Call for Abstracts, SABR36 -- REMINDER

From Neal Traven...

As the chair of presentations for SABR36 in Seattle, I remind you
that we are still accepting abstracts. Details on how to submit them
are available on the SABR website at the following
URL: http://www.sabr.org/sabr.cfm?a=cms,c,1449,17,0

The submission deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2006. Note that
you can send your submissions to either the
sabr2006-presentations@comcast.net or
sabr2006presentations@comcast.net email address.

Please note that we continue to encourage you to consider submitting
your work for consideration as a poster presentation (it's perfectly
OK to submit it for both oral and poster). Since not everyone is
familiar with the concept of poster presentations, I refer you to
several websites with information about the value of posters.

http://www.siam.org/siamnews/general/poster.htm (general info on what
posters do)
http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/IndexStart.html (detailed steps and ideas)
http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/ktosney/file/PostersHome.html
(examples, good and bad)

Please examine those sites with an eye toward HOW the material is
presented and formatted rather than the (usually scientific) SUBJECT MATTER.

In accompanying messages, I will have information about other roles
you might want to fill in the SABR36 presentations effort --
vetting/reviewing abstracts, and onsite judging of presentations.

For those who have already submitted abstracts -- I am in the process
of moving to a more capable computer system, and have not yet gotten
organized enough to individually acknowledge receipt of your
materials. You'll be hearing from me directly very soon.

SABR 36 Dates Announced!!!

Thursday, June 29nd through Saturday, July 1st of 2006... Seattle... Diamonds in the Emerald City...

It's Official, SABR36 will be at the Madison Renaissance Hotel in Seattle.

So, the question is, "Will you be going?"

Or maybe, you have questions...

This is the thread to kick off the announcement and start making your plans.

If you came to the Blog directly, make sure and pop over to the SABR 36 Convention page on the NWSABR website. For one, there's great set of 4 buttons and a checklist highlighting Ball Four. This ties in with the keynote speaker for SABR 36, Yankee and Seattle Pilot pitcher, Jim Bouton.

Hope to see you all in the Emerald City for SABR 36!!!

Maury Brown
Vice President
NWSABR

SABR 36 - Call for Abstracts

All members are invited to present their research to their colleagues attending SABR 36 in Seattle. Oral presentations are anticipated to be limited to 20 minutes, followed by 5 minutes for questions-and-answers. Submission of potential poster presentations is very strongly encouraged. Submissions on all aspects of baseball are welcomed.

Abstracts/summaries of the proposed presentation should be no more than 500 words, including discussion of previous work on the topic and the expected contribution offered by this work, as well as a summary of the research methodology.

Along with the abstract, the author should indicate whether the work is to be reviewed as a poster or oral presentation (or both) and which medium is preferred. Anticipated audio-visual needs should also be described. All research submissions will be evaluated by blind review. Though it is not absolutely mandatory, we very strongly prefer that summaries be submitted electronically, either as plain text-mail or in a standard word processor format to the sabr2006-presentations@comcast.net email address.

Through on-site judging, the best presentations will receive the Doug Pappas Award (courtesy of USA Today Sports Weekly) for best oral presentation and The USA Today Sports Weekly Award for best poster presentation. Submission deadline is March 1, 2006.

The email address sabr2006-presentations@comcast.net should be used for all research presentation submissions, as well as for questions and information requests about research presentations at SABR 36. Members who cannot submit their abstracts electronically should send them to Eileen Canepari in the SABR office with the subject line "SABR 36 Presentation Abstract."

Bevos plan to be competitive

San Diego Padre exec says farm club has lots of homegrown talent
By JASON VONDERSMITH
The Portland Tribune
Issue date: Fri, Feb 4, 2005

Get used to the winning, Portland Beaver fans. So says the San Diego Padres’ director of player development.

The Beavers went 84-60 last season, winning the Pacific Coast League Northern Division title with mostly homegrown players.

“I expect something similar to what we accomplished last year,” Tye Waller says. “We’ll have enough of a mix of veterans and young guys who got a look at Triple-A and had a run at the playoffs last year.”

Who will be on the field for the opener April 7 at Sacramento?

