MLB FanHouse

Footprints in the Snow: Mariners

Matt Snyder — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

After a disastrous 2008 season that claimed two managers (one interim) and a general manager, the Mariners returned to respectability in 2009. General manager Jack Zduriencik placed an emphasis on bargain players -- Franklin Gutierrez, Russell Branyan, David Aardsma -- while manager don Wakamatsu stressed fundamentals. The result was the Mariners finding a way to 85 wins despite being outscored by 52 runs over the course of the season.

A major factor was how good the defense made the pitching look. Despite injury woes for Erik Bedard and the loss of Jarrod Washburn in a trade at the deadline, the Mariners had an AL-best 3.87 ERA (and it wasn't close, as the White Sox checked in at second with a 4.14). According to most advanced metrics, Seattle had the best defense in baseball thanks to Gutierrez, Ichiro, Jose Lopez and company. Of course, they'll be looking for some firepower as they move to 2010. Last season, only the Padres and Pirates crossed home plate fewer times than Seattle.

More Footprints in the Snow

Who Might Leave

Adrian Beltre, 3B; Russell Branyan, 1B; Endy Chavez, OF; Mike Sweeney, DH; Erik Bedard, SP; Miguel Batista, RP; Kenji Johjima, C (already gone)

Shopping List

Only four regulars had an OPS+ of more than 100 (which, in layman's terms, means they only had four above-average hitters) last season. Only two hit more than 20 home runs. It's pretty obvious what is lacking on this club: some power. With Beltre likely out the door, the Mariners will probably bring Branyan back. He just had a career year and there is mutual interest. They've already re-upped with Jack Wilson at shortstop.

That leaves possible holes at third base, catcher and in left field. Hideki Matsui would be a logical fit, providing some much-needed punch, but his defensive deficiencies probably aren't desirable and Ken Griffey appears to be slotted in as at least a part-time DH. Jason Bay is also a possibility in left field. He's not a great defender, but the Mariners may need to give a little on defense to gain the power they so desperately need. Do they even have a chance at Matt Holliday? Because he would be the perfect fit. The thinking here is probably not. They aren't likely to pony up the colossal bid and I'm not sure Holliday would want to go back to the AL West after his poor showing in Oakland. Mark DeRosa is an option that could be very intriguing, with holes in both left and at third. They could sign him while still pursuing help at either position, knowing he could be serviceable at either and will provide them with good hustle, attitude and 20 home runs.

There's a lot of names in there, but grabbing one or two would be paramount to making a run at the AL West in 2010.

As far as pitching, the bullpen is in pretty solid shape with young and talented arms behind newfound closer Aardsma. In the rotation, it couldn't hurt for the Mariners to add a No. 2-type behind Felix Hernandez. John Lackey would perfectly fit the bill. It seems unlikely the Mariners could outbid the Yankees for him, but it's certainly possible (see below). They've also been connected to Edwin Jackson in rumors recently and he would be an outstanding fit and would make more sense than adding one or two years of a guy in his mid-30s. Grabbing one of these two would really solidify a promising rotation that also looks to include Ian Snell, Ryan Rowland-Smith and Brandon Morrow. If they can't grab Lackey or Jackson, Rich Harden is a high-upside gamble the Mariners could take and Doug Davis is a cheaper option who has been linked to the team.

Money Matters

Look at all that payroll flying off the books. Last season, the Mariners had a payroll of over $100 million. Between Beltre, Batista, Johjima, Bedard and a bevy of other shifting -- also factoring in arbitration raises for Gutierrez, Hernandez, Aardsma and Mark Lowe -- they look to have freed up about $40 million for 2010. Now, that doesn't necessarily mean they'll be spending all of that money on big-ticket free agents or stud players in trades, but they do have great payroll flexibility. It's a unique position in this economic climate when most teams need to shed payroll.

One thing the Mariners should consider doing with their new financial flexibility is locking up King Felix with a huge long-term deal. He's not set to be a free agent until after the 2011 season, but the Mariners likely have little hope of outbidding the powerhouse money clubs (Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, Angels, etc.) should they not extend him before then. They need to do whatever it takes to get him to sign. If not, they'll be forced to trade him, and the return they'd get would be a killing. This kid is only 23 and already one of the best pitchers in the majors.

Offseason Goals

As I said above, the Mariners need to generate more offense -- especially in the power department -- without drastically hindering the stellar glovework that made their pitchers look so good last year.

Most of all, however, the Mariners need to continue their current course of developing an entire system instead of overpaying for quick-fix types. The previous administration parted with Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman and two others for 30 starts (over two years) of Bedard. If anything, Zduriencik would rather do the complete opposite and stockpile young talent. They are building a foundation of youth and looking to spot-fill cheaper veterans around them that make sense for the present and future, instead of looking to mortgage the future for a big name.

Footprints in the Snow: Mariners originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: John Wetteland Taken to Hospital With 'Mental Issue'

Tom Fornelli — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:44:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Rumors

Former major league closer and current Seattle Mariners bullpen coach John Wetteland was taken to a Texas hospital on Thursday with what is being described as a "mental issue," according to news reports. It seems that police arrived at Wetteland's house shortly after receiving a phone call around 1:30 PM ET about a "possibly suicidal person."

After police arrived at the home Wetteland apparently came out of his house with both arms in the air and told police that he "needed help." Wetteland was then taken to Denton Regional Medical Center outside Dallas.

Wetteland, of course, was the Yankees closer at the beginning of their dynasty years in the late '90s and won the World Series MVP award in 1996 after he saved all four of the Yankees' victories in their six-game defeat of the Atlanta Braves. Wetteland retired from baseball following the 2000 season.

He was brought on to be the Seattle Mariners' bullpen coach this season when the team hired Don Wakamatsu as their manager last winter.

The Mariners are aware of the situation but have not released any comments or official statement regarding it.

Report: John Wetteland Taken to Hospital With 'Mental Issue' originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Griffey Agrees to One-Year Deal With M's

Pat Lackey — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:47:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Transactions

Ken Griffey Jr. is returning to Seattle for at least one more season.

The story was originally reported by ESPN and confirmed in a statement by the team Wednesday afternoon.

The future Hall of Famer agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Mariners that's similar to the one he signed prior to the 2009 season. Griffey returned to the city he became a star in last year after spending nearly a decade in Cincinnati and hit .214/.324/.411 with 19 homers over 117 game for the Mariners.

"I'd like to thank the Mariners organization for inviting me back to play in 2010," said Griffey in a statement. "While 2009 was an awesome experience for me, my ultimate goal is for the Mariners to get to and win the World Series."

Griffey's obviously in the twilight of his career at this point; he's going to turn 40 in 10 days and his production had dropped precipitously the last two seasons. In fact, 2009 was only the second season of his entire career that he finished with an OPS+ below 100 over his 21-year career. Still, he clearly thinks that he's got one season left in him and the Mariners must want that season to be in Seattle, otherwise he'd be a free agent.

"We believe that Ken's presence with the Seattle Mariners organization was such a positive asset last season with his leadership on and off the field," said Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik. "His passion for baseball, life and the Seattle Mariners goes unsaid. "

It is a nice thought. Something just felt right about seeing Junior in a Mariners uniform last year, even if he was a shadow of the guy that belted 48 homers with a .960 OPS while patrolling center field that left Seattle in 1999. Still, his offense is dropping and he's no longer even an option to play in field (he only wore a glove 11 times last year, with 91 appearances as a DH), which means that he's of pretty limited value to the Mariners.

More than anything, it looks like Seattle's provided a chance for one of the franchise legends to take a victory lap in 2010. While that's a noble thought, it's still a little sad to see great players cling on for one more year after their skills have mostly deserted them.

Griffey Agrees to One-Year Deal With M's originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mariners Talk Extension With Jack Wilson, Rejected by Russell Branyan

Pat Lackey — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:07:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Rumors

The Mariners built their 24-win improvement in 2009 on both a renewed focus on defense and finding contributions from cheap, unexpected players. With that in mind, it's no surprise that they approached both Jack Wilson and Russell Branyan about contract extensions, a little more than a week before both players hit the open market.

The offer to Wilson was reportedly a multi-year deal that would presumably be for less money per year than the $8.4 million team option that the M's hold on the shortstop. The offer to Branyan was apparently a one-year deal that the slugger has already turned down in hopes of milking a two-year deal out of someone, though he says he'd prefer to remain in Seattle.

