Bleacher Report - Articles by Aaron Meyer

The 10 Best Sports Video Games

Aaron Meyer — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 22:53:26 -0400

As a sports fan, I'm addicted to competition, that primal human urge to be better at something than someone else. I know many of you are the same way, so it stands to reason that many sports fans gravitate to video games, a competitive arena which mirrors sports in its need for strategy, skill, and dexterity, but requires much less athletic ability to compete in. Where else can a 5' 7" white guy with a weight problem feel what it's like, even remotely, to face Randy Johnson at the plate, or to drive the lane against Shaq. Hence, these are my 10 favorite sports video games of all time. Note: I have not played EVERY sports video game ever released, these are the best of the ones I have played. Please feel free to comment and suggest some games I omitted; I'm always looking for a new game to play.

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Analysis: Yuniesky Betancourt to KC Royals for Prospects

Aaron Meyer — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 10:59:49 -0400

Yesterday, the Seattle Mariners dealt starting shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for two pitching prospects, a move that falls in line with the trades and pickups that GM Jack Zduriencik has made already in his tenure.

Betancourt, 27, was batting around .250 this season and had been struggling more than usual at the plate. His tenure with the team over the past three plus seasons yielded a .279 average batting mostly in eighth and ninth spot.

In trading the starting shortstop (who was rehabbing at triple-A affiliate Tacoma) the Mariners have handed the job to Ronnie Cedeno, acquired in the offseason from the Chicago Cubs. At least for now.

The Mariners give up a ton in batting prowess at the position with the trade, Cedeno is batting almost .100 points lower than Betancourt, but the transition defensively should be smooth as Cedeno is easily Betancourt's equal in the field. Maybe with regular playing time and positioning Cedeno can thrive, but that remains to be seen.

It's obvious that the upside of the trade is the pitching prospects, 22-year-old Danny Cortes was the Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season and is considered the best pitching prospect in the Royals system. He's been pitching in AA this year with a 3.92 ERA, and almost as many strikeouts as hits given up.

The other prospect, Derek Saito, seems to be a future lefty specialist out of the bullpen, keeping lefties to a .200 average during his tenure.

While no immediate returns are expected from either prospect, one or both could be significant contributors to the club in the next few years. This strategy is very much in line with what Zduriencik has been doing with his moves; stocking the farm system by trading veteran and middling talents.

His moves so far have yielded Franklin Gutierrez (.297 average, 10 homers) and Russel Branyan (.283, 21 homers), as well as a number of minor-league prospects to restock the farm system.

What this means for the Mariners this season is still not known. With the trade deadline a few weeks away, the Mariners are sticking close to the division leading Angels and Rangers, and whether they will be buyers and sellers is still not known, possibly even by the front office.

This kind of move is usually a seller-type move; giving up a veteran talent without a sure replacement in exchange for prospects.

But since the Mariners are going strong even without Adrian Beltre in the lineup and Griffey Jr. batting near the Mendoza Line, and it is possible, however remote, that they could make a push by getting Beltre back at the end of the month and moving Chris Woodward to short to make up for the batting lost when trading Betancourt.

Most likely, though, Zduriencik will do what Billy Beane does; look at his squad, no matter where they are in the standings, and decide that they most likely will not be able to make an addition that will put them over the top to make a run into the playoffs and will decide to sell at the deadline.

Jarrod Washburn is the most likely candidate to be traded, and if Kenji Johjima can be packaged as well I'm sure he'd like to see Jeff Clement up in the majors to look at him in action.

I welcome these kinds of moves, because Bill Bavasi left the farm system depleted and Zduriencik had success in Milwaukee by stocking the minor leagues with young talent and bringing them up almost all at once to the big club to make a formidable team. If he follows the same pattern, we could be in for a stellar club in the next few years.

If I Were Commissioner of Major League Baseball...

Aaron Meyer — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:24:14 -0400

Bud Selig takes a lot of flack.

I can't recall a commissioner of a pro sports league getting this much criticism no matter what he seems to do, but the critics, myself among them, are not without merit.

A quick rundown of his tenure:

- He owned the Milwaukee Brewers, which would seem to create a conflict of sorts as he is supposed to be an impartial overseer of the game. One of the reasons he has pushed for a salary cap is to help small-market clubs (like the Brewers) compete with the big-spenders.

- He brokered the deal that allowed every major league club to purchase the Montreal Expos, essentially making them the AAA affiliate of the rest of the league. The sale to the new owners of the Washington Nationals not withstanding, the team is still one of the worst in the majors.

- He ended an All-Star game in a tie, which is not a bad thing, as it is an exhibition, but then inexplicably linked the outcome of the All-Star game in the future to home field advantage in the World Series.

- He allowed the Players' Union to become one of the most powerful in the history of the country, effectively stopping any regulation of PED's and institution of salary control. This caused not only the ballooning of player salaries, but player heads and muscles as well.

- Hmmm, what else? Oh yeah, he's presided over the worst cheating scandal in the history of American pro sports. While every other major sporting league was implementing and enforcing a doping policy, he allowed steroids and other performance enhancers to run unchecked through every level of the game, only finally deigning to address the subject when Congress threatened to do it for him.

That being said, the game is still very profitable and successful, and shows little sign of slowing down. But I think it's been stunted to a point by Selig's reign, and here's how I'd do things differently:

1. I would not look like Skeletor. Selig's very appearance I believe is bad for the game. He looks like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, without the cartoonish super-villain finger-steepling (at least in public). He often looks like an old, befuddled ex-used-car salesman (which he is).

2. I would institute a salary floor. Most people believe that allowing the larger market teams to spend freely is bad for the game, but I disagree. There are more Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs fans than any other team, and those teams successes are good for the game.

However, quite a few teams are spending less and less and keeping the profits from the luxury tax the top teams are playing. A salary floor in addition to the luxury tax will ensure that the tax money is going into player salaries at the lower levels, and not the owners' pocketbooks.

3. I would break the Players' Union. Not get rid of it, but break the stranglehold it has on the game. Allow a strike to occur, let the minor leaguers play for a while, and see how long the big-timers can live without their salaries.

One of the best things that ever happened to the NHL was the willingness of the league to let the game stop until the players would listen to reason. After one season of no salary and no alternative league to play in comparable to MLB, they'll come to the table and agree to my terms. Which leads me to...

4. I would get a blood-test and stricter doping policy. HGH testing would begin immediately at all levels from A-ball on up. First violation of the drug policy will result in a 50 game suspension, second offense the season, third offense a lifetime.

Anybody who tests positive once will be subject to random, frequent testing for the next two years. Maybe the cheaters will always be a step ahead of the testers, but I'll stop making it so damn easy to be a cheater in my league.

5. I would universalize the DH. Either both leagues should have it, or neither should have it. If one thing the results of the All-Star game the past 15 years, or interleague play, or the World Series, has taught us is that the AL has a distinct advantage over the NL in most instances.

It's time the game stopped being the dinosaur league that has different rules for different divisions and grow up. The DH is a success; it allows older players or less defensively skilled players to have a place in the game, and keeps pitchers from hitting, which is one of the ugliest spectacles in pro sports.

