Hey at least Sexon hit another "Jay Buhner" home run.

"Seattle made things interesting until the sixth inning, when Jose Lopez pretty much torpedoed their chances with an error that cost the team two unearned runs."

Give me a break. Silva gave up the home run. Blame Lopez if you want, but don't act like the guy who gave up 11 hits, including 4 doubles and 2 homers, doesn't deserve the majority of the blame in this game.

Geoff,

The general criticism of the players have been fairly soft? Are you forgetting the criticisms that you can't build a team around pitching, the Silva signing, the Bedard trade, the criticism of having someone like Vidro as your DH?

I'm not sure why you are buying into what Bavasi said either. Sure the players are playing like crap, but Bavasi is the one that constructed the roster, and Mac is the one that makes the lineup cards.

You can have all the damn chemistry and leadership you want, but when you have three 'starters' like Silva, Washburn, and Batista, along with duds like Sexson and Vidro, it doesn't address a damn thing.

Shame on you Geoff for buying into this, shame on you.

Next homestand promo event: "Brown Paper Bag Night"! The wisdom of pre-cut eyeholes is debatable, though...some fans might not want to watch the next debacle unfold on the field.

While I know the players play a huge role in the collapse of this team, I'm not going to put my focus on them. Bill Bavasi is enemy #1 to me. The blame won't be put on anyone else until he is gone. I think you underestimate the amount of disgust M's fans have for Bavasi. He'll be on center-stage for attack until he is gone, period.

I'm not excusing the players bad play, I'm just not going to gripe on it. Bavasi must go first.

Geoff, what about some accountability for the man who put this crap together? USSM actually has a great post up this afternoon pointing to several sites that "had the nerve" to say this team was no good.

Why does Bavasi get a pass here? Wheres his accountability? At what point does he say "The blame ultimately falls on me, I put this team together, and I alone am responsible for this mess".

BTW Geoff, I appreciate the tone and substance in your posts.....far too long the Seattle press has kissed ass....its refreshing to see someone actually tell it like it is.

Bavasi needs to go now, draft be damned, before he can hand out any more 3 yr extensions.

Next 4 series:

Boston
Detroit
LAA
Boston

Its going to get UGLY. Any series we don't get outright swept has to be considered an epic victory at this point.

But in more uplifting news, my Rays take on Baltimore in 90 minutes - who's going to watch with me?

Bavasi calls out the players that he signed. ROFLMAO - what a moron.

My profound apologies to all the morons out there for making such an odious comparison with Bavasi. I know he makes the rest of the morons look bad.

The body language in the dugout said it all today. Bloomquist looked like he was about to blubber in the dugout circa Joey Cora after the M's were elimited from the ALCS in 1995. I agree that Bavasi is too blame her, although John Mac needs to grow a pair and bench Sexson, he's pathetic. Hate to beat a dead horse, but I'd be far more excited to see Norton at first, or dare i say, it Gregg Dobbs, both great moves by that retard Bavasi.

I'll keep watching, b/c that's what the diehard fans do. I grew up with this team and will continue to watch them.

Fellas, the blame is on the players. When the national media predicts the Mariners will win the West, the wildcard, or even finish second, they are essentially giving credit to management for putting together a team that SHOULD contend. At that point, it's all on the players shoulders. I saw something the other day that said five of the guys in our starting lineup are ALL hitting 40 points--or more-- below their career averages. Management can't do a thing about that. These players need to step up, that's all there is to it.

Geoff,

I don't know who predicted that the M's would be the worst team in the majors, but plenty of well informed people like Dave at USSM, PECOTA, ZIPS, CHONE, and Hardball Times had the M's as under 500 in their preseason analysis.

When you look at results Mr. Conehead looks like a moron, and everyone else an optomist.

Geoff,

I've never been a big fan of Jose Lopez and think he is a below average second basemen. After his error today, what excuses can he be making?? I know his brother died last year and can only imagine his pain but he has no range and how many balls get by him??