Wilson only donned the Mariners' uniform 31 times after being traded from Pittsburgh, but he's widely regarded to be a premium defensive shortstop, when healthy. He's never won a Gold Glove (though he may have had a chance this year had he not switched leagues mid-season), but he was recently named one of the Fielding Bible Award winners for 2009. With GM Jack Zduriencik's focus on defense, it's understandable why he wants Wilson around long-term.

In Branyan, the Mariners found a cheap power source. For just $1.4 million, Branyan homered 31 times and put up an OPS of .867 in 116 games against mostly right-handed pitching. He's right to try and cash in on his big year because he's 33 and he might not get another chance, but on a multiyear deal for presumably a lot more money, he's also a bigger risk given his back problems and tendency to put up very low batting averages and on-base percentages. He may be able to find a two-year deal somewhere, but it probably won't be in Seattle.

Mariners Talk Extension With Jack Wilson, Rejected by Russell Branyan originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kenji Johjima Signs With Hanshin Tigers

Pat Lackey — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:16:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West

Just a few days after announcing that he won't return to the Seattle Mariners in 2010, Kenji Johjima has signed a four-year deal with the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League. NPB Tracker says the deal is a four-year deal worth the equivalent of $27.25 million, which is a pretty nice deal for him after opting out of the $16 million owed to him by the Mariners.

Johjima spent the first nine seasons of his career with the team currently known as the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in NPB's Pacific League, and there he was a 30-homer player between 2001 and 2004 before hopping across the Pacific to the Mariners. After struggling with the Mariners the past two years, the decision to move back to NPB clearly makes a ton of sense; he'll make more money, he'll be back home, and the smaller parks may give him a chance to regain his power stroke.

Given the money owed Johjima and his declining bat in America, it's hard to think Seattle is upset to see him go. Still, the flow of talent between the two countries isn't a static thing and it's fascinating to watch players move back and forth. Just a month or so ago, we were talking about Yusei Kikuchi becoming the second top Japanese prospect to skip the draft in favor of America and what that meant for the future of keeping top talent in Japan. Now, Kikuchi has elected to stay with NBP and one of the higher profile talents to leave Japan is going back.

Kenji Johjima Signs With Hanshin Tigers originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:16:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kenji Johjima Is Going Back to Japan

Tom Fornelli — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:19:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Transactions

The Seattle Mariners announced on Monday that catcher Kenji Johjima has opted out of his current contract so that he can return to Japan and finish out his career there. Johjima signed a three-year contract extension with the Mariners in April of 2008, but used a clause that allowed him to opt out of the final two years of his deal.

The 33-year-old catcher came to Seattle in November of 2005 after playing 11 seasons in the Japanese Pacific League and was the first Japanese-born player to ever catch in the major leagues. In his four seasons as a Mariner, Johjima hit .268 with 48 home runs and 198 RBI.

"After lots of very deep thought and deliberation, I have decided to return home to resume my career in Japan," said Johjima. "I have had a wonderful experience competing at the major league level. The last four years have been extraordinary, with great teammates and great coaches. I will always be indebted to the Mariners organization for giving me the opportunity to follow my dream. This was a very difficult decision, both professionally and personally. I feel now is the time to go home, while I still can perform at a very high level. Playing close to family and friends was a major factor. I will miss the Seattle fans and their gracious support. Thank you all."

While Johjima was a very good player for Seattle during his first two years in the Majors, his numbers tailed off the last two seasons. After hitting .287 in 2007, his batting average dropped to .227 in 2008 and .247 this season. He also saw his playing time decline as he played in only 71 games for Seattle this season after never playing less than 112 in his first three years.

As for what this means for the Mariners, right now their top two catching options are Rob Johnson and Adam Moore. Johnson just underwent surgery on Friday to repair torn labrums in both his left and right hip, much like the surgery Chase Utley and Alex Rodriguez had. After letting that heal for three weeks he'll be undergoing surgery for a tear in his right wrist on Friday and may even need to have a bone spur removed from his right elbow.

The Mariners expect him to be ready for spring training.

As for Moore, he only had 23 at-bats with the Mariners this season, and hit .217 with a homer and two RBI. He did hit .294 with an OPS of .775 in 91 games with the Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League.

It remains to be seen whether Seattle is content to go with the two youngsters behind the plate in 2010 or if they choose to take a look at any free agents available this winter.

Kenji Johjima Is Going Back to Japan originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mike Blowers Can See the Future

Matt Snyder — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Media Watch

Mike Blowers played 11 seasons in the majors, but he never had a day like this. Sunday, Blowers -- who now does color broadcasting for the Seattle Mariners -- made one of the most unbelievable predictions we'll ever see. The sheer accuracy of how he laid the situation out is simply mind-boggling. It involves the first career home run of rookie infielder Matt Tuiasosopo. Please check out the video, as it is well worth the watch.

Note that Blowers correctly predicted six separate things: the batter, the at-bat, the pitch, the count, the home run and where it would land.

The Mariners lost the game 5-4, but that's hardly of any consequence here. Neither team is going to the playoffs. What we're looking at is simply a gem of a moment in broadcasting. Blowers himself was so beside himself once his prediction came to fruition that he could do nothing more than laugh hysterically.

I can't speak for everyone, but I'm personally going to be getting in contact with Blowers soon -- concerning a little matter called Powerball. You know, just in case he feels the power again.

Mike Blowers Can See the Future originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Dugout: Mike Blowers Your Mind

B. Thompson Stroud — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, The Dugout

Mike Blowers knows more about baseball than you. His AM radio predictions for Seattle Mariners third baseman and spellcheck challenger Matt Tuiasosopo came true in increasingly accurate and eerie ways, including pitch count, distance, and barometric pressure. The only possible explanations for this are that he is a genius, or that an older version of him traveled back in time with a Sports Alamanac. Somebody get a picture of his wife, see if she has enormous implants.

