Three Memorable Calls Courtesy of our Hall-of-Famer, Dave Niehaus

Many of us never met him. But, for years, each night we invited him into our home to share our baseball experience. He rode with us in our cars, keeping us company. He attended family barbecues on warm summer nights. And, last night as each of us heard of his passing, we all felt as though we lost a dear friend.

Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Seattle Mariners since the franchise’s inception, a man who broadcast over 5000 games and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008, passed away yesterday after suffering a heart attack.

He is known for having made so many memorable calls. His calls have become household clichés all over the Pacific Northwest. Mariner fans celebrate a “Grand Salami,” or watch fly-balls “Fly Away” over the outfield fence. Some of us express our satisfaction after a great play with a simple “My Oh My.” When I think of Dave Niehaus’ great, poetic calls, three specific calls stand out to me.

1. The Double (10/8/1995)—probably Niehaus’ most popular call, “The Double” was the capstone of the great 1995 playoff run. It was Game 5 of the 1995 ALDS, at the Kingdome, in front of 57,411 rabid Mariner fans. The Yankees sent David Cone to the mound to take on Andy Benes. The Mariners scored two runs in the 8th inning to even the score 4-4. In the top of the 9th inning, Norm Charlton, who had taken over with 2 outs in the 7th, was still on the mound for the Mariners. He gave up a double and a walk to begin the inning, and Lou Piniella decided to bring in Randy Johnson out of the bullpen. The Big Unit wiggled out of the jam in the top of the 9th without allowing a run. Neither team was able to score in the 9th or the 10th. So, the game went to the 11th, where the Unit issued a leadoff walk that ultimately came around to score after a sacrifice bunt and a single. The Mariners were down 4-5, and their hopes to continue their playoff run required yet another come-from-behind win, this time against Jack McDowell. Leading off the bottom of the 11th, Joey Cora singled on a bunt to first base. Ken Griffey, Jr. singled to centerfield, advancing Cora to third. Edgar Martinez came to the plate, and on an 0-1 pitch, Niehaus made the most memorable call in Mariner history:

Right now, the Mariners looking for the tie. They would take a fly ball, they would love a base hit into the gap and they could win it with Junior's speed. The stretch... and the 0-1 pitch on the way to Edgar Martínez swung on and LINED DOWN THE LEFT FIELD LINE FOR A BASE HIT! HERE COMES JOEY, HERE IS JUNIOR TO THIRD BASE, THEY'RE GOING TO WAVE HIM IN! THE THROW TO THE PLATE WILL BE ... LATE! THE MARINERS ARE GOING TO PLAY FOR THE AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP! I DON'T BELIEVE IT! IT JUST CONTINUES! MY, OH MY!

2. Playoff-Bound (10/2/1995)—It took the Mariners 15 seasons to finally achieve a winning record. In 1995, the Mariners had been 13 games back of the California Angels as late as August 2. But, from that point on, the Mariners went on a 35-20 run to force a 1-game playoff with the Angels on Monday, October 2 at the Kingdome. This game featured former Mariner Mark Langston, squaring off against the player for whom he was once traded, Randy Johnson. Luis Sojo cue-balled a bases-clearing double down the first-base line (that the Angels ultimately played into an inside-the-park Grand Salami), and a complete game, 3-hitter, 1-run effort by the Big Unit secured a 9-1 Mariner victory. Dave Niehaus captured the excitement as only he could, when the Big Unit finally clinched the game—and the team’s first playoff appearance—by striking out Tim Salmon for the fourth time, on his 125th pitch:

Now the left hander ready. Branding Iron hot, the 1-2 pitch....K inserted, it's over! Right over the heart of the plate! Randy looks to the skies that is covered by the dome and bedlam! As the Mariners now erupt! Nineteen long years of frustration are over!

