Things I'm Thinking

by Jeff Sullivan on Sep 12, 2010 8:31 PM PDT in Miscellaneous

(via @RainiersLand)

Seattle has playoff fever. I don't want to say that three-figure attendances for the PCL playoffs are embarrassing, since this is an unusual situation with the Rainiers playing their home games away from their home stadium, but it sure seems embarrassing. That few people care? That few people care about seeing some almost-Mariners play meaningful baseball? I'd much rather go to a Rainiers game at Safeco than go to a Mariners game at Safeco. I'd rather go to a grass-mowing competition at Safeco than a Mariners game at Safeco.

Jason Vargas missed 12 Angel bats this afternoon and had his best outing in more than a month, somewhat reassuring me that he isn't running on fumes. It is interesting, though, that he's now gone ten consecutive starts without striking out more than four batters.

55-88. The Mariners need to win at least eight of their remaining 19 games to avoid 100 losses. Their opponents: the good Rangers, the good Red Sox, the good Blue Jays, the great Rays, the good Rangers, and the decent A's. It's pretty easy to see this team ending up with a worse record than the 2008 edition. Fun fact: only three of the games the rest of the way stand a chance of being meaningful, and by that I mean the M's might be able to hurt the Rays' chances of finishing in first place. They're still guaranteed to make the playoffs, though. We barely even get a chance to play spoiler.

Meaningful things the 2010 Rockies have in common with the 2007 Rockies: Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jeff Francis, the now-injured Aaron Cook, and a crazy September hot streak. It's tempting to say "man, there's just something about those Rockies," but so much of their roster has turned over that that hardly makes sense. This might be one of those situations where the human brain tries to find relationships where relationships don't exist. Yes, the Rockies have pulled off some incredible late-season runs of success, but that doesn't mean there's something about the team that makes them especially prone to these things. It could just mean that, hey, lucky fans.

Ryan Langerhans doesn't have a hit since August 10th.

How many people do you think paid attention to the Mariners game today? The Sounders are great news for Seattle, but their success might be bad news for their neighbors, as the M's threaten to slide into local..."irrelevance" is too harsh a word, since people will always care, but when you give people more options, they'll naturally shy away from the worst. The M's need to get people excited. Which means the M's need to win. Because I don't think people are going to buy offseason excitement anymore. At least, not for a while.

Director of Pro Scouting Carmen Fusco apparently will not return to the Mariners, and rumor has it this is because of the way the whole Josh Lueke situation played out. I don't have any new information at this time. The way it comes off is that Fusco is being scapegoated for the whole PR nightmare, but we don't know. We don't even know if Lueke's the actual story. I know many of us are biased in favor of Fusco ever since he sat and talked about the Mariners for four hours while passing a kidney stone at the January 2009 USSM event, but it's probably best not to take a position on this until or unless we actually learn something. It's impossible to know what's going on. All we know is that it's unfortunate. This was not supposed to be a team that cost so many people - so many good baseball people - so many jobs.

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I wonder how many times I've read this in the past few months.

… but it’s probably best not to take a position on this until or unless we actually learn something. It’s impossible to know what’s going on. All we know is that it’s unfortunate.

by Joe Metro on Sep 12, 2010 8:39 PM PDT reply actions

Grass mowing competitions sound like fun.

by el pato on Sep 12, 2010 8:53 PM PDT reply actions

The Rainiers' attendance was only in the three-figures?

That’s sad. I thought about going to one of their games. It did seem like a neat idea. The Mariners have really worn me out on baseball, though. Obviously it wouldn’t be the M’s I’d be watching, but going to Safeco… bleh.

I know it’s customary to feel burned out at this point in a losing season, but I feel like it’s going to be a long time until I’m excited about the team again. Too many events this season have left a sour taste in my mouth.

by katal on Sep 12, 2010 9:06 PM PDT reply actions

I'd be remiss to mention that as burned out as I am, I will always care about the team.

As such, it’s very impressive to me, Jeff, how you mange to keep producing Mariners-related output. Thank you.

by katal on Sep 12, 2010 9:09 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

I would have paid the $30 for Diamond Club seats were I on that side of the state.

For one, to root on the Rainiers, and two, because it’s probably the only way I’ll ever get to sit there.

by wazzu93 on Sep 12, 2010 9:38 PM PDT up reply actions

I kept thinking that as I wandered through the bar area and sat in those seats.

