Name Tim Laker Hitting Coach and More on the them

The Seattle Mariners finally named their new hitting coach in place of Edgar Martinez who is taking another position in the organization. 

We had heard for at least a week that Tim Laker would be the next hitting coach of the Mariners in place of Edgar. Now it is officially he has taken the spot. I can't say whether Edgar was or not however Laker is on board when it comes to analytics like general manager Dipoto and manager Scott Servais. He feels the Mariners are one of the teams ahead of the game when it comes to analytics. He is glad that the hitters in the minor leagues are being taught that way as well. Whether it means the Mariners will have more of them come up to the major leagues or not time will tell for sure. In my mind it still comes down to talent though analytics will play a part. They are working with the pitchers on that area as well.

There is word out that the Mariners may send  Robinson Cano back to the Yankees. It could just be hear say as well though the reporters are pretty good doing their job when it comes to Mariner trades. 

What general manager Dipoto said after the trade of Paxton we should be expecting at least another trade or two. I am sure something is in the works. I wouldn't be surprised a trade will go forward this week now that Thanksgiving weekend is over. There will be an owner's meeting coming up in December so I am sure something will happen then if not before. So let's see what happens.

Seahawks Beat Panthers With Field Goal

The Seattle Seahawks won on the road important game to keep themselves still alive for the playoffs against a team competing for a playoff spot as well in the Carolina Panthers. 

Russell Wilson and the Seahawks once again came back to win this game. It was a tight game all the way with the Panthers leading 3-0 at the end of the first quarter. Each team scored a touchdown and a field goal in the second quarter with the Panthers leading 13-10. The 3rd quarter both teams scored a touchdown to make it 20-17. 

In the 4th quarter the Seahawks tied the game with a field goal then Panthers scored a touchdown. The Seahawks had to respond with a touchdown themselves near the end of the game. The Panthers got into field goal range however they missed a 52 yard field goal giving the Seahawks a chance to win with 1 minute and 40 seconds  to go. The final series leading to the win the big play was a deep pass by Russell Wilson to Tyler Lockett for 43 yards to the Panthers 10 yard line. The Seahawks took the next two snaps where Wilson went to the knee before spiking the ball since they had no timeouts left. Sebastian Janikowski kicked the field goal registered at  31 yards to win the game.

This game for the Seahawks was played primarily behind the arm of Russell Wilson. He threw the ball 31 times completing 22 for 339 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Lockett had a big game besides the ball that setup the win he had five receptions in total for 107 yards and the touchdown in the 3rd quarter. Also David Moore had a big game catching 4 times for 103 yards including the touchdown tying the game at 27-27. The field goal at the end made the final score 30-27.

The Seahawks ran the ball 28 times in the game but ran for 75 yards the lowest total since they played in the two losses against Denver and Chicago at the beginning of the season.  Chris Carson led the Seahawks running the ball 16 times for 55 yards and the first touchdown of the game on the ground. 

Cam Newton had a good game through the air as well throwing the ball 30 times with 25 completions two touchdowns and an interception. Also he was second on the Panthers in rushing going 63 yards on eight carries.  Christian McCaffrey the Seahawks had a hard time stopping for the Panthers. He carried the ball 17 times for 125 yards and a touchdown. Also he caught the ball 11 times for 112 yards and another touchdown.

The Seahawks now have a record of 6-5 tied with the Panthers so they would make the playoffs with breaking the tie if they both win out. The Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins have the same record as well. One of the two likely will win the NFC East division. The Seahawks beating the Cowboys will have the tie breaker there to if the Redskins win the division. 

The Seahawks will play division rival San Francisco 49ers next Sunday afternoon in Seattle. The 49ers are 2-9 without a win on the road so the Seahawks will be favored to win that game and it will be important for them to do so. Go Hawks!

Huskies Win Snow Bowl

Although it was supposed to be the Apple Cup between the Washington Huskies and the Washington State Cougars it turned out to be a game played in a snow storm all the way through at Martin Stadium on the Cougars campus.

The Huskies dominated the first half scoring two touchdowns by running back Myles Gaskin however the Cougars were able to muster a touchdown before the half ended to make the score 14-7. The Cougars could have tied the score though when the Huskies fumbled the ball under a minute to go in the half but they couldn't do so. Half-time score Huskies 14 Cougars 7

The second half in their first possession the Huskies scored another touchdown on a trick play when Jake Browning tossed a pass behind the line of scrimmage to Aaron Fuller who then threw it to tight end Hunter Bryant for a touchdown. The Huskies missed the extra point however the Cougars run it back for two points.