Don't tell me you'd rather see Jake Peavy sac bunt than David Ortiz hit a homer, because if you do I'll call BS on you.

6. I would take over the Hall of Fame. One of the greatest farces in sports is the voting in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The fact that sports writers, which these days is a fancy way of saying "fan with a typewriter," are allowed to keep deserved players out of the Hall is ridiculous.

From now on the only people allowed to vote are Hall of Famers and a select committee of baseball executives, with veto power resting in the commissioner's hands. And there is no limit on who can get in each year; if you've got the votes, you get in. I would also segregate the eras.

One room for the early years, one for the "deadball" era, on for pre-integration, one for the "steroid" era, and so on. Much as I don't like it Barry Bonds does belong in the Hall of Fame, as does Alex Rodriguez, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.

They may be cheaters, but how many people they played against were doing the same thing. We don't know, so put them into the room they belong in and let the people judge them on their merits.

We've got a great game in baseball, but it's been stagnant for too long. The NFL has eclipsed it in both popularity and profits, becoming the most popular sport in the country.

The reason behind this erosion of baseball's popularity is that it resists change and evolution, whereas the NFL embraces it and reaps the benefits.

We need a leader who will bring the game into the 21st century and ensure that the children of this country will enjoy it as much as we have. It's time to stop being the crotchety old man and become the dynamic forward-thinking young person the game can be.

So while I'll probably never be commissioner of baseball, I can hope that one of the very intelligent people who reads this article will take my ideas to heart and become commissioner someday, and make the changes that need making.

Seattle Mariners: Fair to Middling

Aaron Meyer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:46:20 -0400

At the onset of this season I thought the Mariners would perform within a range: either they would lose as many or more games than they did last year, or they would finish at about .500.

Halfway in the Mariners are meeting my higher expectations, standing at exactly 35 wins and 35 losses, and looking as if they could make a push at the Rangers and Angels. Sitting 2 and a half games back of first place is a good place for a team that hasn't really found its stride or suffered major setbacks.

There are a few things I like about the team, and a few I dislike, at this point, and I'd like to touch on those now.

Things I Like:

Jackie Z. (the name I'm using for the new GM, since I can't seem to spell it, that's what I'm using) is making the right moves. He hired Don Wakamatsu, a proponent of getting on base, to lead the new-look Mariners. He signed Russel Branyan, a cast-off from so many organizations despite having a career .335 OBP (this year his OBP is .401, tops on the Mariners) and he has responded to the new responsibility by slugging 17 home runs in the first half.

Jackie Z. has finally decided what Brandon Morrow would be: a starter. The inability for the Mariners to figure out what this kid can do despite his obvious talent has been maddening, and finally they have landed on one side of the fence. The way I see it you can always find a reliever, but a front-line starter is very rare.

Felix Hernandez is 7-3 with a 2.74 ERA, finally looking dialed in after battling injury and immaturity for his first years in the majors. If he finishes the same way, he'll end up with close to 20 wins and a Cy Young award.

The return of Ken Griffey, Jr. is not only a great ticket-seller (my guess for why they brought him back in the first place), but he's a wonderful example of how to bat even when you don't have the bat speed or power you once did. His OBP is 3rd among regular starters, and even though he's hitting only .225 avg with 8 homers, his example for the younger teammates is invaluable.

What I Don't Like:

The middle infield battery of Lopez and Betancourt have the lowest OBP of the regular starters and both have averages around .240, which for Betancourt isn't surprising, but for Lopez it is. He had a great season last year and the Mariners were hoping he'd build on that to become a top of the order guy. Typically the middle of the infield isn't reserved for great hitters, but great fielders, and in that regard these two are some of the best in the league, but they'll need to swing the bat better to keep their jobs.

Carlos Silva is awful, just bloody awful. He's been nothing but terrible every since he was signed, and the best news of the new season was that he was going on the 60-day DL. At least now the Mariners won't be tempted to run him out there every 5th day and give up 7 or 8 runs to scrub hitters. He's an older CC Sabathia, except without the skills.

Endy Chavez going out is really, really bad news. He was a great fielder in left and had a good start to the season at the plate. Without him the Mariners are going to have to play Griffey and Balentien in the field more often, and neither has the defensive qualities or the speed on the basepaths that Chavez did. Not good at all.

Outlook:

The next month will be critical to the Mariners, not just for this season, but seasons in the future. Depending on how well they hold up against tough competition (upcoming series include the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, and Detroit) and what players become available via trade, we may see the Mariners decide whether they are going for it, or saving up for the future.

If the Mariners stay around .500 or dive down a bit, we'll probably see Jarrod Washburn and Adrian Beltre shipped out for prospects and Russel Branyan taking over at third base with Mike Carp and Mike Sweeney platooning at first. Washburn would fetch a good price considering his performance this year and the fact that he's a lefty with playoff experience. Beltre is a Gold Glove talent at third base with a decent amount of pop, which could get some attention by a team needing to solidify infield defense.

However, if the Mariners get on a hot streak, we could see them ship off a couple of minor prospects for a reliever and/or fifth starter, possible even another outfielder to bolster the offense. The right piece could launch them ahead of the Angels and Rangers and into the playoffs.

Personally, I'm all for dumping expiring contracts for prospects and building for the next few years, with the plans Jackie Z. has and the moves he's already made I think we're in for a good time in future seasons.

AL West Division Debate: Old Is the New New?

Aaron Meyer — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:19:38 -0500

This offseason the Seattle Mariners signed an old favorite, Ken Griffey, Jr., while the Athletics signed an ex-MVP in Jason Giambi.

The question is, will either make a difference for their respective clubs?

Obviously neither is a spring chicken, both are approaching 40, with their most productive years behind them.

Both have had injury issues the past few years, to go along with their declining production.

But I think that each will contribute in their own way this season.

Griffey hasn't played more than 144 games the past few years, but when he's on the field (or at DH, as he should be this year) he gets on base and slugs around .450, which instantly makes him an upgrade over every outfielder and DH save Ichiro.

Giambi still slugs close to .500 and has 30 home run potential, which is miles better than Frank Thomas, the other old DH to join the Athletics in recent memory. The question is whether those numbers, which were earned in Old Yankee Stadium, will translate to spacious McAfee Colisseum.

But the answer to the value question will not lie in what each does for his team on the field, but what they will do for his team's bank book. The signing of Griffey gives every Mariners fan a reason to go to the ballpark, a last chance to see the greatest Mariner to ever play one more time. Jersey and ticket sales alone will help keep Safeco full while the team tries out some young legs.

Giambi is not the popular figure that Griffey is in Seattle; the vitriol produced when he bolted to the Yankees after his MVP season still lingers, and no matter who plays for the A's they never seem to fill their seats.

So, while I think Giambi may be a better DH and clean-up hitter for the A's, the Mariners will benefit from Griffey's experience and presence, allowing some of the younger players to develop and grow without the intense scrutiny that some Mariners have had in years past.

In the end, neither team will take a division title, as the Angels are still the cream of the crop, but the Mariners will be better in the long run for re-signing their greatest player.