I predict that tonight's Dugout is after the jump. /puts fingers to temples

The Dugout

	Online Host Welcome to the KIRO Radio Sunday Chatroom!
	NiehausKaiLan: Picks to Click, final game of the series, Mike, who's yours
	BlowersForAlgernon: I think clearly it's going to be Tuiasosopo today, he swung the bat well the last few times he's gotten an opportunity to play.
	BlowersForAlgernon: I expect him to hit his first big league home run today, he's gonna get in a good count today
	BlowersForAlgernon: he's going to get a fastball from Tallet and he's going to hit it out of left center field probly oh, maybe in the second deck.
	NiehausKaiLan: Okay! Awright! I'm looking forward to it. Matt Tuiasosopo's first home run of his career coming up according to Mike Blowers.
	BlowersForAlgernon: On a 3-1 count.
	NiehausKaiLan: On a 3-1 count? Breaking ball, fastball?
	BlowersForAlgernon: It'll be a fastball, he's a fastball pitcher, 3-1 count, second at-bat.
	BlowersForAlgernon: The... the sun will break through the clouds for only a moment, then the moment will pass. A child in section 339 will begin to cry.
	BlowersForAlgernon: A young couple only recently in love will be taking a high angle couples photo for their Facebook pages and miss the moment of impact, looking up and reacting too late, not sure who was at bat at all.
	NiehausKaiLan: Heh, a highly accurate prediction from-
	BlowersForAlgernon: /stares off into the distance /eye begins to twitch
	BlowersForAlgernon: Baseball season will be coming to a close. It will be 55 degrees in Cleveland. The tides being to rush in in Indonesia.
	BlowersForAlgernon: Life goes on, the planet continues to spin, orbiting around the Galactic Central Point. None of this will have mattered. The Mariners have a winning season, a year after losing 100 games.
	BlowersForAlgernon: but when the season ends, the moment is gone. The time has passed. The winning season is not good enough. The next year, the Mariners win the West. They lose in the playoffs. Not good enough.
	BlowersForAlgernon: 2011, the Mariners make it to the ALDS. They lose. Not good enough. 2012, the World Series. They lose. Not good enough.
	BlowersForAlgernon: 2013, the Mariners win the World Series. It takes them 6 games. They should've won in 5. What a dissapointing season. What does next year bring?
	BlowersForAlgernon: Tuiasosopo waves inconsequentially at the fans, their eyes wet with tears, clamoring for a moment with the All-Star and future home run king
	BlowersForAlgernon: but even Tuiasosopo remains unaware that it was his first home run, the very first, whose impact awakened...
	BlowersForAlgernon: ... the machines.
	NiehausKaiLan: My Pick to Click is Ken Griffey Jr.!
	BlowersForAlgernon: What're you, an idiot?
	Online Host The next day...
	MaddowSoprano: And finally, some unbridled joy and amazement... [long pause] courtesy of one of joy and amazement's most reliable sources [long pause] baseball.
	MaddowSoprano: This morning, Seattle Mariners color commentator Mike Blowers, fresh from bending a spoon... [long pause] with his mind [long pause] made some somewhat... outlandish predictions.
	MaddowSoprano: The former MLB journeyman announced that Barack Obama was the Antichrist, and that the happenings in Iran were the beginning of "Armageddon."
	MaddowSoprano: Blowers went on to say that Osama Bin Laden had been dead for over 50 years, and that the man we saw in videos was a devilish manifestation of the worst parts of humanity.
	MaddowSoprano: Skeptics laughed, but when President Obama began drinking blood from the neck of Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy and declared himself Lord of All Earths... we had to take a second look.
	MaddowSoprano: Levitating over Safeco Field in a protective telekenetic bubble, a nude Blowers blew into a lengthy horn and foretold the second coming of the Christian Jesus.
	MaddowSoprano: Later that day on Twitter, Christ Twaught... "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. And, I guess, Mike Blowers."
	MaddowSoprano: When approached for comment, the increasingly omnipresent Blowers smote MSNBC correspondent Carlos Watson with lasers from his eyes.
	MaddowSoprano: Every prediction, NAILED! He's like Nate Silver, with fewer powers!
	MaddowSoprano: That's it for tonight, everybody. I'm Rachel Maddow, and I'm more of a gimmick than Hillbilly Jim. Goodnight.
	Online Host The next day
	NiehausKaiLan: My Pick to Click is Ichiro!
	BlowersForAlgernon: you contemplated the very meaning of our existence and you went with "Ichiro?" Way to go out on a limb, Dave.
	BlowersForAlgernon: besides, Ichiro isn't in the lineup tonight, for he was slain by the flying scorpion lion.
	NiehausKaiLan: He's got a sweet swing, he's been focusing on his mechanics, and I feel like he's due!
	BlowersForAlgernon: can he play with a 4 foot stinger through his chest
	NiehausKaiLan: If anyone can do it, it's Ichiro!
	BlowersForAlgernon: My Pick to Click for this afternoon's game is the mitochondrion of the Delta Smelt Fish.

Photos link to player info. (Photo Credit: Getty Images) WordUpThome.com

The Dugout: Mike Blowers Your Mind originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Felix Hernandez, Mariners to Talk Extension This Winter

Tom Fornelli — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:24:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West, MLB Rumors

Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez has always had the stuff to make opposing hitters and anyone watching him work drop their jaws and say "wow." But he's also had the ability to frustrate with his inconsistency.

All of that has changed in 2009 as the 23-year-old has put together his best season in the major leagues, going 17-5 with a 2.49 ERA and 207 strikeouts.

Now his name is being mentioned as a Cy Young candidate, and the Mariners are elated to think about the fact that Hernandez may get even better in the coming years. Of course, that also means he's going to get more expensive.

That's something Seattle is about to find out, as Hernandez and his agent are expected to start talks with the Mariners about an extension this winter.

In the weeks ahead, his agent, Alan Nero, will meet with Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik to explore a deal that will keep Hernandez in Seattle for years.

"There's no urgency on this," Nero said Monday, an off-day for the Mariners ahead of Hernandez's start tonight against Oakland. "Much to the dismay of a lot of people and despite what some want to believe, he's still under contract [for two years after this season]. So, there really is no urgency on this. It's not like all of a sudden he's going to be able to jump to another team if something doesn't get done. Nothing changes."

While there is no need to get an extension done this winter, with Hernandez under team control for two more years, the Mariners have to wonder if it would be better to give Hernandez the deal now. Essentially, the longer the team waits the more expensive Hernandez could become.

So is it better to sign him to an extension now, or wait it out to make sure he continues making progress in 2010?

It's not an easy decision for Zduriencik to make, but in my opinion I think it makes more sense to sign him to the extension now. Not only will the Mariners save themselves some money, but if the team is out of contention in the years to come and decides it might be best to move Hernandez in a trade -- and there were trade talks surrounding Felix this season -- he'll have even more value considering he's under contract.

Felix Hernandez, Mariners to Talk Extension This Winter originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City

Ed Price — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Indians, Mariners, Nationals, Orioles, Pirates, Red Sox, Rockies, Royals, MLB Injuries, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
One team has 100 defeats, two more could follow -- and there could even be a record-tying four 100-loss teams.

The Nationals on Thursday fell to 52-100 with their 7-6 loss to the Dodgers. And the Pirates are 56-95 after a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Reds.

Anyone want to bet Pittsburgh -- 3-23 since Aug. 28 -- goes better than 6-5 in its final three series against Los Angeles, Chicago and Cincinnati?

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The other two candidates to hit the century mark are Baltimore (60-92) and Cleveland (61-91). The Orioles have lost seven straight while the Indians have dropped 11 in a row, one off the team-record skid set in 1931.

We'd bet on both teams to reach 100 losses but for one small detail: They play each other this weekend.

Which means someone's losing streak ends tonight. And the only way for both teams to lose 100 is if Baltimore wins two of three this weekend and both teams then drop their final seven games.

Which, considering how these teams are going, isn't out of the realm of possibility.

The only time four teams lost 100 games in the same season was 2002 -- Detroit, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay and Kansas City. There have been seven other seasons with three 100-loss teams, but only once (1985) since it happened four times in five years after the 1961 expansion.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez -- who has hit .297 with a .601 slugging percentage since Aug. 7 -- has missed two straight games with a tight left hamstring.

"We are backing off," [manager Jim] Tracy said. "He will be available to hit. But I wouldn't put him out there where he has to run. The injury is near the bottom of the hamstring so we have to be very careful."

Numbers Game ...
Boston's Clay Buchholz allowed fewer than two runs for the fourth straight start, pitching 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a win at Kansas City. Since Sept. 8, Buchholz is 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA, 18 hits allowed (one homer) and 19 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings.

In Their Own Words ...
"I'd vote for Greinke, he's doing a great job. He's tough, he's nasty." -- Seattle ace Felix Hernandez (who improved to 17-5 Thursday with a win in Toronto) on the debate over whether he or Kansas City's Zack Greinke should win the AL Cy Young Award

Advance Scouting ...
If the Braves are going to make a dramatic charge to the playoffs, this is the weekend to gain major ground. Atlanta -- 3 1/2 games behind Colorado -- opens a three-game series in Washington Friday night (7:05 PM ET), while the Rockies host the NL Central-leading Cardinals for three (8:10 PM ET). The Braves passed the Giants, who stayed four back of the Rockies with Thursday's loss to the Cubs.

Starting Five: Washington Won't Be Only Century City originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Angels Become Patients For Dr. Abreu's Lessons

Ed Price — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Mariners, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Twins, Yankees, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

Bobby Abreu's influence has its limitations.

Vladimir Guerrero is still going to swing at everything.

But besides his fine season -- 89 runs scored, 96 RBI, .823 OPS -- Abreu seems to have passed on his patience at the plate to the rest of his Angels teammates.

"He's got the younger players understanding patience isn't a bad thing," Chone Figgins told FanHouse. "It's not about not being aggressive, but being patient, getting a pitch to hit. There's nothing wrong with being 1-1 and hitting, or 1-2, or 2-2.

"It's not something simple to do, but I think we did a good job of it in spring training and have tried to bring it into the season and have so far done a good job."

Figgins has crushed his career high in walks, previously 65, and leads the AL with 95. He is fourth in the league in pitches seen per plate appearance, at 4.23.

And he's not alone.

The Angels last year were last in the league in running up the count, with 3.65 pitches per plate appearance. In fact, they ranked in the AL's bottom three very year from 2002 through 2008.

Now they're fourth in the league, at 3.88.

And, by the way, are second in the AL in runs.

As the Yankees and Red Sox have shown in recent years, working the count forces starting pitchers out of the game and allows the lineup to attack the soft underbelly of middle relief. And patience also leads to walks, which leads to men on base, which lead to runs.

