It’s not because the team is losing, rather, it is because people with a false sense of entitlement, and fabricated knowledge of organizational standards are using this year as evidence that Jack Zduriencik should be fired. They’re using simple win-loss record to qualify his performance. They aren’t using any information that relates to Zduriencik’s goals as a GM to qualify success or failure, goals that presumably the organization is on board with.

Here’s a quote from a piece by Bob Nightengale in 2008 on the hiring of Jack Zduriencik.

“No matter who becomes manager, Zduriencik plans to overhaul the organization. It might not take 15 years to have a winning record like it took the Brewers from 1993-2007, but they aren’t about to go for the quick fix, a philosophy that has doomed the Mariners in recent years. The Mariners have had only one winning season in the last five years after averaging 98 victories from 2000 to 2003.”

The Mariners haven’t signed a bunch of big name free agents since Jack Zduriencik took over. In his four years he’s spent one-fifth the amount of free agent dollars.

Jack Zduriencik took over a team that had a bunch of overpaid, aging albatrosses, and one of the worst farm systems in baseball. He’s been given an average of less than $15 million to spend in free agency, all while losing veteran players in the process. Zduriencik has been given limited resources, and has flipped several lesser assets for better ones. He’s among the best GMs in Mariners history, and only moderate postseason success could keep him behind Woody Woodward and Pat Gillick. The next very good Mariners team will be filled with guys he brought into the organization. His plan is painful, but that pain would all be erased by extended success. Let’s endure it and allow process take its course instead of bitching and moaning like a bunch of 11 year olds that don’t get home in time to watch Pokemon anymore, only the pretend we never felt that way three years later.

Ahh, catharsis.

The Mariners got beat by the Indians today. Hector Noesi pitched really well, and in the ultimate show of flattery, the Mariners bullpen treated him the same way they treat Felix Hernandez, one of the best pitchers in the game. They blew it.

All along I believe the plan to acquire Brandon League has been with the combined intention to flip him at some deadline, some time. That didn’t happen last year. Not only are closers worth less this year because of the draft-pick compensation guidelines in the newest CBA, but League has been inconsistent to say the least so far this season. He still possesses a 3.12 ERA, for what that’s worth, and was very successful last year, but unless some team is willing to overpay for the benefit of the doubt they are willing to give Brandon League, it appears the Mariners may have missed the boat on trading him.

Justin Smoak hit two more singles today. Justin Smoak is a work in progress, and while I love seeing him break out of his unlucky funk, I’d like to see more line drives to the gaps in the outfield than line drives that find a hole in the infield. But whatever, Smoak is playing better than he was a week ago, if you’d told me that would be the case a week ago, I’d have taken it, no matter how small an increment his improvement was.

Hector Noesi threw 6.1 innings and struck out five. He walked three, and his walks are becoming a consistent concern as he’s a guy who will butter his bread with command of all his pitches. But he also missed 10 bats today. Hector Noesi was somehow worse today than I’d expect, but his results, especially his end results, were infinitely better than I’d hope for. Hector Noesi is a fly ball pitcher, it appears, and we’ll ride the same roller coaster with him as we did with a younger Felix or like we presently do with Jason Vargas, where he’ll turn in both brilliant and horrific starts with varying results back to back. I like that Eric Wedge keeps giving him the ball every fifth day, which is about the best thing I have to say about Eric Wedge.

These early morning starts are kind of a killer. I feel like when I watch games on DVR or on replay I’m completely disengaged from the actual happenings of the game. I listened to the game at work, but I mean, no way is the radio team as good as the TV team, and the medium of communication? Not even fair.

Tomorrow the Mariners start interleague play at Safeco against the Rockies. Most don’t know this, but Sean Kramer’s second team is the Colorado Rockies. So fuck Sean tomorrow. I don’t mean that literally, ladies.

Felix wasn’t sharp today, which kind of goes without saying. However, he gave up 13 baserunners today and got 14 outs. He threw 103 pitches in less than four innings. Felix missed nine bats, which is fine, but he hit a lot more solidly than he missed.

Ubaldo Jimenez sure looks like Barack Obama. I don’t know why I think that, but it is funny that an Obama look-alike plays for Obama’s favorite team’s (White Sox) division rival.

Dustin Ackley hit a homerun that came within inches of making a cameraman in right field a very sad man. Maybe not as sad as Stephen Strasburg was when he had to leave his game last night with a burning sensation in his groin area. I’ve done that before, and it is no fun. And having a protective cup on functions the same as a lid on a boiling pot. Take it from me, you don’t want to do that at any point, and you definitely don’t want to pitch that way. Wash your hands.

