Things to Take Away from the First Week of Baseball

 By: Anthony 

 Well the Mariners are 3-4 going into their home opener tonight. They have left some wins on the table and also have gotten away with some wins, this is all to be expected. There is no point to freak out, yet. The number of panicked texts from Patrick about the team has been relatively low for this week, although I think that may be more a part of him being at the Elite Eight and Final Four than with the amount he is panicking already. Here are some things that I have noticed.

Full disclosure though I haven’t actually watched a game yet. I have had other things on my plate and forgot the password for the MLB.tv account I used last year.

           

Dustin Ackley is not the new Brendan Ryan

It is really easy to look at his current batting average or really any batting stat and write off Ackley already. But before we cut the guy one pick from Stephen Strasburg after a week into his junior season, he has changed his stance and it will take him some period of adjustment. I actually saw this in Spring Training and failed to bring it up. He starts with his bat on his shoulder and basically swings from that point. He cut out a lot of the extra movement before his swing. In theory, this will keep his body relaxed and allow him to see the ball better. It hasn’t worked yet, but Ackley has hit the ball hard and those will start falling in for hits.

"Hit the ball out there please"

Mike Morse is Strong

Patrick has texted me this a few times after some of his more impressive home runs this season. And I’ll be clear, I am not opposed to Morse as a hitter, just as any position other than DH. His defense has been shaky by all accounts and that has not helped the rotation out much. However, Homeruns!! Yay!!! And 10 K’s in 29 at-bats!!! This is essentially the Josh Hamilton approach that I preached against when we were courting him. It’s not sustainable and if he doesn’t change it pitchers will stop throwing him pitchers that he can hit 450 feet. But hey, Homeruns!!!

Joe Saunders is the new Kevin Millwood

Congratulations to you Joe, you have received the dubious honor of being my least favorite pitcher in the rotation. I don’t know if it is the AAA game I saw you give up numerous runs to AAA players or just something about you being awful. But welcome to the Kevin Millwood Club, I hope you don’t get comfortable.

I still love your beard Brandon

Brandon Maurer Welcome to the Big Leagues

So Brandon Maurer wasn’t stellar in his first start, sorry folks who thought we had the next Stephen Strasburg hidden under the radar. I still need to watch one of his games to issue some judgment of my own, but I heard he was struggling with his fastball command. That’s something that happens, he could have been nervous, but any pitcher will get an ERA of 9.00 when they can’t command their fastball.

The Rubber Match, or Trying to End the Roadtrip with a Winning Record

Today is a big game for the Mariners for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, it is a regular season baseball game and when you win or lose one of those you get a + in the win column or the lose column that usually improves or hurts the trajectory of your season.

But in reality this early in the season there is a big difference between 4-3 and 3-4 for these uncertain Mariners. A winning record on this first road trip of the season against a division champ and a team we CANNOT seem to beat in Chicago would mean a lot for this team. Confidence wise. Record wise.

Felix did something yesterday that he hardly ever does. Giving up a Righty home run on an 0-2 pitch. We can forgive that because that hardly happens and you just have to live with it when it rarely does because it's Felix and Felix is the King.

However, the offensive is inconsistent and that is something that needs to change. Even though we've been scoring runs, our batting average is low and a couple of guys who need to get going still haven't. Smoak and Ackley have been patient at the plate, drawing a number of walks. But they need to get it going swinging the bat.

I understand Ackley has hit a few hard and has nothing to show for it, but he was a number 2 overall pick and my patience is starting to wear thin for a guy that I'm emotionally attached to as an athlete. We know you can do it Ack! Let's just hope these two are working out the kinks in their swings and all will end well.

Guti has looked good and so has Morse. But beyond that some serious consistency needs to develop. I hope it does too because the M's have the bullpen and the firepower to hang and win baseball games.

Today is a big game against the ChiSox's ace, Chris Sale. He can pitch, so this could be a rough game for the battery of Mariners who have had a rough start thus far.

The M's are countering with Iwakuma, who looked good last time out and needs to continue asserting himself in the number 2 slot in the rotation.

A win is a win but sometimes it is something so much more than a win. This first road trip could either portend success or mediocrity for the season-- and I think that will be defined and determined today whether or not the Mariners can gut out a win against a tough White Sox team.

Side gripe: Why does Brendan Ryan get a single when he literally THROWS HIS BAT at a pitch, where every single thing Ackley hits is either gobbled up, called for an error, or caught by a miraculously perfectly positioned outfielder? Today Ackley is going to have a mini break out of sorts (if he plays). I based that statement exclusive off of empirical evidence, facts, and statistics. And that's the truth. Trust me-- I am SOPHOMORE in college (a wise-fool for all those unfamiliar), so I really Do know everything.