Seattle Mariners: 2009 Season Preview

Aaron Meyer — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:49:35 -0500

Well, with pitchers and catchers reporting in a little over two days, I feel it's the best time to make analyses and predictions that are sure to be incorrect six months from now. But just the same, I haven't written anything in a while, and I've got itchy typing fingers. So here we go!

Last year, the Mariners were the darlings of the media to compete for the AL West title, building on the previous year's improvements. The big trade for Eric Bedard was seen as the missing piece of the puzzle for a Mariners winner.

Those hopes quickly fizzled as the Mariners never seemed to get off the bus anywhere they went. When the hitters were struggling, the bullpen was good, but the starters couldn't get their heads together. Then the hitters would warm up, and the pitchers would fall off. This led to an abysmal start, the firing of the manager, General Manager, and the release of beloved but struggling slugger Richie Sexson.

New year, new staff.

GM Bill Bavasi: out. GM Jack Zduriencik: in.

Manager Jim McClaren and his staff: out. Manager Don Wakamatsu and his staff: in.

J.J. Putz and Shawn Greene shipped to the Mets, in come prospects to replace them.

So, with all this turnover, what are the Mariners going to look like in '09? Here's what I think.

Catcher

Jeff Clement appears to be the early favorite to be the starter. A first-round pick from a couple of years ago who has struggled a bit when called up, he still has enormous potential. A little alarming is his tendency to struggle against righties and pound against lefties, despite being a left-handed hitter.

Kenji Johjima makes the most money, but is also coming off a dismal 2008 season and is now thought to be imminently disposable thanks to top prospect Adam Moore, who may be a late season call-up or a next-year type of prospect. The kind of money Johjima is making will make it difficult to trade him unless he comes out of the gate blazing, so Rob Johnson may end up DH-ing or back at AAA.

First Base

Your guess is as good as mine. The early word is that Russell Branyan will be the starter on Opening Day, with Bryan LaHair the backup. Neither option seems appealing to this writer, as both tend to hit about the same. In fact, both put up identical averages, with Branyan having a bit more pop.

Keep an eye on Mike Carp, though, one of the prospects received in the Putz trade. He's an appealing player with no Major League experience, but if the Mariners start out horribly he could easily leap-frog Branyan and LaHair with a hot start in AAA.

Second Base

You would think this was a no-brainer. Jose Lopez had his best season yet, and despite struggling a bit defensively at times, he was the most consistent bat other than Raul Ibanez and Ichiro Suzuki. But the new management has hinted that recently-acquired middle infielder Ronny Cedeno will compete for playing time at both second base and shortstop to "light a fire under those guys (Betancourt and Lopez)." Lopez, should he fight off Cedeno, should slide into the No. 3 spot in the order and have another good season.

Shortstop

This is the position most likely to give Cedeno a chance to take the starting job. Yuniesky Betancourt has made some spectacular plays at the position, but has booted some unbelievably easy ones too often. Couple that with his free-swinging attitude and little to no stolen base acumen, and a young guy like Cedeno with better legs and a steadier glove may steal the job from him, and a few more bases besides.

Third Base

By now, everyone should realize Adrian Beltre is not going to hit .300 with 40 home runs, but he will give you about .270 with 25, making him the best choice for the fourth spot in the lineup (on this team at least).

His glove work will keep him at third, with no competition forthcoming from young Matt Tuiasosopo. Beltre may be trade bait around midseason, depending on his performance, as his contract is expiring and the big paycheck may not deter teams as much as in the past.

Outfield

Don't pencil, but ink, Ichiro's name into right field. He ain't moving, although I've always thought his glove was wasted in right.

Franklin Gutierrez, coming over from the Indians in the big Putz trade, will take over in center, and with his great coverage and laser arm will acquit himself nicely in the field, if unspectacular at the plate.

Left field has been handed to Endy Chavez, but with a .194 average against lefties he could platoon with either Mike Morse, who had a hot Spring last year but blew out arm early, or Wladimir Balentien, he of the near .200 average, depending on who comes to Spring in better shape with a hotter bat.

Unfortunately, if you take Ichiro's .300+ average out of the equation, the outfield average is around .220, so don't expect much out of left and center.

Starting Pitching

Felix Hernandez will take the top spot in the rotation, showing when healthy to be one of the best pitchers in the game.

Erik Bedard, coming off an injury-riddled season, will be the No. 2 guy, and, if healthy, will make the top of the Mariners rotation formidable indeed.

Jarrod Washburn gave what he usually does, mid-4.00 ERA and a steady innings eater. He'll do the same, and may get moved midseason to a contender, when lefty starters with playoff experience are in demand.

Carlos Silva blew up last year, physically and statistically. The word is, he's 20 pounds lighter and more focused, but he'll have to perform very well to hold off Brandon Morrow, who is the future fire-balling righty who will supplant him in the rotation.

Ryan Rowland-Smith, shuttling back and forth between the bullpen and rotation last year, appears to have the last spot all but locked up, and may be a younger, slightly more talented version of Jarrod Washburn.

If everyone stays healthy and gets some run support, the starting rotation may be a bright spot for the Mariners this year.

Relief Pitching

With J.J. Putz and Sean Green gone to the Mets, the bullpen is searching for the shut-down closer and steady middle reliever it no longer has.

Mark Lowe is the favorite to take the closer job, but has had health issues in the past. He has the stuff and the attitude to do it, but can he keep control of his fastball with two outs and runners on?

Roy Corcoran appears to be the de facto set-up man, but that's an open competition that anyone can rise up and take. Miguel Batista appears to be the long middle-relief guy, as he's done it before, but the rest of the pen has big question marks over it.

Conclusion

Health is always a factor, but barring major injury the starting pitching staff has the most depth and best chance to be great this year. The relief corps may be good, but that's a big question mark at this point. Defense will be much better with the new additions.

The biggest flaw in this team is still the batting order. Take Ichiro, Beltre, and Lopez out of it, and everyone else is a huge drop off. There's not a person other than those three who batted higher than .250, and none slugged more than 15 home runs.

If the pitchers carry the load, this team may hit the .500 mark this year, but the batters are going to keep the Mariners from going any further.

Early prediction: 60-70 wins, last place in the division.

Seattle Mariners: The Long Road Back

Aaron Meyer — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:51:38 -0500

Hello to all you Seattle Mariners fans, and welcome to yet another offseason rebuilding project!

I know, it's kind of hard to get excited about it. We've been perpetually rebuilding and restocking for years now, and the early decades (yes, decades) of the franchise were nothing but building and rebuilding.

So why should this time be different? Most likely, it's not. Like every other major league club, the Mariners walk the tightrope with free agents and prospects being signed and moved up, hoping the wind doesn't knock them off of the rope.

Obviously, with so many holes to fill, we are not talking about one offseason, but more likely two or three. With the GM spot already filled by Jack Zduriencik, the next steps are at manager, any holes on the coaching staff, two outfield spots, first base, and pitching.

There are players in the system now who could potentially step up and fill those holes.

Mike Morse had a great spring training last year and looked poised to take the right field spot before tearing his arm halfway off early in the year. With another strong spring he could solidify his place in the outfield.

