Ichiro was just signed to a 5-year-deal and won the All-Star Game MVP. Rafael Chaves showed King Felix a post from the USS Mariner, telling him to mix his pitches in the first inning, and he came out and pitched a gem - and gave credit to the blog. Mike Hargrove quit for no apparent reason (and believe me, the team is much, much better off without him - their record these first couple months notwithstanding). And then today it was announced that Adam Jones - 21-year-old AAA superstar who the USS Mariner and other Mariner fans have been touting all month as a replacement for decrepit former hitter Jose Vidro (slugging .349 as the designated hitter) via another long-needed move of former outfielder Raul Ibanez from a starting role in the outfied (to DH) - will be up to start the first game after the break vs. Detroit. Um... then it was announced that the rumor was untrue, but that Jones would be up "soon." So I guess that's something.
All in all, it's certainly a good time to be a Mariner fan -- just 2.5 back of the first place Angels at the All-Star break. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't expect the team to even hit .500 this season, let alone compete for the division, but I'll be happy to revel in the surprise team of the season. And if you don't think their success is a surprise, just remember that the rotation for the first half included Jeff Weaver (2-6, 6.34 ERA), Horacio Ramirez (4-2, 6.47 ERA), Ryan Feierabend (1-3, 9.31 ERA) and Cha Seung Baek (3-3, 5.74 ERA). Seriously. Those players had 37 starts between them (of the 85 overall). Seriously, how is this team 13 games over .500? I mean, Richie Sexson (.205 batting average) hit cleanup much of the first half, and Vidro (.698 OPS at DH!!!) batted 2nd or 3rd in almost every game. Seriously. I mean, Jose Guillen, Kenji Johjima and Adrian Beltre have had pretty decent years and Ichiro's been a superstar at usual, but no one else in the lineup has even been average I don't think. I don't know how they did it, and they're definitely an underdog to the high-powered Angels pitching staff in the second half, but hey, stranger things have happened. Did Tony LaRussa really not pinch-hit Albert Pujols with the bases loaded in the 9th inning of the All-Star game? Seriously?
- Download Spoon - "The Underdog".mp3
- And yes, I'm very disturbed that Britt Daniel sounds like he's channeling Billy Joel in this song, and even more disturbed that I kind of like it. Buy Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
wow...
I live an hour away from Seattle and don't give a crap about the Mariners.
thank you for caring about them.
(that's not supposed to sound sarcastic.)
Posted by: calla | July 13, 2007 at 06:14 PM