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    • Wednesday, December 12, 2012

    2013 Results: Bonds, Clemens, Piazza and Biggio are elected to the Hall of Merit!

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    posted on December 12, 2012 at 10:14 PM by Joe Dimino to history  |  61 comment(s)

    Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza and Craig Biggio have been elected to the Hall of Merit!

    The timing for our first year electing 4 candidates could not have worked out better, since class of 2013 is the strongest in terms of electees that we’ve ever had. The top of the 1934 ballot included Ty Cobb, Tris Speaker, Eddie Collins, Pop Lloyd, Smokey Joe Williams and Cristobal Torriente, but only 2 were elected.

    Bonds and Clemens were each unanimous at 1 and 2. I believe that’s the first ...

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    1. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) posted on July 26, 2011 at 12:02 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    The falling Kingdome tiles are right up there, I think.
    2. Dag Nabbit has the talking pillow posted on July 26, 2011 at 01:46 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Why…is today’s game rained out?

    HA!
    3. RJ in TO posted on July 26, 2011 at 01:52 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    What about Maury Wills' reign of baffled terror?
    4. RJ in TO posted on July 26, 2011 at 01:54 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Or the recent revelation that the only reason they didn't trade Randy Johnson for two middle relievers was that Woody Woodward was too busy golfing.
    5. SoSH U at work posted on July 26, 2011 at 01:59 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Or the recent revelation that the only reason they didn't trade Randy Johnson for two middle relievers was that Woody Woodward was too busy golfing.


    If your GM is pondering trading the Big Unit for two middle relievers, you want him on the links as much as possible.
    6. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:03 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    When I was a kid they stunk every year (never had a winning season til what '91 or so?) and played in the worst stadium in the league. At least they play in a nice stadium now.
    7. Jolly Old St. Nick Done Jumped The Ship  posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:12 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Is this the most embarrassing point ever for Mariner franchise?

    Are you nuts?
    8. Dag Nabbit has the talking pillow posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:18 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    There's the time they traded Jason Varitek and Derrek Lowe for Heathcliff Slocomb.
    9. Mike Emeigh  posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:30 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    the Mariners have been selling us on the progress they’re making to get out of the giant hole they’ve dug for themselves in recent years


    which is the problem - they haven't made much progress yet and have oversold the progress that they have made. Rebuilding an organization that was as much of a train wreck as this one was when Zduriencik took over takes time, and the unexpectedly competitive season in 2009 set unrealistic expectations. Had the Mariners won 75 games in 2009 (which by rights they probably should have) instead of 85, they probably don't make the Figgins and Lee moves and they'd probably be further along today.

    I've made this point before with respect to the Pirates, but I think it bears repeating - a season where a team is unexpectedly catapulted into a pennant race can be a setback to that team's long-term success if they lose sight of where the organization is in the success cycle. I don't know whether Zduriencik overvalued what he had on hand or whether ownership pushed him to go all in on 2010, but the decisions that they made in that offseason set the process back.

    -- MWE
    10. BourbonSamurai, vassal of the Harpsburg Empire posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:31 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I mean, really? This isn't some proud juggernaut. This is the Mariners. They've been shitty plenty of times. What about, say, 1988, when they were terrible AND their best player was Alvin Davis?

    They still have Ichiro and King Felix, so they are still worth going to take a look at even if they're bad.
    11. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:37 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0


    I mean, really? This isn't some proud juggernaut. This is the Mariners. They've been shitty plenty of times. What about, say, 1988, when they were terrible AND their best player was Alvin Davis?


    How bout 1980 when Bruce Bochte was by far their best player and they had FOUR starters with a sub .600 OPS. FOUR!!! They hit .248/.308/.356 AS A TEAM!

    Not as bad as today's lineup, but it was bad!
    12. Shooty is in the Trust Tree  posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:38 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Hey! Alvin Davis was good!
    13. SoSH U at work posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:39 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Hey! Alvin Davis was good!


    He was, though that was one hell of a cliff he went off at 30. Was he hurt?
    14. YR Misses Reggie Bars posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:41 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Alvin Davis was no Phil Bradley.
    15. Jeff R., P***y Mainlander posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:52 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    He was, though that was one hell of a cliff he went off at 30. Was he hurt?


    I don't remember any injury talk. He just turned into the poster-boy for guys with old-players skills who fall off the table in their 30's.
    16. Guapo posted on July 26, 2011 at 02:57 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Most embarrassing Mariners moment: I would have gone with Clemens' first 20-k game, or the Rick Honeycutt incident:

    When pitching for the Mariners against the Royals on Sept. 30, 1980, Honeycutt taped a thumbtack to his finger to cut the ball. Willie Wilson, after hitting a double, spotted the tack from second base. When the umps came out to have a look, they not only found the tack, but also a gash in Honeycutt's forehead -- he had rubbed his face absentmindedly, almost poking his eye out in the process.

