Best Win Of The Season

It's 12:30 in the morning, east coast time and I just throttled my poor sleeping cat in excitement after Franklin Gutierrez's momentous game-winning shot to left center and Aarmdsma's lucky rebound from last night. Holy shit! M's win!!! M's WIN!!!! 

I think this blog's been silent lately because no one quite knows what to write about the Mariners this year. Every time you want to believe they're legit contenders, they stab you in the neck with back-to-back losses to the lowly O's. And every time they do that, they come back with a huge, and  for seven innings, seemingly unlikely, victory. 

The last three games represents the epitome of this Mariner baseball club. 

But I'll tell you what, the M's looked more pumped and fired up about this comeback then I've seen them in years. Since 2000-2001, for sure. And this team has a youthful talented spirit, much like our mid-90s teams. They have swagger. Swagger. It's such a vague, almost undefinable term, but you know it when you see it. Ichiro knows nothing but swagger.Griffey was born with it and still exudes it. He earned that 8th inning walk with swagger. 

 And I see it in Felix and Franklin and its rubbing off on others like Lopez and Aardsma and even Cedeno -- the most swaggerly .130 hitting player in the history of Mariner baseball. I hate him, but I somehow think he'll come through. It's weird.

As you can tell, I'm a tad bit excited. I can't help it, I'm a believer. I sat here watching the game getting more pissed with every swing and miss, every feeble dribbler to second. But I kept with it, kept thinking Ichiro or Griffey or, most definitely, the talented Mr. Guti. I believed. And I believe we'll take two out of the next three from Texas. Momentum and swagger are decidedly on our side. 

One last thought. My friend Graham, an admitted and mildly self-loathing Yankees fan (one of my top three favorite Yankee fans), slapbet (when the loser of the bet gets slapped, for those not familiar with the term) one of his friends that the M's would win the West. At the time, the M's were playing out of their minds toward the end of April. I still thought it was a bad bet. And probably a bet made under the influence of obscene amounts of alcohol. 

My initial thought was reinforced with steel by our putrid play at the end of May and beginning of June. But we're back, Baby. And playing better than ever. We've improved. We've got swagger. Graham, you may yet become the slapper. 

Struggling Putz Reveals Jack Z's Skills

Former M's super closer and self-appointed team prankster JJ Putz is struggling -- almost Morrow like -- in his first season in the Big Apple. Last night, after entering in the 8th to set-up K-Rod, he blew a four-run Mets lead in a game New York would eventually lose to Pittsburgh, 8-5. 

Mets GM Omar Minaya, who's bullpen last year directly led them to another playoff-less season, gave up some significant pieces and potential to acquire Putz to be a shut-down pre-closer. In 28 games, his ERA is a disappointing 5.08 and he has as many walks 19 as strikeouts. 

Anyone who watched Putzy for the M's last year could have seen this coming. He was injured and when he wasn't, he just didn't look right. At least not like the nearly-hittable all-star Putz of 2007. 

One guy definitely paying attention: Mr. Jack Z. 

We hear about "selling high" on trades in all our sports and fantasy leagues. Jay-Z sold high on Putz, acquiring one of the best defensive center fielders in the game, Franklin Gutierrez (on a side note: Guti's Rooters, or whatever those sad handful of  centerfield fans are called, look like they consist of Franklin's mom, dad and two cousins. The crowds in Safeco look pathetic this year.), along with patient, almost-big-league-ready hitter, Mike Carp as well turning Aaron Heilman into a nice utility guy, Ronnie Cedeno. 

Sure, those guys aren't world beaters, but they're productive and fill holes in the system Jack Z is putting together. It's infinitely better than having a closer on the down slope of his career.

On the other hand, Bill Bavasi was the king of buying high and selling low (I'm convinced he had something to do with the country's economic collapse) and the damage he did will resonate for at least another three years. 

But Jay-Z has a chance to undo some of that damage this season with a host of tradeable chips, including Bedard, who we will root for again tonight again. And we won't even care if he wins. If he pitches well, it will give our new GM that much more leverage in trade negotiations.

Now, if he can somehow use that leverage to acquire some hitters so we will not continue to make the likes of Rich Hill look like Sandy Koufax.