The ability to work the count seems more a skill than a learned behavior -- either you have it or you don't, like a strong arm or speed.

But maybe the Angels are proving otherwise.

"You have to just look for a pitch," Abreu said. "They're going to throw a pitch to you [some] time. Just be patient. You don't have to rush yourself. And have a plan whenever you go to the plate. You have to have a plan. If you have a plan, you just go up there and execute, that's all."

In spring training, hitting coach Mickey Hatcher asked Abreu to specifically tutor Kendry Morales and Erick Aybar in that philosophy.

Well, Morales' pitches per plate appearance is up 14 percent from last year and Aybar is up 7 percent. Howie Kendrick has gone up 10 percent and Juan Rivera 8 percent.

And even veteran Torii Hunter is at a career-high 3.77, 7 percent higher than his career mark coming into the season (3.52).

"Bobby Abreu has brought something different," Hunter said. "A lot more patience. Get a pitch around the plate, that's something he's been preaching to me from day one."

It's all part of a subtle strategy.

"The most important thing that Bobby does," Hatcher said, "is the fact that when the game starts, he might be willing to give an out but he wants to see every pitch that pitcher throws. He's not just taking. If that pitcher's got three pitches, he wants to see them all.

"That's what we talked about with our guys: You don't know what his pitches are, you're just swinging. So you're really not seeing what he has. And I think it's paid off for a lot of these guys. You might get a walk out of it, but the more pitches you see from a guy, you come to understand what he's trying to do to you. I think that's what Bobby does."

The key, Abreu said, is having no fear of hitting while behind in the count.

"They've been doing great," he said of his teammates. "They're not afraid, which is good. ... They've started to feel comfortable. They don't worry about it."

No player is less afraid of a two-strike count than Abreu. He'll "spit on" borderline strikes, as players say, until he gets one he's looking for or until he has to swing.

Abreu leads the majors with 484 two-strike hits since 2004, including a remarkable 90 in 2007. He has also had 137 more at-bats with two strikes than any other player in that time.

"Bobby has fit right in to give some of the balance [to] a team that was maybe lacking the ability to work counts as well as Bobby does," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's been an important piece to that puzzle.

"But I think Bobby's biggest impact is just the production that he's brought. He's set the table for the middle of our lineup as well as anybody could possibly imagine."

It shouldn't be a surprise, really, but Abreu's remarkable consistency is rivaled only by his ability to go unnoticed.

With four more RBI, Abreu can join Albert Pujols as the only players to drive in 100 runs every season since 2003. He has 11 straight years with 20 or more steals (29 this year, his most since 2005). And he has a chance to play in 150 games for the 12th consecutive season, something done only by Pete Rose, Cal Ripken Jr., Billy Williams and Willie Mays.

(This is a guy who was left unprotected by Houston in the 1997 expansion draft. He wound up in Philadelphia because Tampa Bay wanted shortstop Kevin Stocker and gave the Phillies a choice: the Devil Rays would take either Abreu or Quinton McCracken in the draft and trade him for Stocker. Philadelphia wisely chose Abreu.)

The Angels took advantage of last winter's slow free-agent market to swoop in and sign Abreu, 35, for just $5 million (plus a potential $1 million in playing-time bonuses).

"I couldn't believe we got him," Hunter said. "What a discount, man. That's what we call in the hood, 'The hookup.'"

Yes, it has turned out to be a great bargain, and there are indications both sides may have even had preliminary discussions on an extension.

Like some actors, Abreu functions best as part of an ensemble. He didn't thrive as the highest-paid player on the Phillies, when he expected to be the centerpiece of the team. But as a piece with the Yankees and Angels, he is comfortable.

"Pretty much the same, third hitter, set up the table for the guys behind me," Abreu said.

And teach some of them the art of patience.

Overheard and Understood

o. There has been speculation on whether the Diamondbacks will pick up the 2010 option on ace Brandon Webb, who underwent shoulder surgery last month. Our guess is Arizona makes a low-base, incentive-laden offer to keep Webb; But since he didn't need major repairs in the shoulder and could be ready for the start of the season, he might be able to find a two-year deal in the Ryan Dempster ($9 million per) range.

Chart of the Week
Three players have hit 20 or more home runs every year since 2000, making the 2000s the decade with the most players to have 20 homers every year. And three more players could join the group: Manny Ramirez (has 19 this year), Chipper Jones (16) and Vladimir Guerrero (15).
Decade	20-HR Player(s)
1920s	Babe Ruth
1930s	Mel Ott, Jimmie Foxx
1940s	None
1950s	Gil Hodges
1960s	Hank Aaron
1970s	Reggie Jackson
1980s	None
1990s	Barry Bonds, Matt Williams
2000s	Carlos Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Lance Berkman
Source: Astros

o. One rumor around front offices is that Pat Gillick is going to come out of retirement to return as general manager of the Blue Jays, whom he ran from 1978 to 1994 as they won two World Series. The rumor also has Gillick bringing back Tim Wilken, who was Toronto scouting director (1996-2000) and is now the Cubs' scouting director.

o. How important will home-field advantage be in the playoffs? It looks like six of the eight teams in the field will have a home winning percentage better than .600. And home teams overall this year have a .551 winning percentage, the sixth-highest mark ever, according to STATS LLC. Last year's home winning percentage was .556 -- but the team with home-field advantage won just four of the seven series.

o. When the Rays traded Scott Kazmir to the Angels, they were 69-58 and 4 1/2 games out in the wild-card race. While the idea behind the Kazmir trade made some sense -- with some pitching depth, save the money remaining on his contract to help keep the rest of the club together -- the timing seems to have sent the wrong message in the clubhouse. One friend of some Rays said the players wondered if the front office had given up on a playoff push this year. And since the trade, Tampa Bay has gone 7-15 and fallen out of contention while looking lethargic for long stretches.

o. When Adam Moore caught all 14 innings of the Mariners' Thursday win over the White Sox, it marked the most innings caught in a big-league debut in at least 55 years.

o. Cincinnati's recent success is meaningless, and doesn't necessarily presage a playoff run in 2010, but it does seem to affirm that for all the criticism leveled at Dusty Baker, he has a knack for getting his team to play hard. And that's no small thing.

o. What does good play in September mean the next year? The best record in last year's final month belonged to Kansas City. The best teams in September 2007 were the Yankees, Indians and Rockies; both missed the playoffs in 2008.

o. Only once since 1900 has a shortstop batted .325 with 15 homers and 25 stolen bases -- Hanley Ramirez two seasons ago. But Ramirez, Jason Bartlett and Derek Jeter could all do it this year.

o. Quotes from Twins manager Ron Gardenhire on Carl Pavano that Yankees fans will find hard to believe: "I like the way he goes about his business. ... Plus, he's very competitive. ... Since he's come here, he's been really good for our ballclub. A real bonus."

o. Red Sox manager Terry Francona was asked about how teams position their left fielder at Fenway Park. "When Manny [Ramirez] was here," Francona cracked, "we didn't know what our philosophy was. We tried to have one, but we didn't always know what it was."

Baseball Brunch: Angels Become Patients For Dr. Abreu's Lessons originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Russell Branyan Longs to Return to Seattle in 2010

Knox Bardeen — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:15:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, AL West

Don't fault Russell Branyan for thinking ahead to 2010.

The Seattle Mariners slugging first baseman has been on the disabled list with a herniated disc since Aug. 29. He's been working hard to make it back to play this season and even has a goal to make his return in one of the games during the Toronto Blue Jays series, somewhere between Sept. 24-27. No matter if he returns this season or not, Branyan definitely wants to be back playing in Seattle next season. That could be expensive for the Mariners.

Branyan saw his first major league action in 1998. Since then he's played 11 seasons of baseball for eight different teams, never amassing more than 315 at-bats in any one season. That was until the 33-year-old first baseman broke out this season.

Branyan shocked the baseball world when he smacked four home runs and batted .333 in April. He kept the power hitting going in May and June and entered the All-Star break with a .280 batting average and 22 home runs, more home runs then he'd ever hit before in his career.

Since the break, Branyan hasn't fared well. He hit nine more home runs but has batted only .193, showing signs of fatigue prior to landing on the disabled list. Surely, everyone involved would love to see Branyan make it back this season to finish what he started, but the bigger question looms on the horizon. What's going to happen to Branyan next year?

