OK, we can give up hope now
Remember back when the Mariners were taking baseball by storm, the early surprise in the Majors with a 13-2 record that was this close to being 15-0? Yeah, fun times. It might seem now like those days were back in 2018, but really it was just a little over a month ago. Mariner fans were riding high, thinking this whole "step back," "sort-of-rebuild year" thing was just unwarranted pessimism.
See full post: "OK, we can give up hope now"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Columns;
Tagged
Contention,
Series,
Minnesota Twins |
Posted
on May 19, 2019 at 11:51pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Roster juggling redux
The Mariners made yet more roster moves today, recalling pitchers Matt Festa and Ryan Garton from Triple-A Tacoma. Both will be available in the bullpen immediately. To clear space for them, southpaw reliever Zac Rosscup has been designated for assignment and alleged starting pitcher Erik Swanson was optioned to Tacoma.
See full post: "Roster juggling redux"...
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Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Transactions,
Bullpen |
Posted
on May 17, 2019 at 7:04pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Roster juggling
The Mariners' active roster has seen a lot of additions and subtractions since Opening Day in Tokyo, with players seemingly coming and going several times a week, and we're due for some more before today's game versus the Twins.
See full post: "Roster juggling"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Felix Hernandez,
Transactions,
JP Crawford,
Mallex Smith |
Posted
on May 16, 2019 at 3:30am | Permalink |
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Mini-sweep of A's slows plunge into sadness
The Mariners returned home from a dismal road trip that saw them drop eight of ten games to the Indians, Yankees, and Red Sox and slip under the .500 mark for the first time this year. They were outscored 57-41, lost some badly and lost some barely, shot themselves in the foot a few times and were bludgeoned others. It was enough to make one wonder if these M's could ever win another series.
See full post: "Mini-sweep of A's slows plunge into sadness"...
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Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Series,
Oakland A's |
Posted
on May 15, 2019 at 5:44pm | Permalink |
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Weekend musings
A few thoughts on the first two games of the Boston series . . .
See full post: "Weekend musings"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
Felix Hernandez,
Series,
JP Crawford |
Posted
on May 11, 2019 at 9:58pm | Permalink |
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The JP Crawford era begins
Infielders Dee Gordon and Dylan Moore both had to come out of yesterday's game against the New York Yankees due to injury, leaving the under-benched Mariners in the position of having to play someone at second base who had never played the middle infield. Moore has been placed on the 10-day injured list, Gordon has not (for the moment), but the upside of this misfortune is that Seattle's shortstop of the future can now become Seattle's shortstop of the present.
See full post: "The JP Crawford era begins"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
Transactions,
JP Crawford |
Posted
on May 10, 2019 at 3:44pm | Permalink |
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Schizophrenic Mariners leave New York in shame
The final tallies were 7-3, 5-4, 10-1, and 3-1. But the scores don't really tell the story.
See full post: "Schizophrenic Mariners leave New York in shame"...
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Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Scott Servais,
New York Yankees,
Series |
Posted
on May 10, 2019 at 2:29am | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Dipoto makes fifth trade of the season
Seattle General Manager Jerry Dipoto made yet another trade this weekend, acquiring right-handed reliever Austin Adams from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Class-A prospect Nick Wells and cash considerations.
See full post: "Dipoto makes fifth trade of the season"...
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Mariners,
News;
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Trades,
Transactions |
Posted
on May 5, 2019 at 9:59pm | Permalink |
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Don't despair (yet)
Last month I said don't get happy. The hot start for the 2019 Mariners was likely a mirage, but there was still real hope that it might not be. The offense was really cooking in the first couple of weeks and the only concerns were that the bullpen would blow up and that the defense would give way too many runs. Was it sustainable? Probably not, but still...
See full post: "Don't despair (yet)"...
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Mariners,
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
Contention,
AL West |
Posted
on May 5, 2019 at 9:20pm | Permalink |
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Coach Ichiro
Ichiro is back again.
See full post: "Coach Ichiro"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Ichiro Suzuki,
Coaches |
Posted
on April 30, 2019 at 7:22pm | Permalink |
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Blowout Bumbling
Well. That was embarrassing.
See full post: "Blowout Bumbling"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Series,
Texas Rangers |
Posted
on April 29, 2019 at 7:06pm | Permalink |
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Dipoto makes fourth trade of the season
The Mariners traded minor-league infielder Ryne Ogren to the Orioles for right-handed reliever Mike Wright today.Wright has had a spotty professional career, pitching reasonably well at the Triple-A level and poorly at the Major League level. In ten appearances this year with Baltimore, he's posted an ugly 9.45 ERA and brutal 2.025 WHIP, and last year's 5.55 ERA/1.625 WHIP in 481⁄3 innings weren't much better. At Triple-A Norfolk from 2015-2017, however, he was 17-11 with a 2.99 ERA and 1.152 WHIP (2401⁄3 IP).Perhaps GM Jerry Dipoto thinks Wright was mishandled in Baltimore and better coaching can bring his big-league performance...
See full post: "Dipoto makes fourth trade of the season"...
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Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Trades,
Transactions |
Posted
on April 24, 2019 at 6:57pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Wasted efforts
Stop me if you've heard this before: The Mariners lost to the Padres.
See full post: "Wasted efforts"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Felix Hernandez,
Losses |
Posted
on April 24, 2019 at 6:30pm | Permalink |
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Series win in SoCal
Having dropped six straight at home, the Mariners course-corrected on their just-concluded four-game series in Orange County, taking three of four from the LA Angels with a barrage of home-run power. This puts the M's back atop the American League West standings, believe it or not, as the Astros had some trouble with their vastly inferior Texan neighbors this weekend.
See full post: "Series win in SoCal"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
AL West |
Posted
on April 21, 2019 at 8:04pm | Permalink |
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Homestand of Horrors
When the just completed homestand began, the Mariners were the talk of baseball. A surprise juggernaut that won 11 of their first 13 games and were very nearly undefeated, a powerful lineup hitting home runs and scoring at a record pace. It was a beautiful thing to behold.
See full post: "Homestand of Horrors"...
Posted in
Mariners;
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Contention,
Bullpen |
Posted
on April 17, 2019 at 7:57pm | Permalink |
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Bullpen follies
In last night's game against the Cleveland Native American Stereotypes, the Mariner bullpen pulled off quite an achievement. Well, "achievement" . . . there are probably better words. But the relief corps, known from the get-go as a problem area for the Mariners this season, turned in an eighth inning for the history books.
See full post: "Bullpen follies"...
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News;
Tagged
Bullpen |
Posted
on April 16, 2019 at 5:36pm | Permalink |
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Astros sweep M's with elite pitching
The Mariners' hot start ran into a cold shower this weekend. The Houston Astros rolled into town and outslugged and outpitched the M's to a three-game sweep and dropped the Mariners' record to 13-5.
See full post: "Astros sweep M's with elite pitching"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
AL West,
Houston Astros |
Posted
on April 14, 2019 at 6:40pm | Permalink |
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Dipoto makes third trade of the season
The Mariners today traded backup catcher David Freitas to Milwaukee for 23-year-old pitcher Sal Biasi, who has been playing in the Class-A Midwest league.
See full post: "Dipoto makes third trade of the season"...
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Trades,
Transactions |
Posted
on April 14, 2019 at 5:17pm | Permalink |
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Bullpen shuffle
The Mariners made two roster moves today, activating reliever Shawn Armstrong from the injured list and promoting fellow right-hander Ruben "R.J." Alaniz from Triple-A Tacoma. Pitchers Erik Swanson and Matt Festa were sent to Tacoma to make room.Armstrong was expected to be a significant contributor to the Seattle bullpen from the get-go, but landed on the IL just before the club opened the season in Tokyo with an oblique strain. The career reliever spent the bulk of last season with Tacoma, where he went 2-5 with a brilliant 1.77 ERA, and impressed with the big club after a promotion to...
See full post: "Bullpen shuffle"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Transactions,
Bullpen |
Posted
on April 12, 2019 at 4:17pm | Permalink |
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Royals Flushed
With today's wild extra-inning victory over the Kansas City Royals in the books, the Mariners come home riding a six-game winning streak and an incredible overall record of 13-2. They have set a Major League record for most games with a home run to start a season; they lead the American League in runs scored, hits, batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, total bases, stolen bases, walks (and hit batters), and runs batted in; and under the radar, their pitching staff leads the league in saves and is second to Houston in quality starts.