3. Old-Time Religion (6/19/2009)—The Mariners hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks for an interleague series at Safeco Field. And, on Brandon Morrow Bobblehead Night, Jon Garland owned the Mariners. He pitched seven shutout innings before giving way to the bullpen in the 8th. Endy Chavez started the game in leftfield for the Mariners; but, as he chased after a Felipe Lopez popup in short left, he collided with shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt, and was forced to leave the game due to an injury (Chavez hasn’t appeared in an MLB game since). Wladimir Balentien replaced Chavez in leftfield. Going into the bottom of the 8th inning, the Mariners were down 0-3. Garland was lifted for lefty Scott Schoeneweis, and Russell Branyon led off the inning with a solo homerun to put the Mariners on the board. Tony Pena then replaced Schoeneweis, and Adrian Beltre immediately singled to left. After Mike Sweeney struck out swinging and Franklin Gutierrez flew out to centerfield, Balentien’s spot in the lineup was due up to bat. Don Wakamatsu went to his bench to call on an aging slugger, Ken Griffey, Jr., looking for some magic. Even at this late stage in his career, Dave Niehaus’ radio call was superb:

The fans are hoping to catch a little bit of old-time religion right here, baby, with Junior stepping up to the plate. Here comes the stretch and the pitch to Junior is on the way. Swing and a fly ball hit to deep right-center field! That baby is going to beeeeeeeee — FLY AWAY! THE OLD TIME RELIGION LIVES! JUNIOR DOES IT! A two-run home run and we are tied at 3-3. My oh my! Magic is back at least for a night.

These three calls are my most favorite. I remember exactly where I was when I first heard each of them. Even today, thanks to Dave Niehaus, most fans will recall where they were when Edgar hit “The Double.” So many other great calls haven’t been transcribed on the internet, and many did not even describe crucial plays. For example, on July 20, 2004 with the Mariners down by two in the bottom of the 9th inning, Bucky Jacobsen stepped into the box. It was just Jacobsen’s 5th game, but he’d already become a fan favorite after hitting two homeruns in his first week with the team. Keith Foulke was on the mound, looking to close out the game for the Red Sox. With 2 away, and Bucky as the Mariner’s last chance, Niehaus began intertwining the “Mighty Casey at the Bat” poem into his call, comparing Bucky to the Mighty Casey. Jacobsen struck out to end the game; but, the call was one only Niehaus could make.

He was a one of a kind. And, he is already missed. Thank you, Dave, for all the joy.

A Blast from the Past: Justin Leone

Last weekend, Saint Martin’s University held its annual alumni baseball games on its campus in Lacey, Washington. The University’s current roster of players hosted a team comprised of alumni for a pair of seven-inning games. This year, the game featured the Saint Martin’s baseball program’s most well-known Saint, Justin Leone. Leone made the highlight reel when, with a wood bat, he clobbered a homerun beyond the cavernous left-field alley, over the fence for the only homerun of the day, and one of the few hits notched by the alumni team.

Mariner fans may remember Leone from his run with the team in the summer of 2004.

Leone was drafted by the Mariners in the 13th round of the 1999 amateur draft after attending Saint Martin’s College (now University). He worked his way through the Mariner farm system, playing in Everett, Wisconsin, San Bernardino, San Antonio, and Tacoma as an infielder, predominantly at third base. In the minor leagues, Leone consistently posted promising offensive numbers that indicated he’d someday appear at the MLB level.

In 2003 Leone earned recognition for his play with AA San Antonio. In 135 games, he hit a .288 AVG, with a .405 OBP, 21 HRs, and a .541 SLG. His effort earned him the title Texas League Player of the Year, as determined by Baseball America. He was also selected as the Texas League Player of the Year by Topps. Finally, the Mariners named him their Minor League Player of the Year as well. Seemingly, he was on the verge of joining the big club.

He began the 2004 campaign with the AAA Tacoma Rainiers, but was promoted to the Mariners when Miguel Olivo was sent to the disabled list with kidney stone issues. On July 2, Leone made his major league debut in Saint Louis, pinch hitting in the top of the third inning for Jamie Moyer against Woody Williams. Two days later, he made his first start at shortstop. Then, from July 8 through August 17, he served as the regular third basemen, as Scott Spiezio moved across the diamond to play first base. But unfortunately, on August 17, against the Royals, Leone was hit by a Matt Kinney pitch, and was forced to leave the game prior to his next at-bat. X-rays taken that night revealed broken bones in his left hand. Leone was placed on the disabled list, and never appeared in another game in a Mariner uniform.

He spent the 2005 season with the Rainiers, and in October of that year was granted free agency. In 2006, he was in the Padres system, and appeared in one game at the big-league level. It was Leone’s last appearance in an MLB game. Since then, he spent time in the Giants, Yankees, and Rangers systems before being granted his free agency again at the conclusion of the 2009 season.

