Hey guys! The end of November is the perfect time for some positive content about the Seattle Mariners! November is over in like a day, so get it while you can!
Believe it or not, there are some positive things going on in Seattle. The Mariners made Don Wakamatsu the first Asian-American manager in baseball history. There might be a strip club going in 400 feet from the ballpark! They're ... uh ... getting new uniforms? No. Ichiro is getting along with his teammates! They aren't going to gang up and beat him down! Well, maybe. What else is there to get positive about in Seattle? Cobain's dead, but the Peppermint Mocha Twist is still pretty great!
The offseason is when we finally get to stop talking about teams that win and do things and get to people like the Twinkies and the M's, so pull up a chair (I assume you are standing at your computer) and enjoy tonight's late night Dugout, after the jump.
There aren't many people around White Sox camp that thought Joe Crede would still be the team's opening day third baseman, but with every passing day, that scenario becomes more likely. The Sox have a few reasons to want to move Crede: to make room for Josh Fields, and because they don't think they'll re-sign him when he becomes a free agent after the season.
The problem is, even though they were hoping to move him before the season starts, that doesn't mean Kenny Williams and the organization don't hold the 2005 World Series hero in high regard. Unfortunately, the teams they're talking to don't feel the same way.
San Francisco, the most likely suitor for Crede, and the Sox have disparate evaluations that carry ramifications for both sides.
A talent evaluator familiar with both teams said the Sox were miffed the Giants' offers for Crede included since-released pitcher Scott Williamson; pitcher Randy Messenger, who was optioned to Triple-A Fresno last week; and veteran outfielder Dave Roberts.
The White Sox asking price of a top prospect and a young reliever is apparently too steep for the Giants, who prefer to offer players on their team they never planned on keeping anyway. Fortunately for Kenny and the White Sox, the Giants now have a division rival who are also interested in Crede.
The Dodgers had scouts in attendance for Crede's last game, and they're not too sure they want Nomar Garciaparra playing third base while Andy LaRoche recovers from a hand injury. Now the Sox will have some leverage in their trade talks, and it's still possible that Crede will be moved before the season. Though I think it's more likely the Sox will carry Crede along with them through the start of the season and try to move him at the deadline.
PostmanR let you know yesterday that the Marlins had suspended pitcher Scott Olsen two games for "insubordination." Yet, the Marlins wouldn't elaborate on what exactly Olsen did to undermine the team or his manager's wishes.
Well, this is Scott Olsen. He gets into like 5 fights a day. Be it with opponents, teammates, fans, or the mailman. He just wants to hit somebody, and it's that desire to hit somebody that got him suspended.
Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen, who fought with teammates at least twice last season, has done it again.
After a successful, but frustrating, five-inning outing Sunday, sources said Olsen scuffled with fellow starter Sergio Mitre in a tunnel behind the Florida dugout during the bottom of the fifth.
And what set off this great confrontation? A faulty button of course. What else?
After Olsen came off the mound in the middle of the fifth inning, he tore off his jersey, threw it at a clubhouse attendant and demanded a new one.
Sources said Mitre admonished Olsen for his behavior. That led to the scuffle while third baseman Miguel Cabrera was at bat.
So while everyone else in the stadium was admiring the upper deck home run Miguel Cabrera had just hit, the Marlins were busy in the dugout trying to break up the fight.
I don't know if Scott Olsen's mom just didn't hug him enough as a child or what, but the guy has some serious issues. What I do know is that I don't think the Marlins are going to want to deal with it much longer. If Olsen doesn't grow the hell up, and soon, I wouldn't be surprised if he was spending his last days as a Florida Marlin.
Scott Olsen, he of 7-7 record and 5.15 ERA fame, got slapped with a two-game suspension without pay by the Marlins. And, for what, might you ask? Insubordination.
Gonzalez said Olsen's penalty stemmed from an incident Sunday after Olsen was relieved, but would not elaborate.
Olsen won Sunday against the Washington Nationals, giving up two runs and six hits in five innings. Gonzalez said the decision was made "collectively."
Olsen began serving the suspension Monday and will not miss his scheduled start Friday at home against the Cincinnati Reds. Olsen was not in the clubhouse Monday to comment on the suspension.
The suspension will cost him $4,153.01.
