Look at King Felix For 2017

In the last two weeks Felix Hernandez pitched a couple times down in his native Venezuela to get ready for the World Baseball Classic. He started out giving up a couple runs before settling down in his first start. For Felix that is quite common. He does that during Spring Training as well. He had food poisoning the day his second outing was supposed to happen so he pitched the next day instead. He did much better in that outing.  Seattle Mariner general manager Jerry Dipoto said they were the only two outings that Felix will pitch before the WBC. The important thing is that he does look healthy and ready to go.

I know that there are those including fans are not sure whether we will see the same old King Felix again on a consistent basis. Other words we may see flashes of what we have seen. I believe that we could see the Old Felix this coming season primarily because he is a proud man and he will want to show everyone that he is back to where he once was. Most likely we will see him throwing more of his off pitches than his fast ball. He has had the best change up around so we will see more of it along with the curve ball. What Felix has had over other hard throwing pitchers in his career is able to throw at least four pitches that are each outstanding so losing some off his fastball is OK. In fact he hasn’t pitched many times at 95 miles per hour or higher the last couple seasons. His fast ball has been average around 91 miles an hour. He could still be an effective pitcher even if his fast ball is around 89 miles per hour. His changeup has always been around two miles less per hour than his fastball however I believe for Felix to be effective now his changeup would have to be more around 82 miles per hour. I think that he could be affective that way and he will be willing to do so.

To say all that though I believe the Mariners still need to go out and acquire a top starter because we can’t depend on Felix being the number one starter any longer. I still believe he can be but the Mariners can’t depend on it. Also Iwakuma is getting older. Although he had a healthy season in 2016 the Mariners can’t be sure that he will be the second starter.

James Paxton could now become the Mariners number one starter however the trouble he has had with injuries to a finger we can’t be sure of that either. Although the Mariners could go after a two or three starter in the rotation to replace TaiJuan Walker I would feel more comfortable in the Mariners to pick up a number one starter. The problem though is that the Mariners don’t have many top prospects in their farm system and those that they do are they willing to trade away. Also do they want to spend money for a number one starter in free agency? There are not many remaining out in free agency either.

Jerry Dipoto has been quiet during the holiday season however I am sure he has been talking to other teams about pitchers. So I would not be surprised to see someone acquired in the next couple weeks. Spring training starts in two and half months so need to get another starter on board. Go M’s.  

 

 

Huskies and Seahawks This Weekend

The University of Washington Huskies ends 2016 playing Alabama in the NCAA final four playoff on Saturday afternoon. Whatever the outcome the Huskies have had a very special season winning twelve games and only losing one to the USC Trojans. Alabama are favored by at least two touch downs so the Huskies have no pressure to play this game. Many of the so called experts don’t know the Huskies team very well and certainly doesn’t know the heart of the team. Since the Huskies have no pressure to win gives them the advantage in many ways.  The key to the game will be the defense on both sides. The Huskies have the number one defense in college football so if they live up to it and the offense plays reasonably well with few turnovers they have a good chance to win. So whatever does happen winning which we hope for or being beat even by a large margin it doesn’t change the special season the Huskies have had.  Most of the Husky players will be returning again next season so there is a lot of hope regardless what happens that they will have another special team.

The Seattle Seahawks take on the 49ers on New Year’s Day in San Francisco. I know the game isn’t really being played in San Francisco but you know what I mean. The 49ers have only won two games so far this season. The Seahawks should win the game handily however we know they have struggled on the road. It is important the Seahawks win the game to see if they can have a bye in the first week of the playoffs. Seahawk fans will be rooting for the New Orleans Saints to beat the Atlanta Falcons to assure the spot for the bye besides the Seahawks winning. Whether the Falcons win or not it is important that the Seahawks win on Sunday to be able to be in a good place to start the playoffs.  The Seahawks had a terrible game last Saturday against the Arizona Cardinals though they had a chance to win but lost on a last second field goal. I am sure a lot of people haven’t thought about or would agree with me but I would like it if field goals were not allowed in the last two minutes of a game or in overtime. I would like the game won the field. I have no problem with ties either. It would make the playoff situation even more exciting. This would only apply during the regular season and not the playoffs because ties can’t happen in the playoffs because someone has to win the game.

The Seahawks haven’t had much of a running game with Thomas Rawls being out most of the season however it is important that the Seahawks run the ball against the 49ers. Rawls is expected to play in this game and the 49ers are one of the worst teams in the league against the run besides the Seahawks are going to have any success in the playoffs they must be able to run the ball. The Seahawks have to get a good game out of Paul Richardson who will play a big part in replacing Tyler Lockett who was injured and out for the remaining of the season against the Cardinals. Richardson will be looking at being one of the big playmakers in catching the ball well as being on the kickoff returns. It is possible he may take punt returns as well however that is not known at this time.  In any case let’s go Seahawks on Sunday along with the Huskies on Saturday. We hope this football season will end in a very special way.

Happy Holidays

First of all want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, happy holiday season and a Happy New Year.

The Seattle Seahawks winning on Christmas Eve would have assured them the second best record in the NFC for the playoffs. It would have given them a bye in the first round and home field advantage against everyone except the Dallas Cowboys however they lost 34-31 on a field goal at the end against the Arizona Cardinals. The thing is the Cardinals are not going to the playoffs however they were playing a division rival so they didn’t care about upsetting the Seahawks. In fact they showed the Seahawks that they are a difficult team to beat. It looked like near the end the Seahawks could win the game but the problem is the defense had a poor game and could not stop the Cardinals who had less than two minutes to go when they got the ball after a Seahawk touchdown that tied the game 31-31.

The Seahawks scored a touchdown with just under three minutes to go to make the score 31-25. The defense did a good job at that point in stopping the Cardinals without taking much time off the clock. Actually it was the only time of the game it seemed that they could stop the Cardinals. After scoring another touchdown to even the score the Seahawks could not make the extra point to go ahead by one point. It looked like the game could go into overtime like the first game the Seahawks played the Cardinals in Arizona that ended in a 6-6 tie.

