This is a sports related post, so if not interested, then move along. Nothing for you to see here!
If you haven't heard, the Seattle Mariners are just signed a new player. His name is, if you haven't heard, Ken Griffey, Jr. Yes, the Prodigal Son returns to Seattle.
See, about 20 years ago, Griffey, or as he affectionately known around these parts, Junior, broke into Major League Baseball with the Mariners when he was 19 years old. he was an exceptional talent. The game only saw a handful of players of his talent throughout its long history.
Griffey remained a Mariner for 10 years, until he demanded a trade to a different team so that he can get close to his family that lives in Florida. The management of the M's at that time were able to work out a trade to Cincinnati in exchange for a couple of good players, so it kind of worked out.
Griffey's time with the Reds was spent on the Disabled List, pretty much. He was hurt so much and so often, that him being in the lineup was the surprising thing. Call it a curse, of just bad luck, that's what happened to him.
In the last year of his 10-year contract with the Reds, he was traded to the Chicago White Sox and played the last couple of months with them and was on their playoff roster and played a few games in the playoffs, but nothing spectacular, really.
He said that he had knee problems and during the off-season he had a procedure to clean out his knees, which he claims was a success and he's feeling much better now.
Then the drama started happening. A few weeks ago it was rumored that he might sign with the M's again, so that he can finish his career where it started, and where the fans still love him. There was a lot of back and forth negotiations, it seems, and just when it was very clear that he was going to sign with the M's, what does he do?
According to the Atlanta Braves' Chipper Jones, Griffey called him and asked about him coming to the Braves. Naturally Jones was happy and told his management who started a dialogue with Griffey and his agent. Why he did that, nobody knows. Maybe he wanted to start a bidding war between the M's and the Braves. Maybe he really thought about coming back to Seattle and remembered that he would be too far away from his family, again. I don't know. Only he knows.
According to Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, two baseball legends, they talked to Griffey and told him to think about his legacy and what it would mean for him to sign with the Braves, and basically end his career in a whimper, rather than a splash in Seattle (where he still has a helluva lot of credit with the Seattle fans and media).
So, he changed his mind again, and ended up signing with Seattle.
How do I feel? Meh. It's cool that he's back, I guess. But not if it means taking away playing time from some of the youngsters that need that playing time to give them a fair chance at seeing if they do have a future with the major league team or not, so that they can continue with their development.
If Griffey accepts a lesser role of being the Designated Hitter against right-handed pitching, which means him playing 4 of 5 days a week, and no playing in the field for him (because all he would is a defensive liability) then I'm all for Griffey's return. If he's an everyday player who's hitting .190 with 2-3 homeruns by the end of May, this will not end good. For either party.
I did smile though, when I saw his infectious smile under a Mariners cap! What a softie, huh?
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
Super Bowl Recap
That was a great game, wasn't it? Well, I guess that's what they're saying. It was entertaining, exciting to the very last second. But one of the best? I'm not so sure. We are so quick to pass judgement, and we want everything that witness to be the greatest ever. To me, of the Super Bowls that I have followed and seen firsthand for the last ten years, nothing can come close to the Super Bowl between the Tennessee Titans and the St Louis Rams. Now THAT was a game! Literally, one yard stopped the Titans from tying the game and going into OT.
Anyway, the game started out with both teams being a bit tentative, then the Steelers put together a nice drive that looked like it ended with a TD run by Roethlisberger. But, after a challenge and review, the call was overturned because the runner's knee hit the ground before the ball crossed the goal line. The funniest part was when Al Michaels said: and Mike Holmgren is saying NOW??!! I thought that was hilarious. It hurt, but it was hilarious.
So instead the Steelers kicked a field goal. 3-0 Steelers.
Then the Steelers did really score a rushing TD. Although it was kinda funny because when the runner, Gary Russell, made it into the end zone, an Arizona defender ran him out right away, so from one camera angle I wasn't sure what was happening until the referees signaled touchdown! 10-0 Steelers.
Then it was the Cardinals' turn to answer, and they did. Warner connected with Tight End Ben Patrick for a 1 yard TD. Good catch, good hands, good throw, even though Warner tripped on his Center's foot! Talk about composure. That's what experience gets you. 10-7 Steelers.
Then what happened was amazing. The Cardinals were driving to a go-ahead TD, and it looked as though they would be able to do just that, when it happened! Knocking on the end zone doors, Warner threw a pass into the end zone, only to have James Harrison intercept the pass at the goal line and run it all the way the other way for a 100-yard interception return TD, the longest in SB history. So what did happen? The Steelers ran an all-out blitz, except that Harrison showed blitz but then dropped back and got into the passing lanes, where he was in position to make the play. Warner has always been lauded for his quick release, but that is exactly what may have led to the interception. 17-7 Steelers at the half.
The teams exchanged possessions and eventually at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Steelers kicked another field goal. The only interesting thing about this drive is that the Cardinals were tagged with 3 personal foul penalties, the third converting a made field goal on 4th down into a new set of downs after Wilson ran into the place holder. Dumb mistake. I thought that the Cardinals were beginning to unravel at that point. But the rallied and made a great comeback, below. 20-7 Steelers.
