Paxton Makes First Spring Training Start

 The Seattle Mariners had split squad games on Wednesday. James Paxton who is expected to be the opening day starter though it hasn’t been made official yet and with the injury to Felix on Monday. The news right now is that Felix should be ready for opening day. When he makes his next start in spring training is not known at this time.

For those like Paxton who have already made the team the important thing is to just get in his innings and don’t get hurt either.  He pitched two innings gave up a double and a walk however no runs were scored. He was the starter against the San Diego Padres but the Mariners ended up losing 11-6.  The Mariners did take an early lead with Jean Segura hitting his first home run of the spring. The Mariners did start most of their regulars in this game. Not much happened with them outside of Gordon and Segura starting out the game.

The pitching besides Paxton and left specialist Marc Rzepczynski who pitched an inning after him the rest of the bullpen didn’t do a good job which I am sure we can all tell by the score. Christian Bergman who likely starts the season in Tacoma gave up six hits and five runs in the fourth inning.  Lefty James Pazos who is expected to be in the bullpen to give up three runs in the top of ninth inning before being taken out with two outs.

Andrew Moore who is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation didn’t do himself any favors by giving up six runs on seven hit in one and a third innings starting the game and the Mariners went on to lose 14-9. The rest of the pitchers used are not expected to make the Mariners opening roster.

The Mariners did start that game off in the top of the first when centerfielder Braden Bishop out of University of Washington hit a double and a home run from Andrew Romine who is competing for the utility role with Taylor Motter. Actually Motter hit a two-run double in the top of the first as well. It put the Mariners up 6-0 however Moore gave up two runs in the first and four more in the second to tie the game. The Royals scored six more runs in the third inning to make it 12-6. The Mariners scored a run in the top of the sixth on a home run by Gordon Beckham who played second base has an outside chance to be the utility player and he will likely start at Tacoma adding depth to the position.  The season will start four weeks from tomorrow (Thursday) so still time to see who makes and who does not.

Ariel Miranda will make his second start of the spring Wednesday. He struggled a little bit in the first game but didn’t give up a run. Right now with Erasmo Ramirez out and no status on him at this point Miranda is competing for the fifth spot in the rotation. Being his second start he could go three innings this time out. The Mariners will face the Cleveland Indians.

Mike Leake will make his second start on Thursday against the Kansas City and then on Friday Marco Gonzales will take his second start against the Milwaukee Brewers. Relievers Dave Phelps and Tony Zych haven’t been put into games as of yet. The Mariners are taking time with them both because of off-season surgery. Outfielder Mitch Haniger hasn’t seen any action as well because of his sore right hand and needs to be cleared by the doctors before he can play in a game. First baseman Ryon Healy isn’t hitting yet but is taking grounds at first base however fellow first baseman did see action on Tuesday as designated hitter against the Royals. He scored on a run, no hits and walked twice before being replaced.

No announcement has been made who will pitch on the weekend but likely James Paxton will start on Sunday since it will be the fifth day after yesterday. Other words who will start in the place of Felix on Saturday isn’t known.

All we pray right now is that no one else will get hurt especially on the pitching staff the rest of spring training. Go M’s.  

In other local sports news the Washington Huskies men’s basketball Pac-12 regular season final two games happen this week. The Huskies will face the Oregon State Beavers on Thursday and Oregon Ducks on Saturday both at home. Next week will be the Pac-12 tournament. For the Huskies to make the NCAA tournament they need to beat the Ducks and Beavers at home along with showing well in the Pac-12 tournament. We are wishing them the best.

Nothing new on the front of the Seahawks other than general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll getting to together about what are on the plans coming up for the rest of the off-season. Nothing happens so far when it comes to player transactions at this time. I will do analysis when those things happen. Go Hawks.

Mariners Win Spring Training Opener

The Seattle Mariners won their spring opener on Friday over the San Diego Padres 3-2. Lead off hitter Dee Gordon started the game off by hitting a double. Shortstop Jean Segura drove him home with a single and then Kyle Seager who was batting third drove him in to make the score 2-0. I am sure we are hoping to see a lot of Segura driving home Gordon throughout the season or at least getting on base to for Robinson  Cano  to drive them how. Cano will be the primary hitter batting third during the season.

Starter Ariel struggled some in his outing especially in the first inning. He gave a run himself in the first to make the score 2-1 after one inning. Utility player Andrew Romine who started at second hit a double and scored the Mariners third run to take a 3-1 lead.  The Padres scored their second and last run in the eighth by shortstop Fernando Tatis off of reliever Shawn Armstrong who game up another hit in the game but did strike out three batters. Dan Altavilla finished off the ninth inning striking out three batters to get the save. This for sure gives him a good time to get a spot in the bullpen.

Andrew Moore who is competing for a spot in the rotation as well had a good outing going two innings. He gave up no hits but walked a batter but struck out three batters though. If he continues to pitch this way he should nail down the fifth spot in the rotation.

The Mariners take on the Chicago White Sox today at noon. This game and Sunday’s will be on Root Sports. Mike Leake will be starting for the Mariner. He likely will go a couple of innings as well. As far as the lineup goes Dee Gordon will be the only regular and the rest will be guys who may or may not make the team. Utility player Andrew Romine will start at shortstop while his main competition hold over Taylor Motter will play third base. Gordon Beckham who is a former major leaguer and a minor league invitee will start at second base.

