Retro Mariner Sunday 10/31/10

Today we go back in time again to meet a former Mariner. Our player today was a fringe player before coming to the Mariners, but became an everyday player. After attending Joliet HS and Murray State University, Jack Perconte was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 16th round of the 1976 draft. While working his way through the minors, Jack would see time with the club in 1980 and 1981. For his time spent on the roster in 1981, he would earn a World Series ring. After the 1981 season, the Dodgers would trade Jack to the Cleveland Indians.

After two seasons in Cleveland, Jack would be traded again after the 1983 season. At the request of manager Del Crandall, Seattle would trade 2B Tony Bernazard to Cleveland for Perconte, and DH Gorman Thomas. Jack would be the everyday second baseman and a steady influence on a young infield. Near the beginning of the 1986 season, after spring training, Jack was released by the Mariners in favor of a younger player named Harold Reynolds to play 2B. Jack would spend some time with the White Sox in 1986. In 1987, Jack would sign again with the Dodgers, but spend the year in AAA Albuquerque. After that season, Jack would retire back home to Naperville, IL.

He would start his own training facility, called Jack Perconte Sports Academy. Over the next 19 years, Jack would train and coach over 60,000 baseball and softball players on hitting and fielding. In 2009, Jack published two books. The making of a hitter, and also Raising an athlete.

Please check this out

I put up another post on my new blog. Today we get the history of how the Pilots came to be. The Ride of the Ancient Mariner is still in the beginning stages, but I hope that everyone will have fun with the trips down memory lane, and might be informed by something I write. Please tell your friends, tell your neighbors, heck tell your mom and your signifigant otherto give it a read. If there is something I forget to tell in a story, feel free to let know and I can adjust it. Thanks everybody, happy reading and Happy Saturday!

Do you want FREE CARDS?!?!

Sorry I don't have them. If you go see our friend over at Georgia Mindset they are giving away a hobby box of Topps Chrome. FREE!! Follow the little details and it could be all yours. I hope not though, I hope it ends up being mine. Good luck to all!

What a bunch of...

Now as basketball season opens, it reminds us that it is the start of the third season. This will be the third year with no Sonics basket ball in Seattle. To make matters worse, many are picking the Thunder be 1st or 2nd in the West. If that isn't just a kick in the teeth. While I'm not a big basketball fan, I miss the opportunity to go at with Blazer fans.
Thanks to this guy for selling the team:

Thanks to this bumpkin for buying it:

Thanks to this moron for letting them leave our city:

Thanks to this snake for orchestrating the deal:

This kid would look so good in Sonic colors still:

Not too sure about these colors though:

Oh the pain! Oh the misery. We will never see another team here, too many politicians and cry babies.

Condolences

I want to send my condolences to the friends and family of Joe Lis. Joe was a very short time Mariner in the inaugural season of 1977. I saw the story on Baseball by the letters. Joe did a lot of teaching hitting to players after his career was over. Unfortunately another Mariner player whose ship has sailed. May you rest in peace, Joe.

The tradewinds blow my way

I recently had an offer from Scott of Smed's Baseball Card Blog. He was willing to send me some more Mariners cards, and some needs from the Super set. Here are a couple highlights from his box of goodies.

A couple cards from some players we all know.

A couple cards from some players we never knew.

A few more Gwynn's to add to the PC.

One of the creepiest cards I needed for the Super Set.
Dude, please button up your shirt. Also, why did we trade for you? We got hosed in that deal. Are you kidding me, Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek for you?? All these years later, Woody Woodward you still SUCK!!

Thanks again Scott, and your boxes of cards should be there any day. Sorry for being late on the return.

Congratulations!!

I extend my congratulations to both The Rangers and the Giants. They both have played hard and gotten to where no one expected them to be. While I would root for the Rangers, because they are in my division, that's why I can't root for them. Plus San Francisco is closer to Seattle. I do hope that Cliff Lee does well, but I hope that the hometown kid Tim Lincecum can come through. Games start Wednesday.

My fellow bloggers..

I have decided to take a page from another blogger who is pretty smart. You may know Thorzul of Thorzul Will Rule. During the year this year, he has asked for the generosity of the readers to send him the cards to make series 1 and 2 of the Topps set this year. I would like to ask the same, but the only cards I really want are cards that say Mariners on the front. There is only 8 cards in this year's Update set for my lovable losers.
US19 Russell Branyan
US72 Milton Bradley
US103 Matt Tuiasosopo
US105 Chone Figgins
US130 Ichiro All Star
US138 Brandon League
US261 Jason Vargas
US262 Rob Johnson

If anyone is buying the new Topps cards and comes across these, or has extras let me know. I would like to have these cards to continue my pursuit of the super set(feel free to see if you can help). I am open to making trades for them, or will take charity cards.

As a side note, if anyone is opening Update and comes across this card:

Please think of me!! I would be willing to make a deal for this card.

Thanks alot!!

A big thanks alot(stick in the eye and kick to the junk) to Topps. It seems that they signed an exclusive deal with Bryce Harper yesterday. We all know that means all the 2011 Topps products will be riddled with his stuff. Why can't they leave well enough alone and give us what we want. I know some people like to prospect, and some like the big hits. This kid is only now starting to get his feet wet in the Fall League. I know it has be all about the new guy, both he and Strasburg. Whatever happened to letting guys develop before the big hype? There are some of in the world that just want to collect a base set of cards from players in the league. I'm tired of a pack of cards being full of inserts and parallels and so on. I will still buy my share of cards next year, but this what we have to look forward to next year. YAY(can you feel the sarcasm?)!!

What am I thinking??

