… that Aaron Cunningham, the South Kitsap grad who has had 11 hits in his last 18 at bats, including three home runs, is a car nut? The outfielder with the Tucson Padres of the Pacific Coast League once sold a Lincoln Navigator to rapper and actor Ice-T. Don’t believe me? Read all about it right here.

… that this is the 55th year anniversary of the 1946 Bremerton BlueJackets, a Class B pro baseball team that played in the Western International League? The manager, 46-year-old Sam Gibson, pitched in six games that season.

… that Jordan Spieth, the 2009 U.S. Junior Amateur champion, is the No. 1 ranked junior golfer in the U.S. and No. 43 overall amateur in the world?  And, yes, he will be coming to Bremerton to play in this year’s Junior Am at Gold Mountain Golf Club.

… that the Mariners have scored two runs or less in 35 of their first  81 games? Let that sink in for a minute.

… that Ichiro Suzuki, hitting .275, is on pace for 184 hits.

… that for managers with 1,400 or more games, no one from 1900 on has a lower winning percentage than Jim Riggleman, who quit the Washington Nationals because he felt he was being given an respect by the team GM? Joe Posnanski discusses Riggleman in this blog post.

… that Atta Boy Roy, the horse owned by Port Orchard’s Ray Schaefer, could race at Emerald Downs in the Longacres Mile in August?

I’ve never arrived at a soccer game this early, but wanted to make sure I avoided rush-hour traffic.

So I’m settled in at the Starfire Sports Stadium press box. Some fans are already in their seats.

Wonder if the Pumas’ fans were shocked to pay $15 for parking? It’s $10 closer to the entrance at the park, but when you get down by the stadium, it’s $15. King County Parks and Rec, not the Sounders, are charging for parking. Starfire Sports, a non-profit group,  operates the complex. Parking would have been free in Bremerton. Looks it’ll be a full house (I’ve been told capacity is 4,500).

We’ll check back later with some updates. In the meantime, here’s some links to some stories in case you missed them:

In this column, I wrote about the David vs. Goliath aspect of the match, and tried to make an argument that the game should have been played in Bremerton.

The Pumas have some Sounders’ connections — goalkeeper Bryan Meredith was drafted by the Sounders; coach Peter Fewing is a broadcast analyst for the Sounders and defender Daniel Scott’s brother, Zach Scott, plays for the Sounders. Here’s a story on the Scott brothers that appeared in today’s paper.

The Everett Herald has this piece on Fewing, who said: “The fact that the Sounders are the Sounders and we’re the Kitsap Pumas, and there’s a massive gap between us. On every level they’re beyond us. And all of our guys would love to be wearing a Sounders jersey at some point.”

LIVE STREAMING: Tonight’s game will be live streamed by SoundersFC.com and is being broadcast by Arlo White, the Sounders’ regular broadcaster. It’s also being streamed (audio only) by KMAS.com.

SOUNDERS LINEUP: Terry Boss, GK; Zach Scott, D (Cpt.); Leo Gonzalez, D; Taylor Graham, D; Michael Tetteh, D; David Estrada, M; Osvaldo Alonso, M; Mike Seamon, M; Miguel Montano, M; Mike Fucito, F; Nate Jaqua, F. Subs (only 3 can play according to US Cup rules: Josh Ford, GK; Servando Carracso, Roger Levesque, Lamar Neagle, Pat Noonan, Jeff Parke, Tyson Wahl.

Alonso has started all 18 games for the Sounders and played more minutes than anyone except GK Kasey Keller. Jaqua’s started five games and played in 15; Fucito has started six games and played in nine; Gonzales has started nine games and played in 11; Scott has started three and played in four. The other starters are primarily reserves.