Midway through the 4th quarter, the Cardinals again were right at the doors of the end zone when Warner lobbed a pass at Larry Fitzgerald. That's what I would 10 times out of times! I don't care who is on Fitzgerald, how many defenders are on Fitzgerald, I would just call for a lob at his direction, and just sit back and watch him go up and make the catch. He is just the best at that. Madden made the point that I was contemplating myself: there is nobody better than Larry Fitzgerald at timing his jump and getting to the ball at the highest point. He has the best hands to ensure that he makes the catch and comes down with the ball. 20-14 Steelers.
After a Steelers punt, the Cardinals punted away too, but the coverage team was able to pin the ball at the Steelers 1 yard line. After it looked like the Cardinals stonewalled the Steelers in their own end zone (replays showed they didn't), it looked as if they were going to get out of that crummy field position when Holmes made a great catch for a new 1st down, but wait a minute, holding, offense, in the end zone, Safety! Two more points for the Cardinals AND they get the ball back! 20-16 Steelers.
My wife was, for whatever reason, rooting for the Cardinals. She asked me if they still had a chance, and I said: Just one pass to Fitzgerald, he breaks loose, and the Cardinals are in control. As soon as I finished this sentence, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride up the middle for a 64-yard TD. Made me think two things. 1. It made look prophetic in front of my wife. 2. If I knew that, why didn't the Steelers defense know that too? What happened?
Well, the call was magnificent. It was exactly the most perfect call for the defense that the Steelers were showing on the field. The safeties were playing a deep Cover 2. The Conrnerbacks were playing man-to-man, and the Linebackers, and this is the most important part of the formation, were crowding the line of scrimmage, playing close to line, which meant that the middle of the field was essentially empty. Here's how the play progressed. At the snap, all receivers, except Fitzgerald, ran an out route, they ran a few yards up the field and turned towards the sidelines. The Cornerbacks playing them man-to-man turned out with them. the Safeties bit and each one took an angle towards the sidelines as well. Except Fitzgerald. He ran towards the middle, went by his defender, and Warner hit him in stride dropping the ball behind the Cornerback. All Fitzgerald had to do was make the catch and run up the empty middle towards the end zone before the Cornerback and Safeties, who had by then realized the colossal mistake they had made and turned to try and catch him. Done and done! Great, great call! 23-20 Cardinals, their first lead, with 2:37 left.
However, in Football terms, that's a helluva lot of time for an offense! And, as it turned out, truer words were never spoken! The Steelers started at their own 22, and a holding penalty moved them back to their own 12. But, a series of short passes and short runs were punctuated by a 40-yard reception by Santonio Holmes, a total busted coverage on the Cardinals' behalf. That set up the Steelers at the Arizona 6 yard line, one shoe to the left of the end zone didn't work, so run the same play, same personnel, same receiver, tot the other side. Perfect throw, great catch, two feet down, Touchdown Pittsburgh! 27-23 Steelers. 35 seconds remaining.
Warner then made a couple of nice plays to move the Cardinals up the field, but the very last play for Arizona was a fumble. And yes, they could've reviewed it, and maybe they should've reviewed it, but I don't think it mattered. It looked to me like it was a fumble, and the Steelers recovered the loose ball. Victory formation, kneel down, ball game! Steelers the 6th Super Bowl in franchise history, a record.
So, all in all, a pretty entertaining game, through and through, and Santonio Holmes was named the MVP. But one of the best ever? Drop the hype already.
Anyway, the game started out with both teams being a bit tentative, then the Steelers put together a nice drive that looked like it ended with a TD run by Roethlisberger. But, after a challenge and review, the call was overturned because the runner's knee hit the ground before the ball crossed the goal line. The funniest part was when Al Michaels said: and Mike Holmgren is saying NOW??!! I thought that was hilarious. It hurt, but it was hilarious.
So instead the Steelers kicked a field goal. 3-0 Steelers.
Then the Steelers did really score a rushing TD. Although it was kinda funny because when the runner, Gary Russell, made it into the end zone, an Arizona defender ran him out right away, so from one camera angle I wasn't sure what was happening until the referees signaled touchdown! 10-0 Steelers.
Then it was the Cardinals' turn to answer, and they did. Warner connected with Tight End Ben Patrick for a 1 yard TD. Good catch, good hands, good throw, even though Warner tripped on his Center's foot! Talk about composure. That's what experience gets you. 10-7 Steelers.
Then what happened was amazing. The Cardinals were driving to a go-ahead TD, and it looked as though they would be able to do just that, when it happened! Knocking on the end zone doors, Warner threw a pass into the end zone, only to have James Harrison intercept the pass at the goal line and run it all the way the other way for a 100-yard interception return TD, the longest in SB history. So what did happen? The Steelers ran an all-out blitz, except that Harrison showed blitz but then dropped back and got into the passing lanes, where he was in position to make the play. Warner has always been lauded for his quick release, but that is exactly what may have led to the interception. 17-7 Steelers at the half.