Besides Dee Gordon the outfield will be made up of a couple guys who will try to make the squad as a backup however they are outside shots since Guillermo Heredia looks like he is ready to go after off-season surgery. In left field will be John Andreoli and right field Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Mike Marjama who the Mariners picked up at the end of last season and competing for the backup catcher spot will start there.

Mike Leake who the Mariners picked up from the St. Louis near the end of last season and might be either the second or third starter depending on how Felix Hernandez does started five games for the Mariners with a solid 2.53  earn run average. He did struggle some with the Cardinals with an era over four and a record of 7-12. He averaged pitching about seven innings a game in thirty-one starts  between both teams. His career in the major leagues he has been one of the best pitchers when it comes to starts and innings pitched. With the offense of the Mariners  along with going seven innings giving up four runs or less he should be a solid starter to go with James Paxton. If he can win between twelve and fifteen games for the Mariners that will help out the rotation for sure. Paxton and Leake should be able to keep the bullpen in check and not be used so heavily.  

It would be nice if the Mariners could pick up another pitcher like Leake. It could happen during the season if Felix gets hurt or struggles along with the fourth and fifth starters. Of course keeping Paxton healthy throughout the season is key for the Mariners to make into the playoffs. The Mariners can’t afford for any other the regulars to get hurt during the season as well. As long as everyone stays somewhat healthy the Mariners will have a good shot to make the playoffs. We all hope for the best and an exciting season. Go M’s.

Mariners Open Spring Game on Friday

On Friday the Seattle Mariners play their first spring training game against the San Diego Padres. Manager Scott Servais that since the regular players just started on Tuesday that not all of them will be in the lineup. He did announce a starting lineup of Dee Gordon in center and leading off. He will be followed by shortstop Jean Segura. Third baseman Kyle Seager will bat third and Mike Zunino at clean up. Ben Gamel will bat fifth and in left field followed by Daniel Vogelbach at designated hitter. The last three in the lineup will be Cameron Perkins in right field, Mike Ford at first base and ending with utility player Andrew Romine at second base. The Mariners have indicated three pitchers who will pitch in the game. It starts with Ariel Miranda and then Andrew Moore. A third pitcher will be Christian Bergman. With Erasmo Ramirez on the side lines right now this gives these three to show their stuff to make the rotation.

Far as major league experience Ariel Miranda has the most experience of the three. Last season he was supposed to start in Tacoma but because of injuries to the starting pitch for example Drew Smyly he started the season with the Mariners. He ended up starting more games than any other pitcher on the staff. He pitched in thirty-one games and started twenty-nine of them. There is a good possibility that Miranda could take Ramirez spot at the beginning of the season if he isn’t ready to go. Where the Mariners hope that Miranda improves is in giving up home runs. Last year he gave up thirty-seven home runs which was the most in the major league. We do see a lot of potential in Miranda so after having one full season under his belt he could be ready to do more. So Friday can be the beginning of it all. Miranda has a good spring and the Mariners feel he could be the fourth or fifth starter if Ramirez isn’t ready to start. In this case Ramirez could start the season in the bullpen. He has the most experience any of the guys who could be a long reliever since he spent time in the bullpen with the Tampa Bay Rays before coming back to the Mariners last year. Miranda could be the long reliever as well if Ramirez is ready to start. Whatever the case Miranda is help for the Mariners when it comes to depth.

Andrew Moore who is scheduled to pitch Friday as well is another one in the mix for the fifth starter. Last year was his first season pitching in triple A before being called up to Seattle. He had his moments in the starting rotation well as struggling. He is only twenty-three years old so if he has to spend another season in Tacoma the Mariners probably will benefit in the long run however he will probably make several starts for the Mariners over the long season. This is especially true if the Mariners do decide to go with a six-man rotation in the second half of the season.

The third one of the trio is Christian Bergman he started eight games for the Mariners and five other times in the bullpen. He is the longest shot to take Ramirez place in the rotation. Likely he will start the season in Tacoma unless he is released by the Mariners. Being in Tacoma his call up for the Mariners likely will be as a long reliever because they need a fresh arm or for a spot start. I am sure the Mariners hope this will not need to take this season.

No other pitchers were announced to pitch in the first game. Miranda, Moore and Bergman probably won’t pitch no more then two innings being the first outing for them all. Mike Leake will start on Saturday followed by Marco Gonzales on Sunday. Felix will make his first start on Monday and James Paxton on Tuesday. At this point all those who are in the competition to be in the five man rotation will have pitched. We will see how all these look after their first outings.

My next post will be after the Mariners first game against the Padres. Any additional news will be mentioned than if something happens. Go M’s.

Washington Huskies on the Road

Starting tonight Thursday the Washington Huskies men’s basketball team is on the road again this time in the Bay area first against the Stanford Cardinal and then the California Bears.

