Bye-bye Brandon ~ Hello .... Brandon

Well, like any trade, it may take a year or more to tally up the winners and losers in the deal...

But, from what I've heard and read, i'm thinking that Jack Z (the talent evaluator) doesn't see Brandon Morrow as a starter, so if that is the given premise, he must have determined that "the other Brandon" is a better reliever - so Jack Z (the GM) made the deal and managed to get another prospect thrown in.

I've seen League's rather startling splits of opponents batting line for grass (.239/.307/.366/.673) vs. turf (.273/.354/.414/.768). Maybe "both Jacks" think Brandon League would greatly benefit from his home field being comprised of that which grows and has to be mowed :-)

Better yet, maybe both Brandons will benefit from the change of scenery in general, thrive and be successful in whatever role they take on with their respective new teams. As an added benefit, apparently, Brandon L has worked with Rick Adair previously...

So long, Carlos ~ hello Milton!

Mariners Carlos Silva-for-Milton Bradley could be deal of the year | Steve Kelley

This trade is just another reason to celebrate Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik's arrival in Seattle.

Sure, Bradley is a vial of nitroglycerin suddenly sitting in the finally tranquil Mariners clubhouse.

Sure, Bradley sometimes has trouble with numbers, like last season when he caught Joe Mauer's fly ball in right field, with runners on base, and tossed the ball into the stands.

:::

Despite a career on-base percentage of .371, Bradley has traveled more than George Clooney in "Up In The Air." The Mariners will be his eighth team in 10 years.

That's what we call a red flag.

But Bradley is worth the gamble. If his head is right — a big if — he could be the steal of the winter.

And at this point in their resurrection, the Mariners are strong enough in the clubhouse that they should be able to absorb one volatile player. Maybe Bradley is incorrigible, but he will know, under manager Don Wakamatsu, that if he acts up, he is gone.

Seattle could be his Last Chance Corral.

The Mariners, at least, got a player. The Cubs got a dirigible. Chances are, Silva will start the season in Chicago's bullpen and be released some time in June.

Bradley crazy or just colorful? Either way, he's no Dizzy Dean

So why would Zduriencik threaten the good-ship Mariner culture that prevailed throughout last season’s dynamic turnaround?

“We think he’s a good fit,” said the general manager, whose words are not to be misconstrued as “we think he’s good for a fit.”

Call it a low-risk, high-reward gamble, the kind that’s Zduriencik’s speciality. If Bradley’s 2010 season mirrors his 2008 work in Texas – without that charging-into-the-broadcast-booth incident in Kansas City – the Mariners have identified an elusive middle-of-the-lineup presence.

And if Bradley morphs into the volcanic Mount Milton? He’s likely presented a one-more-strike-and-you’re-out ultimatum by manager Don Wakamatsu.

There will be no pressure to coddle Bradley, as the $22 million remaining on the final two years of his contract essentially replaces the two years and $25 million the Mariners owed Carlos Silva, the snake-bitten pitcher whose only role next season was to replace Miguel Batista job as the mop-up man in blowouts.

If the Bradley experiment works, swell. And if it doesn’t, at least the albatross of the Silva deal has been removed from the books.

But there’s another dynamic in play, and reflects some hubris: Zduriencik is confident Wakamatsu and his coaching staff can bring the best out in a player whose only impediment to stardom has been between his ears. Wakamatsu has few numbers to show for his brief big-league career, but he’s got a mighty impressive stat as a manager: zero ejections in 162 games.

In any case, Bradley won’t be able to cite a century’s worth of baseball failure in Seattle. The Mariners have deprived their fans of a world championship only since the franchise was born in 1977. Explanations abound for the frustration, and one common explanation is that management has been too cautious to take chances with eccentric firebrands who don’t always follow the company line.

Chances are slim that a pariah discarded by the Cubs ever will be recalled as the kind of folk hero Dizzy Dean became, but what if Milton Bradley discovers the joys of poise? What if the Sultan of Swatted Water Coolers – the Jack of All Tirades – learns to breathe evenly for six months and proves to be the catalyst in the Mariners’ first trip to the World Series?

The season will be a blast, and the movie made about Milton Bradley might even be better

Ryan released .... Ryan re-signed

Press Release

Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik today announced that the Mariners have signed outfielder Ryan Langerhans to a Major League contract for the 2010 season.

Langerhans was non-tendered on Dec. 12, becoming a free agent. With today's transaction, the Mariners 40-man roster is now at 39 players.

