State taxes and professional athletes

I woke this morning to Colin Cowherd on ESPN radio. In the middle of his rant on valuing Billy Mays' death over Michael Jackson's... he suddenly segues for a brief moment (before cutting to commercial and resuming his Mays/Jackson afterward) into the topic of Oregon raising their state tax from 9% to 11% for its top tax bracket.

Cowherd argues that a pro athlete considering signing with the NBA's Portland Trailblazers has to consider that they'll lose that 11% of their income signing there, and how states like Florida and Texas have an advantage when signing top talent because of their lack of a state tax.

Granted, it's a key issue to consider. However, Washington's lack of a state tax hasn't offered the Seattle Mariners, Seahawks and (until they were taken away) Supersonics much of an advantage in luring top talent away. In fact, it's geographic distance from the rest of the US has rendered those teams just as much of a disadvantage. The Tennessee Titans, Nashville Predators and Memphis Grizzles don't see significant advantages in signing talent in their respective leagues just because Tennessee doesn't have an income tax.

Conversely, major markets like New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles have state taxes and even very high costs of living, yet it hasn't deterred top athletes from signing with the Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, Jets and Giants (yes, both NFL teams technically play in New Jersey... which also has a state tax)... or the Lakers, Dodgers, Kings and Angels... or the Bulls, Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks and White Sox.

In noting Texas and Florida, Cowherd neglects to mention that both states are still considered by much of the population as great places to live. Florida, obviously, is a tropical paradise: It's little wonder much of the nation elects to retire there. And Texas is considered the heart of the South, the perfect blend of urban sophistication and rural country life, with a good dose of emigrated Latino culture and a ton of wide open space at an affordable price. And as crazy as summer and autumn storms may get, the winters are fairly mild compared to the rest of the country.

And when it comes to the major markets, the best teams with the most money to spend on top talent often roost there, and great players are going to flock to great teams that offer them significant loads of money regardless of the tax situation. Once you're making millions of dollars, most can't tell the difference between a state tax and no state tax anyway. Most of it's going in the bank either way. Guys sign with the Yankees to win a World Series... not because of a favorable tax situation.

While state taxes are certainly a factor, they are rarely a major factor compared to other factors such as the quality of the team and the quality of the locale. Most of these guys are getting millions of dollars hand over fist and couldn't care less about the tax situation.

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 26

With nine teams to cover now, I'll try to do recaps when appropriate but generally expect these to move more quickly, and expect me to avoid recaps when there just isn't much to discuss, such as straightforward results in the rookie level games.

Also, tomorrow the Wrap-Up hibernates for the week as I head over to Mariner Central to take over the Farm Report for the next week. Format's similar, so go check it out.

VENEZUELA~! Rainy weather stopped the VSLMs game with the VSL Cards in the 2nd. The game will be resumed on July 10th, when the VSLMs are on the VSL Cards' field again. Unlike the DSL, the VSL teams actually play in separate locales.

Dominican: DSL Mariners 6, DSL Phillies 1
DSLMs: 18-6... DSL Phils: 10-14

Henry Perez: CG!, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 walks, 6 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Randy Perez: 1-5, R, RBI, 2 K
George Drullard: 2-2, R, RBI
Hector Mercedes: 1-2, double, R, RBI, K
Westlonder Marcelino: 2-3, double
Luis Matias: 1-4, RBI

The DSLMs scored five runs in the 9th, and Henry Perez finished off a TWO HITTER for the complete game. Supposedly, Henry's still on the island because his stuff isn't the best, but the 19 year old keeps getting his peers out in start after start.

Groundballs: 13
Flyballs: 5
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 2 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 6

AZL: Royals 5, Mariners 2
AZLMs: 2-3... AZL Royals: 3-2

Miguel Celestino: 4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER (HR), 2 walks, 3 K
Jorden Merry: 2.2 IP, 1 ER, 2 walks, 4 K, wild pitch, hit batter (Age 22, 40th round pick 2009)
Brian Cloud: 1.1 IP, 4 K (Age 23, Undrafted rookie)
Mark McGonigle: 2-4, 2 doubles, R (Age 23: 297/397/396 with GCL Mets)
Jetsy Extrano: 1-4, R, RBI
Hector Jacobo: 1-4, double, RBI, K

Rk+: Elizabethton 14, Pulaski 4
PMs: 0-4... Liz Twins: 4-0

Yao Wen Chang: 3.1 IP, 6 H, (7 R) 3 ER (HR), walk, K
Colin Buckborough: 1 IP, 3 H, (3 R) 2 ER, 2 walks, 2 wild pitches
Brandon Josselyn: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, walk, 3 K
Eric Thomas: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER (HR), K
Dwight Britton: 2-5, 2 doubles, R, RBI, K
Fred Bello: 3-4, double, triple, R, 2 RBI, K
Tommy Johnson: 1-3, double, walk, K
Tim Morris: 1-4, RBI, 2 K

Thing was, Yao Wen Chang wasn't as horrid as the line indicates. Oh, he was still not too good, giving up a fair share of flyballs and four line drives in only 3.1 innings. But he got eaten up by a few ill timed errors in the 3rd, which certainly didn't help. Three line drives and a dropped flyout in the 4th finished him off.

Groundballs: 5 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 5 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 4
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 1

Talking about the rest of this game is an exercise in masochism so we'll move along.

A-: Everett 5, Spokane 1
EVE: 4-3... SPO: 3-4

Nick Czyz: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 walks, 6 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Christian Staehely: 1.2 IP, 2 K
Andrew Carraway: 2 IP, 1 H, 4 K (Age 22, 12th round pick 2009)
Hawkins Gebbers: 3-4, 2 run HR, 2 R
Mario Martinez: 3-4, triple, R, RBI
Guy Welsh: 2-3, 2 doubles, RBI, walk
Welington Dotel: 2-3, RBI
Jose Rivero: 0-4, 4 K: The Golden Sombrero

The Aquasox pounded home four runs in the 1st and that was all they needed. Hawkins Gebbers continued his hot start with a two run blast in the 1st and was followed by four straight line drive singles, the Northwest League equivalent of a gang beating.

Lefthander Nick Czyz had a decent six inning outing in Vancouver last Sunday and picked right up where he left off, pitching into the 6th while shaking off a shaky 4th where he allowed his only run of the night.

Groundballs: 9
Flyballs: 1
Line Drives: 3
Walks: 3 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 6

A: Clinton 4, Beloit 3
CLI: 2-0... BEL: 0-2

Maikel Cleto: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 walks, 3 K
Ryan Moorer: two outs, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, K
Bobby LaFromboise: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 walks, 3 K
Stephen Penney: 1 IP, 2 H, K
Ruben Flores: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Kris Sanchez: 2-3, walk, K
Steve Moss: 1-4, RBI, 2 K
Nate Tenbrink: 2-4, solo HR, K, SB
Denny Almonte: 2-3, solo HR, 2 R, K, SB
Jacob Shaffer: 1-3, RBI, K

The highly anticipated return of detained prospect Maikel Cleto came to Clinton, where it's presumed the top-end prospect will spend the rest of this season. After a rocky 2009 debut in Peoria, Cleto gave it his best go while pitching into the 5th inning.

1st: Strikeout, walk, flyout, flyout
2nd: Groundout, strikeout, infield single, (stolen base) walk, groundout
3rd: Strikeout, lined single, flyout, (caught stealing)
4th: Flyout, groundout, groundout
5th: Groundout, walk, end

Groundballs: 6
Flyballs: 4
Line Drives: 1
Walks: 3
Strikeouts: 3

The Lumberkings gave him some help. Denny Almonte led off the bottom 3rd with a solo homer, and though Ryan Moorer gave up two runs in the 5th after relieving Cleto, the Lumberkings picked him up again: Nate Tenbrink led off the bottom 5th with a solo HR, and Denny Almonte came around to score on a Jacob Shaffer single up the middle to make it 3-2 Lumberkings.

Curiously enough, Bobby LaFromboise, apparently displaced from the rotation by Cleto's arrival, came on to start the 6th and eventually gave up the tying run on a two out double from Nate Hanson. LaFromboise did finish the 6th otherwise unscathed and did go strikeout, flyout, groundout in the 7th, but walked the leadoff batter in the 8th and Stephen Penney somehow overcame loading the bases to get out of the 8th unharmed.

Snappers reliever Bruce Pugh did not escape the bottom 8th unharmed. Scott Savastano drew a two out walk, took 2nd on a wild pitch and scored on a lined single from Steve Moss to give Clinton the lead for good 4-3.

