So after their first 7 games of 2013 (3-4 record)… what do we know about the Seattle Mariners?

- Mike Morse has legit power.  Not quite the guy we all remember trading to the Nationals for Ryan Langerhans.  It’s a welcoming sign!

- Felix Hernandez will go down as the greatest Seattle Mariner pitcher ever.  I never thought Randy Johnson would be eclipsed, but it’s going to happen (if it hasn’t already).

- Spring Training gave us hope for Justin Smoak and Dustin Ackley.  7 games in, the boo birds are ready to go.  I’m definitely “more sad” about Ackley than Smoak.  I thought he would be the Wade Boggs of the Seattle Mariners for the next decade.  Now he looks completely lost and who knows what to do with him…

- Every reliever to date has made at least 3 appearances except for Tom Wilhelmsen (2; both saves).

- Wedge is using his bench and bullpen.  It seemed like Iwakuma pitched twice the first two months in 2012 and Chone Figgins was rotting away doing nothing.  Figgins was so bad they wouldn’t pinch hit him for a sub-.200 hitting Brendan Ryan.  Now the bench is being used and the bullpen has been in full swing.

- Hisashi Iwakuma looks perfect in the #2 spot behind Felix.  I hope it lasts, because thus far, he has been stellar and a great re-signing by the M’s.

- They’ve already suffered a walk-off loss.  Good to get it out of the way and not in August when who knows… maybe they are in the Wild Card chase.  Let’s just hope it doesn’t become a habit. Nothing ruins a baseball fan’s day more than a walk-off loss via a home run.

- Hitting .218 as a team early on. Ranks 26th in MLB. Small sample size but yet, it has been the norm for far too long.  Dustin Ackley’s 1-for-20 helps nothing.

- Morse has 5 bombs but only 8 RBI.  It’d be nice if he was hitting more 3-run shots.  Captain Obvious, I know.  Goal: Set the table!

And now the first homestand is upon us.  Nice to start with the Astros because we can anticipate the Rangers will be spicy and the Tigers lineup is stacked.  Who hits the first “shorter” HR at Safeco Field?  You’ll know the answer because it will be talked about a lot.

I grew up in Seattle, Washington and playing video games is one of my fondest memories. Not just playing any game, but sharing a Nintendo with my brother. If not for sports, I’d say the love of video games is what we could relate to the most while growing up. We had a lot of games combined and therefore we played A LOT. We had Nintendo Power magazine; we were hooked. But I know for a fact there is one game, and one game only, that brought out our sibling rivalry like none other.

Tecmo Super Bowl

This is a game we spent countless hours

mastering. It was the first sports game we owned that was as addicting as it was informative. One of the earliest games to ever get a full Players Union license, there were REAL names and REAL teams for every city and NFL franchise. We studied, we learned, we battled. My brother Rob was patient with me because when I’d lose, I’d hide the cartridge… and sometimes when hiding it, it’d drop or hit a wall and the very sensitive “memory” that would save the progress of your current season (high tech stuff back then) would get erased. But after I’d cry, we would get back to it.

Some 21 years have passed now since I first acquired this masterpiece of a football game and I decided I wanted to put closure to it one last time. I chose a team that definitely was not considered “elite” but had one of the best players in the game: Barry Sanders.

My goals were to have an undefeated season and bring the Super Bowl back to Motown; win with the Detroit Lions.

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Game 1: Lions 65 Redskins 13

Highlights: Barry Sanders only needed 8 carries to rack up 210 rushing yards. If you’ve ever played this game, you understand the dominant back he can be. Rodney Peete also debuts with a solid 265 yards. The Redskins got rolled big time and consider this… this season was designed for 1991, the year the Redskins won the real Super Bowl. They are damn good. Lions: 1-0

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Game 2: Lions 65 Packers 14

Highlights: So Barry Sanders is good… REALLY GOOD. He went off for me in this game with 353 rushing yards on 12 carries. Peete didn’t have much to do but played mistake free. The Packers didn’t have Favre yet when this game was released… and quite frankly, they are one of the worst teams in the game. Lions: 2-0

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Game 3: Lions 38 Dolphins 14

Highlights: I designed my defense solely on the fact that I needed to stop Dan Marino in this one. I did pretty well. The Lions had outstanding field position in this one due to incredible punt returns by Mel Gray. Barry only got the rock 7 times in this one but still hit the 150 mark. Such a stud. Peete fired off another high-percentage/mistake-free game. He may have sucked in real life at the NFL level, but when he’s “GOOD” or “EXCELLENT” health during the game, he can be pretty solid. The Dolphins are no slouch in 1991 but I coasted late to a big win. Lions: 3-0

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Game 4: Lions 65 Colts 9

Highlights: 3 out of my first 4 games I hit exactly 65 points. Throughout time playing Tecmo Super Bowl (TSB), you learn that the game is a lot kinder to you in the early weeks of the season. Not to discredit myself, but 50+ yard runs are a lot easier during this time frame. Jeff George really sucks. Barry was just a yard shy of 250 again; my bad, Barry! Rodney Peete still without an interception. Sitting at 4-0 and having outscored my opposition 233 to 50, I felt I could really make a run at something I was never able to accomplish as a youngster. Lions: 4-0

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Game 5: Lions 56 Buccaneers 14

Highlights: Tampa Bay is pretty bad in TSB but anytime I can score that many times and give the ball back to an offense that only musters 139 total yards… I did something right. Rodney Peete gets to 5-straight INT-free games. Barry Sanders had a very chill game for 159 yards and the NFC is now terrified of my Lions, their witch (me) and their wardrobe. Shoutout to the “Narnia” reference. On to the next one. Lions: 5-0

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Game 6: Lions 38 Vikings 7

Highlights: The score does not show it but the Vikings defense is very stout. This one was close until the fourth quarter when I dropped a 21-spot on them. An 80-yard Sanders TD helped elevate those numbers in the 2^nd half. Rodney Peete was perfect but I don’t think I threw it more than 9-10 times. Herschel Walker sighting! Lions: 6-0

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Game 7: Lions 35 49ers 7

Highlights: I crushed the best team in the game. You simply do not want to play the 49ers. They can do everything at a really high level. Every player is fast. Their defense is suffocating and even their kicker rarely misses from 40+. I took the slow tempo approach to getting the “W” in this one and luckily it worked. Barry didn’t do that much. Peete was solid. A few long drives and a 49ers fumble helped keep this one in my control most of the way. Mel Gray with another solid game of punt returns. Young Chris has problems in this one, old Chris… did well. Lions: 7-0

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Game 8: Lions 42 Cowboys 3

Highlights: This is right when the Cowboys 1990’s dynasty was in its infancy. Emmitt Smith is good but not great and Aikman is a mess. 10 passing yards! I owned him all day in this one. I didn’t exactly light it up on offense but my field position was insane all game. Rodney Peete finally threw his first pick of the 1991 season. It was a helluva stretch. Sometimes I wonder why I don’t just have Barry carry it on every down. Lions: 8-0 (half way to glory!)