"I can't ask for anything more than to come back here,'' He said. "From Jack Zduriencik to Don Wakamatsu to the coaching staff to my teammates to the clubhouse staff to the grounds crew to everyone, I haven't been treated better in my career, I haven't met better people. The fans here, the city...but obviously it's going to be up to them whether they want to bring me back here or not. I'd love to come back here, I enjoy playing in this ballpark, I enjoyed getting to play on an every-day basis this year. I'd be excited to entertain the option to come back here next year.''

As easy as it would seem for the Mariners to bring back a guy who hit 31 home runs in 116 games, you must remember that Branyan will be a free agent heading into 2010. A number of teams could be looking for a power-hitting first baseman. And when other teams start calling, the asking price definitely escalates.

If that asking price is driven up, can the Mariners really pay big bucks for a career .234 hitter who is aging, may have durability issues and definitely strikes out too much? The next few weeks will certainly lend to answering that question, especially if Branyan can make it back and produce in these final few weeks of the season. Either way, you should expect some long conversations between Mariners brass and Branyan's agent in the offseason.

Russell Branyan Longs to Return to Seattle in 2010 originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 23:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Texas in Trouble

Andrew Johnson — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Astros, Mariners, Pirates, Rangers, Red Sox, Twins, MLB Milestones, MLB Playoffs, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That in a little over 24 hours the Rangers went from in the hunt for the AL wild card to hanging on by a thread. Texas split a doubleheader with the Mariners Sunday and dropped two of three to Seattle over the weekend.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox -- the team the Rangers are chasing -- swept the reeling Rays, who have now lost 11 straight, including taking both games of a day-night doubleheader at Fenway Park.

Boston doubled its lead in the race -- from two games to four -- with 20 games remaining for each team.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The Sox were an 88 percent favorite to take the wild card entering play Sunday, according to Baseball Prospectus' Postseason Odds Report, an edge that should get even larger with two more games completed by each team and Boston's growing lead.

Things won't be getting any easier for Texas. The Rangers will play 13 of their final 20 games against teams currently above .500, including six against the Angels. The Red Sox only have six games against similar competition -- three against the Angels and three against the Yankees -- sandwiched around series with Baltimore, Kansas City, Toronto and Cleveland.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Justin Morneau has an appointment with the doctor. The 2006 American League MVP has a strained back in addition to a sore wrist, injuries which may explain his recent slump.

Morneau, who also has been playing with a sore wrist, is batting .100 (7-for-70) with two homers and six RBI in his past 20 games.

Though Morneau hasn't blamed injuries, Gardenhire said, "He's really been fighting through it with everything."

Numbers Game ...
The milestones keep coming for Ichiro Suzuki. The one-of-a-kind Mariners star notched his ninth consecutive 200-hit season, a major league record, in the second game of Seattle's doubleheader against the Rangers.

After he reached 200 hits for the ninth straight season during the second game of a doubleheader, Ken Griffey Jr. picked up his slight teammate, slung him over his shoulder and carried him to the showers, where teammates awaited with a beer bath.

"To get to enjoy this with these teammates I have, and especially that guy over there makes me very joyful," Ichiro said.

In Their Own Words ...
"Just compete. You don't need to do any of that stuff. Those two have a thing going out there. I'm set, and he's not even looking at me. That tells me all I need to know." -- Pirates closer Matt Capps, who got into a shouting match with Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada and first base coach Jose Cruz because he believed they were conspiring to steal signs. Tejada later denied any shenanigans.

Advance Scouting ...
The Angels and Yankees are mostly jockeying for playoff position at this point, but don't underestimate the significance of Monday's makeup game (7:05 PM ET) between the two AL powers. Not only are both teams vying for home-field advantage throughout the postseason, but New York is probably hoping for a little peace of mind. The Yankees have been eliminated from the playoffs by the Angels twice since 2002 and are 12-23 against Los Angeles since 2006. Joba Chamberlain will go for New York against Jered Weaver.

Starting Five: Texas in Trouble originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Carpenter Hardly Labors in Dominant Performance

Andrew Johnson — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Angels, Cardinals, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Phillies, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That Chris Carpenter made an awfully compelling case that he, not teammate Adam Wainwright, should be the Cy Young in the National League.

Carpenter, who won the award in 2005, was ruthlessly efficient in a 99-pitch, one-hit shutout of the Brewers on Monday, running his record to 16-3 and dropping his ERA to a stingy 2.16.

"That was Nintendo baseball. That's as good a stuff as I've seen this year. He throws strikes with electric stuff," Brewers right fielder Jody Gerut said.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

The right-hander only made four starts in 2007 and 2008 while battling injury, but he's clearly one of the elite pitchers in the senior circuit yet again.

"I'm not wasting pitches. I'm trying to get strike one, strike two, strike three as fast as I can, or get you to put the ball in play and let my guys work behind me. When you do that it puts (the defense) on the offensive. You've got to make a decision what you're going to do. That's when it gets fun," Carpenter said.

From the Trainer's Room ...
Two left-handed pitchers, two freak injuries. Impressive Phillies rookie J.A. Happ was scratched from his Monday start after straining his oblique during batting practice on Saturday. Meanwhile, Dodgers southpaw Clayton Kershaw will miss his next start on Friday against the rival Giants after injuring his shoulder while shagging fly balls during batting practice on Sunday.

Numbers Game ...
Brad Penny is 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two starts since joining the Giants after throwing seven innings of two-run ball in San Francisco's 9-4 win over San Diego Monday. That's a far cry from Penny's performance in Boston this season, where the right-hander was 7-8 with a 5.61 ERA.

"[Penny's] not a fifth starter, trust me," [manager Bruce] Bochy said. "We got him late, so that's the slot he's in. But he's a No. 1-type of pitcher."

In Their Own Words ...
"It's OK. He's human. He's not a machine. He makes mistakes." -- Manny Ramirez on home plate umpire Doug Eddings, who ejected him from the Dodgers' 7-2 victory over the Diamondbacks in the third inning. Ramirez homered in the second to spark Los Angeles to the win.

Advance Scouting ...
Scott Kazmir was impressive in his first start for the Angels, but he still wound up a loser. Could a similar fate await him Tuesday? The Los Angeles left-hander will face Mariners ace Felix Hernandez (10:05 PM ET), who is 14-5 on the season. King Felix is 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA against the Angels this year.

Starting Five: Carpenter Hardly Labors in Dominant Performance originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ichiro Still Going Strong as He Hits 2,000

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners

OAKLAND -- Before Don Wakamatsu became the Mariners manager, he had seen enough of Ichiro Suzuki to appreciate him. What he's learned this year, though, is you can't fully appreciate him without seeing what he does behind the scenes.

"To be with him every day, you see the little things that go on, the way he comes into the ballpark on off days to work out," Wakamatsu said. "It's mind-boggling. Most guys are looking to rest, to get away from the game. He just doesn't stop."

The day that Ichiro whacked his 2,000th major league hit -- a first-inning double against the A's on Sunday -- made for a good time to take a closer look at how he got here and where he's going.

Much of Ichiro's greatness, in the eyes of those who see him every day, is what happens off the field. It is Ichiro's off-field fitness regimen -- everything from his personal section of equipment in the Mariners weight room to the hyperbaric chamber he uses at home -- that has allowed the 35-year-old to remain at the top of his game, every year.

"He's just more committed from a year-round perspective," Mariners trainer Rick Griffin told FanHouse. "He never alters or changes anything that he does. His workouts, his stretching, his eating, his sleep."

Griffin, who has been the Mariners trainer since 1983, said that Ichiro's weight and body fat are almost exactly the same as when he arrived in Seattle in 2001.

"He's a 35-year-old that's like a 28-year-old," Griffin said.

Griffin said Ichiro has a hyperbaric chamber that he uses almost every day at home. It's a chamber with a high oxygen content. Spending time each day in the chamber promotes quick recovery, as well as relaxation.

Does it work?

"It won't hurt you," Griffin said. "A lot of guys use it and they think it works."

Ichiro also brought nine custom pieces of equipment to the Seattle weight room. He is the only one who uses the equipment, which develops flexibility more than strength. His trademark routine before stepping into the box is a testament to how limber he is.