Close to the end of the third quarter James Williams ran in for a touchdown to make it Huskies 20 Cougars 15. 

Early on in the fourth quarter Myles Gaskin got his third touchdown of the game by running for 80 points. The Cougars were unable to come back and had to punt to the Huskies. Gaskins pretty ran the ball the rest of the game. He had a total of 170 yards.

Now the Huskies will go to the Pac-12 tournament next Friday night against the  Utah Utes at Levi Stadium. The Cougars hopes for a chance at the national championship is over however they can play in a major bowl still.

A great way for seniors especially Jake Browning and Myles Gaskins to win all the Apple Cup's they played in.  See you Huskies next Friday night and we hope you take care of the Utes mightily. I expect there will be no snow. 

The Apple Cup

The Washington Huskies go to Pullman Washington to take on the Washington State Cougars in the Apple Cup tonight(Friday). The Cougars are ranked #7 in the country so this means a lot to them.  

The Huskies are not only want to knock them off it is the last Apple Cup for seniors including quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin. Along with Coach Chris Peterson they help turn around a football program that had gone the wrong direction. They put the Huskies back in the national scene as well. Of course the Cougars are in the national scene as well. 

The winner of this game will go to the Pac-12 Championship to face Utah the southern division winner. For the Huskies winning both games  means they will probably play in the Rose Bowl while the Cougars could end up in the National Championship series depending how the other teams above them do.  

So a lot is on the line for both the Huskies and the Cougars. I feel the Huskies the favorite though the Cougars are favored to win. Browning and Gaskin want to go out on top along with the fact they have an outstanding core of defensive backs. On the other hand this could be the greatest game in this series and all-time for the Cougars to win this game. Whatever the outcome is it will be fantastic for sure. Let the best team win. Yeah!

Paxton Goes to New York

Ever since Mike Zunino was traded we heard stories that James Paxton likely would be the next one of the Seattle Mariners to be traded and it happened on Monday when they traded him to the Yankees.

There were reports the Mariners might be traded Paxton to the Dodgers or the Astros however it came down to the Yankees having the best offer. According to general manager Jerry Dipoto he talked to 2/3 of the teams in the major leagues about Paxton. He wanted to get the highest maximum trade for Paxton so it looks this was the best deal Dipoto could get. I am sure there were other teams he spoke to that may have had players better than the one they received back from the Yankees but they were not willing to do so. 

Paxton was eligible for arbitration and the words around the league he was probably going to cost the Mariners $9 million to retain him for one season. It wasn't the only reason to trade him but a good one anyway. Dipoto feels the Mariners ended up in the upper end of the major leagues but to compete for the playoffs and make the World Series he had to make changes. This is true just within their own division. The Mariners finished third in 2018 in the American League West behind the Houston Astros who won 103 and the Oakland A's 97. Although the Mariners had a good season overall with 89 wins they were three games below five hundred after the all-star game with a record of 31-34. Before the all-star break they had a record of 58-39. During the first half period they scored two less runs than they gave up. They played in a lot of one run games with a record of 36-21 in those games. The Mariners could have lost some of those they won if it weren't for closer Edwin Diaz. 

Speaking of Diaz there are those who feel the Mariners should trade Diaz as well since they don't think the Mariners no longer need a closer. I don't agree with those thoughts at all. Although the Mariners may not look like a better team going into next season I don't give up hope they will win more games than they lose. It doesn't mean I think they will 89 games this coming season but they could win 84 or 85 games. Although Paxton was considered the ace of the Mariners he only won 11 games last season for them and his highest total was 12 in 2017. Marco Gonzales had more wins than Paxton with 13. Of course Paxton has the capability to win more games like 16 to 18 games but has never been able to pitch in 32 games which he would have been able to do so if he didn't get hurt for a short period of time over his years with the Mariners. Of course I would like to keep Paxton around but it doesn't mean we could get more out of other pitchers.

