Why Ryan Langerhans Makes a Great 4th Outfielder

Today, Ryan Langerhans started in centerfield for the Mariners as they took on the Angels in Peoria. He had two hits, including a double off the wall in centerfield, raising his Cactus League average to .375.

As the battle for roster spots continues, Ryan Langerhans will again make a compelling case for making the ballclub out of camp as the 4th outfielder, a roster spot he’s occupied for the better part of the last two seasons.

He should earn that spot on the roster for at least six reasons.

First, he is capable of sitting for three or four days, then coming off the bench to pinch hit against a tough righty late in a game. He’s had nearly 100 pinch hit at bats over his eight-season career, so he’s experienced pinch-hitting in pressure situations.

Second, he’s also a very capable defender in the outfield, where he can play each of the outfield positions, as well as first base. While many reserve outfielders are strictly corner options (think Tui, Jack Cust, Mike Carp), Langerhans can play the corner spots as well as centerfield.

Third, Langerhans works counts and takes pitches. He walked 24 times in 132 plate appearances last season, logging a .344 OBP, despite a batting average below the Mendoza Line.

Fourth, he has potential to hit the ball out of the park. He’s hit thirty career bombs and four career pinch hit homeruns.

Fifth, Langerhans can steal a base, either when he gets on base himself, or when he replaces a teammate as a pinch-runner. Last year, he stole four bags in five attempts.

Sixth, and probably most importantly, Langerhans is no longer a prospect. He is what he is at this point in his career—a veteran role player. Teams don’t want young, developing hitters to take bench roles. Guys like Michael Saunders and Mike Carp need to get consistent at-bats. They can’t waste away on the bench five days a week, as they need to continue to develop as hitters, if not at the MLB level, then in Tacoma. Langerhans at thirty years old, can sit for days at a time.

For these six reasons, the Mariners should choose to carry Ryan Langerhans as their fourth outfielder. Of course, if he continues to hit well through the remainder of the Cactus League schedule, his presence on the roster should be a near guarantee.

With Spring Comes Optimism

Today marked the first game the Mariners played this spring. They outslugged the Padres, and squeaked out a one-run win in ten, 13-12. Yes, the Seattle Mariners scored 13 runs in a game. How many times did the Mariners score 13 runs in a game last year? None. But, that was last year. And, this is 2011, when optimism reigns supreme in each ballclub’s spring camp.

Fans around the Northwest are optimistic the Mariner offense, in 2011, will occasionally be able to come out on top in a slugfest.

Erik Bedard started today’s game and was fantastic. He used only nine pitches to work his one inning, and eight of those pitches were for strikes. He worked ahead of the three hitters he faced, striking out two. But, most importantly, it appears he took another step in his long road back from the multiple arm surgeries he’s undergone since his last MLB appearance.

Fans around the Northwest are optimistic that Erik Bedard, in 2011, will make thirty pain-free starts this season.

A couple of young Mariner prospects were given opportunities to shine today. Outfielder Johermyn Chavez, acquired last year from Toronto in the Brandon Morrow trade, hit a double and scored two runs. Third baseman Matt Mangini had a pair of singles and scored a run. Mike Carp notched two hits and batted in two. And, Carlos Peguero hit the two-run bomb in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings; then, in the top of the tenth, he earned an outfield assist by throwing out a runner at home plate to keep the game tied.

Fans around the Northwest are optimistic that maybe one of these youngsters will merge the future with the present, and, in 2011, work his way into the starting lineup as an everyday player.

Josh Bard was 3-3 today, and he scored a run. He also ended the game with the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the tenth.

Fans around the Northwest are optimistic that Mariners catchers, in 2011, may hit a little bit.

Finally, the Mariners won today. They won in an exciting finish.

Fans around the Northwest are optimistic the Mariners, in 2011, will pull off a few more exciting finishes this season.

