Winless In Seattle
Steve Sauro
Elliott SmithMariners of MLB 2011 not nearly as good as Mariners of MVP 2005
June 30th 2011 03:11
:
Hits and Misses
Right now I am killing the Angels. It's only 2-0, I guess, but I just put 9 runs on them the game before and my hitters are killing their pitching this series. Babe Ruth already has two bombs in two games. Dolph Camilli has like 7 hits in two games. I'm playing shortstop, and even though I am in a slump, I still have a homer last game and a double this game. The Angels have no chance. It's June 26th, 2015 and the Angels are already 26 games out of first place.
I can tell you all of this because it is MVP baseball 2005, and it is what I played while occasionally watching the Mariners get swept by the Braves today. So, technically, since this is what I was doing while the game was on, it is ok to write about. It is not a good sign that I broke out my Playstation 2 during an afternoon baseball game (especially one that Felix was starting), but there is a point to all of this.
I started playing MVP '05 in (coincidently) 2005. It was the best baseball video game I had ever played, and since its release, the best baseball video game I have ever played. I have yet to buy another one (save for the college game EA Sports put out the following year). I'm 10 years deep into the franchise I started, I've had Babe Ruth, Johnny Bench, Al Kaline, Dolph Camilli, and countless other superstars wear Mariner colors. And leading off, every game in every year, is Ichiro.
Ichiro's skills, as expected, have diminished during the 10 seasons he's played. His power is non-existent, his speed is down, and even his contact is noticeably vacant. But there he is, every game (save for a few DL stints), leading off for a team that has won 9 of the last 10 championships. There is not a single other player, not in A, AA, AAA or the major league roster, that is currently a Mariner (in real life) on my roster. Ichiro remains because it's fun watching him win a ring. As dumb as that might sound, it really is heartbreaking to watch the real Mariners throw away his prime and realize that he will probably never get to experience a World Series in his life. He gives 100% every season, and in return, the Mariners surround him with subpar talent in a pitcher friendly park. A guy who broke every hitting record he possibly could has to deal with a current lineup that daily starts 3-4 guys that should probably still be in the minors.
The Ichiro in my MVP Baseball is a happy Ichiro. He is cemented on top of the order, he scores a run almost every time he is on base, and he gets to shine in the playoffs every year. The Ichiro in real life is saddled with the responsibility of being the face of a franchise that, for whatever reason, sucks every year. The Mariners are, right now, 3.5 games out of first place and they are throwing out an offense that is dead last in every category. They have been dead last in every category for what seems like every year since 2001. I am happy that Dustin Ackley is awesome; that he is fun to watch. I am happy that we are all excited for Justin Smoak (batting .243 this season with 3 hits in his last 24 at bats by the way). I like that we have new guys to watch progress as the season goes on. But it's been too long since we have had a reliable team, and that needs to change sooner than later. I don't care if we win a ring (or, hell, just a division) five or ten years from now. I want to do it when Ichiro is still on the roster. No one has given more to the Mariners, no one has tried harder, and no one should have to endure the disappointment the way Ichiro has. For goodness sake, they don't even make MVP baseball anymore.
On to the Hits and Misses:
Miss: My computer. It freaked out about two hours ago, rebooted and deleted my notes from the Atlanta series and the Florida series. The Florida series I missed due to a camping trip (thus no write-up, sorry) but I was able to jot a few things down when I got back. The Atlanta game, however, had every game recorded and then watched by yours truly. The reboot happened (fittingly) right after the last game ended. I only hope our Mariners reboot as well.
Hit: Ackley. Went deep in the final game on a very tough pitch, played great defense throughout the series-I don't know if he is a superstar in the making or simply a rookie having a great last couple weeks, but he does seem to have all the tools. I look forward to his every at bat and, aside from Ichiro; I don't know who else I would say that about.
Miss: That bizarre double steal in Game 2. Ichiro at 2nd, Kennedy at first with one out. A 3-0 count to Smoak. I don't know, I really don't know, why anyone would ever call a double steal in that situation. The fact that the next batter was currently our best hitter (Ackley) and that Smoak ended up walking (because, again, it was a 3-0 count), having Kennedy thrown out at 2nd is just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. Man this team is frustrating.
Hit: Chris Giminez. At first, it was quite confusing to watch him try to bunt with two outs and two runners on. It was very perplexing to watch him try 3 times in all and then not swing at a waist high fastball with 2 strikes. Then you find out that he was injured and unable to swing, only playing because the Mariner's 1st string catcher (Olivo) was injured earlier. Him even being out there is impressive, and that was before he made that great tag on Haywood in the 9th to save a run. That was the last play he made before going on the disabled list.
Miss: Hitting with runners in scoring position. My notes got torched, so I don't have the numbers in front of me, but other than Ackely's hit in Game 2 I believe the Mariner's were 0-every-possible-chance-given them for the series. Lots of fun watching Seattle load the bases and then freak out like Cyril in the spelling bee (also, everyone should start watching Archer).
Hit: Brian McCann. He had 10 hits and 5 RBI for the series. That's in 3 games. The Mariners scored 8 runs total in those games. And lost their top two starting catchers.
Miss: Eric Bedard. On the DL. Again. They say it's just a sprained knee, but we've all seen this before. I really, really hope he only misses one start. Bedard got a lot of flak for being the other side of a deal that saw Seattle send 5 guys everyone liked to Baltimore. The cards were stacked against him when he got here. Yes, he's been injured a lot. Like, every year. But he's not a bad guy and when he has pitched (albeit, seldom), he's pitched well. This year, in particular, he has been at an all-star level. The Mariner season might be going down the drain, but that's because of our offense. Bedard has been amazing, as has all of our pitching, and he deserves recognition for it. Get well soon, we need you.