The Mariners picked up two pitchers and an outfielder for Paxton without giving up another player as well. In the Zunino trade they sent Guillermo Heredia packing as well. This seems better to me far as value goes thought the Mariners did get two outfielders for Zunino and Heredia. The Mariners received Mallex Smith now the Mariners starting center fielder along with minor league outfielder Jake Fraley  who was a 2nd round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays 

Back to the Yankee trade the Mariners picked up the Yankees number one prospect in left handed pitcher Justus Sheffield along with right handed pitcher Erik Swanson considered the Yankees #22 prospect however could be ready sometime during the 2019. I am sure they will be given every chance to make the rotation during spring training.  I could see a rotation of Marco Gonzales. Mike Leake, Wade Leblanc , Felix Hernandez? and  Sheffield. 

Sheffield pitched in 20 games for the Yankees AAA team after starting the season with five games at double A. At triple A he had a record of 6-4 with an era of 2.56 throwing 88 innings. He had 36 walks which is a bit higher than we would like however did strike out 84 batters. At age 22 I am sure this would not be very unexpected and he does have a good upside.

Eric Swanson started the season at double A as well in the Yankee organization last season where he pitched in eight games before being promoted to triple A where he pitched in 14 games. He had an era of 3.86 with 14 walks and 78 strike outs in 72. So he had a better control than Sheffield though a higher era however he is three years older as well at 25. I am sure he won't be the pitcher Sheffield will be however he could still be valuable to the Mariners. 

The third player the Mariners received in the trade is Dom Thompson-Williams a 23 year old outfielder the Yankees drafted in the fifth-round in 2016. He spent most of the season in high single A Tampa for the Yankees where he batted .290 with 17 home runs and 65 runs batted in. I am sure we won't see him in Seattle for at least three years if at all at least they have another outfielder with potential. He is listed right now as the Mariners #14 prospect. 

Next will be see who will go next and who will come next as well. I wonder what catcher they are eyeing? 

Look at Mariners Hot Stove

When it comes to the Mariners since they traded Mike Zunino and Guillermo Heredia to the Tampa Bay Rays for center fielder Mallex Smith the biggest story was off the field when Dr. Lorena Martin who was released out of her contract as the Director of Performance by Jerry Dipoto in October came out on social media accusing Jerry Dipoto, manager Scott Servais and Director Player Development Andy McKay of racism and sexism. Major league baseball is now looking into the allocations. If there is any truth to the allegations than turnover of Mariner management would happen. Bench coach Manny Acta says he doesn't believe the allegations at all.

The Mariners hired their hitting coach this week Tim Laker  previously assistant hitting coach with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He takes over for Edgar Martinez who will go into a new role so he can spend more time with his family.

The Mariners added outfielder Braden Bishop out of University of Washington playing for AA Arkansas when he was hurt and was out for the season because of his forearm. The Mariners didn't want to lose him in the rule 5 draft so he was added to the 40-man roster which now stands at 33. This means to that he will be invited to major league camp however will start the season either at Arkansas again or with triple A Tacoma long as he is healthy.

The Mariners also signed three minor league players who are being assigned to Tacoma.  We will have to see what other moves and news the Mariners will come this week. Thanksgiving coming up this Thursday the moves will likely take place by Wednesday. We will have to see whether Jerry Dipoto will come up with another major trade or not. Stay tuned!

Seahawks defeat Packers after poor start

Seattle Seahawks had to come from behind to win Thursday nights game at home against the Green Bay Packers 27-24. The game started out poorly with Chris Carson fumbling the ball on the first play of the game then the Packers scored really quickly after that.

The Packers scored two touchdowns in the first quarter while the Seahawks kicked a field goal trying to get their offense going. At that point the Seahawks defense wasn't doing that much better either.

In the second quarter Doug Baldwin caught his first touchdown of the season though Russell Wilson over threw him at least once before hand. Chris Carson redeemed himself with a touchdown as well. So the halftime score was Green Bay 21 Seahawks 17.

The third quarter wasn't exciting at all since neither team scored a point. I have to say not a lot of fans were happy with Russell Wilson at that point. Of course he changed things in the 4th quarter.  The Seahawks did kick a field goal to make it a close game 21-20 before the Packers kicked one themselves to put the lead up to 24-20. Finally Russell Wilson directed a series where the  Seahawks scored a touchdown with just over five minutes remaining connecting to tight end Ed Dickson for the final score of 27-24. 

