| HeraldNet - Snohomish County's online news source |
 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2008 7:39 am |
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• M's lose O'Flaherty amid roster moves November 20 • Rebuild and win now: an impossible dream? November 20 • Now the Mariners are saying it: Wakamatsu is their manager November 19 • Wakamatsu hiring brings joy in Nashville November 18 • Wakamatsu hiring reports are swirling November 18 |
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• Mariners notebook: M's cut O'Flaherty loose November 21 • Can Wakamatsu turn M's into winners? November 20 • Mussina calls it a career after his first 20-win year November 20 • Control of the Yankees officially shifts to Steinbrenner's son Hal November 20 • Red Sox trade Coco Crisp to Royals for reliever November 19 • Mariners to introduce Wakamatsu at 1:30 today November 19 • A's owner suggests one-game playoff in baseball November 19 • Rookie manager Don Wakamatsu to lead Mariners November 19 • Wakamatsu tabbed as Mariners next manager November 18 • Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia wins AL MVP November 18 |
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M's lose O'Flaherty amid roster moves Eric O'Flaherty, who won the Mariners' left-handed relief specialty job out of spring training but didn't make it through the first month of the season, is out of the organization. Caught in the roster juggling as the Mariners prepare for an offseason of movement, O'Flaherty was claimed off waivers today by the Atlanta Braves. The Braves, obviously, are hoping to get what O'Flaherty gave the Mariners in 2007 (a 7-1 record while holding lefties to a .183 batting aversge) and not what happened in 2008 (0-1, 20.25 ERA and a .500 average by lefties). O'Flaherty, a Walla Walla native drafted in the sixth round in 2003, was sent to Class AA West Tennessee on April 14, then up to AAA Tacoma before landing on the disabled list in June with a back injury that sidelined him the rest of the season. The Mariners added right-handed pitchers Stephen Kahn, Gabby Hernandez and Marwin Vega to the 40-man roster, while right-handers Luis Munoz and Tracy Thorpe cleared waivers and were outrighted to the minor leagues. The moves leave the Mariners with 37 on the 40-man roster. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Rebuild and win now: an impossible dream? With all due respect to GM Jack Zduriencik and manager Don Wakamatsu for their publicly stated opinions that the Mariners can win right away, I have one question. How? This is an organiation with enough issues that one offseason won't be enough to fix them all. And we're not talking about mending a few clubhouse rifts and asking the some of the players to show up at spring training in better shape. The Mariners must find a first baseman, left fielder and center fielder for 2009. They've got to solidify their catching and Wakamatsu, a former catcher, is eager to work with Kenji Johjima. And, the organization must strengthen a minor league system that's thin doesn't seem ready to fill the current holes. Wakamatsu said the key is to build a pyramid of talent in which a strong minor league system consistently funnels players to the big leagues. "Young talent will out-do a free agent any day because of longevity," he said. "Where we’re at right now I don’t know. We’re going to sit down and talk about those things." He says the young shortstop-second base combo of Yuni Betancourt and Jose Lopez are impressive. He mentions Gold Glove defenders Adrian Beltre at third base and Ichiro Suzuki in right field, plus a promising starting rotation and a young bullpen anchored by closer J.J. Putz, as reasons to be enthused for next year. That's nice, but what about left field, center field, first base and the minor leagues? How do the Mariners fill all those holes without making trades to bring bona-fide prospects into the system? That's why we've already heard Putz and Beltre mentioned in trade speculation. The Mariners won't dare say they plan to dig into the roster, build for the future and suffer through a few more lean years as prospects develop into players who can return the team to the postseason. But what other way is there to do it? I'm bracing for an active offseason. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Now the Mariners are saying it: Wakamatsu is their manager Unwilling to confirm Tuesday what KING 5 TV first reported and the rest of the baseball world knew by day's end, the Mariners this morning announced the hiring of Don Wakamatsu as their manager. A news conference is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Safeco Field. Interestingly, the Mariners say Wakamatsu will wear No. 16. That number has belonged to popular utility player Willie Bloomquist throughout his career with the M's. Bloomquist is a free agent and it has seemed clear for a while that he won't return to his hometown team (he grew up in Port Orchard). Still, seeing someone else put on that jersey, as Wakamatsu will this afternoon for the cameras, is a sign of the changes on the roster that are just beginning. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Wakamatsu hiring brings joy in Nashville As word spread today that Don Wakamatsu will become the Mariners' next manager, you could sense the satisfaction more than halfway across the country in Nashville. That's the offseason home of pitcher R.A. Dickey, who was thrilled to hear that the Mariners were on the verge of hiring one of his favorite coaches. Dickey pitched for the Texas Rangers for about 2 1/2 years while Wakamatsu worked there as bench coach. Here's a little of what Dickey said about Wakamatsu tonight via phone: "The first thing that comes to mind is that he’s always very prepared and he's very diligent in his preparation. He’s a tireless worker for one and he's hands-on, which is a real valuable thing. "He's real down to earth. There's not a lot of pretense about him and there aren't any of these high walls (between him and the players) He has real open lines of communication and he tells the truth. Those are all things that I really appreciated aobut him when we were together." Can Wakamatsu make the transition from likable coach to the man in charge who must make tough, sometimes unpopular decisions? "I definitely think he's equipped to do it. I don’t know if the team’s performance will match up to people’s expectations right away. We were a pretty poor team and there are a lot of things that have to be fixed. But he's a little bit younger and he’s got a great energy about him. He is a real player's manager. He wants to know the pulse of what’s going on in the clubhouse. He doesn't want to take somebody else’s word for it." The Mariners were one of the sloppiest teams in baseball in terms of doing the little things right. Will Wakamatsu demand an attention to detail? "Part of what makes him meticulous is that he doesn’t have a lot of toleration for being fundamentally poor." ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Wakamatsu hiring reports are swirling 5:10 p.m. UPDATE Mariners spokesman Tim Hevly has confirmed that there will be an announcement on Wednesday concerning their manager, but the team will not confirm what the announcement will be. There won't be an announcement until all work on the hiring is completed and, as of this evening, work continued. -------- It's 4:30 p.m. Do you know who your manager is? My guess is that the Seattle Mariners do but they're not saying what has been reported this afternoon -- that Oakland A's bench coach Don Wakamatsu has been hired as their next manager. I spoke with the Mariners a few minutes ago and was told they're not in a position to talk about the situation now. That's a change from earlier today when they said no decision had been made despite a KING 5 TV report that the team had chosen Wakamatsu among seven finalists. Does that mean the deal is done? No. But I wouldn't be surprised if things fell into place later today. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Wakamatsu the new skipper? Not yet Unless KING 5 TV knows something that most everyone with the Seattle Mariners doesn't, the M's still aren't ready to name their new manager. A KING report says the M's have selected Oakland A's bench coach Don Wakamatsu. Based on numerous people I've talked with the past few days -- both within the organization and around baseball -- a lot of signs are pointing toward the 45-year-old Wakamatsu. But they're also pointing toward Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills and Diamondbacks third-base coach Chip Hale. GM Jack Zduriencik appears to have settled on a favorite and is doing background checks. It would hardly be a surprise if it's Wakamatsu. But there won't be an announcement today and there may not be one until Thursday. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
No new manager today, or Tuesday, or ... General manager Jack Zduriencik has spent so much time digging into the backgrounds of the men he's considering to hire as the Mariners' next manager that you'd think he'd unearth a skeleton or two. So far, nothing frightening. Zduriencik continued to double- and triple-check his information, and he couldn't say Monday when he would be ready to announce his decision. It won't happen Tuesday and may not happen by Wednesday, either. "The sooner the better, but I can’t do it until I have all my questions answered," he said Monday evening. So Zduriencik plans to spend Tuesday doing what he did Monday -- calling colleagues and continuing to comb for information he didn't already have. "When you get down to 1 and 1A and B-double-plus, you want to make sure there isn’t anything that comes up that surprises you where you have to step back or something that creates a dilemma you weren’t counting on." He hasn't uncovered anything that made him wince. "My thoughts have been solidified more than anything else in terms of a couple of the candidates," he said. Zduriencik won't indicate which of the seven finalists are at the top of his list. Many around baseball familiar with the finalists consider Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills, A's bench coach Don Wakamatsu and Diamondbacks third-base coach Chip Hale as the most impressive of those the Mariners interviewed. The others interviewed were White Sox bench coach Joey Cora, Red Sox third-base coach DeMarlo Hale, Class AAA Portland Beavers manager Randy Ready and Cardinals third-base coach Jose Oquendo. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Ex-Everett manager Grifol named minor league director While the Mariners remained without a manager -- that could change by within days -- they made more moves in the front office today. New general manager Jack Zduriencik announced that he has promoted Pedro Grifol to minor league director. The 38-year-old Grifol, the organization's coordinator of instruction the past three seasons, managed the Everett AquaSox from 2003-2005. Zduriencik has hired Tim Tolman , 52, to fill Grifol's job as minor league instruction coordinator. Tolman was the Washington Nationals' third-base coach the past two seasons and, before that, worked 18 years in the player development departments of the Indians and Astros. Tolman was an outfield for parts of eight seasons with the Astrols and Tigers. Greg Hunter, the Mariners' minor league director the past two years, will be re-assigned within the organization. The next announcement could be the new manager. Zduriencik spent the weekend reviewing his notes and making followup calls to the seven finalists for the job. He hoped to announce his choice this week, perhaps as early as Tuesday. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
One player's choice for manager: Chip Hale While searching for sunshine and a dry fairway, I ran into a strong endorsement Friday morning for one of the seven candidates to become the next manager of the Mariners. Playing a round of golf in Litchfield Park, Ariz., a pleasant young guy with a fluid swing joined our threesome. He looked a little familiar and carried himself with just enough swagger to make me think he might be an athlete. But that's what I thought about the big, strong, long-hitting guy I played with onThursday and it turned out he managed a local cell phone store (but did play some college baseball). So Friday, I exchanged small talk for a couple of holes with this guy named Bill, neither of us asking what the other did for a living. Then my curiosity got the best of me. "Where do you work?" I asked. "Out of state most of the year," he said. "So what do you do?" After a brief pause, he said, "I'm a baseball player." Reminded me of a conversation I had many years ago with Chip Hanauer, who said he was always reluctant to tell people he met on the street what he did for a living. If he told them "unlimited hydroplane driver" he knew he'd be peppered with questions. So he would say, "I'm an insurance salesman," knowing that likely would end the conversation. The ballplayer's name is Bill Murphy, a left-handed pitcher on the Toronto Blue Jays' 40-man roster. He spent much of his time in the Diamondbacks' system and reached the big leagues for the final month in 2007. If you're a fan of high-def TV and watched the MOJO series titled "The Show," then you may know Murphy. He was one of six members of the D-backs' Class AAA Tucson team whose season was chronicled in the TV series. His manager during some of his time with the Sidewinders was Chip Hale and, knowing Hale has interviewed for the Mariners' job, Murphy couldn't contain his praise. He said Hale has the energy, charisma, communication skill, work ethic and knowledge of the game to make a great major league manager. He doesn't have any major league managing experience, but he was everything a Triple-A player in Tucson would want of a manager. I asked Murphy if Hale can handle a difficult clubhouse -- the 2008 Mariners were described as "dysfunctional" -- and he just smiled. Hale won't be intimidated by a cantankerous veteran and he also won't stand for anyone who doesn't do the little things right. Want to see players on the field early doing baserunning drills? Go to Safeco Field next year if Hale gets the job. Hale also loves to tell a good story, including one of personal experience from one of baseball's all-time memorable plays. Hale, while playing for the Portland Beavers in 1991, hit the fly ball that caused outfielder Rodney McCray to run through the outfield fence. The Mariners are expected to name their manager by next weekend and GM Jack Zduriencik has a good group to choose from, even though none has managed in the big leagues. If Chip Hale gets the job, Bill Murphy will be thrilled for his former skipper. And not at all surprised. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Griffey in '09? This isn't the time for a Mariners reunion Ken Griffey Jr. is headed toward free agency now that the White Sox have decided not to pick up his option for the 2009 season. That gives the Mariners clearance for what readers of this blog clearly want -- Griffey's return to center field in Seattle. In a poll early this month, 44 percent of you said the Mariners definitely should sign Griffey because they need his production in center field. Thirty-one percent said it's best to live with the pleasant memories of the 1990s and not bring Griffey back, while 25 percent would like to see the M's sign him just before he retires so he can go out as a Mariner. The Mariners aren't saying what they'll do, but those who'd like to see Junior playing here again next year shouldn't get too keyed up over it. Even if Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has no interest in Griffey, he won't dare say it because so many fans remain blinded by the image of Junior in 1995. But it's common knowledge among scouts throughout baseball that Griffey's swing has slowed and he doesn't cover ground in the outfield like he once did (that would be an issue at spacious Safeco Field). He batted .260 with three homers, 18 RBI and 25 strikeouts in 131 at-bats after going to the White Sox late this season. In the playoffs, he went 2-for-10 with five strikeouts and looked overmatched against Tampa Bay pitching. In a perfect world, Griffey would come back to Seattle and fill the right-field seats