Does he merit any trade considerations from other teams?? His body language on the field reminds me of the person getting on the last bus to the stadium.......

Agreed Geoff but I would have like to have seen Bill also point the finger back at himself. The effort is not what it needs to be from top to the bottom including him! I can hardly wait till tomorrow. And to think I bought the directv package to watch this!

Geoff, I have to add myself to the voices questioning Skeletor's right to call anybody out for lousy performance. The teams he's built have always been mediocre at best - didn't he have only one winning season in Anaheim? If he had an ounce of pride, he'd call a press conference, announce his immediate resignation and get his shiny-domed carcass out of town. A wise man once said "a fish rots at the head first". And yeah, Howie Lincoln - that's meant for you too.

79 wins, 100 losses, who cares what the exact predicitons were? The overwhelming opinion that accompanied those types of predictions was that this wasn't the team Bavasi & Co. thought they had. The prediction was for the Mariners to be exposed as an AGING team that has little power, can't draw a walk, doesn't hit for high average, can't run, and can't play good defense.

Those predictions also took into account the bullpen not being as good as last year. That was why last season was a bit of Foll's Gold. They had Sherril and Putz who had career years and won this team a bunch of games they probably shouldn't have.

This season is a perfect storm of suck, but don't for a minute pretend that no one saw it coming (that's for you, Bavasi).

Bavasi isn't "enemy #1". He's a known quantity, and he's done pretty much here what he did for the Angels- build up the minors and sign overrated FA's to terrible contracts. The people that decided he was a good fit for the franchise are the ones that need to be called to account. Maybe they won't or can't be fired, but they should not be allowed to deflect the blame that rightfully belongs to them.

You are right. No one predicted them to be this bad. But how about the overblown hype that you and others placed on this team?

Silva was a losing pitcher last year. Many touted him as a great signing and a piece that creates the best rotation in the league, or at least one of the strongest. All we needed was pitching because in your minds that's all it takes. Worked well for ya up in Toronto eh Geoff?

There were minimal changes made to this roster. What is the difference? Was last year absolutely an aberration? Why was there some chemistry then but not now? You can't look anyone in the eye and say things were great but just dissolved this year. It was either here last year or just an excuse this year.

How about accountability? Real organizations don't make people do what they are not capable of. To call out the players and require of them to do what they are not is just silly. There are ZERO vocal leaders on this team. Ichiro has never been and will never be. Give it up.

This team was built by Bavasi. He should have known the pieces he was putting together. Now, after building his house that he designed he is pissed because it doesn't look the way he wanted it to? Give me a break.

Bavasi is like the college buddy that went home with the fat chick and rather than letting it go, he feels the need to justify it to everybody. Hey, he knows best.

When half your teams second language is english and half your team is young players.Then you are not going to have any leaders,

If Bavasi thinks that the club house is so important (which it is)Then he should have resigned Jose Guillen.Especially when he planned on trading Adam Jones,

He has no room to speak because he is the one who puts these players on the team and on the field.If he thinks there is no leadership that is his fault for putting together a team full of players who dont step up.

If he doesnt like the club house then he is the only one who can do something about it so if you rip the team then you are ripping yourself for putting such a terrible product in the club house.

Bottom line if you dont like it and we the fans dont like it then stop talking and do someting about it.Make some trades,Sign some free agents.

You can go sign Kenny Lofton right now and put him and left and have Raul at DH and have a veteran presence who can also get on base on the club.

I have heard names from Griffey to Matt Holliday being available so do something to make the team better if you want the team to be better.

This team is on life support - it's time to pull the plug on the season and fuggedaboutit.

And forget about all the bad trades and signings - they are done & gone - history, there are no mulligans in baseball.

So what's the best deal for the next 6 weeks? At the trading deadline unload salary? Dump the deadwood and try to pick up other teams discards who are probably a damn sight better than what we have now, which is pretty much nothing? Then bring up any warm body from any of the farm teams for major league tryout time?

