Doug Melvin, who knows what it's like to be fired in the sometimes unfair world of major-league baseball, saw no reason to hold that against Ken Macha.To the Brewer blogs!
"I got let go myself," said Melvin, the general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, who was dismissed from that same position after a relatively successful run with the Texas Rangers.
"I'm a big believer in second chances."
Of the three finalists, Macha is by far my favorite. We may have been able to do better, but if we're choosing only from experienced big-league managers with recent success, there aren't many guys I'd rather have.Right Field Bleachers
Macha’s last gig came as manager of the Oakland Athletics where he led the team to a 368-280 regular season record over four seasons (2003-2006). The A’s also won two AL West titles under Macha during that period.There is also this roundtable post with the writers at RFB and their reaction to the move.
Congrats, Ken. I’m glad to have you aboard.
Now let the offseason begin!
I like the move on the surface, but there are a few interesting back stories to keep in mind.View From Bernie's Chalet
I like the move because during his time in Oakland, Macha never finished lower than second place, and twice he won the AL West. By no means were those A's teams chalked full of All-Stars, but he did have a very good starting rotation.
Macha is a low key guy who has a reputation for being a good bullpen manager, something desperately needed here - although it should be noted that having a rotation of Mulder, Zito and Hudson all in their prime makes anyone look like a genius when it comes to handling bullpens.
That quote above was how Ken Macha answered the first question asked of him at the press conference today when Doug Melvin announced him as the 16th Manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. Let me just say WOW, what a breath of fresh air! I could never imagine Ned Yost saying something like that. Macha also talked about things like OBP, putting the best lineup on the field and if players are not producing, they won't play. He seems to be quite the opposite of Ned Yost and that is going to be a great thing for the Brewers.Chuckie Hacks
I found it sort of fascinating to browse through the "Fire Ken Macha" blog that Woz linked to below.The Bucky Channel
If you scroll through the posts on that blog, a couple of the complaints lodged by these particular A's fans (at least I presume they were fans in between all the bitching) struck me as familiar.
1. He left marginal pitchers in the game too long, only to get rocked.
2. He didn't manage his bullpen well.
3. He didn't communicate with his players (sweet quote from Adam Melhuse, backup catcher, with whom Macha apparently just stopped speaking altogether).
4. He was too rigid in his lineups.
5. He went with the starting catcher too much.
Before getting all caught up in Macha's perceived warts and thinking we've got Ned Yost, version 2.0, we should probably try to exercise a little perspective here. Consider the source. These guys hated Macha and blogged with a pretty clear agenda, which had to slant their world view just a little bit. We're all told that Billy Beane-ius ran that team anyway, which is what led Macha to the door. Maybe this is what all fans complain about when they want their manager gone.
He turned down a chance to manage the Milwaukee Brewers in 2003, but now they are apparently good enough to take a job with for 2009. I'm not really holding a grudge or anything, I just think that should be known. Regardless, I think the hiring of Ken Macha is a pretty good move.
It appears as if Macha was really the guy Melvin wanted all along. Personally, I would have been happy with any of them. Bob Brenly won a World Series with the Diamondbacks, but now he'll go back to the booth at WGN. I wonder how bitter he will be in those broadcasts against the Brewers. Willie Randolph really never had a chance, but I was kind of pulling for him, if I had to pick one of them. But again, I'm alright with Macha.
Melvin wanted to offer the job to Ken Macha in 2003, but Macha was instead offered the job with the A's, as he was already their bench coach. In his four years there, he went 386-280 and reached the 2006 ALCS, after which he was promptly fired.
Raul Ibanez, one of the Mariners' most reliable run producers during the past four seasons, filed for free agency Thursday.Just looking at the listLongtime Mariners utility player Willie Bloomquist and veteran infielder Miguel Cairo were also among the 65 Major League players that filed on the first day of the filing window, which lasts until Nov. 13.
The players' current teams have exclusive negotiating rights for the 15-day period.
