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!                     

Believe the Seahawks Win

                                          He's Back!!

I am sure most Seahawk fans were like me hoping that they would win the game though  knowing it would happen is another story. I am glad that they won though I wasn’t sure if they would. I knew if they played like the last three games they would not win however they rose up to the occasion.

The goal line stance at the very end was fantastic. It doesn’t make up for the Super Bowl game but at least it is closer. It was great to have Kam Chancellor back in the game. I am not sure if he is old Kam however he is close enough that is for sure. He was the one that made the difference on that stance.

It was nice to see the Seahawks running the ball again to some success and the three touchdown passes to Doug Baldwin. The Seahawks can be a dangerous team if they can pass the ball at this rate well as running the ball. I like the way C.J. Prosise is running well as catching the ball out of the backfield. I didn’t think he was going to be part of it with the injuries he had in camp and the beginning of the season. Nice to see that he has a good future with the Seahawks; Christine Michael looks like a good runner as well as long he is not the featured back. We will have to see if Thomas Rawls returns next week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Speaking of the Eagles I watched the end of the third and the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. It looks as though the Seahawks will have to play another outstanding game against them like the Patriots. I especially enjoyed watching quarterback Carson Wentz. It was the first time that I had seen him play. I liked the way he throws the ball. He looks like a soft touch without much effort. No wonder he was being considered the top pick in last year’s draft. He looks like he will be around for a long time. It will be interesting next week to see how he performs against the “legion of boom”.  Also Cliff Avril and Frank Clark will have to put some pressure on him too. In any case it should be a fun game to watch.

The Eagle fans sounded almost as loud as the 12^th man. This was especially true on a couple poor calls the referees did not make. Although they were loud they still don’t make it to the 12^th man though. The Eagle players should be used to the loud noise though so they may not be raddled. I look forward to another great game.

The Huskies were a disappointment losing to the USC Trojans on Saturday. Oh well it would have been nice to see an undefeated season though. The Cougars are now on the top of the Pac-12 north division so the Apple Cup should be even more exciting than we were expecting. If the Huskies can win the final two games who know they could still make it to the NCAA Championship. In any case a great season for the Huskies and the Cougars; it will be good to see the Rose Bowl as well.

Great football in the state of Washington this year; go Hawks, Huskies and Cougars. The best is yet to come.

Mariners Make a Move

General Manager Jerry Dipoto kept pretty quiet during the General Manager meetings this last week in Arizona however he made a trade on Saturday with the Oakland A’s to pick up a player that gives the Mariners some versatility. They acquired Danny Valencia who is a veteran player that has been in the major leagues for seven years. His career batting average is .271 and he has hit .327 against left handed pitching.

Valencia is a right handed hitter who primarily played third base however he has played some first base as well. The Mariners figure he will play mostly first base and the outfield. He will give Kyle Seager a day off once in a while as well. In those cases Seager will probably dh. The Mariners expect Valencia to platoon some with Daniel Vogelbach at first base and he could with Seth Smith in the outfield. How much he plays at first base will depend on how well Vogelbach does. He was a regular at third base for the A’s so the Mariners could have him playing regular there if Vogelbach is not ready to play against right handers. What matters really is if the Mariners can pick up an outfielder or another first baseman. Most likely Dae-Ho Lee will not be returning for the Mariners and it is possible that Franklin Gutierrez will not either.

Valencia has some power since he hit seventeen home runs for the A’s. Where he hits the batting order is anyone’s guess at this time. He could bat second or sixth I would expect. It is real nice that the Mariners were able to pick up a player like him to play for them. Although he may play more than one position he is accustomed to playing every day which is a nice player to have. This will be good if something happens with Seager and they need someone to play third base for a little while. With his versatility it will be interesting to see how much Shawn O’Malley will play as the utility player. I expect the next thing for Dipoto to do is go out and find a veteran shortstop in the same manner as Valencia. A solid player that will allow Marte to get some more seasoning in triple A; in the same manner they did with Zunino last year. Although they don’t have to it would be nice to find an outfielder as well along with a starting pitcher. They may purchase or sign a left handed relief pitcher who can be a situational pitcher to face the other team’s best left handed hitter. Best of luck to Dipoto. Go M’s.

Huskies Take On USC

University of Washington takes on the Southern California Trojans later this afternoon (Saturday) in Seattle. Another big game for the Huskies as they march toward the Apple Cup in a couple weeks and possibly the Pac-12 championship and then they will go for the NCAA championship series if they are still undefeated.

The Trojans started the season slowly losing three out of their first four games however they have won five in a row. They have scored over forty points in all those wins except the one against Colorado when they won a close game 21-17.

The Huskies on the other hand have played in a lot of tough games recently especially the importance of their record. Now that the Trojans have won five games in a row this will be a tough game for sure. This could be a high scoring game since the Huskies have the highest scoring team a round and the Trojans have been doing so well.

Although the game may be high scoring the difference may come down to turnovers especially on the side of the Huskies. The reason that they have an undefeated season is that they have had very few turnovers. They don’t beat themselves so the other team will have to come out to do so. Another thing is that the defense can play a big part in this game though the score may not indicate so.