The proof to the effectiveness of all that is in the numbers. In nine seasons with the Mariners, Ichiro has played all but 32 games. The only time he was on the disabled list was this year, when he missed the first eight games of the season because of an ulcer.

Griffin said he's been hurt just three other times. Once he ran into a fence. Once he was hit in the head by a pitch. Just recently he missed eight games with a strained calf.

Although that may have been a sign that age is finally catching up to Ichiro, Griffin said Ichiro has a long way to go.

"I think he can play, for sure, five more years," Griffin said. "He made a joke to me that he wanted to play till he was 50. I don't know if he was joking or not. He chuckled when he said it."

Ichiro apparently told Wakamatsu the same thing, and Wakamatsu said "He was serious."

"I think he's going to go till he can't go," Wakamatsu said. "I don't think he puts a timetable on it. He's driven to be probably the best player who ever played the game."

Which is pretty impressive, considering that Ichiro was criticized by the media -- and even his own manager, Lou Piniella -- for the way he hit during his first spring training.

"When I look back at that moment, there is meaning now [to 2,000 hits]," he said.

He was the second fastest to reach 2,000 hits, getting there in 1,402 games (Al Simmons, 1,390, was the fastest). Ichiro is also just five hits away from his ninth consecutive 200-hit season, which would break the record set by Willie Keeler 108 years ago.

"He made a joke to me that he wanted to play till he was 50. I don't know if he was joking or not."
-- Mariners trainer Rick Griffin Only two other players in major league history, Pete Rose and Ty Cobb, have had nine 200-hit seasons. (Rose had 10.) Ichiro is about to go nine-for-nine.

He's not slowing down, either. His current .362 average would be his second-highest. He hit .372 in 2004, the year he won the second of his two batting titles. Ichiro and Joe Mauer (.369) are fighting for this year's title, a duel that figures to be one of the most entertaining things to watch down the stretch.

If he can somehow keep doing what he's doing for five more years, Ichiro has a chance to get 3,000 hits. If he does that, combined with the 1,278 hits he had in Japan's major leagues, he'd have more hits than Rose's 4,256.

Ichiro said he hasn't set any of those numbers as goals.

"If I set a goal for myself, it kind of makes a barrier," he said. "In that way it might lower my potential."

Trying to slow down Ichiro's hit parade is the responsibility of men like Curt Young. The A's pitching coach for the past six seasons, Young has tried to come up with a game plan for stopping Ichiro about 20 times a season.

"He can hit the ball anywhere," Young said. "His best approach is opposite field, but he always has that danger that he may be thinking of pulling the ball. When he pulls the ball, he's got some pop. Then you mix all that with all the infield opportunities he has to get hits, that's why they add up to well over 200 hits a year."

Those infield hits come as a result of Ichiro's speed, which may be what he loses before his swing. Wakamatsu said Ichiro has now been downgraded from "one of the fastest players I've ever seen, to just fast." Still, the Mariners recently clocked Ichiro at 4.04 seconds to first, which is well above average.

The numbers show that so far he's legging out as many hits as ever. His 58 infield hits this year are a career high.

Ken Griffey Jr., one of the 18 other active players with 2,000 hits, said he wouldn't discount Ichiro reaching 3,000.

"That's only four and a half years away, maybe four years and a month," Griffey said. "He can flat-out hit. There is nothing he can't do with a bat. From the top of the helmet to a ball bouncing, he can hit it."

Ichiro Still Going Strong as He Hits 2,000 originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: NL Wild-Card Leaders Keep Winning, Braves Fading

Jeff Fletcher — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cubs, Giants, Mariners, Marlins, Pirates, Rockies, Yankees, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That the National League wild-card leaders are all playing well this weekend, leaving the Braves in the dust. For the second consecutive day, the Rockies, Giants and Marlins all won. The Braves have lost four in a row, falling six games out in the wild-card race.

The Rockies have won four of five games since getting swept by the Giants last weekend. They got a boost on Saturday night when Jose Contreras gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings in his Rockies debut. The Marlins have also been hot, winning four games in a row. They have scored eight runs in each game, a first in the franchise's history.

The Giants, meanwhile, still aren't scoring much, but their pitching is carrying them. Five games into this tough six-game trip through hitters parks in Philadelphia and Milwaukee, the Giants have scored 13 runs. They've won three, including a 3-2 victory on Saturday that snapped Matt Cain's eight-start winless streak.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

Meanwhile, the Braves seem just about finished.

"I don't know what to say anymore. It's getting frustrating, considering how important these games are," said pitcher Jair Jurrjens.

From The Trainers' Room...
Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who has been sidelined because of a sore left groin, threw about 20 pitches in the bullpen before Saturday's game and reported no problems. Rivera might be able to return to closing duties as soon as Sunday.

"I wasn't expecting to feel anything," Rivera said. "I just have to make sure that it's ready. I wasn't looking for something."

By The Numbers...
Pirates righty Ross Ohlendorf became just the 40th pitcher in big league history to strike out the side on nine pitches, whiffing the Cardinals in the seventh inning. What was even more unusual was that all three times catcher Ryan Doumit mishandled the third strike and had to throw to first for the putout.

"I threw a lot of sliders that bounced for strike three, and he did a great job of knocking them down and going and getting them and throwing them out at first," Ohlendorf said.

In Their Own Words...
"I told her, 'Man, now I've got to hit a home run for you and Dylan. It's going to be tough,' " -- Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, recalling what he told his daughter, Jada, who is always asking him to a hit a home run. Lee returned to action for the first time since his wife gave birth to Dylan, the couple's second child, and he responded with two homers.

Advance Scouting...
You might only have to watch the first batter of the Mariners-A's game (4:05 PM ET) to see a milestone. Ichiro Suzuki has 1,999 hits in the major leagues. Granted, 2,000 hits is not that big a milestone (the are 18 active players with 2,000 hits), but it is just the appetizer for the milestones upcoming for Suzuki. He's got 194 hits this season. When he gets to 200, he'll break Willie Keeler's record with his ninth consecutive 200-hit season.

Starting Five: NL Wild-Card Leaders Keep Winning, Braves Fading originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As End Nears, Ken Griffey Jr. Handles New Role

Jeff Fletcher — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:05:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners

OAKLAND -- Ken Griffey Jr.'s triumphant return to Seattle doesn't have the happy ending the Mariners and their fans might have hoped, but it also hasn't been the failure that his .218 average might imply.

The Mariners had their eyes wide open when they entered into this deal with the 39-year-old Griffey, fully aware of the limitations he might have on the field. They hoped that even if he wasn't producing in the batter's box, he would do so in the clubhouse.

Griffey, who has been hobbled by sore knees all season, said the Mariners talked to him in the offseason about his off-field role, and he was OK with it.

"When you play long enough, they put you in that role," Griffey told FanHouse. "That's fine. I've had the opportunity to help other guys achieve their goals."

Griffey still clowns around in the clubhouse. He will call out anyone. Even though he's can't handle all the physical horseplay he did as a young player, his heart is in the right place.

"I haven't changed," he said. "From Day 1, they wanted me to be the same person, and I have been."

Veteran Mike Sweeney, who has played against Griffey for years, said Griffey has been "one of the best teammates I've ever had in years in the game."

"It's unique to have a guy who's achieved so much on the field and be so humble," Sweeney said. "He's arguably the best baseball player of our time. To be so down to earth and encouraging to the other guys, I've been in awe."

The Mariners, by all accounts, were a bad team last year from a lot of angles. Aside the on-field issues, the clubhouse was full of cliques and finger-pointing. The dramatic change this year is, at least partly, because of Griffey, a player with the juice to influence every man in the clubhouse, including Ichiro Suzuki.

"He helps the old guys, the young guys," bench coach Ty Van Burkleo said. "He's not afraid to say anything."

First-year manager Don Wakamatsu said in a meeting with Griffey before he signed with the club addressed the "potential situations to how the year would unfold, and he was fine with anything. He wanted to come back and be a part of it, to be a leader in the clubhouse."

Translation: the Mariners wanted to know how Griffey would handle it if he was on the bench, asked to contribute more in the clubhouse than on the field.

So far, the answers have been nothing but positive.

Geoff Baker, who covers the Mariners for the Seattle Times, wrote in his blog this week about the way Griffey has united the Mariners.

