Assorted Tuesday Bullet Points

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2010 1:52 PM PST in Miscellaneous Comment 68 comments

My last full day in San Diego was gloomy with rain. My first full day in Portland looks like this:

Either people have been telling me lies my whole life or this is a wonderful example of why you should never judge a player by his debut.

Yeah, I read the Steve Kelley column. Like you, I was intrigued by the headline, and like you, I was disappointed by everything else. That was a really crappy way to go about apologizing for shameful abuse.

In Kelley's defense, he did technically apologize (Jeff's note: or at least recognize that an apology is overdue). In his headline, his intro, and his conclusion. Kelley had the right thesis, and it's a thesis that we've long wanted to see come out of the major media types. Erik Bedard didn't deserve the treatment he got, and it's good to see more and more people acknowledge their wrongdoing.

But, oh man, so bad. For one thing, if "a lot of readers suggested" that Kelley issue an apology, why bother going through all the background? Kelley wasn't writing for a national audience. He was writing for Seattle. The people who read Steve Kelley will already be familiar with the whole Bedard situation, so they don't need Kelley to go into detail to explain why Bedard was treated poorly in the first place.

And for another, the first thing you learn about issuing an apology is that a proper apology should be unconditional. No mentioning excuses, no mentioning mitigating circumstances. A year ago I mindlessly tossed a softball in the air and when it came down it hit one of my friends square on the top of the head. After everything settled down, I told him "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, although that was hilarious." That's a bad apology. Even though no one got hurt and it was hilarious, I should've just told him how sorry I was and left it at that. Saying anything more makes it sound not like you're expressing remorse, but like you're saying you're sorry because you have to.

And that's how Steve Kelley comes off. No matter how he may feel at his core, his column reads like he doesn't actually mean what he's saying, like he's apologizing to satisfy public demand while still feeling like his behavior was justified. So either he's being insincere, which is a miserable quality, or he's a bad writer, which, uh

To go along with what Dave wrote about Zduriencik praise last night, I would like to make one thing clear to as many people as possible:

We do not love Jack Zduriencik and the rest of the front office for turning the Mariners into a clear 2010 WS contender.

We love Jack Zduriencik and the rest of the front office for turning the 2008 Mariners into a possible 2010 WS contender.

There's a huge difference in there. Tony Blengino keeps a copy of the 40-man roster they inherited at his desk. I don't know what that 40-man roster looked like, but I know it was a complete mess, which you can kind of gather from this. Ordinarily, when you have a team constructed as poorly as the 2008 Mariners, it can take years upon years for the organization to return to relevance. These guys have accomplished that goal seemingly overnight.

To bring about as much progress as this front office has in so little time...the Mariners aren't a great team, and they're exceedingly unlikely to win the championship this season, but the fact that we're even able to talk about the playoffs at all - that's what's so incredible.

In the fifth starter breakdown poll posted below on the front page, Garrett Olson got 28 votes. I can forgive the 74 votes for Ryan Feierabend, kind of, but 28 for Olson? 1.2% of the total? What this tells me is that 1.1% of all votes in all polls are submitted by complete retards and 0.04% of all votes are submitted by Garrett Olson's mother.

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Actually, in my 13 years living here

I’ve found that we get a small amount of sunny, mild weather in mid-February. I’ve always considered it a birthday present. This is t-shirt weather. Enjoy it while it lasts.

by groovewrangler on Feb 9, 2010 2:12 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah, i've been here for 7

it’s the same false spring we get every February, and it’s giving me the opportunity to finally get the ground cover down in the front garden so yay.

by pdb on Feb 9, 2010 2:16 PM PST up reply actions

Western Oregon will get you back

It’s definitely a nice day outside here (in Eugene), but the weather gods will cite this when you start complaining next month about how bad the weather was (but we gave you one nice day… you’ll get over it… man up!).

I <3 Central Oregon’s weather though. 10’’ of rain a year is perfect— you can plan something for any day of the year and the odds are highly in your favor of it not getting canceled. (Think Yuni and taking a pitch. It happens 10x a year too.)

