zoomstick

Bedard / Jones Trade

2008-02-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

Other blogs have done a great job presenting the issues and their thoughts on the proposed and soon to be finalized trade. What say you?

Holiday Cheer

2006-12-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

Fans Defined

2006-12-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

In light of the '06 Seahawks being swept away by the 49ers and subsequent freaking out by NW fans, I thought it important to define some terms to help all the ranting, slobbering-mad bloggers and armchair quarterbacks out there.

1. Fair-weather fan - A person who cheers for a team or athlete when they're doing well but wishes failure or harm on that same team or athlete when performing poorly. These "fans" are really selfish babies who say things like, "I'm done. I hope they lose the rest of their games." Pathetic.

2. Bandwagon fan - A person, previously indifferent toward a team or athlete, who begins cheering for the same team or athlete because it's popular, convenient, or fun to do so. Let's be honest about a couple things. First, we're all bandwagon fans when the Olympics roll around and we find ourselves exclaiming to our co-workers, "we got robbed in the 2-man luge!!" Second, we need bandwagon fans. Imagine how dead the Kingdome would have felt if only 10,000 people showed up to cheer for the '95 M's.

3. Average fan - A person who consistently supports the same team or athlete and follows the team or athlete regardless of performance.

4. Diehard fan - A person who supports a team or athlete regardless of popularity, convenience, or performance, attends games regularly, wears team colors and has other assorted gear (think wigs, giant foam number one fingers, jerseys, license plate covers, etc), and expresses passion about the performance or trajectory of the team or athlete.

5. Sherlock fan -A bandwagon fan (#2) who disguises himself a diehard fan (#4) but is exposed by stating obvious things about the team or athlete, often from hindsight. "We should have signed Hutch" or "Our MVP isn't as good as LaDanian Tomlinson" or "We should have called a different play on 4th down when we got stuffed" are all hidden clues Sherlock lets the rest of us in on. Thanks for putting the pieces together for us, detective.

6. Bonehead fan: These people are typically Sherlock fans with a higher degree of ignorance, adding moronic assetions to their obvious ones. I heard one bonehead fan complaining that Shaun Alexander isn't vocal enough and that if we had Jamal Lewis to fire up our offense, we'd be a better team. Nice insight on Lewis, a slightly better than average running back who had one great season.

I hope this helps. Happy ranting.

Two Words

2006-11-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

Braaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnndon Royyyyyyy!!!!!

Hmmm...

2006-07-21T00:40:00.000-07:00

There are lots of things happening in Sportstopia making me scratch my head tonight. I wonder...

If Steve Largent will be sporting Sonics gear when the club moves to Oklahoma?
How many points per game BRoy will score next season for Nate's TrailBlazers?
If the real Mariners will please stand up?
If people in Portland will make fun of people in Seattle for not having a pro basketball team?
What the future holds for Zoomstick?
If David Stern is starting to figure out why the NBA is a joke?
If the Seahawks will win a playoff game this coming season?
How soon Jake Locker will be the starting QB for the Washington Huskies?
If Alfonso Soriano in a Mariner uniform is just a pipe dream?
When it comes to stewed prunes, is three enough or are four to many?

My Happy Place

2006-06-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

What does my Happy Place look like? The M's are playing good baseball, the World Cup is in full-on, crazy-passion mode, the World Series of Poker is underway, and a thin ray of hope shines down on the Rose City on NBA draft day.

1. How 'bout them Mariners? The boys are on a roll, moving past .500 for the first time since it was cool to say, "whaaazzzzzaaaauuuhp" like the guys on the Budweiser commercials. Ichiro is lighting it up, Johjima is hitting the cover off the ball (5 HR in the last week), and Felix is starting to pitch like everyone thought he would. Even Sexson is getting in on the act--8 RBI over the past 4. A word to Mike Hargrove: DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING.

2. If you told me this morning that the Blazers would have both LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy on their roster AND that Sebastian Telfair would be wearing a different uni next season, I'd have said you're dreaming. This is a Happy Place indeed.

3. The World Cup field is sick, with virtually all the big names reaching the quarterfinals. France made a statement hammering Spain, Argentina looks solid, Brazil appears to have its kinks worked out, and Germany's offense has yet to be stopped. I like Brazil 2-0 over France, Portugal 1-0 versus England, Ukraine on PK's over Italy following a 0-0 draw, and Germany 3-2 against Argentina in a match for the ages.

4. Another happy Mariner note: I picked up Johjima the other day in my fantasy league. The next day, he hit 2 bombs and drove in 5. Did I mention I like my Happy Place?

5. A question completely unrelated to my Happy Place: What were the Sonics thinking about when they drafted Saer Sene with the 10th pick in today's draft? Another big-man project to join Robert Swift and Johan Petro? That ought to make ticket-holders and taxpayers excited about building the Supes a new arena.

6. The World Series of Poker is underway at Harrah's in Las Vegas. Some 8000 players are expected to participate in the main event, still a month and a half away. I can't wait.

7. Speaking of the World Series, props to the Oregon State Beavers for winning the College Baseball edition. People living in California, Arizona, Texas, and Florida now know that coffee snobs and tree huggers play baseball too.

2A - FNBA Playoff Standings

2006-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

After Sunday night's game, here is the current standings:

1. Demico: 3949.0
2. Peter: 3841.8
3. Nathan: 3721.6
4. Max: 3579.1
5. Shari: 3552.1
6. Erik: 3481.6
7. Joshua: 3441.0
8. Jack: 3325.7
9. Stefan: 3275.7
10. Joe: 3226.9
11. Larry: 3115.3
11. Minako: 3109.1
13. Mike: 2479.4

Standings are pretty much set regardless of what happens in the remaining two games. No new picture today.

Fantasy World Cup

2006-05-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

With the NBA season mercifully coming to an end, Zoomstick is proud to announce ZoomstickPremiere, the ultimate 2006 FIFA World Cup Fantasy League.

Now before you start moaning about how unfamiliar you are with international soccer, just remember how well you knew George Mason, Bradley, and Oral Roberts before March Madness went into full swing. And when you consider the fact that your next chance to do this won't roll around again until 2010, there's never been a better time to join ZoomstickPremiere. Follow the instructions below and have fun!

1. Go to sports.yahoo.com
2. Click "sign in" (if you don't have a yahoo account, click "sign up")
3. Sign in
4. Click "Fantasy"
5. Click "Fantasy FIFA World Cup"
6. Click "Sign In/Sign Up"
7. Follow instructions and then click "submit team" (be ure to join public group "Fans of United States")
8. Once your team appears, click "Group"
9. Click "join group"
10. Group # is 17627, password is pnwfootball
11. Read the rules and create your team
12. Good luck!

Happy Mother's Day

2006-05-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Since moms like sports so much, I thought I'd post my latest musings on minivans, the Mariners, ironing, and other surprises.

1. Here's to my mom, Julie Simmonds. Thanks for the tips on how to properly iron a shirt, for giving me and all my goofball high school buddies a fun place to hang out when we could have been getting into trouble, and for wiping my snotty nose when I was three. You're an amazing woman.

2. Poll: Which is the most surprising stat to you so far this big league season?

A. Albert Pujols/19 HR and 47 RBI?
B. Roger Clemens/0 IP?
C. Kenny Rogers and Mike Mussina/6 W?
D. Adrian Beltre/9 SB?

3. The NBA playoffs are happening right now. In the words of Matt Foley, "Whoop-dee frickin' doo!"

4. I was trying to put together a list of great sports moms, and all I could come up with was Mama McNabb. I also recall Larry Johnson dressing up like his grandma for some TV commercials back in the early 90's. And although I've never never seen nor heard of her, I personally want to acknowledge the mother of John McEnroe. I can only imagine what life was like for you when your son was a teenager.

5. Speaking of amazing women, my wife is pretty much the coolest mom to ever drive a minivan. And for all you minivan haters out there, just remember how "cool" you are when you find yourself trying to load three kids, eight bags of groceries, and an Ikea bedframe into your sweet '97 Toyota Camry.

6. Seattle fans ought to be proud of what the Mariners (17-22) have managed to put together this season. The pitching has been a pleasant surprise, Johjima has been as advertised, and the youngsters have made solid contributions. The obvious problem is right in the middle of the lineup, where Richie Sexson and Adrian Beltre have combined for a whopping 6 HR's and are both hovering around the Mendoza line. Considering the fact that these guys flat-out stink right now, 3.5 games out of first isn't too shabby.

Game 3

2006-05-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

AP - Ballard, WA

The Fog returned to the diamond last night, facing Casey Warren. Like all teams in the Loyal Heights A League, the opponent and their skill is unknown. As the visiting team, the Fog managed to put two runners on base, but they were left stranded when Nate flew out to right field.

Joe took the mound again for the Fog and proceeded to retire Casey 1-2-3, including what would be a reoccurring them, two of them on fly balls. The Fog started the scoring action in the 2nd, with 5 of 6 batters reach base safely. Houser drove in the first run, Ben followed with a rbi single, then Peter cleared the bases with a 3-run bomb. Fog 5 Casey 0.

Casey got two back in the bottom of the second, again two of the three outs were via air to the outfield. The Fog played add on with 3 more in the 3rd, including Graeme's third HR of the season - Graeme now has a OPS of 2.500 and a Slugging Percentage of 1.8000. Graeme is almost half way to his own Fog record of 7 regular season home runs, and he is now tied with Mike Carlson with 15 home runs since the 2001 season. Casey was unable to keep pace in the third, and again two more fly outs.

The Fog plated one more in the 4th, though Casey pushed across 3 in their half to trail 9 to 5 going into the 5th. Casey failed to score again and the Fog sealed their victory with a 3 spot in the top of the 7th for a 12-5 victory.

It was during Casey's half to he 4th, when they scored 3 runs, that the Fog almost lost catcher Steve Boyd. With two runners on base, Casey hit a drive over Aaron's head in right center. Just as the Fog practiced, Aaron fired a strike to his cutoff man, Graeme, and from the grass, Graeme fired a strike to home. The runner was just rounding third when Graeme let loose and though the ball was up the line, the throw was going to beat the runner, the one problem - they would be arriving at just about the same spot. As Boyd reached from the throw, one eye spied the runner, and the ball glanced off his glove. Gone was the first chance for a runner at home.

Other Notes: Joe retired a Fog record 12 batters on fly balls to the outfield, including 6 alone to left fielder Derek. Way to keep your outfield involved. Likewise, for the third consecutive game, Joe was hit by a line drive. Following the shot off his foot, Nolte's favorite umpire, Howie, asked if he was okay, Joe replied "Don't worry, it's a prosthetic."

The Fog 2006 Regular Season Stats
Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Graeme Hanson	10	4	7		1	3	8					0.700	18	1.800	0.700	2.500
Derek Kensinger	9	2	6				3			1		0.667	6	0.667	0.600	1.267
Peter Watson	8	5	5	1		1	5	1				0.625	9	1.125	0.667	1.792
Aaron Sorenson	8	3	5			1	5			1		0.625	8	1.000	0.556	1.556
Joe Gerlitz	5	1	3			1	5			1		0.600	6	1.200	0.500	1.700
Ben Byrd	9	2	5				2					0.556	5	0.556	0.556	1.111
Brent Amsbary	9	2	4				0					0.444	4	0.444	0.444	0.889
Nate Watson	10	3	4		1		0					0.400	6	0.600	0.400	1.000
Matt Cook	5	0	2				1	1				0.400	2	0.400	0.500	0.900
Will Stroud	8	3	3				3	1				0.375	3	0.375	0.444	0.819
Eric Nolte	9	5	3				0	2				0.333	3	0.333	0.455	0.788
Dan Houser	9	4	3	1			1		1			0.333	4	0.444	0.333	0.778
Steve Boyd	10	2	2				1			1		0.200	2	0.200	0.182	0.382

Fog Open Season with Doubleheader Split

2006-05-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

AP - Ballard, WA

After much off season news, The Fog were finally able to return to what they know best - softball. 2006 is a new year and gone are the familiar faces of Mike Carlson, Darin Jensen, Curtis Feddern and Jody Wilkins. Likewise, sidelined for this coming season is Daunte Gouge. This left a hole in the Fog roster, and a common email subject, who would fill out the roster.
Boyd and Nate had a plan and they had their four: Aaron, Derek, Will and Ben. As players arrived to the field for the first game of the season they were introduced to their new teammates.

Play Ball.

For the first time since 1995, the opening day starting pitcher for the Fog was not Nate Watson, instead Joe Gerltiz took the mound. The Excitable Boy's opened the first with three infield outs sandwiched around a infield error. The Fog started their half of the first with a single from Boyd, after a fly out by Nolte, Graeme grounded into a fielders choice, sending Boyd to 2nd. Derek recorded the first RBI of the season with a single that drove in Boyd. Nate followed with a singled, then Aaron introduced himself to the Fog with a 3-run HR to left center. Just like that it was 4-0. Ben singled, bringing up Dan for his 2006 debut. After watching to straight balls, Dan too a called strike before swinging and missing the next pitch - a big fat K to end the inning.

The Fog got another run the 2nd, the ExBoys got 3 back in the top of the third. Nolte led off the bottom of the 3rd, reaching base via error, Graeme followed with a 2 run HR and before the inning was over, the Fog sent 5 more across the plate for a 10-3 lead. The ExBoys scored 5 over the last two innings but it wasn't enough and the Fog won 14-8.
Joe was economical in his pitches, hitting Boyd's glove and needed only 60 pitches over 6 innings.

The second game of the night saw the Fog playing host to Coopers. Again Joe kept the ball in the infield for the first inning, this time only needing Boyd and Aaron as each batter was set down 1-3. Good thing Joe brought his glove. Like the first game, The Fog got the scoring going early, this time pushing three across in their half of the first.

One of the golden rules in softball is, stay away from the big inning. Last nights 2nd inning was just that, a big inning. Coopers sent 12 batters to the plate, at one time 9 reach base in a row. A 3-0 lead was quickly a 7-3 deficit. The Fog chipped away, scoring 1 in the 2nd, 1 in the third on Graeme's second HR of the night and finally retook the lead in the 4th with a 5 spot for a 10-7 lead. The inning was capped by a bases loaded walk by Will - what an eye, forcing in Aaron. Like Gil Meche, no lead was safe with The Fog. Coopers evened the contest in the 6th and went ahead by 2 in the 7th. The Fog were down to their last three outs, and went quietly. Coopers 12 Fog 10. Joe finished with 72 pitches in game two or 122 for 13 innings, not bad.

The Fog return to the diamond this coming Wednesday, May 10th at 6:15 vs Casey Warren.

The Fog 2006 Regular Season Stats
Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Graeme Hanson	6	3	5		1	2	5					0.833	13	2.167	0.833	3.000
Aaron Sorenson	5	3	4			1	4			1		0.800	7	1.400	0.667	2.067
Derek Kensinger	5	2	3				2			1		0.600	3	0.600	0.500	1.100
Peter Watson	5	3	3	1			2	1				0.600	4	0.800	0.667	1.467
Brent Amsbary	6	0	3				0					0.500	3	0.500	0.500	1.000
Joe Gerlitz	2	1	1				5			1		0.500	1	0.500	0.333	0.833
Nate Watson	6	2	3				0					0.500	3	0.500	0.500	1.000
Matt Cook	5	0	2				1	1				0.400	2	0.400	0.500	0.900
Will Stroud	5	2	2				3	1				0.400	2	0.400	0.500	0.900
Ben Byrd	6	1	2				0					0.333	2	0.333	0.333	0.667
Eric Nolte	7	3	2				0					0.286	2	0.286	0.286	0.571
Steve Boyd	7	2	2				0					0.286	2	0.286	0.286	0.571
Dan Houser	6	2	1				0		1			0.167	1	0.167	0.167	0.333

2006 US Men's National Roster Announced

2006-05-03T07:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, national team manager Bruce Arena named the roster than will compete in the 2006 World Cup this summer in Germany.

The US looks to building upon it's success from the 2002 WC when they reached the quarterfinals. The 2006 roster features 11 new faces. The US will have three tune up games later this month before leaving for Germany

Fantasy Baseball: Love it or Hate it?

2006-04-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

For me, fantasy baseball is both fun and enjoyable, annoying and nauseating. Here's why...

Fun and enjoyable:

1. Following big-league players I otherwise wouldn't give a rat's heiny about is interesting and educational.
2. I laugh when a sucker manager in my league waives a marquee player because he hasn't produced in a couple weeks.
3. Wheeling and dealing to improve my club puts a smile on my face and makes me feel clever.
4. Watching a sleeper pick light it up (ie. Chris Shelton), and watching players I don't like struggle (ie. Barry Bonds) is nice.
5. I love talking trash and competing. It's invigorating.

Annoying and nauseating:

1. Wasting a high draft pick on a guy who gets hurt or doesn't produce makes me want to barf.
2. I feel like screaming when a mediocre team performs better than my team and then I have to listen to its manager talk about how he's an expert.
3. Competing interests: When my beloved Mariners lose, I justify it with a statement like, "At least Jhonny Peralta jacked 2 homers off of Meche."
4. Paying closer attention to stats than standings is a real problem. I don't know what the Phillies record is nor do I care, but I can tell you that both Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley are under-producing right now.
5. Sitting at a computer screen searching for hitters posting big RBI totals is nerdy, not to mention a complete waste of time.

