Has the Clement Era ended already?

Cairo hitting second? Argh!

Where is Beltre?

And no Jeff Clement, even with a RH on the mound. God this team is terrible.

Seriously, what is it with "old baseball men"? What could possibly posses someone to bat the worst hitter in their lineup 2nd?

I guess the Braves really, really don't want to win this game.

So if you're going to take Beltre out of the lineup, do you put pathetic Cairo 2nd rather than move everyone up and hit him 9th?

Yeah....ineptitude continues to reign with the Mariners.

From the Tribune:

He (McLaren) was asked what went wrong.

“I’ve thought about it a million times. I didn’t see it in spring training. I didn’t see a red flag,” McLaren said.

Seriously??

No red flags?

How about:
1. Wilkerson in RF
2. Vidro at DH
3. Terrible bench
4. Washout in any MLB rotation
5. Praying for a miracle from Sexson and Batista

No red flags?

For those defending Mac, he got what he deserved. He's the one who kept running terrible lineups everyday.

Speaking of old baseball men, it took Skip Caray until about the end of the top of the first to figure out what had happened with the lineup. It was sad. He couldn't seem to be capable of grasping the change.

I think Norton was just trying to make the Mariners feel good about dumping him with that at bat.

Any word on why Clement isn't starting against a righty????

stupidity

Beltre sitting seems out of character. Do you think he has been traded?

So much for the "Clement will see significant playing time behind the plate" comment. Cannot remember who said it but they have probably been fired. In fact they were probably fired for making such a comment without consulting first with Howard Lincoln.

What a shame, any other team and Johjima is in AAA learning how to catch.

coughuskydad -

Beltre's out with a bruised index finger on his left hand. Combine that with his busted thumb and he probably can't even hold a bat.

Norton strikes back.

Any word on why Clement isn't starting against a righty????

Riggleman stated in a pre-game interview that he didn't want Johjima to get rusty.

Beltre sitting seems out of character. Do you think he has been traded?

Bruised index finger.... Turn up the sound on your TV.

How about Reed? Showing some consistency lately... very nice.

E. Lois,
I'm not going to defend Mac but what could he do with the pieces the idiots up top gave him to work with. My biggest problem with Mac was that, ok my two biggest problems with Mac were that he seemed too concerned with being everyones friend rather than being a leader of men ala Sweet Lou and of course he had no clue when it came to line-ups. I'm glad he's not making the game time decisions anymore but I think guys like him have value to a coaching staff.

GO M's! (feels good to say that again.)

((That said go away chuck and howie)

BrianL I know what they said. Do you believe everything you hear? If a deal was in progress he would be sitting. Beltre has been hurt all season and wants to play. Don't you think there were clues about his injury during pregame batting practice. He was in the original line up.
I hope he hasn't been traded but I do wonder.

I think our problems would be solved if the M's switched to the National League.

coughuskydad -

If Beltre had been traded, he wouldn't be sitting in the dugout.

Is it just me, or is Washburn not totally sucking tonight?

There's been a lot of talk coming from guys like Lincoln and Armstrong about how they're open to change, so where is it? I realize it's just been a few days since all the firings and there are limited shake-up options available in mid-season to the worst team in baseball, but this lineup looks like just about every other lineup the Mariners have rolled out this season.

Is all the talk of change just idle? Do they really believe this is a good group of players that has simply underperformed and that a more serious manager like Riggleman can make a difference?

Washburn, Johjima, Sexon. When does the plug get pulled? When do they stop catering to guys like Ibanez who wants to play in left field even though he's a defensive liability?

Bench Sexon and Johjima. Stick Ibanez at first if he insists on playing in the field. Balentin in left. Reed in center. Clement behind the plate. Let it roll for a while. If a guy like Sexon is worth two years of "lets wait and see if he can work his way out of this epic slump" surely some of these young guys with potential are worth a few months of bumps and bruises until they can get settled in or amply demonstrate that they can't cut it.

