First half re-cap: What a doozy!

Well, how about that boys and girls?  Thanks to some aggressive base-running yesterday by Adrian Beltre, along with a fluke throwing error by Royals catcher John Buck, the M’s were able to squeak by with a 4-3 victory in the final game of the series, avoiding a three-game sweep at the hands of Kansas City.  By pulling out the improbable victory against Royals’ All-Star closer Joakim Soria, the M’s limp into the All Star break with a 37-58 record, their worst mark at the half-season point since the team’s 99-loss season in 2004.

What a doozy of a first half!  Its appropriate that this team with a nautical theme, as there couldn’t be a more apt metaphor than that of a sinking ship.  Indeed, the narrative of the 2008 Seattle Mariners so far could be adapted into a screenplay similar to one of the popular disaster movies that filled the multiplexes.  After leading the team to just 25 wins in their first 72 games, the underwhelming John McLaren may have been replaced by Jim Riggleman, but with the disaster motif in mind, he could have well been replaced by Steve McQueen’s corpse, and its doubtful the mid-season record would have been any different.  (Do not scoff at the reference to a quasi obscure Hollywood actor.  Let’s not forget that the original owner of this franchise was Hollywood legend Danny Kaye, after all.)

The changing of the managerial guard was only the tip of the iceberg that has sunk the Good Ship Mariner’s chances this season.  The litany of woeful occurrences to befall this team offer a textbook of Murphy’s infamous axiom that ‘anything that can go wrong, will.’  Shortly before his dismissal, Bill Bavasi- son of the great baseball executive Buzzie Bavasi- was relieved of his general manager duties and replaced by Lee Pelekoudas on an interim basis.  Much has been made that a deciding factor of Bavasi’s dismissal is the fact that that the Mariners’ were the on pace to become the first team with a $100 million payroll to lose 100 games.  While that is a disappointing mark, it should be pointed out that major league teams’ payrolls continue to rise and eventually a team with a $100 million payroll would reach the century mark in losses.  Unless a dramatic reversal were to occur in the second-half, the 2008 Mariners will become a trailblazing team of sorts, far removed from the consensus by preseason baseball experts that the M’s should challenge for the division crown- even, possibly, a World Series-caliber club.

And its not as if those pre-season prognostications should have as wildly off the mark as they were.  The M’s were heading into the season with a pitching staff with a two-headed ace in Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard.  Bedard was widely considered to be the best left-handed starting pitcher in the game, who would only benefit by pitching half his starts in Safeco Field.  Instead, Bedard- who had a long history of fragility while in Baltimore- morphed into “Mr. Glass” with a number of different ailments including a troublesome hip, back spasms, and shoulder stiffness limiting Bedard to just 81 innings in 15 starts so far this season, being unable to toss more than 100 pitches.  With Bavasi hving mortgaged the M’s future by dealing All-Star closer George Sherrill and Adam Jones to the orioles in exchange for Bedard, and also considering Bedard’s penchant for providing “dumbass” answers during his interview sessions that can only be described as alienating, there is no question that this trade is a complete bust.

At the same time, the Mariners’ All-Star closer of their own, J.J. Putz, has struggled with injuries of his, taking two different trips on the disabled list.  When he has been on the mound, Putz has been horrendously ineffective, walking 17 batters for a 2.00 WHIP in 19 innings after allowing just 26 free passes over 150 innings in the two prior seasons.  Putz’s absence led to a bullpen in complete disarray, resulting in 14 blown saves in 36 opportunities, helping explain the team’s woeful 11-19 record in one-run games.  Recent steadiness in the closer position has been provided by Brandon Morrow, who in his second year reeled off saves in eight opportunities before coughing up two losses in dramatic fashion by allowing ninth-inning home runs to the A’s and Royals last week.

Of course, the pressure on the bullpen wouldn’t be so intense if the Mariners’ offense had the ability to score runs.  Instead, the team ranks dead last in the league in runs scored (374), on-base percentage (.312), and slugging average (.374).  The two year continued offensive struggles of Richie Sexson didn’t help any, as the .696 OPS Richie contributed won’t cut it in the American league, where first base is considered a premiere offensive position.  Having an offensive void at that position hamstrings the M’s offense, and only adds to the problem when other automatic outs such as Kenji Johjima (who is now a part-time catcher after signing a three-year contract extension), Jose Vidro, and Miguel Cairo are considered.  The disappearance of Sexson’s once powerful bat is puzzling, as Richie went from averaging 32 home runs and 112 RBIs from 1999-2006 (excepting his injury-shortened 2004 campaign in Arizona) to compiling a negative 7.1 VORP in 491 plate appearances over 74 games before the front office had enough, and mercifully cut Sexson to find his fortunes with another team.  Sexson’s spot at first will be filled in by Jose Vidro (.571 OPS, 9.7 VORP) and Miguel Cairo (.552 OPS, negative 0.4 VORP) who may not provide any better offensive numbers, but are getting paid far less than Sexson’s $16 million salary.  Which, of course, the M’s are still on the books for unless another team claims him off waivers, thus requiring the Mariners to pay a prorated scale of the league’s minimum salary.

Sigh.  The second half can only be better, correct?  Something about how everything gets darkest before dawn, right?

Here’s a sad parting note:  The Mariners might only be sending one All-Star representative to New York in Ichiro (attending his eighth straight All star game, and fifteenth consecutive when you include the Japanese All Star games), but I count five former Mariners on the rosters in A-Rod, Jason Varitek, David Ortiz (who is injured), Sherrill, and Carlos Guillen.

Aargh!