Mariners GM Bill Bavasi Blames the Troops

Attention class, we have a pop quiz today.
Whose fault is the Mariners' August collapse and .238 winning percentage vs. the AL West?
Mr. Bavasi, I see you frantically waving your hand! Do you know who is responsible? You do?
We're dealing with a lot of young kids that are overmatched, I guess, and some veterans that apparently are not performing up to their abilities.
You mean, Bill, the young kids you decided were ready to play in the majors? And the veterans you signed to expensive contracts? I see.
What's that? Not everyone's doing badly? Oh, good. Love the positivity. Who's performing well?
Manager Mike Brown Hargrove, you say?
[Hargrove] has "shown great patience in a bad situation, which is not an easy thing to do."
No, not easy at all. Which is why Hargrove was such a great hire, Bill! With the roster you've assembled, you need a guy who'll handle the inevitable 20 consecutive losses to division opponents with grace. And Hargrove has the experience you need... he's on his way to his sixth consecutive losing season as a manager!
After all, you wouldn't want a manager that would get all wound up and inspire a mediocre team to unexpected playoff glory, would you?
Here's our next question: Do you know your ass from a hole in the ground?
What's that, Bill?


