NorthWest Sports Blog brings you daily features on Oregon, Washington State, and BC amateur and pro sports teams.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Jeff Budke reports on the first game of the season versus the Oakland Athletics. The Headline: Felix Hernandez shines as the Mariners win their 7th straight opening day game. Jeff points out the bullpen, Charlie Furbush, Pryor, and Tom Wilhelmsen surrendered two walks in only 1.1 IP. That trend cannot continue, because hits will come too. Next game check out Michael Morse and his really strange batting stretch-thing.
NWSB insider and Mariners blogger Jon Irwin gives his rundown of the Seattle Mariner’s defensive lineup in 2013. For a team like Seattle, defense is imperative. The team enters 2013 with an improved lineup, but pitching remains the biggest competitive advantage; meaning it needs a good defense. Headlining this year’s group of gloves is Brendan Ryan and Franklin Gutierrez.
NWSB Managing Editor and Seattle Mariners blogger “Q” tells us today that the Mariners released their 2013 commercials. Not only did they bring back Felix Hernandez to do another one with the classic hot sauce but now Brendan Ryan talks to a Buffalo, which in itself is just classic. The newest season features Dustin Ackley wearing his love for fans on his sleeve.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Danny Ferguson tells us the things he needs to see most from the M’s this year, in a letter to skipper Eric Wedge. Not only does he want to see the Big 3 advance to the MLB roster, he also wants to see Justin Smoak become the player he was promised to be. But on top of everything, he wants Eric Wedge to take some accountability and show some emotion to us fans. It is us who is the reason that he has his job in the first place.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Danny Ferguson gives us what he thinks needs to happen for the Mariners to improve the most important stat in all of baseball. Wins. The 5 guys who need improvement are Brendan Ryan, Justin Smoak, Hector Noesi, Mike Carp, and Dustin Ackley. Though Ackley already has an important role with this team, Danny is asking for about 20 more triples from the Ack Attack. These 5 guys improve, and the M’s will have 5 more wins in 2013.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners’ blogger Jeff Budke talks about five potential players that could soon be on the Mariners’ roster. This list includes some ideas that will probably have changed by press time, and is ignoring the Jason Bay deal to Seattle that seems imminent according to Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. Could we be seeing Jason Hamilton, Michael Bourn, and Justin Upton coming into Sea-town as well?
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Danny Ferguson is back this week to analyze the trade between the M’s and the O’s involving Trayvon Robinson & Robert Andino. He points out the good thing about Andino is that he can play multiple positions, he seems comfortable starting as well as working off the bench. His career batting average is .235, which is decent for a backup infielder role.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Ben Tole weighs in on who would be a decent fit from the 2013 free-agent class. After a 75-win season, we saw some obvious improvement with this young Seattle Mariners team. But there is still plenty of work to be done with this roster before the Mariners are going to make a run at the post season. Josh Hamilton, Nick Swisher, BJ Upton, and Melky Cabrera are all possibilities.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Jared Galde tells us a little bit about the feelings he’s feeling for the 2012 M’s. He doesn’t have delusions that we somehow have Ken Griffey Jr. in his prime, Edgar Martinez, Jay Buhner and the gang in ’95 or even close to that level of talent but the 2012 Mariners are officially rolling. Stephen Pryor, Felix Hernandez, Michael Saunders and newcomer Eric Thames are contributing bigtime.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Jonathan Irwin reports on the second game of the series versus the Cleveland Indians. The Headline: timely offense and a Felix Hernandez gem were all the Mariner’s needed for this win. Following his perfect game, Hernandez pitched like a Cy Young winner. A Jesus Montero 3-run homer sealed the deal for this M’s win. It was a “Montero Mash” that’s for sure.
Mariners insider Danny Ferguson brings us the Weekly Seattle Mariners notebook. Mike Carp is down with injury again as is Franklin Gutierrez who is struggling with side effects of a concussion he suffered weeks ago. Felix Hernandez threw the first perfect game in Seattle Mariners history against the Tampa Bay Rays.
NWSB Insider and Seattle Mariners blogger Clinton Bell weighs in with another M’s Week That Was. Intended to be a fun column, with lots of laughs and other good stuff. Normally it will be a top 10 list, a la David Letterman style. The week started off with a sweep. The Mariners did find a way to win two in LA. Jason Vargas was back to his winning ways. Remember when the M’s traded for Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi?