The Huskies lost two games on the last road trip in Oregon against the Ducks and then the Oakland State Beavers. This was after upsetting Arizona State and Arizona in Seattle. Going into that series they were in good position to make the NCAA tournament. The Huskies record right now are 18-9 overall with a record of 8-6 in the Pac 12. Earlier in the season they lost to the Cardinal in Seattle while beating the Bears. Last Saturday they beat Colorado in a lopsided game 82-59 after a three game losing streak.

The Huskies have four games remaining so if they split these games they will end with a record of 20-11 and a league record of 10-8. This could make it hard for them to make the tournament so winning three out of four would be the best answer. Also they could use winning a big game in the Pac 12 against a team like Arizona or UCLA.

The Huskies should beat California on Saturday however tonight’s game will be a tough game but they have won some good games so far this season. It is important that they split this series but be great if they can upset the Cardinal.

Next week the season ends with the Huskies face Oregon State Thursday afternoon and Oregon on Saturday afternoon. Whatever happens in these final four games plus the Pac 12 this will be a successful season for them. Having eighteen wins is twice as many as last season. New coach Mike Hopkins should be considered as coach of the year in the Pac 12. We hope the next couple weeks we will see a team that beat Kansas, USC, Arizona and Arizona State. We do so than postseason action should be for them. Go Huskies!

James Paxton

I am now going to look at James Paxton nicknamed the Big Maple” because he is tall at 6’4 and from British Columbia Canada. He is left handed and can throw hard like another former Mariner in Randy Johnson though he isn’t as tall.

The biggest thing against Paxton is that he has had a tendency to get hurt every year. This will be his third year in a row  where he should start at least twenty games. Last season he took over as the ace of the Mariners from King Felix. It is figured that he should start the season opener for the Mariners for the first time. There are some that say Felix will be offended  if Paxton starts however he needs to realize that he isn’t the ace any longer. On the other hand is it that important that the ace of the team starts the opener even though it has been traditional. Whether Paxton or Felix start the opener I don’t really care.

Actually I would look at how the rotation will look for the season. Most likely they will have three right handers in the rotation plus another lefty besides Paxton. The candidate will probably be Marco Gonzales so if Paxton is the opening starter than the rotation likely be Paxton, Felix, Mike Leake, Gonzales with Erasmo Ramirez in the fifth spot. The Mariners have three days off in the first week so the fifth starter may not go until the second time around. Really the schedule is weird because I see that the Mariners have the first two Fridays off in the season. I don’t remember teams ever taking Fridays off.

Until he was hurt I thought that Paxton had a chance to be in contention for Cy Young Award however he ended with a record of 12-5 in twenty-four starts. Also he had 156 strikeouts in 136 innings. Depending on his control he should be able to go at least seven innings because he can throw at least a hundred pitches. In fact he can stay strong that he should be able to go between 110 and 120 pitches. Often his fastball is as strong if not stronger late in games. Staying healthy is the key for him however if he can pitch thirty games depending on when or if the Mariners go to a sixth man rotation. Being a number one starter I would like him to go every fifth day even if the Mariners go to the sixth man rotation. A team is much better when their top pitcher goes as often as possible.

News came in after starting this story that Erasmo Ramirez will be shut for two weeks with a strained  right lat muscle. With this news could help someone like Andrew Moore and Ariel Miranda to take over the fourth spot in the rotation. If Ramirez isn’t ready to pitch in the rotation when the season begins he could have a spot in the bullpen. Another question will the Mariners look to go outside the organization to get another starter. We may know in a few days. This would depend to if another starter has an injury while in training camp. So could be a blessing in disguise if the Mariners decide to bring in another starting pitcher. Go M’s.

First Injury in Spring Training

It was reported on the first day of spring training that first baseman Ryon Healy had an injury to his right hand and had to undergo surgery. He will be out four to six weeks. This means that Mike Ford and Daniel Vogelbach will see additional action when spring training games begin next Friday. Also there is a possibility that the Mariners may have to bring in another first basemen. Outfielder Ben Gamel will see some action at first base too and probably utility player Taylor Motter. Nelson Cruz says that he did work out at first base during the winter so we may see a few innings from him too.

On the plus side all thirty-two pitchers and six catchers in camp passed their physicals. We hope that every pitcher will stay healthy through training though we know that a few may struggle. David Phelps and Tony Zych who had off-season surgery will be brought along slowly during spring training. Phelps especially the Mariners will want him to be ready when regular season begins.  Outfielder Guillermo Heredia is ahead of schedule after his off-season surgery on his shoulder. The Mariners are hoping for him to be the fourth outfielder sharing left field with Ben Gamel.  

The Mariners signed outfielder Junior Lake to a minor league contract. He could start the season in Tacoma unless he has outstanding spring training.

The pitchers start bullpen action today. They will be put into groups to throw. I am sure the Mariners will announce in a few days who will start the first spring game and the following few games after that.

In other local news the Washington Huskies take on Utah tonight in Seattle after losing two games in Oregon last week. The Huskies need to rebound to get into the NCAA tournament. On Saturday they take on Colorado who take on Washington State Cougars tonight in Pullman.

Right now it looks like Kam Chancellor plans to play this coming season for the Seahawks. No other news in the Seahawks  front right now however I will let you know when it does happen. We should see some transactions happening in the next few weeks.

