"getty-up!" by Dean Forbes, from Flickr via Creative Commons license. Yes, the irony is thick. Fremont's own Getty Images wants to auction itself off and could sell for up to $1.5 billion, reports the NY Times. The stock photo agency has had a rough go of it lately: But the rise of digital photography and the Web created a host of competitors that charged as little as a dollar for an image. Recent events......

Vitals: Scott Edward Kazmir, 23 yo LHP. Born in Houston, Texas. 6-0, 170. 24-22, 3.75 career. 2-2, 3.83 in 2007. $424,300 salary. Arsenal: Mid-90s fastball, a slider he'll throw to both sides of the plate, and a change. Recent Battles: Last May Kazmir shut the Mariners out for seven innings, allowing just three singles and striking out nine. Our Best Weapon: Nobody has more than 10 at bats against Kazmir. The Mariners have hit lefties......

Vitals: Carsten Charles Sabathia, 26 yo LHP. Born in Vallejo, California. 6-7, 290. 87-57, 3.94 career. 6-1, 3.65 in 2007. $8.75 million salary. Arsenal: A 92-93 mph fastball with wicked movement that he can amp up to 96 when he needs it. Lefties must look for a sharp breaking slurve, while righties must look for the slurve and a straight change. Recent Battles: Sabathia faced the Mariners once last year, he went eight innings and......

Vitals: Justin William Germano, 24 yo RHP. Born in Pasadena, California. 6-3, 205. 2-3, 5.71 career. 1-0, 0.69 in 2007. No salary info. Arsenal: Germano's a sinkerballer--he'll throw that pitch lots. He also mixes in a fastball. Recent Battles: Germano's never faced the Mariners. Our Best Weapon: George Costanza rule: Whatever the M's did against the last sinkerballer they faced, Chien Ming Wang (when they didn't get a hit until the 8th), they should do......

Vitals: Gregory Alan Maddux, 41 yo RHP. Born in San Angelo, Texas. 6-0, 180. 336-205, 3.07 career. 3-2, 3.20 in 2007. $10,000,000 salary. Arsenal: Fastball and a changeup. Neither are as fast as they once were, but they get the job done. He mixes in a slow, tight curve and a slider. Recent Battles: Only one of Maddux' 685 career starts has come against the Mariners. In 2003, while with the Braves, he struck out......

Souvenir @ ACT Tues - Sun, through June 10, Tickets $10-$54 ($10 students, 25-and-under) Before the Salon of Shame, long before, in the 1930s and '40s, people had to make do with socialite Florence Foster Jenkins, who shared her stage with no one -- except her accompanist Cosme McMoon. The Internet reports: A dumpy coloratura soprano, her voice was not even mediocre - it was preposterous! She clucked and squawked, trumpeted and quavered. She couldn't......

Vitals: Christopher Ryan Young, 27 yo RHP. Born in Dallas, Texas. 6-10, 260. 30-17, 3.84 career. 4-3, 3.11 in 2007. $600,000 salary. Arsenal: Low 90s fastball, a curve that he changes speeds on, and a change. Terrible at holding runners on, he allowed 41 stolen bases last year. Recent Battles: Young started once against the M's in interleague play last year. He allowed three runs in six innings, all on solo homers by Sexson, Lopez,......

Vitals: Bartolo Colon, 33 yo RHP. Born in Altamira, Dominican Republic. 6-6, 245. 144-87, 3.97 career. 4-0, 3.66 in 2007. $16 million salary. Arsenal: Mid 90s fastball, high 80s slider, and a change. Throws nearly 80% fastballs, a pretty high percentage. Recent Battles: Colon beat the M's on April 21, allowing 7 hits and 1 run in 7 innings. He didn't overpower the M's though; he recorded only 1 K. Our Best Weapon: Getting guys......

Sorry about the two sports posts in a row. Hope you non-sportballers have scrolling capability. Vitals: John Derran Lackey, 28 yo RHP. Born in Abilene, TX. 6-6, 245. 65-52, 3.94 career. 5-3, 2.70 in 2007. $5.8 million salary. Arsenal: Low 90s fastball, a nasty, late-breaking curve, and a change. Recent Battles: Lackey was 1-2 with an 8.44 ERA in five starts against the M's last year. The M's had 46 hits off of him, and......

Vitals: Kelvim Jose Escobar, 31 yo RHP. Born in La Guaira, Venezuela. 6-1, 230. 87-84, 4.20 career. 4-1, 2.21 in 2007. $9 million salary. Arsenal: 92-97 mph fastball, hard slider, splitter and change. Recent Battles: In two August starts against the M's last year, Escobar totaled 16 Ks. On the 17th, Escobar beat Jamie Moyer in Moyer's last start as a Mariner. On the 28th, Felix Hernandez (today's M's pitcher) beat Escobar 2-0. Our Best......