The Cactus League schedule is upon us. As rainy and as cold as the weather is here in Seattle, when we turned on our radios today and listened to Dave Sims and Rick Rizzs call the game, we heard the sounds of summer and anticipated the sunshine and warm evenings that make baseball in the Northwest such an enjoyable experience. We turn the calendar to March on Tuesday. Spring is here. Baseball is back.

What A Reputation Can Do For You

In yesterday’s NFC Championship game, Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler left the game just prior to the second offensive series in the second half. At the time, reports indicated he’d suffered a knee injury of some kind during the first half, and his return was officially “questionable.” As soon as Cutler left the game, though, the sports world was blowing up with current players, former players, analysts, and others questioning the severity of his injury and resulting absence from the field. Current and former players said they’d never leave an NFC Championship game, but for the worst injuries—and here was Cutler standing on the sideline, riding a stationary bicycle, and otherwise appearing functional enough to lead the Bears’ sputtering offense.

After undergoing an MRI today, the Bears announced that Cutler suffered a Grade II MCL sprain in his left knee—meaning a partial terror of the MCL—an injury that typically requires 3-4 weeks to heal. The injury is of the type that would warrant one’s removal from the game, as such a sprain would limit Cutler’s lateral movement and inhibit his ability to plant his front foot when making throws.

But, the interesting aspect of the whole ordeal wasn’t that Cutler failed to finish the game. The most fascinating development was how quickly and venomous the anti-Cutler sentiments began flowing. The anti-Cutler reaction resulted largely because of his reputation. He is not known to act friendly with the media or fans, but rather he comes off as aloof and disinterested. His body language is notoriously poor, and he appears as a moping whiner. The anti-Cutler reaction snowballed largely because few members of the blogosphere/Twitterverse had interest in defending Cutler’s toughness or the legitimacy of his injury. Consequently, the anti-Cutler cries grew louder and louder, unrestrained in large part.

If Jay Culter held a stronger reputation for toughness in the football community, neither the media nor his peers would have piled on their negative remarks the way they did. Did the local Seattle media or other players around the league throw Matt Hasselbeck under the bus when he was unable to play in the Week 17 game against the Rams with the playoffs on the line? No, because Matt Hasselbeck is well-liked, and maintains a strong reputation among fans and his peers.

The Cutler saga relates to a developing situation in Seattle.

Milton Bradley’s reputation suffers from his actions both on and off the field. He’s built his reputation over the course of his entire career, over multiple seasons and with multiple teams in both the American and National Leagues. His most recent run-in with the law, regardless of whether he’s convicted of anything, will only further damage an already-tarnished reputation. Last week, when the story broke that Bradley had been arrested in Los Angeles County, nobody in baseball rushed to Bradley’s defense, cautioning critics to wait until all the facts came in. But, while current/former players weren’t Tweeting about Bradley, the comments section of every newspaper read as if Bradley was already guilty of whatever he’d been accused.

In the end, players who develop negative reputations have their work cut out for them. The media won’t jump to their defense, and fans won’t hesitate to blog/Tweet negative posts about these guys, simply because they aren’t likeable. Jay Cutler and Milton Bradley have overstayed their welcome in their home cities the eyes of some, as evidenced by Bear fans burning Cutler jerseys in the Soldier Field parking lot after the game—and Mariner fans calling for Bradley’s release on word of his arrest.

Let this be a lesson to upcoming stars. Be likeable, and make smart decisions. Poor reputations are difficult to improve.

MLK and MLB

Today marks the Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday.

By the time Dr. King revved up his role in the Civil Rights Movement, Jackie Robinson had already broken Major League Baseball’s color-barrier. Yet, despite Robinson’s breaking the color-barrier way back in 1947, and the great strides the Civil Rights Movement brought toward equality in the American discourse, MLB today hopes the future will bring a greater number of African-Americans to the game.

