by | June 14, 2013 · 2:05 pm

A Day With Coach Sark

This was all a dream.  It was one of the more in-depth dreams I’ve ever had, but it was still a dream.  Football season can’t come soon enough and my brain has apparently grown tired of the Mariners’ failure.  So, while the rest of me has been asleep, my dreaming has turned to Husky football.

“If I was only a little bit faster” I thought, as I had just finished stretching with the rest of the Washington football team.  We always finished with a sprint at the end of stretching and I, being the lowly walk-on among the receivers, always ended up coming in last.

But, after this bit of wishful thinking, I immediately turned to being grateful.  There I was, practicing on the field that I’d watched my favorite players and teams roam in years prior.  ”There’s where Reggie Williams made his leaping grab against Michigan.  That is where Mason Foster made his interception against Arizona.  That is where Corey Williams made his game-winning catch in the Apple Cup.”  The memories continued throughout practice.  Needless to say, I wasn’t very good.  I was still in awe of how close the stands were and the new technology all across the new Husky Stadium.  The west end-zone looked unbelievable.  The north and south stands still held their triumphant positions.  Heck, the east end-zone, where I grew up, upgraded to permanent seats.  When I closed my eyes, I could feel the crowd noise wash over me.

Practice was wrapping up while I was still in a dazed amazement.  We finished our practice and a few members of the team, along with the coaches, were going to go over to see some fans that were watching a volleyball tournament in Hec Ed.  I somehow found myself riding along with the head coach, Steve Sarkisian, in a gator as the team followed behind.  I’m not sure why he let a walk-on like me ride with him but there I was.  Along the way, we were stopped by a few equipment managers for other sports.  They were saying that they wished they had the facilities that the football team had.  Sark just smiled and nodded.  He added in his thanks when he was supposed to.  It’s the same thing he did with the fans that we stopped to see.

Before long, we were back at the stadium.  We were up on the west concourse, looking down on the field.  The rest of the team had thinned out.  A few players were still tagging along, but mainly it was just him and me.  We stood there, looking out over the lake and the field.  Football stadiums aren’t supposed to be this beautiful.

Around this time, an older booster came by.  He was wearing a black suit and tie, asking about August 31st.  Our first game was coming up.  The older gentleman said, “I remember the days when going to see the Huskies was an event.  They were the top ticket in town and you made a day out of it.  You would tell all of your buddies you were going, just to make them jealous.  The crowd’s would be so loud that you could hardly hear the fly-over after the National Anthem.  Now, look at where we are.  They aren’t events anymore.”  I could feel my face start to get red.  ”A lot of the time, I don’t even care about going to the games.  They usually start so late now.  Excellence doesn’t ooze out of the team like it used to.  What you have on August 31st, that is as close as we’ll get to an event like the old days but even that won’t come close.”

I had heard enough, and thankfully the booster had stopped talking.  It was my turn to speak up, “Coach, for me Husky football will always be an event.  I’ve sat in those stands (pointing toward the east end-zone) for the last 15 years.  I grew up here.  Saturdays were a way to spend a day with my family.  We sat through an 0-12 season.  We sat through Casey Paus.  We sat through those awful, wet Oregon State games and I wouldn’t have changed any of it.  August 31st is an event.  Husky fans have been waiting for a game like this for 10 years.  I have no doubt that they’ll show up, in full voice that night.”

Sark thought for a moment before he began.  ”For our football team, this isn’t an event.  It’s another game.  We have to stay focused on that, even though there are sure to be distractions.  For our fans, this will be a day to remember.  I wish I could be out there as everyone enters.  I’d like to see the looks on their faces when they see the new video board.  I’d like to see excitement in the zone.  I’d like to feel the energy as the band takes the field 22 minutes before the game starts.  This is a big day for our program and a day that I hope proves to be a landmark for when the program started to ooze excellence once again.”

Just like that, my day had ended.  77 more days, Dawg fans.

- Andrew

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by | June 12, 2013 · 7:54 pm

Catchers

Given a bit of time, everything develops its own mythology.  Baseball is one of the best examples of this.  There’s Babe Ruth calling his shot, and Jackie Robinson stealing home, and “the luckiest man on the face of the earth,” and so much more. The mythology is always there, as deep as one wants to look, and it only makes the game richer and more fascinating.

