Mariners starting pitcher Carlos Silva has been atrocious this season. His sinker has about as much dip as a Mormon grocery, and he's exhibited all the pinpoint control of your average Qwest Field urinal user. But, according to Silva, who's in the second year of a four-year $48 million contract, empirical evidence alone cannot explain his incompetence. A higher power is at work.
M's Silva: God's Making Me Suck
Mariners Open Season, Can't Get Much Worse
Erik Bedard and Adrian Beltre will probably be traded by July 31. Hopefully, Jarrod Washburn will go as well. They don’t even have to trade him; they can just leave him behind the counter at a Panda Express, or pretend to throw a tennis ball and drive off when he tries to find it.
Baseball Trade Deadline Passes, Mariners Yawn
As the MLB trade deadline passed this afternoon, Seattlest was warmed by the cozy, reassuring feeling we get this time of year when the Mariners steadfastly refuse to buckle under pressure (logic?) and break up our boys of summer via trade. Doing nothing trade-wise has become a summertime tradition here dating back to the "Stand Pat" era of Pat Gillick right on through to today. (Sorry, Arthur Rhodes for a case of Vanilla Ice CDs doesn't count.) It's as 'Seattle' as SeaFair and Ivar's. But we predicted all of this weeks ago. PS: Apparently Junior never loved us after all, opting to be traded to the playoff contending WhiteSox rather than returning 'home'.
Mariners Need to Say No to "Yes Man" Hires
First, hitting coach Jeff Pentland was fired, then General Manager Bill Bavasi was shown the door, and yesterday it was John McLaren's turn to up the state's unemployment rate.
Mariners Fire GM Bill Bavasi
KING 5 and the AP are reporting the M's have fired much-debated General Manager Bill Bavasi. Apparently, the booing worked. Bavasi has been replaced by Lee Pelekoudas, who will be acting on an interim basis, while a GM search is conducted.
Mimi Gates Would Sign Felix Long-Term
With news that long time Seattle Art Museum director Mimi Gates is retiring next year, we are hoping that the Mariners will fire current General Manager Bill Bavasi and hire Gates as his replacement.
Mariners Won't Fire Their Manager or General Manager
The Mariners announced yesterday that Manager John McLaren and General Manager Bill Bavasi will both be back next year.
Ichiro Signing Official! Oh Frabjous Day! Callooh! Callay!
The Ichiro signing is official.
In A Previous Life, Bill Bavasi Was the Eskimo to Whom You Could Sell Ice
Payroll: $106,096,833
Mariners Set To Sign “Controversial” Reliever
Our Venezuelan baseball correspondent, Pauls Toutonghi, has breaking news that will be made official by the Mariners on Sunday.
Is An Almost-As-Big Unit Better Than No Unit At All?
Could Randy Johnson don a Mariners uniform in 2007? Those speculating aren’t entirely convinced floundering GM Bill Bavasi could pull off a (worthwhile) deal to acquire the Yankees’ aging Unit, and although we’re not the most astute of M’s followers, we’re dubious, too. We think it’s more likely the Mariners will trade for another mound giant—the Dodgers’ Mark Hendrickson. Because we saw him downtown last night.
Abandon Ship! Mariner Front Office Makes Awful, Awful Trade
Three years ago, we all hoped for aging middle infielder Omar Vizquel to fail a physical so the M's wouldn't complete an agreed-upon deal for him. And our pleas were heard.
Ichiro To Go?
Rumors abound early this week concerning a most ghastly notion, a dark vision that has kept us sleepless: reportedly, both the Houston Astros and Philadelphia Phillies called Mariners GM Bill Bavasi over the weekend to inquire about a potential trade for Ichiro.
Mariners acquire Broussard
A few hours ago we were very happy with Mariners GM Bill Bavasi. He ridded the team of one of its most sour spots, and brought up a kid who, despite wicked injury troubles, we can't help but want to love.
Monitoring the Domestic Trade Talks
Federal judge Richard Posner defends President Bush's extra-legal (meaning, surprisingly, not legal at all) spying program thusly:
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act makes it difficult to conduct surveillance of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents unless they are suspected of being involved in terrorist or other hostile activities. That is too restrictive. Innocent people, such as unwitting neighbors of terrorists, may, without knowing it, have valuable counterterrorist information.
Gatesisis Named People of the Year
Seattle's own Bill Gates was named Time magazine's Man, or "Person," of the Year. Well, he and that wife of his, Melinda, who will share the honor with 'You Too' front man Bono.
Japan's Top Catcher to be a Mariner
Kenji Johjima, the Fukuoka Soft-Bank Hawks' .300-hitting, 30-homer-slugging, seven-time Gold Glove winner, is your new Mariner starting catcher, according to the Seattle Times. The Times' Bob Finnegan reports that Johjima will leave the Japanese leagues and sign a three-year contract with the M's.
What a Lovely Way to Burn
In contrast to local temperatures, here's three things that are heating up: the hype surrounding Spanish tennis sensation Rafael Nadal, the fire under Mariner GM Bill Bavasi's ass, and the race between presumed City Council election rivals Dwight Pelz and Richard McIver.
Mariners Get Baseball's Most Valuable Player
It's true--the last place Mariners, in a bold and reckless move, have traded for baseball's Most Valuable Player.