San Diego is next. Well, for the real Mariners. In my living room, the Mariners are killing the Angels in 2015.
I can tell you all of this because it is MVP baseball 2005, and it is what I played while occasionally watching the Mariners get swept by the Braves today. So, technically, since this is what I was doing while the game was on, it is ok to write about. It is not a good sign that I broke out my Playstation 2 during an afternoon baseball game (especially one that Felix was starting), but there is a point to all of this.
I started playing MVP '05 in (coincidently) 2005. It was the best baseball video game I had ever played, and since its release, the best baseball video game I have ever played. I have yet to buy another one (save for the college game EA Sports put out the following year). I'm 10 years deep into the franchise I started, I've had Babe Ruth, Johnny Bench, Al Kaline, Dolph Camilli, and countless other superstars wear Mariner colors. And leading off, every game in every year, is Ichiro.
Ichiro's skills, as expected, have diminished during the 10 seasons he's played. His power is non-existent, his speed is down, and even his contact is noticeably vacant. But there he is, every game (save for a few DL stints), leading off for a team that has won 9 of the last 10 championships. There is not a single other player, not in A, AA, AAA or the major league roster, that is currently a Mariner (in real life) on my roster. Ichiro remains because it's fun watching him win a ring. As dumb as that might sound, it really is heartbreaking to watch the real Mariners throw away his prime and realize that he will probably never get to experience a World Series in his life. He gives 100% every season, and in return, the Mariners surround him with subpar talent in a pitcher friendly park. A guy who broke every hitting record he possibly could has to deal with a current lineup that daily starts 3-4 guys that should probably still be in the minors.
The Ichiro in my MVP Baseball is a happy Ichiro. He is cemented on top of the order, he scores a run almost every time he is on base, and he gets to shine in the playoffs every year. The Ichiro in real life is saddled with the responsibility of being the face of a franchise that, for whatever reason, sucks every year. The Mariners are, right now, 3.5 games out of first place and they are throwing out an offense that is dead last in every category. They have been dead last in every category for what seems like every year since 2001. I am happy that Dustin Ackley is awesome; that he is fun to watch. I am happy that we are all excited for Justin Smoak (batting .243 this season with 3 hits in his last 24 at bats by the way). I like that we have new guys to watch progress as the season goes on. But it's been too long since we have had a reliable team, and that needs to change sooner than later. I don't care if we win a ring (or, hell, just a division) five or ten years from now. I want to do it when Ichiro is still on the roster. No one has given more to the Mariners, no one has tried harder, and no one should have to endure the disappointment the way Ichiro has. For goodness sake, they don't even make MVP baseball anymore.
On to the Hits and Misses:
Miss: My computer. It freaked out about two hours ago, rebooted and deleted my notes from the Atlanta series and the Florida series. The Florida series I missed due to a camping trip (thus no write-up, sorry) but I was able to jot a few things down when I got back. The Atlanta game, however, had every game recorded and then watched by yours truly. The reboot happened (fittingly) right after the last game ended. I only hope our Mariners reboot as well.
Hit: Ackley. Went deep in the final game on a very tough pitch, played great defense throughout the series-I don't know if he is a superstar in the making or simply a rookie having a great last couple weeks, but he does seem to have all the tools. I look forward to his every at bat and, aside from Ichiro; I don't know who else I would say that about.
Miss: That bizarre double steal in Game 2. Ichiro at 2nd, Kennedy at first with one out. A 3-0 count to Smoak. I don't know, I really don't know, why anyone would ever call a double steal in that situation. The fact that the next batter was currently our best hitter (Ackley) and that Smoak ended up walking (because, again, it was a 3-0 count), having Kennedy thrown out at 2nd is just dumb. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb. Man this team is frustrating.
Hit: Chris Giminez. At first, it was quite confusing to watch him try to bunt with two outs and two runners on. It was very perplexing to watch him try 3 times in all and then not swing at a waist high fastball with 2 strikes. Then you find out that he was injured and unable to swing, only playing because the Mariner's 1st string catcher (Olivo) was injured earlier. Him even being out there is impressive, and that was before he made that great tag on Haywood in the 9th to save a run. That was the last play he made before going on the disabled list.
Miss: Hitting with runners in scoring position. My notes got torched, so I don't have the numbers in front of me, but other than Ackely's hit in Game 2 I believe the Mariner's were 0-every-possible-chance-given them for the series. Lots of fun watching Seattle load the bases and then freak out like Cyril in the spelling bee (also, everyone should start watching Archer).
Hit: Brian McCann. He had 10 hits and 5 RBI for the series. That's in 3 games. The Mariners scored 8 runs total in those games. And lost their top two starting catchers.
Miss: Eric Bedard. On the DL. Again. They say it's just a sprained knee, but we've all seen this before. I really, really hope he only misses one start. Bedard got a lot of flak for being the other side of a deal that saw Seattle send 5 guys everyone liked to Baltimore. The cards were stacked against him when he got here. Yes, he's been injured a lot. Like, every year. But he's not a bad guy and when he has pitched (albeit, seldom), he's pitched well. This year, in particular, he has been at an all-star level. The Mariner season might be going down the drain, but that's because of our offense. Bedard has been amazing, as has all of our pitching, and he deserves recognition for it. Get well soon, we need you.
San Diego is next. Well, for the real Mariners. In my living room, the Mariners are killing the Angels in 2015.
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