Photo courtesy of AP/Lenny Ignelzi

I’m a Griffey fan.  I’ll admit that.  So feel free to take bias against this post on that point.  But I’m not an idiot.  I get what folks are saying about re-signing him in 2010.  And while I won’t deny that those comments have merit, I do have to defend the decision for a few different reasons.

The $$$ Factor:

Griffey’s 2010 contract may not have the same attendance-laden incentives of last year’s, but you can’t deny it’s a factor.  For the same reason our team will never let Ichiro go, we’ve re-signed Griffey.  He puts butts in the seats, so to speak.  He gets people talking about Seattle.  As much as I used to convince myself that Seattle had a real sports scene when compared to the rest of the country, my adolescence is now at an end.  The NBA abandoned us for just that reason.  We’re not LA.  We’re not NY.  We’re not anywhere in between.  So any story that keeps us on the front page of ESPN.com is a good story.  Controversy keeps us alive.  A couple stars on a team of AAA-level offensive statistics managed to keep us afloat.

So for those of you who deny that money was a factor here, you’re either wrong or naive.  I’m certain that Ichiro’s Japanese concern nets Nintendo his 18 million annually, and I’m even more certain that a first-round hall of fame player in Griffey can net a measly 3 here in the states.  Money talks.

The “Clubhouse” Factor:

This is the argument you’re hearing from all the local rags.  This is the argument you’re hearing from our coach and our GM.  This is the “you can’t measure everything in baseball with box scores” piece that really ticks off all the national writers.  Does it have merit?  Maybe.

Let’s face it.  We don’t know all that Griffey did last year.  Certainly we can take a look at statistics.  And those should account for a good majority of what matters in baseball.  Stats count.  But that doesn’t mean that nothing else does.  I’m not buying into this argument completely, because most of those writers are right.  It’s a stupid point.  But to dismiss it entirely is just as stupid.  If you don’t think that certain clubs do research beyond statistics, you aren’t paying attention.

Granted, paying 3 million dollars to a player who is literally a designated tickler is a bit much.  But there is no doubt in my mind that he played a big part in bringing and keeping this squad together all season long.  Wakamatsu’s success is because Griffey and Sweeney bought into what he was doing from the beginning.  And leadership by example wasn’t enough.  Ibanez and Ichiro led by example in 2008, and what good did that do us?  Griffey took the clubhouse by storm.  But is even that enough of a reason to keep him around?  Probably not.  Is that enough of a reason to fill a roster spot where a young player could be learning the game from the bench?  Probably not.  But there was an even better reason to keep Griffey than just to see Ichiro smile more…

The “Thrill of the Grass” Factor:

The Yankees recently won the World Series.  It was a fantastic run.  They were a dominant team that made very few mistakes and capitalized on almost all of their opponents’.  I am not even remotely a Yankees fan, but I have to respect how disciplined they were in the playoffs.  They were one of the most professional squads in baseball history.

But, in my opinion, they weren’t a lot of fun.  I have to admit that I saw A-Rod smiling more this season (and especially this post-season), and there was definitely some team chemistry that hasn’t existed on the island in at least a decade.  In fact, this was probably the most happy-go-lucky Yankees club I’ve ever seen.  But they were so dominant all season long, that I missed some of that underdog excitement that I enjoy when watching a baseball team.  Now, don’t get me wrong here.  I understand how vastly different it is to root for a team like the Yankees.  They are held to a higher standard than most sports teams on this entire planet, and their tradition of winning spurs expectations that we in Seattle have never had to deal with.

