Top 50 Mariner Moments, 2007: #35

by Jeff Sullivan on Jan 23, 2008 4:36 PM PST in Seattle Mariners News, Regular

June 10th: JJ gets Terrmel Sledge to pop out, putting the finishing touches on his third consecutive one-run save against San Diego.

Box score & PBP

Game thread

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I rate this highly in honor of the fact that never again will I have to go to Petco Park and overhear the following conversation:

SD Fan 1: I can't believe we're losing to the Mariners.
SD Fan 2: It's not over yet. Who's their closer?
SD Fan 1: How the hell should I know?
PA Announcer: Now pitching for Seattle, #20, JJ Putz.
SD Fan 2: ahahahahaha
SD Fan 1: Putz!
SD Fan 2: You've gotta be kidding!
SD Fan 1: This guy's such a putz.
SD Fan 2: No way we don't come back against this guy.
SD Fan 1: LET'S-GO-PAD-RES!
SD Fan 2: Smash this putz!
SD Fan 1: ahahahhahahahah
SD Fan 1: putz

Instead - thanks to JJ - I expect to hear more of:

Three straight games. Three straight one-run leads. Three straight saves. Over the weekend, JJ faced ten batters, of which five struck out, one walked, and zero hit the ball out of the infield. 31 of his 45 pitches were strikes. It was as dominant a weekend as a closer could ever have, and it was after Sledge's pop-out that I found myself standing slack-jawed in the left field bleachers, wondering if he'd ever make a mistake. It didn't even feel like such a thing was possible.

Slowly but surely, people are beginning to realize that JJ Putz is not a man to be laughed at. He's actually just the opposite.

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Comments

Let's just pray he doesn't

collapse like Everyday Horrible.

"Kruger! My son tells me, your company shtinks!"-Frank Costanza.

by Coach Owens on Jan 23, 2008 4:46 PM PST reply actions

I'm not worried

JJ is like 10x greater than Eddie was, even in his prime with Minnesota

Washington Highways

by Corco on Jan 23, 2008 5:15 PM PST up reply actions

All I remember about that series...

Is the picture of Jeff and the arrow pointing to the hot girl a few rows back.

And to think, I could have chosen to support the Yankees or Red Sox...

by EnglishMariner on Jan 23, 2008 4:56 PM PST reply actions

And was she ever.

rawr

by Jeff Sullivan on Jan 23, 2008 5:00 PM PST up reply actions

That was such a sweet series

I think it was the highpoint of my optimism for the season. Then we went to the NL central.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jan 23, 2008 5:21 PM PST reply actions

plus, it was against the hated padres

www.royalsreview.com

by Freneau on Jan 23, 2008 6:18 PM PST reply actions

This was an LL get-together day, too.

We got beers at that Australian place before the game.

None of the fans around me had heard of Felix Hernandez. I had to sit by a guy making "Spicoli" jokes all day about Khalil Greene, which never gets old. I remember Terrmel Sledge hitting a homer off Felix and me being utterly confused.

I also remember a woman in front of me cheering for the M's. Then she got cold and her husband, a San Diego fan, went and bought her a Padres sweatshirt to put on over her M's shirt. Prick.

Finally, at the end of the game, I was waiting on my lady, who was in the restroom, and some guy with this really mean face started walking right at me, staring me down. I was pretty sure that he was going to stab me, but then he holds up a fist and smiles and gives me a pound. I was so scared for my life that I didn't notice he was wearing an M's shirt.

A good day.

by Teej on Jan 23, 2008 7:35 PM PST reply actions