See full post: "Royals Flushed"...
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Mariners,
News;
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Contention,
AL West |
Posted
on April 11, 2019 at 9:12pm | Permalink |
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Keeping GrandSalami.net alive
Greetings, loyal readers. In this, the second year of the new iteration of The Grand Salami, e.g. the online-only era, I continue to do my best to keep you, the Mariner fanbase, informed and entertained. Alas, I am mostly doing it on my own, as getting volunteers to write for the site is, understandably, a hard sell. The site is still operating well into the red and there's no budget for writers. I want to change all that, but getting out of the red is a challenge, and I would like your help and indulgence.
See full post: "Keeping GrandSalami.net alive"...
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Site issues;
Posted
on April 9, 2019 at 9:30pm | Permalink |
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More IL traffic
After pitching two innings in yesterday's drubbing of the Royals, reliever Chasen Bradford went on the injured list today with shoulder inflammation. Bradford had been one of the Mariners' more effective relievers in the early season. The injury is considered to be mild and he isn't expected to be out more than the minimum 10 days.Taking Bradford's place on the roster is right-hander Erik Swanson, one of the prospects acquired from the Yankees in the James Paxton trade. Swanson appeared in one game for Triple-A Tacoma so far, a five-inning start that saw him allow six hits and no runs.
See full post: "More IL traffic"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Transactions,
Bullpen |
Posted
on April 9, 2019 at 5:18pm | Permalink |
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Don't Get Happy (Yet)
Don't look now, but Your Seattle Mariners are the best team in the American League.
See full post: "Don't Get Happy (Yet)"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
Bullpen,
AL West |
Posted
on April 6, 2019 at 8:41pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Swarzak to the rescue(?)
The Mariners have activated right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak from the injured list today, He will be available in the bullpen for tonight's tilt against the Angels.
See full post: "Swarzak to the rescue(?)"...
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Mariners,
News;
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Transactions,
Bullpen |
Posted
on April 2, 2019 at 6:36pm | Permalink |
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Dipoto makes second trade of the season
We're just six games into the season, and General Manager Jerry Dipoto has already made two trades. The first, last Friday, brought in backup catcher Tom Murhpy. Today's deal with the Texas Rangers nets the Mariners relief pitcher Connor Sadzeck (not to be confused with Anthony Swarzak).Sadzeck has had a brief taste of the big-leagues—91⁄3 innings with the Rangers last season—but has little experience above Double-A. Last season he threw 38 innings for Round Rock in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, where he was uninspiring (5-3, 4.03 ERA, 1.368 WHIP) but not terrible.
See full post: "Dipoto makes second trade of the season"...
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Trades,
Transactions,
Bullpen |
Posted
on April 1, 2019 at 5:56pm | Permalink |
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M's best Boston despite themselves
Well, this was a home-opening series for the books, wasn't it? The World Champion Red Sox come to town with their vaunted starting pitching and stacked lineup to face the don't-call-it-rebuilding-it's-just-we're-kind-of-in-between-good-years Mariners and most thought it would be an easy start for Boston; they could bank a few wins here before heading down to Oakland and feel pretty good about themselves.
See full post: "M's best Boston despite themselves"...
Posted in
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News;
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Game notes |
Posted
on March 31, 2019 at 10:48pm | Permalink |
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Strickland out for weeks
After blowing a save in the second game of the Boston series, reliever Hunter Strickland was diagnosed with a grade-2 latissimus strain and will be out of action for at least eight weeks. Strickland felt discomfort while warming up in the bullpen prior to entering the game, but didn't consider it to be debilitating until he'd thrown pitches in the game. He was tagged with the loss after serving up a three-run home run to Mitch Moreland in the ninth inning.
See full post: "Strickland out for weeks"...
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News;
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Transactions,
Injuries,
Bullpen |
Posted
on March 31, 2019 at 9:56pm | Permalink |
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Dipoto makes first trade of the season
It's not even April yet and the always-restless general manager of the Mariners, Jerry Dipoto, has made another trade. This one is small and eminently reasonable: Dipoto has dealt 20-year-old prospect Jesús Ozoria to San Francisco for catcher Tom Murphy.The Mariners began the season with defensively-challenged Omar Narváez as the primary catcher and warm body David Freitas as the backup, so a low-risk pickup for a second-string receiver is a sensible move. Whether Murphy is actually an upgrade over Freitas is yet to be determined, but this one goes into the "why not? Can't hurt" bucket.Murphy was waived by Colorado...
See full post: "Dipoto makes first trade of the season"...
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Mariners,
News;
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Trades,
Transactions |
Posted
on March 29, 2019 at 5:17pm | Permalink |
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Game 3: Yard Sale
Oh, man, you may have thought. The M's have to face Chris Sale in the home opener? Well, yes, they did, and they tattooed him. Sale may have struck out the side in the first, but he'd be gone after three innings, three homers, and seven earned to give him an early-season ERA of 21.00. What else was interesting today?
See full post: "Game 3: Yard Sale"...
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Mariners;
Tagged
Game notes |
Posted
on March 29, 2019 at 1:20am | Permalink |
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Precarious Predictions
It's opening day (again!) Time for the traditional exercise of trying to predict the future and declare, in advance, the winners in this upcoming season. Bill and Tim give it a go, even though we pretend no expertise beyond the average fan's. How good are our skills? How much do we know? How much do our biases show (hint: a lot)? Well, all we really know for sure is, some of these predictions will be wrong.
See full post: "Precarious Predictions"...
Posted in
MLB;
Tagged
MLB,
Predicting the Future |
Posted
on March 28, 2019 at 1:39am | Permalink |
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Second Opening Day
The Mariners have already played their first games of the season, having defeated the Oakland A's in two contests in Tokyo, but tomorrow they resume action when the other 28 Major League teams open their seasons. The home opener begins a four-game series with the Boston Red Sox, the only visit of the year for the defending World Series champs.
See full post: "Second Opening Day"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Opening Day |
Posted
on March 27, 2019 at 3:50am | Permalink |
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Changing the rules
Major League Baseball is once more tinkering with its rules. Is that a good thing? Bad? Just weird? Grandsalami.net's Erik Lundegaard and Tim Harrison try to sort it all out.
See full post: "Changing the rules"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Columns;
Tagged
MLB,
Rules,
Rob Manfred |
Posted
on March 23, 2019 at 9:00pm | Permalink |
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Game 2: Curtain Call
We didn't know when the game began that Ichiro was calling it quits. That news came a few innings in. Kyodo News had the story and those of us keyed in to Twitter started getting the alerts. The ESPN broadcast caught up to us a bit later, and for half the game or so half the drama was how was Ichiro going to leave the game.
See full post: "Game 2: Curtain Call"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Ichiro Suzuki,
Opening Day |
Posted
on March 21, 2019 at 11:44pm | Permalink |
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One Down, 161 to Go
Konbanwa, baseball fans. Are you ready to pull another all-nighter for Game 2 from Tokyo tonight/tomorrow morning (game time 2:35am PDT)?
See full post: "One Down, 161 to Go"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
Opening Day |
Posted
on March 20, 2019 at 9:20pm | Permalink |
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Next Year is Here
Winter is over. Well, not technically, but hey, it was nearly 80 degrees today in Seattle (in your face, Miami!) and tonight the Mariners take the field for the first official game in the 2019 championship season. Or tomorrow night, or tomorrow morning, based on your time zone. It's complicated. Temporal mechanics and all. Anyway, come 2:30am PDT the Tokyo Dome will be abuzz with excitement when the Oakland A's take the field as the "home" team against our Seattle Mariners.
See full post: "Next Year is Here"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Opening Day |
Posted
on March 19, 2019 at 8:03pm | Permalink |
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Meet the Mariners
With Opening Day only ... let's see, carry the one ... 27½ hours away in Tokyo, it's time to get familiar with the 2019 Seattle Mariners. Who are these guys? With so much change form the 2018 roster will we recognize even a handful?
See full post: "Meet the Mariners"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
Opening Day,
Players |
Posted
on March 18, 2019 at 10:55pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
NPB Primer
With the Mariners opening the season in Tokyo and playing a couple of exhibitions against the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants beforehand—M's 2, Yomiuri 0, thank you very much—I thought it might be fun to take a look at not only those Giants, but the Japanese Majors in general. In this modern Internet age, it isn't terribly hard to follow Nippon Professional Baseball during the season, though it does help if you can read a little Japanese—at least enough for the box scores. Some games are even "televised" online, though one would have to do a little work to get around a...
