By Mike Kord
Photos of the Week
10 For Today newsletters
2023-24 College Football Storyboards
2023-24 NFL Storyboards
Can the Seattle Mariners turn it around in 2020? A preview of this year’s team
In the 2004 sci-fi comedy “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” Joel and Clementine are a couple that breaks up and undergoes separate procedures to erase painful memories from the relationship. The procedures work and their recollections of each other disintegrate into the ether.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Seattle Mariners fans could experience the same memory erasure of the more excruciating moments of the franchise’s past?
A $240 million player never mistook how many outs there were. You never paid $13 for an IPA served in a warm plastic cup at T-Mobile Park. Ken Griffey, Jr. trade? Didn’t happen.
Alas, those memories are real, as was the 2019 season. It started out promising. The M’s were 13-2 by mid-April. The stalwarts of the 89-win 2018 season – Robinson Cano, James Paxton and all-stars Edwin Diaz and Jean Segura – were gone, but who cared? It was going to be “Refuse to Lose” all over again.
The Mariners, however, lost 18 of their next 25, and the season sped out of control like a wild pitch without a backstop to impede it. As the losses mounted, general manager Jerry Dipoto began trading proven talent for prospects and they finished 68-94.
The last time the Mariners made the postseason was 2001. Paul Schell was mayor. Nickelback had a No. 1 song. IPhones? Apple wasn’t even in the mobile game yet.
And here we are, on the cusp of the Mariners’ first game of the 2020 Cactus League season.
Which brings to mind a phrase common to the M’s fan’s vocabulary – “rebuilding season.”
We’re on the verge of another one.
Another familiar phrase – “be patient.” Be patient as the team rebuilds.
As with any rebuild, the team is going to look different. For the first time since 2002, Felix Hernandez is not with the club. In fact, only nine players remain from last year’s opening day roster. With no timeline on the return of injured right fielder Mitch Haniger and second baseman Dee Gordon currently relegated to a backup middle infielder role, pitcher Marco Gonzales could be the only opening day starter in both 2019 and 2020.
But before opting out of what would appear to be another disappointing season, take heed of Joel and Clementine. They found themselves on the same train sometime after their memory purge and realized the potential of their relationship.
If spring training 2020 is going to bring you back to the team, then these are the players sending you the 11 p.m. text that says, “Can we talk?”
Marco Gonzales, pitcher
The pitching of Gonzales made tuning into every fifth game worthwhile last season. The lefthander finished 2019 among the American League’s best starters: Tied for 5th in wins (16), tied for 6th in quality starts (19 and 7th in innings pitched (203). Though his fastball is underwhelming, he keeps hitters off balance with command of his off-speed repertoire, which makes his 89 MPH heater appear faster than it is. Earlier this month, the franchise signed the 29-year-old to a four-year contract extension with $30 million guaranteed.
2019: 16-13, 147 strikeouts, 56 walks, 1.31 WHIP, 3.99 ERA
WAR: 3.2 (9th among AL pitchers with 29 or more starts)
Tom Murphy, catcher
Production at catcher was a bright spot in 2019. Regular starter Omar Narváez was traded to Milwaukee in December, which left the spot open for Murphy. The 28-year-old appeared in 75 games (67 behind the dish) and had a breakout year in the batter’s box (.273/.324/.858 with 18 homers and 40 RBIs). Murphy was fifth in average exit velocity (90.7 MPH) among catchers in both leagues. His arm stood out, too, as he was second in the American League in caught stealing percentage (.389) among catchers with 60 or more starts.
2019 (75 games): .273/.324/.535 with 18 HRs and 40 RBIs
WAR: 2.6 (6th among AL catchers with 260 or more at bats)
Photo: Godofredo A Vásquez, Staff Photographer
Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager (15) celebrates with shortstop J.P. Crawford (3) after hitting a home run against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning of an MLB game at Minute Maid Park Sunday, Aug. 4, 2019, in Houston.