with home-run balls, chase down fly balls in the gaps, add life to a clubhouse that can be dreadfully quiet, and show the playful grin that we've all loved since he broke in as a 19-year-old. But time changes everything. What would happen if Junior returned and couldn't be the savior fans would expect him to be? What if he failed at the plate, couldn't cover ground in the outfield and became a moody distraction in the clubhouse (by all accounts, he was a positive influence with the White Sox)? Hopefully, Griffey will sign with a competitive team that will let him DH, play some outfield and be satisfied with whatever he has left to give. As nice as it would be to see him in a Mariners uniform again, they're a team that needs to build for the future and not base its hopes on the past. Bring Junior back before he retires and let him go out as a Mariner. But not until then. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! Who should manage the Mariners? You make the call New general manager Jack Zduriencik has spent his first full week on the job tweaking the front office, firing scouting director Bob Fontaine and offering player personnel director Benny Looper a demotion that he didn't accept. There's sure to be more front-office moves to come, but the most important hire in the minds of Mariners fans, not to mention the players, is the manager. Lots of names have emerged, mostly through media speculation. Zduriencik has confirmed only two he is sure to interview -- Jim Riggleman, the man who took over the Mariners after John McLaren was fired in June, and Ned Yost, who guided the Brewers into playoff contention but not the playoffs because he was fired in September. Zduriencik said last week he wants a manager who's a true leader and a winner. "Someone with energy, someone with baseball experience," he said. "Someone who is a leader and someone we would have confidence in running this ballclub." Is that Riggleman, a hard-nosed guy who brought discipline to the clubhouse but also a bullpen strategy that had his own pitchers scratching their heads? Is it Yost, who guided a talented young Brewers team into contention but, for the second straight year, had them crumble under the pressure of September (they hung on to make the playoffs)? Is it Joey Cora, the bench coach under Ozzie Guillen with the White Sox and the popular little second baseman on the Mariners' 1995 team? How about Art Howe, who guided Oakland to the postseason three times but never won a playoff series? Or Bobby Valentine, the volatile veteran skipper who has managed in Japan since 2003? Or Willie Randolph, who managed the Mets within one victory of the World Series in 2006 but lost his job during a dismal season this year? Here's your chance to be general manager for a few minutes and choose who you'd like to see manage the Mariners. Pick one of the names listed below or, if you don't like any of them, write in your favorite. As always, you're encouraged to leave a comment. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Longtime exec Looper leaves Mariners Another well-known executive with the Seattle Mariners is out. Benny Looper, the player personnel director who completed his 23rd season with the club, has decided not to accept a re-assignment into a scouting role. On Monday, new general manager Jack Zduriencik fired scouting director Bob Fontaine. Zduriencik offered Looper a job on the professional scouting side of the organization, but Looper said no thanks. He believes he is strongest in a supervisory role and hopes to land that type job with another organization. His Mariners contract runs through Friday. “I’m a free agent on Saturday and I’m hoping there’s some interest,” Looper said today from his home in Oklahoma. “I think there will be from some other clubs. I’d like to work in a capacity where I’m working with people in a supervisory role. I think that’s one of my better assets. Being a pro scout is a great job, but I want to have something to do with working with people.” Looper, a former catcher in the Cardinals’ minor league system, joined the Mariners in 1987 as a part-time scout. He held several roles in the scouting department before being named player development director in 1997, then vice president of player development in 2002. He was promoted to vice president of player personnel after the 2006 season. “The sad part for me is the close friendships I’ve made,” Looper said. “It’s the people in the office who’ve been here 10-plus years, the scouts and people in player development, even the big league players who I’ve known since they were kids. Walking away from that is the saddest thing.” ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