The 36-year-old Ibanez surpassed the 100-RBI mark for the third straight season in 2008, leading the Mariners with 110 RBIs. He also finished second in home runs with 23, set a career high with 43 doubles and played in all 162 games.
I didn't see any other Timber Rattler/Foxes connections. But, it's just the start.
If there was anything Benny Looper enjoyed more about his job than evaluating baseball players, it was the people he worked with.There is also this bit in there about other Mariner front office people with whom we in Wisconsin have had a long relationship. (in bold).
The Seattle Mariners' administrative assistants, scouts, player development staffers and minor league affiliates made every day a joy.
When new general manager Jack Zduriencik offered Looper a job that would take him away from those people, he said no thanks. Rather than stay with the Mariners in a lesser role, Looper -- who was vice president of player personnel -- decided to say good-bye Wednesday after 23 years with the organization.
"The sad part for me is the close friendships I've made," Looper said. "It's the people in the office who've been here 10-plus years, the scouts and people in player development, even the big league players who I've known since they were kids. Walking away from that is the saddest thing."
Assistant GM Lee Pelekoudas and international operations director Bob Engle will remain with the team, but the future remains unknown for two others, player development director Greg Hunter and minor league/scouting operations director Hide Sueyoshi.
Two Japanese brothers, fronted by two New York businessmen, are the suitors for the Nashville Sounds, according to NashvillePost.com sources.An update to the story mentions that Yukihiro Hanzawa died in August, but there was an announcement scheduled for this morning.
Masahiro and Yukihiro Honzawa, along with New Yorkers Frank Ward and Steve Posner, make up the group looking to buy the Sounds. Ward apparently is employed full-time by the brothers, who operate the real estate group Hiro North American Properties.
Ward and Posner would put up between 5 and 10 percent of the money needed to purchase the team from current owner Al Gordon.
The Sounds’ lease at Greer Stadium expires at the end of the year. Lease extension negotiations with Mayor Dean’s office reached an impasse last week.But...I can't find anything on a very brief look for the announcement.
Photo credit: Ron Cortes/Philly.comMariners vice-president (player personnel) Benny Looper has opted to leave the organization. Looper spoke by phone with new Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik on Monday and was told he'd be reassigned to a professional scouting role covering major and minor league baseball in the center of the country.Aaron Looper was a pitcher for the Timber Rattlers in 1999.
"He told me he was bringing in his own people for supervisory roles,'' said Looper, who would have been stripped of his VP title.
Looper had kept two residences, in Seattle and Oklahoma, over the years. But he sold his Seatte home two years ago and rented an apartment instead. The lease on that was up on Oct. 23 and he chose to let it expire and relocate to Oklahoma full-time to be closer to his family. He says he knew when he made that choice that the M's might ultimately change his job, but had been prepared to make a case for staying in his current role.
He never got the chance.
Zduriencik told him right away that the pro scouting job was what he had for him. Two more phone conversations later, Looper told Zduriencik he was moving on.
....
Looper has known Zduriencik for 25 years.
"Jack's a great baseball man,'' Looper said. "He just wants his own people running things the way he wants them run and I can appreciate that.''
Looper spent 23 years with the Mariners in various capacities and was one of three finalists, along with Al Avila, for the team's GM job that went to Bill Bavasi in 2003. His son, Aaron, also pitched for the Mariners in 2003. He says his dreams of becoming a GM are long done and he now wants to focus on areas of baseball where he feels most suited and comfortable working at.
"I'll really miss Seattle,'' he said. "There are a lot of great people up there that I had the chance to work with and I don't regret any of it for a second. I had some great times up there and I will always remember them fondly.''Good luck, Benny. We in Wisconsin remember working with you fondly.
Fitzwater’s 276-yard field goal widened Waterford’s lead to 17-0 at halftime.What a leg on that kid!
The two-year tenure of Hall-of-Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg, above, as manager of the Peoria Chiefs might be over.Wait a minute....