A+: High Desert 3, Bakersfield 1
Mavs: 1-1... Blaze: 1-1

Steven Hensley: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, walk, 11 K
Steven Richard: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Edilio Colina: 1-3, RBI
Jamie McOwen: 1-4 (34 game hitting streak!)
Joe Dunigan: 1-4, double, 2 K
Carlos Peguero: 1-4, double, R, K
Jeff Dominguez: 3-3, 2 doubles, R, RBI

The Mavs didn't need much at the plate because Steven Hensley was DEALING.

1st: Groundout, strikeout, strikeout
2nd: Strikeout, strikeout, strikeout
3rd: Strikeout, strikeout, flyout
4th: Ground single, sac bunt, (caught stealing) strikeout
5th: Strikeout, pop out, strikeout
6th: Groundout, ground single, ground double play
7th: Groundout, strikeout, lined single, groundout
8th: Walk, groundout, lined double, groundout, flyout

Groundballs: 9 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 2
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 11

Jeff Dominguez's leadoff double in the 2nd eventually led to a run. Alex Liddi walked and scored on a wild pitch in the 7th before Dominguez struck again with an RBI double to score Carlos Peguero. And Jamie McOwen barely kept his hitting streak alive at 34 by getting a ball into right field in the 8th for his only hit.

AA: West Tenn 9, Mobile 3
WTN: 2-3... MOB: 3-2

Justin Souza: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER (HR), 2 walks, 2 K (88 pitches, 58 strikes)
Nick Hill: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER (HR), 3 K (29-16)
Anthony Varvaro: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 walks, 3 K (25-13)
Dan Christensen: 1 IP, walk, K (16-9)
Ezequiel Carrera: 1-4, R, RBI
Greg Halman: 2-5, double, R, 2 RBI, K
Marshall Hubbard: 2-5, 2 run HR, 2 K
Yamid Haad: 1-3, solo HR
Johan Limonta: 4-5, double, R
Oswaldo Navarro: 1-3, RBI, K
Mel Stocker: 1-4, double, R

Apparently Greg Halman's mental health holiday in Peoria is over after only three games, as he returned to the JAXX yesterday, hit a solo home run and had two hits today.

The JAXX quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a two run rally in the 2nd sparked by a Johan Limonta double, and two more in the 3rd from a two run shot by Marshall Hubbard.

Justin Souza had himself another strong effort, pitching into the 6th inning. He tried to finish the 6th after responding to two baserunners with a double play, but a lined single to score a run and a walk ended his night.

Groundballs: 6
Flyballs: 6 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 2

Military Man Nick Hill picked off Yunesky Sanchez at 2nd to get out of the frame. he gave up a solo homer to Sean Coughlin in the 7th to make it 4-3, but the JAXX got a solo homer from Yamid Haad in the 8th, watched Anthony Varvaro escape a bases loaded jam in the bottom 8th, then blew it open with four runs in the 9th, powered by a two run base hit down the middle from... Greg Halman.

AAA: Tacoma 8, Las Vegas 7
TAC: 36-38... LVS: 32-43

Doug FISTER: 6 IP, 11 H, (5 R) 4 ER (2 HR), 4 K (108 pitches, 77 strikes)
Jesus Delgado: 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, 2 K, hit batter (43-25)
Eric Hull: 1 IP (10-7)
Michael Saunders: 2-5, double, R, K
Jeff Clement: 2-5, triple, 2 R, RBI, 2 K
Mike Morse: 2-4, solo HR, walk, K
Bryan LaHair: 3-5, R, RBI, 2 K
Jerry Owens: 1-3, R, 2 RBI, 2 K, SB #11

An old guy named David Dellucci took Doug FISTER deep in the 1st, and a Chris Shelton error sparked a 51's rally for another run in the 2nd.

Smallball and a few flukes helped the Rainiers plate three runs in the 2nd. Two of the runs came off a Jerry Owens wormburner to the right side that ricocheted off the glove of the 2B and a double steal produced a run later in the frame when 2B Joe Inglett missed the throw to get Callix Crabbe at 2nd. They added a 4th in the 3rd when Mike Morse of all people went yard solo.

Vegas got a run in the 4th on a hot grounder from some guy named Michael Barrett that Shelton couldn't glove, allowing JP Arencibia to make it 4-3. Dellucci struck again in the 5th, taking FISTER deep to tie the ballgame, and JP Arencibia's double led to the go-ahead run off a single from PCL veteran Kevin Howard.

Somehow, Doug FISTER finished the 6th inning and called it a night after a rather rough outing where the 51's just teed off on him, in line for the loss with a 5-4 deficit.

Groundballs: 9
Flyballs: 8 (2 HR)
Line Drives: 7
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 4

More flukes in the 7th allowed the 51's to plate two runs and make it 7-4. Dellucci beat out a grounder to 2nd, Arencibia got plunked and Kevin Howard's grounder up the middle took a fortuitous deflection off Jesus Delgado to get past the infield into center to score a run before Aaron Mathews sac flied home another run.

The Rainiers did get help in the 7th when Jeff Clement tripled with two out and reliever Bryan Bullington (how the once mighty prospect has fallen) uncorked a wild pitch to let him in and make it 7-5.

But the Rainiers came up in the bottom 9th down 7-5. Prentice Redman led off with a walk and Michael Saunders doubled him to 3rd before Clement got a grounder into right to cash in Redman and make it 7-6. Then closer Brian Wolfe uncorked a wild pitch to let in Saunders and TIE THE BALLGAME at 7. Wolfe wasn't right and after walking Chris Shelton, he left the game with an injury. Mike Morse got a grounder into left to load the bases and Bryan LaHair got a grounder into right to seal the deal on the walkoff win.

Steve Porter remixes several infamous interview moments, and I have to share

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 24

VENEZUELA~! The VSLMs had today off.

Dominican: DSL Mariners 6, DSL Athletics 5

George Mieses: 5 IP, 4 H, (2 R) 0 ER, walk, 4 K, hit batter
Ariel Alcantara: 3.1 IP, 4 H, (3 R) 2 ER, 2 walks, 5 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Bruno Mercedes: two outs, K
Randy Perez: 2-5, double, R
George Drullard: 2-4, R, RBI, walk, 2 K
Jose Martinez: 1-3, R, RBI, walk, 2 K
Mario Flores: 2-4, K
Hector Mercedes: RBI single

AZL: Indians 6, Mariners 5

Cesar Jimenez: 1 IP, K
Anthony Fernandez: 5 IP, 4 H, (2 R) 1 ER, 2 walks, 3 K, wild pitch
Jose Valdivia: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER (HR), K
Kenta Suda: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Richard Ortiz: two outs, 3 H, 2 ER, walk, K
Daniel Carroll: 0-4, R, walk, 4 K: The Golden Sombrero
Jetsy Extrano: 1-5, double, R, K
Hector Jacobo: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, walk
Greg Halman: 1-4, triple, R, walk, 2 K
Evan Sharpley: 2-5, double, R, RBI, K
Joel Mendez: 2-4, double, RBI, K, SB
Efrain Nuñez: 2-4, 2 K

Rk+: Danville 7, Pulaski 6

Brandon Maurer: 5 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 walks, 6 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Anthony Vasquez: 1.1 IP, 2 H, (2 R) 1 ER, 2 walks, K(Age 22, 18th round pick 2009)
Brandon Josselyn: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, walk, 3 K (Age 22, 25th round pick 2009)
Brandon Haveman: 3-4, double, RBI
Fred Bello: 1-4, RBI, walk, 3 K
Jharmidy De Jesus: 2-5, 2 RBI
Jarrett Burgess: 1-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, walk, K, SB

A-: Spokane 18, Everett 9

Taylor Stanton: 3.1 IP, 7 H, (8 R) 5 ER (3 HR), 3 walks, 4 K, 2 wild pitches
Eddy Hernandez: 1.2 IP, 2 H, (5 R) 2 ER (HR), 5 walks, 3 K
Jose Rios: 3 IP, 4 H, (5 R) 3 ER, walk, 3 K
Phillip Roy: 1 IP, K
Blake Trinkler: 1-3, RBI, K
Juan Fuentes: 1-4, R, 2 RBI, walk, 2 K
Welington Dotel: 2-5, R, 2 K
Ben Billingsley: 3-4, double, 2 R, RBI
Jose Rivero: 1-4, R, 3 RBI, K, SB

A: Clinton is off for the MWL All Star Break.