See full post: "NPB Primer"...
Posted in
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
NPB |
Posted
on March 18, 2019 at 10:01pm | Permalink |
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3 Comments
What should we call the home ballpark?
Though officially dubbed T-Mobile Park, here at GrandSalami.net we've chosen not to refer to the Mariners’ home field by that name. What should we call it instead? Thoughts?
See full post: "What should we call the home ballpark?"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Site issues;
Tagged
Safeco Field |
Posted
on March 14, 2019 at 10:43pm | Permalink |
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5 Comments
Shameless Commerce Department
Grandslami.net is now featuring prints of Mariner player portraits in the store. Four players currently available, with others to be added as the season progresses. If your favorite Mariner isn't yet in the mix, sound off in the comments and put in a request!
See full post: "Shameless Commerce Department"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Site issues;
Posted
on March 7, 2019 at 10:58pm | Permalink |
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Around the Division
We all know the Mariners have been active over the offseason, generating a dizzying amount of roster turnover. But what have the other clubs in the American League West been up to? What's the competition going to be like this year? Let's take a look.
See full post: "Around the Division"...
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News;
Tagged
AL West,
Houston Astros,
Oakland A's,
LA Angels,
Texas Rangers |
Posted
on March 4, 2019 at 10:45pm | Permalink |
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History Class
Thanks to Ball Four, several team-dedicated websites, and the memories of local baseball fans, the on-field history of the Seattle Pilots is well-documented. Not so well-documented, however, is the off-field history of the franchise that existed for just one season, 1969. While the team was bad, the failings of the players paled in comparison to the ineptitude and clumsiness of the front office.
See full post: "History Class"...
Tagged
Books,
From the archives |
Posted
on February 27, 2019 at 1:15am | Permalink |
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1 Comment
The New Staff
We all know the Mariners have churned their player roster something fierce this offseason, but what might have escaped notice is the turnover among the coaches. Aside from manager Scott Servais, only two of Seattle's 2018 coaches are returning this season, Manny Acta and Chris Prieto. Everyone else is new.
See full post: "The New Staff"...
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Mariners;
Tagged
Coaches |
Posted
on February 26, 2019 at 1:14am | Permalink |
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Change of Clothes
Looking at the Mariners' new spring training duds and the new uniform set the Marlins have this year got me to thinking about the Mariners' history of sartorial styles. The current uniform concept is, aside from some minor tweaks in the wordmark and number outlining and an early addition of the compass rose on the road jersey, unchanged since it was introduced in 1993. Which isn't bad. It's a nice design, and light-years better than what came before it. But might it be time for something new?
See full post: "Change of Clothes"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
Uniforms |
Posted
on February 24, 2019 at 5:18am | Permalink |
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M's Trivia Challenge
While we wait for spring training to gear up in force, let's take a walk down memory lane and see how well we know our Mariner history. Take the GrandSalami.net Mariners Quiz! When you've reached the end, you'll be brought back here and you can let us know what you thought. Onward!
See full post: "M's Trivia Challenge"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Spotlight;
Posted
on February 21, 2019 at 2:53am | Permalink |
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No collusion!(?)
The lack of activity around baseball this offseason has generated a lot of fretting and anxiety with the Major League Baseball Players' Association, with some voices alleging collusion among clubs not to offer high-priced free-agent contracts. Though the current collective bargaining agreement between the MLBPA and ownership, represented by commissioner Rob Manfred, is in place through 2021, some in the players' union are already talking about a strike if negotiations on the next CBA don't go their way.
See full post: "No collusion!(?)"...
Posted in
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
MLB,
Rules,
Rob Manfred |
Posted
on February 18, 2019 at 5:51am | Permalink |
|
1 Comment
Doug Fister retires
Former Mariner pitcher Doug Fister has retired from baseball, his agent said today. Reported by MLB.com, Fister's agent Page Odle described the decision as "100% family driven," noting Fister's desire to spend more time with his young children. There were several teams interested in Fister's services this year; according to Odle, Fister received Major League contract offers from multiple clubs over the winter.A seventh-round draft selection by the Mariners in 2006, Fister was never thought of as a top prospect but climbed the minor-league ladder relatively quickly and made his Major League debut in August of 2009.
See full post: "Doug Fister retires"...
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News;
Tagged
Ex-Mariners |
Posted
on February 13, 2019 at 6:27pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Manfred pumps the brakes on big rule changes
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred today said that the MLB Players' Association's proposals for major rule changes—universal designated hitter rule, draft rules that penalize losing teams—are not under consideration...for now. Rather than declare such ideas dead on arrival, Manfred instead declared that the time for discussing such things is in the negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement. The current one expires at the end of 2021.
See full post: "Manfred pumps the brakes on big rule changes"...
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News;
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MLB,
Rules,
Rob Manfred |
Posted
on February 8, 2019 at 8:09pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
On the Eve of Destruction: Universal DH proposed
Acouple weeks back, we noted that Major League Baseball had proposed some small rule changes for next season and beyond, tweaks to do with time a player would have to spend on the disabled list and time necessary to spend in the minors after being optioned down. Now, according to a piece by Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic, the players' union has responded with a counter-proposal that expands on MLB's change ideas and adds an explosive to the conversation.
See full post: "On the Eve of Destruction: Universal DH proposed"...
Posted in
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News,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
MLB,
Rules |
Posted
on February 6, 2019 at 9:25pm | Permalink |
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3 Comments
Manfred's wish list
Unable to leave well enough alone, the powers that be at Major League Baseball are seeking more changes to the league rules, according to a source that spoke to the Associated Press this week. The proposed changes just heard about would be in off-field rules concerning the Disabled List and minor-league options, and they're not necessarily bad ideas, but these days when I see "new rule coming" I immediately become suspicious.
See full post: "Manfred's wish list"...
Posted in
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
MLB,
Rules,
Rob Manfred |
Posted
on January 25, 2019 at 5:25pm | Permalink |
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MLB seeks new rules on DL, options
According to sources speaking with the Associated Press this week, Major League Baseball has proposed changing the minimum length of a stint on the disabled list back to 15 days and adding to the length of time a player must stay in the minor leagues after being optioned down.
See full post: "MLB seeks new rules on DL, options"...
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News;
Tagged
MLB,
Rules |
Posted
on January 25, 2019 at 5:23pm | Permalink |
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M's unveil new Spring unis
At a media event yesterday, the Mariners showed off new uniforms that they will wear in spring training. Instead of the northwest green jerseys and inverted trident "M" caps worn last spring, the new outfits consist of "powder blue" jerseys and a capital "M" against a four-pointed compass on the caps. The caps will also be worn for batting practice throughout the season.
See full post: "M's unveil new Spring unis"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Uniforms,
Spring Training |
Posted
on January 25, 2019 at 3:13pm | Permalink |
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Mariners sign free-agent Strickland
Right-handed reliever Hunter Strickland, last seen in the uniform of the San Francisco Giants, today signed a one-year contract with the Mariners. Financial details were not yet available, but the contract value is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $2.5 million. Strickland, 30, is still shy of the six years of service time needed for unrestricted free agency, so even though the deal is for one year, the M's still have team control through 2021 via arbitration.Released by the Giants last November, Strickland has a career record of 14-14 with a respectable 2.91 ERA over four-plus seasons in San Francisco.
See full post: "Mariners sign free-agent Strickland"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Transactions,
Bullpen |
Posted
on January 24, 2019 at 1:55pm | Permalink |
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Ichiro officially returns
The Mariners announced today that they have re-signed franchise icon Ichiro Suzuki to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training.It was an expected move, telegraphed all the way back in May, when the team moved Ichiro off the active roster and into a non-player role with the title of "special assistant to the chairman," an invented position that allowed Ichiro to train and travel with the club but not suit up for games. At that time it was clear that Ichiro was not retiring as a player and intended to try to play again the following year.The contract...
See full post: "Ichiro officially returns"...
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Ichiro Suzuki |
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on January 23, 2019 at 5:53pm | Permalink |
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"Thank you, sir"
He had to wait 10 years, often with low vote totals, before a push of SABRmetric dudes, the Mariners organization and its fans, and, maybe most importantly, the pitchers who faced him...
See full post: ""Thank you, sir""...
