Well, I'll take a shot at doing one of these.

Ken Griffey Jr. has signed on with a new team.

Economic stimulus package for idiots.

You can still walk around Seattle parks in the buff.

England: less fun every day.

Question for the day.  If you were the captain of a shipping vessel that was operating off the coast of Eastern Africa, how would you best avoid being kidnapped and taken hostage by pirates? 

I mean, how do you commandeer an oil tanker?

Baker's got his piece today on some of the winter moves staring the M's in the face.

He discusses Ibanez' future and talks a lot about the clubhouse issues that the M's have.  He also notes that he still has some weird disdain for Ichiro

And it was a clubhouse in need of some direction, given the problems engulfing it as the season came undone. When it came to Ichiro, who got off to a typically slow start in April and part of May, the internal turmoil nearly hit its boiling point.

"I just can't believe the number of guys who really dislike him," said one clubhouse insider. "It got to a point early on when I thought they were going to get together and go after him."

The coaching staff and then-manager John McLaren intervened when one player was overheard talking — in reference to Ichiro — about wanting to "knock him out." A team meeting was called to clear the air.

 

Ichiro didn't have a slow May.

May 1-12: 18-48, three walks, four doubles, eight runs, 10 SB,  .375 / .400 / .458

May total: 36-113, 12 walks, six doubles, HR, 18 runs, 18 SB, .319 / .384 / .398

But others point out that Ichiro, along with Ibanez, is one of the few Mariners to put up consistently high numbers during a season in which the team has all but collapsed. They also suggest that Ichiro, being Japanese and not a vocal clubhouse presence, is somewhat vulnerable to scapegoating in a clubhouse that at times appeared divided along linguistic and cultural lines.

Geoffry, you're the one who's been doing the scapegoating.

However, if you take away the ribbing Geoff does against Ichiro, it's a relatively good article on decisions facing the M's brass this winter.

I have one selfish reason for writing this and that is that I'm looking for four more players for a fantasy football league that drafts at 2pm today.  If you're into this sort of thing, we'd a) love to have you, and b) be grateful to not have to look for anyone else.

If you're interested, the yahoo league id is 557181 and the password is 12345.

Now, onto other important things such as:

College president fired for being an idiot

Chad Ocho-Cinco, cool or not so much?

Battle of the Jessicas, Alba or Biel?

As a University of Arizona grad student, do I have to change my loyalties from the Ducks to the Wildcats when the two teams play?

Shawne Merriman, will he suffer an injury 5x worse than the one he has now this season?  Will he deserve it?

I'm watching Fox Saturday baseball right now and Rosenthal reports that a Yankees executive told him this morning that the Washburn deal to New York will not happen affter the deadline, and that they'll stick with internal options.

I don't know that Rasner/Ponson is the answer to all or any of life's problems, but sucks for us.

Assuming this is true, well, fuck you Lee.

Also of interest, Rosenthal reports that Junior is considering maybe trying to learn 1B for next season.

SI.com's most excellent baseball writer Jon Heyman, here, lists the most likely players to be dealt.  Bedard, Beltre and Ibanez make his list.  Bedard at 2-1 odds, Beltre at 5-1, and Ibanez at 8-1.

But, that's not why I'm posting this.

He continues, after listing the players he sees as possible trade pieces to discuss the All-Star voting, and how it's such a travesty that Varitek got voted in over Pierzynski.  Whether you believe this is true or not; I do, what's really the travesty is where he goes here.

"And oh yes, Ichiro (.302), who plays hard only occasionally, shouldn't be allowed anywhere near Yankee Stadium. That one was the fault of the fans."

Screw you Jon Heyman.  Screw you anyone who thinks that putting up the sorts of ridiculous numbers with any such consistency that Ichiro has demonstrated isn't enough.  Screw you anyone who thinks that you have to look like you're playing hard to actually be playing hard.

Jenni Carlson, of the Oklahoman opined that Oklahoma City should "Pop the corks and celebrate!"

I took great offense, and wrote maybe the angriest email I've ever written.

Ms. Carlson,

I don't know who you are.  I don't know your writing, for I'd never read it until now.  I don't know what you stand for.  For all I know, you might be a very nice and a very well-meaning individual.  But, based on your column today, it's hard to believe that you're anything but scum.  So, you'll fit in nicely at the owner's box with Clay Bennett.

In your column, today, you wrote the following:

"The frustration is over."

Whose?  The Seattleites who cheered on this team for 42 years.  The millions of fans that poured their energy and their love out for a team that they truly cherished.  The same people who used their tax dollars to build an arena, then renovate it shortly thereafter, only to have that renovation become completely devalued 12 years later.  The same people who filled Key Arena 87% full in a completely lame duck season that featured only the joy of watching Kevin Durant mature.  The same people who watched a man buy their team, tell them he'd do one thing, and then turn around and do another.  No, Jenni, you're entirely wrong.  The frustration is just beginning.

You also wrote:

"Seattle keeps the team's name, colors and history."

Thanks.  Spencer Haywood's retired jersey will look awfully nice hanging from the Space Needle, which, by the way, is privately owned, and not used by many Washington taxpayers.  For another $75M and a really good hacksaw, this could be bought too.  Though, the base of it probably needs some renovation, which makes it the perfect candidate for a move.