The teams exchanged possessions and eventually at the end of the 3rd quarter, the Steelers kicked another field goal. The only interesting thing about this drive is that the Cardinals were tagged with 3 personal foul penalties, the third converting a made field goal on 4th down into a new set of downs after Wilson ran into the place holder. Dumb mistake. I thought that the Cardinals were beginning to unravel at that point. But the rallied and made a great comeback, below. 20-7 Steelers.
Midway through the 4th quarter, the Cardinals again were right at the doors of the end zone when Warner lobbed a pass at Larry Fitzgerald. That's what I would 10 times out of times! I don't care who is on Fitzgerald, how many defenders are on Fitzgerald, I would just call for a lob at his direction, and just sit back and watch him go up and make the catch. He is just the best at that. Madden made the point that I was contemplating myself: there is nobody better than Larry Fitzgerald at timing his jump and getting to the ball at the highest point. He has the best hands to ensure that he makes the catch and comes down with the ball. 20-14 Steelers.
After a Steelers punt, the Cardinals punted away too, but the coverage team was able to pin the ball at the Steelers 1 yard line. After it looked like the Cardinals stonewalled the Steelers in their own end zone (replays showed they didn't), it looked as if they were going to get out of that crummy field position when Holmes made a great catch for a new 1st down, but wait a minute, holding, offense, in the end zone, Safety! Two more points for the Cardinals AND they get the ball back! 20-16 Steelers.
My wife was, for whatever reason, rooting for the Cardinals. She asked me if they still had a chance, and I said: Just one pass to Fitzgerald, he breaks loose, and the Cardinals are in control. As soon as I finished this sentence, Warner hit Fitzgerald in stride up the middle for a 64-yard TD. Made me think two things. 1. It made look prophetic in front of my wife. 2. If I knew that, why didn't the Steelers defense know that too? What happened?
Well, the call was magnificent. It was exactly the most perfect call for the defense that the Steelers were showing on the field. The safeties were playing a deep Cover 2. The Conrnerbacks were playing man-to-man, and the Linebackers, and this is the most important part of the formation, were crowding the line of scrimmage, playing close to line, which meant that the middle of the field was essentially empty. Here's how the play progressed. At the snap, all receivers, except Fitzgerald, ran an out route, they ran a few yards up the field and turned towards the sidelines. The Cornerbacks playing them man-to-man turned out with them. the Safeties bit and each one took an angle towards the sidelines as well. Except Fitzgerald. He ran towards the middle, went by his defender, and Warner hit him in stride dropping the ball behind the Cornerback. All Fitzgerald had to do was make the catch and run up the empty middle towards the end zone before the Cornerback and Safeties, who had by then realized the colossal mistake they had made and turned to try and catch him. Done and done! Great, great call! 23-20 Cardinals, their first lead, with 2:37 left.
However, in Football terms, that's a helluva lot of time for an offense! And, as it turned out, truer words were never spoken! The Steelers started at their own 22, and a holding penalty moved them back to their own 12. But, a series of short passes and short runs were punctuated by a 40-yard reception by Santonio Holmes, a total busted coverage on the Cardinals' behalf. That set up the Steelers at the Arizona 6 yard line, one shoe to the left of the end zone didn't work, so run the same play, same personnel, same receiver, tot the other side. Perfect throw, great catch, two feet down, Touchdown Pittsburgh! 27-23 Steelers. 35 seconds remaining.
Warner then made a couple of nice plays to move the Cardinals up the field, but the very last play for Arizona was a fumble. And yes, they could've reviewed it, and maybe they should've reviewed it, but I don't think it mattered. It looked to me like it was a fumble, and the Steelers recovered the loose ball. Victory formation, kneel down, ball game! Steelers the 6th Super Bowl in franchise history, a record.
So, all in all, a pretty entertaining game, through and through, and Santonio Holmes was named the MVP. But one of the best ever? Drop the hype already.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Super Bowl Madness
So, all hyped up? Not me!
Yes, it's the Super Bowl and all, but I'm just not too excited about it. I was trying to latch onto all the stories that came out in the media for the last couple of weeks, but, nothing. I guess if I have to dig real hard, I am very impressed by Larry Fitzgerald. He seems to be a throwback, a player's player, as they say. He seems to have the team's best interest in mind, even claiming that he is willing to change his contract if that means the Cardinals can keep free agent-to-be WR Anquan Boldin. The cynic in me says: OK, thanks Larry, even though the Cardinals don't need that offer from you, since they will be $40 million under the cap next year! But, I think his offer is genuine, which is refreshing in a me-first sports culture these days (which is why College sports is WAY better than the professional type).
So, I guess that kind of drew me in, but not too much to get me excited about the game itself.
