Seattle Mariners Fan

Posts Tagged ‘third’

Tribe looking for consistency at third base

August 21st, 2010 |

Author: admin

Tribe looking for consistency at third base
Tribe looking for consistency at third base

Red Sox 8, Mariners 6, 13 innings: M’s strand winning run at third, lose the game

July 23rd, 2010 |

Author: admin

What no-hitter are you talking about? Four outs away? Can’t remember that one. John Lackey quickly became a footnote in this game despite throwing eight innings of two-hit ball and giving his team a 6-1 lead to take into the ninth.

But hey, the M’s were due something in this long, terrible season and they got it in that historic ninth-inning rally to tie the score. And for one night at least, they had their seventh game of the World Series. Actually, they had one inning of it, in that ninth, when they scored five times to tie the game.

But then, the Mariners struck, the way they normally do.

Here’s something else for Mariners to “see” besides Smoak and Saunders in 2nd half: Chone Figgins at third base

July 20th, 2010 |

Author: admin

Don’t miss my Talkin’ Baseball segment on KJR AM 950, coming up about 8:35 a.m.

We’ve all talked a lot about how the Mariners need to “see” what Justin Smoak and Michael Saunders can do in what amounts to an otherwise meaningless second half in which the team will attempt to avoid 100 losses.

Here’s what I want to see: Chone Figgins back at third base where he belongs.

If the team wants to wait another 11 days, then I understand. The Detroit Tigers need a third baseman after Brandon Inge broke his hand last night. The Philadelphia Phillies might not be able to afford to wait for Chase Utley to return and could also get a new third baseman, then eventually slide Placido Polanco back over to second in the interim.

In other words, both places are still possible trade destinations for Jose Lopez.

So, if the team wants to keep Lopez at third for now, I understand. But after the deadline? Why not move him back to second base?

I want to figure out what the heck has gone wrong with Figgins this season.

After a decent month of June, his on-base percentage is back down to .304 in July and he’s also hitting just .217 this month.

His fielding at second, while adequate at times, has looked downright out of place at other times. For all the grief we’ve given Figgins in this space, much of it deserved, I will give him credit for attempting to help the team out by switching positions and moving to No. 2 in the batting order without a fuss.

Plenty of guys would be popping off right about now on both those subjects if they were putting up the numbers Figgins has at the plate so far. But Figgins, to his credit, hasn’t even broached the subject. So, I will do it for him.

This was a nice, well-intentioned little experiment back in spring training. And now, it has got to end.