Series Preview: Minnesota Twins @ Seattle Mariners

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 10:20 AM PDT in Series Previews Comment 48 comments

Seattle: 48-82
Twins: 74-56

GAMES

Game 1: Miguel Batista (aww goddammit) vs Francisco Liriano*
Game 2: Ryan Rowland-Smith* vs Scott Baker
Game 3: Ryan Feierabend* vs Glen Perkins*

Holy crap we're playing the Twins again? Not only that, but we're on exactly the same rotation schedule! The only difference is subbing in Miguel Batista for Carlos Silva. Oh great, there's a big positive.

The Twins (and the White Sox) have an opportunity to knock the Red Sox out of the playoffs if they can manage to play well enough to ensure that the wild card comes out of the central. Perhaps we can help them along again this series.

Jeremy Reed got to sit out the entire Oakland series and now we face two more lefties. I hope he has a hobby to occupy his time while he sits on the bench. Macrame is fun.

Likely Starters:
C Joe Mauer*
1 Justin Morneau*
2 Alexi Casilla
3 Brendan Harris/Brian Buscher*
S Adam Everett
L Delmon Young
C Carlos Gomez
R Denard Span*
D Jason Kubel*

I now know why this lineup is good. Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau with some minor contributions from Jason Kubel and Denard Span.

CONTEXT

It was nice to see Lopez break off his snide a little bit this series as an extended slump after his inexplicable benching on the 10th started to create some worries about a delayed second half swoon.

Adrian Beltre's bad luck has returned with a vengeance.

Your 2008 hitting black holes!! (runs below average are position adjusted)

Catcher: 13.2 runs below average (plus their defense has sucked)
First Base: 13.4 runs below average (plus Sexson's defense sucked)
Shortstop: 5.9 runs below average (plus Yuni's defense sucks)
Rightfield: (pre-Ichiro): 8.2 runs below average (plus they sucked at defense)
Designated Hitter: 25.6 runs below average (keeps Raul's sucky defense in left)

With Raul, Vidro, Sexson, and Wilkerson gone and Johjima now behind Clement on the depth chart, plus the hope of Betancourt either going away this winter or having his 2008 be like Lopez's 2007, the turnover from startling lineup Opening Day 2008 versus starting lineup Opening Day 2009 should be tremendous. Lets hope it's one we're excited about.

THIS SERIES BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

Hazelnut Brown Nectar
Rogue Ales. Newport, OR

Dark brown with a medium sized head, some malty aromas and a strong hazelnut taste, similar to a muted frangelico.

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Comments

Hmm

Whatever happened to the organization’s obsession with splitting up lefties in the rotation? If my rotation calculator is right we have Washburn going on Friday, which puts him back-to-back-to-back with the Ryans for 3 LH starters in a row. Yes, I know this holds no prominence at all (except to give me something to blather on about)… But somehow I didn’t notice prior to now that we even had 3 lefties in the rotation. For this I blame Feierabend’s total inability to do anything that makes him stand out in my mind.

Alternatively known as thejew4u; hopping on the "why the hell not" bandwagon

by seattlecougar on Aug 25, 2008 10:37 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

The org is tapped for pitching and the season's lost

At this point, getting LRLR splits is probably the last thing on their mind.

by Gomez on Aug 25, 2008 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's had 2 starts.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Um

Graham disagrees

by Sec 108 on Aug 25, 2008 11:23 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is not allowed.

Finally, some recognition.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Aug 25, 2008 11:35 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Disparate points.

Graham: samples sizes aren’t always needed. Scouting can help augment what we know.

Me: Feierabend has ability to do some things. Scouting has always put him as a fringy BOR pitcher if he throws strikes and his 2 starts this year have done nothing to disprove that notion.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Fair enough

I am mostly weary of the way information is dispensed sometimes. However, I know full well this is not my site, so it is what it is and I will back off.

It just bums me out that the general, non-commenting, Mariner fandom thinks you guys are jerks because of the way certain things get said here.

I know that you in fact are decent people, but that does not always come across.

by Sec 108 on Aug 25, 2008 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not particularly interested in how we're perceived by the general, non-commenting Mariner fan

by Jeff on Aug 25, 2008 12:54 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I know you are not

But Matthew might be since he would like to work in a front office someday.

Also, the more accessible you become the better your chances are of making a living off of the great writing you do.

by Sec 108 on Aug 25, 2008 1:31 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

In comments I'm generally going to be exceedingly pithy.

