Seahawks Pick Up Tackle

General Manager John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks didn’t waste any time on Monday after the offensive line had their worst performance far as running the ball. The team actually had thirty-three runs and thirty of them were by quarterback Russell Wilson.

A team that considers themselves a running team that is pretty pathetic. Even a passing team does a better job than that. So Schneider knew that he had to go out and get someone. It was important also because the trade deadline ends today Oct. 31.

The Seahawks picked up Duane Brown from the Houston Texans the team they just played on Sunday. It was Brown’s first game of the season because he was a holdout over his contract. It sounds like a mutual parting of ways.

The Seahawks traded cornerback Jeremy Lane along with 2018 fifth round pick and 2019 second round pick. Brown is thirty-two years old so probably doesn’t have much time left however the Seahawks felt they needed an offensive lineman and they went out got one of the best at left tackle.

 

This coming Sunday we will get the answer whether it the offensive line that is the major problem or the running backs. I am sure we know the answer already or the trade wouldn’t happen. Way to go Schneider and the Seahawks for addressing the offensive line. I am sure to have any chance to make it back to the Super Bowl they had to do it. News is that Russell Wilson had his contract adjusted so that Brown would fit under the salary cap. Go Hawks!!

Seahawks and Texans Slug it Out

I would not call it one of the great NFL games of all time when it comes to playing football however it may have been one of the most entertaining especially in the history of the Seahawks.

In the middle of the fourth quarter I did figure the game would come down to the last team that had the ball to win. Technically the Texans had the ball with twenty seconds left however that was after Jimmy Graham was wide open and scored the touchdown. I am sure we were all surprised that the Texans had no one on him when he scored. He went right down the middle of the field without a touch. In fact the CBS announcers were surprised and believed that the Texans made a bad decision.

When it came to pure football the Seahawks didn’t deserve to win the game. They had some lucky chances to win the game and the team that is supposed to be run first ran for only one yard in the entire game. At one point they mentioned on the broadcast the Seahawks had one run of four yards as the longest and I don’t recall anything more after that. In fact most of the yards were negative.

In the previous games the poor running game I am sure were not sure whether it was on the running backs or the offensive line. In this game it was obvious the offensive line. Why it is obvious because almost every time the ball was handed to the running back the Texans defense was already behind the line of scrimmage. Even a great runner like Marshawn Lynch who could break tackles I don’t think would have on Sunday.

I believe it was in the middle of the fourth quarter when in my mind the Seahawks need to go out and get a new offensive line or at least forget running the ball most of the time.

Oh yes I can’t forget the final score it was 41-38. I was very impressed by the rookie quarterback Watson of the Texans. This was the first game that I have seen him play. At least in the NFL and I don’t recall whether I saw him play in college. One thing he didn’t allow the crowd in Seattle bother him at all and he was able to get the ball to the receivers except a couple of times on interceptions. The key interceptions were the ones by Earl Thomas that tied the score at 7-7 and the one by Richard Sherman in the fourth quarter.

Russell Wilson sure had one of his best days passing for the Seahawks throwing for over 400 yards and the spectacular plays especially by Paul Richardson and the other receivers in Doug Baldwin, Tyler Lockett and tight end Jimmy Graham. This game put on by Graham shows that likely the Seahawks won’t be trading him any time soon unless they are given a good offer. In fact they may sign him up since he will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Seahawks finally found a way to use him. Now all they have to do is the same with the running backs or the offensive line and likely both. The Seahawks can’t rely on Wilson making miracles every Sunday but who knows. Now they are tied with the Los Angeles Rams at 5-2. The Rams had their bye week along with Arizona.  Go Seahawks!!

This Week in Northwest Sports

The big three football programs take the field again this weekend. The Washington Huskies are the first taking on the UCLA Bruins in Seattle. The Huskies had a bye week so they have time to rest though they have had several key injuries so far in the season. I won’t get into them however they do hurt the Huskies though they have good depth on the team.

The Huskies now have to rebound after a solid defeat to Arizona State on the road. UCLA does have a good passing attack however the Huskies defense should be able to keep them at bay. The Bruins are an average team having a 2-2 record in the conference and is seated fourth in the south division of the Pac-12. In all they have a record of 4-3. The Huskies should win the game however the offense has to rebound from a poor performance and the field kicking needs to improve especially if they are in close games. They may have won the game against Arizona State if they had made all their field goals.

Washington State Cougars take on Arizona in an evening game at 6 pm. The Cougars recovered from loss two weeks ago when they won last week. The Cougars can’t afford to make mistakes especially on the road this week. Arizona has a good team as well being 3-1 in Pac 12 and 5-2 overall.  Unlike past seasons the Cougars defense has been playing pretty good this season so they have a chance to win.

On Sunday the Seahawks take on the Houston Texans in Century Field. The Seahawks are favored by six points however it will be important that they get off on good tracking in the first quarter. They haven’t had a good first quarter as of yet this season. It must start with the running game.

The Seahawks this week signed veteran and former all pro defensive end Dwight Freeney. The Seahawks needed depth for the loss of Cliff Avril who out for the season and maybe his career is over. How much Freeney plays this week will be seen. Since he has been around for fifteen years it is hard to know how much is left in the tank. If he can give the Seahawks a few rounds to spell the other defensive ends that is all they expect.