Ackley hasn’t been great this year, but nobody seems worried about his bat. I’d like to see him start driving balls more often like he did today, and walking like I expect him to, but for now I’ll settle for the 12 game hitting streak he’s on.

Today was Puppy-palooza in Cleveland which meant that the Mariners were playing in front of a largely canine audience. I’ve always wondered what goes on at the dog-themed days at ballparks. Where do the dogs poop and pee? These are questions that become more important when your team isn’t in a playoff chase. I would like to know the answer.

Hisashi Iwakuma walked Jose Lopez. In 2012, nobody but Hisashi Iwakuma has walked Jose Lopez. Lopez hasn’t played much this year but shit man, Hisashi! And Casey Kotchman seems to be on every team the Mariners play. I get that it is because he was on the Indians earlier in the year when the Mariners played the Indians, but it feels like he’s everywhere all the time. Casey Kotchman would be god if it weren’t for Chris Hansen and his 290 million commandments that have made him the god of Seattle. Did you hear? Nothing of anything more than symbolic importance happened today but celebrate! Sonics!

I am a tired bodied guy, and I’m getting out of here. I’ll be in bed before nine.

Starting Pitchers

RHP King Felix Hernandez (3.09 xFIP in 59.0 IP) vs. RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (5.82 xFIP in 40.0 IP)

Lineups

Mariners

1. Dustin Ackley – L – 2B

2. Michael Saunders – L – CF

3. Ichiro! – L – RF

4. Jesus Montero – R – C

5. Kyle Seager – L – DH

6. Justin Smoak – S – 1B

7. Alex Liddi – R – 3B

8. Mike Carp – L – LF

9. Brendan Ryan – R – SS

Indians

1. Shin-Soo Choo – L – RF

2. Jason Kipnis – L – 2B

3. Asdrubal Cabrera – S – SS

4. Travis Hafner – L – DH

5. Carlos Santana – S – C

6. Michael Brantley – L – CF

7. Johnny Damon – L – LF

8. Casey Kotchman – L – 1B

9. Jose Lopez – R – 3B

Which seems to have become the successful barometer quite early in the season. We seem to have forgotten that this is exactly what we thought was going to happen. And in seasons like this I think this is my job. To keep things level headed. Sure I get mad and swear, and I laugh, and you get bored, but that’s what my job is, even if there are a couple sarcastic F-Bombs thrown in.

It’s your job to say “fuck you Casey! We’re mad!” and then I say “Hey man, sure Justin Smoak’s recent resurgence is a myth created by those who adore batting average as a comprehensive metric, but fucking Jesus Montero, that guy’s good.” And you say “we’re still mad” and I say “this year was about progress, it’s like a 162-game tryout for a spot among the core of the Mariners future” and you say “Prince Fielder hits homeruns” and I tell you to shut up.

Then we come back tomorrow.

This year is going to be a roller coaster. Some stuff is going to be really bad and ugly. Eventually some veterans and some young players will be sent packing, whether that is to Tacoma or to some place like Baltimore, we’ll find out.

But we can still have fun. I’m excited as shit to see Kyle Seager over a full season. I’m excited to see if Dustin Ackley ends up in left field or center field. Or if Francisco Martinez becomes the team’s future third baseman or future center fielder.

Here’s the thing, people like my Uncle Bob (there you are again) view this rebuilding as something that’s been going on for years. That’s not true. Bill Bavasi couldn’t figure out his ass from his elbows. He couldn’t decide if he was hanging onto the Mariners top prospects or trading them for fucking Ben Broussard and Eduardo Perez. EDUARDO FUCKING PEREZ.

The Mariners are rebuilding. They’re also very talented. Part of being very young is being inconsistent. Part of being very good is being very good. The Mariners are very good some of the time. They’re inconsistent.

They did lost to a guy who has been noted for having eaten fried chicken, drinking beer, and playing golf in the last year. It’s like John Daly took the mound for the majority of two years, and today he let Josh Beckett out of whatever false prison he has had him locked in since 2007 and said “Hey dude, we’re in a recession, go earn our money.”

I just thought of John Daly in baseball pants. The sacrifices I make for this website.

For the next two weeks or more I’ll be helping my old middle school baseball coach (my shoulder is sore) and I will become better when I have time again. Until they’ll I’ll suck like always.