Spring Training Begins

Today Wednesday February 14 is the beginning of spring training for the Mariners pitchers and catchers. Actually they will be going through their physicals so the actually throwing will not happen until Thursday though some may do so on Wednesday anyway.

The regulars will report next Tuesday February 20 and first game will start on Friday February 23 against the San Diego Padres. This is little early for the start of games because the season begins a few days early on March 29 in Seattle against the Cleveland Indians.

The starting rotation will have two spots fighting for the 4th and 5th spots. James Paxton, Felix Hernandez and Mike Leake have the top three spots. Things could change a bit if one of those three get hurt during spring training and not ready to go.

Erasmo Ramirez, Marco Gonzales and Andrew Moore are the three main candidates to fill the role of the 4th and 5th starter. If either Ramirez or Gonzales don’t make the rotation the one will be likely the long reliever in the bullpen. Ramirez who has had experience in the bullpen before could do more than be the long reliever. Gonzales is out of options so he would most likely be the long reliever if not making the rotation. The Mariners would have to put him on waivers and some other team likely pick him up. The Mariners could look at trading either of them as well if another team is needing a pitcher at the end of their rotation.

I am sure the Mariners will give Andrew Moore a real look to be in the rotation as well however he is only twenty-three years old and still has options available. He would likely go to Tacoma if he doesn’t make the rotation out of spring training. This would depend on other pitchers who are trying to make the staff or the Mariners trade or sign a veteran pitcher which is also possible.

Ariel Miranda who started more games than anyone last year could end up being in the rotation as well or be the long reliever too. Like Moore though he could start in Tacoma as well. The Mariners have talked about going to a six-man rotation some point during the season though it won’t happen at the beginning of the season because the Mariners will have a few days off in April. Having Moore and or Miranda in Tacoma will keep them available to take that spot. It is good idea to start either or both in Tacoma when the season starts because the Mariners will want to be sure they are able to pitch enough innings to start if called upon whether it has to do with going to six starters or because of injuries to one of the starters.

The bullpen likely will start the season with eight pitchers but would go down seven if they do go to a six-man rotation. Newcomer Juan Nicasio along with holdovers David Phelps, Nick Vincent and closer Edwin Diaz from the right side with lefties James Pazos and Marc Rzepczynski. So the Mariners will have one spot remaining for others to fight over besides the long reliever.

Far as the regular players the lineup is pretty much setup. The competition has to do with the backup. The Mariners have four catchers who will compete to makeup Mike Zunino. At this point hard to know whether the position will be the one that is the best hitter or defensively. The Mariners want to have someone that catches twice a week to keep Zunino in top shape and lot will depend on  his hitting as well.

With thirteen pitchers that are expected to be on the roster and the backup catching spot that leaves only two players on the bench. One of those should be Guillermo Heredia as the fourth outfielder unless he isn’t ready to go after off-season surgery. The other spot will be at utility player between newcomer Andrew Romine and Taylor Motter.

Although there isn’t very many spots to plug into the twenty-five opening day roster it will still be interesting to see who makes it. We do hope that everyone stays healthy or at the least fewer injuries unlike last year. I look forward to see Dee Gordon in his first outing at centerfield in spring training along with the looks of Felix and James Paxton. Also it would be good to see how Marco Gonzales and Andrew Moore both look after last year. It would be nice to see improvement from them. I guess it will be nice to see Mike Zunino not struggle at the plate going into the season. I wonder what the Mariners will do if he does struggle none of the backups have much or no major league experience. We know he should be fine behind the plate and the Mariners could use one of the bench players to pinch hit later in the games if necessary. All I know is that I don’t want to see him strike out when there are runners on base. I know even at his best it will happen once in a while I just don’t want to see it on a regular basis. The important thing is for Servais to know when to keep him in the lineup and when not to since he could be a streaky hitter as well.

I look forward to see what the next five weeks will be like going into the season. I hope our questions will be answered in a positive way. Go M’s.

King Felix

The Mariner pitchers along with the catchers report on Wednesday. We still have questions about the Mariners starting rotation which includes Felix Hernandez.

It is interesting to think of Felix Hernandez of being a question mark however the last two years puts him in that spot. He will be thirty-two in early April however unlike many pitchers who are in their prime Felix is on his down side it looks. He came up to the Mariners as a nineteen year old so he has a lot of use on his arm and the last two years he has struggled with injuries and two subpar seasons.

The Mariners coaching brass is hoping that he will be able to make a comeback. His fastball is not what it once was however he does have other pitches that could put him back among the best but the question will be if it happens.

Most seasons the Mariners have allowed working on his own schedule during spring training but this year looks to be different. According to Dipoto and Servais he will be in the mix with the other starters. Every year before Felix would not be in an exhibition game until about the last two weeks of spring training to be ready for being the opening day starter. I would not be surprised to see him in one of the early games this time for an inning or two. Also his string of being the opening day starter could be over and the spot go to James Paxton. Of course this will depend on Paxton as well since he has injuries himself in past seasons and struggled in spring training. The Mariners hope though that he will be ready to be the ace of the team.

