Wakamatsu, who replaced Riggleman, said Thursday that Lopez could be his starting first baseman on Opening Day.
It's all about the defense and helping the pitching staff, Wakamatsu said, pointing to the case of reliever Roy Corcoran. The right-hander gets most of his outs on ground balls, which is normally a good thing -- but not when he's pitching in front of a porous infield.
...
"The fact is that we have to catch more ground balls."
I don't really have anything to add to what Dave already said this morning, so go there for the numerical analysis. The bottom line is that moving Jose Lopez to first base would only address one issue at the expense of another. It's not a move that I feel would be in the organization's long-term best interests.
But at the same time, Jesus, look at some of the stuff that comes up in this article.
-manager cites pitcher's GB/FB instead of saying "I went with Mateo because we needed a double play"
-manager discusses how important it is for the team to play better infield defense
-manager expresses willingness to move established 2B to another position in order to accomodate a better glove
-manager mentions Jason Barlett's defense as a major driving force behind Tampa Bay's turnaround
It's jaw-dropping is what it is. This isn't the sort of move I want the team to make, but the thought process behind it is unlike anything we ever would've seen from the Bavasi administration. It's a whole new path. The Seattle Mariners of today may have a logo and parts of a roster in common with the Seattle Mariners of 2008, but the people in charge couldn't be any more different if they tried. Defense. They're talking about real life, actual defense. This is everything I've ever dreamed of, and so much more.
I feel like someone's stolen my identity. And that's not a complaint. I don't know what it's like to root for a team like this, but I can't wait to find out. Did it hurt, Zduriencik? Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?
0 recs | 87 comments
And we worried about this hiring because?...
JI - December 19, 2008
He's old
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
mostly spelling-related worries for me
I couldn’t be more pleased right now with the way this off season is going.
pdb - December 19, 2008
I wasn't!
Graham MacAree - December 19, 2008
Nobody likes a braggart
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
I'm an adorable braggart
Graham MacAree - December 19, 2008
Keep telling yourself that
JI - December 19, 2008
He does. Constantly.
Kirsten Schlewitz - December 19, 2008
I bet it wears thin.
JI - December 19, 2008
eh?
adorable boggart?
msb - December 19, 2008
I thought I'd reiterate
Re: Lopez
TRADE TRADE TRADE GO GO GO
JI - December 19, 2008
I'd really like to see Loafie and Washburn shipped out, Yuni moved to second, and a real shortstop brought in
Graham MacAree - December 19, 2008
Trade would do nicely
except that I wouldn’t mind seeing Yuni run out of town as well
JI - December 19, 2008
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
Needs mocock
Matthew - December 19, 2008
I don't find him to be as lovable
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
Can we just get Fahey to change his name then?
Matthew - December 19, 2008
http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2008/12/19/698008/don-t-do-it-also-this-is-a#10858599
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
If we sign Fahey I am dubbing him "Nibbler"
JI - December 19, 2008
He & Silva would cancel each other out.
PositivePaul - December 19, 2008
YES YES YES
MFAN - December 19, 2008
That's not even a real person, let alone shortstop
Graham MacAree - December 19, 2008
Ditto except I want Yuni gone and Loafie to stay
Matthew - December 19, 2008
I want all the hackers gone as long as reasonable replacements can be brought it
JI - December 19, 2008
Thank you
I love Graham and Dave but Yuni blows in every direction.
Sec 108 - December 19, 2008
This.
Even if he ends up to be equal to Lopez defensively with a positional adjustment, or even +5, I still don’t care and want Yuni as far away from this team as possible. Nothing would be more disappointing to me than Yuniesky Betancourt being on the 2009 Mariners opening day roster.
BrettJMiller - December 20, 2008
Do you think Yuni can be an average 2B defensively?
Edgar for Pres - December 19, 2008
Probably yes
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
Why do you think he would be average at 2B?
I think most of us would say his arm is not very accurate and he lacks range. Those things make bad SS and 2B. If he is -15 at SS, is 2B 15 runs easier? Using the standard defensive spectrum we’d expect around a 7.5 run improvement. That doesn’t mean he would be a -7.5 run defender but it does mean it should be our baseline for expectations. What do you think would give him the other 7.5 run improvement?
Edgar for Pres - December 20, 2008
Or maybe you think Yuni isn't as bad as he was last year.
You probably expect regression which is probably the smart thing. I’m afraid he will only get worse.
Edgar for Pres - December 20, 2008
His three year average is ~-6
I don’t think it’s that nutty to say he’s neutral or better.
JI - December 20, 2008
I don't think its nutty either
If you think he’s one of the worst SS in the leauge he probalby won’t be an average 2B though. Its like saying Griffey would be average in RF when he was horrible in CF.
If you think Yuni is more a -5 to -10 SS then he’d probalby be about as good as Lopez at 2B theoretically.
Edgar for Pres - December 20, 2008
My mind can't comprehend the sheer awesomeness of this new direction.
This is what a competent FO/manager looks like?
James F'n X - December 19, 2008
While the new direction is awesome and refreshing
can their be too much emphasis placed on defense at the expense of offense? Its possible that this team could field a regular lineup of:
Kenji/Clement – Lopez – Glove 2nd baseman – Yuni – Beltre – Chavez – Gutierrez – Ichiro. While it would be quite the tremendous defensive club there’s not much offense in there even if you have the Branyan/Shelton DH platoon.
MfaninAlaska - December 19, 2008
There's plenty of time...
…for Jack Z. to make some moves for some offense. I think there may be possibilities to add a quality bat or two even if he waits until the deadline.
Shoot, this new D might make Washburn look so good that we actually get some value from him on the trade market.
Sentinel - December 19, 2008
They only inherited so much flexibility so I'm willing to give them some time to sort everything out
They’re only just beginning. I’m sure the offense will come when it needs to.
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
Coooool, he's the manager so I get his reasoning.
Just weird after Riggles and Co. to see one try and manage his roster to emphasize their strengths, minimize their flaws. Anybody wanna bet Wakamatsu puts Vidro batting cleanup?
How long before players start bitching about being called out in the press? How long until Wakamatsu says “suck it, play better!”?
Kermit. - December 19, 2008
Wakamatsu bats Vidro fourth if the front office tells him to.
Robert - December 19, 2008
Zduriencik tells Hock to go fuck themselves.
PositivePaul - December 19, 2008
Hock = Howard and Chuck?
Took me all morning and two cups of coffee to get that.
Kermit. - December 20, 2008
And they could have a better view of the strike zone after Wakamatsu kicks their ass up between their shoulder blades.
Kermit. - December 20, 2008
The Mariners are quickly becoming my second favorite team and my favorite AL team.
I love this organization.
Jack Moore - December 19, 2008
It's getting interesting...
Kirsten Schlewitz - December 19, 2008
I can't believe this is us.
Robert - December 19, 2008
And this is the manager we're talking about.
The guy we’ll have to deal with almost every game. His moves, strategy, ideals, his press conferences, etc.
I remember when we had a manager who wished he could run out the same batting lineup for 162 games.
ThundaPC - December 19, 2008
If this type of stuff continues
We may have to consider changing the LL Image to something more optimistic!
Who would have dreamed of this day…
mariners124m - December 19, 2008
But it's so perfect :(
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
Jeff Sullivan - December 19, 2008
Tweak the font color & placement, and it could work.
Or maybe a throwback tribute to the previous LL image of the sinking ship…one being dredged up from the bottom of the ocean, perhaps?
esoteric - December 19, 2008
flag'd for not being in gif form
JI - December 19, 2008
My nomination:
JI - December 19, 2008
Your obsession with the Cards continue to be delightfully irrelevant.
Then again, if the Nats had any cool .gifs to post like this you bet I’d be plastering them all over LL too.
esoteric - December 19, 2008
When I renew my mlbtv subscription in April
I’ll need to make one of Molina taking Heilman deep.
JI - December 19, 2008
I will continue until this catches on.
Robert - December 20, 2008
We aim to misbehave
Kinda hard to see at 250 width, full size here though.