Part of the mythology is the archetypes ingrained in the game. I’ve written before about the importance of shortstops, but that’s only one example. Centerfield might be the most legendary position on the diamond, and I think it’s solely because most seats face toward the centerfielder, and we look out there and see him running down everything near him, going over the fence and deep into gaps, all long strides and grace.  Because it’s most demanding position, it draws the most talented players, and so the mythology becomes self-perpetuating.  We have Mickey Mantle and Joe Dimaggio and Willie Mays and Ken Griffey Jr.  We have songs about it. Everyone wants to play centerfield.

Shortstop and center field are identified with grace, but that doesn’t fit for catchers.  Catchers are some combination of bulldog and point guard.  They’re a coach on the field, the dependable captain who hoists it all on his shoulders.  A catcher is someone for all others to follow.  He’s an ambassador to the umpire, a counselor to pitchers, and a slugger in the batter’s box.  He’s a font of wisdom, like Yogi Berra.  Often, he’s the best player on the field, like Johnny Bench, but he always get a little less credit than he deserves, because he spends his life squatting down instead of racing into the gaps. We close our eyes and we can see the perfect catcher.

There’s always debate over whether teams, to be successful, need players who fill these traditional roles. Teams try to play a bad glove shortstop for his big bat, or they put a left fielder in center, or a guy know one respects at catcher.  Sometimes it works.  Usually it doesn’t.  We have the images in our head for a reason, and it’s because they are successful.  Even if that’s not the case, we can say teams and players need to get over the mumbo-jumbo of it all, but that’s not going to happen.  The mythology has become reality, whether it deserves to be or not.

The Mariners have not had a catcher who came close to fitting the traditional catcher archetype since Dan Wilson.  Miguel Olivo had the toughness, but he was sufficiently undependable and untalented to prevent him from filling the role.  Kenji Johjima had a couple of great seasons with the bat, but language and culture issues kept him from ever being the leader everyone would like.

I never understood how Rob Johnson kept a job.  He couldn’t catch and he was a terrible hitter, but somehow he started a lot of games over a few seasons.  A lot of that was a lack of better options, but not completely.  A few years ago I went to Mariners Fanfest, and we sat down to listen to a Q & A session with a handful of players, Rob Johnson among them.  It became clear within minutes why he was the Mariners catcher.  He controlled the moment and was obviously well-liked by his teammates.  He had a sense of command and confidence that was exactly what we want from a catcher.  Johnson didn’t have enough skill to supplement his presence. Ultimately, production wins out, but that he held the job as long as he did says a ton about what teams want from their catchers.

In the first inning of his first game, Mike Zunino stood up for a pop fly and threw off his mask, and it was clear at that instant that he is a Catcher, the kind you dream about.  He didn’t even make the play.  The camera cut away from him almost as soon as his mask was off, but by some combination of his eyes and the sureness of his movements, his control of the game was obvious.  He looks like a catcher, tall and solid but still athletic-looking.  You see him move and think, oh, this is what the scouts see, this is why he was the third pick in the draft.  There is a stillness and confidence to his movements that makes obvious what Jesus Montero was missing.

This is not a guarantee that Zunino will be a success.  Remember Rob Johnson.  He will have to hit, and his first at-bat exhibited the questionable strike zone judgement about which so many have fretted.  He has plenty of time to work on that, though, and fans can rest easy knowing that he already has those intangibles the Mariners have lacked for years.  Maybe finally having a real catcher will be the first step to making the Mariners a real baseball team.

-Matthew

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by | June 11, 2013 · 8:31 pm

Mike Zunino in Seattle: It’s Fine!

The Mariners called up top catching prospect Mike Zunino today, just over a year after he was drafted third overall out of the University of Florida.  Known for his leadership, defense and power, Zunino hit like Babe Ruth when he started his professional career in Low-A Everett last summer.  That earned him a late season promotion to Double-A, where he took a step down to Lou Gehrig production levels.  Already high expectations elevated to the point that fans were wondering if he would make the Mariners out of spring training.