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Edgar Martinez |
Posted
on January 23, 2019 at 3:38pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Edgar Martinez: Hall of Famer
It's finally official: Edgar Martínez is going to the Hall of Fame. Announced today, the lifetime Seattle Mariner is one of four new Hall of Famers; the class of 2019 includes Martínez, Mike Mussina, Roy Halladay, and Mariano Rivera—the first player to be elected unanimously.
See full post: "Edgar Martinez: Hall of Famer"...
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Hall of Fame,
Edgar Martinez |
Posted
on January 22, 2019 at 4:10pm | Permalink |
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No one in the wings
If Edgar Martinez worked a corporate 9-to-5 job he’d be the guy who arrived early, performed, excelled, was slapped on the back by the boss, and when the time came for that big raise or promotion … someone else would get it.
See full post: "No one in the wings"...
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Edgar Martinez |
Posted
on January 22, 2019 at 12:00am | Permalink |
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Where are they now?
Updated 3/1/19
See full post: "Where are they now?"...
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Trades,
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Posted
on January 21, 2019 at 2:15pm | Permalink |
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Mariners sign different infielder Beckham than last year's infielder Beckham
The Mariners signed two free agents yesterday to Major League contracts, infielder Tim Beckham (not to be confused with veteran Gordon Beckham, who spent the last two years bouncing back and forth between the M's and their Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma) and relief pitcher Cory Gearrin.Beckham, who will be 29 later this month, came up with the Tampa Bay Rays and spent the last season and a half with Baltimore. Primarily a shortstop, he's also logged plenty of innings at both third base and second base.
See full post: "Mariners sign different infielder Beckham than last year's infielder Beckham"...
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on January 11, 2019 at 10:08am | Permalink |
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An odd reunion
In a weird but no-risk move today, the Mariners signed Dustin Ackley to a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training.
See full post: "An odd reunion"...
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Dustin Ackley |
Posted
on January 9, 2019 at 9:15pm | Permalink |
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Yusei Kikuchi signing official
The Mariners have officially signed Japanese free-agent pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to a multi-year contract. The former Saitama Seibu Lions star was posted for Major League teams' consideration at his request by the Nippon Professional Baseball club last month and chose Seattle after meeting with representatives of several MLB teams in December.
See full post: "Yusei Kikuchi signing official"...
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Posted
on January 1, 2019 at 9:59am | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Kikuchi deal coming?
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Mariners are close to signing Japanese southpaw Yusei Kikuchi to a multi-year contract. Details are sparse, but due to the rules of the posting arrangement with Nippon Professional Baseball, Kikuchi must sign by January 2nd or forfeit is right to leave NPB for 2019.Kikuchi had reportedly been open to signing with any Major League team when his posting became official early in December and has met with several clubs.An eight-year NPB veteran, all with the Saitama Seibu Lions, Kikuchi holds a career record of 74-48 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.177 WHIP to go with...
See full post: "Kikuchi deal coming?"...
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Yusei Kikuchi |
Posted
on December 30, 2018 at 11:20pm | Permalink |
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Dipoto deals another
Mariner General Manager Jerry Dipoto has made another trade, this time with the Milwaukee Brewers. The trade sends outfielder Ben Gamel and 22-year-old minor-league pitcher Noah Zavolas to Milwaukee in exchange for outfielder Domingo Santana.Santana—not to be confused with first baseman Carlos Santana, whom the M's recently dealt to Cleveland—is a right-handed batter, offering some platoon balance to an outfield that had been overstocked with lefties. Since breaking into the Major Leagues with the Astros as a late-season callup in 2014, Santana has produced a career batting line of .261/.349/.458, mostly as a part-time player.
See full post: "Dipoto deals another"...
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Trades,
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Ben Gamel,
Domingo Santana |
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on December 21, 2018 at 5:50pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
True to the Pink
It's official. The Mariners, T-Mobile, and the Public Facilities District all admit what we've known for a while, that the Bellevue-based mobile phone/cellular network giant T-Mobile is the new corporate sponsor of what used to be Safeco Field and will now be known as T-Mobile Park.
See full post: "True to the Pink"...
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Safeco Field,
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on December 19, 2018 at 10:22pm | Permalink |
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So Long Santana
Well, that didn't take long.
See full post: "So Long Santana"...
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Trades,
Transactions,
Jerry Dipoto |
Posted
on December 13, 2018 at 6:55pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Winter Meetings
Jerry Dipoto is bored.
See full post: "Winter Meetings"...
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Jerry Dipoto |
Posted
on December 11, 2018 at 9:23pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
How did we get here?
It's not exactly standard procedure for a team that won 89 games to go straight into a massive rebuild. When you just barely miss the postseason, you typically look to improve on one or two areas that could put you over the top, not declare defeat and look to try again in three years. So WTF, you might ask of the Mariners, why are they blowing up the team?
See full post: "How did we get here?"...
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Mariners;
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Transactions,
Jerry Dipoto,
History,
Free Agents |
Posted
on December 5, 2018 at 9:28pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Trades are official
The deals are done, and the Mariners are no longer the team of Robinson Canó, Edwin Díaz, or Jean Segura.
See full post: "Trades are official"...
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on December 3, 2018 at 9:08pm | Permalink |
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The Demolition Continues
Another day, another big trade for the Mariners. Well, "big"; the word has a lot of room for interpretation. It's big in that General Manager Jerry Dipoto is dealing away another big name, All-Star shortstop Jean Segura. It's maybe not so big in what he's getting back. Or maybe it is, this one's hard to project.The deal isn't final yet, and what the whole package will include isn't known. What is expected is that Segura will be traded to Philadelphia and that in return the M's will get young Phillies shortstop J.P. Crawford and not-so-young first baseman Carlos Santana.
See full post: "The Demolition Continues"...
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Trades,
Jean Segura |
Posted
on December 3, 2018 at 4:13am | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Who's Left?
With General Manager Jerry Dipoto on another of his trading benders, the Mariners' roster is undergoing some stark change. Though Dipoto is by no means done tinkering—as we'll see, there are still some holes to fill—if games had to be played tomorrow, how things would look on the field?
See full post: "Who's Left?"...
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Trades,
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Posted
on December 2, 2018 at 2:12am | Permalink |
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Trader Jerry ships Colome to Chisox
While the giant trade of Robinson Canó and Edwin Díaz to the Mets is still pending, Mariner GM Jerry Dipoto did trade a closer today. Reliever Alex Colome, who came to Seattle in an in-season deal with Tampa Bay last May, was dealt to the Chicago White Sox for catcher Omar Narvaez.Trading Colome leaves the Mariners without an established closer (presuming the deal with the Mets goes through), but adding Narvaez gives the M's a starting catcher, something they're in dire need of after trading Mike Zunino last month.Narvaez, who will be 27 in February, hit .275/.366/.429 in a part-time...
See full post: "Trader Jerry ships Colome to Chisox"...
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Trades,
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Jerry Dipoto,
Alex Colome |
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on November 30, 2018 at 8:26pm | Permalink |
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End of the Canó era?
Reports are flying around the Interwebs (sourced to Joel Sherman of the New York Post and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic) that Mariner General Manager Jerry Dipoto is close to unloading second baseman Robinson Canó and his giant contract onto the New York Mets.
See full post: "End of the Canó era?"...
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Trades,
Robinson Cano,
Jerry Dipoto,
Edwin Diaz |
Posted
on November 29, 2018 at 5:19pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Into the Wayback Machine
While we wait for the next episode of Jerry Dipoto's Mariner Makeover Trade Bonanza, we thought we'd post a few items from the great history of The Grand Salami. During its 22 year run as a print magazine, we featured player interviews, news of the day, and columns from local sportswriters like Rob Neyer, Mike Gastineau, and Jim Caple.
See full post: "Into the Wayback Machine"...
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The Way-Back Machine |
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on November 27, 2018 at 10:55pm | Permalink |
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Voice of the Mariners
This interview originally appeared in the August and September 2008 issues of The Grand Salami.
See full post: "Voice of the Mariners"...
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Dave Niehaus,
The Way-Back Machine,
Interviews |
Posted
on November 27, 2018 at 10:54pm | Permalink |
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The Five Stages of Being a Mariner Fan
This article originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of The Grand Salami.
See full post: "The Five Stages of Being a Mariner Fan"...
