Facebook page

I don't know if I can figure out how to do this, but I'm starting a Facebook page for the blog. It will be a group on Facebook under the same name as the blog. If I can just figure out how to easily link the blog posts to the group, we will be in business. If anyone is on Facebook and wants to join, feel free. We will see how this goes...

Addition to the list

I have decided to add another to the Player Collection page. As my son has been a fan of his for a long time, the trip to Boston sealed it.  Add "Big Papi" David Ortiz to the player collection.

My trip to Fenway

I thought it was time to write it up and show some pics. As most know by now, we took our son to Fenway for his 12th birthday. I must say the city is pretty cool. Everyone is pretty friendly, unless you are in a car. They are impatient and like their horns in Boston. Good thing we walked or took the T everywhere. The unfortunate part was that it rained for the last three days of a four day trip. Thankfully being from Seattle and being used to it, it was bearable. My only worry was getting the game in on Monday. If it was rained out, it would have been a wasted trip. It rained until about an hour before game time, and only for about ten minutes during the 7th inning. If you ever get the chance to go to Boston, make sure to get to Fenway and catch a Sox game. The fans are great, they are polite, and they know the game. Thanks for the great experience Boston!!

All the Championship banners that line the building

The old Gate A on famous Yawkey Way

The old facade of the park still stands to this day

The world famous Green Monstah!

My son and I behind the dugout

The press box looking down over the field

Local kid John Lester from Puyallup, WA

I don't think truer words could be spoken...

The wall to commemorate the World Series titles

The tarp's coming off, time for baseball in Boston!

Play ball! First batter of the game, Ichiro

Congratulations on the great run!!

I just wanted to send out a big congratulations to the boys from Auburn. They ended up losing a heart breaker of a game to Pearland, Texas in the top of the 6th inning today. They had the lead, but lost it and couldn't make up the deficit. They should be very proud of themselves in how they represented the Northwest. They made it to three outs away from going to the U.S. final in the World Series. They played with heart, grit, and most of all CLASS!! Way to go, Auburn!

Update from Boston

Here we are in Lovely Boston. Too bad it's seems like home with all the rain. I surely hope that we can get this rain to blow out today, so we can have a game at Fenway tonight. This was the whole point of the trip. Everyone send your thoughts this way for a dry evening. I don't care if it's a bit cold, just DRY!! I highly doubt the Mariners can win tonight with the way they played the last two days, but I can hope. Once I return to Seattle I will try to get some pictures up.

Where have you been?!?!

I'm not really sure what to make of this Mariners team. They are actually playing good baseball and winning. I understand it has been against lesser opponents, but we aren't exactly dominating this year. I am impressed to see this team has won four series in a row. That is how you have a winning season, two out of three at a time. It is going to get tougher starting Friday in New York, and then on to Boston, with the Twins first at home after that. Let's hope we can keep it on some kind of a roll. Go M's!

Happy Birthday!!

Today is the day my son turns 12. He loves his baseball. I was able to pick him up a 2001 Topps reprint of Jackie Robinson's '52 Topps card, and he loved it. For his baseball team this year he wore 42 to honor Jackie. He also found out that Mom and I are taking him to Fenway Park to see the Mariners take on the Red Sox in Boston next week. We were able to take him to the old Yankee Stadium two years ago before it closed. It is my hope to get him to all the historic parks soon. Happy Birthday kiddo!!

Here come the local kids...

Congratulations to the boys of the Auburn Little League. They Defeated Idaho last night to advance to the World Series as the representative of the Northwest Region. Being that the city of Auburn is only 15 minutes away from us, they are kind of like the local kids to us. Good luck to them in Williamsport, here's to hoping they bring the title to the Northwest!