Waller would never want to say for sure because every player who reports to spring training in Peoria, Ariz., this month and next hopes to make the Padres. Veterans, including those on the 40-man roster, report in two weeks — pitchers and catchers Feb. 18, position players Feb. 23. And minor-leaguers start March 4 (pitchers) and March 11 (position players).

“There’s always somebody on some club who makes it — somebody who nobody ever thought of,” Waller says.

Some of Portland’s great pitching staff might be back, including Justin Germano, Chris Oxspring and Tim Stauffer as starters, and Marty McLeary as a starter and reliever. Their 2004 Portland numbers weren’t too shabby: Germano 9-5, 3.38 ERA; Oxspring, 6-4, 3.99; Stauffer 6-3, 3.54; McLeary, 5-4, 2.99, 13 saves.

As members of the Padres’ 40-man roster, Germano and Oxspring may be closer to making the jump to the bigs than Stauffer, who Waller expects will see some time in the majors this season.

“He can locate very well, and he misses his pitches well (on purpose),” Waller says of Stauffer. “He’s close.”

On McLeary, Waller says: “He definitely has a good arm — throws low-to-mid 90s with a decent breaking ball when he has command of it. There’s plenty of arm there, but he has to throw strikes. He gets wild.”

Hurlers Brad Baker, Rusty Tucker and Randy Williams all are on the 40-man roster. Baker, a closer, pitched for the Bevos briefly in 2004 after going 2-1 with an ERA of 1.57 and 30 saves at Class AA Mobile (Ala). Tucker is coming back from elbow surgery in 2003. Williams, a 29-year-old left-hander, pitched for the Tacoma Rainiers last year.

Waller says veterans Danny Patterson and Joe Dawley signed as sixth-year free agents, as well as former Seattle Mariner farmhand Brian Falkenborg.

In addition, former Beaver Mike Bumstead might return, and RD Spiehs (5-6, 2.88 at Mobile) might make the jump to Portland.

In the field, following in the path of Sean Burroughs, Xavier Nady, Khalil Greene and Freddy Guzman before him, second baseman Josh Barfield probably will make his Triple-A debut as one of the Padres’ most heralded prospects.

The 6-0, 185-pound Barfield, son of former big-leaguer Jesse Barfield, hit only .248 at Mobile last year, but with 18 home runs and 90 runs batted in. He’s 22.

“With Mark Loretta in San Diego, it’s highly unlikely he’ll make the Padres,” Waller says, “unless something special happens.

“We’ll see how he responds (in Portland). Like most players we’ll try to get him through April without any devastation. Give him 100 at-bats until May, and see how he responds.”

First baseman Tagg Bozied appears fully recovered from the knee injury suffered during a home-run celebration in Portland last year. The Padres added shortstop J.J. Furmaniak, who hit .292 with 17 home runs for Portland last year, on the 40-man, but Greene has the position locked down at the big-league level.

“We’ve always liked the guy,” Waller says of Furmaniak. “His thing is consistency.”
Jake Gautreau might be back to play third for the Beavers, and the Padres have several veterans attending spring training who can play there. The Padres recently re-signed Burroughs, so Gautreau has an uphill path to play for them.

Guzman might be back in Portland this season — his stint last summer with the Padres showed that he needs to work at getting to first base and making pitches come to him. Guzman had 65 steals in the minors last year and hit .292 in Portland.

Slugger Jon Knott, who had 26 homers and 85 RBIs last year in Triple-A, could be slated for Portland, too.

“Guys are in front of him,” Waller says. “But he’s one of the hardest-working guys we’ve ever had.”

Humberto Quintero, who got ample time in San Diego last year, probably will be back at catcher.

Besides Barfield, another player likely to be promoted to Portland is 23-year-old Ben Johnson, a 6-1, 200-pound outfielder who hit .251 with 23 homers and 85 RBIs last year at Mobile. Another outfielder, Todd Donovan, who hit .299 in Double-A, also could play in Portland, depending on how he has recovered from thumb surgery.

The Padres continue to build their team from within.

It’ll stay that way, “unless (other players) come back from K.T.’s roster,” Waller says, referring to San Diego General Manager Kevin Towers.

“We’re making progress in this organization,” Waller says, of the homegrown talent. “It means we’re doing our job.”

Feb. 20th: Portland Old Timers and Active Baseball Player Association Banquet

Mark your calenders for Feb 20th (date has been moved from Jan. 15th due to weather)...