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Columns;
Tagged
The Way-Back Machine |
Posted
on November 27, 2018 at 10:20pm | Permalink |
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Dodging the Draft
This article originally appeared in the June 2008 issue of The Grand Salami.
See full post: "Dodging the Draft"...
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Columns;
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Draft,
The Way-Back Machine |
Posted
on November 27, 2018 at 10:02pm | Permalink |
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Pulling the Thread of a Trade
With so many similarities in the recent trade of James Paxton to the hated New York Yankees to the 1998 trade of Randy Johnson to the Houston Astros, we thought we'd look back on that RJ trade and see what became of it for the Mariners over time. Sure, the initial deal was Johnson for three then-Triple-A players, but what were the ripple effects? How'd those guys do for Seattle?
See full post: "Pulling the Thread of a Trade"...
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Mariners;
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Trades |
Posted
on November 25, 2018 at 1:49am | Permalink |
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2 Comments
By Any Other (Corporate) Name
We've known for a while now that the Mariners' home field would get a new name by next season. Safeco Insurance's deal for naming rights to the stadium expired at the end of the 2018 season and they were up front about not being interested in extending their association with the facility, so the speculation began in earnest last spring: Which corporate behemoth would step up to replace Safeco and brand their identity all over our beautiful ballpark?
See full post: "By Any Other (Corporate) Name"...
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Safeco Field |
Posted
on November 23, 2018 at 1:55am | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Paxton Trade: Passable or Pox?
I keep going back and forth on the Seattle Mariners trading ace James Paxton to the hated New York Yankees.
See full post: "Paxton Trade: Passable or Pox?"...
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Caught Looking;
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Trades,
James Paxton,
New York Yankees |
Posted
on November 21, 2018 at 10:16pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
More trades coming
More Mariner players may soon be on the move.
See full post: "More trades coming"...
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Trades |
Posted
on November 20, 2018 at 7:31pm | Permalink |
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Big Maple to Big Apple
Prompting memories of 1998’s trade of Randy Johnson to the Astros, today Mariner General Manager Jerry Dipoto dealt his team's ace left-hander to an already-upper-echelon team: James Paxton is now a New York Yankee.Much like the Johnson deal made by then-GM Woody Woodward, Paxton was traded for three relatively-unknown minor leaguers, two pitchers and one position player. One of them, left-handed starter Justus Sheffield, may be ready for the bigs as soon as next season. The other pitcher, righty Erik Swanson, has a chance to crack the bigs but will likely play in Tacoma next year, while the position player,...
See full post: "Big Maple to Big Apple"...
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Trades,
James Paxton,
Transactions |
Posted
on November 19, 2018 at 10:53pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Site Refinements, GS Progress
Hello, faithful readers. As we get closer to Thanksgiving (what? How did we get here already?!), just a quick "Thanks" to those of you who have followed here from the former print edition of Grand Salami and those of you who came to the site after the magazine ceased to exist after 2017. I'm glad to have a readership through the growing pains of the new GrandSalami.net's first season and hope to grow it during the offseason as we get prepped for the Mariners taking the field in 2019.
See full post: "Site Refinements, GS Progress"...
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on November 16, 2018 at 9:38pm | Permalink |
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Mariner Makeover Begins
Seattle General Manager Jerry Dipoto began rebuilding the Mariners for 2019 this afternoon, making a big trade with his favorite trading partner, the Tampa Bay Rays.Addressing one of the bigger questions of the offseason—do the 2019 M's try again with the 2018 plan of Dee Gordon in center and Robbie Canó at second, or do they get a new CF to play full time?—the Mariners acquired outfielder Mallex Smith from the Rays in exchange for defensive wizard and strikeout artist Mike Zunino and reserve outfielder Guillermo Heredia.Smith played all three outfield positions for Tampa Bay last year, most often in center.
See full post: "Mariner Makeover Begins"...
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Trades |
Posted
on November 7, 2018 at 9:58pm | Permalink |
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October .500
Having two Game 163s to watch Monday was supposed to make for a great day, but it turned out to only be half a great day. Yeah, I have rooting interests, and they were only half met on Monday, but regardless of favored teams we saw one outstanding game with lots of drama and one snoozer with none at all.
See full post: "October .500"...
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Around the Horn;
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Playoffs |
Posted
on October 4, 2018 at 1:51am | Permalink |
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M's are done, but 2018 continues
It's over.
See full post: "M's are done, but 2018 continues"...
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Mariners;
Tagged
Playoffs |
Posted
on October 1, 2018 at 2:50am | Permalink |
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Wait 'til next year
We all knew it was coming, but the Mariners were officially eliminated from playoff contention last Friday when the Oakland A's won their game against Minnesota. The promise and giddy joy of the first half of the season, slowly ebbing away since the loss to the Angels on the fourth of July, irrevocably crushed under the cleats of Matt Chapman and company.
See full post: "Wait 'til next year"...
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Around the Horn,
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Contention |
Posted
on September 24, 2018 at 2:00am | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Phrasing!
As I get ready to watch tonight's Mariner game against the Angels (on a delay—thank you, modern technology), I'm wrapping up the creation of a new page on gs.net. Inspired by a conversation I had a while back with friends who are relatively new to baseball, a reference for baseball terminology and lingo is right here for those times when you're watching a game and the announcer seems to start talking jibberish. It might be jibberish—especially if you're watching a White Sox game, Hawk Harrelson is an add one—but more likely it's something you, the aspiring baseball expert, should know.
Posted in
Site issues;
Posted
on September 15, 2018 at 7:51pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Damn Yankees
The Yankees are here for a weekend series, and Salami contributor and world's only sensitive Yankee fan Bill Abelson brings us the goods on the Bronx Bombers. The Friday night matchup is a beaut, with Japanese star Masahiro Tanaka facing off against The Big Maple. Saturday will feature former Mariner J.A. Happ taking on Felix Hernández, while the Sunday afternoon affair has C.C. Sabathia scheduled for New York and a question mark for the M's. It's possible Marco Gonzales will be activated for that one, or Erasmo Ramírez could take the hill.
See full post: "Damn Yankees"...
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New York Yankees,
Series |
Posted
on September 7, 2018 at 5:22am | Permalink |
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When a series win instills the air of defeat
The Mariners just finished a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles, winning two of the contests and finishing the season series with the Orioles at 6-1. Pretty good, right? A series win after some trying times in this second half is something one might think would lift the flagging spirits of Mariner fandom.
See full post: "When a series win instills the air of defeat"...
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Posted
on September 6, 2018 at 9:48pm | Permalink |
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Expanded Rosters
It's September, which means Major League roster limits expand from 25 to 40 for the rest of the regular season. Who have the Mariners added? Well, today we saw a number of moves:
See full post: "Expanded Rosters"...
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Transactions |
Posted
on September 1, 2018 at 5:48pm | Permalink |
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Dodger Blues
I didn't go to any of the three Dodger games at Safeco Field this past weekend. I had other things going on and no affinity or special dislike of the Dodgers, plus I knew the ticket pricing would be exorbitant, so I skipped the series. This turned out to be a good choice.
See full post: "Dodger Blues"...
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Around the Horn;
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Contention |
Posted
on August 20, 2018 at 3:14am | Permalink |
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Updates
As the Dodgers pummel the M's in game one of this weekend series, I've taken some time to update some of the more egregiously outdated player profiles.
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Tagged
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Posted
on August 17, 2018 at 9:14pm | Permalink |
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Signs of Life
After dropping three of four to the underachieveing Blue Jays and two of three in frustrating fashion to the Rangers, the Mariners have somehow come back to take the first three of a four-game series in Houston against the first-place Astros. It's been a huge lift for the club and, frankly, for a fan base that was all but giving up on what has been a tremendous season until the past month or so.Credit manager Scott Servais for trying something different and shaking up his lineup for the Houston series.
See full post: "Signs of Life"...
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Posted
on August 11, 2018 at 9:32pm | Permalink |
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Updates
In addition to the standard update to the page for the current opposing team, player profiles for Felix Hernández, Denard Span, Zach Duke, and Ryon Healy have been updated/added. Others are still out of date and need attention, I know. If anyone wants to volunteer their help with that, I'm open to it...
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Updates |
Posted
on August 10, 2018 at 2:06am | Permalink |
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Texas Meltdown
Well, that was ugly.
See full post: "Texas Meltdown"...