But I’ll tell you something: I didn’t see anyone get tickled till they almost peed their pants.  I didn’t see walk-off celebrations that had players chasing eachother through the outfield.  I didn’t see any players drenched in ice cream as they gave a post-game interview.  I didn’t see the most reserved athlete in the sport raise his hands in exuberance after a minor victory during a playoff run that was mathematically out of reach.  I didn’t see a future hall-of-famer lifted on to other players’ shoulders and paraded triumphantly around a field after a third place finish in what many feel is a washed up division.  I didn’t see a team that enjoyed every chance just to be out on the field together as a team.  I didn’t see the dugout rails lined up with players when a loss was assured, just to root on a younger player in a meaningless at bat.  I didn’t see passion and frustration by an ace for every pitch that wasn’t perfect.  I didn’t see a nobody win a ballgame with a homerun in the bottom of the last inning.  I didn’t see a team where every rookie was as important as every veteran.  And I didn’t see a team that was so grateful just to be on the field that they enjoyed every single moment the thrill of that grass gave them.

I’ll tell you one other thing, too.  2009 was a team effort every second.  Griffey didn’t do it on his own.  But re-signing him in 2010 is a commitment to something bigger than statistics and wins.  It’s a commitment to the game the way it was meant to be played.  And anyone who says that Griffey doesn’t make the grass greener at Safeco is full of it.

Photo Courtesy of AP: Chris Carlson

The winner won’t be announced until January, but there is yet another Mariner nominated for the award named in honor of former ballplayer Fred Hutchinson.  For those locals who follow this blog, you’re probably familiar with their radio ads and the hard work this local Cancer Research Center provides to the city of Seattle.  The award doesn’t traditionally go to someone connected locally, but did go to Tacoma native Jon Lester last year and Jamie Moyer in 2003.  Last year, Griffey and Raul were also on the 10-person list of nominations for their tireless community efforts.

If you’re curious about Lowe’s community work as well as the personal difficulties he’s overcome to succeed again at the major league level, be sure to check out Shannon Drayer’s blog on the subject.

The full list of recipients since 1965 (littered with All-Stars) is also available, and the list of this year’s nominees is here.

At only 26, this is quite an achievement.  Best of luck to Lowe!

Photo by Reuters

The season is over and the M’s managed to win a miraculous 85 games.  Much of that success has been attributed to a tickling Griffey (and a giggling Ichiro) and Sweeney as clubhouse leaders.  Griffey’s Spring Training heckling of the media as they attacked Ichiro about rumors of so-called “selfish play” was a good start.  Sweeney’s one-on-one time with young players was even better, but Wakamatsu’s leadership was more than just icing on the cake.  For the first time since “Sweet Lou” a manager’s name is on the tongue of every M’s fan, and most of us didn’t even know who this guy was when Zduriencik hired him.

So what did Wak do this year that was so fantastic?  What exactly did he do to turn things around from an incredible 101 losses in 2008?  He did plenty.

Probably the most media-rampant story was his ability to “call out” ace King Felix for a poor performance on May 19th, where he gave up 11 hits and 6 runs in less than 6 innings.  Let’s review those quotes.

Felix: “I think it was a good game…  I made good pitches, but balls went into the holes. It was unbelievable. I made great pitches…  I was trying to hold the runners, but they know how to steal bases… I just go out there and do the best I can.

Wak: “I have said all along that our team evolves around pitching and defense and wasn’t good at either at the start of the game… Felix wasn’t sharp. Sometimes you have to ask guys to step up and I didn’t think he stepped up today… Anaheim is a good club, and they have talented players,but it’s an embarrassment to allow them to steal five bags off us.”

Ouch.  Many of us thought that was a bit harsh at the time (even though he had already been slacking all spring coming off his WBC appearance), and Felix was clearly perturbed with his manager, avoiding him for much of the period following those statements.  But Felix eventually stepped up.  Whether it was out of anger or because he saw the light we can’t be sure, but Felix pitched incredibly for the rest of the season, winning 16 of 18 games with a 1.98 ERA.  Wak clearly made the right call.

His next move would be to call out Yuniesky Betancourt, who eventually went on to paralyze an already astounding Royals team.  Betancourt had already frustrated a couple managers before Wak came along by playing lazily, making errors, not hitting and not putting in any extra work off the field.  Wak sat him down in depth in on May 13th, and then sat him down literally for the game, opting to let Ronny Cedeno get some playing time.  Late May came around and Betancourt seemed to be taking something away from a scattering of days off.  He was bunting, and finally showing (some) patience at the plate, although his defense and work behind the scenes hadn’t improved at all.