And then, you had the gall to write:

"At times these past few months, it felt like we were stuck in purgatory. Either that, or the longest coaching search ever. We knew there eventually would be resolution, but there were times when a decision seemed far away."

Newsflash -- for the last few years, the city of Seattle has been not in purgatory, but in actual hell.  Kids who have grown up being Sonics fans have had their hearts pulled on, and twisted, and undervalued, and finally torn out.  Now you come right out and tell us that you guys down in OKC have had it rough?  Oh, I'm sorry.  Have you ever lost a professional sports team?  Didn't think so.  Let me know how it feels, when, in 20 years, after failing to fill whatever stadium Bennett builds, and then asks the city for hundreds of millions to renovate every three and a half years, the team packs its tent and moves again.  Seriously, for the longest time, people in Seattle have dreaded this day.  Inevitably, it had to come, because a lying, two-faced, arrogant prick named Clay Bennett used the same money that came out of our pockets when we bought his deliciously overpriced gasoline, to purchase the team that so many Seattleites deeply cared for.  Sooner than you could pop the cork from your champagne bottle, Bennett announced he'd move the team and strip the fans, who had devoted a good chunk of their lives, of something that, to them, meant an inconceivable amount.  Ever since, Seattle residents, Supersonics fans and loyalists have waited for this day like you wait for a missed period.

Sure, you're happy, and that's fine, I realize that.  You got yourself an NBA team.  Congratulations.  Go to the games.  Buy stuff.  Cheer.  But don't you think that fans of the now former Seattle Supersonics deserve something a wee bit more than to watch some reporter from a newspaper in OKC announce that there's a huge cocktail party celebrating that which has torn something from our insides that we'll never truly get back.

In the meantime, we'll keep watching the Seattle Mariners, arguably the worst team and the worst managed franchise in baseball.  Enjoy the Supersonics, I mean, whoops, whatever the hell you choose to name your newfound team.

Next time you witness someone lose something so precious to them and have it benefit you in the process, maybe you could do one (or both) of the following two things (for example a husband losing his wife of 42 years that happened to leave you a couple million dollars):

1) Give them something like 24 hours to grieve.  Is that asking too much?

2) Not trivialize their loss.  What, you mean OKC getting a team mean's someone else lost one?  No, that's not possible.

I'll never again read anything you write, unless you make it big, which, I suppose will never happen, given that nobody from Oklahoma ever does.  So, do what you want.  Be a malicious fool just as long as you feel like it.  I'd be willing to bet that I get over losing the Supersonics before you wise up to your ignorance.

Enjoy the new team.  May someone never snap it up from you as was just done on your behalf.

Cordially,

Living in Washington, DC, I haven't had the chance to attend a Mariner game at the Safe for nearly two years, but given the team's recent play, I could imagine this being the case at a Mariners game.

I've been to the new Nationals Ballpark probably a dozen times at this point, and everytime I go, I'm struck by the sheer number of fans wearing a jersey or a cap of a team other than the Nationals or their opponent that night.

For example, last night I was at the game between the Nationals and the Angels and was blown away by what I saw, so much so that I wrote it down.

Hats: Boston, New York (A), Baltimore, Kansas City, Chicago (A), Oakland, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York (N), Chicago (N), St. Louis, Cincinatti, San Diego, LA, San Francisco, and Colorado.

Jerseys: Milwaukee (Fielder), Cubs (Fukudome), Boston (Ellsbury), Boston (Beckett), Cincinatti (Griffey), San Diego (Caminiti), New York (Beltran), New York (Pedro), New York (Jeter), and New York (A-Rod).

Does this happen at other ballparks that LLers frequent, specifically Safeco, and does it annoy you as much as it annoys me?

The Toronto Blue Jays have fired manager John Gibbons after a 35-39 start.

Story Here

Gibbons was 305-305 -- Mr. Even Steven during his tenure with the team from up North.  He's due 650k next year, and the remainder of his salary for this season.

Replacing Gibbons will be former Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston who led the team to back-to-back World Series wins in '92 and '93.

Gaston last managed in the bigs in 1997, when he finished his nine year stint, during his first go-around with the club.  He had a .518 (683-636) winning percentage during that time.

Sidney Ponson is back!  This time around, he finds work as a New York Yankee!

It's a Minor League deal, but if the speculation is indeed true, it looks as if he'll be in the rotation sooner rather than later.

Some random gold from the article:

"Bloated, boozy and disruptive, Ponson is being given yet another fat chance by the Yankees.  This says more about the Yankees' rotation desperation than Ponson's skill."

"But it was not a few months of pinstripe restraint that has Ponson back in the system, heading to Triple-A. It is the presence of Darrell Rasner and Dan Giese in the rotation, a combination that makes those in charge of overseeing a $210 million payroll numb and number.  Cashman conceded, 'The one thing we can't take is another injury to the rotation.'"

The Mariners officially put J.J. on the 15 day DL today with what they're calling a hyperextended elbow.

Link here

No word from the story as to who will assume the closer role.