to one player in relief). Don't let Washburn go into the next inning...ala Green.....if Green is going to be effective...it's the inning he comes in....the start of another inning for Green...is "iffy" at best.
Silva....as my Minnesota friends said....is a fragile(physically) pitcher. They're glad he's gone.
Once again....Mariners aren't going to win 'til they start to "manufacture" runs....the cluthch hitting isn't there! The batting avgs. prove that!
Armstrong is the answer.....when/if he's gone....then the organization will change.....

Way off the subject...

Any reason why there are six teams in the NL Central and only four in the AL West?

I propose that Houston moves to the NL West and Colorado moves to the AL West.

Any idea why the lopsidedness?

Can't have an odd number of teams in one league.

How in the heck is vidro not only DH'ing but hitting 3rd!!! my god they are trying to lose.. you got kenji not playing today why can he not DH... my god...... third!!!!!!! ugh...
NoRm

Hey, Wash wanted to be left out there when he blew his last outing. Perhaps this is Mac belatedly taking him up on it. Y'know, letting him soak up an extra outing so as to reset and rest a bullpen that is starting to be a bit taxed, in no small part due to Wash himself.

Otherwise, I can't understand this at all. I mean, having a 6th starter around is supposed to be why we have Baek (oops... make that 'had' Baek) or Dickey.

Damn-and-a-half, I wish this team would be a bit more straightforward in actually using the disabled list for its disabled players. If Batista is banged up with a billion sore parts, throw him on the 15-day. If Vidro has a back strain, have him go day-to-day. And so on.

NoRm - I'm sure the reason is that Vidro has good career numbers against Petitte. Anything else would be madness, right?

If the M's can't snag a game or get blown out like the Detroit series, what goes down next week.?

It seems almost everything with in reason has been tried.

Do they start talking with other teams to move a player you would not even consider moving in the past, to get prospects.

Who are the big free agents for 2010? and would they play in Seattle.

Breathe that NYC air Geoff!

Take some good video, never been to Yankee Stadium, never will.

So, what is the team doing to stop the streak?
I never hear them taking extra batting practice, or doing those basic defensive drills, or anything from the coaching staff as to what the plan is to get this team going again!

Aha - and Geoff updated right after I posted about Wash, confirming exactly what I thought.

Geoff - Washburn didn't seriously talk his way into the lineup, as an ego thing, right? The quotes above make it sound like that was the case. I'm sure McLaren looked at all possible options - including running Felix out there anyway, starting Dickey, starting RRS, even D/Ling Felix and bringing up Feirbrand or similar - but then concluded skipping Felix and going to straight to Wash was the right objective choice. Mac made the decision. Not Washburn. Right? Right?

Well it must be madness, then. According to the Game Day preview, Vidro is hitting .250 in 16 ABs against Pettitte.

Geoff, you forgot the two paragraphs at the end saying how this is a sign of immaturity on Felix's part. What gives?

Did I just see the lineup include Vidro in the 3 hole? So I guess McLaren believes the worse you perform at the plate the more important part of the lineup you will bat in.

This is all Burke's fault.

So Hernandez cannot start but he can play 18 holes of golf in Detroit a few days ago????? must be nice to have a players coach. In my world if I'm sore over the weekend i rest, because if i cannot show up to work on Monday i do not get paid.

Vidro third - okay, it's sad when a knucklehead on a computer can make out a lineup better than a major league manager can.

That last at-bat gives Clutchiro a .147 average with RISP this year. 17 million sure doesn't buy what it used to.

"That last at-bat gives Clutchiro a .147 average with RISP this year. 17 million sure doesn't buy what it used to."

I guess that's if you are determined to use meaningless statistics.

A bomb to Duncan - seriously? Wow - the world is coming to an end