So there you have it. My love-hate relationship with fantasy baseball.

2A - FNBA Playoff Participants

2006-04-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

Below are those who are involved with our little game...

Erik Lindblad: T. Duncan, R. Hamilton, C. Billups, D. Wade, S. Marion

Stefan Lindblad: D. Nowitzki, T. Duncan, C. Billups, R. Hamilton, M. Ginobili

Nathan Watson: L. James, K. Bryant, E. Brand, D. Nowitzki, G. Arenas

Minako: L. James, K. Bryant, S. Nash, T. Parker, V. Carter

Demico Schiff: T. Duncan, D. Nowitzki, D. Wade, C. Billups, R. Hamilton

Joshua Watson: D. Nowitzki, K. Bryant, G. Arenas, E. Brand, S. Cassell

Max Watson: L. James, A. Jamison, D. Nowitzki, K. Bryant, E. Brand

Joe Keller: K. Bryant, L. James, B. Wallace, T. Duncan, D. Wade

Shari Watson: T. Duncan, L. James, S. Nash, S. O'Neal, C. Billups

Larry Watson: T. Duncan, D. Wade, C. Billups, R. Hamilton, R. Wallace

Jack Blaylock: L. James, D. Wade, K. Bryant, M. Ginobili, P. Gasol

Peter Watson: G. Arenas, T. Duncan, C. Billups, D. Wade, D. Nowitzki

Mike McMillan: T. Duncan, T. Parker, C. Billups, R. Hamilton, R. Wallace

Second Annual FNBA Playoff Edition

2006-04-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

You've been screaming at me to bring this back, so here it is...It's time for the Second Annual FNBA Playoff Edition sponsored by the good folks at ZOOMSTICK. Below are all the instructions you need (with some minor rule changes).

Here are the simplified rules:

1. Select ANY five players from ANY Playoff team.
2. Email them to peterwatson@w-link.net before the start of the Playoffs (4/22/06 12pm)
3. Points are awarded for each rebound collected, shot assisted, and point scored for each and every game your players play and then multiplied by 1.S (S = the seeding of the team the player plays for).
4. ESPN will be the official record for all stats.
5. At the end of the Playoffs, the person with the most points wins!
6. First Prize: The naming rights for Nathan Watson's next offspring.
9. Check back periodically for updates.

Recenlty spotted in SeaTac, is he his friend or foe?

2006-04-16T21:54:00.000-07:00

NPB 2.0

2006-04-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

The WBC put the world on notice that Japanese baseball is not the stepchild everyone thought it to be.To kick of the 2006 season, here is a great article about the 10 teams.

I'm Back!

2006-04-10T09:35:00.000-07:00

As Zoomstick enters year two, I am back, and to kick off my return, I'll share with you some of my thoughts of my first day when I become dictator.

Mariners:
* Willie Bloomquist - he is only allowed to pinch run, and is banned from the outfield. Seriously, this guy can't hit and he got a 2 year deal?
* Carl Everett - given until May 15th to prove he is productive, if not, he's released
* Mike Hargrove - fired, between his lineups, mismanagement of the bullpen, and lack of creativity, he brings no value, plus I don't care for men wearing bracelets

Sonics:
* Bob Hill - bring him back for 2006-07
* Rashard Lewis - challenge him to be a #2 scorer, and leader, because this guy disappears big time
* Dance team - gone, put the focus back on the players
* 4th Quarter - Pearl Jam's Alive must be played prior to the start of the 4th quarter, some things don't age

NBA:
* Rookies must either be 21 years old or have played 4 years professionally in Europe. The game is enjoying a slow death by all the kids with 'talent' but no ability to play the game at this level.
* Referees - enforcing all the rules, including palming, traveling, etc

NFL:
* Replay - calls are reviewed by an official not on the field. Too many calls are not being reversed even though video proves otherwise. This is a process that should take less than 1 minute given all of the camera angles used today.

Other Sports:
* WNBA - banned from TV
* Women Dunking - no one cares
* US Olympic Coverage - NBC, ABC and CBS banned from covering, only option is they are allowed to rebroadcast live CBC feed. What a novel concept, showing the games live, I'm not sure what is dumber, the TV exec's at the networks, or the viewers that tolerate this nonsense.

Real World:
* Constitution - Right to Arm Bears, putting an end to the NRA
* Hair - 30+ single men no longer can advertise their desperation in life by bleaching their hair. Yes we know you are single and have no plan, please don't make it more difficult.
* Mexico - We're building a fence, figure out why folks want to leave

Shari's Big Tournament

2006-03-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

It's that time again NCAA basketball fnas...Time for March Madness and the field of 64! Today is Selection Sunday and Thursday the first games begin! That means you've got just a few short days to get signed up for the 6th annual edition of SHARI'S BIG TOURNAMENT!

So you think this year is your year? Here is what you do:

1. Go to Yahoo Fantasy Home.
2. Create a Yahoo ID if you have not already.
3. Sign In.
4. Go to Tournament Pick'em.
5. Sign Up.
6. Accept the Terms of Service.
7. Enter you Pick Set Information - Use your name as your Pick Set Name.
8. Submit your Information.
9. Select Join a Group.
10. Select Join a Private Group.
11. Enter the Group #13429 and Password "Roy".
12. Select Submit.
13. Go to Shari's Big Tournament and make your picks, talk some trash, and enjoy the ride!

Feel free to invite your friends to play, the more the better. Good luck and Happy Picking!

Greatest Sonics of All Time!!

2006-03-09T14:14:00.000-08:00

After reading Small Fish's riveting post about the greatest M's off all time, I decided to post a response to his message. But it got me thinking, why not come up with the greatest Sonics of all time - mostly because there isn't a whole lot more about them to talk about.

I have decided that rather than do a starting 5 and subs that it would be better to pick them by guards, forwards and centers. With this being said, let us begin.

Guards:

1. Quentin Dailey: Often referred to as "the best post up guard in the NBA". The man had moves even Shaq would envy.

2. Kendall Gill: He was the exact 3 piece of the puzzle the Sonics needed to win the NBA championship - man did he ever deliver.

3. Dana Barros: 3pt shooter extraordinaire!!

4. Craig Ehlo: I am sure glad that he came to play for us in his prime.

Forwards:

1. Vincent Askew: Anybody with a nickname like "The Fiddler" deserves, no demands to be on this list. A Coach Karl favorite.

2. Brad Sellers: After a dominating run at The Ohio State University, Brad came to be a cornerstone of the franchise.

3. Steve Scheffler: Made a career out of the "hustle" play.

4. Vladmir Radmonovic: 6-10 with the skills of a guard and the ability to defend and rebound with the best of 'em.

Center:

1. Benoit Benjamin: Came to Seattle and turned his career around.

2. Frank Brickowski: One tough son of a gun - a real "banger".

3. Bill Cartwright: The Don from San Fransisco got it done with the Supes.

4. Jim McIlvaine: Best money we ever spent.

And to coach these characters - a staff consisting of Paul Westphal, Bob Weiss and Bernie Bickerstaff.

The Greatest M's of All

2006-03-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

After reading the Seattle Times' all-time Seahawks team, I couldn't help but wonder: who would make the all-time Seattle Mariners team? Here's what I came up with.

1B Alvin Davis (1984-1991). A.D. is the career leader in virtually every offensive category among Mariner first baseman. With a career average of .281 plus 160 HR, Davis was Seattle's first true star-caliber player.

2B Bret Boone (1992-93, 2001-05). With due respect to Harold Reynolds, Boone gets the nod here. Boone pretty much did everything, batting .277, popping 143 dingers, and playing exceptional defense up the middle during his days in a Mariner uniform.

SS Alex Rodriguez (1994-2000). Perhaps the greatest hitting SS of all time, A-Rod was (and continues to be) a superb five tool player. The numbers don't lie; during his time in Seattle, Alex boasted a .309 batting average, 189 HR, 595 RBI, 133 SB, and an OPS of .934.

3B Jim Presley (1984-1989). The all-star ranks 7th in HR (115), 8th in RBI (418), and 9th in games played (799) among Mariner career leaders.

OF Ken Griffey Jr (1989-1999). For more than a decade, the M's all-time HR leader (398) electrified M's fans with heroics at the plate and circus catches in the outfield. Junior won the MVP in 1997 (the first Mariner ever to do so), batting .304, jacking 56 HR, and driving in 147 runs.

OF Ichiro Suzuki (2001-present). Ichiro's .332 career batting average is 20 points higher than any other player in club history. Ichiro is just the 2nd Mariner to win the MVP, and has won a gold glove in each of his 5 seasons with the team.

OF Jay Buhner (1988-2001). The bald head. The cannon arm. The all-or-nothing approach at the plate. Bone was a fan favorite in Seattle for a lot of years. A pure power hitter, Buhner ranks 3rd on the M's career list in HR (307) and 1st in stikeouts (1375).

DH Edgar Martinez (1987-2004). A gentleman on and off the field, Edgar is the M's career leader in games played (2055), hits (2247), at-bats (7213), and runs (1219). He will forever be remembered for his post-season heroics against the Yankees in the 1995 ALDS. After winning game 4 with a grand slam, Edgar's game 5 winning hit that scored Joey Cora and Griffey is the most memorable play in club history.

SP Randy Johnson (1989-1998). Randy's numbers with the M's (130 W's, 2162 K's, and 3.42 ERA) are money by any standard. And nobody will ever forget his performance against the Angels to put the Mariners into the playoffs in 1995. Most impressively, the Big Unit has gone on to double the numbers he put up in Seattle and drop his career ERA to 3.11 since the club traded him away halfway through the 1998 season.

SP Jamie Moyer (1996-present). Moyer leads all Mariners in career games started (298) and wins (139). He's won at least 20 games twice (2001 & 2003) and at 43, continues to find a way to get hitters out with his nasty change-up.

SP Mark Langston (1984-1989). The left-hander gets the nod over Freddy Garcia, who put up comprable numbers to Langston's 74 W's and 4.01 ERA. Langston was a more dominant pitcher than Garcia, as evidenced by his 1078 K's (compared to Garcia's 819).

RP Kazuhiro Sasaki (2001-2004). With a huge smile and one of the nastiest splitters ever, Kaz tallied 129 saves as a Mariner, the most of any player in team history. His ERA (3.14) is second-best among Seattle closers with more than 50 saves.

Love ya, Abe

2006-02-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

It's President's Day morning and I'm thinking about sports and Abraham Lincoln. I figured I might as well write some of it down, since President's Day only happens once per year.

1. Nate Robinson has taken his act further than I ever thought possible. I used to coach high school football in Seattle and our team played against Nate. I watched him score two touchdowns in his first three touches one time. Another time I saw him throw down a flying tomahawk dunk over two kids in a basketball game. He had freaky talent, but seemed way too small to play football at the next level (let alone basketball). So what does Nate do? He starts on the Husky football team as a true freshman, then walks on to the basketball team and leads the Washington men to the NCAA tourney twice (once as a number one seed). Then he gets drafted and plays for the Knicks, averages better than 8 ppg as a rookie, and wins the slam dunk contest with a crazy dunk over Spud Webb. Way to go Nate!

2. How good is the Washington Husky men's basketball team? I asked this question a couple months back and still don't know. We might not know until March madness begins.

3. Shaun Alexander is a great back. If the Seahawks don't re-sign him, their TD production will be cut by at least one-third, which is the only stat that should really matter to management as they consider whether or not to re-sign the MVP. There's no reason Shaun can't find the endzone 16-20 times per year for the next four years. Pay him accordingly.

4. Is anybody excited about the World Baseball Classic? I'm not hearing anybody talk about it. Maybe it's because I don't talk to the right people. Or maybe people in this country don't really care about international competition, which seems to be a sideshow to the Superbowl, March madness, and the World Series.

5. Three greatest presidents of all-time: Abe Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and Teddy Roosevelt.

6. Speaking of international competition, I've been watching the Olympics quite a bit. I love that the games are progressing (if you haven't seen Snowboardcross, you're missing out) while holding onto the oldies but goodies (ski jumping and bobsled). I still think figure skating is like a car wreck on the side of the freeway, painful to watch but impossible to keep your eyes off.

7. You've got the first pick in your fantasy baseball league. Do you take Pujols or A-Rod? Production wise, it's a wash. Take A-Rod because third basemen are tougher to come by.

Super-Frustration

2006-02-05T19:30:00.000-08:00

A dropped pass. A phantom pass interference call. More dropped passes. TD Roethlisberger? Pathetic clock management. Another drop. A bogus holding call. And to top it all off, an illegal block call on a guy making a tackle...

It's one thing when you go into a game, get your teeth kicked in by a better opponent, and lose. It's another thing entirely when you shoot yourself in the foot with mental mistakes, only to be shot in the other foot by an officiating crew who called phantom penalties against 300-pound men in dark blue uniforms. (Were those flags or Terrible Towels the refs were throwing around?) It's one thing to lose when the other guys' quarterback outplays you and shreds your defense. It's another thing entirely when their guy winds up with a QB rating of 22.6 and still walks home with the hardware, all because your guys struggle to haul in key passes in the biggest game of their careers.

There's no other way to slice it. Superbowl XL was downright painful for Hawks fans from Missoula to Fairbanks, Bellevue to Bend.

Give the Steelers some credit. They made just enough big plays to win and earn the Bus a well-deserved NFL championship. And Cowher, as I predicted 3 weeks ago, called a brilliant trick-play that sealed the deal for the yellow and black.

Other than that, Seattle outplayed Pittsburgh in a game you wish came with a do-over clause, a rewind button you could push to go back to 6:15 pm eastern time. But you can't. And the best you can do is hope for another shot at the big game, which might not happen for another 30 years.

Poll: Pick the Superbowl

2006-01-20T10:13:00.000-08:00

Who'll win this weekend? Who'll win in Detroit on Feb. 5? Make your picks here!

NFC Championship: Seattle 27, Carolina 17. I had Jake Delhomme on my fantasy team this year. He's not that good. Yeah, he's a competitor and gets the job done, especially in the playoffs. But he turns the ball over and has a limited number of weapons. I like the Seahawks at home, offense firing on all cylinders after a warm-up against Washington.

AFC Championship: Pittsburgh 23, Denver 21. This is going to be a great football game. John Lynch, sledgehammer, Denver, and Troy Polamalu, battering ram, Pittsburgh, provide tons of entertainment by knocking opponents' teeth out like chicklets. The offenses are both effective. Pittsburgh just looks stronger to me right now.

Superbowl: Pittsburgh 27, Seattle 24. Two very good, very different football teams meet in Detroit. Pittsburgh's edge? Cowher. He's got more up his sleeve than Holmgren. I think a key trick play or two will be the difference at Ford Field. That and Lofa Tatupu is undersized and will have his hands full with the Bus. (That said, I hope I'm wrong on this one.)

Post your prediction here!

Why USC Lost

2006-01-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

Vince Young was unbelievable. And when it came down to it, Texas made the plays that won what turned out to be a marvelous football game. But the Trojans only have themselves to blame for giving the 'Horns a chance.

For starters, SC was arrogant. Hubris caused the Trojans to go for it on 4th and 2 with 2:09 left to play and a 5 point lead. Why not punt the ball and make Vince Young take his team the length of the field? Why not give the worn-out Trojan defense as much help as possible? Because Pete Carroll and USC thought they were unbeatable. They took an unnecessary gamble and it cost them big-time.

But that's only the beginning. Reggie Bush only had 13 carries. That's right--Mr. All World, the Heisman trophy winner, the man drawing comparisons to Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and just about any other great back who's ever worn cleats and shoulder pads, had 13 rushes. That's silly. I don't care how well LenDale White was playing. It doesn't matter. You've got to get the ball in the hands of your stud, especially at the end of the game. The Trojans failed to do that. (In fairness, Bush did have 6 receptions and 5 kickoff returns for a total of 24 touches. But that's not enough touches for a guy who averaged 8.9 yards per carry, especially in a game of this magnitude.)

Lastly, why on earth did USC burn its last timeout when Texas lined up to go for two with 19 seconds to play? I'll tell you why. The arrogant Trojans were shell-shocked. They weren't expecting VY and Co. to overcome a 12 point deficit with a little more than 6 minutes left to play. It wasn't even a possibility. They thought they were invincible.

And so it goes. Vince Young often looked like a man among boys on Wednesday night. But crucial mistakes by the Trojans gave him the chance to lead the Longhorns to the national championship.

The Crystal Ball

2006-01-01T18:02:00.000-08:00

Sports stories to watch for in 2006.

JANUARY 30...Martell Webster comes home to Seattle and pours in 39 points as the Portland TrailBlazers hammer the Seattle SuperSonics 115 - 89. With a starting lineup of Flip Murray, Rashard Lewis, Danny Fortson, Robert Swift, and Mateen Cleaves, coach Bob Weiss is speechless about what's wrong with his team's defense in a postgame interview.

FEBRUARY 5...The Seattle Seahawks defeat the Indianapolis Colts 38 - 35 in Superbowl XL (40 for the non-Greek speakers) at Ford Field. After the game, people riot and loot in both Seattle and Detroit, because, after all, we're talking about Seattle and Detroit.

MARCH 20...Jason Bay drills a home run off Bartolo Colon to give darkhorse Canada a victory over the Dominican Republic in the first ever World Baseball Classic. Six days later, owners of the Florida Marlins announce the team will be moving to Calgary, where federal funds will be used to build a 100,000 seat indoor baseball super arena complete with Labatt Blue tap handles at every chair. An ecstatic Calgary spokesperson is overheard saying something about getting back at the United States for "stealing all our hockey teams."

APRIL 1...In a press conference, the University of Oregon announces it will be filing a lawsuit against the BCS for not being selected for a BCS game. At a second press conference 3 hours later, athletic director Bill Moos and football coach Mike Belotti look at reporters and scream, "April Fools!!!"

JUNE 27...With starters mustering only 14 wins (8 for Felix Hernandez) the Mariners are mathematically eliminated from post-season play.

JULY 9...A stunned crowd looks on in Berlin as DaMarcus Beasley and Landon Donavan each score to give the United States a 2-1 win over Germany in the World Cup Final.

JULY 12...The Seattle Seahawks announce a 5-year, $50 million contract with superstar running back Shaun Alexander. Asked why Alexander was given such a long-term deal, Seahawks GM Tim Ruskell said, "Did you see him play last year? He's really good!"

JULY 13...Walter Jones and Steve Hutchinson sustain knee injuries in a charity jello-wrestling contest. Both are declared out for the coming season.

AUGUST 14...P.R. Watson returns to Zoomstick. The article is about how the Rangers, Angels, and A's should all be disqualified from the 2006 campaign for rampant steroid use and that technically, the Mariners should be A.L. West champs.

SEPTEMBER 18...After dropping its first 3 games to San Jose State, Oklahoma, and Fresno State, Washington football coach Ty Willingham promotes freshman Jake Locker to starting quarterback and J.R. Hasty as the team's first-string tailback.

OCTOBER 1...The Mariners finish the season with 90 losses (compared to 99 in 2004 and 93 in 2005). In an interview following their final game against Texas, Bill Bavasi proudly exclaims to reporters, "See, I told you we'd be better."

OCTOBER 2...The Tampa Bay Devil Rays announce they will be moving the club to Portland. "It's not quite Canada," owner Stuart Sternberg says, "but it's getting close."

NOVEMBER 18...The Huskies destroy Washington State in the Apple Cup 42-14, finishing undefeated in conference play and bowl-bound. Jake Locker throws for 3 TD (2 to Isaiah Stanbeck) and rushes for another while J.R. Hasty carries for 175 yards and a TD.

NOVEMBER 20...On a snowy night in the Meadowlands, the Seahawks stay in the playoff hunt by beating the New York Giants 8-7 on Monday night. Mack Strong starts at left tackle and leads Shaun Alexander into the end zone for the game winning conversion at the end of regulation. Following the game, an enraged Eli Manning pegs Mike Holmgren in the head with a snowball as the teams head to their locker rooms. After coming to his senses, Holmgren rolls to his feet, chases Manning down, and does a flying judo kick to the quarterback's sternum. Neither sustain serious injuries.

DECEMBER 12...George Steinbrenner declares that no Yankee player will ever be allowed to participate in the World Baseball Classic. Fed up with the decision, center fielder Johnny Damon demands to be traded to the Seattle Mariners. Days later, Damon goes to Seattle for Jarrod Washburn, the lefty Steinbrenner wanted "all along..."

DECEMBER 15...The Calgary Cold Ones (Marlins) trade Dontrelle Willis and Miguel Cabrera to the Portland Greenies (Devil Rays) for prospects and a few cases of Bridgeport IPA. The future of baseball in the pacific northwest never looked brighter.

Winning Women

2005-12-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Two northwest schools boast top-notch women's teams this year...

The University of Portland women's soccer team dominated UCLA 4-0 today, taking home the women's national soccer championship and finishing the season 24-0-2. Led by NCAA scoring leader Christine Sinclair, the game was over at halftime, with the Pilots up 3-0. Sinclair finished the game with two goals, tallying a record 39 goals for the season and eclipsing Lisa Cole's 17-year-old mark. The title is the Lady Pilots' second in four years.

In Seattle, the University of Washington powered through the regular season and earned the third seed in the NCAA women's volleyball tourney with a record of 28-1. The Lady Huskies are led by Pac-10 player of the year Sanja Tomasevic and returned five starters from last year's squad which lost in the national semifinals to Stanford. The Dawgs are rolling through this year's tournament field once again and are preparing for their next match Friday against Purdue in College Station, Texas.

Quick Hits: 3 Missed FG, 2 Wins, and 1 Pathetic D

2005-11-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

A brief collection of thoughts from Turkey Weekend, 2005.

1. I'm glad my name isn't Feely. With the NY Giants kicker missing three FG which would have given his team a tough road win, the Seahawks escaped with a victory and remained on top of the NFC at 9-2. Game ball goes to Joe Jurevicius, who hauled in 8 passes for 137 yards and two TD. And his name isn't Feely either.

2. My beloved Washington Huskies finished the football season with two wins. On the positive side, that's a 100% improvement over last year. On the negative side, two wins sucks. Let's hope Jake Locker and J.R. Hasty are the studs everybody seems to think they are.

3. "Go ahead, take the lane." That's what my friends and I used to say to each other when we faced a bad defense in our high school baseketball playing days. Seems like the Sonics were saying this all day Saturday to the New Orleans Hornets. I walked out of Key Arena that afternoon wondering how Speedy Claxton was so good and the Sonics were so bad.

4. How good is the 2005-2006 Husky basketball team? We'll find out December 4, when the Dawgs host Gonzaga in Seattle.

5. How good is Martell Webster? We'll know just as soon as Nate McMillan gives him some meaningful minutes. Looking up and down the Blazers roster, it's hard to imagine there's a better shooter on the team. But Nate is a defense-first kinda guy, so it'll probably be a while before the rookie gets to display his game in the Rose City.

6. Kenji Jojima. This guy can only help the beleaguered Mariners. Maybe he can pitch too...

The (Losing) Streak Ends

2005-11-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

The Washington Huskies won a Pac 10 football game on the road today. Let the celebration begin...

Coming into this afternoon's contest against a hot Arizona Wildcat team, the Dawgs had lost a whopping 14 Pac 10 games in a row and hadn't won a road game since October 18, 2003. All that ended today when the Huskies spanked the Wildcats 38-14, taking advantage of freshman quarterback Willie Tuitama by picking off three passes and holding the Arizona ground game to just 87 yards. Offensively, Washington was led by James Sims, who racked up 200 yards on the ground and a touchdown.

Make no mistake. This is a huge victory for Tyrone Willingham and Co. Talk around the program, the media, and at other schools had indicated that Washington was a much better team than they were a year ago. But talk is cheap when it comes to wins and losses; today's win helps back up the talk. It also gives the Dawgs a shot of momentum going into the Apple Cup, where a victory over Washington State would mean finishing the season on a winning note. A winning streak would bode well for recruiting and give the program something to build on for next year.

25 Words or Less

2005-11-04T00:32:00.000-08:00

Comments on 5 things I'm thinking about...in 25 words or less. Being brief never felt so good.

HUSKY FOOTBALL. Desperate for a conference win, the losing streak ends against Arizona. In the meantime, the Beavers will run it up against a porous defense.

SONIC BASKETBALL. Players shouldn't be saying, "I don't think everybody is committed to their roles" one game in. That's disconcerting. Nate is already missed.

BLAZER BASKETBALL. This team really stinks. But at least they've got Nate McMillan.

BELLEVUE HS FOOTBALL. Issaquah owns Bellevue. The Eagles have beaten the Wolverines twice in the schools' last three regular season contests.

SEAHAWK FOOTBALL. Next 3 games: At Arizona, St. Louis at home, and at San Francisco. 8-2 looks possible going into a showdown with the Giants.

Top Dawg

2005-10-11T15:29:00.000-07:00

With the verbal commitment of Seattle Prep's Spencer Hawes last week, Head Coach Lorenzo Romar solidified the fact that he is the University of Washington's Top Dawg on campus!

With the success of last years run and number 1 seed in the tournament,

Lorenzo Romar seemed to say to us all that Husky basketball was on the rise. But we have been duped before into thinking that long time success was right around the corner. When the Huskies hired Bob Bender away from Illinois State in the early 90's, we were promised a new regime, out with the old and in with the new. And except for a great play by UConn's Richard Hamilton, our beloved Huskies may have been playing in the Final Four. But Bobby couldn't make it happen. He began to be criticized for not keeping the local talent and letting the likes of Michael Dickerson, Jason Terry, and Luke Ridnour go to rival Pac-10 schools. So out with Bobby. Insert Romar.

Interestingly enough, Coach Romar wasn't even the school's first choice. Maybe local hero Quinn Snyder would take the job? He had local roots and the Duke pedigree to his name. But he declined and decided to stay at Missouri. Well what about cross state success Mark Few? Gonzaga couldn't possibly continue to be good and the lure of the of being in the Pac-10 might just be enough. Sadly, he too turned us down. So then lets look at Don Monson, the former Zag and current Gopher. Maybe he would take us to the promised land! And lo and behold he took the job. Great for the Huskies and a return of a successful coach to the northwest. But something just wasn't right and before he could schedule his press conference to say yes to the UW, he was saying yes, again, to the University of Minnesota. So Barbara Hedges turned to what appeared as her 4th choice, former Husky Romar. What he has done in 3 short years is turn a football crazy school into one of the top PROGRAMS in the nation. Last year he lands a top twenty class headlined by the commitments of Martell Webster and Jon Brockman. Even though Martell went pro, he still saw enough in Romar to say yes to the Huskies. Now he has just backed up last years class with what many say is the best or 2nd best class in the country. Pac 10 Champs, #1 seed in the tourney and another top recruiting class. Not bad for 4th choice?

List of Romar's Recruiting classes

2002:
Bobby Jones - California
Nate Robinson - Rainer Beach, Wa
Brandon Roy - Garfield, Wa

2003:
Hakeem Rollins - JC - Arizona
Hans Gasser - Issaquah, Wa
Tre Simmons - Garfield, Wa

2004:
Zach Johnson - California
Joel Smith - Prep School

2005:
Joe Wolfinger - Aloha, Or
Martell Webster - Seattle Prep, Wa
John Brockman - Snohomish, Wa
Justin Dentmon - Illinois
Harvey Perry - Nevada
Roburt Sallie - Prep School
Artem Wallace - Toledo, Wa

2006:
Spencer Hawes - Seattle Prep, Wa
Phil Nelson - Kaizer, Or
Quincy Pondexter - California
Adrian Oliver - California

Husky Hope-ful

2005-10-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

Despite having their butts handed to them in a take-out box by Cal and having their hearts torn from their chests by both Air Force and UCLA, there are reasons to be happy in Husky-Land. Good things are happening, and I'm not just talking about "moral victories." Consier the following:

1. Washington football is taking on a new image. A program marked by scandal and deception is showing signs of integrity. Shelton Sampson's departure earlier this week would undoubtedly have raised some eyebrows during the Neuheisel regime. But the new image, inspired by coach Tyrone Willingham, is a welcome change. Willingham's comment on Sampson's exit? "The good news is hopefully he will stay [in school] and get his degree."

2. The kids are buying in. Willingham has been urging the team to practice with excellence. Not only are players articulating this in interviews and press conferences, it's showing up on the field. A Washington team that had no business being on the same field as UCLA gave them a legitimate scare and proved that strides are being made on both sides of the football, especially in the running game.

3. Isaiah Stanback is becoming a solid quarterback. Husky coaches believe in Stanback and are developing him as both a player and a leader. He's always had a great arm, good feet, and an intelligent mind. For the first time in his career, he's starting to put it all together. More importantly, he's not making the types of mistakes that cost teams games.

4. The '06 recruiting class is shaping up nicely. Jake Locker, the 57th rated player on Rivals.com's top list, is the leading quarterback prospect on the West Coast and has already made a verbal commitment to Washington. Other four-star prospects committing to the Huskies are running back James Montgomery and defensive tackle Cameron Elisara.

5. The Huskies have the weekend off. With games looming against Oregon, USC, and Arizona State, there's no break in the forseeable future. The bye week can only help as Washington prepares for this nasty three week stretch.

Don't get me wrong. The Huskies are still a couple seasons away from getting back to the top of the heap in the Pac-10. But things are moving in the right direction.

Purple in an Orange and Green World

2005-09-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Life on this side of the Columbia River has its challenges. The speed limit never goes past 65. Lots of people wear patuli oil. Others knock on my door, sporting "IMPEACH BUSH NOW" t-shirts, telling me I should give them 50 dollars to help make sure nobody drills for any more oil in Alaska.

But that's not the worst part. Every Saturday during football season, thousands of yutzy football fans break out their Ducks/Beavers apparel and wear it around town, proud of their once-pathetic football programs that have gotten decent in recent history (thanks in large part to Phil Knight/potato salad sales at Costco, respectively).

A couple years ago, this wouldn't have bothered me. I could walk around Portland with my head held high, believing my Huskies would end up hammering the Oregon schools and move on to a bowl game.

Those days are gone now. I'm a Husky, and everybody knows it. What used to be a good thing is now an opportunity for people to crack jokes about the worst football being played at the Montlake cut in 35 years. What's worse, I've even been having some run-ins with Cougars, right here in Portland. After this weekend's thrashing at the hands of Cal and his team's win over Nevada, one Cougar alum smugly smiled at me as I walked past him in church and said, "What a great weekend."

Still, there are a bunch of reasons to keep the faith. I'll talk about those another time. In the meantime, I'll be praying for a win over Idaho.

Pro Football Pick'em is HERE!!!

2005-09-10T07:27:00.000-07:00

The NFL season is only a couple of days away...Thank goodness, who could stand to watch another dreaded Mariner's game...And I've had numerous requests to start up some sort of fantasy football contest. So here you go, Pro Football Pick'em:

Think you know football? Each week, you'll get to show off your smarts by picking the winner in all professional football games. It's what I like to call a Zoomstick'em Hullabaloo!

How does it work? All you have to do is enter your selections each week. You'll get points for every correct pick you make while Yahoo! does all the hard work of gathering the results, and computing the point totals and standings.

Think your up to the challenge? In order to join the group I've set up, just go to Pro Football Pick'em, click the "Sign Up" button (or "Create or Join Group" if you are a returning user). From there, follow the path to join an existing private group and when prompted, enter the following information...

Group ID#: 33555
Password: tubbs

The group can only be 50 people, so first come first serve. Also, just like we do with SBT (Shari's Big Tournament) enter your name for your "pick set name" so that everyone knows who is who. Good luck and have fun!

US Reserves Tie Guatemala 0-0

2005-09-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Last night a squad made up primarily of MLS players tied Guatemala 0-0 in a qualifier played in Guatemala City. Only two of the starters do not play in the MLS, the US started a side missing their key stars in a match they didn't need to win.

Having already qualified for Germany with their victory last week over Mexico, Coach Arena used the match as a chance to see complete his roster for next summers Cup. Many were making their first start or appearance in a World Cup qualifier. SPU Alum, Marcus Hahnemann got the shut out for the US, making a couple of great saves.

Mexico defeated Panama 5-0 last night and booked their trip to Germany as well.

US Qualifies for 2006 Cup

2005-09-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last night the US officially qualified for the 2006 World Cup in Germany with their 2-0 victory over Mexico. In qualifying for their 5th straight cup, it was even sweeter as it was at the expense of their rivals Mexico. Mexico was forced to watch the US celebrate being the first CONCACAF team to qualify. Mexico has all but qualified too, needing only 1 point from it's last three matches, though their performance yesterday leaves more questions than answers.

After a scoreless first half, the US scored two goals within a five minute span to continue their dominance over Mexico at home. The US has not lost to Mexico at home in a World Cup Qualifier since 1972, since 2000 the US is 6-0-1 at home versus Mexico, scoring 11 goals while holding Mexico scoreless. Entering the match the US was ranked 6th in the world while Mexico was 5th, leading by only 2 points.

The US has three games remaining, though Coach Arena will look to his reserves more so in those games as stars head back to Europe with the start of the 2005-06 season.

Keller celebrates the shutout by letting everyone know who is #1

The Bucky Barometer- Game 12

2005-08-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Forget about Boone...The real former Mariner that we should be following is Bucky Jacobsen!

Bucky's struggles continued last night (8/20) as he went 0 for 3 with 1 rbi and 3 strike outs.

In his short stay with the Inland Empire 66ers and the Tacoma Rainiers, Bucky is 15 for 41 with 3 doubles, 8 runs, 3 HR's, and 13 RBI's. That's a .366 batting average! By the way, in 41 AB's Bucky has only struck out 9 times and walked 8. Clearly he still has a good idea of the strike zone.

Fun with Numbers

2005-08-19T06:50:00.000-07:00

It's TFF baby and today I'm looking at the numbers...

Here are my top five most interesting numbers for the M's, some of them are good others are not:

1. .317 - This is Jeremy Reed's SLG percentage since the ALL-Star break. What's more depressing is that his OBP is .318...How can your SLG be lower than your OBP? I'm not sure this is the guy for the future.
2. 19 - This is how many RBIs Beltre has so far for the month of August. The next closest is Ibanez with 9 and Sexson with 8. Watch Beltre, he is going to have a big month and probably finish the season strong.
3. .311 - Ichiro's average with an O-2 count at the plate. His average for the season is .307. Most averages go down with the 0-2 count, but not Ichiro!
4. 7 - This is number of HRs hit by the catcher position for the M's this year. Interestingly, this is also the number of different catchers the M's have started this year.
5. 17 - The number of times I want to puke when Spiezio comes the plate.

Since I'm having fun with the numbers, here is my line-up for next season:

1. Ichiro CF
2. Lopez 2B
3. Ibanez RF
4. Sexson 1B
5. Dunn LF
6. Beltre 3B
7. Jacobsen DH
8. Betancourt SS
9. Rivera C

This line-up will get you 80 more HRs than this year's.

US Win But Lack Killer Finish

2005-08-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

The US MNT defeated Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 last night, yet the victory had many wanting more from a team that has virtually qualified for Germany in 2006.

Brian McBride put the US on the board in the 2nd minute of play and it turned out to be the game winner. The US had a goal called back by a bad, bad off sides call late in the second half. While the US dominated this game, if they are to remain a top 10 team in the world, they need to learn how to finish and blow out these kinds of opponents.

Like last month, the US continues to enjoy a sixth place world ranking, just a couple of points behind Mexico, who they face next month.

As well, last nights match saw the return of Claudio Reyna (below), a player the US must have in order to go deep into the 2006 World Cup.

The Winn Factor - Game 14

2005-08-17T06:40:00.000-07:00

Interested in how Winn might be helping the Giants...

Another fine performance by Winn yesterday as he goes 2 for 5 with a double and 2 rbis.

As of Yesterday (8/16), the soft spoken, soft hitting former Mariner is 17 for 52 with 11 runs, 3 BB, and 12 strike outs. That's a .327 average! Oh, and by the way, Randy's SLG percentage is well above his average at .681.

The Miguel Movement - Game 13

2005-08-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Wondering if the M's made the right move by trading Miguel Olivo...

Okay, so this has just gotten sick. Miguel Olivo is just playing out of his mind in San Diego and it is driving me crazy!

Yesterday Miguel went 1 for 4 with an rbi...TRIPLE! Sheesh.

Through 13 games with the Padres, Miguel is 12 for 40 with 6 runs, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, and 1 SB. That's a .300 average and .656 SLG percentage! Dude, where's my car!

Too Bad He's Not a Lefty

2005-08-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

Have you been wondering what happened to the "Big Dude" from Hermiston, Oregon that excited M's fans late last season with his HR's and gregarious personality?

Well, he's back. After spending a significant chunk of time rehabilitating his knee, Bucky Jacobsen is finally ready to play. Getting his feet wet with professional ball again, Bucky is in San Bernardino, California playing with the Inland Empire 66ers.

Through yesterday (8/9), Bucky is smacking the ball around the field like Paul Bunyan. He's 7 for 11 with 2 doubles, 3 runs, 1 HR, and 6 runs batted in.

If things continue to progress nicely, expect to see him in Tacoma and possibly at Safeco towards the end of the season. The only problem is that he's not a Lefty and thus probably doesn't fit into the M's plans.

Sasaki to Retire

2005-08-08T09:09:00.000-07:00

Kazuhiro Sasaki aka Daimajin announced yesterday that he will retire at the end of the season. He will make most likely his last mound appearance next Tuesday when the Baystars play host to the Giants in Sendai's Fullcast Stadium.

Sendai is Sasaki's hometown. Sasaki has lost his position as closer and has been ineffective for the Baystars, spending a large portion of the season on the DL and in the minors.

NPB Update 日本やきゅニュ-ス

2005-08-05T16:05:00.000-07:00

Kenjo Jojima, the power hitting catcher for the Softbank Hawks, has a bad shoulder and will rest it for a week. I still hold out hope that the M's will look at Jojima as a bridge between our current catching mess and Clement.

Think the M's have issues with guys making a ton of money and not producing, I give you Kazuhiro Sasaki of the Yokohama Bay Stars. Kaz returned in 2004 and has the highest salary in NPB at 650 Million Yen, a little over 6 Million Dollars. The end appears to be insight for Kaz as the team sent him down to the farm team earlier this year and he lost his closing duties to Marc Koon. 0-3 with 4 saves and a 9.53 ERA are the telltale signs of the end of a career. Sasaki hopes to pitch in his hometown of Sendai when the Baystars have a home away from home game against the Giants. Koon recently set the record for fastest pitched clocked last month with a 161 km fastball against the Tigers.

Sasaki has also been engaged in a lot of changes in his personal life.

Softbank continues to lead Lotte by 3.5 games, both have left the rest of the Pacific League in the dust. In the Central League, the Tigers have a 2.5 game lead over the Dragons and the Giants have managed to pull within a game and a half of the last place Hiroshima Carp.

Fog Dugout Resembles a MASH Unit

2005-08-05T15:37:00.000-07:00

AP - Magnolia, WA

This past Monday was the quarterfinal playoff game, pitting #5 seed the Fog vs. #4 seed Pinehurst Pub. Everyone followed the keys to the game and arrived prior to the first pitch, ensuring the visiting Fog a compete roster.

The Fog got the first going with a 3 spot and looked to add on more when 5 of the first 6 batter reached base safely, but it was for not. The first of many blows occurred in the bottom of the first when the second batter hit consecutive foul ball pop ups behind third base. Each time Graeme gave chase, and the second he appeared to have a line on when he hurt his legged. The injury forced Graeme to leave the game.

The break in the action clearly hurt the Fog as the same batter walked after starting out 0-2, and the Pub managed to take the lead with a 4 spot. The Fog managed 7 more singles the rest of the way, pushing a lone run across in the 3rd. Carlson also aggravated a injured hamstring in the first and was relegated to first base, clearly the leg bothered him hitting as well. Nolte hurt a legged in the 4th forcing him to leave the game defensively for the 5th and 6th innings.

Joe didn't pitch poorly, nor did the defense play exceptionally badly, though it should be noted that like the offense, neither were outstanding on a night when they needed to be given the lack of punch from the batters. 11 Singles and 2 walks, that won't get you far, especially in a playoff game.

The Fog dropped the contest 10 to 4, thought the score didn't feel that close. After the game, stunned teammates, clearly not prepared to end the season, exchanged hugs and enjoyed brownies and orange slices in celebration of Jody's birthday.

The Fog 2005 Regular Season Stats
Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Eric Nolte	32	15	18	3	2	2	14	3	1			0.563	31	0.969	0.600	1.569
Steve Boyd	31	12	15	4			5	3	1		2	0.484	19	0.613	0.529	1.142
Nate Watson	29	14	16	3		1	14	2	1	1		0.552	22	0.759	0.563	1.321
Dan Houser	28	15	15	2	2	1	12	2		1		0.536	24	0.857	0.548	1.406
Matt Cook	24	7	10				3	4				0.417	10	0.417	0.500	0.917
Daunte Gouge	23	7	10				5	1				0.435	10	0.435	0.458	0.893
Mike Carlson	23	7	11	1		1	9	1	1			0.478	15	0.652	0.500	1.152
Brent Amsbary	22	9	14		1		13					0.636	16	0.727	0.636	1.364
Peter Watson	22	11	14	2	1		14	6	1	2	1	0.636	18	0.818	0.667	1.485
Graeme Hanson	21	11	12		2	2	14	2				0.571	22	1.048	0.609	1.656
Joe Gerlitz	17	2	11		1		10					0.647	13	0.765	0.647	1.412
Jody Wilkins	15	3	3				0					0.200	3	0.200	0.200	0.400
James Owen	8	0	2				2					0.250	2	0.250	0.250	0.500
Kris Browne	8	1	4	1			1					0.500	5	0.625	0.500	1.125
Craig Weaver	7	3	3				4					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857
Curtis Feddern	7	3	3				0					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857

The Fog 2005 Playoff Stats
Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Nate Watson	7	2	6	1			1					0.857	7	1.000	0.857	1.857
Eric Nolte	7	3	5	1			3	1				0.714	6	0.857	0.750	1.607
Dan Houser	7	2	4				1					0.571	4	0.571	0.571	1.143
Joe Gerlitz	7	2	3			1	5					0.429	6	0.857	0.429	1.286
Peter Watson	7	2	3	1			2					0.429	4	0.571	0.429	1.000
Mike Carlson	7	2	2				1					0.286	2	0.286	0.286
Graeme Hanson	6	2	4			1	6					0.667	7	1.167	0.667	1.833
Matt Cook	6	3	4	1			1	1				0.667	5	0.833	0.714	1.548
Brent Amsbary	6	3	3			1	5			1		0.500	6	1.000	0.429	1.429
Steve Boyd	6	4	3				1	1		1		0.500	3	0.500	0.500	1.000
Daunte Gouge	5	3	4				2	1		1		0.800	4	0.800	0.714	1.514
Jody Wilkins	3	0	0				0					0.000	0	0.000	0.000	0.000

Looking for Lefty

2005-08-05T07:14:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed (or maybe you haven't) the TFF list has taken the last two weeks off. Well...it's back

As the M's make way for the team of the future I can't help but feel optimistic. Maybe it's a mistake, but I really think the team is only one or two players away from being competitive again. One player that could make a huge impact is a legitimate left-handed power hitter. There are some interesting free agents in this regard this off season...Below is my top five list of left handed power hitting free agent acquisitions that the M's should make this off season.

1. Adam Dunn
2. Aubrey Huff
3. Hideki Matsui
4. Nick Johnson
5. Shawn Green

I don't think the M's can make more than one big free agent pick up and I don't think any of these guys will come for under $10 million a year. But with the money they have moved over the last week, they can afford to invest in one of these guys. My money is on Dunn. Have you seen the numbers he's posted this year? He could really fatten up our lineup.

The Boone Barometer - Game Over

2005-08-02T07:25:00.000-07:00

Wondering how Brett Boone has done since he joined the Twins...

For your sadistic pleasure (and mine), here is how are old friend Booney is doing:

After two weeks of girlish play, the Twins realized what the M's knew a month ago...Brett Boone is DONE!!! The Twins have released Double B, thus ending the Boone Barometer..That is unless some other team picks up Booney...

Double B batted 9 for 53 with 3 rbi's and 13 strike outs while he vacationed in Minneapolis. His .170 average was terrible, but not as bad as his SLG percentage which was also .170. In the end Boone proved to be a power singles hitter with average fielding skills.

Stay tuned for further installments of Ex-Mariner updates!!!

Its Not How You Start, But How You Finish

2005-07-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

AP - Magnolia, WA

As game time approached last night, The Fog were battling two fronts: the Past and the Present. The Past as the team was still clinging to the disappointment of their loss Monday night and subsequent #5 seed and The Present as they only had 8 players to start the game. With a make shift infield and outfield, the Fog surrendered 7 runs largely to being understaffed on defense.

The final two pieces of the puzzle arrived just as the Fog recorded the third out and prepared for their response to Kenny's seven runs. Needing to quickly answer, the Fog managed but a whimper. Boyd reached via error and after consecutive fly outs by Nolte and Graeme, Carlson singled him to second. Nate singled to the first baseman, beating him to the bag. Instead of a bases loaded situation for Houser, confusion reigned supreme on the base paths as Boyd attempted to score from second and was thrown out at home for the third out of the inning.

After holding Kenny scoreless in the second with their defense finally installed, including all three outs recorded by right fielder Peter Watson, the second on a nice sliding variety, the Fog again put up an goose egg in the bottom of the second. Between the second and third inning, something snapped in the Fog. Kenny appeared to be cruising to an upset as they posted two more runs, including one on a four base error to lead 9-0 as they headed into the bottom of the third. They had no clue what was about to happen.

Daunte lead off with a single, he would finish the day 3-3 with a SF, Boyd singled, Nolte doubled and then Graeme hit a HR. Now it was 9-4 and still no outs. Carlson singled, Nate singled, Dan forced Nate out at second and Brent hit into his second consecutive fielders choice for the second out. Suddenly any momentum built from the first 6 batter was spent or so Kenny thought. Peter singled, Cook singled and then Joe hit the second three run bomb on the inning - tie ball game, the Fog was back. Daunte singled for the second time in the inning, as did Boyd, Nolte singled and Graeme lofted a long fly to right that Kenny decided to drop and then boot towards the little league field scoring everyone. Carlson flew out to end the inning, but not before the Fog had delivered a gut punching 13 spot to Kenny.

Kenny responded by sending only four batters to the plate in the fourth, and most importantly failed to score. Nate singled to lead of the fourth, Dan reached via error and then 2005 ROY Brent shook off any lingering playoff jitters by hitting his first Fog home run, fittingly another three run shot. After one out, Cook doubled, Joe singled him in, Daunte doubled, Boyd drove in Joe with a sac fly and Nolte drove in Daunte. After four it was Fog 19-9. In the fifth, Kenny scored 4 and the Fog answered with 5 more. Kenny added one in the 6th before the game was called due to time. Fog 24 Kenny 14. Kenny was done for the season.

Despite the 14 runs allowed, Joe pitched quite well. The Fog reverted to playing more station to station ball, keeping the pressure on by hitting many more line drives. Likewise, the Fog was buoyed by the appearance of Vitamin C for the last few innings.

Fog Stars:
Graeme, Joe and Brent for the three run bombs. Joe and Graeme drove in 5, while Brent followed with 4. Nate and Daunte were perfect at the plate.

The Fog return to action this Monday at 6pm on Mag 3. Fog members are strongly encouraged to arrive early to avoid another undermanned first inning. Likewise, Fog members are strongly discouraged from going to Wild Waves the day of games, too much exposure to the sun leads to lapses in mental judgment.

2005 FOG PLAYOFF STATS

Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Steve Boyd	4	2	2				1			1		0.500	2	0.500	0.400	0.900
Eric Nolte	4	2	3	1			3	1				0.750	4	1.000	0.800	1.800
Graeme Hanson	5	2	3			1	5					0.600	6	1.200	0.600	1.800
Mike Carlson	4	1	2									0.500	2	0.500	0.500	1.000
Nate Watson	4	2	4	1								1.000	5	1.250	1.000	2.250
Dan Houser	4	2	2				1					0.500	2	0.500	0.500	1.000
Brent Amsbary	4	3	2			1	4					0.500	5	1.250	0.500	1.750
Peter Watson	4	2	3	1			2					0.750	4	1.000	0.750	1.750
Matt Cook	3	3	2	1			1	1				0.667	3	1.000	0.750	1.750
Joe Gerlitz	4	2	3			1	5					0.750	6	1.500	0.750	2.250
Daunte Gouge	3	3	3				2			1		1.000	3	1.000	0.750	1.750

2005 Fog Post Season Award: ROY

2005-07-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

AP - Fog HQ, Seattle, WA

With their 11th regular season complete, the Fog turns it's eyes towards the playoffs. As the 5th seed, they take on nemesis, Kenny at 6:15 tonight at MAG 4. Following in the rich tradition of recognizing select players for awards, the Fog wasted no time in bestowing the 2005 Fog Rookie of the Year Award to Brent Amsbary.

Brent made his Fog debut in 2001, going 1 for 3, driving in two with a triple. Though it would be another three years before he appeared again in Fog uniform, he always remained on the Fog's short list of top prospects. Following the 2004 season, Brent was the #1 off season priority for Fog management. Said XA Steve Boyd, "We always have a wandering eye for talent, especially those that are younger." So, coming off a championship in 2004, the Fog looked to add on to a deep and talented roster and made an offer to Brent that couldn't be refused. Though the terms of the deal were kept confidential and are contractually enforced by team lawyer Daniel S Houser, internet rumors have led to speculation that the deal centered around having his jersey logo centered towards his navel.

Brent did not disappoint, driving in 13 while hitting .636, he even silenced his critics who said he had no speed by hitting a triple that would have been a double for most men.

As Brent makes his first appearance in the post season, I would encourage each member to pull him aside and share with him one or two pieces of wisdom of how they deal with the additional pressures.

Coach Watson

Fog Split, Earn 5th Seed

2005-07-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

AP - Magnolia, WA

In typical Fog fashion they split their third double header of the year. Crushing yet another undermanned opponent, Quellos, 24-5, while dropping the night cap 6-5 to Bacardi's Bombers. The lost to the Bombers was crushing as it caused the Fog to drop from the #2 seed to the #5 seed.

Joe's earlier recap hit all of the highlights and I will include it again for those that don't read Joe's emails. One point Joe failed to mention was Nolte's called strike three with the bases loaded in game 2. Ouch.
"As I iced my arm last night after our game, I thought to myself: do i play softball for the victories, or for the memories?
Then I considered that, 20 years from now, I'm not going to remember if we won our second game last night.
What I will remember is this:
- Nolte living up to his Pizza Time billing, and falling down while making the catch at 2nd.
- Boyd throwing out the "Come on" taunt to the baserunner on 3rd, bringing a few "easy, catcher"s from the other bench.
- great plays by Pete Watson and Any Given Monday
- Cook and I talking on the bench. It's time to take the field. As he finishes talking, Cook puts on my lefty glove backwards on his left hand. He then realizes his mistake and finds his own glove.
- Gouge, making a great catch, and then yells out in a high pitched, Punky Brewster-like voice to Watson at first: "NATHAN!"
- me, asking a few guys on the other team before the game started if the brand-new gleaming white softball was white enough for them. They took me seriously and gave me their approval.
- another successful play at the plate for my battery mate and #1 on my booty call drunk dial, Steve Boyd."

2005 Offensive Leaders:
BA - .647, Joe Gerlitz
HRs - 2, tie, Eric Nolte and Graeme Hanson
RBIs - 14, 4 way tie, Nolte, N Watson, P Watson and Hanson
Runs - 15, tie, Dan Houser and Eric Nolte
Walks - 6, Peter Watson
Hits - 18, Eric Nolte
Doubles - 4, Steve Boyd
Triples - 2, 3 way tie, Nolte, Houser, Hanson
GIDP - 2, Steve Boyd
SF - 2, Peter Watson
Total Bases, 31, Eric Nolte
Slugging Percentage, 1.048, Hanson
On-Base Percentage, .667, Peter Watson
OPS, 1.656, Hanson

2005 FOG REGULAR SEASON STATS

Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Eric Nolte	32	15	18	3	2	2	14	3	1			0.563	31	0.969	0.600	1.569
Steve Boyd	31	12	15	4			5	3	1		2	0.484	19	0.613	0.529	1.142
Nate Watson	29	14	16	3		1	14	2	1	1		0.552	22	0.759	0.563	1.321
Dan Houser	28	15	15	2	2	1	12	2		1		0.536	24	0.857	0.548	1.406
Matt Cook	24	7	10				3	4				0.417	10	0.417	0.500	0.917
Daunte Gouge	23	7	10				5	1				0.435	10	0.435	0.458	0.893
Mike Carlson	23	7	11	1		1	9	1	1			0.478	15	0.652	0.500	1.152
Brent Amsbary	22	9	14		1		13					0.636	16	0.727	0.636	1.364
Peter Watson	22	11	14	2	1		14	6	1	2	1	0.636	18	0.818	0.667	1.485
Graeme Hanson	21	11	12		2	2	14	2				0.571	22	1.048	0.609	1.656
Joe Gerlitz	17	2	11		1		10					0.647	13	0.765	0.647	1.412
Jody Wilkins	15	3	3				0					0.200	3	0.200	0.200	0.400
James Owen	8	0	2				2					0.250	2	0.250	0.250	0.500
Kris Browne	8	1	4	1			1					0.500	5	0.625	0.500	1.125
Craig Weaver	7	3	3				4					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857
Curtis Feddern	7	3	3				0					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857

Keller Leads US to Gold

2005-07-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

While the US is flush with young talent, Freddy Adu, Landon Donovan, DeMarcus Beasley, the sole reason for the continued rise of the US MNT is their keepers. Kasey Keller was the star in yesterday's 3-1 Penalty Kick victory over Panama for the Gold Cup.

Like Brad Friedel in the 2002 World Cup, Keller manned the goal and shut out Panama during two 45 minute halves and two 15 minute overtime periods. Despite the 0-0 final score, the game was but a defensive struggle. Both Panama and the US made repeated offensive advances, and each had gold opportunities to score. Of course, the game also displayed the two best keepers in the tournament with Panama's Jaime Penedo earning goal keeper of the tournament and Keller earning honorable mention.

As the second overtime period progressed, both teams began to show obvious signs of fatigue and it was clear that both were looking to the penalty kick show down.
Penalty kicks are down in sets of 5, with each team picking 5 kickers. Panama went first and Keller guessed right and denied the shot. The US converted it's first shot. Panama then missed their second, sending the shot over the posts. Panama blocked the US's second shot and Panama made their their. The US made their third to take a 2-1 lead. On their fourth attempt, Panama again missed the goal setting the stage for Brad Davis. Davis, playing in only his second game for the US MNT, sent in the kick for a 3-1 victory.

2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup All Team from the US:
Oguchi Onyewu
Landon Donovan
DeMarcus Beasley

The US MNT next action is August 17th vs Trinidad and Tobago in a world cup qualifier.

GM Fantasy Land Poll

2005-07-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

It's late July, and for the second season in a row the M's are playing for pride from here on out. Because of this, I thought it might be interesting to put a poll before the Zoomstick faithful.

Here's the question: If you could add any 5 players to the M's roster today, who would you take? Here's my list:

Pedro Martinez
Rich Harden
Johan Santana
A Rod (SS)
Vlad Guerrero

My lineup:

Ichiro RF
Bloomquist 2B
A Rod SS
Vlad LF
Sexson 1B
Beltre 3B
Ibanez DH
Olivo C
Reed CF

Pedro
Santana
Harden
Moyer
Franklin

Gold Cup Final Is Set: US vs Panama

2005-07-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Last night the US over came 30 minutes of sloppy play and a one goal deficit to defeat Honduras 2-1. The US looked like anything but the 6th ranked team in the world for the first 30 minutes last night, capped off by a sloppy pass by Frankie Hejduk that was converted into a goal by Honduras. Had keeper Keller not stopped a point blank shot 1 minute into the game it would have been 2-0, again a Honduran opportunity set up by a mistake by Pope.

After scoring in the 31st minute, Honduras was content to sit back, kill time and hope to milk their one goal for a place in the Gold Cup Final. Heading into the half, both teams had taken 5 shots, but coming out into the second half the US switched to a 3-5-2 formation and came out the aggressors. Out shooting the Catrachos 8-3. John O'Brien tied the match at 1 with a goal in the 86th minute and then just seconds before the end of regulation, in injury time Oguchi Onyewu scored his first ever goal for the national team on a header. The Catrachos were stunned by the dramatic US comeback.

Early in the second half Coach Arena was ejected for protesting call meaning he will be suspended for the final. This was not the first time he has taken issue with the calls of Jamaican referee Peter Prendergast Despite playing in New Jersey, the crowd was clearly pro-Honduran, 80 to 90% of the 41,721 fans in attendance.

Landon Donovan sends free kick over the Honduran wall

In the night cap, Panama shocked Columbia, scoring twice in the first 30 minutes to take a 2-0 lead. Things got worse for the guests from South America when Humberto Mendoza was sent off with a red card. Panama failed to capitalize on the man advantage and early in the second half they too had someone sent off, now it was 10 on 10. Columbia quickly scored to half the lead, but Panama added another. While Columbia would put one more in the net, it wasn't enough and the surprise of the tournament, Panama, won 3-2 and eared a place in the finals versus the US.

Fog Split Double Header

2005-07-20T09:05:00.000-07:00

AP - Magnolia, WA

This past Monday, The Fog took the field as the visiting team for both ends of a double header. First up was The Sunset. A team that joined the league last year and ripped off 7 wins in their first 8 games to start the season, only to lose the final two games, including the last game of the year to The Fog and choke away their lock on a first place seed. The 2005 version of The Sunset came into the game looking to right the ship with a 3-4 record.

The Fog put 3 on the board to lead the game off, after Boyd and Nolte started the game with outs, Graeme singled, Carlson singled (Mike is finding his stroke), Nate walked, Dan singled and Peter singled. The Sunset answered with 2 in their half of the inning. The Fog put 4 more on the board in the second and the Sunset were retired in their half, only scratching out a single with two outs. From there on out, the Fog played add on, while The Sunset struggled to send more than 4 batters to the plate in an inning. The final nail in The Fog's victory over The Sunset was the brilliant double play turned by Graeme to Cook to Amsbary in the bottom of the 7th. The Fog won 12-2.

Other highlights from the game included Nate Watson watching strike 3 to end the 4th inning, just like Carlson's backwards K, it occurred in the 4th inning and was the last out of the inning, as well, like Mike, Nate disputed the call, and like Mike, received no support from the bench. Rather, like Mike, received more than his share of cat calls. The other funny incident happened in the 2nd inning. Joe lead off with a single, Cook singled hard to right, jogged to first like a pitcher, the right fielder seeing Cook take his time getting to first, attempted to throw him out, only to throw the ball past the first baseman. This overthrow woke Cook up, who put his head down and headed to 2nd only to see Joe standing on the bag admiring the view. Unlike camp, only one runner is allowed per bag, thus Cook was tagged out and left wondering what went wrong.

The night cap of the double header pitted the Fog against undefeated Red Ox, who came into the game with a record of 9-0. Again the Fog scored early, putting 2 on the board in the first. Red Ox countered with 1. The game was a seesaw affair with the Fog leading 7-3 heading into the bottom of the 3rd only to see Red Ox score 4 more to tie it up. Each time a team took the lead, the other came back and either tied or went ahead. Trailing 9-7 heading into the 5th, the Fog scored 2 to tie, then scored 2 more in the 6th to take the lead 11-9. Red Ox answered with 7 to seemingly pull away 17-11. With the top of the order leading off the 7th, with one out, the Fog answered with a 6 spot of their own to head into the bottom of the 7th leading by 1, 17-16. This game was very reminiscent of a game against Little Red Hen two years ago, and like that game, the Fog could not hold the lead in the bottom of the 7th as Red Ox followed two singles with a home run to win 19-17.

The Fog have two games remaining in the regular season, a double header this coming Monday, July 25th starting at 6:15 on Mag 3.

Currently The Fog are tied for 2nd with Pinehurst Pub, a team The Fog does not play. Red Ox has secured the #1 seed with a 10-0 record. The best the Fog can do is a #2 seed and ensure not facing Red Ox until the championship game.

2005 Fog Stats

Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Eric Nolte	25	12	14	1	2	2	13	2				0.560	25	1.000	0.593	1.593
Steve Boyd	23	9	10	3			5	3	1		2	0.435	13	0.565	0.500	1.065
Dan Houser	22	10	11	1	1		9	1		1		0.500	14	0.636	0.500	1.136
Nate Watson	22	10	12	2		1	10	2	1	1		0.545	17	0.773	0.560	1.333
Matt Cook	18	7	9				1	4				0.500	9	0.500	0.591	1.091
Daunte Gouge	17	7	7				5	1				0.412	7	0.412	0.444	0.856
Peter Watson	17	8	11	2	1		11	5	1	2	1	0.647	15	0.882	0.667	1.549
Brent Amsbary	16	5	9		1		8					0.563	11	0.688	0.563	1.250
Mike Carlson	16	4	7	1		1	5	1	1			0.438	11	0.688	0.471	1.158
Graeme Hanson	14	8	8		1	2	12	2				0.571	16	1.143	0.625	1.768
Joe Gerlitz	11	1	6				5					0.545	6	0.545	0.545	1.091
Jody Wilkins	9	3	3				0					0.333	3	0.333	0.333	0.667
James Owen	8	0	2				2					0.250	2	0.250	0.250	0.500
Kris Browne	8	1	4	1			1					0.500	5	0.625	0.500	1.125
Craig Weaver	7	3	3				4					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857
Curtis Feddern	7	3	3				0					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857

Columbia Upsets Mexico; Panama Moves On

2005-07-18T10:06:00.000-07:00

The other half of the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup concluded yesterday, with Columbia upsetting Mexico in front of predominant pro-Mexico crowd of over 60,000. Columbia dominated from the start, displaying an aggressive play not seen in their group play matches. After making the quarterfinals with a 1-2 record, the Columbia guests appeared for a quick dismissal by Mexico

Only the Columbians had other plans. Mexico was without their key forward, Jared Borgetti, due to picking up his second yellow card in their last group play match. Still, Mexico is ranked 6th in the world for a reason, and 25th ranked Columbia shouldn't have been a problem. It was tied at half, only because two early Columbia goals were taken off due to offsides. Columbia struck first, then Mexico answered a few minutes later. A 40 meter shot in the 75th minute proved to be the difference maker. Columbia now faces Panama, who defeated South Africa 1-1 (5-3) in penalty kicks.

Columbia Celebrates Their Victory

While guests Columbia advanced in the Gold Cup, their other invitees, South Africa, met a motivated Panamanian squad. After taking a 1-0 lead in the second half, Panama evened the match. Tied at the end of regulation, neither team was able to score during the extra half so it was on to penalty kicks, where Panama hit all 5, while South Africa was able to only convert 3. Panama advances to face Columbia. Panama, ranked 98th in the world, hopes this victory over a squad ranked 38th will rejuvenate a squad that still has hopes for a World Cup bid. This will be Panama's deeps advancement in Gold Cup play, as well, they have already beaten Columbia once, 1-0, in Group play.

Panama Celebrates Following Penalty Kicks

Another Solid Outing for Swift

2005-07-17T06:37:00.000-07:00

Robert Swift is doing everything he can to show the Sonics that he is ready to step in and contribute next season.

Leading all rebounders with 8 boards, Swift played solid defense and scored 7 points to go with 1 blocked shot. Led by Alex Scales' 15 points and 5 assists, the Summer League Squad lost for the second day in a row. On Monday, Swift and Company take on Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz.

US Turns Back Reggae Boyz

2005-07-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

US defeated Jamaica 3-1 to advance to the semifinals vs Honduras. The US had never lost to Jamaica and they were not in the mood to break the streak. After using the group play games as a chance to evaluate his players, Coach Arena put this best squad on the pitch in their elimination match against the Reggae Boyz.

Concerns that the US hadn't played a solid game, were put to bed early when Josh Wolff put the US on the board 1-0. Almost immediately after that, Jamaica earned a penalty. A score by Jamaica would have tied the game and wiped out any momentum the US had, fortunately keeper Casey Keller had other plans and he dove to side of the shot and blocked it. Later in the first half DeMarcus Beasley scored the first of his two goals to make it 2-0 at the half. Beasley would add another goal in the second half to make it 3-0. Jamaica put one on the board in the 88th minute, but by then it was too late.

Early in the first half, the US suffered another injury when Steve Cherundolo was tackled cleats up by Damion Stewart. Stewart was carded, a yellow, but should have been given a red. Cherundolo's availability for Thursday's match against Honduras is unknown. As well, the US will be without Ben Olsen who was given a red card when he pulled down a Jamaican that had a clear path to the goal. He was ejected from the game and is suspended for the next. Olsen's decision on the play drew the ire of Coach Arena. The US was down a man for less than 10 minutes when Jamaican Jermaine Taylor was sent off for his tackle on Beasley, see photo below..

Taylor ends his day with this cheap shot of Beasley

Earlier today, Honduras jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead over Costa Rica and held off the Ticos to advance to the semifinals. The Catrachos will play the US this coming Thursday in New Jersey. Expect a wide open game with each team running the full 90 minutes, always looking to attack. Costa Rica has only to look in the mirror for the reasons they are done in the 2005 Gold Cup. Mental mistakes lead to two of the three goals, including a lazy pass back to the keeper that was intercepted for a goal.

Honduras savors their victory

Aussie Wins Record WSOP Main Event

2005-07-16T19:44:00.001-07:00

A record 5619 players participated in this year's No Limit Texas Hold 'Em final at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. The huge turnout means a huge payday for winner Joseph Hachem, who earned $7.5 million for his efforts. The Australian pro poker player beat Steve Dannenmann with a straight on the final hand of the tournament to win the crown and the cash. With his second place finish, Dannenmann, a Maryland businessman, walks home with a whopping $4.5 million. In fact, all nine finalists earned better than $1 million, making the $10,000 buy-in seem like chump change.

Click here to see the list of players who finished in the money.

Swift Looks Swift in First Summer League Game

2005-07-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Robert Swift pulled down 14 rebounds in a losing effort last night against the Charlotte Bobcats in the 2005 Reebok Rocky Mountain Revue.

Along with leading all players in rebounds, Robert had 9 points and 2 blocked shots. Alex Scales lead Seattle in scoring with 12 points. Complete boxscore here. On a side note, Johan Petro pulled a Jerome James in his first game by scoring 4 points with 1 rebound, 1 block shot, and 6 personal fouls in 11 minutes of action.

This afternoon the Sonics take on the Spurs at 2pm.

Pitching, Pitching, Pitching

2005-07-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

After last night's loss, the M's have kicked off the second half of the season exemplifying the traits that made them the lack-luster team of the first half. Sloppy AB's, making an average pitcher look golden, failing to get key hits, and my personal favorite, mediocre starting pitching.

The M's are 14 games back and much of it is due to there starting pitching. There combined ERA is 4.82. today's TFF list is how I rank the M's starting pitching. Here are my top five starters:

Jamie Moyer - At 8-3 with a 4.64 ERA, Jamie is the best pitcher on the M's staff. Among the starters, he's struck out the second most batters and has given up the fewest HR's. By the way, did you know Jamie is making 8 million this year!
Ryan Franklin - At 5-10 you wouldn't expect Ryan to be very high on the list. But among the starters, Ryan has the lowest ERA (4.35) and has worked in the most innings (113). Not bad for a guy who is theoretically the M's 5th starter.
Aaron Sele - At 6-9 with a 4.77 ERA, Aaron has not been good. He's had his moments, but really this guy is done. However, throw him on the M's staff and you get the 3rd best starter. Ouch.
Gil Meche - At 9-6 with a 4.94 ERA, Gil has been nothing short of blah the first half of the season. Over his last five starts, Gil has worked a total of 25 innings giving up 18 earned runs. Some quick math, his ERA over those five games is 6.48. Compare this to Ryan Fanklin (37 innings over his last five starts, giving up 14 earned runs for a respectable 3.4 ERA) and you can see why Ryan is number two and Gil four.
Joel Pineiro - What can I say? This guy is starting to look like a bust...and I'm not talking about a bronze statue or female anatomy for those of you who still think The Naked Gun is the greatest movie ever made! Joel is 3-4 with a 5.44 ERA. After every outing it's the same story with him, "I felt great. I pitched well. Just made one or two bad pitches. Other than that I was pretty happy." Pretty happy? How about the M's designate this guy the team cleat cleaner and see how happy he is then! Joel has been a huge, huge disappointment.

Just for the record, I would rather watch Leslie Neilsen pitch than Joel!

You can see that the two guys that should be at the head of the list, Joel Pinero and Gil Meche are actually at the bottom of the list. What gives? Are these two guys just working out their respective kinks, after all they are both young? Or are we really seeing what these two guys have?

Group Play Concludes, Mexico Rebounds: US to Face Jamaica

2005-07-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

With their 1-0 victory over Jamaica, Mexico rebounded from their loss to South Africa to win their group. Mexico was able to slide into first when South Africa tied Guatemala 1-1.

Jamaica fell to third in Group C and earned a match up with the US. Honduras, the Group A winner, will face Costa Rica. Columbia rebounded it's first two games to defeat Trinidad 2-0 and move on to elimination play, facing Group C winner Mexico. Finally, 2nd place finishers South Africa and Panama make up the final two quarterfinal teams.

US/Jamaica and Honduras/Costa Rica play this Saturday in Foxboro and Mexico/Columbia and South Africa/Panama play this Sunday in Houston.

A little background on Jamaica: Rank 41st in the World (US is ranked 10th), Jamaica aka Reggae Boyz, failed to move beyond stage 2 of the 2006 World Cup Qualifying. Ironically, they were in the same group as the US, the US won the group with three wins and three draws. Jamaica only won on match, drawing four and losing one, finishing one point behind Panama for third place and an end to their dreams of qualifying for 2006. Oddly, two of the US draws were with Jamaica, both 1-1, August 2004 and November 2004. Quarterfinal play in single elimination, look for the Jamaican's to come out and aggressively challenge for 90 minutes and try to take down the US. They are playing with a degree of confidence after surviving a very tough group, surprising many as they moved on.

Next Jordan?

2005-07-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

Since the greatest player to ever don a pair of sneakers and shorts jumped onto the scene with that infamous shot vs Georgetown to win the 1982 NCAA National
Championship, we have been searching for the "Air" apparent to his Airness.

Names like Harold Miner , Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant to name a few have been unfairly given the title of the "Next Jordan". Maybe it was because they jumped like him or went to North Carolina or even shaved their head. Whatever the reason was, not a one of them ever lived up to the billing and hype that Michael carried with him during his illustrious career. So who might the next one be? We may need to look no further than Loyola Academy near Chicago for the true next Jordan.

Jeffrey Jordan is the 16 year old son of Michael Jordan. This summer Jeffrey was invited to the prestigious Nike All-American Camp held in Indianapolis. He is not out to prove that he can play like his dad, he is just there to prove that he can play.

"I want to show that I belong here. I guess I'm not the top one or two or
three or four players from my state, but I want to show that I can play here
and that I'm not just a name.", said Jeffrey to AP sports reporter Michael
Marot

Jordan will be junior at Loyola Academy College Prep next year. He was an all-conference selection last year and was invited to last years Nike camp but chose to wait a year.

He wears 32, the flip of his dad's and he stands only 6 feet tall. He doesn't play above the rim or shoot the same sweet jumper that daddy did but he can still play. A few D1 schools have taken some interest in the young Jordan and it looks like he may have a future in the college game. About the only thing in common he shares with his dad is the name. But we may have the answer to the question of who "next" may be.

US and Costa Rica Play to a Draw

2005-07-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last night the US concluded opening round play with a 0-0 draw vs Costa Rica. Though both finished group play 2-0-1, the US enters elimination play as the group winner on the strength of better goal differential, +5, than Costa Rica.

Defender Frankie Hejduk picked up his second yellow card and will be lost for the next game. Coach Arena was not pleased with his decision making. The US will either play the third place finisher of Group C which could be Jamaica, Mexico or South Africa, depending on results of today's games. The elimination game will be played this Saturday in Foxboro.

Return of the J's - Jody and Joe

2005-07-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

AP - Magnolia, WA

The Fog returned to the diamond for it's first real game since June 22. During that time period, Boyd visited all 16 National League Parks, Curtis became a dad again and Nolte drank 167 Mikeys.

The Fog were pitted against SFCC, who had the advantage of playing a game prior to their match up with the Fog. The Fog showed a little rust in the first inning, giving SFCC a couple of extra outs and finding themselves down by 2 as they entered the bottom of the first.

Earlier in the day, a call was placed to the Elias Sports Bureau to find out what the single season Fog record is for walks. Turns out in 2002 David Burnett earned 7 free passes. Entering the game, Cook already had 4 and Peter was right on his tail with 3. So it was fitting that Boyd lead off the game with --- a walk, he would finish with two for the game. This drew the jeers from some members of the Fog, but as Boyd reached the bag he knew he had done his job, set the table. And it's a good thing he did, because behind him has been a big RBI eater this year, Eric Nolte, who drove a ball over the right fielders head for a 2 run bomb. As Nolte was rounding the bases, Fog members encouraged Nolte to run faster and "Don't Forget Your Cup." Faster than you could say, give me two rodeo burgers and a double malt shake, Nolte had tied the game. After a fly out by Graeme, Carlson singled and Nate drove a ball that tailed away from the right fielder for another home run, making it 4-2. With two outs, Peter walked for the 4 time this season, clearly putting pressure on Cook. Cook would have to wait until the 2nd for his first at bat as Joe swung at the first pitch he saw in 2005, a ball at his eyes and popped it up for the third out.

After holding SFCC scoreless in the 2nd, they rebounded for 3 more to retake the lead 5-4 heading into the bottom of the 3rd. As if on cue, the Fog offense roared back. Graeme singled, Carlson flew out, Nate singled, Houser singled scoring Graeme, Brent singled scoring Nate for a 6-5 Fog lead. With Dan on 2nd and Brent on 1st, Peter hit a fairly deep fly to right, and just as the right fielder was settling underneath it, he lost his footing, though still able to catch the ball as he fell to the ground. Dan and Brent wisely tagged up, both advancing two bases on the sacrifice fly. 7-5 Fog. Joe redeemed himself and guaranteed he wouldn't have another ofer season by singling and driving in Brent for a 8-5 lead.

The Fog tagged on two more in the 4th and scored 1 run in each of the 5th and 6th innings for a 12-6 victory.

The 4th inning ended with Mike Carlson looking at strike three, the Fog quickly and quietly retreated to the field, less the Colonel erupt. As well, the 5th inning saw Peter again drive in Dan with a sac fly, thus ending the night with no official at bats, though driving in 2. Jody made his 2005 debut as well, and stroked three hard hit line drives right at the left center fielder. Joe Gerlitz delivered in the field as well, making a great leaping catch the killed a big inning for SFCC and then followed that up an inning later by throing a strike to Boyd, who ran up the line to make the catch, then tag the runner for his third put out at home this year.

The Fog return to action next Monday with a double header at Mag 3, 6:15 and 7:30

2005 FOG STATS

Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Eric Nolte	17	8	10	1	2	2	12	2				0.588	21	1.235	0.632	1.867
Nate Watson	17	8	9	2		1	7					0.529	14	0.824	0.529	1.353
Steve Boyd	15	6	7	3			3	3	1		2	0.467	10	0.667	0.556	1.222
Dan Houser	14	7	9		1		8	1		1		0.643	11	0.786	0.625	1.411
Dante Gouge	11	5	5				4	1				0.455	5	0.455	0.500	0.955
Matt Cook	11	6	4				0	4				0.364	4	0.364	0.533	0.897
Peter Watson	10	6	8	2	1		7	4		2	1	0.800	12	1.200	0.750	1.950
Brent Amsbary	8	2	5		1		5					0.625	7	0.875	0.625	1.500
James Owen	8	0	2				2					0.250	2	0.250	0.250	0.500
Kris Browne	8	1	4	1			1					0.500	5	0.625	0.500	1.125
Mike Carlson	8	2	2				1	1	1			0.250	2	0.250	0.333	0.583
Craig Weaver	7	3	3				4					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857
Curtis Feddern	7	3	3				0					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857
Graeme Hanson	7	5	5		1	1	7	1				0.714	10	1.429	0.750	2.179
Jody Wilkins	3	0	0				0					0.000	0	0.000	0.000	0.000
Joe Gerlitz	3	0	2				1					0.667	2	0.667	0.667	1.333

Gold Cup: Mexico Rebounds, Columbia Could Be Done

2005-07-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Mexico rebounded to route Guatemala 4-0, while Columbia continues to disappoint, losing 2-1 to Honduras. Panama and Trinidad played to a 2-2 tie, likewise, Jamaica and South Africa played to a 3-3 tie.

Teams will play their final game within their group either Tuesday or Wednesday. Mexico needs a tie or win to move on and defend their title.

US Defeat Canada 2-0

2005-07-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

US defeated Canada 2-0, giving them six points in Group B and ensuring they will move on to the elimination round. All that is left is a match up with Costa Rica in Boston this Tuesday. Despite out shooting Canada 13-5, for first 90 minutes of the game it appeared as though an own goal would be in the difference. Then Landon Donovan scored in the 90th minute, his third goal in two games and third all-time on the American goal list with 25.

Match Recap

On one hand the US has six points, on the other, they have not looked sharp. They should have dominated Cuba and Canada, instead needed goals late in the game to finish them off. Just over a month ago, the US defeated Costa Rica 3-0 in World Cup qualifying, it will be interesting if they bring the intensity on Tuesday.

Casey Keller Keeps the Sheets Clean

Gold Cup Update

2005-07-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

As teams enter the second game of the first round, as expected, some teams took care of business, while others provided a surprise.

Group A:
Panama upset Columbia 1-0
Trinidad and Honduras tied 1-1

Group B:
USA survived Cuba 4-1
Costa Rica edged Canada 1-0

Group C:
South Africa pulled the upset of the tournament, defeating Mexico 2-1
Jamaica upset Guatemala 4-3

US Defeats Cuba 4-1

2005-07-08T15:37:00.000-07:00

The US defeated Cuba 4-1 in opening play of the 2005 Gold Cup. Despite the final score, it was anything but a blow out. Without some last minute heroics from Landon Donovan, the US is looking at a 1-1 tie. Considering the US is ranked #10 in the world and Cuba is #70, that would have been very bad.

Coach Arena used the match as an opportunity to further evaluate his roster, thus Marcus Hahnemann started at keeper and Donovan was a reserve. Despite allowing a goal, Marcus didn't hurt his chances, and will be given another shot. For Others this is their last chance to make and impression, and after last nights mess, they didn't help themselves. The US MNT was embroiled in a labor contract dispute last winter, thus denying Arena key friendlies to make personnel decisions. Thankfully, the US is in the drivers seat for next summers World Cup qualifications.

Another disappointment was the crowd at Qwest Stadium, only 15,831 showed up for world class soccer, when you consider that the Sounders 1981 season opener in the NASL drew over 30,000. Fans will be given a second chance to support the Stars and Stripes this Saturday as Group B play continues with US taking on Canada and Cuba taking on Costa Rica.

Said Landon Donovan "Northlake Tavern is this way?"

All-Star Series Selections Announced

2005-07-08T08:52:00.000-07:00

A total of 3.2M votes decided this years All-Star Series, July 22-23. Six 阪神 Tigers were selected to the starting lineup for the Central League. Pacific League leading ソフトバンク Hawks saw four selected and second place ロッテ Marines placed three.

Here are your starters for the Pacific and Central League

Zoomstick favorite of the week, Kenji Jojima received the most votes in either league for the second straight year, let's hope that next year he is the starting AL All-Star catcher for your Seattle Mariners.

Kiyohara, who hit his 500th home run earlier this year, will make his 18th All-Star appearance as the lone representative of from the Giants. Shinjo received the most votes for outfielders in the Pacific League, despite not having All-Star numbers. Just goes to show that even in Japan, a players actual production on the field may take a back seat to overall popularity.

Shinjo proves, it's not what you do on the field that that always matters

Break the Wrist and Walk Away...

2005-07-08T06:46:00.000-07:00

Now that Mr. Sonic is no longer Mr. Sonic, it seems only fitting that today's TFF list should be devoted to the cause of finding his replacement. So, who are the best candidates for the head coaching vacancy of your Seattle Supersonics...

Here is my short list:

1. Marc Iavaroni - Among other attractive attributes, he'll come cheap. Plus, he gets along with Wally Walker - no small accomplishment in itself.
2. Eric Musselman - Jerry West is a big fan of this guy.
3. Mike Budenholzer - Greg Popovich's right hand man. Could be a diamond in the rough.
4. Flip Saunders - I'm not convinced that this guy is a great coach, but he does have some valuable experience.
5. Sam Perkins - Who better to teach our young seven-footers the art of the perimeter game?

Sonic fans need to break the wrist and walk away from the fact that Nate is no longer a part of Seattle Basketball landscape. Finding his replacement should be done quickly so that the business of resigning the rest of our important free agents can continue.

Nate-a-Claus is Coming to Town

2005-07-06T23:06:00.000-07:00

One of the parting gifts I received as I was moving from Seattle to Portland was a Blazers hat. The people who gave me the hat meant well. They're nice folks who by their gesture were trying to say, "Portland is home for you now," even though I was thinking to myself, "There's a better chance of finding Jerry Fallwell sipping gin and tonics at a poker tournament in Vegas than of me wearing that hat." I was relieved when I tried the hat on and found out it was too big.

But now I'm second guessing myself. If Nate McMillan can pledge allegiance to the Trailblazers, why can't I? Sure they're the Jailblazers. Sure they were 27-55 last season, their worst record in 31 years. Sure the most exciting thing that happens in the Rose Garden when the Blazers are in town is when those creepy guy cheerleaders come out and shoot t-shirts into the crowd with air guns and water balloon launchers.

The Sonics really blew it on this one. Not only did they lose the heart and soul of their franchise, but he wound up in Portland, donning the black and red of their rival to the south. And I can't help but sense the excitement people in Portland must be feeling tonight. Treehuggers are dancing up and down Hawthorne Street. Women with Birks and hairy armpits are raising pints of Bridgeport IPA, celebrating the arrival of a new day in town. Anti-war protestors are setting down their "George W. Bush is a Moron" signs and are lining up at barber shops to get the Nate McMillan flat-top hairdo. This is big stuff in a town where the summer's biggest sports story is the finish of the Seattle to Portland bike ride. November can't come soon enough in the Rose City.

I wonder if it's too late to return that Blazers cap for a smaller size...

Sayonara Olivo, Konnichiwa Jojima?

2005-07-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

The Hawks won their 15th straight game, defeating Rakuten 14-3. Catcher Kenji Jojima made news both on and off the field. He went 3-4 with 3 RBIs and before the game announced that he would test the free agent market in America for his services next year.

Could Jojima be the solution to the M's problems behind the dish? Jojima is 29, and last year hit .338 with 36 home runs. He is currently hitting .315 with 20 HRs 18 doubles, and his 97 hits show that he is not just a swing for the fences power hitter.

While I do not know Jojima's skill with English, keep in mind a couple of things. I don't think Olivo has a strong command of the English language and Jojima has been handling English speaking pitchers for years.

For the time being, file his name away as the M's season continues to go down the drain.

Jojima hit cleanup for Japan's Bronze Winning Olympic Team

SPU Alum Returns to National Team

2005-07-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

1993 Seattle Pacific graduate, and keeper for the Falcon's 1993 Division II Soccer Championship, Marcus Hahnemann returns to the Men's National Team in time for the 2005 Gold Cup.

Hahnemann is currently the keeper for Reading Football Club of the English League Championship, one division below the English Premier League. Marcus and the US Men can be seen at Qwest Field July 7th and 9th when they take on Cuba and Canada in the opening round of Group B play in the 2005 Gold Cup.

Closer Look At The Hawks

2005-07-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

Think the M's wouldn't like a middle order of Matsunaka, Jojima and Zuleta? They are only the top three home run hitters in the Pacific League with 27, 20 and 26 respectively. The thing is, it doesn't stop with the long ball.

These three amigos are leading the Pacific League in just about all offensive categories. Though there is more to the Hawks than their 4, 5 and 6 hitters. Consider that 5 of the top 10 leaders in runs scored are Hawks, or that 4 appear in the top 10 in batting average, or that the top four players in total bases are Hawks.

Nobuhiko Matsunaka, won the 2004 Triple Crown in the Pacific League with .358 average, 44 homers and 120 RBIs
2005 thru 7/3
1st in HRs and RBIs
2nd in Total Bases, Slugging Percentage, Walks and Production

Kenji Jojima, typically follows Matsunaka in the 5 hole
2005 thru 7/3
2nd in Hits
3rd in HRs, Production, Slugging Percentage, Total Bases
Ranking in the top 10 in Doubles, Triples and Batting Average

Julio Zuleta, from the 6th spot in the lineup
2005 thru 7/3
1st in Production, Total Bases and Slugging Percentage
2nd in HRs
3rd in Hits
Tied with teammate Tony Bautista for 3rd in RBIs
4th in Batting Average

THE THREE AMIGOS

Break Up the Hawks

2005-07-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

Less than two weeks ago, it seemed a forgone conclusion that the Lotte Marines were going to run away in the Pacific League. Despite posting the best record during the inaugural interleague play, winning 25 out of 36, and earning the ¥50 Million first place prize for having the best interleague record, the Marines found themselves only 3.5 games ahead of the Softbank Hawks.

While the Marines were posting the best record in interleague play, the Hawks finished with the second best, only one loss behind. Interleague success was just the beginning as the Hawks won their 12 consecutive game last night, moving ahead of Lotte by 3.5 games. This is their longest winning streak in 40 years. The Hawks are now 31 games over .500 and one primary reason is they are taking care of business by beating the bad teams, with a combined record of 24-3 against Orix, Nippon Ham and Rakuten.

Nobuhiko Matsunaka homered twice and drove in four last night as they downed Orix 6-3. Matsunaka, Kenji Jojima and Julio Zuleta hit consecutive home runs to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead and after Orix tied it at 3, Matsunaka hit his second of the game and league leading 27th of the year to give the Hawks the lead for good. Game boxscore. This was the second time in less than a week that Matsunaka, Jojima and Zuleta went back to back to back, on the 27th of June the Ham Fighters were the lucky recipients.

For more on the Hawks and their offense, see here.

In other news, the Hanshin Tigers made history with the youngest player to appear in a pro game. Sixteen year old Kento Tsujimoto took the mound in a minor league game. Tsujimoto pitched one inning, with his fastball hitting 138KM an hour. You will recall that Tsujimoto made history last November when he was the youngest player ever taken in the draft, then fifteen.

Japan To Play In World Baseball Classic

2005-07-03T09:54:00.000-07:00

The NPB emailed MLB to announce that it will participate in the 2006 Tournament, though the players have yet to commit.

Patience Paying Off for Beltre

2005-07-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

Since his five days off in mid June for a hamstring tweak, Beltre appears to be a different hitter.

Beltre Before the Hamstring Tweak
Over the course of 238 AB's, Hitting .244/.279/.361 with 5 HR's, 30 RBI's, 9 BB's, and 40 SO's.

Beltre After the Hamstring Tweak
Over the course of 50 AB's, Hitting .360/.429/.600 with 3 HR's, 9 RBI's, 6 BB's, and 9 SO's.

Obviously the Beltre After the Hamstring Tweak is the one the M's thought they were signing last winter. If you project those numbers out over 600 AB's (last year he had 598) we're talking about 36 HR's with 108 RBI's, which is right about where you would expect his numbers heading into the season.

His SO's are still the same, but than again his career numbers put him at about 1 S0 per 5.87 AB's. His current streak he is striking every 5.55 AB's.

So what is the cause of Beltre's improved performance at the plate. Patience. Beltre is exercising more self-control in his approach. His BB's are up considerably, he's laying off bad pitches, and he's going to the opposite field instead of trying to pull everything.

Now, If we could just move the slugs out of our lineup I'm sure things will get much more interesting for the M's.

M's Hindered by Logical Fallacy

2005-07-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Things have gotten REAL ugly REAL fast for the M's. Including last night's drubbing by the Texas Rangers, the M's are a measly 2-9 over there last 11 ball games with a 6 game losing streak heading into today's game. Oh, and let me mention that over this stretch the M's are averaging a depressing 2.63 runs per game. Can you say "Get out the Rye Bread and Salami Grandma because a sandwich sure would be more appetizing than watching this pathetic nonsense!"

As I watched the M's get beat down by teams like the Rangers and Athletics, I can't help but think these teams are everything that the M's aren't. They are young, exciting, have bright futures, and they are playing great ball right now. The M's on the other hand, despite some big free agent acquisitions, look old, tired and play uninspired ball.

Why is this?

For starters, Let me say that I think the primary issue here is talent evaluation. Clearly the M's have not sparkled in this department over the last several years.

However, a secondary issue that plagues the M's and the issue that is bugging me right now is the idea that you have to choose between being competitive and playing for the future. This line of thought goes something like this: Do we play the veterans and field a competitive team or do we play the young guys and give them experience for the future? The problem with this type of thinking is that it creates a false dilemma. Why is the future pitted against being competitive? In logic, this type of reasoning is called the Fallacy of False alternatives.

The fact is the team of the future may be the most competitive team.

Now, I understand that the point in the season that the M's have reached is the one where we have to play are old undesirables in order to market there value in hopes that we can make a trade. Hence the call-ups of Olivio and Spiezio along with the return to action of Boone. But it's the fact that we had to get to this point that drives me crazy! Why couldn't the M's have moved Boone after last year when they saw his numbers declining?

The point of all this ranting and philosophical raving is that the M's have several Bret Boone's in the waiting - guys who are at the tail end of their prime years and still producing at a moderate to high level. Along with the guys we expect the M's to move (Boone, Spiezio, and Olivio), I suggest the M's look to trade Eddie Guardado, Randy Winn, and Raul Ibanez.

Each of these guys has value now. Each stand in the way of the future. Each has sure potential to bog this team down in the future. And what is most important, we have guys ready to step in that will make this team more competitive than they are now. Guys with fresh legs. Guys that are ready to make their mark.

Bring Rene Rivera back up and make him your everyday catcher. Let him be tutored by Pat Borders. Make Shin-Soo Choo your everyday left-fielder. He's got more pop in his toothbrush than Randy Winn does in his bat. Bring up Snelling and make him your DH. The guy can hit and at DH you won't have to worry so much about whether or not he can stay healthy. Give the 2B job to Lopez, obviously the guy is ready! Bring up George Sherrill and make him your 8th inning guy. Let J. J. Putz take over the closing until Soriano is ready. Release Sele and bring up Jorge Campillo.

This is the time to cash in on these guys. This is the time to move on with our future and development. This is the time to make the M's more competitive!

Bocce: The Answer to Dead Time on the 4th of July

2005-07-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Every 4th of July picnic has "dead" time. This dead time begins when your Uncle Al, sporting his red, white, and blue apron, makes the last call for burgers before shutting down the grill. It ends when your cousin Rick with the mullet lights his punk and starts blowing up the 400 bucks worth of TNT he picked up at the rez (he got a sweeeeeeeet deal, only to discover the half stick of dynamite he was saving for the "finale" is a dud).

Different people do different things with the dreaded 4th of July picnic dead time. Your Grandma Florence and Great Aunt Bernice usually head inside because it's getting too cold for them. Your mom starts setting up chairs in the front yard--stadium style, to capture the best angles of Rick's fireworks display. Your 4th grade cousin Darren is drooling all over Rick's purchases, talking about how "awesome it's going to be when we light off the 'Sparkling Chinese Torpedo.'"

And you? Well, you're not just sure what to do.

The game is on inside, but it's the Dodgers and Giants, two teams you couldn't care less about. The Nacho Cheese Doritos call your name for a second, but you've been eating all day long and are feeling like a blimp. A croquet set is sitting beside the food table, but you've been around the block enough times to know by the time you get all the wickets lined up properly and stakes pounded into the grass, you will have missed Rick's show.

So why not try a game of bocce (pronounced BAH-chee)? Bocce sets can be purchased at most sporting goods stores or Fred Meyer, Wal-Mart, etc. Each set contains a total of 9 balls; 1 ball is small, the other 8 are larger and come in four different colors (two of each color). The game has official rules, but I think they're a waste of time. Just gather 1-3 other people who are sick of the dead time and give each of them two balls of the same color. Then, throw the little ball out into the yard somewhere. The object of the game is to throw/roll one or both of your balls closest to the little ball without touching it. The player who gets his/her ball closest to the little ball receives 2 points, while the player whose ball is second closest receives 1 point. After all players have made their throws/rolls and points have been awarded, throw the little ball to a different spot in the yard and begin the next round. The first player to collect 16 points is declared the winner.

Here are a couple tips that will make bocce a staple for years to come during 4th of July dead time:

1. Toss the little ball into interesting and challenging places. Tool sheds, gardens, large plastic yard toys, dog runs (watch out for that poop!) and compost piles offer unique challenges and give the game an "off-road" feel, which is nice.

2. Make a wager. Nothing fuels family competition like gambling.

3. Keep your eye on the sky. Bocce is a lot of fun, and time will fly while you're playing. So be ready to put the game away as you see the sun slipping out of view in the west. Because there's one thing you and I both know for sure: you don't want to miss the Sparkling Chinese Torpedo.

Gold Cup 2005 Comes to Qwest Field

2005-07-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

Following the US’s victory over Panama on June 8th, it will be another two months before the next qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. Before you freak out and ask how you can satisfy your soccer jones, I give you the 2005 Gold Cup.

Ever other year, the top 12 teams in the CONCACAF play in a tournament called the Gold Cup. Two years ago, Mexico defeated Brazil, the same Brazil that went on to win the World Cup. These are the best of the best national teams.

The US is in Group B with Costa Rica, Canada and Cuba. Matches will be held July 7th and 9th at Qwest Field. The US should steamroll their way through this group.

Group A consists of: Columbia, Honduras, Trinidad & Tobago and Panama

Group C consists of: Mexico, Guatemala, South Africa and Jamacia

The balance of the schedule can be found here and the finals will be July 24th at Giants Stadium.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

2005-07-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

As you know by now, Zoomstick has a new contributor: Jason Simmonds. So, today's TFF list will consist of the top five images that should be linked with our latest blogmeister from Portland. While I still haven't found what I'm looking for, here are the top five images I've come up with yet:

1. GABE KAPLAN

2. GENE SIMMONDS

3. RED GREEN

4. KRAMER

5. OPERA MAN

Let me know if you got something better!

Giant Catfish Caught in Bangkok!

2005-07-01T02:52:00.000-07:00

This story has Zoomstick written all over it. Check it out!

Read here about the two fellows from Bangkok who netted this 646-pound Catfish.

Remember, Catfish is a freshwater fish. So the next time you go swimming in Lake Washington...or any lake for that matter, don't tell me that this guy is not going to be swimming around in your head! Sheeeshhhh!

By the way, the guy with the straw hat in the background of this photo was one of the guys that the Sonics took in the second round on Tuesday. He's suppose to be a decent low-post defender.

Fog out slug West Farm Foods

2005-06-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

AP - Magnolia, WA

The Fog out slugged West Farm Foods 1-0 to run their record to 3-1. Due to WWF only having 5 players show, they had to forfeit.

This forfeiture overshadowed the return of Joe. Sporting a deep bronze tan after spending his honeymoon in Greece, Joe was ready to return to the diamond and make his 2005 Fog debut. It will now have to wait until next game, Friday, July 8th at 7:30 vs. Average Athletes on Mag 3.

There is no truth to the rumor that Boyd is missing the game to intern at Oprah.

Congrats to the Fedderns, Cade Edward was born earlier this week.

Sonics High on Petro

2005-06-29T07:23:00.000-07:00

The rumor around Sonic Land is that Howard Shultz is a big fan of the Lord of the Rings Triology and that the selection of Johan Petro in the late first round was merely the result of howard's inspired devotion to the Twin Towers motif.

Actually, what impressed Sonic coaches most during workouts was Petro's enormous head. Born with two basketballs stuck to the sides of his head, Petro's ability to draw fouls down low by swinging his head like an angry bull was hard to pass up. Big man coach, Jack Sikma, believes his ability to get to the charity stripe will help the Sup's take that next big step. Now if they could only figure out the secret formula for flubber.

More info on Petro as it comes in. Stay tuned!

From Portland with Love

2005-06-28T23:33:00.001-07:00

Basking in the sunshine behind the Olympic Hotel in Centralia, my friend Peter and I were enjoying a good meal and some uncommonly fine service when the topic of Zoomstick came up.

"I'd like you to join Team Zoomstick," Peter said. "You could provide the Portland perspective that we're looking for."

I almost dropped my club sandwich into my clam chowder. Trying hard not to look like a 4 year old at Christmas, I kept my poker face and continued to listen to his proposition. "The pay is good and the benefits are even better," he continued. "Full medical, dental, vision, retirement, and a car are part of the package. And you get two weeks a year at the condo in Hawaii."

"Which island?" I inquired, eybrows raised.

"Maui. And of course we'll provide you with Blazers ticke..."

"Wait a minute," I interrupted. "Blazers? Could you hook me up with a suite at Safeco instead? Or Husky football season tickets?"

"We need you to write from a Portland perspective."

"Oh...right. Sure, I get it..."

Needless to say, the rest is history. I'll be covering the Portland beat for Zoomstick, which I imagine means, among other things, making fun of the Blazers and Ducks and stuff like that.

See you in the lineup.

Baseball World Cup

2005-06-27T16:04:00.000-07:00

Baseball made news this past spring when the announced tentative plans to hold a 16 team World Cup of Baseball tournament in 2006. The tournament was to take place prior to the start of the Major League Baseball season, comprised of teams from Japan, US, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, Korea and etc. Some of these teams would be stacked!

MLB has been adamant of having this tournament take place prior to the season, while Japan, would like for it to take place following the regular season. While the US is far from being the favorite, MLB is taking a my way or the highway approach. With a June 30 deadline rapidly approaching, Bobby Valentine, the manager of the Lotte Marines, is not convinced Japan should participate.

I think that a Baseball World Cup would be awesome, I think that holding it in the spring isn't a good idea, nor do I think that holding it in the late fall is grand either. I think that NPB, MLB and the rest of the world, need to take a page from FIFA and how they run the world cup. Make it special, make it unique and most importantly, make it the only show in town. Take a three week break in the middle of the season and hold the tournament. Hold it every two years and rotate the hosting country(s).

I agree with Valentine that the champion from Japan should take on the champion from the US, but that should be a separate event.

46 Years Ago Today

2005-06-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

June 25, 1959, the Emperor of Japan attended a baseball game between the Tigers and Giants

It was a very different time and as you read the stories you can gain an appreciation of the nationalism of Japan, it's attitudes toward the Emperor and baseball

Story 1

Story 2

Story 3

Nolte and the Fog were unstoppable

2005-06-24T11:55:00.000-07:00

AP - Queen Anne, WA (Revised, information missed)

A half hour before the game, home plate and the pitching rubber were under water. Normally, these conditions warrant concern for a game to be called due to field conditions, and calling the game would have been in the best interest for Get Local Yokels. They should have known then that Nolte came to play. After getting warmed up, Nolte traded his glove for a shovel and rake and immediately took charge of the field attendants and had the field in playing condition with minutes to spare. Maybe it was the feeling of the rake or the mud under his finger nails, but Nolte approached the game as though he was 4 deep in a drive thru at Burger King for a bag of rodeo burgers - not to be denied.

Before I get to the game summary, the Fog saw the 2005 season debut of three members, Graeme Hanson, Mike Carlson and Brent Amsbary - Brent being recently added to the 40 man roster, taking the place of Mike Gerlitz.

The Fog were the visiting team in their match up with Get Local Yokels. Boyd lead of the game with a walk, Nolte tripled and it was one to nothing. Graeme singled, Carlson walked, Nate hit into a fielders choice, Dan walked, Peter walked, Brent singled, Dante flew out and Cook walked. One time through the line up, 2 outs and 5 in. Boyd hit into a fielders choice to end the inning. After retiring GLY 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 1st, the Fog played add on in the 2nd, again batting around, this time dropping a 10 spot on GLY. After another uneventful bottom half of the inning, through 2 it was Fog 15, GLY 0.

Nolte's second and third at bats, both occurring in the 2nd inning, saw him book a single and double - El Norte, as he is known to his fan club, was now missing the home run to complete his cycle.

The third saw the Fog fail to bat around, instead sending up only 9 batters, scoring another 5 and Nolte hitting another single. Failure to bat around can be laid at the feet of the 3-4-5 batters and they made consecutive outs after the team opened the inning with the first 6 reaching base safely, thanks guys.

Somewhere in the middle innings GLY got a run back, so heading into the 4th it was Fog 20, GLY 1. Oddly enough GLY never once bothered to change their pitcher, though he was working on a Ryan Franklin like performance, 24 hits and 12 walks. The 4th saw the Fog retire on 4 batters, though they made up for it in the 5th by padding their lead to 27 by scoring 7 more.

The fifth also provided Nolte with the opportunity to bat one more time, and he didn't disappoint the large Fog crowd (Jen Nolte, Heather Carlson, Sophia Carlson and Boyd's date) by sending a shot deep over the outfield. As those on the bench rose to their feet wondering if it would be his 2nd triple or could it be the missing piece for the cycle. While it seemed like a few moments for Nolte to go from first to third, when he reached third, Dante had the windmill in full force, sending him on his way. As the relay made it's way in, Nolte was on a collision course with the plate, catcher and throw. As the ball arrived at home, Nolte slide/fell forward and touched the plate just before the tag. What a capper for his day, 5 for 5 and hitting for the cycle. Immediately, Coach Watson received a call for the HOF requesting a copy of the score card signed by Norte for display next to Ichiro's 266th hit.