PUMAS LINEUP: Bryan Meredith, GK: Stephen Mohn, D; Taylor Hyde, D; Dan Scott, D (Capt); Mark Lee, D; Matt Friesen, M; Nik Besagno, M (Cpt); Elliott Fauske, M; Cameron Hepple, M; Robert Christner, F; Bryan Burke, F. Subs: Zac Lubink GK; David Gray, Warlen Silva, Samuel Roco, Tye Perdido, Chris Andre, Kendell McFayden.

STRATEGY: Look for the Pumas to be a little conservative. Someone suggested they might open in a 4-5-1 alignment. That’s four defenders, five midfielders and one forward.

ODDS AND ENDS: The winner will take on the LA Galaxy-LA Blues winner in the quarterfinals. Kitsap would travel to Fullerton, Calif. to play the Galaxy but would host the Blues if it can pull off the upset. … The Pumas and Chicago Fire are the only PDL clubs left in the tournament. … Kitsap lost in the first round of the US Cup the past two years, losing to the now MLS Portland Timbers in 2009 and 2010.

GAME ON: The Sounders uniforms are so bright it looks like they’re powered by neon lights. The Pumas are in their blue shorts and white jerseys with blue hoops.

UPDATE: At the 25-minute mark, the Pumas have created more chances and see to have the Sounders back on their heels a bit. Kitsap’s Cameron Hepple and forward Bryan Burke have taken advantage of their speed to make some things happen. Defensively, the Pumas were shaky in the opening minutes as Seattle attacked the middle wtith long passes. But they’ve tightened up and defended the middle nicely. Still scoreless.

GOAL: Mike Fucito scores in 39th minute for Sounders. Gonzales almost gets another in the 40th minute, but GK Meredith makes a great save. 1-0. Pumas might be running out of gas. Their energy level doens’t seem as great as it was.

YELLOW CARD: Taylor Hyde gets carded after a foul. Sounders free kick from abou 10 yards outside the box. No. 2 takes shot, high and wide.

ALMOST: Pumas Burke rushes a shot. He’s wide right. I think he was surprised to find himself so open in front of the net.

HALFTIME: Sounders 1, Pumas 0.

SECOND HALF STARTS: From Jimmy Gabriel to Alan Hinton to Kasey Keller, all spectators, they’re all impressed with the Pumas’ performance thus far. “Burke’s driving ’em crazy,” Hinton said of the Pumas lone forward.

SOUNDERS SUB: Pat Noonan for David Estrada in the 54th minute for Sounders.

NEAR MISS: Zach Scott’s header off a corner goes over the goal in the 59th minute. The best opportunity of the half thus far.

FUCITA: The Sounders forward control the ball from about 15 yards out and he doesn’t rush it. Kitsap GK Bryan Meredith came out and Fucito dribbled by him and around him. Three Kitsap defenders dropped back and Fucito blasted it into the back of the net. Sounders 2, Kitsap 0.

MEREDITH TO THE RESCUE: Kitsap GK made two spectacular back-to-back sves in 65th minute as the Sounders are starting to hve their way with the boys from across the pond.

SOUNDERS SUB: Fucito ldeaves and Jeff Parke comes on for Sounders in 69th minute.

KITSAP SUB: Warlen Silva replaces Burke for the Pumas.

PUMAS GOAL: 71st minute. Nik Besagno got the goal for the Pumas, scoring in front of the Sounders’ goal. Game on. Sounders 2, Pumas 1.

YELLOW CARD: Dan Scott gets carded in 80th minute; smart play as he stopped  a potential 1-on-1 break.

ANOTHER GREAT SAVE: Meredith dives and knocks away a low shot by Jacqu.

NEAR MISS: In 83rd mintue, Silva had a breakaway; took a shot from left side that hit side of net; He stopped and stared. Could have ben the equilizer.

SUBS: Kitsap brings in David Gray and Tye Perdido in 84th minute.

MEREDITH AGAIN: He blocks Alonso this time.

FIVE TO GO: Five minutes left plus extra time. Hard to get anything set up. They do get a pass from Mohn that sails too far for an attempted header in the 88th minute.

