2001 Mariners Flashback: We Had a Good Manager Once
Yes, the M's won yesterday, pulling within 3.5 games of first-place Oakland. But not without another startling managerial gaffe. With runners on the corners, and two outs in the Dodgers fourth, Hargrove had Joel Pineiro pitch to the #8 hitter instead of walking him to get to the pitcher. Of course, the #8 hitter singled, driving in a run, and even Dave Niehaus, who is rarely critical, lamented "I don't understand why you don't walk that guy!" Neither do we, Dave.
Oh, to have Sweet Lou back. Five years ago today he pulled one of many brilliant managerial moves in the M's 116-win season. This, though, in a June 21st day game vs. Oakland, was our favorite.
As it was a day game after a night game, Piniella didn't have Bret Boone in the starting lineup. This is important, you will see why.
The A's scored six runs in the first, but the Mariners clawed back into it. By the top of the fifth, it was Oakland 8, Seattle 6.
After the M's put two runners on with one out in the fifth, Art Howe replaced his starter, Cory Lidle, with left-handed specialist Mike Magnante. Magnante was in to face Carlos Guillen, a weak hitter vs. lefties.
But here, Piniella delivered a masterstroke. He pinch-hit Boone, who was absolutely murdering lefties in 2001. Since a pitcher must face one batter, Magnante had to face him.
Watching on GameCast, we were stunned by Piniella's brilliance. If you give a guy a day off, you don't pinch hit him. Not, at least, in the fifth inning. No one EVER pitch-hits in the 5th inning of an American League game. We didn't care what Boone did, we just thought Piniella was awesome for trying it. It's the type of unorthodox move that wouldn't occur to Hargrove in a million games. As he says, ""When you start thinking, 'Let's try something new' ... that's a panic move."
If Piniella was panicking, it worked. Boone slugged a three-run homer to put the M's up 9-8.
The Mariners won the game 12-10, going to 54-17 on the year, pushing Oakland 20 games back. In June. Nothing to panic about there.
7:10 tonight, Jarrod Washburn (4-8, 4.66), coming off his worst start of the year against Oakland, vs. touted prospect Chad Billingsley, making his second major league start. Billingsley was born in Defiance, Ohio. That's cool.