He's shown the younger players what it is to be and act like a major leaguer. And that's been a full-time job for Griffey. He's worked hard at it. It isn't just a matter of him clowning around in the clubhouse. It's taking active steps to make guys feel included. To help ensure the clubhouse is not dominated by cliques. That players hold themselves accountable for what they do both on and off the field. Accountable to themselves and to their teammates. Ever wonder why this team never seems to stop playing hard? Accountability is the key ingredient to that. And Griffey accomplished all that in his first year back with a club where he barely knew anybody, while at the same time trying to maintain a pro baseball career while dealing with the nagging hurts of a guy who's 39.

Which brings us back to the Griffey on the field. He is no longer the five-tool talent that thrilled baseball fans in the '90s. He can't play in the field. He can't run. Aside from launching the occasional homer, he can't do much of anything.

Part of the problem is simply the calendar. He's 39, and 39 is not what it used to be a few years ago, when steroid- and amphetamine-use was rampant. Now, 39 is old. Griffey's knee hurts. On Friday he was in the lineup, but his knee flared up and he was scratched.

When asked what he thinks he could do if he was healthy, he said: "I don't think about that stuff. I think about what do we have to do as a team."

Sounds like a guy resigned to the fact that his best days are gone. Still, it's too early for Griffey to commit to what happens beyond 2009. Griffey said everyone has been pushing him to make a decision on next year, but he's not ready to do that.

"We'll figure it out at the end of the year," he said. "There are some things that have to be done here. we have 30 games to go and that's the most important thing."

Griffey has three kids at home in Florida. The oldest, 15-year-old Trey, played his first varsity high school football game on Friday night.

"It's probably the second quarter now," Griffey said wistfully as he got ready for batting practice, 3,000 miles away.

Don't assume that family needs will encourage Griffey to retire. It was his kids that convinced him to come back and play this year. What is certain is that his decision will largely be based on what's best for them.

"That's my No. 1 priority," he said.

Next year he'll be imparting the wisdom of his age, showing young people the right way to go.

Whether they are his three kids or his 24 teammates remains to be seen.

As End Nears, Ken Griffey Jr. Handles New Role originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Starting Five: Rockies Hand Giants Crushing Defeat in 14th

Jeff Fletcher — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Mariners, Phillies, Rockies, White Sox, Starting Five

Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action with a quick nod to what is ahead.

You Oughta Know ...
That most of you probably missed one of the biggest, most entertaining baseball games of the season late Monday night. The Rockies and Giants, the top two teams in the NL wild-card race, played deep into the night, with the Rockies scoring five runs in the bottom of the 14th to win 6-4. Ryan Spilborghs' walk-off grand slam -- the first in Rockies history -- came just after Giants reliever Justin Miller had walked pitcher Adam Eaton with the bases loaded.

With the victory, the Rockies took a four-game lead in the wild-card race, their biggest of the season, and also pulled within three of the first-place Dodgers, just before Los Angeles comes to Denver to start a three-game set on Tuesday.

More Coverage: Scoreboard | Standings | Statistics

For the Giants, this was arguably their toughest regular-season loss since Steve Finley's walk-off grand slam capped a seven-run ninth to eliminate the Giants and clinch the division for the Dodgers in 2004. After losing two of the first three games of the series, the Giants needed a victory to stay within close range of Colorado.

Not only did the Giants blow a three-run lead in the 14th, including that unforgivable walk to the pitcher, but they also lost Pablo Sandoval with a tight calf. He said he'd been dealing with the nagging injury for a few days, and he isn't sure if he'll play Tuesday.

Oh, the Giants also shot through seven relievers. Closer Brian Wilson, who worked 2 2/3 innings, probably won't be available for Tuesday's game against Arizona. Of course, they may not need Wilson. They're facing Dan Haren.

From The Trainers' Room...
White Sox righty Jake Peavy, rehabbing from an ankle injury, may have made his last rehab start before his White Sox debut. Although Peavy got hit in the arm by a line drive during his five scoreless innings at Triple-A, he said he was fine. That, coupled with Jose Contreras' shaky outing, has the White Sox talking about Peavy starting for Chicago on Saturday in New York.

"If (Peavy) says he's ready to give us five, six, seven (innings), that might be enough in Kenny's mind," said White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, referring to general manager Ken Williams. "But if he can't say that, we'll have to go for someone else."

By The Numbers...
The Phillies keep looking better for getting Cliff Lee instead of Roy Halladay. Both pitched on Monday. Lee improved to 5-0 with an 0.68 ERA in his five starts with the Phillies, pitching seven innings without allowing an earned run in a victory over the Mets. Meanwhile, Halladay had one of the worst starts of his career, losing to the Rays. Halladay gave up 12 hits and eight runs (seven earned) in six innings. Halladay has lost two consecutive starts, and four of his past six.

In Their Own Words...
"We were in the dugout just shaking our heads like 'this guy is unhittable.' It was just one of those days," -- A's designated hitter Jack Cust, on Mariners righty Ian Snell. Snell gave up one run in six innings. He's had three quality starts in five outings with the Mariners.

Advance Scouting...
There are four mid-week series involving two contenders. Besides the Rockies and Dodgers, who open a three-game series in Denver (8:40 PM ET), the Rangers open a series against the Yankees in New York (7:05 PM ET), and the White Sox-Red Sox (7:05 PM ET) and Tigers-Angels (10:05 PM ET) will continue their series. The best bet is the Dodgers-Rockies, since those teams are actually fighting each other, and only three games apart.

Starting Five: Rockies Hand Giants Crushing Defeat in 14th originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 06:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Still Swollen, Beltre Returns to Field

Jeff Fletcher — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:22:00 EST

Filed under: Mariners, MLB Injuries

The Mariners were optimistic that Adrian Beltre might be able to return to action as soon as this week after he resumed baseball workouts with the team on Monday. That's good news for the Mariners and Beltre, who certainly wasn't feeling so good about things a couple weeks ago, when a ground ball nailed him in his unprotected groin, sending him to the disabled list with a contused testicle.

Beltre, who was greeted by Ken Griffey Jr. as the "Nutcracker," spoke to reporters for the first time in detail about what happened on that fateful night.

"I thought, 'It exploded,'" he said. "It was weird, because it hit right on it, right on top of it. I felt like going down, but I saw the ball right next to me, and I wanted to finish the play. Then I made a wild throw. It was on target, but low."

Beltre said he didn't lay down because "there were cameras around."

Beltre played the final five innings of the Aug. 12 game because the Mariners had no extra infielders. Jack Hannahan had already left the game with a sore hamstring.

Beltre apparently did some light activities while the team was away for a week, and he took ground balls on Monday. He's eligible to be activated on Friday, and that remains a possibility.

When he comes back, will he continue to be one of those brave (foolish?) big league infielders who doesn't wear a a cup? Beltre said in the immediate aftermath of the injury that he still may not wear one, but Monday he sounded resigned to the fact that it could be mandatory.

"For now, probably, I will. Against my will, maybe," he said. "The swelling is still there, so maybe for now, I have to. I think I need custom-sized one. I'll see what I can do."

Realistically, the doctors said he has to wear the cup if he wants to play because the swelling is still evident.

But when the swelling goes down, will cup be removed?

"I don't know," he said. "That's a good question."

It shows how much he loathes wearing a cup if he's considering going back out there after suffering the injury he had.

"I might be lying if I said that," he said. "I've tried before. It's uncomfortable. I hated it. If it's going to happen every 11 years of my career, I'll take my chances."

Still Swollen, Beltre Returns to Field originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Baseball Brunch: Time for Draft Reform?

Ed Price — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, Orioles, Rangers, Rays, Rockies, MLB Biz, MLB Draft, Prospects, FanHouse Exclusive, MLB Inside Scoop, Baseball Brunch

Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.

As the No. 1 overall pick in 1990, Chipper Jones signed with the Braves for $275,000.

Even in today's dollars, that's about $450,000 -- or about 3 percent of Stephen Strasburg was guaranteed as this year's No. 1 pick.

And Jones agreed to his deal the night before the draft, while Strasburg came within two minutes of missing last Monday's deadline to sign.

"I think the only way that you're going to get kids signed and get them into the various camps is to put some kind of cap on it," Jones said. "I was always of the belief that you make your money at the big-league level."

That's how the teams want it too. When the current collective bargaining agreement is up in two years, Major League Baseball may pursue an NBA-style slotting system -- with signing bonuses locked in depending on how high a player is picked, as opposed to the current non-binding slot recommendations.