The Washington Nationals hired Triple-A Iowa Cubs manager Pat Listach to coach third base next season, creating vacancies higher in the Chicago Cubs organization.
Sandberg returned to the Chiefs for a second year as the Cubs higher-level minor-league managers stayed with the organization after the 2007 season.
Now, with Listach in Washington, there is a vacancy that would allow Sandberg, high-A Daytona manager Jody Davis and Double-AA Tennessee manager Buddy Bailey to possibly advance.
The Cubs will announce their full slate of minor-league managers and coaches next month or in early December.
The total guess has to do with this bit of information...Posted on 10/28 at....7:50.....am. Happy to help, PJ STAR!The Nationals announced on Friday that Jim Riggleman, Marquis Grissom, Pat Listach, Rick Eckstein and Randy Knorr will be members of manager Manny Acta's coaching staff in 2009.The upper levels last year was Iowa in the PCL. Follow me here. Listach moves out. There is an opening. Other managers -- like Ryne Sandberg and Jody Davis -- in the Cubs organization move up. Peoria gets a new manager in 2009*.
...
Listach -- who comes highly recommended by Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who is one of Bowden's mentors -- will be the third-base coach and infield instructor. He joins the Nationals after spending the last three seasons compiling a 231-189 record managing in the upper levels of the Cubs' farm system.
There is the total guess.
A Montgomery County grand jury has indicted former Peoria Chiefs baseball pitcher Julio Castillo on two felony counts of felonious assault for his actions during a widely publicized brawl this past summer between the Chiefs and the Dayton Dragons at Fifth Third Field.
The charges are second-degree felonies, each punishable by up to 8 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
The July 24 brawl started when Chiefs interim manager Carmelo Martinez left his dugout to argue with former Dragons manager Donnie Scott. When Martinez pushed Scott, the benches emptied.
Video of the fight showed Castillo throwing a baseball toward the Dragons' dugout. The ball sailed, however, and struck a fan from Middletown in the head.
Best Pure Hitter: C/IF Brett Lawrie (1), the best Canadian hitting prospect in a decade, has tremendous bat speed and a feel for hitting combined with extreme confidence. He'll need polish but most scouts believe he'll hit for average.That's all for now, folks.
Best Fastball: LHP Evan Frederickson (1s) sat at 91-93 mph this spring, then reached 97-98 in a predraft workout. He had a dead arm after signing, though. RHP Trey Watten (7) has shown mid-90s heat at times
Most Intriguing Background: [Cutter] Dykstra's father Lenny had a 12-year career with the Mets and Phillies, leading both to pennants. Lawrie made the Canadian Olympic baseball team, while his sister Danielle pitched for Canada's Olympic softball team.
Sssssssalutationsssssss, Timber Rattler fanssssssss. I am Crotor. Mehring asssksss me to possst when the team is trying to break a losssssing sssssstreak or if there are transssssactionsssss.Milwaukee BrewersSssssandoval wassss a Rattler in 2003. Jonesssss wasss a #1 pick of Milwaukee in 2001 and pitched for Beloit in 2002.
Signed: RHP Mike Jones, RHP Juan Sandoval
Look, this is a circumstance that has never happened before in baseball's history. No World Series game has ever been suspended for a day, much less for two days. But that's what happened this season, and instead of going back to Tampa tonight for a Game Six, we're going to play 2 1/2 innings (at least) of baseball in Philly.Camel God Roudha's only quibble would be that there are 3-1/2 innings remaining instead of 2-1/2, but Roudha is forgiving of other errors. Not everyone can be an omnisc...omnicen...all-seeing and all-knowing Camel God.
It's the decision that was made, but it's still unacceptable to many. And why is that, exactly?
Because Bud Selig made the call.
No matter what the decision, people always find a way to criticize the moves Bud Selig is making. The guy just never seems to get a break. I say that he could very well be the best commissioner of a major American sport. Maybe not, but it certainly is up for debate. Yet, everyone just loves to come down on the guy.