That didn’t happen, and no one really expected it would, but his first weeks in Triple-A made it look like his Seattle absence would be short.  By the end of April, he started coming back to earth, dragged low by breaking balls.  At time of call up, he’s batting .238/.303/.503.  He’s not in the line up tonight as he had to fly from Las Vegas today, but I would expect to see him tomorrow. Continue reading →

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by | June 6, 2013 · 8:37 pm

Mariners Draft DJ Peterson, Austin Wilson

The first two rounds of the MLB amateur draft are in the books, and the Mariners added a pair of college hitters.  With their first pick, they selected New Mexico 3B DJ Peterson.  He’s a masher with solid plate discipline.  Billy Butler is the comp I’ve heard often for Peterson, and a Baseball America writer threw out the Edgar template: solid all-around hitter who might not hit a ton of homers but should balance that with lots of doubles and good on-base skills.

Discounting the guys who were unlikely to be available, Peterson and college outfielder Hunter Renfroe were at the top of my wish list.  That doesn’t mean much, as I’m no scout and am just going by others’ opinions, but they seemed like good fits for what the Mariners need.  By the time the Mariners picked, pitcher Braden Shipley was also surprisngly still on the board and would have been a good pick, but I was happy they went with Peterson.  Some called him the best all-around college bat available, and he should move fairly quickly.  If you’re worried what they’ll do with both Seager and Peterson, don’t be.  There’s a good chance Peterson’s a first baseman or DH, and there’s no guarantee that both of them are good by the time it would matter anyway.  They can let it play out and adjust positions once Peterson forces the issue.

Second rounder Austin Wilson is a big (6’5″ 245 lb.) outfielder from Stanford.  He’s one of those guys with lots of talent who’s performance thus far has not matched expectations, especially in the power department.  He’s battled some injuries, though, and Stanford is notorious for messing up guys’ swings.  I’m sure the M’s hope to get him healthy and straighten out his swing and turn him into a monster.  It could happen, although usually it doesn’t.  The Mariners were rumored to be interested in him with their first pick, so from that perspective, getting him in the second round is a win.

The draft resumes in the morning, and there will be a lot of new Mariner prospects, most of whom will never sniff the majors.  I’m hoping their next pick is Rowdy Tellez, a slugging lefty high schooler with the best name in the draft.  I might recap tomorrow night, or I might not, but there are tons of other places to get much better information in this case.  See the end of the post below for some recommendations.  Happy drafting!

-Matthew

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by | June 5, 2013 · 1:15 pm

Mariners to Get New Mariners Tomorrow, and Other Notes

I’m mostly going to talk about tomorrow’s MLB draft, but there are a few things I should mention first:

  • It seems pesky injuries are hitting the Mariners harder than usual this year.  The latest casualty is catcher Jesus Sucre, who was hit on the back of his hand by a backswing last night. Nothing’s broken, but he’ll be out at least a few days.  Sucre’s been okay, and better than that defensively, since taking Jesus Montero’s roster spot, but he’s no huge loss.  The only problem is the M’s had no other catchers on the 40-man roster, since Montero just suffered a knee injury and is out for a month or more.  They promoted Triple-A back-up Brandon Bantz, who will be around for a week at most and may not even see the field.  Again, no big deal, just a bit of a headache for the M’s to figure out.
  • To open a 40-man roster spot for Bantz, Franklin Gutierrez was placed on the 60-day disabled list. That’s retroactive to when he first went on the DL, but it still feels tantamount to the Mariners giving up on Guti.  I’m sure we’ll see him the second half of the season, and he might even get our hopes up again, but I see no way he’s around next year, even at a near-minimum salary.  Having Guti on the roster means compensating in too many other ways, and it’s just not worth it.  You have to be able to count on players to stay on the field for longer than a week.  It’s a shame, because he still has mountains of talent, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
  • On a brighter note, Nick Franklin has been a revelation as Dustin Ackley’s replacement at second base.  He actually looks a lot like Ackley did when he first came up, with a great eye and a swing that delivers a lot of contact and surprising power.  He looks better at second, which is nothing against Ackley, who was extremely solid there.  In only a week, Franklin has done enough to generate talk about whether Ackley will ever get a chance to reclaim his spot.  Those talks are fair, but also remember that Ackley was quite good for a half a season before falling apart last year.  You just never know.
  • The Mariners have struggled before this Chicago series, but I’m actually feeling a little optimistic.  The worst part of the schedule is over, and the offense has crept up to league average and is still improving.  More importantly, there’s hope on the horizon for the biggest weakness: the back of the rotation.  I’m okay with Joe Saunders, and Aaron Harang I can live with for the moment.  That fifth spot is a killer, though.  Luckily, Erasmo Ramirez could return within a couple of weeks, and if he has his form back he could immediately become the staff’s third best starter.  Danny Hultzen has started throwing again, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him up around the all star break.  Keep your fingers crossed, but the options are slowly improving.

