First, it was the Bone Yard for many years. Jay Buhner patrolled Right Field with dignity, if not flair; and was one of the greatest home run threats the Mariners ever got in trade. A trade so lopsided in the Mariners favor, it was immortalized in the TV show "Seinfeld." Ken Phelps! Ken Phelps!
After "Bone" retired, Right Field became Area 51. The place where sure doubles turned into outs, and no runner dared run on Ichiro Suzuki. A player so confident and cocky, that only his first name was printed on his jersey. A player who would win the A.L. MVP award and Rookie of the Year in his first Major League season. Ichiro was fast, flashy and an incredible talent. For ten years, that is. Last year, he hit a pedestrian .271; which would be fine by most big league hitters. Not, however, for an aging leadoff man. His On Base Percentage was only slightly higher than his average. This season, a combination of age, pitchers' adjustments and just plain bad plate discipline had him hitting .261 with an OBP around .290. Fortunately for the Mariners, he is now a headache for the New York Yankees. The trade, completed today and confirmed on www.seattlemariners.com; sent Ichiro to the Bronx Bombers for two AAA pitching prospects, right handers D.J. Mitchell and Danny Farquhar.
Mitchell is a starter, who compiled a 3.86 ERA in 4 games when called up earlier this year by the Yankees. His AAA ERA is less than stellar, at 5.04. Farquhar is a relief pitcher, who has posted a combined 3.33 ERA over the season at AA and AAA. These guys are decent arms with good stuff, but pitching is not really what the Mariners need. We need a veteran, middle-of-the-order bat. Jesus Montero, Kyle Seager and Michael Saunders have provided some pop for the M's, and Justin Smoak has 13 HR's, but is struggling to hit over .200! Our offense continues to struggle, especially at home.
What this trade does accomplish, is to create a permanent spot for Casper Wells, who has been hitting the cover off lately. He's a guy who could turn into a 25+ HR bat, hit for average and drive in lots of runs. He can hit nearly anywhere in the order and has good speed. He also, like Ichiro, has a cannon arm and excellent glove. What was once The Bone Yard and Area 51 may now be dubbed "The Well" or "The Lair of the Friendly Ghost."
Edit: I watched the webcast of Ichiro's farewell press conference. He makes it clear that he requested the trade. It was not the team's decision. To paraphrase, he said that being on a team made up with mostly players in their early-20's was difficult for him. He did not want to come back to that next season. He wanted to go somewhere else for a new challenge (read: chance to win this season) and let the Mariners rebuild for the future. Good for you, Ichiro. I might even shed a tear when you're booed out of New York for your lack of production. You're still going to the Hall of Fame, even though your ten year run of dominance was punctuated by hundreds of infield hits. If you take those away, he's a gold-glove fielder with a great arm and very little stick. Pretty much what he is today. Some may think I'm harsh, but it's past time to see him move on. I was surprised when he re-signed the first time. The years of revolving-door players and managers has taken its toll on everyone. I, for one, know that Lou Pinella wouldn't have put up with his attitude or his lack of production. He wouldn't have been coddled as a superstar. He would have put up numbers, or taken a seat. If he didn't like it, he would have been on the next plane back to Japan or wherever. What this team needs is a manager like Lou...or Lou himself. Maybe he'll come out of retirement next season and save this sinking ship again. We can only hope, because Wedge sure isn't doing enough.
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