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Game 9: Lions 38 Bears 23

Highlights: When Neal Anderson is “EXCELLENT”, you don’t want any of him. He may be relatively unknown in real life but he is a TSB legend. The Bears stink on offense sans him. He was a beast and he torched me for 215 yards on SEVEN carries. I struggled to separate in this one until late. I had a lot of 10 yard gains and thus had 18 1^st Downs (which is high for my style). Lions: 9-0

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Game 10: Lions 42 Buccaneers 19

Highlights: I took down the Bucs 56-14 the first time around with little to no big flare-ups. Gary Anderson was trying to make me lose sleep with huge runs in the first half. My defense came to life and sustained him the second half nicely. I bet he had 18- yards in the first half. I scored 42 points but my offense was struggling. Barry had some huge TD runs. 10 wins in a row! At this point in time, I love Barry Sanders more and more. Lions: 10-0

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Game 11: Lions 62 Rams 6

Highlights: My defense gave me the best field position I have ever had in a TSB game. I was on the better side of the 50 on nearly every “drive”. I scored with ease and at rapid pace; one-play drives. Fun fact: They were still the LOS ANGELES Rams at this time. Cleveland Gary torched me twice. A bad sign that mediocre running backs are taking me deep = a bad omen that games will get more challenging as we come to the end. Lions: 11-0

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Game 12: Lions 35 Vikings 3

Highlights: My defense was INSANE. I didn’t force a single turnover but I think Jerry Ball had 9 sacks in this game alone. 58 total yards on offense… wow. Vikes D is still tough and Barry didn’t ever really erupt in this game. I did well on both sides of the ball. Did I say the game was getting more difficult? Interesting. Lions: 12-0

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Game 13: Lions 35 Bears 23

Highlights: I very easily could have lost this game. I returned a late fumble back for a TD when Anderson could have ended me. An opponent finally outgained me in yards. You’ll learn from this game that stopping the run is harder than the pass. When RB’s are at their best, it’s hard to contain them three straight times. 10 yards isn’t very hard to get. Very pleased to take down the Bears once more. “Unlucky 13″ didn’t get me this time around and we clinched the NFC Central! Lions: 13-0

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Game 14: Lions 28 Jets 14

Highlights: The game is getting hard. The Jets are horrible and this game was open for the taking in the fourth quarter. Rodney Peete was awful. 3 picks was more than double his total on the season. Without Barry saving my backside, this game goes to the J-E-T-S. Thankfully for me the New York run game is probably the worst in TSB. Lions: 14-0

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Game 15: Lions 37 Packers 16

Highlights: Rodney Peete is in total free fall mode. In Game 2 of the season, I crushed Green Bay 65-14. Barry Sanders was the lifeline in this one; 233 rushing yards on 13 carries. The Detroit Lions might have the worst wide receivers in TSB. I’ve waited til now to complain about them, but there are absolutely no playmakers. Sanders and Mel Gray (both RB’s) are the best options. One more to go! Lions: 15-0

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Game 16: Lions 28 Bills 19

Highlights: When I saw this as my next game, I was worried. This game was made in the heyday of Buffalo Bills football (in real life). I had to slow it down and run with Peete a lot in this one. Nobody could get open and Barry had no more than two runs go longer than 15 yards. The key here is not letting them have the ball. Jim Kelly (coined “QB Bills” in this game because he was not on-board with licensing, I guess?) is a menace and Thurman Thomas is one of the best RB’s in video game history (running AND catching the ball). My tempo worked and I got out of this one with a 9-point win. Holy $hit, I did it! Lions: 16-0

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Before We Get To The Playoffs: I wanted to share with you the incredible season (and unrealistic statistics) my best players put up for me! BARRY SANDERS FOR MVP!!! 42 rushing touchdowns (50 total). Siiiiiiiiick.

Rodney Peete: 45 TD via air, 9 via ground. He was a stud when he needed to be.

Jerry Ball: 58 sacks. It can be easy sometimes to be the nose tackle and dive at the QB if they are not in shotgun formation. I mastered the technique despite Ball being pretty bad.

Eddie Murray: Had to give a 97-for-97 PAT kicker some love. Only 5 field goals attempted. I believe the miss hit the right post. Better luck next time, Murray.

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PLAYOFFS:

Round 1: BYE

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Round 2: Lions 28 49ers 21

Highlights: Barry Sanders wasn’t hurt but it sure felt like he was. I got nothing out of the greatest running back that ever lived. Had to do a lot of checkdowns and scrambles with Peete. Luckily he was in “EXCELLENT” mode and was just quick enough to take the edge more often than not on the speedy Niners defense. Playing SF in the regular season is hard enough, but in the playoffs, they are another beast. I had never tried to play at a slower pace in my life. I’m not sure how I did it but I did! Lions roar on. Lions: 17-0.

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Round 3: NFC Championship – Lions 21 Giants 12

Highlights: What an ugly game! I was lucky to find out the Giants were down their best RB but it almost didn’t matter. The defending Super Bowl champions (1990) are a load to handle. Lawrence Taylor is the best defensive player in the game and I’m not sure how the hell I managed to scramble for 100 yards with Peete. Barry Sanders’ slump continued and I was in panic mode late until Peete hit Richard Johnson in the left corner with 2 minutes to go to put me up for good. I also blocked 2 PAT’s in this game. With no 2-point conversion yet established into the NFL, one block alone was HUGE. I have no idea how I won. It was simply brutal. I won the NFC!!! Lions: 18-0

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THE SUPER BOWL: MIAMI DOLPHINS vs DETROIT LIONS

Highlights: A rematch of Game 3 this season. Marino is their rock so I knew I’d have to find a way to stop him. Again, defending the pass is a lot easier than the run. Things got crazy right away. I sacked Marino on the first two plays of the game and then on the third play of the game… I knocked him out for good. You can’t return from injury during a game in TSB; his season was over! Wow.