If you remember, Olsen got a black eye from former teammate and reliever Randy Messenger last season and also threw an obscene gesture to the crowd in Milwaukee last month. So come on, Fredi Gonzalez. Give us a hint. Give us something. Elaborate, man. Did he slap towels in the shower? Did he break Dan Uggla's cell phone? Did he call Dontrelle Willis names? Did he beat up the clubhouse helpers? Did he steal someone's shampoo? Did he soil someone's uniform on purpose?
I'm really curious what he did here. Any ideas? Update: The Palm Beach Post has details from a source. Thanks to commenter to L for the heads up.
Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen is an angry young man. In his young career, he has gotten into physical fights with teammates Randy Messenger and Miguel Cabrera, along with a shouting match with Chase Utley over stepping out too often. Now, Olsen has taken his anger out on Brewers fans:
Olsen's second consecutive poor outing led to an 8-5 Brewers victory Friday at Miller Field, with his frustration peaking as he headed toward the tunnel after leaving the game in the sixth inning.
Olsen made an obscene gesture as he shot his hand in the air to a group of Brewers fans behind the Marlins dugout. One fan, wearing a Brewers shirt, stood and pumped his fists after Olsen's reaction.
"You know how I am," Olsen said. "I don't take losing well."
Manager Fredi Gonzalez, who did not see the gesture, said he would talk to Olsen once he gets it confirmed. "We want a class organization here," Gonzalez said. "We don't want the players to be doing that."
Seems like fans are reading the scouting reports on Olsen: the one that says that he has a short fuse and gets angered easily. And they're doing their part to get Olsen riled up.
My only regret was that the Carlos Zambrano/Michael Barrett dust up didn't happen while the Marlins were in town. There's every chance Scott Olsen would have jumped in just for the fun of it.
From Rick Hurd's Contra Costa Times blog: "Armando is gone -- Free at last ... pop the champagne!"
From Giantsboard.com: "Celebrate good times come on!! Karma for everyone!!!"
From FanHouse's own Mullet of Metstradamus: "I can't imagine another fan base hating Blow-nitez as much as Mets fans do. But I'll give him this...he's consistent. Everywhere he goes he gets people to hate him."
And prior to the trade, McCovey Chronicles put their hatred of Benitez on display with some excellent photoshop work: an altered player profile page, a webcomic, and my favorite -- a bill to Benitez for wasting fans' time.
"We're at a crossroads in my mind. Apparently, the fans, the press and maybe some people in the clubhouse felt he needed to go. We're going to find out what they're made of now that they don't have a whipping boy. We'll see who's strong enough to be a whipping boy."
Well, Sabean listened to all the complaints by giving up Benitez for lower than market value. And Giants fans finally got their wish.
It was a special kind of something for Jason Wood on Saturday night. Wood, who last homered on July 23rd, 1999 as a member of the Detroit Tigers, spent the last eight seasons toiling in the minors trying to come back to the show to hit another one. Wood, in his first start of the season, made it happen:
"The first of this century," Wood said. "It's been a while but it's nice to get after it. It's nice to come out on top and contribute like this."
Wood's first home run in almost eight seasons came as padding to a 9-3 Marlins victory over Washington, but it wasn't without it's cost as Anibal Sanchez left after five innings with an apparent injury:
He left the game before throwing a pitch in the top of the sixth because of cramping in his right hamstring. Matt Lindstrom and Randy Messenger combined for four scoreless innings of relief. "I felt my leg getting cramps and I couldn't push," Sanchez said. "I didn't want to hurt my team but if I can't push, I lose my command. I felt strong today and I was hoping to go seven or more innings."
This comes after injuries to starters Josh Johnson, Ricky Nolasco, and most recently Sergio Mitre. The Marlins have to wonder who out there is diabolical and sick enough to stick pins in a Florida Marlin voodoo doll with all these injuries to their starting staff, not to mention Miguel Cabrera, who missed Saturday's game with an injury to his torso.
Hey guys! The end of November is the perfect time for some positive content about the Seattle Mariners! November is over in like a day, so get it while you can!
There aren't many people around White Sox camp that thought 
PostmanR
Marlins pitcher Scott Olsen is an angry young man. In his young career, he has gotten into physical fights with teammates Randy Messenger and Miguel Cabrera, along with a 
Mullet just told you that the Giants were looking into their bullpen, and that there was a 
It was a special kind of something for Jason Wood on Saturday night. Wood, who last homered on July 23rd, 1999 as a member of the Detroit Tigers, spent the last eight seasons toiling in the minors trying to come back to the show to hit another one. Wood, in his first start of the season, 