    "I should have known right then that it wasn't going to work," he later said. "It didn't do anything for me. I didn't know what I was doing at the time. I only did it once and I did it badly and got caught at it. I was really struggling at the time. We were getting ready to go out onto the field, and I passed a bulletin board and there was a tack in it. I put it on the middle finger of my glove hand." Honeycutt was ejected, suspended for 10 games, and fined $250.


    [from espn.com]
    17. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) posted on July 26, 2011 at 03:08 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    The Rick Honeycutt Incident was easily Guns and Roses' worst album.
    18. SoSH U at work posted on July 26, 2011 at 03:12 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    The Lennie Randle blow job (Wait, that came out wrong).
    19. Infinite Joost (Voxter)  posted on July 26, 2011 at 03:26 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    They still have Ichiro and King Felix, so they are still worth going to take a look at even if they're bad.


    Watched Scratchiro play lately?
    20. Random Transaction Generator posted on July 26, 2011 at 03:39 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    They still have a better record than the Baltimore Orioles.

    I would have to think last year was the low point, with that legendarily bad offense.
    If King Felix didn't been so good last year, there would have been no reason to watch them.
    21. Infinite Joost (Voxter)  posted on July 26, 2011 at 03:54 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    They're scoring a tenth of a run more per game -- in other words, they're in for a whopping 532 runs this year, after 513 last season.

    There has been an improvement in pitching . . .
    22. YR Misses Reggie Bars posted on July 26, 2011 at 03:56 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    If they reunited the 2001 team, how much worse (or better) would they be?
    23. Random Transaction Generator posted on July 26, 2011 at 04:25 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    It's weird.
    They are scoring more (as #21 points out), but their OPS is lower (.623 vs .637).
    But then, their team OPS+ is the same (79), in what is considered a much lower scoring environment this year.

    I guess they suck SO much that they are almost contributing to the lower scoring environment on their own...
    24. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) posted on July 26, 2011 at 04:31 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Watched Scratchiro play lately?


    Ichiro is always worth watching, whether or not he's any good.
    25. PreservedFish posted on July 26, 2011 at 04:34 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    If they reunited the 2001 team, how much worse (or better) would they be?


    Fantastic question, please let somebody thoroughly answer this question.
    26. The George Sherrill Selection posted on July 26, 2011 at 04:48 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Of the still-playing 2001 Mariners:

    Carlos Guillen is hitting .357/.387/.464
    Mike Cameron is hitting .144/.238/.264
    Ichiro? is hitting .268/.314/.318

    And the pitching:
    Freddy Garcia: 3.23 ERA
    Arthur Rhodes: 5.09 ERA
    Brian Fuentes: 4.32 ERA
    Joel Pineiro: 4.61 ERA
    Ryan Franklin: 8.46 ERA
    27. BourbonSamurai, vassal of the Harpsburg Empire posted on July 26, 2011 at 04:53 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Hey! Alvin Davis was good!


    He was ok, but he sure wasn't a player you got excited about going to the ballpark to go see.
    28. Ray (RDP)  posted on July 26, 2011 at 05:01 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    They still have Ichiro


    Yes. That's been a big part of the problem. -0.7 WAR is really, really bad.
    29. birdlives is one crazy ninja posted on July 26, 2011 at 05:04 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I've made this point before with respect to the Pirates, but I think it bears repeating - a season where a team is unexpectedly catapulted into a pennant race can be a setback to that team's long-term success if they lose sight of where the organization is in the success cycle. I don't know whether Zduriencik overvalued what he had on hand or whether ownership pushed him to go all in on 2010, but the decisions that they made in that offseason set the process back.

    On one hand, PETOCA projected the 2010 Mariners as a 86 win team and a legitimate contender. Certainly we could point to the flaws of PETOCA (don't they always underestimate the Angels for whatever reason?), but I think Jack Z could make a legitimate case to himself that contention in 2010 was possible without engaging in complete wishful thinking analysis. On the other hand, even if Jack Z saw a significant degree of skepticism about his team's chances to contend in 2010, could he act upon that skepticism and give up on 2010 given the occupational constraints of his job? He's paid to make the M's a contender and his job security is dependent on showing progress. I'm assuming you mean the Figgins signings and maybe the Lee trade (although he did gain an excellent haul back at the deadline) when you they made in that offseason set the process back. And I guess there's the puzzling League for Morrow trade. But when you have a chance to contend, you have to go for it. While I haven't check to see how Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, and Juan Ramirez are doing today, he did at least get back Smoak and three minor leaguers to help compensate for their loss.
    30. gef the talking mongoose posted on July 26, 2011 at 05:52 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    The Lennie Randle blow job (Wait, that came out wrong).


