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Piniella pleased with progress
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By Peter Gammons
Special to ESPN.com
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Aug. 18
Those 216 wins the Mariners ran up in 2000 and 2001 remain brightly in Lou Piniella's memory, along with three playoff series wins against the Yankees, White Sox and Indians in Seattle and the 1990 world championship he brought to Cincinnati.
|  | | Rocco Baldelli's numbers simply don't equal Hideki Matsui's. |
These days, his Devil Rays have won more games than only the Tigers among American League teams. "It's hard sometimes," he said. "We've played more one- and two-run games than anyone in baseball, and they can get to be tough, they wear on you. But I look at it from the good side -- we're 20-21 in one-run games, and that's pretty good. We're better. We're making progress. We play a lot of teams very tough (27-25 in the AL East).
"Do I regret my decision to leave Seattle?" Piniella pauses. "No way. It was the right time. This is the right place for me, to live at home, to try to build a winner. Do I keep an eye on the Mariners? Of course. I have a strong feeling for most of those guys. I remember when I took over (in 1993), there were a lot of similarities, especially in terms of never having won.
"Hey, that's a very good team. They're going to win the West, and they have as good a shot as anyone to win it all. I know how good they are. I'm not sure they get the credit they deserve."
Piniella is right because the Mariners are short on hype and long on their ability to play the game. Right. They left for a Toronto-Boston swing Monday with the same number of wins as the Yankees. Their starting pitchers are 1-2 with the Oakland A's in terms of ERA and quality starts. Manager Bob Melvin has transformed a bullpen constructed around Kaz Sasaki, Arthur Rhodes and Jeff Nelson to an equally effective 'pen with Shigetoshi Hasegawa closing for Armando Benitez, Rhodes and one of the best young setup men on the planet, Rafael Soriano.
Their defense has the fewest errors in the majors, as a team fewer than the number made by the Oakland infield. Their outfield is the best in the business, with three potential gold glovers. Several opposing managers have claimed the Mariners' outfield takes doubles and triples out of the game. Well, they have allowed the lowest total of doubles and triples of any AL club.
While their total offensive numbers aren't as gaudy as those of the Yankees and Red Sox, they are the second best offensive road team in the league. If that sounds vaguely familiar, remember that entering last October, the Giants -- in a similar pitchers' park -- were the NL's best offensive road team, which translated into the postseason.
And it all starts with the leading MVP candidate, Ichiro Suzuki.
Piniella has no Ichiro, no Junior Griffey, no Alex Rodriguez. "We've got some really good young players here," Piniella said. "If we can just spent a little money this offseason, I think we can be a .500 club. If we can add a couple of hitters, two starting pitchers and maybe a veteran in the bullpen, we'll be on the road to turning this thing around."
Essentially, Piniella is managing a team with a $9 million payroll, with 22 of the players making the minimum salary. But at the end of the season, Greg Vaughn, Ben Grieve and Rey Ordonez will be off the books, with the $17 million paid them by the Rays. "If we can just get to $30 million," says Piniella, "we'll be a lot better."
The Devil Rays have played so hard and so competitively in close games that Piniella says newspaper and talk-show coverage has turned to positive. Oh, sure, there are realities: they're last in homers, their pitchers lead the league in walks and have a dreadful 5.46/4.08 K/BB per 9 IP ratio.
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| 2003 SEASON STATISTICS |
| AB |
BA |
HR |
RBI |
OBP |
SB |
| 452 |
.272 |
3 |
38 |
.306 |
38 |
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But with Rocco Baldelli and Carl Crawford (who may be learning with his .306 on-base percentage, but is 3.7 seconds to first base), the Rays are the AL's fastest team, not only leading in steals with 131, but with the fact they've been thrown out only 31 times. Aubrey Huff has become a legitimate threat, with 44 doubles and an .889 OPS. Victor Zambrano has made progress, and Piniella is encouraged with Jesus Colome, Brandon Backe and Mark Malaska in the bullpen.