GAME OVER: Sounders 2, Pumas 1. Attendance: 3,811.

Checking in from Safeco Field tonight, one night after checking out the Sounders at CenturyLink Field.

Let the ramblings begin:

The Mariners and Marlins are going at it. Will the M’s score more runs than the Sounders scored goals (4)?

The M’s are the visitors tonight as the three-game Interleague series was moved to Seattle because of a U2 concert in the Marlins’ home stadium in Florida.

The U2 song “Where the Streets Have No Name,” blared from the public address system just before the first pitch. Nice touch.

$10 NIGHT?: Lots of empty seats for this one. Wouldn’t be surprised if its the least-attended Friday night game in Safeco history. If you put me in charge for the night, I’d have promo’d it as $10 night. For $10 you can sit in any seat in the house.

NO GREEN: The M’s usually wear alternate green jerseys at home on Fridays, but they’re in their gray road uniforms.

HERE WE GO: Felix is on the hill. He walked the second batter, but later picked him off for a 1-2-3 inning.

The offensively-challenged M’s have gone down in order the first two innings.

REMEMBER GREG DOBBS? He’s starting at third tonight for the Marlins. He’s hitting .316 with two home runs and 21 RBI. I always liked him as a player. He had three pretty good years for Philadelphia before struggling in 2010. The Marlins landed him as pinch hitter/utility guy, but he’s won the third base job.

SPEAKING OF THIRD BASE: Chone Figgins is on the bench again for Seattle. Adam Kennedy’s making another start. You gotta wonder if Figgins will ever come out of this year-plus slump. A year ago, you gave him the benefit of the doubt. The M’s moved him from third to second and he hit No. 2 in the order after batting leadoff for the Angels. Do you just chalk it up to a bad signing, or does Figgins have a chance to turn it around and help the M’s? He is only 32. It’s not like he’s over the hill.

You got to like M’s manager Eric Wedge for having the you-know-whats to put the high-paid Figgy on the pine.

“Figgy’s just got to hang tough and keep doing the work when he’s not playing,” Wedge said. “When he does get in there and play, it’s an opportunity to move forward.
“Figgy and I have had multiple meetings. He can control the outcome in the end by, when he does get the opportunity to play, to go out there and play like we know he’s capable of. It’s tough because he’s not playing every day now, but that’s where we are right now.”

TRADER JACK: Speaking of over the hill, the manager in the Marlins’ dugout, Jack McKeon, is 80 years old. There was a time when Trade Jack smoked 12 cigars a day. He said he’s down to four now.

JOSE JOSE JOSE: You know who else is in Seattle, wearing a Marlins’ uniform? Joe Lopez, who had an All-Star season with the M’s, signed two weeks ago with Florida. Greg Johns of MLB.com caught up with him before today’s game.

WILD THING: Felix has walked a guy and hit another in the second inning. As they say in baseball circles, his command is not very good. In the old days — Trader Jack will back me up on this — they’d say he was wild. Felix just hit Omar Infante with a high inside fastball, but the homeplate ump ruled it a foul ball. McKeon didn’t agree and he showed the ump the spot on Infante’s arm. The umps later got together and changed the call.

Now they’re going to have to explain this to Eric Wedge. The M’s manager is now making his argument. Wonder what he’s saying?

“So you’re gonna let the 80-year-old dude in the black jacket call the game, huh? He’s 80 and all of that, but c’mon. You called it a strike and now it’s a ball because Jack says it was.”

So the bases are loaded. The pitcher, Ricky Nolasco, is up. He’s hitting .091. Felix better not walk (or hit) this guy. Nolasco hits it pretty good but Carlos Peguero gets under it for the third out. Interesting inning.

FELIX SINGLES: With two outs in the bottom of the third, Felix Hernandez poked a single to right field. It was his first hit for Seattle pitchers in Interleague gmes this season. They were oh-for-17 before Felix broke the ice.