Baseball lags far behind the other major American sports with regard to the number of current African American players. In the 2010 NFL season, for example, roughly 67% of rosters were comprised of African-American players. In the NBA, the number is roughly 77%. In the MLB, however, the number of African Americans sits far lower than that of the NFL or NBA. Despite efforts MLB has made in recent years, baseball has watched as the number of African Americans at the big-league level has decreased since the 1970s, when African Americans made up over 20% of MLB rosters. Currently, only 9.1% of MLB players are African American; and, since 1997, that percentage has not exceeded 15%. The Mariners, for example, currently have two African-American players: Milton Bradley and Chone Figgins. Moreover, the number of African-American managers, general managers, and MLB owners remains very low.

Observers of this disparity cite a variety of reasons why interest in baseball languishes well behind other popular sports. Some argue that baseball isn’t nearly as accessible as basketball and football to inner-city children. To play baseball, expensive gloves, bats, and a proper playing surface are far more difficult to come across than a basketball hoop or an open field for tossing around a football. Others argue that basketball and football provide more expedient routes to stardom and money; specifically, both football and basketball provide greater exposure at the collegiate level than does baseball.

The MLB acknowledges the low number of African-American players, and has taken steps in recent years to encourage greater interest in baseball within the African-American community. MLB began Urban Youth Academies in Compton, California and Houston, Texas. These Urban Youth Academies provide inner-city children free baseball instruction and opportunities to learn about careers available throughout baseball. MLB plans to open Academies in Philadelphia and South Florida; and, ultimately, MLB hopes to open Academies in each MLB city. On top of the Urban Youth Academy endeavor, MLB has also donated more than $30 million to the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) initiative.

In 2011, MLB will celebrate the history and contributions of African Americans in baseball with the fifth annual Civil Rights game in Atlanta. And, ultimately, time will help to determine the effectiveness of MLB’s initiatives encouraging greater interest in—and access to—baseball.

Importantly, despite Dr. King’s passing more than forty years ago, his dream continues today to inspire greater equality.

2011 Projected Rotation: Who Will Eat Innings?

Yesterday, on KJR 950 AM, Jack Z discussed the Mariners projected 2010 starting rotation, and he stated that he hoped it would align like this:

1. Felix Hernandez
2. Jason Vargas
3. Doug Fister
4. Erik Bedard
5. Michael Pineda

Given the personnel available to the franchise, I would agree that this looks like the best possible configuration for 2010. But, it does raise a concern worth noting.

Of this group, Felix Hernandez is the only proven innings-eater.

Yes, Jason Vargas did have a great 2010, a season in which he pitched 192.2 innings (just over 6 innings per start) with an overall ERA of 3.78. But, prior to this past season, he’d never logged more than 100 innings at the MLB level. And, his numbers in the second half last year were significantly inferior to his first-half body of work: his first-half ERA was 3.09, in the second half it was 4.66. Additionally, his opposing batting average, OBP and SLG were all significantly higher in the second half. Certainly, this season the Mariners will be monitoring his body to see how it responds to his relatively heavy 2010 workload. While the Mariners undoubtedly hope Jason Vargas can offer the club close to 200 innings again this season, they’re also aware that his 190+ innings from last year may have a carry-over effect into this season. Don’t be surprised, then, if he suffers arm fatigue at some point this coming season.

Doug Fister, like Jason Vargas, had something of a break-out year this past season. He notched 171 innings in 28 starts—just over 6 innings a start. Yet, again, prior to last season, he had never gone more than 100 innings at the MLB level. And, remember, last year, he went to the disabled list in early June with shoulder fatigue. His season statistics reflect his struggles as the season wore on. For example, in April his ERA was 1.67, in May it was 2.95. From June through September, he did not have a month with an ERA below 4.34. Prior to the All-Star Break, he held a 3.09 ERA, and post-Break it ballooned to 5.09. Despite only pitching two more innings after the Break, as opposed to before it, Fister gave up 39 more base-hits and 20 more earned runs post-break. He lost effectiveness as the year wore on, and it may have been the result of lingering arm fatigue. Again, the Mariners will be watching Fister this season, monitoring how his body reacts to another full season starting at the MLB level.