    That's what he said.
    31. gef the talking mongoose posted on July 26, 2011 at 05:55 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Of the still-playing 2001 Mariners:


    Forget those guys. Would they be better if they reassembled the retired '01 players?
    32. Barry`s_Lazy_Boy posted on July 26, 2011 at 06:12 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Nothing embarrasses #6.
    33. TerpNats posted on July 26, 2011 at 06:21 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I've made this point before with respect to the Pirates, but I think it bears repeating -- a season where a team is unexpectedly catapulted into a pennant race can be a setback to that team's long-term success if they lose sight of where the organization is in the success cycle.
    Which is why, as a Nationals fan, I'm perversely glad that they haven't been more than two games over .500 before the trading deadline. While I doubt Rizzo ever believed they were ready yet, I'm a bit fearful what might have happened if one of the Lerners thought that way.
    34. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) posted on July 26, 2011 at 07:32 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    You know what's embarrassing? Starting Mario Mendoza. Yes, THAT Mario Mendoza. Not only that, but for two years. And one of which in which he actually hit UNDER the Mendoza Line.
    35. Dag Nabbit has the talking pillow posted on July 26, 2011 at 09:06 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Inspired by this piece, I present to you the latest THT Live offering: Low points in Mariners history
    36. rb's team is hopeful for the new year! posted on July 26, 2011 at 09:14 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    They still have Ichiro and King Felix, so they are still worth going to take a look at even if they're bad.

    This is not true. I went to the king's last home start, and the whole experience was brutal.
    37. Good cripple hitter posted on July 26, 2011 at 09:44 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Inspired by this piece, I present to you the latest THT Live offering: Low points in Mariners history


    Nice list, but 2010 could've used the game in which Eric Brynes pulled his bat back on an suicide squeeze in extra innings (a gaffe so bizarre that Ron Washington argued that the pitch should've been called a strike because he couldn't fathom the idea that Brynes took the pitch), then struck out looking and bicycled his way out of the stadium, dodging the press and Jack Z. He was subsequently released by the team.

    Come to think of it, Ken Griffey Jr.s napping fiasco probably could've made the list, along with the Choo/A.Cabrera for Broussard and Eduardo Perez trades. And there's plenty more low points in recent times that I've forgotten (like what caused Richie Sexson's pose that's captured in Lookout Landing's banner image). It's been pretty gloomy for the M's in recent years.
    38. villageidiom posted on July 26, 2011 at 10:03 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Mariners fans need their own It Gets Better campaign.
    39. The George Sherrill Selection posted on July 26, 2011 at 10:04 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    More classics:

    Scott Spiezio, in particular him showing off a tattoo of his stripper^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H model girlfriend.

    The price of beer at a local bar pegged to the batting average of Richie Sexson.

    Al Martin.
    40. rb's team is hopeful for the new year! posted on July 26, 2011 at 10:07 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Mariners fans need their own It Gets Better campaign.

    This is a brilliant idea. It could include videos from pirates fans, and the like.
    41. Infinite Joost (Voxter)  posted on July 26, 2011 at 10:19 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Pitied by Pirates fans. That's a new low.
    42. Dag Nabbit has the talking pillow posted on July 26, 2011 at 10:28 PM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    The price of beer at a local bar pegged to the batting average of Richie Sexson.

    Hey - they did that to Dave Valle first.

    Who could forget Dave Valle Days?
    43. AROM posted on July 27, 2011 at 12:11 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    This headline will be very funny if CC keeps pitching like he has through the first four.
    44. The John Wetland Memorial Death (CoB) posted on July 27, 2011 at 12:15 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    [43] Make that 5.
    45. Kurt posted on July 27, 2011 at 12:16 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Forget the headline, what about Repoz' intro? Spooky.
    46. The John Wetland Memorial Death (CoB) posted on July 27, 2011 at 12:17 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Although, the weather looks awfully ominous ...
    47. Ray (RDP)  posted on July 27, 2011 at 12:24 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    #43, 10 Ks through 5 for CC. So he has a chance to:

    * throw a perfect game
    * break the strikeout record (again against the Mariners)
    * extend the Mariners' futility to 17 games.

    Neat game to be at.
    48. The John Wetland Memorial Death (CoB) posted on July 27, 2011 at 12:37 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Also had a shot at the consecutive strikeouts record.

    And now ... ####### rain delay.

    Argh.
    49. Ray (RDP)  posted on July 27, 2011 at 12:47 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    I don't know what the weather is in New York (er, even though I'm a scant few miles from the Stadium - but I'm locked in my office), but that has to one of the suckiest rain delays ever if it forces CC to come out.

    Though I believe Girardi has a track record from Florida of allowing his ace pitcher to re-boot after a rain delay :-)
    50. The John Wetland Memorial Death (CoB) posted on July 27, 2011 at 01:24 AM #  hit 0 | hit 0

    Well, there it goes, to Brendan "Megan's Law" Ryan.

    CC did K the next 2 batters, giving him 14 through 7, a new career high.

    Wonder how it would have gone without the delay, he was completely locked in with all 4 pitches.

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