The blame is on everyone.
Bavasi has continually proven himself a poor, poor judge of talent.
McClaren clearly isn't getting anything out of what he has.
And any professional team that can get obliterated on a daily basis isn't performing anything like the highly paid professionals that they're supposed to be.
There's more than enough to go around.
That's why there needs to be total house-cleaning.
Bavasi needs to go. McClaren needs to go. The vets whose contracts are up (Sexson, Vidro, Washburn) need to go. Then you need to look at getting rid of Batista and possibly even trading the one truly valuable chip we have (Beltre).
Otherwise we're just going to be locked into another five years of blah.

Bavasi is right, of course, but a good manager gets the players to be accountable. That is not happening under Mac.

I'm happy Bavasi is backing Mac. This means that Mac will still be around when Bavasi gets fired so that the new GM can then fire Mac too. It needs to happen, and will eventually happen, even with the Ms ownership.

Geoff,

I have read you for awhile. I agree with a lot of what you say.

But it is obvious that the team's makeup, without a real leader and Sexson as dead weight (as opposed to a lefty like they could have had with Delgado), is a big part of the problem.

Hold them accountable? What do you suggest? Take away the money? I have always thought that there should be a base salary for ALL players and then the rest comes down to incentives and team performance.

Take away the owner's money?

Or should we just put them all in jail?

You keep saying the same thing. But when are YOU going to say what that means to YOU?

It is frustrating. But perhaps you can be a little less vague.

If, as Bavasi said, "the best teams take care of things in the clubhouse," isn't this a condemnation of McLaren and, by extension, Bavasi himself? Is the manager exempt from the Mariners clubhouse? Is the GM not allowed in the clubhouse? Bavasi appears to blame the players for his incometence in putting a decent baseball team on the fieldand McLaren for general incometence in the clubhouse. We've seen his field management and that is as poor, apparently, as his leadership skills.

This team has quit and has no interest in being on the field. The manager can't motivate them. The GM displays his inabilities by blaming the crappy plaerys he signed.

Anything less than blowing this thing up from the FO down is accepting sub-mediocrity for the forseeable future.

Time to consider moving Ichiro. Great talent and has credibility as a leader, but does nothing in the club house. He needs to be on a team with leaders, not be on a team that needs him to be one.
Also, Lopez has too many mental lapses. Will never be a clutch player in my opinion. Could negatively influence Betancourt's attitude.
There's the start to transforming the clubhouse when teams start looking at trades.

Bill Bavasi = Wally Walker?

So, Geoff, how do you hold the players responsible? Bench Lopez and Beltre for their errors? They are the best offensive players you have.

DFA Sexson? Its Bavasi's call on that, but he won't do it.

Send Bedard and Silva and Washburn and Batista down to the minors? Not going to happen.

The only way to tackle this beast is at its head, which means Bavasi himself and Mac with him. And really, if the team can't hit and can't pitch, how good of a job are the hitting and pitching coaches doing?

ok, let's assume bavasi is right and that this is all about player chemistry / leadership. this year's team doesn't have it and last year's team did.

then lets look at the major moves (and not even consider the individual's performances).

gone - ramirez, weaver, sherrill, broussard, guillen and jones

acquired - silva, bedard, rhodes, cairo, wilkerson / balentien

if i take bavasi at his word then: silva, bedard, rhodes, cairo and wilkerson / wlad are all selfish bastards who must have come in and ruined clubhouse chemistry to the point where we are now the worst team in baseball.

what's worse is that only wlad is young, so shouldn't bavasi have been able to predict their selfish behavior? how could he assemble a roster by acquiring 5 veteran clubhouse cancers? shouldn't he be held accountable for that?

Hmm. So let me get this straight. Bavasi wants the players to take responsibility. Wants them to get in each other's face when they screw up? Really? Is that supposed to fire up the team? Angry players who hate each other play better? I guess it's worth a shot at this point, but other than the '70s Oakland teams I can't think of an instance where that actually worked.

I think the comments of Angels fan "BWare" in the last thread are really interesting. Bavasi's Angel teams of the '90s were the same thpe of underachievers, without any leadership. And they lost a ton of games. History is repeating itself, and Bavasi knows it.