I don't really understand the notion that I HAVE to root for a team. I cannot root for either team, for understandable reasons (which I listed in an earlier post below). I am going to watch the game, not really caring who ends up winning. That's just how I feel right now. Maybe closer to the game, or during the game, something happens and I start to pull for one team, like a dirty hit or some egregious officiating (*ahem* I'm looking at you SB XL). But, right now, nothing!
Anyway, the game is on Sunday at 3:28pm PST (why :28 beats the hell out of me!). NBC's coverage starts, well, now, I guess!
Enjoy!
And Go Seahawks!
Yes, it's the Super Bowl and all, but I'm just not too excited about it. I was trying to latch onto all the stories that came out in the media for the last couple of weeks, but, nothing. I guess if I have to dig real hard, I am very impressed by Larry Fitzgerald. He seems to be a throwback, a player's player, as they say. He seems to have the team's best interest in mind, even claiming that he is willing to change his contract if that means the Cardinals can keep free agent-to-be WR Anquan Boldin. The cynic in me says: OK, thanks Larry, even though the Cardinals don't need that offer from you, since they will be $40 million under the cap next year! But, I think his offer is genuine, which is refreshing in a me-first sports culture these days (which is why College sports is WAY better than the professional type).
So, I guess that kind of drew me in, but not too much to get me excited about the game itself.
I don't really understand the notion that I HAVE to root for a team. I cannot root for either team, for understandable reasons (which I listed in an earlier post below). I am going to watch the game, not really caring who ends up winning. That's just how I feel right now. Maybe closer to the game, or during the game, something happens and I start to pull for one team, like a dirty hit or some egregious officiating (*ahem* I'm looking at you SB XL). But, right now, nothing!
Anyway, the game is on Sunday at 3:28pm PST (why :28 beats the hell out of me!). NBC's coverage starts, well, now, I guess!
Enjoy!
And Go Seahawks!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is upon us.
The two teams to meet in SB XLIII are the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. I can absolutely say: meh.
I cannot root for either team. The Steelers stole away the Lombardi Trophy from my beloved Seahawks in SB XL, with the help of the NFL and the referees.
The Arizona Cardinals are division rivals. I cannot even imagine rooting for them. When the Yankees fans start rooting for the Red Sox, because, you know, they are in the same division, then I’ll start rooting for the Cardinals.
I’ll be watching, it is the Super Bowl, after all. Hope the ads are entertaining!
The two teams to meet in SB XLIII are the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. I can absolutely say: meh.
I cannot root for either team. The Steelers stole away the Lombardi Trophy from my beloved Seahawks in SB XL, with the help of the NFL and the referees.
The Arizona Cardinals are division rivals. I cannot even imagine rooting for them. When the Yankees fans start rooting for the Red Sox, because, you know, they are in the same division, then I’ll start rooting for the Cardinals.
I’ll be watching, it is the Super Bowl, after all. Hope the ads are entertaining!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Phillies win game 1
Good to see the Philadelphia Phillies win game 1 of the World Series. Even though the Tampa Bay Rays are the darling story of this season, we in Seattle have a vested interest in the Phillies. See, their GM, Pat Gillick, used to be the M's GM. Jamie Moyer, a beloved pitcher here in Seattle, was driven out of town for being washed up, only to win 16 games for Philadelphia this year, and would be on tap to get a World Series ring if the Phillies win.
The Phillies also have a player named Greg Dobbs who used to be with the Mariners, but was also driven out of town, but has been an important part of the Phillies run this year to the World Series.
So, I would like to see the Phillies win the pennant this year.
Besides, it would be a real shame if Tampa Bay won the World Series before the Mariners, who have 22 years on the Rays!
The Phillies also have a player named Greg Dobbs who used to be with the Mariners, but was also driven out of town, but has been an important part of the Phillies run this year to the World Series.
So, I would like to see the Phillies win the pennant this year.
Besides, it would be a real shame if Tampa Bay won the World Series before the Mariners, who have 22 years on the Rays!
The Mariners pick a new GM
The Mariners baseball club today announced Jack Zduriencik (pronounced zur-EN-sik) as their new General Manager. This is a good hire, according to analysts, but I will hold my optimism for a bit.
Deciding whether this is indeed a good hire or not will depend mostly on the kind of autonomy that Z will be given (I will be referring to him as Z, much easier!). If team president, Chuck Armstrong, and CEO, Howard Lincoln, want to continue down the path of meddling and making sure that they sign off on anything that Z does, then this is going to be same old, same old for Seattle Mariners fans.
Also, Z is a very good talent appraiser, and has a good eye for not just acquiring talent, but developing it. But what that means is that in order to succeed, two other things need to happen:
1. The old guard throughout the organization needs to be let go. We need a clean slate to start from. Thank you notes need to be sent out to them, but they need to be informed that their services are no longer needed. How can you start off anew when that means that you need to make changes to personnel and roster, which means in a most direct way indicting the decisions made by the old guard regarding the same players and coaches that they acquired or hired. That's' why they need to go.