“X” marked the spot and marked the end of the Dolphins in this one. Despite the Dolphins defense returning two fumbles for touchdowns (that sneaky “difficult” computer brain trying to keep it close), I was in total control and my lifelong dream of running the table in Tecmo Super Bowl became a reality. Lions: 18-0

I will likely never complete an entire season in Tecmo Super Bowl again. I like to think I went out on a high note and for anybody whoever played this game, you can respect that. It was a blast doing this one last time!

I have promised my girlfriend that I will teach her the ways and maybe even a head-to-head matchup or two (she’s really good at Nintendo).

If you made it this far into this epically long blog post. Thank you! Long live video games!

I decided to throw my two cents into the mix on who should win the illustrious awards in Major League Baseball for 2012.  I kind of feel like I went with the general opinion on a lot of these, but when they’re obvious… they’re obvious, right?

Let’s see if you agree…

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2012 American League Manager of the Year

Bob Melvin, Oakland Athletics

Buck Showalter, Baltimore Orioles

My feedback: The two surprise franchises of the American League this season.  The A’s did something right up there with the 1995 Seattle Mariners… an incredible comeback to take the crown.  The fairy tale could send soon but then again, who thought the A’s would even be close to competing this year?  Exactly.  Anything is possible.

My 2012 American League Manager of the Year: Bob Melvin

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2012 National League Manager of the Year

Dusty Baker, Cincinnati Reds

Davey Johnson, Washington Nationals

Mike Matheny, St. Louis Cardinals

My feedback: Baker and Johnson won division championships while Matheny (a manager with zero MLB managerial experience before 2012) gained the wild card for the defending World Series Champion Cardinals.  I feel many believed the Reds would be great, the Cardinals in the mix despite Tony La Russa retiring and the Nationals a year or two away from competing.  The Nats were good all year with not much of a heralded core of hitters, an amazing starting rotation and a bullpen of question marks.

My 2012 National League Manager of the Year: Davey Johnson

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2012 American League Comeback Player of the Year:

Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox: .204 AVG, 41 HR, 96 RBI

Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays: 2-2, 0.60 ERA, 48 saves, 74.2 IP, 76 K

My feedback: Adam Dunn found his power stroke once more but his overall numbers are nothing great.  I don’t think an award should be solely based on one stat and Fernando Rodney has multiple great ones.  48 saves for a non-playoff team?  Nice job.  A 0.60 ERA over a six-month season?  Incredible.  Rodney was downright awful last season with the Angels.  This year?  The best closer in the American League.  Kudos to him.

 My 2012 American League Comeback Player of the Year: Fernando Rodney

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2012 National League Comeback Player of the Year

Kris Medlen, Atlanta Braves: 10-1, 1.57 ERA, 138 IP, 120 K

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: .336 AVG, 24 HR, 103 RBI

David Wright, New York Mets: .306 AVG, 21 HR, 93 RBI, 15 SB

My feedback: This one looked like a runaway when the All-Star Break was upon us.  Wright was on fire at times leading the National League in batting average, but much like his team, he went ice cold in the second half.  Kris Medlen was a reliever and then BOOM… became Atlanta’s number one starter.  An incredible feat and his numbers are bonkers post-break.  He was never deemed the Braves “next big thing” but he managed to look like he was.

However, with all Posey had to do to recover from his injury last year, while playing the most physical position in the game, his story is great and so are his skills.  Posey takes this one.  Not in a landslide over Medlen, but he gets my nod nonetheless.

My 2012 National League Comeback Player of the Year: Buster Posey

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2012 American League Rookie of the Year

My feedback: Mike Trout had a rookie season of this: .326 AVG, 30 HR, 83 RBI, 49 SB.  Case closed.  Most likely the greatest rookie season I’ll see in my lifetime.  It’s insane to think he didn’t join the Halos until the beginning of May.

My 2012 American League Rookie of the Year: Mike Trout

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2012 National League Rookie of the Year

Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals: .270 AVG, 22 HR, 59 RBI

Wade Miley, Arizona Diamondbacks: 16-11, 3.33 ERA, 194.2 IP

Wilin Rosario, Colorado Rockies: .270 AVG, 28 HR, 71 RBI

My feedback: I think a lot of people want Harper to get this award based on the fact that he did this as a rookie while still being a teenager.  Hard to argue that if age was the sole decision maker, however, it’s not.  Therefore Harper’s numbers would look almost identical to Wilin Rosario’s if Harper had gotten a 162 game season in the bigs.  Rosario lived up to the hype for the Rockies but his team was terrible and some purists will always say Colorado air gives an unfair home field advantage to Rockies hitters.

So I feel they cancel each other out and my choice goes to Wade Miley.  The D-backs may have found their ace for the next 5-7 years.  He’s efficient and keeps the ball down; essential to playing in the bandbox that is Chase Field.  I have a feeling Harper will win and that’s perfectly fine, I just feel Miley was more worthy.  Just my opinion.

My 2012 National League Rookie of the Year: Wade Miley

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2012 American League Cy Young Award

Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners: 13-9, 3.06 ERA, 232 IP, 223 K

David Price, Tampa Bay Rays: 20-5, 2.56 ERA, 211 IP, 205 K

Fernando Rodney, Tampa Bay Rays: 2-2, 0.60 ERA, 74.2 IP, 76 K, 48-for-50 SV

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers: 17-8, 2.64 ERA, 238.1 IP, 239 K

Jered Weaver, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 20-5, 2.81 ERA, 188.2 IP, 142 K

My feedback: This by far is the hardest one for me to predict.  I learned with Felix’s Cy Young Award in 2010, wins may not matter ever again for this award.  I love The King but his numbers are just a tad off for candidacy.  They won’t give it to a reliever with depth like this.  So that leaves Price, Verlander, Weaver.  Price and Weaver hit 20 wins but neither reached the postseason.  Verlander trumps them both in innings pitched and strikeouts.  Price beats Verlander by a little in ERA.

Of the three, I feel Justin Verlander is the one I would want to start a one-game playoff for me.  I’ve seen enough of Weaver (Mariners accounted for 3 of his 5 losses this season; weird!) and I feel like I have never seen David Price other than when the Rays make the postseason.  Plus, I’m rooting for the Tigers.  The “homer” in me says JV.