I'm watching national analysts tear apart Selig -- it seems like one supports Selig for every five that second guess him -- and it's occurred to me: why is this such a huge issue?First off, more baseball is never a bad thing, and that's a fact -- the weather was bad in Philadelphia, and that forces the first suspended game in the history of the World Series (due to rain). That's way cool. Now we have an historical opportunity to watch the final 3 innings on a separate night, and the game will be finished.
Secondly, for all the trouble Selig is getting for allowing the game to go into the sixth inning, why isn't he getting more credit for an absolutely correct judgment: that no World Series game will end this way, that he would not have officially called the game after 4.5, even with the Phillies leading, and that "this is no way to end a World Series."
Say what you will about other Selig blunders, even the decision to let the game go later, but I think Selig actually upheld the integrity of the game by "skirting" the rules -- that is, I believe he got the spirit of the game correct, even if he didn't completely go by the letter.
Camel God Roudha could not have said this any better.
Roudha out.
Word began to spread through the scouting community Monday that Mariners scouting director Bob Fontaine has been let go by Seattle's new general manager, Jack Zduriencik.More on this as it develops.
One source said that Fontaine was called into a meeting with Zduriencik on Monday and informed that he was being dismissed. According to the source, "He didn't even have a chance to fight for his job."
Fontaine reportedly informed his Mariners scouting staff of his dismissal in a voice mail.
At his introductory news conference on Friday, Zduriencik said he planned to meet with the baseball operations staff as soon as possible and decide on who he would retain. Those meetings apparently began Monday and are ongoing.
It is not known who will replace Fontaine, who has run the Mariners' amateur scouting since 2003.
In another development, Tony Blengino, Zduriencik's top assistant when he was scouting director in Milwaukee, is expected to join Zduriencik's staff in Seattle.
According to industry sources, the Brewers have agreed to let Zduriencik, who was named Seattle's GM last Wednesday, hire two members of his Milwaukee scouting staff.
Those are expected to be Blengino and Tom McNamara, Milwaukee's East Coast crosschecker and the man credited with scouting and signing Prince Fielder. It is not known yet what positions they will hold in Seattle.
"Hot Rods” was officially unveiled tonight as the nickname of Bowling Green’s new Minor League Baseball team.Cave Shrimp? I could have gotten behind Cave Shrimp.
Officials with the Bowling Green Hot Rods made the announcement before roughly 300 people at an event at Circus Square Park, less than a mile from the Hot Rods’ under-construction ballpark, where the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays begins play in April as a member of the South Atlantic League.
Hot Rods was the ultimate winner from thousands of publicly suggested nicknames. It beat out six other finalists - Bluegills, Cave Shrimp, Mammoths, Speedsters, Sparkplugs and Turbos - in an online vote conducted this summer.
“To finally get to a point where you don’t have to sit on the name anymore, to worry about letting it slip when you’re in a meeting in public, it’s a relief,” said Brad Taylor, general manager and CEO for the Hot Rods.
The team also introduced its color scheme - black, yellow, red and silver - and its logos. The primary logo features a yellow hot rod with baseball hubcaps and red flames shooting from its exhaust pipes. A second logo, which the players will wear on their black caps, shows the interlocked silver letters “B” and “G” trimmed in yellow, with red flames on the “B.”
Nelson Prada will begin his second year as manager of the Twins' Class A affiliate Beloit Snappers (Midwest League) after finishing 71-67 last season. Prada, 32, spent the 2004-07 seasons as manager of the GCL Twins. He has a 162-139 (.538) record during his four years of Minor League managerial experience. Gary Lucas will continue his second stint (2005) as pitching coach after spending the 2006-07 seasons as pitching coach for Double-A New Britain. Alan Rail will return for his fifth season as trainer with the Snappers.The total guess has to do with this bit of information...