Bavaise and Mac constantly trashing the players is a great way to attract potential free agents. Nice support from management. Who would want to play for these guys?

If they're not going to send Morrow down to stretch him out then why not use him in long relief like the Yankees are with Joba?

If they're not going to send Morrow down to stretch him out then why not use him in long relief like the Yankees are with Joba?

Well sure, call the players out. But what the heck good is that actually going to do? If they don't know that they're supposed to try to win, how the heck did they make it to the Majors?

I don't think they need to be yelled at so much as traded/released/replaced with young guys who might be or get good.

I always thought that the M's would win 62 games this season. Seriously. Now I am reviewing my prediction and I don't think they will win more than 50.

Would you make fun of a blind person for not being able to read?

A paraplegic for not being able to pole vault?

That is why the players are not being criticized harshly. They are just not that good. Bavasi deserves the most because he assembled them and overpaid them. These bloated contracts add more perceived talent to this team than actually exists. Yes, it is a high payroll team but that does not equate to repeatable success.

It's true that on most teams performances like this would have resulted in rolling heads long before now, but I don't think Bavasi and McClaren are golden. A few more games like this and I don't think McClaren could survive.
But the first thing you'll see is Batista go on the DL and if Washburn continues to struggle, he could be moved to the pen.
Dickey could end up starting, and you'll probably see someone like Fierebend come up and get a start or two. Since that won't solve any problems because they run far deeper than a couple of poor starters, the next thing will be to bring Clement back up since he'll continue to light up AAA pitching.
Eventually, after the M's have lost say 15 out of their next 20 - THEN you'll see Mac get the boot, almost as a sign of mercy.
That will bring us up to the trade deadline, which is when guys like Sexson, Vidro and Washburn could finally exit, though it's highly doubtful anybody will actually want any of those players.
Finally, the season will mercifully end with 100+ losses and Bavasi for no apparent reason will be given another season to see what damage he can inflict on us the fans by signing some broken-down veteran to replace Sexson and who knows what loser to start in place of Washburn.

Bavasi said, "This is not an attack on the players".
Why not? It is time for management to get specific, whether it makes the players angry or not (actually it might help) starting with their potential hall of famer who is at a career low in almost every stat. Then one of top vets who hits into a double play with the bases loaded and no outs. Then another highly paid vet who has struck out at a rate of 1/3 of his at bats. A catcher who gets a new contract and then tanks. General criticism doesn't do anything, it's just harping. If Bavasi is going to say something, make it mean something.

So, as a casual viewer of Mariner Baseball and someone who is not terribly knowledgeable about MLB, I wonder what is going on? Did the current mangerial staff mortgage the future of the team in a desperate attempt to put together a pitching staff that might miraculously save their jobs? Was the coaching staff so incompetent that they truly thought a team that is at the bottom of the league was capable of contending for the division crown? Or is something else going on? For diehard fans this must be gut wrenching. From a bit of distance this looks like incredibly incompetent ownership/management. What gives?

If you blame the players, that's fine, because they do deserve a big part of it, but I wouldn't expect a lengthy group of underperforming, aging, slowing down, more injury prone athletes lining up at the M's payroll office and giving back part of their paychecks. What good does it do to "lay blame" on the players? When Richie was getting booed last year, he and other M's got mad at the fans for it. If you sit them down...they are still collecting their dough. Bavasi created the no win scenario in the first place.

The accountability has to go to the GM and front office. They're the ones who constructed this flawed team.

And let's face it, when you see many posts harping for Griffey, that just plays into Howie's flawed model of acquiring the same used up expensive has beens to put butts in the seats, while still not making this team much better.

Fans have to vote with their feet. Cut off Howie's cash flow to send him a message (looks like that is beginning to happen but Chuckie is hoping it's only the bad weather). But when fans get snookered into believing that one top of rotation starter is the world series answer to an incredibly flawed team, well, those fans should look in the mirror and admit they got hooked by the used car salesman that is Howie.

