Washington Hit By State-Wide Potato Famine

by Jeff Sullivan on Nov 20, 2008 3:29 PM PST in Regular News Comment 71 comments

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves today have added four players to their 40-man roster. They purchased the contracts of infielder Diory Hernandez and right-handed pitchers Todd Redmond and Stephen Marek. They also claimed left-handed pitcher Eric O'Flaherty off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.

O'Flaherty was waived when the Mariners added Stephen Kahn, Greg Halman, Marwin Vega, and Gaby Hernandez to the 40-man*. You'll remember that it was just last April when O'Flaherty stood as the organization's primary lefty reliever, but injuries and getting his ass kicked contributed to a nightmare of a season in which he allowed 15 runs before Tax Day and never again saw a Major League infield. Needless to say, his stock has fallen about as far as is possible for any middle reliever.

O'Flaherty'll only turns 24 next February, and given his stuff and the way he kinda sorta righted himself in AAA, he could very easily still turn into a useful part of a competitive bullpen. But this isn't a guy with a high ceiling, and as such, he's not really much of a loss. I know I said that about Jorge Campillo, too, and he also went to the Braves, but in my defense, what the fuck

also gone: Tracy Thorpe and Luis Munoz. Oh no! The 40-man roster currently includes 37 players.

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Oh, taters...

we hardly needed thee.

by lemonverbena on Nov 20, 2008 3:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

or ye.

by lemonverbena on Nov 20, 2008 3:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If you don't know who some of these guys are...

I wrote this preview last week that covered who I thought was in the running. People should at least know Halman, he’s awesome.

Also, Potatoes :(

But, I think Zduriencik intends to use his high pick for some Rule 5 help.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Nov 20, 2008 3:45 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

And as someone pointed out at USSM...

We dumped Potatoes, in favor of Sean White and a guy whose name sounds like a bad porn plot? The hell?

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Nov 20, 2008 4:00 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Saunders was a draft and follow, right?

He was not eligible because even though he was drafted in 2004, he did not actually sign until 2005, right? I know the new CBA made the year the player signed the triggering event for counting Rule 5 eligibility.

by G_ on Nov 20, 2008 5:21 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That's part of it.

The Rule 5 Draft is set up so that players who were eighteen or under, prep or international, when they signed their first contract have five years, whereas players who were nineteen or over, junior college or regular four-year, have four years.

I think that under normal circumstances, a prep player who was drafted in 2004 and signed in 2005 would have four years from that point because he presumably turned nineteen between the drafts. Saunders only turned eighteen, so he got an extra year.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Nov 20, 2008 6:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, none of these guys are dead weight

They all have some upside~~… well except for Marwin Vega. God~~.

by Gomez on Nov 20, 2008 6:41 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Renee Cortez II

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 6:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Son of Dickface

by Gomez on Nov 20, 2008 6:47 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Disagreed.

Renee Cortez at least had a breakout year.

I think of Vega as a poor man’s Emiliano Fruto.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Nov 20, 2008 6:58 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

"and the way he kinda sorta righted himself in AAA"

As a great man said, wizzle wozzle?

He got hurt and never pitched after June 2nd. 2008 was a completely lost season for good ol’ Potatoes.

by marc w on Nov 20, 2008 3:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I was just going off his results prior to getting hurt

It looked like he was making a little progress before, y’know.

by Jeff Sullivan on Nov 20, 2008 4:01 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Who takes over the position as the team's token drunk Irish man?

by Robert on Nov 20, 2008 4:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Trippy

So now both MLB players I can say I used to know are now sub-par lefty relievers in the Braves’ minor league system. (Potatoes and Ridgway)

by Karma Police on Nov 20, 2008 4:17 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Fun fact

Washington makes more potatoes than Idaho

Idaho makes more peas than any other state in the union

For some reason we keep getting credited with potatoes

It’s annoying

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 5:12 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

J.R. Simplot was a very influential man.

by acblue on Nov 20, 2008 5:14 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

but I come from a Washington State potato family

See, my father worked for Lambweston, based in Kennewick WA

So we hate JR because he is the competition

So I will always pimp the virtues of Washington State potatoes

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 5:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He was also a pretty terrible person.

by acblue on Nov 20, 2008 6:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

How so?

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by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 6:38 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Labor relationsy stuff that gets too close to politics.

Shouldn’t have said anything. My bad.

by acblue on Nov 20, 2008 6:39 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

10 4

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by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 6:40 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You can have them.