I don't know why, but I'm trying my hand at another blog. This one will be called the Ride of the Ancient Mariner. A trip through the Pilots and the Mariners is what this one will entail. Let's hope I can keep up with all this writing.

Hello?! Orioles fans...

I know there are a few of you out in the blog world. I found this today at work and snatched it up quick. It was attached to the front of some old raggedy trucker hat. The hat looked like it came out of 1984. If anyone wants it let me know and it is all yours. I'm sure someone will want to remember the good old days.

Random old school

A old school Mariner that is a bit obscure to most. He spent a short time in Seattle. He also spent some time with other teams, but has spent most of his time pitching and coaching with the Mexico City Red Devils.

One ball

Happy 43rd birthday to former Mariner of obscurity Josias Manzanillo. He briefly played for the Mariners in 1997. He is known as the guy who took a Manny Ramirez line drive in the groin on April 8, 1997 in the Kingdome.
He was able to make the play to Dan Wilson at home to get Jim Thome at the plate and walk off the field under his own power. He did require surgery to remove a testicle, but would return and pitch again in the majors. He would later be named in the Mitchell Report as the only player Kirk Radomski actually saw take PED's. Here's to hoping the Half-Manzanillo has a good one.

Give me a Wedgie!!

It can't be announced until next week at the earliest, but it seems the Mariners will be hiring Eric Wedge. He will become the 7th manager the Mariners have had since Lou left after 2002. Here's to hoping that a guy that is still young can get through to these players. I hope his first order of business will be to get rid of rid of Milton Bradley. Milton did wear a shirt in 2004 that stated "F*** Eric Wedge." It will be interesting see the coaching choices and player movements in the near future. I just hope things start right in February and continue all year. Good luck Eric.

I do have to admit, I'm glad he gave up on the porn 'stache though. That thing is hideous looking. Bordering on creepy.



What the ???

One thing is not like the other here:

Mike Modano as a Red Wing???

Mike Modano as a Star

This just seems more right in the world

Just a thought from the hockey world

You must choose one!!

I decided that now that the Championship Series start in a little over a day, I want to know of these four aces, which would you choose??  We all know that all four are great in their own right, but you must have some logic behind who you would want. I'm listing them in the order I would take them, but I want to hear your opinions.

1. Cliff Lee-  From what I saw of him in his short time in Seattle, this guy is just awesome.

Yes, I did use a pic of Cliff in a Mariner uni. Just trying to remember the good times.

2. Tim Lincecum- This kid hasn't even reached his full potential, but he has been great for the last three years.

3. Roy Halladay- He has been great for the Phils this year, and is finally getting recognition he didn't get in Toronto.

4 CC Sabathia- I know he can be great at times, but can also get knocked around pretty good at times.

Did I miss the memo?

I guess I'm the only one that doesn't get it. I heard these names being volleyed around for the possibilities for the next Mariners manager. I'm not saying that anyone might not be a good manager, but I really don't think any of them tickle my fancy. Here are some the names out there:

Former Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon

Possible front runner and former Mets manager Bobby Valentine

Former Toronto manager John Gibbons

Former Indians manager Eric Wedge

Former Astros manager Cecil Cooper

And another possible unknown, current Padres bench coach Ted Simmons

I don't think we can get a big name, but I would like to get a proven winner...

Glory! Glory!

I have noticed lately that the sports landscape here in Seattle has been very depressing. First, the Mariners took in the pipe and finished in the cellar again. I'm not much of a Seahawks fan, but it's local football and they are a train wreck right now. The UW Huskies are such a Jeckyl and Hyde team, you never know what you will get from week to week. I'm not a basketball fan, but the Sonics moved to Oklahoma City. We do have junior hockey in the Thunderbirds, but it's too early for me to get into hockey yet(once it turns cooler).

There is a team in town that is playing very well, and has been getting more of my interest lately. I guess it helps that my son is back to playing soccer that my interest has picked up in the Seattle Sounders FC again. This team has been on fire lately. They are unbeaten in their last eight games, have won the Lamar Hunt US Open cup for the second year in a row, and have qualified for the playoffs again. They can consistently pull 30 to 35 thousand fans to each game. I get the felling I might be watching a lot soccer for awhile. And as a side note to a couple bloggers in the Portland, OR area, you do realize that we be beating up on your Portland Timbers when they join the MLS next year, right??

Goodbye Bobby!

As a kid who first found the Braves on the SuperStation WTBS back in the early 80's, I became a fan. Bobby Cox had left by that time, but I stuck with the team as my National League team. I still do to this day. I was sad to see Bobby leave the game of baseball last night. He has always been a class act, and has helped develop a bunch of talented players. Any man that can win 14 straight division titles, gets my vote for the hall of fame. Good luck to Bobby Cox in retirement.

Get well Tony!

As everyone knows, I am a huge fan of Tony Gwynn. When I saw the news yesterday that he revealed he had a beginning stage of cancer, my heart skipped. Thankfully, the doctors believe they caught it early, and it will be treatable. He believes it is linked to his use of tobacco while playing. If this isn't a wake-up call that the stuff needs to be outlawed, I don't know how many more famous players need to get sick before they do. It is already banned in the minors. I know it's not easy to quit dipping, I did it. I hope that as a good showing to the kid fans, players will eventually re-think it.

If any guy is going to take a swing at cancer and win, it is this gangster looking guy:

Yes or no??

Did everyone enjoy yesterday's little trip down the road of cards and Beatles?? I hope so, it was fun to do. Let me know if you can think of some other associations we could put together.

A day in the life

I love the song, but don't know this kid. Man those uniforms are a fairly vibrant purple.

Sgt. Pepper's lonely hearts club band

After all this guy's nickname was Sarge. It's the best I could do, what do want from me. Some of these associations aren't easy to come by.