Vitals: Andrew Eugene Pettitte, 34 yo LHP. Born in Baton Rouge, LA. 6-5, 225. 188-105, 3.79 career. 2-1, 2.72 in 2007. Arsenal: Low-90s fastball, his excellent cut fastball (it runs in to righties), a 12-6 curve and a change. Recent Battles: Pettitte hasn't pitched against the M's since August of '03. Only two guys from that team still on the M's are Ichiro (who went 2-4) and Willie Ballgame (0-3). Pettitte's 8-9 career against the......

Vitals: 26 yo RHP. Born in New Castle, PA. 6-0, 170. 0-0, 1.29 this year (he's a rookie). Arsenal: DeSalvo told Baseball America in 2005: “I throw seven different pitches: a four-seamer, a two-seamer, a cutter, the [knuckle] curve, a slider, a forkball, and a change. Having a lot of pitches gives me backup options." His fastball is low 90s. Recent Battles: Last Monday, in his first major league start, DeSalvo allowed a double to......

Vitals: 26 yo RHP. Born in Carson City, NV . 6-3, 210. 4-3, 3.61 career. 1-1, 2.75 in 2007. $384,523 salary. Arsenal: A high 80s fastball, a mid 80s change, and a big 12-6 curveball he throws in the low 70s. Very hittable stuff. Recent Battles: Rasner baffled the M's last Sunday, allowing three hits and no runs in 5.2 innings. Our Best Weapon: Vidro had two of the three hits off of Rasner on......

Vitals: 24 yo RHP. Born in Manakin Sabot, VA. 6-5, 200. 19-12, 3.66 career. 2-1, 2.75 in 2007. $1.03 million salary. Arsenal: Mid to high 90s fastball, sweeping curve, changeup. Recent Battles: Beat King Felix last April in a much-touted battle of young fireballers. Held M's to 4 hits in seven innings. Our Best Weapon: Beltre's our best fastball hitter. Hopefully he can lay off of Verlander's soft stuff and gear up for the heater.......

Vitals: 29 yo LHP. Born in Wichita, KS. 6-2, 225. 36-43, 4.44 career. 3-1, 2.48 in 2007. $3.26 million salary. Arsenal: Low-90s fastball, slider, change that runs away from righties. Recent Battles: Robertson held the Mariners to one run in seven innings last September, beating Jarrod Washburn. Our Best Weapon: Righties hit Robertson well. If Ibanez needs a day off, this might be a good game to start little-used Jason Ellison. The Internet Says: Robertson......

At the Microsoft Strategic Account Summit yesterday morning Bill Gates dropped some future knowledge on the assembled ad men and tech types. A few of those nuggets we found particularly interesting and insightful: Prediction #4: There Will Be No Street Cars in Our Large Cities. All hurry traffic will be below or high above ground when brought within city limits. In most cities it will be confined to broad subways or tunnels, well lighted and......

Vitals: 24 yo RHP. Born in Kennewick, WA. 6-2, 220. 46-53, 4.67 career. 1-0, 3.69 in 2007. $4.5 million salary. Arsenal: Mid-90s fastball, nasty slider, change. Recent Battles: The M's faced Bonderman last on September 5th, knocking him out of the game with a three-run fourth. This game was notable for being Joel Pineiro's 58th, and last, win as a Mariner. Our Best Weapon: Ibanez is 8-17 career against Bonderman. The Internet Says: In 2002,......

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) Arsenal: DeSalvo told Baseball America in 2005: “I throw seven different pitches: a four-seamer, a two-seamer, a cutter, the [knuckle] curve, a slider, a forkball, and a change. Having a lot of pitches gives me backup options." His fastball is low 90s. Recent Battles: None Our Best Weapon: A guy......

Vitals: 26 yo RHP. Born in Carson City, NV . 6-3, 210. 3-3, 4.10 career. 0-1, 3.86 in 2007. $384,523 salary. Arsenal: A high 80s fastball, a mid 80s change, and a big 12-6 curveball he throws in the low 70s. Very hittable stuff. Recent Battles: Rasner has never faced the Mariners. Our Best Weapon: Nobody on the M's has faced Rasner, but Ibanez and Ichiro would seem to be the most likely guys to......

Vitals: 27 yo RHP. Born in Tainan, Taiwan. 6-3, 225. 27-13, 3.84 career. 0-2, 5.84 in 2007. $489,500 salary. Arsenal: A hard-sinking mid-90s fastball that's so effective, he throws it 75% of the time (most pitchers throw about 65% fastballs). Wang's almost a two-pitch pitcher, because he throws his slider almost exclusively to righties, and his change (a forkball) almost exclusively to lefties. Wang's hard-sinking fastball gave him the highest groundball/flyball ratio in the American......