The National League is missing the boat on not having the DH. Nobody wants to watch pitchers hit.

WEAK, WEAK, WEAK: Except for the single by Felix, which wasn’t exactly a scorcher, the M’s have hit anything hard off of Nolasco thorugh four innings. It’s easy to see why Seattle is hitting .228 as a team and have no one close to hitting .300 (not counting Greg Halman, who’s at .367, but only has 30 at bats).

MARLINS SCORE: The Fish take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Henley Ramirez singled, moved to second on a sac bunt, stole third on a pitch that Mike Stanton struck out on and scored when John Buck struck out and reached first when he beat the throw from Miguel Olivo, who blocked a low pitch but couldn’t find it in time after the ball bounced away from him. A tough way to give up a run.

MOVING RIGHT ALONG: We’ve already reached the bottom of the sixth. The M’s have had just one runner. Felix reached on a single in the third. No walks, four strikeouts, and a bunch of weak at bats. This is like watching a lineup of hitter’s take swings. Maybe Nolasco’s that good tonight? He’s sure got the M’s hitting off their front foot a lot and looking foolish on a lot of swings.

M’S RALLY?: In the top of the seventh, Brendan Ryan drew a leadoff walk and Adam Kennedy hit a 99-hopper up the middle to move him to third with no outs. Will the heart of the order clutch up?

Smoak hits it hard at the first baseman, who goes home. Ryan would have been dead meat so he got in a rundown long enough for Kennedy to get to third and Smoak to get to second. Dustin Ackley was then intentionally walked to get to Olivo and a potential double play. The wheels in McKeon’s head are still turning.

Olivo hits it hard to third. Dobbs knocked it down and got the force at third, but Kennedy scored to tie the game. Tied 1-1. A chance for Carlos Peguero to be a hero. Peguero doesn’t hit it hard, but gets an infield hit on a bal hit to the right of shortstop Ramirez, who makes a nice diving stop to keep it from rolling into the outfield.

Now it’s Franklin Gutierrez who has a chance to be a hero. Guti singles in two runs with a hit up the middle. M’s 3, Fish 1. Here comes Felix. I bet he comes out of his shoes on his first swing!!! He goes fishing for an outside pitch and ends up bouncing out to second on an 0-2.

Now, can Felix finish the deal? He’s nine outs away from a complete-game victory.

LET ME INTERRUPT THIS SEVENTH INNING STRETCH: … for a soccer update. The M’s still haven’t scored more runs than the Sounders scored goals the night before. Four goals, two in the first 12 minutes. The Sounders put on a good show before 46,068 fans, their largest home crowd for an MLS game.

ATTENDANCE: The announced crowd for the M’s and Fish? 15,275 or 30,793 less than what the Sounders pulled.

LOPEZ PINCH HITS: Jose Lopez faced his old buddy and teammate in the bottom of the seventh. He pinch-hit for the pitcher in the bottom of the ninth with one out and a runner on first. Jose’s looking pretty trim, like his batting average (.196). Lopez flew out to Peguero for the second out.

PEGUERO 1-2-3: The M’s left fielder made all three catches in the bottom of the seventh. He made really nice plays for the first (going back on a hard-hit ball) and third (leaning into the crowd) outs.

FELIX GETTING STRONGER: Felix fanned two more Marlins and now has 10 strikeouts through eight innings. He’s allowed two hits, walked two and hit two. If he finishes it off, it’ll be his third complete game of the season and 16th of his career. It’s the fourth time he’s reached double digits in strikeouts. He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his 16 starts.Will he finish it?

SOUNDS LIKE A SOUNDERS GAME: With out out in the top of the ninth, a group of fans started this chant with Miguel Olivo at the plate: “Oh-Oh, Olivo! Oh-Oh, Olivo! Oh-Oh Olivo!”

OH-OH, MY OH, OH-OH MY! Olivo fouled off what seemed like a dozen pitches (it was only four) in an 8-pitch at-bat before he hit a two-run home run oer the hand-held scoreboard in left field. M’s 5, Fish 1.