MLB Draft

The MLB draft starts tomorrow, which most baseball fans are probably not even aware of.  I personally love the draft, but it understandably gets less attention than it’s basketball and football counterparts.  Most of the players are unknown, and they generally won’t make the majors for 3-4 years, if at all.  I like following it because I can completely release my judgement of the picks and just trust in the Mariners.  Trust in the Mariners?  Am I crazy, you ask?  The Mariners are actually quite good at drafting.  Since Zduriencik and Tom McNamara, the amateur scouting director, took over, the Mariners’ farm system has gone from maybe the worst in baseball to top two or three, almost solely on the strength of their drafts.  We can debate another day on why some of those draftees are failing in the majors, but getting players into the system hasn’t been the problem.

After choosing Mike Zunino third overall last year, the Mariners are picking 12th tomorrow, which is good and bad for all the usual reasons.  It’s hard to know who they’ll take that far down the draft, and the Mariners are one of the more unpredictable teams anyway.  I’ll list a few potential names below.  Just remember that no matter who they pick, don’t get worked up.  They know much more about these guys than any of us do.  You can treat the Mariners drafting like we treat the Seahawks drafting: it can be surprising and you might wish they had done something different, but they’ve earned a pretty high level of trust at this point.  That said, here are a few names:

DJ Peterson is one of the best bats in the draft, and maybe the most advanced.  A college third baseman at New Mexico, he’ll likely move to first or DH but should have plenty of bat to still be a threat there.  The comparison I’ve seen most is to Kansas City’s Billy Butler.  Peterson is probably my top choice of guys who could realistically be available, but I’m not sure he’ll make it to them.

Hunter Renfroe is a college outfielder who is getting a lot of buzz lately.  He’s athletic enough to be solid in a corner and has plenty of power.  Someone mentioned Jay Buhner as a comparison.  The Mariners are low on outfield prospects and Renfroe is probably the best one they might have a shot at.

Austin Meadows and Clint Frazier are both outfielders from Georgia and the two best high school position prospects in the draft.  Both will likely go before the Mariners pick, but there’s a chance one could slip.  I’d be thrilled with either.

JP Crawford, a high school shortstop, is the only shortstop considered a first rounder.  I gather he’s not elite with the glove but could be above-average.  The bat is solid.  He’s expected to go right around the Mariners’ pick.  Not sure how I feel about Crawford, but it’s always good to have shortstops around.

Reese McGuire is a high schooler, and he also happens to go to school minutes away from where I’m writing this, at Kentwood High.  He’s a catcher who projects to be solid with the bat and quite good with the glove.  He was going to the Mariners in a lot of earlier mock drafts, but I think most now believe he’ll be gone by then.  I’d be fine with that.  He sounds like a good prospect and it’s fun to add local kids, but I’m not crazy about high school catchers, especially with Zunino and others in the system already.

That’s probably enough names for now.  I didn’t mention any pitchers, because I didn’t feel like it.  A pitcher pick wouldn’t surprise though. Watch especially for high schooler Phil Bickford and his big fastball, or Ryan Stanek, whom the Mariners previously picked but couldn’t sign away from college.

I’ll try to post something tomorrow night after the M’s pick.  For better coverage, try Baseball America or Minor League Ball from a national perspective, and Seattle Sports Insider and Jay Yencich at USS Mariner for a local breakdown.