Vatinius - December 20, 2008
This is so frightening.
Particularly Felix.
Teej - December 20, 2008
I'm impossibly mesmerized by how awful this is
seattlebruin - December 22, 2008
It WAS perfect
Given the abysmal state of the team and the incompetence of the front office running it
Yet now, with a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s no longer as fitting
mariners124m - December 20, 2008
I suggest
Scruffy Lefty - December 19, 2008
Hey, what is everyone pointing at?
kentroyals5 - December 19, 2008
`
Matthew - December 19, 2008
As a verrrrrry infrequent poster here
I just wanted to say that this is a reference to one of my favorite pieces ever written. If me wanting the Mariners to suck so that Jeff keeps turning out this kind of material makes me wrong then I don’t want to be right.
TheBishop - December 20, 2008
Mother's Day diamond dig being buried behind home plate?
PositivePaul - December 19, 2008
If Lopez moves from second to first...
then what was the point of dealing Valbuena for Carp? I think it would make more sense to deal Beltre for a package that includes a middle infielder and then move Lopez to third base.
DAMellen - December 19, 2008
Lopez doesn't have the arm for third.
Aaron Campeau - December 19, 2008
And Carp may or may not ever crack the M's starting lineup
johnbai - December 19, 2008
Where does this belief come from?
For whatever reason when I look back to his time at SS I remember his arm being fine.
Was it really that bad or are we assuming that because he is at 2nd?
Sec 108 - December 20, 2008
Ya when did his arm become a problem?
Scruffy Lefty - December 20, 2008
I remember a lot of bad throws
JI - December 20, 2008
I distinctly remember that being the reason he ended up at second as opposed to third.
Aaron Campeau - December 20, 2008
I was pretty sure that he was gonna move to 2nd because we had Yuni and Beltre.
I don’t remember ever hearing about us wanting to move him to 3rd.
BrettJMiller - December 20, 2008
It was because of all the weight he put on in AAA
And the perceived lack of range that came with it. His arm is not amazing, but it is just as good as Yunis if not better.
Sec 108 - December 20, 2008
I don't know about that.
Yuni can put the ball ten rows back above the dugout. I’ve never seen Lopez go that extra yard.
Vatinius - December 21, 2008
Yeah.
Accurate or not, Yuni has a cannon. I don’t see that in Lopez.
Teej - December 21, 2008
I would not call Yuni's arm a cannon
His throws all loop. He does not throw on a line at all.
Sec 108 - December 21, 2008
Its hard to find a 2B that needs to make a throw to show off their arm
I’d probably have Lopez play 3B than Yuni just based on how bad I feel Yuni’s arm is.
Report. Yuni got an 8 for accuracy on the fan’s ballot. Lopez is slightly below average across the board. Yuni sucks hard in a couple categories.
Edgar for Pres - December 21, 2008
Alternatively....
…this shows this administration always keeps in mind multiple sets of tactics to get to a predetermined strategy.
Whereas, previous GMs focussed in on one type of tactic and stuck with it, instead of adjusting them to fit the options available.
rtang - December 19, 2008
There's just no doubt this is a good sign.
These guys actually have brains in their heads.
ignacio - December 20, 2008
no comment.
“Yuni is hungry,” Ibanez said.
msb - December 20, 2008
What about this tidbit?
Edgar for Pres - December 20, 2008
I see Lance Niekro is reinventing himself as a knuckleballer....
msb - December 21, 2008
That’s just too perfect.
Jack Moore - December 21, 2008
Wait, what?
Vatinius - December 21, 2008
He's a manager. He's supposed to say that.
And to be honest, I still see that potential in Yuni. He’s been my favorite non-Felix Mariner for years, so maybe I’m biased, but it’s hard to clear your brain of those amazing plays he used to make.
Teej - December 21, 2008
At the end of this past season he seemed to be performing better
I’m looking forward to a great season from Yuni
Dewey N - December 21, 2008
Last Fan of Yuniesky Betancourt?
seattlebruin - December 22, 2008
Didn't say that about Lopez.
ThundaPC - December 21, 2008
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