Abandon Ship! Cap'n Hargrove is batting the shortstop third

Yuniesky Betancourt and his nine career home runs now anchor the Mariners' lineup. For the past two games, manager Mike Hargrove's been batting him third.

This couldn't be less Hargrove-esque. The man is not a creative thinker. Way back in May, Hargrove gave the Times a window into his managerial (and, probably, personal) philosophy:

""When you start thinking, 'Let's try something new' ... that's a panic move,"

For a by-the-book manager like Mike Hargrove, batting the shortstop third is more than a panic move. It's the equivalent of lighting yourself on fire.

Hargrove's dropped his previous #3 hitter, $64 million man Adrian Beltre, into the #8 hole, which will take at bats away from Beltre as he attempts to hit as many homers this year as Tampa Bay's Ty Wigginton (currently, Beltre's three behind, but Wigginton's had the benefit of being more rested--he's hit his in 150 less at bats).

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Captain's gone crazy, and the ship is doomed...but we don't think anyone's going to send a rescue party for the U.S.S. Last Place.