Awkward

by Jeff Sullivan on Feb 14, 2012 12:24 PM PST in Miscellaneous

From Baker, the other day:

The one bit of news Wedge did let drop is that he's leaning heavily towards Jason Vargas starting the second game in Japan against the Oakland Athletics.

"We're probably looking at Vargas right now in regards to the first couple of games,'' Wedge said.

From a Brad Lefton feature on Hisashi Iwakuma:

"I found [Jack Zduriencik] a funny and engaging guy, easy to talk to," Iwakuma recalls. "He told me the team was opening the season in Japan and he'd like to see me start one of those games. I really appreciated that."

Option 1
Iwakuma over Felix for the season opener! The Mariners were genuine!

Option 2
Iwakuma starts one of the exhibition games in Japan. The Mariners were not ungenuine.

Option 3
DECEIT

The good news passed along in Lefton's piece is that Iwakuma says his shoulder is fine now after getting injured last season. But then Justin Smoak said he was fine while his batting average plummeted to .218 so maybe everybody's just a big fat liar.

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I hope they didn't promise Hisashi any pizza

by Matthew on Feb 14, 2012 12:26 PM PST reply actions 1 recs

this is what I said to geoff baker

When he tweeted that. I said that I hope he doesn’t get upset.

Although, I’m sure its not still “up in the air”. Before they even let this news about Vargas starting leak, id be willing to bet that the Mariners FO made sure Iwakuma wouldn’t read something that they hadn’t already discussed with him.

by djoko_mofo on Feb 14, 2012 12:36 PM PST via mobile up reply actions

Aren't they playing 4 games in Japan?

by msb on Feb 14, 2012 12:38 PM PST reply actions

I think it's two exhibition games and two regular season games, but I could be wrong.

Or I could be right!

by ScottBrowne on Feb 14, 2012 12:39 PM PST up reply actions

Assuming Iwakuma has a non-disasterous spring training, why not just let the guy pitch in front of his home country?

What is there to lose? I don’t really see a downside, besides maybe upsetting Vargas (who cares?).

Am I missing something? I only see upside here.

But, if there are exhibition games there as well, then this might all be moot anyways.

by sanford_and_son on Feb 14, 2012 12:46 PM PST reply actions

I guess the logic behind it could be that they don't want his first official MLB start to have the added pressure of needing to perform in front of a Japanese crowd

Meh.

by OlSalty on Feb 14, 2012 12:51 PM PST up reply actions

I would think because nearly his whole career has been in front of Japanese crowds

he’d be most comfortable making his first start there.

This Day in History

by TIFO on Feb 14, 2012 2:51 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

I guess it would be like his last start ever in front of his "home" crowd, though

Could be a lot of pressure because of that.

by OlSalty on Feb 14, 2012 8:24 PM PST up reply actions

Not necessarily saying it's a "good" reason

by OlSalty on Feb 14, 2012 8:26 PM PST up reply actions

Trial by fire is good for a man if you ask me.

Imagine the pressure of pitching for the Mariners. Really, imagine it. Knowing that you can pitch a one-run game and lose any given night. Knowing that future contract negotiations are going to be spent arguing that your 3-12 W/L record only looks bad out of context. That’s some pressure.

Let’s toss him in and see what happens. We could always just ‘lose’ his plane ticket if he fails right?

by d0nkey on Feb 15, 2012 11:51 AM PST up reply actions

Turn it around,

what’s really the upside? He’s pitched in front of his home country for years. He’s not a pioneer to Major League baseball. He hasn’t been long separated from Japanese baseball. Would it be any more special?

by Matthew on Feb 14, 2012 1:01 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

This is pretty much what I was thinking.

Watching Iwakuma pitch in Japan would be visually and ideologically cool but if he doesn’t…..well….he doesn’t. Not really a big deal to me.

by ThundaPC on Feb 14, 2012 1:41 PM PST up reply actions

I think it would be special given that he may well not ever get another opportunity to pitch for a MLB club in an official game in Japan.

So may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Granted not all once in a lifetime opportunities matter and he may not care at all, but if he does, why not let him?

This Day in History

by TIFO on Feb 14, 2012 2:54 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

Also, I'm sure Japanese fans would much prefer Hisashi to Vargas

And I want Japanese fans to be happy all the time

by Keenan Williams on Feb 14, 2012 6:03 PM PST up reply actions

If Jason Vargas is exceptionally better than Iwakuma, then certainly there's downside.

Maybe it’s a small bit of downside. Maybe that’s more moot than anything. But considering that Seattle has a break between games two and three, then theoretically, Vargas will get one additional start.

Sure, the Mariners probably won’t finish within one game of the AL West title, but I’m going to spitball that there’s technically a potential downside.

follow @casetines

by Kenneth Arthur on Feb 14, 2012 1:06 PM PST up reply actions

Yeah, you can't really argue that losing a game ISN'T a potential downside

unless you are also assuming that the M’s will not be competitive at all this year. Which you can argue, sure, so maybe nobody cares about winning or losing.

by HititHere on Feb 14, 2012 4:26 PM PST up reply actions

There's no contradiction in saying that you'd like to see something happen that won't actually happen

I bet he’d like to see the Ms make the post season as well.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Feb 14, 2012 1:11 PM PST reply actions

Option 2 - though I'm curious how the team is going to get the rotation lined up with the Arizona, Toyko, Arizona, Oakland travel plans

March 24 – Exhibition vs Hanshin – Iwakuma
March 25 – Exhibition vs undefined – Ichiro!
March 26 – Exhibition vs Yomiuri – ??
March 28 – @ Athletics in Tokyo – Felix
March 29 – @ Athletics in Tokyo – Vargas
March 31 – Spring Training; Padres – Split Squad ??
April 1 – Spring Training; Royals – ??
April 2 – Spring Training; Rockies – ??
April 3 – Spring Training; Rockies – ??
April 4 – Spring Training; Rockies – ??
April 6 – @ Athletics in Oakland – Felix
April 7 – @ Athletics in Oakland – Vargas

by CMC_Stags on Feb 14, 2012 1:17 PM PST reply actions

I'm probably wrong, but I would actually want to see Felix start one of the Exhibition games.

A) I’m fucking tired of him starting the season against the A’s. B) Perfect game (or 5 innings).

by stredarts on Feb 14, 2012 2:02 PM PST up reply actions

That's stupid reasoning

We need to get as many major league starts out of Felix as possible.

by Eric Wedge's Mustache on Feb 14, 2012 3:06 PM PST up reply actions

Major League starts or starts against Major League lineups?

because the A’s are not one of those things

by seattlebruin on Feb 14, 2012 3:17 PM PST up reply actions 2 recs

Our lineup scored 556 runs last year

…we have no room to talk

by Eric Wedge's Mustache on Feb 14, 2012 3:33 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

To be fair that was in only 162 games

oh wait

by pdb on Feb 14, 2012 3:40 PM PST up reply actions 1 recs

Apart from the fact that I'm being facetious,

I’m pretty sure Felix not playing one of two glorified exhibition games isn’t going to drastically change Felix’s win contribution for the year.

But yes, I’m not actually advocating Felix not starting the first “real” game of the year.

by stredarts on Feb 14, 2012 4:19 PM PST up reply actions

Why are you advocating starting Felix in an exhibition game?

To get the most starts out of him as possible? To maximize his chances of injury in meaningless games?

I’m confused.

Also, how does us scoring 556 runs last year have ANYTHING to do with Felix getting exhibition starts? I must have missed some sarcasm font or something.

by d0nkey on Feb 14, 2012 5:21 PM PST up reply actions