Your 2013 Cactus League Mariners currently lead the league with a 10-1 record, 24 home runs, and a 10-game winning streak. While winning spring ball games may be meaningless in the grand scheme of things, it sure feels a lot better than losing them.

A model student, Zunino absorbs all aspects of game — Tracy Ringolsby looks at the curiosity that propelled Mike Zunino’s career, from tee ball to the minor leagues, and the unique, challenging relationship he shares with his father and pro scout, Greg Zunino.

Cactus League Game 9, Dodgers at Mariners — Don’t be fooled by the title. This is really a story of the heartfelt legacy future sabermetricians will be able to hand down to their grandchildren one day.

Great numbers in spring don’t always translate (but sometimes they do) — Larry Stone examines the patterns of Cactus League performances over the past decade or so. Some, like Ichiro and Edgar, could carry their hot starts in Arizona to the considerably chillier Northwest terrain. Others, usually those who weren’t great to begin with, couldn’t.

Your Not Obligatory Mariners Spring Training Reminder — Jeff Sullivan is back to pull us down to earth again. Despite his optimistic, half-mocking game recap titles like “Mariners Beat Crap Out Of Idiot Rangers” and “Knock Knock. Who’s There? A Mariners Victory,” Jeff reminds us that this club is still mired in spring training baseball. This is the fun of spring training baseball. You just can’t get too carried away and expect 24 home runs in a week and a half to translate to a stunning regular season run.

What have you read this week? Share it with us on Twitter or in the comments below!

Last weekend, the Mariners lit up Safeco Field for a two-day baseball carnival. From trivia competitions to running the bases, it was the perfect antidote to an offseason that has felt too long, cold and dark these past few months.

One of the big attractions this year was the addition of a 200-ft zip line stationed in right field. Despite crazy lines for nearly every activity, there’s no doubt that this one drew the most fans—the wait was never shorter than an hour, and this for a five-second ride!

Being the daring and adventurous person I am, I made the zip line my first priority during FanFest. While the ride was tame enough for five-year-olds (and quite a few were brave enough to try it), my heart pounded as I climbed up the stairs toward the launching spot. There were enough straps, ropes, and harnesses to keep fans firmly attached to the zip line, but nearly no support for the ten fans waiting on the stairs who were rattled every time a rider reached the end of the line, making the staircase sway back and forth.

Elsewhere in the ballpark, many FanFest staples were featured—Mariner Melee, Catch in the Outfield, Run the Bases—but it was the new events that made this weekend really special. To commemorate Felix’s perfect game, fans were given the opportunity to don a #34 jersey, step on a fake mound, and show off their best Felixing moves. As players rotated throughout the day, first signing autographs, then visiting Dugout Dialogue, many of them also stopped by the 710 Photo Zone to pose with fans. » Continue reading “The Magic of Mariners FanFest”

Credit: @RealKingFelix

This weekend, the Mariners are rocking College Navy and Action Green as the Seattle Seahawks battle the Atlanta Falcons for a berth in next week’s NFC Championship game. In case you were wondering, that’s Felix’s game face.

And now for some baseball news…

• The Baseball Writers’ Association of America failed to elect a single member of the 37-man ballot to the Hall of Fame this year. Edgar’s percentage of the vote jumped to 35.9% from 32.9% in 2011. While induction may be a few years away, he is still well above the cutoff mark (less than 5%) and eligible for entry again in 2014.
• Baseball Canada has reported that Michael Saunders will represent Canada in this year’s World Baseball Classic. The official roster will be released on January 17. From the announcement:

“Of the 23 players, 8 were part of the World Baseball Classic in 2009 which includes Phillippe Aumont, Crain, Chris Leroux, Martin, Lawrie, Morneau, Pete Orr and Saunders.”

• Jack Zduriencik struck out for the second time this season when Justin Upton turned up his nose at a trade proposition from the Mariners last week (h/t MLB Trade Rumors). The proposed trade involved noted Seattle prospects Taijuan Walker and Nick Franklin, as well as relievers Stephen Pryor and Charlie Furbush. While the trade is not entirely impossible to pull off, should Upton change his mind in the face of less appealing offers, such a move is deemed highly improbable at this point.
• The Mariners announced 18 non-roster invitees to their spring training camp, scheduled to open on February 12. The list, via Greg Johns:
  • RHP Jonathan Arias
  • RHP Logan Bawcom
  • RHP Jeremy Bonderman
  • RHP Andrew Carraway
  • RHP Danny Farquhar
  • LHP Danny Hultzen
  • RHP D.J. Mitchell
  • LHP Brian Moran
  • RHP Jhonny Nunez
  • LHP James Paxton
  • RHP Carson Smith
  • RHP Taijuan Walker
  • C Jesus Sucre
  • C Mike Zunino
  • SS Nick Franklin
  • 1B Mike Jacobs
  • IF Brad Miller
  • IF Stefen Romero

The Boy is happier than he looks there.