As for the press, Geoff got snookered by this model and won't admit it. He'll get snookered this offseason when Bavasi follows the same model and will write about it and in his articles he'll call us doubters out by name and essentially say we don't know what we're talking about and the M's are ready to finally win the west. I'm sure there will be articles about Bedard being in a contract year and how he'll be ready to win 25...etc etc and Silva will be itching to prove he's worth his contract...and Felix is the King, and no team in baseball matches up to our top 3....etc etc

I wasn't fooled this past offseason and I won't be fooled next offseason. My money stays in my pocket and won't be going to Howie. This team has so many problems that will take years to correct. Sorry, I don't buy into this idea that we have an excellent "core." We have a potentially okay core, but not a great minors system to fill the gaps. It was average before the Bedard trade. Now it's below average. So I won't be fooled by more veteran acquisitions brought in by Beevis Bavasi when our other overused veterans go off the books.

Voting with your feet and not going to games is going to hurt this team. But the alternative is to keep being teased by Bavasi with players who are well past their glory.

I don't know about any of you, but it would be hard for me to get excited about going on a date with a 50 year old woman who used to be beautiful in her 20s. In the end, she's still 50. Howie is counting on you to remember her in her 20 year old days.

Really, there is no way Bavasi lasts past this season. I don't know why you guys think he's going to be in charge next year.

Bavasi leaves with his problem child, Richie Sexson, and Mac gets booted too. Then things will start looking up for the Ms.

Trade! Trade! Trade! This seems like the "quick and easy" solution from a lot of people replying to the Ms' current woes. Really? You honestly want Bavasi to make more deals!???!!! WE have decent enough talent - or potential - on this team in most positions. Someone int he clubhouse neds to step up - true - but that does NOT EXCLUDE Mac! hat's his title? Oh, yeah, "MANAGER"!

Of course the players deserve to get ripped. They are stinking it up on the mound, at the plate, and in the field. The fact that they share the blame for this being the worst team in the majors doesn't mean that MacLaren and Bavasi don't also deserve to be ripped, though.

As you mention, Bavasi put together the team, so he ultimately has to be responsible. The fact that he doesn't understand why this team is terrible -- citing accountability and clubhouse leadership, instead of weird decisions like committing the team to a 1B, DH, and two back-end-quality starters (Washburn and Silva) at all-star prices for their way-past-prime decline years -- just shows why he should be ripped. How many wins did the team add over the last few years by hiring great clubhouse guys like Spiezio, Aurilia, Everett, Wilkerson, and Cairo? Does anybody realistically think the team would be at .500 or better if everyone were taking the first bus to get in some extra BP and then sticking around afterward to talk to the media? Yes, the team has every right to expect work ethic and positive clubhouse attitude from every player that it (over)pays, but this team seems to think that attitude is more important than talent or need, which is why we have absurd things like trying to figure out what to do with four guys who should only play DH (since one of them can't play catcher for the next three years).

The fact that Bavasi deserves to be ripped does not mean MacLaren doesn't. He may not be as important to the team's skid as the players or Bavasi, but he's the guy who writes Vidro's name on the card at the 3- or 5-spot despite a sub-.600 OPS, the guy who won't put Ibanez at DH (to upgrade both the offense and the defense with Reed in LF), the guy who won't tell Washburn to shut his yap and deal with the fact that it's not Johjima's fault that Washburn can't get anybody out. Batting order may not be very important, but it doesn't need to be completely random. And I realize Geoff has assured us Vidro's option isn't going to vest, but the way Mac plays Vidro every day, they're going to have to pull the plug pretty soon for that to be true.

Meanwhile, when Geoff says that nobody predicted this, he's right, but not entirely. A lot of people predicted that the offense and defense would be this bad (and Lookout Landing is doing a really good job pointing out how badly the defense is hurting the team). Most people seem to be surprised how bad the pitching is. But a lot of us expected that this team was not going to contend, which is exactly why we thought that Jones, Sherrill, and Tillman were not going to be worth two years of Bedard. If the team didn't make that trade, it might be as bad or worse than this team, but the future would sure look better.

