Inevitable

The news isn't much of a shocker considering the Mariners are the worst team in MLB by a few games. What's more shocking is how long it took for Bavasi to get shown the door. And how come Howard Lincoln still is with the club? Does he have naked photos of the Nintendo President strangling a dead hooker Rising Sun style?



Maybe the Mariners will shell out 50 million for Yu Darvish and see if 3 Ace's on a team will help us before going out and getting a big bat that needed in the lineup everyday. Frustrating to say the least. At least MLS is coming next spring!

Wilks v. Sexson: Sexson Wins!

Brad Wilkerson had 3 hits yesterday, with 1 walk, bumping his average up to .232 for the year. Today, he was designated for assignment. Baseball terms for fired. Sacked in Brittish. So it's officially over. Richie Sexson is the "winner." I use quotes because anyone who is batting only .207 isn't really a winner.

On Monday, Jimbo made a plea for Wlad the Impaler in his comments on the subject. Today, the Mariners called up catcher Jeff Clement and outfielder Wladimir Balentien from AAA Tacoma today. As you may know and can read in the linked Times article above, these two young bucks add much needed power to the M's lineup. Hopefully manager John McLaren will play the two youngsters, sitting the struggling hitters to spark the team. If you want to read more on the players, here are some notes I found on Balentien and Clement courtesy of the News Tribune.

Wilks v. Sexson (the Steve Kelly addition)

We check in with a third installment of Wilks v. Sexson. The Seattle Times eternally whining Steve Kelly called out for Wilks to be out right waived in today's paper, after he took a called third strike to end the eighth Sunday, in what became a 4-2 Mariners loss to Oakland.

Brad Wilkerson is now hitting .189 overall, with "Big Sexy" Richie Sexson above the Mendoza Line at an .207 AVG. Also entering the conversation is the M's switch hitting DH José Vidro barely edging out Wilks with a .195 batting average.

So in our informal race, Big Sexy is in the lead now with a higher average coupled with 5 HR and 16 RBI. Of course, he's making 10 million dollars more per year.


Kelly's article is his umpteenth plead to the Seattle organization to bring back Ken Griffey Jr. Although I think it would be a great story to bring the face of the franchise (with apologies to Alvin Davis and Edgar Martinez), it's highly implausible due to the fact that Griffey originally wanted to go back "home" to Cincinnati and play for the Reds. And although the Reds aren't going to win anything anytime soon in the NL Central, why would Griffey's reasons for leaving have changed? His homes are in Cincinnati and Florida. Nostalgia is a powerful tool. But stop toying with our emotions, Kelly. At this point, you are three years away from becoming the second coming of Skip Bayless.

Mitchell Report Incomplete?

Although I am sick of talking about steroids since ESPN and other news outlets have driven the story into the ground along the likes of Pedro Gomez in SF and Patriots "cheating scandal"... Jimbo and I were talking about two curious names that were NOT mentioned in the infamous Mitchell Report. The first is Bret Boone.

Look at Boone's statistics after he arrived in Seattle and started playing for the Mariners and the results are either a miracle of modern science (steroids or something else) or a miracle of biblical proportions. Boone went from a 3 yr average in the NL of 21 HR and 77 RBI per to the following 3 yr average with the M's of 32 HR and 122 RBI.

If it wasn't steroids, then I think Boone went more technical and did what the cyclists do and went to blood doping. Thinking outside the box. That, or he made a deal with the Devil.

The second ominous name not mentioned in the report is Chong Li of Bloodsport fame. I'm pretty sure we all know what I'm talking about. But just in case, I'll let the video below state the case against the testy Korean. Are there any other names not on the report that you were surprised were missing?

Revolving Doors

Jimbo appropriately placed Bellevue High legend JR Hasty in the pic of the day today, setting up a week of hirings and firings around the globe. I'm not sure Hasty earned his playing time with his frequent academic ineligibility and questionable dropping in and out of the program. That doesn't exactly exude confidence in a player. Good luck in I-AA, JR.

Rewind earlier to the week and we see the US Women's National Soccer Team coach getting the boot, less than a month after his now infamous goalie switch of Jimbo's GK fave Hope Solo (pictured on the left). So I failed to watch even one match of the Women's 2007 World Cup. The fact this fabulous story came out of it was good enough for me. The media jumping all over the goalie for speaking her mind and calling out a huge mistake by her coach was reminiscent of Cameragate and the Pats. The media's holier-than-thou attitude "policing" others with moral rules is the definition of hypocrisy, if you ask me. That, and I just found Jimbo's desktop wallpaper for his work computer with this pic of Solo. Oh, and Hope is from Seattle also, Jimbo. Check her MySpace page.

Now we come to yesterday, when the SG's forgotten team, Tottenham Hotspur, sacking Martin Jol from his post as team manager. Now, normally I wouldn't praise any firing of a fellow Dutchman. But this move was long overdue. Spurs haven't been competitive enough with the talent they have assembled at White Hart Lane. Jol's insistence on rotating his players in and out is archaic and I'd be frustrated if I were playing for Tottenham also.

Ending with some positive hirings... since most of you probably didn't notice, but in America's pastime, the Seattle Mariners locked up Mel Stottlemyre as pitching coach, and soon to be named third-base coach Larry Bowa also returning to the Emerald City. I like the moves... the more former managers you have around the better. Especially firey managers like Bowa, who add a much needed spark to a clubhouse that has been asleep for the past 5 years under the softspoken Melvin and Hargrove. It's good to have you back, Larry.

Signings...

SEATTLE -- Going with the theme of the day, hopefully the Times didn't jinx the reported contract extension with Ichiro with their front page story in today's paper. In my opinion, this would be Bill Bavasi's first good move as the Mariners GM. Even if the speculative price is $20 million per year, it's worth it considering the box office draw, market appeal both here and in Asia. It's a no-brainer. And something Seattle should have done in the offseason.

The story is starting to get national media attention, and with good reason. If Ichiro becomes a free-agent next Winter, Seattle will have lost to free-agency their fourth HOF in his prime, following Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Álex Rodríguez out of town.


If Ichiro indeed re-ups with the M's, it'll be a great day. And it might buy Bavasi another year or two as MLB's worst GM... but hey, we'll take the bad with the good, eh!?! At least we have Kevin Durant in the Northwest for the next three years...

UPTON PARK -- From the Irony Department, another reported signing is the transfer of Craig Bellamy to West Ham United in a club-record £7.5million move. Bellamy joins a West Ham club that barely escaped regulation this past season after two shady signings of now notorious Argentinians. I think Bellamy thinks by signing with United, he gets to roll with the Green Street Hooligans firm, and saw the appeal in a guaranteed fight every week.

Whats the Deal

"You cannot buy me, you must debate me - in cryptic phrases."