For his career, in 32 games, Leone hit .214, with 6 HRs (including a bomb off Cliff Lee), 13 RBI, and an OPS of .733. And, while his big-league career may very well be over, he will undoubtedly be welcomed at every future Saint Martin’s University alumni game to have fun and share his experience and knowledge of the game with players at his alma mater.

101 Losses: A Familiar Feeling

We can’t say that it was a total surprise. Just two weeks into the season, back in mid-April, many fans had already begun to feel as though the 2010 Mariners may mirror the 2008 Mariners. We were right, and we were wrong.

Here is a piece I wrote back then that drew some uneasy connections and similarities between the teams. When I wrote it, I remember still thinking that, even in a worst case scenario, the team couldn’t be nearly as bad as the 2008 team. Maybe the 2010 Mariners would lose 90 games; but 101? Never. Jack Z was not Bill Bavasi, and surely we were better than a team that trotted out guys like Yuniesky Betancourt, Carlos Silva, Jeremy Reed, and Kenji Johjima on a regular basis.

Boy, were we wrong. The 2010 Mariners were last in the AL in these offensive categories: runs (513), hits (1274), doubles (227), triples (14), homeruns (101), batting average (.236), on-base-percentage (.298), slugging (.339), (as naturally would follow) OPS (.637), and total bases (1836). On top of that, we were second to last in bases on balls (459). Not exactly an offensive recipe for success.

The 2008 team was last in none of those categories. They scored 671 runs (+158), hit .265 (+.029), homered 124 times (+23), slugged .389 (+.050), and were on base at a .318 clip (+.020). They were better in every offensive category.

The only thing that saved the 2010 Mariners—one of the historically-worst offenses of the DH era—was their pitching, which had the fourth-best ERA in the AL (3.95). Had Felix Hernandez not given 30 quality starts (in 34 chances), had Jason Vargas not contributed 21 (of 31) in a breakout season, and had we not had the luxury of watching Cliff Lee throw just over 100 innings in a Mariner uniform, we would have been staring at 110 losses.

We are all anxious to see what Jack Z will do this winter. The buzz from last winter’s acquisitions—trading for Milton Bradley, Brandon League, and Cliff Lee; and signing Chone Figgins—made the Mariners contenders in the eyes of some. It didn’t work out.

Looking ahead to 2011, the Mariners will undoubtedly win more ballgames. Mathematically, it will be difficult for them to fare worse. But one can be sure, with a new manager, and roster teeming with youth, there won’t be the same buzz. The Mariners won’t be a trendy pick for the AL West pennant come Opening Day, and that may not be a bad thing.

“Believe Big”: Who Are The Ad Wizards Who Came Up With That One?

This year, prior to the season beginning, the Mariners marketing team told us to “Believe Big.” That catchphrase was pasted all over posters at the ballpark, on buses, over radio airwaves, and on the Mariner television commercials. We have seen how the team has horribly failed to live up to any of these expectations.

The high expectations, resulting underachievement, and general poor performance of the team this season has resulted in the “retirement” of the greatest Seattle sports icon in Junior, we’ve seen the termination of the guy many had pegged as AL Manager of the Year in 2009 in Don Wakamatsu, we watched batting coaches, pitching coaches, bench coaches, and development guys all get axed. Would they have been fired had the Mariners not believed big, but instead set their expectations lower? Maybe their slogan should have been something like “Mariner Baseball: Let’s win 40% of our Games.” They’d then be within striking distance of their goal now. Maybe Rick Adair would still be making the trip to the mound to tell Doug Fister to work down in the zone.

Interestingly, on the other hand, the professional sports team that plays its home guys across the street at Qwest Field, the Seahawks, did not appear to set their expectations quite so high, despite the fact that the NFC West is really for anyone’s taking. The Seahawks went with “Earn Everything.” What a great slogan. While the Mariners have had to strip “Believe Big” from their webpage and hide from it after totally flopping this season, the Seahawks mantra of “Earn Everything” will be just as relevant if the team goes 1-15, or 15-1.

“Earn Everything” is not only a great marketing slogan. It’s a credo by which every player in professional athletics should live. For example, I wonder, at times, why some players have continued opportunities at playing time, while seemingly doing very little to “earn” their spot on the field. Is Jose Lopez earning everything at this point? Perhaps it is his sterling batting average (.232) or outstanding OPS (.580) that forces the manager to keep his hot bat in the lineup. I’m not going to pile on. I’d just like to see Mariners players earn everything.

