Wednesday, December 17, 2003
The once-great defense has been chopped and sold for parts. Last year's struggling offense hasn't been improved and isn't getting any younger. The rotation is still looking to find a top-of-the-line starter. Kazuhiro Sasaki is the closer. All that being said, it is still premature to give up on the 2004 Mariners.
The Mariners have holes. Parallel-park-an-18-wheeler-no-problem sized holes, in fact. And it seems that management is unwilling to take reasonable measures to address these holes. Fodder for another post, however. Today we're talking optimism.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #1: ICHIRO
It's entirely possible that Ichiro hits .350 again this year, swipes 50 bags, hits 20 home runs, and wins the AL MVP. Plus, he makes an amazing play in right field about once a week. The kind of amazing play that makes you call your dad from the Safeco Field payphone to talk about it, the kind of play that makes you stay up for the early morning replay of "Baseball Tonight" just to get one more look.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #2: EDGAR
Poppy does crazy things in clutch situations. Is there a more clutch situation than "Last Chance At A World Series"? I submit there is not.
P.S. Did anyone else get one of those POS Edgar Martinez "The Double" figurines last year? Worst. Giveaway. Ever.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #3: RAFAEL SORIANO
Soriano is one of the few pitching prospects in baseball with truly unlimited potential. I was lucky enough to get tickets in the first row behind the visiting dugout for a game against the Angels last year, and my brother and I felt gypped because Soriano didn't pitch. I was caught up in the excitement of that AB last year against the Red Sox, when he struck out Nomar on three pitches with the bags full, and at the top of my lungs shouted "We're gonna win the World Series!" That scared the crap out of my roommate at the time, who was, per usual, parked in his La-Z-Boy sorting through a box of eight-year-old clippings from The Stranger.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #4: FREDDY GARCIA (tentative)
He should have won the Cy Young in 2001. (Only pitcher in the history of the award to lead his league in innings and ERA and not win) He was a deserving all-star for his first half of 2002. It's even money on whether he's a spectacular success or a spectacular failure in 2004. For what we'd get in return from a trade, isn't it worth the wager to keep him, Bill Bavasi?
Gotta go, more S.O.O.'s to follow...
BTW- The Spellcheck-suggested replacement for "Kazuhiro Sasaki" is "Jazzier Sausage." I did not make that up.
The Mariners have holes. Parallel-park-an-18-wheeler-no-problem sized holes, in fact. And it seems that management is unwilling to take reasonable measures to address these holes. Fodder for another post, however. Today we're talking optimism.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #1: ICHIRO
It's entirely possible that Ichiro hits .350 again this year, swipes 50 bags, hits 20 home runs, and wins the AL MVP. Plus, he makes an amazing play in right field about once a week. The kind of amazing play that makes you call your dad from the Safeco Field payphone to talk about it, the kind of play that makes you stay up for the early morning replay of "Baseball Tonight" just to get one more look.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #2: EDGAR
Poppy does crazy things in clutch situations. Is there a more clutch situation than "Last Chance At A World Series"? I submit there is not.
P.S. Did anyone else get one of those POS Edgar Martinez "The Double" figurines last year? Worst. Giveaway. Ever.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #3: RAFAEL SORIANO
Soriano is one of the few pitching prospects in baseball with truly unlimited potential. I was lucky enough to get tickets in the first row behind the visiting dugout for a game against the Angels last year, and my brother and I felt gypped because Soriano didn't pitch. I was caught up in the excitement of that AB last year against the Red Sox, when he struck out Nomar on three pitches with the bags full, and at the top of my lungs shouted "We're gonna win the World Series!" That scared the crap out of my roommate at the time, who was, per usual, parked in his La-Z-Boy sorting through a box of eight-year-old clippings from The Stranger.
SOURCE OF OPTIMISM #4: FREDDY GARCIA (tentative)
He should have won the Cy Young in 2001. (Only pitcher in the history of the award to lead his league in innings and ERA and not win) He was a deserving all-star for his first half of 2002. It's even money on whether he's a spectacular success or a spectacular failure in 2004. For what we'd get in return from a trade, isn't it worth the wager to keep him, Bill Bavasi?
Gotta go, more S.O.O.'s to follow...
BTW- The Spellcheck-suggested replacement for "Kazuhiro Sasaki" is "Jazzier Sausage." I did not make that up.
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