June continued with this trend, and on June 18th, I gave up on Yuni, even if Wak hadn’t.  His collision with Endy Chavez that ended the left fielder’s season (and possibly tenure with the Mariners) was unforgivable, even if everyone involved insisted it was an accident.  A few short days later, Yuni was placed on the DL with a hammy injury and then not much later, we traded him to Kansas City, eventually replacing him with Jack Wilson.  From the outside, it’s not even certain Wak had a significant role in all this, but his patience with Yuni (because of his incredible potential) despite his insistence that there is eventually a “saturation point” with poor play and discipline is to be commended.  I’m certain he made the tough decision inside the clubhouse, sending Yuni to KC (who took him on a recommendation by former Mariner utility Willie Bloomquist).  From what I understand, even a teammate putting himself on the line has not been enough to turn around Yuni’s discipline both on and off the field.  Bless you Wak, for making an example of Yuni, and supporting your team by subtraction.

The M’s went from 101 losses to just 77 this year, but does that make Wak better than Lou?  They’re complete opposites.  Lou routinely got himself thrown out of games.  Wak hasn’t gotten tossed once (and only one Mariner did all season long with that example).  Lou liked to lock in a lineup and use his starters all game long.  Wak prefers to switch things up constantly (or at least spent most of the season refining his eventual lineup) and hates using pinch hitters if he can avoid it.  Lou was loud and boisterous, pushing his vets hard and spending most of his time handling the all-stars on his team.  Wak cultivated a personal relationship with everyone on his squad, and broke down any barriers between vets and rookies.  Lou’s clubhouse was emotional and hard-headed.  Wak’s clubhouse was disciplined and stoic, but always happy to line the dugout rail, rooting for their team; emotions were reserved for celebrations and 1-run ballgames and there was never much anger, just lots of smiles.

It will be tough to say whether or not Wak will ever live up to Lou’s 10 years of playoff appearances and record-breaking seasons, but I will say this.  I’ve had more fun watching this squad win and celebrate than I ever did watching Lou lead us to victory… although, 95 will never be forgotten.  If Wak can give us just one playoff appearance during his time as our leader, Lou will be relegated to forgotten legacy.  Thanks for a fantastic 2009, Don, and keep up the good work!

As we approach the offseason essentially out of this year’s pennant race, and post-Ichiro record time, Felix will get to play in the limelight.  The first reason is the Cy Young race.  Most interesting is that writers are fighting over the chance to cover this year’s race, but only the National League portion.  However, according to this year’s Cy Young Predictor Seattle fans have a lot to get excited about.  Felix currently tops the “standings” according to ESPN and if he keeps things up at this pace, he may just finish with 18 wins with only Greinke challenging him in ERA (and let’s face it: KC’s assistance toward a 13-8 record leaves him well short of this award).

The only thorn in his proverbial paw could be Sabathia, whose Bombers have catapulted themselves to a possible 20 win season with CC on the mound, even if he hasn’t pitched at Felix’s level.  A Cy Young Award to a pitcher who might just win the World Series this year has to be tempting for sportswriters everywhere.  And with the M’s just a stone throw away from .500…

But what does it really matter?  If Felix had already inked a deal, you’d be hearing a little more about Cy other than just here.  And until he becomes a Mariner for the long-term, expect the Seattle media circus to downplay his shot (at least until he wins it, if he does).  So what does that mean?  And as many of you long-time Marination fans must be wondering, where do I stand on the signing of our young king?  Because let’s face it, he’ll certainly earn his royal bounty soon enough, even if it’s not out of Nintendo’s pocket.