BOOS FOR WEDGE: With two outs in the ninth, the M’s manager sends up Jack Cust to bat for Felix Hernandez, who had been standing in the on-deck circle. Cust struck out. Brandon League, who left a game earlier in the week after getting hit in the leg by a hit ball, will come on in the bottom of the ninth.

BACK TO .500: League gets a 1-2-3 ninth, thanks to a great play by second baseman Ackley on the final out, and M’s are 38-38.

1) MARINERS: The M’s get a day off, but could find themselves tied for first place when they wake up. If Houston beats Texas, the Mariners and Rangers will share the top spot in the AL West. … Felix Hernandez (7-6, 3.34 ERA) and Ichiro (hitting .277) aren’t having All Star seasons. Will the M’s have any representatives this year? How about rookie starter Michael Pineda (7-4, 2.64 ERA) or reliever David Pauley (4-0, 1.12 ERA in 26 games and 40 1/3 innings)? Just asking.

2) PUMAS: For the third straight year, our local soccer club is bringing the U.S. Open Cup to our backyard. It’s a tournament, patterned after the FA Cup in England, that matches pros and amateurs in a true national championship. A win on Tuesday at Bremerton Memorial Stadium against the Real Colorado Red Foxes (really, Reeee-al?) sets up a third-round game against the MLS’ Sounders, who are the two-time defending U.S. Open Cup champs. The game would be played Wednesday, June 29, at the Starfire complex in Tukwila. Of course, nobody’s looking past Reee-al Colorado. For the moment, it shapes up as a real big game, perhaps the biggest in team history considering it would give them a chance to knock off the boys in the lime-green jerseys.

3) RORY MCILROY: The next Tiger? I thought that was Anthony Kim, or was it Sergio Garcia? Some thought it was Adam Scott/Charles Howell III/Matt Kuchar/Rickie Fowler/Lee Westwood. There’s too many great players out there today. I think the chances are pretty good that there might not be another Tiger Woods, someone who dominated the game like he did. Certainly it’s far too soon to crown Sir Rory, who has three career victories and one major.

4) BLUEJACKETS: The Kitsap college team is off to its best start in seven years, but nobody seems to notice. Despite the largest population base in the league, the Jackets are last in attendance in the West Coast League, averaging 317 fans through their first 10 home games. Walla Walla and Bend are averaging more than 1,500 fans a game. Wenatchee and Cowlitz (Kelso-Longview) are also over the 1,000 mark. The tickets are cheap ($5), there’s a beer (and wine) garden, the sight lines are fabulous because you’re right on top of the players, and the product is really good. I’m a baseball junkie, so you don’t have to sell the product to me. And since it’s in our backyard, I’d rather take a short trip to the Fairgrounds than jump on a ferry or drive to Seattle and pay big bucks to the watch the M’s. That’s just me. I’m curious why this club doesn’t get better fan support. Any thoughts?

5) HAYES CARLL:  This country rocker is one of my favorites writers. If you’re not familiar with this Texan singer/songwriter, check out the lyrics on these songs: KMAG YOYO, She Left Me for Jesus and Grateful for Christmas.

As Kitsap Pumas owner Robin Waite put it to staff writer Jeff Graham, “You don’t want to put the soccer ball before the net (translated, you don’t want to put the cart before the horse),” but I was surprised to read on my day off that if the Kitsap Pumas beat the Real Colorado Foxes in a U.S. Open Cup match on Tuesday in Bremerton, that it won’t host a third-round game against the MLS’ Seattle Sounders.

It was my understanding that the lower seeds in this tournament got a chance to bid on hosting the game.

Waite told Graham he wasn’t happy that the game will be played at Starfire. And for good reason.

“To my way of thinking, that takes a way from the game. In the FA Cup, all the lower teams host,” he said.