A+: High Desert is off for the Cal League All Star Break.

AA: Mobile 10, West Tenn 4

Luis Muñoz: 4 IP, 6 H, (4 R) 2 ER, 5 walks, hit batter (93 pitches, 55 strikes)
Nick Hill: 2 IP, 2 H, walk, hit batter (21-11)
Anthony Varvaro: 1.2 IP, 5 H, (6 R) 1 ER, walk , hit batter (42-25)
Dan Christensen: one out, 1 H, walk (5-1)
Ezequiel Carrera: 2-3, double, R, 2 walks, SBs #13 and 14
Marshall Hubbard: 2-4, R, walk
Colt Morton: 1-5, R, RBI, K
Matt Mangini: 1-4, RBI, K
Brent Johnson: 1-3, RBI
Oswaldo Navarro: 1-3, RBI, walk, K

AAA: Las Vegas 4, Tacoma 1

Chris Seddon: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 walks, 3 K (97 pitches, 58 strikes)
Eric Hull: 2.1 IP, 1 ER, walk, 2 K (38-22)
Justin Thomas: two outs, 2 H, 1 ER, K (18-11)
Michael Saunders: 2-4, solo HR, 2 K
rest of Rainiers lineup: 2-27, 3 walks, 10 K

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 23

VENEZUELA~! VSL Mariners 3, VSL Mets 2

Erasmo Ramirez: 5 IP, 4 H, 4 K
Yoervis Medina: 2 IP, K, hit batter
Reynaldo Sabala: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Manuel Campos: 1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, walk, K
Rafael Torrealba: 2-4, R
Felipe Burin: RBI double
Carlos Ramirez: 0-2, sac fly RBI, walk, K
Jorge Agudelo: 2-4

Dominican: DSL Mariners 2, DSL Phillies 1

Victor Duarte: 6 IP, 3 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 6 K
Fray Martinez: 1 IP, 2 K, hit batter
Bruno Mercedes: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Nelson Germocen: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
DSLMs lineup: 1-27, 2 walks, 10 K

Despite getting one hit, the DSLMs won after scoring both runs in the 5th on a wild, their lone single from Bryan Brito, a wild pitch and a horrid three base error by the Phils 2B to score both runs.

SEASON OPENER
Rk+: Danville 8, Pulaski 3

Opening Day Lineup (with ages and 2008 numbers, or draft position):

LF - Dwight Britton (Age 21: 253/312/424 in Pulaski)
2B - Cesar Fuentes (Age 22: 266/321/365 in AZL)
1B - Jharmidy De Jesus (Age 19: 309/376/530 in AZL and Everett)
DH - Tim Morris (11th round pick 2009)
3B - Vincent Catricala (Indians' 50th round pick 2006, no pro experience)
RF - Julio Morban (Age 17, International signee)
C - Brandon Bantz (Age 22, 30th round pick 2009)
SS - Gabriel Noriega (Age 18: 238/266/291 in Pulaski)
CF - Jarrett Burgess (Age 18: 227/297/293 in AZL)
SP - Nolan Diaz (Age 18: 59 IP, 0 HR, 4 BB, 39 K, 2.75 ERA in VSL)

Nolan Diaz: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER (HR), walk, 5 K, hit batter
Colin Buckborough: two outs, 3 H, 1 ER, hit batter
Jeroen de Haas: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 K
Eric Thomas: 1.2 IP, 1 H, K, 2 hit batters (Age 22, 19th round pick 2009)
Brandon Haveman: pinch RBI single (Age 23, Undrafted rookie)
Cesar Fuentes: 1-5, double, 3 K
Tim Morris: 1-4, double, RBI, K
Julio Morban: 2-4, R, 2 K
Gabriel Noriega: 2-4, double, K

A-: Spokane 4, Everett 3, 10 innings

Chris Kirkland: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 walks, 7 K, wild pitch, 2 hit batter
Christian Staehely: 2 IP, 1 H, 4 K
Daniel Cooper: 1 IP, 1 H, walk (Age 22: 21st round pick 2009)
Brad Reid: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER (HR), K
Brandon Pullen: two outs, K
Anthony Phillips: 1-4, RBI, walk, 2 K
Kalian Sams: 2-4, solo HR, solo HR, 2 K
Welington Dotel: 2-4, double, solo HR, 2 R, K

A: Clinton is off for the MWL All Star Break.

A+: High Desert is off for the Cal League All Star Break.

AA: Mobile 9, West Tenn 2

Kyle Parker: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 walks, 2 K, hit batter (61 pitches, 33 strikes)
Mumba Rivera: 3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 3 walks, 2 K (70-45)
Patrick Ryan: one out, 1 H (6-6)
Josh Fields: 1 IP, K (10-7)
Mel Stocker: 2-2, R
Marshall Hubbard: 1-3, RBI, walk, 2 K
rest of JAXX lineup: 1-25, 4 walks, 8 K

AAA: Tacoma 14, Las Vegas 4

Ryan Rowland-Smith: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 walks, 3 K, hit batter (63 pitches, 37 strikes)
Jesus Delgado: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER (HR), walk, K (48-28)
Denny Stark: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER (HR), walk (19-10)
Brodie Downs: 1 IP, K (8-6)
Prentice Redman: 1-5, double, RBI, K
Michael Saunders: 1-4, sac fly RBI
Kenji Johjima: 2-4, 2 R
Jeff Clement: 3-5, double, 2 run HR, 4 R, K
Chris Shelton: 2-3, 2 run HR, 3 R, 2 walks
Mike Morse: 1-4, double, R, 2 RBI, K
Bryan LaHair: 1-5, R, RBI, K
Erick Monzon: 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI, K
Jerry Owens: 2-4, R, RBI

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 22

VENEZUELA~! The VSLMs game with the VSL Pirates was postponed due to rain and will get made up as part of a doubleheader on 6/29.

Dominican: DSL Mariners 18, DSL Cardinals 7

Ambioris Hidalgo: 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 walks, 3 K, wild pitch, balk, 2 hit batters
Richard Vargas: 3.1 IP, 1 H, walk, 3 K
Oscar Bravo: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER (HR), 2 walks, K
George Drullard: 0-4, 3 R, 3 walks, 2 K
Jose Martinez: 3-5, 3 R, RBI, walk, K, SB
Mario Flores: 4-6, triple, GRAND SLAM, 3 R, 7 RBI (!)
Hector Mercedes: 3-3, 3 R, RBI, 3 walks
Janelfry Zorrilla: 3-6, 3 R, 2 RBI
Robert Rodriguez: 2-6, 2 doubles, 5 RBI, K

AZL: Mariners 9, Rangers 2

Jeff Zimmerman: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, walk, 2 K
Luis Peña: 5 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 walks, 4 K, wild pitch
Leonardo Rodriguez: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Jetsy Extrano: 2-4, double, 2 R, 2 RBI, K
Hector Jacobo: 2-4, 2 R, walk
Greg Halman: 1-4, 2 RBI, 3 K
Hassiel Jimenez: 1-3, double, R, 3 RBI, walk, K
Evan Sharpley: 2-4, double, R, RBI, K (50th round pick 2009)

A-: Vancouver 7, Everett 1

Luke Burnett: 5 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 K
Phillip Roy: 1.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, walk, 3 K, hit batter
Kyle Brown: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 walks, K, wild pitch
Christian Staehely: one out, K
Kalian Sams: 1-3, double, walk, K, 2 SB
Hawkins Gebbers: 1-3, RBI, walk, K
rest of Aquasox lineup: 2-25, 5 walks, 7 K

A: Clinton is off for the MWL All Star Break.

A+: High Desert is off for the Cal League All Star Break.

AA: Mobile 7, West Tenn 6

Steve Bray: 5 IP, 8 H, 5 ER (HR), K (66 pitches, 54 strikes)
Patrick Ryan: 1 IP, 2 H, (1 R) 0 ER (16-10)
Ricky Orta: 2 IP, walk (30-18)
Phillippe Aumont: one out, 3 H, 1 ER (13-8)
Ezequiel Carrera: 3-4, solo HR, sac fly RBI
Mel Stocker: 1-5, double
Colt Morton: 1-4, solo HR, 2 K
Matt Mangini: 3-4, solo HR, 2 R, SB
David Espinosa: 1-3, solo HR, 2 R, walk, K
Brent Johnson: 1-4, RBI, K, SB #10

AAA: The Rainiers had today off.