Assistant GM Pelekoudas will remain with Mariners The firing of scouting director Bob Fontaine on Monday undoubtedly had Mariners executives squirming as new GM Jack Zduriencik began assembling his staff. Two of them are breathing easier this afternoon. The Mariners announced that longtime assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas will remain in his role, as will international scouting director Bob Engle. Pelekoudas, with the Mariners for 29 years, has worked as assistant GM under Woody Woodward, Pat Gillick, Bill Bavasi and, now Zduriencik. Pelekoudas was interim GM after Bavasi was fired in June. His expertise is the often-complicated procedural aspect of player transactions. Engle came to the Mariners in 2000, brought here from Toronto by Gillick. No word yet on the fate of player development director Greg Hunter or longtime player personnel director Benny Looper. Zduriencik said it may take another three weeks before his staff is fully assembled. There will be at least two newcomers. Zduriencik has hired Tony Blengino and Tom McNamara, both coming from the Brewers. Blengino was his assistant scouting director and McNamara was the Brewers' East Coast crosschecker. Neither has a title with the Mariners, although Blengino is expected to lead the scouting department. He will accompany Zduriencik to the general manager's meetings next week in Dana Point, Calif. McNamara played 50 games for the Bellingham Marinres in 1988 and worked as an area scout for the Mariners from 1994-2000, covering the Northeast U.S. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! GM's first shoe drops on Mariners scouting director Fontaine New Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik has wasted little time making changes in the front office. The Mariners announced today that he has fired scouting director Bob Fontaine. It's the first of what could be several personnel changes. Friday, Zduriencik told reporters that he wanted to meet with front-office executives to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the organization before he decided on any personnel changes. The meeting Monday with Fontaine didn't last much longer than the time it took Zduriencik to say he was replacing him. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported today that the Brewers expect Zduriencik, who was their longtime scouting director, to bring some of their scouts to the Mariners, leading to speculation that Tony Blengino could replace Fontaine. If that happens, Blengino would bring not only a strong background of talent evaluation, but also is a self-professed statistics geek who is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Fontaine has led the Mariners scouting department and directed their drafts since the 2004 season. His first picks were Matt Tuiasosopo in 2004 (third around), Jeff Clement in 2005, Brandon Morrow in 2006, Phillippe Aumont in 2007 and Josh Fields this year. Fields hasn't signed. As you'd expect, Zduriencik thanked Fontaine for his hard work and wished him the best in a statement released by the Mariners. "As we move forward in was my determination that a leadership and direction change was necessary," Zduriencik said. The question now is whether this is the beginning of a swift housecleaning or if Zduriencik will give other executives -- assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas, minor league director Greg Hunter, player personnel director Benny Looper, baseball administration director Jim Na, minor league and scouting operations director Hide Sueyoshi and others -- time to "audition" for their jobs. These aren't comfortable times for Mariners personnel, especially those who are asked to see the general manager in his office. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW!
GM Zduriencik a savior? Let's not get ahead of ourselves Based on what others around baseball have told me about Jack Zduriencik, and my first impression of him at Friday's press conference, there's a lot to like about the Mariners' new general manager. He's personable. He believes talent wins and, most importantly, he apparently knows what talent is. So, are all the Mariners' problems solved? I'm not ready to go there yet. I need to hear about Zduriencik's plan for the Mariners, not just the way he assembles next year's roster but, more importantly, his ideas on what it takes to build and maintain a strong organization. If that means I'm skeptical, then call me skeptical. That's because nearly five years ago, in a small interview room at the Mariners' spring training complex in Peoria, Ariz., I basically wanted to learn the same thing from the previous general manager. Bill Bavasi came to the Mariners with a reputation for assembling many of the young players who brought a World Series title to the Angels, and he'd been farm director for the Dodgers. So I asked Bavasi what his plan was for rebuilding a Mariners franchise that had bottomed out after the euphoria of 2001. I can't remember exactly what he said, but it was a what-do-you-mean response that made me feel like I'd asked a really dumb question. It flustered me, and I remember moving on to other questions about his life in baseball, his family, etc. Nearly five years later, I'm still not sure what Bavasi's plan was. His moves seemed questionable from the beginning -- Scott Spiezio, Pokey Reese, Rich Aurilia -- and the Richie Sexson signing puzzled me because Safeco Field had proven to be a nightmare for right-handed power hitters. The minor league system seemed to be in decent shape, but as losing seasons continued and jobs clearly were at stake, Bavasi's moves seemed more out of desperation. He traded away prospects -- Shin-Soo Choo and Asdrubal Cabrera, plus the five who went to the Orioles last year for Erik Bedard -- and let Greg Dobbs go to a nice career with the Phillies, and spent gobs of money on players who haven't delivered dollar for dollar (Sexson, Jeff Weaver, Carlos Silva). So pardon me if i choose to wait before embracing Jack Zduriencik as the man who saves the Mariners. I'd like to know more about how he plans to do it. ... [Read More] E-mail | Print | Comment NEW! |
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