Mike Zunino and the TB Rays .... 12 HR's in just 108 at bats

[MarinersBestFan]

Everyone is aware of the Rays remarkable 15-1 run the past few weeks. And their beer budget team salary does not jive with their consistent win % year after year.

Mike Zunino got a shitty hand dealt to him here in Seattle being rushed to the bigs and fed to the wolves getting jammed into the lineup daily thru years of struggling to be a league average hitter ( for catchers )

I for one am happy for him with his success in Tampa Bay. He is getting to play for a winning franchise and has tasted the thrill of postseason and I am pretty sure the WS at least once. He is not forced to play every game like here in Seattle and although his avg this season is only .222 you have to take note of a near .900 OPS and a homerun every 10 at bats is pretty solid.

he NEVER once complained or had a bad thing to ever say about the teams woes while playing here and he always kept an upbeat attitude and solid work ethic amist his yearly struggles to bat above the Mendoza line.

His defensive prowess has never been questioned by anyone who knows baseball. And he runs pretty well for a catcher.

I catch a Rays game every time I stumble on a MLB TV line-up and always look forward to seeing him play and his enthusiastic approach while in the batters box or behind the dish.

The Rays are winning with him and that is testament enough for me.

Mike Zunino's 116.1-mph homer | 05/30/2021

Statcast measures the exit velocity and hang time on Mike Zunino's two-run homer against the Phillies

www.mlb.com

 

[SeattleCoug]

Somewhat relevant

 

[NWinAZ]

I like Z and I too wish him nothing but the best and am glad he is a Ray. He seems like a great guy and a real leader. I don't necessarily believe we killed his future thing like most do, but I don't think we did him any favors either. I would love to see him win the ring.

I did see how O'Neill was coming alive. Good to see that with him as well. I rarely root against guys we trade unless they were lazy jerks. I think more power to them.

 

[Destroydacre]

Didn't know O'Neill was having such a great start to the season. Not surprising though. Anyone feeling disappointed can take solace in the fact he'd never come close to doing anything like that for the Mariners.

 

[seattlefan75]

I dont wish disappointment on any player when leaving the mariners I look at pro sports as an organization in which regular people compete to win the lottery in getting a good payday especially a young player just trying to make it and chase a dream. Now veteran players (especially in the NBA/NFL) that already got the massive contract and moan/complain their way out of the team and demand to be traded to a specific team and keep the money is another story. Depending on the circumstances if Russell Wilson really did manage to complain his way out of Seattle to Chicago I would salivate of the idea of him losing and struggling there.

 

[NWinAZ]

Depending on the circumstances if Russell Wilson really did manage to complain his way out of Seattle to Chicago I would salivate of the idea of him losing and struggling there.

 

[SeattleCoug]

Didn't know O'Neill was having such a great start to the season. Not surprising though. Anyone feeling disappointed can take solace in the fact he'd never come close to doing anything like that for the Mariners.

Im pretty confident O'Neil does nothing here if we keep him so good for him that he was able to go somewhere that could help him while he was still young. Marco probably will never be more then a solid 3 but even if O'Neil becomes an all-star theres been plenty of worse M's trades

 

[Duders]

Z was a stud behind the dish. It doesn't suprise me at all that he is killing it at the plate. He certainly is not the only player that blossomed after leaving the M;s organiztion. I can't really put my finger on why this happens. I guessing there may be a number of reasons but it seems to me that M's coaching and M's managing have got to be a major part of this phenomina.

 

[wazzu31]

Somewhat relevant

Damn, that is an ouch. All 3 should be Mariners.

 

[Destroydacre]

Damn, that is an ouch. All 3 should be Mariners.

Legend says the Mariners still have a pool of extra international slot money to this day lol.

 

[wazzu31]

Legend says the Mariners still have a pool of extra international slot money to this day lol.

Sorry, who is legend? I think had Jerry not been the GM Ohtani is a Mariner. Ichiro recruiting him was a good tool but as much as we crap on the ownership, there is a lot of smoke about the organization not being exactly minority friendly. It isn’t like Stanton or Mather actually talked to or negotiated with players or that Martin chick who sued them.