Up to this point, outfielder Jeremy Reed has been a giant disappointment for the Mariners, especially being part of a trade that gave the White Sox a very good pitcher in Freddy Garcia.

However, considering the alternatives of Wladimir Balentien, it may be Reed's job to lose. His glove would definitely be an improvement over the departed Raul Ibanez, and his speed on the base paths may help jump start one of the most anemic offenses in recent memory.

First base is a mystery. Many people were impressed with Brian LaHair's poise, but his numbers were underwhelming. Some mention of switching Jeff Clement to first has been batted about, but his numbers also were very weak.

Of course, in recent years we've seen the manager can get more out of seemingly low-class talent. The managerial candidates are an interesting lot, the most likely of whom seems to be Joey Cora.

A former Mariner with a World Series ring from the White Sox, Cora, who could bring some of the butt-kicking fire back to Seattle that has been absent since Lou Piniella, was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2002. (I didn't even realize you could trade a manager until that happened.)

I think the one area in which the Mariners have a great deal of young, up-and-coming talent is their pitching staff. Felix Hernandez is a Cy Young winner in waiting, Brandon Morrow and Mark Lowe are fireballers who can become great pitchers, and the bullpen is solid with JJ Putz, Sean Green, and Roy Corcoran.

If the dead weight of Jarrod Washburn, Miguel Batista, and Carlos Silva can either be traded or play like they should, the pitching staff will hold their own.

The offense is where the problem lies, and that problem is not getting smaller.

Adrian Beltre may have a monster season next year because it's his pre-free agent season. We saw what happened last time he had one of those—he nearly won an MVP award in the National League.

Ichiro will do what Ichiro does, and Jose Lopez is an All-Star-caliber second baseman.

Unfortunately, after those three there are a whole lot of unknowns and nobodies.

The bottom line is the Mariners need to be active in trades and development this season.

It's not going to help attendance to call the season lost from the beginning and bring all the youngsters up and release all the veterans, but it may hasten the rebuilding process just a little.

I'd look for Beltre, Washburn, and, depending on performance, Batista to be shipped out sometime this season for prospects, and by June we'll be watching the Tacoma Rainiers featuring Ichiro.

But that's not a bad thing, folks. Watching the fifth highest payroll in the majors post the second worst record is a bad thing.

Ichiro: What Do the Seattle Mariners Do with Him?

Aaron Meyer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:05:20 -0400

I don't know what it is about Ichiro, but he seems to be able to do no wrong here in Seattle.

Not to say he's been doing wrong, but there is definitely an issue with Ichiro continuing as the face of such a hapless franchise.

For one, the face of the franchise cannot also be the least vocal. He is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished, experienced, and skilled players to play the game today and as a lead off hitter he may have no peer. He's recorded 200 or more hits in every season he's played in the United States and he took home both league MVP and Rookie of the Year honors in his first season.

His production is so astounding as to defy logic since he doesn't take many pitches or swing in an orthodox manner. If he had began his pro career as a Mariner he would be a lock to break every hits record currently held by Pete Rose.

That being said, let's be real. He's in his mid-thirties with four years left on a huge contract. Even if he stays in shape (a very real possibility), he may be 40 by the time the Mariners are ready to contend.

So the question shouldn't be "What do you do with Ichiro?" but "What should Ichiro do?"

Ichiro, as of right now, can net a huge haul of prospects. There is one major team with a glaring hole in their outfield that used to be occupied by a healthy Johnny Damon and that's New York.

Before I'm pelted with tomatoes and sushi, please hear me out.

No one, especially me, wants to see another beloved Seattle icon play in pinstripes. The thought turns my stomach. But let's be real, they have a need, they can handle his salary, and they probably have a number of prospects they'd be willing to give up for Ichiro. If Cashman wants him, all he would need to do is give up a couple of hitting and one solid pitching prospect, and maybe some cash, and bada-boom, Ichiro in the outfield.

This serves two purposes.

One, it releases the Mariners from the shackles of believing their success rests on the skinny legs and erratic swing of a Japanese import, who, though impressive, is not a franchise builder. Two, it gives the Mariners a few more pieces of the rebuilding puzzle that can be used in the future to, get this, win!

Of course this is never going to happen. The ownership of the Mariners (primarily Nintendo, based in Japan) is never going to trade or release a player that appeals the team to so many Asian-Americans in the Seattle area and hails from their own country. They are as in love with him as most of the city of Seattle is.

In order for this to occur, Ichiro will have to ask to be traded. He's been here when the team wins, but mostly he's been privy to a lot of losing. Professional athletes don't like to lose and with only a few more viable All-Star years left, Ichiro needs to wake up and smell the Starbucks: Seattle is not going to win in the near future.

So Ichiro, we love you, but for our sake and yours, please ask for a trade.

Commence with the pelting.

Mariners: The Hot Stove Beckons

Aaron Meyer — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:33:37 -0400

Entering the 2008 Major League Baseball season, the Seattle Mariners were a trendy pick by many experts (myself including, though by no means am I an expert) to take the AL West crown from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

They had appeared to make great strides in the previous season, almost getting back to the playoffs after a number of rebuilding seasons. But alas, all was for naught.

The veteran players the Mariners were counting on to produce fell in line with the free agent acquisitions and flopped, horribly.

Richie Sexson got progressively worse as the year went on, Kenji Johjima decided he didn't need to produce once he got a long-term deal, and Carlos Silva showed why overweight pitchers in their 30's rarely produce.

Don't even mention Brad Wilkerson. His stint as a Mariner was so short-lived that most people don't even realize he was on the squad in the beginning of the year.

So where did it all go wrong? Was Bill Bavasi truly that bad a GM? Or did the lack of a true manager in the dugout doom the Mariners from the beginning? The answer, my friends, is neither. The broken cog in this machine is scouting and player development, a problem that has reared its ugly head again now that Pat Gillick is gone.

During Gillick's day, the Mariners developed some very good, championship caliber teams using shrewd trades and minor league promotions. His reign saw such luminaries as Ken Griffey, Jr., Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Alex Rodriguez take the field for the M's, turning them from bottom feeders into championship contenders.

Now that Gillick is retiring from the Phillies, most likely after they sew up the World Series, it is extremely unlikely that he will return to the team that he turned great.

So where does that leave the Mariners? Over the course of the winter I will be writing a series of editorials detailing what the Mariners should be looking for and analyzing the moves they make. Up first, the GM.

The hiring of Jack Zduriencik to be the new GM raised a lot of eyebrows and shoulders in Seattle, as most people remarked: "Who?" Looking into this relative unknown's background, we see a history and pattern that should be encouraging to Mariners faithful.

As the assistant to Doug Melvin in Milwaukee, Zduriencik focused on drafting and signing players into the minor league system who eventually were promoted and became stars.

This is exactly the tactic the Mariners organization needs to embrace. This year the Mariners had the 5th highest payroll in the league and finished next to last in baseball. Obviously big-name, big-price free agents are not the way to go.

These days most of the high-end talent is being wrapped up for long-term deals early in their careers, before they start falling off and demanding more money.