But then again, hindsight is 20/20. Why shouldn’t we have believed big, with free agents like Junior, Milton Bradley, and Casey Kotchman brought back to play our power positions. And, after all, it was only a slogan.

I’ll be anxious to see what the team unveils in 2011. Here are some suggestions: “Mariner Baseball: Come Watch King Felix” or “Mariner Baseball: What Hat will Dave Sims Wear Tonight?” These slogans will be just as usable Opening Day as they will be the first week in October.

A Premium Series

Apparently, Fan Appreciation Day does not come early to those of us who still consider ourselves Mariner fans.

This week, I was interested in taking in a Mariner game, something I have not done since the Mariners played in Anaheim back in July. I walked up to the Safeco Field ticket window and quickly noticed a sign on the window. It read (something like) “Today’s ticket special is—Premium Game.” I asked the ticket window attendant to tell me more about the ticket special and she responded that she was not sure why the Mariners call it a ticket special because a “premium” game ticket, simply put, is a $5 charge ADDED to the regular ticket price.

I had hoped to buy a centerfield bleacher seat, a ticket for which I was expecting to pay $8. To my amazement, because I wanted to attend a “premium” game, that same ticket was $13—over a 62% markup.

The Mariners chose to market their three games against the Boston Red Sox as “premium” games. “Premium” could take on a couple different meanings. “Premium,” in one context, can mean having or reflecting superior quality or value. This of course, cannot be the correct definition respecting the Mariners because, clearly, the ballclub fails to embody a superior quality. They now have the worst record in the American League, they’re firing personnel left and right, and they’ve been eliminated from any playoff contention. Their opponents this series have been decimated by injuries and sit third place in their division, well outside the playoff hunt. The series was riddled with the Mariners’ usual baserunning blunders, costly fielding errors, and generally poor offense.

The other context that could capture the spirit of “premium” means the amount that something in scarce supply is valued above its nominal value. Maybe so many people wanted to come to Safeco Field this week to watch their beloved Mariners that tickets were tough to find. Ummm…that was not it either. Safeco Field holds 47,116 fans for baseball. The attendance for the three game series, however, was 19,063; 18,381; and 21,936—not even half the capacity of the ballpark. Obviously, tickets were not in scarce supply. Proof of the abundance of tickets flooding the market lies in the secondary market, where tickets were being sold significantly below face value. Some fans were able to attend games this series for as little as $5 a game, utilizing this secondary market.

I understand that there may be times when a Red Sox series would be a premium ticket—perhaps a July weekend series when either team is in a position to make a playoff push. But in September 2010, not too many fans are interested in a rainy midweek series, featuring a hapless Mariner ballclub and Red Sox team without Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Cameron, and J.D. Drew.

Again, don’t be confused Mariner fans. Fan Appreciation Day is October 1. Until then, expect the Seattle Mariners to make every effort to squeeze as much money from their fan base as possible, despite the horrible lineup they continue to trot onto the field. Believe Big.

Labor Day Special: Honoring the MLBPA

To celebrate Labor Day week, and what organized labor means to America, we want to celebrate and honor arguably the most powerful and influential union in all of professional sports, the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA). Most fans know that the players union exists, but many do not really know how important the MLBPA has been for the sport—and how it has shaped the way the game operates today.

The MLBPA was created in 1953, and under the early leadership of Marvin Miller, who prior to joining the MLBPA in 1966 worked for the United Steel Workers of America, the union quickly became a key player in the operation of the MLB. Marvin Miller negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the players and team owners in 1968. The agreement raised the minimum player salary from $6000 to $10000 per season. By 1970, the CBA allowed players, for the first time, to go through arbitration to resolve contract disputes. By 1972, the players engaged in their first strike, when owners failed to increase player pension funds.

Under the influential hand of Marvin Miller, the MLBPA witnessed increases in player salaries, pension funds, and licensing rights and revenues. And, in 1975, the modern free agency system was born, allowing players to take their services to whatever team they could forge a deal. In 1981, another player strike occurred when players and owners failed to come together over free agent compensation. Notably, the MLBPA and MLB saw the creation of the designated hitter under the Miller administration as well.