Last season, Ryan hit 2 walk-off home runs in, both in extra inning games, within a span of 18 days. Here's hoping he can keep up the magic... :-)

SEATTLE -- Mariners defensive replacement Ryan Langerhans was preparing to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday night when veteran teammate Mike Sweeney gave him an unsolicited pep talk.

"C'mon, man! Just pop the tape in the VCR and hit play!" the former Oakland Athletic said to Langerhans.

Langerhans channeled the vision of his last big hit in a similar situation, then nailed a pitch from Oakland's Craig Breslow for his second game-ending home run as a late-game substitute in three weeks that sent scrappy Seattle to a 4-2 victory against the Athletics.

Franklin Gutierrez's singled with one out in the 10th off Breslow (5-7), who is tied for the most losses among major league relievers. It was Gutierrez's fifth hit and seventh time on base in the two games he has been leading off whileIchiro Suzuki rests a tight calf muscle.

Then Langerhans, who entered for defense the inning before, smacked a 2-2 pitch into the first row of seats beyond right field. His winning home run landed in almost the same spot as his two-run shot in the 11th inning on Aug. 7, when he entered in the seventh inning and then beat Tampa Bay.

Guess who was the first to meet Langerhans screaming "I told you so!" amid his latest mobbing at home plate. Yep, Sweeney's grin was as big as his advice.

"When I crossed the plate, he was beaming," said Langerhans, who spent two games with Oakland in 2007 between stints with Atlanta and Washington.

Welcome to Seattle, Cliff!

JEFF ZELEVANSKY / Getty Images

Mariners finalize deal with Phils for Lee

On Wednesday, the Mariners announced they acquired Lee from the Philadelphia Phillies for three Minor League players -- pitcher Phillippe Aumont, outfielder Tyson Gillies and pitcher J.C. Ramirez.

The trade was part of a three-team deal that saw the Phillies acquire pitcher Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays for three Minor League players and cash.

"We've acquired a very, very nice piece to help this organization move forward," Seattle general manager Jack Zduriencik said. "It's going to be exciting to watch him pitch at the top of the rotation with Felix Hernandez.

"You're always looking for pitching. In this case, a left-hander, in this ballpark with our defense and what he's accomplished ... it was exciting to be able to acquire him. We're happy this was able to come to fruition."

Zduriencik met with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. at the Winter Meetings, and the two started discussing a potential deal. The two even talked on Thursday at the airport in Indianapolis where they "shared some ideas."

"When Ruben and I connected at the Winter Meetings, I knew he was after Halladay," Zduriencik said. "He said, 'Look if I'm able to do Halladay, would you be interested in Cliff Lee?' I said I would."

Halladay call planted seeds for Lee deal

Among those trying not to wait too anxiously for word of a done deal was Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu.

“I wasn't going to get too excited about anything until I heard from Jack,” Wakamatsu said. “So many things can happen with a deal like this. But Jack seems to like those multi-team trades.”

Last December, Zduriencik and the Mariners were part of a three-team, 12-player trade that brought seven players to the M's.

Last week, Zduriencik signed free agent infielder Chone Figgins to form a dangerous and speedy 1-2 punch atop the batting order with leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki.

Wednesday, the pitching staff got a similar boost with the addition of Lee, a strike-throwing innings-eater who will fall behind ace right-hander Felix Hernandez atop the starting rotation.

“This is very similar to acquiring Figgins, for what he has a chance of doing at the top of our lineup with Ichiro,” pitching coach Rick Adair said. “Any time you can acquire a guy who's done what he's done over the last couple of years, the innings he has pitched and what he's meant to the clubs he's been with, it's exciting.”

Lee, 31, is 90-52 with a 3.97 ERA in eight major league seasons. He went 14-13, 3.22 this year with the Cleveland Indians and Phillies, and went 4-0 in the postseason with two World Series victories over the New York Yankees. He won the American League Cy Young award in 2008 after going 22-3, 2.54 with the Indians, and has pitched at least 200 innings in four of the past five seasons. He pitched a career-high 2312/3 innings this year with 181 strikeouts and 43 walks.

Adair sees the Hernandez-Lee pairing easing not only the bullpen workload because of their ability to pitch into the seventh and eighth innings, but the rest of the starting rotation as well. Too often, Adair said, pitchers at the back of the rotation would feel pressure to pitch deep into games if the bullpen was worn down.