The Seahawks defense was not the only thing that did not go well on Christmas Eve for the team the Seahawks lost Tyler Lockett to a broken leg near the end of the first half that looked like a touchdown as well unfortunately it was ruled the ball on the two yard line. You would have thought the Seahawks could get the ball in however they did not on four tries. You wonder if the game would have been won right there however earlier the Seahawks missed a field goal to. Also Jon Ryan had a punt blocked as well. The ball was snapped high so the major reason for the block besides a lineman on the side came in untouched. So you see the defense had a bad day along with special teams and the offense line sure had their challenges to. The Seahawks not only lost Lockett for the season they lost Thomas Rawls in the game to. Not sure whether he will be back next week against the 49ers.

The Seahawks did have some good news Earl Thomas announced on Twitter that he was returning next year and not retiring. Most of us expect so however hearing the news was good. He had a hard time watching the game on the sideline just like the rest of us. If you listen to Thomas he thinks the game helped the Seahawks for when they get into the playoffs. We will see won’t we?

Now that the game is over we can enjoy whatever we do on this Christmas day whether it is spent with family or going skiing or other activities. Again Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Three Days Until Christmas Eve

 What would us sports fans like for Christmas this year. I will give you my ideas for sure.

First thing I would have the Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Eve day to help them get a buy. We won’t know how the present comes until February when the best one would be to win the Super Bowl.

We would like the University of Washington Huskies football team beat Alabama on New Year’s Eve on the way to the National Championship. We would like the men’s basketball team play better ball than they are right now and hope that they could make it into the NCAA. I know that is a big one to ask from Saint Nick.

Another gift would be Washington State Cougars beat Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl. This one is close to a sure thing since Minnesota will have ten players suspended for the game. The Cougars were favored anyway but this should happen.

I nice gift would be that the arena in Seattle will be selected sometime in 2017 and the Sonics come back along with an NHL team. We may have to wait until next Christmas for that one to happen.

The Seattle Mariners pick up at least one starting pitcher if not two along with the young outfielders and Daniel Vogelbach having good years. Be in the same manner when Kyle Seager made his rookie season. Seager has his best year and Cano along with Cruz have normal years. Felix Hernandez comes back to success and the Mariners go to the World Series. Of course it likely an early Christmas present for 2017.

Anyway that sounds like a pretty good list to me. Right now I can’t think of another for this Christmas however I will let you know if something comes along. Oh yes I know that Edgar Martinez makes the Hall of Fame. As far as first time eligibility players there is not many this time so he could do it. I know that I would vote for him if I had a vote to make. Anyway Santa Claus we thank you. We have been very good this year.  

A Sunday Off

 It is strange not to see the Seahawks not playing this Sunday. Of course we saw them on Thursday night beating the lowly Los Angeles Rams.

Both Michael Bennett and Jon Ryan have concussions though they have been ruled being OK. It is good that they have the extra time to get ready for the next game.  Richard Sherman was upset that the Seahawks were playing on Thursday after the loss to the Packers last Sunday in Green Bay. He was thinking about the health of the players and the concussions of Bennett and Ryan does bring concern. Though Sunday feels like a bye week I think that the teams that play on Thursday should have a bye week and not play the Sunday before. It will be interesting to see if the players and owners negotiate that next time in contract. I don’t think most of the Thursday night games have been that good and the ratings have been so so however because of money I don’t think they will be going away too soon.

Another thing it is looking like they are going to go with four games in London in the future. I think that is OK as long as the Seahawks don’t lose a home game in the process. I am sure the 12^th man would not be too happy about that. The alternative would be to have a pre-season game in London though.

It was nice to see that Russell Wilson and the passing game improved on Thursday it will be good to see more improvement in the rushing game. I believe the problem was the offensive line in the game. Though the Rams have a terrible offensive their defense is good. It was good to see the defensive line was able to get to the Rams quarterback too.

With two games remaining against the Cardinals and the 49ers it is not the score that counts it is the offense and defense getting up to par for the ready of the playoffs. In many ways those two games are like pre-season though they are important to win so the Seahawks will have home field advantage. Hopefully someone will knock off the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs before the Seahawks would face them because it does look like they would face them in Dallas and we know the Seahawks have not done well this season on the road.

Though the Seahawks have struggles in December so far we know that they will be ready for the playoffs and we hope another trip to the Super Bowl. It would be nice to face the New England Patriots once again and win. So enjoy whatever game you see Sunday or another thing you may do like enjoying your family. Go Hawks!

Seahawks Rebound

I am sure most fans thought the Seahawks would beat the Rams on Thursday Night especially after the game Sunday in Green Bay. The Seahawks so far have won all their games in Seattle this time winning 24-3.

Actually the Rams played better than the score indicated especially if you listen to the players on the Seahawks.  The Seahawks offense and defense both played better on Thursday Night.  Russell Wilson did a much better job throwing and running the ball himself than against the Packers. Of course that hard not to do either; he was able to get touchdown passes to Luke Willson, Doug Baldwin and Tyler Lockett. As far as receiving the ball it was Lockett best game in his career. He caught a total of seven passes including the touchdown. I expect we will see more games from Lockett like this in the future.

The Seahawks defense was much better against the Rams. This is especially true of the pass rush that had been missing recently. Also Richard Sherman knocked Rams quarterback Jared Goff out of the game with a concussion. Michael Bennett and Jon Ryan both had to leave the game for the Seahawks because of a concussion as well. Ryan’s happened when he ran the ball on a fake punt that got the Seahawks a first down. He bumbled the ball around before going to the ground. I figure he needs to learn how to slide. Bennett and Ryan are both expected to play on Christmas Eve against the Arizona Cardinals.