In soccer (American style) the Seattle Sounders have a bye for the first round of playoffs being the second seed. Again this season the Sounders started off slow but came along in the second half to make the playoffs. Last year the Sounders won it all for MLS championship. All the Sounder fans are hoping for this too repeat again this year. We give them the best to do so.

The Houston Astros the Mariners rival won the second game of the World Series rebounding in the late innings to beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles 7-6. They had travel day off on Thursday and return to Action in Houston. Not an easy task however to win the World Series they have win all the games In Houston. Right now it looks like this series will be exciting enough to go to the seventh game. Whatever the case us baseball fans will enjoy and be thrilled. Now we have to see what tricks that Dipoto has up his sleeves to get the Mariners into the playoffs and hopefully the World Series next year. Go M’s.

Mariners Look at First Base

All Mariner fans know that the priority of the off-season is pitching especially in the starting rotation however far as the regular everyday lineup they have to look at first base.

The two guys who played the majority of time at first base are now free agents; Danny Valencia who began the season as the regular first baseman and Yonder Alonso who they picked up from the Oakland A’s in August.

Alonso says that he would be interested in returning to the Mariners however whether he does or doesn’t will depend on what the asking price is on the open market. Alonso had his best year including being in the all-star game. Haven’t heard about Valencia either from him or the Mariners; he is likely come at a less expensive price than Alonso. There is a possibility that the Mariners could resign both of the guys and have them platoon once again although Alonso will likely want to play every day. Valencia on the other hand can substitute at third base and play the corner positions in the outfield.

Right now Daniel Vogelbach is the only first baseman on the forty man roster. If the Mariners decide to keep him and not resign either Alonso or Valencia the Mariners could go with Taylor Motter as the right handed hitter in a platoon situation if he is still with the club as the utility player. If he isn’t whoever is the utility player could do the same at first base. There is a good possibility that Vogelbach could be traded by the Mariners during the off-season. A lot will depend on how they feel about him as an everyday player at first base. With Nelson Cruz still being the designated hitter Vogelbach would have to wait another year at least to fill that spot. Cruz has one year left on the contract he signed with the Mariners as a free agent. Depending on he does in 2018 the Mariners will have the choice whether to bring him back in 2019 or not. At this point Cruz is not looking at slowing down.

Former Mariner Logan Morrison who had his best year in the majors with the Tampa Bay Rays is a free agent as well. I am not sure whether the Mariners will look at bringing him back or not. Although I like the guy I am not sure whether I would want him once again. Whatever the case it still comes down to how much money the Mariners have for pitching and who they can go after. Go M’s.

Seahawks Beat Giants

The Seattle Seahawks Friday afternoon beat the New York Giants in New Jersey 24-7. The Seahawks have never lost in the stadium there.

Again the Seahawks had trouble offensively in the first half. This time though Jimmy Graham dropped to passes one in the end zone and the other was a long side line pass. Both of them went right threw his arms. He did make up for it by catching a touchdown in the second half in the same way the pass in the first half went through his arms. The Seahawks offense looked totally different in the second half. What made things alright was the defense who gave up seven points however that was after a Thomas Rawls fumble.  

Coach Pete Carroll continues to say they want to be a running team however they continue having problems doing so and then they have to rely on the passing game. One of the running backs has to step up because it is important that the running game is successful if they are going to get off to a good start. This will allow the passing game to improve as well. The only thing that really helped them out in this game though they looked terrible in the first half they at least had the ball a lot longer than the Giants did. I believed this helped them become successful in the second half as well.

Right now the Seahawks are being given six points over the Houston Texans who they play next week in Seattle. Not a large amount as a favorite. They give the home team three points for playing on their field so that leaves three points if you look at that way. So according to the so-called experts the Seahawks are not favored by much. This means that they have to get going in the first quarter for the first time this season. It would be nice to get a touchdown or at least a field goal in their first possession of the game. The offense can depend on the defense to continue bailing them out.

In baseball the World Series starts Tuesday night with the Houston Astros against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. This should be an interesting and outstanding series. I am not rooting for either team however I may root for the team that wins the first game. In any case it will be good to have an exciting series. One thing I do know that we can measure how much more the Mariners will have to improve to make it to the Series next year or after that. The first thing is get into the playoffs whether they get to the series or not. We may have to see them make baby steps. My next report on the Mariners will be about the first base position and after that I will go into the starting pitching. There won’t be any action during the Series on transactions by the Mariners however we should find November to be interesting. Dipoto has made his multi-player trades so far in November. So put on your seat belts and go M’s.

Seahawks Offensive Line and More

Again this season like several before the question is the offensive line. In past years it had a lot to do with the passing game while this season so far it looks more like the running game. So the big question is the problem with the line or the running backs.

Rookie Chris Carson seemed to be able to do a good job when he was in the game and then he was hurt. He is now out for some time. He may come back near the end of the season. Thomas Rawls who has been hurt more than healthy hasn’t done the job and Eddie Lacy hasn’t done the job either.

We look at two other runners as well. J.D. McKissic seems to be doing the job in limited action coming in on third downs primarily. He has taken the place of C.J. Prosise who does a great job when he is able to stay healthy. His problem is that he hasn’t been able to. The Seahawks believe he can be the everyday back as well but we wonder since he isn’t able to stay healthy.

