Tag Archives: Wakamatsu

Mariner Matters | 6.17

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bad news…
Erik placed on the 15-day DL with shoulder inflamation…

Bedard, 5-2 with a 2.47 ERA in 11 starts, has not pitched since June 7. The 30-year-old missed a start in Colorado last weekend with the inflammation before being placed on the DL retroactive to June 8.He is scheduled to see Los Angeles Angels orthopedist Dr. Lewis Yocum on Thursday. Yocum performed shoulder surgery on Bedard in September.

“I’m hoping this is just precautionary. We backdated the DL, which bought us some time,” general manager Jack Zduriencik said before the Mariners played the San Diego Padres.

“What we’re hoping for is that he’s ready to go next week,” Zduriencik said. “That’s our best plans for him and we hope that happens. We’ll know a little more after tomorrow. Nobody wants to take a chance. We’re close, we’re right here and Yocum’s very familiar with him and what’s gone on in the past.”


good news / sad news…
Mike Carp called up for his major league debut major league debut because Russell will be traveling to Georgia tomorrow for his grandfather’s funeral.

It sounds like Carp might not be here much beyond, when Russell Branyan is going to be in Georgia at his grandfather’s funeral. The Mariners are hoping that Branyan is back in time for Friday’s game in Seattle, at which time Carp might be back with Tacoma.

“We’re looking at short-term right now,” manager Don Wakamatsu said of Carp’s stay. “But it’s a great opportunity for him. There’s probably not a better place to come for your debut than San Diego.”

Especially when your entire family is in nearby Long Beach. They hustled down for tonight’s game; Carp left 28 passes.

fun news…
Wak headed to the All Star Game!

KANSAS CITY — Joe Maddon has known Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu for more than 25 years. Maddon just met Royals manager Trey Hillman last season.

Both will be at Maddon’s side when he manages the American League All-Star team at the 80th All-Star Game on June 14 in St. Louis.

Maddon, who earned the honor of managing the American League side after leading the Rays to the World Series in 2008, selected Seattle’s Wakamatsu and Kansas City’s Hillman as coaches for Midsummer Classic.

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Maddon said he met Wakamatsu in the early 80s, when Wakamatsu was playing at Arizona State.

“He was a catcher there and Jim Brock was the manager at that time. Actually, I was a young scout and a Minor League manager myself. Coach Brock invited me out to work with his catchers and one happens to be Wak,” Maddon said. “I just thought it would be a great opportunity for him, being his first year in Seattle, to come to the All-Star Game. It should be, in some ways, beneficial to him and to that franchise.”

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He coached in the 2003 All-Star Game while serving as the bench coach of the Angels. And he’s happy to have Wakamatsu and Hillman on board as he prepares to fill the manager’s seat for the first time.

“I’ve always been a big Wak fan and I’ve gotten to know Trey and I like Trey. I think that the relationship between St. Louis and Kansas City made it the right thing to do.”

Congrats, Wak ~ 1st time All-Star!!!

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AP

Maddon selects Don!

Joe Maddon has known Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu for more than 25 years. Maddon just met Royals manager Trey Hillman last season. Both will be at Maddon’s side when he manages the American League All-Star team at the 80th All-Star Game on June 14 in St. Louis.

Maddon, who earned the honor of managing the American League side after leading the Rays to the World Series in 2008, selected Seattle’s Wakamatsu and Kansas City’s Hillman as coaches for Midsummer Classic. Maddon’s Tampa Bay staff, including third-base coach Tom Foley, hitting coach Steve Henderson, first-base coach George Hendrick, pitching coach Jim Hickey, bench coach Dave Martinez and
bullpen coach Bobby Ramos, will accompany Maddon to St. Louis as well.
Maddon said he met Wakamatsu in the early 80s, when Wakamatsu was playing at
Arizona State. “He was a catcher there and Jim Brock was the manager at that
time. Actually, I was a young scout and a Minor League manager myself. Coach
Brock invited me out to work with his catchers and one happens to be Wak,”
Maddon said. “I just thought it would be a great opportunity for him, being his
first year in Seattle, to come to the All-Star Game. It should be, in some ways,
beneficial to him and to that franchise.” Wakamatsu said Maddon offered
him the job when the Rays visited Seattle earlier this season. “I’ve known Joe for 25 years, and was honored he’d ask me, especially a first-year manager,” Wakamatsu said. “It’s quite an opportunity. I’ll bring my family with me and have them share it with me.”