Go Mariners! Believe Big!

-Matthew

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by | May 24, 2013 · 2:13 pm

Some Minor Promotions

The Mariners roster is in disarray.  There are moves that have happened (Jesus Montero is in Tacoma), moves that might be happening (nobody knows what’s going on with Andino as of 1:50 P.M. today) and moves that should happen (Aaron Harang is still on the roster).  There is mass speculation on what the Mariners should do.  Some of it is intelligent, some of it isn’t at all.  Most people calling into radio stations aren’t, I’ve found in the last two days.

This paragraph should be a separate blog post but I wanted to throw it in anyway.  Form your own opinions on these Mariners roster decisions (and all decisions for that matter).  When you do, form the opinions after you are informed and read multiple reports.  There are plenty of statistics and a fountain of information a few clicks away.  Go make informed opinions.

I’m not going to add to the Mariner speculation mainly because there is too much of it right now.  Instead, this post is about guys down in the lower minors who may be promoted to a higher level in the next month or so, due to good performance.  I’ll start with the low minors and work my way up, picking a few guys from each level.

Clinton Lumberkings (One of the best mascot names)

Dylan Unsworth (SP) - Unsworth has put up great numbers in the minors in the last year and a half.  His K/BB ratio is 34/2 right now.  He’s pitcher 47 innings and has walked 2 guys.  He is right-handed and doesn’t crack 90 MPH so odds are against him but I’m interested in how his 2.49 ERA and one HR given up all year would translate in Jackson (AA) or High-Desert (high-A).

Grady Wood (RP) - Wood is the closer in Clinton.  He’s sporting a 2.78 ERA and has a 20/5 K/BB ratio.  He’s 23 and was drafted last year where he pitched for Everett.  I should state that Clinton usually favors pitchers while High-Desert heavily favors hitters.

Others worth considering:
Tyler Pike (SP) 38 IP, 2.37 ERA, 34/17 K/BB
Dario Pizzano (RF) .327/.396/.483 14 doubles and 3 HR

High-Desert Mavericks 

Ji-Man Choi (1B) - Choi is somewhat of a cult hero in the Mariners minor league system.  He has always put up good numbers but never seems to stay healthy.  This year he has been on the field and, surprise, he’s put up great numbers.  He’s gone through position changes and is at first base right now (although he has played a little bit of third).  Choi just had his 21 game hit streak snapped.  His slash line is .356/.449/.658 bringing his OPS to 1.107.  It’s not all High Desert, either.  On the road his OPS is still over 1.000.  The downside to Choi, other than the health issues, is that he doesn’t have a lot of home run power.  He’s hit 6 home runs (3 on the road, 3 at home) but he does hit a lot of doubles (21) and plays good defense.  He has 30 extra base hits in 40 games.  Of all of the guys I want called up to the next level, Choi probably tops the list.

Chris Taylor (SS) - So, who’s the Mariners shortstop of the future?  Chris Taylor is entering that conversation (along with Nick Franklin, Carlos Triunfel, and Brad Miller).  Taylor was drafted last year out of the University of Virginia (he was teammates with Danny Hultzen and John Hicks, also in the Mariners system).  Taylor has hit at every level, so far, and is probably the best defensive shortstop in the system.  Taylor is hitting  .342/.444/.522 with an OPS of .966.  His OPS on the road is .860, so he’s not solely benefitting from High Desert.  He doesn’t have a ton of power (19 extra base-hits in 46 games) but he has good plate discipline.  Brad Miller just got called up to Tacoma, so Taylor may be sent up to Jackson before this post is finished.  That seems like it’d be a good move.

Others Worth Considering:
George Mieses (RP) 23.2 IP, 4.94 ERA, 26/10 K/BB (ERA is tough to judge in High Desert).

Jackson Generals 

Taijuan Walker (SP) 52 IP, 2.77 ERA, 57/25 K/BB

Walker is still probably the top prospect in the Mariners system.  People say he’s struggling, but these numbers aren’t really showing that.  His walks are higher than everyone would like but a little bit of wildness doesn’t put me off as much as it does others.  His strikeouts are through the roof and opposing batters are hitting .197 against him.  Walker could receive a promotion once Harang is DFA’d or a few Tacoma pitchers are called up.  