The Mariners have some young stars in places. Jose Lopez, Yuniesky Betancourt, Wladimir Balienten, Jeff Clement, Brandon Morrow, and Felix Hernandez are all either solid starters or future All-Stars.

The question marks are now in the aging sector of the squad, and what they will do with the expiring contracts and aging stars that are currently signed.

We shall see. After all, for a rebuilding team, the Hot Stove is the best time of the year. Why? Because huddled around a warm fire talking about the future gives even the biggest cynic hope.

Stay tuned.

Open Mic: Quarterback Keeper

Aaron Meyer — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:29:44 -0400

The hearts of Patriots fans and supermodels everywhere took a huge drop on Sunday as Tom Brady bravely limped off the field after taking a clean helmet hit from a Kansas City Chief safety. To be honest, my heart skipped a beat too (my interest is purely in a fantasy football setting, really).

Seeing a quarterback go down in the middle of a game may be the most gut-wrenching site in all of sports. No position in ANY sport is as highly critical to an entire team's well-being as the quarterback is to football.

They are not only the fulcrum on which their team's balance lays, but the very crux of identity in a league that plays with the players behind masks. In the sea of anonymity that is the NFL, they stand alone.

Listen to the way people talk about quarterbacks. How many times has the number 1 pick in the draft been a quarterback? How often have we heard coaches say the key to winning is getting to the quarterback? When the snap comes back, all eyes follow the man with the ball.

Take the Minnesota Vikings this year. The rumors in the off-season were they believed they were one player away from serious Super Bowl contention. Just one Brett Favre away from glory. They spent millions on Jared Allen, to get to the quarterback. On Monday they spent the whole game sending blitzes and the aforementioned Jared Allen after Aaron Rodgers, hoping to turn the game their way.

Back to the subject of image: no position has as much to do with image as quarterback. There's a reason Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will never find themselves out of a job.

They not only field their position extremely well, but have cultivated a squeaky clean image, an off-field persona that would allow each of them one free murder just for being such swell guys.

There's also a reason Mike Vick and Daunte Culpepper are out of the league. Neither seem to be that adept at making good decisions (Culpepper fell apart without the easy options of running and throwing to Randy Moss, and Vick, well, you know), nor did either seem to be that mechanically sound passers.

If you view the offensive football team as an organism with interlocking departments, you can see the line as the core, without which the rest of the body is weak. Runners are like the upper body, where the power is utilized most.

The receivers, obviously, are the hands and legs, representing the speed and sure-handedness of the body. But none of these appendages will work without the quarterback, the brain.

So when Tom Brady went down, images of Joe Theisman, Troy Aikman, Carson Palmer all flashed in my head. Those teams fell apart without their signal caller.

The Redskins and Cowboys both had great running games to help the new passers along, but following legends rarely works (sorry, Aaron Rodgers). The Bengals probably wouldn't have beaten the Steelers that year, but they had a much better chance with Palmer than without.

But even with all that precedent behind it, I still don't believe the Patriots fall off all that much. Matt Cassell has run that same system in practice and occasionally when Brady took a seat during meaningless games.

He's been behind Brady for a few years now. That team still has playoff tested, Super Bowl winning players all over it, and the way the defense stepped up on Sunday bodes well for that untested secondary. And hey, they still won. Granted it was the Chiefs, but come on, they could have folded faster than the Lions on opening day.

But they didn't, Cassell came in and handled his business. So maybe what the Patriots will find is that they're one quarterback richer than before. After all, how did Brady get his job? Drew Bledsoe went down with an injury, and he stepped in and handled his business. Weirder things have happened.

Open Mic: The Unbelievability Of Greatness

Aaron Meyer — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:47:16 -0400

I've long been derisive of the modern Olympic Games. They run too long; they have ridiculous events (Race walking? Come on!); you have to stay up until an insane hour sometimes to see what you really want.

But this time I've found myself glued to the screen whenever I land upon an Olympic event on one of the ten channels playing them. It seems like every time I turn it on, the world record of something or other is broken like so much fine china (Sorry, couldn't help it.)

Maybe it was the absolute pinache that Michael Phelps had by stating before the Games that he was aiming to break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games. Maybe it's the constant barrage of coverage of the Redeem Team and its pursuit to give the USA what it really wants; the best ballers in the world. Or maybe it was the absolute spectacle that China has made of itself on the world stage as a new economic, political, and athletic superpower (which to me, looks more like the new, unpopular kid trying way to hard to fit in).

Something occurred to me as I heard that Usain Bolt had shattered one of the longest standing records in racing, cementing himself as the undisputed Fastest Man Alive. We've been had before. Very recently, in fact. Marion Jones, Justin Gatlin, Ben Johnson. All are huge names in track and field. All are also cheaters who got caught. How are we not to look at someone like Bolt and not think he's doing something the others aren't?

For that matter, anyone who looks at Phelps as above suspicion is either naive or blind. How can we watch him beat people who train easily as hard as himself by a distance longer than his own frame fully extended? How can we be sure he's not doing something?

I think back to baseball when I harbor these paranoid feelings. I assume now that many players achieved their high power numbers during their careers in the 80's and 90's through the use of illicit chemicals.

But for every 20 players juicing up, there was an exception that proved the rule. Ken Griffey, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez come to mind immediately. Players who played at transcendent level cleanly while all others around them pumped themselves full of steroids and HGH. I believe Phelps and Bolt to be a couple of these same exceptions: two individuals who for whatever reason, be it superb dedication to training, naturally great athletic ability, or a knack for turning on the jets at the right moment, they get the job done better than any other.

I believe we are witness to very rare events; true athletic greatness, on display for all the world to see. When Usain Bolt destroys another record, he really can be the undisputed Fastest Man on the Planet. Michael Phelps, wearing the same swimsuit as the other athletes, destroying them just as easily. It's just too bad we just can't seem to believe it all.

Celebrations: Youthful Exuberance or Bad Sportsmanship?

Aaron Meyer — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 14:57:24 -0400

This is a question that has plagued the sporting world ever since Magic Johnson leaped onto the back of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the end of his first victory as a pro:

Are athletes too exuberant in their displays of victorious joy? Or are they merely capturing the inner child in all of us by throwing themselves into fits of ecstasy after even the most minor wins?

I just watched K-Rod (an annoying nickname if there ever was one) notch his 42nd save of the season. After sending three of the worst hitters in the AL East (they were playing the Orioles) down, he turns around and shoots his arms to the sky, mouthing that he loves someone up there (God? Dead relative? Who knows?).

I can't help but wonder, why he was so excited? It looked like he just won the World Series, for Pete's sake—not a meaningless, non-division game against the worst team in the AL East. I found that just a little perplexing.

Then I started thinking about other athletes and their reactions to various stimuli.

Brett Favre tackling his own teammates in the end zone after a touchdown. Jose Valverde swearing and jawing, pumping his fist after saving games for a team with no shot at the playoffs.

Manny Ramirez posing after each home run he swats, never mind that he's done it over 500 times in his pro career. TO doing a dance after catching a meaningless touchdown. Vince Carter popping his jersey after yet another highlight reel dunk in a loss.

