OAKLAND -- Ken Griffey Jr.'s triumphant return to Seattle doesn't have the happy ending the Mariners and their fans might have hoped, but it also hasn't been the failure that his .218 average might imply.
The Mariners had their eyes wide open when they entered into this deal with the 39-year-old Griffey, fully aware of the limitations he might have on the field. They hoped that even if he wasn't producing in the batter's box, he would do so in the clubhouse.
Griffey, who has been hobbled by sore knees all season, said the Mariners talked to him in the offseason about his off-field role, and he was OK with it.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the Roto Rush is your double espresso shot of fantasy baseball advice every weekday.
The team might not win a lot of games, but it sure is fun watching the Washington Nationals hit.
In yesterday's 8-3 win against Milwaukee, the Nationals received dingers from Christian Guzman, Adam Dunn, and Ryan Zimmerman. The round-tripper was Guzman's fifth of the year. Seeing Dunn and Zimmerman display some power is nothing new for Nationals fans; in fact, the pair has hit homers in the same game four times in August and the seventh time this season. The round-tripper was Guzman's fifth of the year.
SEATTLE -- Adrian Beltre is considered a sparkling defensive third baseman, possessing great range, soft hands and a cannon for throwing arm. The veteran Mariner might have been too confident in his fielding abilities and it could cost him a month or even the rest of the season.
On Thursday, Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu, shaking his head in bewilderment, announced Beltre would be placed on the disabled list with a torn right testicle and was even more stunned when told that Beltre does not wear an athletic supporter, better known as a cup that protects the groin area.
Ichiro Suzuki extended his hitting streak to 24 games tonight, so I thought "hey, maybe I should do a Mariners Dugout" and went to their homepage. I was greeted by images of the Mariners pointing at me, announcing that they want ME to vote "Mariners" in the 2009 All-Star Game. Always one to please, I opened up my ballot, wrote "Mariners" in for second base, and submitted it.
To save you the unnecessary confrontation of that, tonight's late night Dugout includes everything you need to know about the Seattle Mariners going into the All-Star Game: Ichiro is good at hitting, Ken Griffey Jr. plays there, and Jay Buhner is retired. I think?
Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in Baseball Brunch.
When Willy Aybar's home run Thursday in Cleveland was upheld by a video review, it marked the sixth time in six days umpires made use of baseball's instant-replay rule.
So the natural question to ask Jimmie Lee Solomon, Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, is why the flurry of trips to the secret chamber to watch replays? Are the umps more willing to consult the tape than in the past?
"These things come in bunches," Solomon told FanHouse.
SEATTLE -- Randy Johnson made his first appearance at Safeco Field since Aug. 24, 2006 Friday, allowing one run and six hits in 5 1/3 innings and exiting to a raucous standing ovation. It served as perhaps the final appearance in Seattle for the Big Unit. Johnson, who fell short of win No. 299, notched 130 victories in 9 1/2 seasons with the Mariners but left under unsavory circumstances when management said they weren't interested in re-signing him because of an ailing back. Johnson was dealt with the Houston Astros and eventually landed in Arizona, where he won a World Series.
Mariners fans watched as Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez departed in the span of three years, and the organization has been striving -- in vain -- to match those glory days.
"I'm hoping it's good because he gave his heart and soul to this organization," Griffey said about Johnson's reception from the fans. "Sometimes over the years, (the sentiment) becomes a lot better and people understand that things happen in professional sports. But I hope (the reception) is the same as what they gave me (in 2007 with Cincinnati) because he's a big part of why people are (playing baseball in Seattle) instead of somewhere else, you know a different city."
MLB Power Rankings:Where MLB FanHouse's editors, writers and bloggers team up to break down the who's who and the what's what in the baseball world.
While it's entirely possible the Blue Jays do hit a snag, isn't it about time columnists across the internet stopped doing Can the Blue Jays Really Keep This Up? pieces by now? I've seen at least 10 in the past three weeks. There are almost as many The Rangers Are For Real posts. The discrepancy in the media's faith in those two is likely due to the divisions in which the teams reside, but seven weeks isn't a small sample. At some point, you have to start giving credit where it's due.
Saturday Spotlight is a weekly lightning-round of questions delving into the personalities and stories of Major Leaguers.
Omar Vizquel is best known for his outstanding work at shortstop, but you may also know that he's a musician, an artist and a pretty fancy dresser. On his way to the Hall of Fame, he's now finishing out his career in Texas, tutoring young phenom Elvis Andrus.
Starting Five is our wrapup of the previous day's baseball action, with a quick nod to what is ahead.
You Oughta Know ... That there have only been two complete-game shutouts pitched in the American League this year, and Zack Greinke owns both of them. Remarkably, Greinke did it again on Monday night, blanking the White Sox on six hits, striking out 10 and walking none.
In six starts this season, Greinke is 6-0 with an 0.40 earned-run average. In 45 innings, he's allowed 30 hits, with eight walks and 54 strikeouts.
Greinke has pitched well every time out, but he called this one "my favorite game of the year, if not ever."
OAKLAND -- Ken Griffey Jr.'s triumphant return to Seattle doesn't have the happy ending the Mariners and their fans might have hoped, but it also hasn't been the failure that his .218 average might imply.
Poppin' out the box scores and right into your cubicle, the 
SEATTLE -- 
Starting Five
Every Sunday, MLB FanHouse empties out its notebook in 
SEATTLE -- 
Starting Five
