While the Mariners enjoy an off day before hitting the road in Detroit, their minor-league affiliates are all in full swing. Let’s check in on the progress made this week:

Tacoma Rainiers
Current record: 7-11

• The Rainiers are in the middle of a four-game series against the Fresno Grizzlies. Over the past six games, Tacoma has only taken one win.
• On Thursday, backup catcher Adam Moore landed on the 7-day DL after surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee.
• LHP Anthony Vasquez placed second in the Pacific Coast League pitching leaderboards, with a 0.87 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in 3 starts and 20.2 IP this season.
• Yesterday, Mike Carp made his second start in left field after 7 games as DH. He went 0-for-7 with 3 strikeouts against the Grizzlies.

Jackson Generals
Current record: 11-7

• Danny Hultzen picked up his first win of the year against the Mississippi Braves, with a quality start of 6.1 IP, 2 hits, 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. Baseball America ranks Hultzen at No. 2 on their Prospect Hot Sheet.
• James Paxton is hanging onto a 4.15 ERA and 1.67 WHIP in 4 starts, with 15 hits, 14 walks, and 22 strikeouts in 17.1 IP. He struggled through his last start against the Huntsville Spurs, giving up 7 hits, 7 runs, and 5 walks in 2.1 innings.
• Taijuan Walker boasts the lowest ERA (2.25) and WHIP (0.64) of Jackson’s starters. He has yet to take a loss, even after the Generals fell 2-3 to the Spurs yesterday on a walkoff home run by second baseman Scooter Gennett.

High Desert Mavericks
Current record: 11-6

• Third baseman Steven Proscia hit three home runs for the Mavericks on Thursday against the Inland Empire 66ers. Two came against lefty starter Max Russell, and the final dinger was hit off RHP Baudilio Lopez. By the end of the night, the Mavericks were up 14-8, and Proscia had 3 runs and 5 RBIs under his belt.
• Four Mavericks top the California League batting charts, including third baseman Stefen Romero (.394/.414/.561, 26-for-66) and catcher Jack Marder (.386/.449/.571, 27-for-70).
• Today, High Desert opens an 8-game road trip in San Jose. The SJ Giants currently lead the California League North division with 12 wins and 6 losses.

Clinton LumberKings
Current record: 6-11

• Despite a 2-game winning streak, the LumberKings are scraping the bottom of the Midwest League Western division. Their 6-11 record is matched by the Fort Wayne TinCaps and just above the 4-13 Lake County Captains.
• Jordan Shipers holds the lowest ERA (1.04) in Clinton’s pitching staff, putting up a 1.15 WHIP and collecting 16 hits, 2 earned runs, and 15 strikeouts in 3 starts and 17.1 IP.

For up-to-date info on the Mariners’ minor league clubs, swing by MiLB.com.

While the Mariners are poised to begin their series against the Rangers this afternoon, the rest of the minor league Mariners are making strides towards Safeco Field. Here’s the latest news from Seattle’s Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, and Single-A affiliates.

Tacoma Rainiers
Current record: 2-2

• According to broadcaster Mike Curto’s blog, Darren Ford was moved to the DL yesterday after breaking his finger while trying to escape a pesky hotel room door. Mike Wilson and Carlos Peguero are day-to-day with a groin injury and sore knee, respectively.
• Until now, Peguero was heating up in Tacoma, going 7-for-10 with 2 home runs, 4 extra base hits, and 4 RBI. Last night, he crushed a pitch from Salt Lake’s Eric Hurley, sending it soaring to right field for a 450-foot home run.
• Adam Moore caught seven innings of Tacoma’s home opener on April 5, going 0-for-3 at the plate but feeling no pain in his wrist. His 15 days on the DL expired yesterday.
• Shawn Kelley is the only Rainier left who hasn’t allowed a hit yet. Charlie Furbush leads the pitching staff with the fewest hits (1) and most strikeouts (5).

Jackson Generals
Current record: 4-1

• James Paxton tossed a scoreless debut for the Generals on April 6, striking out 10 and allowing 2 hits in 5.2 IP. His highly touted teammate, Danny Hultzen, was not so fortunate, striking out 7 but allowing 4 hits, 5 runs, and 3 walks in 4.0 IP. Taijuan Walker notched his first win against the Birmingham Barons today, finishing with 8 strikeouts and 2 runs in 5 innings.
• SS Nick Franklin tops the Jackson roster with a .444 average in 5 games, collecting 8 hits, 3 runs, and 4 RBI in 18 AB. He put up his first solo home run on Saturday, in a 7-5 win over the Barons.
• Outfielder Chih-Hsien Chiang will be moved to the Tacoma roster today. In his 3 games with Jackson, he grabbed a hit, a run, and a stolen base in 9 AB.