The 71st annual Old Timers and Active Baseball Player Association banquest will be taking place in Portland at the Multnomah Athletic Club.

A social hour will be from 5:00pm to 6:45pm and a dinner will be served promtly at 7:00pm.

Tickets are $35, which includes your membership in the Active and Old-Timers Association.

Key note speaker this year will be Bill Krueger, A University of Portland product who pitched for the Seattle Mariners and several other Major League teams and is now a commentator for Fox Sports.

Bill Schonely will be the master of ceremonies.

For more information contact the Association at:

503-297-3120

M's have few pitching options

Bavasi may be forced to move salary such as Winn's to bid for highly paid starter

By DAVID ANDRIESEN
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER

Mariners fans have unwrapped a couple of toys this holiday season, and they were expensive ones -- sluggers Adrian Beltre and Richie Sexson.

The next item on the wish list is a starting pitcher, and the cupboards are seriously bare.

Want to take a guess how many free-agent, starting pitchers are out there who had an earned-run average under 5.00 last season?

One.

That would be Odalis Perez, late of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who has been a Mariners target. Given the state of the market -- only a dozen healthy free agents remaining, most of them less than desirable -- Perez is in a powerful position.

Perez recently told reporters that New York Mets general manager Omar Minaya was coming to meet with him in the Dominican Republic, but Minaya said yesterday he had no such plans. The Mets' rotation is full, and they appear to be loading up to make a run at the winter's biggest prize, outfielder Carlos Beltran.

Perez told The Associated Press he's excited at the prospect of playing with new Met Pedro Martinez and looking for a three-year contract in the neighborhood of $8 million per year. The last round of offers for Perez, in which the Mariners and Washington Nationals are thought to have participated, focused closer to $6 million per year.

Mariners general manager Bill Bavasi has said that in order to step into the bidding for a highly paid starter, he might have to move payroll. With rookie Jeremy Reed penciled in as an outfield starter, Randy Winn could be expendable and his $4 million salary put toward pitching. Bavasi said last week he won't move Winn "unless there's a heck of a deal."

As it stands, the Seattle rotation presumably consists of Jamie Moyer, Joel Pineiro, Bobby Madritsch, Gil Meche and Ryan Franklin, though the Mariners would like to shift Franklin to the bullpen.

On the current free-agent market, quality starters are tough to come by. Boston's Derek Lowe (14-12, 5.42) and Colorado's Shawn Estes (15-8, 5.84) are big winners but with inflated ERAs (Franklin had a 4.90) and prohibitive salary demands.

The only other pitchers on the list who won more than they lost last season are the risky Esteban Loaiza and a pair of former Mariners, Aaron Sele and Ismael Valdez. The results weren't great for Valdez in his 2002 Seattle stint, but his competitiveness was impressive, and he won 14 games splitting last season between San Diego and Florida. Sele, a North Kitsap High graduate who still lives in the area, might be receptive to a return.

Beyond that, Bavasi will likely explore trade waters, looking for a partner who wants to shed payroll and/or is interested in Winn.

Not long ago, the Mariners were among baseball's most sought-after trading partners, thanks to their abundance of up-and-coming young pitchers. The problem is, top prospects such as Clint Nageotte and Travis Blackley came up last season and failed to immediately deliver on their promise. That harmed the Mariners' own pitching outlook and gave them less to trade with.

Nageotte, Blackley and other young pitchers will get their chance to break into the rotation during spring training, but the Mariners are not counting on them. Spring could also produce a pleasant surprise among non-roster invitees. Last season, swingman Ron Villone made the team and led the Mariners in victories.

A long shot for the rotation would be right-hander Felix Hernandez, considered by many the top pitching prospect in baseball. Hernandez, 18, pitched at Class AA last season and will get a big-league spring training invitation as long as he doesn't go against the team's wishes and pitch in winter ball at home in Venezuela. But the team has been extraordinarily protective of the prospective staff ace and would be unlikely to let him start the season in Seattle.

Murphy on ballot for final time?