There are some free agent starters still on the market so the Mariners could go after one of them especially if they get the pitcher at a lower rate including amount of years. Yu Darvish did sign a six year contract at $25 million per year with the Chicago Cubs  so hard to know at this point whether any of the other guys actually be willing to go lower however if they don’t sign this week that could change. I am sure some wish the Mariners could have signed Darvish at that amount but in my mind likely it would have cost the Mariners more money to get him somewhere around $28 million and he isn’t worth that amount.

I know that some fans wish that the Mariners would trade Felix however with his contract over $26 million per year I am sure no one would take him without the Mariners paying part of the salary. We all know that Felix is not worth that amount unless he finds his way back to resemble his old self in a way or at least pitching well with all his pitches.

Where he fits in the rotation will depend on how he does during spring training. Most likely he will be in the second or third spot in the rotation. Felix does have a lot of pride so I am sure he will want to get back to resemble the King in a way. What I hope for is that he doesn’t try to strike out a lot of hitters and go for grounders so he can throw about ninety to hundred pitches in at least six innings. Last year he was only able to start sixteen games having a record of 6-5 along with an era of 4.36. I am sure the Mariners would be overjoyed if he could start ten more games at least this season. Even with an era around four with the Mariners offense being improved that could go well for them.

If Felix gets hurt once again this season the Mariners are in trouble and Dipoto will have to go out get another starter. The Mariners have depth to replace a fifth starter in the rotation but not a number three starter. It would only be different if Erasmo Ramirez has a good season along with whoever is the fifth starter. So we hope to see you pitch well this year Felix. We don’t expect you being a number one starter however being a second or third starter would be fine with us. Go M’s.

Huskies Lose on the Road

Last week the Huskies were able to upset both Arizona and Arizona at home however this week things turned the tide. They went against the Ducks in Eugene, Oregon and then the Beavers in Corvallis losing both games.

On Thursday night the Ducks beat them by a large margin 65-40. This wasn’t a big surprise since they had to go on the road after having a big high however the Huskies lost Saturday night in Corvallis in two overtimes 97-94. The Huskies had a six point lead at half-time but the Beavers scored six more points in the second half. Both teams scored seven points in the first over time than the Beavers scored ten in the second over while the Huskies scored seven points. This game was close but the Huskies should have won this game. Now it makes it tougher for them to make the NCAA tournament. They come home to play Utah and then Colorado in games that will be tough however winnable. For them to really make the tournament they need to win four of the remaining six games to assure a spot in the tournament. The Pac 12 tournament after the season is over and they do well in it could put them in the NCAA tournament.

Even if the Huskies don’t make the tournament they have had a successful season after winning only nine games last season and at this point have won seventeen so that will be around twice as many victories.  

The state of Washington high schools always have talented players who in the past have gone else so if they can keep some of them home including away from Gonzaga the program under coach Mike Hopkins will grow where they can be in NCAA tournament every year. Go Huskies!

Mariners Outfield

This Wednesday the pitchers and catchers report to training camp. The regular players report the following Tuesday and the first exhibition game is on Friday February 23. With the season starting on March 29 the training games start early this year. So now a look at the outfield.

Although the regulars don’t have to report until February 20 many of them are in camp already including new center fielder Dee Gordon. When the Mariners traded for Gordon he started to learn his new position of centerfield. In the major leagues he was first a shortstop and then became a second baseman. With Segura and Cano at those two positions the Mariners the Mariners decided that they needed and outfielder especially in center they told Gordon that they wanted to have him in centerfield. He has been working out in Florida since being acquired by the Mariners with their outfield coach and has spoken with former Mariner and hall of famer Ken Griffey Jr. on how to play the position. The plan is that he will be the leadoff hitter as well since he has a lot of speed and led the majors in steals last year. He is a left handed hitter so he may be moved down in the order against tough lefties. With his speed and a good arm he should be able to cover center field however we will have to see.

While Gordon will play center field Ben Gamel who played most of last year with the Mariners as a rookie should start again in left field. He started last season in Tacoma losing out Guillermo Heredia as the fourth outfielder however when Mitch Haniger was hurt he came up to Seattle. He started hitting very well for some time though later in the season he struggled like most rookies. When Haniger came back from injury he stayed with the Mariners while Leonys Martin was struggling at the plate was sent down to Tacoma. Martin spend most of the season in Tacoma though he did come back up near the end of the season but again he struggled and the Mariners put him on waivers where he was picked up by the Chicago Cubs.  Gamel ended the season with a batting average of .275 with eleven home runs and fifty-nine rbi’s. Though he has a lot of speed he had only four stolen bases however I see him improving in that area. Most fans consider him low grade far as their outfielders go on the defensive side. I hope that he has worked on that side of the game too. I feel though if he improves his defense and hits about the same as last year he will be fine especially when he likely be batting ninth in the batting order.

Guillermo Heredia will come back to platoon with Gamel in left field along with being the fourth outfielder. He was one of the best defensive outfielders in the major leagues last year. On the offensive side he was often part of many rallies the Mariners were involved in last season before he had shoulder problems near the end of the season and had to have surgery. The Mariners feel he will be ready going into spring training. Like Gambel I figure he will have a good season coming up especially if he can stay healthy all year. He will probably bat at the end of the batting order as well when playing against lefties primarily. If Dee Gordon has some problem defensively in center field the Mariners may bring Heredia late in games especially if they are ahead. He was my favorite player on the Mariners last year and I hope the same this coming season.