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 21 (stats for now)

(This time you can blame not exhaustion, but my friend Kevin, who had tickets for great seats to the Mariners games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Otherwise, these would have been up earlier this week. I regret none of this. I will attempt to fill in with recaps and ball in play stats later. All posts are backdated.)

VENEZUELA~! VSL Rays 7, VSL Mariners 3

Yovanny Olivero: 4 IP, 6 H, 2 ER (HR), 2 walks, K
Jose Campos: 2 IP, 3 H, (4 R) 3 ER (2 HR), walk, wild pitch, hit batter
Oberth Guanire: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K
Carlos Ramirez: 2-4, R, RBI
Jose Hernandez: 1-2, double, R, RBI
Roberto Velasquez: 1-3, RBI

Dominican: The DSLMs had today off.

SEASON OPENER
AZL: Dodgers 17, Mariners 3

Opening Day Roster (with age and 2008 numbers):
CF - Daniel Carroll (Age 20: 216/295/278 in AZL, Wisconsin and High Desert)
2B - Jetsy Extrano (Age 20: 279/359/433 in VSL)
RF - Jose Rivero (Age 19: 251/336/368 in Pulaski)
DH - Greg Halman (Age 21: 274/327/531 in High Desert, West Tenn and Kinheim)
C - Henry Contreras (Age 23: 323/369/406 in AZL and Everett)
LF - Efrain Nuñez (Age 18: 267/387/441 in DSL)
SS - Angel Zapata (Age 21: 230/299/242 in DSL)
3B - Blake Trinkler (Age 21: 206/320/313 in Pulaski)
1B - Rudy van Heydoorn (Age 20: 266/460/435 in DSL)
SP - Cesar Jimenez (Age 24: 38 IP, 3 HR, 8 BB, 47 K, 3.55 ERA in Tacoma)
SP - Maikel Cleto (Age 20: 135.2 IP, 8 HR, 34 BB, 81 K, 4.25 ERA in Savannah)

Cesar Jimenez: 1 IP, K, 2 hit batters
Maikel Cleto: two outs, 3 H, (6 R) 1 ER, walk, K, hit batter
Yao Wen Chang: 4.1 IP, 10 H, 10 ER (2 HR), 2 walks, 6 K, balk
Richard Ortiz: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 4 walks, 3 K
Daniel Carroll: 1-5, double, RBI
Jetsy Extrano: 2-4, solo HR
Jose Rivero: 1-4, triple, K

A-: Vancouver 3, Everett 1

Nick Czyz: 6 IP, 4 H, (2 R) 1 ER, 3 walks, 6 K
Brandon Pullen: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, K
Anthony Phillips: 1-4, double, 2 K
Gerardo Avila: 3-4, double
Hawkins Gebbers: 2-4, K

A: Clinton 6, Cedar Rapids 4

Bobby LaFromboise: 5 IP, 8 H, 4 ER (HR), walk, K
Stephen Penney: 1.1 IP, 2 H, walk
Cheyne Hann: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Ruben Flores: 1 IP
Luis Nuñez: 2-5, R
Steve Moss: 4-4, R, 2 RBI, walk
Denny Almonte: 2-5, 3 run HR, K
Mario Martinez: 1-4, double, K

A+: Inland Empire 6, High Desert 0

Jake Wild: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 6 ER (2 HR), 3 walks, 3 K
Steven Hensley: two outs, 1 H, 2 K
Natividad Dilone: 1 IP
Travis Mortimore: two outs, 1 H, walk, K
Joey Newby: 1 IP, walk, 2 K
Jamie McOwen: 2-4
Jose Yepez: 2-3, double
rest of Mavs lineup: 3-23, 3 walks, 9 K

AA: The JAXX had today off.

AAA: Reno 11, Tacoma 2

Andy Baldwin: 5 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 5 K, 2 hit batters (93 pitches, 62 strikes)
Eric Hull: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 walks, K, wild pitch (38-23)
Josh Hall: 2 IP, 5 H, (4 R) 3 ER, walk, 3 K (49-33)
Randy Messenger: 1 IP, 2 H, walk (21-13)
Chris Shelton: 1-4, solo HR
rest of Rainiers lineup: 3-27, 2 walks, 6 K

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 20

I'm back from my week covering the minors with Mariner Central! They're fun to work with and I invite you to check out one of the better hubs for Mariners info you'll find on the net.

At right is a familiar face catching for the Rainiers. More on this later.

VENEZUELA~! VSL Phillies 5, VSL Mariners 2
VSLMs: 15-14... VSL Phils: 11-18

Mayckol Guaipe: 2 IP, 3 H, (4 R) 3 ER, 2 walks, K, 3 hit batters
Jesus Pirela: 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, walk, 2 K
Ricardo Pereira: 2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Manuel Campos: 1 IP
Kenny Hart: 2-3, 2 doubles
rest of VSLMs lineup: 2-28, 3 walks, 7 K

Dominican: DSL Mariners 1, DSL Athletics 0
DSLMs: 13-6... DSLAs: 6-13

Henry Perez: 5 IP, 3 H, 4 K
Enrique Rosario: 4 IP, 2 H, walk, 8 K
Randy Perez: 1-4, RBI, 2 K
George Drullard: 1-4, double, K
Bryan Brito: 1-3, triple, R, K

SEASON OPENER
A-: Everett 10, Vancouver 1
EVE: 1-0... VAN: 0-1

Opening Day Lineup (with age and 2008 numbers):

SS Anthony Phillips (Age 19, 186/283/251 in Pulaski, Everett & High Desert)
LF Ryan Royster (Age 23, 196/337/268 in Everett)
1B Gerardo Avila (Age 22, 238/279/338 in Wisconsin & High Desert)
CF Kalian Sams (Age 22, 204/295/528 in Pulaski)
C Guy Welsh (Age 24, 297/410/430 in Pulaski)
RF Welington Dotel (Age 23, 277/339/436 in Everett)
DH Ben Billingsley (Age 22, 227/308/381 in Everett)
3B Hawkins Gebbers (Age 22, 33rd round pick in 2009 draft)
2B Fred Bello (Age 21, 284/366/321 in Peoria & Pulaski)
SP Taylor Lewis (Age 21, 35.2 IP, 4 HR, 18 BB, 32 K, 4.54 ERA in Pulaski)

Taylor Lewis: 6 IP, 4 H, 1 ER (HR), 3 walks, 6 K, balk, hit batter
Brad Reid: 1 IP, 1 H, K
Jose Rios: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 K
Ryan Royster: 4-5, double, 2 R, 3 RBI
Gerardo Avila: 2-5, R
Kalian Sams: 3-5, 3 run HR, 3 R, K
Guy Welsh: 3-4, double, R, RBI, walk
Hawkins Gebbers: 2-5, RBI
Fred Bello: 2-3, 2 doubles, 3 R, 2 walks, K

You may not want to get attached to the current Aquasox lineup. As Jay Yencich has noted, visa concerns led Everett to scramble for anyone in the M's org who had valid documentation to make the trip north of the border into Vancouver, which led to some fish out of water. Once the Aquasox return stateside, look for some roster moves before Everett settles on their true 2009 lineup.

They may want to stick with this crew, though, because they kicked the Canadians' butts tonight.

A: Clinton 6, Cedar Rapids 0
CLI: 39-30... CDR: 40-29

Alfredo Venegas: 7 IP, 2 H, walk, 3 K
Blake Nation: 1 IP
Greg Moviel: 1 IP, walk, 2 K
Luis Nuñez: 1-3, double, 2 R, walk, K
Scott Savastano: 1-3, double, R, 2 RBI, walk
Steve Moss: 0-3, sac fly RBI
Denny Almonte: 0-3, sac fly RBI, 2 K
Ogui Diaz: 1-3, triple, R, walk

Scott Savastano doubled home a run in the 4th, Luis Nuñez's leadoff double in the 6th led to another, and Ogui Diaz's leadoff triple in the 7th set up yet another, as Alfredo Venegas had easily the best start he's had since getting demoted to the MWL, spearheading a 2 hit shutout, though he still gave up a ton of flyballs and got a ton of luck on those.

