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.
Oh, sure the calendar says that there are 31 games left for the Mariners to play. And with a statistical edge over the Yankees, the M's have a fighting chance to earn a play-off berth. But it's time to be realistic here. After dropping their third straight game at home against the Angels 8-2 yesterday, the M's have reached the low point of their season, and any thoughts of besting the Yankees for that final playoff spot needed to be tempered immediately.
That's a pretty strong statement for a team that still has the third-best record in major league baseball. But look at the patsies that the M's have played over the past month that they've fattened their record on- they've been 11-5 against teams below .500 in August (White Sox, Orioles, Rangers) and 5-8 against above-.500 teams (Angels, Twins, Red Sox). Yes, of course, the M's need to beat up on the inferior teams to put themselves into playoff contention. However, the teams that the M's truly need to beat are the ones they're actually battling for the play-offs. And by folding in three straight in the series that tested whether they've been a eason-long fluke or not, the M's proved that they are not ready for prime-time.
Some folks are probably screaming for the head of manager John McLaren, who in his first 53 games as a major-league manager has guided the team to a 28-25 record and the playoff precipice that they are dangling over. I'm not sure if it's the manager's or the front-office's fault as much as it's the team's ability to over-play their abilities and be the benefit of some early season luck that has put the team in the current disappointing situation. It's not McLaren's fault that Felix threw such a clunker of a ball-game yesterday, allowing 13 hits and six runs in seven innings. It's not McLaren's fault that Ichiro went 3-for-13 in the three game series. Nor is it his fault that the M's were only able to tally five extra-base hits to the Angels' 17.
In the end, the M's just flat-out got smoked by a far superior team. But all season I've been saying that the M's are a good, but not great, team who would fall short of the playoffs. Nothing that's happened over the past few days has proven that sentiment is wrong. At the extent of alienating fans who are hungry for a playoff appearance (despite the fact that the M's would be three-and-out), the time has come to re-examine the rosters and various playing roles.
Adam Jones has all but disappeared from the Mariners' plans and line-up recently. Granted, he did have an 0-for-4 night during the Texas series, but still managed to score a run. Jones has received such spotty playing time, he hasn't managed a basehit in two weeks. With the M's being caught in the standings by the veteran Yankees all but guaranteed, McLaren needs to play for the future, and let this young man start every game for the next month. Ibanez can split starts at DH and first, with Vidro splitting time at Dh and econd-base with Lopez. Rosters are going to be expanded, and I know it's tempting to look at the M's record and trot out the same players day-after-day, but that's exactly what has led the team to this five-game losing streak. The sooner the team is not looked at as a play-off contender, the sooner they'll have a vision and plan for the future, and will be able to address their immediate needs.
The M's make a quick stop-over in Clelevand to make up one of the snowed-out games against the smoking hot Indians. Cleveland is the exact mirror image of the Mariners' situation. A month ago, they were jostling for position in the wild-card standings. Now they find themsleves at a lofty perch above the AL Central, with a 4.5 edge over the Tigers, my pick to win the AL pennant.
This will be the M's first look at left-hander Aaron Laffey, who's doing a respectable job filling in the fifth-starter position in the Indians' rotation. Facing a pitcehr for the first time never ends up in good results for the M's, but they have been beating up left-handers all year, so they have that going for them. Laffey has allowed six runs in his last two starts, over 11.2 innings against the weak offenses in Chciago and Kansas City. Will the M's offense be able to step up to the challenge today, or will the mix of disappointment and exhaustion work against them?
Of course, Horacio Ramirez on the mound may work against the M's chances as well. Horacio had perhaps his best outing of the year last weekend against the Rangers, allowing four hits and three unearned runs in 5.2 innings in a 5-3 Texas victory. This is Horacio's first appearance against the Indians, and a team facing a M's pitcher for the first time never sems to work out in the M's favor. Kenny Lofton's picked up a couple of singles against HoRam, but that's it.