I’ve been a Mariners fan since the late 80’s. I couldn’t tell you on which specific day I became a Mariners fan, mostly because my memory is fickle on its best day. It does somewhat recall my first live game; something about the Kingdome during my friend’s birthday party and perhaps Jay Buhner hit two homeruns. Details are foggy.

My mind has so much trouble with that memory because it’s so jam-packed full of quality memories about the Mariners that it has to keep track of. “Quality memories?”, you might ask. Sure. This franchise isn’t all 100-loss seasons and Adam Jones trades. I listened to The Double on the radio. I watched Win #116 on the television. I sat and watched live at Safeco when Ichiro got a base hit in extras to beat the Toronto Blue Jays. No matter how fond those distant memories seem to be, it’s a much more recent memory that sticks out in my mind as ‘favorite’.

We (we being my family and I) have been to every Mariners Fan Fest for the past five years, ever since my son could walk. Every year, we get in line to enter Safeco, anxious to hit homeruns and pitch in the bullpen and pretend we’re running first to third on an Ichiro single. Every year, we walk through the turnstiles and approach the stairs up the home plate concourse. Every year, we grab the autograph voucher from the person handing them out and quickly stuff it in the backpack after a quick glance.  We’re really not much for autographs.

One year, however, I grabbed the voucher, glanced, and then stopped dead in my tracks. The name on the voucher was typed out in big, bold letters: Felix Hernandez. I was excited, to say the least. My son, who was four at the time, was beyond excited. It was his idea to wait in line to meet The King, and this kid won’t sit still to eat a bowl of Chocolate Coated Sugar Bombs.

He made it, though. We waited patiently while that line crawled along. A half hour passed. An hour. An hour and a half. Finally, we walked through a set of double doors… and there he was, signing baseballs, caps, posters. I looked down at my son and was immediately happy we’d ventured the line.

He stood there, mouth agape, eyes wide, the sense of awe that only children seem capable of these days. As we approached the table, my son held out the baseball we’d purchased while in line. Felix reached for it, looked Bradon in the eyes, and asked if he was having fun. Bradon nodded, cool as could be. Felix signed the ball, handed it back, and said, “Good.” I quickly congratulated Felix for winning the Cy Young the previous year, and we were ushered along.

After exiting the room, we met my wife and daughter and enjoyed the rest of the day.  We hit the homeruns, caught the fly balls, and I’m pretty sure I struck out an imaginary Albert Pujols with a nasty slider on the outer edge. We drove home, five hours because we live in the middle of nowhere. When we got home, we put the Felix Ball in its case and set it on my son’s dresser. Sometimes I go and look at it and feel lucky that my family’s favorite baseball team is blessed to have such a quality person and player on its roster.

And that is my favorite Mariner memory. Not Ichiro breaking Sisler’s hits record. Not Edgar’s Game 4 grand salami off Wetteland. Not any play any Mariner has ever made on the field. It was a play that one made off the field that has and will stick out in my mind.

Thanks, Felix.

Go Mariners.

In seven hours, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America is scheduled to announce the 2013 inductee(s) to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

For those of you who haven’t jumped on the #EdgarHOF wagon this year, check out MLB columnist Doug Miller’s piece on Edgar Martinez for a few insights from the former Mariner. You can watch today’s results live on MLB.com and MLB Network at 2pm EST.

Jim Callis of Baseball America ranks Mariners’ farm system No. 2 in majors — Larry Stone reveals Jim Callis’s top ten minor league systems in MLB. Of the ten, the Mariners rank first of six AL teams, while their AL West buddies rank fourth and tenth (Rangers and Astros, respectively).

Mike Zunino: Reasonable expectations for Mariners top prospect in 2013 — Speaking of Seattle’s MiLB studs, Mike Zunino’s breakout success in Single-A and Double-A levels comes with a warning to temper any big-league expectations. Jonathan Irwin weighs the young backstop’s potential against the necessary adjustments he’ll have to make in the near future.

Michael Bourn, Chopped Liver? — Last month, MLB Trade Rumors targeted the Mariners as a possible landing spot for the newly-minted free agent outfielder. FanGraphs’ Eno Sarris examines the current market for players of Bourn’s skill set and salary bracket, concluding that a lower-priced deal may be struck out of necessity. It is worth noting that no formal talks between Jack Zduriencik and Bourn’s agent Scott Boras have progressed past the Winter Meetings.

Dustin Ackley Emotional Range — Tired of prospect talk? Weary of unresolved trade rumors? Jeff Sullivan is here to brighten the offseason with a lovely spectrum of Dustin Ackley’s game day reactions, from “interested” to “thoughtful.”