In 1983, Donald Fehr took the reigns as the Executive Director of the MLBPA, and one of the most well-known MLBPA-related actions in the past twenty years was the player strike in 1994-1995. The friction between the owners and players resulted from the MLBPA’s lingering distrust of MLB owners dating back to the 1980s when owners were colluding against potential free agents. Ultimately, owners paid roughly $280 million in fines to players, as penalty for rigging the signing of free agents; and, Fehr’s trust in MLB owners was never really restored. So, in 1994, when owners sought a salary cap agreement and a revenue-sharing scheme tied to the salary cap, along with the elimination of salary arbitration, the MLBPA refused the proposal. The MLBPA felt the salary cap was intended to improve disparity between the teams without benefitting the players in any meaningful way.

The previous CBA had expired in 1993, and into the early summer of 1994, negotiations between the MLBPA and owners were heating up. In June, the owners decided to withhold $7.8 million to the players pension fund. This did not go over well with the MLBPA. In July, the MLBPA set August 12 as their strike date, in anticipation of the work stoppage. The MLBPA walked off as scheduled, and on August 31, federal mediators attempted to resolve the conflict after hours of negotiations; but, the sides failed to reach an agreement in time to save the 1994 World Series. The strike finally ended on March 31, 1995, when a federal judge supported the National Labor Relations Board complaint against the owners; then, the Second Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision, paving the way for the resumption of major league baseball. As a result the 1995 season started later than usual and was shortened to 144 games.

More recently, the MLBPA initially opposed random steroid testing because the union believed it violated the privacy rights of players. But, after a public outcry for greater steroid testing, the MLBPA warmed to the idea of a stricter drug-testing policy. In 2005, the MLBPA agreed to the current policy, which allows for random testing, and potential 50-game, 100-game, and lifetime suspensions for positive tests.

There has not been a work stoppage since the infamous 1994-1995 strike.

A few more interesting facts, courtesy of the MLBPA: the current CBA is slated to expire on December 31, 2011; the MLBPA requires its members to pay dues of $50 per day for membership during the season; in 2009, the average MLB player salary was just under three million dollars ($2,996,106); the MLB minimum salary in 2009 was $400,000; finally, players with six or more seasons of MLB service, who have not executed a contract for the next season may file for free agency.

For more information on the MLBPA, check out their website at www.mlbplayers.com.

Playoff Experience

As the calendar turns to September, MLB teams may expand their rosters to include up to 40 players. The Mariners, however, will wait to expand their roster, as the players most likely to be called to the big club are currently with the Tacoma Rainiers and are poised to win their division in the Pacific Coast League and enter the playoffs later this month.

Mariner (and former Rainier) manager Darren Brown explains that the Mariners will wait to recall their AAA players until the conclusion of the playoffs, as he believes playing in the AAA playoffs is a valuable experience that will ultimately help the Mariners in the long run.

But, playoff experience, after all, is something the current active Mariner roster lacks. Only a handful of players have appeared in the MLB playoffs:

Ichiro: 2001; 2 series; 10 games; 43 PAs; reached CS.
Chone Figgins: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009; 10 series; 35 games; 135 PAs; won WS.
Casey Kotchman: 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009; 5 series; 11 games; 19 PAs; reached CS.
Russell Branyan: 2001, 2006; 2 series; 6 games; 17 PAs; reached DS.
Josh Bard: 2006; 1 series; 3 games; 9 PAs; reached DS.
Ryan Langerhans: 2005; 1 series; 4 games; 16 PAs; reached DS.
Franklin Gutierrez: 2007; 2 series; 10 games; 34 PAs; reaches CS.
Chris Woodward: 2006; 1 series; 1 game; 1 PA; reached DS.

Of all the players on the active roster right now, only eight have ever experienced the MLB playoff atmosphere. And, in addition to that, only a couple current Mariners have a substantial body of playoff work under their belts.

So, when Darren Brown says the members of the Rainiers will benefit from participating in the AAA playoffs, certainly these Rainier players—future Mariners—will have the rare opportunity to hit and pitch in a playoff atmosphere. And, while these players would likely benefit from having the chance to play at the MLB level, even after playing in the AAA playoffs, they will still have a couple weeks to get their feet wet with the Mariners. The decision to have them play through the playoffs and then join the Mariners is a win-win for these players, who have earned the opportunity to participate in their playoffs.