Commissioner Bud Selig last week told The Washington Post, "There's no question in my mind, in 2011, certainly a [hard] slotting system and a worldwide draft are things we will be very aggressive in talking about."

Which would lead to an interesting tug-of-war between owners, the players' union and agents.

With the alliances not as clear as it might seem.

"I think it's something we can seriously talk about," Mets right fielder Jeff Francoeur told FanHouse. "I don't think the guys mind [slotting] very much.

"A guy like Strasburg, he deserves it. But something to stop it [escalating bonuses], I agree."

MLB might feel that it can get the players on its side as they see the signing bonuses explode -- especially this year, just a few months after the free-agent market went soft.

As Francoeur, who signed for $2.2 million as the 23rd overall pick in 2002, said, "Now, it's crazy. Guys are wanting $7-8 million and have never stepped on the [big-league] field."

But resistance to strict slotting could come from agents (who stand to lose their commissions) and union leadership (on principle).

"I think it goes against what we've fought for in the past, the free market," said Milwaukee infielder Craig Counsell, a member of the union's executive board.

"I know it sounds like something ownership is going to want. They've wanted it before. All you can go by is the past, and in the past it hasn't happened. ... I know in the past we've decided we're not going to restrict what players are going to make."

Through a spokesman, incoming union head Michael Weiner declined comment.

Another person with ties to the union pointed out that if teams save money on signing bonuses, they may not necessarily use it on payroll instead -- so why should current players go for the strict slotting system?

"I don't want to get into what may or may not be proposals," said Rob Manfred, MLB's executive vice president for labor relations and human resources. "It's early, but this whole player talent-acquisition area -- by that I mean the draft, international signings, acquiring professional players from other countries -- that whole group of issues, clubs are talking about.

"The draft system is less than optimal from the perspective of the 30 clubs."

It isn't just Strasburg. According to Baseball America, this year's draft set records for highest bonus to a high school player (San Diego's Donovan Tate), biggest bonus to a high school pitcher (Detroit's Jacob Turner) as well as Strasburg's overall marks for biggest bonus and largest guarantee.

"I think the amount of money we spend at the top end of the draft is now too much for what I like to label unproven talent," said Logan White, the Dodgers' assistant general manager for scouting.

"When you draft a player and sign a player -- that's supposed to be when they're a bargain."

Chart of the Week
When San Diego's Kyle Blanks -- listed at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds -- hit an inside-the-park home run last Tuesday, he tied for the tallest player ever to do so. Players 6-foot-6 to hit inside-the-park homers:
Player	Vs.	Year
Corey Hart (MIL)	ARI	2008
Darryl Strawberry (NYM)	CIN	1989
Darryl Strawberry (NYM)	STL	1984
Dave Kingman (NYM)	STL	1982
Dave Winfield (NYY)	CHW	1981
Source: David Vincent, SABR

White said about 150 big-leaguers, 35 of whom become regulars, come out of each draft, with the numbers fairly consistent.

"No matter how much money you throw into the draft," he said, "that's not going to make it [produce] 300 major-leaguers and 75 every-day players."

And while the Aug. 15 deadline to sign (Aug. 17 this year because Aug. 15 fell on a weekend) is an improvement on the old deadline of when a player first attended college classes -- imagine a scout trying to intercept a freshman on campus with one final offer before his first class -- there is a whole other set of headaches.

Along with the recommended bonuses, MLB pressures teams that intend to go over slot to hold off on announcing deals so as not to drive up the price for other draft picks. And some agents wait to see what everyone else gets. Which leads to the last-minute deals -- or, last year, two that went past the deadline but were still approved.

Also, teams that ignore the slot recommendations can be rewarded over teams that obey. The classic case in point is Detroit's Rick Porcello, who wanted a $7 million deal out of high school. He should have been a top-10 pick in 2007 but fell to 27th before the Tigers were willing to bust slot.

And their decision paid off. Porcello is a winning pitcher in the majors at age 20 -- exactly what many of the teams that drafted 1-26 could have used.

"We do have [a situation] whereby economics ... undermines the purpose of the draft," Manfred said.

Manfred said such scenarios are on the decline.

"We have really worked with the clubs and, I think, convinced them letting players slip is bad for everybody," he said.

Agent Scott Boras, who represents Strasburg and Porcello, agreed.

"In prior drafts the No. 1 draft pick was not always the best player," Boras said. "Now, because of revenue-sharing, in the draft the best player is No. 1. For maybe 15 years, the best players in the draft were rarely No. 1 because of signability issues."

White said he thinks the current slotting system works in "90 percent of the cases, probably.

"... it's usually fair for whenever we pick the player."

According to Manfred, 75 percent of the drafted players signed, and 75 percent of those signed for within 5 percent of the slot recommendation.

Still ...

"We spend nearly $200 million on players, a very, very small percentage of whom make it to the major leagues," Manfred said.

But from the union point of view, that the teams are willing to make such investments proves they shouldn't cry poverty.

As Counsell put it, "It's easy to say when you see a kid sign for $16 million that's never played a day in the big leagues, 'Oh, that's not fair. There's some guys that have 10-year careers that don't make that much.' But there's market for his services, that's why he's getting that much."

When a new CBA is negotiated, as one high-ranking union person said, "It always comes down to tradeoffs." If the players want something else more, they may give in on a slot system.

One team official theorized that the top agents, such as Boras, would go for a strict slotting system, because it would result in fewer high school players passing up college scholarships to turn pro, and it's easier for the agents to identify and pursue potential clients once they're in college.

But the general perception is that Major League Baseball's pursuit of drastic signing-bonus reform would be determined by whether players or the agents call the shots.

"I would be open to listening to something," Jones said, "but the fact of the matter is, there were people here before me that allowed me to do the things that I've done. Who am I to say that there needs to be a cap or some kind of different system that regulates what kids make out of college or high school?"

Overheard and Understood

o. Before next Saturday's game in Seattle, Jim Bouton will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to catcher Gerry McNertney to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1969 Seattle Pilots, an expansion team that lasted one season before moving to Milwaukee and becoming the Brewers.

o. Matt Holliday is batting .404 since the All-Star break. According to STATS LLC, since expansion in 1961, only five players have batted .400 or better after the break (200 or more plate appearances): Ichiro Suzuki in 2004, George Brett in 1980, Barry Bonds in 2002, Larry Walker in 1998 and Tony Gwynn in 1993.

o. Pick your poison in the Cubs bullpen -- if you're manager Lou Piniella, that is. Kevin Gregg is second among NL relievers for most home runs allowed per nine innings, while Carlos Marmol has given up the fourth-fewest. But Marmol has averaged the most bases on balls per nine innings (8.2), while Gregg averages 3.6. So you want the guy who gives up walks or the one who surrenders home runs?

o. Kenshin Kawakami opened the season as the Braves' No. 4 starter, but he has faced a Cy Young Award winner five times (Barry Zito, Roy Halladay, Randy Johnson and Johan Santana twice); Opening-Day starters John Lannan and Brett Myers; aces Cole Hamels and Jonathan Johnson; and Clayton Kershaw, eighth in the NL in ERA. No wonder Kawakami is 6-9.

o. San Francisco's Jeremy Affeldt has induced 16 groundball double plays, most among big-league relievers, and has a chance to be the first reliever since Doug Sisk in 1988 to get 21 DP balls.

o. Since opening the season by winning their first 13 home games, the Dodgers are 27-24 at Chavez Ravine.

o. Baltimore's Brian Roberts (46) and Nick Markakis (39) have combined for 85 doubles and could threaten the teammate record of 116, set by George Burns and Tris Speaker of the 1926 Indians.

o. When Ivan Rodriguez rejoined the Rangers, it meant three teams had their all-time franchise hits leader on the current roster, along with Colorado's Todd Helton and Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford.

o. Rockies manager Jim Tracy also ranks fifth all-time in managerial wins against Colorado, with 60.

o. In the Little League World Series 15 years ago, Maracaibo, Venezuela, defeated Northridge, Calif., in the championship game. Current Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel played for Northridge, while Maracaibo featured Diamondbacks pitcher Yusmeiro Petit and Mariners catcher Guillermo Quiroz.

Baseball Brunch: Time for Draft Reform? originally appeared on MLB FanHouse on Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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