My 2012 American League Cy Young Award Winner: Justin Verlander

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2012 National League Cy Young Award

Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds: 19-9, 2.78 ERA, 217 IP, 170 K

R.A. Dickey, New York Mets: 20-6, 2.73 ERA, 233.2 IP, 230 K

Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals: 21-8, 2.89 ERA, 199.1 IP, 207 K

Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves: 3-1, 1.01 ERA, 62.2 IP, 116 K, 42-for-45 SV

My feedback: Dickey led the league in complete games, innings pitched and strikeouts, finished second in ERA and wins and third in WHIP.  That overall body of work is incredibly impressive.  Of the four I listed, he’s the only one who did not go to the postseason but his performance was like Felix in 2010: dominant yet on one of the worst teams in baseball.  The fact that Dickey could reach 20 wins with how awful the Mets were in the second half is quite shocking.

Kimbrel is the nastiest closer in the game.  He struckout almost half the batters he saw in 2012.  I just can’t give the award to a reliever.  Kimbrel and Rodney were the best closers in 2012 but I leave them empty handed in 2012.  I’m going with the old man, the knuckleballer, the ex-Mariner… Robert Allen Dickey.

My 2012 NL Cy Young Award Winner: R.A. Dickey

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2012 American League MVP Winner

Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers: .321 AVG, 36 HR, 102 RBI

Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: .330 AVG, 44 HR, 139 RBI

Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: .326 AVG, 30 HR, 83 RBI, 49 SB

My feedback: Mike Trout likely had the greatest rookie campaign of all-time.  Miguel Cabrera is the first Triple Crown Winner since 1967. How the heck are we suppose to pick this one?  One guy reached the postseason and the other did not.  One led the league in three huge categories, the other did not.

It’s scary to think what Trout’s numbers would have been had he played a full season (called up in May). But for the simple fact that Miguel Cabrera did it from April to the beginning of October, he’s my MVP.  Congrats Miguel, you deserve way more coverage from the national media.

My 2012 American League MVP Winner: Miguel Cabrera

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2012 National League MVP Winner

Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers: .319 AVG, 41 HR, 112 RBI

Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates: .327 AVG, 31 HR, 96 RBI

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: .336 AVG, 24 HR, 103 RBI

My feedback: Braun led the National League in home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage and OPS, finished second in RBI and third in batting average.  Posey, the National League batting champion, was second in OPS, third in slugging percentage and sixth in RBI. Braun had 8 more home runs than last season’s MVP season (one more RBI).

Unfortunately for him, I think his “failed” drug test and overturned suspension cloud him.  If he’s clean, he’s clean… but voters out there might feel he got away with something.  Therefore, go for the “clean”, batting champ, and playoff-bound Posey will be the way they vote.  I think Posey deserves it regardless.  McCutchen could be a stud for years but playing in Pittsburgh will forever hamper his exposure, which is very sad.

My 2012 National League MVP Winner: Buster Posey

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So there you have it!  We’ll see how many of these I get right.  Like I said though, many of these choices seem to be the consensus amongst many.  I’m sad to see the baseball season come to an end, but I’m also already looking forward to the offseason and all of the trades and free agent signings.

Plus, maybe the 2013 Mariners take another big step and make a Wild Card run.  Ya never know…

For a good portion of the 2012 season I was still working for the local TV station that airs Seattle Mariner baseball.  Even on off days, I would request company tickets and attend a game as a fan.  Yes, even on days off… I chose to watch baseball.  It’s a sickness, but a good sickness.  What can I say, I love the game.

After I left the company in mid-August, my love for the game of baseball did not stop.  I ended up making it to seven Mariner home games this year and wanted to share with you on how I fared as a fan; it wasn’t pretty until the very end.

Play ball!

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Game #1 (0-0)

Tuesday April 17 vs Indians (Lost 9-8) — Mariners Record: 6-6

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320417112

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Game #2 (0-1)

Saturday April 21 vs White Sox (Lost 4-0 = Perfect Game) — Mariners Record: 7-9

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320421112

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Game #3 (0-2)

Tuesday May 8 vs Tigers (Lost 6-4) — Mariners Record: 14-18

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320508112

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Game #4 (0-3)

Friday August 31 vs LA Angels (Lost 9-1) — Mariners Record: 64-69

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320831112

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Game #5 (0-4)

Friday September 7 vs Athletics (Lost 6-1) — Mariners Record: 67-72

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320907112

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Game #6 (0-5)

Monday September 17 vs Orioles (Lost 10-4) — Mariners Record: 70-78

Note: Got my first ever foul ball at this game!  Off the bat of John Jaso in the 2nd inning.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320917112

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Game #7 (0-6)

Tuesday October 2 vs LA Angels (Won 6-1) — Mariners Record: 74-87

http://espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=321002112

My 2012 Season W-L record as a fan: 1-6

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Days of Week:

On Mondays: 0-1

On Tuesdays: 1-2

On Wednesdays: N/A

On Thursdays: N/A

On Fridays: 0-2

On Saturdays: 0-1 (Perfect Game)

On Sundays: N/A

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 Versus American League Divisions:

Vs A.L. West: 1-2

Vs A.L. Central: 0-3

Vs A.L. East: 0-1

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Fellow Attendees:

With Girlfriend: 1-4

With Brother: 0-3

With Dad: 0-2

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Mariners Starters:

Iwakuma Starts: 1-0

Millwood Starts: 0-3

Beavan Starts: 0-1

Hernandez Starts: 0-1

Noesi Starts: 0-1

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 Mariners Home Runs During 7 Games I Saw:

Game #1: John Jaso first career Mariner long ball

Game #6: Michael Saunders #16, Eric Thames #8 and John Jaso #9

Game #7: Kyle Seager #20 (career-high)

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Mariners Pitchers Strikeouts During 7 Games I Saw:

9, 7, 8, 8, 7, 6, 12 = 57 times (8.14 per game average)

Mariners Punched Out During 7 Games I Saw:

9, 9, 8, 4, 10, 7, 9 = 56 times (8.0 per game average)

I’m in search of some new guy friends. I’m a heterosexual male, so if you’re thinking about it in that way… look elsewhere. Are you a late 20 to early 30′s male who just wants a new bro to hangout with and pound some beers and watch sports with? Maybe we can make this pop off.