Erik Bedard, who the team would like to slot as the fourth starter, hasn’t pitched in an MLB game since August 2009, and he hasn’t had a season of over 100 innings since 2007. The Mariners won’t want to push his body too hard coming off multiple arm surgeries. So, one shouldn’t expect him to be an innings-eater in the Mariner 2010 rotation.

Michael Pineda, who Jack Z hopes will emerge as the fifth starter in the rotation, has never thrown a pitch at the MLB level. He’s also never thrown more than 140 innings at any level in a single season. Again, the Mariners will act with great caution in monitoring his innings and his pitch counts to do all they can to prevent any arm troubles with their highly-touted prospect.

When starters can’t work deep into ballgames, or when they can’t make each of their scheduled starts, the remaining members of the pitching staff—in particular, the relief corps—pick up the slack. Last year, near the All-Star Break, Wakamatsu expressed concern as to how frequently he was going to Brandon League in the bullpen. League appeared in 41 games before the Break, before the Mariners scaled back his workload. By season’s end, League still made more appearances (70) and logged more innings (79) than any other season in his career.

This year would be no different. If Vargas/Fister/Bedard/Pineda can’t consistently work 6+ innings in ballgames, the bullpen will need to find ways to fill those final three innings. These innings will add up quickly, and with Shawn Kelley coming off arm surgery and young relievers like Dan Cortes filling out the bullpen, the Mariners will take great care to prevent further injury and major arm fatigue. Surely, in a rebuilding season like the one we expect in 2011, the team’s number one priority will be to do all it can to prevent the overworking of its young pitching staff.

Selling Seattle on Jack Cust

Today, the Mariners announced the acquisition of Jack Cust. They expect him to be the full-time DH. This likely means that the Mariners will not pursue Russell Branyan; presumably, the Mariners project Justin Smoak playing first-base, so Branyan will likely need to find work elsewhere. So now that the Mariners have essentially opted for Cust over Branyan, has our offense improved?

Over his time the past two seasons with the Mariners, Russell Branyan has consistently hit for power (46 HR; .508 SLG), and last year his OPS was the highest on the team (technically, tied with Mike Sweeney for the highest OPS, .802). Also, last year, he was, by far, the most significant Mariner power threat. He led the team with 15 HRs, despite starting the season in Cleveland and appearing in only 57 games with the Mariners.

Cust is a very similar hitter to Branyan. Yes, he strikes out a ton—so be patient. He led the AL in strikeouts three straight seasons (07-09), and yes he struck out in over a third of his at bats last season. He did, however, still bat .272 last season, with an OPS that would have been tops on the Mariners (.834). Cust is known as an all-or-nothing guy. While he will swing and miss, he will also walk a lot and hit a few into the seats. He has worked over 100 walks two different seasons (Figgins led the Mariners with 74 BBs last year) and maintains a career OBP of .378 (Cust would have led the Mariners last season as well when his OBP was .395. And, to add some perspective, Ichiro had a career OBP of .376).

For a team without a ton of financial wiggle-room, Cust comes at a relative bargain. He will earn $2.5 million this season. Branyan earned $1.5 last year, and would probably be seeking something higher this year, coming off another 25+ HR season. But, unlike Branyan, Cust does not have Branyan’s chronic back problems. Cust has never been placed on the DL, and he is three years younger than Russell, which may have factored into Jack Z’s considerations. Cust also logged just over 100 innings (105.1) in the outfield last year (13 games in LF, 3 in RF), committing one error. So, if Eric Wedge decides to, he may place Cust into the outfield and know he can keep Cust’s bat in the lineup during interleague play, or when he wants to find at-bats for other hitters at DH.

