Bill Bavasi

Whose stats are these?
Called up August 7, starting 2B since August 12: BA: 288 HR: 3 RBI: 21 R: 27


Why is this guy smiling? Because he inexplicably is not fired and will be retained for another year. Bill Bavasi would have probably been given some credit for turning the M's around to 2nd in the division and 2nd closest team in the AL from the playoffs if this was Kansas City, Oakland, or Pittsburgh. The Mariners have the 6th highest payroll in baseball and they still suck. At least their pitching sucks. The Soriano trade is just unacceptable. We took one of the top setup guys in baseball who wants to switch to starter and traded him for THE worst starting pitcher in baseball. I don't fault him terribly for the Sexson or Beltre deals. They had to do something and there wasn't much else out there. But, they should have gotten Vlad Guerrero the year before for much less than Beltre and Sexson. But Bavasi just didn't. We got nothing for Carlos Guillen. We got nothing (as it turns out) for Freddy. I think that when you have as much money as the M's do, it shouldn't take 5 years to get back into contention. Their lineup looks pretty fixed, but what is he doing right now? He is going to sign Guillen to an extension. We have Balentien and Jones ready for the outfield with nowhere to put them. There's Morse and Clement in AAA, but no infield or DH spot available. If he is signing Guillen because he's going to trade Clement and Balentien for Santana, do it. I just doubt that he has thought that far ahead. I'm ok with giving McLaren another (1/2) year I guess. They better be ready to get Bobby Valentine or Joe Girardi on the horn in June though if the M's are 8 games back.
Also, the record looks decent, but did you notice that they gave up more runs than they scored? That is not the mark of a playoff team.

Stats belong to: Asdrubal Cabrera. Starting 2B for the Indians. This is the guy that the M's traded for Eddie Perez last year. So we gave up one of our top or second level of prospects for a 39 year old pinch hitter to a team that had no interest in him. Why? Especially when we went ahead and traded for the Indians' other pinch hitter later in the season who is actually good (Broussard) and gave up much less.

I went bowling last night. At home I have a hard time finding bowling balls that have holes close enough together and have fingerholes that are big enough because I use the wrong fingers and mostly power my roll with my wrist. Here, I can't find balls that have small enough finger holes because everyone's hands are so giant. Also, I wear a size 11 shoe or so on the mainland. Without any exaggerating, I have to wear a 7 here and am thinking about a 6 next time because the velcro would hardly buckle. All the bowling shoes are stretched out from everyone's gigantic feet.

I don't like my prediction very much this week for the Huskies. It is at home for Lou Gellerman's last game, but I think USC 33 UW 20. By game time, I'll think differently, but I can't think straight until the cloud of insanity descends upon me right before GAMEtime.

OK, I have to go to the bar association meeting. I don't have to go, but they give us free dinner and beer...so I have to go.