im predicting a 3 year extension for Sexson...and McLaren gets a pat on the back

Trade Sexson to the Storm for a bunch of tickets. Then the M's can have a Storm ticket giveaway night.

Sexson would probably make a solid WNBA forward/center.

Standing at first through the best of times on offense and defense. LOL and so forth and so on

Sexson, John Olerud, Bret Boone. Sometimes you wonder if you have anything left. Sometimes its obvious you've got nothing left.

Sexson is not without precedent. i remember all too well how, over time, Bret Boone just didn't seem able to See The Ball Anymore. It's sad, really. Some sportscasters say that Sexson faces so much pressure playing at Safeco that he ends up doing worse in home games. Of course, that's just a theory. What I'm pretty sure of, tho, is that each and every last one of the M's must be wondering why in the name of (whatever) do they continue to go thru the motions in a season that's not half over, yet already has no hope whatsoever. It's gotta be tuff to be an M these days.

Unlike Justin Timberlake, I don't see anyone in the league bringing Sexy back.

"But that doesn't matter. It only matters when you get the hits with runners in position to score. "

If we had players who could hit more than singles, then we can also get hits with runners on first and still score. Raul Ibanez has the highest slugging on the team at 437. The marlins have five regulars who have a higher slugging. Six if we count Willingham.

This seems a fitting point to mention that the Mariners have hit one 3-run homer since May 12, and no grand slams, of course. Remember those meaningless, late-game three-run homers by Balentien? The M's aren't even getting those any more.

If I was Richie, I'd feel pretty good about getting axed tomorrow. That's $92K a game he won't have to suit up for. Stay home and watch Game Show Network. Life's good!

"It's gotta be tuff to be an M these days." At least they're getting paid for it. The fans are actually paying to watch this garbage.

If Richie is gone tomorrow, and if Vidro isn't far behind, I wouldn't be surprised if the guys left on this roster don't actually start playing better. Lincoln said "there's nobody immune," or words to that effect.

Is that just an empty threat to try to kick other players into gear? Maybe. But if I were Ibanez or Beltre or anybody else - anybody except maybe Joh, who must feel pretty secure with his new $24 mil contract - I'd certainly start to wonder if my job was in jeopardy.

If nothing else, seeing a few of the regulars actually get dfa'd might get some players hustling and rev up some bats. We will see!

Florida hits the crap out of the ball.....there youth and athleticism made the Mariner's look like they play ball in slow motion. All postilions look so slow and old, Raul moves like a he's got a pant load, Reed and Bloomquist are not everyday players, Betancourt and Lopez look like their range is shot.
I can't imagine the mariner's did not know last year Sexson was done, hell everyone in MLB knew it.

Geoff - "Whimper" is certainly a well chosen description. Does anyone on the M's hit home runs anymore?

Wow, the M's have to be the most over-analyzing organization in baseball....SO SLOW! Make the moves! Sexson and Vidro CLEARLY are not in future plans and are well beyond their primes. Washburn should be traded to a team which can use him consistently as a #4 guy, and where he has both offensive and defensive help. Why we signed Johjima for three years with three very good catchers coming up in the minors is beyond me....he should go, too. If we actually had a 3B prospect, Beltre should go, as well (hey, how about Greg Dobbs....oh, wait, he's hitting .300 for the Phillies).

Now I am NOT a fan of Richie...period.
However, why would Vidro get to stay and Richie have to leave?
AGAINST LEFTIES this year, Richie's numbers are:
BA - 349
OBP - 417
SLG - 581
OPS - 998 !!!!!

Richie has an OPS of 998...against lefties.
You Geoff, and the M's should be PROMOTING this, in the hopes that Richie might be of some value to someone...even if it were the M's bench.

Is it me or being jetisoned from this team would be a blessing to any of these players.

There is no ball club in the major leagues that is worse. It would be a vacation.

Assuredly, they will all succeed because they will not have to be the leader in those clubhouses.

The fact of the matter is that the season is over and it is time to get a youth movement into this team.

They have a solid nucleus of under 30 talent that should stay, but everyone else should go.

Build a winner with youth, much like the Marlins have.

We have no power in our lineup thats the problem.Raul will give you one every now and then same with Adrian but both of them dont hit well with RISP nobody in our lineup does and it looks as if Ichiro is on the decline he is striking out more swinging at bad pitches and not getting runners in.

We just dont have any standout hitters where as most teams have 2 or 3.