The Nationals announced on Friday that Jim Riggleman, Marquis Grissom, Pat Listach, Rick Eckstein and Randy Knorr will be members of manager Manny Acta's coaching staff in 2009.The upper levels last year was Iowa in the PCL. Follow me here. Listach moves out. There is an opening. Other managers -- like Ryne Sandberg and Jody Davis -- in the Cubs organization move up. Peoria gets a new manager in 2009*.
...
Listach -- who comes highly recommended by Cubs manager Lou Piniella, who is one of Bowden's mentors -- will be the third-base coach and infield instructor. He joins the Nationals after spending the last three seasons compiling a 231-189 record managing in the upper levels of the Cubs' farm system.
Moving on... Id like to explain my daily routine here in AZ. I usually wake up around 7:30 and drive to the stadium. Once there, I make a golden brown waffle, lightly smothered in peanut butter and syrup. I sip a hot coffee and attempt the crossword puzzle. I normally flip through a magazine, Yachting magazines and gaze over multi-million dollar ships I only dream of driving. By that time its out to stretch I go playing light toss and running before batting practice. You can find all the pitchers on the right field line fine tuning their pitches, spitting seeds and basking in the warm morning sun before the boringness of BP starts. Batting practice is my least favorite thing to do on a day to day basis. Too much standing around, but someones gotta do it. After watching my fellow teammates wack the ball around the yard for an hour, we all migrate back into the clubhouse to munch on an assortment of goodies. Cold cuts, cereal, salads or maybe another waffle. There is a solid hour and a half before everyone starts to trickle out to a 12:35 start. Down in the bullpen, all kinds of mischief is happening. Actually, its pretty PG-13 and laid back down here with this group, but Ive seen some wild activity in some past bullpens, like mini bonfires, or booger eating for money contests. Seems like the game flies by and is over before you know it. Now if I were pitching that day, I try to plan an inning in advance to start moving around and getting the blood flowing before doing some stretching. Phone rings, they call your name, and you start to get loose. Thats the fun part.There's more like Oktoberfest with the Woerman family in San Diego. But, I don't think that I can honestly pull anything else out of that post to top boringness and boogers.
The Mariners have a guy on their Double-A team named Michael Wilson who has done very well in the Minors. Why are the Mariners not calling him up? He was drafted all the way back in 2001.
-- Tony E., Tacoma, Wash.Wilson had a solid 2008 season for West Tennessee, batting .276 with 76 runs scored, 26 doubles, 27 home runs and 84 RBIs. He led the Southern League in home runs, was third in slugging percentage (.549), fourth in RBIs and tied for fifth in extra-base hits with 55. The Mariners considered promoting him to Triple-A Tacoma, but he was having such a good season for the Diamond Jaxx, the organization decided to keep him at the Double-A level.
Unless Wilson, 25, is placed on the organization's 40-man roster or re-signs, he would become a six-year Minor League free agent five days after the World Series. The Mariners, along with the 29 other MLB franchises, could discuss a contract with the outfielder but could not sign him until 15 days after the Fall Classic.
Wilson was a Rattler in 2005. He hit the series-winning homer in the tenth inning to beat Beloit in Game Three of the first round during the '05 playoffs.
Yeah. Seemed like the thing to do. Credit? Whatever. Photo swiped from Philly.com and Steven M. Falk.8pm Showers / Wind 40°F 29°F 50% 32°F 73% From WNW 25 mphOh, that seems promising. If the weather doesn't break, maybe they should move the last 3-1/2 innings to Miller Park.
9pm Showers / Wind 40°F 30°F 40% 32°F 73% From W 24 mph
10pm Few Showers / Wind 40°F 30°F 30% 31°F 70% From W 23 mph
11pm Few Showers / Wind 40°F 30°F 30% 31°F 70% From W 22 mph
Last Thursday was our first day off and we arrived back into Lara from Valencia in the middle of the night. After getting some rest, we woke up and a few of us headed over to the local Panderia (bakery) for breakfast and a cup of coffee.Go read it all.