You compare Russell Wilson with the Seattle Mariners. He looks like he is starting out pitching like Felix Hernandez did this last season then in the fourth quarter he pitches like closer Edwin Diaz. Wouldn't it be nice if he could be going the whole game long however long as the Seahawks win that is what counts. The Seahawks now are 5-5 and they take on the Panthers in Carolina on November 25. They are able to rest over the weekend before getting back to practice next week. The Seahawks really need to win at least 4 out of the remaining 6 games to have any chance to get to the playoffs. It wouldn't be easy though they do play the 49ers twice along with Arizona Cardinals however they do go against the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chief well as the Panthers in games outside the division. We must think positive though. Go Hawks. 

Thursday Night Football

The Seattle Seahawks take on the Green Bay Packers at Century Link Field Thursday night. This is a key game for both teams if they want to make the playoffs this season The loser will have a hard time making it. The Seahawks would have win at least five of their remaining six games if they lose this one to even have a shot. Even winning this game could still make it difficult to get in.

The Seahawks are expected to be without K.J. Wright The linebacker is shown as being doubtful. The rest of the roster is in pretty good health. Running back Chris Carson is expected to be in the rotation. How much he or the other running backs play depends on success. Last Sunday against the Rams rookie Rashaad Penny ran over a hundred yards and scored a touchdown. It sounds though Carson should start but I am sure Penny and Mike Davis will see some action as well. With three running backs having a good time when in the game they can spread out the time of using them. The question of Carson though can he stay healthy. We will see won't we.

It will be important the Seahawks defense do a better job than against the Rams. They need to stop the run as well along with  getting pressure on Aaron Rodgers or he will eat them up in passing and it will be a long nigh for the Seahawks.

The Washington Huskies return to action on Saturday against Oregon State after having a bye last week. It will be important the Huskies have a balance between the run and the pass. Next week will be the Apple Cup on Friday night in Pullman against the Cougars. Depending on the outcome this weekend that game could decide who goes to the Pac-12 championship game.

The Cougars will be playing Arizona this weekend before the big game. Again it will be important for them to win if they want to make the championship series after beating the Huskies in the Apple Cup. These two weeks will be important for both teams. 

Best to all three teams this week the Seahawks, Huskies and Cougars. 

Seahawks Now 4-5

Last week the Seattle Seahawks lost in Seattle to the Los Angeles Chargers 25-17. The game wasn't that close at all. Though the Seahawks tried to make a last second score to see if they could tie it.

Again this week playing the other LA team their division rival for the second time of the season who lost their first game of the season last week at New Orleans. The Seahawks wanted to see whether they could win after being so close in their previous game at Century Link Field in Seattle where they lost 33-31.

Playing this week in LA the game wasn't as close as the previous one though the score was less than a touchdown once again where the Rams beat them 36-31. The Rams looked like they ran over the Seahawks all game long though the Seahawks did a good job running the ball too. The Rams ended up running 149 yards with Todd Gurley going for 120 of the yards on 16 carriers and a touchdown. He looked like he could run at will though the Rams decided to pass the ball as well. 

Jared Goff passed the ball 39 times completing 28 for 318 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks did do some adjustments in the second half to make it an easier game for them to stay in it. The Rams led at half -time 17-14 after the Seahawks marched for two touchdowns in the first quarter. The Rams scored only a field goal in the 3rd quarter then the Seahawks came back for a touchdown to take a one point lead going into the 4th quarter. 

The Rams then scored a touchdown then the Seahawks kicked a field goal to make it 27-24. The Seahawks tried an onside kicked that failed and it seemed like the undoing for the Seahawks as the Rams scored again with a touchdown then missing a two point conversion.  The Seahawks were able to make another touchdown while the Rams scored a field goal. Russell Wilson tried to go after another miracle win at the end but it didn't prevail. 

The Seahawks are now 4-5 while the Rams are 9-1 and have pretty much sewn up the division title. For the Seahawks to have any real chance to make the playoffs they have to win at least 5-2 in their final seven games. They take on the Green Bay Packers this coming Thursday Night in Seattle. Another team competing to make the playoffs as well. The Packers beat Miami Dolphins easily 31-12 on Sunday so they have a record of 4-4-1. It will be important that the Seahawks win this game not only to stay close to the Packers but the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers who have solid leads ahead of the Seahawks though they don't lead their divisions either. Even if the Seahawks go 5-2 no sure thing they will make the playoffs anyway but certainly have a better chance.

