critique of his post, but decided against it. Too many people have written similar screeds, with little to show for it.

Not unlike Buttercup, Geoff Baker keeps building me up with pretty decent posts on his blog, only to let me down with nonsense like today's entry.

What was the general Blog response to the Mariners not making a deadline trade in the Gillick years, mainly 2003?

and he's entitled to his opinion, but he needs to realize that blowing leads in the 8th and 9th happen, and this team will probably blow a couple more of those down the stretch, adding Gagne wouldn't change that.  Baker mentions that lefties have hit Green hard and that Sherrill has only been a LOOGY before this season.  Doesn't that make them the perfect fit for the 8th?? Green vs. righties, Sherrill vs lefties.

This organization is filled with relievers that throw strikes and can get outs.  If Lowe does get hurt a guy like Huber can fill in, Huber had no problems has the set-up man in September last season.  I would also mention Mikolio(sp??) but he's never thrown an inning in the majors, so it's probably unfair to count on him as a top set-up man.

Remember, this is the same guy that defended Hargrove's use of Julio Mateo to get a groundball.

He makes some interesting points but ends up falling back on specific situations where going out to acquire an "impact player" actually worked.  However, he does not go over why the "impact player" worked for the team.  Plus, his example is Shannon Stewart from the Twins who is a hitter, not a relief pitcher.

I think most of us agree that it's pretty silly to think that acquiring a relief pitcher will put us over the top.  Despite all the "problems" Baker mentioned about the bullpen (one college graduate, one coming off an injury, on who is a lefty specialist, etc) it's not what is costing us games.

Having Octavio Dotel or Eric Gagne in the bullpen doesn't change the fact that you still have Raul Ibanez patrolling Left Field and clogging up the lineup along side Richie Sexson.  There is no bigger potential upgrade for the team than calling up Adam Jones.  That's the move that needs to be made.

Baker has his beliefs, and some of those agree with us and some of them disagree with us.  This was one of those instances where his ideas clashed with the blogosphere's ideas.  Given he and we all heartily agree on several things, I don't see how crucifying him for disagreement on trades, especially given he does not control the FO in any real way, is at all productive.

Give the anger some time to subside and let's see what he says as this passes and the season progresses.

but he's leagues ahead of what we'd been used to from the much of the local media.  He doesn't always "get it" in the same way the rest of the blogosphere wants him to, but he seems to think about what's going on much of the time and will at least entertain multiple viewpoints rather than just shut them out.

As 'Geoff Baker is dad to me' and was really confused.

He's way off-base on this one, and it's all the more exacerbating because he's been on this podium for a good week and a half now. Not to mention his tone which I feel is, at times, belittling and patronizing to those who disagree with him on this.

Still, it's nice to hear from the other side. I admit that he's helped me better understand the FO reasoning for pursuing another arm for the pen, even if I don't agree with it. And, to be honest, can you imagine how annoying LL and USSM must be to those that don't agree with the analysis? It's not like we're particularly courteous to those that don't agree with us.

but I think we are fortunate to have him. Cut him some slack.

I haven't agreed with 99% of the stuff he's said in the past few months.  It's sad.

Wow, Baker disagrees with most M's fans (myself included) on this one point.  MAY HE BE SMOTE BY A VENGEFUL GOD!!!11eleven1!!

Seriously, Baker is a smart guy who gives M's fans TONS of blog content (he's waaay ahead of most beat writers in that regard except Joe Posnanski in KC and Barry Svrluga in Washington), responds to input and questions, and generally has his head screwed on straight.  This sort of snitty, foot-stomping excommunication is just wrongheaded.  

Yes, I think Baker is wrong about the M's bullpen issues.  But given the general quality of coverage in the print MSM it's remarkably ungrateful to not embrace him.