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Tagged
Felix Hernandez,
Marco Gonzales,
Scott Servais,
Bullpen,
Kyle Seager |
Posted
on August 9, 2018 at 1:58am | Permalink |
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The streak is over
The Mariners were on a winning streak (technically). Now they're not. The sad post-Independence Day fall from grace continues. There's still time for a recovery, but getting thumped by the Rangers is depressing.
See full post: "The streak is over"...
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on August 7, 2018 at 9:46pm | Permalink |
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Two in a row is a start(?)
The Mariners are on a winning streak. Not an impressive one, sure, but two games is technically a streak. And with the way the M's have performed since they broke their last actual win streak—eight games—on July 4th, two in a row feels like a notable achievement. We all hope this is the beginning of the resurgence Seattle needs to reclaim its playoff standing, but a win like tonight's doesn't do much to calm the nerves of the Mariner still-for-now-but-for-how-much-longer-faithful.
See full post: "Two in a row is a start(?)"...
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Around the Horn;
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Contention,
Adam Warren,
Zach Duke,
Ryon Healy,
Ben Gamel |
Posted
on August 7, 2018 at 1:49am | Permalink |
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Are the Mariners collapsing?
With yesterday's loss to the woeful Toronto Blue Jays, The Mariners have been overtaken by the Oakland A's in the Wild Card race. The M's had held either first place in the division or a Wild Card position from May 18th through August 1st, but after their fantastic June—when they won 19 out of 28—they stumbled badly, playing under .500 for the month of July (10-13) and they've now dropped the first two games in August. Meanwhile, Oakland has surged, going 18-8 since July 1st, and the Astros and Yankees have held their own to hold onto their playoff positions.
See full post: "Are the Mariners collapsing?"...
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News;
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Contention,
History |
Posted
on August 3, 2018 at 6:30pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Updates
The player profiles section has been updated to include the new arrivals—Sam Tuivailala, Adam Warren, Zach Duke, and Cameron Maybin.
Posted in
Site issues;
Tagged
Trades,
Player profiles |
Posted
on August 3, 2018 at 4:12am | Permalink |
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Trade Deadline Roundup
July trade season is now over, and it was busy for Major League general managers. Some of the players we speculated about switched teams, some didn't, but all in all, there were 45 trades made since the All-Star Game (July 17th). Many involved the typical rental-type players, but there were some surprising longer-term deals among them too. Here's a quick wrap-up of the moves made by contenders and would-be contenders:
See full post: "Trade Deadline Roundup"...
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Tagged
Trades |
Posted
on July 31, 2018 at 7:47pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Mariners trade for Maybin
As today's 1:00pm trading deadline approached, GM Jerry Dipoto was, naturally, still working the phones. His efforts landed the Mariners one more piece as we head into the dog days of August, outfielder Cameron Maybin.
See full post: "Mariners trade for Maybin"...
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Tagged
Trades,
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Posted
on July 31, 2018 at 4:51pm | Permalink |
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Mariners trade for more relief help
The Mariners made two more trades today, bolstering their bullpen with two veteran rental pieces.
See full post: "Mariners trade for more relief help"...
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Mariners,
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Trades,
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Posted
on July 30, 2018 at 6:23pm | Permalink |
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Mariners trade for relief help
Mariner General Manager Jerry Dipoto struck another deal today, trading minor-league pitcher Seth Elledge to St. Louis for right-handed reliever Sam Tuivailala.While not a high-profile trade, the acquisition does fit Dipoto's pattern of hunting down players in controllable contracts that fit specific needs. In this case, the 25-year-old Tuivailala slots into the Mariners' relief corps as a righty-batter specialist, though he has had full- and multi-inning appearances this year for the Cardinals and could be used that way here as well.Drafted by the Cardinals in 2010, Tuivailala is a converted shortstop with a power arm.
See full post: "Mariners trade for relief help"...
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Tagged
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Posted
on July 27, 2018 at 7:22pm | Permalink |
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Maintenance
It was brought to my attention that a few areas of the site had been misbehaving of late, so I spent some time today implementing a few fixes:
See full post: "Maintenance"...
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Site issues;
Tagged
website |
Posted
on July 24, 2018 at 5:37pm | Permalink |
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Trade Winds Pick Up
Now that the All-Star Game is behind us, July Trade Season begins in earnest. Manny Machado has finally been traded (to the Dodgers, for five minor-leaguers) and serves as an unofficial starting gun; let the wheeling and dealing begin!
See full post: "Trade Winds Pick Up"...
Posted in
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News;
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Trades |
Posted
on July 19, 2018 at 1:12am | Permalink |
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Marcomania
When the Royals were last in town, I was offered a ticket to my choice of one of the three games in that series. I looked at the schedule, saw that the Saturday game had the fun "Turn Ahead the Clock" promotion and nearly picked that one, but then I looked at the pitching rotation and saw Marco Gonzales' name for the Friday game. "Friday," I told my friend with the ticket connection, "no question." The King still reigns and Big Maple is the undisputed ace, but the guy I want to see pitch is Marco.
See full post: "Marcomania"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Around the Horn,
Columns;
Tagged
Marco Gonzales |
Posted
on July 13, 2018 at 5:00am | Permalink |
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All-Star Snubs
So, the fans, the players, and the Commissioner's office have spoken. Only three Seattle Mariners have been selected for the 2018 AL All-Star team: Edwin Díaz, Mitch Haniger, and Nelson Cruz. Something is broken.
See full post: "All-Star Snubs"...
Posted in
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Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
All-Star Game |
Posted
on July 8, 2018 at 10:39pm | Permalink |
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Tom Hutyler is Bad at His Job
I've got a few pet peeves when it comes to the ballpark experience at Safeco Field. Aside from what the Mariners do on the field, I mean.
See full post: "Tom Hutyler is Bad at His Job"...
Posted in
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
Safeco Field,
Public address,
Tom Hutyler |
Posted
on July 7, 2018 at 9:27pm | Permalink |
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M's lose Zunino to DL again
Mike Zunino was getting the day off on July 4th. Chris Herrmann started at catcher and Z was kicking back in the dugout. But then the Mariners mounted a threat against the Angels and Z was asked to pinch-hit and finish out the game. He walked and singled in his two plate appearances, a very good sign after he spent a good deal of pre-game time working on his batting mechanics with Edgar Martínez and Minor League field coordinator Mike Micucci, but rolled his ankle while running the bases.
See full post: "M's lose Zunino to DL again"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Mitch Haniger,
Mike Zunino,
Injuries |
Posted
on July 5, 2018 at 6:19pm | Permalink |
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Midsummer Classics
It's All-Star season once again, and the 2018 contest in Washington, DC, should have plenty of Mariner representation. Jean Segura, James Paxton, Mitch Haniger, Edwin Díaz, Nelson Cruz, and perhaps Dee Gordon and Marco Gonzales are all deserving of a spot on the AL squad, and in the Mariners' best years they've sent a hefty contingent to the All-Star Game.
See full post: "Midsummer Classics"...
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Mariners,
News;
Tagged
All-Star Game |
Posted
on July 3, 2018 at 11:55pm | Permalink |
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The Halfway Mark
Even though the All-Star break traditionally marks the start of the second half of the season, in terms of games played, the Mariners are there now. Having swept the Baltimore Orioles, the M's are now 51-31, 82 games into the 162-game campaign.
See full post: "The Halfway Mark"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
First place,
Contention,
Playoffs |
Posted
on June 29, 2018 at 2:19am | Permalink |
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The Balancing Act of an MLB Schedule
Is it just me, or does anyone else think the Mariners' schedule is a bit wack?
See full post: "The Balancing Act of an MLB Schedule"...
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Around the Horn,
Columns;
Tagged
Schedules |
Posted
on June 20, 2018 at 2:41am | Permalink |
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First-place(!) M's begin homestand on a roll
It was looking bleak for Your Seattle Mariners not too long ago. On a Sunday afternoon in Detroit, Robinson Canó was hit by a pitch and left the game with a broken hand, and fans began to wonder how the M's would manage without him for perhaps a month or more. Then it was revealed that Canó had also flunked a PED test, so he'd actually miss half the season. Their third-place hitter and MVP candidate gone for half the year?! How could they survive?!
See full post: "First-place(!) M's begin homestand on a roll"...
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Mariners;
Tagged
First place |
Posted
on June 10, 2018 at 8:57pm | Permalink |
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M's draft pitcher in 1st round
Breaking with recent tradition, the Mariners used their first selection in the 2018 amateur draft on a pitcher, drafting Stetson University sophomore Logan Gilbert with the 14th overall selection.