With the win the Seahawks won the NFC western division once again. They hope to win the final two games so that they can have a bye and play at home as well. Right now though it looks like the Dallas Cowboys should have the home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Thomas Rawls had a hard time running the ball getting only 34 yards on 21 running attempts. It looks like the offensive line needs to get going so the running game will be better. Without a running game it will be hard for the Seahawks to win during the playoffs.

With ten days off before the game against the Cardinals the players will be well rested and ready to go. We look forward to Seahawks to get back on track. So we say Go Hawks!

Interesting Thursday Night

It will be interesting taking on the Los Angeles Rams Thursday night. This especially true after a big loss in Green Bay on Sunday and the firing of Jeff Fisher on Monday by the Rams.

The Rams always play well against the Seahawks however playing at Safeco Field where the Seahawks are undefeated this season I expect that the Seahawks will play a real good game. The Seahawks have always shown that they play well after a loss and do well on games on national television games at night. They should be ready to go.

The Rams should be fired up after the firing of Jeff Fisher too. They know that they match up well against the Seahawks. Also they have no more to lose either.

I am sure the Seahawks defense especially is upset giving up thirty-eight points to the Packers though it wasn’t their entire fault. The offense led by Russell Wilson won’t want another bad performance either. It is important to get back on track since they have only three games remaining in the season before the playoffs.

All three games are winnable games since they will play the Cardinals in Seattle on Christmas Eve and the 49ers on New Year’s Day in San Francisco. It is important to get a good seating for the playoffs so they can play some games at home however having the offense and defense play at the highest level is even more so.

On the defensive side they need to start rushing the passer better than they have the last several weeks while the offense needs to continue running the ball like they did the last couple weeks. Having Thomas Rawls staying healthy is very important and Russell Wilson needs not to be rushed along with getting back to passing the ball.

So we will have to see who shows up this week the team that lost to the Rams in LA, on the road in Tampa Bay and Green Bay or the one that beat Carolina in Seattle. The team record should so the latter. We look forward to a good game tonight. Go Hawks!

Building An Arena In Seattle

 I know that everyone has an opinion whether an arena should be built in Seattle either at Sodo area or replacing the Key Arena at Seattle Center. Other options are building one in Tukwila or Bellevue; whatever the case at this point there is no guarantee that Seattle will get another NBA team or have a hockey team.

 

Whether a team does come or not there is thought that an arena can be used a lot for concerts. Since the idea is private funding instead of public like has happened in the past I think having a new arena is a good idea however I do have a thought of another idea.

Since Safeco Field has retractable roofs why not use it to house an NBA team. There is enough seats and it would work like a dome stadium that has been used before in Seattle well as elsewhere.  We could find out how much it would cost to renovate the Key Arena to be used for hockey.  The Key Arena is already being used for the WNBA Seattle Storm and Seattle University. In fact it was just announced that the WNBA is going to have their All-Star game being played there next year on July 22^nd.  Not sure what the difference would be to renovate Key Arena for both Hockey and NBA or hockey only. Another thing if the NHL doesn’t come to Seattle at least the Storm and Seattle U. would have a renovated arena.

Another idea I have if the Key Arena is not renovated how about having the Hockey team play in the Tacoma Dome. Tacoma already announced that they were planning to renovate the Tacoma Dome. It would be big enough to have a hockey play there. We know that the Sonics played there when Key Arena was renovated before. Anyway that is some thought on my side. What do you think?

A Week After Winter Meetings

We haven’t heard much from Jerry Dipoto since the Winter Meetings. He mentioned that he was looking to get a third or fourth starter for the rotation. I am Ok with that though I wish he would go after a number one or two starters.

I am sure that a third or fourth starter would be easier to get for the Mariners especially with the lack of players in the Mariners farm system that he would be willing to depart with. I am sure he would not want to depart with someone like Tyler O’Neill unless a number one starter would come back in return. Of course it would take more than O’Neill to get a number one starter.

The reason that I would like a number one or two starter is that we can’t be sure that Felix will get back to where he was before he got hurt last year and then there is Iwakuma who is older now and can’t be sure if he can be injured free as well. James Paxton could rise to be a number one or two starters however we are not sure if we can count on him either because of his past experience. I truly hope that Paxton can be that number one starter. Having Felix being the solid number two at the very least would be nice. In fact having two number one starters would be great. I am sure if Felix is healthy he will be the opening day starter once again no matter who the Mariners pick up.

With the current rotation I would see Felix starting first, then Paxton followed by Iwakuma, Miranda and Karns or whoever would be the fifth starter. This way the rotation would have right, left, right, left and right.

Unless something happens this week I am sure we won’t hear anymore from Dipoto until after the holidays. I sure hope that Karns can be the pitcher that Dipoto expected when he traded for him last off-season with the Tampa Bay Rays. He could be a good fit in the bullpen if not in the starting rotation. The reason I say that he seems to do well for an inning or two. Often he didn’t make it through five innings. So he could be good being the first one coming out of the bullpen.

Anyway I am sure that Dipoto has more tricks under his sleeve and we will hear more from him far as transactions go. So everyone enjoy your holiday season. I will write again if he makes a move. Go M’s.  

 

A Bad Game

I thought the game two weeks ago was a bad one for the Seahawks however Sunday afternoon in Green Bay was worse.

It started out with the defensive giving up a touchdown in only seconds of the opening of the game. Even when the players were in position to make a tackle they could not. I would have understood if there was snow on the ground or it was snowing but neither was happening. It was cold on the field but they should have been able to tackle anyway. I am sure someone on the defense played a good game but naming the person would be difficult.

I guess we could say the absence of Earl Thomas affected the team but I don’t think that was it. Even if he were in the game the Seahawks would have still lost big I believe anyway. At least I am going to stick to it. I may say the loss of Thomas has affected the team if the defense plays a bad game against the Rams on Thursday.  The Rams have struggled all season long except maybe against the Seahawks earlier in the season.