    *Update: Ackley isn't in the lineup today, so he will have to start the comeback against Houston at home tomorrow.

Go Mariners.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

There Goes the Perfect Season

Last night was rough. The M's teased us in the first with homers by Guti and Morse, only to shut down offensively for the rest of the game. Montero's slap-shot singles back up the middle were about it outside the first inning at the plate.

Saunders... oh lord Saunders... I sure hope last night was a fluke. He BARELY got through four innings, walking people left and right, serving up well hit doubles deep into the outfield gaps. And if it weren't for Guti's superior range and defensive, there would've been at least one more of those.

Saunders looked angry and confused and frustrated, while Montero was forced to slide around behind the plate preventing passed ball after passed ball.

Again, for the THIRD NIGHT IN A ROW (and the first time ever), Montero played three days in a row behind the dish. He is still looking competent, and he still tears up left handed pitching. Oh and with Morse's 3rd homer of the year the Jaso trade is starting to look less and less befuddling.

Bay and Andino got their first starts of the season. Bay was issued a walk in his first plate appearance as a Mariner and then went quietly along his merry way. But, but! he did have a nice relay throw to Ryan from the left field corner, saving a potential run at the plate by the A's 1B rookie Freiman (spelling?).

Andino didn't look like much of anything. He really wasn't tested defensively, and at the dish he hurt the Mariners more than helped.

As a keen observer, you have probably come to the realization that if Bay and Andino started, two starters had to sit. Bay played left and booted Saunders for the night (the other Saunders, the better Saunders thus far). Andino started at second, giving *tear* Ackley the day off. I think this was a smart decision on Wedge's part, giving Ackley a brain-day, avoiding the crafty lefty Milone and giving him some time in the cages to tidy up his new stance and balance at the plate.

Ok now I am done talking about last night... I stayed up till 1 am watching a game that really wasn't fun to watch as a Mariners fan. Or an A's fan I guess, their stadium looked pretty empty and I am just assuming not many people really follow the Athletics.

So now there is today... Maurer getting his Mariners debut... his beard being showcased for the world (yes, everybody and their mother watches A's-M's Thursday day-games).

I don't think anybody expects 8 innings of no-hit ball, but I would love to see Maurer find some good control and patience on the mound. We know he can strike people out, but I am more interested in seeing him get out of Major League jams like he did in spring ball.

Likewise, look for the Mariners to make a little more contact tonight, they've been walking and hitting dingers but really not getting all that many hits.

Let's see if they can't get the series here today. Although a 4-game series split against the reigning AL West division champs wouldn't be the worst way the Mariners could start the season.

Wait a minute..... the Athletics won the AL West last year??? I thought the Angels and Rangers were in that division too... huh. Kids these days.


-Charlie @C14SpencerD

Moonshots and casual strolls to first base

There is a lot to be said about last night's 7-1 victory over the Oakland A-holes's, but what needs to be talked about first is the professionalism of the lineup from top to bottom. With 8 walks and only 2 strikeouts, the Mariners were patient at the plate and drove up Parker's pitch-count, chasing him from the game in the 5th. We scored all 7 runs last night with 2-outs on the board, so I'm guessing we should start calling every guy on the team Kyle Seager.

Justin Smoak- JUSTIN SMOAK!!- was patient enough to draw a walk with the bases loaded to score a run. Saunders stole second and was then driven in by a vintage Seager (can 2012 be considered vintage? For wine, definitely not. For Pabst? That's much to old and probably rancid) 2-out double, which was followed up by the first RBI and the first hit as a Mariner for Kendrys Morales, the meatiest looking mother who doesn't even wear batting gloves. *My theory is that he couldn't fit the gloves over those brautwurst fingers.

Then, there was the Beast. One time Mariner Mike Morse, who now wants to be known as Michael Morse (because the two syllable first name gives a better introduction in his opinion) decided to take his yin and yang to the next level with two impressive dingers. The first was a three-run shot that put the Mariners ahead  in the 3rd.

And a showy solo-shot in the 9th. He knew the minute he hit this ball that it was gone, and casually and confidently tossed his bat as one who gives zero fucks tosses cobras aside (for a hee-hawing good time watch this video if you've never seen it before. Funniest thing I've seen in a while).

Most everybody on the team looked good last night except for Ackley... which if you don't know by now kills me because I am irrationally attached to Dustin as I am to my beard (2+ months in the making). I expect him though to make a showing here in the next couple of games and get back on track.