Groundballs: 6 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 13
Line Drives: 0
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 3

A+: High Desert 15, Inland Empire 2
Mavs: 43-26... Empire: 31-38

Nathan Adcock: 8 IP, 2 H, 4 walks, 8 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Steven Richard: 1 IP, 2 H, (2 R) 0 ER, walk, K
Tyson Gillies: 1-3, R, 3 walks, SB #17
Jeff Dominguez: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, 2 walks, K
Jamie McOwen: 1-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, walk
Joe Dunigan: 3-5, GRAND SLAM, 2 R, walk
Alex Liddi: 3-6, 2 doubles, 3 R, 2 RBI
Carlos Peguero: 1-6, solo HR, 4 K: The Golden Sombrero
Travis Scott: 3-3, 2 doubles, 2 R, 3 RBI, 3 walks
Ian Bladergroen: 1-5, double, 2 RBI, 3 K

The entire lineup came to the plate for the Mavs in a four run 5th to give the Mavs a comfortable 6-0 cushion and Nathan Adcock pitched himself a fine game, no runs allowed, despite a few shaky moments.

Groundballs: 7
Flyballs: 8
Line Drives: 2
Walks: 4 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 8

But it went from a stomping to a full-out rout in the 9th, as four Mavs came to the plate twice and five Mavs had extra base hits in a nine run 9th inning to make the score 15-0. Joe Dunigan had the biggest hit of all, hitting a one out grand slam, though Carlos Peguero started the rally with a solo shot. Steven Richard gave up a couple runs to Empire in the 9th, presumably because he felt bad for them.

Not to be outdone, Ian Bladergroen reached base all six times he came to the plate.

AA: They played two in Jackson, because why not.

Game 1: Montgomery 4, West Tenn 3, 7 innings

Justin Souza: 4 IP, 4 H, (3 R) 2 ER, walk, K, 2 hit batters (76 pitches, 55 strikes)
Anthony Varvaro: 2 IP, walk, 2 K (35-20)
Phillippe Aumont: 1 IP, (1 R) 0 ER, K (9-6)
Ezequiel Carrera: 1-3, RBI
Colt Morton: 2-3, double, 2 run HR

In his 3rd game with the JAXX, Colt Morton had two hits, a double and 2 run HR, while starting behind the plate. After getting cut following 11 forgettable games with Lake Elsinore (and a forgettable 6.5 year career) in the Padres system, the M's picked him up and dispatched him to West Tenn to add some depth after Guillermo Quiroz skated off to join the M's.

Also notable in this game is the AA debut of Phillippe Aumont, who Jack Zduriencik's crew deemed fit for a promotion from High A. Correspondingly, the struggling Marwin Vega was sent back to High Desert.

Justin Souza had a curiously short outing, taking more pitches than he would have liked to struggle through four frames. he has struggled a bit lately after a hot stretch through much of May and June.

Groundballs: 6
Flyballs: 5
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 1 (plus 2 hit batters)
Strikeouts: 1

Game 2: West Tenn 2, Montgomery 1, 7 innings
WTN: 27-43... MON: 33-37

Steven Shell: 5 IP, 2 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 6 K (70 pitches, 50 strikes)
Nick Hill: 1 IP, 3 K (11-9)
Ricky Orta: 1 IP, K (7-5)
Marshall Hubbard: 1-3, double, R, K
Yamid Haad: 1-3, RBI
Oswaldo Navarro: 1-1, RBI, 2 walks, SB

Interesting are the three pitchers used in this 2-1 victory.

First of all, after being brought in as a dispatched reliever from the Nationals org, Steven Shell follows his demotion to AA by making a surprise start and giving the JAXX five surprisingly strong innings. Shell, 26, a 3rd round pick by the Angels in 2001, was a starter while working up the Angels system, but never quite cut the mustard in AAA and had moved to the bullpen when the Nats picked him up in 2008.

This was Shell's first start since he was last with the Angels in 2007. Could this be a return to the rotation for Shell? The JAXX, if they weren't seriously considering it before, may entertain it after this start.

Groundballs: 4
Flyballs: 4
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 1 laughable bunt
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 6

Secondly, his relief help was Nick Hill, the Military Man who originally was slated to serve with the military and left for that on May 26. However, he's back, and he returned to the active list (with Joey Newby getting sent to High Desert to open up the roster spot), striking out the side in the 6th. Welcome back, Military Man! The JAXX took the lead in the bottom 6th, netting Hill to win to boot.

And finally, Ricky Orta shut the game down in the 7th. Since returning from injury on June 5, the JAXX have used Orta as a reliever, but hadn't test driven him in a closer situation until tonight. Orta handled it, going flyout, pop out, strikeout to end the game.

AAA: Reno 2, Tacoma 1
TAC: 34-35... RENO: 34-36

Doug FISTER: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 ER (HR), walk, 4 K, hit batter (92 pitches, 61 strikes)
Denny Stark: 2.2 IP, 1 H, walk, 4 K (46-32)
Justin Thomas: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 walks, 2 K (26-13)
Mike Morse: 2-5, R, K
Bryan LaHair: 1-4, triple, RBI, K
Brad Nelson: 2-3

FISTER actually pitched himself a decent game, but just didn't get any run support, taking his first AAA loss of the season.

Groundballs: 8 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 8 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 0
Walks: 1 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 4

Never minding the Reno freaking Aces having Tacoma's number, notable in this game isn't Brad Nelson waking up and having another decent game, but Kenji Johjima seeing his first live action since breaking his toe, starting behind the plate and going five innings before ceding to Adam Moore. Joh singled on a groundball to left in the 2nd and flew out to right in the 4th.

Baseball's LeBron James

The hype machine for Stephen Strasburg may be the tip of the iceberg compared to the hype forthcoming for 16 year old Bryce Harper of (my hometown) Las Vegas, NV.

Harper has already made the cover of Sports Illustrated for prolific athletic ability for someone his age: he already throws a 96 mph fastball and has reportedly hit home runs as far as 570 feet. He's 6'3", 205 pounds, already a manly size despite not yet being old enough to attend the prom. He's reminiscent of the meteoric rise of LeBron James, who similarly dominated the HS ranks as a 16 year old and immediately turned pro upon his HS graduation.

Now it appears Harper won't even wait until 18 to enter the draft. He's going to get his GED, enroll in community college in Las Vegas and enter the 2010 MLB draft. Already teams like the perennially poor Nationals are angling to take Harper with the #1 pick. Polling from Yahoo's Duk shows 55% of readers say it's cool and 45% believe it's a bad idea. While there's a small leaning of support, it's still a divided issue.

Now, as someone who was far ahead of his peers with the books and felt at times held back and/or bored with high school, and as someone who himself considered taking the GED early and jumping to college... obviously I'm not morally opposed to the decision. It's clear that Harper is destined to take the next step, and finishing high school over the next two years simply delays the inevitable. That the Clark County School District sports a mostly mediocre curriculum only strengthens the notion that he ought to go for it. Harper himself definitely has the physical talent and the makeup to make it work.

Duk wisely points out the dangerous caveat.

The problem I do have with it, though, is that there are no doubt thousands of delusional parents who will see this news and think that maybe it's a viable path for their nowhere-near-as-talented sons and daughters. While the Harpers can't make their decision based on what other lemmings might do, I hope the door closes behind them.

The NBA had a revolving door of kids who vastly overestimated their abilities jumping into the draft and right out of relevance well before LeBron came along, and it led to NBA commissioner David Stern's dubious decision to impose an age limit on NBA entrants.

Granted, one thing going for MLB is its large minor league system. Many unprepared NBA teens got drafted and spent a lot of time on the bench as limited 12th men, because that was the only place for them. However, an unprepared 16-18 year old in MLB could easily step in and hold his own in the low minor leagues. The Venezuelan and Dominican Summer Leagues are rife with 16-18 year olds, and many of the players in the domestic rookie leagues (The Gulf Coast and Arizona Leagues) are young themselves, in the 18-21 age range. While chances are likely a 16-17 year old could be a bit overmatched, the organization that drafts him could at least play him everyday (or as often as reasonable) and give him a chance to learn to play at the professional level.

While it's possible Bryce Harper could produce a deluge of early adoptee bonus babies, they won't end up rotting on the bench and washing out like their NBA counterparts. They'll at least get serious looks in rookie ball, and if they find that they screwed up, then they can go to college and/or keep working on their game in Indy ball or in the rookie leagues with their respective org's blessing.

It's easy to maintain a pretense that kids need to be among kids, have the life of kids and get a chance to 'grow up'. But like thrusting a kid into a pro ball setting, maintaining that pretense superimposes a reality onto that child, rather than giving said child the chance to push himself and discover what works for him. Duk himself noted a truism: Harper isn't going to be much more mature and grown up at 18 than he is at 16, so what is lost from going pro instead of spending those last two years in high school?