I'd sleep at the Internet, but I've found servers don't make for good pillows.

by thehemogoblin on Feb 9, 2010 2:40 PM PST up reply actions

The mid-February tease is upon us

I have been in PDX for 8 years and it is like clock work. The good news is, we have an ample supply of good beer to keep the Seasonal Affective Disorder away. On second thought, maybe that is a bad way to go about things…

by JaaronGriffeyJr on Feb 9, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions

I have a fridge full of Super Jubel that disagrees that it's a bad way to deal with these things

by pdb on Feb 9, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions

YES YES YES

by Phildopip on Feb 10, 2010 7:50 AM PST up reply actions

It does the same in SEA, no surprise.

by Matthew on Feb 9, 2010 3:19 PM PST up reply actions

We get our spring in March though.

Or maybe a second faux-spring.

by Kirk on Feb 9, 2010 3:48 PM PST up reply actions

And then autum does a preview in June

by wandergeist on Feb 10, 2010 2:18 AM PST up reply actions

I agree its a tease.

I just want it to be summer really bad for many, many reasons.

2009 Safeco Field Record: 6-0 ; Overall Safeco Field Record: 10-4

by Fin on Feb 9, 2010 4:18 PM PST up reply actions

Guys, guys, stop trying to sell The Lie

He’s already moved here. It’s not going to take him long to figure out that it’s like this all the time and that the weather is vastly better than pitiful places like San Diego and The Lie really is just that. The important thing at this point is to get him to stop posting pictures of the actual conditions lest everybody else figure it out and we have another goddamn Grunge/Tech/Frasier mass-migration to the PNW. Somebody point him to the DrizzleGloom Photoshop filter or, baring that, the usual cache of fake rain photos he can forward to all his friends in that godforsaken SoCal hell-hole. Somebody else can fill him in on all the standard Seasonal Affective Disorder dogma he needs to be able to recite to any outsiders who ask.

Please take down this post once the indoctrination is complete.

by wandergeist on Feb 10, 2010 2:28 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Does he travel around often showing off his less than impressive package?

by seattlebruin on Feb 9, 2010 4:27 PM PST up reply actions

I dunno. Olson's got steely blue eyes, a leading man's chin

and pretty good minor league numbers. I didn’t pick him, but picking him is not so inexcusable.

De Gutibus non disputandum est

by Bearskin Rugburn on Feb 9, 2010 2:02 PM PST reply actions

It's the latter point that I think is most important

by Dewey N on Feb 9, 2010 2:03 PM PST up reply actions

Wait, no the former

by Dewey N on Feb 9, 2010 2:04 PM PST up reply actions

You can't have a former or a latter in a list of more than two things.

First, second, and last are your options here.

by RunningFool on Feb 9, 2010 2:07 PM PST up reply actions

I combined his signs of classical good looks into one thing

by Dewey N on Feb 9, 2010 2:13 PM PST up reply actions

He certainly does lead with his chin.

by Vatinius on Feb 9, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah I didn't pick him either

Jeff’s just a hater

by Edgar for Pres on Feb 9, 2010 4:02 PM PST up reply actions

Maybe it's a sign that sunshine follows you wherever you go :)

by Dewey N on Feb 9, 2010 2:06 PM PST reply actions 3 recs

My last full day in San Diego was gloomy with rain

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2010 2:10 PM PST up reply actions

It was sad you were leaving!

by Dewey N on Feb 9, 2010 2:12 PM PST up reply actions

Was it Saturday?

Because I was there then and I was sorely disappointed.

by Torrid on Feb 9, 2010 3:10 PM PST up reply actions

The first time I ever came here, my plane landed in a goddamn monsoon.

by Teej on Feb 9, 2010 3:13 PM PST up reply actions

I'm guessing La Jolla?

by JBell523 on Feb 9, 2010 4:19 PM PST up reply actions

Nope

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 9, 2010 4:20 PM PST up reply actions

I forgot you don't get paid for this blogging thing

I’m in Spring Valley

by JBell523 on Feb 9, 2010 4:22 PM PST up reply actions

Your team could have Jim Hendry as GM...

and be penciling in Carlos Silva as the fifth starter… Think about that Jeffrey and Garrett Olson don’t sound so bad.

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Just North of Wrigley Field

by jameslcrockett on Feb 9, 2010 2:07 PM PST reply actions

Two years ago we penciled in Carlos Silva at number three.

Holy fuck we’ve come so far.

50!

by joof on Feb 9, 2010 6:38 PM PST up reply actions

Not only that,

but we paid $48 million for that special privilege.

by I Lick Squirrels on Feb 9, 2010 10:28 PM PST up reply actions

ugh...