Starting Pitchers

RHP Blake Beavan vs. RHP Josh Beckett

Lineups

Mariners

1. Dustin Ackley – L – 2B

2. John Jaso – L – C

3. Ichiro Suzuki – L – RF

4. Jesus Montero – R – DH

5. Kyle Seager – L – 3B

6. Justin Smoak – S  - 1B 

7. Mike Carp – L – LF

8. Michael Saunders – L – CF

9. Munenori Kawasaki - L – SS

Red Sox

1. Ryan Sweeney – L – CF

2. Dustin Pedroia – R – 2B

3. David Ortiz – L – DH

4. Adrian Gonzalez – L – 1B

5. Will Middlebrooks – R – 3B

6. Jarrod Saltalamacchia – S – C

7. Cody Ross – R – RF

8. Daniel Nava – S – LF

9. Mike Aviles – R – SS

So close.

As I watched the game, I ate a bunch of pot stickers. I felt sick. Then I realized that I always feel this way when watching games such as the one we just endured.

I guess correlation really doesn’t imply causation.

As for the game, Vargas threw well, all things considered. I mean, he is what he is; a lefty who relies on command and a good change-up to get hitters out. Foul weather and Fenway Park don’t help his cause. Every time I begin to think Jason Vargas can be really good, this sort of thing happens. I don’t know what to expect from Jason Vargas. I’m really not surprised he got hit somewhat hard today. Is that a bad expectation to have for a starting pitcher?

The Good

Jesus Montero threw out a runner. Yay.

Shawn Kelley looked sort-of ok.

Justin! Smoak continued his recent hot streak. You laugh, but he has raised his batting average more than 50 points in the last little while. We must remember to not judge his improvements over the next month or two based on his full season numbers; look at how he does over the last 30 games, last 7, etc.

The Bad

Everything not mentioned above.

The Miscellaneous

My dad just sent me a text. Apparently he is at the Cubs-Cards game. I turned it on, hoping to catch a glimpse of him.

Then I saw Bryan LaHair.

I wonder how life as an M’s fan would be different if he had gotten a shot and ran with it in Seattle. Maybe life wouldn’t be different at all.

At least Kotchman has a filthy glove, right?

Starting Pitchers

LHP Jason Vargas (3.77 xFIP in 51.2 IP) vs. LHP Jon Lester (4.21 xFIP in 42.0 IP)

Lineups

Mariners

Starting Pitchers

RHP Hector Noesi (5.26 xFIP in 30.0 IP) vs. RHP Phil Hughes (4.19 xFIP in 28.1 IP)

Lineups

Mariners

1. Dustin Ackley – L – 2B

2. John Jaso – L – C

3. Ichiro Suzuki – L – RF

4. Jesus Montero – R – C

5. Kyle Seager – L – 3B

6. Mike Carp – L – LF

7. Justin Smoak – S – 1B

8. Michael Saunders – L – CF

9. Munenori Kawasaki – L – SS

Yankees

1. Derek Jeter – R – DH

2. Curtis Granderson – L – CF

3. Alex Rodriguez – R – 3B

4. Robinson Cano – L – 2B

5. Mark Teixeira – S – 1B

6. Nick Swisher – S – RF

7. Raul Ibanez – L – LF

8. Russell Martin – R – C

9. Jayson Nix – R – SS

Ahhh that’s mean. But if the Mariners lose this series I have a Twitter bet with a  Yankees fan that I will have to retweet something he says about how the Yankees are so great.

The Yankees beat Felix. I have lost my best shot at winning this bet. C’mon Hector Noesi and Hisashi Iwakuma.

Felix didn’t pitch great last night. He missed seven bats in 101 pitches. He allowed 11 hits in less than seven innings, and while he struck out seven and got seven groundball outs he still had his worst game since his second start of the season in Oakland. When Felix Hernandez came to Seattle he admired Freddy Garcia. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery, and with Garcia in the opposing bullpen Felix pitched like the contemporary version of The Chief.

Dustin Ackley hit a leadoff home run. Jesus Montero hit a homerun that wasn’t a leadoff homerun. They were both opposite field homeruns. Dustin Ackley and Jesus Montero are the two hitters that the Mariners are banking on to rebuild their offense. Today is a good day for those two guys.

Justin Smoak had three hits. Justin Smoak has become a lightning rod for controversy in Seattle. If he hits really well on this road trip I’m interested to hear what the local fans and media say about Smoak. I’m guessing they’ll turn his newfound success on him.

Let’s not get too crazy though. The Smoak hits were all singles.

It’s Mother’s Day weekend and I’m not going to dive too far in. The Mariners lost. Hector Noesi can be half of my savior.