18-year veteran spent 15 years with Braves
By Mark Bowman /
MLB.com



Dale Murphy's career is similar to that of Roger Maris,
also left out of Cooperstown. (Lennoz Mclendon/AP)

ATLANTA -- Before the 13 consecutive division titles were bestowed upon them, Braves fans went through a forgettable stretch in which many of the memories were presented by the great Dale Murphy.

With every mighty swing, Murphy brought the same type of joy he could provide through his countless charitable acts around Atlanta. For Braves fans, there was nobody like this grand athlete from Utah. There was no doubt in their minds his greatness would some day be forever remembered in Cooperstown.

Other than Mike Schmidt and Eddie Murray, there were no equals for Murphy thoughout the '80s. But while Schmidt and Murray have already found their way into the Hall of Fame, Murphy now finds himself staring at the possibility of falling completely off the ballot.

"I hope he gets in there," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. "I think he is a very deserving candidate and wonderful human being. He'd be a very wonderful recipient."

Unfortunately, there aren't too many writers who share in Schuerholz's belief. Murphy was named on just 8.5 percent of the ballots last year. When a total falls below five percent, the player is removed from the ballot and only has hope that the Veterans Committee might some day open the door for them.

Since 1999 -- his first season on the Hall of Fame ballot -- Murphy has seen his vote totals continually decrease.

"It's just flattering to be mentioned with some of these other great players," the always gracious Murphy said. "Nobody has ever thought that this was an easy club to get into."

Murphy claimed back-to-back National League MVP titles in 1982-83 and compiled more total bases than anybody during the eighties. He finished second to Schmidt in homers and Murray in RBIs during the decade.

"If the Hall of Fame is supposed to honor the greatest players of certain eras, then I don't know how you can leave him out," said Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren, who broadcast many of Murphy's game while the Atlanta legend spent 15 years of his 18-year career with the Braves.

During his career, which also included stints with the Rockies and Phillies, Murphy amassed 398 homers, 2,111 hits and 1,266 RBIs. The converted catcher won five Gold Gloves as an outfielder and didn't miss a game from 1982-86.

Murphy's most glaring statistical weakness is his .265 lifetime batting average that came as a result of some unproductive late years in his career. He hit .289 from 1982-87, then at the age of 32 -- and batted .238 from 1988 until the end of his career in '93.

With its short period of dominance, Murphy's career is similar to that of one Roger Maris, who also has been left out of Cooperstown. Ironically, these are the only two back-to-back MVP winners, who aren't in the Hall.

When asked about whether he feels slighted by the voters, Murphy points out that there's a reason ballots aren't cast in the middle of a player's career. If there were a statistical category for humility, he would have been at the top of every decade.

Murphy, who lives in Utah with his wife and children, continues to touch the lives of many like he did during his playing career. There have been countless stories about his desire to make others smile.

While Pete Rose's transgressions are keeping him out, Murphy's saint-like behavior isn't moving him any closer to the Hall's front door.

Greg Hughes, a current Braves and Turner Sports executive, remembers a Sept. 1997 day when a fever-ridden Murphy touched the life of a terminally ill child.

Serving as a Braves intern at the time, Hughes approached Murphy in hopes that the star would come out of the clubhouse to see the child before that day's game. After receiving some medical treatment, Murphy emerged from the clubhouse and immediately brought a smile to the child's face.

The child asked Murphy to hit him a home run. After responding with an "I'll try," the slugger went above the call of duty and drilled two home runs that Sunday afternoon.

"He never failed to come through for fans," Hughes said. "He was the greatest player ambassador for any sport that I've ever seen."

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Winn hoping to stick around

By Jim Street
MLB.com



Though he prefers playing center field, Randy Winn
would be willing to move to left. (John Froschauer/AP)

When Randy Winn signed a three-year contract with the Mariners prior to last season, he had every intention of honoring it and still does.

He wants the Mariners to feel the same way but isn't completely convinced they do.

"One of the first things I told my wife at the end of the season was that there could be some trade rumors and I might get traded," the veteran outfielder said Tuesday from his home in Tampa, Fla. "I have kind of grown accustomed to [rumors], but I knew it would be something new to her."

There has been a smattering of Winn trade rumors in the Hot Stove League -- the hottest one involving a potential swap to the Mets for shortstop Kaz Matsui, but it never happened and probably won't.

Even so, friends and family have called to inquire about the rumors.