And the bottom of our rotation is in shambles I hope Bedard has a great game so his trade value goes up!

While It is more than time for Big Richie to go, I do feel he has been treated unfairly at times in Seattle. The past two seasons? No not really. But I throughly enjoyed Sexson's first two years in a Seattle uniform. Lots of Grand Slams and exciting HR's. I liked Sexson in 05 and 06, I really did.

So Big Richie, thank you for two very exciting years and I do wish you the best in your future endeavors. I hope you remember the good times in Seattle.

hey bagheads!

http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/mariners/2008/06/18/mariners_announce_two_schedule_changes

CONSPIRACY! If the chanes really happen though, would there even have still been a baghead night?

Should've known they'd pull something like this ( pulling the plug on baghead Day ). At least we can all take comfort in the fact that we've got 'em runnin scared.

One thing I'm curious about is why hasn't anyone talked about Mel Stottlemeyer's failure as pitching coach? Does he have an answer as to why Bedard can't go more than six innings? Why has Dickey given up a thousand runs per start, but done well in relief?? Why has Batista lost his mind this year after winning 15 ballgames last year? Hello??

"Now I am NOT a fan of Richie...period.
However, why would Vidro get to stay and Richie have to leave?"

I agree with C Cheetah, and not only for the reasons listed but because if we continue to play Vidro his option vests and we're on the hook for him next year.

"Vidro is well aware he could be part of those moves. The team could keep him around as a switch-hitting, pinch-hitter who can get you a single late in a game."

He can? Do the M's now consider a .219 hitter "someone who can get you a single late in a game?" I mean yeah, in the sense that it's not theoretically impossible.

"The team could keep him around as a switch-hitting, pinch-hitter who can get you a single late in a game." More likely a SO, pop out or inning ending DP.
"Or, it can dump Vidro and free up playing time for others." This is the option that should have already happened.

Do you think the M's ever get tired of watching their opponent being the only one jacking the ball out of Safeco?

Last night, at times, you could actually see the semblence of an offense. An offense that has no speed, no power, and plays station to station baseball, but an offense nonetheless. That is, until we reach the holes in our line-up like Vidro, Sexson (which will inevitably happen given the way our O scores runs), and any threat is immediately over.

Can we please just put the poor guy out of his misery? It doesn't even matter who replaces him, but the Sexson era needs to end now.

BTW, maybe some of the "vets" like Sexson, Yuni, Ich, and Beltre could take a lesson from our rookies. I loved the patient approach at the plate by Reed and Clement. Overall, 2 for 5 with 2 BB's is not a bad night - and they faced a fair number of pitches and contributed significantly to increasing the pitch count. Only to have Yuni or Sexson swing feebly at the first pitch. And it's not like their driving the ball - I could understand swinging at the first pitch if it was something you thought you could drive - but DP's and weak nubbers to 1st are completely unacceptable. Please ditch Vidro and Sexson before their veteran proweress rubs off of Reed and Clement and screws them up.

Finally, quit the PH for Reed every time a LH is pitching. Is this a joke or what? Did PH WB for Reed really accomplish anything? It was 7-2!!! Just let the kid face some LH pitchers and see what he does. What, is are goal here to produce platoon players and DH's from our farm system?!?!

The lastest "open letter from the unathletic" inspired me. Here is my own open letter to the men I see on the side of the highway, waiting for someone to come change a tire for them. It's usually someone who uses the UPS whiteboard guy as his role model for manliness. These steps are very easy. Here we go:

1. Make sure that you are on stable ground (avoid hills). If possible, it is a good idea to place a heavy object (such as a brick) in front of the front tire(if changing a rear tire), and vice versa.

2. Get the spare tire and the jack. Place the jack under the frame near the tire that you are going to change. Make sure that you place it where it will meet the metal portion of the frame. Many cars are made from molded plastic, and if you don't place the jack in the right spot, it will crack the body when you start lifting. If you're not sure about the right place to put the jack, read your owner's manual.

3. Remove the hub cap and loosen (counterclockwise) the nuts about 1/3 to 1/2 of the way and lift the car. Having the wheel on the ground means that you're turning the nuts instead of the wheel. Don't take them all the way off. Just break the resistance. Use the cross wrench. Your wrench may have different sizes of openings on different ends. Place the right size of the wrench on the lug nut. The right size is the one that slips easily over the nut but does not rattle.