All this seems a little self-aggrandizing, don't you think? I'm willing to give Favre a pass; making it into the end zone is very hard to do when you've got 11 big-ass dudes trying to stop you, and Manny, well, he's just Manny. But these are just a few examples of an alarming growth of exhibitionism that should probably be stopped.

Certain athletes seem to be more prone to this type of self-promotion than others. Most of the people I've seen do this kind of thing are closers in baseball, wideouts in football, and shallow, nothing but dunkers in basketball. But it's spreading like a wildfire.

How long until we start seeing Little Leaguers staring down opposing batters like Jonathan Papelbon (who looks absolutely ridiculous every time I see him)? Or Junior Basketballers popping their jerseys after sinking three-pointers? When are we going to see a Pop Warner kid doing an end-zone celebration involving putting a football with a pylon?

I hope the kids look at what Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter do every night: go out a play their hardest, and celebrating only when they do something truly magnificent. Mo Rivera closes nearly every game he gets into, and he does it all like he's done it a million times before (which he has).

Torry Holt not only has a ton of touchdowns and yards to his name, but comes to the game with more film study under his belt than TO has every dreamed of watching. How about Tim Duncan, who has dominated the Western Conference big men for a decade now, and done so with the demeanor of a steel worker every night?

I'm not saying that you shouldn't celebrate in victory, just the opposite. Give a little fist pump, thank your Maker in a quiet voice, then line up and shake your teammates' hands like you've done it before.

Let out that exuberance at appropriate times. Win a big game to get into the playoffs, or winning a playoff games in general. That's an appropriate time to throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don't care.

It cheapens it a little if you jump for joy after meaningless stuff. Trust me. Now every time I see Francisco Rodriguez on SportsCenter, he makes me want to puke with his over-the-top escapades.

Or maybe I'm just getting old and crotchety.

Step Right Up and Buy a Mariner!

Aaron Meyer — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:01:30 -0400

Let's face it, Seattle fans: The Mariners are done this year. Accept it and move on.

With the trade deadline imminent, the Mariners need to take a seriously long look at the makeup of their team and decide whether or not they can reload and make a run at the Angels and A's next year. If not, they should blow up the squad for the second time in five years and try again.

My humble opinion: Blow the whole thing up.

This tactic is in line with the moves they've made over the last few weeks. They've jettisoned the hitting coach, manager, and general manager, and just today they released struggling slugger Richie Sexson outright. Word in the wings is that Jose Vidro will be the next one to go.

So, if the team is committed to losing the deadweight, even with nothing in return, I see no reason to attempt to hold onto the few older players that are performing. Some of these guys have value to contending teams.

1. Raul Ibanez

There has been no batter more consistent and well liked than the hard-working, defensively-underestimated outfielder. He always hovers above .270 in BA, hits between 15 and 30 homers, and doesn't strand people on base too often.

Let's not forget: He's a lefty. He'd be a valuable asset to a contending team looking to add a consistent batter in their No. 5 or 6 spot in the order, protecting a free-swinging cleanup man.

2. Erik Bedard

OK, he's been disappointing, but I think his struggles are more due to injury and disinterest as the team has spiraled consistently downward. You put him on the Yankees, and he's probably a great pitcher again. Once again, he's a lefty, so that counts for something.

3. Jarrod Washburn

A victim of little-to-no run support for the last two years, he is still a consistent lefthanded innings-eater with some gas in the tank. Put him in the National League, and he's back to third or fourth-starter status. And notice the pattern: He's a lefty.

Those are the most valuable assets that seem tradable at this point, and each will get one or two prospects in return. I 've heard people asking for Kenji Johjima and Ichiro Suzuki to be traded, but both are long shots: Ichiro because of his contract and hero status in Seattle, and Johjima just for his contract.

I doubt the Mariners are going to eat the rest of either's contracts, and I think it's more likely they will keep Johjima as the good defensive catcher that he is and move hot prospect Jeff Clement to first base or the designated hitter slot.

Seattle Mariners: The Head-Rolling Begins

Aaron Meyer — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:35:08 -0400

About time.

Those were the words that ran through my head as I read the article in USA Today about the Mariners firing their GM of the last five years, Bill Bavasi. Over his tenure a number of questionable moves have been made, as well as a number of questionable non-moves.

Let's face the facts: the Mariners are 24-48 with a $117 million payroll. That is unacceptable for any professional sports franchise.

With ticket prices hovering around $50 a pop, watching the likes of Adrian Beltre, Richie Sexson, and Jarrod Washburn continually flounder around the plate and the field has fans like myself feeling more than a little ill.

It ain't the sushi, Bill.

When I had heard that the Mariners hired Bill Bavasi five years ago, I had hope. This was a guy who built the Angels farm system into the dynamo it is now and had even put together a team and manager capable of winning a World Series. I thought, "Hey, why not a second time around?"

How wrong I was.

In his first season, the marquee acquisition was the completely inconsistent Scott Spiezio. Third base has always been a black hole for the Mariners (the best one I can remember was Mike Blowers, and that says it all), but Spiezio may go down as an all-time worst signing.

He immediately flopped, getting designated for assignment two months into the season, and eventually landed in St. Louis, where he actually dusted himself off long enough to contribute to another World Series team.

The next year showed promise. Washburn, Beltre, and Sexson all got signed, and all of a sudden Mariner-land was awash in good feelings.

We thought we had gotten the power-hitting first baseman, the three-hole pounding third baseman, and a solid lefty starter for the middle of the rotation. With Felix Hernandez simmering in triple-A, hopes were high.

What happened? Sexson and Washburn gave us what was expected, but Beltre flamed out spectacularly.

In addition, Bavasi traded Freddy Garcia for Jeremy Reed (a former Minor League Player of the Year) and Miguel Olivo (a decent power-hitting catcher). Both failed miserably to catch on as Mariners. Losing season after losing season followed.

More and more it seemed that Bavasi's moves were cursed. Everything he did, no matter how good it looked on paper, paled in real life.

The problem wasn't necessarily with the players he signed or traded for.

Miguel Olivo is a decent backstop—with the Padres, Marlins, and Royals he either shared the starting job or held it outright. Spiezio won another World Series with the Cardinals.

But when these characters joined the Mariners, they all turned to crap.

The best thing to be said about Bavasi's reign is the few pieces of young talent he brought in who are performing. Jose Lopez, Yuniesky Betancourt, Felix Hernandez, and a bevy of young bullpen arms all look like they may deliver at some point, if not already (Lopez and Betancourt may be the best 2B-SS combination outside of Philadelphia).

In addition, Erik Bedard will not stay as inconsistent as he has been with Mel Stottlemyre in the dugout. But the fact remains that Bavasi practically emptied the minor league clubs to bring in Bedard, and rebuilding that may end up being the biggest challenge for the new club.

Plain and simple, the Mariners need an organizational ethos. Their biggest rivals, the A's and Angels, both train their up-and-coming talent to do the things they need them to do in the Big Club.

The A's preach plate discipline and patience, the Angels preach aggressive play and running the bases. Their minor league talent all get the same drill all the way from single-A to the bigs. They're ready to contribute when asked.