Now, Piniella wants to bring in some of their best prospects for some major-league orientation. This past weekend, 20-year-old Chad Gaudin made his major-league debut, two years out of Crescent City Baptist High School in Louisiana, graduating class 23. Gaudin, signed as a 34th-rounder by scout Benny Latino, was second in the Class A South Atlantic League in ERA in his first pro season. Gaudin was leading the Class A California League this year before blowing through the Double-A Southern League for three starts en route to Tampa.
Out of that same 2002 draft, Latino signed athlete Joey Gathright, an incredible burner who showed off for Latino by jumping over him ... then his car." Gathright is the fastest guy in the game," one NL scout said. He hit .324 with 57 steals in the California League, has gone off at .373 in Double-A and will be up in the majors before Sept. 1, Piniella said. Last June's No. 1 pick by the Devil Rays , shortstop B.J. Upton, will also be up in September. And it may be next September for a Delmon Young -- this year's first-round pick -- arrival.
"There's a lot of talent here in this organization," Piniella said. "It could be very exciting. We need some veteran players to help bring the kids along, but we can do it. I'm excited. And, no, I don't look back. This is where I belong, and the are Mariners right where they are now -- in first place."
Diamond Notes
The Dodgers gave first round money to a 39th round draft choice this week, but Adam LaRoche is worth it. He is two years off a serious knee injury, drafted out of Grayson CC in Texas, headed to Rice. But LaRoche drove to the Cape, tried out and caught on with Wareham, where before he suffered a minor leg stress fracture showed himself to be the best hitting prospect in the league. And while he played first base at Wareham, he is a shortstop-third baseman who was going to be moved behind the plate at Rice. A great signing, and with last year's No. 1 -- LHP Greg Miller -- already blowing hitters away in the Southern League when he should be headed to his freshman year in college, the Dodgers are restoring their once-proud farm system. Of course, they need every prospective bat possible. In their last three extra-inning games, the Dodgers are 0-for-38 with six walks and eight strikeouts.
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Keeping count
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| Martinez |
One has to wonder about pitch counts.
Pedro Martinez has thrown eight innings only three times all season. His record in the three starts succeeding those eight-inning outings is 0-3, 10.79.
Baseball Prospectus' Joe Sheehan points out this about Kerry Wood: after throwing 130 pitches, he had a five-inning, eight-run outing; after a 126-pitch outing against the White Sox, he gave up seven runs in three innings; after throwing 119 pitches against Milwaukee, he gave up five runs in five innings.
Mark Redman's three worst outings have come after a 140-pitch start, another in the 130-pitch area, then last week after consecutive 110- and 126-pitch performances.
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The Angels are another team with a loaded farm system (incidentally, Bobby Jenks is now 7-1, 2.25 in Double-A and hasn't allowed an earned run in his last four starts, covering 23-plus innings), but the major-league club has hit the wall. Scott Spiezio is headed to free agency, Adam Kennedy has seemingly fallen from grace, and unfortunately Darin Erstad's career may be in doubt, at least at the level he experienced in 2002. There were those in the organization years ago who warned that Erstad plays so hard he might beat his body into submission in center field and that Garret Anderson -- who is an outstanding defensive center fielder -- should play the position and let Erstad play left. It didn't happen, and now they have to hope that Erstad can get healthy.
Gee, and someone's surprised that Rangers draftee John Hudgins has nerve damage in his shoulder after he went deep into three starts in 10 days for Stanford in the College World Series. Oh well, Mark Marquess didn't need Hudgins any more.
Mike Morgan is pitching in a 35-and-over league in Park City, Utah.
