Series Thread: Mariners vs Astros, first home series. April 10-12

[NWinAZ]

I thought it was time to re-post this from earlier in the year:

Contenders that will regret not upgrading their weakest positions

9:30 AM PT

• David SchoenfieldESPN Senior Writer

Seattle Mariners: first base (projected 0.8 WAR, 28th)

Depth chart: Danny Valencia, Dan Vogelbach

Mariners at 1B since 2007 (minus-19.2 WAA): Yuck. This has been the second-worst position in the majors over the past 10 seasons, behind only first base for the Marlins. And a Valencia/Vogelbach platoon is hardly one to inspire confidence.

FanGraphs projects Valencia to hit .261/.314/.426 and he has hit .288/.346/.477 the past two seasons, so maybe he outperforms that projection, especially with the way the ball was flying out of Safeco last season. Vogelbach projects as a potentially solid OBP guy, but his defense and baserunning are off-the-charts bad. Pedro Alvarez is still a free agent, and while he's not exactly Keith Hernandez at first base, his offense would be more of a sure thing than gambling on Vogelbach. Again, for a team with an aging core in win-now mode, the unwillingness to pay a little more may bite them in the end.

 

[NWinAZ]

I missed something, when did it become a thing in MLB to bring in a lefty to face righty-righty-righty?

He did the same thing against the Angels when it was a tied game and he brought/or kept Vincent (RH) to face Calhoun (LH) who jacked it late in the game putting the game away.

 

[NWinAZ]

Motter needs to start at 1B when Segura comes back.

 

[AceKeptic]

Baseball refusing to stay in anyone's glove. Can they do anything right?

Better let Charlie Brown know he's no longer the biggest blockhead in baseball.

 

[Cloud]

Time for a nellie missile

 

[Cloud]

Bravo... blowpen stinks

 

[Cloud]

I thought it was time to re-post this from earlier in the year:

Contenders that will regret not upgrading their weakest positions

9:30 AM PT

• David SchoenfieldESPN Senior Writer

Seattle Mariners: first base (projected 0.8 WAR, 28th)

Depth chart: Danny Valencia, Dan Vogelbach

Mariners at 1B since 2007 (minus-19.2 WAA): Yuck. This has been the second-worst position in the majors over the past 10 seasons, behind only first base for the Marlins. And a Valencia/Vogelbach platoon is hardly one to inspire confidence.

FanGraphs projects Valencia to hit .261/.314/.426 and he has hit .288/.346/.477 the past two seasons, so maybe he outperforms that projection, especially with the way the ball was flying out of Safeco last season. Vogelbach projects as a potentially solid OBP guy, but his defense and baserunning are off-the-charts bad. Pedro Alvarez is still a free agent, and while he's not exactly Keith Hernandez at first base, his offense would be more of a sure thing than gambling on Vogelbach. Again, for a team with an aging core in win-now mode, the unwillingness to pay a little more may bite them in the end.

Valencia is trying real hard to become Adam Lind. Can't hit.. can't glove.. can't do anything. Hope Segura comes back sooner than later so they can shift Motter to 1B

 

[JMR]

What a game changer when Haniger couldn't come up with that sliding catch. As many good things as he's already done, that was a backbreaker and you just gotta make that play there.

The Motter at 1B idea is a good one if Valencia keeps doing nothing.

 

[SeattleCoug]

I can't be to upset at Haniger for that play. Tough play but makable play that most guys don't get to. Plus I appreciate how he puts up an AB. Nice to see from a young guy

 

[SeattleCoug]

I missed something, when did it become a thing in MLB to bring in a lefty to face righty-righty-righty?

And as I type Seager gets caught between 1st and 2nd. They are just sad.

Down 3 runs, that was brutal and unacceptable

 

[mcnabb7542]

Clearly talking yesterday about certain bats heating up was wrong......

 

[SeattleCoug]

Clearly talking yesterday about certain bats heating up was wrong......

You will take 5 runs, 9 hits and 5 walks most of the time. Unfortunately this teams inability to get a runner home from 3rd with less then two outs is just a killer.

 

[NWinAZ]

Interesting tidbit from 2001:

With the Mariners celebrating their 40th anniversary, we will have the opportunity to talk with many Mariners from years past this season. On opening day, Harold Reynolds joined the broadcast for an inning and did his own play by play while telling stories. Willie Bloomquist also dropped by for an inning. Before the game I sat down for a conversation with Ruppert Jones that ran on the pregame show, and Mark McLemore joined us for the roundtable segment (listen here).




McLemore was with the team from 2000 to 2003, so I was interested to hear what his thoughts were before the season started in 2001, which was the year Seattle won a record-tying 116 games. His answer surprised all of us in the booth.

“To be perfectly honest, I was a little bit selfish that year going into spring training. They had signed Bret Boone and I had actually requested that Pat Gillick trade me,” McLemore said. “I was that guy. I was that guy.”

The story was surprising in that we hadn’t heard it before, and from what we knew of Mac, he was anything but “that guy,” someone who would put himself above the team and say play me or trade me.

“Pat gave me the courtesy of calling me and telling me before they signed him,” McLemore said of the addition of Boone. “It was a few days before Christmas that he told me. I remember to this day I was not a happy camper.”

With Boone signed to play second base, McLemore saw his playing time diminished. Gillick did not trade him that offseason and McLemore reported to spring training still a Mariner, and happy about. He was determined not to create a stir in the clubhouse, too.

“I wasn’t that guy going to the press, ‘Oh, they need to trade me.'” he said. “(Manager Lou Piniella) knew about it obviously, he called me into his office and said, ‘Mac, listen. You know my story. Every year I went into camp in New York being the fourth or fifth outfielder and every year I ended up having the most ABs at the end of the year.’ He said, ‘I promise you I am going to get you your 400 or 500 at-bats this year.’ I was like, ‘OK, Lou, fine. I appreciate it.’ And that was it. I believed him, I trusted him and that’s exactly what he did. I told Pat, ‘I want to stay, I’m good, I’m fine.’ The rest is history.”

McLemore was an integral part of the 2001 Mariners, playing every position but pitcher, catcher and first base. True to his word, Piniella got him his at-bats, and McLemore responded with his best season at the plate, hitting .286 with a .384 on-base percentage and .406 slugging percentage in 487 plate appearances.

 

[NWinAZ]

MarinersPR‏ @MarinersPR 1h1 hour ago




#Mariners recall RHP Evan Marshall from Tacoma. RHP Casey Fien outrighted. OF Boog Powell reinstated to AAA.

 

[NWinAZ]

MLB Network‏Verified account @MLBNetwork 1m1 minute ago


Today's #ThinkBaseball answer is the 2001 @Mariners! The 2001 M's went 20-5 in the month of April. #MLBNow

 

[cezero]

you're full of shit. Cruz with a single and Seager with a full count

true in most cases.

not here, though. i rarely watch full games on weekdays anyway.

 

[cezero]

 

[Anointed One]

2 in the first... Lets keep it up...

 

[Anointed One]

BOOM! HR, Freeman... 3-0!

 

[AceKeptic]

still got a lot of pitching to do, though...here's hoping Gallardo can keep a lead.

Not to mention pitch a complete game; I do not trust the 'pen for some reason.