And stick Washburn in the bullpen with all the other rotation rejects. Maybe a few good bullpen outings will convince some team that Washburn's got something left in the tank, enough to warrant offering a decent piece in trade.

The Mariners may be hesitant to rush into major roster moves, but most of these changes are at least two years in the making. Move on it already.

Nice outing by Washburn.... Not great but good.

Take note Bedard..... 118 pitches.

Bring back Clement, Johjima is certainly not rusty. In fact he looks like he's in mid-season form!

Forget Washburn!!! He managed to get into the sixth inning simply by statistical average. You run someone out there enough times he might just get lucky. Don't plan on it happening when a game really means something. And Norton has shown us why the Mariners summarily cut him. And Geoff tell that know it all Dave Sims that "All Along the Watch Tower" was written by Bob Dylan & copied by Jimi Hendix.

Game over..... Thanks Batista

Don't the idiots at FSN know THERE IS NO ANNOUNCER AUDIO for the bottom of the 9th!!!! Crowd noise, but no talking! How stupid is THAT?

Yeah what a piece of garbage. At least we almost won 2 games in a row.

I didn't need announcer audio to see the M's managed to pull defeat from the jaws of victory here. Sheesh.

That's beyond pathetic

Shouldn't a closer get people out? I know Batista is not a normal closer, but he's there because he's proven he's not a starter either.

So am I wrong in assuming Batista's a closer?

This is Hanz filling in for Mr X and all the other dumb Ichiro-haters.

THIS LOSS IS ALL ICHIRO'S FAULT

Don't look at the 8 other hitters and don't look at the relief pitching and the closing. They have ZERO responsibility for this loss.

Ichiro is 100% to blame. My reasons? Pushaw. I don't have to give any!

Absolutely a terrible team....even worse management.....
Please tell this idiot Riggleman that Batista is really Bobby Ayala.
There is NO excuse for this team....terrible....absolutely terrible......they should just forfeit the rest of the season...spare the remaining fans this horrible misery.....just watching them play is embarrassing......I can't let my kids watch these guys....no fundamentals, no hitting.....
NO WAY I WANT MY KID TO HAVE THESE GUYS AS A ROLE MODEL.......
Fire them all .....FIRE THEM ALLLLLLLL !!!!!

Well I must humbly apologize for my earlier inappropriate criticism of Norton. He came through when it really mattered for the Braves. Also, I believe I need to also ask forgivness from this Blog for thinking Batista might still have some value on this miserable team. Unfortunately I was dreadfully wrong. Batista's performance tonight kind of sums it all up. For him and the Mariner team as well. Batista and Washburn both need to go. Sooner rather than later

And ONE MORE THING !!!!!

I'm TIRED OF INTERPERTERS.....

They play in America....they live in America....they get paid in American dollars....

SPEAK ENGLISH !!!!!
I'm tired of this we don't speak English stuff from the Mariners.....

SPEAK ENGLISH OR GO PLAY IN YOUR COUNTRY !!!

Uhhhh.....thanks for your opinion Mr. X.. um..I mean former mariner fan....

Listen Hans and Former Mariners Fan....

Things are BAD enough without stupid, pointless, irrelevant comments made that smack of racism and bias!

Having a team like ours this year is bad enough without having idiots like YOU prove to be a different type of embarrassment.

Wow...Is it just me or is the guy doing the radio post game just a joke. Turn it to Komo 1000 and listen to the guy...

Start the fire sale, please.

*Batista, Washburn, Cairo, Sexson, Vidro, Beltre, and Bloomquist must be dumped for a minimum price or released all together

*Johjima must be bought out for a price

*And they must trade Bedard, Ibanez, Lowe, and Rhodes and hope they get some good chips in return.

In particular, I'd love to see Lowe, Balentien, and Tui as part of a package for Jason Bay.

Former Mariner Fan,

Thanks for trumping anything DMZ has ever posted with your last entry. You now hold claim to the single dumbest thing I have ever read on a blog. Do us all a favor and don't reproduce.

