How About the Huskies and More

The Washington Huskies right now are showing being the best team in the Pac-12 Conference in men's basketball. They beat USC Trojans 75-62 home on Wednesday night at Alaska Airlines Arena. Going into the game the Trojans were the second best team in the Pac-12 and they probably still are. 

Though the Huskies led throughout the game the Trojans did get within three points on a couple occasions in the second half. The issue the Huskies had allowing the Trojans to stay close for a little while was turning the ball over because they passed the ball probably one time to much. They were trying to get the perfect shot instead of hitting an open shot when available. The Trojans had the same problem as well.

The other team in the state in the Pac-12 continues to struggle in the Washington State Cougars. Right now they have a record of 1-7 after losing to UCLA Bruins on Wednesday night 87-67. The Bruins are the opponent the Huskies play on Saturday night. 

In other sports news, the Seattle Reign FC announced Wednesday afternoon they are moving to Tacoma and play at Cheney Stadium until the new soccer field is ready to go. They will be called just the Reign FC now. The other team playing soccer in Tacoma the Seattle Sounders FC2 is changing their name to Tacoma Defiance. They are the second tier team of the Seattle Sounders who play in the MLS.

 The Tacoma Rainiers baseball team continues playing at Cheney Stadium as well.  Be interesting to see how they do this coming season after a turnover of the roster with all the changes the Seattle Mariners have done this off-season. The Mariners start spring real soon in just over two weeks on Monday, February 11. It will be interesting to get to know all the players on the team who have come over. General Manager Jerry Dipoto might add a few players by training camp starts. 

Washington Huskies Men Stay Undefeated in Pac-12

The Washington Huskies men's basketball team continues to do well in the Pac-12 season. They beat Oregon and Oregon State on the road which isn't an easy thing to do. The Huskies lead the Pac-12 with a record of 7-0. 

This coming Wednesday the Huskies face USC Trojans at home followed the UCLA Bruins on Saturday.  The Trojans have a 5-2 record in the Pac-12 while the Bruins are at 4-3. 

The Huskies beat Oregon 61-56 on Thursday night then beat Oregon State on Saturday 79-69. The game was a larger margin than winning by ten points. The Huskies had as much as a 21 point lead in the second half.

The success the Huskies are having so far in the Pac-12 the Washington State Cougars are not doing well at all. They have a record of 1-5 beating only the California Golden Bears at home last week. They lost to Oregon State on Thursday 90-77. They play the Oregon Ducks on Sunday. I wouldn't be surprised of a coaching change at the end of the season. 

We hope the Huskies continue on their way to make the NCAA tournament in March. There is a possibility only two teams will make the tournament so it will be important to keeping winning. The winner of the Pac-12 tournament is the only one guaranteed to go to the NCAA tournament.

Edgar's In

It took a long time ten years for that matter however Edgar Martinez finally made it to baseball's Hall of Fame. I know there is a lot of stories coming up on Edgar so I am keeping this short however I have to be like everyone else who are fans of Edgar congratulations you made it.

Here in Seattle and the state of Washington, we all know his accomplishments even if you aren't a big baseball fan. Everyone here knows his name even if they didn't watch a game. Speaking of watching a game the double Edgar hit to score Joey Cora then Ken Griffey Jr. for the Mariners go to the American League Championship series in 1995 by beating the New York Yankees is still the greatest moment in Mariner history even though they won 116 games in 2001. Every time I see the replay of that hit my eyes come to tears and I am excited. We know Edgar accomplished so much more for the Mariners however that play shows why he is in the Hall of Fame now.

Again thank you, Edgar, for your accomplishments for all 18 years as a player then you became the hitting coach as well We will miss seeing you in the dugout for every game however we forward to seeing your induction into the Hall of Fame.   

A trade and Edgar's Hall of Fame Announcement

While everyone was celebrating Martin Luther King Jr Day the New York Yankees traded right-handed starting pitcher Sonny Gray to the Cincinnati Reds for second baseman Shed Long and a competitive balance pick in the next draft.