You probably live in Western Washington. So by proximity, you’ll love the Mariners, Seahawks and Washington Huskies. I’m gung-ho about the first two, but can’t look past the last. So… we’ll just avoid college athletics. Pro it is. Yay pro!

You need to know the Seattle teams. No botched names. Preferably you would know where they came from (i.e. draft, trade, Japan, etc.). Not critical, but please don’t ask “is Felix Hernandez royalty in his homeland or something?”

I like Coors Light. You don’t have to like it too… but please refrain from calling me a pussy. It’s just how I roll. I don’t eat a lot.  So when you order a pizza, you won’t have to worry about me being the friend that says, “I only have five bucks” and then eats half the pizza, half the breadsticks and spills the two-liter of Pepsi on your floor.  Followed by a horrible attempt at cleaning it up with only paper towels. Don’t cut corners, you know that sh*t needs some soap.

No “I’ll get you back’s”.  If you owe money, pay it in a timely manner.  Don’t take advantage of Bro Courtesy.

I don’t currently have a living room… so the first few months we may need to do games at your pad. Spot me til February and the rotation can begin.  I’ll buy snacks each time to make up for this.

I have a girlfriend but she doesn’t smother me.  She’s actually pretty awesome.  Hell, she’s a season ticket holder.  She has me trumped there.  She’s not crazy.  She won’t text me throughout the game.  She may even bake me a baked good to bring over.  Wizard in the kitchen she is!

Speaking of texting… this one is crucial.  If we are hanging out watching a game, let’s WATCH THE GAME. I don’t care if you have ADD, or if you need a 40+ yard field goal from Mason Crosby to take the lead in your Fantasy Football league.  Wait for commercial. Take care of it at halftime.  But for the love of God, put down your phone and let’s enjoy the game.  You can be an e-pimp after the game ends.

If this sounds like something worthwhile to you… then let me be the first to say, “hello my new friend!” I can’t wait to meet you and enjoy brats and touchdowns.

Sincerely,
Your Best Friend That You Haven’t Met Yet

I was doing some number-crunching and the last time the Boston Red Sox completed a season under .500? 1997 – when they went 78-84.

I remember in the mid 90’s it seemed like a lot of ex-Mariners were Red Sox or vice versa.  It kind of reminds me of the current Cleveland Indians (seem like ALL ex-Mariners/farmhands).

So it was time to look back at the 1996 Red Sox specifically.  Why 1996?  The year after they made the playoffs and the year the M’s stole Jamie Moyer away.  There were some interesting names:

1. Jamie Moyer
2. Darren Bragg
3. Reggie Jefferson
4. Heathcliff Slocumb
5. Lee Tinsley
6. Bill Haselman
7. Kevin Mitchell
8. Jeff Manto
9. Arquimedez Pozo
10. Greg Pirkl
11. Aaron Sele
12. Mike Maddux
13. Eric Gunderson
14. Brett Knackert

All of these players spent time with the Mariners.  How so?  Here we go:

• Darren Bragg was traded for Moyer in 1996, so that makes sense.  What a deal!

• Reggie Jefferson had an excellent year for the Red Sox in 1996.  We had acquired him three years prior along with Felix Fermin and gave up some guy named Omar Vizquel.

• Heathcliff Slocumb cost the Mariners Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek.  Many say this was the worst trade in franchise history.  It was bad, yes, in the long run… but at the time, the Mariners felt both were expendable.

• Jason Varitek was 25 years old and it was foreseeable that he would be blocked by Dan Wilson for at least 5 more years.  He was hitting .254 with 15 HR and 48 RBI in 87 games with Tacoma (AAA) at the time of the deal.  He did not become a regular for Boston until he was the age of 27.

• Derek Lowe (age 24) 1997 w/ SEA: 12 games, 9 starts, 2-4, 6.96 ERA, 11 HR in 53.0 IP.  1997 with Triple-A Tacoma: 10 games, 9 starts, 3-4, 3.45 ERA.  One could say the Mariners had a fringe starting prospect at the time. Obviously he turned into a dominant reliever and starter post-Seattle life.  It happens.

• Lee Tinsley was the 11th overall pick in 1987 by the A’s.  He hit .181 in 397 at bats in his age 20 season at A ball.  That’s what you call a failed prospect.  The A’s traded him to Cleveland for Brook Jacoby and then the Mariners selected him off of waivers in 1992.  He would play 11 games for the Mariners in 1993 and then in 1994 was sent to Boston for minor league pitcher Jim Smith who must have retired after that because I see no numbers for him in the minor league Seattle organization.

Tinsley would be traded to Philadelphia (from Boston) in 1996 in a 6-player deal… one of those 6 players was Heathcliff Slocumb.  Who by the way, at the time he was acquired by Seattle in 1997, had an ERA of 5.79 and a WHIP of 1.97.

I can’t remember uproar because I think we were all still high off of 1995, but can you imagine the backlash of such a trade today?

• 12 picks after Tinsley, the Rangers selected catcher Bill Haselman.  He struggled in the Rangers minors and the Mariners selected him off of waivers to which he promptly had an OPS over 1.100 in 163 at-bats in 1994 in Triple-A Calgary (yep, before Tacoma).  My brother and I actually went to his autograph signing at a bank in Bellevue (Eastgate to be exact).  Kinda random, but I remember it.  However his Mariners stardom wasn’t meant to be.  He became a free agent and signed with the Red Sox. In 1997 he and Aaron Sele would be traded to the Rangers.

• Maybe the most unlikely MVP of all time, Kevin Mitchell (1989) Mitchell played 1 season (1992) in Seattle.  He cost us Mike Jackson, Dave Burba and Bill Swift, and when we traded him to the Reds a year later, we got Norm Charlton.

• There’s not much to say about Arquimedez Pozo other than we traded him for Jeff Manto.

• Greg Pirkl was Seattle’s 2nd round pick in 1988.  He hit 6 homers for the Mariners in 1994 in 53 at-bats.  That’s something. Never hit a bomb with Boston!  Take that, New England!

He had 134 minor league home runs in the Seattle organization.  1994 (AAA): 24 HR in 87 games    1995 (AAA): 15 HR in 47 games   1996 (AAA): 21 HR in 88 games — could not stay healthy?  Sad.

He finished his career *pitching* in A-Ball for the Indians.