What did LeBron lose from getting super-famous before his 18th birthday? You can argue he gained far much more from his subsequent basketball exploits in the NBA than walking the line of a traditional college basketball career. Bryce Harper stands to gain just as much by taking the leap at 16. He's physically and, by all accounts, mentally/emotionally ready for it.

The humidor did not turn Coors Field into a completely normal baseball climate

One misconception that popped up during the Mariners' weekend series with Colorado in Coors Field is that the Rockies' usage of a humidor completely negates the offense-happy conditions of Coors Field and that Coors Field is now a more typical playing environment.

While the humidor did cut down on the number of home runs, Coors still has an unusually large outfield, which gives outfielders more ground to cover and is an advantage for hitters, since chances are more likely a ball hit to the outfield will drop in.

Also, the Mariners broadcast team on FSN discussed this during the weekend's games, since they got to tour the humidor: The humidor doesn't weigh the balls down to counteract the high altitude. It simply maintains the temperature and humidity of normal conditions. Denver's climate dried out baseballs, which exacerbated the high altitude's effect on the ball's flight. That high altitude effect still remains to some degree.

Notice that the Rockies, as a team, still hit very well, and their pitchers still tend to sport higher ERAs.

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 10

VENEZUELA~! The VSLMs had Wednesday off.

Dominican: DSL Mariners 5, DSL Athletics 2
DSLMs: 7-3... DSLAs: 4-6

Ambioris Hidalgo: 5 IP, 4 H, walk, 9 K, wild pitch, 2 hit batters
Fello Yan: no outs recorded, 1 ER, walk, hit batter
Enrique Rosario: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, walk, 3 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Nelson Germocen: 1 IP, 2 walks, 3 K
Randy Perez: 0-1, 3 walks, K
Janelfry Zorrilla: 1-3, double, walk, K
Miguel Sanchez: 1-4, 2 run HR, K

A 2 run homer and some bad pitching helped the DSLMs pour on three runs in the 2nd, and some bad pitching and defense helped the DSLMs add two more in the 3rd to put the game away. The DSLAs issued five walks and a wild pitch in those two frames, plus gave up a passed ball.

A: Clinton 5, Peoria 3
CLI: 32-27... PEO: 30-27

Alfredo Venegas: 6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER (2 HR), walk, 3 K
Stephen Penney: 1.2 IP, 2 H
Ruben Flores: 1.1 IP, 2 K
Luis Nuñez: 2-4, R, RBI, K
Kris Sanchez: 1-3, RBI, walk
Nate Tenbrink: 1-3, solo HR, walk
Blake Ochoa: 1-2, solo HR, walk, K
Ogui Diaz: 2-3, double, R, SB

Nate Tenbrink homered to lead off the 5th, and three consecutive one out singles in the 6th powered a two run frame.

These Alfredo Venegas starts are beginning to go better, but you've still got the same erratic flyball pitcher. Manager Scott Steinmann sent him back out for the 7th with a 3-1 lead and regretted it: After the leadoff batter snuck a grounder into right, Rebel Ridling took Venegas deep for a two run bomb to tie the ballgame and that was that for Venegas.

Groundballs: 4
Flyballs: 7 (2 HR)
Line Drives: 5
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 3

The Lumberkings got their revenge in the bottom 7th. Blake Ochoa went deep and Ogui Diaz's follow up double eventually led to another run to make it 5-3.

A+: Visalia 9, High Desert 4
Mavs: 39-21... ROLLIN ROLLIN ROLLIN RAWHIDE: 37-23

Jake Wild: 4 IP, 7 H, (6 R) 1 ER (HR), walk, 4 K, wild pitch (HA GET IT)
Juan Zapata: 1 IP, (1 R) 0 ER, walk
Marwin Vega: 2 Ip, 2 H, 1 ER (HR), 3 K
Phillippe Aumont: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk
Tyson Gillies: 2-4, R, walk, SB #15
Edilio Colina: 1-5, double, 2 K
Jamie McOwen: 1-4, RBI
Alex Liddi: 3-4, double, solo HR
Jeff Dominguez: 2-4, R, K

Though the Mavs' undoing came in a 5 run 4th inning, Jake Wild just left too many pitches up in the zone in an unusually off performance, and the best team in the Cal League's more pitching friendly (read: no launchpads) division had more than enough runs to overcome shaky pitching on their own part.

Groundballs: 6
Flyballs: 9 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 0
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 4

AA: The JAXX had Wednesday off.

AAA: Hey, the Rainiers also had Wednesday off.

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 9 (brief)

VENEZUELA~! VSL Mariners 6, VSL Mets 1
VSLMs: 12-8... VSL Mets: 9-10

Yovanny Olivero: 5 IP, 4 H, 5 K
Maykel Ynfantes: 2 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 2 walks
Mayckol Guaipe: 2 IP
Rafael Torrealba: 1-3, triple, R, SB
Ivan Ramirez: 1-4, double, R, 3 RBI
Carlos Ramirez: 2-4, 2 R, 2 K
Michael Acevedo: 2-4, double, 2 RBI, K
Roberto Velasquez: 0-3, sac fly RBI

Dominican: DSL Phillies 3, DSL Mariners 2
DSLMs: 6-3... DSL Phils: 4-5

Henry Perez: 5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 6 K, hit batter
Richard Vargas: 3 IP, 1 H, K, hit batter
Bruno Mercedes: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, walk, wild pitch
Randy Perez: 3-4, RBI, K
Jose Martinez: 0-4, 4 K: The Golden Sombrero
Mario Flores: 2-4, double, solo HR, 2 R, K

A: Quad Cities 7, Clinton 3
CLI: 31-27... QC: 26-31

Brett Lorin: 5 IP, 8 H, (4 R) 3 ER (2 HR), 4 K, hit batter
Greg Moviel: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 K
Andres Esquibel: 1 IP, 3 H, (2 R) 1 ER
Luis Nuñez: 1-5, double, RBI
Steve Moss: 2-4, 2 doubles, RBI, K
Nate Tenbrink: 1-4, double, R
Blake Ochoa: 3-3, R

Lorin:

Groundballs: 7
Flyballs: 8 (2 HR)
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 0 (but 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 4

A+: Visalia 6, High Desert 5

Nathan Adcock: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 5 ER (HR), 2 walks
Travis Mortimore: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER
Aaron Jensen: 1.2 IP, 2 K
Tyson Gillies: 2-4, R, RBI, walk, SB #14
Jamie McOwen: 1-5, RBI, 2 K
Joe Dunigan: 1-4, RBI, 2 K
Alex Liddi: 1-4, solo HR, K
Carlos Peguero: 1-4, solo HR, K
Ian Bladergroen: 1-3, double, R, walk

Groundballs: 5
Flyballs: 11 (1 HR)
Line Drives: 4
Pop Ups: 3
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 0

AA: Huntsville 6, West Tenn 2

Justin Souza: 4 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, K (78 pitches, 52 strikes)
Matt Renfree: 2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K (39-28)
Aaron Cotter: 2 IP, walk (22-12)
Josh Fields: 1 IP (8-4)
Marshall Hubbard: 3-3, solo HR, walk
Oswaldo Navarro: 2-3, double, R, walk, K
rest of JAXX lineup: 5-26, 3 walks, 7 K

Souza:

Groundballs: 2
Flyballs: 5
Line Drives: 8
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 1

AAA: Tacoma 6, Las Vegas 3

Doug FISTER: 7 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 4 K (99 pitches, 62 strikes)
Jared Wells: one out, 2 H, 1 ER (10-5)
Justin Thomas: two outs, 1 H (10-7)
Randy Messenger: 1 IP, K (10-9)
Prentice Redman: 2-4, double, 2 R, RBI
Michael Saunders: 2-3, R, RBI, 2 walks
Jeff Clement: 2-5, double, R, 3 RBI
Adam Moore: 1-3, RBI, walk, K

Doogie FISTER M.D.

