Two years into a five-year, $64 million contract, Adrian Beltre has produced a .262 average, 44 home runs, and 176 RBIs. However, after the All Star break in 2006, Beltre slugged .552 with a whopping 18 home runs. Does this strong second half bode well for a turn-around in 2007, or will Mariners fans have to deal with 'A-Drain' once again? This blog intends to follow the 2007 season for Adrian Beltre, and the Seattle Mariners, and promises to hold no punches.
The Oregonian takes on the Mariners' Dynamite Duo
Published 6/12/2006 by true_slicky | E-mail this post
In the sake of keeping this blog all things Beltre, I submit the following article written by The Oregonian's John Hunt, in which he breaks it down just how Beltre and Sexson's lousy season has hurt he Mariners' chances to be competitive so far:
Mariners sink, swim with duo
Seattle's success depends heavily on the hitting production of Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre
Sunday, June 11, 2006
JOHN HUNT
SEATTLE -- In the Seattle Mariners' season opener some two months ago, high-priced corner men Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre each went 0 for 4.
The Mariners lost.
The next day, they combined for four hits.
The Mariners won.
The trend had begun, and it hasn't stopped.
As Sexson and Beltre go, so go the Mariners in 2006, which helps explain why the team is third in the four-team American League West and also why it's tantalizingly close to first.
When Sexson and Beltre have combined for more than one hit in a game -- a feat certainly not as large as their collective $26 million salaries this season -- the Mariners are 18-11.
When they get a total of one hit or worse, the Mariners are 11-23, and five of those losses were by one run.
"If Richie and I did what we're supposed to, we'd be in first place," Beltre said.
Considering Seattle is 41/2 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers, Beltre is right -- especially since three of those unproductive games came against the Rangers.
But it's Sexson whose performance really has mirrored the team.
Sexson, who has averaged 40 home runs in his past four healthy seasons, has just nine so far in 2006, on pace for 24. In those eight games in which Sexson has homered (he had a two-homer game against Kansas City), the Mariners are 8-0.
In games in which Sexson drives in at least one run -- again, pretty much in the job description of a high-priced first baseman -- the Mariners are 17-2. He has had five three-strikeout games, all losses.
While Sexson's struggles are at least partly to blame on a sore foot, Beltre's are glaringly a result of pressure -- the more he wants a hit, the less likely he is to get it.
With two outs and runners in scoring position, Beltre is 3 for 29 (.103) with seven strikeouts. With the bases loaded, he's 1 for 9 (.111).
So on May 30, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove decided to release the pressure by writing Beltre's name in the No. 2 spot on the lineup card, a spot where he is counted on less heavily and often gets to hit with Ichiro Suzuki on first base occupying the pitcher's thoughts.
In the nine games since the move, Beltre is 12 for 44 (.273) with two home runs and six RBIs (compared with two home runs and 14 RBIs in the 53 games before the switch). He's also hit in nine of those 10 games and scored in eight, too.
Asked why the change has seemed to work for Beltre, Hargrove came up with as good an explanation as any: Sometimes, change is good.
"Why do you feel better after a cold shower?" he said.
The manager also dropped Sexson to fifth in the order, where he's added about 250 points to his slugging percentage.
"It may last 10, 20 days," Hargrove said after making the switch. "But it's something that could last all year."
Both players are getting an increasing amount of boos at Safeco Field. It's a sign of the times -- even the beloved Eddie Guardado gets booed -- and that fans realize the Mariners are close to being a good team, certainly good enough to compete in the 2006 AL West, and a little production from Sexson and Beltre would go a long way.
The catcher position, a seven-man offensive void last season, has been filled by Kenji Johjima. And Seattle's middle infield offense, long a strength with Alex Rodriguez, then Bret Boone, is looking up with second baseman Jose Lopez (the team's RBI leader) and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt (at .293, the team's leading hitter not named Suzuki).
And then there's the money. Together, Sexson and Beltre make up 30 percent of the Mariners' payroll.
Six other teams devote as big a piece of the payroll pie to two hitters (including the Colorado Rockies, who give 40 percent of their payroll to first baseman Todd Helton).
Arizona gives 35 percent of its payroll to Luis Gonzalez ($10.7 million) and Shawn Green ($10.2 million). Jason Kendall ($11.6 million) and Eric Chavez ($9.5 million) account for 34 percent of Oakland's payroll. In Detroit, Magglio Ordonez ($16.2 million) and Ivan Rodriguez ($10.6 million) make 33 percent of the Tigers' total salary.
Atlanta gives Chipper Jones ($13.7 million) and Andruw Jones ($13.5 million) 30 percent of its player dollars. And Albert Pujols ($14 million) and Scott Rolen ($12.5 million) account for 30 percent of the payroll in St. Louis.
Seattle is the only club in the group that isn't batting one of the top-dollar hitters in the third or fourth spot in the lineup. In Beltre, the Mariners have a No. 2 hitter who might be the best defensive third baseman in the league, but who is falling far short of the 48-homer season of 2004 that earned him the big contract in Seattle.