Wakamatsu’ players were also excited to hear that their first-year skipper was headed to St. Louis. “[Ken] Griffey [Jr.] said the greatest thing about me getting picked is we probably won’t have a workout [during the All-Star break],” Wakamatsu said.

Wak’s message is clear, "Be prepared to play or be prepard to sit."

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On the pregame show today, Shannon said that Ronnie would again (for the third day in-a-row) be starting at SS. She felt this was a pretty clear message to Yuni and that is not so much about his offensive patience (or lack thereof, as it has actually improved of late) or his defense (though there’s certainly a LOT of room for improvement there). From Shannon’s own observation (backed by Wak’s comments) it’s all about Yuni’s lackadaisical approach to preparation.

Saturday, when Betancourt didn’t play again, it was clear the Cedeno factor wasn’t the only one. Betancourt, who has irked the team in past seasons for his lack of preparation and work ethic, apparently hasn’t changed appreciably.

“It has nothing to do with (anything) on the field,” Wakamatsu said. “It has to do with preparation.”

The Mariners have stressed to all players since the beginning of spring training the importance of physical and mental preparation needed to improve. Betancourt has been a season-long frustration. He is batting .249 with two home runs and 17 RBI, but also has a team-high nine errors.

G8 | bunting (around the park and at the plate) the order of the day

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Clifford DesPeaux/seattlepi.com

WAY to GO ~ Carlos!

Whodathunk, after last season and his first start? But, he showed that (as Wak has contended all along) he cares… “It is a big step for me,” Silva said. “We’ve been working so hard. Two weeks after the (2008) season, I started working toward this.”

Wakamatsu hopes the fans will take Silva’s effort as well.

“I don’t think fans understand how much this guy really cares and how much he wants to pitch well in this park and pitch well for the Mariners,” Wakamatsu said. “He showed that tonight.” “A lot of people talked to me,” Silva chuckled, mentioning Wakamatsu, pitching coach Rick Adair, and “our mental guy” (Steve Hecht). “That’s one of the things we needed last year, especially in the hard moments. When everything is good, you don’t need anybody. When the stuff is hard is when you need people next to you. And these people here have been great to me. They want me to do good and have success.”

Endy not only continues his hot streak, tutors Yuni on bunting…

“He’s been a little shy about making the decisions (on when to bunt),” said Chavez, a 31-year-old veteran who has kept himself in the bigs by thinking little. “I’ve been trying to help him get confidence because I know he’s not used to it. Last year I believe he only bunted once all season, so I’m just trying to get him to feel comfortable to do it. It’s taken a little while.”


Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com

And boy did it pay off BIG! Not only was it a beautiful bunt that easily moved Franklin to 3rd … the throwing error by Shields allowed him to score and the M’s to win the game in the 10th!


Clifford DesPeaux/seattlepi.com


All-in-all a grand day that could hardly have been scripted better.


Mariner Matters | 4.12

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Felix on the team after his sub-par start in Oakland…

Surveying the clubhouse scene around him, long forgotten in this latest Mariners victory, starting pitcher Felix Hernandez leaned over and whispered an observation.

“I think we’re going to be better this year than everybody thinks,” he said.


AP Photo/Ben Margot


Jose thinks it’s a “beautiful group”….

“Everybody’s talking about ‘team’ right now,” he said. “We’re running a lot, especially first to third. Moving the runner. We do little things to win the game. Play baseball right. Move the runner, bunting, like today in the ninth inning.

“We’ve got a beautiful group right now. In spring training, everybody was happy, everybody’s together right now. Everybody’s a teammate. We go to the dugout before the game and say ‘Let’s get a win, boys! Let’s get a win! Let’s play hard, let’s play right.’ Even if we get a win or a loss, let’s play the game right.”


AP Photo/Ben Margot


Wak, liking the dislike…

“One thing I heard when we left Minneapolis was that the Twins were happy to see us go, and I’ll take that as a compliment,” Wakamatsu said. “We want to be a team others don’t like playing. That means doing a lot of things right.”


AP Photo/Ann Heisenfelt

SKIPPER

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Monday it starts. Baseball for real.
And Don Wakamatsu will suit up as a big league manager for the first time for real . Not just a coach, not just a manager grinding through spring training with a bran-new team trying to get out from under the shadow of a 101-loss team, but a manager who is hoping that his consistant message will resonate with his players and culminate in good results.