I think that no matter what decision we come to, I have to echo an opinion I’ve heard infrequently over the last month: it has to happen now.  If we’re going to sign him long term, it needs to happen this offseason.  And if we can’t get it done on our terms, then we need to cash in.  I’ve heard many say that we need to cash in because he’s at his peak, or that spending that kind of money is an abomination.  I disagree with both reasons.  If he’s at his peak at 23, then I’m Ken Griffey Jr.  And while I’m in agreement with any notion that we shouldn’t offer him 6-10 years, I disagree about paying him what he’s worth.  Give him 20 million a season for all I care.  We can afford it if he’s holding our rotation together.  But please, please, please don’t give him more than 5 years.  4 would be even sweeter.  I don’t want another Zito or Hampton situation to happen anywhere, let alone Seattle.

Next up is why it has to happen this winter.  Because trading a guy this good, with 2 free years to whatever team wants him is basically forcing another team (or teams) to write us a blank check.  Did you see what they were offering Halladay for just a single year’s worth of contract?  Did you see what people gave us for Jarrod Washburn when everyone knew he was playing beyond his ability?  Just imagine what a team would pay for someone who not only has amazing potential, but is a Cy Young candidate without growth into that potential.  And he’s 23.  And he would have two full years left on his contract.  And he’s 23.  And he’s freaking amazing!

If Bavasi was still running things, I would be terrified at this trade prospect, but with Z at the reigns, I can only imagine what sort of team he might assemble if given a chip as big as Felix.  With that said, though, the thought of Felix pitching the next 15 years for some other franchise on his way to Cooperstown is absolutely heartbreaking.  I guess when it really comes down to it, as long as we do one or the other this winter (and no later), I’ll be happy with our future.

Go, M’s!

Last night, Ichiro made history yet again.  Not 258 (eventually 262) or 2,000, but 200 this time was his magic number as he became the first baseball player to have 9 consecutive seasons with 200 hits or more.  As our obsessions with numbers that end in 0 or 5 prevail especially in baseball, I wanted to take a closer look at the significance of this achievement.

Ichiro’s “worst” season came in 2005 where he hit safely 206 times.  It seems likely he will actually finish the season with the record of 9 consecutive seasons of 206 or more hits.  An achievement 6 infield singles rarer than what we celebrated last night.  How do others stack up?

“Wee” Willie Keeler was the former record holder, although Ichiro had already beaten him.  Keeler had 8 consecutive seasons of only 202 hits or more, although he beat Ichiro with 7 consecutive seasons of 210 until he “struggled” and managed only 202 in 1901.

The infamous Ty Cobb, although he likely spiked his way on base on more than one occasion, has 9 seasons of 201 hits or more.

And what of Pete Rose, the man who still lords two substantial records over the current hit king?  Rose managed only 2 stretches of 3 seasons in the consecutive 200+ category, but still has 10 overall with so many hits.  Actually, he has 10 seasons of 204 hits or more, and only 7 seasons of Ichiro’s 206+ achievement.  So… didn’t Ichiro already beat him?

And this is all above that 200 hit threshhold: I didn’t even dip into 190+.  So why 200?  Why do we obsess over arbitrary amounts such as this?  As any stats hound will tell you truthfully: because we can.  I don’t say this to take anything away from Ichiro’s outstanding achievement, but I can’t even casually think about Ichiro without running over to baseball-reference.com.  That alone should tell you how incredible his achievements have been.  And as to his future achievements, I have just one more comparison to make.

Ichiro also had his 2005th career hit yesterday.  That puts him at 256th overall among career hits leaders (just past Todd Zeile and hall of famer Dave Bancroft).  Toss in his Japanese hits and he improves to 3283 professional hits and moves up to 11th on the list.  Yes, 11th.  Tied with Willie Mays.  Yes, Willie Mays.  He needs only 974 more hits to eclipse Pete Rose’s amazing achievement.

And do I care if you don’t think Ichiro’s Japanese hits should count?  No.  They play less games, they play in smaller stadiums (not spacious Safeco) and they play quality baseball.  As far as I’m concerned, if Ichiro should have 5 more seasons of 206 hits or more, he’s better than Pete Rose and should be crowned the new hits king.  Let’s just hope that’s on his to-do list.  Is it 2014 yet?

Congratulations, Ichiro.  Even if the M’s never have another playoff appearance, we can always count on you to save the day.