2. Z needs to get one or two of those highly intellectual Ivy League graduates who are good with the new statistical analysis that permeates the Major Leagues these days. Those have been proven to improve the odds dramatically in favor of the organizations that utilize those statistics, and don't rely solely on scouting. I believe a hybrid of the two, headed by a man with a keen eye for talent such as Z, with the power of statistical analysis can work even better than expected, and bring in the turnaround that all fans are craving for in a much shorter time.
Moving the M's forward will not be an easy task. A 100 million dollar roster needs to be reevaluated. Positioning of players needs to be reconsidered. Fresh talent needs to be infused. Smart, cheap free agents need to be brought in for leadership and stop gap measures. Coaches need to be hired. Front Office personnel need to be evaluated. And the most important thing, a fan base needs to be re-energized.
The good thing is that the resources are there. Now we need to see if the will is there as well.
Deciding whether this is indeed a good hire or not will depend mostly on the kind of autonomy that Z will be given (I will be referring to him as Z, much easier!). If team president, Chuck Armstrong, and CEO, Howard Lincoln, want to continue down the path of meddling and making sure that they sign off on anything that Z does, then this is going to be same old, same old for Seattle Mariners fans.
Also, Z is a very good talent appraiser, and has a good eye for not just acquiring talent, but developing it. But what that means is that in order to succeed, two other things need to happen:
1. The old guard throughout the organization needs to be let go. We need a clean slate to start from. Thank you notes need to be sent out to them, but they need to be informed that their services are no longer needed. How can you start off anew when that means that you need to make changes to personnel and roster, which means in a most direct way indicting the decisions made by the old guard regarding the same players and coaches that they acquired or hired. That's' why they need to go.
2. Z needs to get one or two of those highly intellectual Ivy League graduates who are good with the new statistical analysis that permeates the Major Leagues these days. Those have been proven to improve the odds dramatically in favor of the organizations that utilize those statistics, and don't rely solely on scouting. I believe a hybrid of the two, headed by a man with a keen eye for talent such as Z, with the power of statistical analysis can work even better than expected, and bring in the turnaround that all fans are craving for in a much shorter time.
Moving the M's forward will not be an easy task. A 100 million dollar roster needs to be reevaluated. Positioning of players needs to be reconsidered. Fresh talent needs to be infused. Smart, cheap free agents need to be brought in for leadership and stop gap measures. Coaches need to be hired. Front Office personnel need to be evaluated. And the most important thing, a fan base needs to be re-energized.
The good thing is that the resources are there. Now we need to see if the will is there as well.
You be the judge
Is the hit the referee put on the QB intentioanl or not? He claims it wasn't intentional, that he was protecting himself. I say it's obvious that it was intentional. He stalked the QB, got in the lane, and lowered his shoulder to deliver the tackle.
I'm not saying that he was trying to influence the outcome of the game. USC still scored on that drive, eventually (and still lost the game), but I think the referee just got caught up in the game action and it took him back to his glory days in college (the ref did play on defense as a linebacker when he was in college).
So, what do you think?
Friday, September 26, 2008
Ichiro!
Yes, I'm starting with a sports related post. I can't apologize for being me!
In case you haven't heard, the Seattle Times yesterday published a report that said that some Mariners players wanted to kick Ichiro's butt around May this year. Why? Apparently he was playing hurt, he had some hamstring issues, and so he wasn't as fast and couldn't get to fly balls the way he normally would have. Some national media outlets even picked up the story, since I saw it on ESPN.com and MSNBC.com.
When did Major League Baseball become 2nd grade recess? That is wrong on so many levels.
Here's the thing, almost all professional sport players play hurt and through pain at one time or another. Heck, even weekend warriors, people who are not getting paid to play sports, play through bumps and bruises and tweaks and sprains. I did that. Why? Because of the love of the game. It doesn't matter what sport you play, there is an elevated possibility of getting hurt. To tell you the truth, if a professional player starts complaining about HAVING to play through pain, then that's a player that your team probably doesn't need, and would probably be better off without that player.
Let's dissect that sentiment a little further. A teammate wanting to go kick another player's ass because that player is playing hurt. I cannot see that statement coming from a position player, just because they themselves might get hurt at one point and would have to play through the pain, so they wouldn't even be thinking about taking another player out just because they're playing hurt.
So did this come from a pitcher? Most probably. A reliever wouldn't have the same prima-donna attitude as starting pitchers, so I would say this came from a starting pitcher. This year, only two new starting pitchers were added to the M's staff: Bedard and Silva. Bedard doesn't talk to anyone in the clubhouse, he's as quiet as a mouse (even though I've had a mouse in an old apartment that kept me up at night because of its incessant running back and forth across the ceiling, but that's a different post for a different day). So that leaves Silva. And yes, I can see Silva saying that.
If that's the case, if Silva was the one who wanted to kick Ichiro's ass, then I would advise Mr. Silva to take a look in the mirror. First, he wouldn't like what he would see, girth-wise. Boy is huge! Second, didn't he, himself, play hurt a few games this year and couldn't even get out of the 2nd or 3rd innings? Perhaps other M's should have kicked his ass. Problem is, you would need a really big foot to do so.