The Seahawks were without Chris Carson in this game however first-round pick Rashaad Penny did run for 108 yards on 12 carriers and a touchdown.  Quarterback Russell Wilson was second in rushing and most of them were on planned carries instead of having to run away from defenders though he did do that to some extent as well. Russell had nine carriers for 92 yards and the other running back Mike Davis had 11 carriers for 58 yards. 

For the Seahawks to beat the Packers the offense has to play at least as good against them as they did against the Rams while the defense has to do a better job in both stopping the run and the pass. With only a few days off they don't have much time to prepare for a game where they can win. We just hope the Seahawks can turn things around after losing two games in a row. 

College Basketball Begins

College basketball began this week for the University of Washington. They won their opening game on November 6 against Western Kentucky 73-55. This game they started out slow however went on a good run in the first half and then again a couple good runs in the second half . On Friday they played the Auburn Tigers on the road but got dominated pretty badly. They started out slowly and never recovered. They lost to the #11 ranked Tigers 88-66. They hope to rebound against University of San Diego this coming Monday back home and then on Monday November 18 they will be on the road again this time against Santa Clara.

The Washington State Cougars start their season at home in Pullman against Nicholls State out of Louisiana.  Nicholls state has already played two games and are 1-1. This should be a good test for the Cougars to see where they plan to go.

In football the Huskies have this weekend off for a bye. They will play Oregon State next weekend followed by the Apple Cup against the Cougars The Oregon State Beavers haven't had a good season though they did a comeback against Colorado winning after being down by 31 points. The Cougars should be favored and they win the game then Apple Cup will be for who represents the Pac-12 North in the Pac-12 Championship the following week. The Cougars will be playing Colorado on the road so I am sure be a tough game since the Buffaloes will want to recover from the game against the Beavers but the Cougars should win.

In the NFL the Seahawks will be on the road in LA taking on the Rams. The Rams are healthier than the Seahawks and they are a ten point favorite. It is important for the Seahawks to find a way to win to make the playoffs. 

Zunino and Heredia Traded to TB

Reports are out for the Mariners first move during hot stove Mike Zunino and Guillermo Heredia will be traded to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Mallex Smith. Each team will exchange minor league players as well.

This all reported after Zunino received the Wilson Award as the best defensive catcher in baseball. Jerry Dipoto is willing to make any trades he feels should improve the Mariners. Though he is a top notch receiver he hasn’t been able to do the same at the plate. He has been able to hit at least 20 home runs a season but his batting average has been around the .200 mark. In 2017 he did have a period where he hit well and batted in the .250 mark. If he was able to hit around that mark or somewhere between .200 and .250 like say .230 he would still be a Mariner.

Guillermo Heredia the Mariners felt was disposal as well since he hit .238 over the last season though he was close to .300 early on in the season. He showed he was really made to be a part-time player though he was among the best defensively especially in left field. If he would have stayed with the Mariners he would have platooned in left field with Ben Gamel and on occasion in center field.

Mallex Smith who is expected to be the center fielder for the Mariners had a good rookie season with the Rays. He previous had been with the Mariners for a short period like 77 minutes when they acquired Drew Smyly a couple years ago. The Mariners had picked him up from the Atlanta Braves before him along. He had a .296 batting average this last season with the Rays with a .367 on-base percentage. Also he stole 40 bases as well. He could be what the Mariners were hoping for Dee Gordon in center field well as the lead-off hitter since he is able to walk. If he is the lead-off hitter for the Mariners they may move Mitch Haniger to clean up in place of Nelson Cruz. We are not sure at this time whether the Mariners will have Cruz return.  This move will show Dee Gordon will be back at second base if they don’t trade him away. This is the case Robinson Cano will be at first base along with spending time at dh. Another question does it mean the Mariners will trade Ryon Healy. There was talk Kansas City was interested in Healy. If Healy does return with the Mariners he could spend time at first base and dh as well.  The question to is where does this leave Daniel Vogelbach. Will he be the dh against right handed pitching or he be traded as well.