Groundballs: 14
Flyballs: 7
Line Drives: 1
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 4

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 8 (brief)

VENEZUELA~! VSL Pirates 7, VSL Mariners 0

Jose Campos: 2.1 IP, 4 H, (4 R) 3 ER, 3 walks, wild pitch
Edlando Seco: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 5 walks
Ricardo Pereira: 2.2 IP, 2 H, 2 walks, 2 K
Isliexel Gonzalez: 2 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 3 walks
Michael Acevedo: 2-4
rest of VSLMs lineup: 4-27, 5 walks, 5 K

Dominican: DSL Cardinals 9, DSL Mariners 7

Junior Nuñez: 3.2 IP, 7 H, (6 R) 4 ER, 2 walks, 3 K
Ariel Alcantara: 1.1 IP, walk, 4 K
Joan Vizcaino: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, walk, wild pitch
Fray Martinez: 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K, balk
Victor Ozuna: 1-4, double, 2 R, walk, 2 K
Jose Martinez: 2-5, double, R, 3 RBI, K
Mario Flores: 2-3
Augusto Marte: 1-3, double, RBI, walk

A: Clinton 16, Quad Cities 2

Aaron Pribanic: 5.1 IP, 3 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 3 K, hit batter
Blake Nation: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Jose Jimenez: 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER (HR), walk, 2 K
Jacob Shaffer: 1-4, 2 R, RBI, walk
Luis Nuñez: 2-6, R, K
Scott Savastano: 3-6, solo HR, 2 R, 3 RBI
Kris Sanchez: 3-6, double, solo HR, 3 R, K
Denny Almonte: 2-5, DENNY'S GRAND SLAM, 2 R, walk, 2 K
Nate Tenbrink: 3-4, double, 2 R, RBI, 2 walks
Blake Ochoa: 1-5, R, RBI
Mario Martinez: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Terry Serrano: 2-5, double, R, RBI

Pribanic:

Groundballs: 14 (plus 2 bunts)
Flyballs: 2
Line Drives: 0
Walks: 0 (but 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 3

A+: High Desert 5, Visalia 2

Donnie Hume: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 2 walks, 3 K, 2 wild pitches
Christian Staehely: 2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, walk, 2 K, balk
Juan Diaz: 2-4, double, R
Jamie McOwen: 1-3, sac fly RBI
Joe Dunigan: 1-4, RBI, K
Alex Liddi: 1-4, double, R, 2 K
Carlos Peguero: 2-4, solo HR
Guy Welsh: 1-4, 2 run HR
Jeff Dominguez: 1-4, double

Hume:

Groundballs: 6 (plus 2 bunts)
Flyballs: 10
Line Drives: 3
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 3

AA: Huntsville 2, West Tenn 1

Dan Christensen: 5.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 4 walks, 4 K (96 pitches, 59 strikes)
Ricky Orta: 2.1 IP, 3 K (26-16)
Mumba Rivera: 1 IP, 1 H (16-9)
Johan Limonta: 2-2, 2 doubles
Yamid Haad: 3-4, solo HR, K
Erick Monzon: 2-4

Christensen:

Groundballs: 7
Flyballs: 4
Line Drives: 5
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 4
Strikeouts: 4

AAA: Las Vegas 10, Tacoma 8

Josh Hall: 4.1 IP, 11 H, (8 R) 7 ER, 2 walks, 3 K (86 pitches, 52 strikes)
Jesus Delgado: 1.2 IP, 3 H (27-17)
Roy Corcoran: 1 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, K (18-11)
Randy Messenger: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER (16-10)
Prentice Redman: 2-5, R, RBI, K
Michael Saunders: 1-4, solo HR, 2 R, K
Jeff Clement: 2-5, triple, R
Chris Shelton: 1-4, double, R, RBI, walk, K
Mike Carp: 3-5, 2 doubles, R, 3 RBI
Brad Nelson: 1-5, double, RBI, 2 K
Chris Woodward: 2-4, R
Fleming Baez: 2-4, double, R, K

Josh the Tomato Can:

Groundballs: 13
Flyballs: 2
Line Drives: 6
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 3

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 7 (brief)

VENEZUELA~! VSL Mariners 6, VSL Rays 4

Reynaldo Sabala: 4.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER (HR), walk, 3 K
Oberth Guanire: 3.2 IP, 3 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 4 K, wild pitch
Manuel Campos: 1 IP, 1 H, walk, K
Carlos Ramirez: 3-5, double, RBI
Rigoberto Rangel: 1-5, R, RBI, 2 K
Larry Gonzalez: 3-4, 3 run HR, K

The DSLMs had today off.

A: Clinton 4, Quad Cities 2, 10 innings

Kenn Kasparek: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 8 K
Ryan Moorer: 1.2 IP, 2 walks, K
Andres Esquibel: 1 IP, 1 H
Ruben Flores: 1 IP, walk, K
Jacob Shaffer: 2-5, R
Scott Savastano: 2-5, RBI, K
Denny Almonte: 2-5, R, RBI, K
Kris Sanchez: 2-3, double, RBI, walk
Luis Nuñez: 3-4, 2 R, K

Kasparek:

Groundballs: 7
Flyballs: 7
Line Drives: 2
Walks: 0
Strikeouts: 8

A+: High Desert 7, Stockton 5

Juan Carlos Ramirez: 5 IP, 4 H, (2 R) 0 ER, 4 walks, 2 K
Brandon Pullen: two outs, 2 H, 2 ER (HR), 2 walks, K
Natividad Dilone: 2 IP, 2 H, (1 R) 0 ER, K
Phillippe Aumont: 1.1 IP, 2 K
Jamie McOwen: 3-3, R, 2 RBI, walk
Ian Bladergroen: 3-5, double, solo HR, 2 K
Joe Dunigan: 1-4, RBI, walk
Kuo Hui Lo: 2-4, double, 2 RBI, 2 K
Jeff Dominguez: 1-4, double, R, walk

JCR:

Groundballs: 6
Flyballs: 8
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 4
Strikeouts: 2

AA: They played two in Jackson.

Game 1: West Tenn 9, Huntsville 6, 7 innings

Kyle Parker: 6.2 IP, 9 H, 5 ER (HR), 3 walks, 3 K (97 pitches, 57 strikes)
Ricky Orta: one out, 1 H, 1 ER (HR) (3-2)
Mel Stocker: 1-3, triple, R, walk
Marshall Hubbard: 2-2, 2 R, sac fly RBI, walk, SB
Johan Limonta: 4-4, 2 triples, 2 R, 4 RBI
Leury Bonilla: 1-4, 2 run HR
Yamid Haad: 2-2, double, solo HR, sac fly RBI

Terrence:

Groundballs: 8 (plus 2 bunts)
Flyballs: 4
Line Drives: 9 (1 HR)
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 3
Strikeouts: 3

Game 2: Huntsville 5, West Tenn 1, 10 innings

Luis Muñoz: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER (HR), 2 walks, 4 K (92 pitches, 60 strikes)
Anthony Varvaro: 2 IP, 2 walks (36-20)
Aaron Cotter: 2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER (2 HR), (intentional) walk, K (30-20)
Mel Stocker: 3-5, R
Marshall Hubbard: 1-3, sac fly RBI, 2 K
Brent Johnson: 1-4, double

Luis:

Groundballs: 5
Flyballs: 6
Line Drives: 3 (1 HR)
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 4

AAA: Las Vegas 4, Tacoma 0

Gaby Hernandez: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 walks, 3 K, wild pitch, hit batter (98 pitches, 60 strikes)
Justin Thomas: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 walks (35-16)
Eric Hull: one out, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 walks, 2 wild pitches (34-18)
Steven Shell: one out (1-1)
Prentice Redman: 2-4, double, K
Mike Morse: 1-3, double, 2 K
rest of Rainiers lineup: 2-24, 11 K

Gaby:

Groundballs: 5
Flyballs: 9
Line Drives: 2
Pop Ups: 5
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 3

WPA All Star ballot for June 6: Double Ballot

I missed the June 4 ballot so I will cast this ballot twice.

To recap, I am casting an All Star Game ballot online every two days until the July 2 deadline, basing my choices on the top Win Probability Added for each position in each league, because All Stars tend to make the most plays (which boost WPA) while letting their respective teams down in key situations (which would reduce WPA) the least.