Several factors make Winn attractive to other teams. He's a switch-hitter with some power, runs well and plays two of the three outfield positions. He also is signed for two more years for nearly $4 million a season -- a bargain these days.

The Mariners might entertain offers that include a starting pitcher because they have good depth in the outfield. The list includes rookie Jeremy Reed, who did a fine job last September, running down balls hit into the gaps and batting .397 in 18 games. Jamal Strong and Chris Snelling are two other young players getting close to the big leagues.

"I'm not surprised to hear [his name mentioned in trade talk]," Winn said. "I kind of expected it, and it still could happen. I could be traded. I figured the way the team played last season, there were two ways [management] could go.

"They could go out and spend some money, or they could go younger. Either way, if certain moves were made, there was a possibility of me being traded."

As the offseason reaches the holidays, Winn remains with a Mariners team that has been bolstered with the recent additions of first baseman Richie Sexson and third baseman Adrian Beltre.

Following the recent press conference introducing Beltre to the Seattle media, general manager Bill Bavasi suggested that Winn would return to left field next season, Reed would play center field and Raul Ibanez would switch from left field to designated hitter.

That's an arrangement Winn said he could easily live with, although center field remains his favorite position. Being in the same lineup as power hitters like Sexson and Beltre and batting behind Ichiro again makes staying in Seattle all the more inviting.

"I have really been happy with what's going on," Winn said. "The organization set some goals going into the offseason and the first goal was to improve the offense, which has been accomplished. Those two guys speak for themselves."

Speaking for himself, the switch-hitter said he hasn't "officially" heard about the possibility of him moving back to left field -- a position he played superbly in 2003, his first season with the Mariners after coming to Seattle in a "trade" for manager Lou Piniella.

Winn still hasn't spoken to new manager Mike Hargrove. "We've been playing phone tag."

"I have nothing against going back [to left field]," Winn added. "I have played it before so it's not foreign to me. I'll just have to wait until Spring Training and see what happens. I'll know for sure when the manager writes down the lineup."

ichiro chases hits-tory
Complete coverage >

Most of the lineups former manager Bob Melvin wrote down last season had Winn batting second, behind Ichiro. Besides having one of his best Major League seasons -- batting .286 with 14 home runs and 81 RBIs -- Winn had the best seat in the house for witnessing Ichiro's pursuit of Major League "Hits-tory."

"Looking back, it's still amazing to me what Ichiro did," Winn said. "There was one stretch right before the All-Star break when he was getting three or four hits a game and the rest of us were trying to get one. He was going so well that three or four hits was the norm."

Winn was referring to a 28-game stretch between July 4 and Aug. 5 when Ichiro had at least one hit in 27 of the games, two five-hit games, two four-hit games and six three-hit games. His batting average went from .318 to .359 en route to a record 262 hits and a Major League best .372 average.

"I'd walk into the batter's box after one of his hits and the catcher would be looking down, shaking his head. I remember Pudge [Ivan Rodriguez] looking up at me and saying, 'Either that guy is amazing, or I just don't know what to throw him to get him out.'

"I laughed."

He still chuckles when he thinks about the final two weeks of the season -- the only pleasant weeks of a long, miserable season.

"The highlights were watching Ichiro break the single-season hit record and the events surrounding Edgar's [Martinez] retirement," Winn said. "During that last homestand there was something different in the air."

Winn wants to experience more weeks just like that at Safeco Field in 2005.

Jim Street is a reporter MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Portland watches Washington situation with interest

By ANNE M. PETERSON
The Associated Press
12/15/2004, 4:14 p.m. PT

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon officials were watching the developments surrounding the Montreal Expos' move to Washington D.C. with great interest. The Nationals might not be a done deal.

The District of Columbia Council voted on Tuesday night to approve legislation that would finance construction of a ballpark — but the measure was amended to require private financing for at least half the stadium construction costs.

That provision was not contained in the September agreement between baseball and Washington Mayor Anthony A. Williams.

Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer, said Wednesday that the team's "business and promotional activities will cease until further notice."

Meanwhile, Oregon officials were ready to jump back into a bid for the Expos at any time.

"We don't know what it all means yet," said Drew Mahalic of the Oregon Sports Authority. "We need to wait to see how major league baseball assesses this so we can respond."