Other than the first series of the first half and second half the offense played their worst game in the time that Russell Wilson has been on the team. The first series they made a good run though they had to settle for a field goal. The first series in the second half looked good and gave us some hope until Wilson threw an interception to give the ball back to Green Bay and that was it. I guess we could call it the curse of Lambeau Field since the Seahawks have not won a game there since 1979. We hope that if the Seahawks meet the Packers in the playoffs the game will be played in Seattle.

I actually lost count of how many interceptions that Wilson threw in the game. It was something like five times at least.  I could not believe the throw he made that hit one Packer and then went into the arms of another. Also the throw to Doug Baldwin went off of him and into a Packer as well.

One thing I was happy about was that I had to leave to be somewhere at 4’oclock the beginning of the fourth quarter so I didn’t have watch the rest of the game. I know the Seahawks have made some really good comebacks in the fourth quarter however I was not counting on that Sunday.

The only player that I saw that played a good game for the Seahawks was Thomas Rawls running the ball. Carroll was smart taking him out of the game in the fourth quarter. That is what I heard later anyway. Both of his replacements had fumbles however it was too late anyway. I understand that Pope was injured once again so I guess we will see if he is available on Thursday. I would not be surprised if he isn’t.

Going into the fourth quarter my hope was that no one would get injured in the game. I hope that no one else did except for Pope. I guess I will hear sometime this week if that was the case. The game was so bad that I did not read any of the articles on the Seahawks in the paper. I figured what was the point anyway. If you are someone who decided to read this post I am glad however if you decided to stop at some point which could be now I don’t blame you. Actually I am going to end the post here right now and hope that the Seahawks will take care of the Rams Thursday night. Let us have peace toward all men going into Thursday. Go Hawks!

Sounders Win!

The Seattle Sounders brought home another championship for Seattle. The first championship for them in the MLS; it was something Seattle fans and players had been waiting for some time. We hope this will be the beginning of some more championships coming up. Not only for the Sounders, the Huskies will be going after a NCAA championship in football, the Seattle Seahawks after another Super Bowl win and we hope that Jerry Dipoto is building a team to win the World Series for the Seattle Mariners.

2016 has been a magical year with the Chicago Cubs winning their first world series in one hundred years and now the Sounders. The win by the Sounders that were kicks after a scoring tie at the end of regulation; we have to give credit to goalie Stefan Frei who held of Toronto and not having hits toward the goal in the first half. Also a great way for Zach Scott to end his career and go out in style; another one is Brad Evans who has been on the Sounders for a lot of years. This was a good year after the Sounders fired their coach Sigi Schmid with a bad start to the season. I am sure no one expected the Sounders would make the playoffs along the championship on that day that Schmid was released. Also the Sounders had to go at without their top player in Clint Dempsey as well. So this Sunday we hail the Sounders, players, coaches, and fans for well job done. Now we see if they can repeat this next year as well. Go Sounders!

Sounders and Seahawks

I have to say that I am not a big Sounders fan however on Saturday they play the biggest game of the franchise. They are in the MLS Championship game playing against Toronto on the road.

I think it is a great thing for all the Sounder fans. They always lead the league in attendance so about time they get awarded.

The beginning of the season things did not go well for the Sounders so they fired their coach and replaced him with his assistant who turned the whole team around. Whether they win or not this is a big deal for the team and the fans. I am sure when they come home there will be a lot of fans welcoming them home.

Another team is on the road this weekend in an important game is the Seattle Seahawks. They will be playing in snow in Green Bay. The Seahawks have only won one game in Green Bay. This is a big game for the Packers to keep their hopes alive for the playoffs while the Seahawks want to continue a spot high in where they fit for home field advantage.

The weather this week in Seattle helps the Seahawks out to be prepared for the game. Last week Thomas Rawls has a good game and it is important that he continues what he is doing. The Seahawks signed fullback Marcel Reese former Oakland Raider and University Washington Huskie. He will do some blocking for Rawls at the same time could be the third down back taking catches out of the backfield along with running on short downs. I have always liked Reese and I am glad that he is now on the Seahawks. How much he has left to play with we will find out. He takes the spot of Will Tukuafu who is out because of concussion protocol.

The Seahawks signed former safety and special team’s player Jeron Johnson. He was a member of the legion of boom from 2011 thru 20014. He takes the place of Earl Thomas who will be out for the season. He adds depth to the position and is a long time of Richard Sherman. How both guys do we will see however they are both veteran presence.

The game being played in snow it will be important that the Seahawks are able to run the ball. They should have no problem stopping the Packer’s running game since they don’t have much going on right now. I am sure both teams will try passing the ball as well. Russell Wilson is looking forward to the challenge to do so. Important to rush the passer for the defense line; keep Aaron Rodgers from passing the ball the way he likes to. Again we say Go Hawks! Yes Sounders too.

Trumbo or Rumor?

On Tuesday from the Winter Meetings we heard that the Mariners are interested in bringing back Mark Trumbo although nothing has come out via general manager Jerry Dipoto. In fact he had said that they were pretty well set in the outfield and first base. So what will the Mariners do if they sign Trumbo?

Here is some speculation on my part. Since some people figure that the Mariners may trade Trumbo after signing him this is something I am throwing out there as a rumor myself. There is a conspiracy where the Boston Red Sox want to have Trumbo but they don’t want to overpay because of the Baltimore Orioles who were reported to signing him back on Monday. Since the Red Sox are in the same division as the Orioles the Mariners sign him and then trade Trumbo to the Red Sox for Chris Sale or one of the other starting pitchers or the Mariners could trade him to Tampa Bay for Chris Archer. Since we are at it may as well throw in the Yankees.