Vitals: 27 yo LHP. Born in Oarai, Japan. 6-1, 212. 86-60, 3.14 in Japan. 2-1, 6.08 here. $4 million salary. Arsenal: An 88-92 mph fastball, a low-80s slider that he throws mostly to lefties, and a pretty good low-80s change. His stuff is a lot like Jarrod Washburn's. Recent Battles: The M's have never faced Igawa. Ichiro probably did, in Japan, but we couldn't find any Japanese batter/pitcher stats. Our Best Weapon: Vidro usually has......

Vitals: 26 yo RHP. Born in Tokyo, Japan. 6-0, 187. 94-45, 2.99 in Japan. 3-2, 4.36 here. $6.3 million salary. Arsenal: Dice-K throws six pitches--three fastballs: a mid 90s four-seamer (rides high), a low 90s two-seamer (moves down), and a cut fastball that moves away from righties, and three off-speed pitches: a slow 11-7 curveball. a mid-80s slider that he tries to back-door lefties with to strike them out, and his change-up, which is considered......

Vitals: 22 yo LHP. Born in Austin, TX. 6-1, 200. 0-3, 5.32 career and 2007 (he's a rookie). Acquired via trade from Texas (Brandon McCarthy) before this season. $380,000 salary. Arsenal: Same was Barry Zito's. He's got a 88-91 fastball, a 80 mph change that he appears to locate well (and likes to use with two strikes) and a big looping curve--which, from what I've seen, isn't as big and looping as Zito's is. Recent......

Vitals: 30 yo RHP. Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. 6-1, 210. 102-105, 4.34 career. 2-0, 3.75 this year. Acquired via trade in 2005. $13 million salary. Arsenal: Four pitches. A fastball from 89-94, a slider, a curve that he throws mostly against RHB, and a splitter that he throws lots against LHB (especially when he's behind in count). Recent Battles: Vazquez stymied the M's in two starts last season...well, 1.9 starts. In a must-win game......

Vitals: 32 year old rhp. 6-4, 230. Born in Gastonia, NC. 124-88, 3.24 career. 1-1, 4.91 this year. Signed as a free agent, 12/05. $8.3 million salary. Arsenal: Mid 90s 4-seam fastball, with a low 90s two seamer that tails in--he'll use this as a back door pitch to lefties. He throws a curve and a slider--he has better command of the slider, so he uses the curve as an out pitch. Recent Battles: Millwood......

Vitals: 40 year old RHP. Born in Melbourne, FL. 6-2, 204 lb. 151-135, 4.21 career. 0-1, 1.50 this year. Signed as a free agent in 1995. $4 million salary. Arsenal: Knuckleballs, almost exclusively. He'll only throw his low-80s fastball if he's ran to three balls on a hitter. He has a curve, but he almost never throws it. Recent Battles: Back when Josh Bard was still trying to catch Wakefield, the M's played him.......

Vitals: 27 year old RHP. Born in Spring, TX. 6-5, 220lb. Acquired in 2005 from the Marlins via trade. 58-45, 3.84 career. 1-0, 1.80 in 2007. $6.7 million salary. Arsenal: Mid-90s fastball, 12-6 curve, and a rapidly-improving change that he throws mostly to lefties. Recent Battles: Beckett's only faced the M's once--it was last April. He went seven innings, gave up six hits and one earned run, and got a win. Our Best Weapon: Ben......

Vitals: 36 years old, born in Louisville, signed as a free agent by the Indians in '05. 82-73 career record. $7 million salary. Arsenal: A below average (84-89mph) fastball. To lefties, he'll work up and away with the fastball, a 12/3 looping curveball and a change. To righties, he'll work low and away with the fastball and a slider. Recent Battles: Triumphant! The M's knocked Byrd around in his one start against them last year,......

Arsenal: Harden throws a mid-90s fastball, a tight-breaking curve and, his unhittable out pitch, a late-breaking splitter called the "ghost pitch" (because it seems to disappear) or the "spuckle" (because it breaks as dramatically as a knuckleball). Opponents bat .164 against this pitch. Pure nastiness. Recent Battles: Sherman through Georgia-esque. Harden only had two starts against the M's in 2006 (he was injured most of the year). In those starts, M's hitters were 5-41 with......

Arsenal: High 80s fastball, slow curve, unremarkable slider. Relies on location to get guys out. Recent Battles: Waterloo-esque. Blanton started four games against the M's last year, and beat them all four times. Twice he held the M's scoreless for 8 innings. The rest of the league had no trouble, he was 12-12 with a 5.38 ERA in starts not against Seattle. Our Best Weapon: Patience. Blanton threw less than 100 pitches (3.5 per ab)......