See full post: "M's draft pitcher in 1st round"...
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News;
Tagged
Jerry Dipoto,
Draft |
Posted
on June 4, 2018 at 9:37pm | Permalink |
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Cast your ballot
All-Star voting season is upon us. Sadly, you can no longer vote in person at the ballpark; gone are the days of whiling away the between-innings time by amusing your fellows with ballots filled out for the "all-disabled list team" or "worst-stats-ever team" along with your real choices, consigned to history are seating areas littered with little paper ballot chads.
See full post: "Cast your ballot"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Mitch Haniger,
All-Star Game,
Dee Gordon,
Jean Segura |
Posted
on June 2, 2018 at 11:27pm | Permalink |
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Better late than never
Marc Rzepczynski leaves the M's after posting an ugly 9.39 ERA this season
See full post: "Better late than never"...
Posted in
News;
Tagged
Marc Rzepczynski |
Posted
on June 1, 2018 at 4:24pm | Permalink |
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The Target Tour
This isn't about the Mariners, but a feature in a Minneapolis community paper today by Jim Walsh spotlights Target Field tour guide Bob Lundegaard, father of GrandSalami.net contributor Erik Lundegaard, and I figured it was worth a link. If you're ever in Minneapolis, go for the tour and ask for Bob!
See full post: "The Target Tour"...
Tagged
Target Field |
Posted
on May 29, 2018 at 5:26pm | Permalink |
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Is this for real?
Don't look now, but Your Seattle Mariners are just one game out of first place. On Memorial Day. While their arguably-best player is out on suspension and their other arguably-best player (really, there are several guys you could argue for) on the DL with a broken toe. After a week when the offense couldn't scratch out more than 2.7 runs per game. It's...unsettling.
See full post: "Is this for real?"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Posted
on May 28, 2018 at 12:42am | Permalink |
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Trader Jerry Strikes Again
General Manager Jerry Dipoto made his first in-season trade of the year earlier today, acquiring relief pitcher Alex Colomé and outfielder Denard Span from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league pitchers Andrew Moore and Tommy Romero.Colomé led the American League in saves last year with 47, but won't be asked to close in Seattle so long as Edwin Díaz remains effective. Instead, he will slot into a setup role, where Juan Nicasio has struggled.But the big piece of this deal, at least in the short term, appears to be Span.
See full post: "Trader Jerry Strikes Again"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Jerry Dipoto,
Transactions |
Posted
on May 25, 2018 at 5:37pm | Permalink |
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Ichiro Forever
In the first of what I hope will be a lengthy series of reader-submitted columns, Matt Estrada tells of his introduction to Mariner fandom and how Ichiro Suzuki became a favorite in the Estrada household.
See full post: "Ichiro Forever"...
Posted in
Columns,
Spotlight;
Tagged
Ichiro Suzuki |
Posted
on May 24, 2018 at 2:30pm | Permalink |
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M's Extend Lease with PFD
We don't yet know what it will be called, but the Mariners will continue to play at what is now Safeco Field at least through 2043. The team agreed to terms with the Washington State Public Facilities District for a new 25-year lease that has two three-year options attached that could stretch the life of the agreement through 2049.
See full post: "M's Extend Lease with PFD"...
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News;
Tagged
Safeco Field |
Posted
on May 23, 2018 at 5:32pm | Permalink |
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You Get Nothing!
Because of a rainout in Detroit last week, the Mariners needed to bring up someone from Triple-A to make a spot start against Texas this past Wednesday afternoon. To make room, the M's designated reliever Erik (don't call him Eddie) Goeddel for assignment.This move struck me as problematic. Goeddel had been very effective in his short time with the Mariners and would certainly be lost to the organization with the DFA; meanwhile, other pitchers had been, shall we say, bad, and probably ought to be cut anyway.Today Goeddel was claimed off the waiver wire by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
See full post: "You Get Nothing!"...
Posted in
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News;
Tagged
Transactions |
Posted
on May 18, 2018 at 2:23pm | Permalink |
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PEDs: Make 'Em Pay
I was traveling yesterday and thus unable to write or post anything about yesterday's big news, the 80-game suspension of Robinson Canó, until now. I was, however, able to listen to sports radio as I drove and absorb what reactions the news was generating among the Mariner fanbase and mediascape. It was interesting.
See full post: "PEDs: Make 'Em Pay"...
Posted in
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Tagged
Robinson Cano,
PEDs |
Posted
on May 16, 2018 at 10:19am | Permalink |
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Canó Suspended for PED violation
On Sunday, Robinson Canó was hit by a pitch and broke his right hand. Today he was handed down an 80-game suspension from Major League Baseball for violating policy on performance-enhancing drug use. He is not having a good week.
See full post: "Canó Suspended for PED violation"...
Posted in
News,
Mariners;
Tagged
Robinson Cano,
PEDs |
Posted
on May 15, 2018 at 11:50pm | Permalink |
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Peak Paxton
I think I can lay my concerns about James Paxton to rest now. In is first start of 2018, Pax looked bad, allowing six runs to the Indians without getting out of the fifth inning. He had three pretty good starts following that, but not great, and then another bad one in Texas. Was there something wrong? Had the Big Maple been cut down to size?
See full post: "Peak Paxton"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News,
Spotlight;
Tagged
James Paxton |
Posted
on May 8, 2018 at 8:37pm | Permalink |
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Thanks, Ichiro
This was the profile I wrote about newcomer Ichiro Suzuki for The Grand Salami back in the spring of 2001:
See full post: "Thanks, Ichiro"...
Posted in
Columns,
Caught Looking;
Tagged
Ichiro Suzuki |
Posted
on May 3, 2018 at 5:21pm | Permalink |
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Ichiro No More
Well, it's happened. Sort of.As rumored earlier this week, Ichiro Suzuki has hung up his spikes, at least for the remainder of this year. He is not officially retired, according to his agent, but for all practical purposes, the future Hall of Famer's Major League career ended last night, when he played all nine innings in left field for the Mariners in their loss to the Oakland A's.The Mariners are reporting the Ichiro will "transition" to a front office role currently defined as Special Assistant to the Chairman.
See full post: "Ichiro No More"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Spotlight;
Tagged
Ichiro Suzuki |
Posted
on May 3, 2018 at 4:53pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Irasshaimase! Tokyo Welcomes Mariners back to Japan
Major League Baseball has announced that the Mariners and Oakland Athletics will once again open the season in Japan in 2019. The two games will be held in the Tokyo Dome and the A's will serve as the "home" team. As was the case the last time MLB opened in Japan—also with the Mariners and Athletics, in 2012—the opening series will be held a week in advance of the rest of the league starting the campaign to allow for the M's and A's to readjust to the time difference between Japan and North America (Japan is 17 hours ahead during...
See full post: "Irasshaimase! Tokyo Welcomes Mariners back to Japan"...
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Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Japan |
Posted
on May 1, 2018 at 6:26pm | Permalink |
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RUMOR: Ichiro may retire THIS WEEK
This is unconfirmed. To my knowledge, this remains informed speculation on the part of Root Sports' Brad Adam, based on a text exchange he had with Ichiro. But the scuttlebutt is that Ichiro may call it a career after this week's homestand.
See full post: "RUMOR: Ichiro may retire THIS WEEK"...
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Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Ichiro Suzuki |
Posted
on May 1, 2018 at 3:36pm | Permalink |
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State of the M's: April
Don't look now, but Your Seattle Mariners are a playoff team.
See full post: "State of the M's: April"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Game notes |
Posted
on April 30, 2018 at 9:40pm | Permalink |
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The Return of Roenis Elias
Following the 2015 season, the Mariners traded one of their promising young starting pitchers, Roenis Elias, to Boston along with reliever Carson Smith, for more seasoned starter Wade Miley. (Miley has since been traded himself, for pitcher Ariel Miranda.) Elias only made four appearances with the Red Sox after that, spending the majority of his time with Boston's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, and had a lengthy stint on the disabled list with a strained oblique. This week the Red Sox traded Elias back to the Mariners in exchange for either a player to be named later or cash considerations.