Saunders looked intimidating on the base paths-- and wow Jaso really can't catch anybody stealing.

Seager was on base five times and looks nifty in the 2-hole. I like him and Saunders to kick off the game going 1-2.

Iwakuma looked like a solid number 2 starter, although I say that cautiously... a few too many balls were hit well to the warning track last night, and Cespedes reignited the Cuban Missile Crisis with his rope-shot solo dinger that gave the A's their only lead of the year so far.

Capps looked nasty. And Oliver Perez quick-pitched Cespedes like a crafty veteran who just wanted the game to be over with. *My roommate is laughing right now about that note on Perez; he is a die-hard Mets fan and cannot believe the Mariners had the audacity to give both Perez and Bay (the Mets versions of Bedard and Figgins) money to play for a professional baseball team.

And sorry, Raul, but I couldn't help but chuckle a bit when you lost that single to left between your legs for what seemed like an eternity. We love you and we always will, but we have to love your flaws too and one of those is outfield defense.

Morse was tested too defensively, and took advantage of his 6'5'' frame to snag a line drive that he misread off the bat.

And Gutie got some PT too, crushing a double off a good closer in Balfour and making a couple of putouts to end the 9th for the M's.

Finally the Mariners have a team 0.5 ERA and two victories by their starters so far this season. We are also averaging 4.5 runs per game, good enough for seventh in the league (and all of this really matters because it is the second game of the season and baseball isn't a marathon or anything absurd like that).

Overall a solid win last night. It was good to see patience at the plate and good hitting with RISP. Now all we need is for Morales to get it going and have Ackley start hitting the way he is supposed to in the 8 spot.

This could be a wild ride of the season, and it continues tonight with Saunders on the mound. Not sure what to expect from him, but we can only hope he eats up 200 innings this season like the Kung-Fu Panda eats up everything he can get his hands on, including Verlander fastballs.

-Charlie @C14SpencerD

Day One, in more ways than One

It's a new season, and the Mariners won the Opener (again). It's a new Opening Day, and Felix won against the A's (again). This is a fresh start, A New Hope for the M's (thank you Star Wars).

Today is a new day too because it is my first day writing a blog, my first time on Way Out in Left Field, and my first time trying really hard to be funny. I am not funny, but I'll do my best not being cringe-worthy. And as I continue to write I will try to get more meat and potatoes in my fluffy blogging.

My name is Charlie, and I was high school sweethearts with Patrick and Anthony, your favorite (and only other) Way Out in Left Field bloggers. Though time and distafacebook.comnce has separated us, our bonds are as pure as a King Felix changeup. Nasty.

But let's not get sentimental.

Much like the Mariners, I am feeling good right now. The first W is in the book. An air of confidence in and around baseball for every team that won their first game. (Note: We are tied with the Astros, THE ASTROS!!!! for first place in the AL West. That's baseball for you).

Going to school in Boston requires serious dedication to the Mariners. Last nights game didn't start till 10:07, so of course I watched it in bed on my tiny laptop on MLB.tv. I also decided not to do homework, in honor of this new baseball season (it's amazing the things we can use to procrastinate). But enough about me... let's first talk about all this FACIAL HAIR:

Seriously though. Who stole all the razors from the clubhouse? Everybody looks glorious. Morse has a tidy 10:07 shadow. Wedge looks like a Confederate colonel in the Civil War. Ackley is, well, Ackley (he can do NO WRONG in my book; no wrong; like honestly).

Felix looked like the Felix of last July and August. Even though he got a little messy late, he dominated the A's lineup and reminded us why we love him and why he is the King and why he will make more money this year than I'll probably make in my entire life. He was pitching masterfully, and those balls and strikes were being thrown to a very collected and competent, a competent, a screw it a collected and competent backstop Jesus Montero. He looked like he knew what he was doing. He looked alert, except for that foul tip that took his chin off and had him falling backwards in slo-mo. He was blocking those Felix pitches that get driven into the dirt with more movement than a kid who lost his ADD pills. I don't want to get greedy with such a small sample size, but my faith has increased marginally in Montero.

Oh, and he also had one of the most peculiar groundouts I've ever seen. He can run! He can run? No, he can't, but he sure is trying harder this year to not look like an old man walking on hot asphalt.

Smoak looked... oh you know how he looked and I really don't want to say it out loud or on the internet because I don't want to jinx anything. I hope he has a year this year that is consistent. I've really been pulling for him and this really is his last chance. Hope he can figure it out.