One thing that you do not get cheated on in Venezuela is the coffee. I am not a big coffee nut, but I do enjoy a cup every so often and the coffee here is very strong and very good. It is served in very small cups most of the time, but it is enough to do the trick.
There is definitely no such thing as going to Starbucks and getting a Grande cup of coffee here. I would say the biggest cup of coffee I have had was probably six ounces and some cups are as small as two or three ounces, but they pack a powerful punch.
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We played the next night against Zulia, but prior to the game, we had a little glitch, you could say. While eating breakfast that morning at the bakery, we were just about to pay the tab when the power went out. We didn't think much of it so we just got up and left and headed back to the hotel.
When we walked into the lobby we realized that the power was out there as well. We found out that the power was out in the whole COUNTRY!! I didn't know how, why, or what was going on, all I knew was there were no lights and no timeframe in knowing when they were coming back.
To be honest with you, I don't think that the locals minded it much at all, they just went about there business on a laid back Sunday afternoon, but us Americans were a little taken aback by the matter.
I guess that stuff like that happens from time to time here and the locals are used to it. After a few hours, the power came back on and we all headed to the field for the night game.
Since the Tampa Bay Rays are making their first trip to the World Series, Rattler Radio is looking back at the first time the Philadelphia Phillies made the Fall Classic.
During the time in which the replay booth discerned their decision on the play, Majkowski had a memorable exchange with a hall of fame linebacker, the Bears' Mike Singletary.
"Before they announced (the changed outcome of the play), I was standing near midfield with the referee and I was just saying what a shame it would be if they didn't change this call and make the correct call," said Majkowski.
Then Singletary, now the interim head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, chimed in.
"He kind of gave me a little razzing. He said to me, 'nice game, Majik. You played a hell of a game. Too bad you're not going to win again. Too bad it's not going to happen again this year. You guys just can't seem to get over the hump.' "
The Bears had beaten Green Bay eight consecutive times going into the Instant Replay game. Majkowski was confident it wouldn't be nine.
"I did the same thing to him at the time. I said, 'Whatever! Just hang out and see what the refs say.' When they came down and said 'after further review, we have a reversal,' man, the place went nuts, and the crowd started going nuts.
Why was this perhaps the greatest Packer game while I was in college? Bullet point time:
Since the Tampa Bay Rays are in their first World Series, Rattler Radio is taking a look back at the first time the Philadelphia Phillies made it to the Fall Classic.
Box score
Since the Tampa Bay Rays are in their first World Series, Rattler Radio is taking a look back at the first time the Philadelphia Phillies made the Fall Classic.Fenway Park had been open for four seasons and was fully functional in 1915, but the Red Sox "home" games were played at the brand-new Braves Field, to take advantage of its larger seating capacity.It seems only fair. In 1914, the Braves had used Fenway Park during their run to a championship. Back to the Wiki:
They had abandoned their 43-year-old home field South End Grounds, in late summer, choosing to rent from the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park while awaiting construction of Braves Field. Thus their home games in this Series were also at Fenway.To Game Three of the 1915 Series!
In the third inning of Game 3 at Boston, with two out, one run in, and two runners in scoring position, Gavvy Cravath drove a pitch deep to left field, which was caught for a harmless inning-ending out in the spacious Braves Field outfield. If the game had occurred in Fenway, or in Philadelphia's Baker Bowl, it might have been a home run or an extra-base hit, and might have turned the Series around.Still, Alexander pitched a scoreless bottom of the third. But, he couldn't keep the Red Sox from tying things up in the fourth.
Cost for a lawn seat will remain $5.Gary Bond, the Whitecap beat writer, does some research and finds:
The new premier padded seating behind home plate will cost $13 a ticket.
The Whitecaps had not raised ticket prices since 2006, something officials said was necessary for the upcoming season.