Again the key to the Huskies offense once again is John Ross. If the Trojans can’t keep up with him it will be another lopsided game for the Huskies. The Trojans can shut him down then the game could go in their favor although the Huskies do have other weapons.

The Washington State Cougars take on the California Bears this week. The Cougars should be the big winners here since they beat up on Arizona last week in Tucson and the Huskies beat California in Berkeley. This game will take place in Pullman so does look pretty good for the Cougars. They have been playing pretty good defense recently along with having a good running game they didn’t have earlier in the season. This game should lead the Cougars to their showdown in two weeks against the Huskies in Pullman.

The Seattle Seahawks take on the New England on the road on Sunday Night Football. This should be a big game for the Seahawks. They will have Kam Chancellor back this week which will help out their defense while Christine Michael is expected to be out of the game. The Seahawks running game will be depended on rookies C.J. Prosise and Alex Collins. The Seahawks will be playing Prosise most of the time with Collins taking his spot when he needs rest. This will show that the Seahawks likely throw the ball a lot again this week. The Seahawks expect to have Thomas Rawls back when they play against the Philadelphia Eagles. Hopefully the Seahawks will have some success against the Patriots in the running game so that the defense will not stay on the field so much. Tight end Jimmy Graham should be another key player again in this game. Go Huskies, Cougars and Hawks!!

 

 

 

Dipoto and GM Meetings

Now the Presidential election is over now we can concentrate on more important things like the Seattle Mariners. This week Jerry Dipoto and his management team are in Arizona for the general manager meetings.

We will have to see if Dipoto will pull off some trades this week or at least set up for the next few weeks ahead. Like all of us know Dipoto will be searching for a right handed hitting first baseman along with an outfielder who can play every day as a regular.  I am sure that Dipoto will be discussing pitchers as well whether for the starting rotation or bullpen. I know the pitching isn’t the priority right now but it will be nice to get a top notch starting pitcher in the next couple months. This will depend a lot on what they do otherwise.

Dipoto is not looking to dive much into the free agent market but I would not be surprised if he signs at least one free agent probably at first base. If Dae-Ho Lee doesn’t return the Mariners may look at Mike Napoli who is a free agent who played last year with the Cleveland Indians. He could be a good choice however he may cost more money than Dipoto is willing to spend.

The outfield position the Mariners likely will go after in a trade however they could sign a free agent there as well but that is not a priority though.

I hope that we do see a little splash this week at least in the general manager meetings. There could be some less costly free agents they may go after as well. I would say probably not any big names just those who could add depth to the team.  Those could be guys who may start the season at AAA and be available when needed.

I have full confidence that Dipoto will be upgrading the team for the upcoming season. Although he will be talking a lot to other general managers I am sure there will not be as many trades as last season but he could surprise us. Go M’s.

Seahawks Beat Bills However

The Seattle Seahawks beat the Buffalo Bills Monday night 31-25. It was the eleventh win in a row for the Seahawks on Monday Night Football. Although they won the game you wonder if they will win the war.

Monday night Russell Wilson looked pretty good passing the ball especially in the first half and to tight end Jimmy Graham who can jump over high buildings. Also we saw Wilson score a three yard touchdown running the ball into the end zone; certainly showed us that he must be on the way to recovery from his injuries.

The problem in the game against the Bills is that the running game was another bad one for the Seahawks. For a team that has been making running the ball its primary way of living since Pete Carroll has been in town it was dreadful for sure. I am not sure whether it is the offensive line or the running backs. It will be good when Thomas Rawls can return to the grid iron. Not expected against the New England Patriots but possibly against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Speaking of the Patriots the Seahawks will have to play a lot better game than they have been doing the last three weeks.  In fact for them to win they have to play their best game of the season. They have to keep the offense on the field a lot longer than they have done recently. They don’t necessarily have to score a touchdown every time they have the ball though that would be nice however they need long drives where scoring at least a field goal would be nice. Playing like the last three weeks with the defense on the field so much the Seahawks will lose by a large margin to the Patriots. This game will show everyone where the Seahawks will be. I expect that they will lose however it would be nice to keep it a close game;  a game where they may have a chance to win in the last couple minutes.

I thought the offense was going to try running the ball almost much as passing the ball against the Bills but that did not happen. The Bills played a good game other than winning it. Like most games it is hard to win on the road and that is especially true in Seattle.

Whether the Seahawks win or lose against the Patriots they still have a good chance in making the playoffs. The important thing is to get healthy having the return of Thomas Rawls along with Kam Chancellor and Michael Bennet.  The Seahawks have been known as a second half season team and we hope it will continue again this season. The passing game is intact but they are showing how important running the ball is for them. We need the signs that it is returning. So let’s be positive and take on the Patriots! Go Hawks!!

First Week of the Off-Season For Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners started the beginning of the off-season making some moves that were expected and then on Sunday night made a trade for catcher Carlos Ruiz with the Dodgers for reliever Vidal Nuno.