I’m from Idaho and I fucking HATE the Potato stereotype. I grew up in Boise, which is not a big city by any means, but it’s at least a city. There aren’t any potato farms around…I don’t even know what a potato farm LOOKS like. And yet, when I went to college, pretty much everyone I met would ask me, “so did you grow up on a potato farm?” or some such BS.

So yeah, I fully support Washington State taking over as the “Potato State.” Note that I currently live in Washington State, but whatever. Idaho is still my home state.

by appleshampoo on Nov 20, 2008 6:45 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm from the part of Idaho further than any potato farm anywhere in Idaho

and I know what a fucking potato farm looks like. If you’ve been anywhere south, east, or west of Boise you know what a potato farm looks like

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by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Idaho is my home state too and I hate it, BTW

As I said below

I really wish Idaho would get pimped for having the most untouched wilderness of any state of the contiguous 48, not potatoes

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 6:51 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

It’s a much cooler attribute of a state. Oh, and I’m sure I have driven by countless potato farms, but I honestly could not pick out a field of potatatoes from any other crop.

by appleshampoo on Nov 20, 2008 7:09 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Glad to see we agree on that

potatoes are the really really short green ones that usually use pivot irrigation. Line irrigation generally = alfalfa/peas

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by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 7:11 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I was born in Mountain Home and potatoes are awesome.

But yes, there are a lot of parts of Idaho that are very beautiful. It would be nice to see them talked about. Then again, pretty much every state has its stereotype, so whatever. Doesn’t bother me.

by Teej on Nov 20, 2008 8:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I remember when my Dad told my Mom he had a job offer in Boise

and my Mom said “It’s like Nebraska, right? Why would we go there?”

and my Dad said “Just trust me- lets fly out there and you can see Boise for yourself”

From that day on there was no possible way to talk my mother into staying in Illinois

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 8:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

If its not gonna be the Potato state

then its just going to have a worse stereotype. What would you like? The neo-nazi mecca? Utah II? The Pea State? I feel bad enough for the state because of its name but really guys, it isn’t doing anything to help itself.

by Edgar for Pres on Nov 20, 2008 8:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I really do like the outdoors in Idaho

But I don’t know if it will ever be known for that because it lacks any one big attraction for people to talk about.

by Edgar for Pres on Nov 20, 2008 8:18 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The Frank Church Wilderness State

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by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 8:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Potatoes are cooler

by Jeff Sullivan on Nov 20, 2008 5:17 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

True

I really wish Idaho would get pimped for having the most untouched wilderness of any state of the contiguous 48, not potatoes

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 5:30 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

get it off your damn license plates

Furcal

by JI on Nov 20, 2008 5:31 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Our reputation makes our license plates, not the other way around

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 5:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

also the Idaho Potato Comission has a ton of power in Idaho

and would shoot down any attempt to change the license plate

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 5:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Is there a potato mafia?

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Nov 20, 2008 6:19 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Big Potato is very powerful here in DC

by DCMariner on Nov 20, 2008 6:28 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

The potato commission is uncomfortably close

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 6:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

You will take the fries instead of the salad.

If you know what’s good for you.

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Nov 20, 2008 6:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't know what the fuck would be wrong with you to take salad over fries

Maybe that’s the problem

OH MY GOD THEY ARE CONTROLLING ME

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Washingtonhighways.org

by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 7:03 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey, I'm not in disagreement.

I had to think of a side, but, let’s face it, you don’t win friends with salad.

Soup maybe?

"Ever tried? Ever failed? No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." - Samuel Beckett http://mvn.com/marinersminors/

by JY on Nov 20, 2008 7:05 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What if I covered the salad in bacon and cheese

and then put a hamburger patty on it and gave you two slices of bread.

by Edgar for Pres on Nov 20, 2008 8:20 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

well i got her numbah

how you like them taters

by lemonverbena on Nov 20, 2008 6:10 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

but in my defense, what the fuck

i lol’d

by marinerdan on Nov 20, 2008 5:19 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I will miss Potatoes.

by royalcurve on Nov 20, 2008 5:45 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

same here

He still has the potential to be quite a good reliever.

I’m bummed out about this move- not a lot of faith in Zduriencik after that move

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by I'm NOT Corco on Nov 20, 2008 5:50 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It's not that he didn't have some utility

I’m guessing this is due to the fact that the M’s think he’s broken. The guy had a bad back out of HS, then sucked, then basically missed most of this year due to his back acting up again.
Hopefully, he gets his health back and has a nice career, but I understand why they did what they did.

by marc w on Nov 20, 2008 6:29 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs