The Mariners Lack of Player Development

With lots of speculation building up to yesterday’s Mariners’ manager Don Wakamatsu’s firing, it has made me think of the failure the Mariners have suffered since 2001. Buster Olney recently reported via Twitter “Heard this: There is a lot of unrest right now among some of the Mariners’ player development and scouting folks”. I believe the root of the problem is player development. The Mariners have been awful in the past decade and they have not used the draft to their favor.

After bringing up two of the greatest players to ever play baseball: Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez, the Mariners have had a rough time selecting players that will later contribute to their team. From 2000 to 2010 the Mariners have had eight 1st round draft picks and not one of them are on their MLB roster today.

Only three of those first round picks actually played at the top-level with the Mariners. Jeff Clement the team’s 2005 1st round pick only played 75 games for Seattle, Adam Jones the Mariners’ 2003 sandwich pick played 73 games and Brandon Morrow drafted in 2006 pitched in 131 games for Seattle.

Here are the Mariners’ top draft picks from 2000-2010:

2000:   Sam Hays (4th Rd Pick) – Never pitched in the MLB.

2001:   Michael Garciaparra (Supplemental 1st Rd, 36th Pick) – Has not played a game in the MLB, currently with the Houston Astros organization.

2002:   John Mayberry Jr. (1st Rd, 28th Pick) – Did not sign with Seattle, went to Stanford and was drafted in 2005 by the Rangers. Made his MLB debut with the Phillies in 2009, currently on the Phillies roster.

2003:   Adam Jones (Supplemental 1st Rd, 37th Pick) – Traded to the Orioles for Erik Bedard in 2008. In 2009 made the AL All-Star game and also won a Gold Glove.

2004:   Matt Tuiasosopo (3rd Rd, 93rd Pick) – Has spent time as a utility infielder in 2009 and 2010 with the Mariners.

2005:   Jeff Clement (1st Rd, 3rd Rd Pick) – Played 75 games for Seattle was traded to the Pirates for Jack WIlson and Ian Snell. Clement is playing regularly at 1B for Pittsburgh.

2006:   Brandon Morrow (1st Rd, 5th Pick) – Pitched in 131 games for Seattle, was traded to the Blue Jays for Brandon League in December 2009. Recently has looked very strong, his last start he was one out from a no-hitter and ended the game with his first career shutout and 17 K’s.

2007:   Phillipe Aumont (1st Rd, 11th Pick) – Aumont is yet to make his MLB debut. He was traded to Philadelphia for Cliff Lee.

2008:   Joshua Fields (1st Rd, 20th Pick) – My favorite Mariners’ pick in this era. Standout closer at the University of Georgia and my choice for closer of the Future for Seattle.

2009:   Dustin Ackley (1st Rd, 2nd Pick) – The All-American from North Carolina was drafted as a 1B/OF but has recently been trying to convert to 2B. A bright spot in the Mariners draft history, so far.

2009:  Nick Franklin (1st Rd, 27th Pick) – Currently playing in A for Seattle, has struggled defensively but has good speed and is hitting .346 this season.

2010:   Taijuan Walker (Supplemental 1st rd, 43rd Pick) – Signed with the Mariners in June and has pitched in two games thus far in the Mariners’ Arizona Rookie League.

As you can see many of these draft picks have been traded or have not succeeded in baseball. The last couple years have looked better as GM Jack Zduriencik has been in charge of the Mariners’ draft. Hopefully, some of the top prospects can live up their potential and help the big league club out soon. The Mariners definitely need the help.

Mariners Fire Wakamatsu

The Mariners fired manager Don Wakamatsu earlier today. He was in his 2nd year as manager and was 127-147 overall. Wak turned the team around from a 61-101 in 2008 to a 85-77 last season. Despite adding Cliff Lee, Chone Figgins and Milton Bradley in the off-season, the Mariners are having a horrendous 42-70 season. After a 6-22 July Wak’s seat had been getting boiling hot.

The Mariners named AAA Tacoma manager Daren Brown as their intern manager. He has been in the Mariners’ organization since 2001. Brown has spent time managing  A, AA and AAA affiliates in the Mariners’ system. I don’t see Brown as the long-term solution for the Mariners but he has become a valuable member of the Mariners’ organization.

My choice to fill the Mariners long-term manager’s spot is Bobby Valentine. Valentine is currently a baseball analyst on ESPN. There are a few different connections between Bobby Valentine and the Mariners. Valentine played a season for the Mariners before retiring as a player. Valentine also has worked with Mariners’ GM Jack Zduriencik in New York. Valentine managed the Mets from 1996-2002 and Zduriencik worked with the Mets from 1995-1998. Valentine is a very entertaining and knowledgeable baseball mind, I would like to see him as the leader of the Mariners as they once again begin to bounce back.

Big Ben and Beyond

The Pittsburgh Steelers reported to camp July 3oth. The Steelers have some looming questions going into the 2010 season. The biggest of those of course is Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension. Roethlisberger will be out the first 4 or 6 games depending on Commissioner Goodell’s decision. Recent reports have hinted that since Roethlisberger has went “above and beyond” what Goodell has asked of him that the suspension could be lessened to two or three games. Other reports have said this is not true and the minimum sentence is 4 games. Here’s my take on the situation. 

1.  Roethlisberger has always been active in the Pittsburgh community. He  has a foundation that was designed to help Pittsburgh police and fire departments, police dogs and residents of his hometown Findlay, Ohio and of Pittsburgh. He has also held youth football camps and football camps for Special Olympic athletes. Lately he has been staying longer than ever to sign autographs and has been serving meals at the Salvation Army and also helping ill children. Only since his off-season troubles has he become vocal about his charity work.

2.  Roethlisberger has never been chargers with any crimes. In no way do I condone rape or sexual assault but if he wasn’t charged with a crime why is he being suspended by the NFL? Goodell is becoming more harsh on players with off-season troubles with his “no tolerance” rule. However, Michael Vick wasn’t punished after he was seen just minutes outside of the club where a shooting occurred at his birthday party. Vince Young wasn’t punished for getting into a fight at a strip club and Cedric Benson wasn’t disciplined for his recent bar fight. All have had off-field issues before: Vick of course the most serious with his involvement in dog fighting, Young had personal issues in which he disappeared and supposedly was carrying a gun and Benson has been arrested three times previously all involving alcohol. Roethlisberger was suspended more heavily because off his previous off-field troubles. It doesn’t seem like Goodell was fair with these latest rulings.

3.  I fully understand the Commissioner is trying to set an example of players to give the rest of the NFL a warning to behave. But with Pacman Jones and Michael Vick’s suspensions they were convicted of multiple crimes. Roethlisberger was in a motorcycle accident, in which he was doing noting illegal and the accident wasn’t his fault. he was also involved in another sexual assault case in which the accuser has had previous cases in which she has tried to extort money from wealthy individuals. Even in the Georgia case the accuser tried to withdraw her accusation and wouldn’t comply with police assigned to the case. Therefore I believe his suspension is unjust.

I do think Roethlisberger needs to clean-up his image and distance himself from the public partying scene. But his involvement on the community has always been there and he is now doing even more to prove to Goodell, the fans, family and friends, the Steelers and himself that he is respected worldwide by football fans and people in general. Reports say he is in the best shape of his life and he has never looked better at this point in camp. I look forward to watching the Steelers compete for the AFC North title.

Top HR Hitters of All-Time Pt. 3

My top 5 HR hitters are listed below. In my top 5 there are no players accused of using steroids. They were all-natural, bomb dropping, power hitters. Here is 1-5:

5.  Lou Gehrig The Iron Man had an exceptional career that was sadly cut short. He played 2,130 consecutive games for the Yankees and four less seasons than teammate Babe Ruth. If Gehrig would have been able to play until he was 40 he could have hit over 600 HR especially with his strong will and work ethic. Unfortunately he never got to 500, sitting at 493. However, Gehrig is the all-time leader in career grand slams with 23.

Ken Griffey Jr.

4. Ken Griffey Jr. The Kid, my favorite player of all-time, ranks fifth on the career HR list at 630. Griffey was the favorite to pass Aaron after he became the Home Run King of the 90′s but injuries continually hampered his career. From 2001 to 2010 Griffey had only 3 seasons in which he had 500+ PA, without injuries hampering him I believe he would be in the 700 HR club. My question: Did Barry Bonds ever come close to getting injured for his team, especially playing defense? Griffey has one of the purest, prettiest swings of all-time.

3.  Willie Mays The Say Hey Kid is said to be the greatest MLB player to ever step on the field. He was the prototypical 5-tool guy that could do everything exceptionally well, including hitting home runs. He was the second player in the 600 HR club and ranks fourth on the list with 660 HR.

The Babe

2.  Hank Aaron The Hammer passed Babe Ruth with his 715 HR on April 8, 1974 to become the new home run king. He finished his career with 755 HR. Hank Aaron will stand as the true MLB career home run leader until a PED-free player dethrones him.

1.  Babe Ruth With nearly 4000 less AB than Hank Aaron and 1000 AB less than Barry Bonds, the Babe hit 714 HR in his amazing career. He had a 11.76 AB/HR ratio and led the MLB in HR six times and was in the top 5 16 times in his 22 seasons. Babe Ruth is the Godfather of the Home Run, he revolutionized the game with his amazing power. Not to mention Ruth played at the Polo Grounds with the center field wall 500 feet from the plate. In today’s parks one can only imagine how many bombs the The Big Bambino may have hit.

Honorable Mention: Frank Robinson, Jim Thome (currently playing), Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Manny Ramirez*(currently playing), Willie McCovey, Rafael Palmeiro* and Frank Thomas.

Current Players (with a chance at 500+ HR): Albert Pujols, Adam Dunn, Ryan Howard, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, David Wright and Evan Longoria.

Here’s my list. There will probably  be debates that will come up over these posts.  I hope everyone enjoys.

Top HR Hitters of All-Time Pt. 2

The Steroids Era has made the home run a somewhat meaningless statistic. Although I believe the steroids users should not be counted in the books they still were very talented before and after their PED use. Here is hitters 6-10:

10.  Sammy Sosa Another steroids user, Slammin’ Sammy is the only MLB player in the history of the game with three 60+ HR seasons. A feat that never may be matched. From 98-01 Sosa averaged 60 HR per season. He has hit the 3rd, 5th and 6th most HR in a MLB single-season.

9.  Mel Ott One of the most consistent HR hitters to ever play, Ott never hit more than 42 HR in a saeason but continuously knocked out 30+. He was in the top 5 in HR in the league 16 of his 21 seasons. At only 5’9″ and 170 lbs Ott hit 511 HR in his career.

8.  Josh Gibson Many said Josh Gibson was the Negro Leagues Babe Ruth or Babe Ruth was the MLB’s Josh Gibson. His HOF plaque says he hit nearly 800 home runs in his 17-year career, although the pitching he faced may not have been top MLB quality, he is a HR titan. If not for the color barrier in the MLB, Josh Gibson might have been the record Aaron and Bonds were chasing.

7.  Alex Rodriguez A-Rod is now in the 600 HR club. He has been a great player since coming up with the Mariners. Although A-Rod’s steroid use has hindered his image I believe he will dethrone Bonds one day. Asterisk or not, love him or hate him; A-Rod will probably become the HR King until someone will out smash him

6.  Barry Bonds The leader of career HR is Bonds, but the steroid issue has made many people question the validity of his 762 HR. Barry Bonds would have been a first ballot HOF if he would have only hit 400 HR, his speed and power combination was unmatched. He is one of the greatest hitters ever and I think without steroids he may still be in the 600 HR club. I can’t get over the fact that he cheated to break the record, therefore he gets bumped down the list. But Bonds is the single-season and career HR leader with 73 and 762.

Tomorrow my top  HR Hitters of all-time.

Top HR Hitters of All-Time Pt. 1

With A-Rod hitting his 600th home run today, it brings up the always controversial issue, who are the greatest home run hitters of all-time. I am going to make a couple lists that can help us determine the top 10 home run hitters to ever step into the box.

MLB All-Time HR Leaders:

1.  Barry Bonds* (755)   2.  Hank Aaron (762)   3.  Babe Ruth  (714)   4.  Willie Mays  (660)   5.  Ken Griffey Jr.  (630)

6.  Sammy Sosa*  (609)   7.  Alex Rodriguez* (599)   8.  Frank Robinson (586)   9.  Mark McGwire* (583)   10. Jim Thome (577)

MLB Career Leaders AB per HR:

1.  Mark McGwire* (10.61)   2.  Babe Ruth (11.76)   3.  Ryan Howard (12.63)   4. Barry Bonds* (12.92)    5.   Jim Thome (13.68)

6.  Adam Dunn (14.02)   7.  Ralph Kiner (14.11)   8.  Albert Pujols (14.13)   9.  Harmon Killebrew (14.22)  10. Sammy Sosa* (14.47)

I have taken the top 25 players with the most HR, then found the players from that list with the most AB on this list.

Top 25 MLB HR Leaders with most Career AB:

1. Hank Aaron (12,364 AB)  2. Eddie Murray (504 HR in 11,336 AB)   3. Willie Mays (10,881 AB)

4. Rafael Palmeiro* (569 HR in 10,472 AB)   5. Frank Robinson (10,006 AB)   6. Reggie Jackson (563 HR in 9864 AB)

7. Barry Bonds* (9847 AB)   8. Ken Griffey Jr. (9801 AB)   9. Mel Ott (511 HR in 9456 AB)   10. Ernie Banks (512 HR in 9421 AB)

* (Known steroid user)

From these statistics and many others I have researched extensively I have made my top 15 HR Hitters of all-time. Below is 11-15.

15.  Mike Schmidt Michael Jack hit 548 HR in his illustrious 18-year career. He was the league leader in HR 8 different times only trailing Ruth’s 12.  He also had 11 consecutive years with 30 HR and 9 of them were consecutive.

14.  Reggie Jackson Mr. October was known for hitting monster home runs into the RF seats at the old Yankee Stadium but he did with the A’s and Angels also. Jackson hit 563 HR in his career and 18 in the postseason including 10 in the World Series.

13.  Jimmie Foxx The Beast hit at least 30 HR in 12 consecutive seasons. Only the third player in history to ever do so; Bonds (13), Foxx and Rodriguez (12) all occupy spots on the list. Foxx totaled 534 HR in his career with his MVP ’32 season marking his top single-season mark at 58.

12.  Harmon Killebrew Known as Killer, Killebrew is 11th on the career HR list with 573. He joins Ruth, Bonds, Aaron and A-Rod as the only five MLB players to hit 40 HR in 8 or more seasons. The four seasons from 61-64 he hit at least 45 HR.

11.  Mark McGwire* The man who broke Roger Maris’ single-season record is known as Big Mac. After launching HR in Oakland with bash brother and steroid using comrade Jose Conseco, McGwire went to St. Louis and had back to back seasons with 70 and 65 HR. He is the all-time leader in AB/HR at 10.61 and ranks 9th on the career HR total with 583.

I will have 6-10 posted tomorrow and 1-5 posted on Friday. Comments and arguments are encouraged. Thank you, enjoy.

Building For the Future

The MLB Trade Deadline is under 24 hours away. As playoff contenders are working frantically to buy the missing piece(s) to their teams, there are also the teams on the other side of the equation. The sellers, usually teams that are already eliminated from playoff contention, are shopping veteran players that have already proven their value. Many sellers are looking for top prospects to fill holes on their roster or cheaper players that are able to free up room on their payrolls. Many teams are building for their futures and by trading a big name player for promising prospects it can help their team in three ways.

First, most teams place players on the trade block that they feel can be replaced eventually by a younger player in their minor league system. Second, by adding prospects with bright futures it allows their team to become younger and eventually grow together to become successful. Third, it frees up salary cap space which can lead to marquee free agent signing(s) in the off-season to solidify their lineup, rotation and bullpen; ultimately giving the team a better chance to win in the long-term. These strategies don’t always work but I believe there is no sense in keeping a player in the last year of his contract or who is too expensive when you have no chance of making the playoffs. By trading them you can add multiple players to your organization that may later improve your team.

I believe there is one team in particular that is adding the right mix of players into their organization. Using veteran players to make smart trades, great draft picks and a solid minor league system; the Washington Nationals are building a future winning franchise.

The Nats have had the last two first round draft picks in 2009 and 2010. With phenom Stephen Strasburg already putting up great numbers in the majors and 2010 pick Bryce Harper being touted as one of the best pure-hitting prospects in the last decade, the Nats are capitalizing in the draft.

The Nats traded closer Matt Capps to the Minnesota Twins for prized catching prospect Wilson Ramos. Ramos can step in and play catcher in the very near future, he is one of the best catching prospects in all of baseball and has only been held back in Minnesota because of superstar Joe Mauer. Minor leaguer Derek Norris has been the future at catcher for the Nats until this trade. With his defensive struggles behind the plate the Nats can now move him to a corner outfield position and maximize his hitting potential. Drew Storen, another previous first round pick has been very impressive this year and will step and be the Washington closer for a long time.

Power hitting first basemen Adam Dunn has been the biggest name shopped by the Nats. Teams such as the Rays,White Sox and Yankees are in need of a power 1B/DH and the Nats are in the position to receive even more young, big potential players. They also have a replacement lined up for Dunn if he departs, first basemen Chris Marrero.

In addition to recently trading veteran second basemen Christian Guzman, the Nationals are building around a phenomenal young foundation of players including superstar Ryan Zimmerman, Strasburg, Storen, Ramos and eventually Harper. The Nats also are building a strong middle infield with shortstop Ian Desmond and prospects Danny Espinosa and Jeff Kobernus competing to fill in at second base. Ross Detwiler is another prized pitching prospect that has already joined the rotation in Washington.

With this combination of players and the addition of a few more guys to fill specialty roles I expect the Nationals to be heavy contenders by the 2012 season.