Heeeeeeeeeee’s the one

Who likes all our pretty songs … and he

Likes to sing along … and he

Likes to shoot his gun … but he

Don’t know what it means … Don’t know what it means

It seems not to have dawned on many amigos — inside or outside the M’s org — what the consequences would be, if the M’s 2B job is In Bloom on Opening Day …

=======================

So let’s say that Jose does NOT play baseball The Mariner Way (95 losses/season by undertalented white guys who play the game ‘the right way’) this March.

Then what?  Go send Lopez to conquer AAA a THIRD time?

Then, after year #3 in Tacoma, supposing he still isn’t playing baseball The Mariner Way?  Then what?

As Mariners Wheelhouse straight-man’ned at SportSpot:  You have then turned Jose Lopez into trade bait.  Hand him off to Theo Epstein or Billy Beane at 50 cents on the dollar, and watch him drive in 1,000 runs for some other franchise.

Why? Because you didn’t think he showed you that he wanted it.

=========================

Willie Bloomquist and Jose Lopez are at opposite ends of the talent spectrum.  Lopez is as talented as it gets, and Bloomquist is as undertalented as an MLB player gets.

And yet, the Mariners are like the donkey who can’t pick between two haystacks, because Willie’s "Yes Sir" attitude means PRECISELY AS MUCH to them as does All-Star, even HOF, talent.

This decision would be absolutely a no-brainer for a good MLB franchise:  the 20-year-old who mashes AAA, goes into your lineup the next year.  But for the Mariners, the decision is gut-wrenching, even a year on.  As we write, the Mariners don’t KNOW whether Jose Lopez will start at 2B.  C’mon now!  You have the ridiculously-talented young hotshot … against the utility infielder who plays the game right. 

 
How do you call that one?!   Well, give us a month here.  We’ll sleep on it. 

And it ain’t like Jose Lopez is a malcontent here.  He works on his defense; he keeps his mouth shut; he’s even worked on hitting to right field.  He’s hardly Albert Belle.  It’s just that he doesn’t quite sprint out his ground balls, he doesn’t quite change his batting approach as eagerly as would delight the coaches.

In the Bloom-Lopez controversy, we see two commodities that balance precisely for the Mariners:  the quality of "an extra notch of urgency" is equal and comparable in value to the quality of "All-Star/HOF talent."

These guys realllllllllllly like their players to listen to them.  Winning would always be kinda nice, but coachability is the absolute in Marinerland.

Be Afraid,

Dr D