Game 52

Whew.

Mariners finish the homestand 6-5, but with a roller coaster of emotions.
They beat the Angels, but barely. Averages did not raise (except for Randy “Trade me, for the love of God, trade me” Winn), power was not generated, and the high part of the stand was watching Bucky Jacobsen hit 4 home runs.

And strike out 10 times in 31 AB. Definitely a power hitter, but the sinker is his master. It will be interesting to see how he hits in not-Safeco stadiums. Because I have a feeling he might do well there.

Of course, the sinker will still be his master. But Roger Maris swung at a lot of crap too. The thing that encourages me the most is his .410 OBP, and his .645 SLG. These stats make him an offensive threat, much moreso than the .258 BA.

Oh, yes, Mariners win, 6-2.

Larry and I got there at the precise midpoint f the game, due to traffic issues coming down from Everett. I watched the first two innings at home, and listened to the next two while we drove and found parking. Always an adventure, but we got good street parking in the ID both games.

I hope the Mariners will take the youth movement on the road with them.

I also wish to join my words with those wishing John Olerud well in his future endeavors. I expected him to retire at the Break, but the Mariners made the choice for him, instead. Mind you, there are guys on the roster hitting worse, and being paid more, than John Olerud.

But we will miss his smooth, even handed defense. Mariners errors are up about a million percent, and are being charged mainly on throws. Olerud would pick those gems out of the dirt with a laconic grin, and then trot merrily into the dugout to bat. Jacobsen and Spezio are stretching hard, but just not coming up with the pickle.

Speaking of Spezio. He’s still not any good wih a bat there. The occasional HR does not make up for a .210 average, no matter how “natural” he looks at 1B, and how much more”confident” he is in the box since the move.

I’ve got news for you, Seattle broadcasters. His average has dropped since the move, and so has his power. There is no correlation between fielding position and hitting ability. Especially in the American League, where the blunder of all blunders, the DH, makes sub-par players into one note trumpet solos.

Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry came out last night in opposition to the DH, on national television. That might be the tipping point for me, come November. Since I know that GWB will be Commissioner of baseball in just a few years, perhaps he will learn from this, and kill it dead, dead, dead.

Paul Molitor is the 4th DH admitted to the Hall of Fame. Just one or two more, then we can close the book on this chapter of the game, raise up the mounds, blood test everyone every month, and instill a salary cap.

But I digress. If I wanted a light hitting utility infielder, I’d get one. In fact, we’ve got 5 of them on the big league roster. Four of them hit better than Scott Spezio.

That’s enough anger for one day, I think. Lets think Positive. The M’s play their division rivals, the Oakland athletics, tonight at 7:05 PM (PDT) . Pitcher friendly Coliseum winds will show us what kind of hitter Jacobsen really is.

And there will be other guys playing, too. At least, that’s the rumor.