 General Manager Jerry Dipoto who had talked to the Reds about Long before traded outfielder Josh Stowers who the Mariners had drafted last year and had a solid time in rookie ball Everett. The Mariners had high hopes for him but picking up several outfielder prospects over the off-season they felt getting an infielder instead would be a good deal. The Mariners don't have many infield prospects so getting Long was good and he is further along as well. He is young to at 23 years old. He played double-A ball last season and may start there again for the Mariners or move up to triple-A Tacoma. This could mean if he is ready to be on the scene next year or in 2021. 

Right now the Mariners have Dee Gordon at second base.  The Mariners are hoping he will be healthy this year. If Long can turn into a major leaguer than a prospect the Mariners likely would trade Gordon. The Mariners may play Long at third base and shortstop as so a different scenario could happen too.

Today, Tuesday, January 22 we are supposed to hear whether Edgar Martinez makes the Hall of Fame or not. This is his last year of eligibility but could be voted in years later by the veteran's committee. This year the veteran's committee voted in Harold Baines. He had a solid season playing 22 seasons but not close to Edgar. In my mind, it will be a sure disappointment if Edgar doesn't go in this season. So we hope to hear your name today Edgar so we can all yell Edgar! Edgar! Edgar!.

Huskies Go 3-0

The Washington Huskies men's basketball team start the Pac-12 schedule going 3-0. They beat Washington State at home as expected but did a fine job on the road this last Thursday and Saturday beating Utah Utes and the Colorado Buffaloes. Both of those teams are hard to beat on the road.

The Huskies hadn't beaten the Utes since 2012 and the Buffaloes were undefeated at home. The Huskies took a big lead scoring 12 straight points at the beginning of the game. The had to hold them off as the Buffaloes did get within one point at 63-62 in the second half. The Huskies defense though kept them to stay in the game. The final score was 77-70 Jaylen Nowell led the Huskies once again with 19 points. David Crisp who had a so so non-league season has bounced back to have three great games to help the Huskies win all three games. Against the Buffaloes, he scored 16 points.

The Huskies come home where they are undefeated so far on the season. They will be facing the Stanford Cardinal who are 1-3 in Pac-12 while California Bears haven't haven't won a game yet.
Everything goes right the Huskies should end next week with a 5-0 record in Pac-12 and 14-4 overall.

Right now the UCLA Bruins and Arizona State are both undefeated well as the Oregon State Beavers. The Beavers and Bruins play each other on Sunday. This could be a good race down to the finish. Go Huskies!

Debate over Seahawks Loss and Huskies News

I am sure a lot of fans along with the media are debating about the Seattle Seahawks loss to the Dallas Cowboys.  Some of what I have heard was how the offense should have done things different especially in the fourth quarter. Instead of running the ball going to pass sooner. 

I didn't like how the offense was done throughout the game however it could have been the execution as much as the play calling. I don't give it all to the offense when it came to the loss though they did take a part in the loss. The defense didn't do the job they should have done either. They gave a touchdown at the end of the first half plus two at the end of the game. The one at the end of the first half had the Seahawks didn't allow a touchdown and the Cowboys scored a field goal the Seahawks would have won the game. They likely would have stopped the momentum the Cowboys had. The Seahawks may have given up a field goal in the fourth quarter as well instead of a touchdown. The Seahawks try to win the game in the fourth quarter by wearing out the opposition and they didn't do so in this game. Yes, the Seahawks running game wasn't up to par however the defense didn't do the job either. So I give the loss to both sides of the ball.

In Huskies news, after the Rose Bowl safety Taylor Rapp said that he was not returning to the Huskies next season and going to the NFL early. On Monday cornerback Byron Murphy declared for the NFL draft as well. The Huskies will miss both those players along with the graduation of Jake Browning, and Myles Gaskin to mention just a couple. With the turnover of the Huskies especially on the offensive side of the ball, Rapp and Murphy made good decisions. Murphy should be a high first-round pick and Rapp should be a good pick too. The Seahawks could use more depth at cornerback for sure so it would be nice if Murphy can still be around when they have their turn to draft. If he is already gone the Seahawks should and probably will trade down to add at least another pick. Outside of adding a cornerback or safety, the Seahawks need to a defensive lineman to stuff the opposition running game. The Seahawks already have a good pass rush.

The Huskies are also going to lose wide receiver and co-offensive coordinator Matt Lubick. He has decided to go into business and out of coaching. It will be interesting to see who the Huskies bring in to taking his coaching spot. 

