Game Thread: M's vs A's 4/12 (Erasmo vs Gray)

[Logicallylethal]

Or maybe it's the same people that have been telling you how bad he is year in and year out.

You have your head buried so deep in pessimism that you can't even enjoy rooting for a team that's currently in first place. I feel sorry for you.

 

[WizardHawk]

That's a little absurd.

Smoak has been awful for years and has never given any indication that he can pull himself together to really hit well for more than a handful of games. It's perfectly reasonable to be pessimistic towards him.

Seager has been the team-voted MVP the past couple of years, and only an idiot would start to slam him. He's done nothing but prove year in and out that he finds solutions to his problems.

Right, so you are ready now to pass judgement on one guy because of prior years and give a free pass to another guy because of prior years.

I think it makes a lot more sense to not pay too much attention to hitting stats until the typical 50 AB's most people wait for. Hell, at least finish the full first month.

With everyone the question isn't how many AB's have they gone without a hit, it's what have those AB's looked like? Are they at least making contact and hitting it hard somewhere? Are they working counts? Do they appear to have a plan at the plate?

On all of those Smoak looks better than last year. Normally having a good approach and a good solid and consistent swing is enough to keep your BA up. If he can't after 40-50 AB's then I'm right there with you.

 

[johnfree63]

You have your head buried so deep in pessimism that you can't even enjoy rooting for a team that's currently in first place. I feel sorry for you.

I guess that, unlike you, I'm able to root for the Mariners and still see that they have areas to improve. Mainly 1B, RF and DH (Thankfully Starting Pitching is on the way).

 

[cezero]

Right, so you are ready now to pass judgement...

Everything I said about Smoak is factually accurate, and any argument to the contrary is feckless.

You don't know what you're talking about.

We'll find out what's real soon enough.

I'm as optimistic as I've been about this team in a very long time. I don't mind the M's losing, I just want them to play like actual pros, and so far, it looks like a real pro team. I'm happy.

 

[johnfree63]

Right, so you are ready now to pass judgement on one guy because of prior years and give a free pass to another guy because of prior years.

Yes on the first and at least for a while on the second. I don't know why that's such a hard concept to grasp. Smoak has sucked for a really long time, why should he get the benefit of the doubt?

 

[johnfree63]

I'm as optimistic as I've been about this team in a very long time. I don't mind the M's losing, I just want them to play like actual pros, and so far, it looks like a real pro team. I'm happy.

I completely agree. Last year was the 1st time in years that I completely tuned the M's out (after May at least). This year I think they're in every game. That's a huge improvement!

 

[cezero]

i put the moron (wizardhawk) on ignore

stop trying to talk about baseball if you know nothing about it

 

[WizardHawk]

Yes on the first and at least for a while on the second. I don't know why that's such a hard concept to grasp. Smoak has sucked for a really long time, why should he get the benefit of the doubt?

The point is no one deserves praise or criticism before they reach the leveling out point which is normally put around 40-50 AB's.

Why does Smoak deserve anything? Well he doesn't and I haven't said I'm giving him anything except the same amount of time to prove it as everyone else.

I did already say his approach seems better and his swing has been more consistent this spring. That gives some room for optimism. Maybe the new staff has helped him or maybe he has been inspired by Cano. None of it will mean anything if he lets a bad streak get in his head again and everyone knows that. The question is are we there yet? And the answer from anyone who knows the game is no.

 

[WizardHawk]

i put the moron (wizardhawk) on ignore

stop trying to talk about baseball if you know nothing about it

Someone has a huge case of the ass doesn't he?

I mean if you can't handle differing points of view that were not given with any sort of hate or vitriol then maybe this type of board is the wrong place for you.

Didn't realize there were so many fucking babies up on the baseball boards.

 

[Logicallylethal]

I guess that, unlike you, I'm able to root for the Mariners and still see that they have areas to improve. Mainly 1B, RF and DH (Thankfully Starting Pitching is on the way).

When did I ever say that our team doesn't have any areas needed for improvement?

 

[johnfree63]

The point is no one deserves praise or criticism before they reach the leveling out point which is normally put around 40-50 AB's.

Why does Smoak deserve anything? Well he doesn't and I haven't said I'm giving him anything except the same amount of time to prove it as everyone else.

I did already say his approach seems better and his swing has been more consistent this spring. That gives some room for optimism. Maybe the new staff has helped him or maybe he has been inspired by Cano. None of it will mean anything if he lets a bad streak get in his head again and everyone knows that. The question is are we there yet? And the answer from anyone who knows the game is no.

It's great that you want to pretend that all players are equal and past performance means nothing but, you know what? It does. Some players have longer leashes then others. Smoak and Ackley have the shortest leashes. Almost 2000 Plate Appearances is enough.

 

[cezero]

When did I ever say that our team doesn't have any areas needed for improvement?

yeah, you've always been a realist about the team

most on here are

i didn't mean to start a shitstorm with my comment about smoak

it's just weird to see him do so well from the right and so badly from the left after a couple of years of it being the exact reverse.

maybe at some point, the two smoaks will become one? lol.

 

[johnfree63]

When did I ever say that our team doesn't have any areas needed for improvement?

I guess you never did. I just assumed that you were perfectly content with a below average (that's being optimistic) 1B since the M's were in 1st place.

 

[WizardHawk]

It's great that you want to pretend that all players are equal and past performance means nothing but, you know what? It does. Some players have longer leashes then others. Smoak and Ackley have the shortest leashes. Almost 2000 Plate Appearances is enough.

I never said it means nothing. I said you can't really write off anyone in the first two weeks of the season. I would no sooner write off Seager as Smoak or Ackley.

I do believe I said if Smoak is under .250 at 40 AB's I'd be right there with you guys.

This is an entirely new coaching staff. New hitting coach. New approach. Now there is a viable clutch veteran hitter to help give some guidance.

I'm saying until they prove that none of it is helping them there is no need to dump on them.

If you all feel like continuing to hate on your own team then by all means do so.

 

[Logicallylethal]

yeah, you've always been a realist about the team

most on here are

i didn't mean to start a shitstorm with my comment about smoak

it's just weird to see him do so well from the right and so badly from the left after a couple of years of it being the exact reverse.

maybe at some point, the two smoaks will become one? lol.

Yeah man it's all good. I'm concerned about Smoak's recent 0-10 stretch too, but it's still early. Plus we've faced some pitchers who have been dealing too. Smoak is 1-15 against Oakland (who have great arms) and 8-19 against LA.

We'll see how the year goes

 

[johnfree63]

I never said it means nothing. I said you can't really write off anyone in the first two weeks of the season. I would no sooner write off Seager as Smoak or Ackley.

So you saying past performance means nothing if you're holding Seager in the same regard as Smoak and Ackley. You can't have you're cake and eat it too.

I do believe I said if Smoak is under .250 at 40 AB's I'd be right there with you guys.

Well, as we speak his average is .243 through 42 Plate Appearances. Is that enough or should we wait the 3 more official ABs?

 

[cezero]

Yeah man it's all good. I'm concerned about Smoak's recent 0-10 stretch too, but it's still early. Plus we've faced some pitchers who have been dealing too. Smoak is 1-15 against Oakland (who have great arms) and 8-19 against LA.

We'll see how the year goes

i agree

gray is excellent

can't get too upset with the m's struggles so far tonight

 

[WizardHawk]

Well his last AB wasn't good. You can tell he was again trying to swing for the seats when McClendon has been trying to get him to just put the ball in play. Yes he is batting cleanup and hits have been scarce, but that last swing wasn't good.

He has been a bit of a head case in the past, but I don't know yet if this staff can keep him from getting trapped in a long slump or not.

Can you at least be happy for Ackley? Two doubles in two games in a row and has been hitting better this year.

I'm not particularly worried about Seager and I'm not that high on Ackley. Time will tell for both of them and Smoak.

Right now I'm just happy the team has been winning despite having 2/5 of their starting rotation out. I'm far more concerned about the pitching staff than what any of the hitters are or aren't doing right now.

 

[cezero]

So you saying past performance means nothing if you're holding Seager in the same regard as Smoak and Ackley. You can't have you're cake and eat it too.



Well, as we speak his average is .243 through 42 Plate Appearances. Is that enough or should we wait the 3 more official ABs?

you're talking to somebody who knows nothing about baseball.

why bother?

exactly everybody who follows baseball is skeptical about smoak, no matter how optimistic they may be about the first week of this season.

exactly nobody who follows baseball would look at seager right now, and disregard his solid play and ability to figure things out over the past couple of years.

 

[cezero]

rangers lost to the astros tonight, and the angels are trailing the mets by 3 in the 8th.

so there's that if the m's lose tonight.