“If the Sounders came over here to play us, it would be the biggest thing that ever happened to soccer in Kitsap. There would be 5 or 6,000 people there. If you go to Starfire, there will be 3,500 and half of them would be our fans.”

The Pumas-Colorado winner will play the Sounders at the Star Fire complex in Tukwila on Wednesday, June 29. Expect a Sounders’ contingent to be in the stands at Bremerton Memorial Stadium on Tuesday.

“I think a bunch of us will be over there scouting for what will be a big step toward trying to repeat and win the Open Cup again,” owner/GM Adrian Hanauer said.  “We obviously know Kitsap quite well, but we don’t know the Colorado team very well.  We know what type of game we’re probably in for, but it will be good to get over there and check it out and see the atmosphere and see some old friends with Kitsap.”

Waite and Hanauer were both part of the Sounders’ ownership group when the team played in the United Soccer Leagues. In addition, Pumas coach Peter Fewing is part of the Sounders’ broadcast team.

Now, it’s just a matter of getting a win over Colorado to earn their dream shot of upsetting the big-city Sounders … on their turf.

The lads need to heed Waite’s advice: “Don’t put the soccer ball before the net.”

Meanwhile, the Pumas remain unbeaten in Premier Development League play, going to 8-0-1 with a 3-1 win over Abbotsford on Friday.

NOBODY WILL CONFUSE Willie Bloomquist with Babe Ruth, but the Diamondbacks’ utility player and Port Orchard native made a sick kid’s wish come try earlier this week when he hit a home run during Wednesday’s game in Phoenix. 

GONZAGA’S STEVEN GRAY, the Bainbridge grad from Irondale, was dubbed one of the biggest sleepers in the country by some early during his senior season. The 6-foot-4 guard isn’t projected to be among the players drafted next week. Here’s a report on Gray by NBAdraft.net, which rates him the 86th best prospect overall. And here’s a mock draft that has Washington’s State’s Klay Thompson going 12th overall, one spot ahead of BYU’s Jimmer Fredette. UW’s Isaiah Thomas isn’t projected to go in the either the first or second round in this draft. Considering the impact Dallas’ diminutive J.J. Barea had during the Mavericks’ championship run, I think Thomas will wind up on somebody’s roster for the 2011-12 NBA season.

WE’RE ONE MONTH away from the U.S. Junior Amateur, which starts July 18 at Gold Mountain’s Olympic Course. Jimmy Liu of Smithtown, N.Y., will be there to defend the title he won as a 14-year-old. Gold Mountain’s hosting a Junior Am sectional qualifier on Tuesday. Seventy-three players will be vying for four spots in a 36-hole test on the Olympic Course. The tournament is open to players who have not reached their 18th birthday by July 23, 2011. Justin Spieth, who won the 2010 Junior Am in 2010, is exempt. He turns 18 on July 27. The Dallas native made the cut at the last two PGA Tour Byron Nelson Classics.

READ OF THE DAY: Jane Leavy’s story on ESPN.com about her father, who took up golf after he realized he was going blind.

So Bainbridge mountain climber Ed Viesturs has been giving secret pep talks to the Vancouver Canucks. Our own Tristan Baurick blogged about it earlier.

Some of you will remember that Viesturs was also a motivational source for the Seahawks in 2006 when the NFL team made its way to the Super Bowl. The mountaineering giant and Pete Whittaker also led NFL commissiner Roger Goodell and then-Seahawks coach Jim Mora on a benefit climb of Mount Rainier a couple years back.

Besides Viesturs, Kitsap’s apparently got another local connection to the Canucks. I feel like I’m going all TMZ or Entertainment Tonight on you, but a source told us last night that Tanner Glass of the Canucks will marry Emily Tracy, a former soccer star from Olympic High, next month. Both were former athletes at Dartmouth.

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/bainbridge-conversation/2011/06/14/canucks-get-secret-pep-talks-from-bainbridge-mountain-climber/