Mitch Haniger returns as the everyday right fielder. He is considered among the top ten right fielders in the major leagues. He had a solid rookie season though he did struggle some when he came back from one of his two trips to the disabled list however he was one of the hottest hitters in September for the Mariners so if he can start off this season like he started last year and ended the season. Depending on how Gordon plays defensively in center field Haniger might play some time there as well. In ninety-six games he had sixteen home runs and twenty-five doubles along with a solid batting average of .282 and .352 on base percentage. If he can stay healthy for the season than he should have higher stats. He could become a big star for the Mariners. Right now he will bat sixth or seventh in the batting order. It will be either him or Ryon Healy back to back. Regardless who bats behind Kyle Seager they should be able to help one another out. Along with Mike Zunino they can have a lot of power in the bottom of their batting order.

If Heredia has a setback after off-season surgery the fourth outfielder could go to either utility player in Andrew Romine who they picked up off of waivers from the Detroit Tigers or return of Taylor Motter. Both can play the outfield well along with the infield though they are questionable when it comes to hitting. Romine is a switch hitter while Motter is a right handed hitter. Motter hit solidly when he played for shortstop Jean Segura went on the disabled list the first time however struggled later on and spent time in Tacoma. He could start the season in Tacoma if Heredia is ready to go when the season begins however if Romine struggles or someone goes on the disabled list whether an infielder or outfielder he likely would be the guy brought up.

The only other guy listed as an outfielder on the forty man roster is Cameron Perkins who they picked up off waivers during the off-season from the Philadelphia Phillies. He spent most of last season in triple A with a solid batting average but not much of a home run hitter. He hit seven home runs in the minors and one home run when he was called up to Philadelphia. Chances are that he will start the season in Tacoma. I would say he is there for depth and be sent up if someone in the outfield gets hurt.

The only other one on the forty man roster who could play outfield would be Nelson Cruz who will play most of his time at designated hitter. He may play right field when the Mariners are playing on the road when facing inter-league teams. Cruz said though he has been taking grounders at first base during the off-season so if he looks good there we may see him play there however that likely would be against inter-league teams as well.

So this the rap up of those who likely will be on the Mariners outfield at least it looks that way when spring training begins. I know I certainly like the look of Gambel, Gordon and Haniger along with Heredia in the outfield. Go M’s.  

Huskies Take On Ducks and Beavers

This week Thursday and Saturday night the Washington Huskies take on the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers. Also the Washington State Cougars take them on reverse order.

The Huskies last week swept both the Arizona schools in upsets while the Cougars are dead last in the Pac 12 lost to both teams. The Huskies were at the bottom of the league last year having been the surprise team this season under new coach Mike Hopkins. The Huskies currently are in third place in the Pac 12 behind Arizona and USC who they both have beaten.

Noah Dickerson who played exciting ball against both Arizona schools last week was named player of the week not only in the Pac 12 but in the whole NCAA. If the Huskies can split the series on the road than they will have eighteen wins heading into six remaining games on the season in the Pac 12. Next week they take on Utah and Colorado in Seattle followed by Stanford and California on the road. The last week of the season they finish off against the Beavers and Ducks in Seattle. The Stanford game will be the hardest one played in these eight remaining games on the road. The chances are good that they should win majority of these games however if they split half of them they will end the season with twenty-one wins. Whatever the case the Huskies will have a successful season and going to the NCAA tournament would cap it off for sure. If Richardson can continue his top play the rest of the way inside along with the rest of the guys than the Huskies have a really good shot continuing playing good defense along with the offense. Go Huskies!

Mariners Young Pitching

The Seattle Mariners primarily have veteran pitching on their staff however a look at some of their youth pitching heading into spring training. It will be interesting to see who makes the staff of the youth and who will start in the minor leagues.

The top of the youth of course is closer Edwin Diaz who will be starting his second full season after coming up in June 2016. He has a solid fastball that reaches one hundred miles an hour on a regular basis along with having a slider. His slider has been effective pitch after the hitter sees the fastball coming. When he has struggled a lot of it has been because of his slider especially against left handed hitters. Whether he will add another pitch we will have to see. Most closers go with only one or two pitches at the most. It is primarily the reason they went into the bullpen and then became a closer because as a starter they had trouble with a third and fourth pitcher. Diaz was a starter in the Mariner farm system when they decided that the best and fastest way for him to get to the major leagues was in the bullpen. In fact he never relieved until the 2016 season. So he pitched only two months in the minor leagues in relief before being called up. When he was brought up he did not start out as the closer the position belonged to Steve Cishek however when he struggled the Mariners decided to put Diaz in that role. He has been the closer most of the time ever since. This off-season the Mariners signed veteran free agent Juan Nicasio to a two-year contract. His primary role will be as a setup man in the eighth inning along with Nick Vincent however he will close when Diaz needs a day off and won’t be overused. Diaz is still only 24 years old so it is important not over use him.

Another pitcher in the Mariner bullpen is still young is lefty James Pazos who will turn 27 in May. He likely will be the second lefty once again this season.  He will probably be the first one out of the bullpen in the sixth or seventh inning. He is capable of going a full inning or longer if necessary.