The Seahawks are going to be without Luke Joeckel on the line for the next four to six weeks. At least that is the estimated time anyway. The questions will the line be better or worse without him. Most likely we won’t be able to tell for a couple or three weeks. So our answer about the running game will still be in question. The passing game could be worse without Joeckel as well. Other words Russell Wilson could be running for his life. Whatever the case is the running backs have to setup. I figure if Marshawn Lynch can work with a mediocre line than these others guys need to try. I believe the Seahawks signed Eddie Lacy because they thought that he was the Lynch type. If he isn’t than they need to look to replace him.

In other news Cliff Avril was put on the injured reserve which means he is likely done for the season. He is thinking whether the injury will keep him out the rest of this season or for his career. We do hope that he returns because he is a good guy besides a good player. Frank Clark who has been in reserve looks like his replacement for now. The Seahawks are hoping that he steps up to another level. They believe he is capable of doing so. Michael Bennett is expected to play however I am sure his time on the field will be limited to his toe injury.

I was surprised the New York Giants won their first game of the season last Sunday over the Denver Broncos after having so many injuries the week before. This shows the Seahawks can’t take them lightly especially on the road. The Seahawks have struggled on the road though they did beat the Rams in Los Angeles. I thought it was a lucky win and the Seahawks need to start off faster than they have been to be sure of a victory. Go Hawks!!

The Mariner Minor Leagues

                                       Kyle Lewis Mariners Number One pick in 2016 and
                                       number one prospect


 

The Seattle Mariners minor leagues are the players they use to develop for the major league squad or for trading to get established players that they are in need of.

Under Jack Z. and Bill Bavasi the farm system was terrible. Actually Bavasi was the main celebrate just Jack Z wasn’t able to turn things around. The Mariners are hoping to now under Jerry Dipoto. The Mariners have developed a few pitchers however in recent times Kyle Seager and Mike Zunino have been the only everyday players that made it to the major leagues. In the year that Kyle Seager was drafted the only other player to make it to the major leagues was Dustin Ackley who was the second overall pick in that draft. He wasn’t a success because most believe he was rushed to the major leagues too fast. This last season he played at  the Los Angeles Angels triple A team so he trying to make back to the major leagues. Zunino most feel he was rushed to the major league as well by Jack Z because of the lack in catching the Mariners have had. In 2016 the Mariners had Zunino play most of the season at triple A until there was an injury to the backup catcher. He started 2017 in Seattle but was sent down in May for almost three weeks because he started off slow batting way below .200 and having one home run. When he returned he had a good rest of the season though he had times where he struggled again. In June he was the Mariners hottest hitter though he tailed off in July and August but had a good September. He ended the season with twenty-five home runs. Some are wondering whether the Mariners should sign him to an extension. My answer would be no until at least May. The Mariners should see whether he can start off the season where he left 2017. If he can I would consider signing him to an extension in the middle of the season.

Right now the Mariners have ten pitchers in their top thirty prospects. The rest of them are mostly infielder and outfielders. Andrew Moore who came up a couple times during 2017 is not considered one of the prospects and likely because he pitched too many innings. Kyle Lewis the number one prospect who is an outfielder and drafted number one in 2016has had some injuries since signing with the Mariners. The number three prospect is 2017 top draft pick first baseman Evan White who struggled with injuries as well when he signed. My thought is the Mariners should think first before sending their top picks to minor leagues after signing since it has been a problem. I would have them work out in Peoria until at least the Arizona Fall League or the next spring training. 

Right hander Nick Neidert who is the number two prospect spent most of the season at single A Modesto though he did end the season at double A. I wouldn’t be surprised if he starts the season at double but then is promoted to triple A Tacoma. Sam Carlson who was the second draft pick in 2017 struggled with injuries as well. He was drafted out of high school so we won’t see him any time soon.

Outside of the top four prospects I would have no problem trading any of them since the odds are great that they won’t make the majors unless it is Daniel Vogelbach at first base besides the pitchers. The players the Mariners in the past they traded that were mistakes like Jose Cruz and Jason Veritek were top draft picks.  We just hope that the Mariners can develop more players that make the start lineup. Go M’s.  

Huskies and Cougars Both Lose

Last week the Huskies and Cougars made the top ten in the national poll for the first time ever. I am sure no one expected that they both would lose this weekend though they were on the road.

The Cougars was the biggest surprise to me since the Huskies had beaten the California Bears by such a large margin though it was in Seattle. The Cougars lost because a lot of turnovers. The Huskies had a closer game against Arizona State in Phoenix losing 13-7. Arizona had a thirteen to nothing lead in the first half. Not a big surprise because the Huskies have had trouble coming out of the gate in most of their games. I expected that they would rebound in the second half to win the game however that didn’t happen.

I am not surprised that Coach Peterson of the Huskies was upset by having to play a late game. This time I would be angry to because ESPN scheduled two games in a row at 7:45 pm Pacific Time. I could understand playing one game that late but two in a row is not fair. Of course both teams had to play at night and they are not accustomed to play late games.  We know it is about the ratings and the money for sure. It is interesting to think that the ratings are so high when it is so late on the east coast.

