If I were Tommy Everidge I'd probably be getting pretty pissed off right about now. Turns out the Mariners added Levale Speigner a few weeks ago and invited him to Spring Training. I am writing about this because Matthew told me to. Have we brought in a #3 starter yet?
Over 48 Major League innings, Speigner has amassed a K/BB of 0.7 and a 9.19 ERA, which is only 400% higher than the best ERA of all time. The righty reliever has a fastball in the 89-91 range and relies heavily on a slider, and when you hear about a righty reliever with a mediocre fastball and a slider, your first thought should always be 'groundball guy'. Sure enough, Speigner sat at 60% last year between AA/AAA, and has hovered around the mid-50s for his career.
To be perfectly honest, I was somewhat interested in this until I found out that 'Speigner' doesn't rhyme with 'beignet'. If I have to spend my Wednesday night thinking about Levale Speigner or a beignet, I'm gonna go with the beignet. Here is a picture of a beignet:
Do you guys like beignets? I like beignets. Oh, the adventures I have had, with beignets.
1 recs | 84 comments
I don't know how to pronounce either of them.
Matthew - February 3, 2010
Or his first name come to think of it.
Matthew - February 3, 2010
It made more sense to me when I went French the whole way. Leh-VAHL SPEN-yay.
Then Jeff burst that bubble. Now I’m just confused.
abender20 - February 3, 2010
So what is it? SPAY-ner?
For some reason I can always nail a Polish pronunciation, but nothing else.
Kermit. - February 3, 2010
I was thinking LeVail Spaayner.
msb - February 3, 2010
SPY-ner
:(
Jeff Sullivan - February 3, 2010
That's so... pedestrian. Seems like there's so many more interesting possibilities.
Kermit. - February 3, 2010
I don't see any reason to be bound by his actual surname pronounciation
Matthew - February 3, 2010
Beignet it is, then.
msb - February 3, 2010
Sprinkles!
Kermit. - February 3, 2010
People like you are just the worst
Aaron Campeau - February 4, 2010
Aw man this guy's the worst
Dewey N - February 4, 2010
BBRef says his actual first name is Jimmy
patsfan - February 3, 2010
EE-ther uhv them
seattlecougar - February 4, 2010
I don't know if any beignets have ever...
outpitched Johan Santana?
But, I wouldn’t be too surprised if one had.
aguay - February 3, 2010
Wow, I was really excited about that I guess.
Correct link is here
aguay - February 3, 2010
I have made beignet!
A friend of mine, his parents ran a donut shop, so he learned how to make such fried goods and had a party at his house in which beignets were made. When it started, he was doing all of them himself, but I took over out of curiosity. The results were delicious.
JY - February 3, 2010
Making beignets is one of my favorite Sunday morning activities
Jeff Sullivan - February 3, 2010
When are you getting to Portland, again?
msb - February 3, 2010
Early next week!
But let’s stay on topic. You’ve got your pick of Speigner and beignets.
Jeff Sullivan - February 3, 2010
I am staying on topic.
beignets on sunday in Portland are a lot closer than they are in SoCal.
msb - February 3, 2010
Beignets please.
royalcurve - February 3, 2010
I've never tried making them
mostly because of the whole frying thing.
msb - February 3, 2010
I've never tried making a Speigner
or any other human… Virginity is depressing (and this is my first comment on this website— way to go).
thehemogoblin - February 4, 2010
You are going to fit right in.
JY - February 4, 2010
Dude owned the Puerto Rican league this winter. 7-0!
Nobody could touch him, except for the lucky three who homered off of him (he was probably pitching to the score, which is what Winners do). 2.34 GB ratio on the island! He’s like a skinnier, de-Polynesianed Kanekoa Texeira!
marc w - February 3, 2010
Damn that looks good
never had one; will change that soon.
stupidquestions - February 3, 2010
Got to have raspberry jam with the beignets
lemonverbena - February 3, 2010
I have never heard of a beignets.
Clearly I am too gauche for this site. Sorry for classin’ the joint down.
Torrid - February 3, 2010
And I further my predicatment with the phrase "a beignets."
Torrid - February 3, 2010
I just thought you were being all Frenchified.
msb - February 3, 2010
Your beignet adventures sound a little too awesome
You know you are suppose to put powdered sugar on top and not coke right?
Edgar for Pres - February 3, 2010
Sunday brunch
with Jeff
wandergeist - February 4, 2010
I bet his name stands for "Level Up!"
ThundaPC - February 3, 2010
Ding!
Llewdor - February 4, 2010
You know...
One of my wife’s romance novels involved some sort of vampire/werewolf/viking creature who was really into beignets.
So either you’re some sort of killing machine that every woman wants to fuck before being bled to death, or you’ve read too many romance novels. Like I have, unfortunately.
Sidi - February 4, 2010
This is why
I’m not married
wandergeist - February 4, 2010
This is why
I’m not married
wandergeist - February 4, 2010
Sure it's not because you repeat yourself?
Repeat yourself?
Tyler Jorgensen - February 4, 2010
Sorry
The site was having some kind of problem, or my browser was. I had a couple of posts not go through (the Sunday Brunch one I posted twice, but it only showed up once). Meanwhile this one I only posted once, but it showed up again when I started replying to another comment, which is I think how it got duped (even though I thought I had cancelled out of it the second time).
But wanting to not repeat myself actually is another reason why I’m not married. After a certain amount of time with the same person you find yourself repeating the same anecdotes, which is annoying and loathsome. So: time to move on.
wandergeist - February 4, 2010
Why have you read her crappy books?
Chose your own crappy books, right?
Tyler Jorgensen - February 4, 2010
Who needs to read 'em?
My mother tells us about the ones she reads… .whether we want to know or not…
The Typical Idiot Fan - February 4, 2010
There's a world of shitty Star Wars novels out there to be embarrassed about owning!
JAH - February 4, 2010
Inconsequential signings always make for the best writing.
CapSea - February 4, 2010
That looks like something Anthony Bourdain would call you a hamfisted butcher for screwing up while cooking in his kitchen.
JAH - February 4, 2010
Are beignets to be eaten for breakfast or as a dessert?
Dewey N - February 4, 2010
Beignets are to be eaten whenever the hell you want beignets.
abender20 - February 4, 2010
Why not both?
Have you ever had dessert after breakfast, it works for every other meal, why not breakfast?
Craptastic-J - February 4, 2010
3.30 in the morning in New Orleans.
Kirsten Schlewitz - February 4, 2010
Cafe Du Monde!
Floyd Gondoli - February 4, 2010
Beignets are so delicious ohmygodIwanttomakelovetothem.
Phil Hatzenbuehler - February 4, 2010
Let them cool if they're just out of the fryer
I made that mistake once, and now people look at me funny when I stand sideways at urinals.
seattlecougar - February 4, 2010
I think you are eating them wrong.
jtopps - February 4, 2010
I'm going to go have beignets today at this place, with some friends...
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seattle-WA/Toulouse-Petit-Kitchen-Lounge/196394873249
Along with some $6 Eggs Benedict. Or maybe the Crawfish Etouffeé. Beats the hell out of Moons Over My Hammy.
eponymous_coward - February 4, 2010
You have not truly had beignets until
you have staggered over to Cafe Dumonde on Decatur Street in New Orleans wasted off your ass from partying on Burbon St all night. The worst coffee you’ve ever tasted combined with the best sweetness you’ve ever had.
bilbo - February 4, 2010
True.
This post made me want to hop on the next plane to New Orleans.
The coffee there is love-it-or-hate-it… I take it you’re not a fan of the chicory they use in it?
seattlecougar - February 4, 2010
Heresy.
Chicory coffee can be quite delicious, or has been every time I’ve had it.
JY - February 4, 2010
I'm a fan as well
But it’s a contentious flavor. Not everyone enjoys it.
seattlecougar - February 4, 2010
It's actually not terrible
but is probably closer to jet fuel in taste than a normal drip coffee. At 7 a.m. after being out all night it is actually perfect.
bilbo - February 4, 2010
My elders' memories of "the dirty 30s"
Were punctuated by Chicory coffee, which they had to drink because coffee beans were unavailable (or so expensive they might as well have been). “One good thing about the War, we started drinking decent coffee again”
wandergeist - February 5, 2010
This is absolutely true, but I wasn't wasted. But the coffee was still bad.
kentroyals5 - February 4, 2010
Clearly you're not getting the right coffee.
Chicory cafe au lait is pretty damn good.
Kirsten Schlewitz - February 4, 2010
Dogfish Head makes a Chicory Stout and it's interesting as can be.
abender20 - February 4, 2010
If by interesting you mean boring and a gigantic waste of money then yes!
Aaron Campeau - February 4, 2010
Whether or not you enjoyed it, it's unique and a cool idea.
abender20 - February 7, 2010
You can get them at the Center House in Seattle
But they aren’t as good.
Paul AB - February 4, 2010
I'm confused
what did this have to do with Tommy Everidge, again?
Paul AB - February 4, 2010
Apparently it's about his anger issues...
ToddK - February 4, 2010
It has to do with Jeff not yet posting about him.
JY - February 4, 2010
I think he was joking.
ToddK - February 4, 2010
This is the internet.
JY - February 4, 2010
I always knew I'd find it someday.
ToddK - February 4, 2010
The internet
Is that thing still around?
wandergeist - February 4, 2010
Hmm Memories...
The best experience I ever had with a Beignet is when I was in New Orleans after the hurricane and me and my team went to Borbon Street and had a Beignet at one of the most famous Beignet shops in New Orleans. I bought postcards and coffee and a good time was had by all.
My best experience with Levale Speigner was waking up this morning and reading this post.
Thank you Jeff for reigniting my passion for Levale Speigner and Beignets.
jullberg - February 4, 2010
I remember so many adventures I had on Borbon St
Party central, Borbon St. Although something always seemed off.
Jeff Sullivan - February 4, 2010
The street sign really sells the gag
pdb - February 4, 2010
That's a flag
Jeff Sullivan - February 4, 2010
which oddly sells the gag even more
pdb - February 4, 2010
Borbon?
Kirsten Schlewitz - February 4, 2010
That's the gag!
pdb - February 4, 2010
I meant to repy to other guy but got so confused
Kirsten Schlewitz - February 4, 2010
I will like this guy because his first name is awesomely close to my middle name
I don’t ever see anything close to my middle name in the real world, so this is great. I will pronounce it LUH-VAL SPIG-NER
tootthekazoo - February 4, 2010
Great, now when I find out your middle name I will forever say it phonetically and really slo-uh.
Way to go retard.
Kermit. - February 4, 2010
I'm calling him suga
Kirsten Schlewitz - February 4, 2010
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of Lookout Landing to post a comment.