In fact, if Beltre stays on his current pace of this season, he will have amassed 61 home runs as a Mariner when his contract expires in 2009.
But for now, the Mariners are taking comfort in Beltre's relative comfort in the No. 2 hole.
"He seems to like it," Hargrove said. "That's the important thing."
Mariners sink, swim with duo
Seattle's success depends heavily on the hitting production of Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre
Sunday, June 11, 2006
JOHN HUNT
SEATTLE -- In the Seattle Mariners' season opener some two months ago, high-priced corner men Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre each went 0 for 4.
The Mariners lost.
The next day, they combined for four hits.
The Mariners won.
The trend had begun, and it hasn't stopped.
As Sexson and Beltre go, so go the Mariners in 2006, which helps explain why the team is third in the four-team American League West and also why it's tantalizingly close to first.
When Sexson and Beltre have combined for more than one hit in a game -- a feat certainly not as large as their collective $26 million salaries this season -- the Mariners are 18-11.
When they get a total of one hit or worse, the Mariners are 11-23, and five of those losses were by one run.
"If Richie and I did what we're supposed to, we'd be in first place," Beltre said.
Considering Seattle is 41/2 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers, Beltre is right -- especially since three of those unproductive games came against the Rangers.
But it's Sexson whose performance really has mirrored the team.
Sexson, who has averaged 40 home runs in his past four healthy seasons, has just nine so far in 2006, on pace for 24. In those eight games in which Sexson has homered (he had a two-homer game against Kansas City), the Mariners are 8-0.
In games in which Sexson drives in at least one run -- again, pretty much in the job description of a high-priced first baseman -- the Mariners are 17-2. He has had five three-strikeout games, all losses.
While Sexson's struggles are at least partly to blame on a sore foot, Beltre's are glaringly a result of pressure -- the more he wants a hit, the less likely he is to get it.
With two outs and runners in scoring position, Beltre is 3 for 29 (.103) with seven strikeouts. With the bases loaded, he's 1 for 9 (.111).
So on May 30, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove decided to release the pressure by writing Beltre's name in the No. 2 spot on the lineup card, a spot where he is counted on less heavily and often gets to hit with Ichiro Suzuki on first base occupying the pitcher's thoughts.
In the nine games since the move, Beltre is 12 for 44 (.273) with two home runs and six RBIs (compared with two home runs and 14 RBIs in the 53 games before the switch). He's also hit in nine of those 10 games and scored in eight, too.
Asked why the change has seemed to work for Beltre, Hargrove came up with as good an explanation as any: Sometimes, change is good.
"Why do you feel better after a cold shower?" he said.
The manager also dropped Sexson to fifth in the order, where he's added about 250 points to his slugging percentage.
"It may last 10, 20 days," Hargrove said after making the switch. "But it's something that could last all year."
Both players are getting an increasing amount of boos at Safeco Field. It's a sign of the times -- even the beloved Eddie Guardado gets booed -- and that fans realize the Mariners are close to being a good team, certainly good enough to compete in the 2006 AL West, and a little production from Sexson and Beltre would go a long way.
The catcher position, a seven-man offensive void last season, has been filled by Kenji Johjima. And Seattle's middle infield offense, long a strength with Alex Rodriguez, then Bret Boone, is looking up with second baseman Jose Lopez (the team's RBI leader) and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt (at .293, the team's leading hitter not named Suzuki).
And then there's the money. Together, Sexson and Beltre make up 30 percent of the Mariners' payroll.
Six other teams devote as big a piece of the payroll pie to two hitters (including the Colorado Rockies, who give 40 percent of their payroll to first baseman Todd Helton).
Arizona gives 35 percent of its payroll to Luis Gonzalez ($10.7 million) and Shawn Green ($10.2 million). Jason Kendall ($11.6 million) and Eric Chavez ($9.5 million) account for 34 percent of Oakland's payroll. In Detroit, Magglio Ordonez ($16.2 million) and Ivan Rodriguez ($10.6 million) make 33 percent of the Tigers' total salary.
Atlanta gives Chipper Jones ($13.7 million) and Andruw Jones ($13.5 million) 30 percent of its player dollars. And Albert Pujols ($14 million) and Scott Rolen ($12.5 million) account for 30 percent of the payroll in St. Louis.
Seattle is the only club in the group that isn't batting one of the top-dollar hitters in the third or fourth spot in the lineup. In Beltre, the Mariners have a No. 2 hitter who might be the best defensive third baseman in the league, but who is falling far short of the 48-homer season of 2004 that earned him the big contract in Seattle.
In fact, if Beltre stays on his current pace of this season, he will have amassed 61 home runs as a Mariner when his contract expires in 2009.
But for now, the Mariners are taking comfort in Beltre's relative comfort in the No. 2 hole.
"He seems to like it," Hargrove said. "That's the important thing."
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