I’d been there once on the stadium tour, but I never thought I’d see a game from those things.
Even if you paid the $20 for the ‘bad’ seats, you could rest your feet on the dugouts. Amazing.

by marc w on Sep 12, 2010 10:57 PM PDT up reply actions

It's pretty damn awesome, even if it's Fister who's pitching

A friend of mine has 20 some games there, and invited me along for one. Best seats I’ve ever had in Safeco. Reminded me of times in the Kingdome when you could move up behind home plate for the latter innings of games. You wouldn’t believe how much Mike Jackson’s slider used to move.

by nathaniel dawson on Sep 14, 2010 4:50 PM PDT up reply actions

I would have gone, but Had already purchased Aquasox playoff tickets for

Saturday and Sunday.

by ambrosia2112 on Sep 12, 2010 10:18 PM PDT up reply actions

Who do the Rainiers play next?

And where are they going to play? Aren’t the Mariners coming home?

I feel like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. Ugh

by HitKing69 on Sep 12, 2010 9:44 PM PDT reply actions

They get to play Memphis.

All on the road.

All kinds of awesome.

by ThundaPC on Sep 12, 2010 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions

All kinds of lame

by jackyz on Sep 12, 2010 9:57 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

They play Memphis, according to JY, all games to be played there.

by wazzu93 on Sep 12, 2010 9:54 PM PDT up reply actions

So, Fusco getting fired means that we get our pound of flesh and when Lueke is called up he will be completely non-controversial right?

Right?

De Gutibus non disputandum est

by Bearskin Rugburn on Sep 12, 2010 10:22 PM PDT reply actions

The scapegoating is getting me down more than the losses

Losses are ultimately transitory — good for this season only. The damage being done by the scapegoating (especially if Churchill’s right that a lot of the scouts are unhappy with the FO) could last a lot longer.

by The Ancient Mariner on Sep 13, 2010 6:16 AM PDT up reply actions

Cam Bonifay in '10!

by eponymous_coward on Sep 13, 2010 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm so proud of our very own Taco Mariners

by Dewey N on Sep 12, 2010 10:27 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs

You make a good point

that people are going to be pretty skeptical of off-season enthusiasm for quite a while. How embarrassing is that Spring issue ESPN The Magazine cover now. I keep trying to weigh whether this is season is better or worse than 2008, and at least the 2008 season didn’t make me feel like a complete idiot for getting super excited in December and January. I hate the December and January me now. That said, I have a lot more hope for the future of this team, so I guess I’ll stick with the present.

by MarinerHousewife on Sep 12, 2010 10:50 PM PDT reply actions

I have that cover on my wall!

by Jeff Sullivan on Sep 13, 2010 12:35 AM PDT up reply actions

This was Jose Lopez's first two walk performance since May 30th.

An added thought, I haven’t been a M’s fan for very long, but I’m starting to believe that working for Chuck Armstrong and Howard Lincoln is a bit like working for Kim Jong Il and Captain Queeg from the Caine Mutiny.

by RustyJohn on Sep 12, 2010 11:02 PM PDT reply actions

Except, I would rather work for them.

…they should send down Huntington & Nutting, because they aren’t ready, either. - royshowell

by Marinerfanjake on Sep 13, 2010 12:04 AM PDT up reply actions

8-11 vs anyone sounds farfetched.

It’s just as well. The 100-loss mark is a useful mark for a very bad team.

ignacio

by ignacio on Sep 13, 2010 2:27 AM PDT reply actions

I missed out on just about everything Mariner/baseball related this weekend.

where do the Rainiers next play, as they’ve moved on to the play-offs?

by msb on Sep 13, 2010 6:26 AM PDT reply actions

They play in Memphis.

The PCL championship series will be played in Memphis – all of it. The Rainiers get to be the ‘home’ team for a couple of games, and there’s even an amusing ‘travel day’ in the middle of it, but all 5 games will be in Memphis.

by marc w on Sep 13, 2010 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions

I went on Friday with some of our already tiny food budget

Totally worth it. Moved over to front row seats after awhile. The only time I’ll ever sit that close at Safeco I’m sure. Would’ve definately gone last night if I could even borrow the money, hah. Definately a little embarrased at last night’s attendance number. Would be cool to see kind of a mini-series preview that tells us a little about the Memphis team.

by olystuart on Sep 13, 2010 9:17 AM PDT reply actions 3 recs