4. Pump or crank the jack to lift the tire off the ground. Remove the nuts the rest of the way. Turn them counter clockwise until they are loose. Repeat with all lug nuts, then remove the nuts completely.

5. Remove the tire. Place the flat tire under the vehicle so in event of jack failure the vehicle will fall on the old wheel, hopefully preventing injury. If the jack is placed on a flat, solid base, you shouldn't have any problems!

6. Place the spare tire on the wheel, taking care to align the rim of the spare tire with the wheel bolts, and tighten the nuts as much as possible. To ensure the tire is balanced, don't completely tighten the nuts one at a time. Going in a cross pattern around the tire, one nut across from another, give each one a full turn until they are equally tight.

7. Lower the car to the ground, but do not put full weight on it yet. Finish tightening the nuts as much as possible. Lower the car to the ground fully. Remove the jack. Tighten the nuts again. Replace the hubcap. '

8. Put the old tire in your trunk and take it to a mechanic. Small puncture wounds can usually be repaired for less than $10. If the tire is not repairable, they can dispose of it properly.

And for those who are out of printer toner, or just want the link for future reference, here you go.

http://www.wikihow.com/Change-a-Tire

I'm hoping for more "good news" today. Trade, trade, trade. Everyone over 30 must go, and that means you too Cairo and Arthur Lee. Let's see what we have in the system that Bavasi allegedly restocked.

The only reason, in my mind, to keep Vidro around is that he is actually a decent hitter with RISP. Not as good as he should be, but one of the better ones on the team.

I will agree however, that the vast wasteland that is our lineup needs a major overhaul. It will start with Sexson being released. Let the young guys play, give them a chance to see what they can do. If that doesn't work, then we blow it up and start over again.

BTW - I do realize that Sexson hit his DP grounder hard.. but it was a low fastball at the knees.. exactly what was he expecting from swinging at that pitch? Sometimes the M's seem only interested in putting the ball in play, regardless of where it goes or how hard it's hit.

Also, isn't it time for a few more moves. I mean, if you continue to hang on to Sexy and Vidro, there are still other options. First, send RAD back to the pen, option Corcoran to AAA, and recall Feierabend to make several starts until JJ is ready.

Second, do we really need two back up catchers, especially when playing the next 9 games in NL parks? Since Kenji is making a cool $24 mill, Burke is the odd man out. Send him to AAA and call-up Diaz, LaHair, or one of the promising guys from West Tenn. Anybody who could actually contribute. I mean, Burke won't see the playing field for 10 days!! Think M's, think!

I read that the Mariners starting pitchers have a career batting average of "only" .213. The problem is that our DH that hits for them is now hitting "only" .219. I saw where McLaren said he'd love to get a 3-run homer now and then. Most A.L. teams get that from their DH. The Vidro to DH was a bad experiment by Bavasi that has failed. Time to move on.

I remember in the preseason Geoff thought the Mariners had a chance to win the division, but only if Sexson and Vidro could have an OPS of over .800. Other things have gone wrong on the roster, of course, but if those two were indeed hitting over .800 then we'd have scored enough runs to at least be a .500 team now.

Why would the Ms put Sexson on assignment. Their season is lost. Trade the guy for something. He must be worth something. why didn't they talk with SF during the winter when SF was desperate for a first baseman. SF said everyone was available to trade. Seems like Ms could have got something. Who really makes the decisioins for these clowns? I can't remember the last good decision made by Ms management. At one point they drafted or traded for something like 4 catchers. So then they sign Jojima to a long contract. Their stupid decisions just continue. Why?

Per Chris from Bothell:

"Hey Bagheads..." (with link to the TNT blog entry stating that the nationwide Fox broadcast of the Mariners "Baghead" game on July 19 will now be radio only, with no TV coverage at all)

Just wonderful. The team might have losers for CEO and president, a sinecure for a GM, and puts its junior varsity team on the field each night, but at least their Minister of Propaganda is the best in the business.

Nice work.

Lincoln and Armstrong, do this city a favor. Resign.

caldawg - No, Sexson has NO value. In the winter meeting Bavasi announced to everyone that Sexson was on the trading block. He didn't get one substantial offer. Every team that expressed an interest wanted the Mariners to absorb the majority of the salary and wouldn't give up anything in return.

The sad part is we got Tug Hulett for Ben Broussard because Broussard had more value to the Rangers than Sexson.