• Aaron Sele from Kitsap and Washington State University pitched here for two years including 2001 of course.  The truth is… he wasn’t much of a pitcher.  But he did go 15-5 in 2001.  So good for him.  It seems like he pitched here for a long time, but really it was just those two years and otherwise he was about as average as it gets, if not below.

• Mike Maddux pitched 10.1 innings for the M’s in 1997.  He gave up 12 runs, 20 hits, and 8 walks.  You might know him now as the “great” Texas Rangers pitching coach.  Or for being the brother of one of the greatest of all time, Greg Maddux.

• Eric Gunderson (not pictured) was nearly as bad in his 9.1 innings for the M’s in 1992.  (12 runs, only 9 earned though!)  He was twice in the M’s organization.

• Brett Knackert (not pictured) was also very bad.

So there you have it… the last time the Boston Red Sox stunk up the joint they had a few ex-Mariners and soon to be Mariners.  Baseball is a funny game.  It’s as if all the organizations are all eskimo brothers.

For the record, I’m glad the Red Sox and Yankees are no longer the “elite” in MLB.  So very happy.

If you only read one thing that I ever write, please let it be this “real life” post.  It’s from my heart and something that means so much to me that I truly cannot pen all of my emotions. This is my story of a serious, life-altering, scary, unique portion of my life in 1991.

“Through Baseball Comes Survival”

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Many things in life we feel we have control over. We can prepare, practice, and do repetitive things over and over in anticipation. But for some things, to use a sports analogy, the ball is taken from you on the mound and the remaining innings are out of your control. Life has an interesting even flow to it. Some people get dealt a great hand and some have what seems like never-ending bad luck. But it’s when adversity strikes and you bounce back with a resounding effort to turn the tables in your direction, when you can really appreciate something for what it is.

I will always remember the date of August 29th for one main reason: Survival.

This may come as a shock to some of you that read this, but I am a childhood cancer survivor. It was on this date in 1991, that I had the life-changing procedure to remove a grapefruit sized tumor from my body. This day reminds me of all the things I have been blessed with in life.

I was diagnosed in April 1991 with a malignant Ewing’s Sarcoma tumor located near my spine. At the time, I was 7 years old with no idea of what cancer was. I was under the idea that “I’m sick and Children’s Hospital is going to make me better.” I was just getting ready for my 2nd year of T-ball. First grade was ending. All I wanted to do was play Super Mario Bros. 3. I’ll never forget how people looked at me as if I was going to die.

I was in and out of Children’s Hospital in Seattle for a year and a half. My first surgical procedure happened within days of being diagnosed. The doctors wanted to take a biopsy to see how to combat the disease; I was in for a very bumpy ride that summer.

1st Grade T-Ball – About 5 weeks before I was diagnosed

I went through one year of chemotherapy (pre and post-op). I had 3 months of radiation therapy following my August 1991 surgery. I went through 6 different surgeries, including the tumor biopsy, the removal of the tumor, attempting to fuse 6 vertebrae on my spine, putting in/removing the chemotherapy “access line” in my chest, and the last surgery that ultimately structured my severely weakened spinal chord area with metal rods. Only 4 of the 6 vertebrae fused correctly, one of the reasons why I still have a 6-inch steel rod in my back today.

At that tender age, grasping a sickness such as cancer was unfathomable. The mind doesn’t understand or process that magnitude. I was told I was sick but what did that mean? Go home in a few days? No, unfortunately not. But there was one key thing that got me through the countless hours of being too weak to do anything except lay in bed. That one thing? Baseball.

Ken Griffey Jr. burst onto the scene in 1989 for the Seattle Mariners, so by the time the 1991 season rolled around in April (when I was diagnosed), baseball is all I could think of. Being a child in Seattle in the early 90’s, you cherished Griffey as more than an idol, he was simply a way of life. I wanted to be outside playing wiffle ball in the backyard with my brother and my big red “fat bat”.

From what I can remember, when the M’s were on TV, that’s what was on at my house. It was cartoons from 3 to 4 PM and baseball was on sometime after that. Not all the M’s games were on TV back then so you had to savor them. However, there was this special and exciting team that seemed to be on everyday and was the perfect lead-up to a Mariners game: the Atlanta Braves. TBS would carry what seemed like every game at the time and I soaked it up like a sponge. Guys like David Justice, Ron Gant, and Terry Pendleton were close seconds to Junior, Alvin Davis, and Randy Johnson. The “Tomahawk Chop” was becoming the big thing at Atlanta Fulton County Stadium; I lived for it.I can remember lying in my bed and being ravaged from the chemotherapy when the Braves played the Twins in the 1991 World Series. I can remember Kirby Puckett hitting a HR to win Game 6 like it was yesterday. I’ll never know how I managed to stay awake for long periods of time during that whole ordeal, but something inside me knew “if baseball is on, you ain’t missing it”. The Braves lost that World Series but they gave me something to believe in, something to fight for, something to come back for next season. Baseball kept me going.

Friends and family members would come to see me in the hospital. I’m sure it was a very hard thing for them to see. Many would bring gifts. Some would be coloring books, or sticker albums, things that would help “take my mind off of being sick”. But there was one thing that I loved more than anything at that time: opening wax packs of baseball cards.

They’d come by the boxful; one after another. A baseball card collector’s dream come true. I’m pretty sure I had the entire Topps 1991 set 10-times over. I would sort them by team, then by name (A-Z) and ultimately that became my source of literature. To this day, I know for a fact that baseball cards are a reason I have such a good memory when it comes to sports statistics.

There are so many stories and so many people that had an impact on everything I went through… it’s tough to really start in one area.

I’ll never forget Dr. Conrad at Seattle Children’s Hospital who performed my surgeries and helped assure my family that I was in the best hands possible.

I will never forget a summer car wash sponsored in my honor in Kenmore, WA to help raise money for my doctor bills when I had used up all of my dad’s insurance coverage.

I will never forget Ms. Goldaide’s 6th grade classroom at my elementary school that raised money to buy me a new Nintendo when they found out mine was breaking down.

I’ll never forget Janis Blair. I was too sick to go to school and was home schooled for all of 2nd grade. Her understanding, kindness, and warm nature will always stick with me.

I will never forget the other sick kids I lived with at CHMC. Some made it like I did, and sadly, others did not. It’s a dreamlike feeling at 7/8 years old, finding out a kid that had a bed 15-feet away from you the night before, had died overnight. These were mind-blowing experiences. Experiences that in a way, mentally, made me grow up quickly; a lot quicker than most.