Both teams playing rivals from the south division means that they still have  the chance to win the north division if they win the remaining games meeting up to the Apple Cup. The Huskies win all the games including the Pac 12 championship they should find their spot in the final four again.

The Huskies have a bye week coming up and don’t play again until Oct. 28 at home against the UCLA Bruins and then the following week they are at home against the Oregon Ducks. The Cougars take on Colorado who the Huskies beat next Saturday and then on the road to Tucson where they play Arizona. What we have to see is how both teams recover after losing this weekend.

The Seattle Seahawks have a bye this week. They took off the week from practice however will be back on Monday. The key now is whether they can get the running game going at the beginning of the first quarter. What makes this interesting to me is that the running game should be the strength of the offensive line over passing so we hope they can get things into gear. I am not sure who is starting right now but Thomas Rawls and Eddie Leacy both should see action. Also C.J. Prosise might be back to see action as the third down back.

On the defense Cliff Avril will continue to be out and not sure when he will return and Michael Bennett will likely be out as well. How long he will be we might not know until sometime this week.

The Seahawks take on the Giants in New Jersey next Sunday. The Giants haven’t won a game yet and in their last one they lost several receivers. The Seahawks should win but never can count out any team. The following week they will be home against the Houston Texans.    Go teams!

Seahawks Win on Sunday Have Bye

The Seahawks on Sunday went down and beat the Rams in Los Angeles 16-10. I know some people were excited that they won however I wasn’t a big fan of the game. The reason was the running game was non-existent and the defense though they had their moments with turnovers had problems stopping the Rams on third down and long. It is going to be a long season if this turns out to be a pattern.

The Seahawks one the game partly because of the defense and luck as well. It was a good win because they have had problems being the Rams of late and keeps them in first place.

The positive side though they do have bye this week where the players can get away for a little while and get refocused for the rest of the season;  also will help with those who have nagging injuries and guys like Michael Bennett who might be out for a few weeks.

It is important for the Seahawks to win some games on the road to make the playoff and have home court advantage. The next game will be on October 22 playing the New York Giants on the road. The Giants currently haven’t won a game and are dead last in the NFC East.

The Giants lost their last game on Sunday to the Los Angeles Charles 27-22. They lost several receivers in the game including Odel Beckham Jr and Brandon Marshall who will be lost for the season. The Giants will be playing Denver on the road this Sunday so the Seahawks will have rest while they will play. There will be likely the Giants will have six losses before facing Seahawks. Since the road games are important the Seahawks can’t take the Giants lightly especially one that hasn’t won a game.

I hope to see the Seahawks get off to a better start against the Giants and that the defense will not give up so many big plays on third down and long. This is a game where turnovers could help out the Seahawks a lot. We should know about the injured Seahawks and more when the get back to practice after taking some time off. Go Hawks!

Mariners 2017 Report Card #3

I have to stay this is probably the easiest part of the report card to write about because the designated hitter and the outfield were the successful part of team in 2017.

The Designated Hitter :  Nelson Cruz was the primary designated hitter where he played in 155 games. Most of the seven games he didn’t play in were because the Mariners played inter-league on the road and he did play in right field in five games. At age 37 he isn’t slowing down and he just missed hitting at least forty home runs in four straight years. In 2017 he had 39 home runs and drove in 119. The 119 runs batted in were the most he had in the same period of time. He did have a period time where he wasn’t getting home runs however he still was driving in runs which are the most important thing. This was likely because Jean Segura was the primary leadoff hitter along with Ben Gamel and Mitch Haniger being the main guys in the number two spot. Cruz has one more year on his contract that he signed with the Mariners as a free agent on a four-year contract. It will be interesting what will the Mariners do if he has another year like he has had and not slowing down at all. Would not surprise me if they sign him to a two-year contract with an option for a third; what made Cruz willing to be the full-time designated hitter this year over any of the past years is that he knew the younger outfielders the Mariners have are better defensively and at dh he would stay healthy though he did wrestle with some nagging injuries but he is as tough as they come. He was the Mariners player of the year and named to the all-star game though he didn’t play in the game. I grade him an easy A the only player on the team.

Outfield: This group I will grade on each one and not as a whole group.

I will start with Leonys Martin who had a disappointing season for the Mariners including being designated for assignment twice. When he passed through waivers the first time he spent almost all season at Tacoma where he played well but couldn’t apply it to Seattle. He did have flashes at the plate and his defense was good. It was a disappointment as well because he was such an important part of the 2016 team and all the players liked him very much. After his second designated for assignment he was picked up by the Chicago Cubs as an extra outfield. His batting average for the Mariners was .174 in 34 games and he had only three home runs along with eight runs batted in. With the Cubs he was a pinch hitter and his average was even lower. His career is at cross roads however I am sure someone will give him a try out in spring training if it isn’t the Cubs. I don’t want to give him an f so the next closest thing is D minus.

Ben Gamel is next because I decided to go left to right. He played more left field than anyone though he started the season in Tacoma because he was outplayed by Heredia during spring training. He was recalled from Tacoma on April 26 and made immediate impact. For about three months he hit over .300 while batting first or second in the lineup most of the time. Against lefties he was moved down to seventh or eighth in the order. Not only was his hitting very well his defense was spectacular at times. A little Ken Griffey Jr not worried about crashing into the fences. Later in the season he started to slump which is understandable for a rookie and the pitchers starting to figure him out. Even during the slump periods he made some key hits as well. He ended with a solid .275 batting average with eleven home runs and fifty-nine runs batting in. Very good job for someone’s job is to get on base. So I give him a solid B on his report card and look for it to go up in 2018.