“It's the kind of thing that snowballs if everything is clicking,” Adair said. “More than anything, this gives everybody who walks into that clubhouse everyday, with the rotation we're building, the feeling that we have a chance to win.”

There's already that feeling.

“We've now got a Cy Young winner and a guy I still feel like could have been a Cy Young winner going 1-2 for us,” closer David Aardsma said. “It's a great feeling to know you've got two guys at the top of the rotation who can go with anybody at any time.”

toolsy third baseman - check

stud starting lefty - check

Makes one wonder what else Jack Z has up his sleeve...

Can't wait to find out :-)

Paint the Town Red!

the town, of course, being....

Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada - host to the...

2010 Olympic Games

Click on the player under the video in the link below to have a listen to the catchy tune composed and performed by BC native and dear old friend, Dan Beer (lyrics by Jim McGregor)....

Canadian Olympic Committee web site

Dan gives other credit as follows...

The kids singing are my girls Celina and Devon along with my sister Patti’s kids Des and Kinsey Church. Dave Mercer is making his recording debut on the harmonica, I am actually playing rhythm guitar (not horribly I might add), and Geoff Robertson is mandolin, bass, and engineer/producer. And Jim McGregor and Dave are singing back up as well.

Something tells me that this little ditty will have a bit larger audience that the lovely song he wrote and performed for my husband and me at our wedding over 26 years ago ;-)

Awesome job, Dan and gang!!!

Go Canada!

Go USA!

Now, the REAL question is ... can you get us tickets to any of the events?

:-)

Welcome to Seattle, Figgy!

It may take awhile for M's fan to remember that they should be excited, instead of perturbed, when you come to the plate. The fact that you are donning navy and teal, instead of devil red (who decided that was a good color for a team named "angels" anyway?) should be there first reminder :-)

It's official: Figgins signs four-year deal with M's | Seattle PI

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the Associated Press has reported the contract at $36 million, with a possible vested option for another $9 million for the fifth season.

"We see Chone as a great fit for our ball club and the city of Seattle," Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said in a statement released by the team. "We anticipate an exciting time watching Ichiro and Chone batting at the top of our lineup.

"He is an athletic player with speed and versatility. He also brings tremendous character and positive energy to our organization."

Figgins, 31, made his first All-Star team last season and hit .291 with 114 runs scored while leading the American League with 101 walks.

Figgins played four different positions last season with the Los Angeles Angels, appearing in 154 games at third base, two each at second and shortstop and one in left field.

Mariners get Ichiro a running mate | The News Tribune

When a baseball team wins 85 games despite its consistent struggle to score in bunches, the knee-jerk presumption is that they must acquire power. But there are different ways to push runs across the plate, and one of them is to capitalize on the threat of a speedy leadoff man by assuring there’s just as much speed behind him.

Ichiro-Figgins represents the sort of one-two leadoff punch the Mariners haven’t had since Randy Winn typically batted behind Ichiro in 2003 and 2004. And though Winn was fast – he stole 44 bases over those two seasons – he wasn’t as fast as Figgins, who had 42 steals this past season.

Only once, in their 33-year history, have Mariners opened a season with two men at the top of the order who’d go on to steal at least 25 bases. That was in 2001, when Ichiro (56 steals) and Mike Cameron (34) combined to create dynamic tension on the basepaths.

The ’01 Mariners were nothing if not versatile; it’s easy to forget that their almost daily rallies often began by exerting pressure on a pitcher and a catcher – and all the infielders, as well – with speed. No matter that Cameron eventually was replaced by Mark McLemore as the No. 2 hitter in 2001 – McLemore stole 37 bases when he batted second.

Stolen bases, of course, are only a slight measure of a No. 2 hitter’s effectiveness. He must make contact, hit the ball to either side, and put down the occasional bunt. Figgins can do all those things, and while his ability to draw walks makes him more of a prototype leadoff hitter, Ichiro is comfortable in that role. As long as Ichiro is maintaining his All-Star skills, and breaking hitting records that had survived a century, it’s sensible to assemble a batting order with his preference foremost in the equation.

So Ichiro leads off, followed by Figgins, and already Don Wakamatsu has one less conundrum on his hands. The manager never did settle on a successful No. 2 hitter last season, opening with Franklin Gutierrez, who was better suited in the middle of the lineup.

Mariners get Ichiro a Mariners get Ichiro a Running Mate

“I’m batting second, right?” Figgins asked Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik on Tuesday.