The trade for Ruiz has not been yet confirmed by either the Mariners or the Dodgers however I am sure it has been done. Several reliable sources have reported the trade. I am surprised that early last week the Mariners exercised declining the option on catcher Chris Iannetta for $4.5 million and then turn around acquiring Ruiz at the same amount of money. I would have thought the Mariners try to save money for a backup catcher. I wonder if the Mariners are planning to use him more often than they would have used Iannetta. On the other hand it could be a beginning of another move Dipoto plans that may happen in the days ahead. It is possible he could be part of another trade or someone else in the catcher position; just asking no speculation at all.

The trading of Vidal Nuno really doesn’t surprise me at all. He wasn’t used a lot last year especially in the first half of the season. He finished pitching in 55 games with an era of 3.53. Not bad at all but he was the only left handed reliever in the bullpen most of the season. You would have thought he would have pitched more often. Mostly in relief he has pitched long relief but the Mariners did not use him that way. Most of the time he was used at the end of the game and was used sparingly as a left handed specialist; Dipoto mentioned that he was going to go out to find a left handed specialist so Nuno’s days were numbered far as I am concerned.

Early last week the Mariners accepted Seth Smith’s option to stay with the team while Aoki was sent to the Houston Astros through waivers. Most likely Smith will be platooned next season with Franklin Gutierrez if he returns since he is a free agent or someone else who bats right handed. At this point not sure whether he will play in left or right field I surely hope it will be left field since he does have some defensive liability. Left field is better position to have someone play who has defense deficiency. This is especially true in Safeco Field. Depending who the Mariners get to play in right field will decide how much Smith and his partner will play in left field.

If Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia are both on the opening day roster for 2017 it is possible they could be platooning in right field however Dipoto doesn’t want to platoon both left and right field once again. There is a good possibility that Heredia could be the platoon player with Seth Smith if they decide not to bring back Gutierrez. In that case Gamel could be the everyday right fielder if the Mariners decide not to pick up another outfielder. Gamel can be the backup to Leonys Martin in centerfield when he needs a rest. Gamel can play a good defensive center field. Another option in the outfield is how much utility player Shawn O’Malley may play out there. This could depend on who the Mariners have playing short stop as well. We know that O’Malley won’t have much playing time at second or third.

I do expect a regular everyday outfielder besides Martin because with the Mariners likely to platoon someone with Daniel Vogelbach at first base the Mariner won’t want to have three positions to platoon. How all things work out at shortstop, first base and the outfield will be interesting during this off-season. Go M’s.

Cougars and Huskies Keep Rolling the Seahawks Are Next

The Washington State Cougars started Saturday rolling over Arizona 69-7. Before you could blink your eyes the Cougars had a 21-0 lead so rolling over is probably not the right word. Anyways it was not whether the Cougars were going to win it was by how much.  This certainly is having us lead to the Apple Cup on Black Friday that the winner will advance to the Pac-12 Championship game.

The Huskies on the other hand game was not decided until the second half. They had a slim lead in the first half 21-20 when they started stopping the California Bears and causing turnovers. In the end the Huskies won the game 66-27. The Bears could not keep up with the speed of John Ross and could not stop the catching of Pettis. Both had three touchdowns in the game. At least that is what I believe anyway. I stopped counting at some point.

Next week the Huskies will be taking on USC Trojans. This will be another challenge that the Huskies should be able to meet. Everything goes to plan we will be seeing the Huskies playing in the NCAA Championship series. Whether they win or not they do have a legitimate chance to do so. The offense shows no slowing down while the defense needs to shore things up. They need to work more at getting to the quarterback or at the very least making him rush his passes.  They do have the best cornerback in the nation along with pretty good safeties and can’t forget their defense line. I am sure they will be more ready to go next week.

The Seattle Seahawks play on Monday Night football this week after losing last week to New Orleans and tying the Arizona Cardinals the week before. The Seahawks take on the Buffalo Bills which will not be an easy task. The good thing is the Seahawks have the best record on Monday Night football and have won ten straight there. According to Coach Pete Carroll Russell Wilson is the healthiest he has been the whole season. We can only hope he is correct. Besides have a healthy Wilson the Seahawks need a healthy running game. Last week the Seahawks passed the ball thirty-four times compared to running the ball seventeen times. Not good for a team that is considered a running team. Not sure the problem is with the running backs or the offensive line or the combination of both. Whatever the case is the Seahawks need their running game be back in high gear.

Though the Seahawks have a good passing game they still have to rely on the running game. I believe the Seahawks are not confident in Christine Michael and Thomas Rawls won’t return for another week or longer. We are not sure how he will return when he does come back. The Seahawks defense needs to return to where they have been. Again they will be without Michael Bennett and Kam Chancellor. The important thing though is that they can’t be on the field as much as they have been the last two weeks. The offense has run so few plays the last two weeks especially in the first half. Not sure of the success however they need to start out running the ball mixing in passes here and there. They need to make the Bills defense be honest. They need to be able to make third downs on a regular basis. I see the Seahawks turning the season around since they about ready to play the second half of the season. The Seahawks always play better in the second half. Whatever the case we know Monday night’s game will be exciting. Go Seahawks!