Julio Morban (OF) 

Julio is like Ji-Man Choi or Franklin Gutierrez, if you’d rather.  He puts up great numbers while on the field but he can’t stay on the field enough.  When Morban is on the field he is easily their best outfield prospect.  Morban’s slash line is .344/.394/.563 making his OPS .957.  Morban has only played in 27 games this year though and that’s the real problem.  Having him healthy would be a big boost for the Mariners system.

Others Worth Considering:
Chance Ruffin (SP) 47 IP, 2.87 ERA, 33/10 K/BB (Yes, he was bad, but he seems to be doing well in the new starting role.  He could just be benefitting due to the lower level though.)
Carson Smith (RP) 14.1 IP, 3.14 ERA, 20/5 K/BB (Smith had a rough beginning to the season but has since calmed down and looked very good.  I mean, look at those strikeouts.)

As I mentioned, Brad Miller has just been called up to Tacoma to replace Triunfel.  As a hitter, think of him as Kyle Seager.  A few home runs here and there but more doubles than anything.  Although Nick Franklin is a popular target at this point, Miller could become just as popular in a matter of weeks.

Until next time!  Believe Big!

Andrew

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by | May 21, 2013 · 3:07 pm

The Looming Giant

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 Almost a year and a half ago, a renovation started following the Huskies losing yet another game to the Oregon Ducks.  The old stadium was in need of an upgrade and we are quickly approaching the result of that upgrade.  The track in Husky Stadium is removed.  The seats have moved down.  The east end-zone seats aren’t removable bleachers.  The south-side of the stadium has been redone.  The student section has been moved to a much improved west-side of the stadium.  There is no question that the renovation will be an upgrade.  In college football, teams usually have to build their own momentum.  Steve Sarkisian and his team catch a break in that a new stadium is a program-changer and could add a boost to the season.  Whether they can take advantage of this giant change to the program remains to be seen.
It’s easy to say that this year is just another year for Husky football.  That’s true.  Truthfully, no year is bigger than the next in sports.  We remember different seasons for the events they hold but, assuming your fandom stays on a steady level, all of the seasons should hold the same amount of importance.  But, those inside the program probably see things differently.  I think if you asked Sark and Woodward, off the record, they would tell you that this year is more important for the Huskies than any year in at least a decade.
Here are the University of Washington season tickets that were sold in the last few years.  These are final, but they are the best data I could find.
2012 — 40,482
2011 — 42,231
2010 — 44,109
2009 — 40,600
2008 — 43,497
2007 — 43,516
2006 — 42,598
So far this year, the school has already received about 44,500 ticket renewals.  Season tickets have just gone on sale to the public in the last few weeks so I’d expect that number to go up by a couple thousand before the season.  44,500 is already more tickets sold than any of the previous seven years.  If the Huskies have a successful season then sales will only go up in following years.  This would be a huge boost for the program and, as we learned from Oregon, the more money you have the better off you are.
Sark is entering his fifth year on the job and the Huskies record hasn’t improved the last two seasons.  Yes, it appears that the program is in better shape than two years ago but there isn’t a record to show for it.  As we all know, that is what’s really important.  If the Dawgs finish another year at 7-6, the calls for Sark’s job will grow louder.  Expectations keep growing, as they should, and it’s time for the program to take the next step.  Sark knows that.  The players know that.  Woodward knows that and the fans know that.  Another mediocre year wouldn’t kill the program but would clearly put it back a step.  Ticket sales for the following year would almost assuredly go down and the raucous crowds wouldn’t be nearly as raucous.
We’re still about three months away from the first Husky game.  There will be plenty of time to grow more excited and examine the chances of a Rose Bowl run.  Even with all this time until kickoff, it’s easy to see that this season will be an important one for the University of Washington.  The school has torn down and rebuilt a giant.  Now, as you drive across the 520 bridge you can see that giant looming.  Much like the giant season ahead.
Andrew

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