Down in Peoria, Arizona, the Seattle Mariners intended to play their first intrasquad game today.
It was rained out.
Meanwhile, it is nice and sunny here at the Tacoma Rainiers North End Satellite Office (aka my house), and the weather has been quite nice here for most of the last ten days.
We should have spring training in Tacoma. OK, that’s probably not a good idea – but at least we would have gotten today’s intrasquad game played.
Exhibition games start for real on Wednesday, when the Mariners play the Padres in the annual charity game in Peoria, which does not count as an actual exhibition game, so it is a pre-exhibition game of sorts. Whatever – it’s a baseball game. With uniforms, fans, umpires, and everything. Wednesday.
In the meantime, here is a boatload of links:
- Bob Dutton caught up with Rainiers catcher John Hicks, who appears to be in the Mariners future plans.
- Larry Stone has a column on Taijuan Walker and the battle for the Mariners fifth starter spot. Good insight here.
- Stone also has an article on possible Rainiers catcher John Baker, who comes across as insightful and engaging (just like any Cal Bear).
- The Mariners shortstop battle is going to last right up until opening day, Stone writes. Dutton has a look at that same battle, with comments from Brad Miller.
- Dutton has the Mariners upcoming starting pitchers.
- Hisashi Iwakuma is healthy this spring – which is different from last year. He hopes this means he’ll be better prepared for the start of the regular season.
- Much of the Mariners success this season hinges on getting a respectable offensive performance from Austin Jackson.
- Reliever Carson Smith talked about his sidearm delivery and the difficulty of cracking the Mariners bullpen.
- Likely Rainiers reliever Mayckol Guaipe was very happy to be added to the Mariners 40-man roster this off-season.
- Dustin Ackley and his wife Justine had an unexpected pit stop on their drive to spring training.
- Matt Pentz of the Seattle Times has a feature on Mariners outfield coach Andy Van Slyke, which includes some details on his coaching philosophy.
- Mariners Morning Musings from spring training and writer Ryan Divish: Today, Sunday, and Saturday.
- National writer Jerry Crasnick of ESPN has an article on Rickie Weeks transitioning to left field.
- The Mariners are projected to win between 85 and 88 games, according to various mathematic formulas. Jeff Sullivan looked at 20 years worth of teams with similar projections to see how they actually did.
- Jonah Keri has the Mariners ranked as the best team in the American League in his preseason edition of “The 30.“
- From Baseball America’s minor league transactions, we learn that former Rainiers pitcher Anthony Vasquez has signed with the Phillies. Also in this link: there is an interesting couple of paragraphs under the Arizona Diamondbacks heading, about how Tacoma’s division rival Reno is going to be a team of reclamation projects.
- Speaking of the Diamondbacks, they say their third baseman Jake Lamb (out of the University of Washington) “oozes talent.” That’s gross.
- All of that talk about former Rainiers outfielder Michael Saunders being out until the all-star break turned out to be wrong. He might miss just a few days of the season.
- Former Rainiers pitcher Brandon Maurer is getting a fresh start with the San Diego Padres.
- One-time Mariners manager Rene Lachemann is the life of the party at Colorado Rockies camp.
- El Paso Chihuahuas pitcher Matt Wisler recalled the time last season when the Tacoma Rainiers ruined his day.
- Minnie Minoso – one of baseball’s first Cuban stars – passed away at age 92 (or 89 or 90, depending on the source). Minoso played in the Pacific Coast League in 1949 and 1950, for the original San Diego franchise.
- Here’s a look at the renovations going on Autozone Park in Memphis. That place needed a touch-up and it looks good.
- A Red Sox scout got booed in church.
Next update will be Wednesday.
