Lots of Sox, Little Runs

I am preparing to write some on the minor league system, an analysis of the moves made up to the trade deadline and the effect that Cliff Lee had on the Mariners’ staff and the effect that he is having on the Rangers’ staff. In addition, I am doing some research into this question: Is there a correlation between minor league team records and future play of the big club? I am doing this by looking at the minor league records for the past World Series participants minor league teams from 1 to 5 years prior to the team reaching the world series. Clearly, free agency muddles this as do a million other factors, but I would like the question answered for small market teams that do not go wild in free agency (i.e. exclude the Yankees, Red Sox and Phillies). I want to see if a fair estimate can be made to when the Mariners will be competitive again.

So the Mariners are 5-16 in the month of July and 3-7 since the break. They have basically started where they left off entering the break (2-8 last 10 before the break). Unfortunately, their schedule has not been kind to them with 4 against the Angels (1-3), 6 against the White Sox (1-2 with 3 left on the road), 4 against the Red Sox (1-2, 1 left today) and two at the Twins to finish out the month. They have been outscored in July 93-57, including scoring an abysmal 3 runs in 3 games, 8+ innings against the White Sox and Red Sox before breaking out and scoring 5 in the bottom of the ninth to tie the Red Sox at 6, a game in which they lost in 13 innings. What is the point of all this doom and gloom?

There are 7 days left before the trade deadline. While I do not know the strategy that Jackie Z has in place beyond the obvious drive to improve the farm system, I haven’t seen/heard/read anything that suggests that he is going to do anything to this team. That has got to be unnerving for fans in Seattle because the team that is on the field right now has given up, and if they don’t start to look better, I fear that it is going to cost Wakamatsu his job. When players give up, it is time to make a managerial move or replace the players. The base running, fielding and pitching errors that have plagued this team starting with the Yankees game just before the break have been so bad that the Mariners announcers are even killing them on the air. That is rare, given that they are paid by the team, and travel with the team. There is a general malaise on this team that suggests that the players don’t care about the rest of the season and it is time for Jackie Z to start emptying the cupboard and refilling it with players that want to succeed.

More later as I hope to finish the minor league record correlation later this week.