Right now the Mariners will have one catcher in David Freitas so they will need to pick up another catcher. The question to will they sign a catcher in free agency or pick one up in a trade. Right now they don’t have anyone else ready in the minor leagues. They could pick up a catcher that shares the spot with Freitas as well. In this case I would like to see them get a left handed hitting catch. They did have one in Chris Herrmann before releasing him. So the questions do continue for the Mariners and they could be answered real soon.

Mariner’s Sign Pitching Coach and More

This week the Mariner’s sign Paul Davis as pitching coach. He had been working with the St. Louis farm system with the pitchers for the past five years so Marco Gonzales is familiar with him. He is known for his knowledge of analytics which is what Jerry Dipoto and Scott Servais were looking for.  Now we have to see who they make as hitting coach in place of Edgar Martinez who will continue with the organization except in another capacity. He will spend time with the major league hitters when the Mariners at home and will work with hitters throughout the organization on an individual basis. This will allow him to spend time with his wife and children.

There were reports that the Mariners would retool the organization and the only players not up for trade talks would be Mitch Haniger, Edwin Diaz and Marco Gonzales. In a manner of speaking it is true but they won’t do a total makeover. Dipoto will look at trade request from other teams about the Mariner players but not necessarily trade as many as possible.

There is likelihood the Mariners won’t be able to trade Felix Hernandez and Robinson Cano because of their contracts. The Mariners could release Felix though they would have to pay off his last year of contract that stands around $27 million. No one likely take Cano’s contract either. 

Hard to know whether anyone would take Kyle Seager after the down season he just had unless the Mariners pay partial of his salary. Another high salary guy is pitcher Mike Leake. Not sure what the Mariners could get for him either except some prospects but they probably wouldn’t be high enough to warrant trading him.

Shortstop Jean Segura has a no-trade clause in his contract so likely won’t be traded unless he accepts a trade. Not really sure what the Mariners could get for him for the right value. Mike Zunino may be the right guy to trade at this time but what they could get for him is in question as well. The Mariners don’t have anyone else can catch on a regular basis unless they can acquire another catcher in return or sign a free agent. James Paxton could have the highest return where they could get a couple major league ready players and a prospect like they did when they traded TaiJuan Walker to Arizona for Segura and Haniger.  It will be interesting to see what Dipoto can pull off.

The Mariners will need to sign or trade for an outfielder especially one can play in center field. This could allow Dee Gordon be at second base pretty much full-time with a possible occasional time in center field. The Mariners then would have to use Robinson Cano at first base and dh. The question is still whether they plan to bring back Nelson Cruz or not.

Currently Dipoto is at the general manager meeting this week so a trade could happen anytime and again later this month or in December. I don’t expect he will wait until January to make any trades unless they are minor ones.  Interesting on the hot stove league; we hope answers will happen soon.  

First weekend of November

The Washington Huskies won on Saturday after having a poor outing against the California Bears last week. The Huskies took a large lead in the first half scoring three touchdowns  however Stanford came back to get close. It was like two different half's as Stanford scored two touchdowns in the 3rd quarter while the Huskies kicked a field goal. The Huskies scored another field goal in the fourth quarter however Stanford scored a touchdown with three and half minute remaining in the game. The game was still in doubt Stanford got the ball back and came down to the last play of the game with an overall throw in the end zone. The final score was 27-23. Stanford missed the extra point on the last touchdown or things could even been different with a field goal. 

Both the Huskies and Stanford each had good running games. Myles Gaskin was back after missing the last two games. He had 148 yards on 28 carries while scoring the third and final touchdown for the Huskies in the second quarter. Stanford running back Bryce Love who has come back from an injury as well ran for 71 yards on 18 carries; he had Stanford's second touchdown. 

Washington State Cougars had a close game as well against the California Bears. The game actually came down to the last 32 seconds when quarterback Gardner Minshew threw a 10 yard pass to receiver Easop Winston Jr.  Mishew had another good day throwing the ball 51 times with 35 reception and one interception for 334 yards. It showed the Bears were able to bend and not break for most the game until the end. They showed the win over the Huskies the week before really wasn't a fluke.

Both the Huskies and Cougars are on line for the Apple Cup to be the game that leads the winner to the Pac-12 Championship. The Cougars win all out they could end up going to the national championship game.