:::

Ichiro-Figgins represents the sort of one-two leadoff punch the Mariners haven’t had since Randy Winn typically batted behind Ichiro in 2003 and 2004. And though Winn was fast – he stole 44 bases over those two seasons – he wasn’t as fast as Figgins, who had 42 steals this past season.

Only once, in their 33-year history, have Mariners opened a season with two men at the top of the order who’d go on to steal at least 25 bases. That was in 2001, when Ichiro (56 steals) and Mike Cameron (34) combined to create dynamic tension on the basepaths.

The ’01 Mariners were nothing if not versatile; it’s easy to forget that their almost daily rallies often began by exerting pressure on a pitcher and a catcher – and all the infielders, as well – with speed. No matter that Cameron eventually was replaced by Mark McLemore as the No. 2 hitter in 2001 – McLemore stole 37 bases when he batted second.

Welcome back, Jack!

Looks like defense is still a priority in Seattle (fine by me!)

Here's hoping Jack will be healthy come spring and be gathering up those WebGem points all summer long!

Mariners sign Wilson to two-year deal...

"I did not accomplish what I wanted to accomplish when I came over," Wilson said. "I was so ready for the year to be over, everything kind of went wrong. The only good thing was me getting traded over to Seattle, a top-notch organization. I'm really happy to have the chance to come back and show what Jack saw in bringing me over."

Wilson's season was not completely lost. He earned the Fielding Bible Award as the best fielding shortstop in the Majors in 2009, with 27 runs saved. In 1,143 starts at shortstop, he has recorded a .977 fielding percentage.

Now he wants to win.

"I'm really excited to be back in Seattle," he said. "It's such a great organization, and there is such a chance to compete. I have a lot of high hopes for this team. I'm really glad to have a chance to be a part of it."

During his conference call, Wilson praised his teammates, the city and the fans. He also said he is better equipped for the challenges of the American League.

"I think I saw enough of the American League in the time I was there, plus Interleague Play the last couple of years, to know that I can make an adjustment to a different style of game, so I'm really excited about it," he said. "There's nothing like a rough year to give you that extra incentive to do a little more in the offseason. There's always a positive in something."

One more year....

At the onset of his initial return, I dubbed it Real and Right as Rain. That is exactly how it ended up.

Okay, the true story book ending would have been World Series rings all around for the navy and teal. But, hey, you can't have everything ~ not in just one year anyway.

It really turned out better than anyone could have imagined. Sure, it would have been nice if Junior had been totally healthy and capable of playing like he did in his first ten years instead of the second ten. But, despite his limited playing time and declining ability, he was able to make a HUGE impact on what had previously been such a MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES

dysfunctional clubhouse. His mere presence - that smile and his unadulterated joy for game - acted as an elixir for all that ailed the young and scared, the old and injured and the just plain burnt out.

From all accounts it was, and is, all genuine. Junior truly cares about this entire organization, all his teammates and each and every person in it, from the clubhouse guy, to the PR people.Junior, by word and deed, made the game what it is supposed to be, for the players one through twenty-five and for the fans. He made if fun again.

There are those who think, from a baseball standpoint, this is not a move that should have been made. I can understand that view, I just don't happen to agree. Early indications, from reporters and even from his own agent, are that Junior is willing to play whatever role is best for the team - likely one more limited than even last season. This gives the M's flexibility from a financial and personnel standpoint and is only going to serve to further strengthen what was started last season. In other words, this move is not going to hinder other moves - Jack Z is just getting started!

I, for one, am so very glad that the fans will be able to give Junior a season long send off. He deserves it. So do they.

And so we have one more year...
One more year to bask in that contagious smile.
One more year to savor that presence at the plate.
One more year to admire that sweet, sweet swing.
One more year to revel in that unadulterated joy of the game.

One more year to say goodbye.

btw ~ the Seattle Mariners won 24 more games last season than the year before. Some may deem it a coincidence. I think not.

Nine straight in 2009....

First...
9 straight 200-hit seasons
... a Major League record

Then...
9 straight Gold Gloves
... first player to win the award in his first nine seasons

Congratulations, Ichiro!

and, oh btw...
M's Gold Glove winners for 23 consecutive seasons is the longest streak in the majors.

The case for CY Feilx..

Seems to me, it's down to two...

feliX
cY
Zack

The basics?

felix
19 w
.791 wp
2.49 era
217 k

zack
16 w
.666 wp
2.16era
242 k

even 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?

• Felix - 2
• Zack - 6

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: Felix

Of 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 :-)