Kyle Seager, third baseman
Seager is not known for his hot starts. He hit .159 in the month of April of 2016, yet he went on to have his most productive season ever. So after missing the first two months of 2019 with a hand injury, it wasn’t shocking that he hit only .219 in June. But he was coming off his worst season in 2018. And after an 0-for-3 performance on July 12 saw his batting average dip to .199, it was normal to question if Seager could reclaim his 2016 form. Over the next six weeks, Seager would hit .282 with 17 homers and 42 RBIs, suggesting that he could. Although injuries have impacted Seager’s performance in recent years, how he handles the defensive shift (Seager faced the shift in 79.3 percent of his 2019 at bats) will be as much of a factor in his 2020 success.
2019 (106 games): .239/.321/.468 with 23 HRs and 63 RBIs
WAR: 2.4 (9th among AL third basemen with 380 or more at bats)
Mitch Haniger, right fielder
There’s nothing like a foul tip to the groin to curtail a rising star’s career. Just ask Haniger, who suffered a season-ending ruptured testicle after fouling off a pitch last June. He stayed in the game for one more at bat and then missed the rest of the season. Haniger was mired in a 31-for-162 slump (.191) at the time. The 29-year-old also underwent sports hernia surgery in January. Then the human voodoo doll had lower back surgery last week. No timetable has been set on his return. For a team already in full rebuild mode, the loss of Haniger – who finished 11th in AL MVP voting in 2018 – is a major setback.
2019 (63 games): .220/.314/.463 with 15 homers and 30 RBIs.
WAR: 1.4 (11th among AL right fielders with 240 or more at bats)
Daniel Vogelbach, designated hitter/first base
If any player was a microcosm of the 2019 season, it was Vogelbach. The left-handed slugger was on fire in April, batting .328 with eight homers and 16 RBIs. But his September production was just .161 with two homers and six RBIs. He finished with 30 bombs, 76 RBIs and a respectable .341 OBP. But the vast majority of his numbers came versus right-handed pitching. Vogelbach will have to improve versus lefties. If not, his power alone will still make him a regular in many opponents’ scouting reports as a designated hitter.
2019 (144): .208/.341/.439 with 30 HRs and 76 RBIs
WAR: 1.4 (9th among AL first basemen with 400 or more at bats)
Shed Long, second baseman
Nothing says “rebuilding year” like a nine-year veteran making $14 million backing up a 24-year-old with pre-arbitration status. Such is the case at second base. The Mariners currently have Long ahead of Dee Gordon on the depth chart. It’s odd but makes sense. Playing time is more valuable to a young player than a veteran who likely won’t return to the team in 2021. Cincinnati drafted Long in the 12th round of the 2013 draft. His rise through the Reds’ organization was steady when Seattle acquired him in a three-way trade with the Yankees in 2019. He started 24 games at second base, too small of a sample size to read into his defensive stats. Gordon will hardly be forgotten. He is also backing up J.P. Crawford at shortstop and could still enjoy a significant number of at bats.
2019 (42 games): .263/.333/.454 with five homers and 15 RBI
WAR: -0.1 (49th among AL second baseman with 150 or more at bats)
Photo: Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners player Taijuan Walker
Key newcomers
Taijuan Walker, pitcher
It was the best of times for Taijuan Walker. The 17-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2013 draft by Seattle. Just five spots behind Mets phenom Noah Syndergaard. With a fastball that regularly hit mid- to upper-90s, he made his big-league debut three years later. Walker’s promising career, however, hasn’t sustained the trajectory once predicted. His best season was in 2015 when he went 11-8. The next year he was optioned to AAA and eventually traded to Arizona. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018 and pitched one inning in the last game of the Diamondbacks’ 2019 season. They didn’t tender him a contract. Reports from earlier this month stated Walker’s fastball was clocked in the mid- to upper-80s. The Mariners, in need of starters, signed him to a one-year deal worth $2 million. Walker is currently projected as the fifth starter. The club will have to be patient as Walker attempts to patch together his career.
