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First...9 straight 200-hit seasons... a Major League recordThen...9 straight Gold Gloves ... first player to win the award in his first nine seasonsCongratulations, Ichiro!and, oh btw...M's Gold Glove winners for 23 consecutive seasons is the longest streak in the majors.
Seems to me, it's down to two...feliX
cY
Zack
The basics?felix19 w.791 wp2.49 era217 kzack16 w.666 wp2.16era242 keven up there - two gold stars each...No decisions?- Felix - 10 w/ an era of 2.15
- Zack - 9 w/ an era of 2.35
Advantage Felix...Run support?- 4.37 per game for Felix
- 3.78 per game for Zack
back to even (Zack getting it done despite the Royals ineptitude)...Complete games?Zack takes the lead...Team winning percentage?- M's won 25 of the 34 games Felix pitched
- Royals only won 17 of the 33 Zack pitched (only one more than his personal win total
Again, speaks more to the Royals offense (or lack thereof) so I'll give this one to Feilx
back to even....Strength of schedule?- 18 of Felix's starts were vs. the top six teams in the AL, compared to 12 for Zack
- 10 of Felix's starts were vs. eventual playoff teams, compared to only 5 for Zack
advantage: FelixOf course I'm biased, but that's my case and I'm sticking to it!
If Zack wins, I really won't be too disappointed - he's certainly deserving. It was great that there was a legitimate race between two such strong and exciting arms - knowing that, because of their youth, it may be the first of many to come.But, CY or no CY, Jackie Z needs to draw from a nearly bottomless inkwell when it comes to putting pen to paper in order to keep Mr. Hernandez in a Mariner uniform. Then, Felix will have many, many, many years to prove his CYness in Seattle :-)
What a day...Ever seen a team so happy to finish third?
I haven't, but boy, am I sure glad I was there to witness the joy in person as no player went "un-hugged" :-)What a series...A series win to end the season and two more one-run victoriesWhat a season...Obviously, successful teams must have talent and depth to produce the numbers that make a difference. But, when a team has had 5 managers in 6 years, loses WAY more than they win in that stretch (including 101 games in the previous year) and has a seriously fractured clubhouse - the road to recovery is neither quick nor easy. The intangibles of cultivating confidence, adjusting attitudes and, as Wak would say, establishing a "belief system" are all "vital signs" along the way.What a career...Whether he's going to call it a career or come back for more, Griffey's contribution to this team this season goes WAY beyond what he did (or didn't do) on the field and won't soon be forgottten. Above all, Junior reminded everyone, to a man, in that clubhouse, how to have fun again. This was VERY evident in their post-game celebration on that last day of 2009.
To put into words the experience of the last day of the 2009 season...M's 4 | Rangers 3I'll be back later to try...
M's 2 | Rangers 1
Typical Mariner win in 2009...~ SOLID starting~ SHUT DOWN relief~ JUST ENOUGH offense~ GREAT defenseFun to see Junior's 630th in person :-)Ryan has grown SO much as a pitcher this season...
I'm starting to think that his injury early in the season was a blessing in disguise. Can't wait to see what he can accomplish next season (and beyond) if/when he is healthy and with the big club from day 1
AP Photo/John Froschauer
M's 4 | Rangers 7Tonight..the Rangers did what they have long been known for
- not so much what they have been know for this season -
hit and hit with authority.Tonight..Ian showed his tendencies for rough starts and so-so finishes.
Mark and David showed rare glimpses of their mere mortality.Tonight...the M's lost their chance to go from last place with 101 losses to a possible tie for second place.Tonight...I was a bit melancholy as I left the stadium. Not so much about disappointment for this specific loss, more so about afternoons and evenings at my "summer home" coming all too soon.Tonight...There is also hope and excitement for the future where there once was despair and dread.AP Photo/Ted S. Warren
M's 4 | A's 2Good to see Mr. Fister back on track...
Should be an interesting battle for the rotation come spring.Congrats to Adrian...going out on a good note with a home run
(man alive, will I miss that D at the hot corner!)AP Photo/Ted S. Warren