The Mariners don't seem to have any direction in their scouting and minor league development. They don't target specific players, and they don't teach them correctly.

It's going to take time and patience, something Mariners fans are short on nowadays. We got used to greatness in the '90s and early this decade, and we want more.

The new GM will need to get rid of the aging, ineffective members of the team. Washburn and Raul Ibanez can net a few prospects as lefties with effective years ahead of them. Sexson, Beltre and Jose Vidro have contracts expiring soon, so they can just walk.

The inexplicable signing of Kenji Johjima to a long-term contract this season, with Jeff Clement almost ready to contribute, is a big negative, but it could be worse.

Brandon Morrow and Ryan Rowland-Smith are the replacements for Miguel Batista and Washburn, as soon as they get stretched out to starter condition. And the bullpen, when healthy, is effective and deep.

Let's all breathe a sigh of relief for the end of the Bavasi era and hope that a great GM is available to be brought in. Pat Gillick, anyone?

Fan Free Agency: A Modest Proposal

Aaron Meyer — Fri, 30 May 2008 01:52:08 -0400

For all my life, while watching sports, I've listened to fans of various teams exhort their loyalty through thick and thin. I've had people tell me, proudly, that they've stuck by their teams even though those teams had shown no propensity for winning, or even a desire to compete at the organizational level.

I feel this is not the way we should be viewing our fandom, as adult consumers.

Let's face it, the sports world is about making money. The owners, managers, and players all recognize this fact and act accordingly. Despite making millions of dollars, they always seem to be striving to maximize their revenues and minimize their expenses.

Yet the fans of the games seem to still be laboring under the impression that high-level sports is about winning and teamwork, despite all evidence to the contrary. I believe this needs to change.

We as fans need to start treating these organizations like businesses. Would you continue to shop at a store that sells an inferior product, but still charges you as much as another store selling a better product?

Most people would say "no."

This attitude needs to be applied to the sports world, because the organizations certainly see it that way.

Let's say there are two teams in City A. One is a perennial winner, excellent in all aspects of their organization. The other is a loser year-in and year-out, with seemingly no desire to change their ways.

Each charges the same amount for admission to their park, and around the same for the souveniers that all fans love to display. If these competing teams are viewed as competing businesses, the answer to which to root for is easy:

The winner.

They field a better product, and are more likely to continue doing so. But the sports world is populated by emotional creatures, and emotional creatures often make choices that are not in their best interests.

Fans, we pay out the ear for our enjoyment of sports. We pay for cable TV packages to see our teams, even if we live in different states. We buy jerseys, hats, bobble-head dolls, t-shirts, and anything with a logo. We pay outrageous stadium-admission prices, and then get fleeced for wanting to park our cars around the stadium.

I am at the lower end of the scale, but this year alone I think I spent at least $200 on sports-related apparel and tickets. Some people buy a hell of a lot more. If we continue to throw money at teams who don't bother to try and field a winner, what are we doing but encouraging mediocrity?

I know fandom comes upon people for many reasons: they saw a team play as a child and love them, it reminds them of their better days, or they live near a team and they like being able to watch every game on TV. Sometimes they like a team just for the logo or colors.

But are those reasons really enough to dump all of our hard-earned, disposable income into a losing organization?

So I propose this to the sports fan: be a discerning consumer. Demand more from your favorite franchise. If they don't win for a season or two, stop going to games, stop buying their gear. Hit them in the place it will hurt the most: their wallets. Make it unprofitable to field a winner.

Why do the Oakland Raiders still sell out their games? They've been awful for years now. Why do the Kansas City Royals still have fans? They haven't fielded a winner in over a decade. These teams do not strive to be better, because they don't have to; people still come to see them play.

I believe we as fans should impose a 10-year contract with our teams. Not literally, but a figurative contract. If your team fails to meet your expectations for 10 straight seasons, you should have the right to file for fandom free agency and pick a new team to love.

Many people will say this is disloyalty, and that we should continue to support our favorite teams despite their performance. I say that is unrealistic. I have already imposed this on myself.

I grew up in Southern California, watching the Angels lose year after year. In 1995, I stopped watching after they blew a huge lead in September and ended up missing the playoffs, again.

Seven years later, I decided to become a Seattle Mariners fan, and now I'm a few years from saying screw it and finding another team. I'm not a person who enjoys throwing his love, money, and effort at people who don't value it enough to improve themselves.

Some people may call me a front-runner, or a Judas. Some may call me a traitor with no principles. I prefer to see myself as what the teams I watch see me as: a guy with some money to spend.

If they are going to treat me like a customer, I'm going to act like one. The only way to affect a change in some of these teams is to treat them like the businesses they are.

Support winners, and the losers will strive to win as well.

Dallas Cowboys: Prepare Yourselves, It's Going to Be Bad

Aaron Meyer — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:08:34 -0400

If the Oakland Raiders have taught us one thing, it's that you cannot build a team with all the bad men in the league and expect to win.

The Dallas Cowboys need to take a serious look in the mirror, and figure out if they want to be the Oakland Raiders in 10 years. That is where they are headed. Jerry Jones might as well start shopping for track suits.

Observe: the carousel of knuckleheads currently parading through the Cowboys locker room.

T.O.: the hated endzone-dancing, team-destroying, waste of space that had the chance to be great in Philly and blew it up for a few dollars more.

Tank Johnson was arrested multiple times, kicked out of Chicago, and is now playing a position in a defense he's not really suited to.

And don't let me forget, Pacman. If only he were just a chubby yellow blip, it would be so much easier. He's a bad person. Period. He shows no inclination to change, and his assertions that he has or will, should be treated as bold-faced lies.

He's going to do it again.

Jerry Jones goes nuts every year at free agency, boldly ignoring the trend of Super Bowl-winning teams being built in good drafts and smart free agent additions. The Colts, Patriots, Steelers, Giants, and Eagles routinely draft more players than the other teams, and sign fewer big name free agents.

Yet all of them have won or played in a Super Bowl in this decade. The teams that go nuts in free agency, like the Cowboys and Raiders, sometimes hit it right for a year, but inevitably slide downward.

I think this year is the year the Cowboys will start imploding.

Wade Phillips is a nice guy, but he's a lame-duck coach. Jerry Jones is paying his offensive coordinator more money just to keep him away from other teams until Phillips screws up enough to be fired. The players know it, so they know the first sign of adversity is going to result in a coaching change.

So why should they listen to him about anything? Cowboys fans should also be concerned with the exodus of Bill Parcells' people from their staff. Parcells has stolen almost all the key personnel that built the Cowboys team that won 13 games last year. That ain't good.

Jerry Jones likes "yes" men—people who agree with him. That's why both his kids work in the front office. He knows he can control Jason Garrett, mold the team to his liking, and he's just enough of an egomaniac to think he can run the team to a championship.

He cannot. Without a great coach to stand up to him, he picks bad players and signs costly, ineffective big-name free agents. I would not be surprised if within two seasons the team is back to 5-11.

Well, at least the new stadium will be nice.

Mariners: Of Lynchpins and Bullpens in Seattle

Aaron Meyer — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:05:18 -0400

Don't Panic.