Finally, while Cust’s homerun totals may not rival Branyan’s (Cust hit just 13 last year), Cust did hit 25 or more HRs in three of the last four seasons. He bats left-handed, so Safeco Field shouldn’t significantly impact his offensive power production (in just over 90 career ABs at Safeco, Cust has 5 HRs) the way it sometimes does righties. Other than the Oakland Coliseum, Cust has played more games at Safeco (31) than any other ballpark. He owns a career .237 AVG, .359 OBP, and .423 SLG in those 117 plate appearances at Safeco. Moreover, one can expect his Safeco splits to improve as he becomes more comfortable hitting in the ballpark with greater regularity.

One thing to watch as Cust becomes the everyday DH is how well he hits lefties. His career offensive numbers against southpaws, like most left-handed hitters, are less impressive than his overall numbers (.225 AVG; .350 OBP; .372 SLG), though even his numbers versus lefties are still better than many Mariner hitters.

Ultimately, while the Jack Cust signing does not exactly trigger fanfare along Edgar Martinez Drive or a mad rush to the season ticket office, his acquisition does appear to improve the Mariner offense. No, it won’t improve the offense the way Adrian Gonzalez or Carl Crawford would have; but, those guys cost far greater than Cust and the Mariners are rebuilding. Cust offers a low-cost alternative that may still pay significant dividends for a team that must find some way to get guys across the plate in 2011.

Comparing Mariner Cy Young Winners

After the MLB players’ strike ended in 1995, Randy Johnson won 18 games, hoisting the Mariners on his back, and leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance. He also received the first Cy Young award in Mariner history. This season, despite a dismal team effort, Felix Hernandez strung together an impressive season of his own, deservedly earning the second Cy Young award in Mariner history.

It has been fifteen years since the Big Unit won his Cy Young, so I went back to look at the numbers he put up that season in order to compare them to Felix’s numbers this year. Did one pitcher have a statistically-superior season?

Here are some of the core numbers to compare their Cy Young credentials:

Randy Johnson (1995): 18-2; 2.48 ERA; 214 IP in 30 starts; 6 CG; 3 Shutouts; 294 K; 1.045 WHIP; 6.7 H/9IP; 12.3 K/9IP; 4.52 K/BB ratio.

Felix Hernandez (2010): 13-12; 2.27 ERA; 249.2 IP in 34 starts; 6 CG; 1 Shutout; 232 K; 1.057 WHIP; 7.0 H/9IP; 8.4 K/9; 3.31 K/BB ratio.

With the exception of their winning percentage, which can be attributed to their offenses, their numbers are very similar. They both threw 6 complete games, and each led his league in ERA. Felix’s ERA was lower than the Unit’s, and Felix led his league in IP. Unit, however, did lead the AL in Ks, WHIP, K/9, K/BB, HR/9IP.

So, ultimately, had Randy Johnson put up his 1995 numbers in 2010, one may fairly argue that the Unit would have topped Felix in the Cy Young race. That being said, one cannot overstate what Felix did for a team that lost 101 games. Despite having no hopes of postseason play, he continued to post dominant numbers the entire season. Randy Johnson had something extra to play for—a playoff push.

Also, for what it is worth, one may weigh the fact that Unit pitched his home games in the band-box that was the Kingdome, while Felix enjoyed the more pitcher-friendly dimensions at Safeco Field.

Both Randy Johnson and Felix Hernandez, during their Cy Young years, put together exceptional seasons on the mound, and both were deserving of their Cy Young awards. While Randy Johnson played among a handful of Mariner legends in 1995, Felix was a one-man show this past year. And while there was not much on which Mariner fans could hang their hats this year, King Felix’s incredible season gave us reason to watch baseball in August and September.

The Big Unit should be a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, and the fact that Felix draws comparisons with him only offers credence to the high ceiling he still maintains. Remember, Felix is still only 24 years old and may have many more Cy Young awards in his future. At 24, the Unit was just breaking into the MLB in Montreal, trying to harness his delivery and find his mechanics.