2019: 0-0, 1 strikeout, 0 walks, 1.00 WHIP, 0.00 ERA
WAR: 0.1
Yoshihisa Hirano, pitcher
Who will be the closer in 2020? The answer is still unclear, though some of the mystery was lifted after the January signing of Hirano. The 35-year-old righthander was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 Nippon Professional Baseball draft. He led the NPB in saves (40) in 2014 and made his MLB debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018. He threw well as a setup-man, compiling a 2.44 ERA in 75 appearances, but dipped in 2019 (62 games, 4.75 ERA). Hirano has decent control and relies on an effective split finger, but when he needs to throw a fastball, he can still reach 93 MPH. Not bad qualities in a closer.
2019: 5-5, 61 strikeouts, 22 walks, 1.215 WHIP, 4.75 ERA
WAR: -0.3
Photo: Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners player Kendall Graveman
Kendall Graveman, pitcher
A franchise undergoing a rebuild can also offer a fresh start for a veteran like Kendall Graveman. The 29-year-old right-handed pitcher was in his fourth year as a regular starter for Oakland in 2018 when he underwent Tommy John surgery. He didn’t play in 2019 but signed a $3.5 million one-year contract with the Mariners in the offseason. He figures to be the fourth or fifth starter in the rotation. His best season was 2016 when he started 31 games and went 10-11 with a 4.19 ERA. A repeat of that would bode well for the team and Graveman’s career.
2017: 6-4, 70 strikeouts, 32 walks, 1.386 WHIP, 4.19 ERA
WAR: -0.3
Top prospects
Justus Sheffield, pitcher
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 6-0, 200
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
Sheffield is expected to be the No. 3 starter in the rotation. He was Cleveland’s first-round selection in 2014, traded to the Yankees in 2016 and made his big-league debut as a September call up in 2018. He joined Seattle two months later in the James Paxton trade. He had 25 starts between AA Arkansas and AAA Tacoma and went a combined 7-9 with a 4.13 ERA and an impressive 133 strikeouts in 133 innings. He also had seven starts for Seattle last season. Sheffield has command of a mid-90s fastball and combines it with an effective slider and changeup. Expect spans of brilliance coupled with teachable moments in 2020.
Evan White, first baseman
Age: 23
Height/Weight: 6-3, 205
Bats/Throws: Right/Left
Perhaps the most intriguing storyline this spring will be the development of White, a 2017 first-round pick who is currently atop the depth chart at first base. After hitting .293/.350/.488 with 18 homers and 55 RBIs at AA Arkansas in 2019, Dipoto signed White to a six-year deal worth $24 million – one of the largest contracts ever for an American player with scant experience above AA (White appeared in four games for the Rainiers in 2018). The athletic 23-year-old is also among the game’s best defensive first basemen. The challenge for Dipoto will be assessing the wisdom of a young player essentially skipping AAA. It’s a gamble common to a rebuilding team, but White’s MLB-level skill set makes it a promising one.
Logan Gilbert, pitcher
Age: 22
Height/Weight: 6-6, 226
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
With so much overturn on the big-league club’s roster, a fast track to T-Mobile Park is provided to minor leaguers. Gilbert, entering just his second year of pro ball, stepped on that fast track in 2019 and is a candidate for a September call up in 2020. Seattle took Gilbert with the 14th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Stetson University, but a case of mononucleosis shut him down before a single pitch in Everett. In 2019 Gilbert started 26 games at Class A West Virginia, long A Modesto and AA Arkansas and went 10-5 with a 2.13 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 135 innings. He combines a low- to mid-90s heater with a slider, change up and 12-6 curve that keeps hitters from cheating.
Justin Dunn, pitcher
Age: 24
Height/Weight: 6-2, 185
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Dunn is another pitcher the franchise has been excited about since he came over from the Mets in the 2018 Robinson Cano trade. Fans got a look of Dunn when he got a sip of coffee as a September call up last season, compiling a 2.70 ERA over six innings. What they saw was velocity that reaches the mid-90s and a nice cut fastball. Dunn started 25 games at AA Arkansas, going 9-5 with a 3.55 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 131 innings. With those numbers it’s easy to see why Dunn was selected for the All-Star Futures Game and could land a spot on the Mariners’ pitching staff coming out of spring training.