"We've always been very cautious and sensitive about ticket price increases anytime we do it, wanting to make sure we do it only when necessary," said Steve McCarthy, Whitecaps vice president of sales. "It's necessary because our s costs keep going up.
"We feel $1 (more) for a ticket is not a huge increase, and we're going to keep our lawn seats at $5 for the seventh season because we feel it's still very important (that) you can get into the ballpark for five bucks."
Compared to other Midwest League teams (2008 prices), the Dayton Dragons have a higher ticket price ($13.25 for a premier seat), and only the Burlington Bees have a cheaper single-game ticket price ($4 for seniors/students and military).What?!?! $5!?!?! in one season? I must have missed something, but which organization did that?
In 1994, the first season for the Whitecaps, box seats cost $6, reserve seats were $4.50 and lawn seats were $3.
"While some organizations have raised tickets by $5 in one season, we have seen our box and reserve seating cost increase by $5 in 16 seasons," McCarthy said. "Lawn seats have gone up only $2."
Mariners prospect Johan Limonta ended a two-week drought with two hits, including a two-run homer, and Todd Frazier went 3-for-5 with three RBIs on Friday as the Waikiki BeachBoys cruised to a 10-3 triumph over the North Shore Honu.Ex-Rattlers for BeachBoys:Hitless in 18 at-bats since Oct. 7, Limonta led off the third inning with a single before first-round picks Buster Posey (Giants) and Yonder Alonso (Reds) stroked back-to-back doubles to give Waikiki (10-11) a 2-0 lead.
Limonta, a 25-year-old infielder/outfielder, slugged a two-run homer to highlight a four-run fourth that stretched the advantage to 6-1.
Jack Zduriencik, credited with turning the Milwaukee Brewers from also-rans to a playoff team, was named the Mariners' new general manager Wednesday.
Zduriencik, 57, has been in the Brewers' organization for nine years, serving as their vice president and special assistant to the general manager for player personnel since January 2008.
He had headed the Brewers' scouting department since being hired on Oct. 25, 1999, and is responsible for drafting the core of the NL's wild-card team, including Prince Fielder, J.J. Hardy, Ryan Braun, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks. Another of his draftees, outfielder Matt LaPorta, was used as a trade chip to acquire Cleveland's C.C. Sabathia, who led their playoff run.
Zduriencik (pronounced zur-EN-sik) will be introduced at a news conference on Friday, an off-day in the World Series. Teams need special permission from the commissioner to make major announcements during the World Series.
That press conference will be at the Mariner website at noon CDT.
| Name | Pos | B/T | Ht | Wt | DOB | Round | Pick # | Signed |
| Brett R Lawrie | C | R / R | 5'11" | 200 | 1990-01-18 | 1 | 16 | 8/05/08 |
| Jacob Odorizzi | RHP | R / R | 6'02" | 175 | 1990-03-27 | Comp A | 32 | 6/20/08 |
| Evan S Frederickson | LHP | L / L | 6'06" | 238 | 1986-09-23 | Comp A | 35 | 6/8/08 |
| Seth T Lintz | RHP | R / R | 6'01" | 170 | 1990-02-07 | 2 | 53 | 7/08/08 |
| Cutter K Dykstra | CF | R / R | 5'11" | 180 | 1989-06-29 | 2 | 54 | 6/7/08 |
| Thomas C Adams | RHP | R / R | 6'02" | 180 | 1986-11-26 | 2 | 62 | 6/13/08 |
| Logan E Schafer | CF | L / L | 6'01" | 170 | 1986-09-08 | 3 | 94 | 6/14/08 |
| Joshua M Romanski | LHP | L / L | 5'11" | 180 | 1986-10-18 | 4 | 128 | 6/8/08 |
| Maverick A Lasker | RHP | R / R | 6'02" | 190 | 1990-02-17 | 5 | 158 | 6/5/08 |
| Jose O Duran | SS | R / R | 5'11" | 190 | 1986-11-27 | 6 | 188 | 6/11/08 |
The M’s have chosen Jack Zduriencik as their new GM. Despite the fact that he’s the oldest of the candidates interviewed and comes with a scouting background, do not assume that this is just more of the same. Zduriencik has been the best regarded scouting director in baseball for the last few years, and the work he did in building the Brewers through the draft was legendary. If you want to know why the Brewers were in the playoffs this year, it’s because Zduriencik hit home run after home run in the draft. This is a good hire.Also at USS Mariner, check out this post, titled Thoughts from Milwaukee. Dave published -- with permission -- an e-mail he received from Patrick Ebert at Brewerfan.net. I'll just share the end of the letter:
Now, Jack Z isn’t exactly the new school analytical type we were all hoping for. His strengths are all scouting based, and he won’t be the kind of guy to come in and turn the Mariners into the next Oakland/Cleveland/Boston/Tampa Bay. With Engle, Fontaine, and now Zduriencik, the Mariners are clearly going to try to win with the Atlanta/Minnesota/Anaheim method of just outscouting everyone else on earth and developing so much good talent from within that they can’t help but be competitive.