Next to look at Jarrod Dyson who started the season in left field as a platoon player than was switched back to his more comfortable position of center field when Leonys Martin was sent down to Tacoma. He platooned in left going against righties while Guillermo Heredia played against lefties. This continued when Dyson took over in center field though he did play against some lefties. It is easy to forget his accomplishments since he went out for the season with an injury that he had to have surgery on. He had just an average batting average going .251 and being a little below for his career however he had twenty-nine stolen bases to give pitchers fits on the base paths. He did have a career high five home runs as well. He will be a free agent going into 2018. Being injured in September the Mariners may be able to bring him back at a reasonable price if that is what they want to do. The Mariners present and future in the outfield are Haniger, Gamel and Heredia though they may decide to go out and get another outfielder with some power. All three of them may show more power into next season. Whatever the case the Mariners have a solid outfield. I gave Dyson a report card score of B.

Since I just brought him up the next one on the report card is Guillermo Heredia who played most of the season as the fourth outfielder and platoon player against lefties. He showed us that he may be the best defensive outfielder in the American League especially playing in left field. He played a solid center field as well but left field looks like where he really shines. His hitting started declining at the end of the season and we found out the last week of the season because of injury to his shoulder that he had most of the season. He will have surgery on that should and we hope will be ready when spring training begins. Whether he will be one of the three starters in the outfield next season or the fourth outfielder we expect more from him. Another good season from a rookie and his batting average for much of the season was in the mid two-seventies he ended with a .249 average. He had only one stolen base however I am sure that will improve next season as well. What I liked about Heredia besides his defense was that he seemed to always be in the middle of any rallies where the Mariners scored several runs in an inning. I give him a grade of B as well.

The next guy is Mitch Haniger who lived up to his billing coming out of spring training. Like the other guys plays solid defense in right field and had a good average as well along with power at the plate. He went on the disabled list on April 26 with a strained right oblique and returned about six weeks later on June 11. He struggle when he returned at the plate. He was hit in the face with a pitch and put on the disabled list again on July 30. His second return was on August 12. This time he fared much better and was one of the hottest hitters on the Mariners throughout September; his final stats for the season was a .282 batting average with sixteen home runs and forty-seven runs batted in. They look real good when you find that he played in only ninety-six games. Playing a full season he could hit more than thirty home runs for the Mariners so he could be the power hitter they are looking for. I give him a grade of B plus.

Final note: If the Mariners infield can play next season like the outfielders did both at the bat and in the field along with improvement by the pitching staff the Mariners should play in the playoffs for the first time in seventeen years. I don’t see them having that many injuries next year either. Best to Jerry Dipoto in getting players to fill the holes they have on the team. I will look at Mariners on a weekly basis including talking about transactions they have made. Go M’s.

Huskies and Cougars in Top Ten

I am sure it never has happened or at least in my life time anyway where the Huskies and Cougars will be in the top ten both at the same time. Wow!

I have to admit that I am not a big Cougar fan because I have always been a Huskies fan since I was about twelve. I used to listen to their games on the radio every Saturday since in those days not many games on television. I would occasionally listen to Bob Robertson on the Cougar broadcast. It is amazing he is still around though he isn’t the leading broadcaster any longer.

The Cougars played the Oregon Ducks in the first game in Eugene, Oregon. The Cougars had played all their games at home before this one so not sure how it would work on the road. Well I have to say they did just fine. They beat the Ducks easily 33-10.

What makes the Cougars better this year is that they play pretty good defense. How often would you see them give up ten points in the game? The Ducks didn’t have their starting quarterback playing and they aren’t good as they used to be however it is still good to see the Cougars play pretty good defense. Usually we haven’t had to worry about their offense. They went out and score more points than the other team in close games when winning.

The Cougars take on the California Bears next week in Berkeley. So they have now two road games in a row after playing five games in Pullman. The Bears will want to get into a big game with the Cougars after being beaten up by the Huskies in the late night game. The Huskies offense played a real good game however it was the defense that was the big story of the night. The Bears were only able to muster up 93 total yards in the game while Huskies had 377 yards. In fact freshmen tight end in coming out party Hunter Bryant had nine catches for 121 yards and a touchdown that he wrestled away from the Bear defender. The final score was Huskies 38 Bears 7. The Huskies defense shut out the Bears it was an offense turnover that gave the Bears their only score.

The Huskies next game will be on the road against Arizona State on Saturday October 14 and then they will have a break before facing UCLA at Husky Stadium on October 28.

Football Weekend

 I have withdrawals about the Mariners right now however maybe football will help me out. This weekend the Washington State Cougars lead it off with a game against the Oregon Ducks in Eugene Oregon. The Ducks aren’t the same team they were a few years back however this game should be exciting. It would be great for Coug fans if they have the same exciting game like last Friday against the USC Trojans where they narrowly beat them 30-27. This will be the first test for the Cougars on the road this season. The previous five games they were playing at home in Pullman.

