Years ago, it was this exercise that sent me down a road of becoming mildly Rangers-pilled. This year, there is no such risk. If you are looking at the lineup and notable off-season moves and feeling lightly confused by the seeming absence of any clear strategy, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Led by beloved former […]
5 days ago | 1 read
Sunday was a day of excitement and devastation for baseball fans around the world as teams fought to keep their WBC dreams alive. For some teams, their dreams end here, shattered on fields in Miami, Houston and Tokyo. For others, the journey has only just begun, and the competition will only get fiercer from here. […]
5 days ago | 1 read
Good morning! The Mariners fell to the Milwaukee Brewers 3-6 yesterday, with their three runs coming from big homers by Leo Rivas and Brennen Davis. Starter George Kirby had many good moments but wasn’t completely satisfied with his outing, specifically the movement on his sliders. Kate highlighted yesterday that Kirby is now calling some of […]
5 days ago | 3 reads
After briefly flirting with a win yesterday the Mariners went back to their comfort zone today, losing 3-6 in Maryvale to the Brewers. All three of their runs came off homers: a two-run shot by Leo Rivas and a mammoth tank job by spring breakout star Brennen Davis. Lefty Kyle Harrison, Milwaukee’s big trade acquisition […]
5 days ago | 1 read
While the line from George Kirby’s start against Milwaukee won’t jump off the page, Kirby himself was delighted in it – and not just because of how he pitched, effortlessly mixing his pitches so much that Statcast couldn’t keep up (those splitters? Changeups, actually. And the fastball clocking in at 94? A cutter.). But it’s […]
6 days ago | 0 reads
I have alarming news. Somehow, while I wasn’t looking, we passed the halfway point of spring training. Counting today’s game, only 15 games remain between Opening Day and [gestures at the smoking ruin of the 27-6 blowout against San Diego] whatever this is. It’s been a weird spring, with so many regulars gone with their […]
6 days ago | 1 read
From dawn til dusk, yesterday made the most of daylight’s final savings with World Baseball Classic… classics all day long. Heartbreak for Nicaragua at the hands of piscine parent Ozzie Albies and the Netherlands. Puerto Rico defending their home turf to the last breath, with at least fourth-string shortstop Darrell Hernaiz sending San Juan into […]
6 days ago | 1 read
Happy Sunday everybody! This morning I will be on the way down to Phoenix for a few days of Phoenix sunshine and Spring Training baseball! My phone battery is going to get worked to within an inch of its life trying to stream as much WBC as possible. Really looking forward to seeing the result […]
6 days ago | 5 reads
Boring is good. The Mariners lost to the White Sox on Saturday. It doesn’t really matter how because it’s Spring Training. That I have nothing more pressing to tell you is a good thing. Spring Training is meant to be boring. It’s practice. And practice baseball follows the same conventions for all news: if it […]
6 days ago | 3 reads
It started out as a joke: while Cal Raleigh is away, his pitchers will play. Cal’s clubhouse chair wasn’t even cold before Logan Gilbert made a start where he was throwing his cutter and sinker, two pitches his opinionated catcher does not like him to throw, as revealed in this in-depth analysis by Zach Mason. […]
6 days ago | 5 reads
We continue to trudge our way through Spring Training. We’ve reached the point where the novelty of these exhibitions has waned, and time has slowed to a crawl. There’s still 18 days until Opening Day, though really it’s more like 17.9 days, since we get to shave an hour tonight. I’ll take what I can […]
7 days ago | 4 reads
Good morning dear friends and happy Saturday! Things are getting busy in the baseball world with the World Baseball Classic and spring training games all in full swing. Have any WBC results surprised you so far? I was holding my breath in the early innings of that Nicaragua-Dominican Republic game, but I suppose I should […]
7 days ago | 5 reads
Amidst the first full day of Western Hemisphere-oriented World Baseball Classic games, spring training took the back seat, if not a full day off broadcasting. Despite no TV broadcast, Seattle was able to benefit from a handful of its young and less-seasoned players taking turns in the limelight. The 5-1 win for the Mariners featured […]
7 days ago | 4 reads
In today’s Moose Tracks, poster chicagomariner shared an instant classic quote from Josh Naylor on his new teammate, Brendan Donovan. “He has, like, a boring game, but he’s so elite at it.” Rarely has 12 words captured the essence of what has made baseball hum for generations for many fans. While the last 30 years […]
8 days ago | 1 read
Almost nine years ago to this day, I wrote about the history of the World Baseball Classic, fearing its end and opining for its more thorough embrace. I opened with this: The World Baseball Classic (WBC) should, ostensibly, be important. It’s a huge tournament that occurs only once every four years and features some of […]
8 days ago | 2 reads
For many players and countries, the most important baseball of the year is going in earnest right now. The World Baseball Classic, which you can get caught up on the details of right here courtesy of Isabelle, is in its first full day, with games watchable on the various FOX/FS1/FS2 outlets, as well as free […]
8 days ago | 3 reads
While we’ve been getting a heavy dose of Mariners prospects this spring with so many players out at the WBC, there’s still a showcase event for prospects: the Spring Breakout games, a prospects-vs-prospects contest between two teams. Last year the Mariners matched up with the Guardians, including top prospect Travis Bazzana. This year, they’ve drawn […]
8 days ago | 4 reads
Hello friends and happy Friday! The Mariners took a generational spring training drubbing at the hands of the Padres yesterday, losing 27-6. It’s a bad day to be a reliever on the fringes of the big league roster. Are there any high-scoring games in either spring training or the regular season that you most fondly […]
8 days ago | 3 reads
If you missed today’s Mariners spring training game, well, that might have been for the best. This one got out of hand early when the Padres put up an twelve-spot in the second and didn’t improve from there. Of all the spring training games, this one was the spring trainingiest (so far). Luis Castillo got […]
8 days ago | 2 reads
Spring training doesn’t count, but the Mariners currently sit at 3-8 after losing again to the Giants last night. Spring training doesn’t count and also spring training doesn’t count, but it would sure be nice to bank another win, even if spring training doesn’t count. Lineups: Also slated to pitch for the Mariners: Casey Lawrence, […]
9 days ago | 5 reads
There is a very good chance that Teddy McGraw debuts as a Mariner before anyone else on this list. There is also a very good chance he never debuts at all. The question isn’t one of talent – McGraw has two ultra-elite curveballs (they call him Curveball Jesus, per Ryan Divish) that could play in […]
9 days ago | 1 read
Starter, reliever, long guy – it doesn’t matter to Cooper Criswell. He’ll embrace whatever role the team wants to give him. “My dad was a basketball coach for 30-plus years, and he always told his teams, every guy on a team has a role, and you need to know your role,” Criswell said. “So for […]
9 days ago | 3 reads
It feels like the Athletics are on the precipice of something great. For all the difficulties the organization has had with its ugly breakup with the city of Oakland and the will-they-won’t-they future in Las Vegas, the actual on-field baseball product looks very promising. There’s a very strong core already established on the position player […]
9 days ago | 2 reads
Hello everyone! The Mariners played a late one last night, dropping the contest to the Giants by a 9-4 final. It’s a bit disappointing that unlike many teams, the Mariners don’t get to play an exhibition against a World Baseball Classic squad. It would have been cool to see some of our own stars playing […]
9 days ago | 4 reads
It never feels good to have someone tell you that “almost isn’t good enough,” or that “close doesn’t cut it.” Growing up in the south, the phrase I always heard was “close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” People use these sayings whenever some who failed to reach a goal says that it’s okay […]
9 days ago | 2 reads