What have you read this week? Share it with us on Twitter or in the comments below!

Before the advent of free agency, baseball was different. While teams could still trade to improve their team or dump salary, it was not uncommon to see a player stick with the team that first gave him a shot for his entire career. Some of the greatest players in baseball history donned the jersey of only one franchise in their career – Lou Gehrig, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Walter Johnson, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Bob Gibson, Johnny Bench, Roberto Clemente, Sandy Koufax and Bob Feller, or 12 of the top 22 players in history, according to SABR.

Times have changed, and not completely for the better. Players move around more frequently and the almighty dollar reigns supreme. Players develop and become stars in small-market cities and, when the front office refuses to pay him what he deserves (or when another team overpays), that player walks and the makeup of the team is completely changed. Teams used to stick together – a city could get to know players and grow up with them, making the fans more connected and interested in the team. While free agency is good for some cities, it can make it so that fringe baseball fans in other cities care even less.

There are 37 players on the 2013 MLB Hall of Fame ballot. Out of those 37, only 6 were drafted, became stars and retired with the same team – Jeff Bagwell (15 years with the Astros), Alan Trammel (20 years with the Tigers), Don Mattingly (14 years with the Yankees), Bernie Williams (16 years with the Yankees), Craig Biggio (20 years with the Astros) and Edgar Martinez, who played all of his 18 seasons as a Seattle Mariner.

The numbers speak for themselves on Edgar’s Hall of Fame candidacy, but it’s what happened outside of the batter’s box that impresses me even more. With Chipper Jones now retired, Derek Jeter is the only active player with a WAR over 60 that has played with one organization for his entire career. Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, Manny Ramirez – they all took the money and ran. Edgar, however, stayed. Not only did he stay, but the impact Edgar has had on the Seattle community is almost unparalleled. The list of charities and organizations he has worked with is seemingly endless. Edgar made baseball about more than himself – when Seattle made a commitment to him, he reciprocated and gave his whole career to the Mariners and to Seattle as a whole.

Happy New Year, Mariners fans! The offseason looks long and dark at this point in the year, but we only have to muddle through 41 more days until spring training begins—and once we’ve made it to that first intrasquad game, Opening Day won’t be far behind.

Needle Ball Needs You! — Needle Ball is always looking for new, talented writers to join us in covering the Mariners. If you’re interested, shoot us an email at westcoastfan@ymail.com for more information.

Edgar Martinez and the Career He Deserved — Patrick Dubuque reconfigures Edgar’s stats to see just how much of an impact he would’ve made if his minor league stats were adjusted and tacked onto his major league totals.

Jesus Montero New Year’s Resolutions — From basic life skills to basic baseball skills, Jesus has a lot to learn this year.

The M’s Top 10 Prospects for 2013: the National View — Last week, we linked to Baseball Prospectus’s list of the Top 10 Mariners Prospects. Today, U.S.S. Mariner compares the top prospect lists from BP, FanGraphs, and Baseball America.

Kendrys Morales and Partial Uselessness — Jeff Sullivan analyzes Morales’s handedness and the ways it affected his batting splits in 2012.

The Mariners 2012 in Review — Prospect Insider’s Alex Carson breaks down the 2012 Mariners season month by month, beginning with whispers of a Prince Fielder signing and ending with the acquisitions of Kendrys Morales and Raul Ibanez.

What have you read this week? Share it with us on Twitter or in the comments below!

As the Hot Stove simmers over the holiday weekend, the Mariners focus on finding a few more pieces for the 2013 roster.

• Here’s something guaranteed to make you go “aww”… Felix Hernandez snuggling with a pair of adorable puppies ready to be adopted. You can find ways to support the Seattle Humane Society here at the “Felix Says Donate” donation page.
• With three new faces on the Mariners’ 2013 roster, there are a few jersey changes to be made. Per the team’s official Twitter account, Robert Andino will don #3, Oliver Perez will switch from #36 to #59, Jason Bay will take Trayvon Robinson’s #12, and Kendrys Morales will stick with #8. Carlos Triunfel, #8 in 2012, will receive another jersey number shortly.
• Although we glossed over this yesterday, Morales will slip into a joint 1B/DH role next season, splitting the positions with Jesus Montero, Justin Smoak, and, to a lesser extent, John Jaso and Mike Carp.
• According to Greg Johns, these are the remaining holes the Mariners need to fill over the rest of the offseason:

A back-end starter
A hot-hitting outfielder
A veteran backstop
A veteran hitter

• Speaking of future moves from Jack Zduriencik, here is an updated list of names the Mariners have been linked to this month. Free agents are identified with asterisks.