High Desert Mavericks
Current record: 4-0

• The Mavericks swept the Lancaster JetHawks in their opening series, putting up a staggering 42 runs in 4 games. Tomorrow, they begin a 3-game series against the 3-1 San Jose Giants.
• LHP James Gilheeney pitched 5 shutout innings on April 7, allowing a single hit, 3 walks, and striking out 8 in a 16-2 High Desert win.
• Outfielders Mike McGee and Stefen Romero are touting .538 averages, with a total of 14 hits, 10 runs, and 4 RBI between them.

Clinton LumberKings
Current record: 1-2

• The LumberKings opened their season against the Burlington Bees, suffering two losses after big hits from the Bees, including a grand slam by DH Dusty Robinson. On Saturday, the Kings retaliated with a 7-1 win, courtesy of LHP Jordan Shipers, who tossed 5.0 innings with 7 hits, 1 run, and 4 strikeouts.
• Outfielder Mario Yepez was called up to Tacoma. In 2011, he worked 66 games for the short-season Everett AquaSox, batting for a line of .368/.412/.780 with 87 hits and 37 runs. He played 2 games for the Kings, going 2-for-6 with 2 base hits and 2 runs.

For up-to-date info on the Mariners’ minor league clubs, swing by MiLB.com.

Charlie Furbush, pitching, looking goofy. (Credit: Tom Hagerty/LakelandLocal.com")

Every now and then, I have to remind myself that Cactus League games mean squat, and I should probably write about more important things happening to the Mariners—like, say, the final cuts for the 25-man roster.

Three players were moved to Tacoma: OF Carlos Peguero, RHP Shawn Kelley, and LHP Charlie Furbush. If you’re wondering where the rest of the optioned and re-assigned players will end up this spring, the Mariners released the minor league rosters on their blog earlier today.

Here are the final 25 players starting the season at Safeco. The roster is carrying three players on the DL—Mike Carp, Franklin Gutierrez, and Adam Moore—so expect lineups to be shifted as we head towards April and May.

Pitchers (12)

• RHP Blake Beavan — No. 4 starter
• RHP Steve Delabar
• RHP Felix Hernandez — No. 1 starter
• RHP Hisashi Iwakuma
• RHP Brandon League
• RHP Kevin Millwood — No. 5 starter
• RHP Hector Noesi — No. 3 starter
• RHP Erasmo Ramirez
• RHP Tom Wilhelmsen
• LHP Lucas Luetge
• LHP George Sherrill
• LHP Jason Vargas — No. 2 starter

Catchers (4):

• John Jaso
• Jesus Montero
• Adam Moore
• Miguel Olivo

Infielders (7):

• Dustin Ackley
• Chone Figgins
• Munenori Kawasaki
• Alex Liddi
• Brendan Ryan
• Kyle Seager
• Justin Smoak

Outfielders (5):

• Mike Carp
• Franklin Gutierrez
• Michael Saunders
• Ichiro Suzuki
• Casper Wells

What do you think of the 25-man roster? Any unexpected players or moves you’d like to see made?

“Cubs Baseball: It’s a Way of Life” is reportedly the new slogan for Chicago this year. So far, I don’t think it’s working the way they’d like it to.

However, the Mariners are doing quite well today. They improved their Spring Training standings to 6-1 with a 10-3 win over the Cubs, and a bonus 7-3 win over the Rockies.

Kevin Millwood had a decent Spring Training debut, striking out three batters and giving up four hits and one run over three innings. Two more runs were handed to Chicago in the 6th, when Tom Wilhelmsen and Munenori Kawasaki made a pair of throwing errors to advance 3B Ian Stewart and C Welington Castillo.

The Mariners waited until the 5th inning to heat up, with a parade of singles from Olivo, Kawasaki, and Montero. Dustin Ackley had another productive day at leadoff, smashing a 3-run shot to right field off RHP Carlos Marmol. (At least, he smashed the ball in my mind… I wasn’t listening to the broadcast. Perhaps it barely drifted over the fence.)

Six runs followed in the final four innings, including a solo home run by Guillermo Quiroz. Even more impressive, though, was the sheer amount of baserunning in this game. Kawasaki stole second on Ackley’s strikeout, Olivo stole second and scored on Peguero’s single, and both Kawasaki and Ford stole second and third base during Francisco Martinez’s at bat.