Julio Rodriguez, outfielder
Age: 19
Height/weight: 6-4, 225
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
It’s almost unfair for a teenager to possess as much bat speed as Rodriguez, and that fact wasn’t lost on the Mariners when they signed him as a 16-year-old free agent in 2017. He spent 2019 in Class A West Virginia and long A Modesto and missed two months with a broken bone in his left non-throwing hand. He still played 84 games and put up a combined .326/.390/.540 slash line with 12 home runs and 69 RBIs. Despite his obvious talents, fans should pump the brakes on expecting to see Rodriguez in a Mariners uniform on opening day.
Jarred Kelenic, center fielder
Age: 20
Height/Weight: 6-0, 196
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
Kelenic was the sixth-overall pick by the New York Mets in the 2018 draft. He came to the M’s as part of the seven-player trade that sent Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the New York Mets. He spent much of 2019 with West Virginia and Modesto before he was promoted to AA Arkansas. Kelenic possesses speed and power. In 2019 he hit 23 homers and stole 20 bases with a .291/.364/.540 slash line. A solid few months of play in Tacoma could result in some big-league action later this season.
Jake Fraley, right fielder
Age: 24
Height/Weight: 6-0, 195
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
With Mitch Haniger out indefinitely, an opportunity has opened for Jake Fraley. The 24-year-old is a strong candidate to be the starting right fielder on opening day. Fraley started 2019 at AA Arkansas and played well enough to advance to AAA Tacoma. His combined slash line .298/.365/.545 with 18 homers and 80 RBI in 99 games showed he was worthy of the second-round pick Tampa Bay spent on him in 2016. The Mariners called him up in late August and gave him 40 at bats to get familiar with big-league pitching – the first step of what could potentially be a solid major league career.
Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP
Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki fields balls during batting practice at spring baseball training Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Peoria, Ariz.
American League West predictions
Houston Astros
Caesar’s Palace says: 97 wins
New manager Dusty Baker will be charged with the task of rallying his team amid nationwide ire following the revelation that the Astros were stealing signs from their opponents. Last year’s general manager and manager were fired, but not a single player has been suspended. Sluggers Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and George Springer return as does AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander. The Astros have averaged 104 wins per season since 2017. Even without starting pitcher Gerrit Cole, they’re the favorites to win the division again.
Oakland Athletics
Caesar’s Palace says: 89.5 wins
Manager Bob Melvin could be setting the road map for Mariners manager Scott Servais. Melvin toiled through three straight losing seasons before back-to-back 97-win campaigns in 2018 and 2019. How does he do it? Balance. In 2019, the A’s finished in the AL top five in each of these categories: HRs (4th, 257), OBP (5th, .327), SLG (5th, .448), ERA (4th, 3.97), quality starts (3rd, 78), batting average against (4th, .242) and fielding percentage (3rd, .986).
Los Angeles Angels
Caesar’s Palace says: 85.5 wins
The Angels, winners of just 72 games in 2019, tried to go big in the offseason. But efforts to land Cole from the Astros and Joc Pederson from the Dodgers failed. Still determined for instant gratification, LAA signed free agent third baseman Anthony Rendon (.319/.412/.598) from the Nationals to a seven-year, $245 million contract. The Angels are targeting a mid-May return to the mound for two-way performer Shohei Ohtani. Until then, he will DH for the big-league club while making minor-league starts on the mound. Add reigning AL MVP Mike Trout and new manager Joe Maddon, you can see why Caesar’s is high in the Angels.
Texas Rangers
Caesar’s Palace says: 78.5 wins
With Houston, Oakland and Los Angeles in the division, the Rangers will have a tough time competing for a playoff spot. That doesn’t mean they’re without talent. The team traded for two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber in the offseason. How he recovers from his broken throwing arm (by a line drive) suffered early last season will dictate his 2020 effectiveness. Former Mariner Shin Shoo Choo will DH and probably hit his usual .270 with 20 homers. Former Mariners infielder and minor league infield coach Chris Woodward is entering his second season at the helm.