The Washington Huskies play Saturday evening against the California Bears in Seattle. I don’t know that much about this year’s edition of the Bears but I do know that they have to know how to stop the run because the Huskies have been running the ball very successfully the last couple weeks at least. They have to know how to stop returner/wide receiver Pettis who has had a great season so far and no one hasn’t. The Huskies defense has been solid as well and getting better each week. The Huskies look like more of a balance team than last year.

The Seahawks will be taking on the Rams in Los Angeles. We hope they play the Rams better than have in recent years. At least it will not be a home field advantage. The Seahawks will be without four players including defensive end Cliff Avril. At this point no one knows whether Avril will return this season or ever. We are hoping he does because not only he is a good player but an outstanding player.

We hope now that all three teams will win their games this weekend. It would be quite the bonanza if they do. Go teams!

Mariner Report Card #2 2017 Season

Now I am going to look at grading the catcher’s position and the infielders for the Mariners. There will be a #3 that will cover the outfielder and designated hitter.

Catcher:  This position is hard to grade because Mike Zunino had an inconsistent season however I will grade for the whole. Mike had a terrible April hitting so far below the Mendoza line (under .200) that the Mariners sent him down to triple A Tacoma where he played in twelve games with five home runs and a batting average of .293. In return he had a really good June however he was inconsistent in July and August but had a good month in September as well. For the Mariners he played in 124 games with a batting average of .251 for the season and twenty-five home runs and sixty-four runs batted in. Also he had the same amount of doubles. Carlos Ruiz was the primary backup catcher over the season though he started more games when Zunino was at Tacoma. He played in a total of 54 games with a .216 batting average. Though he had a low batting average he did have his moments during the season. He will become a free agent and is not expected to return next season. My grade for the catcher’s position I will go with C plus however if Zunino can have a season like he did from June through September over a whole season next year the grade will be higher for sure next time.

First Baseman: This is another interesting position where Danny Valencia was the primary first baseman until the Mariners acquired his best friend Yonder Alonso in August from the Oakland A’s for outfielder Boog Powell who had played most of the year at Tacoma when the trade happened.  Valencia had a poor start to the season in April however it was on high side the rest of the way until Alonso was acquired. Not only did Valencia hit well he played a pretty good first baseman something special for a player who had played only a little in his career before 2017.  The Mariners expected that Valencia would platoon with left handed hitter Daniel Vogelbach in spring training however he was sent to Tacoma instead where he spent the whole season until call ups in September. Valencia had a decent season hitting for batting sixth or seventh in the lineup most of the year. When Haniger was out he batted second in the lineup often against lefties. His batting average could have been a little higher he batted .256 along with fifteen home runs and sixty-six runs batted in. His batting average was lower than in 2016 however he drove in more runs and probably the reason that was those who were ahead of him in the lineup with the Mariners over the A’s.  The Mariners started platooning at first base when Yonder Alonso came over from the A’s in August. In forty-two games with the Mariners his batting average was the same as with the A’s but his home runs were down more like in his previous seasons. I am sure some of that had to do with the ballparks and becoming adjusted to a new team. Both Valencia and Alonso will now be free agents going into 2018 whether both will be back or one or neither we will see. The cost of signing Valencia I am sure will be less than that for Alonso but it will depend on Dipoto’s thinking. Most likely if one of them is signed by the Mariners they will be the everyday first basemen. If both of them return they will probably be platooned or Valencia will play more outfield. More of that in report card #3 and I will give a grade of b minus at first base.

Second base: Since 2014 when the Mariners signed Robinson Cano as a free agent he has played almost every game without missing much action. This is how it went in 2017 that he played in one hundred and fifty games only missing action in May when he went on the ten day disabled list. He had a solid first half being named to the all-star team in which he was MVP. His second half wasn’t as spectacular as the first half. The Mariners showed how important it was to have him in the lineup since they didn’t do well when he was on the disabled list. Utility player Taylor Motter played when Cano was out. Cano had a solid .280 batting average though it was low for him and he drove in nearly one hundred runs for the season though his home run numbers were down. He had twenty-three homers for the season which is pretty good for second basemen. In fact in September he became only the third second basemen to hit three hundred home runs for a career. Most likely when his career is over he will be the all-time second basemen in home runs. His defense was not at the same caliber we are used to seeing either however that could be because of injury or age. We won’t truly know until we see him play in 2018. Since he did play in the all-star game my grade for him is a B.

Third Base: This is another position where the Mariners have a player that misses very few games in a season. I would call him reliable in Kyle Seager. His statistics look good for 2017 however I am not sure if he had that good of a season. Again he started out slow in April though his hitting was better than it was the year before in April. His fielding I am not sure was that good as in past years though he still made a lot of outstanding plays but made mistakes in crucial times. He wasn’t playing at all-star caliber that is for sure. What we hope for that it was a down year in a successful career.  Seager had twenty-seven home runs and thirty-three doubles but his batting average was .249. His home runs total was the second highest of his career but I think it is when you hit them and what meaning do they have when it comes to winning baseball. I am sure hitting behind Nelson Cruz is much different than it would be if he were hitting in front of him like Cano does. I hope he rebounds for a better season in 2018. I am sure if he does the Mariners should make the playoffs unless the pitching is worse than it was this year. Being the senior player on the Mariners that is under 30 years old it is time that he shows more leadership and not leave it to Cruz and Cano. That is what I believe anyway. So my grade for Seager is C.

