This is my white flag.
I've tried my hardest to post some sort of recap for nearly every game this season, but I think tonight I finally ran out of steam. It's hard work spending two or three hours discussing something you really don't care about, and you can only fake it for so long. With the Mariners comfortably situated in last place and playing for nothing, I simply don't have the motivation anymore. The games - while occasionally entertaining - are meaningless, the players are frustrating, and the outcomes are inconsequential, rendering the task of daily wrap-ups more of a tedious chore than an enjoyable hobby. It's been weeks since the last time I actually had fun writing about a game, and I'm pretty sure it shows, so why force it?
So, with that, the focus of this blog is going to change. Less time will be spent discussing the current year and more will be spent discussing the future, whether it be the upcoming offseason or the 2007 push to the pennant. It's a hell of a lot more interesting, and it's what people want to talk about, so why wait until October? The Mariners need a lot of work if they want to stick in the race next summer, and it's never too early to start brainstorming possible solutions.
The charts (and open threads, of course) aren't going anywhere. They'll be posted every day as soon as I can get to them, and if something about the game stands out, I'll make mention of it. But unless I'm feeling crazy, the huge recaps are going away. At this point they're just not worth the effort, and besides, there are way more important things to talk about.
So there.
Biggest Contribution: Emiliano Fruto, +3.8%
Biggest Suckfest: Jake Woods, -28.0%
Most Important At Bat: Morse double play, -8.8%
Most Important Pitch: Lind single, -9.4%
Total Contribution by Pitcher(s): -23.9%
Total Contribution by Position Players: -30.5%
Gil Meche and Shaun Marcum tomorrow at 7:05pm PDT. I wouldn't be too surprised if LL outdraws Safeco for the game, and believe me, I'm not boasting.