In the end, the big bats of the Cleveland line-up are going to be too much for HoRam, despite a valiant effort on the part of the M's line-up. the misery continues, with the losing streak reaching six games with a 10-7 Indians victory....
That's a pretty strong statement for a team that still has the third-best record in major league baseball. But look at the patsies that the M's have played over the past month that they've fattened their record on- they've been 11-5 against teams below .500 in August (White Sox, Orioles, Rangers) and 5-8 against above-.500 teams (Angels, Twins, Red Sox). Yes, of course, the M's need to beat up on the inferior teams to put themselves into playoff contention. However, the teams that the M's truly need to beat are the ones they're actually battling for the play-offs. And by folding in three straight in the series that tested whether they've been a eason-long fluke or not, the M's proved that they are not ready for prime-time.
Some folks are probably screaming for the head of manager John McLaren, who in his first 53 games as a major-league manager has guided the team to a 28-25 record and the playoff precipice that they are dangling over. I'm not sure if it's the manager's or the front-office's fault as much as it's the team's ability to over-play their abilities and be the benefit of some early season luck that has put the team in the current disappointing situation. It's not McLaren's fault that Felix threw such a clunker of a ball-game yesterday, allowing 13 hits and six runs in seven innings. It's not McLaren's fault that Ichiro went 3-for-13 in the three game series. Nor is it his fault that the M's were only able to tally five extra-base hits to the Angels' 17.
In the end, the M's just flat-out got smoked by a far superior team. But all season I've been saying that the M's are a good, but not great, team who would fall short of the playoffs. Nothing that's happened over the past few days has proven that sentiment is wrong. At the extent of alienating fans who are hungry for a playoff appearance (despite the fact that the M's would be three-and-out), the time has come to re-examine the rosters and various playing roles.
Adam Jones has all but disappeared from the Mariners' plans and line-up recently. Granted, he did have an 0-for-4 night during the Texas series, but still managed to score a run. Jones has received such spotty playing time, he hasn't managed a basehit in two weeks. With the M's being caught in the standings by the veteran Yankees all but guaranteed, McLaren needs to play for the future, and let this young man start every game for the next month. Ibanez can split starts at DH and first, with Vidro splitting time at Dh and econd-base with Lopez. Rosters are going to be expanded, and I know it's tempting to look at the M's record and trot out the same players day-after-day, but that's exactly what has led the team to this five-game losing streak. The sooner the team is not looked at as a play-off contender, the sooner they'll have a vision and plan for the future, and will be able to address their immediate needs.
The M's make a quick stop-over in Clelevand to make up one of the snowed-out games against the smoking hot Indians. Cleveland is the exact mirror image of the Mariners' situation. A month ago, they were jostling for position in the wild-card standings. Now they find themsleves at a lofty perch above the AL Central, with a 4.5 edge over the Tigers, my pick to win the AL pennant.
This will be the M's first look at left-hander Aaron Laffey, who's doing a respectable job filling in the fifth-starter position in the Indians' rotation. Facing a pitcehr for the first time never ends up in good results for the M's, but they have been beating up left-handers all year, so they have that going for them. Laffey has allowed six runs in his last two starts, over 11.2 innings against the weak offenses in Chciago and Kansas City. Will the M's offense be able to step up to the challenge today, or will the mix of disappointment and exhaustion work against them?
Of course, Horacio Ramirez on the mound may work against the M's chances as well. Horacio had perhaps his best outing of the year last weekend against the Rangers, allowing four hits and three unearned runs in 5.2 innings in a 5-3 Texas victory. This is Horacio's first appearance against the Indians, and a team facing a M's pitcher for the first time never sems to work out in the M's favor. Kenny Lofton's picked up a couple of singles against HoRam, but that's it.
In the end, the big bats of the Cleveland line-up are going to be too much for HoRam, despite a valiant effort on the part of the M's line-up. the misery continues, with the losing streak reaching six games with a 10-7 Indians victory....
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