And what about Ibanez last year? Didn't he play hurt throughout the first half of last season? his power number didn't start going up until after July. However, there was no mention of any ass kicking threats. Ibanez might have cost the Mariners even more last year. Think about this: If Ibanez had admitted that he was having back problems, perhaps the organizations would have let him rest his back for a while and called up Adam Jones to play left field. Perhaps Adam Jones would have put up some decent numbers and when Ibanez was ready to come back, then both would have stayed in the lineup (I'm sure the M's would have found a spot for Ibanez in the lineup, they need his productivity), and if you all remember, last year the M's had 88 wins and were very close to earning a sport in the playoffs. Perhaps the above scenario of playing Adam Jones and Ibanez would have produced a couple more wins, and put the M's in position to remain a contender for a playoff spot down the stretch. Not too far fetched, is it? Still, no talk about any Ibanez ass kicking. Go figure!
I would rather have Ichiro play at 90% than a lot of the other Mariners playing at 100%, except for Ibanez and Beltre, because he would still be better than those bums. All of them.
So whoever is saying those things about Ichiro, just shut it. Yes, I'm looking at you, Silva. Don't make me come down there (is Shaq available?)
In case you haven't heard, the Seattle Times yesterday published a report that said that some Mariners players wanted to kick Ichiro's butt around May this year. Why? Apparently he was playing hurt, he had some hamstring issues, and so he wasn't as fast and couldn't get to fly balls the way he normally would have. Some national media outlets even picked up the story, since I saw it on ESPN.com and MSNBC.com.
When did Major League Baseball become 2nd grade recess? That is wrong on so many levels.
Here's the thing, almost all professional sport players play hurt and through pain at one time or another. Heck, even weekend warriors, people who are not getting paid to play sports, play through bumps and bruises and tweaks and sprains. I did that. Why? Because of the love of the game. It doesn't matter what sport you play, there is an elevated possibility of getting hurt. To tell you the truth, if a professional player starts complaining about HAVING to play through pain, then that's a player that your team probably doesn't need, and would probably be better off without that player.
Let's dissect that sentiment a little further. A teammate wanting to go kick another player's ass because that player is playing hurt. I cannot see that statement coming from a position player, just because they themselves might get hurt at one point and would have to play through the pain, so they wouldn't even be thinking about taking another player out just because they're playing hurt.
So did this come from a pitcher? Most probably. A reliever wouldn't have the same prima-donna attitude as starting pitchers, so I would say this came from a starting pitcher. This year, only two new starting pitchers were added to the M's staff: Bedard and Silva. Bedard doesn't talk to anyone in the clubhouse, he's as quiet as a mouse (even though I've had a mouse in an old apartment that kept me up at night because of its incessant running back and forth across the ceiling, but that's a different post for a different day). So that leaves Silva. And yes, I can see Silva saying that.
If that's the case, if Silva was the one who wanted to kick Ichiro's ass, then I would advise Mr. Silva to take a look in the mirror. First, he wouldn't like what he would see, girth-wise. Boy is huge! Second, didn't he, himself, play hurt a few games this year and couldn't even get out of the 2nd or 3rd innings? Perhaps other M's should have kicked his ass. Problem is, you would need a really big foot to do so.
And what about Ibanez last year? Didn't he play hurt throughout the first half of last season? his power number didn't start going up until after July. However, there was no mention of any ass kicking threats. Ibanez might have cost the Mariners even more last year. Think about this: If Ibanez had admitted that he was having back problems, perhaps the organizations would have let him rest his back for a while and called up Adam Jones to play left field. Perhaps Adam Jones would have put up some decent numbers and when Ibanez was ready to come back, then both would have stayed in the lineup (I'm sure the M's would have found a spot for Ibanez in the lineup, they need his productivity), and if you all remember, last year the M's had 88 wins and were very close to earning a sport in the playoffs. Perhaps the above scenario of playing Adam Jones and Ibanez would have produced a couple more wins, and put the M's in position to remain a contender for a playoff spot down the stretch. Not too far fetched, is it? Still, no talk about any Ibanez ass kicking. Go figure!
I would rather have Ichiro play at 90% than a lot of the other Mariners playing at 100%, except for Ibanez and Beltre, because he would still be better than those bums. All of them.
So whoever is saying those things about Ichiro, just shut it. Yes, I'm looking at you, Silva. Don't make me come down there (is Shaq available?)
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Sports over the weekend? Meh
There were some sporting events that I was looking forward to! College Football and NFL games on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, the University of Washington Huskies were playing against the No.3 team in the country, the Oklahoma Sooners. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty, but it was downright ugly. I have no idea why I follow Husky sports, I'm not an alumnus or anything, but I guess they're the local college team and it would be cool to see them do well. Saturday, they didn't do well. They did awful.