I expect not a lot of other news concerning the Huskies until the spring game in late June. I am sure the Seahawks will have additional news before the NFL draft in April. The NFL brings news all year long. One of the key news will the Seahawks sign Frank Clark to a new contract or give him the franchise tag. We will see. Go Hawks and Huskies. Oh yes, we can't forget what happens on the other side of the mountains with the Cougars. We will see what happens there. 

Current Look at Mariners Bullpen

When we look at the forty man roster you can see that Jerry Dipoto general manager of the Mariners will need to add some pitchers to compete for the bullpen. Not only are they limited with bullpen pitchers right now most of the guys have little experience. So here is a look at who the Mariners show on the roster. 

When we look at the forty man roster you can see that Jerry Dipoto general manager of the Mariners will need to add some pitchers to compete for the bullpen. Not only are they limited with bullpen pitchers right now most of the guys have little experience. So here is a look at who the Mariners show on the roster. 

I will list the bullpen pitchers in alphabet order along with what they did last year. 

Ruben Alaniz: primarily pitched at Durham in the Tampa Bay organization. Could have an outside shot to make the Mariners. He pitched in 20 games with an era of 4.00. He did strike out 35 batters in 27 innings and only gave up one home run. Most likely he will start the season Tacoma. He has had experience as a starting pitcher so likely would be a long reliever if he makes the roster.

Dan Altavilla: a familiar face to the Mariners. He started last season in Seattle however did have injuries keeping his pitching to a limit. 2018 was his third year spending some time in the bullpen he pitched in 22 games with an era of 2.61. He has a fastball known to get up to the high 90s and peak at 100 mph. If he is able to stay healthy he could be the Mariners setup man in the seventh or eighth inning. Also could close in the 9th inning as well. 

Shawn Armstrong: he spent most of last year in Tacoma as the team’s closer. The Mariners could use him in multiple roles this year. He had some previous major league experience with the Cleveland Indians. The Mariners recalled Armstrong in September where he often was the first pitcher out of the bullpen. The Mariners could use him in that role this coming season as well as other times. Like Altavilla, the Mariners could use him as the closer at times too.

Gerson Bautista: he came in the trade where the Mariners traded Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz. He is one of the prospects the Mariners picked up. He likely will be invited to training camp but will probably start the season in AA or AAA. He is one of the relievers the Mariners will have as depth this coming season. He is 23 years old so his future is a year or two away. 

Chasen Bradford: he had a solid first half of the season but didn’t pitch as well in the second half as he went up and down between Seattle and Tacoma. He could again be the first pitcher out of the bullpen or pitch later in the game as well. He isn’t known as a fastball pitcher either. He is a solid reliever though. He could pitch more than an inning if needed to be called upon. Since he has more experience than many of the candidates at this point he has a pretty good chance of making the ball club. 

Brandon Brennan: so far a minor league pitcher who was a starter when he began his career but switched to the bullpen in 2016. He is another pitcher likely start in Tacoma as depth in case of injuries. 

Roenis Elias: the Mariners brought back in a trade last May with the Boston Red Sox. He spent most of last year in the Mariner bullpen when he was brought up from Tacoma. He did start four games. The Mariners could use him as the fifth starter or be used in the bullpen. Right now he is the second lefty in the bullpen so the Mariners could use him in a variety of ways. 

Matt Festa: he was the Mariners minor league pitcher of the year spending most of his time in Double-A. Depending on how he does in spring training could begin in either Triple-A or in the Mariners’ bullpen. He could be one of the Mariners setup men or be the closer as well. In the long run, he could be the closer.

Zac Rosscup: the Mariners signed Rosscup as the lefty specialist out of the bullpen. He missed a lot of action because of injuries last year. He was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dipoto will look to sign another pitcher as a left specialist however Rosscup will get his chance anyway.

Nick Rumbelow: another pitcher having limited action in the minor leagues last year both in Double-A and Triple-A for the Mariners. Last time he was in the major leagues was 2015 with the Yankees. Just another guy the Mariners are taking a chance on and likely is used as depth. If he starts the season with the Mariners he will probably take one of the last spots in the bullpen, otherwise, he will be in Tacoma.