Sunday's game for the Seahawks against the Los Angeles Chargers wasn't the same as the previous five games. Though they did run the ball 32 times for 154 yards it didn't really feel the same. Until late fourth quarter Russell Wilson didn't seem the same either. In fact he threw an interception in the fourth quarter with 6:44 left to make the score 25-10.  Wilson though did almost make his comeback miracles as he seems to do often in the fourth quarter. He threw a touchdown to tight end Vannett with 1:50 left in the game. The Seahawks did have three time outs so they were able to get the ball back with some time left  to see if they could win the game. The Chargers kicker had missed two extra points to keep the Seahawks within eight points. With a touchdown and a two-point conversion the game could have been a tie going into overtime however it wasn't meant to be with no time left a ball was tipped by a Charger defensive back that kept receiver David Moore from catching a touchdown in the end zone with no time left. The Seahawks still would have had to make the conversion to tie.

The Seahawks take on the Rams in Los Angeles next Sunday. The Rams lost Sunday as well ending their undefeated season so far.  They lost to the New Orleans Saints 45-35.

This coming week college basketball begins with the Washington Huskies playing Western Kentucky at  home on Tuesday then #11 ranked Auburn on Friday on the road. Be a couple tough games. 

Letting You Know

I am wanting you to know I am writing for a local sport's website. Now college basketball is ready to start up this coming week you will be able to read my stories about the Huskies on that site. I will still be writing here but in another way since I can't post them here. Look forward to see what the Mariners will do during the off-season well as the remaining season of Huskies and Cougars football along with basketball. Of course can't forget the Seahawks as well.  Here is the link of my latest story on the site about Seahawk receiver David Moore. Thanks and again I appreciate all your ready of this site along with lookatlifeandsport as well. 

https://emeraldcityswagger.com 

Added news the Seattle Mariners signed lefty Marco Gonzales to a two-year contract around $1.9 million. The Mariners didn't have to since they have five years control of Gonzales but he had a grievance before when he was with the St. Louis Cardinals about his service time. This contract allows the suit to go away concerning the service time. If Gonzales continues pitching like he did in 2018 he will be a bargain. It would be nice the Mariners sign Edwin Diaz and Mitch Haniger to deals covering the seasons of arbitration. Like to see them both for many years again. 

Mariners Make Moves plus Other Local Sports

This week the Mariners made some moves probably the most surprising Edgar Martinez is no longer going to be the Mariners hitting coach. Instead going to be in an advisory position where he will be with the team during the home games along working with individual players. He will be with the Mariners during spring training as well. Two players I see him working with until they get straighten out is catcher Mike Zunino and third baseman Kyle Seager. It will be interesting to see who the Mariners will name as the everyday hitting coach. I know there are fans who think negative a lot of the time so they believe Edgar was fired and moved into another position. I take Edgar's word he wanted to spend more time with his wife and two daughters instead of going on the road with the team. The hitting coach spends a lot of time at the field with the players before and sometimes after the game. Edgar is known for looking at a lot of film as well. I wouldn't be surprise he will be watching games on television while the team is on the road then sending emails giving his advice how to hit against the opposition pitchers. 

Another move the Mariners decided not to take Denard Span on his option instead released him paying him $4 million instead of $12 million which would have been his salary if they had accepted it. So now Span is a free agent. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes back to the Tampa Bay Rays which is his home team. No team has interested in him he could sign with the Mariners at a lower rate. Right now it means Ben Gamel and Guillermo Heredia platooning in left field. Not sure what they have planned for Dee Gordon whether playing in center field or back at second base. I am sure now we are here in November we will know sooner than later. Dipoto could be looking at making a trade for an outfielder. The Mariners made a few minor moves as well. Nothing that will impact the team at this time.

The Seahawks released veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall on Tuesday right before the trading deadline and they didn't pick up anyone in a trade. This means David Moore is now the Seahawks number three receiver.

Jake Browning is expected to be starting this Saturday against Stanford after being pulled at the end of the third quarter for a couple series. Although he will start I wouldn't be surprised he will be pulled again if the Huskies have either a big lead or being behind by a good margin as well. I am sure Coach Peterson wouldn't take him out if the game is still on the line. Browning does deserve to play if the team is doing well even he isn't as much because they have been a successful team for most of his time in Husky land. 

It will be nice if the Huskies and the Cougars can win so meeting after Thanksgiving in the Apple Bowl will have great meaning.