But, on Sunday, my beloved Seahawks were playing. And they were going to take down a lower quality division opponent in the San Francisco 49ers. Or at least that's what i was hoping for. When the score became 14-0 in the first quarter, I thought it was going to be a GREAT game! But.. to make a long story short, the 'Hawks lost in overtime, 33-30. I know there are a lot of injuries to the receivers, and we had another one yesterday on the first couple of plays in the game, but that's not an excuse. I would have to say that all aspects of the 'Hawks played well, except the secondary. The cornerbacks and safeties were GAWDAWFUL. I'm not going to get into it now, but the season is looking to be slipping away from us, which would complete the cycle of misery for sports fans up here in Western Washington.
But, on Sunday, my beloved Seahawks were playing. And they were going to take down a lower quality division opponent in the San Francisco 49ers. Or at least that's what i was hoping for. When the score became 14-0 in the first quarter, I thought it was going to be a GREAT game! But.. to make a long story short, the 'Hawks lost in overtime, 33-30. I know there are a lot of injuries to the receivers, and we had another one yesterday on the first couple of plays in the game, but that's not an excuse. I would have to say that all aspects of the 'Hawks played well, except the secondary. The cornerbacks and safeties were GAWDAWFUL. I'm not going to get into it now, but the season is looking to be slipping away from us, which would complete the cycle of misery for sports fans up here in Western Washington.
One more thing about the Seahawks
Will the media please, PLEASE, stop calling Floyd Womack "Pork Chop?" It was cute for the first couple of years, but it has become very silly since. You don't have to say Floyd "Pork Chop" Womack every-friggin-time!
Seahawks week 1 review
After week 1, they SUCK! Yes, those are capital S capital U capital C and capital K. Anyone who watched the game who wasn't a Buffalo Bills fan, was completely and utterly depressed after it. We wait for Football for 7 months, and that's what we get? My son, who's 1 year old, and this would be his first Football season where he could comprehend a thing or two, looked at me with a very quizzical look on his face after some of Holmgren's calls. Especially, ESPECIALLY, the draw play to the FB Weaver on a 3rd and something ridiculous! Yes, if you didn't see the game, then the look on my son's face is that same look that you have right now! A draw play.. to the Fullback.. on a 3rd and beyond long! Anyway, to be quite honest, I was very disgusted, I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit during and after the game, but I got over it. Why so quickly?
Well, first of all, I'm a sports fan in the Pacific Northwest. If you haven' heard (and I don't blame you if you haven't, because believe it or not the Pacific Northwest is indeed part of the United States, and it's part of the contiguous United States) sports up here seem to be our emotional and psychological black hole. It sucks in everything and leaves nothing but darkness, which is how our souls feel after considering any of the sporting teams that are associated with this part of the country. The Mariners are so far at the bottom of the Al West that the next worst team in that division can't even see them in their rearview mirror. And they have not been to the post season since God knows how long (I'm sure someone else other than God knows how long, it just seems like an eternity). The beloved SuperSonics are gone. Snatched from amongst us by the wickedest of methods (something that I might visit in the future, I still have a lot of steam to blow off regarding that whole debacle). Even the Huskies and the Cougars football teams are the worst in their division and expected to finish dead last and next to dead last. I would like to include sports teams from Oregon in this discussion, but I just can't get myself to acknowledge them! Point is, we're some of the best adjusted fans in all of sports because of the heartache upon heartache our teams have given us.
Second, I am giving the Seahawks a mulligan for the first 3 games and up to the bye week. Their top 4 wide receivers are hurt (2 lost for the season, the other 2 are expected somewhere around the bye week). They also play the 49ers and the Rams @ home, so that makes the schedule very favorable. They can still get to the bye week with a 2-1 record and get their top 2 receivers back. Maybe by that time the OL will have gelled together nicely and a running game will have started to emerge from the ashes of the past 2 years. Maybe Hasselbeck and the new receivers will have adjusted to each other and displayed a semblance of a passing game. Maybe rookie Tight End Carlson will show that he really is worth the draft day maneuvering to get him. Maybe. That little word is what keeps us sports fan tuned in, week in and week out.
With all that being said, I still can't understand all the recent moves the Front Office made the past couple of days:
- Released Jordan Kent: Even though we do need more, not less wide receivers, I can understand this move because he still needs some experience and he can't be relied on to be the team's 3rd or 4th best option. In any case, he cleared waivers and was signed to the Practice Squad.
- Release Justin Forsett: HUH???!!! Why? He is a rookie, and a little bit undersized, but he has potential and plenty of it. Everybody knew that he was not going to clear waivers, no way. So what happened? The Colts picked him up. I hope he's not the next Westbrook or something like that. Besides, why do we still have 2 kickers on the roster?
- Keeping 2 kickers on the roster: I can understand that if one is so outstanding at kickoffs, and that's all he does, and the other is so outstanding at field goals and so accurate that you have to keep them both. But that's not the case. Coutu wasn't even active last week. Don't you think that if he were release, nobody would've picked him up and he could've been placed on the Practice Squad, and thus saving a spot for Forsett? Makes no sense to me that the FO would rather keep a 2nd kicker who does not even get activated on game day rather than a running back with a lot of potential and great hands coming out of the backfield. That's the major head scratcher.