Sweet 116

In honor of the long forgotten glory days of the Mariners, and at the guidance of Matthew at the Number 5 Type Collection, I decided instead of celebrating my 100th post, I would make it number 116. I believe it is only right to post a list of the sweetest 116 Mariners players of all-time by position. So kids, grab your popcorn, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Starting Pitchers

 

1. Jamie Moyer- I only based on the fact that he was here longer and had more wins.

2. Randy Johnson- Hall of Famer, his slider was called "Mr. Snappy"

3. Felix Hernandez- He just keeps getting better

4. Mark Langston- 1984 ROY runner up and workhorse through the 1980's

5. Freddy Garcia- "The Chief" was dominant when he was here

6. Mike Moore- Another solid performer on some bad teams

7. Floyd Bannister- Great pitcher on the early teams

8. Joel Piniero- Streaky good and bad at times
9. Glenn Abbott- Did well teaching younger pitchers
10. Matt Young- Came up through the organization, but never was as dominant as he could be

Catchers

1. Dan Wilson- Without a doubt the bast Mariner catcher of all-time
2. Dave Valle- Great caller and backstop
3. Kenji Johjima- It pains me to put him that high
4. Tom Lampkin- Great fill-in guy, work well with pitchers
5. Pat Borders- Was happy with the club, or at AAA Tacoma
6. Jamie Burke- Not alot of offense, but worked great with young pitchers
7. John Marzano- Very good back up off the bench
8. Orlando Mercado- Worked his way through the system, was on some bad teams
9. Bob Kearney- Aging veteran, was a decent role player
10. Bud Bulling- Caught Gaylord's 300th win

First Base

1. Alvin Davis- 1984 Rookie of the Year, Mr. Mariner in the M's Hall of Fame
2. John Olerud- Local kid that was a stud at first base, and he could hit too
3. Tino Martinez- Part of the 1995 season, went to the "Damn Yankees"
4. Bruce Bochte- 1979 All-Star in Seattle, pretty good hitter too
5. Richie Sexson- He was all or nothing, it was a homer or a strikeout
6. Paul Sorrento- Nice replacement for Tino, could hit for power too
7. Pete O' Brien- Good defensively, pushed AD out of first base
8. Russell Branyan- Had a monster year in 2009, and missed the last month of the season
9. David Segui- We didn't know he was on the "Juice" at the time, Dad played for the Pilots and M's
10. Dan Meyer- Decent numbers, and decent glove

Second Base

1. Harold Reynolds- Gold glove in the field, feet that could fly

1A. Bret Boone- Great defensively, great numbers in 2001(P.E.D. enhanced)
3. Julio Cruz- Awesome defensively, a terror on the basepaths
4 Jose Lopez- His glove work is suspect, but can hit when he wants
6. Joey Cora- He was a spark plug in the dugout, and on the field
7. Willie Bloomquist- This guy could play everywhere, and look good doing it
8. Rich Amaral- Another utility guy, very versatile player
9. Larry Milbourne- Not a hitter, decent second baseman
10 Lenny Randle- Best known for blowing a ball foul

Third Base

1. Jim Presley- Great glove, solid hitter
2. Adrian Beltre- Gold Glove player, didn't have the power numbers though
3. David Bell- Great defensively, could have pop at times
4. Russ Davis- Solid hitter, above average defense
5. Mike Blowers- All-around good third baseman
6. Luis Sojo- Limited range, good clubhouse guy
7. Manny Castillo- Good glove, not much offense
8. Doug Strange- Came from nowhere and became a good starter
9. Bill Stein- Power hitter on the early teams
10. Andy Sheets- Good fill-in guy for a day-off

Shortstop

1. Alex Rodriguez- Is probably one of the greatest shortstops of all time(minus the P.E.D.'s)
2. Omar Vizquel- Little O is still going at 43 years old
3. Carlos Guillen- Good offense, good defense. Doing well for Detroit
4. Mark McLemore- Played everywhere, great clubhouse presence
5. Yuniesky Betancourt- Suspect defense, occasional pop in his bat
6. Spike Owen- Started here, went to Boston and Montreal
7. Todd Cruz- Great defense in the early 80's
8. Craig Reynolds- The original Mariner shortstop of 1977
9. Felix Fermin- Solid defender on the 1995 team
10. Mario Mendoza- The man that created the "Mendoza Line"

Left Field

1. Raul Ibanez- The very best of the hundreds of left fielders we have had
2. Phil Bradley- Great offense, solid defense in the field
3. Greg Briley- "Pee Wee" didn't hit much, but he could go get the ball
4. Randy Winn- Great range on defense, terror on the basepaths
5. Steve Henderson- Great power hitter of the early 80's teams
6. Mike Kingery- Started a long, productive career in Seattle
7. Barry Bonnell- Fair legs, more of a hitter
8. Vince Coleman- Short time here, helped the '95 team make the playoffs
9. John Mabry- Hit better than his defense
10. Darren Bragg- Was always willing to go full throttle for the team