Douglas Adams' immortal opening words of The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy are etched in my brain this spring, as the Mariner's bullpen has pulled a complete 180 degree turn from last year's outstanding performance.

It's not as bad as it seems. Really. What we are observing right now is the confluence of completely random events. In the off-season, the club dealt George Sherrill (who is nearly perfect this year as the Orioles closer), Brandon Morrow was injured late in spring training (he'll be back by May), and JJ Putz was also injured after only three appearances (he'll be back by May as well). It's a linchpin effect. Take away the setup man, then the setup man apparent, and all the pressure is on the closer to be perfect. He strains himself, and then you've got situational pitchers and middle relievers trying to close out. Miguel Batista even racked a save on one of his off nights.

So don't panic people. JJ's coming back. Morrow will be back as well. The bullpen will gel. And with the strong pitching they're getting from the starters, this team can go very far in the AL West. They are my pick to win the division (and lose to Boston in the first round), and I see no reason to believe differently.

Chad Johnson: Shut Up and Play!

Aaron Meyer — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 04:31:55 -0400

Welcome to the age of the crybaby wide receiver. Thanks TO, thank you Randy Moss, thank all you overpaid, undertalented college wideouts who think you're the next Jerry Rice.

Thank you for thinking you are more valuable than you are.

Memo to Chad Johnson: Jerry Rice never complained to the media about his contract, his quarterback, or his team. He came to mini-camp, training camp, preseason, regular season, and playoffs, and he came ready to play.

He ran the routes the coaches asked for, without complaint, every play. And there are tons of other worthy wide receivers who operated the same way. Art Monk, Cris Carter, Steve Lambert, even Michael Irvin. Say what you want personally about Michael Irvin, he never came out and slagged his team to the media.

Chad, here's the 411: you have one of the best quarterbacks in the league throwing to you, one of the toughest head coaches, and a team that could turn around their misfortunes with one good draft and a couple of solid free agents. You have a running mate in TJ Houshmandzadeh, a solid running back in Rudi Johnson, and an improved offensive line. You have no reason to complain.

I don't know if there is something broken in guys like "Ocho Cinco" (which, by the way, is not how you say 85 in Spanish, it's Ochenta y Cinco)and Terrell Owens. Maybe daddy wasn't there, maybe mommy didn't tuck them in. Maybe the adults in their life made no effort to make them humble. Possibly too many peers when they were growing up filled their heads with overinflated greatness.

But one thing is for sure, the NFL would serve itself well to let these guys go to the Arena League. Take the slightly less talented wideout in the fourth round, and just deal with it. Because sure enough, five years into their careers these "me-first" type of players will burn you and your team. They are poison, and not worth the trouble. Ask Donovan McNabb how that works out.

2008 MLB Season Preview: NL Central

Aaron Meyer — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:30:46 -0400

A very top-heavy division, the NL Central does not seem to provide any challenge to the overloaded Chicago Cubs.

Winner

Chicago Cubs. Easy pick. The only team close to them in talent is the Milwaukee Brewers, and I'll get to their problems in a minute.

How can you not like what the Cubs bring to the table? Possibly the best batting order in the NL, the Cubs bring to the table what no Central team can: a great pitching staff.

Zambrano at the top, effective lefties in Lilly and Hill, and veteran talent in the back end, plus about five guys who can close if needed. Unless they come off the rails at some point, they should cruise to the division title.

Runner Up

Milwaukee Brewers. Yes, they may have the most talented young group of position players outside of Arizona, but that upside is masking a serious downside: the health of their pitchers.

Ben Sheets and Yovani Gallardo are perhaps the best one-two punch in all of baseball, but they always seem to be included on the injury report. Sheets hasn't made 30 starts in a single season yet, and Gallardo is starting the season on the DL.

Add to that the overpaid and marginally effective Jeff Suppan, add the other two scrubs they run out on days four and five, and you have a recipe for disaster.

And add to that the GIGANTIC question mark, closer Eric Gagne, who in the first half of the 2007 season was lights-out for the woeful Rangers, then completely imploded in Boston.

Letting Francisco Cordero go may cost the Brewers close to 10-20 games this year, as they will surrender a lot of leads. No division title and no wild card.

Overrated

Cincinnati Reds. Oh my lord, when I read that Sports Illustrated was picking the Reds to finish second in this division, I almost died. If I hadn't been on the toilet already, it could have been disastrous.

To think that a team running out a bunch of waste-of-space batters behind their declining veterans can beat out the other teams in the top of this division is a riot. They have no chance, and I think the best case scenario is third in the division.

But don't fear, Reds fans. Two of the best prospects in baseball are on their way up to the majors in Jay Bruce and Joey Votto.

Maybe Next Year

As weak a division as this is, four of the teams have a chance to get a lot better. I'd say the most improved team for next year may be the Brewers, though I wouldn't be surprised if the Reds get a lot better next year. It's a coin toss though.

2008 MLB Season Preview: NL East

Aaron Meyer — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 11:05:56 -0400

This year may be the best year for Major League Baseball in a long time.

For the first time the league starts off with no overhyped home run chase, no steroid trials, and despite the bombshell that was the Mitchell Report in the offseason, no real controversy.

That being said, the action on the field is primed to be extremely competitive in almost every division.

Here's my breakdown and predictions for the NL East:

Winner: The NY Mets

With the addition of Johan Santana, the Mets have the best mix of veteran and young pitchers and batters to be a team for the ages.

The two weaknesses in their armor are the outfield (average age of 31), and the catcher spot, where the much weaker Brian Schneider is taking over for Captain Red Ass himself, Paul Lo Duca.

Their strength will more than make up for their weaknesses.

Sleeper: Atlanta Braves

Don't laugh. They've always had consistent production from their farm system, and despite the relative age and decreasing productivity of half their rotation, they still remain very deep in the bullpen and the minors system.

Couple that with a middle of the order that may be the first switch-hitting duo in history to slug more than 30 home runs batting back-to-back (Chipper Jones and Mark Texeira) and young hungry players from the minors, then you've got a recipe for a team that can surprise a lot of teams.

Overrated: Philadelphia Phillies

The fact that everyone and their mother is picking this team to either win or place in the East is almost (but not quite) sad enough to be completely laughable.

Yes, they may have the third straight NL MVP in Chase Utley (Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins won it the last two seasons, respectively), but after their potent lineup, not much looks strong.

Their pitching is both old and young, but altogether ineffective. And if you're betting on a return to form for closer Brad Lidge, shelf that idea. He's already on the shelf with health problems, and even when he was healthy, something seemed broken (Albert Pujols can do that to a guy).

Look for a third place finish or worse.

Maybe Next Year: Washington Nationals

If these guys can get one or two of their starters to step up, they could contend sooner.

They have great young talented position players picked up off of waiver wires or stolen from the Mets (Lastings Milledge for Ryan Church and Brian Schneider?), a deep talented bullpen, and more importantly, a brand new, state-of-the-art stadium set to be ready on Opening Day.

They may not be the best in the division right now, but they will surprise some people, and could be in contention next season.