Like Shaun Alexander, Richie Sexson, and Barack Obama before him, Montero is learning how quickly Seattle cheers can turn to boos, invective, and angry, semi-anonymous blog comments.
Sounders Fans Turn Against Star Striker Montero
M's Release Sexson; Looking for New Ways to Blow Cash
The Seattle Mariners have released well-paid but weak-hitting first baseman Richie Sexson. This season, Sexson hit only .218 and had 11 homers. With a 2008 salary of $15.5 million, that's a cool $1.4 million per dinger. Sexson's roster spot has been filled by Tacoma infielder (and new Seattlest favorite) Tug Hulett.
John McLaren Has Been Fired
The Seattle Times is reporting that Mariner Manager John McLaren has been fired and replaced with bench coach Jim Riggleman.
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.
Fight!
Seattlest is no proponent or fan of violence, but we have always enjoyed a good baseball brawl. And the Seattle Mariners, failing at all other parts of what we find enjoyable about the game, decided to throw us a bone--giving us the first bench-clearer of the season.
Are the Mariners the Neocons of Baseball?
Should we be worried the Mariners are baseball’s equivalent of the Bush Administration? Fiscally undisciplined with negligible positive returns? Check. Marketed as veteran leadership despite any veterans with leadership experience? Check. Sloppy management reinforced with sloppy execution on the ground? Check.
We Interview: Seth Kolloen
Seth Kolloen starting covering sports for Seattlest in January 2005. Late last year he took over as editor, before leaving us to become the editor of the brand new Sports Northwest Magazine. We caught up with Seth poolside at the W Hotel to discuss the move to press row, his sports blog, and why he won’t be calling Maggie Gyllenhaal any time soon.
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.
Local Sportsball Teams Inch Closer to First Place on First Avenue
Both the Mariners and the Sounders are in second place in their respective divisions, and both played the teams ahead of them last night.
Here Comes a Pennant Race
Got an email from a friend the other day: "My boss says he's officially back on the Mariners bandwagon."
Tonight's Target: Matt DeSalvo
Vitals: 26 yo RHP. Born in New Castle, PA. 6-0, 170. This will be his first major league game. (3-0, 1.05 at AAA in 2007)
Today's Target: Paul Byrd, Righty
Vitals: 36 years old, born in Louisville, signed as a free agent by the Indians in '05. 82-73 career record. $7 million salary.
Could the Mariners Contend Next Year?
One commenter greeted our proposition that the Mariners could make the postseason next year so derisively, we were forced to do some extra research just to make sure we weren't going nuts.
Will They Trade for the Elephant, Too? M's Trying to Trade for Hudson, Sign Zito
According to the P-I, the Mariners aren't kidding about going after Barry Zito.
The Mariners aren't backing off their interest in Oakland left-handed starter Barry Zito, the pitcher expected to come out of the winter (if not the winter meetings themselves) with the most lucrative contract awarded a pitcher.
Bench Coach-less Mariners Attempt to Sail On
The Mariners fired bench coach Ron Hassey yesterday. This puts the team in quite a quandary, according to a P-I story.
Mariners Living La Vida Mediocra
Something happened yesterday that hasn't since April 16th. No, not Dino Rossi waking up before noon, but the Mariners getting to .500. After an 11-7 victory over Arizona in their 78th game, the M's are once again treading water at 39-39.
Hargrove's Incompetence Goes Unchallenged by Local Media
Mike Hargrove cost the Mariners a win on Friday night, but you wouldn't know it from reading the local papers.
Gregoire Gives State Dangerous Option
Governor Gregoire, apparently unaware that her job could be taken from her in two and a half years, is leaving it up the state's National Guardsmen whether they want to patrol the US-Mexico border. President Bush is sending 6,000 National Guard members to the Southern border to end the problem of people entering the country illegally.
Hargrove Mixes Up Mariners Lineup
Mariner Manager Mike Hargrove deviated from his heretofore stone-set lineup yesterday, moving Adrian Beltre into the #2 spot and sliding Jose Lopez to #3. Richie Sexson sat in favor of Roberto Petagine.
Mariners Manager Hargrove Admits He's Clueless
We've been looking for a quote from a famous literary figure to sum up the Mariners' season.
Mariners. Padres. Throw The Record Book Out the Window
Interleauge play begins again this weekend. In baseball stadiums all over the West geographical rivals will stare each other down: Oakland vs. San Francisco, Houston vs. Texas, Los Angeles of Los Angeles vs. Los Angeles of Anaheim, and Seattle vs. San Diego.
Mariners Marketing Gone Mad
Got an email from the Mariners today. Seems Richie Sexson bobble-head night is Friday.
I Will Remember You
The Mariners continued their season-long 26th anniversary tribute to former shortstop Mario Mendoza last night, managing nine mostly groundball singles in a 2-0 loss to Cleveland.
Memories and Milestones
We don't know what the most scarring experience of your early 20s was-- a disastrous relationship, a lengthy illness, a deep body massage from these guys--but ours was suffering through the late innings of each and every 1997 Seattle Mariners game, as the washouts and has-beens the team collected for its bullpen found new and inventive methods of losing games.
It Could Be Worse
Here's some copy that Mariners marketing department might consider removing from the website:
Passionless Fruit
The key play in Sunday’s loss to the Angels typified how bland and passionless the 2005 Mariners are.
The Finer Things in Life
Yesterday's Mariner win was the most satisfying game the team has played in months. Why? A six-run seventh inning.

