Tag: Munenori Kawasaki

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2020 Ex-Mariner of the Year… late but worth it

Sorry, teacher, we’re a year late.

The 2020 Ex-Mariner of the Year announcement was all set for February 2021. It was a campaign marked by the deepest dive we’ve ever taken here at Playin’ in the Dirt. We searched MLB postseason rosters… added a Ross Eversoles bracket for guys still gripped by the game somewhere you’ve never heard of… an offshore bonus bracket for ex-M’s in foreign lands… we even put in a special folksong bracket for Ex-Mariners named Abraham, Martín, and Juan. And Robi.

So there we were, a year ago, ready to unleash the big announcement. Seriously. It was ready to go. No, teacher, the dog didn’t eat our homework. It was something way worse.

Kevin Mather, former Mariner CEO, goes off the rails
Absolutely, totally, unequivocally not the Ex-Mariner of the Year. (Bellevue Breakfast Rotary)

It was #thatman. Kevin Mather. Voldemort. He Who Shouldn’t Even Have Been Named Again here on these pages.

Continue reading “2020 Ex-Mariner of the Year… late but worth it”

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Ex-Mariner of the Year: Offshore Bonus Bracket

Today we find more Ex-Mariner treasure – those not named Abraham, Martín, or Juan (or Robi) – among distant oceans and byways of offshore baseball.

Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) is locked in a seven-game semifinal Dominican Series battle with los Toros del Este. This year’s Aguilas squad included ex-Mariner Vidal Nuno III, he of 8-21 over five MLB teams in six seasons. Nuno didn’t make the Aguilas’ playoff roster.

Fermin: You can buy this card on Amazon for $23.74.

But maybe you’ve heard of the Aguilas’ manager. A guy named Felix Fermin. El Gato was a stalwart Mariner middle infielder in the 1994-95 glory years. He’s been on the job since 2000, with a 2-year break to skipper los Gigantes de Cibao. But the Aguilas got him back, he’s an icon of Dominican ball, and he’s looking to add another title to his trophy shelf.

Meanwhile, over on the Toros, where they do these awesome clubhouse victory celebrations (if you click on just one link in this post, you gotta click this one) , recent ex-M Hunter Strickland has stepped off the field and serves as a pitching coach. And when you think about it, who wouldn’t want to coach for The Bulls of the East?

Continue reading “Ex-Mariner of the Year: Offshore Bonus Bracket”

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Abraham, Martín, and Juan

The fire sale on the Mariners roster takes no account of the feelings of the fans, the burning desire to grab that playoff spot with the men on the club right now, the love we feel as family for these devoted ballplayers who’ve given at least a piece of their lives, bitter as it may be with all the losing, to us. But it’s all business. Stiff upper lip, chaps. And what not.

Here at Playin’ in the Dirt, we had to blow off a little folk-song steam along with all the tears, so here, as our gift to you, our one or two verified readers out there… well, you know the tune…

Anybody here seen my old friend Abraham?
Continue reading “Abraham, Martín, and Juan”

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Another damn rabbit hole

Like any good addiction, it started with something like “Pssst… Hey kid, try some-a this. It’s good. It’s on me.”

Or in this case my buddy Dave, dammit Dave, whispered, “Yeah man, it’s Lookout Landing. I get all my Mariners news there. It’s free… You should try it.”

“That’s right… good, good… use the force…”
– Darth Vogelbach

So I snorted a hefty dose of Lookout Landing, and sure enough. Down the rabbit hole I went, hooked for good. Continue reading “Another damn rabbit hole”

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Ex-Mariner of the Week: Luis Valbuena

Who the hell is this guy?

“I’ll take Twisted Webs for $1,000, Alex.”

“OK then… nobody ever gets this shit… well I’ll be damned, it’s a video daily double!”

“I’m all in. I’ll risk my whole fifteen grand. I love this stuff.”

“If you say so… Dumbass… He’s an ex-Mariner whose name is forever linked with J.J. ‘Thunderstruck’ Putz… Mike ‘All-fish-name team’ Carp… Jason ‘Basset Hound’ Vargas… and Franklin ‘Death to Flying Things’ Gutierrez…” Continue reading “Ex-Mariner of the Week: Luis Valbuena”

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First Pitch!

First loves and true loves, heroes and legends, green grass and clover… let’s get this season started!

Oh yeah. Blue skies on a spring day and the season begins with the Yankees on the road, set to pound the home team… but Logan Morrison grinds out three RBIs for the hosts, Brad Miller goes 2 for 5 with a run scored, Danny Farquhar looks sharp in relief… and Tampa Bay wins?

On the other side of the country, just like old times, 40-year-old Fernando Rodney comes on in the ninth inning, gives up the go-ahead run, but watches from the bench and picks up the win as the… D-Backs walk off?

Huh? Say what? Continue reading “First Pitch!”

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Ex-Mariner of the Year

Pitchers and Catchers report today!

In celebration, and you know we celebrate this day every year, Playin’ in the Dirt tips a cap to one amazing man. A man who you just have to believe is most glad for a mind-boggling trade.

Second-year pitcher Mike Montgomery had appeared in 32 games for the Ms in 2016, posting a 2.34 ERA and looking strong. On July 20, he went to the Cubs. Three months later, he was in the playoffs. Continue reading “Ex-Mariner of the Year”

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A Monkey Never Cramps

There’s nothing but joy in this man’s game.

Munenori Kawasaki is remembered by Mariner fans as the bouncy Tigger® of their 2012 infield, a grin super-glued to his face saying how lucky he felt standing there, spikes caked at last with Major League dirt.

Who cares if he hit .192 in only 104 at-bats, appearing in less than half the Mariners’ games? That smile stayed on his face on the bench, lighting up the dugout. TV cameras loved the guy, check him out, what a great influence on his teammates, slapping backs, cheering on every pitch, just happy to be there. Continue reading “A Monkey Never Cramps”