Seattle Mariners
Caesar’s Palace says: 67.5 wins
Sorry, fans. This just isn’t going to be the year. General Manager Jerry Dipoto has already stated that the team is unlikely to compete for a postseason spot in 2020, instead focusing on developing its young players. And there’s no shortage of that supply; the M’s have 17 players age 25 or younger on the current 40-man roster. The excitement of opening day will be more about watching Ichiro throw out the first pitch than growing the roots of a postseason appearance. But if a few prospects develop, the franchise is in good position financially for a playoff run in 2021 or 2022.
The Right Staff: UW Pitchers
By Mike Kord
Sustainable Style
8 reasons to get fired up for UW softball
Mike Kord, Special to the SeattlePI
Feb. 11, 2021Updated: Feb. 11, 2021 7:47 a.m.
Washington begins the 2021 season ranked No. 2 in the nation, the same position as last March when the season was abruptly canceled. The NCAA is giving players an extra year of eligibility because of the pandemic-shortened season, and perhaps no team benefits as much as UW.
Here are eight reasons to believe the hype when it comes to the Huskies.
The Huskies are loaded with talent
Four players, including two “super seniors” who claimed that extra year – Sis Bates and Morganne Flores – were recently named to the USA Softball Preseason Player of the Year Watchlist. Bates is a two-time All-American, and Flores won the 2020 Johnny Bench award, honoring the best catcher in the nation. Joining them is first-team All-American righthanded pitcher Gabbie Plain and sophomore infielder Baylee Klingler.
Second-year freshman Kelley Lynch is perhaps the breakout player who will propel the Huskies to the national title. Lynch, from Newnan, Georgia, was the Gatorade National High School Player of the Year in 2019.
The roster includes locally grown talent, too. Seven players are from Washington State, led by sophomore leftfielder Sami Reynolds (Snohomish).
Heather Tarr is one of the most successful coaches in UW history
Tarr is a die-hard Husky. She grew up in Redmond and played third base on the UW team that finished second in the nation in 1996. Eight years later she took over an already-successful program and turned it into one of the best in the nation.
She has a 659-246-1 record entering her 17th season. The Huskies have made it to the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) seven times and the semifinals (equivalent to basketball’s Final Four) six times under Tarr. If the great men’s basketball coach Marv Harshman went to that many Final Fours in his Washington tenure, we would all be traveling in and out of Marv Harshman International Airport.
Tarr’s Huskies won the WCWS in 2009 and took second in 2018. Some players call her the most competitive person they’ve been around.
Many successful coaches downplay the significance of competing for a national title because of the weight of expectations. At UW, the championship is there for the taking, and Tarr enjoys the pursuit.
“I don’t know if the pressure is any greater any one year than it is this year,” Tarr said. “We want that attention.”
They have a superstar pitcher
Gabbie Plain is a senior from Harrington Park, Australia. When her talents became apparent as a teenager, she wasn’t interested in coming to a northern school in America. Why? The same reason you’ve hardly seen your neighbors since September — the weather. But once she visited and saw the beauty of the city and the campus, she was all in.
Plain has a career record of 56-9, a 1.39 ERA, and 521 strikeouts in 418 innings pitched.
As you might have guessed, her teammates have noticed.
“Gabbie is literally a goddess. I am obsessed with her. I mean, come on, Gabbie’s Gabbie. She’s amazing.”
Flores’ view from behind the plate allows her to witness Plain’s devastating repertoire of pitches and unflappable demeanor up close.
“She just always keeps a consistent mood throughout the whole game,” Flores said. “I think that’s a big reason for her success. And then, she’s just so talented. She spins the ball so true each pitch and gets ahead in the count. She was born to pitch.”
You won’t find better role models
The UW roster is stocked with upbeat, engaging, confident, athletic, funny, and intelligent young women. Whether you have a daughter playing softball, a son playing baseball, or even if you’re looking for some inspiration for yourself, this program has a wealth of motivational material.
The team carried a 3.36 GPA in fall quarter, and they embrace their status as role models, too.
“I think a lot of us are in it to be those role models for younger people because we were all once there,” said Flores. “I know there are girls looking up to us and watching our every move, so that’s always in the back of my mind. I want to be a great example for those that are younger than me.”
Football fans can live vicariously through the softball team
The gridiron Huskies have given fans plenty to be proud of in recent years: a college football playoff appearance in 2016, a Rose Bowl appearance in 2019, and their current seven-game Apple Cup win streak.
But when was their last major non-conference victory over a traditional power? The year 2010, when the Dawgs knocked off No. 18 Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl. (Trivia question: Who was the UW’s quarterback in that game? Answer, below.)
Last year alone the softball team scored victories over traditional football schools such as LSU, Oklahoma, Florida State, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Michigan, and Northwestern. Admit it. Wouldn’t it feel good to brag about beating LSU? Bonus: they also swept rival Oregon 3-0 the last time the two teams played a three-game series in 2019.
The Dawgs hit the ball all over the yard — sometimes out of it
There is seldom an easy out in the Huskies batting order. The team hit .365 in 2020, good for third in the nation. Bates usually hits leadoff or No. 2 and carried a .529 batting average last season. As a freshman, Klingler hit .481 (21st in the nation) with five home runs and a team-leading 33 RBI. Reynolds, a sophomore in 2020, hit .424. Growing up an hour north of Husky Softball Stadium, there was little doubt where she would take her talents.
“I think I always wanted to be a Dawg because it’s right here in my backyard,” Reynolds said. “And it’s like the coolest freaking place ever. Just watching games and being able to see the water and the boats. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is so cool.’ ”
With 48 career homers, Flores is one of the most prolific power hitters in UW history. In 2019, she belted 24 homers, just one short of the single-season UW record, and 61 RBI to accompany her .348 batting average. She needs 59 RBI to set the program’s career record.
“We typically don’t run a super, power offense,” said Tarr.
But this year, “We’re going to see a little bit of a Murderer’s Row, if you will, with Morganne Flores and Kelly Lynch and Baylee Klingler and Noelle Hee to say the least. We’ve got some righthanded power that we might’ve lacked in years past.”
Lynch is the team’s biggest dual threat. In the batter’s box, she led the team with eight homers and drove in 28 RBI. On the mound, she had a 4-0 record, which included a 7-0 win over No. 5 Florida State, when she threw 5.1 shutout innings and hit a three-run bomb.
Keep an eye on second baseman Taryn Atlee, who hit .441 in 2020, and third baseman SilentRain Espinoza, who made the conference All-Freshman team in 2019 and batted .390 last year.
They’re virtuosos on defense
The Huskies – fourth in NCAA fielding percentage in 2020 – are anything but lacking in the field. Nowhere is that more apparent than at shortstop, where Bates is redefining infield play. Fans voted her the best shortstop in the history of college softball in an ESPN poll, earning twice as many votes as the runner-up, UCLA’s Natasha Watley. She is also the two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Bates dives, dashes, smiles and dances all over the left side of the infield – sometimes all in the same play.
“Defense is super fun,” Bates said with a joyous laugh. “It sounds so funny for me to say that. But seriously, I love it. It’s genuinely fun for me.”
Her last error occurred in May 2019. For context, the song “Old Town Road” was still a thing.
Atlee was a third-team Pac-12 infielder in 2019 and has started 140 of 148 career games at second base, creating a formidable double-play combination with Bates.
The outfield is anchored by speedy centerfielder Jadelyn Allchin and leftfielder Reynolds.
They flourish despite our dreary Seattle weather
Thirty-eight teams have been crowned NCAA champion since the first Women’s College World Series in 1982. Only twice has a team from the north won the title: Michigan in 2005 and Washington in 2009.
The players—14 of whom hail from California or other warm locales —don’t let the frequent rain get to them.
In fact, “We totally take pride in it,” said Tarr. “There’s something to be said about these guys coming here and wanting to be a part of our program. Although it might not be in dirt and 80 degrees, we have a cool learning space and we really take a lot of pride in that.”
Trivia answer: Jake Locker.
Mike Kord is a freelance writer who covers Seattle-area sports for the SeattlePI.
UW Softball 2021 Season Preview
By Mike Kord
Articles by Mike Kord 