In December the Mariners picked up another lefty on waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates Sam Moll who is twenty-six however his major league experience has been with the Oakland A’s. Unless he is a surprise most likely he won’t start the season in Seattle. He adds depth to the bullpen and could be added if there is an injury to the two lefties ahead of him.

Among the righties in the bullpen that is young once again we will see Dan Altavilla who is twenty-four years old and can throw the ball hard like Diaz. The Mariners don’t have much room in the bullpen however I am sure that Dipoto and Servais would like to make the roster. He could be someone that pitches an inning or two in a game as well. Depending in the situation he could come in anywhere from the sixth inning and on. His future could be the primary setup man and closer when needed but that might be another season down the road.

Another young pitcher in age any way however has pitched several years in the bullpen is Mike Morin. He is twenty-six years old and the Mariners picked him up on waivers as well from the Kansas City Royals. Dipoto is familiar with him because his career mostly has been with the Los Angeles Angels. He is another one that is here for depth purposes. Since the Mariners don’t have much room in the bullpen it is hard to say whether he will stick around or not. He is on the forty man roster however the Mariners could put him back on the waiver wire if they pick up another pitcher.

Now to the starting pitching the Mariners have primarily two young pitchers going for the fifth spot in the rotation. Whomever doesn’t get that spot may start the season as the long reliever in the bullpen.

The first one to look at is Marco Gonzales the Mariners picked up near the end of last season. He is a lefty who could match up well as the fifth starter since James Paxton is the only other lefty in the rotation. Gonzales is out of options as well so he could win the spot as the fifth starter because of that or be the long reliever in the bullpen. He turns twenty-six this month so he would be considered part of the Mariners youth movement. Right now the Mariners don’t have a lot in that area when it comes to youth and experience. Gonzales when coming to the Mariners had been a top prospect in the St. Louis Cardinals farm system however he had injuries so didn’t pitch a lot the last couple years before hand. Probably a good reason that the Cardinals were willing to move him; Dipoto seeing his potential felt it was good for the Mariners to pick him up since they don’t have a lot in their farm system when it comes to good young pitchers.

The other primary young pitcher to get the chance to be the fifth starter is Andrew Moore who is a righty and only twenty-three years old. If he doesn’t make the spot as the fifth starter they may decide to have him begin the season in Tacoma instead of being the long reliever in the bullpen. Being in Tacoma will probably be the best for him if he doesn’t open as a starter for the Mariners so he can still develop. He would be ready to go if called upon when a starter would be needed. I would not be surprised if Ariel Maranda starts the season as the long reliever. He could start the season in Tacoma like it was planned last year.

The Mariners have three young pitchers that showed some action last year and they will be showing in spring training this year but likely will start the season in Tacoma. Begins with Max Povse who the Mariners picked up in a trade last off-season from the Atlanta Braves in the Alex Jackson trade and he is considered the Mariners number six prospect. The Mariners tried to make him into a reliever however that was not successful last year so they are returning him to be a starter. The other two are Chase De Jong who the Mariners got from the Dodgers last year just before spring training started. He showed some signs last season started a few times because of all the injuries in the starting rotation. He could be used in long relief as well if Moore and Maranda start in Tacoma. The third guy is Rob Whalen who is twenty-four and the Mariners picked up from the Braves as well before the start of last season however he was out of action most of the year so the Mariners I am sure will like to see him pitch a full year in Tacoma or double A. Hard to know at this time where the Mariners see him for the future besides depth. He is considered the Mariners number seventeenth top pick. Besides Povse the only other top ten prospect in the pitching is Sam Carlson who is at number three and was drafted in the second round last June. He was in high school so it will be a few years before we see him in a Mariner uniform.  Anyway that is the look at the Mariners young pitching.

Huskies Win at Buzzer

The University Washington Huskies men’s basketball team had one of their best games of the season beating the Arizona Wildcats at home 78-75.

The Huskies had a good lead most of the first half ending at 35-28. They took the lead up to fourteen early in the second half however the Wildcats made their run and came back to be close around eleven minutes remaining in the game. Throughout the rest of the second half the game was very close and less than one minute to go the game was tied. The Huskies had the final shot at twenty-one seconds remaining. So with less than five seconds Jaylon Nowell tried to make an outside shot however Wildcat Deandre Ayton blocked the shot but it went right to Dominic Green who took the shot that swished right before the buzzer went off.

Whoever was going to lose this game it would be a tough loss. Fortunately the Huskies won the game. Noah Dickerson had the game of his life for the Huskies being dominating inside all game long.  He scored a high of twenty-five points with seven rebounds against Arizona. He looks like the key player for the Huskies the rest of the season. The Huskies do have a good tandem of guards but it is Richardson that will give success for the Huskies.

This coming week the Huskies will be going to Oregon to face the Ducks in Eugene and then Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis. Both of them lost on Saturday with the Ducks losing to Stanford 96-61 while the Beavers lost to the California Bears 74-70.

