I'm sure Jeff will have a recap later on, or you can just read the live blog that he did. Also, I'm sure a lot of the good from tonight (the pitching, Ichiro) will be lost to venting over some reasonable things to vent about. Consider this a thread to vent in. I'll start.
I don't like reactionary cries. No, the team shouldn't be completely dismembered. No, Eric Byrnes shouldn't be released. For one thing, we do actually need a RH OF on the bench and you really don't want that to be Tui. Did he blow that play in the 11th? Yes, I have no idea what he was thinking there. I also don't know if that was a safety squeeze or a suicide squeeze call. Without the benefit of knowing the play, I'm not sure who the entirety of the blame falls upon. Maybe it was a safety squeeze, Byrnes laid off and Ichiro kept going when he saw Treanor drop the ball.
So this might seem contradictory coming after that, but I would really like the management of this team to get reactionary, so long as they get reactionary in the right way. Mike Sweeney needs to go. Ken Griffey Jr needs to be demoted out of a full time role. Milton Bradley needs to DH, Jack Hannahan and Ryan Langerhans need to return and the team needs to ditch the 7th reliever. Jose Lopez needs to not be batting 4th. Things need to be shaken up, but they need to be shaken up smartly and right now I'm not sure I have faith in the management to do that.
I get that managers, both general and field, will take longer to make seemingly obvious roster moves than most of us would care for. They have exercise more caution because of the way they come under scrutiny for their moves. Stasis is a lot safer for your job. However, three flippin' games into the season this team ditched the 11-man pitching staff and DFA'd Ryan Langerhans. Three games! Milton Bradley got five games as the cleanup hitter and was demoted. I can understand Wakamatsu wanting to take the pressure off Milton for awhile, but it's off Wak! He's producing now and we need that production where it can do the most benefit.
Jack Zduriencik, Don Wakamatsu, you've made quick decisions before. Please, make some more now and make the right ones this time. This team has potential and it was a winnable road in front of it. You're like a hockey team with a 3-0 lead at home and a chance to force game 7 where you would be the top remaining seed in the playoffs if you win. Don't blow this chance. Don't blow this because you held onto Mike Sweeney and Ken Griffey Jr for too long. Neither of those guys were in your plans, Zduriencik. We know this. You didn't build this team for them. You built it for Felix, Lee, Ichiro, Figgins, Guti, the defense and a flame throwing bullpen. Don't let DH be this team's Achilles heel. You'll regret it if you do.