“We’ve just gone through six or seven weeks of grind, but the message to the club from this day forward is still going to be, ‘This is where you’re at now. What do we need to work on?'” Wakamatsu said. “I’m trying to get everybody to understand that it’s not just about April 6. It’s about how much we can make these guys improve through the course of the year because some of them are young and they’re going to be here a long time.

“I’ve told them, and I will continue to tell them, ‘I want you to be the best player you’ve ever been in your life at the end of the season.’ To me, that eliminates the, ‘I’ve got to do it today’ feeling. Not that I’m discounting getting out of the gate, but I don’t subscribe to that. That’s my philosophy in a nutshell, to try and get better and better and better and put any fires out that come along during the season.”

And then there’s a touching and interesting story about Don’s heritage…
I so appreciate and admire those who had to struggle and fight and persevere to get where they are in life. And, while I wouldn’t trade my own “easy and sheltered” upbringing, in some ways it makes me feel less deserving and certainly makes me want to ensure that my own children are reminded that not everyone was or is born with a silver spoon.

 

Mariner Matters | 4.3

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All Righty, then….
Wetteland and Wak not too concerned regarding what appears to be, for now, anall-righty pen.

…Wetteland said. “It doesn’t matter if you throw left-handed, or right-handed; if you can get lefties out, that’s all that matters.”

…said Wakamatsu “When the righties have the abilities to get lefties out, it’s a moot point. Hopefully, we have that same problem.”

But final slots still TBD….
Lots of “i“s to dot and “t“s to cross with this bunch. Between Brandon’s early forearm stiffness (that put him way behind schedule) and Lowe’s early struggles (though he ended ST on a high note) and others like Cordero and Johnson still on the shelf ~ it will come down to the wire.

The remaining question for Seattle is which three, out of Chris Jakubauskas, Shawn Kelley, Jesus Delgado and Roy Corcoran, will make the final roster. Jakubauskas and Kelley are non-roster invitees, who have posted some of the most impressive numbers in spring training. Jakubauskas could very well be the Mariners’ long guy out of the bullpen after starting his final four appearances of spring training. Delgado could be kept because of his ability to get left-handers out.

The dark horse to start the season as closer might be Miguel Batista, who has no defined role, but saved 31 games in 2005 with Toronto.

“We are trying to stretch guys out to give us some versatility,” Wakamatsu said.

Many of Seattle’s questions might be answered by midseason. Tyler Johnson, still recovering from shoulder surgery, is likely to become Seattle’s situational lefty out of the bullpen and the Mariners have hopes that Chad Cordero’s recovery could return him to being the All-Star closer he once was with Washington.

Mariner Matters | 3.29

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Pretty big news day today!

As some had speculated…

Jeff Clement was sent down to minor leagues. He’s just not ready for prime time behind the dish (even his hitting hasn’t be any great shakes this spring) and with the new emphasis on defense, he didn’t really have a chance.

I’ve always had special respect for those who don the tools of ignorance and are able to do them justice. I guess that’s because catching is, by far, the most physically demanding and mentally challenging position on the field. In other words, it ain’t easy.

Best of luck figuring it all out, Jeff.

Then there was the rather unexpected news…

Brandon Morrow will not only start the season in the pen, it will be his permanent home. Apparently, after much soul-searching, research and basically gauging what his own body could handle (he is diabetic) he went to the M’s to let them know that he feels he is much better suited to the bullpen. Brandon says it is much easier to regulate his blood sugar on a daily basis, for short stints than to try to get it just right every five days and sustain it for 100+ pitches.

While it is a big disappointment for most (who were looking forward to Brandon in the starting rotation) the logic of the decision can hardly be argued with. He knows his body better than anyone and the organization has his health and his ability to contribute his best effort to the team as top priorities. So, we go with it.

I, for one, thought it was pretty darned exciting last season when Brandon came out of the pen in the 8th or 9th inning and blew batters away. And, with a solid, designated role, who’s to say that he won’t get even better this season? There seems to be something about those bullpen guys, they just seem to perform better when the roles are set. I seem to remember that JJ only started to excel once he was actually named the replacement to Eddie (as opposed to just the ‘fill-in closer’).

Good on ya, Brandon ~ for being honest with yourself and the team as to your capabilities.

Here’s some rather lively discussion on the topic over at Mariner Central (my favorite hangout 🙂

Apparently, Brandon isn’t the only diabetic in the pen..

Mark Lowe was diagnosed last season with type-2 diabetes and his “co-worker” was an invaluable resource and support for him.

