Thiel Pounds On Mariner’s Door
August 29th, 2011 by terrybenishhttp://mariners.sportspressnw.com/2011/08/28/thiel-playing-time-needs-to-go-to-kids-not-ichiro/
Thiel: Playing time needs to go to kids, not Ichiro
Art Thiel the venerable and respected columnist, late of the PI and now the majordomo behind Sportspress Northwest pounded out thousand words that you could almost see the indentation on the paper.
No hint of being in the team’s back pocket and the keeper of the soul in Northwest Sports, you can hear the sound of his fists hitting the desk top reverberating around the sound.
No dilettante, Thiel’s book after the Mariner’s singular year in 2001,
Out Of Left Field
provided a road map for the subsequent ten years. He told us that baseball was not important to the ownership and management, rather they thought they needed to build a team that was good enough to attract people to the new stadium where all the merchandising would provide good family entertainment. They believed their focus groups.
Well a funny thing happened, Seattle fans became knowledgeable about baseball and love baseball and great players and have become sickened by the serially horrific presentation of mediocrity which then descended in baseball hell.
He slaps them about the head, admonishing them not to trade the only talent that has washed up on shore in decades and says, who cares if Ichiro gets 200 hits. It means less this year than it has the past ten years. Give the at bats to the kids, they are the future.
Welcome back Art!
Follow the link above, it’s a great read.
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
August 29th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Art Thiel wrote a very good article and hopefully he is correct that the Seattle baseball fan has become smarter and understand that the current owners care more about butts in the seat than contending for the championship.
The Mariners have a good group of young ballplayers and they should get their time in on the field and at the plate. You need to see what they can do to build for tomorrow. I would prefer the Mariners bringing up young players than seeing the likes of a Sexton or Cust out on the field.
From your previous blog, I am in agreement. I would trade Ichiro and gladly eat some/most of his paycheck for some good young prospects. Or wishful thinking Ellsbury for Ichiro. Nah, Epstein wouldn’t go for it.
August 29th, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Pat I think the baseball IQ is up here. Thanks for writing.