Anthony Swarzak: veteran pitcher the Mariners picked up in the Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz trade. The lack of experience the Mariners have in the bullpen he could be the main setup reliever or the closer for that matter. Last year he was injured a good part of the year pitching in only 29 games in relief with an era of 6.15. The previous year 2017 he pitched solidly with the Chicago White Sox than the New York Mets in relief. He pitched in 70 games between both teams with 27 holds. If he pitches anything like that for the Mariners in 2019 I would not be surprised the Mariners trade him by the trading deadline for prospects. 

Sam Tuivailala: the Mariners picked Tuivailala in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals at the trading deadline. However, in August he was injured and he needed to have surgery in the off-season. Likely he won’t be ready for the opening of the season. He will find an important part of the Mariner bullpen when he returns. He is only 26 years old with two good solid seasons in the major leagues. I am sure Dipoto considers him an important part of the bullpen in the years ahead.

Right now I only see four solid relievers with major league experience right now plus Tuivailala when he returns. Dipoto needs to look at picking up at least two pitchers with major league experience. Not just pitchers we would consider fringe but have someone that is capable. David Phelps who was out all last season hasn’t signed with anyone as a free agent so if he can be signed at a bargain price the Mariners could bring him back. This would be a kind of pitcher the Mariners could use. 

Thank You Seahawks

I am sure we were all hoping as Seattle Seahawk fans the team would be able to move on into the next round of playoffs however it wasn't meant to be. The Seahawks were able to get a touchdown with 1:16 remaining in the game and try an onside kick though they are not successful very often. The final score was 24-22. It did show the game was close the whole game. 

I found the difference in the game was either the Dallas Cowboys at the end of the first half or the one near the end of the game around two minutes remaining. The Cowboys did a good job going between the '20s but the Seahawks stopped them most of the time except those two occasions.

Another difference in the game was the running attacks. The Cowboys were able to stop the Seahawks running game while the Seahawk was not able to do the same thing. Not surprising for the Seahawks not able to stop the run. Often the Seahawks had trouble doing so over the season. During the off-season, the Seahawks will need to pick up a defensive lineman that can shut down the opposing runner. Ezekiel Elliott was able to run freely for the Cowboys getting 137 yards on 26 carriers. What upset me was at least once the Seahawks could have pushed Elliott out of bounds but instead, let him run several yards further. I know players like to tackle but pushing a player out of bounds is the right thing to do.

The Seahawks though were able to get only 73 yards on 24 carriers. A good chunk was on a long run by Rashaad Penny. The only touchdown by running the ball was by Russell Wilson. The Seahawks showed unless they are able to get at least 100 yards rushing in the game they win. I know some are criticizing the play calling in the game but the running game is the bread and butter of the Seahawks but in the end, the defense what caused the Seahawks to lose and I am sure the defensive players would likely agree. The Seahawks can't depend on Russell Wilson to make a great play to win every game. 

So thank you Seahawks for giving us a good season and making the playoffs. I am sure most of us didn't expect them to go to the playoffs this year especially after the first two losses at the beginning of the season. Enjoy what we did have the opportunity to see. We know they will be better next season with each player having another year of experience.  I am sure there will be questions to answer on who will return and those who will not. Go Hawks!

Mariners Introduce Yusei Kikuchi

Today the Seattle Mariners introduce new pitcher Yusei Kikuchi from Japan. He had an interpreter giving the media question to him in Japanese however he answered back in English. He gave his answers in small sentences. I am sure we will get more answers in longer sentences in the future. He did answer in Japanese too for the media from Japan in attendance. 

General manager Jerry Dipoto said it came as a surprise to the Mariners and for the city of Seattle. The contract not what is considered usual like most fit the Mariners and Kikuchi. 

The Mariners have shown Kikuchi and his agent Scott Boras how they will use him especially early on. In Japan, the starting pitchers don't go every five days. It is more like every six or seven days. The Mariners may start him going six innings in one start and then go only an inning or two in his start. Having him throw 30 pitches in the second outing. This could mean a long reliever like Roenis Elias could come in and pitch on the same day.  The way the bullpen might be used in the future could work in the favor for the Mariners and Kikuchi. 

The formula Dipoto and manager Scott Servais will use to bring Kikuchi along likely will be the same one they will use with other young pitchers like Justus Sheffield and Erik Swanson they picked up in the trade for James Paxton. 