What's wrong with speaking English in America??

I don't see any racist bias there....

They might play together better.

Do YOU have a problem with speaking English???

Can only Putz and Morrow close games? Real shame they had to lose this one. When Morrow didn't make the flight we knew they'd have a hard time winning a close one. So close.

I wonder why Beltre found out about his finger so late? I never heard the story, but the lineup cards had already been submitted with his name on it, so it happened after that. The only thing he was doing after lineups was play catch to warm up. Could he possibly hurt his finger doing that? Or did he get angry and injure his finger in the clubhouse?

I told my wife after the M's finished the 8th inning:

"If we had Morrow closing.... I give us an 80% chance at victory.... But we have Batista so greater then 60% chance of losing."

.... I hate being right.

As for the team being terrible... They got a bit lucky in the first inning but i'd say not such a bad showing. Batista pretty is the guy to blame for this loss hands down. I have to question not having Cairo at first at the bottom of the 8th. He would have caught that throw that Sexson missed.

J. Robertson,

No, I don't have any problem speaking english and considering that all the other major league teams seem to be doing okay with their players regardless of their ancestry, I suggest we stick to the subject of baseball and not bring up non sequitors like interpreters. And as for YOUR attitude, remember that the next time you visit a place where english isn't the native tongue.

I think GripS's observations are dead on.

Players I'd like to see on the hot seat (immediate DFA):

Sexson
Batista
Vidro

Different topic: With our situation the way it is, do we recommend Beltre undergo the required surgery now, wait until the end of the season, or sometime before the end of the season?

Who cares what language they speak or even if they speak at all? I don't watch baseball to hear these guys give political discourses. If people use interpreters, who cares? If the guys never wish to say anything at all, again, I don't care. I'm much more concerned with the outcome of the game. But thanks for the political diatribe in this game thread. I am confident it was the language barrier that ultimately decided this game, not the fact that Batista threw batting practice to the Braves.

Ichiro is now 40 hits away from 3,000 for his combined NPB/MLB careers.

Also, did he just break a Paul Waner record for most hits through eight seasons with 1682?

For 2009, assuming no trade market for either player considering their +8millinion salaries, I would look at keeping Washburn in the rotation over Batista. Washburn has been showing more toughness & leadership lately plus he's a LH and it looks like Bedard will likely be traded. Actually saw a tv shot of Bedard sitting in the dugout during the 9th so Riggleman must be laying out some groundrules that Grandpa Mac wasn't able to. I don't think Batista can be traded with his contract situation so looks like he will be next year's long-reliever/mop-up guy.

Seriously -

After the College World Series, is there any point at all in sending Josh Fields to the minor leagues? Didn't Huston Street go straight to the show? And - the M's pen needs arms. Just throw him out there.

I know that I should be thinking long term, yadda, yadda. But, - it's not like they'd use him for more than 40 or so innings over the rest of the year. He's a number 1 draft pick who has put in a full college career and throws 97mph. It's not gonna make any difference to him development to send him to Wisconsin, or Everett or even Tacoma for a few weeks. Directly to the Mariners, do not pass the California league, do not collect $200

Please! Please!! Pleaseeeeeeeeeee!! No more Washburn we have had him too long already. And no more Batista. Keeping them for contractual reasons or money is just plain wrong. Do you think they will any better next year and a year older. With that logic maybe we should keep Sexson.

What the hell is going on? I'm done with this year, wake me when its over.

Oh my. More heart-shattering grief. Soon as I saw the lineup I knew we would have troubles. Changes?? Good Golly Miss Molly, when are the powers that be going to figure out that a wheel with broken spokes goes nowhere?

Hey DMKVancouver,

I think Hanz was being sarcastic in order to make fun of the "blame Ichiro for everything" crowd, who find fault with everything Ichiro does, as if this were a one-man sport.