I would not be surprised on Wednesday signing Trumbo will be old news. If the Mariners for some reason did sign him and keep him than what they do at first base; I guess they could trade Daniel Vogelbach or send him to triple A for a season. Another could be interested in Vogelbach for the Mariners to get another starting pitcher. Going real wild in my thinking the Mariners could trade Vogelbach back to the Chicago Cubs for no other than Mike Montgomery or to the White Sox for a starting pitcher. Of course that could be another thing in regards to Trumbo ship him to the White Sox. Until Dipoto says anything it is all speculation. I would rather take the money that cost for Trumbo go out and get a starting pitcher. Let’s see how crazy Wednesday and the rest of the winter meetings can be. I am sure the Mariners will have someone new on the roster before Dipoto comes back to Seattle.

 

Seahawks Rebound Against Carolina

We should have known the Seahawks would win Sunday night after having a terrible game against Tampa Bay. The final score was 40-7. It could have been worse if the Seahawks had touchdowns instead of field goals in several occasions.

The Seahawks seem to do real well on Sunday Night Football. Actually any national game they do well. They always want to prove themselves in front of the nation. Also they do well after losing a game too. They are something like 17-4 after a loss.

It was really good to see Thomas Rawls make some good runs that got him over hundred yards for the game mostly in the first half. It was good to see Tyler Lockett have a good game as well running for a long touchdown at the beginning of the second half. We hope that is better things to come by both Rawls and Lockett.

There was bad news though the Seahawks lost Earl Thomas in the second quarter for the rest of the season. He broke one of his legs. It will be interesting to see how the defense works without him. Steve Terrell is a good replacement however he is not Thomas for sure. Terrell and Kam Chancellor will have to communicate so no long passes for touchdowns will occur too often. Usually the defense is able to bounce back after a big play happens to them.

Russell Wilson had an OK game. It was nice to see Boykin come into the game to get some live action; also nice to know that Wilson is healthy now as well.

It is something unusual I think that we so much of Carolina in the regular season when they are not in our division. I think it is because the Seahawks and Carolina have close records every year. Of course some years they play the whole division that Carolina is in. This year though they are not doing so well. They have a record of 4-8 and they will miss the playoffs. Even if they win all their remaining games they will still end at 8-8 so the Seahawks won’t play them next year in the regular season unless they play their whole division. It would be nice to see some other teams outside their own division.

Anyway next Sunday which is an afternoon game for us the Seahawks will be playing in Green Bay against the Packers. The Seahawks should be favored however they are on the road and the Packers will need the win if they want to make the playoffs themselves. The Packers haven’t had much of a running game this year so the legion of boom should be very busy. I am sure they will be looking toward Terrell’s direction however I am sure the Seahawks will be prepared because I am sure they are thinking the same thing.

What will be the key for the Seahawks will be for the running game to be in top condition since it is forecasted to have snow in Green Bay and to keep the ball out of the hands of Aaron Rodgers so that means the defensive line will need to put on a good rush Sunday. A  few blitzes by Bobby Wagner would not be a bad idea either. Anyway I expect it to be an exciting game on Sunday. Since the Huskies and Cougars won’t be playing for a few weeks the Seahawks is it for us Washington fans or better known as the 12^th man.

The rest of the NFL West lost again this week. Pretty sad division this year outside of the Seahawks; they have the division already sewn up. The key is where they want to be in their record for the playoffs. At this point they are second behind the Dallas Cowboys. Whatever the case I expect a lot of exciting action since the Seahawks always do better the second of the season. Go Hawks!

Dipoto Goes To Washington

This week the winter meetings are happening in the Washington D.C. area. Mariner’s general manager Jerry Dipoto is expected to come home with a starting pitcher at the very least. Who that will be is anyone’s guess.

So far this off-season Dipoto has made six trades and has changed seventeen players. We expected that the Mariners would go after getting a shortstop to replace Marte. I don’t think that many of us would have thought that Marte would be gone himself instead of going to the minor leagues however it did make sense when the Mariners made the trade. The trade wasn’t the first made by the Mariners however it was the biggest up to this date this off-season. The Mariners sent Marte along with starting pitcher TaiJuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks for shortstop Jean Segura, outfielder Mitch Haniger and left handed reliever Zac Curtis. Segura who had a really good season last season with the Diamondbacks will be the Mariners shortstop after playing second base for the backs.  Haniger may be the right handed bat platooning with Seth Smith in right field if he makes the team. In the long run he could be the key to the trade for the Mariners. At the very least Segura is another solid player in the Mariners infield. He helps them up the middle along with Mike Zunino at catcher and Leonys Martin in center field. Haniger being the right handed bat is not a sure thing he could start the season at triple A but he is expected to be a really good player and he is another athletic outfielder the Mariners have been looking for.

The Mariners may have Ben Gamel and Heredia who they acquired this season to platoon in left field unless another outfielder is acquired before spring training happens. It looks though the Mariners have improved in the outfield and at shortstop.

First base is another story whether they have improved over Adam Lind and Dae-Ho Lee who are both free agents and won’t be returning next season.  The Mariners traded for Daniel Vogelbach in July from the Chicago Cubs for left handed pitcher Mike Montgomery and the off-season in one of their first trades getting Danny Valencia from the Oakland Athletics. Though he will be platooning at first base with the right handed bat Valencia may play some outfield and third base when needed.  How much he plays first base and the outfield will depend on the young players.

The Mariners just signed left handed relief specialist Marc Rzepczynski and right handed reliever Casey Fien as free agents. Marc as I will call him be pitching primarily against left handed hitters late in the games while Fien could start the season in triple A if he doesn’t make the team in the bullpen.

The Mariners at the end of November traded former first round pick Alex Jackson to the Atlanta Braves for two starting pitchers Robert Whalen who may start the season in Seattle or triple A and Max Povse who may start in double A. Actually Povse could be the key to that trade. He was one of the top pitchers in the Atlanta Braves system.

