Yeah. Willie's gone, Rick Rizzs mourns.

Bloomquist heads home, reluctantly.

SEATTLE -- Willie Bloomquist and the Mariners went their separate ways on Wednesday, possibly forever.

It appears that the love between Willie Bloomquist and Seattle is gone. By all indications, little Willie Ballgame is not pleased with the Seattle front office.

"I think they understood where I was coming from but were worried that my leg wouldn't quite be healthy enough. The bottom line is that I wanted to be out there, and I was very, very disappointed with their decision. There were other options."

 

"I told [general manager Lee Pelekoudas], 'you're my boss and you will do whatever you want to do anyway, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with it,'" Bloomquist said.

Obviously we don't care, but someone does. Oh yes, someone will miss Willie dearly...

The Safeco Field broadcast booth. Mike Blowers takes a seat next to a slumped over Rick Rizzs.

Mike: Morning, Rick. Dave Henderson left a message for you. Seems to think you need to encourage Felix to go on a mean streak.

::Rick doesn’t respond, he seems to be crying::

Mike: Rick, you okay?

::Rick sits up, his eyes red and cheeks soaked with tears::

Rick: It’s Willie. I think he’s leaving me.

Mike: Oh, Rick. You know these things happen. Players come and go all the time.

Rick: But Willie... I mean, I thought we had something special. I thought he was the one!

Mike: You’ve got to let Willie go. There will be other scrappy little ball players. How about that Tug Hulett kid?

Rick: Tug insists on hitting those selfish home runs that go over the fence, not the gritty in-the-parkers like Willie! Oh, do you remember that in-the-parker in Houston? When Willie slid into home plate I wanted to jump out of the booth and run on to the field to-

Mike: Rick this is unhealthy. You’re obsessing over him! You’ve got to move on. How about Luis Valbuena? He seems like a nice fit for you.

Rick: You know I can’t love those darkies.

Mike, to himself: Good God, Rick, you’re one xenophobic bastard. No doubt about it.

Rick: They all leave me, Mike. Greg Dobbs, Charles Gipson… They always leave me. What did I do wrong?

Mike: Nothing, Rick… Hey, you want me to go pick you up some Rally Fries? They cheer me up every time my wife tells me I’m the dullest person on the face of the planet.

Rick: Yeah…that sounds nice. Thanks, Blow… You know, I’m sorry I didn’t appreciate you more when you were playing in Seattle. It’s the whole…

Mike: Possessing something that resembles talent thing?

Rick: Yeah, that.

::Mike stands up and pats Rick on the back. As he leaves the booth and walks to the concession area, he bumps into Dave Niehaus.::

Dave: Mike, have you seen Rick yet?

Mike: Yeah, he’s pretty upset about Willie.

Dave: God dammit. Scrawny little fucker’s already going through Willie withdrawal symptoms. I’m calling in sick, tell Sims that he’s on Rick’s suicide watch today.