Bavasi makes a conference call to the Media and calls out the team.....LOL.

If you are going to call these guys out Bill, at least do it to their face, toe to toe, in the same room. It still won't do any good, but at least you might get someone mad enough to get in your face, which might cause a spark. At least the fans would enjoy it.

Calling out your team on a conference call to the Media.... What a sorry day in Mariner History!!!

And since when are there "too many people out there prepared to let these players off the hook far too easily?" Did you forget your never-ending attempts last year to defend your position on Vidro and Ibanez, Geoff? Was I daydreaming when Richie Sexson became a head case over the incessant booing he received at Safeco Field? Has the blogosphere not been lamenting for over a year how overrated Betancourt and Lopez were for their defense?

No, the players get their due when it comes to the blame game. What we are seeing now is largely what was present last year. The only difference now is that the team isn't pulling off those miraculous one-run victories anymore.

The players are the problem, but Bavasi should have fixed those problems after last season instead of assuming 88 wins + Bedard = 98 wins.

The fans have no problem blaming players, but we recognize that they aren't what is destroying the team. When is the local media going to step up and realize something we fans realized long ago? Lincoln and Armstrong are killing this team on the field. They never get criticized by the media. Where are the articles from Geoff Baker, or Larry Stone, or Steve Kelley demanding that these guys resign?

So some predictions were wrong. Others were right. The clear fact in front of us is this is a poorly constructed roster that has incompetent on-field management.

That's not placing blame, that's stating fact. Bavasi's ignorant and irrational bleatings certainly will not change these facts.

Bavasi's searching for clubhouse leadership. He says, "We don't get a runner over from second or in from third, and the players tolerate it. Good teams just don't tolerate it." Not so, Bavasi. Everytime Sexson shows up in the batting order, especially in the 4th through 8th spots, management IS tolerating it. Set an example, Management. Bench Sexson. His inability to perform pulls everyone down. Right now he's the leader and he's leading down the drain!

"Time to consider moving Ichiro. Great talent and has credibility as a leader, but does nothing in the club house. He needs to be on a team with leaders, not be on a team that needs him to be one."

Ugh.... Excuse me while I yack. "Leaders" don't win games. Good baseball players do.

"Bavasi's searching for clubhouse leadership. He says, "We don't get a runner over from second or in from third, and the players tolerate it. Good teams just don't tolerate it." Not so, Bavasi."

Uh, that's because good teams don't have to string together 6 singles to get two runs.

Part of the reason the vets on this team don't get after the young guys for not getting guys from second to third is because the vets suck at it as much or more than the young guys. They know it would be hypocritical to get on the young guys for something they fail at regularly themselves.
It really isn't about players policing players when ALL the players suck at doing the most routine things.

anyway we can make a deal with oklahoma, we'll let the sonics go next year if they make bavasi their gm and mclaren their ballboy.

I'm not sure he'd want the job, but I would go try to get Buhner to manage this team.
He's obviously a natural leader who wouldn't put up with crap from anybody, but at the same time he wouldn't be such a hard ass that he'd alienate players.
He's knows what it takes to win, and he's beloved in Seattle.

Hey Geoff....why don't you grow a pair and start grilling these guys in the clubhouse. You talk all tough in your blog posts about criticism, but you're afraid to do the same in player interviews. You say the general criticism has been soft...then why don't you do something about it??? Or will that go against the "yes men" code of sports reporters....nothing but smiling, laughing, and nodding at everything a player says. Stop sucking up and start calling these guys out somewhere other than your blog

Posted by Batter Up:

"Bavasi makes a conference call to the Media and calls out the team.....LOL.

If you are going to call these guys out Bill, at least do it to their face, toe to toe, in the same room. It still won't do any good, but at least you might get someone mad enough to get in your face, which might cause a spark. At least the fans would enjoy it.

Calling out your team on a conference call to the Media.... What a sorry day in Mariner History!!!"

Very well said.

Me me me me me.

Me me me me me me me me.

Me me.

I predicted themto be 3rd in the AL West, but last place far exceeded my thoughts of how bad this team was.

finally realized how Wally Walker survived all of those years with the Sonics. With only 82 games fans could only get half as mad as they can in baseball. We can be mad at Bavasi every day.

Let me get this straight - Bavasi is callling out the players for not demonstrating clubhouse leadership, and for not taking extra practice and et.c and etc.. Sooo...how did these "loser" players end up in our clubhouse infecting the entire team with this "loser" cancer? OH YEAH! Bavasi put 'em there! OBVIOUSLYhe wouldn't have made the trades and paid the enormous contracts if these players of his choosing didn't have the leadership qualities and exemplary work ethic, right?.... right....? And then to call them out in public...My! Oh! My!

The reason they didn't re-sign Guillen is because he's not politically correct enuff. They probably knew there was gonna be some suspension issue coming up and said "For heaven's sake! Can't have that! He'll make us look bad!"

You want scathing player criticism?

Batista, Silva and Washburn suck. HoRam and Weaver sucked too. All were brought in by Bavasi.

Sexson and Vidro suck. Both of them were brought in by Bavasi.

The players sucking and Bavasi sucking are not mutually exclusive.

The players can't help that they suck. The GM can. Vidro can't help that he is slow, can't hit for power or play defense and doesn't deserve starting time. Sexson can't help that his skills declined last year or that he plays in a ball park that kills his power numbers. Washburn can't help he sucks at pitching and has declined to replacement level (which he shouldn't of blamed Kenji for sucking). Batista can't help he was signed to such an expensive contract at such an old age, or that Silva is only mediocre at best, and signed to a ludicrous contract. Miguel Cairo can't help that he sucks and there is already another version of him on the roster who isn't as old (Bloomquist). Betancourt could help playing up to his potential and not take eating tips from Jose Vidro. Beltre can't help that he gets a bad rap for being overpaid when he puts up decent numbers in a ballpark that kills right-handed power. Kenji can't help he is in his mid-30's, usually a time when catchers decline, and was given a huge extension. Raul can't help that he can't play LF defense to major league quality.

MacLaren has made some pretty stupid decisions during game time, and isn't manager material, but he isn't the reason this team sucks. It's Bavasi's fault for constructing such a bad team, and Howie and Chuck's fault for not caring about winning, and hiring people who think they could make a winning team with intangibles which have proven to have no effect on a team's record such as chemistry and clubhouse leadership. It's the management's fault for getting Pittsburgh Pirates results for spending almost Boston Red Sox payroll.

This team is flat out depressing, and we won't see a properly constructed roster until either Nintendo sells the Mariners or Howie and Chuck step down. Maybe we will get lucky and see another 88-74 season out of dumb luck, but I am expecting crappy, sub-.500 teams built with over $100 million until changes happen.

Plenty of blame to go around, Bill Bavasi. You know what they say, when you point the finger you've got three fingers pointing back at yourself. At what point does Bavasi look in the mirror and admit he's done a pretty terrible job? And not the "I assembled a good roster and it just didn't perform" kind of terrible but rather "I tried to build a roster by overpaying for mediocre, aging veterans and then I supplemented my lineup with guys who don't have the focus, maturity and/or leadership to put their natural talents to best use. And to cap it off, I've mad some of the biggest giveaway trades in the history of a franchise known for giveaway trades."

BTW, why doesn't the media start using names when talking about guys who aren't giving good effort? What's wrong with calling it out for what it is?

Perhaps I'm wrong, but throwing his helmet was the most effort I've seen Sexson put out in the last year and a half. Neither Lopez nor Betancourt seems to be able to keep focus long enough to make the simple plays that end innings and get their team into the dugout. Jojima has faced a lot of challenges, but it's been three years and still at least some portion of the pitching staff would prefer not to pitch to him. Ichiro may be the golden goose who takes pride in his own effort, but as one of the faces of the team, shouldn't part of his personal effort include making his teammates better, saying what needs to be said to ensure everyone is giving it their all? Ichiro has pretty much washed his hands of this situation and stated his disgust, but is he holding himself at all accountable? Does he not think he has some obligation to get his teammates to show up and play hard? How about veterans like Vidro and Beltre? Are they just happy to collects their paychecks?

Lets hear it. Who, specifically, is dropping the ball? Job performance of professional athletes is open to public scrutiny.

The criticisms haven't been soft. The smarter fans are just realizing that Bavasi has put together a pretty awful team. I'm not going to go out and call for Betancourt or Richie or Vidro's head anymore. Its not their fault that they are not very good. Its not their fault that they are a part of a team full of mediocre talent and just can't consistently win ballgames.

Until Bill Bavasi learns how to evaluate talent properly we're going to keep having a team of mediocre players and we'll keep having mediocre results.

A good leader praises in public and punishes in private. A good leader needs to have confidence in their knowledge to make competent decisions in a timely manner. A good leader needs to be accountable. To themselves and everyone they are responsible for.

I could rattle off a complete list of characteristics and traits that make an excellent leader but that doesn't do the Mariners any good when their leader doesn't seem to possess many of them. He coaches scared and is content just to let the outcome of the game unfold without any sense of urgency or real plan of action.

"If you know yourself and you know your enemy then you need not fear 100 battles."

Let me get this straight. Early on in the season when the team was competing and we started to lose it was the bullpens fault for blowing the lead. Our starters were doing great. We have lost 18 of the last 23 games since the Cleveland series where Norton and Wilkerson were designated. That kind of changed the team dynamic I would say.

Then the team started to fall off defensively and commit errors and naturally our team wasn't good at defense.

Consequently the starting pitchers are now considered terrible because they know our hitters aren't going to be able to score 5 runs and they are not sure if they can hold the opposing team to less than six.

While the pitcher is sitting in the dugout during innings he feebly watches runner after runner get stranded in scoring position with no outs, 1 out, 2 outs, oh we had the bases loaded but only managed to get in 1 run. All the while the whole team is struggling.

Chain reactions cause things like this. Mac is way over his head tell me one coaching move that he has done right. If your team has trouble hitting and you know it. Your game plan has to involve making the most out of the hits you are getting.

When a manager coaches like a coward how do you think the players respond? I think we are seeing it now. You can't be afraid to take chances when you have an opportunity. You can't do anything in fear and be controlled by your fear. Sometimes you have to take control of a situation rather than let the situation control you.

I have yet to witness any great leadership qualities in MacLaren. I am waiting for him to take advantage of a single opportunity to change the outcome of the game with a positive result. Other than changing starters and mixing up the order. A little in game coaching and strategies and tactics would really be encouraged.

Everybody keeps looking for things to change.A tweak in the lineup here or there. Perhaps a player given a day off so someone else can play. Maybe someone's sent down to the minors and someone else is brought up. McLaren addressing the issues daily and Bavasi addressing them once a year or thereabouts. How many combinations can be tried before all of the combinations are exhausted? And why, before the start of this season, did this Mariners' team look so much better on paper than their performance so far this season? It IS "on" the players. They make their living playing BASEBALL. In the blue-collar world, if someone doesn't measure up, they get CANNED. Maybe M's players are under contract, but they can be BENCHED. It is TOTALLY "ON" THE PLAYERS!!! Gripe about McLaren, Bavasi, or the big-wigs above them, but if the players DON'T PLAY any better than they have so far this year, THEY AIN'T GONNA WIN! Are players "coddled" because they make so much money? IF SO THAT'S GOTTA STOP! A manager can scream, yell, throw bases, or whatever, but the PLAYERS, deep down inside, have to assume some responsibility for what (or what isn't) going on. I don't think the early-day New York METS were this bad. I'll keep watching & listening; I'm a baseball fan, after all. But, regarding the Mariners' team this year, "It is what it is". And so far, that's not much.