Have you ever noticed on your favorite team there is always a position that never is quite a solid place. It's an enigma or a BLACK HOLE.
I had known that that position for the Mariners has always been left field. Seattle Times writer Larry Stone did a great piece on the very subject yesterday. Read it here. What I found interesting was the number of players that have spent time at that corner of the outfield.
In what is the 35th season of the club, as of right now 271 different guys have played some time in left. There have been 22 different starters in left field on 35 Opening Days. Some are funny like Randy Johnson being out there for an inning. Jeff nelson was out there for a batter, and Harold Reynolds did an inning out there too. In the last 22 years there have been 3 different full time Center Fielders( Griffey, Cameron, and Gutierrez, Ichiro did 2 years in center), and 2 Right Fielders( Buhner and Ichiro).
One thing I found really interesting was the carousel that has been there since the start of 2009. Look at this break down list of players for the position:
Year Name Gms
2011
Milton Bradley 26
Carlos Peguero 5
Ryan Langerhans 5
Michael Saunders 4
Mike Wilson 2
2010
Michael Saunders 74
Milton Bradley 38
Ryan Langerhans 28
Matt Tuiasosopo 14
Eric Byrnes 10
Greg Halman 4
Mike Carp 1
2009
Wladimir Balentien 42
Michael Saunders 39
Endy Chávez 40
Ryan Langerhans 30
Bill Hall 21
Ken Griffey Jr. 8
Ronny Cedeño 7
Pretty sad to see that the last two years each have seen 7 guys in left, and already in 2011 we have had 5. I'm still not sure who the answer in left. There never has been a clear cut answer. I mean we have had 3 different Bradleys, 3 Hendersons- including Rickey, 2 Mitchells, 2 Hunters, a Tiny, and a Pee Wee. The last outfielder the Mariners have drafted was Dustin Ackley, but he's being converted to a second baseman. Before that, you have to go back to 1995 when they took Jose Cruz Jr. He was unfortunately sent to Toronto for two relievers we just as soon forget.
Question of the day: Where is the BLACK HOLE on your team's roster, and how bad has it been?
Second base on the Rockies. Serviceable at best since the beginning with no hint of even a semi-star. Although there is hope with Jonathan Herrera this year,
ReplyDeleteThe Pirates are a black hole so I think that about covers it.
ReplyDelete100% with you on the M's LF history. It's like an epoch of epic mediocre...
ReplyDelete