Center Field

1. Ken Griffey Jr.- Not my favorite, can't argue with his numbers. Hall of Fame bound
2. Dave Henderson- Had great defense and could hit the ball too
3. Mike Cameron- Great defense, all or nothing at the plate. Still going for the Red Sox
4. Franklin Gutierrez- Another Gold Glover, can hit the ball too
5. Ruppert Jones- First star in Seattle, good defense and offense
6. Stan Javier- Good older player, would make a great manager in the majors
7. Alex Diaz- Always going all out, Not dirty=Not playing
8. Darnell Coles- Never got good until after he left
9. Charles Gipson- Great fill in wherever he was needed
10. Adam Jones- Traded before we could see his potential, Orioles have a good one now

Right Field

1. Ichiro Suzuki- Is there a superlative word that doesn't describe him? Absolutely awesome
2. Jay Buhner- The "Bone" was the greatest until number 1 got to Seattle
3. Al Cowens- Great range, average and power hitter
4. Henry Cotto- Decent defense, hit for a good average
5. Ivan Calderon- Big and strong, got better after he left. Tragically murdered in his hometown
6. Danny Tartabull- Will be remembered for his time with other teams
7. Leon Roberts- First guy to hit bombs in the Kingdome
8. Joe Simpson- Good speed, could hit when he needed to
9. Rickey Henderson- To quote him, "Rickey thinks that Rickey is number 1 on this list"
10. John Moses- Not the greatest, had good speed to go get the ball

Relief Pitchers

1. Kazuhiro Sasaki- Team leader in saves, got hurt carrying a suitcase
2. Jeff Nelson- Most success was in New York, had a nasty Frisbee Slider
3. J.J. Putz- When you heard "Thunderstruck" in Safeco you knew the game was over
4. Mike Jackson- Had a fastball that would scare hitters into striking out
5. Arthur Rhodes- Still going strong for the Reds, finally got an All-Star nod this year
6. Mike Schooler- Very dependable as the closer
7. Norm Charlton- The "Sheriff" was all business on the field
8. Eddie Guardado- "Everyday Eddie" was usually automatic, great person off the field
9. Bill Caudill- Good pitcher, was always showing that he was the clubhouse clown
10. Shane Rawley- Great pitcher, hard to get saves on a bad team

Designated Hitter

1. Edgar Martinez- So good that they named the award after him, should be in the Hall of Fame
2. Ken Phelps- Thanks to the Yankees for taking him and sending us Buhner(cue Frank Costanza)
3. Gorman Thomas- Power hitter, that could scare the ball out of the parks with his looks
4. Richie Zisk- Could hit for an average year after year, decent power numbers
5. Jeffery Leonard- The "Hac Man" could spray the ball all over the field
6. Willie Horton- The big name from the Tigers came to Seattle to retire
7. Mike Sweeney- Physically on the down side, his bench presence was a stabilizer
8. Bucky Jacobsen- Could mash the ball, became a quick cult hero in Seattle
9. Gary Matthews- Came to Seattle but really didn't have anything left to give
10. Greg Pirkl- Could hit it hard, couldn't stay healthy for long

Managers

1. Lou Piniella- Took the Mariners to places they had never been before

2. Jim Lefebvre- Got the Mariners to their first winning season

3. Don Wakamatsu- Got a bad lineup this year, last year was a dream season for him

4. Dick Williams- Fiery man that got what he could from those teams

5. Bob Melvin- Not a great manager, took over a good team for a decent record

6. Rene Lachemann- Didn't last long, had a decent record with a bunch of no-names

Feel free to tell me if you don't agree with me on any players. I would love to know that people think. Someday maybe we can get back to winning games and see the playoffs again. I don't think 116 will be duplicated again.

Retro Mariner Sunday 8/8/10

Today we look back at a Mariner that has been with the team a few times. After graduating from Western High School in Anaheim, CA in 1974, John Moses attended Golden West JC in Huntington Beach from 1975-1977. He then transferred to the University of Arizona in Tucson. During the 1980 season, he captained a team that included Craig Lefferts, and Terry Francona to an NCAA title. In June of 1980, John was drafted in the 16th round by the Seattle Mariners.