How far backwards does that mean the Cubs have gone? (Assuming they actually ever evolved instead of just getting really lucky, which is my opinion) Or can we just coin regression by an entire organization that never really got there anyway as Bavasi-ism?

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Just North of Wrigley Field

by jameslcrockett on Feb 10, 2010 3:35 AM PST up reply actions

Hey! In Portland, they film the tv show LEVERAGE!

Maybe you could get cast as an extra…

(But you missed last weekend’s Thug Camp workshops….)

by rtang on Feb 9, 2010 2:20 PM PST reply actions

And you're also here in time for

the Worst Day Of The Year ride! And it probably won’t be a bad day at all.

by pdb on Feb 9, 2010 2:27 PM PST reply actions

You are forgetting the 0.002% that thought they were voting for Dennis Leary

by G4Real on Feb 9, 2010 2:28 PM PST reply actions

I refuse to believe that. Nobody would willingly give Denis Leary a role anywhere.

I'd sleep at the Internet, but I've found servers don't make for good pillows.

by thehemogoblin on Feb 9, 2010 2:41 PM PST up reply actions

So true

De Gutibus non disputandum est

by Bearskin Rugburn on Feb 9, 2010 4:21 PM PST up reply actions

Actually they thought they were voting for Harvey Dent.

by I Lick Squirrels on Feb 9, 2010 3:02 PM PST up reply actions

Touche

by G4Real on Feb 9, 2010 4:37 PM PST up reply actions

Re: Garrett Olson

“What this tells me is that 1.1% of all votes in all polls are submitted by complete retards and 0.04% of all votes are submitted by Garrett Olson’s mother. "

Probably those 1.1% of the voters only saw Olson pitch that one inning where he came in with the bases loaded an no outs, and didnt give up a run. Using results based analysis and that small sample size, they think he is awesome.

98.8% of us have seen Olson pitch more than once.

by ARock on Feb 9, 2010 2:42 PM PST reply actions

I want everyone to remember this in September

the Mariners aren’t a great team, and they’re exceedingly unlikely to win the championship this season, but the fact that we’re even able to talk about the playoffs at all – that’s what’s so incredible.

This is why people who talk about baseball success in terms of winning the World Series completely miss the point. three years ago this team was a shambles, now it’s not. The baby steps have been taken, and now it’s time to take some wobbly grown-up steps; if those steps lead deep into October, great, but if not this season will still be better than most Mariner seasons. Enjoy it.

by pdb on Feb 9, 2010 2:50 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

Well put

I knew that GMZ and the front office crew had made an extreme makeover, but I had forgotten how bad that 2008 roster was. Vidro was getting paid $8.5M!?!?!?!?!?!?! Are you serious? No matter what happens this year, I will make sure to enjoy the luxury of having a well-run organization.

by supershane on Feb 9, 2010 3:11 PM PST up reply actions

Jeff, I have to disagree with this: "In Kelley's defense, he did technically apologize. In his headline, his intro, and his conclusion."

About two-thirds through the article I sincerely thought it was meant as a joke, and Kelley had no intention of apologizing. There is no technical apology in this column. According to Merriam-Webster, an apology is “an admission of error or discourtesy accompanied by an expression of regret.” I think the expression of regret is what’s missing from Kelley’s column.

The headline: My Treatment of Bedard has been unfair.
This is an admission of error, without an expression of regret.

The Intro: It’s time to apologize to Erik Bedard, who was playing through an injury last season.
Kelley states that this would be a good time to apologize. Still doesn’t.

The Conclusion: I expect Bedard still will be grouchy and difficult. But we (I) should learn from the mistakes of the past two seasons and realize that Erik Bedard does want the ball. And his reluctance to share his feelings with us shouldn’t be misinterpreted as a lack of fire for the game.
First of all, I find it hilarious that he turned what could have been a single sentence into two paragraphs. Classic Kelley. Secondly, this is a another admission of error without any sense of regret.

I think the problem here is the whole column is Kelley explaining why he wrote the things he did, and at no point does he say “I’m sorry I did that.” You can probably read between the lines and find it, but that really shouldn’t be necessary in an apology, especially if it’s going to be as chock-full of justifications as this one.

by Lanky on Feb 9, 2010 3:17 PM PST reply actions