Morse and Morales were whiffing, and so was Saunders, but that really wasn't unexpected. We can only hope that they can hammer the ball deep every so often to help out the rest of our starting rotation.

Brendan Ryan is batting 1.000. Over the Mendoza line! For now. And how about that beautiful pirouette put-out of Cespedes last night?

All in all last night's game was fun to watch. It would've been more fun with more offensive fireworks, but I think I would enjoy watching Felix watch paint dry.

Tonight the M's are throwing Iwakuma versus Parker, and it should be a game we should watch because it's Mariners baseball and we will always love Mariners baseball no matter how much it hurts. And at least until tonight it won't hurt much at all. Thanks for the good start boys, let's keep it going.


P.S.: thank you readers for your patience with me. I hope to write a lot for you this season and any suggestions you have I would love to hear (and will surely take with a grain of salt). The truetotheblue juices are flowing, and I am excited to write for you and haphazardly reveal my biased thoughts on Mariners baseball. Follow me on Twitter @C14SpencerD if you have a heart, or a heart for the Mariners, or the desire to make my day 'cause I only have 13 followers (I got a Twitter about a week ago).

Go M's and Long Live the King!

Sorting Out the Offense

I talked about the pitching here yesterday, and today we switch over to the offense and defense. And just a heads up, I am not a huge fan of the moves the M’s made. I don’t like Jason Bay, Mike Morse or Raul Ibanez. Kendrys Morales was ok until the other three showed up. I will explain my feelings in a bit but for now, here is the roster break down right now.

To be clear, the Casper Wells vs. Jason Bay roster battle has not yet been settled. However, I watched Casper Wells play in a AAA game yesterday while Jason Bay is with the M’s in Salt Lake. Meaning that Bay is the front-runner there and Wells has not been cut in case of injury.

Sorry Casper, looks like you didn't make the squad

Here are the 13 players who are starting the year with the Mariners

C Jesus Montero

1B Justin Smoak

2B Dustin Ackley

SS Brendan Ryan

3B Kyle Seager

LF Michael Saunders

CF Franklin Gutierrez

RF Mike Morse

DH Kendrys Morales

C Kelly Shoppach

INF Robert Andino

OF Raul Ibanez

OF Jason Bay

To make this seem easier, I am going to break this into probable lineups against righties and lefties.

LHPS

Catcher	Montero/ Shoppach
First Base	Smoak/ Morales
Second Base	Ackley
Shortstop	Ryan
Third Base	Seager
Left Field	Saunders/ Bay
Center Field	Gutierrez
Right Field	Morse
DH	Morales

RHPS

Catcher	Montero/Shoppach
First Base	Smoak/ Morales
Second Base	Ackley
Shortstop	Ryan
Third Base	Seager
Left Field	Saunders
Center Field	Gutierrez
Right Field	Ibanez/ Morse/Bay
DH	Morales/ Morse/ Ibanez

            What really makes this situation super complex is the number of defensive options that actually exist and the variables that influence these options. Wedge has shown that he likes to play platoon splits, based off of how he handled the Jaso, Olivo, Montero threesome last year. But he also now has a lot of power at his disposal, which could lead him to ignoring splits and trying to get Morales and Morse as many AB’s as possible. Then there is Justin Smoak who is just the worst kind of baseball player. He is so teasing with his talent and then is awful. And all indications are he will get every chance possible to play regularly. Also, Morales is still not 100% in the field and Wedge has already said that he won’t get regular time there. And now we dive into the giant mess of GJMBSP (Giant Jumbled Mess of Big Strong Players).

"I have to play in the field? Thats totally not working out well"

            So if we are facing a lefty, we want as many right handed hitters in the line up as possible. Except Saunders, who actually is pretty even with his platoon splits. That means Smoak and Morales, as switch hitters, should start at DH and 1B. Morse will probably get the start in right field, which makes myself and every Mariners pitcher cringe in horror. Then there is Jason Bay who could step in for Saunders if the platoon splits are worrying or if they want to give Morse a day off. Or Smoak, or Morales.

            Now we get to right handed pitchers and the real dilemma of Raul Ibanez. If Ibanez gets a start now and then, as he should since he is on the roster and we don’t need another Chone Figgins-esque waste of a roster spot like last year, it gets weird. If Ibanez plays DH then Smoak or Morales must sit, a definite downgrade. If Ibanez starts in left, that means Saunders, Guti or Morse must sit. And if we start Ibanez and Morse in the outfield, I pray for mercy on that pitcher because those two could not stop a balloon filled with helium from falling for a single. 

Robert Andino= Total baller

            So in conclusion, we have about 5 guys who can play the outfield and 5 guys who can play 1B/DH. This leaves us with Robert Andino who is left backing up all three infield spots that aren’t first base. So pretty much Wedge has left himself a deep dark hole of roster confusion to deal with. Or, to look at it another way, he can play around with the lineups to his hearts content, just with positions that are often not messed around with. This team has a lot of flexibility at the 1B/DH/C/LF/RF spots, and very little flexibility elsewhere. Oh, and by the way, our first pinch runners off the bench are looking like Andino and Jason Bay. Who is excited for Mariners baseball?

Sorting Out the Mariners Pitching

This is all sort of late and whatever, but this is a second blog post in two days. I’m taking baby steps here. Soon, you might even get some new, original, up-to-date and interesting content. I really shouldn’t get your hopes up though, that was dumb of me. Anyway, since I am lazy and would rather spend tomorrow looking at the GJMBSP (Giant Jumbled Mess of Big Strong Players) that is our offense right now I will be looking at our pitching situation.

Yeah Hisashi, I'm already predicting your stats, don't suck please

Starters

Felix Hernandez

Hisashi Iwakuma

Joe Saunders

Brandon Maurer

Blake Beavan

I already discussed the last three yesterday and can sum up that discussion in a few words. I love Brandon Maurer’s beard. Joe Saunders is in the running to be this year’s Kevin Millwood. Blake Beavan is still Blake Beavan. Now we move onto Felix and Hisashi Iwakuma.

I had the pleasure of watching Iwakuma face the Chicago Cubs yesterday and despite their regulars only getting one at-bat before the scrubs showed up, Iwakuma did fine. He is weirdly consistent in that he will strike out a few guys, walk a few guys and give up a home run. I am really tempted to project his stats this year in the 15-10 with a 3.58 ERA and a HR/9 of about .80. That’s right, its been published on the internet, I am totally accountable for those projections. And I guess I’ll stand by it, whatever, he is Hisashi Iwakuma. Despite suffering from dry skin issues yesterday, I am totally serious too, he looked like the boring, consistent and not sexy pitcher I remember. That is absolutely a good thing. We need all the consistency we can get with Saunders, Beavan and Maurer behind him.

Instead of discussing how awesome Felix Hernandez is, I will leave you with a slideshow of awesome pictures of Felix pitching and doing other things. You’re welcome.

Pensive Felix

Excited Felix

Peek-a-boo Felix

Flexible Felix

Bullpen

Carter Capps

Stephen Pryor

Tom Wilhelmsen

Kameron Loe

Oliver Perez

Lucas Luetge

Charlie Furbush

This is the exact same bullpen as last year, except Josh Kinney grew like a foot and totally changed his appearance, pitching mechanics, and name. I automatically like Kameron Loe because he is tall, but he offers similar results to Kinney. Whereas Kinney used off-speed stuff ad nauseum, Loe uses his fastball and steep angle of release to get a bunch of groundballs. He can also pitch a few innings and will play the “long-relief” role along with Charlie Furbush. Lucas Luetge’s hair is looking super awesome, for everyone who cares. WHICH SHOULD BE EVERYONE! He has since gotten his hair trimmed. Because his wife wanted him too. I am not pleased with you Mrs. Luetge. Wilhelmsen has not looked good so far, but I don’t really care because Spring Training stats really mean nothing. I saw Carter Capps pitch against the Cubs scrubs yesterday and he looks like the real deal. He could very easily threaten for the closer role this year and definitely next year. His fastball looked as awesome as ever and he has a lot more confidence in his slider than last year. I’m excited to watch him this year. Stephen Pryor is still throwing gas, as was expected and Charlie Furbush is still classic Charlie "Whirling Dervish" Furbush.

This pitching staff will not be as good as it was last year. Saunders, despite having almost identical stats to Vargas, is on the wrong side of 30 but should be around league average, depending on how much the fence changes affect fly balls. Felix is Felix. Hisashi is Hisashi. Beavan is still a ham sandwich. The real wild card is Brandon Maurer, who hasn’t pitched above AA before. Remember last time the M’s broke camp with a guy who hadn’t pitched above AA before? He didn’t give up an earned run until June 19^th. He was also Lucas Luetge, a lefty specialist, but whatever. If Maurer can’t hang with the major league hitters, Erasmo Ramirez is waiting in Tacoma. But I think Maurer will surprise people and potentially go Erasmo all over everyone (I think Erasmo-ing is totally catching on). This rotation is solid, but the GJMBSP will have to hit to carry this team to a winning record.