 After spending 1980 in Bellingham, John moved up to the A Wassau Timbers in 1981. John would move on to AA Lynn Sailors in 1982, he would be called up the big team and make his debut on August 23rd. On September 3, 1982 John got his first start in Left Field in Boston. 1983 would see him split time between AAA Salt Lake City Gulls and the Mariners. John would start at AA Chattanooga, move up to Slat Lake and eventually the Mariners again in 1984. For the 1985 and 1986 seasons, John was on the up and down shuttle from AAA Calgary Cannons to the Mariners. He would spend the entire 1987 season on the Mariners roster. After the season, he was released by the Mariners. In January of 1988 he signed with Cleveland, but was released at the end of spring training. He would sign with the Minnesota Twins and spend three good years with the Twins. Unfortunately 1991 was a roller coaster year. He would sign with the Red Sox for the spring of 1991. After being released at the end of camp, John signed on with the Rockies. While at AAA Colorado Springs, he would be let go in July. He would sign and spend four days in the Pirates organization in AAA Buffalo. The day he was released by the Pirates, he would sign on with the Tigers. John would get some playing time in the big leagues with the Tigers. John would come back home to the Mariners for his final season in 1992.

In 1994, John was hired by the Mariners as an administrative coach. From 1994 through 1998 as a coach, John was in charge of being a left handed batting practice pitcher, a bunting coach, and working as a base running and outfield coach under manager Lou Piniella. John was named as an advance scout for the Mariners in 1999. John would take over the duties as the first base coach from 2000 until after the 2003 season under Lou, and Bob Melvin. After being retired in 2004, John started the year as the hitting coach for the Las Vegas 51's in the Dodgers organization. When Jerry Narron was named the new manager of the Cincinnati Reds on June 20, 2005 John was named to be the bench coach for the Reds. John would move to the first base coach's box for the 2006 season. In 2007, John would come home to Seattle once again to pitch BP and be the first base coach for manager Mike Hargrove. John made his way back to the 51's to be the hitting coach in Las Vegas in 2008. When the Dodgers moved their AAA affiliation back to Albuquerque, John moved with the team. When Tim Wallach as the new manager of the Isotopes, he retained John as the hitting coach. He has spent the 2009 and the current 2010 season in Albuquerque working with the Isotopes hitters, preparing them for the Dodgers big league club.

Look at what I found

I decided I had a little extra time the other day, and was near the only local card shop within about 40 miles of home. If I'm lucky, I make in there 2 or 3 times a year. I went in with my wantlist for my super set. Within 1 hour, I was able to walk away with about 130 new cards I needed. I only just sort of flipped through the boxes, I didn't completely collate the list to cards in hand or I would have been there all day. If anyone is near the Seattle area, give a look into DJ's Sports Cards. If you are nowhere near here, besides the website they also have a Beckett marketplace that has tons of cards. Don is a great guy and will always be willing to make deals. I hope everyone gives them a look.

Are you kidding me??!!

Somebody pinch me and alert the press! The Mariners won a game. They even won against the Rangers! What is this world coming to? Next thing you know cats and dogs will be living together. People will get along, mass hysteria. I'm just a little disappointed that it took until August 3rd to get to 40 wins. Oh well, I'm happy for a day at least.

Retro Mariner Sunday 8/1/10

Hey everyone! I know it's Tuesday and I'm late on the Sunday thing. This will be a very short version. Today we look back at former Mariner Paul Abbott.

Paul had his best years with the Mariners. He pitched for them from 1998-2002. Before coming to the Mariners, he had seen time with the Twins, and Indians. During the magical run of 2001, Paul went 17-4 for the team. After leaving the Mariners, Paul did time with the Royals, Phillies, and Devil Rays. In 2005, Paul pitched for both the Fullerton Flyers, and the San Diego Surf Dawgs in the Golden League.

Paul is now an assistant coach at Fullerton Junior College. In 2009, he also became the pitching coach for the Orange County Flyers of the Golden League under manager Phil Nevin. After Nevin accepted a managing position in the Tigers organization this year, Paul was named to manage the Flyers in 2010. The Flyers currently are 33-27 this year.