I wish I could go back and thank every person that had an impact on my survival. The doctors, the nurses, the charity workers, and anybody related to Children’s Hospital.

Mariners 1st Baseman Pete O’Brien and I – Summer 1991

The friends of the family: their support, thoughts, prayers, and gifts, helped in more ways than they will ever know. My family was my heart and soul.

I was announced cancer-free in 1993. At times I have dodged discussing my battle with cancer. Many of my friends, co-workers, classmates, etc. throughout the years had no idea I was ever sick and/or the severity of what it was. It’s not something I have been ashamed of, but at the same token, it’s not something I have wanted to sit around and have a discussion of “all about me”.

But on this date, I feel I can tell the world and have no real doubts about it. Cancer did not beat me, I beat it. I am thankful for everyday that I am here. I was given a second chance. That’s something I live by and am reminded of all the time.

As the late great Coach Jim Valvano said just months before cancer took his life: “Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever.”

Thanks for letting me be who I am and sharing this special day of survival with you.

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(After you’ve read the story above, continue on to my new commentary below.  Thanks! – Chris)

My 8/29/2011 Thoughts:

20 years ago today, my malignant Ewing’s Sarcoma tumor was removed from my 8-year-old body.

The stats were against me.  The stats said I shouldn’t make it.  The stats said I wasn’t long for this world.  But you know what, the stats were wrong.

The cancer that almost ended me fell short of its goal.  It did not defeat me… I defeated it.  Every single August 29^th since then, this day has marked an anniversary for me.  An anniversary that reminds me that I’m here.  An anniversary of the pain I went through.  An anniversary of the worst thing that ever happened to me, being vanquished from my body.

When I reflect back upon what I had to go through, it numbs me.  I can and will still shed a tear when I look at certain pictures for more than a few seconds.  I’m lucky to be alive.  I’m blessed.  “You gotta swim, swim for your life, swim for the music that saves you.  When you’re not so sure you’ll survive, you gotta swim, and swim when it hurts.  The whole world is watching, you haven’t come this far to fall off the Earth.”

I’m still here for a reason.  Whether you contribute my survival to science, divine intervention, or luck, that’s totally up to you, and labeling a “reason” shouldn’t matter on a day like this.  A day like this should be about the big picture; life as a whole.  Don’t take things for granted.  Life is so precious and we have only one chance of blazing a trail and leaving our impact on other lives and society.  I want to help.  I want to impact lives.  I want my story to inspire people to never ever quit.

In order for me to understand all my emotions from being a childhood cancer survivor, I had to go about finding inner-peace. I learned that you can’t live in the past and that it can be really tough sometimes to keep living and fighting, but it will get better.  You will find the light from within the dark.  The scars are just scars and yes, that it’s time to move on.

Not everybody can be saved by shear willpower, but if you let a disease take over your mind, you’ve lost the good fight.  You must be strong, you must believe, you must fight back.  Life throws us curveballs.  We’ll foul off some, we’ll watch some whiz by, and some of them we’ll put into play.  Timing is everything.  But with the time we have, make the most of it.

If you have gotten this far, I appreciate your time and support. It took me quite awhile to be able to “put myself out there” with my story.  Who knows, maybe I learn how to draw and turn this all into a children’s book for childhood cancer patients.

If this is your first read, thank you.  I hope you can find some encouraging things from it.  If you know somebody with cancer, please forward this posting along to him or her.  If I can provide even the smallest amount of encouragement or strength, then writing this has paid an amazing and humbling dividend.

20 years ago today my cancerous tumor was removed and not a day goes by without the ramifications of it impacting me.  I hurt, I’m limited, I’ll have some roads to cross in the years to come.  But at the end of the day, I’m here with all of you, blazing my trail and that’s what matters.

I’m a survivor.

Thank you for letting me be me and God Bless all of you.

Sincerely,

Christopher M. Boyd

Wow!  Felix Hernandez was already an elite pitcher in professional baseball when he woke up today… but today, I’ve never seen better.  It was unbelievable!!!  He is a big-game pitcher with amazing stuff and he continued to baffle the Rays from the words “play ball!”

It is the first perfect game thrown by a Seattle Mariners pitcher; the 4th no-hitter in club history.  I remember when Felix got really close in Boston in 2007 (Daisuke Matsuzaka’s US debut).  That ended up being his only 1-hitter to date.  I remember thinking “he’ll get a no-no someday soon”.  The nearly 5 1/2 year wait is finally over.  We finally got to see The King get his no-hitter… with a cherry on top.

Despite the the recent trend over the last couple of seasons, perfect games are not easy!  There’s a reason this is *only* the 23rd game of its nature.  My mind is numb.  My fandom is going bonkers!

Felix Hernandez’s perfect game marked the first time in MLB history that three perfect games have been tossed in the same season. The Mariners are the first team to have a perfect game against them, and then for them in the same season.

This was the third time in four seasons the Rays had a perfect game pitched against them, following efforts by Dallas Braden (OAK) in 2010 and Mark Buehrle (CHW) in 2009.  You can’t make this stuff up.  Baseball is a game of numbers and that may sometimes turn fans off, but for a stat geek like me, it’s the sh*t!

The only thing missing from today is Dave Niehaus getting to call this one.  I have a strong feeling Dave is smiling down on Seattle today.  Reaching the World Series is one thing he wanted more than anything else for this franchise but a perfect game had to be high up there as well.  We’ll get there one day, Dave.  I also know my Nana is cheering her heart out somewhere right now too.  I wish you were here, Nana… we would be sharing a tear or two over this amazing accomplishment right now.

What an incredible day!  So proud of Felix, so proud for the only team I have ever loved.  We’ve had more bad than good over the last few seasons, but special things like this bring it all into focus.  We love this game no matter what.  We care, we watch, we cheer.  On this day, as a member of Mariners Nation, this one is for us!  This is for us to celebrate and we shall.

King Felix, this city is forever yours.

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More No-Hitter Facts:

29 of the 30 active MLB franchises have thrown at least one no-hitter, with only the San Diego Padres without one.

As of Felix Hernandez’s perfect game on August 15, 2012, there have been 256 official no-hitters in the history of the American and National Leagues. 23 of them have been perfect games and two have come in the postseason (including one perfect game).