In many ways I feel sorry for 'Big Slappy.' He has been a pretty class act through two horrible seasons, all things considered. I hope he can pull it together somewhere for one last good season before he retires.

I find it hard to blame players like Sexson and Vidro. Being old myself, I can attest that the body just doesn't do what it once did.

The failure is the FO, not the players. They do what they do and I doubt many sign big contracts thinking 'oboy, now I can fade my career into oblivion.

Re: bagheads...forget targeting a national TV night - if you're that embarrassed to be identified as someone who bought a ticket to watch this team - do it every time you go. Write Armstrong and Lincoln's names on the bags. The message will work.

Though they blocked out the local TV and national TV coverage is there any chance it'll get beamed to Japan and straight into Mr. Y's office (where it belongs?).

Change the date of baghead night. Make it a week long event.

Though if change is in the air and a lot of these old duds are gone by the 19th there really is little need.

Foot-dragging by management is what's killing me. Putting a bandaid on a gushing ruptured artery is FO's answer to our trauma. As described on these blogs, there are a variety of solutions that would be more viable than just watching the patient drain of his life-blood. It's time for a purge, and Chuck and Howie should be the first carried out on the stretcher. But, what strategic move do we get instead? A non-televised baghead night. Give me a break! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Geoff - I just read the line: "The Mariners once again out-hit their opponent. But that doesn't matter. It only matters when you get the hits with runners in position to score" and I started to feel really bad for you. It must be so painful to have to write about the same old stuff everyday. I am a huge M's fan, and I at least get to walk away and ignore for a few days when needed. I would be really interested to get more Minor League updates. To keep from reading the same old stuff, I have been checking out the stats for our other teams and it's be pretty fun. We have some good young pitching in the minors and a couple bats. This also might be more fun for you as well. Thanks for all your work.

Totally agree, Doug. Either change the date for Baghead Night or extend it several days. The M's can't play the blackout game forever -- TV wags the dog and everyone knows it.

Ken Rosenthal has a nice article outlining all the problems with the Mariners.

He also has a nice chart from STATS, Inc. showing the M's average in various counts compared to the A.L. average:
Count Mariners A.L.
1-0 .286 .341
2-0 .284 .355
2-1 .254 .315
3-1 .200 .345

I find it amazing that on the famous "hitter's count" 3-1, the Mariners are only hitting .200. I guess that goes hand-in-hand with the Mariners inability to draw a walk.

Last night I was amazed to see Reed and Clement work the count and draw walks. Then it dawned on me. This is "normal" with most teams, but on the Mariners it stands out like a sore thumb as some great novel approach to batting.

Geoff, come on, I hate it when announcers say things like, "the game is over." I remember when the M's had about a 12 run lead in Cleveland a few years ago. So, tell me about Big Richie walking into the sunset after you see his backside heading over the horizon.

Meanwhile I will start thinking about a new blog name for myself. It's all about me.

byebye

Anybody know why USSM redirects you here?

Here's a link to a funny piece published in The Onion yesterday, about Yuniesky Betancourt and the Mariners. Funny stuff: http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/cuban_refugee_yuniesky

Mrs X.---Has he gone off his meds again?

Changing a flat tire

If they were honestly sincere about all of these imminent changes, then why pull the plug on baghead Day a month in advance? Regardless of what changes are or are not made between now and then, for this shameful act alone, do not go to the July 19th game. If they are going to fight dirty like that, then let them reap what they deserve in an empty stadium.

RE: Onion piece

I'm still shaking with laughter from this line:

"For Christ's sake, he starts Miguel Cairo at first base sometimes. If this were the Villa Clara Industriales, Castro would have had Miguel Cairo beaten with a boot."

Baghead Nation issues the following statement

Thanks Geoff. We will adjust our plans accordingly.

Maybe Sexson can help out the team by bringing water to them? Or maybe he can be inside the Moose and that guy can go to first base! You know the Moose is waiting for his chance, why not?

I like Richie and I wish he could actually hit the ball consistently. Sometimes - at all. He's consistently swung at stuff out of anyone's strike zone. I wish he'd get his stuff together, but doesn't look like he's going to.

"Count Mariners A.L.
1-0 .286 .341
2-0 .284 .355
2-1 .254 .315
3-1 .200 .345 "

Many thanks for digging that one up. I knew it was comical but had no idea just how bad it really was. I also felt like I was in Bizarroland while watching two players who seemingly had been schooled in the A's farm system taking BB's for Chuckie's Free Loopers.