If there’s something more specific you are talking about, please feel free to e-mail me to let me know. I’m often unaware of how tone comes across.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I could not possibly be more accessible than I already am

by Jeff on Aug 25, 2008 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You really think fan opinion matters in front office hiring?

Because the casual fan really doesn’t care.

by Graham on Aug 25, 2008 6:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

How are they disparate?

In essence:
Graham: He is not MLB material.
You: He is MLB material, albeit fringy.

You are arguing opposite sides on the main question here, which I encourage.
Dissent! More disagreement between the mods!

by marc w on Aug 25, 2008 5:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No. Graham's point was not about Feierabend in particular,

but rather about sample sizes in general and in response to this line

I do not know what sample size you’d need to determine whether a pitcher is ready to start in the majors but two starts is definitely not enough.

The example he used, himself, was meant to indicate that you would not need a normally adequate sample size in the major leagues to know that he, Graham, would be a piss-poor pitcher.

However, my point is related to Feierabend only and it’s that for him, because the scouting generally says he has a fringy chance at sticking in the bigs, we do need a much bigger sample before you could say something like “total inability to do anything”

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 5:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

So platooning unknown youngster when the season is hopelessly lost is stupid.

Also, the Twins are legit, who’d a thunk it two moths ago?

by JI on Aug 25, 2008 10:48 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

=

With Raul, Vidro, Sexson, and Wilkerson gone and Johjima now behind Clement on the depth chart, plus the hope of Betancourt either going away this winter or having his 2008 be like Lopez’s 2007, the turnover from startling lineup Opening Day 2008 versus starting lineup Opening Day 2009 should be tremendous. Lets hope it’s one we’re excited about.

If only there were a way to free up ten millions dollars to sign replacements…

by JI on Aug 25, 2008 10:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

What could have been:

Washburn, Vidro, Sexson, Ibanez, Bloomquist, Wilkerson, Cairo, Johjima all gone. Combined 2008 salary = $45-50MM

Also, fuck you Carlos Silva.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 10:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hello Manny, hello Tex, hello Sheets

by JI on Aug 25, 2008 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Isn't that a schneid?

I like using semi-colons; they make me feel smart.

by Llewdor on Aug 25, 2008 11:01 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Matthew, did you break statcorner again? Where'd the cheat tags go?

Finally, some recognition.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Aug 25, 2008 11:02 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

cheat tags?

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 11:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is what I call them. The hover tags.

I got it fixed.

Finally, some recognition.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Aug 25, 2008 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

By which you mean I fixed them.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 12:25 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I liked it better my way.

Finally, some recognition.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Aug 25, 2008 12:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'll shut up lest you ban me like you banned butthol.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Note I didn't say I fixed them, just that I got it fixed.

Finally, some recognition.

by NOLAmarinergirl on Aug 25, 2008 4:12 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Raul is gone?

JI/Robert '08!

by Fin on Aug 25, 2008 12:05 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Nevermind, he's gone after this season.

JI/Robert '08!

by Fin on Aug 25, 2008 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

There's no way he doesn't accept arbitration.

by JI on Aug 25, 2008 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My guy at Safeco says Raul wants out of this team.

Yesterday's Pants
A blog-thingy about the Mariners and stuff.

by BrettJMiller on Aug 25, 2008 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

whoosh

by JI on Aug 25, 2008 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

HAHAHAHAHAHA

You gotta be kidding.

by ThundaPC on Aug 25, 2008 1:08 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He was traded for someone named "Hamburger..."

by seattlebruin on Aug 25, 2008 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

That's fake right?

by JI on Aug 25, 2008 1:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nope

http://www.minorleaguesplits.com/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?pl=523648

by seattlebruin on Aug 25, 2008 1:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Mark Lowe has been optioned to AAA Tacoma.

Randy Messenger recalled.

by BrianL on Aug 25, 2008 3:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

This team still doesn't understand pitching

but whatever, maybe he’ll figure out some better command while he’s down for there for a week.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Isn't Lowe injured though?

by goodmorning on Aug 25, 2008 3:45 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Seems like it, but IDK.

Rotoworld:

The Mariners are trying to get away with optioning a pitcher who was on crutches yesterday after taking a comebacker off his foot during Saturday’s game. If he’s still injured — and all indications are that he is — then he should be on the DL collecting a major league salary and service time. Besides, that way the Mariners could potentially gain extra flexibility for their postseason roster.

The thing is, the Ms are usually gracious to a fault about not denying players service time and major league paychecks (see Doyle from like 2 years ago). Then again, that might have just been Bavasi.

Also, the last line is killer.

by Matthew on Aug 25, 2008 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs