In case you weren’t tuned into the Diamondbacks Cardinals game or the Mariners Rangers game (which makes complete sense, unless theres an undying affiliation to any of those teams there’s absolutely no reason to watch either slugfest) history was made in the form of one of the more rare feats in baseball.  The cycle.  But it didn’t just happen once when Diamondback Stephen Drew went 5-5 and accomplished it, it also happened in Arlington when Adrian Beltre made the improbable occur in a win over the Rangers.  This was the first time two players had hit for the cycle on the same day since 1920.  To put this into perspective, the San Diego Padres have never had someone hit for the cycle in their team history.

Lets first talk about Stephen Drew.  In the midst of a pennant race race to see who sucks less the D-backs sent a message to their young shortstop by acquiring David Eckstein, a versatile utility man who actually sucks at baseball but tries really hard and continues to earn starting jobs because of it.  I think Drew got the message.

Over to Arlington where the Mariners and Rangers were playing to see who had to buy the other team slurpees after the game.  The first thing that came to me after looking at the box score (and fist pumping because Josh Hamilton had done some more van dammage for my fantasy team) was Beltre legging out a triple.  How?  He’s slow as hell.  And you mean to tell me that Adrian Beltre actually tried?  There must be some sort of incentive in his contract.

Hosts: Sonny, Ryan and Rich: This episode focused solely on the American League West. With Erik Bedard now in Seattle, have the Mariners done enough to put an end to the Angels’ divisional dominance? Or will Torii Hunter spark this team to another AL West crown and more importantly, postseason success? Also, we debate about who the better team is between the A’s and Rangers

 

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M’s brewing a latte of success for 08. The Mariners were the pleasant surprise of 2007, rattling off 88 wins but falling just short of the playoffs. They’ve retooled, shipping out youth in favor of veteran leadership. While it’s debatable if they’ll repeat last years success and once again challenge the Angels for the division crown, the forecast is anything but rainy for baseball in Seattle.

Bats. It’s hard to have any discussion about the Mariners ability to hit without talking about Iiiiiiiiichiiiiiiiiroooooooooo. The Japanese hitting machine makes the move to center field this season and will silence any critics who challenge his ability to play the position. Ichiro guarantees a batting average well over .300 and a couple dozen stolen bases every season. So while I’m busy trying (and failing) to emulate his batting stance, he’ll be busy hitting gaps and swiping bags. The Mariners two Roger Dorn’s return for another season of inevitable disappointment. Though high priced, Richie Sexson doesn’t bring much talent to the table anymore. And while I’m seeking out the bar in Seattle that prices pints of domestic beers based on Sexson’s batting average, he’ll be busy fanning 150 times and hitting 20 home runs. On the other side of the diamond, Adrian Beltre continues to try and rebuild his image after proving his contract year in Los Angeles a few years ago was merely that and not an actual account of his ability at the plate. Beltre quietly hit 26 home runs last year and should float around there again this season. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a new kind of article that I’m going to start running every monday and in it I will be looking at the upcoming baseball week and giving you a guy who I will be paying extra attention to and you should as well.? I’ll be taking into consideration the upcoming schedule for that player as well as what it all means in the big playoff picture.? This week’s pick: Felix Hernandez.

Here’s the deal with King Felix.? He set the American League on fire to start the year this season only to fall victim to an injury that shelved him for about a month.? Since that time the difference in his pitching has been noticeable.? His ERA has ballooned to 4.33 and he’s picked up four losses to move his record to an even 4-4.? We made it known our feelings about former M’s manager Mike Hargrove resigning yesterday, and because of that I feel like this week will be even more significant for Felix and his Mariner teammates.

On tap this week for Felix are two starts, one against Gil Meche and the Royals tonight and one in Oakland later this week.? These starts are going to be important for several reasons.? First off, the M’s have won 8 straight games and, now that they face Kansas City for three, have a chance to extend that winning streak.? Felix needs to come out tonight and dominate a poor Royals lineup and set the tone for a team that, with all due respect to Hargrove, just had their manager quit on them.? Of course the start in Oakland will be important because of the division rivalry between the two.?

Another reason it will be important is because of the impact it will have on the division leading Angels.? The Angels will be heading to Texas this week followed by a trip to the Bronx.? I’m not going to be so fast to discount the Rangers out of this series with Anaheim based on their ability to spoil.? The Rangers have already taken two out of three from Boston at Fenway and could take a third game tonight to close out the four game set.? The Yankees are another team that has the ability to scare because they are playing dead right now, but you know damn well that at any time, especially at home, the bats could wake up.

Coming off a rough outing against the Red Sox where he didn’t factor into the decision, I’m looking for King Felix to bounce back and pitch well this week.? If the Mariners want to stay in the hunt they’ll need him to return to the form of earlier this season, something he is certainly capable of doing.

If you’ve taken a look at the Major League Baseball standings recently, you’d likely look at the Seattle Mariners and be taken aback by their surprising 44-33 record. A good portion of the credit should have gone to Mariners coach Mike Hargrove. The one problem with that? He’s packing his bags and quitting on the team, effective today.

“Over the past several weeks, I have come to the realization that to be fair to myself and the team, I cannot continue to do this job if my passion has begun to fade,” the 57-year-old Hargrove said in a statement.

Here’s the real scoop Mike. You don’t give a shit about your team, only yourself. If you did, you wouldn’t be abandoning them in the midst of their hot streak. Think this affects club morale? I sure do. This team has won seven in a row and nine of their last ten. So why in the hell is Hargrove* doing this now? At least wait until the All Star Break when the team has a few days to absorb the news. What he’s doing now is bush league.

If this was a medical concern within his family, I’d understand that. But all indications show that Holmgren would rather play 36 holes than sit on the bench. If the Mariners were 33-44, this wouldn’t sting the club as much. But they’re not. They’re contending. Can’t you suck it up for three more months, Hargrove? After all, you’re managing a baseball team. Sack up.

* For some reason, I confused Hargrove with Holmgren.

If you grew up in the 1990s, your favorite player was probably Ken Griffey Jr., the kid who could do it all. He hit homers, made great plays in the fie, and most of all, loved baseball. Since being traded to Cincinnati, Griffey’s mystique has gone from “greatest ever” to “what if?” But this weekend, in his first return to Seattle, we all got a glimpse of the past. Griffey hit two homers yesterday (#583 and #584) and was greeted to standing ovations all weekend.

“It was more than I expected. A lot more than I expected,” Griffey said. “Awesome. If you had to put it in one word. It was something. To have that many people for that long cheering was pretty unbelievable.”

Most active players that return to a former team may get some nice cheers. Some may get booed. But Griffey? He received a three-day tribute. Is it possible to be the face of a franchise nearly ten years after you’ve been traded from that team? In the case of Griffey, it’s likely. After all, without him, baseball probably wouldn’t even exist in Seattle. That’s why he received a plaque that declared Safeco Field “The House that Griffey Built.”

The backwards hat, the sweet swing, and the likable personality. That’s why everybody fell in love with Griffey. In his first trip back to Seattle, The Kid even hinted that he may like to finish his career in Seattle. I’m all for that happening. I’m also all for Griffey being traded to a championship contender this year. He may be the best player to never appear in a World Series. I’d love to see that changed this year.