Ahhhhh .... Baseball is back. I'm ready. And I got a shitty team.

[MikeG]

[benburch]

1. Yeah, too bad for you, cuz this year the Cubs take it!

[MikeG]

2. OK. Charlie Brown.

[DrGonzoLives]

8. Yeah, right after

the Sahara stops being dry.

[aldian159]

18. Sign me up for what will be an eventful year, to be sure.

[On Par]

3. I'm Right There With You!

[jedr]

4. maybe not:

listened to Lanny Fertirri today on a burgh' sports station...maybe 500? can you believe that he's been the voice of the pirates for longer than Bob Prince....got them golden tubes...his voice sounds like a hot summer night

[chelsea0011]

5. It's hard following mediocrity. the Celtics have sucked for

almost 20 years now. I love baseball, but there was a time I never missed the Celtics. I can't remember the last time I sat through a whole game. Hey, you have Oliver Perez, a future star. Just hope they keep him.

[Voltaire]

6. Since your Triple A team is here in Indy

I guess I'm in the same boat as you!

(Actually I'm a born and raised Philadelphia Phillies fan, but I do like to watch and attend Indianapolis Indians baseball games)

[kaitykaity]

7. I think the Mariners are right down there with the Pirates

in the sucking department, so I feel your pain.

Here we go!

[ohkay]

10. I'm gointg to see your team this year!!!

Very excited! Never been to Seattle, get to see Ichiro!!

[kaitykaity]

11. Lucky dog.

I'm in Portland, 170 miles away, and have been really
broke for two years.

Who knows, maybe this year...

You'll love Safeco. It's a beautiful ballpark.
But if you get a "view obstructed" seat, they mean
it. They're not joking.

[ohkay]

12. They are playing the Rangers.

Should be fun!

thanks!

[Mojambo]

14. The Mariners will be a better than .500 club.

You heard it here.

[kaitykaity]

15. I hope you put your money up.

I heard Sele had a chance to come back to the club.
Oh I'm so excited. /sarcasm off.

I don't want to get my expectations up only to
have them crushed by a year like last year.

[Mojambo]

20. I'd be bummed if either Sele or Nelson made the club

Fortunately I still think they're both longshots.

Jorge Campillo should beat out Sele in the rotation battle, but Rafael Soriano's injury makes Nelson a better bet to make the team out of the spring.

An objective analysis of the Mariners roster puts their win total at 82. They could fall short of this number, but only if they suffer the same kind of pitching injuries they had last year.

[kaitykaity]

21. Objective analysis where?

Or yours?

If I remember right, I think Nellie made some
disparaging remarks about Mariner management when
he left last time. That could work against him.

And I know this is getting ahead of the game, but
the word was the only reason Bobby Cox has his one
ring is because he was managing against Hargrove
that year.

The fact that they spent money to go out and get
Sexton and Beltre got my attention. And I do love
to watch Jamie Moyer pitch.

[Mojambo]

23. The consensus in the statistical community

is that the Mariners will be around 82 wins. Rob Neyer and Bill James are two analysts who have the M's in that neighborhood.

My own analysis agrees with that prediction. In fact, I could see them exceeding that if their players on the come (Reed, Olivo, Hernandez) make significant impact.

Hargrove has mixed numbers in terms of managerial effectiveness. In his time in Cleveland his teams routinely exceeded their expected win totals, but his time in Baltimore was an unmitigated disaster. He's an upgrade on Melvin.

[kaitykaity]

24. I'm just starving

for previews, posted a thread recently asking for
such. Will search on the names you posted though.
Thanks.

Ah, the anticipation of a hopeful baseball fan.
Nothing like it in the world.

:hi:

[Mojambo]

25. Very good, fair, critical analysis of the M's can be found here

http://www.ussmariner.com/

They are pretty tough on the club, but the writing is top notch.

[kaitykaity]

27. Lovely. Lots and lots of material to go through.

Going through the by-position conversation
now.

"The Bret Boone of 2001-2003 is just a memory at this
point, and all we’ve got left of that Boone is the
jersey and the contract."

Ouch.

Thank you.

[HuckleB]

22. Indeed.

Luckily, Sele would have to beat out one of the five in place at the end of last season on top of Campillo and, perhaps, Felix Hernandez. I suspect Sele'll end up somewhere like Tampa Bay, picking up scrap starts whenever he can.

And the truth is, the 1-7 spots in the line-up are about as good as it gets at the plate, all things considered, with Olivo no slacker at number 8. Of course, it's all on paper and in the proverbial potential. I won't be surprised by anything Seattle does or doesn't do this year, from dropping to dead last again to pushing for the whole ball of wax. Both extremes are highly unlikely, of course. Hmm. Perhaps a small bet is in order. What is the Vegas line?

[ohkay]

9. If it makes you feel anybetter,

I got a great team, but I just watched them all make nice with *

:(

[Dying Eagle]

13. you think your team is bad?

How long do we have to wait, I mean a .500 season would get them a parade in Milwaukee. God they suck!!

[mark414]

16. ahh my poor brew crew

yes indeed would a parade be in order should they hit .500

one can always dream...

[hijinx87]

28. ugh. what's up with your sig?

have you got to use that photo from the 2003 disaster in the snow? makes me sick to my stomach.

[mark414]

29. ah i know how you feel

but i dont know...there was just something about it that i liked...

[hijinx87]

30. before #4 arrived, there was no difference . . . .

between football season and baseball season in Milwaukee. think about that.

[mark414]

31. i never thought

that i would love an athlete more than i loved michael jordan

but brett favre proved that theory wrong

i don't know what it'll be like once he's gone...i'd really rather not think about it to tell you the truth

[hijinx87]

32. we know what it will be like. remember the 80's?

it will look a lot like that.

[HuckleB]

19. Indeed.

The Brewers themselves are already talking about NEXT YEAR!

Ugh.

[grumpy old fart]

17. I grew up in Pittsburgh, and I still love the Buccos even if they can't..

realistically ever win much of anything ever again. IMHO, baseball is one of the few sports you can truly enjoy even when your team is mediocre....

[hijinx87]

26. oh, I don't know . . . .

they looked pretty awesome yesterday against manatee community college:

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14067265&BRD=2212&PAG=461&dept_id=465816&rfi=6

;)