The Mariners have made other trades as well that we will see happens going into spring training. Who the Mariners get this week in the winter meetings will be interesting. One of the players that the Mariners got during the off-season or last year could be moved along. It will be interesting to see what Dipoto has cooking this week. Go M’s.  

Huskies Waiting To Hear

 After their big win on Friday night over Colorado 41-10 in the Pac-12 conference championship game the Huskies are waiting to see where they go next. The Huskies are expected to be in the NCAA playoffs for the national championship for the very first time.

The Huskies are supposed to be named the fourth team out of four teams to play. Alabama is expected to be number one followed by Ohio State, Clemson and Washington. If it actually comes out this way the Huskies will play Alabama in the first round.

The game won’t play until January so the Huskies have plenty of time to prepare for however they play. The thing about Coach Chris Peterson is that he is like another Husky coach by the name of Don James. Being given plenty of time to prepare for a team especially being an underdog which the Huskies will be Peterson gives them a great chance to go in and upset Alabama.

The thing about the Huskies is that they play well both on offense and defense. The other teams are good on one side or the other but not necessarily both. I expect that Jake Browning who did not throw that well against Colorado will be ready to go in the first game. Chris Peterson is a former quarterback himself so he will have Browning all ready to go. He will let his assistant coaches to prepare the rest of the players. The Huskies ran the ball very well against Colorado with their two top running backs Myles Gaskin and Lavon Coleman both running for more than one hundred yards. Also their top receive John Ross will be set to score a few touchdowns himself. The question cans Alabama or any other team defensive backs keep up with Ross.

On the defensive side the Huskies have really good defensive backs in Bubba Baker, Kevin King and freshman Taylor Rapp who intercepted two passes against Colorado. He was named the most valuable player of the game. Can you imagine the Huskies will have Rapp for at least two more years. He likely will go into the NFL after his junior year if he continues playing the way he has as a true freshman.

Whatever the Huskies do in this playoff coming up the future is bright for them. We may be seeing them play for the championship for many years ahead. The Huskies are making sure that Coach Peterson will stay around for some time.

I hope that the Washington State Cougars have a great bowl game as well wherever they end up. It would be nice to see them continue good as well that way the Apple Cup can be the primary game of the season going into the Pac-12 championship.

For the next month if we are Husky or Cougar fans along with Gonzaga we have to watch some basketball. I am not sure where the Huskies and Cougars will end up however Gonzaga is expected to have another real good team. Whatever the case we will have a good holiday season when it comes to college sports here in Washington State.

Until next time enjoy the Seahawks playing Carolina tonight on Sunday night football. We hope for another good victory. So we can say Go Seahawks along with the Huskies and Cougars. Great football from some good football teams.

Huskies Ranked #4

The University of Washington Huskies is going into the Pac-12 Championship game ranked #4. If they beat Colorado on Friday they will play in the NCAA playoff series it looks like. Most likely they will play #1 Alabama in the first round. This will be the first time that the Huskies will be in the Pac-12 Championship game well as the NCAA playoff if they win on Friday.

The Huskies have a young team with few seniors on the roster. They could lose at least a couple juniors to the NFL in the next college draft. Receiver John Ross and safety Budda Baker are two the guys that could go. They were among nine Huskies who were named to the Pac-12 1^st team. Quarterback Jake Browning was named the offensive player of the year in the Pac-12. He is a sophomore so he will be back for at least another year. If he decides to forgo his senior year it will depend whether he is considered a first round pick or not after next season. He likely will come out if he is a first round pick.

Ross and Baker likely will be gone because they are both considered first rounders’ in the upcoming draft. Another defensive back Kevin King who is a senior is expected to be a high draft pick as well.

Though the Huskies may lose several players going into next season they still should be the team to beat in the Pac-12 north division.  The Huskies had 41 freshmen and redshirt freshmen to go along with 28 sophomores so the team is still in pretty good position to repeat and make another run at the national championship. This will not include any new freshmen and redshirt freshmen on next year’s team. We should figure that Jake Browning will be even a better quarterback next season and the offense opened even further. So Huskie football will be on the rise for the next several years and Head Coach Chris Peterson should be around for many years to come as well.  

  

 

Mariners Deal Alex Jackson

Jerry Dipoto decided it was time to trade 2014 number one draft pick to the Atlanta Braves. There is a possibility that Jackson could be the player the Mariners drafted two and half years ago but we will find out with him in another uniform.

There is a possibility that he will never mount to anything and not have a major league career or he could still be a superstar though he is playing in the low minors so far. Like several of the last top picks he has had to deal with injuries as well. Outside of Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez the Mariners have not done well in the first round of the draft. Both these guys were top overall pick so the chances that they would not make it were slim.  You look though at the Mariners history of the draft they have had very few players make it to the majors. We would have to few other teams to see if they have much more success than the Mariners.

The Mariners did receive two starting pitchers in return for Jackson however they will have to give the Braves another player in return. That player most likely is sent just before spring training begins. The Mariners received Rob Whalen who started five times for the Braves in 2016. So he looks like he could be the fifth starter when the season starts or be in the depth chart in triple A. The other pitcher they received was Matt Povse a tall 6’8. He hasn’t pitched above double A and could start the season there or at triple A. It sounds like he may be the key to the trade. Many fans of the Braves were not happy when they heard that he was traded to the Mariners. Though both may not play a big part on the 2017 team they may in 2018 or beyond. Also Dipoto isn’t finished getting another starting pitcher so one of them could be part of another trade or help them depart in another pitcher that was planned for in the future. Whatever the case is we know now that Dipoto loves to add depth to the team especially in pitching. Also he has added athletic outfielders to the roster in the past year he has been the Mariners general manager. At this point we are not sure what outfielder will have success but if he pushes the buttons enough time one should stick.