American League

1B - Kevin Youkilis (BOS)
2B - Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE)
SS - Derek Jeter (NYY)
3B - Evan Longoria (TBR)
C - Victor Martinez (CLE)
OF - Jason Bay (BOS)
OF - Johnny Damon (NYY)
OF - Adam Jones (BAL)

National League

1B - Joey Votto (CIN)
2B - Chase Utley (PHI)
SS - Miguel Tejada (HOU)
3B - David Wright (NYM)
C - Carlos Ruiz (PHI)
OF - Raul Ibañez (PHI)
OF - Justin Upton (ARI)
OF - Brad Hawpe (COL)

Mariners Minor League Wrap-Up for June 6 (brief)

VENEZUELA~! VSL Mariners 17, VSL Phillies 2

Erasmo Ramirez: 6 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 4 K
Jesus Pirela: 2 IP, 2 H
Cruz Pereira: 1 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, K, wild pitch
Felipe Burin: 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2 walks
Yidid Batista: 2-6, 3 run HR, walk, 2 K
Rigoberto Rangel: 3-6, double, 2 run HR, 3 R, walk
Ivan Ramirez: 3-6, double, R, 2 RBI
Carlos Ramirez: 4-5, double, 3 R, 2 RBI
Michael Acevedo: 1-6, double, R, 2 RBI, K
Eduardo Garcia: 0-4, R, sac fly RBI, 2 K
Kenny Hart: 2-4, 2 doubles, 2 R, RBI, walk

Dominican: DSL Athletics 5, DSL Mariners 0

George Mieses: 5 IP, 5 H, (3 R) 1 ER, walk, 5 K, 2 wild pitches, balk
Gregorio Aquino: 3 IP, 1 H, (2 R) 0 ER, 3 K
Bertin Sanon: 1-3, double, K
rest of DSLMs lineup: 0-25, 10 K

A: Clinton 10, Quad Cities 9, 14 innings

Bobby LaFromboise: 5 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, walk, 2 K
Blake Nation: 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, K
Stephen Penney: 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
Cheyne Hann: 2 IP, 1 H, walk, 2 K
Greg Moviel: 2 IP, 2 H, (2 R) 1 ER
Ruben Flores: 1 IP, 2 K
Scott Savastano: 5-6, R
Denny Almonte: 3-7, R, RBI, 2 K, SB
Kris Sanchez: 2-3, double, R, RBI, walk
Travis Howell: 2-6, R, 3 RBI, walk, K
Mario Martinez: 0-5, sac fly RBI, SB
Luis Nuñez: 5-7, R, K

LaFromboise:

Groundballs: 5
Flyballs: 5
Line Drives: 9 (!)
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 1
Strikeouts: 2

A+: They completed the game suspended last night, and managed to complete today's scheduled game as well.

Conclusion of Friday's game: High Desert 8, Stockton 4

Jake Wild: 5.1 IP, 4 H, (1 R) 0 ER, 3 walks, 3 K
Travis Mortimore: 2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 walks, 4 K, hit batter
Natividad Dilone: one out, K
Steven Richard: 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K, wild pitch, hit batter
Tyson Gillies: 3-4, 2 R, walk, K, SBs #11, 12 and 13
Edilio Colina: 1-5, double, RBI, K
Jamie McOwen: 1-5, R, RBI
Joe Dunigan: 1-4, RBI, walk, K
Carlos Peguero: 2-4, R
Gavin Dickey: 1-4, R, RBI
Jeff Dominguez: 1-4, GRAND SLAM, K

Wild:

Groundballs: 9
Flyballs: 5
Line Drives: 0
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 3
Strikeouts: 3

Game 2: High Desert 7, Stockton 4

Steven Hensley: 7.2 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 2 walks, 5 K, hit batter
Marwin Vega: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 walks, 2 K, wild pitch
Edward Paredes: one out, walk
Joe Dunigan: 1-3, 2 R, RBI, 2 walks, K
Alex Liddi: 0-2, sac fly RBI, 2 K
Carlos Peguero: 1-4, double, R, 2 RBI
Travis Scott: 1-4, 2 run HR, 2 K

Groundballs: 3 (plus 1 bunt)
Flyballs: 15
Line Drives: 1
Pop Ups: 2
Walks: 2 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 5

AA: Huntsville 7, West Tenn 5

Steve Bray: 5 IP, 7 H, 2 ER (HR), 2 walks, K (90 pitches, 60 strikes)
Mumba Rivera: 1 IP, 1 H, (1 R) 0 ER, walk, hit batter (27-12)
Josh Fields: 1 IP (17-12)
Joey Newby: two outs, 1 H, 4 ER, 4 walks, wild pitch (39-16)
Matt Renfree: 1.1 IP, 1 H (16-12)
Oswaldo Navarro: 2-3, 2 R, walk
Marshall Hubbard: 1-3, 2 run HR, 2 R
Brent Johnson: 1-3, RBI
Johan Limonta: 1-4, RBI, SB
Leury Bonilla: 1-3, RBI, walk

Bray:

Groundballs: 4
Flyballs: 7
Line Drives: 7 (1 HR)
Pop Ups: 1
Walks: 2
Strikeouts: 1

AAA: Tacoma 9, Las Vegas 2

Andrew Baldwin: 7 IP, 5 H, (2 R) 1 ER (HR), 2 walks, K, hit batter (70 pitches, 44 strikes)
Roy Corcoran: 1 IP, 1 H (16-12)
Jesus Delgado: 1 IP, 1 H (7-5)
Prentice Redman: 1-5, double, RBI, K
Michael Saunders: 1-4, 2 RBI, walk
Mike Morse: 3-5, 2 R
Bryan LaHair: 2-4, 2 run HR, sac fly RBI, 2 K
Adam Moore: 2-5, double, 2 R, K
Chris Woodward: 2-4, double, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB

PHAT ANDY 22:

Groundballs: 8
Flyballs: 4
Line Drives: 5 (1 HR)
Pop Ups: 4
Walks: 2 (plus 1 hit batter)
Strikeouts: 1

WPA All Star ballot for June 2

To recap, I am casting an All Star Game ballot online every two days until the July 2 deadline, basing my choices on the top Win Probability Added for each position in each league, because All Stars tend to make the most plays (which boost WPA) while letting their respective teams down in key situations (which would reduce WPA) the least.

American League

1B - Kevin Youkilis (BOS)
2B - Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE)
SS - Derek Jeter (NYY)
3B - Evan Longoria (TBR)
C - Victor Martinez (CLE)
OF - Jason Bay (BOS)
OF - Johnny Damon (NYY)
OF - Adam Jones (BAL)

National League

1B - Joey Votto (CIN)
2B - Orlando Hudson (LAD)
SS - Miguel Tejada (HOU)
3B - David Wright (NYM)
C - Carlos Ruiz (PHI)
OF - Raul Ibañez (PHI)
OF - Justin Upton (ARI)
OF - Brad Hawpe (COL)

Storytime With Erik Bedard's Trade Bait

[A classroom in Baltimore]
SHUT UP YOU LITTLE SH*THEADS
You can't say that it's a bad word
I JUST DID CRACKER
Uh, maybe you shouldn't talk to the kids like that, Adam
DID I SAY YOU COULD TALK, GENERAL STFU?
I have no idea what I'm doing here
YOUR JOB IS TO BE QUIET WHILE I READ THIS STORY
You are totally the wrong guy to be doing this
AND YOU'RE THE WRONG GUY TO CLOSE BALLGAMES SO WHAT
That's actually me

Wait
Maybe you need to take a walk
AND MAYBE YOU'RE A STUPID AA TOMATO CAN
Go take a walk before I make you, trade bait

Look who's talking
Look who's about to get pimp slapped

TAKE THIS OUTSIDE
[walks to door]

OPEN THAT DO-
NO HOT SHOT YOU OPEN THAT DOOR YOURSELF


[opens door]
[leaves]
I'M GONNA WATCH YOU AND MAKE SURE YOU BEHAVE YOURSELF
[follows]
[follows]
What happened to that nice man that used to tell us stories?
Who?
He was kind of weird and would say messed up things
But the things he said were smart
And he was nice
He didn't say mean things and threaten people.
Why is Adam so mean?
Why can't he be nice like you, George?
And who are those losers that hang out with him?
All they ever do is stand around and he tells them what to do.
That's a lot of questions, guys. Slow down.
We want Erik back!
That was his name! I want Erik back too!
Well, sorry kids, but Erik's not coming back.
In fact, the reason I'm here is because he was traded.
I was one of the guys he was traded for.


Traded? What's that mean.
Erik was traded to Seattle, and the Orioles got all of us in return.
The Orioles?
Yeah, the Orioles.
Who are they?

You're kidding
No really, I don't know
We're a baseball team


YOU PLAY BASEBALL FOR REAL?!
WOWWWWWWWW
You can't be serious
THAT'S SO COOL
WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US?
Why do you think I'm wearing this uniform?
We just thought you liked to dress like an idiot

THAT'S SO AWESOME
You didn't know that Baltimore has a baseball team?
You don't watch TV?
They don't show baseball on TV
Actually, the sports guy on TV says that Orioles baseball is a joke
So we didn't think they were real.


******

[A classroom in Seattle]
My daddy said that you came from Baltimore.
Yes.
Why did you leave?
Divine intervention.
I mean, I was traded.