I hate to see him go, but no one in baseball deserves this appointment more than Jack Zduriencik, a true baseball man and one, if given the proper support, should do wonders in turning your organization around.Jay of Mariner Minors has a few views on Zduriencik in a post titled, um, A Few Views on Zduriencik
And don’t expect him to draft a college reliever in the first round.
Many out there have looked at the superficial qualities of the most recent Mariner hiring and seen too many similarities to inspire confidence. The front office has hired another aging, balding, white guy with an old school methodology, a rolodex of similar contacts, and a scouting background, and much as someone suffering from post traumatic stress may cringe or dive for cover at a car backfiring as though it were a gunshot.As usual, Jay goes a bit deeper than the superficial and has this conclusion:
The best organizations acknowledge that they have to utilize all the tools at their disposal. Zduriencik may be one who recognizes this as well, despite having a background in the same school that has brought the organization mixed results in the past. Condemning him immediately on guilt by association would be foolish, particularly when he hasn't even had his press conference yet.That will be in a few hours.
What do you think the chances are of seeing Phillipe Aumont with the Mariners next season?Next, Adam McCalvy has an answer to a question that I get quite a bit.
-- Miles S., Las Vegas, Nev.
The hard-throwing right-hander has a great future, and the organization has no intentions of rushing Aumont to the Major Leagues. So I doubt that he would pitch for the Mariners in 2009.
Aumont, who will be 20 years old on Jan. 7, still needs a lot of innings in the Minor Leagues to become big league ready. Though drafted in 2007, he did not pitch professionally that season and pitched just 55 2/3 innings this past season at Class A Wisconsin, where he posted a 4-4 record, with a 2.75 ERA and two saves.
The organization is being so careful with Aumont that he appeared in only three games after June 9, because of a strained right shoulder. My guess is that he would start the '09 season at either Clinton (the Mariners' new farm club in the Midwest League) or Class A High Desert in the California League.
What is the typical salary range at each Minor league level (Rookie, Class A, Double-A, Triple-A)? I know in the Majors it's $390,000 to whatever A-Rod's salary is.That is a better answer than I could ever hope to give.
-- Brad K., Milwaukee
The Major League minimum in 2008 was indeed $390,000, and it goes to $400,000 in 2009 according to MLB's press release when the labor deal was struck.
According to someone in the Brewers' Minor League operations, typical Minor League salary ranges break down like this:
Rookie ball: $1,100 per month to $1,300
A ball: $1,300 per month to $1,500
AA: $1,600 to $6,000
AAA: $2,500 to $15,000
It gets more complicated at the Double-A and Triple-A levels because there are six-year Minor League free agents in the mix who account for the high end of the Double-A scale. Most Double-A players are in the $1,600-$2,000 range.
At Triple-A, the low end is players who advanced through the various levels of the organization. The high end is for Minor League vets with big league experience.