Shortstop: Jean Segura was the primary shortstop on the Mariners playing in one hundred twenty-five games. I am sure the Mariners hope in 2018 he will be closer to playing in one hundred and fifty games. Segura went on the disabled list twice to miss most of the games he didn’t play in. The first time he was placed on the disabled list was early April and returned after a rehab assignment two weeks later and then the second time was in June. He went on another rehab assignment again missing out almost three weeks. Utility player Taylor Motter whose natural position is shortstop filled in for Segura. The first time around he hit well but not so much on the second occasion however his defense was good. The Mariners were so happy with Segura that in May they signed him to a seven-year contract extension. He not only plays good defense and hits well he is the best leadoff hitter the Mariners have had in some time. He can bat second pretty well to if the Mariners were able to find even a better leadoff batter. For the season he ended up batting .300 after leading the National League in hits in 2016. It is quite the accomplishment because the Mariners have had history of players coming over from the National League who have not played well at all. I give Segura and the shortstop positon an A minus for the season. Next report card will be on the designated hitter and the outfielders. Go M’s.

Mariner 2017 Report Card

Now to look at the 2017 edition  of the Seattle Mariner season and their final record was 78-84. With so many injuries to the team and having to use forty pitchers it seems to be an OK season other than everyone was hoping that the Mariners would finally make the playoffs. They actually still had a chance to make it despite the injuries going into September. Up until the last two weeks of the season they were fighting for the second wild card spot. These two last weeks on the surface it didn’t look like the injuries that allowed them to come up short however I am sure they still had an effect anyway. The starting pitching that was the major cause for the team to be inconsistent all year long actually performed well in September. It was more the bullpen, the offense, defense and base running that kept them to finally get into the playoffs. The starting pitching though caused the bullpen and the offense to slide in September most likely of stress and burnout. The defense that was performing good most of the season didn’t perform at the same rate in September. Why that is anyone’s guess and probably has in part the reason Tim Bogar and Casey Candaele were released of duties on Tuesday. The base runnings had issues throughout the season and since Candaele was in charge of it another reason for his demise. Jerry Dipoto said that the upcoming spring training working on base running will be very important. Often little things that we may not see can make a difference on a team winning or losing. Although so many injuries can cause the reason a team to have a losing record and not make the playoffs I have to give the team report card a C minus. Next I will break things down by pitching and positions.

Starting pitching: This could be the hardest one to give a report on it other than all season the Mariners had to deal with seventeen different pitchers too start. Only one pitcher made all his starts until the last couple weeks of the season because I believe of burnout and that was Ariel Miranda. Actually he didn’t pitch very well for the last two months of the season but the Mariners had to keep him going since they had little choice. He actually was expected to start the season at Tacoma however the injury to Drew Smyly that turned keeping him out all season and possibly all of 2018 ended up going 8-7 with an era of 5.12. Miranda’s biggest issue was that he gave thirty-seven home runs in thirty-one games in which he started the team high twenty-nine games. I am sure this will be what he has to work on during training camp.

James Paxton who is now called the Big Maple was the Mariners pitcher of the year. His record for the year was 12-5 in twenty-four starts. He missed about a month of service being on the disabled list in August.  Andrew Albers who the Mariners picked up from the Atlanta Braves when Paxton went down is a fellow Canadian. He went into the rotation starting six games in a total of nine games with a record of 5-1 with an era of 3.51. So between Paxton and Albers they had a record of 17-6. That means the rest of the pitching staff went 61-78. The only pitcher in the original rotation in spring training Yovani Gallardo started twenty-eight games second to Miranda had a poor season having a record of 5-10. He was sent to the bullpen on two different occasions. The Mariners were hoping that he would rebound after having a poor season last year with the Baltimore Orioles. He actually pitched well when he was in the bullpen. I am sure the Mariners will not ask him back next season. Felix Hernandez was hurt for more than half of the season missing ninety games. On Tuesday Dipoto said that they would have to monitor his pitching next season. We hope that he isn’t injured next year. Having the chance that returns close to his previous form is unlikely however can be done except he will look like a different pitcher.

The Mariners picked up Erasmo Ramirez and Mike Leake in August to help down the stretch and for 2018. Leake’s performance will give him the chance to be one of the Mariners top three starting pitchers heading into next season. Ramirez will have the chance to crack the starting rotation as well. He could end up in the bullpen as well. So I will give the starting a report card of C minus although they had little control over it.

The Bullpen:    This had a lot of changing parts over the season. The Mariners had forty pitchers used over the season and seventeen were used in the starting rotation so the rest were in the bullpen though several were used both starting and relieving. For most of the season the Mariners kept bringing relief pitchers up and down between Tacoma and Seattle. These were mostly long relievers because the starters were going five or six innings at the most. When this was going on the long reliever would be up for one relief outing and then sent back down to Tacoma. This wasn’t a bad idea so the bullpen would not be over used. This worked out for most of the season however September the key relievers didn’t have a good month not pitching well most likely because they were over used. Manager Scott Servais tried to use them only when the Mariners were ahead in the game. This is what happened with Nick Vincent who had a good season going into September especially in Safeco Field but performed poorly when the Mariners really could have used him in September. It did not help that Dave Phelps who the Mariners picked up from Miami in August ended up going on the disabled list twice and then had to have surgery to end the season. Mainly because of the first half of the season I give the bullpen a rating of C.  My next post about the report card will be the catchers and the infield.                                 