See full post: "The Return of Roenis Elias"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Roenis Elias,
Trades |
Posted
on April 25, 2018 at 3:41am | Permalink |
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Mid-Road Trip Exam
The Mariners are halfway through their current road trip through Dallas-Ft. Worth, Chicago, and Cleveland, having taken the series with the Rangers two games to one and split the first two with the White Sox. How has it gone? Let's examine.
See full post: "Mid-Road Trip Exam"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Mitch Haniger |
Posted
on April 25, 2018 at 3:16am | Permalink |
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An Unlikely Champion for Daniel Vogelbach
Now, don't get me wrong. Dee Gordon is my guy. He's fast, he bunts, he steals, he hits, he defends. My kind of player. But I've become an enthusiastic booster for Daniel Vogelbach.Vogey is not my kind of player. He's slow, he bashes, he has to work hard not to be relegated to DH. And to me, someone who grew up a devotee of Whitey Herzog's St. Louis Cardinals of the 1980s, he represents the antithesis of cool. Cool was Vince Coleman and Willie McGee burning up the basepaths, Ozzie Smith turning cartwheels as well as double-plays, and Tommy Herr...
See full post: "An Unlikely Champion for Daniel Vogelbach"...
Posted in
Around the Horn;
Tagged
Daniel Vogelbach |
Posted
on April 16, 2018 at 2:19am | Permalink |
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1 Comment
It's a Beautiful Day for an Off Day
Thank the schedulemakers that today is a bizarre Friday off-day for the Mariners. After the last two games, a blowout loss to San Francisco and a fall-from-ahead defeat at the hands of the Twins, this team needs a breather, a chance to reflect on their performance. It's not that the M's lost two straight. That's not that big a deal, and it's going to happen again—I daresay more than once—during the course of the season. It's the squandering of opportunities. The Mariners left 21 runners on base in those two games, going 3-for-29 with runners in scoring position.
See full post: "It's a Beautiful Day for an Off Day"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
LOB,
Fundamentals |
Posted
on April 6, 2018 at 6:28pm | Permalink |
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San Fran Split
Random thoughts on the just-completed San Francisco series...
See full post: "San Fran Split"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
Game notes |
Posted
on April 4, 2018 at 11:04pm | Permalink |
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New Minor League Rule Goes Too Far
Commissioner Rob Manfred and baseball executives in general have had a bee in their bonnet about "pace of play" for some time now. They think baseball is allowing games to take too long, that fans don't have the patience for a three-hour game in this modern age of short attention spans and digital distractions.
See full post: "New Minor League Rule Goes Too Far"...
Posted in
Around the Horn,
Columns;
Tagged
Minor leagues,
Rules |
Posted
on March 31, 2018 at 12:00am | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Game One: Random Thoughts
Game 1 of 162 is in the books, and it was a nailbiter win for Your Seattle Mariners against the Cleveland Ethnically Insensitive Caricatures. Some random observations:
See full post: "Game One: Random Thoughts"...
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Mariners;
Tagged
Opening Day |
Posted
on March 30, 2018 at 2:39pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
Mariners Figure to Extend Streak in 2018
In all of the major sports, what team has gone the longest without appearing in a playoff game? That's right, your Seattle Mariners, who haven't tasted the postseason since 2001.
See full post: "Mariners Figure to Extend Streak in 2018"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Spotlight;
Posted
on March 28, 2018 at 5:31pm | Permalink |
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1 Comment
Marjama the Man
New catcher Mike Marjama is the subject of the latest mini-documentary from LeBron James' UNINTERRUPTED. In the eight-minute film, Marjama details his struggle with body image and masculinity, which manifested as an eating disorder in his teen years. "I was going to be a man," he says.Professional sports has long been a domain rife with machismo, and whether that's a good thing or not I'll leave to your own sensibilities. But one thing is certain: It takes courage and guts—or, if you prefer the coarse macho language of the locker room, balls—to confront a personal demon like this, persevere, and...
See full post: "Marjama the Man"...
Posted in
Mariners;
Tagged
Mike Marjama |
Posted
on March 27, 2018 at 9:16pm | Permalink |
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Ichiro's Return
Some Mariner fans are elated. Some are skeptical. And some are disgusted. Whichever camp you may find yourself in, the fact of the matter is that, at age 44, Ichiro Suzuki is a Mariner once more. Personally, I am in the first camp. I have always loved watching Ichiro play, and I'm delighted to get the chance to see him in person once again at Safeco Field. That Ichiro has the opportunity to continue his Major League career at all is satisfying, and getting to see him climb up the hits leaderboard back in a Mariners jersey is a sweet,...
See full post: "Ichiro's Return"...
Posted in
Mariners,
News;
Tagged
Ichiro Suzuki |
Posted
on March 27, 2018 at 5:34pm | Permalink |
|
1 Comment
Grand Salami: A New Era
Welcome to the new Grand Salami website. After 22 years as a print magazine, the gameday program and feature publication is transitioning to a digital-only format. Our intent is to provide the same kinds of commentary and information on the Mariners and baseball that we ran in the print magazine here on the website. GrandSalami.net will contain features like player profiles, coverage of opposing teams, and analysis of the ongoing Mariners season, as well as, we hope, input from you the readers—you are invited and encouraged to comment on our articles, reply to our polling, and converse in our forums!
See full post: "Grand Salami: A New Era"...
Posted in
News;
Tagged
GrandSalami.net |
Posted
on March 27, 2018 at 3:23pm | Permalink |
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2 Comments
How Much is a Mariners Game Ticket?
Determining the price of a Mariners ticket is a complicated matter these days.
See full post: "How Much is a Mariners Game Ticket?"...
Posted in
Mariners,
Columns,
Around the Horn;
Posted
on March 23, 2018 at 4:53pm | Permalink |
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J Michael Kenyon (1943-2017)
One of the most interesting characters in Seattle sports history never took the field for one of its sports teams. Writer and historian J Michael Kenyon was not only the Seattle Post-Intelligencer beat writer for the first Seattle SuperSonics team in 1967, he was also the P-I’s beat writer for the first four seasons of the expansion Seattle Mariners (1977 to 1980).
See full post: "J Michael Kenyon (1943-2017)"...
Posted in
News;
Tagged
The Way-Back Machine |
Posted
on March 18, 2018 at 5:19pm | Permalink |
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The King and the Commoners
King Felix stepped onto the castle balcony and gazed out at his kingdom, taking in the beauty of the white-capped mountain ranges on both sides, the sparkling blue waters stretching toward the ocean and the green forests spreading to the horizon. He also carefully averted his vision from the eyesore of the nearby tunnel-digging project, still stalled and going nowhere (why had he listened to his advisers on that idea?).
See full post: "The King and the Commoners"...
Posted in
Columns;
Tagged
Felix Hernandez,
The Way-Back Machine |
Posted
on March 16, 2018 at 1:14am | Permalink |
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Secrets of a Successful Street Vendor
Hours before the crack of batting practice bats, Safeco Field’s ancillary businesses quietly prime for the harried hours leading up to the first pitch of the day. Service workers clad in Mariners gear jingle keys and talk on cell phones as they walk to jobs at nearby restaurants. Parking lot jockeys cordon off the ideal spot to work from while flagging down the day’s fares.
See full post: "Secrets of a Successful Street Vendor"...
Posted in
Columns;
Tagged
Safeco Field,
The Way-Back Machine |
Posted
on March 16, 2018 at 12:00am | Permalink |
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Remembering Dave: Andy Niehaus shares thoughts of his dad
I know many of you reading this have lost a loved one, a close family member. Well, when my dad, Dave Niehaus, passed away late last year, it was my first, and I have found all of the tired old clichés to be true. I used to snicker when people said things like, “You never know what you have until you lose it,” but not anymore.
See full post: "Remembering Dave: Andy Niehaus shares thoughts of his dad"...
Posted in
News,
Spotlight;
Tagged
Dave Niehaus,
The Way-Back Machine |
Posted
on March 15, 2018 at 2:05am | Permalink |
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Scalpers Shake Up Image
It was time to get ready for work, so Mac McCool excused himself from his lunch at FX McRory’s in Pioneer Square. Up from Portland on business, he was heading back to his hotel to get changed out of his Seahawks sweatshirt and grab a quick shave. After work, he thought he might try to catch a Mariners game. And that maybe his son, also in Seattle on business, would join him.
See full post: "Scalpers Shake Up Image"...
Posted in
Columns;
Tagged
Safeco Field,
The Way-Back Machine |
Posted
on March 15, 2018 at 12:00am | Permalink |
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