Arizona Wildcats are still at the top of the Pac 12 with a league record of 9-2 and overall 19-5. USC Trojans who lost to UCLA Saturday is still in second place followed by the Huskies. UCLA and Stanford are tied in fourth behind the Huskies. Going way down the Washington State Cougars are last in the Pac 12 with a league record of 1-8 and 9-12 overall. They take on Arizona State this afternoon in Pullman. This will be a tough game for the Cougars. The Sun Devils were 25^th ranked in the country before losing to the Huskies on Thursday. They are ninth in the Pac-12 going into this game behind Utah and Colorado. They will need to win all their remaining games it looks like for them to make the tournament. They have an overall record of 16-6 and 4-6 in the Pac 12. Go Cougars!   

Huskies Vs Arizona

The Washington Huskies take on Arizona Saturday night in Seattle. This will be a big game for both teams. The Huskies have won three games in a row and are in 3rd place in the Pac 12 men’s basketball standing with a league record of 6-3 and an overall record of 16-6. They have been outstanding at home 12-2 however won a big game early on the road beating Kansas.

Arizona is again in a spot they are used to being in. They are in first place with a league record of 9-1 and an overall record of 19-4. They are 12-0 at home and have one loss on the road. Former Husky coach Lorenzo Romar who was fired after last season when they one only nine games returns as an assistant with Arizona. I am sure the Husky faithful fans will give him applause. He had a pretty good coaching record with the Huskies up until the last five years and produced several players who went onto the NBA. It has been a while since the Huskies have made the NCAA tournament so I am sure it was his downfall well as having a poor team that finished last in 2017.

The Huskies hired former assistant coach Mike Hopkins from Syracuse. He has installed Syracuse 2-3 zone  defense that is now making the Huskies a team to reckon with. I am sure that defense will get even better for the Huskies as time goes by. The Huskies were picked to finish tenth in the Pac 12. So being 3rd in standings Hopkins should be considered to be Pac 12 coach of the year especially if the Huskies do make it into the tournament. Even if they lose to Arizona which is a good possibility all they need to do is go around five hundred the rest of the way. They could end up winning twenty-one games which has to be the top turnaround in college basketball this season. It is an amazing story because had a really good recruiting class coming in before Romar was fired and they decided to go elsewhere. So the Huskies roster is primarily made up of players who decided to stay. They do have four freshmen on the team including guard Jaylen Nowell. Also they will lose only two seniors Dan Kingma who originally was a walkon and Greg Bowman. At this point the Huskies have four recruits with one signed and three committed. So next season the Huskies should be even a more difficult team to play.

This coming week the Huskies will be on the road playing the Oregon Ducks and then the Oregon State Beavers. They should at least split the two games. On Thursday they beat 25th ranked Arizona State 68-64. This shows so far that the Huskies have no problem playing top ranked teams. The only one they had problems with was local in-state rival Gonzaga losing 97-70. The years ahead it would be nice to see some close and exciting games between these two teams.

The last six games in the Pac 12 schedule after playing in Oregon  four of them will be at home closing off against Ducks and Beavers in Seattle. It will be exciting not only seeing Saturday night’s game against Arizona but the remaining eight games. Go Huskies!!

Mariners Starting Rotation

Now that the Mariners are a couple weeks away from spring training it is still an opinion whether Jerry Dipoto, Scott Servais, media or the fans whether they will have a good starting rotation or not this coming season.

I believe the Mariners could use another top notch pitcher in the rotation and with a few free agents still out there the price of one of them could be coming down. The cost not only could come down the amount of years as well. The Mariners could sign someone to a two or three year contract.

According to Dipoto everything is already set however he could surprise us as well. I have mentioned on several occasions that I like the top of the rotation but what happens if one of the guys gets hurt for a period of time. Also we are not sure how Felix will work out whether he gets hurt or not. The Mariners do have depth in the rotation but no one that could match Felix or may I say it better the old Felix. We are not sure whether he will look anything like the Felix prior to the last two years or more like the recent guy. The King may only be by name and reputation now. It would be fine if he were to pitch like a third man in the rotation long as James Paxton is a number one starter and Mike Leake is a number two or three. Not so good if Felix pitches more like a four or fifth starter. In that case the Mariners will need to bring in another pitcher before the trading deadline if they are still in the race.

Without getting another veteran pitcher the Mariners will need to hope that Erasmo Ramirez can pitch like a three instead of a four and most of all go at least six innings. It would be nice if Marco Gonzales or Andrew Moore could pitch near where the Mariners think their potentials are. It would be nice when the time comes and they need to add a sixth pitcher to the rotation that guy could be Hisashi Iwakuma. Right now he isn’t expected to see any time in Tacoma or Seattle until May.  Another pitcher we would like to see rise to the occasion would be Ariel Miranda. He could be a force for the Mariners during the season some time. Although he hasn’t been mentioned as one of the five starters he has to be in the mix or start the season as the long reliever. He could start the season in Tacoma as well. I am sure we will see him in the rotation at some point during the season.

The Mariners do have ifs when it comes to their rotation and we all hope that they are all answered early in the season. Please Dipoto go out and get someone who is still on the open market that can fill in the top three spots in the rota-tion. At least it is nice to know the offense is good along with the bullpen. We just hope this can be a season where few injuries happen and we can finally find the Mariners playing in the playoffs. Though the World Series would be great to see the Mariners play this season at least the playoffs would be nice for a change instead of missing out once again. Go M’s.