Mariners Make Changes in Coaching Staff

Before I was able to give out my report card for 2017 the Seattle Mariners announced Tuesday morning changes to the 2018 coaching staff; Tim Bogar who was the bench coach and Casey Candaele the first base coach will not return next season. Like always there is speculation why they are not coming back. Were they fired and released of their duties or did they ask to be released. We may never know or we will be told in days ahead. In Bogars case he might be looking for manager’s position. He was a finalist for the Mariners job and he managed the Texas Rangers on interim basis.

Bogars duties besides being bench coach he worked on the infield defense. What I have seen when it comes to defense on the infield Kyle Seager hasn’t performed as well since he won the gold glove. The last two years he has made more errors especially in critical times. Robinson Cano didn’t do as well this year either. Whether Bogar had anything to do with it we don’t know at all but could have been the reason he is no longer around.

Candaele worked with the outfield were among the best in the American League however he was in charge of base running as well. This was an area that the Mariners have been the weakest in the last several years even before Servais became manager and this could have been his demise.

Manny Acta who was third base coach now takes over Bogars spot as bench coach. Also he will be working with the infielders and defensive positioning. Scott Brosius who was Edgar’s assistant as hitting coach will take over as third base coach and will work with the players on base running. I expect this will be a big emphasis in spring training. On his last radio show of the season this is what he indicated any way.

Edgar and Mel Jr will be returning as hitting and pitching coaches. You have to give Edgar a lot of credit on how Zunino improved over the season along with the other players. The Mariners are expected to name another assistant coach and that should be helping Edgar once again.

I felt that Mel did an outstanding job as pitching coach especially with so many injuries to the starters and having to go with forty pitches in all. Many of those pitchers Mel had no experience with them before this season. I am sure he will look forward to having fewer changes in the pitching staff next season.

Nasusel Cabrera will return but not necessarily as the bullpen coach the position he took over around mid-season when Mike Hampton resigned. He will be up as one of the candidates for bullpen coach but the Mariners may put him in another position as well.

Chris Prieto who was special projects coach was promoted to be first base coach for the Mariners. It will be interesting if someone will fill his spot as special projects coach. We know at this time an assistant coach and bullpen coach will be added on.

We won’t be really able to know whether these changes will improve the Mariners next season however I am sure they will. Like stated earlier the Mariners will need to improve on base running and infield defense. I believe that Jean Segura had a solid season at shortstop better than I think any of us expected after playing second base at Arizona. Danny Valencia played a solid first base before Yonder Alonzo came in August that turned Valencia a part time player for the remaining of the season. Besides playing first base Valencia did see some action in right field. In fact the offense at times looked good when Alonso and Valencia were in the lineup at the same time.

Anyway I will start the report card of the 2017 this week unless the Mariners make other transactions over the next few days. So best of luck to Bogar and Candaele in their future endeavors.  

  

 

Mariners Lose Final Seahawks Win Though

I am sure we all would have liked the Mariners win Sunday’s game to end the season however on a good point James Paxton shutout the Angels out for six innings giving up only three hits and nine strike outs. I am sure under other circumstances he would have stayed in the game.

Shae Simmons who was injured most of the season came in and gave up four of the six runs scored in the seventh. Didn’t do well for his chance to make the team next season and then James Pazos gave up the remaining two runs and then the Mariners scored a run in the eighth inning with Mike Marjama hitting his first major league home run. He will have a chance to be the Mariners backup catcher next season. I don’t think Ruiz will be back. Of course Zunino has the chance to continue to be the regular catcher however with Dipoto we never know. I am sure we will see more trades during the off-season. We all know they will go after getting more starting pitching. The bullpen wore out in September. I will have my final report card coming out this week.

Now about the Seattle Seahawks and their game against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night football; it was about a tale of two different half’s. The first half nothing went right and they were trailing 15-10 while the second half they couldn’t do much wrong though they did have some injuries and a turnover by Russell Wilson. Everything else made up for it. Have more about Carson’s injury in the next couple days. Also about the running back that came alive as well. The Seahawks may have a good running attack if someone can stay healthy. I first thought to say everyone stays healthy but someone sounds better and more sure thing.

I am sure every fan is getting tired of the Seahawks slow start however the second half was like the old days especially on the defense side with turnovers.

For those who didn’t watch or hear the game the Seahawks scored the first touchdown to make the score 18-15 after a two point conversion that happened after a penalty on the Colts when making the extra point. After the Seahawks made turnover the Colts tied the score 18-18 however that was it for the Colts. The Seahawks scored a team record 28 straight points to win 46-18.

The second half was a whole different ball game that was for sure. We hope that the Seahawks will continue on the roll. The problem though they play the Rams next week in Los Angeles. Two issues is that the Seahawks are having problems starting on the road and the other is the Rams in themselves. We all hope that the Seahawks can overcome both. Until tomorrow about the Seahawks depending on injured reports and I will do a separate post for the Mariners final report card. Have yourself a great day everyone.