- Signing 2 new wide receivers, McMullen and Parker: Ok, we need wide receivers, but, um, who?! I think that the Front Office need to swallow a big gulp of their pride and take a look at Koren Robinson. Why not? He already knows the offense, he's rehabilitated, and besides, it's a win on all sides situation for the organization in showing that they give players a second chance and he's someone who the fans would feel good about because there would be an elevated sense of relief and familiarity. Judging from last season, Robinson still has that explosiveness in him and I think that getting him back in Seattle would encourage him to prove to everybody including himself that he still can play, and that people's faith in him is well placed. And if he does anything stupid, the organization will show him the door as fast as humanly possible and they can say "hey, at least we tried!"
I'll be watching the games on Sunday. Oh you know I will. I'm a fan, and that's what fans do. They stand behind their teams. Or it's just out of morbid curiosity! And if they are down big near the end of the game, I'll be turning off the TV, sulking for a bit, and then picking myself up and rejoining the normal universe. How come so quickly? Well, I'm a Pacific Northwest sports fan!
Well, first of all, I'm a sports fan in the Pacific Northwest. If you haven' heard (and I don't blame you if you haven't, because believe it or not the Pacific Northwest is indeed part of the United States, and it's part of the contiguous United States) sports up here seem to be our emotional and psychological black hole. It sucks in everything and leaves nothing but darkness, which is how our souls feel after considering any of the sporting teams that are associated with this part of the country. The Mariners are so far at the bottom of the Al West that the next worst team in that division can't even see them in their rearview mirror. And they have not been to the post season since God knows how long (I'm sure someone else other than God knows how long, it just seems like an eternity). The beloved SuperSonics are gone. Snatched from amongst us by the wickedest of methods (something that I might visit in the future, I still have a lot of steam to blow off regarding that whole debacle). Even the Huskies and the Cougars football teams are the worst in their division and expected to finish dead last and next to dead last. I would like to include sports teams from Oregon in this discussion, but I just can't get myself to acknowledge them! Point is, we're some of the best adjusted fans in all of sports because of the heartache upon heartache our teams have given us.
Second, I am giving the Seahawks a mulligan for the first 3 games and up to the bye week. Their top 4 wide receivers are hurt (2 lost for the season, the other 2 are expected somewhere around the bye week). They also play the 49ers and the Rams @ home, so that makes the schedule very favorable. They can still get to the bye week with a 2-1 record and get their top 2 receivers back. Maybe by that time the OL will have gelled together nicely and a running game will have started to emerge from the ashes of the past 2 years. Maybe Hasselbeck and the new receivers will have adjusted to each other and displayed a semblance of a passing game. Maybe rookie Tight End Carlson will show that he really is worth the draft day maneuvering to get him. Maybe. That little word is what keeps us sports fan tuned in, week in and week out.
With all that being said, I still can't understand all the recent moves the Front Office made the past couple of days:
- Released Jordan Kent: Even though we do need more, not less wide receivers, I can understand this move because he still needs some experience and he can't be relied on to be the team's 3rd or 4th best option. In any case, he cleared waivers and was signed to the Practice Squad.
- Release Justin Forsett: HUH???!!! Why? He is a rookie, and a little bit undersized, but he has potential and plenty of it. Everybody knew that he was not going to clear waivers, no way. So what happened? The Colts picked him up. I hope he's not the next Westbrook or something like that. Besides, why do we still have 2 kickers on the roster?
- Keeping 2 kickers on the roster: I can understand that if one is so outstanding at kickoffs, and that's all he does, and the other is so outstanding at field goals and so accurate that you have to keep them both. But that's not the case. Coutu wasn't even active last week. Don't you think that if he were release, nobody would've picked him up and he could've been placed on the Practice Squad, and thus saving a spot for Forsett? Makes no sense to me that the FO would rather keep a 2nd kicker who does not even get activated on game day rather than a running back with a lot of potential and great hands coming out of the backfield. That's the major head scratcher.
- Signing 2 new wide receivers, McMullen and Parker: Ok, we need wide receivers, but, um, who?! I think that the Front Office need to swallow a big gulp of their pride and take a look at Koren Robinson. Why not? He already knows the offense, he's rehabilitated, and besides, it's a win on all sides situation for the organization in showing that they give players a second chance and he's someone who the fans would feel good about because there would be an elevated sense of relief and familiarity. Judging from last season, Robinson still has that explosiveness in him and I think that getting him back in Seattle would encourage him to prove to everybody including himself that he still can play, and that people's faith in him is well placed. And if he does anything stupid, the organization will show him the door as fast as humanly possible and they can say "hey, at least we tried!"
I'll be watching the games on Sunday. Oh you know I will. I'm a fan, and that's what fans do. They stand behind their teams. Or it's just out of morbid curiosity! And if they are down big near the end of the game, I'll be turning off the TV, sulking for a bit, and then picking myself up and rejoining the normal universe. How come so quickly? Well, I'm a Pacific Northwest sports fan!
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