Supporters of Oregon's campaign to land a major league team will update outgoing Portland Mayor Vera Katz next Tuesday, during a previously scheduled meeting concerning the city's efforts to attract a team and stadium financing.

"Obviously this is moving pretty fast," said Scott Farris, a spokesman for Katz. "We have not heard any word from major league baseball that they are reopening the relocation process."

The city has a finance plan for a new ballpark, Farris said. Baseball officials have said they want public financing for a new stadium in place before deciding where to relocate the team.

The Expos, who struggled financially at Olympic Stadium, were purchased by the 29 other teams before the 2002 season. Portland was among several communities to bid for the team, including Las Vegas; Monterrey, Mexico; and Northern Virginia.

Earlier this month, baseball owners gave their conditional approval to the team's move to Washington, based on the agreement made in September with Mayor Williams.

Mahalic said Oregon's bid for a major league team has never centered solely on the Expos. The Oregon Stadium Campaign has worked to keep Portland's pitch for baseball alive, in hopes of landing a team in the future.

"This is an ongoing pursuit," Mahalic said.

Legislation was approved in Oregon last year that would allow the income taxes from players and other team personnel to be diverted to a fund to pay off bonds used to build the stadium.

Other sources of financing include a ticket tax, concessions and merchandise tax, and revenue from growth near the stadium, as well as things like charter seat licenses.

Mariners sign Richie Sexson

Washington native inks four-year deal
MLB.com

Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Bill Bavasi announced today that the club has agreed to terms on a four-year contract with Richie Sexson. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We have stated from the outset that our primary goal this off-season was to add offense," Bavasi said. "Richie was one of the premier free agents available on the market and we are extremely pleased to be able to add him to our club for 2005 and beyond."

Sexson has 200 career home runs and has averaged 32 home runs and 94 RBI per season over the past four years, despite being limited to 9 home runs and 23 RBI in 23 games in 2004. On April 28, he suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder and a slight tear of his labrum while attempting to check his swing. The injury snapped Sexson's string of 1,642 consecutive innings played over 182 consecutive games dating back to the 2003 season. He was on the disabled list from April 29-May 20, only the second DL stint of his career, before re-injuring the shoulder and returning to the DL on May 23. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on June 4 and missed the remainder of the year.

"I am very excited about coming home to play for the Mariners," Sexson said. "My preference all along was to sign with Seattle and to return to the Northwest. I feel great and I am looking forward to getting back on the field."

The 6-foot-8, 237-pound right-handed hitter is a Northwest native who currently resides in Vancouver, WA. Richie, who turns 30 on December 29, was born in Portland, OR and graduated from Prairie High School in Brush Prairie, WA in 1993. While in high school he earned all-state honors in football, basketball and baseball. He was drafted by Cleveland in the 24th round of the 1993 June draft.

"Any time you add a hitter with numbers like Richie has produced over his career it helps to legitimize your line-up," Mariners manager Mike Hargrove said. "Richie is a proven middle-of-your-order hitter and one of the better power and production hitters of the last four years. He is the first big piece of what we are trying to do here and I am extremely happy to have him signed and in Seattle."

Richie has played with Cleveland (1997-2000), Milwaukee (2000-2003) and Arizona in his eight-year Major League career, including playing under Mike Hargrove from 1997-1999. He owns a career .271 average with 154 doubles, 16 triples, 200 home runs and 616 RBI in 836 games.

Mariners: Sexson close to signing

by Fanball Staff - Fanball.com
Monday, December 13, 2004

First baseman Richie Sexson is close to inking a deal with the Seattle Mariners. The Seattle Times reported that the team has agreed with the first baseman on a multi-year deal, pending a successful physical that will focus on Sexson's surgically repaired left shoulder. Reports vary about the length of the deal, but it is believed to be either a three or four year package.

ViewsSexson was one of the better power hitters in the game before the shoulder surgery, so if he is full strength in spring training he is a player that fantasy owners should not undervalue. He will get plenty of opportunities of drive in runs at Safeco Field, but the Mariners are still courting Carlos Delgado and if they get him it is unclear who would be the regular first baseman and who would replace Edgar Martinez as the team's designated hitter.

WELCOME!!

Welcome to the NWSABR Blog. This blog tracks all baseball related matters in the Pacific Northwest.