Want a good bet on Vladimir Guerrero? If the Orioles act quickly, with the $60 million they have to spend, that seems to be the perfect fit. Not New York. The Orioles need someone to refill the Camden Yards seats. Guerrero can play with Luis Matos and Melvin Mora. And Vlad has a lot of respect for Orioles executive vice president and former Expos GM Jim Beattie. It will be interesting to see where the market goes, as even the most optimistic of agents don't think we'll see another $17 million-a-year player (Pedro Martinez is $17.5 million this season, thanks to a pre-existing option). Sammy Sosa can enter the free-agent market, but his 2004-2005 numbers are $19.4 million and $20.1 million, which he isn't likely to duplicate anywhere else. The way the Players Association figures contracts, Alex Rodriguez is tops at an average guarantee of $23.6 million, then Derek Jeter ($19.2 million), Manny Ramirez ($17.5 million), Sosa ($17.2 million) and Jason Giambi ($17.2 million). "I don't think you'll see anyone other than Guerrero go much over $10 million," one NL GM said. "Not until all the bad contracts are off the books. And I don't think you'll see any pitcher get more than three years."
More than one scout nominates Rafael Soriano as the best-rising middle reliever in the American League. Seattle keeps coming up with pitchers. "Don't be surprised if Clint Nageotte doesn't help the Mariners in September," one NL scout said. "He's got star closer written all over him." Then there's lefty Bobby Madritsch. A year ago, he was pitching for Winnipeg in the independent Northern League. Now he's 12-5 in the Double-A Texas League, 9-1 with a 1.61 ERA since June 1. The M's got him because of GM Pat Gillick's trusted friendship with Winnipeg ownership.
The word around the Reds front office is than Braves assistant GM Frank Wren is the early leader as the next Cincinnati GM, with Expos GM Omar Minaya heavily in the mix.
The Astros are still looking for a veteran bat off the bench, as going into the weekend Craig Biggio (4-for-39), Jeff Bagwell (7-for-37), Geoff Blum (5-for-25) and Adam Everett (6-for-35) were struggling.
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| 2003 SEASON STATISTICS |
| AB |
BA |
HR |
RBI |
OBP |
OPS |
| 471 |
.270 |
9 |
62 |
.316 |
.713 |
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With Todd Walker in a severe dive, the Red Sox have been looking around for a right-handed hitting second baseman. But Ron Belliard, Junior Spivey and Michael Young are not available, right now.
The Orioles put all their trade attention into Sidney Ponson at the deadline, and when they put Jason Johnson, Kerry Ligtenberg and B.J. Ryan on waivers this month, each was claimed. The good news is that Kurt Ainsworth may be able to make a couple of starts at the end of the season.
The Reds found out how much other teams wanted Chris Reitsma when he was claimed. "He's throwing 95 and the ball's sinking a foot," one AL scout said. "Who wouldn't want him?"
One of the problems studio analysts have is when they make judgements based on the radar gun readings that show on the screen. For instance, the gun at Chicago's U.S. Cellular Field is way offline, so the readings are highly erratic. At Fenway Park, the gun is the one used by the club, right in back of the screen.
Anyone who knew Bob Melvin and Eric Wedge over the years expected them to be very good managers, which they are. Add Bill Haselman to your future manager list, although this September he'll be Boston's third catcher.
"You should have heard the Cubs' front office moaning," one baseball executive said, "when Antonio Alfonseca got through waivers."
It's astounding that a player who's never experienced a World Series could turn down a chance to get to the Series with the Cubs, which is what Rafael Palmeiro did. But what he missed was that he has more of a chance to return to the Rangers if he finishes the season with the Cubs than if he were with the Rangers, because he's going to be a January signee and the Rangers aren't about to offer him salary arbitration. Then saying he can work it out with owner Tom Hicks was a spit in GM John Hart's face. Palmeiro's chances of being with the Rangers beyond this season are very, very slim.
And so are those of Juan Gonzalez. After Juan Gone left agent Jeff Moorad, he went to his former agent Fern Cuza, who had to let Gonzalez go when he refused his advice on accepting a deal to the Royals. Yes, it was Cuza who made the deal with the Tigers. Under that agreement, Gonzalez would be making more than $19 million next season. Now, he'll be fortunate to have a one year, $5 million contract.
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