Of course, it is only Spring Training—a reminder I almost resent after seeing the Mariners continue to put up these numbers. Then again, everything may be easier before the rosters are set and half the camp is sent back to the minors, but I’d much rather be making excuses for the Mariners’ good fortune than for their mistakes.

Injury update: Shannon Drayer tweeted that Adam Moore will be back “sooner rather than later,” per Wedge’s postgame comments. That’s vaguely positive, right?

Next game: vs. Diamondbacks | March 9 | 12:05pm

HoHoKam Stadium currently houses the Chicago Cubs, but will accommodate the Athletics as soon as 2015. (Credit: Chuck Reynolds/Flickr)

Today, the Mariners play overlapping away games against the Rockies and Cubs. The B squad faced Colorado at Salt River Fields at 10am, while a different squad of Mariners will take on the Cubs in HoHoKam Stadium at 12:05pm.

The lineups:

Mariners @ Rockies (B Game)

Seattle: SS Miller, 1B Jaso, 3B Catricala, C Sucre, CF Robinson, DH Jimenez, RF Chavez, LF Chiang, 2B Romero, RHP Noesi.

Colorado: 2B Eric Young Jr., RF Brendan Harris, 3B Brandon Wood, 1B Chad Tracy, DH Ben Paulsen, LF Andrew Brown, SS DJ LeMahieu, CF Jamie Hoffman, C Lars Davis, RHP Rob Scahill.

Mariners @ Cubs

Seattle: 2B Ackley, CF Saunders, DH Montero, 1B Smoak, 3B Seager, C Olivo, RF Peguero, LF Wells, SS Kawasaki, RHP Kevin Millwood.

Chicago: RF David DeJesus, CF Marlon Byrd, SS Starlin Castro, 3B Ian Stewart, LF Alfonso Soriano, 1B Anthony Rizzo, 2B Jeff Baker, DH Reed Johnson, C Welington Castillo, RHP Chris Volstad.

This will be Ackley’s second time batting leadoff. He last headed the lineup on March 5 against the Padres, and went 3-for-3 with a single, double, and triple.

In non-game related news, catcher Adam Moore fractured his wrist during the Reds game this Tuesday. Greg Johns has the full injury report here, but it’s safe to say Moore will be in recovery for at least six weeks.

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You can catch the Cubs game on Gameday and MLB.com, although the 710 ESPN broadcast won’t be aired until this evening at 7pm. For B game coverage, make sure to check out the Mariners’ official blog.

That’s right, I just pulled a High School Musical reference on you. Let’s hope there won’t be many more of those coming.

Today, the Mariners got to choose from a platter of walks, singles, and sacrifice flies to score 8 runs. Alex Liddi stole a base. Casper Wells tried to steal a base. Adam Moore had the biggest scoring play with a 2-out double that drove in Liddi and Johermyn Chavez.

Felix delivered three perfect innings in his first Spring Training appearance, throwing 26 strikes in 35 pitches and striking out four batters. Of his following six replacements, Hong-Chih Kuo had the roughest outing, giving up a three-run bomb to pinch-hitter Denis Phipps.

Speaking of mistakes, this also happened:

@gbakermariners Smoak singles to right, Kawasaki held at third. Ichiro doesn’t see stop sign, goes to third as well and gets tagged out in rundown.

Tomorrow, the Mariners pack their bags for the Tempe Diablo Stadium to face the Angels, get a taste of Albert Pujols, and make their first Spring Training appearance on MLB.TV.

Next game: @ Angels | March 7 | 12:05pm

This is where the Mariners played yesterday. This is not where they will be playing today. (Credit: Brian Baute/Flickr)

There has been all kinds of news floating around camp lately. Yesterday, the Mariners and Padres extended their lease to stay in Peoria through 2034. Edgar Martinez has arrived to observe and coach the campers. This morning, Carlos Guillen announced his retirement.

And now, in what seems like less exciting news, today’s lineups:

Seattle: SS Figgins, 2B Kawasaki, RF Ichiro, 1B Smoak, LF Carp, CF Wells, 3B Liddi, DH Chavez, C Moore, RHP Hernandez.

Cincinnati: 2B Kristopher Negron, LF Willie Harris, CF Daryl Jones, DH Ryan Ludwick, RF Chris Heisey, 1B Miguel Cairo, C Ryan Hanigan, 3B Wilson Valdez, SS Paul Janish, RHP Mat Latos.