(As if he even deserves 1% of the blame for this TEAM's failures)

There is no immediate end to this misery!! Silva is pitching tomorrow!! No silver lining there.l Maybe Monday at the New York Mets. If the Maribums can muster nay offense against Johan Santana. Hopefuly for Felix the Mariner feeble bats won't just abandon him.

"What's wrong with speaking English in America??"

Absolutely nothing. The problem with the people calling others racist for saying that is that they´re braindead liberals, the kind who think actually expecting people who work here to speak the language is 'racist'. There really is no reason for a player who's been here for years to not be fluent, and it's the only thing about Ichiro that bugs me.

OlyMike: Re. Washburn for the 09 rotation, unfortunately there aren't many other options out there. No real pitching prospects in either AAA or AA and the only tradeable chips that could get good pitching prospects in return are Bedard and JJ if healthy. Chris Tillman sure would look good here next season but Bonehead Bill has set back this team three years. No good free agent pitchers in their right mind would come here despite the ballpark with the instability unless we get a real good manager & pitching coach. Bobby V? 2010 looks more promising as we'll be rid of both Washburn & Batista and if we remain with the worst record, we'll be able to draft the stud pitcher, Strasburg who can be in the majors after just a few months of minor league play. Also, the good pitching prospects now in A ball may be ready to contribute by then.

Top pick in 09 draft:

If I were in a rational state about this team I might agree with you. But I believe the time for rational thinking about this team is long past. What we need to do now is lot of garbage disposal which might pollute the baseball environment. But, so what? Can it get any worse? We had coaches, managers, GM's and team presidents and owners doing what is supposedly rational and politically correct and look where we are. The Maribums are the worst team I have ever seen especially with a payroll that big. The time now is to do something even if it is wrong. And I still hate the Captcha!!!

They play in America....they live in America....they get paid in American dollars....

The problem with the people calling others racist for saying that is that they´re braindead liberals, the kind who think actually expecting people who work here to speak the language is 'racist'. There really is no reason for a player who's been here for years to not be fluent, and it's the only thing about Ichiro that bugs me.

Seriously, the Times needs to get an intern to moderate this thing. Jesus.

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/sports/story/446709.html

" . . . Two of those coaches, with the team in Atlanta, wanted to talk about what McLaren would not. They spoke under the cloak of anonymity, they said, to keep their jobs.

“You’ve got players in that clubhouse who should be team leaders — guys like Richie Sexson, Adrian Beltre, Erik Bedard, even Ichiro — who care only about themselves,” one coach said.

“When your best players are hitting 50-60 points below their career averages and won’t take extra batting practice, what message does that send?

“You had kids at the park six hours before a game to work with (former hitting coach) Jeff Pentland one-on-one in the cage, and you had Beltre, who’d never do it. Pretty soon, the younger guys weren’t doing it, either.”

Asked about internal jealousies, one of the Mariners coaches laughed.

“You had pitchers complaining about having to throw to (catcher) Kenji Johjima all spring, then saw him get a three-year contract extension in April,” the coach said. “You had guys watch Felix (Hernandez) work his ... off in camp and watched Bedard do the minimum — and Bedard was the openingday starter.”

The second coach offered other details.

“Arthur Rhodes started sitting on the bench when players were taking extra hitting, extra infield drills, and shouting “Where’s Richie? Anyone seen Richie Sexson?’ because Sexson was never there,” he said.

“Then Bedard started setting his own pitch counts, and sitting in the clubhouse during games he didn’t start. Mac tried dealing with that — we all did. How do you make the highestpaid players on your team work harder if they decide they’re not going to?”
. . ."

Explains a lot.

All ya'all suck as Fans. They are doing really good over in Atlanta, despite todays loss. They are actually running, EVEN on fly balls, hitting at every possible pitch, taking advantages of the Braves mistakes, and really showing some enthusiasm for the game. How about we stop bitching about who should be traded, or dropped and start showing some support. Regardless of what you want, it is what it is, Lets make do with what we have and finish out the season.
GO M's! I support each you 100%

Josh Fields has been hammered in the college WS..he's not ready