“It was not fun knowing it’s something you’ll have to do the rest of your life, poking yourself with a needle forever,” he said. “But you get over it and know it could be way, way worse. In the longrun, it’s something that will help you — staying in shape, eating right. You have to look at it in the big picture, and I think it’s going to be a very positive thing.”

That’s the mindset both Lowe and Morrow hope all diabetics take in treating their conditions.

“Take it serious. It’s a big deal and it’s your livelihood,” Lowe said. “As you get older, a lot of things can change and you’ve got to take care of it for the longrun.”

“But,” added Morrow. “Don’ t let it hold you back. It’s a serious condition but if you take care of yourself and monitor it, you can be as healthy as anybody else.”


New Skipper asserting his power…

Some new rules in town ~ you will wear ties on the plane.

“The big issue in camp the last few days has been ties,” Wakamatsu said. “We’re going to wear them on team flights. Some guys have never worn them before, and they’re not happy. I’m not trying to be a hard-ass – I’d rather wear a sweat suit when we fly.
“Players used to have to wear suits. I’m just going with ties, and I’ve told the guys who’ve asked about it, ‘I’ll have a few extra ties on the plane in case you forget yours.’ ”
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“It’s discipline. We’re trying to establish something here. In some organizations, like the Yankees, there’s no facial hair allowed. When I was a player in the Reds organization, everyone had to wear their uniform a certain way. Those teams establish something throughout their system.
“In our clubhouse, there aren’t many players who have come up through the Seattle system. We’re starting something this spring, from how we play the game to how we represent the team.”

I think I like it.

ST2 | Lotsa hits ~ Wak not overly excited

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M’s 18 | Dodgers 2

Bedard cruises in first spring outing | HeraldNet

By all indications in the boxscore, the Mariners had a great day in their 18-2 victory over the Dodgers. They had 20 hits, including home runs by Matt Tuiasosopo, Mike Wilson and Mike Carp, and held the Dodgers to four hits.


Wakamatsu, however, wasn’t tossing superlatives over everything he saw.

The hitting?

“We put a lot of damage on balls in the strike zone, but some of the counts we swung at were a little out of control,” he said.

The pitching?

Besides Bedard, Wakamatsu wasn’t overjoyed.

“I thought everyone was OK,” he said. “Our command was good, the tempo was fine but I thought we were up in the zone a little too much.”

Left-hander Jason Vargas and right-hander Chris Jakubauskas each pitched two scoreless innings, lefty Justin Thomas and Marwin Vega one scoreless inning each. Right-hander Jose Pena gave up a two-run homer in the ninth to Mitch Jones to break the shutout.

Carp continued to impress with his left-handed power, driving in five runs with the homer and a double. The homer, in the eighth inning, cleared a picnic tent well beyond the right-field fence.

 

 

ST1 | Feilx Day

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M’s 4 | Padres 4

Mariners Spring Update | NewsTribune

Felix Hernandez went two innings in part because the Padres made three outs on four pitches in the first inning. It took him 19 more pitches to get three more outs.

“I threw almost all fastballs,” Hernandez said. “I wanted to command both sides of the plate.” One of those fastballs became a two-run home run by Henry Blanco, and the Padres would have scored a third run against Felix except Endy Chavez threw out Emil Brown at the plate on a great diving tag by catcher Jamie Burke.

Manager Don Wakamatsu has made it clear already that he’s not going to wait around for offense. In the second inning, he had Chris Woodward stealing third, and the stolen base set up a Seattle run. A moment later, Reegie Corona was caught stealing. No matter – Seattle is going to keep trying to manufacture runs with the lower half of their lineup.

Erik Bedard feels ahead of schedule and will pitch again today, two days after working in an intrasquad game. “It’s a surprise,” he said of how good his left shoulder feels. My velocity isn’t there yet, but everything feels good and I feel strong.”

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Third base coach Bruce Hines has had three runners thrown out at the plate in two games, but Wakamatsu insists he’s not bothered by that. “Third base is one of the hardest coaching positions there is. You have to make a split-second decision,” he said. “A lot of times early in camp you’ll see third-base coaches who will want to make the decision before it’s time.”

Mike Morse doubled home a run in the fifth inning, then was thrown out trying to get to third base on the play.

Bryan LaHair, normally a first baseman, played left field late in the game and tripled in the ninth inning. “We’re rotating guys around different places to get them at-bats,” Wakamatsu said.