When you look at the 2014 draft by the Mariners only one player has made it onto the roster is Dan Altavilla who came up late in 2016 and pitched fifteen games in relief. He could be a key part of the bullpen going along with closer Edwin Diaz. The Mariners have a left handed starting pitcher who was drafted in the 4^th round in 2014 just ahead of Altavilla. He was the Mariners minor league pitcher of the year. He had a record of 12-4 and an era of 2.95. He could start the season in triple A. At this point the Mariners don’t have anyone else that seems to be above single A out of the 2014 draft. Some of those players could be involved in any trades the Mariners make.

I like what Dipoto is doing adding depth in their minor and major league rosters. Only time will tell who will make it and who will not. Next week the winter meeting’s happen. Have to see if they make any more trades or signings before and during that time. We should see the Mariners acquiring a middle level starting pitcher. Who that is anyone’s guess at this time. I am sure Dipoto has an idea who may look to get next. For us it is a waiting game. Go M’s.

Huskies Win Apple Cup

                                                              Husky Coach Peterson

The biggest game for both Huskies and Cougars for some time; the winner would have more than bragging rights. The Huskies won going away 45-17. The Huskies now will be able to play for the Pac-12 Championship against either the Colorado Buffaloes or the USC Trojans. Now the biggest game for the Huskies in some time because if they win most likely they will play in the NCAA Championship playoff especially if they beat either one by a large score like they did Friday night.  Colorado plays Utah Saturday if they win than they go to the Pac-12 Championship to face the Huskies otherwise the Trojans will go. The Huskies aren’t concerned who they play. They are happy to have the chance to play for the Pac-12 Championship.

The Huskies like many of their games this season they got off on the right track by scoring a lot of points in the first quarter. The Huskies scored two touchdowns before the Cougars could get on the scoreboard with a field goal. At the end of the first quarter the Huskies were leading 28-6. It made it hard for the Cougars get back into the game though if any team could it would be the Cougars.

What made it difficult for the Cougars was dropping several passes that would have put them in good position to score. Also the Huskies were able to stop the Cougars twice when they went for a touchdown on fourth down especially the second one when they were on the Huskies one yard line. There is a good possibility that the Huskies would have won anyway but these two stops did not help that is for sure.

In my mind what made this game was the Huskies defense besides these two stops.  The Cougars keep coming after the other team no matter how many times they drop passes or not able to run on the ground. Despite it all the Huskies defense did their job. The Huskies continue to do what they did in this game the chances are not only they will win the Pac-12 Championship they could win the National Championship. Unlike other national championships they have been involved with in the past this time will be done on the field.

The Cougars have to be proud in the season they have played especially starting the season losing a couple games outside the league early. They were able to run the ball pretty good along with passing the ball. Also their defense improved over the season though it may not have been proved in this game. They have to remember not only they played the best team in the state likely the best in the conference and possibly the country. Hail off to you Cougars. Look forward to see who you play in whatever bowl game that you go too.

Huskies we are amazed by the season you have had. Though we knew that you were going to be a good team we all expected that next year would be where at the best. Who knows where thing go in the future under Coach Peterson. Another year of experience you should be one of the favors to win the national championship next year no matter how far you go this year. Go Huskies!

The Apple Cup

This Friday afternoon the Apple Cup between the Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars happens in Pullman.  This may be the biggest Apple Cup in the history of this rival since the winner will go on to play in the Pac-12 Championship.

In the case of the Huskies if they win the Apple Cup and the Pac-12 Championship they may play in the NCAA 4 team championship series to see who is determined to be number one in the country. On the other hand if the Cougars win both games they likely will play in the Rose Bowl game. So a lot is determined in this game. Who will win this game it is a toss-up at this point. The victory could come down to who plays the best game in the fourth quarter.  The Huskies have the best running attack between the two teams though the Cougars over the season have improved quite a bit over the season. The Cougars are known for their passing attack so they may have an edge. The Huskies have the better of the defense so this could be the difference in the game. The winner though will come down to the two quarterbacks in Jake Browning for the Huskies and Luke Falk for the Cougars. Both are outstanding quarterbacks so the win will come down to who has the best game of the day and that is anyone’s guess. If they both play outstanding like they are capable of the win could come to has the ball at the end of the game.

I will be rooting for the Huskies however it will be a great game whoever wins. I hope that this game will be one that we will be talking about for many years to come. Both teams that are talented and we hope to see the best.  Go Huskies! 

Mariners Make Big Trade

First of all wish every Seattle Mariner fan a Happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully this trade will make us more thankful and the Mariners more of a contender for 2017.

The Seattle Mariners made a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thanksgiving Eve to get a veteran though still young shortstop. The Mariners not only gave up shortstop Ketel Marte they had to finalize the deal by trading their top pitching prospect over the last four years TaiJuan Walker. Sometimes to get what you really want you have to give something good in return. In return the Mariners received Jean Segura who played second base for the Diamondbacks last season however he is projected to be a pretty good shortstop. The Mariners plan for Segura to be the leadoff hitter besides playing shortstop. He will be added to the core group of Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz and Kyle Seager. He is under arbitration for two more years before he can become a free agent. Segura not only is a good hitter he has speed and power. The Mariners also acquired outfielder Mitch Haniger who has limited major league experience however he is a right handed hitter who has played right field. He may platoon with Ben Gamel or Seth Smith. The Mariners got left handed reliever Zac Curtis in the trade as well. He doesn’t have much major league experience either but both him and Haniger could be part of the Mariners future.

We all know the potential of both TaiJuan Walker and Ketel Marte. Walker likely could become a number one starter in another couple seasons. This leaves James Paxton as the guy moving up the chain in the Mariners starting rotation after King Felix Hernandez and Iwakuma. I thought that the Mariners would have to go after a top rotation guy anyway but this is more of a sure thing now. Marte on the other hand not sure where he ends up; he likely will start 2017 in triple A for the Diamondbacks. He could be the future second baseman for them in place of Segura. Second base may be his better position however with the Mariners that was not going to happen with Robinson Cano being around for some time.

