Mariners Analysis

Friday, April 20, 2007

Hargrove keeps bloggers busy

Questionable game strategy combined with poor roster building == busy fingers for bloggers.

Where to start... ok, how about yesterday with the M's leading Santana and the Twins 2-1 in the 7th inning. Tell me you weren't yelling at the dugout/TV (depending on viewing location) when you saw Mateo entering the game in a critical situation.

I doubt there are 3 hardcore fans in the Seattle Mariner universe who would have gone with Mateo. Even the damn Moose was probably wondering if all that scotch was still in Hargrove's system to make a call like that.

It really boils down to the Carl Everett/Vidro school of thinking that Hargrove preaches. Rely on a veteran, because experience is the sole trump card over youth when you have a high-pressure situation on the line. Hargrove looks at his choices in the 'pen, and goes with Mateo because he is the "veteran." Just like he would bet his career as a Mariner manager on Vidro over Snelling, he is willing to live or die career wise with veterans.

To that, I say die!

Then of course there is the Morrow situation. Felix goes down, so you take your most valuable pitching commodity in your farm system and risk his development in a panic move. I don't think there is really any other way to describe it.

If you disagree, all we have to do is look at history. There is not a GM around who has treated their highly rated pitching prospects in the same manner. Basically, Bavasi is doing something that literally no other GM would be doing right now.

Is the decision solely Bavasi's, or did Hargrove convince him? Hard to say, but regardless the tag team of Hargrove and Bavasi cannot leave town soon enough.