GLY added a couple more and the official score given to the league was Fog 27 GLY 5. (Rally Kitty - the Fog WON)

Highlights, Lowlights and otherwise:
For the second time this year, the Fog threw out a runner at home. A shot was hit to left center, the outfield executed a perfect relay to Cook, who threw a little up the first base line for FOG HOF catcher, Steve Boyd. Boyd, already playing with a lame leg, fielded the throw and lunged back to the plate just in time to apply the tag. Even after the out was called, many on the Fog assumed he had been called safe and were surprised when the 3rd out was recorded that inning, not knowing Boyd had gotten the call.

Seems the Fog have some language barriers as the outfield failed to communicate on two routine flies, both time allowing them to drop within feet of two outfielders. Coach Watson will have interpreters follow the outfielders onto the field so assist in their communications for future games.

Given the condition of the field, it is amazing that only Boyd sustained any physical damage. Boyd is day to day with a strained quad. Home plate was so muddy it was like playing in marshmallow spread.

Updated stats are attached, again if you notice an error, please email me

Next Game: Wednesday, June 29 6:15 on Mag 4 vs West Farm Foods - the return of Joe

The Fog 2005 Regular Season Stats
Player	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SF	GIDP	AVG	Total Bases	Slugging Percentage	On-base Percentage	OPS
Eric Nolte	14	7	9	1	2	1	9	1				0.643	17	1.214	0.667	1.881
Nate Watson	14	6	8	2			5					0.571	10	0.714	0.571	1.286
Steve Boyd	13	4	6	3			3	1	1		2	0.462	9	0.692	0.500	1.192
Dan Houser	11	5	7		1		7	1		1		0.636	9	0.818	0.615	1.434
Peter Watson	10	6	8	2	1		5	3			1	0.800	12	1.200	0.846	2.046
Dante Gouge	9	3	4				4					0.444	4	0.444	0.444	0.889
James Owen	8	0	2				2					0.250	2	0.250	0.250	0.500
Kris Browne	8	1	4	1			1					0.500	5	0.625	0.500	1.125
Matt Cook	8	6	4				0	4				0.500	4	0.500	0.667	1.167
Craig Weaver	7	3	3				4					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857
Curtis Feddern	7	3	3				0					0.429	3	0.429	0.429	0.857
Brent Amsbary	5	1	3		1		4					0.600	5	1.000	0.600	1.600
Graeme Hanson	3	4	3		1	1	5	1				1.000	8	2.667	1.000	3.667
Mike Carlson	4	1	1				1	1				0.250	1	0.250	0.400	0.650

Even Better Than the Real Thing

2005-06-24T08:38:00.000-07:00

Michael Morse is making the most of his time in Seattle. Not only is his average through the roof (.379/.455/.485), but he's getting key hits and playing solid defense up the middle. What's even more impressive is that the young shortstop's play has seemingly come right out of left field, exceeding all expectations, and just plain making fans go "Wow!". Only time will tell if he's for real. But for now...

...Morse is even better than the real thing. It's time he was given a nickname, and what better place to explore potential names than on the TFF List.

Here are my top five nicknames for new Mariner shortstop Michael Morse:

Morse the Horse
Morsey
A-PIMP (Andy Pettitte is my Papa)
The Anti-Alex Rodriguez
Little Dog

Think my names might be lacking in creativity? Think you could come up with something better? Chime in and add your two cents, this is your opportunity!

FNBA Playoff Standings

2005-06-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

After Thursday night's game, here is the final standings:

Peter: 3464
Shari: 3229
Erik: 3177
Larry: 3167
Mike: 3095
Max: 3082
Nathan: 3046
Stefan: 3025
Josh: 2923
Demico: 2892
Minako: 2801
Jack: 2650
Dallas: 2498
Ryan: 2436
Judy: 1532

Game Over! Spurs win. I win. Shari comes in second. Larry almost catches Erik for third. Mike takes over the fifth spot and the rest is history. Thanks everybody for playing, it was fun.

If you want the spread sheet that I'm using to keep track of the points, just email me and I'll send it to you. Otherwise, you can just check back as I will be updating this page every morning.

US vs Italy

2005-06-21T09:27:00.000-07:00

Updated: US lost 3-1 to Italy in a match that was a tale of two halves. The US took more initiative in the first half, resulting in a PK and a 1-0 lead. The Italians were more aggressive to start the second stanza, and the US has not been able to match the effort. Italy scored two quick goes in the second half 55 and 63 before receving an own goal by the US at 76. See below for commentary

I'll make posts throughout the match or you can follow the match using the matchtracker here

9:26 GOOOOAAAALLLLL - Hunter Freeman puts the US up 1-nil on a penalty kick

9:31 End of the first half. US needs tighten its defense on Graziano Pelle who has 4 shots

Curt Onalfo commentary "Overall, I think it was a very good half for the US offensively. They created a number of scoring opportunities and obviously got the goal on the PK. Having said that, I think that Freddy Adu can be a difference in this game if he can get into situations where he is isolated against defenders. The defense was too tentative in how they dealt with Pelle. They need to come out in the second half with the right mentality. The Italians are going to send numbers forward, and the game should open up. When the US gets counterattacking opportunities, they have to get a goal and put this game out of reach"

9:38 Note this is a loser out match, so you can count on the Italians playing for their lives

9:40 Second half resumes, Italy subs defenders, Aquilanti for Battaglia

9:45 Free kick blocked by US wall!

9:50 Italy goal by Daniele Galloppa ends the US scoreless streak at 324 minutes

9:52 Yellow card on Marzoratti of Italy

9:58 Italy goal by Pelle

9:59 US now trails for the first time in the WYC, they need to mount an offensive charge

10:00 Italy has out shot the US 10-6, gotta shot to score

10:01 US subs Kljestan for Dalby

10:06 Eddie Gaven takes the first shot of the half for the US, approx 20 minues remain

10:10 Own goal on the US - Kljestan

10:12 US subs Peterson for Freeman - offense for defense as the US has dug a big hole

Curt Onalfo commentary "The Italian goalkeeper has made the type of saves that helps teams win championships. With the stop on Gaven in the first half and the save on Ochoa, he has certainly done his part"

10:17 Less than 10 minutes remain, free kick taken by Adu

Preps with Peety

2005-06-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, Peety here. Peachy is dead. I killed him...Just kidding. He is really sick though. Has a bad case of the Imsobusyicantpostanythingaboutpreps. So, in his absence I'd like to take a quick moment to update you on one particular prep that might interest Sonic fans!

In roughly 10 days commissioner David Stern will be advancing to the NBA Draft podium to announce the Seattle Superdupersonics pick. The Sonics have the 25th pick in the draft and in case your not interested because you think what good could come of such a late first round pick, pay attention.

Here is the guy that some are projecting the Sonics will take with their pick:

Monta Ellis is a big time scorer with huge upside. He averaged over 40 points last year and in one game went for 72! He's only 6'3'' but is regarded as extremely mentally tough. For more on Monta read here and here.

No doubt about the fact that he is a gamble since he's coming right out of high school and needs to put on some weight. But hey, if this guy is still around at 25 the Sonics would be fools to not take him. It's not like the Sonics need anybody right now to step in and contribute. Picking up a young player with potential is smart. GO SONICS!

PEETY OUT!

US Wins Group D

2005-06-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

With a 1-0 victory over Egypt and Argentina defeating Germany by the same score, the US U-20 MNT clinched first place in Group D with 7 points in the FIFA 2005 World Championship in the Netherlands.

Jacob Peterson headed in Freddy Adu's deflected shot early in the second half for the only goal scored. The victory also gave the US their third straight shutout. The US will play a third place finisher from one of many groups to be determined later this weekend. The match will be June 21.

Number 13 isn't unlucky for Jacob Peterson

A Tale of Two Pitchers

2005-06-18T08:04:00.000-07:00

In Baseball, one of the harder positions to evaluate prior to signing is the Pitcher. The reason is that certain elements that determine whether or not a particular pitcher is effective or not are beyond the pitchers control. For instance, the RS (run support) stat. Pitchers have no control over this. And yet it has much to do with their win/loss ratio which is perceived as a heavy indicator of how valuable they are to their team. But don't take my word for it, see for yourself...

Pitcher J
Pitcher J, as we will refer to him, is 6-2 with a 4.42 ERA. Over the course of the 79 innings he has worked this year he has given up 93 hits and surrendered 39 earned runs. His numbers aren't amazing, but they are considered quite effective.

Pitcher R
Pitcher R, as we will refer to him, is 2-8 with a 4.81 ERA. Over the course of the 76 innings he has worked this year he has given up 73 hits and surrendered 41 earned runs. His numbers aren't amazing and they aren't considered effective.

Outside of their records Pitcher J and Pitcher R have very similar numbers. Both are considered ground ball pitchers relying heavily on their teams defense to back them up. Pitcher J has give up 112 GB and Pitcher R has given up 114. Pitcher R's ERA is slightly higher than Pitcher J, but hardly enough to account for the difference in their records. So what's the big difference between Pitcher J and Pitcher R? Why is one effective and the other not?

The answer: RUN SUPPORT.

With his team giving him 6.47 runs on average per nine innings worked, Pitcher J is near the top of the league (13 out of 105) in RS. Pitcher R, on the other hand, is scrapping the bottom of the league (104 out of 105) in RS. His teammates give him on average per nine innings worked 2.35 runs. The difference between Pitcher J and Pitcher R is 4.12 runs per game. That's a lot.

Here's the kicker, Pitcher J and Pitcher R play for the same team.

So who are Pitcher J and Pitcher R? The answer respectively: Jamie Moyer and Ryan Franklin.

Outside of the giving up 8 more HR's than Jamie Moyer (and the fact that Jamie is 10 years older than Ryan), Ryan Franklin is Jamie Moyer. Their ERA's are very close, they both pitch similar styles of games, they both have very similar make-ups, and they are both free agents at the end of the year. So the question becomes, if things continue as they have and in light of the above, who do the M's resign? Jamie? Ryan? Neither?

The Beginning of the End

2005-06-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Today the Mariners signaled the beginning of the end for Brett Boone's career in Seattle by calling up Jose Lopez.

Lopez was hitting .280 (through 11 games with Tacoma this year) with 2 bombs and 5 runs batted in. Though his numbers aren't great, they certainly are more promising than what Greg Dobbs has given the club. Dobbs, who the M's sent down to make room for Lopez, was hitting a paltry .196 with 0 bombs and 5 runs batted in. More importantly than freeing themselves of Dobbs, bringing up the heralded second basemen of the future is a subtle way of telling Boone that his days with the M's are numbered.

Since the start of May Boone has struggled mightily. Over the last 6 weeks he's hitting .201 with 2 homers, 14 runs batted in, and 28 strike outs. Also, Boone has left more men on base over this period than I care to think about (.222 with men on base). His offensive woes wouldn't be so much to stomach if his defense were still what it was two years ago. But, alas, it's not. Boone is a good 2 steps slower than he used to be. Hits that he used to snag are getting past him allowing the opposing team more opportunities to get to our pitching.

Hopefully the presence of Lopez can infuse some life into the 2b position. Who knows, maybe he'll pull a Mike Morse on us!

US vs Egypt (U-20 MNT)

2005-06-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning the US will take on Egypt at 4:30AM

Quote Sheet for tomorrow's match and the match can be followed live via the internet or watched on Fox's Soccer Channel.

Adu lines up a shot against Germany

Memo to Rizz

2005-06-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Despite last night's loss, the M's have been playing much better ball as of late. Yessssss. However, as good as the M's may play I still want to pull my ears off when I hear Rick Rizz announcing the game. So, I've decided that Today's TFF list will consist of what I think can be done to improve the quality of Ricky's play-by-play calling.

Bring a kazoo to the broadcast booth and blow in it every time a train passes by Safeco. Afterwards tell the listening audience that you were merely attempting to communicate with your rail-road buddies.
Play the "I got your nose game" with Dave Henderson during slow parts of the game.
Mix it up every few days with a different toupee.
Eat potato chips and slurp Mountain Dew whenever Dave Valle starts talking. When Valle questions you on this, tell him you’re a lean mean announcing machine and if he doesn't like it he can go do Tacoma Rainiers games!
Keep track of unusual stats (like how many times you cut the cheese during a particular broadcast or how many times you've seen Dave Niehaus in his underwear or what percentage of the time you like to sleep on your left side as opposed to your right) and update the listening audience of your keen observations. We want to know!

Ham Victorious in Teenager's Debut

2005-06-16T12:54:00.000-07:00

Nippon Ham Fighter's #1 draft choice, 18 year old Yu Darvish, won his pro debut last night. Darvish went 8 inning, struck out 3, and allowed 2 runs on 9 hits for the decision in the 8-2 victory over the Carp.

Darvish, whose father is Iranian and mother Japanese, signed with the Ham last December for $145,000. Considerably less that the amount first round picks in the MLB draft will sign for. Darvish, in his last high school start, pitched a no-hitter to lead Tohoku High School to the national high school championship in March of 2004.

More recently he was in the news for his behavior off the field, when a tabloid magazine published a photo of the 18 year old smoking a cigarette in a pachinko parlor. It is illegal to smoke before the age of 20 in Japan, being in a gambling facility didn't help. The Ham responded by disciplining their number one pick by putting him under house arrest, allowing him to leave the minor league dorm only to practice.

As you can see, very different than the US and MLB. Much lower signing bonuses, and the smoking incident wouldn't have been an issue in other countries. In Japan, you represent your team and how you carry yourself is a reflection of the team.

Fog Split Doubleheader

2005-06-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

AP - Magnolia, WA

The Fog began defense of their 2004 championship with a double header Monday (6/13). The first game saw them pitted against the Bonghitters, while the nightcap provided an early season grudge match with long time rival Jesters.

Bonghitters
Due to injuries, scheduling conflicts and war crimes, the Fog were only 7 strong from their regular roster. Reinforcements were obtained, including 2000 Fog member Kris Browne. Due to scheduling of the KOMO 5pm news, Steve "GLOAT" Boyd and James Owen did not arrive until the second pitch of the first inning. Fortunately, the Fog were the visitors and Nolte can make an at bat last longer than a root canal.

The Fog put a 4 spot on the board in the top of the inning, only to see the Bonghitters answer with 6. After scoring one in the second and three in the third, the Fog bats went quiet and they lost 15-8. Meanwhile they were busy brushing the dust off their gloves from a long off season of championship banquets and public speaking.

On the bright side the Fog threw out their first runner at home and would have had two in the inning had a second thrown not been bobbled by sure handed catcher Boyd. Boyd also began 2005 by setting a Fog record, hitting into double plays in his first two at bats. Being the consummate pro, Boyd shook off the events and focused on the task ahead - Jesters.

Jesters
The GLOAT (Greatest Leadoff hitter Of All Time) was back in his customary role and proceeded to K in his first at bat as a leadoff hitter in 2005. Following a Nolte ground out, Nate, Dan, James and Peter got the scoring machine back in working order by pushing 2 across in the first. Followed by 5 in the second the Fog wrestled away the lead and held it at 11-5 before the Jesters answered with 4 to trail 12-10 going into the sixth. Jesters pushed across 2 in the top of the sixth to tie it up. In the bottom of the 6th, thinking the umpire had warned that this was the last inning, the Fog appeared to be playing for one run. After 2 consecutive outs, Peter doubled followed by a long single by Dante that scored Peter. Thinking only the one run was needed Dante didn't take second base though he could have made it easily. Cook followed with a single sending Dante to 3rd where he scored on Kris's single. The Fog took a 14-12 lead into the 7th and appeared to have the game one, when with 2 outs, a run in and runners on 1st and 3rd, Jesters hit a seemingly inning ending, game ending grounder to Cook, only to see the ball nutmeg him and allow the tying run to score. With the bases loaded, Nate coaxed a ground ball back to the mound, which he took unassisted to first for the inning ending out.

Knowing that this was the last 3 outs of the game on account of time/darkness, the Fog made quick work of the Jesters. Craig lead off with his 3rd hit of the game, Boyd followed with his 4th consecutive hit of the game to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Nolte then lined out to the pitcher and unleashed more colorful words in sequence that could be imagined. Nate set to redeem himself, having lined out to the pitcher with the bases loaded to end the 5th inning. Nate send the first pitch on a line, bisecting the right and right center fielder, easily scoring Craig from second with the game winning, game ending single. A walk of single if you will.

Full Court, Five on Five?

2005-06-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

When was the last time a major sporting event produced advertising worthy of getting the viewer excited for the real product?
Bill Murray for the NBA finals in the mid-90s? Most of you probably didn't see Nike's Secret Tournament for the 2002 World Cup. It was priceless, and here it is. For more about the players involved and the infamous ref, see here.

Other Nike Productions:

Good vs Evil
Brazil Airport
Ronaldinho

Where Does Our Super Hero Call Home?
	Hall of Justice
	The Legion of Doom
	SCS Staff Break Room
	Martson Dorm Room 214
	Under the 188th Off Ramp in SeaTAc

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