The Mariners now look like more of a veteran team along with a look of being younger in the outfield. It could take the Mariners a couple years where they truly want to be in the outfield. They have become more athletic that is for sure. Danny Valencia likely going to be the right handed platoon hitter at first base. His versatility will allow him to play in the outfield as well if the Mariners need him out there too. At this time it is hard to know where the Mariners will need him the most. A lot will depend on Gamel, Haniger and Heredia who is the other part of the equation. There still is a possibility that the Mariners could bring in another veteran outfielder but at this time that is not a priority.

The winter meetings will be coming up in a couple weeks so it will be interesting what the Mariners and Dipoto will do during that time. I expect that the Mariners will go for a top starting rotation pitcher along with another reliever especially left handed. Go M’s.   

Seahawks Beat Eagles

      
                                         Russell Wilson Touchdown Catch Against Eagles

The Seattle Seahawks won their seven game of the season against two losses and a tie. They continue to be at the top of the NFC West division. They beat another bird at home in the same conference that will help them get into the playoffs. The Seahawks beat the Eagles in Seattle 26-15. Actually the game was not that close as the Eagles scored near the end of the game.

The Seahawks took the early lead with a seventy-five yard running touchdown by C. J. Prosise who later was injured in the game. The Eagles came back to take the lead 7-6 since the extra point was missed on the Prosise touchdown. The Seahawks had a play where receiver Doug Baldwin hit an open quarterback Russell Wilson for a touchdown. It was the first for both of them in the game. Wilson never caught a pass for a touchdown in his NFL Career and it was the first pass thrown by Baldwin. This shows us Seahawk fans that Wilson is now back to being pretty healthy.

According to Coach Carroll Prosise will be out for some time but may make it back before the end of the season. Also the touchdown showed us why Carroll and the coaching staff have such praise for Prosise.  Also running back Pope who was activated this week off the practice squad after being reacquired from being released by the New York Jets was injured in the game too. The Seahawks had to play the rest of the game with running back Thomas Rawls who was back for the first time. The fourth running back Alex Collins was not active for the game. He is expected to be active next week against Tampa Bay and the Seahawks will have to go out to find another running back too. Christine Michael who the Seahawks released on Tuesday was picked up by the Green Bay Packers who were in need of a running back themselves.

The Seahawks defense played a solid game against the Eagles especially after a slow start. The Eagles especially were not able to run the ball and the passing game was not particular good either. Next week against Tampa Bay Michael Bennett is expected back to anchor the defensive line.

With Rawls back the running game should be good against the Buccaneers along with help by Russell Wilson the Seahawks likely will rely on the passing game once again. The important thing is that the offense will allow the defense not stay on the field so much of the time like they have been for several weeks. Go Hawks!

Making Moves

The Seattle Mariners and Seahawks had something in common they made moves this week to their rosters. For the Mariners they added a few minor leaguers to the forty man roster to protect them from the rule five draft. It included former number one draft pick D.J. Peterson. There was some speculation they make keep off the roster however decided to protect him after.  Peterson originally was drafted as a third baseman however with Kyle Seager being the regular at that position for some time including winning a gold glove and being an all-star along with signing a seven year contract  the Mariners had him switch to first base. The Mariners  in July traded with the Chicago Cubs getting Daniel Vogelbach to play first base. Peterson could be looked at platooning at first base with Vogelbach  and backing up Seager at third base however last week they acquired Danny Valencia from the Oakland A’s who can play both first and third base along with the outfield. Valencia is expected to platoon with Vogelbach at first and or in the outfield with Seth Smith. He has seven years of major league experience and has played the majority of his time at third base so can give Seager occasional day off as well.

On Friday the Mariners made a five player trade with the Tampa Bay Rays picking up Taylor Motter and Richie Shaffer for three minor league players. Neither Motter or Shaffer have a lot of major league experience so the Mariners picked them up to add more depth so where this places Peterson not sure at this time.  There is always a possibility he could be involved in any trade the Mariners may make before training camp. Both Motter and Shaffer are right handed hitters who can play first and third base along with the outfield so gives more of a jam along with more competition at the utility player position with Shawn O’Malley being the leading candidate along with Mike Freeman.  Along with Peterson the other players could start the season at triple A.  Only one and at the most two would make the opening roster in April.

The Seattle Seahawks made news this week releasing Christine Michael who was the leading rusher however with the emergence of rookie C.J. Prosise. The first part of the season including training camp Prosise was hurt. The plan for the Seahawks was to use Prosise primarily as the third down back because of his experience as a wide receiver at Notre Dame. He was switched over to running back his senior season.  Along with the return Thomas Rawls the Seahawks felt these two would be what the Seahawks need. Michael on the other hand was picked up by the Green Bay Packers after being released by the Seahawks. The Packers have been in dire need for a running back. Like the Seahawks they have been throwing the ball a lot more than running since they lost their key running backs to injuries.

The Seahawks also resigned running back Troymaine Pope who they had in camp before being released. He had been on the practice squad of the New York Jets however they decided to release and the Seahawks liked him so much before they resigned him. He was added to active roster. He is expected to play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday along with Thomas Rawls. Prosise is expected to be in on more plays however Rawls will be in on about nine or ten plays and Pope may get in a couple times too. The final running back rookie Alex Collins is not expected to play on Sunday but the Seahawks still like what they see in him as well.

The Seahawks should be seeing the return of defensive lineman Michael Bennett in another week so another move will be made at that point. The Seahawks are favored by about seven points however the Eagles should give them a good game. The Seahawks are hoping the running game will get back to where they are accustomed for it to be and not relying so much on the passing game. This should include Russell Wilson feeling healthier as well. So  let’s go Seahawks along with the Mariners!