Until MLB recently decided to shift the Astros to the American League and therefore have 15 teams in each league (and year-round Interleague Play), I would offer think about where the league would expand to next. I figured two A.L. teams would eventually be added… but which two markets would gobble them up? In an ideal world for the Seattle Mariners? The west coast.

I was hoping for Vancouver, BC and Las Vegas. Portland just doesn’t seem to care anymore considering they let their Triple-A franchise bounce in favor of the MLS and never created a plan for a new stadium. There is NO baseball in Portland, OR. That’s pretty ridiculous if you ask me considering how Oregon and Oregon State are now baseball powerhouses on the collegiate level.

Anyhow, I went back through some old notes from myself and an old colleague and stumbled upon the last time MLB did an Expansion Draft. Here are some cool nuggets and familiar names you may notice.

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1997 Expansion for Tampa Bay and Arizona:

1st Pick: Tampa Bay selected LHP Tony Saunders from Florida. Interesting since Florida was an expansion team last time around. Saunders pitched in 62 major league games for a 4.56 ERA.

2nd Pick: Arizona selected LHP Brian Anderson from Cleveland. He would pitch for Arizona for 5 seasons and go 41-42 with a 4.52 ERA.

3rd Pick: Jeff Suppan went to Arizona. He pitched there for part of the next season before being purchased by Kansas City. The D-Backs got to go second and third because having the first was so much cooler.

4th Pick: Tampa selected Quinton McCracken. Interesting since he probably had his most success with Arizona.

6th Pick: Tampa selected Bobby Abreu. But I guess he wasn’t good enough because they promptly turned around and traded him to Philadelphia for Kevin Stocker.  As you know, Abreu went on to have a solid MLB career.

9th Pick: The D-Backs took outfielder Karim Garcia. Doesn’t seem all that interesting until you consider that they would trade him the next year to Detroit… for Luis Gonzalez.

13th Pick: Cory Lidle to the D-Backs, who would promptly get selected off waivers by… the Devil Rays. He would later be part of a large 3-team, 7-player deal between TB, Oakland, and Kansas City that moved a bunch of names around, including Johnny Damon.

16th Pick: Dmitri Young was selected by the Devil Rays. Interestingly enough how it went down was that the Cardinals traded Young (the 4th overall pick in 1990) to the Reds on November 10th. On the day of the draft, November 18th, the Rays selected Young, and then promptly traded him back to the Reds to complete an earlier deal in which the Reds traded pitcher Mike Kelly to the Rays.

The first Mariner selected was Andy Sheets (24th pick) by the Rays who traded him that same day to San Diego.

David Dellucci was selected with the 45th pick by the Diamondbacks and would lead the majors in triples (12) in that first expansion season.

Jose Paniagua was taken 50th pick by the Rays. The Mariners would pick him off waivers the following March before he became an interesting prospect and then later a part of the Jeff Cirillo deal.

Bob Wolcott was taken 53rd overall by the Diamondbacks. He’ll be remembered for his crazy high jump when the Mariners won the ALDS vs the Yankees in Game 5.  And for starting Game 1 vs Cleveland in the ALCS that same season.

Notable name Joe Randa was taken 57th by the Diamondbacks and quickly traded to Detroit for Travis Fryman.

Right after Randa, Randy Winn was selected by Tampa at 58th from the Marlins. Later “acquired” by my beloved Mariners for Lou Piniella.

I love the game of baseball; I always will. I also love where I grewup and naturally relate to those things and people around me that are also from my hometown/region. I remember hearing about this next story I’m about to share back when it happened… but I never got around to doing much “research” about John Leroy. After I did, my heart sank.

I graduated from Sammamish High School in Bellevue, WA. The Sammamish Totems baseball program has been one of the bigger doormats in high level Washington State Athletics. Such powerhouse high school teams such as Interlake, Newport, Mercer Island (and later Issaquah and Skyline HS) shared the conference with the Totems. They were beaten around high and low year after year. To date, SHS has never reached the state playoffs at any level.

As a baseball fan, enthusiast, and lover of the game… I will root for my alma mater to one day reach this pinnacle. But for now, we can celebrate that we had a former Totem drafted out of high school and reach the show.

(Note – ***There may have been a Totem that went to college and then was drafted and reached the bigs… but for this piece, we are saying no college players.***)

John Leroy was a Totem and made his major league debut with the Atlanta Braves. Leroy began his playing career in 1993 with the Braves organization after being selected in the 15th round of the 1993 June MLB draft. The Bellevue, WA native moved through the Braves farm system quickly, reaching Double-A Greenville at the age of 21 in 1996, where he posted a 2.98 ERA in eight games.

Unfortunately, this is where the story becomes one of the sadder baseball stories you’ll find.

Leroy was a September call-up for the Braves. With the score 6-6, Leroy came in to pitch the 9th and 10th innings of a game versus the Mets at now-gone Shea Stadium. The Braves scored in extras and it made a winner out of Leroy.

Leroy sadly had issues with blood clots in his pitching arm and never appeared in the show again.

Following the 1998 season, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays selected Leroy in the MLB Expansion draft. Soon thereafter, he experienced his first blood clot in his pitching arm.

In May of 1999, Leroy left the Devil Rays organization to rehabilitate his arm. He began his comeback in 2000 with the New Jersey Jackals in the Northern League East, where his performance convinced the Cincinnati Reds to purchase his contract and give him a late-season trial at Class AA Chattanooga.

After one outing in Independent ball, Leroy developed muscular pain. Pitching through pain, he made one more appearance but complained of numbness in his pitching arm. After visiting a circulation specialist, Leroy felt comfortable and chose to have corrective surgery performed in Sioux City. From doctors’ reports, Leroy was expected to return to the team in a month.

On Friday June 22nd, Leroy experienced what was believed to be a fatal aneurysm. An aneurysm occurs when a weakness in a vessel or artery causes a rupture, which leads to bleeding. Aneurysms are spontaneous events which occur without prior notice. His aneurysm was completely unrelated to his previous circulatory condition.

On June 25, 2001, at the age of 26, John Leroy passed away.

Your heart goes out to his family and friends. He was survived by his wife, (at the time) two young children and his parents. John won the only game he ever pitched in major league baseball. He will forever be a winner. He will forever be 1-0. He will forever be the Sammamish Totem that made it to the show.

I hate learning of stories like this, but if just one person reads this blog posting and it reminds them to be appreciative of everything they have been given… then my mission has been accomplished.

Thank you, John. RIP.