RHP Rick Porcello
LHP J.P. Howell*
OF Nick Swisher*
OF Michael Bourn*
OF Andre Ethier
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Carlos Gonzalez
OF Giancarlo Stanton
OF Mike Morse

• Several weeks ago, the Mariners announced their plans to restructure the left field seating area for a new open-air pub. The Southwest-flavored cantina is called Edgar’s, named for iconic Mariner and future Hall of Famer Edgar Martinez. As Kevin Martinez pointed out, the restaurant will not be open to fans during FanFest this January, but is expected to be up and running by Opening Day on April 8.

This piece originally appeared on Needle Ball during last year’s Hall of Fame deliberations. Although it is a brief plea, and nowhere near as extensive or compelling as Edgar deserves, the sentiment expressed remains true today. Dates have been changed to reflect the current voting process.

That’s right—I’m talking to you, Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

2012 marks the fourth year that Edgar Martinez will be on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. The criteria for reaching this achievement are as follows:

1. A player must have 10 or more major league seasons under his belt, and have been retired for 5 seasons.

2. Voters may only select 10 players on the ballot. A player must receive at least 75% of the vote from a committee of several hundred baseball writers.

3. A player can be nominated 15 times before he is ineligible for induction by the BBWAA.

That’s it. According to the official guidelines, voters are to keep in mind a player’s “record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions,” but no specific benchmarks are set. A player doesn’t need a perfect fielding percentage or a career average of .300. Perhaps he made his mark by becoming a leader on and off the field. Maybe he retired early, and now successfully manages another team.

In character, integrity, and sportsmanship, Edgar is recognized as a member of the World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame and a recipient of the 2004 Roberto Clemente Award. He has founded multiple charities and events, from the golf classic that raises money for curing Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy to the Martinez Foundation, aimed at equipping teachers to provide higher quality education.

In records and team contributions, he holds a career line of .312/.418/.515, with 2,247 hits, 1,261 RBIs, and 514 doubles over 18 seasons. He topped off the 1995 ALDS with a .571 batting average and a two-run double that clinched the series, sending the Mariners to the ALCS and validating their presence in Seattle. Among his many accomplishments sit two AL batting titles, five Silver Slugger Awards, five Designated Hitter of the Year awards, and seven All-Star appearances.

Designated hitters like Edgar are not excluded from the Hall of Fame, but from what I could find, there has never been a Hall of Famer who was exclusively recognized for that position. In a Hall that honors umpires, managers, and executives, this is inexcusable.

Personally, I believe that the most relevant criterion is the size of the contribution a player makes to his team, whether that means reaching 3,000 hits and 500 home runs, or simply hitting an RBI double to win the Division Series. Part of the problem may be Edgar’s role as a designated hitter, since voters have nothing but his offensive contributions to consider. It’s worth noting that he played twelve years at third base and eight years at first, with respective fielding percentages of .987 and .946, and a total of 81 errors in 592 games. Still, I would challenge the baseball writers of America to ask themselves what statistics are most valuable in evaluating designated hitters. Runs batted in? Walk-off hits? Home runs?

It’s a question that deserves to be answered, because it’s not enough that Edgar is enshrined in the Mariners Hall of Fame. It’s not enough that his achievements will be immortalized in the Latino Baseball Hall of Fame, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame, and the Washington State Sports Hall of Fame. There’s only one Hall of Fame that really matters, and I have the feeling that Mariner fans won’t rest until he is rightfully commemorated in Cooperstown.

If you want to get involved with the Edgar for HOF campaign, head over to his Facebook page or use the hashtag #EdgarHOF to spread the word on Twitter.

With the biggest piece of the team still waiting on an extension, the Mariners have begun to form their 2013 squad, starting with the remaining members of their pitching staff.

• As detailed by Greg Johns, Hisashi Iwakuma reached an agreement with the Mariners prior to the Saturday deadline, signing a two-year extension for $13M. Additionally, he has a $7M option for 2015.
• Following news of Iwakuma’s extension, the Mariners re-signed southpaw Oliver Perez to a one-year, $1.5M contract. According to Jon Heyman, Perez is sitting on a potential $600,000 in performance bonuses.
• In the AFL Rising Stars game this Saturday, the Mariners participants went 1-for-5 in a 9-4 loss by the AFL West Division. Mike Zunino subbed for Tampa Bay shortstop Hak-Ju Lee and stranded two baserunners. Nick Franklin started at second base and picked up one base hit. James Paxton followed Minnesota starter Kyle Gibson, logging two hits, a walk, and two strikeouts in an inning of relief.
• This weekend, Edgar Martinez’s wife Holli re-routed her plan to run the NYC marathon, which was cancelled by Hurricane Sandy. In its place, she and Edgar are hosting a marathon of their own on Sunday and donating all the proceeds to the relief efforts of New York Cares.