Felix gets his first Spring Training start today against the newly acquired Mat Latos. This will be the first opportunity for Reds fans to see Latos in action after nabbing him from the Padres this offseason.

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You can follow the game online with the MLB.com broadcast and Gameday play-by-play.

The Mariners did not lose this game. They put up thirteen runs to San Diego’s seven, which is very respectable. I would be thrilled with a regular season game that ended 13-7 in the Mariners’ favor. But for some reason, today’s victory felt a little underwhelming.

Perhaps I am irrationally bummed out because the younger Mariners lost the B Game to the Reds.

Perhaps it’s because of my high(er) expectations for Hisashi Iwakuma, who lasted one inning, striking out one batter and giving up three hits and an unearned run. He threw low-80s splitters and sliders, and two 83 MPH splitters were chopped into singles by Yonder Alonso and Nick Hundley. I know, I know… I can’t be hard to please on the fourth game of Spring Training. I can’t be hard to please on any day of Spring Training, but I’m ready to see something, anything decent from Iwakuma. That strikeout was nice, I guess. (And, if we’re playing the blame game, Oliver Perez gave up four runs during his inning.)

Perhaps it’s because Dustin Ackley allowed that first runner to reach base on a fielding error, then Brendan Ryan put up two errors, then someone I’ve never heard of (Alfredo Morales) allowed Jonathan Galvez to score on another fielding error.

Perhaps—and this would make the most sense—I am just bitter because I couldn’t listen to the game online or get Gameday to work.

Whatever the reason, there were a lot of bright spots to balance out today’s game. Ackley and Ryan kicked off the first inning with back-to-back doubles. Scott Patterson, George Sherrill, and Tom Wilhelmsen threw three perfect innings. Michael Saunders scored on Ryan’s double play. Backup catcher Adam Moore took Cory Burns deep for his first home run. Francisco Martinez, Carlos Peguero, and Luis Rodriguez hit three singles in the 9th to drive in four more runs.

And, of course, the Mariners won 13-7. There’s always that.

Tomorrow, the Mariners kick the Padres out of Peoria to host the Reds. It’s not another B-squad game, which means if Seattle wins, it counts. As much as a Spring Training game can count for anything, that is.

Next game: vs. Reds | March 6 | 12:05pm

Spring Training

This past weekend, Needle Ball made a visit to Arizona and popped in on Mariners’ Spring Training… literally. The trip in its entirety took less than 22 hours from takeoff from Sea-Tac on Friday night to touchdown on Saturday afternoon and it was quite the adventure, between spending the night in the airport to meeting (and being offered jobs by) ex-cons in fast food establishments on the less-than-desirable west-side of Phoenix.

But this is a baseball site, so we’ll stick with Spring Training news. The Mariners’ complex in Peoria (naturally situated right on Mariners’ Way) seemed like a baseball Mecca upon arrival – seeing those numerous fields perfectly manicured surrounding Peoria Stadium was a sight I had been waiting to see for months.

» Continue reading “Needle Ball Visits Spring Training”

Today, the Mariners put aside their workouts and lineup tweaks for some good old-fashioned intrasquad fun. In order of appearance, here is how the team was divided:

Team #1: Jason Vargas, Chone Figgins, Dustin Ackley, Casper Wells, Justin Smoak, Miguel Olivo, Munenori Kawasaki, Carlos Peguero, Guillermo Quiroz, Michael Saunders, Shawn Camp, Oliver Perez, Chih-Hsien Chiang, Brad Miller (Mariners shortstop and 2nd round draft pick in ’11), Nick Franklin, Aaron Heilman, Vinnie Catricala, John Jaso, Jharmidy DeJesus, Steve Delabar, Charlie Furbush, Chance Ruffin, and Jabari Blash.

Team #2: Danny Hultzen, Darren Ford, Brendan Ryan, Ichiro Suzuki, Mike Carp, Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager, Alex Liddi, Luis Rodriguez, Carlos Triunfel, Taijuan Walker, James Paxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Mike Wilson, Johermyn Chavez, Adam Moore, Cesar Jimenez, Erasmo Ramirez, Alfredo Morales, Gabriel Noriega, and Lucas Luetge.

Jim Evans did fans a great service by live-blogging the highlights of the game over on From the Corner of Edgar & Dave. Here are a few highlights of the highlights: » Continue reading “Mariners Spring Training Report: 2/24″