He sounds like a fine young man to me. He wants to show the Japanese fans as a fine pitcher here in the USA well as the Mariner fans. His goal is to be a successful pitcher. He apologized for giving short answers in English. I think he pitches anything like he presented himself in the press conference the Mariners will have a good pitcher for sure. 

He said that he has never met Ichiro however looking forward to it. He saw Ichiro in person playing his last game in Japan before Ichiro came over to play for the Mariners.  

Let you know he is being called YK. 

  

Washington Huskies Lose and Win

The Washington Huskies Lost in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day 28-23. The first half was dominated by the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Huskies didn't give up and did well in the fourth quarter to make it close and exciting. They scored the final touchdown under the one minute mark left in the game. They tried an onside kick but the Buckeyes were able to fall on the ball to end the game.

If you went by stats you would have thought the Huskies would have won the game. The Huskies had more running and passing yards than the Buckeyes. It wasn't by a whole lot though. The Buckeyes showed they were the better team anyway. 

It will be interesting to see what the Huskies come up with next season. Both quarterback Jake Browning and running back Myles Gaskin are graduating. We will see what happens with the Huskies going into next season. This had to be a disappointment for them hoping to go further and get back into the championship series. 

Men's basketball the Huskies had another tough start to the game against the Cal State Fullerton at home however were able to win the game 84-76. They were led in scoring once again by Jaylen Nowell with 20 points and Noah Dickerson with 16. Dickerson had 12 rebounds as well. Most of this happened in the second half. 

The Huskies men's team will take on state rival Washington State Cougars in the opening to the Pac-12 season this Saturday. 

Mariners Sign Japanese Pitcher

When we think Jerry Dipoto is taking a break like everyone else we find out he isn't. 

On Monday afternoon we hear reports the Mariners have signed Japanese left-handed 27-year-old starting pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to a four-year contract. Actually, it is a 3-yr contract with an option by the player for a fourth year. It is more complicated because the Mariners can add on another 4 years after the three years to make it a total of seven years. 

As far as the contract has been reported the three years will be for $43 million plus $13 million for the option year. If the Mariners decided to add the additional four years on it will be $66 million additional. This sounds like a good deal for both sides. Things don't work out for the Mariners like they thought would cost them only the $43 million however he does as well or better than expected the Mariners can keep him for at least the seven years. This would make him 34 years old when the contracts are over. 

The Mariners playing the A's in Tokyo, Japan at the beginning of the season on  March 20 and 21 having Kikuchi starting in either the first or second game of the season they could recoup some of the money in the first year right away. This doesn't count that Ichiro Suzuki could be on the roster at the beginning of next season as well. The Mariners can have two additional roster spots and likely Ichiro will take one of those spots even if he doesn't play beyond the two games. Actually, he may not get into any action unless he is used as a pinch hitter. 

The Mariners will be in Seattle to take on the San Diego Padres on March 25 and 26 in exhibition games at T-Mobile Park before facing the World Champion Boston Red Sox in a four-game series from March 28 thru March 31 for opening season at home. We could see Yusei Kikuchi starting the first game then Marco Gonzales in the second game unless they decide to split the two up since they are both lefties. 

Other starting five pitchers when the season starts could be Mike Leake unless Dipoto decides to trade him, Wade LeBlanc, and Felix Hernandez. Right now not sure what the plans the Mariners have for Felix but he may be the fifth starter. At this point, it looks like the Mariners will have three lefties in the rotation. The Mariners could be adding someone else in the rotation as well like Roenis Elias or Justus Sheffield or Erik Swanson they picked up in the trade for James Paxton from the Yankees. I am sure Dipoto isn't done when coming to the starting rotation.

The Mariners will need to shore up their bullpen as well. Right now not sure who the closer will be with the departure of Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets. 

In other Northwest sports, the Washington Huskies take on Ohio State New Year's afternoon 2 pm local time in the Rose Bowl. The men's basketball team plays New Year's night at home against Cal State Fullerton getting ready to take on Washington State Cougars in the opening of the Pac-12 season. The Seahawks will take on the Cowboys in Dallas in the first round of the playoffs on Saturday too. We hope the best for the teams this week.